Typical

Last year I was not able to buy Benjamin's fall school picture like I normally do. Since Melissa was a senior, she was taking pictures at a different time, and Benjamin just didn't pay attention to the school announcements.

Typical boy.  He probably had his nose in a book or playing a game.

But then, I somehow missed it in the parents announcements. 

But not this year!! I was determined to get them this year, so I made a point of checking the school calendar. Then I paid on-line because I really didn't trust Benjamin to remember to hand over the check when he got his picture taken.

Last week a friend post her son's picture and commented how she liked them.  I asked Benjamin where his pictures were.  He said he didn't get any pictures.  I didn't think too much of it, because he goes to the vo-tech school in the afternoon.  I just thought they handed them out late in the day and he would just get them the next day.

I forgot about them until this morning. I asked him again if he got them yet and he said no.  I said I would need to check my credit card to see if I was charged for them, because I KNOW I ordered them. 

His surly self said, " I KNOW I took at picture."

Not sure what happened in his brain at that moment but he went to his backpack and started to rummage through it.

Yep.  You guessed it.  He pulled out the pictures.

That kid. How do you forget that you have pictures in your backpack after your mom asked about them???!!!!

But, once again, so typical of him. 

I think they are good.  He didn't like them....he couldn't tell me why. Also, typical.

Not For Me

Tonight I was peeling the sticker price off these cute little pots of plants Benjamin asked, "Are you trying again?!"

My answer, "No, these are gifts."

Benjamin's response, "Good!"

Oh, yes. My kids know me and my brown thumb. 

 

Tooth Fairy

Melissa was quite upset a few months ago when the orthodontist told her she needed to see about getting her wisdom teeth pulled. We had previously been told she did not have any wisdom teeth, so this was a surprise. Apparently, they can just grow in and appear. 

So a few weeks ago she had her normal check up with her dentist and was told yes, you should not only speak to an oral surgeon about that wisdom teeth, but also about a baby tooth that has a cavity. It needs to be pulled and have an implant to replace it since there's not an adult tooth to replace it. 

Needlessly to say, Melissa was not happy... Yea...she was freaked out! 

So. We did the consultation with the oral surgeon and he agreed the wisdom teeth need to come out as well as the baby tooth with the implant to follow. We are hoping it will all be healed and completed before she leaves for college in August as it takes several months of healing before the final steps can be performed. 

Then the baby tooth started to fall apart... As she was eating popcorn the other day a piece of the baby tooth came out. A tiny piece. Which she proceeded to place in a bag. 

I told her just throw it away - the dentist won't need to see it. Her response? 

"It's for the tooth fairy."

The tooth fairy?  Child, you are eighteen. There's no tooth fairy. (Which she knows full well!)

Another piece of the baby tooth has fallen out, but she is not in pain. We are hoping it stays that way until her surgery date of May 15th. 

Extrovert Benjamin

Last week Benjamin came in from his second job interview to tell us that they did more role playing than answering questions. Then he said:

' l have used all my extrovert points for then day.'

Then he proceeded to go to his room, shut the door, and only came out the rest of the afternoon and evening for dinner. 

Yep.  No more words left for this one. 

Another One from Benjamin

Since Benjamin has gotten his driver's license, his next item on his (more like mine) to-do-list is to get a job. Last week he was to fill out an on-line application for a local fast-food restaurant that a friend owns. I asked Benjamin if he wanted me to help him with the application.   He said, no, that he would wait for Dad. 

I told him I would be glad to help him. His response?

'No, I'll wait for Dad. He has a real job.'

I was NOT happy with THAT comment! And neither was Melissa! We both were sputtering for a comment!

I finally said, ' I HAVE a real job! And a college degree you know!!'

Yea....he still just wanted his dad help. 

Pray for this child. Pray that he lives to leave this house. 

Oh, How She Loves Us....NOT!

The other day I was telling Melissa about a new TLC tv show.  It's called "Meet the Putmans". It's about a family that has decided to life a little differently than the rest of us.  They have four adult children whom all are married with children. And they all live together. As in live together in one house.

