The Latta Family

I LOVE peaches. Like LOOOVVEEEE peaches. I eat at least one a day between the months of June through August- minimum. Some days-like today- I eat 3....ish. Yesterday I drove to another county to get some (a good 45 minutes away) because last year they were even better than my usual produce stand. They were so juicy. Seriously, the juice ran down my arm to my elbow. They were so sweet. Like nectar from the gods, sweet. This year has been a particularly good crop. I haven't gotten a bad peach yet. If you've gotten a bad peach, did you buy it at the grocery store?  Probably. Even when they say "local" you're still getting the same batch of peaches that get sent to the unlucky regions of the country that don't get to experience the delights of a fresh South Carolina peach.  Those Georgians like to brag about their peaches- like they're known as The Peach State or something- but South Carolina peaches really are the best. Here are some of my favorite ways to ...

Let me just start by saying, I'm sorry.  This post has more cursing than I usually do.  I'm sorry.  This time they do enhance the stories, and I am not gratuitous in my use of the bad words.  Plus, I am determined to be me and portray myself as I really am.  And sometimes I use bad words. Not to my kids, and not usually in front of them, although I have slipped up a time or two. Today, I decided I would fix my mistake from when I made Alexa's blanket.  I had unfortunately sewn the wrong side- out, which meant I had to take the entire back off.  And sew it back on- with the correct side, facing out.  Did you follow all that?  Don't worry if you didn't.  You just need to know- I had to redo the most aggravating part of the project.  Because I was using fleece (that I had to take sections and sew together to fit the entire blanket), it was very stretchy.  The fabric I was sewing to- wasn't. That stupid fleece was stretching like...

I love to sew.  It's one of my favorite hobbies.  I hardly EVER do it.  At our old house, I didn't have a spot to set up my machine.  Anywhere I set up- was in the way.  In the rental- we use the "dining room" as an art room.  It has all of mine and Alexa's arts and crafts.  Since it's summer, I have time to sew, and I had a project to work on. It's so satisfying creating something. About 2 months ago, I decided Alexa needed a new, more grown up bedspread.  The one she has isn't bad.  She has had the same fabric and "theme" since she was born though.  She's 6.  She can have a change.  We called my mom and asked if she wanted to meet us at Mary Jo's (the BEST fabric store in all the world- or my world) and help us.  She did.  Alexa surprised me and picked out purple and blue. Now, if you're thinking sewing is a great way to save money . . . you are WRONG!  I could have bought her something from Pottery Barn fo...

Oh man, I am so proud of myself!! I did a DIY project all by myself today!!!!!!!! Usually I let Doug handle all of the projects because he's particular about how they're done.  I wouldn't exactly say bossy, highly critical, and a perfectionist.  Just particular.  ( and those other things too ).  However, I really wanted to do this project and I knew Doug didn't feel it was a priority.  He's wrong.  Mason Jar Soap Dispensers, are a priority.  A top priority. It was so satisfying doing this on my own!  Knowing I could do it on my own.  The hardest parts were: the math.  Those mason jar lids are not a nice even measurement.  I called Doug for math help. But that was all.  I didn't ask him for help in any other way.   The other hard part was sawing the tops off the original soap dispenser.   Yowser!  I was sweating like a maniac.  Of course- there is a heat index of 103 here in North Carolina, and I was in the...

Last Tuesday, I took Andrew, Alexa, and Alexa's friend to a movie.  On the way home, Andrew was making plans to get his reading done, and a chore. Alexa and her friend were making plans to play, and eat lunch.  When we pulled into the driveway . . . a furor of activity overtook my house. As we're pulling in the driveway- several of the boys from the street greeted Andrew at the car. They're chatting.  The girls are chatting.  There are like 7-8 chatting kids suddenly swarming around me and the front porch.  I get the door open, and wouldn't you know . . . there's a dead toad on the floor in the entry way. Why?  I don't know.  We have had a lot of tree frogs around outside, but not sure why a toad was in my house. Thankfully one of the boys removed it.  While I don't mind frogs and toads, I HATE dead . . . well, anything.  I start pulling stuff out of the fridge to make the girls lunch. Andrew is . . . outside?  My phone rings, I answer...

This year is one of those birthday years, where . . . we're squeezing birthdays in between events. Because they're getting squeezed in . . . they're small, intimate, informal affairs.  Translated: they're an afterthought.   We just squeezed Alexa's birthday in early.  It's technically not until Thursday.  However- I've been confused about that for a week.  I have been thinking the 21st was on Wednesday.  Turns out, it's on Thursday.  hahaha- duh me.  Anyway- we celebrated her birthday tonight because the boys are leaving for FFA Camp for the week tomorrow morning.   Alexa has been asking for an Easy Bake Oven since last September. She has high hopes of making us desserts.  She baked her first dessert tonight.  Lord have mercy . . . she was excited! Making our first cake.  The flavor was: Tutti Frutti.   Waiting for the oven to pre-heat.  Waiting for the cake to bake.  More waiting . . ....

