Yippy Skippy Has Been Born!

I am now the namesake of my very own baby cow:

credit:  edmondbarry.com.au

This is not my actual baby, but from what I understand from Mrs. Phelan over at Homestead Neophyte my namesake "Yippy Skippy" was born last night at 10 pm.  She is completely black.  Which, I guess, makes me the black sheep calf of the family

Phe has been without computer and internet for a few days, but was so nice to call me today and let me know I have a calf named for me.  [I actually teased her into it. I am good like that]  We are the "G.F.s" after all. :)

You know Tadpoles, sometimes it is just the little things in life that make you smile, giggle or laugh out loud.  I take great pleasure in my family and friends - but hey - it's a COW! giggle

How happy would you be to have one named for you?

And Phe, just don't let me know when you eat her, okay?

Have a great Tuesday Tadpoles!  See you on the flipside.

Wait..do I have to pay "calf support?"
Don't answer that.

I Grew Up With A Military Family

My Dad and Mom met while they were both in the Air Force.  My Dad went on to a decorated career in the United States Air Force while my Mom schlepped us around the country and Europe every two years as my Dad was re-stationed. Thank you Dad, I miss you.

Four of my Uncles fought in Korea and World War II.  These were actually my "Great" Uncles [my Grandmother's brothers] but I didn't realize the distinction when I was growing up. They were just there, all the time, for Sunday dinner.

I loved them all and always thought of them as hard working farmers - that is what they did in rural Maryland.  It wasn't until they passed away that I was told how extraordinary these men were.

Remembering my Uncle Charles still brings a smile to my face.  He was the gentlest, kindest soul with the clearest blue eyes I have ever seen.  Us kids used to vie for a seat next to him at the table during "coffee time" in the evenings at my Grandma's house because he gave the BEST backrubs.  He was so loving and kind. I miss him.  What I really miss is the fact that I never knew that this great man fought in WWII and was one of the men who stormed the beaches at Normandy.  He survived to come home to MD and raise a wonderful family and love on his niece every Sunday at his sister's house.  Thank you Uncle Charles.

Then there was my Uncle Slug.  Really, that is what we called him because he was missing one finger on his left hand.  He loved it.  He was somewhat of a loner, never married and lived with my Great Grandparents and took care of them.  He was so much fun with great stories and fishing trips and leaf piles and ....he was fun.  Again, I never knew he had fought in the war as no one talked about it.  I wasn't told that a lot of his pain later in life was due to the war and I never was able to tell my wonderful Uncle Slug thank you.  I also found out after his death that the reason he was missing his finger was because it had been shot off.  So, again, Thank you Uncle Slug.

Next is my beloved Father In Law - who y'all know, I love like no other.  He achieved the highest rank in the United States Air Force that he could all the while marrying my best friend, my MIL, and raising two wonderful sons [One of which is my absolute best friend too!].  When he retired from the Air Force he was hired by the United States Secret Service and spent 20 years protecting the President and dignitaries that visited the U.S. Thank you Daddy.

Finally, Pooldad's son [Tee] is currently in the U.S. Air Force.  So serious was he to follow in his Grandfather's footsteps he had to gain weight to do so. We think of him everyday and miss him terribly. Thank you our son.

We remember the commitment, the sacrifice and the love these men showed their country, as we honor those men and women that serve now to protect our freedoms and the world.

Say thank you when you are able to and never, ever forget.

Happy Memorial Day.

Chicken A'la Weekend

It's a chicken kind of weekend Tadpoles - especially when you can get an amazing deal on 7 humongous chicken breasts and you have a husband who grills.

This is our 4 day menu [4 dinners/1 lunch] made with the chicken.

Friday night - Dinner for two - a little bit of romance as the littlest was at a sleepover

3 teriyaki marinated and grilled chicken breasts
steamed cauliflower
2 baked potatoes

We saved 1 1/2 of those breasts to make Saturday night's dinner for all three of us
teriyaki chicken salad w/ lettuce & tomato on sub rolls
watermelon [so, so good]
chips

Sunday's lunch was a repeat of last night's dinner - told you those breast are huge - and the chicken salad is scrumptious.

