Move Along

Well once again are moving along with changes at rrmama.

Big, Huge changes but for the three readers I have, you won't notice a thing. I hope.

I am now the proud owner of my own domain. So in a few days you can reach my blog at

www.rrmama.com

Woot!

*note*
After some research I have found some rather unethical comments and sites that use rrmama. I am in no way affiliated with these sites or comments. My website only represents my views and opinions. Rrmama holds strong morals and values in today's Christian world. If you have a question about any thing you see posted in a forum or about a comment left on any site please contact me immediately.

The sleep over

*updated*

The time here is 11:25 PM. So I decided to do a bit of live blogging from R7's pre birthday sleep over. Tonight R7 had three friends spend the night.

We took the boys to Chuck E Cheese for dinner. I am amazed at how fast five boys can go through 25 tokens each while eating little to none of the pizza we bought. We stayed for about 2 hours. Mercy!

Then we came home for a cookie cake from Great American Cookie Company. Nothing like a little sugar to add to the energy high from the pizza place.

After an absurd amount of sugar consumption, R7 opened his gifts. He received some great gifts along with Rock Band from Hubs and I.

Need I say more. Our house was rockin'. It was so much fun watching these boys play guitar, try to the manage the drums, and sing with the music.

One word to describe it all...Entertaining!

Right now I have all of them calmed down and watching Camp Rock with the Jonas Brothers. Which by the way are totally awesome!

Is there anything wrong with a late thirty something mother of two boys listening to the Jonas Brothers and liking what she hears? I think not.

I actually have Hubs and R3 asleep. As far as the other four, they keep telling me that they are going to say up until 4 AM.

Yeah we will see about that.

So for now I have survived the sleep over. I will let you know how the rest of the night goes.

Sleep tight

*update*
Time...10:12 AM
The boys woke up at 7:30 this morning. Oh my goodness! They went to sleep at 11:30 pm. They have managed to eat all the cinnamon rolls and are now playing Wii.

*update #2*

I have managed to survive! All the boys have gone home. Hubs and R3 are napping. R7 has been instructed not to disturb them or me.

I am off to take my nap!

A hug

R3 came up to me and gave me a hug. While he was hugging me he burried his face into my neck.

He then pulled his head back and said mama you smell good.

I asked him what do I smell like?

He said chips and hot sauce.

The Mighty Mississippi

Where do I even begin.

Yesterdays thunder storms brought a river flowing right into my office. Yes it did. I thought the Mississippi River had gone over the bank and found her way into my office.

It rained so hard water started to come up through the hard wood floor. And it drained from my office right into the lobby. Nice, huh?

So I called my boss and told him he might want to come check out my office and see the new water feature I had added while he was out.

Little did I know what would ensue after that call. I am now out of my office and I no longer have a floor and several sheet rocked walls are missing.

The boss did mention something about me wanting a new desk and this was not the right way to go about getting one. I just laughed and told him since were getting me a new desk anyway I thought my office needed a little remodeling.

So after the start of the demolition he asked me to come and check out the new fish tank in his office. Yup you got it. His office had water in it also,

One whole corner looked like a small pool. But what got me was the smell. Unless you have had your nose hairs scarred by the smell of mildew you have no idea how bad the smell really is. Thank goodness my office had hard wood floors because the carpet was NASTY!

So we will be doing a small remodeling job here at the ark. We are going to hopefully get rid of the sea legs and keep her permanently tied to the shore. But in the mean time my office will be in the front lobby and I will be the new hostess for the work love boat.

Love boat, exciting and new. Come aboard we're expecting you....

Let's get physical

Had I known I was even going to post about this subject I would have taken a before picture. But as it is I only have the after shot.

I got home yesterday afternoon and told Hubs, I think I am going to mow the lawn.

Usually I just offer to mow the lawn when I have a had a really stressful day and need some sort of stress reliever. But not today, I just felt like.

The thing is the riding lawn mower currently has a flat and I didn't want to take time to air up the tire so I got out the push mower. Keep in mind it is a self propelled push mower, I'm crazy but not that crazy.

