I can't BELIEVE...

...that I forgot to share this with you!!!  I got this

in the mail last week and I MUST admit...I squealed like a girl!!!  I submitted pages for this book over a year ago and it just felt soo good to know that I finally get to see my work in print!  Not that I've been published hundreds of times or anything but I just NEVER see me getting tired of it!  Wanna see?

Oh...you wanna see a closer view of each?  Pleased to oblige!!!

BARBERSHOP DUET: These are pictures that John and I took after the first time I visited the barbershop to have my 'fro shaped up

LAKE LOVERS: Just pix of the hubbs, me and the littlest hanging out at the lakefront one day

 

SOLEMN FAMILY FOURTH: These pix were taken a few years ago at my parents' house.  Even though it was the 4th of July, I was soo sad because my grandfather passed away that morning.

hello DOGGIE.  This is one of my parents' in Florida's dogs.  They were protection and company for my mom after my Daddy passed away.  Stripe got really sick but he didn't leave this earth until his son was old enough to look after "Mom"...that's dedication!!

This being published thang is soo addictive...I'm really gonna make some time soon to submit more of my work!

SOOO the man

had a birthday at the beginning of the month and I had the BEST time pulling together a celebration for him...because he said not to!  There are people who do soo much for everyone else and never expect anything for themselves.  My husband is that kinda dude...and I appreciate his selfless spirit.  So, every opportunity I get to celebrate him I do.  We had a small party at my parents' house and I made mustache props for the pix...here's the littlest boy trying them out for me:

One of his godmothers took Kea to a kids' party for a couple of hours to give me some time to set up

We had some yummies

and I even made my husband's birthday cake and muffins!

I decorated the top with a chocolate 45 and I think it took about two HOURS for my family to figure out why...GENIUSES!!!!  It was really awesome before the heat melted the wording but Blogger's being a butt right now and I can't upload the picture...I'll show you once I've finished scrapping the pix!  I'm not Betty Crocker yet but it was pretty tasty!!!  I'll be on the BALL once I get a decorating class under my belt!!!

My husband had friends drive in from out of town to celebrate with him and a few of my friends and family joined us.  

My brother and law 

and sister were there celebrating their future little one!  I'm pretty sure she's having a girl the way Kea was hovering around her all day!

They started playing cards which always ends up loud and long...I can't really play spades so I just laughed as they talked trash and drank (thanx to the Lindseys for the Amaretto daiquiri and Diletia for the Heinnies!!!).

The best part was that everybody had fun with the 'staches:

but my Granny just TOOK THE PRIZE:

(sometimes she's hilarious without even knowing it!!!)

I think the man really enjoyed himself because he's already talking about NEXT YEAR'S party!

  UHHHN!!!!

OK...now we're off to celebrate Mahd's day!!! 

There's just never...

...any rest for the weary mommy!!!  About two weeks ago, one of my aunties had surgery.  John and I visited her the day after and I promised to check on her again in a few days.  A couple of days later, Kea had a dentist's appointment so I decide to get the most outta my gas tank and combine trips.  After we left the dentist and took care of a few errands, we dropped Ahmad at football practice and utilized those two hours to visit my aunt.  We sat with her for about an hour and a half and went back to the field.  Mahd still wasn't finished when we arrived so I settled in to talk to my sister in Texas while we waited.  Kea climbed on my lap and I remember telling my sister that he felt like a hot box.  Now, I wasn't alarmed because his body temperature is naturally high (hence one of his nicknames...HOT DADDY!)and it WAS 100 degrees out that day.  Plus, he never stopped playing...he wasn't lethargic like you'd expect.  Well, we got home and he was zonked out and I just thought he was TOO CUTE so of COURSE I snapped a picture:

 Well, we got inside and he was still warm so I stripped him naked...that's how he normally rolls anyway!  After we had been here for about twenty minutes, he climbed into my lap and he was STILL a hot box and I knew.  He either caught something from one of the kids at the dentist's office or at the hospital and his temperature was 102.8.  So, we did what we normally do and alternated Tylenol and Motrin.  He never stopped playing but he woke up a couple of nights soo congested and once his nose was running all over the pillow...niice!!!  But, the fever subsided and we were just dealing with the congestion and cough.  Well, I fell asleep on the sofa Friday night and John awakened me around 3am with Kea in his arms and said, "Listen".  When Keanohn coughed he LITERALLY sounded like a puppy...or a seal barking.  It scared the HIZZIE outta me.  I took it for as long as I could...about 30 minutes...and then we packed him into the truck and drove to Children's Hospital...where the doctor told us he had croup. 

