Book Project Update

Everything has been finalized and approved to print! Preparation for the printing process should take about 10 days, then another 10 once the final product is ready to ship. In other words, it's possible that in less than a month I will be holding my first book in my hand! Hooray! The company did a fantastic job designing the cover - I gave them my ideas and they ran with them. I am so excited to see the finished project. Bucket list item crossed off!

Everything Comes at a Price

I have decided what the next technological advancement should be. I need something that will take my thoughts directly from my brain and transfer them to my computer. That way, I could blog from my treadmill. I'm not sure if it's the result of trying not to think about the burning in my legs while gasping for air, but I come up with some pretty interesting stuff during my morning workouts. Since my husband was kind enough to point out that running was "mostly mental" anyway, I tell myself that if I can just hang in there for the first three minutes or so, it will get easier, relatively speaking. Sometimes that works. I have more energy, looser clothes, and a somewhat smaller waist thanks to my treadmill. My scale, however, stubbornly refuses to admit that I've lost a pound. Butthole. Keep it up and I'll trade you in for a newer model.
Anyway, this morning I was thinking about priorities. One of my favorite barrel racers, Christy Loflin, mentioned in one of her Facebook status updates that the first part of her year hadn't exactly gone as planned. She listed the rodeos she had been to and then revealed that she hadn't won a dime at any of them. She went on to say that she had missed her daughter's barrel races and her son's hockey games. Not exactly what she had in mind when she set out on the rodeo trail.
So here's my point: Everything comes at a price. Last year when she made the WNFR, I'm sure it seemed like the hours on the road and the nights away from home and family were all worth it. I'm going to go out on a limb and say there have been times in the last couple of months that it probably didn't feel that way. But her professional life has been all about choices and priorities, which resulted in accomplished goals and dreams fulfilled. She is one of the lucky ones.
I love barrel racing. I have been at it for many years. It's fair to say that I have accomplished some of my goals. Like most of the people in the world, I have plenty of unfulfilled dreams as well. But making those dreams a reality comes with a price, and at least for now, it's not one I'm willing to pay. My mother had a terminal illness for most of my life, and she never missed a single thing I did unless she was just too sick from the chemotherapy to be there. That's the kind of mom I feel like I need to be.
There's a barrel race in Texarkana I reallllly want to go to this weekend, but my babies are riding in our local winter series. They are winning first and second for the year in the Pee Wee barrel class. Their dad has tried and tried to get me to go to Texarkana by myself and let him take the girls to their run. But I can honestly say that there is no place on Earth I'd rather be than standing in that alleyway watching them ride. Now in all fairness, it's worth pointing out that I don't have an NFR barrel horse standing in my barn begging to be hauled. I've never been in that situation, and I feel certain it would change some things! But for now, for me, I know that when I die I'm not going to be sitting around wishing I'd gone to one more barrel race. I'm going to be saying that I wish I'd spent one more day with my family. Maybe that's why I've never been blessed with a truly outstanding horse. Maybe God only gives them to the people who are willing to pay the price to let those horses be great. I don't know, but it's the kind of problem I'd like to have. Either way, I'm going to be in Holly Springs this weekend cheering for my girls. And that's how it should be...for now.

The Correction

As all good women do from time to time, I stand corrected. Remember when I mentioned that the candle/concert incident happened at THREE O'CLOCK in the morning and I couldn't quite remember what was said? My significant other has kindly reminded me. Specifically, he came in and said, "I read your post, and it was really funny, but you missed the whole point of the situation."
To which I said, "Excuse me?"
"Well, the whole point wasn't that I just busted out the chorus of "Every Rose" it was that I rewrote the song. To be specific, what I sang was: We both lie silently still in the dead of the night, our dog crapped on the floor and that ain't right!"
So there you go. Truth in the media. While I admit that I may have forgotten the details of the situation, I feel that I must point out that I was snatched from a deep sleep by the sound of doggy diarrhea. I'm going to blame the fact that I couldn't recall the precise remix of the Poison song on post traumatic stress disorder. Or mommy brain. Whichever.

Wakeup Call by Zoey

It's funny how things happen. I was just thinking that I should give everyone an update on our rescued bulldog, Zoey. Almost as if she read my mind, the other night she decided to do something blog-worthy. Before you get all excited, I should tell you that it was not something good. I'll get back to that in a minute. She is continuing to gain weight and has much more energy. Her skin and haircoat   look healthy, and her breath is drastically better. The breath may be the thing I'm most excited about. Her backbone doesn't stick up quite as far, and you can just barely see her ribs. She definitely has more life in her eyes, if that is quantifiable. All in all, she is starting to look like an old, but healthy dog!

