Things That Annoy Me Thursday: No Sitting At The Rodeo

I went to my first rodeo last week.

I liked it.

And I'll be writing more about it next week.

But one thing that bugged me?

No one liked to sit.

There were people constantly walking around.



Some people were dressed like they were going to a club.

This baffled me.

But mainly, it would irk me when I'd try to see if the dude would stay on a bull, and a crowd would walk past so I couldn't tell.

Many people had on cowboy hats, so that blocked a lot of the view too.

I wanted to tell the people behind us to STAY SEATED. They kept walking back and forth down the aisles.

They had a small child who kept touching our backs.

Why was no on sitting? I suppose I could have stood up, but then I'd block the people behind me, and I actually have manners so I didn't do this.

The rodeo was fun.

But apparently, it's not a place where people like to sit still.

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. Just make sure you link up and that the post you link up is a Hey, It's Okay Post. Grab the button if you'd like!
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--To have been a little freaked out at the Fifty Shades of Grey preview. Was I supposed to be turned on? Because the dude has crazy eyes and I couldn't take him seriously. But I couldn't take Christian in the book seriously either.



--To LOVE the new Gymboree line Posh and Playful.



--To have had fun in Dallas. We just went for the weekend and checked out the Grapevine Mills mall, which was awesome. Plus we went to a rodeo, which I'll write about. There were some people who seemed to think they were dressing to go to a club though.



--To need to start listing Natalie's clothes on eBay. I think I'll have mainly size 4s and 5s. I'll post the link when they are up.



--To have a Moon Pie Prize Pack from First Things First here.



--To think it's awesome that Tom will do silly stuff to make his little girl happy.

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What Tom Learned About Me

Tom and I got two weeks of kid free time.

(You can read what all we did here.)

He didn't have to go to work, because he took leave.

So we were around each other all the time.

Since he's usually at work and doesn't normally see during the day, Tom learned the following about me:

--I watch too many reality shows.

He knows I like them, he just didn't realize I watched so many. We'd be watching a Real Housewives and a preview came up for the new reality show Game of Crowns and Tom went, "That looks dumb," right as I went, "I'm so recording that." Tom couldn't sit and watch for too long, but the times he did he'd go, "Please don't ever put shit in your lips. It looks scary."




--I'll clean at random times of the day.

I don't have set times. I just know I need to get a certain amount done in a week. I'd be on the couch reading, and suddenly I'd get up and start to clean. Tom would find me scrubbing toilets and be like, "I thought you were reading?" I'd say, "I was. Now it's time to clean." When I got done, I'd go back to reading, and then get back up and clean some more. "Do you have a schedule? What's happening?" Tom wanted to know. "Can't you just sit? I feel weird sitting here while you're cleaning." He insisted on helping.


--I wash the sheets once a week.


He probably knew this. But he'd see the bundle of sheets in my arms and go, "Didn't you just wash those?" "Yes. A week ago. Lord knows what's living on them now." The funny thing is, I'm not a germaphone, I just know what can live on sheets. (This dust mite, for starters.) I don't want a dust mite to go into certain...crevices...so I wash the sheets weekly.

--I need to go to Target weekly

Source

"But why? What do we need there?" Tom would ask. My answer? "You don't need a REASON to go to Target. Duh."



--I'll sometimes have a handful of cookies, crackers, and chips and call it lunch.

"That's not a meal!" Tom insisted. "It's lunch today," I explained.



--I don't like to be disturbed when I'm reading.

Tom would want to start a conversation right when I was in the middle of a good part. I'd say, "Can you give me ten minutes?" and he'd look offended. I can't just STOP reading. I mean, I can, but I'd prefer not to. Come back when I finish the chapter. We'll talk then, I promise.



In the end, the main thing we realized was that we still have fun together. Even when the kids aren't around. I admit, I was a little worried on how we were going to handle it without the kids distracting us. Would it be crickets every night as we ate? Would we sit silently on the couch? But no, we discovered that we can have adult conversations and not center things around the kids.


It was fantastic.

Stuff Tom and I Did While Kid Free

My parents were nice and took the kids for two weeks.

This meant Tom and I got to be alone.

Here's what we did:

--A happy dance, for starters, because we were KID FREE! (I mean, we knew we'd miss them, but...)



--Watched adult TV shows during the day. Game of Thrones, to name one. Normally we can't do this, because the kids will be like, "What's a boob doing out?" Or if a swear word is uttered, Natalie will gasp and go, "That's not a friendly word." I also could watch some episodes of Orange Is The New Black, which Tom does not appreciate. "There's lesbian sex!" I told him. His answer? "I don't care. Most of the women on this show scare me." "She's supposed to. That's Crazy Eyes."


--Went to the movie theater to watch adult movies. We're usually stuck seeing a Disney flick or whatever the new animation movie is. This is okay, but sometimes I want some crude humor or a sweet chick flick. Tom and I went to see 22 Jump Street, which is hilarious. He wanted to see that new Planet of the Apes movie, but I said no way, I don't want to sit around watching angry monkeys. I tried to get him to see Tammy, he said nope, Melissa McCarthy is not funny at all, to which I gasped and said he was WRONG, that she's hilarious. It can sometimes take a while to agree on a movie. He loves the ones where things blow up, I like the ones with sappy lines. So we meet in the middle with crude humor. We also saw Sex Tape.


--Did adult stuff. Not as much as we probably should have, but, well, we're getting older and I'd rather read. Also, we had these grand plans to get freaky all over the house, because we COULD and didn't have to worry about someone running in, but then we'd go, "Well, we eat on this table though," or "If we had company over, I'd feel incredibly uncomfortable if they were sitting in a place we did the nasty on." As I said, we're old.


--Ate a lot of TV dinners. Since the kids weren't around, I didn't feel the need to cook as much. This sort of irked Tom, who would be like, "Where's dinner?" and I'd say, "In the freezer!" We also could eat while watching TV. We make a point to eat at the table with the kids, because the experts say they'll be well rounded and won't do crack or some other psych babble crap. But I have to admit, eating in front of the TV was the best. We also won't with the kids, because they are messy and I don't want spaghetti sauce on my couch.


--Watched a lot of reality shows. Since we were in Texas, I recorded a lot of my shows so I had a lot to get caught up on (my DVR ate a lot of them though. Hmph.) Tom did not understand the Real Housewives. "Why is she crying? She's rich! She has nothing to cry over!" he'd shout. Or, "Ew! Her face looks all pulled back and plastic. Why do women think this looks good?" Big Brother confounded him too. "I don't mind if you're gay, but don't be bouncing around me and climbing on my back."


--Went to adult restaurants. Well, they weren't super fancy, but they were places that we had never brought the kids to. We went to a place called Nic's Grill, which was on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. We also ate at a German restaurant, which is pricey, hence why we don't like bringing the kids because yikes, added cost. We went to a place where they cook in front of you.


--Kicked each other's butt at Dave and Buster's. You can bring kids here, but we never have. We think of it as an adult playground. Plus, it's hard for me to order adult beverages around Tommy, because then he asks a billion questions: "Are you drunk? Can you see me? How many fingers am I holding up? In school, they said alcohol was bad." Natalie always asks for a sip, because the adult drinks look FUN to her. I explain that no, they are for adults only and she'll sigh and go, "Well, that's just rude."


We had a lot of fun and my parents even said they'd do it again next year!

Source

The above GIF is from Orange Is The New Black, which I still feel like Tom should appreciate...

Things That Annoy Me Thursday: Thongs

Tom sometimes says, "You know, it would be nice if your pajamas were...sexier."

I mainly wear comfy pants and a top to bed, purchased from my beloved Target.

They aren't sexy, but I'm not going for sexy. I'm going for, "I'd like to sleep while comfortable."

I decided to surprise Tom when we were Kid Free.

I purchased a silky nightgown thing, plus a thong.

Let me tell you: thongs are the WORST. I rarely wear one, because panty lines don't frighten me. If they frighten others then maybe they shouldn't be staring at stranger's asses?

