Hooters into the 21st Century and beyond.....

Last night we went shopping for a phone for me. The one I had to settle for after an "oopsie" was made probably ten years ago. It still has an antennae and you really do have to pull it out to talk. It doesn't seem to even know what texting is, its not even an option. I believe it would be called a "first generation" phone.

The one thing I can say for it, it is a sturdy little phone. It's not like I know that because I have been randomly dropping it in toilets and on sidewalks to get rid of it. No sir, not me. We have been waiting until Brian's work decided on a plan and Yippeee! they finally did. We chose a "smart phone". Which means it will be smarter than me, and I will have to rent out my ten year old niece to teach me how to use it. Frankly, this makes me feel like a grandma and I am not zen with that yet.

Afterward we decided to grab a bite out and we wound up at Hooters. I am not sure why this hasn't ever been a blip on my radar screen. I mentioned it in passing to someone who had a negative reaction to the idea of being in that establishment, and especially bringing kids into it. I kinda didn't get it and I laughed. That is not always the best social reaction, trust me; unfortunately it usually happens before my brain engages. I mean, kids eat free on Tuesdays? who can resist that coupled with deep fried hot wings? Maybe I am just too laid back, but it the staff outfits don't bother me. I think we have seen worse outfits at the community pool/beach/television commercial. The one server looked like Amy Winehouse's twin sister, but that was disturbing for a whole other reason.

Maybe Brian just isn't a luster? It's never made me feel uncomfortable. I mean, I know he sees other women in his daily life. The man isn't blind and he acknowledges in his own head and sometimes out loud when a woman is attractive. I can't really fault him for that, it would be so hypocritical. I mean, we did NOT go to see the Fast and the Furious because of its awesome plot, I just liked looking at Vin Diesel for an hour and half. He has that sorta-frightening-badboy- with- a- good-heart thing going. I guess Brian has never done anything that made me feel like in his head I didn't always come out the winner of any beauty contest. I have never felt like I was "less than" in his head compared to another woman, not at hooters or the beach, or anywhere else.

Plus, the place holds some nostalgia. We went several times when John was under a year old. I promise you the boy had a strategy. He would grin at the waitress until she would bend over to oggle him, then he would slip that hand up and grab her, well for lack of a better word "hooters". If you are still young enough to be interested in breasts for their nutrition, those outfits count for "food presentation". To him, it was a well stocked buffet. The stinker.

Maybe I am some abberation of womanhood. I promise I do have boundaries. For example, even though it is Free steak day on Wednesdays at the Strip club down the street, and this appeals to the frugal side of me, we will never go.

Entourage

Emma let me know the other day that she had a new imaginary friend. This is actually her very first imaginary friend. Her name is Eif (like "leaf" without the L). This naturally piqued the curiosity of her younger brother and sister.

Eif required her own seat in the car. Of course Eif wanted Chloe's seat (a little sibling psychology anyone?), and Emma tried to explain that Chloe should give up her seat because "guests go first". Chloe was pretty quick to nix that idea and I had to explain that our imaginary friends would be fine without a seatbelt... on the floor of the van.

Chloe immediately decided that she had 3 imaginary friends, who all wanted extra dessert. John explained that he had eight of them. Which is less of an imaginary friend, and more of an imaginary entourage

a bit of poetry

Night in Day
by Joseph Stroud

The night never wants to end, to give itself over
to light. So it traps itself in things: obsidian, crows.
Even on summer solstice, the day of light's great
triumph, where fields of sunflowers guzzle in the sun--
we break open the watermelon and spit out
black seeds, bits of night glistening on the grass.

Mission Possible at Discovery Green

On Sunday, we headed out with our friends Brandy and her kiddos for the opening ceremony for Mission Possible. The challenge is to visit 8 nature centers in eight weeks. We said "hi" to smokey the bear.

First of all, we had a blast with our friends. Brandy and I somehow managed to wind up with children whose ages AND genders correspond, plus they all adore each other. But now she has cheated, and is about to have another baby :). I will not be able to donate another kid to even things out.

Discovery green was SOOO FUN! They had two water features the kids could play in and a rockingly awesome playground. We will definitely be back.



The mommies were able to find a shady spot and feel the breeze from the water features every once in a while.

Why the kids love homeschooling.......

The field trips









Our recess...






Our cafeteria (we serve all species without discrimination)

John-a-thon

Its all John, all the time. Somehow, everything interesting has happened to poor John.

Last week he had to get stitches. He and Chloe were playing with a plastic golf set, and he got the rotten end of the stick. So we had to go for stitches..... ouch

John was very clear with every single person he talked to that "Chloe did this to me". Ah, sibling love.......

John was very brave, and this whole thing has taught me that parenting a boy is very different when it comes to bathroom hygiene and emergency room visits.......

His injury was a complete accident, his sister didn't mean to hurt him. As a reward for being a very brave boy, the ER gave him a stuffed dog.

We hadn't been home for five minutes when his sister's asked him to share his new toy. For once, we said no sharing. That poor boy earned that little dog.

I might be the worst mom in the world for taking this picture.....

On Tuesday we went to Palm Beach in Galveston. On the way home everyone was, of course, STARVING. So we went into Mcdonalds to eat. Unfortunately, I hadn't brought a change of clothes... The girls had on swim cover ups, and Chloe had grabbed an extra cover up. So when the lady at McDonalds asked me to put John in a shirt, I had no choice but to improvise with a cover up.

I write this blog for the kids when they are older. I want to save some of these memories for them...

If you are older and reading this, John, Mommy loves you. And you just rocked the socks off that cover up. Hopefully you have not grown up to wear dresses (although I will love you anyway) or your father is going to blame me completely.

The monster that lurks in the target dressing room

Its the kissing bandit of course. John has been going through quite a phase recently. He only wants to watch slapstick comedy and the kid can recognize a winning line.

The other day we went swim suit shopping at Target for the girls. The benches in the dressing rooms have this hollow hidey-hole bottom. John squeezed into the bottom and started making creepy noises until Chloe came down to investigate what he was up to. He grabbed her, and says "C'mere hot lips, John needs a kiss" and starts smooching on her. Cracked me up!

The girls squealed and tried vainly to convince me that they hated it. Which was hard to believe when they kept going back for more....