Watching the Detectives....

"Step-Dad" exit stage right.

Dear Husbands "Step-Dad" got on his plane this afternoon and is gone. I keep putting "Step-Dad", I should just put Dad down. It is his Mothers second husband. She has been married since. So it is not REALLY his "Step-Dad". It is really his Dad, simply put. He has kept in touch, offered guidance, and has been more of a "Dad" than any other man. So I think I will just call him Dear Husbands Dad.

Dear Husbands "Dad", is an interesting guy. He has his a Masters degree in developmental Psychology. He is a Secular Humanist, and oddly enough a Democrat, he is quiet and very mild mannered. So I felt as though I had hired an "existential detective", Like in the movie I Heart Huckabees.


I might add here, I am burned out, on the "housewife" thing right now. The job I have always wanted, and never thought I would be able to have, "housewife". The Mom part is going ok, I LOVE it. However,the cleaning off the floor under Pink Ninja's highchair for the fourth time. It is the laundry that multiplies in the hamper overnight, it is the monotony of the chores. Chores which my own Mother ALWAYS had done, my Mothers home was always SPOTLESS, you could eat out of her toilets. However, I cannot remember my Mom EVER PLAYING with us. Hence I am trying to find the balance between being a good Mom, and keeping the perfect house, and being a gracious hostess, and I am finding it impossible. I think the 18 month deployment did not help matters, being alone well, well it just sucks. I am still recovering, and I was the one at home.

So, Husband's Dad is here, and he is an EASY guest. He is very laid back, does not demand anything. You could not ask for a better guest. The whole time he is here, I am paranoid about my parenting skills, and what irrevocable damage I am causing my children. I feel as though at the end of the day I should sit down and ask for child rearing device, ask what mistakes he has seen me make through the day, and realize I DO NOT want to know. I am sure the list is endless. So I sit here with Pink Ninja with a 5 pound cast on her right arm, and Dash who is not only 3 but a perfectionist, and wonder what he is thinking.

Instead we go to B.B. King, and eat ribs, and we dine on Tandori Chicken, and talk politics, economy, the differences between the South and the Midwest. We catch up on stories of relatives,we watch Season 2 Chapelle Show and we eat popcorn.

I never asked for a meeting with my existential detective. I do NOT want to know.

Hide your Ovaries....

Here comes the Karnival of Kidz #6!! So cute, you better hide your ovaries. Sissy, you did a great job!

How you should spend Memorial Day

Shakey Pete has returned from his first visit to the wall, I am so glad he made the trip. Go read about his experiance at the wall. I am glad you shared this with us Pete.

Dogtulsba, wife Jen and friends were in D.C. for the Memorial Day weekend. What a great place to be to honor all of those that have died in service to the United States. I think Washington D.C. should be a must stop on every Americans list. He mentions all of the bikers that were there for Rolling Thunder.

Mr. Blackfive, spent Memorial evening on MSNBC, discussing milblogs, and being a voice for his brothers, and sisters. You did us all proud again Matty. I hope you know we are all behind you.

Pink Ninja, very itty bitty , and learning to crawl. 

Dash when he was itty bitty! 

Poppy Field 

Memorial Day

In Flanders Fields
By John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly.
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Mr. B.B. King 

Blues and the King

So I did manage to see the Mr. B.B. King Friday night. This is something I have wanted to do for years. The King of the Blues, I never thought I would be so lucky to have the honor.

B.B. King is now 79 years old, has diabetes, and honestly folks I wasn't expecting a "grand performance". I was SOOO wrong. Mr. King is a GRACIOUS performer, and wants to make his audience happy. He sang songs that would make the general audience happy. Standard King like "The Thrill is gone", and "Three-o-clock Blues".
Not only did his voice sound GREAT, which is hard to maintain with age, but LIVE. His voice sounded rich, and full. His guitar playing made me wish I had every recording by the King, and the time to listen to it 24 hours a day.

I was also amazed to hear "blues" being played by such a smiling man. I have NEVER seen anyone that loved their job like Mr. King. Mr. B.B. King loves to make people with the "blues" feel like they have company, and he likes making "happy" people wish they had the "blues". He looked like he was truly enjoying every second of this "odd gig" by a river in Arkansas where people only had to pay $15 for a 3 day pass.

Sorry about that itty photo, but it had boots. I am not sure if this guy is wearing boots or not, but WHO CARES.... 

Happy Birthday Machelle, I found exactly what you were looking for, men in workboots.  

Happy Birthday !!!

Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday Dear Machelle-elle

Happy Birthday to You

Music I can't stand......

Blogging will be light, because of my hostessing duties. They are paramount to my social standing. Not really, I just like hanging out with Dear Husbands "Step-Dad.

Here is a great question for you.

