the au pair

arrives on thursday...
not sure i could be happier!

she is a lovely young woman from Germany.
we have spoken several times and emailed endlessly.
she arrives in NYC today for a few days of orientation and training.
and then to dallas thursday night.

the girls are very excited.
savvy tells me - "this will change our lives."
i'm like - "yeah, that's what i am hoping for."
(cause your mommy is about to jump off a bridge if something doesn't change soon!)

still have not sold the house. interest has picked up. several second showings. a couple families really interested - but they have to sell their houses first. AAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!

Just ready for this to be over with.
really ready.

is it thursday yet?

it's no big secret...

that one day i would like to write a book.

and i feel like i have at least a few of them (books) in me.

most of them i could not go on Oprah and talk about on national TV.

the story i am most likely to tell - in book form - is the one of being a mother to a special needs child along with two other (mostly) typical kids.

certainly not a How To - more of a How NOT To...

i struggle every single day with the challenges of this job. sometimes, all day long.

anywho - it's not a pity party i am throwing here. no time for that...

just wanted you to know that it may seem i am not blogging as much as i once did. and that is because i started a second blog (apraxia, by any other name) to document the day to day challenges with my daughter. these are my notes - in case i ever do write that book.

i've said it before, i'll say it again...

it is never EVER dull.
Never.
Ever.

to prove my point...
this week, back to school.
i told you hubby has had to work late.
mother in law had surgery on monday
which leaves me to shuttle all kids to and from school
keeping in mind that i drop two off (locally) at 7:50AM, pick one up at 10:45AM and then drive all the way into dallas (1 hour one way) to pick up another at 3:10PM.
then pick up third child at neighbor's house because i could not get home in time to meet her at our house off the bus.

so first thing this week, hubby's aunt - here from mississippi to help out with ma-in-law after surgery falls down the stairs before they leave for the hospital and breaks her back. at least that's what we were told at first. come to find out, she missed the bottom three or so steps and only crushed a vertebra. ONLY. so ma-in-law and aunt-in-law end up in the same hospital. both are home now and mending beautifully.
you cannot make this stuff up.

not only has hubby worked late, he has gone next door every day since the accident to help out the neighbors feed up all their animals. (and i am THRILLED and proud he does this to help them)

in the mean time, i have done battle with all three kids by myself every afternoon and evening. that means homework with an ADHD child whilst two siblings are doing their dead level best to tear the house down around us. preparing dinner, feeding, bathing, reading, refereeing, meds and bed time - MEMEMEMEME.

please do keep in mind that my three kids do not play well together. and when they are getting along - and not fighting - it is most often because they are tearing something up. i.e. holes in walls, closet doors ripped down...

and then yesterday i get a call that they want to show my house b/t 4:30 and 6:30. oh please people - i have three small school age kids. you kick me out at that time for that long - you better buy this damn house and pay extra. i rush to clean up the house before i have to leave to pick up Sam in town.

so i had to drive all the way into Dallas to pick up Sam, return home to retrieve Savvy from the neighbors and was then back on my way to town to feed kids dinner at McDonald's.

was. did not make it that far. on the way, savvy asked sam to pass her a book. sam, in her adhd stupor was not paying attention and hit savvy in the eye with the book.
you would have thought savvy had a seven foot metal spear embedded in her eye the way she carried on. i pulled off the road. did my dr. mom act.

no spear, but there was a cut running up and down on the surface of the eye.
called hubby at work. dropped off Sam and Smith with him on the way to the ER with Savvy. it's after 5 and there are no dr's offices open now. of course.

four hours later, eye drops in hand and $100 ER co-pay poorer, we head home. only to be told by hubby that whilst he was feeding up, Smith picked a fight with a peacock. twice. and lost. both times.
"how bad is it?"
"pretty bad."

and indeed it looks pretty gross. bright red angry scratches across the back of his neck. a few smaller ones on his back. am ready to kill hubby. my last words to him were "watch them - keep them safe" - as i always get paranoid about the other two when one is injured....

icing on the cake - looking for sam's brand new stride rite NOT CHEAP school shoes this morning. "They are soaking wet by the back door."

i don't want to know...

politically incorrect...

i have opinions.

i own them.

the following is a collection of my opinions on katrina and the aftermath...

what's all the fuss about New Orleans and Katrina damage?

