Joey needs a girlfriend...

Some may find this adorable, some will be on the fence. I find it adorable, but then again, that's just me. Those of you who read my blog know my cat Joey, is in luuuvv with me. Luuuvvvs me.

It is my understanding is that as a kitten, a cat makes biscuits (kneads) with its paws against its mother as a sign of contentment or to encourage milk flow - and as an adult, a cat will still knead to show pleasure or contentment. Cute. Ok, onto my story: Some of my friends have heard me tell how if I am laying down, Joey will walk onto my stomach, lay down, and bury his entire head in my hair - in between my neck and shoulder. Then the purring starts. It's as loud as a John Deer tractor. The making of biscuits is next, he makes his biscuits on my throat. Slight drooling ensues and he will continue with all 3 actions for as long as I keep still. (Insert joke here)

Well...Terry has been the sole witness to this strange habit...Until today. I walked into my bedroom and found Joey sort of straddling my robe with his head down, actually biting the robe, and making biscuits whilst gyrating all over. He does not gyrate on me, he is very still, but on my robe there was some definite gyrating. I assume my robe was the closest he could be to me at that moment, and well, he had a moment of weakness and he is a boy. Terry swears he saw Joey light a cigarette after he left the room.

They're $2, They're $4, They're $6, They're $8

Ava will be 3 years old in a few months, and I have never purchased an item of children's clothing for her at Children's Place. Not for any particular reason, except I am always either at Dillard's/Target/Old Navy, and those are the brands Ava generally wears. However, Ava is now fitting into the batch of clothes my sister gave me long ago, and low and behold, they are Children's Place. Love em. Bright colors, cute skirts, love em. I hopped onto their website today (outlet) and was shocked at their ginormous $ale. $2 for skirts, $4 for adorable onesies (Grace) with ruffly sleeves, $7 sweet striped dresses. Shoes everywhere. I bought 5 outfits for EACH of my chitlin's and spent under 50 bucks. SWEET.

From one mommy to another. Go out there and stock up on summer suches.

Ahem...If you see half bitten nilla cookies/graham crackers on the floor when you are there, it wasn't Grace.

The Bread Bandit

Dumpster Diver finds enjoyable item in trashcan...

is told to 'give that back'...

takes off down hallway...

Ripping and chewing bits of plastic with shark like teeth...

mean Mommy takes enjoyable item away...

(FIRST step of tantrum...)

(SECOND step of tantrum...)

TANTRUM COMPLETE.

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N: What A Beautiful Word

Yo Gabba Gabba, just picture it: 7 days of waking up to calm wind and 60 degree mornings/mornings making breakfast/afternoon bbq's/chillin' by the pool/kids laughing/evenings playing domino's/cards/putt putt golf/spending time with family... omg I am so ready. We are headed to Chagrin Falls for the July 4th holiday and yippity skip we are pumped up.

This trip will be Ava's 3rd and Gracie's 1st to visit Terry's familia. The flight should be a lot easier this time around, seeing that Ava is older and Grace will probably sleep the whole way. I can pray. :) Either way, we only have 2 to wrangle thru the airport - and holy crap lemme tell you if you haven't seen the episode where Jon and Kate + 8 take their 8 chitlin's on a vacation via airplane, handling 2 well behaved girls will be a piece of fricken choco cake. We will watch that episode again right before we leave for the airport just to make it seem easier. Then when we are waiting for our flight and Grace and Ava need to tee-tee, I will say, oh right! it's just 2 kids I'm taking into the filthy disgusting public restroom that millions of people use every year and not ALL 8 of my offspring.

Our tix are booked and now we are counting down the days. 32. 31. 30. Won't be long now, said the monkey with his tail cut off.

Goodbye. Hello!

You say goodbye, and I say hello. Hello Hello.

I am such a tramp!

Sadly, I kissed Miss Murano goodbye... but didn't hesitate one bit to turn around and give a big, wet, open mouth kiss to my new ride, Miss Outlook.

We have welcomed her into our family and she has the much needed 3rd row. No more turning away peeps to ride with us. Now there's so much room we can have 5 kids! And they would all fit! Holy crap! I need to shut my foul mouth!

Did I take my pill this morning?

