MY NEW EXCITEMENT

I forgot to tell you all about my new excitement for my stepson Tez. As many of you know he came to live with us in December and is attending BA schools. He has special educational needs and I have been to my handful of stressful meetings to get everything arranged for him and I had yet another one this past Monday. Getting him fitted with the appropriate "label" is a necessary evil in order for him to get the help he needs. I know no parent wants their child labeled but it is necessary for them to get the proper educational help that they need. In order for us to get him the proper help, Tez had two labels but one didn't match him so we had to get him labeled correctly which meant we had to disprove one diagnosis so he could then get help in the area of the other major label. I am sorry if that did not make sense but that is the easiest way to explain it! My amazing friend aka momacita Cleta agreed to go with me to the new IEP/psychological evaluation to help me out and support Tez's needs. She was a teacher in BA for many years and had been to her own share of IEP meetings and I wanted to make sure I was understanding all the mumbo jumbo being presented to me and add her perspective about our situation. The good long winded news is he will placed into a program that will meet his needs with a bunch of hands-on learning! I am very excited for him and hopefully it will be easier on me when I am helping him with his homework. Can't wait to see the results! I want to say Thank You to Cleta and Shan....It meant a lot that Cleta and Shandolynne rearranged their schedules so Cleta could attend the meeting and it was nice to have someone there who understood my concerns and was in sync with me in my concern for Tez's education. Thank you girls from the bottom of my heart! Love you guys! And thank you to the Oliver Middle School and South Intermediate High School staff for all the help, time and concern! Hopefully all of this will make our lives a little easier and we all know every little bit helps!

WHAT A DAY!

Wow is the only word I can think of to describe my day and the disbelief that I did it all! Let's see I started the day with taking three boys to three different schools and arranging pick up for one since his normal pick up routine would not work today. Then I went to have my brows done and my neck shaved. Wait let me clarify that one..;.haha....my hair is really short now so the back part is shaved and I wanted it shaped up before the wedding tomorrow. Then I got gas in the truck, went to pick up Tez's contacts and have my glasses fitted, talked to my uncle and agreed to find him some neck extender deals (in my free time - goo d thing the tux place had them!), went to pick up the tuxes where I spent 45 minutes just waiting ... I was about to flip out and leave but I had no one else to pick them up in time! This is the embarrassing part I was on the phone with my sister ranting about Men's Wearhouse when I pulled into the mall, parked and walked in. I then realized I had NO reason to even be at the mall so I started laughing walked straight back out to my car and left! Way too much going on! I then went to two stores b/c I had to pick up pants for lil Tez and buy me some spanx. Then I drove to Bixby to help set up for the reception. I know if you read the Bixby BBQ and Blues Festival blog you heard me say I would hopefully never revisit the land of the pokes but alas I really had no choice! Let me add I got to Bixby at 1pm so everything I just told you was before 1 o'clock! After decorating I went to three more stores then got home around 4:15pm where I changed clothes and made the boys presentable very quickly so I could drive in rush hour to the church across town for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Afterwards I came home and wanted to just pass out! But had to do the whole nighttime routine.....baths.....you know the drill.....I am beat! I should really get a personal assistant!

TUX CAPRIS?

So my boys are in my niece's wedding this Saturday. I am excited to see how handsome they will be but not so excited about paying for two tuxes!! A couple of weeks ago we went to Men's Wearhouse to get them sized and I must add that the store has poor customer service!! We went tonight to try-on and pick up the tuxes but they didn't fit! I mean they seriously didn't fit!! Elijah's wasn't quite as bad but his jacket sleeves were two different lengths. One sleeve was an inch and a half shorter than the other but the rest was okay. Isaiah's tux on the other hand was a miniature disaster. What exactly is the point of measuring to order the tux if it comes in no where close to the measurements? I have not heard about a wedding yet that the tuxes arrived correctly in fact when my husband went to pick up his tux for our wedding they didn't even have it. Imagine my surprise with that phone call! How can you forget the GROOM'S tux? Anyhow Isaiah's jacket sleeves were an inch and a half to short, his vest was too big, and the pants oh the pants. I posted a picture of the tux "capris" - a new style I am assuming.