So I was in bed, feeling like Monica did when she was trying to get Chandler to sleep with her when she had a cold:

I did not feel sexy.

And the string kept digging into my backside.

Was Tom surprised? Yes.

Did he like it? Yes.

But not only was the thong bugging me, but the silky nightgown was making it difficult to stay ON the bed. I'd shift, and I'd almost roll off the bed thanks to the material.

Not sexy.

In the end, I gave up. I said, "You saw it for an hour, and that's enough."

Tom didn't mind, because he was tired of feeling me shift, because the string kept digging into my backside.

Thongs suck and I never want to wear one again.

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. Just make sure you link up and that the post you link up is a Hey, It's Okay Post. Grab the button if you'd like!
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--To hate shaving. Is summer nearly over?


--To be happy my MIL and niece are here. They arrived yesterday.


--To like the show Naked & Afraid but know that I do not have what it takes to be Naked & Afraid.


--To NOT want to try the fried chicken flavored Oreos. Someone posted it on my Facebook page asking if I wanted one. No I draw the line there. I also do not want to try the cappuccino flavored potato chips. I do have my limits on my junk food, you see...


--To be happy the kids are back. Mom brought them back Saturday and left yesterday. The break was fabulous, I won't lie, but I did miss the little buggers.


--To might pop into McAlister's Deli for free tea day on Thursday. Their tea is fantastic. If you've ever wanted to try it, Thursday is the day because it's...well, FREE!


--To think I have Natalie's first day of school outfit. It's from Gymboree. Pictures will follow at some point!


--To be heading to Dallas just for the weekend to visit Tom's aunt and uncle. We're also going to an indoor rodeo. Natalie will probably ask if she can play with a bull too.


--To still have a giveaway for an Orkin Backyard Explorer set here. Go enter to win!


--To have ordered this fondue set for dinner last week when Tom and I were still kid free. Sometimes I just want dessert for a meal.

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Cruising with Pirates

Most people know that Tommy has autism.

It means he's shy. And he doesn't always understand social situations.

But when the pirate asked for him to come up front, he went.

I was a shy kid, and I'm not sure if I would have gone up.

But Tommy did.

The pirate lady taught him how to balance a wooden sword on his palm.

And then she told him he could do it with one finger.

He rocked.

And you might notice his socks. He hates wearing sandals. He has to wear socks and shoes, even if it's hot outside. It's a sensory thing.

We were going on the Red Dragon Pirate Cruise at Port Aransas. Before you board the boat, there's a pirate show. The pirate does all sorts of tricks and calls volunteers up. Natalie was wagging her hand in the air, hoping to be picked, but it was my Tommy, who didn't even have his hand raised, who was called. I told him I was proud of him for going and he said, "It was fun," with a shrug.

On the pirate ship, you meet all the pirates, and a story is told about a dude who stowed away on the boat.

The dude just wants to be a pirate!

"They should just let him," Natalie told me seriously.

Then the pirates on the ship say it's time to squirt the stowaway with water guns.

You could also squirt passengers. Ramona from The Real Housewives of New York would have hated it, because she doesn't like for her hair to get wet.

The pirates also had the kids swab the deck. I felt like I was watching a scene from Annie.

Natalie loved it. "This is fun!"

"Great! When we get home, you can mop the floors," I answered.

Naturally, Natalie had to pee, because whenever we go out, she has to see the bathroom. It drives me insane. I tell her to go before we leave, but yet it's always, "I have to pee!"

This was on the toilet. (Obviously the word that's cut off is EXPLODE.)

Natalie read it, and needed help with the word EXPLODE. When she uttered the word, her eyes went wide. "Where does the toilet paper go?"

I'm assuming it was a joke. I hope it was a joke. Because Natalie put her toilet paper into the toilet, and we flushed.

We did not explode, even though Natalie was all, "I'm scared."

When we came out, the stowaway was allowed to become a pirate, and had to prove himself. All the kids could line up and fight him. Tommy passed. Natalie said, "YES!"

"I won," Natalie informed me as she came over.

After the sword fight ends, pirates go around the ship and offer to paint faces like this:

Adults can get it done too!