Her favorite new trick is to wait until I flip my head over to blow dry the underside of my hair. As I obviously only need one hand to hold the hairdryer, she has decided that my free hand is available to pet her. She sits and watches me intently until I finish applying my makeup, then chooses the perfect moment and attacks. If there is such a thing as demanding to be petted, she has it down pat!

Several days ago, as my husband and I lay sleeping blissfully at two in the morning. We were both awakened at the exact same moment by the sound of something hitting the floor. Something loud, and something liquid. In perfect synchronization, we bolted upright in bed and cried, "Zoey!"

My husband, sitting up and rubbing his eyes, mumbled, "Did she pee?" Flipping on the light, I practically yelled, "Yeah, she peed, but that's not all!" Next to the giant pile that can only be described as a cow patty was Zoey, sitting there with an incredibly guilty and pitiful look on her face. Ushering her quickly out the door, my husband headed to the kitchen for cleaning supplies. While I was drying up pee with a towel and wondering to myself how in the world he could have thought that all she had done was pee, as the smell was making my eyes water, the love of my life returned from the kitchen.

While he was gone, I had discovered the culprit for this whole episode. There was something in the poop that didn't belong there. After a brief debate in which my husband was absolutely no help, I determined that the offending object was in fact a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup paper. Somewhere in my foggy, half sleeping mind I recalled asking Zoey what she was eating earlier in the day. Apparently someone left some Valentine candy unattended. Lovely.

This story does have a point, and here it is. When my soulmate returned from the kitchen, he had a pet odor eliminator candle in hand. He walked into the room waving it around, then suddenly giggled and said, "I feel like I'm at a rock concert!" And then, at 2:30 AM, right there in our bedroom, in his underwear and waving a candle, my husband belted out a chorus of "Every Rose has its Thorn."  Right then it occurred to me that Kirk is the only person in the world who could make me laugh while cleaning up dog poop in the middle of the night.

As we crawled back into bed, I said a silent prayer thanking God for such a great guy. He said something else I can't quite recall (hey, it was 3:00 AM by this point) and I dissolved into giggles again. I figure that if, after 15 years together, he can take something disgusting and turn it into something hysterical, I must have married the right one.  

Still Here!

For those who have wondered, I have not fallen off the face of the Earth, died, or retired! I've just had a few incredibly busy days. A 4:30am wakeup call two days in a row on a weekend is just wrong. I am still dragging, and I need a weekend to recover from my weekend! I hope to be back tomorrow with some more funnies - believe me, even though I stop occasionally, they never do!

Manhattan Beach

Several people have asked us where exactly the show was filmed. We flew into LAX, were picked up by a car service (because even we are not crazy enough to try to navigate traffic in Los Angeles in a rental car) and taken to the Manhattan Beach Marriott. It is a beautiful hotel that has a large fountain out front. The absolute highlight of my children's stay at this hotel both times has been the sunglass wearing yellow rubber duck floating in the fountain. The first time we were in LA, it was a football weekend, and USC was playing Oregon. We just assumed some smart aleck Oregon fan had "decorated" the hotel fountain with a duck. My kids loved it so much that I was really hoping it would be there when we arrived the second time. It was! My kids were overjoyed. Imagine how stupid I felt when, upon closer inspection, I realized that it was a chlorine dispenser. Oh, well, it gave my kids a thrill. We're easily amused, what can I tell you? Rednecks on vacation!
We all loved Manhattan Beach, and there was an awesome little shopping center within walking distance of the hotel, complete with a CVS. In the rush to get out of town, Kirk wasn't able to get a haircut before we left home. We figured surely the Disneyland Hotel (where we spent the first part of our trip) would have a barber shop (which it didn't) but then were able to find one near the Marriott. In conversation Kirk told the man cutting his hair why we were in town. I can't imagine how he knew we weren't native Californians. Southern accent, anyone? The gentleman finished his haircut with a flourish and assured him that this was a $100,000 haircut. When he got back to the room, Kirk told me all about how nice the guy was who cut his hair and how if we won he was definitely going back to give him a bigger tip. Naturally, the next day, after the taping was over, we did one of the most exciting things I have done in a very long time. We went back to that shop and, catching him totally off guard, we gave that sweet barber a bigger tip and a "thanks" for the $100,000 haircut!
I mentioned that there was a CVS in the same shopping center. We found ourselves in need of junk food and a necklace to replace Savannah's broken one, so we headed out. While we were collecting our "groceries," we got in line behind two completely stereotypical teenage California skater dudes, both of whom were buying Milk Duds. With typical teenage swagger, they headed out the door. The first kid dropped his skateboard, hopped on, and took off through the parking lot. Very slick. The second kid followed suit...but he forgot to allow for the rubber mat that triggers the automatic door. When he hopped on his skateboard and tried to take off, the wheels stayed put... and he faceplanted  right there on the sidewalk in front of God and everybody. Totally humiliated, he glanced around quickly trying to figure out if anyone saw him (we did) and ran off with his skateboard in hand. Our cashier laughed so hard I thought he was going to wet his pants. "Those little sh$%s come in here all the time!"
However, the neatest thing that happened to us in Manhattan Beach was right after the taping. As we sat down to eat after the show in a 50s themed diner, a group of college age kids came in and sat down. I noticed that one of them had on an AFV t-shirt, but didn't think much about it. During our meal, a young lady passed our table going to the restroom. On the way back, obviously distracted by something, she tripped over the "wet floor" sign and almost fell down. A few minutes later I became aware that a large group of people was standing behind out table. Apparently "grace" who tripped over the sign had been sent to confirm that we were who they thought we were. I heard, "I'm sorry, we hate to interrupt your dinner, but congratulations! We were in the studio audience!" Still completely in shock, all I could do was stammer, "Thank you!" I sure didn't mind the interruption, with what had just happened to us. But at least that was confirmation that someone else had seen it and I didn't dream the whole thing! I can't imagine being really famous.

