Yep, it's time for Drew-isms!

So, I realized the other day that it's been WAY too long since I entertained you with Drew-isms, so consider this an early Christmas present! :-)

(Drew spent Thanksgiving with his dad and I was at Karen's house.  I called Drew to wish him a Happy Thanksgiving.)
Me: Happy Thanksgiving, Drew!
Drew: Thanks, Momma.  Whatcha doing??
Me: I'm helping Auntie Karen cook!
Drew: Are you cooking the turkey?
Me: Yep, it's in the over.
Drew: Don't burn it, momma.
Me: WHAT?  When have I ever burned the turkey?
Drew: HAHAHAHA!!!!  I'm so funny!
(Yeah, I have a hysterical kid....rolling my eyes!)

(The following conversation took place while we were in the car, headed to the store.)
Drew: Momma, you can GO!
Me: Drew, I can't go.  There are cars coming.
Drew: But, Momma, it's GREEN and that means GO!
Me: Drew, I'm turning and even though it's green, that doesn't mean I can go.  I have to wait until either there are no cars coming or there is a green arrow.  I don't want to turn and get hit by another car!
Drew: OHHH, that makes sense.  Good thinking, Momma.  I guess I'll let you keep driving, then.
Me: Uh, excuse me?? You'll LET me keep driving??
Drew:  HAHHAHA...that's so funny! 
(That sound you hear is me banging my head against the steering wheel.)

Drew: Momma, you want to know what my wish is?
Me: Sure, what is your wish?
Drew: I want to meet Santa Clause.
Me: Uhm, ok.
Drew: Now Momma, I'm talking about the real Santa Clause.  Cause, you know the ones you see at the stores and you can take pictures with, those aren't the real santa's.  Those are just big guys with fake beards.
Me: Honey, the real Santa lives up in the North Pole and I don't think you'll be able to meet him. 
Drew: I'll meet him.  I can set a trap for when he comes and I'll catch him! I'll fix a special trap at Uncle Monty's & Aunt Judy's house and when Santa drops off the presents, the trap will spring up and catch him!
(I think I need to be worried that he's planning on setting a trap and capturing Santa!  AND, he's been thinking about this one for a while!)

Drew: Momma, I love it when Papa visits.
Me: I do too!
Drew: You want to know why?
Me: Sure.
Drew: He makes yummy pancakes and cooks them.  I like Papa's pancakes better than yours.
Me: Oh you do?  Why is that?
Drew: Papa doesn't burn them!
(Just so you know, I only burned pancakes ONCE and that was 4 years ago and that crazy kid of mine still remembers that!)

Well, that's it for now!
Merry Christmas!!!!!!

Love & Hugs!

Running around, and around, and around

Howdy.

The Fall baseball season has ended.  I'm both sad and relived about that.  Sad, because Drew enjoyed baseball and I have to say, I enjoyed watching him play.  Relived because baseball season makes for some hectic times!  I had a week where Drew had scouts on Monday, baseball practice Tuesday & Thursday and then a game on Saturday.  I always said I was going to be a parent that wouldn't over-schedule my child and there have been times when I felt like I did just that.  Plus, that doesn't take into account getting homework done, studying for spelling tests and getting our reading minutes in.

However, we survived and Drew is looking forward to Spring baseball and so am I!  It's great for him to have an outlet where he can run off all his energy.

He also hit his first home run!  I was so excited for him and I was cheering him on big time! (Yes, I know, I'm one of the loudest moms there.  What can I say, I get excited!)

I just love this picture of Drew!  It is so him!!!!

Well, that's about it for now. 
Hugs!

Baking, Baking and MORE Baking

I've been MIA for a while due to my dad's visit.  We try to cram so much visiting in when he's here, that other parts of my life are put on hold.

Dad left yesterday morning and I was sad to see him go.  I've loved having him here and not just because he spoils me, it's nice being able to visit and hang out with him, but I don't think my waist line has been really happy with me. You see, my dad has a certain philosophy that he loves, "if a little does a little good, then A LOT will do A LOT of good." One aspect he applies this specific philosophy to is cooking, more specifically, I mean baking. 

During the two weeks that he was here, he made the following:
1) 18 pounds of fudge...yes, you read that right, 18 pounds!!! (chocolate, white chocolate and peanut butter)
2) little lemon cakes (about a bite size and he made over 100 of them)
3) little strawberry cakes (again, about a bite size and he made over 100 of them)
4) little chocolate cakes (...are you getting the pattern yet??)
5) Homemade pancakes
6) Homemade waffles
7) Homemade biscuits
8) Monkey Bread (which I LOVE)
9) Chocolate goo (it was good!)

I mentioned once that I would consider his visit a success if I didn't gain 100 pounds, well, the visit was a success, on many levels! :-)

My freezers are FULL!

The list above doesn't take into account all the other stuff that he got for me.  I have enough paper towels to last until after Christmas (again, with his philosophy...).  I don't think I'm going to need to buy meat anytime soon.  I'm set on toilet tissue, chips for Drew's lunches, peanut butter (again, for Drew's lunches) and I could go on and on.  I have so much stuff, that I can't get it in the panty, so it's lined up under the kitchen windows.

