Sunday Special: Hokey Pokey Edition

And that, my friends, is what it's all about.

Freestyle Friday: Pet Peeves Edition

pet′ peeve′ n. a continual source of personal annoyance

How about when you are in a restaurant and someone has a toddler with them and they are letting said monster run around and lay on the floor and be disruptive making it difficult for you to not pay attention to him (because shouldn't someone be paying attention to this kid?) and then the ankle biter falls down and hurts himself and screams and cries for like 10 minutes, for instance? Drives me banana sandwich.

Poor grammar. It riles up the word nerd in me. For example:

• you're (you are)/your (belonging to you)
• then (relates to time)/than (comparison)
• there (in that place)/their (belonging to them)/they're (they are)
• it's (it is)/its (belonging to it)
• alot (NOT a word)

When people don't respect my personal space. I hate it. The worst is when I'm in line at Walmart, Kroger, or some other such place... PLEASE stop hitting the back of my ankles with your cart.

Oh, I have more. But I'll save those for some other time.

What are your pet peeves?

3 Thoughts Thursday

1. Dogs rubbing their faces in unknown substances found on the front sidewalk is inconvenient.
Especially when they do it right before you need to leave for work. I washed his face with cranberry hand soap from the kitchen on a wet paper towel, but he still needs a bath later. Gross.

2. Paper cuts are the worst.
Need I say more?

3. I need a nap.

Wednesday: Where am I?

I am waking up on the couch in the living room after having a slumber party with Emma last night. We were watching Tangled; but we both got tired around 10 p.m., so we turned it off and went to sleep.

I am at work.

See those two computer icons? They're supposed to be connected. They aren't. Which means we have no internet service. Thank goodness for cell phones!

I am running home to e-mail something I thought I'd e-mailed two days ago. Apparently I didn't.

I am at lunch with Emma.

I am at the library with Emma. She got her very own library card today! And two Scooby Doo books to read.

And I read an article this morning about the 14 books I need to read before their movies come out (you know how the book is [usually] always better than the movie). Out of the 14, three looked really good to me. So I picked up the top one on my list at the library: The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel. I've just started reading it, and I'm already hooked. I think the movie will be great, too - and not just because George Clooney and Matt Damon will be in it.

Emma and I will be going to VBS later. Last night was the first night, and it was a lot of fun. Hopefully the yucky weather won't put a damper on the festivities.

Twitter Tuesday

How many times do I have to go to Walmart before I remember all the things that I need?

Dear week[end]

[weekend]

Dear yard sale,

You were very successful, which was great, and very hot and sweaty, which was not great. Glad you are behind us.

Dear Man of Steel,

I saw you in IMAX 3D. I would have preferred better previews (I always love the previews); but I really enjoyed you as a movie. Your writing and story really helped clear up a few questions I always had about Superman. So thanks.

Dear church,

I took a week off of singing and ran the sound and slides. It was a nice change of pace.

Dear after-church lunch,

Pretty sure you were my favorite. We went to the Mexican restaurant in town, but that's not what was so great. Emma decided at lunch that she wants to be baptized next Sunday! I will take her confession of faith in front of the church, then Big Daddy will baptize her. So. Very. Excited.

[week]

Dear license branch,

I was hoping to swing in first thing in the morning on my way to work in order to do whatever it is I have to do to let you know that we traded in the 300C for a Navigator. Thanks for being closed on Mondays, unbeknownst to me.

Dear auditor,

We recently refinanced our mortgage, and I have a stack of yellow papers I'm supposed to file in your office the last week of June. Which is this week. And apparently the refinance has not been filed yet, which I found out after swinging by your office this morning on my way to work. So I have to call you next week to see if you're ready for me to bring in said yellow papers. Again.

Dear Goodwill,

Thanks for so willingly taking our yard sale remnants! They never even came back in the house after yesterday's [very successful] yard sale. And now they are gone forever. Hooray!

Dear weather,

Make up your mind. If you're going to storm, do it. Or not. Pick a path and stick to it.

Dear VBS,

You start tomorrow and run through Friday. Let's have a fun, safe 4 days!

