Monday's Madness and it's not football

I love Thanksgiving. I love it for the food, time spent with family, and the fact that I only have to work one day during the week of Thanksgiving. I was looking forward to spending the week with the girls. My plans went something like this:

• sleeping in,
• having lunch together,
  
• watching some movies like Kung Fu Panda together, and
  
• working on some crafts

However my plans with the girls were nothing like their plans for their week off school. Grace and Anna decided that they would rather spend the day at Granny's, have lunch with Granny, playing at Granny's, watching TV at Granny's, sleeping over at Granny's,so they can sleep in at Granny's.

What about Mommy? I've been traded for GRANNY! I feel like Jan Brady.

GRANNY, GRANNY, GRANNY!

So today, Helen Kate and I spent the day together. We slept in, or at least attempted to, had lunch together, watched some TV, and napped together. I guess I am number 1 to Helen Kate, for now.

Granny is my madness, what yours?

But you know, I am thankful my girls have a GRANNY who loves them that much, and puts them first. Happy Thanksgiving!

Gobble, Gobble,
e

Top Ten Places Grace Would Like to See

10. Atlanta - Because I would like to visit the Martin Luther King House that is now a musuem.

9. Chattanooga - I would like to sleep on the train and go to the Creative Discovery Museum.

8. Washington D.C. - Cause I want to tour the White House.

7. Athens, Georgia - Cause I would like to go to a Georgia game.

6. Disneyland - I want to ride the rides and meet Miley Cyrus.

5. Orlando, FL - I want to stay in a hotel and go swimming so I can cool off during the summer.

4. Mt. Rushmore - Because I want to see George Washington's face.

3. New York - Because I want to audition for Broadway and go shopping at the American Girl Store.

2. Hollywood, CA - Because I want to become a movie star.

1. Korea - I want to see my great-Nana.

-Grace

P.S. Grace decided on the places by herself and the order of importance to her. When she was working on this list, I was amazed at the places she listed and reasons why. I even got a little emotional when she said Korea. She is ready to see the world, and hopefully she can!

-e

Monday's Madness

I am absolutely baffled by the fact that next Thursday is Thanksgiving! Where did time go? I mean, it just doesn't seem possible. How can it be? Who am I to question time? I guess I need to savor each minute, because...

Time does not stand still for anyone, so gobble gobble! Happy Thanksgiving!

Grace, Anna, and Helen Kate are ready. How about you?

Wordless Wednesday . . . Us

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

10 Things Anna Would Rather Do Than Go To School

10. In her PJs in bed because Anna loves to sleep in.

9. At her Nana's eating scrambled eggs and bacon, only Nana can make the eggs "the right way".

8. In a deer stand with her daddy, Anna loves being with her daddy.

7. Enjoying a nice snack, Vienna Sausages, at her Granny's because Mommy doesn't let her eat these.

6. Outside playing football with Micheal and Bryant, definitely an Anna favorite.

5. On the computer at http://www.starfall.com, she loves this website.

4. Go back to Wee Care, she misses preschool.

3. Playing school at home with Grace, this is the girls' favorite activity together.

2. Drawing in one of her many notebooks, Anna is our little artist.

1. Take a bubble bath, little did you know that this girl loves a bubble bath, but hates to take a bath. Go figure. I think she would much rather take a bath than go to school.

Mystery Guest for Monday's Madness

Has any one decided to drop by your place without warning?

They come on in without a knock on your door to announce there visit.

They decided to make themself at home even though you aren't that chummy with this one.

They eat your food, without being offered a bite to eat.

They roam around your house as if it were there own and rummage through your belongings.

They even decide to stay awhile, even though you have places to go and things to do.

After you have dropped hint after hint that it was time for them to go, they still don’t get it and won’t leave.

Well, guess what? This would be the case at the Blount's humble abode. Can you guess who my mystery vistor is? No, it’s not a family member, not neighbors, or even a friend. This extra special visitor would have to be a MOUSE!

About a month ago, Andy thought he saw something scurry in the living room, but couldn’t confirm it because it was dark. He had just woke up, and he wasn’t fully alert. So he and I dismiss the idea that he saw something. Then about 3 weeks ago, I know I saw something in the living room. I tell Andy, there is a mouse over by the speaker. He gets up, the mouse scurried behind the loveseat and seemed to disappear in thin air. So Andy went to the store at 9:30pm to purchase some traps. Andy sets up these crazy clamp-like traps, baits them with peanut butter. BECAUSE MICE LOVE PEANUT BUTTER.

Well, guess what, these traps are still set when we get up the next morning, bait and all. So we leave the traps out for the rest of week. By the end of the week, no mouse and now no peanut butter. Andy thinks that maybe I didn’t really see a mouse. But can't seem to explain the missing peanut butter.

