Gentlemen Start Yer Engines

Thursday we went to Daytona Speedway. Guess who's day it was?! Of course we couldn't be that close to the "most amazing racetrack/race on the planet" and not take a tour. The girls didn't really want to go but we made them and they had fun...really. Fun they had.


They were giddy on the inside. You just can't really tell here because it was hotter than lava and they had been through 5 days of pictures already.

Victory Lane

Rocky's new friend the tour guide man. We are not just the last people to leave the church parking lot...we are the last people to get on the track trolly too.

Picture of the girls waiting for their dad to get back on the trolly truck ... Jordan taking a nap.

It's hard to see this picture but Rocky just finished setting a new "record" on the nascar racing game thing. I think I was 4th out of 4. W/E

One of the few pictures I was in (on purpose)... you see, in Florida you can take a shower, not dry your hair and not wear make up and go anywhere you want and not stand out because people just assume you just finished swimming. It was most excellent as long as no one had a camera around. All week I told the girls, "It's vacation ladies...let your ugly hang out....no one cares" And let me tell ya, we did just that. :-)


The rest of our adventures are waiting for me to pick them up at the Walmart photo counter so you'll have to sit tight and wait until I have enough energy to travel ALL THE WAY to Walmart.

...Two Mondays Later

So I said I would post more pictures on Monday but I didn't say which one..and technically today is Sunday so I'm early. You're welcome.

This is the day we went to Disney. Since Kayla graduated this year we let her choose which Disney park she wanted to go to and she chose EPCOT.


This is when everyone was starting to get grumpy because the lines were getting long and we couldn't decide what we wanted to do next so we sat down to eat popcorn (because that is what you are supposed to do when you can't decide what to do.)Kayla was being a trooper. She is the only one who would smile.



A cool fountain and a random girl trying to lick her elbow


The boat ride that takes you through the "It's A Small World" show

Moroccan Belly Dancer

This is a picture I took of Rocky outside of the store in Morocco because we were waiting for Kayla to finish buying her magic genie lamp but she was inside flirting with the Moroccan sales boy so it took a while.

Chinese acrobats.


The only Disney characters we saw...I was a little disappointed with Mickey Mouse. You'd think that he would be all over the place since he charges so much but I didn't see him one time.

Who's Blog Is This?

Here's something you may not know about me...I can only be obsessed with one thing at a time and lately it has been t.v. and not computer. But, I'm getting a little bored with t.v. so I think it is time to move on.

So...

We just got back from our Florida vacation! Well not just just but a couple of weeks ago just. I have decided that the thing I do not like about vacation is getting ready to leave. The cleaning, packing, paying bills ahead of time, doing EVERYTHING a week in advance (this is just not how I operate)having to take the dog to puppy prison, oil changes, tire rotations, no money havin'...it's exhausting!

I have also decided that I feel really bad for anyone who has to drive more than 8 hours to get to the beach. We usually go to a different part of Florida so the scenery was a little different this time but I have to say...going through Alabama with their no paved road having selves was more interesting then going straight across Florida. Something you may not know about Florida...If you are not at the beach or in a tourist town there is a whole lot of NOTHING. Oh, and this has nothing to do with anything but I would never live in or around Atlanta. I hate hate hate hate hate hate it. I don't like driving OR riding through that traffic. My head hurts just thinking about it. Anyway...

Let me show some pictures...First from St. Augustine...This is where I picked to visit because I had thought a few times that it would be fun to vacation there but since we were so close I could just go see it...

We went to the Mission of Nombre De Dios Shrine of Our Lady Of La Leche. This is the only place I bought anything for myself. What did I buy you ask? Well let me tell you. You guys, they had a gift shop and in that gift shop was a container of water BUT not just any water...it was of the Holy version. So yes, I purchased a plastic flask full of Holy Water. You just don't know how excited I was/am. I got a couple of drops on my hand and it didn't burn so I'm thinking that was a good sign. Anyway, pictures...


This squirrel was posing so I took a picture.


This is the actual Mission.


I made the girls pose with a Saint.


Not sure what this building was...I was just taking pictures

So then we went to St. George's Row and did some shopping.
We saw the oldest schoolhouse but they charged admission to actually go inside and since it was the size of my bathroom I was pretty sure I wasn't going to pay someone to let me look at the inside four walls when I could look at the outside walls all I wanted to without paying a dime.



A cool fountain. I told the girls to make the face but Jordan was the only one who would play.


