The Long and Short of It....

On October 16, Spirit of Athens and Art of the Square are jointly hosting a premiere party for the Southern Shorts Film Festival. The party will include food, beverages, and viewing of the film festival winning films. This good time is going to be held at the Boys and Girls Clubhouse on the square.
I am looking forward to this festival for so many reasons. It will be family friendly and held at McCandless Hall on the beautiful campus of Athens State University. There are so many things I love about our town, and ASU is definitely one of those. While it may not be a large university with a football team, it is one of the most charming campuses I have ever visited. Those who know me well know that I have visited a LOT of college campuses.
All of the pertinent information can be found here. A talented local writer, Kelly Kazek, wrote the article I have referenced. I think I should leave the writing to professionals. In fact, Kelly just had a book published. "Fairly Odd Mother: Musings of a Slightly Off Southern Mom" can be purchased downtown at Pablo's or on Amazon.
For those of you interested in all things celluloid, I would highly recommend a visit to Athens in October!

Life Lessons...

Things I've learned from my mother:



Always wear clean under wear. This is a really good point.



A Coca-Cola bottle from the eighties is the best way to hang an angel food cake.



Things I've learned from my children:



Never try to climb a chest of drawers.



Never leave the house without a change of clothes.

Sharing is not an innate urge. It must be taught and learned.

Let sleeping babies be.

Things I've learned from my job:



Even if you are just the bearer of bad news, you will get chewed out. The messenger will get shot. "Mr. X, you owe $43,000 on the federal return and $16,000 on the state return." "It's really not my fault that you made a bunch of money and didn't make any estimated payments; I tried to talk to you about this 9 months ago." "No, I cannot do voodoo on a tax return."

Keep hand sanitizer in plain view of the client.

If you go above and beyond the call of duty once, it will be expected of you from that point on.



Things I've learned from my husband:



Hunting is fun.

Having an air compressor is almost a necessity. Seriously, how did I take care of things before?

Tivo is definitely a necessity. I remember when Mr. Tivo first came to live with us. I was utterly confused why we needed it. I had a VCR; why did I need a digital recorder? The hubs told me how much I would grow to love it. I cannot imagine life without Tivo now! The hubs is brilliant!!

Things I've learned from TV:

When you meet your true love, Luther Van Dross will not actually be playing in the background while time stands still.



Do not ever say the words....It can't get worse....because it will.


Oprah has the power to make people talk about things they should have kept secret. She's like a skeleton key for the memories people try to lock out of mind.



Things I learned in Mexico:



Having clean water is something to be thankful for - every day. When you drive past a small pond and see children bathing in it, women getting drinking water from it, and dogs playing in it, that one pond will remind you how blessed you are to have clean, running water.

It is okay to be afraid of anything.

Do You Ever Wonder...

Why children are so happy?

My three children are definitely happy campers. Of course, a case of the grumps will happen upon them from time to time, but for the most part, they are happy. Even the small things make them happy. A trip to McDonald's before for school for hash browns...an extra hug before bed time...the use of the "big tub" with the jets on...getting to sleep in one of my t-shirts.... Small things that don't strike me as important make them so happy. What is one thing you do with your child that causes elation?

What I Want...

This is what I want to do whenever someone points the camera at me. It's been so long since I saw a decent photograph of myself, that I don't even bother putting on an actual smile for the camera.

From Senior Prom to Senior Moment...

We attended the coolest wedding recently. It was a lovely event complete with Henna tattoos and tuxedos. Because the bride and groom's families have different faiths, two services were performed. Man, I really want a Sari now!

Here we are with the bride and groom...Rachel and Sandip. Jay and I went to high school with Sandip. In fact, we shared a limo to the senior prom. That's hot.

Friday Not the 13th...But Close Enough...

So, I mentioned Layton's surgery. In short, he had to have some repair to his ear drum, tubes in both ears, and have his adenoids removed. I thought I'd share a few of the pictures Ella insisted on taking and one that I took.

This is Layton with "Ugly Red" before we got called to the back.


After the uneventful trip to the "behind the scenes area" of the surgery center, Layton helped me get him suited up in a lovely disposable gown. The bed was fairly comfy and had a TV for the big man to watch while he waited...and while I prayed. Even though we've been through this same surgery for Ella, I was still a little anxious.

