Hmmmmmm... what's up?

Well, let's see what's been going on?  This past week was very busy.  Scout ran on Thursday in Burkburnett, he placed 2nd.  Very nice... very nice... then Brandon and I went to Canyon to watch my dad get an award from WTAMU for being a distinguished alumni... very nice... very nice.... then on Friday, Scout traveled to Slayton with the mighty Bobcats who mightily got whooped... not nice.... not nice.... I sure wish they would win something, those kids need some mojo to help jump start some excitement in their playing.... I think it's going to take more than noodles to get them going.... Saturday we hung out at the pigs and visited with our friend Matt Burba.... very nice.... very nice... and then today, I spent most of the day up at school preparing for the week.... not nice... not nice.... I think everyone up at school needs to eat noodles to jump start them... things are very different this year with everyone.... there's like a negative vibe in the air and I know where my negativity stems from but it's different for everyone... it makes me sad that last year was so wonderful and this year I've tried googling team building exercises in hopes of changing the air at the school.  I don't know, maybe we need karaoke in the lounge on Wednesdays.... maybe 80's music???? hey... maybe I'm on to something.... I'll keep you posted.... oh don't forget.... Scout runs tomorrow so noodles for EVERYONE!!!!!

Look at my new signature.... it's official - I'm a real blogger now!!!!

Milestones.....

As many parents know, there are many, many milestones in your children's lives.  Today Scout reached one that I had hoped he never would reach.  Let's face it, I'm a realist.  I know that I have taught my children many lessons and whether or not they listen and take heed, I never know.  Let me set the stage for you.  It's a cool October Sunday (today) and I've been diligently doing laundry, dishes, took Sager to a costume party, made breakfast and dinner is in the crock pot.  Scout had come home from work early and was in his room listening to either Katy Perry or Cannibal Corpse - I never know which.   Anyhoo... I digress..... I walk into his room to ask him if he has any clothes that need to be washed.  He gets up from his desk and looks around.  Let's just say - it ain't pretty.  There are 10 pairs of running shoes, Gatorade bottles, running magazines, school backpack, dirty dishes, water bottles, his work clothes.... you get the picture.  So even with his loving and devoted mummy standing in the filth and funk, he does the unmentionable... I hate to even write about it but... I know that there are mothers in Uganda who have dealt with the crap that I'm about to see.  I know there are Aborigine mothers cringing that their sons do the same thing that I'm about to deal with..... Scout stands up.... bends down and picks up some shirt off the floor and.... and..... SMELLS IT!!!!! Oh my gosh.... all my years of mothering, teaching and guiding down the toilet.... but wait it gets worse... he throws it down and moves onto the next pile and smells it and says yeah... that's dirty... Can you believe it?  My heart is broken.  Where is that sweet little squared away boy that wiped his hands after every bite of breakfast at the day care???? He's gone I tell you  - gone..... 

The good ole' days when Scout listened to his mummy.

The only consolation is that he ran in Iowa Park this weekend and placed 2nd!!! Woo-Hoo!!!  He whittled his time down to 16:51.  That is super SWEET!!!!

Now this is scary!!!

Isn't he sooo scary??? I know not really.  I've had so many things that I wanted to blog about but I just can't decide anyhoo....  I asked Shaw what I should blog about and he said - blog about blogging... boring.... I have to say that I have several super funny stories in my head but I question whether or not I should tell them.  (You know my boss reads my blog... I'm just saying...)  

Did you know that I used to want to be a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader?  I did.  Those white zip up boots were the bomb!! In elementary school a lot of the girls wanted to be cheerleaders and marry Dallas Cowboy football players but here was my problem.  I was so embarrassed to admit to the other cheerleader wanna-be's that nobody watched football in my house.  I had no idea about anything remotely attached to a football game but I did know about the cheerleaders!  So I read the sports section of the Amarillo Sunday paper looking for a famous Dallas Cowboy to marry.  Well there wasn't a whole lot of pictures of famous footballers so the article that I read was all about Tony Dorsett.  Do you know who Tony Dorsett is? Well, he was this awesome running back from back in the day.   Well I promptly went back to school and told all the girls that I was going to grow up and marry Tony Dorsett.  (keep in mind this was 78, 79...)  They did kind of look at me crazy but I just thought it was because they didn't believe that I would actually marry him.  So I faithfully started reading the sports page to keep track of my man.  Then one day it happened - there was a picture of him.  He's black.  Did you know that?  Not me.  Not that's there's anything wrong with that but not a whole lot of interracial dating going on at St. Joseph's Catholic school.  So what's the moral of my story?  It's this.  If you want to be a trashy, big haired, white boot wearing hussy prancing on the sideline of a professional sporting event - Do It!! but don't do it to fit in because sometimes one lie leads to another and then another.  And everyone knows - I'm a bad, bad, bad liar!!! Have a great weekend!!!

What a weekend....

