The Birthdays

"When I was.......a young boy........my father........took me into the city.......

to see a marching band......"

The song that is stuck in my head this week because the first thing I see every morning is just that - the marching band. Fond memories, fond memories........they really do last a lifetime lol.

SO WoWoWoWoWoW what a week! Tanner had his birthday/spend the night/swimming party from Wednesday afternoon til Thursday afternoon. We had 9 kids here including Tyler. We hated that Drew missed it but he was still in GA. Brooke was the only girl but she didn't care one bit. Blake even came from his mom's house so he didn't miss out on the festivities. We had Brooke, Blake, Matthew, Connor, Dustin, Cody, Tyler, and Tanner's friend Brandon Buchanan from school. EVeryone stayed the night except Matthew - he's kinda like Tanner, don't wanna do without Momma! I had bought hot dogs and pizza rolls and chips and cokes. And Cheryl made one of her fancy cakes for his birthday cake. I dug up some candles and even found one of the trick candles and had to use it on him. She had made him his own little special cake too, with the leftover batter. He had the exact terrific day that he had asked for. We bought him the drum set that goes to Rock Band and they've all had a blast with it. He got lots of money for his birthday so he spent it buying a 2nd guitar for rock band so we would have a bass, too. Now all we need is the microphone, if they ever decide they want to try it anyway. They have spent numerous hours playing it, and now we can have 3 play at a time. Here are some pics from the party.....and a video......

Brooke and Blake water wrestling. I think she can nearly take him!

The Rigsby/Matthews duo takes on the Buchanan duo, what a chicken fight

I think they won an even number of times probably lol

He'll always be a little boy won't he? lol

Tyler truly did participate in the party, but he didn't go to the swimming party. He has been doing pretty good I guess. We finally have gotten him off the medicine they wanted us to take him off of so they can do another sleep study. It wasn't easy getting off the medicine but I think we're cool for right now. Tomorrow we go to the new doctor and probably set up a new sleep study. He has done well keeping himself on a schedule this summer. He has gone to bed at decent hours and woke up at decent hours. He takes at least 2 naps a day. And seems to do just lovely. But he did tell me today that he is going to be staying up later and sleeping later next week just in honor of his final week of freedom. But we'll see I guess. He is really dreading school starting. I'm hoping for him to someday look forward to school. It's not so hard to do! I worry tremendously over him these days. This worry and the job worries are about to put me over the edge lol! Just call me Mamaw Gin and be done with it.

After the spend the night party I had promised Tanner I'd take the whole bunch to the city pool to swim. But Brandon's mom offered us the use of her mother's pool so we quickly switched our plan to that one! And boy did we really appreciate it. I managed to pile SEVEN kids and myself into my Corolla and drive to the house with the pool lol. I'd have gotten a ticket for sure, I had kids elbows, knees, heads, feet, stuck every which away. That was very nice of them to let us use their pool. I made sure the kids all minded their manners and we didn't make any messes and so on. They had a really good time swimming for a couple of hours over there. I think they were tired when we finished. I had highly underestimated the eating and drinking abilities of 8 kids at the house though. The cake was gone by midnight, the case of cokes was gone by about 3 am, the pizza rolls didnt fill them up, and I had just enough hot dogs for their lunch. but once swimming was over - I was wiped out of food! lol. So I figured it best for them to be calling parents to pick them up before I got hit up for food I didnt have lol. I'll have to plan better next time for sure!

THen Friday came, and I had been fighting the "blahs" all week about going back to work and such. Turning 37 wasn't really bothering me all that bad, but it was looking like it was to everyone else I think lol. My preoccupation with thinking about my job, getting lost in thought about things I'm planning to do, and just general WORRY made it look like I was down in the dumps I think. But that's really all it was. I got over the turning 37 pretty quickly actually, thanks to all the other worries I had lol.

