10 Things that Happened on Vacation (Warning... someone gets pooped on)

When I was a little girl, I loved the Bernstein Bears book series.   One of my favorite is Too Much Birthday in which Sister Bear learns that you can have too much of a good thing.   Lots of  times I leave vacation feeling that way.  That it was all just too much to the point that I'm sick of it.   However, having just gotten home from a week long family vacation to Panama City Beach, I can say that this trip was different.   It was just right.  

I think that this picture sums it up.  In the nearly 3 years that they have been siblings and she's been alive, I believe this is the only picture I have them them both smiling and/or not picking their nose.   It really was a great trip.


So, here are the top 10 highlights of our vacation. 


10.   We got an 9 day break from this guy.  

It was lovely.  

9.  The Rooster made friends with a group of professional dancers (not the Broadway kind either) from Kentucky who sat beside us everyday at the beach.  So long Yolanda, Carissa, and K.C.  

8.   We saved two small fish that we are fairly certain are baby sharks.   We are hopeful that us showing them kindness will result in them not eating anyone in the future.   We apologize in advance if they eat you.

7.  We went down with a 4 year-old little boy and came home with a 5 year-old.   Many tears have been shed over this.

However, he has apparently lifted his backwards underwear ban.   This makes so many things right in my world.  

5.  My parents and sister came down for part of the week.  My sister decided we needed to rent a jet ski. So, I took my newly turned 5 year-old and 17 year-old sister jet skiing in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.  

We had a great time until we all  fell off.    We then climbed back on.  Then one sister noticed that the other sister's body parts were hanging out of her bathing suit.   Then I cussed that we were in the middle of the ocean and my baby was going to get ate by a shark who cares if I have body parts hanging out because no one can see them anyways  that person modestly corrected the problem.  Then we fell off again.   Then it was time to go back.  

There will not be an accompanying picture of this activity.  You're welcome.  

4.  My children became pirates. Well, Bub became a pirate.  Goose told them she was not becoming a pirate then screamed and swung her sword at them. 

Very scary, indeed.  

3.   Within the first 10 minutes of being on the beach the first day  I got pooped on by a seagull.  You always hear what to do if a jellyfish stings you ("Somebody pee on me fast!") or you see a shark ("Play dead!"... wait, that may be a bear, never mind), but no one ever tells you what to do when a seagull poops on your head.  

Apparently they don't know I'm a friend of sharks.  

2.  We played putt-putt.   I think that Goose was pretending she was Yolanda. 

1.   We got to put everything in the world away for a week.  I hope that this trip was one of those things they keep with them for a long time.

10 Reasons Why Bub Shouldn't Start Kindergarten

I am really struggling with the fact that my (very) soon-to-be 5 year-old, first born child will be beginning his formal education in less than 4 months.   The "yesterday" of learning he would become part of our family feels far too near for us to be making this huge step.  

Just between me and you, I'm going to be honest here.  I do not want him to begin school.  All of the tactics I have tried (everything from holding off another year to homeschooling) have been vehemently shot down by my husband and our families.   So, with a grimace on my face, I am going to have to hand over my baby.   But, I still don't have to a like it.  So, in one last ditch effort here is 10 reasons why Bub should not start kindergarten this year.  

10.   They don't allow backpacks.   They require tote bags.  I'm not going to be the one to break it to him that he won't get to rock the Scooby Doo backpack.   That's all on you, Rooster.  

9.  He has worn out all his jeans.   Poor thing will have to go naked.  

8.  It is highly possible that he will has a larger knowledge base of Hall and Oates, Bon Jovi, and Jackson 5 than his music teacher.  And I know that his rendition of Werewolves of London is better.  

7.  Somebody's got to take care of these dern chickens.  

6.  Speaking of Scooby Doo.... I doubt that his teacher will pretend she's Daphne and refer to him as Fred.  

5.  He is on about an every 2 hour feeding schedule.   Didn't see that on those sample schedules they showed us at round-up.  

4.  His sister is not going to have anyone to yell at except her Mamaw Dale now.  

3.  You've seen him.  You know there's going to be some brokenhearted 5 year-old little girls.

2.  Kindergarten teachers won't respond the same to "I'm done!" yelled from the bathroom as Momma does.

1.  He's still a baby.  He's my baby. 

10 Things I Lub about Goose...

10.  Her love of her "barn boots" (i.e. fuzzy brown winter boots that are 5 sizes too big that are permanently muddy).  My favorite is when she wears them with just her diaper.  

