Wangler Christmas Party, '08

Today the Wangler Christmas party was held in Chandler, Texas at the lovely home of Chris and Lyndie Wangler. Lots of cousins, brothers and sisters were there and a great time was had by all. Here are some of the pics (taken, of course, by my new camera!).
This is Dana's family. Dana is #1 of the 10 children of the Wangler clan. All of her children and grandchildren were in town for the event. We loved seeing everyone and how much Nick and Natalie have grown. And little Chloe (who is expecting a new sibling in May of 2009) has really gotten big. What a lovely family.
The Paul Wangler family with 2 of their 5 kids with them. Hannah (who started college this year) and Daniel are in the wagon.

All the first cousins.

After all the pics of families were taken, Conrad was left by himself with the Paparazzi. Hmmm, you know, pictures were taken of our family but for some reason they didn't show up when I downloaded. I wonder what happened to them. Well, if someone got one, please e-mail it to me and I'll put it on here. Crazy!

We always do a present exchange and, used to be, Sadie and Mads were the only kids and we made sure we got something they would like because they would end up with it anyway. Now they are not the only ones and it was amazing how many kids were there. In the end, Mads ended up with what she brought after all. She was happy about that. Anna did, too. Sadie got lip gloss and she was just fine with her haul.

By the way, there are 3 new babies due this coming year to the Wangler family. The first, in Feb., then May and June. Who knows how many new ones there will be by the end of the year. Congrats all you parents to be.

This party was wonderful. We saw all the cousins, sisters, brothers, in-laws, out-laws (not really, there aren't any in the Wangler clan - that we would admit to, anyway) had great food and fellowship. The Wanglers are a great bunch of people and I was very lucky to marry into such a loving family.

I hope yours was blessed, too!

Well, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

I have some old business to take care of.

On the 19th, we went over to Shreveport to get ready for Mumsey's 70th birthday party. Auntie B and Pamela had done all the pre-party preparations and had our duties lined up for us on party day so everything went smoothly. Yeah, right.

First, the florist was late. We kept calling and they would tell us "he's 10 min. away" and an hour and a half later (from the first phone call) he showed up. The flowers were gorgeous. Then, when our men arrived with the cake, it had slid a little so it was mussed and the sandwiches "weren't fit to serve at a tailgate party", according to Auntie B who had specifically requested certain kinds of breads and those did not show up. Now, in all fairness to Kroger, the chicken salad (which for some reason I decided to try) was tasty. However, in Auntie B's defense, it wasn't what she ordered and had every reason to be upset. You decide if you want to order sandwich trays from Kroger. If you ask Auntie B? She won't be doing that again.

Now, I wasn't at any of these festivities, I was at Sonic trying to get the 2 Dr. Peppers and one cherry-vanilla coke that I ordered. First, I went to the drive thru and the card reader wasn't working. Well, I didn't have cash so they requested that I go to Brookshires (a grocery store for those unfamiliar) that was located behind the Sonic and use the ATM. Excuse me? I'm not paying a fee to get cash for a place whose responsibility it is to make sure all their equipment is working properly. aaarrrggghhhh! Well, it just so happened that we needed some last minute things (OK, just a pen for the sign-in book table) so I decided to go to the store anyway. Figured I'd get cash back when I bought the pen. Walking in, I was nearly bowled over by a pre-teen who was either blind (no disrespect meant) or just plain rude (I'm betting on rude) because I had the audacity to walk in the "in" door and, apparently, that's where she wanted to be walking. Didn't matter that I was already there. I was dumbfounded. I wish I had video of this because describing it doesn't do it justice.

Anywho, I've now checked out and gotten some cash and am back at Sonic. Instead of drive-thru, however, I've decided on a stall because the drive thru is backed up. When I call, I tell the nice person on the other end that I've already ordered these drinks through the drive thru and if they still have them, they can just bring those out. He tells me he'll check it out. He comes back "welcome to Sonic, may I help you?". I said - in my head "forget it, just order them again", so I did. You know how when you go somewhere you have a preconceived notion of how long something should take and when it starts taking longer you check the clock? Well, I checked the clock after that preconceived amount of time and 5 min. later, still no drinks. I'm sure the truck a couple of stalls down has gotten their order, which they ordered after me, but I can't be 100% sure so I call in and ask and they say they'll be right out. Another truck pulls in and orders a cup of ice and onion rings. I think to myself "if they get their order before me, I will get my 'Auntie B' on and they'll be sorry. (We say "get our Auntie B on when we feel we have been wronged and decide to tell someone about it instead of letting it slide - powers that be need to know these things.) So, sure enough, Mr. cup o' ice and onion ring gets his order and my hand flies to the red button. "Welcome to Sonic, may I help you?" says the person on the other end. "I HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY PATIENT AND ALL I ORDERED WAS 2 DR. PEPPERS AND A CHERRY-VANILLA COKE AND I STILL DON'T HAVE THEM" I said rather insistantly into the little box. I'll be right out there ma'am comes a voice aquiver with fear. OK, it didn't sound scared, but I like to think that it was. Sure enough, here comes my drinks in less than a minute.

