what i did today

I saw this Accent Vlog from Trina today and I just love it!  The whole purpose of this meme is to see if people think you have an accent.  Even though I’m in South Carolina, Trina’s Alabama Southern accent is just too cute for words!  Just so you know I tried pretty hard to get Scott to get on film.  He’s the one with the REAL Southern accent but it was just a no-go, as you’ll see.  Also, I tend to talk like people that are around me so after listening back, I feel like my accent is a little thicker since I just listened to Trina 🙂

The instructions are to say these words:

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

And answer these questions:

1. What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
2. What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
3. What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
4. What do you call gym shoes?
5. What do you say to address a group of people?
6. What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
7. What do you call your grandparents?
8. What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
9. What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
10. What is the thing you use to change the TV channel?

You can see all the other fun accent vlogs here.

Source: awelltraveledwoman.tumblr.com via Amy on Pinterest

(Nothing to do with anything…just like this post)

I started doing my Weekend Recap in Polyvore and realized I had not one iota of interesting things to share.  Friday evening I was wiped and the girls were too apparently as they were in pj’s by 6:00.  Saturday we were up first thing and spent the day in a rotation of running errands, cooking, cleaning, hanging out at my parents’ house.  Sunday was nearly the same thing.  And for that matter, so is today. We did have family over for Labor Day but in between has been either cleaning, organizing or resting.  So, apologies for the lack of posting the last week but I’m saving you from a bunch of posts like these.  Just wanted you to know I’m still out here and doing well.    Here are a few random thoughts with which to leave you:

• I wish you could get a replacement DVD when you scratch one you own.  So sad how many Dora DVDs have to go to the trash this weekend.
• I wish you could get a Kindle version of all the paperback books you already own.
• I’m pretty sure Scott got the dog not for companionship but I would be forced to keep a straightened house at all times.
• Do not buy the cheap wireless keyboard at Walmart.  Doesn’t connect well and loses battery power fast.
• Consignment sales always sound like the right thing but are a lot of work and are very disappointing when you go and they immediately hand you back items that didn’t make the cut.  Even ones you dry cleaned *just* for the sale.
• It’s even more disappointing to watch those items go on the dusty floor of Goodwill’s 18’ truck.
• The movie The Tourist did not live up to the hype.  The end was smart but it did not justify the means.

How’s that for random?  Hope you enjoyed your Labor Day weekend!

OK, so in all my 33 years tonight at Moe’s I met the biggest advancement in soda machines I’ve ever seen.  This machine claims it has 100 different choices of sodas.  Many were different flavors of the same drink.  My choice was Vanilla Root Beer, my soda kryptonite.   I’m not a big proponent of sodas but it sure was fun.  And the machine also included at least 8 different flavored waters.

The line for the drink was longer than the line for the food.  First, no one was sure how to work the thing.  Second, people (kids especially) had a horrible time deciding which of the 100 choices to drink.    I couldn’t help but steal a little video of Emma refilling my drink.

Tell me, do you have these where you live?  Have we been living in the dark ages or would you be as mesmerized as us?

Today was I felt like that mother hen, not quite getting it right but trying awful hard. Still working through Emma’s issues.  Not too many details but for drama’s sake I’ll tell you I ended up in the principal’s office crying.  Thank you, PMS.  I’ve never been so close to homeschooling as I was today.  And y’all, that is serious.  Not to say it was the school’s fault.  Its just my fight or flight syndrome was kicking in and wanting me to run from the problems.  I think we have a game plan though from the school and I’m hoping this was just the first full week of adjustments.  Cross my fingers and praying like crazy. 

In other news, we passed the fire inspection for the adoption.  We officially have the home study next on the list.  So exciting!

In other, other news Tucker has eaten through cords of TWO of my keyboards within TWO days.  I got smart today and bought a wireless keyboard.  It’s really made for a laptop or travel or something because it’s small and cute and I just have to say I love it.  It’s the little things, folks.

And in final news, Scott did NOT have to go to Charleston for Irene.  Praying for all our other East coast friends but I have to say I’m thankful he didn’t go.

