Am I a victim of selective hearing or just plain old being ignored??

Do you ever have those moments where you honestly think you MUST speak a different language than your children?? What other explanation is there for the blank stares and ignorance?? I know, most of you are moms, so you of course understand what I am saying.

I am so totally threatening to make a voice recording of myself saying some very key phrases. This way, when I am being ignored, I won't lose my voice trying to get the kids to listen. I can just set the voice recording somewhere centrally located in the house...hmmm, maybe even get some sort of intercom to broadcast the words throughout the house. You know, it would include things like:

• Stop yelling
• No running
• Quit hitting your brother
• Stop saying butt, poop, fart, wiener, tee-tee, etc. (These would be recorded in individual lines though.)
• Quit playing and eat
• Turn that down
• Stop whining (Gee, I wonder who that one would be targeted at???)
• Stop crying (see above thought...)
• Stop being such a baby (again, targeted at a specific person)
• Brush your teeth
• Get in bed

And so many others, I might have to upgrade the iPod to hold it all! For example, my eldest came home from school today saying, "Hi, I'm Fart Laser." Nice, huh?? Anyway, he said it about 15 times within 2 minutes of being in the house. So, as I sat here saying, "That's nasty, don't say that." and "Stop saying that." and "Seriously, I don't want to hear it anymore.", the child just keeps bouncing around saying it over and over. I must have finally gotten my voice loud enough that he heard me on some level, because he shortened it to, "Hi, I'm F.L.!!" Little s***...I so wanted to smack him!

Then, there are those times the kids will ask you for something and not wait to hear the answer. So, as you are answering the original question, it is asked again. Only this second time it is with much more volume and added emphasis to the "Mom". When I try to explain that I have already answered that very question (usually more than once), I get that blank stare. So, of course I am thinking whatever they have asked for must not be all that important if it has already been forgotten. So, I will double-check to make sure the kid still wants the snack or popsicle or drink or whatever before opening the requested item and handing it over.

Even better, are the times you ask (for example), "What do you want to drink with dinner, lemonade or milk?" Only to be completely ignored as they try to decide what the "reward" is for whoever finishes eating first. BTW, that is another thing I would add to the voice recording, "It's not a race. It doesn't matter who finishes first." Anyway 5 minutes into dinner the whining begins, "Mom, my throat is burning, and I don't have anything to drink." So, I will ask again, "Do you want lemonade or milk?" No answer...(insert the whole crickets chirping sound effect here)... So, a few more minutes pass, "Moooom, I am so thirsty I think I am drying up inside." Oh please!! I thought only girls were supposed to be drama queens.

Anyway, you get the idea, since this goes on almost nightly in probably every household in America. I remember my mother telling people when we were younger that we had "selective hearing". I wonder if it is some sort of birth issue that goes away with age (except in the case of the male population where the problem seems to intensify...LOL). Even as I type this, I am being given the blank stare when I ask my child (for about the 30th time) to quit being nosey and to go away til I am finished.

So before I sign off to go get in his face (where I will be able to see if he is listening or not), I must tell you that I firmly believe this voice recording will become very handy in my classroom, too...

What a difference a day makes...

...or a week, as it is in my case!

Last week was my first week back to work, and I was really looking forward to a 3-day work week. As it turns out it was a great week (with 5 very sweet kids), and I have to admit I did sleep most of Monday and Friday! It was so nice to put the kids on the 7:15 bus (yes, that would be AM) and go back to bed!!

Sidebar: That aforementioned 7:15 bus takes the kids a whopping 2 miles!! And the first bell doesn't ring until 8:15...What the heck, man...Why so early???

Anyway, as the title says, "What a difference a day makes...". (Does anybody else remember that song?? Was it from a commercial or something?? Help me out here, people.) So, I got the call yesterday (Monday #2 of the school year...and, yes, I was asleep when the call came!) asking if I still wanted to teach 5 days a week. Well, here's where I was really torn in my response. The additional pay of a 5-day week versus a 3-day week is awesome and, as it happens, very necessary...BUT (sorry, can't have a post without one of those pesky "buts"), I was totally enjoying the whole Mon./Fri. spent in pajamas. (Okay I know, I always run around in my "pajamas"...just a technicality for lack of better words) Last year I taught 5 days and LOVED it, but that was all I knew. This year started as only 3 days, and I will admit that it was kind of cool.

