We are not Martha Stewarts; we are not Queens of Clean, we are real women in an unrealistic world............ trying to keep it Real!
About Us
Name::Sheri & SuZan From::Cypress, Texas
Celebrating Women…for the Real World is a weblog that introduces a fun perspective for women who are mothers, wives, friends and employees. Sheri and SuZan have been friends for approximately ten years with very different households. Sheri is a mother of three children from a previous marriage, ages 17, 15, and 12. She has been married to James (JK on the Run) for six years and has 3 step daughters. Sheri is currently employed as an office manager/bookkeeper for a law firm; member of the High School’s Booster Club and has been past PTO President of the area Elementary School. SuZan has been married for 19 years and has one 17 year old son (she swears he counts for 3). She is a therapist in the local school district; also a member of the High School’s Booster Club and is Advancement Chairman in a local Boy Scout Troop. They are both passionate about their lives and aim to bring different perspectives on various subjects and how life impacts everything we do. View my complete profile
We just found out that today is Blog Day 2005! It was created by Spark Armada. So we present to you our five picks to Celebrate.
We love to read Sleeping Mommy. She is a wife and mom from Oklahoma. We love her attitude about her life "If the sleep deprivation is an effective form of torture than the CIA should seriously consider employing my children." She is always entertaining and funny and Snoring Daddy writes pretty good too!
A Mom In The Swampis also one of our favorites. She is very funny and down to earth. Right now she needs all of our support as her life has been disrupted by Katrina. Her sister Heather has been keeping us updated on how the family is doing. We hope to hear from you soon Cat!
We can't forget about The Kept Woman. She is a transplanted Texan (woot woot) who lives in Wisconson. She hosts "Way Back Wednesday" every week where you transport yourself back in time through pictures and share with the blog world.
OK....now for the shamless plugs!
The top of the list is jkOnTheRun. He is Sheri's husband and got us into this mess (lol...not really, we are having a blast...Thanks James!
We have to add the newbie Sports Talk. He is SuZan's son who has entered the blogging world. Keep it up G2!
Yep….it was that time of year again! It’s when they round up all the parents and set them loose in the hallways to find their kids classes and meet their Teachers…ahhhh yes…High School Open House. Last year, I made the mistake of going with hubby. Of course, he gripped and complained, because it is confusing, crowded and a pain (you know where). I also made the mistake of saying “Good God…it’s like a cattle call.” That was all the ammunition hubby needed. As we were making our way through crowds, he proceeded to “moo” and sometimes rather loudly. Yes everyone around us had a great laugh over his antics but I’m married to him! I would ease myself away from him but somehow he would find me.
So this year I had to go solo. Hubby and son had another extracurricular engagement at another school so they couldn’t go. It was a lot more mannerly this time (still chaotic), but not quite as entertaining. Of course the real fun was when all the parents (from grades 10th, 11th, and 12th ), tried to leave the school all at the same time. Then I started mooing.
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
6:11 AM ::
1 comments
To those of you with your head in the gutter-no, this is not about anything sexual (too bad)!
This past Saturday, my 15 year old daughter was invited to a party that was quite a ways from where we live (80 miles round trip). With the price of gas being what it is, I decided to find things to do out in that neck of the woods (seriously-the city is called the Woodlands-Ha!) while she did her thing. She wasn't sure how long she'd stay, but it was safe to bet that it would be at least two hours.
I started my adventure by heading toward the mall. The Woodlands Mall is HUGE! I looked up information about the mall before I left and decided there would be enough there to keep me in trouble (I mean-busy). This mall is AWESOME!!!! I decided to treat myself to a nice lunch at PF Changs. I guess I didn't realize that it's unusual for a party of one to want to sit at a table and enjoy the surroundings. They kept trying to put me at the bar! I told the host that a table in the other part of the restaurant would be just fine. I was seated. The waiter came over with a very perplexed look on his face. The look he gave me was "um, is anyone else joining you? Because I don't think I can remember my "speech" with just one person looking at me". As I perused the menu, I felt like I was being watched. I looked up. Several of the wait staff was standing off to the side, looking in my direction, and whispering! I got out my mirror as I was certain that something must have been hanging from my nose! Nope-all clear! I go back to looking at the menu and feel that same "someone's looking at me" feeling. I look up. Several patrons were watching me. It was very apparent that people are watching you and talking about you when the people are turning around and looking at you! I ask you, is it THAT unusual for a person to eat by themselves at someplace other than McDonalds?
