The Latta Family

I sent Doug and the kids to my in-laws and I stayed home.  It wasn't supposed to be that way.  When he first said, "Hey- I think we should go to my parents next weekend." I was going to go.  Then I thought, "Wait a minute . . . they could go, and I could have the house all to myself."  The more I thought about it- the more it HAD to happen.  The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to have a day or so all to myself.  I haven't had the house to myself for this long of a period in at least 9 years.  Because I'm a total savage, this weekend was wild and it'll take me weeks to recover.  Here are some pictures from my weekend:   I listened to whatever music I wanted- wherever I wanted.  Clearly I have an eclectic taste.  I took a nap, with some soft music and the fire.  It was delightful.    I really tore it up and vacuumed and went grocery shopping.    I sewed. I went to yoga. I put...

I recently convinced Doug that floating shelves would be SUPER cool in our bedroom.  We've lived in this house for 2.5 years and I still have nothing hanging up in our bedroom, except blinds.  Otherwise- it's our builder paint color with mismatched furniture and a comforter that is at least 8 years old.  I really want to make our bedroom look a little more . . . like a soothing oasis.  Hah.  Just kidding.  I don't want anything that over the top.  I just want it to at least look put together.  So- he made me some floating shelves.  One day last week, he hung them up for me.  Since I was busy focusing on things I love, I decided it would be poor form to publish a blog where I poke fun at Doug (Who I do love, and I do love to tease him- but still . . . ).  Since Valentine's Day is done and gone- it's okay now.  Before we began the project, we measured the area where I wanted the shelves.  We made small marks on the wal...

Let me just say- I am exhausted.  Holy day of sugar Batman.  Today I love- my job. 1. I have this one student that is a freshman. He's so funny.  Sometimes he doesn't mean to be.  I work hard to not laugh, but sometimes the things he says or does are just so unexpected and sweet or . . . straight up funny.  This is one of my favorite stories of his.  During exams, I was testing him in a one on one situation.  He had asked to go to the bathroom, so I let him.  Suddenly a teacher shows up at my door, and said, "LATTA! QUICK!  Your student is freaking out in the bathroom!!!" I dashed out the door, and sure enough, I heard him yelling in the bathroom.  WHAT IS HE DOING?! IT"S EXAMS!!!!!!!!!  I ran down the hall, and barreled in the bathroom (yes- I ran in the boys bathroom) he came around the corner, as I headed in- and he's just as happy and calm as can be.  "What are you doing?!!!!"  He looked so confused.  He prob...

I love my Crocs.  Y'all- I just made a quick run to Target (along with all the other mom's in a 5 mile radius of my house) and I wore them out in public.  As I was walking out to the parking lot, I caught a reflection of myself in the exit doors and was like, "WHAT IN THE BLUE BLAZING HECK?!"  Is that what I looked like?! I went to Target with my hair all kinds of wacky, wearing Crocs and socks that don't match with anything.  Wal-mart?  Okay.  You can pull that off in Wal-Mart.  But Target?!  Good grief.  As I was walking to the parking lot, I was trying to think about what I was going to blog about tonight- and came up with Crocs, and was thinking of what I love about them.  Here's what I have: 1. They're so easy to slide on and go 2. They're comfortable for about town walking 3. They allow me to be a slob and no one judges.  "What is she wearing? Oh- she has Crocs on.  Never mind."  If I went to Target and my hair w...

I love when the boys go out, and Alexa and I are hanging at home.  Girl time tonight was an art project and jamming to the Mama Mia Station on Pandora.  When she "grows up" (you know- middle school) and thinks I'm no fun, I'm going to be sad.  I like this little buddy of mine.   I love having imaginary conversations with/to my dog.  She's giving us a lot of opportunities to talk for her today.  #1: We ate dinner before we fed her.  She was quite pouty.  #2: She had to go to the vet yesterday because she has an upper respiratory infection (this is a pretty common January/February occurrence for her), today she's having to take cough medicine and an antibiotic.  I'm obviously poisoning her- with pieces of cheese.  It's so hard for her to avoid me . . . I have that cheese, but also the poison.  The cheese . . . the poison.  Oh! What's a girl to do?!!!!  She takes the cheese, and therefore the meds.  Duh. #3 it's ...

