Who dat?

Just so you'll know, here are some facts about me:

I've been married to DH for 23 years. DH loves football and reading and sci-fi. He has a man cave in the basement that he hides in while I deal with my stuff. We like it this way. We live in a big house in the 'burbs of Hotlana. It's really a small town - I can't go anywhere without running into someone I know. Small towns are good for raising kids. People pay attention and let you know if the little urchins act up.

I am a native Southerner and proud of my accent. (Just 'cause I say ya'll and love grits doesn't mean I'm stupid. I have a good education - I went to a fine southern women's college - and I read several excellent publications daily.) Sho. Whachu tawkin' 'bout. Ya'll come back now, ya hear? I was born pre-Sputnik, during the Eisenhower administration, so I'm no baby. As a PK (preacher's kid) I'm happy that we aren't Baptist, 'cause my late Daddy taught me how to drink, swear, tell dirty jokes, and play poker. You know, the finer things.

DH and I have three heathen male offspring, Larry, Curly, and Moe. Larry will be 21 in two weeks. He's is very bright - he's currently teaching himself Japanese - but is not a college student because he decided to flunk out of the local university. Larry lives in his own lair in the basement and works retail. He's actually pretty pleasant and has learned it's best not to argue with The Mama. I hope to God he will get a better job and move out SOON.

Curly is 17 and a senior in high school. He's very cute and thinks he is God's gift to women. A typical day with Curly starts him saying to himself while admiring his reflection, "DAMN, I'm good looking!" Curly loves to play his guitar and sing to the girls, and they swoon over this. He's also smart and lazy. Curly (like his brothers) is pretty damn ADHD, and he's got an additional fun part that causes no end of fun for DH and I - he's bi-polar. So we spend a lot of time at doctor and therapists offices. The combination of ADHD, bi-polar stuff, and wild hormones means that Curly is incredibly impulsive and makes very poor decisions. It's really fun for DH and I.

When I was in college, we used to refer to blind dates as "a good time -or a good story". Life with Curly contains a lot of good stories. Not that I'm complaining - he's a sweet kid who tells me daily how much he loves me and drapes his lanky bod over me for hugs. But it's an adventure for sure. We've had pregnancy scares, giant cell phone bills, probation, a zillion visits to the ER, and bathtubs that overflowed into the kitchen below. Woo-wee, them's some good stories!

Moe is my baby at 12. He's in 7th grade and utterly charming and gregarious. Moe makes friends with EVERYONE. He doesn't know a stranger, and is happy to get along with who ever will spend time with him. His big brothers pick on him mercilessly. What else are little brothers for? But Moe is such a sunny kid. He makes my day.

Living with the Three Stooges and their entourage is like living in a fraternity house. I used to say it was like a junior frat house - like a regular one, but without the drinking or the sex - but that's not true any more. The house is a disaster - clothes and food leavings everywhere. DH and I try to keep a handle on it, but when we aren't around, things fall apart. I'm really glad school is back in session - it limits the amount of unsupervised hooliganism.

On the tatting front, I've made a bit of progress. What do you think do think?