My Dirty Little Secret

Since we are on the topic of "TV" (well OK we were talking about movies, but go with me for a minute), I thought I would mention that I have a confession. This confession will make me lose credibility with my grown up readers. I say this like I have tons of readers....I probably have like five. OK so for my five readers, you will never look at me the same. I have made peace with this and can now move forward. Hello...my name is Mikki and I'm a closet Hannah Montana fan. *gulp*

Now that this is out in the open, I can take a breath of fresh air. Do you have any idea what it's like to carry that burden around? I have another confession. Jerry likes her too. I totally place the blame on my step-son Joey. While he was here for the summer, we watched a couple of shows. At first I would act like I was not watching, and would sneak a peak over my book. By the end of the summer, I was blatantly recording them and watching them by myself!

On the same topic, Ethan likes her too. I believe he likes her by default from someone at his school. He calls her Hana Batana. For the longest time, I really thought that was a nickname for a little girl in his class, but no...he was talking about good ol' Miley. He can even sing her intro song. Now that, it cracks me up.

OK, I feel so much better now that I'm not carrying this secret alone. I can sleep tonight. That is, if I can quit stressing about Hurricane Ike.

I'm Allergic to Sad Movies

I'd like to preface this post by saying that if I hear a movie is a tear jerker, I will not watch it. I'm a firm believer of happy, predictable Hollywood endings. I want the warm, fuzzy, ooey, gooey feeling at the end. What movies have I not seen? The Notebook for starters. A few people told me it made them cry and I ran for the hills. The Pursuit of Happiness is another movie that I refuse to watch. The previews just look like they would make me bawl.

There are three movies that I have watched that have made me bawl. I'm talking curled up and sobbing so hard that I get the eeps. The eeps you ask? That's when you start making that weird eep noise because you can't catch your breath when you are sobbing.

Sling Blade. That was the first movie that had me crying so hard that I couldn't catch my breath. It was however so good that I called my mom as soon as it was over to tell her that she HAD to watch it. She didn't sound so convinced though because I was still bawling while I was telling her she had to see it. I was bawling so hard that I couldn't get my words out. I cried for a good 30 minutes, and to this day I won't watch that movie again.

A Walk to Remember. Now, this is that cheesy movie that has Mandy Moore in it. She has cancer and falls in love....The night that it made me hysterical was about the 100th time that I had seen it. Yes, I had gotten a little teary the first 99 times that I saw it but (and I'm not sure this one counts because I was pregnant and totally hormonal) I vividly remember how wired I got. It was the middle of the night and I was laying in bed crying so loud that I woke Jerry up. My pillow was soaked, my blanket was soaked, and I got the hiccups. My nose was all stuffy, my eyes were swollen....and Jerry wakes up. He calmly looked at the TV and then looked at me....and had the nerve to ask "haven't you seen this movie a thousand times already?" I did not appreciate him acknowledging the fact that I was a blubbering idiot but since he went back to sleep, I forgave him.

I lasted almost 5 years without seeing another movie that would drive me to wanting to curl in a corner in the fetal position while I got dehydrated from all of my blubbering. Then last night happened.....

The Bucket List. Oh man!!! This movie had me laughing the entire time up until the end. Then the end happened and I felt the tears welling up. They started off normal enough but then I started sniffing and here it came....I was crying so hard that at first Jerry thought I was laughing. When he realized I was again SOBBING he asked that redundant question that I can't stand hearing when I'm upset..."Are you OK?" That just made me cry even harder and all I could say is "This is SO sad!!!!!" This lasted for 10 minutes. Then when it was over, my nose was stuffy again, my eyes were swollen, and I called my mom again. Yes, I was still bawling and she found this hysterically funny. I found myself bawling and laughing at the same time. When it was all said and done, my sinuses were clear. We did both agree that it was a darned good thing we hadn't seen the movie at the theater.

I'm glad I can laugh at myself. This should get me through another 5 years before that happens again. So, since I laid it all on the line, please let me know if there is a movie that will make me cry...so I can avoid it like the plague. Thank you.

Photo Friday

Ethan is going through a phase where he likes to dry himself off after a bath. He insists that he's a big boy now and can do it himself. For the most part he does a bang up job. He also is pretty selective in the towels that he will use. He has a Shrek towel, a Spiderman towel, and right now...his favorite....a Transformers Optimus Prime towel. I guess that Optimus Prime dries the body better than a regular run of the mill towel that we use. Hey, it works...

Rub a Dub Dub

So, Ethan is normally a shower boy. He loooves to take showers. Well, last night I got him a few new toy boats and some Iron Man bubble bath..boy did he have fun. This is my favorite shot of the night. You can click to enlarge.

I'm Not Michael Phelps...I'm Steve!

This video is priceless...and funny as hell. This is a real video (not a joke)...He also happens to be a swimmer but watch how this unfolds! OMG I laughed so hard when I saw this the first (and second) time...Let me know what you think!

I.

I am…a very strong willed person. It’s both a blessing and a curse.

