It's a GIRL!!!!

Yes, I'm back...I know I've been gone for a long time and that everyone is wondering if I'm still alive - I am! I've just been so busy...with house stuff. For example, I've filled in the hole for the pool with 25 tons of dirt (by wheel barrow - not exactly fun), I've gotten a new furnace, I've planted plants and done some landscaping, and I've bought a patio set, and blah, blah, blah...let me get to the real reason I'm on here this morning!

LINLEE HAD HER BABY GIRL THIS MORNING!!!!! I'm so excited!!!! She was almost a Yankee Doodle Dandy!!!!

Okay, I'm not going to give you any info. on the precious baby girl since Linlee hasn't posted about her on her blog yet, and I don't want to steal their thunder!!! I'm sure Linlee will put it up on her blog as soon as she gets some rest and a few minutes...then again, now that she has a baby, maybe she won't. We'll see!

Little Miss Sassy, Jr. - Baby Shower

Saturday, my momma and I went to Little Miss Sassy's baby shower. I will have pictures - but I have to have them developed first. I didn't have any batteries for my digital camera (or enough memory), so I just took my 35 mm. Once I get the pictures developed, I'll post them.

The shower was very nice. Her mom held it at the Pasta House, which was absolutely awesome. The food was awesome, the cake was awesome (which her mom brought), the guests were awesome, the Pasta House staff was awesome, everything was AWESOME! I was very excited for her. She got some lovely gifts that will certainly help her when Little Miss Sassy, Jr. arrives. She even got cool St. Louis Cardinals stuff for the little one - who wouldn't love that?

My mom and I had a fantastic time and I don't think it could have turned out any better.

Congratulations to Little Miss Sassy and Little Mr. Sassy! I can't wait to meet Little Miss Sassy, Jr.! She's going to be so unbelievably adorable.

The Terror of Older Brothers

I was reading the "Haunted House Stories" post at Skittles' Place and she mentioned how her older brother used to like to scare her. This reminded me of a couple of times my older brother (6 1/2 years older than I) scared the ever-living crap out of me. Now, he scared me quite often, but I specifically remember two times that were, obviously, rather traumatizing (why else would I remember them to this day?)

I guess I should start this first story off by telling you about my complete terror of what might have been lurking under my bed at any point in time. I was deathly afraid of looking under there at night and there were numerous times that I had my mom or dad check under there before I'd go to bed - sometimes two or three times (you know the boogeyman could have snuck in there after my parents looked). Anyway, just remember this.

One evening, when I was around 6 or 7, we watched a horror movie. Now, I don't remember which movie, but that isn't important. Although, I now realize we probably should have listened to the rating of the movie and I shouldn't have watched it - but my parents weren't too strict in that manner. Regardless, it was time for bed and my brother curiously headed to his bedroom first. Thinking back, I probably should have known something was up. Eventually I reached my room and was getting ready to climb into bed. For some reason, I must have been feeling brave that night because, I didn't have my parents check under my bed. As I climbed into bed, I felt the bed shake a little and then "something" grabbed my ankle. I screamed at the top of my lungs, which brought my parents running. A few seconds later, my brother climbed out from under the bed laughing. Surprise, surprise - he didn't go to bed, he went to my room to scare me. Let me just say, he succeeded. That was always my biggest fear of the anything under the bed - that it would grab my ankle and pull me under. You know that BS about confronting your fears and how you won't be afraid anymore if you do? Yeah, that's not true. My brother proved to me, that night, that it was possible for someone to hide under my bed and grab me - he just reinforced my fear.

The second incident probably happened shortly thereafter. I don't remember if my parents were at work - my brother watched me after school because my parents didn't get home until 5:15 pm. All I know is that I was taking a bath and my brother came crashing through the door with a Butcher knife in the air similar to the "shower scene" in Psycho. Granted, this wasn't as terrifying as the "under the bed" incident, but it quickly taught me to lock the door when I take a bath or shower. And, to this day, I still have a fear of someone entering the bathroom while I shower or bathe. I have been known to watch the reflection of the entire bathroom in the chrome fan on the ceiling while I shower. Yeah, I'm a freak - it's alright, you all can talk about it.