Now, you may ask yourself why I sat there for at least 15 min. after I ordered my drinks. Most people would have just left. Well, part of me kept thinking "they're on their way". "Surely it won't be long now". "Really? Well, let's just see how long this thing takes" was the final thought. Besides, I needed a Dr. Pepper and nothing soothes the savage soul like a Sonic Dr. Pepper, unless, of course, the savage-ness was cause by Sonic in the first place.

OK, enough grousing. The party was fabulous. I saw all sorts of Mom's friends, most of whom I had met and one in particular that I had not. I was so excited to meet my mother's high-school sweetheart, Henry Whitlow. What a fabulous, cheery, hugable man. One of the first things he said to me was "I love the blog". That someone my mother holds in such high esteem likes something I do was a heart warming thing for me. Thank you, Henry Whitlow. You are a wonderful person. Not because you like my blog but because you are a dear friend to my mother and took time out of your busy life to honor her with your presence at her party. You made her party even more fabulous. I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye to you, I must have been in the back, washing dishes in that fabulous dishwasher (for real, it was fabulous, washes dishes in about a minute and a half - I want one for the house!). Hopefully we'll see each other again, but if not, I enjoyed meeting you.

Two of my step-sisters were there and it was lovely of them and Perry to come and all sorts of people from various walks of my Mom's life were there. I know she enjoyed it (because she told us so, several times) and we were happy to do it for her. Great big KUDOS to my Auntie B and Pamela for making it happen. In the words of my Opper "you done good".

I have no pics because my camera was again on the fritz. I think it was the battery (I know it was now - you'll know why in a minute) and I didn't even bring it. I knew Auntie B. would have hers and Pamela hers so I'm hoping I get some pics from them to post on here at a later date.

Now, onto Christmas...

On Sunday afternoon, Conrad and I got to go home, leaving the girls with my Mother and, for one night, my sister. How lovely it was for my darling Conrad and I to have some "one on one" time. Thank you, Mumsey and Pamela for a truly special Christmas gift.

Then, we went back Christmas Eve. Spent some time getting ready for the big day, and then, BAM! It was Christmas morning. I was awaken by Sadie at 5am and if you can believe it, I told her to go back to sleep. Actually, I turned on the TV in our room and told her to watch "The Christmas Story" (you know, "you'll shoot your eye out with that" movie) which is a favorite Christmas Day showing of ours. It plays non-stop on TBS or TNT or some cable network and we love it. Anyway, I think she went back to sleep and we ended up getting up at a more respectable 7am. I am normally a "let's get up at 5am" kinda girl but I was feeling kinda crappy, lots of yucky stuff accumulating in my head like the snow in Wisconsin, so I opted for a little more sleep.

Then, Aaron lit the advent candles and Madeline read the Christmas story out of the Bible and Conrad said the prayer. Then the presents...I got to open one of mine first...a new digital camera! WooHoo! A new Kodak EasyShare M863. Let me tell you something, it's beautiful, it's red and best of all, IT WORKS!!!!! And, tonight, when I plugged in the new dock (which charges the batteries while it sits there) it just poof, worked like a charm, like it was made for this computer and everything is hunky dory! I love Kodak! That's why there are pics for this part of the blog.

Here' s Mumsey with her new sweatshirt. See the snowflakes?

This is her telling me "I told you not to get me anything, my party was present enough". Yeah, yeah...you know those snowflakes? They are all our names...this is Sadie.

Cool, huh? My mother is impossible to buy for. So we have to get creative. My friend, Jackie - from work, told me her embroidery machine would do this and so I gave her the sweatshirt and she turned it into this beautiful piece of art that my mother will treasure. Thank you, Jackie!

Anna got a scooter and it came with all the pads, the helmet, a backpack and a phone. Just what every girl on the move needs.

Then we traveled down to Natchitoches (well, really, Campti) to see Pamela and Greg and their 3 dogs and 6 cats and have Christmas dinner. My sister puts out the spread!
After opening presents, Mads gets fashionable with the bows.

It was a lovely Christmas, spent with family, as it should be. Next year, we will be here. We will put up the Christmas tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I promised the girls that since we didn't even get the first Christmas item out this year we would really do it up next year. So, watch out, world, Wanglers will go Christmas on you next year!

I hope your Christmas was blessed, safe and family-filled.

The letter

Today, we got a letter in the office, placed on the desk behind me where I would see it, but not right away. I scanned it and sent it to myself but apparently didn't save it right because it won't upload to here. However, this is what it said:

"Sorry Mrs. Jacky and Ms. Lisa for going up there to the office every time of the Day. I won't go there anymore for the year, and will show no more bad things. And I will stop telling stories about missing lunch."

Now, after dissecting this letter, we surmise it probably came from our little "FOV12" (see previous post). What gave it away was the "show the bad things and telling stories about missing lunch" this boy does this often (the lunch thing, not the "bad" thing).

This amused me and touched me and made me quite aware of some parenting going on here. I appreciate his mother making him write the apology, I bet he does quit coming up there so often. However, I like to think we're just such loving, wonderful people that he enjoys coming to visit. Well, we'll see what happens next year.

And, yes, I know the whole quote should have been indented at the beginning and end of the lines but I indented the first line and fully expected to go back and do the rest after I finished but seems my keyboard and my blog aren't really speaking to each other except for the most basic of commands, like typing so, all you grammer/speech people out there, as Sadie is fond of saying "build a bridge and get over it".

