Bunko night!

I'm on my way to pick up Karen B and spend another fun-filled evening with the gals playing a mindless dice game. If all goes as planned, we will eat well (Alice never disappoints), have good conversation, a few lucky players will win fabulous prizes and then we will leave with our faces hurting from smiling and laughing too much!

I really should feel guilty because we just got back from a fabulous retreat, but because I have a wonderful husband and children, there is no guilt - just appreciation.

Gotta go!

Soak up the Son

I can't wait to go to the Ladies' Retreat!!!! I didn't get to go last year, so I am looking forward to being with my friends, staying up late and getting spiritually renewed!!! Will be back Sunday to let you know how it went!!!!

Operation Garbage Sale: Now Complete

Whew!!!! Glad that's over!!!! We did great on Friday, but Saturday was just too rainy and we didn't have any good stuff left anyway. We packed it up and donated it to a good cause!!!! We can walk in our garage again (the pictures are "before")!!! Yeah!!!!!

Hope everyone has a good week!!!! Back to work and school!!!!!

Peace Out!

Operation Garbage Sale is now underway...

I'm pumped and ready to haggle! Bring it on! Hopefully the rain won't be too much of a problem!

Clean Sweep comes to Prairie Rose Lane

Most of my Spring Break has been spent in Molly's room (except for when I watched A Chorus Line and today when Preston I went on a date in the middle of the afternoon!)

I am in year #2 of being a working Mom. I was blessed to be able to spend 10 years at home with my kids. When Molly started school last year, I went to work! For a while, I was able to maintain the housework, but after a while, I just gave up....Molly's room was a disaster!!!!

Soooo...Monday morning we got in there and four trash bags later it was empty enough to start painting. We used a pretty shade of pink - we even gave the baseboards a fresh coat of white...Next came putting everything back. Actually not everything...about half of it came back. My dad made a great shelf with pegs which helped get stuff up and out of the way!

Molly loves her new room...Hopefully it will be easier for her to keep tidy now...

Tomorrow, I will tackle the playroom and start getting ready for a GInormous "garbage" sale this weekend....Come see us! We're raising money for the trip to New York in May!








Happy girl in her new room!

ONE.....

SINGULAR SENSATION......ok, ok...I finally got to see it...!!!!Preston found a connection...made the transaction....my spring break life is complete...Marvin Hamlisch...I love you!!!

Where In the World is A Chorus Line?

So, I casually mentioned to my dear, sweet, thoughtful husband today that I was in the mood to watch A Chorus Line The Movie and to pick it up at Blockbuster when he took Rebekah...2 hours later, they are still not home...Rebekah finally calls and says that they have been to 2 Blockbuster's, Hollywood, Kroger, Alberston's and Walmart...no luck! I probably would have given up after Bockbuster - not Preston...he aims to please!!!!

Those songs have been running through my head for the past few days and I thought it would be a good spring break movie...Does anybody have it??? Would you lend it to me if you did??? By the time I order it online and get it, spring break will be over!!!

Mama's Gone Goth!

Ok, I have decided that I really like dressing up... It all started a few years ago when our entire family went Amish at Halloween....Then, I had a costume Bunko party where I dressed in my robe, water balloons, knee-hi's and mud pack on my face (see my very first blog in archives)...Last year I was an Egyptian for VBS and then again for Halloween. It's fun to be somebody different for a while.

Today I dressed "Goth" for a meeting at Billy Miner's downtown. My Women In New Roles (www.tccd.edu/win-r) class has a network meeting there every second Saturday. Today's speaker was excellent. She talked about building bridges (relationships) through networking and how you should nurture and care for the "bridges" and not burn them!

Anyway, my instructor asked for volunteers to do a skit about what not to wear and how not to act on a job interview...I volunteered. My "act" was very monotone and morose. My previous job experience included night shift manager at "Tatoo You" tatoo shop and night cashier at "Goth 'R' uS". My reason for leaving these jobs was due to "a series of unfortunate events"....One of my favorite jobs was costume designer and prop mistress at the Goth Summer Stock Theatre. Our productions included Gothlahoma, The Sound of Goth, and everybody's favorite Gothspell. Unfortunately this job ended because the theatre mysteriously burned down. I have included a picture of some of the other participants...The pictures do not show the fishnet hose and platform boots. It was a lot of fun, but kind of wierd walking around downtown dressed like that. Preston and the kids went also, so it must have looked really weird with my 6'7" husband (dressed normally)holding my hand and my 3 sweet children following behind.

I don't know if I would have done this a few years ago....I've said it before...turning 40 does something to a gal!

I have the greatest kids!!!!

I never thought they would get out of the "baby" stage....but all of a sudden...here they are....walking, talking, beautiful human beings.....

Our school is doing a whole "Live Aloha" thing this year. Teachers can nominate kids who are "Living Aloha" and kids can nominate the teachers and staff who are "Living Aloha"... I happened to catch a glimpse of a nomination form Molly (7) was working on...she was nominating me because..."she is nice and she embarrasses me when she sings"...

