Two Peas in a Pod

I have had the privilege of having a little company lately ...

These two peas in a pod are together quite often. In the bright pink jacket (and purple sweater) is Gracelyn, my niece. She's almost two and has the spunk that typically goes along with that number! Or does that come from her mom? Hmm. Maybe her auntie. Well, anyway. Not only does she have spunk, but she also knows the sounds that every animal I can conceivably think of makes.

You say, "Gracie, how do dogs go?" and she will quickly follow with a "Woof! Woof!" etc.

Now Jocelyn, the blondie in the light pink jacket, is Gracie's friend that her mom babysits. She's also two ... and she also has spunk! I'm not sure if she knows her animal sounds or not, but as I was quizzing Gracelyn about how pigs, cows, and ducks go, one of Gracelyn's sisters said, "Ask Gracie how Daddy's go."

So I did.

"Gracie, how does Daddy go?"

Blank stare.

"How does Daddy go?"

Two blank stares.

Then Jocelyn threw her hands palm up and said in a voice that made me feel like I needed to go back to Kindergarten, "Daddy go work!"

Silly me. Of course Daddy goes to work!

We won't reveal what Gracie normally says when you ask her how Daddy goes, because, well ... that's a family secret. But at least one record has been set straight ....

Daddy. Go. Work! 

And now that we all have that down pat ... here are a few pics of the two peas.



Gracie wasn't sure how she felt about the snow sprinkles.

After we came in to warm up ...

Eenie Meenie Minie Moe. Which one is the sassy one?

My, what big teeeth you have!

My, what big eyes you have!

Play ball!!

The end.

cast on, cast off

I bet I lure a lot of knitters in with that title, huh?

Unfortunately, I'm not talking about knitting. I'm talking about arm casts. And Andrew's is about to come off - in a little less than a week.

This is particularly good, because it's beginning to look rather dingy. And I think he's weary of wearing a trash bag in the shower, and not being able to catch a baseball properly. It was nice of the doctor to provide a nice, blue cast that perfectly matches his baseball outfit, but I think we're both tired of it.

My real reason for mentioning any of this, of course, is to keep my word and spill the beans about what I wrote on his cast. None of you were brave enough to guess ... only brave enough to say "Gee, with your sense of humor, there's no tellin' what you wrote!" Ha! That made me laugh. Mostly because I realize you all thought I probably wrote something extremely funny or rude or embarrassing.

**Long pause

Ok, so maybe you were right with the rude part. I dunno what do you think? Is "Smooth move, ExLax!"  rude? 

**Longer pause

Yeah, you're probably right. But what I really wanted to write was "Roly Poly, Pell Mell, Tumble Bumble!"

Why? Because he looooooved that book when he was little. I'm positive I read it to him at least 3,486 times. And - since he truly did go roly poly, tumble, bumble, pell, mell down the hill, it seemed quite appropriate.

As did strawberry shortcake, rice pudding, and chocolate custard...........

Ahem!

However, when I told him I was going to write a portion of The Poky Little Puppy, he said, "Mom. That's too long. Ya' gotta save room for all my friends."

Psh!! Ok, fine. I see where I rank.

So the ExLax comment is what ya' get if you reject the cute comment. To sweeten things up, I did add "Love, Mom" and "Romans 8:28" to the signature.

See. I'm a great Mom.

Right? 

where i've been

*peeks around corner

Hello! So nice to see you again!!

Yes, I've been away, for a very long time. The good news is that I am not deceased. The bad news is that ... well, there is no bad news! I've been away from home for the last (almost) three weeks, taking care of my mom-in-law while my dad-in-law was out of town on business. And while it's been a little bit crazy, I am home safe and sound, and catching up on rest, laundry, cleaning, and getting to know Jessie again. :-) We plan to reacquaint ourselves this evening, while we watch American Idol and just ... veg.

My refrigerator is chalk full of science projects, but I'm not dealing with that until tomorrow. And yes, I said that yesterday.

