TMI Friday! Arachnid Edition . . .

Welcome friends to this weeks edition of

TMI FRIDAY

What is TMI Friday? Well, this is a fun game where ANYTHING goes! Things you wouldn't normally talk about in a blog, but happen to us EVERY DAY!

Here's what you do:

1) Write a TMI blog about anything bizarre, weird, or just plain gross that's happened to you (please keep it family friendly!).

2) Take my TMI Friday button on the right side of the page and post it into your blog to link back to me (copy and paste the code).

3) Sign in below on my linky (don't post your own linky)

That's it! It's that simple!!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Now . . .

Let's get one thing straight.

I hate spiders.

I don't care what they look like, how big they are, or weather or not they're poisonous.

I. HATE. THEM.

Having said that, I have had two very uncomfortable situations the past couple of weeks dealing with the icky things.

Last week, I went out to do laundry (my laundry room is an enclosed area in the car port). Sitting on the ground, in front of the door was none other than a

BLACK WIDOW SPIDER

have i mentioned the fact that i hate spiders?

Needless to say, I grabbed my swiffer (which I don't use any more anyway) and smashed the heck out of that thing.

As IF that wasn't bad enough, a few nights later (last Friday) my husband called me outside to show me what he'd found in the grill.

ANOTHER BLACK WIDOW!!

And THIS one had EGG SACS!!!

Now, just in case you're wondering what a black widow spider's egg sac looks like, here's a picture for you:

They are a very distinct size and shape and hold - are you ready for this? - around 200 EGGS.

Ronnie found four of them in our grill.

4X200=800!!!!!!!

Needless to say, my fearless husband cranked up the grill to high and let it go for a while before attempting to cook anything on it. I'm fairly confident that it was sterile . . .

at least . . .

no one got sick that night.

Two black widows in less than two weeks. Even now, my tummy is turning thinking about it.

again, have I mentioned that

i HATE spiders?


*UPDATE*
♥I actually wrote this post on Wednesday.♥
 Wednesday evening I went to get the last load of clothes of the night and looked at the plug on the wall. There, spinning it's very first web, was a teeny tiny baby widow spider! 


Where there's babies, there's a mama somewhere! 
Needless to say, Ronnie and I will be looking at extermination options in the future. Wonder if we can get the landlord to pay for it?

♥Got a TMI story you'd like to share?♥
Be sure to link up below and join in the fun!

Thank You Very Much Thursday!

Alrighty folks, here it is, another edition of

THANK YOU VERY MUCH THURSDAY!

The way it works is that you take out all your frustrations on people/things that peeved you off during the week and thank them in a very sarcastic way, for being who or what they are/doing what they did. So for YOUR free therapy session, hop on over to KMAMA's blog "The Daily Dribbles" and link up!

♥To Google Chrome for running unbelievably slow and making my internet time much longer than it should be

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

i really don't have anything better to do than sit here and watch a page load

♥To my university for STILL not having my financial aid "issue" resolved, and for probably resulting in a repeat of last year, where I had NO BLOODY BOOKS for the first three weeks!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

perhaps i could come do your job FOR YOU?

♥To the individual that insists on having toys in his bed so he can stay up until 9 playing instead of going to sleep at 8 like you were supposed to

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

mommy's going to make you a very upset little boy tonight

♥To the spiders that are invading my carport and my laundry room (see tomorrows TMI Friday post for the full story)

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

i. hate. you.

♥And finally

To the blankets and pillows that keep piling up with no place for storage

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

you are SO lucky i need you . . .

Don't forget to go visit KMAMA for your free therapy today!

And don't forget to stop by tomorrow for my Meme: 

TMI FRIDAY

Arachnophobia Edition

Wordless Wednesday

For more Wordless Wednesdays visit 5 Minutes for Mom or Marvelous Mommy

Looking for Magic . . .

I love taking my camera with me everywhere. 