But Friday I expected to be low key, chill at the house. I thought Terri was gonna come by at some point. Thought Rusty might take me out to eat but we had not discussed it much. So I just sat at my computer all afternoon Friday looking up stuff on the MS High School Activities Association and thought I might have a beer or two. About 7:00 Rusty hollers from the other room for me to come there for the phone or something. So I got up, mumbling about why don't he bring the phone to me. Rounded the corner to the hallway and I hear "SURPRISE"!!!!!!!!!!!! Lol Rusty had managed to arrange a surprise party for me. I think I was more shocked by THAT than anything. I first figured Terri or mom or Cheryl had gotten it together. But they said no, that it was Rusty and he had started doing it about 3 weeks back. Unbelievable lol. And he was able to keep it totally secret. At that point Mom, Pat, Brooke, Mike, Cheryl, Matthew, Terri, Dustin, Cody were all here. But as time went on, everybody else was making it in also I was very happy. Lysa made it, Steve, Clay, Rusty and Renee, Ken and Connor, Randy that Rusty works with, Laura and her niece, and I know I gotta be leaving out someone but it was so many people!

Made my day for sure. In fact, since it was my own birthday party I didn't take pictures so I guess nobody else did either lol. Cheryl had made me and awesome red velvet cake. I had wanted her to make me a cake, but I felt bad asking her because I had already asked her to make Tanner one that same week so I hadn't asked. But she made me one anyway! lol Renee brought that awesome cheese dip, mom brought hot wings, it ended up being some good food that evening for sure. I got $100 from Rusty, got some B&BW stuff and a nice smell good candle. I think they were all just awesome to throw me a party. The one picture that I did take was when Ken decided to take two of my small party balloons and put them in his pants to see if he'd once and for all have a butt. lol.

I finally took a few short videos at band practice. The best way I could come up with to put them on the net for the other band people to see was to make a blog for it and post videos. We didn't want to put them out there publicly for the world to see, because they're just rehearsal stuff. But a couple of them came out pretty good. It's at least an idea of what we sound like. I ended up focusing them all on Laura being that she was the one singing, which she wasn't too happy about lol. I wouldn't be either. But there was just nowhere I could put the camera to get even 3 of us in it very well. And there are 7 of us total. The guys, in particular the Rusty's, are practically fighting over being in front of the camera because they are hams. I'm gonna take more and add them on there now and then. And whenever we perform somewhere I'll probably have some better ones. There might be a cuss word in one of the songs, or two. Just warning in case someone doesn't want to hear that lol. Here is the address if you want to check out our practice videos:

http://www.slaphappy-band.blogspot.com/

As band practice was ending on Monday night, I walked to the back of the house and found none other than our red-headed step child was home! Apparently he had come in that evening and they dropped him off at our place lol. He spent his first night back in town at our house, but his mom made him come home the next day cuz I'm sure they were wanting to see him some too. But he did tell me he will be back tonight and i usually believe him. If he's not here tonight, he will be by tomorrow lol. He and Tanner have $30 saved up between the 2 of them and they want new BB guns from the internet.

I still haven't gotten the bricks painted. Dale has been needing some work and has offered several times to paint it for me. If it weren't for school starting and having to buy school clothes, I'd probably take him up on it and pay him to do it. But it will get done, some way some how. In the next few weeks. It might be what I have to do to relax after work lol.

I had lost my ipod for over a week. I was feeling pretty stupid about doing the very thing that I fuss at the kids about. Lost my OWN ipod. Then one morning dad called me kinda early to tell me happy birthday so I was laying down at the foot of my bed talking to him. My eyes were fixed on something while I was talking..........and it was my ipod, right there in the middle of the bedroom floor where I had probably been walking right past it for days.

