No More Mr. Nice Guy

I was preparing a heartfelt post about how Lexi and I had a great talk last night, and while I hate punishing my kids, I knew it was in Lexi’s best interest. I couldn’t wait to tell all of you how sweet she was about the whole thing.

Me: Lex, if I ask you a question will you tell me the truth?
Lex: Yes.
Me: No matter what?
Lexi: Yes.
Me: Have you gotten on Facebook since last time we talked about it?

She lowered her head in shame.

Lex: Ya…once.

Long story short, she got spanked for making a bad choice when she knew it was wrong. She lost her Nintendo DS and her T.V. for an indefinite period of time. She was sad, but she knew she messed up so she took it like a champ. When I tucked her in last night I told her I was proud of her no matter what and that tomorrow is a new day and a clean start and that I loved her very much.

Overall, I felt really good about things. She seemed to understand. We got our point across. Voila!

Or so I thought…

Tonight I asked her to log into her Facebook account so that we could delete it. She did, reluctantly. And I was floored when I saw her profile! This kid has (had) friends…LOTS of friends!! She had an aquarium…whatever that is, but it looked like it required a lot of time! She had written on people’s walls. They had written on hers. She had status updates.

“Lexi can’t wait to see smokin’ hot Jacob in New Moon!”

Excuse me????

“Lexi is going out with Casanova!”

Gag me with a spoon.

“Lexi is soooooo cold and just turned up the heat!”

You better not have touched that thermostat, you little pipsqueak!

Basically, I’ve been foiled.

Once?? She got on there once??? Ha!!! More like once a day!

She didn’t get on there at home, this I know. We have a lap top and if either of the girls use it they have to be with us. My guess is she got on there at my mom’s or my MIL’s. They let her get on the computer to do things like play on Webkinz and Go Girls Games…or so they thought, anyway.

Last night I was sad. I felt bad. I felt like I was being too hard on her.

Tonight, I’m pissed.

I’m not going to punish her any more than I already have, but my opinion has DEFINITELY changed about the situation. She is no longer my sweet, innocent baby. She is a tween. She is quickly becoming teenager and all that that entails. So, I figure with the rare exception she and I will hate each other for the next 8 years.
Let the good times roll!

P.S. Did I mention she was “friends” with her teacher??? I am so embarrassed.

Déjà Vu All Over Again

Remember Lexi’s little Facebook incident?

We talked about it. Dealt with it. She got punished for it. We moved on.

Well, well, well. When I checked my phone this morning I had a text message from my mom around 10:30 last night.

“Lexi was on Facebook today. Is that ok?”

(The girls go to my mom’s after school two days a week)

At first, I thought she was kidding. My mom can be a jokester. She likes to see what reaction she will get from me because she thinks I’m a drama queen. So, I asked her if she was serious.

She was. That little shit girl got on Facebook AGAIN!!! I can’t believe it.

After being punished. After our big talk about honesty. After talking about how it’s super important to be a trustworthy, honest Christian. After EVERYTHING.

So, long story short, it’s really a good thing that 9 hours will pass from the time I found out to the time I see her shady sweet, little face. She is in deep trouble. And all jokes aside, I am sad. I’m very disappointed in her. And silly as it may seem, I’m hurt that she would go behind my back and do that…again.

Anyway, she is in for a surprise when she gets home. I’m not sure what to do yet, but I know that this sneaky behavior will not be tolerated. I mean, in the grand scheme of things Facebook is not that big of a deal, but before too long she will be faced with things that are a big deal…drinking, drugs, sex, etc. And regardless of how good of a parent you are, the harsh reality is that you can’t protect your kids from the world. All you can do, as a parent, is instill in them what is right and what is wrong and pray to God that when the time comes they will make the right choice.

I had a funny conversation with my Granddad a couple weeks ago right after Lexi’s first go-round with Facebook and he told me I was being too hard on her. He said it took a lot of guts to tell me the truth and that if I was hard on her and that I was going to make her afraid to talk to me about things.

I admit, he has a point. But, my response to his point of view reminded me eerily of my dad.

Granddad: I mean, don’t you want her to feel like she can tell you anything?
Me: Actually, I’d rather her not screw up in the first place.

Now, I know my children are not perfect and I am by NO means perfect, but just because you come and tell your mom that you did something behind her back that she (for a very good reason) forbid you to do, does not erase the fact that you did it.

You make bad choices and there are consequences. When you’re a kid and when you’re all grown up, too. I just want to emphasize the importance of making good choices. If I can make her life any easier...if I can make her a better, stronger, more responsible, honest person…that is what I want to do. That’s my goal in life…to raise awesome adults.

I am stepping off my soap box now. I’ll let you know tomorrow how much she hates me.