Sunday night
6 chicken fajitas w/peppers and onions divided between the three of us [2 breasts]
refried beans & cheese

Monday night
5 grilled chicken kabobs with peppers and onions - 1 for Mom and 2 each for Dad & Wallene [2 breasts]
macaroni salad

The only thing I like better than being able to eat my husband's grilled masterpieces is doing it healthy and on the cheap.

Fabulous!

Grocery list:
Chicken breasts - $12
Teriyaki marinade - $1.79
Cauliflower - $3.00
2 baked potatoes - $1.00
6 sub rolls - $1.70
Chips - $1.00
Watermelon - $4.00 [we are still eating this. yum!]
Celery - $2.00
Onion - .75 cents
3 different colored pepper pack - $4.00
Macaroni - $1.00
Refried beans - $1.25
Cheese [1 cup] - $1.00
Lettuce - $1.00
Tomato - $1.00
6 Tortillas - $1.25
Fajita spice - $1.19

Total:  $38.93
Per meal: $7.78
Per person: $2.59

Makes me smile all the way around. :)

I hope you all are having a relaxing weekend with friends, family and beautiful weather - oh! and good food! :)
Memorial Day is tomorrow and I will be back to honor those I most hold dear.
Have a great one gang!

Name One

Just ONE bone in my body that does not hurt this morning.

I think my even my hair hurts. heehee

I feel like an eighty year old woman that has been thrown into the spin cycle on the washer.

Those sounds you hear?  Those would be my bones - when I can move.

But? Going along for the trip to Pennsylvania was totally worth it.

We had a few hiccups in the beginning - someone [not me!] was a wee bit late getting up, it took me a while to get moving to get out the door [breathe Skippy, breathe] and we had to return because someone forgot to pack her television - but over all?  It was a really nice trip.

A few highlights:

• It is a beautiful and easy drive
• We didn't get lost - but of course we wouldn't because I was navigating and Pooldad was driver [please take this with a grain of salt...giggle]
• Toll booth operators in Pennsylvania are some very, very friendly people [They could teach Virginia toll booth operators a thing or two]
• Squirrel's apartment is NICE!  I asked her "They are paying you to stay here?" Yep! It is included in her stipend. Wow.  Oooh and it has it's own washer and dryer too!
• It was hot, damn hot.  And, of course her apartment was up a hill along a brick path that we were told not to drive on [to unload] but the very, very nice women in student housing said that Pooldad could drive me up there to get me closer to the front door. I mentioned that next time we are bringing my chair instead of the cane.  Why does my daughter always seem to pick college campuses that are situated in the mountains I have to ask.
• Prices are insanely cheap in Pennsylvania [as opposed to here] - .25 cents cheaper for gas [fill her up!] bread, chicken, milk [$1 cheaper! Are you kidding me?]  Everything.  We need to move.
• We bought all her groceries [breakfast, lunch & dinner] for the week for $67 and that was with condiments and everything - she has enough food for herself and to share if she likes.  Amazing. The kid knows how to plan & shop tho' - I was very proud of her for that and I am not so "Mommy worried" that she won't be eating.
• There is nice little deli right down the hill from her apartment where she can relax and have a treat if she likes.
• She will be there alone until Tuesday when the rest of her roommates show up, but she has her computer, television, phone, etc...Work doesn't start until Wednesday but we had to take her a little early due to Pooldad's work schedule.  She doesn't mind tho'. [At least I don't think so. :( ]

Speaking of Pooldad - my lovely husband drove there, unloaded all her stuff, hoofed it up two flights of stairs [in the heat. Again, the heat!] took her grocery shopping and took excellent care of me.  After a fun few hours in Pennsylvania he drove us back home, dropped me off [to pass out] and went to work!  He worked from 5 pm until 10:30 pm.  Then he had to get up for early shift today.

Do I have an amazing husband or what? YAY :love ya' Pooldad!:

I think I will definitely be overlooking a few moans and creaks today considering.

Hope you all are having a spectacular Friday Tadpoles!  See ya' on the flipside. :)

Roadtrips Give Me Insomnia

Seems to me that everytime we have an extended distance to drive I find myself unable to sleep the night before.

Take today's trip for example.

I was good.  I went to bed at 9:30 last night for our 6 am wake up call, but I cannot sleep.  I woke up at 11 pm when Pooldad came to bed and then tossed and turned for two more hours. I had to get up. I just can't lie in bed, awake.

