Gulf Shore Shrimps

So we get a call from our good friends the Ruttkas.

 

It would seem that Gulf Shores has a Shrimp Festival.  It would also seem that they would like us to join them for said festival at their condo.  Well, no self-respecting Maxwell is going to pass up a free trip to the beach with exceptional friends and even more exceptional weather on tap.  What a brilliant decision we made.  It was perfect weather, perfect friends and perfectly enjoyable.  We learned many things on this trip...

Fact #1 - If you study it, it will come.  We had just finished studying about Blimps the week prior.  Just as we get within a couple of miles of Gulf Shores and are passing the airport, Seager yells, there's a blimp.  And so it was, there on the runway all tied up.  Two hours later, as we settled on the beach... 

Fact #2 - The Maxwell boys have no fear of the ocean and will play in the waves until they pass out from exhaustion.  All 3 of them.

 Fact #3 - I should be making money on the incredible good looks of this child.

Fact #4 - Whoever said that I am never in the pictures was just wrong.  See, I photograph well. 

And when I don't, well that's what photo editing is for.

 Fact #5 - I love taking pictures on the beach.  The Ruttka girls are just beautiful!

Fact #6 - Little Lydia Ruttka has a crush on Seager.

Fact #7 - We had an absolute ball with Mike, Julia, Mackenzie and Lydia.  We have missed them dearly since they moved to *gasp* Alabama.  I hope this was the beginning of a new trend... good friends, good times, great memories!  

B-B-B-B-B-Bad, Bad to the Bone

I've been a bad, bad girl.  (Are you hearing the song in your head?)

I'm here, Back in the Saddle, Back to Business, Back to Work, etc.  Are you betting there is a theme here?  You betcha!  (wink to Sarah!)  The letter of the day is the letter B. 

Grab a bottle of Bourbon Buttermilk and I'll catch you up.  We begin with Bunnies. 

I took the boys for an overdue photo shoot just before Easter.  The bunnies were cute...the boys more cute. 

Bouncing forward, we have the conclusion of our Ball season.  Homeschool soccer and t-ball were a big hit.  The boys loved it and I survived my coaching debut.  I am, however, still stinging from the ridicule of those who know I'm no "sport".  They are 5 and 3 year olds.  I really just had to make sure they didn't get killed, kidnapped or piss their pants.  A breeze for someone of my qualifications.

 

 

Beach Bums...ready for action!  We love PCB in May.  The weather is beautiful and the beaches are bare.  Off-season travel is a bonus of homeschooling!  We highly recommend the Holiday Inn Sunspree, great place for kids. 

 

After our five days of blissful blue skies and water, Mommy got a brain block.  I just couldn't bring myself to blog.  Then it was finale season on the Boob Tube. 

I'm a TIVO slave.  I don't get to watch "my" shows until after everyone else is bunked in their beds.  So my late night blogging times were bumped by my tv viewing.

LOST - Blew me away!  I LOVE THAT SHOW! and I will blubber like a baby when it ends next season.

24 - BORING!  This season blew chunks.  I watched anyway.  I'm faithful that way.

Grey's - Hit by a Bus!  Bummer.  And kill the blonde bimbo already.

Idol - Highlight of the season was the Seacreast joke about bikini girl's boob job.  Adam wins on the fact that he can now be the bitch he wants to be.

Survivor - Best guy won!  A bumpkin from Alabama.  Yes, I still love the show and have watched all 18 seasons.  Once again, I'm faithful that way.

ER - Boo Hoo.  I was faithful til the end. 

Heroes - Bring back the excitement of the first season...Please!  But I will still be faithful.

Brothers & Sisters - big family problems are always fun to watch.

So then June began.  Still blocked.  Still uninspired.  Even Barack couldn't get me to budge. 

A few things do require a mention...

Star Trek is great.  Loved it!

Can't wait for Transformers!

Chastity Bono is "changing" to Chaz?!

Then the unthinkable.  After many requests and badgering, I relented and jumped on the bandwagon.  The Facebook bandwagon.

I'm there now.  Of course I wanted to link the blog to my Facebook so I had to update it.  I wouldn't want the blogger gods to revoke my license due to lack of posts and any new viewers to think I'm washed up.  

Alrighty then.  I have broken the block.  Believe me, it was bleeping hard, but it's done.  Now if I can tear myself away from Facebook long enough to have a creative thought, I'll post again soon! 

Hope you all are having a great Summer! 

Good for a Laugh

This will perhaps be the most outrageous WTF post to date.  Forget all this wealth envy - which I think is just getting ridiculous.  Forget stupid people who fall skiing and choose to send the paramedics away and subsequently die - duh.  Forget the fact that President TelePrompTer didn't realize for over 20 seconds that he was reading the wrong speech and thanked himself for "being there".  Ooo, Ooo, I know!  Let's make our brave Armed Service men and women pay for their own medical bills after getting blown up defending us all.....nope, forget that.  How about the one where the two women get knocked up, each carrying the other woman's child, but to keep it "normal" they used the same sperm donor...nah.  This is more weird than even that. 