My dad cracks me up, and I wouldn't trade him for anything! 

Hope you all are doing great!!

Drew-ism's & Baseball

Instead of a Soccer mom, I'm now a Baseball mom!

During Drew's first practice, he made a hysterical comment to me.  That got me to thinking that it's been a while since I wrote a blog post on Drew-ism's.  Well, here you go...

Me: Drew, you're doing really good!
Drew: I know I am!!
(As I said on Facebook, he doesn't lack confidence!)

During the last game, I MISTAKENLY thought I was helping by trying to give Drew advice.  Two of the coaches told me to not coach anymore! :-)  Then, Drew had to add his own opinion...

Drew: Momma, you need to keep your coaching to yourself.
(That stings!)  LOL

Drew: Momma, why don't we have a goat?
Me: We don't have any room for a goat.
Drew: Sure we do, we can put it in the garage.
(He wants a zoo!)

Me: Drew, how is school going?
Drew: It's good.
Me: Is that all...what's happening, what are you learning?
Drew: School is fine.  I ROCK, I know everything!
(Rolling my head!)

My dad is visiting again!  Drew loves it because of several reasons...(in no particular order)
1) When Papa is here, Drew gets to ride the bus home.
2) Papa is an awesome truck that Drew loves!
3) Papa spoils us! He cooks and bakes and we have awesome food and desserts!!
   (I'm afraid I'm going to gain all the weight back...oh well, just have to work out a LOT more!!)
4) Papa ROCKS!!!!!

Hugs!
Paulette

The continuing Adventures of the Single Mom...

Instead of Drew-ism's, I thought I would share some of the amazing adventures I've been having lately (can you detect the sarcasm here??).  I have this image in my head, it's of a conversation between God and my mom, let me share with you (you need to hear this because it sets up the story I'm going to share!)

They are standing next together and are looking down at me.  You would think they would have these amazing looks of love and pride on their faces...you would be wrong.  They are actually rolling their eyes at me!  Here is the conversation...

God: Paulette, I've told you and I'll keep telling you, please be patient.  I've got it all under control. What are we going to do with that girl, Charlotte?
Mom: Why are you looking at me, you made her!
God: Well you raised her!

At this point, they look at each and just grin!

I just replay this image because when things get going so crazy and I don't think I can handle anything more...something "more" happens and I'm left standing there thinking "uhm...ok!"  But here's the deal, God always takes care of it.  Whether it's a friend giving me a hug, another friend calling me, or my dad buying me a new fridge (because apparently he didn't want his baby girl buying a perfectly good used one that I could afford, oh no, he has to buy me a new one. I've learned to just shut up and go along with it!), everything does work out.

Side Note#1: Yes, my fridge is going out!!!  I think I need to start staying away from all things electrical! :-) At least, that is what one friend told me. But, like I mentioned above, dad is determined to buy me one and I'm going to accept it. Don't say No to a free Fridge!

I've been so Blessed in my life.  I have some amazing friends here in Georgetown.  One friend in particular (and she knows who she is!), has stepped in time and time again to help me.  Either just by letting me vent, helping me with my car, helping me with Drew, or coming over and bringing me a bottle of wine when I get stood up TWICE in one weekend (yes, that really did happen to me!), she is ALWAYS there for me.

Side Note#2, Seriously, who in the world has been stood up TWICE in one weekend? I mean, seriously, once is bad, twice is, well I don't know what it is....  In addition to the car idols, did I tick off a dating idol in my past?? Oh well, it makes for some great blogging! :-)

I have a son that is a gift from God! Just seeing him smile and laugh makes me feel better. He has such a caring and compassionate heart and it's a joy watching him grow and develop.  Being a mother is the biggest Blessing in my life and I thank God for it each and every day.

I have a church family that continually shows how much they care.  My church family has given me their boys' clothes for Drew, assisted me with getting him in baseball and all the gear that requires, and they pray for both Drew and I!  They are there with hugs and encouraging words for me and for Drew!!

My family! My family has stood by me, supported me and loved me, no matter what. I have a brother who has always had my back.  Thanks to him, I have a sister that I've always wanted and not only is she a sister, but she is my friend as well.  I have two beautiful nephews that I just adore and watching them play and interact with Drew is amazing. I have a TON of cousins and I mean a ton!  They are AWESOME!!  I have a dad, who although I tease and pick on, he is there for me when I need him.  He might not talk much (I get that from my mom!), but he does the best he can and he never hesitates in telling me he loves me.

So, on days where all I want to do is sit and cry, I do exactly that, sit a cry, for a time! Then, I take a deep breath, square my shoulders and start walking forward again.  I have times when I need to remind myself of all that I have in my life and that things good be worse.  So, I just keep plugging away...like the energizer bunny or Dory, "keep on swimming, keep on swimming!"

Hugs!
Paulette

Back to school!

It's official, I have a 1st grader!  We are now into the second week of school and so far, so good.  Drew and I both are adjusting to the routine that the school year brings.  It's funny how fast you get out of that routine during summer.