In the picture see how short they are then let me tell you that is WITH THEM PULLED DOWN AN INCH BELOW HIS WAIST!!! So they were actually an inch shorter than what the picture shows!!! The lady says to me "well where do you want them?" like I am being unreasonable! I said, "Well that is your problem. I know he will be wearing black socks the day of the wedding but you shouldn't be able to see his socks at all let alone the 2 inches of skin. MY boy doesn't wear capri pants and I doubt that is what Mikala requested!" Don't be snotty with me over YOUR mistake! Again I ask you what exactly is the point of measuring!! Guess we'll see about that when the alterations are fixed. Till next time America......

SORRY GUYS

I felt really bad after my blog about Mother's Day! I should be more appreciative of what I have. Lately life around here has been crazy! The past couple of months have been so busy for us and May is probably going to be the worst. We have so many things planned this month it is ridiculous and it doesn't look like it will all get done in May so it will flow into June which I was hoping would be a more relaxed month. So to make up for my selfish Mother's Day blog (I just felt bad but that doesn't mean I don't deserve BETTER!!!!) I am going to blog about my amazing mother. My mother raised four kids - 2 boys and 2 girls - while working with my dad to make success out of his business ventures. My father has always been an entrepeneur and my mother has always been right by his side. My mom is a kind-hearted, gentle, loving, supportive, non-confrontational, thrifty, and let's not forget funny woman! My mom is the type of funny that is sincere because half the time she doesn't even realize she is being funny. Some of my best true BELLY laughs are with my mom. I never realized when I was younger how much closer me and my mom would become once I had children of my own. I am not sure why that happens unless it is just a true appreciation of every thing your mother has done now that you are a mother and finally realize how hard being a mom can be!! I love my mom with all my heart and can't imagine my life without her! I talk to my mom every day about almost anything! Sometimes I feel like maybe it annoys her so I think I won't call over the weekend but then she will call me wondering what is going on so I know she doesn't mind. If something makes me mad, happy or sad for the most part I have to call my mother and tell her about it. I don't have very many friends now that married family life has taken over----well I have friends just not many that I talk to on a daily basis. When Elijah was about 7 months old, I returned to the working world reluctantly (where I have been stuck ever since!) but my mom wanted to watch Elijah and I sometimes marvel at the bond they have. She watched him all day until he was about 18 months when he started two days a week from 9:30 til 2 at WEE Ministries. I wanted him to be more social and to give her some of her time back but she would still pick him up from school and watch him until I got off. He then went to 4 days a week the next year so she only had him ALL day on Mondays and that was their "special" day. She watched him all the up to the first day of kindergarten which I think may have been harder on her than it was on me!! Not kidding! She also started watching Isaiah when he was about a month and they both just have her wrapped around her finger! Not kidding! They say jump, she says how high! It is almost sickening to watch! Here is an example: Elijah was home from school one day last month because of some medication the doctor had him on meant he couldn't be around other child for a few days so he went to my mom's house while I worked. On this particular day the crews were picking up tree limbs from the ice storm debris in my parents' neighborhood and Elijah wanted to watch so she parked in various driveways throughout the neighborhood so they could watch. I called my mom during this to ask how he was doing and could hear him oohing in the background. I asked what they were doing and when she told me I told her she was crazy. Her answer, "Well he wanted to watch! It's kind of cool!" Heaven forbid she say no! Later on that day after she had picked up Isaiah from school I called again to check on Elijah. I could hear the boys hollering in the background so again asked what they were doing. Her answer, "Well we drove around different neighborhoods for about 45 minutes until we finally found them picking up tree limbs again!"
My reply, "Mom that is it! You are being checked into a mental institute because you drove around aimlessly for 45 minutes looking for a crew picking up dead tree limbs just so the boys could watch! Don't you know the price of gas right now?!! You are crazy!"
Her answer, "Well they wanted to watch and since I didn't have baby earlier he didn't get to see and this will be one of the last weeks they will be picking up. It really is neat to watch. I do think the crew thinks I am a little looney though!"
HELLO! I don't think there is much she won't do for her grandchildren but it is funny to watch. I thank God for the bond she has with my children. I would leave Oklahoma in a heartbeat if I didn't have children but I want them to be close to their grandparents since I never had any that lived close to me. I had to just spend summer time with mine but I want them to experience them the way I never could. I am blessed that my mom wants to spend so much time with the kids. Sometimes she'll say things like "I discipline them! If you don't like it then fire me!" I never would but sometimes I think it would be funny to watch her beg for them back! Sick I know! She never shuts up about them. Seriously ask my dad! It is constant she can be in the middle of something then pop up with "oh did I tell you....." chances are she has already told the story about 50 times but she still gets a kick out of it and tell it again with her little laughs in between. I love my mom more than I ever thought possible and hope and pray I am half the mom that she is!

