TV blog off

So, we used to do this thing called a "blog off" we would pick a topic and all blog about it. We kids stopped for a while, but Tracey had the idea that we should all blog about our favorite t.v. shows, so here we go again, and feel free to join in bloggers!!!

I must start by saying that my relationship with t.v. shows is kinda weird. I will get really into a show and watch it all the time, and then the infatuation wears off. So, what I may like now, I may not like next season. I'm not a huge t.v. watcher, but I do enjoy crawling into my bed, and losing myself in a show :-)

Here we go.....

American Idol. I used to watch this show a few seasons ago, then got bored with it. I decided to give it a try since the judges are new this year, and I do like it mucho better. I think Jennifer Lopez is too cool, and Steven Tyler is a funny guy. However, I can already feel my infatuation wearing.

Glee. Last season I was IN LOVE with this show, it was my new obsession. However, I have been disappointed in it this season, but I do still DVR it, and watch it. I feel like I can't just give up on it. I keep holding out that it will improve, if it doesn't by next season I will quit.

WNTW. This is What Not to Wear. Now, I have watched this show for years, and I don't ever see myself giving this one up. I just LOVE watching people get makeovers, and Stacy and Clinton (the hosts) crack.me.up!!! It's amazing to me how just dressing your body type the correct way, can make a person look sooooo much better, and of course I love to imagine myself getting a week in NYC with 5,000 dollars to spend!!!

Oprah, and Behind the scenes with Oprah. Yes, I'm one of those women who watch Oprah. I just like her. I don't always agree with her, but I like her. Then when I saw they were doing a behind the scenes thing, I knew I would like that. I enjoy watching how a show gets put together, and all the drama. Oh, and I'm sure I'll cry when her last episode airs ;-)

Paula's best Dishes. This would be Paula Deen, on the food network. I have my DVR set to record new episodes. They air tons of episodes, but I only want to catch the new ones. I just love her!! Oh, and her cutie patootie sons. I love to watch her cook, and look at her incredible kitchen, and wish I could eat all the things she makes! She just makes me happy.

So, that's about it. I do have other shows that I love, and if I run across them I will watch them, like The Andy Griffith Show ;-) But the above are my regulars, now after I read all my fellow bloggers lists, maybe I will try some other shows. So, have we now started the blog off's again??? I hope so :-)

Come on baby light my fire.

You know, when you get married you just don't know what the future holds. It's full of mystery, and you envision all the things that you think your future will look like. So, let me just say in my visions of the future, not one time did I imagine Paul would be getting into this next adventure.

One day, he and I had a little convo, and it went something like this....

(Oh, a little set up. Paul's right hand man down here, his really good friend, and I might say guy he has a little "bromance" with, is named Sharky, and Sharky is a volunteer firefighter)

Rico: "I went on a run with Sharky last night"

Me: "Oh yeah, was that fun?"

Rico: "Well, yeah, it was...... Oh, and you know they really need help there...."

Me: "(I must say my senses went up) Oh yeah, and ???"

Rico: "How would you feel if I joined?"

This is where I will end the conversation ;-) After a lot of talk about it, I decided I would give my blessing. I had a lot of hesitation about it, but I also know that Rico loves to help people, that's who he is. If not for his chrone's disease he would have been a police officer, or in the service probably. He's missed out a lot of life because of his disease and I want him to live it to the fullest. He's started training, and his man sent me some pics from their full day yesterday.

That's him right in the middle.
Believe me, this I never envisioned.

Bless his little heart.

Daddy has been away for a few days, in Chicago for training. He finally made it home last night, and all is well again, but whenever he's gone, something goofy seems to happen. It's always those things, that freak my kids out, and only daddy can fix. Well, the other night, one of those Amber alerts comes across the t.v., and they start talking about missing kids, and description of the ones that may have taken them. Pierce is very aware about stuff these days, and when he heard that, it scared him bad.

My poor child spent an hour under the desk (excuse the quality, just took it with my cell phone) I think it's sad he's aware that bad things do happen. Hope's still pretty oblivious. ;)Last night, I decided to be super mom and take them to Chuck E Cheese. Okay, don't nominate me for sainthood yet, it was actually "Natcher night" so a portion of whatever we spent, is donated to his school. I thought it would be a good reason to go, and since daddy was still gone, a good way to distract.
And let me tell you about this little girl. This is Pierce's best friend (and I do believe first crush) and when she came walking into Chuck E Cheese last night, Pierce was beside his self. Nervous, and excited. Like I said, Bless his little heart .

This is the dress that proves Tracey right.

Let me share a little story with you all...

Weeks back, I was shopping in Wal-Mart and hating every minute of it, I decided I would text Tracey to share my misery, and the conversation went something like this....

Gretchen : "Tell me why whenever I come to Wal-Mart, I always pick the line with the crazy cat lady that has 876 cans of cat food to scan??"