We also had some surprise company during his first week.  My dad and aunt came down for the week.  It was great having them here.  Dad cooked and Aunt Barbara cleaned.  I was totally spoiled and I loved every minute of it.  Drew was able to ride the bus home from school, since papa was here and he thought that was awesome.  He's still asking to ride the bus home and he's not happy that he's going to have to wait a while for that! :-)

In about a month we're going to be having Drew tested for Dyslexia.  At the end of the year last year, his teacher (remember, this was her second year to have Drew in her class) and I suspected that there was something else going on with Drew and we suspected Dyslexia (his birth father has Dyslexia).  In Texas, they don't test for that until they are at least 7, so we couldn't do anything until now anyway.  I'm so grateful to his school and all the amazing people that work there.  I know that he'll get the help he needs and that he'll succeed no matter what challenges may come his way.  

As for me, well work is going well.  It's busy, but it makes the day go by faster.  I'm also really getting into the training for my 5K in October.  I've actually run a mile...without stopping!  That is world stopping for me! LOL  You can ask any of my friends, I really don't like running. Of course, a 5K is 3.1 miles, so I need to start adding miles.  Ughhhh......

Hugs,
Paulette

Ups & Challenges

Drew is home!  I'm thrilled and we are having a blast!  I feel like we've been going non-stop since he got back and I'm thinking I need to go back to work to rest. That being said, I wouldn't trade these days with him for anything in the world. 

It's been amazing having him back.  I love listening to him talk a mile a minute (and yes, he is my kiddo), telling me that I'm wrong about something (ok, maybe not so much that part, but it's funny listening to him come up with his reasoning), or telling me what we should do next.  We've played games, gone to a splash pool and today, we had the amazing experience of sitting and WAITING for my car to be fixed.

Yeah, this afternoon might not have been the best day, but hey, at least we were together.  That being said, I do have to share the car story.  Trust me, you're not going to believe this!

There is a TON of  back story, but I'm just going to give you the highlights...

1) Purchased the car in May, it's a 2009 Hyundai Accent

2) Starting having problems with it in June.

3) In July, had to have the transmission replaced (yep, you read that correctly)

(This is the cliff notes of the cliff notes...but I'll share that story another time)

Today I take Drew to Burger King for lunch.  It's hot outside (nothing new here) and he can play inside for a while.  Pretty smart thinking on my part!  Well, we go to leave and the car doesn't start.  It doesn't even turn over.  I call my handy dandy roadside service people and the tow truck arrives 30 minutes later (thank goodness we can wait inside in the AC).  The gentleman hooks up the batter tester and it shows that the battery is fine and he tells me that it's probably the alternator.  I start freaking out until he tells me that it should be covered under the warranty.  Ok, that makes me feel a little bit better.  Well, off to the Hyundai dealership we go. 

On the way there, his truck starts overheating...NOT KIDDING!  We make it to the dealership and then we start waiting.  Well, the poor tow truck driver...yeah, his truck is smoking!  He's pouring water on it and it's not moving.  He has to call a tow truck for his tow truck.  Watching them load the first tow truck unto the second tow truck was interesting.  Everyone in the waiting room started freaking out when the second tow truck starts rising in the air when it's lifting the first tow truck.  Of course, my precious little boy thought it was hysterical!

Well, the service guy at the dealership gets my car running and I end up taking it to another place because I don't have the $130 that they are going to charge me for a battery.  I get a new battery and the car is running fine...at least right now. It turns out that the machine the tow truck driver used is not working properly and that the problem really is the battery, not the alternator. See...I couldn't make this stuff up if I wanted to.!

So, as I mentioned on facebook, I am officially too hot for cars!  I break them down. :-)

While all this was going on, I wanted to cry, I mean seriously, enough if enough with this crazy car.  But then one of my wonderful friends, Karen, reminded me, it could be worse and she's right.  I've been reading about the famine in Somalia and how hundreds of children have been dying.  That is any parent's worst nightmare. I might not be able to buy Drew everything he wants, but I can feed him.  In a world where there are so many parents that are not able to do that, then I know the problems I'm dealing with right now are nothing more than temporary inconveniences.

So, the bills will get paid, eventually.

The car will be completely fixed, eventually.

Having a healthy and happy child that I'm able to play with, priceless!

Everything is going to work out.  God has a plan and I'm so glad He's in charge and not me.  Of course, I just have to keep reminding myself of that.

Hugs!

Paulette

7 Days & Counting!

Drew is going to be back in 7 days!  I'm so ready for that little boy to be home.  That being said, he has had a FANTASTIC time with his daddy, his cousins, grandparents and birth family and I'm so thrilled for him.  I know he is always going to remember this trip and all the adventures he's had.

He has been to Wyoming, and visited with his birth family.  He's been in Montana to see his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  He's been or Oregon to see his great grandma, more aunts, uncles and cousins.  He's been to the coast, he's camped out, he's gone hiking and the list goes on and on. 

I think one of the highlights of the trip was the fact that his cousin gave him a BB gun.  :-)

While he was at his grandparent's house, he discovered a dirt bike in the shed.  Thankfully, it didn't run or I could just imagine him begging his daddy to let him ride that! 

