A Year in the Life

Photo creds to andrewcorbett.net AMEN!  Well, something happened today that I never thought would.  But before I tell you what child #1 did, let me preface it with the next paragraph.  Don't skip it, especially if your a momma. You know all the years you spend training your children.  Say yes'mam and no'mam; say please and thank you; put your napkin in your lap; chew with your mouth closed; hold the door open for ladies to enter before you do; hold the door open for the people coming behind you; look people in the eye when speaking to them; speak clearly; give a good firm handshake because no one likes a dead fish grip; excellence in everything...and the list goes on, and on and on.  I'm wondering if the reminders never end, because even when they become young adults (and maybe sometimes middle aged adults) a momma never stops wanting her children to have good manners and act like a normal human being. I witnessed a miracle today!  Hop actually said...

Anytime I do something that falls under the mommy job description (that means anything that the rest of them have trouble doing) and am successful, I always tell the fam that that is why I make the big bucks.  There are days I wonder if they just expect it of me or if they really appreciate it.  I mean how do you really quantify finding something that's lost?  I guess it's up to the person searching for what is missing.  Cleaning & cooking are much easier, but you get my drift. Well tonight was a big win for me personally.  Not cooking for 8 days has spoiled me.  I have to admit, I really like someone bringing me my dinner and cleaning up.  No wondering what in the world I'm going to cook & not spending an hour cleaning it up.  Now it's back to the old grindstone.  So, this afternoon (around lunchtime) I was trying to figure out what to feed my people.  You know what I do in that situation, I go to my fridge, freezer and pantry...

Let me start by saying that I am a rule follower, at least most of the time.  But there are days I just forget.  I forget that: I'm not infallible; I'm not indestructible & I'm not in my 20's anymore. You might remember that a few years ago I popped my right calf muscle open.  I'm not going to lie, it hurt, badly.  A few years earlier I popped my left calf.  Well at least I ended up being even.  When I was 20 I tore my meniscus. It was a beautiful April day and waaay to pretty to be going to class.  Especially when I had a better offer.  I heard the lake calling my name.  So there are my big injuries in reverse order.  Fast forward to last week... ...I'm working out.  I love to workout, I feel so good when I'm done.  (and it allows me to eat without guilt.)  The ole' knee has been hurting for the last 8 months.  When I went to the doctor in August, he said I had bursitis.  An old person ailment. Insert...

Today is that crazy Henry's 12th birthday.  No more little kids in this house, and I have to say, it's kinda nice.  Everyone has been able to wipe their own fanny, tie their own shoes, make beds, fold clothes and do chores for a few years now.  It's nice to have at least a little help from the people who make the mess.  Each baby is a miracle & I think it's important for each child to know stories about their pregnancy and birth, so I'm documenting Henry's here. But before I go any further...Happy Birthday Hen!  We love you bunches & bunches!  You are #4 & you have completed our fam. Henry is our little surprise baby.  We had three children & were clicking along.  E was 1 1/2 and I could see a light at the end of the diaper tunnel.  Then one day I woke up, and just like with every other pregnancy, started throwing up...everything.  I was sick all the time.  (and those of you who think I needed to eat saltines ...

What I'm sharing is all over the internet today & I'm going to post the link below, because it is THAT IMPORTANT.  What I've learned is not to be shy to fight for things I think are right.  No matter who might mock you for it.  (and trust me, they will mock you behind your back)  I have so much respect for this mom because she didn't back down even when administrators tried to poo poo her for just being the mom.  In my humble opinion, (well, I'm pretty opinionated, so it's not really a humble one is it...) we have a government that is grossly overreaching into the private lives of our dependent children.  They basically have said that they can raise our children better than parents can.  (It was Melissa Harris-Perry & click HERE to see the link.)  Um, I've seen the way the government handles things (VA, Insurance, prisoner exchanges, education) so I'm just going to say a big N-O to that, thank you very much.   They are coming after...

The freshman, 6th grader, senior & college sophomore This  year has been a haze.  How is it already June???  I mean, I know May flies, but we are almost half way through 2014.  Yeah, I don't think I like it, except that means we are a little over 6 months away from my birthday.  :)  December 26th, you gotta love it.  Sorry, rabbit trail!  But seriously, do you know why I don't like time moving so quickly?  It is because my kids are growing up too fast.  I worked so hard to get them all independent & then when they get really fun they leave.  :/  Not only do they leave, they really love their independence.  Hop only came home a handful of times last year, and now we are going to be getting Harry ready for the same thing, thank goodness I have another year with him. But... We are about to start another year of lasts.  Harry's lasts.  Not ready!  He'll be getting his senior portrait stuff in the ...

If you've read my postings before, you know I'm not shy about giving my opinions about things.  I'm not a big fan of being wishy-washy.  Yeah, I know, you're shocked. What  you might not know, is that I don't publish all of my posts.  Sometimes I use it as a way to get my thoughts out of me so I don't choke on them.  You know how some thoughts feel like they're on instant replay?  I just have to get them out.  Then I can take a big breath & hopefully move on. One thing I need to get out, which I posted on Facebook last night... Teenagers & college age kids, please don't post selfies of you & your friends on social media sites with cute little tornado sayings.  For those of us who are living it, it is not cute and not funny.  When so many have lost their lives and/or lost everything, I don't think you're being cute.  If you have any comments, feel free to talk to some of my family members who survived the tornado in...

