Chuck E. Cheese

We are off to spend a fun filled evening at Chuck E. Cheese. Blake is taking 2 of his best friends with him. It will be the 3 little ones, Ashleigh (who is just thrilled to be going to Chuck E. Cheese, not), Wayne, my parents, my brother, me and Rusty. Say a prayer for us we are headed to Manassas. I hate Manassas.
Tomorrow Rusty's family will be here for the third birthday party for Blake. We have been rushing around trying to get the last minute finishing touches done to the house from all the painting and redecorating. If I ever figure out how to post pictures from my digital camera I will show you my finished results. I am really happy with it. It has taken a little longer than we thought but Rusty has worked so much overtime lately that we haven't had the time to finish. But we are getting there.
I will write more later and let you know how Chucky is doing.
Bridget

Birthdays

Oh, and Melissa wish your Dad happy birthday for me. I hope you all have a great time with your parents. Like our children we also have to enjoy our parents and make the most of the time we get to see them.
Have a great day!!!!
Bridget

Happy Birthday Blake!!

I can't believe my baby is 7 today. I now know what my Dad meant when he said to enjoy everything about your kids because they grow up way too fast. I enjoy so many different things about each one of them. It seems like yesterday Ashleigh was born ans she's 16. Time really does fly. We will start the celebration tonight at home, then move it to Chuckie Cheese on Saturday with my family and one of Blake's friends and then we will conclude the celebration on Sunday back at our house with Rusty's family. It will be quite the occasion.
I will be back later.
Bridget

Football

Well, we have made it through the first practice of football, Blake loves it, Rusty is relieved and I'm glad he wants to go back for another practice on Wednesday. Blake came running in the house wanting to show me everything they did today. He is really excited. I was so worried Rusty was going to be disappointed, he loves football so much and he wants Blake to love it just as much. I don't know if that is possible because Rusty is a fanatic but we did make it through the first practice. Oh, and by the way, Blake thinks wearing the cup is really cool, aren't boys fun?

I am letting Ashleigh drive more and more. Tonight she drove from my brother's to the Subway in our town. It it about a 15 minute drive and she did really good. For those of you who don't have teenagers driving yet, just you wait.

I am off to bed, I am going into work early tomorrow.
Bridget

Sunday

Well, here I am, I made it out of the boys bedroom and I am still alive and kicking. It always amazes me what I find in there, it's actually kind of scary sometimes.

Wayne is having a good time in North Carolina with my parents. My Dad took him out of a boat that belongs to a friend of his to fish on the ocean today. My Dad doesn't haul his boat back and forth when they go down there, he used to use it alot when they lived down there but there isn't alot of places to use that kind of boat around here. We have taken it on vacation and had a blast with it. They have one of those double floats that Dad pulls behind the boat and it is so much fun. Last year we rented a house on Lake Gaston with it's own dock and we didn't do anything but rest and play in the water. Ashleigh said she was bored but the rest of us had a great time.

Rusty worked today, I think it's been around a month since he's had a day off, he's asleep right now. Rusty's mom brought Ashleigh home today, that was nice that I didn't have to pick her up. Rusty cooked on the grill while she was here. Ashleigh and her Granny went shopping and guess what Ashleigh came home with?!!!!! A pair of coullottes (spelling??) that she called capris with big legs!!!! I couldn't believe it, she loved them. I swore my daughter would never wear them and she went and picked them out.

Blake and his friend Corey are playing Game Cube in the bedroom, I threatened them with their lives if that room gets messed up. I am probably making a huge mistake letting them play in there but oh well.

I'm off to check the dryer and fold the 100th load of laundry.

Bridget

Birthdays and such...

Blake's birthday is coming up on the 26th and I am having the worst time trying to decide what to get him. We bought him some clothes but we haven't bought any toys yet. My brother bought him a new bike, other than that he's not getting anything so I guess I better get on the ball. Blake and I went grocery shopping to Wal-Mart today and I took him (or rather he took me) over to the toys to show me what he would like to have. Actually, I was quite surprised. The thing he really got excited about was the small hand held Leap Pad. He loves his big one and he was excited that he could take that one in the car. I think that is what we will probably get him.

