Coming To A Mailbox Near You

Me: Hey King Ralph, we snapped a few Christmas card photos today.  Wanna see?

KR: Sure.

Me: There's these, pretty girls....

KR: Oh I like.

Me: and these, silly girls. The girls want silly girls on the card.

KR: I don't like. 

Me: To bad dude! 

Really since when does the only man in the house get any say in how to create the Christmas cards--NEVER!  Now if he aggravated himself with years of moans from girls about how to fix hair and what to wear...if he ordered the cards, addressed and stamped the seventy-five cards, fought the post office parking lot to mail'em all...well, then, maybe.  But still, probably not. 

I toiled between which silly photo to use. 

This craziness was a close contender.

I thought folks might think that snarly beast in the middle, known as Princess A

riped D's hands off  leaving her with just wrists.  

I wonder if you can guess who in trio plays the jester at home?

In the end I decided to go with the original crazy shot.

Because gosh damnit I want to be real this year.

Showing off their beauty and brains.

Which shows the brains are a lil' crazed.

Here you have it: finished product. 

 The only thing that could have made the card even better is if the doghter

would have paused from her backyard lap race to join in the fun. 

 Oh well, maybe next year. 

Enough with Christmas...it's time to show a bit of respect to the turkey this week. 

HAIL TO THE TURKEY!  May he be pardoned only to my table [and plate] on Thursday. 

This Just Might End Up On The Christmas Card

Because aren't cards suppose to say-- hey friends this is how life in our house is? 

  Instead of presenting life with two teens and a twenty year old as all: calm and serene.

Truth is--I love life in photo number one.

It's never boring, that's for sure!

 I wouldn't have it any other way!!

easter

This House Has Its CrAzY On

The girls are crazed with sister silliness. Princess A and M have bestowed each other with new nicknames--"Teacake" and "Chili Dog". So all we seem to hear echoing through the house is screams of "TEEEEEACAKE" responded with a "CHILLLLLI-DOG!"

They are sisters re-bonding--soon to be torn apart.

Then I have D being the harassing little sister chasing Teacake and Childog around the house with her smelly socks. The green knee socks can only be said to be fit for a bio hazard container. I will launder them first fitted with a pair of rubber gloves.

I think the three of them forgot to read the memo I sent out about my new flat screen TV (recessed in the wall of my bedroom ornamented with a King Ralph hand crafted oak picture frame); no one watches my TV lounged on my bed expect the top royalty--Keeper and the King.

So I find the three of them sprawled upon my bed watching one of those Hollywood award shows and messing with me...I tell you messing with me and my Clapper. I clap my hands to turn on my light and the three of them start clapping in a crazy pattern to create the epic Clapper failure. They did it again and again till I blew my stack. I just wanted light and a moment to stretch out on the bed, MY BED, and relax. Now the Clapper's mojo is off--the dam thing turns off randomly. THERE IT GOES AGAIN TURNING OFF. The Clapper is male. I swear nothing female would screw with you this much.

When I finally chased two-thirds out only to find myself once again surrounded by the whole gang of offspring as they help D practice her school musical lines. Before you know it they break out in a chorus of Summer Loving and Sandra D.

Then they return to helping D practice scene two.

All the while the Hollywood award show plays on the flat screen...Rascal Flats comes on and they all begin singing together, life is a highway I'm gonna ride it all night long (and the Clapper turns off again and one of them claps to light us up again). They are driving me nuts, mad. However, it's sweet. So sisterly.

Before you know it I am no longer annoyed that I am not relaxing in my bedroom all alone.

This company, my girls, is totally warming my heart. Every giggle. Every soured note sang.

I must part--a trio of Beauty School Dropout is on stage...and the lights have lowered, unprompted, for the occasion.

DAM CLAPPER!

Simply Titled, August 16-19

I can see that both myself and my blog were in need of a break...good gosh I posted my Happy Birthday entry on my birthday, August 3, it never took. I posted Paris several days later, it too never took and while I was away it too began to think again. My excuse was the music room, I don't know what my blogs excuse is. Nevertheless we are both back on track. I think.