Okay okay, enough of me typing out my internal mental issues regarding the school week and back to the topic at hand...

So as I was saying, "What a difference a day makes...". Today started week #2 of my school year, and I had a room full...and when I say full, I mean FULL...of 3 year old boys and girls. Last week's group more than doubled, and I now find myself responsible for 11 children each day. I couldn't be more thrilled that these parents entrust their children's care, development, early education, etc. to me, but...holy cow...what a complete change! I know I will get used to the larger group, and I have already adjusted my lesson plans for the next couple weeks to allow for the change. (I think it's necessary for the kids and for me too, to have a bit more time getting used to the class, the larger group, the new rules and new routines.) So, here's how my day went:

• My original 5 kids were highly confused as to the sudden influx of extra little bodies.
• The new ones were thrilled to find new toys to play with...and perhaps highly confused as to the sudden change in environment.
• There were 2 children that I was completely in the dark about when/if they were going to start.
• There was one VERY new student who didn't want Mommy & Daddy to leave and made it very clear (very loudly clear) to the whole school.
• My group time (or circle-time, as I call it) started 40 minutes later than I prefer, and many representations of mass chaos occurred during this time.
• The kids all LOVED snack time, and I think it was the only time all day they were all in one place at one time!
• I think I cleaned 48 runny noses, wiped 87 dirty hands and faces, hugged 24 sad/upset/angry/confused/happy/cute/injured kids, and thought, "What the heck was I thinking?" about 942 times...And, this is just the first day of my newly enlarged class size.

So, I won't continue to bore you with the minutia of my day; however, I do have some major gripes on the day...

If you tell me your child is potty trained, please explain to me why they will crap in their underwear within minutes of exiting the bathroom...And, if said child is truly trained, explain why that child feels the need to completely strip down (shorts, underwear, socks and shoes) in an effort to clean themselves, without telling me they need help...And, please explain to me why this same "potty trained" child then proceeds to dump the crap into the toilet, flush the toilet, then "wash" the crappy underwear in the toilet...And, tell me why this same child proceeds to run out of the bathroom into the classroom naked from the waist down and start playing with the toys...

Oh, but the real laughter and shock value didn't come until said child turned around and proudly displayed a trail of toilet paper stuck in the butt-crack...

Oh yes, any of you who have ever spent more than 2 minutes around a young child understand how hard it is to control laughter in front of such impressionable young minds. Well, let me tell ya, this was not one of those moments of contained laughter. It was just so freakin' funny to see a kid running around half naked with a string of TP hanging like some sort of fancy train - you know, like on a wedding dress...

I can honestly say it is a first for me, and I have raised 2 boys through massive potty training issues. I have spent time around many other children in that age group, whether it be family, friends or students. And, I am so thankful the rest of my class was not in sight at the time...Can you imagine??? "Hey, mommy guess what? One of my new friends was playing with toys and had no clothes on...and they forgot to take off the toilet paper." Oh yeah, real nice image to send home, don't ya think???

I could go on and on, but I think that's a great place to end this particular post...

(No pun intended!)

I am tired of the "PC" world in which we live...

...and I am not talking about computers!

Seriously, is anyone else out there done with walking on eggshells all the time?? I mean, we have opened our borders to people of all walks of life for hundreds of years. We have NEVER asked them to conform or give up their cultures, heritage, or history. I am all for the "melting pot" concept our country was founded on...but (see, there it is again)...don't ya think the double standards are getting a little old??

I mean, I don't go to Mexico and threaten lawsuits if my waiter doesn't speak English...I don't go to Canada and stage a protest because the French language is offensive to me...I would never go to the Middle East and threaten to bomb the place because the schools won't let me wear shorts and a t-shirt. Are ya getting my point?? But (there it is again!), these people all come here and do the exact things I am talking about, and we adapt our laws! How messed up is that??

