Dear PTA Nag

Aaahhhh. The acronym "PTA" doesn't necessarily hold warm fuzzies for some*. I said some. I am one of those some.

Why do I participate, you ask? I have a few reasons.  I like to get to know the teachers in my kids lives. I like to help where I can. If a teacher needs a chaperone for a field trip, I'm your girl. You need those books covered**? I'm your girl. I am a whiz with the scissors and the laminating machine in the workroom. The copying machine and I are best buds at this point. My last reason for participating is I have time on my hands. Give me something to do! It just so happens that my position this year is in the teacher workroom. I pop in to see what needs to be done at my choosing.

Then, there's my PTA cohorts. A few of them I have enjoyed getting to know. Then there's the others. The ones who need to point out to you endlessly what title they hold within the organization because that's all they have to hold over you***.

Recently I was walking up to pick up my youngest after school. I was talking to a fellow PTA'er and we were having a very pleasant conversation****. Then I felt the presence of the Nag behind be. It doesn't help that you can hear her voice from a mile away. It grates on my nerves. She wouldn't know how to whisper if her life depended on it. Trust me sister PTA'er, not everyone is interested in your conversations.

"I just wanted to remind you to check the workroom. There's a TON of stuff that needs to be taken care of. Have you been there this week?*****" Um. No. I haven't been there yet. I took care of a bunch of errands on Monday and on Tuesday I had to go to the bank and do some grocery shopping. On each day I have to have at least one hour before the kids come home to do whatever I want. So if that ends up being not a dadgum thing, that's my priority.

Have I mentioned that I have managed to get through 44 years of life? I have also managed to bring into this world two wonderful kids with Hubby of almost 16 years? I don't need a micromanager. In the big scheme of life, this volunteer position will come after my home life is taken care of.  Not to mention I do have an older child that is in band and I like helping at her school as well.

In that moment when she's asking if I'm keeping up with my duties, I let her make me feel belittled. Who does that in front of somebody else? I am a grown a** woman. I know what needs to get done and by golly if it doesn't then the teacher will have to just take care of it. I'm sorry. There are weeks where I have spent 20 hours a week in that workroom. If it takes me until Wednesday to get to that room then so be it. This is a VOLUNTEER position. I have volunteered PLENTY since school started.

What Little Nag doesn't realize is that the office manager let the entire teaching staff know that there is a dedicated person for the workroom this year. I have been overwhelmed at times and have asked for help. That doesn't show up. There will be weeks where it will be my first priority. But not every week. 

And you know what? If it's not getting done to her liking, then she can jump in there any old time and make a copy or two.

You know, I would have preferred for her to just say "Hi". But she didn't and it is what it is******. The next time that happens, be warned Little Nag. Be warned. Depending on the day, I will go bat crap crazy on you and I will do it with a smile. You might not even know I'm doing it to you.


*PTA=Parent Teacher Association

**Do you know how many hundreds of books I've covered? Why can't they just ask the parents to at Meet the Teacher night?

***It's sort of funny actually. The ones that do this are shorter than I am. Listen, it's ok for you to be short and it's ok for me to be tall. Get.Over.It.

****Fellow PTA'er happened to be tall as well.

*****This was Tuesday afternoon.

******Ran into her once at the grocery. We were on the same aisle. I hope you liked the wine you chose. I sure liked mine and Hubby liked his Dos Equis. She looked down as I was coming towards her. I went ahead and said "Hi ****". It's ok. I don't want to be friends with you, but I will be civil. Til I have a reason not to be.

Glorious Rain

We have a saying in Texas, "If you don't like the weather, just wait a few minutes. It will change". When we went to our daughter's volleyball game on Saturday morning it was getting a little breezy. But it was around 78 degrees. When we came out of the game the temperature had dropped about 25 degrees. Now, I realize it might be back up in the 90's next week. But I'm gonna cherish this cooler weather while I can.

There was rain in our forecast, so Hubby and I were thrilled*. Bring it on! With the temperature drop, we thought of all the things that we have needed to do since the last winter**. Night has come upon us and all the dishes are put away. We're still waiting on the rain.

