Friday! Oh well.

Normally I welcome Fridays with much enthusiasm, but have to work all weekend. Work is good when you know you'll be getting a paycheck, but these are my "volunteer" hours. In real estate, we always have to have an agent at the office in case customers walk-in or call. I'm it. I really don't mind, especially since we have an agent who once sold $3 million from a walk-in while on floor-time. I'd be a happy girl if that happened. But otherwise I don't get paid.

Bad luck comes in threes. This has been a week filled with bad news. My husband's step-mother called and the last surviving aunt from his Dad's family is on the verge. The husband of the woman who mentored me has terminal colon cancer and is on the verge. And my pal Ivy lost her ultra-cool, hip-o-mighty MTV gig. Gah. Here's the thing. I do believe in the law of attraction (aka power of positive thought). So I'm going to think that Ivy's job loss means that something phenomenal will happen for her. Same for Kat Coble's husband. They are such good people that I know in my heart that they will be fine. And let's hope John won't have another funeral to attend for quite awhile.

I took today's photo this morning. I apologize for blotting out the school bus number and the street sign, but you can surely understand why (stop calling me Shirley).



We spent quite some time last night studying for baby girl's math test. It was on figuring the perimeter and the area of various geometric shapes. After what felt like hours of crying because she didn't understand, I got out the scissors and construction paper to make my own shapes. When I showed her that you get the area of the triangle the same way you get the area of a square or rectangle (but divide by two) and I folded the square in half (to demonstrate), I saw her whole face light up. "Ohhhhhhhhhhh!" Oh boy did that make me feel good. Like me, she must be a visual learner.

Okay, I must nap now.

Math + Project = Photo of the Day

When you buy art supplies, you'd think this would be a science project or social studies. It's math... my daughter has to draw a geometric shape and decorate it to look like something real.

She's doing a field of flowers. I suggested she re-create her favorite book (rectangle shape) using construction paper. She didn't even want to try it for "Hop on Pop."

Hi Ho Hi Ho ... It's to Forced Labor they Go

The most amazing thing happened at home this week. My daughters did the dishes without argument or lip. There was no fighting. No crying. No yelling. No slapping. No “Your face!” or “You’re stupid!” remarks. I just heard the dishes clinking, the hum of them talking, and occasional laughter.

This is rare because like any home with girls, ours usually fight, run and yell loudly, fight, laugh, and then fight more. So when they work together to get a job done, I am so very grateful. I gave them their space, but tried to acknowledge them as they came upstairs:

Me: “Hey my little pretties.”

Youngest Daughter: “Squeal!”

Oldest Daughter: “Hahahaha!”

Me: “Did you girls do the dishes?”

Oldest Daughter: “Yeah!”

Youngest Daughter: “We can’t talk, we’re going to play DDR!”

Aha… that was the reason behind this sudden policy shift. My guess is that the oldest daughter promised the youngest a rockin’ game of DDR (a game in which a dance mat is hooked up to a Playstation and the music video shows where the girls should dance through a series of directional arrows scrolling down the screen point up, down, right, left).

I find there are only three good ways to get my daughters to work well together on any project (barring good manners and my having raised them right, which naturally isn't usually the reason):

1. Find a common goal. Bribe them with shopping, cake, or money.
2. Work together against a common enemy. Let’s talk about how mean our Mom is to make us suffer through this heinous task.
3. Friendship. This one is the most effective and it’s when the magic happens. They will always be sisters and the companionship they enjoy together now will take them to a whole new level as adults. It’s the one that takes my breath away because that’s when I know my daughters will be okay long after I’m gone.
   

DDR helps kids to "Stay Cool!" Well, it does make them exercise, so I'm all for it!

Your Next American Idol

I think I should audition. I'd fit right in.



I can't sing.



I cry easily.



Dogs howl.



And babies cry.



Yep, I got the look. Except my nose is too big. Damn.

Three Subjects

DIARYESQUE CRAP: Still in my funk, so not a lot to say these days. Sorry. I did have lunch with Ivy and her family. She looks too cute as a blonde! She was so nice to buy dessert for her kids, but being the cheapskate I told me wee one that we'd just go buy a gallon of ice cream and have dessert for several days. She picked neopolitan, which is actually not too bad. The only other excitement in our lives: the teenager actually drove all the way to the grocery store this weekend. She didn't hit anyone, anything, nor did anyone honk at her. AND I got a perm today, thankfully. My hair was disgustingly flat and lifeless. Now I get to stink for a couple of days, but it's worth it.

365 PROJECT: Since it's such a "silver" day as my youngest described what I would've considered "gray," my photo brings some color to the day.



This was sunrise a couple days ago. I'm not a morning person, so when I have to be up at 6:00 a.m., I'm glad to see something this pretty.

MORE CRAP How do you set up an RSS link on your blog? Brittney tried to set me up the the NiT aggregator but I'm not showing up. Does anyone have my feed where it's working? If yes, please look up the "properties" and comment with the link so I can make good use of it. Please?

Quiet Sunday

It's been quiet here today, except for a Mom who came to pick up a daughter's friend from a sleepover here last night. The Mom was very very nice and friendly - I quite enjoyed talking with her. She was here with her 3-year old daughter who took great joy in "touching" the horses in the field next door while we fed them carrots. No sign of the heron today, but Velma (mother-in-law) said she heard it calling this morning. When I walked the fence line, I only succeeded in flushing out a rabbit.

