Puppies.

Tell me that this isn't the sweetest stinkin' thing you've EVER seen.  I want a puppy!!!!!

Way to Go J-Man!!!

I *really* hope he can keep this up throughout the school year.

Way to go, J!  Green is my new favorite color.

Do you hear it?

It's the faint sound of a basketball dribbling and the net swooshing.

That's right fans.  On Tuesday, October 6th at 7:30, it all begins. 

Say it loud, say it proud...

I am an addict on the edge.

I started out sneezing.  That was all.  That hit me Sunday morning.  And that's all it was until later this afternoon.  No fever.  (Whew.)  But my head is so flippin' congested it isn't even remotely funny.  I have a wicked sinus headache, pressure in my ears and a sore throat.  This bites.  I refuse to attempt sleep while I'm stuffy.  So - - I would guess that I'll cave and begin the cycle of addiction I face this time every year.  Sure, I will be able to kick the habit.  I always do.  But not without some serious withdrawls and lots of complaining.

Ugh.

**Edited to add**
I do have fever.  It's low, but it's fever.  Dang it.

Some new pages...

Some of my Fall Retreat layouts. Enjoy

GREAT Times!

I survived!  I had an awesome time!!  Debbie had the coolest shirts done for us.  They say: "What Happens at the Retreat Stays at the Retreat."  For some of us girls, it's like going to Vegas.  We let our hair down and have FUN!  And - - things that are revealed on the retreat are not allowed to be disclosed.  Ever.  It's the rule.  And it's a shame because there are some FUNNY stories.  I laughed hard.  Very, very hard!

I also scrapbooked.  I got seventeen 12 x 12 pages done, three 6 x 6 pages and a twenty-four page 8 x 8 album (no pictures in it) to give as a baby gift.  All the new mom will have to do is add her pictures.  I think she'll love it.  So basically, I got way more done than I think I ever have before.  As soon as Mr. B reloads Photoshop on the computer, I'll scan the layouts and add them to Flickr.

I saw the movie, "Sex and the City" while I was there.  I really liked it.  I was told that I didn't have to have seen the series to get it.  WRONG!  Thanks a lot, Amy!  With that said, it inspired me to start watching the series.  It should be fun.  I had forgotten that I had heard that Gilles (from DWTS) was in the movie.  And boy was he in the movie.  *swoon*  That man is yummalicious.

I need to jet.  Laundry to work on, a kitchen to clean and a floor that needs mopping.  As fun as it was to escape for a few days, I'm glad to be home with my boys.  All three of them.  Well, and Moe, too.  I love how much they loved seeing me again.  It is good to be the princess around here.  It is good to be me.

*smooches*

Help! I've fallen and I can't get up.

Well, I got up.  But not without some battle wounds.

Here is my story about falling down whilst on our camping trip last weekend.

We went camping at Hords Creek Lake with some very good friends of ours.  Mr. B used to work with Mr. S.  Our families became friends with each other.  Their kids are older than ours.  It does not ever seem to matter.  I love how their kids treat ours.  Our kids are never a pain to them.  They actually seem to enjoy being around our kids.  It's a pleasure.  And usually pretty funny.  Anyway, the kids were off throwing rocks in the lake and catching bugs.  The misters had gone into town to put gas in the truck.  So, is was just me and Mrs. S hanging out by the campfire, reading.  It was quiet and peaceful.

Let me back up a bit.  Not too far from our campsite is a group shelter.  It has multiple hook-ups for campers and a group dining type room.  We were noticing tent after tent pop up at this site.  There had to have been at *least* 35 tents and a few trailers.  It was insane.  As it turns out, they were some sort of martial arts group.  They had on their "uniforms" with their varying colored belts.  They'd go on these marches and for some reason, it cracked me up.  This time, they were marching to the playground and starting doing these "kicks" as they marched.  It was too much for me to pass up.  I ran inside the camper and grabbed the "good" camera.  I put the big lens on and decided to get some shots.

Basically, I was laughing at them.  This, my friends, is irony.  Me laughing at them.  Either irony or karma.  It doesn't matter.  If just one of them saw what happened to me, I got my just due.

I was scrambling to get back to my lawnchair when my flip flops got tangled up in one of the kid's lawnchairs.  The rest happened fast, but in slow motion.  Does that make any sense?  It takes me forever to fall.  I think this happens because I fight the actual fall, as if I will somehow sprout wings and my flapping motion will prevent the fall.  I do this movement every time and it has yet to work.  It just prolongs the inevitable.

I bit it.  Hard.  Holding the good camera.

Mrs. S said that as I was going down I said, "I'm faaaaaaaaalllllliiiiinnnnnngggggg!"

I just laid on the ground for a minute.  In pain and embarrassed.  My face was no more than three inches above the metal ring that housed our campfire.  It was hot.  I could feel the heat on my cheek.  At this same moment, my left hip was being introduced to a rock.  I don't think it was the rock that I left half of my left shin on.  But a rock nonetheless.  I laid there and wimpered for about a minute. 

And then - - the laughter started.  Mrs. S kept offering to help me up, but I couldn't move.  Part of me was scared to and the other part was so busy laughing. I finally got up.  I was covered in dirt and debris.

I wanted to re-create how I looked, so I got my little camera and had Mrs. S take a picture of how I landed.  This is it:

Notice the pained look on my face?  And look at how I sacrificed my body to save the camera.  Want to see the martial art dudes I was trying to get a shot of?  Here:

I'm telling you right now - - this picture was not worth the bruises on my arm and hip, the scrape across my left shin and dang near falling into the fire.

I'll try to exercise a little better judgment next time.  Yeesh.

I'm grounding myself.

No more computer for the next 20 hours.

I have NOTHING ready for my retreat and I have to have it all packed and ready to take to my driver tomorrow night.  I have NOTHING ready.

I'm off of the computer and I'm about to put some stuff together.

I did have fun playing Mr. B in basketball on Wii Sports Resort.  We were doing the three point contest.  He was making fun of my style.  Whatever scores the points.  All I know is that he didn't beat me until I bet him something.  Dang it.  That's gonna cost me.

Okay.  I'm off.  I promise to post the falling story tomorrow night after I'm all packed up.

Smooches.

Can you smell that?

It's the chicken I'm stewing to make chicken lasagna tonight.  Mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm.

Published again.

Here is my column in today's paper:  Parent's Dropping the Ball

Something that rocks...

I got the "green light" from Mr. B today to leave a day early for my scrapbook retreat.

*insert happy dance here*

I have to get busy getting my ducks in a row.

Ciao.