Digital Expression

I finally had a chance to do some digital scrapping. Lately, I've been so into my Kenya trip, that all I did was fundraise and make things for my Etsy shop and orders. Make things for scrapbook classes I was teaching.  I didn't have much time for self-expression! Plus, I've been printing out all the blog entries about my fundraising to go in my Kenya album. That has been paper scrapping for the time being, which I have found frustrating somewhat as I can't do all the things that I can do digitally.

I've missed my digital world! And photographing things for my Etsy shop, got me excited about photographing what's out in the world and so these photos are from that inspiration.

I'm caught between a rock and a hard place right now...sort of...I love glue and inks and the tactile feel of scrapbooking, but I adore the results of my digital scrapbooking and the challenges of getting done what I want.  I should do hybrid, but at the moment, my color printer is out of ink...a paltry excuse, but the only one I have. Plus the printer has not been hooked up correctly as in it got knocked off the network. That is fixed (by me!!!). Now I just need to put it back in it's spot in the cabinet.

I digress. I did find a huge box of embellishments the other night. Quite a nice surprise! Left over from my move from the bonus room to my new scraproom/office. It might help if I unpack the rest of my stuff! All things in due time.

Such are my scrapping ramblings for today...

Mend, Layout of the Week at SBG

This layout was the Layout of The Week at Scrapbookgraphics this week and also featured on their blog, Scrap Matters. I was so excited. I couldn't believe it!
Last week, or week 2's, word was Accept. I didn't know what I was going to do at first and then thought of the Serenity Prayer...This page just came together...


Mend was the word for week 3. Not that I always follow the words or the prompts on the Art Journal Caravan, but I'm doing it so far, I guess! I really wasn't sure where that word was going to take me, and I had a hard time putting this page together. It was a "journey" for sure to get this the way I wanted and the journaling was difficult to get out. But I am really trying to be REAL with this art journal and having something at the end of the year that is about me...and life...

I still have not done my FEARLESS page. I'm waiting for some colors to inspire me!

General Chat

Don't you just love camellias? I do. I have five bushes in my yard, and that is still not enough. This photo was from earlier in 2009 when we got a rare snowfall. I grabbed my camera and ran out to photograph my yard and spotted my camellias all delightfully covered with snow!

Just a little silly atc I made. Both kits are from Tangie Baxter at Scrapbookgraphics. I'm too lazy to post credits right now.

No, I am not General Chat. I am chatting, generally! LOL! I am downloading a new kit from Christina Renee Designs. She is moving from her own spot in the world over to OScraps. I'm going to play with her delightful designs later today as a reward for hard work...moving my scrap crap to Matt's room and moving Matt over the garage. Yesterday was massive cleaning for that grand adventure. Today may involve some actual moving! HOOORAY! oh and then more cleaning as I put it all away, but it really is pared down from what I used to have so I feel it will be manageable!

Thanksgiving involves me working for Black Friday, which I don't really mind. I expected it as I'm working retail. I think it will be an adventure. Will post about that. Turkey is thawing. Paula and I can't be together as I have to work and Jake and an appendectomy. Boo!

Project 365 Layouts

I'm somewhat remiss on keeping up with my Project 365 photos, but I do have some photos for every month. I have been somewhat hampered by the idiot who stole my camera leaving my with my iPhone. That is better than nothing, but the picture quality is so low! GEEZ I'm spoiled!

Here are some project 365 layouts I did recently. I am through April, which is kind of neat I have to admit.

I've had some lo's pubbed, too. I guess I need to post about that as well. Later, though. Let's focus on the Project 365. After all, it doesn't do any good to take all those pictures and not do the layouts to record them. Please excuse my laziness about crediting each and every designer to each and every lo. I merely ask that you visit those credited in my labels as those are the ultimately talented ladies whose products I used!

She is not Diane! OMG!

I made this card using product from Christina Renee. My friend thought I bought it. NOPE! It is only one sided and fits in a legal envelope. Easy and quick!

So I have met many peeps through my digi and paper scrapping world. One of them is a cool chick named, Dawne, who is Ladybug Graphix. I have been calling the poor woman Diane. Absolutely no reason or sense there whatever. Lucky for me she has a great sense of humor! HAHAHAHAHA! Sorry Dawne! I can't promise I won't slip up! I hope you will check out her blog and store.

I have been slack in scrapping mainly because my brain is dead from Christina's block party. I do have some assignments I need to get busy on!