Today, after giving my kids a "come to mother" speech in the car on our way to school, I found a "thank you card" and candy on my desk from Rebekah(12), thanking me for all I do and wishing me a great day!

G.P.(10), the boy who would barely look at me at the first of the year, now goes out of his way to give me hugs and high fives in the hall....I guess I'm not so bad after all!

Kids are great and they get even greater as they get older and become "real" people.....

I LOVE THEM!!!

Chef Preston Does is Again!

Circa 1940's Roper Range.

Magic with a piping bag
He's awesome!Last night Preston prepared a classical French meal for a wine tasting group. This group has been together for over 20 years. They wanted something very special for their quarterly meal together and Chef Preston delivered the goods! He was able to adapt beautifully to the 1920's kitchen...the result was memorable meal of delicious and beautiful cuisine!


1st course: poached salmon on puff pastry w/ red pepper dill cream sauce
2nd course: mango sorbet w/edible flower (to cleanse the pallet)


3rd course: Beef tenderloin on a toasted bread medallion w/goose liver pate' and mushroom sauce. Served with sauted squash/zucchini & roasted potatoes.

4th course: (no photo) mixed green salad w/tomato viniagrette dressing

Dessert: Dark chocolate raspberry pate' served with a raspberry cream sauce, fresh raspberries, white & dark chocolate shavings.

Honor Choir....Carnegie Hall or Bust!!!!

The Crowley HonorChoir recently performed in San Antonio at the Texas Music Educator's Asssociation Convention. They were one out of 2 elementary schools in the state that were invited!

They are working hard to raise money for their upcomig trip to Carnegie Hall in May.

What an awesome opportunity for these kids! Sure, alot of them WILL get to go to New York someday, but there are many others in this group who will not be as fortunate. I look forward to being a chaperone on this trip. These kids are our future. In 30 short years one of these boys or girls could be our next, mayor, govenor, senator, state representative, or president!!!!!

Let's work hard to nurture our children. Inspire them to care. Help give them the drive to make a difference!

So just what HAVE I been doing?

What I have been doing is livin', ya'll! What a great start to 2006! Everyday I am reminded what a blessing it is to be alive!

First - I started working out last November....I actually made it through the holidays and Preston's 500 truffles without putting on any pounds! I have been consistent and motivated for 4 months now! I feel great! I can walk up a flight of stairs without feeling like I'm about to die. Best of all....Preston started working out about a month ago - he's doing great! Of course, it took me 4 months to see results...After a month, he's already looking awesome! I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him.

On that note...We celebrated out 20th wedding anniversary on Feb 21st. We did so by cooking a fancy meal, clearing off the dining room table, lighting candles (so we couldn't see all of the junk from the table on the floor) and sat down to a memorable family dinner. We told the kids how we met, how he proposed and how we planned our wedding. We dusted off the wedding album and looked at the pics...gosh we were young!

I also went back to school after 15 years. I'm taking 6 hours at TCC. It's called Women in New Roles. It's actually 2 psych classes that are blended and integrated. The program is designed for women returning to school after a long absence. I was convinced that I would be the oldest in the class...I'm not. There are all ages in the class - I'm in the middle. We're taking all kinds of profiles and inventories to determine what kind of personality we have, what kinds of jobs we are suited to etc....It's alot of fun and I have been enjoying the back-to-school experience. My current plan is to continue working toward my Bachelor's so that I can earn my teaching certificate.

The kids continue to keep us on our toes. Bekah is fund-raising and working hard at Honor Choir preparing for their trip to Carnegie Hall (NEW YORK CITY!!!) in May. I will be going with her. It's going to be fun, but we decided it would be best NOT to take GP and Molly this time. We all went on the trip to San Antonio and it got a little hectic with 100 choir kids, chaperones and and all of the extended family. I think we'll plan a family trip to New York at a later date.

G.P. is in boy scouts and generally keeps us amused with his sense of humor and off-beat interests.

Molly is in ballet and jazz. She will have a recital in June. She is what you call a "piece of woik".

Well, I've done it - I've used too many words. Sometimes I don't read blogs if there are too many words...I just can't make the commitment!!!!

Sooo.....if you have made it this far I hope I haven't bored you with my little life. To me it's the best thing that could have ever happened to me...to others it may seem ho-hum. But, as I said earlier, I am blessed. God has given me a life I could never have imagined...A fabulous husband ("Electric Chef"...did you see the purple chef coat?), beautiful and above average children, "real" friends, and opportunities....opportunities that I will not throw away and take for granted.

I'll try to be better about keeping in touch. I'll try not to be so "wordy" next time.

Peace out!

SOMETHING

OK ALAN, THIS IS FOR YOU!!!! I AM PUTTING SOMETHING ON MY BLOG!

Chef Preston

Preston catered a wedding last weekend. He made 500 truffles - Peppermint, Butter, Raspberry and a 3 layered one (using alot of liqueur)...It was fabulous - he is so talented and artistic.

Halloween (a little late!)

Molly is "Mrs Dracula"...If you can't read G.P.'s shirt, it says "BOB" and those are sponges pinned all over it...get it?

