The Best Friends...

....are good books.

"Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book." ~Author Unknown

"A good book should leave you... slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it." ~William Styron, interview, Writers at Work, 1958

I just finished a great book. I climbed into bed around 7 pm last night, exhausted from being sick and just plain tired of being awake. I wasn't really ready for sleep, though, so I picked up a book I'd purchased at Barnes & Noble on Wednesday. I'd read a brief review in People magazine and seen the book listed as one of my choices in the Book of the Month Club to which I belong. I bought it on a complete whim, but I'm oh, so glad I did. It's a treasure. One of those rare tomes you just do not want to end. I loved it.

The book?



The book is made up entirely of letters written between the main character, Juliet, and the people in her life in post-World War II England. I'm now fascinated with the Channel Isles and Guernsey and so many other things that were part of the book. It was a charming read, a great refuge from the in-your-face, skirt-the-edges of vulgarity I've found in a lot of modern books. This one just captured my heart. I highly recommend it.

In fact, I'm going to give it away. Post a comment, a greeting, a single letter... anything... and I'll put your name in a hat. At the end of a week or so (or whenever I remember...) I'll choose a name out of the hat and send my copy of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society onto the lucky winner.... because.....

"Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind." ~James Russell Lowell

Friday Feast

Again, a meme, because I think I've thrown up my creativity along with everything else lately. I picked this one up from this site. Bon Appetit!

Appetizer: When was the last time you had your hair cut/trimmed?

Probably 3 or 4 months ago. I've gone through so many hairdressers in the past few years. I had a great one that could do whatever I asked with my hair. I showed up one day for my regular 6-week appointment, and she was gone. No notice at all. Just vanished. I found out later through a friend that she was a drug addict. I haven't heard from her since, and I haven't been able to find anyone that I click with, either. It's a shame, because I really enjoy getting my hair cut, but I've gotten frustrated with the search.

Soup: Name one thing you miss about being a child.

Dare I say the lack of responsibility? I mean, I did have responsibilities within my family (chores, etc.), but not like I do now. I can't abandon my children or chores on a whim to go read a book or shop or do things I could truly spend hours doing (scrapbooking, watching movies, etc.) The children and this house and all things associated with it are my responsibilities, and that's what I signed up for when I got married and bore children. I just miss the freedom of someone else having all that responsibility.

Salad: Pick one: butter, margarine, olive oil.

Buttah. I love me some real butter. One of my fondest childhood memories is churning butter with my kindergarten class. It was around Thanksgiving and we were learning about the Pilgrims and such, and Ms. Loretta brought in a real churn and cream and we made butter. She served it on crackers; we each got ONE measly cracker with the most heavenly substance I'd ever tasted spread across it. The skies opened and the angels sang and I was besotted with butter from that day forward. I was very fond of the butter tub as a kid, too. I have a vivid memory of sitting on my booster seat in the middle of the kitchen when I was maybe 3 or 4, tub of butter on my lap and knife (surely not? Maybe a spoon...) in my hand, eating butter. You can have your margarine and your olive oil. I may have clogged arteries, but buttah is bettah!

Main Course: If you could learn another language, which one would you pick, and why?

I took 4 years of Spanish in high school and one junior level class of Spanish my freshman year of college, so I'd probably choose to build on that knowledge. Plus, our community seems to have a high concentration of Hispanic people, so it would serve me well to brush up on my Espanol, si?

Dessert: Finish this sentence: In 5 years I expect to be…

Forty. I don't think too far ahead. I prefer to live life day to day. It's less stressful that way.

And here we go again

Last night. 11 pm.
Me.
Sick.
Again.

This morning.
4(ish).
Aiden sick.
Again.

This morning.
5(ish).
Me. Again.

I am starting to think we're never, ever going to stop throwing up. Thank goodness my sister is here to help.

Kodak Moments

I call the following series of pictures, "What Happens When Your Kids Get Ahold of Your Camera".

Gimme' Five

The blogging well has been drying out much like the lakes around here, so I turned to my old friend Google for some inspiration. I told Google to find me topics related to "Blog Memes" and I came across this blog. Every Monday she posts a new "Gimme Five" topic, so I'm going to tackle this week's subject:

Give Me Five things you haven't done in a long time that you would like to do again.

The blog owner says, "I love thinking back to old times and every time I do, I always end up with the same question, 'Why has it been so long since I've done that?' So let's make a list and then *maybe* think about doing them!"

Gotcha.

Ahem.

(1) I haven't jumped on a trampoline since I was a little kid. We had a round one in the backyard, and I loved jumping on it. I loved everything about it: the feeling of temporary weightlessnes, the ability to turn flips, the up and down and up and down, and the soaring. Nowadays I cringe when I think of how badly I could've gotten hurt on that trampoline. That was in the 80s, before there were nets and safety measures for trampolines. I don't know where I lost my sense of daring, but it's gone. I would never even consider buying a trampoline for my children, but I sure would love to jump on one again. In private, of course, 'cause who wants to see all my flabby bits fly up in my face?

(2) I used to be a roller skating fool. My dad used to back the cars out of the garage so my sister and I could skate in the shade on the smooth floor. Round and round and round and round. LOVED it. Loved the skating rink, too. I've been to our local skating rink a handful of times, and although it's not the same rink I went to as a kid, it could be. It looks (AND SMELLS!) exactly the same. It's a time capsule, with the swirly 70s carpet, Disco ball and the same old brown skates with red toe stops. Good times, good times.

(3) I used to spend my summer days beside the pool. I'd go out early in the day with a radio, a towel and a good book, and I usually wouldn't go back inside until the book was finished (or if it started raining or got darker...) I still love going out to the pool, but now I rarely get to read. Between refereeing the kids' arguments and fulfilling their requests to play with them in the water, I can't read. They get tired of swimming after 2 hours or so, and there is the sun factor, too, so we just can't be outside all day anymore. I miss that.

(4) Before I became a scrapbooker I was a cross stitcher. I have several cross stitched pieces framed and hung around my home. It was a soothing hobby, and I really enjoyed it, but I just don't have time for it anymore. I have lots of unfinished projects in a bin in the basement. I'll probably have diminished eyesight by the time my schedule is open enough to pursue that hobby again.

(5) I used to enjoy the company of women. I still do, for the most part, but I can't say I trust a whole lot of women anymore. I'm always wondering what they're thinking of me and what they will say behind my back. I didn't used to be that way, but experience has taught me that a lot of women have a hidden agenda.

