When I grow up I want to have boobies....

So it's getting to the end of the calendar year.... half way through the school year. We had to go and see Ashley's class room and have a conference with her teacher... yada yada yada....

We already know she's the brightest bulb on the tree, the sharpest blade in the drawer and all the other stuff. I'm not just braggin' cos she's my kid, ask anyone who knows her??? So we're sitting there at the tiny table with the tiny chairs that makes my butt look like a freakin' hot air balloon, no lie. The teacher, my hubby and myself are in deep conversation about the gifted program and first grade when Ash appears from behind a large bookshelf where she had been playing in the dress up area....she's wearing a red halter-neck dress to her ankles and a pair of high heels.. cool... it was the apples stuffed into the top of the dress that was the kicker!!!! We all looked around and there was this stunned silence and then we all fell off the tiny little chairs and peed our pants on the floor!!! She has a fascination for boobies, I have no idea how this bodes for the future!!!

Here she is with some black walnuts we found on a day out recently.... see, told you she's a nut!!!

Now this is Nikon!!!!

These here are unedited, unfiddled with, most beautiful shots and that's why you just have to be a Nikon girl! I am yet to even open the book telling me how to do even more wonderful things with this camera and this is what you get. Now that I am back into my real home I can function again and do the things that make me happy.

Apparently although I thought I had blogged about the flood, I guess I didn't really do it in a "Here's what happened to us" kind of a way... so just to recap; we went on a few days vacay, returned to a house full of water, fled the house to Comfort Inn, fled Comfort Inn to Small Apartment. Spent three or four weeks having real house repaired and living like students (no offense to students). Now we're home to a beautifully restored house and I can resume "normal" again... whatever that is?????????????

In the midst of all the above I got me a Nikon and haven't had a chance to use it properly or had the capability to fiddle with pics and organize them blah blah blah. Get it??? Good.

So what I'm basically rambling on about is it's a fresh start... I can get back to doing what I do best, flitting around the house and decorating it here and there, letting the kids have abundant friends over and then cleaning up after them, taking pics of everything and then playing with them on the 'puter.... and drinking wine~~~ Ahhhhh life is grand people, life is grand!!!!!

Miss Funny Fanny (the American meaning)

Fanny is a funny word it's has very different meanings on each side of the Atlantic... this time I'm using it in the American way, only cause I like the sound of Miss Funny Fanny and it fits the story! glad we got that outta the way and I have probably ruined the whole story with that preface!!!!!

Ashley the cute five year old is now officially Miss Funny Fanny..... she's been coming out with some really doozies over the past couple of days. She was planning her ensemble for the first day of school, she wanted the pink shorts outfit that has a little short sleeved jacket with a zipper in the front. She announced very loudly she was going to wear the "noodle" shirt under the jacket.... pause.... the noodle shirt??? she meant the sleeveless shirt, she's heard the term spaghetti straps banded about lately and it became the noodle shirt... and that's how it will stay!!!

I went to wake them up this morning and there she was already dressed, she had gotten up in the middle of the night and changed in order to save time in the morning! Daddy thanked her for laying on the wrinkle bomb and saving the rest of the family!!!!

And the piece de resistance has to be following her bath tonight, she told me how sometimes she gets afraid in bed, she was naked and hopped up to stand on the bed, she turned around and clenched her buttocks and told me that's what she does when she's scared of vampires and stuff at nighttime!!! Hilarious... I could not stop laughing at her... which makes her mad by the way!!!

I'm thinking of renting her out to the seriously depressed, she can bring a smile to the biggest misery boots and will always leave you thinking what the heck was that?????????????

So, what do we do now????

I find it kinda weird being a mother, those who know me best won't be surprised by this, not one bit. When I was a kid it was all about me, the youngest and probably the most outspoken of four, I was going to rule the damn world when I grew up.

My first job was with the Civil Service in England and I was the youngest in the office, dealing with Jo Public in a benefits (welfare for you yanks) office and taking no shit from no one!!! I was pretty self assured in a really introvert kind of a way, I am actually pretty shy deep down... LOL...You, Ali, SHYYYY???????? yes I am, now shut the hell up and let me finish. After a move out of home and into my sister's place, my first time fending for myself, with the help of big sis, I entered the world of Life Insurance and once again found myself to be pretty good at what I did and being groomed for management. Another stab at world dominance. Well at least something more than the tea girl, right??? All of this time while I was establishing myself in the world of high finance and investments I was planning a childless future. One of long days at the office followed by long evenings in the pub, I wanted to be top dog and prove I could move up the corporate ladder with the best of them.