Other than that, there isn't a whole lot going on, other than normal everyday life. Baseball season has started for both the Rockies and Andrew. I'm soooo excited!! I can't wait until it gets warm enough to go to a game and get toasty fried in the warm sun! And yes, I know all about skin cancer. I just happen to not care. I'd rather remedy my low vitamin D than worry about something that may never happen. But I am kidding about getting toasty fried. I know that's not a good thing.

I'm also in the midst of starting a blog for the ladies at our church. Unfortunately, it won't be something that non-members will have access to, so I won't be able to point you to it. But I at least had to share, because I'm so excited!!! It's an opportunity to write more, encourage more, and get to know others at my church more. Nothing better than that! I can't wait to see what kind of input and feedback the ladies will give.

Bedee, bedee, that's about it, folks! Oh! Forgot to tell you that Andrew broke him wrist while we were gone. He went on a three day youth retreat, and got into a tubing pile up. Ha! He said all of them were going down the hill, and all of a sudden, the tube flipped and all three of his buddies had landed on his arm while it was twisted behind his back. He said he went face first, with his cheek bouncing up and down on the ground all the way down. And then he said, "And Mom! Michael landed right ON my face. I mean, like, ON IT." Michael weighs about 220, so ... ahem ... I can't imagine that was too pleasant, and it made me wonder how his nose didn't end up getting broken also. ;-)

So, he's in a cast for four weeks, and a splint for two. Baseball practice started the night he got the cast on, of course. Thankfully, it's just the start of the practice season, and he should be good to go as soon as the games start up. And thankfully, it wasn't his pitching arm. Thank you, Lord!

Thanks for stopping in again, assuming I'm not talking to thin air. I'm sure I've lost most of my readers by now. If you did stop in, leave me a little comment and let me know if you have any guesses as to what I said when I signed Andrew's cast (I'll reveal the answer in the next post).

Any guesses?

Anyone?





Anyone???

daybook entry

For Today... Feb. 2, 2011

Outside my window... Sunny skies, but bitterly cold. Rumor has it that the temps will be around -20 today.

I am thinking...of my to do list. It's very long.

I am thankful for... family and friends, and second chances.

I am wearing... my jammies.

I am remembering... my mom-in-law, who is going through a pretty tough time of health issues.

I am going... to get braces on my teeth on Valentines Day. What a way to celebrate! ;)

I am currently reading... City on a Hill, by Philip Graham Ryken

I am hoping... that when I dye my gray hair for the first time, it doesn't turn out purple. Or green. Dark brown with a bit of a red tint would be best!

On my mind... Whether or not Ashlee and Daniel's offer on their house will go through.

Noticing that... Everyone complains about the weather, whether it's hot, cold, in between, wet, or dry. I think we always want what we can't have.

From the kitchen... Not a whole lot going on there. I made chocolate, chocolate chip muffins on Monday though! That's gotta count for something, right?

Around the house... It's a little cluttered, but mostly clean, if that makes sense.

One of my favorite things ~ Just hand me a book, a fireplace, and a cup of hot chocolate. I'll be fine.

From my picture journal...  My Christmas gift from Jessie. I can't wait to start reading it. And yes, I am a "Dubya" fan. Did you know that Mr. President is short?! I had no idea! They always make him look so tall and authoritative on tv. But seriously ... I hear he's only about 5'6" tall.

But I still like him .... :)

**** Update! I have been misinformed! Apparently, "Dubya" is a hefty 5'11"! At least according to all of the internet searching I did. And everything on the internet is absolute truth ..... right? 

I feel so much better now that I can go back to the mental image of what I thought Mr. President would look like in real life. Maybe one of these days, I'll find out for myself. Sigh ...

Like this post? Hop on over to Simple Woman's Daybook, and write up your own entry!

 'Twas the week after Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse!!

I'm sitting in my living room alone, only the faint sound of music in the background. Shaun's at work, Jessie and Riley are tootling around town, Andrew's at his new job (cleaning horse stables), and Ashlee and Daniel flew back to Florida late last night. Real late last night! 

I have a party to go to tonight (as if I haven't partied enough lately!). So I'm also whipping up some cherry cheesecake, chips and dip, and crackers with a fancy cheese dip. Yummy!

I've been able to sneak in a little bit of picture editing this morning, so I thought I'd share what I have so far. I'll commentate as we go along. As usual. Because I can't seem to not talk ....