I have my sister, my husband, my children, my college roommate and my parents. That's the entire list of people I can trust 100%. I'm very guarded with other folks because I've been burned so many times by people (WOMEN) I THOUGHT were my friends. Catty, judgmental, controlling, narcissistic, shallow, insecure (!),cliquish, self-inflated women that will turn on you in the blink of an eye and have no problems tearing you apart or even inventing stories about you to turn people against you. Sounds like high school, no? Ha. The immaturity doesn't end there. Some women never grow up.

In the past few years, the word "bitch" has come out of hiding. It used to be a slur, but now most women wear it like a badge of honor. Women are proud to be bitches. I don't get it.

"And she'll promise you more
Than the Garden of Eden
Then she'll carelessly cut you
And laugh while you're bleedin'"

Billy Joel hit the nail on the head, 'cause that's women for you. Sad, but true. I'm so sick of it. Sorry, ladies, but there needs to be an anti-bitch movement. We need an infusion of gentility, kindness, HUMILITY. You can be strong without being mean. It does work.

(And I'm not saying that all women I've met are like that... I have a handful of lovely female acquaintances about whom I think very highly. They're a very rare bunch, though...and I'm sorry if the B-word offends you. There's just no better way to put it, unfortunately.)

Nothing Magical About August

Turning 3 will not cure the terrible 2s, and August 1st didn't hold any magic as far as getting rid of this stomach bug. I was attacked again yesterday.

I had a To Do list about a mile long, and since yesterday was the beginning of Tax Free Weekend here, I decided to knock out the whole list in one day. We had lunch with my husband, then set out on our adventure.

Our first stop was the local gift shop where we buy our Webkinz. I'll admit that I'm a hopeless addict.

How could you resist faces like this?





I never got excited by the whole Beanie Baby craze (I owned a select few), but these Webkinz are like cuddly crack. I bought the cocoa dinosaur for myself (her name is Matilda, in case you're curious... I thought about going with Puff, because she looks like a dragon, but that is so cliched.) The yellow critter is a Wacky Zingoz, and he's my favorite. He has the cutest little voice. I am going to keep him on my desk so I can squeeze him every now and then. He doesn't mind. ; )

The goldfish belongs to one of the children. I bought each of them their own fish. The fishes' names are Cheeto, Cleo, Splash and Whirlpool. They arrived in stores just yesterday, and they are the first Webkinz pets to get underwater rooms. It's WAY cool. Can you believe it? Can you believe that I'm this STOKED about stuffed animals imported from China?!? Yeah, me either, but it is what it is.

After we bought our Webkinz, we went to AC Moore to pick up a few things. That's when I started feeling icky. I kept going, though, stopping in at Old Navy for dressy shorts for Quinn and then to Shoe Carnival to buy back-to-school sneakers for the 3 youngest kids. At least that went quickly, because I felt like I was going to pass out. It didn't help that the stores were jam packed because of the tax free weekend on top of it being near 100 degrees. Stupid, stupid me.

I had one more stop before I could get home: Target. That's not a place I like to take the kids on days I feel 100%, but I gathered up my courage and forged ahead. The list was short, and I promised the children rewards if they'd behave in Target like they had all day long. They were amazingly well behaved given all the shopping, walking and sweating we'd been doing all day. They acted exactly as I had requested, so Lillian chose a Barbie, the boys chose a Lego set (to share! Yes! I offered them one BIG Lego set to share vs. getting one tiny set each, and they chose to SHARE! Score!) Camryn chose a bead curtain to hang in her bedroom doorway. We were done, and just in time.

When I got home, things just went from bad to worse. I feel much better today, but last night was not fun. To put a positive spin on it, I can say that I'm so thankful that it all happened during the day so I could go to bed on time. I'd be a zombie if I'd had to get up in the middle of the night. Be grateful for the little things, I guess. Today is a new day. I just hope it doesn't come back.... again. That is one visitor that is NOT welcome in my home. EVER.

I Am a Yellow Crayon

You Are a Yellow Crayon

Your world is colored with happy, warm, fun colors. You have a thoughtful and wise way about you. Some people might even consider you a genius. Charming and eloquent, you are able to get people to do things your way. While you seem spontaneous and free wheeling, you are calculating to the extreme. Your color wheel opposite is purple. You both are charismatic leaders, but purple people act like you have no depth.

What Color Crayon Are You?

The Greatest Swimmer Interviewed

This is a video I shot right after Lillian swam without her floaties on Monday. That's Camryn doing the interview, and at the end it's Aiden's voice you hear saying, "And we're off." That was a totally spontaneous moment that made me laugh. Don't know where he picked up that phrase, but we all had a good laugh after he said it.

(That's Quinn in the red shirt. His SuperSoaker was being used as a camera. He must've been getting another view of the interview...)

I Need To Buy Stock In Lysol

I don't know which company makes Lysol, but I need to buy stock in whatever company it is. I've used so much of it this summer, I should start buying it in bulk. I wish they made Lysol bombs (like flea bombs). I could set one off and the whole house would be sanitized. Maybe I should e-mail the Lysol people. That's a brilliant idea.

I was watching Big Brother 10 last night when Camryn came into the den clutching her stomach. Yeah. You know the rest. She snuggled me on the couch for about an hour (and when I say "snuggle", I mean she moaned and groaned and whined while I stroked her hair...) When the clock struck 11 pm, I told her to get up and go to bed, 'cause that's where I was headed and I didn't want her staying in the den alone. She shuffled off and I thought maybe she would be okay. I was turning off lights, TV, etc. when I saw a flash and I knew instantly it was her, in the bathroom.... I couldn't even go in there. I was frozen. I felt like the world's worst mother, because I should've been in there holding back her hair, but I couldn't go. It was too close to my own experience. I knew if I stepped into the bathroom there would be two of us fighting over the throne. I wet a rag and waited for a lull in the action (if you know what I mean). I helped her get cleaned up and tucked her into bed and prayed with her, and then I went to bed, hoping that was the last tango for her and the stomach yucks. Maybe so. Maybe not. I feel like the JoBeth Williams character in "Poltergeist", screaming for the aliens to leave my children alone. I'm so ready for this cloud of sick to go away already. Seriously.

