Friday Fill Ins 3/13

1. When I look to the left, I see the table beside the couch. On it is an empty bowl that held the egg salad I just ate with some Wasa crackers, an almost empty glass of iced tea, my favorite lotion (Victoria's Secret Drenched in Pink Fresh & Clean), a Longaberger tissue basket missing the tissues (I used the last one yesterday), a coaster basket and a basket full of assorted stuff (nail clippers, Lego parts, a pen or two and some floss).

2. The kitchen is the room that has the best view in my home. The back of the house has nothing but land and trees; no houses are built behind us. The neighborhood walking trail is back there, and it's nice to look at. We occasionally see foxes, deer and critters that keep us guessing.

3. Let it work reminds me of the Beatles' song "Let It Be".

4. Grocery shopping can be done dirt cheap!

5. Voting is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.

6. If you have any Coke Rewards points, Boxtops for Education or Cambell's Labels, feel free to send them my way!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking Camryn and her friends out to dinner to celebrate Camryn's birthday. Tomorrow my plans include taking the kids to the library to help Aiden find books for his Living History Museum project, and going to church and Sunday, I want to relax while Stan takes the kids fishing and then taking Camryn to Old Navy for new clothes. The kid won't stop growing!

Missing Music, Strawberry Sausage, Thursday Thunks

I had some iTunes issues this morning. I couldn't get iTunes to recognize my iPod, so I closed iTunes and then when I tried to reopen it it wouldn't come back up. A few reboots, a little tinkering with Task Manager and some Googling solved the problem, but MAN. I was stuck! When I sit down in the office to start whatever project is on the agenda for the day, I have to have the music on. I recently redeemed my SwagBucks for a $15 iTunes gift certificate, so I downloaded a bunch of songs yesterday (not telling how many, but enough to make several mix tapes if I were still using cassettes...my iTunes cart kept getting fuller and fuller and fuller...) Anyhoo, I wanted to play what I downloaded and doggone it, iTunes just would.not.cooperate. It's fixed now. Thank goodness. All is right in my world again.

Hubby shared a Lillian funny with us last night. Driving home in the truck, he heard Lillian say, "I'm gonna pooooot!" Then shortly after that, "Here it comes!!!!" and then, in an "I'm so pleased with myself for creating such loveliness" voice, she said "Ahhhhhh..... it smells like strawberry sausage!"

That girl cracks me up. She's such a comedienne.

And now onto the Meme of the day, Thursday Thunks.

1. You are walking down the road and you look down. There is a bug. Do you step on it?

No. I'm walking away from it, so it can't bother me. I'd rather let it return to its little bug family.

2. What is one fantasy that you want to come true more than any other?

I don't have fantasies. I would like a hot tub, but that's not really a fantasy. I don't daydream about wanting one.

3. Someone knocks on your door. Do you look out the window to see who it is before you open it? Do you open it regardless of who it is?

Yes, I always look. We have a peephole on our front door (we had one at our last house because we lived on a busy road and got a lot of strangers at the door...) I don't open it if it's someone I don't know or someone I'm not expecting.

4. Have you ever eaten Play Doh?

No. I enjoy its fragrance, but it's not something I want to ingest.

5. What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon as a child and why?

Scooby Doo. I like mysteries, and that van was just a cool ride, man. The Mystery Machine. I think I should get my van painted like that. It would really embarrass the kiddos.

6. Are you a "people watcher"?

Yes. I love watching people and traffic.

7. I have a bowl of fruit. There are apples, oranges & pears. You help yourself to one - which one do you choose?

Pears. I like oranges, but they're a lot of trouble. I like apples, but I prefer them peeled. Pears are great just like they are, though.

8. What is your biggest pet peeve in the blogging world?

Not sure I have one.

9. What is one religion that you could just never see yourself joining?

Scientology.

10. What word do you use far too often?

Actually or totally. So guilty of overusing those words, and now Lillian uses ACTUALLY all the time because she's heard it so much.

11. How long do you spend in the shower?

Less than 10 minutes. I take much shorter showers than my husband does.

12. If you were to write a personal ad about yourself, what would it say?

I can't even begin to formulate a personal ad in my head. I'd have to think longer on that one.

13. Your favorite flavor of soup is....?

Campbell's Bean with Bacon or anyone's Crab Bisque (not from a can, though). I love a good French Onion soup, too.

14. You are sitting on a bench in the park and a bug walks in front of your feet.... do you squash him?

If it's an ant, maybe. I don't want him to sting me.

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Man

Camryn tripped on the rug in the laundry room on the way out the door this morning and reinjured a recently twisted ankle. She insisted that she could make it at school today, but called me around noon describing the ankle as brown and purple and very swollen. I picked her up soon after the call, but the doctor couldn't see her until 3:15 pm.

So all four kids and I went to the doctor's office. Picture it: Four children, small exam room, two chairs. Not a formula for harmony.

Given that she was the patient, Camryn took over the exam table. I put Lillian (with her crayons and coloring book) on the table next to Camryn. I took a chair, Aiden took a chair, and I told Quinn to sit on the doctor's rolling stool for the time being.

Quinn, who still has a hard time saying the letter R, settled himself onto his special seat, and after a few minutes he looked at Camryn and said, in his most medically professional voice:

"Camwyn, I'm afwaid you ah going to need some seawious suhguhwy."

Translated?

"Camryn, I'm afraid you're going to need some serious surgery."

I think I'm going to go buy Quinn an MCAT for Dummies book and let him start studying right now. He was vewwy convincing.

We just need to work on those Rs.

Sunday Stealing 3/8

Sunday Stealing

1. How old do you look?

Good question. I'm 36. I would hope I don't look any older than that, but I can't tell. I'm frequently told that I don't look old enough to have 4 children, but I don't know hold old a person with 4 children is supposed to look. I guess since I don't have dark circles under my eyes and deep worry wrinkles on my forehead I don't look as old as the people who say that think I should. I've always thought that's a strange comment. Ranks right up there with, "Are all those kids YOURS?" I always want to answer that with a sarcastic, "No... I just collect them on the way to the store because it's SO FREAKIN' FUN to take four children shopping!"

2. Where do you live?

In a house. I thought about setting up housekeeping in an old limousine, but if I burned something in the oven the smoke would just be unbearable.

3. Are you waiting for something?

Obama's miracle cure for the economy. I think I'll be waiting a long time. When will people realize the government can't fix our problems?

4. What’s one pet peeve of yours that is not common?

Stuff sticking out of drawers. Apostrophes used in words when they don't belong there (like if I had put an apostrophe in apostrophe's in my attempt to make the word plural. HATE THAT.) I saw that on one of those rent-a-signs on Friday.... you know the kind with the plastic letters you put on yourself? I thought about taking the apostrophe off of the sign and mailing it back to the business with an explanation letter. Decided they probably wouldn't get it or even care, so I let it go. Still bothers me.

5. Do you want/have kids?

I have them and I want them, so don't get any ideas about taking them, okay? They're hard workers.

6. Have you ever thought about converting your religion?

Converting it to what? The metric system? No, I've never thought about converting. We did switch from Southern Baptist to non-denominational recently, but that's not really converting. That's just switching teams.

7. Last shocking news you heard?

Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel broke up again. Those silly kids.

8. What was the last thing you drank?

Iced tea just two seconds ago. Fer real.

9. Who do you most look like in your family?

My son. I would have to say I favor my dad a lot, too.

10. If you could have something right now, anything, what would it be?

Someone to do the grocery shopping.

