These Are My Confessions...

Confession 1: I never like how my stylist styles my hair after they've cut it. Especially when they get out the blowdryer and flat iron. I never know what I'll end up with. I have only liked the style one time and that was when that guy in Houston cut my hair in the Willowbrook Mall. Mom where was that again? What was his name? Anyway, I always look in the mirror, after they've finished shellacking and primping and try to act like I love it, but honestly, I get about a mile away from the salon and I twist the rearview mirror and put everything where it goes. Now, that's not to say that I dont love the cut, because the next day after I've fiddled with it myself I always end up liking it. Well. Most of the time. Another thing is: are you self conscious about fixing it in the mirror when the stylist is watching? That's why I wait until I'm about a mile away and then doodle with it. I'm always afraid of offending them or something!

Confession 2: Today after my haircut I bought a bacon cheeseburger at Burger King and picked out all the bacon. It was gross.

Confession 3: Grocery shopping with my kids makes me want to scream. I hate it. I think when I became a mother I didnt get the "dont mind hauling your kid to walmart" gene. If you gave me a choice between, say, I dont know... Lets say you said "ashley, if you stand outside naked in the cold tonight for 5 minutes I'll watch your kids while you grocery shop tomorrow." I would say "Make sure you turn off the porch light!". In other words, I wouldnt hesitate to let you watch my kids, no matter the conditions you set forth!!! I am going to dedicate a whole post to this, and you'll laugh and think oh that's so funny, but it will be true. Every word of it.

Confession 3: I need to go to bed. Night!

p.s. I am very glad spellcheck is working again.

I like you just the way you are

Today Liam went to work with me and can I just say that I totally see the Shawn in him. Wanna know why? Well, I gave him a little job to do- washing the (glass) windows and doors, and told him I'd pay him 50 cents. He got done with that and BAM it's like a fire got lit under his booty. All of a sudden he was streaking from here to there doing all sorts of little jobs. He emptied out the trash into the outside trash can, vacummed, swept the outside, refilled the candy that needed refilling, re-arranged the hats, dusted, and was going to refill the drink cooler vendor thingy but I stopped him when I realized he was refilling it with expired drinks. ;) He did all that without a word from me. So Shawn. Not being able to sit still- always busy busy busy. I paid him a dollar for all that hard work- he definitely earned it! If I dont watch out he'll be stealing my job from me!

After work Shawn asked me to come over to the house and clean the brick so the mud from this weekend's rain wouldnt stain it. While I was doing that Liam and Addy worked their way over to hole number 3 in our backyard, and it's kind of built up on a hill. They had the best time just hanging out on that hill. Eventually Liam hit upon the fantastic idea of rolling down it and I had serious flashbacks watching he and addy doing that because it reminds me of walking down to UT Tyler with my family on Sundays and they had a humongous hill that my brothers and I would ruin our jeans on. That is one of my favorite things though (i'm flashing back to the present, folks- stay with me)- watching my kids have fun together, and laugh and run around. It makes up for all the cranky, why-did-you-hit-your-sister, addy-dont-take-things-from-your-brother-please-stop-screaming-like-a-banshee moments.

And of course the kids got filthy so when we got home they got plunked in the bath tub. Sometimes while they're in there I play with my makeup, and tonight I was playing around with my eyeshadows. I was in the middle of putting some on, and Liam goes "Mom, you dont have to wear makeup. I like you just the way you are." I. love. that boy.

After I got the kids to sleep Shawn asked me to come back over to the house and help with some more stuff, and it was strange walking alone together, because that hasn't happened in quite a while. I was like "so.....how are you? what's goin on in your life?" He was like "I know! It feels like I've been out of town or something and we havent talked in forever!" I will be so glad when we are done with this house and we can both have a normal life again. 6 more weeks..............









I'll try not to end up in a rubber room by that time!!

Belated valentine

So I totally meant to post these on the actual day, thereby giving you all a virtual valentine, but you'll just have to settle for a few days late.
1. To Poppy, Granna and Mate
2. For Miles- we love you!!!!!!!
3. For everybody else- the reason Addy is not in this one is because my take-a-good-picture bribe, peanut m&m's, ran out. Addy doesnt work for free.

House

1. the front, obviously
2. living room
3. back
4. front door

A Slow Saturday

So what are you up to today? Us, nothing much. Well, when I say "us", I mean the lazy 3/4 of the family. (me, liam, addy). Shawn is working on the house doing electrical work. Shout out to my hard working hubby who even when the weather is cold, rainy, and generally yucky goes out and gets stuff done. Me....not so much. This morning we had a late, yummy breakfast, which I havent cooked in forever. Eggs, sausage, biscuits, pancakes...mmm mmmm. Mostly I havent cooked that in forever because I can't stand eating greasy, fried pig patties but you know some days it just sounds good. Then Liam and I cleaned the kitchen (no really, he did help. It wasnt the usual kid "helping" that makes you wish they werent "helping"). Then he and addy scattered to play mario carts .....

Liam: "Addy watch how I jump. See? That's how you jump. These buttons. Do you want to try it?"

Addy: blank look.

Liam gives up and just plays on his own. Addison continues to watch on the couch with all the necessites of life surrounding her: bee, blanket, binkie, and bunny. Gotta have em all or life's not worth living.