Katrina did NOT damage NOLA. Hello people.

fraud and corruption for the last 100 years in NOLA government damaged the big easy.

If the money designated for levies and flood control had been utilized appropriately - GUESS WHAT - NOLA would not have flooded.

They did not have hurricane damage. They had flood damage. misery of their own making...

I am sick to death of hearing about poor 'ole New Orleans. those poor, poor people.
Those poor people elected their officials. They tolerated the political mayhem.

and now they are reaping what they sowed.

Now those poor, poor people from New Orleans are misplaced around the country. many still walking around with their hands held out. poor pitiful me. where's my next hand out coming from? The welfare mentality lives on.

it makes me sick. especially those that are over-running my small home town in south mississippi. and sapping it of all it's resources.

and if you are from new orleans and are out there working your tail end off to rebuild and move on, I AM NOT TALKING TO YOU.

The twin span bridge over lake Pontchartrain was taken out during katrina. This bridge was the main connector of new orleans with south mississippi. there is a common sentiment in south mississippi about the bridge going out. THANK GOD the bridge was damaged or WE would have gotten all the riff-raff from new orleans. sad, but true. instead, with the bridge out, these folks had to go west.

i guess i am a little angry about all this mess. have been for awhile. and not because i think my people (in Mississippi) are so much better than the folks from New Orleans. We got riff-raff too.

i just wish the media would quit making New Orleans and her people out to be some huge victim here. They are not.

i wish the media would quit overlooking the devastation that Katrina brought on South Mississippi. my home state has been treated as an afterthought in the katrina saga. and that just pisses me off.

what else pisses me off? hmmm, let's see - oh yeah, while i'm on a rant -
Can you believe that people actually had the audacity to say TO ME that folks should not live that close to the water? that they got what they deserved. First off, my family is 45 miles inland and they were without power for almost four weeks.

but seriously - with that train of thought, let's clear out california for fear of earthquakes, texas and kansas because of tornadoes and make certain there is a five mile building ban on both sides of the Mississippi river from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico in case it overflows it's banks.

mother nature is immune to prejudice. she cares not where you live, how much insurance you have, what color your skin is or how much you paid for your mobile home, mansion or farm house.

stupid people.

and another thing - not really an opinion - just an awakening.

be prepared people. for anything. do NOT assume that FEMA, the red cross, national guard or the local police will always be there to help you. i was blind before Katrina to this reality. i pay my taxes. everything I own is insured. same for my family in Mississippi. surely someone will come rescue me (them).

YOU WILL DIE WAITING ON HELP. hundreds did. be prepared to take care of yourself, your family and your neighbors - if you are so inclined.

the eye of katrina went over my parents house on monday around noon. my husband and his brother got to my parent's neighborhood in the wee hours of wednesday morning. and they were FIRST RESPONDERS in that neighborhood. that means they beat the local police, red cross, FEMA and the churches there. my family and their neighbors cut the trees out of the road so they could get out of the neighborhood and my hubby and his brother cut their way through the roads of mississippi to my family with chain saws. they drove from TEXAS with two pick-up trucks and two trailers filled with supplies. and they were the FIRST ONES THERE. family taking care of family.

i used to think that those 'survivalist' that kept cellars full of food, water and supplies were nut cases. i used to scoff at the people who raided the grocery stores before a big storm. but guess what - they're the ones that got it right. they are the ones that can survive a catastrophe.

and they are NOT the poor people walking around after the fact with their hands out waiting for someone else to come save them...

party at my house

the kids went back to school today.

even smith is in a half day preschool program for 3 year olds! (Praise God for that grant money!)

i didn't cry (till i picked up my son and i could see how terribly glad he was to see me).

savvy didn't even give me a hug or a kiss.