For Christmas, my mother in law gave my kids "snowballs." These things have provided us TONS of entertainment.  They don't cause pain.  They're so satisfying to throw at someone.  And no one ever gets mad when they get pelted with one.  We love retaliating.  These are the best kinds of snowballs- they're not cold.  They're always around.  And they're not wet.   Okay- this is going to not be something I love.  But it must be shared- I ate something today that is the MOST DISGUSTING THING I HAVE EVER EATEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.  I tried candied ginger today.  It looks delicious.   I was lured in by the notion that it was gummy fruit.  Therefore- it was going to be healthy.  I would rather eat . . . well, a lot of other things.  I actually gagged and spit it out.  I've never gagged and spit food out.  To give you a reference- I tried squid jerky.  My parents had gotten it f...

#1. I have a new favorite station on Pandora: Rat Pack Radio.  I LOVE this station! I've even found a Frank Sinatra Station on Sirius.  It's weird, but it's kind of calming.  Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra . . . it's delightful.  #2.  Alexa loves musicals as much as I do- thank goodness.  She and I have watched quite a few.  Her favorites are: Singing in the Rain,    Greatest Showman,  and A White Christmas .  Yesterday we watched Mama Mia !.  I love Meet Me In St. Louis  a little more than she did.  And, of course, Sound of Music .  The movie was alright, but the soundtrack was good.  I think next we'll tackle La La Land .  Or maybe we'll go back to the oldies like Oklahoma? Any recommendations?  I can't wait for her to be old enough to take to Wicked  and other Broadway plays.  She's still a little young and fidgety.  I think after a year or so- it'l be on like Donke...

#1. On Saturday mornings, Doug gets up at a crazy early time and goes to eat breakfast with a group of guys.  Sometimes I'm already up, working on school work, so it's out of the way and I don't have to think about it for the rest of the weekend.  Not today. Today I decided I would sleep in.  When Doug got out of the bed to go eat, I immediately stretched out.  I LOVE that.  I love stretching out and taking over the whole bed, after he gets up.  Then I fall back asleep and it's the best kind of sleep.  #2. Alexa and I ran to Target a little bit ago, and when we got in, an old favorite song of Andrew's was on.  It requires me turning up the song and singing along loud and remembering his sweet baby voice singing along. International Harvester by Craig Morgan He loved this song because it had farmers, tractors, and the FFA in it.  He was so doggone cute back then!

After we ate dinner tonight, Andrew wanted to go outside and shoot hoops and Alexa wanted to go for a bike ride.  On our way back, Andrew (who ended up walking with us) stops suddenly and says, "I think something just pooped on me."  I stop.  I look at him for a second or two, absorbing what he just said, and then I look.  Sure enough there is a bit of bird poo in his hair. I would love to tell you that I reacted exactly as I should have, unfortunately . . . this is me and I did not.  I started to say, "This is why I hate birds," but I was laughing too hard.  Tears were pouring from my eyes. Since Andrew is a boy, his reaction was to try and rub his head on me.  I was trying hard to get away from him, but I had the dog on the extendable leash and Alexa blocking us on the tricycle.  She's screeching because Gracie's running around in all of the excitement of me trying to get away from Andrew, and wrapping up Alexa (who doesn't like being wrappe...

#1.  Alexa has some pretty hilarious timing for her sassy comebacks.  Y'all.  She kills me.   I love humor.  I also appreciate a well timed response.  As she gets older, her comebacks and timing get better and better.  But what's actually so awesome is- she's got a bit of a dry sense of humor, so her come backs are so perfect because . . . there's a delay while we try to decide if she actually meant that response to be funny, or was it just a coincidence.  It could be a coincidence because she's sweet and not snarky- so we think.  But . . . I'm finding more and more- she means what she says.  For example, the other night- Andrew was going on and on about how she should appreciate him more.  He's just simply amazing in every possible way.  In fact, "there's only one good looking person in this car- "  She jumps in, "Thank you."    He doesn't even realize she's said that.  He's still telling her how ...

#1- I recently had this completely amazing idea for a sensory garden at school. A friend inspired it at 5am.  I managed to wait until 6:10 to tell Doug.  He loved my idea.  I mentioned it to my principal- just to get an idea for whether he was okay with it  and if he was- whether I could get some serious plans together to present to him.  I gave him my fairly official idea today.  Not only did he support my idea, but had suggestions- that were in line with my vision.  I am SOOOOOO excited about this idea y'all.  Like. So. Excited. I. Can't. Hardly. Stand. Myself. I think this is kind of why it's been a bad week for me.  Wait- what?! You have a brilliant idea.  Your principal and husband like it too, and you have a bad week?  Well- I've been really really really flaky.  I've forgotten some pretty important things.  I haven't been responding to texts that friends and family have sent.  I've been thinking about this so...

