Buddy, Dusty and Tweety

Tweety and Em

Dusty and Em

My dad has two birds and a dog. They account for ninety percent of the noise in the house. My dad's dog likes to bark at ear shattering decibels if a leaf should dare to float into the yard.

Tweety is a cockatiel. He knows how to say "Tweety is a good boy," and "Yummy Yummy Yummy". Sometimes he forgets what he's saying in mid sentence and says, "Tweety is a g-". It's hysterical.

Buddy is an African Gray. He could live to be 100 years old. He has quite an extensive repetoire of sounds. He mimics my dad completely. He says, "Oh s***" quite frequently. He barks like the dog and then says, "Shut up!" He says, "Hi" when you walk by. He also mimics the phone, the microwave buzzer and my mom's horn. My mom has a horn she uses to get my dad's attention. Sometimes the bird mimics it so well that I go in to see what she needs only to find the bird giggling in the corner. Well, he seems to be giggling anyway.

Once when I was housesitting, I walked in to the house and heard my dad's voice. That bird is wild.

His newest word is "Whatever." Too funny.

Short order Sally

What is up with my kids and needing to eat every hour on the hour!?

Mom, I'm hungry. - peanut butter on crackers

Hungry- some cereal

Hungry- soup and sandwiches

Hungry- an apple AND an orange

WHYYYYY don't you feed us??????

I give up.

I can't believe it

I PASSED MY MATH TEST!

Loving life right now! I got a 90%.



A huge weight just rolled off my shoulders. :)

My dad rocks

My dad sat with me for around 8 hours straight and taught me math yesterday. We went through an entire book. He sat and figured out the practice problems along side me. This is to get me up to speed with my math class and allow me to pass that first day proficiency test. (That's assuming I failed it. I won't know until Thursday.)

That's love. Thanks Dad, although you never read this blog. You are the best dad in the world.

Math Math Math Math Math

Well I've had the dreaded first day for all the spring classes. "Let's go around and tell us about you, your major, your deepest darkest moments." Ok, I added that last part. "I'm Joann, you'll never remember that. I won't remember your name either...." That's what I'm really thinking.

Then the math class arrives. The prof says we need to take a math test THAT NIGHT. Oh and if we don't pass it, we can take it again. If we fail too many times we might be kicked out of the class. No pressure. Then we need to write an autobiography of all our math experiences. She added that we were not to say we weren't good at math. Hmmm, my autobiography will be a whole lot of fiction then. I love math people. I just don't do it well. Why can't I admit that? It's not like I'm proud of it; it's just my reality.

I was literally the last person in there laboring over my test. The second to last person began having a loud conversation with the prof after she turned in her test. I need quiet for tests, especially math. Oh, and by the way, how unfair is this test? It would be like, let's teach you to fly but only if you pass your flying test on the first day. Wha?

I have to wait until next week to see if I passed. I have to get a 90% or better. So close to the finish line and then this.

There's a new picture of the carpet posted a couple posts down. It doesn't do the the carpet justice. It is so pretty- if I do say so myself!

Inside the mouths of the girls...

We went to the dentist and the orthodontist today, all in the same building. I was going up and down the hall to each of the girls' rooms. One was getting a cleaning and check-up and the other an ortho consult. Tara has three cavities. Her thumb sucking is to blame. Em has never had a cavity. Tara has had like 13. Mind you she's 6. Geez she hasn't even had teeth that long! What is THE DEAL?! We are working on the thumb sucking. The doctor said a last resort is to make a retainer that, "takes the pleasure out of the thumb sucking." Ok, am I the only one that thinks that line is really funny? I held a straight face for the doctor, though inside I was cracking up.

Em is going to need extensive orthodontics. She has a very small jaw. Her teeth are not able to come in. She has an overbite, a protruding tooth... the list goes on and on. The doctor was quite nice and very professional. He needs to study her case before proceeding. I have a feeling we'll be seeing him for a long time.

At least Millie has good teeth. :)

Out with the old, in with the new!

Jay and I pulled up the old carpet in the living and dining rooms yesterday. We then bought remnant carpet and tile, and stayed up really late finishing it. It was a lot of work and my fingers are sore from pulling up the old tack strips and nails. But, the rooms look fabulous and so clean and new. I think new carpet smell is better than new car smell. Speaking of smells, OH MY GOSH- the old carpet was holding some really awful smells! We think the carpet might have been original to the house built in 1965. That's a lot of years of pet odors, and life on the floor. It was so gross bagging it all up.

The trash collectors probably have a picture of us on a dartboard somewhere. I don't blame them.

**EDIT: Pic of the new carpeting. Note blissful beige instead of 1965 blue velvet coloring. The wood you see is where the dining room steps down into the sunken living room.

By doing it ourselves and using remnants, we saved hundreds of dollars. It is very satisfying to do a job yourself and have it turn out well. Just tell that to our aching muscles. They aren't as enthused. :)

I just got back from grocery shopping. My cashier looked like he was 12. His trainer was a girl who looked all of 15. I presented a coupon. My cashier stood motionless and his eyes glazed over. He handed the coupon to his trainer. She went away and came back to tell me she couldn't accept it because it was an online coupon. Ok, whatever. But then she and her trainee started a conversation about how most online coupons are fake... right in front of me!!!! Then they had a conversation about dating. I had to break into their conversation to pay. Grrr....customer service isn't what it used to be.

HAPPY 13th ANNIVERSARY Jay!

Did I break a mirror or something?




Kidding. :)

Build a Bear finally got us....

Emily turned 9. What a day. We did it up and fun was had by all.

Well, except for Jay, who was at work 90% of the day.

We started with presents: Bella Serra cards, a diary, jeans, a Brownie sweatshirt, an American Girl book. Then it was off to the mall for...

BUILD YOUR HOME LOAN I mean Build-A-Bear. One for Em and one for Tara simply for coming along. And when you are in home loan mode, why not add some more.... For literally YEARS we have been staving off Em's desire for one of these bears. But I caved. She'll only be wanting them for a couple more years. She's my baby... you know, the typical caving.

They were cute. Not 94 dollars cute, but cute nonetheless.

Then we got an ice cream cake. In for a penny in for a pound.
Then Jay came home and we opened Emily's big present from Tom and Sheri- a Playstation 2 with games!!!! Then off to church and then out to eat.

It was a great, albeit expensive, day. I need to go to bed now and think about that second job. :)

Emily is still 8.....

While Emily is looking over my shoulder, asking me to GET OFF so she could play Nick.com ( Nicktropolis), I am saying

HAPPY ALMOST BIRTHDAY EMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE 8 FOR 1 MORE DAY!

I LOVE YOU!

yes, ok, I am getting off so you can play....

It's the hard-knock life!

Millie, you really need to learn to relax.

Happy New Year! 2008