Croup (or laryngotracheobronchitis) is a respiratory condition that is usually triggered by an acute viral infection of the upper airway. The infection leads to swelling inside the throat, which interferes with normal breathing and produces the classical symptoms of a "barking" cough, stridor, and hoarseness. It may produce mild, moderate, or severe symptoms, which often worsen at night. It is often treated with a single dose of oral steroids; occasionally epinephrine is used in more severe cases.

The doctor told us he has a very contagious virus which brought on the croup.  So, we've kept him inside as much as possible which means...of course ...Mommy is all caught up!  I HATE being sick...especially because I'm in the middle of painting our house and reorganizing.  It's a good thing that I recognize how busy the devil is when you're trying to accomplish something so I just keep pushing on!

I can't believe this 

is one of my final assignments for the Examiner.com!!!  I have an assignment to turn in today and then one next week...THAT'S IT!!!  Irene  has been SUCH a pleasure to work for...I'll really miss it!  But, where one door closes...yada yada yada!!!  You can check out some of my work on the Platinum Scraps challenge blog (this

is my latest project for them)and of COURSE HERE.  I haven't forgotten that I promised to share pix of my hubb's birthday celebration but it'll have to wait a little longer...Mahd's birthday is this week and I have another celebration to plan...told ya...no rest!!!!

My husband turned...

...45 on the 2nd.  As I do with for every holiday or event, I pulled out my craft yummies and made a card for him from his wife as well as from Kea.  When my boys were babies I took great joy in putting the pen in my right hand and writing messages "from them".  But, John told me for Mother's Day he wrote a message on a sheet of paper and Kea wrote it inside my card himself.  So, I decided to do the same for Daddy's card.  I gave Kea this

card that I made using the May and June Kreatorville Kraft kits and told him we would be writing on the INNNNSIDE!  That was cool with him.  But then I gave him this

and told him we he would be writing these words and he said, "No...I'll write an H!"  I'm like fo REAL OCD when it comes to stuff like this but my mind was like, "Chill.  Let him attempt the H and if it doesn't turn out right...THEN you beat him!!!"  But GUESS WHAT???  He SAID he would write it and HE DID!!!  I started thinking, if he can write an H from memory MAYBE he can write the other letters, too!!!  So, I took the cheat sheet away and just told him which letters to write and he produced this

We had some kreative differences over placement as the HAPPY extends down into the BIRTH and the D in DAY somehow got sent to the end of the line...and WHAT in the HIZZIE is going on with that E???  I THINK he heard OCTOPUS instead of E!  But...it CLEARLY says Happy Birthday KEA and I'm TOOOO stoked!!!  I like this lil kid...I like him a LOT!!!!


In scrappy news, I got an email last month where THIS lady asked if she could interest me in teaching an online webinar.  UMMM...dude?  SERIOUSLY???  For future reference if anyone out there has similar endeavors for me you DON'T NEED TO ASK!!!  Send me an email telling me what's due and WHEN...I am SOOO there!!!  I'm pretty excited to see my name all up on the Get It Scrapped site

in conjunction with all those hard hitters!  Does that mean I rock as hard as them?  Why, yes...I think it DOES!!!(Go to the website if you're interested in getting some great ideas to jump start your kreativity!!!)  I was also asked to join a scrappy team which is near and dear but I'll wait until THEY tell you before I DO!!!  I guess since it's 3:30 am I should LAY MY BOOGIE DOWN!!!  Be back soon with some new scrappiness and pix from the hubbs' birthday barbecue!

Don't disturb this groove.

PLEASE!  I'm REALLY enjoying this kreative streak that I've been on.  I'm relieved to look at pictures and have a title magically materialize in my brain. I kreated these for a swap we have coming up (maybe I need to do a few more smaller items to REALLY kick my kreativity into gear!!!).  And I never stopped kreating my pages for the Examiner...gotta make the donuts!!!!  But, I'm loving that I'm seeing challenges and I'm up to participating again!!!  I've seen a couple that I plan to use to jump start some projects by the end of the month but I completed this

 and this

which were both inspired by the current sketch at Creative Scrappers.  The first page is just me and the littlest...doin' what we do when we're home alone!!  The second page is a few of the pictures that we took Easter Sunday.  My husband and I always joke about our "OUTlaws!"  so I thought I'd scrap about the GOOD ONES!!!  Since it's National Scrappy Day AND tomorrow is Mother's Day maybe I'll get some stuff DONE!!!  What's on your plate for this weekend?

