Memphis is really hot...

this time of year, and not in a good way. Took the older boys there for a few days vacation before school starts next week. Hot, but a great town, lots of fun stuff. More tomorrow, and with photos!

Father knows best...

I have dissed her before, so I feel it is only fair that I comment on how fabulous Britney Spears looks lately. I don't spend time on her website, but if you have a pulse you can't help but hear/see snippets of how she is doing. This one was linked to my yahoo page, and it's impressive. I saw somewhere that her dad has taken control of just about all aspects of her life, and it seems to be paying off. A few months ago I suggested she get off the couch, get over Kevin and get on the stairmaster. Apparently daddy had some similar suggestions. I hope things continue to improve for her.

http://omg.yahoo.com/photos/2-hot-2-handle/2150?nc

Tonight Show with...

Conan O'Brien? I don't know if y'all find that as disturbing as I do, but I just read about it. http://tv.yahoo.com/the-tonight-show-with-jay-leno/show/34238/news/urn:newsml:tv.eonline.com:20080721:19e5a1e68617_4045_be07_f5bd5888825d__ER:78408

I personally can't stand to watch Conan. He acts so stupid. I know he's not, but he certainly acts like an idiot. The few times I have watched him, it has been because he has someone on there I like. But it's impossible to learn much about the person he is interviewing because he is always interrupting them with some stupid, childish remark. Or he just keeps doing goofy things the whole time his guests are talking. It's like watching a 12-year-old boy. Thinking about him and Johnny Carson on the same stage is a travesty. I like Leno fairly well. He has an annoying habit of too many lewd jokes, but he at least lets his guests talk. He can be serious too, and I appreciate that. Save the stupidity for the monologue. Anyways, the story says there is talk of him moving to ABC. Fine with me. I'll just watch him there.

Restaurant Seating 101

First the traffic circle, now this. Let me begin by saying, I used to be a hostess in a restaurant, so I feel somewhat qualified to make this complaint.

I have a two-year old. He sits in a high chair. That does not mean that he needs a seat at the table, either at home or a restaurant. In fact, he does not sit at the table at home, but in his high chair next to me. So when we go to a restaurant and the hostess/host asks me 'how many' I always say the number of people who will need a seat at the table, followed by 'and a baby in a highchair.' You would not believe how completely perplexing that statement is. In the two years I have had him, I can probably count on one hand the number of people who were not confused by this. Usually they look at me like I am crazy, or they are having trouble even understanding the words. And it almost always follows with - 'so you have five (or whatever the number of human beings in our party computes out to be) as if I am the idiot. At first I would just say yes, but now, I just look right back and say, "No, we have four people who need a seat at a table and space for a high chair. That is a table for four, not a table for five, with a little room to the side."

I bring this up, because it happened yet again this weekend. I won't even name the restaurant because it does not matter where we are. How is this confusing?? I guess I can just let it go, because as he is almost ready for a booster seat. And then he really will count as a 'whole' person. With a seat of his own.

Shoe sale!

(My husband is reading this right now, clutching his heart!) But not for mom. (Maybe for mom, but I was a good girl and did not even go into the ladies shoe dept this morning.) Belk is having a great sale on their men's clearance shoes. I bought two pairs for my oldest son this morning for a total of $47. Pair of Reebok tennis shoes and a pair of brown suede shoes for church. $47 for both - and they are great quality shoes. They have a rack of shoes that have been marked down a couple times and they are taking 40 percent off that. Lots of 9s and 10s, some 8s, and maybe larger sizes but I did not notice. Great for back to school if your boys can wear men's smaller sizes. I don't know if he can wear these right now, but the way he grows it won't be long...

Shocking

I have lived here pretty much all my life (except four years in Florida) and every July/August/September I am shocked, SHOCKED, at how hot it is. Wonder why that is? You would think I would be used to it.

Making his move

OMG!

One has decided he likes the girl next door. Not really next door, but a few doors down. He told me of this monumental decision and proceeded to tell me 'she was trying to decide if she liked him' and made some remark about 'making his move.' He is 11 and she is 9. Of course, he has no idea what he is saying, but I immediately corrected and cautioned him about using such phrases. "Since I am your mother, and her daddy knows me and knows where you live, the only move you will be making is to talk to her. Clever conversation. That's your move. And you better keep that respectful. Or else."