DO WHAT?!

And Sam got up in a good mood - ready to get dressed and without fighting.

my kids have been replaced by stepford children...

I'm really going to miss them...

unnecessary excitement

last night
early evening.
already put kids in bed
sitting in my bed with my nose in a book
i hear a noise outside.
i am the queen of tuning things out when i am reading...
but after a few minutes, i suggest to hubby that he go and find out what is generating the noise.
as he reaches the end of the hall, near son's room and right before the front door, i hear my son say, "you see that airplane, Daddy?!"
okay, NOW i am paying attention.

then hear hubby open door.

noise is HUGE.
hear hubby yell, "t_cole, come here now! Hurry!"
my feet hit the floor in a run.
i pause briefly at the front door to see the firetruck and ambulance at my neighbor's house. i see the CareFlight helicopter above my house.

post-pause, i continue running out the door, across the drive way, through the yard along the front of the fence (between the pasture and the road) that runs between our house and the neighbor's house.

i don't mean jogging, i don't mean walking fast, i mean hauling-ass running. good thing i sleep in a sports bra. no shoes. barefoot - did i mention that?

through uncut grass as high as my knees. jumping over downed branches. through spider webs. through briars. running. did not slow down. did not stop till i was in the neighbor's yard.

my neighbor's husband - D had been unloading and putting up hay. those 5-6 foot round bales. One rolled down on top of him and another one on top of that. so he had been pinned under two bales of hay. He had walked away from the incident but as time went by, he began to hurt more and more. It got to where he could not even get up and walk to the truck so his wife, M called 911 to come help her load him into the truck. (she tells me all this this morning) She said five minutes after calling 911, the ambulance was there, then the firetruck, 20 paramedics and before she knew it CareFlight was on the way.

shortly after i got in the yard and found out what had happened, someone points out that CareFlight is landing in my front yard. Oh wow!

They had tried to load D in the pasture between our houses.
The cows and horses said "Hell, No!" So the ambulance drove him to our house and they loaded him into CareFlight in our front yard.

my daughter slept through the entire thing. my son ran (also barefoot) in his diaper along the fence the same way I came.

We got the call from the hospital later last night that D is fine. no broken bones, no internal injuries. just going to be VERY VERY VERY sore for quite a few days. and that he is.

my hubby tells me it is about 1/8th of a mile from our front door to the neighbor's front yard. it felt like 89 miles. my fat ass has not run that far in the past 20 years. and i don't run for just anyone. nope. my kids can be screaming bloody murder at the other end of the house - or even outside, and unless I can smell blood or seriously suspect murder, i walk. running ain't my thing.

but i gotta tell ya - when you have care flight flying over your house and an ambulance and firetruck at your neighbor's house - neighbors you love and adore and would do ANYTHING for, you run.
you run like hell.
not knowing if you can help or if you even need to be there.
you still run

there's no place like home

but good gawd is it hot in mississippi right now.
my fingernails were perspiring.

just got back from a quick weekend trip to visit the folks in south mississippi - couple of in laws are turning 50 and we attended a surprise birthday party.

good time was had by all and i am officially a karaoke whore.

what else....
was almost too hot to swim.
seriously. it's that hot.

went four wheeling through the piney woods for an hour and while it was HUGELY enjoyable and you can't beat the scenery, i sweat more in that one hour than i have in the past three years combined. i tried real hard not to bitch about it - but please don't question the hubby or the brother on this...

and most importantly, boiled peanuts rock.
they are a true southern delicacy.
pair them with an ice cold beer and you have yourself a right fine meal.

my Dad is so awesome - he had a big bowl ready for me when we got there. then boiled more and sent me home with a small ice chest full.

nothing spells love like an ice chest full of boiled peanuts...

who knew?

apparently i am a Rockin' Girl Blogger.

so sayeth Buddha Girl.

cool.

ummmm...

i have no idea what makes someone a Rockin' Girl Blogger

but if it has to do with speaking your mind, calling it like you see it and not really giving a flying fart when someone suggests you should be ashamed of the things your write on your blog - then by all means, i qualify.

thanks BG!

i henceforth name Pissy, E and Jenn as Rockin' Girl Bloggers -

Three blog chics (of many) that encourage, entertain and inspire me.

