The boys are back in town!

Well, one boy, at least.

Hubs got home yesterday, but we knew it was going to be late, so Strip and I embraced our last day as "Just us Girls!" When she got off the bus, we headed over to her end-of-the-week surprise. Pedicures!

I told her she could pick whatever color she wanted for me and for her, so she chose a sparkly orange for me (war eagle!) and a sparkly red for her (because of dorothy, NOT UGA, Hubs). When our super sonic chairs were ready, we settled in across from each other. They started on me first, so Strip got a chance to see all the scrubbing, rubbing and toe tickling that was about to take place. She was sooo relaxed during the whole thing and looked too funny in the giant chair.

When she sat down, the girl said, "You wan flower? Flower on toe?" Well sure! I mean what 5-year-old girly girl wouldn't want flowers on her toes? After painting and primping and returning out shoes, I was ready to pay. I pulled out my stripper singles (side note: our parents always give us $1 bills for however old we are on our birthdays. It's cute when you're 8, it's funny when you're 15, but sometime in your 20's you begin to feel like you're getting the side eye when you whip out a roll of singles. When I was in college, the guy 3 apartments down was a stripper, and we all hated the management company who ran our complex. Stripper Neighbor, obviously made lots of singles during work, and one day we were chatting and he said he liked to pay his rent, all $240, with his stripping singles. He'd walk into the office and count out those bills in front of the landlady. One month, she said, "You must be a waiter!" Her replied, "Something like that." So now, every year on my birthday, when I get my $1's, and spend them in larger quantities than $10, I am reminded of my college buddy) and began to count them out. Guess what! Flower on toe = $5 extra. Should have known. And those stupid flowers caused her "thumb toes" as Strip calls them, to chip off. Boo.

We then ran some errands including the library to pick up a copy of The Sound of Music. I've been waiting and waiting to let her watch it because I LOVE the movie, and if she watched it and hated it or said it was boe-ring, I might have to ask her to move out. Next stop was Costco for margarita mix, which they are out of and aren't getting any more back in. BOO Costco. But we still got Strip a giant slice of cheese pizza and a churro because she's been itching to try one.

We got home, ate our dinners, got in our pjs and were ready for Maria. I honestly can't remember the last time I watched the entire movie, but I think it was high school. Shockingly enough, when you watch that movie enough times, it becomes a part of you, and you still remember every word to every song. And who can resist belting out Rodgers & Hammerstein classics? So, of course, as Maria begins to spin around on the mountain, I begin to sing along.

Strip knew this was my favorite movie from when I was little and was really excited to watch it, but when I got to, "My heart wants to beat like the wings of a bird that flies..." she looked at me and said:

"Just because this is one of your favorite movies, doesn't mean you have to sing along."

I came very close to vomiting I was laughing so hard! After gathering myself and trying not to join in with the end of the song, Strip looked at me again and said,

"Well, you can hum if you want to."

Hubs got home during the Solfege song and the dvd started to skip during the Lonely Goatherd, so when the Von Trapp children sang their goodnights, I suggested we do the same, promising to go by the library the next day to swap out the dvd for another one.

Hubs made the mistake of calling us during a layover to ask if he could take his girls out on a date. We gladly accepted and Strip has micro managed the day including a corn maze, ice skating and dinner out. Can't wait for our other boy to come home Monday (although Strip already asked, even before Hubs got home, if Hubs and Nugget could go away again some time soon. Guess girls week was TOO big of a hit!).

At least she's honest!

Girls week!

It's coming to a close. Hubs will be back tomorrow, Nugget arrives with PaPa and Ma on Monday. So the obvious question posed to Strip is,

"Awwe. Have you missed your brother?!"

Tonight, Neighbor Chick's mother-in-law was in the 'hood and asked Strip the above question. Strip's answer, without hesitation?

"Nope!"

We both stifled back laughs and asked why she didn't miss him.

"Well, when he's here, he always wants to race, and then if I win, he gets mad, and he messes with my stuff..." the list went on and on, basically describing every negative trait of a little brother.

"But it has been quiet, right? And he does make us laugh."

"Yeah. But I like girl's week."

Sorry, boys, looks like we need to put up a sign

2 AM ambush

This is not our bed. According to a google search, this is the world's most comfortable bed. So next time you're in Dubai, give it a whirl!

Hubs has been out of town. And Nugget is at camp PaPaMa's. So that leaves me, Strip and Zoe to fight over the five available beds in the house. For some reason, everyone always ends up in our bed (even though the most comfy bed award (in our house at least) would totally go to Nugget's or the guest room bed). With 2 gone, and one crated, a good night's sleep was looking pretty promising.

