Progress

5 edays in a row that I have been to the gym. 5 days in a row I managed to drink 3 bottles of water. 5 days in a row I ate healthy and I even cooked 4 dinners in those 5 days (last night we went out for dad's birthday, I had to do it, but I ate well).

I had let work and tball and swim and brownies and stress in general stop me from being healthy about my life and I dont want to teach the kids that. So I figured if I make it habit and get used to cooking healthy meals every night over the summer when I have no stress it will be easier to carry it on into fall.

So plan B or C or D or E...here we go again. If at first you do not succeed, try, try again right?

Sweet cheeks.

Tristan: Mom, I really need new underwear.

Me: Why?

Tristan: Mine don't fit anymore.

Me: Is the elastic too tight, how do you know?

Tristan: Because...my cheeks hang out. (In a whisper) You know my butt cheeks."

I thought I was gonna die laughing. So now he has big boy boxers. No cheek problems. And all is well with the world.

Susie Homemaker

My daughter wants to be her. This week she is at cooking camp. She made breakfast casserole, chicken marsala and thai peanut chicken.

She wants to have 6 children.

In her spare time she plays school and organizes her closet.

Oy vey!

Calm before the storm

I had one of those days where I feel like every 5 minutes I had to be somewhere - picking up, dropping off, appts, meeting at work, etc. Which is unusual for a summer day. Anyway so I snuck in my house as the clouds blackened above and the wind started picking up. There was this amazing calm in the air...you just stood there watching the wind blow and the trees dance and the birds seek cover. Of course my kids want in so I unlock the door and moments later the powers out, the storm is fully raging, the wind doesn't seem as much pleasant as vicious and of course its raining in sheets.

Funny how life is so like this from the big to the little. Kids that are getting along one second and fighting the next, traffic thats steady to jammed in mere moments, marriages that seem rock solid split in two before one even realizes there were problems. In the past year we have known three people, all under the age of 45 that were just going about their lives...doing the same things we do everyday...only to find out that they were battling lymphoma, breast cancer and brain cancer.

Do you ever get scared that maybe something is too good? Like if you have too much peace in your life you must just be getting some kind of calm before a storm? I dont think this makes me a worrier...I am not playing what ifs in my head. I simply wonder sometimes what God is preparing me for? If the next trial is not just around the corner and if I am truly using this rest...to well rest. Funny that the thought of resting better makes me want to do more.

While I may not know if their is a storm brewing in my life at any given time. Today I am thankful for the calm...for the many blessings I have in my life.

A little ELF - fun treats!

Some people are computer illiterate, some people are unathletic, some people are cleanliness challenged. And some people are like me - makeup phobes!

I was BUSY in high school - bouncing from random practices to jobs to brief moments with a boyfriend. I never had time for stuff like makeup. Then there was this teeny tiny span where I went to college without many responsibilities outside school and work. Then I had kids. Which is all to explain that I just never took the time to learn how to put on makeup. And now I am quickly approaching 30 and can do basics but all those cool tricks - all those fabulous eyes - etc in magazines and on some of the people I call my closest friends - nada! And on top of that I dont have tons of money to spend on different colors, etc to find out what I like and what looks good...until today.

Check out this site that almost everything is 1.00. Now I realize this is not as good of makeup as Clinique or Mary Kay or whatever...but lets be real. I am only trying to dress it up once in a blue moon. "Smokey eyes" seem slightly inappropriate for tball fields, swim meets, PTA meetings and nights in a hospital psych ward!

So check it out - ELF! And if you use the code CAROLINA at checkout and have spent less than 15.00 dollars you get 50% off your order. Shipping is about six bucks.

Birds and Lizards

My dog is obsessed with the birds out back and the lizards out front. I could care less if he was quiet about it, but no, he runs in circles barking forever!!! Hes making me insane.

Though imagine this mental picture...sliding glass door thats 7 foot tall or so. A teeny tiny 7 lb dog. Lizard on the screen outside the slider. And a running jump.
Silly dog throws himself at the window and I kid you not he can jump like 3.5 feet high, its rather impressive. At least 4 times his height!

Any ideas how to stop the barking? I have tried alot of things - crating, spanking, treating for being quiet, shutting blinds, etc. Out of ideas...and patience.

It's Not Easy Being Green

In the last few months I have made this effort to stop being such an earth spoiler. But I find it very frustrating that "they" don't make it easier! My examples:

- Light bulbs. You have to pay more for the corkscrew ones, to find 3 way and/or dimming ones is nearly impossible and they make this horrible little buzzing noise the first 20 minutes there on.

- Recycling cans/bottles. No curbside pickup here so I have to not only store them but then drive them to the recycling center myself every so often. Why cannot I not get a cool blue bin like other people?

- Plastic bags. I recycle these and want to know why if I am going to recycle stuff it cannot all be in the same spot. No plastic bags at the drop off - those have to go back to the grocery store!

I understand we need to take measures to protect the environment and the earth for our children I just wish it was not more work than destroying it :-) Ah well...as Kermit says "Its not easy being Green!"

