Internet and Social Media Safety

I am going to get on my public address soap box today.  A friend of mine shared one of her friends posts about a man, and I use that term loosely,  that is stalking young girls on Facebook.   Here is my beef.  If you do not know someone personally why on earth would you be friends with them and open your whole life up to them on Facebook.  When I say personally, I mean a face to face knowledge of them.  Everyone on my Facebook I have a face to face relationship and I don't understand people just accepting friend requests if you do not know the person.   I think young people are especially guilty of this.  This is a dangerous practice because this is how pedophiles,  perverts,  and stalkers get started.  This is also how your profile picture could get stolen and a new  Facebook account could show up.  Think about all of the things that you share and the pictures that you post on social media.  Now would you want just anyone seeing these family pictures or knowing some of the things you might share. Please educate your kids if they are on social media.  I think kids are the most susceptible to these kind of things and they are also guilty of the over share on social media. 
We have been submerged in all of this technology and there is so much that we as adults still need to learn.  Do not forget about your kids,  they are conditioned to jump in and embrace all new things.  It is our job to remind them to be cautious.  The old look before you leap adage.  

There is something about my husband. . .

My dear hubby has some kind of charisma or something about him.  Last night he was going to get us pizza for dinner.  Our pizza place runs a special every Wednesday, large pizza for $6.  You just cannot beat that with a stick,  feeding 4 for $12 with leftovers for lunch.  So, hubby is off to pick up our order.  I lost track of the time and did not realize how long he had been gone.  He comes in with our pizzas and a 2liter drink too.  He was grining like the cat that ate the canary.   I asked him how he got the drink, because I sent him only enough $ for the pizza.  He just grinned and said it was all free.  The pizza place had misplaced our order and they decided to give him his order plus a drink free.  I had to laugh because in the last week he has gotten 10 cases of bottled water free for the football team,  a stack of coupons for free food also for the football team, free drinks for me just because and now free pizza.  He does not ask for these things, they just fall in his lap.  He bought a lottery ticket yesterday,  I will let you know how that goes. As my Dad says, I would rather have his luck than the best farm in Texas. 
There is just something about my dear hubby.   So glad he is mine.

Crockpot Mountain Stew

We have had a big, well what I consider big, temperature drop today.  With the temperature a little cooler it makes me hungry for my mama's Mountain Stew.  Our garden was a big success this year and we had lots of potatoes and a couple heads of cabbage and those two just scream Mountain Stew. 
Mom always made this on those cool days and it sure was good.   I only ate cabbage if it was in  her stew.  Since our garden did so well I cooked up a lot of extra recipes and froze them.   I have thawed my stew and put it in the crock pot for tonight.  Yummm
Here is moms recipe: 
1-2 lbs ground beef browned
2cans tomato sauce
3-4 potatoes cut up
1/2 head of cabbage
4 carrots cut up in bite size pieces
1 can tomato paste
1-2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbs oregano
2tbsp basil
Chili powder
Thyme
3tbsp cumin

Throw it all in the crock pot for 6-8 hours.  If you need more liquid add a little V8 juice.  Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, crackers, or tortilla chips.
If you want to speed the process up you can boil your potatoes and cabbage before you add them.  Also cook the carrots.  Add your seasonings for your taste. 
We will be enjoying this tonight after football practice. 

Dental work woes. . .

Had two dental implants earlier this week.The tooth pulling was not near as bad as having the implants.  I have been so sick the past two days, I am not sure if it was the anesthetic or just my headache or the combination of the two.  Geeze it was bad.  I am very dizzy today too.  Poor hubby is having to take another day off to babysit goofy me. 
To anyone I may have talked with via phone or text  the last two days I do apologize if I did not make sense.  I just remembered that the boat place called dear hubby about our boat but I do not remember what he said or what I told him.  I made hubby call them this morning to make sure everything was ok.
Hope I get over this loopy feeling today.   I have so much to do this week and cannot be bogged down.  

Teenage driver. . .

It is official,  we have a driver with a permit.  Ughhh, am I really old enough to have a teenage driver?  Yes, I guess I am. 
When I got my permit I wanted to drive everywhere.  Sprat does not want to drive at all.   I had to make him drive home from Big T's football practice.  He did well, he does need work on the turns.   I guess we will be going somewhere there are lots of turns to get some practice. 
Talking with a friend the other day and she said that our county is running out of funding for driver's education.  Big T will probably have to go for private instruction when that time comes.   That is not going to be cheap.  Guess I better set aside an envelope (Dave Ramsey) for future driver expenses.   

My Little Casanova. . .