Sometimes, there's no telling what you might find peeking out at you from around a corner or hiding amongst the trees. 

I can't say photography is my entire life, rather more of a hobby that I hope to make some extra money at some day. 

But the thing about photography is that it has opened my eyes to a whole new world - a world of God's majesty and wonder. 

A world filled with the magic of our Father and all he has created for us.  

Today I would like to share some of that magic with you:

Peace in the Woods

 

A Memorable Afternoon

A Child's Laughter

A Serene Moment

And a Child's Wonder

Each of these things come from God. Gifts to us to show his mercy and love. Today, I challenge you to find some of God's magic for yourself. It might be a raindrop, a rainbow, a hug, a smile, or a beautiful sunset.

Matthew 7:7 says " . . .Seek and ye shall find . . . " 

Why not give it a shot?

Making Your Home Sing Monday!

Happy Monday everyone!

It's time for

Making Your Home Sing Monday!

First off, here's this weeks MENU

Now, let me ask you a question.

Have you SHINED YOUR SINK lately?

Now you're probably setting there going "what on earth is this crazy lady talking about?"

Well, if you are like me, you are not exactly the best housekeeper in the world.

You're overwhelmed.

You're distracted.

You're frustrated.

The mess is taking over your home and your life.

Well, for me, this is no longer the case. My house is no where CLOSE to perfect, but it is getting better.

How did I make that change?

Well, first I whined. A lot.

And I cried. A lot.

And I blamed everyone else in the house for the mess.

A LOT.

Then I got on the computer and talked to other moms. 

They recommended the FlyLady's website - www.flylady.net

The first thing the Fly Lady (who's name, by the way is Marla Cilley) tell us to do is to go shine our sinks.

And she gives detailed instructions.

That was the kicker for me.

So, I went and shined my sink for the very first time in my life.

I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

Soon the rest of the kitchen followed, then the living room, then the hallway, then the bathroom.

Now, we live in a teeny tiny house, so really, that's all company will ever see.

Little by little, we're working on bedrooms.

Now, for you, you're shiney sink might not be a sink at all -

It may be your kitchen floor or counters.

It may be your bed being made

It may be a clean bathtub or toilet.

Whatever your "shiney sink" may be, go do it! Right now!

Waking up every morning and seeing that one thing shining back at you will make you smile.

And as everyone knows, 

When you give a mom a smile, 

her home sings!

Wanna play? Go visit MomsTheWord and link up!

TMI Friday! What IS that SMELL???

Hello kiddies! Welcome to my very first Blog Carnival!

TMI FRIDAY!

What is TMI Friday? Well, this is a fun game where ANYTHING goes! Things you wouldn't normally talk about in a blog, but happen to us EVERY DAY!

Here's what you do:

1) Write a TMI blog about anything bizarre, weird, or just plain gross that's happened to you (please keep it family friendly!).

2) Take my TMI Friday button on the right side of the page and post  it into your blog to link back to me (copy and paste the code).

3) Sign in below on my linky

That's it! It's that simple!!

So, without further ado,

WHAT IS THAT SMELL??

There's a song my kids sing all the time:

"Be careful little ears what you hear

Be careful little ears what you hear

For the Father up above,

Is looking down in love,

So be careful little ears what you hear . . ."

It goes on in the following verses to talk about other parts of the body that experience outside forces - our mouths, our feet, our eyes, etc.

Every once in a while, though, I think there should be another verse added.

OUR NOSES!

Let's face it - we all have one.

the phantom smell

It can be ANYWHERE

Our car

Our bathroom

Our kitchen

Even our laundry room

Or bed room

Sometimes, it's a pleasant one - something that reminds us of our childhood or a fun vacation

But more often than not

it's not.

Has this ever happened to you?

It's happened to me

I got a story about it.

D'ya like to hear it?

Here it goes:

A couple of weeks ago, I was in the car with my husband on our way to my folks' house.