Hope y'all enjoyed all that cooooollllldddd weather! Yikes was it cold or what?

Ziplocs, who knew you could use them for this?

This post has no pictures but this blog was made for (true) stories like this.

I was walking down the hall at school today and a 3rd grader tells me a boy is throwing up in the bathroom. I asked him "Is he really puking?" and made a retched puking sound (because 3rd grade boys are impressed with bodily function noises) and he said "yes" and I thought to myself "well, I'll be seeing him in a bit". So a little time goes by and here comes we'll call him "frequent office visitor #12"- or FOV12 for short.

I look at him out in the hall and he holds up (and no, I'm not making this up) a large ziploc with...yes, you guessed it...what can only be called the remains of whatever he ate. I said "I know you did NOT puke in that bag to show me". He just stood there. I told him to go throw it away, and he actually told me "I have to keep it so I can throw up in it again". I told him that there are toilets and trash cans all over the school and that those were proper receptacles for such an activity, ziploc bags were NOT.

Frankly, it was very hard to keep a straight face through this whole ordeal. Never in my life would I have thought I would see such a sight. When he left the office to, I hope, to rid himself of the evidence. Jackie and I laughed and laughed. I nearly wet my pants I was laughing so hard.

I hope you enjoyed my little tale. I have witnesses that can attest that it's true. They'll laugh when you ask them about it but they'll vouch for me.

I hope where you are it's warmer and less precipitation coming down.

Happy Birthday, Sadie!

Today is Sadie's 10th birthday. We took cupcakes to school (and no, she didn't bring me one!) and then went to see Abby (the one in the middle of the picture) in Fruitcakes playing at Theatre Arlington. I highly recommend it. Very humorous and touching. My favorite line? Uttered by Abby herself "Lord, Momma, there's chicken pox in heaven!". If that doesn't make you want to go see it, I don't know what will. I have discount coupons up at the school if you would like to go see it and get a deal. It's a good holiday show. Anyway...

Sadie has two girls spending the night, both named Abby (although, one is Abby and one is Abi). We'll have a "real" party after Christmas when all our Saturdays (and those of her guests) aren't taken up with Elf shows and other family obligations.

I'm sure you're all waiting for my traditional "Birthday toast" to my oldest daughter. You shan't be disappointed.

This year I have seen my Sadie blossom. She has come out of her shell, so to speak. She's taking dance (of her own volition) and I was worried about her performing in front of people especially these "Elf Shows". (Elf shows in case you're new to the blog are Christmas shows performed at local nursing homes and other holiday occasions such as the community Christmas party at our church tomorrow - frankly, they are as much a holiday tradition around Arlington as...well...I don't know of anything except perhaps the parade that has gone on as long as Elf Shows.) In these shows, the kids are right there in front of the people. Sometimes that's more daunting than being up on a stage where you can't see people. However, I could tell after the first one, the performance "bug" had bit her. She loves doing them and if she takes dance next year, I don't think there will be a problem with the recital.

Also, I have seen her "blossom" physically. I think you all remember the post when I announced to the world she now has a bra. If you don't, well, you are now up to date.

She has her own style completely different from her sisters (and, frankly, mine) and that's OK. I want her to be her own person.

The girl is smart. She's not necessarily motivated but she's smart. She's still a procrastinator and would rather wait until the last minute to do something and many times there are extra points for just getting me to sign an assignment or test. Does she do this? No. She doesn't need the points. She has faltered from her straight "A"s but considering I'm not on her 24-7 to get her homework done, I'm impressed. My theory (probably wrong but, too bad) is that I've spent the last 5 years saying "get your homework done...do your homework...did you do your homework...GET YOUR HOMEWORK DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! If she hasn't gotten it by now, she is just not going to get it. If it's a big thing, yeah, I'm on her. But for her everyday assignments, that's her responsibility. If her grades drop, she will suffer the consequences. I haven't figured out anything that works, yet. But I will. Oh the joy (for me) when that day comes.

She has loyal friends and they fight and make up and act like 10 year olds and I love every minute of it. She stands up for herself when they fight and while I appreciate that in her and, actually admire her because I didn't have that much self-confidence when I was her age, I feel for the friend who has offended her because she isn't quick to forgive. (Thank you, Katelyn, for being patient with her and waiting her out.)

She is getting out of "kid" stuff like cartoonish movies and very much coming into the "pre-teen" world. Right on target. She's listening more to "mainstream" radio - country is her style -than Radio Disney although there's tunes on there she still likes.

I dread the day that those hormones start raging because we already clash on most everything but, forewarned is fore-armed. I'm preparing mentally now and stocking up on Valium and tequila for the event. (I'm kidding. I don't know anyone who takes Valium and I drink the tequila now!)

So far, boys are only in the "like from afar" stage. I've seen evidence of a crush and nearly fainted at the show of affection (a big sign with her "crush's" name on it) it gave me a reality check. Man, this boy thing isn't far off is it? Perhaps drinking all the tequila now isn't such a good idea. Conserve, woman!

Even with all this growth, she's becoming more of a Momma's girl. She hugs me more often than she used to and is just as likely to want to snuggle or crawl up in my lap as Madeline. I like that change.