Freestyle Friday: Quick Hits Edition

Almost bought an Audi A4 today. Didn't, but I sure felt fancy driving it.

When the 90-degree weather outside feels cool, you know it's way too hot in the middle school gym where they had cheer camp. Just saying.

Sorry, but I have no sports bra-related anecdotes today. I know you're disappointed.

Going to see Man of Steel in IMAX 3D tomorrow. Should be pretty cool. I'll let you know what I think afterward (in a non-spoilery way).

Yard sale tomorrow, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Come see us!

3 Thoughts Thursday

1. WebMD.com is a dangerous place.
I have a canker sore right inside my cheek on the right side of my mouth. At first I thought I bit my lip and it was still sore; but then it kept hurting, and I looked and saw a little white bump. I did a Google search on canker sores, and I went to the WebMD site to read about it, really wondering how long it would hurt and when I should expect it to go away. Canker sores are usually stress related (huge yard sale coming up, hello??); but I discovered it could also be caused by an underlying health condition like Celiac disease or Crohn's disease. I know I don't have those things, but reading about the possibility is enough to freak someone out.

So glad it's feeling better today, the third day, which the site said is usually how long it takes for canker sores to start healing. FYI.

2. I don't know how I feel about being a cheer mom.
Emma's been going to cheer camp this week. It's super cute watching the kids her age do the little cheers and dances. But they aren't all together, and it upsets me. I wonder if that goes away after time? Plus their "dances" aren't really dances. What we did in Danceline? Those were dances. But I digress.

3. Sports bras are weird. (Gentlemen readers, you may want to skip this one this time.)
I haven't had a sports bra in a while, but I got one recently. I wore it to Zumba tonight. While it kept everything safe and secure and in place, I was reminded of the idiosyncrasies of wearing a sports bra:
a) You've heard of the unibrow, right? Here comes the uniboob.
b) There's no indention in which my seat belt can rest as I'm driving, so the seat belt keeps sliding up to my neck and choking me. Very irritating and uncomfortable.
c) Less room to roam = less air flow = sweat.

Wednesday: Where am I?

I am at work. You know, it's difficult to get things done when others don't get me the info I need to do my job.

I am at the bank. Depositing.

I am picking up Emma at MIL's house. We have to finish watching The Price is Right before we leave.

I am at a local restaurant with Emma.

Probably won't be going back. The food was fine. But our experience left a bit to be desired. For instance, when Emma and I walked into the restaurant, the one woman at the front was on the phone and paid us no notice. She kept talking and didn't even acknowledge our presence. Finally someone took us to a table. Plus there was no kids' menu. At least I had a cute dining companion.

I am watching Emma at cheer camp. Her two besties are in her group.

On our way home, Emma was telling me that one of her friends was really focusing on winning one of the awards they give each day (Best Jumper and Miss Spirit for each age group) and was crying a little about it. Emma said she told her friend that cheer camp isn't about winning awards, it's about having fun and learning to cheer. Talk about a tear-jerker. I am so stinking proud of that kid.

Twitter Tuesday

Exercise update: Used the elliptical yesterday for 10 mins. Wheel that didn't get changed shredded. Now I wait for replacement to arrive.

Dear Week[end]

[weekend]
Dear birthday slumber party,
Thank you for giving Emma a place to go and have fun with her friends so Big Daddy and I could work on getting ready for our upcoming yard sale (which is THIS SATURDAY). Emma came home with really pretty fingernails and had a great time.

Dear yard sale prep,
You are a lot of work. So much work that I had to go to Walmart at 9:30 p.m. to get more hangers. Still a lot of pricing to do, but I will be working on it all this week.

Dear street concert,
Loved it! Rick A and The Way are always awesome.

And Miss Tori rocked it OUT when she did "Gimme Some Lovin'!" Girlfriend has some major pipes. So proud of her!

She said it's the red hair that makes her so awesome. She and her mamaw (the other one with red hair - she is Big Daddy's aunt) are both great singers. Maybe Tori's right...

Dear Father's Day,
Had a great time celebrating all the fathers in my life! Big Daddy is the best daddy in the whole wide world. Emma and I are so lucky to have him in our lives. And then MY dad, Mr. Fix-It Fox, he's the best. And FIL is the best, too. I'm so lucky to have so many wonderful men in my life!

