I lied

I worked!

First, I dropped off keys to a new tenant.

Then I went to the office to drop off a cashier's check and pick up listing papers. *I'm getting my first listing. Wooo Hoooo

Then, I came home, took care of a lead that I got from last night.

Ran my kiddos to the skate park after they helped me fill my car with dirt and flowers at Home Depot.

I came home, got all changed so that I could get some sun while I was outside with my dirt and flowers.

I no sooner had my clothes changed and I got a call.

Can you go show some houses?

Well, I try not to say no at this point. One of these times it's going to pay off big.

So needless to say, I don't have that video yet that I promised. But I do have some very nice new clients who are new to the area and will figure out they love it here and who will call me when they want to buy a house. Right now they are deciding between 3 houses that will work for them. Hubby and wife are on different ends of the spectrum. It will be interesting to see if they end up on one side or if they compromise :)

Tomorrow

I don't have to work tomorrow. I have huge intentions of getting some video of George Porge skateboarding.

Here I was worrying that the neighbors were going to call the HOA on me. I figured the guard would be rolling around at any minute today.

George built a box thing. I don't even know what it's called. He uses it for his skateboarding though. He also has a rail that we bought him a couple Christmases ago. He had a ramp up over the rail today and one of my bar stool things out there. His buddy, who looks amazingly similar, came over from across the mountain today. I hope to get some video of this stuff tomorrow.

As it turns out, my neighbors across the street were in utter amazement and watched these 2 skateboard ALL DAY. They couldn't believe that they jumped OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER.

If only I could stick with something all day. I guess I would be skinny and have 6 pack abs.

That just makes me tired just thinking about it. I am off to bed! Cya tomorrow!

I only have a couple more

I promise! But they are too cute not to save!!

Somebody loves me

I guess I should be happy whoever it is!

I just got a text message that says "love you."

I thought, awwwww, my baby girl loves me. Yeah, I'm not fully awake yet!

I went to reciprocate and realized it was from my sweet hubby :)

Gotta love electronics, don't you??

We all need a little pick me up :)

I think I need x-rays of my ribs!

We were messing around and teasing about Studmuffin and He-man both wanting a gigantic cheeseburger tonight. Neither one knew that the other had said the same thing. It was really kind of funny. So then Studmuffin tells him that Bad Mommy wouldn't go get it for them. (I had to pick up the cheerleaders. It would have been very late)

Anyway, so He-man was talking smack. Studmuffin says, "Don't talk to your mother like that."

He-man grabs me, says that mom know he's just kidding. He squeezes me and tells his dad, "She knows I love her."

And I have the bruised ribs to prove it :) There's a reason I call him He-man.

I am thinking about getting this for Jack

Have a great day! Don't forget the aroma therapy!

Can we take up a collection?

I would like to clone myself.

Okay, well, maybe not myself.

Maybe I would like to clone someone skinny and young and that likes to clean and has lots of energy. Yeah, that sounds good.

Wait, no, maybe I need someone not so young and not so skinny who REALLY likes to clean.

I don't even have time to think of who I would clone to have 24 extra hours in a day. Can we just take up a collection for that? Can you buy extra hours in a day?

I definitely bow down in awe of all the women who have young children and work a full work week. I don't know how they do it!

Well, if He-man doesn't keep her, WE WILL!

He-man's GF, whom I will have to come up with a creative nickname for at a much later time, at least much later today anyway, has figured the way to our hearts. God love her, she and her family are keeping us in full supply of tomatoes. Not little wimpy ones either. I have two bags full right now that I think I am going to go buy some canning supplies today so these things don't go to waste.

THEY ARE HEAVENLY!!!

When I opened that first bag to see what was in there, that tomato smell permeated the air before I even got to see in there!

Isn't that the saying? The way to a man's heart is through his parents' stomachs? It's something like that!!

Anyway, I have to pick a good nickname. I have to stay in good graces at least through tomato season.

