B..b...b...Barbie....

What a crazy, crazy Monday!!! I get Emma Katherine off the bus and we go through the typical pleasantries: How was your day? Did you stay on green? (usually she fesses up if she didn't as soon as she sees me but I ask anyway) How was your lunch? And on Mondays, I ask her about the letter of the week. "It's B this week! And I am so going to take my B...B...B...Barbie book if I can F..F...F..find it!" I guess you had to be there but it was classic Emma. Made me laugh and I really needed a laugh at 3:20 this afternoon.

Revert back to last night, as the Shorts are settling down to go to sleep @ 9:30 (which was a miracle for all of us to go to bed, that early, and all at the same time) and Molly comes in with Gabe.
Molly: "Gabe, tell them what you said." (That can't be good can it?)
Me: "Gabe, what did you say?"
Gabe: ( holding Molly's phone with head down) " I said Dammit."
At this point, Cooper is laying in the kitchen floor, laughing hysterically into his shirt, I am having to turn my head, Molly has left the room because she is laughing, Emma just laughs in front of Gabe, and Craig doesn't know what to say.
Craig: "Gabe, that isn't nice. We don't say that." (Then gives me a stern look because A) I shouldn't be laughing and B) Gabe probably heard me use that word.)
Gabe: "I know. I'm sorry."
Go ahead and frown but all of you know that at some point, you've let a word or two fly in front of your kids.....I'm not alone.

Emma Katherine got a library card today and you would've thought she won the lottery...she was so excited. She even used it to check out 4 books. It made my heart smile to so her so very enthusiastic about reading and learning. We spent about 30 minutes reading books at the library, reading, then she spent 20 more finding the perfect books....made my Monday woes not so bad after all.

I cook every night unless we are just going to be way too busy. There is a reason why....if my family eats, even at a fast food restaurant, it cost us a mint. For example, last Thursday Emma got a free kids meal coupon for family reading night for Chic-Fil-A. She called, sweet talked her daddy, and he took us all out for dinner (plus Cooper had his first bball game so it was going to be a late night). It costs us $33 to eat at freakin' fast food!! That is outrageous! When you have a family of 6, with two teenagers, if you don't choose a joint with a dollar menu then you are screwed. $33 for fries and chicken nuggets...what were we thinking? My grocery bill, on a WEEKLY basis, is between $130 and $150. That boils down to roughly $18 - $21 a day for food for a family of 6. If we ate out, just three nights a week, that would be half of our grocery bill. And that isn't even eating good food...that's fast food. One night, about a year ago, I nearly had a heart attack in the drive through at the BK lounge. It was a late, football night, so we decided to eat on the way home. Molly chose BK and $42 later I was sick. I asked the lady at the drive through, TWICE, to repeat the total to me. What made it even worse was the next day, at lunch, one of my co-workers said he'd eaten at Outback, with his wife, and they only spent $50! I could've had a bloomin' onion AND real fries for the money I paid at BK!!! How do people, families, afford to eat out every stinkin' night? My kids think it's a real treat to go to Chic-Fil-A...I guess that's a good thing...

On a serious note, asking for prayers for a precious young man who lost his battle with cancer today. His name is Matt Clary and he was 24. Craig had the pleasure of teaching him during his brief stint at Crest High School and he was an outstanding person. If you get a minute, stop and say a prayer for his family as they struggle and will have to adjust to a new life without Matt. You can even go to his website, Matt Clary, and leave them a message. Hug your children and thank God for every moment He gives us with them for we never know when any of us will be called home.

As always...even on Mondays...life is good :)

♥ Missy