Rambling Rosie Style

The cast is off.
The splint is on.
Brad's incision closed.
Too tight.
The cut and burn is planned.

School meeting today-
Good news and bad.
Flip flops- a GO.
Shorter work days - no go.

Kinda date night tomorrow.
Business mixed in.
Free meal though-
Can't complain.

AC unit busted last night.
100 degrees today.
95 inside.
Sucks to sweat.
$264 fixed it.
Now a glorious 86 inside.
Slowly dropping.

Spicy + 1 roll paper towels
= big mess

More later-
Tea time.
Sweet tea.

Summer in Review

I slacked on the picture taking this summer so I don't have any pics of Summer Blast, Erin & David's new house, birthdays, or Presby's ER. Slacker mom here. However, I do have a few pics to share. Here is a mini version of our summer in review-

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MySpace for YourSpace

Through a chain of events I have now found many of our "kids" from back in the day on MySpace. However, being the smart kids they are- they have their pages set to private so I have to be listed as a friend to get to see it. I really want to see them but I don't do the whole MySpace thing. Sooooo...Julia hooked me up with a decent looking decoy page so I can pretend to do MySpace in order to see their spaces! Make sense?

The crazy thing is these kids aren't kids anymore. Some are married, all have graduated, and somewhere along the way they grew up. Brad was a bivocational youth pastor for 7 years- that's a long time to spend with those kiddos. They were always at our house, which we loved. They loved how Brad liked the music as loud as they did. They would leave their shoes at the door and kept the water balloons outside. Good kids I'm telling you. That time in our life seems like yesterday and like a million years ago. All at once. We had lock-ins, Windermere, SDC, YEC, SNAC, Six Flags trips...Six Flags trips where we didn't even get to go to Six Flags. It was a wild ride. We learned alot from them and I hope they learned a little something from us too.

So I'll gladly fake the myspace deal to get a glimpse into their grown up lives. If they happen to find my "real space" here and read about themselves- we love you guys! Everyone that signed that wall also signed our hearts. And if any of you ever took a picture of the wall....send a copy my way!!!!

Back So Soon

It seems I just took this picture of our busses pulling out on the last day. Yet, here we are again...getting geared up for another year. I worked in my room today and really got it in great shape. This is the first year I haven't had the slightest bit of excitement about the upcoming year. I think there are many reasons including the crazy summer we had but ready or not the time is fast approaching. So....I'm going to focus on the things I do love about school.

*****I love seeing my school buddies 5 days a week. I hadn't seen AnneMarie all summer and man I missed her!!! I've gotten to see Tresher but not in that school format and it's just differnent there. We laugh and have such a good time together. When you teach with someone you create this bond because they are the only ones that really understand your day to day reality. We have jokes or memories really that are just hilarious to us but when I try to explain it to someone else, it just isn't the same. They make me laugh and I'm glad I'm going to be spending more time with them again. (even though I have *my own friends* I still like to eat lunch with you, AM!) ;)

*****The structure of getting up and getting ready isn't something I love, but it is something I need.

*****Kindergarten kids are so excited to come to school. They really are fun. You have to shoo the mommas out and give them some time but when their little personalities start shining, they are FUN.

*****Not many professions have the opportunity to make such a profound difference in the childhood of 20 kids at a time. It's a responsibility and a blessing like no other.

Hurry to the store, grab your #2s and the biggest box of Crayola Brand crayons you can find

(MUST be crayola brand!!!) get your backpack loaded because we will be back soooo soon.

Don't Blink

I uploaded some of my favorite blinkies...go ahead and take a look to the right...scroll down...there are a few groups of them. Go ahead, I'll wait. You can learn alot about someone from their blinkies. Don't you wish we could attach blinkies to peoples foreheads?

The checker's at the grocery store would say, "Warning: I don't really know how to sack, better watch your bread."

The car hop at Sonic's would say, "Please don't give me extra change to get back a dollar...I don't understand how that works and it hurts my head."

Our kids would say, "I'm really not a hellion, I just need some lovins and a nap."

I think they could be very helpful. I'd love to have a bag of blinkies that I could just slap on people as I saw fit. Nothing mean, just a little tidbit to warn others. ;) It goes along with the comedian that said stupid people should wear a sign...who was that...anyway, a sign may be too much. But now a blinkie- if we made it cute, I bet we could get away with that!

Where were You?