I went back to the weight loss doctor for my monthly check up this week. Even after this weekend full of birthday cake and junk, I had lost 10 pounds and they were pleased with that. So I'm hoping for 10 more by next time. I'm expecting weight loss to be easier soon because I will be back at school, busy, and nervous all the time. lol

Well, I've tried not to dwell on work in this post, or make it obvious that I have tunnel vision and am locked into focus on my job right now. It's not like everyone doesn't already notice that I am lol. But if you're tired of hearing about my job worries, you can skip the next part lol. I went up to the school last Friday on my birthday, which probably was not really a very good idea. I got most of the junk moved out of my house up to the choir room. But in the process of getting into the choir office and looking through things I kind of got severely overwhelmed and went into a panic. Kind of a "oh my GOD what have I gotten myself INTO????" kinda thing. So it put me in a weird spot on my birthday there. But once I was home and the surprise party happened, it totally cheered me up and made me stop focusing on all that for a bit!

To make a long story short, it is now a week later and I'm doing and feeling much better. I've been up there every day since then. I got everything moved in and everything in it's place and I've kind of gotten nestled in and it's feeling more like "home" everyday. Or "work home" anyway. I put my name plate on the door even lol. But yesterday and today I've been mainly reading up on things I need to brush up on, learning things I need to learn real quick, and looking over materials. Basically I'm giving myself a crash course in choir teaching. I've made out lists of questions I have for my boss, my accompanist, and the choir teacher at the other high school. I think I am up to 5 notebook pages full now.

They are having band camp this week and they're using my room now and then to rehearse small groups. I thought about mom yesterday because I think I was living perhaps her worst nightmare. I was completely surrounded on 3 sides by extreme noise. Outside my office door was the entire drum line rehearsing. On the other side of the second wall was the whole saxophone section, who really could have used some tuning. And on the other side of the 3rd wall was the whole tuba section. Mom wouldn't have lasted 30 seconds.

A kid knocked on my door today and introduced himself, shook my hand, and told me he was a bass singer in the madrigal choir and just wanted to meet me while he was there. We chatted a minute and he was gone. He couldn't have been more than a sophomore at most. I hope all the other kids are just like him: mature, polite, responsible, friendly, eager, and talented. If so, life is gonna be smooth sailing................

July week 2

I have been what the old folks might call a "no count" this week. I think sometimes in life people need to spend a bit of time being a "no count". Or at least I do anyway. Especially when there is change about to happen, or stressful events occuring, or your brain just gets plumb full and overloaded with more than you can process. Or just for no reason in particular at all. Everyone should get a few days a year of being completely useless and worthless. That's one reason I think I will like the new school schedule this year. More days and weeks off within the school year to be worthless and recharge the batteries. Anyway. Raising teenagers is tough work. It seems I'm allergic to some particular thing that blooms in early July. I'm getting more nervous by the day about the new job. I'll be 37 in a week. (37 just seems SO much closer to 40 than 36 is.) Life without chocolate really does suck. I gave away the swing set this week (which I dramatized in my mind as being a big symbollic act making it a solid fact that my kids are nearly grown lol). So with the combination of lots of little petty things like that, this week turned out to be a total "no count" week for me. But I've enjoyed it actually, and feel much better already. I did not get the wall painted though. But that's ok, gonna forgive myself for that and do it next week lol.



I have totally enjoyed reading everyone's blogs this week. Just want to make sure everyone knows. I love keeping up with the babies and Brandon and Christie. I love keeping up with all that goes on at the lakehouse, especially when I'm not there. And I was thrilled to see Susan got back into it with her blog this week! Hoping she'll keep it up this time, even once a month is cool. I think we should push for everybody else to blog whenever we get the chance.

While I'm thinking about it.....do any of you show the blogs to the teenagers? I'm just curious. I've never shown them to my kids because I don't want them to get embarassed that I write and post pictures about them. And they might make me stop. BUT - I'm thinking that maybe I'm wrong on that, and they might enjoy not only my blog but everyone elses. I'm considering showing them to them. What do you all think about that? Just trying to get collective opinions....