Cracks my shat UP!

This is just as hysterical as this...

Loves it!

Dolphins, Sharks, Shamu, Oh My!

I first experienced the wonder of Sea World back in 1988 when it first opened in San Antonio. It was awesome and amazing and hey, I was 12. It was then I saw Shamu for the first time and Holy Sea-Cow this was a huge whale that performed tricks and swam with people! and splashed me! and waved with his tail! omg! Now it's 20 years after the fact and Shamu is STILL swimming in that tank and performing unbelievable tricks. That makes him a reallllly old whale. I'm not an idiot - it's not the same whale, but I tell myself it is.

We took a road trip with some good friends and their daughter Allie to Sea World for Memorial Day weekend. Sweet Gracie stayed at home. I left her in her crib and tossed in a few meat sticks and a sippy of milk, I'm sure she was fine.

It seems every other family on planet Earth thought it appropriate to enjoy the wonder Sea World this same weekend. We knew it would be crowded, but holy sea-cow it was insane. The stroller we rented saved us big time, it was a two-seater, and when Allie decided she wanted to walk, I wasted no time taking her spot. :) It should have been Jennifer that took her spot, she's due next month with their 2nd (A BOY!) and she was a major trooper walking everywhere/withstanding the heat. The shows were what saved us all, the kiddos are a little too young for most of the rides (they got one fun ride in) but the shows this place puts on are really cool. We saw two shows. One was the dolphin/beluga whale show and the other was Shamu's 'Believe'. I think every single adult in that dome was more amazed than all of the kids. We can actually comprehend the amount of skill and concentration it takes for these GINORMOUS killer whales to spin around on a platform, leap into the air, and take their trainers 'surfing' all when told by a whistle and single hand signal. Incredible!

Allie & Ava testing out the merch

Ava loo in her hat and sweet shades

Crazy guy 'fixing the plumbing problem'

The dolphin show!

Shamu ! Do YOU believe!?
Allie, Jeremy & Jennifer :)
Ava, me and Terry

Sea World was good ol' family fun! The girlies enjoyed themselves and had a blast. I'm happy they were able to spend time together. :)

And us 4 BIG kids too!

BYE BYE SEA WORLD! (as Ava goes for gold in her nose)

SEE YOU NEXT TIME!

Ronis & Jonis Reunite!

Ronis = Me.

Jonis = Wendy.

Wendy and I met long, long ago, in a far away place where pixies fly and crazy kids pumped each other on their bikes. The bike pumping is true, the pixie thing...I made that part up.

We used to ride the school bus together. We used to spend the night at each others house. We used to make fun of people. We used to laugh so loud in restaurants her mother would leave us there because we embarrassed her. We used to buy dresses at Foley's then return them the next day, after wearing them out dancing. We used to have so much fun and make each other laugh so hard. We used to be too cool for school. Jonis is in town for a bachelorette party and we got together for some drinks and to chat it up. She no longer lives in Texas, so we don't see each other often. But... when we do, we have a great time laughing and reminiscing about old times and the shenanigans we took part in. :)

I miss my Jonis. I hope she misses me too.

Mew are not so smart...

It's been a long while since I've posted about my other children. Joey is here now, bathing next to me. Does your cat lick really loud? Like smack and stuff? Poor Joey, he has all sorts of issues. He suffers from anxiety. He's afraid of the noise dishes/silverware make when you unload/load the dishwasher - he tears from room to room meowing loudly as if the clanking sound is directly amplified inside his tiny cat eardrum. He follows me everywhere. Perhaps I should give him something for separation anxiety. It's kind of sweet that he must be near me at all times. Except at 2am when I stumble out of bed to pee, and he follows me to the toilet, then to the sink when I wash, then across the counter to the hand towel hanging on the wall, then back in the bed. Really. Joey. I've peed like a bazillion times during the night darling, and not once have I left the house and you alone. Don't fret, my pet.

My absolute favorite is when I wake up to pee, and either end up beating the crap out of Terry for leaving his big clunky shoes directly in my path, or I end up knocking the wind out of Slippers because she decided to curl up on the floor, directly within my path. Can't she hear me coming, and move out of the way? You'd think she'd bolt knowing it's pitch black and I'm not equipped with night vision goggles like she is. No. She remains asleep. And I kick her and hear her tiny lungs deflate as she jets out of the bedroom, gasping for air. Aren't cats supposed to be superior in mind to all other pets? Mine must not have that gene, because sometimes they are really retarded.