MOTHER'S DAY

All I am going to say is Happy Mother's Day to all of you! I know I should be happy today b/c I know people out there who don't have their mother and I still have my amazing mom with me but today seriously sucked!! I will not go into details but if it weren't for my mom and my two little boys I would've just lost it today! I'll say this much I get two days a year that are all my own - my birthday and then Mother's Day just remember that next year before you plan crap on my day!!!!

IDIOTS I TELL YOU

After the Parade we had plans to go with Shan & Quin to the Bixby BBQ and Blues Festival and I must say I will probably not go again and if by chance I do, I will not be taking my children along!!!! I knew it was at Washington Irving Park in Bixby but didn't know where the park was in Bixby. We were driving down Memorial and seen a few signs and Bixby but no straight ahead or turn indicators. At a stop light I decided to just roll down the window and ask someone.
Picture my face: We are at a light. I roll down the window. I wave to the gentlemen in the truck beside us and ask, "Do you live in Bixby?" He said, "Yes!" I asked, "Can you tell me where the BIXBY BBQ and Blues Festival is?" Honest to God he answered with, "I think that is in Okmulgee!" SERIOUSLY DUDE YOU LIVE IN BIXBY AND DON'T KNOW THE BIXBY BBQ AND BLUES FESTIVAL IS ACTUALLY IN BIXBY!!!! IT ISN'T CALLED THE OKMULGEE BBQ AND BLUES FESTIVAL YOU IDIOT!!!!!!! HE DOESN'T HAVE THAT LITTLE THING CALLED COMMON SENSE I GUESS!!! This was the first thought in my head but I calmly said, "Do you know where Washington Irving Park is?" He replies with "Yes it is straight ahead a ways then on the right." We find the festival then go in and ask the INFORMATION BOOTH where to go and all I am going to say is the "INFORMATION BOOTH" was not informative as well the website with all the "misprinted" information! I am not going to get into all the details because it was a long day and it will just tick me off! Just know I will probably not return to the festival and may not even return to the town of the pokes!

MY PERSONAL MARATHON

Last year at the Rooster Day Parade I saw some of our competitor's walking in the parade and told my dad we should make a float. I forgot about this until my niece Mikala reminded me. She has been working with me for a few months and I must say it is nice having an assistant to the assistant!! Thanks Mikala. I told her to find out all the info and let me know. She found out it was free then I had the not so brilliant idea to see if our manufacturers would give us samples to hand out along the parade like those floats who throw candy to the kids. I thought it was a good idea and completely free advertising. We could get the entire family involved including grand-kids, friends and employees - sorry guys! Then we thought about having customers bring their dogs to walk in the parade and we would give them a costume - good idea! The samples from the manufacturers came in within two weeks and we had over 5000 items to give away. Then we would also be having a drawing for an aquarium worth $1200 and you could only get the entry forms at the parade to see how many people it actually draws into the store. My dad kept saying there is no way we will be able to hand out ALL of these samples and I said yes we will don't worry! I must say as of now the idea that Mikala worked SO hard on although it was well laid out and great ended up being a big pain in our FEET!! First of all they SAID the earlier we lined up the sooner we would be done because we were TOLD those who were in line first would be near the front of the parade. LIARS! We were at the end of the parade but one of the first ones in line!!! I really don't think that was fair but hey! We waited forever. I was positive it was going to rain on us but luckily it never rained.

