Yoga Time with Evie

First, you will need to find a comfy spot.
Have fun with it.
Brighten your day with some pastel colors.
Or lay on anything your mom might have thrown on the floor.

We will be performing the Jesus pose, today.
Don’t worry I have cleared it with the Big Guy.
He says it’s all good.
What? You don’t think I have connections?
Hey, I’m Evangeline, Baby!

Oooooo, feel the burn!
Don’t strain too hard, we don’t want any…
Okay!  Who let one rip?
Dad!?!?!

Hold it! Hold it!
This is when it counts.

Yeah, okay.
I think I’m done.
Hope you enjoyed Yoga Time.
Hey, MA!
I NEED A DIAPER CHANGE!
Any ill effects from this pose, please refer to someone who cares.
I got my own problems.

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It’s a WHODAT Nation, Baby!

At the opening of the Superbowl, the year of two thousand and ten, all the men, women and children across this Cajun land,  will stand, put a hand over our black and gold and say the following:

I pledge allegiance to Da Saints and to Da great city of New Orleans, for which we’ll win,
One city, below sea level, under God
With Mardi Gras and alcohol for all.

Now, kick some pony ass and make us proud.

Bless You Boys!!!!

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Low Key Celebrations

My family has never been big on birthdays or huge celebrations, in general.  We never did Martha Stewart style decorations, although my Aunt could give that woman a run for her money, but there was always good food and good company.   We kind of just took it as we could get it.  And I have to say, I miss those days.  Having divorced parents it was always a little tricking  on who would get the holiday and where we would be, but no matter where we ended up we had a good time and the love was felt. 

I have to wonder though, if we are missing out on something.  Like, I said I don’t remember any hard and fast traditions.  Of course, we would have a Christmas tree, a homemade birthday cake, etc, but nothing like what I read or hear from other families.  There was no feeding of the reindeers, advent calendars, footprints by the fireplace from Santa,  reading of Christmas stories, etc.  We were just kind of low key about it.  We did what was in front of us at the time and enjoyed the moment. 

Since having kids, I have thought I am failing because we don’t have some grand tradition that they can count on every year.  We try to do the same things each year, but something always gets in the way, like tired, sick and pregnant mamas, overworked dads and simply not enough time to do everything.  I wonder if my kids are missing out on something, but then I think back.  I think back to how much fun and how exciting it was to see family members that I didn’t get to see on a regular basis.  Or eating Grandma’s food, which was always a treat.  Or watching as Grandpa help Grandma make chocolate chip cookies and being very careful about putting just enough in each.  (He would hand place chocolate chips into the scoop of cookie dough.) Or wondering what kind of embarrassing moment my Stepmother would give one of us.  (I still remember the Tampax box and it makes me giggle.)  Or teasing anyone and everyone as we gathered around the table.  There never seemed to be big plans and it never seemed to bother anyone.  Sure it seems nice to have a truly “Perfect” Christmas, but thinking about it I think the casual ones are the way to go.

This year we probably won’t see family, for various reasons.  Things have fallen apart since we don’t have Grandma and Grandpa around to push for the extra effort and our ever expanding family that bring other obligations, but we are working on it.  We have a family reunion planned for May, centered around my cousin’s wedding.  We will be doing our Stingy Santa, then, which makes it easier to stay within the price guidelines when you can shop the after Christmas sales.  Even though we won’t be seeing family on the holidays I hope that what we do end up doing make for nice childhood memories for the kids.  Like the time I was too tired to make cookies from scratch, so we just baked Pillsbury sugar cookies and I let the kids decorate them with icing and sprinkles.  Or the Christmas card from MawMaw that the kids danced to every night at dinnertime. Or the presents they helped me wrapped, but took all the credit for.  The simple things. 

Life has been stressful around here worrying about businesses, money, and trying to fend off the borken appliances, but I hope that we haven’t lost our spirit.  So we have Christmas decorations that don’t work in our front yard, it is the thought that counts, right?  So what it is only 8 days before Christmas and we don’t have our tree up.  As long as it is ready before Santa arrives, we should be good, right?  And so what if our time has been monolopized by church activites, it helps us remember what we are really celebrating, right?  That we are happy, healthy, loved, appreciated and thought of during a time when many don’t have all that they wish for.

Merry Christmas and I am truly hoping for a much better year for EVERYONE.  It is time to put this stinker to rest and have hope and faith, again.

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Fun with Daddy

First the negotiations begin.
The girl is told to go put on appropriate clothing and the boy is told to hold on to his britches.
Guest star appearance: John Goodman

And we have lift off.

Gaining speed.

Going so fast that the boy has disappeared.
I hope we get him back.
That would be a hard one to explain to the authorities.
And look, John Goodman is still with us.

A little dazed and confused, but okay.