I've never gone this long without being with Drew and it's been a challenge; however, this was a trip he needed to make and I wanted him to make it.  So, I've tried to use the time wisely and get some projects accomplished around the house.  Moderately successful on that! :-p

Take care everyone!!!

Adventures of a Single Mom

I had the opportunity to go to Burlington, VT and then to Boston & Cape Cod.  The Boston & Cape Cod part of the trip was my vacation and I hung out with my friend, Shelley.  She is originally from Cape Cod; thus she knows all the cool places to go & see.

I'm sharing a few pics!  Enjoy!

Shelley and I with some real live Boston Firefighters.  The guy in the red shirt had the BEST Boston accent.  I loved listening to him talk.

 Entering the historic section of Boston.  I loved it!

 Boston...it's GREEN!!!!  I had forgotten what that looked like! :-)

ChinaTown!  Very cool

Paul Revere's House. 

Some of my CASE buddies!  That was the best conference and I had a blast meeting all of them. 

Infertility

It's been on my mind for a while to write a blog post on infertility and my thoughts on it.  For some reason, I've been avoiding it.  I'll think about, heck a time or two I've even started it and then I just delete the whole thing.  I'm guessing I wasn't ready.  Something is telling me to write and post that blog today (maybe I won't chicken out this time and finally publish it!). 

According to the medical dictionary, Infertility is defined as "incapable of or unsuccessful in achieving pregnancy over a considerable period of time (as a year)."  That doesn't cover the emotions that infertility brings, at least for me.  The feelings of not being a "whole" woman, or having done something wrong, or simply being a failure.  I know logically that that isn't the case, but emotions are rarely, if ever, logical.


My infertility journey had many ups & downs.  One of the biggest (but NOT the biggest) up was on Mother's Day, 2002.  I woke up sick and feeling horrible that day.  Finally, around 11:00, I looked at Dan and said that I thought I needed to go to the ER.  I wasn't even able to keep water down.  I was shaky and dizzy.  So, off we went.  The dr. ran the usual tests and then, he walked in and told me I was pregnant.  I come flying up off the bed and I demanded to see the paperwork.  I also asked if he was was sure it was me, did he have the right patient.  I'm not kidding when I tell you I questioned that poor guy for 10 minutes.  Finally, Dan just looked at me and said, "It's you!"  I thought I was dreaming.  (I even asked Dan if I was dreaming...haha)  Nope, it was true, I was pregnant.  Finding that out on Mother's Day was pretty cool.


Flash forward a week...I started spotting.  I was terrified.  I wanted this SO bad!  I went for the usual blood test on the next Monday and the HCG levels were not rising like they should be.  At that point, we new something was probably wrong.  Tuesday night, I started hurting!  I had another appt. Wednesday morning, so I thought I would just wait it out and if it got worse, we would go ahead and go to the ER.  Well, just about the time I was about to break down, it was time to go to the appt.  The Dr. did the sonogram and we saw the pregnancy, in the fallopian tube.  I was having an ectopic pregnancy.  I went from his office upstairs, to the Day Surgery clinic downstairs.  


I was lucky.  The Dr. caught it early and he was able to save the tube.  However, I never again was able to get pregnant, even when things looked really good.


Then, the biggest "up" happened, my miracle...my little Drew!  Drew and his birth parents came into our lives so fast and with the circumstances surrounding their introduction into our lives, you not only knew God had a plan, you could see Him working on that plan.  


Do I still grieve for that pregnancy...at times.  Do I still grieve for not being able to experience pregnancy...at times. But, there are things I've been blessed to experience that other people don't.  I've not only adopted a child, I've also adopted an entire family.  My "pregnancy experience" aka...the waiting period was 7 WEEKS!!!  I know why God made the usual pregnancy 9 months...you need that time to prepare! (But like so many of my friends tell me, I don't do anything normal!)  I have experienced being amazing at how a child who is genetically not related to me, is me all over!  It's amazing!

Hugs! 

Drewisms

It's been a while since I've entertained you with Drewisms, so here you go....

Drew: Momma, can I go play with Dillon
Me: No Drew, we're getting home too late to play tonight
Drew: But Momma, I haven't played with ANYONE today
Me: Drew, you spent 6 hours at camp playing with kids
Drew: That doesn't count, Momma
Me: Oh, why is that
Drew: At camp, I'm supposed to play with others, now I want to play with Dillion.  See. it's different
(I've said it before and I'll say it again, oh boy!)

Drew: Momma, can I drive a Monster Truck
Me: Not for a long time
Drew: Why?
Me: For one thing, you're not even going to be able to drive for another 10 years and for another, those things are big and dangerous
Drew: Uh, dangerous is nothing!  I can drive anything!
Me: Have you ever driven anything in your life?
Drew: No, but I KNOW I can do it!  I can do ANYTHING!!
(Yep, I'm in SO MUCH TROUBLE!!!)

Drew: Momma, what makes a car run?
Me: The engine
Drew: Momma, what makes the engine run?
Me: There are several parts that have to work together to make the engine run.
Drew: What are those parts?
Me: I'm not sure of all the names, but we can look it up.
Drew: Nahh...I was just testing you
Me: You were testing me? Why?
Drew: I wanted to see if I was smarter than you and I am!
Me: Oh really, how are you smarter than me?
Drew: Duhh....Silly momma, everyone knows that gas is what makes a car run
(That sound you heard was me banging my head against the door!)