Tracey: "I thought we agreed, that Wal-Mart was of the devil"

Gretchen: "It is, but I'm trying to be frugal"

Tracey: "You and the word frugal do not belong in the same sentence"

**Hmpf** I am frugal....right????

Okay, fast forward another couple weeks, and I lost my mind, people I plum lost it. I spent more on one dress for Hope than I ever have. As I was paying for it, I realized Tracey was right. **Double Hmpf** I won't tell you how much I spent, because I'm afraid I might lose my 10's of readers. But beware, you might see Hope in this dress A LOT. I actually plan on her graduating high school in it, getting married in it, and passing it on to my grandchildren. So, here it is......the dress that I plum lost my mind on.

Family, Friends, and a really tacky gift.

Another whirlwind trip to Indiana this weekend. It's pretty tiring to pack, pack up entertainment for the kids, keep kids entertained, drive two hours one way, stop for pee breaks, break up multiple fights, and find good songs on the radio that I can belt out, but it's worth it.....even though we missed daddy ;(

Friday night, my sister and her boys came to mom and dad's for dinner and just to hang. Jo-Jo loves her Hopie (aka, Tinkerbell)

And let me tell you, Pierce A-D-O-R-E-S his cousins, Nathan and Cody, literally hung the moon.
See that look? It's adoration for Nathan.
It was really nice to eat and just hang out together.....

And on Saturday I was able to spend some time with some of my girlies. Jami had a 31 party, which I had never been to one, so we hung out, ate too much (3 cupcakes right here, and that doesn't include the other stuff ;0) I also ordered some cute stuff for the kiddos, and I'm totally excited about what I'm going to do with it!! Stay tuned.....Left to Right, Melanie, Jill, Jami, me, and Tracey. So fun to all be together. Love my friends ;-)Sunday, we did more of what we do best!! EAT.
And Hope did what she does best. POSE.
Look, aren't they sweet, they play together so well, and never fight....
Maybe this is a little more typical these days..... ;)
Thank God for sisters!!! Funny how NOT close Jo and I were growing up, and now we couldn't be much closer. Oh, and it's pretty funny that the bow on the rocker looks like Jo's wearing it. ha!

It's really quite adorable what a 16 year old will do for his little cousins. He will play ball with the 6 year old....And color with the 3 year old. Too sweet ;)
Time to leave, and a picture with Neena and Papaw.
Really fun weekend, and kids are already asking when we can go back!!

So, I mention a tacky gift, right??

Let me tell you a little something about Tracey. She somehow has taken to getting me really tacky gifts..... One year I watched Levi for them when they went on vacation, and she said "I bought you something really awesome, I can't wait to give it to you" I open it, and it's a key chain, a CROC key chain (I don't have love for those little croc shoes) it was bright orange, and also said "I love Paul" I stood there and tried to compose a fake "I love it" when she busts out laughing. Let's see the next year, after visiting the beach she brought me back a shell ring. Like those kind we used to wear in 7th grade ;) And now this....
It's a "sock purse" She texted me the other day "I bought you something, to show off in front of your new Bowling Green friends" HA!! I love it Tracey, and I can't wait to see what you do next for me, you've set the standard high.

Gorgeous with a capital G.

I'm not talking bout' myself. That would be the weather this weekend! Don't you wish that everyday was as nice as Saturday and Sunday have been?

On Saturday we took the kids to the park to ride bikes and play. We weren't the only ones with that bright idea, must have been 300 people at the park. Checking out the pond.
Insert more playtime on Saturday, and just kickin' around at home. We don't have our "go to" couples to hang out with anymore, so most weekends are spent at home....

We went to church today, and then hit McDonald's with the kiddos....
Another thing going on here, is we're getting rid of the toddler bed. Hope is moving on up to a big girl bed ;( I'll post pics when we get all the bedding done. Kids have had a kick playing around on the bed though, Pierce still fits in it!! Crazy, since it's actually a crib mattress.

Little man asleep....right?? ;)
Bye-Bye toddler stuff!!!!
Also, been playing lots of dress up!!!
Oh, and check out the consignment store find. Little jean skirt and sweater for a steal. See Tracey, I can be thrifty ;-)
Typical.
Well off to enjoy some of this weather!! Taking kids on a walk......

This n' That

Sometimes, you just want to post certain tidbits so you wont forget them, this may go a little all over the place...

I took both the kids for well check ups, by doing so, money will go into our HSA. Both kids checked out perfect. Pierce is in the 50th percentile for height and weight, and Hope is in the 20th for both height and weight.

Something funny Pierce told his daddy and I....."Sunday's are my favorite day of the week, you can rest, it's more quiet, and there aren't people coming and going all day long" HA! He sounded like an old man.

And lastly....