Update on the book!

"If I Didn't Laugh, I'd Cry" the book is almost finished! I approved the second pass pages today! Now it is approved to print. As far as I know, the only thing I am lacking is approval of the cover, which I haven't seen yet. I am so excited! I have been ready to put this project to bed for quite some time now, and I really believe the end is in sight! I will continue to update you guys on when and where it will be available. I am hoping to have some artwork and/or shirts to go along with it as well! So many wonderful things going on in my life lately. I am truly, truly grateful.

The Taping

We had an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime trip to LA, but what most people have asked us about is being on the show. We stayed in a hotel right around the corner from the studio, and mercifully we didn't have to be ready early in the morning for the taping. (Thank you, AFV producers, thank you very much!) We were given a few guidelines prior to our arrival about what to wear which posed a particular issue for me, as I was the one doing the shopping. The rules included things like: no polka dots, no bold plaids or patterns, and no outfits that were all one color. Here's a challenge for you moms: go out and try to find an outfit for a kid that fits in that category! It's harder than you think! Oh, and throw in something that is warm and doesn't itch, with no tag in the back!
I had us all dressed in black and grey for the last show, looking very chic and put together, or so I thought. My husband took one look at my girls' grey sweater dresses and said we looked like we were going to a funeral! Men have to wear a suit and tie, which my husband just loved. He immediately pointed out the first time around that the host wasn't wearing a tie. To which I said, "They are paying, and they said wear a tie!"
This time around, I found the girls some adorable pink sequined dresses, which they immediately informed me were "itchy." I could tell it was going to be a long day. How we all made it downstairs on time, I'm not exactly sure. The studio sent a van to pick us up at the hotel and we were off.
Television studios are cold. Really, really cold. We were told ahead of time that the studio was normally around 55 degrees, and they were not joking. When you see those audience shots of people laughing and clapping, it's because they are moving their arms trying to stay warm!
In the midst of our pre-taping potty breaks, it occurred to me that I should try to convey to Savannah what a huge moment this was in her life. I did my best to make her understand that this doesn't just happen to people - that this trip was something we would be talking about for the rest of our lives. We were about to have an opportunity that we would never have again. I'm not sure I got through to her at all, but hey, I tried.
I got to sit on the very back row with the rest of the finalists' family members who were over 7 years old. Children under 7 aren't allowed in the studio during the taping, obviously because they can't be quiet for that long. I have to say that the other families we met who were finalists were wonderful! They were all so nice to us, before AND after the taping. Several of them hugged my neck and were kind to my children as well.
I really felt for one of the dads, who was there with his best buddy and his three small children. His wife was at home on bed rest, pregnant with their fourth child. How those two guys managed those three little kids, I don't know. You could tell from looking at the kids that there wasn't a woman with them, but all in all I thought they did great and their dad should get an award for traveling cross country with them while mom was at home!
The show is filmed in the order it is seen on TV, so we really did have to sit there and wait until the very end of the show to find out who won. It was extremely nerve wracking, although all of the finalists breathed a collective sigh of relief when it was announced that the voting had already taken place two weeks prior in Disney World. Guess we figured we could all stop sitting there trying to mentally force the studio audience to vote for our videos!
 When the time finally came, it was like torture. We rehearsed the announcement, then had a bathroom emergency one on side and a puking baby on the other before it was actually time. I looked at Tom Bergeron and said, "This is deteriorating fast!" All through the day, we had been looking for an indicator, any indicator of how the voting had gone. We had no idea when we got to the studio that all of the producers already knew who won. Was this producer being extra friendly? Did the makeup artist spend a little more time doing my makeup this time? We were standing in the center of the stage. Was that good? Did it matter? Did the audience cheer just a little louder when the introduced our video? They all seemed to laugh when it was on. Was that a good thing? Did they already know who won? All of these things were rolling around in my mind.
When at very long last, the announcement finally came, we were completely shocked. I didn't even have time to be nervous about what Savannah might say if she got her hands on that microphone, which she tried her best to do! All in all, we had a truly wonderful and amazing experience. Each and every person associated with the show was incredibly kind to us and to our kids. Got a funny video at home? Send it in! You never know what might happen!    