That's it for this installment!  I'll be back with more later!  Trust me, with Drew, I have TONS of material!
:-)

Adoption

After Drew had his little graduation from kindergarten in May, we had a party at one of the other parent's house.  During the party, a few of the moms came up to me and asked why Drew was telling his friends that he was going to be a big brother.  Obviously, I'm not pregnant, nor am I probably ever going to be. I told them that it is because his birth parents are expecting a baby and he is super excited about it.  

Once you tell someone that, they usually have a ton of questions and I'm always more than happy to share our story.  Sharing the story got me to thinking about adoption (once again!) and what it means to me.  I am so incredibly blessed to be a mom and I thank God every day for Drew and his birth family.  They have allowed me the opportunity to live my greatest dream, to be a mom.  It is something that you can't "pay back" or ever earn.  It is a gift, a priceless gift.  

Adopt comes from the Latin word, adoptare, meaning to choose for oneself, from operate to chose. I think that says everything right there.  Motherhood didn't come to me the way it does for most women.  I used to think (and to be honest, a small part of me still does) that I was a failure for not being able to get pregnant and carry a child to term.  Why?  What did I do?  Why couldn't I do this...so many other women do? I went through a lot of emotions...anger, sadness, I even tried to bribe God, but it didn't work.  

I know why, Drew was meant to be in my life.  Not only Drew, but the extended family that I adopted when I adopted Drew! 

On the way to tennis camp this morning, Drew was in the back seat and he started making up songs and singing them.  At one point, he started singing about having two mommies and two daddies.  He has his mommy mommy and his mommy Shassidy.  He has his daddy daddy and his daddy Robby.  I wanted to cry. I thought that was so sweet and it brings me so much peace. 

I have an amazing little kid and family!

Seasons of Change



Drew "graduated" from kindergarten last week.   I can't believe that he will be in the first grade next year. I can't believe he's going to be 7 in one month!  Where has the time gone?

Going to his little graduation has made me think about life and the changes that we all go through in life.  Nothing stays the same.  Life is change and for someone like me who isn't the biggest fan of change, it can be very frightening.  I'm learning to try to look forward to change and all the positive things that can come with it. 

I've recently discovered The Single Woman blogger and I really enjoy her posts!  She has such an amazing outlook on life and she is so positive.  I'm loving following her blogs and her tweets.  I think so much of what she has to say not only applies to a single woman, put to people in general.  She talks about how people come into and out of your life, but that everyone that does enter your life, has a purpose.  Even if they leave, you are strengthened from the time you spent with them.  It is even possible to take hurtful and negative experiences and use those to strengthen you.  I love that positve attitude and perspective.

I want everything in my life to stay the same...the same friendships, the same job, the same routine. In other words, I want things to stay safe.  However, that isn't how life works.  People come into and out of your life, friendships change, children grow and relationships end.  That doesn't mean something is over.  It just means that something different is around the corner.  Embrace the excitment and the new chapter.  You never know what is going to happen.

Family

I found out on Saturday that Drew's birth parents are expecting a baby.  Shassidy (Drew's birth mother) called me and I could tell that she had something exciting to tell me.  I'm so happy for them and I can't wait to meet the newest member of our family.

When we adopted Drew, we were not only were blessed with a new son, but with an entire family.  Shassidy's parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles welcomed us and made us feel a part of the family.  I've since been talking to Robby's mom as well.  It's a pretty amazing experience. They all wish me a Happy Mother's Day and Judy, (Shassidy's mom), refers to me as her daughter.  Drew thinks he's pretty special, with having a mom and a birth mom (not to mention a dad and a birth dad!), and I tend to agree with him...he is pretty special.

I am so Blessed to have my son and the family in my life!!

Hugs!

PT Cruiser adventures

In 2008, I bought a 2007 PT Chrysler.  When I bought the car, I was excited.  It was cool!! 

Well, that excitement as turned into major frustration and an expensive headache!

In less than three years, I've had to replace the AC Compressor twice (technically three times, but the last time was due to the fact that the second compressor installed was faulty and basically came apart)!  I've also had to replace the cooling fan twice. On Saturday, the transmission went out.  I was simply driving the car and surprise....it goes OUT! 

This isn't all that I've had to replace or fix either.  I mean seriously.  I've NEVER had a car that has had so many problems as this one.  If I had bought it new, I would so be filling a lemon claim on it. 

Drew's suggestion of fixing the car was to take a hammer to it.  I have to tell you, it was tempting to take his advice.

Thanks to some wonderful friends, I'm going to get the stupid (I tell Drew not to say stupid, so I better stop saying it as well!) crazy thing fixed. Once it's "driving," I'm going to try to trade it in.  I still owe on it and I have no idea what will happen, but you never know until you try. 

Anyway, my new motto:
"Just say NO to Chrysler!"

Hugs!

Drew-isms!

It's been a while since I've posted Drew-isms, so I thought I would brighten your day with another dose for your reading enjoyment.  Here we go....

