The Best Time To Play is With Time You Don't Have

Seriously.

I should not be typing at you.

In between washing towels and sheets and preparing for a slumber party with six choir gals from Iowa, I'm running to orthodontists, Girls Scouts, the grocery store and trying to educate my children.

Oh yeah, and I should probably clean out my mini-van...because something has died in there.

Since time is of the essence, when I unfolded and filled five air mattresses with air we had plenty-o-time to set up for a photo-op.

Who can possibly have that many air mattresses and not take ten minutes to set up a scene from the Princess and the Pea?

Do you see the pea down there?

Of course, it would have been more authentic had we 95 more beds, but this was what we had. So we went with it.

Very often I get emails and comments that say you love seeing snippets of everyday life, and this is it.

I would show you the interior of the mini-van, but pride gets in the way.

And that, my friends is as real as it gets.

(The Boy, not wanting to be left out gave you his best thirteen-year old "peace" sign. I told him to smile...so he gave me the cheesy grin.)

Back to work!


PS: If you are a blogger, and I used to read your blog....I swear there will be a day when I actually READ blogs again! I have been peeking in from time to time but not commenting....which is so sad! Soon summer will be here and I will be able to respond properly...until then please know that I AM thinking about you!

Brown Paper Packages... delivered by the FedEx Man

Go ahead and sing through My Favorite Things.

That's pretty much my list of favorite things. Except I'm fairly certain I've never had Schnitzel with noodles. But I like noodles, so I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem.

On Friday I received a package. From someone I didn't expect.

I was actually talking to my mom when the package arrived.

I adore packages. And even though it wasn't wrapped in brown paper and tied up in string, it was just as wonderful...something I've wanted for a long time: a new University of Arizona sweatshirt.

I cropped this photo in preservation of my no-make-up-just-home-from-the-gym self.

My brother, Fil, had remembered that I was hoping to get a new sweatshirt while I was there to help during my mom's surgery in January. Life was so moment-by-moment back then, that shopping was not high on my list of priorities.

He not only sent the gift, but wrote the nicest note too....

Honestly, the sweatshirt is nice (really nice!), but those words - some endearing, most meant for laughs - mean the world to me.

I've been wanting to write this post for some time...the one that talks about the two men in my life who happen to be my "little" brothers...but they aren't sappy people who like flowery words.

Fil, Kellie, Daniel
(photo by Silver E Photography)

They still poke fun at me (making fun of my nose, and teasing me incessantly,) and try to bully me (although now they can actually win), and think that they can boss me. But they are good people and I couldn't love them more.

I guess you could say they are two of my favorite things.

So, Fil, thank you for the sweatshirt and the kind words... When I get back home I will give you a proper thank-you punch in the arm with my sharp knuckles.

Seventh Grade Math is Not for Wimps

This was a long week. Thank goodness there are Daffodils growing right out side my window.

Seventh grade math nearly took me out this week, but I refuse to give in.

Although I nearly did.

It's very difficult to work outside of boxes I'm used to playing in, (math is a "box" I do my best to avoid) and this week I was tempted to despair (and revert back to old thoughts and feelings)

Anyway, there was math this week.

And after-math.

I did manage to get a few other things done around here though....Here are the highlights:

We are horse sitting until Sunday.

Just heading out to the barn for 15 minutes each afternoon has given me (and the kids) a respite in the middle of our day.

We feed and water and play.

And give them treats.

It makes me want to live on a ranch.

I also  managed a little crochet therapy:

I started (and finished) another Ruffly scarf.

Then I started a new afghan I have wanted to do for a really long time. Fear had put me off for awhile...for some reason blankets feel scary to me...as in long-term relationship scary.

Oh! but the truth is, I'm in love....

Here was the beginning on Tuesday.

Look at that skinny little thing.

Each night I have tried to add a row or two.

This morning, I added 3 more rows...

I wish the clouds would hurry up and go away...because the lighting has been awful for pictures.

I am certain this afghan is going to give me a good attitude for the rest of my teaching career. I will wrap myself in it when I teach learn pre-algebra and I will be happy.

