Touch me, touch me !.....

The Master's Touch
His hands gently, firmly move over my shoulders,
Slowly up my neck,
I relax under his touch.
Gently working away the tensions, easing the way.
Slowly, methodically.
My eyes drift shut with the rhythmic moving of his hands.
Those hands gently stroke my face, eyes,lips.
He slowly works his hands into my hair,
Massaging my scalp,
My brain ceases to function.
His hands begin slowly retracing their path,
His touch becomes firm, demanding.
He pulls from within me,
he reaches to the core of my being.

http://www.magkllady.com/ml006.html

I know what you're thinking! Get your mind out of the gutter! Yes, this is about touch, and yes, there will be some references to sex but not like you think!


Yesterday morning, I had a massage and I started thinking about the importance of touch in our lives and how things change as we grow up.


When we are born, our parents hold us and cuddle us for comfort. Often, a crying baby will only need to be picked up to stop crying. Preemies are held skin to skin as part of their therapies and treatments. As children, we run to our parents for comfort again. When someone is mean, when we fall, when we haven't seen them because of school, what is the first thing Mom or Dad does? Hugs and pats on the back. When we tuck our children in at night, do we just make sure the covers are folded neatly and tightly around our child? No, we kiss and caress their hair. That final reassurance that all is well in the world.


Children on the playground will hug and hold hands as friends or to comfort one another. One child might take a new friend by the hand to introduce him/her to the group.


As we grow into our teens though, the significance and meaning of touch changes. It starts to take on a sexual connotation. Boys and girls hold hands to signify togetherness. Same sex touch becomes almost taboo as they learn and establish their own identities.


As adults, touch becomes a no-no. No pats on the back from the boss, no hugs between men and women unless related or very close friends. People start to make assumptions about others that touch. They must be gay/having an affair/coming onto/harassing, etc.....


But I think touch between adults is important. Touch means acceptance, reassurance, comfort to others. We hug for comfort and support, to show friendship, love, desire. I personally think that when we touch each other, emotion is transmitted some how. That is how a man and women can communicate love through hand holding across the table or a brief touch in the middle of the night.


Since my husband and I are not even on the same continent, I miss the touch in my life. Sure, I have my daughter but usually the hugs are from me to her as mother to child. I don't have that adult to adult touch in my life.


When I had my massage yesterday, I realized that is what I have been missing lately. The massage doesn't make up for my husband not being here, it wasn't that kind of massage, if you know what I mean! But it did make me feel better, not just physically, but emotionally too. The massage therapist, I think, truly cared how I felt and that came through emotionally, also. I even talked to her about this, telling her I wasn't being creepy, and she agreed that is why some people come in. They need that reassurance and emotion that comes from a massage.


I am not a psychiatrist or a psychologist but I am certainly psycho! but I honestly think that what this world needs is more good touching! Things have become so distant these days. So, the next time one of your friends is down, give them a hug, a pat on the back or a squeeze of the hand. Let them know, through your touch, that you care!

A contest: Things that you would never think you would say...

I have long wanted to write down a list of things that have come out of my mouth since being a mom that you would never think you would say!
For example:
"Get the cat out of the dishwasher!"
"I can see from this, that you had green beans for lunch."
"What does jumping on the trampoline have to do with gum in your hair?"
So, I am going to start a list of funny or weird things that have come out of my mouth (words, people, words) and I want everyone to contribute also!
Leave them in comments and I will add them as I get them.

Retail therapy!

Did you ever just want a reason to shop? I mean, come on! Its just aching to be bought and here you are, at your computer, looking through stuff and that blouse just leaps out and screams, "I would look perfect on you! Who cares that I am not on sale! Buy me, buy me!"

OK, so maybe merchandise on the web does not speak to you the same way as to me but in the past, retail therapy has been an issue for me. I admit that I was one of those people who got a thrill from purchasing stuff (and I mean stuff) and I felt better for a few minutes. I eventually got help for what was actually bothering me and I am faithful about taking those happy pills every day. That is what kept me from buying this morning.