I have to say, girls with older brothers usually turn out to be pretty tough - they have to in order to survive the older brother. Trust me.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Saturday was my mom's 57th birthday. Ever since she's had kids (since she was 22), she's never had a birthday where she didn't have to do anything or plan it herself. As pitiful as it is, I've never lived on my own where I could invite everyone over and my brother, quite obviously, is not the type to have everyone over for a BBQ. So, Friday afternoon, I decided, I was going to have a BBQ for mom’s birthday on Saturday - even though the house isn't finished.

So, I called my mom and I told her that I planned on having her birthday at my house so she didn’t have to do anything. She sounded kinda weary of the idea; I really think she likes doing everything herself. But, anyway, Friday night, I made a list and headed out to Schnuck’s. I got a cake, candles, ice cream, brats, hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, chicken breasts and her birthday presents. I had everything. That's when it hit me that J is working all day Saturday! AGH! I don’t cook and I don’t BBQ. Here’s a shocker for you guys – I’m not a bit domestic. I kinda freaked out for a minute and then I finally figured out that my nephew could BBQ (he’s good at it) and I'd be able to figure out the rest. So, my mom called me Friday night to ask what time they (my parents, my brother and my two nephews) should come over. That’s when I realized I had completely forgotten about side dishes, I had the corn on the cob, but that was it. So, my mom said she’d make Potato Salad. She just couldn’t help herself – she had to do something. **Now that I think about it, my grandma was the same way.**

For her birthday, I planned on giving her a clipping of J’s cactus (which was actually a clipping from a cactus at Ernest Hemingway’s house in Key West) and a restaurant gift card. So, I bought her a cute little pot and the gift card. We got home and I asked J to look up on the internet how to clip the cactus. Well, come to find out, you don’t just cut it and stuff it in another pot. Apparently, you have to have “gardening sulfur” to put on the open portions of the cactus to avoid infection. Whodda thunk? Okay, so, I’m not domestic and I don’t have a green thumb (at least I know two things I’m not – I can add this to my “Finding Mikala” blog). So, I couldn’t clip the cactus Friday night or even Saturday. I guess I'll have to run and get some “gardening sulfur” at some point. So, I just put her gift cards in a little bag and put the bag inside the pot. To jump ahead a little, she loved her gifts. She loves restaurant gift cards and she's been on J's butt for a while about getting a clipping of his cactus.

Saturday morning, I woke up and cleaned the house from top to bottom - I have a serious problem with people seeing my house dirty. Then, I took a shower and got ready. After getting ready, I figured I’d start the grill. See, J doesn’t believe in gas grills, we have to have a charcoal grill because, “its better”. Now, I grew up seeing my dad use a gas grill, so I walk outside and realize I have no idea how to start the grill! God, am I a loser or what? I frantically called J on his cell phone and asked him how to start it. He has this “chimney” thing that you start the coals with – thank God, it was relatively simple this way. You just stuff some newspaper in the bottom of the chimney, pour come charcoal in the top and light the newspaper. When the coals turn white, they’re ready to throw in the pit! I did this all on my own and I was proud. Then, I just had to wait for them to show up.

Everyone finally showed up around 3:30 pm. My brother, finally, got to see the house (which he hasn’t seen since he moved out) and he liked it. Around 3:45, I figured we better start working on the food. I didn’t know how to cook corn on the cob, I didn’t know how to marinate the meat, and I don’t touch raw meat (which you have to do to form the hamburger patties). **I have a phobia about dirty and/or sticky hands - I can't stand it, not even for a second.** So, mom formed the hamburger patties, she cooked the corn on the cob (which I did learn how to do) and she showed me how to marinate the meat! So much for her not doing anything, huh? Zach started BBQing and then his mom showed up to pick him up – so dad had to BBQ the rest. We finally ate and everything was great (no thanks to me). A little while later, we sang happy birthday over her cake (she hasn’t had that happen for well over 35 years). It was about 6:30 when they left. All in all, I’d say the first “function” at my house was okay. I didn’t ruin anything and I learned that I need to plan ahead a little more. I’m a pretty spontaneous person and I have trouble planning ahead. Maybe next time!

In the end, mom turned 57 and she didn’t have to do too much. Well, okay, she didn't have to clean her house. I’m glad. Happy Birthday mom!