I made it through lunch. Walked the mall. Bought a few needless items. Then called my daughter as two hours had passed. Is she ready to leave? Noooo. Things are just getting started. I ask her if I have time to go to a movie. She told me to go for it. So off I walk to the theater to watch "40 Year Old Virgin". I laughed my A** off! I totally enjoyed the movie. I did make one observation. There was a man sitting in front of me, alone, about my age. I was guessing that he was there alone for the same reason I was - passing time while pacifying teenagers! I considered starting a conversation with him but thought better of it. I didn't want to send mixed signals! We both sat on the end of our rows. It was funny watching people walk up the steps looking for a spot. When the previews started, he had an empty seat on his right as did I. I guess people assumed we were both waiting for someone. During the previews, as people would wander in searching for a seat, I was mentally willing them away from the empty seat beside me wondering if the man in front of me was doing the same! I must send a much stronger mental message as, the last person came in and sat in the seat beside him!
Although I often crave "alone time", I have to admit it was not as fun doing all of this without sharing the adventure. I don't know how many times I was pondering the purchase of an item and craving the company of someone to discuss it with. I think my lunch would have been a little more enjoyable as well if I had someone to share it with. The movie was great, but I did miss having a companion to laugh with when it was over. All in all it was a good day; but I definitely would have had more fun sharing it with someone!
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
9:02 AM ::
2 comments
To all of our friends that were and are in Katrina’s way, our thoughts and prayers go out to you. Living in the Gulf Coast we understand the fear and devastation that occurs when presented with a Hurricane. We hope you and your family are safe.
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
7:28 AM ::
1 comments
Monday, August 29, 2005
When You Want to Stay in Bed!
Early one morning, a mother went in to wake up her son.
"Wake up, son. It's time to go to school!"
"But why, Mom? I don't want to go."
"Give me two reasons why you don't want to go."
"Well, the kids hate me for one, and the teachers hate me, too!"
"Oh, that's no reason not to go to school. Come on now and get ready."
"Give me two reasons why I should go to school."
"Well, for one, you're 52 years old. And for another, you're the Principal!"
I saw this on "Classroom Connection" Link over and check it out! He is an Educator and also has links to several educational sites, plus links to fun and games.
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
5:51 AM ::
3 comments
OK.....yes.....this is a shameless mommy moment! I didn't find out until mid July, but my son has created a blog. His topic of choice of course is SPORTS. You would have thought that we raised him with a football instead of a teady bear and put Gatorade in his bottle (but we didn't). I'm thankful that he doesn't have aspirations for the NBA, NFL or MLB because we all know how realistic that would be. But we have always told him to follow his passion and find a way to make a living at it, so for the last 4 years he has decided that he wants to be a Sports Broadcaster.
At 16, he can pretty much give you any statistic you want to know about football, baseball and basketball. He doesn't post everyday but between school, HS football, and scouts, he has a lot on his own plate (especially now that he realizes the importance of grades to get into college). Anyway, link on over to his site and say hello. Be warned that the boy is opinionated (he gets it honestly) so be nice.....remember he is a minor!
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
7:14 AM ::
1 comments
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Woman to Woman Encouragement
This past week has been a stressful one. When I start feeling a little overwhelmed I get a bit down in the dumps. A friend of mine emailed this to me and it couldn't have come at a better time, I wanted to share because the words are true words of wisdom...Thanks Melissa!
Someone will always be smarter. Their house will be bigger. They will drive a better car. Their children will do better in school, and their partners will fix more things around the house.
So let it go and love you and your circumstances. Think about it. The prettiest woman in the world can have hell in her heart. The most highly favored woman on your job may be unable to have children. The richest woman you know - she's got the car, the house, the clothes -might be heart breakingly lonely. So, love you. Love who you are right now.
Tell yourself, "I am too blessed to be stressed." Be blessed ladies and pass this on to encourage another woman. "To the world you might be one person, but to one person you just might be the world." Send this to wonderful, strong women you know. I did. Possibilities and miracles are one and the same.
Occasionally I do a "Google" search with words relative to our blog to see what comes up. This week I found this article and this article. It seems that major corporations are starting to understand that the average consumers are not stick thin anorexic models, but REAL WOMEN!
First and foremost, I love my job! Really, I do! However there are days…..yes and yesterday was one of them. Yesterday I was at two schools. The first one, calm, saw the kids I needed to see, talked to Teachers regarding their progress or concerns, finished setting up another blog for a classroom, and had lunch with a friend from that school. Off to the next school.
I first go into a classroom to find out that there is an ARD schduled for today for a kid that is suppose to be on services (and we had no idea that he was). The school he came from had no mention of OT in any of the paperwork and no one knew this until the paperwork from the previous school district had arrived. So this means we need to see him, go over all the paperwork and give our recommendation (back-pedaling 101) oh….and make up all the time (ugg).