On another note, the most amazing thing happened yesterday. I helped the boys tidy their room and closet, and once we were done we had a whole bag full of trash. Things were organized and put away and the floor was clean. Best of all, their entire Lego collection was safely tucked into 2 boxes. No stray Legos in sight. Miracle of miracles. But the best part was that neither boy touched a Game Cube controller or a computer keyboard, nor did they ask to play the Wii. All afternoon long they built with Legos and then used their green plastic Army men to have a battle in their floor. Even more surprising was that the fighting was done solely by the green Army men. I didn't have to break up one skirmish between the boys themselves. It was a niiiiiiiiice treat.

Aiden loved his Lego setup so much, he asked to borrow my camera to capture his work. Below are the photos he took. Reminds me of the time I borrowed my dad's Topcon 35mm camera to take fashion shots of my Barbies.







(A note about those headless Lego guys in the photo above... they're not really headless. Aiden says those are the diving suits that the guys wear when they have to get in the water... just so you know....)



It looks like these guys rumbled, and the one on the ground didn't fare so well. Nice to see that guy on the right is still smiling, though.



Doesn't look like the kind of Lego you want to meet in a dark alley... Look at the size of that blaster!



Battle over....

How long until August 1st?

I'm officially declaring July the Month of Upchuck. Seriously. I know you're tired of reading the Vomit Chronicles, too, so I'm praying this ends SOON. I'm ready to move into August and leave July behind.

I previously posted about our round with tummy troubles earlier this month, and it struck again this week. More technicolor yawning. This time it was Lillian that started, early Thursday morning. She started whining, which I heard on the baby monitor (can't seem to give that one up yet). I got up to check on her and she said she felt sick, so we went to the potty. Nothing happened, so I took her to bed with me. As soon as I got her tucked into our bed, I felt the need to use the facilities. My husband was blissfully unaware of the goings-on (he sleeps with a CPAP machine and a noise machine going, so he sometimes doesn't hear anything... lucky dog). Anyhoo, when I came out of the bathroom, Lillian was bent over the trash can I'd placed beside our bed. My husband was saying, "HELP! I've been yelling for you!" Darn that bathroom fan. I can't hear a thing when I'm in there.

It just got worse from that point. I was helping to clean up Lillian when I heard Aiden starting his morning song in the den. I raced to him, and bless his heart, all he could say was, "I'm perfecting my aim!" (We'd been kidding him about missing the mark when he was sick so much before, so he said he had to be sick again to work on hitting the target...)

I got Aiden cleaned up and fetched him some Ginger Ale, and then I became the next victim. I would honestly rather be in labor than have a stomach virus. That's how much I hate throwing up.

My husband cancelled all of his patients on Thursday and stayed home with us. What a sweetheart. Everyone seemed better by bedtime, but I had another dance with the porcelain pony early Friday morning. My throat hurts so badly from the stomach acid, but it's healing slowly. My oldest child has been a trooper, nursing everyone back to health and taking care of things while I was recuperating yesterday. She deserves a big reward.

Unfortunately Lillian woke me up at 6 am today, crying because she'd been sick again (and wet her pants, which I think upset her more than the throwing up did...) I stripped the bed, changed her clothes and took her to bed with me. She had some dry heaves, but now she's had some applesauce and is prancing around the den like nothing ever happened. I'm still lethargic and sore, but she's made a remarkable recovery. Aiden is fine as well. I wish I had their energy. I can't even get up off of the couch. Dishes are piled in the sink and the laundry is backing up and I just want to sit here and watch HGTV.

Since I'm surfing the 'net more than usual this morning, I've had a chance to visit some blogs that I haven't read in awhile. I found this on Brandi's blog, and she stole it from her friend Kaye. I liked it, so I'm putting it here as a break from all the puke talk.

I give you money and send you into the grocery store to pick up 5 items. You can only pick one thing from the following departments. What do you buy?

1. Produce: bananas
2. Bakery: freshly made French bread
3. Meat: bottom round roast
4. Frozen: Sister Schubert's yeast rolls
5. Dry goods: angel hair pasta

Let's say we are heading out for a warm weekend getaway. You're only allowed to bring 3 articles of clothing with you. So, what's in your bag?

1. khaki shorts
2. comfy t-shirt
3. swimsuit

If I was to listen in on one of your conversations throughout the day, what 4 phrases or words would I be most likely to hear?

1. Stop fighting over the Wii or I will turn it off!
2. Turn off the light in (your bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen).
3. Aiden, QUIT RUNNING in the house!
4. Lillian, stop yelling.

So, what 4 things do you find yourself doing every single day, and if you didn't get to do, you probably wouldn't be in the best mood?

1. sleep
2. scrapbook
3. spend time with the children and my husband
4. spend a few minutes by myself, watching TV or reading

You're driving down the road, and suddenly you're hit with this sense of road rage. What 3 factors probably contributed to it?

1. someone tailgating me
2. seeing a child riding in a car either not properly buckled or not in a car seat when they should be
3. someone talking on a cell phone and not paying attention to the road.

Sweet, you just scored a whole afternoon to yourself. We're talking a 3 hour block with nobody around. What 5 activities might we find you doing?

1. Watching a movie
2. Catching up on TV shows I've DVRed
3. scrapbooking
4. reading
5. taking a long bath

We're going to the zoo. But, it looks like it could start storming, so it will have to be a quick visit. What 3 exhibits do we have to get to?

1. reptile house
2. the sea lions
3. giraffes

You just scored tickets to the taping of any show that comes on TV. You can pick between 4, so what are you deciding between?

1. Jeopardy
2. The Office
3. Dirty Jobs (just so I could meet Mike Rowe!)
4. Iron Chef America (I have a thing for Alton Brown)

You're hungry for ice cream. I'll give you a triple dipper ice cream cone. What 3 flavors can I pile on for ya?

1. mint chocolate chip
2. spumoni
3. Heavenly Hash

Somebody stole your purse/wallet…in order to get it back, you have to name 5 things you know are inside to claim it. So, what's in there?

1. hand sanitizer
2. checkbooks (2: one with a Vera Bradley Medallion fabric cover and the other with a Longaberger Market Stripe cover)
3. crayons from assorted restaurants
4. black accordion cash wallet
5. key ring with a blue plastic daisy punch card from the local scrapbook store

You are at a job fair, and asked in what areas you are interested in pursuing a career. Lets pretend you have every talent and ability to be whatever you wanted, so what 4 careers would be fun for you?

1. graphic designer
2. advertising
3. OB nurse
4. professional scrapbooker/scrapbook store owner

Aiden Update

The kids came home last night and I smothered them with kisses. My husband checked Aiden's eyes and took a picture with his retinal camera and didn't find any lesions or abnormalities, so we didn't take him on to the pediatrician. He hasn't thrown up since last week, and the cycle had been for him to vomit every 2 to 3 days, so we think he's over it. Aiden says he feels better than he has "in weeks". We think he's cured. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. I was one worried momma!