Ella climbed up on the bed with him, and they watched TV together. The Velcro-type stuff on the back of the gown wouldn't stay fastened. Ella kept trying to make it stay closed. It was so sweet!

Hadley...Before and After...

Hadley recently decided that riding her bicycle is the most important thing in the world. Because she didn't really ride very much, we hadn't bought her a bicycle in years. The evidence....


Notice how her knee is up under her armpit. Yes, that's a Disney Princess bicycle...circa 2003. Jay took her to get a new bike over the weekend.

She picked out a pink bicycle that she loves. It was on sale too! $59.00! I was shocked. When Santa bought the princess bike, I am positive that it was over $100.00. I guess Santa paid for the brand and the pretty pinkness of it.

Anyway, here she is on the new bike.

Also, Layton had a little minor surgery on Friday. I actually have some pictures of that to post too. Ella found the camera in my purse and decided to go all Annie Liebovitz on the surgery center.

Bible Study.....

A local church has a young women's ministry group. One of the things on the agenda is a monthly meeting of the gals to discuss the Frazzled Female by Cindi Wood. This book has been perfect for me. We only read/discuss one chapter a month, but I sat down and read the entire book after the first meeting I attended. I have reread the book since then. It has helped me accept the fact that sometimes...I have to say no. I have accepted the fact that I cannot do everything by myself. I am human. I have even begun to distance myself from codependent relationships. The blog title holds a lot of truth.

D-Rama.....

Ella is a drama queen. We were in the car line to pick up Hadley one day when she ordered me to take her picture. I made her ask nicely. Then, she proceeded to walk me through her photo shoot.

The worn out face...

The happy face...

The sad face...

The mad face...

That's right. She was calling out a face before making it. She cries on call. She attempts a British accent. She is DRAMA! Maybe I should put her in a theatre program....

Death from Taxes...

Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes. Benjamin Franklin


Oh, that Ben Franklin. He was such a clever fellow! I would like to take this opportunity to let you all know that I have mostly survived the past week. A few more weeks to go, and then I'll be able to act nice again. HA!

Benjamin Franklin suggested that the only certainties are death and taxes. In my case, taxes will be the death of me.

Just a Little Break...

I will be taking a little break from the blog. The deadline for filing an extended corporate income tax return is Tuesday; therefore, I am a little bit busy at work. AND, the hubs and I are going to a wedding this weekend. Why is it that people always wait until the last minute to bring in their tax return information?

River Rats Minus One...

It seems like all of my photos lately exclude poor Hadley. My mother took her shopping for her birthday present on Sunday, and Jay and I went to the river for some fun. So, Hadley is not in the following photographs, but I promise to get some good shots of her in the next post.

What river trip is complete without a picture of Ella and Layton squeezing each other unnecessarily tight on the pier?
Have I mentioned that Ella is a drama queen? The face speaks for itself. FYI: I take her to the orthodontist in the morning. The thumb sucking must come to an end, and he has a plan to make it happen.

Layton rode the trike.

And helped Jay see how deep the water level is at the pier? How deep was it?

A little more than an "Ella" deep.

Contemplating if it is a bad idea to jump in without floaties.

Working the pier like a runway. Roll Tide, by the way!

Just another fun day...

Local Landmark Love...

If you live in North Alabama, you might have heard of Kreme Delite. If not, you should get in your car and head towards Athens now. Kreme Delite is a place of joy. They serve the best milkshakes, malts, and sundaes. I'm not even sure how long it's been in business, but a lady behind us in line the other day mentioned that she worked at Kreme Delite when she was in high school nearly 50 years ago.

When I was a child, Kreme Delite was a big treat for us. My parents would take us after every major event. Spring band concert, cheerleader tryouts, parades...it became a tradition of sorts. My dad was sneaky and went to Kreme Delite without the rest of us during work hours. It got to the point where the ladies knew his car and order. They started on his order before he even got to the window!

Ella is a HUGE Kreme Delite fan. How could anyone not be?

Pick It Up Now.....

Patterns. Have you ever noticed that life is one pattern after another?

Every day, I take my three children to school. I drop them off at three different schools. Ella is the first to go. Next is Hadley. Last is Layton. I pick them up in the same order as well.

Hadley is always happy to get in the car and head home for the day.

Layton is usually sleepy. I pick him up right after nap time.

Ella wiggles and jiggles all over the car while we wait in the ridiculously long car line at Hadley's school.

