It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like...

Christmas!!!!!

Guess how I spent my weekend?? Instead of shopping Black Friday and Black Saturday and Black Sunday...(tee hee)...I always stay in my jammies and put up all my Christmas decorations - inside and out!

This is my mantle.

I have a little challenge for all my bloggy friends. I will eventually post a picture of my Christmas tree and I want to see yours. I enjoy how unique everyone is when it comes to their tree! So, sometime during this season, I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours!! *wink* And, I want all the deets behind your decorations. K?

Now on to a difficult topic.

Give me a minute to collect my thoughts.

It's hard to speak of it.

My precious Cowboys lost to the Sooners last night after they fought their hearts out in the Bedlam football game. I know. I know. You've all been there, right? You can feel my pain. (Except you, Laura!!! I can hear you cheering from here!)

We watched the game with 5 other families - all OU fans. (Even our own children, except Patrick, are all OU fans.) They were loud and obnoxious and big-clappers. And, I love everyone of them! Jase S. - who is 8 years old, mind you - said to me in the hall, in a threatening/intimidating kind of voice "You know your kids don't even like OSU." I was a little skeered of him!

But, I am very excited that OU is going to the championship game. We do enjoy OU football.....when they're not playing the Pokes! I would say that there's always basketball since we usually ROCK that sport but this season isn't looking so good either. What's a girl to do?

Peace, Love and Poinsettias,

B.

Smashing Pumpkins

Another Thanksgiving holiday into the history books. We had a fabulous day and my cup has been filled to overflowing in many ways.

All the fall decorations are put away. My house is "starting to look a lot like Christmas!" :) We didn't smash the pumpkins but they were all - what's a good word for rotting here?? - soft and some fell apart (i.e. their guts fell out!) in my flower beds. Totally grossed me out.

Here's the highlight of our holiday:

-Making these supah-cute turkey cupcakes with Roman and her pal from Texas, Katie C.



-Stuffing my hand between the skin and meat of my turkey to rub herbed butter in there cuz the How To guy said this is THE best way to cook your bird. Yes, it was disgusting. Yes, it tasted yummo.

(I put a cranberry glaze on that guy and he came out beeeeautiful. But, only my mom, Richard and I got to see how pretty he truly was because we carved him before anyone else got to admire him.)

-My 12-year-old saying "Dad let me go up on the roof to help put on lights. I went all the way to the top!)

-Peeling 5 pounds of potatoes.

-Looking at every ad for Black Friday - twice - and not finding anything worth dragging myself out of bed for that early.

-Sharing a meal and lots of laughs with 23 of our family members.

It was an amazing day. Now, I gotta jet. Richard is calling me to help put up the decorations outside! Yee haw!

B.

Thanksgiving Prayer

This prayer was written by the original Dear Abby and is one of my favorites. Keeps my protected world in perspective.

Oh, Heavenly Father,
We thank thee for food and remember the hungry.
We thank thee for health and remember the sick.
We thank thee for freedom and remember the enslaved.
May these remembrances stir us to service,
That thy gifts to us may be used for others.
Amen.

May we all recognize how blessed we truly are and make every day about being grateful for every gift, no matter what package it comes in.

B. - who thinks she is the most blessed of all

Time to Eat!

First of all, isn't this a sweet picture? This is prolly the way it looks around the table at most houses with the patriarch carving the turkey while the rest of the family looks on lovingly.

Not at our house. Picture all those National Geographic specials you've ever seen of tigers attacking their prey and then the feeding frenzy that follows that! That's how Thanksgiving goes at our house! And I can't wait!!!

So, I just have to share a story from 10 years ago today for 2 reasons. One, it's a miracle I can remember anything from 10 years ago when I can barely remember why I walk into most rooms in my house. Two, it's just darn cute and I'm very - what's a good word to use here - emotional lately about how my babies aren't babies any longer so I like to remember when they were!

10 years ago today, Josh was about 2 1/2 years old and Roman was 2 months old. I had to get to Hobby Lobby for some un-remembered treasure and it was raining. A lot. Everyone else in Norman had to be at that store at the same time and there wasn't a parking space to be found. Of course, knowing Jesus cares about me wanting to keep my babies dry as I wrestle a baby carrier and little boy into the store, I was silently praying for a spot. When a car backed out of the space right in front of the door, I said "Thank you, Jesus" outloud. Josh perked up from his carseat in the back, full of wonder, and said "Jesus was in that car?"

I thought that was the funniest thing and it has stuck with me all these years.