[week]
Dear sleep,
Hoping to get a little more of you this week. Help me out, buddy.

Dear elliptical,
You are officially in working order finally. (Thanks, Big Daddy!) I plan to start working out with you this week. It's for my own good.

Dear cheer camp,
Emma finally gets to attend this year after not being able to due to scheduling issues the past few years. I bet she'll have a blast.

Freestyle Friday

What do you think I am making?

I got the idea from Pinterest. I will post the finished product after I, well, finish it. It already looks super cute.

Our kitchen looks ah-maz-ing. Super duper excited about it. This is the idea with which we started.

And this is how it turned out.

We are so pleased.

3 Thoughts Thursday

1. New wall colors are fun.
Especially when someone else paints them.

P.S. Our painter guy is awesome. This is the fourth room he's done for us.

2. Wallpaper and border are terrible.
I do have a friend who has this FANTASTIC wallpaper (I believe it's a textured, white-and-gray chevron pattern = chic and gorgeous) on one wall in her kitchen. But 99.99% of the time, I am violently anti-wallpaper.

3. Wall painting supervision is a tough job.
Wears you right out.

Wednesday: Where am I? Hash Tag Edition

I am at the Post Office, bright and early, right after they opened. And the lady who really knows how to help me is, of course, on vacation. Oh well, the other lady and I think we may have figured it out. #HeresHoping

I am at work playing answer-a-million-calls. Seriously, I hang up the phone, and it immediately rings again. #ItsAGreatDayAtTheRaytownTravelAgency (Who gets this obscure TV reference?)

I am having lunch with Emma at China Buffet. #yum

I am working on redesigning the church bulletin for our church (not the church at which I work, the church we attend). I enjoy this kind of thing, but boy is it difficult to come up with a completely new design on the fly. #ChallengeAccepted

I am annoyed. I went to Walmart to get a gallon of paint for our fantastic painter guy, who is going to paint our kitchen tomorrow. The paint counter is in the back corner of the store. So after finding a stupid parking spot and walking all the way to the back of the stupid store, I see a stupid sign on the stupid counter that ever-so-stupidly announces that the stupid paint mixing machine is broken. #stupid

I am waiting at Sherwin Williams, apparently the most popular place in town at this exact moment. At least I got the color I wanted, eventually. #KidsStuff

I am taking Emma to VBS at my parents' church. She has been having such a great time all week. #KingdomRock

I am super excited about getting our kitchen painted tomorrow! And I can't wait to show it to you all! #giddy

Twitter Tuesday

Emma's going to a birthday party sleepover on Friday after a week of VBS. You'd think that would wear her out, but you'd be wrong.

Dear Monday

Dear summer break,
I'm not used to you yet, so you've totally thrown off my routine.

Dear exploding flavored water,
At first when you exploded your red-ness up the wall and onto the ceiling in my kitchen, I was upset (just ask Emma ... or, better yet, please don't). But now that I've had time to process, you have inspired us to go ahead and paint the kitchen, which we needed to do anyway.

Dear rainy and overcast sky,
You are deceptively sneaky. You hid the sun from me, but I ended up with a [slight] sunburn anyway. Touché, my friend.

Dear yard sale preparation,
You are annoying, but worth it.

*As a side note, our housing addition is having a community yard sale starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 22. If you are in the area, you should definitely swing by. The sale at our house will have lots of girl clothes (4T-size S), ladies' clothes, big and tall men's clothes (size 6XL), electronics, housewares, a set of golf clubs, and much more. FYI.

Dear Coke Icee,
You are delicious. That is all.

Freestyle Friday: Have you ever?

Have you ever...

...heard a strange noise in your living room all evening which made you basically decide that your house was haunted simply because you couldn't figure out from where the noise was coming only to realize THE NEXT MORNING that it was your daughter's Aquapet that kept randomly making noise, apparently trying to get someone to play with it?

...stretched in the middle of the night and pulled a muscle in your neck?

...gone through the drive-thru at Starbucks and inhaled deeply every time they open the pick-up window so you can smell the deliciously intoxicating blend of coffee aromas that waft out to greet your nose?

