The Pooligans

Thankful

2009-12-01T11:52:00.002-06:00

I am Thankful for my sweet 7 year old daughter who brought me this paper from school this morning.

I am most thankful for ......Happy Thanksgiving!! There are three things that I am thankful for. Our backyard is very fun. My family loves me. I am thankful for my Mom. Thanksgiving is almost here.

Thanksgiving with Granny and Pawpaw

2009-11-29T18:12:00.007-06:00

We had a great Thanksgiving with Granny and Papaw. The girls helped Granny cook. They made a batch of deviled eggs, but ate them all before we ever sat down to eat Thanksgiving dinner!!! We watched movies and football and took naps. And just enjoyed each other's company. We have alot to be thankful for. Here are my two favorite quotes from the day.

My Dad won't ever answer us kids 'cause he's too lazy to talk!!! - Libby Pool.

House full of kids. House full of dogs. Good food. Days like these are what makes life worth living!!! - David Morgan

P.S. I pitched in and tried to help cook the Mashed Potatoes....one simple little thing...and they tasted like crap. LOL. WHO can mess up mashed potatoes!!! Me. That's who!

The Crazy Discussions My Kids Have

2009-11-24T07:42:00.000-06:00

We were in the car this week...and for whatever reason they start talking about Mammals. They are arguing about what is and is not a mammal. So Frank, a knowledgable sixth grade spouts off "You can tell it's a mammal because it has live babies." Carlie, my first grade, quickly corrected him "Actually Frank, that's not true. The exception to that is the Platypus which IS a mammal, but lays eggs!!!"

The Blind Side

2009-11-22T19:30:00.009-06:00

My family and I went to see the movie "The Blide Side" this weekend. It's about a wealthy Memphis family that took in a large black boy who was homeless and he became an NFL football player. It's actually the true story of Micheal Oher.

I loved the movie and so did my family. Reminded me so much of our situation with JB. But so far we don't have the fairy tale. My high school football player that we took in just pled guilty to a felony and will have to toe a straight and narrow line for two years to stay out of jail. But ...I haven't given up on him. So much of the movie I related to....the strange big kid suddenly showing up in the family Christmas picture...and the questioning relatives. My grandma warning me about taking in a teenage boy in a home where I had small daughters...and driving around on the wrong side of town looking for him after we'd had a "fight". But also a proper hug.

After the movie, I sent him a txt just because I was thinking about him. He wanted to know what I'd been up to, and I told him about the wreck last weekend. He was outraged that I hadn't called and told him about it when it happened. I sent him a text back that I didn't think he cared that much, and I wasn't hurt anyway. And he sent back "Well I expect you to tell me when anything bad happens to any of you in the future!!" He cares. I hope he can work out his issues.

Family Nursery Rhymes

2009-11-16T06:48:00.000-06:00

These were rhymes my Mom taught me when I was little. I've never seen them in any Nursery Books :0)

I'm just a little girl...with just a little figure.
Go away boys....til I get a little bigger.

******************************
When I was a little girl..about this High.
Mommy'd take a little switch and make me cry.
But now I'm a big girl, and Momma cain't do it.
So Daddy takes a big switch and hops right to it.

******************************
Ooey Gooey was a worm,
a mighty worm was he.
He climbed upon the rail road tracks,
the train he did not see.
Oooooey Gooooey.

******************************
Fuzzy wuzzy was a bear,
Fuzzy wuzzy had no hair,
Fuzzy wuzzy wasn't very Fuzzy...was he.

****************************

Adult says *Who fired that shot?*
Child says *I fired it...I fired it*
(Play on words..often comes out *I farted...I farted*)

****************************

How many chucks could a woodchuck Chuck.
If a woodchuck could chuck wood.

****************************

My Momma told me...if I was goody,
that she would by me...a rubber dolly.
My Auntie told her...I kissed a soldier,
now she won't buy me...a rubber dolly.

3, 6, 9...the goose drank wine,
the monkey chewed tobacco on the street car line.
The line broke and the monkey got choked,
and they all went to heaven in a little row boat.
Putt Putt.

****************************

I'm sorry little playmate,
I can't come out and play.
My Dolly has the flu,
Boo Hoo, Hoo, Hoo, Hoo.