Oh, and you'll find that pirates like to photobomb:

The final thing is dancing on the ship.

A tip? Have your child really strut their stuff. The two top people get a prize! (As I recall, it was a squirt gun and a sword.) (One of the top people was an adult! So if you have moves, show them off.)


We had a lot of fun on the cruise. If you feel overheated, there are drinks for sale. Adult drinks too. Mom and I sipped on a pina colada. Snacks are also available to purchase.


You can also see dolphins.

The cruise takes about two hours, and there's even a sunset one. We opted for the afternoon time. It was hot, yes, but there are several seats under the shade.

You can book tickets online here.

And nope, I was not compensated in any way for this post. I just wanted to share the fun we had.

So go on a cruise with pirates. Maybe you'll meet a Johnny Depp lookalike.

Fun Things To Do At Port Aransas and Corpus Christi, Texas

We always enjoy going to the beach. Being by water has always been one of my favorite things. Usually we go to Port Aransas and Corpus Christi since it's not too far away.

If you're ever in the area, here are fun things to do.




1. Go to the beach (obviously)

My kids LOVE the beach and would be happy to stay at one all day. We stayed at condos on the beach so we were minutes away from it.


2. Check out the Texas State Aquarium

You can catch multiple shows--the dolphin one is fantastic. There are a variety of other sea creatures to see too. (I have more pictures of the aquarium here or you can check out my Instagram account.)


3. Eat at Blackbeards on the Beach

After going to the Texas State Aquarium, pop on over to Blackbeards. It's less than five minutes away, and the food is yummy. There is fresh seafood and delicious pina coladas. Plus, the restaurant is haunted. Seriously. Check out the website to learn more.


4. Visit the Museum of Science and History

There are all sorts of fascinating exhibits. You can even see replicas of Christopher Columbus's ships. And, you can TOUCH THINGS. (I like to touch.) (See more photos of this museum here.)


5. Go on a Red Dragon pirate cruise

Your kids (and adults too, if they want) can do the following: have water gun fights, scrub the deck, sword fight with a pirate, listen to pirate stories, find gold, pick a prize, dance with pirates....there's so much excitement. (That's my daughter fighting a pirate!)


6. Take a picture in a shark mouth.

There are tons around, but be patient, as they are a popular attraction. Don't cut in front of someone and be sure to hurry it along. If you want to take tons of photos, this probably isn't the place to do it.


7. If you like to paint, check out Fire It! Ceramics

It was an overcast day, so this was a perfect activity. You just pay whatever the price of the piece is and it includes everything else: the paint colors, and then firing it in the kiln. It's ready in 1-3 days!



8. Eat at the Venetian Hot Plate

Like Italian and fresh seafood? Then Venetian Hot Plate is for you. I love the food. They start off by giving you bread and oil, and the pasta is amazing. I don't like seafood, but people around me do, and they rave on how fresh and delicious their fish is.


So there you have it! A list of fun activities to do.

Have you ever been to this area before?

Things That Annoy Me Thursday: My Honda Insight Not Starting!

This is my car.

It's a Honda Insight.

I know it doesn't sell as well as the Prius. But I love my car. (And also, it was slightly cheaper than the Prius.)

I bought it in 2009. When I say bought it, I mean I applied for a loan. I only have $3000 left on the loan! It's almost officially mine.

So naturally, it starts to have problems.

The other day, I stuck my key in the ignition, turned, and....NOTHING.

Well, not nothing. On the screen a bunch of warnings popped up. Check Brake System. Check ABS System. I'm about to blow up.

That last one obviously didn't pop up, but I FELT THAT WAY. All these warnings, all at once. I felt like I was in a Bond film.

"Why?" I shrieked. "Why now?"

I tried several times and the same thing.

I unleashed foul language and stomped into the house.

"My car won't turn on!" I yelled at the bathroom door, because Tom was taking one of his massively long dumps that I still don't understand. (You get in. Do your business. And get out. That's my mentality, but men don't seem to grasp this.)

"What did you do to it?" Tom answered. I could hear the noises from the game on his iPad. Why would you want to poop and play games? Why?