I can't sleep. I am not even tired.

I don't have anything to do for this trip tomorrow. It is all done. The car is packed, the bike is attached - we just have to get everyone up and out by 8 am. No problem - that's easy.

So why can't I sleep?

It's not a terribly long trip [5 hours roundtrip] and I know the Squirrel is all good where she is going [the child is about to burst!] I really have no worries.  Heck, the shower in the morning concerns me more then the details of this trip.

What is the deal?

Oh well, I will get a nice little nap in the car and be all refreshed when we arrive in lovely Pennsylvania.

Hope you all have a fabulous Thursday Tadpoles.  See ya' on the return trip. :)

Skippy Style

When your husband asks you to do something you have a few options.

You can do what he asks, no questions. [I am thinking it is a 20/80 split on this one.]
You can think about it and not do it. [This is more the 80/20 in our favor.]
You can talk about it and suggest another way to do what he asked.

Or you can just do it "Skippy Style"

Here's how you do it my way. hee

My husband came downstairs the other day, bathed, dressed and ready for his day.
Nice.

Not so fast Tadpoles.

He was wearing a shirt I have never seen before.  A shirt that I looked at and had to choke back my tea because? Seriously?  It was pretty funny.

Funny, as in "You won't be leaving the house in THAT color shirt."

[Reminder:  My husband is wicked color blind.]

We had a long, laughing, conversation about when and where the heck did he buy the dang shirt. [I refuse to even acknowledge I was even a party to this shirt.]

Between the laughing and trying to remember where exactly did this shirt come from we decided that after Sunday the shirt either needed to be donated or it was going in the garbage.

Sunday night my husband went upstairs to get ready for bed.  After he was dressed he tossed the shirt down the stairs with the dictate "YOU decide what to do with this beast."

giggle

Gauntlet thrown my sweetheart.

So you do what you do when you are me.

You enlist your youngest child and you find a new purpose for the shirt:

SKIPPY STYLE

You're welcome. giggle

[And if you are wondering - yes, I can get my pups to do anything. :)]

Edited to add: The shirt is a nasty vomit colored green. The picture does not do the color justice, but it sure looks good on the Scoobers.

Best Excuse EVER for Calling Off of Work

In 33 years Pooldad has heard it all when his employees call out in order to miss a day of work.

These are the ones he remembers.  After reading these, can you imagine the ones he has wiped clean from his memory?

• It's a Jewish holiday. [The boy wasn't Jewish - not even close]
• Have to take my cat to the vet for a nail trim
• It's raining I didn't think we worked in the rain
• My team lost the game last night and I am too upset to come to work
• I LOST my car [one of Skippy's favorite]
• I found out my girlfriend is a lesbian and I am too upset to come to work 
• I just couldn't deal with traffic this morning
• You were mad at me yesterday I didn't think you wanted me back. [He wasn't fired - he just screwed up and was reprimanded]
• I had to go to the Emergency Room.  Pooldad responds "Are you okay?"  Employee responds "Yah. Thanks." And then my [patient] husband requests the paperwork from the ER and the employee would say "I don't have any." What? They ran out of paper? [This happened numerous time]
• I didn't have any clothes to wear to work [so true!]
• I bought a hotdog and cigarettes and didn't have enough money to buy gas [Again, so true!]
• I didn't know we worked Saturdays [This is after the employee had worked 6 day weeks for over a month and a half]
• I thought we didn't work on holidays [It was Arbor Day]
• I am celebrating my sister's graduation from high school. [Excuse made in 1995. Sister graduated in 1993. No. Seriously.]
• I can't deal with dogs
• I have food poisoning from ice tea
• I am in jail [this happened all the time. no kidding - 50/50 on whether it was factual]

BUT THE BEST OF THE BEST ALL TIME EXCUSE CAME TODAY!

One of Pooldad's employees called in and said he couldn't come to work because:

"We didn't know my girlfriend was pregnant.  She gave birth last night."

Classic.

The Day Just Keeps Getting Better and Better And Then You Fall Down the Stairs

It's almost a metaphor for my life. giggle

No worries Tadpoles I am fine.
Only my pride [my arms and tailbone] is bruised.

Sunday was the.best.day.ever.

This list of the day's events will sound boring to most, but indulge me - because it was awesome.