Climb up my rainbow,
slide down my cellar door,
And we'll be best of friends,
for ever, more, more...
More, more, more, more.

************************************
Bumbely, Bumbely, Bumbely Buck,
How many fingers do I have up?

************************************
Coca Cola went to town.
Pepsi Cola knocked him down.
Dr. Pepper fixed him up,
and now he's drinking 7-Up.

*************************************

Hi, My name is Joe.
I have a wife and three kids,
and I work in a button factory.
One day my boss came to me,
and said *Joe, are you busy?*
I said *No*
He said *Turn the button with your right hand*

(Make button turning motion...repeat with both arms legs, head, etc)

Then end with:

Hi, My name is Joe.
I have a wife and three kids,
and I work in a button factory.
One day my boss came to me,
and said *Joe, are you busy?*
I said *Yes*

Well They Both Said Yes!!!

2009-11-15T19:34:00.005-06:00

I went down with my Mom and Dad to my cousin Matt's wedding. I look Libby with me because she PROMISED she'd not talk to much and she'd work and help decorate. Well when we got there the church was too dark for me to use my built in flash.

So my Dad and I went in search of one in his car. We ended up going all tbe way to Tulsa. I was driving. My Dad's cell phone wasn't working, so he had his cell phone out to find my Uncle's number and he was trying to dial it into my cell phone. We were stopped in our lane of traffic when WHAM we are hit from behind. I heard the tires squeal before we were hit, but there wasn't anything that I could do. We were the first car in a three car chain. Both the cell phones in Dad's hands went flying as well as the glasses off his face. My head slammed back against the head rest. We got out, and a young girl hadn't been paying attention and had rear-ended another car which then was pushed into us. Thankfully no one was hurt.

But it was the full works, police, firetruck, etc right in the middle of the busiest part of Tulsa.

By the time we got the wreck cleaned up and cars towed, and a rental car, we missed Matt's wedding completely!! While we were at the rental car place, the agent goes "Mr. Morgan will your wife be driving as well?" (while looking at me). I go "I" am his DAUGHTER. And he goes "Oh". So needless to say we had a hard time fitting my Dad's inflated head into the rental car. LOL.

All the time we were waiting, we were trying to call my Mom's cell phone to let her know what had happened. Later we found out that her purse...along with her cell phone...was in the car. Along with the clothes she and Libby were going to change into for the wedding...and the wedding presents. Oppps.

I asked Libby how the wedding went. She thought about it a second and said "Well it was really pretty....and they BOTH said Yes!!!"

BTW, Mom said that Libby did work really hard. She decorated and cooked and served food. I was proud of what a good helper she was.

The truck of Mom and Dad's car was just blown apart. We are waiting to see if it is totalled.

Old and Sterilized

2009-11-12T17:47:00.003-06:00

Frank and Libby just came back from the "health" field trip where they learn about the birds and the bees. Frank went on Wednesday and Libby went today. So last night, Bob was asking Frank about what he'd learned. Frank was mortified and didn't want to talk about it.

So they moved on to other things, and Frank was telling Bob that one day he's was going to grow up to be big enough to beat him up. They were just joking around....boy stuff. And Frank says "Well I may not be able to beat you up now...but some day you'll be old and sterilized...and I'll get you then?" We both go "STERILIZED??!?!?" And Frank says "Yeah, you know....where you can't move any more....sterilized." LOL. So we explained to him the diffence between sterilized and paralyzed. Bob told Frank "Oh MAN, you KNOW this is going on facebook!!!" LOL

Discipline in a Modern World

2009-11-10T14:56:00.003-06:00

You know when I was a kid, if I wouldn't clean up my room, my Dad would threaten to spank me and that was enough to get me motivated.

However, the world has moved on. Yesterday Carlie and Madi were to clean up the room they share....and it was a PIT. Madi went in there and worked a while, but Carlie wouldn't help her. So finally I told Madi she'd done enough and Carlie would have to finish it herself.

She threw the most awful tantrum. I told her that she wasn't going to get to eat dinner until her room was clean. So she laid in her bedroom floor and screamed "I guess I'll just have to eat alot at breakfast in the morning since I'm not going to get any dinner tonight." and better yet "I guess I'm not going to get to eat until I get in High School." or "I'm going to starve to death."