I know now would be a good time to talk about all the things I'm thankful for - family, friends, health, yada, yada, yada. But, if you know me, you know that I live a blessed life and I'm always willing to give up the gratitude for those things.

So, today, I want to be a little more practical in my thanksgiving.

Here goes: I am thankful for Skintimates shaving gel that makes shaving all my shaveable body parts, including toes, so much easier. I am thankful for the Chi product that I put on my hair before I straighten it because the smell makes me really happy. I am thankful that our indoor pet is a cat and that cats automatically know how to use a litter box. I am thankful that Sara Lee makes a pumpkin pie better than I could ever make. And, finally, I am thankful that the Coca Cola company saw the need for a soda that offeres no calories and created Diet Coke, thus changing my life.

After all, it's the little things in life, right?

B

Happy Birthday Hannah!

Today is the birthday of our favorite girl on the other side of the world!

Roman and Hannah formed an instant friendship in the Baby Room at EHC that has lasted for 10 years. They are so very different but at the same time so very similar.

And even though Hannah and her fab family are bazillions of miles away from us, Roman thinks about and talks about her everyday.

I know it's already tomorrow where you are - but we hope you had a wonderful day to turn double digits!

We love you!

Thanksgiving Prep

So glad to see that some things just never change!

Happy Tuesday!

A Concert Review...

...from a 40-year-old mom who has never been to a concert harder than REO Speedwagon in her life!! We just got home from seeing Toby Mac and Relient K and some other bands.

Give that video a lil' lookie. And just let me say - magnify that pitiful volume by a bazillion, add in a thousand screaming voices and let someone play the bass with your head strapped to the drum and that is what I heard for 3 hours tonight.

And I L.O.V.E.D. it!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I loved most of it. Except this particular band, Family Force 5. That's an innocent enough name, right? I was expecting something like the Jackson 5 or the Von Trapp family. This group consisted of 5 people who screamed like banshees for 20 solid minutes. The beat of the bass was pulsing in my throat convincing me that maybe I was having a heart attack because I have never felt this weirdness before. Right at that moment, when I was considering calling 911 but knowing they would not be able to understand a word I was saying, I picked up on some of the words the band was singing. It was their version of "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." (It was a Winter Wonderslam with a Christmas theme concert.) There was nothing similar to the tune that we know this song by - but the words were there and when it was time to sing the chorus they would say, in sort of a chant-ish way "Hey now. Wait a minute. Put a little love in it." Which was quite catchy! Or maybe I was just reaching for a way to connect with these peeps.

But here's what really just cracked me up with this band: They all were jumping, screaming, flailing, shaking, etc., all over the stage. But one guy in particular seemed to have zero purpose. Didn't play a guitar, didn't sing in a mic - kwim? But he had a tambourine at one point. Seriously?????? A tambourine???? With all that screeching and loudness going on??? He's playing a tambourine????!!! He might as well have been playing the spoons!

But Toby Mac...........ahhhhhh, Toby Mac. He was worth waiting for and put on the best show I have ever seen. Really amazing. He put on a rockin' concert but everything about it pointed to Jesus. We were on our feet dancing and singing the whole time he was on stage. He sang Jesus Freak in the oncore and from there got to "Freak Out" and then to "We Are Family." Of course, Richard and I are really shakin' our groove thangs to those and Roman just looks at us and says "What are you singing?"

She wasn't familiar with this music from our "ancient days" as she calls it. She knows every word to "Diverse City" but was clueless with that blast from the past! I can't wait to hear what Josh has to say about us "enjoying" the concert. He and Paden hardly rocked out at all. Let's just say I'm already a little hoarse and my muscles in my "groove thang" are sore!!

Just fabulous!

B - back-up singer wannabe, rock star at heart!

Change

Change has really been on my mind lately. Obviously, the political change in our country has been a biggie. But, I'm waaaaay over that one! We've had lots of change in our family in the last 6 months. We've changed churches, schools, cars, soccer coaches, and living arrangements for some of our family members, just to name a few.

And then there were the Christmas lists that my kids gave me. All of a sudden, in one year's time, I can go to Best Buy, buy out the electronics department and be done with my Christmas shopping in one stop!! This is a toughie for me. I love to give gifts. It's my love language. I love to shop for the perfect thing and then I have a hard time waiting to give it to the person! On Thursday, I wandered around Toys R Us - which used to be the MECCA of my holiday shopping - and only managed to find one thing to buy...for a stocking stuffer! This is one change that might just do me in!


