W I L L I E S ! I've got the Willies!

Willies, Heebie Jeebies, Shivers, Goose Bumps...etc. As I'm preparing this post, I have labored breathing and can't put my feet under the desk where I'm typing. The pictures are putting me over the edge.

My friend just called needing some help. They got new carpet a few days ago so the heat vent covers were off around the house. Her son, has a python snake...can you see where this is going? Well, the son left the snake aquarium cover off and now the snake is missing! It's in the heating ducts!!! They have constructed a wire and mirror system to find the snake in the vent but can't reach it. Have any suggestions?


I don't like snakes. I'm freaking out! I would have had to stay at a hotel last night, oh WAIT! No, I wouldn't....I WOULD NEVER HAVE LET A SNAKE IN MY HOUSE IN THE FIRST PLACE! I hate snakes, always have!

What's more disturbing is that my friend was trying to calm ME down..."It's a nice snake, it's not poisonous."

I say...who the HELL cares? It's a snake. A snake is a snake, poisonous or not.

In high school, my friend, Rina, would chase me around her house with their black snake. I would cry, seriously, real tears and run outside and she would still chase me...yes...I call her my friend???? Well, years later they told me the cat FINALLY got the snake and killed it... uhhh...too bad? I'm all torn up about that...NOT! (Still love you Rina!)


What's at the top of your list of fears? Me, in case you can't tell? SNAKES!!!

What's the Deal with the Wig?

Many people have asked lately...What's the deal with the wig?
It's purely vanity...and heredity...well, the thin hair part anyway. This is Christmas Day 2005, outside my Mom's home. We really let the kids go nuts with their hair. Parker's is permed...YUCK! and long! Dexter has always wanted dark hair...so I let Erin have at 'em. Dex loved it...YUCK! I love my baby with blonde hair! And I love my Big Baby with no hair at all! But as for me, I don't need so much forehead!

I have complete strangers ask/tell me..."Did you know you've got really thin hair?" DUH! or "Wow! Your hair is thin!" NO! REALLY? THAT MUST HAVE JUST HAPPENED! (Well, it did after I got pregnant. It all started falling out and never came back.)

So that's why I wear a wig. Which do you prefer? Long or short?

This was my first ever wig...it is human hair so Erin colors it whatever color I want! The guy who sold it to me hacked it up and Erin has done her best to fix it. The bangs are really still heavy and we've thinned the crap out of them. Alot of it was me, getting use to THICK hair!


This was my 2nd Wig...also human hair (that really grosses my BIL out!) We are staying with a brown color...but I REALLY want red. I'm gonna have to talk to Erin about that!
Best Wig Outlet

And this is what I wear now. I love the short and the color. It is synthetic hair, not human. So it burns up easily...really, I'm serious. I have singed a couple from opening a hot oven and using the BBQ before. You should see me now...it's quite a site! I'll lean over to open the oven and remember my wig and rip it off and throw it across the kitchen as far away from the 350 degree air that is gushing out of the oven straight for my hair that was shipped to me in a box!
Paula Young Wigs

Wild Woman

I should have posted this one earlier before my hair faded so much!
I've been wanting to do this for a long time! I wear a wig all the time so I thought it would be fun to show off a little of my wild and crazy side! I had my sister color the ends of my hair green. It's kind of faded to a turquoise now. A month ago it was a super dark greeny emerald color. I love it!

My dream is to get a short pixie cut and color the tips hot pink...It'll probably never happen, but I can dream!

Dex was looking pretty shaggy, so it was time for a cut. He didn't want one, but he was leaving for Mill Hollow Camp for 3 days and I can only imagine the greasy mess...eeek! So off to Erin's we went.
As close to a mullet as I (or my sis) will EVER let one of my children come to!
That's alllotta hair Dexter!

Just a random picture of my cutest dogs!

Breaking Dawn is Here!