I went in there and spanked her and that didn't work either.

Finally I heard Frank mutter under his breath "Geeze, if that had been me throwing a fit like that you'd have taken pictures and sent them to everyone." And he's right. I have some SPECTACULAR videos of him throwing tantrums when he was little and some pretty recent pictures of big boy tantrums.

So I got my camera phone out and made a video of Carlie throwing her fit. I told her she had 15 minutes to get the room cleaned up, or I was going to post it on Face Book. That did the trick. She had that room cleaned up in a heartbeat...all the while squalling..."No, don't put it on facebook where everyone can seeeeeeee!!!!"

Ahhhhh....kids these days.

Hard Questions

2009-11-05T07:03:00.002-06:00

Mr. Robey came to Winfield to watch Frank's last regular season football game. Frank was on the field, and I was taking pictures of the team. Libby was sitting by Mr. Robey. When I came to check on them, Mr Robey goes "Man, Julie, don't ever do that to me again?" I go "What?" He said when you left Libby started grilling me with hard questions "Why didn't you keep me?" "Are you still married to my Mom?" "How many tattoos does she have?" "Is your grown up son in jail?" "How many tattoos does HE have?" "How old are you anyway?" "You've been with your girlfriend for five years, so why haven't you married her yet?" "Are you gonna marry her?"

Boy, she nailed him in true Libby fashion. LOL. To his credit, I think he did a pretty good job of answering her questions. He told her that we all decided at the time that the best thing for Frank and Libby was to live with us, and she should be very glad she has such a great home. I told him I thought he did a fine job....all we can do is tell them the truth.

Full-Handed

2009-11-03T11:59:00.003-06:00

Carlie comes up with some great new words. The other day I picked her up from school and she had her bag and coat and a bunch of other stuff. When we got to the car she says "Mom, would you open the door for me? I'm kinda full-handed!!!"

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T20:16:00.003-05:00

We did our usual trip around the neighborhood. Before we finished the rounds Madi got tired and went home because her candy bag was so heavy she was tired of carrying it. Carlie went home early because she wanted to start eating her candy!!!

Fall Day At the Belle Plaine Arboretum

2009-10-26T12:47:00.013-05:00

When Frank has out of town football games, he has to be there an hour early. And then the games tend to run late. So the girls and I drive around town and see if there is anything interesting to do. This weekend we stumbled upon the Belle Plaine Arboretum. It was stunnly beautiful and we stopped to walk the grounds and take pictures. Of course we were dressed for a ballgame, not picture taking. Carlie had stayed at home with Bob because she didn't feel good. Here are some pictures.

My Baby Lost Her First Baby Tooth

2009-10-22T22:08:00.003-05:00

She has waited forever for one to get wiggly, but they were all firmly in place.

When I came back from my trip from MN, I brought them back suckers. She was crunching hers up tonight and suddenly her tooth was gone. It figures that she would have to do things differently. All my other kids we had to hold down, cajole, beg, threaten....to get their first tooth out. Carlie's just comes out and disappears. We don't know what happened to it. But she's thrilled that she's finally lost a tooth.

October Quotes

2009-10-20T07:47:00.000-05:00

***************************************************
Why can't EVERY day be a weekend!!!! - Carlie Pool
***************************************************
It's hard to unlove someone. - Olanna SWB
***************************************************
When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.-Cherokee Expression
***************************************************
You're a Great Friend, but if the Zombies chase us I'm tripping you - T-shirt
***************************************************

Revenge on a Birddog

2009-10-18T06:38:00.000-05:00

My grandma's name is Obie. And my grandpa's name is Cassol (Cass for short) and he always had bird dogs and coon dogs around the house.

One old dog just ate constantly. If food was thrown out the backdoor, that dog would catch it and eat it before it hit the ground.

Grandma Obie decided one day to teach that old dog a lesson. She took some biscuit dough and wrapped it around the lid of a mason jar. Then she threw it out the back door.

Sure enough, the dog tried to catch it in midair before it hit the ground. But the jar lid was firmly wedged in his mouth!!!! The dog tried to get it out and so did Grandma Obie, but it wouldn't budge.

When Grandpa Cass came home, he was so mad at what his wife had done to his dog!!! He did managed to get the lid out of the dogs mouth, and the dog was fine.