I must say it felt good to get out there and get some sort of exercise. Does pushing a lawn mower in 164* weather count as exercise? I was sweating buckets so in my eyes it does but some might say no.

Anyway, when I got done I took a huge drink from the glass of Gatorade that Hubs brought to me and stood to admire my work.

There is always something therapeutic about working in the yard or a on project and seeing the end result. I guess it's the instant gratification thing.

Here is the after shot. I just gave my self a pat on the back. Good job mom, good job.

Out of town

So I went of town this past weekend and had a blast catching up with some dear friends that I just love to pieces.

But before I left, earlier in the week Hubs and I were talking about random things and he asked what time I would be home Saturday night. When I told him I was spending the night, he just gave me the deer in the headlights look. You aren't coming home till Sunday? What time Sunday. You know all the important questions like what are we going to eat and are the towels clean.

I told him that he could take care of himself and two boys for less than 24 hours without me being right there. I do it all the time when football season starts. Remember he is Jr high/High school coach so I become a football widow starting around the end of July till somewhere around the end of October.

Not to mention the fact that some time in July he leaves for three days, three days y'all for coaching school.

So I reminded him of this fact and again I get the deer in the headlights look.

But before I left I made sure they all had clean clothes, towels and enough food to last at least a week. I even made sure the house was in some sort of straightened order.

When I returned Sunday afternoon, I must say I was pleasantly surprise. There weren't to many dishes in the sink. There were no messes left for me to clean up. The clothes were all in the laundry room in their respective baskets and the cushions of my couch were still on the couch and not serving as a runway in the hall.

The boys were so excited to see me, NOT. They didn't even miss me. R7 came up and asked me if he could ride his bike to see his great grandmother. And R3, he didn't even budge from Hubs' lap.

Maybe I should go out of town more often and for longer than 24 hours. No maybe I shouldn't. I would probably come home to find the couch in the backyard and the boys jumping on it like a trampoline.

Memories of the way we were

I took a trip down memory lane this weekend with a family I have known for almost 29 years. I was actually their babysitter when I was 11 years old. (you do the math to see how old I am. (OLD)

This trip might be a long one so get ready.

When I started babysitting for the H's they had two of the most beautiful girls, C who was 2 and T who was 2 months. I loved watching them. We had so much fun. Then two years later came R. Mama H was afraid to tell me she was pregnant in that I would quit babysitting. Boy was she wrong.

I remember getting off the bus from school and Mama H would stand at the end of her drive way and yell down the street at me to see if I could come watch the girls while she ran to the store. My answer was always the same, let me put my books down, call my mom to tell her I'm home and I'll be right there.

Mama H always had a blue pitcher filled with apple juice and a snack waiting for me. (She still has that blue pitcher) She would leave and the girls and I would play and color. They all still say to this day that I am the one responsible for them being so creative.

This is the family that when they moved out of our neighborhood, I still babysat for. I was there for all of the big things. Buying new cars, going to kindergarten, high school graduations, college graduations, weddings and now baby showers.

This is the family that my family moved in with for two weeks during Hurricane Rita. They graciously took all four of us in. I must say that while these two weeks were so stressful for me, it turned out to be the best two weeks of my life. Mama H and Hubs were like two kids in a candy store watching the Astros go for the world series that year. R7 and Hubs even managed to go see a game. Papa H made sure we had access to all the internet we needed to keep us updated on what was going on at home.

They did every thing they could to make us feel as if we were at home. I can never thank them enough for all they did for us during this time. I have learned from Mama H that you can do anything for a short amount of time. ANYTHING.

C, the oldest daughter is having her second child in a few weeks. She graduated from Texas A&M, as a veterinarian! Now she is a terrific mom. I remember sitting on their living room floor while she watched cartoons and let me brush her long blond hair and going to Baton Rouge to see Harry Connick Jr. I am proud of her.

T, the middle one, I just love to pieces. She has a daughter who is just like her! The apple sure didn't fall far from the tree. Her daughter, L is adorable. T is a great elementary school teacher. And a great mom. I loved hanging out with her this weekend. I couldn't believe she remember so much of the things we used to do. Two things that stick out in my mind about T was the time she drank a coke while I was babysitting and she ran around the coffee table screaming "dodo" at the top of her lungs for about and hour. The next time was when her mom told her to eat her corn and she said she didn't want it and Mama H told her to eat it any way. So she did and then turned around in her chair and threw it up! That's my T!

