Posh!

The kids have been seeing a lot of Star Wars these days with Michael. They have become little Star Wars junkies to say the least. I don't mind since I'm a fan myself.  However, I do want to round out their film education with some of the old classic family films and musicals. So this week we watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. They loved it. Now they keep wanting to listen to the soundtrack that we got from the library.

I hadn't seen this show since I was a kid. It was quite silly but fun. And there was one classic scene that I feel compelled to share. It was right up my alley of absurd humor. 

To get you up to speed: The evil Vulgarians are traveling around in a flying ship, trying to kidnap Dick Van Dyke. However, they make a mistake and kidnap his father, Grandpa Potts, instead. Here's the kidnapped Grandpa Potts singing about the posh traveling life from his outhouse:

 

Family Photos

I decided to save myself some stress this year and have someone else take our family picture. What a novel idea, eh? I mean, not that I don't love the whole wonderful experience of setting the camera up on the tripod, hitting the timer and jumping into the picture, yelling at the kids to smile and look at the camera dang it, fighting with my spouse over choice of setting, choice of lighting, and anything else that especially aggravates us about each other that day, etc., etc. It's just so much fun every year. 

But instead, I had my friend Emily take our pictures last week over at Mayfield Preserve. She's a pro photographer and is starting up her business. What a peaceful and harmonious experience it turned out to be! These are a few of my favorites:

I think the pics turned out really cute. Almost as cute, of course, as our family photo from last year that we never sent out. Come on, I know you've been wanting to see it again--especially since yours truly looks so fabulous in it.  So here it is again, back by popular demand:

P.S. This is how I look when my kids get out of bed for the 500th time. 

You Might Be a Redneck If....

To my complete and utter astonishment delight, Michael announced on Saturday that he was going to clean out the garage. This was without any nagging or pleading on my part. In short, this has never happened before.  

After my daughter waved smelling salts over my nose to revive me from my swoon, I picked myself up off the floor. I said to Michael, “Wow, the aliens really did a number on you this time. And I must say, it’s all good.”

Or not.

 

Instead, I praised him for his decision and wished him luck. Then I made a run for it. But I was too late.

As I was leaping up the stairs, two at a time, I heard his sweet little voice, “Kasey, could you help me?”

Well, that dampened the excitement SLIGHTLY. I mean, the whole point of the “Honey-Do List” is for your honey to do them--and to do them while you are surfing the Web or taking a nap.

So we spent a few hours working together and talking. It wasn't too bad. And now our garage looks great. The front yard, however, is a different story.

Here's the Goodwill giveaway pile that's been sitting on the front porch for five days now: old gas cans, broken bike frame with useable components, leaky air mattress, window screens... Yep, real classy.

Michael also went through his fish tank equipment on Saturday. So of course where do you think all that stuff is now? 
Exactly. Right on the front lawn. But it gets better, believe me. Take a look at the next picture and see if you can guess what Michael used to clean his fish tank bins with. 

No, your eyes do not deceive you. That is in fact a toilet bowl brush that has been lying in my front yard all week. The front yard of the home that is currently on the market.  Here it is up close:

I don't make these things up people. I'm sure the HOA will be sending me a letter any day now. 

So here's my submission to Jeff Foxworthy:

If  you've got a toilet bowl brush in your front yard, you might be a redneck. 

Halloween Costumes

Here's what Halloween looked like at our house this year:

Emma wanted to be Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Evan looked through the pattern books and chose the musketeer costume, basing his choice on how cool of a weapon he'd get to brandish. Naturally. 

But as I was working on the costumes, I decided I couldn't do just one musketeer costume. No one would get that.  And I needed a costume for Isaiah. And Michael had been complaining that I never sew anything for him. You can see where this type of thinking led me. Yes, it got a little out of control... three musketeer costumes. Am I crazy? Yes!

I did have to cheat a little bit, and all I can say is, "Hallelujah for cheating!" I found old white shirts for the boys and cut off the collars and sleeves so I wouldn't have to make the shirts from scratch. I just added on the new silky sleeves and collars and voila! (Well, not exactly voila. Those things still took forever and I did have to rip out a sleeve after sewing it on upside down.)

For Michael, I picked out what I thought was one of his old golf shirts. Michael has dozens of golf shirts. He gets them at conferences.  He has hand-me-downs from his dad. He gets them as Christmas and work gifts. Like he's going to miss one golf shirt. Ok, so how was I to know this was his favorite golf shirt? Or that Pecan Valley Golf Club is so swanky?

I like to think I just made it better. Check it out below. I love the lace on the cuff, don't you?

I mean, you could totally still wear it golfing. It's just a little fancier, that's all. I think Michael should save it for those very special golf games with clients he's trying to impress. I'm sure they would be that much more likely to do business with him, right?

Maybe not.