Discount Tires

Today I had to take my car to Discount Tires to get a tire replaced that had a nail in it.  (Me + Discount Tires is already the beginning of a horror story in my book.)  At any rate, though the guy helping me was super nice, I just wanted to get in and out of there with a fast quote on how much it would cost to order my new tire so Robert Skeet Taylor could go get it later.  Unfortunately, Enthusiastic Tire Guy had different plans.  He proceeded to teach me everything I never wanted to know about tires and tire pressure.  He showed me a whole bunch of stickers on the inside of my car door that I didn't care about, he told me all sorts of numbers for correct air pressure in my tires, he showed me a bunch of charts about green, yellow, and red tire tread zones, and then he talked for over thirty minutes about the Georgia Bulldogs and their football season.  Anyone who knows me well knows that if there are any TWO things in the WORLD that I have NO interest in AT ALL, it's CAR PARTS AND SPORTS TEAMS. Though I smiled and said "cool" at this barrage of "fun facts," I began secretly wishing I had nails in my ears instead of my tire!  For that hideous hour, I truly thought the Ascension had happened and I had not been chosen, because I'm pretty sure I got a glimpse of HELL today at Discount Tires.

Bribe

(2011) Had to "bribe" the kids to get in the tub tonight by adding some red and yellow food coloring to the water ... they now have a bright orange "Halloween" bath!  They jumped right in after that!

Bear Hunt

(2012) Mom and Dad are on their annual October trip through the Carolinas so Lily and I went over to their house this evening to water their flowers. Lily completely could not understand WHY Grammie and Papaw were not at their house. I told her they were on a trip. She thought a while then said, "So ... they're on a bear hunt?" Uh ... no, Lil.  I'm not thinking Grammie picked a "bear hunt" for her anniversary trip this year!

Fortune Cookie

(2014) We went to our favorite Chinese restaurant tonight and when it came time to read the fortune cookies, we had a hilarious faux pas!  Lily asked to read Skeet's fortune out loud to all of us and, without any help, proceeded to read, "You will have good-looking personal affairs."  WHAT?!!!  Skeet was LOVING that fortune, until I snatched it and said, "Sorry mister.  It actually says, 'You will have good LUCK in your personal affairs!"   Oops ... letting a first grader read your fortune may alter your fate quite a bit, apparently!!

Inspired

(2012) GREAT Men's Sunday service at church today!!!  The theme was  "God's Power Tools" which Dylan really loved and listened to.  One funny thing though ... a men's chorus sang the upbeat chorus  "At Calvary" and Dylan thought they were singing "At Halloween."  He was very inspired!

News Flash

(2013) News flash for the family ... Lilly Claire informed me that she has changed her name to "Fluffy Belle."  Just FYI!

Halloween Costume

(2015) Sooooo much work ahead of me to make Bran into decent husband material one day ... case in point:  Tonight I walk into his room with all this highlighting product goop in my hair, my head covered with a huge plastic bag, moisturizer cream on my face, my pink robe on, and my black glasses.  My husband is smart enough not to comment (years of training).  My son, however, says, "What the heck, Mom?!  Is that your Halloween costume?!!!"  Yes, I did swat him!  :)  Brandon Taylor

Sweet Hubby

(2011) I have a sweet hubby ... You know I've been searching for a formal dress this week and I was bemoaning the fact that I'd tried on a dress I had ordered and it looked HORRIBLE when I actually put it on.  I texted Skeet dramatically, "UG! My new dress looks super horrible on me and now I hate myself!!!"  He instantly texted back, "Must be something wrong with the dress."  Made my day!  Thanks, buddy!

New Name

(2011) Lily Claire will not answer me at all tonight unless I remember to call her by her new self-given name, "Strawberry Shortcake."

Parenting

(2014) Had a heartfelt moment with my teenage son tonight, which for those of you who live with "stoic" men like mine, know those can be pretty rare.  Bran had gotten in some trouble this week and we had doled out the consequences, which were a lot more stiff than others.  Bran accepted the consequences without argument and faced up to his mistakes in a brave and honest way, but it was a tough on all of us.  Tonight as he and I were quietly talking things over again, I said, "I know we're probably the strictest of all the parents."  Bran replied, "Yeah .. but I think it's because you care the most."  Parenting is a tough job and I teared up hearing that from him  ... not something you think your 15 year old son would understand or realize in the moment.  He will never really know how fiercely we do love and care and how very, very proud we are to be his parents.

Burping

A funny school story today...
In our classroom, we have lots of talks about being polite and
using manners, especially when ladies are present. This is a whole new concept for third grade boys in particular!!  Today, we decided to eat lunch together in the classroom, and halfway through the Magic School Bus episode, I noticed two of my boys had left the classroom and were standing out in the hallway. I called out to them and said, "Guys ... why are you in the hall?"  Very seriously they said, "Mrs. Taylor, we had to step outside because we were burping A LOT around ladies."  I could hardly keep a straight face while thanking them for their admirable courtesy!! 😂

Raid

There was some big bug in the Lily's room and being the HERO that I am, I went upstairs with my Raid Can and sprayed it for like five minutes (never can be too careful!).  Anyway Dylan and Lily came running downstairs again and said the bug was still moving.  "How is that possible?!" I shouted.  "I sprayed about half a can of Raid on it!"  When I went back upstairs, I realized that I had NOT sprayed the BUG, I had sprayed a black KEN DOLL SHOE that was on the carpet instead!!  I'm getting old... apparently I need my reading glasses these days even to exterminate.

Pizza Man

(2011) Ok, so it's usually Lily Claire who is scared of the pizza delivery guy but tonight it was ME!  This older man who delivered our pizza tonight talked to me at the door for over thirty minutes about how "rich bums are building skyscrapers while dogs are in cages getting killed and a black hole could come and swallow us up."  I just kept smiling and nodding and agreeing with everything he said!!!!

Vacation

(2013) I think Lily has been misunderstanding all these weeks when I tell her that Skeet is out of town.  He's gone on business trips a few days of each week, but today in the car Lily asked me, "Why does Daddy take so much vacations?!"  Cracked me up!!!

Hint

Guess Lily was giving me a hint that I've been cleaning the house too long today in my raggy PJs with my hair a wreck when she said in a very sweet voice, "Mom, are you going to get dressed soon?  You always look lovely when you're not in pajamas."  Hahahaaa!