2 things.....

Just a quick note to say a couple of things. One, my entry for Jay was kind of rushed, and I apologize for not giving him the time he deserved and not having enough of my fabulous wit in the entry! :)
Second, I just have to announce that my last Creative Writing class is Tuesday!!! Oh no!!! I tell you that for a couple of reasons. I know a lot of you are big fans of my blogs on that class, and this Tuesday is open to the public! We can bring a friend or more to class because it will just be a day of readings. Isn't that funny? I know if you live out of town it wouldn't matter, but if you live in town you could come meet Dr. Skinny and the gang!! HA HA HA!!!
More importantly, I have a final portfolio due that day. I have to have a revised version of my short story and my three poems. Also I have to have a new poem, written in one of five forms. Then I have to have a 3 -4 page critical analysis. And THEN I have to have a one page retrospective. I have been so swamped here lately, and I have tons this week as well.. I know, excuses, excuses. But needless to say, I'm a little stressed so please say a little prayer for me to make it to Tuesday sane. Well, as sane as I normally am. :)
As far as William goes, he took his finals in mid November and did fantastic!!! He'll most likely finish with all A's and B's. Yay William!!!
Ok, I'll let y'all know how it goes. And then in a week or so I will probably delete all the blogs about my class. I know they might be offensive to some. But I have others that love it so much I felt like I needed to finish out the semester. Ok, off to writing......

Gingerbread!!!

We decided to enter the first annual Starkville Festival of Trees Gingerbread contest. We'd never made gingerbread houses before or baked gingerbread at all for that matter. So we took the stuff above (except for the horse, I cut it all out free hand) and with a little help from Jay and the girls,



Made it into this:

And this:


and won!!!!


We took first place for our farm in the children 8 - 12 years old division. All of the entries were really, really good so I don't know how we got chosen. They were all family projects, gingerbread houses made by parents with assistance from kids. Then there were some professional ones. They were fun to look at too. Anyway, we got a nice blue ribbon. The houses were all auctioned off at the party Friday nite. Ours was bought, but I'm not sure by who. All proceeds went to the United Way of North Mississippi. It was a lot of fun!!! We're looking forward to next year.

Jaybird

Well, Jay decided he wanted some candy. So Jay proceeded to climb on the counter to get some. Then proceeded to fall off of said counter and shove the bottom cabinet door into his face. Everyone thinks I'm talking about his lip, but it's actually not. It's just above his lip. So I got called out of class, took him to the ER, and he got two stitches. The first of my children to get stitches, so I'm pretty lucky. He did very well, and bounced back to climbing the cabinets immediately! :)





James Benjamin is our 5 year old. He was the first boy born into my family in like 45 years. He came in to the world beautiful, and well behaved. He still threw me for a spin.... for some reason that third little one just about did me in!! But I recovered, and I'll tell ya.... he has his mama wrapped around his finger like a thread. He is definitely all boy, don't get me wrong. But he is so sweet. And everything anyone ever said about moms and sons is absolutely true.