I wonder what else they have :)


*I am teasing. She's a very nice girl.

My little entreprenuer

Suzi came up to me last night and said, "Do you know why I have my chair decorated like that?"

I said, "No."

Mind you, it has blankets draped from it and a ton of crap underneath it. Hair accessories, fingernail polish, etc.

She said, "That's mine and Haley's business."

At first, I thought she was being a smart***.

No, she meant their BUSINESS. Haley's doing hair, and Suzi's doing nails. It's their spa.

I think I am going to make an appointment for a massage and check the place out :)

I will be thrilled to no end

When my daughter calls me up one day and says MOM, how do I get this child to comb her hair???

I have to fix Suzi's hair for cheerleading. I told her to comb it out first. Well, when she combs it, she combs the outer layer. (she has thick hair)

So the underside doesn't get combed good. I said, Suzi, you HAVE to comb underneath there in the back.

She said, why? Nobody can see back there.

She is one of those that thinks if she can't see it, nobody else can either!

Lord help me make it thru 3 teenagers. One isn't even a teenager yet!!! AAAAAAAAAAAA

Terrible Mom

Here I was thinking I was being a good mom.

He-man got up today and told me it was going to be a waste of a school day today. I asked, why?
He said that the seniors were going on a trip today for 3 hours to a water park in a nearby city.

I asked him why he didn't go. He said because he WORKS at a water park. Good answer :)

Anyway, he also didn't want to pay 60 bucks to do so.

So me, being the understanding (terrible) mother that I am, tell him that it's ok with me if he skips school today.

He said, naaaah. I'll just go.

He just came home.....early.

His first period class, he was one of three. His second period was a mixture of grades, so it was down, but not quite as bad. Third period....he was the only one there. His English class. The class that isn't quite his strong suit. The teacher asked why he didn't stay home. Anyway, as a reward....he got to finish up an assignment, go home early AND 20 bonus points in English. Wooo hooo

Sooooo, if he had listened to his mother and stayed at home, he would have missed out on the bonus points.

He said, see, mom!! I have it handled!! What a good kid I have!

I didn't pull a Casey

YET! This is what the boy did to me when I wanted to take a pic of his pretty straight teeth. While it's a fantastic picture of his blue eye and brown eye, it's blurry, and he said....why do you always have to take pictures?!




I sometimes want to put him in the trunk. Just sayin....



*YES, I am kidding.

Guess what I finally got!

Shirley, I finally got them! I remembered my camera today. I have been watching these guys for WEEKS!

Notice the little squirrel in the background on this?



These are called burrowing owls. They live near the ground squirrels because they take over the tunnels and holes that the squirrels dig. I haven't seen them out during broad daylight like this. Normally it's of an evening.



Normally there are 4 or 5 of them.


I don't know if the babies grow up and fly away or if they stick around.

Check out those eyes!! The pics in the blog are small, but if you click on them, you can really see their eyes.

Suzi, when you're 25

And reading this, and you are combing your beautiful hair with the bangs that you are now growing out.....

You can read back a little further in the blog and see that mom BEGGED you not to get bangs, but you tortured me until I let you get them cut.


But it is your hair. So when you say, mom, why did you cut my hair like that???? The proof is here :)

I won't tell you how ecstatic I am that you are growing your bangs back out, and you are pulling them back away from your face. Now I can see your beautiful face.

Wait! If I can see your beautiful face.....so can the boys.

*Excuse me. I'm off to call the beautician to schedule a hair cut for Suzi!

Picture Revisited

Just briefly, I want to revisit this picture.

Mom, Dad, I love you both. But, ummm, why couldn't you have given me arms like THIS? My arms have never been this long, and they've never been that skinny. I think her legs are twice that long!!

And Mom, Dad, she PICKS on me! She likes to show me that her fingers are 3/4 of an inch longer than mine. Yes, they're skinny too.

At least getting old wouldn't be so bad if my appendages were a little longer and thinner :)

Little things make me happy!

