Me and my Stanky (and turning 30)

Today I turn the big 3-0. This little guy here, with all his damn, loud ass energy, will always keep me young! I actually dreaded this day, believe it or not. Of course there's "so much I wanted to do before I turned 30." 3 decades people...3. In 3 decades I am a daughter, student, mother, and wife. Amazing. I have been very truly blessed in all of my years. There have been sometimes where I thought I wouldn't make it but here I am...kicking and screaming with y'all here. And there. And everywhere in between. Now if only the road map on my belly and hips would just disappear, I'd really been in good shape. Damn those boys and making me gain all that weight.
But this will be my decade. My decade to shine. Ok ima have to stop saying decade, because WOW...thats making me feel SUPER old. Where was I again? Oh ya...30 is my year to shine. You WILL know who I am, if you don't already lol. I WILL be "SEXY IN MY 30s" (more to come on that--very excited about it).

Don't forget to join in on the Happiness Project every week!

My shaving vent

Ok. My favorite time of the year is right now. The sun is shining, the weather is sweet...oh I love me some Bob Marley. Anyways...the sun IS shining and its just perfect. Not a cloud in the sky, and a breeze makes for a warm, perfect day in my eyes. Its the beginning of tank tops, shorts, and for everyone else not from the islands, flip flops. I say that last statement because even though it is snowing outside, I am in flip flops...all the time. This is the time of year when all you here about is shaving and laser hair removal and for others plucking. Me? I don't mind having to shave my legs, under my arms or even down there. I love shaving my legs. Weird I know. I love the way my sheets feel on my legs after I shave. And, knock on wood, I've never knicked myself really bad to where I am left with a scar, nor have I had razor burn on my legs. I have sensitive skin, and just happy with the fact that I don't "break out" whenever I put on lotion right after. Now just very quickly, and I won't dwell...I'm also lucky to not have any problems shaving down there.
Ok moving on...But thats where it stops. I've been shaving under my arms as long as I've shaved my legs and bikini area. I was in gymnastics when I was a kid, and was a cheerleader for a VERY LONG time. Yes I understand that the under arm area is very sensitive, but damn! When I was a cheerleader in high school, I even plucked under my arms a couple of times. But of course it hurt way too bad. Uggghhh but the razor burn. Its plague-ing me. Is that even a word? My favorite time of the year. I have to shave under my arms like maybe every four days. So its not like I shave THAT often right? Well of course its warm out and no one wants to smell like b.o. but I can't even put on deodorant after I shave. If I do, I get all red and itchy and sometimes sore. So, since I've been married I think, maybe longer, I have to PLAN to wear a tank top. By plan I mean, shave the night before so when I wake up in the morning, my pits have "relaxed" and I can put on deodorant. Not a big deal right? For me it is since I rinse off at night before going to bed and actually shower in the morning when I wake up. I've tried different types of shaving creams and things like that but aaahhhhh. LOL.
So.....I am trying something new now. Hopefully, maybe, I've found the light at the end of the tunnel. We shall see.
So with all the problems that plague us, here I am "stressing" over my pits lol. Go figure huh? But ok...there...I'm done.

Mail call!

Look what I got in the mail!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

So far, so good

**UPDATE: When I first posted, I forgot to add...Stanky has been sayin he has to go potty AND has.actually.been.GOING!!! Ok that is all**

If you're new here to the Locker Room, WHAT'S GOIN Y'ALL?! (*smiling from ear to ear waving*)
Anyways...as you can see my blog is a work in progress...LITERALLY. I finally created 3 columns on my own. Well not totally on my own...I used a FANTASTIC, super easy to understand and follow tutorial by April of April Showers. I'm also using another one of her tutorials to create my own background. Like I said before: so far, so good. Right now everything is just one color, but I hope to soon learn how to add more to my background. I really am digging the whole neon green against the blue. But we shall see. I have an idea of how I want my header to be, but I'm gonna take it slow for now. Baby steps.
So folks I hate to leave y'all so quickly, but the blog designing itch is taking over me again.
Later Gators!

My, my, my (Wordless Wednesday)

As all Texans know, it is ILLEGAL to pick blue bonnets. Illegal. So for all you non-texans, me and my half bred children included, we need to follow the rule.
Ummmm.....no....

Ok blog designers...HELP

I'm trying to play around with my blog and would like to know how to add an image behind my header. You know like have the title be written on top of the picture. I tried just uploading a picture but it was HUGE.
Well I'll check back in later. I'm off to google some help for now, but would LOVE any help or advice that anyone would like to give. I'll even throw in a picture here on my blog to bribe you...