• I awoke first - at 9 am [yay sleep!] 
• Bathed [by myself!] dressed [by myself!] 
• I curled my hair and put on make up [rare!]
• Surprised the entire family when they woke up.  They wondered where we were going heehee
• The weather was spectacular and I opened all the doors and windows - fresh air!
• Pooldad and I went to Dunkin' Donuts for coffee and doughnuts - brought some home for the girls
• We took the dogs on a looooong walk
• Had the most spectacular hour long chat, while sitting on my back porch getting the sunshines, with my bestie :waving at Little River: 
• For the first time in 6 [?] years I made my infamous Chicken n' Dumplings [Pooldad usually makes this, but I wanted to give him a day off - he is working so hard.]
• I ate the deliciousness of the aforementioned [and didn't get sick!]
• I cleaned the kitchen, not once, but twice!
• Relaxed and reminisced with Pooldad after the girls went to bed

I must have been feeling all HERO-like [you can step in any time Adorkable Ditz with a theme song, giggle] because at one point I skipped [literally] off to the bathroom and on the way there I slipped on the top step and fell - WHAM! - right on my tailbone on the hardwood foyer floor.

I hit so hard I woke up Wallene and scared the beehoohoo out of Pooldad [who was in the kitchen and came running!]

OUCH. Dagnabit.

My completely awesome day ended with me limping to bed, nursing my wounds [and, again, my pride].

But you know?  The bruises are going to  fade, but yesterday won't. And that is the best!

I did it Tadpoles. 

I was ME for a whole day. 

A whole.entire.day.

Yay me!

I Have This All Under Control

Yep. This whole "Zombie Apocalypse End of the World" bullsh*t.

[Gratuitous cursing to make a few of you laugh.]

[Hi Mynx.]

I give you my icon:

I have had this icon for three years.  I love it and have received a lot of nice and funny comments on it. 

But, you see...

I have always been well prepared with a plan in case what has been predicted happens.  

See?  I knew what I was going to do in case of the inevitable.  

I am a whole pre planner girl like that.  

Then, by luck, I was graced with a cane! 

Who knew, with the end of the world approaching, this would be such a bonus!  

Now :evil laugh: I can take you all down faster. heehee

So, if you are hoping to survive the zombies tomorrow, I would suggest not being within a three foot radius of me. :)

I don't have much speed left in me but I will be putting my bets on Sparky:

Just kidding. :)
Hope you have a great last day of the world. From what I can tell Australia is still standing.
Hugs & love.

Free Meat!

And no, I don't mean....well, forget where I was going with that.

[:Waving at Pooldad:]

And if anyone asks? I do spend too much time at Sandra's site.  Just saying.

Okay - Onto the groceries.

How cool is this?  We had a coupon for our local grocery store for $10 USD off of a $25 bill.  Basically [for you math nerds] it means we received $25 worth of food for $15.

Weeehaw!

Do you want to know what we "bought" for free?

[If you are still reading, the answer would be a resounding yes. giggle]

We got a three pound London broil and a four pound roaster chicken. For FREE!

I know, it is the simple things, but if you guys were here you would be slurping up plates o' meat from the grill with the broil and then you would attempt to move in once you tasted my Chicken n' Dumplings.

I wouldn't have room for you all, but I swear you wouldn't want to leave. [I would try tho'.]

It is such a good week when you get free meat.*

*is it me, or should that statement be a bumper sticker? I think so.

I Like Days Like Today

No, let me rephrase that.

I LOVE days like today!

It is EARLY SHIFT DAY! 

Wooohoo!

These are the days that Pooldad gets home around 4 pm.  He should have 10 a month but Bee, his coworker, likes these shifts better so she takes the majority of them, especially during the spring rush.  This makes the days he actually works only 8 hours extra special. For him and for me. :)

He comes home in the daylight. We hang out. He relaxes. Maybe we grill out or take a walk with the pups.

It's nothing terribly exciting but it is definitely my favorite kind of day in the spring time.

Hope you all are having a great Thursday. See ya' on the flipside!

ETA @ 7:00 pm :  OMG! OMG!  We are grilling out London Broil again.  Life is so good! YAY! And I am getting fat. Whooopeee!

