How About a Nice Big Piece of Humble Pie

I have been reminded multiple times this week that I'm not perfect.  (Not that I thought I was or anything) but I'm not even close!!!.  I have been working diligently the past 3 weeks to start down a journey of weight loss only to at the end of the three weeks to have GAINED another five pounds.  Sigh.....After the first two weeks, I said I could no longer walk the dog....it made me gain weight. (I gained 2 pounds).  So, once my shoulder and neck were feeling better, I started an intense workout with The Firm.  Did it FAITHFULLY six days a week and viola...gained another 3 pounds.  But I'll continue since I have somehow convinced myself that is a GOOD thing and I am gaining muscle which weighs more than fat.  :)  Oh the stories I tell myself....

Last weekend I made the kids popcorn for movie night.  They were so excited.  I buttered and "salted" their popcorn and sent them down to watch Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.  Then, I started on the second batch of popcorn for Dave and myself, to sit down and enjoy a movie ourselves...as I grabbed the salt shaker I noticed...I did NOT salt their popcorn...I peppered it.  Thankfully, they didn't notice and I could just laugh and laugh about it.  Also, probably a good thing I never use a lot of salt on anything due to Meniere's.  Poor kids...sorry you got me for your popcorn maker that night!

There have been a few other minor incidents that caused my husband to chuckle at me....tonight, I put in a self rising pizza but preheated the oven....it says on the instructions in big bold letters...DO NOT PREHEAT THE OVEN, when Lane asked me if he was raising  his right hand I said nope...it's the other hand.  HE was right...I was wrong and then the real kicker...the mother of all idiot mistakes to make when it is the time to SHINE and prove that I am as smart as my Ripon College Degree says I am, I make a mistake that kicks me right back to humble.

I spent the day today pumping Lane up to go see his classroom and meet his teacher tonight.  Yesterday we drove past his school and he was so excited. Could not wait for tonight when he got to GO INSIDE of his new school.  So, Dave rushed home from work, we had a quick supper of pizza (oh yeah...I already mentioned that...why not rub it in my face a little more I can't cook a flippin' pizza Rebecca...).  Anyway...we all pile into the car and buckle up and head for Pleasantview Elementary School.  We drive the five miles and we pull in and ... no one is there.... UGH, I am instantly irritated, assuming we are going to have to go to the main Elementary School for Open House which makes absolutely NO sense to me....but fine...on our way to drive the 13 miles to Wild Rose.  Pleasantview is a country school within the Wild Rose School District.  We are not two blocks from the Elementary School....we drive past the H.S. with the parking lot just packed with cars.  I pull up the website on my Smartphone to read...ELEMENTARY OPEN HOUSE AUGUST 30TH...HIGH SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE AUGUST 31. 

REALLY??? REALLY??? Yes, I missed Open House for my son's 4K.  After all the soul searching I did to decide if he should go or not, and then to mull over for months WHERE to send him to 4K and deciding yep, that's where he will attend.  (My oldest son has been a private school kid....and I've always been a little hard on Public  Schools).  I was a Private School Snob....but I was breaking that mold...I was going to put Lane in Pleasantview 4K.  I was happy with the small "private school" class size of 8 children and really was looking forward to the experience.  OK, that's a lie...I wasn't looking forward to anything...in fact I have been crying off and on for the last 3 days because my baby was heading off to school.  It was the beginning of the lasts of the firsts....and I was nowhere near ready for it.  But, I did my best to get him excited...I wanted that first day to be harder for me than it was for him and I am convinced it will be.  He will head off without looking back.  Running towards his future, towards the new friends he will make, towards the new woman who will be his "keeper" for the entire day two days a week. He wont' have the time to stop and wave goodbye out of the sheer excitement of what the day will bring.  And I will be the mom left standing there having to be ushered out of the school because I stayed just a little too long.  Well, nope, that's not how it's going to be.  Now, I envision him, not only running off to face the exciting day ahead but running away from me the minute he can so no one can connect the dots to him and me being son and mother. He will already be embarrassed by me...I can hear it now ... "hey, didn't meet you last week at open house"  "Oh man, dont' even remind me...my MOM is SO embarassing...she totally like forgot about it or rather, didn't write down the day right and we MISSED IT.  Can you believe that??? She is so not right"  "Oh yeah man...that totally bites....wait until you meet MY mom...she is the coolest".

Yes, that is how I envision things now...school hasn't even started yet and I'm already saying "I'm sorry Lane that I'm your mom".  But to make me feel a little better...on the drive back home, Dave asks Lane...should we trade her in for a new, younger model".  Lane thinks a minute (Yeah...he had to think about it ) and he said No...we'll keep her for awhile.  I said aw man....you love me?  He said "yeah...You're a big girl". 

Nothing like having the weight being thrown in my face again!!!

Oh but by the way...we did find the missing toad and he is out evangelizing somewhere...or rather saying...man stay away from THAT house...the mother there....she is so not cool. 

Hope everyone has a GREAT SCHOOL YEAR this year and may God Bless you all where ever you may be.  When all else fails...just think to yourself "At least I'm not THAT GIRL". 

On The Hunt for One God Fearing Toad

Last night as I was headed outside to shut up the garage and give the dogs one last chance at a run before hunkering down for the night, I walked out into the dark to have something jump right in front of me.  It was an extremely large toad.  So what does any good mother do?  Goes back into the house to get her son and his creature box to capture this toad for a day of viewing and "playing with" similar to the way, little Arliss, Travis' younger, very, enthusiastic, energetic younger brother who loved to capture creatures and shove them in his pockets did in the endearing old movie Old Yeller. 

We captured the large toad and stuck it in the creature box and then in the house we went to show dad.  Such excitement.  We put the creature box on the ledge to the stairway and off to bed everyone went. 

I was abruptly awoken this morning with an empty creature box shoved in my face, earlier than I had liked, but also a little too late.  The toad had escaped sometime in the night. I quickly texted my husband hoping to get the return message saying he took the toad and set it free outside, but to no avail.  He did not.  DRAT.

Which leaves many scenarios playing in my head....one, involving the cat.  But she is hanging out today and not acting like she has been on a hunt, or is on the hunt from the runaway toad and no signs that she had at one time captured it and had it pee in her mouth as they will do when threatened by a predator larger than they are.  (I know this because Betty tried to eat a toad last summer....it was an experience I could have lived without witnessing).

Lane later came to me and said "I think the Toad found Jesus".  Hmmm, well wonderful Lane.  But the toad is not allowed to live in our home no matter if he is a Religious, Jesus Loving Toad.....He can worship and pray more effectively out discipling to his toad friends....I don't think he is going to witness to my cat or my dogs and live through the experience and I can't have THAT on my conscious.  Toad dies while trying to convert family pets....yeah...not going to go there.The karma that could ensue is something I just do not need.

So, I was hopeful at the very least, the toad had hopped out of the box, and down the stairway to the lower level....at least into the hobby room which has no carpeting in it.  My hopes of that are quickly diminishing as I just discovered Toad poop in my bathroom.  Yes, the master bathroom, which means the toad ventured through my bedroom sometime in the night while I slept.  So, off we go on a toad hunt...Stay tuned to updates that may develop....

Anyone who wants to help, feel free to stop on by!  Only me.....and the mother from Old Yeller. To be continued....