Then along came this gorgeous American who swept me off my feet and crossed oceans just to see me (he actually told me that once!) and I made the BIG move...not just one of geography but a move into a whole different way of life. MARRIAGE... scary. Sharing...scary. Accountability....scary (that one still causes problems cos I forget to check in with him every five minutes sometimes!). I had to learn that now I am two people and it's not all about me anymore.. well it still is... but he's around so I have to take note.

Soon we were a little family, four of us all together with Mama at the helm so to speak. It's taken a while, Syd is now eight but I'm getting used to this family thing. There are always a trillion things to think of, dates to remember, appointments to be kept, school stuff to organize blah, blah bloody blah. But, with the hubby as my crutch, I said crutch, not crotch!! I manage to get from day to day without too many mishaps. The occasional forgetting to feed, bathe or pick them up but pretty much it's smooth sailing.

So getting back to the point, this week the kids are gone... yes they're gone... with the grands... having fun... not thinking about poor Mommy missing them... not thinking about how damn quiet it is.. not thinking about how I really don't have to make dinner if I don't want to... or how I'm not juggling car rides, play dates, friends spending the night, library books, taking note of screen time. I am just me... and him... in this house...this quiet house with no mess to pick up. We are back to us, we had dinner out last night and were in no hurry to get back, we walked hand in hand. We laughed and talked and it was lovely. I don't wish I didn't have kids but my God we all need a break sometimes, time to be with spouse and just be ourselves. Quiet time, time where we can watch what we want on TV without worrying about language and content, time to enjoy Indian food without having the make another meal for the non Indian eating little people. And time for him to work on his computer and me on mine, we don't always have to talk, we're happy being quiet together too and that means a lot to be able to be in the same room without talking.

And so my point is this... life doesn't always take us where we think we're going. We don't always have to stay there either... if you have a life that mapped out, take a break, it doesn't have to be a long one... get back to YOU, breathe and live... then when you're all revived and rejuvenated get back on the roller coaster and see what's around the next turn....nothing ever stays the same.

I'm baaaaccckkkkk!!! missed me?????

Hello, it's me and I'm back from what I am now referring to as the fabulous five.... five whole days of relaxing, swimming, fishing, tubing and sweating...yes folks it was constantly hovering around 100 degrees!!!! Whew!!! You'd think I would have lost some weight.... urgghh no!!!

We went there expecting to have a good time and we did, the girls had a great time in the pool and fished a lot... caught some little ones, then we went out after dark one night and managed to hook us some decent sized trout. Didn't keep them though, catch and release is our policy.

There's a little zoo there in Gulf Shores that we visited and we watched a tiger show.... pictures to follow... we also fed the animals.... pictures to follow.

His gorgeousness had a fantastic time at the Steely Dan concert while us girls stayed home and fished some more.... we really have this fishing thing down!! the kids are now quite accomplished at baiting and unhookin'.

There was one little unnerving moment when Mr Wonderful.... aka... Daddy... left his phone and wallet on the top of the car and then pulled out into a major highway, four lanes of traffic, and there it went.....money flying all over the place!!!!! An Emergency Management Guy stopped with us and helped retrieve the wallet from the road and chase some of the bills being blown around. Where was the phone???? still on top of the car!!!

All in all a good time was had by everyone and over three hundred pictures were taken, just waiting to be shared.... when I get a moment. I always feel like there's more to do at home after you get back from a break... right now I am still on a vacation high so I'll try and get to the pictures tonight.

Hope everyone else had a good weekend!!! and Happy Fathers day for yesterday!!!!!

The summer so far.....

A trip to the library for some relaxing reading....perfect if it would stop raining and

I could relax outside with a G&T and a good novel

The girls made a cover page for their summer journals... 

I encouraged them to use a camera while they are on break, they decided to take some pictures while they were riding their bikes.... I think they did a good job...don't know what that is in their hands but it's small and brown...yuk!!! 

Um...yes.. I looked at this and thought she looked like a giant strawberry head!!! LOL.

Good times with the sitter...she has turned out to be a gem, the girls love her and they are so far so good, this could be the best summer ever!!!!!! 

Give your kids a camera and see what they come up with....there will be more later!!!! 

The Merry Merry Month of May.....

The madness continues and hopefully all will be well again by the end of this week.... the kids get out of school on Friday!!!! Here's an email that my friend sent me recently and it seems I am not the only one going stark raving mad (British term).

and I quote... "I am a follower...well, I check in on you every month or so. I am loving your most recent posts about the insanity of May. To add to the schedule we have been passing a bug around the home. Maylon was out 3 days last week, Carson has not been to school yet this week and little Emory just started her fever last night so we have a nice weekend to look forward to. My brain is like yours...scouts swim party, ball game tonight too, do I have drinks this Thursday or next Thursday, oops forgot a den leader gift, make note to get teacher gifts, need more motrin/tylenol...add jello and gatorade too, need b-day gift for party tomorrow, Water Day tomorrow, Sunday School party tomorrow night, make dessert (cooking brownies for a trifle as we speak), call sitter and remind them of time, buy pizza for sitter and kids tomorrow night,get cash for the sitter, don't forget to call Astro...bug problem, and take Bell to the vet for check-up(need more heartworm med and frontline), call Y to make swim lessons...BRAIN OVERLOAD" unquote.......