I think the US is the only country in the world without a national language. The majority of the people in this country speak English, so why not set that as the national language of this great nation? Why do I have to pay higher taxes, so the public school system can afford to pay ESL teachers? Shouldn't English be taught as the first language, not as a second language? I have no problem with speaking your native tongue, but do it at home. Don't force me and my family to alter our education, work habits, shopping habits, etc. because you don't know English.

Before I say anything else, please let me answer a few questions that may be running through your mind right now. NO, I am not a racist or a white-supremacist. YES, I live in a very culturally diverse area of town. YES, I am friends with my neighbors and coworkers, regardless of their backgrounds. (And this includes Nigerians, Peruvians, Brits, and Indians.) YES, I enjoy learning and experiencing these different cultures. My point is that I am tired of being forced to watch what we say or do for fear of a lawsuit or military attack.

I firmly support building a wall around our borders. Not as a means of keeping immigrants out, but as a means of keeping them out ILLEGALLY. Feel free to come to this country in an effort to live the "American dream", but do it through the proper channels. Take the classes, learn our history, learn English, become citizens, get a job, pay taxes, etc...These things are all part of OUR culture.

I am tired of all the illegals in this country getting free education, free housing, free health care, etc...free for them anyway, as the real Americans in this country are footing the bill. And now our President is trying to include them in the next national census and to provide even more health care coverage. Am I the only one who sees a problem with this plan???

I realize I am venting and may not be making any new friends with these words, but I am struggling, too. I am having a hard time paying my bills and putting food on the table and providing good health care for my family. The difference is, I am a REAL American...I cherish the freedoms we have in this country. I refuse to "milk the system" simply because it is there and I can. I am not going to sit on my butt all day with the assumption that I am "entitled" to and the governement will take care of me. Get real, folks...we are headed in a really scary direction...

The Constitution of the United States of America was written with purpose and has worked just fine for over 200 years...why in God's name would anybody want to change that now???

On that note, I will sign out for the time being...but I have one last thing to say:

God Bless America!!

"We've only just begun..."

"to live...white lace and promises..." Okay, I am no Karen (sp?) Carpenter, but I do like that song. Anyhoo, the reason breaking out in song is today I am celebrating my 8th wedding anniversary. Brian and I were married in Gatlinburg, TN 8 years ago, today. It has been an ever-changing, sometimes rough, but always fun ride. Brian, if you are reading this, I love you!! Thank you for 8 great years of marriage...I can't wait to see what the next 8 years bring.

You know how you hear those stories of "love at first sight"?? Well, ours was not quite that much of a fairy-tale. We were coworkers from 2 different parts of the country who happened to get promotions/transfers to Nashville within a week of each other back in 1999. Believe it or not, his apartment was over my garage in the same apartment complex!! Little scary, huh?? If you believe in fate, this story is for you.

Anyway, we got along great and became fast friends. (We were both involved with other people at the time, or I suspect we would have been together even sooner.) Many months later, we went to dinner...I knew at the end of that night that Brian was the man I wanted to spend my life with! I think he knew it, too, but it took him a little longer to acknowledge the fact. We started hanging out a lot...bowling, watching basketball games, lunches, dinners, happy hour and shooting pool... We were having a great time with our new found friendship (love??).

And, to make a long story short, here we are...8 years of marriage, 2 kids, 3 houses, a cat, and a new state to call "home" later! They always say things happen for a reason...perhaps our meeting was predetermined?? (Who are "they" by the way??)

Are you ready for some football???

The annual NFL Hall of Fame Game just finished up on this lovely Sunday evening...and I could not be more thrilled!! No, not thrilled that it is over, but thrilled because it means the newest installment of NFL football is right around the corner. I know, most of you are thinking, "Oh, great, this means my husband is gonna be glued to the TV for the next few months." BUT...(see, there's that "but" I always have)...In my house, this is such a good thing! Seriously, we LOVE football in this house...preseason, regular season, college, pro...you name it and we are probably watching! And, the completion of the HOF game means the "official" preseason starts in a matter of hours...And, the start of the "official" preseason means it is only a matter of hours (okay, weeks, but who's counting) until the completion of preseason football...And, the completion of preseason football means the start of regular season football...

And so on and so forth...

Anyhoo, this means I can quit watching crappy TV at night, because I will have a ball game or two to watch a few nights a week!! Yippee...