All in all, I really kinda like who she is becoming. And while I don't understand some of it (like where she gets her self-confidence because, again, at that age, I didn't have it) I appreciate it and just stand back and let her deal with things. I am hoping that's right and that she will someday appreciate it.

Sadie, I can't wait to see what this year brings...or can I? Keep being the lovely girl you are. Stand strong and stick to your guns but know when to bend - not break - for the sake of friendship. Some friendships are worth that. Study hard, please? Work smart. The work is so much easier when you do it a little at a time instead of cramming a whole report into two days. Keep on growing into the beautiful young lady you are becoming. I love you.

And, since it became "the day after Sadie's birthday" since I started writing this post, Happy Birthday to our neighbor Phil!

Oh, and since it's now 1:17 am, I'm going to put this on here since I know Jennifer reads the blog. That "Azul margarita" is the best. thing. ever.! If you like margaritas, this stuff is in a bottle (duh) and you put it in your freezer and it slushes up and you squish the bottle for it to come out but it's still easy to get out and it's the smoothest margarita! No "ooch - wow, I can taste the tequila" feeling in your mouth, just smooth enjoyable yummyness. Thank you for the "just 'cause" gift, you're t-rrific.!

Today's post has no pictures.

I'll tell you about my day yesterday...

I started off knowing it would be a tough day. The principal of our school, due to parking limitations had proclaimed that only the room parent of each room could come to Thanksgiving Feasts that took place at school. We have a very active parent body. This news did not go over well. I was prepared for battle.

Due to generous people who gave of their time yesterday morning, delivering food items to classes while I dealt with normal everyday tasks that happen every morning, the first part of the day went well. Then, thanks to a constant flow of yummy goodies delivered to my desk during the day, the rest was bearable. Until...

...about mid-morning, Aaron (whom I had tasked with making the red beans and rice for dinner) called and asked if I had any bandages. I asked him if he cut his finger and he said "No, I just sliced off the tip of it". I, of course, repeat that for confirmation and the people around my desk all stopped and looked at me like I had 3 heads or something. I told him I would have the cavalry on the way and hung up and called Lisa (my neighbor) and Kelsey (her daughter) took him a band-aid (I think). The day only got busier so I never had a chance to check. I talked to Mumsey not long after that and she told me she was going to Albertson's so I had her pick up a box of band-aids for him.

Regular run-of-the-mill-no-parents-can-go-to-feast-day frustrations from there but Jackie and I made it through with flying colors (well, at least we made it through with our sanity - such as it is - and all our limbs). Then, when I left work, I called Conrad to let him know that I was now off for 5 days!! And he asks me if I'm finished talking to the police. I'm thinking "what the heck is he talking about? So I ask and he tells me that Madeline called 911 and the police showed up at our house.

Now, I am no expert but I'm going out on a limb here and saying about 2 out of 5 children are going to do such a thing because 2 out of my 5 have. Jon did it and would not even look at the police when they got there.

My mother was about to walk out the door to take the girls to dance and the police were there when she opened the door. She thought they were the community patrol just dropping by until they told her they had a 911 hang-8pup from this address. She turned to the girls and said "OK, which one of you did it?" Madeline stepped up to the plate and admitted it saying "I dialed it but I hung up". So, like a big girl, she listened to the police. Then my mom tells her that she, Madeline, will have to tell her father and I that Nonnie was not going to do that. It took her awhile but she did it. I'm sure the facing of the police officers and our stern talking to were punishment enough and I doubt she'll ever do that again. Now, Anna? I guess we'll have to see about her.

So, that was my day yesterday. I am happy you went along memory lane with me.

For today, I've been thinking about all the things I'm thankful for. Here's a few:

My family (All of 'em! - in case any of you were worried.)

The fact that I have many friends and that I was able to invite some for Thanksgiving dinner without worrying if we would have enough.

That I lived long enough to see a woman make a great run for the Vice-Presidency (yeah I remember Geraldine, but I don't remember the race being so close and I don't think she changed the race like Sarah did. And, that I saw history made in this country when an African-American was elected to the Presidency. I may not like it but that's also what I like about this country. I can NOT like it and live to tell about it.

That my family loves me with all my foibles and faults and I overlook theirs.

That my mother-in-law has a safe place to live in with people to take care of her and she now has constancy in her life. And that her children care enough to visit.

That my mother is able to come over for holidays such as this and that we're going to celebrate her 70th birthday this December. (And that she is catching up my laundry even as I write this - THANK YOU, MUMSEY)

That my sons are grown up and making their own way in this world. I am so proud of them.

That I am able to write things that happen to me and write my opinions on this blog and people read it and I'm not persecuted (except for grammer mistakes) for it. What a great thing this freedom of speech thing is.

That no one is going to care that I did not actually make any of the pies that will be served tomorrow for dessert but that we were able to provide them in the first place.

There are a million more things but I'll leave it at that. Please pause a moment, tonight or tomorrow and remember all the things you are thankful for. It will make you feel better!

My hope and prayer for all of you is that you are surrounded by loved ones, that you are helping those in need in some small way, that you feel the love from friends and family and that you get at least one piece of your favorite pie this Thanksgiving. Remember: BE THANKFUL!