I got myself back on track with a visit to see my Grammy, lunch at the Omega and taking her to church.

Then it was off to my BFF's house in Frankfort were we sipped wine, cheered on Michael Phelps and the kids (all girls) laughed about the things girls laugh about--nothing. We burnt the mid night oil solving issues like: who should we all vote for for president, what kind of bagels to eat for breakfast and what foods to pack for the dunes.

Sunday the Avery's, the Huss' and the Johnson's had the best day at the Warren Dunes.

We rode the waves,


cooked in the sun, played in the sand,


picnicked on the beach, collected black lake rocks for Princess A's vase she's taking to college, took pictures of the ten kids (that brought claps from fellow beach goers). I mean check out this fabulous pyramid.

We watched the sunset over Lake Michigan

before heading to Redamak's for burgers and fries.

We laughed and laughed and ate and ate; sang Happy 12th Birthday to "CoCo" in the parking lot and ate some more--cookie cake.

The cherry on top of a fab-tab-u-lous day!

King Ralph and I herded our gang into the car at 630am Monday and rolled back into Saint Louis just in time to get to work. I made it in to assist with the day-before-school crunch. I got home at 7pm and could have stayed longer. But I wanted to get home in time for D's regular and premeditated day-before-school melt down. Last year it was gum reinforcements, this year it was a necklace of her sister's she wanted to wear. Just know, we both lost it! Not the necklace but our yin and yang. As you can see it is the sister who owns the necklace who wore the necklace. The sister who wanted the necklace looks exhausted from worrying about not wearing a necklace all night. It is a little sad to think that this year's first day of school photo only has two of three sisters. Someone grew up when I wasn't looking.

Let's see M had band practice and has math homework. D is never tired of telling us her locker is next to the girl who picks and eats her scabs. Princess A is off absorbing all the last minute moments she can with friends before her ship off day.

In case you are all wondering I too survived the first day of school. Only one kid looked like he wanted to cry; I assured him we are all friendly and he is in a good place. Being the new kid is a hard thing. I survived my final duty of the day without the help of any of my assigned partners (some people can't read a schedule) and I made it out the school doors at 530pm.

One day down, one hundred eighty seven to go.

Connecting by Text

My usual morning routine this week is to grab my cell and text my sister to check on her progress. Here's our text script.

Me: Morning how u feel'n

Sister: Doc came in an sed if i cud do cartwheel straight into splits in hallway by 2moro i will get 2 go home!!!

Me: Is that w/ or w/o O2

Sister: off oxygen

Me: Guess u r stay'n in hospital lol


Then while I am at work she begins her usual I-am-tired-of-lying-in-this-hospital-bed text of pictures--which are waiting for my viewing pleasure when my work day is over. Yesterday I got a picture of her head with her O2 tubes and a caption that read "all dressed up and no where to go!!" Followed by a picture of her stomach, a HUGE bruise and a caption: "one of my many bruises from my twice daily heperin shots!" Let me just say it ain't so pretty. Today's picture was of sister in her hospital gown, bed and a big dog, captioned: "a cute dog came and visited me in the hospital! Made me happy!"

I have to say the picture of my sister and a therapy dog is progress alone. Monday I was receiving pictures of a jug of green frothy fluid drained from her collapsing lung.

The evening came and the texting began again.

Me: Do u get released 2morrow

Sister: Thats what the plan is but Roy wants to talk to pulmonary doc first bout all the dust n wood cuttin in basement. He thinks that cud aggravate any progress. I suppose to jus do same thing at home jus lay in bed as much as possible im ready for change of scenery!"

Me: I bet u r! but the service may not b as good.

The doctor said to her to expect to be sick for nearly five weeks. I'm crossing my fingers she'll be travel ready by June 7 when we celebrate Princess A's graduation with a party.

Sister, here's to a speedy recovery!