R, the baby, will for ever be my "nanners fanners" She is in a league all her own. She is the only one with no kids. She just gets to spoil her sisters children. She does a great job of that. There are so many things I remember about her. Like the time she rode her tricycle to my house. She knocked on the door and said, "Mr. S can I come to your house and pester you?" Or how she would always yell from the bath room that she was finished poo-pooing. (YUK) Or how her cousin knocked out one of her front baby teeth with a baseball and she had a missing tooth for years, years I tell you.

I love this family. They all mean the world to me. I am so very thankful they have been a part of my life. They were there when I had all the bad boyfriends. When my parents got divorced. When I moved away to Southeast Texas. When I meet future Hubs. When we got married. When we had our boys. They have been there for it all.

So to Papa H, Mama H, C,T, and R....I love you all and thanks for the precious memories. I can't wait to make some more.

P.S.
Mama H, I have dibs on the blue pitcher!

I just had to tell y'all

I know there are some subjects that well we just don't talk about here in bloggy land but I just had to tell y'all.

So last week I had well you know my annual "female" check up. I will not go into the details because

1. Every woman knows the details and I am sure she has told her husband so he to knows the details.
2. I'm not one to talk about that kind of thing anyway, to personal.

But as I was paying the young perky cashier for said visit she asked if I wanted to go ahead and schedule my appointment for next year. So I reply with yes, please. She then checks the calendar and says Dr. S is booked up till September of next year, next year people. We haven't even reached September of 2008 and she is booked till 2009.

OK so she made the appointment and then a blue light on top of her computer went off. Just like the ones at K-Mart announcing a special.

The same young perky cashier says I noticed that you will be turning "40" next year would like me to ahead and schedule your mammogram appointment too?

OK now that you have asked the question you can turn the blue light off little miss perky. My reply....huh shhhhurrre.

So now the young perky cashier hands me my receipt and my next appointment card and with a huge smile tells me to have a great day and we look forward to seeing you next year.

I really wanted to slap her with my purse, in true old lady fashion. But I didn't want to knock her out with all my bottles of medication that I carry. Because you know all old ladies carry their medication in their purse.

Thank you, thank you very much.

Drip drip drop little April showers

Only it's not April, it's June. But the rain. Oh how I loved the rain.

We had a thunderstorm roll through today and along with the rain came much cooler temps.

I let R3 play in the rain while I sat in my chair and enjoyed the breeze. I know 89* still is hot but when the actual temp is 162 anything below 90 seems cooler.

OK, that's all folks.

Summer sandal pledge

Oh interpeeps the distress I have been in after a recent trip to the mall. Y'all, I am afraid that some of us could use a little reminding of the summer sandal rules. The shame in what I saw. Down right pitiful, pitiful I tell you.

The Summer Sandal, Open Toed Shoe Pledge.

Raise your right hand and repeat after me....

I promise to always wear sandals that fit my feet. My toes will not hang over the front nor will my heal spill over the back. The sides and tops of my feet will not pudge out between the straps.

I promise to go the the salon at the beginning of the season and have a real pedicure. They are not expensive and worth every penny.

If I do not have time for a pedicure, I promise to sand down the mounds of skin before they harden and turn colors.

I will go polish free or vow to keep my polish fresh, intact and chip-free. (No touch ups or painting just your big toe)

I will NOT wear pantyhose with my sandals.

I will inform those who say it is OK to wear hose with sandals other wise.

If a strap breaks, I will toss the sandal in the trash!

I will not live in corn denial; rather I will lean on my good friend Dr. Scholl

I promise if I wear flip flops that I will ensure they actually flip and flop. NOT slide or drag my feet.

Good luck in keeping the vow of your pledge, sisters. Please keep this letter as a reminder of the vow you have just taken. If need be we will form a support group.

Happy summer sandal wearing!

God Loves Everyone

The other night while I was in the kitchen cooking dinner, I heard R3 in the living room say this...