Lotsa Pictures Post

We set out today to capture the perfect picture for our Christmas card...





I can't WAIT to see our Christmas cards this year!! If you're looking for some precious Christmas cards (or cards for any occasion, actually) at a VERY resaonable price you should visit my friend, Marcy. She'll hook you up! :)

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Last night we went to the first Razorback basketball game of the season.





Doesn't Lexi look cute in her Hog nose?? Don't I look out of place in my blue dress? :)

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Last weekend Matt and I went to Little Rock to deliver the JRG Foundation donations to Arkansas Children's Hospital and Ronald McDonald House.

We also went to Quinton's 2nd Birthday Party. Quinton had CDH (like Jack) and according to several medical professionals, wasn't supposed to live.


What do they know???

While we were there we got to spend time with some really great friends.





Life is good. :)

So, Anyway...

My car has recently been making a “chirping” sound. Sometimes you can hear it and sometimes not, but since my husband was freaking out about it my car is fairly new and under WARRANTY I decided I would have it checked out.

This morning I dropped my car off and an hour or so later I get a phone call…

Honda Guy: I’ve got good news and bad news.
Me: Okay?
Honda Guy: The good news is we found the problem.
Me: Good deal.
Honda Guy: The bad news is it’s not covered by your warranty.
Me: Why not??
Honda Guy: It’s your drive belt and it’s rubber.
Me: Uhhhhh…
Honda Guy: The warranty doesn’t cover rubber, glass or plastic.

Awkward silence.

Honda Guy: It also doesn’t cover anything electrical.

That’s a helluva a warranty, Mister!

Me: So, how much is it?
Honda Guy: It’s only $69.99. Want us to go ahead and fix it?
Me: Guess so.

Click.

So, here’s my question. What the hell DOES an extended warranty cover??? And why did I pay for it???? Next time I buy a car I’m going to ask what my warranty DOESN’T cover.

Jerks.

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I’m going to buy this book today.


Have you seen the previews for this movie? How good does it look??? And it’s a true story!! I love stories like this. I can’t WAIT to see it! Matt’s excited, too. I see a date night in our near future.

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My daughter has a boyfriend.

Remember this little dweeb. Well, he’s back in the picture. Did she not learn her lesson the first time??? He dropped her like a newborn giraffe.

And then he prank called our house, the little punk!

My husband found a note from him last night…

Dear Lexi,

You’re cute. I love your curls.

Love,
Casanova

Gag me. It’s too early for this to be happening.

P.S. I typed this post on Thursday, but I just got around to posting it. Better late than never, right?

Random is My Middle Name

Ok, not really. It's Jane. But, anyway...

I need to upload some pictures from the weekend, but I don't know where my USB cable is and truth be told, I'm too lazy to look tonight. So, instead I will just do what I do best and be completely random.

• I have had "I'm Here for the Party" by Gretchen Wilson stuck in my head for the last 72 hours. I don't even like that song.
• I am in love with Etsy. I have been buying stuff left and right. For Christmas, of course. (Or at least that's what I tell my husband.) If you're looking for some great Etsy shops...try this one and this one and this one. You will LOVE them!!!
• We found a house we LOVE and I really hope we get it. This was totally not in our plan, but who likes plans anyway, right?
• Even though I swear it off after every season...I can't WAIT for The Bachelor to start!
• I don't love The Hills without L.C.
• I do love Glee.
• I'm on a MAJOR Billy Joel kick lately. I love him. And I love to hear my girls sing Uptown Girl at the top of their little lungs!
• I'm really having to restrain myself when it comes to putting up my Christmas tree!! My husband wants me to wait. The girls and I want to put it up early. Wonder who will win that battle? One man...three women. He's so out-numbered that it's not even funny!
• I signed up for a health nut/motivational/weight loss website last week and the email updates are annoying the crap out of me. I haven't logged in once since I signed up. I don't like pressure.
• I need a walking partner.
• I said walking not running.
• I think my ten year-old just shaved my seven year-old's legs.
  
  And by the way, thank you, sweeties, for your words of encouragement on my last post. It truly means a lot to me.
  
  

What a Day.

Today I spent the majority of the morning with Lexi at her school. I hung out in her class for a while and then went to the awards assembly in the cafeteria. She got an Honor Roll Award, a Student of the Month Award and I even got to see her best-darn-essay-in-the-whole fifth-grade displayed proudly in the hallway.


We had fun. It was nice. I was so proud of my girl.




I left Lexi’s school and headed to a funeral across the street. My BFF’s Grandma died Monday night and her funeral was today. Kortney (my BFF) was very close to her Gram. They had a relationship that you might only have with one person during your whole life. Needless to say, Kortney is crushed. And because I love her so much I am crushed for her. I wouldn’t have missed the funeral for the world.

