What a difference a "part" makes....

The title says it all-right???

Now that's some funny stuff...

Much love and many good hair days , 

A

A smile for you today

Snowball

I made myself a showball

As perfect as could be.

I thought I'd keep it as a pet

And let it sleep with me.

I made it some pajamas

And a pillow for it's head.

Then last night it ran away,

But first-it wet the bed.







Poem by the incomparable Shel Silverstein

Happy Halloween

Here is a pic from Halloween...

I call it "Perry the Platypus and the Mustachioed Man":)

The back story is my daughter (Perry), bought Grandpa this shirt 

for Father's Day.

We have cracked up over this shirt since then.  

Dad thought he'd surprise her on Halloween by wearing the shirt and mustache.  When she got there and he answered the door.

She laughed for a good long time.  

It was funny.  My girl loves a good joke:)

Hope you had a good Halloween.

Many laughs always,

A

New "kid" on the block

After much, much, much, much, a lot, and then a little more deliberation, Holly and David threw caution to the wind and got a boxer puppy.

Man oh man is he cute.  We're talking colossally cute.  We're talking "text puppy pictures to every one of your friends" cute.

We're talking "lay him on the pillow, grab a throw, and lay your head down next to him cute". 

I just want to rub my cheek on this soft little fur.  I want to kiss him on the nose.  And he's not even my dog.  

I'm not gonna let that stop me. I'm making an unabashed pitch to be "next of kin" for him.  It's the least I can do.  That said, do you want to see him?  I figured you would.

Dang he's cute!!!

Much love and many snuggly puppy hugs and kisses,

A

Because sometimes you just have to.

Check this out...

and this...

Why you ask?

Because sometimes you just have to.

Much love, many laughs and a few quirks,

A

Disheveled Part II

 I recently blogged about my daughter's tendency to rub her hair into a knot when she sleeps.  I've discovered more photos that need to be shared.  (Pardon the blur on the last.)

This photo was taken at the beginning of a return trip from Hawaii.  

This is what her hair looked like when we started the journey.

This is what her hair looked like after we woke up and were nearing our stop.  

Note the back light.  It really helps you understand the magnitude of this feat.  

Mom and I were trying to keep our giggles to a minimum.

I'm not sure when this one was taken, but if I hadn't told you,

 would you have been able to figure out what it was?

I love that girl!!!

Much love and many laughs,

Her hairbrush-toting Mama

Say it ain't so...

I'm officially old enough now to have seen the styles from my "glory days" be recycled and updated for modern use.  

For the most part, it is a nostalgic walk down memory lane.  Yet, I can admit that in the past 20 years, people have started to dress better. 

 One cause of this could be my cultural paradigm shift in moving from the modest mid-west to the decidedly more dressy south.  

Another reason for this could be shows like "what not to wear" or magazine articles telling us how to pick the best jeans to fit our body type.  

The criteria for buying jeans used to be "as long as they aren't snug anywhere".  Now, jeans are designed to hug, lift, cinch, and do the dishes.  This of course all for the low, low price of ten times what they used to cost.  (I'm told the cost is all about the technology that went into designing a gravity defying, leg lengthening jean.  Those folks must have degrees in physics and engineering or something:)

All in all, I can't say I have a problem with the current styles.  For the most part, I think people do look better in their clothes.

So why oh why, are we forced to see these things again....

(internet photo)

No, don't adjust your screen.  This is not an old photo of your friend in her brother's faded denim shirt, her favorite floral jeans and those shoes she should have thrown out years ago.

This is actually a picture courtesy of a cool but quirky clothing store, circa 2012.  

I've only just now started to live down these type of photos from my younger years.  Why are retailers subjecting us to this stuff again?

Weren't we supposed to be wearing space-age suits by now?  Not stuff we donated back when we went off to college.

Please, say it ain't so...

Much love and many laughs and a few moments of chagrin, 

A

My future Food Network host

My girl loves to cook.  She loves to be creative.  Put the two together and you have some pretty interesting kitchen experiments.  She calls them salad.  

I think this all started when I was assembling a green salad and she wanted to make one on her own.  I'm pretty sure it had strawberries and some of her favorite foods.  That is probably what got her attention.  

Since then she has decided the sky was the limit and that the term "salad" was a loose term and had many interpretations.  I have to agree with her (jello salad, potato salad, chicken salad, tuna salad and so on...).

