A Poem by JB

I don't know why he erased some of the lines but I loved this poem. 

I love his sense of humor. And, his poor spelling.

Playing on the iPad

This is what this photo says to me:

I'm sorry you have to work, Mom. Drew and I are goofing off at Dads. See you later, Sucker!

You Can See!

Dear sweet, sweet boy,

Why didn't you tell me you couldn't see?

You failed your eye exam at school so I took you to the optometrist today.

When you were reading the smallest line, my mouth fell open in dismay.

You read D A F V.

Really? That's the smallest you can read?

Why didn't you tell me you couldn't see?

You learned how to put in contacts today. You can see!

And you're doing very well with them. I'm very impressed.

And, proud of you.

But mostly, I'm just glad you can see!

Love,

Mom of the Year

PS I blame this on your Dad. His eye sight was the worst!

Blogger App Test

Take 2

Dear Santa (and Leigh Ann),

Dear Santa,

My sister asked me what I and the boys want for Christmas. Here are some ideas for me for you and for her.

I think if you click on the picture it will go to the shop.

Both prints are $19.00 at Etsy shop Handz/ Jan Skacelik

$120 at Etsy Shop Focuslineart (Click on the caption to go to his store.)

Derwent Watercolour Pencils at your local art store.

Studio chart Painting the Illusion of Glass Vessels from RobertBurridge.com or if you want to sign me up for the painting of the month club... it's only $75 a month. Or something like that. Or, have Bob paint me something. That would be awesome!

Any of the extra pieces of Fiestaware- vases, salt & pepper, sugar bowl, etc.
I have dinner ware in: red, orange, yellow, grass green, chocolate, navy blue

If you're feeling generous, an iPad! Yay! Or, maybe just an iTunes gift card. :)

If you're feeling REALLY generous, how about a vacation to Cap Maison Villa Resort in St. Lucia? Huh, huh? yeah?

Here are some other ideas:
Other Art supplies: Brushes, Watercolor paper (140lb, cold press), Paint brushes, Canvases.

I always love a new writing journal or sketchbook.

I need a small, tiny purse that just fits keys, cash, chapstick and a cell phone but I haven't been able to find one that I like.

I love pajama pants but I always talk myself of buying them when I'm shopping in Target.

Knee high boot socks. Any color.

I love kitchen towels and I need a new trivet. I'm tired of the fish one that I've been using the last 15 years or so.

I'm thinking about purchasing a dutch oven or a crock pot. Maybe I could use a cookbook to go along with it.

Candles. I love candles. Especially ones that smell like spas and resorts. Or pumpkin spice for the fall. Or sugar cookies. Or cupcakes.

And I'm serious about this one: You can draw or paint me a simple heart put it in a frame and I would treasure it forever. It doesn't have to be fancy! Don't tell me you can't draw a heart. Everyone can draw a heart.

I'm sure I could come up with a bunch of other things but this is a great start for you Santa.

I still have to ask the boys. The only thing they've been fixated on lately is an iPad or iPod touch. They can always use sweatshirts, long sleeve shirts, and other clothing items.

Stay tuned.

Backyard Baseball with Drew

Brother Friends

These pictures were taken on August 9, 2009. I was playing with my camera and we were enjoying a summer day in the backyard. Watching Drew & JB's relationship grow and change is so much fun.

They were born brothers. But I know they will be friends forever.

The Five Foot Metal Chicken Saga

On June 25th, my House of Shine friends and I went on our annual Serentripity where we ended up in Granbury, Texas and ultimately Dublin, Texas. While in Granbury we passed by Babes and saw this:

At the time I thought, "I want one of these." But I didn't pursue it too much until in mid-July I read this:

http://thebloggess.com/2011/06/and-thats-why-you-should-learn-to-pick-your-battles/

After giggling through that story at my desk by myself and then laughing hysterically with Chris as I read it to him that I night, I knew I had to have my very own five foot metal chicken. And wouldn't it be fun to have for the pool party I was having that same weekend. I wouldn't rest until I had it.

Finding the five foot metal chicken consumed me and proved to be a more difficult task than one would imagine. You would think that you could just Google it and find it like you do everything else but no! Nada. I was coming up empty handed. I was emailing work friends. I was calling Mexican import stores. Friends were emailing other friends to see where I could buy a five foot metal chicken. Friends in south Texas were taunting me with "those are everywhere down here!" Even my own sister- "I saw those at the Mercado in San Antonio." Well, la-dee-da! I'm in Dallas!