Ok. So then we went to the Lightner Museum


And saw a dead guy


And sniffed armpits


Flirted with pasty white guys


Posed like Super Hero's (I told the girls to pose or something so all of our pictures wouldn't look the same and this is what I got...nevermind)


And walked over a bridge


So it was really really hot and we were getting tired so after we paid $50 for 5 slices of pizza and 5 waters we decided to wrap it up at this fortress thingy..I can't remember the name. It was a place where people fought and it was made of rocks and was kinda stinky and if you ever go save your money...not really interesting at all.



Done and Over It


Gah that took me an hour to post...I'll put up more pictures tomorrow...or Monday. :)

Kate Plus 8?

Even though I have watched a total of maybe 10 episodes of Jon & Kate plus 8 I caved last night and watched the season premiere. I know, I am a hypocrite but so? It was the season premiere and I would much rather hear from the actual people what is going on instead of reading about it in trashy tabloids while standing in line at Walmart!

I have to say...it was pretty sad. I am not emotionally invested in this couple at all but I still felt really bad for them and those kids. I'm no expert but it doesn't look like those two really like each other anymore and that is sad because I am also pretty sure that this 'reality' show has a lot to do with it.

Jon is hating this whole reality thing. He is over it. But since he won't stand up to his wife and continues to let her treat him like her 9th child...he isn't getting out of it. So, plan B, act like a baby,abandon your husband/daddy duties and revert back to your teenage years. How's that working out for ya? Anyone else notice how rough that brother was looking on the show last night? Obviously noone is laying his clothes out for him or making sure he is eating a nutritious meal...

Kate, darling, you are great, amazing, beautiful, #1 mom...if I write that enough times would you consider dropping the show? I can't help but think that you have chosen this show and the glamour/money/benefits you receive from it over your family. You can still make appearances and write books and travel without having cameras following you around 24/7. Your kids have been living like this since they were born! Can't you give them a break? You can do like the rest of the moms on the planet and document your children growing up with blurry pictures and video that shakes because your hands won't be still! Think about it. You can't say it is for your family anymore. It's not for your husband and it's not for your kids...so who does that leave?

Not judging...just an observation. :)

Blahdy Blah WHAT?

I know that most of you don't watch LOST but dang...the season finale last night left my head spinning. It was just "'aight for me dawg" until the last 10 min. If you would have been in my house at 10:50 last night you would have heard...

LOL @ Miles
WAIT!
WHAT?!
HO-LEE COW!
NO NO NO NO NO
RUN RUN SHOOOOOT HIM!
JUUUULIETTTTEEE
AWWWWW DANG
JOHN? JOHN IS IN THE BOX??!! Then who is....
No Ben. DON'T!
"What about you?" HAHA oOoOoOoOo
OUCH
NO! STOP WITH THE BOMB! BAD IDEA! You are NOT a variable!
The End (it took me about 3 min. to recover and un-drop my jaw.)

I have officially concluded that by the end of the final season I will either be deeply offended by the story line and launching an anti-LOST campaign or I will be amazed at the genius of it all and will have to watch it all over again from episode one just to take in all of the awesomeness of it.

In Other News...

I was lucky enough to avoid braces with Kayla. Thinking I'm not gonna be so lucky with Jordan. I'm kinda bummed about it. Her teeth aren't really jacked up but they could use some straightening.
I get annoyed at these parents who have a kid with one crooked tooth on the bottom back half of their mouth, who go out and get the kid braces and pay thousands of dollars for it. That is just dumb. One crooked tooth is not going to kill a person. But when they are front teeth you kinda have to consider it. I don't really understand why they cost so much though. We are talking about glue and metal. How much could that really cost? And the orthodontist spends what? 5 seconds tightening the braces once a month? I think we are getting ripped off.

Gah, I wish someone would come clean my house! No...it wouldn't help. I just need to have a 'throw stuff in the garbage' party. I have been watching marathons of all the HGTV decorating shows and I think I am almost ready to tackle something. I'm thinking we should have our own little challenge. What if we all picked a project we have been putting off forever and do our own little 'before and after' pictures? There would have to be a time limit because I know how unmotivated we all are...and the only prizes would be either tons of praise for a job well done or heaps of shame for those who don't finish. Sounds like fun, yes? Think about it.

Oh For Cryin' Out Loud

I'm back! whoop whoop.

Where have I been?

A. Backpacking through Europe
B. On a secret mission for the government
C. At home, spring cleaning and being a good mom who cooks a lot of food
D. At home but too lazy to blog

You decide.

