our new house coming soon

The BUSY Real Estate Agent

Not even his own business will get in the way of doing our business!

Ken has been a great agent working on our behalf. We have four houses picked out and we are waiting on our offers to be accepted or rejected. Let's pray for a big ol acceptance hug rather than a dejection slap.
I'll post pics of the house we are going to purchase once we know which offer has been acepted.
The KC trip was successful, how successful we have to wait to find out.

We saw gabe's school and it looked thriving and fun. The church bought an old school building out in the country for its elementary school and built a brand new facility for the high school and church building. I'm excited to get him involved. He's a bit nervous, I can tell, for the change. But I assured him that there is 3 huge jungle gyms outside and a baseball field and lots of open space to sword fight in. He relaxed a bit after that clarification.
Joe's work is no more than a 10 minute drive from all the homes and 5 minutes from Gabe's school.
I still have to get a job, I'm looking for a 6 month temporary job, since it's never good coming into a school n the middle of the shool year, nor is it good to leave in the middle of the school year, but alas here I am looking for a new job. I'll keep you posted on that event!
Lots to be determined, only a few weeks left to be determined...

We now have necks!

Gabe will be 6 in 21 days. In one year he has learned many things, but the thing that I am most proud of his new found understanding of the human anatomy. At first when he drew we were just 2 circles combined with lines coming out of thebody representing limbs. That evolved into ovals with oval limbs, but now folks... WE HAVE NECKS, and look at the defined limbs. Our faces have noses and for some odd reason our eyes blood shot, but that is neither here nor there, we have necks! Amazing transformation. Simply an amazing 5 year old, soon to be 6

Sir smelly Butt tells on himself

Jordan rolls up in a huge truck with a hot Nelly song playing. We both get soaked getting in and out of the vehicle, and running into the rental car establishment. We sit at his mock-cubicle and begin my paper work.
He stops, looks at me, and begins sniffing. "do you smell that?"
"no." I say a bit shocked. Awkward!
Working with middle school aged beasts I'm very aware of unwelcomed smells,. but it happens and I'm trained not to react to them inappropriately. Jordan begins sniffing all around. He sniffs behind him, under the desk, he lifts his shoes to look for poo I assume, and then proceeds to look under mine, sniffing of course.
"You don't smell that?"
"No, I really don't"
He shruggs and continues to work, he shakes his head every few seconds and scrunches up his nose. He then stops working leaves his mock cubicle and walks over to the another co woker.
"Do you smell that?"
"Maybe it's your garbage." He goes back over to his work sqaure and removes his trash.

He continues to work, but sniffs every now and then, obviously offended by the putred smell. I want to ask him if he has wiped his butt this morning but, that would be rude, and I just want my car. I didn't smell anything and I wasn't about to stop him from working since he was the one trying to get me a rental car.

After a few more comments about the smell and watching him struggle to control himself from smelling various parts of his body and mine, I finally got my car. We shared a few friendly smiles and nods and I was outta there.

Here's my theory and worldly advice. If you smell something funky, and the other person does not, it's probably coming from you. With that in mind you don't want to give away the root of the stink, so keep it inside your head, unless the other person mentions it too you or begins looking woozy!
Bad smells, especailly smells that cause you to suffer are unfortunate, but they happen, but it is one of those things that no one wants to smell. You see, where ever Jordan went, there was the smell! No one but him and another co worker close enough to smell him actually took in the funk. That's a good thing. Instead of finding the root of the stink, he unintelligently told on himself indirectly. What he said was "hey there is a really bad smell coming from somewhere on my person. PeeEww"
Not smart, Jordan! But after all that is why he was the sucker who works at a car rental place and is the bottom ring who has to pick up the stranded vehiclist.
You stink Jordan metaphorically and physically!

The Ava

The morning started with a kick in the pants from my coffee, I appreciated it since I had to be out of the house by 7a.m. It was exactly 7a.m. when the ava struck. As I was pouring my "to go" cup of coffee I walked to the front door to grab the ava's coat and I saw a trail of oatmeal leading to a sitting ava at the front door spoonig sloppy oatmeal up to her mouth.
The trail lead to the ava's feet to the bathroom where she found my "togo" oatmeal. What does a now awestruck mom do, let the dog out of her cage, that's what. I let the dog lick the oatmeal as I get the coat on the ava. The ava is non-compliant, and writhes at the loss of the oatmeal. I begin driving the ava to her at-home daycare and realize I don't have my phone with me which I need for my very busy day! So I turn the car around to try and find my phone. I seach all over the house, I retrace my steps. I last had it when I was talking with nara. Yes, I blame nara. It's her fault, where did I place that phone! It's now 7:25. Ugh, I leave and drop off the ava. I drop off the brother of the ava and all is well on this dreary rainy blasted day.

I get to school at 9:15, I should have been there at 8:30, and I'm lost all day without my phone. .. huff... I continue working, this is all I can do. Meanwhile I am expecting 5 phone calls in regards to my stupid truck which has been defiled by the dumb teen driver... (leave the hostility at home Stew!)

The day closes without any real incidents without my phone, I feel weak all day, like I have kryptonite in my pocket, nothing gels as it should, but the day is done.
I pick up the children and I begin searching for the phone. It is nowhere to be found...
So what does a mother do, she gets on her knees (prayers have already been said) and begins crawling at the level of the ava. I begin searching everything at eye level of the ava. I go room by smelly room iin my apartment. Careful how I shake the boxes as I search the shoes, I don't want to rattle the roaches. No phone anywhere. The last room didn't not hold much hope for me, there is only one twin bed, the ava's sleepy quarters (portable crib) and a closet full of toys. Nothing was eye level but the crib. Still crawling around I peek over her crib, nothing that the eye can see, but pillows, 2 blankets, and a lion. I'm hopeless... I turn in defeat when it dawns on me, the ava is sneaky, as well as forgetful. The ava forgets where she has organized her business, so I lift the blankets and BEHOLD THE PHONE! Oh the ava struck again!

Letter of encouragement to a SISTA

Dear Sista, Jordan, Joey,Jon, Danny, & Donny have a word for you!
Times are tough, but music has a way of changing a down trodden soul to a hip, upbeat Democrack butt-kicking dance machine!



Listen up everybody if you wanna take a chance. just get on the floor and do the new kids’ dance.
Don’t worry ’bout nothing ’cause it won’t take long.(rap:) we’re gonna put you in a trance with a funky song, ’cause you gotta beHangin’ tough, hangin’ tough, hangin’ tough.(rap:) we’re rough.
Everybody’s always talkin’ ’bout who’s on top.
don’t cross our path ’cause you’re gonna get stomped.
We ain’t gonna give anybody any slack.
and if you try to keep us down we’re gonna come right back,
And you know we’reHangin’ tough, hangin’ tough, hangin’ tough.
are you tough enough?
Hangin’ tough, we’re rough.
Yeah
I'm not that kind of guy who can take a broken heart
So dont ever leaveI don't want to see us part
the very thought of losing you means
that everything would go down under
i'll be loving you forever
just as long as you want me to be
i'll be loving you forever
all this love's for you and me
i'll be loving you
i'll be
i'll be loving you
loving you
and the things you do
yaaa it's forever
i'll be loving you
i'll be
i'll be loving you
loving you
yaaai
count the blessings that keep our love new
there's one for me and a million for you
there's just so much that i wanna say
that when i look at you all my thoughts get in the way
i'll be loving you forever