The girl steps up in appropriate dress.
The boy still feeling the affects.
John Goodman has taken a fiver.

She is a little feisty, but
the ticket has been bought and it is time to cash it in.

Gaining speed.
Does anyone know if John Goodman is ready for his appearance?

Uh, I guess the slightly heavier weight is causing a slight slow down.
Excuse us while we try to fix this technical difficulty.
Can someone please tell John Goodman that he is up?

Technical difficulty has been fixed; maximum speed obtained.
And, finally, John Goodman has returned to the screen.
All is well.

Caution:  Such fun may cause pulled limbs, dizziness and a bit of whining for more.
Note:  All children re-appeared once the speed was slowed and none were harmed against their will.
At their begging, maybe, but not AGAINST.
John Goodman was not paid for his appearance, unless you consider the TiVo monthly subscription, but I don’t think he sees any of that money.

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To Amber with Love.

In the beginning:

Bursting on the scene.

Demon baby.
Nah, just a baby not that fond of sleeping.

Radioactive baby.
Just a little too much of the orange stuff, MA!

Attitude baby.
Just trying to relax a little. 
I think you missed the front lawn by a few feet.

Death-defying baby.
You can’t imagine the amount of grief I got from your father for stepping away to
take your picture.
OH!MY!GAWD! She is going to DIIIIIIIIIIE!

Showing my incredible cute side for more food baby.
Uh, yeah.  That is about right.

Totally confused baby.
“I thought the dog slept here.”
Well, if you won’t sleep in your bed. 
Look, we were desparate.  You were bound to sleep somewhere.

Gaining some independence baby.

Never passing up a good meal baby.
Remember when Mommy was so anal retentive that I actually used the correct
days of the week bibs?
What happened, you ask?
Your brother!

Don’t mess with me baby.

Living doll baby.

The middle:

Determined toddler.
WHY! WON’T! THE! BLOCKS! STAY! UP!

Remember the time when you drank a whole glass of Notta Colda?

Vacation is always a lot of fun.
There is always one in the bunch.

Trying new things toddler.
And not liking it, AT ALL!

Finding yourself in weird situations toddler.

Hamming it up toddler.

A glimpse into the future.

More ass kicking and taking names toddler.

Coming into her own:

Never meeting a camera she didn’t like.

First day of school.
And not cooperating.

Take your crazy daugther to work day.

Praying that your parents survive the teen years.

Combat girl.
Always willing to help Daddy in his business.

Um, penguin girl?
Or ready for the casino?

Attitude says it all.
Your budding fashionista coming out.
If only your mother just understood you and your vision.

Football girl.
Only to the extent that the jersey has pink on it.

Blogger girl.
Oh the many sides of you.

Happy 6th Birthday! 
You are truly one of a kind.
With lots of love, Mommy.

 

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Sam Speaks

The burning questions have been answered:  How does Sam feel about his mother?  How does this impact his life?  And is he ready for the therapy couch at the ripe old age of 2?  Let’s find out:

I hope that cleared everything up for ya’ll.  I know it did for me.   I declare liver and lima beans for dinner.  I guess cruelty is learned.

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On this Christmas Eve…

There are many things to be thankful for as we end this year.  We learned who was our friends and who was willing to stand by us.  We learned that there is no one else to rely on, but each other.  And we learned that even though things have not turned out the way we would like, they turned out the way that they should.

I may not be getting a phyiscal gift that comes nicely wrapped by the girls in the mall, but as I look around I have gotten more than my fair share of special gifts in life.  I have 2 very normal children.  They annoy me, they test me, they anger me, but in the end they make me smile and, always, at the ready to amaze me in some way.  I have a husband who is like a pitbull with a bloody bone when it comes to providing for his family.  No one gets in his way and we know that he will always be there to give us what we need and want.  I guess he is a joy to be around, too, but it is hard to admit when his head grows three times it size when he hears compliments.

This Christmas season has not been rushed, has not been a hassle and, yes, I still wonder why the people in the mall go about the business of giving it if gives them such heartburn.  I have done Christmas the way I wanted this year and I have enjoyed pretty much every minute of it.  I have not worried about the gift I gave someone or how much money was spent.  We gave from the heart and I am leaving the happiness of recieving up to them.  We were still able to give the kids everything on their list, even though we had to guess a little with Sam.  And no matter who gets the credit, my other gift will be seeing the euphoria that comes when the kids go to bed with an empty tree and awake to a tree bursting with gifts.  We will spend the day together and let the kids enjoy their toys, then the husband and I will enjoy our date night, like every Tuesday before.  A perfect day, if you ask me.  There will be no rushing at the Old Homestead and that is always a nice change of pace. 