A mother's fear

OK, so ACA had a fundraiser and first prize was a scooter. A real scooter. A scooter that has a motor and goes while you sit on it. A scooter that every mother hopes her children don't want for fear of the repercussions. You know, riding, falling, breaking (limbs and scooters). Well, my fears were realized yesterday with the immortal words "and the grand prize winner, Sadie Wangler". Yes, Sadie won the scooter (with help from her sister - that's a story for another day) and now the flaming beast resides at our home.
Here's Madeline, she got the first ride, because without her, Sadie wouldn't have won.

And, Sadie.

I rode it, too. and I have to say, it's fun! It just scares me when Madeline, who can't even reach the ground while she's on it, wants to go. Pray for me and the safety of my children.

Happy Birthday to my Seester! Who is in Nashville this week and I'll get to see her tomorrow when she flies back and I pick her up at the airport! I've visited with her car this week since it's parked in my driveway. The girls get so excited when we drive down the street "is Nanny here?" I get asked everyday. Her birthday was yesterday but I only just now got to sit down and update.

And, congratulations to our nephew Nathan. Cindy and he had a baby this week, he was born at 32 weeks so he's very small, 2 lbs. 11 oz. but Nathan says he's pretty healthy for being so small. He had a hole in his lung which they fixed and he'll be in the hospital until January, probably. His name is Payton Lee. I can't wait to see him. Keep him in your prayers, too.

Y'all have a good week!

Tammy Markham

Growing up, I was friends with a girl named Tammy Markham. She was a beautiful person, inside and out. She had a lovely voice and a beautiful smile and she was my friend, no matter what. Her family was my family. Her momma was the one who got me to like fried shrimp and I'm sure a whole host of other fried foods. That woman could cook and I was always excited to be included at their table. Tammy also taught me the joys of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. My hips and thighs thank you!

I spent many a night at Tammy's house and when I ran away, it was always to there. Not that I did it too many times but when I did, Mumsey always knew where to find me. I first watched the movie "Somewhere In Time" at Tammy's house, it is a favorite of mine, still.

Tammy had two cars. A Volkswagon Bug and a convertable "Thing" (remember those?). We were driving down the road one night and decided to put the top up or down and did it while driving. I learned that night that you should stop to do such a thing. One time, a youth group was visiting our church and they were staying at several houses in the neighborhood. Tammy and I were taking them there and we were in her "bug". I'm sure you know those cars hold at most 5. Well, (brace yourself, mother) we probably had 8 in there. I ended up in Tammy's lap steering, her doing the foot pedals at my command since she couldn't see. We got everywhere safely, though how, I don't know. We had more fun together.

Her sister, Sherry, called me today to tell me Tammy had passed away on Tuesday, she went into cardiac arrest and never recovered. A while back, she had suffered some sort of "episode" that left her paralyzed and rendered her essentially speechless so this was a blessing in most ways. But, it was comforting to me knowing where she was and if I had some extra time going home I could always stop by Longview and see her. But, I didn't do it often enough and for that, Tammy, I am sorry.

But, please know that tales of you and I will live on and I will always remember you as a beautiful soul, lovely singer and the best friend a girl could have.

Can you believe I've updated?

Well, howdy folks! Long time, no update. As you can imagine, the life around here has changed drastically. Long days filled with work, dance, piano, driving here and there, then dinner, then homework, blah, blah, blah. I'm enjoying the new life, however, it does put a damper on updating the blog. However, here I am updating you on the last few weeks. Starting with...

The State Fair! We went, courtesy of free tickets from school (a perk of working there is I get a free ticket, too!)
Big Tex...the trademark of the Sate Fair of Texas.

This is Anna on the Merry-Go-Round. It went fast and she loved it.

Sadie the little flower.

And Mads, too. I actually like Mads picture better because of the sunlight and shade in the picture.Madeline, Anna and Sadie on a ride, having lots of fun.
Anna won a big ol' stuffed animal at a game and she didn't last much longer after that. Her head is on it, if you couldn't tell.

A neighbor of ours who has BIG dogs and know we have cats and love cats always comes to us when a cat is stranded at his house. This time it was a baby that was probably 4 or 5 weeks old. Precious little thing and, of course, we all (except Conrad) fell in love with it (I don't know the sex of it, can't tell). Our neighbor, Ruth, took it in and is loving this little baby to health and happiness. We're so happy it all worked out. Oh, it's name is Zoey.

On to Halloween.

Sadie's pumpkin. It's a dog. Can't you tell?

Anna's pumpkin. She had a little help from Daddy.

Madeline was a lollipop (not a sucker!). You can't really tell it from here but she was pretty cute.


Sadie was a dead veterinarian. And, Brady was a ....

Anna was "halloween girl". I went to WallyWorld with the intent of getting her a ladybug costume but they had nary a one. So, I got her a cute little outfit to wear after taking off the ladybug costume that I fully inteded to go buy at Party City when I got a free moment. When I got home, I showed her the outfit and she said "I love my costume". Ding! I said "yes, that's your costume! And you are?..." "Halloween girl!" She said. Problem solved. We did get her a crown and a scepter to add to her outfit and she was very happy being "Halloween girl". She didn't even make it around the block trick-or-treating before she fell asleep. Still, she wasn't lacking for candy.