It doesn't hurt that Jay is absolutely gorgeous and has this hilarious accent. I can't explain it, he just has an accent! He speaks in very proper English, and almost sounds like he's from up north. And he's just so funny. He says things that just crack me up. Like "I wonder how a unicorn poops?" He can really really push my buttons and he is incredibly messy and sometimes he talks too much. But he loves me and loves to tell me he loves me.
He goes to First United Methodist Church dayschool three mornings a week from 8:30 - 11:30. He loves it. He's been going since he was 2. His birthday falls where he missed starting kindergarten this year by 4 days. So I have an extra year of him at home. Everyone tells me this is really good for boys, though, and great for sports. Jay loves school and his friends. He has two main friends at school he talks about all the time, Christopher and Christian. Then he has friends at church, Will and Karis.... whom he actually met at school and whom we have an arranged marriage with her parents... well, unless Tessa Loving comes knocking, then we'll have to honor our original arrangement!!! Tessa is a little girl he used to go to church with and was his first kiss!! He just leaned over when he was about 2 and planted one on her!! And then he has some friends, Mitchell (who he calls Mencho or Benjo and we're not sure why) and Mason (our friends from Natchez). Jay loves his buddies and loves to play with them.
He gets along good with his siblings. Except Kirkland, for some reason they drive each other crazy. And he does like to aggravate Josh. Steven used to use him to pick up chicks! But when Steven is around now, Jay is all over him. He adores Steve. William says that he will make him a Daddy's boy, and that probably needs to happen. But I think he'll always be a mama's boy deep down.
I'm hoping the boy will play basketball or football. Of course his father is pushing for baseball. I don't like baseball. I like basketball (indoor sport) and football (my fave sport, and cooler weather!) He may not play anything. He's scrawny, but tall. He should be as tall as Steven (6'2" ) or taller, according to his pediatrician.
Jay doesn't look like the other Durr children. They all look so much alike except him. JC used to say when looking at a family picture of us, "aw, all of your children look so much alike, and then there's Jay who looks like he was just dropped down by fairies!" I used to tell William I thought she thought that I messed around with the milkman!!! But he looks more like William than you think, and he looks a lot like I did at that age. And has my coloring.
Well, I'll have to keep you posted on Jaybird as he gets older. Let you know which sport he decides to play!!! (whether william wins or me! ha!) Ok, so I've covered Steve, Kirkland, Emily, and Jay.... all that's left is Josh!! I'll get to him soon!

Cheap advertising!

I'm not sure this counts as a real post or an infomercial. I went to the holiday bazaar on campus ... first time I've ever taken any of my paintings anywhere. I ONLY took a sample of my door things that I'm doing now... I do them on metal or on canvas.... with artificial flowers (gerber daisies, sunflowers, etc) or with my cute little tin flowers.... They are completely 3 D, textured, and clear coated. Hung with coordinating ribbon. I say all this to say that I already have orders building for Christmas. I do holiday ones for your door too. I can send pics of more stuff I do (painted canvases, painted t shirts, christmas balls, etc.) if you are interested. But if you want one of the door things, they are $45 on canvas and $25 on metal. (like the pink one -it's corrugated). I can do any color combination. But you need to let me know soon if you want them by Christmas!!!!!!!

Random thoughts from the past few weeks in Creative Writing.....PG

9-30
Miss Superiority pulled seat up next to Dr. Skinny. She pays attention and looks at people as though she is making sure you are getting all of this. I might be a bit too hard on her.... but she kinda has this rep now in my blog and I feel the urge to keep it up....
Dr Skinny has on a very pretty flattering black top and great red bag.
I have to pee so freaking bad but AM NOT getting up to go. Of course, I could stop sucking down this coffee.... nah.
Oh Napoleon (Mr pre ass) is rambling. I so need to be at Lowe's
Dammit I got too much Splenda in my coffee.
I just made a face at Dr. Skinny that made her think I was totally agreeing with what she is saying- really i'm so tired and have to pee so bad I can't think and have no idea what she just said.
Something's up with Mag today.
Superiority is so clueless. She has like no life experience apparently. oh but wait.... she's been ABROAD!
Superiority is using a green pen today. She is STILL marking up this person's paper!
Ok I'm either going to pee on the floor or I'm going to blow up like the girl on Chocolate Factory and float out the window.

10-9

Miss Sup is back up Dr. Skinny's ass again.
Mag is back in her groove!
Mr Pretentious Ass is asleep. HA ha ha ha ha
Oh Super is being crazy ticky. But she did say something that made me laugh but I can't remember what it was. Mag has told me I have the complete wrong idea about Super. Maybe she's right.....
Curly said her family owned a holler. OH MY GOSH!!!!!! lol ha ha ha ha
Dr. Skinny has chiggers on her ankles. seriously.
Mag just made fun of my Miley Cyrus pen. I have 5 kids. I'm doing good not to be wearing Miley underwear!