Prayer Request

My sweet Aiden has been sick for awhile. He had a stomach bug on Wednesday, June 25th, but seemed better the next day. I got it on the 28th, then Camryn was sick on the 29th. We thought it was just a bug working its way through the house.

Aiden threw up again on Tuesday the 1st of July, but again, seemed to get better. We packed up and got ready for our mountain vacation. The morning of the 3rd, Camryn and Aiden both got sick again. We went on our trip anyway, both children seemingly better by the time we got to the cabin.

We had an uneventful few days in the mountains, but on the morning of Sunday the 6th, Aiden got sick again. He spent the day in the car as we traveled home, then hit the couch as soon as we walked through the door. He stayed there, but ate a little bit and kept it down.

Then Quinn threw up before bed on Sunday night.

Monday everyone was again better. I thought maybe that was the last of it. I did the kids' laundry and packed them up for a week long stay with my parents.

Tuesday morning, Aiden was sick AGAIN. He decided he still wanted to go to my parents, so we left. We stopped at McDonald's on the way out of town and surprisingly, Aiden wanted an egg and cheese biscuit. He ate it and drank some Coke and kept it down. He ate a little lunch when we met my parents in Atlanta, and said he felt a ltitle better. He was fine on the trip to Birmingham.

I talked to the kids again last night. Aiden was sick again yesterday morning. So far, this has been going on over 2 weeks. I did some Google searches, and it only served to scare me. Cyclic vomiting syndrome and brain tumor are not things a mom wants to read when her son is over 300 miles from home.

The kids will be home on Tuesday. I'm scheduling a doctor appointment for Aiden on Wednesday. Until then, I can only pray that he won't be sick anymore, and that when I do take him to the doctor, it turns out to be nothing more than a lingering virus or something innocent like that.

Will you join me in praying for Aiden? Last night the last thing he said to me was, "Will you pray for me?" in a weak voice. I wanted to reach through the phone and hug him close. I know my parents are taking excellent care of him, but I feel helpless.

Who I Am...

I belong to a scrapbooking message board. It's really like belonging to a family, because the women there have come to mean so much to me. I'm going on a board-sponsored retreat in October, and the hostess of the retreat asked everyone to make an 8x8 layout using one of the questionnaires she provided. She's going to scan them all and we can put them on a memory card and take them home to print them. Instant retreat scrapbook with very little work. I love the idea!

Here is the layout I did (my name on the board is Basket Lady, because I sell Longaberger baskets.)

Cilck on the picture to see a larger version.



And if that's not enough about me, here's a 20 questions article I found in a magazine. I changed the answers, of course. I just love talking about myself ; )

1. What is your idea of a perfect day?

Sitting in a comfy chair on a slightly windy (but not chilly) beach, reading a great book while the kids play nearby.

2. The mountains or the beach?

Beach in the summer, mountains in the winter.

3. Soft drinks, tea or water?

TEA

4. Chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate

5. What's your favorite childhood memory?

Anytime we'd pull out the Christmas decorations, put the Christmas records on the big stereo, and decorate the tree.

6. What's your favorite dinner?

Roast with carrots and potatoes and my mom's Pop Up rolls.

7. What's your favorite way to relax?

a hot bath with something fragrant in the water

8. What's the best place to take the kids?

To my parents' (HA!) Really, Disney World. We always have a BLAST.

9. What's your favorite TV show?

Probably a tie between Grey's Anatomy and The Office.

10. What's the best night out you've ever had?

Our church used to do Parents' Nights Out. They'd keep the kids from 5:30 until 10 pm. My husband dropped off the kids at church, picked up some Ruby Tuesday takeout and came back home. We had a bed picnic and watched a movie, then he went to get the kids. It was nice. I'm not hard to please.

11. What's your favorite restaurant?

The Olive Garden

12. What are your talents and hobbies?

I don't think of myself as having a particular talent, but I love to scrapbook. It's a great hobby.

13. What is something important life has taught you?

Others' opinions of me do not change who I am, so therefore they do not matter.

14. What do you wish you could do?

Take a cross-country train trip with my family.

15. What would surprise people about you?

I enjoy listening to talk radio. It's all my husband's fault.

16. What do you wish you could share from your childhood with your children?

My maternal grandparents. My grandfather died when my oldest was only 18 months-old, so she never really knew my grandfather. By the time he died my grandmother already had Alzheimer's disease, so the kids never knew her like she was before she got sick.

17. What are three things that brighten your day?

Sunshine. (I hate cloudy days!)
My children's affection.
My husband's dry sense of humor.

18. What is your favorite indulgence?

Time alone.

19. What's the best book you've read recently?

Boundaries by Cloud & Townsend. I just started it, but I know it's going to change my life.

20. What celebrity have you met?

Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) and Vanessa Williams (when she was still Miss America). I met them at a car show. I also met former South Carolina governor David Beasley at a private fundraiser when he was running for Strom Thurmond's Senate seat in 2004.

These Are Some Good Times...

She was starin' out the window of their SUV
Complainin' sayin' I can't wait to turn 18
She said I'll make my own money
And I'll make my own rules
Momma put the car in park out there in front of the school
And she kissed her head, and said
'I was just like you'

You're gonna' miss this
You're gonna' want this back
You're gonna' wish these days
Hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna' miss this

Before she knows it she's a brand new bride
In her one bedroom apartment
And her daddy stops by
He tells her it's a nice place
She says, 'It'll do for now'
Starts talkin' about babies, and buyin' a house
Daddy shakes his head
And says baby just slow down

Cuz' you're gonna' miss this
You're gonna' want this back
You're gonna' wish these days
Hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna' miss this

Five years later there's a plumber
Workin' on the water heater
Dog's barkin', phone's ringin'
One kid's cryin' one kid's screamin'
And she keeps apologizin'
But he says they don't bother me
I've got two babies of my own
One's thirty-six, one's twenty-three
Huh, it's hard to believe

But you're gonna' miss this
You're gonna' want this back
You're gonna' wish these days
Hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna' miss this
You're gonna' miss this
Yeaahhhh... you're gonna' miss this...

Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away Now!

A couple of weeks ago, as I stuffed socks and bras into overflowing plastic carts in my closet, I grumbled to my husband, "Grrrr! We reaalllllly need MORE DRAWER SPACE in here!"