Then I go into another classroom and the Teacher and all the Paraprofessionals look like they are going to hang each other (to put themselves out of their misery). They have one little girl that cries, screams, destroys things, and disrupts the class. They had told me that the screaming and crying had been going on all day long (you know, I don't know how they do it). My first thought is that she is so low tone and unstable that I went to another classroom to get a “sit & wiggle” or “sit & move” (whatever it is called) just to give her some movement in the chair and some good proprioceptive feedback while she is sitting. It worked, but I know that it is a novel item and that it may not work over time. After recommending that they call in one of the Behavioral Specialists, I went over some strategies to encourage compliance, and the Teacher and I put together several task boxes for her, to increase her ability to work independently in the classroom. I worked with this little girl on some of her self-help skills, reviewed some strategies to use when they are out of the classroom and then had to go meet with the Diagnostician to go over what needed to happen before the ARD today.
I was totally exhausted, stressed, and I think my brain shut down after that.
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
5:06 AM ::
2 comments
Thursday, August 25, 2005
The Positive Side of Life
Living on Earth is expensive; but it does include a free trip around the sun every year.
How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.
Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live.
Happiness comes through doors you
didn't even know you left open.
Ever notice that the people who are late are often much jollier than the people who have to wait for them?
Most of us go to our grave
with our music still inside of us.
If Wal-Mart is lowering prices every day, how come nothing is free yet?
You may be only one person in the world,
but you may also be the world to one person.
Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
Don't cry because it's over;
smile because it happened.
We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors....but they all exist very nicely in the same box.
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Yes our little town of Cypress, Texas made the news. Actually it is not good news, it just proves that we have idiots living here too. Weiser Airpark, a small airport out here was the destination for some pilot who flew his plane right over Bush’s Crawford Ranch in restricted air space. He was surprised when he was escorted by military aircraft out of the airspace. Click the LINK for the full story.
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
7:06 AM ::
0 comments
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Why Do They Mess With You When Your PMSing?
I guess my guys like to live dangerously. By the middle of the week dinners get very simple around here so tonight it was smoked sausage, macaroni & cheese and green peas. When I was at the grocery store I saw a ready made tub of Country Crock side dish of macaroni & cheese so I figured “Hey, why not?” I get it home and start dinner when the boy sees what I bought he states “That’s just a snack for me” followed by “I’ll just fix some ‘Easy Mac’! Then my husband, when I tell him about it he looks at me and starts to pout (yes….fat lip and all….I don’t know why they think it’s cute) and says “What? No Kraft?” Now I’m not a violent person, but during that time of the month DON’T MESS WITH ME!
Tune in tomorrow to see if they lived through the night
UPDATE: They lived to see a new day. BTW that tub of mac....not so great. So far it has been a pretty uneventful week not much to write about, but sometimes those are welcome.
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
7:28 PM ::
4 comments
An old man lived alone in the country. He wanted to dig his tomato garden, but it was very hard work as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament.
Dear Vito, I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up the garden plot. If you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me. Love, Pop
A few days later he received a letter from his son.
Dear Pop, Not for nothing, but don't dig up that garden. That's where I buried the BODIES. Love, Vito
At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug and sifted and investigated the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man for upsetting everything in his back yard and left.
That same day the old man received another letter from his son.
Dear Pop, Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances. Love, Vito
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
12:00 PM ::
2 comments
During our last podcast, Sheri had brought up in our “Tips & Tricks” segment the Christmas Tree I had last year. I called it our Family Tree because I had called all of the members of my family (and I mean everyone) and had them email me the most recent pictures of them and their family. I then framed them out and hung them on the tree…hence the name: Our Family Tree.
I felt a real drive because two years ago we lost five family members on my husband’s side in less than a year. I wanted to pay them proper respect with their importance in the family even though they weren’t with us any more. So even though our household is only three, our Family Tree during Christmas time is a wonderful reminder of how rich with family we are.
(Click the photos for a larger veiw for detail)
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
6:32 AM ::
1 comments
Our funky, cool new music from emmetonlinegets our show started with a bang, and it only gets better from there!
Our topics of discussion this week includes Sheri’s realization that, my God, she occasionally IS a helicopter mom! Sheri shares a few instances that came about during the week when, in times past, she would have “swooped down” and fixed the problem for her kids! Keep listening for her graphic recount of medical emergencies this weekend that ended with at least one child in the ER.
Last week we talked about blogging in the classroom. SuZan was inspired and determined to get blogging incorporated into her lesson plans, and guess what - SHE DID! Listen to find out the progress she’s made.
Next, we share a little information found on this months Celebrating Women “Blog Pick Of TheMonth“. We finish the first half of the show with our “Tips N’ Tricks” segment. Find out how to make a “family tree” for Christmas! Not only is this a fun family project, all you teachers will love this as well!