Since we celebrated my in-laws 50th Wedding Anniversary yesterday, I've been thinking about the first time I met them.  I've been thinking about how a lot of time has passed, but it doesn't feel that way.  When you hear the number of years that has passed, you think, "Doggone!  That's a lot of time." Except, we're just not that old.  When you look at the cousins and see that they're starting high school now, yep a lot of time has passed!  I remember when they were born, or when their mom and dad got married!! That only happened a few years ago.  But then, I look in the mirror, and I know not that much time has passed.  (Well- the only explanation for those kids starting high school is that they ate chicken with steroids in it, and now they're maturing crazy fast. It has nothing to do with the fact us adults are getting older.) I met Doug's parents maybe 2 months after we started dating?  I'm thinking it was in October some time.  They wer...

When I was about 10- 11 years old, I went to a sleep over, where the mother showed us: Friday the 13th, Halloween, and The Shining.   I was traumatized.  For life.  I've watched a few other scary movies over the years, but frankly- they're scary.  I remember them at the most inconvenient times: right before I go to bed when Doug is out of town, when I'm walking the dog at night, or when I wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.  (sometimes I wonder if I was just wiggling or did the bed shake because Satan is waiting to possess my soul and then I'll projectile vomit from my mouth while I scream terrible bad words?) Anyway, I'm not a fan of scary movies.  I've never showed Andrew anything scary.  The craziest I have gotten is Harry Potter.  I thought about easing him into scary movies this summer with some Jurassic Park.  I just haven't yet. Andrew, unfortunately, seems to have my penchant for over-active imagination. ...

Y'all, I am losing my mind.  I am so unfocused.  I can't figure out what direction I am going in.  I feel scattered and loosey goosey. I start one thing, but get distracted and don't finish it because I am doing something else.  Today I made reservations for a weekend trip, while in the midst of doing that, Andrew started to walk out the door.  I had just told him we were leaving to go to the bank in a minute, but he escaped anyway.  If I let him get full and out the door, then I would have to round him up from the outer reaches of the galaxy.  I throw open the door, I'm clapping and waving him back in, all while I am trying to talk to this lady, make my reservations, gather up some papers to take to the bank, my purse, keys, Alexa- who has no shoes on.  I'm trying to lock the door, get in the car, still make these reservations, give my credit card number, ask questions, listen to what she's telling me, start the car, back out of the drive way wit...

When I was a sophomore in high school, my family hosted a foreign exchange student, from Spain, for the school year.  He and his family recently came to visit.  They spent July 4th with us.  He was telling Doug, that while I was in high school I was over-dramatic and would over react to small things.  I told Doug- "No worries.  What he's telling you isn't translating well.   He really means I was very level headed."  Doug just nodded.  I don't think it was in agreement though. This morning Alexa and I were enjoying our new pack of 40 gel pens.  Oh what a glory those are! I love to enjoy Alexa without her brother around.  She's a totally different animal,when she's not having to fend him off, or fight for attention.  There we sat, jamming to whatever song she chose, coloring, and her talking a mile a minute. So many colors!!!! What to choose?! Hehehe, I will choose this song Mom hates.  And, I will dance to this...

You know, generally, this blog is intended to be humorous.  Light.  Frothy.  Hopefully, unoffensive.  However, after this week in particular, I find myself wondering, what in the world is happening to our country?!  I'm confused.  I'm worried.  I'm alarmed.  I'm sad.  I'm possibly uninformed. Stick with me.  This is all connected I promise. Roughly 5-6 years ago, Common Core came into existence.  For 5 years people have hated it.  Oh sure.  It can be confusing.  But here's the thing.  It's teaching our kids how to think.  In this day and age of technology, information is at their finger tips.  We can look up anything on the internet.  The information is there.  Our children don't need to memorize information anymore.  My kids are masters of looking up information on the internet.  Alexa and I spend a good chunk of time looking up how diamonds are cut, how cotton candy is made, an...

I got 4 glorious hours alone this morning.  This is the first time this summer, I have been without a kid.  About a week ago, I had a mini-meltdown.  Doug, as usual, was mystified by my meltdown.  It's the same one I have every summer.  He goes to work Mon-Thursday 7:30- 5:30.  He travels to Raleigh, Greensboro, and FFA Camp.  I'm home.  24 hours a day with kids.  Never getting a chance to do my own thing, on my own terms. In some ways, this summer is worse than others because Andrew stays up late, sometimes I fall asleep before he officially goes to bed.  While Andrew may be in his room watching tv, and I'm in my room reading, he frequently comes in during commercial breaks to update me on whatever insanely hilarious thing happened on the Disney comedy he's watching.  That's not alone time.  That's reading, with a kid coming in and interrupting me.  In other ways, it's better than other summers because I do get  more...

It's been a rough 2 days. Yesterday, I was at the pool with a friend and her children.  Our kids were playing, and we were chatting it up, when I suddenly got stung by a wasp- right on my jaw!!!!!!!!!  Now- as a small child, I was very allergic to wasps, and had to be rushed to the hospital, because after I got stung I couldn't breathe. One day last year, I got stung for the 2nd time in my entire life, by a wasp. I didn't stop breathing, but my hand swelled up like I had elephantiasis.  Since I got stung last year, and my breathing passages did not swell shut, I wasn't particularly concerned about having to be rushed to the emergency room, when the wasp stung me at the pool.  Although- let's take a minute to think of my poor friend!  Can you imagine?!! We had 5 kids, and we were in bathing suits. What a lot of excitement we would have brought to the emergency room! Thankfully my smart friend thought to make me dash home and take 2 Benadryl, because my face h...