So, my Titans looked pretty good in the game this evening, and I can only hope that they will continue the success of last season. There have been several changes made to the roster...some good, some bad, but all in all they are in for a pretty good year.

Okay, I know you are not here for the latest in the NFL (that's what ESPN is for, right?), so I will try to keep posts football-free from this point forward.

Tomorrow is the first day of school for the boys...and of course, all the other thousands of kids who also reside in our county! As of 11:00 PM on Sunday, I am taking bets...for what, you ask??? Well, the "little" one is so excited to ride the bus with his big brother. (I really think that's the only reason he is excited about starting school.) Well, I am about 90% sure the boy will refuse to get on the bus in the morning. Those of you who know the child are probably applauding me for my optimism...probably thinking it's more like 100-200% that he won't get on the bus... LOL It's a good thing the bus comes early, that way I have plenty of time to dry up the tears (his, not mine) and drive him to school.

Oh man, did I just say I am glad something is happening early??? What the heck...something has to be wrong with me!! For real, though, we have to be out and ready to catch the bus at 7:15. Yes, that is AM! Can you believe that??? What type of insanity is this...These kids are in elementary school, not high school or taking college classes. School doesn't start until 8:15...what are they gonna do with my kids for an hour??? We live 2 miles from the school... Two miles!! I mean, I could walk to the school in less than an hour, and they want my kids that early?? Crazy!!

So, I am signing off for now, but I promise to have LOTS to post tomorrow, as I am quite sure my kids will have had an interesting first day of school.

Oh, yeah, anybody want to make a bet as to whether or not Mom (that would be me) wakes up on time??? You bet I will...I'll be kickin' them out the door before sun-up!! LOL I will also take bets as to whether or not Mom (yep, still me) stays awake after the kids are off to school...

Gotta love technology...

So, I am sitting outside with the laptop managing my Facebook account, playing Farkle, chatting with a coworker, talking in person to the hubby, and listening to the Sirius 80's channel on our wireless speakers...

On top of all that technology, we have the sounds of Mother Nature in stereo, too...crickets, birds, frogs, the crackle of the torches, and the clink of ice against glass in our adult beverages. Okay, so the adult beverage is not necessarily a product of nature, but still part of the whole ambiance...maybe??

And, why the heck are birds up at this hour??

"Thriller" is on now, and I have the strong desire to get up and do "the dance"...ya know the zombies with the hands in the air?? Gina, you know what I'm talking about...you and your kids do it quite well!

Anyway, I think it's funny that we have the capability to do all this wireless stuff, keep up with what the neighbors are doing without looking out the window, stay on top of current events, criticize anyone and anything, and all the other stuff that happens by the second in this country...BUT (yes, I always have a "but") we can't manage our country's finances, lifestyles, borders, social programs, etc??? Anybody got any ideas on this one?

I must say that our parents always felt sorry for how tough it was for my generation to grow up in the era we did...with the drugs, drinking, sex, disease, etc. so readily available...I gotta tell ya, I would much rather my kids be drinking and having sex than running from terrorists and waiting in line for the doctor and repaying a debt they had nothing to do with...

This was once a great and powerful country, but it seems lately we are so worried about what everybody else thinks that we forget what our own citizens think. People come to this country to "live the good life". That's great, but let's not cause the rest of us to have hard times in an effort to give those people every thing their hearts desire.

Okay, I am really climbing high on the soapbox now...gonna step down, because I don't want this to turn into a political bashing blog...

And, I am gonna wrap this one up...although I have accomplished nothing...because I find it very difficult to type and maintain Facebook at the same time!! More later, I promise!!

Time flies when you are having fun...

But, it really flies when you are getting old!!! Although, I guess in some way getting old is kinda fun. Okay, maybe not, but I don't want to start out sounding like a pessimist!!

Not that I am all that old, but lately things are going on to make me feel really old!! Today, my best friend's daughter got her driver's license. Yeah, I know, right?? When I met this girl, she was so tiny and would crawl into my lap to snuggle. Well, she's still tiny but, oh, so grown up at the same time. Anyway, she was 5 years old when her mom and I became great friends. I was lovingly referred to as "Daddy Erin" for many years of this child's life. Her sperm donor (okay, fine, her father) was not in the picture, and I was often called in to help out with sensitive issues. Anyway, skip forward a bunch of years, and this child - now, a young woman - holds a special place in my heart. So, I am so proud of her for accomplishing one of life's many milestones! SLR, "Congratulations!! I love you."

