I'm officially 32!

And I have a hurt behind to prove it! I got a bike for my birthday and while I LOVE riding it, my butt hates the little seat! I even went out this morning to get a gel seat cover, and while that does help, it doesn't make my ass any smaller! LOL! The kids think it's very cool to ride the streets with Mom, and this afternoon I picked up 3 additional kids that weren't even mine! My Mom called me the Pied Piper (didn't he have a following of some kind?)

I had a great interview on Friday and am expecting a follow up call with a second interview not this week but the following. The woman who interviewed me was all excited to meet me because I am the new coordinator of the PTO this year, so she and I will be working closely on things. She was even more excited when I expressed interest in becoming a sub teacher, next year, once Lillie is in all day school. I think it will be a good thing to be so involved with the kids' school district.... little suck up that I am! Go ahead, say it, I know! HAHA!

My parents threw me a small party last night and my sister brought her boyfriend, Mark, aka my ex from 11 years ago, and Terry was actually nice to him. Who'da thunk it? I think he realizes that they might be heading into "serious" land and if so, he will become family, and while Terry is a favorite of theirs, he would have to share the spotlight, because Mark is a pretty nice guy too...and treats my sister very well.

We are going on a small vacation this week with the kids to little Nashville...and Terry is off the whole week so I plan on eating very well...in fact, he made an awesome chicken salad for lunch and then he's roasting a whole chicken for dinner.....and tomorrow night, I think we're having a fish fry! And again, my ass won't be getting any smaller. Then it's off to vacation...the land of play and not having to cook or clean. Hell, I might even leave my towels on the bathroom floor this time for the cleaning crew at the hotel! LOL!

Insomnia?

Sleep is so overrated. I find myself going to bed later and later each night as the summer wears on. I don't know if it's the heartburn I've been getting lately, the snoring I've been doing recently, or the fact that I wake up at odd hours worried about the kittens, or now our very own Max. Sleep just doesn't seem worth it when life is waiting to be lived and worrying needs to be done. KWIM?

Does that sound like insomnia? Hmmmmmmmm........

And on a completely different note, keep your fingers crossed for my Friday! Not only do I turn 32 that day (I LOVE my birthday!!!) but I have an interview with the school district that day for a part time, non-certified aide position. Hopefully it's what I think it is and if I were to get it, it would fit around my bus driving schedule....I surely don't want to give up that fun-ness!

Blowing bubbles, old milk, autographs, etc!

Lately the kids have been doing and learning so much, and at the same time they do something that totally irks me, so this is an all inclusive post, much like those fancy resorts down south....you get the good and the bad!

Today in the car, Zac decided he needed very detailed instructions on how to blow a bubble with your gum. We tried that for about 10 LOOOONG minutes and when frustration set in on both sides, I told him this one time only he could stretch the gum with his hands and then try it, and what do you know, it worked! I'll be finding gum in and on everything until the kid can do it without the use of his hands for sure!

Also, while in the car today, it totally smelled as if something had literally DIED. In the car. Not from the air vents. I stopped on the way home for a new car freshner and then even that didn't completely do it, so I pulled into the garage and started ripping the van apart from top to bottom. What do you think I found? In the armrest of the 3rd row Lillie had stashed her happy meal chocolate milk...and I can't remember the last happy meal she had with milk, so that ought to give you some idea of what I was working with. It took me back to the days when the kids toddled off with their sippy cups of milk only to be found under a bed or couch days later, when the milk, was, well, no longer liquid. I can't wait to go out tomorrow and see if all the Febreeze and the new freshner is doing the trick!

And then while talking to my Mom tonite I was rolling the kids' basketball under my feet when I started reading it. Yes, reading it! The kids have "autographed" the ball and put a sentence on it as well. Lillie's says, "I Love Mom" while Zac wrote, "I Wun A Trofee"---which he did, for fishing. I had to laugh, but applaud him at the same time for sounding out the word trophy.

And while all of this may seem like "nothing" to you....it was my day! Oh, that and I got a "Victoria Beckham" haircut today....now I just need her body and wardrobe! LOL!

Oh.My.God

I.Am.So.Sick.Of.Cat.Crap!

Last week our stray Momma cat brought us coccidia. This week, our very own Max (who's strictly indoor) brought us hookworm! Now everyone that has fur, is on meds....and our bank account is being drained by these cute creatures. One of these days our cats will take care of themselves, the way we were led to believe they would! This is too much work! Everyone will be better by next week because the humans are leaving for vacation...and no one with fur is invited. Got it? Good!