Don’t go any where, we’re not done yet! We introduce two new features to our podcast this week. Our first new feature is entitled “Reasons to Celebrate Being A Woman”. Our second (and maybe our most favorite new feature) is the introduction of Celebrating Women’s “Extraordinary Woman of The Week” Listen and find out how and why we chose the author of this blog as this week’s “Extraordinary Woman”.
We hope you enjoy the show. If you’ve laughed, cried, rolled your eyes, or learned at least one thing from our show, then we’ve done our job.
Until next week remember…. we are not “Queens of Clean”, we are not Martha Stewarts; we are real women, in an unrealistic world…… trying to keep it real!
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
7:36 AM ::
2 comments
Monday, August 22, 2005
From the Light Menu to Start the Week
Husband 1.0
Dear Tech Support:
Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a distinct slowdown in the overall performance, particularly in the flower and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0.
In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5, and then installed undesirable programs such as NFL 5.0, NHL 4.3, MLB 3.0, and NBA 3.6. Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, to no avail. What can I do?
Signed, Desperate
_________________________________________
Dear Desperate:
First, keep in mind that Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while Husband 1.0 is an Operating System. Try to enter the command: "C:/ITHOUGHTYOULOVEDME" to download Tears 6.2, which should automatically install Guilt 3.0. If that application works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5.
Remember, though, that overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0, or Beer 6.1. Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will create Snoring Loudly 10.8. Whatever you do: DO NOT install Mother-in- Law 1.0 or reinstall another Boyfriend program. These are not supported applications and will crash Husband 1.0. In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly.
You might consider buying additional software to improve memory and performance. I personally recommend Hot Food 3.0 and Lingerie 7.7.
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Good thing I didn't open the wine
What a day. My oldest son plays high school football. He had to be at school today by 8:30 for a 10:30 scrimmage. By the time I got to the field, it was 99 degrees. I can only imagine what it felt like to those boys in full pads. My son is the center. About half way through the scrimmage I see my son and the quarterback sitting on the bench, both with their head between their knees. From my view-point I couldn't see everything, but apparently they were both puking! I didn't worry too much until I saw the trainers come over with ice bags for their necks, wet towels for their heads, someone taking there equipment off, the "doc" was checking my son's pulse. OK, I'm a little worried, but no one was frantically looking towards the stands for parents which would mean something serious was going on. Then, they walk them into the locker room. My first instinct? To jump the gate, find one of the trainers, go bang on the locker room door, etc., etc. But I didn't. After 15 minutes, doc was back on the field, so again, I'm not to anxious. I leave as my son usually gets a ride with one of his friends. I get home and "ring, ring-Hello Mrs. Mom, this is Doc, I made your son come out of the game because he had a rapid pulse and chest pains. We called Dr. B. (a cardiologist who's son plays football at the school) in to check on him. His heart may be skipping a beat. You may want to take him to his doctor." OK, NOW can I panic? But, there was not an ambulance involved, so I still wasn't in full panic mode.
After he gets home, I talk with him and find out that he also started to get severe leg cramps a few minutes after they took him in and laid him down. He puked three more times in doc's office. OK, now we have chest pains, vomiting, leg cramps. All of these could indicate cardiac problems, or dehydration, or a deficiency in potassium. I ran him a bath with some mineral bath crystals that ease sore muscles, fed him grilled ham & cheese sandwiches, 3 bottles of Gatorade, and a LOT of water. He took a three hour nap (yes, I did keep checking on him. You know, putting my ear by his nose to make sure he was breathing). After the nap-he feels great.
Was this the end of my excitement for the day----nooooo. I ended up taking son #2 to the emergency room tonight. We rushed out, hmm, about THE TIME DINNER WAS READY & ON THE TABLE. I was just about to open the wine when my phone rings and it's my youngest son's friend. The conversation went something like this- "um, can you pick us up? Gabriel like hurt his arm pretty bad. There's like blood POOORING out of his arm. " "OK" I say. Where are you". Now, it's not that I didn't know where he was. I knew where and who he was with, but I wasn't sure exactly how to get there with out son in the car guiding me. So I'm driving, & driving, & driving in circles. They all told me it was the 2nd street from the school. IT WAS THE 1st street!
I get son home. I cut off the make-shift bandage (they actually did a good job). Blood starts squirting - EVERYWHERE. I'm not one of those moms who run to the ER for every bump, bruise, cut, cough, etc. Even I knew this was going to require stitches. My daughter was just about to put the first spoonful of dinner into her mouth when she saw the blood. I was very proud of her too. She dropped her fork, ran to get clean towels, yelled directions to everyone, wrapped the towel around his arm, and sat with him in the back of the car holding pressure on his cut. We got to the hospital and my daughter ended up knowing one of the techs from school. (OK, sometimes it pays to have a cute 15 year old daughter). We only had to wait a few minutes before we were through triage and in a room. Another couple of minutes before we saw a doctor. I really was impressed with this ER and the personnel. I'd say we were in and out within 1 1/2 hours. It ended up being 2 deep gashes that required 23 stitches in one cut and about 15 in the other. We finished, paid and left. My son calls his dad on the way home. Do you know what my ex-husband told my son? Well, enjoy your pain! Then hung up on him. That man makes me soooo angry!