Dad's Day

Lots of dads! We had a nice day and got to see everyone which was good. That morning at church the kids had their yearly VBS musical program which turned out super cute. Then we grabbed lunch with Todd's dad and his wife. Spent some nice family afternoon time at home and then joined my parents and brother and sis in law along with some visiting relatives for dinner. It was a nice day, nothing too exciting but nice!

Drowned Rat

We decided that it would be a fun family activity to go to Honeymoon Island for the afternoon - to the dog beach. Max has never been in deep enough water to swim so we assumed he could but really had no idea, the kids and mommy love the beach, and Todd was ok with the idea since it would be such fun with the dog!

Wrong!


The path from the parking lot to the dog beach is insanely long and disgustingly littered with dog poo that has baked to the most wretched stink ever. Honeymoon Island has no showers so you take half the beach home with you. And my sweet long haired dog was so caked with salt water and sand that he looked like a drowned rat that had washed ashore. For the record he can swim and no he does not like it. On a brighter note Todd had fun playing in the water with the kids which gives me hope that subsequent beach trips, without Max, will be more fun this year.

Addicts

In my line of work I see more than my fair share of addicts - from alcohol to marijuana, from cocaine to meth. I can tell you what prescription pills can be sold for the best price, how to melt meth to make it injectable and every "antidote" drug available to doctors today. Thats the sad part.

The sadder part is the more I lead therapy groups, get to know patients, I realize that the drug is not the worst of it. Most of them are doing the drugs to forget some kind of abandonment, abuse, or other aberration in their life. And I am supposed to teach them coping skills!

I was thinking last night as I read my 4th novel this week...we all have addictions. Some are just safer, healthier and more socially acceptable than others. When I have a stressful week (like this one - VBS and 40 hrs at work and the first full week of summer vacation) I tuck the kids into bed and immerse myself in someone else's story...and I don't stop until I'm done. I give up sleep, my chores, snacks, time with Todd, etc...because I am addicted.

So here is my honesty for the day: My name is LeShayne and I am an addict. My drugs of choice are Friends reruns, chocolate chip cookies, and good novels. I can teach "coping skills" but the reality is I am simply teaching people to give up one vice for a healthier one. So consider it research for therapy groups...what is your addiction aka healthy coping skill when you are stressed?!

By any other name...

Stolen from Laurie I thought this was cute!

COUNTRY WESTERN SINGER NAME: (mother & father’s middle names)
Jo Edmund

NASCAR NAME: (first name of your mother’s dad, father’s dad)
Neil Edmund

STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name)
Madle

DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Yellow Flamingo

SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Linda Alexandria

FLY NAME: (first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name)
Leex

GANGSTA NAME: ( fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie)
Turtle Molasses

ROCK STAR NAME: (current pets name, current street name)
Max Lake (I sound more like a talk show host)

STRIPPER NAME: (name of your fav perfume/cologne, fav candy)
Burberry Reeses

PORN NAME: (1st pet, 1st Car)
Sky Rabbit (oh lord)

AMERICAN GLADIATOR NAME (model name of your current car)
Mirage (hey this is the first one that works!)

My family is apparently not so good with names...Edmund? Neil? Jo? Oy vey!

Preschool Graduation

Friday night there was a ceremony for Tristan's "graduating class". He is officially on his way to kindergarten. His class sang a couple of songs and then all the classes sang 3 spanish songs and God Bless America. It was a good year for him, funny how school makes them see so grown up so fast! Thanks to Aunt Jenni for the sweet card and to Papaw & Lolly for the fun gift.

One Week Later

Well the kids have been out of school for one week now and I am way late on getting some pictures posted!

Tori and Mrs.Vanderlick the Friday before school got out at portfolio conferences.Tristan and Ms.Susan the last day of school. Tristan and his other teacher Ms.Alice at graduation.

All Grown Up!

I have had the pleasure of watching a couple of girls grow into young women as a youth volunteer in our church. While it has been a joy to watch many of them two have a very special place in my heart. I think I met Erin in 8th grade and Chelsea not too much later and this week they both graduated. Erin and Chelsea leave in August to attend Anderson University in FL. Congratulations to both of you. Thanks for letting me share in your high school years.

Chelsea:

Erin (is on the right, the guy on the left Dutch is one of Todd's students):

First Day

Today is the first day of summer vacation. It was so nice...totally relaxed, got nothing done but am remarkably okay with it at the moment. We slept in (of course at our house this means 7:45!), did some shopping, met Todd for lunch, took naps, laid by the pool, and even watched a movie. We even had a summery dinner - peanut butter and banana pitas - yummy!

Tomorrow its off to the beach, this is the life.

New!

I love getting new stuff...even if its little stuff. So I got fun new things this week...just thought I'd share. Yeah I know the fabric is only exciting to me and a few people that read this but just go with it. And the shoes are very pink but comfortable and I really wear them to the gym and once upon a blue moon otherwise so it works!

New phone:

New shoes:

New fabric: