Imp

Imp
Originally uploaded by blondie478.

My sweet little boy

Coke is IT? No coke is HIT.....

My oldest son and husband just called. They are on their way home for a weekend of camping with scouts. The boys blasted cans of coke .

The oldest child was all full of testosteroney goodness and was proud of himself. He made Coke spew all over the place after a well aimed rifle.

This is the difference between men and women. i would have opened the soda and drank it's caramely caffeniated goodness. Men, even the young ones, see a gun and ammunition and shoot it - just because they can.

The younger brothers were just as excited to learn that the can was hit and injured in this experiment.

this is How we roll

Yesterday the boys had a day off from school (supposed "staff" development) so we headed to the mall. Charles needed new shoes because he has outgrown the ones we bought in late October. While we were there, the boys asked to ride the carousel. Normally, we're in a hurry but today we had the time and I had my new lens so I needed to try it out too.

Waiting to ride



Come ON Mom!



He was climbing the fence the other day and knocked his face - again. I think he's going to have a permanent scar there he scrapes and cuts there so often

Ready to Ride and Holding on for dear life



(I'm not happy with this - the area has tinted skylights that make a blue cast on everything - these are all done in manual though - and the horses were moving - I like the VR)

Howdy Ma'am!



A Boy and His Horse



the carousel was going really fast. I was getting nauseated watching it - looking through the view finder was worse.

Brown Wins it By a Nose



Giddy'ap



Living My Dream



Charles needed new shoes - his frigate sized feet have grown so much in the last three months. He's in men's sizes but not many stores carry sizes that small (what do you do in the meantime - he can't fit children's shoes - a man's 7 should be readily avaliable) so the salesmen, sensing my - well I'll go to another mall and use my associate discount mood went to the back and brought every shoe in Charles' size. - I made him take back the 6's - why would I buy my kid shoes that don't fit ?

anyway - this is my DREAM a stack of shoes in my size that I'd wear - almost taller than me. we'll leave the rolling around nekkid on the leather part out - i LOVE shoes.

for Charles not so much. He'd have been happy to have me bring him home shoes and he could avoid the mall all together. I promised him a trip to the bookstore if he made a quick decision.

Barren - Lenten Reflections

Today, as I was editing this photo Tommy and I were talking.

He was asking how many more days until we finished Lent and couldn't he please just watch a little TV - he DID do his chores after all. I told him no and he could go out and play - the day is beautiful and we are supposed to get rain Monday - go enjoy the day God made.

Tommy asked me what barren meant. I told him it meant empty. He thought for a moment and asked if that's what barren desert meant in the song we sang last week.

I told him that yes, that was what barren meant - devoid of anything. But a dessert is not really barren. A dessert, during monsoon is full of life. I told him this tree is not really barren. The tree is dormant. The warmth and rain (hopefully) that comes from spring will help make this tree grow leaves and be green.

We are like the tree. Now, during Lent, we are barren, in the desert of our sacrifice. On Easter, Jesus will rise and fill us with the love and hope and promise of new life with Him.

Lent is like a tree in winter. A period of dormancy where we sacrifice and regroup and await the Light of Christ.

Things we really don't need

a card that burps it's valentine greeting.

Nothing says love like a big loud BELCH.

Love Thursday - The Boss of Me

This picture was taken in November. My women's group donates 100 turkeys to a mission run by the Missionaries of Charity. The mission in South Dallas feeds almost 700 people each week. Thanksgiving is no different. For my family, this has become a tradition. We start off our holiday season visiting the shelter and mission with my group and delivering our turkeys.

I think, for me as a mother, it shows my kids that the world is not what goes on in our home, their schools and our neighborhood. Ou community is much more and we are fortunate to have what we do. Eric and I feel blessed to be able to help out and it puts the whole Thanksgiving and holiday in perspective for us. We all need to take the time to be thankful for what we have.

Sister is not shy about putting everyone to work. She even found a job for Joey (age 4) He had to help flatten boxes and then put them in piles.

Because he's his mother's son he is taking the time to make sure his brothers are doing their jobs correctly. He can be rather bossy - though *I* have no clue where he gets that trait from.

To change and to change for the better are two different things.
German proverb

A change for the better is what Lent is all about. We, as Christians strive to make ourselves more like Christ. Through our sacrifice and penance throughout Lent we make ourselves more Like Christ.

