Cute as a button? Really??

Why do people say “cute as a button”? I’ve literally never seen a button and thought “HOW CUTE”. If anything it’s barely functional. It’s like saying that you’re “adorable as velcro”.  Or "sweet as a zipper."  "Fascinating as a safety pin". Although, I guess it’s better than “cuter than a bug’s ear”.

I mean, come on.  It’s hard not to be cuter than an insect appendage.

I just looked it up. It says “cute as a button” is short for “a button quail”.  What’s a button quail, you ask?  Well apparently, it's terrifying looking.....like a poultry demon.  Go ahead and google it if you don't believe me.

It’s like if Satan…was a bird. Except, now that I think about it, Satan is supposed to be super hot and tempting to make you fall for his lies and pretty words, so maybe in a round-about way it all makes sense.

”Your baby is as cute as Satan.”

I want that on a greeting card.

I Believe

I believe in God

I believe that music, not love, is the universal language.

I believe in boys opening doors for girls.

I believe in keeping your shoes on in public places.

I believe in listening to music and dancing while cleaning.


I believe fall is the best season.

I believe in spontaneity and surprises.

I believe car chases make any movie better.

I believe in eating lots and lots of licorice.

I believe young books make the world a happier place.


I believe a hug cures everything.

I believe in watching sports with the boys.

I believe you can never take too many pictures.

I believe in t-shirts and blue jeans.

I believe that pj pants are the most comfortable  in the world.


I believe in soul mates.

I believe in high heels and lip gloss.

I believe in the healing power of a good cry

I believe in rolling my eyes when the situation calls for it.

I believe in correctly spelled words and proper grammar.


I believe some things are better left unsaid.

I believe in always keeping people guessing.

I believe that a camera and a good book are a way better gift than diamonds.

I believe a Dr. Pepper a day keeps the madness away.

I believe Elvis has the greatest voice known to man.


What do you believe?

I'm a bad mom and so are you. Get over it!

Have you ever noticed there are a lot of parents that would rather spend their time talking smack about other parents rather than focusing on their own kids? Or maybe they focus on their kids a little TOO much? There is a not so fine line between being proud and being really damn obnoxious.


Seriously what is with all this BS parenting pressure that we have to tiptoe around topics and exude perfection? Who decided that? I bet it was someone who doesn’t have kids.

Oh you know the type! Those non-breeders that give you the disapproving look when your kid is losing his/her mind in Walmart.

Or better yet that new parent who is watching you freak out over your older child doing something you SWORE they would never do and you feel that judgment being passed. They look at their sweet little newborn and think, “That will never happen to me.” Well buddy, your time will come too because I said the same darn thing! We all did.

Anywho…

It is a tough job no matter if you work, stay at home, married, single, got five baby daddy's, have a special needs child or have it all seemingly together. I think everyone could benefit from just accepting that parenting is hard and we all lose our mind. It is okay to not be a perfect parent!

I don’t care if your kid is smarter, in a better class, wears better clothes, is healthier, has a busier schedule, eats better or comes from a “good” family because my kids rock anyway. My kids will mess up. They are going to make mistakes. They are going to say the wrong thing. They sure as Hell will embarrass me. They will fail at things. They are going to do things behind my back. But when it comes down to it I will be there for them no matter what. I will accept them on bad days as well as good. I will help them through those stumbles, falls and breaks and we will all learn from it together. I’ll be the rock, the softie, the hug, the acceptance, the boundaries, the unconditional love as well as the frustrated parent.

My children will never be perfect. I will never be a perfect Mom. Life would be boring if we pretended to be anything other than exactly who we are… and that is a perfectly flawed family full of love, laughter, screw ups and a hint of sarcasm.

Oh and my secret ingredient is Dr. Pepper, chocolate and the occassional snuck in bubble bath. So raise your glass ladies and gentlemen. Cheers to sucking as a parent!

Time For a New School Year

So today the boys headed back to school.  This should prove to be another fun, crazy, exciting, exhausting year.  We have three boys, in three different schools, with three different start and end times.  Oh, the joys!

In preparing for this coming school year, I started thinking about what really counted. What was it that I really wanted my children to get from their education, or really, from life with us. I came up with a long list and decided that would never do. Instead, I boiled it down to 5 really important themes that I hope my children learn.

