figuring it out

I haven't blogged in over 3 weeks for good reasons...wish I had, it's cathartic for me, but it's been busy.  My oldest daughter turned 17, my nephew turned 1, my sister and other nephew were baptized, Mother's Day, we went to Grosse Pointe Woods, MI to visit family, and the annual Memorial Day trip (bouncing) to Orlando.  Whew.  Add two work trips for Stephen in there.  Double whew.  I'm figuring it out.

Decided to get serious about writing tonight...my husband found a cool source of information, trying to figure that out, too.  This is a day of figuring it out.  Want to know what else I figured out?  There are only 5 more days of school. That's right, friends, five days.  And then we'll be in Alabama eating peanuts, fresh vegetables, hugging necks, beaching it up and down the west coast of the FLORIDA (ain't nothing better), librarying it, sleeping in, giving the Turnermobile a bit of a break.  Medard Parking it...Lithia Springsing it...Mimis pooling it...

It's Friday and I've driven 70 miles, worked on thank you notes, grocery shopped, babysat, climbed trees, climbed ladders, cooked supper, and half assed the vacuum.  *Curtsies*

Now, to finish this bottle of wine...

feels like saturday.......kind of

It's Sunday, but it's one of those weekends where I need another day.

Was up at 6:00 a.m. yesterday to get teenage daughter ready for SAT's and baby girl ready for Legoland with Girl Scouts.  Hit Legoland about 9:30 a.m. and stayed until 2:00 p.m.  Then straight to my nephew's first birthday party, complete with tired feet & a sunburn.  At party from 3:30 p.m. until after 8:00 p.m.  Sleepover at our house with baby girl and her BFF.  Up and at 'em at 8:00 a.m. this morning to get ready for my sister's & nephew's baptisms.  I napped today.  Don't judge.  Drove my stepson back to New Port Richey tonight, home a little bit ago.  Wired from nap.  I know better...

Legoland was great - definitely worth $30 (thank you, Girl Scouts discount).  Time with our new Girl Scouts troop was fun.......loving getting to know everybody.

One of my favorite things about yesterday was the drive...because Legoland is in Winter Haven, it isn't necessary to take the interstate.  I took Hwy. 60 to Hwy. 98, headed north to Cypress Gardens Blvd., & Cypress Gardens Blvd. to Legoland.  I went through a small town called Eagle Lake that was fun to drive through and observe.  I love people watching, and I love town watching.  On the way back, I went a different way, and took Rifle Range to Hwy. 60.  Went through a small town called Wahneta.  Wow.  The first time I've ever felt compelled, while driving, to get out and photograph a town.  I didn't, though, because I had the little girls and it was not, in my opinion, a safe area.

So, tired but not, lots to do but don't feel like doing it, wrapping up the weekend.  Happy Sunday night, friends.

relax, dude

Remember when everybody said "dude"?  I miss it.  The 90's ruled.

One thing I've learned the last week - relax.  There's a lot of curve balls in life.  Says the baseball loving girl.

Had an extra 10 year old this week after school......baby girl's BFF, so it was fun.  Maybe next week, too.  One of those situations where somebody needs help, and I remember that I'm lucky to have our family here. So, baby girl gets to trash her room (as if there's room left to trash) with her BFF and read and play dress up and help me with dishes.

Went to the mall today...not my idea of a fun day.  I despise the mall.  But, JC Penney is there.  Got a grande medium roast at Starbucks.  Got a swimsuit for my teenage daughter.  Got a swimsuit for me...exercise continues.  And will increase.  Got a b/day present for William...it's too cute.  And nearly punched a kiosk worker...I am not a violent person.  Actually very non-confrontational.  It's hard for me to say "no thank you".  So, when I do, don't harass me.  And tell me three times how sweet I am.  Don't touch my nails, Borat lookalike.  I have a shiny, pretty thumbnail and all of my other nails look even more disgusting than they did.  Thanks a lot, asshole.  When I have to re-route my exit, you're an asshole.

Kiosks are horrible.  At least if I walk into a store, I expect the salesperson to approach me.  Kiosks are in the middle of the mall.  They're snipers.  Horrible.

Survived Stephen's longest work trip to date...he came home Tuesday from Colorado.  I missed him bad.....he leaves again in a little over a week for Nashville.