For the past few years, we've not really given up anything for Lent. The past two years, I sought to increase my prayer life. Eric has given up caffeine (yeah that was fun) and the soda in general (again more fun) They boys gave up picking on each other (that lasted two days) - and then they worked on doing good deeds. We also made an attempt to go to Stations of the Cross together. That was easier. Our parish does soup before - there's food.

This year, I felt the need to do something more. Something we would all benefit from and gain something from. So for the next 40 days we will not watch TV as a family. For the next 40 days - our TV is unplugged.

I got the idea from an article in the national newsletter for the Catholic Daughters. Each year, the national court encourages local courts to acknowledge Morality in the Media's turn of the TV Day on February 14. The idea is to turn off the TV and give your family, the best gift - quality time.

I thought this would be a great idea. Then I wondered would one day be enough? I don't just show my husband I love him on Valentine's Day - love and marriage are things that take an everyday commitment. I thought quality family time would be a great thing to give my family for Lent - Having to miss Johnny Fairplay duke it out on Survivor Fans vs All Stars - is sacrifice.

This year, we are giving up TV. Well MOST TV. Joey is four and no TV for 40 days would be hard for him to understand. So he still gets his four favorite PBS shows. Eric and I can still watch the nightly news.

For the next 40 days there will be no Ugly Betty or Survivor. There will be no Looney Tunes or This Old House (Tommy is in love with This Old House) and no History Channel (really how much does one need to know about WWII airplanes - Charles thinks there is never enough information about these things)

Instead, tonight after Ashes and dinner, we are going to sit down and come up with 40 family friendly activities to do instead of watching Tim Gunn (how I love him) saying "Designers make it work." (Please God, if it not too much to ask let Chris March and Christian make it to Fashion Week - please - and keep the writers on strike at least until early March)

and so it begins. No TV but instead an attempt to give my family quality time with each other.

(Eric has added a clause - we have to take a family walk nightly - he's willing to turn off the TV if we go out for a nightly walk - so maybe this will be 40 days with no TV and 40 pounds lighter between the two of us)

Just a question today

Who in their right mind let their child go on a campout with an imaginary giant purple dinosaur in charge?

Is it just me who'd say NO?

Just onderin'

Busy Busy

I’m busy, busy, dreadfully busy

You’ve no idea what I have to do.

Busy, busy, shockingly busy

Much, much too busy for you.


I think, at one time or another, all of us moms feel the same way. We have work deadlines. We have school functions, scouts, sports, church etc. Add in a few spousal events and the work of keeping a house and we are all much too busy.

But at what cost? What point do we draw the line? How do we determine what needs to go and what activities stay - or do we not do that and try to do all of it?

I forgot to make soup.

My women's group makes a meal quarterly and delivers it to a home that helps teens who've been removed from their homes. I signed up for soup.

Eric got sick, Joey got sick, there was work and rumors of layoffs looming and all sorts of other things and I forgot to call and say "I can't bring soup"

So no one brought soup.

I feel bad, but I am also mad.

For this group I am the president. I attend the meetings no one else attends, I make sure we all get to training. I spend three hours at least before each meeting getting things ready and printed and neat and tidy. I call the members and remind them. I coordinate room requests and fundraisers with each parish and thenn, when no one else shows up or forgets or what ever, I deal with it.

The woman in charge of the event could have called me wednesday and asked me if I still planned on meeting her. It would have jogged my memory and I wouldn't have forgotten the soup.

But this week, my family and it's strep throat germs came first.

Love Thursday is BACK

and here is my first entry -

The Kiss!

Notes from sesame street

The letter of the day is W.

So, What's your favorite W word?

without a doubt - WINE!

I've Been Thinking

Yes, I know that is a dangerous thing. But indeed there have been thoughts that have been thunk.

I was watching - well listening to - some gossip rag show that guises itself as "entertainment news"

You know the mindless dribble about what Hollywood star is sleeping with who. Who's pregnant and who might be pregnant and all that other junk that some one - somewhere thinks is news.

They were talking about Britney Spears. The slutty little white trash tramp who's life is in the crapper. We all know she is mentally ill (my guess is bipoloar with psychgosis - knowing some one like her)

The paparazi was following her like vulters circling dead meat. It was sickening. The more she begged them to leave her alone the more they clicked and circled.