Now doesn't that make it all worth it?! LOL!

For once, I'm all shopped out

It has totally been one long weekend.
Took a vacay day at work on Friday so big daddy and I could do some furniture shopping. You would have thought I woulda learned my lesson with the whole house viewing incident. Haven't heard that story yet? Don't worry...it went something like what happened today. But not AS loud.
Big daddy surprised us this morning with fresh, still hot fresh, donuts for breakfast. Oh and a vanilla latte from Starbucks for me. So far so good. We had our cable/internet install this morning between 8:30am and 12pm, and somebody up there loves me because the tech called me a little after 8am sayin he was gonna be leaving soon and should take him no more than 45 min. to get here. HELL TO THE YA!!! Big daddy used to work for this contracting company that did cable, so he really helped this dude out. LOL. And of course there's just one more thing I would like to add: I HAVE INTERNET AGAIN! :) WOOOOHOOO! Ok sorry that was 2 things.
So where was I...breakfast: check, coffee: check, cable/internet: check. And off we went.
First place (and almost last place) we went to was a home consignment store. HA! That was actually the name of the store. Walked in and it was like heaven met hell. Let me elaborate. This store had soooo many things we liked, all under one roof, all within our budget, but packed in like sardines in a can. There was no real order either. Everything was just kinda scattered everywhere. So where do we start? We went right. We probably shoulda went left cuz WOW. Not only was EVERYTHING within line of site for the monsters, but it was all fragile stuff. Glass tables, and vases. Ceramic this and that. And oh were those 2 sets of hands itchy. At one point I carried Stanky on my hip for like 20 min just so he could't reach anything. At least they couldn't run anywhere. But of course, that didn't stop Juju from wandering off. Because he was the same height as mostly everything in there. I didn't want to yell for him, but damnit. I refuse to be that mom who can't seem to control her kids. Who am I kidding? I am that mom...so I yelled for him "bring your tail here right now before I tear it up." Not once, not twice, not three times, not four times...well you get the picture. To make matters worse, about 30min into our scouring over everything, it felt like they decided to turn off the A.C. and leave the doors open. Uggghh. Just f'in great. We priced a couch, recliner, and some pillows wishing out loud that we had somewhere to take our heathen children. So we left. Not even 10 minutes of driving to the next store, I looked in the back seat, and they were knocked out. I guess that was all it was, just hot and tired. WRONG. We visited 2 other stores besides that one, and it was pretty much the same (thank goodness the other stores weren't stuffed to capacity with stuff). Aaaannnnndddd...we actually found a couch and a gorgeous bedroom set at the 2nd place we went to. So all that was left was a bunk bed for the monsters. I never knew "pricing" a bunk bed was gonna be so dang difficult. Who knew there were THAT many different bunk beds out there. I mean how long do you keep a bunk bed? Seriously. I was NOT about to pay no more than $300 for one and thats still too rich for my blood I think. So after some lunch, we were off to Tarjay and Wally world. OMG!! We shoulda went home after lunch and let them take a nap. But we just HAD to press on. Stanky even climbed out of the front of the cart, stood up, and fell into the back of the cart. Gave me a damn heart attack I tell you. Juju was better I must say. I think mostly because he loves going to Walmart. Back in Louisiana we would go to Wally just cuz. LOL.
Anyways...we decided on getting a bunk bed from Walmart. Besides being $200, we decided to upgrade them to separate beds when we move out of this duplex and into the house we are planning to buy in like 2-3 years. But moving on...aaahhhhh...no bunk bed. The display was there, the box was there, but the box...ya...it was open and empty. WTF?! Weird, right? Well they didn't have anymore in the back (of course) and never knew what their shipment was until they opened the boxes. Grrrrrr. So, by this time, it was nearly dinner time, so we stopped and got pizza and beer. Pizza for the four of us and beer obviously for me and big daddy.
Saturday was better. Better moods and everything. We had Honduran tacos for breakfast, and then we were out the door, searching for another Walmart, and on the hunt for a dining room table. How did we just miss looking for one yesterday? Went to one Walmart and it was scaaarryyy. LOL. The layout was the opposite of what we were used to and that made us get super confused LMAO. But no bunk bed. We did end up getting a cheapy little computer desk, because we really don't have room for a regular sized one. We also got some little plastic drawers for our closet for "all your damn thongs, and bras, and other shit." Those were big daddy's exact words. Kinda bummed about the bunk bed situation, we went shopping for a new tv. 4 words for ya: FRY'S IS THE BOMB! It was electronic heaven. The monsters even got to test out that new 3-D tv. Which I must say was pretty saweet! We left with a tv, and Windows 7 pro. Why can we not find a bunk bed anywhere? So even more bummed, we went grocery shopping, which of course makes everyone happy. And yes we forgot about finding a dining room table...again.
So did I make y'alls eyes bleed yet? LOL. And here we are, Sunday. And the one place we find a bunk bed is in Copperas Cove. That's were VonTrapp lives. Thats an hour away. And we all know what happens when the monsters are stuck in a car for an hour.
So we play the waiting game. And hopefully, we'll get them a bed this week. Hey-->they're not sleeping like just on the floor or anything like that. Well not really. They are sleeping on a queen sized mattress on the floor. Not on the floor, floor. Just wanted to clarify. You know. Just in case.

