Thing 3 has discovered how to pull faces.
She does it all the time, and thinks that its hilarious when I do it.
If I want a fast laugh, I will pull a face with my hands... Her giggle is catching.

She also has learned how to take her clothes off-- all by herself. This means that we have a continual dress parade... All day long. Right now her most favorite thing in the whole world are her P.J.'s. She LOVES her pajamas. But, she can't decide on what pair to wear, so she ends up going through all of them-- every single day.
It's nice to be able to tell her "Go get dressed"... But now I have to worry about how it is that she gets herself dressed. She gets totally offended if I even suggest that she may want to change into something that matches, cause you know orange shirts and purple and yellow checked pants really don't look that great together.
But, hey, what do I know?
I just pick my battles with her.
It's easier and less traumatic on everyone involved.

I have a theory.
It is the only thing that I can come up with to explain the weird phenomenon that I am experiencing.
I spend all day, almost everyday doing laundry.
It drives me insane.
All of you that know my "dirty little secret", know that I HATE HATE HATE doing laundry.
I dunno why.
I just do.
My old house had the best laundry room. It was really big, and in the basement--easily forgotten. I had a great rec. room off the laundry room that had a lovely couch that I told everyone that its purpose was to hold the clean laundry.
I just hate doing laundry.
It used to be the source of a lot of fights between Hombre and I. He is the neat freak in our relationship. He hates the way I DON'T do laundry.
So, we came up with an agreement.
He does his own, I do everyone else's.
It works for us.

At the new house, the laundry room is at the top of the stairs-- visible to anyone who comes to the house for a visit. I don't know what I was smoking when I thought that was a good idea. I like the idea of the laundry room being upstairs... I hated carting the laundry down 4 flights of stairs! But, in this house, I have to actually keep the laundry done.
Which brings me back to my theory.
Just when I get the laundry done, and off the floor. I will come back from putting it all away, and there will be more laundry that has shown up.
I swear!
It's true.
How is this possible?
Well, here's what I think:
The only way I can explain it is that I have gnomes living in my house. When they sense that there is no more laundry on the floor, they throw more laundry up from where they have been living...Underneath the laundry room floor.

I just wish they would quit tormenting me, and give me all the matches to the socks.

I have gnomes. I wonder how you de-gnome a house.

I got a phone call this morning at 9:15am, asking if Hombre and I could meet with our Bishop at 10:00 am. I was a little frazzled, but we got there. Thank heavens for Anonymous Pappys that can come and sit with the kids so that we didn't have to drag them down to the church too.

I got a new calling.
Remember friends, in my church, we each get a calling-- or a responsibility. We have a lay church, so we each are assigned something to be incharge of. It is actually quite smart. The more people you have contributing, the more people who are involved. It helps you to feel needed. Anyway....

I'm the Secretary for the Relief Society.
For all my Non-Mormon friends that are reading this-- that means that I will be the Secretary of our women's organization at church. I will be in charge of keeping track of who is coming and who isn't. I will have to take notes at our Presidency meetings, type them up, and email them out to everyone. I am actually quite excited! It's the best calling to have, really. You get to be "in the know", but you don't have do anything about it. You just have to be an awesome note taker. I am that! It will help me to get to know everyone in the ward. I only know my cousin that lives behind me... So it will force me to be outgoing and learn everyone's names.
I know... You are saying that you thought I was outgoing.
Well, I had you fooled.
I am actually a very shy person.
I have to make myself be outgoing. It takes effort. Sometimes more than others.
Hombre teases me, cause if I am going to be in a new situtation that I find uncomfortable--I practice things that I would talk about so that it will flow naturally. I sortof come up with a list of topics that would be "o.k." To talk about...
Pathetic, I know.
So, anyway. I got a new calling.
I am excited.
It feels great to have something to keep me busy.
I hate having nothing to do...Except cleaning the house.
And lets be honest--- how clean can a person make their house before it gets to be a little ridiculous?

January 29th signifies the beginning of the Chinese New Year.
This year is the year of the dog.

I was born in 1971.
That makes it the year of the pig...

What does this mean, and is it a sign??