If Unfitely was a regular Joe, number one she'd have lost her children long ago and number two - the people chasing her would be in jail for stalking. If we, average American citizens were photographed in our mosy intimate moments - we'd press charges.

Yet, we think it is okay for people to follow stars. Did we really need to see Heath Ledger's body being carried from his apartment? do we really need to see Unfitely at Starbucks? Do we really need to know what that wacko Tom cruise had for breakfast?

Is it a sin for Nichole Kidman to know blab that she's expecting to the world until they are sure the pregnancy would stick? Who wants to see the news of their miscarriage sent around the world?

It makes me sad and dismayed that the news of the day is more and more about Hollywood and less and less about real issues.

So and so is sleeping with so and so. Some crackhead child star is in rehab - again oh and the fed dropped interest rates.

One "news" man on one of these rag shows told us we'd be the first to know the results of Heath's autopsy and more about Unfitely's deposition in her child custody case because we had a right to know.

puh leez.

Turning it off to tune in

Lent is soon to be upon us. In one week we'll be starting Lent. In the past, we've not done anything big for Lent. Increasing prayer life, a family rosary, encouraging the kids to five up and give out.

Well, this year, after much thought. We are actually giving something up as a family. We are turning off the tube and tuning into our family. There's not a lot wrong with our family. But, I've noticed that the kids, Tommy in general, turns on the TV as soon as he gets up in the morning. He'll get up at 5:30 AM and tune into DIY. I have awakened to This Old House everyday for a week now.

The TV here is always on. It's like a thousand voices constantly in the background.

So as of February 6, our TV is going black for 40 days

40 days to turn off the TV and Tune into one another.

Puberty - a Hairy Situation

Conversation around the dinner table last night.

Charles: I have hair under my arms too

Tommy: Oh that is so gross

Me: It's a fact of life but not suitable for dinner conversation.

Said hair growing child proceeded to show us the tufts of hair growing under his noxious armpits.

Lovely.

For a few months now, we've noticed his voice had gotten a little lower. He sprouted up a few inches as well. Up two pant sizes since August.

It seems Mother Nature has collided with my son and seems hell bent on turning him into a young man.

Other things have been developing as well. I think he likes a girl. You know, like likes. There was a dance at school last week and he mentioned going. I asked him if he wanted to and he said he wasn't sure. I heard him talking to a friend. He didn't go because he wanted to ask a girl but wasn't sure how to. She had been dropping hints that she wanted to go with him.

How do you role play that?

Career choices

"Mommy, when I grow up I want to be a carrot"

"Joey, what kind of carrot?"

"A big orange crunchy carrot or maybe I want to be a doughnut"

"Yeast or cake?"

"Yeast witch chocolate and green frosting and I'll sit on a fluffy cloud."

"Will there be sprinkles"

"Rainbow colored ones all over the top"

"I love you Joey."

"I love you too Mommy."

How do you do it?

We learned Monday, one o Charles' classmates died. This wasn't a sudden unexpected death. It was an inevitable act. The boy in question was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor in 2006, with no known cure.

People rallied around the family and gave them support. He got to live his dreams - to ride a motorcycle and to ly in an Army helicopter.

The mother posted that he went to be with Jesus after a long fight. They believe he felt no pain or fear.

My question is, looking at my child, the same age and how do you tell them that the growth in their head, chest, whatever is going to kill them.

How do you let go and say goodbye to your son?

My thoughts are with the Barta family but tonight, I will hug my own teenaged boy and forget that he would forget his own head i it wasn't attached to his body. I will forget the eye rolls and deep sighs and the fact that he is a mouth attached to a deep vast hole that knows no end.

These things I will forget and thank God for.

Happy 2008

2007 is gone - ten days now gone.

2008 is among us. I am almost to the point of remembering to date things 2008 even.

2007 was a mixed bag of tricks - some really great things happened. But some really crappy ones as well. You have to take the good with the bad.

The bad makes the good much sweeter.