I have, through my ISP, a spam blocker on my email accounts. This dumps known spam immediately and puts questionable material in a special folder. I look through that to make sure that no one that I want to hear from has changed their email address and my ISP has blocked them. This is where all the sale ads from various places I have ordered from goes.
I was checking this folder online this morning and saw "FREE shipping on orders over $50." and my resolve crumbled. Honestly, my resolve was not even there!!! I had to go look at these clothes, after all they are the new fall fashions! And I have been living out of a suitcase for 2 months. Not an easy thing to do after a while.
I am browsing through the blouses and shirts, thinking, if I had a job, I would need these clothes. I can see myself wearing that shirt. I would need some gray pants with that blouse. Etc, etc, etc. I start thinking, where can I get a job? I could go back to the bank where I worked previously, these clothes would look sharp there.
Then, the meds kicked in and reality became, well, reality! I am living in what is essentially a hotel, with my daughter, two dogs and a house on the way, out of a suitcase that contains 4 shirts, 4 pairs of jeans and some shorts. I have 15,000 pounds (that's 7 1/2 tons) of stuff on its way to the house that I don't officially own and I want a job so that I can buy new clothes! Now mind you, in that 7 tons of stuff that is coming, is some really nice clothes that I bought on other occasions when I was partaking in retail therapy. At one time, I actually had enough outfits to wear to work for 3 weeks without ever repeating a single item. That is not a typo, I actually said 3 weeks! I kept track on a special calendar hung just inside my walk- in closet. Yes, my walk- in closet. My husband had to use the closet in our spare room for his stuff.
So, in the interest of keeping my credit card bills down and so I don't get a job just to justify the new clothes, I deleted the email, permanently.

After all, I know how to get that free shipping code some other way. ;)

That's one sick puppy....

Now, I've heard that phrase in association with someone doing something gross or stupid but today this applies to Max. Poor baby.
Maybe some of you remember that the dogs weren't interested in their kongs unless I held them but I decided to give it one more try and this time use CREAMY peanut butter instead of chunky. It worked! Both dogs really got into licking out the PB and I thought all was well.
Well, I was wrong. This evening, Cee and I came back from the pool and I opened the door to our room and about through up. Seriously, heaved and choked. I had put Max in the kennel because he had been naughty with Cee's stuff earlier. Thank goodness for that decision. Apparently, the PB was too much for his little system. At least it was all contained. He went straight into the bath (ugh!) and the kennel went outside. Then I cleaned the kennel, the tub, the floor, etc. I am pretty sure that I got the smell out but I may have olfactorally adapted. Housekeeping will probably heave tomorrow.
I feel so bad for him right now. He is drinking water but will not eat at all, not even saltines, his favorite treat!
So, if any of you have a space in your prayers tonight, think of Max.

I am very excited!!!!!

OK, Momster tagged me and I tagged some other people and so on and so on. Well, what has me excited is that when I look at the site meter map, I literally have people from all over the world!! Australia, Asia, South America, you get the picture! So this tagging thing worked for me!

In other news, apparently, the happy pills have started working again and I am feeling better now. I just need to make the 100 mile round trip to the nearest craft store and get some stuff to pour my creative energies into.

Cee has been invited to a friend's house this afternoon so she is making friends and adjusting to life here. I think that has helped my frame of mind.

All is well. Thank you everyone who listened to me whine.

A new blog to explore...

When Momster tagged me, I needed to come up with 6 other bloggers to tag. It was fun to stroll through blogs trying to find some that I enjoyed and that I thought my reader(s) would also enjoy. I came across this blog and although I didn't tag him, I have been laughing as I read it.
It is called Stuff Christians Like. Don't worry, it is not an in your face, Christian blog. Just a commentary on what some everyday Christians think about and how they face them. I think you will enjoy it and hope you visit for some laughs.

I am bored and I miss my husband! Ignore if you don't like whining.

This will probably be a whiny blog because I have nothing else to do. Seriously, I have read in the last week at least 5 books. I sit here in lodging on base waiting to move into my house on Sept. 15th. Yes that is still like almost 4 weeks away. I have nothing to do but read and blog.

If my husband was here, I would have something to do. I would make up something just to keep him from nagging on me. I miss his nagging, I miss his comments about the dishes not being done. It has gotten to the point that I miss the annoying things about him!
Before anyone asks, I miss the good things more though. Like when I startle awake in the middle of the night and he says, "Its OK, honey." and then he pats me on the back to reassure me. Or when I feel him reaching for me because he needs to make sure I am still there. When I say that there's nothing to cook and he manages to whip up dinner. When he teases me about playing online computer games or when I catch him bragging to his friends that his wife can sew or craft. I guess I just miss the reassurance and partnership that he brings into my life.

