Gross.

It's all fun and games until your kid plugs up the toilet.

Chances are, if it takes more than three wet wipes to wipe your butt, you probably need a shower.  After a crap load (heh) of wipes, an inch of water on the bathroom floor, using my hand to fish the excess wipes out of the toilet, lots of steam cleaning and a trip to Home Depot for a plunger - - I think we might have this under control. For the time being.

My concern, at this juncture, is that the excess water I scooped with the trash can into the bath tub won't drain.  The toilet will flush.  But the tub won't drain.  This can't be good and I fear it will involve a plumber.  So - - the kids bathroom is closed for now.  We are not calling a plumber in on a Saturday.  It's going to be bad enough on the Monday of a holiday week.

Good times.

Attn. Karen Kingsbury fans:

Which series is/was your favorite?

I'm looking for some new reading and everyone I know that have read her books have loved them.  I'd like to try one.  Which series do you recommend I start with?

Thanks!

Have an awesome Saturday!

*muah*

Basketball Love

I love basketball.  Love it.

Tonight, Justin had his first practice.  I enjoyed t-ball.  But something tells me this is going to be my favorite.  I'm beginning to accept that he is on the Mavs.  I will even cheer for his team.

I LOVED watching him at practice.  Shooting.  Dribbling.  Passing.  Basic ball handling.  I was in heaven.  I never liked going to t-ball practice.  I really enjoyed tonight.  I can't wait for his first game.

Go Justin!!!  ('Cause you know I can't say Go...  Well, you know.)

By the way, the Spurs pulled off a nice victory with a last second shot by Manu.  Whew.  That was too close.  I'm worried about tomorrow night's game.  They don't usually do well with back to back games.  We'll see.

Have a great Thursday!

We may need a realtor...

This situation with the new neighborhood kid is not working out well.  At all.

It's Saturday morning and he's been to our door THREE times already.  In ONE FREAKIN' HOUR!  What part of Cameron has been sick did he not understand the first time?  What part of Mr. B saying, "Don't come back over today" lost him?  If he was a nice kid, I'd feel sorry for him.  But he's a total turd.  I have no sympathy for him.  All I have right now is irritability.  And lots of it.

A talk with his mom is going to have to occur.  I don't do confrontation.  I don't like upsetting people.  I don't want to piss her off where she like goes after our cats or something.

I hate this crap.

We really need to move.

B's Movie Review

This movie came out in 2008.  How is it that I didn't just see it until last night?  I can imagine why.  I probably saw the trailer and thought, "No freakin' way.  Too sad."  Then last night, I saw that it was coming on one of our premium channels.  I decided to go for it.

Sad is an understatement.  It was depressing.  I can't believe that kind of stuff went on while my grandparents were alive.  Nazi Germany.  Blech.  I'm so proud of both of my grandfathers who helped in the fight against them.

This was a very touching story.  I'm going to admit to never having seen Schindler's List.  Now I think I need to see it.

Wow.

I don't even feel right grading this movie.  I won't ever watch it again.  But I'm glad I watched it the first time.

Elf Yourself!!!

Irony to the Extreme

We registered Justin for YMCA basketball last month.  We got the playing schedule last night, but did not get a notification about which team he is on.

I looked at the schedule.  Two names stuck out to me.  Spurs and Mavericks.  I wanted to cry.  I knew we wouldn't get on the Spurs.  We don't ever have that much luck.  We all own Spurs t-shirts, etc.  It would have been too easy.

Yes, there were lots of other team names.  But guess which one Justin got.  You guessed it.  The Mavericks.  The MAVERICKS.  Are you freakin' kidding me?  I only wish I could tell Shannon.  She would have gotten the biggest laugh out of that.  The Mavericks.  I have to cheer for the Mavericks.  Woe is me.  I will get a plain t-shirt that says Go Justin or something like that.  But I refuse to wear anything that says Mavericks.

This blows.

*insert heavy sobbing here*

Laundry Day

It looks like a load of darks, whites and then the sheets and comforters off of each bed.  We should all sleep with a smile on our face tonight.  I love getting in bed when everything is fresh and clean.  Ahhhhhhhhh.

I'm watching Ocean's 11 while I fold the first couple of loads.  I never get tired of this movie.

I need to do the floors and then I should be good to go for today.

I have Bunco tonight.  So the boys are on their own for dinner.  We play "Dirty Santa" at Bunco for Christmas.  I always take a gift that I'd love to leave with.  Tonight is not exception.  I would steal my own gift from another player if I have to.  I don't care.  I don't play all nice and sweet.  That's never fun.  I steal.  And it rocks!