Times Have Changed

As we were leaving home tonight to go on a call with my husband, it occurred to me that times have changed in the mother "hood." The most obvious evidence of this fact was apparent in my youngest child's outfit. Allow me to describe what she had on: a long sleeve t-shirt with the word "cowgirl" in rhinestones, jeans, cowboy boots, and, over her clothes, a Snow White costume, complete with tiara. Those of you who knew me when my twins were little are aware that no how, no way, over my DEAD body would my kids have left home dressed this way. I have often said that they were my "practice kids" and I think that this illustrates that point pretty well. My husband informed me that I should have lightened up sooner. Maybe he's right, or maybe I'm just tired. Either way, she looks stupid cute and I'm really trying not to let it bother me.

So fine, I admit it. I let her eat in the living room, I let her wear Halloween costumes and leave home with no shoes on (occasionally by accident). I let her eat when she wants to instead of on a finely tuned schedule. I don't even force her to take a nap every afternoon. I can hear her sisters now, complaining in unison that all of the above is unfair. And they could be right...but practice makes perfect, right? Maybe I am making colossal mistakes with this child. I don't really know, but at least I'm making different ones this time around. I think. 

AFV FAQ

We have had a very exciting last couple of days! I want to say "thank you" again to every single person who has contacted us about the show, whether it was in person, by text, call, or email. Everyone has been so kind. Those who had something negative to say have kept it to themselves, so I thank them for that as well! I also want to say "hello" to everyone who is reading my blog for the first time. There was a huge increase in page views after the show aired, which was very exciting. I hope you all find something you can identify with or laugh at among my posts. My six year old said she doesn't like for people to laugh at us. I told her she was out of luck. Besides, I assured her that they were laughing at me and not her! Maybe that will work for awhile.
I wanted to address a couple of questions about the show. First, you can watch the episode at www.abc.go.com. If you click on "watch episodes" and then AFV, you will see it. When the show accepted our submission, we signed a form agreeing not to re-post our video on any website with public settings. As it turns out, they gave us $110,000 for our video, so I have no problem not posting it anywhere ever again!
Second, yes, they actually do send people the money that they win on the show! We met a woman in the airport who asked us if they really gave people that money. They do - in  the form of a check. My daughter was really disappointed the first time around that our $10,000 didn't come in a bag with a dollar sign on the outside like in the cartoons!
Third, yes, we have to pay taxes on the money. The state of California gets theirs before we ever get ours! We also got a federal tax form. So yes, we have to pay taxes, and no, I don't particularly care. Anything that we have left is more than we had to start with, not to mention the fact that our family has enjoyed two wonderful, paid for trips to California. I just can't find much to complain about.
Fourth, they don't hand you the money right then. It comes after the show airs. They do, however pay all travel expenses and give you a food allowance per day. The show pays for accommodations and transportation to and from the airport. All in all, we had a fantastic, once-in-a-lifetime experience that we will never, ever forget!

Holy Cow!