Today I was so tired for working last night that I took a whole two hour nap. Oh, it was glorious!

I have also been trying to earn extra money over at Cha Cha. But it seems I have joined at a time when they are having a huge amount of technical difficulties. I'm trying to stick it out. Mainly because I need to earn some cash for some new running shoes before I become a human cripple and also because I'd like a pedicure. I'm a simple girl! LOL!

Update on Myself and Artisan Notebook Pub!

Y'all I have been scrapping because Christina Renee had her amazing block party. I discovered two new designers, and through the block party, got to play with their amazing stuff: CinziaL Designs and Clever Crow Designs. If you haven't ever seen their stuff, you do need to check it out. There was tons of talent invited to play. I am going to post some of my recent lo's, but I am going to be naughty and not give credits, but you can look me up on DST and the credits are there. Sometimes I am just lazy...as in now!

I am excited to say that I will have a lo in December's issue of Artisan Notebook. This has been a dream of mine and I am so happy to have it fulfilled through CottageArts.net. You will see. I will post! WAHOOOOOOOO!

And I am now a Cha Cha Guide. I get to do the dorky thing I do anyway, sit at my computer. And now I get paid to answer questions that people text in. I will talk more about this later, but right now I am busy earning money.

And HI To Diane at Ladybug Graphix who left me a note to say I needed to update!

Christina Renee and Tangie Baxter and Me

digi credits: HERE

I made this lo for the challenge this week going on at the Loft over at Tangie Baxter Designs. I got really creative with my photos. Plus Christina Renee is having her block party and I had to use this kit Dare 2 Be U Bundle by Cinzia Designs. It even has some quick pages in it for those days you just feel like slapping something together! LOL! The alpha in this kit totally rocks. I adore it! It's so different. And I'm not even on her CT so all this talk is REAL from the HEART! Which I only talk about what I really like anyway cuz I don't believe in being fake. But anyhoo, I hope you will check it out!

My son made me so mad yesterday, I thought I was going to lose my ever-lovin' mind! He has to pay for 1/4 of his insurance every week that he gets paid. He has shorted us, and we catch it and make him pay up or no driving. He has shorted us, gotten caught, paid up, and withdrawn it from the bank. We make him pay up or no driving. This week he paid up money he owed for shorting and then some with no tricks. I was so proud. We thought he learned his lesson. NOPE> He withdrew every last cent. Now his whole paycheck this week has to go to cover 2 weeks of insurance. I guess the car will be parked because we've quit giving him any money at all for gas. We've cut off his lunch money. He gets no allowance. I have no idea what is on his brain when he does this crap. He knows he will get caught and lose the car. He doesn't want to lose the car, but he still does it. Then he's upset he doesn't have the car. Swears he won't do it again and does it again.

Catsquerade Layout

Digi credits: HERE

Aaaaahhhh....I'm off. What? I can't believe it. I put in 26 hours over the weekend at work. Yes, you read that correctly. I was so tired last night I was comatose! I feel a big fat nap coming on so I can recuperate. LOL!

So I have not scrapped since last week. That is the truth. I just didn't have the time or the energy this weekend.

No Time To Blog

Digi credits: HERE

HAHAHA someone said I needed to update my blog. Where have I been? Working different shifts than I normally do! And reading, which when I read, I can't do anything else. Helping with a cheerleading fundraiser. Downloading like a maniac from CRD because the designers at her block party are sharing their goodies with the CT! YAYA! Fighting 4shared, which is not cooperating with me lately. Nervously shopping for an interview outfit for next week...oh what to wear??? So there you have it!

Christina Renee Designs Sell-Off

Christina Renee has her entire store on sale because as of Oct. 1st, all the old stuff will be GONE! Gone! Gone! So if you love her stuff and have something on your mind that you didn't get yet...you better get it. I know I did. 9 delicious yummies I just had to have before they departed! So visit Christina and get your goodies before it is too late. Oh yeah, and all her stuff is 50% off right now. She's never done that before. It's not the Christina is going anywhere. She's not. Just having a big celebration starting Oct.1 with lots of new stuff!

Let's see...ds was not home after school, and I was miffed because he is on driving restriction. I naturally assumed the worst - that he was using the car and off with friends. Much to my utter surprise and delight, when he got home from work after 11p, he informed me that he had been at work the whole time. He went by work to see what time they wanted him to come in, and he ended up staying because they needed him. How can a mother be mad at such a diligent, hard-working son?