Within a couple of hours, he had taken the necessary measurements and settled into the chair in my office to plan our new closet configuration online. Who says men don't listen?

Once the plan was done, my sweetie called two of the children to accompany him to the store to fetch the required materials to commence Operation: Overhaul.

Some men go golfing. Some men go to strip clubs. My man goes to Lowe's.

My personal Bob Vila returned home 2 hours or so later, his truck bed laden with ClosetMaid boxes. My tireless husband then proceeded to empty the closet of all of our clothes, shoes, belts, boxes, medicines, etc. He said that was the easy part. By his account, my job was the hard part. Once the closet was installed (it took him half a Sunday and the better part of a Tuesday) it rested on me to put the whole shebang back together.

Easy. Peasy. Lemon. Squeezy.









I filled up 12 trash bags with clothes and shoes that were either too small, out of style, covered in stains or just simply hadn't been worn in a long time. It felt GOOD. The only items allowed back into the new inner sanctum were things we actually WEAR. Go figure.

See that rack of hangers below? That's just part of what came out of my closet. There is a huge basket of extras in the basement storage area. I'll use them for consigning the kids' clothes.



There are so many hangers, it's ridiculous. I don't ever want to use them all at the same time again. If I buy something new, I need to give something away. That's the only way to stay on top of the clutter.



The closet overhaul has inspired me to declutter other areas of the house, too. I did the laundry room counter on Monday.



It's easy to clean when I can use the kids as gophers. "Here, go put this in the (insert location here)." Kids will work in the summertime! Myth debunked!

I saw a tip on DIY that lead me to clean off the master bathroom counter.



I bought this $5 shoe rack at Target and hung it out of sight on the back of the bathroom door. Then I took my toiletry basics and loaded the thing down. Voila! Clean countertops.



Today while the cleaning lady was tidying up the living areas, the kids and I went to the playroom. Within an hour we could see the floor again, and all of the toys were back where they belong.

And now the kids are actually PLAYING in the PLAYROOM.



Will wonders never cease.

Don't tell them, but when they go to Alabama in July, I'm going to make some toys disappear from the playroom, too!

Shhhh..... be vewwwwwwy quiiiiiet. I'm hunting Widdle People!

I was tagged!

My friend Joan tagged me on her blog back in March, and I just read it a few minutes ago. I haven't been reading my friends' blogs. Can you tell? (I'm sorry, guys!)

So I'm responding to her tag right now. I apologize, Joanie!

Joan blogged 7 random things about herself, so in turn I will tell you 7 random things about myself.

1. I cannot take a child to the potty at a restaurant if I am still eating. It makes me gag. If the food hasn't yet been served or I'm already done, I can accompany a child to the restroom. Weird, huh?

2. When I drive over roadkill, my toes tingle.

3. I like to eat corn flakes with applesauce poured on top, then soaked in milk. It's something my maternal grandmother used to make for me when I was little, and I've always loved it.

4. I once put an entire roll of Bubble Tape in my mouth. That's 6 feet of bubble gum, y'all. Yes, I was dared. Or maybe I did the daring. I don't remember.

5. I did not go to my 10-year high school reunion, and I don't plan on going to my 20th (in 2011), either. I really have no interest. I'm not the same person I was in high school, which is a good thing.

6. I'll admit it: I'm addicted to "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette". Every season I say I won't watch it again, but I always do. My husband and I like to watch it together. It's like a train wreck: you know you shouldn't watch, but you can't help yourself.

7. I think I'd enjoy culinary school. I'd love to go, but not to have a career as a chef. I just like to cook and would like to learn how to be a better cook.

Stolen Blog

I stole this from my friend Cyn's blog. I did change the answers (duh). Thanks for the inspiration, Cyn!

What is in the back of your car?

2 car seats, a bunch of umbrellas, a brick from my old high school that was torn down a few months ago (Funny story there... the school was selling the bricks for $20 or so each, but my dad just went and got one out of a pile that was on the property. Ain't that a hoot?!?)

What color is your toothbrush? teal green and white

What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Sleeping. It is summer, after all!

What Were you doing 45 minutes ago? Placing a customer's Longaberger order.

What is your favorite candy bar? Snickers Dark or Baby Ruth

Have you ever been to a strip club? Uh, no. I'm not even remotely interested.

What was the last thing you said aloud? "Camryn, Daddy is home. You need to say goodbye to Madison so we can go eat." (She was on the phone.)

What is the best ice cream flavor? Mint Chocolate Chip!

What was the last thing you had to drink? Iced Tea

What are you wearing right now? Is that some kind of come on line? ; ) khaki shorts and a South Carolina t-shirt, which is dark brown with a turquoise Palmetto tree on the chest.

What was the last thing you ate? a sandwich

Have you bought any new clothing items this week? Nope.

What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? Movie theater flavor, whatever that is. Hold the butter. Ick.

Ever go camping? That word is not in my vocabulary.

Do you take vitamins daily? Daily? No. When I open the spice cabinet and see the vitamin bottle on the top shelf? Sometimes.

Do you go to church every Sunday? No. We try, but we don't always make it.

Do you have a tan? In the summertime I get a great tan. I love having a pool in the backyard (yes, I wear 45 SPF sunscreen, but I still get a good tan.)

Do you like Chinese food over Pizza? No. Chinese food has started to gross me out. It's so greasy. Give me a pizza any day.

Do you drink your soda with a straw? I do.

Are you someone's best friend? My husband's, and he is mine.

What are you doing tomorrow? Tomorrow is the hubby's day off, so we'll probably go bowling (the kids' request) and have lunch somewhere, then come home and swim and hang out together.

Where is your dad? Probably at home in Alabama.

What color is your watch? It's a silver and gold Pulsar, a gift from my husband (but I rarely wear jewelry, much less a watch.)

Do you use Chapstick? In the winter.

Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? I have 4 kids. What do you think? DRIVE THRU.

What is your favorite number? 12096 (That's my wedding day: January 20, 1996).

Do you have a dog? No.

Last person you talked to on the phone? My husband.

Any plans today? Already executed.

How many states have you lived in? Two, Alabama and South Carolina.

Ever go to college? Yup. I graduated, too!

Do you dye your hair? Yes, and it needs a touch up. The greys are showing! The greys are showing!

Biggest annoyance in your life right now? Hmmmm... not sure. Lillian thinking she can tell me no when I tell her to do something? Yeah. That's it.

Last song listened to? "Wilbury Twist" by The Traveling Wilburys

Can you say the alphabet backwards? Probably.

Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? Probably Crocs. I have several pairs in several styles. Right now my favorites are my pair of Cleo Crocs, brown with pink soles.

Are you jealous of anyone? No. Puhlease.

Is anyone jealous of you? I hope not.

Do you love anyone? Yup. I live with them. There are 3 people in Alabama that I love, too, as well as assorted friends scattered throughout the nation.

Do any of your friends have children? Yes.

What do you usually do during the day? Cook, clean, wash clothes, read stories, give hugs & kisses, fix stuff, settle arguments

Do you hate anyone that you know right now? Hate, no. Dislike, sure.

Do you use the word 'hello' daily? Yep.

What color is your car? White Toyota Sienna minivan.

Do you like cats? Yep. We have two, Beeson & Annabelle.

Have you ever been to Six Flags? Yes, but I prefer Disney World. I don't think my kids will ever go to Six Flags, because (1) it's crowded and (2) they've been spoiled with all their Disney trips.

How did you get your worst scar? Probably the c-sections I had with Quinn and Lillian, but I have one on my right knee from when I fell off a road trying to wave to a friend. I wasn't watching where I was going and I kind of tripped and hit the pavement. It hurt like a MUTHAH. I was in the pool yesterday and noticed it again. I guess it'll never go away.

Purple Mountain Majesties

After church, the hubby suggested we do *something* today besides sit around the house.

Okay. I'm game.

We chose Caesars Head State Park because our older daughter had been there on an end-of-school field trip. The pictures she brought back were amazing. We've lived in Greenville since 1996, and I've known about Caesars Head since then (even driven by it by accident on the way home from a Thanksgiving buffet at an inn in North Carolina once on a foggy, foggy day...) but we've never taken the time to visit.

Today we did.

And wow.





First of all, it was 76 degrees at the top of the mountain. It was 84 when we started the climb. That alone was worth the trip.



At the lookout point, our heads were literally in the clouds. It was completely breathtaking. I've been in the mountains before, but I was just blown away by the view from this particular spot. The pictures do not do it justice. We were so very high above the trees, I felt like I was soaring.



Gorgeous. And it's been about 45 minutes from my house all these years. I gotta get out more.

We went down some steps and ended up in Devil's Kitchen, which is a tight space between two rocks.



The hubby was in a hurry to get out of there, so I couldn't take a lot of pictures (I was in front of him... I've known the man for 14 years and never once have I known he was afraid of tight spaces!)

Funny thing happened as we were walking out of Devil's Kitchen. The family went up some stairs, and I hollered at them to stop and turn around so I could get a picture. Aiden decided to go all Gangsta on me, so he did the crossed arms with the peace signs:



I snapped the picture, and then said, "Aiden, normal pose, please!" As I was snapping the second picture, the hubby fwapped Aiden on the back of the head, because he was still doing the Gangsta thing, as was Quinn (I realized when I was editing the pictures...)



Parent moments. Gotta love 'em.

It started pouring rain as we reached the end of the trail, but I managed to get this shot. I colored it black & white, and I think I'm going to have it printed as an 8x10. I like it.



We left the park, and about halfway back down the mountain road we stopped at Bald Rock. By this time it had stopped raining, so after a safety lecture we got out and explored some more. This rock was really cool, but I was sad that people have felt the need to leave graffiti on it over the years. Who knew my older kids would learn about bongs as a result of a trip to a beautiful state park?

Aiden: Mommy, look! Somebody spray painted a bag of burning money on the rock!
Me (absolutelt NOT thinking):Uh, that's not a bag of money.
Aiden: What is it?
Me, realizing what I'd just said: Uh, um, er... it's just NOT a bag of burning money.

And I should've left it at that, but Aiden is nothing if not PER-SIS-TENT. It didn't help that Camryn was eavesdropping on the conversation. Being highly inquisitive herself, she just wouldn't let it drop.

Me: OKAY. It's a bong. People put drugs in it, light it on fire and smoke it. It makes you act stupid like grown up drinks do when you drink too much.
Them Okay. Yuck!
Me: Just say no to drugs, y'all.

Nancy Reagan would be so proud.

I got these great shots on Bald Rock:





I love that one of my boys standing looking out over the edge of the rock. (Don't worry... it doesn't drop off. It's a gentle slope. It just looks like they're on the edge of the world.) I can't wait to scrapbook it. There's some kind of story to be told there about taking a leap of faith or something inspiring like that.

As we were walking back to the car, I came across this:



I knew I'd make my mark on the world, but I never knew it'd be like that.

Lemonade

It's very rare that I get to enjoy a grocery shopping trip by myself, but I got to do just that a couple of months ago. Since there was no one there begging for sugary cereal, no one asking for the 15th time how much longer the trip would last, nobody screaming, "He pinnnnnnnched meeeee!".... I was actually able to hear a neat song on the store Muzak. I liked it so much I wrote some of the lyrics on my shopping list so I could come home and try to find the song (thanks, Google!)

The song is called "Lemonade" and it's sung by Chris Rice, one of my favorite Contemporary Christian artists. I thought it was him singing, but I'd never before heard the song. It's one of my new favorites, just recently added to my iPod. (Isn't the iPod the greatest invention? I love mine! It's probably the only thing I'd run to save if the house was on fire... after the kids and hubby were safe, natch...)

So, here are the lyrics (you can listen here if you want to hear it):

So go ahead and ask her
For happy ever after
‘Cause nobody knows what’s coming
So why not take a chance on loving
Come on, pour the glass and tempt me
Either half-full or half-empty
‘Cause if it all comes down to flavor
The glass is tipping in my favor

Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade!

Now take your time to answer me
For the beauty of romancing
Is to calm your trembling hand with mine
While begging love to fill your eyes
I can hardly breathe while waiting
To find out what your heart is saying
And as we’re swirling in this flavor
The world is tilting in our favor

Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade!

I’ve got it made
Rest in the shade
And hold my love
While God above
Stirs wiith a spoon
We share the moon
Smile at the bees
More sugar please
He really loves us after all
We’re gonna need another straw!
We’re gonna need another straw!

Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade!

I definitely got lemonade. No lemons here. I do need lots of extra straws, though. Life is GOOD.

June 20

I was cleaning the kitchen this morning while Lillian was finishing up her Cookie Crisp. She was sitting alone at the table, having been abandoned when her older brothers went to Vacation Bible School. Camryn was still sleeping. It was blissfully silent.

