Not to be a buzz kill...

but has anyone seen Food Inc.? I missed it the other day on PBS but you can watch it on PBS.com if you can stand the pause-load-play, pause-load-play circle. Or you can rent it.

But Geez Louise! Which came first the chicken or the egg substitute? Seriously. Just when I thought I knew what to avoid on my diet! Jaime Oliver gets me all motivated on the Food Revolution then BLAM! Chickens aren't chickens, hamburger meat is washed with amonia, and a certain chemical company-who-must-not-be-named is running the government.

It's enough to make you run for the hills with your guns. Except I don't like guns.

It's enough to make you want to buy your own cow. Except then you really wouldn't want to eat it would you, because then it would really be more of a pet, wouldn't it?

It's enough to make you want to be a vegetarian. Except doesn't that have something to do with cruelty to illegal aliens and diabetes?

It's enough to make you go out and buy a gallon of hormone-antibiotic free, organic milk. Except that shit is EIGHT BUCKS A GALLON!

I'm so confused.

The Cuteness Edition

See, it's not just me. You can't resist either, can you? On Sunday, a stranger tapped me on the shoulder after mass, with her rolled up bulletin, pointed it at him and said, "That is the cutest little boy I've ever seen. Every time I see him at church...he's just the cutest." Does someone know any talent agents? A girl's gotta retire someday, you know. This is Ace with his "All-Star" Award for Accelerated Reading and Good Work Habits and Extra Chubilicious Cheeks.

The Peach Princess wearing her "Crazy Hat" for Hats for Haiti fundraiser. We've already put away her Reading Award for best Accelerated Reader Comprehension in her class. Brains and Beauty, she's got the whole package.

Furgie, checking out grass for the first time. Momma is not far away, waiting for us to go somewhere else so she can drag them all back to the safety of the barbeque grill, but a girl's gotta eat sometime.

Puff Daddy with his yummy colored ears and tail.

Furgie and Big Black, wrestling. The cuteness can not be fully conveyed in a pictoral.

Vanilla Ice is a white Fluff Monster.

(Kitty Photo Credits: John)

Happy Earth Day

"I told ya so." Let me count the ways....

Yesterday I had the greatest day.

If my life were a Broadway musical, which we all know it should be, when I got the email yesterday from the President of the Homeowners association saying that the new community mower's transmission went out....I would have been Ethel Merman and I would have thrown open my front door and run out on the front porch, waved my hands in the air and belted out..

"EVERYTHING'S COMIN' UP ROSES ....."

Gloating. That's a deadly sin isn't it? I can't help it. I want to help it, but I can't. I want to write an email to everyone in the neighborhood and sing, "I told ya, I told ya!" Or "Can we agree that this was a bad idea and we shouldn't do it again?" or "Was somebody's thirteen year old using it when it went out?" But Ethel and I are going to keep our trap shut and they are going to try it again with a different brand. But please keep the band warmed up, because I feel another song coming on.

The Trouble with Ace

.. is that he is irresistible. It doesn't matter what kind of trouble he gets in, I can't stay mad at him. Of course he's cute, but he's cuddly too and after he's done something wrong he's always ever so sorry. Like Wednesday when he took his giant pencil and wrote on his armoire. Charlie caught him in the act. Or on Saturday, when I relented on my rule about no one under the age of 10 can have chewing gum. He begged. I said, "No playing with the gum, and you have to come and tell me when you're ready to throw it away and show me when you put it in the trash can." You can click on the picture above and see that the little stripe at the top of his head? It's gum in his hair.

Last night when I put him to bed I said "Tomorrow is TGIF!" and he said,
"Why are you glad it's TGIF?"
"Well, school's over and we have the weekend."
"Don't you like learning?"
"Sure. I like learning, but I like relaxing and doing whatever we want. Night-night. Love you."
"Love you too."

(Mom exits the room and wanders down the hall to fold towels.)

"Mom.

Maaahhhm.

MAAAAHHM."

(Mom sighs and shuffles back down the hall.)

"What is it baby?"
"Do you know why I like TGIF?"
"Video games?"
"I just can't resist."
"You could use your awesome powers of will."
"Nope. I'm addicted."

Best Investment I Ever Made

What were they playing on the Trampoline? I have no idea, but it involved tennis rackets and a mini nerf football. And flourishes that Evan Lysacek would be proud of. Come to think of it, Melee's hair does look a little Dorthy Hamil-ish. Time for a trip to the barbershop.

OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING!

Man I feel better! I wonder if I've had S.A.D. If so I'm gonna have to buy one of those sun lamps cause that was ridiculous! Now the sun is shining and it's beautiful and LOOK! I'm back on the mower again!

And then there's this. That's in my backyard. (Charlie gets the photo rights.)

And this is from the lot next door. (Photo: Charlie)

And then on Saturdays we get to do this. (Which is SO much fun as long as we don't have to roll out at the crack of Saturday.)

Ace has decided he's not near as excited about soccer as he used to be. I can't decide if that's because they're on a three game loosing streak or because the girl who was never gonna play sports is getting alot of attention, because she's not bad for a beginner!