I cannot believe Congress didn't pass this bail-out package. Kramer from "Mad Money" on CNN and Suze Ormon explained this thing in very good detail that even the most moronic of individuals should have been able to understand. But then Nancy Pilosi got up and pissed off a bunch of people with some ill timed comments and so it didn't pass. Partisan politics. Sometimes you gotta keep your mouth shut.

Think of it this way. The farmer goes to buy seeds. He buys his seeds on credit and pays off his debt when the crop comes in. The credit market is lacking funds to loan because of the bad debt so he can't get a loan. He doesn't have money to plant his crops. He doesn't grow his crops. Many of his fellow farmers are in the same boat. They don't grow their crops...get it?

I worked in the S&L industry when the S&L crisis was going on. There was a 3 month period we had no funds to lend. We read the paper, twiddled our thumbs, evaluated current loans. No funds to lend means no commercial loans for businesses, no personal loans for consumers. No mortgage loans for would be homebuyers. Think about the trickle down effect of that in a national economy.

This is serious business. It is ugly business. But if you take the politics out of it, it is simply a matter of survival or we will have the greatest depression far surpassing that of the '30's. The Grapes of Wrath comes to mind. Dust bowls and poverty. The mess we are in will take several years to recover from. Years. Not weeks. Not months. Not one year. It is grave. I'm not being overreactive. I understand. I read. I educated myself. I do have a degree in finance anyway so I get it. I get it really well.

And on that note of levity, I will be off to pull weeds unless it rains. In that case, I will clean, clean, clean.

Tangie Baxter Birthday Celebration and the Teenage Mind

Just had to share that bit of news. I mentioned it yesterday, but Tangie put together her ad! I did a QP for it, which I believe will be part of the giveaways. I can't post it yet, or even the original that lead to the QP...but soon!

And the same thing is happening over at Christina Renee Designs with all kinds of guest artists, freebies, contests and such...for the whole month of October! I've seen some of the freebies, some of the collab kits, and girls, it's gonna knock your socks off!

Ah, the teenage life. Enjoy your babies, ladies, because the teen years are going to drive you nuts. My ds skipped school yesterday for the first time in his life. Mind you, the school has an automated system that calls the home phone if your child is absent from school. So he was snagged. Confessed. Why did he do it? No reason. Loss of cell phone, XBox, and car for one week. I hope that nips it in the bud. He's worked so hard to get to his senior year. I'd hate to see him screw it up and have to repeat! The teenage mind is a marvel. Do we ever really know what is going on in there? I feel a lo coming on...

Page Maps Debut & More

Check me out in the September newsletter of Page Maps by Becky Fleck. I'm so excited. I've used her sketches for a long time and to finally be a part of it is just wonderful!

Credits HERE

Credits HERE

I spent the day at my dear friend's house doing what we love best: scrapbooking! Wahoo! I made two lo's and had lots of girl time. Now that's a great day!

Michael Phelps, Thanksgiving Layout

I saw this pic on photobucket. I figured I'd share it. Ummm...Michael...that speedo is really teeny! and yes, I watched every single race he was in because I knew it was history in the making. I really loved when they interviewed him with Mark Spitz. He was very gracious, and it was fun to see Mark Spitz so many years later.

I remember in 4th grade, my girlfriend had a life sized poster of Mark Spitz in her bedroom with his 7 medals around his neck. We thought it was so racy! And HOT! I guess by today's standards, it was pretty tame! LOL!

Credits: Christina Renee Designs, Sherriejd at Tangie Baxter Designs, Rasberry Road.

I made this lo today. It might be a little busy, but I just really love all the kitchen stuff that Sherriejd whipped out at Tangie BAxter Designs. It is not out yet, but soon to be released. Isn't my dh a ham? He can't help himself!

Random comments:
My ds's friend noticed that none of the female atheletes have boobs. He doesn't like it. Now...do they really not have boobs or do their ensembles just mash everything so it looks like they don't have any?
Can you wear a one piece and play beach volleyball or do you have to wear a bikini?
How are the Olympic beach volleyball girls keeping their bikini bottoms from riding up with all that moving?
Are Chinese cats waiting for the volleyball to be over to poop in the big cat box?
Knowing they took dog off the menu before the Olympics in China, would you still be comfortable that no dog was on your plate?

Rasberry Road, Scrapbook News & Review, Christina Renee Designs

Credits: HERE

And too boot, this lo is featured at CRD's store with the Dirty Notes Papers: HERE. And I have another one in her shop feature, too: Game On.