I Am the New Marquis d' Sade

Sigh.
This is the muzzle I ordered for Scooby:

Yeah, so H.A.P.P.Y. about that. :sarcasm drip:

Now, anyone want to explain it to our Scoobers?

Yeah, me either.

For those new to the story - THIS is why he has to be muzzled. He shouldn't have to be. We own a leash.

We Have A Shake Shack!

Looky what they brought to DC today:

SHAKE SHACK
[article]

Courtesy of the Washington Post

It is a New York City institution and ours is only one of three outside of NYC.  I am so excited! After years of reading rave reviews from some of my favorite food bloggers like Feisty Foodie and GrubGrade I am thrilled that we can pop over to DC for some wonderfulness that is a Shake Shack burger [website].

Hallelujah!

This will be worth going out to eat.  :skippyhappydanceskippyhappydance:

Now I am off to find my lovely driver husband to convince him Saturday would be perfect for a visit.

Look What the Bahama Breeze Blew In

Squirrel is home!

She finished with school a little over a week ago and was whisked away to the Bahamas by her best friend the very next day. [Yeah, we should all be so lucky. I know. :D]

She brought us lots of gifts, postcards and pictures!

These are the best friends wonderful parents celebrating their anniversary.

Lobster dinner.
Posted only because my lovely daughter dipped her lobster in  vinegar.
[Yes, we are crab people. This is her first experience with lobster. crab=vinegar/lobster=butter]

Hope you all are having a great Sunday. I know we are :D

$10 + Wallene + Mall =

THIS:

Why yes, she is wearing it to school on Monday.  

Why do you ask? giggle

It IS Wallene after all.  

Gotta' love the kid. 

Now, vote - is it a Persian cat [as Mynx pointed out] or is it a character out of Where the Wild Things Are? [No Lady Gaga comments please.]

Have a great Sunday Tadpoles!

:skipping off with the furry hat on my head: YAY!

[Y'all want one. Admit it. So fun.]

Is My Self Righteousness Showing?

Remember the post about Scooby and Coco?

I received over 15 comments on that post before Blogger went down on Thursday [I lost them] and it appeared that you all know me well enough to understand why I posted the way I did and agreed it wasn't too bright that Coco wasn't on a leash in that situation. Heck, even Jeannie agreed! [love you Jeannie :)]

Seems there is someone out in blog land that feels that I was over the top on that post and has taken me to task on it.

I give you joi:

"I think you should get a grip.
Why the name calling and the insults?
You are so self righteous. I wish you hadn't commented on Jill's post so I would never have clicked (by accident) on your self righteous, judgmental, dribble. Jill's posts are full of wisdom, grace and compassion as well as a desire to look at herself and others and find connection. I don't see how having her dog on a leash would have prevented or even helped the situation--it could have made it worse, if she would have started pulling on the leash in panic and your dog reacted. My dog (who is only 17 pounds) has picked up squirrels and rats, while on leash.
Things happen. Regardless of your assertion that you're not libel because the other dog was off leash I think you're looking for excuses. Splitting the vet bill would be the right thing to do. And people rarely learn lessons from people who try to shame them. You and your dog ARE partially responsible. And if you truly cared about dogs and their owners and wanted the dog-owner, to learn a "safety" lesson from this, kindness would have gone alot further. Plus, I'm sure you can't relate to someone carrying their dog--Your dog is really BIG. A tiny tea-cup pet is a very different experience. "


Kind of angry, isn't it?

I didn't realize that post would illicit such a strong response when I was simply posting about something I was upset about and truly believe in [leashing your pets.]

In fairness I did say to tell me I was wrong, so she has every right to do so.  Heck even if I hadn't asked for it she is still entitled to her opinion.

I think the problem lies in the fact that this was the first post of my blog joi has ever read and does not know me.  It may be an unfortunate post to walk into my blog on but I will stand by my words because I truly believe not having Coco on a leash was stupid [which is my worst "insult" btw] and that we aren't liable [not "libel"] for the vet bills.  Had our daughter seen our neighbor coming up to her with Coco on a leash Wallene would've moved the dogs out of reach as she has been taught.  I wasn't looking for excuses to get out of a vet bill [or shame anyone for that matter] and have been assured by the owner that we are not at fault and they are sorry they put our daughter in that situation.  Just as we have apologized that their pet was hurt.  Please know I posted about the situation to vent and would never, ever say anything of that nature to the owner in real life.

joi doesn't have a blog so I can't see if she is truly this angry all the time, but I hope that, in the future, she doesn't stumble across one of my tuna casserole or fried chicken posts that peezes her off.