WOW! Thank you so much to everyone who has visited my blog in the last day or so! I officially have twice as many page views as on my best day. I am very overwhelmed by all of our friends and family who have gotten in touch with us since last night. We are so very humbled by this amazing blessing! We have really been working toward getting on a budget and straightening out our finances, and this will be a huge help! We are so excited and I have lots more details to share.
First of all, if you thought the moments before he read the winner were agonizing for you, they were so much worse for us! We had already rehearsed the announcement by having someone go through and read each family's name as if they had won. That was nerve wracking by itself. Then Tom Bergeron went through the entire script, ALL but the winner's name. I think his comment was, "And the winner of the $100,000 is...yo mama!" Of course all the kids died laughing. They thought that was awesome.
As they were just about to start the real deal, one of the adorable kids next to us wet her pants. Everything screeched to a halt, and I felt so bad for her and her mom. Apparently she had asked to go to the bathroom and her mom told her to wait. Sounds like something that SO would have happened to me. Poor lady! Poor kid! It was just awful.
Then as we waited on them to get back with a dry pair of tights, the baby on our other side of us threw up everywhere. Guess he was tired of being held around the middle facing the camera. Poor little guy!
By this point I was just about to throw up myself. I looked at Tom Bergeron and said, "Has anyone ever actually had a heart attack during this show?" And he replied, "Yeah, Bob Saget! That's how I got the gig." I thought that was pretty quick! He really is a very funny guy.
So we stood there for what felt like four forevers. When the camera was showing him read the card, I finally just had to stand there with my eyes closed. I couldn't think, couldn't breathe, and was really trying not to lock my knees. As I said, in my mind I'd heard him say "Santa Calls" a million times. So when he really did say it, I couldn't quite wrap my mind around what had just happened. Did he say that? Really? Or did I just want to hear it so bad I thought he said it? I couldn't be sure. What resulted was one of the most shocking, joyful moments of my life. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry! I think I'll go watch it again, just to make sure I didn't make the whole thing up. ;)

The Moment

So now you all know how our trip to LA turned out! The secret is out, and I am so glad! It will be great to no longer have to say, "We aren't supposed to talk about it, but we had a really, really good trip." Now I can just say, "We won $100,000!" How crazy is that? I still can't wrap my mind around it. And to answer your next question, we don't have the money yet. They will send it to us after the show airs.
I have to tell you that after we got home from the last show, all I could hear in my head was Tom Bergeron saying that we had won. Over  and over, I would hear his voice saying that we had won $100,000. I said it to myself so many times, that when he actually said it, it took several moments to believe that I had heard him correctly. If I looked shocked, dazed and confused, it's because I was. The last time we were on the show, I thought it was ridiculous that the producers told us to "act happy" if we won. Now I kind of get what they were saying. Inside I was jumping up and down and screaming, but for some reason all I could do was stand there with this stupid look on my face in total shock. I still can't believe that we made it onto to the show, much less that we won ten thousand dollars. That's the main reason I've been so excited about this show coming on...I wanted some confirmation from friends and family that I didn't just dream the whole thing!
I will have many more details to share in the coming days, but I did want to let everyone know one thing. Once again, my amazing husband agreed to stay in the green room with the kids and let me watch the taping from the studio audience. You won't see me - I was on the back row in the shadows. Anyway, apparently the producers came in to talk with the people in the green room and gave them the following advice: If you win the money, Tom Bergeron is going to ask you what you're going to do with it. We've heard it all. Pay off debt, save for college, blah, blah. The people at home don't want to hear that! They want to hear something fun! They're sitting there thinking, "What would I do if I had just won $100,000?" So be sure you include something fun in your list!
My husband definitely took their advice to heart. Keeping in mind that I have no idea this is about to happen, the host asks Kirk what we're going to do with the money. I'm still standing there trying to turn oxygen into carbon dioxide when my husband looks at me and says, "Let's go to Disney!" Completely on the spot in front of God and everybody, all I could manage was, "Yeah, let's go to Disney!" All the while, I'm thinking this is SO not what we talked about!
I can't wait to share all of the other exciting things that happened on our trip to LA and Disneyland. But this moment was THE moment. And just so you know, wishes made on the compass in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle really do come true!

Odds and Ends

I sincerely hope that the post I wrote last night made sense. It was written on my iPad while traveling in the car with four other people, all of which had an insatiable need to talk to me. Keep in mind that I was attempting to remain coherent while blocking out the fighting over a Nook, my husband trying to have a conversation, and the child breathing down my neck wanting to play my iPad and asking, "Mom, how long does it take you to write your blob? GAH!" It was quite a feat, if I do say so myself. So hopefully it did make sense. If not, now you know what I was up against.
For the record, I have to add that my husband did surprise me with red roses last night! That's a feat in itself, because I am generally pretty hard to surprise. I tend to ask for what I want. So I was excited to have some fresh flowers. Such a good man I have...not only on Valentine's Day, but every other day, too. And none of the kids noticed that Sheridan's balloon was in Spanish. Bonus!
Anyway, we are looking forward to Sunday with much anticipation. I have to say that I thought it was pretty cool when we landed in California, got on the shuttle to Disneyland, and ended up in LA five o'clock traffic behind a car with a license plate from the county right next to ours. How crazy is that?
I have to say that I'm beginning to notice a trend among AFV Finalists...a LOT of them are from the South. I'm not sure if we just video ourselves more, if we are more diligent about sending them in, or if people just like to make fun of our accents! Perhaps it's that we tend to do more stupid stunts while videoing each other. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a clip on that show where someone bites it while doing something amazingly stupid and then yells, "Did you get that on video?"
Whatever the reason, I'm just really glad I tried out the video feature on my phone that night. It sure has brought a lot of fun into our lives!

