We are DOWN

Just in case you are someone who might e-mail me, we have no computer right now. Ever since the flood, our computer wasn't functioning well and then it just stopped altogether. Hopefully it hasn't crashed and just need some techno TLC. So, don't e-mail me if it's urgent because I have to come to the library to get online. What a dork.

Cleaning instead of Blogging

I know how I hate it when I keep checking a blog and it hasn't been updated in forever so I thought I would just let it be known that I don't plan on blogging for a bit. No problems or anything--I just need to focus on other stuff. Like:
-finding a way to eliminate the disgusting wet carpet smell that remains in our basement even though the wet carpet is gone. (Now we have lovely bare concrete.)
-figuring out to do with all the stuff in boxes and tubs that were hastily thrown in when the flood started.
-cleaning out my garage
-cleaning
-cleaning
-cleaning
I'm terrible at cleaning.

The Great Flood

We felt a little like old Noah today as we helplessly watched the heavens pour. First our gargage flooded which is totally normal when it rains. Then parts of garage that have never gotten wet started to get water. Then we noticed a hole in our foundation wall (very small--like the size of a pencil eraser) but it was spouting water like a faucet. Travis made a quick trip to Ace Hardware and had it patched up in no time but it wasn't soon enough to prevent some pretty major flooding in our basement. Jack was walking around and said, "Why is it so wet over here!?" and that's when we noticed that half our basement carpet was soaked. YUCK! I guess our basement remodel will be happening a little sooner than planned--like a few years sooner. Oh well, we could be in Texas. Nothing a bunch of money won't fix. Sigh.

A WW success story

Whoo Hoo!!!!! I met my WW goal last night! I'm very pleased but remember that I have another lower goal in mind. I wanted to set my "official" goal somewhere where I truly thought I could maintain. Now I want to see if I can go 5 pounds lower. If I can't keep my weight there, then I will be satisfied with the WW goal. Just so you know, WW tells you an acceptable weight range for your height and age. My range is between 109 and 130. I am toward the high end of my range and I would like to be right smack in the middle. I don't know why I don't just say what my weight is? What am I hiding at this point?? Well, when I started WW on March 19th, I weighed 161.8 lbs. Now I weigh 125 lbs. and I would like to weigh 120 lbs. We shall see if that happens! I also have to thank my friend Dawn again because without her, I never would have joined in the first place! THANKS DAWN!!!
I keep thinking I will post some before and after pics, but I don't really have any before shots because I never wanted to have my picture taken!

A striking resemblance

I vaguely remember that when Chicken Little first came out, Parker wanted to be Chicken Little for Halloween. So I sent Tracy on a mission to find a shirt that looked like Chicken Little's. However, by the time we found one, Parker had lost interest so the shirt was never worn. Then along came someone who actually does look like Chicken Little! I broke out the shirt today and just had to crack up at the resemblence. Is it just me or does Jack just keep getting cuter!?

Read this

Here is a nice little story about being a mom. I have to try hard not to be one of the moms giving the disapproving looks. I have pretty high standards when it comes to "appropriate" behavior. That is not to say that my children (and me) do not act completely inappropriately at some times!
Jack fussed a little when I left preschool today but I peeled him off me and he was fine. When I picked him up he had a lot to say about everything they did. It is amazing how much they grow up between the 3's class and the 4's class! Physically and mentally!

Jack goes Back

This boy goes back to preschool tomorrow. I am looking forward to 2 hours of quiet 3 days each week. Actually, Jack is just great while Parker is at school. He has always entertained himself and he's super affectionate and sweet lately. Love that kid!
Parker confessed that he loves school and first grade. He blurted it out but recanted about an hour later.
I try to make it a point not to discuss politics because I don't think any good comes of it. People who feel strongly one way or the other cannot be persuaded to change their opinion so political discussions always sound more like fights to me. I am very, very middle of the road. Call me a right-wing liberal or a left-wing conservative. Either way, my views lie right in the middle of the road which always makes voting a bit of a challenge. This year it is pretty hard to keep my views to myself but I'm trying!

I haven't blogged about Weight Watchers for a while. Mainly because I missed two meetings (I weighed in, but didn't stay--one night was Parker's b-day party and one night I had a migraine.) Anyway, I have officially lost 35.2 lbs. I am about 1.5 pounds away from my reunion goal (which I obviously missed) and 6.5 lbs. away from my "real" goal. I also have a new plan to be bikini ready by next summer. In order to wear a bikini well, I need to be more toned. Right now I am like a deflated balloon! Bikini's leave no room for flab so I'm going to kick up my work outs to include toning excercises. WW has free registration right now so if you are considering going, now is a good time!