Learning is a Way of Life

We start out learning. We go out learning. Sure, learning seems to be more of the norm when we’re in those magical “school years” between 6 and 18 and then college age. However, is there ever a time in our lives when we don’t need to learn? When we aren’t learning? Or when we shouldn’t be learning?

Our amazing brain needs exercise. I make sure they know how to read, and how to learn, and the rest is a bonus! (but we still learn all we can!)

I think of the movie Short Circuit where the robot craves input and stimulation to learn more about the world around him. So it should be with us. I hope my kids are forever curious and ready to learn more.

Nothing is Impossible

We all have heard, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”  I’m sure we mean within reason.  I am teaching my kids to set goals, and then to work to reach those goals. We can hope and pray also, but a man I admire said, “Get on your knees and pray, then get on your feet and work.” (Gordon B. Hinckley)

Anything worth having is worth saving for. Anything worth ANYTHING is worth waiting for. This also teaches us patience. I hope my kids learn that hard work has huge rewards, and that patience helps with just about any problem. (I want them to learn patience NOW!) (Just kidding.)

Self Reliance and Independence

We teach our children early on to do things for themselves and to think for themselves. As they grow older we are also making sure they are learning skills that will help them through their entire lives. Cooking, cleaning, caring for their health, job skills, people skills, honesty, and responsibility.

Of course this applies to their learning as well. Early on, I am the teacher, the source of all knowledge, and the Mommy. Later I become the guide, the resource, and the motivator. Finally I fade into the background as they push themselves to learn new things and find new ways to further their education and prepare for college and future learning.

As my boys learn these skills, it makes me proud to see their satisfaction that they did it themselves, and while a bit of me is sad that they didn’t need my help, I am so glad it makes them happy to do a good job.

Make the Most of Your Time

You never know how much time you are going to have to do something. To read the book. To finish the math assignment. To have your parents with you. To read a book to your brother. To hug your baby. If I teach them anything, I hope they have learned that now is the time to cherish what you have. Family is precious. Don’t throw away the relationships because of a moment’s anger. Don’t be too busy to enjoy the time you are living in right now.

Every day is a treasure. Seize it! We call our lives an adventure in learning, every day, and each and every day is it’s own new puzzle. I have to remind myself not to get caught up in planning for and cleaning up from the fun and never to have any. “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” (John Lennon)

There is Always Another Day

Last of all, life is not perfect. When things can go wrong, and they usually do, time is wasted, patience is lost, messes are made, discouragement sets in, no one is motivated, and accidents happen.

I hope for my children that they realize there is no last chance. Sure, opportunities can be missed, but we keep trying. As long as we don’t give up, there is still hope. One bad day doesn’t make me a failure as a parent, even though it feels that way at the time. One bad test score doesn’t make a failure of a student. One bad month doesn’t make us throw in the towel and go hide under a rock. (True, it can make us want to.) There is always another day. Things will work out. Just smile and remember that.

This is what I want my children to know, besides the fact that their family loves them. If my children leave my home for college, jobs, and life, knowing these things, I feel that our journey has been a success.

My Little Sweat Shop

Anyone who's been to my house knows that the lady who used to live here loved playing in her garden.  I kid you not, this woman had a jungle growing in the back garden; everything from onions, to rose bushes to tulips to ginger root.   And there was no rhyme or reason to any of it.  It was as if she threw a bunch of seeds up in the sky and allowed them to root where they landed.

Today I decided to rally the troops and we decided to tackle the yard, and of course they were thrilled.  Here's an idea of the garden we were dealing with.....trust me the picture doesn't do it justice.

The boys were great troopers and worked for 2 solid hours

We even got to the crazy weed garden growing along the side of our house.....the side where the A/C unit is, that is only about the size of a dog run.

I was really proud of how hard everyone worked.  I can't believe how much bigger our yard looks.  (But you can sure see how nasty the fence looks now.  That's going to have to be another project for another day).

We even got to picking the apples up in our apple tree.

They came away with a pretty good haul, too.  It looks like I'm going have to start scouring Pinterest to find recipes and cool things to do with apples.

I'm sure proud of how hard the boys worked and how it was mostly without grumbling and everyone getting along.  And just so you don't think I'm the worst slave driving mom in history, I rewarded them with a BBQ steak dinner and ice cream sandwiches for dessert.

