Let The Good Times Roll

Can you kill me now? Holy shit people, health insurance is on the way, but I found out the deductible for my gallbladder surgery is really high. I don’t know what’s worse, the pain in my gut or my wallet. Or maybe it’s the pain in my ass, I mean, my husband, Mr. Lane. Now he has a “killer tooth ache” that is going to run another couple thousand to fix all of his oral ailments. At this rate I’ll be working in the nursing home until I’m ready to be admitted.

On to bigger, better, blissfulness. My daughter is the happiest kid on the planet. You could learn a lot from a kid like her. Since feeling like shit, I’m trying to take lessons from her. Remember how I said our summer has been filled with work? Well, little Lane 2 was not exempt. Somehow, however, she managed to make the best of it, sneaking in fun wherever possible.



Here is how she celebrated the last day of school. She wore a horrid garage sale purple 80’s prom dress. And her friend Mojo Jojo wore hot pink. They look like caged animals don’t they? I was in the laundry room and heard the sound of girls screaming, “Mrs. Lane 2’s Mommy!!!” The school is across the street. With the washer and dryer going, I could hear them screaming. All they wanted to do was say hi. Fun!



First full day of summer, I had the kids helping me in the yard. We had a couple of dead trees that needed to be yanked out. Even working hard, she was still smiling.



Lane 2 convinced her father to be one of the “cool kids” and get in the picture with her and her friends. This was taken on Father’s Day in between lunch and railing work on the porch. Mr. Lane is known around these parts as “Mr. Lane 2’s Daddy” but that day they all called him “Big Poppa,” hence the rapper wannabe hat tip.



The 4th of July was “the best day ever” and all she had was a giant sparkler to entertain herself with.



The Cookie Monsters had a sleepover, where no sleeping took place. This was one of many overnight guests this summer who helped with weed pulling and other monotonous chores.



Here’s another overnighter, Ashley. By the way, you have no idea how many photos these two girls took of themselves. Thank God for making digital cameras.



She and Mojo Jojo with root beer floats in yet one more overnight junk-food-a-thon.



She snuck a couple of friends (Ashley and Hailey) into her brother’s room to play Guitar Hero, while he was at work.



When my nieces came for a weeklong visit, I took them to Ronald Reagan’s boyhood home since we were driving right by it to go shopping. There is my girl looking up between his legs. Always having fun.



We were going to go to the mall but when she spotted Walmart, she asked if we could just go there instead, because it was more fun there. More fun than the mall?!? If you are in her little world, yes, it is more fun than the mall. Here she is trying on a bike seat and helmet. No bike needed for real fun, apparently.



She got her cousin, Nancy to hop into a shopping cart so they could go fishing.



Here she is with her cousins Nancy and Natalie riding on baby toys. More fun!



They also played tennis while at the store. Why we didn’t get kicked out of there remains a mystery. Good times!



In Missouri, she learned to make chicken fried steak with her Nana.



And her grandpa taught her how to make tacos. Since her deck building skills are limited, she helped with most of the cooking and cleaning while we were at my in-laws.


Helping set up and decorate the teen center before the big dance party, she and her friend Brenda take time to lick the streamers.



The teen center has dances every other weekend, and that is always a good time if you are Lane 2. No work and all play.



At the end of the day, when I’m laying in bed, feeling like crap, she always comes up for a snuggle, and to see how I feel. I totally love this kid!



Even after shopping for school supplies, she was still having a great time.



But this, right here, is why we are here today. This is my little girl looking like hell warmed over after working her little butt off in hundred degree heat in a corn field. She tried her hand at detassling, and as you can see, she fought the corn and the corn won.



She wanted to work as a detassler to earn enough money for a dollhouse that she has had her eye on for a long time. The fruits of her labor paid off. Getting her daddy to play dollhouse with her was just a bonus.

Take time to smell the roses and lick the streamers. Have a great weekend everybody!