Whew! Glad I didn't get the wine opened. Could you imagine me trying to explain to the doctor what happened while wreaking of wine!
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
10:10 PM ::
2 comments
Back in May I did a post about the baby of the family. The post pretty much dealt with his position (the youngest) and how it's harder for him to get away with the stuff the other two did. Not too long ago I read a post about the baby of the family not having the same opportunities to "grow up" and experience the stuff the other children did. For instance, by the time the youngest was old enough to watch Barney, the other two were no longer interested in singing with a big purple dinosaur but would rather watch the high kicking action packed show "Power Rangers". Two against one, Power Rangers ended up the show of choice. Now my youngest is in 7th grade and experiencing a lot of firsts. He is trying out for the school football team. He is working hard. My older two tell him that what he's doing is "nothing and unimportant". After all, it's all about High School football according to them.
I do get on to the other two and remind them that they didn't have an older sibling putting them down or getting involved with personal issues like behavior. I remind them to be patient and to trust me as far as discipline (obviously I must know SOMETHING. I did teach them, didn't I?). But they just don't understand.
I'd like to make all of you think that I'm SUPER MOM and have all the right answers and do everything correctly, but I know that I'm not. That being said, I'd like to share something that happened last night. One other obstacle the baby of the family has to deal with is the fact that we (OK, mostly ME), forgets how old they really are and that privileges come along with the maturation process. For instance, last night the youngest wanted to go outside and down to the corner and talk with his friends. It was 8:00 and not quite dark. I said "NO". Then my oldest reminded me what I let him do when he was in 7th grade. In all honesty, when I told the youngest "NO", the last thing I thought about was the fact that he is in 7th grade. Gees, when my oldest was in 7th, we felt like he was half grown (OK, was like 6 ft tall in 7th grade and the youngest isn't quite 5 ft yet, could be part of the problem). So, I let the young-in' go with the stipulation that he be home by 9:00. I reminded him that this is a privilege and, should he not be home by 9:00, he would prove to me that he's not ready for the responsibility. He was home by 9:00!
Moral of the story-I really don't think there is one other than to share my thoughts about being the baby in the family. Maybe y'all can relate? We'd love to hear from ya!
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
3:22 PM ::
1 comments
It’s that time again! We had our first scrimmage today (well the boys anyway). All of us parents were there cheering them on. I must say that yes I do enjoy watching my boy play, watching his friends play (I consider them my boys too); and getting all caught up in the excitement of it all. But this is not what I enjoy the most. What is funny is that we can find our own boys when they are standing on the sidelines by looking at their butts (yes…it is a mom thing).
What is the most fun about football season is the camaraderie among the parents. I confess I can’t always find my son out there when he is on the field; I do miss key plays; spend a lot of time asking “what happened?” My husband says that I have FADD (football attention deficit disorder)! I can’t help it, between the atmosphere and all the people, how can you stay focused on one thing. I love catching up with the other moms and dads, not to mention seeing how much their boys grew over the summer. Yes, our boys think that we are only there for them, but reality it is just one big social event up in the stands…….GO BOBCATS!
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
11:19 AM ::
0 comments
Friday, August 19, 2005
Something to Make You Smile
I'm in quite a funk today. I think it may be exhaustion. This first full week of having the kids back in school has kicked my butt! I feel a bit better after looking at these cuties. Enjoy!
Self portrait?
Enough said. I bet you smiled at at least one of these. Come on, you know you did!
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
12:33 PM ::
5 comments
It's that time again. I haven't played for a couple of weeks but when the Katy announced the topic of SPF "What stresses you out", I just had to play. The thing that stresses me out the most is clutter! I am still working on the "simplify your life" plan, but the clutter of junk mail, forms, magazines, catalogs, etc. just drive me nuts. I am by no means a "clean freak" (Sheri is probably LHAO because she knows I'm not), but clutter really gets to me and it takes a split second for it to accumulate.
Now another thing that stresses me out is my son's room. I pretty much keep his door shut, but I do have to venture in there on occasion just to make sure the health department doesn't shut us out of our home. As you can see he is using the side of his bed for a dumping ground of clothes and stuff.
This one is my all time favorites! The independent science experiments that go on in this room. YUCK! I do make him wash his dishes but I do have to inspect them afterwards. The boy has been taught about the importance of maintaining a clean environment. His personal hygiene did improve dramatically when he started to have a reaction to perfume, I'm hoping the same will occure with cleaning.
