Oh....he was meant to be ours.

I do believe this picture says it all. This little boy was so meant to be our son. 

Trains, trains and more trains.

Maverick loves trains. Really anything with wheels, but lately a little more trains than anything else. Before we even met Maverick one of Greg's guys asked if we wanted "Geotrax" for Maverick. I said sure...and packed it all away without really looking at it. I decided the other day to get some out- because the living room that is already full of freaking toys needed a few more. Much to my surprise there were trains. So I grabbed some trains, tracks and ran upstairs. I didn't know how to turn it on. Nope, I'm not even kidding. I put batteries in it, and pressed the button...nothing. Ten minutes pass with me fiddling with anything that can be fiddled with. Nothing. I google it. OMG I am so ashamed to admit I had to google how to use my 2 year old's toy. I realize there is an RV type remote. I run down stairs, grab one, and put batteries in it. I thought I was the hero. Until that didn't work either. I sit there for 20 minutes with Maverick looking at me like ummmmm does this move mama?? Greg asked if he should call the person we got it from. I said...Hell no! I will look like a total moron if you have to ask how to turn the thing on! Finally it hits me...I have the wrong remote. So I run back down stairs, get the right remote, switch out the batteries...and again think I'm the hero. Until all it does is makes sounds. Still no train movement. If you ever wondered how Forrest Gump felt everyday, this is it. I was clueless. I googled. I still couldn't work the damn thing. I hit toy rock bottom.  I sat there for 5 minutes just making the train sound..which Maverick loved by the way..until something I did caused the train to move! I have NO idea what I did..but now we have a working train.
I know girl toys. Barbie clothes on, Barbie clothes off. Repeat. That's a breeze. These boy toys are going to kill me....

Truths..

Truth: I hate waking up at 6am. I HATE it. Maddye has to be on the bus before I normally get up. I can't snooze. I can't delay. I hate that damn bus.

Truth: Maddye hates waking up at 6am. Maybe more than I hate it. She just masks her anger better than I do.

Truth: Maddye is loving her new school. We're pretty proud of her, and we're hoping for a great 5th grade experience.

Truth: Maddye, Maverick and I are NOT morning people. Mornings are not amusing. Mornings are not fun.

Truth: Greg is a morning person. There are days I want to strangle him. There are days it takes everything I have in me not to snap and say "shut it!". Greg is only chatty in the morning I swear. I do believe that he knows it drives me mad, and he's trying to make me snap. The silly man thought we would become morning people....not gonna happen.

Truth: We have bees. Not a few bees. I'm talking full colony of freaking bees taking up residency in the wall of our fireplace. They are able to get in through the fireplace. We've tried to use spray, we've even used heavy duty concentrate insecticide. The only thing we've accomplished is turning our patio into a bee battle ground. There are dead bees everywhere...yet we still see them flying in and out, and getting into our house. I vote for a professional. Where the hell is the Bug-Busters when you need him?

Truth: If I owned a pest control company I would call it "Bug-Busters"...who you gonna call....Bug Busters. Oh I can see it now.

Truth: Maverick might be smarter than me. This kid really amazes me. He is saying EVERYTHING, and is just too smart for his own good.

Truth: We recently came home from vacation to maggots in our sink. There is nothing better than a big fat maggot welcoming you home to reality. It was so gross. Apparently a fly thought it was a great idea to lay eggs in our garbage disposal. Note to self: put the stopper in, and bleach in the sink!

Truth: Things that I think about happen. Now before you chalk me up to another loon, listen! The penis in the garbage disposal thing, and now a murder at Put-In-Bay. No..I did not think about killing anyone, but while we were there I thought holy shit if someone wanted to bad bad things- they might just get away with it..especially on Middle Bass Island. I'm just saying. I was wrong....the person who did the killing did get caught. But....still my thoughts happen a few weeks later. Weird.

Truth: For those of you that are local- Middle Bass Island is one creepy place. If someone wanted to film a horror movie Middle Bass Island is the place to go. I have no idea how someone could live there!! We did find out that there were a couple of college kids from Kazakhstan working at a restaurant for the summer there. (One of the two restaurants on the island...just sayin) . I told Greg over and over...."I don't belong here".

Truth: I hate waking up at 6am...did I mention that already?

Not I.