Yes people, for some reason the lives of those with school age kids are turned upside down and back to front for the last month of the school year. I don't remember things like teacher gifts or taking items in for a class party when I was a kid. I guess parents didn't get that involved in their kids classes as they do here in the States.

Tomorrow Syd has a career day, she has to dress up like something she wants to be when she's older. She has chosen to be a photographer!!! YEAH!!! I am so excited. So we have made her a camera from a box, a toiler paper roll and some tin/aluminum foil. She has picked out an outfit that she feels will be appropriate and is adding some of my jewelry - she's excited about that part. Syd did feel comfortable enough to ask to take my camera and as much as I would love to see what she'd produce I just can't bring myself to let her have it. Sorry!!!!

Ashley has a talent show where she's doing some kind of a skit or singing or something so I feel this might call for the video camera and who knows this may be my big moment to win $100,000.00 on America's funniest videos... I just know it's gonna happen one day!!! So another busy day for us..... how about you????

Blah ,,,,, again....

Reasons to feel blah this morning........

• It's cloudy and kind of gray outside.


• My sinuses are attacking my very being!


• I have to organize a dinner for about 60 women tonight and I can't find my smile.


• Steve is out of town.


• Sydney has some type of mysterious tummy thing going on.

Reasons not to feel blah this morning......

• My Shih Tzu's love me and I love them.


• Ashley talks to her pink blanky.


• I love my job and know when I get there all will be well.


• Steve will be home tonight.


• The dinner will go swell and everyone will congratulate me when I didn't really do anything.


• I know the sky will clear up and it will be 90 degrees by lunchtime, this is GA.


• Someone will come into the office and make me laugh.


• Someone will come into the office and I will make them laugh.


• I will eat something sinful for breakfast like a chicken burrito!!!!!

OK the good outweighs the bad I feel better already and can move on to be Super Ali. :o)

Back to my own room....

Did I ever mention that I have the most beautiful, bright funny kids on the planet? Well I do. Sorry to those of you who thought your kids were all of the above, but mine are the cream of the crop, top of the heap, A number one!!! (Frank Sinatra 1915-1998).
This is how I feel every day when I wake them up with the song of my choice and it continues until I put them to bed with a story and hug , there are moments in between when I could cheerfully strangle them but mostly it's a love fest. This week has been no exception, having finished (at least almost finished) Sydney's room she's settled back in is loving her own space again. She has it organized as she wants it and has the toys she treasures most within easy reach, her beds arranged as she likes them and her secret diaries tucked where she thinks no one can get to her innermost secrets... no I don't read them.. and if I did, well I'm her mother and I'd never admit to anyone that I may have had a sneaky peak now and again. So blissfully settled in and enjoying being out of Ashley's room, why oh why do they have to fuss about "sleepovers"....... she wants Ashley to come and sleep in her room now. Arrgghhh... Ash is happy to oblige, for a whole ten minutes. Just when you think they are so cute wanting to be together, and it lets me off the hook and bed time is going a lot quicker, little bit gets up and heads back to her own Purple Palace with pink blanky dragging behind her. This leads to an outburst from big sister!!! So now I have two girls crying and fussing about where they want to sleep!!! I can't be in two rooms at once settling them in. I did get a little frustrated and yell a tad about getting into bed and staying there and being a big girl... GO TO SLEEP!!!! Anyone who has ever been in this situation, and if you have kids you've been there, knows it's a thin line between keeping a calm bedtime routine and banging your head on the wall. You feel your entire inside about to erupt and spout forcefully out of the very top of your head. The answer, go to the bathroom. Tell everyone "wait a minute, Mommy has to pee pee I'll be right back." Lock the door, plug your iPod into your ears and stay there for about 15 minutes. That's how long it takes to do your bizz right. When you emerge all will be well, they will have screamed themselves into a coma and you won't hear another peep until morning. That is when you can look at their pretty, innocent, sleeping faces and thank the Lord for these precious little gifts. That is the moment you can say, yes I am super Mom, I did it; they are asleep and it's the end of the day and all is well in the world. Then you can go beat your head against the wall because you step back into a pile of dog puke. A mother's work is never done!!!