Talked to one of my favorite cousins today...I need some cousin time.  This includes wine & SOCO.  Don't judge.

Anyway, relax dude.  It's another day you get to breathe and look and laugh and smile and love.

For you, Confessions of a Middle Aged White Woman

I've been blogging for quite some time now.  My friend, LeighAnn, got me started.  I so enjoyed her blogs about her taking back her health & body (and, honestly, sharing her life), that I started doing something I'd been thinking about for awhile.......blogging.

Whether people read my blog or not, I love blogging.  She, Confessions of a Middle Aged White Woman, blogged recently about blogging being her release, her therapy.  She is so dang busy I don't know how she has time to blog, but she does.  And I love reading about her so normal life...the every day laughs, the every day oops, the every day encouragement, and the giggles I get out of her blog.

Whether she knows it or not, she inspires me to continue blogging...whether people read it or not.  It's my release, my therapy.

It's been a long week.  LONG.  How many days till summer?  Well, temperature here dictates that it already is summer...gotta love Tampa Bay.  But, seriously, how many days until school's out for summer?  And can I sing that day?  Yes, I know, by July I'll be singing "when does school start", but at least I'm up front about that.  By April, I want summer.  By July, I want school.  Don't judge.

My husband is in Colorado until Tuesday...there's snow there.  And I have boob sweat.  He's there with his bestie....yes, he has a bestie.  I love Patrick.  They remind me very much of me & my bestie.  It's adorable. Anyway, there they are, in hard hats, in the Rockies, with jackets, and firm mattresses, and I'm here ordering pizza because I'm tired.  Hope I'm still a good mommy!

Have felt confident this week, and that is in huge part to my husband & bestie.  Spent time with my bestie this week, and it always makes me feel good.  My bestie knows just what to say and do.  And her hugs are the bombdiggaty.

Here's to pizza, Nickelodeon, and Friday nights!

wasn't i just a teenager?

In 1989, 2 Live Crew's "Me So Horny" was popular.  I didn't own the tape, mom and dad wouldn't allow it.  But I played it on the radio in my room, when Q105 would play it.  And record it on the tape recorder, with deejay talking over the beginning part  And I would play it loud.  Loud.  And one day,loud, no earbuds  (there was no such thing as earbuds).  I remember hearing my mom knock so loud.....................LOUD.  KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.  "Hey, horny girl, turn the music down!!!!!!!!!" in a PISSED OFF voice.  I did.  Immediately.

We have 2 teenagers.  And we're dealing with teenage stuff.  And I try to remind myself of these kinds of things as we navigate being parents of teenagers.  Teenagers are going to grey me quickly.  Shit, they already have.  Why couldn't I have behaved, so that karma didn't kick my ass?

Some days I feel like I was just a teenager.  Other days I'm thankful that I'm not.  Other days I feel like it was a lifetime ago........I'm sure all of these feelings are normal.  What hasn't changed is that parents don't always get what teenagers are doing.  I know I look at ours and think, "really?".

I hope we're doing this right!

friends

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." - Marcel Proust



I am fortunate to have so many friends.  Thank you to all of my friends who took time out of their schedules, and provided material needs, to family members of mine who you've never met and don't know.  

I have so many amazing friends...so many beautiful people in my life.  I love you all.

our roots run deep

Our roots run deep in Alabama, on my side......this week was a Stewart strong week.  One of my cousin's wife's mom passed away, from the very same thing that my dad passed away from.  One of my aunt's oldest daughter, who passed away less than a year ago, has a son that gave my aunt a great grandchild.  And a couple of nights ago, while my family was mourning the loss of my cousin's wife's mom, another cousin's house burned, and they lost everything.

Stewarts get back up.  They don't back down, ever...but that's a whole other story.  They get back up, and we all get up with them, stand beside each other, behind each other, and get each other through all of it.  There are times in every family's history in which family is fighting, this one isn't getting along with that one.  That's true in our family, too.  But the second we need each other - we're there.

Thank you to all of my friends who have helped our family get through this, and thank you to all of my friends and family who have prayed for my family.  I love you all.

Tonight is a night I'm thinking of roots, family, memories, & what's ahead for all of us.  And thankful for every minute of it.