There's a baseball game on the tv, that I'm not quite interested in, but Hubby is***.

Then the rain starts. Finally. It was glorious! At least two hours of a good soaking. I grabbed my favorite blanket and headed outside. The covered patio provides protection from the rain, but I enjoy the sounds.

My life is not complete if I can't enjoy a little music whenever I'm alone. So I turn to my favorite (and fitting) playlist****.

Rain, please don't be such a stranger!

*The ground is dryer than the Sahara at this point, and we'll take all the rain we can get.

**Buy hot cocoa. Clean out the fireplace(still!).

***Tampa Bay Rays knocked out our Rangers. So we were rooting for Boston.

****My life IS complete, don't get me wrong. But I enjoy music as much as I can. And when the moment calls for some John Coltrane and Miles Davis, I'm gonna have it!

Aye. Aye. Aye.

I recently got schooled by my 7th grader. Sort of. Maybe not. Here's how it went:

My daughters follow me on Pinterest*. Pinterest is my oh-so-wonderful-steaming-pile-of-creativity-have-more-pins-than-time-hobby. I adore Pinterest. A while ago I pinned this picture:

The caption under my pin said, "I wish I had the guts to take this picture with Craig".

I am choosing to believe that this is a husband and wife. As close as two people can get without having sex. To me, this is a beautiful picture. It's a piece of art. A certain sense of "rawness" to the picture. It's a great picture minus all the perfect poses and makeup. No matchy-matchy clothes in sight. No perfect background. Just vulnerable.

Should the man be wearing pants? Absolutely. If I ever had this picture taken, the bottom of the picture would cut off before my bottom. Way up higher than this picture.

My hesitation in ever taking this picture would be that I'm not sure I'm skinnier than Hubby**. That my picture wouldn't look quite as good as the one above.

Anyway. So my daughter thinks this is almost pornographic. Aye aye aye. Parenting is a fine line. Especially when you have your moral compass looking right back at you in the eyes!

*What was I thinking? I better clean up some of my profanity laden Chucklebucket board.
**Or wider, I guess?

Goodbye, Sweet Summer

I hate to see this summer come to an end. It is one of those summers that will go down as one of the best so far*. We finished off the second half of the summer with plenty of activities. There was a good balance of down time with a good amount activity. And now I'm staring at the face of the first day of school! How could that be?

We graced the gates of Hawaiian Falls several more times before putting that season pass to bed. Who can ever get enough of the lazy river?

One fine day found us on a road trip to Marshall Pottery, in Marshall, TX. I ended up missing my exit for Marshall and we saw a sign for the Glass Bathroom in Sulphur Springs, TX. Have you seen it? We happened to see it featured on a show on HGTV. So sure enough we found our way to the Glass Bathroom.

This thing is fascinating! Of course, we all had to do our business so we thought, "Why not?". Sure enough, you can see out of it, but no one can see in. And it's air conditioned!

There are two of these on the square in downtown Sulphur Springs. If you are ever passing through the town and have to go, I highly recommend this place to stop. It's cleaner than most places you'll ever stop.

I'm taking this pic from inside the bathroom. They really can't see me!

The view out of the top of the bathroom.

The square is really cute. It's almost a town that time forgot with shops on the square. After we had ventured into a few, it was time to set our map toward our original destination. It was a great day. We ended up eating dinner in a Mexican restaurant in Big Sandy. The building that is now the restaurant used to house the grocery store that my great-grandfather owned. A trip to East Texas always means a trip to the cemetery where my father and other relatives are buried**. I grieve for what he misses, for what my life has become today. But relieved that he is in a better place.

This summer also found me reading. Yes, you read that right. READING BOOKS! I finished two books***. The first book I finished was A Grown Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson. I enjoyed this book. There were a few occasions where it uses language that makes me cringe. Basically the story is about how secrets never stay secret. Isn't that the truth?