July was my month for book club, we read The Wednesday Letters and were suppose to meet on July 31....but I knew that Breaking Dawn was being released the next day, so I changed book club to the next night. We met a bit later, a handful of people came and we had a nice time chatting and discussing the book. The real excitement started after 10 pm. Anyone that wanted to, met at my house at 10 pm and we car pooled to The King's English for the Breaking Dawn Party.

When we got there we got received our pieces of paper saying that we had pre-ordered our book and then check out the goings-on. It was fun to see all the crazy, vampire-werewolf-lovin' women. There was a contest for Bella's wedding dress (which wasn't even really described or talked about in BD), a Trivia Bowl (I hadn't even heard of some of the questions or know what they heck they were talking about) but there was a ton of girls and women that did! They had cookies for sale Edward vs. Jacob (the Edward Cookies sold out). Oh! And tons of people had shirts printed and made things themselves!

One of my favorite parts was getting a picture with the Volturi that were in town to make sure no rules were broken!!!!

One of the printed shirts...My SIL, Haley, and her twin sisters, Allison & Lesley waiting for midnight! (Notice The Host in the background)
My BFF, Heather. Yes, I know I look like I'm going to bite someone...but I didn't. I was just so excited!
Looking back at all the people waiting around for Breaking Dawn to be broken out!

Haley didn't pre-order a book, but she did get a BOX!! She cracks me up!

This was my vote for Bella's Wedding Gown


This was my sister's vote for Bella's Wedding Gown

Yes! We are freaks!

Huckleberry!

Huckleberry is our family's new favorite word.

This is what a huckleberry really looks like:

Last Saturday we went to Arctic Circle after the Osmond Reunion Concert and ordered some shakes.

While we were waiting, 2 elderly couples were sitting in the booth next to us. John swears he heard them say HUCKLEBERRY at least 10 times. They were talking about the Huckleberry Shake that Arctic Circle was advertising. So, John kept saying Huckleberry, Huckleberry, Huckleberry...and he wasn't being quiet about it either. It made Parker and Dexter and myself crack up. John started using it in a sentence and saying it over and over again. He wouldn't stop. We all started using it like it was a swear word. "Would you get your huckleberry hands off my shake?" "I'm gonna kick your huckleberry butt!" I find this word funny because I had never heard of a huckleberry berry before.

Then Dexter made up a song and sang it on the way home. "I'm just a huckleberry boy stuck in a huckleberry world..."

When ever I say Huckleberry it comes out in "Southern-talk" and I can't stop! It makes Parker smile, so I continue to do it and talk Southern for a while.

I asked Dexter if we could change his middle name to Huckleberry, he said he wants to change his first name to Huckleberry. I said, "You can call me Huck or you can call me Berry, or you can jus' call me Huckleberry!" Huckleberry Beach has such a nice ring to it! (It's much funnier when you southern-style the whole thang!...Stephanie would understaaaaand! You have to drawl out your long vowels...once you start you cain't stop!)

Since we aren't having anymore kids, we decided to just name our next dog, Huckleberry. We aren't getting another dog until one kicks the bucket though which hopefully won't be for a long time.

So today I took the boys to Arctic Circle for lunch...and we got a huckleberry shake. Dexter and I liked it. It was pretty good, a flavor I can't explain. Dexter calls it a shake with 5 different berry flavors...and grape flavor. The only thing I didn't like is the big pieces of huckleberry skin in the shake, but I chewed it up and swallowed anyway.

I didn't realize there were so many huckleberry things!




P.S. If we would have had one more baby and it would have been a girl we were going to name her Malibu Barbara Beach....and call her Malibu Barbie!...I often wonder if that is why we didn't have anymore kids?

California Adventure, continued...