Hope has an imaginary friend, her name is Katie. The other day while getting ready for school Hope said to me "Momma, Katie's daddy is sick, and we need to pray for healing for him" So, by golly, he's been added to our nightly prayers. Nothing like praying for an imaginary person......Also, Hope told me about "naughty boys in her class, that call people names, awful names like, chicken" Gotta love the drama of a 3 year old ;)

That is all for now :-)

If I ever die, I might be replaced real fast.

You remember we just had a great loss? You know, the loss of Rico's love, our beloved t.v. We've had mourning, and wearing ash cloth, and I wasn't sure how there would be recovery. However, I learned something, when Rico loses a love, he will replace it. Fast.

Would you help us welcome the new love of Rico's life......the new t.v. Seriously people, if I die, he might replace me just as quick! If so, please feel free to hunt him down ;-)

Of course, I kid ;) We've all been pretty happy about our new t.v., and we also had another surprise to spring on the kiddos. We decided it was time to break down and get them an x-box. We had to sell Paul's years back, and now we can do some fun things for the kids. Here they are when we told them....
And it's all about the kids right?? Only the kids are excited, right??

Who am I kidding....Daddy says, it's all for the kids, but he's not fooling me!!
It didn't take long, and they were in the heat of the battle.
And it also didn't take long for miss thang to get bored, and go back to being a princess ;)

Progress Report

Pierce brought home his first progress report from Natcher. Since I am not in the field of education, I'm not really sure how much reports from kindergarten mean, but I am sure proud!!!

A few things I want to jot down....."Pierce's attitude toward school is positive. He completes tasks that are asked of him in a confident manner and always tries his best. Pierce has done a great job in reading and math. In reading we are working on what to do if we get to a word that we do not know (sounding out, looking at pictures and deciding if makes sense or not) In math, we are working on number sense with numbers up to 10 and geometry, including solid figures. Pierce always has a positive attitude and is willing to try new activities with confidence. I am proud of all the progress Pierce has made and I am glad to have him in my class!" ...this was a note from his teacher, Miss Hurt.

Also, he participated in the G~MADE (Group Mathematics Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation) it's a diagnostic tool to see where his math skills are and what needs to be taught. Pierce's total score based on Concepts and Communication, Process and Applications was an 8, which indicates above average overall performance in mathematics at this level. Also, his GSV (growth scale value) was a 478, anything greater than 474 would reflect a higher mathematic performance for kindergarten students.

I sure don't want to appear as a bragger, but I'm super proud of how he's doing in school so far!!! Keep up the good work buddy!!! :-)

Donuts with Dads, Muffins with Mom, and a big ol' surprise!!!

We have had a very fun week here at the Bush's!! All this week at Pierce's school was the Book Fair (didn't you just love the book fair as a kid??) In conjunction with the book fair, Pierce's school had special days for the parents to come (this I might add, very smart, we all spent a boatload on our kids!!!) Tuesday was 'Donuts with Dads' Cute!!! Of course, I sent Paul with specific instructions to take pictures, he made me proud....

Paul spent almost 30 dollars, HA!!! Like I said, smart move on the school's part ;-)They had a carnival theme. It was very well done.
Good job daddy!!!
Wednesday was 'muffins with moms' Ahhhh, I just loved it.

Check out some of this reading material!! WOW. It sure has changed the last year or so. ALL BOY STUFF!!!Move to Thursday. This was grandparents day, and since the grandparents now live either 2 or 9 hours away, I wasn't sure that Pierce would have any that could come. Meemaw and Grandpa, couldn't make it (9 hours away!!!) of course they wanted to be there, but totally understandable. My parents decided to come down, but we all decided to make it a surprise. Shew, that was hard to keep!!! Pierce, kept saying things to me like "well, I guess I wont have anyone there" I just kept trying to play it off. Hope had no idea either!! So, around 8:00 Thursday morning, there was a knock at the door, I said to Hope "Hopie, there's a surprise at the door, come see" and the next few moments were priceless, luckily my dad captured a picture as she saw them at the door!!!

SO surprised to see her Neena and Papaw at the door!!!
We headed on to Pierce's school. I was so excited!!!

My parents waited in the library and I went to get Pierce. When he saw me he said "what are you doing here, your not my grandparent" and then I think he smelled something suspicious...
Thank goodness my dad is a camera obsessed man, yes I give him a hard time, but he caught some priceless moments. Pierce was so surprised!! He just kept smiling and turned bright red. It was a moment I wont ever forget.
Love that my parents drove 2 hours for this.
My children are so blessed to have two sets of grandparents that love them dearly.
We even all came back for lunch with Pierce that day. Seriously, he was like a little rock star ;)

Hope was all in that action too!! She loves going to her brothers school for lunch!!My parents stayed through dinner. My mom and I took the kids on a bike walk, and Pierce brought home, Harvey the Hippo again, so we had to get pics of them with Harvey!!
Harvey even ended the night with us at Red Lobster.
It's been a great, fun week. Very thankful to my parents for coming, and to my dad for the pictures. We love you guys!