So, of course, in my adhd state while looking at video game systems, I started to think about all the changes I've seen in my lifetime. (Sounding old here, right?) First...aahhhhhh...the Atari. The father of all game systems. We got ours for Christmas - not sure when - but my brother and I loved it.

Guess who loved it more? My mom!! I think she played Pac Man all day while we were at school. My dad even built her a table with slots and attached the controller to it because her wrist was starting to hurt from holding the joystick! I'm sure Atari was the beginning of all the carpel tunnel problems of our day!

What about the progression of LP's to 8 tracks to cassettes to CD's to iPods?? That's been a crazy ride! I still have some cassettes but I don't think I have a player anymore!

Some others: VHS tapes to DVD's to DVR. Bell bottom jeans to pegged-leg jeans to wide leg to skinny jeans. Cell phones the size of a purse to now the size of a credit card. Big hair from a spiral perm to slick, straight flat-ironed hair. (I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want big permed hair to come back. I will be all over that one!)

My friends have changed. My home has changed. My job has changed. I know I can't stop change. One of my favorite quotes is "Without change, there would be no butterflies."

But there is one thing that doesn't change. Hebrews 13:6 says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." For that, I am truly thankful.

So, I know I've left many things off this list of changes I've seen. Do you have some to share with me?

I'm off to see Twilight! I'm a big fan of the books - I hope my boyfriend Edward is as great on the big screen as he is on the pages!

B.

For Sale

'07 Mustang Convertible. Driven with reckless abandonment by crazy mother of four who now sees what a ridiculous decision it was to buy the thing in the first place. Knee indentions in backs of seat from 12 year old trying to squeeze in back seat only temporary. Hump in back seat not deemed appropriate seating for third child. Nor is the trunk.

Moms in midst of mid-life crisis, inquire now! The flags are flyin' and people are buyin'!

Cell Phones

Josh has a cell phone. I know. I know. I was always the one to say he would not have a phone until he started to drive........that I would NEVER get my 7th grader a phone.......that is just crazy......what does a 12-year-old need with a phone?

Let me tell ya. It all started back in August. On the day before school started to be exact.

Everytime Josh would "dramatically" point out that another of his friends had gotten a phone and now eeeeveryoooone had one except him - we would say "Oh good! One more friend whose phone you can borrow if you ever need to make a call!!" (Yes, we do think we are hysterically funny parents.)

Back to August. Football practice was in full swing and they were practicing until at least 5:30 every day. So that day, I pull up at 5:30 to pick Josh up and he was sitting in the parking lot all by himself. (Well, there were 2 other boys but that did not matter one bit to this mama!) No coach to be found. I am shocked. Appalled. Flabbergasted. They left my baby in the parking lot. This would never happen at soccer practice! Don't they realize how cute he is and how much he would sell for on the black market??? I was completely freaked out.

So, the very next morning, I was at the AT&T store when it opened and bought a new phone. I added a new line for Josh and gave him my old phone. (At least I didn't give in to giving him a new i-phone or anything.) Then I drove that phone up to the school, got him out of class and gave it to him. He was so excited - that part was really fun.

That phone fell apart within a month - imagine that - and now he has a nicer phone than I have. But it was free. Maybe when he gets a new one, he'll give it to me!

The best thing about that phone, besides being able to talk to him whenever I want, is that it is a great motivator. Our parenting motto when it comes to disciplining our children has always been "Hit 'em where it hurts." (not literally. Please don't call DHS!) And losing his phone is where it hurts! He was grounded yesterday from his phone. I'm not sure how he survived.

So, do you remember your first mobile phone? I guess mine would be the car phone I had in my Tracker in 1994. It was installed in the car - connected by a cord. I couldn't take it out and it would cut off the call if I turned the car off!! It was the size of my current house phone. My friend had a bag phone that he would carry into the movies - remember those??


Where would we be without our phones? At least Roman hasn't asked for one.

Yet.

B.

Cupcake Monday

Seriously........isn't everyday a cupcake day?

Today is a special cupcake day because these yum yums are going to my friend, Tonya cuz it's her BIRFDAY!!

**party hats**streamers**balloons**

Happy Birthday Tonya! Woo Hoo! She's turning the fabulous 29-one-more-time and doesn't look a day over 21!

I have to tell you about these cupcakes. They are Roman's favorite and she's the one who made them this morning. They are Strawberry Soda Cupcakes (recipe to follow) with Strawberry Mist frosting and our favorite edible glitter. Everything is better with a little bling, kwim???