God loves everyone.

So I asked him where he heard this. His reply...PBS.

I said PBS?

He said yes, Pacation Bible School.

OH, OK.

Training up our children

Phew! VBS is done. It was so much fun and I loved it but at the same time I am glad that it is over.

Remember a few post back I mentioned that R7 made All-Stars? Well his team had their first practice the other night. Did I mention that his team also has all five catchers from all of the other teams this past season?

On the way home after the players were announced we told R7 there might be a chance he wouldn't be playing catcher. We explained the circumstances as to why. We also told him that were ever his coach put him he was to give 100% of his effort. We told him he was to also show good sportsmanship no matter what.

He said it didn't matter where he played he just wanted to play and show his new team mates he earned the right to be there with them.

l one of the mothers of one of the other catchers pulled her son off the team when she found out he wouldn't be playing catcher and might not play every game.

Proverbs 22:6 says this "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Hubs and I are training up our boys not only in sports but to know God. We are training them how to have a relationship with him. We are training them to love God. We are teaching them how their every day decisions will affect them and everyone else around them.

What did this other mothers decision show my child? What did it show her child? That when you don't get your way, the answer is to quit. This isn't the answer I want my child to see.

I want him to know that whatever the decision, he should be a good sportsman. Not only on the ball field but in life to. I want him to follow the examples his father and I have shown him. I want him to be gracious and kind. To know God has a plan for him. To know God will be his guide when things in life do not go his way.

I am training up my child. I am training him to seek God in all he does. To seek him when the road is easy and when it is hard. To search for answers in God.

This is what I want my child to see. This is what I want for the other child who was pulled off the team to see.

I only hope as I grow in motherhood I continue to train up my children.

An important decision

We have big news in our house hold. Today R7 walked down to the front of the church during the invitation and told the preacher he wanted to accept Jesus Christ as his savior.

He made this decision Thursday night at VBS. Today he made it public to everyone at church this morning. Hubs and I are proud of him.

When Hubs asked him if he was nervous about going up front he said no not at all. What peace Jesus has bestowed on my 7 year old. He was cool as a cucumber standing in the front. He smiled and shook everyones hand and thanked them. Then in true 7 year old fashion, as the last hand was shaken, he looked at me and stated he was ready to go because he was hungry.

R7 I am proud of you! I can not wait to see you be baptized. I am excited to watch you grow in your faith. I am proud to be apart of it.

But mostly I am blessed that God chose me to be your mother.

I love you!

Mom

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day, Hubs! This is a post just for you. But I do want to wish a Happy Father's Day to my dad and to all of the other dads out there. (I know there are men who read blogs)
Here are just a few reasons why you are best father...

1.You are a man of God
2. You love our boys
3. You love me, even if I do drive you nuts.
4. You are active in the boys lives.
5. You teach our boys by your actions not just your words.
6. You give them bathes 90% of the time. (I give them bathes 10% of the time)
7. You are stern when you need to be.
8. You know how to have fun!

There are a million other reasons why you are the best dad but all I have to say is...

We love you the most, the best, forever!

Happy Father's Day

Love,
Me, R7 and R3

Spring Garden Tour

The Spring Garden Tour is here! After months of anticipation, Lisa's day has finally arrived. I have even changed the color of my post from the normal blue to this lovely shade of purple.

Here are some of the pictures of my backyard. The boys and I have fun planting new plants in the pots on the back porch every year. Enjoy and thanks for stopping by.

20 Things I would never do

Since I am smack dab in the middle of VBS week and I can't seem to keep a coherent thought, This is a great idea from 3 Girls Mom .

I'll never....

1. Get tired of hearing my kids laugh
2. Stop being a child of God
3. Get tired of riding in Big Guys (father in laws) boat
4. Get tired of getting pedicures
5. Like liver- gross!
6. Stop watching CSI or CSI New York
7. Want to travel out of the US
8. Be super skinny
9. Like being woken up in the AM from a child who has just gotten sick
10. Like cats
11. Want a tattoo
12. Get tired of going on vacation
13. Stop scrap booking
14. Like going to the doctor
15. Like bees, wasps, or any other stinging flying bug
16. Stop picking black berries with my youngest son
17. tire of watching my oldest son playing Guitar Hero
18. Be famous
19. Get bored hanging out with my friends.
20. Want to relive my youth, once was enough.