Rock On Girls!

katrina. two years and counting...

two years ago today my family was digging out from under. literally.
and my husband was cutting his way to them. literally.

two years.

i started this blog because of Katrina. when the storm hit that day, i could get no news on the areas nearest my family - south mississippi.

i had heard of blogs. never really read one - but knew the concept. so i googled "Katrina Blog" and found this - Eye of the Storm. two invinceable young guys - newspaper reporters - from south mississippi that were staying behind to cover the storm. neither were native mississippians. and both were entirely too young to remember camille and to know staying behind - by choice - was foolhearty.

they started their blog as kinda a lark. not really thinking they would be putting their lives on the line within the first 24 hours after starting it. or that they would have to go without - a lot - for months afterwards.

you can read the progression of their perception of the storm and her aftermath. i have gone back to the beginning a few times and re-read it. they don't post anymore. but their journal of what happened to them and around them is raw, real, humorous, reverent, crass, and at times excruciatingly painful to read.

especially for those of us with roots in and ties to mississippi.

mississippi.
my mississippi
she's still rebuilding.
there's still so much to do

two years and counting

pro choice AND anti-abortion

the two are not mutually exclusive.

i am vehemently, loudly and HUGELY Pro Choice. My body. My family. My choice.

i am also, on an extremely personal level, anti-abortion.

and i feel no contradiction whatsoever...

so what would i choose?
i choose to NOT have an abortion.

yes, this belief has been tested in my life. i know first hand, up-close-and-personal the decision i would make when presented with a HUGELY unplanned pregnancy.

but the crux is - it is my choice! not the suits in DC. not the well meaning folks carrying the signs with pictures of aborted fetuses and especially not Supreme Court Justice Kennedy's. that man is stuck in the Leave It To Beaver mentality. he's down right scary!

so why the rant, tcole?

i love Anna Quindlen. have for years. her books. her Op-Ed pieces. she always makes me think. and this article is no exception. it is some good thought-provoking writing.

and no matter what side of the fence you sit on - you need to be prepared to address the argument she raises in this editorial.

the pediatrician

i met my children's pediatrician when my firstborn was three days old - the day after we brought Sam home from the hospital.

i knew when I was prego i was supposed to research and even interview the pediatrician i wanted to use. all the baby books tell you to do this. some even offer a list of interview questions to ask. and as crazy vigilant i was as a mom-to-be, this is one thing that did not get done.

and as fate would have it - i needed one as soon as i got my daughter home - she was jaundiced and she wouldn't poop. and rule #1 with a newborn is that what goes in must come out.

so i was panicked. completely. and hormonal. FROM HELL.

so i looked up a pediatrician in my insurance information booklet near my home. i called. he was no longer in practice. a new dr had bought him out. yes, they still accepted my insurance and yes, they could see my daughter right away.

i had a pediatrician.

i clearly remember my first impressions. her office waiting room was quite small and unassuming. nothing flashy, glossy or expensive in sight. and i remember thinking - we'll just get through this poop/jaundice thing and then i'll find a "proper pediatrician." one with Dr. Seuss murals on the wall and child size chairs in the waiting room.

after making my judgements about the Dr's office, i looked down at my tiny baby and my RAGING hormones caught up with me. i told my mom - through tears - "if i can't talk when we get in there, if i get upset, you'll have to tell the Dr. what's wrong with my baby." my mom just nodded.