Out of the blue Lillian looked up and said, to no one in particular:

"Good times, good times."

And went right back to eating her Cookie Crisp.

I collapsed in a fit of laughter.

I hope something made you chuckle today... at least once.

Iced

For months the kids and hubby and I have been keeping an eye on a certain store in the strip mall where our favorite Mexican joint (Mr. Salsa!) is located. "Coming Soon: Upstate Cupcake" read the banner hanging on the empty storefront. I have to admit, my sweet tooth did a little jig every time we passed the shopping center. I love me some cupcakes.

Finally, a date appeared: opening June 10th. The anticipation just about killed me. June 10th!

My husband checked it out on Tuesday. He thought he'd pick up a dozen in place of a traditional birthday cake (he turned 37 yesterday). Being a savvy customer, he inquired about the cost of a dozen delicious cupcakes before committing to a purchase.

HA. Good thing he did.

You won't even believe me when I tell you the cost. Well, maybe you will. I don't know. I just know that it's WAAAAAAY more than I wanted to pay for a dozen of ANYTHING that I'm just going to shove down my gullet.

Check it out for yourself. The prices are listed here; scroll all the way to the bottom. Make sure you're not eating when you look, though. You might spit. I did. Then I realized that there was about 75 cents worth of cupcake on the kitchen counter, and I quickly shoved it back into my mouth. We can't be wasting when the pastries are almost as much as a gallon of gas!

They are delicious. I ate this one last night (Hubby's aunt bought a half dozen for his birthday. She appreciates the finer things because she can afford them, but even she was shocked at the cost!)



That there is a THREE DOLLAR "standard" cupcake. For THREE BUCKS I expected it to be bigger than my fist. It ain't.

Oh, and they changed their name from Upstate Cupcake to Iced. SO apropos, because that's EXACTLY how you feel after you empty your pockets inside their bakery.

Blog Challenge #22: Father's Day

From my friend Lee, who was responsible for posting this week's blog challenge:

In honour of Father's Day and since mine has been on my mind of late: tell me, what is the greatest lesson you ever learned from your father?

Here's my list, because I can't narrow it down to just one thing. My dad is full of wisdom.

My daddy taught me:

to look out the window on long trips. He didn't want us to miss anything on the journey.

to be kind to people. He always makes friends no matter where he goes. He has the "you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar" mentality.

hard work pays off.

not to take things too seriously.



if you don't have something nice to say, say it sarcastically, or in a funny way, or just don't say it at all.

pay attention to the details.

to drive safely and not be in a hurry to be anywhere.

how a man should treat a woman.

to never stop learning.

to wave to strangers.

how to check the air pressure in my tires.

how to be silly.



I'm sure there are many, many more, but those are the top few.

I'm forever grateful that I have an awesome dad. He means so much to me, and I cherish him. He is a fabulous daddy, but he's an even better Poppy to my kids. I hope they realize how blessed they are to have him in their lives.

I know I do.

Overheard

I'm sittin' here on the couch with the laptop perched in my (what else?) lap. To my right at the front of the house sit the boys in my life: my hubby, my older son and his younger brother. They're all playing the new Indiana Jones Wii game that the hubby brought home from Game Stop today.



I've heard a lot of "Quinn! Drop out!" and some "Aiden! Drop in!"s and even a few, "Whoooooa! KEWWWWL!"s.

But one particular exchange made me laugh out loud.

Hubby: AIDEN! Stop wiggling! Aiden! Go right! Go right! Aiden! Good grief. JUST GO POOP. You're not thinking clearly!

And then Aiden trotted over to his bathroom, did his business, washed his hands, and went right back to playing.

Aiden: You were right, Daddy. Now I can concentrate!

(And I sincerely apologize for making 2 blogs in a row about potty habits. Seriously.)

Wipe On, Wipe Off

Early last week the doorbell rang and I opened the door to find a HUGE box on my porch. I eyed it suspiciously. It bore my husband's name and was from a company whose name I didn't recognize. I couldn't imagine what kind of ginormous new gadget he'd ordered, but I wasn't about to tamper with the box just in case it was a gift for little ole me.

As if.

'Twas no gift for me. It was for him. In fact, I would never have ordered such a thing. Only my strange husband would.

He's been talking about it for years. When we did the electrical walk through for our house, he asked the electrician to install an outlet specifically for this item in anticipation of its purchase. You can imagine the strange look my husband got from the electrician. Well, maybe not yet, because I haven't told you where said outlet was placed.

Ready?

Beside the toilet. The john. The crapper. The porcelain pony.

My husband's new "toy"?

A Takagi T-F100.

Don't know what that is?

Let me enlighten you.

It's a toilet seat.

Yeah. You read that right. A toilet seat that costs about as much as the rent on our first apartment.

Choking yet?

Join the club.

Here's a picture (Don't worry. I wouldn't subject you to pictures of our actual model. That's just a little too personal, y'all).



Clicking on the picture will give you an enlarged version. Just in case you want to see this thing BIGGER. Ha.

It has some nice features, I'll admit, but I just can't get used to seeing it on my toilet. Every time I go for a pee I feel like I'm sitting on the can in the Space Shuttle. Freaky.



After I settle myself, a little fan starts up, and although it is a soft sound, it always scares me (Hey! You could say it scares the CRAP out of me sometimes! How's that for funny?!?!) After the fan starts, I always expect to hear the voice of Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey. "Hello, Beth. What is your business with us today? Would you like me to read you the day's news headlines? How about a beverage?"

Strange, strange, strange.

I'm about over my husband asking me if I've used the cleanse feature yet. I've never had someone inquire so often about my bathroom habits. I'm still getting used to my toilet seat having buttons on it, for goodness sakes. I don't know when (or if) I'll ever want the thing squirting my you know what with water, thankyouverymuch. I am not a fan of wet crack (and with that, I feel I've shared WAAAAAAAY too much personal information... as if I hadn't already...)

I can say this about the seat: it might come in handy if stuff comes out the other end. Yak, flush, get a sip of water.

Sorry. It just popped into my head. It sounds like something Mr. Bean would do, no?

I left my daughter in the boonies

Today I drove my 10 year-old daughter out to camp. She's never before been to a summer camp. I think she is in for a rude awakening.

I loved camp when I was a kid. I spent a week at Camp Winnetaska (near Pell City, Alabama) in summer 1983 and again in summer 1984. I ate it all up: the camp songs, the swooning over the "hot boys" (gack!), the swimming, the sleeping in bunks in cabins with no central air conditioning, the dining hall, the spirit competitions, the skits.... all of it. ATE IT UP. I have very fond memories of my time at camp. I wish they had summer camp for grown-ups. I'd be the first one to sign up. Even if there was no air conditioning. Really.

