Not Me Monday!

This week I did NOT cry over broken tiles or sewer water! I wouldn't waste tears over silly things like that!

I did NOT put my toddler in the empty bath tub at my cousin's house so I could run downstairs and get some things without worrying about him falling down the stairs. Since The Hulk can't crawl out of the tub that would NOT be a great way to trap him while I packed our things.

I did NOT open our suitcase and just place all the clothes directly into the washer when we got home.

I did NOT put The Hulk' bath toys in the dishwasher to sanitize them rather than washing them all by hand.

What did you NOT do this week?

Clickin Mama

The Good and The Bad

The Good

I had a wonderful time with my family for Thanksgiving! I got to spend Thanksgiving Day with Heather, The Hulk, and my Dad's side of the family. Wonderful food, wonderful weather, and wonderful company! Then we were able to go to Tulsa to visit my Mom's side of the family. Again wonderful food, weather and people. Such a great time. Why does it have to end????

You know that pesky IRS audit that has been hanging over my head. The one where they said I owed them $10,000! Yes that one! Well my fabulous tax man finished everything up on our end and it appears they actually owe ME! And they owe me $4900.00. YAHOOOOOOO!!!!

The Bad

The ceramic tile in my kitchen is all coming up. I've lost about 10 pieces so far and it just keeps coming up. No good. Not only is it really unattractive it is also pretty unsafe for The Hulk. Let's hope that refund comes soon!

While I had a wonderful time with Heather on Thanksgiving Day we also had quite a mess on our hands. The sewer system backed up into the house so we spent a great portion of the day cleaning up sewer water. In fact 60 gallons of sewer water is what I got out of the carpet with the Wet Vac. YUCK YUCK YUCK!

Tonight I got home from Tulsa to start laundry and there was no hot water! UGH!

And I have no cell phone! I am in the process of changing cell phone providers and it seems the service got changed before I had a new phone so now I have a phone but no service. That sucks!

So that is the long and short of it folks. Lots of good stuff, lots of bad stuff. Hopefully the good will keep coming and we can push this bad out of the way!

Clickin Mama

Ready To See My Family

Wow I'm really ready to see my family. I've been missing them like crazy lately. Luckily Thanksgiving is just a few days away! Heather is coming home tomorrow night and then we are going to see my Dad's side of the family on Thursday. Yeah! The Hulk hasn't seen grandma and grandpa the great in awhile. And my aunts and uncles will be there too. Should be lots and lots of fun!

Then Friday the boy and I are hitting the road and heading to Tulsa. I'm so missing my aunts it's not even funny. I totally don't have the money to make the trip but I sold a couple art prints this week just so I could go. I have never pushed so hard at selling something in my life. But I really really need to see my people. So pushy sales lady I am. I haven't seen the crazy aunts since the 4th of July! That is too long. So roadtrip it is. Let's hope the bathroom stops go better on this trip than on the last.

Clickin Mama

Not Me Monday!

This has been such a crazy week. Super busy with regular work and photography work. And of course some little boy always keeps me on my toes. I'm so thankful it is only a three day work week! Maybe it will be a little calmer.... Since it was crazy there are plenty of not me's to go around.

Like I promise I did NOT actually utter the following statements at some point this week.

"The Hulk please don't eat the grout."

"I'm going to be late to work because a truck drove into my house."

"The Hulk quit turning Grandma's oxygen off."

"The Hulk seriously if you turn the oxygen off again I'm going to have to spank you."

"Why are these toys in the dryer?"

"Let's not feed the dog yogurt."

"No wonder it's hot in here. The oven has been on since last night."

"Mattie don't lock the little kids in the closet."

"In this house we don't put dirty diapers in the clothes hamper."

"Why do you have a bump it on your Afro puff?"

Clickin Mama

Camera Fun

This weekend I had 6 photo sessions. What a busy busy time. But also very fun. These are some pics from a family session I did. I think they are kinda funny. Of course I got all the traditional Christmas card stuff too but I always love the random pictures that really kinda capture family dynamics or people the best. So they always seem to be the ones I pick to share. I would take a funny picture over a traditional pic any day!

Honestly I'm loving my photography work so much. I wish it was all I had to do. I'm getting busy enough that it really is taking about 30 hours a week. So while wonderful it is wearing me out. Or in all honesty my real job wears me out but I have to do it so I can have insurance for The Hulk and I. Dang that health insurance! I wish I could just take pictures everyday! Maybe some day.....

 

 

 

 

Clickin Mama

The Power Of Music

The other day I had a discussion with some of my friends about music. We got talking about those songs that really touch us. The ones that no matter where you are when you hear the words it takes you back to a certain moment. Those songs that touch your soul and can bring a person back to you for a moment. The songs that remind you of your first kiss, last kiss, and the best kisses in between. You know those songs! We all have a few that just get us. And I find it so interesting what songs really get other people. So I'll share mine if you share yours....

Josh Groban singing To Where You Are makes me cry every time I hear it. But that song reminds me that even though my mom isn't here it isn't far to her. It gives me reassurance that I'll see her again. And it reminds me that I can feel her if I quiet myself just long enough... The video of it is below.



Another song that really gets me is Let There Be Peace On Earth. That has always been one of my favorite songs. When I was a little girl I loved to sing it at Christmas. And even now I still love it! I guess I really do believe that if everyone let it begin with them there might really be peace on earth someday.

And the final one is Come Some Rainy Day by Wynonna Judd. I'm not a big Wynonna fan but that song amazes me. I hear it and it takes me to the day my sister was born. It's like I can see how perfect and new she was. It brings all those feelings back of how excited and amazed I was to have her. Love that song! Love that feeling!!! There is a line in the song that says "I still catch my breath when someone mentions you." And that's the truth about Heather. She really did take my breath away when she was born. I'd never felt a love like that before.

So those are my songs. What are yours???

Clickin Mama

Remember That Time....

Remember that time a truck drove into my house... Oh yes I remember it like it was yesterday! Oh wait that was just yesterday. It is true a truck took a slight detour and went off roading in my yard!

I had just dropped The Hulk off at daycare yesterday when I got a call from the police department asking me to come to my house because in the officer's words, "a guy drove his truck into your house." So I envisioned a truck sitting in my living room! But when I arrived home it wasn't that bad. The truck actually came up my drive way, hitting my trash cans, through the yard and flower beds, and back out of the yard to knock over the neighbors tree. So it didn't actually go into the house. The trash cans and debris from the landscaping did break the front door but otherwise all the damage was too the yard.

Here are a few pics but they don't really capture what the yard actually looks like. There are lots of ruts and what not and one other flower bed was damaged but I didn't get it in the pics. But it could have been SO much worse!

 

In fact the route the truck took through the driveway was right in the path of where my car usually sits. It also is right where I would have been loading The Hulk in the car to go to daycare about 10 minutes earlier. And it is also where 9 children gathered about 20 minutes before that to get on the school bus. So the entire neighborhood is feeling very blessed tonight that none of our children were hurt! This morning as I walked out of the house with The Hulk I actually felt a little nervous. I've never worried about getting hit by a car in my yard before but it gives you a different perspective. We really are so fortunate that all of our kids were safe! The total loss was 4 mailboxes, two trash cans, one tree, 10 yard lights, a screen door, landscape timbers, and my yard. All things that are fixable!

Who knew I'd feel relieved that my yard was destroyed! Amazing how kids change your perspective on things!!!

Clickin Mama