On Saturday, the girls and I went to Shreveport. Anna and Madeline stayed with Nonnie while Sadie and I went to see Romeo and Juliet at NSU. Aaron was the "Master Carpenter for the show and here is the gorgeous set he built.

It was a lovely show and very well done and that set? Man, it rocked!

We also got to meet his girlfriend, Jamie. She was in the play as a dancer. She was very good. We also got to meet her Mom and Dad. What a lovely weekend.

Although, the drive over to Shreveport was not without incident. We stopped at a rest area to use the facilities and Anna told me she had to go so I got her out. When I did, I noticed quite a bit of "tasted" halloween candy. (Here's a free tip: Don't let your children take their halloween candy on a long drive, you'll regret it) So, I took a moment to pick up all this unwrapped, tasted and discarded candy so it wouldn't melt onto the floor of the van. Anna runs up to me with her pants and panties in hand. I said "what are you doing?" She said "I had to go potty". I looked over at the picnic area and there was a big puddle right there, for everyone to see. So, I guess Anna has left her mark in Van, Texas.

Y'all have a great week! Hope to update again, soon!

Levitt pavillion

We're at a concert, outdoors, at Levitt pavillion. This is the coolest place in Arlington. Well, the Ballpark will always be number one but this is number 1 and a half.

And, I'm posting from my phone! If I ever figure out how to put pics on here, we could really be on to something!

I tried a "day in the life"

My intention last week was to show you, everyday, what my day encompassed. Well, I took pictures on Saturday night and Sunday, then skipped on over to Tuesday, then forgot I had my camera with me so the rest is just going to have to be pictured in your imagination.

Saturday night, Madeline spent the night out with a friend so Sadie, Anna and I had a girls night. Conrad was at his brother's house trying to fix his mother's car (no, she doesn't drive it anymore!). First we went to Dollar Tree and Sadie got some stuff to be crafty with. Here she is actually making her sisters visors. Very thoughtful in my opinion.


Sunday, I started with laundry...
Then Madeline came home and Anna was very happy to see her.
And before I left the house, I caught Conrad washing dishes...
...apparently, that's all the dish washing that got done, because when I got home it looked just like it did when I left.

I had meetings at the school. One was turning over my beloved Griffin Buck Truck to these lovely ladies, Cory and Amy. I told them how I did it then gave them the keys and let them go at it. I've heard no bad comments about it so I guess they did a great job!

Then, the PTO had to figure out our new by-laws so we could present it to the general population at a later date for voting. Here we are setting up for the meeting. It was a long one.
Skip to Tuesday! Here is Anna with her weekday family: Elaine, the one in the purple shirt holding Gavin and Ben has the stuffed animals in his hands. She really likes it there. Every time I pick her up, she asks if she can come back "Tuesday" which for her is tomorrow.
Then, skip to today when Father (oops, Monsignor) Joe showed us his new bat signed by Josh Hamilton. He had spoken of Josh in one of his homilies and a trainer for the Rangers goes to our church relayed that to Josh and he sent him the bat. Josh is just a really neat guy, by all accounts.
I actually sat down to do this blog on either Wed. or Thurs. night but due to technical difficulties (read - I was so tired at the first road block I gave up) it didn't get done until now.

Work is going well, I love the job. I saw and diagnosed my first broken arm this week. I don't think I can get any more detailed than that due to HIPA laws but, I was proud of myself.

So, there you have my week in a nutshell. I'll try to do it again soon. Well, Fall break is coming up so I'll be sure and have some updates for you then. Hopefully I'll keep you updated in the meantime.

Pancake Breakfast

This morning the ACA PTO had its first breakfast "eatsie's night". In case you don't know, "eatsie's night" is when ACA converges on a restaurant and the place donates a portion of the proceeds back to ACA. As the name would imply, they are usually at night, during the week. However, Applebee's has a deal where you sell tickets, give them back $2 and you keep the rest. It's all you can eat pancakes, sausage and drinks. They only give you 1 sausage per plate but, it was enough to last through the pancakes. Teachers, staff and PTO Board members served as waiters/waitresses, busboys, table cleaners (as well as some 6th graders - Carter Poe rocks as a busboy) greeters, floaters and money takers. A good time was had by all.

We showed up earlier than we wanted to on a Saturday but it was for a good cause. Madeline got to try on Mr. Simon's chef hat...
And here's Mr. Simon (the Principal) all dressed up in his chef gear.
One of our first grade teachers, Mrs. Sullivan, trying her hand at waitressing.
I have to say that all our teachers and staff who volunteered their time on this Saturday morning did a great job. I heard no loud crashes, no complaints and everyone really enjoyed the "eatsie night". Thank you, everyone!

Wow!

OK, so there's alot of stuff going on, most of it making me very tired.

First, the new job. Very wonderful job. It's fast paced. I answer phones, questions, "cure" sick children or send them home (what I wouldn't give for a school nurse) help the teachers with stuff, it's just never ending and that's the way I like it. I love the people I work with, I get an occasional hug from my kids or those who I know and in general just enjoy the heck out of it.