HA! I play fairly, but I play to WIN!

This is an update on the neighbor situation that we've been having...you know, the one with the fence that got in Terry's face the other night? Anyway, I placed a call to the HOA today and asked if we could build our own fence, and explained that it would leave a gap on one side of our fence since our neighbors didn't build theirs on the property line. I was told that the neighbors didn't get permission to do that (build a fence two feet in on their own property) and that it's not even allowed in our neighborhood to do it that way! They will either have to take their fence down or move it. Do you know how much this tickles me? Am I wrong to think like that? Oh heck, I don't even care! I'm THRILLED! They should get a letter next week from the HOA stating that they need to ask permission for the fence they already built and once they show the drawing of it, it will be denied and they will have to do something about it! Terry was laughing when I called him to tell him. There's no way they will KNOW it was me that called, but even if they suspect, I'll tell them that I submitted a request and had to let them know that I was not joining up with the fence on one side of me because of how far in it was built and then the red flag was raised....sorry! NOT! What goes around, comes around, even if you have to give it a little push in that direction, right!?!

Ok, I do have a life...and it belongs in a trailer park!

Tonite something happened to Terry and I that we never ever thought would happen in a million years. And then we remembered we moved to Goshen, in a subdivision where they will finance anyone with a heartbeat and a piece of paper that resembles a paystub. We are longing for the days when we can buy land, or a house on some land, and get out of this trash hole neighborhood we so lovingly call home. The story starts at the end of dinner tonite....and here it is.

It started when more kids were traipsing through our backyard and Terry went out and asked them if HE walks in their yard. Sarcastic, but an honest question. Then he asked again, in a more stern tone when he got no response and when they answered he came back inside. Within 5 minutes it sounded like the cops were here breaking down our BACK door, which is glass. It's the neighbors, knocking to get Terry outside. They start pointing out that they have 2 feet of property on our side of the fence they just built a few weeks ago---they didn't build it on the property line...so now all these kids are using that 2 ft area as a walk through. Really? Was that your intent? Because they wind up in our yard anyway, everyday, just FYI! Anyway, Terry goes out to talk, as an adult would, and this guy starts dropping the F bomb like crazy...and then he got RIGHT in Terry's face and started pointing at him and screaming....it got so ugly so fast, I didn't know what to do. We had been eating dinner and Terry had had a beer with dinner, so the guy smells that (since he was almost IN Terry's mouth and all while yelling at him) and starts calling Terry an f'ing drunk and an f'ing dick and so on and so forth. While I'm standing there trying to get Terry to back down and go back inside, his wife is telling us how HE doesn't drink, he NEVER drinks. Um, that's not the issue...but maybe we should talk about the drugs he's doing? Would that be better? Anyway, I thought the men would back down, but then the guy's wife starts in on our KIDS...and compared to the children in this 'hood, our kids are PERFECT, and I mean that. They started bringing up stuff our kids and CATS supposedly do(yes, even they were brought into it....ones we don't even own at that!) I finally got in the middle of the men for like the 4th time and the guy was just about to throw a punch as I did, so Terry shoved me out of the way. After more male taunting and name calling, I got Terry back inside. Two hours later he was still hyped up! I have never seen my man like that before...not that I want to again, but at least I know he's got my back...and could actually handle it!

Ok, well, back to boring....we can't deal with that much excitement you know!

Since I have no life....

I'll just make this week about all the cute things my kids say! Today, while shopping at Sams for paper products for home, Zac tells Lillie, "Keep a sharp eye out for samples"---word for word. Where he heard that, I don't know, but it was funny nonetheless! And samples they found....every stinking last one of them!

Heard at the Casey house and in the car!

Tonite, while I'm looking at blogs and wasting precious time on the computer, I hear our 4 year old scream to the 6 year old, "Zac, the cat is about to get your latte, hurry up....the cat is getting into your latte!" What? Daddy made them hot chocolate, on a 90* day, and put them in our Starbucks mugs, which in turn makes them lattes, according to Lillie. I apparently have a coffee addiction that I've passed onto my preschooler and first grader. Super!

And in the Casey car....Zac can be heard singing along to Justin Timberlake's song, "Summer Love"--no lie, him and Lillie LOVE Justin. They ask for me to rewind it...too bad it's the radio, not cable tv DVR. I think I might be getting that CD from the kids for my birthday next week though...so I can just push "repeat" and my job is done! Zac also informed me today that he likes the "Delila" song...by the Plain White T's. It is too funny to hear a 6 year old sing in the car with pop songs. I need a tape recorder...fast!