Karen: Drew, isn't your momma pretty.
Drew: Nope, she isn't pretty.  She's HOT!
(Me:  oh boy!  I'm in trouble!)

Me: Drew, I need you to listen to me!
Drew: Momma, I don't have my listening ears on right now.


Drew: Momma, I'm HUNGRY!!
Me: Drew, we're going to eat dinner in about 5 minutes.
Drew: Momma, I can't wwwwaaaaaiiiiiiitttttttt!!!!!!
Me: Of course you can wait, you're not going to starve in 5 minutes.
Drew: YES I am!  I'm going to starve and die in 2 minutes unless I have some food RIGHT now! I NEED food!!!
Me: Well, if you're going to starve and die in 2 minutes unless you eat, you could have a banana.
Drew: No, I don't need a banana, I NNNEEEDDDDD my candy.  I'm going to starve and die without my candy.
Me: Sorry, you're not having candy right before dinner.
Drew: You just want me to starve and die!
Me: No, I don't want you to starve and die, but you're not having candy before dinner.
Drew: You're a mean mommy.
Me: Thank you!
(Drew walks away at this point not sure how to respond to that one!)
:-)

(I've been TRYING to teach Drew the value of chores and getting "paid" for those chores.  It's been an experience. He wanted to buy a watch at WalMart, but he "left" his money at home.  I told him that I would pay for it, but then he would have to pay me back and he agreed. He did pay me back but a few days later, he tried to tell me he deserved the money back.  Here is that conversation.)

Drew: Momma, I've been thinking.
Me: Oh boy, what have you been thinking about.
Drew: Well, you told me that I had to do chores in order to earn money for the watch that I bought. I paid you back, but I would like to have that money back now.
Me: Oh really, why is that?
Drew: I don't like the watch any more.
Me: Sorry buddy, but you threw away the receipt and we've opened the watch.  Plus, you've been wearing the watch and you can't take it back now.
Drew: I WANT my money back, please, momma, give me my money back.
Me: You can earn the money when you do your chores.
Drew: Wait, I've done my chores, remember, I cleaned my room up all by myself.
Me: Drew, that was last month and I've already given you your commission (by the way, that is a Dave Ramsey thing!) for that.
Drew: But it should still count!  I cleaned my room.
Me: You'll have to clean it again.
Drew: You mean to tell me that I've got to clean my room AGAIN, ALL by myself to earn my commission AGAIN?  Is this something I've got to do regularly to earn my commission??
Me: Yep!
Drew: Well, that stinks.

I had to turn away at that because it was pretty funny!!

Hope you enjoyed!!

Family

I have been meaning to get this post up for a while, but I just haven't done it.  So, in order not to get into any more trouble by my friend Mindy (remember, she gives me a hard time about the length between my posts), I decided I better get this up TODAY!!!!

So, here it is.....

I grew up in Texas, but the majority of my family lives in Oklahoma.  In fact, when I was younger, my cousins would tease me about sounding like a "Texan."  At the time, I HATED that! I wanted to be an Okie with all my cousins. (I've since come to appreciate my Texas roots and twang!)

That being said, I wasn't able to form the close bonds with many of my cousins as I would have liked to.  Trust me, I have a BIG family.  We would go to OK for vacations (in the summer, I think our car knew how to get to my Aunt Pat's on auto pilot), for weddings, family reunions and of course, funerals. I LOVE family reunions. We always had a wonderful time and I loved hanging out with them.  We would visit as much as possible into those days. I'm very blessed with my family and thanks to Facebook, email, etc, I'm now able to develop closer relationships with them and that is AWESOME!!

I recently lost two great aunts in the space of two days.  My Aunt Jo,  was the twin sister of my dad's mom. I will always remember her looking so eloquent!  She had a head full of beautiful white hair and there was never a hair out of place.  When my mom passed away, she came up to me, gave me a big hug and told me she loved me and she loved my mom.  Technically, my mom was her niece-in-law, but she always treated her like a niece.

One of my cousins, Karrah (she was one of many grandchildren to my Aunt Jo), created a youtube video and it is amazing.  I asked Karrah if it would be ok to post it here and she said yes.

My other Aunt that passed away was my Aunt Bettye.  She was the sister of my mom's dad.  On my mom's side of the family, we would get together every year on Memorial Day and place flowers on the graves.  It was a big family get together and after going to the cemeteries, we would have a family reunion.  It was a very special time for me because I would hear stories of family members that I never had the opportunity to meet.

I just wanted to share a little bit of my amazing family with you!  I hope you enjoy!

Love,
Paulette

Things I learned from my mom!

Today is my mom's birthday!  She would have been 70.  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss her, but I am SO incredibly thankful that I am her daughter.  She was a spitfire (Kimmy, thanks for that word!) and she was probably the strongest woman I've ever known. 

She went through a lot in her life, but she still lived with a smile and a laugh in her heart. 

That said, she was also ornery! I was lucky enough to go to a high school reunion with her (OK cousins, do you remember that...it was my freshman year at Tech) and I learned a lot about her (most of it she probably wished I hadn't!) Here are a few of the highlights...