Weekend Getaway

We had a little weekend getaway at Tracy's in-laws this past weekend. Ryan had some college friends staying for the weekend and exiled Tracy and the kids to Bob and Sandy's house. Tracy wanted someone to stay with her because Bob and Sandy were out of town and that house is just too big to be in all alone. I figured the boys would have a big time swimming so we took advantage of their hospitality and had a lovely time. They spent way more time in the hot tub (it was sort of like a baby pool for them)than in the big pool. It is so pretty there that I could sit out on the patio all day. It's also very private so when I had to yell at them for fighting--no one heard me!





I had to take the opportunity of the beautiful landscaping to take some photos. They weren't much up for serious posing, but the lighting was too good to pass up. By the way, the big scab on Parker's eyebrow is from a major wipeout on his bike. I didn't see it happen but some guys who did told my dad that "Man, that kid is tough. He jumped right back on his bike and didn't even cry." He cried a tiny bit when he got home but I think it was because of my gasp of horror when I saw him. Then he couldn't get a bandaid on fast enough so he could go back out and play. Way to rub some dirt on it and get back out there Par!

The last hurrah of summer vacation.....

On the last day of summer vacation, we wanted to do something but we didn't know what. And then it hit me.....Allerton Park. Our parents took us there at least once each year and we always loved it. I have been wanting to take the boys but just never did it. Mamaw and Buddy came along and we had a picnic before we went exploring. I knew Parker would be really into it because it fits right into his current interest in Indiana Jones. I wasn't sure about Jack but he loved it too and asked really thoughtful, smart questions about all the things we saw. He is growing up so much lately! Anyway, I highly recommend Allerton Park for the beauty and fun and it's FREE! (If you go, the centaur is much farther than I remembered but worth the effort it took to get there.)

The FIRST day of FIRST grade

Parker was completely neutral about the first day of school. It could have been any other day of the year as far as he was concerned. He wasn't excited and wasn't nervous. That is fine by me. I can do without the drama for once! He came home and didn't have much to say but it was a half-day so I don't think they did much. Maybe today will be a different story.
Parker got on the bus at 8:10 and at 8:30 this little boy said, "Is it time to get Parker yet?" It will take him a few days to adjust and then he will be in heaven because he can play all day without getting picked on and yelled at.

Parker Foreman and the Seven Secret Treasures

Parker wanted an Indiana Jones party for his birthday so we did our best to thrill him and his friends. He loved it and I think his buddies did too. We only let him invite 5 friends which was super hard for him. He had a list about a mile long, but it just would have been too hard to do everything he wanted to do with that many kids. I made the invites which look complicated, but were actually very easy. Probably the easiest invitations I have ever made for one of my kid's parties AND I only had to make seven of them (Parker and Jack had to have one too.) The "field guides" were a little booklet that was 3in.x 4in. so they could put it in their pocket. I just took pictures of the artifacts then downloaded them and cut and pasted them on the computer and printed them out then stapled together the books. Remember that I am a scrapbooker so the only supply I actually purchased for making these was the textured paper for the cover, however, I could have easily used brown paper and then my cost would have been zero instead of $1.50. :-)








They were each given a burlap bag which my mom made and I stamped their names on them. (2 yard of burlap which was just under $4.00 total and tied with jute which is super cheap.) Then they had to head into the woods (Forbidden Forest) to find the 7 treasures and bring them back to the Foreman Museum. My dad and I hid the stuff in plain sight and then he and Travis took them on their hunt.




When they returned with the treasures, they sat down with their field guides to figure out the code that was written on each "artifact." (I bought all the artifacts on clearance at Hobby Lobby. Most of them were less than $2.00 but I think one of them was $4.00 and we bought it because it was just too perfect for our theme.) The last thing they found was a box which held the guide to the code (the good old number corresponding with a letter) which is even easy enough for a 4 year old to figure out. Each boy had to tell us what numbers were on his artifact and they pieced together the message which was "The treasure is hidden under the deck."





They quickly found it in a wooden crate that my dad made with scrap wood and carried it back up to open it. In it they found a golden skull (a cheap Halloween decoration that I covered in gold glitter and filled with gold foil paper and little Reeses peanut butter cups.) They were so excited, it might as well have been real gold.


Then it was time for cake and ice cream. Our fabulous cake-baking friend, Cindy Beck wowed us again with her creation. I bought the cake topper of e-bay and she did the rest. YUM!!!

Indiana Jones and his little brother.

I bought about 100 little plastic snakes (from the dollar store) and my mom spread them out all over our backyard. They had to go and find them. They had a hard time finding some of them which was really funny to watch and really fun for the boys. Then they brought them all back and we divided them somewhat evenly. (Jack wasn't about to put his snakes in with the others.)



When everything was over and done, our little Indiana Jones (and his little brother) had a fabulous time and I'm pretty sure all his little guests did too. Please remember that for Parker, the party itself is probably the biggest gift we could give him. He plans out a lot of the details and loves to act out the theme. This party took a lot of planning and creativity but not much money. I am cheap so I can always find a way to make it work on a budget.