Tag you're it!

P.S. It is harder than you think

80's music lollapolooza

Oh how I might have to find me a part time to job to suplement my concert going. It is a complete flash back to the 80's. And I love me some bad 80's music.

Here is a list of the summer concerts heading my way.

Chicago with Doobie Brothers
Cyndy Lauper
Boston with Styx
Foreigner
Journey, Heart, and Cheap Trick
Judas Priest
Tom Petty
Steve Miller Band

I wonder if I could get a job selling concessions like Donna and Ray did in an episode of Beverly Hills 90210 when they went to see the Rolling Stones. They ditched the outfits when the concert started.

Does anyone want to join me?

Vacation Bible School

So this is the week for vacation bible school. We have our VBS at night where most churches have theirs during the day. I love that we do ours at night. It gives the parents that work, like me, the chance to have hands on experience instead of just dropping of their children and waiting to see and hear what they have done later that night.

I love VBS week. I work in the craft room and have the best time. My friend S invited me several years ago and has become a tradition that I treasure. R7 is a pro and moves from activity to activity with ease. R3, is another story. This is his first year in an actual class and he was having a little melt down last night. If he saw me, the tears started to stream and the cries echoed in the hallways.

S was awesome in getting him calmed down. He has known her his whole life, like three years old is so old. But once she hugged and talked to him he was fine. (I hide out in the supply area all the while peaking in on him.)

Anyway, So all week long I will be at VBS every evening from 6pm-9pm. So if I begin to ramble please for give me.

Don't forget Friday June 13th is the Spring Garden Tour hosted by Lisa, aka The Preacher's Wife.

Hope to see you there!

Did you know my head was going to explode?

I had such a terrible headache Friday all day long. It actually woke me up early Friday morning, at 3 AM to be exact. It felt like some one had taken a sledge hammer and smashed the back of head.

I took several doses of Advil. But to no avail - no relief. I went to work with my head in a fog. Probably not a good thing to do on a payroll day. But I made it through.

I found something out about myself while dealing with the feeling of my brain pounding to the rhythm of my pulse. I didn't turn on the radio in my office all day. I sat in total silence while I waded through payroll and a list of about 15 other things that I had to do today.

I love my music and I always have my radio on. So for me to not have it on that is major. I actually enjoyed the quite. It gave me time to completely concentrate on the tasks in front of me. Instead of bobbing my head to the song playing and trying to work . And better, I completed over half the list before lunch.

My list never seems to end but I knocked it down with only two things left unfinished. Amazing.

My headache finally left. After Hubs and I realized that I hadn't had any caffeine for two days! I wasn't trying to eliminate this from diet, I was just trying to drink more water. Thank goodness we figured it out because I didn't think I could take much more of feeling like my head was about to explode.

I am ready now to turn on the music and start my day!

Baseball All-Stars

R7 made All-Stars

Woot!

Holla!

Go R7!

All this really means is we get to play baseball until July! Oh the heat. The glorious heat. I can feel the glistening already.

I really am proud of R7. I was so excited when they called his name today at closing ceremonies. He along with several of his friends made All-Stars.

Go American and National teams!

The McPherson Family

My friend S and I have known each other since we were in sixth grade. Ouch, I am old. We lost touch with one another not to long after we went off to college. We have reconnected and I am so glad that we. She has three beautiful daughters and a wonderful husband.

Tragedy struck last week with their youngest daughter E. She was viciously attacked by a pit bull dog.

She was in the hospital but is now home. Thank you God!

E required a pediatric surgeon to reattach the bottom of her nose to her face. There are multiple puncture wounds and lacerations. The dog fractured E's bottom jaw in the front. She had to have a metal rod inserted to hold her jaw in place and to hold in two of the three teeth which were knocked out.

While this animal ravaged E's face her sister A10 stood there helplessly screaming. Older sister A16 came to her rescue.