It's has been pretty quiet around him again today and tonight. Ashleigh is spending the weekend with her Granny and Wayne went with my parents to North Carolina to my Grandparents until Wednesday. It's just me, Blake and Rusty and Rusty is working all weekend, so Blake and I are having a weekend of scary movies ( I know, I know bad mother, bad mother, he loves them as much as I do) and cleaning. Rusty brought home the new fan for the dining room today. He put it up tonight and I am so happy with it.

We went to my brother-in-laws last night for my niece and nephew's birthdays, Kelly is 34 and Jacob is 19. We had a really nice time, lots of really good food and we watched the video of the band from the night they opened for Deana Carter. We got home around 11:30.

Tomorrow I think I will tackle the boys room. I've been putting it off because I'm afraid once I go in there I may never be seen again. That room is a never ending battle.

This has been a pretty boring blog tonight, but it has been a couple of days since I've blogged and I figured I better write something. My life has been pretty boring lately but I guess that can be a good thing.

Bridget

Quiet evening

Well, it is really quiet in my house tonight. My brother came and took Blake and Wayne home with him for a night of junk food, video games and cigars. Well, maybe not cigars but it will be a night of junk food and video games. Steven does alot of stuff with the kids, he's a really good uncle. Ashleigh was going to a friend's house but they ended up here, so I have a night of giggling and phone use to look forward to. Rusty has escaped to his shed in the backyard, I think I may head out there myself.

I am headed to get the coffee pot set, the clothes ironed and the lunches packed for tomorrow. It has been a pretty non eventful day. I guess that's a good thing.
Bridget

6 year old and the bathtub

Why is it when you go to get a 6 year old out of the tub the conversation alwasys goes something like this?
Me: Did you wash?
Blake:Well, the soap is wet.
Me: Did you wash?
Blake: Oh, ok I need a few more minutes.
You would think after all this time he would figured out that he's going to be asked and he might as well go ahead and wash. I think he's hoping that one night I will forget to ask and he will have escaped the washing part of a bath.
Go figure.
Bridget

Beauty shop

I have finally found the ultimate beautician. Did anyone see the movie "Beauty Shop" with Queen Latifa (did I spell that right?)? It was so funny and I said I wanted to find a shop like that. My mom has been looking for someone new to do her hair and a girl she works with recommended this lady. I met with Mom after work tonight and we went over there for Mom to get her hair cut. This girl is hilarious and so were the other 2 people in there. I like her already and she did a great job on Mom's hair. We then went to dinner and to Jo Anne's Fabric. My Mom is going to make some Roman Shades for her living room. She spent alot of money having someone else make them for her library and after getting them she thought they looked pretty easy so she is going to try her hand at making them. I'll let you know how they turn out.

I went and saw Dark Water with my brother and my son Wayne on Friday. I love scary movies, but don't waste your money on this one. Steven looked at me and said "Is this going to be one of those movies where you keep waiting for it to get scary?" It was. Then last night Mom, Dad, Steven, me, Rusty and Wayne went to see War of the Worlds. Great movie. It is definitely a must see.

We are planning our vacation to the beach for August. Steven found out today he was able to take off and go with us, so we were happy about that. I think my Mom and Dad are going to maybe make it down for the weekend. We are going to my Grandparents at Carolina Beach in North Carolina. We will be able to visit them and go to the beach. It's also cheap, it's free, which really fits in with our budget right now. Rusty had knee replacement in December and was out of work from December to May, so that really put a crimp in our vacation plans for this summer. But, that's ok, because it's always good to visit my Grandparents and they like having us.

