I need it.

I have decided that I need a week without my phone, a week without my computer, a week without email, a week without my husband asking me stupid questions...Starbucks...I have not made that decision yet. I don't know how I will get by, but I'm sure I will. I am so tired. I'm tired of parents thinking that it is appropriate to call me at 8:45 at night to ask me a question about school. Do their customers call them at home at 8:45 for every little detail. I have 120 parents people!! Don't call me. Can you believe people? Now, let me clarify, if you're my friend and you have a question and you also happen to be a parent, I'm good with that, but complete stranger parents? Not so much. As a society, I think that we have all become so programmed to check the bank balance, check the email, check voice mail, check my call log 50 times a day...I'm tired of checking. Sometimes I just ignore my email for a week because it takes too much effort to hit reply. Know what I mean? I'm exhausted by the day to day details of crap. I got subpoenaed in ANOTHER child custody case. Seriously, never, never considered that when I took this job. The other day CPS showed up and showed her credentials...I was just like...WHO TODAY? Two years ago I would have just wrung my hands over it. Not today. It's a monthly thing. I have learned to let go of a lot of the crap with this job. Things that two years ago would have gotten me into a frenzy just get a shoulder shrug from me these days. I'm excited about my trip with Macy. Macy is excited about her trip with me. And those are the things that are most important to me right at this moment....

And it's official....

I am going to Camp Goddard with Macy. What is Camp Goddard you ask? It is a camp that the 5th Graders in the area (and other areas actually) attend as a sort of a coming of age thing of sorts. You sleep in cabins. You go on trails and boat and take archery classes. I went to 6th Grade Camp when I lived in California. I loved it!! So, I am pleased that I was chosen to go. I am sad to leave Mason and Maddy, but Daddy will have things under control here with them and with the help of dear friends who help get them home from preschool until Daddy can get there.

HOWEVER, it has now come to my attention that there will be NO STARBUCKS FOR 5 DAYS. THERE WILL BE NO SONIC FOR 5 DAYS. THERE WILL BE VERY LITTLE CELL PHONE USAGE FOR 5 DAYS. THERE WILL BE NO COMPUTER FOR 5 DAYS. NO INTERNET FOR 5 DAYS. NO EMAIL FOR 5 DAYS. I asked Macy how I was going to make it and she stated..."SUCK it up...you're going." Lovely. Great advice from my 11 year old.

So, now I'm on to my planning for the trip. You wouldn't beleive all the things we have to pack. But, truly, I am excited to spend this time with Macy. Who knows if she'll even speak to me next year when shes in MIDDLE SCHOOL, right? And Macy was my only baby for so long and then two others came along so quickly and we don't get to spend a lot of Mommy and Macy time together. So, for that I am excited. We're trying to come up with some cool ideas of fun stuff to do for the girls in the cabin. 8 of them!! I am going to order personalized M&M's tomorrow. I'm excited. So, if you think I have fallen off the face of the earth in November, I haven't. I've just fallen into the mountains of Oklahoma......

The Pumpkin Fest...and a yucky tummy...

So, Pumpkin Fest has been scheduled for at least 10 months....Start planning in January. I had everything done, just needed the day to come. Had the food ready, had the prizes separated, had planned and planned and planned and low and behold I woke up yesterday morning and knew something wasn't right. Before I even got out of bed, I knew....I was nauseated. I'm only nauseated when one of two things is going on...I'm pregnant (which I'm not) or I have a stomach virus....YUCK. So...by 11 a.m. I was pretty much convinced I wasn't going anywhere. Poor Chris had to strip our bed, clean me up, such lovely details...huh? He called in the troops. My friend Nicole pretty much ran the show for me. So, to all my friends who showed up and helped...THANK YOU!! I'm sad that I missed something that I had worked all year for, but as long as everyone had a good time...I'm happy. I'm even missing the NKOTB reunion concert tonight!! :( I don't like being sick. AT ALL....

Oh, and Chris had to coach the soccer team. We won!! 7-1. Go Rockets!!