We had a great weekend.  This weekend we watched Scout run a cross country race in Seymour Texas.  He shaved a minute off his time so I can totally tell that his hard work is really paying off.  Sometimes you can say hard work will pay off but sometimes you can't.  I know that there are kids who have a ton of talent  but are too lazy to go to practice and they still are rewarded with accolades and praise.  Boy does that hack me off.  I know that Scout has worked hard and that should be my main concern but when there are kids who get more recognition than athletes like Scout who go to every extra practice and stay late and get there early then it just makes me want to fire off a hate filled e-mail to the Athletic Director to make it right.  Make it fair.  But alas, Scout and Brandon have me on hate-filled email restriction so I'll just gripe a little and then get over it like I always do.  I know that there are so many more important things than who's the coaches favorite and who's riding the bench.  How do I know this?  Well because I sat with Sager and listened to him talk about trying to get someone to help him fight off a bully (to no avail) and I watched him root for Scout, screaming at him to hurry, run fast, COME ON BUBBA!!! 

I know this because I watched Scout run three miles in the heat,  by himself because he has no other teammates to encourage him and then when we got home, he got up the next morning and went to work.  No lounging in his pj's playing video games! 

I know because I watched Shaw ask his Daddy this morning if he could mow the lawn.  He told him - I know I can do it.  I also watched Shaw play with Sager at the parking lot across the street and when they came back, Shaw made sure Sager looked both ways before crossing the street.  How sweet is that?

 I also have thought of Leah Helm and her family in the fight for her husband's life and the enormity of how things can change in an instant.  In the blink of an eye.  Snap your fingers and it's gone.  How can that be?  It just is.  Boy.... that's what's important not that other stuff.  I'm going to lie in the bed in the fetal position... maybe Sager will bring me a snack.... honey... bring momma a cookie.....

Boy oh boy....

Boy oh boy... what a week - what am I saying, what a couple of weeks!!!  School has started and we have just finished the first two weeks.  I love the schedule of school but we have started a new curriculum, CSCOPE, and it's killing me!!! This is my third year and I absolutely love, love, love my job (although I did have a small melt down Monday and a small amount of wailing and gnashing of teeth was involved but I stayed in my room so nobody saw the hideousness!!!!) but this year we've started the year out with some craziness.  At our Jr. high, literally to me, I feel like we're one big family.  Of course I would be the black sheep with my humor and love of interpretive dance! but I digress.... One of the sweetest teachers who teaches math, who taught my Ninja, her husband contracted the flesh eating bacteria and was air-flighted to Amarillo. He is a strong man with a ruddy west texas complexion, who farms and loves every minute of it.   It was a shock.  A total shock.  She is the personification of quiet strength.  At the end of the year last year when I was going on and on about how Scout let me down by making a B, she sent me the sweetest e-mail - from one momma to another and in it she said basically that there are more important things than making a B.  Those words have echoed in my ears.  Her family is in my constant prayers and in my thoughts.  She is carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders and yet there she is with quiet strength.  She has two daughters and a son and to me she is the best role model for love, strength, devotion, and courage.  If you're reading this.... take a few moments to contemplate what you would do if your life changed in an instance.  Would you be a role model or would you fold?  Take a moment to count your blessings.  I know I have.  Right now as I type, I'm watching TV with Shawlee Tamalee.  Last night I sat with Scout, who by the way, placed 5th in his first cross country race (out of 117 runners) (not too shabby!)we both had our laptops out, watching TV and just catching up.  How lucky I am to be blessed with such wonderful boys...  

The Bounty Hunter...

Here's Sager's best friends.... they just don't know it! (We actually
have this picture hanging on our refrigerator!)

Do you know who Dog the Bounty Hunter is?  Now some of my faithful followers know that I have already addressed this issue in a previous post.  (The five marriages, 14 kids, his wife's alias, his wife's big boobs, the mullets, TDC time for accessory to murder etc, etc.) But... believe it or not there are actually people who do NOT know who Dog the Bounty Hunter is. (The counselor at our school did not, I repeat, did not know who Dog the Bounty Hunter was....) (what's up with that????)  Anyhooo...... Today is Wednesday and Sager was unable to leave the house a) because he was sick, his head and ear were hurting and b) uh... Dog was coming on duh.... (yeah that's what I deal with.... feel sorry for me?  you should!!!!) 


Well I was talking to Sager and asked him just why in the world did he like Dog so much and you know what he said? He said that it was because everyone on the show had a special skill like door kicking in skills, pepper spray skills, talking on the phone and driving really fast skills. So I say well what is your special skill and he thought of it for a minute and said well even though I'm kinda mean sometimes I can be nice, I'm a pretty fast runner and I'm cool and awesome.  How about that? What do you think your special skill is?  Mine.... (Sager says well you're pretty - uh hello... I have a brain buddy!) I can tell a pretty good story and I love my kids. I guess if you're a mom, you don't really need any other skills except I would like the pepper spraying skills for special occasions... I'm just saying.


Let me know what your special skills are!