Well, I just watched the last episode of LOST and I have to tell ya that it is starting to look less like a mystery and more like a family reunion on Sand Mountain. Dude, everyone is related. Sisters are moms of brothers who are dads to the cousins who married the sisters. It is bizarre. I'm semi-upset about Daniel but at the same time would have picked him as the person (regular) that I read about who was going to be killed off the show this season...even though his demise made this whole episode seem pointless. I would also like to comment about the GOOFY smoke monster from the prior episode. Not that smoke monsters are not cool and all but when Ben flushed that muddy toilet to "call the monster" I was all, "really? A mud hole toilet? That was lame."
So I'm not really feeling a new theory here except for now I'm wondering what was the point of the secret smoke monster cave and the Egyptian hieroglyphics. Anyone out there read Egyptian wall art? Richard is the key. I am convinced. If I can figure out who he is and why he is then I got this. Maybe Richard is the dad of everyone on the island!
This better not end up being some kind of dumb public service announcement about how we are all related in one way or another so we should be nice to each other and stop shooting people.

Anyway, what else have I been doing....

My yard has been mowed TWICE in as many weeks.

I have been trying to do my Jillian Michaels 30 day shred workouts but I swear I am gaining weight. Of course it could be because of those ice cream snicker bars or that Burger King at 10 p.m. but still. I can now do at least 15 push-up's without falling on my face (girl style push-up's...don't judge)

I have a new favorite show to add to my favorite show list! There is this show on Discovery channel about this group of people who have been dropped in the middle of Alaska and have to hike their way out before they die from starvation, exposure, or bear. Good stuff. It comes on after Deadliest Catch, which is also on my favorite show list.

Jade's excellent amazing best field trip ever has been cancelled. They were supposed to go to Huntsville, Al tomorrow to the Space Center but since somebody was just diagnosed with the swine flu in that area they canceled the trip. Jade insists that she would rather risk getting this "Swan flu" than have to miss her field trip though. She also babbled on about how they had already paid for the charter buses so we may not get our $40 back that was paid for this trip and all I have to say about that is someone better be calling BO and asking for a special "canceled excellent field trip bus fare already paid parents need money back" stimulus package.

Jordan pulled a muscle during track practice a couple days ago and told me on the way home that her coaches said she may have "split shins" hehaha. Don't tell her I told you...she will hit me.

Kayla has decided that cute summer dresses are not the same as wearing shorts (which she has refused to wear for the past 6 summers). I think I would be way more comfortable hanging around in shorts than I would a dress but w/e...it's better than bluejeans! She is getting there.

Ralphie has figured out that after we put him in the van to drive to school we open the gate...so now, instead of being a good bratty dog and jumping right into the van...he runs to the gate to try and get out. grrr @ paininthebutt dogs.

That is all I can think of right now because Survivor is coming on in 3 min. and I have to go watch.

Bye!

You've All Gone Mad

Up until today I was feeling a little guilty for not being excited about Spring Break. Well, I was selfishly excited because I wouldn't have to set my alarm and could sleep as long as I wanted, but that was as far as it went. Then you hear all these mom's who are all: "I'm so excited about Spring Break! I'm gonna take my kids here and do this and spend lots of quality time and blah blah gag..." So I thought, ok. This year we are going to stop cleaning and working and really concentrate on doing fun stuff...and then:

Wake up on the first day of Spring Break and it is 30 degrees outside and drizzling with the possibility of snow showers by Tuesday.

The kids decide that since it is Spring Break they can destroy my house more than usual and get offended when I ask them to pick up after themselves because, "Gah mom, it's Spring Break!"

Even the dog woke up this morning and decided to eat his toy basket so now we have shredded wicker all over the house as well.

2 hours after the kids finally decide to wake up they are already:
"I hate you"
"Shut up"
"You shut up"
"I would shut up if you would shut up but since you won't shut up I won't shut up"
"You started it"
"No, you started it"
(Mom: holy cow girls...could you both just stop talking?)
"she won't stop!"
"You are the one who won't stop!"
pushing and shoving and girl fighting
(Mom: just go to your rooms, NOW!)
"Fine, I don't care"
"You ALWAYS take her side!!"
(Mom: I sent BOTH of you to your rooms!)
"But SHE started it!!"
fake crying and stomping...slamming doors
(Mom: you are both grounded)
"THIS IS NOT FAIRRRRRR!!!"
(Mom: Tell me about it. :/ )

Not Fair Indeed.