So, anyway. Tyler got home on Tuesday and we were THRILLED to see him. Especially Tanner. Tanner has talked Tyler's ear off all week long. Tyler has been pretty patient and attentive with him. But there was one point where Tyler said, "Dude! Geez! Are you EVER going to stop talking???" Tanner is definitely making up for lost time, as he had no one to talk to but me for over a week lol. I think we are going to go up to the high school next week. I'm going to try to get in my room for GOOD. And a friend of mine that teaches art up there is having to move all of her stuff from one building to another and asked if Tyler would like to help. I volunteered him lol.

Today is Friday and Tyler had a doctor's appointment in Jackson. We told the doctor we still weren't cured and he is now going to send us on to his friend the sleep specialist and we'll probably do another more thorough sleep study and see what kind of medicines he will give. He says he is going to get the guy to do as much as he can before school starts which is great. By Labor Day, we will have been dealing with this for a year and still no cure.

We decided that while we were in Jackson we would go to see the movie "Hancock". It was a great movie, the kids really enjoyed it for sure. Tanner does not know how to talk in the movie theatre where only the person next to him hears him. I thought Tyler would die of embarassment. But by the end of the movie we finally had him whispering at least. I had just a really terrific day with my two boys. We would have liked to have Rusty with us for sure. In fact, they turned down eating at Applebee's because they just couldn't do that without poor Dad lol. We were finished at the doctor by 10:00 and the movie didn't start til 12:00 so we had time to kill. We did a short Wal Mart trip and then went to eat at Taco Bell. We really weren't hungry so we didn't get much but we killed a little over an hour sitting there talking. We had a good time. Tyler explained to me the differences between the adjectives: cute, pretty, beautiful, hot, sexy, fine, and so on. He got me caught up on what all of his friends are doing these days. We all discussed the history of man in relation to foods. Like, did the cavemen probably eat more red meat or more poultry? And did they eat mostly meat or when did vegetables come in, etc. And how many cavemen did it possibly take to kill a mammoth, or did they even live at the same time? I don't know how or why, but we talked about the caveman thing for a LONG time and got many, many jokes out of it. Tanner of course NEVER runs out of topics to talk about as well. And if the conversation got too boring for his taste, he would interject with some wild noises or beating on the table or something. Then they spent probably about 20 minutes telling me stuff from "Family Guy". It was a really good day.

I got a jury summons in the mail this week for July 21. I am praying that when I make the call that Sunday they will say nevermind. But I worry in my head that I'll get called in, and kept in, and miss getting a head start on work, and even miss the first 2 weeks of school, and all kinds of nightmarish things. So let's keep our fingers crossed that they will say nevermind. I am indeed becoming an excessive worrier aren't I?? I guess I come by it honest!!!!!

Band is still going well. I have spent a lot of time working on songs this week, so that's ONE thing I accomplished. I think at the next practice I may try to take a video to put on here.

I expect next week to be more productive. And we have Tanner's birthday party next week, too! He is trying to milk it already, wanting early birthday presents, candy, gum, or whatever he can squeeze out of somebody because it's "almost" his birthday. I guess he is going to always be like his dad and have his birthday last for 7 days!

4th of July

We finished up the Culture Camp Week downtown with our big performance. It went very well. After the performance, Beth finally told the big "story" to Tanner and Brooke that they had waited on all week long. Their imaginations had taken off when she first told them there was a creepy and true tale about the school, but she wouldn't tell them until the end of the last day because she didn't want them to be scared to come inside all week. I think they were expecting a BIG ghost story with wicked nuns and such. So when she told them that 20 or 30 years ago a guy had killed a woman in the gardner's shack, they were just slightly dissapointed. No ghosts, no nuns, lol. Afterwards me, Tanner, Chris, and Brooke went to eat at "Horseface Harry's" restaurant. NOne of us had ever been there and we all wanted to try it. It was pretty good, down home southern food made in all the totally politically incorrect ways lol. We had a great time sitting and visiting as well.

