The Latta Family

Saturday night I was watching tv in bed, and suddenly I became aware of this weird noise.  It was like, "tap.  taptaptaptap.  tap tap.  tap.      tap.  taptaptaptaptaptap.  tap tap.  tap."  I kept hearing it.  I told Doug.  Doug rolled his eyes.  "Yeah.  I heard it the other night, but I didn't tell you because I knew you'd be a freak about it."  Frankly- I was unsure what annoyed me most about that comment: the fact he assumed I'd be a freak (there have been some moments in the past that I may have blown unexplained events out of proportion, but this is totally different!!!), or is it the fact that he's KNOWN ABOUT THE UNEXPLAINED NOISE AND DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!!!!  As we watched Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2  I could not stop being aware of that tapping.  Doug rolled his eyes.  "It's nothing." "Yes.  But WHAT IS IT if it's nothing?!"  He shrugged.  If he's shrug...

One of my favorite things to do, is to make up lyrics to songs- with my own lyrics.  Generally, they're massively inappropriate, so I don't do it very often, plus my family finds my renditions annoying.  They complain endlessly when I make up my own lyrics.  Well my family is wrong, my lyrics are HILARIOUS! This week, has been one ginormous car ride with breaks in the middle.  I've been running Alexa to horse back riding camp, and errands, and Andrew to his job, and to the baseball field, and there's been several well-visits thrown in there.  I have literally put 400 miles on my car this week alone- driving within my county.  Do you remember that Proclaimers Song from the 90's, "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" ?  Well . . . here's a Kate Remake of that song: When I wake up, well I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the mom who's driving a taxi cab When I go out, yeah I know we're running late and  I'm gonna have to hurry to get ...

I'm feeling a little emotional today. I took Alexa to horseback riding camp today.  This is the first time she and I have been apart this entire summer.  But that's not why I'm feeling emotional. When I got back from dropping her off, I pretty much begged Andrew to spend time with me, running errands today.  He hates running errands.  But he and I have not gotten a lot of time together this summer.  I'm not super cool, so ....   I had to really make him a deal he couldn't refuse.  Luckily I know my son's love language: food.  I told him if he'd come with me, I would take him to lunch wherever he wanted.  But that's not my I'm feeling emotional either. After our errands and lunch, I took him to work.  That's why I'm feeling emotional. I went to bed last night- and he was that small.  When I woke up this morning, Doug took him to his first day of daycare: By the time 3pm rolled around, I had this young man getting...

I got sun burnt today.  I forgot sunscreen when Alexa and I went to Andrew's baseball game, and then again when we went to the pool.  I keep sunscreen in my pool bag, so I never forget it.  However- because of Doug- I took the sunscreen out of my pool bag.  It's his fault. See- it goes like that.  In the summer time- Doug is super boring.  He does not do a good job entertaining me.  He's what we refer to as, a "Twelve Month Employee," which means he does not have the summers off, like a typical teacher.  The school system has summer hours of Monday- Thursday 7:30- 5:30.  He leaves in the morning- when it's my quiet time and there's still no talking to me.  And when he comes home, he's been around people all day and wants to have his quiet time.  While I hate that he wants his quiet time- I get it. I need quiet time when I get home from school too.  However, while I get it- it doesn't mean I like that he doesn't entertain me...

Every summer, I have an annual big purge. I start with the kid's rooms, and we clean out clothes that no longer fit.  Then we do toys/books/memorabilia.  Last summer Andrew was struggling with it.  Everything I asked about: what about this book? He'd respond: "It's sentimental. It stays."  Thankfully I watched those shows with people who wanted to clean out their houses, and then had a garage sale, and then had those freshly cleaned out rooms redecorated. . . what was that show called?!  Anyway- I am like a professional cleaner-outer- so I could totally handle Andrew and all of his sentimental items.  (It was actually quite hilarious, he was getting so frustrated with me, and finally he yells, "MOM!  The only thing not sentimental in this room, is YOU!"  True that, buddy.  But we came to agreements and the other day when I started on Alexa's room, he said, "It sucks when you're doing it, but it really does feel better when you're done....

Y'all I LOVE LOVE LOVE garlic.  The heavenly scent of onions and mushrooms sauteing in olive oil and fresh garlic?!  I might love that smell more than chocolate- but not more than freshly bathed babies.  It's close though.  Back in the days when I was a religious watcher of Food Network, I remember the Barefoot Contessa made chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic and I thought it sounded pretty doggone delicious! Way back when I was a baby cook, and just beginning adulthood, I thought cooking with garlic meant using garlic powder.  It's actually worse than that. I thought I was supposed to use garlic salt powder.  WHAT!?  Good news. I started watching Food Network, and I learned that's not cool.  It's not what the real chefs use.  And I like to do the right thing.  Not to say that garlic powder doesn't have its place, frankly sometimes it does.  I love it in my homemade Taco Seasoning and my Pork Rub. For years I used "fresh" minced ...

Alexa and I drove from the Charlotte area up to my brother and sister in law's house up near Philadelphia this week.  I was a little nervous because . . . this is going to sound dumb, but that was the longest trip I'd driven without another adult.  If I got tired, I had no one to hand the driving over to.  I had to stay awake and alert for what turned out to be 9+ hours.  That's not a big deal except . . . I fall asleep all the time in the car!  Sometimes- I'll take 2 naps in the car!  I wasn't worried about driving in the infamous Washington DC traffic. I wasn't worried about paying tolls (although- I should have been- I forgot I was going to need cash for them! Thankfully I remembered before I got to one). I was worried I would get drowsy.  So I made a plan. I had plenty of snacking foods and drinks (although- not too many because even though I LOVED being able to stop and go to the bathroom whenever I wanted- as opposed to when Doug drives and i...