Isaiah and Quinlynne ready to go! Elijah rode in the trailer with Logan and Noah.

My brother Curt preparing to listen to the Love A Pet on repeat loud enough for the spectators to hear!

When we finally got started...WAIT......in my mind as a normal spectator of the Rooster Day Parade I envision the parade is at a slow pace and stops frequently b/c of bands and other crap............I started to hand out my bag of goodies and when I looked up I was with the float of Eagles cheerleaders that were behind us. I ran to get more samples and catch up only to look up again once empty and realize I was behind again. I wasn't walking slow in fact I was rushing but the parade was too fast! Every time I would look up our van and trailer would be way way way ahead of me and no it wasn't just me it was everyone who was doing the samples. I wish we could have just thrown the samples (especially to people we don't like!lol) however the NEW rules state no throwing of any kind to the crowd not even candy! Everything must be "handed" to the crowd! And they had security posted and they were enforcing the new rule! SO we had to RUN! "I was a runnin'!" - you have to read that in a Forrest Gump voice! I ran my butt off today....wait.....you may have felt "the earth move under your feet" - you have to sing that one! Every time I would look up I'd see my friends and family who were handing out samples just running around like chickens with their heads cut off! NOT FUN! My dad mind you is riding in his scooter this whole time just bee boppin' around with no trouble saying wow I didn't realize the parade was this fast.....he says this with me shooting a dirty look as I AM RUNNING beside him to catch up to fill up my bag once more only to get left behind again. Then half way through the parade as I am trying to catch my breath, trying to say hello to people and handing out samples my dad zooms by me saying "stop giving away so much stuff we are going to run out before the end of the parade"! This from the man who argued with me that we had "way" too much stuff! To top it off, my cute, normally comfortable, outfit matching, not made for running shoes tore the skin off the back of my feet and I was in pain and bleeding. Then I realize we have already passed the normal parade stopping point. I yell to Mikala, "WEREN'T WE SUPPOSED TO STOP BACK THERE?!" She yelled back, "OH NO DIDN'T I TELL YOU THEY EXTENDED THE PARADE THIS YEAR. IT WILL BE THE LONGEST ONE YET AND STOPS AT THE STOP LIGHT UP AHEAD!" Can you feel me shaking my head right now? NO I WAS NOT INFORMED OF THIS PARADE EXTENSION OR OF THE NEW WARP PARADE SPEED. Was it just me or did the parade zoom by? What do you all know you were sitting down watching not running trying to hand out free goodies to the greedy free-goodie "I want some" parade watchers! Halfway through many of the dogs had pooped out, sat down and refused to walk any further, the younger grand-kids were all riding in the trailer, a few of the walkers were sitting on the back of the trailer and Tez who was pulling Quinlynne and Isaiah in a wagon was sitting on the back of the trailer letting the trailor pull the wagon!
!

We were pooped to say the least!!! We were then going to have to walk all the way back to the beginning of the parade to get into our cars......NO WAY.......we all just climbed into the trailer and let my brother drive us there!

My dad using his belt while Martez sits on the trailer holding the belt to pull Dad and his scooter to the car!

Our new puppy Samson dressed up as a prisoner!

My brother's new puppy Nugget in her bikini!

His shirt says it all!