Mr. B finally ordered a new microwave for us.  We've wanted one that goes above the stove.  I love for the counters to be all nice and clean.  It came in last week and he installed it on Saturday.  One small problem.  One of the numbers won't light up.  Crap.  The new one is supposed to come in today.  At least the brackets are already in place and the wiring is done.  Should be easy.  I'm wanting a new stove, too.  I have for a while.  He told me to research them.  Hopefully I'll find something that will work for us soon.

I have a newspaper deadline today.  I wrote the article last night.  I need to review it, check for sentence flow, grammar, etc.  Then submit.  It will be in next Tuesday's edition of the paper.

Back to work.

Have a great day!!!

Blessed

I was so proud and blessed while my brother spoke tonight.  He talked about their work on the islands.  There were a lot of things that he explained in person that he can't really explain over the phone.  Or - - over the computer.

Let's just say that God prepared my heart for the words I heard.  And I'm glad.  I am so proud of him and his family.

A few other things happened tonight that helped along the decision process in our lives.  Mr. B and I are seriously floundering when it comes to church.  I'm talking - - serious.  And we know that's not how it should be.  We are praying, and waiting for His lead on this.  All I know, and it was pretty much confirmed tonight, was that we are not where we are supposed to be.  That may not make sense to some of you.  But it makes perfect sense to me.

So - - the adventure begins.  It's time for our family to find a new church home.  I don't want to rush into anything.  And I want to be open to what God wants for our family.  We are praying for his guidance.

Christianity isn't a religion.  It's a relationship.  We need to find a place whose beliefs line up with ours and where we clearly feel the Lord telling us to land and get to work.  It's not easy.  These cold days where it's so much easier to "sleep in" make it even harder.  We just need to listen to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit.  We'll get there.  But in the mean time, if you would, please pray for our journey.  Please pray for people to say the right things to us.  Please pray for God to give us a clear peace about where He wants us to get plugged in.

Please pray for us as we close one chapter in our spiritual lives and begin a new one.

Baby Bro - - your timing was incredible.   God knew I needed to hear your words.  Thank you for answering His call.

Diet Coke Haiku

I love Diet Coke
Splenda seals the deal for me
Pour it over ice.

I want to move.

I'm totally not joking.  I officially want to move.

Here's the deal.  There is a house across the street and over one that has been empty forever!  The residential history of the house is quite the mystery.  People who have lived there always seem to leave overnight.  This last time, it was empty for a very long time.  Then last week, we heard that it had sold and that the people were fixing it up for their daughter and her son.  Cool.  A kid.  At least that's what we thought.

Wrong.  Wrong.  Wrong.  Wrong.

The kid is a menace.  I just officially met him and his mother yesterday.  And I'm ready to list our house and disappear in the middle of the night.  He's six and in the first grade.  Thankfully, not in Justin's class.

So far, he has:

Pinned Cam on the ground and put dead grass in his mouth,
Rang our doorbell no less than ten times in the past two days,
Walked right into our house (while the kids were outside playing) and just stood in our living room (he said he just wanted to say hi),
Told Justin that his hair smelled like poop, flipped out and yelled that Justin needed to get out of his house.

I kid you not.

His mom told me that their house was open and the food and juice boxes were plentiful.

I want to cry.

I have been a big believer in providing for my own kids (not the entire neighborhood) as we go along.  I feed my kids, you feed your kids.  It's simple, really.  Then, if I don't want my kids to have something because it's either dinner time or they just had something, then we're good.  Now I find out that a freakin' all you can eat junk food/sugar buffet has opened up across the street.  Fantastic.

Justin came in today and said that the kid's mom wanted to know if he could come inside our house.  I'd already said no inside visitors today.  I was busy prepping dinner for a friend.  I did not need to play ref to the spawn of satan while I was at it.  The next thing I know, the kid rings the doorbell.  (At least this time he didn't just walk in.)  He told me that playing tomorrow wouldn't work for him and he needed to play inside today.  I said no.  Again.  And tried to shoo him away.  He just stood there, hung his head down and pouted.  This was when I decided it was on.  I don't do pouting.  At all.

The kids go to my parent's house tomorrow.  I'm not even answering the door.  Or maybe I should.  Then Problem Child and I can have a one-on-one and I can explain to him the lay of the land.

I'm not happy about this.  Not one bit.

Crap.  We've been so lucky in the neighbor department.  I just knew it was too good to be true.  This sucks.

I gotta figure out a game plan.  The gloves are off.