As a parents, we all want the best for our children.  We want them to succeed and we want them to do well.  So, the college board recommends the students should get a good night sleep, a good breakfast, and to be prepared.  This is the ideal morning.  All week, we have been talking about the ACT test on Saturday, we had discussed her test, prayed about her test, and had all the best intentions.  However, in our household it became a calamity of errors.

Friday evening as we all sat down for dinner, we discussed the mornings activities.  One had theater rehearsal at 9 am, one had the ACT test at 7:30 or 8:00 at the time was sketchy, one was going to help a friend move, and the youngest two had a birthday party at Chuckie Cheese.  All these things we discussed, who would drop off who, and then the pick up.  The conversation faded, I took some much needed Nyquil for my Allergies.  I know Nyquil is meant for the sniffling, sneezing, stuffy head so you can rest medicine, but when the pollen count is in the thousands, menopause, and no sleep, Nyquil helps me to sleep.  I take it so infrequently it works when I get totally desperate for sleep.  I fall asleep just before 9 pm.  The rest of the house follows, and soon the sun begins to rise.  I lay in my nice warm bed and discover its 7:30.  I leaped to my feet and scream ACT we have to get her to the test.  I in my infinite thought believed the ACT check in was 7:45 am, like the SAT.  I screamed to my boys where is my lap top, I have to print the admission ticket.  Both, Laptops are shut down, and I am frantically trying to bring up the ACT website to print the ticket.  I send her ahead to the test site, while I stayed behind and awaited the ticket to print.  I discovered it was then the check in time was 8:00 am.  She was dropped off at the door of the community college by her daddy.  She left behind her license, pencil, calculator, and her water bottle in the front seat of the car.  I pull up and drop off the ticket, pass along her calculator, pencils, and water bottle and a fist full of quarters for the vending machines.  Hoping she will find something to fill her tummy. 

So, we will see how she does under pressure.  Her daddy returns home just in time to start the morning of drop offs.  He says I think I deserve eggs and bacon.  Unfortunately, I had no eggs in the house so we embarked on a trip to Waffle House.    I true southern breakfast. 

She made it through the test and now all I can do is pray. 

I walked into our local post office to mail out some bills.  Everyone was talking about the rain, it is really the talk of the town.  I said nonchalantly, " I am building an ark in my backyard." , well the gentleman behind me said really???, I wasn't meaning literally, just figuratively.  I tried to explain that I was merely stating that there is a lot of water...but the damage was done.  I stopped trying to explain as it felt like an old Laurel and Hardy skit, 'Who's on First' joke.  This El Nino year has caused quite a bit of havoc in these neck of the woods.  It's hard to believe that I live in the south, as its been unusually cold.  I keep hearing about global warming, our pollution causing holes in our ozone.  Is it possible the earth has changed its tilt a one hundredth or one thousandth of a degree.  This would explain much more??? Who am I just a lowly housewife, mom, and teacher. 

Life as a home school mom is never dull.  I learn sometimes right along with the boys.  I had no idea that Haiti and Dominican Republic became known as Hispaniola.  They had to identify and label countries on a map.  They had to label North and South America, Hispaniola, Cuba, Central America.  Well, I didn't need a key to check most of them, but for the life of me, I could not understand where Hispaniola was all that came to me was perhaps they changed the name of Puerto Rico. 

Let's think...hmmm..when I was in school there was an East and West Germany.  So, much has changed in the global world.  

Life moves on in this town. 

