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and thought about how you would laugh when you read this post.  Saying, "I told you that was a bad idea."  "Why do you do stuff like that?" 

Yeah.

I had to change the marquee today.  And the only window of time I had to do it was when it was pouring down rain…mind you, it wasn’t raining when we left the house or when we were inside picking up the letters…only when we walked outside to actually perform the task.  And I had a 3-year old with a fireman umbrella blowing in the wrong direction yelling, "Mom, are we done yet?"  And I had a Bob the Builder umbrella, that only fit over one half of my very large head.  And I had to change both sides and I had about 2 billion letters and an instruction sheet that I couldn’t read because the ink was running down the page.

Yea.

It was pathetic.

I knew you would laugh.

I just knew.

…to blog about. That’s how this week is going…good, but nothing funny or exciting.  Which is probably a good thing.  But it makes for a very boring blog.  I could ramble about nothing…

Jacob’s snaggle tooth is driving us crazy…his big tooth is pushing the baby tooth out and up, but it won’t come out no matter how often we wiggle.  So we call him "snaggle".  Caleb won’t put his shoes on the right feet (or left, ha!) to save his life.  I think he wants to be a duck.  Got my fence stained today.  My first offer started in the $500 dollar range, and after 5 offers I got the lowest bid just over $300…pretty proud of that.  That whole negotiating thing came after I read The Aladdin Factor, about asking for what you want.  It’s by one of the guys that did Chicken Soup for the Soul.  Speaking of which, why did they have to go and ruin a good thing.  They had one, then a sequel with the Chicken Soup thing, and it was GOOD!  I loved some of the stories.  But now they have them for every gender, race, religion, living species (pets!)…I mean come on already…it’s lost its edge.  Speaking of edge, I think I got a paper cut on my tongue from licking envelopes for a bridal shower.  Surely there’s a better way…or a better flavor out there for envelopes.  They need a vanilla envelope stick-um…that I would buy.  Just like Vanilla Tylenol PM…I can’t travel without it.  And the vanilla is just so pleasant.  My mom turns 55 this week…looks like a spring chicken…really hoping I have her genes.  My grandmother is over 80 and looks 60…no kidding.  Ok…well, that’s about all I have. 🙂

The men in my family crack me up…here’s a sampling:

Caleb (after waking from a nap):  "That bed wet me!"

Derek (getting ready for work):  "That lotion you bought makes my nose sweat."

Jacob (after acting like he had sugar in his veins instead of blood):  "This loose tooth is making me act crazy."

Is there a theme here?  You gotta love boys.

 

OK…so you may remember a post I made in mid-January with a million fabric samples.  I was trying to decide on a color combo for my window seat that is on the landing of my stairs.  This is one of my favorite spots in the house.  It has a large window that overlooks our yard and the other houses on the street (not quite the view I would hope for, but you take what you can get!).  It has book shelves too.  I’ve always thought this would be a great place to sit and day dream…read a book…visit with company…etc.

So, the results are in and I’m very pleased.  We’re still missing one round pillow that will be in the green and go in the middle.  I love everything about it…it’s "girley" and colorful (Stacy Julian has taught me to NOT be afraid of color) and even the boys in my house like it.  Can’t wait for you to come over and visit with me on it!

The other pic is of the new dining room table.  I had the flower arrangement made to coordinate with the colors on the window seat.  Found the runner for cheap, cheap.  And made the lamp shades with beads and fringe from the fabric store. 

p.s.  I can take no credit for the shelves by the window seat.  Those were done by someone much more talented than I.

when homeschooling looks really attractive…and this is one of those days, and here’s why:

1.  Because it was hard to wake up on time this morning after a week of sleeping in and playing all day.

2.  Because Jacob came to us this morning and said "Mom, Dad, you want me to show you a trick I learned from BRYAN (**name changed to protect the innocent) at school".  SURE!  What proceeded was some kind of bad dream for me, where he flashed his middle finger and laughed.  AAAHHHH!!  Of course, he’s six and has no idea what that means or that it’s negative…he’s clueless.  But we get the strong impression that BRYAN is not clueless…and even if BRYAN didn’t know exactly what it meant, he knew it was inappropriate.  (BRYAN is in his class at school and on his soccer team).  So we had a nice chat about "symbols" and how some have mean messages, or stand for things that are wrong, etc. 

Sometimes school scares me.  Actually, it’s not school itself.  I’m actually impressed with all of the neat things they do at school…it’s amazing.  But the KIDS that go to school.  Who knows what they’re being taught at home, and what kinds of things they’ll expose my son to.  That scares me.

My mom and her husband, Steve, set out to rid me of my St Patty’s slump, my green-day gump, my holiday humbug, my lacking luck-o-the-Irish, etc, etc.  So they threw a very green party…green attire, balloon, shamrock cupcakes, green ale (i.e. Sprite with green food coloring), green plates, an ivy plant in a green polk-a-dot planter…you get the idea.  Suffice it to say, I am BACK to my old holiday-loving self.  I can’t wait for administrative professional’s day (April 26th)…watch out!

I gave Jacob some new church pants that I had bought him a few weeks ago.  He put them on, with a white shirt and blue blazer…took one look in the mirror and exclaimed "Awesome…I look just like Dad!!"  Awesome, indeed.  These two are starting to be more and more alike…similar interests like art, sports, video games, etc.  They have similar mannerisms.  And Jacob’s starting to look more and more like his Dad. 

Ok, to all my bloggie buddies, you know the drill.  In blog land, there is a lot of "tagging"…information that goes around in circles based on the same questions.  I’m going to make up my own "tag"…Mer-style (that means simplified). 

10 things I enjoy:

1. baths

2. Heath bars (toffee!)

3. Texas sunsets

4. Shirley Temples (7-up, grenadine, cherries)

5. turqouise jewelry, purses, and shoes

6. when my boys talk nice to each other

7. when Derek cleans the kitchen

8. vanilla…fragrance, yogurt, lotion, candles, anything vanilla!

9. comfy flip flops

10. crispy tacos

OK..Shelley, Dana, Laura B….you’re IT…gimme 10!

And anyone else who wants to share 10 random enjoyments, feel free to do so!

So, I was thinking this morning…what on earth is St. Patrick’s Day?  Does anyone know?!  What are we celebrating?  Who is St. Patrick?  What’s the point of it all, really?  Why green?  Why the pinching?  Why the green beer…which, I mean really, seems very disgusting, if you ask me? 

Here’s some info I got from the History Channel website.  It really clears things up. 🙂

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity’s most widely known figures. But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery. (uh, yeah, that’s my problem). Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling.

In modern-day Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day has traditionally been a religious occasion. In fact, up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17. Beginning in 1995, however, the Irish government began a national campaign to use St. Patrick’s Day as an opportunity to drive tourism and showcase Ireland to the rest of the world (aha…it’s all about Ireland making money!)

The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762. Along with their music, the parade helped the soldiers to reconnect with their Irish roots, as well as fellow Irishmen serving in the English army. (Ok, well that at least makes sense…the dudes were homesick.)

This I like: 

The shamrock, which was also called the "seamroy" by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and their displeasure with English rule.

I heard this morning that we wear green because Ireland is referred to as the "Emerald Isle". 

So there you go, a little history lesson on St. Patricks Day.  Still seems a little ridiculous to me.  Just another excuse for people to drink beer and wear outrageous hats.  But then again, I’m not Irish.

…another doll.  I promise this will be the last.  Why do I enjoy this so much?  Maybe because it’s the only clothes shopping I get to do these days.