Hope you all have a great Saturday.  I am off to carry my 14 lb dachshund around the house because, y'know, I just don't know what it is like.

Got rollerblades?

[Hey Snookie - is the font better. I couldn't change the color, but did the font for you. :) Let me know.]

You Have A Big Mouth

I am talking about Wallene.  My lovely, darling Wallene.

Actually she doesn't have a big mouth.  In fact, her mouth is too small to accommodate all of her teeth and the orthodontist had to put in an expander.

The word alone makes me cringe.

Ouch, ouchitty, ouch.

It is a contraption in the roof of her mouth that her Dad must insert a key into and turn.  Every morning.

:Repeat the ouch factor here:

I looked at it once and I never want to see it again. Thankyouverymuch.

If you would like to see it she managed to take pictures. [Don't ask me how - but they are pretty funny] They are here:  Wallene

Next step braces. Yipppee!

I WILL NOT SAY THIS AGAIN!

Yes. I am yelling in my title .... and I will probably owe a lot of apologies by the end of this but I do not want to ever have to say this again:

LEASH YOUR F&^%$#@ DOG!

Sorry for the "foul" language [apology #1] but I am so fed up with people that think it is okay to NOT have their dog on a leash.

Yesterday:

A beautiful, sunshiny day and Wallene took Spot and Scooby for a walk. ON LEASHES. Because that is what  responsible pet owners do.

She was strolling along with them when a neighbor friend came rollerblading down the street carrying her dachshund, Coco, in her arms.

Don't even ask me how weird I think that is -because, well.........just don't.  The point is she was carrying her dog and did NOT have a leash on her.

She skated up to Wallene and with no warning set her [teacup] dachshund in front of Spot and Wallene.  May I repeat: With NO LEASH. Our daughter was completely caught off guard and before she could ask the neighbor to pick the dog back up....this is what happened:

Scooby was sniffing behind Wallene on his leash and didn't notice Coco right away.

Spot and Coco were doing the usual doggy butt sniffing when Scooby came around Wallene's side and saw Coco.

He immediately picked Coco up in his mouth. Hard.

He didn't shake her but he wouldn't put her down either.  We don't know if he thought he was protecting Spot or if he thought Coco was a dog toy [she is less then half the size of Spot - about 7 lbs] but Wallene and the owner finally managed to get Coco out of his mouth and the poor thing ran away.

I have to mention here that Scooby is huge. Most of you know that, but it bears repeating. You can't miss our 120 lb wonder, but he is also an incredibly gentle dog.  His breed [Chesapeake Bay Retreiver] is known as a gentle, non aggressive breed.  I have absolutely no idea why this woman thought it was a good idea to put a 7  lb dog down in close proximity of our dogs without a leash.

The woman scooped up Coco from underneath a nearby car and skated off.  When Wallene arrived home she told us what had happened and Pooldad went over to talk to them to see if Coco was okay.  They were on their way to the vet and although very polite they did say they thought the pup might have a collapsed lung.

Turns out Scooby broke two ribs and bruised her lung but Coco will heal. Thank goodness.

Here's the thing - we provided them with our information but I will be damned if I am paying one cent of that dog's vet bill.  Who in the heck rollerblades with a dog [is that not dangerous to begin with?] and where the heck was her leash?  I realize a leash might not have made a difference in this case but it would have at least given the owner a chance to yank her dog back before Scooby picked Coco up.

I sat last night [and here tonight] waiting on Animal Control to show up and quarantine my dog.  I also realize that now I have to muzzle Scooby to walk him.  Not too terribly happy about that, but I don't want this to happen again because someone is too stupid to not restrain their own dog.

Argue with me, tell me you are right to let your dog off the leash or that leashes are only for residential neighborhoods [like ours] or that the only person that should ever walk Scooby is Pooldad [because he outweighs him] but I don't care.  We take every precaution with these guys - we know our dogs - and act accordingly, but if you present your dog up in an unsafe manner - then our dogs and we are NOT responsible.