Melissa, I love the story about the little old lady in the store. Working in a Dr's office people always feel like they can tell you anything. I've never really understood that. When they call to tell you why they haven't been paying on their bill they have no problem telling you that the father has run out of them or that the mom or dad is in jail. That would be the last thing I would be telling anyone, but it's such a way of life for some people.
A thought for the day:
It's that little extra that makes ordinary extraordinary.
Bridget

Sorry

I know, I know I've been lazy, I'm being chastised long distance. This could turn out to be a long blog to grab a cup of coffee and settle in for some stimulating reading. Well, I'm not sure how stimulating it may be but we shall see.
Baseball is over and now we are on to football. My baby is officially signed up to have his little body beat up and he is so excited. I'm not sure who is more excited, Rusty or Blake. Rusty is planning on living out his dreams through the baby and I hope he doesn't get disappointed. Blake is very excited and he has tried all of his stuff on and wants you to hit the pads in his pants so he can tell you it doesn't hurt, but once practice starts I'm wondering how he is going to manage. He's only 6 almost 7 so being out in the heat doesn't bother him, maybe he will do ok.
My Dad's birthday was the 12th but because of schedules we didn't get to celebrate until yesterday. It was really nice and the food was wonderful. My brother is an excellent cook and I am always telling him he will make someone a wonderful wife some day. I made a homemake ice cream cake but other than that my mom and brother made the rest of the food. We had grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, grilled kilbasa (and Steven marinates it in his secret sauce that is to die for), homemade potato salad, deviled eggs, homemade BBQ baked beans and corn on the cob. I'm not sure how many people they thought were going to be there but there was enough for all of us to have left overs today.
Rusty's brother Bobby has a southern rock band called Southern Xcess, www.southernxcess.com, and Thursday night they were in a battle of the bands. They won, and on top of the money they won, they got to open for Deana Carter Saturday night at the Fauquier County Fair. They were all on top of the world. If you go to their web site, in the picture on the home page, Rusty's brother Bobby is in the middle with the white hat, and the one with the goatee is my nephew R.J.
It seems I've been tagged. I will do my best:
10 years ago
Rusty and I were planning our second wedding and spending way more money than I ever thought possible. We have been married to each other twice, once when we were young and stupid and then the second time when we weren't quite so young and maybe not quite as stupid. We had a "period" wedding the second time, it was a civil war wedding. It was alot of fun and everyone in the family got involved and got dressed up also. We made trips to Gettysburg every weekend for months. Ashleigh was 6 and Wayne was 4. I was driving a Pontiac Transport mini van and working for a dentist office.
5 years ago
We were living in this house, Ashleigh was 11, Wayne was 9 and Blake was 1. I had been working for the Dr's I currently work for, for about 8 months. My parents were living in North Carolina and my brother was living in Florida. We were in the middle of saving for our vacation we were planning to Florida for the coming year.
1 year ago
I was crying about the fact that the cruise we had been planning for a year had come and gone in April. We had so much fun and are now planning another one for next April 2006. I was working at home for my office and loving that. My kids really loved that also. Life was good.
yesterday
I signed Blake up for football and celebrated my Dad's birthday, but I already wrote about that above.
today
I have cleaned house, done a mountain of laundry and tackled cleaning my bathroom off our bedroom. I also let Ashleigh drive me around our neighborhood and then to her friend's house down the street. She's doing pretty good, but I am some what of a control freak so it makes me nervous that I don't have any control while she is driving. One day you will see what I mean.
5 snacks that I enjoy
movie popcorn with lots of butter, stuffed mushrooms, my brother's nachos (like nothing you have ever had), boardwalk french fries with lots of vinegar and salt and a vanilla ice cream cone dipped in chocolate from Dairy Queen.
5 bands I know most of the lyrics of their songs
Lynyrd skynyrd, bon jovi, AC/DC, Toby Keith, Shania Twain I tend to jump around with my music, just kind of whatever mood I'm in
Things I would do with 100 million dollars
I would take care of our families. Not just like buy them things and pay off their bills, but give them all money and they could do whatever they wanted to with it. I would set up trust funds for education for my children. I would buy my friend Barbara a house because she works so hard and it seems like she is never able to catch a break.
5 bad habits
very impatient, I hate to wait
I expect people to know what I am talking about before I tell them
I don't exercise enough or really much at all
I can be a slob
I drink too much Coke
5 locations I would run away to
I'm with Melissa on this one, if Rusty is there I'm happy
I would love to go back to the Bahamas.
5 things I would never wear
Daisy Duke shorts, a thong bathing suite, coullottes, never ever again, I went to that same school with Melissa and I would never make my daughter wear them.
a belly button ring, no explanation needed
low rider jeans
5 things I like doing
Reading, I love to read
talking to my kids
going to Redskins games with Rusty, we have season tickets and we have so much fun
hanging out with my family or Rusty's family it is one of my favorite things to do
just sitting around laughing with Rusty
5 biggest joys at the moment
Ashleigh getting her learners permit
that my grandmother came through her heart surgery with no problems
my kitchen remodeling coming along so good, I am so happy with it
when my 2 youngest children aren't arguing
a clean house and the laundry done
5 famous people I would like to meet
President Bush, Toby Keith (I love Toby Keith), he's not famous, but Rusty and I adopted a soldier that is in Iraq that we send care packages to, I would love to meet him
5 movies
Gone with the Wind, anything scary (I love scary movies), Lord of the Rings (I love the king), Rose Red
5 TV shows
Law and Order (all of them), Missing, Lost- I ashamed to admit it but I am addicted to it and can't wait for it to come back on, American Idol-another embarassment that I don't talk about outside of my home, and I guess that about it
5 favorites toys
my dvd camcorder, I love it, my cook books, my swing on my back deck, my computer,
and our AVT
5 people that I tag
I don't know anyone else on blog except Melissa, Thom and Emily and they have already been tagged, sorry mine ends with me
Bridget