The next book on the docket was The Devil in the Junior League by Linda Jackson Lee. Oh my gosh, I loved this book! It's a look at one entitled young woman who finds herself robbed of her riches right under her nose by her no good husband. She learned how to pick herself up and take care of business.

I'm on my third book, but not finished yet. And I'm one of those that can only handle one book at a time.

Volleyball camp was attended by both girls this summer. It was a week filled with working on skills and seeing some old friends and making new ones. 

Another road trip found us going to Mrs. Baird's in Fort Worth. It was two moms and five kids between us. Once you walk inside, you realize what heaven must smell like! It was fun to see how this place runs like a well oiled machine. At the end of the tour we got to sample a FRESH-OUT-OF-THE-OVEN hamburger bun with butter. BUTTER, I tell you! Want to reserve your tour? Go here: http://www.mrsbairds.com/bakery/tour.php.

After the tour at Mrs. Baird's we weren't quite ready to go home. Wouldn't you know that right up the highway is Miller Brewing? What a coincidence! Two moms. Five kids. We're going to ask if the brewery gives tours as well. You never know unless you ask.

You should have seen the security when we walked in the door. You would have thought you were walking into Fort Knox. It's just beer, people! The adults disappointment was audible when we were told that they didn't give tours. The nice security guard offered to let us fill out a comment card asking for them. Apparently, A LOT of people have stopped by and asked this very question.

When all else fails, you head up the highway and run into another beer place. This one being the Coors distribution plant. They didn't give tours either, but they had a marketplace! And they were willing to take our money for some cute t-shirts. I'm not crazy about the beer, but the Blue Moon t-shirts were cute****. Who couldn't use an oversized shirt to sleep in anyway?

 It was a revolving door as far as kids coming and going.

We even checked out a local indoor trampoline park. The girls LOVED it! I would have loved to try it out, but I remained composed. And tried, unsuccessfully, to nap while the girls jumped. Fun. Fun. Fun. 

We ushered in a 12th birthday for my oldest. How time flies! The teen years are coming at us like a Mac truck.

Meet the teacher came for my youngest. I think this was the first year that my husband was raving (in a good way) about the first impression of J's 3rd grade teacher.  Oh Hallelujah!

There was one last soiree for our Sunday School class*****. It was held at the director's house. Their house is just beautiful! Lots of people. Lots of food! Lots of humidity. The kids were happy in the pool.

To Summer 2013, you were wonderful to me. Here's to many fond memories. You were the summer that taught my kids how to stay up late and sleep just as late. As the bathing suits dry out and chlorine has been washed out, we start to head into days filled with band practice and homework. Alarm clocks and lunch boxes******. WOOHOO!


*In my mind, anyway.
**A small cemetery, poetically on a hill with lots of trees and loved ones buried there for over a 100 years.
***That's more books than I've read in all the years I've been out of high school.
****I'm not a beer person. Wine coolers seem to be a little more delightful on the tongue.
*****Yes, I still say Sunday School. Don't think that's going to change anytime soon.
******There have been times when the hallelujah chorus has been springing up in my head. I have heard the angels singing.

For the Love of Everything Social

I've grown weary. I'm tired of sorting through all the junk on facebook.

I realize that it's out there for each one of us to post whatever we feel like. And haven't we all learned that there are some things we just shouldn't post?

Can I just mention a few?

I'm tired of seeing what people post on pinterest attached to their facebook account. Most likely I follow you on pinterest, so I don't need to see it on facebook as well.

I really could care less what photos you like on instagram. I'm not on instagram. Don't care to be. And I especially don't care to see which pictures you like. After some of the pictures I've seen you like, I wish I could stick a fork in my eye.

Please stop with the recipes. I get plenty from pinterest and the cookbooks in my home. And like I said, if I follow you on pinterest I will have already seen them. I don't want to see them on facebook as well. It's really exhausting when people "share" the same recipes over and over with no intention of ever making it. The intention is to get somebody else to make it for you. Not gonna happen.

To the animal rescue people: good gosh, please stop. I love animals. I really do. I even have one of my own. But not everyone loves them like you. I'm glad that's your passion in life. I don't think it should be your whole life.