Speaking of life's milestones...my youngest Mann is starting Kindergarten next week. Double whammy, huh??

Wow, there's another reference that makes me feel really old. Do y'all remember the game show called "Press Your Luck"? You know, the little gremlin-lookin' thing would come out with the evil laugh and steal the contestants' money...The contestants would take their "spin" and sit and chant "No whammy, no whammy"...Any takers on that one...anyone, anyone??? (Of course the "anyone, anyone" makes me think of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"...yet another of those "I'm dating myself" thoughts)...

Back to the youngest Mann...So, Austin starts kindergarten on Monday, and it still feels like last week that we brought him home from the hospital. (Maybe because he still acts like it was just last week...) He says he is ready, and I say I am ready for him to go...BUT...it still makes me feel really old. I can't believe my "baby" is going off to "big boy school". I honestly think he only wants to go, because he can ride the big bus with his brother! (LOL) You know all little boys want to ride on big trucks, trains, and buses...at least, both of mine did! Today in the car he asked his brother, "Sean, can I sit by you on the bus?" And his brother's response... "Everybody's gonna see and hear all the mean things you do to me." OMG...are you kidding me right now?? Their school is 2 miles from our driveway, and the eldest is worried about what the "Little Mann" might do...What is wrong with this picture??

Okay, I keep rambling and going off track...yet another sign I am getting old, right??? LMAO!! (Mom Mann, keep your mouth shut on that one)

Tomorrow is orientation and open house at the boys' school. I am kinda excited to see Austin's reaction to his new classroom. For the last 3 years he has been at the same school, and the last year he was going with me everyday as I went to work. It should be very interesting...BUT...I know, there's that "but" again...I am hoping the kids in kindergarten will force him to get over the whole baby act. I swear if he keeps it up everyday, they are gonna tear him up... The eldest moves to 3rd grade this year. He is excited, because his class moves upstairs this year! Oh yeah, he's in the big time now!! Weird as it sounds, that kinda makes me feel old, too. You know, your baby is sent UPSTAIRS to school everyday...so far from the clinic and the principal and the front doors...okay, I am done.

Boys will be boys...

Why is it that my kids feel the need to pee at the same time?? Do other siblings do this type of thing?? Obviously, those of you with little girls will say "no"...at least I hope you say "no", otherwise we need to have a little chat!! LOL Seriously, any of you with 2 or more boys at home (or if you know anyone with boys who do this), please let me know what your thoughts are on this one...

So, my eldest has a new Wii game that he just couldn't live without...he spent his own money to get it, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much. However, he has spent the better part of 2 days since acquiring said game in front of the TV. Now, this is both good and bad at the same time...good, because the little one LOVES to watch him play new games; bad, because they both end up spending way too much time staring at the television. Anyway, those of you who read the last post know the way my eldest is while playing the Wii...constantly moving, turning around to see who is watching, etc. Well, he has a tendency to ignore the "biological breaks" that our bodies require on a regular basis. In other words, he has mastered the art of gaming and doing the "tee-tee" dance at the same time. It is true...he'll sit wiggling around and squeezing his legs together forever instead of pausing his game to go pee. (Go ahead and laugh, but you know your kids do the same thing while playing games or watching TV.)

Okay, I know...that doesn't sound all that weird for a kid to do, especially one who is engrossed in some activity or another. However, my kids are a minor exception to that common occurrence. As I stated previously, the youngest Mann likes to watch the eldest while he is gaming. So, by association, he will ignore the same "biological breaks" that the eldest ignores. Seriously??? I mean, when ya gotta go, ya gotta go...right? (Okay, I can't count myself in that last one, because I have been known to "hold it" forever.) But... These are young boys with bladders that aren't fully developed yet, so they do not have the same level of control that we, as mothers, do. Alright, enough of the anatomy lesson and background...back to the matter at hand. So, the eldest is in full fledged wiggle-mode when he suddenly jumps up and proclaims (loudly, I might add), "What the heck, man, I have to pee so bad!!" For real?? You just now realized this fact?? You've been doing "the dance" for almost an hour, and this comes as some sort of a surprise to you??? I mean, I can see if there were no way to pause the silly game that you might hold it for a few minutes til you get to a "save spot"...but, to hold it to a point where you have to run full-speed to the bathroom...Hello??