Mother/Wife of the Year

Ok, yes I know I am now up for Mother/Wife of the year. I served my family the highly nutrious dinner of .......




frozen pizzas and mozarella sticks. I confess I was tired and just didn't feel like cooking dinner tonight. So I whipped in to that very fancy store called "Food Lion" and picked up our dinner. Rusty is usually really good about cooking dinner too but he's an electrician and has been working outside for the last couple days in this horrible heat so I feel sorry for him. Oh well, we will be back to nutrious tomorrow.
Update on Ashleigh and her friend Devin. They are on the outs again. I feel so sorry for Ashleigh and she pretends it doesn't bother her, but I know it does. I'm not sure what is going on with Devin but it has really concerned me. She's like one of my kids. She has been to my grandparents with us and to Ashleigh's grandparents on both sides. She calls my parents Grandma and Grandpa and Rusty's mom Granny. This is breaking my heart. I know I shouldn't get so involved with her friends but it's so hard. They are here so much and then all of a sudden I don't get to see them anymore.
Wayne comes home tomorrow, I am excited about that. It just isn't the same house without him.
Well, I am headed out to water my poor tomatoes and flowers. They are all begging for water.
Later,
Bridget

Oh, I hate Mondays

Here we go again, Mondays. Every Monday I get out of bed and think that this week will be different. The people I work with won't drive me too crazy and then I get to work and that thought gets blown out of the water. Oh, well, such as life, I guess.
I know I talk alot about Blake, but he is 6 and he gives me such inspiration. ha ha Tonight we are having dinner (BBQ pork chops, stuffing, corn and peas, we have to have corn and peas because I can not get my children to eat peas. I guess I could pull a mommy dearest and make them sit there until they eat them but I'm a push over I guess) anyway back to dinner, Blake is eating and the conversation goes like this:
B- "Where is the chicken the stuffing came from?"
M- "What?"
B -"The chicken the stuffing came out of, what did you do with it?"
M- "The stuffing came out of a box, not a chicken."
B- "The people that put it in the box, they got it out of a chicken?"
M- "No, the stuffing did not come out of any chicken."
B- "Does the chicken have the stuffing in it while it's alive or does it get the stuffing after it dies?"
M- "There is NO stuffing in a chicken unless I put it there."
B- "Do you put it in all the chickens, even Grandma's?"
M- "No, Blake only our chickens"
B- "There's a midget at my school."
M- "There is?"
B - "Yes, it's going into 5th grade?"
M- "Is the midget a girl or boy?"
B -"A girl."
M -"Then she's going into 5th grade, not it's going into the 5th grade."
B - "oh"
And they ask me why I drink.
Has anyone been on the website for the new baby panda? It's really neat, it's right in the den with them. You really can't see the baby, but Blake and I have enjoyed just looking at it and talking about how little it is right now. They say it weighs around 3-5 ounces, about the size of a stick of butter. The website is http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/giantpandas if anyone is interested and you have to scroll to the bottom of the page.
I am headed for that pile of laundry in the laundry room, if you don't hear from me in a couple days , please send out a search party.
Bridget