One house...two bathrooms....only one washer and dryer....for 25 people.  Ten adults and fifteen children.   There is one daughter in this mix, and her husband decided to take HER name instead of her changing her name so their kids would have the same last name as their cousins.  Yep. That's very different from our normal American life.

The Putmans vote on just about everything...from design options to the house they are building (which will have more than two bathrooms for all those people) to whether or not the daughter and her husband can move away so they will be closer to the husband's work.
 
When I was telling my co-workers about it, they, also, thought it was weird as well.  One said it sounded like a cult.  Maybe so. 

Melissa asked me why. I told her they said it's because they love each other that much.  Melissa's comment?

"I don't love you that much."

So.  Benjamin's not the only one who tells it like it is!!

Another Benjamin Comment

Oh, that Benjamin. He does make me laugh. Last Tuesday Benjamin went to the dentist and did not get the best report on his gums. In order to help his gums they gave him an antibiotic that he gargles with for two weeks. 

This afternoon I asked him how it tasted. His answer?

"I feel like I'm chocking on acid."  

God' Grace Shines

Well. Once again, God's Grace has shown on Benjamin.  Or else he's the luckiest boy around.

Lose a wallet? No problem.  He'll get it returned - with ALL the money still in it.  This has happened multiple times.

Lost a phone? No problem.  Even after being lost outside with the rain for two weeks, it'll be returned to Ben  - and THE PHONE STILL WORKS!

Make a dent in your mom's van's bumper?  No problem.  The body shop guy fixes it for free.


FREE!!

Lucky boy.

The body shop guy was able to pop it back into place....it doesn't look perfect, but it looks better than it did.  And didn't charge a single penny....

God's grace strikes again. 

 

Hot and Cold

 It's hot outside.  High over 80 today....my daffodils and tulip bulbs all think its spring. They are all sprouting up. And it's just early February. 

That's the hot.

Then there's the cold.

Or whatever it is.  Melissa stayed home today feeling ill....slight fever, sore throat...  And then Drew came home early with a slight fever, sore throat... I even had to go and pick up the neighbor boy from school because he was feeling bad.

I'll just be washing my hands and staying away from these family members.

Update on the Girlz

I guess I'll do an update on Melissa as well....  She has just over three months before high school graduation. This semester she has another easy schedule.  She's still taking a class at the local vo-tech school, then instead of the English class at the high school  she had last semester, this time she has a typing class.  Then she works the rest of the day at the middle school office.  She still really enjoying it.  I've gotten several compliments from teachers and staff there when I run into one around town.  She's doing a really great job it seems.

Just about every Sunday evening you'll find her in front of the computer working on scholarship applications.  She's already been awarded several from Ole Miss based on her ACT score.  These will take care of the out-of-state tuition and a good portion of the tuition.  I'm hoping that she'll win a few more that will give the cash out right to her instead of to the school. That way she can use that money toward books and other living cost.  Most are announced by end of April. 

She has chosen a roommate.  A girl she meet through one of the Ole Miss sites, but has not meet her in person. On paper it looks like a good fit.  I lean toward a stranger makes for a better roommate that a best friend, but time will tell. 

Melissa is planning on attending orientation this summer and we are hoping her roommate will attend the same one, so they can meet.

And, lastly, there's me.  I'm still enjoying my little part-time job.  I'm not getting the hours in that I was promised, but that's okay with me.  More time for sewing!(And reading!)  I done one baby quilt and one lap size quilts done this year. I'm currently working on one for Melissa.  It's got lots of pieces  - meaning it's time consuming! Especially when I mis-cut one type of strip and had to re-cut them.  Urggg.  But it's getting there. This coming Tuesday is a day off for me, and I'm hoping to get several hours in to work on it.  The quilt has two types of blocks.  It takes about three hours to get one type of block sewn.  One set is almost done - just need to iron them.  I'm hoping on Tuesday I'll get the second type block one.

The only other big thing with us is we are looking to replace my mini-van. Last Saturday and again today we went to test drive lots of brands.  I want something smaller than a mini-van.  There's a few cross-over type vehicles I like. We have narrowed it down to about four...but not sure which one we'll go with. We're in no real rush...so...we got time to find a good deal.