If you could only know how many crayons, markers, colored pencils, paints, scissors, paper, etc I have bought since George Porge was born, you would swear I own stock in Crayola.

He asked me one year on his birthday, why do you always buy me art stuff? Well, it was because we knew from a very young age that he had the patience of Job (like Studmuffin....very unlike me :D) And that he was very creative and would sit and color for HOURS. Actually, Suzi is very much the same way. I repeat.....they did not get this from me. Studmuffin gets all the credit on that one!!

So this year, my little George is in an art class (did I mention he's a big freshman now?)

He snuck a picture home for me to see the other day.....I almost snuck and framed it and didn't give it back. I didn't think to take a picture of it before he took it back. I guess it will come home one of these days though.

He is promising me that he is doing a fantastic rose for me. I can't wait!!

This was his homework last night. I thought it was excessive work for one night (and that may just be what he is telling me.....I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday)

But can I just tell you.....I would LOVE to be able to do this!!! If he will keep making pictures.....I will have framed art all over my walls before too long!


This was what they are supposed to draw.




This is George's version.


Not too shabby for his first art class, huh?


Little things! I am such a proud and happy mom!!

Skipping generations

Before I begin, this is the child I am BRIBING with a hair straightener to get her to make sure her hair is washed, clean, and rinsed out good on a daily basis. She thinks if she gets it wet in the shower, it's clean! So I have hollered and screamed and kicked my feet all I am going to. I'm onto bribing :D And it appears to be working. Why she wants a straightener for her hair is beyond me.

I just figure it must have skipped a generation. I just know that my mom has done this before. Me? Ummmm, not so much.





Where did this child decide that she needs to do facials? I mean, really, I am not complaining. At least I know she washes her FACE :D

She has to look beautiful though. She starts cheering for the little football players this weekend. Stay tuned for pics and videos!



It's no wonder this child snores louder than her uncle....yes, you, Uncie!




Granny, if you could only work on her manicures......she needs a little prodding there too!

Happy Birthday, little baby boy!

Yes, it was almost a week ago that this monster turned 17. Sorry it took me so long to post.

I'm back in business again with my puter! Wooo hooo.

He got some brackets turned on those braces last week too. They're doing a fantastic job on him, don't you think??

Tumbleweeds

Something I LOVE about California is that for a big part of the year, we are able to have our windows open all day, every day. Tonight, Studmuffin and I were having a terribly romantic dinner, all by ourselves. Yes, we were too hungry to wait for the kids to get home. Okay, so it was only lasagna, so it wasn't terribly romantic. BUT it was awesome because we were sitting at our table, side by side, eating our lasagna with the wind blowing in the door beside us.

Our very exciting lives we lead, a tumbleweed had made it into our very well kept back yard. (yes, it still looks like the pictures :)) So we notice this tumbleweed. Jack also notices the tumbleweed. Acting like a cat, he was making his way over to pounce on it. It was really funny that hubby and I started laughing at the same time, and BEFORE it even happened.

The wind shifted :)

The tumbleweed went to pounce on Jack instead. That dog ran like there was no tomorrow!!

What's a romantic dinner if you can't laugh with the one you love!!

Hello world!

It's really me. I have been crippled lately because my wireless internet has been out. It's kind of like not having a remote for the TV :)

And actually, now, I am sitting at my office with MY puter, but my camera is at home. As promised, I have LOTS of pics. So don't give up on me yet!

I also took a couple of small court reporting jobs and so my life has been CRAZY. But I always feel good about accomplishing something after I have them done. So I am actually seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully, my wireless will be back up and running soon. As soon as I am able, I will post pics of a birthday boy and a new facial mask on the silly girl. George is still evading the camera, but I'll get him!

Good news! I got my first check this week! wooo hooooo

I promise

I will get a pic of the brace faces this weekend for the big 17 year old's birthday.