There seems to be those that confuse facebook with twitter. I don't need a play by play of any sort of activity. Whether it be an athletic event or some other activity. Quit with the play by play.

I've tried blocking apps, but it just doesn't seem to work.  Mark Zuckerberg, if you're out there, could you help a girl out? Help me make my facebook experience a little more enjoyable and a little less eye rolling. I know. I know. It's MZ's road or the highway. He's not exactly into making the facebook thing user friendly. 

UGH.

Life Lesson #8765

I have learned that when someone says they want your advice, they're usually lying. They don't want any advice. They want to explain their side, then defend it when you give another opinion. It's pointless.

The next time someone comes to you saying they would like your advice, RUN.

Party! Party!

I am one of the first people to agree that parties are great! Truly they are. Several weeks ago the recent high school graduate next door decided to have a party. Friday night. Saturday night. I figured she's about to graduate and so let her have her fun. It's one weekend. And it seems the parenting over there is sort of loose and I figured the parents were home. Um. No, they weren't*. They partied until almost 3:00am.

I let it go. Then the next weekend came around. More parties. Yippee! My patience had long since gone and I wanted sleep. At this point in my life I have realized that teens are idiots and my tolerance level for them is low. Thanks to my local police department for wrapping it up for me.

A few days later I ran into the step-father of said high school graduate. I asked if they were out of town the last two weekends. They sure were! So I let them know of the recent activity going on. They had no idea**. He apologized and we went about our day.

Later on there was a knock on the door. It was the teen actually apologizing. Then she totally wiped out her apology when she asked, "What about it bothered you? The noise level**? The amount of people or the late hours?"

What does it matter which it was? It all bothered me. Hubby and I pay good money on the  mortgage to have to put up with your idiocy. I already have to deal with your step brother peeping over my fence****.

 I'm fine with people in this hood wanting to be left alone. But include me in that bunch and we'll all get along just fine. We'll just wave high when we occasionally pass each other on the street and forget this ever happened. 


*I didn't know this til later.
**Now you do. Doesn't every parent know that when they leave the teens at home, nothing good is going to happen?
***Not only loud music, but idiot kids screaming and yelling in the backyard. Has society really stooped to this level? I'm watching my kids like a hawk and I'm expecting my friends to help me.
****Asking him relentlessly to stop doesn't help. Yes, there's a higher fence in my future and it won't get here soon enough.

What We've Done This Summer. So Far.

We're practically at the half-way mark of the summer. Here's a run down of things we've done so far:

Trip to NYC.

Child One went to church camp.

We took a tour of Lucky Layla Farms and saw them milk the cows. Even walked away with some tasty butter. I didn't have the nerve to buy the raw milk. I know it's supposed to be good for me, but maybe in time.

Summer reading programs rock! I'll provide our book lists in another post.

Hawaiian Falls.

We went with some friends to the Federal Bureau of Engraving. This was a very neat trip! We learned how money was printed*. This trip is free and if you go during Spring Break or the last week in June and July they have demonstrations for the kids. I couldn't take any pictures. The security there is like I imagine it would be at the Pentagon or White House. Just pretty much leave everything in your car. Unfortunately.

On the way home from the FBoE we visited the Fort Worth Water Gardens. That was pretty neat. This was the first time that my girls and their friends had seen it. This day was so much fun because we hadn't seen our friends in a while and it was just neat! 

Swimming galore!

That's it so far. It's been nice! 

*This trip was so neat we're going back in July. I have to take Hubby because I know this is right up his alley!

Ugh

That feeling you get when the person you're with is texting non-stop. But when you're not together and you text that person it takes what feels like forever to get a response. Kinda makes you not want to spend time with that person anymore.

NYC 2013-Day Six & Seven

What a way to spend Fathers Day! Hubby can say he spent FD in NYC. Today was check out day from the hotel in Brooklyn and head to the hotel in Jersey because our plane was leaving at 6am. We wanted to be at an airport hotel so we wouldn't have to worry about being too far away and traffic.