11. Where does most of your family live?

In my house. My parents and sister live in Alabama, and I have grandparents in Tennessee.

12. Where did you grow up?

In my parents' house in Alabama.

13. Where do you want to go on vacation?

Somewhere WARM. We're taking the kids to Charleston, SC for spring break next month. Then Quinn & Lillo get their own Disney World vacation in May (Camryn & Aiden got a Mommy-Daddy trip in 2005 without Q & L, so it's the younger ones' turn now!) In June we're planning on going to Myrtle Beach for our annual "Daddy gets some continuing education while we sit on the beach" trip. Stan hates the beach, so while he sits in a cooled conference room learning about the latest advancements in optometry, the rest of us chill on the shore. It's a win/win situation for everyone.

14. Have you ever had a panic attack?

Don't think so. I guess that's something I'd remember.

15. What can’t you wait for?

Michael Jackson's farewell tour (NOT).

16. When’s the last time you told someone you loved him or her and meant it?

A couple of hours ago when the hubby left with the kids he kissed me goodbye and said, "Love you!" I said it back, and I meant it. Who wouldn't love a man who takes the kids away for the afternoon so I can have time to myself? ; )

17. Have your parents ever smoked pot?

THAT'S why they were so weird when I was growing up! Never even occurred to me. (Officially: I don't know. You'd have to ask them.)

18. Want someone back in your life?

Stan's dad. He's sorely missed (he passed away in 2002). And my mom's parents. My grandfather would LOVE that he has 3 great-grandsons! When he died he just had 2 great-granddaughters. He'd love my boys and my cousin's son to death.

19. What do you order at the bar?

Not much. Every now and then I might order an amaretto sour or a margarita at On the Border, but alcohol is so expensive I usually don't bother. I'd rather spend the money on dessert!

20. When was the last time you cried really, really hard?

Probably when Camryn's cat, Harry, died. That was February 11, 2007. Oh, wait. I cried pretty hard when Dubya got on the helicopter and left DC on January 20th. I probably wouldn't have cried so hard if I'd already seen Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke: A Reqiuem in Four Acts. I just finished Act 1 and I'm really, really mad. I have Acts 2 and 3 from Netflix and haven't had time to watch them yet. Act 1 is still sinking in.

21. Ever licked someone’s cheek?

Funny you should ask. Lillian climbed in bed with us this morning and started pretending to be a kitten. To be funny, I said, "Hey Lillo... you know how mommy cats clean their kittens?" When she said, "No" I licked her on the cheek. She collapsed in a fit of giggles. That kid makes me laugh so hard.

22. What is your favorite thing to eat with peanut butter?

I didn't realize peanut butter required an accompaniment. Isn't it best straight out of the jar on a big spoon? No? Well, if I have to answer I'd say sliced apples, raisins on white bread or sliced bananas on bread.

23. Where were you on July 4th, 2008?

Uh... Um...... Oh! I remember! We were in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Aiden had a stomach bug. Thanks for reminding me. Blech.

24. What are your nicknames?

Janet. Miss Jackson if you're nasty.

25. If you could go back in time, how far back would you go?

I'd probably want to go back to when Camryn was a tiny baby, just to remember what it was like. She's eleven, y'all. E-LEV-EN. She's two years away from teenagerhood. Blows my mind.

We Could Use a Few More Ben Franklins

I recently read some interesting information about Benjamin Franklin. I've always known he was one of history's most fascinating men, but what I read made me respect him even more.

Here's what I read:

"When Ben Franklin was a young man, he didn't practice much of the advice for which he later became famous. At the age of 20, he decided to change his irresponsible ways and made four resolutions to help guide him through life toward 'moral perfection'."

His four resolutions were as follows:

(1) Become more frugal so that he could pay money to the people he owed.

(2) Resolve to become more honest and truthful in every way he could.

(3) Be as industrious as possible at whatever task was at hand.

(4) Never speak ill of any person, not even if what he might say was true, and to speak of only the good things about the people he knew.

The article goes on to say that "Franklin believed strongly in self-improvement and worked tirelessly to better himself. From his four resolutions, Franklin developed 13 virtues to live and perfect during his lifetime. He worked on only one per week. At the end of each week, he would evaluate his progress and then move on to the next virtue. After working on the 13th virtue, he started over again with the first one."

Some people might say that Ben Franklin was too legalistic, but I see him as someone who lived his life in an upright way, trying his best to have unquestionable Christ-like character.

I wish more people were like Ben Franklin. We could use an injection of virtue in this world right now.

Friday Fill Ins 3/6

1. Giving a fizzy bath bomb to a friend who'd had a difficult day was my last random act of kindness.

2. Another place I would love to live is Gulf Shores, Alabama.

3. Proceed cautiously in matters of the heart.

4. Coffee, tea or water? (But not coffee. Ick.)

5. I hope Chris Brown and Rihanna take separate paths. I hope she doesn't go back to him. She's a fool if she does.

6. Our calendar reminds me that there is work to do this weekend, turning back the clocks. It's time to spring forward!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to (hopefully) finishing up The Associate by John Grisham. Every night this week I've tried to read some of it, and I've ended up falling asleep. I want to finish it, 'cause it's a good one! Tomorrow my plans include going to the grocery store at some point, celebrating Camryn's 11th birthday (I HAVE AN 11 YEAR-OLD!) and church and Sunday, I want to take Camryn out for her birthday dinner and just hang with the family. Good times, good times.

Sunday Stealing 3/1

I found another meme site. This one is called Sunday Stealing and posts a new meme every Sunday. Maybe I'll just start doing an all-meme blog. That'd be so easy.

1. What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? Hmmmm... Olive Garden?

2. What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it? I don't think such a food exists. My husband could eat the same meal every night for dinner and never get tired of it. He almost always orders the same thing he ordered before when we go to restaurants. I can't do that. That's boring. I like to change it up and try new things. I'm pretty sure I'd get sick of eating the same thing after 3 days, much less two weeks.

3. Have you ever had anything removed from your body? An ovary, a fallopian tube, some scar tissue from my upper lip and 2 children (via c-section at different times). The other 2 kids were pushed out and thus not technically removed from me by anyone.

4. What is the last heavy item you lifted? Lillian, last night, because she wanted me to carry her to bed.

5. Have you ever been knocked unconscious? No, but I have fainted. Once.

6. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? No. I prefer to live my life as if I could drop dead at any second. It's more fun that way.

7. If you could change your name, what would you change it to? I love my middle name, which is Allyson. I always wished my parents had called me by both names. Beth Allyson. Sounds so pretty. I regret not passing the name on to one of my girls, but maybe they'll use it when they have children.

8. What’s your goal for the year? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with my God. (Micah 6:8)

9. Last person you hugged? I think that was Aiden, last night.

10. First place you went this morning? To the bathroom.

11. Do you always answer your phone? No. It's not always a convenient time to talk.

12. It’s four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it? No one I know, because I don't text. My phone will do it, but I don't have a text plan to pay for them, so I don't do it. Talking is much easier than texting. I think texting is silly.

13. If you could change your eye color what would it be? I've always thought blue eyes would be nice, but I like my green eyes, too. My husband and children all have blue eyes, so I'm the odd person in the family.

14. What’s on your wish list for your birthday? I just had a birthday, so I don't know what I'd ask for for next year. Probably not to be sick like I was this year. That sucked lemons.

15. Does the future make you more nervous or excited? Excited, because I know God is in control and whatever He has for me will be good for me in the long run.