So clutter stesses me out. Hop on over to Katy's The Dirty Days (aka The Grass Isn't Greener) to see who else is playing. I can't wait to check out the fun when I get in from work.
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
5:50 AM ::
6 comments
Thursday, August 18, 2005
My Husband is a Clever Man or How to Get Banned From the Kitchen
This actually started when my husband and I were dating. He wanted to cook a dinner for me and what a memorable dinner it was. He was fixing spaghetti (using Ragu); after emptying the jar of sauce he decided that it wasn’t thick enough so he added two tablespoons of flour. After mixing that in, he decided it still wasn’t thick enough so he added two cups of flour. By the time I arrived, the spoon, sauce and pan were just about bonded together and we almost broke the garbage disposal cleaning it up. Needless to say we went out for dinner.
His second attempt was also a memorable one. He wanted to barbeque some chicken. He called his mother to ask her how to cut the chicken up. She told him it would be easier to cut up if he put it in the microwave to soften (briefly). I don’t know how long he left it in but the darn thing exploded. He proceeded to peel the chicken out of the microwave and started cooking it on the grill. So I ask you, what does exploded chicken pieces do when you put them on open flames? They catch fire! He finally got ticked off and poured lighter fluid on the chicken and just had a bonfire.
When we got married, I banned him from the kitchen. Five years ago, when we joined the Boy Scout Troop that we are currently in, I found out that all the adult male leaders were excellent cooks. My husband was even told that they were going to make him take the cooking merit badge with the boys. I don’t know what happened on a particular campout a few years back, but he is also banned from cooking on campouts too. We have a rule “what happens in camp, stays in camp” so I have no idea what he did.
You have to understand that this man IS talented. He rewired the house; redid the plumbing in one of the bathrooms; totally revamped the fireplace; made me built-in bookshelves, laid (stop it you dirty minds) hardwood floors throughout the house, yet can't boil water. After 18 years of marriage, he still reminds me of his unauthorized status for culinary engineering. He is such a clever man (why didn’t I think of that?).
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
6:12 AM ::
3 comments
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
These Darn Fund Raisers - Argh!!
Be ready-there's a little ranty-poo coming.
I have two kids in high school that participate in sports. I am a member of the "All Sports Booster Club". I understand that these organizations need funds to operate. This particular club gives a small portion back to a few students (12 to be exact) via $1000 scholarships. Its a good cause. No, its a GREAT cause!! I have no beef with them needing to raise funds. I DO have a beef with them making it mandatory!
Here's the scenario. Second day of school both kids come home with six (count'em - SIX) discount cards containing coupons to various area restaurants. The price for these lovelies is $20 a pop. If they sell five cards, they get to keep the 6th one (yeah, like my football player son is going to tell his friends when they're out to eat "Hold on, I have a coupon"). I still don't have a problem and bought one card from each kid. Here is the part I have a problem with. They HAVE to sell ALL the cards or they will be punished with various punishments each coach feels appropriate. For instance, my football player son will have to do so many "gassers" (whatever that is) while the kids who sold their coupons won't have to do any. My daughter's soccer coach is making each child who didn't sell their quota run two miles in 16 mins. If they can't make it in the allotted amount of time, they will have to continue running until they can. Now, I know the whole point is to encourage the kids to sell. But, should they punish the kids who don't? It's not that my kids didn't attempt to sell. The problem is that EVERY GOSH DARN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN OUR SUB-DIVISION AND PLAYS A SPORT HAS TO SELL THEM AS WELL!!!!! The family that I have in Texas does not live in the area for which the coupons are eligible. Same deal with the office! In our case, it wasn't for lack of trying!
Long and short of my ranty-poo (I said poo - he, he): fundraiser - YES; Punishment - NO; Rewarding the kids who did sell with a pizza or ice cream party - OH YEAH!!
Feel free to leave appropriate and respectful comments regarding your opinion!
I was visiting one of our favorite sites“Thanks For The Ride, Lady!”and was reading a post about her daughter getting ready to go off to college and how difficult that was for her. I started to think about the two short years that we have left before my son does the same.
It seems just yesterday that I was comforting him when he scraped his knees. I was there cheering him on as he passed each milestone. Now at 16, he is almost a man. I find that not only do I love him with all my heart, I really, truly like his personality and the man that he is becoming. Yes he does “teenager stuff”; but in his strengths I see a man with compassion, drive, and a real zest for the future.
When he was younger (elementary grades), he and I would go out on “dates”. I would laugh because it always involved food like Jack-In-The-Box or Wendy’s but on our “dates” I would do the driving, and pay for it too! The memory always brings a smile to my face. At 16 he still wants his dad and I to be around; he still wants to go “do things as a family” and for that I am truly thankful. Yes the relationship is different at 16 compared to 6, but it is always special and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I love you so much my son.