I decided to snap pics of the activities my cats participate in during the course of a day. I was extremely lucky to catch this kind of excitement on camera.

Fredericksburg!

Ahh, it's good to be back home with the girls, but Boy George was it nice to get the hell outta dodge with just each other. The Hub and I drove to Fredericksburg and checked into a Bed and Breakfast on Saturday afternoon. It was FANCY PANTS. Totally beautiful, relaxing and romantic. We partook in the sightseeing people do when they are in the quaint, tiny town of Fredericksburg. I've never actually been to a bed and breakfast before, and holy moly I've missed out on a lot. It depends on what type of person/couple you are. Some peeps don't dig that kind of thing, but we do. We do now, that's fo-sho. I picked a gemstone of B & B's if I do say so myself. I'm now one of those people who say "B & B's" like I own one or something. This place was huge, inside Absolute Charm's Victorian Mansion, in the Master Suite. 20+ foot ceilings in the bathroom, 2 bedrooms, velly velly nice. Pretty little porch that over looked big pecan trees, a circle drive, and gushing fountain. After we checked in and got settled, we left to check out Main Street. We did a little shopping and people watching - lots of Harley's out this weekend, and the bandanna's and leather outfits that go with the Harley owners. :)

We enjoy a cold beer during the summer, or just in general, and Fredericksburg is a German town with lots-o-German beer. Tastalicious. Scrumtralecent. Craving a cold beer and hot lunch we stopped in at the Fredericksburg Brewing Company. We enjoyed our cold beverages and fish tacos. Our waiter kept showing up with a chip on his shoulder. A pickle chip, that is. I exploited him by taking a picture and we made him leave it there until it fell off. He was a good sport.

No matter what it is you are looking for, you WILL FIND IT in Fredericksburg.

Need calico cat or penguin S&P shakers? Done.

Meeeeoow!

That's Hot.

I found Flower, Mozart and Zaphod :)

Fast forward to dinner time, Terry makes some drinks and we relax on the patio for a bit before heading to August E's, a fairly new restaurant in town.

We arrive only to be told there are ZERO tables available and they are turning peeps away... Why you ask? It's prom. Ahhh. Right, our luck. Deciding it was no big deal to not sit at a table, we ended up in the bar. It was FLIPPING WINDY AT THE BAR. Of course I pick the one seat in the whole place in which the ginormous air vent points directly at my face. I hate being cold and I swear I am still frozen and wind-burned. Everytime I lifted my drink off of the napkin, the damn thing flew off into the air. After a couple of stiff vodka pineapples the wind wasn't much of an issue... we ate dinner and enjoyed ourselves. The prom kids kept us entertained, most dressed really cute, but some were going to have a really exciting night if you get my drift. Having two daughters makes me a tad nervous for the day their prom rolls around...I have a feeling it makes Terry more nervous.

After asking where we could find live music we mosied on over to Hondo's. This place was fun, cold beer, country music, outdoor patio, and to our surprise games on the tables. Our table had CONNECT 4! I kicked Terry's ass not once... but twice.

After breakfast in the morning we walked Main St. once again. Along the way we noticed a cat sleeping in the front window of an antique shop. She finally awoke after I tapped hard on the window. She appeared quite pissed that she was no longer sleeping, she had a bitchy look on her face and she reminded me of Slippers. I snapped a pic and we continued on our way.

On the way back past the same shop Terry noticed a different cat in the bitchy cat's spot, but this one was gray and really fat and really friendly. I'm a crazy cat person and took a pic of him too.

You can't travel to Fredericksburg without buying their famous peaches, so we grabbed some and headed home to the girls. It was nice to be home and see their sweet little faces. :)

Car Wash or Death Trap?

Am I the only person who deep down has very freaky thoughts while in a car wash? And when I say freaky, I mean scary.