I read a GREAT book today, Someone Not Really Her Mother.
It was a super fast read, and with it snowing, I decided to just hunker down and enjoy it.
It was different than what I had expected. I guess I didn't really know what to expect.
I thought it would be from the child's point of view, but it was from the Mothers-- who was suffering from Alzheimers. It was interesting to read it from her point, cause it really put a voice to Alzheimers, and what it must be like for those who suffer from it.
The author was fantastic at capturing the confusion, and the woman's inability to remember who people are. She was always grasping for a memory, that she knew was there, but was just out of her reach.

It was an easy read, and it really made me think.
My Grandmothers both started loosing their minds at the end.
My one Grandmother used to call me Felicia, and my sister Trixie.
We thought it was hilarious until our Dad pointed out that those were the names of their horses...
My sister still calls me Felicia.
She was one of the most honest women around, but she took to stealing things. She tried to cart off one of my cousins makeup... I duno why she thought she needed that.

My Other Grandma kept trying to marry us off to the security guards... Or other such crazy things. She would hide food in her room, and the eat it in the middle of the night. And convienetly loose her teeth.
How does one loose their teeth?
She lived with my family for several years... Until she died.

This book was an eye opening read...
I wish I could've read it while they were alive...
Maybe I would've been nicer, and not laughed at what I thought was all the silly things they were saying...
I totally recommend this book.
Its easy.
It's short --165 pages is all.
It's a great read!

It snowed today.
A LOT!!!
They were predicting around 2-4 inches--just today.
I think it was more, but what do I know?!
It has now snowed for 2 days straight.
I forgot how pretty it is here when it snows.
In Illinois, the snow would come in sideways, with a bellowing wind.
Here, it just sort of floats down, all fluffy like.

This photo was taken up at This is the Place Park. I used to live just down the street from this park. I walked there once, and I emphasize the ONCE point.... It was a long time ago. Thing 1 thought it was great fun... She was the age that Thing 3 is now. It seems like eons ago. Time is going much much too fast!

Click HERE if you want to see what the valley looks like. It's a webcam set up in the mountains to view the SLC valley--- it's breath taking!

The Things were all mad at me this afternoon. Hombre was at the University studying for the bar, so I decided that I would take them to a movie and dinner. They wanted McDee's-- for the playland. We got all ready, and bundled up all warm, only to discover that Mountain mamma's van had a dead battery. With the way the Things were carrying on, you would've thought that I had maliciously planned to have the van's battery die-- just so that I could torture them. Sheesh.
Thing 1 had enormous crocodile tears.
She said I promised to take them to dinner, and a movie, and now I was breaking my promise.
Uh.
Ok.
I guess we can walk.
Thing 3 was trying to be helpful, and told the big Things to get their bikes, that we could ride our bikes to Happy Meal.
Never mind that Thing 3 doesn't know how to ride a bike...
Never mind the snow storm.
Or the fact that McDee's is far far away.
Or that it's cold outside.
And snowing.

Silly little things!

Hombre came to their rescue.
He rented them movies and brought them pizza.
What a good Dad!

Poor Poor James Frey.
He lied.
Now the whole world knows he's a great big fat liar!! Sucks to be him!!
I watched Oprah yesterday. She NAILED him to the wall!! I have never seen an interview quite that... How would you say it? Heated? Direct? Lacking compassion? She was one angry woman. That interview was direct, and ruthless. It actually made me uncomfortable. I had to change the channel several times... But then the rubber-necker that I am made me turn back to see the "train wreck" that was happening on national T.V.
I was squirming in my seat-- and I wasn't even the one that was getting interviewed,or should I say Crucified? At the end of the interview, I actually felt sorry for poor fellow.
He has ruined his life. Who will ever, in their right mind, publish one of his books again? And for that matter, who in their right mind would read any of his "new" books, let alone the current ones?
I will give him this: It takes a tremendous amount of courage to go on the Oprah show and admit that you lied to millions of people-- including your parents, wife, and least of all the most powerful woman on earth-- Ms. Oprah.
Wow.
He has some Kahonas!!!

Poor poor James Frey.
At least his reality is NOT my reality!!
Praise Allah!!
All of his "transgressions" are being played out in front of the entire world. That would really stink!

I am grateful that I am anonymous. That keeps my faults only visible to those who know me, and still love me anyway.

I LOVE Music! It makes me happy!
Its Friday again!
Time for My Random 10...
What I'm Listening too!
You know the rules, and how to play.
Let me know if you do.