The memory is a funny thing. I don't recall what I wore two days ago but I do remember exactly where I was when I heard Princess Diana died. I just got finished watching the special docudrama on TLC. It got me thinking of those events people always remember and can tell you exactly where they were and what was happening when they heard. For example-

Princess Diana's death- Maci was a newborn and I was up late nursing her in the living room. I was watching the news updates as they occurred. I was just certain that she would recover and take a stand against the paparazzi. When the news came, I was shocked.

JFK jr's death- Same scenario, different baby. Aaron was a newborn and we were at home- Brad's mom was visiting us. This time, I wasn't as attached. Not sure why.

OKC bombing- It was April 19, 1995- two months before Brad and I were married. It was just after 9 am and I was still in bed. My brother called to tell us to turn on the news. We did. My dad and I watched TV all day long. Unbelievable. I especially remember the red headed woman that lost both her boys and an older gentleman climbing down a ladder to safety. If you ever get a chance to go to the memorial in OKC, it is beautifully done.

OJ's verdict coming in- I was in college-commuting back and forth to NSU. We'd finished class for the day and were at lunch. Stacy and I were pulling into Sonic when they were announcing the verdict live on the radio. As we would pull under the overhangy roof thing, the radio station would cut out. So we backed up and sat in the middle of Sonic's drive to hear the verdict.

Another announcement that rocked my world was John Ritter's death. I was teaching- it was picture day and my friend and assistant Vicki just casually said, "you heard about John Ritter..?" I remember a sickening panic set in because I had not heard and was afraid to hear. In fact, I found it so unbelievable that I immediately went to the computer to verify the information. I just love John Ritter- to this day I choose ignore the facts and choose to believe he is just fine and living somewhere in LA. I know it's crazy but it helps me cope. I just LOVE John Ritter.

Just reflecting tonight...where were you when these things happened?

Our Entourage

Pastor Furtick is in the middle of a series on relationships called Entourage. On the way home Brad and I were discussing who's in our entourage. Like Pastor's, ours is diverse with every person having their own gifts and their own way of bringing blessing to our lives. These are the couples we discussed in the car this afternoon....

Scott & Helen- Scott is the first person we met from Elevation. In the blink of an eye he had Brad signed up for his parking team and both of us in their smalll group. They have so much knowledge to share. Both Scott & Helen have acted as sounding boards for us and offered advice and encouragment more times than I can count. They also give hugs...lots of hugs...and that's what you really need when you are 1000 miles from home. I don't remember for sure...but I would venture a guess that our very first North Carolina hug came from Scott!!! They do all this for us, and for a million others because that's the kind of wonderful GIVING people they are. We are honored to know them and to have them in our entourage.

Harry & Debra- Also from our first small group, we loved this pair from the beginning. Harry's wit and Debra's style make them a stand out. They are stellar. Not only do they also speak encouragement and wisdom into our lives but their actions speak volumes. We put these guys through the wringer this last month. They've been at the hospital with us ALL night long followed up by an encore the following weekend and acted like there was no where in the world they would rather be. When I couldn't stand to watch the doctor working on Brad's incision, Harry supervised the procedure for me. Debra didn't just sit there helpless- she was interceeding on Brad's behalf. Praying for the doctor to have wisdom and for Brad to get through the pain. She is a prayer warrior like you've never seen before. Did I mention these two are stellar?

David and Erin- This isn't the first time I've blogged about these guys and I'm sure it won't be the last. These are the friends we prayed for and yearned for long before we ever met. These are the guys that we are most 'at home' with. When we told them our crazy dreams they didn't tell us we were crazy, they told us they had the same dream. We laugh with them. We plan with them. We vent with then. We pray with them. We cry with them...at least Erin and I cry together...I've never seen the guys share a moment like that... ;) These are those die hard friends that will bleach our bathroom, mow our lawn, care for our kids for days on end, and be up for a insane day trip with us anytime- anywhere. I think they know it is reciprocal...I hope they do...but just in case...hey guys....its reciprocal! No matter what, no matter when, no matter where- the answer is "yes." Tell us what you need. The answer is yes.

I worry when I spend a blog bragging about our NC family because I don't want to down play our real families or our friends that we love back home. I could write books on my parents and siblings and how they have been our entourage and continue to be... There isn't a problem in this world that I wouldn't be able to take to my mom and dad. Not everyone can say that and I know how much of a blessing that is. It's because of that, I know they also are thrilled we have this support system here. It's very humbling to think that 2 years ago we didn't know any of the couples listed above. I don't think you can understand our feelings unless you have moved and experienced that "oh my gosh, who would we call" feeling for awhile-- When you've been there and then you are in the place where you are once again surrounded by those you love and that love you...those in your entourage...you'll never take them for granted.