Strip decided the first night that she wanted to sleep in Nugget's bed because she missed him. Sleep all night? Check! The next night, she wanted to sleep in her bed. I honestly can't remember the last time she did that. The top bunk has been a way better sleep. So we gave it a try.

I peeked in before I went to bed to find her snoozing away. I slipped into my side of our bed, leaving Hubs' side tightly made, pillows in order, and crashed.

Several hours later, I'm jarred awake by screaming and kicking.

Most children come in to your room, tap you on the forehead, and give wild stories about bad dreams and wolves in the closet, and can I sleep with you? Not my kids!

Strip came in and just attempted to slip under the covers. Unfortunately, the bed on that side was made, quite well, so instead of slipping in, unnoticed, she became tangled in the pillows and taunt comforter.

Meaning, I said hello to 2 AM by her hitting me in the face and SCREAMING, "AHH! I CAN'T GET UNDER THE COVERS!! HELP ME OUT A LITTLE, WILL YA?!"

So subtle.

There is no "late" in "bus."

Strip has throughly enjoyed taking the bus to school, and I've been loving it, too! Since she's one of the first on and last off, it's like I get an extra hour plus every day! See, if school gets out at 3:00. that would mean I would need to be at the car line at 2:30, so I'd have to leave the house between 2:00-2:15. But, because she hops on the bus when school gets out, I have about 25-30 minutes AFTER that last bell until she gets home. Pretty sweet.

The first week of school went pretty well, I like to be outside about 15 minutes before the bus arrives, giving us a little morning play time with Zoe and time to relax a little before she heads to school.

Monday was a different story.

She had recently asked why they couldn't watch tv in the mornings, and I reminded her that she needed to be dressed and ready for the day before the tv comes on, otherwise, we'd be rushed and crazy trying to get out of the door. One morning, I was reminding her to "hurry and get dressed so I can pull up your hair," when she asked me if we were running late.

"Sweetie, with the bus, there is no 'running late.' You're either on it, or you're not."

Monday, we learned that lesson. It was another exhausting day of doctor appointments, so I was trying to get everyone ready so I could take Nugget to a friends house, then run downtown for my iron infusion. Normally, the kids hop out of bed, scarf down their oatmeal and race upstairs to see who can make their bed the fastest. Of course, not today!

I say: She:

Eat your oatmeal! Stares off into space.

Go get dressed! Sits on her unmade bed in her undies

Come here so I can Cries because she wanted to

braid your hair! brush it first.

Make your bed Sits on the top bunk,

acting like a puppy dog

Go downstairs and Sits about three stairs down

put your shoes on! chatting with Nugget.

See where this is going?

After finding my two shoe-less Joe's sitting on the stairs, a little piece of Mommy Dearest started to come out.

"Strip!! GET YOUR SHOES ON NOW! Your backpack's on the chair! HURRY! The bus will be here any second!" I'm screaming while trying to get shoes on Nugget and myself. I breath a sigh of relief when I see her round the corner to grab her back pack...and see her shoes... IN HER HANDS!!!

SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!

As I'm punting two kids and a dog out of the back door, Strip manages to get one shoe on, and is still dragging her uni-shoed feet standing in the kitchen. That's when I hear it, the unmistakable screech of yellow, school bus brakes as they make the turn to our stop.

"GO!! HURRY!!! THE BUS IS HERE, YOU'RE GOING TO MISS IT!!!!"

Doe, tee doe, lollie gag, not a care in the world.

"RUN STRIP RUN!! GO YOU CAN PUT YOUR SHOE ON IN THE BUS!! HURRY"

La tee dah, lovely day, not in a hurry, why are my mom's eyes bulging out of her head.

Bus door closes. Bus puts on the left turn signal. Bus is gone.

Strip now runs.

I tell her it's too late, and to go get in the car. UGH. Shuffle everyone back inside, put Zoe in her crate, find my keys, buckle two kids in the car and we head to school. The good news was, because we were all up and ready and missed the bus by three seconds, we were on the way to school within two minutes. The other good news is when you're the earliest pick up, even when you miss the bus, you'll still be on time/early to school.

I'm just glad we learned the missed bus lesson early in the school year! This past week? Up and ready with 20 minutes to spare!

Well, that explains it.

My face is broken out worse than the 16 year-old version of me pre-accutane (I'm thinking this has to do with all of the iron coursing through my veins).

Strip slipped and fell on our tiled bathroom floor, resulting in a giant goose-egg bruise on her forehead.

Hubs spent the morning in a screaming matching with Nugget and the clippers attempting to cut his hair (the last phrase uttered before I went downstairs sounded something like, "This is why you pay someone else to do this..."). Nugget now looks like he's going to enlist in the army, but he still is rocking the crazy, Alfalfa-like cowlick.