1. Restless - Alison Krauss
2. When You Come Back Down - Nickelcreek
3. Satellite - Dave Mathews Band
4. Mayberry - Rascal Flatts
5. Wicked Game - Chris Isaak
6. Let It Fall - Sean Watkins
7. Brick - Ben Folds Five
8. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2
9. Come Pick Me Up - Ryan Adams
10.I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You - Tom Waits

I think that everyone hits that point when they say:
"Aw Right! I've had it! I need a vacation. I want sun, ocean, peace and quiet---and no one gets hurt! "

I'm there.

I need a vacation.
I want to go here...
where ever here is...

I just want a vacation.


From this:

Thing 3 dressed herself today. Didn't she do a great job? She is wearing Thing 1's shirt and some shorts. Brrr! It's winter outside. She doesn't care, she says, cause she has a blanket.
Oh. Ok.
She is such a cutie.
She can be a handful, but she is such a sweet little girl!!
She is strong willed.
Nothing and no one can convince her to do something. It has to be entirely her idea. She had to decide that going potty in the big girl potty was the cool thing.
Then she was all over the big girl potty.

Now we have to let her decide that pooping in the big girl potty is a cool thing.
She definitely teaches me patience!

I should be glad that she is like this-- maybe it means that she will not be easily swayed by her friends and their crazy ideas. Lets hope so! Besides, When you have someone this cute smiling at you all the time, how bad could your day really be? She is fun! My cute little Thing 3!

Thing 3 did well in the science fair. Her arch rival - as she tells it - beat her in the contest. It's this boy that she used to have a major crush on. Now she thinks he is big time dork. I think thats the case because they are constantly competing for the highest grades on everything.
She is major competitive, so anyone who gives her a run for her money is going to bug her, I think.
Anyway, her project was really good. She learned some really interesting things, that should stay with her! I am proud of her!


She spent all day yesterday doing her Book report Art project. I asked her if she missed doing this kindof stuff--since that was all she did last year in the Arts program that she was in. She said: "Uhh, no not really. I forgot how much I hated this kindof stuff." I had to laugh. She liked the Fine Arts program, and it was great experience for her, but I am glad that we were able to move so that we could "gracefully" pull her out. She seems happier this year!
If you can't tell, her project was a book who's main characters are Owls. That's what that feathery creature is there in the right corner. I thought it was quite creative. She did a good job. We had to give the Owl a "haircut" cause it was soo feathery. We had feathers everywhere!!


She is such a great kid! She is so smart! I feel really blessed to have her in my life! She is extremely spiritual, and grounded! What a blessing she is in our family!

It's official.
I've decided to come out of the closet.

I'm a hillbilly at heart.
I'm serious.

I love hillbilly music.
I love it all.
All versions.
Full fledged hillbilly.
Rock-a-billy.
Appalacian.
Bluegrass.
Folk.
And yes, even country.
All of it!

I mean, one of my most favorite movies is
"O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
How more Hillbilly could you get? I'm sure you all could tell me just exactly HOW more hillbilly I could get...

At least I don't have the hillbilly teeth, the trailer and the man who likes to wear wife beaters!
I just like the music!

Whew! I came out of the closet... and I feel such relief!

It's here again.
What you ask?
Why, Random 10 Friday.
Here are my 10.
Let me know if you played!

1.Rodeo Clowns - Jack Johnson
2.Explode - Nelly Furtado
3. About To Make Me Leave Home - Bonnie Raitt
4. Love Soon - John Mayer
5. That's Just What You Are - Aimee Mann
6. Sweet Surrender - Sarah McLauchan
7. Folk Song - David Gray
8. Sweetest Thing (The Single Mix) - U2
9. Eden - 10,000 Maniacs
10. Ants Marching - Dave Mathews Band

Thing 3 is still sick.
That means no sleep for Mountain Mama.

Calgon...
Take Me Away!!!

Thing 3 has croop.
Need I say more?
She has learned how to milk it for all its worth.
I am sure that I will find it all humorous tomorrow...
but tonight, I am just thanking Allah that we all made it through...
ALIVE!!!

