Ok, So I Know I Live in Texas, But There is a COYOTE In My Yard!!!

Last Tuesday night I looked out the front window and thought our dog had gotten out. (my boys refuse to close the gate correctly)  So I open the front door and as I am about to shout "Nutmeg", I think that's a weird dog.  Billy quickly walks to me and quietly says, "shut the door, that's a coyote."  In my FREAKING front yard?!?!?  I live in the middle of a big city, I mean I understand there's wildlife and all, but hanging out by my park bench?!? (and yes, I totally forgot to take a picture)  So as the kids and I watch it roam from yard to yard, I remembered a few months ago one of our outdoor cats, sweet Queso was snatched up by a coyote (we figure, the neighbor found a leg... ewwwww).  Here's the thing, when we lived in Connecticut for a few years, we got the two cats because we lived on an acre and all the neighbors said to because of the field mice...  (totally separate disgusting story...) So when we returned to Texas, along came Nacho and Queso, our combat cats.  Anyway, they have always had a cat door to get into the garage, but one of my boys is allergic, so they can't come all the way in.   So forward a few days and Billy tells me that Olivia hasn't seen Nacho for food in a few days and we better plan for a sad story and a weepy 9 year old.  Well, today our neighbor brought me Nacho's collar.....  That can't be a good sign.  But did a coyote really come back for seconds?!?!  And why isn't he hitting up our next door neighbor?  They've got SIX cats, would they miss one of them?  Or were our cats not as savvy or street smart?  Survival of the fittest, right?  So now my poor Olivia  (and surprisingly Kevin too) is heartbroken over Nacho.  :(  Is there a pox on my house?  It must be an awful way to go....  Sigh.... 

So it's not a good start to our three day weekend...  To end this on a happier note, Kevin's basketball team won today. (I couldn't just end the blog with the sadness)  And for those following my husband's quest for hair removal, the ear lobes have now scabbed up.  And he refuses to stop.....

Sometimes Weight Watchers Pushes You Too Far and a Super Bowl Food Update...

As Billy and I are trucking along on the Weight Watchers program, (we are sticking to the old program that we have always been successful with) sometimes you have eaten all your points, it's late at night and you are simply starving...  So Billy was up late and took drastic measures...  He ate a pickle ( 0 pts, it usually does the trick for me) but it wasn't enough...  Then he finds a jar of jalapenos, that's got to be 0 pts.  So he starts eating them (I will NEVER be this hungry!).  He said they weren't that hot, he was making his way through the jar and hit a really hot pepper.  Well, what do you do to kill the heat?!  Drink milk!  So he's got a mouthful of milk and realizes milk has points!!  So he's swishing the milk around his mouth, trying not to swallow, but you know it didn't work...  So he ended up ingesting points when he was trying so hard to eat "free foods".  Absolutely cracked me up.....

By the way, if you read yesterday's blog, he still has red dots all over his ears...  He's not backing down on the Nair/ ear hair solution....  Sigh, he is stubborn....

So the Super Bowl food update.  Billy has decided (probably as he was trying to put out the fire in his mouth) that we should start with breakfast instead of just the Super Bowl game spread. Here's what's in the running.  If you know other food options, feel free to comment and fill us in! (Correct us if we're wrong!)

Chicago: breakfast still unknown, maybe Chicago bagels??-- Deep dish pizza
Seattle: Starbucks breakfast-- Sushi/ salmon for the game
Atlanta: Grits and biscuits breakfast-- fried chicken for the game
Green Bay: Breakfast unknown-- Cheese platter, brats for the game

New England: breakfast unknown-- clam chowder, baked beans for game
Baltimore: breakfast unknown-- blue crab w/ Arnold Palmers to drink
Pitt: Breakfast unknown-- Primonti sandwiches
NY: Bagel for breakfast-- Thin crust pizza and cheesecake for the game

Sometimes I Just Don't Know How These Conversations Start....

Do you and your spouse have these kinds of conversations?  I'm hoping so, or I am going to feel really strange after posting this...  (and I did ask the hubby if I could post this one!)