I am asking for prayers for this family. They each have a long road ahead of them. E will require numerous surgeries to correct the damage. A10 is having a rough time. A16 is amazing. She handled her self with the composure of an adult.

Please pray for healing. Pray for comfort. Pray for the doctors in the future. Pray the alignment of their finances. Pray for the family of the dog owner. Pray for all who are involved.

Just pray.

Thank you.

Boys of summer

I know I am sorry that my posts are all summer theme lately. I will try, I am not going to promise, and mix it up a bit in the near future.

Last night was R7's last regular season ball game. And 1. It was hot! and 2. Every time he threw his catchers mask off his little face was bright red and covered in sweat! YUK! And his hair was dripping. Gross

So I have decided that it is time for the "summer hair cut" R7's hair is very thick and I keep it cut short anyway but summer means even shorter. R3's hair is very blond and thin so I have to keep his a little longer or else he looks bald.

I love the way the boys look right after they get their hair cut. Yes ma'am I am a clean cut kinda girl. I like the short side burns and clean neck. I tend to get a little OCD when the boys hair gets to long and raggedy looking.

We tried to grow R7's hair last year and I just about had a nervous break down. His hair just kept getting bushier and bushier instead of straight and longer. Needless to say we made a trip to get his hair cut about 6 weeks into the grow out phase.

I think if I had girls they would either be bald or have a never ending pony tail. Thank God for boys!

No need to call the police, it's just my kids

Yesterday evening the boys and I went out side to play for a while. R3 wanted to draw with sidewalk chalk and he wanted me to site down and draw with him.

My first thought was it is to freakin' hot to be out side. (see previous post) and my second thought was if I sit down on the drive way will the skin on my legs be burnt off. I wasn't worried about the hair, because that means I wouldn't have to shave my legs.YES! Well I threw caution to the wind or lack of wind and sat down.

And now the underside of my legs are now a nice toasty brown color. I guess I either need to use Neutrogena Summer Glow Daily Moisturizer (by the way this stuff is awesome!) or go lay out in the sun for a few hours to even out my color.

Anyway back to my point.

The drive way now looks like a combination of several things. A few race car tracks, butterflies, bubble letters, helicopters, and the outline of several bodies.

Yes my driveway looks like a crime scene. Whatever I was thinking when I traced the bodies of my boys in the drive way is beyond me. Any minute I am expecting the crime lab to show up and put up the tape that says "POLICE CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS"

I am thinking about getting the hose and washing it off or having R7 and R3 color in the outline. But then the thought of my neighbors thinking something crazy happened is kind of appealing. Sick huh?

Oh well we all need a little summer craziness every now and then.

Good day sunshine

Hi interpeeps! I thought I would share with you how hot it is in Texas right now.

Yes it is really hot enough to fry an egg on the cement.

And here is the forecast for the week. These temperatures do not even include the heat index. Those temps are much, much higher.

Welcome to summer. And it is only the beginning of June!

Summer Shopping

Earlier in the week a good friend of mine C called and asked me to go summer clothes shopping with him and and his daughter, S because they are going on vacation next week. I love to do this. Being that I have boys I jump at the chance to check out all the cute girl clothes. S is 7 and is such a girlie girl. I had been in Target some time earlier and just browsed at all the girl things.

So I arrived at Target on Saturday at the scheduled time and before I knew it, my basket was full. They had some great things. If you have girl between 5 and 9, then drive fast to Target. But not to fast you get a speeding ticket.

I found a great flower tee and this shirt. These are cute capris and so are these. I found this sundress. These are just some and do mean some of the things C bought. I picked out, because lets just say he is girl clothes challenged. S kept calling me her personal shopper.

We did so well at Target that we didn't even get to the mall. Oh the shame in that.

S ended up with 14 outfits, 2 swim suits and a 3 pairs of sandal / flip flops. This girl is ready for vacation. I loved it because I realized I didn't do any damage to my bank account. C is my kind of man. Yes to everything I picked out while handing me his credit card.

I hope they have as much fun on vacation as I did shopping.

We are not cooling (insert city name)

The boys say since summer has begun all they hear from me is......SHUT THE DOOR!

Any one else have the same problem?