We had just dropped off the kids at his parents house as we were going out for the evening with mine to celebrate my moms . . . er . . . 29 1/2 . . . birthday.

Then. I smelled it.

It was an unpleasant oder.

It reminded me of . . . BO and hairspray.

I searched frantically around me trying to find what it was, but to no avail.

I could find nothing.

A couple of days later, I was back in the car. I smelled it again.

I got out of the car to search the back seat and rear hatch for anything that might be offending to the olfactory nerve.

I could find NOTHING.

My husband cleaned out the car, and as far as I know, HE found nothing.

It was a mystery.

One that I was quite frightened to find the answer to, frankly.

And I should have been afraid.

I should have been VERY afraid.

For a few days ago, I smelled it again. 

So, I searched the car high and low. 

My 13 year old daughter had left a bag of clothes in the front seat, could it be it? 

No.

My to-go bag was next to it, could that be it? 

No.

The bag of trash my husband left in the back, that HAD to be it, right?

No.

Then. I. Found. It.

The most obscene, putrid, disgusting sight.

There, tucked up under one of the seats was a pair of a child's underpants that had been soiled.

That's right.

Soiled.

And not the #1 kind of soiled either.

Disgusted, I simply picked them up and threw them into the dumpster.

Then I closed the car doors.

I went inside.

And I washed my hands for about thirty minutes.

Got a TMI story you want to share? Be sure to link up below and join the fun!

Thank You Very Much Thursday!

It's time for another free therapy session! 

That's right folks, it's 

THANK YOU VERY MUCH 

THURSDAY

Wanna join the fun? 

Go visit KMAMA down at The Daily Dribbles to find out how!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

♥To whoever it was that put their dirty clothes on top of the pile of give away stuff I had in the hallway (after I had announced to the household for the umpteenth time that it was NOT a dirty clothes hamper!!)

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

i'm sure the nice people down at the hospice thrift store really want their stuff to smell like BO

♥To my husband's ex (again) for dropping off step son unannounced Sunday evening AFTER I had already bought groceries for the week.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

i love surprises

♥To the same person as above for deciding to NOT bring step daughter last night with NO INTENTION OF CALLING TO INFORM US

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

it's a good thing your daughter is (most of the time) much more thoughtful

♥To our former guitarist for deciding to up and move to STILLWELL OK without calling to inform us that the band is no longer together and we need to find another guitarist

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

no, really 

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

♥And finally, to the internet company for showing up on my doorstep to fix my internet

WITHOUT CALLING TO INFORM US 

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

i really love it when people get a view of my trashed-out bedroom

Hmm . . . 

There appears to be a theme going on this week in my TYVM post.

So, if you know me and are reading this, here's a little advice for you - 

CALL FIRST!!.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

That is all!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Come join me tomorrow for my new meme  

♥TMI Friday♥

Thank you very much!!

Fourth of July Fun

It's taken me a while, but I've finally got enough pics to share from our fun out at my parents' house on the 4th of July. 

Emily learned how to light a fuse, Jake held his first sparkler, and my dad and Ronnie bonded over "man time" while playing with some of the most sparkly "toys" ever. 

Enjoy!

PePaw teaches Em the finer points of fuse lighting.

Most importantly is "RUN AWAY!"

Firecracker Massacre

Even Emily's shoes were sparkly!

Daddy helps Jake with his first sparkler. Until, that is . . .

"Turn it off, Pweese!"

Emily loved how they looked at night.

The Grand Finale wasn't so bad, either.

Making Your Home Sing Monday - laugh out loud!

Making Your Home Sing Monday! 

(don't forget to check out this weeks menu - complete with recipes!)

One of the best ways that I have learned to keep my sanity (and keep from duct-taping my children to the wall) is to keep my sense of humor in check. I love to watch comedies, read comics, and find funny books and blogs to read. Not only is the reading aspect relaxing, but the humor is healing, cleansing, and downright fun. Here are some of my favorites, to date!