Look at all that snow!
Can you believe that all that fell in under a 3 hour period??
Insane!
I came home from the mall today, and did a donut coming around the corner to my house. I WAS in 4-wheel drive, and I was going slow! I am glad that is finally snowing. That was one of the things that I loved about Utah-- all the thick fluffy snow! How can you not find that enchanting? Especially if you don't have to go out in it! Can you see all those big, fluffy, flakes? It is perfect snowball making snow!
Thing 2 will love this!
It is snowing so hard, you can't even see the mountains from the front porch! YEAH! Finally it feels like winter!
I just feel bad for Hombre, he has to shovel all that!
And our driveway is not short, and we have the longest sidewalk ever in front of the house!
Oh well!
It's good excersize!

What a GRRRRRREAT day!!

I love where I live.
It is awesome.
There are only 4 stop lights in the whole town.
Well, 5 if you count the one that is on the boarder to the neighboring town.
It is full of people who have lived here their whole life, and never wanted to live anywhere else. There are 2 grocery stores in town. The one where Hombre and I met, and then "the other one"... the one where the locals don't shop. The locals are fiercly loyal to Bowmans. To shop elsewhere would almost be equal to a sin.
I like that.
I'm serious.
That's an awesome quality to have in a town.
Loyalty.

I went "into town"-- I can't believe that I can actually say that.
"Into town". ---this is me grining at the fact that I say I go 'into town' "---

Anyway, I went into town last night to grab some stuff to make Hombre's favorite dinner-- Ranch Chicken. I was trying to hurry. I wanted to beat the storm, and Hombre. We got all our stuff piled up high at the checkout, when I realize that last night I was the tooth fairy. I left my wallet sitting on my nightstand.
No debit card.
No I.D.
No nothing.
I started to panic. I was talking rather loudly to myself that I left my wallet home, and the cute highschool checkout boy says: "How far do you live? Just take the groceries, run home, and bring me back the money."
WHAT? Are you for real?
I polietly decline, and say that my bank is the bank in the store, and I will see if they will give me some money-- without my I.D.
I run up to the teller, and explain my plight. She says: "No I.D. No money."
NO shock there for me.
But then I got a bright idea.
My cousin works at that bank.
I say--Anonymous cousin is MY cousin. Do you think she could vouch for me?
The teller says, without even blinking an eye--"Why sure! How much money do you need?"
She promptly gives me my money, and sends me on my way.
Anonymous Cousin hollers out, and teases me a bit.

Anywhere else, I would be considered a complete and total ditz.
But here, they just smile, help me out, and love me anyway.
Aren't small towns great??
I love where I live!

Hey! It's Random 10 Friday again.
Here's my list.
Let me know if you played, and what your random 10 are!

1. Rain Please Go Away - Alison Krauss
2. Clocks - Coldplay
3. Is She Really Going Out With Him - Joe Jackson
4. Carolina Rain - Ryan Adams
5. I am Weary, Let me Rest - The Cox Family Singers
6. Mama Will Provide - Broadway Musical, Once On This Island
7. Landslide (Live in Boston) - Fleetwood Mac
8. I Don't Like Monday's - Boomtown Rats
9. Baby Now That I've Found You - Alison Krauss
10. Letting Go - Suzy Bogus

And one more, just for kicks: 19 Something - Mark Wills

Did You Play???

Ranting: A loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion and having no known name, no known source or identity.

This is me, Anonymous MountainMama.
This is me ranting and raving!

I have a pet peeve.
A big one!
Let me explain.

My dog Zoe. She is a spazzy dog, who is freaky-deeky about weird things.
She is a good dog.
Spazzy, but good.

When I walk my spazzy dog, I try to be courteous to other people. If she makes a "mess" on someone else's property, then being the good citizen that I am, I clean up the mess.
Thats the politically correct thing to do.
That's the good neighbor thing to do.
I don't let my spazzy dog run the neighborhood, alone, unsupervised. She is always on a leash. I never send my dog out THE FRONT DOOR, to then go poop on other people's lawn. Thats just plain rude, crude, and socially unexceptable!

I think you can probably tell what my pet peeve is... other people's dogs pooping on my lawn. My FRONT lawn. It drives me insane!

This is me ranting, clenching my fists, jumping up and down, screaming at the top of my lungs:
I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!

