Pardon....

....the language, but I just could not resist.

Life is a curious mixture of awesome, meh, and craptastic lately.

I think I mentioned that I took a job with a Home Health Agency. I am getting certified for everything under the sun; I'll be able to perform surgery by the time I'm done! OK maybe not quite, but I'll give you a discount if you let me try.....
Anyway, it's really awesome that I'm getting all of this certification & training in my field. On Monday I'm scheduled to complete the last certification & evaluation and then I'll start seeing clients.
I absolutely love the owners; you know when your new boss quotes comedian Ron White, you're gonna love your job. "You can't fix stupid." Enough.Said.

I have had some wonderful quality time with friends both old and new, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. And I have more friend-dates lined up in the near future, which is even better!

Last Friday night I went to Shelbie's high school's homecoming game; I was only planning on dropping her off, but her cousins were there. These are her cousins on her father's side and I don't get to see them often, but I was there when these kids were born and we were very close when they were little. The oldest is now in the Marines, and he's deploying to Afghanistan next month. So, they talked me in to coming into the game and I ended up staying the whole time and hanging out with them and having a blast. And Mr Marine is coming over to our house tonight for a cookout, too. I love that kid to pieces!

I still consider them my niece & nephew; they still call me Aunt Cyndy. The thing with divorce is you don't necessarily want to divorce the whole family! These kids & I will always be close, and anyone who doesn't like it, well....they know what they can do.

Elayna was sworn in on Wednesday as a Safety Patrol. This is a high honor for 5th graders, and all of my (bio) children have been patrols, and I was too way back in the dark ages. At the end of the year, they take a field trip to Washington DC. She is super proud of herself, and I am so excited for her!

It's soccer season and I'm always running Tim to work or Shelbie to some friend's house, on top of everything else. Free time and sleep are things that I vaguely remember, but don't have a lot of recent experience with. Which is why my blogging is so half-assed, a day late, and a dollar short lately. It will get better. Or, it won't, and ya know what? I'm okay with that, too.

Stop by Mrs 4444's place for more Friday Fragment posts!

WWTKW ~ Nom nom nom!

Y'all already know that I LOVE to cook. So I was happy to see that today's "We Want to Know Wednesday"'s theme was FOOD! (Even though I'm late...as always!)

1} What is one thing (food or drink) that you MUST have everyday?
Diet Dr Pepper. It's my crack!

{2} What is your "go to" food when you don't feel well/need comfort?
I love salty comfort foods, like chips & dip. Or pizza. Or chocolate.

{3} Is there a dish that you make that people request when they visit your home/a family favorite?
Chicken & dumplings is number one. My potato salad is also in high demand, as well as my lasagna.

{4} What are 3 foods you have TRIED, do not like and will NEVER eat again?
brussels sprouts, parsnips, & venison.

and our final question comes from Dee@ HomesickCajun:

{5} What's one thing that you love to eat that most people would think is weird and/or gross??
I like to eat sour dill pickles with peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. I don't really eat weird stuff, just some weird combinations.

Visit Mamarazzi & Queso for more delicious WWTKs!

DysFUNctional Moments 9.27.11

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This post is a confession.

I have been neglecting my house work.

Neglecting my cooking, cleaning, laundry.

I've been neglecting my pets.

I've been neglecting this blog.

I've been neglecting my husband.

And I've even been neglecting my children.

What's causing me to do this, you might wonder?
Illness? An addiction? A sordid affair?

Not exactly. It's none of those (and yet, it's all of those).

It's this.

Scary Mommy Confessional

Be careful if you click - it is seriously addicting! I could read there all day. Utterly fascinating stuff!

So tell me - if you were going to confess....what would it be? I won't tell anyone - promise! ;-)

Link up below!!

Where I'm From

I am from the Lake Road; from catfish and alligators swimming in the sun.

I am from the dirt road on the outskirts of town; quiet, dusty, and hot.

I am from the boon docks; from magnolias with Spanish moss and wisteria hanging from their branches, blowing in the breeze.