When your dog dies as a result of your carelessness do not blame me.

Sorry [apology #2] for the angry rant, but the thought of Coco being hurt and us possibly losing Scooby because someone was so stupid just hurts.

I Rate a 97%...Who Knew?

Wallene had a project for school where she had to write something about someone who meant something to her.

She presented us with a lovely poster with a poem for her best friend Layton.  It was heartfelt and beautifully decorated.  We congratulated her on a job well done, because it was, and assured her it was an A. She put a lot of work into it. I told her that she should give it to Layton after she received the grade.

Little trickster.

It was a ruse.  She fooled us.

Instead she submitted a booklet about me and her.

It is a mini photo album with words and pictures.

These are her words:

To Never Let Go


There is someone everyone needs
And someone you can always trust
This someone always cares for you
And they always know who you are

A Mom is important to have
She takes care of you
Watches out for you
And keeps you up when you are feeling down

She keeps you happy
Plays games with you
Makes you laugh
And just makes your day brighter

My Mom is all of these descriptons
Eventhough with her illness
She makes my days wonderful
No matter what mood she is in

For all that has been going on for my Mom
She has always been there for me
And she always will be
My Mom means the world to me

Forever friendship

She's never let me down
As I know I never will
She makes me smile when I am feeling blue
And makes me laugh until my eyes water

My Mom is incredibly important to me
And I will love her forever
She is the perfect Mother
And I will never let her go