So with that set-up I shall reveal the insanity.  You sure you can handle it?  Wait...Wait...As of today, around noonish, I am officially a Soccer Mom.  Good God in Heaven how could this happen you ask?

Those that know me well, know this might just tilt the Earth's axis and cause REAL global warming.  But wait, it gets better...I'm also an assistant coach.  WTF?  This happened even though I absolutely, positively screamed a disclaimer that I knew virtually NOTHING about soccer.  I even have a bright yellow shirt with "COACH" on the back.  Quit your laughing!  I can hear you all the way over here!  Of course, Big Daddy has taken great pleasure in referring to me as Coach this evening.

Just for the record, this is Homeschool Soccer.  We homeschoolers have our kids participate for exercise and social skills and as a bonus they get to learn to play soccer.  It is very laid back, all run by volunteers and the kids have a blast.  Just once per week, at 1:00 in the afternoon.  No night games, practices, crazy sport deranged parents and no 8:00 a.m. Saturday mornings.

So there.  Seager and Dagon were so excited to get new soccer balls and Seager even got special socks.  He was so proud.  Of course, I took pictures!

If you find yourself still stunned, get this, t-ball starts on the 31st.  Just in time for Seager's big birthday celebration.  So I guess you could say that the "ban" on sporty things for the boys has been lifted.  I do reserve the right, however, to forever ban football.  I have no intentions of ever changing that one.  The times they are a changin' (in more ways than I would like.)

We also have big news for Big Daddy!  He got himself a Blackberry and is slowly learning all it can do for him during his busy day.  He loves it so far!

So there, I'm expecting some heckling and teasing.  Go ahead, bring it on.

Happy Spring to you all!  Pollen, Yea!

Back to Reality...

It's over!  The insanity is over.  Unfortunately, the post-Christmas elves have failed to show up and pack away all this festive stuff.  Guess I'll have to do it again.  No complaints here though, we just spent 5 days at Mexico Beach with pretty decent weather.  Joe and I both wrapped up 2008 with a massage on the beach, some great seafood and the boys swam, ran on the beach and swam some more.  We rang in the new year with great friends and high hopes.  It's always good to end one year and start a new one on a beachy note! 

Speaking of beachy... we hope you enjoyed the Christmas card.  What you don't know is how many pictures it takes to get one or two that are "acceptable", or if you get lucky, you have so many good shots that there are lots of left-overs.  Aunt Lori has compiled the extras into a slide show for you all.  As usual, her talents are amazing and we appreciate all her efforts... Enjoy!

Thank you to all who sent us cards, pictures and 2008 update letters!  It's so exciting to hear of the wonderful accomplishments and milestones from all of you!  I had to add several names to the list this year and didn't delete any!  Guess that's pretty lucky to have had a year where you added friends and didn't lose anyone you care about.

We had a fun Christmas but didn't take many pictures.  We just enjoyed it without the pressure of capturing every second on some sort of digital format.  There were a couple of hysterical moments at Mamaw's on Christmas Eve, pictures were taken.  It was a Muslim Moment for sure and if I get those shots I will be sure to share them.  It was one of those moments that the picture is worth more than a thousand virgins words!

Since it is now 2009, I guess it's time to rev up the resolutions.  Since I did so well last year, I am under extreme pressure to be just as successful this year.  I hope to lose some pounds and inches but  I know this will involve a good bit of movement on my part.  There is only so much food you can eliminate and since that hasn't seemed to work, my only option is to get moving.  This is going to be tough and I'd like to get'r done before May...double tough.  Any words of encouragement or suggestions for a magic diet pill would be welcome.

Well, so far the 2009 blog is crap.  As I read back what I've just written, it's...well crap.  There's no humor or clever stories.  Sorry.  I'll try to do better next time.  My mind seems to be boggled up with all the things I want to do, need to do and have to do.  I think my first task will be putting those in the proper order... have to do, need to do and want to do.  I guess I better make a list and get busy. 

I hope you all had a safe and Happy New Year and here's hoping for a 2009 that is better than expected and more than we wish for.  Good Luck with that!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Turkey day from the Maxwells!  This is our 5th annual trip and we are in sunny Panama City Beach enjoying sand, surf, swimming and good food.  It was cooler than we normally enjoy this time of year (damn global warming) but today was absolutely perfect and we spent the entire afternoon on the beach. 

We wish you all could have enjoyed this day with us.  We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving Buffet within walking distance of our building.  We ate and were oceanside by 1:00...  no cooking - no dishes, I'm telling you it's the way to go! 

Not much more to tell than that.  Yes, in case you are wondering, we had a very successful Christmas photo session and your Holiday Greeting will arrive in a couple of weeks.  For now I will share the Thanksgiving shots.  We have a new Maxwell who will be with us for all future Thanksgiving trips.  His name is Tom and he seemed to really enjoy today. 

Tom loves his new brothers

and Big Daddy too! 

We witnessed a beautiful sunset... 

and headed in to the pool and Bath Tub (Dagon's term for the hot tub).  Seager is appropriately wearing his "gobbles" (his term for goggles).