16. Do you have any saved texts? See #12.

17. Ever been in a car wreck? No, thank goodness. I've been side swiped and had my bumper tapped while I was waiting to turn, but neither of those I would consider to be official wrecks.

18. Do you have an accent? I grew up in Alabama and have lived in South Carolina since 1996. While my accent is not as strong as it was when I was in the heart of Dixie, it's still there. I like it. It makes me unique. I just wish people didn't automatically assume I'm stupid because I have a Southern accent.

19. What was the last song to make you cry? Jesus Paid It All by Kristian Stanfill. It's a song we sing in church and it makes me cry every time we sing it, especially this line: "Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised my life up from the dead!" Gives me shivers.

20. What did you do last night? Went to our usual Saturday night dinner spot, El Jalisco, then church. I love Saturday nights at Grace!

21. Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? Sure. A couple of times. But there's only one way to go from rock bottom, and that's up. God is good.

22. Current hate right now? Hate is such a strong word. I can't say there's a lot of hate in my heart for anything or anyone, but there are things that upset me. Tailgaters. People who yak on their cell phones and make careless driving mistakes because they're not paying attention. SC Congressman James Clyburn (GIVE.ME.A.BREAK!)

23. Met someone who changed your life? Jesus Christ.

24. How did you bring in the New Year? We made the mistake of letting the children stay up until midnight (afternoon naps were a must). It was the longest night of my life. Something we won't do again soon, but it was kind of (a teeny, tiny bit) fun being with my beloved family as we rung in a new year.

25. What song represents you? Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.

Friday Fill-Ins 2/27

1. I'm glad it's Friday, I'm glad it's almost March and, I am looking forward to the kids' spring break in April.

2. Why do I have so many bras and not one of them fits as well as I'd like?

3. How does this bailout plan work, anyway?

4. Every morning, I put Crocs on my feet and take the kids to school.

5. I consider myself lucky because.... I can't answer this one because I don't believe in luck. Nothing in this world is random.

6. One day we’ll see things more wonderful and amazing than we can possibly imagine on this earth.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to just being at home with the family. Tomorrow my plans include making banana bread, doing puzzles with the kids and church and Sunday, I want to do something together as a family. We need a good adventure.

It doesn't get any easier...

I have a list of pre-teen girls that I could just throttle right now.

I hated being a pre-teen girl because of the way pre-teen girls treat other pre-teen girls, and I hate that my daughter is now enduring the same treatment.

One of her classmates has a birthday party coming up next month. So does Camryn. Camryn originally had her party planned for the 13th (it's just two girls going out to dinner with us and then spending the night). When Camryn invited her friend (I will her call "B"), she said that she cannot come on the 13th. B also has a March birthday and has divorced parents, so I guess there have to be multiple birthday celebrations. No big deal. We changed the date to the 20th to accommodate her. "No can do!" says B. "What if we do it on the 6th?" Camryn asked. B can't do that, either. I told Camryn to give up on her and find someone else (because I think she's just trying to avoid coming to the party), but what do you do when you only have 2 close friends you want to invite ? Bless her heart. Tough situation.

But it doesn't end there. Now two girls a grade above Camryn are pretending to be B's friends so they can snag an invite to her birthday party. These 2 girls, along with one other girl, did the very same thing to Camryn last year. They got really nice to Camryn after hearing about the party (we had mani/pedis done at a salon and a spend the night party) They were invited and came to the party, but have been sort of cool to Camryn since then.... definitely a big step down from the "buddy buddy" treatment she got right before the party. One of them has even been downright mean and rude to my daughter. I tried to tell Camryn what was going on last year, but she didn't get it. She thought they were really trying to be her friends. And now they've struck again.

B has always sat by Camryn at lunch and hung out with her at school. Now B can't be bothered with Camryn because these other 2 girls are always trying to get B to sit with them, hang out with them, etc. because of the upcoming party. Camryn knows that as soon as the party is over these two lovelies will stop hanging around B, but in the meantime, Camryn is left without a friend. It hurts. I know it hurts, and I am powerless to stop it.

I hate to tell my sweet daughter that it doesn't get any easier as a grown up, either. Women just get more vicious and underhanded.

Sigh.

Wednesday Weirdness 2/25

Memes are a blogger's best friend. Google Reader recommended this one to me, and I said a gracious thanks. That Google Reader knows me so well!

1.) You're on a trip taking a tour through the jungle. You have a backpack with some food, some first aid supplies, a pocket knife, a flashlight and a couple bottles of water. Some how, you get separated from your group. By night fall you haven't found your group and haven't heard them looking for you. How long do you think you would be able to survive on your own?

I honestly don't know. It freaks me out to see those people on Survivor when they get sent to Exile Island alone (even with the camera people there), and that Survivorman dude is just plain nutso. I'm so used to noise that I think the quiet would be maddening. I'd probably end up singing and praying myself to sleep and my group would probably find me in the fetal position the next day. Oh, and using the flashlight would be out of the question. I've seen Blair Witch Project. Using flashlights in the pitch dark is scary.

2.) Do you think it's okay to lie to spare someone's feelings? Why?

Golly gee. I think it depends on the situation. Someone I know well like a spouse, child, parent, sibling? I think the truth would hurt but would need to be said. Someone I don't know that well? It *might* be necessary to lie to preserve the relationship because you don't know the person well enough to tell the truth. But again, it would depend on the situation. I can't issue a blanket policy for that (that sounds so political, eh?) I would like to think I could be honest no matter what, but it's hard to say.

3.) If a talking Beth doll were made, what are THREE phrases it would say?

"Turn off the lights!" "Who was the last one that played Wii/well you need to come clean up the Wiimotes!" (said together) and "Get in the car! We need to go!"

4.) If the super power to be able to read minds at your own will were possible, do you think it would be... cool and helpful, intrusive and wrong, manipulative or maddening? Explain why you would or wouldn't want to be able to read anyone's mind at your own will.

Oh, man! The possibilities! I could cure a lot of my paranoia if I had this power, but then again I don't think it would be something I'd enjoy having. I'd rather assume people think the best of me than know they don't. Ignorance (of others' opinions of you) truly can be bliss!

5.) Drunk confessions, are they the things people can't bring themselves to say sober or just crazy ramblings of an influenced and intoxicated mind?

I think we lose inhibitions when we drink too much, which is why I haven't ever gotten drunk. Sure, I think we can say things that we truly think when the filter is removed by alcohol.

6.) What brings out the worst in you?

Stupidity, foolishness, racism and intentional cruelty.

7.) Do you think long distance relationships work? Have you ever been in one before?

I think they can work for short periods of time. I had a long distance relationship with my husband when we were dating and engaged, but we saw each other somewhat frequently. We both knew that there was an end to our separation in sight, so it was easier to be apart. I couldn't handle a long-term long distance relationship if I didn't know when I would be with the person again. I don't know how military spouses do it.

What Beth Needs

I saw this on my friend Meg's blog just minutes ago and thought it looked fun. What else do I have to do right now (that's a joke... I have about a million things to do right now. The top of the list? Laundry. You guessed it!)

Go to Google and type in quotes "[Your name] needs" and then post the first 10 things that show up. Here's what (according to Google) I need:

(1) Beth needs Facebook. Ain't that the truth! I get a daily dose. It's so addictive!

(2) Beth needs sitting and knitting. No thank you. I'm not a knitter.