Are ya ready for the fun part now?? Before he can get halfway to the john, the youngest of my darling children jumps up and says, "Oh man, I have to pee so bad!" Power of suggestion, perhaps?? Anyway, I tell him to go upstairs because his brother is using the one downstairs. He says, "Mommy, I have to go too bad...I don't think I can make it upstairs." Seriously...again?? You weren't even the one playing the silly game, and now you gotta go too?? Well, the point of all this is as follows:

The eldest jumps and runs...the "little" one follows because he can, and he knows it will drive me nuts... So, they proceed to both go into the downstairs powder room and pee simultaneously... Yep, you read that right...they find it is so great to go pee at the same time. They like to "make it crossover and overlap". Yuck...

And they say it is weird for girls/women/ladies to go to the restroom in groups...Go figure!!

Is it too late to tell my kids that "Mommy" is a 4-letter word?? (Okay, it's 5 letters, but you get the point)

I wish I had a buck (hell, a nickel would make me wealthy) for each and every time I hear, "Mommy" throughout the day. And I don't mean the kind of "Mommy" that is followed by a valid question or statement...I am talking about the "Mommy" that I hear over and over and over and...(you get the point) simply because one of the kids needs to hear their own voice.

And, by the way, why is it that those silly young-folk (insert wink and a te-ha-giggle) feel the need to talk ALL the time??? More on this one later...

Anyway, back on track here...Who in God's name thought it would be smart to teach kids to say "Mommy" as one of their first words??? Seriously, whoever this was had NO kids attached to them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 4 weeks a month, 52 weeks a year...Oh, I have gone a little too far again, huh?? LOL For real, though, those of you with kids know exactly what I am saying...and those of you who know MY kids (especially a certain 5 year old who shall remain nameless) have witnessed first-hand what I am talking about. It starts first thing in the morning and does not stop til the (Thank you, Lord) point in each day when the kids have to go to bed. Don't get me wrong, I have said it before and I'll say it again, "I LOVE MY KIDS!!"...

My whole point here is this...basically, as a Mom, you hear some form of the "M-word" many, many times over the course of your life. When it first starts...you know, the "mama" thing...it is SO awesome, and you call all your friends and family to spread the news. A couple years go by, and "mama" becomes "Mommy". Cool, yes, that your little ones actually use (and understand) real words; however, at what point does that word (Mommy) become the ONLY word your child seems to know??? Okay, maybe not the ONLY word, cuz you have to take into account the other word used WAY too much by kids...you know, the "n-word". So, basically, kids go through a couple years in which the only words they seem to say are "Mommy" and "No"...

Each day would be something like this:

No, Mommy, I don't want that...No, Mommy, I will not get out of the bathroom while you pee...No, Mommy, I don't want to take a nap...No, Mommy, I'm not hungry...No, Mommy, I don't want to go yet, because I'm hungry...No, Mommy, I don't want to eat that (even though it's what you asked for...)No, Mommy, I don't need to go pee...No, Mommy, I can't brush my teeth yet, because I have to pee...No, Mommy, I don't want to wear any pants for bed...No, Mommy, I don't want to get in bed without any pants...And so on and so forth...

Not that ANY of those are examples from my daily life...

So, going back to the "talking ALL the time" issue I mentioned a few paragraphs back, I must vent. Really, I am just sharing this next part so that both kids get equal "playing" time on this field...

The eldest of the Mann children loves to play video games. And, I don't mean that in the typical "wow, I love that game" sense. I mean, the boy would sit all day, everyday in front of the Wii...like 16-18 hours a day!! The scary thing is, he is REALLY, REALLY good at just about any game he tries to play. As a parent, it is hard to tell your kid to stop and "go play with your brother for a little while" when you know they are doing the thing they are good at doing...right? BUT...isn't there always a "but"??? In my house, that request is made for one reason, and one reason, only...

