_Web Savvy Mom_

Where To Start...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Tue, 29 May 2012 10:08:00 PDT

Besides the weekly Wordless Wednesday post I’ve been throwing up on this blog for the last six weeks, I haven’t been blogging. There have been a lot of exciting things going on in my life and most notably, I resigned from my full-time web job and started a new one where I don’t do any web work at all. It’s extremely exciting and challenging and after six weeks I remind myself that there is no way I’ll be able to know everything so quickly.

And I’m writing.
A lot.
For the new job.

So now that I am at my new job, Tim isn’t taking two online courses for his Master’s and Troy’s soccer is over, we have reclaimed our weekends.

*We have repainted our shed.

We invite friends over for part of Memorial Day weekend.

The same friends who will be going to Costa Rica with us at the end of June for a week.

We have gone to The Neighbors’ lake house in North Carolina. The kids picked up some of the chickens.

The dogs run around like they’re being chased. We take the kids out tubing in the boat. We visit friends on the lake by boat because it’s faster than the road.

Then we come home to unwind by our pool and admire the shed *we painted at the start of the long weekend.

*We refers to my husband doing most of it but I did roll three out of the four sides and pull off the tape.

Wordless Wednesday - Not for the Squeamish

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:27:00 PDT

This is one way to avoid a follow-up trip to the doctor. Give my mother-in-law a drink, tweezers and an X-Acto knife.

Wordless Wednesday - He's a Lover, Not a Fighter

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:32:00 PDT

Tucker, 11 months, with Carson. He has grown quite a bit since we picked him up over Labor Day.

Wordless Wednesday - Haircuts, Head Bumps, Helmets and Horses

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:32:00 PDT

While waiting for his haircut last week, Troy decided he could fly when his name was called and hit his head on the magazine rack in the waiting room. We had to get four stitches in his forehead. It's only been six months since the bowling ball attack. This is why there was no hesitation with him wearing a helmet at The Neighbor's birthday party at the barn.
See more of my (almost) Wordless Wednesday posts.

Wordless Wednesday - Big Brother Flashbacks

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:08:00 PDT

"Uncle Monkey" passed along his torture techniques he perfected on me when we were young to Troy.

Run for your lives!

Happy Easter

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:24:00 PDT

Wishing everyone a happy Easter.

Lost in Translation

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 07:28:00 PDT

Conversation with Troy while he's supposed to be brushing his teeth before school this morning.

Me: Troy, do you want to buy lunch today at school?

Troy: What are we having?

Me: Chicken nuggets

Troy: What else?

Me: I don't know but I know you like chicken nuggets.

Troy: Can you look on the iPad?

{{Curious now, I go and look at the full menu}}

Me: It's chicken nuggets, buttered noodles, steamed corn and applesauce.

Troy: What are "buddered beetles?"

{{Me laughing}}

Me: Buuuuuttered Noooo-dles

{{Troy grins realizing his mistake.}}

Troy: I don't want "Buddered Beetles."

What isn't lost in translation is Troy's blossoming soccer skills.

GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!

Then he's ready at kick-off again.

The life of a soccer Mom continues this weekend.

Wordless Wednesday - Help with The Help

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 05:27:00 PDT

Someone kept interrupting my attempts at reading The Help last night.

So far, it's a good book without a 75lb black lab on my lap. See more of Tucker!

Random Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:38:00 PDT

We've had record high temperatures lately that trickled into major spring cleaning this past weekend. All flower beds were weeded, vegetable garden raked, the grass mowed, trimmed and watered while the pool was skimmed of leaves and the hot tub was emptied, scrubbed and refilled. No wonder Tim was tired and sore on Sunday night.

I was busy cleaning the inside of the house.

After four separate visits to the post office, we finally had an appointment this week to send off Troy's passport application. We are now one step closer to our Costa Rica vacation in 14 weeks. But first, we have our annual family vacation in OBX (Outer Banks, NC) in June.

I'm certain that if I didn't vacuum a few times a week that my obituary would say I died from dog hair suffocation. One problem with having a yellow and a black lab is that where one hair doesn't show up on the floors, pillows, blankets, rugs, the other one does.

My birthday was two weeks ago which means I've had my iPhone for 54 weeks now. I would absolutely be lost without it at this point.

On my birthday, I created this video entirely on my iPhone while watching House Hunters International.

Created. On. My. iPhone.

My love for Pinterest continues. My most recent discovery from that site was a DIY solution to stubborn carpet stains. It was a combination of water, dish soap, vinegar and baking soda. All of the puppy stains from the last nine months are gone.

The Hunger Games is in theaters and I may just have to see it soon. I read the book after work one night last April and the second and third of the triology within the week. They are quite good.

*Photo courtesy of Julie Dreelin's Beach Productions.