Even though the last time I was at that funeral home was the day I buried my son.

I thought I was prepared. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to walk through those doors, but I had NO idea just how hard it would be.

I walked in, took a breath and as I breathed in that smell the memories came rushing back and I felt like someone was standing on my chest. I walked right back out the door, pulled my phone out of my purse and called my mom. I often call her when I’m having a bad day and she somehow always makes things better.

Well, today she didn’t answer. (Guess she was working or something. Psh.) So, I had to convince myself I was going to be okay. After a few seconds I decided I could do it and turned around and walked back in the door.

I made it a little farther this time. I got my funeral program and signed the guestbook. But, as I entered the chapel area and saw the casket I couldn’t make myself take another step. That’s where his casket sat two summers ago. That’s where I stood and looked at my baby for the very last time. That was the worst day of my life. And it felt like I was facing it all over again.

So, guess what I did. I turned around and walked out. I wanted so badly to leave. I knew Kortney would understand. But, I also knew that I owed it to her to be there. So, once again I walked back inside. This time I found a seat next to a total stranger, who I would have let hug me, if she had tried. I sat there waiting for the service to start…begging my tears not to spill over. And somehow I made it.

That is, until I heard the all too familiar words…

I know your life
On earth was troubled
And only you could know the pain
You weren't afraid to face the devil
You were no stranger to the rain

Go rest high on that mountain
Son, you work on earth is done
Go to heaven a shoutin'
Love for the Father and Son

Oh, how we cried the day you left us
We gathered round your grave to grieve
I wish I could see the angels faces
When they hear your sweet voice sing

Go rest high on that mountain
Son, you work on earth is done
Go to heaven a shoutin'
Love for the Father and Son

And the tears came without asking.

As soon as the service ended, I made a bee line for the door. I ran to my car. Ran. I felt like Forrest Gump…like I could just keep on running for years for no reason at all, but instead a sat in my car and did the “ugly cry.” You know? The kind of cry where if anyone saw you, you would be embarrassed? Well, that was me for about 20 minutes.

Gosh, I just didn’t know it would be so rough. I was very caught off guard. Being in that place really brought up a lot of past emotions for me. This has been the hardest “Jack day” I’ve had since I can remember.

Anyway, I managed to pull it together so I could deliver Subway to my girls for lunch. The secretary at the front desk of Kelsey’s school tried to get me to leave her lunch in the office so she could pick it up on the way to the cafeteria, which would have made a lot more sense than interrupting her class, but I looked at her desperately and said, “I really need to see her.” She probably thought I was nuts, but she allowed me to take the lunch to Kelsey’s classroom. I peeked my head in to let the teacher know I was there and as soon as I saw Kels, I burst into tears. I told her I was having a hard day. That I really missed Jack and that I really loved her. And she totally got it.

I’ve got really cool kids. All three of them.

Anyway, I know time heals, but I also know that there will be a hole in my heart for the rest of my life. Until the day I see Jack again, there will always be things, and places and memories that take the wind out of my sails. And I guess that’s just part of the journey I’m on. I’ll always miss my boy, but I also have soooooo much to be thankful for.

Today was just a really, really hard day.

Friends In (Very) Low Places

Since I’m back in business I figured I would partake in one of my old, favorite bloggy things to do.

Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop. Play along if you so choose.

This week’s prompts are:

1.) Describe something you're proud of.

2.) Tell me your most humorous wedding experience

3.) 10 reasons why you can't sleep at night

4.) Describe an experience that you wish you could shake from your memory.

5.) Write a love letter to the object of your affection

This week, number four tickled my fancy.

This isn’t a memory that I necessarily wish I could erase from my memory. It was actually one of the most fun nights of my life, what I can recall of it anyway. It’s not that I don’t love reminiscing about this night…the great music, the excessive drinking, the bed of some strange man’s truck, waking up and not knowing where you’ve left your vehicle. It’s just that when I do think back on this night I feel instantly ashamed of myself. I feel like I should hide my face in shame. Like I should try to make up some great excuse for why I felt like it was okay to cruise down that Dallas interstate in the back of a truck going Lord knows where with Lord knows who.

Anyway, here’s the deal.

I’m a HUGE Kenny Chesney fan (as most of you have probably gathered) and for several years in a row me and my faithful sidekick, Rachael, went to a Kenny concert twice each summer. This was something that I looked forward to ALLLLLL year long! We had fun. A LOT of fun. Sometimes more fun than others…

Many years ago, before I met my loving husband, Rach and I got tickets to see Kenny in Frisco, Texas. We stopped about 10 miles out of town for me to get a cold six pack of Bud Light, which I consumed before we made it to our hotel. In my defense, it took us over five hours to get there, but anyway.