(3) Beth needs the greatest American dog community message board. Again, no thank you. I am NOT a dog person at all. I like cats, because cats don't have to be walked outside to attend to their potty needs, they don't stink or require ME to bathe them, and they're generally pretty sedate in nature. Nice, calm animals. You won't ever see a dog in this house.

(4) Beth needs to retain the Woman's Championship at No Mercy against Candice to keep the division alive. M'kay. Don't know what that means. Maybe I can make a few calls and find out. I'd hate to kill the division, 'cause evidently it's up to me to keep it alive.

(5) Beth needs a dose of YODAA Love. Hmmm... is this like the little green Star Wars guy? 'Cause I'll pass, thanks. (Upon further examination, I found that YODAA is the Young Ostomate and Diversion Alliance of America. People who've had part of their intestines or colon removed. They even have a COLONder Get it? COLONder? How very clever!)

(6) Beth needs a laugh. And I'm gettin' it from doing this blog. COLONder. Get it? Still laughing about that one.

(7) Beth needs a wet, hot American summer. Why yes. Yes, I do.

(8) Beth needs her helmet on. Dangit. Ya caught me surfing without a helmet. I'll go get it right now. (Imagine a funny picture of me here wearing a big, pink Hello Kitty bicycle helmet. Sorry. That's all I got today. No actual pictures.)

(9) Beth needs the Guiding Light community message board. Really? People have nothing better to do than talk about soap operas? Why don't they get a life and spend time on Facebook like the rest of us?

(10) Beth needs help. No truer words were ever spoken.



COLONDER! Bwahahahahahaha!

Simple Pleasures

Saturdays
peanut m&ms (scored on 75% off clearance!)
Bily Joel on the iPod

Life is good. Life is too good.

2 Cool Shopping Finds

I love Etsy. I have discovered so many cool things on that site.

For instance, I found the necklace to the right at the Etsy shop of MamaBethBling. I had seen a similar necklace in one of the many blogs I read, so I poked around on Etsy and found one I liked better. You can have the disks personalized with anything, but I chose my kids' names. The charms are their birthstones. I always get compliments on the necklace when I wear it. She has lots of different designs, so check out her site and find something you like. I don't get anything for recommending her, but I like her stuff so I thought I'd share.

The cards to the right I found through an annual Christmas craft fair that comes to town every December. I bought some cards for a friend's Christmas gift and chatted for a bit with the creator/owner of the cards. Then I put her card in my wallet and completely forgot about her. Cleaning out my wallet recently, I found the card, and needing some quick, super cool gifts I checked out the website. Christine is super sweet and the cards (I think) are very affordable (I'm cheap, you know!) There are lots of colors & designs for cards on the site (not all are floral!), so if you need a unique gift for someone I highly recommend Christine's cards. She also does Bible verse cards, which are very pretty.

So there are my shopping recommendations. I hope you find something cool that you like!

Friday Fill Ins 2/20

1. Give me some time alone and I'll watch a good movie and/or scrapbook.

2. Whenever people tailgate me, I slow down.

3. I wish it was May and time for us to take Quinn & Lillian back to Disney World. Only 71 days!

4. Stouffer's cream chipped beef on toasted French bread was the last thing I ate that was utterly delicious.

5. To live in this world is hard when I know Heaven is going to be so much better.

6. Other than this one, Bry's is the last blog I commented on.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to doing absolutely nothing. Tomorrow my plans include picking up Camryn from a sleepover, finishing a few scrapbooking projects and going to church (we've missed 2 whole weeks because we've all been sick!) and Sunday, I want to go to breakfast somewhere with the family.

Update

Well, it's not as bad as we thought.

Turns out the dash latch is about $25 bucks. Replacing the whole glove compartment would've been around $200, but 'tis just the latch that snapped. Hubby can fix that. No problem.

On a related note, hubby called me yesterday while I was driving to pick Quinn up from school. He needed the VIN number for the van so he could call the Toyota dealership to order the part. I knew it was etched on the windows, so I squinted to read the etching off the passenger side window. It wasn't easy. It's very light, so I had to position the van in front of something dark so I could read the number. And the number was backwards (to me). I was typing the number into my phone while trying to watch the movement in the carpool line. Not the easiest trick, but I did it.

As Quinn was climbing into the car, I glanced out of MY window.

Yep. Same VIN number. Etched into my side. Still backwards, just MUCH more readable.

Stupid me.

Worth 1,000 Words... and about $4.50

This is what my car looks like on the passenger side.

Guess what happened?



My daughter happened, that's what.

Not the younger one. That's too predictable.

No, this was the 10 (almost 11) year-old.

Monday when the kids were out of school we went to Target. Camryn brought along a new book by her new favorite author, Liz Kessler. She'd just gotten a delivery of Emily Windsnap books from Amazon (thanks, Grammy!), and she couldn't put the book down. I can totally relate. I'm that way with books, too.

So we arrived at Target, and fearing that her precious new literary treasure would (gasp!) be stolen right out of our van, Camryn put it somewhere that wouldn't tempt a thief.

And the dash became jammed.

It took two days and numerous attempts to open the glove compartment. Finally we gave up trying to carefully open it and we just pried it open with a screwdriver. The latch broke. Glove compartment would no longer stay closed.

Hubby removed the whole thing last night in hopes that his magic putty would fix the lock. He's all McGyver-like that way.

Alas, his epoxy tricks didn't work, and now we have a gaping hole in the car. I told the kids they'd get sucked into the engine if they weren't good in the car. (No, not really, but wouldn't you be the tiniest bit tempted?)

That "I'm going to hide my FOUR DOLLAR BOOK" has turned into a "NOW WE HAVE TO PAY A COUPLE OF HUNDRED DOLLARS TO PUT THE JUNK DRAWER BACK INTO THE VAN."

I see two positives in this situation.

(1) At least my daughter prizes literature enough to want to keep someone from stealing it (I'm stretching, I know...)

and

(2) This will follow her for a lifetime. It will be a story told countless times over, repeated to new friends and heck yeah, new BOYfriends and will be held over her head at the most convenient times. ("What? You want me to buy you WHAT? Well, I could've afforded that if we hadn't dropped 2 Ben Franklins to fix the glove compartment. Remember that, sunshine?")

Oh, yeah. This will be fun.

Tuesday Morning

I call this series "Kitty in a Dryer".

Manic Monday #155

I'm going to start a new Monday meme that I found here through my friend Lee's blog.

Of all your favorite foods, which one would you find the most difficult to give up for the rest of your life?

I think it would be pasta. I especially love ravioli of any type: spinach and cheese, meat, lobster, plain cheese... you name it. I love it inside a pocket of pasta.

Which month of the year do you think best describes your personality?

Pick a summer month... June... July... August.... sunny and warm and full of lazy days.

If you could be a contestant on any game show, past or present, which show would you pick?

It'd be Jeopardy, for sure. I have always wanted to be a contestant on Jeopardy. I was on the quiz bowl team in high school (we called it Scholars Bowl) and I loved it. Once I even answered in the form of a question and everyone laughed. I used to take out the Trivial Pursuit cards and draw grids on pieces of paper (three columns across with groups of 6 in each column) so I could answer the questions on the cards. I learned a lot of trivia that way. No one wanted to play with me, though, because I learned all the answers. I was over the moon when I found a family Trivial Pursuit game over the Christmas holidays. It has kid questions and adult questions so we can all play together. Turns out Aiden loves trivia as much as I do, of course. He's just like his momma!