Gracelyn (my niece) has decided she likes to see the baby in the camera. So now she likes her picture taken, as long as I show her "me" on the screen afterward. :))

 

Jessie, and the new earrings I bought her for Christmas. Nice of her to wear a matching shirt for the day. Heehee.

Ashlee, doing dishes for me Christmas day. We made her venison (compliments of Andrew) and pancakes for lunch (her fave!), and then we had a large ham, pork roast, and all the fixin's to go with it for supper.

The happy newlyweds, just before they took off last night. Sniff, sniff ....

Family pic. Love that we are a family of six now! Well, seven if you include the dog.

Daniel gave me a little dancing lesson before they left last night. We like to play the part.

Just Jessie ... looking .... pretty. :)

A roughed up Gracelyn!

I love that she comes and asks to sit on my lap these days. Makes me feel all warm and squishy on the inside!

Peek-a-boo!

Sisters ...

Shaun's mom and sister.

Smokin' her candy cane!!

Shaun and Ashlee, lounging around on Christmas.

That's all for now. More will come later, but I wanted to show off a little just stop in and wish my readers a happy post Christmas week.

Are we ready for 2011??????

Didn't think so. 

This is why ...... 

........ I enjoy making quilts for people I love.

cheese, quilts, and reading

As you read in my last post, I wasn't feeling very well in the first part of the week. The second part of the week, my cold got better, but then I ate some cheese, and I've been feeling very sluggish because of it. This is what happens when I crave something that is "legal" on my diet, but still doesn't sit well with me. I take a few bites anyway - and then suffer.

For three days.

The question is: Will I ever learn?

The answer is: Probably not! :))

But in other (good!) news ... Next week is Thanksgiving, and not long after that, it'll be time to start getting things ready for Christmas! Ashlee and Daniel are coming and will be here three or four days. I'm so excited I might just wet my pants stay away from forbidden food that makes me feel awful.

We plan to go see the new Narnia movie, Voyage of the Dawn Treader while they're here. Can you believe I've never read the Narnia series?

Biggest crime for a reader, I know. However - in celebration of the new movie coming out, I'm going to read as much of the series as possible. 

How 'bout you? Are you doing anything special to celebrate the Holiday Season? Leave a comment and tell us about it! Or - tell me what you're reading and whether you would recommend it. I'm always on the lookout for great books!

One more bit of good news before I go. I finally finished Jessie's Coca-Cola quilt!! This is the good part about being down with an illness. You tend to get a lot of hand sewing done. :)

I could have wrapped it up and given it to her for Christmas, but since it's been hanging on the stairwell for three years (cough, cough!), I didn't figure it would be much of a surprise.

Next post, I'll show you her reaction to (finally) getting the quilt.

 

P.S. I chose Coca-Cola because 1.) She likes Coke! And 2.) Her bedroom is decorated in Coca-Cola garb. Her bed cover is red, and her sheets are black. Her curtains are also black, so it goes well with what she's put together. Not sure how we coordinated so well ... I guess we're just awesome like that. 

*rolls eyes

i confess

Ever wondered if there's anything I need to 'fess up to?

I didn't think so.

But just in case there is, I'm joining MamaKat's writing workshop this week, and 'fessing up is the prompt I chose.

So! Things I may or may not need to 'fess up to:

• I take a nap every day. 

Sounds lazy doesn't it? Truth is, if I didn't have to, I wouldn't. Needing one irritates me, and I'd much rather sew or read or get some house cleaning done. Unfortunately, if I skip it, I get sick (usually a migraine). Because of my stomach issues, I can't take pain medication, and it continues to get more complicated from there. I'll spare you the details. But now you know that this blogger is also a napper.

• I went to see the King Tut exhibit this last week ... 

and I'm totally in love with some of the jewelry that the queens wore back in that era. I'm thinking one of them would completely solve all of my financial problems. If I got away with stealing it, I'd be set financially. If not, I'd still be set. Jailhouses feed and clothe their inmates, right?


Seriously though. I was amazed at the intricate detail of one particular solid gold necklace. It was massive, and oh so dainty, all at the same time. Simply incredible. 