I have a thousand-and-one things I want to write this afternoon, but the words aren't coming out right when I type them, so I'm just going to say this:  Happy Friday! May your weekend be sunny!

Signs of Spring

I know that spring is nearly here when I see these things...

The Boy just sitting outside in the sunshine.

(Later I found that Kona the Wondermutt had decided to join him for a little time in the sun.)

They then became aware of the paparazzi.

Kona sticks her tongue out to the camera.

Kona asked that this unflattering picture not be put on the internet, but since she continues to get on the couch when we are not home, all bets are off.

Ok, ok, Kona would like this picture posted so you know that she is really excited about St. Patricks Day. (Just between you and me....she thinks she is Irish, and I don't have the heart to remind her that she's Australian. So we just let her think what she wants.)

We are also growing a carrot top for our beloved Penny. (she likes the tops the best)

After-all, what is springtime without a floppy eared rabbit?

Especially one who adores banana's?

Is she not the cutest. little. thing? 

The reason we took this video is that we were hoping to record her 'hum'. When she eats something she REALLY loves, or when you give her lots of attention, she will do this buzzing kind of hum. Its the sweetest thing.

Have I mentioned that I love this bunny?

I try really hard not to show my favoritism around the Wondermutt. 

(Uh, actually, I don't. Sometimes favoritism is just apart of pet ownership. I mean who wouldn't favor "I just went out in the yard and rolled in poop" over  "I'm cute and fuzzy, trained to a litter box and give myself my own baths."

But that's for another post.

More signs of spring?

Daffodils that grow all over the yard. 

But the best part of spring (and also maybe the worst) is that I start to sound silly. 

In case you couldn't tell.

Happy Tuesday!

For the Love of Calvin

I have had a great excuse for the lack of posting.

I was arms length in glitter.

I had the privilege to throw a baby shower this weekend.

Oh! it was fun.

When it ended and I had put away the last of the dishes I said to The Mister, "I love parties."

To which he calmly replied, "I know you do."

He's an introvert. He likes parties (he really does) but he likes them in small doses.

I could have a party every day.

I told him I felt so sorry for him; for all introverted people, really.

He told me not to. They like being by themselves.

Weird.

Anyway, there was a little food,

a little cake,

a little glitter,

a little rain,

...and a lotta love for a good friend.

It was a great day.

Crunchitized Capitulation

(Or Another "Never" Bites the Dust)

I've said it before, there are a million-in-one things I said I would never do as a mother.

If I have any advice for a young mom it's this: Never say never.

Case in point...

I never buy sugary cereal.

My kids learned early on that if they wanted sugar-in-a-bowl they better go see their Granny (who will have the Coco Puffs and Lucky Charms ready and waiting upon our visits.)

I have been known to occasionally buy Cinnamon Toast Crunch for road trips, but thats about it.

Last weekend, The Boy celebrated the birthday of a friend at a sleep-over.

He came home singing the praises of Captain Crunch.

I spent the next 72 hours flashing back to the good-ole-days growing up in Southern Arizona.

I'm talkin' way back... when I had to walk to and from school, in the scorching desert, without any shoes, up-hill both ways, through a cactus field. This was in the time when dinosaurs roamed the earth and we had to actually get up from the couch to turn the channel-knob on the TV, and had feathered/permed hair held together with purple cans of AquaNet.

But I digress.....

You see, when I was a kid I had a cereal secret. Occasionally my mom would buy the sugary boxed goodness, but I didn't care for them. Well, I didn't care for parts of them.

For instance, I loved the marshmallows in Lucky Charms, and I loved the berries in Captain Crunch Berries, so I ate them. Yes, I shook the box all around and reached my mitts into that box until every last crunchy marshmallow and berry was found.

To make matters worse, when someone else opened the box to find it void of the better parts, I blamed my two younger brothers.

I know you cannot believe that I would stoop to such deception. It's true that I was a perfect child, with exception of that whole cereal-liar part.

Cereal liar....I crack myself up.

Anyway, when The Boy came home asking if I would buy Captain Crunch, I told him no.