I want….to reconnect with a few of my friends. There are 2 in particular that I really miss talking to.

I have…developed a strong addiction to the Olympics. I have not missed one single swim that Michael Phelps has been in.

I wish I could…have the time to truly devote to photography. Additionally, I wish I could wake up tomorrow morning and be a pro at Photoshop.

I hate…that our troops are still being sucked into the black hole of a meaningless war.

I fear….losing my baby boy.

I hear…that they just found Big Foot’s dead carcass. It sure does look freaky too!

I search…for answers to some of my questions all the time. Especially with Google. You can find anything with Google.

I don’t think…my ankle is every going to heal. Even though I hear they eventually do…it’s taking FOREVER! Hmmpphhh

I regret…the relationship that I have with my paternal grandmother. Even though it was beyond my control, it sucks.

I love….kissing my boy’s cheeks and giving him hugs. There is something amazing about the love you can feel for your child.

I ache for…the day when I’m finished with school. It seems so far away!

I am not…as trusting as I was when I was younger. I guess the older you get the more cynical you become.

OK, now I tag Erin, Jen G, and Jen M.

Cousins at Play

Today was an eventful day! We spent the afternoon at my parents house and then Boo came home to spend the night with Ethan. We decided to go to the park to finish off the day.




Notice how easy Boo makes this look. He glided on the swing as if he had been doing this forever.

I'm not sure what the attraction to the swing was, but it sure did entertain him for a few minutes.

Doesn't he look like a future Olympic star? You should have seen him on the monkey bars...not that I got pictures of him in time.


Can you see his mini Mohawk? It suits him, doesn't it? Notice he's up high- he spent the entire time at the park (minus the time on the swing) climbing on every thing he could...he is so agile!

Ethan spent an equal amount of time climbing too but he's not quite so agile. As a matter of fact, he tried to do the monkey bars once he saw Boo doing them and promptly fell to the ground. He hurt his wrist again...and we are watching it.

Do you know my Brother Barry? No? Well, he looks just like this...only bigger. Actually- this is exactly how my brother looked when he was this age. It's weird looking at this picture..I could be back in time.

See? Look how far ahead Boo is of Ethan. I tell ya...he's part monkey. That boy sure can move.

Hand down, this is Ethan's favorite thing to do at the park. The red thing rotates and he swings about half way around before dropping to the ground.

I totally love this picture. Jerry was helping Boo across these modified monkey bars (these are not the ones that he was doing by himself). Note Ethan helping him out. This shot cracks me up.

Ethan didn't get farther than this. He leaned out to grab the second bar only to realize that it was a long way down...and he had already fallen off of the other ones. Isn't this a cool picture? I changed it to black and white and then introduced just a little bit of color back in to it.

And for your viewing pleasure....Ethan's very own Andy Warhol collage. It's snazzy, isn't it?

On a side note...did you see the Olympic Swimming today!? Whew! The US men whooped some Olympic butt today! Michael Phelps broke the world record in the 400m.

I Heart Photoshop

I have a new passion/hobby...an addicting hobby that I just can't leave alone. Have you ever tried Adobe Photoshop? Whew! It's hard and confusing but man does it make a nice editor. I have only been doing this for a few days but with lots and LOTS of help from two friends, tons of online tutorials, and general googling "how to" sites, I think I've really made some progress.

See this first picture? It' s one of my all time favorites. It was taken on my Minolta Maxum 35mm (real film) camera then scanned on to CD...this is the SOOC (straight out of the camera shot).

This is the edited version...granted...it's a little bright, but it sure does pop, doesn't it?



This next picture is another of my new favorites...it's just about perfect except the color is a little off.


BOOM...KABLAM...SWISH!! Just look at this version:

This is a silly shot of the boys back in Jan. Up until a few days ago, I would say nothing is wrong with this picture...

But then waaalaaa....look how Joey's orange shirt pops. Nice, right?

This last one was a picture just for fun...it was a full color picture taken at Boo's birthday party on the train ride. I ran something called an action on it..two actually...and ended up with this masterpiece.

Now, while I have literally only scratched the surface of what this program can do...I must say....I heart Photoshop!!!!

School Pics and Brother Pics

Every year Ethan has "beach" pictures done at school. They always turn out so cute. We also got the boys pictures done while they are here. You can click to enlarge. Enjoy!

What was I Doing When I Ate Pavement?

Isn't this a gorgeous playground? This is where we come every weekend so that Ethan can play and ride his bike. Notice the shade. Each piece of this playground was donated from members of the community. It's called Be an Angel Playground.



Ethan often gets stuck right before he gets going. I guess the peddle is hard to move from up there. Notice the track turf surrounding the playground. I love walking on this stuff...you kind of..bounce.. It makes me feel athletic again....I'm not sure why.

Joey is kind enough to get off of his bike to give Ethan a little push to get him going. See that helmet? It's state law. Make your kids wear helmets! Head injuries are horrible. Again..look at that beautiful turf ground.