Harry Harry Harry.  My 17 year old quick witted, sometimes smart mouthed and who is the child who is clever in his arguments.  I hope he becomes an attorney, good gracious he would be a great one!  He's the child that thinks that the worst thing you can say is no & no doesn't always mean no from the parental units.  His cute clear blue eyes will look at me & say bet maaam.  (it's really but mom & it's what Cartman says on South Park , but it sounds like bet maaan.)  Because I tend to see things in black & white, it's hard when he pushes his limits.  Black and white ~ good, you know where you stand...shades of grey ~ bad, too much unknown. Harry told me today that he hasn't had the chance to watch his favorite show, Maury Povich, in forever.  He loves to talk about what's going on on the shows.  He comes down and says with a grin on his face & little laugh to his voice:  "OK mom, you're not going to believe this. ...

As you know, the fam has a new puppy.  Love our Allie.  She's so precious & just a mess.  Tomorrow will be two weeks since Als came to the fam.  It's just a crazy life with a puppy.  Love it, but as I wrote in my last posting, I'm just glad it won't last forever.  Of course she already has several nicknames; everyone in our fam has nicknames.  Allie's are:  Allie Cat, Als & Allie Girl.  Harry calls her Dumbness.  It's to match Bella's nickname of Stupid.  (Harry's friends call Bella Stupid too. :/) But my oh my, what is going on up in here??? Because of the puppy, Bella (the Chihuahua) has become the neediest older dog.  We've had to move her food bowl into our bathroom because Allie will gobble her food down & then muscle B out of the way to eat her food.  So, Bella now eats in my bathroom & will not eat unless someone is sitting there with her.  :/  Yeah, that's just what I have time for, to...

Well, I've done it.  I've officially gone & lost my cotton picking mind.  You know, my life is crazy.  (like every mom I know with multiple involved children.)  Crazy but manageable.  April is beyond it all.  Here's a sampling of April:  Relay for Life, Prom, Interviews for a friend, lacrosse games, practice, dance, dance tryouts, photo classes, an art show & I'm co-chair, Easter, college child's finals & move out by May 2nd.  Yeah, this month is going to be nuts without anything else thrown in, but with everyone's ages it is also easier. Three kids still at home:  all can wake themselves up; shower; clothe; brush their own teeth; wipe their own bottoms; tie their own shoes; make their own lunches. I have one crazy chihuahua, almost 6.  Pretty much house broken.  She doesn't chew up underwear, socks or anything else any more.  It's good.  Well, it was. I want to thank my brother & sister-in-law for intr...

By now from reading my blog you should know what kind of parent I am.  For those of you who are new, first off, welcome!  I'm so glad you stopped by, now don't be a stranger.  :) ***Please read disclaimer:  I believe that I am not a perfect parent.  I believe that I do not have perfect children.  The opinions stated below are just that, opinions.  Take from it what you will. I parent "old school".  I believe in modeling what I expect of my children.  I believe in love and laughter and your word being your bond.  I believe in children having responsibilities from an early age.  I believe in setting boundaries for kids.  I believe in discipline; spanking if needed.  I believe that you show elders respect in word and deed.  I believe in building up children and having high expectations for them. I believe in giving children roots when they are young so when they are older they can spread their wings and fly.  Al...

A friend of mine called today & when we were swapping what we were up to, she mentioned she was cleaning out her refrigerator.  It made me think of my fridge & what a mess it is.  I really wish someone would come over & clean mine out.  I just opened my refrigerator a minute ago & yep it looks like I thought, a mess. I'm not a fan of messes.  As a matter of fact, I would go as far to say that it is one of my pet peeves.  Just FYI, I've been peeved for a long time. ;)  No one else around here cares if the house is clean or clothes are folded & put in the proper place or for that matter if the fridge is clean.  Yep.  Just me.  All by myself, over here in 'I have to deal with everyone else's clutter because they can't seem to put anything where it belongsville'.  But I digress. When I looked in my fridge today I realized it feels like my life to some degree.  It's crammed full of a little bit of everything. ...

That should be the new motto of my state & city.  I stand in utter amazement this morning as I read about all the acts of kindness.  Is there anything more humbling than being served by someone? There have been pleas on FaceBook to rescue elderly grandparents, children, stranded motorists.  Churches opened their doors; neighbors opened their doors; businesses packed people in.  There were friends who abandoned their cars to start walking home last night, and stopped to rest at restaurants that were slammed with customers.  You know what they did?  They became servers!  How great is that?  (Kim & Jason)  Have hands, will serve. This morning an alert went out that there was a good Samaritan that didn't make it home last night & he was not responding to calls or texts.  He is also diabetic.  Oh yeah, and it dropped down to 17 degrees last night.  SCARY!  You know what a group of people did?  They formed a...