Going to another school board meeting tonight, we'll see if my mood holds. But rumor has it that the Superintendent is moving (Fair Warning Midlothian ISD), yeah! So now just three school board members to overthrow, and my job here is done.

Oh! and tomorrow is my 19th Anniversary (poor Charlie) send him your sympathies, but he won't be here to read them because he's taking the day off and we're gonna go watch Movies at the Theater and then we're going to eat steak.

Word to Your Mother

We have Kitty Fever around here.

Well, some of us do. Me, Peach, John and Zoey have Kitty Fever. Charlie, Melee', Ace and A.J. can take em or leave em. But they're sooo cuuuute! And even though Charlie keeps saying we aren't keeping any and I keep saying "Well, maybe we'll keep one.", three of them had names as of yesterday noon. John had decided the white one was Snowball, the off-white one was Cream Puff and the spotted one was Tiger Stripes. Then John, Melee' and I decided to see if we could tell if they were boys or girls. Turns out the three solid ones are the boys and the small spotted one is the only girl.

Melee' decided we'd name the black one Big Black. (After Rob and Big fame.) So I said, "You can't name a boy Cream Puff." Melee' said we'd name that one Puff Daddy, and I said "Then you have to call the white one Vanilla Ice." The little girl, by default became Furgie.

Here, gaze upon the cuteness...

Ice, Ice Baby

Big Black

Puff Daddy

Furgie, The Duchess of Cute

Curious George

MY BRAKES DON'T SQUEAK!

Charlie put new brakes on my truck this weekend. They were so squeaky that the kids were embarrassed for me to pick them up at school.

The boys were supposed to be helping.
This is what I found when I went out to check on their progress.
This guy has clearly "conquered" the tire.

And this guy right here...

He's in charge of driveway security.

An Inappropriate Comment from the Gynecologist and My Imaginary Responses

"Well, it feels like a uterus that has had four pregnancies."


A)"Thanks!"

B) "What makes you say that?"

C) "That'swhathesaid."

D) "Seriously?"

E) "Can I change my mind about that antidepressant?"

F) "Could you be more specific?"

G) "The McKinney women are known for their hearty uteruses."

H) "Would you please put that back where you found it?"





Feel free to leave a response of your own....

Mrs. Ne-Nash

We have a kitty. Last spring sometime, a young stray cat started hanging around in the evenings. She came from the creek area. She would see the kids jumping on the trampoline and come over and try to get their attention so they would come and pet her. The dogs chased her a lot, and in the beginning she was living under the neighbors shed. She continued to come over in the evenings when the kids were out and we eventually started feeding her. We found out later that she was having breakfast at the neighbors and dinner with us. Despite the fact that Charlie claims to hate cats, he named her Mrs. Ne-nash and even pets her. Most of us are somewhat allergic to cats although the Little's don't seem to be bothered too much. When it got cold outside we put a light down under the barbecue grill and made her a bed to stay warm.

Growing up I always wanted a cat. I would beg and plead and one time, for about a week, I had one. Mom went and bought some expensive Persian fuzzy beast and I was thrilled! It came out of it's cage, shot under the sofa and stayed there for the week until she finally came out. Mom found out she had some sort of eye infection and she went back from whence she came and that was the end of my cat ownership.

The dogs have gotten used to her and don't chase her anymore. She even tries to eat out of their dog bowls sometimes. She's super sweet and not shy at all and of course I think she's the prettiest cat I've ever seen. We decided we were feeding her too much because she was getting a little fat and there's been some speculation that she might be more than just fat.

Yesterday we got home and the kids ran outside to play and Melee' came in shouting, "The cat had kittens! The cat had kittens!"

We have four babies! One white, one cream, one black and one black with spots. We're all Really excited. Except for Charlie, who says he's gonna put them in a pillow case. Bad Charlie.

Above Ground Garden Boxes

Happy Easter!

I'm off the juice. Wrote a letter to the editor anyway. Found out I'm anemic (WTH?), symptoms include not just being tired, but also grumpy. Go figure.



Had a really good day yesterday helping with the hospitality room for the UIL Band judges. Our kids got straight ones and a big trophy. Thanks in large part to my hot sauce.



Had a good morning, went to my training appt. Killed myself trying to do "Rockettes", don't even ask, it's ridiculous. She told me I looked skinny today, which I totally agree with. And then came home and now I'm supposed to be cleaning. GAAHHHD I HATE CLEANING! But company's coming for First Monday tomorrow and the house is a wreck. But GAHD I HATE cleaning!



Called a lady to volunteer for the book fair next week. Got off the phone after leaving a message and realized that if she's read the paper, she may be mad at me since I said the school board members should be held to a higher standard. And she's on the school board. yeah. nice. Had to call back and leave a lengthy message explaining that when I said "school board" I really wasn't lumping her into that category. Which is totally true, but didn't keep me from crying on the phone. I am such a loser.



So now my day's shot, the house is only half picked up, I just want to go sit on the couch now, but I still have to take a shower and go to Holy Thursday services.



Plus I'm supposed to get up and go with my Mom, Aunt and Co. at seven to first Monday and it's supposed to rain tomorrow.


Oh yeah...but this really cracked me up...