10-14
late. but only 3 mins. but they've started.
Talked about "kitchenette building" by Gwendolyn Brooks.
I compare the poem to Dave Matthew's "Grey St." Yay me!!! I think Dr. Skinny liked it.
AH! Miss super came in later than me - and then walked back out. with her cell phone. Dr. S asks if she walked out to answer her phone, but Super says no. yeah right.
Pretentious Ass came in at 8:20. well.
Covered "Sixty" by Stephen Dunn. liked both these poems, by the way. Great line out of "Sixty":
"I think I'll keep on describing things
to ensure they really happened" great line.
Me and Mag both say "wah" when describing "sentimentality betrays sentiment."
Dr S. makes comment about our sound effect.
Poor Dr. S's marker is petering out. She sends Mag to steal one from another classroom but Mag comes back unsuccessful.
Me and Mag completely rag the poem she gives us for revision.
I even make the comment that my heart is so completely hardened to this poem someone needs to come in and kill all the kids in it.
Mag makes the sign to me "i heart you" and says cause your mind is so f-ed up. I laugh.

10-16
well whaddaya know. Miss Super went to a private all girls school. this fact doesn't surprise me at all.
Get into whole class discussion about plagarism. whatever.
Mag talks about the drunk butterflies at her feeder?????
One of the girls in my class says she was in the 4th grade when Titanic came out. WHA???????
We have to write a 10 line poem in 10 mins. I freak. Dr. Skinny says I look like I'm going to have a heart attack. I told her I have NOT had coffee this morning and so this isn't fair! ha!

10-30
Dr. Skinny brings us candy.
Mag wants mine, so Dr. Skinny just passes out more candy.
Dr. Skinny has on a shrug with a black turtleneck, gray skirt, black tights, and black knee high boots. Work it. you can see her cute little figure. I swear this woman looks just like Alanis Moiressette. Did I spell that right?
Girl in front has on really cute shoes.
We had to read a RIDICULOUS sestina that def killed brain cells. I'm almost offended I had to read it.
I wonder when we will pass out our poems.
My poem sucks.
The all say Elvis died in 1976, and I'm fairly certain that is wrong.

The poem I wrote in an hour..... had to be free verse, unrhyming, at least 14 lines..... yeah, it is what it is. I'm being workshopped tomorrow (yikes.)

Debacle

Trail of water
Drop after drop
Leads down the hall
The dog sits outside the door
staring at the mess
Barks out a warning
Toilet paper is strewn
Clothes are all soaked
Water sliding down
the side of the toilet
Like water down Niagara
Drip drop drip drop
I look down at the dog
You could've helped,
I think.
Looking back at the child-made
Flood
Your toothy grin greets
Me as you flush my toothbrush.
Grabbing towels
Stoop and wipe
I feel your chubby wet hand
Pat my hand and
Your look out
the dog licks my cheek and
I find my lipstick and
You laugh and
I laugh
Because if I didn't
I'd go insane.