In addition, my e-mail came today with the latest issue of Scrapbook News and Review which has one of my lo's in it! I'm so jazzed. So all in all, today was a good scrapping day!

Susan Darter of Rasberry Road is about to open a shop instead of her blog shop, which will feature a forum, gallery, blog and all the usual stuff. I'll be posting about the grand opening when we get all the stuff organized. Lots o' prizes and games and giveaways 'n stuff! Wahooooooo! So check back...it should be fairly soon.

Neck pain...teenagers...killing me...slow painful death...oh GAWD! Said with much love, but ds and his friend woke me up 2x last night...at 1am and 4am...at which point I became possessed and forced them to go to bed. (#_)#($*)(@#)( XBox 360 Live is like a drug to them. Cutting that way back. And dd has been argueing with her bff all week...mainly over bff's ex who is a complete and total loser, drop out, verbally abusive, controlling, stalker...who has snuck back and trying to get with bff and dd won't support her. Duh! GEEEEZ! Why do girls like abusive boys? I have no idea.

Hmmm. think I shall scrapbook!

Some of July's Layouts & Page Maps for September

I made a slideshow since it has been a while since I blogged. I don't think I'm much of a summer blogger. There's just so much more I'd rather be doing outside. I don't like winter so I blog more in winter cuz I'm inside where it is warm! LOL!

Becky Fleck has sent me a sketch for the September issue of Page Maps. I am so excited to be asked to contribute to her new digital section. That just completely was awesome!

I went to Hard Rock Park yesterday with 5 teenagers. I think they managed to have a good time. I do believe the highlights of their day included (1) my cussing on a ride because I had lost my ever lovin' mind from fright and (2) my screaming, "Close your eyes if you can't make it through!" several times during a vertigo experience brought on by a drug induced spinning tunnel in the Moody Blues Nights in White Satin ride. Apparently I'm quite funny when I don't realize what I am doing brought on my extreme sensory experiences! LOL!

I rode some dag gum swings. Let me tell you about that. That scared the bejesus out of me. I do not like the feeling of falling. Never have. One reason I don't like airplanes cuz turbulence feels like free falling. So I hop on these swings and off it goes, scaring the wee-wee out of me because I am suspended in mid-air on a twirly-swirly ride where I am experiencing that falling sensation and the only thing I have to hang on to is the two chains currently in a death grip. If I even move one inch, the swing starts to turn, which sends another shock of fear through me, causing a more death defying grip. I realize I can't scream, "Stop this ride! Get me off of here! NOW!" I mean all the others enjoying the ride, don't want to endure my panic attack. So I have to endure, meanwhile my vertigo is aggravated and a wave of nausea is welling up. So on top of falling, I might vomit on anyone below me on this wildly spinning ride. That was it for me for the day. I then went to the Beach Blanket Bingo show. My speed! LOL!

Digi credits: HERE

That lo is for the July 4th Challenge at the TBD Loft which is a Christmas in July challenge. I will say one thing, it was hard to get some pics for this cuz I really took some stinky photos this year. I'm talking cluttered backgrounds, shadows BLAH! I know not every photograph has to be museum quality, but for heaven's sake, these photos stink-stank-stunk as the Grinch would say!

Let's see, today was HOT! I sweated. That's what I did today! LOL! I had to finish mowing the lawn. Just as I got about 1/4 done, the irrigation guy came to chat with me about our impending sprinkler system in the front yard. I was dripping sweat. I mean, literally, sweat was pouring down my face. It was so gross. At least I didn't stink! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

I planted the rest of my begonias. I just wasn't sure where I wanted them. I finally just put them in the rest of my pots. So I'm done. No more planting...big fat lie! I still have another camellia to plant and some hostas...this weekend...

I did enjoy some time in the pool today, which was wonderful and welcome considering the heat and the sweat. Mind you, I'm not complaining because summer is my favorite season! Even HAWT summer's are my fav!

I have got to do something with my family so I can get some pics of us this summer. DD is the only one traveling, but she lives the life of the Rich and Famous cuz of all her friends. Hilton Head, ATL ya know. but anyhoo, the rest of us gotta do something. A lil day trip somewhere. I really want to go white water rafting. Frankly, I'm the only one excited about it, but too bad. I may just have to drag them all along anyway.

