Big News For William

Last night we had company. There is a new single sister in the ward that has two children who are both disabled. The little girl is 5, Amy Beth, and her son is 8 and named William. Her daughter is Autistic and William has Asperger's Syndrome. Well as if that wasn't enough similarities to make for a good friendship, but NO... there is more. William mini-me is a Star War's fanatic too. How is that for cool. They spent hours playing Star Wars video games and going back and forth to our William's room to look at the Star Wars toys. Our William asked me if he could give little William a toy that he had duplicates of. I thought that was so sweet of him. Tonight, while his momma, Gail, is home packing for a week-end trip, mini me is here once again playing with his new found friend, Maxi me. I'm about 10 feet away, on my computer and can hear some of the oddest conversations. "William, stop trying to kill me. Please stop. You have to stop, because I tend to get upset easily". "Don't kill him, we don't want to kill him, I like him." I just went in to see what they were actually doing. I find our William going all over the game set with his person (leia ?) giving a running commentary to little William on what to do with his person (Luke). Little William is on some sort of animal going in circles, over and over. The two of them look like they are completely oblivious of what the other player is doing. I could be wrong about that, what do I know. I just heard a loud. "Oh NO you DIDN'T". What a crack up. Anyway, I thought you'd like to know that William has a friend. Here are their pictures in the Austin Powers Mini Me Pose.

Forgot to Mention This!!

My Ultra Cool youngest daughter Lyndsey... reminded me that I ALMOST had a phone call from Tony Orlando, of Tony Orlando and Dawn fame. Weeks ago she called me and asked who he was and I screeched at her, "girl, don't you know him? You know... Tie a Yellow ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree, Knock Three Times, Take A Letter Maria... You know... Tony Orlando. How can you not know who he is?" Possibly because she is only 23 years old and she was a baby in the 80's. Anyway he wanted to call me after she mentioned to him that her mother is a fan of his. But sanity returned to her and she assumed (correctly) that I would have had a heart attack if I had gotten a phone call from him without being warned first. So those are my two latest brushs and almost brushs with fame. Oh I've had other brushes with fame, but I'll save those for another day.

A little Excitement

Well... you know how I'm always saying that nothing ever happens around here and I never have anything to write about in this blog. Well something finally happened that might actually make my list of top 100 Moments in Time and I thought I'd share it with you. As you know, my baby daughter, Lyndsey, works for a communications company that organizes conference calls and orchestrates the radio tours done by celebrities that we hear all the time on the air. Well this morning I got a call from this young man. Billy Gilman called my cell phone to tell me what a wonderful daughter I have. (I knew that already) I thought that was really sweet of him. He is doing a radio tour to promote the MD telethon that Jerry Lewis hosts every Labor Day week-end. He is the "Youth Host" this year. We chatted just a few minutes and I told him I really liked his music and asked what music was coming out. He said he has a new CD out entitled "Billy Gilman" and another one is scheduled for release next summer. He thanked me for asking him. He was very sweet and well mannered and respectful. I think I will stay a fan and buy all his CD's. ;-)

A Moment in Time

This is a picture to immortalize the semi-submerged submarine that Kinley and Tanner encountered in their tub yesterday morning. This picture was commissioned by their Grandma and painted by their Uncle William.

Just Another Day

Today I can walk, and after spending yesterday with little hot pad plasters stuck to my knees they are feeling much better. All things being relative, they are better than they were yesterday, not as good as they were 20 years ago. I think I actually got a good 8 hours sleep last night. Imagine that. I was up and showering by 7:15. David missed his bus this morning, so Daddy took him to school. That was nice of him. Yesterday, before I even showered I got a call from David telling me that he had forgotten his medicine, so I hobbled to the school to get it to him. I sure don't want to ruin a good thing with him. He is doing SOOOO much better in school this year so far. I only wish I had had him tested years ago when I suspected he was ADD and I sure wish I had had Matt tested. I KNOW he is. Every night he is doing his homework. Which is better than last year when he NEVER did any homework. Anyway.... minutes after I got home from the school, I got a call from Matt, asking me to bring him some cold remedies and pain relievers. Poor baby, he was suffering from a snoofy nose and plugged head something awful. So I gathered together a bag of everything I had (which was a lot) and drove over to his house, which is about 1 mile away from where I had just been with David. Oi. I won't go into the details of Matt's house. Suffice it to say, that it looks like 4 young men live there. One of them just turned 21, so I expect that the piles and towers of beer cans and squished cigarette packs will only get wider and higher. I did manage to rescue the arm chair that we had given him that goes with the dining room table and chairs we had. It works much better at my computer than the chair I had been using. It is higher and seems to be less of a strain on my knees getting up and down. But just like at the other house, I have to keep shooing Supie off of the seat. She either REALLY likes Burnt Sienna Corduroy or she smells Matt (her boy) on the seat. Interesting.