This year has been good, even with it’s deepest of lows.  Because we have learned that what makes us, us, is not how much money we have or what titles we hold, but that we are just George, Wendy, Amber and Sam.  No one can take that away, no matter how hard they try. 

And even though my little blog doesn’t get the most hits in the blogosphere, I am grateful to have an outlet and a few people to enjoy it.  So Merry Christmas to everyone out there and hope your day is special, doing whatever you like.  I know that we are happy  just being a Southern family and hope the best for everyone.

On a last note, I will not be making any resoultions this year.  There really is no reason, I can make empty promises to myself anytime of the year.  I could resolve to lose more weight, but we all know that I am ready, willing, and able to dive into any baked good that crosses my path.  I could promise to be a better person, but where is the fun in that?  I think I will just resolve to be me for the entire year, because there is no way to mess that one up.

And next year, there should be a big screen TV in my stocking and a new Coach purse under the tree.  I said I was happy, but not stupid.

Merry Christmas, ya’ll.

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Thankful

The house is dark, I am in shorts and a t-shirt, the kids are parked in front of the TV, the husband is in his office getting dressed (it has his very special, completely his own shower) and the turkey is in the oven.  It is cold and gray here in the suburbs of New Orleans and feels like we are all alone.  Not that I am totally alarmed by that, besides I am sure that many of our neighbors have decided to stay home seeing that there is an oil fire still going on a main stretch of highway.

Our lives have changed a lot in 3 months.  I can’t say that we didn’t expect it, but it is always a shock when it actually happens.  I know that this change, no matter how big, will bring us to a much better position in the coming months and years.  Things will be our own and we will answer to no one.  I won’t even say that it has been hard, because to be really honest our lives have not changed much.  Our bills are paid on time, just not as much as we would like, we still get to have date nights, just on a budget and Christmas shopping is a little stressful because of said budget, but in all fairness we have it a lot better than others.  George is working hard and we are learning from the mistakes of our carelessness. 

My mind has been focused on traditions, because that is what people do on holidays.  I have struggled with this since having children, because we have no hard and fast traditions, but we have wonderful memories.  Like the time we couldn’t make it to my dad’s house, because it snowed.  Oh yes, it snowed in New Orleans on CHRISTMAS.  A day that started out sad, became great when we ate dinner with our friends and had a snow fight.  There were the last Thanksgivings with my grandparents.  The Christmas grandpa got a Saints blanket and I swiped his huge bag of M&M’s and Edward Scissorhands movie.  He wouldn’t have liked them, anyway.  Then there were the first holidays without them that were bitter sweet. And the first Thanksgiving and Christmas after the devastation of Katrina, which made us way more thankful than any year before.   

I had many traditions when I was a kid and I did look forward to them, but who is to say that things must go the same every year.  Sometimes we need a break from the travelling and the huge gatherings and then other times that is all we want.  Today, our DVD player is filled with Home Alone, Home Alone 2, ELF,  and A Christmas story; we will watch TV til our eyes fall out.  The kids will run around either in pjs or get dressed, frankly it is up to them and we will enjoy a meal that was prepared by George and I.  Tomorrow, we will witness snow (Yes, in New Orleans.  Why doesn’t anyone believe me?) and explore the Chrismtas decorations at the Fairmont hotel and Harrah’s casino.  Will we do that again next year, who knows?  Traditions are nice, but memories are better.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, hope your day is filled with great food, good friends, fun family and the best memories a lifetime can offer. 

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Just Another Day in New Orleans

Today was like any other day.  We were awaken very early by a little girl that smelled of pee, then by a little boy who’s screams shook the house.  George got up and gave the heathens breakfast and I went back to sleep until the alarm shocked me awake, because the weekends are my days to sleep pass 530am.  Once I was up, George whined about how much time I spend on the computer, I bitched about no one getting ready for church and the kids ran amuck.  Do I even have to tell you that we arrived late to church? 

We settled into the quiet room at church when not more than 5 minutes in Sam begins to scream and writhe on the floor to the point the entire church turns to look at me.  Yeah, yeah I am the mother of 2 of the most unruly children around.  I dragged Sam and Amber out to calm them and threaten them through clinched teeth.  We walk back in, which was Sam’s cue to start his possession imitation, again.  Ashamed, I grabbed him and took him home.  We were beyond the point of trying to go back in.  I think the priest even gave me the evil eye and prayed that we produce no more children.  We would be back at church, in dark glasses and a huge hat, to pick up George and Amber.  I am thinking that I need to throw some holy water onto Sam as soon as we enter the holy area and hope for the best.  Or we will have to take turns bringing Amber to church.  Does church count if you watch it on TV with your child duct taped to the wall.