I don't mind scooping MY dogs poop, in my own backyard. Its gross, but its MY DOG, so its my chore.
But I HATE scooping poop from my front lawn.
It actually makes me get a nervous tick.
I'm serious.
I'm starting to talk to myself, out there in front yard, about how much I hate scooping other people's dogs crap.
Today, I found myself yelling: "I hate this!" At the top of my lungs.
I know.
I really need therapy!
My little "tape recorder" of a 2year old was repeating me.
The whole things is infuriating!

There are some people on this street, who send their dog out the front door, watch him run to our yard, poop, then call him home.
I have become a big dork regarding this dog. Said dog likes to come and sit on MY porch, and then bark at everything that moves. Now I find myself sneaking up to the window and then pounding on the window to scare the crap out of the poop monster. He will wildly run across the street, and then turn to look at my house--all the while barking up a storm.
Dumb dog!

Do you think it would be "over the top" if I put a great big sign on my front yard that says:
"This is a no-poop zone. Poop somewhere else!"

Is that too much? Hmmm... I wonder!

Friday the 13th.
I should've know today would be jinxed.
It's Friday the 13th.
Usually, I'm not superstious.
But, when I saw the date today, AFTER THE FACT...
Well, maybe I will change my mind.
Why you ask?
Come with me, and I will take you on a wild ride.

I went to the local grocery store - Bowmans.
You know the one where Hombre and I met.
I just wanted to get a soda, and some baby food for Anonymous Baby nephew.
While I was putting Thing 3 into the firetruck shopping cart, I ran into a guy that I have known since ELEMENTARY school.
We have been friends for years and years.
I hadn't seen him in over 10 years... so of course we had a lot of catching up to do.
We started visiting.
And talking.
And laughing.
And talking some more.
Thing 3 was being so patient.
She took Anonymous Friends little boy, and showed him the candy isle.
She was so kind, and kept bringing the little boy candy.
We kept talking.
And laughing.
And talking.
An hour goes by, all the while we are talking in the entryway of the grocery store-- getting all caught up on everything.
I look for Thing 3 and Little boy, and see them in the candy isle.

I had been wondering why the cashiers had been giving me the evil eye...
I should've known.
It was Thing 3.
She and Anonymous Little Boy had gotten the little shopping carts for the little people, and COMPLETELY, and I do mean COMPLETELY emptied the candy isle. All the candy bars, gum, laffy taffys, M&M's... everything were in each of their carts.
Full to the brim.
Of candy!
I about died.
Anonymous friend started laughing at me when Thing 3 promptly threw herself on the floor, kicked her shoes off, and started screaming :"My candy! My candy!"
I pushed the 2 shopping carts over to the candy isle, apologized profusely.
Cashier lady only glared.
Then I ran for the door faster than an 7-16!!
Anonymous Friend hollers behind me: "Fun to see you again M.M. AND Good luck with THAT!" nodding to my out of control toddler.

It's my fault.
I should've been paying better attention.
I don't think I can go into Bowmans again, not for a while anyway.
At least not until the angry eyed cashier forgets what we look like!

I have moved back to the town were I was raised. I lived here from the time I was 4 until I turned 23--when I got married.
Then I left for bigger and better things. Never to return.
Or so I thought.
I can remember when there was only 1 stop light in town, and only 1 place to eat--a greasy hamburger joint called Hobo Joes.
I remember when my house, where I live now, would've been in the middle of the dairy farm. I remember when there was only 1 grocery store in town-- the one where I met Hombre.
It was a small town then, and it still has that small town feel.
Sometimes I find it a little creepy that I'm back here. So many of the people that I knew growing up are still around, having never left.
But, most of the time, I find it enchanting.
It's kindof neat to drive around and remember all the places that I used to hang out, and see the people that I used to hang out with.

My sixth grade teacher works at the grocery store that Hombre and I met in. He has worked there for as long as I can remember... probably even when I WAS in sixth grade. I haven't seen him in well over 10 years. Yet, when I went in there for the first time after moving back, he came right up to me and gave me a hug and said: "Where have you been?" I looked at him kindof funny and said "You know who I am?" and he told me "Yes! You were one of my students".
He even remembered my name. Then he made such a fuss over my kids and told them all about being their Mom's 6th grade teacher.
The Things thought that was amazing... their Mom actually went to school. AND it was the school that they are going to now.
Everytime I go into this store, he is there, and he ALWAYS makes a fuss over me and introduces me to everyone as 'one of his students.'