I'm sure you've already heard but...

...how do you feel about this man's death? 

WAIT...before you talk about what a monster he was and how many lives were lost on September 11th...I'm just thinking about the backlash.  He DOES have lots of supporters...people who I'm sure are pretty ticked right now.  Is this gonna turn into one of those "We're gonna getcha back" situations?  I listened to the President's speech a few times but it wasn't until I heard Tom Brokaw that the possibility of retaliation was mentioned...what do you think?  OH!  In the spirit of full disclosure, I DID finally get the child support!!!  I'm really just prayerful that it starts coming regularly because I feel that it's time out for foolishness; there's too much drama out there for me to invite it into my home!  If it's late again...ya KNOW I'll probably TELL YOU!!!!  HAAAA!!!

What did you do...

...for Easter?  I have to keep it real with y'all...I thought I was TOO cute!!!  I have an affinity for linen & lace so I feel EXTRA diva-ish when I'm wearing either!!!  I happened to have a linen dress and jacket that I bought last year for Kea's christening.  But when everyone else couldn't find outfits to coordinate...I wore something else.  And I had THESE SHOES

 'cause ya KNOW how I feel about the animal print.  So, I'm prancin' all up in da chu'ch house with ma cute self and I look down and see these BLACK CHUNKS all around my feet...what the HIZZIE????  At first I thought Kea dropped a few crayons on the floor...until I saw the chunks FALLING FROM MY SHOES!!!  HAMMERCY!!!!  I'm not by ANY MEANS shallow but my nerves were TAUT thinking about parts of my shoes under the pew!!!  I really had to admonish myself to concentrate on the word and the meaning of the day...but I kept imagining my shoes just IMPLODING when the entire congregation walked out!!!  Kea had diarrhea the day before so when he asked during service to use the bathroom I had to take him HOME!!!!  I have a thing about other people's toilets!!!  While he was occupied, I ran around like a headless chicken looking for another pair of khaki sandals.  I found ONE shoe to at LEAST three pairs...the DEVIL!!!  And I KNEW I couldn't put THESE 

 

back on!!!  Yeah those ROCKS melding with my soles...NOT SEXY!!!  I finally got it together and just threw some casual sandals on and returned to chu'ch...'cause it was about the Lord not me!!!  Seriously though, I was glad I got back in time to take pix with my in-laws who THOROUGHLY enjoyed their visit to our worship place

 

and because my mother-in-law and I share a love for plants they gave me a beautiful Easter present:

God, please give me the strength to NOT KILL THIS PLANT.  In Jesus' name...Amen.

 

 

 

 I got a shot of the two littlest grands

 and my parents got a shot of all the kids and most of their grandsons (my two oldest boys were off on their own adventures!)  

 My Mom had three girls and FINALLY a boy so MAYBE she'll finally get a granddaughter one day! Do you know my Daddy and I took a picture by this SAME pole in front of our church on Easter Sunday in NINETEEN SEVENTY EIGHT???

and I HAD TO take a picture of him alone...no really... he MADE ME!

my Daddy will be SIXTY NINE in September and he's still gangsta sooo...he GOT THAT!!!!

John and I decided to take the littlest to see

 before visiting my Granny's for dinner.  We were the only ones in the theatre until the previews started so Kea had the BEST TIME running around

 

and

 around!!!  I must admit...I love children's movies but this was one I thought I would just tolerate so that Kea would have a good time but I REALLY enjoyed it!  Like I'd buy it on DVD enjoyed it!  And the theatre was remodeled after Katrina so we stopped for a few shots

 And I ALWAYS have fun talking, laughing...eating with my extended family!!!  I got to see my cousin

 who's moving home for the first time since Katrina.  And my big baby and his little brother

 came over because Jamani was looking for his Easter basket fix!  WHAT?  You thought because he turns TWENTY in a few months that he no longer wants a basket?  LIES AND GARBAGE!!!!  My Mom made a basket for me until I was WELL into my thirties!!!  I REALLY need to get with her to find out WHAT MADE HER STOP!!!  My siblings got baskets from me until about TWO YEARS AGO...and they're STILL mad about that!!!  I think you're NEVER too old for an Easter basket!!!