Here's my 365 Project photo. It's one of the fence posts in the yard along our driveway.



My youngest daughter thought it was funny that she could see the neighbor's playset in the background.

Pass the Baton

This was Baton day. I'm trying to think of something enthusiastic to say but can only come up with having to rise early this morning to bring my baby girl to her class. There wasn't competition, but they did give trophies for most improved and hardest worker. Baby girl won for most improved and she's excited, yet not ("I must have been pretty bad when I started!"). She really did work hard, though. She learned a double hand roll and some other fancy-schmancy stuff.

Anyway, I did have a new listing nearby that still had some work to be done (flyers for the brochure box, a lead-based paint disclosure form) to drop off, so I was pleased I didn't have to add loads of extra mileage on the car.

After baton, we went to Opry Mills and hit a huge sale at some store...... Aeropostle. I paid $41.00 for what rung up at $152.00 originally. As much as I really dislike shopping, that made me happy. I kept looking for famous people and blogging buddies, but didn't see anyone.

When I got home, the teenager had died her bangs purple. It actually looks pretty cool and they wash out after about eight shampoos. My hair is driving me nuts... getting a perm on Monday. Gag this is a dreadful post. I'm all done except for the 365 Project photo. (You're welcome.)



Baby girl and her friend on the merry-go-round at the mall.

Where the Stomach Virus Reigns Supreme

We have some stomach funk here. My oldest daughter stayed home today and hubby came home early (something he NEVER does). I thought my problem was due to the absence of a gall bladder, but maybe it wasn't the taco salad after all. In any case, we seem to have a bug that's giving our septic system a workout. Sorry for being gross.

Despite it all, I have managed to take some pictures that I like for the 365 Project. I don't have the equipment or talent for the beautiful close-ups like Squirrel Queen and Heather, but I like them anyway.



Frozen bird bath this morning. I thought it was more interesting than the frozen garden hose, however I did like the green color of the hose on the brown grass. Okay, I'll post it.



See? I like the frost on it. So what if it'll probably split this summer when we try to use it thanks to being left out in freezing weather. Sigh.



Kitty looking at me trying to figure out why in the world I am outside in the cold taking pictures. I love it when she hops in my lap at night and purrs. When she lays down, she sort of falls back in a most ungraceful way. Kind of like when I fell in December, only she doesn't hurt herself. Did I every say that I think my elbow is chipped? It's all healed, yet it still hurts to the touch. Yowsie.

Well Hello Puppet Dog

Hello Puppet Dog. We obtained PD oh so long ago - he was in one of those pre-stuffed Christmas stockings ...you know the kind that looks like a potato sack with the red, open-weave. We love Puppet Dog.

It's a rainy, gloomy day and I promised to take my daughters to Night at the Museum with another friend. Showtime is at 1:30 or 4:00... should I procrastinate or get it over with? :) Maybe I'll come back and write a movie review later.

OH, I'm rapidly disappearing off of 25peeps.com so show me some love! Ha!

Barbeque and Screaming Monkeys

Today's 365 Project gives you a twofer deal... two pictures in one day. But they go together, really. This was dinner last night enjoyed at Jim & Nick's BBQ in Smyrna with Bad Bad Ivy and two of her kiddos.





The dinner was faboo... I was miserable when they rolled me outta there. I went over to Ivy's house after and she gave me a fantastic Christmas gift!!!! ONE SCREAMING MONKEY! Woot! (dot com). Plus she found a beautiful brief case that I adore. Thank you, Ivy. And Merry Christmas back!

I need to go get cleaned up and run some errands. Nothing exciting to report here.

Oh... another pic of Ivy. Her hair on the computer looks blue, but in real life it's purple as purple can be. Ivy is my absolute hero when it comes to "no fear"! And I like the Princess Bride shirt (I think that's what's on it). :)

A New Day has Dawned

It's a good day in our home when both girls made it to the bus stop in time to take the big yellow transport to school. I had to giggle at the teenager who galloped up the yard when she left the house. She made it to her stop with at least four minutes to spare before the bus arrived. I wish I'd taken a picture of that, but we get this instead.



I snapped the photo at the Mexican restaurant on Bell Road next to the Olive Garden while waiting for my salad. I got some weird looks from the workers and a lot of rapid fire Espanol of which I didn't understand a single word. But I still liked the fountain because it looks like a little Mexican Dutch boy.

I've been watching with interest the crying and gnashing of teeth from Republicans as the Democrats take charge of the House and Senate. It amazes me that the Democrats are taking ANY criticism from Republicans and anyone else because they aren't being "bipartisan." The Republicans blindly supported the current resident of the White House to their own peril and squashed all bipartisanship when they were in command. And now they complain about Dems not being bipartisan? Huh. They squandered years of Republican rule by letting politics take the front seat with common sense tied up and locked away in the trunk. They have only themselves to blame.

I think Democrats have every right to run the first 100 hours as they see fit. But I do hope that after that, they will reach out to Republicans and truly make an effort to legislate so that they represent all the people of the United States. All of our politicians need to forget about red states v. blue states and remember that no matter where we live or how we voted, we the PEOPLE deserve to be represented with dignity, respect, intelligence, and fairness.