a fabulous booming thunderstorm

We are in the middle of a side-ways raining...

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...windy windy storm.

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The clouds are a booming....

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...no way am I going to the store!


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The lighting is a flashing...

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...our dog Sam-Sam is by my side.

Oh how I love a fabulous booming thunderstorm...

...after such a hard and sad day.


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written by me last night at 7:20 p.m. before our power went out

Flashback Friday - my recent happenings

Today I am going to Flashback to some recent times.  Stuff I have done over the last couple of months that I have not had the time to post about.  I hope you all enjoy!  If not.  It's okay....I will. 

More face painting at our local pizza joint.

Butterfly face paint with a little mermaid balloon.

Layla with her PaPa on Labor Day weekend.

Layla having a tea party with her big pink Care Bear!

The sky in all its glory!

Layla excited to see her friend, Grady, at the Pink Floyd Performance.

Smoking hot guy exercising in the park...

Layla getting excited to see the performance begin...

Layla and Grady "napping" while the concert continues...

That is my mom and my grandmother, Honey.  We celebrated her 90th birthday earlier this month with a surprise party.  It was splendid!  More on that later...tons of pics!

That above?  The latest and greatest high-rise development my company constructed.  Isn't it a beauty? 

One Park Place.

At Discovery Green to partake in some hula-hoop action.

They were out of big people hoops, but little bit was able to join in.

She did good too.

But, then she got mad at me for taking too many pictures.

See?  She is running away yelling, "Stop taking pictures of me!!!!"

Um, no.  Sorry.

Say hello to the Little Mermaid, Ariel, at her School's Fall Festival.

And her friends!

This is the confused look that ensued when she saw her friend, Kayla, as Princess Ariel, of the wedding variety.  Because, afterall...Layla was THE Little Mermaid.  Look at her 'tude?!?!

Isn't Woody a cutie?  Layla was beyond excited to see her ex-classmate, Adeeva, there to celebrate with her old friends.  She ran up to her squealing with excitement!  Hugs followed.  Awwww....

Ariel with Daddy

Ariel with a very pale and tired looking mommy.  Forgive me.

And I have NO excuse because this is prior to the food poisoning.

Me and my baby girl the day after food poisoning?

What gives?  I think I may look better than the above?  Ha.

And that brings us to today!  This is my rendition of Alice in Wonderland 2010.  Her socks have Alice and some mushrooms on them. 

There is Sammie.  Our dog.  Trying to bite our legs, once.again.

And in class.  Is that a stoned hippie behind her? 

Nope.  That would be MY costume for the weekend. 

Ya'll have a SPOOK-tacular Halloween! 

One Word Tag - You're it!

Wanna play along?!?  It is the ONE WORD TAG GAME!!!  And since today is my One Word Wednesday post....I thought I would just enhance it. 

The only rule is to answer the questions with just one word.

Your Cell Phone?  Blackberry

Your Hair?  HOT

Your Mother?  Strong

Your Father?  Provider

Your Favorite Food?  Mexican

Your Dream Last Night?  Fat

Your Favorite Drink?  Margarita

Your Dream/Goal?  Fulfillment

What Room Are You In?  Office

Your Hobby?  Painting

Your Fear?  None

Where Do You See Yourself In Six Years?  Idunno

Where Were You Last Night?  Home

Something That You Aren’t?  Liar

Muffins?  Blueberry

Wish List Item?  camera

Where Did You Grow Up?  Texas

Last Thing You Did?  Eat

What Are You Wearing?  Skirt

Your TV?  Off

Your Pets?  Sammie

Friends?  True

Your Life?  Trying

Your Mood?  Content

Missing Someone?  Always

Vehicle?  Old

Something You Aren’t Wearing?  Socks

Your Favorite Store?  Anthropologie

Your Favorite Color?  Blues

When Was The Last Time You Laughed?  Minutes

Last Time You Cried?  Weeks

Your Best Friend?  Beautiful

One Place You Go To Over And Over Again?  H.E.B.

Facebook?  Hardly

Favorite Place To Eat?  Mexican

My Valentine and her box

Here is my little Valentine, well, on Valentine's Day!  And that furry thing...that's Sam-Sam.  Her right hand man dog. 