Or is it just me?

3 Thoughts Thursday

1. Grocery shopping is much easier with an indentured servant a helper.

2. Work is more fun with a buddy.
Even if she just sits and reads.

3. Getting your doctor to call in a prescription for you instead of having to go in for an appointment is the best.
I mean, it's SO much easier.

Wednesday: Where am I?

I am in this video, and so is Emma!
The entire program is wonderful; but in case you don't have 57 minutes to watch the whole thing right now, here are the ones that we're in:

1. Emma's ballet number is at 14:20. She's the one on the left side of the group in the middle. She has the dark hair and the teeny, tiny pony tail (not enough hair for a bun).
2. Emma's tap number is at 33:05. She the fifth from the left. She pretty much disappears into the glare of the lights, but it's still adorable.
3. My tap number is at 44:50. I am the second from the right. The short one.

I am not suffering from allergies anymore!
At least not at the moment. I got a prescription for FloNase, and it has changed my life. I am no longer a sneezy, sniffly, itchy-eyed mess. Which is quite a nice change of pace.

I am full from lunch at Fazoli's with Emma.

I got ravioli marinara for $0.99 with the purchase of a medium drink. Emma got the kids' bowtie pasta with alfredo sauce. Delish.

I am burned out on Candy Crush Saga.
There, I said it. I'm currently on level 208, and I am in no rush to pass it.

I am tired.
I've been staying up entirely too late every night. That needs to change. I'll let you know how it goes. /wink

Twitter Tuesday

Dear Week

Still not sure if I am going to keep this Monday theme of Dear Week; but since I can't think of anything else right now, it'll have to do.

Dear Sunday,

You were great, even though I was super tired from the busy, dance recital-filled Thursday, Friday and Saturday before you.  I'm two chapters behind in reading The Story for church, but I will get caught up at some point.  It was really nice to be able to be outside and not worry about my allergies for once.  Hooray for new allergy meds!

Dear Monday,

Starting the new "official office hours" today (MWF 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Tu Th 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.).  If I have more to do on some days I will be here longer; but today my mother-in-law* (who is so sweet to hang out with Emma this summer while I'm at work) has a 1:00 lunch appointment, so I have to jet out of here right on time today.

I am not much of a fan of NBA basketball, I do need to note that the Indiana Pacers will be playing the Miami Heat tonight in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.  WHEN THE PACERS WIN, they will go on to beat the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals.  Just saying.

*Since Emma will be spending a lot of time with my mother- and father-in-law this summer, I shall henceforth refer to them as MIL (read: mill) and FIL (read: fill), respectively.

Dear Tuesday,

Short day at work.  I'm thinking Emma and I need to do something fun in the afternoon.  Painting pottery, perhaps?

Dear Wednesday,

Zumba this evening, although my mom and I normally go on Thursdays.  I have a VBS meeting at church on Thursday evening, so I will be going tonight instead.  Unfortunately, my normal Zumba buddy (Mom) is unable to attend tonight.  Thus I will be partying with my Zumba pals alone.

Dear Thursday,

VBS meeting tonight!  I have agreed to lead music.  This means I will be on stage leading the kiddos in the songs and the motions that go along with them.  The music and motions will be on the screen, but it's always nice to have a live person (or live people, as I will have some helpers) up there as well.

Dear Friday,

It seems like there is something going on today that I'm supposed to remember, but I don't.  I better look into that.

Dear Saturday,

See Friday.

Weekend wrap-up: Dance Recital Edition

Linking up to Eva's linky party today, even though my post is slightly different.


The 5th Annual Footsteps in Faith Talent Showcase took place Saturday night.  Standing room only in the audience, which was wonderful.

As promised, here are some photos!  The first is Emma, my ballerina princess:

 Doesn't she look beautiful?  LOVED the costumes for her class this year.  Such a pretty color.  Here's another cute shot:

Here are some photos from her class's two dance routines:

And I would be remiss if I didn't show a few photos of the ladies class.  First, here's me in my opening pose:

We were the last act in the show.  Turns out we're pretty cute in matching hats.