The recipe deets:

To a white cake mix add 3 egg whites, 1/3 cup oil, and 1 1/4 cup of strawberry soda. Mix. Fill. Bake. 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes.

That's it! So easy and so delish. It's like eating a piece of a cloud! (I've never really eaten a cloud - but it's what I think a cloud would taste like!)

The icing was made by my friend Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker. They like to help me out on things like this every now and then! *wink*

I hope she likes them!

Peace, love and cupcakes,

B.

Donnie Osmond or Shaun Cassidy

Roman and her friend, Madison (hi Mat!! *waving* cuz I know you read my blog!!) were on YouTube watching videos of Donnie singing "Puppy Love." Madison was seriously swooning and I was swept back to the late 70's - early 80's.

So most everyone I knew back then was "in love" with one or the other. Ya know - played the record all the time, had the poster covered in Lip Smacker lip gloss kisses and had every picture they could tear out of Teen Beat taped to every surface in their room!

But this chickie - never one to follow the crowd - was not crazy for either one of those two cuties.

Andy Gibb was the heartthrob for me! I LOVED him. I never even paid attention to those others! "Shadow Dancing" was my all-time favorite song.

And, for as much as I LOVED him, today that is the only song I can remember that he sung!! So much for that kind of LOVE, huh?

So, which one of these guys melted your buttah? Don't even try to pretend that they didn't - especially when Shaun became a Hardy Boy!!

Don't throw it all away,

B.

No Time

No time to blog but I {heart} Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin and I completely agree when it comes to getting up in the morning!! And who wants a worm anyways???

Have a great weekend!

B

Pet Peeves

Don't do this. Don't ever do this.

See this picture? Do you know what that is even though it is a blurry picture? (explanation to follow.) Those are Christmas lights. Turned on. On November 11th. And they've been on every night since Saturday night - which was November 8th.

That. Drives. Me. Crazy.

I understand it was a beautiful weekend. No wind. Perfect for putting lights on one's house. I'm all for that. In fact, I wish we would have had time to do that ourselves knowing the day we pick to do it will be -30 degrees with 40 mph winds! Just don't turn them on yet!!!! Can't we just enjoy the end of fall? Can't we get a little turkey in our tummies first? Can't we get the haybales off the front lawn before you flip that switch?

About the blurry picture. Josh and I were coming home from his CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL GAME last night (sadly, his team didn't win. bummer.) and I started grumbling about those lights when Josh said, off-handedly and with a small amount of sarcasm, "You're probably gonna blog about that, aren't you?"

The light bulb went on in my head and I whipped out the camera to go get a picture as we drove by. Now this house is on the other side of the 'hood but worth the drive-by. I roll J's window down and start to snap a picture when the truck in the garage starts to back out!!! Busted. So I was trying to take the picture, step on the gas and avoid Josh as he tried to dig a hole in the floor board so he could crawl into it!! You can't imagine how many syllables he made "MOM!!" into as his eyes about rolled out of his head!

Me - I was laughing my fool head off! I would have gone back for a better picture but that might have been the end for J. I sure love that boy!!

B

Junior High

First...........I just filled up the 'stang with gas for $23.88!! It was $1.81 per gallon!!! WOO HOO!!! Yippeeeeee!! As much of a fixation that Linda R. has with her sitemeter, I have that with the price of gas. Every single day, I notice what the price is and if it is up or down from the day before. Get a life, right?

So, since everyone blames the President when gas is high, I just want to say "Thank you President George W. Bush for my $1.81/gallon gas!" and "Can you possibly get it down to a buck before you leave office???" *wink*

Junior high. Do those words just bring fear to your heart and make your pulse race? Do you immediately flash back to your own jh years? I'm a "yes" to both questions.

There's going to be a dance Friday night at our jr. high. Of course, I jumped up and down with my hand in the air when the call went out for parents to sell tickets during lunch and chaperone. I am SO in, pick me, pick me!

I went to sell tickets yesterday. It was so fabulous/crazy/gut-wrenching/funny/sweet/nauseating! I just want to say "hang in there" to all those pimply, gangly, braces-wearing kids who, within the next 3 years, will be beautiful people.

So this is the *jist* of what I saw:
-lots of skinny jeans
-Coach boots - who gets Coach boots in jr. high?
-chips and sour straws for lunch
-a girl I've known since she was in kindergarten holding hands with a boy I didn't know
-Josh trying not to make eye contact with me and then deciding he needed money
-all Josh's friends coming to talk to me
-lots of straightened hair
-cliques

I was glad the mom I was working with had the same issues with her 8th grade son! He cut his eyes and gave her the low wave and chin nod just like Josh gave me!