So I am in the bathroom brushing my teeth last night and  Billy comes in to chat.  He starts telling me that he's found a great new use for Nair....  (background, my sweet Billy uses Nair on his back. Hairy, but so lovable...) So I of course hesitate, because Billy tends to use strange methods to achieve things...

Billy:  "You know how I am getting ear hair? Just swoosh it in there and wait, then Q-tip it out."

Me:  "WHAT?!?! That can't be safe. It could affect your hearing. Stop that."

Billy:  "Are you kidding?! Do you know how hard it is to get in the crevasses of your ear?! This is GREAT!"

Me:  "Ohmygosh, your ear is bleeding! There are red dots all over your ears! Did you just do this?!"

Billy: (casually wiping blood off his right ear)  "So I need to work out the kinks... It said 3 minutes, I probably went over."

Me: (quickly grabbing the Nair bottle out of the shower..) "Billy, it says use on legs, underarms, and bikini line. Nothing about EARS..."

Billy:  "BIKINI LINE! See! Same thing!"

Me: "Same thing?!?!? YOU CAN'T HEAR OUT OF THERE!!!" (wildly gesturing to my crotch)

Billy: "Some people say...."

Me: leaves the bathroom...... Heads to the bedroom... "Ummm, can I post this on the blog?"

Billy:  "What do I care?"    That's my Billy.......


So, you've had that conversation before, right???  :)

I slacked off, I admit it... Let's talk Superbowl.... Food.....

I have been gone for a few days, which I know if I am starting to blog is not really the path to take. :)  Billy and I have been dealing with a really awful (well awful as a mom, if I told you the whole story you probably wouldn't quite go with awful...)  situation at school with one of my boys.  Here's hoping that everything is settled and we can move on...

Simon

Aaron and I at Cowboy Camp

We are a football family.  I mean, we live in Texas, so it's assumed, but my husband is a huge Dallas Cowboy fan and seriously just loves the sport.  We have always watched games together, we play fantasy football (I won the Superbowl this year, thankyouverymuch!),  and we have made the Superbowl a family event.  I'm not even sure how it happened...  Every year we start January back on program and we diligently diet and exercise until that beautiful Sunday.  My kids see the Superbowl a little differently.  They go by food.  See, we choose the menu at home based on the teams playing.  Like last year, we got take out from Pappadeux and had fried alligator.  Billy works hard and finding something from the team's town and fun for the kiddos.  So as Billy is watching playoffs, my kids are yelling, "I want cheese to win!!!" (Green Bay) or "No, I want Cheese steak to win!!!" (Philly)  It's funny to hear, they come down and ask for score updates and Billy will tell them that cheese has pulled ahead.

So this is where we stand as of last week's results: (we do have to get creative with some stuff to be gluten free for me)

Chicago: deep dish pizza
Seattle: Starbucks, seafood (sushi will be easy for GF)
Atlanta: fried chicken (I may have to starve) and maybe peach pie? Peach ice cream?
Green Bay: cheese platter, brats

New England: clam chowder, fried clams
Baltimore: crab with Arnold Palmers' to drink (I have no clue what Billy means by that)
Pitt: something called a Primonti sandwich
Jets: Thin crust pizza and cheesecake

Ok, now if I go by food, I'm looking for a Jets/ Seattle game.  Does pizza and sushi work together???

What do y'all do for Superbowl food?  My best friend doesn't even watch the game for the commercials. Ugh....  I worry for her children.... :)

Explain To Me These Facebook Reunions That Lead To Affairs and Broken Marriages...