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
5:45 AM ::
3 comments
Welcome back to the Real Women Show. We are all filled up and ready to grace the airwaves with our wit and charm…..oh barf!
This week we talk (again) about bad service at restaurants and how they should NOT handle certain situations. Find out exactly what a “helicopter mom” is. Shopping with a teenage daughter - ugh! We also talk about an interesting article that recently appeared in The St. Petersburg Times regarding “Blogging in the Classroom“. It was very interesting to hear how SuZan is planning to implement this into her lesson plans.
From here we venture into a discussion about an article that appeared in a recent addition of “The Oprah Magazine” regarding how our nation is becoming over medicated. The article was based on a book entitled “Selling Sickness”.
SuZan then shares some great “Tips N’ Tricks” and explains an easy way to get left over candle wax from a candle holder as well as how to remove that nasty smell that sometimes gets left behind in the ice chest! (You are not going to believe this-I tried it-it works!)
After a brief “Pause For The Cause” we come back and share some awesome things that were on our “Blog Pick Of The Month“. We finish out the show with a brief discussion on the book we’re reading regarding raising teenagers. “STEP-Systematic Training for Effective Parenting" is a great book filled with a lot of information.
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
12:33 PM ::
1 comments
In the September 2005 issue of Good Housekeeping, Lisa Goff wrote an article on “Bargaining for beginners”. The article of course, caught my attention because I’m always in search for a bargain. She suggests that you search the Sunday paper for ads then ask your local store to match the competitors’ deals; but to also check for prices on the following web sites:
Froogle.com- Search engine for anything you want to purchase MySimon.com- Price comparison shopping service NexTag.com- Compare prices before you buy eBay.com- Auction or Buy-it-now
As for myself, I have made many purchases from eBay and have been satisfied with what I have paid for various items. Hubby has also recently mastered eBay (I've created a monster .... bwaaaahaahaa). The other sites I’ll be sure to check out. If you have any other suggestions or tips, please add to the comments.
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
6:00 AM ::
2 comments
NOTICE: Classes for men at our local learning center for adults will be starting soon. Sign-up by August 30th.Note: Due to the complexity and difficulty level of their contents, each course will accept a maximum of 8 participants each.
Topic 1 - How To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays. Step-by-step, with slide presentation.
Topic 2 - The Toilet Paper Roll: Do They Grow On The Holders? Round table discussion.
Topic 3 - Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting The Seat Up And Avoiding The Floor/Walls And Nearby Bathtub? Group practice.
Topic 4 - Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper And The Floor. Pictures and explanatory graphics.
Topic 5 - The After-Dinner Dishes And Silverware: Can They Levitate And Fly Into The Kitchen Sink? Examples on video.
Topic 6 - Loss Of Identity: Losing The Remote To Your Significant Other. Helpline support and support groups.
Topic 7 - Learning How To Find Things, Starting With Looking In The Right Place Instead Of Turning The House Upside Down While Screaming. Open forum.
Topic 8 - Health Watch: Bringing Her Flowers Is Not Harmful To Your Health. Graphics and audio tape.
Topic 9 - Real Men Ask For Directions When Lost. Real life testimonials.
Topic 10 - Is It Genetically Impossible To Sit Quietly As She Parallel Parks? Driving simulation.
Topic 11 - Learning To Live: Basic Differences Between Mother And Wife. Online class and role playing.
Topic 12 - How To Be The Ideal Shopping Companion. Relaxation exercises, meditation and breathing techniques.
Topic 13 - How To Fight Cerebral Atrophy: Remembering Birthdays, Anniversaries, Other Important Dates And Calling When You're Going To Be Late.
Upon completion of the course, diplomas will be issued to the survivors!
Yes we all love our men very much, but sometimes....I saw this at Digital Dream Door; click the title for the link and check out the site.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
A Little Help Here Please
My daughter and I go to the mall to finish up on back-to-school wardrobe shopping (yeah, like you can ever say you're done). It's crowded, my feet hurt, and I'm claustrophobic. We go into this store. We look, look, look. I tell her I'm going to check the clearance racks in the back. Her response-"You don't have to tell me every time you walk away, OK? I'm not a child!" Next store, same scenario, only this time I don't tell her I'm going to the back. What happens? "Where did you go? You could have told me you were going to go to the back!"
A few minutes later, we run into her friends. I stand there, but kind of to the back. What should I do? Do I tell her I'm going wonder off? Do I stand there? I figured if I stood in a few steps back, I wouldn't be hovering, but I wouldn't be wondering off without telling her. Wrong choice for me! She got mad at me for standing there while she was trying to talk!
Could someone explain the rules?
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
7:28 PM ::
7 comments
We have all heard the ole saying: “Kids say the darnest things”. We all know it is true, but what usually comes to mind is young children because of their honesty and lack of tact.