However...upon further thought, this simple inquiry flooded me with nostalgia. I wouldn't buy Captain Crunch, but Captain Crunch Berries? Well, that's a different story.

We got ourselves a box.

His first bowl of Captain Crunch Berries

I ate them in a most civilized matter...in a bowl, with a very sophisticated cup of coffee, with my pinky-finger waving in the air. Actually, I guess the most civilized way would have been to use a spoon...some habits are hard to break.

Back in the day, the only berries were the red ones, and the berry-to-crunch ratio was a lot lower. Now there are multiple colored berrries, and much more of them. At first I wasn't sure I liked it.

But for the record, I do. 

You're Gonna Make It After All

Three weeks ago, I had an idea: Throw an Egg/Nest Themed Baby shower, and make these <--- (to see link, click the word in green) for decorations and party favors.

I have always wanted to try decoupage eggs with real shells, but the "real shells" part always frightened me. So I was waffling...should I make them? Or would it be too hard?

So I went to work on a Saturday afternoon watching back-to-back episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show on Hulu while cutting out tissue paper and wondering if this project was more than I could chew.

Turns out:

"It's you girl and you should know it,

with each egg, and a little bit glue, you show it.

You're gonna make it after all.

You're gonna make it after all."

{If you didn't grow up watching Mary Tyler Moore, that last quote (with bloggers' license) didn't make any sense.}

Decoupage egg making is a satisfying endeavor. One that involves glitter and the smell of Modge Podge hanging in the air. What more could a girl want?

I didn't want to go crazy with supplies if I wasn't going to follow through, so I used two eggs for practice, with some tissue paper I had on hand.

The project is a go...

I've hollowed out 17 eggs. I washed and dried them and gave them a layer of Modge Podge.

Today I hope to make a trip to the "fancy" store to get some decorative napkins that might match the theme of the party. And then I have to figure out how to attach a ribbon on the top for hanging purposes. I'm thinking it will involve using the hot glue gun...Its like the trifecta of craft projects - pretty paper, glitter and glue. Seriously people, the only thing that would make it perfection is if it somehow involved yarn. And chocolate.

So that's the project for this week. Actually, there are others, but my blogging time is over. I must go teach about Predicate Nominatives and how to figure out a Simple Interest Rate using the formula: I = P x R x T. Simple? Sure it is.

Happy Tuesday to you!

Parenting a Teenager: Can't Get Away With Anything

Sitting down this morning to discuss the school agenda for the week, I informed the kids of their assignments.

We began with highlights of the history assignments, going over geography and timelines. I explained that this week they will continue to study Ancient Greece, reminding them that they should take note of the prominent character of the times, such as Hippocrates, Pythagorus, Socrates, and Plato.

I made note that there wasn't a ton of reading (of the text) this week and told them they would need to "look up men on the internet."

To which the 13 year-old replied, "Uh, mom, don't you think that's a little inappropriate."

It's going to be a long week.

Love and a Chicken Pot Pie

Celebrations.

I love 'em.

Yesterday my dear friend, K2, celebrated her 29th birthday.

Again.

I am just glad she was willing to spend the day with me.

We dined on Homemade Chicken Pot Pie...which is where the title of this post comes in.

I was so excited to show it to you...

And then I forgot to take a picture.

We also had a wonderful salad that was delicious (thanks Becky!) and then we got down to the real reason we had gathered today.

This is the Yellow Cake with Double Chocolate Frosting from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. And it's as good as 4 sticks of butter can be...really, really delish.

Oh it was rich, but the coffee (with a splash of Italian Sweet Creme) cut the sweetness perfectly.

Here we are, looking happy and sweet.

I love to decorate a table. Really love it, but I never know what the table will look like until the day I put it all together. Usually, 30 minutes before the party starts I am scrambling around the house trying to find ways to make the table look pretty. Very, very rarely is it pre-planned.

Late Thursday night I decided we needed a festive birthday banner so I cut scrapbook paper into triangles and sewed them into some double-sided binding. I just zipped them through my sewing machine...didn't use pins or nothin'.

