Ten Things Tuesday

1. The holidays are here starting THIS week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Break out the Christmas tree, turkey & my grandmother's recipe for stuffing, full tummies & holiday music!

2. I got to go to a craft fair. A really, really big one. Two actually. And I haven't done that in a long time, but I had a blast with my friends. We ate, walked & talked and laughed a lot. I was very. very tired afterwards but boy was it worth it!

3. Sunday I spent the afternoon reminiscing with two high school friends. One I hadn't seen for 15 years. We had a blast discussing all the roads God has taken us down.

4. Everyone here is well! I never got the crud the kids & Hubbo had, but my head cold is finally shipping out and I'm feeling a lot better. Hooray!

5. I got most of my teacher gifts purchased & done! That decision to not make everything, may have cost me more money, but is SO much less stressful & this year, that's a luxury I'll gladly pay for.

6. My computer was on the fritz & is working much better & faster now. Special thanks goes to Hubbo & the IT brother-in-law. Amazing how once you get going fast, you can't stand slow connections. It seems like such an injustice.

7. I'm at that time of year again where I challenge myself & the kids to remember to put money in every red bell ringing pot we see between now & Christmas.

8. Every year my husband's company hands out to them a free turkey from Arkansas/Tyson foods because they are one of their customers. I'm very thankful we have a 15.3 pounder in the freezer.

9. I'm thankful I got some organizing done this past week. Small, baby steps-- but I'm gonna get back to the organizational nut I was before the third kid if it kills me!

10. I had lunch with my mom & a friend yesterday. We went for Chinese and we had a very good time. "Egg Drop Soup For the Soul".

Ten Things Thursday

The fam has been rather ill here lately so Tuesday I couldn't post. Son#2 started with barfing Friday night. The baby began his round Saturday night, and by Tuesday morning, Hubbo was praying to the porcelin god as well. Son#1 started Tuesday night about the time we were set to go get his haircut. And yesterday I felt like I had a headcold. But thanks to Zicam, I'm feeling MUCH better today! (It tastes terrible, but it's worth it.)

1. Everyone is feeling much better here! Sick kids with both parents well is one thing, everyone sick with one parent down, you're outnumbered & even Lysol can't help you. It's been a long, long week.

2. I got good new color & haircut last Thursday from my friend Beth. Hubbo noticed & liked it so it has to be somewhat different for him to notice. Not to mention the body it's given my hair. I wake every morning looking like I have the Cowardly lion's mane. The word boufont comes to mind.

3. The kids retake pictures turned out GREAT! Son#1 didn't squinch his eyes up, and smiled normally & son#2 had his front teeth fixed & was considerably happier.

4. I bought my first Christmas presents last night! LET THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT BEGIN!!!!!!

5. I had a very fun time Saturday at my friend Carrie's house for her At Home party. I got to play with her son Mason and just enjoy good food & fun people.

6. Bare Escentuals make up had a TSV--Today's Special Value on QVC a couple of weeks ago & I missed it. Luckily I found it half priced through a friend!

7. I have a busy weekend ahead of me but I am mostly excited to see an old friend I went to high school with. He and I sang in choir, chorus & show choirs together from about 6th grade till we graduated. We spent a lot of time together & now he's a preacher in Florida. I can't wait to catch up on his life and where God has lead him.

8. A sweet friend that called to check on the sickies & me offering to stop by the store for us. She just had gall bladder surgery yet she's checking on us!

9. Being sick recently we've got to enjoy a lot of movies. Tropic Thunder, Get Smart, Zohan, The Happening, Hulk and Hellboy 2. As we were watching Get Smart last night, I remembered that as a kid I watched shows like Get Smart with my dad as my mom cooked & got dinner ready in the evenings. My dad worked from about 3-4am-4pm. So you can imagine he was in bed at 7pm most nights. I never felt cheated on time with him, but last night I realized, he & I watched a lot of tv shows in that dinner prep time. Rawhide, The Rifleman, Andy Griffin show, Get Smart, and of course, The Muppet Show. I remember rushing to set the table, my part of dinner and hurrying to go sit back in my dad's recliner with him to watch tv. I'm sure my mom could have used more help in the kitchen, but looking back, I sure am glad she didn't say so.

10. The holidays are here--I can feel it! Or at least I hope it's the holidays & not that virus....

Hidden Object Game

When I couldn't find my brush for days and my scissors had been missing a week or more, and I'd search the entire house multiple times, it finally hit me. We'd been having great weather & my window had been open from morning to afternoon. I put that clue together with the fact that son#2 has been in a phase of throwing things lately--behind the couch, tv cabinet, under the stove & beds, etc. And guess who'd been enjoying the breeze in my room lately???
When I looked outside I could NOT believe what I saw. I had to have Hubbo take pictures. Coupled with the leaves that had been falling off the trees it was like a Hidden Object puzzle from the Highlights magazine!!!


Here are the things to look for: (remember you can click the picture to enlarge)

* a hairbrush

* a toy cell phone

* a toy that is yellow & purple

* an army green hat (that apparently is going to work well for my cousin in the Army should he need to hide)

* a sippy cup

* a gray sheep

* a red tag (toy)

* six socks (2 blue, 4 white--which would explain why every morning I kept having to get another pair out)

* a blue handled pair of scissors

* a small black mag flashlight/keychain

Whimsical Wednesday...Again

I got up in a hurry this morning. I turned on the light in the bedroom for son#1 & son#2. As I hurry into the living room to the kitchen, I hear this from the dark.