Just got an email from my friend needing the wedding pictures. She needs them by tomorrow, so I need to get to work.

Not Much Going On

I cleaned and scrubbed the Jacuzzi yesterday and last night I took a nice long hot soaky bath with the jets running. What a treat. My Alan Jackson playing from my iPod and speakers and the silly dog perched on the top ledge of the tub watching me. Perverted dog. Anyway.... this morning I can't move. My knees are in agony from turning over in the tub and putting weight on them to get up and out of the tub. Oi Vey. I am just too old. Oddly they both hurt the same, which is really strange considering one of them is bionic and the other isn't. Well I got a clean tub out of the deal, so that's good. I just may never get to use it again.

It's been pretty quiet here of late. Daddy went on a 3 day trip last week. I hate it when he is gone. But I got a lot done. The house is getting better and better. I don't know what I would do without William. He is such a blessing and a help to me.

Well I have to work on a wedding project for a friend. Actually it is the set of pictures from Lyndsey's husband's brother's wedding. But I have to have them ready by this Friday. So off to work I go.

I DO Love Technology

I just saw the post on Megan's site about Paul Potts from England singing. What a little jewel that film clip is. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oxTy7KIAaA

Also, if you want to see something else truly amazing watch this video clip. It's called "The Battle at Krugar". It's 8.23 minutes long, but you must watch the whole thing. You won't believe it was filmed by an amateur. And you won't believe what happens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM

The "You Tube" site is an amazing place to spend a few minutes. There are all sorts of things to watch. But be very specific in what you want or search for, because there is also a lot of yuck.

Little Brother David

David is doing so well. It seems that having a job has changed him. He says he really likes making his own money. But more than that, he seems to have a new maturity about him. He has been getting along better with everyone, and not so quick to anger. He comes home from school and changes and then I take him to work. He comes home around 7:30 or 8:00 and then piddles around a little, eats dinner, then does his homework, piddles around a little more, plays his guitar, then goes to bed. For the most part he gets himself up in the morning, not counting the last two days.... but so far he has 100's in all his classes. Amazing what a little bribery and actually find things to give positive reinforcement on. I'm loving it. He loves his new guitar and he seems to really appreciate the fuss I make over his playing and the pictures of himself I make for him. He puts them on his website and his friends think they are "cool".

He got my organ up and running the other day. It hadn't been touched for so long, and when I wanted to play it, it wouldn't work. Anyway he played with it and got it working again. I played some hymns this morning and worked the kinks out of my fingers. That was fun. I think I may do that more often.

FHA Kit Collections

Heather's


Megan's


Courtney's


Mom's

I Should Have Known Better...

You know those moments when you just knew you shouldn't be patting yourself on the back for being in control of things. You just know that the morning of Prom you are going to wake up with either Chicken Pox or zits, or the day you are given the City's Best Parent Award is the day you child gets picked up for shoplifting.  Well I was sitting here feeling all warm and fuzzy with visions of peace, love and harmony in our home flitting through the lamb filled green pastures of my mind. After all, didn't I just relate David's plans for his first paycheck. Didn't I just beam at the thought that David would share his bounty with his older brother who has waited for months to have enough money to get the toy of his dreams. Yes!! The tide is turning. The stars are aligning and there will be love in this home..... Just as I am basking in this warm light, my darling eldest son calls me into his inner sanctum to show me the latest footage of his ongoing feature cartoon, "The MacAhroon's"  Above are the pictures.  They are rather self explanatory.  

I think I will go lay down now.   I am undecided as to whether I will laugh or cry.  I really should have known better.