Isn't this a great picture? I love when they ride together. Ethan will look to the side and veer off of the asphalt. Oh wait...he must get that from me.

And this my friends is what I was doing when I looked off...and veered off the pavement. I was watching 2 of my boys bonding. See, if Joey wasn't pushing him right there, I would be the one doing it. Thank God for big brothers.


My ankle is healing nicely and so is my leg. My camera is OK but my best lens got a piece broken off. It's OK though, still usable. So there you go....I injure myself just to bring you shots of the boys bonding. I'd say that's over and beyond the call of duty, dontcha think?

Cheers...

Grace

Just Call me Hop Along...or Not

Well yesterday proved to be eventful. Not quite what I pictured for a nice Sunday afternoon, but eventful anyway.

We spend quite a bit of time during the weekend at a really nice playground down the road from us. The ground on the playground is a track turf, so it's a little bouncy if the kids fall. Above the playground, much of it is covered to keep the sun off of everyone. Surrounding the playground is a nice asphalt track that kids ride their bikes on and parents walk while kiddos are playing.

Yesterday (as we do at least twice a weekend) we went to the park so that Ethan could ride his bike on the track. It's much safer there than in our busy neighborhood, so he rides to his hearts content.

I was busy taking pictures of Ethan and Joey riding their bikes and not paying much attention to anything else. Let me stop right here to mention that I had a bad feeling about taking my nice expensive camera on the walk with me for some reason. I kept envisioning it dropping to the ground and breaking.

The track is raised about 5-6 inches above the ground and I must have been walking on the edge. All of a sudden (in slow motion I might add) I slip off the side, twisting my ankle as I go down, and hit the ground face first. My camera (of course) slipped out of my hand and hit the ground.

I laid there for a good 5 minutes in severe pain. I couldn't move my ankle and Jerry was trying to see if I could move at all. I looked at my right leg and saw huge scrapes on my knee and shin. My right elbow was busted up too. After about 10 minutes, Jerry was able to help me get to a table that was close by. By then I was severely nauseated. Ethan was freaking out so I was doing my best to act as if nothing was wrong. He was so sweet! We finally got him to agree to ride his bike one more time around the park while I elevated my ankle to see if it would keep hurting.

Jerry helped me stand up to see if I could walk to the truck (a LONG way away) and I just couldn't. Ethan came over and informed us that it was time to go home. They all walked to the truck and I stayed where I was. There is no where for vehicles to drive in the park so Jerry had to cut through our soccer field and ride the fence line to come and get me. He was able to get the truck right up to where I was and help me in. Ethan was telling me that it would be OK and that I just needed to breathe! LOL He was actually being very helpful and adorable. He was really worried.

We got home and cleaned up my battle wounds. Fast forward to today....I spent all day (of my planned vacation day) laid up in bed. I can get around a little better today, it still hurts to walk on my ankle but I can hobble around. My ankle is about the size of a knee cap now so the swelling is going down. I go back to work tomorrow, so that should be interesting! Wish me luck!

Growing Up

Reality hit me a little hard today as my baby boy visited his new classroom. What does that mean? It means that he's about to start pre-school curriculum, PRE-SCHOOL! He already can count to 20 in Spanish- they have Spanish every day, takes computer class 3 times a week, has Opus music once a week, gymnastics once a week, and a special art class once a week. He's been on a basic pre-school track since he was 2, but now it's going to be the real thing.

He was slated to move up mid-August when school starts but plans changed this week. His current teacher turned in her notice and that meant he was getting a new lead teacher. Rather than getting him used to a new teacher only to move classes, we thought it best to go ahead and move him.

What will he be learning? Phonics-based reading, basic math, how to tie his shoes, his address and phone number, how to write the alphabet, and how to write his name. That just scratches the surface. All of this will be incorporated with regular fun things, water park once a week, 4 field trips a month, picnics 3-4 times a week, computer class, Spanish, Art, gymnastics, Opus music, etc.

It's just hard to believe that he's already "there". He's so darned excited to be going to a big boy class now but it's so bitter sweet. I seriously understand now what it means when someone says "They just grow up so fast". We are just really lucky to have found such a great place for him to go- he really loves it there.

....And Then Boo was Four!

Boo's birthday party was this weekend (the 20th). Eunice and Barry had his party at the Galveston Railroad Museum. We had pizza, cake, and ice cream in a passenger car; and then we went on a train ride!!! Happy Birthday Barry Chas Steding! We simply adore you! You can click to enlarge

I think he was hanging on Barry...that, or he's part monkey..

My favorite family besides my own!

I'm not sure why Eunice was holding his head! LOL

How sweet is this?

I love this picture:

Pouting

Clearly this shirt is too small for him...I see that now...lol

3 of my boys (Jake 14 yrs-left and Joey 11yrs-right)

Ethan just discovered a pink flamingo

Now we must ride it...

This is the train we rode

See the scratch on the tip of his nose? Joey did it while they were wrestling around...and we heard about it for 6000 hours!

After the train ride