KATRINA - OUR LITTLE FREAKSHOW

Does anyone know what today is? National Scrapbooking Day! Yeah for me b/c I got to go crop with Shan and Cleta!!! Also it was Elijah's last soccer game of the season and he scored a goal from right behind midfield. Although I would love to say it was skill that he inherited from his mother, I will not lie it was a complete kick of luck and it shocked everyone especially him! So cute! Well I was writing to tell you about this woman we had to sit with at the crop. I thought we all may just kill her. SHE TALKED NON-STOP FOR EIGHT FREAKING HOURS!!!! Oh poor pitiful me.....so many depressing stories we wondered just how many were true. I got plenty done today but not as much as I needed to because I had to keep getting up to walk around AWAY from her!!!! Man was she ever annoying! To top it off somewhere halfway through the day Shandolynne somehow mentioned my work and then we had to hear about her dog for what seemed like a lifetime!!! Shandolynne had to embellish that my family owns the store and blah blah blah so that Katrina (By the way I already hated that name but now I loath it!) would shift her focus onto me instead of Shandolynne who had actually been acknowledging that she existed. Up to this point I had done fairly well at not speaking to her directly! Now I was forced to act like she existed! "Sweetpea has all the clothing you sell! (Then she describes each and every one!) I am the one who called a couple of times per week wondering when the new OU shirts would be in for little Sweetpea. I am also the one who special ordered the 5 puppy tiaras!" Need I say more! FREAK SHUT UP! She is one of the many reasons why I no longer work on the sales floor but lock myself away to a little office in hopes no freaks find me! I swear Shandolynne if she comes in asking for me by name I will pray DAILY that you have to wipe her ass someday in the hospital and then have to "sit" a shift with her!!!! You know I will! Dreams can come true!

YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO WEAR THEM TOO!!

Martez went to the eye doctor yesterday and guess who needs glasses!!! Ha! My response to him was that's probably why you stop too late at stop signs because you can't read it. You should just tell that to the cop next time! Ha! Guess you'll just HAVE to wear them!!