A Flea Marketing We Will Go

Well, we just crawled into the house after a 3 hour trip to the flea market. I love the flea market. I am redoing the kitchen and it is in retro/old country. I am now on the hunt for red handled utensils. It was a productive trip, I came home with a water dipper and something I'm not quite sure what it is, but I liked it. Blake went with us and if you've never taken a 6 year old to the flea market or a yard sale, take my word for it, don't. He was tired, he was hungry, he was thirsty and the one that gets you every time, "I have to go potty." He knows he's going to get a reaction on that one. We also came home with cherries and tomatoes. My tomatoes plants aren't ready yet, but I am ready for them. It always amazes me the way that people dress at these things. There are people who are hardly dressed and then there are people in dresses and heels. Heels?? At the flea market??? Do people even look in the mirror when they leave the house or even think about where they are headed when they get dressed?
Wayne, my 14 year old, has decided he wants a "mullet" hair cut. Those of us from the 80's should remember this lovely hair cut. Rusty and I decided to not say anthing about it, because it is only hair, but it really has taken some time to get used to. I guess we have to pick our battles and hair does grow. He could of wanted to dye it or do something outrageous, so I guess this is tame compared to some of the things I've seen at the schools. It really surprised me because he's not the kind of kid that does things to stand out. All of my kids are really good kids for the most part and don't give us any trouble and I thank God for that.
Until later,
Bridget

Friday, Friday, Friday

Did I mention it's Friday?! I have 2 days at home and I don't think I am going to leave the house. (who am I kidding, I'm sure one of my little darlings will think of someplace they just have to be or they might die). I'm going to give it a shot though. Blake and I will be the only ones home tomorrow and that has made him very excited. Rusty will be working, Ashleigh is spending the night at a friend's house (maybe I should of warned them of the constant phone use) and Wayne is gone until Wednesday. It will be very quiet here tomorrow.
We had a parade down Main St. tonight in our little town and if you've never been to a small town parade it's a sight to behold. You have a couple convertibles with the local fire department princesses and queens. Then you have a fire truck, ambulance, a delivery truck (usually propane) for a local company, maybe another convertible, a car load of people that just decided to be in the parade for the fun of it and then another fire truck, and another fire truck and another fire truck. And it goes on and on like that for normally about an hour or so. Of course every volunteer department around has been invited to send a truck for the parade. God bless the volunteer fire fighters because alot of small towns wouldn't have fire departments if it wasn't for them. But after you have seen the first 50 fire trucks you are kind of looking for the end of the parade going "Is it ever going to end?" "Oh, is that a rain cloud I see?"
Blake is going to have to see the optometrist (I think that's how you spell it but it still looks wrong), he had his yearly physical today and they think he's far sighted. Hopefully, he won't need glasses. When he ws taking his test in the office and he couldn't see line 7 he asked the nurse "Does ANYONE see line 7?" Ashleigh had her physical today also and after complaining about having to get out of bed before 11, 12 or maybe even 1 she got the disappointing news that she has probably stopped growing and won't get over 5'2". She wanted to be taller but it doesn't look like that is going to happen.
After everything that has been going on with that family in Idaho and the little girl being found, let's all hug our kids a little tighter tonight after we say our prayers. During the day stop and just sit down and spend time with your children and thank God everyday that they are safe at home with us.
Bridget

