Yes, yes…I know…

I’m a bad blogger.  You saw that school started though, right?  So I get a little sympathy for trying to be the number one juggler, right?

One of the printers in our office (the color one) used to be in the business center.  So, there are random people in the place of business who can print to it.  But, the printer has been moved to our office which is behind a locked door.  You never know what little gem you’ll have on the printer when you come to the office in the morning.  I’m the first one in (when I actually GO to the office) and this is what I found today:

I decided to hang it up on the wall, in the spirit of working safe(ly).  My co-workers need to be thanked also!  After all, we all do work very safe(ly) each and every day.  We lift with our legs (not our backs), we clean up spills immediately, and we always use a wet floor sign.

How long can I look at it, though?  It’s already making me a little bit crazy and it has only been on the wall for all of 15 minutes.

safeLY
safeLY
safeLY
safeLY
safeLY

Okay - that’s a little better.  I may have gotten it out of my system.  I wish I had a green marker, I could just go add that little LY to the end of safe.  Then I wouldn’t have to say it in my head over and over again.

Back to school time

There are mixed emotions this year.  I love getting back into a routine and getting the kids into bed at a decent (ie earlier than me) bedtime. School starts on Monday and we had orientation today. 

First stop was the elementary school, where we know the routine.  Go to the cafeteria, get the clinic, PTA, and transportation forms.  Fill out the two and turn them back in, leave the third on the table for the next person, (I’ll let you figure out which one I don’t fill out) and head to the classroom.  Meet the teacher, fill out some more forms, sign here, sign there, nice to meet you, out the door. 

Then, we take the inaugural trip to the middle school. This is where things get a little hectic because I’m out of my element.  I don’t know the building, the teachers, the routine of it all.  I recognize some of the other parents and students, but there are more unfamiliar faces than I’m used to.  We find the boys’ homerooms, meet the teachers, follow directions, fill out more forms, check here, check there, find their schedules, compare their schedules, wonder what math is going to be like for them in the same class, and head out the door.  Spinning.  Overwhelmed.  And it all hits me.  I’m not ready!

I’m not ready to get back into the hectic school routine.  I like early bed time, but I don’t like homework and projects.  I like routine, but I don’t like more things on the calendar.  I like organization, but I’m not ready to clear out the dining room and make way for all of the new files and information that are on the way.  

Too bad. One thing I have learned is that you can’t stop time.  The kids are going to grow up, the kitten is going to become a cat, and Big Brother will award another houseguest $500,000.  I’ve got four days to get used to the idea of back to school. And I think I can embrace shopping for school supplies if I know that I’ll get a new pen out of the deal.

Total Connectivity

WOW.  I’m amazed at technology…and my access to it. I’m currently on I-75 south from Atlanta to Tampa.  We’re about 12 miles outside of Valdosta, our half-way marker.  And I’m on my laptop. Connected to the internet.

I had thought I was high-tech when I could download Facebook to my phone.  I could update my status via the internet on my Blackberry.  I could get my mail for both home and work on my Blackberry.  I could even post to message boards through my phone. That was SO yesterday.

And now I’ve got an air card and have full access to the internet via satellite. And I’ve got a power inverter so that I can plug my laptop into the car charger.  And I’ve got my Nintendo DS plugged in and charging right next to my laptop cord via the USB connection.  AND if I need to charge my phone, I can either do it through my laptop  (although I don’t have the cable for it) or on the other outlet on the inverter.

A little over-stimulated?  Probably. If they realize that all of these radio/compter/satellite waves cause brain tumors, I’m going to be your prime candidate.  Because if my cell phone hasn’t done me in by now, this probably will.

Pulled Mouscle

And no, I didn’t spell muscle wrong.  Mouse+Muscle=Mouscle.  You know which one I’m talking about now? 

I thought that the sore muscle in my back (Right inside my right shoulder blade) was a result of sleeping funny last night.  And then I sat down at the computer with my cup of coffee and reached for the mouse. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!  That’s where the pain came from. 

So yesterday’s day on the computer resulted in a sore mouse muscle, which Lewis has now named the “Mouscle.”  I like it.  Not the sore part, but the new name. 

So I guess I’m really suffering from Mouscitis. I’m hoping the couple of Advil that I just threw back will relieve the pain in a bit. Other than that, what would I do? Work the muscle a little more?  That would mean MORE wasted time on the computer.  And it is Saturday. I’m thinking there are better ways to spend the day, but if I have to sacrifice in order to feel better, well…Facebook, here I come.

Camp Rock

High School Musical meets the Jonas Brothers and Julie Brown.  Throw in another couple of talented teens who can sing and try to dance, and you’ve got this summer’s hottest movie.  At least it is in our house.

I actually don’t mind the movie and the music isn’t all that terrible.  My issue is with the amount of time that this movie is playing in the soundtrack of our home. It is on in the background ALL. THE. TIME.  The minute Olivia turns on the tv, she clicks the “List” button, finds her new favorite movie, and I hear “MITCHIE! COME ON! LAST DAY OF SCHOOL” in the opening scene.  I want to stuff the kitten in my ears.

We now also have some common phrases circulating in the house that are a direct reflection on the number of times we have seen this movie.  Cameron has perfected “Agent? Get my agent?” in a British accent, and Olivia can hand gesture “What.Ever.Major.Loser” on her forehead without a thought. She’s also talking about morning carbs and how bad they are. 

So for the next couple of months (until HSM3 comes ot in October) I’m sure we’ll continue to have Camp Rock on in the house. Thankfully, it is only TiVo’d on the downstairs tv, so I can get away from it if I need to.