When the exhibit is in your area, be sure to go (but leave your camera at home - no pictures allowed). You'll especially love seeing the sarcophagus that held King Tut's stomach!! Eww!

• The best article I've read this week is called "Social Media and Digital Discernment."

If you blog, read blogs, Facebook, Tweet, etc., this article is for you. It'll really keep things in perspective ... if you can have an honest opinion about yourself. 'Nuff said about that. You be the judge.

•  I want a grandbaby.

To love, cherish, kiss on the cheek (over and over and over), make a quilt for,  photograph, be his/her Grandma. Or Meemaw. Or Grammy. Or Marmie. Or whatever he/she wants to call me. He/she can call me Frank for all I care. As long as I can love him/her and sing "Jesus Loves Me" to him/her while bouncing on my knee, I'm good.

No pressure, Ashlee and Daniel.

And last one ....

•  My New Year's Resolution is simple: Get a new header!

Mine is sooo outdated. I think Andrew has literally grown 10 inches since that picture of him in the water. Ashlee's married now, Jessie has short hair, and Shaun and I never kiss like that.

I'm kidding!

We basically look the same. Perhaps a little more gray in our hair(s).

If you have any uber cool (should be read as free) sites that you know of that are good for customizing headers, will you let me know? It's been so long since I put the current one together, that I forgot where I got it from.

Pathetic, I know.

That's all the 'fessing up I have for now. Dangerous life I live, eh?

P.S. I realized after writing this that the pic up on the header isn't the one of Shaun and I kissing.

Stop laughing.

This is simply proof that I'm losing my mind and am therefore Grandma material! 

wednesday mishmash

Yes, I'm back. No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth.

Darn gravity.

I haven't been feeling very well, and blogging is always the first to go. I'm a bit back up to par today, and hopefully I'll stay that way. I was a little disappointed when I stepped on the scales this morning. My jeans haven't been fitting very well, telling me my butt was disappearing. Anyway, I'm officially two whole pounds underweight. I normally fluctuate between right on the border to five pounds over. At Ashlee's wedding, I was nearly 10 pounds heavier than I am now. So ... I'm not happy. But ... I also don't know what to do about it. I'm eating as much as I can.

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I've been experimenting in the sewing arena. I've branched out of quilting, and am now making various other items. Almost done with them, and I'll post a picture next post. Scout's honor!

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I was cleaning our bedroom last night, and ran across a pile of papers Shaun had put next to the alarm clock. This was among them, in his own handwriting:

How to bore your audience:


1. Stare at the power point while talking.

2. Before the start of the meeting, show no energy.

3. Avoid eye contact.

4. Let your sentences trail ... off ... to ... nothing ...

5. Mumble.

6. Remain glued to a 3 foot diameter circle on the floor.

I assumed he wrote it down quoting some famous Pastor or something, trying to better himself when he preaches. Turns out, he wrote it in a really boring meeting at work. Hahaha! I thought that was hilarious. Somebody could actually turn that into a dang good article and sell it!

-----------------------------------------

This girl:

 Is leaving tomorrow to go see this happy newlywed couple:

And

I

am

jealous!

But so happy they get to spend some quality sister time together.

Have fun, girls!!!  And don't OD on the Starbucks, eh?

maybe it's monday ...

This is a perfect reflection of me today. 

It must be Monday! 

big sister, little brother

By the looks of the pics, I should title this big brother, little sister! But I'm going by birth order here, not who is taller. Jessie is actually wearing tall high heels, so this picture doesn't really do Andrew's height justice. I'm three inches shorter than Jessie, so you can imagine what I look like up against Andrew. 

Sigh ...

Jessie took Andrew on a date the other night, so I'm simply posting these pictures as proof that just because babies grow up ... they don't lose their cuteness. 

Amen? 

 

You don't suppose this post had anything to do with the date idea, do you?

Nah. Me either. 

And I'm posting this one to show off for your viewing pleasure. 

they stand at the door and knock, knock, knock

To all the boys who think they love my daughter,

I know it's hard. My daughter is beautiful. She's funny, perky, supportive, intelligent, and fun to be around. And much to your pleasant surprise, she's once again ... single.