So enough mushy stuff! This is what set me off today. I had to buy a card in a store! I usually make all of my cards, after all I am a stamp demonstrator!! But no, I don't have my stuff and I called today to find out where it is in the shipping process and I was told that it won't even be in country until Sept. 15th. So all the running around I did to try and get into the house early won't do any good because I won't have anything anyway! #$%@&^!!!!!
Thanks to all who have read this far, I just needed to vent!

What a difference a day makes....

Yesterday morning, it was overcast and kind of mopey outside and I was feeling sentimental. This morning, when reveille went off at 7 am, it was VERY foggy and this did not burn off before the trip to the bus stop. Cee was absolutely amazed at the fog and could not stop talking about it all the way there. Then she says, "Mom, the bus driver is going to yelling for us all the shut up because she can't drive well in the fog." I'm thinking, what makes you think I am any better?

By the time the bus came, I was ready for her to get on. She must have gotten some of my morning coffee because she chattering away about everything. Good luck to her teachers today because I wasn't able to get her to shut up!

New hair style....

I got my hair done yesterday because I was tired of looking like a shaggy dog. I got the idea to do some before and after pictures so here they are...

Before....

After....

OK, she wasn't the best photographer for this. She didn't zoom enough but there is a noticable difference (at least to me.)

I've been tagged.....

Momster tagged me earlier today and challenged me to come with 6 UN-spectacular things about myself. This time, I can actually count to 6!

Six UN-Spectacular Things About Me, The Rules:

• Link the person who tagged you
  
• Mention the rules on your blog
  
• Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
  
• Tag 6 bloggers by linking them & leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they have been tagged.

Six UN-spectacular things about me:

1. I love BBC America. I am huge fan of British comedies and their dramatic miniseries.
   
2. I very, rarely wear any jewelry. It’s not that I don’t have some really nice stuff from my hubby but I always forget to put it on in the morning.
   
3. I look terrible in hats. Baseball caps, ski hats, berets, anything makes my face look huge.
   
4. I love to drive down country roads really fast but I have to be the one driving and I can’t have my daughter in the truck with me.
   
5. I get sad every time I hear taps. This sucks because I live on a base that plays taps every night at 10 pm.
   
6. I had a massive crush on my daughter’s 5th grade teacher. And he wasn’t even that hot! He just had the same sense of humor as me and honestly, with my husband’s schedule and the fact that I worked at the school, I saw more of him than the hubby. No, I didn’t do anything about the crush.

So the six blogs I have decided to tag are:

Buried with Children

Sweet Caroline

Vintage Thirty

Mommy Needs a Cocktail

Le Musings of Moi

Killing a fly with a ukelele is...

Most of these blogs, I found through other blogs and the names caught my eye so I read them and I think they are hilarious and insightful....

How high can you get?

I added a gadget to my blog last night and Momster has already picked up on it. Its Freerice.com and its a vocabulary quiz. For every word you get right, it donates 20 grains of rice to feed the hungry in the world. There are about 48 grains of rice in a gram and most people need about 200 grams of rice a day so you need to play!
This sight is legit. It was checked out by one of the teachers I used to work with. He used it as a teaching tool for independent learning. I have made it as high as level 49 (out of 60). How high can you get?

Musings on children... and a challenge....