Speaking of which:  I pulled the older two boys' baskets out of the closet 

and they made me smile.  I was SOO anal when Jamani and Ahmad were little that whatever I did for one I did for the other.  So we often had a problem with them knowing what was for whom.  Munchkin's favorite color is blue and Mahd's is red so the little ribbons tied around the handle were so I didn't have to referee if one ate every piece of chocolate in two hours and then claimed the other basket was his!!!  AHHH...sweet memories!!!

I love holidays and celebrations but sometimes they can be SOO stressful!!!  The next extravaganza will be for my husband's birthday in June when he turns 45.  I'm working on everything right now so that I'm not pulling my hair out!!!  What are you looking forward to?

I always try to warn you...

...when the post may be long or have no pictures.  Consider yourselves warned because this is both!

When my husband and I first got together, he would tell me horror stories about being dragged to court for more child support on a woman's every whim:  OHHH...you've gotten a new girlfriend?  I need more money!  You bought a new tire for your car?  You must have too much spare money!  His comment to me was that the child support system is set up to ONLY benefit the mother and for years I've VEHEMENTLY opposed that statement.  Going to court for child support for ME was demeaning.  My son's father "mistakenly" left his W2 home so they just GUESSTIMATED what his contribution should be.  And when I took him back to court because the child support wasn't being paid on time, he was ordered to pay TWO DOLLARS more than he already HADN'T been paying.  Now, I think anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I'm not a money hound.  I just want enough to give to God, pay some bills and enjoy time with my family...with a new pair of shoes sprinkled in here and there.  I pursued this child support case because I felt why should YOU get the BENEFITS of being a parent without taking the RESPONSIBILITY of being one???  But, if I knew then what I know now...I would have let him ride.  This is just TOO MUCH CONFUSION FOR NOTHING.

My teen is his father's first born.  He has two younger sisters with a third on the way.  Now I'm all for loving adults raising as many littles as their hearts desire...but don't have more if you can't care for the ones already here.  You can't IMAGINE how it's twisted my heart for my son to tell me, "Ma, my dad said that I may be cut short because there's another baby on the way."  Naw...I couldn't EVEN make something like that up.  Before my husband and I decided to have my littlest, we discussed whether it was feasible with all the other kids we had.  I can remember being pregnant and getting calls from my husband's daughter in South Carolina: "my friend's birthday is coming up and I need money to buy her a gift."  or "The dance is next week...can you send me money for shoes and pictures?"  I would go straight to the bank and deposit the money in her account because John and I are in this together.  


A couple of weeks ago, I got the following text:


Hey,I'm txting u 2 say that I checked out ur site & I think it's pretty cool & really shows ur creative side.  Even after I read ur blog from 09 that had

the not so flattering things n it about me :-) Lol.  But do u do personalized bday cards or things of that nature? Adia's 4th bday is April 27 & I may w

ant to patronize u for something unusual & unique.  Are u interested in having my business?  & that blog did sting a little but it's all good.  For real

Well, I finally went back and found the post he referred to...it's HERE if you haven't already seen it.  But, back to the text message...I really got upset so I decided to pray first and respond later.  I REALLY prayed hard on what to say to him.  I don't have that text because I've sent soo many since that day a few weeks ago but I do remember the gist of it: 

I normally pray on important situations in my life and then go to my husband for his advice.  This time, God revealed the answer to me and I didn't even need to bother John.  I can remember being a BEAST when I was younger...I wanted things to go my way.  Now that I'm trying to be better, I try to avoid situations where I'll be brought back to the person I used to be.  I got really angry thinking about you wanting me to do work for you because I can't even get the CHILD SUPPORT on time.  All I want to do now is encourage and see my son through his 18th birthday so that we can have as little contact as possible.

Because the child support, which I'm supposed to receive twice a month?  Well, I hadn't gotten it since JANUARY 24th!!!!  So here is HIS response...all ELEVEN TEXTS:

I've actually never thought of you as being as bad of a person as you seem to think you were.  I hope and I pray that the anger that you still harbor can

one day subside.  I want to understand it so that I can do or say the right thing or things to help you get over it.  Well maybe I do know what to say.  Kea

ndra, I apologize to you for hurting and disappointing you.  I mean it from the most inner part of me.  I'm sorry that I could not be the other half of 

the puzzle that you wanted us to put together.  If I ever mislead you, I'm sorry.  As far as what you or Ahmad think that I said regarding him, he is my f

irst born and only son.  You nor he, can quantify what that means to me.  But I guess I've failed miserably in getting him to begin to understand that.  As 

far as my Child Support goes; I have been in a legal battle with Lionel and Angie for almost a year.  According to the Temporary Restraining Order that wa

s granted to me, my Child Support should not be interrupted or late.  If it is, please let me know.  And I too, prayed to God.  And I asked that he forgive

you and me.  I asked that he give us peace and understanding.  I asked in earnest and he delivered me from the anger towards you a long time ago.  I know th

at I've tried to make peace with you sincerely and I've given you what I would want most.  Forgiveness and understanding.  So I'm at peace now with me and 

with you.  I wish you no harm as a person and the mother of my son.  I have love for you for those reasons as well.  I still think your site is very creati

ve.  Good luck with it.