Update on the Boyz

Since I have a few minutes free on this dreary Saturday afternoon, I'll give that update that I thought about on Thursday.... 

William....he's still loving college.  I saw him a few weeks ago when I was at my parents.  I called and invited him over to watch one of the football playoff games - which he wasn't really interested in watching...but he did like the idea of me doing his laundry. So, he came over.  He still has a few weeks left in this quarter then he'll be home for a week before the spring quarter starts. He's telling us he has high B's and low A's. He already has a job for the summer, so he won't really be home much between now and mid-August.  He'll be working for the camp he worked with last summer. This summer he'll be on a 12 week contract instead of a 6 week one.

Benjamin...Mr. 16....yeah....he still needs to practice his driving....especially the backing up in a parking lot.  We are considering letting him get his license within the next month or two.  It would help if he ASKED to drive, but he doesn't.  Acts like he really doesn't care...so....yea....we're in no rush, then. 

Soccer ended a few weeks ago and I must say: As much as I enjoy watching Benjamin play, I, also, enjoy having a free calendar!  I made the executive decision that we would NOT be doing spring soccer with the local rec league.  I just need a break - actually, I think he needs a break, too.  We might do the summer league....we'll see...  He will be helping Melissa with the sound board at the high school play. That'll keep him busy a few weeks in March.

Then there's Drew.  He still loves his job and right now he isn't traveling.  It sort of odd that he doesn't have any trips on the calendar, but I'll take it! I like him being home.  For the last month or so, he's been busy with our rent house.  The renters moved out at the New Year and just this week we got new renters.  Overall, the change over went smooth.  We had no major damage done to the house - love it when a Marine is our renter! It was very clean!   They really were good renters....just wished they had stayed longer.  The new family is an active duty Air Force.  And once again, we're hoping they will stay two or three years.

While we had no damage and did not have to re-paint  or carpet the house, we did find out today that the hot tub has a leak.  Boo hiss hiss.  Oh, well. I guess the money we saved with the paint and carpet will be put into repairing the hot tub.  Such is life.

Yesterday....A Day in the Life of a Teenage Driver

Yesterday as Mr. 16 was driving us to his ortho apt, I was thinking that I need to write a blog post. Maybe one with an update on everyone since it's been like a month since I've posted.  I was going to say how well Mr. 16 was doing at driving.  He got us to ortho without me having to yell too much.  I still think he needs to brake sooner than he does....BUT! He stayed in the lane and didn't come close to any other car or mailbox or curb.

But then as we were leaving ortho this happened:




Yep.  He backed into someone.  Thankfully, it was a ten year old huge SUV...not a brand new Lexus or some such car.  The lady was nice about it...and since there was no damage on her car, we didn't even exchange insurance info.  But she did try to get a police report - which we found out our fair city doesn't do reports for parking lot mishaps.

Grateful for small favors in life.

But it put a damper on the day....he did NOT want to drive himself to school...sat in the back...  And yes, I was a good momma and told him I still loved him and was still proud of him. And that I wasn't TOO mad...just slightly annoyed. 

And we talked about how when you are driving you must not get distracted!! We got distracted by some people walking across the parking lots pulling suitcases. Where in the world did they come from and where were they going???

We'll never know because that's when we hit the SUV. 

Distractions. Not good when you are driving!!! 

We're hoping our body-shop guy can just pop it out....but that's on the list for Monday....

Here's the other car. See? No damage! Just a little white paint. 

 

Brutal Morning Coming

Tomorrow is gonna be brutal.  The kids have to go  back to school.  Bright and early.  Today Benjamin slept till after noon. Tomorrow it'll be 6:30am.

 Then there's Melissa. The last few days she has been in Atlanta with a church group. They were to be back around 9/10pm tonight...but then they had a flat tire.

Can a church trip happen without car trouble???  Apparently, not.

So...she'll be home around midnight.  She's already text asking if she can skip first hour of class..