Do you ever look at your child(ren) and wonder how they are what they are? I know, confusing! but this morning as I was dropping my child off at the bus stop, something happened to make me wonder.
Let me set the stage... This is a community bus stop where all the kids who live outside the school district come to get on the bus. Yes, this school allows children from the city district to go to this school.. but I digress. There was a bit of a traffic holdup at the entrance to the parking lot because one of the children did not want to get out of mom's car. She ended up physically hauling him out and handing him to his high school age brother to carry on to the bus. He was pretty small and I think just in kindergarten. It broke my heart to see him with his little fists balled up in his eyes as he sobbed his heart out. His mother's expression was one of frustration mixed with sadness. My heart went out to her also. Probably, he was the baby of the family and she knows that this part of the learning experience but letting go and forcing him is very hard. I could have been frustrated with the delay but instead I was authentic. I took it for what it was and was not judgemental!
Anyways, this got me thinking about Cee's first day of kindergarten. I had no clinging crying child! I had a diva who didn't even want me to walk her in! She was ready! If there was any fear, she wasn't showing it. NO!
Cee is such a mix of my husband and I that it amazes me. She has his hair, cow-licks and all. From the cheekbones up, she looks like him but has my nose (thank goodness) and lips but then his body type and my skin tone. Her feet will be small like mine but with long toes like his.
Personality wise, she is even more of a mix. She has my eye for art and his ear for music. She has the most eclectic taste in music also, anything from New Republic to Kiss with some country thrown in just to mix it up. She even likes some of the old school rappers like MC Hammer and Sir Mix-a-lot.
She can be shy in some cases but she shows no fear in new situations. She will be very clingy leading up to something but the minute she is in the public eye, she acts like nothing is out of the norm. I know she gets this from her dad, he is all about not making a scene in public. She is friendly and outgoing (me) and demanding and perfect (him) She like social studies (me) and dislikes reading for pleasure (him). She tries new food when available (him) but will eat the same thing days in a row (me.) She is athletic (him) but can be a klutz (me.)
I am just amazed at the mix God has thrown at me and every day, something happens to show me how wonderful my child is.
I know everyone feels the same way about their children so I challenge you to take a look at your kids and recognize their similarities and differences from you and from their siblings and love each one!

Out my front door.

I was on my way to pick up Cee at the bus stop and I actually remembered to grab my camera. It has stopped raining briefly so some of the wild life is out in the area between the buildings.

This sign was hilarious!. So was the look on the face of the lady stopped beside me!

What do dogs do all day?

I have often wondered what dogs did all day. I have seen all the cute cartoons about smoking cigars and playing poker but I think I have figured out what dogs do. At least what my dogs do.


Just about NOTHING>
Teesha either sleeps or keeps Max from getting at the food.


Max either sleeps or tries to get at the food.

Both live for attention and begging when I am around. I have tried giving kongs to both and they want nothing to do with them unless I hold the kong for them.
***Just a note on kongs. Don't use chunky peanut butter!***

Rain, rain, go away....

We have had a total of 2 inches of rain in the last 2 days. It has created a new water feature outside our room. I think that I am about to go stir crazy with this rain. Either that, or I need some chocolate!!!!

Fun in the sun....and the rain....

One of the best things about this city is the pools. The city itself has an indoor/outdoor pool complex with 2 water slides and the base itself has a pool with water slides. Last Thursday, Cee and I met up with Tinkerbell and her 2 boys (A1 and A2) and had some fun in the sun....

Saturday, there was a fireman's competition and they had an obstacle course for the kids to run. As we stood in line, it started to sprinkle. Cee was initially paired up with a boy a little bigger than her but when it came time to race, they juggled things around so she would race against a girl. I think they were afraid that the boy would win but I think Cee would have kicked his a*ss! She is very competitive!

Here, she carries the rolled up hose to the bottom of the stairs....

While everyone else took to time to go down the slide feet first, Cee did a somersault and got a good lead...

I am not sure I would want to be dragged around by Cee but she got this dummy rollin'. It was safe (with a dislocated shoulder.)

I don't think I want her to grow up to be a firefighter because it is too dangerous but she certainly showed she had the spirit for it.

One of the best books I have read in a long time! The Gate to Women's Country

By Sheri S. Tepper

I won't call this best book I have ever read but it is certainly in my top 5. Many people might think that this book would not interest them because it is classified in the Fantasy/SciFi category but do not be put off!

I was actually looking for a different book that I remember the plot to but can't remember the title and I was out at whatsthatbook.com. I browsed through the other questions already there to see if someone else had already asked and I ran across this one.

Basic plot breakdown: it is about 300 years after the "convulsions" which are never specified but are some sort of civilisation ending wars. The women have taken over and men and women live separately. It goes from there. Part of the narrative form takes its clues from an adaptation of the Illiad.

I can't stress how much I enjoyed this book. I received it from paperbackswap.com on Saturday and finished it Sunday night! If you see this book anywhere, grab it, read it, pass it on!

On being authentic.