This is the aforementioned car line. It has several curves and twists along the way. Sometimes, we actually wait on the highway just to get in the car line.

This is a pattern that repeats itself five days a week. The children know that I will be in the kitchen preparing lunch boxes and filling water bottles. There is no doubt that I will attempt to tame unruly hair. They know that I will usher them to school every day. They know that I will usher them home from school as well. They also know what I am going to say to them when we get home.

The same thing is true of other events that take place at my house. Sometimes I want to change my name to broken record. Hmmm. I'd have to change my vanity call sign with the FCC. I'll keep my name, but I get so tired of being a broken record. What are the most common phrases I use too much you ask? That's easy...

"Brush your teeth."

"Please clean your bedroom."

"Have you got any homework?"

"Get your shoes on."

"Do you know where your shoes are?"

"It's time for bed."

"I said NOW."

"No, you cannot have a pony."

"Bath time."

"Do you want to eat or go hungry? Then, come to the dinner table now."

"Clean your room!"

"I said pick it up NOW."

and my personal favorite

"I am going to sell you to the gypsies if you don't mind me. I've got them on speed dial."

Day in and day out, I say these things to my children. Do they listen? No. Do they mind? No. They suffer from one of God's greatest gifts - free will. Some day when I am older, I will tell the children to clean their rooms, and the rooms will already be clean. When I am even older, there will be no children to fuss at; they will be grown and behaving like broken records with their own children. Until then, I will continue to scrape Pop Tarts off of places that Pop Tarts should never be.

Cock-a-Doodle-Doo...And Some Cake...

Yesterday, I walked downtown to meet Trisha for lunch. We had a lovely visit at Luvici's. We talked about Spirit of Athens and what my goals should be for the coming month. Before lunch was finished, Diane and Alissa came in to eat! We sat with them for a while and most ordered cake. It was so much fun to sit with a group of local gals and talk for a while. We were discussing the Southern Shorts Film Festival that is happening here in October. I am getting very excited about it! If you are interested in submitting a film, shoot me an email. Tickets to the premiere party and festival itself are going on sale soon! The premiere party is going to be one happening red carpet! Local celebrities are sure to be in attendance.

One night last week, Jay and I took the family unit downtown for an evening. We walked and ate and had a grand time. Ella and Layton saw this huge rooster outside of Trinity's Gifts and Interiors (formerly Grayson Scott). They had to have their picture made in front of it. Hadley was busy running back into Maria Bonita's to retrieve the bracelet she left on the table. It seems like no matter how many times I remind the children of something, they just don't listen. I told Hadley she would certainly forget the bracelet. Sure enough, she forgot it.

Layton is clutching one of the local free papers. I am not entirely sure why, but he loves them! He picks up the real estate guides, the free coupons, and the free news papers from the stands around town. Order books! If you really want to make the boy happy, hand him an order book. He has one that came in the mail weeks ago that he carries with him to bed at night. It's a Halloween costume catalog. The corners are all bent, and pages are starting to fall out of it. Oh, how he loves an order book.

I Do Not Think That Word Means What You Think It Means...

Another Wednesday will get you another strange list of things that "I don't."



I don't like banana flavored candy. Example: Banana Laffy Taffy. I don't know why; I just don't like it. I love real bananas though.



I don't have any sinus cavities under my face besides the two under my eyes which are very small and barely visible on an x-ray. The hubs says I am a genetic freak.




I don't wear sandals or flip flops unless my feet have recently had a pedicure. I have a foot thing, obsession, dislike, not really sure what to call it. I can't handle seeing people in flip flops with nasty, crusty feet. Ewww.



I don't like getting up early. I am a night owl. I would much rather work from 8:00PM to 8:00AM. Unfortunately, no one seems to want their tax return prepared at 3:00AM. Hmmm. Maybe it's time to reconsider my career. :)

I don't sleep barefoot. Believe me, I know this would drive some people nuts, but I prefer to sleep with socks on.

I don't think I have anything else to say at the moment. Wow, that's a first. I always have something to say. Tune in another day for more of my idiosyncrasies.

What Happens When You Give a Three Year Old a Napkin?...

Lasterday...

Last night, Layton informed me that Ella's birthday was "lasterday." He also told me that he has to go to school "tomorrow ago." Yesterday's trifecta of child grammar was completed with the phrase "get the nudder towel."