When I read this, it just made me sad...sad that OBVIOUSLY God also delivered him from the responsibility of paying child support when He didn't deliver US from having to feed this 5'8" joker EVERY DAY!!!!  I asked my husband: why is it that whenever a woman comes REAL with a man he equates that with "I'm sorry I can't be with you"?  I thought for SURE he got the memo that any feelings I had for him were dead along with MY WEDDING INVITATION!!!!  I feel nothing for him for several reasons starting with what he did when my father was DYING.  

I had to drive from Jacksonville to New Orleans alone, which is about an 8 hour drive.  I explained to my son's father that my father had cancer and was not going to live (my daddy passed away two weeks later).  I explained that I didn't have a car charger for the phone and that I needed to stay off of it in case of emergencies.  I EXPLAINED that I wouldn't be answering his calls for that reason.  I BEGGED HIM to not call and upset my father who by that point was wearing TWO MORPHINE PATCHES to tolerate the pain.  I promised that when I got to Mobile (where I was more familiar with the area)  I would stop and buy a car charger.  I thought he understood...why then did my dad chew me out later?  He say that Ahmad's father had called him and said I was ignoring his calls.  All I could do was cry.  Something really died inside of me that day.  I really understood the depths of this person's selfishness.  How SELFISH are you to ask me to notify you EVERY TIME the payment is late???  When you're late with a mortgage payment, the company may give you a courtesy call; once you're late with so many...THEY LABEL YOU.  It's the same with ANY BILL YOU PAY.  Why should I continue telling you about YOUR RESPONSIBILITY???  I've told HIM before...I've told HIS MOM...I'm TIRED.  And understand that the payments didn't just START coming late for the past year like his text suggested...this has BEEN going on.  It's the reason we went back to court the second time.  Oh and by the way...the last child support payment is STILL JANUARY 24th...it STILL hasn't been paid!  You see, soft hearted ME thought: ok, I've mentioned not getting the support so I KNOW his pride won't let that go on much longer (because he does NOT like to be called out!)  Guess I was wrong!  So, I called yesterday to see what steps could be taken.  I was told that there is a lottery attachment in place.  HUH?  Did he hit the bigs????  No, but just in case he DOES happen to play and DOES happen to win a substantial amount, we'll collect the child support arrears then.  BAYBEE...that was the BEST LAUGH I have had in a MINUTE!!!  REALLY???  That's what you're going with?  The representative said, "He has a 30 day grace period"...ummm...30 days from WHEN???  'Cuz...I'm not SURE...but I think it's been OVER SIXTY!!!!  Then she said, "After NINETY days, the court will decide whether or not further action should be taken."  LAUGHABLE!!!!  I'm through with this, though.  I'm obviously dealing with a person whose understanding is limited.  You tell me that you just want peace between us...pay the child support and don't put my child behind your other responsibilities.  You think that I've harbored anger for you.  Let me tell you something about me, peeps:  I have to CARE about you in order for you to bring my temperature to boiling.  My husband...my kids...my girls...they all make me simmer every once in a while.  When I love you, you get the entire GAMUT of emotions.  But my feelings for Ahmad's father are stuck in neutral. My anger EMERGED a few weeks ago because you're affecting my child!  I WOULD put him out if he were on fire; I WOULD call 911 if he were in danger.  But, the only hurt I would feel if something DID happen would be the sadness for MY HURTING CHILD.  The ONE lesson that I've tried to instill in my two older boys and will drill into them and their baby brother until I'm no longer able is this: don't LISTEN to what a person says...look at his ACTIONS.  All the energy put into sending those text messages sounds like blah, blah, blah, blah because the child support office STILL has no payment and even when one DOES come...the next won't come on time.  If I'm wrong, I'll definitely let you know because I'm a STRONG proponent of people changing...or being so ticked off by what I said that they'll do whatever it takes to prove me wrong! ;P