As I was coming back from dropping my child off at school this morning, I was channel surfing the radio and I came across a discussion about a book. This station is a Christian station and I would generally skip right by it but this caught my ear. This book was about being authentic. The author was actually speaking about our relationship with God but she pointed out that many women have a tendency to value themselves within the groups they participate in. They might say that she's a better blogger than me or she has better behaved children. Some even place value on how well their children do in school as opposed to theirs. (I am VERY guilty of this one!) So she asks this question: Does how well someone does something make them more valuable? Does God love them any less?
This made me think some things: 1. I need to blog about this. 2. Am I placing undo pressure on myself or my child because I am afraid of what others think? 3. Why do I care what other people think? 4. What if I tried to live my life by not placing value on these issues?
Now, obviously, I am not condoning murder and I understand that certain values and mores must be conformed to for society to function but lets be real here! I the fact that I am slightly overweight going to change the world for the worse? Does God love me any less because I am overweight? That I don't have the best self-control? Does it matter if my child is not the cutest, best behaved or smartest?
There was another thing this author said: God delights in our individuality. He created us this way. Think about it, if we were all the same, we would be like "A Brave New World." It would be miserable!
Now, this is not to say that I don't care if anybody loves me! But what I do mean to say is that I want people to love me for who I am, not who I think I need to be.
So starting today, I am going to have an attitude change.....
I am going to replace some phrases and ways of thinking in my life.
Instead of: It's a fixer-upper. I will say: I think we will be happy there.
Did you do well in school today? replaced with Did you enjoy school today?
Things like that.
But! this is not to say that I am not going to clean my house or dress in clean clothes. But I am going to do it with my own satisfaction in mind not because I care what others say.

Cee's 1st day of school.

Somehow, every year, I look forward to the first day of school and then on the morning of, I get melancholy. I want to protect her from so much but I can't sit beside her at school.

The pile. Every year, the pile of school supplies gets larger.

Cee, with her newly styled hair, messes with her bangle bracelets. I'm sure the teacher will appreciate them.

The front of her shirt.

Last night in front of our "home."

I once saw a sign that says "Home is where the Air Force sends Us." This is especially true for us as we live in lodging. Last night, as we put the dogs out for the last time, I snapped these pics.

Here, Max looks for the absolute perfect spot to pee. This can take up to 15 minutes but we are working on speeding this up using treats...

Teesha plots her escape... In the dark, she is almost impossible to find and since she is selectively deaf, she often does not come when called.

Our trip to Wichita last weekend.

This is one of the coolest bridges I have ever seen. It is a foot bridge that crosses the Little Arkansas River. Its mate crosses the Big Arkansas River. Both lead to a small island right at the confluence of the rivers.


This is the metal statue on the island. It is called "The Keeper of the Plains" but the locals call is "Chief Rusty Feathers."



Of course, where there is water, there is Cee. She had to throw some rocks in the river.
Some sort of wading bird.....
This was on the wall on the outside of our hotel. Can somebody tell me why they need to say this? Was there a huge amount of gun battles?
Kinda freaked us out.

A book review- California Demon

This is the second book in this series following Carpe Demon. I read this in one night so it definitely captured my attention. The main character, Kate, is mother to a 2 yr. old boy and a 14 yr. old girl. It is very funny with lots of "Mommy" moments that any parent can relate to including retail therapy, ordering pizza instead of cooking, leaving a store to avoid a meltdown... Just about any situation you have been in, she is in as she hunts demons without telling her family. Don't worry that the central character is Catholic, it is not an in your face book about religion. This book is well-written enough to be stand alone but would probably be better enjoyed if you read this series in order. Fortunately for me, there are at least 2 more books in the series so my fun can continue.

Old friends come back into my life today!!!

So today, I was at the base clinic trying to get some paperwork done (because I haven't done anything) and in walks the ex-husband of a good friend from the last time I was here. I am a terrible pen pal and never kept in touch with her so I did not know where she was anymore. He tells me that Tinkerbell is on her way to meet him right there. Boy, was she surprised! She was not feeling well so I have not been able to catch with her. I am happppyyy that I have some one local that I know. Hopefully, tomorrow, we will be able to visit and Cee will get to play with some kids her age.

Then, I got a call from my MamaAngel, my best friend from overseas. She has 8 kids! Only 3 live at home now but can you imagine? I know, some of you can but being the mom of an only, aaahhhhhhhh!

MamaAngel lives in Florida now and I have not gotten to speak with her since mid-June so we finally were able to visit on the phone. I got to tell her about my new craft room and she was telling me about the interesting colors that her house had been painted before they moved in. She is trying to dig herself out of all of her household goods from both overseas and from storage.