After much yelling and sobbing, regarding my life, we set out for brunch.  We didn’t meet with our friends, because they had a better offer by much cooler and single people.  After brunch we recieved a call from said friends to invite us to stroll around the French Quarter on such a lovely day.  We met at a coffee shop where all the cool single people hang out with their dogs.  Sam was in heaven.  I let him out of his stroller to stretch his legs.  He finds the biggest dog in the shop, who was resting nicely under a table and smacks him on the butt.  The Husky looks up and says, “Dude, what the hell?! ”  I quickly remove Sam so he doesn’t become a Scooby snack and play defense to get the dogs safe.  We leave and mosey around to take in all the merchants have to offer.  First stop the Artist Market:

They had some of the most beautiful pieces with a variety of New Orleans symbols.  I was torn between the Fleur de Lis and the Water Meter.  I had to go with the one above to give my kitchen a little color.  This dish will house my watch and rings while I wash dishes. 

Next stop was the newly renovated French Market.  It had many of the same merchants selling much of the same items, but if you look closely you may find a treasure.  I love the costume jewelry and special finds one might purchase while there.  Here is what we came home with:

Amber loves the one book she has with Raggedy Ann and Andy.  Frankly, I hate the book.  I have nightmares after reading it, because everyone is so nice and polite that I puke violently.  When Amber saw these dolls sitting there she lost it.  She had to have one and since I had one as a child I thought she could not go through her childhood without a Raggedy Ann doll.  Of course, these are not as well made as the days of old.  The little teddy bear Raggedy Ann was holding has fallen off and she has lost her bow.  I will replace the bow, but the teddy bear is now Sam’s.  Sam hugged and kissed Raggedy Ann while we continued our tour of the French Quarter.  He stroked her hair and let her sit next to him.  I didn’t say a word, because whatever keeps him quiet is fine by me.

Our day was not plan and we went with the flow.  That is what happens on a beautiful day in New Orleans.

***************

Schooling me on how to teach Sam the important things he needs to know to get him through life:

“Mom, you need to let Sam watch Little Einsteins.”

“Why?  He likes Super Why?”

“Little Einsteins can teach him lots of things, like how to brush his hair.”

“Well, isn’t that what you are suppose to teach him how to do?”

“NO!!  I don’t have that kind of time.  I am busy.”

 

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Seven Years Ago, Today

It was officially a cold day in hell, because that was the only way George would get married again.  Deep fried hell as we like to lovely call our home here in the Deep South.  October is never a very cold month, so when I picked out a short sleeve wedding gown and short sleeve bridemaids’ dresses no one thought anything of it.  Until they were standing outside of a plantation home freezing their asses off.  I would like to think that God gave us this cold day, because he knew us women could make it through and to shut up the ever complaining men about the tuxes they were required to wear.  I felt the most sorry for my little sister, 5 years old at the time, because I got her the prettiest sleeveless dress I could find.  She made it through and even though she didn’t technically ring the bell, her shivering and teeth chattering made for a great moment.

The wedding was all I could ever hope it could be.  No major problems, except for the bitch who forgot to bring my slip, that needed to be hemmed about 3 feet, along with my wedding dress.  Then she had some balls to tell me that NO!  she wouldn’t drive it over from Mississippi.  That is when I informed her that I would gladly come there to get, but she better have the police waiting to deter me from my thoughts of murder.  The store manager, where I got my dress, saved this woman by buying me a new slip, not purchased at her store, and hemmed it quickly.  Problem solved.   Everything else went as I had planned.  It helps when you pay most of your money to the location to make sure everything gets done.  There was plenty of food, because people don’t like to send back those little RSVP cards and I arranged for more people than actually showed up.  There was plenty of drink as the best man and maid of honor can attest to.  There was great music, because the dance floor was covered with people.  It was a great day, but it was only a day.

Who knew that marriage was so much more than the wedding?  Brides get all caught up in the planning and the making perfect of one day that sometimes we don’t see further into the future.  I never could have guessed the good and bad times that I would share with my husband.  And I don’t think  I would change a one.  Those experiences have shaped our marriage and without them we would be in very different places.  I don’t think of my wedding day often, because it was a party and it has been filed into my memory book as that, a party.  My marriage on the other hand has a separate and much bigger box in which it sits.  I often go to that file time and time again, wondering how to handle things better, how to show love and appreciation more and how to make it through life with another human being.  That is sometimes the hardest part, not to focus on yourself and your wants and needs.

Not everyday will be perfect and not everyday will be crap, but the blending of the two is what makes us want to be together more than anything else.  You know you have found the one when you can hate them and love them all at the same time.  It took a long time to knock into my head that life is not a sitcom with a neatly wrapped ending  or perfectly lit moments, but that sometimes the bad times are needed for the good times to flourish.

 Happy Anniversary to my Husband who has put up with a lot and to me who has done the same.  I love you.   And the answer to your question is, NO, I have a headache.  That comes with being an old married couple. 

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