Here are some of her creations...

This one was pretty good.  The brown sugar and butter on toast had potential.  Thankfully, 

the chocolate syrup and mustard did not make the cut.

This one was hard for me to watch.  I often get the "that is so wasteful & there are starving kids guilty twinge".  

However, the "these things go bad quickly & you didn't have immediate plans for them" 

tempered with the 

"seriously, how could you have gotten these raspberries to the starving kids?" 

thought trumps the guilt.

(Sorry for the chaos in that paragraph,

yet another sampling of the run on sentence kind of thinking I do.)

It was also interesting, because after you added the mayo, parmesan dust cheese, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and sliced colby jack, you let it ferment cook in the sun.

This one was reallllly niiiiice!  It had a pungent odor.  That is what happens when you use a mostly full bottle of mustard.  The poor grape tomatoes and parmesan cheese didn't stand a chance.  However, there was a silver lining.  It cleared my sinuses:)

And here we come to one of the biggest reasons why my girl loves to cook.  See the woman in the background.  That would be grandma.  Unlike her mother, sweet girl's grandmother is good at cooking, and she enjoys feeding people.  It is something special they do together. My girl really loves these time spent together and that makes me smile. 

And once in a while, if I give them a sad hang dog look, I get some banana nut bread out of the deal.  It's a win-win situation for everyone!

Much love and many laughs,

A

Community Bible Study devotional

Last week I heard a devotional that was inspirational.  Here are some thoughts I wanted to share with you.  These words are from Cindy Beqette and "The Red Sea Rules". 


"Sometimes God Will quiet a storm; other times He will let the storm rage and He quiets His child."


As Christians, we know we will face storms.  Yet still, they can stun and rattle us just as much as anyone else.


If God doesn't quiet your storm, He has another plan.  He may want to quiet you, His child.  Sometimes deliverance takes place in our hearts rather than in our circumstances.


How does He do this?  He calms our hearts by changing them.


Here are some ways He does that:


1.  When you surround yourself with God's word, fear will turn to faith.


2.  Get to praising.  God tells us he inhabits the praise of His people.  Have you ever felt the quieting and calming of your spirit as you lift your hearts in worship to God?  It is truly astounding how praise and worship change our hearts.


3.  Make a gratitude list.  It chases away our self-pity.  It's hard to complain when you're recognizing the things you have to be grateful for.


4. Spend some time with people who make you laugh.  It may not change your circumstances, but it will change your outlook.  




Just because we are believers does not mean that strength comes easily or naturally.  However, it does mean we have access to everything we need.  We have the faith, trust, and the courage we need to press on.  When you get knocked down, God will give you the grace to stand back up and say "I still believe that You love me, You have a plan, and You will never leave me."  Our trust in Him is our gift back to God.


"If He brings you to it, He will bring you through it."

It was a timely reminder of God's goodness and an encouragement to me.  Thanks Cindy for sharing these encouraging words.




Much love, many laughs, and God's blessing be on your life both today and in all the days to come.;


A

A wild rumpus!

Well my big boy turned 10 years old.  I can't believe it.  He's such a big kid.

To celebrate, he wanted to have some friends sleepover, play games and watch movies.  As the boys got comfortable I enjoyed seeing just how uniquely different each one is.  I've love observing kids to discover their unique gifts and laugh at their funny quirks.  I'm not trying to pigeon hole anyone, but it is entertaining to sit back and watch their personalities unfold.

There was one boy who was the "put together" one.  He always had his sleeping bag and supplies put away and organized.  He was the first to get dressed for bed and the first one dressed in the morning.  I thought about asking him if  he could come over and give my kids lessons on listening "the first time".

There was one boy who was the most enthusiastic one of the lot.  I kid you not,  he and my son spoke at the loudest decibel levels they were was capable of.  This guy had signed on for the full sleepover experience and was not going to miss a beat.

Then, there was the relaxed calm kid who seemed to get along well with everyone.  In my family we call them "type O", because like type O blood, they go with everyone.

Then, there was the kid who was one moment right in the middle of the ruckus, the next, quietly sneaking off to play with the dog.  He loves our dog and the feeling is mutual.