Cooking Mishap

2009-10-17T14:32:00.002-05:00

The kids like to make Cinnamon Toast for breakfast sometimes. Libby decided to make some earlier this week. She mixes butter, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and then spreads it on toast that comes out of the toaster.

The kids dug into their toast and immediately spit it back out. Libby had accidently grabbed the red chili pepper instead of the cinnamon. LOL.

Animal Pictures From The Zoo

2009-10-16T04:34:00.001-05:00

Day At The Zoo With Madi

2009-10-15T15:59:00.008-05:00

Like myself, Madi is a true animal lover and we enjoyed taking our time at the zoo today without being rushed by other family members. There is something about Madi that attracts animals. At the lion exhibit a half grown lion cub came up and sat by the window right beside her. And when we went to the otters, an otter was trying to get her cap through the glass. We had a great day!!!

Rebel in the Wrong Century

2009-10-06T17:45:00.003-05:00

I got an email from school yesterday. Frank had been having SUCH a good year. But apparently he took his DS to school with him yesterday. Then he took it to the bathroom with him and stayed in there alot longer than he should have. He had a sub...so I guess he thought he could pull one over on her. When they finally got him out of the bathroom the sub asked what he had in his pocket and he lied and said he didn't have anything in his pocket. They finally got it and took it away from him.

Then after he went back to class his teacher told him to get ready for a spelling test and he told her "FU".

I like to read romance novels set in the past. And they are full of swashbuckling men who get what they want and don't take any crap off of any one. Right now I'm reading about an Irish Chieftan.

I got to thinking that Frank was just born in the wrong century. If he were a 30 year old Irish Chieftan, his FU attitude would get him women and hero worship.

Unfortunately for us, it's just not appropriate for an 11 year old in a modern classroom. Sigh.

You Just Don't Use Coloring Much In Life

2009-10-01T04:54:00.005-05:00

Carlie had just always marched to the beat of her own drummer. Pictured below she's at a football game with those socks that have places for each toe on her hands. LOL. It was about 90 degrees outside.

We've still been going 'round and 'round with Carlie and first grade. She's still getting in trouble alot, and I am having her tested independently so we can figure out what's going on. I told the lady doing the testing that Bob and I both and ADD/ADHD traits so Carlie might have a tendency towards that. So she sent two forms for each of Carlie's teachers to fill out and send back. There were questions where the teachers were supposed to rate her. Instead of just putting the rating on there, they wrote all over the form. And it wasn't pretty. I was so upset.

They wrote that she was telling the other kids "I'm SO much smarter than you are!!!" That when given assignment she was rolling her eyes and saying things like "This is SO easy." They said she was manipulative with adults and kids. They said if another student got a question right that she sulking and glowered at them until they felt uncomfortable. I don't know WHERE she got any of these traits from....no idea.

They were also concerned about her fine motor skills. So Bob and I sat down and talked to her that night. I asked her "If someone came up to you and said I am SO much prettier than YOU are...would you like that??" and she said "No".

Another comment was that she was rushing through her work and then immediately demanding more to do. Bob told her he wanted her to take her time and write her name. (She's a lefty.) So she wrote her name perfectly. Then he got one of her school papers out that was NOT written perfectly. He asked her why she didn't write her name neatly all the time and she mumbled "Well it's good enough that they can READ it." So then he asked her if she could color neatly...and she said she could. So he got out one of her school papers that had been scribbled on. He asked her WHY she didn't take her time and color her best. She stared down at the ground and thought about it a minute then she said "Well Dad, there's just not much coloring in life!!!" Oh My.

Birthday Update

2009-09-30T19:28:00.003-05:00

When I woke up this morning, Libby had two birthday notes for me. One said "I love you there is nothing I would do exep love and care for you. Madi, Carlie and Frank love and care for you to. I am luckey to have you. We thank you. We don't care if you get older. The importet thang is that your in are hart."

Madi showed up right behind her and she had an ancient romance novel in her hand. She said she got it at a garage sale and she's been saving it all this time for me. Then she disappeared and came back with another one. LOL. I have no idea where they came from. I asked Granny about it and she didn't know where they came from either. They had garage sale stickers on them, but were not anything Mom or I would have bought.