Friday Fill Ins 2/13

Before I do the Friday Fill Ins, I have to share something. I know you're waiting with baited breath for my fill ins , but this'll just take a sec.

My older kids' school is small and has been slowly adding things to the school as they can afford them. Last year we got a new lunchroom with an actual kitchen... but no kitchen equipment. On Mondays & Fridays they offer sack lunches and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays they have food brought in from local chains. Wednesdays are Chick Fil A days.

Aiden always orders the chicken nugget meal on Wednesdays. Evidently he's asked the lunch lady every week if she has some Buffalo sauce for the nuggets. The kid loves the hot stuff, remember? Alas, there has been no Buffalo sauce for Aiden.

Wednesday afternoon Aiden got into the van all excited because "Guess what, Mommy? TODAY MRS. HARMLESS HAD BUFFALO SAUCE FOR ME AND DAWSON!" Totally made the kid's day. I was ecstatic for him. It's the little things, right?

That's why I love my kids' school. It was a teeny tiny thing, but Mrs. Harmless *knew* it would make my son happy to have some Buffalo sauce. She made it happen for him, and I am so grateful for all the people at the school like her who seek to serve my children and know them so well. I feel totally confident that my children are well cared for when they're at school, that their heartaches are shared and their joys are celebrated. I made a point today to tell Mrs. Harmless how much her small gesture meant to both me and Aiden. She totally rocks. Everyone at BRCA rocks. I couldn't have asked for a better place for my kids to be when they're away from me.

Now, onto the Friday Fill Ins.

1. It seems like the laundry is multiplying. I cannot defeat it. I'm pretty sure it will bury me.

2. Come finish my laundry when you're done, please? And bring reinforcements. This pile of nasty cotton and synthetic blends are mean, I tell you. Downright horrific.

3. If I thought you would do it I'd ask you to each send me a crisp $10 bill.

4. People with cups of coffee in hand sitting in front of their computers is what I think of most when I think of you (dear readers).

5. To me, Valentine's Day means nothing. It's a silly, made-up holiday. I'd rather be shown love and affection on the other 364 days of the year than have high expectations for grand gestures this one day out of many. Totally inane holiday. That said, flowers would be nice. Just once. Even a wilted carnation would be okay. Really.

6. Knowing God is in control gives me strength.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to putting together my new Store in Style cubes & desktops that will be delivered today. Oh, and watching Friday Night Lights. Tomorrow my plans include trying to finish the laundry and church at night and Sunday, I want to do something with the family, like a puzzle or a game. Uno, anyone?

Tagged

I was tagged by Brandi for this entry. The game/tag was to find the sixth picture in the sixth album on my computer. This was kind of hard because of the way I organize my photos, but I think I figured it out.

Here's the 6th photo from the 6th album listed under My Pictures.



I originally copied it because I was going to use it as clip art on an anniversary card for my hubby. Our 13th anniversary was 1/20/09. Little did I know when I downloaded this image that it would mean something totally different to me than it meant to the Bush haters out there (1/20/09 was the end of the Bush era, if you didn't figure it out already...) To those who were ready to say goodbye to Dubya it meant one thing, but to me it meant the beginning of the Obamanation, as people are calling it. I'm trying to stay positive, but I don't like what I've seen so far.

Now that I've shared that, I'm going to park my behind on the couch and watch the DVR of Survivor. Although I've done hardly anything all day, I'm pooped, so I'm going to relax and watch TV for the rest of the evening.

PSA

The piece of furniture to which you refer is CHEST OF DRAWERS.

It is not, dear lady, a CHESTER DRAWERS.

Now that we have that settled, I will resume noshing on my tuna fish and Wasa crackers.

Thank you, and have a nice day.

ABCDEFG.... are you sick of reading about Me?

A. Attached or single? Attached since 1994.
B. Best friend? My husband.
C. Cake or pie? Pie, please. Lemon meringue if you have it. Not the kind made like Jello. The kind made with sweetened condensed milk.
D. Day of the week? Thursday
E. Essential item? computer
F. Favorite color? red or orange
G. Gummi worms or bears? I like the worms better. They're more fun to eat.
H. Hometown? Gardendale, AL
I. Favorite Indulgence? powdered donuts and Mountain Dew... aka "the breakfast of champions"
J. January or July? January. That's when we celebrate our anniversary.
K. Kids? 2 girls, 2 boys
L. Life isn't complete without? E. Otherwise it's just LIF.
M. Marriage date? January 20th
N. Number of siblings? One younger sister
O. Oranges or apples? mandarin oranges
P. Phobias? drowning; death of a parent, sister, child or husband; the house burning down
Q. Quotes? "When my mother was dying, she said, 'Always try and be kind and nice to people. And if you do that, somebody will always speak up for you.' And I've found that to be a fact. They really do." - BB King
R. Reasons to smile? just waking up in the morning, the kids' laughter, a funny joke that makes me laugh 'til I hurt
S. Season of choice? Fall
T. Tag one person. Kim, because she left the sweetest comment on my blog recently! Thanks, Kim!
U. Unknown fact about me? Is there anything I haven't yet shared? Um... let's see.... I have a used bullet in my bedside table drawer and I have no clue how it got there.
V. Vroom Vroom... What kind of car do you drive? Toyota Sienna (2004)
W. Worst habit? picking my fingernails
X. X-ray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound.
Y. Favorite food? (Why is this the question for "y?") Mexican
Z. Zodiac sign? Aquarius, but I don't believe that nonsense. Don't even bother reading it.

Friday Fill Ins 2/6

1. Please don't tell me what happened last night on Grey's Anatomy. I haven't watched it yet.
2. Can you let me sleep late in the morning?
3. The color mint green makes me want to puke. In three episodes of "Clean House" that I watched yesterday (while I was in bed, sick) the designer used mint green on the bedroom walls. Must've been a sale on that color paint. I hate that color. Makes me think of institutions. I would NEVER paint anything in my house that color.
4. I have a craving for waffles from The Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg.
5. If my life had a pause button, I'd pause it when each of my kids were born. Those were magical moments.
6. Eyes are the bread and butter for our family (hubby's an eye doctor)
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hosting Aiden's movie birthday party. Tomorrow my plans include hanging out with the family and church and Sunday, I want to catch up on my Year of Cheer card class assignments.

Wordless Wednesday

(Click the picture to see it larger.)

Friday Fill Ins 1/29

1. I'd really like someone to come clean out and clean up my basement right now.

2. Suh-weet shhuuuuugar! is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.

3. Possession is a word with a lot of esses.

4. I've never seen a movie with the character Captain Jack Sparrow.

5. Marshmallows and fire go together like creme brulee and a blow torch.

6. This winter weather and the freezing temperatures go on and on.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to just coming home after getting the kids from school and putting on my PJs. Oh, and watching "Friday Night Lights"! Tomorrow my plans include hanging out at home, then church. Sunday, I want to stay in my PJs all day.

Problem Solved!

My wonderful, kind, creative friend Kesa asked me if she could make Aiden's birthday invitations for me.

Like she even had to ask!

The cool ticket above is what I'm printing and sending out. I think she did an AWESOME job. I LOVE it.

(Kesa does this as a side job on top of a bunch of other jobs she does... so if you like it, let me know and I'll pass along Kesa's info to you so you can give her some business!)

Wings (not the Paul McCartney band)

As previously mentioned, we all went to Quaker Steak last night because Aiden is crazy about hot wings. Wonder where he gets that from?

From Aiden birthday

Um, hunny? Little sauce there on your... yeah. There. You got it.