Please pardon MY confusion

So I thought I was gonna be cool and all and mess around with the new blogger draft. Um NO. As you can see my layout and everything has changed. MY mistake for thinking that "previewing" actually meant "saving." So frustrating for a non layout, non page creating person such as myself. But I will overcome.
Just giving y'all the heads up that its gonna look crazy around here at least until the weekend.
Keep your fingers crossed. I guess this is the kick that makes me find a designer huh?

The Happiness Project: week 7

So I came across this meme and wanted to jump in and participate...

My proud guys on "snow day" in Louisiana (HOOK EM HORNS!)

So come jump with me...I promise its fun...and post a pic of whatever it is that makes you wildly happy.

I know what you're thinking...

Where the heck did that awesome locker room mom go?! Well don't you fear...I am back. It has been one heck of a ride, this moving to Texas thing. After the AWESOME house viewing I went to, I never thought I would ever get into that place, let alone any place to live. But as luck would have it (not big daddy's though cuz his luck sucks!) THE LOCKER ROOM HAS OFFICIALLY MOVED TO AUSTIN! Sorry was I screaming just then? Oh well. We are officially Austinites. Aaaannnnnddddd...we actually moved into the exact place the heathen, monster children and I viewed together.
And after 6 weeks, big daddy came home. It was crazy. I remember it just like it was yesterday  LOL. It was a warm April 1st, almost 2nd night. Ok, ok no more. But big daddy called me thursday night saying he got the moving truck all loaded up but wasn't sure when he was gonna leave yet. He was calling to like map out the drive with me so he would know about how long it would take. I was in the middle of telling him about Dallas when he was like oh I gotta go and just hung up. Dude WHAT?! You can't just hang up on me like that. I was pissed! So of course, the teenage sex symbol in me (u like that huh lol), called him back. But NO ANSWER! What the?! Did he get a call from some other chick? Did this dude really step out on me with some chick? Then my phone rings...it was him. I almost didn't answer. The first thing he says is, "damnit Nicole, I'm tryna surprise you and come early, but I tell you I gotta go cuz I lost control of the truck and the trailer came undone. And then you wanna call me back to back a million times, sheesh!" So in my most sweetest voice ever, I just start gushing...
"Really?! You were trying to come early? Aww I love you! Yada, yada, yada..."
Of course I asked him if he was ok and all that jazz. But fast forward to 4am Friday, and there he was. My love. I was asleep of course when he came in. He just climbed into bed with me. I didn't realize how much I missed him until that moment. Sigh. I do love that man.
I woke up before my guys and went in the living room to have breakfast with Vontrapp (I promise a post about her is coming soon). Next thing I know, here comes big daddy carrying juju into the kitchen. They both had the biggest smiles I've ever seen on their faces. Juju was NOT gonna let go of his daddy anytime soon. About 30 min after that, I heard stanky in the bedroom going "daddy? daddy? mommy where r u?" So I went to get him and when I brought him into the kitchen, oh the look on his face! Shock, pure shock. LOL. It was weird. He wasn't smiling, he was just shocked.
What sucked was having to leave them so we could go and sign our lease and all that stuff. Big daddy was actually the one who didn't want to leave. Did I ever mention I hate packing? I did? Well I'll say it again...I HATE packing.
But that was that. And its now Thursday and tomorrow will be one week that we've actually lived in Austin. Its so good having my family together. All we need now is skinny and milkshake and the locker room will be complete once again.