Who is your least favorite recording artist?

I cannot stand George Thourogood, or Bob Segar, even if I am drunk off my ass, and with the coolest people, in the coolest bar. I just can't stand to hear either of them screeching and grunting. Makes my skin crawl to think of it. I really tried to pick one, but can't.
I can't stand both.

Pimp My Blog

It is as if the Tech-Heavens opened and a geek was sent to my aide! Yes, The Ponytailed Conservative has offerred to "repair", my template. He is a self proclaimed geek, so I am hoping he can pimp this mother up, or is it pimp this mother out? I am soooo unhip on so many levels.

Go wish him well, he has a bit of a cold. Take some Airborne, I am telling you, it works.

Stuck in Chicago

Dear Husbands "Step-Dad" is in Chicago overnight, due to some sort of mechanical problem. So I got to finish, "some" of my list. I sent Dear Husband to airport, with toddlers, and thought it might give me an hour to do my magic on the house.

My freaking crazy ass neighbor lady came running over here with her crazy assed Yorkshire Terriers. Seems her and her boyfriend got in an argument re: new neighbor that does "yardwork" shirtless. "I just had to get out of that house, his jealousy is going to kill this relationship." Go ahead and just vacuum around us." We are not friends, and have no idea why she chose my home, but whatever, I am too nice sometimes. I did not proceed with chores I had to listen to her "Dr. Phillsophize".

If I were Emma Peel....

If I were Emma Peel Today, I would shoot my computer. I mean really. 

So Jeff tells me, my blog looks all jacked up on FIrefox. For fucks sake, I mean really. I don't even know what FireFox is, because I am tech tarded. Apparently, correcting the problem will take at least an afternoon. What is an afternoon?

I am getting ready for our company today, trying to make sure the house is presentable, and there is a delicious dinner on the table, clean bedding on the bed, happy children, and a Mom with her hair done. Now that will take ALL AFTERNOON.

Bear with me folks....this might take months.

20 Questions?

This is a follow up answer to this post, that did not exactly generate much traffic....

Air Force Family Wife, asked me what I could NOT LIVE without, if we were stationed somewhere with a crappy PX/BX/Commissary.

Well, I am currently a National Guardsman's spouse, so I am used to NOTHING. The closest post is 45 minutes away, and it is not a great "post". When we were active military and at Fort Bragg, I naturally thought all PX, etc would be that big. I was 20, give me a break.

I am honestly a low maintainance gal, although I can be high maintainance, if given the time, opportunity and money involved. I grew up in a very POOR working class home, so I can make do with whatever. This is a skill that has done me well, and has made life easier on Dear Husband.

What can't I live without? I will make a list of only 5 here, I am sure I could go on for days here.

1) Baths

My baths saved me night after night during husbands 18 months away. It was my quiet time, my soak time, my reading time, my cocktail time. My baths still save me, a glass of wine and a bath, AHHHH. Heavenly.

2) Coffee

I think I might be dead without it. I love the taste of it, the ritual of it, the smell of it.

3) Disposable Diapers

I won't even go into details.

4) Baby Wipes

I can't imagine the laundry involved without these things.

5) Wash Machine

Come on....I seriously could not manage without this wonderous appliance.


So tell me, is there something you just can't live without?

Easy on Mom Cookies

1 (2-layer) pacakage chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup butter softened
2 eggs

Beat cake mix, butter, eggs, in mixer bowl until blended. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. May add chopped nuts, raisins, candy coated candy, chocolate chips, or mint chips to dough.

makes 48 cookies!!

The Movie Meme!!

Got this Meme from Katy, over at The Grass Isn't Greener.

I love reading Katy, and usually her 3 toddlers, prove to do something crazier than my 2. Go over and take a look. Blogging appears to be a "REAL LIFE" family affair with Katy and hers. Her mother-in-law runs the Hen House, her husband is Cowboy over at My Adventures in Life, Her Father-in-law runs Double Creek Limousine, and finally Katy's brother is Jack Army. No that is a link full.

Go visit them and tell them hello!

The Movie meme:

1) The number of DVD's I own:

Probably around 250. We never rent.

2) The last DVD I bought:

Dear Husband bought "Sideways" for me. We loved it.

3) The last DVD I watched:

"Sideways"

4) Five movies that I watch a lot (in no particular order) that mean a lot to me:

Auntie Mame

Gone With The Wind

Giant

Grapes of Wrath

Yours, Mine, and Ours

5) Tag 5 other people with this Meme...

Tammi, my Blog Momma, Boudicca, Closet Extremist Teresa, and Donna. Enjoy!!

Karnival of Kidz, sneak a peak.

The Karnival of Kidz is up and running at Practical Penumbra. I did go over today and took a look, simply adorable!!