Books:

The House That Cleans Itself - Yes it's a self-help book, but it had me chuckling at page one. And each chapter has an "embarrassing moment" story at the end, some of which are sure to get your belly laughs rolling!

Sidetracked Home Executives - Another cleaning book, but Pam and Peggy keep the laughs coming throughout as they disclose their own "messes". Some of the stories are LITERALLY laugh-out-loud (LOL) funny, so be prepared to answer the question "what are you laughing at".

In Her Shoes - Jennifer Weiner touches the soul and the funny bone in this novel about sisterly relationships. I laughed and cried throughout!

The Stinky Cheese Man (and other fairly stupid tales): This book takes several fairy tales - the Gingerbread Man, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, and Red Riding Hood, to name a few - and re-writes them. This book appealed to my kids first, but when I read it to them, I couldn't stop laughing. My personal favorite is the on going saga of the Little Red Hen!

Bridget Jones' Diary and Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason: You almost have to read these two books back to back to get the full effect. And no, the movies are nothing like them! Bridget is a character that I think every woman can relate to!

ANYTHING by Ken Davis. He is just simply hilarious.

Blogs:

guys on a couch: My techy friend Ryan has created his own comic strip that is HILARIOUS. It's two guys. On a couch. Discussing the world. Need I say more?

Moms The Word: Sweet Nan is the host of Making Your Home Sing Monday - and she has some of the funniest posts I've ever read!

The Daily Dribbles: Kristi is chock-full of wit!

He&Me+3: Mimi always puts a chuckle in my heart with her hilarious (and REAL) stories!!

TV Shows:

Seinfeld: The Puffy Shirt. Need I say more?

Friends: I still laugh at Phoebe!

The Marriage Ref: DH and I can't agree on weather or not this show is funny or hilarious! If you have EVER had an argument with your spouse, this is one to watch!

Mythbusters: Adam and Jamie have no end to the funny antics - most involving some form of explosives. Or duct tape. Or both.

So, there you have it! My favorite ways to laugh, all in one blog! 

And, HERE is this week's menu to boot!

Want to join the fun? Visit momstheword to find out how!

TMI Friday - Potty Training Edition!

*thinking about starting a TMI Friday linky . . . what do YOU think?*

For those of you that follow me on twitter or Facebook you well know that this week we have started Jake's potty training process.

I put him in undies and kept him out of diapers for three days. 

After three days of mopping up floor puddles, we finally have had 

SUCCESS! 

Jacob pee-peed in the potty for the very first time today!

He was actually very scared at first. 

He'd been holding it (and I mean literally holding it - with his hand!!) all morning (for about two hours). Finally, I guess he just couldn't hold it any more. 

I sat him down (forced him, really) and tried to hug and console him until it started coming out. 

When it did, I praised him - A LOT - and got very excited. 

I guess my excitement calmed him down because he sat and did the rest of it. 

Then I hugged him and we put a sticker on his potty. 

THEN we texted Daddy, Neena and Pawpaw, and called Granny and PePaw to share the good news. 

Now comes the fun part. 

Getting him to do it again!

Thank You Very Much Thursday!

It's time for another edition of :

THANK YOU VERY MUCH THURSDAY

To my two year old son for thinking I am a climbing toy/jungle jym

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

i love the fact that you love me so much, but really, COME ON

To my six year old for sitting ON me instead of NEXT TO me.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

i'm not hot enough as it is, really.

To my ankle for hurting THREE DAYS IN A ROW

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

you can stop now. anytime.

To all the electronics and media companies used in my home for NOT WORKING

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

it's not like I had anything better to do. really.

To the tires on the boat trailer that just don't seem to want to stay aired up

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

i love spending money on tires.

To my college for "randomly selecting" me for a verification process TWO YEARS IN A ROW delaying my financial aid ONCE AGAIN

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

you people are starting to tick me off.

Want to join in the fun? Go visit KMAMA over at The Daily Dribbles for some free therapeutic fun!