What could cause these forces of nature to collide in the same weekend?

Ahhh! It's picture day for the church directory.

Say, "photo shop!"

Dinner is served

(And you'll see why in a minute)

Since Strip started school, and knowing Nugget and I will be back to school in a couple of weeks, I've been trying to embrace the crock pot. There are quite a few days where she'll get off the bus late, then we have something to do near dinner time, so we need to eat as soon as we walk in the door at night, or right before we go. Meaning, unless we eat hot dogs and anything else microwavable, I need to have dinner READY to go whenever.

First up was an italian chicken and tomatoes dish. Not bad, but kind of anti-climatic, too. Tuesday, I decided to try one of my favorite pork tenderloin recipes. I LOVE this one, but the recipe alludes to the pork cooking in 10ish minutes, which it never does, so I tried searing it, and cooking it in the crock pot with double the glaze for sauce. That way, we could have favorite pork, and the leftovers I could use on a spinach salad with the glaze as dressing. But, I think the pork cooked a little too long, and the glaze got a little juicy/runny. Again, not bad, but not as good as when I do it the real way.

Last night, to use up the last little bit of Bessie (we got a cow (for the freezer, not the yard), and are down to livers (ew), stew meat and a couple of steaks). I got Strip on the bus, Nugget settled in playing and assembled my meal. This is so easy! Just dump, stir, set and cover! After doing some laundry, I left to get a hair cut while Nugget played next door. As a thank you for keeping him, I treated everyone to Chick-fil-a, so went over to the neighbor's first. After lunch, Nugget and I headed home, and when I opened the garage, we were slapped in the face with the sent of stew.

When Strip got off the bus, we ran to the mall (Sephora birthday gift? It's a necessity! Plus some random things to tuck away for Christmas for the kiddos). We came home, showered, got in pjs and played Wii until Hubs got home. When he walked in the door, I walked over to the crock pot to serve up our delicious beef stew. It was then that I discover the amazing transformation that had taken place.

It looked like someone had filled the crock pot with dog food, then eaten carrots and vomited all over the dog food, replaced the lid and cooked it for 6 hours.

Aren't you glad I didn't include a picture?

I muttered to Hubs, "I'll preheat the oven, you go grab a pizza out of the freezer," but we served it and set the table. The kids take turns blessing dinner, and sometimes we end up with three prayers. Tonight, Strip offered to say a prayer from her heart. Her stand-by from-the-heart prayer is normally, "Dear God, thank you for this wonderful food. We hope we like it and we hope we enjoy it, Amen."

Last night, however, it really WAS from her heart. After looking at the plate, she folded her little hands, bowed her head and said,

"Dear God, PLEASE help up to like this food...." and I finished, "So there aren't any leftovers?"

Amen!

Ode to a slipper

Right after we moved here, I went shopping to get some new clothes (since apparently South Florida winters are a little less harsh than they are here). I hit all the stores, but of course, spent the bulk of my birthday money at my favorite, The Loft.

I was shopping online and needed to hit some amount to get free shipping, so threw in a pair of slippers figuring I'd take them back to the store if I didn't like them.

I didn't like them.

I LOVED them! They are not the ones pictured above, but very similar. Soft sole, but not so soft I couldn't shuffle to the mailbox, but not so hard that they were uncomfortable. They were cute enough that when I I threw them on around the house, it didn't look like I had giant fuzzy slippers on, but the wooly insides were warm enough that my pigs didn't freeze.

I wore them all the time. Fall, winter, summer, didn't matter. Until a few months ago. Someone (this could have been either of us) scooped up a load of laundry and washed it. That's what I get for leaving them on the closet floor and sorting laundry there, too. Not a big deal. But then Someone (and this was TOTALLY Hubs) was changing over laundry and noticed the slipper. Someone thought it was best that it not go through the drier, so Someone just placed the slipper, wet sole down, on top of the washer.

I found it a when we came back from our beach trip with a lovely, fuzzy green sole.

So now I'm on the hunt for the perfect slipper before it starts getting chilly. I had fallen in love with the Ugg Roo slipper because it looks like you are shoving your feet into two, giant, hot baked potatoes. Unfortunately, Roo's have been out of production for years, so you can only find them on ebay, like the ones pictured to the right, but they are never in my size. I'm also digging Ugg's Dakota Slippers, but they kind of have a hard sole on them and I'm not sure how comfy they would be hanging around the house. Maybe I should grab a cup of coffee and take a book into Nordstrom's. Then I could cozy up with different slippers and test drive them before I buy :-)

Oh well. Loft slippers, you will be forever missed. And Hubs, you are forever required to NOT do the laundry.