We're Melting

Alright folks, the southerns aren't just being wimpy now- it IS hot. I know I give people here a hard time for their lack of weather experience. It's true they generally freak about any mention of a flurry, wind gusts over 10 mph, heat or cold that is just common place in Oklahoma. However, it REALLY is freaking hot here right now. Of course it made the newspaper because these are record highs for the area. This weather is 'burn your butt and forget about touching that steering wheel' hot. The pools are starting to feel like bath water and frankly the walk from the car to the pool just makes it sound unappealing. I'm looking forward to that gorgeous Carolina fall...70 degrees and the best leaves you've ever seen. Bring it on.

To Do

10 Things to Do Before the End of Summer-Aug.27

10-Get my tan back! I had a nice tan when we came back from the beach but spending several days indoors at the hospital and the house has made it dramatically dwindle.

9-Clean out & organize the drawers in the computer desk- yeah right!

8-Dig out my scrapbooking stuff and do 1 page per child

7-Have lunch with the girls I said I was going to have lunch with over summer

6-Go to Bunco- for real this time.

5-Get the kids closets back into shape

4-Go to Freedom Park or Myers Park...which one is it that is so nice??? I can never remember...

3-Visit the botanical gardens AND that plantation Brad & I have been wanting to see

2-Have a date night with Brad

1-Break down and FINALLY put curtains on the rods in our bedroom...we've been here 18 months after all!!!!

Parents of the Year

=

Brad and I will not be winning the parents of the year award this year. We were in the running I think...until that fateful evening last weekend when Andy was being "Spiderman" and running around the kitchen. He fell down and hurt his little arm. He cried quite a bit but it didn't swell, he could move it, and he was comforted with his thumb, bear, and some lovins. We were golden. I actually remember thinking, "whew, that was close- I really didn't want to go to ther ER THREE weekends in a row." Seriously. There must be a limit.

The next day he was favoring it some but overall seemed to be doing fine. Days passed. He was the same wild and active child he always is...unless he would happen to hit that arm wrong. We debated over taking him in on several occassions but the conversation kept hinging on the fact that it wasn't swollen and he could move it fine. Take note, those are 2 symptoms that may or may NOT be present with a broken/fractured arm.

Today after a trip to the peds office, the hospital, and then the orthopedics office Andy is wearing a "Spiderman Web Shooter" also known as "the cast that will be on for 2 weeks (followed by 2 weeks in a splint) while his fractured little arm heals!"

Losers. Losers. Losers. Yep, I'm quite sure we won't even receive a nomination this year for that parenting award. Would the winner please contact us? We would like to attend a seminar, get some pointers, and possibly have you move in for awhile.

The good news is my Andy is adorable in his Spiderman Web Shooting Cast....and he can still get to the ever important thumby. The tech asked if we wanted his thumb wrapped too so he could break that habit. NO WAY! We may be bad parents but we are not heartless!!!

Our Joy

We were on vacation on Maci's birthday and I didn't get her birth story posted. Since then, I thought she would probably enjoy this a lot more. Happy Belated Birthday May.

(if you have problems with it pausing, let it load once and then try to watch it-I'm working to have it fixed)

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Little Lesson in Economics

Those of you that know about Aldi and shop at Aldi are exempt from this post- unless you would just like to read with a smug little smile as you pat yourself on the back knowing you are a smart momma! Those of you that haven't found the treasure that is Aldi- read on!

I needed a few items for this week's groceries. Mostly canned goods, juice, & fruit. I went to my local handy dandy Aldi store. The kids were with me this week and I have to tell you the idea of having to put a deposit on the grocery cart kinda freaked them out. However, they were troopers and off we shopped. Then, because I posess a teeny tiny bit of...whats the word...let's just call it perfectionism...I had a NEED to go to Walmart and price the items there. Before you people start getting together to plan an intervention let me assure you that I won't do this every week but I just had to be SURE that I was saving money- and a significant amount of money.

After the Walmart trip- which was much more stressful by the way- I created a document noting the price of each item at Aldi as well as at WalMart and then totaled the amount I saved. Today I saved $10.21. I feel good about that and when I consider this was a small shopping list week--and that on a heavy week I will save upwards to $20- I feel great about that!