Dedicated to my Mom - "Skippy"

~~~~

Her grade was a 97%. [Hence the post title]

Sometimes I forget that the kids know. That they know I am sick and I am doing the best I can.

Then, for Mother's Day, I receive this beautiful gift and wonder what the heck I am doing.

My life isn't predicated on the past. It is in the present and for the future. I look forward to it.

Thank you Wallene.

I love you and I am so glad "I had to have you."

Special little girl.

I Should Say I Am Sorry, But....

...I just can't.

I really, really had to be selfish.
No, really, I did.
You'll understand. I know you will.*

For the past 4 days my beleaguered husband has been running hither and yon to take care of the three of us. He went south, then he went north and then he went errand crazy on Saturday - and let's just say it has been a loooong weekend for the poor guy.

We aren't even going to mention the flat tire on I-81 Thursday or getting lost in the mountains of Pennsylvania in the middle of the night Friday. Nope.

Long weekend. Definitely.

However, being the guy he is he managed to grill out twice this weekend.  Two of my favorites - marinated chicken breasts Saturday and for Mother's Day he made his p.e.r.f.e.c.t. London Broil.  The man ROCKS a grill Tadpoles.

:Commence drooling:

With all the things that go on with me I eat, on average, once a day. Maybe.  So when a meal presents itself and I am not queasy or having an attack I am all over it.

All over it like "Charlie Sheen with a bag of crack" all over it.

WINNING!

That is what happened to the London Broil.
Oops.
:grin:

Since Wallene wanted the leftover chicken and Squirrel is off in Bermuda somewhere, Pooldad and I had a serious piece of meat to divide between just the two of us.

Any guesses who won the split?

We had dinner. Okay, we had the meat for an appetizer while watching TV, then we had some for dinner [with grilled asparagus and baked potato, yum!] and then for dessert - we had more meat.

It was so, so, so good.

As we were polishing off the second pound of meat I mentioned to my husband that when I made lunches that night I would make him a sandwich with the leftover beef.  His face lit up and he smiled knowing how good that was going to taste.

He went to bed and I proceeded to set up to make his and Wallene's lunches.  I pulled out the beef [which he had sliced thinly for the sandwiches], the leftover chicken, macaroni salad and veggies.

I couldn't do it.
I could NOT make his sandwich.
I eyed the chicken I was going to use for Wallene's lunch and looked at the beef for his sandwich and, well...

She got peanut butter and jelly.

I got a midnight snack.


*Unless you are a vegetarian, then I do apologize for this post.

Have a great Monday gang! See you on the flip side.

Ooops! I'm Naked

[Made you look!]

It's my blog that is in the au natural.

[ETA:  It was plain, but I got bored and changed it at 10 pm. :D]

Found out this morning that I had a wee small problem.

Seems a hacker thought it would be fun to infect my blog. I had to take down all the fancies - the background, the radio, the weather and the stat counter because it was imbedded in the html code of one of those. [It is safe now - you will get a warning if it isn't.]

So, yes....it is boring, but at least it won't infect your computer or mine with malware.  It's all good. :D  Besides you don't come here for how great my blog looks, you visit for my sterling personality and rapier wit. Right?  giggle

However, I do have something for your viewing pleasure.

I present to you my Anniversary present:

Friday 5/6/2011

2 tickets to Hershey park:  $74.00
Gas to drive a 6 hour round trip:  $20.00
Cotton Candy:  $4.00
That picture: PRICELESS

Hope you all are having a wonderful Sunday.

You Aren't Supposed to Do That!

Don't y'all realize that you can make me laugh via email and comments?  I read what you send me and start laughing and then choking.  The whole "trying to suck in air" thing. 


So many of you are guilty of this. :grinning: Thank you!


Jeesh Tadpoles - I love it, I do. Laughter is the best medicine, but...in my case it can take the breath right out of me.  If I start laughing too hard I have to stop and try to catch my breath.


[Ask Linda Vagabraun - she has done this to me on the phone. More times then once. Okay, okay, every single time we talk.]


Today's list of culprits include:


Mynx - because she is a :harlot: [she said it, not me] and has a bra I really want. Okay, I want half of her bra, because...well.  You have seen me and Mynx. You know why.  Oh, and I know who is in her :harem: [she said it, not me]. We counted you guys. Watch out. Or come on over. heehee


Adorkable Ditz - who kindly sent along the theme song to "Superman" in her comment on my post about Pooldad.  I played it for him when he returned home from work and we about lost it laughing.  I think I am going to play it every night for the entire month of May. For fun. :) Thank you gorgeous Morgan.


Then it got interesting because I shared that story with Barb and [to not be outdone] she came up with this about my lovely husband:


"Faster than a speeding bullet.  More powerful than a locomotive.  Able to clean all pools in a single bound.  Look up in the sky.  It's a bird.  It's plane.  It's S**** Poolman....Strange visitor from another planet, came to earth with powers and ability far beyond those of mortal men.  Poolman....Who can change the course of mighty rivers.  Bend steel with his bare hands.  And who disguised as S***** G*****, mild mannered poolman, for a great metropolitan area, fights a never ending battle for Truth, Justice and a Clean Swimming Pool."


Yeah, I about spit my Cheerios out on that one. :)


After recovering from Barb, my pal Phelan and her damn cows showed up and well..... her plans for the most awesome living Wake ever.  Which, if you can see the humor in a living Wake [as we both can] then I think you have lived a pretty wicked happy life. [I am stealing the idea, but not the part your hubs came up with. I am thinking more "Hawaiian Luau" type.  Mynx needs to come in a coconut bra. As do Barb & Bruce and Bruce come to think of it.]


I thank you all for the continued smiles, the laughter and the lack of oxygen. 


I know one day I am going out of this world on my last breath, as will we all. 


I just know I am going to be laughing all the way.


But could y'all stop trying to make it sooner then later?  :wink:

Did You Forget Your Father Is a Poolman?

I think it is safe to assume you all know my husband is in the swimming pool business. ::waving at Pooldad::  What you may not realize that - as we come into spring headed for summer - this is the busiest month of the year for him at work.  He is in charge of the crews that open the customers' pools in time for the season [and clean them all summer, closing them in the fall.]

May has extremely long days where he doesn't get home until 9 or 10 pm most nights. The whole family knows this and accepts it for what it is.

I thought the kids knew that it is nigh impossible for Dad to get a day off this month.

That's what you get for thinking Skippy.

This week he has not one, but two road trips to take with the kids.  On Thursday he has to pick up Squirrel at college and move her home. Friday finds him on the road to Hershey Park to chaperone a bunch of giggling 13 year old girls. [Reason #426 why I am happy I can't drive.]

Such a good Daddy.

Then, nearer to the end of the month, he is off [returning to Pennsylvania]  to move Squirrel [yet again] into an apartment for her summer internship.

For all the road trips he has, he also has to make a little bit of time for our Anniversary and Mother's Day, both of which occur this coming weekend.

I think I should change his moniker from Pooldad to Superman.

Love ya' honey! See you in June. :)