Lastly,  there was the absentminded one.  The one who couldn't find his stuff.  I would find his belongings in the nooks and crannies of the playroom.  He was the one who still didn't have his shirt on, or teeth brushed, when the rest of the boys had their belongings ready to go at the front door.  He is a youngest child. I can spot them a mile away because that is exactly how I am was as a kid:)

Ten is a great age.  They are gaining a lot of independence, but they are still sweet and have not learned to be ashamed of their family and loved ones.  They still want you to come to the honors assembly.  They still feel like "big stuff" when a parent walks into the classroom and everyone notices.  They want to show us off.  I love that.

Many times I have wished I could freeze time and save each age.  Alas, it is not to be.  So I will cherish each age and thank God for the special gift he gave me 10 years ago.











"Okay, now look silly......"








"Now give me your serious face.... "

(that little sister-she's a stinker)













Now for the crime scene........

Evidence they did get some
(if only a little) sleep......









Evidence of a pillow fight......

Evidence that Big boy has eyes under all that hair......

At some point the shirts came off......

And everyone got home in one piece -whew!











HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SWEET, SWEET BOY - LOVE, MAMA

How Family Night Exploded

   In the spirit of the holiday season, we try to carve out a night to have some time just for the four of us.  It is such a great activity, that I included it in the advent calendar this year.  To make it more "official" (or maybe so my kids would think it was a requirement?) Hmmmm..... I'll have to ponder that one.

  Family night is special, but a Christmas time family night is even more so.  We pop popcorn, drink hot chocolate, snuggle up with some soft throw blankets and watch a Christmas movie.

It didn't happen that way this year.  Instead, here is how it happened......


son:  Mom, can I have a friend over to spend the night?

mom: Not tonight sweetheart.  Remember, we are going to have a family night and watch a Christmas      
movie?  Hot chocolate and popcorn - ringing a bell?

son: But Mom, sister got to spend the night last Friday night and I didn't.  You always say "no".

mom:  That's not true.  I would have let you last weekend but you didn't mention it and I can't help it if everyone has conflicting schedules anyway.

son:  But mom, I haven't seen this friend all week.

mom:  I can't help it if you have to go to school during the day.

son:  But mom, can't he just watch the movie with us?  He won't be any trouble.  I never get to have a sleepover.

mom:  But son, I just scheduled for you to sleepover with a friend from school next Friday night.

son:  But mom, that is my friend from school.  I haven't seen this neighborhood friend all week.

mom: How about if you play with him and return at dinner time?

husband (quietly mumbles):  "It's ok with me if it's ok with you."

son:  But that is not enough time.

mom:  Son, sometimes parents need it to be "just us".

son:  Pleeeeeeese?

mom:  I guess that would be okay.  Go see if he can spend the night. How about I go get the makings for smores and we roast them over the new fire pit?

After roasting marshmallows over the fire pit (and racking up some "your mom is cool" points) we retired to differing areas of the house.

(sometime later after having lost track of time)

mom:  where is everybody?  are we going to watch a movie? I start walking around looking for my peeps.  My husband is in the kitchen working.  Not on kitchen things mind you, but working all the same.  My daughter is watching Frosty the Snowman on T.V.  Okay, I thought to myself, one down two (actually three now) to go.  I go in the family room and discover that the boys are watching Dragon Ball Z Kai and playing on the computer and ipad.

son:  mom, can we just play a little longer?

(after looking at the time)

mom:  okay, that's fine

(after letting them play much too long)

mom: guys it's time to go to bed.

(my husband heads upstairs to help our daughter, while I work on Christmas cards)

So that's how family night quickly dissolved into "everyone to his/her own corner of the house" night.

I had good intentions.  Doesn't that count for something? I just got worn down by an incredibly tenacious 9-year-old.  What is a mother to do?

Side note:  We did get some snuggle time.  It involved my youngest in the bed sandwiched between my husband and me.  Even the furball doggy got in and joined us.  I decided not to ask the boys if they wanted to climb in.  I didn't think they would appreciate the humor. What if they didn't get the joke?  Then I would just become "weird mom", and after getting brushed off for family night, I didn't think my ego could take it:)

Much love, many laughs, and a Merry Christmas to you!

Disheveled

My daughter is rough on things.  Make no mistake, she is very much the sweet little girl who likes to paint her nails, play with make-up, perfume, and put on jewelry.  But she is hard on things.

