Umm I don't think so

Joe took over 300 pictures of his trip to China and of all of the pictures of the Great Wall, and Tineman Square and the Forbidden City-- this was the one that stood out the most to me. And no your eyes are not deceiving you -- this is a toilet in the floor. Let me repeat-- in the floor...

Now this may not be a surprise to some of you more well traveled folk but when he told me this was in all of the public places and that you have to squat-- I said oh no--- I can't even do that in nature. And something tells me if I can't do it ---then there is a high proportion of the millions and millions of people in China that have similar aim issues. I went back through the pictures and started looking at the backs of the pants of people just to see-- okay that is a joke-- just seeing if you are still reading.....

Oh boy-- this would have my IBS in an uproar

Almost home

Tonight 9:30 pm, the long awaited return of my hubby-- I can't wait- I think I will surprise him with a dinner Thursday night- take out from Li's Chinese restaurant-- think he will like that? -- I bet he will not want to hear the word Chinese for about 6 months.

And I will try not to embarrass him with this little story--but today he told me he was ready to come home after the 3rd or 4th day, and I had to tell him -"it was day 2 that you emailed me and said you were ready to come home", and that is okay with me--because I beat him-- I wanted him home an hour after he left.

I have to say I will miss being spoiled a little bit. I have not had to think of one dinner this entire week -- it has been planned for me, Payten picked up and dinner ready- okay I tell a story--I did make a dinner one time for everyone just because I couldn't officially mooch the whole time, but I know that it was not expected. ----Mindy and Brad-- do you think we can just start including Joe-- but still spoil me -:)

Actually, I really say all of this just to say --thank you for including Pay, Carter and I, in your plans each night just like we were Horners, and insisting that we be there. And a special little thanks to Brad for the Peppers--UMMMMM - I can't get enough of those.

I am really lucky because I had many offers for help from all of my friends and my mom and I really appreciate all the offers and all the calls to check on me, it is nice to feel cared for when the one person you care about the most is 7,000+ miles away. So thank you so much to everyone.

Now all I can say is Jet plane(s) bring him home!!

The Fun of October

When I was growing up I remember always looking forward to the month of October. I love the weather cooling down, the leaves changing colors, home football games, wearing comfy sweatshirts, fall festivals. It is one of my favorite times of year-- I love it about as much as I love summer time.

Now that I am older I still love those same things about fall, but I have also recently added another thing to my list of things I love about October-- people kinda expect you to look funny-- you can get away with wearing just about anything. Last weekend the kids got away with wearing blue hair-- on a random day just for the fun of it. Some lady at Walmart said "oh looks like someone's been to a festival", I just played if off and said-- "yeah...." here are some pics from the rock star style..

Foreign Language Lessons: Taught by Payten Brown

When Payten was in kindegarten she taught me a quick spanish lesson before going to the circus, I was stressing a little because I was assigned to a spanish speaking little girl, and spanish speaking I am not...

Lesson # 1
Me: "Payten what am I going to do with Fernanda I don't know how to speak spanish"

P8n: "You can count to 10 in spanish"

Me: "A lot of good that is going to do me"

P8n: "I know something else in spanish"

Me: "What"

P8n: "Sietaday" (Commentary: no clue how to spell this, just spelling the way she said it)

Me: "What does that mean?"

P8n: "Sit down"

Me: "Great so I can count to 10 and say sit down all day to her"

P8n: "yep"

Tonight we had another opportunity for a lesson, this time in chinese. When I called the front desk of the Hotel to ask for Joe's room, they told me they could not understand me when I asked for room 605-- so I hung up the phone frustrated- then Payten taught me my next lesson--

Lesson #2
P8n: "I want to talk to daddy"

Me: "Me too but they didn't understand me"

P8n: "I have an idea; call them back and say Kaneechee baba, then say I want room six 'o' fy"

Me: "What is Kaneechee baba?"

P8n: "I don't know just call them and say that and then ask for room six 'o' fy, I think that will work"

Remind me to take Payten on my next international trip-- she is a big help :)

So much like my....

Today on they way home from school Payten said to Carter "You are just like your Mommy and I am just like my Daddy" so I was thinking about it and I think she is right see below........