in the exam room, waiting on the dr., imagining the absolute worst with my daughter, the tears start. again.

directly, this hugely alive, beautiful, impish, dark skinned woman glides in. i automatically and without reservation hold up my baby and offer her to this woman. she says "no, no, no. you hold her and i'll examine her in your lap."

and that's just what she did. kindly. gently. expertly. all the while asking me questions. reassuring me. and she put us on the right path. that day. to get Sam on the mend and pooping.

i never, ever, not even once considered changing pediatricians again. not even after we moved to the country and were a full hour drive away from her. and the year we lived in mississippi - so Sam could attend a specialized preschool - i had the mississippi pediatrician make copies of everything on each child so i could send back to her to put in their files in her office.

every single time i phone her office, i have gotten in that day. no runaround or delay of any kind. ever.

she phones me on nights and weekends to check on sick children.

she takes my calls in the middle of the day or returns them immediately.

she has referred me to umpteen specialist over the years. and she knows how to prepare me for each one. warns me if i will not like their bedside manner or if i will appreciate their direct approach or use of new techniques. she knows me - what i like, what i expect and what i will sacrafice and tolerate for the sake of my children's care.

she will walk out of the exam room - during an exam - and call a specialist on the spot if she has a question about treating one of my kids.

when smith was deathly ill earlier this year, she called me on my cell several times a day and often ended up speaking to the ER doc's on my cell phone.

she has held our hand, been directly involved and encouraged us every step of the way in all of sam's medical, speech and behaviour issues.

she gave ME (made me take) a flu shot one year when i had not had mine - and the kids were getting theirs.

she listens to me. she encourages me. she praises me and she tells me where i need to do better.

she is meticulously detail oriented. whenever I take the kids in for their yearly check-ups, I spit-shine every square inch of them. Teeth, clean. Hair, washed and brushed. finger and toenails, clipped and cleaned. not a speck of dirt on them anywhere - which is a real rarity with my kids. i just don't want to be busted for any small transgression...

yesterday was such a visit. school physical for Sam, yearly check-up for Savvy. and i promise you, she spent 45 minutes with me and my kids. right after she started with us, she looked up and says, "you don't mind if i go take care of the family in the next room, do you? They will be out quickly and then i won't be rushed with you." of course i don't mind.

she was back in a few minutes and each girl got a thorough interview and exam followed by a hug and a kiss. next to me - this woman knows the most about my kids. i tell her everything.

she sends the girls out to hang with the nurses so she can talk to me in private. wants to know how i am doing. how's the move going? anything i want to tell her while the kids are not there...

i LOVE this woman. i do.

if you are ever in Dallas and need a referral for a ped - gimme a call.


i've learned a lot about being a mother since my first visit to her office.

and still, at first glance, her office ain't much, but after a few visits, it feels like the Taj Mahal!

my girls...

The Glamazons made it to the top 10 on America's Got Talent.

WOOOHOOO!!!

and get this - my neighbor asks me the other day...

"Have they called you yet?" she asks
"Who? What are you talking about?" i respond confused
"The Glamazons. Have they called you?" she replies coyly
"WHAT?!" me, still confused
"I sent them an email and told them all about you." she confesses

I am sitting by the phone, peeps!

confessions of a muggle...

i know what a bezoar is for.
i know where Madame Pomfrey works.
i know who founded the house of Slytherin.
i know what Harry's Godfather gave him on his first birthday.
i know how to free a house elf.
i know what the Gryfindor house colors are.
i know how to make a patronous charm. (can't do it - but i know how)
i know what polyjuice potion is for.
i know the name of Hagrid's dog.
i know the difference between a blugger and a quaffle.
i know Lupin's secret.
i know how to get to the Shreaking Shack.

and i know how the seventh Potter book ends.
read it in 8 hours yesterday - then went back and re-read the last 100 pages again - to make sure i didn't miss anything. and because i didn't really want it to be over...

thank you, Ms. Rowling.
it's been a FABULOUS adventure.

i wouldn't have missed it for the world.

do the math...

i just did.

counted the days. weeks.