When she gives you a hug, you'd better bend your knees and get balanced, because she lunges into you and squeezes with all her might.  When she gives you a kiss, it is enthusiastic and memorable.

Whatever she does, she does with 100% gusto.

So it goes without saying that when she wakes up in the morning, her hair looks like this.........

Not bad you say?  Just wait...

Now what say you?

Whatever she does, she does 100%  She even sleeps hard.

Now, where did I put my hairbrush...

Much love and many laughs,

Bedhead's Mom

Phone manners and overused words and phrases

I'll admit it.  I'm a blatant user of the exclamation point.  Especially when I text.  It is so much more efficient that actually talking to someone.  


Don't get me wrong, I love to have a conversation as much as the next gal.  However, when passing along critical information like what time a movie starts, or "Did you mail that letter?", I feel texting can suffice.  If I just talked to you three minutes ago and I'm returning an answer to you, just check your message box.  We can dispense with pleasantries.


Oh, and please don't answer the phone just to tell me you can't talk now.  I release you to be free to let the phone go to voicemail.


How many times have you been about to wrap up an important conversation with someone, only to have a phone ring.  Don't answer it.  Just don't do it.  Finish what you started.  Don't hold someone hostage just so you can say goodbye.  


Back to the texting, I use a lot of exclamation points because sometimes meaning and tone are lost in translation.  I want the receiver of my text to know:
1.  I'm in a good mood (unless I'm not, in which case I probably won't text)
2.  I like them
3.  I don't want them to misunderstand #1 and #2


An exclamation point is the cheerleader in the punctuation family.  At least it is when I use it.  


I'm aware of my gratuitous use of them and no, I don't plan on changing it.  It is used to set the tone and I feel justified in this explanation.




That said, I thought I'd list some of my favorite cliche' sayings.  




1.  Sexy - example "wow, that washer and dryer are so sleek and sexy".  Rowrr.......  It just doesn't apply in cases such as these.


2.  Journey through this process.  It is quite eloquent.  It is just entirely overused.  So overused that I try to use it as much as I can.  Those who know me well will get the joke.  Those who don't will probably be nodding in an effort to look interested.


3.  3-D - It's a buzz word designed to get consumers attention.  But really, what is the purpose if 3-D soap?


4.  Holistic - sounds good doesn't it?  "Let's take a holistic approach to doing the laundry."  




Comments?  Anyone............anyone............? 




Much love and many laughs, 


A

A silent alarm just sounded....

Last night, when I needed to get cleaned up I decided to listen to my ipod and take a soak.  "Yes" I thought, "a little bathing would set me up forever!"  (Sorry-Jane Austen quote).


When I take a shower, nothing happens.  No one comes into my "suite" area.  (Man o man-why didn't I have doors put on the bathroom area???)  


But when I take a bath something mysterious happens.  


Within a mere 2 minutes of plunging myself into steaming hot water, I have a  visitor.  Another 3 minutes on top of that and I can score two more bath time guests.  


What causes this?  Is it the sound of relaxation pouring through the pipes and into my freestanding bathtub?  Is it the effervescence of my bath fizzies that hearkens to the weary crowd down stairs?  Has there been planted in my family's subconscious, the idea that bath time is also, "I have Mom's undivided attention" time?  


I can sympathize with the mother in Jill Murphy's book "Five minutes Peace please"  It is funny because it is so true.  So incredibly true.  


In the book, the mother elephant gets her kids their breakfast, and while they eat, she thinks she'll sneak a 5 minute bath.  Well as you could probably guess, with in 2 minutes, two of her kids are goofing around in the bathroom while her youngest child jumped right in for a soak himself.  

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Don't click on it, you can't sample it here:)

You can find this book in the children's fiction section of your local bookstore.  It is not fiction.  Not at all.


Maybe that's where the Japanese got the idea for group bathing.  Who knows?
  
So, I've decided enjoy the interruptions with the realization that one day when my kids are grown, I'll actually get those 5 minutes of bath time peace. 


And while I'm at it I think I'll invest in some bubble bath.   Cause no one needs to see my Rubinesque-ness or make comments about it-thank you very much!


Much love and many laughs,


A

Ways to avoid bedtime

My boy is funny.  He is a man-child.  He is tenderhearted and kind.  He is all boy and I love it.

Two  (unintentionally) entertaining traits of his are his vast store of energy and his very active mind.  Sometimes his mind is so active that he has difficulty going into "sleep mode" at night.