When I went to jr. high, I threw up every day for the first two weeks. But what little I do remember wasn't TOO bad after that. What do I remember the most? Playing the flute, being 1st chair all the time and going to competitions. Playing half-court basketball and winning Regionals. My coach's name Sue Martin (because that was my middle and maiden name.) Peter Williams, Bobby Shanahan and Kenny Boyett - the school hunks - all a year older and the reason for my throwing up. A gray-haired math teacher who could only hear in one ear and whose face I can remember so vividly but not her name because she gave me pretend swats for talking in her class. Finding Jesus the summer after 7th grade.

I think when I go back on Friday to sell tickets again, I'll try not to shake my head sadly and give them encouraging looks. Most of them are having the time of their lives. They are catepillars on their way to being butterflies!

And to answer the burning question I know you all have: Of course, Josh doesn't want us to chaperone and being the kind, loving parents we are, we're DOING IT ANYWAY!!! bwahaha

B

I Still Have It...

...I just can't remember where I put it!

That's the title of the Rita Rudner book I just finished reading. And except for the fact that she is a huge Hollywood comedian who makes a bazillion dollars and lives in Vegas and prolly doesn't do her own laundry or cooking - we're very similar!!

So if you ever run across it at the library, give it a looky. It's an easy read full of daily insights that makes you go "um hmmmm, me too" at everything she writes.

Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book:

I bought a new wrinkle cream
If you use it once a day, you look younger in a month.
Twice a day, you look younger in two weeks.
I ate it.

Um hmmm, me too.

B.

The Weekend by the Numbers

Another weekend gone. All spent at the soccer fields. And what do I have to share about it???

9 games watched (1 didn't include anyone I even knew but it was a good game!)
1 first place medal
3 games that Josh limped from the field with a hamstring injury
1 person that sunburns in November - that would be moi!
2 teams full of great peeps that I love hanging out with
0 parking spaces close to the fields
8 blogs to catch up on tomorrow
2 terrible refs that resulted in
1 throat terribly sore from yelling - moi again!

I'm SO going to bed! Nighty night!

B

Election Funk

What a week for our country. An election that made history like no other election in a long time. And we got to be a part of it.

Then why have I felt like a gray cloud was hanging over my head the last three days???? I'm not even a political person. I know what I believe but I don't get into arguments about it. I wasn't out putting out signs or working in a campaign office.

(Sidebar: I did campaign once. For Burns Hargis when he ran for Governor back in the late 80's. I worked the phones and helped organize a rally. But not because of any intense desire to see him win because he would change our state - because the couple I babysat their children for many years took me along for the ride. It was really a great experience. He didn't win. If he had, my life story might be a little different. He prolly would have wanted me as the Lt. Governor!!! haha)

Anyway - back to the point. I think I just really paid attention this year. Maybe I am growing up.

And then today Truth revealed itself to me. After months of speeches and ads, we all got the chance to choose. In reality, we get to choose our leader on a daily basis. In a political election, majority rules. In the daily spiritual election, our choice stands on its own - no matter what everyone else chooses.

God doesn't change. God always chooses us. In the promised land, Joshua challenged the people of Israel "Choose you this day whom you will serve...As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." A few verses later the people collectively said "We will serve the Lord."

I've made my choice so why am I so funk-y??? Well, I'm done with that. I'm back. The only funky I'm going to be is the groovy, way-out kind!!!

Yay God!

B

Crazy Weather

Look what we got this afternoon! Hail.............and lots of it!




This is in one of my flower beds. That's a gazillion little pieces of ice. There were some golf-ball sized ones, too.

My poor, little pansies. *sad face* It looks like someone took a machete to them. I guess all that sweet-talkin' I did to them was for nothing! I did talk to them after the storm and gave them little shot of Miracle Grow....

I was out in this storm. Yes, me and the 'stang. Going to pick up Josh from football practice. I looked everywhere for a place to get my car under a cover! I don't think the hail I was in was as bad as the hail at our house. But, still, I was not a happy camper!

Now, I'm too nervous to go in the garage and check for damage.

I'm such a chicken.

B

Just Do It

Today's the day. Take a chair. Take a book. Take a snack. Make a plan to be there for a while if necessary. Just do it.

GO VOTE!!

W.U. Part II

...continued from previous post.

The rest of the weekend we spent with Roman's team at a soccer tournament.