A little bit of Summer Catch Up

As is typical, my blogging tends to slow down during the summer break, as I like to spend as much free time during these "lazy" months as I can with my family.  Ross and I had a week off of work together and decided to have some fun with the boys.

But first, it was date night.  Hubby surprised me on my lunch break last Friday with tickets for the two of us to go see Cirque du Soliel that was playing here in Lethbridge.  It was a fantastic, amazing, jaw dropping show and I loved every second of it.  I could seriously watch it every single night.

It was an absolutely brilliant show.  And apparently this was just a "teaser" of the full show that they do in Vegas.  I swear I could spend an entire month in Vegas just going to shows.

Then it was time to have fun with the boys.  We started out our week with a trip to Calgary to see their big brother, Chris.  But we also wanted to check out the new Telus Spark Science Centre.  It didn't disappoint. There were tons of things to do for kids of all ages, and the boys had a blast.  They even had a huge dome theatre (much like IMAX), where we saw a couple of really interesting shows.

The next day we headed up to Sylvan Lake to spend a day at the water slides with Uncle Jon and Auntie Brandy.  It was awesome....the sky was a bit overcast, so we didn't have to worry about heatstroke or sunburn and we had a wonderfully fun day and a great dinner in Red Deer afterwards.

As we were leaving the restaurant, a huge hail storm hit Red Deer, so we decided to hunker down and spend the night in a hotel and go back to Calgary the next day......which is exactly what we did.  And when we got back to Calgary, the boys decided that they wanted to hit Calaway Park before having dinner with Chris and his girlfriend, Amber.  So another day of fun was had. (Pics to come later....I had to take them on my phone as my camera battery died).

Anyway, so that coupled with a couple of trips to 2 of Calgary's Leisure Centre's is why I have been absent from blog land.  Hope you're all having a great summer.

Best Idea Ever

It’s after midnight and I’m only half awake because of all the hours I've been putting in at work this week, but I just had a million dollar idea and if I put it on the internet no one can steal it, plus I’ll remember it in the morning.

STRAWBERRY GRAVY.

That is all.


UPDATED: 6am:  WTH, me?  This is exactly why you’re not allowed to blog after midnight!

It Sort of Feels Like a Hollow Victory

Conversation with Ross in the car…


Ross:  You never talk to me while I'm driving.  You just play on your phone.

me.  Oh, I was just thinking that my friend J. is amazing, but she can't see anything other than her flaws.  I wish I could make her see all the awesomeness inside of her.  She's like a magnificent piñata filled with such beauty, and all I want to do is just smash in her face with a stick.


Ross: What the f-?

me:  But in a good way.

Ross: It’s amazing that Hallmark hasn’t called you yet.

me: I know. They don’t have nearly enough cards about pinatas. Hey, do my eyeballs smell?

Ross: Are you high right now?

me: No, I’m serious. If I said “It smells like ass in here” you’d know what I mean. Same thing with armpits, and earwax, and feet, and unwashed hair, but you never hear people saying “something smells like eyeballs in here”. I wonder if humans are immune to the smell of eyeballs.

Ross: This is not even close to what I had in mind when I asked you to talk to me.

me: Well, that’s the danger of not giving me a topic. I bet dogs can smell eyes. That’s probably why when I wake up sometimes Penny’s face is like an inch from mine, and she’s staring right at my eyeballs. They probably smell awesome.


Ross: Or terrible.

me: I bet they smell delicious.


Ross: *silence*


me: Smell my eyeballs.

Ross I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.

me: Well, now I’m all curious. I can’t smell my own eyeballs, dude. This exactly why I got married.

Ross: You got married so you’d have someone to smell your eyeballs?


me: Well, not specifically. I mean, it wasn’t in the vows. But it was implied.

Ross: You know what? I take it back. Please, please go back to your phone.  You win.

me:  Really?  I didn’t even know we were fighting.  Damn, I’m good at this.

Listen to the Bananas

So I saw this really cool idea on Pinterest about how you can lightly trace notes on a banana skin, and then the next day they will show up like magic.

The person writing the tip suggested writing sweet notes for your kids on their bananas.  I promptly went and traced notes on all of our bananas and then immediately forgot about it, until the next day when I heard Ross screaming about how the bananas were talking to him.

I acted like he was insane and like I couldn’t see any notes on the bananas, and asked if maybe he needed to go lay down and rest, but then he was all “I recognize your handwriting, dumb-ass.  Why are you writing threatening letters on the bananas?” and I was like “Because we were out of post-its?”  