9.   The fact that she would rather have a new kitten than a new baby.  And she means it.  And no, I'm not pregnant, Mom.  

8.  That my lexicon has been altered to use lub and bootiful in place of how the rest of the English speaking world says them.  Sorry... can't help it.  

7.  That when in Sunday School the craft was to make a best friend bracelet, she gave it to me.  

6.  That she is a listener.  A really, really good listener.  

5.  Don't confuse number 5 with me meaning she listens to what I ask her to do.  That would not be on the 10 Things I Lub about her list...

4.  Where her brother has loved us (and everyone he knows for that matter) since he was old enough begin to grasp it, you have to earn Goose's love.  You know her love for you is genuine.  

3.  She is completely okay and 100% insistent that she is my baby.  See number 9. 

2.  She loves to take care of other people.   If you need a Band-Aid or someone to hold a icepack on your boo-boo, homegirl is on it.  

1.  She makes me smile and laugh like no one else.  She frustrates me like no one else.   She envokes some of the strongest emotions in me.  She teaches me everyday something new about myself, about her, about the world.  She is, after all, my baby. 

10 Things That I Found in My Van

Last night I posted something that alluded to one of my dirty little secrets.  

My van...  oh, my poor, poor van.   It is kinda like that drawer that everyone has in their kitchen.  The one that never seems to stay organized and you can find the most bizarre combination at anyone time.  Yep, it is a little less swagger wagon and a little more hoarder mobile.  So, today I decided to give it a little TLC.  

So here are 10 things that were found in my van while cleaning it out:

10.  Various pieces to at least 2 different Halloween costumes.   Yes, we are nearly a month out.

9.  A pair of underwear that does not belong to me or anyone in my family.  

8.  Enough toys to supply a small village in West Africa.  

7.  No less than 5 empty sippy cups.  

6.  Poison's Greatest Hits on auto-repay of the "Sad cowboy song" per request of Bub. 

5.  Something (likely one of those toys) that sings "If You're Happy and You Know It" every time I slam on my brakes.  

4.  26,000 Silly Bandz (that is an actual count). 

3.  A 2008 Knox County Schools Coupon Book. 

2.  A gigantic wagon that smells like mothballs.  

1.  An application to the NRA though I've never shot a gun.

10 Things You Likely Didn't Need to Know About Me

10.  I apparently think things need to be a count down opposed to a count up.  

9.    I have a zit on my chin that is roughly the same size as my nose.  

8.   I find cleaning my house very relaxing.  

7.   I don't relax often. 

6.   My very favorite smell in the world is the smell of Bub's head when he's been outside and sweating.   Love it!  Wish I could bottle that stuff up!

5.   I've had several people tell me over the past few weeks they enjoy reading my blog.  I always wonder if what they really mean is, "LeeAnn, I had no idea you were so odd." 

4.   I have a feeling that admitting I love the smell of sweaty little boy is going to up my odd factor.  

3.  No matter where my children are at in the house if they hear the theme songs to The Office, Deadliest Catch, or Whale Wars they drop whatever they are doing, run to the living room, and dance with everything they got. 

2.  Goose does not approve if I try to join in the dancing.  

1.  I think Goose thinks I'm odd, too.  

10 Things that Happened at The Hen's House Tonight

10.  I am so exhausted I may pass out at any moment.  

9.   My husband is watching his new favorite show, Jerseylicious.   I'm not even kidding. 

8.  My son went to sleep at 6:30 tonight.  Which can only mean he will wake up at 4:30 in the morning.  

7.  My daughter tried to bite my belly button in the bathtub.   In case you are wondering, I do not have an outie.  She is very talented and slightly odd. 

6.  I am fairly certain that there are Peanut M&M's with the chocolate sucked off of them laying on my kitchen table.   And no, they aren't mine.  

5.  I am fairly certain that I will find Peanut M&M's with the chocolate sucked off of them somewhere else in my house in the next 24 hours or so.

4.   I tried to talk romantic to my husband on facebook chat and he made a face at me.   Burn...  

3.   I tried to cut my toenails with a pair of baby nail clipers tonight.

2.   I don't recommend trying to cut your toe nails with a pair of baby nail clipers.  

1.  I tried again with the facebook chat with my husband, and he gave me a look that made it clear that Jerseylicious is not to be interrupted.   Double burn...