So Much I Had To Make A Slide Show

I have been a busy bee lately, although I do swear that my mojo is dead. I think I taxed my scrapping creativity so much with Christina Renee and Tangie Baxter, that I killed it! LOL!

Anyway, I hope that you will visit Tangie's ATC Emporium because they have so many new ATC kits, you won't believe it. She partnered with Sherrie Drummond to create all these goodies, and they made a ton of stuff!

Hope on over to Tangie's CT blog HERE for this weeks Big Picture Challenge which ends on Thursday 6/26...yeah...today! But you can knock something out real quick and win a $10 GC to her site and buy some cool ATC stuff or something else.

And while you are at it, hop on over to the Authentic Artistry blog where Christina REnee has some awesome freebies posted and two challenges.

I had a migraine today, and so I am very sleepy now. I was worried about it, but I took my lil sumpin and I feel so much better. Sleepy, but at least the headache is gone. I was supposed to go to work, but I was too afraid to be stuck over there with a major migraine cuz it's hard to drive when you are dying of pain! And I don't feel to friendly when I don't feel good!

My teens are out and about as usual. Yes, I know exactly where they are cuz I am a strict mom all up in their business. DS was supposed to go to this go-cart track today, but his friend's dad got mad cuz they were playing XBox 360 online and his friend stayed up all night long. So that was the end of that.

I did have to lay an egg the other night when they hooked up the online XBox because I kept getting woken up by ds's friend saying, "hello? Hello?"

It turns out ds's headset was malfunctioning. I got smart and kidnapped it, and left a ransom note. They are however, teen boys, and got smarter...they got their other friend's headset, and it only delayed them a few. So I threatened them with taking the whole system if they did it again. Cuz I am the smartest!

And on that note of mom power, I shall say, "Ciao!"

Senior Portraits

digi credits: HERE

I took some photos of my son before his senior portraits. He is a comedian, and couldn't help but act goofy. He kept cracking up and then say, "Okay, I'll be serious now."

What can a mother do, but photograph those silly moments, too? So I made a lo of the silly. Then I can make one of the serious. What a kid!

I am surviving teenland so far today. Ds has managed to go fishing for two days in a row. His friend got bit by some fish, but I wasn't there and he is fine! I swear my ds could fish all day and love it. When we are at the beach, he is fishing, fishing, fishing! Right now there are four of them in the pool at 11:30pm. I did have to tell them to quiet down once, but they seem to be managing not to offend the neighbors.

Last night they had big fun as there was a turtle in our pool. They decided to swim with it. I tried to take a picture of it, but I was too busy screaming to concentrate and so it didn't turn out that great! It came out of the water and his friend had picked it up! bwahahahahahahah

I did manage to relagate the number sleeping over to one tonight. I just need a break! LOL! KWIM!

I'm not sure my mojo is quite right. I feel kind of out of scrapping sorts as if I can put the stuff on the page, but it isn't clicking. I think a need a break for a few days!

Okay, I am hosting the challenge at Tangie Baxter Designs Loft starting June 20th. HERE. You can win a great GC to Tangie's store with lots of awesome new stuff and the debut of her ATC Emporium just around the corner!!!

Some things can make you feel pretty darn good. How about being a preview lo at Christina Renee? I nearly had a cow. If you look HERE, I am the third lo down. The orange one! I gotta tell you, that just totally made my day, week, month!

Oh yeah... and check this out: Can you find me??? OMG! Isn't it great!

I think that is it for today. I'm sleepy. Although with all these teen boys, I gotta stay up until they go home! bleh!

My Camera and A LO and TEENS

Everything is CRD!

So I made this lo yesterday. I also made 3 ATC cards for Tangie Baxter Design's upcoming ATC Emporium release on June 25th. Can't post those.

Maybe that is what sapped my creative energy? I made the ATC's first. Then I tried two lo's and had to get rid of them. This was my third attempt. I went with some Christmas photos, hoping that if I got out of the current photos that it might spark a lil sumpin. I don't know if I will scrap today or not as I have to go to work later. But that might be a good thing. Get some mojo going!

