Be Careful Little Ears, What you hear.

There are times in my life, where I have had an epiphany, an eye opening, an awakening to how things are or have been in my life. These moments of clarity to life's mysteries always leave me to be more of a grown woman, a little bit better of a wife, or mother. I never write about them, but keep them hidden in my heart so I will remember them and keep them close to me.

A moment like this happened to me recently and more than anything I was ashamed at how I had been acting around my children. Sometimes, children will say cuss words or make some action that is just like their parents. When the parents ask "where did you hear that word??!" Of course, the parents are immediately ashamed when they realize it was out of their very own mouths that the sweet innocent children heard those words. Sometimes over, and over, and over again.

It happened when we went on vacation recently, to Orange Beach, Alabama. It is my favoritestestest place to go. We have been there before, but actually, it is the first time I have ever really felt like I was on vacation. That is sad to say... but honestly, I don't get to go on vacation with people who let me be myself. This time, is was wonderful .. I was with my husband, my children, my mother, and our roommate Aaron. Aaron is Benstedman's brother. We claim them all as family (see Stedman/Senecal Thanksgiving), and when the opportunity came for Aaron to live with us in January, of course we wanted him here. I hope he never leaves. He is perfect with the girls (when we get to see him) and loves to play and be a perfect gentleman in my home and be considerate and kind and forgiving. It is wonderful .

So.. we are on vacation. This means we are in a place that has cable. Jacob took away my cable (I say MY cable for many reasons JonStewart) when we needed to save some money. He got a Tivo in its place and it is the best thing Jacob has ever bought, besides my wedding ring. We watched everything on vacation that we don't get to watch at home.... including the stupid stuff. On one channel, a woman is crying tears of joy... because she is hunting in the woods with her pubescent son, and they are waiting on this one buck who is oblivious to their little hideout. They waited patiently for three days for these deer to wander over to this field.. and they take their shot and she gets her buck. Normally we would never watch this, but by gosh we are on VACATION. While I am standing there, thinking.. ::poor deer. Poor kid!:: Madeline saunters over to the TV and yells " a deer! A DEEER!!! " and starts barking. At the TV screen. Loud. "bark! bark! Bark! bark!"

This is when my moment of realizing that every time I go over to the window or door to scare the deer out of my yard, and bark at them, my children see it. They are just mimicking me. And honestly, I look pretty stupid. I have decided to not bark at the deer anymore. I will just watch them from my windows... glaring at them until they run away.

I am going to be more careful about lots of things. :)

Things I Love/Things you didn't know about me.. Part 2.

1. Recently, I have discovered Mint Juleps.  Helen Allman had me come over one night and had everything all laid out and showed me how to make it. Then she gave me the recipe that she printed out , and drew a little mint julep on it.  That is so like her to give me something like that.  LOVES. 
   
2. I like it when it is blistering hot outside, and I have to go every-stinking-where  with my 2 year old screaming and wiggling and trying to get away from me, and she goes towards those doors that open automatically, but someone stops her. Then I try to get the car cooled off as quickly as I can, because getting the kids in and out of their car seats while it is 103 outside is not pleasant. And then I come home and it is dark and cold and quiet and everyone takes a nap because it was so hot today. :)  
3. I like people who have swimming pools. Let's face it, if I had a swimming pool, I bet I would have a lot more friends. 
4. I love my friends. I have the BEST FRIENDS. I really do. We are close, and that is wonderful to me. It seems as I get older I see so many people.. especially people in my family, not have real, true, good friends.   I feel sad because they are not experiencing this kind of friendship in their lives. Not a day goes by that at least two of my friends call me or I call them.  (or see them). We are family to each other.  We text, g-talk, phone each other, or just meet up and have nice long talks over sushi.  
5. I love my church. I never thought I would be able to leave Calvary and the people there, but my church is awesome. They build me up and bless me, and I have purpose there. I feel needed and blessed and lifted up. 
6. MY ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP. Lord, almighty. They know about me, I mean... they KNOW about me.  I don't want to think what I would do without those ladies. 
7. Jennie Corley's roasted Pecans.  People, listen. You take pecans, put them in a pan, add some butter and salt, and roast those suckers while stirring them.. you have got yourself a snack. Put them in your baby green salad for something you will soon be addicted to.  
8. I love Jaimee's laugh. One day, I will record it and put it on here for your listening pleasure. 
9. I love it when Jimi attacks Lily in the Florence-Lauderdale Library corridor, making her screams bounce off the marble floors and interrupt everyone's internet chat room drama. It makes me laugh and have hopes that one day he will have children of his own. 
10. I love our basement. It's nice and cold in the summer. In the mornings, when Jacob is a wise man and is trying to give his wife a few more minutes of sleep, he will usher our girls down there to watch a princess movie.  This gives me valuable REM time to think about how I am getting out of the flood that is lapping up onto my porch (see #4 of Favorite things 1).
11. I love it when Aaron sprays his cologne in his room... The smell will drift out into the hallway and at least my hallway smells nice. Sometimes I day-dream that I will take his cologne and spray it all over the house so my house can smell better. KIDDING, AARON. 
12. Limes. Have I already talked about this?? Well, it deserves another talk. Limes are the best for boosting my mood. Or perhaps you could just bring me some guacamole from Rosies JACOB. 
13. Rosies Cantina.  I'm telling you ... I love Rosies so much, it is programmed into my home phone.  I'm not kidding. It's right under Ricatonis. 
14. Which brings me to Ricatonis. It is the place we go on every date. Jacob and I have just always loved it. We usually order the same thing every time, although lately we have been enjoying the shrimp spiedino. Heavenly. 
15. Food.  I love food. Everyone that knows me thinks I am a good cook. That is silly, because I really am not that great of a cook, people. I just love food. I love tasting it and tasting it and it just gets out of control sometimes. Note #7 and # 12 in this issue of "Lauras Favorites". See? There is just no getting around Sara Martins tomato Pie and Limes and Pecans and fresh basil and rosemary and... baby bella mushrooms sautéed with chicken. 