And he kept getting in the pics!  I love him and all, but I was trying to snap a V-Day pic of my lil' lovey. 

When Layla saw this picture...she said, "Sam-Sam has lights!"  Love it.

I put all of her Valentine's Day Cards for her classmates in this box, that Jenn gave me.  And, thus, all the cards she got, went in!  And she has not let go of that box yet!

She wanted to take it today, Februray 26th, for Show and Tell.  Ummm....baby.  They gave them to you.  What are you gonna say about them????  Perhaps, thanks again? 

Flash back mommy moment

Okay. So last night I totally had a flashback-mommy moment...all at the same time!

And gosh! I appreciate my mom so much more now that I am a mom myself. And I also feel so guilty for what I and my other sisters put her through growing up...

So. I get home yesterday evening. Normal routine. Richard greets us. Gets Layla out of the car, as I grab my purse, Layla's lunch bag, Layla's diaper bag and usually a bunch of trash from the daily grind.

I drop my stuff on the counter. Richard gets Layla an afternoon "cicle" (aka popcicle) and I head upstairs for a few minutes to change, relieve myself and just wind down from the long day...

Yesterday was different. I couldn't make it upstairs, so I had to "relieve" myself in the downstairs powder room.

Now this is where it all goes wrong. And it is somewhat my fault. I didn't close the door in its entirety. Bad mistake.

Before I could finish up, Layla busts in the door asking for "Mommy this, and Mommy that!" And as I was asking her to step out of the bathroom and give mommy a few minutes, Sammie (our pup) busts in right after her and starts jumping all over me. Pants down. Sitting on the porcelin crown. Nice one.

I am shouting for both of them to "Get Out!" And ouch, Sammie, is scratching me. And Layla is screaming because she thinks it's funny!

And I just look up and scream, "Oh my gosh!!!!! Seriously?????" (And I wonder where her new favorite phrase comes from???? Look no further. It is I.)

And Richard says, "That's why you should have shut the door!"

Lesson learned. I'll have to pass that tip on to my mom...

Don't just make sure the door is tightly shut, but a lock is a good idea too!

I am embarressed to admit that we used to just barge in on my mom! When the door was tightly shut. I mean, how rude?????

Tip to all moms. Lock the bathroom doors. I mean...when you are actually IN there!

Sammie Update

Many of you have been asking about Sammie and how he has made his place in our family. For those of you who do not know who Sammie is...he is the five month old Chiweenie (part Chihauhau, part Weiner Dog) puppy that we adopted from my cousin in April! Well, here he is!!! Tongue and all. More on that later...

Sammie is still very much ALL PUPPY!!! He jumps, he nips, he licks all over you, he trips you, he loves to play...and he loves to scratch at MY feet! Just mine. Why? Not sure. Probably because I don't let him lick all over me like Layla. Or probably because I don't feed him and scratch his head like Richard! I think he just wants more attention from 'mommy!' Or maybe because my feet stink? Ha! Always a possibility...Case in point. Exhibit A. (He looks innocent, but he is after my feet.)

At any rate - Sammie has made this house feel even more like a home!!! He is so happy to see all of us when we arrive home for the day. Layla just absolutely adores him. ADORES! She spends the majority of her time at home on the floor with Sam-Sam. He is the first thing she asks for in the morning. The first thing when I pick her up from Day Care. And the last thing she hugs and kisses before she heads to bed at night. I know, I know...how sweet! (In a way.)

She drives me crazy when she leans over him and just lets him lick all over her and kiss away!!! It sounds sweet, but it is somewhat nasty too. Even when Richard says that a dogs tongue is the cleanest....Of what exactly? That I would like to know. It may have something to do with the fact that I was never raised with a pet, let alone a dog. I am still not use to a dogs tongue on me. Any where. Let alone my face. Icky. But, Layla seems to love it and enjoy it. So, if I am not paying close attention, they are making out. (In the most innocent way possible, of course!)

And as much as he drives me crazy...our house would not feel the same without him. Maybe 'mommy' will come around one of these days and embrace the tongue lick. Maybe...

Until then, this is what I have to look forward to...

YES - he is biting her. And by the look of it - SHE EVEN LOVES THAT!!!!!

But, as long as he can make my baby girl THIS happy...I am positive he is the perfect fit for our family!