He got brackets rearranged this week to tweak some things on his smile. He got to brush while the brackets were off and he was pretty smiley and happy with the way his teeth looked without them on! Handsome boy, beautiful teeth!

Studmuffin crying because of his mini me...

He-man came in tonight and was talking to us. He was making plans for tomorrow and squaring them up with us. His birthday is Saturday and he was seeing about Saturday too. We were trying to have a conversation, but the clown boy kept coming through.

Finally, He-man says, HEY, can you wait a minute??? So then the comedian was challenged. He kept interrupting and because we were laughing at him, he just kept going. (think energizer bunny on speed)

So finally, we said GEORGE. STOP. Go in the other room!

So he goes out and was crying because nobody loves him anymore. He was crying because he couldn't be in on the family discussion.

So He-man actually got a complete thought out and about that time, George comes around the corner and says......but I have Comcast digital voice!!

I don't know if you had to be there, but I have never seen my husband laugh so hard. He was crying. We all were. I sure hope one day he can channel that creativity!!

Paragon

Since I am a member of the National Association of Realtors and a few other boards, not because I am good or anything, but because I paid them lots of money.....haha Well, that's not really funny, but you know what I mean.

I am able to sign on to this Paragon system that gives me the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) at my fingertips. No more are the days like when my parents were in real estate and carried around their huge MLS books.

Well, tonight when I logged on, it said sales, 1. I clicked on the 1 to see what it was because I had never seen it before.

Lo and behold, my lease that I finished up completely and handed over the keys for today was logged on the system when they took it out of the MLS.

So I had my very first transaction closed today. Wooo hoooo I have had my physical license in my hand about 2 weeks or so now. Now, if I can keep up that pace, life will be good :)

Guess which hard headed child did this???

If you guessed Suzi from looking at it, you'd be right. This is what she printed off the puter and put on my refrigerator. Yes, it's a food pyramid, but did you look closely? Up on the top right she has crossed off some things.

I can't begin to imagine this child's house when she grows up and moves away. This is the one who gets mad at us for killing bugs. YES, BUGS. She hasn't eaten meat in at least a good 6 months.

She's still trying to sell us on the idea of eating Morning Star products. UMMM, no, thank you. Just take one look at these "bacon strips" and you'll know what I mean....
http://www.seeveggiesdifferently.com/product_detail.aspx?id=352
I'm thinking I would not even feed something like that to JACK! It kind of looks like a doggy treat, though, doesn't it?

If she wants to be a vegetarian, more power to her, but don't think you'll ever hear me say I don't want to go eat some BBQ!!

Hey, New Girl!

When I moved to Florida when I was 13.....yeah, great time for a girl to move away from the only state she had ever known....I started at a middle school and was scared to death. When I went with my mom to register, a girl in the office said to a guy in the office....look what just walked in. Well, I to this day have no idea what she meant by it, but it was very traumatic. I really hated it there.

I went all day without really making any friends. I knew the girl who lived next door to me, but she was in a different grade and really had a clique of friends. Anyway, I had PE my last period of the day. I remember our teacher was going to talk to us, so we were all sitting in the locker room waiting. I hear this, "Hey! New girl! Come here!"

Who me??? hahaha

And from there, we became very good friends. From there, our parents became good friends. There was lots of golf played between our dads. Liz was in my wedding, and I babysat for her son when I was preggo with Suzi.

I found out today that her dad passed away suddenly.

It really doesn't seem possible. It seems like yesterday that we met. Our parents are not supposed to be passing on...

Rest in Peace, David.

Double date night

UGGGGH

I had a post typed, and I got an error and lost it!

As I was saying, my baby boys went on a double date tonight to the movies. I am so glad they get along so well. Actually, all three of them get along pretty well when Suzi isn't being annoying. (The brothers said that, not me :))

I am glad Mariah is back in the picture too! I missed her and so did Suzi! She was the rock band pro playing the drums back near George's birthday. She and George didn't get to see much of each other for a while because she is a year older and went to the high school. Now that he's at the high school, I think they are hanging out quite a bit. She's a good kid.