It hasn't been without controversy but I won't get into that. Hopefull it's passed but you never know. And, just for the record, it's nothing I have done but the actions and offensive (toward me) words of others. My mother and husband wisely suggested (demanded) I not get in the thick of it and I am the better person for it. The controversy has shown me who my friends are and what wonderful friends they are. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?

On to bigger and better things.

Anna has adjusted well. She loves going to Elaine's house. Her name comes out more like "Lynn" than Elaine but I know who she's talking about. She loves Ben and Gavin and in general loves being over there. Maybe because she can walk in the house without tripping over something. I hope to remedy that here tomorrow.

Conrad starts working Saturdays tomorrow. Yeah for the paycheck, boo for the time away from family and help with the house. We'll survive that. His birthday was Wednesday.

If I were to write him a letter or a memory page like I do the girls, it would go something like this:

Dear Conrad,

Who knew when we met 16 years ago that our lives would be forever entwined? You are the love, strength and light of my life. The person I go to when things get rough, my shoulder to cry on, my favorite friend to laugh with and I would rather spend time with you than anyone on earth. My favorite times with you are when we are sitting outside "talking story". I never get tired of hearing about your life before me, shocking though some of it may be, and am glad you decided to make me a permanent part of your life 11 years ago. I haven't regretted one minute of it.

Never once have I doubted your love for me. That's HUGE.

I love the fact that when I really grumpy for no reason you know I probably need to eat or sleep. I appreciate the fact that when I do need to sleep, most the time you let me. Well, I guess I understand why when faced with the alternative.

I also appreciate the fact that now that I'm working you're not overly upset at the state of the house. Probably because you know I'd tell you if you don't like the way it looks, you're arms aren't broken - clean it yourself. I also appreciate the fact that you knew it was important to me to work and this job (although a couple of years early) was the perfect one for me. Thank you for your support.

You make me laugh. You make me want to be a better person. You make me see the good in me. You even make me see when I'm overreacting to something stupid. You also accept my apologies when I am less than who I can be.

If I can even do half of what you do for me, I will consider myself a success. I love you and am glad you love me.

All my love,
Your wife.

Well, it would go something like that anyways. Hope you're all not going into diabetic shock right now. If so, drink some orange juice. Or better yet, hoist a margarita in my darling husband's honor.

Madeline lost another tooth this week. Yep, the tooth fairy made a visit to our house.

The new-to-me camera is working, but the dock isn't, so tomorrow I'm going to sit down, in between cleaning, and post some pictures from Aaron and see if I can just connect the camera via the USB cable that I have. I'm sure it will work.

Be looking for a new post tomorrow! If I don't, you'll know I got really into the old housecleaning...awww who am I kidding? I'll be posting.

FYI: The song playing is the song Conrad requested to play when he calls me on my phone.

New job pics!

As promised, here is a picture of me at the new job. I'm the first people see when they come into the school. For some, that's OK, and for some? I'm sure they'd rather see, oh...some beautiful blonde, buxom thing. But, I'll have to do.

Me at my desk!
This is my "partner in crime" Jackie. She is the sweetest thing and knows OH SO MUCH MORE THAN ME! She really is a fountain of information. And, the best part? She loves chocolate and Dr. Pepper! Were we a couple made in heaven or what?
One of the perks of the job is I get to see most of the teachers at some point during the day. We do have a wonderful staff of teachers at our school. I knew this because I've been the PTO President, however, working with them has been a great thing because I get to see them "in action". This is Mrs. Reller. She's a sweetie! And those things she has in her hands? Griffin Bucks. Just in case you've heard me talking about them before, that's a good look at 'em.

Oh, and news on the Aaron front. They posted the jobs for the first productions and he is Master Electrician for the first one and Master Carpenter for the second one (Romeo and Juliet). I can't remember what the first production is called. But, we'll be there!

WooHoo! Go Aaron!

pictureless musings

Another day, still no pictures. However, I understand my "gently loved" camera is on it's way. WooHoo!

So, tonight I did what I knew would be coming. What I knew eventually would happen someday, given my "plumpness up top". We went shopping for bras for Sadie. Oh, yeah. It's happening. My little girl is growing up. Share it with me, internet friends and family, let's celebrate. I think.

Let me tell you a little something about shopping for bras for 9 year olds. They don't size them like us wiser ladies. I felt so pleased that I had thought to measure her before we went. Very proud of myself, I was. Until we got to Wal-Mart (no, no Victoria's Secrets here - we're redneck women). The smallest they came in was a 30A (not what Sadie measured). However, we "tried it on" and it fit so we got it and another one. She's so pleased. I'm so unsure of my feelings. What a year for me with changes! One son off to college, one daughter off into bras...

...and then there's this little monumental change. I got a job! I will be working at the school (ACA) as the receptionist. I'll essentially have the same hours as the girls and Anna (as I've already told you) will be well taken care of. So it's an exciting yet tumultuous time. Lots of changes and growing.

I'll try to get Ms. Jackie to take a picture of me at the desk on Monday morning and post it here.

Be on the lookout!