For those of you who know nothing about Quaker Steak, they have about ten trillion choices for sauces. You order wings or ribs and then tell the nice server taking your order how you want your meat.......

um......

er......

"lubed".

Heh. (The official name of the restaurant is Quaker Steak AND LUBE, but that just conjurs up so many things that don't need to be pondered when thinking about food, right? So at our house it's just Quaker Steak.)

Tuesdays are All You Can Shove in Your Gullet Wing Nights. Natch, that's Aiden's favorite night to go to Quaker Steak (did I tell you that this place is purposefully located right beside our local Harley Davidson store? You can get a better feel for the crowd now, right?)

So Aiden orders his usual: basket of kids' wings with fries. They offer Jell-O, applesauce and carrot sticks in lieu of fries, but somehow Jell-O and hot wings just doesn't scream "I'm a MAN!" does it?

From Aiden birthday

Aiden's choice last night? Buckeye BBQ. It's Scoville rating? 5,000. Not too hot, but it's up there. In fact, it's the 3rd hottest sauce offered.

The hottest sauce? The aptly named ATOMIC.

Every.stinkin.time we've gone to eat at Quaker Steak, Aiden has literally BEGGED Stan to order the Atomic wings. Every.stinkin.time we've told him no. For real, y'all, you have to sign a WAIVER to eat those wings. Their Scoville rating? 100,000. Shyeah, right.

Last night we lost all sense of right and wrong (must be the effect of the new administration) and we actually let Aiden try an Atomic wing.

Stan tried it first.

From Aiden birthday

Stan not likey.

Aiden tried it. Barely got his mouth around it. Decided Aiden no likey, either.

From Aiden birthday

And there it sat, poor, abandoned Atomic wing.

From Aiden birthday

And the dream, for Aiden, has died.

But he and his flaming tongue were consoled by ice cream.

Lots and LOTS of ice cream (good thing the birthday kid gets it free!)

I had a dream....

I hate when I am asleep and dreaming about having to go to the potty.

Right before I woke up this morning I was having such a dream. It's so bizarre I just had to share.

I was in a parking garage with Ashton Kutcher and actress/comedienne Mo'Nique (I know, right? Like those two would ever hang out. Maybe they're planning a remake of The Graduate together or something. Who knows.)

So we're all about to hop in a super tiny car. Me, Mo'Nique and Ashton. I called shotgun (wouldn't you?)

Right before I opened the car door I realized I needed to use the facilities, so after announcing that to Ash and Mo, I promptly sat down on the floor of the parking garage.

Fast forward to the next scene in my dream and I'm crossing the street from the garage to a row of buildings. Ashton and Mo'Nique are sitting at an outdoor cafe' table (probably discussing the Graduate script...) when I approach. I see a caption (YES, a CAPTION!) underneath where they're sitting that says, "2 Hours Later" like I'm in an episode of Spongebob or something.

"Hey!" I say. "Are y'all still waiting on me to go to the bathroom?"

"DUH." Ashton replies.

"Sorry. I didn't know what the plan was!" I retort.

So then I open the door to a bank and go inside. I walk all the way to the back and ask if they have a bathroom I can use.

The manager says, "We don't do that sort of thing here."

So I squat down on the floor in front of the horrified customers inside the bank and say, "Well, I guess I'll just go right here, then!"

Voila. Keys appear and I'm allowed inside a room straight out of a spy movie. It's all hush-hush and whatnot. Buttons are pushed and a hole opens up on a countertop.

Evidently, it's a top secret potty project. I'm instructed to hop up onto the countertop and try out the new high-tech, appear out of nowhere toilet. As I start to relieve myself in my dream, I awaken.

I hate when that happens.

As I was sharing the dream with my husband, he relayed a story about Lillian from last night (we took Aiden out to Quaker Steak for a 2nd birthday dinner, because he loves All-You-Can-Eat wings on Tuesday nights...)

Stan took the kids (minus Aiden) to the car while I finished paying the bill. There was an overcharge on the bill, so they waited longer than they expected to. Naturally, Lillian announced that she had to go potty. Thinking I would be right out, Stan told Lillian to get out and wait for me in front of the van so I could turn around and take her back to the potty when I came outside. She got out and started pacing back and forth in front of the car, moaning and groaning about how badly she had to goooooooooo.... I'm sure you can picture the scene.

Stan said she finally stopped and said, "Daddy! Can't I just squat right here in front of the van on the sidewalk?"

Bless her heart. She is so envious of her brothers that can go pee (practically) anywhere, anytime.

And that concludes today's session of "Potty Talk with Beth". Tune in tomorrow when we broach the topic, "Toilet Paper: Over or Under?!?"

As if changing the roll wasn't enough trouble...

I give you the iPod Stereo Dock Speaker and Bath Tissue Holder.

Remember that song "Mambo #5" that was popular a few years ago? Maybe Lou Bega could be the spokesman for this product if he renamed his song, "Mambo #2": A little bit of Eagles while I poo... a squirt of air freshener for me and you..."

Do you really have that much time to spend on the toilet? Really? And if you do, could you fold a load of my laundry while you're in there?

Ahead... and Behind

I AM AHEAD OF THE GAME:

On Saturday I asked each of the kids to write out a Valentine message, then I took these pictures and uploaded them to Snapfish. I ordered one copy of each photo for each person in each of the kids' classes. I'm going to attach the pictures to paper and these will be the kids' Valentine cards. Easy Peasy. (Not my original idea... one I stole from one of the many scrapbooking magazines I read...)

So I'm way ahead of the game there. V-Day isn't for another 19 days! Woo hoo! Go Mommy! Go Mommy!























AND YET I'VE FALLEN WOEFULLY BEHIND:

Aiden celebrated his 8th birthday yesterday.

What? Huh? What's that you ask? What kind of party did he have?

(Hiding my eyes behind my hand as I mumble incoherently...)

None.

Bless his 2,921 day-old heart. All he wants is to have all the 2nd grade boys over for a movie party. All I have to do is pop some popcorn, buy some movie candy (in the boxes like they have at the cineplex) and rent a movie for the boys to watch.

For some reason I can't get past making the guest list. I got nothin' else. What's holding me up, you ask?

Creativity.

Sure, I could slap together a Word document and mail it out to the boys. They don't care. But for some reason, I do. If I make it, it has to have all the bells and whistles.

I ain't got nothin' clever in the way of boys movie party invitation ideas.

And thus the reason my son will celebrate his January birthday in, say, March? Sound good?

Making Memories

For those of you that scrapbook, you know that this week is the winter CHA meeting where all the new craft goodies are released. Ah, to be in Anaheim right now...

Anyhoo, the gals at the Making Memories blog are at CHA and are giving away prizes on their blog all week.

Check it out!

Friday Fill Ins 1/23

1. Oh, I am so upset for Camryn right now. She was supposed to perform something with her friend Brianna at the school's talent show today, and Brianna bailed on her. Camryn was devastated.

2. I don't like any changes, to my routine, big (or) little.

3. During the Golden Globes , I laughed out loud at Ricky Gervais. He's one HI-larious man.

4. Shutting down Gitmo.... are you kidding me??? B-I-G mistake. BIG. HUGE.

5. Right now I'd like to be in my PJs in my bed. More day to live, though. Things to do, children to taxi, laundry to wash, dishes to unload and reload.