FIVE more weeks until school starts back in the great state of texas

lord give me strength

something about the state tourism board making a stink last year about the school year starting too early and businesses losing a lot of tourist dollars so the start of school is later this year.

there is a directly proportional increase in the number of Valium scripts written for the parents of school age kids.

and my summer babysitter is no more.

been interviewing au pair candidates like crazy. apparently, none of them want to come to TX. that or i just come across as a bitch. who knows, could easily be both...

my oldest daughter comes home from Mississippi tomorrow. for the first time in four months, I will have all three kid at home. and while i am thrilled beyond words (SERIOUSLY) to see my baby girl again, i am mortified at having all of them home again.

the three together bring new meaning to sibling rivalry. and i know i deserve this. i do. but it still brings me to my knees.

you know what they say...
God ain't going to give you more than you can handle.
yep, that's actually a paraphrase of a biblical verse.
Mother Teresa replied - I just wish he didn't trust me so much...

I can relate.

Five weeks and counting...

MF'ing TX Tourism Board!

I know what I want to be when I grow up!

i am 39 years old and i finally know EXACTLY what i want to be when i grow up...

a GLAMAZON!

(click here)

and yes, i am dead serious. so much so my hubby is in a tizzy over it. (which I am really enjoying. cause he knows damn well i would do something JUST LIKE THIS.)

they were on America's Got Talent tuesday night. and blew me (and the judges) away. they have fabulously full figures and can sing and dance. in fact, most of them have music or theater degrees. they aren't just a fluke and they damned sure aren't making fun of themselves or inviting anyone else to either. just four fabulous full figured women using their God given talents and the phenomenal bodies that house those talents!

.

here's my thought - i got the T&A (for sure!). i am a born performer. can sing and dance - did it all through HS and college - though did not get a degree in it. and few women are more comfortable in their own skin than I am...

.

i think i am a PERFECT fit!

.

and they all have deliciously sexy stage names, like Ginger Snap, Candy Apple, Caramella and Lady Finger.

.

i am thinking Southern Sugar for yours truly.

.

whadayathink?

Rain, Rain Go Away....

NOW! DAMMIT!

i am sick to death of rain. and while i can be VERY thankful we are not in a flood prone area and have experienced no loss of life or property - i still feel entitled to BITCH about the Biblical downpours we have been experiencing in North Texas.

my kids have a chronic case of Cabin Fever. it's summer time. they want to play. i have started sending them out to play in the mud. as long as it is not lightening. only problem with that is then the outside comes in and we are still trying to keep this house clean so we can show it.
such joy.

i am pasty white. no tan to speak of. usually by this time of year, i have a nice glow of sunshine on my skin. i can't even go to Pissy's blog anymore. every time i do, i get so damned jealous of her GORGEOUS tan my washed our skin tone takes on an obvious green tint...

the grass in my yard is at least three feet high in places. it's NEVER dry enough to mow.

our white horse ain't white no more.

in May, the huge lake near our home was something like 17 feet below normal. today - FLOOD STAGE! seriously people. this is crazy.

i'm calling this RAD - R.ain A.ffective D.isorder.
akin to SAD - S.easonal A.ffective D.isorder.
'cept this diagnosis comes with an umbrella and rubber boots.

prepare the life boats, peeps.