Anna's first day of school

Hello All,

Since my camera is broken I'm going to link you to my friend Elaine's blog so you can see Anna ready to go to her first day of school for this year. Elaine is keeping her while I work (no I don't know if I have the job yet, I'll keep you posted) so she took her to school yesterday along with Ben and Gavin. Here's the link Elaine's Blog

On the camera front, Auntie B has offered one of her many cameras to me so I can continue my bloggin. Thank you, Auntie B!

So, on another note: Don't you think I'm shooting low? I mean Sarah Palin was a PTA President and look at her now! She's the running mate of John McCain! Me? I'll be the receptionist at my kids' school. Not a lowly job, by any means, and not mine, yet, either. However, I'm going to have to give this some serious thought! I mean, Vice-President of the United States........

OK, also, I'm glad Louisiana is OK. Granted, alot of destruction but not nearly as much as feared. Way to go, LA! However, now I'm hearing grumblings that too much caution was taken. PEOPLE! DO YOU HEAR YOURSELVES? Too much caution? Get over it. That's all I'm saying about that.

That's all for today. I'll try to get the pics of Conrad "fixing" my phone on here tomorrow. I took them on my Iphone. Love that thing!

Finally, a new update

Well internet friends and family, the time that I was fearing has come. My camera has stopped working. Conrad took it to Galveston with him and the girls last weekend and magically, it stopped working. I will let him work on it because he is a miracle worker and will probably fix it, even though he knows nothing about cameras (especially digital ones).

So, I will wait to post the few pics they got from the coast until next week. I think that when I post those it could be the end of pics until I get a new camera or this one fixed so I am delaying it. Please bear with me on that one.

In the meantime, odd news: I have actually applied for a job and it looks promising. This job is as the receptionist at the girls' school. While it's 2 years earlier than I anticipated, Conrad and I agreed that it is the perfect job for me because I will have the same hours/days as the girls and have summers off. In the meantime, finding a place for Anna was a scary idea.

I called my Mom when I heard about the job and asked her to pray for doors to be opened. In the back of my mind I kept seeing my friend Elaine's face and name and something (God) telling me to call her. Well, lo and behold, imagine this...God was right. She said "yes". Not just to keep her but to take her to school (her boys go to the same school) how wonderful is that? If that's not a "God opened door" I don't know what is. I can't imagine a more perfect scenario. Elaine if you're reading this...THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART! I know Anna will be in great hands and she is excited about going to "her friends'" house next week.

I will be doing this job this Tues. and Thurs. and then if I get the job, (not if - WHEN!!!) I will start the next Monday.

So, that's the big update from here. Again, I will keep you posted. And who knows, if I get the job, maybe I'll just buy myself a new camera. After all, you'll want to see me at my new gig, right?

Move in Day at NSU

Move in day was here. Saturday morning we all got up with a sense of anticipation of getting Aaron settled in and on his way to a degree in Theatre Arts. Me? I had all that and a sense of loss.

Granted, Aaron doesn't live with me most of the time, but I still love him and miss him when he's not around. I felt the "out-of-the-nest" feeling most parents get when they send their children off to college. I also felt odd for feeling that. Was it really any different than sending him back home to go back to high school? Yes. This time, I was sending him off, ON. HIS. OWN. to make new friends, to make his own schedule (around his schooling, of course) to find his own way in his own way. A huge step for anyone and here I was, the parent assigned to this duty. Don't get me wrong, it's a duty I gladly accepted. One I hoped would come my way. I just didn't expect the feelings that came along with it.

Luckily, I had Mumsey, Auntie B., Pamela and Greg to help me and Aaron through. I think Aaron was fine with it all, but, of course, in Scrivner fashion, we made it into a production, one I think Aaron could have lived without but weathered it like a trooper anyway.
This is all us Scrivner women with Aaron (Gregela is taking the picture) before we moved Aaron in.

I apologize for the size of the pics. Pamela had to send them to me via e-mail because I sent my camera with Conrad and the girls. Pics should be up from their trip later.

A little explanation is in order here. The NSU mascot is a Demon. Yes, the NSU Demons. So their "rally cry" is "fork 'em Demons" with this little finger sign. Most people think of it as the longhorn sign but, for us it's a demon fork. So, if you see me do this to you, take it as a compliment. teehee
Gregela goofing with Aaron.
They had tents set up all over the place with people offering water, help moving in, help with other information, it was a very welcoming environment, I thought. Except for the glich that Aaron didn't get the dorm/wing he wanted it went rather smoothly. He's in a brand-spanking-new building that no one has lived in yet so that's kinda cool. He's just not with his theatre buddies. But, I'm sure he'll figure out where they are and spend plenty of time over there.
This is us riding the elevator up to his 3rd floor room.
And this is his room. It actually looks better than this, already. We had all his stuff put up and out and in and wherever it needed to go. A trip to Wally world for things we forgot and he was in for good. We all said "good-bye" and left. Me, I didn't cry until I hit the hallway because I told him I wasn't crying. But, I did.

Aaron, I wish you all the best at college. I hope you find a great group of friends who also have their feet firmly planted in good things. I hope you study hard even though you don't want to. I hope you play hard because you can. I hope you work hard in the theatre because you enjoy it and most of all I want you to remember these next four years as a growing experience for what life will bring you. And, I hope life brings you joy and everything else good. Good Luck, Aaron!

And, remember. I am proud of you.