So 2008 here's to you :-)

Sugar and Spice

and everything nice

Come and Tell Me

12 days until Christmas

The race is on. My list is long and well long

Four

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Mom!
2. Sales Associate
3. Telemarketer
4. Graphics Operator for a little bitty TV station


Four places I have lived:
1. Little Elm TX
2. Albuquerque, NM
3. Midland TX
4. Cabot AR

Four places I have been on vacation.
1. San francisco CA
2.Lake Jackson TX
3. San Antonio, TX
4. Washington DC

Four of my favorite foods:
1. cheese enchiladas
2. lasagna
3. steak - medium rare
4. CHOCOLATE

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. the beach
2. New Zealand
3. Tuscany
4. Provence

Tag 4
1. LL
2. Catey
3 Robyn
4 IDK

RIP dear Anne

My friend passed from this world to the next yesterday.

God be with Anne's sister Paulette and their entire family

Oddities

It's been an odd day around here.

I have been waiting to hear news of a birth and a death.

One friend is expecting her thirday baby - she was born late this morning. And, around the world, another friend is dying from cancer.

A beautiful life ravaged by a terrible disease and a new life just waiting to begin clean and fresh.

Up on the Housetop - or not

It's December 5th according to my little pagenote computer thingy. It is TWO weeks since Thanksgiving. Until today, it has not begun to look a lot like Christmas around here.

Instead, the house is still a barren sty mess.

But I made an inroad today. I untangled the lights that go along the front walk AND a strung the net lights (eric was right - and I put it in writing - we DO actually need two boxes of net lights for the front window bushes.

Hopefully tonight, we can get the tree up and the decorations on it.

I also got the wreath hung on the front door.

Is This Love?

The past week or two, well since I went back to work - part time at Bath and Body Works. I have been doing a lot of thinking. On my second or third day of "real" work (like the chores and laundry and meals aren't work) Eric brought me a cute coke in a little round snowglobe type bottle. He took the kids shopping for things to make dinner and he saw these little bottles and knew I loved them.

I was touched. I mean really really touched that he thought of me and bought me snow globe coke.

I was joking with some one later that - after thirteen years - romance can be summed up buy $1 bottle of coke with a fat bearded guy on it.

we laughed.

That made me think though - and that is romance. He thought about me and did something nice for me just because he knew I'd like it.

Romance is not about sun set strolls on the beach hand and hand - well it us but there aren't many beaches here in Dallas. Romance isn't a hot air balloon ride or boquets of flowers

Romance is the little things.

It's the getting up with the puking kid at 2 AM.

It's the heart cut into a slice of toast or the bag of reece's peanut butter cups you don't have to share.

It's picking up a mini of his favorite ice cream - even though it's $4 - just because it's his favorite and then sharing the ice cream while watching Grey's Anantomy.

It's the silly little things that make me glad I said yes all those years ago.

I guess, that Is indeed love.

He's the Man

1. Who is your man? Eric

2. How long have you been together? I20 years (including dating) last week

3. How long did you date?7 years almost

4. How old is your man? He'll be 38 in December

5. Who eats more? I think the 12 year old has a corner on this one now

6. Who said "I love you" first? He did

7. Who is taller? He is

8. Who sings better? neither of us

9. Who is smarter? I can retain more useless information he is more logically inclined

10. Whose temper is worse? Mine is more frequent but when he gets mad he is REALLLLLLLY Mad

11. Who does the laundry? Me and ONLY me!!

12. Who takes out the garbage? The middle kid does

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does.

14. Who pays the bills? him

15. Who is better with the computer? He gets paid to be a computer guy so HIM

16. Who mows the lawn? me - it's good cardio

17. Who cooks dinner? Mostly me but he has since I've been working nights

18. Who drives when you are together?Him

19. Who pays when you go out? Whoever pulls out the debit card.

20. Who is most stubborn? it depends

21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? him

22. Whose parents do you see the most? Mine

23. Who kissed who first? He kissed me

24. Who asked who out? I did. I needed an escort to a quince. So I called him - he had to ask a family friend who I was - but he said yes because a date was a date and he liked blondes LOL.

25. Who proposed? He did. I got my first pay check and insisted I take him out. He'd already planned to take me out. he was waiting for the right time to do it so he kept the ring in it's box inside his shoes. He took me to a garden and proposed. Just after I said yes, the SP's came by and chased us off.