Texas Housewives Meeting - Don't Be Late

i got this picture in an email from a dear friend of mine. she knew how much i would enjoy it.

and i did enjoy it. so much so, i had to share it with you.

i grew up with guns and weapons and hunting and camouflage boxer shorts (not mine). i also grew up with a father that taught and demonstrated complete and uncompromising respect for the weapons and their potential power.

for my family, having a gun in the house is like having groceries in the pantry. one of my brothers has an extensive collection of guns and knives. and he is one of the most gentle souls i know.

he's a boy. it's his thing. big deal.

i am always just a bit amused by my international friends/colleagues amazement (shock!) when they find out that i am gun owner. that i know how to use one. and that we keep several in our home (locked and secured in a heavy duty gun safe.)

this is particularly amusing with folks that know me, have formed an opinion as to my character, education and intelligence. i am almost certain i blow away all their stereotypes of gun owners.

and no, i am not a member of the NRA. nor is anyone that lives in my house. the NRA give all gun owners a bad name and the only people that benefit from their political clout are thugs. (you knew there'd be an opinion in here somewhere...)

so the other day, a large dog was wondering our yard. a neighbor has moved and simply left his dog out here in the countryside to pretty much fend for itself. this is a LARGE male dog. one that i deem an immediate threat to my children when they play outside. an obvious threat to the dead kitten i found on my front porch last week.

i ask the hubby to get the gun and fire a warning shot to scare the animal away. he tells me that all his guns are packed and have been sent to storage.

"ALL of them?!"

"Yep. All of them."

"You mean we have NO guns in the house?!"

"Nope, no guns here."

suddenly i feel nekkid...

husband is immediately charged with the responsibility of borrowing a gun from the neighbor until we move.

can't go 'round nekkid with kitten killers on the prowl.

sibling rivalry sucks

no matter how old you are

you have got to be kidding me

i don't usually do this here. in fact, i have been instructed to NOT blog about my hubby in the event that he ever decides to run for public office one day. uh, yeah. right.

but he started it. you be the judge - tell me if i am over reacting here.

last night as i crawl into bed, he tells me he has a new ring tone on his new cell phone specifically for me (when i phone him). so i pick up the house phone and call his cell. it rings - a normal ring.

he says, "No, call me from your cell phone"

so i did.

and you know what ring tone he assigned to my cell phone number -

"I like Big Butts and I can not lie..."

do not laugh!
at least not where i can hear you.

i was so beyond pissed. i don't even recall what i said to him.
i do know he ended up sleeping on the couch and did not say good bye to me this morning.

any thoughts???
*************************************************************************
RETRACTION:
After an entire night and day of being really pissed at the hubby, he came home last night and in the course of our heated conversation revealed that the above mentioned ring tone was used for ALL incoming calls (except the house phone).

OHHHHHH!!!! we both say in unison. so he's off the hook.

and i will remove this post in about 24 hours - just wanted to set the record straight before i did.

*****************************************************************
POST POST RETRACTION:
Hubby came home from work yesterday and had me call his cell phone from my cell phone.
and what did it play? Just for me?
Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison. my self professed life long theme song.

i do believe he is out of the woods now...

meet Norma

this is Norma.

and her brand new TWIN babies.

(in my back yard)

we have been waiting on these boogers for at least two weeks now - just certain Norma was going to 'drop her calf' any day. imagine our surprise when she dropped TWO of them.

our neighbors cows graze our land. so technically, we have cow pastures around 3/4 of our home. so for the past two weeks, every time i went outside or drove away from the house, i'm like "where's Norma? has she had that baby yet? Nope, there she is - 8 ft long and 8 ft wide."

and yesterday, driving home from the Dr. - passing my neighbor's house, my neighbor, M, almost threw herself in front of my van to get my attention to stop. so i stopped, backed up and M tells me "Norma had her baby! TWINS!"

I gotta tell ya folks - that's pretty exciting around these parts.

Norma ain't just any cow. M raised her from a baby - abandoned on the side of the road - no nearby farmers one would claim her. So for M, that meant bottles every 4-6 hours for weeks/months. Norma is more like a child around here. ALL of M's cows (and Bull) have names. Norma's the only one I can identify and remember all the time. She is so tame and people friendly, she let me walk right up on her and her babies to take all kinds of pictures today.

This is Cody - he was jealous Norma was getting all the attention...

Camera Hog!

So congratulations Norma.

Ya done good!

I'm gonna miss days like this - when we move back to the city...