Te Quiero

Like many women I know, I firmly believe that I have the best husband in the world. He is great at Valentine's Day, mainly because he listens when I tell him what I like (chocolate covered strawberries) and actually buys it for me. He doesn't go out and spend $80 on roses (which I like, but not nearly as much as chocolate covered strawberries) to tell me that he loves me. He shows me that he loves me every day throughout the year, and to me, that's worth a lot more.
I know that my husband loves me because he takes out the trash. He helps me out with the children, whether it's giving them a bath or fixing them supper when I need him to. He puts clothes in the dryer and runs the dishwasher. He sweeps the kitchen from time to time. He doesn't do those things because he enjoys them - he does them because it makes my life easier. You've heard the "when mama ain't happy..." expression. Well, so has he. And since he is a man, he is also smart enough to know that when mama is happy, she's a lot more inclined to make him happy. And in the spirit of Duck Dynasty, I like for my husband to be "happy, happy, happy."
I mean, that's why we got married, right? To make each other's lives easier, happier, and well, better! I have known couples who got so caught up in the ins and outs of daily life, job stress, and raising kids that they forgot to take care of each other. In fact, it happens quite often with parents of multiples. Fortunately for us, I did some very important and timely reading that completely changed the way I approached my husband and my marriage. Dr. Laura, we will forever be indebted to you! I am so thankful that you reminded me to be my husband's lover, wife, girlfriend, cheerleader, and most important supporter.
But enough of the mushy stuff. My sweet hubby decided that the children must have something from their dad for Valentine's Day. So he headed off to Kroger in search of balloons. Naturally, his day "off" from work turned into a frantic rush to get everything done. Dashing through the store, he grabbed three Valentine balloons and headed home. Immersed in his phone conversation, he failed to notice that one of the three lovely balloons contained a heartfelt message...in Spanish! Guess we will have to consider it "culture."At least Sheridan can't read yet. And anyone who points out the fact that her balloon is different will die a slow and painful death! Happy Valentine's Day!

Fracture free

Glad to report that my foot us not broken, just really swollen, sore, and several unnatural colors. Unfortunately I don't feel any less stupid. I headed to the treadmill this morning and quickly figured out that was a bad idea. Going to try riding this afternoon because I need to before Saturday. Wish me luck!

Bustin' It

I'm not sure, but I think I may have an injury that officially qualifies me as "old." I fell in my bathroom this morning, and really for no good reason. I fell in my bedroom once, but at the time I was eight months pregnant with twins and trying to wear sandals with a heel. (Duh!) Today, I would like to tell you that I tripped over the dog, tripped over my kid, slipped on a toy, or even that the floor was wet. Sadly, none of the above is true.
I had been sitting on the edge of the tub putting on makeup, and decided I needed something in the other room. Unfortunately, while I was sitting down, both of my legs and feet had gone to sleep.You didn't imagine that tiny earthquake you felt this morning! When I stood up and tried to take a step, my right foot bent back, my knees buckled, and down I went onto my left thigh. I am expecting it to be a lovely shade of purple tomorrow. I sat there on the floor, trying to figure out whether I was really hurt (I was) and what I was going to do if in fact, my foot was broken. I had my phone in my hand, so at least I could have called my husband, although that would definitely have been a last resort. So I hung out on the floor until the feeling returned to my legs and feet, reveling in my own stupidity.
My most significant injury (obviously I didn't die of embarrassment) was to my right foot. I actually heard a loud popping sound as my foot bent backward at a most unnatural angle. The metatarsal bones (the long skinny ones right on top on your foot) in my right foot are absolutely killing me. I could barely get my shoe on, and now after hobbling through my errands all morning I've had to take it off because it hurts too bad to wear it anymore! So now I'm off to prop it up. I feel certain the kids will let me do that for at least 30 seconds at a time. Guess who's getting a spa treatment tonight?

AFV on Sunday!

We got a call from the Clearance Department at AFV to let us know that our episode will air this coming Sunday night on ABC. We even made it into the Directv description of the show. If you press "info" on the remote it lists descriptions of a few clips, and for the upcoming one it says, "a girl thinks she is talking to Santa on the phone." That would be Savannah! And in true "little" sister, middle child fashion, Sharlee immediately asked if it said anything about her. She is having a hard time with her sister being the star of the show, as you can imagine. Gotta love some siblings!