I am from Thanksgiving Family Reunions and stubborn pride; from Cherokees and Pilgrims.

I am from fiery tempers and fierce love.

From "be home before dark"; from bicycles and jars of fireflies.

I am from Southern Baptists and dinner on the grounds; musty-smelling hymnals, hard wooden pews; from Thou Shalt Not and Amazing Grace.

I’m from Florida crackers; from chicken & dumplings, boiled peanuts and banana pudding.

From my father's father with his moonshine still and goats; mama's daddy with his tobacco farm and pigs. From farmers tans and tractors; hard work from dawn till dusk.

I am from reel to reel silent movies; black and white pictures in an album and sepia photos with smiles on demand, all arranged in meticulous order by my Mama after we were grown.

I am from old-fashioned values; from country music and the salt of the Earth.

{Linking up very late to Mama Kat's workshop,

because this exercise truly called out to me.}

Birthdays in my City

Today we had Andrew's birthday party at a Splash Park near our home.

(Yes, it's still warm enough for a splash park party here. Plenty warm enough!)

It was overcast, and started pouring after about an hour and a half.

But it was fun while it lasted!

*And a good time was had by all!*

Reasons & Seasons

I've been a total slacker blogger lately. And I'm okay with that.

This is just going to be a sort of stream of consciousness post, because that's what I've got to offer.

I've been doing a whole lot of thinking lately. In fact, a friend recently told me I think too much. I can't argue with that, but sometimes it's a good thing.

I was raised to believe that certain things were good and certain things were bad, period.

Everything....everything was black and white. There were no shades of gray.

Happiness was not a priority. Hard work and doing what's "right" were.

People who do certain things are bad. Simple as that.

A few examples...divorce was wrong, for almost any reason. It was better to be eternally miserable in your marriage than to divorce and be happy.

People who go out and drink are bad. Period.

It's better to work a job that you utterly despise, so much that you come home and scream & curse at your family, than to quit that job. (don't ask me to explain the logic in that.)

Over the years, I have slowly developed very different opinions than those I was brought up with.

And the older I get, the more I learn and change and grow. I'm 38 years old and I'm still growing and learning and changing.

I have a good friend who is struggling in her third marriage. She's unhappy, for many reasons. But she struggles with what people will think of her if this marriage ends also.

To which I say, who fucking cares? Not everyone is cut out to have one everlasting marriage. Some people are, and that's wonderful. Truly. But that's not what everyone has in store for them in life.

The fact that a marriage or other relationship fails, doesn't necessarily mean it was a mistake. It may be that it was what you needed in your life at that time. Then the time comes that it's not what you need any more. Maybe that person has changed; maybe you have changed. Maybe life has changed.

I understand that marriage is supposed to be forever. But unfortunately, that's not always the reality of life.

When there are kids involved, that makes it harder, and being raised in those situations is definitely not ideal. But at the same time, I know a lot of adults who were raised by single moms, had somewhat tumultuous lives, good old dysfunctional families...and they are okay. I think as mothers, we have to take care of our kids first, and take care of ourselves second. Because our kids deserve happy parents. I can tell you firsthand that living with a miserable parent is pretty damned miserable. (living with two miserable parents is even worse.)

It reminds me of the poem, "A Reason, a Season, a Lifetime". Not every relationship is a lifetime relationship. Some are reasons, and some are seasons. And that's not necessarily because you made a mistake or made a bad decision.

I'm not advocating divorce, or trivializing marriage; at least, that's not my intention. I'm just tired of the judgement, and tired of people beating themselves up because their life has not been a bed of roses. Bottom line, we all want to be happy. We all make mistakes in that quest to be happy, some more than others. That's how we learn. That's life. That's living.

A Reason, a Season, a Lifetime

People always come into your life for a reason, a season and a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, or to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or even spiritually. They may seem like a godsend to you, and they are. They are there for a reason,you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die, Sometimes they just walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilleed; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season. And like Spring turns to Summer and Summer to Fall, the season eventually ends.