A loooonnnnggggg week......

A long week behind me and a long week in front of me....Last week these things happened.

1) I washed over 100 trays twice a day for 3 days.
2) I was the keynote speaker at the Foster Grandparent luncheon.
3) I was verbally acosted by a granny about how much she hates pumpkins. (WHO could hate a pumpkin)???
4) I went to Farmers Market and bought $1,000 worth of pumpkins.
5) I had lunch on the patio my favorite restaurant in the middle of the week with my husband and my youngest daughter. (Something we realized we've never done before (been alone with only Maddy).
6) I gave Maddy $3.00 in pennies to throw in the fountain at the restaurant...because I could.
7) I unloaded $1,000 worth of pumpkins (with help)....
8) I raised over $6,000 in candle sales at the school.
9) I was cussed out by a grandmother raising her grandson one day and sweet talked the next into bringing her grandson to my school. Weird story.
10) I had a fight with my boss who is also my Pastor. TWICE.
11) I had a really bad Monday.
12) I didn't have to drive the bus.
13) I had a garage sale at the church for the Bounds and raised a ton of $$$ for them. (With help).
14) I cried. A lot.
15) I contemplated throwing in the towel and finding another career.
16) I took Mason to soccer pictures and his game..and coached.
17) I made cupcakes for Hannah Bo Bannah's petting zoo party...
18) I got up every morning before 5. UGH. Oh, except the day that I got up at 4:30 and convinced myself to go back to sleep until 6:13. RECORD....
19) I got up the last two Saturdays by 5. Again, UGH.
20) I took both girls for haircuts. One because I had to because she cut her own hair and the other because she's a big girl who needs a big girl haircut. Her words...:)
21) I typed dictation late in the night.


This week I will....
1) Try to have a better Monday.
2) Try not to cry.
3) Try to sleep.
4) Try to finish my work
5) Try to invoice.
6) Try to have a better attitude.
7) Plan the pumpkin fest final details.
8) Unload the truck full of food for pumpkin fest.
9) Be the boss.
10) Be the Mom.
11) Be the wife.
12) Be the one who "knows it all." UGH.

Be the one who has decided she is now tired of hearing herself think and sign off and go to bed. I'm feeling so defeated....

Oldies but goodies....

Last night one of my friends from Paris....Misty came to see me in Sherman! We were like giggling high school girls, except that now we're in our 30's!! It was so good to be back together again. Back together again and it feels so gooooooooooddddddddd. We had cheese fries, cheese burgers, appetizers and an "adult beverage". I love her! I love her kids!! She is MY friend!!! I made her promise at least once a month, one of us treks that hour drive to see each other. We need each other to stay sane!! Here we are enjoying some dinner....Oh and a picture of our cheese fries...just to prove how bad we ate. :)

Nature...at our house...

For those of you who don't live in Texas...Fall is awesome here. One of my favorite memories of Fall in Texas was driving from Austin to Fredricksburg in 1996...and having to pull over to clean off all the butterfly "dust" off our windshield. I know that can be morbid in a way, but I was more intrigued by the amount of butterflies...turns out the monarch butterflies migrate through Texas from up North on their way to Mexico about this time of year. There was an article in the Dallas Morning News last weekend showing their path, etc. and I had saved it for Macy. Well, low and behold...one got off path and ended up in our front yard last night. He was injured and it was sad...But, here are the amazing pictures....

Would you?

Would you ever leave your job by emailing your boss on a Sunday night at 10:26 via myspace that you were not returning to work? That you had to do what was best for your family? AT 10:26 on a SUNDAY NIGHT!! ....when you have to be at work at 6:30 a.m. to cook for 100 kids? Would you? After your lovely boss had helped pay electric bills, buy things for your home, taken your kids to school when they missed the bus, take them to church on Sundays, help buy school supplies and school clothes??? Just wondering if it's just me that thinks that is pretty low.....absolutely amazing. Oh....wait...helped pay the water bill?? I hate being the boss. I really do.