She is so lucky because she has a built in pool in her backyard! Cee is already talking about where we are going to put the pool at our new house. I just want to update the inside first!!

The absolute latest on the house issue.....

I promise that we will not change our mind about the house this time. Ya know why? Because we can't!! Seriously, I must have signed at least 30 pieces of paper today. We are now officially under contract with an approved loan to buy our fixer upper in the country.
I was saying before that I thought I would be sick when this all happened but now I am actually relieved. Its decided, finito, no going back. Now I am relieved. All the paperwork and hassle now belongs to the loan officer. That's why she gets paid the big bucks!!!!
What's funny is that she is used to dealing with military couples and it always seems like the wife who does all the leg work.
BTW, hubby says that I can have a reprieve from looking for a job until Oct. 1. That way I can get everything packed and put away without feeling any stress. :(

New housing update.

I am currently waiting for the realtor to call and let us know if the seller on one of the houses we looked at has accepted our offer.... I know, I said that that the hubby had made a command decision to accept base housing but on Thursday evening, he changed his mind. We have negotiated the price and think it will be a go. I am sick to my stomach at this thought but my husband thinks it is agood idea to buy right now.

This is the front of the house. It is not very impressive though it does have a lot of space.

This is Cee's bedroom to be. The first thing we will do is update the walls. We are thinking a soft pink with a cool border. Lots of space for posters and she has her own bathroom.

This will be my craft room!!!!!!!! My very own space where I can leave things out on the table! My mess, my stuff!!!!!!!!

13 fun and quirky things about me.

1. I hate to travel. Not the going to new places but the actual process of getting there. It means a long car ride or plane ride to get there. Uncomfortable, cramped, never knowing if I packed the right things, being tired when I get there and then the trip back to look forward to!

2. I have a book fetish. I don't know what else to call it! I don't just want to read a book, I like to be surrounded by books, have them piled by my bed ready to read, know they are coming in the mail, reading more than one at a time, rereading old favorites and crying in the same places. Really, its just weird.

3. I pick my toenails when I read. Maybe TMI but it is a habit I can't break!!! I can't read in bed without doing it.

4. I hate Starbucks coffee. I love to drink coffee but can't stand to get coffee from there. I can't explain it but it always tastes burnt to me. I will however drink their fru-fru drinks.

5. I am a particular OCD person. I am only OCD about some things. Mainly, the cabinets in my kitchen. I put things away a certain way and get angry if others don't do the same. My family will actually rearrange just to irritate me.

6. I re-shelve books in the library if I find them out of place. The other place that I am OCD. If you take a book off the shelf, put it back correctly or don't put it back at all. The local library here actually has a special place to put them so they don't get put back incorrectly. :P

7. I can do the "Live Long and Prosper" Vulcan symbol with both my hands. It is a skill that helps no one but what if Spock comes back in time to visit?

8. I tried out for Jeopardy. I didn't make it one but I did make to the second test. Out of 200 people who took it, only 7 scored high enough to go on. I wasn't one of them. I did however get to meet Alex Trebek.

9. I love the smell of Obsession but not on my husband. He wears Oldspice deodorant and after 14 years that is the only thing I want to smell on him.

10. My favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla. Plain, old, ordinary, boring vanilla. Don't put anything on it, in it, under it or else!!!!!!

11. I can't count!

Housing decision..

After due deliberation, and a command decision from the darling hubby, we will be moving into base housing when it becomes available (hopefully by the end of next week.)
We will be heading up to OKC to spend the weekend with him so it might be kind of thin on the blog.......

My take on the birds and bees talk with Cee

Cee was in 2nd grade and we were all sitting at the dinner table one Sunday night. I was talking that she had school the next day but her dad and I were both off because it was a federal holiday. My husband is in the kitchen getting something from the fridge and asks, "What holiday?" I say, "Columbus Day."
"Oh, you mean Rape and Pillage Day." My eyes immediately snap to Cee who asks "What does that mean?" I tell hubby that he has to explain that one so he gives her a very general overview of the Native American side of Europeans coming to America and mentions that some diseases that came over that caused great harm with the Native population. Because she is clever and smart and at this time, wants to become a doctor. I tell her about measles and small pox. Darling hubby says, "Don't forget syphilis." Again, I am ready to be a single parent because this opens up a whole new can of worms. So now I have to give a basic overview of Tab A into Slot B. I finish by telling her that if she has any questions to think it over and let me know if she needs to talk about tomorrow.
Hoping that she has no questions the next day, I tuck her into bed and then let my husband know what I think of his snide little comments.....
The next day, she tells me that she does have a question about how the body works.
I go in, sit on the floor next to her, no eye contact possible, take a deep breath and wait for the shoe to drop.
She asks, very seriously, "Why do fingernails grow?"
I'm dumbfounded but apparently, she had no desire to go into what she now considers "R-rated material."
Go figure.........