Hm....yea...that would be a NO!  We are on what's called a 4 by 4 block schedule, so tomorrow the high school starts a whole new semester with new classes for everyone.  She needs to be there the first day of class to hear all the information about her new classes. She can take a nap after school.  She's young - she'll survive. Besides.....I'm not totally convinced my kids actually go to sleep before a decent time anyway.

And I'll be up early with my little duckies as well.  While I'm not going back to work until Monday, I doubt I'll go back to bed after the kids leaves. I rarely do.  But just might have to take a nap like Melissa!

Happy New Year

Several of my friends have posted in facebook about how bad 2016 was for them. I knew some have had some very bad events in their life this past year. But for Drew & I & our kids??  

It was a good year. 

We saw William really settle into college and get his own summer job. Melissa is enjoying her senior year and is very excited to be accepted into the college program she desires and has already been awarded a few scholarships. Benjamin has continued to do well in school and has come into his own on the soccer field. All three have remained active in church groups and love Jesus. All of our parents are still doing well and we were able to spend time with them as well as other family. 

And a perk of the year?? No run ins with nuts and a trip to the ER. That's a huge win in my book!

We closed out the year playing games with our friends. Drew & I came home early because we like our sleep! But before we left, I got to spend time with my new guy. Melissa and I think he's the most adorable one around! 

 

 

Our Christmas

Our week before Christmas was full, but nice! It started off with the church choir performing on Sunday. The music for the most part was the same they do every year, but a new addition was "It's bout the Cross". I love this song! It's so good! The concert ended with the Hallelujah  Chorus. Which is always good!

Sunday night we had several friends over to play games. I was able to get two games of Ticket to Ride in - won one; lost one...  The teenage boys played Risk. One set of friends played Canasta.  All in all, I think everyone had a  good time.  And we had several yummy treats!

Monday was a day Melissa and I had been looking forward to for months!! A dear friend of ours had here baby! His name is Gabriel and Melissa and I adore him!  He's so cute!!  We're looking forward to holding him again!



Tuesday we attended a friend's retirement from the Air Force. It was a beautiful ceremony. Later that night I was able to delivery my niece's t-shirt quilt finally done. She gave me her high school t-shirts back in August. I told her then I would try to get it done by Christmas.  I finished earlier in the month - I'm so glad it came out well!. She loves it!

Wednesday Melissa and I had another we had been looking forward to: her senior year portraits.  A friend of the family's is a great photographer and we had her do them. She had some inside and outside.  We'll go back in a few weeks to see the proofs. I have a feeling it's going to be hard to decide which ones to purchase....and Drew has already given me a budget....

Thursday I cooked for the friend with the new baby....we just had a relaxing day. And got to see the baby again.

Friday Drew took the day off! - yea!! I love it when the alarm does NOT go off at 5:40!! Drew and the boys went out for lunch the saw the newest Star Wars movie: Rouge One.  We all enjoyed it - the lunch and the movie!

Christmas Eve we stayed home and cooked.  I made gingerbread and sugar cookies while Drew used his new electric smoker to smoke salmon for our Christmas Eve dinner. The salmon turned out a little more salty than we all liked, but not a bad try the first time to smoke fish.  After our dinner, we attended our church's Christmas Eve service.  Instead of the normal candlelight service, this year the service had a  festive feel instead of a sacred one.  After we tortured the kids after church by driving around to look at Christmas lights, we opened our presents when we got home. I think they were overall happy...nothing too big at this time. 

Christmas morning we had to wake up the kids.  That's like with teenagers... the days of them waking us up at the crack of down are over!  William's big gift was a chair for his dorm room he asked for, Melissa got a new cell phone, and Benjamin got money.  He never could come up with a gift we would agree to, so he got money. 

After church in the morning we drove over to my parent's house for the afternoon. It was a nice time with my family...and of course, good food.

Today - Monday - we enjoyed sleeping in again!  Sadly, Drew's alarm will go off early tomorrow morning again, so we definitely enjoyed sleeping in today. We both did some more cooking. Also, a neighbor came over to taste our food and play a few rounds of a new game Ben gave Drew for Christmas called Sequence.  I have yet to win!! May not be my game..... 