I got a little distracted from Breaking Dawn, so here's some more of our Family Vacation. This was on the Canoes. Our guide asked us not to take pictures, just to keep rowing. This is her catching me...oops!
The Beach Boys outside Tarzan's Treehouse
This was the parade at California Adventure and it was AWESOME!! A lot of the characters and floats squirted water at the guests...it felt great!!! Here is one of the Toy Story themed floats
Tow-Mater from Cars!
Hey Buzz Lightyear!
Jack-Jack from The Incredibles!
Heimlich from A Bug's Life
Dex always is entertaining. This is Dex being "candid"
Rock Climbing in Bear Country. Parker made it to the finish again!
California Screamin' roller coaster...one of Dexter's favorite rides.
Dex enjoying the swings in the Big Orange
Toy Story Midway Mania...our favorite ride in California Adventure. It was more of a game than a ride. It was great! 3-D and kept your score! Check out the roller coaster doing the loop!
John and Tasha. Dex really wanted to take our picture.
Oh! Wait, this was my favorite part, but it was a show, not a ride. Crush was AWESOME!!! Don't miss it when you go. It is in CA Adventure, across from the Muppets 3-D. Crush is interactive and talks with the audience...TOTALLY AWESOME DUDE!

Muppets in 3-D (California Adventure)

As some of you know, in high school I was a lover of the Pig. I was a pig collector and Miss Piggy has always had a special place in my heart. At Disney California they have a Muppets in 3D show, outside they had these movie posters. They cracked me up...here are a few.

PIGGY WOMANTHE SOW OF MUSIC
JURASICK PORK
PLUMP FICTION
...and my favorite: BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER AT TIFFANY'S

Code Adam Alert

Have you read the E-mail about Sam's Club, as well as other businesses, using the Code Adam alert for missing children in the store? My SIL sent it to me today and it prompted a memory of mine:

I first read this E-mail about 5 years ago...and then a week later I saw it in effect with Dexter! I knew John would think I was an idiot, so I never told him about this E-mail until...after.

We were at Wal-Mart. I had Dex in a cart and John had Parker. We let the kids out of the carts to look at toys. In a matter of minutes, Dex was gone! I was starting to freak out and John was totally calm. The Code Adam E-mail starting coming to mind. We walked up and down every single aisle (this is before the Super Wal-Marts...thank goodness!) We both were at the front and talking to some workers. I described Dexter to them and told him that we cannot find him. They looked at each other and said, "Should we call a Code Adam?" I gasped and burst into tears.

A little boy in a near by check out line was listening to what was going on and said, "Is that your little boy over there?" (pointing towards the door) We all looked over and there was Dexter, sitting calmly on Ronald McDonald's lap, waving to all the people, trying to be a Wal-Mart Greeter.

By the way, Albertson's also has a "Code Adam" and it is "Code Yellow" at Target. How do I know this? Because Dexter. Thankfully, every time, Dexter was found and usually he was looking at Toys...(so we started checking there first). Dexter is now 10 years old (almost 11) and a still loves Toys...especially Legos.

I can't find a picture of Dexter on Ronald, but here's one so you remember what I'm talking about. I'm sure if they have them any more.

Hats Off To Disney

Growing up I was always so jealous of my friends that got to go on family vacations and always came back with "Ears" from Disney...and with their very own name embroidered in it! Luckiest kids in the world! That was the coolest thing! I grew up poor and the oldest of five kids, so spending money on 5 different Mickey/Minnie Mouse hats was not an option and quite a luxury!

I was definitely a kid at Disney in 2008! It was basically my first time being able to enjoy all the rides and do what I wanted! We all got Disney Hats! I love my Ears and will wear them whenever possible...and not too embarrassing. John got a baseball cap that says "Grumpy" on it...perfect!

After trying on a few different styles, Dexter opted for the "Goofy" hat.
Parker, trying to be the 13 year old teenager he is, went for the "You Say Grumpy like it is a bad thing" hat.

**Embarrassing Hat Story***
Many of you know, if I'm not wearing my wig, I'm wearing a hat. The only thing I can see from my view is the brim of the hat I'm wearing. After our trip I went over to my bosses house. I walked up to their door and saw my reflection in their storm door... Great! I was wearing my ears! Now that was embarrassing! Keep on the ears or let them see my hat head? I opted for the ears. Steve & Robyn just thought I was rubbing in the fact that I got to go to Disney...what ever works!