For all you young mothers out there; it just gets better. In our home, we are faced with our 16 year old son wanting a car (he gets his permanent driver’s license next week). There is no surprise or hidden agenda here; we have always been upfront with him on what it would take for him to get a car. First and foremost we never told him we would buy him one. The agreement was that we would match whatever he saved up to buy it. The second agreement (per his dad) is that he wouldn’t be allowed to drive until he becomes an Eagle Scout (almost there but not quite). No big secret, no hidden agenda, no deal breaker.
We are all sitting in the living room the other evening and the dialogue went something like this:
Son: “Mom, Dad,…you know I can’t have a girlfriend until I get a car”.
Mom & Dad: ROTFLOAO!
***after we wiped the tears from our face from laughter***
Mom: “And this is to encourage us to do what?”
Dad: “Find a girl that has her own car”
Son is now totally ticked off…..exits the living room.
You just have to love the scheming and plotting!
Posted by Sheri & SuZan ::
9:09 AM ::
5 comments
Yep….it was that time of year again! It’s when they round up all the parents and set them loose in the hallways to find their kids classes and meet their Teachers…ahhhh yes…High School Open House. Last year, I made the mistake of going with hubby. Of course, he gripped and complained, because it is confusing, crowded and a pain (you know where). I also made the mistake of saying “Good God…it’s like a cattle call.” That was all the ammunition hubby needed. As we were making our way through crowds, he proceeded to “moo” and sometimes rather loudly. Yes everyone around us had a great laugh over his antics but I’m married to him! I would ease myself away from him but somehow he would find me.
This past week has been a stressful one. When I start feeling a little overwhelmed I get a bit down in the dumps. A friend of mine emailed this to me and it couldn't have come at a better time, I wanted to share because the words are true words of wisdom...Thanks Melissa! 
Alabama: Hell Yes, We Have Electricity
Georgia: We Put The "Fun" In Fundamentalist Extremism 
Else
Washington: What Rain? 
I guess my guys like to live dangerously. By the middle of the week dinners get very simple around here so tonight it was smoked sausage, macaroni & cheese and green peas. When I was at the grocery store I saw a ready made tub of Country Crock side dish of macaroni & cheese so I figured “Hey, why not?” I get it home and start dinner when the boy sees what I bought he states “That’s just a snack for me” followed by “I’ll just fix some ‘Easy Mac’! Then my husband, when I tell him about it he looks at me and starts to pout (yes….fat lip and all….I don’t know why they think it’s cute) and says “What? No Kraft?” Now I’m not a violent person, but during that time of the month DON’T MESS WITH ME!
During our last podcast, Sheri had brought up in our “Tips & Tricks” segment the Christmas Tree I had last year. I called it our Family Tree because I had called all of the members of my family (and I mean everyone) and had them email me the most recent pictures of them and their family. I then framed them out and hung them on the tree…hence the name: Our Family Tree.
It’s that time again! We had our first scrimmage today (well the boys anyway). All of us parents were there cheering them on. I must say that yes I do enjoy watching my boy play, watching his friends play (I consider them my boys too); and getting all caught up in the excitement of it all. But this is not what I enjoy the most. What is funny is that we can find our own boys when they are standing on the sidelines by looking at their butts (yes…it is a mom thing).
Now another thing that stresses me out is my son's room. I pretty much keep his door shut, but I do have to venture in there on occasion just to make sure the health department doesn't shut us out of our home. As you can see he is using the side of his bed for a dumping ground of clothes and stuff.
This one is my all time favorites! The independent science experiments that go on in this room. YUCK! I do make him wash his dishes but I do have to inspect them afterwards. The boy has been taught about the importance of maintaining a clean environment. His personal hygiene did improve dramatically when he started to have a reaction to perfume, I'm hoping the same will occure with cleaning.
This actually started when my husband and I were dating. He wanted to cook a dinner for me and what a memorable dinner it was. He was fixing spaghetti (using Ragu); after emptying the jar of sauce he decided that it wasn’t thick enough so he added two tablespoons of flour. After mixing that in, he decided it still wasn’t thick enough so he added two cups of flour. By the time I arrived, the spoon, sauce and pan were just about bonded together and we almost broke the garbage disposal cleaning it up. Needless to say we went out for dinner.
In the September 2005 issue of Good Housekeeping, Lisa Goff wrote an article on “Bargaining for beginners”. The article of course, caught my attention because I’m always in search for a bargain. She suggests that you search the Sunday paper for ads then ask your local store to match the competitors’ deals; but to also check for prices on the following web sites:
We have all heard the ole saying: “Kids say the darnest things”. We all know it is true, but what usually comes to mind is young children because of their honesty and lack of tact.