She's the one that did this...


George has it hanging on his wall in his room. He was quite proud of it!

They all got in the car giggling and telling me all about the movie they saw. Good kids, good times!

I missed my studmuffin!

Do you ever feel like you are on auto pilot?

Things are going to turn out the way they are going to turn out, so why worry?

Take this week for instance. Studmuffin was gone to Arizona for a couple of days. (I have pics if I ever get a chance to get them on the puter) But as luck would have it (which generally I don't have any) but I did not have to work at the office any this week until tomorrow.

It's a good thing! I have been SOOO busy. 1 kid here, 1 kid there, pick up this one, drop off this one. And in between those times, I have been showing houses. I look back and think WOW, I made it through! But then I think with even more emotion that I AM SO GLAD I HAVE MY HUBBY! He may snore and make other strange noises during the night, but I missed him and am glad he's home :)

An accidental good picture!

My Studmuffin was messing around with the new cell phone and was snapping pictures left and right. This picture here was like the 4th one he took. One was of the back of my head. One was me turning around with a surprised look on my face. One was me saying WHAT are you doing. And then there's this one. Suzi said, take mine too!!!!

I'm feeling a little guilty

I can't wait to go sleep in my bed BY MYSELF :)

I know, I know, I shouldn't wish for things like that....especially when he was on the road for 10 months before moving to California.

But I can listen to the radio ALL night.... as LOUD as I want to. No TV. No snooze button. No snoring! ('cept for Jack)

Studmuffin went to Arizona this morning, and I just said goodnight to him.

I reminded him that he could go ahead and set his alarm clock for 5 o'clock in the morning and hit the snooze like 50 times before he really has to get up :) He said he's going to!!

Genetics or spoiled?

I am trying to figure out if this is a genetics thing or if we are both spoiled. I think I should ask my mother instead of my husband because I think I already know his answer :)

I guess this could be another quirk of mine....but doggone it, I LOVE to have my hair washed. My mom had a beauty shop in our house when my brother was a baby. That would make me around 5 or 6 or so. My mom would lay me back in the beauty shop chair and wash my hair for what seemed like hours!! I would bet the farm I never complained while she did it unless she was pulling my hair. That's another story! I hated when she pulled my pony tails so tight. I'm tender headed!

Well, Suzi's got something going on with what I think is chlorine in her hair. I have been washing it for her in the sink to see if I can get whatever is in her hair out. It's starting to look better, but tonight, she came bebopping down and told me she was "ready." Ready for what?

She wanted me to scrub her head! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH she says. I think she too would let me sit and do that for hours! So what do you think? Genetics or spoiled?

Okay, So I am more quirky than I thought

Can I just say that I don't know who invented the snooze button, but I would sure like to tell that person what they can DO with that snooze button :)

An alarm clock has an alarm. It's to wake you up. Now, why would you want to wake up and then have another alarm in 5 minutes? Help me here. I don't understand.

Now, Studmuffin is a snooze button user. Could it be considered justifiable homicide if he hits it like 5 times??? Because at that point, I am awake since the first time the darn alarm went off, and I have to lay there awake and listen to him snore when he goes back to sleep after hitting the snooze.

I don't remember ANYTHING about a snooze button being mentioned in my marriage vows, by the way.

While I am at it....I'm in a mood....How does the man fall fast asleep with the TV on....blaring....flashing light...how does he do that? But yet, if I want a low volume radio on to sleep with....oh, nooooooo! He can't sleep like that!!

So I compromised.....I'm good like that. Our new house has a sitting area in our bedroom. I have a fan on the other side of the room that makes that soothing white noise.

I sleep like a baby. It's wonderful.

Of course, the other day the grumpy old man said......I couldn't sleep worth anything last night. That stupid fan was blowing right on me. I'll have to take a picture. The fan was NO WHERE NEAR HIM. I think I need to get my marriage certificate back out and look at it. He must think there is a clause that said, I promise to drive my wife crazy any chance I get!