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...
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The suspense is getting to ya, isn't it???

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The eldest "Gamer" child prodigy NEVER stops talking while he is playing games. He sits here and talks to the characters, talks to the obstacles, talks to his remote, talks to anyone and anything that might (or might not, actually) listen!! It is really annoying. So, I find myself actually requesting the madness and volume of 2 boys playing than the non-stop banter my son has with the Wii...Seriously, he literally never stops running his mouth while he is playing a game. It's crazy...I honestly don't see where he comes up with the energy and focus to do so well in a game while he is talking to it...

On top of all that chatter, he is constantly turning around to see who (if anybody) is watching...Dang, man, I can barely make it through some of these games with total white-knuckle concentration, and this child is doing flips and sh**...

And yet, the child does not have sense enough to come in out of the rain...

"They're baaaack..."

Okay, I really don't mean that in the creepy "Poltergeist" way, but I was at a complete and total loss as to what to title a blog post after being gone for 2 weeks!

Anyway, yes, The Mann's are back. So, we had a great trip to Indiana...long, but really good. We went to the Johnson County Fair, and the kids had a GREAT time. They are big enough now to ride the cool stuff, not just the little kiddie rides. I know, you're thinking, "Why is that a good thing?". Well, I will let ya in on a little secret...I love roller coasters! It was really fun to ride the Scrambler and the Mega Bounce with the kids. I would like to skip the whole "Mom, my tummy feels weird" part of the Scrambler, but I we managed to escape the ride without being puked on! Poor Sean had a hard time with all the spinning! Austin, on the other hand, has no fear and was asking to ride those swing thingies, the Zipper, as well as a couple others. I mean, there were 2 or 3 I was unsure as to whether or not I would survive with stomach contents intact! Seriously, we did have a really good time!

We also went to this family fun place called Rascal's and had even more fun! We were joined by Daddy & Uncle Philip for this adventure. We golfed, bowled, played games for tickets, and raced go-karts. I think a good time was had by all - even though 4 of 5 grown-ups present were hungover in a serious way! Yep, the night before, we stayed up til 6:00 AM playing cards...I think we were still popping new beers at 5:00 in the morning. Ridiculous, I know, but it's a once or twice a year thing...and Papaw gets up with the kids :D. The only other negative on the day was Austin's unplanned meeting with the steel benches. You know, the ones you would typically put your bottom on?? Well, leave it to my child to figure out that the teeth and lips do NOT like those benches! He was swinging between two and slipped...landed mouth first on a solid metal bench. He looked up and was gushing blood...it was a bit scary. I'll spare you all the nasty details...to make a long story short, he is okay and appears to not have sustained any permanent damage.

About halfway through the trip, I realized that I need to get one of those personal recorder thingies...you know, the little pen-sized recorders you can use to randomly save thoughts. Yeah, I had so many "Oh, man, this would make great blog-fodder." moments during the last 2 weeks. Seriously, I so wish I had thought to take something along...Anyhoo, as things come to me, I will most likely post about the events related to the drive, the trip, and whatever else my little heart desires! After all, I haven't typed more than my name in 2 weeks! I have a lot of catching up to do. ;)

Okay, I'll spare you having to deal with my random, blabbering chatter...for now! I will be back...

Oh, BTW, do any of you remember "Poltergeist"? At the time, that was the spookiest, nastiest, nightmare-inducing movie. It is kind of funny to look back on it after seeing some of the more recent horror-type flicks and realize how simplistic it was. HOWEVER, I bet you a lot of people still remember the tree scraping the window, the creepy clown in the bedroom, and the nasty steak that crawled across the counter. No?? Don't remember that, huh?? Well, trust me, you don't want to!! Oh yeah, what about when she comes back through the TV and is covered in that nasty slimy stuff...Ewwww...

Okay, I think I have managed to scare myself here...Seriously, that is one of those movies that just really rubs me the wrong way! I actually believe it is a little creepier and scarier than some of the stuff made in the last few years. Anybody else out there find "Poltergeist" to be a bit spooky???