I have learned in my life to expect the unexpected and to laugh...otherwise only tears and frustration would befall my heart...as a family we have climbed many mountains, soared in the heavens, and fallen in to the deepest valleys. We have overcome cancer as a family not once but 4 different times.  We still find joy and laughter with each day.  Yesterday was no exception to that rule. We had entered into a Lease-purchase last September of 2008 and now we were in the final stages of closing our mortgage. So, anyone with children knows that nothing and I mean nothing will go as planned when a deadline is at hand.  We had an 11am closing on the other side of Atlanta and three kids to pack up to go.  I packed the diaper bag with diapers, juice, pediakids strawberry drinks, Ritz Crackers and a few books.  The boys grabbed their Nintendo DS's, and we loaded into the Cadillac and we were off, baby in car seat, both boys on either side of her.  We were on time...I was a mother with a plan.  We got as far as Interstate 20 west and 4 exits from home...my son who gets car sick says...Momma I don't feel so good.  I whipped open the diaper bag frantically trying to get the juice cup out of the Ziploc Gallon Sized bag and in the frenzy, my son begins to throw up.  It wasn't just any throw up it was the kind that totally travels.  I threw the bag in the back seat, nope, I didn't hand it to him, I tossed it...oh mercy me...I can do many things, but throw up...its not what I do....thats dad's department.  Cracking the window, holding my nose, head between my knees to block the sound, it was just horrible.  We pull off into the Walmart shopping center.  I open the door and run from the car leaving my husband with three kids in the back seat.  Yes, I officially got the rotton mother of the year in that moment.  I ran into the store bought two outfits, a container of Lysol Wipes, Paper towels, peppermint gum, and a bottle of water, in total it cost me about $30.00.  I exited the store and headed straight for the car, my husband had cleaned the mess up, and my poor son was standing there covered in throw up....waiting for me to return with some clothes.  This whole event took us almost 45 minutes, and we were clearly only 20 minutes from home.  We had to get going, and off we went.  We stopped at the bank to pick up the cashiers check, and we were again off to the Closing Attorneys office.    We made it to the office, rode the elevator to the 19th floor and composed ourselves to close on our house. The baby was hungry but I knew if I could just get into the conference room, sit her on her blanket, with her bottle and some crackers all would be okay...right?? Wrong...she wanted to sit on my lap, while I tried to sign a stack of papers.  Everything was going smoothly, the boys on the floor playing a game together, the baby happily eating and drinking her strawberry pedia kids drink...until....she made a funny face...and that was the end of my world.  It was like watching a movie in slow motion, her mouth opened and out shot about 8 ounces of strawberry shake at the closing attorney.  He was covered in strawberry baby throw up...omg...I was horrified, but that doesn't come close to the disdain of the closing attorneys suit.  He jumped from the table with a howl, which any one with babies knows a sudden movement or scream will scare a baby, so she let out a shrill of a scream, the paperwork was salvagable.  We offered to pay to clean the suit, but the lawyer, just really wanted the transaction to be complete.  We are officially homeowners and our real estate attorney didn't give us his card for referrals.  We got in the elevator as each floor went by, the smile began to replace my horror and embarrassment....I couldn't stop laughing.  I will never forget the day we closed on this house. 

 

I recently spent the weekend with some amazing mom bloggers.  They at times had me laughing so hard tears would be falling from my eyes.  The stories of these fabulous women, and even a few connections I had not yet known would impact my life in so many ways. 

As a Disney Mom's Panel mom, I had the luxury of sharing some of my own wisdom with some amazing bloggers.  I had never blogged so my soul purpose was to be the fountain of information about the Walt Disney World Resorts.  I never really thought I would come out blogging.  So, here I sit on my couch..blogging..

Walt Disney World is in my opinion fanatical about cleanliness.  There are trash cans every 27 steps in any direction in their parks.  It's not uncommon to see a cast member walking around with an apparatus to pick up trash.  The apparatus looks like a long pole with a pincher at end.  I am sure you must be wondering where I am going with my story...???  Murphy's law...perhaps..We had just attended Tiana's Showboat Jubilee and as a group many of us needed a visit to the 'comfort station' a pleasant way of saying...gotta go to the ladies room.  I had on a cute pair of white Capri's that was accented by a rope belt with a tri-frayed tip. Now, as all of us ladies do when visiting the little ladies room, we drop our drawers, and squat, unlike the men...who have a totally different luxury that we as women lack...anyway...as I squatted....I feel a tugging at my feet.  I yelp....and attempt to stand up to stop my pants from being yanked under the stall.  Yes, the dear sweet cast member thought my belt was a piece of toilet paper...fortunately she realized the error of her ways, and apologized.  I equally remembered the immediate task at hand and remained on the thrown.  Needless to say, I made it out of the 'comfort station'. 

Living in a small town, I don't seem to get out much.  I don't have much opportunity to experience 'fancy' restaurants.  We had a fabulous dinner at the restaurant California Grille located at the top of the Contemporary.  We started off the meal with some fabulous appetizers and then a salad, a few glasses of wine of course, but soon a martini glass appears at my place setting.  I didn't see it arrive and inside the glass was a tiny melon scoop of sorbet.  Now, I looked at Darcie who was sitting to my left and said 'is this dessert?' 'Did I miss dinner?' She looked at me for a second, and I think she was wondering if I were serious or joking, I was serious.  She said, it was to cleanse the pallet.  Now, imagine all I could think was cleanse from what????  Seriously, isn't that what your toothbrush is for or even mouthwash.  Sorbet...come on...I did dip into the sorbet and tasted.  I learned to cleanse my pallet. 