But then I finally admitted that I was just practicing, because I thought it would be funny to write paranoid demands on bananas at the grocery store, so that when people get them home they’ll be all “What the Hell?  Are these bananas talking to me?  WHAT DOES IT MEAN?”  

Then Ross just shook his head and walked out of the room.  Probably because he couldn’t stand how awesome I am.

I suppose you could also write sweet, complimentary things on anonymous bananas, like “You’re so beautiful” and junk, but honestly I think having a banana hitting on me would be way creepier than one telling me to “Act natural.  You’ll be contacted soon.”  It’s probably just me.

Also, I can only think of about 6 things to write on stranger’s bananas so if you have any suggestions, please leave them.

Ryker's Baptism

Today was a wonderful, awesome, fantastic day.  Today Ryker was baptised and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  We were lucky that so many friends and family were there.  Ryker had his dad, brothers and I, his grandparents, his 2 uncles and soon-to-be auntie, 3 great-uncles and aunties and a bunch of cousins.....his best friend, Corbin, even made it over to our house for lunch afterwards.

The day started with Ryker waking up and immediately wanting to get his church clothes on and get ready.  This was at about 7 am and we didn't have to be to the church until 10.  But first, we had to go pick up his cake.  A girlfriend of mine from high school is a pretty talented little cake maker, so I asked her if she thought she could whip up a cake that resembled a CTR ring, and boy did she deliver.  Ryker said it was the most awesome cake he had ever seen.

So once we had the cake in hand, we headed to the church where Ryker and his dad got into their whites and we were ready for a baptism.

Grandma did a really cool photostory slideshow with pictures of Ryker and she and Carlos both gave amazing talks.  The spirit was very strong, and daddy did a fantastic job too.  I'm not sure if it was me, but I'm pretty sure that Grandma and Grandpa Court were sitting in that room with us all.  It was a very special and wonderful day.  And now our ENTIRE family are baptised and confirmed members of the church.  How awesome is that?!?

After leaving the church, we all came back to our place for some BBQ burgers and snacks.  It was a great time.

Ryker had a lot of fun playing with his cousins.

Uncle Jon and Auntie Brandy drove all the way down from Leduc to be with us.  They are pretty awesome and we are really looking forward to their wedding this fall.

Auntie Liz and Uncle Dean were there and really helped us out with the program and  the baptism.  We are sure lucky to have such an amazing and loving family.

We had some good BBQ, and salads, and cakes, and pop.  Yup, we like to eat.

Uncle Jon played around on the little guitar that we brought him back from Jamaica.

Jon and Drew were their typical nerdy selves.....

Mark an Linds came with their kids, and what a sweet group of kids they are.

Ryker and Jackson had a lot of fun playing together.  Can you believe that Ryker is twice his age?!?  I know, it's crazy.  That Jackson is going to be one tall dude.....kinda like his daddy.

And of course no awesome family day is complete without the beautiful grandma.  We love her to all the infinities.

Tami and her family got Ryker a neat activity book for him to do -- I think it will be a great, and still reverent distraction for Ryker when he gets a little restless in sacrament meeting.

Ryker LOVED having Uncle Jon here.  In fact, I'm pretty sure that he spent a good hour trying to convince them not to go back to Leduc.

In fact, he loves his Uncle Jon so much, that he tries to be cool "just like Uncle Jon Jon".

Uncle Steve was there too.  It's too bad he had to go back to work and couldn't stay for lunch.

I think I titled this picture "The Princess and the Popcycle".  I'm not sure why, though.  But I do know that we love our sweet, little Natalie and always have fun when she comes over to visit.

So as you can see, it was a fabulous, wonderful day and we are so grateful and proud of Ryker for making this important choice and big step in his life.

A Father's Love

Before I had children, I always visualized how my husband would be as a Father. I knew he would be loving, supportive, fun and protective to our children. But there was one thing that I never expected.

To fall in love with him all over again!


There is something about watching your husband interact with your children.  My husband is such a “manly man” so when I see him playing tickle monster with the boys, being silly with them and acting like a goofball or even watching him sit with them while reading a bed time story, it completely melts my heart.

I really admire the Father that he is:


He always takes time out of his busy schedule to “teach” the boys. It could be as simple as playing a game, explaining to them how something works or showing them something completely new.

