GTT: Not-so-hot hotties

More frequently than you might think, I develop crushes on completely average looking men. Pudgy, sweet, wielding a tool, dirty from a hard day's work... There's something about an attainable, approachable man that never fails to make my boobies tingle.

So here's to them:

1. Sam Elliot. Gah. So gruff and awesome. From the moment I saw him in Rocky Dennison as a kid (and, no, I don't care that the movie isn't actually named that), I've been a goner. This is why.


2. Billy Bob Thornton. I don't really know why. He just seems real... and dirty.


3. Chris Rock. You know living with this man has to be nothing short of a non-stop roller coaster. Nothing is more attractive than a funny ass man.


4. Cole Hauser and Michael Rappaport. In my mind, sometimes they are the same person. Don't ask.


5. Benicio Del Toro. What's really crazy is this guy is described as a Silver Fox. Whaaa? I could just stare at him all day long.


Alright - so which not-traditionally-hot hottie is on your list?

QOTD: I Sold Them .... For Free

Some of Javi's funniest moments come right after he bursts through the front door fresh from school.

J: Don't tell Daddy, but I was going to take these to school to sell them. [Holds up intricately folded pieces of paper.] So I get them down from up there [points to the entertainment armoire] and took them to school today.

Me: And did you sell any?

J: Yep, I sold three of them!

Me: How much did you sell them for?

J: [Shrugs exaggeratedly] For free. It's still selling though!

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After flashing the shapes he didn't sell in my face, Javi then holds up a particular one and says, "Alex did this one." I glance at it and nod to show that I saw it.

J: Don't you see what it says? Look closer. [Puts it so close to my face, my eyes cross.]

Me: I can't make it out.

J: Oh, no, it's this one. [Holds up a shape with "Fouck You" written on it. Stares at me with big eyes.]

Me: What?! Why do you have that?

J: He just gave it to me.

Me: Well, I'm calling your teacher. That's completely unacceptable.

J: No mama! Don't tell her!

Me: What if you'd gotten caught with that? Alex wouldn't be the one in trouble -- you would be. I'm sorry, but it can't happen again.

J: Please, mama! Please! Can't you let it slip just this one time? Please? I promise not to take anything else with bad words on it. Please?

Me: This time, Javi. It had better not happen again. And you tell Alex that I'm watching him.

J: Thanks for letting it slip by, mama. I just don't know why Alex wrote that word. He can't even spell it right!

Yeah, Alex, learn to spell. Because that's what you should be ashamed of!

Counting my blessings

The past few weeks have been filled with sadness. I've felt bombarded by the flow of heartwrenching negativity and spent too much of my time wondering how such cruelty and devastation as the murder of Shaniya and other babies can exist and even thrive ... because the world also holds so much beauty and so many possibilities.

As cliche as it sounds, I've decided to concentrate on the positivity. I need to keep the good things in front of my face lest I fall into the crushing abyss of darkness that always looms just behind me. So for today, and the days to come, I'm choosing to count my blessings.

I'm focusing on the crisp blue skies and warm weather that we have normally forgotten by November, the soul stirring contrast of bright orange or yellow leaves against that amazing blue, my children's laughter as they run through piles of freshly raked leaves, my husband's hand reaching for mine as we trail behind them.

I am so thankful for their health and happiness and for the health and happiness they bring to me. I hold in my hearts the other mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends who are struggling right now. I send courage and strength to those who need it most. And, above all else, I pray that we all find a way to bring more positivity into this world.

Thinking about Shaniya

One story has haunted me for nearly a week now. Last Tuesday, our local news reported about a little five-year-old girl kidnapped from her mother's couch between 5:30 am and 6:30 am.

That's what we knew then. The Amber alert went out and everyone in our community went into action. We talked about Shaniya. We looked for her in the face of every young girl we saw. And then the news came in that she was spotted at a local hotel in the arms of a strange man.

That's when our hope and prayers took another a more desparate note. We wanted to believe she was still alive, that there was a future for little Shaniya, that no one would snuff out a precious life that had so much left to experience. But then...

Two days ago police arrested the child's mother on charges of knowingly selling Shaniya into sexual servitude.

The man seen holding Shaniya and getting onto an elevator with her to take her to a hotel room was arrested and charged with kidnapping.

An anonymous tipster told police they saw Shaniya with a man seemingly in his sixties.

Another tipster suggested police look for Shaniya's body in the woods less than two miles from my house.

And earlier today, searchers -- people who volunteered their time and energy and hearts to find this sweet girl -- stumbled upon her body in those woods.

I don't have many words to describe the gaping wound I feel in my chest. I didn't know Shaniya Davis or her family. I didn't volunteer to search for her, though I yearned to be out there turning over every rock if only to prove she was still alive. What I did was pray for her and her family, and remain riveted to news reports of the investigation.

Right now, just the idea of finding her there, alone and cold and abused and dumped in the woods like garbage. It pierces me. It makes my heart crumble and the tears flow and my body goes wobbly. I cannot imagine her father's pain or how his body will react when he has to identify his baby's body.

I don't know what the lesson here is, but I'm searching for it. Today, I will put my arms around them and shower them with kisses. I will breathe in their scents and show patience for their inability to see past the challenge at their feet.

I will love them with everything I have. And I will pray that Shaniya's death brings love to all the children in my community -- and yours -- tonight.

Celebrating

I spent yesterday in the house with the kids. Hurricane Ida sent steady, cold rain and heavy winds our way so we decided not to venture out anywhere and the kids' schools were closed in observance of Veteran's Day.

I went to bed on Tuesday night filled with anxiety and dread. What would we do all day? How would my sanity remain intact? Why was the school system punishing me?

But I was worried about nothing. Bella slept until almost 10 am. There were some touch-and-go moments where they yelled in each other's faces (Leave me alone! I'm not touching you! LEAVE ME ALONE! I'm not doing anything! GET OUT OF MY FACE! I'm not even near you! -- and it was the two year old who did all the yelling), but all in all, we had a really good day.

The kids played legos and ate lunch. We then spent some time thinking about and showing our gratitude toward those who've fought for our country and our freedom: family members like my cousin Brandon who passed away last month at the age of 25 after serving in Iraq and friends like our neighbors who just returned from a six-month deployment in Afghanistan.

We enjoyed each other. There was laughter and discussion and joy. I think we spent the day doing what our service men and women would want: Being a family.