However, this little lesson is based on today's facts so lets back up to my $10.21. If that is all I save each week after 1 year I have saved $530.92!!! That will go quite a way in paying for our beach house next summer! A $15 per week savings will yield $780 a year. Keep in mind these are comparisons to WalMart- if you currently shop at Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods, or Homeland (for the Okies) your savings would likely be even greater.

When we got home I asked the kids how they felt about Aldi. They both answered that it was weird- until I shared with them how the savings could add up to half the price of the beach house....to which they responded..."Hey, tell Erin about this so she can save enough for the other half of the beach house!" Ahhh....they are catching on.... Suddenly what was weird moments before was now very appealing. If that doesn't make you feel like the opening scene in the Mary Tyler Moore show where she tosses her hat up in triumph, I don't know what will!

My Man the Model

Tonight we had Brad's picture made for his real estate "stuff." You know, the website, business cards, presentation packets, etc. etc. It was going to be a very simple task. We knew exactly what we wanted and took the guy 2 examples to follow. Black suit- grey background. Red shirt- grey background. No brainer. Well, we happened to get Mr. Theatre Major who thought our ideas were quite boring. He proceeded to pull out the fancy blue background and have Brad in all kinds of crazy poses...including an Alfred Hitchcock thing and the famous INDIAN STYLE pose. That is a popular choice for realtors everywhere- don't you think?! You can see the pain in Brad's eyes from some of the crazy set ups- buddy- the man did just have his appendix taken out! Finally, after coaxing Mr. Theatre Major some more we did convince him to pull down the boring grey background and give us what we were looking for. I think they turned out quite nicely. But with Brad's million dollar smile, they are hard to mess up...even if he is sitting Indian style.

More Than Enough

This is for a friend of mine...you know who you are. I know you know this...but keep on singing. Keep on praying. Keep on believing.

A Glimpse into Bloggerworld

OK, I'm going to try not too get sappy with this but I am really excited here! As I was doing my daily blog read I saw that my favorite blogger (whom I don't even know in real life!) has tagged me!

Let me explain the reason why a simple game of blog tag would have me so excited. There is this celebrity type thing happening in blogworld...or at least in "my blogworld." I will randomly come across a strangers blog that catches my attention. If they make me laugh out loud, I tuck it into my favorites and faithfully read- annonymously. Then one day I can no longer contain myself and I just have to leave a comment. By this point it feels like I am communicating with a blog superstar. Someone I don't know but I admire their work- much like a celebrity. Well...imagine my surprise a few days ago when I noticed CarpoolMom now reads me AND linked me from her blog! Get out! I admit I was slightly giddy.

It's one thing when your friends read your blog- they have to. But CarpoolMom is a stranger. How cool that she not only read it once but she thought it was worth a return visit. And then a link. Yes, giddy is the word. I know...this is deeper into blogworld than many of you wanted to go today. Just so I don't frighten Carpool Mom away, I won't even get into how these were the posts I read that had me hooked. I won't go on and on about how I love how she uses the strikeout (how do you do that???) to add her sarcasm. And I surely will NOT admit how the pollyana line made my eyes tear I was laughing so hard. I don't want her to think I'm a stalker. Even though I may qualify. Come to think of it, maybe that is why she claims she moved to "Mayberry" and won't divulge any further information? Hmm...

I said ALL that to say this- I was tagged by Carpool Mom - whom I've never met but still adore- to do the 4 things so here they are:

Four jobs -
1. girl that gets the hot packs at a chiropractor's office
2. waitress
3. reservation agent for Avis car rental
(great summer gig for a college kid by the way)
4. teacher

Four places I've lived -
1. Oklahoma City...long before the age of recollection
2. small town in OK
3. another small town in OK
4. Charlotte, NC

Four Favorite TV Shows -
1. Lost
2. Dawsons Creek (I missed them the 1st go round but I admit I do love it in daytime syndication)
3. Everybody Loves Raymond
4. Most house flipping shows

Four foods -
1. Bacon wrapped shrimp
2. Steak
3. Chicken Fajitas
4. BBQ- with SWEET sauce, not this NC vinegar stuff

Four Places I'd rather be -
1. Sunset Beach
2. Hilton Head Beach
3. Huntington Beach
4. Folly Beach or possibly even North Myrtle Beach

Four movies I love -
1. Jerry Maguire
2. Father of the Bride
3. Ferris Buelers Day Off
4. You've Got Mail

Four folks I tag next -
1. Erin
2. Gina
3. Jana
4. My non blogging buds that I keep begging to start- Annemarie, Tresher, Penny, & Kendra. Use this as the first post in your OWN blog!!!!