He knows how to have fun with them. At times I am not sure who is the bigger kid Daddy or the boys?

He is always up for taking them on fun little adventures even if it means jumping into something right after work, when you know he'd rather be relaxing.

He loves being silly with them or trying to make them laugh.  And it has to speak volumes that our 15 year old son is still willing to hug him and say "I love you".  He has learned from his dad that it is okay for a man to be affectionate, no matter how hold you get.

So thank you, husband.  You are a fantastic father, role model and friend to our boys.  Thank you for teaching them, loving them, and showing them what a real man is.  You are truly a blessing in all of our lives and we all love you.

I'm Not Sure This Is Sending the Right Message

One of my friends sent me this website where you can upload your picture and it’ll show you what you’re gonna look like in 20 years and you totally shouldn’t do it because first of all I don’t think they take the ready availability of plastic surgery into account, and secondly? I’m pretty sure they just assume I’m not going to live that long and so instead they’ve decided to show me what I’ll look like after the zombie apocalypse.

The website also gives you the option of seeing you how you’d look if you’d spent the next 20 years as a drug addict.  For real.  I kid you not, it was freaky looking.  But it was cool showing my kids what they would "look like" if they ever did drugs.  I think it kind of scared them straight.

I can only assume that instead of aging you, this website was actually designed to give you an idea of what it would look like if you and Andy Rooney had a baby or got stuck in that machine from “The Fly” together.  In fact, it was probably called “You and Andy Rooney had a baby” until the website owners realized that no one actually wants to have a baby with Andy Rooney and so they just changed the name.

Also, Ross just told me that he wants a divorce because now he thinks that I’m not going to age well and I pointed out that the software doesn’t even recognize his face as being human so maybe he should stop being so damn judgmental and concentrate on how we’re going to get Ryker into an arranged marriage now while he’s still adorable.  Then he made me get out of the office.  Thanks a lot YouandAndyRooneyHadaBaby.com.  You have ruined my marriage.

Grow

Fifteen years (yikes!) into motherhood, and I am growing in this role.  I no longer quiver when faced with a bleeding (or vomiting) child.  I no longer tremble when challenged by hungry, filthy, bored , warring boys that seem to gain monstrous strength with each and every passing  second.  No,  I have grown in mothering just as my boys flourish with each passing milestone,  every grown inch, each hard won, exhausting, monumental, accomplishment.  I stand in wide mouthed awe, amazed that, in spite of myself, their growth leaves me behind, small; but oh, so very much beloved!  And someday, rather soon, I suppose, they will tower over me: souvenir of time's passage; my own growth.

An Open Letter To The Weeds

Dudes.

What the hell.

Do we have to go through this every year? The weather is kinda decent, I go out to my front walk and you're all: "We're here and we're ready to party".

Didn't I make my intentions clear last year? Don't you remember the RoundUp, the WeedBGone, the weeding pail, the sweating?

Don't you see how we keep repeating old patterns?  You show up, I kill you. You show up again, I kill you again. What part of "I will kill you" do you not understand?

Don't you have any dignity? Quite frankly, I'm embarrassed for you. By the way, The Mulch totally agrees with me.

So, I'd appreciate it if we could just get on with our lives.   I think you'd be happier at another house.

- Erin

p.s. do not text me.

Idol Chatter: The Top 8

80s night is usually one of my favorite nights on American Idol. The hair, the clothes the amazing throw back to songs that I grew up with. Did you think the idols brought the magic? Here's what I think.....

1) Deandre: " I Like It" -- Man, I wish I could say that I liked it too, bro. But the truth is, I'm getting really tired of the Falsetto Fest that you take us to every week. I mean, granted, it had a bit more range to it than a lot of the stuff he's done in weeks before, and that may be the only thing that lets him slide throught another week.

2) Elise: "I Wanna Know What Love Is" -- I really thought that this was going to be the kind of song that Elise could rock the house with. A power ballad is classic 80s and during the rehersal with Jimmy and No Doubt it sounded like she nailed it. But when it came performance time, she seemed a bit deflated. She never really made it over the top end of the notes and it just sounded wrong. I was really disappointed.