You know what that means?

What's that?

No. It does not mean that you can begin showing up on my doorstep to take her here, there, and everywhere. And no, it does not mean that you can write her love letters. Or call incessantly. And don't even try to play that "my shoulder is here for you to cry on" game. Do you really want a gal on the rebound? Stop listening to your raging, popping hormones and THINK. It's been one week since her and her fiance broke up.

ONE. WEEK. That's seven days, for those of you who are uneducated.

Now, here's what my daughter's new "single" status on facebook means. It means that she's come to the conclusion that marriage isn't for her right now. You don't need to know the reasons. All you need to do is respect them. And her. And me. And her father. And her sister. And her brother. Yes, her brother and sister. Are you ignorant to the fact that when a serious relationship starts in a family, it affects each member? We begin to love the person who (by dating my daughter) is a candidate to become a son-in-law to us. When that relationship is broken, we all grieve.

But more importantly ... is it in her best interest to start another relationship at this time (remember, we're thinking with our brains here, not our hormones)? When you flock to my doorstep, ring my doorbell, or write her letters, are you thinking of her? Do you realize that's what a healthy relationship consists of? Thinking of others first? First. As in ... before you.

Some of you may be wracking your brain, thinking, "Oh dear me, what could I do to impress Mr. and Mrs. C so that they would approve of me dating Jessica?" If that's what you're thinking, you've already failed. Because I just asked you not to knock on our door. Or maybe you're saying, "You're the mom. Who cares what you think? Jessie's a big girl, and she can make her own decisions."

You're absolutely correct, but again - you fail. Jessica does not require our approval. She's legally an adult, and therefore can do whatever she pleases. But if you were any sort of gentleman, you'd be seeking our advice and approval, just as Jessica does.

I know it's counter-cultural, but there's a little thing we like to call respect around our house. Respect for others, but more pointedly, respect for our elders. Why have respect for our elders? Because they're older. And wiser. And (news flash!) people who have been married for over 20 years tend to know a few things about making a marriage work. If you are too proud to ask for help, adivce, and wisdom from others, you aren't good enough. And you guessed it .... you FAIL.

Have you ever heard of Voddie Bauchum?

Go ahead, Desperado. Google that.

On second thought, save yourself the typing. If you don't know who he is, then you'll have no idea what we as parents expect from someone dating our daughter, and again, you have failed.

Are you feeling tested?

Good. Because that's basically what dating is. It's a test. A test to see whether you would make a good husband, father, lifetime mate, lover, and leader of a family. And guess who administers the test? Yep, you guessed it. Mr. C and yours truly. So forget about sweet talkin' Jessie into believing you're groom worthy, or even date worthy, and thinking you've passed some sort of unwritten test. Because (another news flash!) it's not solely about what Jessie thinks. There are people who love her and are here to protect her against hormonal, raging idiots that wander in from the streets.

If being tested scares you away, good. It proves that all you would want in a relationship is the funny, and the beautiful. In other words ... you're shallow, and relying on your hormones to do your thinking.

So, farewell shallow boys. Come back in five, ten, fifteen years, when you've studied what it means to be a real husband, father, and home leader. When you've got some kind of financial ability to care for a family, and when you've been knocked around hard enough to know that R-E-S-P-E-C-T is a good and godly trait ... and absolutely essential to succeeding in life ... especially in this household (know ye not that when a person marries, he/she marries a whole family?).

Until then, we will continue to lead and instruct Jessica as well as we can into becoming the kind of wife and mother God desires her to be. We'll all do our part. You do your part. And then (and only then!) will we even be interested in seeing your ugly mug on our doorstep.

Yes, that's right. Being hot! is not a pre-requisite.

There. I've given you some hope.

Dutifully yours,

Mrs. C

it is finsihed (and a weird shopping spree)

Tada!!!!

The school room. is. finished! Uhh, minus a curtain and wall hangings. 

Yes, it's small. But it's ours, and we feel at home. The colors I chose keep us calm. You know ... so that during those schooling moments where frustrations are running high, I won't do anything drastic. Like ground kids until they're 56!

Where was I?

