some pictures I love...

I love that time of day when my lovebugs are all clean and shiny and ready for bed...

Cutting up these cucmbers with plastic knives for a salad actually entertained my boys for a good 45 minutes. It was heaven! Until Eddie started putting lettuce in his hair and yelling "Look my hat!".

The most perfectly placed barrel toy ever...

just a little respect please...

WARNING....long sentence ahead.

During the summer of 2006, the community came together in Carbon County and built a beautiful place where our teenagers could mingle with one another, practice their tagging skills, pass the Dutchie down the left hand side, speak like truckers and give each other tongue baths, all the while scaring away pesky toddlers and young kids who need a place to play...that's right...The Dino-Mine Adventure Playground.

OK, I'm being facetious...but what has happened to our favorite little playground? It has been over run and I, for one, can't take it anymore!

My kids love this playground, but all summer I have been hard pressed to find a day where they could play carelessly, without me worrying about the impending Junior High invasion. I tried my luck again today, thinking that the school year would drive away the unwanted teens. It was wonderful for a while...until 4:15...when a herd of kiddos in Volcom T-shirts came walking, skating and riding up the hill towards us. In the past couple of weeks, while with my kids at Dino-Mine, I have witnessed the following.

1) A 10 or 11 year old couple engaging in a public make-out under the bridge (not rookies by the way).

2) A 9 year old ecstasy salesman in the Toddler area of the park.

3) A teenage boy hurdling inches over my 7 month old daughter's head while playing "tag" on the upper level of the playground.

4) A friend's son lamenting to his Dad..."Hey, those boys are saying garbage words!"

5) Skateboarding down the slides.

Come on teenagers! Come on lame, clueless parents who think your kids are just going to the playground. They are turning the said "playground" into a prepubescent Rave. At least the term "adventure" is apprope. Isn't there a Skatepark and BMX track about 200 yards away? Can't you leave the little kids playground to the little kids? I'm just saying...

a few things that need to be vented about...

1) The blonde Lagoon girl. You know which one. She is cute, but come on...when she drinks that can of Coke in slow motion... it kills me. She looks at the soda with such bewilderment and affection. As if this newfangled Coke stuff is some sort of epic, earth-shattering beverage that is so surprisingly delicious and refreshing it may possibly end world hunger and make your boobs grow at the same time. That expression on her face should be reserved for winning the lottery (or maybe running into Jon Hamm in an elevator). And have you heard the radio ads? The female voice (I have to picture the aforementioned blonde, hot poodle) has the most irritating, nonsensical use of intonation..I'm sure it's meant to be sexy but all I can hear is..."It's what dumb is"!

2) My non stop e-mails from "Mr. X". The subject line always reads...."My millionnaire friend wants to meet you...". Enough Mr. X! I have tried blocking you, and still you persist. Maybe, Mr. X., you should tell your wealthy, desperate friend about my ill-tempered husband, my three children and my PMS. Move on to another hapless, gold digger. This ship has sailed. Also, my SPAM filter is a miserable failure for letting you repeatedly into my life, and by that I mean my laptop.

3) The worst country song EVER. "Double XL". I heard it on the radio yesterday (thanks KOAL) and my mouth was hanging open from pure, offended shock. I'm pretty sure a grammy was not involved in the writing, producing, singing or performing of "Save a Horse, Ride a cowboy", but this song justifies a public hanging. It is vile and horrid. Some sample lyrics for those of you not lucky enough to have heard this catchy tune...

Well double XL, double XL. Dont call me on the phone just ring my dinner bell! Im a lean, mean, love machine that likes to be held, ooo brrrrr baby Im a double XL!

No! You are a juvenile, absurd, distasteful, repulsive, self-ingulgent, untalented, overpaid pig of a man who sings a song about having a big weenie. Ew... seriously country music? Sir Mix-a-Lot you are not!