The Latta Family

Alexa and I have been having some rough mornings the last few weeks.  There are two things happening: 1. I'm not a morning person 2. She's trying to deviate from the routine I have done the exact same routine for forever.  It hasn't changed.  I get in the shower at 6:10/6:15. I am ready by 6:45.  I fix breakfast, and hand kids lunches at 6:50.  We leave at 7:10am.  Everything is prepped beforehand: coffee is made the night before, lunches are either made the night before, or while I am waiting for my coffee when I wake up. Trash is taken to the road, bags are packed and in a designated location.  I am RIGID about my routine.  It's not because I'm super organized.  It's because I'm not a morning person.  I am clinging to rational thought. I have a short temper.  I am impatient, psychotic, and over the top reactions easily explode from me.  I know this about myself.  Because I am practically a demon, everything is pr...

Y'all, my life is complete.  A few weeks ago, I got a Cricut.  Up until that moment, my life was barren and deficient, but I didn't even know it.  I had no idea I needed this amazing piece of technology, until now that I have it!   Now, my life is whole.  All I could need in the world, is right here in my house- until I run out of paper, vinyl, transfer tape, or my blade dulls, and even then it's all good, cause I got an Amazon app and a Prime account.  When I first got my Cricut, I was so intimidated by it.  I had to have a few talks with myself about how I was in a learning curve.  It didn't need to be perfect.  Between YouTube and Pinterest I am heading in the right direction, and gaining a lot more confidence. You know why I love this so much?! Look at that roller ball full of essential oil blends?  Does that label indicate the amazing powers of the contents?  No.  I mean- LAME!!!!  It looks like generic...

There are positives to living with 7th grade boys: 1. you always have someone to blame funky smells on- whether it's them or not- and they don't deny the smell, they assume the smell came from them. 2. they're impressed with their developing strength, so they're willing to carry heavy things to prove they're strong like ox 3. their sense of humor is maturing and they're actually funny (except for when they're not.  They're still learning the fine line of what's funny and what's just aggravating) 4.  they have insightful discussions and sometimes help to see the other side of things Then there are situations that involve this: This is single handedly the MOST irritating gesture on the face of the PLANET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  If you see young men in the 12-17 year old age bracket do this sign, they're not flashing gang signs (I hope, I don't think, I'm pretty sure.).  Pretend you don't see them do it.  Or, catch them...

My parents came up this weekend, to celebrate my birthday a little bit early.  They convinced me to go out to dinner with Doug- sans kids.  I'm down with that!  While we were gone eating dinner, "someone" got the great idea to hide the cake my mom made for me (I believe it was my mom's idea- but I cannot say for sure.  I feel sure the idea originated with my parents, but my children happily jumped in on the trickery).  Except, in all the excitement, the cake got dropped.  Face down.  Amazingly- it was still great, except for the top of the cake was missing the icing.  (You'll be happy to know it has not impacted the taste in the slightest.  It's still delicious!)  FYI- those candles show "29." I am going to be 29 . . . and I've celebrated that year a "few" times now.   Upon the cake tumbling- Alexa cried, and Andrew dove to the floor and started licking it off the floor!  My Mom & Dad laughed. This brings me to ...

I don't know if I've ever told this story, but it's a classic tale of what a goober I am. My freshman year of college I discovered Peter, Paul, and Mary.   If I Had a Hammer  was one of my favorite songs!  It was so catchy.  I just sang it and sang it!   When I went home at Christmas, or on a weekend, or sometime- I somehow got to be the chauffeur for my sister's first date.  I believe my mom was with us, when I played this song, as I drove my mom's mini-van with my sister and her date.  I sang "If I Had a Hammer" LOUDLY- more than once.  I was probably the most embarrassing, horrifying sister EVER.  It didn't twist the chains of fate too much- as 6 or 7 years later, my sister married that boy- I sang dumb hippy songs in front of.  She's still married to him.  I still do dumb annoying things in front of him- but that's how I show love and affection.  My sister in law received some embarrassing, awkward love from...

Hahaha! I so turned the tables on ol' Andrew today. I love when I come up out of nowhere and GIT him! First, let me say, I am widely regarded as the "soft parent."  I am the easy one.  They want me to find out the bad news first, so I can either take care of it, or break it to Doug easy.  This cracks me up.  While I am the quieter parent- I am the creative parent.  My consequences last longer than Doug's lecture.  But whatever.  I maximize on my reputation and exploit their fears.  I'm a good parent like that. I received an email from one of Andrew's teachers today informing me he had a closed lunch (which means he had to sit by himself in silence) because he didn't turn in an assignment.  Whatever- it's a stupid consequence- but he got it and life goes on.  What annoyed me about it is that I asked him if he had homework.  Doug asked him if he had homework.  He got an attitude about it- which annoyed me, and his teacher reach...