The snow had just started. Snow, it is the four letter word here in Alabama.  It sends fear into the heart of every mother.  Last night they predicted that we would get just a dusting.  Um, they messed up our forecast by just a bit.  Our favorite weatherman in town has called it a "horrible forcasting error".  We received around 2 inches, and it hit fast. My totally precious Zumba instructor, Kaitlin. Now, if you are reading this in a state that gets a lot of snow, I know you're laughing.  You know what, I would be too.  What you need to realize is that we don't get a lot of snow.  We are in the deep south.  We do summer really well, not snow.  As a matter of fact, after Christmas, I would be so totally ok if spring would come.  I am done with winter. Here's the Terrible, Horrible... The snow hit so fast that within 30 minutes you couldn't drive on the roads.  At this point in time (around 10:30 this morning)...

I'm going to send you over to my sorority alumnae website for a blog posting I did for the new year.  It's called Just Throw It Away . You better be careful if I get my trash can out, because I just might start purging a closet or two or three, or your room. :) It's a short piece, but good to remember that sometimes it's good to clean things out so we can start something new. Y'all have a great weekend of Celebrating Life, ~ashley

I need to learn that when I haven't had a lot of sleep I do not need to write on this blog or anywhere else. Oh.My.Goodness. They say that if you drive while you're very sleepy it's almost like driving under the influence.  Well, I guess that applies to writing as well.  I need to learn to just say no.  I wanted to get the pictures on Pinterest of the Magnolia leaves I used on the buffet table & wanted to  have a blog posting to go with it.  Well, that went well didn't it?  Thankfully a friend called me out...Allyson...yesterday over my phrasing.  I heard how I wanted the sentence to sound in my head, and it was fine.  But, the transfer to the blog was disastrous!  After I got over my mortification I had a pretty good chuckle.  I know y'all all laughed at me, so I might as well laugh at myself too.  But no worries, I promptly fixed it. I told everyone I had a huge breakfast & then I pooped.  So not what I was t...

Had a big breakfast, that I hosted this morning & can I just say I am pooped.  It's only 12 PM, but I feel like it should be about 5 or 6 in the afternoon.  I guess that's what happens when you start your day at 4:30.  I'll drink a Coke Zero & be fine in about 30 minutes.  Yea for caffeine! I have to say that I think it was a success.  You know when you know something will just work?  I had a feeling that this would just work.  It was happy food, so how could it not work???  I'll stop talking so you can see what I did.  Here is the room.  I know, it has an industrial feel, but it was not too bad.  I tried to go simple on the decorations. I was limited with, well, everything.  Maybe a better word would be steward.  I was trying to be a good steward with my resources.  There were five tables total.  I couldn't fit the last one, that would be at the bottom right, in the picture.  Every table was f...

You will be glad to know that I have finally decided what I want to be when I grow up.  I know I'm 42, but hey, better late than never.  I have decided to be...a Disney princess.  I have thought about this and I have very valid reasons for wanting to be one.       Disney princess are smart.  I know most of them don't come across that way, but when you dig down into their personalities they are.  Most of them end up in some sort of perplexing situation and they have to use their resourcefulness to get out of it.  The only two, I think, who have to wait to be rescued are Aurora, in Sleeping Beauty & Snow White.   Disney Princesses are kind.  Every single one of them is kind to others.  Some may be bristly, but under that rough exterior is a caring young lady.  Some have to deal with hateful step-families, people who have kidnapped them, beasts, war, evil magic, and uncontrollable powers.  In the end they p...

How do you cram 20 years into 400 words or less?  How can it even come close to everything Hopson & I have experienced together?  In truth, it can't.  But, I'm going to give it 'the old college try'. I met Hopson at Auburn.  We were on a double date, with different people.  My life was about to change forever & he remembered my name.  It's funny what a difference it is when someone calls you by your name.  I will never forget that day.  Hopson was helping to build Fiji Island.  He was shirtless (which was not a bad sight); he smiled at me and said 'Hey Ashley, I'm Hopson'.  We talked for a bit & I went to visit my friends at the house.  May 7th my dad passed away & I was thrown into a funk.  I didn't a pretty good job hiding it, but I don't remember a lot from that summer.  Hopson says he called me to go on a date with him in June (I think), and claims I stood him up, but I don't remember it.  Then h...

I have MANY things in my life to be thankful for.  Much more than I deserve.  Today is Harry's birthday, he's 17, where did that time go?  Hopson's birthday was yesterday, I won't tell you how old he is, but he's one year older than me.  If you need to know my age, click here .  :)  I was able to do something earlier this month that was one of the coolest things ever. I love to dance.  I always have.  My friend Steven, who was my boyfriend in middle school, used to put his hand on top of my head to try to stop me from dancing.  My theme song back then was, All She Wants to Do is Dance .  You know, not much has changed.  I hear music & I just have to dance.  (granted, things to move quite like they did 30 years ago.)  So does Elizabeth.  I'll be cooking dinner; music is playing; E & I are dancing around the kitchen.  Yes, it's a personal problem, but a good one if you have to have a personal problem, but...