And since I’ve been forced to watch all of these kid-musicals, I do happen to have a good basis for an opinion.  And if I have to take sides, Joe Jonas is way hotter than Zac Effron.

Cute Overload x100

The day before Lew’s birthday, we were driving through the Wal Mart parking lot. Lewis asks, “Did that sign say Free Kittens?”  You mean that sign way back there that the rest of us all missed?  The sign that nobody but Lewis actually saw?  Right. That sign.  Why yes, yes it did say ‘Free Kittens.’ 

We went to Wal Mart and then drove back through the parking lot - and Lewis parked.  Just so you know, he knew exactly what he was doing. We live near an animal shelter and he’s always asking me to go in and “look around.”  Looking around at an animal shelter is not something that I can do.  If I go in, I go home with one (or five) new pets.  I just can’t leave anyone behind in a shelter.  And he knows this about me, so he was well aware of the fact that once I hold one of the ‘Free Kittens,’ it is going home with us.

Long story short, Dudley has now joined our family as cat #2.  He has adjusted to life in our house quite well, and we’re waiting for Lucy (cat #1) to respond a little better to him.  He’s now been with us for two weeks, and she doesn’t hiss at him as much as she first did.  Her only emotion toward the kitten is disdain.  The dog hasn’t gotten up from his nap long enough to see what Dudley is all about. I like to take pictures of him sleeping because he is SO SWEET.

Happy Birthday to my one and only!

Yesterday was Lew’s birthday.  It wasn’t a very fancy one, but the little girl and I did bake him a cake yesterday.  And I HAD to put all of his candles on it. So here’s the evidence right before we had to call the fire department and tell them that the smoke alarm was a false one.

And if you *must* know, Iobnoxiously put 36 candles on his cake for one and only purpose. To make him feel old. 

I’m 983 days older than my loving husband.  If you do some of that math stuff, some would say that I’m three years older than him.  But if you just look at pure numbers, he’s now 36 and I’m still 38.  So for the next 213 days until we celebrate my 9th annual 30th birthday, I’m only two years older than my husband. And that makes me feel quite young again. 

Happy Birthday, my love.

I really want to be in a book club

I was thinking the other day that I just don’t have enough going on in my life.  I hardly have time to read the books on my list (see the sidebar on the left & notice how much it hasn’t changed in the last three months or so…) yet I’ve still got this desire to be in a book club. I think it stems from Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons from a couple years back…

I even tried to start one up a couple of years ago and failed - we never got to the first meeting.  I don’t remember what happened, but somehow it got pushed aside and I never got it off the ground. Maybe it was because the first book kind of sucked and I never finished it and never felt the need to talk about it.

But I love to read, and I love to be social. And I’ve got random friends who need to meet and connect. So I think I’m going to try it again.  Maybe I need to pair the first meeting with a wine tasting or something…knowing my friends, that will certainly get them to commit to at least coming out to play with me!

So we need a plumber…

We had a major leak yesterday and it turns out that we need some work done in our kitchen to re-route some piping from under the floor (where the leak is) to behind the wall to the sink and the dishwasher.  Right now we have no water in our kitchen…and of course, a dishwasher FULL of dirty dishes.  And did I mention that we don’t really have any money in our budget for such repairs? So, we start calling on friends and family to find a plumber that we can trust and won’t charge us an arm and a leg to do the work.

Have you seen this guy on Lew’s blog?

He & Lewis have become friendly and this morning, Lewis decided to stop and talk to him about our issues and ask him for prayer about our situation.  Guess who is a plumber? Yes, this man on the street with the Jesus signs every day is a licensed plumber.  And he’s going to come over to our house today and do the work that needs to be done with Lewis, and he isn’t going to charge us.  Of course, we are going to pay him, but it won’t be as much as Mr. Rooter was going to charge us to do the same work. 

Have I mentioned it yet today? God. Is. GOOD.

Random things I learned today…

Just a little potpourri of what I’ve learned today…

• My husband has a mirror in his cubicle. It serves two purposes.  1. He likes to make sure that he has a “phone smile” when he’s on the phone. 2. With the mirror, he doesn’t get lonely in his cubicle.  He’s always there to keep himself company.
• My daughter has found a love of catalogs and is learning how to covet. (I’m reassessing the value of this trait - I’ll get back to you.)  She has a fine eye for great fabrics from the Lands’ End catalog.
• Bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, basil and chicken make a great meal.
• When my boys are not reminded, they don’t brush their teeth.
• A thank you note from a friend can make your day.
• When summer hits in Georgia, you are reminded that Heaven is going to be a much better place than the alternative.
• When I walk by the fan in my bedroom, it makes me want to crawl into my bed and sleep.  I love my bed (that’s a post for another day) and the feeling of that cool breeze on me while I snooze.
• A hot bath is more enjoyable with a six-year old who also appreciates the smell of lavender vanilla bubble bath.
• A naked mole rat is really really really ugly.  Check google images and see for yourself.
• Soy milk is tasty on cereal, but not so good in coffee.
• Rainbow trout fishing at camp is fun for the kids, but not fun for mom when they bring the fish home in a bag.
• Mosquitos are also attracted to the smell of lavender vanilla bubble bath.
• Lew’s Father’s Day present will be here tomorrow.  I’m not quite sure how I’m going to get a 70lb box hidden without his help.  Let me know if you have any suggestions.

It’s been a good day.  I feel smarter having lived it.