Boys and their toys

Well, we just got back from our four hour trip to Manassas. I hate having to go to Manassas, the traffic is horrible and it's over an hour one way. Rusty got Sirius (satellite) radio for Father's Day and the antenna broke off in it. He was not happy and I thought he was going to throw himself on the floor and kick his feet. I bought it from Bestbuy.com and of course we don't have a Best Buy close to us, the closest is Manassas. So, off to Manassas we went. That was quite the experience, did I mention I hate the traffic in Manassas, but the people at Best Buy were very nice and refunded us our money so we could turn around and buy another model that of course cost more money but the antenna is in a different location and doesn't plug directly into the radio. so he was happy, skipping (well, maybe not exactly skipping, but close) out of the store and then we had to sit in the car so he could call Sirius and switch his subscription from the broken radio to the new one. Then he was once the happy husband that I know and love.
Does anyone else notice the children that are just running loose in stores with no parents in sight? I'm talking little kids, not teenagers. It amazes me that people don't even pay attention to the crazy turn this world has taken. Children are disappearing everyday never to be seen again. I just don't understand it.
I think I am going to have to have my phone surgically removed from Ashleigh's ear. I don't think she stops talking on it even when she's asleep. Now that I think of it, she does talk in her sleep. I spent alot of time on the phone but I'm not sure it was that much. Her friend Devin and her have made up and are friends again. I asked Ashleigh if she asked Devin about the parties she's been having and she told me no, she was just going to let it go. Devin knows how she feels and she doesn't think she needs to say anymore about it. I guess time will tell.
Til tomorrow, good night.

Survived another 4th

Well, we survived another 4th of July. The party at my mother-in-law's was nice, smaller than usual so that was nice. I still didn't know over 1/2 of the people there. Lots of food (that's the most important thing) and good music. I left around 10:30 to come home. Rusty and Ashleigh always spend the night and come home the next day.
Blake is dancing around the living room singing "The Peter Panda Dance". If you've seen The Pacifier with Vin Diesel you know what I am talking about. It's a very good family movie if you haven't.
Yesterday and today we finally got the dining room and kitchen back together. It looks so good and I am so happy with it. We have a couple things left to do but they are small things.
My Mom, Dad and Steven came over tonight and we grilled steaks and just had a good time. We have an incredible view from our deck and we sit out here every year and watch the fireworks at the town park. It's wonderful, we don't have to fight any of the crowds or traffic but we still get to see the fireworks.
Well, it's back to work tomorrow, oh well.
Bridget

Baking, baking, baking

Already I am running behind on blogging. I was so busy yesterday that I barely had time to check email. Rusty's family has a huge 4th of July party every year with over 150 people and a live band so I have been getting ready for that. It is tomorrow so I have been baking. It's alot of fun but I liked it better before it got to be so big. There are so many people now that I don't know over half of them. Oh, well.
My Dad and my son, Wayne are on their way back from North Carolina and should be home soon. They went down to take my Grandmother to the Dr to have her staples removed. She had a valve replaced in her heart (we call her MawMaw so now we have been calling her MoooMaw and teasing her about wanting to eat grass, they replaced it with a cow valve) and they did a bypass. She is doing wonderful.
We have been redoing our kitchen and it is almost done. Rusty and my Dad painted the living room, foyer and the hall and then Rusty moved on to the kitchen. It looks really good. My dining room looks like a bomb went off in it because everything is on the floor and table in there. I can't remember when we last ate at the table. It will be nice to finally be able to sit down as a family again.
For the last year I was working at home for my office and I loved it. I am now back in the office and I'm not so sure I'm loving that. I like the people I work with but it was so nice to be home with my kids. They fired our office manager in March (who also happened to be my sister-in-law, long story there) so they brought me back in to help with the new manager. She's wonderful and I really like her alot. The people here drive me crazy sometimes though. We have a new nurse who was just ranting and raving in my office the other day and she was cussing up a storm. I just sat here and didn't say anything to her. Yesterday she came back and apologized to me for cussing because one of the other nurses told her I don't cuss.
Sometimes your testimony speaks without you ever having to say a word.
This sounds kind of whiny, sorry.
I'll be back later.
Bridget