I am having a really hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that our video even made it onto the show, much less that we actually won $10,000! It still amazes me that we survived a cross-country flight with my kids four times. I am so ready for this upcoming show to air, just so that I can have some confirmation from my friends and family that I didn't dream this whole thing!

I am ridiculously thrilled that we got to take our kids to Disneyland. We had talked about it a hundred times, but had we not been just thirty minutes away from it for another reason, I'm not sure we would have ever actually done it.

Our time at the park was as close as I've been to being blissfully happy every single second of the day. It was a trip that we will remember forever. Now I definitely see how people can go back year after year.

So with much anticipation, now we wait for Sunday. I can't wait to share all the details of our trip after the show airs!

Road Trip

Blogging from the road today! We have been driving three hours now in the pouring rain, on our way to trade horse trailers. Ours will hold three, and invariably when it comes time to go somewhere we want to take four horses. So we found someone willing to trade. The one we're getting isn't new, far from it. There has been a time in my life when I would have looked at it, with its dated graphics and wrinkled fender and said, "Um, no thanks" even if it meant I got to take more horses to the barrel race (which in this case, it does.) Now that am older and somewhat wiser, that time has passed.
We used to be active participants in the parking lot contest. We had a relatively new truck and a sparkling new Platinum Coach horse trailer at one point. Guess what that helped me win? Yep, you guessed it! Not a darn thing. Last time I checked, they don't give out checks for the coolest rig at the barrel race.
Now don't get me wrong, I like to look good. Who doesn't? But I am past the point of wanting to look cool at all costs. I guess I'm a couple of steps removed from a "Don't laugh, it's paid for" bumper sticker, but that's not far off. I am definitely at the point that I'd rather have a less cool rig that doesn't have a big old payment! Guess I really am getting old. Sigh.
We are now exactly one week away from our family's second appearance on America's Funniest Home Videos. The whole experience has been like a dream. I honestly keep waiting to wake up. I mean, really, who actually gets to be on a TV show that they have watched since they were a little kid? How crazy is that? Still just blows my mind. Tune in next Sunday at 6 Central on ABC to see how it turned out!

Hooray for Good Daddies!

One of my most popular posts is the one entitled "Hooray for Good Husbands." So here's the sequel! When I married the love of my life, I knew he would be a good husband. He had treated me like a princess since the day we met, and I didn't expect that to change. Although I knew he was "the ONE" and the person I wanted to build a life with, I had no way of knowing what a wonderful father he would be to our three girls. I certainly didn't realize at the time just how important a good father is to the development of a precious child.
Daddies are different, and I for one think that is a really good thing. Moms tend to be the nurturing, protective ones, while dads encourage their kids to take that chance or try something new. And yes, sometimes those new adventures end with a trip to the emergency room! But life is about having fun! Putting yourself out there and being uninhibited are things that fade away soon enough as we trudge into adulthood. I for one want my kids to experience the exciting, sometimes dangerous things that life has to offer, even if it scares me a little sometimes. My six year old girls run barrels, and I have no problem admitting that I have trouble breathing when they are riding. Daddy takes them down to the alleyway and gives them their pre-run pep talk. I'm pretty sure it does not included the words "hold on" like mine would.
Little girls get their self-esteem (or lack thereof) from their daddies. He really is the first man in a girl's life. She learns by watching him interact with her mother how she should expect to be treated. Little girls want to hear that they are beautiful and special, and they want to hear it from their dads. Girls love attention, and if they don't get it at home, believe me, they will go looking for it somewhere else.
I absolutely love to hear my husband tell one of my girls that she is the most beautiful little girl in the world, and that he's so glad she is his child. She may not know it yet, but those words are making an imprint on her very soul, and they will stay with her for a lifetime. People remember how you make them feel, even more so than what you say. I know when my girls look back on their childhoods, they will remember that their dad made them feel good about themselves, and their husbands better know how to do the same.
I am from a family of wonderful, strong, smart women. I love each and every one of them. But I know enough now to realize that they didn't get where they were by themselves. Some of them had wonderful husbands, and some of them had wonderful fathers. They needed those strong, loving men, and so did their kids. So kudos to the great daddies out there! Don't let society tell you that your kids don't need you in their lives. They love, want, and need you to be there for them!   