Tagged

I got tagged by Ronni at http://ronnisrants.blogspot.com to do a meme as follows:

The Rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you. (See above.)

2. Mention the rules on your blog. (Here they are.)

3. Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.

4. Tag six fellow bloggers by linking them. (She already tagged most of mine!)

5. Leave a comment on each of the six blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged. (Will do as soon as this is posted.)

My Quirks:

1. When I go to a restaurant, I am honestly okay with slow service or a messed up order, but PLEASE don't come back to my table and talk to me and see that my plate is empty and just leave it there in front of me. When I am finished, I want that plate OUTTA THERE! (weird quirk, huh?)

2. This deals more with my kids. If I say we're leaving in 10 minutes....they know to be out the door in 9! Actually, I think they are more anal about this now than I EVER was! I have punctual children tho :)

3.This one's for my husband. Don't tell me you don't feel like driving because you have driven all day and then proceed to tell me I should drive faster! See above. I am not late, therefore, I'm not in a hurry :)

4. A quirk of mine is to see people be obnoxious to people working customer service type jobs. They're people just like you and me, just doing their jobs. (Although there are times when the person on the receiving end might need a little help from management)

5. Along those same lines, I have a quirk about if someone gives me good service. I usually make it a point to either speak to a manager then or call back later and tell them that someone treated me like I wanted to be treated. I just figure they always hear the negative. A positive every now and then never hurt anybody!

6. The perfect vacation for me is not to some exotic island or even out of the country. I like to just go and drive and see places I haven't seen. Throw in a Mexican restaurant, and it's pretty much heaven for me :)

I just realized, I have a lot of quirks. At first I was having a hard time thinking of anything.

I'm going to tag:

1. Misery: http://misery0816.blogspot.com/ Because I just love her, and she brightened my week last week, and hopefully I will be able to return the favor!

2. Mailia's Mom: http://mailiasjourney.blogspot.com/ Because she is one of the sweetest people on the face of the earth! I miss her like crazy!

3. Lila: http://lordwhatfools.blogspot.com/ Because she's my revenge partner! hahaha

And unless I tag Ronni and some of the same people she tagged, I don't have any more blogging buddies!

Poker is a difficult game.....

When you have dimples like THIS boy! I was watching him play poker with the guys, and he's having to keep his hand near his face so that nobody can see his dimples :)

For better or worse

The Hubby and I went on a date tonight. I know this will shock those who know him, but he sat and ate for a good half hour after I was finished.

So on our way home, we happened to see them picking the tomatoes this late at night. They have lights on those machines! So our conversation progressed into how the machine doesn't smash the tomatoes. I think they are roma tomatoes, and so I wondered how they pick say a Big Boy tomato without smashing it. Studmuffin said they are altering the DNA on everything!

He said pork isn't as fatty as it used to be. They are feeding them now -- and I cut him off and said, OHHH they're feeding them now? (maybe you had to be there, but it was funny at the time)

He said, yep, pot bellied pigs, you don't see them fat anymore. He said they are altering them.

I said, well, shoot. How do I get some of that? I can be genetically altered and get rid of my belly? He said he loves my belly! I said, oh, really?

He said, I married you for better or for worse.

I said, well, you didn't know the worse was coming THIS SOON :) He didn't have a comeback for that one!

How much is that doggy...

In the window? Don't count on this doggy being for sale!



This is my guard dog. I don't think he leaves this perch when we leave. He's right there watching for us when we get home. He's come so far and who would have thought this little thing right here would have changed our lives?! This was the monster who chewed up the weirdest things because he didn't like to be left alone. Now, he watches for us to come home. Once we get home, the poor little guy is worn out. After he says hello, the poor thing passes out! All that worrying I did and my little man stepped up and guards the house while we're gone.

You wouldn't mess with a killer dog like this if you came to my door, would you?