I got a little behind.  I'm not sure what happened this week, but I completely fell apart.  It's all good- it's Friday, and we have nothing really planned this weekend, so . . . hopefully I can get myself back in order. Anyway- here's what I love: #1. About a week ago, I was out in the community, wearing a shirt that represented the high school I teach at.  A person walked up to me and said, "Hey- we just moved to the area, and are debating what high school we should attend.  Do you have children that go the school?" I said, "Sort of- my children go to the middle and elementary school that feed into the high school. I  teach at the high school."  She said, "Really?!  What's something really amazing about your school?"  I replied, "One thing that's pretty amazing is how diverse we are: race, socially, socioeconomically . . .  and how accepting our student body is of diversity."  Turns out she and her husband are empty ne...

Good thing I have things to love today.  I kind of tanked parenting.  I forgot Andrew.  Although- I didn't technically forget him.  I just didn't realize when Doug said he had a meeting, I was going to have to pick him up from practice.  I mean- it was probably pretty obvious- I mean, Doug had a meeting . . . therefore, I would obviously have to pick up Andrew.  Somehow I missed that.  When Alexa and I were making a mad dash- and I mean mad dash- out the door to get Andrew, she asked shrilly, "MOM?!!! WHAT IF YOU HAD LEFT HIM THERE ALL NIGHT?!!" "Alexa! I wouldn't have done that . . . I don't think. I would have noticed eventually.  Right?" So . . . I was reminding her to wash her hair. I reminded her- while she was IN the shower last night, but she forgot . . . within the 5 minutes of me telling her, while she was IN the shower.  After I reminded her tonight, "WASH YOUR DANG HAIR!"  She rolled her eyes, and said, "Mom! I won't!...

I love my department at school.  We're very different.  We're in cramped quarters (there are 6 of us sharing a 20 by 20 room.  And yet . . . we don't have drama.  We're know it alls and talk over each other- but when it's time to really listen to what the other is saying, we can and will.  I love that we respect each other enough, to not go behind each other's back and undermine another teacher.  I think that's probably our strength as a department.  Another strength is that- we have different strengths- and we're not too prideful to let the other person do a task or job.    Knowing you're going to school, and working with people you like?  That's pretty doggone great. 

1. I LOVE random days in winter that are warm enough to open the windows and air out the house.  The house feels cleaner and more fresh.  Today was that day, tomorrow might be too.  And Tuesday . . . and Wednesday . . .  everyday will be an air out the house day!  2. I LOVE going to bed Sunday night when I know I was super productive, and my lunch and coffee are prepped for the next day, so I should start Monday on a good note.  3. I LOVE that Andrew is strong- and happy to carry heavy things, like the laundry basket with the 3 loads of laundry in it- to my bedroom.  I'll gladly fold it.  I just hate carrying it that heavy basket and maneuvering through the doorways. 

Oooh so much to love today!  #1- the weather.  Hot Dog!  North Carolina got into the 60's.  YEESSSSS!!!!  I love a day in the 60's.  Especially in February.  We could look at it as a tease, or we could look at it as a bone to get us through the rest of winter.  I look at days like this as a gift to get me to when it's time to start planting my garden.  The kids and I met my parents at Crowders Mountain and went for a 3 mile hike.  It was glorious. I love hiking and being in the woods.  I love the feeling of exercising- but not being bored like I would if I was on a treadmill (which I don't do).  Going forward, walking up hills, dodging rocks and roots, seeing wildlife . . . it's the best. #2- my kids ages.  We had a get together with our Sunday School class tonight, and we left the kids at home.  I didn't have to hire a babysitter, I didn't have to arrange anything with our parents (who live out of town), and I di...

Since Valentines Day is in February, I'm going to celebrate the holiday, by focusing on the things I love.  I will definitely write one thing a day, but I can definitely do more. #1 Thing: I came up with a BRILLIANT idea this morning at 5:00am.  I was so excited about it, I wanted to share it with Doug because he was going to love my idea too.  Much to his- unaware- relief I didn't wake him up.  I held off until 6:10am.  I was getting ready for school, and he stumbled by me into the bathroom.  I said in an extremely enthusiastic way (which is CRAZY for me- because I am typically NOT a morning person), "Doug- go to the bathroom, wake up, and come out ready to hear my brilliant idea!!!"  He did.  And he responded appropriately to it, offering thoughtful suggestions.  Y'all- I assaulted the man on the way to the bathroom- at 6:10am, and he listened to my idea.  I love him.  I love that he listens to almost all of my ideas (except w...