Ummm.... Ok, so let me see if I understand this correctly.  There are people signing up for Facebook, finding old friends from high school, reconnecting with their past.  I get that, I have done it myself to an extent.  The ones I don't understand are the people that are reconnecting with high school boyfriends/girlfriends and then meeting up and rekindling romances, quite a few breaking up marriages...  I had heard about this before but recently I had an up and close front seat to it.  I accepted a friend request from a girl (because in my head she is still 17), I sort of remember her, so why not.  A few hours later she is posting like crazy about someone she's madly in love with (her info says she's divorced) and as the comments follow, the object of her affection is another alumni that apparently is still married and acknowledges they are "in love and boyfriend and girlfriend"....  Umm, does your wife know?! Here's the big thing that my shallow self cannot grasp.... (oh, I'd like to add that I did quickly delete this girl/home wrecker, not my cup of tea) How is it that the two of you weren't hot and heavy in high school, but now, 20 years later, years that apparently were not kind to either one of you (umm, not to me either, 20 years affects all of our elasticity and firmness.) I mean, he has lost his hair, has found at least 50 pounds, and you can't stay away from that fine piece of meat?! I mean, not even taking into account the marriage, the children that you are about to irreparably damage for life, just the shallow parts.... What on earth is rocking your boat?!  I'm sure that you feel like your marriage failed, what's another, and damnit, you can't fight love, but give me a break.... He's not the same boy you knew and the baggage just isn't worth it.... My guess is you'd rather be back in the life you led in 1989.....  I hope one of your FB friends emails his wife.....

You Know You've Been Married a Long Time When Late Night Conversations Involve Different Strokes and Mrs. Garrett....

So late at night, after all the kiddos are rustled into bed, is really the only time of day during the week when Billy and I can sit down and talk.  It's uninterrupted, quiet conversation.  Usually littered with kid-talk, impossible not to talk about the five of them, but we try and make the time to catch up and talk like people, not just parents....  Last night, I just don't know what happened....

Billy: "What's going to happen when Willis dies? (don't even ask how it started, I couldn't tell you) I hope Mrs. Garrett and Tootie speak at the funeral."

Me: "Umm, impossible, why would Tootie be there?! She never did a cross-over episode."

Billy: "Oh and if she was in roller skates that would be awesome!" (like I never even spoke)

Me: "I told you, Tootie would never be at Willis' funeral, they didn't know each other.... Poor Webster, never had the same audience."

Billy: "I get them confused."

Me: "Don't be all short black orphan adopted by rich old white people confused. It's racist."

Billy: "Racist to who, short black orphans or old rich white people?" Then he tries to tell me he's never seen an episode of either show.... WHATEVER.....

And this is why I married this man 13 years ago.  I don't think I could have this conversation with anyone else.... 

And just in case anyone else needs the refresher:

Different Strokes

Webster

Back to School and Yes, I am Starving, Thank You New Years Resolution.....

Kids were up this morning by 6:30 (only because hubby remembered in the middle of the night to set alarms)  and quickly got back in the swing of things.  I had lunches ready, Kevin had his violin, Billy was going to drop off the nebulizer on the way to work, we were firing on all cylinders....  Until 12:30 when the school nurse called to tell me I had forgotten Aaron's ADHD meds.  OOPS...  So the shorties and I packed up and drove to school with meds in hand apologizing for my lack of organization.  Not the best start.  :)  The poor little ones spent half of the morning asking me for their older siblings.  Two weeks out of school, they just got so used to them around they were a little unbalanced.

So what do most people do when the New Years start?  Those darn resolutions, "I'm going to work out regularly" "I'm going to lose weight", "stop smoking", whatever.  So here I am.  Back on program with Billy.  We did Weight Watchers years ago, hit lifetime, all was good.  (This was my second stint with WW, I did it in college and lost 45 pounds).  But at the close of every year, Billy and I tend to slide, I get sick of exercise, he misses fried food.  So we enjoy ourselves and then the first of the year gets us back on the horse.  But this year is a little different.  2011 has Billy and I turning 40.  I don't want to turn 40 and FEEL 40.  So it matters more. I don't have a lot to lose.  If I drop 8 pounds, I am wedding dress weight.  But I don't look the same.  I tell Billy I have become a shape-shifter. The number doesn't look the same on the body that it did at 27 when we got married. Now I am kinda pear shaped and it aint pretty.  So I can't put a number on it, I want to have a more fit shape.  (I prefer a number to be able to strive for, it's much more in my comfort level.)  So we started yesterday.  I am HUNGRY... And water does NOT fill you up. FOOD fills you up.  Losing weight is hard.  We will persevere, it's just going to suck for awhile.  But I will look fabulous when I turn 40.  If I admit to it when the time comes. :)

What was your resolution?