Monday Mumbles 37

1. Spring is really taking its sweet time showing up.

2. I've all but given up on figuring out what to feed my children. I'm ready to move to bread and water.

3. This past weekend has been full of spankings. I feel like I thought they were so bad so often, maybe it's me who needs to spanking for thinking negatively.

4. And no, that's NOT an invitation, Hubs.

5. I've tried hard not to be a sore loser and continue to watch college basketball to see the tournament through. The problem, however, is that I never really got into the regular season to begin with so I don't have a lot of interest or knowledge in teams still playing. As Keith Urban said, I'm Movin' On.

6. To the Royals, hopefully. Baseball season should be off and running this week.

7. Oh, today is our anniversary. Seven years married, a dozen putting one another through the wringer. The marriage number is really just a side note to the actual years together, given our start.

8. Evelyn was scolded by me yesterday afternoon in the car. When she continued to scowl from the back seat, Hubs tried to intervene and/or discipline. Her response was, "Dad, you're not Mom!" which we subtitle "she's the one pissing me off and right now I can only take one of you."

9. She also asked to watch "Meno Finding" when we got home which melted any and all frustration I might have built up. I mean, seriously. Meno? Meno Finding?

10. We bought ourselves another Honda. Yup. Just can't resist 'em.

Monday Mumbles 36

1. Evelyn likes to comb my hair and it's like Heaven. Truly. I have always loved to have my hair brushed and now I have a built-in stylist.

2. In fact, just last night I negotiated an extra two minutes of combing, and she countered with, "How about four?" DEAL.

3. Basketball was fun all weekend. Up until it wasn't, on Sunday afternoon. Ah well. Bring on the Royals.

4. Have I mentioned that, aside from photos of my friends' kids, I don't miss Facebook at all? I don't miss having mixed feelings about who stays in my news feed and who doesn't, feeling obligated to be interested in long lost folks or those barely known, or feeling like a constant gate keeper of memories and time management.

5. Work continues to go well and I still find myself marveling that I like it. It has struggles, like all do, and challenges me but I suppose that's what I want. Right? I need to be pushed and forced to explore outside my comfort zone. To a point. But if my comfort zone provides productivity and results, I sometimes question the need to be forced outside of it. If comfort zones produce stagnant choices and lackluster performers, then there is a need to push outside of it. I get that. But I struggle with the question....should everyone be forced outside of their zone just to fit a mold, or should the mold be pliable to fit around those who produce best in their zone?

6. And the trickier question is-is everyone focused on what the BEST results and productivity ARE? Is everyone aware that a team can and NEEDS to have different production cycles and different results for different stages of a process?

7. On another note, we experienced good 60 and even 70 degree days around here only to wake up to snow Sunday morning. WTH? Get over already, Winter.

8. Owen, not without his struggles that have been well documented, is without a doubt my sweetheart protector. He's like my bodyguard sometimes, when he thinks I need one. I love it. He's going to be GREAT for Sissy when they're in school together.

9. And Turner will remain the constant instructor. He can't help himself. He's like me and always teaching and preaching. I promise, folks, I'm trying to beat this out of him. As softly as possible.

10. There is a new TV series on NBC. At least I think it's NBC. Resurrection. Omar Epps. I saw the previews and decided to DVR the first episode to see if it was worth it. Liking it a lot so far, actually. Might be a keeper on the Sunday night rotation of nothingness. Well, nothing until football starts. Did I mention Go Royals?

Funny Face Friday 11

Turner wanted us to know that the angle at which he could visit the horses was...yes...stinky.

This one. You never know what you're going to get.

One won't show their teeth, the other can't help but pose. 

The Science Museum was full of hands-on learning.

What you can't see by Owen's joyful expression is that his sister was clinging to me like a wounded animal, head and eyes buried into my neck. She did NOT enjoy the mechanical dinosaur corner. At. All.

She did, however, enjoy the ride to Oklahoma City. Dora backpack provided plenty of entertainment inside.

Tuesday Owenisms 18

I finally went for a run. I came back and mentioned I was stinky.

Evelyn: If the guy says something smells like TRASH...we will tell him it isn't TRASH. She just went running.

First of all, who said "stinky" equated to TRASH???? And second of all, who is "the GUY"? 

Monday Mumbles 35

1. Oh how I love daylight savings. All these folks who complain about the switching of the clocks so we can get a few extra daylight hours can suck it. Sun. Shine. People.