Man, I am dying to tell you what I got Shawn for his upcoming 30th birthday!!! But I cant because he is a frequent reader, and it would spoil it. Love ya babe!! ;)

Have I ever told you how much my dog HATES rain? Detests it. Hides like a baby when it thunders. Will not set a paw outside if it even looks like a drop of rain maybe might possibly fall from the sky. The poor dog has been "holding it" all this morning. I keep opening the door when the rain slows down thinking surely he'll have to go bad enough to eventually tough it out and step outside. Nope. Finally about 5 minutes ago he started pacing around the kitchen, so I opened the door for him- he took a quick look at the sky, seemed to say to himself "it's now or never old boy" and made a run for it. He squatted and peed for at least 2 minutes, I am not even kidding. Then he ran to his poo place, took care of that, and dashed back to the window so I'd know he was done. It cracked me up!

So to borrow a term from Heather, I am one-tracking a Disney Cruise. Seriously, I'm obsessed. All my money is going to saving for that next summer. (well, and some new furniture for the house.) Hopefully there wont be any newborns or hugely pregnant people, i.e. me, to stop the Disney magic. No, I am not pregnant right now. But I'm just sayin. As soon as Addison's potty trained, which will be when we move in our new house, we'll be thinking about having another one. Because, you know, there's just something about poopy diapers that I can't stand to be parted from. I love being up to my elbows in green baby poo while Liam ninja kicks *rightthere* beside it and nearly ninja-lands in it. Fun times, you know? Wow that paragraph totally landed in a different place than it started out at. But yeah. Disney Cruise. Us. One day.

Well, I've got some house update pics if ya want em... the outside is completely done except for a few minor things and the front door, which was special order so it's taking forrrrrreeeevvvvvveeerrrrrr to get here, but hopefully, *fingers crossed* it will be here Tuesday. But Shawn finagled a price break since it's taken so long, and they gave us 1000 bucks off. Yes! Love that.

Yall have a good Saturday!

p.s. I'm going to do pics in the next post because I thought I had updated ones but I dont. So I'm going to run over there and take some and post them in a little bit.

Holy crow...

life has certainly picked up in the last few weeks. Here are a few of the reasons why, and maybe then you'll understand why I have neglected my little blog...

1. I got a small part time job at the pro shop here on the golf course. I love it! I just work from 8-12 monday through friday, and shawn's schedule recently changed so he could be home with the kids during that time. It's kind of funny how it worked out... I had asked about working in the Pro shop a couple months ago but was told they were waiting for an actual Pro to come work here, and he would be hiring his own staff. Well, of course I forgot all about it until one day a couple of weeks ago I get a call from the pro asking if I was still interested in working there. I said sure and he scheduled an interview for the next day and I got the job! Then a few days after that is when shawn found out his schedule was about to change, and now he works from 3 pm to 12 am. Perfect! Right now though my mother-in-law is watching the kids while I'm gone because Shawn is sooooo crazy busy building the house, but once the house is built life will slow down for him and we wont have to leave the kids with anyone else. Which is important.

I really love my little job though. It was hard to leave the kids for that first week or so, but I'm so much happier all the time now. I'm not cranky anymore, and I have alot more energy and motivation to get things done. So I've realized that for me (and my house haha) it is much better for me to get out of the house for a little bit each day than to stay home and be miserable. Which I was. It sounds horrible to use the word "miserable"...maybe a more apt description would be that I was very out-of-balance. This is such a touchy subject though, isnt it? There are people on both sides who feel passionately about their choice. And I agree that if you are working working working all the time and you dont even need to, then you need to reset your priorities. Especially if your kids are getting shuffled around to daycare everyday. But also, the issue of mothers working outside the home deserves a second thought instead of covering it with the blanket "mothers shouldnt work unless they have to." Because some people can get pretty high on their stay-at-home-mom horse.

2. As some of you already know (who read Celeste's blog :)) I got called as Young Womens President. I very nearly told the Bishop no. I really struggled in his office and the only thing that saved me was my firm belief and promise to myself that you never say no to a calling. So I said yes but still came home just torn about how I was going to do this, I mean, I live 30 minutes from the meetinghouse, and the time you have to put in in this position...well, it's not so easy on the gas bill, ya know what I mean? Plus I'll be gone from the house even more...girls camp, stake dances...but there comes a time in your life when you have to decide if you're willing to sacrifice a little to do what the Lord asks you. We're not gauranteed an easy time of it here and if there was no sacrifice then there would be no blessings. We cant expect to just take take take the blessings the Lord gives us and not give anything in return. And I have been highly blessed, in so may ways...it just wouldnt be right if I gave a half-hearted effort. So I've gotten more excited as the weeks go by- last Wednesday was our first mutual and Sunday was the first Sunday with them, and I LOVE my counselors and secretary. They rock, and they are so perfect for me. And the girls love them which is essential! :)

3. Our house is on schedule! Which is a good thing because I'M GOING INSANE! It really sucks sharing a room with my 2 kids, and that's all I have to say about that. Especially since Liam has started "noticing" pretty girls on t.v. For example yesterday one of the super bowl ads starred Naomi Campbell dancing to "thriller" by micheal jackson- maybe you remember that one. She looked hot. Liam just stood there in front of the tv, with a look on his face that I imagine might be seen on the face of a man lost in the desert who has found water. Mouth hanging open, glassy-eyed- you get the idea. When it's over he turns to me and says rather dreamily, "i wish you were pretty like her, mom." I had to laugh, no offense taken- I'm under no illusions about how I rank with Naomi Campbell. lol. So now I'm just more concerned about my privacy now that Liam is showing an interest in girls. lol.


There you have it- my last few weeks in a nutshell. I've got some errands to run so have a great day! And if you live in Oklahoma, enjoy the pretty weather today because tomorrow it'll be gone!

ps sorry about any typos or misspelled words- for some reason spell check isnt working.