50%, not a good ratio so far....

We are down to 3, yes 3, baby kittens. We had one pass on Wednesday last week, then one on Friday and one last night. In reading up on their behavior and such, it appears that we have a litter with a small survival chance due to FKS, aka Fading Kitten Syndrome, which is similar to SIDS. There's no one reason for it, but it happens. Try telling that to a 6 and 4 year old. Although we had a very busy, fabulously (yes, it's a word!) fun weekend with a family reunion (a bunch of Jersey people and some New Yauwkers) and a baby shower after that, the kids were still very much intune to what was happening at home. Zac and Lillie found dead kitty #2 Friday night and thought they had killed her. Terry was the one home at the time and vowed NEVER to go through that again with the kids. Life is life, even when it sucks.

Up top are a few, albeit, dark photos of the ones we have left. One is all black, one is calico of white, orange and black and the other is carmel and white. Keep your fingers crossed for these 3!

AHHHH! Bobbie, DON'T read this!

I need some Calgon or something...I'm getting little sleep, this weekend is going to kick my ass but be sooooo fun, and on top of that, I had to explain kitten death to the kids today. We lost one of our 1 week old kittens last night...so sad. I think I cried more than the kids, and then I realized, I haven't cried in so long, so I guess it was time to open the floodgates! On top of that, I'm throwing a baby shower this weekend and I love the Mom-to-be dearly...but I'm about to kick the ass of anyone else that calls to RSVP for it, since I asked for them to call me no later than the 6th, which according to the Casey calendar, WAS LAST FRIDAY!!! I didn't put this tidbit on the invite because I like to see my own writing. I put it on there so that I could buy the ingredients to make the favors, which are done (and now I'm short on!) and get enough food, drinks, things for games, you know, everything these people will be expecting when they show up! I actually told one woman WHY I needed to know last week...I think these people just think I have all the time in the world and will just go out and buy more stuff, but you know, I'm outta time here...I have a life outside of this baby shower even though I know my sappy self will be sad once it's over. Sidenote--if the Mom-to-be is reading this, then she didn't follow my orders in the title of the blog! So in that case, NO, I'm totally thrilled to be doing this for you, and you are NOT to stress out over your rude co-workers, family members, or friends. You RSVP'd on time, so you are in the clear! And I won't embarass you by throwing a holy tantrum once these last RSVPers show their faces at the party...really, I'll be good! I love doing these kinds of things...when I'm workin with people with manners!

You are ROCK!

You Are Rock

Powerful and overbearing, you intimidate people with your presence. People know they can't push you around, and they respect that. Deep down, you are calm, confident, and unmovable. You take everything pretty seriously, and you think deeply about all aspects of your life. You tend to feel smothered by paper people. You don't mind crushing the spirit of a scissors person. When you fight, you: Use all of your strength If someone makes you mad: You're likely to throw something at them

Are You Rock, Paper, or Scissors?

7.7.07

We attended a wedding last night and found a long lost friend along the way! The wedding was at 5pm and we left the church around 545pm, but had time to kill until the cocktail reception started across town. Terry and I decided to find the nearest Starbucks in West Chester, but instead found a small, privately owned coffee shop first. To our complete surprise, when we walked in, we saw a man from our own wedding party (from 1995!) standing there waiting to serve us. We haven't seen this man in years and last we heard, he was living in KY with his wife. He looks the same, just opened up Coffee Beans and Brew on Yankee Rd in October of last year and has a 16 mo. old son! And, he lives about 10 mins from us, and across the street from some people that Terry went to school with, that attended our wedding. What a small world!!!!

We have 4th of July babies!!!

Last night, while all were sleeping in the house, our stray pregnant cat went into our closet, sat upon Terry's fishing coveralls and had her babies....all without a peep! I count at least four, although they are practically laying under her, and it's in the corner of the closet so it's pretty dark, so I will know more later, but for now, my Momma cat is happily purring away, cleaning all her babies and having the time of her life. And even better, so far there's VERY little mess....no lie! So, to recap, no noise, no help, no mess, and wonderful babies! YAY Cinnamon! UPDATE------BTW, I got to hold a few last night and there are 6 beautiful babies--one black/white, two tiger striped (black with grey), one carmel /white, one orange/black/white and one all black!!!! Now, who wants a kitten?