26. Who is more sensitive? It depends on the situation

27. Who has more friends? Me - because I'll talk to anyone - though he's more extroverted once he gets to know someone.

28. Who has more siblings? we each have one

29. Who wears the pants in the family? It depends on the situation - I'm the meaner parent but the big decisions we make together

Today starts the holiday rush. The big boys get out of school for the week.

I had to stop and think where this year has gone. In the blink of an eye 2007 is spending it's days. Before we know it it will be 2008.

It's a hairy situation

and the long and the short of it pertain to my 12 year old.

I spent two hours yesterday debating the vice principal over the size of the hole in my son's jeans and the length of his hair.

It seems two inches of knee is considered sexually distracting.

If I were a brave woman I'd google knee fetishes but honestly, I am afraid of what I'll find. So yeah, we're not even going there.

and then the hair issue came up.

The kneenazi thinks that my child's hair is too long and it should be cut to conform with her standards.

One of us can read for comprehension because nowhere in the our district guidelines does it say that the district may determine an appropriate length of a child's hair. Hair however must be neat and tidy. Further in the book it say principals may relax certain rules but they may not strengthen the rules.

In all honesty - my child is a good student. He's respectful. he's in general a good kid.

There are far more pressing issues in this school that need attention than my child's knees.

Pregnant 11 and 12 year olds - yes do something about that

Kids getting in fights over stupid things - yes deal with that

Kids disrespecting their teachers - hell yeah - punish those kids.

but leave my kid's hair alone

People suck

i mean really.

Some people just suck the life out of me - suck.

It's the end of the month

the last day of Octoberso here are some random October images

October is a time for pumpkins



and a time for hay fights



more pumpkins



campouts



and sppoky sights

Middle Meme

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
4. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog


Mine is easy: ELIZABETH

E = emotional. I am and thats all there is to it

L - loud - I have three kids - I need to be LOUD

I = interesting

Z= zany

A able

B blonde

E excitable

T - tense

H happy

Life behind bars

He's twelve.

The dr. Jeckeyll and Mr. Hyde years are beginning. One minute we are so proud of his thinking skills and the way he's maturing. The next, we wonder where the heck his brain is.

One minute we are happy to see him striking out on his own, blazing his own path. In a moment that happiness is gone when I realze he's no longer my baby boy and sooner than I'd like to admit he'll be on his own. That makes my heart hurt

I used to think that the woman in I Love You foreer was a real wacko now I know, soon enough I'll long for the days when I could rock his cares away and see his sweet sleeping face.

My New Blog goal

100 posts for 2007 by November 15.

Can we do it?

Yes we can.

Okay no more Bob the Builder.

The letter I should have written in June

but I didn't but will now.

Dear Charles,

You are twelve. for twelve years now, you and I have walked this moer/son road together. You are the child that made me a mother, then a mom and now a mom - sometimes said with exasperation and contempt. In addition to the rand McNally stretch marks on my once flat belly you have made me a large part of who I am. You were the one who got me out of bed at 2 AM and could make me read "just one more story book because my eyes still aren't sleepy". You are the one I learn from this motherhood thing from. You are the one blazing my parenting trail - make the path easier for your brothers. You are the one who made me glad to be the mother of a son and not a daughter. You are my first born son.

Twelve things I love about you

1. As much as I was not fond of your long hair, I love why you grew it out. I love the quiet way you take a stand.

2. I love your quirky, sometimes sarcastic (no clue where you got that from) sense of humour.

3 . The way you call your brothers midgets makes me laugh - when I shouldn't. even though we admonish you for it - we inwardly laugh.

4. I love that even though you are a cool big kid now, you still bring me flowers that you picked - hopefully not from other people's yards.

5. I enjoy watching you become more sure of yourself and your abilities.

6. I am proud of the way, even though it kind of hurts my heart, that you are starting to show you can be independent and can make good decisions.

7. I love the sparkle in your green/brown eyes.

8. I delight in the fact that a good fat book is all you need to amuse yourself.



9. I love watching your imagination come to life

10. The Die Tinky winky song 'nuff said

11. I love that you can make omletes

12 I love the way you love your younest brother - the one you hoped would be a girl.

and one more to grow on

I am glad you are a boys and have way bigger feet than me already so you can never ever borrow my shoes.