Son#1: "Hold it right there!
I knew it was you. I could smell ya getting off the elevator! You was here last night too, wasn't ya?"

me: "Jackson is that you?"

son#1: " You was here...and you was smoochin' with my brother."

me: "WHAT!? What are you talking about?" (I keep making lunches.)

son#1: " Don't give me that. You been smoochin' with everybody! Snuffy, Al, Leo, Little Moe with the gimpy leg, Cheeks, Bony Bob, Cliff..."

me: "Jackson Allen, I do not have time for this, we're in a hurry this morning."

son#1: "All right, I believe you, but my Tommy gun don't! Get down on your knees and tell me you love me."

me: "Whatever, just get dressed."

son#1: "You gotta do better than that!"

me: "Fine, I love you." (I start to leave kitchen, back through living room to go get son#2 dressed)

son#1: "Maybe I'm off my hinges, but I believe ya. That's why I'm gonna let ya go. I'm gonna give you 'til the count of three to get ya lousy, lyin', low-down, four-flushin' carcass out my door! One... two...
(He makes all kinds of shooting noises.)

son#1: Three. Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal. (shoots) And a Happy New Year.

me from bedroom: "That's nice dear, now please get dressed."


***In case you don't remember that monologue is from the movie "Home Alone 2- Lost In New York" when Kevin (McCully Culkin) stays at the hotel & uses clips from the movie "Angels with Filthy Souls " to scare the hotel staff away. Obviously son#1 has been watching this a lot.***

Ten Things Tuesday

Things have been slow & quiet around here and that's the way we like it. The weather is slowly changing to real crisp Autumn temps. And it's hard to believe we're into the double digit days of November already. Hopefully we won't have any more a/c days.
This week I'm thankful for:

1. I'm thankful for my husband who stayed home with my yesterday. Even thought it was raining all day, blowing sideways and COLD, we managed a good bit of fun. We're not alone often & we know how to make the most of it, even if it's freezing!

2. I'm thrilled to hear a best friend I never see anymore is engaged & happily planning a wedding. She's been waiting for this for so long I hope & pray she is as happy as I am.;) YEA for you Wendall!

3. I have an appointment to get my hair cut & colored Thursday morning. I'm getting excited thinking up things to do with it. Suggestions welcome!:) I'm just in the mood for something different. Plus I love hair appointments, nice girly time with some gossip on the side.

4. I had a blast Friday night at our crop. We were all low-key, less of us around, but we talked, got a lot done and I felt very statisfied with what I accomplished. I don't get to feel like I mark a lot of stuff off my "To Do" list very often, so feeling accomplishment is a rewarding thing.

5. Saturday I spent the day with my mom & family in Pryor. Our lunch was great and we had a marvelous time catching up. The kids were a little spunky further along in the day so it felt good to get home too where they could run & be free.

6. Son#3 is saying new words every day. I feel he understands SO much & is making huge progress with his verbal development. We are working puzzles, he is memorizing so much & really is taking things in and retaining the knowledge. Good signs for us!

7. Son#2 is staying at school & doing much better with his meltdowns & doing his work. He's back to being himself now. Thank the Lord for that one!

8. I'm very thankful for being invited to a Veterans day sale shopping/luncheon today with girls coming up from Joplin, but sadly it didn't work out. Oh well, there's always next time right??:)

9. I'm thankful to be back in my reading groove. Books are now piling up cause I can't read them fast enough!! "Twilight" is next!!!

10. And last, but by no means least, a huge THANK YOU to all the veterans, in my family and yours, who have served & are serving our country. Fighting for our freedom so we don't have to. Thank you all.

Wednesday Whimsey

This was in my email today from son#1's teacher:


Fashion advice from a boy on the spectrum.


Last week I wore a striped blouse, and Jackson said, “Please don’t wear that shirt ever again.”

I said, "What do you mean?"

Jack told me,“It makes you look like a prisoner and that makes me sad.”

I almost popped a button I laughed so hard!

What a kid.
I guess it is his way of saying I like you.

Ten Things Tuesday

1. My right as a woman, to vote. 1920---that wasn't that long ago.

2. The historical significance of this election---either way.

3. Thank you to my book club gals for letting me not be the only one to NOT finish Little Women. I loved it as a child. I met some of best friends through that book & a discussion of which sister we were. But I think I must have had the abridged version. The minutiae was rich and the narrator (I was listening to an audio download) sounded as bored as I felt. I guess that can happen with the giant gap from the 1800's when it was written to todays 2008 media fed audience. How sad!

4. I used the treadmill yesterday! It made an awful racket though, and this morning I found a book one f the kids stuffed down inside the belt part. Sigh!

5. I'm thankful I get to meet with my girlfriends this Friday night & scrapbook. I love that time with them.

6. I also am thankful I get to have another family lunch this Saturday at a great hole-in-the-wall Mexican place. Can't wait for GOOD salsa!!

7. My arm is feeling good enough to knit again. I'm working on some hats for my cousin who graduated Julliard this year, and decided to go into the Army so he can play with the famous Army band. He plays trombone. He finished basic training last week & is now in VA so he needs something to keep that noggin warm.

8. I'm very pleased my son's pumpkin won first place in the 5th grade division of the decorating contest. I'm happy to report, our clone tropper pumpkin was a hit.

9. Halloween was a first for our family this year. We were ALL able to go out trick-or-treating together as a family. It was very fun, very warm & the only real drama was that son#1 lost his Indiana Jones whip. The nice couple who's house we were at offered to get a flashlight & help look. But I assured them, in the dead grass & leaves, we'd probably never find the brown piece of yarn.:)

10. And last, I am VERY thankful, to be a SAHM--stay-at-home-mom.