"Nothing! I went to turn it on and it WON'T!"

Ten minutes later, Tom emerged. He went out and tried. Same thing happened to him. He started messing around with stuff, the car made some scary noises, and it finally came to life.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"I held the key down in the ignition until it started," Tom explained.

This is clearly not the way a car is supposed to start, so we made an appointment with the Honda dealership to look it over.

I was worried after we dropped it off with the mechanics and waiting in the room. Please let my car be okay. Please let it not be expensive. 

The mechanic came out an hour later. He said it was the battery.

Thank goodness it wasn't the transmission. Or...other car stuff. I really should know more about my car.

We replaced the battery, and all seems to be okay now.

Let's hope it doesn't scare me again. It's almost paid off and I want to have a No More Car Payment party, dang it.

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. Just make sure you link up and that the post you link up is a Hey, It's Okay Post. Grab the button if you'd like!
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--To be watching Big Brother. It's...honestly, I'm not a fan of any of the houseguests yet. I thought at first that Devin might be nice, since he talked about his daughter, but now I think he needs psychiatric help, and a lot of it.


--To want to check out that new show Married on FX. It premieres on July 17th and looks hilarious.


--To be going on several dates this week. It's our last week without the kids (they return Saturday) so we're taking advantage. Also, Tuesday is Pay Day. On our list? Going to a hibachi grill, playing games at Dave and Busters, and eating at a German restaurant.


--To not be surprised that Sam & Cat was canceled. I watched part of one episode and vowed to never watch it again. Tommy agreed with me. Natalie liked it, so she had to watch upstairs, away from my eyes. (And ears. Cat has the world's most ANNOYING voice.)


--To be excited that I get to see Sex Tape on Friday. Not an actual one. The movie starring Jason Segel and Cameron Diaz. It looks hilarious. Plus I like Jason Segel. Anyone who sings with muppets is a friend in my eyes.


--To have a giveaway to win an Orkin Backyard Explorers Kit here. If your kids like bugs, this is a great thing to have.


--To still have to clean the house even though the kids aren't here. Tom was like, "When are you going to sit?" as I wiped down counters and mopped. "I have to clean. How do you think things are done while you are at work?" I answered. See, Tom is on leave for about a month. He usually doesn't see me scurry around the house. He's been nice though, and has helped me clean a lot, because he says he feels weird sitting while I'm scrubbing.


--To be glad I'm not the only one with a dramatic daughter according to the post I wrote about why having a girl was fun (and frustrating.)


--To have ordered an alcoholic beverage at 11 AM. The kids are with my parents, so I thought, why not? This is the painkiller drink from Cheddars. It was okay. It tasted too much like alcohol. I like the fruity alcoholic drinks, where I can only taste the fruit. I mainly licked the coconut off the rim, which was not sexy in the least. I probably looked like a giraffe eating.

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Stuff We Did In Port Aransas,Texas

So, we were in Texas for a bit.

We did lots of things.

Namely, we went to the beach.

We were there for a mini family reunion.

Now, I like the beach, but I'd rather sit on the sand than actually go into the water.

Actually, I'd rather lounge and read on the beach, but when you have young children, this just isn't an option.

We also went to the Texas State Aquarium.

Natalie is always eager to touch when she's allowed to. She has no fear.

She wanted this turtle.

We also went to the Museum Of Science and History. (In a future post, I'll have links and a list of fun things to do while in Port Aransas.)

"This is EATING me!" Natalie announced.

Tommy being a serious soldier.

"I'm a good shooter, like my Daddy."

"I NEED this dress! Why don't I have this dress? Look at all the sparkles!"

With some of the family. That's my 93 year old Nana Jo.

Natalie called this her ballroom and proceeded to dance. "Shall we dance, one, two, three and?" I sang, and Natalie looked at me like I was nuts.

"Hey! It's the Family Guy town!" Tommy announced.

"This is my ship, and I'm your captain Natalie."

We had a fun time.

Our next stop later this month? Dallas, Texas where we'll be going to an indoor rodeo.

Yee haw!