As one of the many strange or unusual occurences in the month of June, Tanner lost THREE teeth within one week. He hasn't lost a tooth in probably 2 years or so. Then he loses 3 all within a few days. Another thing that I can't believe I didn't mention last time, other than it was still a very new thing at the time - we found a singer! We had pretty much given up on finding a singer with a higher range than the rest of us. Some girl called that new someone that new Rusty's brother, etc. etc. and had heard we were looking. I had been saying I didn't want a female lead singer, only because I felt that girl singers were just not interesting for some reason. I guess cuz I'm a girl??? lol I don't know. Anyway, we decided what the heck we'll audition another person. She came in and totally BLEW everyone away, particularly me. Once we decided we definitely wanted her in, Steve told us that, yes, he wanted in also. So now we are a 7 piece band! And in the barely 2 weeks that we've had our singer, we have more than doubled our song list. Somehow we just got a spark lit under us or something, and we've gone out and learned all kinds of stuff. I'll make a song list at the end, for those of you reading this that care lol. I know some of you love music as much as we do...... Anyway, Terri took some pics last weekend at practice so here we are......

Tyler went to church camp on the 25th, and then straight to the lakehouse. He has been gone 2 weeks and boy do we miss him! He will be back this week though. On the 4th of July we just had a small gathering here at the house and cooked some burgers and stuff. I let Tanner spend $20 bucks on some fireworks and he came out pretty good. Still has a few left, even. But he, Cody, and Dustin shot fireworks that evening and had a good time......

Not a lot else going on lately. The month of June is now over and I hope all the insane, weird, unusual, and strange events and occurences went along with it. It was a great month though, had fun and can't complain. But it seemed to be quite a concentration of odd things going on. I've been spending a lot of my days this past week sitting and wondering and worrying about my upcoming job. In some ways, I don't think I'm going to get any rest or any peace until I actually get in there and teach my first few days and get that beginning part over with. Truth be known, I'm a nervous wreck about this new job and I can think of NOTHING else. Most of the time I feel only half present in the "now" moment because I have that hanging over my head. But, I know that because of this I'm going to end up doing a super job. Anything I obsess over tends to come out pretty good in the end. It's just the obsessing part that I hate.

I still have not finished painting the bricks. That's a project that I intend to start this week, so hopefully next time I"ll have pics of that. Drew's grandfather was in town about 10 days ago and talked him into going back to stay with him in Georgia for a whole month! I couldn't believe he was going to go for that long. I wonder if they promised him a 6 Flags trip? lol. It's just been me and Tanner for this last week and it's been relaxing really. He would not go to Alabama with everyone else so RUsty told him....."you better not say I'm bored, not even ONE time!" And he hasn't. I know he has been bored a good bit, but he has not complained even once. Another thing that I didn't mention last time is that I finally got my appointment with the weight loss doctor. It took me 4 months of waiting to get in. Insane! Anyway, he talked me into doing things HIS way which totally made me nervous. I have a FEAR of carbohydrates. But I decided at least for one month I would do as he said which is exercising and controlling CALORIES, not carbs. But it's a serious control of calories. It has been 2 weeks and a couple of days, and I've lost just a bit over 10 pounds. 10 more and I can wear my clothes. Another 10 and I'll be where I was before I put any back on. So I'm happy about all that. So far, so good.

Oh I know I'm forgetting a bunch of stuff just like I did last time. But for now that's what we've been up to..............til next time!

Almost forgot...the song list........

Slaphappy Song List

BreakUp Song
Already Gone
Wild Horses
Running Down a Dream
Last Dance with Mary Jane
Baker Street
On the Dark Side
Wonderful Tonight
Summer of 69
Breakdown
Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting


I Want You to Want Me
Boys of Summer
Ballroom Blitz
Drops of Jupiter
Renegade
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
I’m the Only One
Black Velvet
Who Were You Thinking Of
Thunder Island
I’m A Bitch

Come to My Window
You Ought To Know
Tub Thumping
Walking on Sunshine
Pour Me
Strawberry Wine

Are You Gonna Be My Girl