My New Favorite Blog?

Okay, so I’m sure I’ll continue to hit Go Fug Yourself daily – and not because I am into fashion but because I love how hysterically well these women write; however, I found another fabulous blog with gorgeous design ideas: Desire to Inspire.

Two days ago, they added a post plainly entitled "Simply some pretty photos. . ." that actually did inspire me. Just because I live in a 1960's tract house and have barely a penny to my name doesn't mean I have to give up. But I pretty much have done just that over the past five years.

Their collage of zebra rugs have made me want to go out and find one! I want to paint! I want beautiful fabrics!

To quote the Foo Fighters, "This is a call to all my past resignations. It's been too long."

Iron Chef Look Out

Hubby: “What do you want on your pizza?”

Son #1: “I’ll try anything.”

Hubby: “Monkey butts it is then.”

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Hubby: “What kind of yogurt do you want for lunch?”

Son #2: “Surprise me.”

Hubby: “Steak and cheese it is then.”

Massage Abduction

In two separate incidents this week, local teenagers called 911 after a stranger approached them. Details are sketchy; however, in one situation, a man in a pickup truck stopped to ask a group of girls to help him find his lost dog. Thankfully, they were old and/or wise enough not to fall for such an obvious ploy. Sadly, I worry about the outcome if the same scenario played out with our little guys. We’ve practiced with them what to say and do in a variety of situations but in reality, when push comes to shove, what would happen? It’s so disturbing that I can’t even think about it.

In so much as it’s not a laughing matter, my girlfriend mused that the end result would be worse if someone asked her, “Want a free massage?” She joked, “My clothes would be off in two seconds.”

Corbett's Glen

Between Little League, riding bikes, sewing patches on a Karate uniform, reading, drawing and playing hockey, basketball, soccer, kickball and catch, the boys and I took a long walk down a wooded, dirt trail after church on Sunday. We climbed up steep inclines, made our way down a thin path at the crest of a sandy hill, found short cuts through clearings, and located little purple berries in the underbrush. We finally wound up wading in the cold waters of Allen’s Creek, throwing leaves off a wooden bridge and watching the rush of the waterfalls.

Son #2: “Can we go home now? I want to be outside.”

Knock Yourself Out

When Son #1 turned six, he was really excited. “Only 10 more years until I get my license!”

Recently he asked me, “When I go to college, can I really do anything I want?”

“Depends. What do you want to do that you can’t do now?”

“I want to go fishing whenever I feel like it.”

The Mares of Diomedes

Driving to Little League last weekend, there was a family by the side of the road petting some horses. Son #2 wanted to stop.

Hubby: “You can’t pet them. Those are man-eating horses. Trust me, when we come by here after your game, those people will be gone.”

I’ll be darned. He was right. Car and all.

Late for Work

Yesterday, I came into work a half-hour late and said to my boss, “Sorry. I had to play an emergency game of Chutes and Ladders.” She responded sincerely, “Well, it’s good that you know your priorities.”

After working 12 hours the day before and barely seeing my kids before they went to bed, yes, a last minute detour to appease a pleading kid was fine by me. I didn’t even mind that, just when he or I was about to win, we kept sliding back. I did have fleeting thoughts of, “I’m never going to get to work at this rate” but I also knew that there was nowhere I would rather be at that moment than sitting on my child’s bedroom floor playing a game.

Today, late again. Not only does our little guy need daily hugs and consoling because school is too hard, his day is too long, and he misses daddy and monkey but I apparently need fashion advice.

In my black lace top: “Are you seeing any clients today?”

In my new white blouse: “Planning to take an art class in that 50’s smock Holly Go?”

Finally, in my thin, gray, pinstripe skirt: “She shoots; she scores.”

As much as it’s time consuming, I appreciate that I have a hubby who can deter me from looking like a total idiot as I walk out the door. Some guys barely look up; others think their wives look good in anything. While there are benefits to the latter mindset, I prefer the honesty.

I also appreciate that I have a husband who makes my kids laugh. A lot. If I were a stay-at-home mom, Son #2 would have to be dragged on that bus kicking and screaming because I was still comforting and cajoling him. Instead, his tears only last a few minutes and then he’s cracking up over something daddy is saying or doing in order to encourage him to lighten up and move on.