I was the one to encourage Camryn to go this week. She asked a school friend to go the same week so they'd have buddies, and they even got assigned to the same cabin. She and Hannah have talked about camp for weeks. She seemed over the moon.



Today Camryn wouldn't eat much breakfast. Camp butterflies. She was terrified that her other cabin mates wouldn't like her. I gave her the mom speech ("If those girls don't like you, then that's their tough luck. You rock!") but it didn't work. She fretted all the way out to the middle of the boonies where the camp is located.

We arrived, removed her well-packed suitcase from the trunk, and headed off to check Camryn in and find her cabin. As soon as she saw Hannah, the fears seemed to melt away. I went through the check-in process and soon I was getting the eye rolls from Camryn that mean I need to hurry up and get out of her space. Gotcha.

Can't you just see the contempt in her eyes?



One of the counselors helped us find Camryn's cabin. Her "huddle leader" was outside waiting on us. I asked if I needed to come in and help make her bed. What Camryn said stopped me cold.

"No. I can make my own bed, Mom." (MOM!) "I think I'll be okay."

This is the child that whined and groaned about stripping the sheets off her bed this morning so I can wash them and have them ready for our cleaning lady to put back on the bed on Thursday. This is the child that hates making her bed. This is the child that stomped and frumped for hours two weeks ago when I told the cleaning lady not to put the sheets back on her bed because the room was left a mess (the kids KNOW they have to clean their rooms so Kim can vacuum and make the beds, and if they don't, Kim doesn't clean or remake the beds with fresh sheets...)

"Are you sure?"

"Yep."

And with that, I was dismissed. I did manage to get a parting shot of Camryn with her counselor (huddle leader), Amanda.



I hurried, because Camryn's body language was SCREAMING, "C'mon, Mom. There is a porch full of girls WATCHING US. This is SO NOT COOL!" I got a brief hug out of her, and then I took Lillian's hand and said to my other kids, "C'mon guys. Let's go."

She didn't need me. She wanted to act all tough and run me off, but by Wednesday she'll be covered in mosquito bites and crazy homesick.

I hope she remembered to put on her sunscreen. And her bug repellent. And I hope she remembers to put her dirty laundry in the mesh bag I gave her. And I hope she's not too hot.

I miss her already.

A first time for everything...

I did something last night that I have never, ever done before. I liked it, and I know I will definitely do it again.

I went to the movies by myself. ALL BY MYSELF.

And I liked it.

No.

I LOVED it.

It's not that I've never wanted to go alone or felt too uncomfortable to go alone... I just never had the desire to go. But I knew that my husband didn't want to see "Sex and the City" and I sure couldn't take the kids with me (though the R rating didn't stop the two ladies in front of me from bringing their children.... an infant and what looked to be a 5 year-old and a 3 year-old...)

I bought popcorn, a Coke and a box of Raisinets. I poured the Raisinets into the popcorn bag and no one groaned in disgust. I didn't have to suck up anyone's slobber when I took a sip of my drink. I didn't have to share ONE BITE. YUM-OH.

I loved every minute of the movie. It was good to be with the girls again. I loved SATC when it was on HBO (though I watched most of it on DVDs rented from Netflix) and the movie didn't disappoint. I enjoyed catching up with the characters I grew to love, and although the ending was a typical Hollywood fairy tale tied up in a neat bow, I was glad to see it all work out for Charlotte, Carrie, Miranda and Samantha. I was sad when the credits rolled. I wanted more time with my "friends".

I left the theater and went treasure hunting at TJMaxx. I had time to peruse everything and got lots of awesome bargains. Shopping in peace with no one calling my name is something I haven't done in a long time. I don't think I'll try that again soon, because the pocketbook does take a hit, but it was great fun. I even managed to buy myself 3 things, which is rare. Normally I shop for everyone else and forget that I need things, too.

When I got home I had cupcakes to make for Camryn's class party, so it was back to the Mom grind. It's all part of the job, and I LOVE my job; I wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China (and I love my tea, you know!) I'm so blessed to have a wonderful managing partner (my husband) who takes over the company (our kids) for awhile so I can have some vacation time. Love that man. Love him, love him, love him.

A Wild Hair

I made the executive decision to let Lillian's hair grow out long enough to donate it to Locks of Love (try explaining THAT to a 3 year-old!) She agreed, though I think she believes she, too will be bald when it's over.

So the hair is growing out and it's getting knotted during the night. This morning she looked like Tracy Turnblad. I expected her to burst into a chorus of "Good Morning, Baltimore!" but she didn't. Dang it.

Today we tried braids. Lillian usually has very little patience for getting just a basic ponytail, so I was surprised when she sat still for the braiding process. It turned out okay. Near the end of the second braid, I pulled her hair too hard and she cried. The resulting picture tells the tale:



Here's the back:



And the individual braids:





The camera always cheers her up. She's a natural in front of the camera (could it be because I love to take her picture?)



I know the braids look like they're sitting on top of her head instead of being woven into her hair, but I can't do it any other way. It has to do with the direction I braid, I think. I can make my own hair look like it's woven, but when I do others' hair the braids sit on top. Strange.

Three Things

(1) I cannot stand multi-level marketing. Someone gave my name to a guy from Cutco knives, and he came to the house today peddling the most freakin' expensive knives I've ever seen in my life. If I'm going to pay that much for cutlery, they better stand up and fix the chicken themselves.

(2) My daughter got her Stanford Acheivement test scores back today. According to her results, she could probably take the GED and pass. All of her scores were labeled "post high school". She's TEN. Ironically, her lowest score was on the L-I-S-T-E-N-I-N-G portion of the test. Go figure.

(3) My 7 year-old son CRACKS.ME.UP. Tonight the kids were especially complimentary of the dinner I prepared (Salsa chicken, fiesta rice, refried beans and cheese quesadillas to dip in the beans... plus a homemade peach cobbler with fresh peaches... total Mexican starch fest!) I told the boys that I would teach them how to cook, because even boys need to have that skill. Aiden said his wife could cook, and I told him she might, be he needed to know how in case his wife was tired or busy or whatever. Aiden looked up and said, "I'll just go buy her a Hungry Woman dinner." Ya know... like a Hungry Man dinner, only for the females. Funny, funny boy.