3) Phillip: "That's All" -- Unlike the Phil (Collins) that originally sang this song, Phillips just couldn't deliver the goods on this one. Once again he sounds no different than he has any other week, and the higher end of this song was just a tad out of his range, so he sounded like he was stretching to hit the notes. I'm pretty much bored of this one trick pony and think it's time to put him out to pasture.

4) Joshua: "If You Don't Know me by Now" -- I haven't really been a fan of this guy, but I thought that was a fabulous performance from him. His ability to hit those falsetto notes, and maintain pitch and timing was spot on. A really great job.

5) Jessica: "How Will I Know" -- So this girl isn't even famous yet, and she's already touting about how she has a "Beyonce-like" alter ego. Unfortunately, I'm thinking her split personality is just a stupid publicity ploy and feels she's a little less "Sasha Fierce" and a little more "Chris Gains". Bored of her, bored of her theatrics, bored of her mediocre voice. Plus tonight, her shirt and screeching gave me a stroke.

6) Hollie: "Flashdance" -- Is it just me, or did Hollie seem really uncomfortable all night long. During her duet earlier in the night, you could see it on her face, that she was thinking more about the steps and the words than the performance, and I think her song here was the same. I find it funny that Gwen Stefani told her she needs more "edge". This girl has about as much edge as a circle. Her moves were robotic and unnatural, and once again, she was flat and sharp and just...off.

7) Colton: "Time after Time" -- This guys is fast becoming my absolute odds-on favorite. He knows who he is as an artist, and no matter what he's asked to sing, he finds a way to make it work for his style. His vocals were spot on and the arrangement was comfortable for him. I thought it was great.

8) Skylar: "Wind Beneath my Wings" -- This one is tough for me, because I am a HUGE Bette Midler fan, and think that no one rocks that song quite like she does. I am not a huge country fan, and even less of a Skylar fan. To me, her voice is everything that is wrong in country music. I think her runs were off and she just has too much twang in her voice to do this song the justice it deserves. She's definately got talent, and I have to give her that. Just not my cup of tea.

So, at the end of the night, my feelings for bottom three are: Elise, Hollie and Phillip. I have a feeling Hollie may be going home.

Idol Chatter: The Top 10

I was very excited when I heard that the Idol's were going to be singing from the songbook of Billy Joel. I love his music, and got myself ready to be thoroughly entertained. *Sigh* Why do I get my hopes up like that. First of all, if you're doing the music of Billy Joel, what on earth would make you think that the perfect fit mentor would be Sean Diddy, Daddy, Puffy Combes? Seems like someone missed the mark with this one.

So, on to the contestants:

1) Deandre: "Only the Good Die Young" -- I just don't know about this kid. His voice was all wrong for this song. He just has too much of that wannabe gospel singer breathy vibrato tone to it. His dancing looked forced and awkward. He did nothing to really modernize the song at all. It I have to side with Randy Jackson on this one. It wasn't absolutely horrible, but it essentially fell flat on every point for me.

2) Erika: "New York State of Mind" -- HOLY CRAP!!! I LOVE the hair makeover. She looks fantastic. This girl definately has some pipes, but she also picked the wrong song. I think this song is really quite boring, and wish she would have picked something a little more upbeat or edgy to match her new hairdo. But she's got solid talent, so I don't think this put her in any danger of going home this week.

3) Joshua: "She's Got a Way" -- Another contestant I'm getting tired of listening to. There were too many unnecessary run, the song didn't suit his vocal style at all. He was visibly uncomfortable with the song, and seemed to really struggle until the choir kicked in. I was stunned to hear that Steven Tyler "didn't know the song". Seriously??

4) Skylar: "Shameless" -- The first half of the song was too low for her voice, so she got lost in the music. The rest was mediocre and forgettable. I was actually more entertained at the fact that Randy Jackson thought that Brad Paisley did the cover of this song instead of Garth Brooks. But either way, I think her performance fell short for country fans.

5) Elise: "Vienna" -- Initially, this was not my favorite song choice for her, but I love the vibe of her voice. I thought the performance was great....right up to the end where she tried some crazy run sequence with the low ending. That's where it went off the rails for me, but the rest of the song was fabulous.

6) Phil: "Moving Out" -- Interesting. I still don't know what to make of this guy. I mean, I don't hate him, but he's strange. It was a pretty good Dave Matthews-esque performance (like all the other songs Phil has done), but I really wish he would have heeded the advice to leave the guitar behind. He has a marginally interesting take on the song, but after weeks of hearing him toy with songs and sing them in his raspy voice, his limits are starting to show. Good performance, but it doesn't do a thing for his long-term prospects.