And in final, final news, tomorrow is FRIDAY!!

Emma ended up coming home from school today and went with Scott to pick Lexi up from school.  Scott let Emma chat with me from his phone while they were waiting.  So many emotions in one little chat…awww…ewwww…what?!?!?  If you pay attention to the times, it helps make it make sense.

Translation of Emma’s 2:37 comment: “We’re going to the pharmacy right now.  Daddy didn’t mean to but somehow he hit the gas and bumped into my friend’s grandma’s car.  No damage but it scared us.”  And just for the record, we did have some damage to our bumper :(  Very thankful no damage to my family.  Except perhaps some spelling related travesties.

Two things have consumed my brain the last two days.

1 – Hurricane Irene.  I’m not scared or worried about it.  We live waaayyy off the coast and it’s not coming anywhere near us.  But Scott got the dreaded call he might be deployed to Charleston to help evacuate the city in case it hit there.  But no one ever gave us deadlines or a hint to when we might know. So for the last 48 hours we’ve basically been on pins and needles watching the projected path trying to figure out if he might be gone for up to 5 days.  We thought he might be leaving yesterday but he’s still home and this morning it’s looking like it might not affect Charleston in the least so I’m hoping it gets called off today.

2 – Emma.  Without embarrassing her we’ve been dealing with stomach issues the past few days.  She’s barely wanted to go to school and we’ve been back and forth with the nurse on whether to send her home.  The mama bear in me wants to keep her home and defend her to the teachers but I know it may not be as bad as she’s letting on.  In any case, it’s taking up my brain space on what to do.

I posted this verse last night because it just reminds me when I want things like this to overtake me that He wants to know about it.  He doesn’t want us to fret and worry.  He controls the weather and Emma’s little body.  Not a lot gets accomplished by me getting worried over it.  And just like I want Emma to come to me when she’s hurting, He wants us to tell him when we’re worried.  He cares for us and even if He won’t “fix it” like we want He’ll be with us through it.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. http://bible.us/1Pet5.7.NIV

Last week I finished the book Interrupted.  In short, the book is about a pastor and his wife in Austin, Texas that had their lives interrupted so much they left the church and started what some may call a missions based church.  They are very involved with the homeless community that I actually was witness to while visiting last Spring.  The impact of the book reminded me a lot of what Same Kind of Different as Me did to me.   The plight of the homeless has been fresh on my mind to say the least.

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Saturday night when Kaitlin and I went downtown Charlotte to eat we approached a street corner and slowed to wait for the walking sign to change.  Behind my back I heard a woman say to the gathering crowd, “Anyone have any money for food?”  She barely stopped, obviously not expecting an answer.  I admit, in the past my instinct may have been to let it pass, not really sure where the money would go.   With my “eyes open” I became excited when I actually had a few dollars to hand her.  I had to almost yell, “I’ve got some!” before she was fully turned away.  It wasn’t much but it was something.

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My high school classmate and her husband have started Speak Up.  It’s a street newspaper designed to create jobs for the homeless.  They print a magazine written by unpaid authors.  The homeless or low-income individuals are hired to sell the magazine.  Street papers have been running successfully worldwide; 114 of them in 40 countries.   They just announced last week they are ready for their first run of 10K copies.

When I was standing at the corner I thought of this woman and thought, you know, she could be one of the people Speak Up could help.  No longer would she literally have to beg on the streets for money.  This magazine would give her dignity and experience and much-needed income.  And it’s not just the idea of the magazine.  It’s specifically this effort that could help.

Speak Up needs 8,000 dollars to print it, 3,000 of which they have received.  Would you consider donating to get this thing off the ground?  Charlotte folks, I especially hope you consider donating.  This magazine could change the landscape of our own city.  If you can not donate now, I’d ask that you consider buying one of these magazines if you see them on a corner downtown selling them.

None of us can do everything but we all can do something.

Visit Speak Up to read more and donate.  I was not compensated or asked to write this post.  Just love what they are doing!