Love,
Mom

Ask a Stupid Question

Good rainy Monday morning.

Instead of taking our morning excursion to the park, Joey and I are home watch PBS. PBSkid's Sprouts used to show stuff (mean me) liked. Now it's endless hours of Barney, I hate Barney with a putrid purple passion. "I love you" uh yeah bite me pedophile boy.

So PBS it is.

Curios George is up next yet.

Some day I'll learn that my child is the product of his raising and has an answwer to every question.

I asked Joey "How does curios George sound?" meaning how about we watche George?

The answer I got?

Monkey sounds and a a dance.,

Indeed a monkey does sound like OOo eeeeoooh ohh ahhhhhhhhhh ah ah.

Some day I'll learn.

pumpkins up to the rafters

pumpkins up to the rafters
Originally uploaded by blondie478.

I'm the Mom I'm the Mom I'm the Mom

This cracks me up.

Changes I don't like

Yesterday, I spent a little time on the Dark Side. I volunteered at my middle son's school at the semi-annual book fair. I hate the PTA. I hate the way they do business. I hate the Steppford cliqueness they always seem to have - I HATE the PTA. But that's not the change I am talking about. I am talking about the change in class language.

We were helping kids make their wish lists at the Book Fair. When the kids would line up the teacher didn't call them "boys and girls" "children" or even "students". she called them "friends". Children in other classes were Mrs./Mr. So and So's "Friends". I asked one of the other volunteers what the deal with the creepy "friends" bit was. The principal has determined in her infinite wisdom that calling the kids "students", "children" or even "boys and girls" is harming to the children. Friends is more gender neutral.

Excuse me?

Gender NEUTRAL?

Also gone are the words "be quiet", "Simmer down" and anything else askimg for silence and listening. To gin a class' attention noiw the teacher (or libriarian) must clap a rhythmic clap which the "young friends" return to show they are ready to listen.

"Be quiet" and the like are listed on an inapproprate words list.

Honestly. To call a child by their gender and ask them to sit down, be quiet and listen to the paid teachers is harming to the esteem of a child?

Somebody needs to stop smoking crack and the bong water needs to be changed.

Color me crazy, but I am not concerned about harming my eight year old's gender identity. I was there when he was born with ten fingers, ten toes and a penis, that he was proud to show, in perfect working order. What I am concerned with is quality of learning that my child receives. I care that he is learning to add, subtract, multiply and divide. I care that he's learning to write a complete sentence and paragraph. I care that he's learning how tou use the dictionary and encyclopedia. we send our kids to school to learn to follow instructions and interact with others. I have never been to a business meeting where some one got their feeling because they were asked to take their seats and be quiet so the meeting could start. I would be appalled that some one had to clap a beat to get the room's attention.

Seasons - they are a changing

and sometimes change is good.



soon enough fall will really be here. The crispness in the air will match the bright blue sky. fall and it's gold shades will blend into brown as the world goes to sleep.

Promises Made

Promises Promises Promises.

promises might be broken. I promised myself I'd take more time write on this thing. The number of posts by me in the the last four months is horrid. It was a birthday resolution - like exercising and losing weight that has so far been a big fat stinkin' lie.

My goal is 15 posts in October.

That should be simple. right?

So much for keeping this thing updated

Not much going on here. we are starting our month from hell this weekend.

too bad ebay doesn't sell transporters so we can get from place to place easily. with the flick of a wrist.

The Catch of the day

The Tortilla Method
otherwise known as how Charles catches fish.

1. Get some bait - the liver the better



Then you take pieces of dry cold tortilla and drop them in the water. Observe where the fish pop up and drop your line. wait patiently.



The plan works!



Charles and the catch of the day - he had to throw it back because it was 1/4 inch too small.



trying to get back in the water - once the fish heard he was free he couldn't wait to get back in the water.



Actually, Charles refused to touch him so his mother had to put the fish back in the lake.

It's the First Day of School!

/

It's a time for new beginnings. clean binders and fresh sheets of paper and unsharpened pencils and poiunty crayins went to school today. Minds will be opened. Knowledge will be imparted.

But. most importantly there is NO FIGHtiNG at my house.

How to Take a Christmas Card Photo - or Not

Did y'all know Christmas is 4 months and three days away? Time to start thinking about that christmas card photo

Trying to get three kids and a dog (Because she needed to be in the shots too) to look the same way is like trying to give a cat a pill.