Carlie made me a book, and it opens from the left instead of the right....just like her. Piano lessons were cancelled tonight, so Bob and the kids took me to China Star and the kids went to Walmart and picked me out jammies. And as predicted, I got my sales sack of shirts from my hubby. They were nice shirts though.

It's My Birthday

2009-09-30T00:10:00.000-05:00

Pretty much every year for the last 8 or 9, I've spent my birthday angry. This one isn't looking to shape up any differently. It's not that my birthday won't be remembered, because it will be. It's not that I won't get a gift, because I will.

I think it's because TODAY we are 4.5 weeks into a 9 week season and my patience is wearing thin. It's the fact that my birthday falls on the same day of the month EVERY YEAR, but my husband can't manage to think that far ahead when all he has in his head is football and so ends up going to Walmart at midnight to buy me something....anyting.....whatever I TELL him to get me. Brings it home and shoves a Walmart bag into my hands.

I once heard a veteran football coach give a thank you speech for an award. He said "....and I want to thank my wife. Because she raised our kids, while I raised everyone elses." Amen, brother.

I have a Love-Hate relationship with football. Before I married my husband he told me his priorities were God, Family, Football. I think that's true for about 2/3s of the year. The other 1/3rd, I'm not so sure.

I am angry at him today because he totally refused to engage with the kids last night. So I wrote this poem in honor of all Coach's Wives.

I Am Last

I am the Coach's Wife
I come after football practice
I come after reading about football on internet forums
I come after phone calls from other Coaches
I come after creating plays in Playmaker

I come after High School football games
....and JV football games
.... and Freshman football games
....and sometimes Junior High football games

I come after Sunday football
....and Monday Night football
..... and Saturday College Football
..... and local Community College football.

I come after OU and the Cowboys
I come after watching film
I come after the Xs and the Os.
I am the Coach's Wife
I come last

- Julie Pool Sept 30, 2009

It's Football Time!!!

2009-09-28T16:36:00.009-05:00

If you are a Football Coach's Wife....you find THIS on pretty much every free scrap of paper in the house during the season.

I've been too busy to post much lately between Bob's High School Football games and Frank's 6th Grade games. We feed the Offensive Line on Tuesday nights. I've been taking pictures and making slide shows of the games. Here are a few of my favorite pics.

It Once Was Lost, But Now It's Found!!!

2009-09-17T19:27:00.003-05:00

Carlie just walks to the beat of her own drummer. I let her pack a small bag of toys to take to the football game. I look over at her during the game and she has one of those socks that has places for your toes on her ARM. LOL.

Sunday she had a little boy and girl playin with her in her room. Well Monday during the day I noticed that I didn't have my wedding ring on. When I got up Tuesday morning I specifically looked for it, and it was GONE. I always put it in the same place each night.

I asked the kids about it and Carlie says "Oh, yeah. I had it. Jared and I wanted to get married and Jenna was gonna marry us, so we needed a ring. So I just went and got yours." Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

We looked for it that morning, but didn't have much time before school. Tuesday after work we fed 15 football players, and I didn't have a chance to look for it. Wedneday, Granny came down and cleaned the girls' room inside out looking for....and didn't find it.

Wednesday after work I went and talked to the little boy. He said they were playing with it, but it didn't leave Carlie's room. So then I go talk to the little girl. She too said they were playing with it, but didn't know where it was. About 10 minutes later, her Mom knocked on the door. They'd found it in her room. Whew!!!!

I don't eat meat.....

2009-09-14T07:18:00.001-05:00

Madi has always loved animals and has said for a long time that she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. One day I told her "You know Madi, you have to put animals to sleep when you are a vet." She said "Oh, I'm good at that I sing Granny's dog to sleep all the time!!!" I didn't have the heart to tell her what "putting them to sleep" meant. Yesterday she came home from school and said "I don't want to be a vet any more>" I asked her why and she said that someone at school told her that vets had to "kill" animals and she wasn't going to do that. So I tried to explain to her that this was done when an animal was old and sick and was suffering. She thought about it a minute and said "Well, I don't want to be a vet anyway. Because I like to eat meat".

I had to think about that one a second. And then I said "Madi its a VEGETARIAN that doesn't eat meat...not a veterinarian!!!"