The Latta Family

 I have just finished my 23rd year of teaching . . . I think.  Or maybe it was 24?  I don't know- that's not the point of today's post.  The point is- I have a lot of summer's under my belt.  Enough summer's that I have a pattern.  Four stages that I go through.   Stage 1: This stage happens the day summer begins for me. I am a whirlwind of productivity.  I cannot be stopped.  It lasts approximately 2-3 weeks.  This year I ran several errands: making deliveries to the Goodwill, Spectrum to return cable equipment, and a variety of other errands I put off during the school year.  I also wrapped up several projects: getting Alexa's new desk done, my desk done, the garage cleaned, shelves hung, the baseboards wiped down, floors mopped (behind the fridge too), and light fixtures cleaned.  Every day- I am a BUSY BEE.  I have completely wiped school from my brain- and ain't no one gonna talk to me about it or think about it ...

Clearly this blog is about balance- because my last post was about bragging and this post is not.  I mentioned back in June that I had attempted to get our ice maker repaired - and did so without consulting Doug.  Lord that ice maker has haunted me.   About 2 weeks after it was repaired . . . the motor started making this horrific sound.  Doug was rather annoyed.  I did some Google searching and discovered there could possibly be an ice cube stuck in the motor/fan area, so I grabbed my hair dryer and attempted to melt the cube.  Within a few minutes the motor went back to it's normal quiet self.  All was good again in our home.  We had a working ice maker that didn't make horrendous sounds.  Doug was somewhat satisfied, and I wasn't cringing in guilt and worry that the ice maker would continue to haunt me.  Except it did. One morning a few days later- at 5AM!!!!  There it is went again.  &*%&^  What in the act...

 This is my blog- so I can brag, and frankly these are some things that make me pretty dang impressed with myself.  (listed in no particular order) #1- I have kept my lavender plant alive (barely) all summer so far!!!!!!  Every summer I declare THIS is the summer I will keep lavender alive and every summer it dies within a month.  This summer . . . I am going on 2 months.  I am smugly patting myself on the back right now.   #2- The other night I looked at my family and was like, "Gosh almighty I have to feed them dinner again dammit!  EVERY. NIGHT!"  I had nothing planned- so I had to make it up on the spot.  And guess what- I had everything on hand to make tacos!  What?!  What kind of house- is having ingredients to make tacos a brag- worthy event????  In my house- it's a brag worthy event.  I had the meat (that I could use from the freezer- so I am feeling very frugal), I had tomatoes from my garden, I had lettuce t...

Doug and both kids went to FFA Camp for the past week.  I stayed home.  All. By.  Myself.  IT WAS GLORIOUS!!!! Up until 2020- Doug had gone to FFA Camp every year of our married lives.  Andrew started going when he was 9 years old.  It is literally the funnest week of their lives.  Nothing I ever do- will compare to FFA Camp.  I went to the facility once, shortly after Doug and I were married.  Doug had meetings.  There were no kids there- because it was just a bunch of boring adults, sitting around, talking about boring things.  But still- I was curious and glad for a reason to get out of town.  It was BORING.  I only brought one book.  There was no cell service and no tv.  I sat in a room with a bed and a bathroom for HOURS and I was bored out of my mind, since that book was done- with approximately 2 million hours left before Doug was done with his meetings.  I vowed to never return.    This sum...

About a month ago- an Instagrammer that I follow (mostly because I admire her bravery with home decorating, and while I would never do the things she has done in her home, I do like a lot of what she does) shared that she made Cake Mix Pancakes for her family one Saturday morning.  That caught my attention!!!  I mean. . . pancakes from cake mix?!?!?!  YES PLEASE.   Here's the recipe:  1 cake mix of your choice (I chose red velvet because Alexa has been on a real red velvet kick lately- randomly) 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 large eggs 2 1/2 cups of milk 1/4 cup oil ** 1 tspn baking powder (the recipe doesn't call for it- but I am going to try it, because these pancakes were very flat) Her husband opened a can of frosting and used that.  I didn't have that, so I made my own cream cheese frosting:  1/2 a block of softened cream cheese 4 tblspns of softened butter 1 tspn of vanilla 2 cups of powdered sugar ** then I had left over heavy whipping cream-...

 Y'all I am feeling so grown up today!!! In fact, I feel so grown up- I keep bragging about it to Alexa, who is completely confused.  She literally said, "Mom.  I think you became a grown up when you had kids. Just saying."  Then she rolled her eyes- as she frequently does when I'm being "ridiculous" (according to her anyway). So- Andrew has gone out of town.  He asked that I go pick up his paycheck and deposit it.  I said, "Sure- but I get a $20 retrieval fee."  He ignored me.  Then I said, "I need your account number."  He replied, "That's a dad question."  Oh my gosh.  What have I done?!?!!  Andrew's complete lack of interest in his own bank account, and his inability to access it is kind of my fault.  Doug and I have joint bank accounts.  I have no idea how to access them.  I haven't for pretty much our entire marriage (21 years now). I have no desire to access them. Doug has tried to show me.  He has en...

 I just read the absolute BEST book!   I am a prolific reader.  Mostly I read free romances from Amazon Unlimited.  You know I'm stressed when I'm marathon reading and baking.  A free romance requires literally no thought.  It is 100% escapism.  When we were quarantined- I baked about every other day, and read . . a lot.  I require a happily ever after, interesting, humorous dialogue, well edited, and a little bit of steamy romance.  I do NOT like domineering men.  I attempted to read a book earlier this week and the main male character was HORRIFIC.  I tried the second book in the series- thinking it would get better- but alas, the second book was worse- and so I didn't even bother to finish it.  There's alpha men, and then there's just overbearing, controlling a$$holes.  I don't care for that type of character. However- while I do love a good romance, I also love a good "women/friendship" book.   The Weddi...