While eating Popcorn
Payten and Daddy eat one piece at a time
Carter and Mommy eat a handful at a time-- while Payten and Daddy GRIPE

In public
Joe and Payten shy away from strangers
Carter points out the majorly hairy guy at swim and says "Look at him", my mom has plenty of similar embarrassing stories from me too

What we eat
Payten and Daddy --boiled eggs, gizzards and veggies
Carter and Mommy-- Meat, potatoes and sweets

Analness (is that a word?)
Joe very-- Payten's teacher told us she is very particular at school (not so much at home always)
Carter and Mommy-- NOT

Our ethics
Joe and Payten-- would rather not talk if it is not the truth
Mommy-- swore to my mom when I was a kid that I didn't carve -- MY NAME in that window sill (Mom I really did) -- Carter swore tonight that the Bed post turned on the fan -- he watched it do it. Okay so at least this is one I have grown out of --we will have to work on Carter

For Stephie--

Just for you Stephie--I have added the song to my playlist-- good reminiscing!! and it would not be the same without a good reminiscing picture.....

7 more hours of flight

Only 7 more hours until the plane lands. It sucks to not be able to talk to Joe ALL NIGHT LONG... so I sit here and blog in my misery :) while he probably rests on his last half of the flight. It was hard to explain to the kids that they can't talk to daddy tonight. And tomorrow can't come soon enough-- and when tomorrow does come only 7 days left.

So Joe I hope you check my blog while you are gone and if so here is a little message for you. 我想念您，仓促家

Have someone there translate it for you --but I can't be held responsible for anything it says- if it is something bad-- I used an online translator-- and you never know with those things

Lovin' tha Patti!!!

Several months ago I decided to take Mindy's advice and try Lowes Foods To Go, and I am sold. I save time, money, and a headache, and best part of it all --the customer service is FIRST CLASS, thanks to Patti "our" personal shopper.

Now Patti isn't always my personal shopper, in fact Heather is a great little personal shopper too, but Patti is always there to look after me. If ever there is a problem-- I just call Patti up who takes care of it, in a flash and with a smile. You just don't find customer service like Patti displays anymore.

So no more walking those long groceries aisles with two kids asking for everything they see. In fact I don't dread shopping anymore. Now I put the kids to bed and shop on my comfy couch. I use coupons because I now have time, I shop for specials, and use the Lowes Circular, and guess what we have really saved money, so much that my "cheap" hubby said we could go on a family date tomorrow night with the saved money- --See even Joe is happy with Lowe's Food to go.

So try it -- if you live in Indian Trail --you have to use the Matthews store so you can meet the famous Patti too.

One little warning, if you are like me the first time you try it you may feel a little weird. I told Patti on my first shop that I was feeling a little lazy-- but as always-Patti was right on time-- she said- let us do this for you, it is like getting a manicure or pedicure-- and she is right--I deserve this time back --this is more time for fun stuff.

So I end this with the infamouse words of Mindy Horner-- A line which has now become Patti's tag line---SHOP ON PATTI!!!- (and thanks for all you do!!!)


OH and one more thing in case I forget-- if you do decide to try it-- Tell Patti I sent you -- so I can get 1000 Green Points :)-- HE HE HE

Call it what you want

But I call it GENIUS-- how fun are these? Who needs to carve pumpkins when you can potato head them

Think about it--- less time, less mess, less rot, still fun, less fire (I mean no fire), and the best part of it all-- they are recyclable-- we can repeat the fun next year-- man--who ever thought of this deserves more than the $3.50 I gave them.

Oh and another thing-- they are reversible too

The Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday we went to the Pumpkin (or as Carter would say Punchkin, or pumpkee) patch with Carter's class. It is really a neat place. My camera broke (go figure, I remember it finally --and it breaks) but of course I had some folks there to hook me up-- so here are some of my favorite pictures from the day

The "Carta Bown" (that is all we heard all day from his "Fens" -translation friends)

The Curiosity

The Lady's Man

With Sara

And Emma

The Souvenir

The New Laptop (Desktop) Wallpaper

Thanks Rebecca and Randi for helping me out with pics-- and Joe- when you read this -- I am just throwing out a hint -- that camera I want-- it's looking even better now :)

Isn't that Nice

Wow I got an email tonight inviting me to an online tupperware party, from some random person I have never heard of -- how could that be?