6. DVR is my favorite gadget.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing with the family. Tomorrow my plans include taking Lillian to a birthday party, church, and watching the Miss America pageant. Sunday is Aiden's birthday, so we'll do something to celebrate. He'll probably want to go eat wings at Quaker Steak, so we'll do that and then go to community group that afternoon.

S'Wonderful

I got this from my friend Brynn's blog. She did hers last week and assigned me the letter S. I'm just now getting around to filling in my blanks. Busy, busy!

"Yesterday I was reading blogs and found that MamaHen played a cute little letter game and decided I would enjoy playing along, so I asked her to assign me a letter and she did. The rules are: You have to list 10 of your favorite things, but they have to start with a certain letter (assigned to you by the blog owner)."

(1) Stan - my sweet, sweet husband! We celebrated 13 years of wedded bliss yesterday. Doesn't seem like that long, because we laugh everyday. I have so much fun with that man, and he takes such good care of me and the children. He's the bestest.

(2) Silence. I don't mind it AT ALL. Some days I crave it.

(3) Scrapbooking. Some say it's a fad, but I hope not. I really get a lot of fulfillment from it. It's a great creative outlet for me, so I hope the industry never goes away.

(4) Soaking in the tub. We have a gigantic tub that will actually hold two people (with very little water... ha!) Most of the time it's just me soaking, though. My precious husband bought me a Flat Screen TV with a DVD player in it a couple of Mother's Days ago and hung it on the wall in the bathroom. I often take my latest Netflix rental in the bathroom and soak while I watch movies. HEAVEN. Yeah, I'm Spoiled!

(5) Sister. I love mine. We have a great time together, and I wish we didn't live so far apart.

(6) Splenda. Last week I overheard someone say that it started out as a pest control agent. I'll have to research that one. For someone that loves Sweet tea but doesn't want all the sugar calories, Splenda is perfect. I get some for Christmas every year. This year I got the little pellets in my stocking. I carry them in my purse for those times when we dine in a restaurant that **shockingly** doesn't serve Splenda... like my favorite new BBQ joint, Dickey's.

(7) Sauce. I'm a dipping addict. I can't live without ketchup (Refrigerated, please. Hot ketchup is nasty.) I love any kind of sauce. When I was a kid I used to make sandwiches out of white bread and Arby's sauce from packets left in the fridge. That's how much I love sauce. Japanese White Sauce, Avocado Ranch Dressing, homemade cheese roux sauce, Quaker Steak's beer cheese dip, Bearnaise... you make it, I dip with it. Just last night I made a Tastefully Simple Spinach & Herb dip to send with veggies to my younger kids' school for the monthly teachers luncheon, and I had to have a spoonful on a cracker. It was too irresistable!

(8) Sales. I don't pay full price for anything (much). I have had to teach myself that I don't need something just because it's on SALE, though. I only buy stuff we really, really need. Sometimes it's hard to say no, but I feel so awful later if I buy something CHEAP on a whim and then realize I really DIDN'T need it. Not such a bargain then. Well, for someone else, maybe, because it usually ends up at the Goodwill store when I do my yearly purge of all things not necessary & taking up space.

(9) Sundays. Now that we've found a Saturday night church service, Sundays are usually our lazy family days. We just hang out at home in our PJs until it's time to go to kids' night at Dickey's (one child per adult eats free so we can all eat for around $25! SCORE!)

(10) Spending time with my kids. They're just amazing little creatures. I learn something from each one of them every single day. They really, really make my life so..... FULL. There's not a better word for it. A quick snuggle, a spark when something new is learned, a funny joke, tears on my shirt, "You're the best mom EVER!"... everything I experience with them is special. LOVE those kiddos. SO. VERY. MUCH.

Friday Fill Ins 1/16

1. Enough with the bitter cold. I'm ready for spring!

2. There is not much that causes me to be conflicted. I don't like to dwell on the negative.

3. I've been craving cold cuts and crackers. My husband has gotten me hooked on Wasa, which are delicious crackers that he eats with extra sharp cheddar. Yum-oh.

4. "The Office" and "30 Rock" make me laugh. I love Thursday night television.

5. I wish I could go to a warmer climate. Seriously. It was 19 degrees when I got up this morning.

6. My friend Joanie has been on my mind lately.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to staying home and staying warm and watching "Friday Night Lights" on NBC. LOVE that show! Tomorrow my plans include lots of laundry (the kids' hampers are overflowing) and church. Sunday, I want to just hang out with the family and maybe get some scrapbooking done. Nothing major. Oh, and our weekly trip to Dickey's for "lupper" (lunch/supper) because kids eat free on Sundays and that means we can all dine for under $25!

Liquid Heaven

I recently tried Starbucks' signature hot chocolate and got hooked.

H-O-O-K-E-D.

Bad.

And it's expensive, so I have cut back on it since the new year began. (I do like their new teas, but not enough to go there frequently to get them.)

Today I had to run by Staples to get a refund for something, and I noticed that my $3 Staples check (Woo! Big money!) expired tomorrow, so after I got the refund Quinn and I wandered the store looking for a good deal. I found a Starbucks gift basket amongst the Christmas clearance. It was marked $7.50 and had a sticker that said there was a coupon for a free Tall Starbucks beverage inside. I figured $4.50 (after the $3 check) was a good deal for a small bag of coffee, some Tazo teabags and a packet of peppermint hot chocolate plus a free Tall beverage. We paid (it ended up costing just $2.50, because the kit was actually priced at $5.50!) and left.

When we got home Quinn wanted me to make the cocoa for him. I opened it up and discovered it was a bunch of tiny chunks of peppermint flavored chocolate that I had to melt with milk to make the beverage, just like they make it at Starbucks. Interesting.

I made the cocoa and Quinn declared it to be delicious. He took it with him when we went to pick up Aiden and Camryn from school. Of course, Aiden got curious when Quinn bragged that the cocoa was so yummy and that he had gotten the only serving (yep, the packet only made one full mug...)

As soon as we got back home, Aiden asked if I could make him some cocoa. I dug out some chocolate and created my own drink. What I came up with is nothing short of heaven. Liquid Heaven.

(I took pictures just like Christy at A Southern Plate does, 'cause I think it's cool to have a visual guide. Christy has the best food blog! She cooks just like my grandmother and mother and I do, so I love to try her recipes. I made her Crockpot Stuffing for Thanksgiving and the hubby and I both thought it was the best dressing we'd ever tasted. If you like food, check her out!)

So anyway... the hot chocolate.



I used 6 squares of Hershey's Bliss milk chocolate, about 8 ounces (1 cup) of milk and 1/4 t. peppermint extract. If you don't have Bliss chocolate you can use about 3T of any other sweetened chocolate you have on hand. Hershey's kisses would work very well.

I broke the chocolates in half and put them in the bottom of a microwaveable mug.



I added just a little bit of 1% milk (enough to barely cover the chocolate) and microwaved it for 30 seconds.



Then I stirred it until the chocolate was fully incorporated with the milk.



I added enough milk to bring the level of liquid almost to the top of the mug and microwaved that for a full minute.



I took the mug out of the microwave and added the 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint flavoring. I like it mildly minty like a Thin Mint Girl Scout cookie, but Aiden likes his mintier, so I gave him 1/2 teaspoon. Use what you like. Stir well and enjoy.

Mine didn't last long at all. It was gone in about 3 minutes! It tastes just like Starbucks, so don't blame me if you get addicted!

Wordless Wednesday

Just Like That

It happened.

I dropped a little girl off at school this morning, and this afternoon a woman sat in the seat my baby girl had occupied just 7 hours before.