Small towns. They are a curse when you are young.
But when you get older, they are a comfort.

I heard this song a long time ago on the CBS morning show. I loved it then, but have never been able to remember who sang it or the name. When we got Rhapsody, I did a little searching and found it. Its all about your hometown.
I hate to admit this, but I actually find myself getting a little verklempt when I listen to this song. It's a great tune to reflect on your hometown.










This is My Home Town.
I couldn't wait to leave it when I was younger.
I saw the world. I lived in fabulous places.
Now, I will raise my kids here, in My Town.

Click here to play Me - : My Town - Montgomery Gentry

Do you know what I hate? I hate having dreams where you are fighting with people, and then abruptly wake up. That really sucks. You wanna know why? Because, then you spend the entire rest of the morning trying really hard not to be crabby with every single person you meet--especially the people you were fighting with in your dream.
UGH!
I hate that!

Have you seen the commercial for International Delights where the woman wakes up grumpy, and she sprays the paper boy with hose; the man slams the door in the girl scouts face, the woman pushes the close button on the elevator when she hears someone yell "hold the elevator" and the man knocks over all the books/files while sulking down the hall at work??
I LOVE THAT COMMERCIAL!!
It makes me laugh every time I see it.
Mornings are just not my thing... especially when the sun doesn't rise until 7:52 am. Whats up with that?

ANYWAY--
On to something less ornery, and more... whatever.

Today is Maurice Sendaks birthday. He wrote my most favorite book. When I was in 1st grade, I checked out Where The Wild Things Are every single time I went to the library. I would diligently look around for another book to get, but ALWAYS end up getting that book again.
Finally, after several months of this, the Librarian told me I couldn't check that book out again, and that I needed to find a new book.
I was devastated.
Didn't she know that THIS was the only book I loved? Was she insane to think that I could love another book as much as THIS book?

I still love that book. I got all excited when I saw in the book of the month club that the Things bring home that you could buy this book, and now they have plush stuffed animal type characters from the book.
OH MY GOODNESS!
If only they had things like that when I was a kid!

Which brings me nicely to another point. The toys kids have to play with these days are friggin' awesome! When I was a kid, all we had to play with were sticks and a few nice boulders.
Now'a days, the kids have the most amazing toys! I guess that's why I get so excited to buy the kids toys-- they are freaking amazing! I think that Hombre and I get more excited to play with the toys than the kids do.
Case in point: Whenever I would take Thing 1 to The American Girl Place in Chicago, I would get all giddy inside. She was unimpressed. I would try and convince her to buy the clothes and dolls that I liked.
I know.
Thats proof I need therapy.
Anyway, when we would get home, she would wander off, playing with her other toys. I would promptly sit down and try all the clothes on the dolls. NOW-- the weird thing is this-- I DIDN'T LIKE DOLLS WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL.
I know.
Therapy.
NO!
Proof that the toys are cooler now'a days than the sticks and boulders I got to play with!

Oh, and FYI--- the Librarian was right. I could love more than one book!

Tweet

This is the mood at my house. Big, fat, ugly, stress! So much stress, that it makes you go totally 100% certifiable crazy!! Do not pass go, and do not collect your $200.00-- you are crazy and you need to be in the looney bin!
It's nutso around here.
We had the science project due today. We got it done, by the skin of our teeth. Hombre and Thing 1 worked on it for hours and hours yesterday. It actually turned out to be a great project! Then she remembered on her way to school that she needed a written report to go along with all the data, and graphs, and giant posters. So, we spent the night writing the writen portion of the project. She better get into the fair, cause she worked her brains out on it!

That's stress # 1

Thing 3 has four-yes count them F.O.U.R. cavaties. What kindof Mom does that mean that I am? Pretty crappy. It has only been recently that I haven't had to hold her down to try and brush her teeth. Now she willingly brushes them-- several times a day. But it's a little late for that-- she has four lovely brown cavaties in her molars-- 2 on top and 2 on the bottom.

That's stress #2

My car is STILL freaking out. It can't decide if it wants to be fixed or not. It is making me want to willing sign up for the looney bin.