I had arranged our hotel accommodations (Rach leaned toward the $39.99 a night type of places), so we had some really fancy digs. Including, a REALLY cute bell boy/valet guy. He asked us where we were from and what we were doing in town and then he gave us his number and told us if we were looking for something to do after the concert to give him a call. And thank God he did. Oh, thank God he did.

Needless to say, by the time we arrived at the concert I was wasted feeling a little tipsy. I should have quit drinking, but they had Blue Moon on tap, so I couldn’t. I mean how often does THAT happen???


Anyway, the concert was great, as usual and when it ended we were actually thinking about heading back to the hotel to call it a night. That was until we got to the car and Dierks Bentley’s cousin and his buddies were tailgating next us.

DBC: Hey, Ladies! What cha up to tonight??
Us: Oh, not much. Think we’re gonna head back to the hotel.
DBC: Why would you want to do that when you could hang out with us???

Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because I’m trying to scrounge up the last little bit of good sense that I have left.

Us: What’s your name?
DBC: I’m Tyler. I’m Dierk’s Bentley’s cousin. What’s your name, cutie?
Us: I’m a drunk idiot Beth and this is Rachael.
DBC: Well, Beth and Rachael, we’re taking you out.
Us: Oh, we’re not sure about that.
DBC: C’mon, why not??

(DBC = Dierks Bentley’s Cousin)

Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because we don’t even KNOW you!! Maybe because you could rape us and leave us for dead!!! Maybe because I’m already having trouble walking a straight line and another drink would surely put me over the edge.

Us: Ok, why not.
DBC: Sweet! Climb in! (As he motions toward the bed of his truck.)

Rachael and I exchange the “what the hell are we thinking, but he is REALLY cute and you only live once look” and like the freaking morons fun-loving gals that we were, we climbed in.

And there we were…cruising down the Texas interstate. Destination unknown. In the bed of some stranger’s truck. (In hindsight, why the HECK didn’t these jerks offer to let us sit INSIDE the truck???)

So, we end up at a bar. I was having a great time. But, somewhere along the way one of DBC’s buddies got the wrong idea about Rach. He started trying to hug her and kiss her, all the while whispering sweet nothings in her ear. I, however, was having a great time making out dancing with DBC when Rachael comes tearing through the crowded dance floor. She grabs my arm and starts pulling me toward the door.

Rach: WE are leaving!!!
Me: But…
Rach: WE are LEAVING!!! That asshole won’t leave me alone!!!
Me: Who? Him? He’s cute.
Rach: We are leaving!!! He’s an asshole.

I had to give up on my new found dreams of marrying into the Bentley family and bid farewell to my new boyfriend. And there we went. Out the door. Into the humid, Texas night.

Rach: Shit! We don’t have a car.
Me: Let’s go back inside.
Rach: No WAY!!!
Me: Well, then. What are we going to do??? Call a taxi?
Rach: No, let’s call Oscar. (Oscar = bell hop/valet dude)

Oh, yes. Great idea!!! Why in the world wouldn’t we call another strange man to come pick us up and rescue us of from the strange men we are currently running from???

Me: Ok, good idea.
Rach: You call him. I’m too embarrassed.

Leave it to me. I quite obviously have no shame.

Oscar: Hello?
Me: Hey, it’s Beth.
Oscar: Who?

Oh, crap. He doesn’t even remember us.

Oscar: Oh, yeah! Beth…and Rachael. What are ya’ll up to??
Me: Oh, not much. Hey, wanna meet us for a drink?
Rach: What??? What are you doing?? I want to go to bed!!!
Oscar: Sure, where are you?
Me: I don’t know.
Oscar: What do you mean you don’t know??

It’s amazing how hard it is to see where you’re going when you’re laying in the bed of a truck.

Me: Well, the name of the place is… (I honestly don’t remember.)
Oscar: I know where that is. I’ll be there in an hour or so.

Hour?? HOUR????!!! Heaven help us.

Long story short, Oscar took us back to the hotel like the true Mexican Southern gentleman he was. Bless his heart.

The next morning we woke up, showered, packed up and got ready to head back to Arkansas.

Rach: Shit! We don’t have a car.

Where have I heard that before??

Rach: Call Oscar.

Don’t you know, that sweetheart got out of bed, came and got us, took us to lunch and then to get our car?? He was the sweetest thing. I mean, what kind of guy does that?? Once. Let alone, twice.

So, there you have it. I’m still alive. I’m ashamed as hell, but I’m alive.

P.S. I never knew for sure if DBC was REALLY Dierk's Bentley's Cousin, but that's what I'm choosing to believe because it makes my story cooler.