Some funny comments from Cee

"They need to pay my dad more."

"Washer and dryer on the second floor. That will be nice for you, Mom."

"I'm glad we moved back here because the vet lady remembered Teesha."

"Good job saving money, Mom." This was in response to why we couldn't buy a particular cereal.

Housing update.

Looked at 2 more houses today. 1st one, no way in heck. Had evidence of spider infestations and in one room, the floor sloped noticably. The outside looked nice also. The second was pristine inside and out. Beautiful! Loved it on every point except one. Very small.
Then we drove by 9 or so more for sale. Some had no curb appeal. The inside could have been spectacular and I would not have cared because the owners did not take the time to make the outside look decent. You can't judge a book by its cover but..........you can judge a house by its yard.
We went and spoke to the base housing people this afternoon and we are definitely going to get a brand-spaken new house if we want one. They also gave us a floor plan, and boy! did it look nice. It had one particular feature that I totally, like high 5, loved, loved, loved..... It had the washer and dryer hookups on the second floor where all the bedrooms were. How smart is that? Where is the majority of the dirty laundry? Where does the majority of the clean laundry need to go back to? No one changes clothes and takes showers in the kitchen so why would you put the washer and dryer there? I personally hate to gather all my laundry up, upstairs, to lug it down to the washer and dryer and then lug it back upstairs.
Let me know your thoughts on this. Especially you, Momster, as your washer and dryer are in the basement.

House hunting. UGH!!!!

Ok, this house hunting is a total B@tch! Its driving me crazy! Cee and I looked at a house on Monday that was in our price range, had tons of room and storage but needed a little updating. By this, I mean that it needed some new paint, wallpaper removed, carpeting was old, etc. No major structural work required. Thing is that it will take 60 days to get into it and then we will owe hundreds of thousands of dollars. That thought makes me want to puke with anxiety!
Then this morning, I find out that we could conceivably move into a brand new base house at the end of next week. This means that I will get my stuff as soon as it arrives, we will no longer be homeless, etc. This house is smaller, with less storage, no room to do my business, on base, in the wrong school district but available NEXT WEEK.
What to do!!!!!!!!!
Hopefully, all is still on track for the hubby to come in tomorrow and help me decide!

Interesting signs and things in trucks...

Ok, so does anyone have any idea what this is in the back of the truck?

We stopped at Sonic for a snack just before Tulsa. I have renewed my addiction to Sonic....

So, I thought this was an interesting sign. What if I only want to Whisper & Sack? :)

The temperature just keeps rising....

These pics are from our drive through Oklahoma on Sunday. Can you believe it? Fortunately, there is no humidity at all. It is like a sauna. I love the dryness but Cee is having a hard time. She says it burns her eyes. I think she will get used to it. The hot weather is supposed to break on Thursday or Friday, just in time for my darling husband to come visit and house hunt.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

So last night, instead of updating my blog with all the pics and comments on our trip here, my lovely daughter convinced (nagged) me to go to a movie and it was.....

This movie was so bad that it was funny. It had the usual plot of beautiful women, emperor (pharoah) and second in command (priest). Unfortunately, the actress who played Evie was not the same as the first two movies and it was glaringly obvious that this new person was trying very hard to imitate her. She also looked too old for the roll. I understand that this is supposedly 15 years after the Scorpion King ended but Brendan Fraser did not seem to age.

It had some really funny and I even laughed out loud a few times but all the gags in the world could not rescue this movie from being a very poor copy of the first two.

It did have one redeeming feature in it though. Brendan Fraser with his shirt off. I could have easily imagined myself as the one who was being kissed. This, of course, has nothing to do with not seeing my husband for the last 5 weeks because of this move......

Just a gratuitous picture for those of you who like Brendan Fraser without his shirt....