I'm hungry now. 

SWIMMY!!!!

A couple of days ago, Jacob went out in the backyard and decided to finish up the garden area. We love love our garden area.  It's down towards the woods and there are muscadine grapes growing on a trellis the length of the garden area. 

On another side there are bamboo plants growing tall.. and on another side, there are wild pink roses growing all over the ground. We planted a good size garden last year. However, the deer thought it was a good garden too, and ate absolutely everything, including the sunflowers. Everything... cucumbers, peas, beans, squash, watermelons, pumpkins, kale, okra, lettuce,  and more.  

This year, Jacob bought fencing and a gate to keep, or at least deter, deer from simply walking up and having a nice dinner. He did a great job and when he was finished putting the fence up, he weed-whacked the whole area.  I was down there when he had finished, when I looked down and saw the cutest little thing. 

A little teeny turtle had somehow survived Jacob's weed whacker, and was crawling out of the rubble. Poor wittle baby turtle.  I took him upstairs and placed him on the girls floor. They all came over and when Lily caught sight of him, she let out an ear piercing scream that I am sure will cause me to get a hearing aid within 5 years.  She must have thought it was a bug, because she reacted accordingly. 

We put him in the tub and then I let Madeline hold him. This was huge for her, because just recently she has discovered Roley Poleys.  One day I picked up Madeline from preschool and her teacher was completely freaked out at how she reacted around bugs. Another teacher had to come and physically remove Madeline from the playground and bring her inside to calm her down. After she realized that roley poleys were fairly calm and simple, she has ventured out to touch other things. 

So, the girls named him "Swimmy", because he was swimming in an inch of water, and my outstretched hand was his little rock to climb up on and look around.  We let him go after about 30 minutes, because  the girls know that animals like that are never happy indoors.  They were very good about all of it. I hope that one day we see Swimmy again. 

:)

My Cousin, my Friend.

Jacob's Cousin Mark is visiting us from New Hampshire. He came down because he is seeking a life change, and is considering working with Jacob and his company for iPhone Apps. 

Interesting. 

Their mothers are sisters, and everyone pretty much looks like each other. I knew this the first time I saw pictures of Jacob's cousins at his Grandpa's house. They all have the same eyes. What I didn't know, was they have the same gestures, the same expressions, and they also talk the same. My husband has an incredible brain and sometimes when he talks to me, it's as if God built a robot out of man-parts and then put him on Earth to play tricks on all of us normal humans. God sits back on His Lazy-boy and laughs out loud at my facial expressions when Jacob says something that goes completely over my head.  

The other day, I asked Mark "what do you wanna to do today?"

And he responded " What are you capable of facilitating?"

Which completes my theory that somewhere down the line they are robots. 

Well, Obviously.

This is the douche-iest message ever left. 

I was going to write a long commentary on what I thought about it, 

but... there just aren't words. 

You might as well get ready to share this one. 

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I wonder what's on the Inside.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Please don't let Jacob ever see anything resembling a cake like this,

 or I will be forced to make him one for his birthday in May.   

Or for Christmas.   

Or for our Anniversary.   

Or any given Friday night. 

Yours Truly,

Laura

 

I probably won't ever want to eat Spinach Dip again. Sorry, B.

Last night I was having another strange dream. Let's face it. ALL of my dreams are super messed up. They are never of me running in a field of flowers and anything nice. My dreams are all directed by Stanley Kubrick  on an acid trip so hold on to your seats because you will probably throw up. I am amazed that things that go on inside my head can be there and I can still function as a prosperous citizen of my community. 

Last night, I was dreaming that I was in someone's garage, getting a bowl full of Spinach dip and chips.  The garage door was open and my good friend Justin Timberlake had just left.. into the darkness of the evening. I turned and saw a large black figure coming towards me. I noticed right away that it was one of those great big wolf-coyotes that will tear your limbs off and eat you alive.  We were in Arizona, by the way, and I am guessing that deep down, I think there is an abundance of flesh-eating coyotes in Arizona.

So I tried to get back into the house with my spinach dip real fast before that coyote came through the open garage door, but I soon realized that I was a really really obese lady and I couldn't fit though the door. Oh, and there was music playing... that music that I hear in my dreams and I can hear all the instruments but I could never re-create because I can't play music. 

So I woke up. I looked over and it was 5:45, and in a little while the alarm was going to go off. I was still thinking of the dream when the alarm went off and I heard Annie Lenox singing "sweet dreams are made of these.. who am IIIII to disaaaaagree-hee. " 

So I've been trying to figure out my dream, but most of the time, figuring out my dream is like chasing a leaf in the wind ---- pointless. But I did realize a few things...

1. I really do like Justin Timberlake. Or maybe I just want him to leave. 

2. I am scared that my in-laws will think I am fat. 

3. Why didn't I just close the garage door?? If I saw that in a movie, I would be screaming at the screen for the dumb blonde to throw her spinach dip at the coyote and close the door. At least it would have bought her a little time. 

4. I have many many scary dreams about someone trying to get me/chase me/ kill me and I will always run for a door and can't close the door, like the door is too small for the door frame and a big space is around the door itself and it won't latch. 

5. I will never cease to have music in my dreams. 

I think tonight will be one of those nights where I just take a tylenol p.m.  and leave Stanley Kubrick for someone else's dream.

:)