Classical Music

My children love music. From the time they were babies in the womb, they have listened to and loved music. Yes, I admit it. I was one of those people who put headphones on their belly at night and played classical music in hopes of making my kids smarter. The jury's still out on that one, unless you count being a smart-aleck. They've got that one completely covered!
Anyway, their nursery had a radio in it from day one. For the first four years of their lives, they listened to the same classical CD each and every night. At some point they asked to just listen to the radio, so we allowed it, thinking that exposing them to the music we like would be a good thing. Now they know the chorus (and just the chorus) to at least 87 songs, some of which are probably not things a six year old should sing. Hearing Savannah ask if "anybody out there wants to have a cold beer and kick it till the morning light" caused me to think that perhaps a change of station was in order, but to what? Classic rock? Hmm, would I rather have her sing about drugs, sex, or alcohol? Let's go with none of the above!
One of my girls has been having trouble sleeping lately. It has always taken her a little longer to fall asleep than her sister, but lately it's gotten ridiculous. The other morning she showed up at my bedside at 2:30 AM, chatting like it was two in the afternoon. She often tells us she hasn't been to sleep or that she just fell asleep, and judging by the black circles under her eyes, I have to believe her.          Since she, like her mother, is a much more pleasant creature when she has had enough sleep, we began to try to sort out the problem. She doesn't drink excessive amounts of caffeine or play games right up until bedtime. We figured adding a bit more exercise would help, and then the light bulb came on. We decided that perhaps she was lying up there listening to the radio (and learning the words to inappropriate songs) all night. So in what we considered a brilliant move on our part, we switched back to the classical music they loved as babies.
To say that the kids were less than impressed is a monumental understatement. The way they wailed you would have thought we had taken everything near and dear to them and set it on fire. The one who doesn't have trouble sleeping was the most upset, because obviously we were punishing her for something that wasn't her fault.
The most exciting development in the whole situation is this: after only two nights, both girls are much more well-rested and cheerful in the morning. Perhaps mom and dad are not so dumb...
I have shared all of this to say: If my children tell you that I am torturing them with classical music, you will know it's for a good cause!  

God or Jesus

Sorry for the lack of posts the last couple of days! I have been busy making final corrections to my book before it goes to print. I am supposed to get a look at the cover any day now. I can't wait. I sat down yesterday with my iPad, fully intending to get a couple of posts written, and then the most adorable blond headed two year old in the world climbed up in my lap and asked me to rock her. Anyone who knows me at all knows which one I picked, and you couldn't have turned her down, either! I love spending these precious moments at home with my little one. All too soon she will be off to school like her sisters.
Our appearance on AFV is coming up quickly! The show we flew to CA to film last month will air on February 17th. I can't wait to fill you guys in on that trip and everything that went on at the show. You will be hearing about that for several days!
And just in case you had any doubt about whether there are still monumentally important debates going on in the world, consider this: When my kids got out of the car arguing at school, the teacher asked their dad what they were fighting about. He just shook his head and said, "Who's smarter - God or Jesus?"

All In How You See It

I love listening to my kids talk about the world around them. Their perspective is completely different than an adult's on just about everything, and they don't miss a thing. Anyone's house that we've ever been to is more awesome than ours. (Although my child did tell someone once that their house was "kinda small." Talk about wanting to sink right on through the floor! Fortunately, the lady had been around kids who speak their minds and didn't take offense.) Speaking of houses, we once went to a birthday party in a home that had a large chandelier and a huge formal dining table, complete with chairs upholstered in white. My kids were completely floored. Savannah kept looking at me and saying, "Mom, these people are like, royalty or something! This is a princess table!"
Any kid that owns a toy they don't have is "SO lucky." Never mind the fact that they have a zillion toys, they just know that they want a zillion and one. Are they spoiled? Yeah, probably. Are they brats? No way. Wait, let me clarify that. They have bratty moments, just like any child, but they are polite and respectful the vast majority of the time because I refuse to accept anything less.
As most of you know, we recently went on our second trip to California. As we have a fairly small, expensive regional airport in Tupelo, we generally drive to Memphis when we need to fly. Anyone who lives in Memphis can tell you that there are parts of town that are better than others. There are also parts that you'd better have your doors locked and plenty of gas when you drive through. Coming in on Highway 78, we have to drive through one of the less desirable parts to get to the airport.
We were rolling along when we passed The Pony strip club. In addition to the building being painted Pepto Bismol pink and purple, this charming establishment also features huge chrome horses on the roof. Naturally they are stallions, rearing up and showing off their decidedly human, but also square genitals. That in itself is weird on so many levels.
My kids began to scream the moment it came into view. "Look, Mommy! It's the HORSEY restaurant!" Remember when I said before that they don't miss anything? We were almost past it when I heard one of them begin to giggle hysterically. "LOOK! You can see their bladders! Oooh, and look right behind it! There's POOP! Mom, you can see his bladder and he has two little poop balls on him. That's so funny!"
Well, they got the ball part right - sort of! I guess it's all in how you see it, but it sounds like we are going to be having some anatomy lessons around here soon. Can't wait to explain why the horse's johnson is square and standing up. Thanks, pink Pony. Thanks a lot.