2 CONTACTS ARE BETTER THAN ONE

For about a month I have wondered about Tez's vision noticing him sitting closer to the television and doing a fair amount of squinting. Although when I would ask him if he could see he would always say yes. Tez's school had to start some new testing to reevaluate his IEP and placement for next year but discovered he needed to see an eye doctor first because he failed his vision screening. They would not resume testing until his vision problem had been seen by a doctor. Last Monday after the stressful Zoo field trip with Elijah and half of the area public schools, I took Tez to the eye doctor. I asked if he would be able to wear contacts and she said yes. I knew he was absolutely against wearing glasses and I said I would be willing to work with him to see if he would be responsible enough to wear and take care of contacts. Martez totally disagreed with me saying sternly, "Well if he needs glasses then he will just HAVE to wear them!" At his age short of screwing the glasses directly into his skull you can't "make" him wear glasses if you aren't around and Tez isn't exactly careful when playing sports. I totally disagree with this philosophy and since I have been in Tez's shoes at a much much younger age I understand the situation. I had glasses (very thick) when I went into third grade and wore glasses until my parents allowed me to try contacts at the age of 13. They bought me one pair which at the time were $375.00 for gas permeable lenses and if I lost them I would not get another pair unless I paid. I treated those babies like they were gold!!! I have since been able to switch to soft contacts which nowadays are so cheap - yeah - especially if you wear them longer than the recommended 2 weeks like I do! LOL I didn't feel Martez had any sympathy for Tez and I didn't feel like he really understood the emotional crap that comes along with a 14 yr old boy getting glasses. I am not saying glasses are bad in any way, shape or form but I also now how it feels as a kid AND I know better than him that kids will take their glasses off from time to time when not in the presence of parents. I also believe that contacts will be a better fit for Tez's lifestyle. He is VERY active and I am positive glasses would get broken or lost in no time at all. Seriously once Tez is out of my car and into the school building I have no doubt the glasses will be off of his face!! There is no visible difference when wearing contacts so if he will wear them willingly and can handle the responsibility then why not let him try. SOOOOOO we got him a trial pair of contacts and trust me the first 3 or 4 days of putting them in were a chore. He would get so frustrated and I would tell him "I am willing to help you learn how to put in your contacts but you have to stay calm and not give up until you learn or I won't buy them for you and you will just have to adjust to wearing glasses!" The mere idea of wearing glasses would make him readjust his attitude and he did better than I thought he would. The first day he came home all excited saying, "wow I could read the chalkboard from my chair!" It was also funny when he asked how long he would have to wear them and I said anytime you want to actually see the world around you. I think he thought he wear contacts for a couple of weeks and then his vision would miraculously be restored. Well it has now been a week and today I get a call from him all stressed out at school because a contact fell out. I told him it was no big deal just to put it in the case. He said he lost it and again I said don't stress out you have to go back to the eye doctor today for a recheck so she will just give you another one. Of course, his father freaked out more than myself saying see he just needs to wear glasses. I told him he should have a more positive light on the situation. I thought Tez would've lost many contacts by now but I think he has done extremely well considering he hasn't had any problems once they are actually in his eye which Martez could admittingly NEVER do!! Fast forward to later today......we get to the eye doctor and knowing the contacts have to be on for awhile before they check the eyes I tell them he lost his left contact so he would need a new one. He then informs me that he took out the right one after he had lost the left one and didn't bring it with him. I tell them nevermind he will just need a new pair to put on while he waits for me to be examined. So he sits and waits while I get checked then when it was his turn I was sitting in the chair watching him totally butcher the eye chart. I was sitting there thinking to myself why in the world can't he read this with his contacts in his eyes. I think the assistant thought the same since she made him reread the chart about 5 times and he really read it with confidence like it was correct! Worried the doctor took him in to have a look and she came out laughing! She said he took the right contact out at school however he never actually lost the left contact so when he put the new pair in at the office he then had one right contact and two left contacts in his eyes. Just goes to show more is not always better because it really screwed with his vision! I then was trying to get him to pick out a pair of glasses to wear when he wouldn't be wearing contacts.....wow that was a feat!!! I was getting really annoyed at his attitude and had to explain MANY times even though we would be buying him contacts he would still need a pair of glasses to wear at night after he takes out his contacts so HE CAN SEE!! Two and a half hours later......we decided on some glasses for both of us and I was so ready to be home it wasn't even funny!!!

MY PENGUINS

My boys are in my niece Mikala's wedding next month and we had to go get fitted for tuxes. I tried to talk her out of having Zay in it mainly because of his hatred to all group or professional pictures and the total chaos that happens after his meltdown to them. Just the thought of him having one of his meltdowns in the wedding makes my stomach hurt! Well the people at the tux place were not the friendliest. First of all I waited forever completely ignored after watching a salesman flip out on a customer that had already left. I finally find someone and she says, "I don't think I have anything that will fit him we only go down to a 3T!" in a really snotty voice. I knew it was my niece's wish and I was kind of ticked off at the lady's attitude so I said, "Well that will work out perfectly since he wears a 3T or a 4T." She then says, "Well I have no way of knowing if it will fit or which one to order." My response was, "then that is your problem but I would try on one of those 10 suits hanging on the wall behind you!" They tried it on and it was a perfect fit!!! She then thought he was too handsome and had to crack a smile! Elijah just stayed cool and calm since he only had to get measured but I can't wait to see him in a tux. My handsome little men!

THE HIP HOP HOKEY POKEY

Oh my goodness! Tonight was Elijah's school talent show. When they first announced the talent show, Elijah brought the paper home saying "Don't worry mom I won't be in the talent show because I don't have talent!" I thought that was funny yet sad all in one. However, much to Elijah's dismay two of the kindergarten teachers were joining forces and teaching their classes the ABC Disco and the Hip Hop Hokey Pokey. I will just say this: I was very proud of my boy and his rhythym AND I laughed my little heart out!!