Birthdays and Anniversary's

In the month of August we are always SO BROKE. It is Roger's brother Anthony's birthday on August 13th (1st photo). Roger's birthday on August 24th (last photo) Katherine's birthday is on August 25th (2nd photo) and our anniversary is on August 27th (no photo). The kids are also going back to school and I have to renew the tags on my van.
Remember how I said that we always get our favorite meal on our birthday? Well Anthony came over and got barbecued ribs and chicken. I made him a yellow cake with chocolate icing, which he likes so much that he eats the leftovers for breakfast. Roger got Lasagna and homemade carrot cake. Katherine got steak, potatoes and asparagus but got jipped this year on cake 'cause I was over it already. She got a store bought cookies and cream ice cream cake instead.
Gabriel calls ALL cakes "HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAKE". He can see one at the store and say, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAKE?" Do you see him in photo number 3? This is what he will do if you invite us to YOUR party. You have been warned in advance. Look how long his tongue looks! I swear I did not photoshop it. He could win a contest for a Gene Simons (KISS) look-a-like contest if we added a little make-up.
We had Roger's cake pretty late because he got home late from work. We called him on his cell phone when we cut into the lasagna. We put the phone on speaker and we all made moaning noises over how good his birthday dinner was to make him hungry. He got home and took a quick shower so we could light the cake, blow-out the candles and eat a slice before the kids went to bed. I was pretty sleepy -hence that way I strategically placed him where you could see the unfinished wall that we added to our den 3 weeks ago. There was a large opening that we (UH... Roger) enclosed and put in French doors. Makes for a great picture- doesn't it? NOT!
We went out on our anniversary on the 27th, this past Sunday. We have been married 16 years now. Can you believe it? I CAN'T. The urge to hurt him hasn't mellowed yet. (Any old-timers out there -30 years or more- can email me and tell me when that urge goes away) We went to Carrabba's and it was great. You know I love SANGRIA!... and I can go years without a drink until someone offers me that! Wouldn't you know they were advertising them AND it was happy hour! I had the 2 and they were okay. My favorite SANGRIA was still from the Quinceanera. Roger said it was the cheap stuff. Now why did he have to go and tell me that? We left there and at the end of the evening ended up at The Cheesecake Factory. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEIR DESSERTS! I tried something new and even though I can't remember how to pronounce the name IT WAS DARN GOOD! Roger had his old stand-by, brownie's with fudge and ice cream. It was not so stand-by-ish though. They made TOWERS of brownies with all the goodies holding them up. I think from now on on our "dates" we will do dessert instead of dinner.
Tomorrow I head out to get the tags for my van. I procrastinated till the last minute and I'll bet half of Tampa (the weird ones) did too which means if you need me for anything tomorrow- I'll be at Waters Ave near Target ...sitting....waiting...

Orange Blood Runs Thru My Veins

This is Matt getting ready for a game... or should I say Matt's coach HELPING him get ready for a game. Matt has a few coaches but this one is his favorite. His Name is Orion McCants. Eat your heart out, VOLS FANS! HE USED TO PLAY FOOTBALL FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE! - Which is reason enough for him to be Matt's favorite. Matt's mind and body probably just gravitated towards McCANTS since he played for the BIG ORANGE. You see, in Knoxville, Tennessee football is not just football. UT football is a lifestyle. Everyone wears the color ORANGE, even out of season. On game day it looks like it does here in Florida when a hurricane is coming. The streets are EMPTY. Everything in Knoxville revolves around UT football. Bucs fans don't even know what being a fan is until they experience football UT style.
Most of my family went to UT. My Daddy graduated from there and my mom worked in payroll there. My grandmother was head of housekeeping there. When I young, I remember hanging out in her office in the summer. Sometimes she would take me on errands with her in student housing. I remember the dorms, the kids, the smell of food and the holes in some of the walls punched out durning a fight that mamaw would make a note of. One time she told me a story about the football players. They had a special dorm just for them with carpet (HEY! It's how I heard the story!) and some of the football players would lay on their beds and kick holes in the wall with their ankles. Maintance would fix it and the football players would do it again. Well, maintance got smart and put 2x4 boards in the wall and one of the players fractured his ankle... wonder how that effected his game...
Anyway, I think Matt likes McCants because he is so great with the kids. He knows how to criticize but he can be their best cheerleader too. You can tell he really loves the game.
In the picture, McCants is tightening up Matt's belt. I make Matt drink LOTS of water and he always has to pee. Sometimes he pees in the car on the way to practice in an empty water bottle. We call it his LEMONADE. Roger freaked out when he saw him do that but as long as he gets it out of the car to the trash -IT'S ALL GOOD-!

Greatest Fan

Sorry I have been away for so long. I could make a million excuses 'cause I'm good at that but I'll just say it was "life". Our schedule has been crazy and when you can put something off, it's gets easier and easier to ignore. I guess you could say I was on hiatus. Don't get me wrong I love my writing, but this season of my life right now is not about me it's about raising my children. I just need more hours in a day!
Gabriel has started school and I am SO HAPPY with this school. I was so upset last year about the school situation and now I am so happy things have gone as they did because we wouldn't be where we are today if they hadn't. See..."Life".
I had to go to an "IEP" meeting for Gabriel this morning. It's a meeting where we discuss goals for Gabriel for the year and then next year we will see how he has progressed. Things like his speech, writing letters and social skills like telling people "hello" and not picking his nose in public! A lot of kindergarten kids pick their nose until someone says, "EHWWWW! Gross!" Then they stop because it's embarrassing. Gabriel doesn't get embarrassed so we have to come up with other ways to make him "get it". Not that Gabriel is an avid nose picker... I was just making an example.
I am really happy with Gabriel's progress. I think he will really catch up in the next 2 to 3 years and fly by the rest of us. Roger and I plan for him to get a job at MICRO-SOFT or something similar to support us in our old age. No... REALLY.
As I drove away from the school, Gabriel's class was lined-up headed outside somewhere and he was in the back holding a little girl's hand. She has mild Downs syndrome with curly blonde hair. I had the radio on and a song was on...

The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful
Stop me and steal my breath
Emeralds and mountains
Thrust towards the sky
Never revealing their depth

Tell me we belong together...

I'll be your cryin' shoulder...
I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life...

You're my survival
You're my living proof...

I love you Gabriel. I love who you are and who your going to become. I'm the greatest fan of your life.
Love forever,
Mommy