LIFETIME, relationships teach you a lifetime of lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway); and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas in your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

(author unknown)

Linking up with Miss Elaine-ous Monday!

DysFUNctional MOMents

I have so much going on right now, it's completely crazy!
BUT...they're all good things. So I'm not complaining!I am, however, late for my own meme. Again.



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The other night Shelbie asked me to paint her fingernails. I reminded her that I'm really not very good at painting nails, but she whined and begged, so I finally agreed to shut her up because I am so sweet.

So, I painted her nails while she watched TV. And basically made a hot mess. When I was done, she looked at her nails, said "Oh.My.God." and promptly got out the nail polish remover.

I've never been very girly-girl myself. I'm pretty low-maintenance. I can't do hair. I can't do nails. And I have two daughters.

It's time to face facts; I suck at being a Girl Mom!

Link up if you wanna! Obviously it doesn't have to be today, since I can't even get to my own meme on time!

Sunday in my City

Happy

Birthday

Andrew!

Andrew turned 12 last Tuesday.

I had fun putting 12 candles on a cupcake.

Lighting them was....interesting, as well. ;-)

Visit Unknown Mami for more Sundays in my City posts!

I Don't Know If I Can Yell Any Louder

I feel like I've been run over by a truck. Physically, emotionally, dysfunctionally.

It's been even more chaotic than usual around here.

It feels like being on a ship that keeps filling with water, and as soon as I plug one hole, another one pops up.
It's like one step forward and two steps back.

It's like my life is a giant whack-a-mole game.

I need a vacation. One that involves copious amounts of alcoholic beverages.

But, alas, that's not on the horizon, so I guess I'll just frag!

I already decorated my house for fall/Halloween. I figure if the stores can do it, why can't I? This is my favorite time of year and I'm going to enjoy every moment. I have fall tarts burning, too. Mmmm....

It's that "special" time of the month (ugh) so I stocked up on chocolate at the grocery store today. So what do you think I'm craving?
Oatmeal raisin cookies.

The number of dogs in my possession has suddenly tripled. My neighbor's dogs got out today, and have been on the lam all day long. They've been in and out of our yard, and at one point they had Meep treed! (they're hunting dogs.) Finally tonight, I heard the distinctive beagle bark out in my yard. Two of the three were hanging around, and came right up to me. Since it was so late, I just put them on the screened porch with my boxer. Thankfully, she's the sweetest dog alive and is just thrilled to have two new friends visiting for the evening!

I made Mexican Lasagna for the first time tonight for dinner. It was so good, I posted the recipe on Southern Loving!

This video absolutely cracks me up, which gives you some insight into my twisted sense of humor. Love it!

That's all I got for ya, folks!

Have a great weekend, and

GO GATORS!!

Blog Blessings

I have been very fortunate to have received some wonderful things through the blog world. I don't enter every giveaway out there; only things that really jump out at me, or mean something to me.

Recently, I won two amazing giveaways, and received both things within the past week. These two items are both incredibly special. They aren't just a simple prize, they are both artwork. I was able to have some choice in what I received. I am SO thrilled to have both of these things in my home!

The first was a painting that I won from Mama Sick. It's by an artist named Robin Maria Pedrero. I was able to choose the print that I wanted. It was SO hard to choose! But the one that spoke to me, which will probably not surprise anyone, is called Fleurs with Black Cat. I absolutely love it.

The picture doesn't do it justice; I took it outside for better light but it was overcast. Check it out on her Etsy shop; it's really beautiful.

The other wonderful creation that I won was from Pooh's Corner. It's an owl pillow! And totally adorable. She asked me what color I liked, and of course I said purple. But I didn't expect her to personalize it the way she did! She put my blog name and tagline on it. It's a Putting the FUN in DysFUNctional owl! It is just so special to me.

It was so beautifully packaged, especially before my kids got ahold of it.

How cute is that?!

Not only is Christina from Pooh's Corner sweet and talented, she is also generous! She told me that for the next two weeks, if my blog readers order an owl from her Etsy Shop, and type in the coupon code: dysFUNction - you will get a 25% discount! The owl price is $20 and that would make it $15 plus shipping. Fantastic!!