Below are some reasons he's listed for being unable to sleep:

1. "My ankle hurts."  (Last year he sprained his ankle and it only seems to flare up at bedtime.  Too bad for him, my husband noticed that the "trick ankle" switches from time to time.)

2.  "I have too much energy."  (Understatement of the year!)

3.  "I can't sleep because my nose is like..........."( fill that in with various sniffs and snorts and you have a idea).

4.  "My body is trying to force my eyes open and then closed." (Picture him pretending to fall asleep and jolting awake with eyes wide open.)

5.  "Since Monday, my body hasn't wanted to go to sleep."

6.  "It feels like there are rocks in my [4" memory foam egg crate topped] bed."

And these are just some of the doozies we've heard in the past.

Needless to say, I'll be updating you with the future bedtime excuses as they occur.  He really is a creative fellow and a joy to our lives.  I'm amused by his excuses because it's noon on a beautiful sunny day.

If you catch me at 11:30 on a school night battling this problem, you might get a different picture.

It's all about context people:)




Much love and many laughs,

A

Literacy Day

Today is Literacy Day at school.  The 4th graders and older are going to give presentations on books they've been reading.  


The Third graders and younger can dress like their favorite book character.  This is both a blessing and a curse.


It's a blessing because it is so much fun you can barely stand yourself.  It is a chance to talk about favorite book characters.  And it is fun because I was able to discuss critical thinking skills without anyone getting mad or complaining.  (1.  Which costume would be compatible with being at school and on the playground? The horse costume or Fancy Nancy?  2.  Which costume is more easily identified?  Judy Moody in jeans and a t-shirt or Fancy Nancy-in a tutu, crown, and beads? After all you don't want to go to the trouble of dressing up when no one can tell the difference between regular clothes and dressing like a book character).


It's a curse because your 7 year old is sooooo excited that she wakes up at 4:40 to get dressed and you made the mistake of staying up too late playing on the website "Pinterest". 


It is also a curse because her hair is strawberry blond and straight.  Fancy Nancy's hair is bright red, curly and voluminous.  Her reality did not measure up to her mind's idea of what this should look like.  Tears ensued and threats were made.  This was one of those times when you have to make the punishment fit the crime.  Either quit crying or I'm taking you out of that costume and you'll wear a uniform to school.  We had the luxury of changing clothes if needed because like I said, she woke up at 4:40.


By the time carpool rolled around, she was excited again.  Even though her wings were falling down all the time and her hair wasn't exactly like the picture, the excitement emitted from my nieces when she was picked up for school was like a balm to the both of us.  


This is what she looked like......

As I mentioned before she was so excited she could hardly stand it!!!

Literacy day beats Pajama Day any ol' day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Yippee! 

Much love and many laughs,

A

Dress-up compliments of TJ Maxx

Once a week my daughter and a friend go to horseback riding.  They love this activity and love spending a little time together in the car because we carpool. It is a great set-up for everyone.  Yeah for carpools!!!


Last week it was my turn to drive and I thought I might make a stop by Target to get some office/organizational supplies.  (I really am an office supply nerd, but that's for another post:)


Since I was already not headed straight back from lessons, why not stop by TJ's treat myself to a little purse shopping.


I'm a new TJ Maxx devotee.  That is probably because I'm always the last one to know about great deals and or sales. I have some friends who are major bargain hunters and I aspire to be like them.  However, I often am side-tracked by the new arrivals that are displayed well and really grab you when you first walk in.  Digging through the racks is an exercise in frustration for me.  However, though it has taken a while, but now I can say I am a true fan of TJ's (I just avoid the center area and I'm happy:)


If you've ever shopped the Maxx, you might be familiar with the fact that they have some really great purses, and when I get on a purse kick-lookout!!!  


So the girls and I bee-bopped our way in the store and looked around.  Before I knew it, they had gathered purses, wallets and hats to try on.  It was so sweet and it gained the attention of the ladies in that part of the store.  The ladies admired how cute the girls were!  I can vouch that it was a treat to see them play like this.  They were absolutely precious.


I had to snap a couple of shots with my phone.  

Never let it be said that a girl can have too many accessories!  Also, a side note to Cam's mom,  she likes feathers and animal print.  I hope you have some retirement money stashed away:)

Much love and many laughs,

A