My Dear Friend

I have a very special friend named Stephanie. (You can see her here: estesboys2.blogspot.com). She is just about the cutest thing you've ever seen. She has filled my days with smiles since I first met her.
She used to oooh and aah and go crazy over my little Trey-man when he was a toddler starting pre-school. I would walk him by her classroom (she taught ... she was not in pre-school) and she would just melt over his funny, little, chubby, somber face. I found this so amazing because she has her own little (big) boy the same age. Even so, she could appreciate my little guy's cuteness.
Then, once Tyler was born and oh my, was he ever large, she adored him as well. She would hold and bounce and love on my big, big disgruntled baby for hours without ever complaining. She gave him so much love and put up with his ever-present moodiness.
Oh, and let's not forget Miss Lindsey. She was her Sunday school teacher for a while (which was actually a technicality because we hardly ever made it to church that year) and she would offer to come pick Lindsey up and take her to church. Stephanie lives right by the church ... we do not ... she was willing to go WAY out of her way to get my girl to church.
Ms. Stephanie is a sweet, Godly person and I am so proud she has touched my children's lives ... mine too, for that matter.

Rules for dating my daughter

Granted Lou is not really old enough to "date" yet, but I love this post from jillshalvis.com/blog about it. Cracked me up.

Rule One:
If you pull into my driveway and honk you’d better be delivering a package, because you’re sure not picking anything up.

Rule Two:
You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter’s body, I will remove them.

Rule Three:
I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don’t take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes to big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact come off during the course of you date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

Rule Four:
I’m sure you’ve been told that in today’s world, sex without utilizing a “Barrier method” of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.

Rule Five:
It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is: “early.”

Rule Six:
I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

Rule Seven:
As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process than can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don’t you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

Rule Eight:
The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing,holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to introduce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka - zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which features chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.

Rule Nine:
Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a potbellied, balding, middle-aged, dimwitted has-been. But on issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Ten:
Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a rice paddy near Hanoi. When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveways you should exit the car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside. The camoflauged face at the window is mine.

Your Opinion Please

Howdy Y'all, I mean You:

I am sad to report that it is about time for my baby boy (almost 2 1/2) to mosey on into big-boy-hood and get out of the crib. His baby room is quite baby ... pastel yellow, blue and green with frogs. I want his big boy room to be more masculine, mature and sophisticated, so I need your help.

Should I go with firetrucks, airplanes (or Up-planes, according to my little dude), Cowboy, or any other suggestions. Sports is already taken by big brother. I was slightly leaning toward cowboy because he has a print of a frog dressed in his cowboy get-up in his room now and I thought I could keep it. However, their shared bathroom is frogs and I could easily move it to the bano if necessary.

Opinions? Please.

Girls and Boys

Autumn Leaves are Falling Down,

Yellow, Green, Red and Brown,

Twirling, Twirling to the Ground,

Silently without a sound.

My Lindsey could recite this poem precisely when she was 2 1/2 (except she would say "silent leaves" rather than "silently"). Her baby brother, who is now 2 1/2 can not yet tell you his name.

You may not have heard this before, but boys and girls are very different.

On another note, sometimes I hate being an English major because people assume I know what I am doing gramatically. For instance, I have no idea whether you are supposed to capatalize all of the words of a poem or not. I think not, but it looked better that way.

I saw this on another blog recently. Since I've been in quite the blog funk lately, I thought I'd try it out. You should too.

35 Odd Things About Me

1. Do you like blue cheese salad dressing? HATE it
2. Do you own a gun? no
3. What's your favorite drink at Starbucks? Oh, I really don't do Starbucks. I usually get either the white chocolate thing hot or the mocha frozen thingy (don't even know the size. those sizes are too confusing)
4. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? water or orange juice
5. Do you do pushups? Sometimes. Clearly, not enough.
6. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My beautiful watch Tim got me for my birthday 2 years ago (he gave it to me in April and my birthday is in June. He was so excited. He couldn't wait!)
7. Favorite hobby? I don't know
8. Do you have A.D.D? No
9. What's one trait that you hate about yourself? I have a hard time making true friends.
10. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: I sure hope Obama doesn't win, My husband got something from Fed Ex, Tyler fell asleep fast today
11. Name 4 drinks you regularly drink. Dr. Pepper, Water, Coke, Sweet Tea
12. Current worry right now? Is my boy going to figure out how to get off the bus at a stop that is different from his usual?
13. Current hate right now? the economy
14. Favorite place to be? Commerce, TX ... is that insane, or what?
15. Do you like to travel? Sort of. I love the idea of gettting away and relaxing, but the whole process stresses me out.
16. What color shirt are you wearing? Orange
17. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Not sure. I have never really slept on them.
18. Can you whistle? Yes.
19. Favorite color? blue
20. If you could, would you be a pirate? Wow. No.
21. What song do you sing in the shower? I rarely burst into song in the shower. I am usually saying, "No. No. Don't open the door till Mommy gets finished."
22. Favorite girl's name? Lindsey
23. Favorite boy's name? Trey and Tyler
24. What's in your pocket right now? Nothing
25. Favorite bedsheets as a child? Bambi
26. Worst injury? I fell down my front steps carrying a kitchen table while moving and jammed my big toe. It wasn't that bad at the time. But it still bothers me daily, nearly 10 years later
27. Do you love where you live? No.
28. How many TVs do you have in your house? three
29. Who is your loudest friend? Holly

30. How many pets do you have? nada
31. Does someone have a crush on you? I doubt it.
32. What is your Favorite Book? To Kill a Mockingbird
33. What's your favorite candy? Reese Sticks
34. Favorite Sports Team? Dallas Cowboys
35. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Why is Tyler crying?

Little Bitty Man Love

This morning I had this squooshy little dude in my lap and I just couldn't quit squeezing him and kissing his fat little heavenly cheeks. I even lightly rested my head on his soft little head with feathery white hair. He smelled like sweet little Wheeler baby. Yum! (My kids have all had this same scent)

You see, I'm a bit blue today. I am "in charge" of this group of young moms and they are not happy. Everyone seems to want different things and I am not giving it to them. That bums me out.

But my little man with those cheeks cheers me up and makes me feel oh so successful ... at least in his eyes.

"Maam, Could You Please Just Read the Schedule"

Lordy, Lordy. My precious little angel is doing great in volleyball. We have found a lovely girl on our street to watch the boys so that Tim and I can go to the game and actually focus on the action. All is going swimmingly!

Tonight, our sweet sitter arrived, received instructions, and we departed with plenty of time to see the game and even catch a little of the B Team game. So, off we went ... all the way on the opposite side of town to Cain. It is about a 15 minute drive, but we were still doing ok. When we arrived, there was a lovely choir having a presentation .... but no volleyball. Lights out on the court people.

So, off we went to our school (by the way, if the eighth graders are playing at home, the seventh graders would be at the away campus). After another 20 minute drive back to the other end of town and our school, we got out with just enough time to see our girl play. Ahem, she was not there. Her crazy mom did not read the schedule and was sure she remembered lots of talk about playing Cain. We play Cain next week. My girl was in Wylie tonight and I missed it.

What the heck?