Oh yes. Decorating. I started thinking about what I'd like to work on next, and decided on my bathroom. Then I found http://www.become.com/. My bathroom is rather drab, and one of my goals is to get my bathroom looking perky. So when I found these floral bath towels: http://home-and-garden.become.com/floral-bath-towels I knew I needed them. Yes. Need. I neeeed towels that are off limits. Ones that just hang on a towel rack, looking pretty, but have absolutely no function or purpose at all. It's really quite imperative to my happiness.

Then I saw this double shower head: http://home-and-garden.become.com/double-shower-head but I don't want people suspicious that I may in fact take showers with, you know, someone else? Or that I have two heads. I mean, perhaps I do take showers with someone else (or have two heads), but I tend to equate these types of things with having mirrors on your canopy bed. And I'm just not sure I want to make those types of announcements. I know, I know. Such a prude.

And I really liked the idea of little shower stool: http://health-and-beauty.become.com/shower-stool. Yeah, yeah. I'm not even 40. Still, I know all too well that 60 (70? 80?) will creep up before I know it. Until then, it's for shaving my legs, because I get ... tipsy. Besides, it's much cheaper to buy it now than wait 20 years when inflation has bumped the price twice as high.

I don't know how I end up on these weird shopping sprees, and now I've gone and dragged you (drug you? have dragged you? druggest thou?) along in the process.

I'm mainly here to tell you about the school/sewing room, and will be waiting patiently for your shower of compliments (no pressure, of course).

Speaking of school ... it's time. Fairwell, my friends. I will be in that office until mid-afternoon, quilting little stars on the table runner you see, and helping Andrew with his seatwork.

One great day .... comin' up!!

photojournalism - little flower girl

This week's photo challenge from I Heart Faces is photojournalism. I will not spout any useless information, only the photo and the story. Here we go!

This is my great neice, Naya (makes me feel old saying that!). We were at a family reunion (see more pics two posts down), and her and her mama were about to leave. But before leaving, she just had to show "Aunt B" (that's me!) her pretty hair flower. As you can see, she's more than just a little proud of it. :) Her and her brother love to have their pictures taken, and are more than happy to pose for me. But she did this one all on her own, with no prompting from anyone.

What a ham.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it! Now I'm going to hop on over to a few other entries to read a few more stories and see a few more pics. If you'd like to join us, simply click the I Heart Faces button above! See ya' around! 

Boomerang Kid

Last April, this pretty lady took flight. She's no longer nestled under my wing ... under my watchcare ... in my nest. But in a sense, she'll always be mine. And even though I miss her sunkissed freckles and her ocean blue eyes, I know she's where she ought to be.

In the meantime, I'm choosing to think of her as my Boomerang Kid. Because she'll always come back to me.

Kids do that ... 

Right? 

 

**Feel free to join in the "Boomerang Kid" discussion over in My Community in the sidebar, first BlogFrog widget.

the chosen faves

I promised you some pics from our family reunion, so viola! Here they are. These are not all of my faves. More to come later!

I'll explain as I go along ...

This is my mom, and her Uncle Paul. He's one of nine kids. My Grandma was the oldest of the kids, he's second oldest. He just had a stroke and isn't doing too well. :-(

My brother Larry, his Emily, and me. He's a studly, unmarried guy by the way. You know ... just in case you know someone who might be interested. ;)

My niece, Bree ... and her chewin' gum.

Paul, my cousin-in-law, if there is such a thing.

Aunt Carrie and I

Mom and Bree. And yes, she's my real mom, even though we look nothing alike! At least I think she is ... Hmmm ...

Nephew, Hayden (Bree's son). He's a ham!

Second cousins, Solomon Sam, and Maggie Mae

Getting ready to pray ...

Praying mightily....

"Amen" in sign language.

She prayed, and then left. Sometimes I think if I would just pray, and then leave it with God like she did, I'd be happier.

My Mom and her cousin, Myrna.

To be honest, I have a ton more, and some of the cutest ones are yet to come. But I didn't want to overwhelm you with my awesome photography. Ha! I'm totally kidding. What I mean to say is that I didn't want to bore you. Hope you enjoyed seeing some of my family. We're all as crazy as they come!!