Freaky thoughts like: is the force of the water going to shatter my window? Or blow it out of the door and into my neck and sever my head? Car washes have always made me very nervous. I dropped 59$ into my gas tank at HEB yesterday and decided on a discounted car wash. While sitting inside the wash I kept imagining the water pressure going awry and the damn sprayer bashing in every window and emerging thru the car dryer a bloody mess. And why are they so flipping loud? That loud noise doesn't help my brain with the terrible bloody thoughts. It makes it way worse. Then I imagine the whole machine thing breaking loose from the ceiling and bashing into my car. Maybe I'm the only one, but I seriously doubt it. I consciously leave my doors unlocked while sitting there in case something goes wrong and I have to bolt. My seat belt remains unfastened as well. Perhaps I'm paranoid. But then again, perhaps I'm maximizing the efficiency of exiting my vehicle in a timely manner in the case of an emergency.

Pardon me, I'm trying to bathe...

Too Too Returns

A couple of weekends ago we were watering the flowers in the front yard, and Ava noticed a lizard crawling on the hose. She started spazzing out and followed him everywhere he roamed. Thru the grass, up the lower part of a tree trunk, on the sidewalk. (I imagine he was trying to escape, most likely being scared to death of a tromping toddler) She was super excited and promptly named him Too Too. I'm not sure if that is how she spells his name, but other variations include TuTu, and Two Two. To me, he looks like a Too Too. Any-hoo, she had a great time watching him frolic around until he disappeared. Fast forward to this morning. I am changing Grace's diaper and Ava comes running down the hallway yelling "Too Too's home Mommy! Too Too's home!" I knew exactly what she was talking about. I grabbed Grace and followed Ava back down the hallway. Sure enough! He was home! On our front porch. How cute is it she thinks it him! I thought not to burst her bubble and let her in on the fact that Too Too most likely is dead and shriveled up like a burnt potato chip under my car, and this is a completely different lizard, come on you stupid little kid! Use your brain!

I opted to not take that route.

Meet Too Too:

He enjoyed playing peek-a-boo and showing off his red throat.

Ava was amazed his 'mouth' did that. :)

More Mother's Day Moments

Thursday I had Muffin Tops with Ava, and today I had lunch with my Mommy! I took her to lunch at Mesa Rosa, I love love their salsa, and guacamole enchies. Delicioso. The girls celebrated also, here they are with their Nonnie.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY :)

The inner workings of my blog

Lots of my mommy friends are curious to know how I blog so often. Being at home has it's advantages, but spending a bunch of time on the computer isn't really one of them. Usually, it takes me a very long time once I start a blog, to actually post it. I have to get up multiple times to unwrap Ava's body from Grace's or pull tree moss out of Grace's mouth, or the occasional walking in on Grace pulling every square off the toilet paper roll, and ingesting half of it. Have you ever tried to pull wet soppy toilet paper out of an infants mouth who has sharper teeth than a baby shark? It ain't easy. All of that can become frustrating while I'm concentrating on my thoughts, so usually I blog one of two times during the day. During their naps around 1-3-ish or in the morning before they wake up. Such as this morning...

Terry's likes his alarm clock 11 minutes fast...

(you can see Grace sleeping from the vid monitor)

Joey is with me at all times, here he is enjoying my coffee with me

I'm publishing this post at 8:41 am, the girls are still snoozing and I'm on my 2nd cup of coffee. :)

Muffins with Mom!

Give me a: M..O..M..M..Y!

What's that spell?! MOMMY! I'm hyper.

What's better than muffin tops with Ava! In honor of Mother's Day, Ava's school (I presume all schools on Earth) had the annual "Muffins with Mom" every mommy looks forward to. Ava was very cute and sat in her little chair, ate her little muffin, and enjoyed her little dixie cup of orange juice. Things are cute when they are little, and it was little-overload in her classroom. Including Grace who is little, frantically grabbing anything and everything because everything was on her level, she went berserk. She was thrilled to be in a place where things are exactly her size and 3 year olds are trying to hold her hand and lead her around the room, while I'm trying to scarf down little muffins to help with my starvation from not eating breakfast at home. That is a major run-on sentence. Ava presented me with an adorable framed picture of the two of us, and a special glittery Mother's Day card with strawberries on the cover. Happy day. :)