7) Hollie: "Honesty" -- Why does this girl sound flat in every song she sings? It's really annoying. It was a boring song, boring performance, boring outfit. The pitch problems are becoming more noticeable now that we've gotten more familiar with her. She faltered coming off her big note, at which point we were all put out of her misery.

8) Heejun: "My Life" --FINALLY!!! Someone is trying to capture the spirit of the competition. Admittedly, Heejun is a bit of an odd duck and he definately had some pitch issues tonight, but good on him for doing it how he wanted. Everyone but Steven seemed to get what Heejun's point was, and I thought he was a bit of a douche about the whole thing, but I guess if Heejun goes home tonight, he goes down in a spectacular flame of awesome.

9) Jessica: "Everybody has a Dream" -- I literally fell asleep part way through that performance. I didn't really care for it, and I honestly don't get all the hype surrounding this girl. She's NOT all that fabulous, and she still oversang it at the end. I wanted to hi-5 Diddy when he said, "Tricks are not going to get you to that superstar level." He critisized her vibrato and called her performance unbelievable. Truer words were never spoken on that show last night.

10) Colton: "Piano Man" -- I really think they saved the best for last. The piano melody was simply beautiful, his vocals were great. He changed it up just enough to make it fresh without taking anything away from the original song. I loved it, and I loved how he wasn't afraid to bring God into his comments at the end. That may have just won.....or lost him the competition. But I LOVE him.

So my predictions for bottom three are Deandre, Joshua and Probably Hollie......but I think as much as I give Heejun credit for his crazy, he could be in trouble too.

Idol Chatter: The Top 12 Girls

Alright, here's my thoughts on how the girls did last night.

1) Chelsea: "Cowboy Cassanova" -- She was flat and nasally through the entire song. Another mediocre start to the night.

2) Erica: "What About Love" -- OK, I just have to say this. Her mouth is HUGE. Anyway, she has this odd Cher-esque vibrato sound to her voice. It wasn't terrible, but I thought she got swallowed up by the music a bit.

3) Jenn: "One and Only" -- Again, gutsy move to take on Adele. Not the best song choice though. I thought that overall it was boring. That being said, I have to give her props for the big sustained note. Well done.

4) Brielle: "Dock Of The Bay" -- First verse was too low for her, and watching her "make love" to the camera was awkward and annoying. I don't like this girl. I've been rubbed wrong by her "Jersey Shore" persona from the beginning of the auditions. She and her "Real Housewives" mother need to disappear and never be on TV again.

5) Hallie: "Feeling Good" -- This song is so bloody overdone that I didn't really even want to listen to it. It felt a bit forced and unnatural to me. Not her best performance.

6) Skylar: "Stay With Me" -- I didn't care much for this one either. She was too growly and couldn't just sing it "straight". I found it annoying and really distracting.

7) Bayley: "Amazed" -- Boring, pitchy and too slow. 'Nuff said.

8) Holly: "Reflections" -- So, she was okay. A little nasally and completely devoid of passion (despite what Steven Tyler said), and for me, music without emotion is pointless.

9) Hayley: "Sweet Dreams" -- What was with that weird "Twilight Zone" performance. The eyeballs on the screen behind her were creepy. She sang like she was possessed by the devil. I'm wondering if Wes Craven was choreographer and voice coach on this one. I'm with Randy on this one......what a total nightmare.

10) Shannon: "Hold Out Your Hand" -- That was a lovely talent segment of the Miss America....oh, wait....wrong show? My bad. Don't get me wrong; I thought her voice was phenomenal (my favorite voice of the night). I just thought the song choice was a big campy.

11) Jessica: "Love You I Do" -- She's got power when she belts it out, but if she's not belting I can't really hear her. And what's with all the girls trying to be "growly" this year? I get a sore throat just listening to them.

12) Elyse: "One And Only" -- So two girls sang the same song tonight. Weird... A billion songs in the world and a dozen girls can't come up with 12 different songs? I don't think either girl did Adele justice, but this girl was definately better than the other girl. Well done.

So I guess I think that Shannon and Elyse were probably my two favorites and the only ones that I'm pretty certain are safe. Guess we'll see tonight!