Surely! Surely there is some store, some flea market, some place that sold five foot metal chickens to crazy people. I found a couple of places that did sell them but they were out of stock at the moment. I spoke with a guy in Frisco and he said he thought they were $350 but to call back later to talk to Kevin, the owner. Here is that conversation:

July 14, 2011 4:45pm  ringing up Lone Star Trading Company:

Me- Is Kevin Available.
Guy- He's on the phone with a customer right now. Maybe I can help you.
Me- Well, it's just the Crazy Chicken Lady.
Guy- Crazy Chicken Lady or Chicken Legs?
Me- Lady! Crazy Chicken Lady! I called earlier about your metal chickens.
Guy- Oh yeah. I talked to you earlier. Hang on. Let me see if I can get him to tell me how much those are.
Me- Okay. Remember, I'm looking for a five foot chicken.
Guy- Okay, Crazy Chicken Lady. Hold on.

Crazy Chicken Lady holds on.

For a long time.

And, I'm holding.

Guy- Okay, Crazy Chicken Lady. The five foot ones are $350 but did you say you were in the area?
Me- Yeah, I'll come pick my chicken up. (gulp at price) Do you have one there?
Guy- No, the owner has to go pick them up but if you come pick it up in the store it's half off.
Me- Consider that chicken sold! It's mine. When is he going to go pick my chicken up?
Guy- Well, he's not going until about 2 weeks.
Me- TWO WEEKS! Are you kidding me? That's so long away! And how long does it take to go get it? A day? A week? You don't understand. I'm driving all my friends crazy about this chicken. Tell him he has to go get it! Tell him to leave today!
Guy- (laughs) - You are a crazy chicken lady. (laughs some more) He usually leaves early in the week and gets back about Thursday and then we have to unload and all that.
Me- But you can take my name and when my chicken gets there you'll call me? You'll call me right away? SO, my chicken will be there in about 3 weeks?
Guy- Yeah, yeah. I'll call you. He's going to go in about 2 or 3 weeks.
Me- Wait, which is it? 2 or 3? Don't push it back now?
Guy- (laughs)
Me- Never mind. Okay take my number and call me as soon as my chicken gets there. And tell him to hurry because I'm going to keep looking.
Guy- Okay, that's Crazy Chicken Lady... what's your number.
I give him my number.
Me- What's your name?
Guy- Crazy Cow Man. (laughs) Nah, they actually call me Damn it, Donny. Everyone's always mad at me.
Me- Well, Damn it Donny! Get me my chicken!
Guy- Bye Crazy Chicken Lady.

I updated my friends via email. Subject line: The Chicken Saga. And then it was a ton of cock jokes. I commented on Facebook "I just gotta have that chicken!" We were scheming how to steal the one from Babes in Granbury. And laughed when a friend was going to dinner with the Babe's co-owner. I was laughing so hard on that Thursday that I had a natural high.
I had to ban myself from talking about chickens before I got fired.
And, yes. I know. It's a rooster. But chicken sounds funnier. Doesn't it? It does! It's just funnier. Deal with it.
Then on August 1st, I got a call from Durango Trading and they had two chickens in! But she didn't know the price yet. That's two beautiful chickens!

How could I choose? They are both so wonderful. Oh my God. Was I actually considering purchasing not one five metal chicken, but two? How fun would that be?! They could be talking to each other across the pool. I could move them around to different locations. I could name them something really cool like Heckle and Jeckle or Ben and Jerry or Hank and Willie.

I thought, "Oh well, Damn it Donny. Sorry bout ya."

But then he called, too! I could just see it. A metal chicken bidding war! Except Durango Trading wouldn't negotiate the price for me so I wound up going with the cheaper chicken that Damn it Donny had and I put the whole having twin five foot metal chickens thought out of mind. Though right now it would be fun to have another one.

No!

Well, maybe next year. Sh.

I drove up to Frisco on Saturday, August 6th and saw him right away. I wandered in looking for someone that worked there and first met Kevin. He asked if he could help me and I told him, "That's my chicken."

He said, "You're the Crazy Chicken Lady?"

Guilty. Here's the tag they put on my chicken.

They loaded him into my car and Damn it Donny wrote my ticket up and I was so happy to finally have my five foot metal chicken, Norman and I sang Happy Birthday to me. He's a very good singer.

Norman. That's his name.

He was too big for me to unload by myself so he wound up in the back of my car and let me tell you, he was none too happy about it. He was swearing up a storm. He got it from Beyonce. He kept saying, "I've fallen and I can't get up." He kept threatening to call the ASPCA but he didn't have a cell phone so I wasn't too worried.

Isn't he great? Best birthday present I ever bought myself.

Aviation Museum

Do all boys dream of being a pilot? They look happy in their simulator ride.
Now come home! I need some little boy hugs! :)

hey. isn't technology great? Their grandad texted me a photo, i forwarded it to my email and then uploaded it to the www.

Come Home!

My boys are in Gulf Shores, Alabama with their grandparents. I've received two texts pictures from them. I thought they were sweaty in this one but they were on the water bumper cars with their cousin Ally. And then yesterday I get this picture:

So jealous while I'm working in my fish bowl cubicle.