Wordless Wednesday - From the Sidelines

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 06:41:00 PDT

Besides soccer, we were doing serious Spring cleaning in our house all weekend.

Troy loves to give me dandelions. And rocks.

Waiting for the game to start.

Troy and Mo actually passed it to each other to score a goal.

See more of my Wordless Wednesday posts.

Wordless Wednesday - All I Need is a Minivan

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:44:00 PDT

Soccer has started again.

I'll be happy when it warms up a bit.

See more of my Wordless Wednesday posts.

Wordless Wednesday - Bad to the Bone

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:43:00 PST

The dogs got a treat on Saturday that was more their size.

Tucker with his eyes on the prize

See more of my Wordless Wednesday posts.

Strike a Pose

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 07:00:00 PST

Troy has come a long way over the years for picture day. There is a gap in the early years at daycare where he flat out refused to get his picture taken.

As is tradition, we practice a smile the morning of before he gets in front of the real photographer.

You can view some previous attempts here.

2008 at age 2

2009 at age 3

I take his picture so frequently that I get this fake smile or just showing his teeth only.

Spring 2012, age 5

His father told him that when it's his time to smile to think about "Mommy farting in the bathtub." Last year, Tim told him that instead of saying "cheese" he should say "Hooters!"

Wordless Wednesday - This Old House

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 05:53:00 PST

Just Shoot Me

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:00:00 PST

This past weekend we traveled south of the border into North Carolina to a small area known as Gum Neck. It's considered part of the Outer Banks although located inland along the Sound.

We stayed at my best friend Kim's husband's grandmother's place.

(I should get extra points for all of the apostrophes used in the previous sentence. Not that I'm keeping score but if I were, I'd win.)

Despite a record setting 82F degrees the day before, the temperature was in the low 40s, with 30-40 mph winds.

Here I am out of the wind.

Here I am in the wind.

The day's agenda was simple.

Not do a damn thing.

The exception was to enjoy a few drinks, explore the old house on the property and shoot guns.

This suited all of us just fine.

Adjusting for the gale force winds, we all took turns shooting the target.

I must have done a good job.

More wind adjustments by Kim.

After more drinks and lunch, we explored the old house on the property.

Continuing with the day's agenda of not doing a damn thing, we wandered around the fields with the kids. Troy could be the next Jim Cantore on The Weather Channel.

Taking a shot with JPK.

I couldn't go without taking a self-portrait shot with Kim.

Just like our day the sunset didn't disappoint either.

Wordless Wednesday - Under the Sea

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:48:00 PST

The Virginia Aquarium in my town.

See more of my Wordless Wednesday posts.

Wordless Wednesday - Just Dance

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:45:00 PST

I purchased Just Dance 2 for the Wii over the weekend and my only regret is that I didn't buy it sooner.

Neighbor Mo with Troy doing a little disco.

It's a lot of fun to do and to watch.

Here are The Neighbors doing a Bollywood number.

I'm finding new Wii muscles every time.

A Valentine's Day Heart Attack

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:05:00 PST

For Valentine's Day, Troy will wake up to a "heart attack" on his bedroom door.

Happy Valentine's Day! We have the same wishes as last year.

Wordless Wednesday - Their Time to Shine

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:35:00 PST

Soak up the sun y'all.

This isn't their first rodeo in this location.

The Farting Double Standard

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:22:00 PST

There are a lot of things on my mind these days and none are really related to each other. In no particular order, here are a few.

I listen to the radio every day. On average, it’s about 12 hours a day. Twelve.
I wake up at 6 a.m. to a particular radio station and flip between it and two others throughout the day. One station in particular has a set list that they don’t stray from and ultimately take a song I like and play it every hour to The Point that I violently grab the radio to switch stations.

The Super Bowl party we attended at The Newlyweds’ house was a lot of fun. It’s a shame they can’t have the game on Saturday. Here is a customary self-portrait with one of the hosts, Jay.

And Jay's sister, Terri, filling out her squares for the pool.

Someone in my town won $1 million for their Doritos Super Bowl commercial. I think of commercial ideas all the time.

Serious illnesses can happen to anyone regardless of the amount in your bank account. We only have one body so we need to take care of it as best we can. Sometimes that isn’t enough. But a positive attitude makes a huge difference. I’m very proud a good friend and how she has handled breast cancer. She may have cancer but it doesn’t have her.

Recent email conversation with the same friend.

Her: Hey, when was "Jane's" birthday?

Me: It was four days ago.

Her: So I missed it?

Me: Yes, unless you want to be REALLY early for her next birthday. I think you should mention you have cancer to get out of this one.

I don’t understand why there is a farting double standard in my house. If my husband or son farts, it prompts giggles and high fives. If their pretty wife/mother does it, it’s disgusting and gross.

