I had plans...

big plans. Plans to tell you all about going to watch Kansas perform on Sunday at an outdoor concert. Plans to talk about my 40 mph frontage road. Plans to share some new music. Plans to contemplate the upcoming first day of school and the end of summer. Plans - lots and lots of plans. It was going to be a really really good post - really, it was! BUT you know what - I'M TIRED SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO TIRED! Seriously tired.

So guess what you aren't going to get any of the riveting scoop - at least not tonight. Okay fine, I'll post a couple of pictures from the Kansas concert (yes, yes, yes, they are of my kids) and I'll share the link to this rockin' song (no, no, no, it is NOT some sappy love song - I mean that fact alone should be enough to take you to the link and make this a great post - trust me - you'll like it - I promise. Have I ever steered you wrong before? I mean sure that was that Taylor Swift incident but I warned you before I even let you take the trip to You Tube so you have to believe me on tonight's song - history has proven I'm trustworthy :-))

Okay. Here you go. Posting the pictures and song link will take way more time than I was planning on spending here tonight - but for you - I'll make the sacrifice.

Pictures:






Song:

Here you go - Ain't No Rest for the Wicked

TTFN and enjoy the song - really listen to the song. REALLY!

Something about James...

Have I ever mentioned James, our friend and adopted family member?

It is because of Alex and the many wonderful things he has brought to our lives, not the least of which has been the opportunity to meet some extraordinary people, that we know James.

James was hired as a caretaker for Alex for after school care and has ended up as a part of our family. Alex adores James and I think the feeling is mutual. They've listened to hours and hours of music, gone to countless movies, taken numerous swims, jumped on the trampoline and eaten at McDonalds more times than I even want to know and they both come back from the adventures with smiles on their faces. Unfortunately for us, James wanted to continue his education and left to attend school. Alex was sad, I was sad, the HotY was sad and the girls were sad. James' last day was not a happy day in our household. BUT James, being the kind of guy that he is, kept in touch, taking Alex out at least once a month and IM'ing me whenever he sees me on Facebook (we won't talk about how often that might be...).

James recently was hired for his first teaching job in our local school district -
5th grade. He will be a wonderful teacher - and lucky for us he will be teaching in our neighborhood school so he will be around and hopefully we will see him often. We are all so excited for him. It makes me happy to see him succeed even though I would still like to see his smiling face every day after I get home from work - but that would just be selfish. That and asking him to clean the house - selfish - not that I wouldn't ask but I'd KNOW I was being selfish (James, you know that was for you ;-))

TTFN... and consider yourself lucky if your kids have James for a teacher

ARE YOU KIDDING ME...

Seriously - this has to be a joke. Have you seen the new line-up for Dancing With The Stars? All I can say is YUCK!!!!! There is not one single "star" on this list that I can get excited over - NOT ONE - and that includes Donny Osmond, I never did like him OR his purple socks. PLEASE (now Shaun Cassidy was a completely different story - but moving on...).

In case you missed the big news here it is: DWTS September 24 line-up; entertainer Donny Osmond; singers Mya, Macy Gray and Aaron Carter; actors Melissa Joan Hart, Debi Mazar and Ashley Hamilton (son of George); models Joanna Krupa and Kathy Ireland; reality stars Kelly Osbourne and Mark Dacascos ("the Chairman" on Food Network's "Iron Chef America"); mixed martial artist Chuck Liddell; professional snowboarder Louie Vito; Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin; former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin and the 62-year-old former congressman from Texas.

Now see, don't you agree with me?????? Sad, so very sad.

TTFN... I'll just be over here, filled with disgust, trying to write a letter to the casting director of DWTS :-)

Have you seen my dog???

Seriously. All we do is chase the dang dog all over the neighborhood calling her name and stopping neighbors and strangers asking for a clue to her location.

Autumn BOLTS out of the door whenever she gets the chance - and with three kids in and out and in and out and in and out fifty million times a day lets just say we're looking for the dog A LOT! Callie, our first dog, was not a bolter. As a matter of fact she never left the yard - really. She was the perfect dog. Callie was a lady. Autumn is a party animal. I'm not kidding. The more people the better as far as she is concerned and there is nothing worse then not being with her "people". Sit down for a moment and she is bounding into your lap. Time to go to bed and she hops on the bed and snuggles her 30+ pound body right smack next to your butt. Try driving with a big dog glued to your side resting her chin on your arm. It isn't easy. And she doesn't move. Not if you push her, not if you shove her, not if you give her a nudge with your foot she.is.immobile. 30 lbs of dead weight. BUT she is turning into a very good dog. Now if we could only get her to stay in the yard and stop mutilating the Barbie population that lives in our home...

TTFN... oh and some day soon I'll provide visual proof of the Barbie carnage we've got going on - it isn't pretty but a least no one has been decapitated.

There will be NO MORE FREEZIE POPS…

Seriously. They are nothing but trouble. I really should have known that before I purchased the super economy pack at Sam’s Club (Syd is still lamenting the fact that I would not purchase the Orange, Root Beer, Seven-Up flavored freezie pops - but they were half the quantity at twice the price – I may be frivolous but I am NOT stupid). But, not knowing any better, I bought the freezie pops. It has become a huge regret.

My kids cannot open those darn freezie pop plastic tubes so I am continually opening them and spilling freezie pop juice all over my shirts (like this surprises you). Every child within a mile radius of our home knows about the abundance of freezie pops in our freezer. Last night the child visitors of our neighbors’ were ringing the doorbell asking for freezie pops (really). There are freezie pop wrappers everywhere. They can find the freezie pops but they can’t find the garbage can??? AND my kids continually forget to close the deep freeze door after the frenzy of foraging for freezie pops. So after finding the freezer door standing open ONCE AGAIN I have decreed there will be NO MORE FREEZIE POPS (well for at least the rest of today – have I mentioned our air conditioning is broken???)

TTFN… and if you are looking for freezie pops do not ring my doorbell, I stopped answering about 24 hours ago...

And now for the rest of the story...

More vacation photos - I bet you were expecting something big weren't you :-) No big news from me today. Just that big pile of laundry waiting for me to get off the computer (I read some poem about being grateful for the laundry as it indicates you have the means to clothe yourself and family - yep I'm grateful - just ask me...). Okay, here they are - more pictures.