An Iowa Mom

Bad News First

Today was a day filled with baseball.  Sucky baseball.  We played like crap.  Well, not totally like crap, the first game we did okay, even though we lost. 

The second game ...

sucked. 

Sucked donkey.

So I don't really want to talk about it.

On to better news ...

LOOK!

The first strawberry has been discovered:

Wonder where that waskily wabbit went to?

Hhhhhhmmmm ....

Friday Night

Okay ...

It's Friday night.  And everyone is asleep. 

I'm not used to this.  Usually, I'm the first one passed out on the couch.  At 8:30pm.

And I know what you all are thinking ... "Lay Off The Drink!"

But I tried that ... and that's not it.

Seriously.

I did that.  And that's NOT IT.

So anyway.

Here I am.

At 10:30pm on a Friday Night.

I can remember back when this was such an exciting time of day.  A time when I haven't even left the house yet for the evening ... and there was such a long night ahead.  Full of dancing.  And drinking.  And socializing.  And flirting with boys. 

All that bull crap that doesn't really matter ...  (I can say that since I've got Big Daddy upstairs, fully content with ME.  Or at least I think he is.)

Now, many years later and what seems like another life entirely, I have kissed 4 sleepy heads, 3 of which are already asleep.  Packed the cooler minus ice for the baseball tournament tomorrow (local), fished Jake's nut cup out from behind the washer.  Long story, a whole other post that I'll threaten him with ... unless he SWINGS THE BAT TOMORROW! (Good-bye cash.  Hello Blackmail.), and set out everyone's clothes for the easiest transition tomorrow morning from the bed ... to the clothes ... to the breakfast table ... to the car ... (ooops, to the bathroom first) ... to the baseball fields.

I think I have it under control.

Now on to Season One, Episode One of Ugly Betty.

Yeah, I'm the only person is the U. S. of A. that has never seen "Ugly Betty" !!

Hello?  I've got four kids.

I don't get out much.

Or the TV doesn't get turned on much.

Or something like that ...

Pay It Forward Friday Poll

I know last week was the first week, but only two of us participated in Pay It Forward Friday.  Me.  And Jenny.  Thanks Jenny!

I'm impatient.  Very.  So, rather than posting another Pay It Forward Friday, and then coming back every 10.34 minutes to see if anyone has taken part, I'm going to post a poll to see if anyone out there is even remotely interested in it.  So, since I won't know who you are, and what your vote will be, please take the poll below.  Never mind that I'll cry my eyes out, have my feelings crushed and will lose all faith in coming up with new and creative things that I want to share, if you all don't want to do it. 

Really never mind all that.  I'll be fine.  I'll make it through.

Seriously, my meds are kicking in and my journaling is helping tons ... so I'll be able to handle whatever you all decide very well.

Just take the damn poll.

Thank you.

A big thanks to Shannon over at Rocks In My Dryer for giving me a little advice on the Mister Linky.  A little makeover will have to be made on the blog to install it correctly, but this will give me another week to figure it out.

Soul Mates, It's True!

I don't know if you all can remember back to the week before last, when I was searching for a new camera, because mine bit the dust and I can't live without one.  Never mind the fact that I always find it too much trouble to pull it out and snap some photos when I should, but I'm trying to do better in that department.

Anyway, after making my decision with the help of Mark, I decided to start working on Big Daddy.  I gave him a ring and nonchalantly asked if there was a Best Buy between where he was and where he was going.  He confirmed there was and I pleasantly asked him to stop in there and call me, because there was a camera I was going to beg and plead with him for the next couple of days to purchase for me, and I at least wanted him to see it.

He said he'd call.

And he didn't.

So, being the persistent bitch that I am, I call him again.

He says he forgot.

I got mad. (Remember, I'm a bitch like that)

No joke, about 10 minutes later, Big Daddy rolls into the driveway.

With a camera.

The exact one I wanted.

And I never once mentioned to him which one I had decided on earlier.

I'd say that's love.

Soul mates through and through.

And for those who lost faith in Big Daddy over the whole chair thing ... I'm sure it's restored now, right?

However, any bets on how long it actually takes to get my chair?

So, I'm A Space Case

There is only two days left.  TWO DAYS!  And I spaced posting about the Scrapbribing going on over at Iowa Geek.

What the hell?  I mean, I post about his every.single.month ... and this month ... SPACED!

I don't know what happened.

Maybe it has something to do with the husband, four kids, cat, baseball games, football games, baseball practices, out of town tournaments, pre-school, playgroups, grocery shopping, dinners to be made, snacks to be given, yadda yadda.

Maybe not.  But maybe so.  We'll never know.

HOWEVER, there is still two days left.  So if you want THIS ...

get over there and enter.  Do not forget to tell her that An Iowa Mom sent you. 

Seriously, you can't forget that part ... or else you won't win.

One Person's Trash Is Another's Treasure

Remember when I told you that we're all motivated by something?  Well, for Jake it's money.

You got it.

Cold hard cash.

And you already know that Big Daddy and I will stoop low enough to "pay" our children to do certain things.  You're thinking, "Well, of course, like an allowance!"

NO!

Like ... pay them to ... say ... SWING THE BAT IN A BASEBALL GAME.

That's right.

Jake is small.  A tiny little thing for his age.  And he has discovered that when he's up to bat in his baseball games, he doesn't have to swing.  He'll get walked and on base almost every time.  The reason is because he's hard to pitch to because he's so small.  Not much of a strike zone and the pitcher (being 10 years old) has to adjust pitching from regular sized kids to a small kid ... and it usually takes a few times.  At least four.  And waa-laa, Jake finds himself on first base, anxious to steal second.

Well, we don't want him to play the game that way.  If a good pitch comes his way, we want him to swing.  The coaches, the parents and other teammates are always yelling for him to SWING THE BAT.   But, when he does, he sometimes hits the ball.  And it dribbles to the pitcher and he's thrown out.  He hates that.  Being walked is a better deal for him.  But we want him to SWING!

Being the stubborn ass that he is, he doesn't.

Or I should say didn't.  Until we started offering up some moola in exchange for a swing of the bat here and there.

Horrible, aren't we?

Anyway, Jake made a few bucks this weekend at the tournament and his team finished in 4th place.  Why they give trophies for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, AND 4th place, I don't know?  I thought it should only be 1st, 2nd and 3rd ... but that wasn't the case, so Jake climbed into the Suburban late Sunday afternoon with a trophy in hand, and he was thrilled to say the least.  I can't even begin to tell you how excited and happy he was.

Somewhere along the 2 hour ride home, he said, "With all the money I made swinging the bat this weekend, I'm going to buy a polisher.  That way I can polish my trophy every single day.  I love it."

Yeah, okay!  At first I was dumb founded.  This didn't sound like my kid.  Did we accidentally take someone else home from the ball game? 

Then, after studying his pretty blue eyes and big ol' buck teeth, I realized, this is indeed Jake.  At that point, I was so happy this dorky little sunburned 10 year old was mine, he was growing up and wanting to take care of the things he earned and held close to his heart.  However, that was almost 4 days ago, and he still hasn't even brought the damn thing in the house yet.

Yeah, that's more like the Jake I know.

Wordless Wednesday: BRAT!

I haven't participated in Wordless Wednesday since I don't know when.  And while I have many words I could use to accompany this photo ... I think it's best I just keep my mouth shut this time.