Sweet Rebekah came up with the "Smartie Pants" idea - easy, fun and comfortable...

It was a great Halloween!

All is quiet in bloggerville - not too many updates - not to many comments....Perhaps everyone has been throwing up and they just don't feel like blogging...

That's been our problem....

It is Tuesday night. Since Friday morning (3:15 am to be precise), Someone has been either nauseous, vomiting, having diarreah or in recovery-mode from all of these maladies. By Monday I thought we had all seen our share of the plague, but Tuesday morning took it's last victim and once again the Scrubbing Bubbles and Lysol were positioned by the toilet for yet another round....

I will return when the air is clear of the dark, germ-filled cloud that hovers within our home.

Dinner with friends -Part II

We're feeling pretty popular these days...Yes...another dinner invitation that we could not pass up. We love this couple! Alice is one of my first friends at Altamesa and Alan is a sweethart....Our children are also compatible (very important!). Best of all, they have Maggie...I don't go to their house too often, but when we do I always look forward to bonding with Maggie. She's a pretty little miniature dachsund. I don't know what it is, but Maggie likes me. I felt really honored when she chose to sit in my lap instead of Mommy Alice's lap....

Now here's the question...I would love to have a dog, but is it really logical? After all, I work all day, the kids are a school and Preston's at work....do we REALLY need someone else to take care of? If we did get a dog, what kind would it be?

The Sim's have a 2 noisy terriers in their back yard and a baby Yorkie in the house. I love the Yorkie.He is precious. I also love Cocker Spaniels and Scottish Terriers(apparently, I have thing for terriers that I did not realize until now). So do we just jump in and commit to a dog? I know what will happen...the kids will fall in love, but I will ultimately be the one who makes sure it's fed, pottied and nurtured and I'm already doing THAT for 3 kids and a husband!!!

Of course, there is always the negatives to think of....Mary Chris and the Jack Russell with mange episode...Maggie ate too much fudge and threw up everywhere one Christmas....and most importantly...Rebekah (my oldest) is terrified of dogs. Although, now that she is 11 she is getting better. Alice used to put Maggie in her cage whenever we came over beacause Rebekah was so afraid of her. This goes way back to when we lived in PA. Apparently my dad took Rebekah to the back yard to feed his dog and the dog jumped on her. She was about 3 when this happened and it made her very fearful of dogs. She has pretty much gotten over it, but would getting a dog cause a relapse?

Perhaps I will wait until Preston and I are home alone (empty nesters I believe it's called)...when all of the kids are gone and have their own lives. Then I will get my dog and spoil it...Until then, I will just enjoy everyone else's dogs!

Another question: If we did get a dog what should we get? It needs to look like one of us....Any suggestions?

Dinner with friends

Tonight we had dinner with some old friends and met some new friends. What fun! We haven't done that in a long time! Our lives are so busy with kids, work, chores, etc... that we have not taken the time to just sit and visit with other grown ups. It was fun just sitting around the table talking about nothing in particular....very relaxing. Our kids are now at an age where they don't need to be on our lap and they can play unsupervised for a decent amount of time. Occasionally they would check in with us, tell us something funny, then run off again.

Life is good. Sometimes you just have to slow down, leave the laundry and smell the coffee.

WIFE-SWAP COULD IT REALLY HAPPEN?

We're currently waching Wife-Swap. The premise of the show is where two completely opposite women swap lives....WHO HAS TIME FOR THAT?!?!!? I mean, really, do we really have time to drop everything and just go live in someone else's house? Tonight's show is really extreme - Trailer Trash Mama vs. Ms Manners...It's sooo weird - I could not imagine some other woman in my house raising my kids and hangin' wit my husband - I would probably be closer to the Trailer Trash Mama than Ms Manners...

Head lice vs. Mommy

Yes, they have invaded our youngest....she has been brave and taken it well, but Mommy is a little freaked out....

A week ago, as I was sweeping dirt under the rug, I thought to myself....

Could I really justify taking a day off work just to clean house and do laundry?

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!!!!!

After discovering a colony of "friends" living on Molly's head, I immediately called in sick and armed myself with lice shampoo, lice gel, lice combs, lice spray, laundry detergent and bleach. My washer and dryer ran all day long. All of the bedsheets, coverings, pillows, stuffed animals, hats, headbands, scrunchies, combs, brushes....anything that was near her head had to be cleaned!!!! I changed the filters in the vacuum, vacuumed, then changed the filters again. Everytime she sat on the couch or chair and got up, I sprayed "the spray". I carry "the spray" with me in the car and use it everytime she gets out. I have sat for hours combing through each strand of her hair looking for eggs, nits and yes, the occasional "live one"....I think they are just about conquered...Another day or two and I think she will be lice-free! I DARE them to come back.....I am now an expert-sharp-shootin-lice-removin'- mama! I can spot a nit from across the room, swoop down on it, remove it, dispose of it and sanitize in seconds flat!

I guess I'll think of something else the next time I'm sweeping dirt under the rug!