The kids are currently out shopping to spend some of the money got received from Christmas while Drew and I are watching a movie.  I am contemplating de-decorating the house....but just contemplating it...got all week, right?

Christmas is Up!!

Our house is finally decorated for Christmas...well...sort of...all but the tree.  And at the moment we have decided not to get a tree this year. Not sure if that decision will stand...we'll see. In the past we have  picked it out before Thanksgiving and then gone back to the Christmas tree farm that's close by after Thanksgiving to actually cut the tree down. But this year we never did go and pick out the tree.  And with the rain this weekend, we didn't want to buy one wet. So...that leaves us with no tree right now...   I do have an artificial tree upstairs at the window - that just may do for this year. 

I actually have several small trees throughout the house. At one point in time some of them were in the kids' rooms, but now they seem not to care if they have their own or not, so they have stayed in the front of the house.

And they don't seem to care about us having a big one downstairs....so......we'll do easy this year.

I like easy.

Conversations at Our Dinner Table

Last week when Melissa came home from her trip she left her backpack and her suitcase out on and around the kitchen table.  One of the items left out was a bag of goldfish that her friend gave her so she would have a snack on the plane ride back home. Melissa's mistake was leaving them in the kitchen...and not wrapping them up and putting her name on them or putting them in her snack basket in the pantry.

Nope...she just left them by her other things....where her brother could see them...and the temptation was  great for Benjamin.

While he sat and played computer games, he ate a few of those goldfish.  And a few more....and a few more.  Over the course of an afternoon, he ate the whole bag.

Yep. There was screaming by the girl when she found the empty bag.

Tonight's dinner conversation she reminded him that he owes her food.  Goldfish would be preferable.

This is not the first time one of her brothers ate her food....and probably won't be the last....

I've Tried!

I really have tried to post in the last week or so, but I was using my phone and it was NOT cooperating!  I type several lines and then it closes out the blog app. Very, very annoying.

All in all, my phone annoys me.  The battery only last a few hours now. I've even tried to order a new one and Wal-Mart was the one that didn't cooperate. On-line they cancelled the order and in person they didn't have the right "sim" card.

For right now I'm stuck with a phone that does NOT want to hold a battery charge...or let me use some of my apps...and that freezes...  First world problems, right?

So. Back to what I WAS trying to post!

Ben - high school soccer is alive and well - and keeping us busy. There was talk among the coaches about playing Ben on varsity, but by the time of the first real (not a scrimmage) game they decided to just have him on junior varsity. Which is TOTALLY fine with us.  Being on JV means he play just about the whole game.  Being on varsity means playing only a little.  I do think that IF he plays well, then when the JV season ends he'll be moved up to varsity for the last weeks of it's season (which is about two more weeks).

Melissa - is flying home as I type.  For her 18th b-day she wanted to go sky-diving.  Which for a brief few days, we actually thought about letting her do.  But a friend that was a para-jumper in the Army talked us out of it. I'm sure at some point in her life, she will jump out of a perfectly good airplane. We just want her to be older. And for her to pay for it. As her "cancelation" prize, she got a plane ticket to see her best friend from Guam that now lives in St. Louis.  This was the first time she traveled by herself.  And I think she's enjoyed every bit of it.  I'm so looking forward to hearing all about her trip tonight when she gets home.

William - he's home from college and totally relaxing...sleeping and playing video games to all hours at night.  We supposedly have our internet to turn off at 9:45 pm, but we have a sneaky suspension  that the boys have figured out a way around our limits.

Other happenings...we hosted several dinners in the last weeks.  One for the office - have a great time! One for friend as a baby shower and card game. I did have  good time at that one, too, but was annoyed when people didn't RSVP!! urggg.  I knew they probably won't do that, so I put "regrets only". And still.  People didn't.  So, we have over a dozen baked potatoes left from our bake potato bar which I made into potato casserole Sunday after church.  As Drew said: at least it wasn't some too expensive.

And I've been working on a tee-shirt quilt for a niece.  I'm almost done with the piecing. Today I bought the fabric for the back and the batting.  As I was working on it last week, I misjudged pin placement and the needle went through my finger. Yes, there was blood . And yes, it hurt.  And thankfully, I'm good with my tetanus shot. I did NOT go to the doctor as I was able to pull the tip of the needle out myself....but thought for a moment I would have to bug  a neighbor to help me....