It’s always a good time in my house when The Laugher visits. Within minutes, I was telling her about a recent Modern Family episode that she had missed and was in tears. If you are not watching that show, you are missing out. I have the first two seasons on DVD and play on syncing them to the iPad so I can watch on vacation in the Outer Banks and Costa Rica.

Pinterest is my semi-new favorite way to waste time online. I talked about it here but it's like having the Cliff's Notes to other cool websites. I tried out another new recipe for jalapeño pinwheels on Saturday that was a hit and so simple. You can find my boards here.

Wordless Wednesday (almost) - Cinderella, Get to Work

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:18:00 PST

She's one of my best friends.

Her husband brought a gift to share.

She cleans up when my child spills it on the kitchen floor.

We're looking forward to a week long vacation with them in Costa Rica this summer. Hoping to keep all hurricanes at bay.

Catching Up on Things

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:45:00 PST

In the last two weeks the following things have happened in no particular order.

Troy and I celebrated Neighbor Mo’s fifth birthday at Chuck E. Cheese. Her parents, The Neighbors, bribed me with beer.

Caroline and I spotted a blue eyed, curly haired red headed girl and decided if we were able to mate, she’d be our love child.

We had the honeymooners over last weekend. We've only seen them once since their Outer Banks beach wedding last May.

There was some beer being brewed and "lake tea" being fixed as they say around here. Lake Tea is a 50/50 mixture of tea infused vodka and lemonade.

We dined on beef stroganoff with homemade noodles from my mother-in-law.

A very typical picture of Tim and me in our kitchen.

Troy started swim lessons again twice a week. I sit on the uncomfortable bench and watch from the other side of the glass with the other parents. It’s a great time to get caught up on my Words with Friends games.
Tim has started taking online classes for his master’s degree from Virginia Tech. It’s going to be a long three years for him and the dynamics in the house.

Commandeering every blanket and pillow in the house creates the best fort allowed if you’re a 5-year old. If you look closely you can spot the side of his head under the coffee table.

The dogs continue their training of *not* sitting in the kitchen.

After a three year hiatus, I visited the OB/GYN. My regular doctor who looked like a real Barbie and delivered Troy left the practice three years ago to be a stay at home mom. Since I didn’t want to wait three more years for a female doctor, I agreed to see the new man who had joined the practice.

After waiting in the exam room for over 30 minutes in a toilet paper vest with matching blanket over my lap (and discussing this on Twitter) he came into my room and apologized for keeping me waiting.

We were approximately the same age and unlike my pale, freckled face, he has darker skin and hair.

The next thing he said, “I really like your hair.”

This caused me to instantly blush.

Then he continues with the exam of my lady parts.

I didn’t blush at all.

Afterwards, he said, “Everything looks great. You’re easy.”

Of course I am.

Wordless Wednesday - Dogs in a Tub

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:33:00 PST

Bath day isn't popular around here especially if you're Sandy Paws and Tucker. The rest of us just jump in the hot tub.

See more of my Wordless Wednesday posts.

An Interview with my 5-year old

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:55:00 PST

My Mommy

1. What is something mommy always says to you?
"Brush your teeth after breakfast."

2. What makes mommy happy?
"When I listen at school."

3. What makes mommy sad?
"When I'm bad at school and go on yellow or red."

4. How does your mommy make you laugh?
"Tickle me."

5. What was your mommy like as a child?
"She was like a toy."

6. How old is your mommy?
"I don't know."

7. How tall is your mommy?
"14 inches"

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
"Snuggle with me. "

9. What does your mommy do when you're not around?
"Call for Troy."

10. What is your mommy really good at?
"Checkers"

11. What is your mommy not very good at?
"Playing Connect 4."

12. What is your mommy's favorite food?
"All kind of food."

13. How are you and your mommy the same?
"We have the same kind of skin."

14. How do you know your mommy loves you?
"Because she kisses me."

15. How are you and your mommy different?
"We don't have the same hair."

View similar interview of Troy when he was 2-years old and 3 1/2-years old.

Daydreaming is Part of the Routine

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Thaxton) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:09:00 PST

Morning routines in our house are just that, routine. Married to Mr. Weighs His Own Meat and Rolls His T-shirts, any disruption to the routine causes his blood pressure to go up. Admittedly, I tend to do things in the same order every day too but a lot of time it gets disrupted by Troy or the dogs.

If I really need to remember something, I have to put my car keys on it. There have been many times my keys were chilled nicely as they sat on top of my potluck lunch contribution waiting in the fridge.

Recently, we have changed Troy’s routine in the morning to help him (and me!) be dressed in his uniform, belly full with breakfast and teeth brushed before he can watch any television. Then depending on how long it takes him, he doesn’t watch any cartoons before we dart out the door so he’s not late for school.

Clearly, cartoons were not that important since there was a lot of daydreaming going on this morning during breakfast.