1) Apparently, I look a LOT like her.  I've never had so many people walk up to me and ask if I was related to Charlotte Gosney.  I would tell them yes, I'm her daughter and their response, "Boy, do I have a story to tell you!"  Funny thing, I didn't hear the same story twice! ;-)

2) When my mom was in high school, she and the rest of the basketball team decided to ditch school to drive to Tulsa.  On the way to Tulsa, they picked up a hitchhiker and drove him to the other side of Tulsa.  Yeah, she would have knocked me into next week if I had even thought of doing that!

3) She was the basketball queen, homecoming queen and a bunch of other stuff.  I told her once that I was so jealous of all that stuff and her reply, "Don't be sissy, when you only have 6 other girls in your class, you just take turns!" (That totally cracked me up!)

4) One story I heard was the for Halloween, she and her friends would go "tipping."  What is "tipping" you ask....well, it was knocking over outhouses!  My mom...the rebel!

Here are some other things about my mom....

1) She was a tomboy!

2) She knew more about the oilfield than a lot of the men she worked with.

3) She had a GREAT laugh and a GREAT smile!

4) I learned very quickly not to brag that her spankings didn't hurt.  I did that once and the next spanking I got, she reminded me of that.  Yeah, not a fun time!

5) She HATED dresses!!!

6) She smoked like a freight train, but she did quit!  I was so proud of her!!!

7) She could cuss with the best of them! ;-) 

I could go on and on, but I'll save some more for another post!!

Drew-ism's, part II

Before I get in trouble from my buddy, Mindy, I'm posting!!!!!

For your entertainment, here are some more Drew-ism's:

Drew: Momma, I need a new bike.
Me: Drew, you have a perfectly good bike, already.  Why are you wanting a new one?
Drew: Momma, I don't want a new bike, I NEED a new bike.
Me: Sorry, Drew.  It's not happening.

Drew: Momma, can I tell you something?
Me: Sure, anything...
Drew: I think the reason I'm not paying attention at school is that I had too long of a break
Me: Oh really, you don't think you could pay attention if you worked at it?
Drew: No, I think I just need to get back in the swing of school.
Me: So, what you're saying is that we will need to keep working on stuff this summer, so you don't have to get back in the swing of things when you start first grade?
Drew: Well, maybe we could take some breaks and I'll work really hard when school starts.

Should I be impressed with his reasoning skills or worried?

Drew-isms

I was having lunch with two of my amazing friends today and they mentioned that I needed to start writing down all these witty sayings Drew comes up with.  He totally cracks me up...and everyone else.  So, for your entertainment pleasure, this is the first ever "Drew-isms Post."

Drew: Momma, you need to buy me a motorcycle to teach me "sponsibity." 
Momma: Drew, I will teach you "responsibility" without getting you a motorcycle.
(This is a reoccurring theme in our house...he wants a motorcycle bad!)

Mindy: Drew, what are we going to get your momma for her birthday?
Drew: Oh I know, she would love a motorcycle with big wheels.
Mindy: I don't think she wants a motorcycle
Drew: Well, then how about a 4-wheeler.  I KNOW she wants one of those!
(See, he is really trying to get that motorcycle)

(For the following conversation, I'm going to be paraphrasing it, I can't remember the story exactly, sorry Mindy).
Drew: Guess what, Mindy
Mindy: What Drew???
Drew: I have a girlfriend.
Mindy: Really, what is her name?
Drew: Madison
Mindy: Is she pretty?
Drew: No, she's HOT!


There are some more amazing conversations and I will enrich your life by sharing!!

Take care!
Paulette

Crazy weather

It's been an interesting time at my house. A week ago Saturday, I woke up and the house was cold, I mean COLD!!!  So, I got out of bed and went to the thermostat, it showed 53.  Yep, something was wrong.  I turned it off and turned it back on a couple of times, to see if that would kick start something.  Yeah, no luck.  So, I then called the repair guys and BEGGED them to come out and look at it.  It was cold!

Of course Drew was having a blast with it.  He kept getting blankets and bringing them to the bed.  Pretty soon, you couldn't see the bed because we had so many blankets on it.  But he was having fun and I was staying warm, so it was a win-win situation.

The repair dude shows up at 2 and he's gone by 2:30.  HEAT!!  Yeah, it was great.  Just don't ask me how much it was...I'm still living in a sea of denial about that one.

Another cold spell came through but I wasn't worried.  Nothing has ever happened.  I go home, expecting to do some laundry and yep, no water.  I KNOW I paid the bill. So, I start calling people trying to figure out what is going on and it dawns on me, my pipes are frozen.  Oh joy.  Again, Drew thought this was awesome.  He was having a blast with it and I was trying really hard not to break down like an idiot in front of him.  (Thankfully, I have some awesome friends who I broke down to and then I was fine in front of Drew.) 

I called my boss and told her that I would be late, really late, because I needed to stay around the house due to the frozen pipes.  She was awesome!  On Thursday at about 1:00, I heard the amazing sound of running water.  I then went and looked at the main water valve and it doesn't look like any pipes busted, SO.....that is AWESOME!!!!!

