Bad Parenting

Thanks, Sandra W. for the laugh! :o)

A little cowboy humor for your monday morning...

Evolving

I took this picture of Todd last Friday, before he left for an all-day trailride. Notice the gloves hanging out of his back pocket. He's all decked out and ready to go with his new hat, new boots, and my favorite--the Aspen Ranch belt buckle. His friend, "Bruceter" (another therapist at the ranch), is going to help him make a pair of chinks (the leather things that protect a cowboy's legs) because (as Todd says), "If I'm going to ride a horse 4 times a year..."

PS- I added the mustache on Photoshop

Before, during, and after pics of the bathroom

This is what our bathroom looked like when we first moved in:

We learned a lot with our "first remodel" of this bathroom. I don't have any pictures of it, but we put laminate floor in, and painted the walls with the wrong kind of paint. (latex paint with a satin finish over 30 yr. old oil-based paint doesn't work so well). Before too long, Dillon tried to flush something and the toilet overflowed and we got water under the floor. It dried in a few days, but left the laminate warped. Then our paint started peeling and cracking anywhere and everywhere that it got moist (which is a bit hard to avoid in the bathroom).

After our toilet leaked all through the night last week, we ripped out the laminate flooring, and then part of the sub-floor that needed to be replaced. Our toilet spent some time in the tub...thank heavens for a toilet downstairs, even though there still aren't walls!

We also painted the cabinets and re-painted the walls and the ceiling using a bathroom primer, and then a high quality semi-gloss paint with an additive to resist mildew.

We are finally almost finished! I just need to put the final coat of paint on the cabinets (they're just primed right now). They'll be off-white. Oh, and we're going to get a white shade for the window. The flooring is a new product called Allure. It is a floating floor (like laminate) only it's linoleum that seals off so it can't get water under it. It was super easy to install--I did a third of it by myself! Only time will tell whether we like it, but it got good reviews online, so we decided to try it.

I still need to touch up a few spots on the wall where I worked my magic with a putty knife :o)

I'm 30

Well, folks--it happened. I turned 30 yesterday. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet.

The following is a list of "age-appropriate" activities for 30 yr. olds.

I can now:

...go to Macy's and try on a few holiday themed cardigan sweaters.
...buy a coordinating pin to go with the sweater.
...take a fiber laxative (but only after I purchase it using a manufacturer's coupon).
...buy myself a new, age appropriate swimsuit.
...test drive my dream mini-van...oh wait, I already own it.
...order a nice, new pair of mom-jeans from JC Penney or Sears.
...treat myself to a short, easy-to-manage haircut.
...clean my house to the soothing sounds of Kenny G, and other favorites from Lite FM100.
...have my kids teach me how to take a picture using my cell phone.
...purchase TUMS in bulk from Costco
...buy a pair of nylons to wear with my open-toe sandals

After reading through this list, I have to tell you that the thing that gives me the MOST satisfaction, is that between February of this year, and November of 2009, the following people will all have joined with me in this new "30's" club: my bro-in-law Michael, my cousin Michael, my sis-in-law Melece, my sis-in-law Becky, my sis-in-law Elizabeth, my sis-in-law Cherish, my cousin Heidi, my friends Tricia, Cami, and Melanie, and my brother Tyler.

Red-rover, red-rover, OUR young years are over...and teenagers everywhere think WE are old.

Most of this post is taken from a post on The Lawson's Do Dallas in August 2007.