Fast Forward to Saturday. As I was cleaning house, I found some trace evidence of mouse poop. I tell Andy it time to get rid of this visitor for good. He’s not paying rent and uninvited. Andy goes out and purchases some heavy duty super sensitive traps. I go to bait it this time with peanut butter as the instructions say. I set them, and go to bed. Hoping that by Sunday morning light, my visitor will be gone. RIP, little mouse.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, this mouse is slick. Bait is gone and no mouse!!! What is goin’ on? I am not sure how much more of this I can take. Knowing there is something sneaking around my house as I sleep, watching me during the day and night, just waiting for an opportunity to rummage through my belongings. THIS HAS GOT TO STOP. THE MADNESS WILL END THIS WEEK.

Again, Sunday evening we bait the traps and prepare for the hunt. This morning I get up, and Andy informs me no mouse, just an empty set trap. WHAT DO I DO???

Should we try poison now? But what if he crawls away and dies in his hiding spot, and stinks up the place. I don’t knowif it is safe with the kids in the house, but I am ready for this tiny visitor to hit the road. I mean, I know the girls won't eat the poison. But I do know I have had enough, and this madness needs to end. Someone please tell me what can I do?

I am going on a mouse hunt.

This Monday’s Madness and I am out.

-e

UPDATE - My guest has left our home for a resting place in my dumpster! I went home for lunch, and Andy checked our trap. Behold, the little mouse was splat! However, we are not finished mouse hunting, we will set more traps to ensure that there aren't anymore guests.

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday's Top Ten Things...

we would rather watch on the tube instead of those blasted campaign ads!

1. Family Feud - The top ten answers are on the board!
2. Mighty Putty Infomercial - Anna loves a good infomercial and according to her it can fix anything. Do you think it would help our economy?
3. Scooby Doo Cartoons - We all love a good mystery, like who will be the next president? Maybe those meddling kids can figure this one out.
4. Sports Center - Dun, dun, dunt. This is Andy's favorite, and yes, this is more interesting than those ads.
5. The Wiggles - I can get some much need exercise. At least these guys are true to their innerselves.
6. Reruns of Reba - We would vote the Reba/Barbara Jean ticket. They would definitely clear things up in Washington.
7. Rachel Ray and 30-minute meals - Grace's favorite cooking show. If only the candidates could campaign for 30-minutes.
8. Suite Life of Zack and Cody - I would rather see these guys sling mud.
9. Arthur - The lice episode is our favorite!
10. The Replacements - Can someone please find a replacement for these candidates!!

According to Jodi. . .

I need to start blogging regularly. She's probably right, and she even gave me some blogging ideas. Some of which I will use. I think I would like to designate Monday as Monday Madness. I can share whatever craziness has gone on in the Blount household the previous week.

Like last week was a gem! You see, we had just got home from George's party and Grace decided that she was going to turn Helen-Kate's room into a classroom complete with a dry erase board taped to the wall. As she wrote on the board, her marker would slip off the board leaving stray red marks on the wall. Grace, being the wise and responsible 7 year old, comes to me and tells me that she has accidentally written on the wall. She is upset but truthful.

I go to Helen-Kate's room to inspect the damage, and sure enough there are red markings on the wall. So I begin to interrogate her as to why she taped the board to the wall, after her dad had removed it from the wall earlier. She gets upset, starts to cry, and goes to her dad.

Andy comes in as I am cleaning the wall, turning that beautiful glossy finish to a dull ugly mess. He tells me that Grace has decided that if things do not get any better around here by the end of the week, she is going to move in with her Nana.

Now the madness begins...Grace and I have a little pow-wow. I tell Grace to go ahead and pack up and sit on Nana's front porch until Nana gets home. Grace starts crying and says, "I said that if things didn't get better by the end of the week I would go live with Nana." Again, I state go ahead and pack. Grace then becomes even more upset, and yells, "I SAID BY THE END OF THE WEEK!"

By now, the madness has decided to have a seat and sit a spell. I inform Grace, not to worry about packing, because she was not going to take anything I've provided for her, and she can march herself in the PJs and flip flops Nana has bought her and head on out. Grace then storms out of her room.

Grace is upset, and decides that I am the one who needs to chill. So I give him the look of a crazed woman, took a deep breath and told Grace to come sit with me. Maybe we would find out what is really going on. So Grace crawled up in my lap.

Grace said, "I am tired of being blamed for things Anna does." So I go through the events of the evening asking who did what. Each time Grace quietly responds, "I did. "

Then Grace says, "No one appreciates me, except Helen-Kate." I remind Grace how much we all love and appreciate her.

Now can someone tell me...Is this just a glimpse of the madness to come as she and I get older? I asked Grace this weekend if things have gotten better. Grace smiled and said, "Yes, mommy."