YAY! It's almost Christmas (oh dear )



Notice the dog creeping in - she wants to be in the card this year too.



we'll look anywhere BUT at mom - notice the dog tail



What kids? I didn't see any kids. I need to be in the card shot too mom (this one cracks me up)\



Make sure you get my best side mom - hey what's that laughing sound?



Rabi SIT down!



then the karate chopping started - nothing says "Peace on Earth" like karate chop to your brother's head.


This should have been my cue to stop



but I didn't this is getting close



Nope



Then Joey saw a butterfly and took off and Tommy needed a drink (so did I of the adult variety) and the dog had to bark at the mailman. We took a break

Y'all know what time it is?????

It's time for me to start thinking about what is going IN my christmas cards.

I know it's still August and it's hot. But, seriously, it's almost time for christmas. October will be here before we know it. Then comes november and the Christmas rush is on. So NOW is the time to prepare.

Before Boy Scout popcorn and halloween even hit rest assured i'll be making my list, checking it twice and getting the ultimate christmas card shot.

in the heat of battle

in the heat of battle
Originally uploaded by blondie478.

sweet summer swigftly slides into september

How can this be?

It is almost September - time for school to jump into high gear. Time for Scouts and religous ed swimming and all soerts of other commitments.

As i glanced out the calendar. I stop and wonder where has summer gone? It seems just like yesterday that we headed into June with the promise of lazy days ahaead of us. Now they are almost all behind us.

Sunkissed Charles

Sunkissed Charles
Originally uploaded by blondie478.

Here it is.

August.

As of today, there are only 17 days until school starts and summer slips by into fall.

Today's Love Thursday - contentment

Little boy, may your life always be this carefree and happy.

May you know all the love you feel in this picture now and always.

May your days be sunny and bright.

May you always be sweet and kind.

May you always be content.

What Are You Thinking Little Boy.

Joey in Sepia
Originally uploaded by blondie478.

What secret thoughts lie behind your eyes.

What thoughts are you thinking?

What things are you dreaming of?

What does your future hold?

Can you tell me?

Are you dreaming of knights and ferocious dragon battles?

Or, is it dreams chasing dragon flies in a field of flowers?

Are you traveling through time and space?

Did you just cross the finish line in a race?

What are you thinking little boy?

Bloody Hell!

Mingle² - Free Online Dating

I am cleaner than LL? Whoddathinkit.

When, in the course of human events

Old Glory and Charles
Originally uploaded by blondie478.

Today is our nation's birthday. The idea that became the United States of America celebrated it's 231st anniversary of being. On July 4, 1776, our nation, and the dreams of freedom we have now were born when a few men had the courage to stand up and depose a tyrant, knowing that should they fail the result was death.

These brave men had the courage to say yes to freedom and no to taxation without representation, conscription, unlawful improsnment and death at the hands of Mad King George. witha few words "when in the course of human events...." words started a war. Before a single shot was fired. Our founding fathers stood up and took a stand to make us the land of the free and the home of the brave. They knew this would not be an easy fight. They knew blood would be shed and lives taken. They knew that anything worth fighting for was not free. Yet they did it. They signed the declaration and started a war for freedom and independence.

Today I look at my three sons. They sat on Idependence parkway and watched the parade float, march and drive past them. They stood, without prompting and saluted our flaag as it went past and they yellowed out thank you as our veterans drove past. I watched some one elses's sons and daughters march or ride past with the American Legion dressed in their military uniforms. I got chills as people stood up and saluted our flag and as they thanked those who fought to defend our freedoms that Declaration of Independence gave us.

I got teary and touched the rosary I carry in my pocket as a car carrying three Gold Star Mothers passed. These women smiled and waved and greeted paradegoers with "Happy 4th of July" I took a moment to say a prayer of thanks for these women who's children have bought our freedom with their lives. It is these women we too must thank on Independence Day. Their sons lives helped pay for our continued freedom from tyrany, terrorism and conscription. and secured the ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness with their blood. These women are just as brave as their sons and daughters

Wet Revenge

Wet Revenge
Originally uploaded by blondie478.

what happens to a boy who spashes his mother on purpose

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