We are so thankful for such a beautiful day and I am thankful that you take the time to visit my blog and take a glimpse into our life and into my sometimes twisted mind.  We are very blessed with wonderful family and friends.  I hope you all had a very wonderful Thanksgiving, you didn't eat too much, your team won and you find lots of bargains tomorrow if you are crazy enough to torture yourself in such a manner.  All our love...

Oh, by the way, guess who we saw here at the beach...

 

If you are looking for my normal Friday post...I do have this to say - given all the recent appointments for the incoming Presidential administration, I think we should just refer to it as the OBillary Administration.  I guess it's a change back.  If nothing else, it should be entertaining to watch.

Important Travel Information

I'm lazy tonight so you are just gonna get some handy tips when traveling with your wife, husband, lover, significant other, cousin (ewwww), pet porcupine or concubine.  I'm sure there are many others but I found this list intact and that's pretty much all you're getting out of me tonight.

1. Oral sex is illegal in 18 states, including Arizona.

2. In Virginia, it is illegal to have sex with the lights on.

3. It is illegal for husbands in Willowdale, Oregon, to talk dirty during intercourse.

4. Sexual intercourse between unmarried couples is illegal in Georgia.

5. Engaging in any sexual position other than missionary is illegal in Washington, DC.

6. In Connorsville, Wisconsin, it is illegal for a man to shoot off a gun when his female partner is having an orgasm.

7. In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, it is illegal to have sex with a truck driver inside a toll booth.

8. Having sexual relations with a porcupine is illegal in Florida.

9. It is illegal in Utah to marry your first cousin before the age of 65.

10. Sex with animals is perfectly legal for men in Washington state, as long as the animal weighs less than 40 pounds.

I also found this...  I just couldn't stop myself from posting it.  It's just the beginning folks.

Look out, Aunt Lori!

As you all know, Aunt Lori is the official family photographer.  I, of course, am not chopped liver in that department either (not to toot my own horn) and it would seem that Mr. Seager has caught the bug.  He asked sweetly to take some photos with the camera...who could say no to that face.  Well, I usually say no at least 349 times per day, but I made a leap of faith on this one.

As homeschoolers, we encourage all interests with enthusiasm and I let him spend an afternoon clicking to his heart's content.  I just downloaded the photos and wanted to share our creative son's vision.

First we have the brother shot... not bad at all!

Next we have the shot including Mom...it was the best he could do with what he had to work with. 

Getting bored with the "say cheese" shtick, he moved on throughout the house and I gave him his artistic freedom.  He chose an abstract view of his subject...

This object will be featured in the following post...

There were various shots of the TV, my messy desk, the cat's tail,

and then there was this... 

Now I'm no art expert, but the composition seemed well thought out. 

I'll be taking bids for prints of these and future masterpieces. Just email your order.  Didn't you know art is a good investment and we all knows how well the stock market is doing these days!

Fair Weather Fishin'

I think it is fair to say that I love this time of year.  Not too hot, a little cool at night and usually a beautiful blue sky.  We can worry about the drought in January.  Such beautiful days lead to some wonderful activities... a renewed relationship with the park, a little fishing, dining al fresco, a night at the fair and a birthday for Big Daddy.  Since I haven't posted pictures in awhile, this should satisfy your cravings.

Seager is becoming quite the fisherman.  Papoo and Josh were the first on the scene to initiate the boys in the skills of fishin'.  Notice Papoo is the one with the Tweety Bird pole and Dagon has the professional equipment. 

But Seager was the big winner of the afternoon even outfishing cousin Josh. 

Seager spent an afternoon with Daddy trying out his new Spiderman pole on the lake of a beautiful golf course (thanks Dennis!)  His luck continued! 

And on our last trip to visit Mamaw and Papoo, Dagon got some practice with Mamaw's help.   

Seager looks like he's ready for his own fishing show...

This one almost broke the line! 

One nice morning we woke to the distinct sound of progress.  Not wanting to miss a moment, the boys decided to have their breakfast on the deck...and what was all the excitement about?

You can't see it in this picture but just across our property line is this...Bob the Builder...LIVE!  

What could possibly be more exciting than that?  A night at the fair with a girl!  Miss Sydney, to be exact.  

Much to our surprise, guess who is now tall enough to ride...  I'm sure that his face was sore the next day from so much smiling and laughing.  The dare devil has found his passion and loved every second of it!  Who needs girls, this child has the need for speed! 

We all got to enjoy the carousel.  

This is one of those rare occasions when I will post the picture of Mommy.  You can thank Seager for that.  As I was looking at the pictures on the screen I pulled this one up and Seager said "hey look at us!".  My reply was "that picture is no good."  "Why not, Mommy?"  "Because Mommy looks awful, it makes me look fat."  "No Mommy, you look perfect."  Mommy is reduced to tears and includes the picture without a second thought. 

Last, but certainly not least, Big Daddy had a birthday!  He bought his own cake, can you tell by the heartfelt sentiment he had the bakery person put on it?  And written in pink icing. 

Well, look at this, a picture where everyone is looking the same direction and smiling all at one time...a miracle!  It's a keeper! 

We are now in Spooky Mode and having trouble with costume decisions.  Oh what a dilemma.  Stay tuned for all things spooky.