Rock & Roll & Roll & Roll

Big doins' at the Ahroon house. David bought his first lead guitar with his own money that he earned by being my slave for 3 months this summer. The night before he knew he was able to buy it was just like Christmas for him. He could not sleep. It was so cute. He also has a job. He's been trying to get one all summer with no success (which is why Dad had to be his bank) and finally, while I was picking up burgers at the joint down the street from us, the manager asked if David had been able to ever get a job. I told him no because he was still only 15. David had asked at least a dozen times over 3 months if he had an opening. So he told me to bring him in. So today is his first day. He is, of course dreaming of all sorts of ways to spend his newly found wealth. One sweet thing he told me. William has been saving for months to buy a new Xbox 360 Elite game system. David said that with his first paycheck he was going to give money to William. Now a cynical mother would see that as a shameless attempt to win favor in order to have unlimited use of said xBox. But I choose to see this as a little rosebud that smells soooooo sweet with love and affection.

This is a Pictorial collage of grunge, blood and gore that more or less reflects my feelings about Rock and Roll. Underneath the yuck is my sweet baby boy playing his above mentioned new guitar. Yes I know his hair is too long. Believe me, I know his hair is too long. This mother chooses her battles very carefully. And his hair isn't even in the top 5.

Oi Vey!! What A Day I Had Today!

Well today was the first day of school and I was so looking forward to a whole day of doing what I wanted instead of doing what David wanted. I drove him to school this morning because I had to go with Daddy to drop his car off at the repair shop and then drive him to work. David normally takes the bus, but I figured since I was going to the same general area... what the heck. I would take him just this morning. The last thing I said to him as I dropped him off at school, after I told him I loved him and told him to have a good day, was "don't you dare call me to bring you something you have forgotten or something you simply must have". Silly me. So I get home with visions of sugar plums in my head.... ooops, wrong time of year. So I get home with visions of a day of no interruptions and a day to focus on whatever I want to do. Within 15 minutes of getting home I get a phone call from the school nurse telling me that they can not allow David into classes because he does not have his shot record on the standard blue sheet of paper and nothing that documents David having gotten the tetanus shot that was required. I knew he needed the shot and as usual waited until the last minute before school started to get him the shot. I hadn't been able to make an appointment with his doctor before school started, so our home teacher, the ER doctor gave it to him on Monday in the Dr. lounge but didn't have the paperwork to write on. Well I, being so wise in the ways of Alabama school regulations.... NOT... thought it was more important to actually get the shot than to document it right then. I figured I could get the proper paperwork later form whomever I had to. Anyway.... I had to go to our home teacher's house, wake him up to sign some papers, then spend 2 hours at the Public Health office waiting until everyone had been seen for WIC, Family Planning and whatever else they do there. It would have taken 3 minutes to fill out the form onto blue paper. To make matters worse, because as we all know, never never do things in a normal straightforward way with no problems, my right knee that had been bothering me for the last 3 or 4 days chose the time in the Health Dept. to go out completely. So now I'm paralyzed because no matter which way I move it's agony. And after I finally get the paper it takes me 10 minutes to walk to my car. I then drive to the school and pull up in front of the school and have spent the last 5 miles calling the school to have David come out to the car and get the paper so I don't have to get out of the car. The line is busy the whole time. I slowly get into the building and by the time I see David I am out of breath and tears are forming. I find him in of all places in the library being confined with all of the other kids who had dared not bring in there blue paper. You know how much I love bureaucracy. I completely understand the need to sequester those children because the floors of the school are covered in rusty nails and there is a real risk of a pandemic of Lock-Jaw in Enterprise.

I didn't get home until after lunch. Needless to say my visions of sugar plums were no where to be seen.

Snowbunnies Heather & Noah

I thought this picture was so cute it just screamed to be framed.  First the before then the after.

Original Creation

I made this a couple of years ago. It was created in Photoshop with stamps and brushes.

Busy Busy Busy

I've been so busy lately. I have been cleaning and cleaning. Now the only room that is a mess is my bedroom. Oi Vey, what a mess.

We had company on Tuesday. Our friends the Latins are in town visiting Enterprise on their way from Korea to The Netherlands. Jackie is a DAC teacher I think. Department of the Army. Big Chris just retired from the Army and they recently (within the last 2 years) adopted 3 siblings from Korea. They sure keep her busy. Little Chris is back from his mission and is attending BYU. Here is a picture of them. The twins are Jason and Brian and the little girl is Jessica. They are adorable.