Updates

Ok, so this is just kind of an update blog. I read through all of my entries this morning, and realized there are a few things I need to give you some updates on. So, I don't know how interesting this will be, but if there are some things that you were like, "Hmmm, i wonder what happened with that?" this is where you find out!!! Anything I don't cover, just send me a comment and ask!!! :)
I'm trying to make my blog "prettier" because I went to my friend Kerri Wardlaw's blog and hers is like way cuter than mine so I'm gonna try to make mine prettier too! ha!!!! So that's why I have this groovy little fall background now. I'm much better at Myspace. ha ha ha. Gotta get my music on here too. If you know me, you know how I am about music. So it seems kinda stupid that I don't have music on my blog. I will also do a Halloween one at some point this week, since I'm actually not having to be in 14 places this week. I guess this is my "slow week!"
Updates on Steven: one, he moved out of his house. DO NOT ask me why. He's living in an apt until he leaves with another guy. He got his date for leaving for the USAF. February 3rd. Hope when Obama gets in he doesn't shut down the military before then. :) oh hush. I'm just kidding. He is hoping to be an air traffic controller, but that's kinda up in the air right now. I'll, of course, give you more updates as I get them.
Updates on Kirkland: well, just because it's what always happens when we take her to the dr, she has something ELSE wrong with her. But this is a little different because there's nothing we can really do about it. It seems that she is missing muscle mass in her behind. Her "gluteous minimus" is not there. I always knew something looked strange about her behind, and so now I know. Basically, her butt is concave on the sides. Strange, I know. But nothing can be done about it. Dr. Ski said that as she gets older, and her body fills out more, she can help fill that in with fat, but there will never be muscle there. Only complication that can really come from it is that she can have weakness in her hips, etc, and that there are some things her physical therapists can do to build the surrounding muscles and that will help somewhat. We are also trying some new approaches with medication with her. She is now on an anti-anxiety medication. Her anxiety problems were becoming almost debilitating to her. So we're trying this. Also, Dr. Ski wanted to try her on Stratera. This is an ADD medicine. Much talk has been had in the past about doing this with her, but there were problems with her other meds and ailments intermixing with the drugs that are available. Well apparently this is the only medicine she can take. She will have to also have liver panels done with this medicine as she does with her arthritis meds. All of this sounds rough, but really it not as many meds as she's been on in the past. She's down to one weekly injection, two pills at nite, and one in the mornings. So that's less than the 7 she was taking every nite at one point. Dental stuff: Dr. Curtis has now said there is nothing he can do to save her teeth. Did I tell you about her teeth? Lord, it's a long story. But basically, she's had tons of dental work done on her teeth since she was about 2, even having outpatient surgery on them. They are just horrible, and we've tried everything. With her acid problems and throwing up, etc, there's just no enamel. So, we had to take her to a grown up dentist who sent her to an orthodontist...... my gosh. And the adult dentist NOR the orthodontist are covered by our insurance. So we'll have to find a way to pay for them. (yay!) The orthodontist consulted to see which teeth can be pulled because her mouth is too small anyway. The adult dentist will pull them, and see about doing root canals on the rest to possibly save them. The chances are, none of them will be able to be saved. I'm not sure what happens at that point.....As far as her school stuff goes, we are still in process of getting the special ed ruling. She's been having lots of tests, etc. done. I'm not sure when we'll get all of the results.
Updates on Emily: well, miss princess puff missed a few days of school because she had a terrible chest cold. She's doing better now. While out, she missed awards day. She got a reward for all A Honor Roll (of course.) She got a good report at the dentist (of course.) Other than that, I don't think there are too many updates on her. :)
Updates on William: he did drop that stupid Biology class. My gosh, that woman was crazy with all the stuff she was getting them to do. The rest of his classes I've, I mean he's, gotten pretty good grades. :) He's gonna be in court this week to testify in a murder trial from several years ago. Gotta love the Justice System. His boat is looking good!!! Still looking for a motor for it. He's almost finished sanding and painting it, and has replaced the parts that need replacing. Looking forward to getting it on the water.
Updates on random stuff and me: I had to drop my Algebra class. Just couldn't do it. I just don't know what I'm going to do about Algebra. I swear I think I have some kind of learning disability where it is concerned!!! So I only have taken the Creative Writing class this semester. I am in the process of trying to get registered for the Spring. I haven't, and don't think I will, paint the big mural. Life is just kinda crazy right now. I also really really need a job. But I need a part time one where I can just work William's off days since I don't have the kids in daycare. If any of you know of anything, let me know! :) I'm STILL working on the girl's rooms. Yep, you know me!!!! I've been really busy at the church, but it all is going so great up there. We had our 2nd KidStuf production last nite, and y'all, it was SO fun. If you live around here, you seriously need to come. Our next one is Dec. 7 at 5. I PROMISE you will have fun and laugh your hiney off. I need to post some pics from the first 2 productions, and some pics of all of the other stuff I've been working on up at church.
Ok, well, I have to go get Jay from school and catch up on my housework. I'm going to do another quick entry about running commentaries I've been keeping in Creative Writing though. Just for Paoli! :)