No I am not a member of the Paradise Garden Nudist Resort in Ohio. Just in case any of you were wondering. Speaking of wondering.....
If you are a nudist where do you keep your chapstick? I'm really curious. A nudist chick could carry a purse I guess....but a nudist dude? I'm thinking I should market nudists. I could make a little chapstick bag that hangs on the......I'm going to stop there. I can't give away all my secrets.
If you are a nudist do you compliment body parts to break the ice? In the clothed world we can say "nice shirt" to break the ice. In the nudist world do you say "nice butt cheeks"? I kept it pretty PG, I was really thinking something way worse, but I couldn't let my innocent image get broken.
 If you are a nudist how do you hide a boner? (Shit..there goes my innocent image.) This has to be a concern right? I mean what if there is a Jennifer Aniston type nudist walking around? Do you quickly sit down? I'm thinking not Indian style...that might make it more noticeable. Maybe I can market something for this too...I'll call it boner-be-gone. I'm a genius.
If you are a nudist do you look? I'm going to be honest here. Really honest. I would look. At everything. I would look and be critical...just because I'm a critical person. Although if I was there looking, I would be in the nude too. Oh I shudder to think about my giggly spots giggling free. Oh the shame.
If you are a nudist do you hug other nudists? If you do, that's alot of skin on skin out in the open. I'm thinking they have to high five...right?
If you are a nudist do you have to shave if you are really hairy? Lets be honest here. There are some really hairy men out there. Hairy enough that it could be mistaken for clothes. So I call the unfair card if your hairy husband wants you to go to a nudist camp with him. No, my husband is not the hairy man in question. Greg is on the hairy side, but he isn't asking to enter a nudist camp...at least not yet. Which I totally would never do. Giggly spots..remember?
If you are a nudist do you bathe in sunblock? I'm thinking there are some areas I would never want to be sunburned. I could almost see it now. Honey, can you please put some aloe in my butt crack?
If you are a nudist do you play games in your nudist camp? If you do that just might give a whole new meaning to "corn hole". What about beer pong? I see the possibility of missing ping pong balls. I just hope if they do play games there isn't alot of squatting going on. I'm thinking that could cause some serious injuries.
If you are a nudist do you worry about bug bites? Mosquito bites are no joke. Mosquito bites on your whoo-haa would be torture. No way to hide that "secret" itch in the nude.
If you are a nudist do you worry about chafing? I'm thinking I would. I'm going to throw Greg under the bus here- pay backs remember..we went to the zoo and walking out Greg said "in case you were wondering I'm chafed" ..really I wasn't wondering. I could totally tell by the way he was walking and he was wearing shorts! Could you imagine the chafing going on if you were nude?

Here is the article about our Ohio nudist camp. Again I'm sad they didn't ask the important questions.

www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/state/beating-the-heat-by-taking-it-all-off-nudists-keep-cool-in-summer-heat-wcpo

Bus throwing

Have you ever been thrown under the bus? I have. In fact, just yesterday I was a victim again. Let me set this stage for you. Greg and I, like many married couples, talk. We have conversations about ...well just about everything. Normally we both have comments, and we both go back and forth with our opinions, which usually leads into yet another topic. Sometimes we agree, and sometimes we don't. A few weeks ago we were having one of our conversations and the topic of grass came up. Greg, as you may already know is crazy about his grass. (So crazy attentive that sometimes I'm jealous of the freaking grass. I've considered painting myself green to grab his attention, but..well...that's alot of green paint.) He loves his grass. He treats his grass like it's the queen. (I'm not 100% sure but I'm pretty sure he whispers sweet nothings to the grass when I'm not around) Anyway...we started talking about how we- and when I say "we" I do in fact mean Greg and I, wish that our neighbor would cut his far back yard. I said it because I like to see the baby deer, and the grass is too long to see them. Greg said it because he doesn't like the "hood" grass hanging out with his "honor student" grass. Conversation over.
Or is it? So yesterday I come home and our neighbor is on some crazy machine that is cutting and tilling his far back yard. I think nothing of it, go inside and start dinner. A little later Greg comes home, and I said.."holy crap did you see (insert neighbor name here) on that machine? Greg then says "yeah, I've been talking to him for a while now. He said you can be happy now that he cut his grass"......What?! Excuse me? You told the neighbor I was complaining about his grass? Oh it's on now. When I see this neighbor I'm going to inform him that I wanted to just see the baby deer- and that bus thrower over here thinks your tall ass grass is a bad influence on his good grass.
So it looks like I'm going to have to throw Greg under the bus big time...just to get even.

In Loving Memory

In Loving Memory

of

Jayden Thomas Graves

August 1, 2003

Safe in His arms, forever in our hearts

Eight years ago today our lives were touched by an angel. Jayden's tiny life left foot prints on the hearts of so many of us.  On that day our lives were forever changed, in that one moment I realized how fragile life really is. I will forever cherish the time I had when Jayden was in my arms, and I will never forget how beautiful he was. 

They are all beautiful memories, silently kept, of a baby we love, and never forget.

Happy Birthday sweet boy. We love you.

Mixed Nuts....