Big T seems to be thriving in middle school.  I was terribly afraid of how things would go and I guess afraid for nothing.   He has one boy, a seventh grader, that he played baseball with that insists on trying to be mean to him.  So far Big T is taking it in stride.  
We went to the first middle school football game this week and I decided I would go later and give him some independent time with his friends.  When I got there I did not see him so I sat in the bleachers.   In a little bit here he comes with a crowd of boys and girls.  He looked so happy.
Dad picked him up and I waited for Sprat to finish up with his practice.  When we all got back home, dear hubby told me that BigT had a few female admirers.   Two little girls had bought him pudding cups at lunch.  He said don't tell mom, she will freak out.  
I am not freaking out yet.  Buying pudding cups at lunch is sweet.  I hope their moms don't get upset that they are spending their lunch money on some, in my dad's words,  hairy legged boy.   I am biased terribly but, my boys are very good looking.  They take after their daddy.  Stay tuned for the sixth grade updates.

Remembering 9/11

I was still working when the world fell apart in 2001.  I had an almost two year old little boy that had his whole future ahead of him.   We made it thru the Y2K scare right after he was born and now this. 
I don't remember exactly how we found out, I think a patient came in and told us.   My dear sweet hubby had flown out the day before to Dallas on business.  I was so shocked I had to stop and think where he was and when did he leave.  It was late that night before I was able to talk with him.   He was supposed to be in Dallas several days so I was not really worried about him trying to get home. 
I remember just sitting in front of the TV and crying, thinking how could soneone do something so horrific.  I kept thinking I have brought an innocent child into such a hateful world.  Something about looking into his sweet face full of hope and laughter, that was the only way I got through that.  I think everyone held on to their loved ones a little tighter during that year.   Goodness knows I did.  Hubby ended up driving home from Dallas, it took him 24 hours.  He had four other reps with him that he dropped off on the way to our house. 
We did not lose anyone personally during that time but my heart went out to all of those that did.   My heart still aches for all of those affected.   I hope we never forget how precious life is and that we should cherish everyday with our loved ones. 

Birthday week. . .

This week is Sprats' birthday and he is having a birthday week.  I was in college before I celebrated my birthday for a week.   Any who, we went to dinner on Monday so Sprat could have his favorite fish-n-chips and Tiramisu cake.   Yesterday he got to open one gift and had more cake.  He got socks.  Heeheeheehee  Thursday he will be starting again on the offensive line.  He will really celebrate this weekened when he gets his driving permit.  I will probably be locked in a paded room somewhere.  We will celebrate with family over the weekend.  Not sure I am going to be able to take all the cake that goes with all this celebrating.    So many great things happening in my sweet boys life.   Praying I can survive these teenage years.

Don't do what I do, do what I say do. . .

I am going to tell on myself just a little today.  When I was younger, before I had kids, I could string some expletives very easily.  Since having kids I have tried very hard not to do that so that I can set some sort of example.   I want to be a good role model for my kids and I try very hard on daily things.  I don't liter and when I see it out in the yard or in the neighborhood I pick it up.  I try to  help people out whenever I can because I want my kids to do the same.  You really want your kids to catch you doing the right thing because you want them to grow up and do the same.
Ok, so here is the tell.   One day Sprat and his dad were playing checkers and evidently dad was winning.  Sprat cannot stand to lose, even at the early age of  4.   Sprat made a move and dad made a couple jumps to win and Sprat said, "damn it."    He said it in perfect inflection too.  Needless to say dad was not happy and proceeded to ask where he had heard those words before.  Dad went on to say that he better not be playing or hanging around people that talk that way.   They went on about their way and played another couple of games with no expletives.   The next day Sprat comes up to my dear hubby and very innocently asks, "dad am I not allowed to play with mommy any more?'  My husband did not know exactly what to say till he realized what his dear son was asking?   At that point I was the one in trouble.  It is funny how our kids can make us feel about two inches tall.  I said from that point on I would do my best not to say anything I did not want repeated.  I am not perfect and I never claim to be.  I have slipped here and there just like everyone else and my youngest calls me on it every time.    All we can do is our best, to be good role models for our kids.
So there is my tell on myself today.  I am sure each of you have had some of your own.   Just know that you are not alone and this to shall pass.

These babies grow so fast. . .

I think I am having a mid-life crisis.  I know I said that earlier and this may be my theme for this year.   My oldest is getting ready to turn 15 and will get his permit.  He plays football on the JV team and seems to be doing well.  I hardly see him during the week because of school and practice.   He really is growing up, how could I have let this happen.  I still see those chipmunk cheeks and that toothy grin.
Big T is also growing in to his own this year in middle school.  He seems to be adjusting to changing classes too.  He is quite excited about his technology class and he really likes his teacher.   They are working in robotics and rockets. 
This is going to be a crazy year.  Imagine if I am this bad now,  how bad I will be when they graduate.  Just be ready  for a lot of sappy, crazy, and goofy mom stories.