2. I finally went for a run. A short nearly two miler with Turner on a near 60 degree day. It felt like the start of something new.

3. My younger siblings are rising to grown folk status. One is slated to become a first time parent and another is in contract for a house. As my dad said to my granny, "Things are going crazy!"

4. I realized recently that I really never face my fears. True fears. At least I feel like I've taken the easy path almost always and called it "methodically approached". I can't easily think of one thing I've done that was an acknowledged fear beforehand, that I consciously tackled.

5. March Madness is upon us. I have zero idea how to prepare. We lay eggs. We look fabulous. Who knows what we can expect, which-for me-makes it fun. And when I say "we", I of course mean the Jayhawks. I shouldn't assume my few readers readily know who I support.

6. Speaking of the Jayhawks, I've had to enlighten a new East Coast co-worker to the ins and outs of KU, MU, KSU history. It sometimes feels like Coast dwellers never realized we existed before we were actually IN FRONT of them.

7. I finished Game of Thrones book five. Yea me. (This calls for a get-together with my pal Tracy so I can return it, me thinks.)Time for the second book in the Hunger Games series...while I multitask and read the Pat Summitt autobiography.

8. I have a dentist appointment this week to get a cavity taken care of. Send good vibes Thursday afternoon. I'll need them as I white knuckle the chair and pretend like I'm not crying.

9. For the first time in...forever...I had my eyebrows waxed twice within a month timeframe. As in "upkeep". As in...wow, I've never allowed myself such a luxury.

10. As for Evelyn, who sat watching, it wasn't considered a luxury. The gal looked at Sis and asked if she was ready for her turn after I went. When I was finished and got up to go, Evelyn was glued to her chair with a look of death on her face. She started shaking as she gripped the arms. I picked her up and said "Time to go!" She started bawling. SOBBING. Said she didn't want the girl to put tape on her eyes. She sobbed for at least five solid minutes. Doesn't sound like a lot, right? In a retail store, a five minute sob fest with choked speech and clinging hands, it's an eternity. The girl felt so bad but I was laughing. Evelyn clearly didn't get the joke. Sounds a bit like her mama.....

Tuesday Owenisms 17

The entire family is in the kitchen. Hubs and I are discussing one of my upcoming work trips. I casually toss a question to the kids. Below is what I should have known would happen, but as always I was taken aback.

Mom: Do you guys even miss me when I'm gone?

Turner and Evelyn, (in unison): YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!

Owen: I have a picture in my head, so.......

Monday Mumbles 34

1.  I never realized how much influence music had on my childhood. While we were never singers or dancers or anything artistically in tune with music, my parents included it in our 'everyday' whenever they could. And because Hubs had a similar experience I think, I find we are unconsciously making it part of our 'fun' with the kids. As an example, I sit here typing and Evelyn is grooving on the bed to Abba's Dancing Queen.

2. And, to prove that music is becoming more and more relevant, I actually buy songs on iTunes periodically. For those who don't know me quite so well...I don't shop online. Ever. So this is a new adventure for me.

3. (She's now bouncing to Beach Boys' Kokomo)

4. When I'm placed in a place of retail (specifically, clothing), I am constantly searching for bargains and clearance racks. Sadly, even when I might find something I like...I feel like I have to have a NEED for it before I can purchase it. I realize this is a solid built-in restraint mechanism but it makes me sad when I leave things on the rack that really should belong to me.

5. Is anyone else guilty of snatching up stray dollar bills and coins that may or may not fall completely out of pants pockets that don't belong to you? Just me? All of us?

6. I finally read the first book of the Hunger Games series. After the first three chapters, I text one of my friends and told her that I was not happy with it thus far. The premise made my stomach hurt. But I said I'd keep going, and I later admitted I couldn't stop reading. BUT...that doesn't change the fact that my stomach hurt, or that I secretly wonder if we'll get to a point where humanity takes on some form of this, not that it isn't already. I need to get book two before too much time lapses.

7. (Bon Jovi, Shot Through the Heart)

8. Did I tell all of you that I haven't ran or been to boot camp since October? Terrible. Simply terrible. I might consider returning in April. If March warms up enough, I can start jogging again. I just hate winter so, so, so much.

9. I made potato soup Sunday afternoon. The thick, creamy kind. It's been awhile since I burned the last batch so I was a bit nervous. This one turned out great.

10. Apologies for being absent around here of late. Mondays seem to come and go so fast anymore. I just wish I could same the same for the wrinkles that keep appearing. They just never GO. Only come. So sad.