**ETA:** There's a glitch going on right now on the Etsy page and the owls aren't showing up, so if you want to order one, you can contact Christina via email: forever1pooh@yahoo.com and/or via her PC Boutique Facebook page.

Have you received any Blog Blessings? Tell me about them!

DysFUNctional MOMents - Emo Cheerleaders?

I so suck at life. Late to my own meme! Oh well, better late than never!



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Elayna is my 10 year old daughter. She has many different interests. She has played several sports, and loves to sing and dance. These interests are subject to change at any time. So when she wanted to sign up for cheerleading for our rec center this year, I kind of shrugged it off and let the deadline slide by.

Money is tight, and I really wasn't sure if she was serious about cheerleading. This is my "emo" kid; highly dramatic and in fact, she looked at her smiling stuffed frog just yesterday and grumbled, "Why do you have to be so HAPPY all the time??"
She's quite the little ray of sunshine. just like her mama

So yeah, not exactly what you might imagine as the perfect candidate for cheerleading.

But the other day, I took the kids to the rec center to play, and the cheerleading squad was practicing. The very one she wanted to join. Two of her friends are on the team, and she talked with them and then hung out, watching practice. She copied their moves, and had a good time. When practice was over, the coaches & some of the parents stayed, discussing some cheer business. Elayna kept doing the cheer she had learned, and at one point, I saw one of the coaches watching her. Then she said something to the other coach, who then turned and watched her. I said, "Elayna. let's get outta here, I think they think you're stealing their cheers."

So, we went home and thought nothing else of it. Until I got an email from the mom of one of the friends on the squad. She's also the Team Mom and a friend of mine. And the email said, quote:

"Hey Cyndy! Just wanted to let you know that K's cheer coach saw Elayna doing the girls' cheer (after the girls left and we were having our meeting) and she said Elayna was really good and was amazed she caught on so quickly to what they were doing. She was quite impressed. :) She needs to get in cheer next year! ;)"

Sigh. Yet another Mom Fail.

And yes, I read the email to Elayna, who beamed with pride. She literally turned red. My little Emo Cheerleader.

PS- Today is Andrew's 12th Birthday! I'm sure that will make for some DysFUNctional MOMents as well. ;-)

Link up already!!

Friday Fragments: Hanging on for dear life.

I'm still alive. Things have been totally chaotic here, but I am finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. (now I'm just praying it ain't the dang train!)

* My best friend has sleep apnea. She and her doctors were certain that after she had weight loss surgery and lost over 200 lbs, it would be eliminated. But, that hasn't happened. So now she's going for further studies because it looks like it may not be simple obstructive apnea, but central apnea, which is more deadly. Please, keep her in your prayers.

* If you feel like throwing my whole family in those prayers too, that'd be awesome.

* Andrew especially. He almost had to have an unsupervised 8- hour visit with his BM this weekend. We got it reduced to a four hour supervised visit, thankfully.

* I truly hope to catch up with many of you this weekend. If not, next week for sure! And I hope all is well. Sorry for this lame post, but really, it's all I've got right now!

GO GATORS!!

DysFUNctional MOMents

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Andrew's birthday is coming up next week, and we're having his party at a nearby park.

It's going to be great because he can run around, act crazy, and have a good time.

The weather is still great here in Florida, so we don't have to worry about that.

So, why, you may be asking, is this a DysFUNctional MOMent?
Because I picked this location for one reason, and one reason only.

So that I don't have to clean up after everybody.

No pre-party clean up. No post-party cleanup.

That is called winning.

Link up to your DysFUNctional MOMent post, and please, leave a comment!

The Golden Years

Tuesday is my parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary.

We celebrated today, a small, family gathering.

My mom is 68 years old, my dad is 75.

I think they look great!

The framed photo below on the left was taken

on the day they got married, 50 years ago.

Happy Anniversary to Nanny & Papa Dysfunctional! ;-)

Linking up with Unknown Mami for Sundays in my City.