I had gotten my hopes up temporarily that we'd be able to catch a flight home today, but with only 1-5 seats available we didn't want to chance getting stuck w/out our luggage*.

So off we go to the hotel. They were nice enough to let us do an early check in. Once we got to our room at the airport hotel (in Jersey) we looked out our window and we had a better view of Manhattan than we had from our hotel in Brooklyn**. This was the view we longed for while in Brooklyn.

Once we got our bags settled it was lunch. Good grief. We debated on whether to order from room service or go to the food court at the airport. So we hopped on the airport shuttle bus to catch some grub. This lunch was the closest we got to Tex-Mex. It was a restaurant somewhat like Chipotle. After lunch we ended up walking back to the hotel. We waited quite a while for the airport shuttle to come back, but gave up after about 15 minutes or so. We walked back to the hotel. It wasn't really that bad. We didn't have to cross any major highways or anything that scary.

Once back in our room it was movies on demand for us. First up, Oz The Great And Powerful and The Croods. Dinner came from room service. I had a burger and it was actually one of the best burgers I think I've had.

Bedtime was upon us. A little bit closer to home.

Day Seven


I guess we're a glutton for punishment. Or we like to make sure we get on flights. Hubby and I woke up at 3am. It wasn't that hard since neither of us slept all that great. There was a plane to catch at 6am and we were gonna be on it.

The kids did great. We got out of the hotel by our goal time. But it went downhill from there.

This may be the reason I just start advocating we drive on our vacations, TSA. It's 5am and we're shuttled through the TSA checkpoint. The girl with a chip on her shoulder tells everyone that electronics need to be in their own bin. The Momma Bear in me is trying to keep up with my kids and what they might be going through, our ten million bins of stuff and whether it's being confiscated and then I hear, "Ma'am, take off your flip flops and sweater around your waist"***. God forbid, I got scatter brained and forgot to take my sweater off and flip flops. Plus, one hand is holding my boarding pass and drivers license. I didn't want to set that down anywhere, HELLO! So she's there rolling her eyes****.

So I'm throwing flip flops and my sweater in yet another bin. And she's still reminding me she needs to see my boarding pass and drivers license. When I put my hand out to get my DL and boarding pass back from her she kept my DL. She's still holding on to it. When I say "witch" I mean with a capital "B"*****. She had nothing to hold me for and no reason to suspect.  Then she accused me of snapping at her. I ain't got time for that. Please.

We finally got on our flight. It was a flight going from Newark to Houston. It's never good to get to your connecting flight just to hear that flights are delayed because of major thunderstorms in your home city. It took everything I had to hold back the tears. Once we found out one flight was full, we went to another gate. On the other end of the airport. For roughly five hours. We even debated renting a car and driving back******. Back and forth til one of the nicest gate agents EVER finally started putting people on the wait list on flights. I think the flight we finally got on was filled with more wait list people than scheduled people. Fine with me.

Spending the day at the airport after spending the day before in a hotel just sucks. Crap happens.

Home sweet home!

I have to give major kudos to my kids. They kept up with us the whole vacation. They never complained. They fared better than me at times. I'm thrilled that they'll have this memory. Vacations were never a priority when I was growing up and we all got to see it together for the first time. My kids make me proud. Proud that God chose me to be their mother. I an one lucky woman!

*When you're ready to be home, you're ready to be home.
**There was NO view in Brooklyn since our hotel had no windows except for the skylights.
***On flying days I dress comfortably. I had a cute little dress on and flip flops. Plus a sweater in case I get cold. Plus, I don't want to have to deal with socks and shoes through TSA. Just get a bomb sniffing dog for goodness sake, you morons.
****If you don't like your job or you can't do it professionally, THEN FIND ANOTHER JOB. YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR. Find a job where you can just sit in an empty room and not have to deal with people.
*****I was vindicated when I heard one of my favorite radio talk show guys talking about the same TSA.
******But we waited it out since our luggage would be waiting for us at the airport.