The beginning...I have written for years about the anectodal stories that have happened to me and my family.  "Murphy's Law" seems to befall me and my family, and I often find myself just finding a bit of laughter in all of the chaos.  I spend most of my days at home with two of my children homeschooling and the other half of my days I am running from sporting event to sporting event.  So, what sets me a part from all the other cheerleader moms, soccer moms, homemakers...well I guess that is for whomever finds my writing to be entertaining.  So, as I bend to peer pressure, here I am. 

I live in a small town, a town where there is no commercialism, a dry town (no alcohol sales), one traffic light, and everyone knows everything...or so they totally believe. 

As the alarm rang I rolled over this morning and groaned...as the day was yet again starting..I walked down stairs, and proceeded to awaken each of my five children for school.  Grabbing Lexi's cheer uniform off the line and the ribbon for her hair so she would be ready for the football game later that day.  I awoke Ally and grabbed her soccer uniform out of the dryer, so she too would have her stuff for the day.  Meredith's saxophone was still in the car, and had to retrieve as the panic will set in as she screams 'I can't find my sax' just before the bus would pull up to the curb.  Yes, that was just a typical morning...then the boys...I homeschool them, so why awaken them at such an hour...well just because I can.  I have no real reason, it more or less is to give them a schedule.  I began their day as they begin the doorbell rings and its the baby I keep during the day.  She is 9 months old and a spitfire. 

The day seemed to move along, we had a history test, math quiz and a vocabulary homework. We practiced piano, and I say we because it is we...not them but we..I sit there and hold the beat after all they are only 9 and 10 right...at what point do I leave that bench and say...your on your own.??? I don't quite have that one figured out. 

We finished school about 2pm and nap time for me, them and the baby.  I love nap time, because after nap time is when my day really gets rolling. 

Swim Practice:  3:30 to 5:30

Today is my turn to carpool...I make stops at 5 different houses to pick up swimmers ranging from freshman to juniors in high school.  We all load up in the car and we are on our way.  I drop the kids off at the pool, which did I mention is approximately 28 miles away.  I usually do my grocery shopping as they practice.  why?? well when you live 30+ minutes from any major grocery store, its sort of fun to shop, especially without kids.  I grabbed my eco friendly bags and headed to Aldi's, then Walmart, and lastly Kroger.  I loaded up the cooler with the meats and milk, and my bags with bread and dry items.  The trunk is piled to the brim with all my bags, so much so the bags were spilling into the back seat.  I was and am determined to be efficient.  I head back to the pool, the kids should be finishing up within the next 20 minutes or so.  I park the car, open the window, as the sun was beating down, and it was getting hot.  I opened my book, The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, and was gonna read for the next 20 or so minutes.  Reading is a luxury that I never seem to have so I thought how perfect!!!  I smiled as I heard the sound of a duck quacking, just tickled my heart, hard to describe, I can't explain any other reason for my giggle.  The quacking continued, and then it became annoying, I looked out the window, in the mirror looking for the duck.  Soon the quack sounded as if it was now tortured...it became pitchy and downright irritating...something needed to be done...My peaceful quiet time was now painful.  I in my infinite wisdom decided to get out of the car and find this duck.  I opened the loaf of bread and grabbed a few slices and off I went.  I was gonna feed the duck and it was gonna stop squawking and I was gonna get maybe five minutes of quiet time.  I looked and looked for the duck, but all I saw was an old beat up pick up truck.  Inside with his window open was a toothless old man, and I am not joking he had a cowboy like hat and lifted his hand to the brim and smiled.  I waved and smiled back...and asked have you seen a duck around here????  He said, no ma'am but I am practicing my duck calls.....He then asked whats the bread for???  I looked at him and just said, for you...I was gonna feed it to the duck, since you are the 'duck' guess its for you.  He actually took my bread....

I never did get my 20 minutes of reading, as soon as I got home, it was off to basketball, and then to soccer both at opposite ends of the county.  I spend more time driving from place to place. 

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