Today my 10 (almost 11) year-old daughter entered womanhood. Yep, she started her period.

I'm not shocked. We've suspected this was coming for awhile now with all the other changes she's been experiencing, but it just feels weird. My husband and I were just marveling at our beautiful daughter two nights ago, both of us commenting that she seems to have matured in a hurry. She really is a gorgeous young lady, smart and wise to boot. I'm so proud of her, but I still wanted her to be a little girl for a little longer. I don't think I was ready for this. Not at all.

Camryn's taking it all in stride, as usual. She was a tad weepy when she got into the car. When I asked why she was sad she said, "I'm just not ready for this yet." That makes two of us, dear.

There wasn't much talk on the drive home. With a nosy 7 year-old brother in the back seat there wasn't a lot Camryn could say that didn't get met with a "What? What's that?" from Aiden. She popped in her iPod ear buds, leaned the chair back and said to me, "We'll talk when we get home, 'k?"

Whew.

When we got home, I showed her how to use a maxi-pad and talked about some things to be careful about. She asked some questions and that was that. She recently read a book I bought her called The Care and Keeping of You that is a published by the American Girls series. It was very informative and she learned a lot and asked questions about the things she didn't understand. If you have a girl, I highly recommend the book.

My sweet baby is taking a long, hot bath right now. She has some cramps and such, so told her to go relax. That's what I always did when I had my monthly visitor. Daddy is bringing home flowers for his princess tonight, and we'll most likely go out to eat (though Camryn, hubby and I will be the only ones who know why). We just want her to know how special this is. A pain in the rear most months, but special nonetheless.

And suddenly I feel every one of my 35 years. My baby is a woman.

Wow.

Resolutions

So I was going to tell you yesterday about something that happened on Monday, but rabbits were chased and another blog came out of that and I didn't get to share Monday's event with you.

It's really not earth-shattering. It's just a thing that made me cock my head to the side and say, "Hmmmm.... neat!" I thought I'd share it.

Bear with me while I share a little about our neighborhood, because it is pertinent to my story.....
The neighborhood was built with two separate sides at first, even though the developers had plans to make the two sides part of the same development. There just happened to be a deep, deep mega ditch (for lack of better words) between the two sides, so one builder started on one side and several builders started building our side. Late last year the bridge connecting the two sides was finally finished. That created a great link between two major roads and a super stretch of road for people to take walks. We get a lot of walkers that park on one side or the other and jog or stroll for exercise.

I had dropped the children off at school and had entered our neighborhood from the side that's further from my house. As I topped the hill approaching the entrace to our side of the development, I spotted a mom and her son walking. Not unusual and normally they wouldn't even register on my radar. But.... Monday it was just starting to rain. If it was me, I'd hate to be walking in the rain.

I actually drove past the pair at first, but then remembered my New Year's pledge to be more relationally involved. It was barely drizzling, so I felt foolish offering protection when it was barely raining, but I thought, "What the heck. I'll offer her an umbrella, because it might start pouring at any second."

I turned the car around and rolled down the window. I asked the lady if she was finishing her walk. She said that they were halfway through; they had parked on the far side of the neighborhood and were a long way from their car. I held the umbrella out to her and told her she could keep it. She thanked me and said, "New Year's Resolutions, you know?" Now, she meant that HER resolution was to start exercising and wouldn't you know it would start raining on the first morning of her new plan to exercise. BUT... the way she said it meant something different to me. She didn't know that MY resolution had to be more attentive to the needs of others and that by helping her keep her promise to exercise, I was keeping my promise to give more of myself and my possessions. Cool, huh?

The lady wouldn't keep my umbrella, so she ended up leaving it at the clubhouse door near her car. I picked it up that afternoon on my way home with the kids. It was still soaked from the morning, so I guess she did end up needing it after all. And I'm glad I could help.

Tangent

The original title of today's entry was "Yesterday" (because I was going to tell you about something cool that happened... YESTERDAY... ) but that sent me chasing a rabbit down a path, so I changed the name.

Wanna know why?

Of course you do. ; )

My favorite song by The Beatles is.... "Yesterday" (duh). "Paperback Writer" comes in a close second, but "Yesterday" is #1 for me.

When I was in high school one of the fads was Lorus watches that had Mickey Mouse on the face and played some sort of Disney song. They were nice, but what caught my eye were the Lorus Beatles watches. I had to have one. Know why?

One of the watches played "Yesterday". HOW COOL WAS THAT?

So I must've mentioned that watch to my mom like, a million times. I know I must've irritated her to death, but I wanted that stinkin' watch so badly!

I got the watch as one of my Christmas gifts, which thrilled my teenage heart. A couple of my friends got the Mickey watches, but mine was WAY cooler. NO ONE had a Beatles watch. Heck, I don't know if any of my friends loved the Beatles like I did (Thanks, Dad!) Most of my friends were into the 80s Hair Bands (Poison, Whitesnake, Def Leppard and the like... our class song was "I'll Remember You" by Skid Row. Remember that musical gem?)

So, when I typed the word "Yesterday" in the title box all of those memories came back to me, and I had to go find the watch in my jewelry box. The battery no longer works (I have replaced it since high school, and I was hoping to take some video of it for you... but alas, it's dead.) Here is a picture, best one I could take.



In the drawer with the watch were other cherished timepieces:

A leather banded watch I bought in Barcelona in March '92 (the games were held there the following July). The face has a picture of Cobi on it; he was the mascot for that year's games.



I found a Swatch that my sister brought back for me from Switzerland. It's way funky and I should definitely start wearing it again. Maybe I could bring back a trend!



Last but not least is the Snoopy watch I got as a gift from my maternal grandmother when I turned 9. I can still picture sitting on the side of the skating rink (where I had my party) opening the plastic box that the watch came in. It was my first watch and I loved it. Still do, but the band no longer fits. I should remedy that and wear that watch as well.



I'm bad about purging things and throwing away stuff, so I'm surprised I still have these items. I'm glad I didn't get rid of them, because they're so very precious to me.

Friday Fill Ins 1/2

1. The world is a big place. I'd love to explore more of it, but I'm scared to death of long flights. I'd love to go back to Paris, to see London, to visit the Holy Land, stay in one of those huts on sticks in the water in Fiji.... one day.

2. "Can I comb it?" was the last thing I said to Lillian after she got out of the tub with a wet, tangled mess of hair.

3. I wonder if it will snow this year. The kids hope it will, but secretly, I hope it never goes below 30 degrees outside!

4. A period comes at the end of all things. (I guess I'm not thinking deeply enough tonight!)

5. There's something to be said for wood burning fireplaces. I wish we still had one, as the gas logs just don't do it for me sometimes. I want to roast marshmallows over a fire, and ya can't do that over gas logs.

6. Disney World (or ANYWHERE warm!) is where I want to be. (And was I the only one that pictured Eva Gabor in her nightie saying, "New York is where I'd rah-thah be!" when reading that fill-in?)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking a bubble bath and watching "Out of Sight" (headed there as soon as I hit submit!) Tomorrow my plans include making banana bread to use those two squishy bananas in the kitchen, and then I would like to organize some scrapbooking stuff and get Lillian's pictures sorted and "power-layouted" so her book will go quickly. Oh, and church! We missed it last week because there was no Saturday service on the 27th. I need some worship time! Sunday, I want to get the kids back into a routine so Monday morning will go smoothly. And I need to go to bed on time Sunday night. We'll see how that goes.