Yikes.

SAHM

You know what it stands for right? Sort of like CEO of the household - nurse, chauffer, housekeeper, nanny, teacher, and on and on it goes. I was one once upon a time, then went back to work full-time and started farming out various aspects of it here and there, because I couldn't do it all. Well, guess what?? It's a title I am taking back in about a month. I am so excited.

I left the newspaper just about a year ago with the intention of taking a part-time job, but a friend of mine asked me to work full-time for him. After about a year of that, I have had enough and I am going home, where I can work 24/7! I have been in middle management since Three was born, and I have to tell you, it's hard to do that and raise three kids. Even with part-time help at home and a great staff at the office. And I admit, I'm a little crazy when it comes to the boys. I think I realized it was all getting out of hand the night before Three's second birthday party. I worked until 7 p.m. that night and then was up until 2 a.m. making a sand castle birthday cake. Of course, he didn't care what kind of cake he had. I could have just as easily gone to Kroger and picked up a tray of cupcakes (or paid someone to make the sandcastle cake) and he would not have had any emotional scarring, but he's my last one and that cake was really cute, darn it. I wanted to make it. I like most everything that comes with being a stay at home mom. The main thing I am not going to enjoy is cleaning that house, but that just comes with it.

My husband calls it semi-retirement. We agreed that I would take the next three years off, and when Three starts all day kindergarten I will re-enter the workforce, at least part-time. I figure by then (just like when I stayed home with the first two) I'll be more than ready for a break and will welcome the relative peace of a 'job.'

Back among the living...

Thank you all for the well wishes. We started to come out of the fog around lunch on Wednesday. I was back at work Thursday.

And thanks for the suggestion about catching Fine Living. I get burned out on HGTV sometimes too. Another channel I really like is the Food Network. And what's really funny - my two older boys love it. They like anything with Alton Brown, he has Good Eats and is the commentator for Iron Chef. (Hey, they are boys, they like any kind of competition.) And they have really started to like Ace of Cakes, a reality show about these young, crazy cake decorators. It is so funny to hear them telling their friends about this great show on the Food Network. Their friends just look at them like they are crazy. Hopefully they will begin applying what they learn and my future daughters-in-law will thank me one day!

I had forgotten...

how awful strep throat can be. I got up yesterday with my throat on fire. I was achy all over and felt a little warm. But I figured I needed to rev up the AC, and have a cup of coffee and I would be good as new. Then One came in my bedroom, "Mom, my throat really hurts. And my legs hurt. I hurt all over." I felt his head and he was as warm as me. I knew we both had something and it was contagious.

After laying around most of the day, I took him to the doctor and my fears were confirmed. We have strep throat. I haven't had it since I was in college and I remember why I hated it so much. It is almost impossible to swallow and the headache that comes with it is awful. So we are home again today, hyped up on Advil and antibiotics. Here's hoping the other people in our house don't get it as well.

I think they are safe - Two is on an antibiotic because he stepped on a nail a couple weeks ago. Three is on an antibiotic for an ear infection. Dad is flying solo, so we will see if he avoids getting it. In the meantime, we will be laying around watching a lot of HGTV and drinking hot tea.

Doc says things should be back to normal by tomorrow. I hope so. I don't like being this still this long...

Too good to be true?

That's what I am wondering. I have been hearing about shoes that will exercise and tone your legs as you go about your daily routine. I was curious, so I did a little surfing. I found some on HSN, but didn't like the look of them. Then I found a very disturbing video on Youtube of a woman wearing her exercise sandals and red socks and...well, let's just say that Youtube offers a lot of things to a lot of people.

Anyways, I found fitflops on http://www.victoriassecret.com/

Of course, she did not get those legs by wearing those sandals alone. But I wonder if they really help tone your legs? Or are they just a cool pair or flip flops that cost $50. The website says they strengthen and tone muscles in your feet, legs, stomach, buttocks and back. Hmmmmm...

Anybody ever tried anything like this?