Anyway, I ended up getting to work at about 2!  But Drew had some awesome stories to tell his friends.

Peace out!!

Thoughts

I have moments in my life where I'm just terrified and here's the kicker....I'm not exactly sure what I'm terrified of.  I know, that makes no sense what-so-ever....welcome to my world.  My friends have a running joke about me, "if I'm not worrying about something, I'm worrying that I forgot something." Sadly, that isn't too far from the truth.

I have been working on that.  Trying very hard not to let fear control me.  However, that is a comfortable habit of mine and those comfortable habits are hard to break.  There are some bloggers that I greatly admire and respect and I'm learning a lot from them.  I'm trying to take the lessons I'm learning from them and apply them to my life.  I'm trying to break out of this shell of fear.  Dammit, that's hard!  That fear is my security blanket.

Being a parent and knowing that I'm one of my little guy's primary role models has really made me step back and take a long hard look at my actions.  I find that he will apologize for something that he had no control of at all and I tell him that there are some things you just can't help and you don't need to apologize for.  That being said, I know exactly where he gets that from...watching ME!  That is a sobering thought and a good kick in the rear! I don't want him to learn that lesson from me. 

Ok, enough of the deep thinking for the day...it's giving me a headache!

Later!

My soccer player!

Drew shared with me that he wants to play soccer again.  I'm really excited!  He really loved playing and he's a pretty good player, if I do say so myself!!

So, come next month, we will be back out at the soccer fields.

Thanks again Mindy for the AWESOME pics!! You're the best!!

Say Cheese!

Adoption

I have a very dear friend that she and her hubby are going to court tomorrow and their kids will be legally theirs, FINALLY.  They have had the kids for 2.5 years and I've watched them go through the foster system and now the adoption.  I am SO excited for them, I can't even express it.

It has taken me back to my own experience with Drew.  Drew's situation was a little different in that his birth parents asked my ex and I to adopt him and we had 7 weeks to get ready.  We were not prepared at all for this experience.  However, thanks to the help of family and some amazing friends, we did.  In those seven weeks we made a nursery, hired two attorneys (one in Wyoming and one in Texas), and hired the social worker.  We had our home study, the interview with the social worker and had some of our friends write letters of recommendation.  In fact, one of the letters was written by my friend that I mentioned earlier.

Drew's birth parents are a part of our lives and he understands, as well as a 6 year old can, that he has a mommy, daddy, birth mommy and birth daddy.  We talk to his birth parents and they have visited us.  They have given us such an amazing gift and I'm grateful to them every day!!  That little boy is my miracle, just like my friend's kids are her miracles.

Congrats again, Kimmy.  Love you tons!!

Metamorphosis

 

When I was in college, I had to read The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka for one of my English Lit classes. I even remember the teacher for that class.  I thought he was a tad bit eccentric, but hey, isn’t that what most English Prof’s are.  When I read it then, I strongly disliked that book.  All I could think of when I was reading it was that it was crazy that this person was changing into a giant insect.  I couldn’t get past that.

Now, jump forward a few decades and I’m starting to see it in a different light.  I think of myself and how I’m changing…and what is going to be the end result of that.  I’ve started looking at myself and the choices I make differently. Why do I think this or that, what has made me act this way or that way.  Do I like that about myself?  Why do I care about what others think??  I’ve always been so obsessed about the opinion of others that I’ve let it stifle me. 

I’m realizing that the only person that is hurting is me and why would I do that?  I want to be a positive example for my son and if I’m consistently worrying about the opinion of others, what is that going to do to my son?  How is the going to shape his life.

I’ve decided that I’m really excited about 2011 and the possibilities that it’s going to bring.  I’m ready to step out of my shell.

Mindy...this is for you!

My buddy Mindy told me the other day that I have the longest "in-between posts" times.  So, I decided I would write a post especially for her.  This is the story of Drew's adventure to Montana....

Our story starts on Christmas Eve morning, EARLY...like at 3:15am early.  Drew's plane was scheduled to leave at 5:50am and his daddy wanted to meet us at the airport at 4:00am.  I had Drew sleep in the clothes he was going to wear so that he could sleep as long as possible.  My sis-in-law got me up at 3:15 because she was being the awesome person she was and taking us to the airport (which was a great think, DFW is a monster!!).  We get to the airport a little before 4 and there are more people than I thought there would be. 

Drew's dad shows up and then they go off to get their tickets and go through security.  So, I give my little guy a big hug and kiss and tell him to have tons of fun.

I knew that they should be landing in Montana around noon, so I called Dan's sister to check on them.  Their plane is circling the  Missoula airport because it is too foggy.  They circle for over an hour and then decide to land in Great Falls, MT.  Great Falls is about 3 hours away from Missoula.  The airline rents a bus and takes all the passengers to Missoula on this bus.

Drew thought it was a great adventure and he was having a blast, his dad, not so much!

They finally arrived at their destination at 7 pm that night....instead of the originally planned time of 1:30.  But, they made it safe and sound and that is all that matters!

That's it for now.  Drew is coming home tonight, so I hope his trip home is much smoother!

Take care,
Paulette

PS-Mindy...are you happy!  Love you!