If that isn't living-on-the-edge, I don't know what is.

The Girl was recruited in some paper-flower making while I threw some scrap fabric on the table. A banner, some tulle, some candles and flowers and, voila! A decorated table.

The Girl wanted to sprinkle fine glitter all over the table, but I axed that idea, as good as it was.
Sometimes there really can be too much of a good thing. Plus glitter is tough to get out of the carpet.

So it was a fun little soirée. Looking forward to doing it again soon!

Thinky Thursday

The kids are still asleep and the house is wonderfully quiet.

Last night was family night. We got pulverized by The Boy in Scrabble.

Pul-ver-ized.

Which is ironic, since he can't spell to save his life...he can read at an amazingly hight level, but spelling?  Not so much.

But somehow, in that charming way he has, he won the Scrabble game last night.

It was exhausting.

The Girl was, at first, excited about Scrabble, since she can spell - often words she has never even heard before -  she was lamenting our vote over Rummikub. A game in which she rarely loses.

Uno is used to be my favorite game...only I think they hid the cards from me after this event.

Anyway, we were up a little later than expected...

So, here we are...

I'm sipping coffee, and they get to sleep in.

Its' a win-win if I ever knew one.

Honestly, I'm feeling a little think-y this Thursday morning. All week month actually.

Been meditating over Hebrews 13:5 -

"...God has said, "Never will I leave you, nor will I forsake you."

I've recited this verse so many times to the kids over the years. When they feel insecure or when they have issues with friends; when they are uncertain or fearful.

I know it was Providence that I have been thinking on this verse. Truth is, I've been feeling a little fearful myself.

OK, a lot fearful.

Its not any one-thing that has got me scared, but a culmination of things. This new year has been wrought with issues and situations that have been out of my control. Even when I tried desperately to control them.

Some little things...some big.

Some not even rational fears.

But God is in them all.

How do I know?

Because "God has assured us...

'I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,' we can boldly say,

God is there, ready to help;

I'm fearless no matter what.

Who or what can get to me?"

(MSG)

I am at a loss of words this morning to express my heart in a way that is concise. So I will leave you with these words from Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotional:

Be thou bold to believe, for he hath said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”In this promise, God gives to his people everything. “I will never leave thee.” Then no attribute of God can cease to be engaged for us. Is he mighty? He will show himself strong on the behalf of them that trust him. Is he love? Then with lovingkindness will he have mercy upon us. Whatever attributes may compose the character of Deity, every one of them to its fullest extent shall be engaged on our side. To put everything in one, there is nothing you can want, there is nothing you can ask for, there is nothing you can need in time or in eternity, there is nothing living, nothing dying, there is nothing in this world, nothing in the next world, there is nothing now, nothing at the resurrection-morning, nothing in heaven which is not contained in this text—“I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Morning, February 23)

The things I worry about - situations that make me fearful; the people I love; the friends I cherish; the children I raise; the man I married; the mountains I climb; the storms I must weather...will not be tended to alone.

God will not leave us.

Nor me.

Nor you.

He will not leave.

That is a comfort to me on this thinky Thursday morning. I hope to you too....

(xoxo)

Ten Things That Make Me Smile

1. Kitty trays given and used with love.

My friend Alison received this many years ago as a wedding gift. She loves it, and uses it, and giggles over it.

Her guests do too.

2.  Cozies...with a Zed... that find their new homes.

3. Friends who pray when asked.

4. Preteen girls, who still holds her daddy's hand.

5. Teenage boys who still climb trees.

6. Birthday's and babies...

7. ...and project's in between.

8. My messy recipe box...with treasures from friends far and near.

9. Corn Bread Cake - baked and ready for company tonight (it will be hard not to cut into it)

10. A Texas Dinner Party - tonight we are having dinner with an older couple we have never met with face-to-face...so I'm rolling out the big guns with some Texas Style Brisket, Corn Bread Cake, Salad, and Green Beans... with Berry Cobbler for dessert.

Makes me miss the Lone Star State - (shout out to all my Texas peeps! I miss you!)