Thats stress #3

Hombre is studying to take the bar-- Again.
Yes.
I know.
He already took it once, in Illinois. But, what people fail to realize is that you have to take the test in every friggin' state that you want to pracitce in.
He knew this when we moved.
When he took the test in Illinois, he said that he would NEVER EVER EVER take it again. Never
He would just practice law in Illinois, so I better get used to it! Learn to love it there cause He was never doing it again!
Yes. It sucked that bad!
The bar exam.
Yuck.
Gross.
Sick.
Wrong.
STRESS.
I feel bad for Hombre. He is kindof in a fog. He is stressed beyond words. I haven't seen him this stressed in... well, since the last time he took the bar.
And that time, I just high-tailed it out of there. There was no time for pleasantries. He needed to be able to study and not have anyone bother him. It was frankly, just plain awful and ugly.

That's stress #4

The science test is do-able.
The teeth are fixable.
The bar exam...
I hope its survivable!

At one time or another, I think that all of us have experienced it...
Peer Pressure.
It's there, for everyone's "enjoyment"?!
AND, it's not just for the kids anymore.

Thing 3 came home from church today saying that the boys in her class told her that she was never going to make it into the celestial kingdom.
WHAT??
Say its not so!
She is an angel.
She'll definately be there.
Her Mom on the other hand...
Well, she is sitting by the airconditioner--in hell, saving seats for anyone else thats gonna be there.
But, I digress.

Peer Pressure. Is it good or bad?

Thing 3 said that she forgot to "Fast" today. That was Hombre's and My job to remind everyone to do that, but we forgot. We all ate a nice lovely breakfast. She was extremely disturbed that she had not fasted... So, Hombre went upstairs with her, they opened their fast, and are spending the rest of the day fasting.

That's Positive Peer Pressure.

The fact that the boys in her class had made her feel uncomfortable enough to come home and fast--after the fact... Well, that's a good thing.

POSITIVE PEER PRESSURE!

Hopefully the kids will experience more of the GOOD Peer Pressure, rather than the BAD. That was a major contributing factor in our decision to move here. We are rooting for the good kind!

So far, so good.

Now, MountainMama on the other hand.
Well, she caved.
Hell-- Here I come.

Just remember, I'm saving seats by the air conditioners!
Just RSVP me!

Everyone has their own version of heaven.
Some its wings and floating around.
Others its never ending supplies of chocolate and soda.
Not me.
My version of heaven is a never ending supply of books, food and good music.
Thats heaven.
Well, and then there is also the other version of heaven...
Summer nights.
Fireflys.
Tiki torches.
Cicadas singing.
But, I want to talk about version #1...

Hombre and I went out to dinner tonight. It was great food, and extremely fast service. We had just settled in for our long wait, eating the bread--basically filling ourselves up waiting for the food to get there-- when it arrived--ever so quick! The food was Italian--trendy, but good.

We parked at Hombre's office and walked the 4 blocks to the 1st restaurant that we had chosen. Market Street Grill. We thought that it was a steak and seafood place. It was mostly seafood, with 3 choices of steak: Expensive, Outrageous, and Unreal. We heard some people in front of us talking about the long wait here, and that they were going to walk to the other Gastronomy restaurant--Bacci's. We decided to follow suit.
Hombre didn't want to smell like fish all night. He said he had eaten a "funky lunch", (German food) and wanted to have something "normal" for dinner--what ever that is. So, we walked another 3 blocks in the other direction to Bacci's.

This is where my 1st version of heaven comes into play. After dinner, we walked 3 more blocks in another direction to this bookstore--Sam Wellers . I have heard about this bookstore for years. It's one of the last of the independent booksellers around, and also one of the largest. It's looks are deceiving. It looks like a tiny shop, until you get inside, and then its miles of books, winding up, down, and all around. It was amazing. We wandered the third floor where the extremely rare books were-- all locked up safe and sound behind a bared door, that you needed a key to get through! Then the main floor, where the cute little coffee shop was. Thing 3 would've loved that!! LOL!!
Then we just happened to stumble upon the "basement". WOW. Is all I can say. It pretty much left me speechless-- and you know thats amazing in and of its self. We spent over an hour in the place, and didn't even see a third of it. We found all sorts of treasures that we wanted-- and most of them had new and used avaliable. The new were the standard new prices, but the used-- any where from $1.50 up to $7.00. I am sure there were higher prices, I just didn't see any. I was getting all giddy inside at the thoughts of all the books I was going to buy. I was kicking myself for not having my journal that has the 4 pages of books that I want to read... I didn't know what to buy. So, I just enjoyed wandering and looking. It was amazing. We saw one rare book about Moses that was going for... ahem... $900.00!! Yes! You read right-- Nine hundred smack-a-roos! Wow! Do people really pay that much for books that AREN"T textbooks? I dunno. I was in hog heaven looking at all the books there are for one to read!