This may be a wild guess ---but it might just be because at the fall festival the other day -- Mindy went by the tupperware booth, and when asked if she would like to sign up for a raffle, she said yes-- and later I found out -- she signed me up instead of herself- and when it asked if I would be interested in hosting a party--she marked-- the choice for "my arm could be twisted"

Such a good friend- just remember Mindy-- Paybacks are....... Fun

By the way-- I did respond and tell her I was not interested at this time- but that my friend Mindy Horner at 882-#### had mentioned being extremely interested in hosting a party--

Payten and Kylie

Payten had a play date with her little friend Kylie on Saturday after the Fall Festival- Kylie's mom -- aka Stace aka WV Girl got some really cute pictures that I couldn't resist sharing.

First of all--- Check out Payten's handstand--she started gymnastics about 6 weeks ago-- look at those gymnastics lessons paying off---- I don't think I could have ever captured this-- good shot Stace

Payten and Kylie trying their Cartwheels

And no Croston play date blog is complete without a picture of Baby Spencer-- How cute are they???

Thanks Stace for letting Pay Pay come play, and thanks for capturing some cute pics so I could see how much fun they had--

Lake Park Fall Festival

Our community had their annual fall festival yesterday-- it is a great time for the kids-- thought I would share some pics from the event-- (thanks Stace for being in charge of the camera)

My 9 Names

I received this in email today and it reminded me of a night that I could not stop laughing as Mindy and I were on the computer using name generators to come up with our "other" names-- this was to funny to resist posting, going forward could you all call me by my Gangsta name???

1. YOUR NAME (just your first name) Ashley

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME (first 3 letters of your name then add izzle) Ashizzle

3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (fav color and fav animal) Pink Bunny

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (your middle name and the street you live on) Stone Carol

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) Broas

6. YOUR SUPERHERO NAME: (Your 2nd favorite color, and favorite drink) Red Tea

7. YOUR IRAQI NAME: (2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of Your last name, any letter) Soa

8. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (parents middle names) Diane Anderson

9. GOTH NAME: (black, and the name of one of your pets) Black Henry (we don't really have a pet so I am going with the name Joe gave the big spider out front)

I'm Bringing Bloggin' back --yeah

Okay that title is an attempt at a play on Justin Timberlake's "Bringing Sexy Back", for those of you not up with the hip hop scene--

But seriously -- does it seem to you all that folks have been in a blogging lull- I know I feel like I have been in a lull-- and I check my little blog roll daily and today did have some nice updates-- but it just seems like a slow time-- so thought I would give everyone a little boost-- but don't really know how to do that besides saying-- GO BLOG YA'LL, I need some entertainment--

Couple of Random updates

Carter is still gonna be Black superman, but we did see "Red Superman" in Walmart the other day.

He had "Rylie Rolies" at school the other day , I said "rylie rolies" he said "no no Rolie Polies", then he said "I love Rylie Rolies" , that was our conversation on the way to swim the other night -- Payten use to call them Rolie Polies too

Thanks to Maci I found out Payten has a little crush-- It is always good to have a friend that will open up to you and give you the scoop-- embarrassed Payten, but gets me in the know-- for all of you that are local--- you may know little Ryan Abbott-- well Payten told Mace she had a little crush-- I think she has given up on Aaron -- still time though

For the aunts that read, and the grandmas that sporadically read-- We had Payten's teacher conference-- she is doing super well-- she is a smarty pants-- and her teacher loves her-- and we all know where she gets that smartness and likeability from -- (that would be me--in case anyone had to stop and think)

Joe leaves for China in 12 days-- SO SAD--but I have put in my list of designer things for him to bring back

I think that is it-- now to everyone reading this-- you have been tagged and have to blog within 24 hours or something bad will happen --like I will be really sad

Getting Crazy looks...

That is right-- people are looking at me strange when Carter tells them "I gonna be a black superman for Halloween" Here's a picture of his costume:

At least when I am around I can clarify-- I wonder how many people he has told when I am not around--

The New Aged Thank you Card

Aunt Linda I grabbed the camera the other night just so you could see how much the kids love the books you got for them - I thought this would be better than a thank you card by mail -- Thank you also for Payten's shirt (don't tell anyone but she wore it 2 days in a row :)) and Bears and Carter's Uncle Sam Potato head--

Also while I am handing out thank you's -- Joanna-- thank you so much for Carter's car set and Payten's Hannah Montana book-- I hope you saw on Saturday how much they truly loved them--and they played with them all evening at Mimi's it was and I am sure will continue to be nice entertainment

You are both so sweet to think of the kids!!!

(P.S. SORRY for the darkness -- it was a quick thought as they were reading bedtime stories so the room was dark-- also remember to pause my music at the bottom before you start)

The New Aged Thank you Card (Brother's turn)