I decided to use the manual settings on my camera to photograph my ds for before his Senior pics at school. I figured I would go with 800 ISO because I like the look it gives for portraits and then use an f/stop around 4.0. Well, my camera, being a Kodak Z740 only goes up to 400 ISO so I used 200 because I did like shooting with that when I was in the film world and using my SLR. Daggum gas prices keeping me from getting my digital Rebel. I shot one I really love. I just miss having total control with my Z740, although it has a 10x zoom and does take good pics.
unedited

More teen stories...dd's friend, C came in the house and took his shirt off. He was hot, only to reveal about 5 hickies on his chest. I said to him,"OMG what happened to you."
C, who at 17 thinks he might be smarter than me, replies, "Oh, messing around with them." (meaning his brother and my ds)
I looked at him and said, "They look like hickies to me."
Snagged. Exactly what they were. He confessed.
Remember the girl I had to shuttle out of the room full of boys? Well, he just so happened to hook up with her when he took her home. Which then led to a whole conversation with dd and her friend and them about how he could do better and blah blah blah.
Let's see...horny boy. Willing girl. Do better? I'm sure he was very happy.
But the icing on the cake was when C said to me, "How do I get rid of these? Isn't there something you can do? They hurt." bwahahahahahhahahah "Shoulda thought about that when you were getting them."

Then, earlier in the day, C and his brother, D, got their senior pics. I had to take them. Well, I said I would because they have no a/c in their car and they were upset about being sweaty. Once again I had to tie the ties. Meanwhile these two, who are fraternal twins, are fighting about: their dad calling and who will answer the phone, who got the shirt with the bigger collar, who always gets the shaft, no belt, who's G, who's not. Finally, I looked at them and said, "I'm glad I only have two children. If I had added two more to the mix and had to go through this x2 every day, I'd be in the funny farm."

They looked at me and said in all seriousness, "Oh, that would be bad."

Do they really have any idea?

Then ds calls me from work and complains I have no snacks. His friends are complaining about the crummy snacks we have. I cannot keep up with these locusts. They swarm in, consume everything in sight, and swarm out. "So buy some I said."

I'd had enough. I was teened out. OMG! I needed a break. I was mean. I wouldn't let anyone stay over. And now, my house is quiet. I'm at peace. Recuperated. AHHHHHHH!

Dogalicious

I hope you like my lo. Everything is from Christina Renee. I'm too lazy to link tonight. I've had a trying day in the parental realm.

So I've decide talent never sleeps. That's what I think after seeing Christina Renee creating non-stop for DST and Tangie going crazy getting ready for her ATC spot in her shop. Personally, I could do with a nap. I'm tired! LOL!

How many kids can you have at your house at one time? Let's see, ds showed up with six friends to swim in the pool, and shortly thereafter, dd showed up with two friends in tow. That makes ten teenagers at my house. Perhaps one would worry that I would turn into the crazy cat lady with all this going on, but I read a post the other day, which made me hugely relieved.

You see, that lady was the CRAZY CAT LADY. She showed up at a neighborhood bbq with her cat on a leopard print leash. She told people that she bought him a live mouse every week for him to chase in the house. Most weeks he caught it.

So, I am not a CRAZY CAT LADY, yet.

One friend of ds's had to borrow a bathing suit. He kept saying that the legs were too tight, and he could hardly move. Frankly, that was the least of his problems. Over 1/2 his ass was hanging out. You see, my son is very lean and this boy was corn fed! LOL!

Ds's crew involved one girl who is one of the boys. I guess it's a good thing because she announced that her boob fell out of her bathing suit. I asked her if she would like a t-shirt thinking she might have some modestly and was assured that, "No, I'm fine." OOOOOOOkaaaaaay! Personally, I prefer to keep my boobs in my suit, and if one made a mistaken appearance, I wouldn't announce it. And I would've taken the t-shirt.

When ds and friends finished swimming, they went upstairs for a video game session and shut his door with girl in room. OOOOOOH NOOOOOO THEY DIDN"T!

DD says to me, "Are you going to get that girl?"
I said, "No, they won't do anything to her."
After all, she would probably kick their butts. She's a toughie. But this doesn't satisfy dd. She wants to know why ds can have a girl in his room and she can't have a guy in his room. "It's because I don't have a penis."

Fabulous. my dd said penis to me. It's a modern generation. She wasn't embarrassed, so I guess I have done my job as a parent who wants to keep the lines of communication open.

"No, it's because you don't have a reputation and she does, but I'll go take care of it."

So off I go. "Matt, no girls in your room."
His friend says, "Are you kidding me?"
I said, "Do I look like I'm kidding?"
"No. But he's seventeen."
"Is he married? No girls in his room unless he's married."
"You're serious."
"Yes, I'm serious."
"I didn't know you were like that."
"I'm a Christian. Yes, I'm like that."

What a day. I need a sedative.