Ahhhh... (thats me exhaling!)

I suppose the good thing about the whole night was that we ended up walking all over the city, and were able to walk off all those calories that we had consumed at dinner. It was a good night, good food and great company. What more can one ask for?

Besides a million dollars, I mean!?!

What is Random 10 Friday you ask?
Well, its when you hit play on your Itunes, or Rhapsody, or whatever your music listening device is, and let it play 10 songs, at random.
It's just another way to see what your listening too. And, if need be, we can all tease you!
Ha! You'll all be teasing me for some of the tunes that came up on my Random 10 Friday
AND no fair editing.
You have to write down every song that comes up, even if its totally embarrassing.
You can only skip it if its a repeat.
What are you listening too?

Here's mine!

Random Friday 10
1. Galileo - Indigo Girls
2. Shut up & Smile - Bowling for Soup
3. My Town - Montgomery Gentry
4. Boogie Shoes - KC & The Sunshine Band
5. Theme from Jurasic Park - John Williams
6. Clocks - Coldplay
7. What Is This Feeling? - Wicked, The Broadway Musical
8. Speed of Sound - Coldplay
9. Your body Is A Wonderland - John Mayer
10. Can't Get Enough of Your Love - Barry White

Happy Tunes

Everyone has them. Those tunes that when you hear them you can feel that smile creeping up from somewhere in your belly. The ones that make you smile, even when you don't want to. These are mine, well, not all of them, but most of them. I love these songs. They make me feel happy, even when I don't want to.
These are the songs that you would sing at the top of your lungs in the kitchen when no one is around, and some of them turn you into a dancing fool! Its awesome what music can do!

Hombre downloaded this Thing that my friend, "Just Me" told me about. It is freaking awesome!! It has every song you could ever imagine, and then about 10 more.
I really am in hog heaven, cause now I will get to have that soundtrack to my life that is always buzzing around in my head.
At least it keeps the voices in my head occupied!

An awesome feature that Rhapsody has is that they will even let you create your playlists, and then post them to your blog-- they even do the html code for you! And it's cheaper than itunes!
BONUS!!!

How do you reason with a two year old? Is it even possible? I would like to learn those magic words that will keep my two year old from having melt downs in public. The melt downs aren't even over good stuff like lottery tickets, or basketball tickets. Its over stupid --opps, she says we don't say that word Mom!-- dumb stuff that doesn't matter. Like candy and cookies and coffee.
Yes you read right.
Coffee.
Today we had a melt down in the store over Coffee. Do two year olds even know what Coffee is?
Apparently, mine thinks she does!
She got it in her head that she was getting a treat at the checkout counter at the store. First she thought she wanted the Dora Cookies. But then changed her mind. Then it was the baby crackers she saw, and then the yummy candy. She just couldn't make up her mind.
I have always told my kids that they have the right to change their minds. That way they don't get sucked into doing things that they really don't want to do... they can say "I changed my mind and I have that right."
Anyway, I digress.
Where was I? Oh yes, Coffee.
At the checkout, she saw the magical thing that would make her life perfect, and she had to have it. A giant package of gourmet Coffee. It had a pretty picture on the front, and she just KNEW that this is what would make her life perfect. She grabed it, and put it on the counter. I promptly put it back. She promptly put it back on the counter. It went on like this for a while. She HAD to have the gourmet coffee. After Mommy tried to explain that she couldn't have the gourmet coffee, she decided that a meltdown was the sure fire way to get me to give her what she wanted. I mean, if she didn't get it, then surely she would die. Right?
She still has no coffee.
She's alive.
She's pissed.
Gourmet Coffee.
As if.

I saw this video on SNL and laughed my little caboose off. Its pretty funny.
So, here it is for your listening enjoyment.
They are making fun of The Beastie Boys and other white rappers.
It's satire.
It's funny.