After four games, 2 feet full of blisters, and 1 swollen ankle - they took 2nd place! We won this tournament last year but the competition was fierce this weekend. We're very proud of our girls!

I wasn't kidding about the blisters on Roman's feet! After her 2nd game on Saturday, both heels were covered with huge blisters because her cleats are too small! (Fine time to tell us that. It put us in a little bit of a pickle: Wear old cleats that cause a blister or buy new cleats that might cause a blister until they get broken in!!) We decided to stay with the old cleats and lots of bandaids.

Wrong choice. Seriously wrong. Even with a gazillion bandaids, after her 1st game Sunday, she now had blisters on her toes and more on her heels. By halftime of the final game, she was in terrible pain. She toughed it out while I sat on the sidelines with the "BAD MOM" sign on my forehead!

First thing today we went to our fave store and got new cleats. And just look at what she picked out! Everyone's going to need sunglasses - those puppies are bright!

She gets this from Josh. He likes his cleats to make a statement. I think these are saying "What were you thinking??? I'm made for soccer-playing bumblebees!"

She says they are the most comfortable cleats she's ever had. And that's with feet covered in blisters!

Ouch.

B

Weekend Update

The title of my post makes me think of Saturday Night Live so first things first. Did you see John McCain on SNL? That QVC sketch just cracked me up!

And with that - don't forget to vote tomorrow. Laura A. and I would like for all the political calls to stop now. She's already voted and I made up my mind a long time ago! But I do have to tell you a little something cantankerous I did a few weeks ago. I somehow temporarily lost my mind and answered a political call and took their survey. After I grilled the poor guy calling about who he worked for, I answered questions for about 10 minutes. They asked the same questions about 5 different ways so I just started making up answers. I answered it a different way every time. **snicker** Moral of the story: Don't put too much importance in the polls. You never know when I took part!!!!

So back to our weekend. Looky at my little pirate. Cute, ain't she, matey?? She didn't want to t-or-

t but she did want to hand out candy. We ended up at her friend Macy's house because they get a lot of action and we don't in our neighborhood. She did go t-or-t'ing with Macy and then again when Kylee came over. I've said it before and I'll say it again, they are cutie patooties. That's them in the top picture.

As it usually goes for me, I've just deleted the pictures from the soccer tournament. Refer to next post for the rest of the story...

TV Caller ID

We have recently received this newest bit of technology at our house.

Picture this: I'm on the couch in my jammy pants. The remote is in one hand flipping between Food Network and TLC. A diet coke is in the other. I'm under my snuggly soft blanket and the pillows are finally just right under my head. And, then, the phone rings. Ugh.

Behold! The number pops up on my TV screen! It's ________ calling and I'm not getting up to get it! (Of course, it's none of you. I would get up for that call. Really. Trust me.) Wahoooooo! Finally, some technology I can sink my teeth into!!

Technology is everywhere and I am being left behind! Josh can command his phone to call me. Roman can Skype Hannah without any help. Richard can, well, he can do anything with everything technology-related. Me - I have to look at the instructions Roman (may I remind you she is 10!!!) gave me to attach a document to an e-mail every time I want to do it! Aye yi yi.

But, today I may have made some progress. It only took me two tries to move the time back on the clock in my car.

I think I'll just stay on the couch and wait for my phone to ring!

Using my rotary dial phone,

B.

Untitled (because I can't think of one)

Pretty much every day is a soccer day in this house. If Josh or Roman don't have practice or a game, there is EPL on the tv or header practice/shooting practice in the backyard or the made-up-by-the-Wright-children game of "sooker" in the front room. That's soccer played indoors with a tiny ball that they think I won't notice when it sails into my pretty things and they shatter. Somehow they think re-naming soccer will trick me!

This post isn't really about soccer. Roman is playing in a tournament this weekend and on the way to her first game this morning, I saw something that made me smile. Little boys out playing football in their front yard. And they were all on the "skins" team. And there is just something about shirtless little boys that is so carefree and fun. Everything goes slow motion and "Sunshine On My Shoulders" starts playing in my mind!

Then I remember that I was like that when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I **loved** being shirtless! When my brother, who is 4 1/2 years older than me, was playing outside without a shirt, I would do the same thing! Where ever I was at the time, I would strip off my shirt and run around like I was one of the boys. I don't remember anyone making a big deal of it so I guess I just phased out of it.

I was a tomboy. Kinda. Or maybe I was just a nudist wanna-be.

Yikes!

B