That's life here...we are all looking forward to Thanksgiving with all the family!!

This and That And Halloween

I hate Halloween. 

Part of it is because of the history of it...and part of it is because as my kids were growing up they really didn't get into it (yes....that may be part of my fault!!)  William never liked anything the least bit scary.  Halloween is getting scarier and scarier as the years go by.  But, also, none of my kids could eat the candy they would have gotten trick-or-treating due to food allergies. 

Now -or at least in my part of town - Halloween is just a reason for people - teenagers!-  to be flat out wild and crazy.  Urggg..

So...I'll be back in my bedroom with all the lights off tonight.

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I have been making my way through the contemporary murder/romance series by Julie Garwood.  As I read back-to-back books by the same author, I can see her "formula".  For the most part the ones I have read all have the same things in common: the hero and heroine are totally opposites, the heroine is knock-out-gorgeous; the hero a total "man's man" (very macho - like lots of muscles), and  many being in some type of law enforcement, some bad guy wants to kill the heroine and so the hero needs to be by her side constantly.  Which, of course, makes them fall in love - BUT!! They fight it.  They usually do end up in bed, but both say it's only gonna happen that once - then for different reason, the hero has to leave the heroine usually because they think they have the bad guy.

But, then, no. There's another guy that's REALLY the bad guy.  But in the end they do get the real bad guy. And yes, the hero and heroine decide after a near-death event, they can't live without the other.

So, why do I keep reading?  Ms. Garwood has been very creative on the mystery part....I'm enjoyed seeing what she comes up with. Also, the humor between the characters is very entertaining...and I LOVE when characters from other books make an appearance...it's like seeing an old friend.

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Speaking of old friends...yesterday I was able to have lunch with one of my best friends from high school who was, also, my maid of honor at my wedding.  We talked and talked....like the years of separation had never happened.  She was in town for a college reunion event, but may have to come back on town due to work....I hope so. I would love to meet up again.

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Just to update any one that was concerned:  I found Benjamin's soccer shorts.  They were in a plastic bag deep under a ton of stuff that is slated for the Goodwill. 

Good thing it's been awhile since I made a donation to the Goodwill.... I seem to remember giving him the bag of soccer stuff so that it could get into his soccer backpack...yea....that didn't happen.

Current Going-Ons

I found a new author at the library this week: Carre Armstrong Gardner.  The first book in her series is All Right Here. It's about a couple trying to find their way when their married life didn't go as planned.  I've already have the second book in the series on hold at the library - hope to get it today!

I've, also, been reading a lot of Julie Garwood. For many years she wrote historical romance, but around year 2000 she began writing contemporary mystery/romance. I do remember reading the first when it came out, but not any of the others. I'm working my way through them all currently.  And so very thankful our library has all of them - which is like 16!


I am reading a lot because work is slow right now...I'm not putting in many hours at all.  I am, also, sewing some. I made my mom a bag she asked for. I love how it came out! I think it's so cute! If all goes well, then tomorrow when I'm at home, I'll start a new quilt while the laundry gets done.

The other current events around here is soccer - of course.  The high school team has been doing conditioning since late June. Then in September and October  many of the team did a local recreational team. This week was the official start to the high school league.  Which means on top of conditioning, they are, also, practicing with the ball. For the most part Benjamin loves it, but it makes it a long day when he doesn't get home until after 5:30. We all think he's playing better than he did last year...and hoping that means he'll get more play time....

His problem this morning was not being able to find two of his uniform shorts....I know at the beginning of the summer when we went through all his gear, we had them. We placed our gear order back in June, and when it came in last month, I really didn't go though it to make sure we got everything we ordered.  Then this morning Ben says he can't find his white or purple shorts. Great...just great...  And of course, the coach had us order through some special store that's not taking our orders anymore....urggg...

This weekend we will celebrate his 16th birthday.  Benjamin's choice of a party? Paintball.  I'll be the one sitting off to the side - with a good book!