Not even a week and it's begun

Tommy: I'm smarter than a rock

Charles: "smarter than a rock yes but smarter than a squirrel - no"

Tommy: "you have to be smart to have dyslexia"

Charles "you have to smart to have ADHD

Tommy: "So"

Charles: "and you get drugs"


NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE

What's that sound you hear? No it's not me beating my head against the wall - it's the sound of the blender making margaritas.

As Vast and As Wide As the Desert - That's How Much I Love You

Last week when we were in Monahans , Joey had a wonderful time playing in the sand. At one point I looked out at him out in the dune field, with his violet colored sand disk bobbing behind him I realized how small he was and how vast the desert is.



All around my son was sand. As far as I could see in any direction there was sand. It made me think how much I love my children. I realized how much He loves us. Even when we are a tiny figure in the deseret. When we see nothing but sand, He is there for us and around us - surrounding us with love as vast as the desert.

And the wind came rolling down the plain

It is windy today. So windy that I think I saw the wicked witch of the west fly past my window on her bicycle.

Sand, Sun and More Sand

Here's a preview of my wekkend trip to Monahans.

On Wednesday, Joey and I decided to walk to the park. We went to the red park by the pool not the blue park with the hard brown mulch- there is a difference.

He felt the need to lead the way



when we got to the park, he was ready to run



As he was climbing into the play are he found a lady bug. He held the bug on his shirt for a minute and the watched it fly away. Ladybugs are a symbol of the Blessed Virgin. The lady bug is a friend of the rose – the Virgin’s flower. Also, the three dots on each side og the bug are said to be a symbol of the Trinity.





After digging in the mulch – he decided to show me how dirty his hands were Joey decided it was fun to make animals with his hands. Here are his Duck Hands – quack quack!



Here is a flying bird – flying away



What animal hunt would be complete without a snake – y’all know how much I LoVE snakes



There was of course hissing because what is a snake without lots and lots of scarey hissing?

Public vs Private

We live in a crappy school district.

It's our fault. When we bought our house, we looked at the district's state rating and their test scores. We looked at drop out rates and college acceptions. We thought we knew what we were getting into.

Oh how wrong we were.

The issue however is not just a district one. The real issue is what our public education system has become.

The issue began way back in the 1980's when Mark White instituted "No Pass No Play" This was to make some necessary changes to our state education standards. Ideally, no student athlete would graduate from a Texas school unable to read.

I am a product of No Pass No Play. I took TABS and TEAMS but the bastard step sibling of today's TAKS. way back when - teachers did not just TEACH the TEAMS. for all intents and purposes - a monkey could pass the test. If you had a pulse and sat upright - the test was a cakewalk.

The along came No child LeftBehind Mandating that reading skills need to be learned earlier - like by the end of third grade. Really? you think so.

No Child Left Behind and it's culture of "teaching the test" has bastardized our education system. Only TAKS skills are taught - well killed and drilled.

The result kids can read and comprehend BUT they cannot think for themselves. There is no room for interpretation. No longer are Texas children learning to think critically.

Children with special needs are spoon fed JUST enough information to pass this test. Teachers and schools are awarded or penalized based on these test scores.

we have lost site of what is important. Learning for the sake of knowledge and the desire to expand your way of thinking. Instead of turning out young adults who can think on their feet and look at an issue and analyze. we are turning out kids who can regurgetate basic facts in bubble filled multiple choice form.

Is this what we want for our children - our future?

Poor Poor Pitiful Me

Today Joey came and crawled into my bed - after everyone had gone for the day and told me he had a 'stummy attic". He had a stummy attic because I made him eat fish and not cheeseburgers last night for dinner.

Turns out it, it was the half a bag of reese's mini cups he ate to go along with the fish.

He was feeling puny until I told him it was too bad he was sick and didn't want to bathe because I'd have to cancel our playdat with his friend down the street.

The cure was amazing - nothing shy of a miracle I am sure.

He bathed and got dressed and ate a huge bowl of cereal in nothing flat.

So just a warning - tilapia fish is sure to induce a stummy attic in five year olds but it's nothing a bowl of Lucky Charms and a playdate won't cure.

Should I be Flattered

Because right now, I am flumoxed.

The shoe chick at Stride rite thinks I'm hot.

She likes me.

No.

really, she likes me likes me.

She wants to have drinks AAAAAAAAND with me.

Maybe because I am blonde or maybe because I am so not attracted to women I was totally clueless to the signs and signals she was sendin me.

On Monday she came into my store and was flirting (I didn't recognize it as that - because y'all all know I'll talk to anyone)

Tuesday night - more flirting over the trash compactor. She told me I was the best smelling thing out there. Again I was clueless. I made a joke about Lord only knowing what I demoed that night. I didn't think to be flattered because the trash aroma is rather rank

Then last night she asked me out for drinks and some other types of demoing.

I dropped my teeth, quickly put my trash in the trash compactor and ran back inside.

So the Stride rite shoe chick thinks I'm hot.

Is Public anything ever good?

I have been wondering this for a while. Can making everything fair and accesible to everyone in the country - really just as bad as making things inaccesible to some people. Maybe privitazation is a good thing.

I am thinking in particular about our public education system and the push to publicize our health care system.

Fifty years ago - children went to school,they learned reading, math, science and history. There was art music and PE - there was also recess - twice a day. If you didn't learn what you were supposed to learn or failed the grade - you were held back - you dealt with it. There was no worry that being held back or being labeled slow was "detremental to your self esteem"

Today - thereis still reading and math but only as it relates to the TAKS or what ever test they kids are required to take - students are drilled on TAKS concepts until they can regurgetate them. In some schools there is no recess. In others there is silent lucnh - I mean really kids cannot play outside and must remain silent at lunch? This is good how.

In my middle son's schoolthe words "boys and girls" and "students" are not permited - they are all "friends" Boys and girls might be labeling to some one who is gender confused - I mean really how the hell can a fourth grader be gender "confused"? I mean what kind of crap is this? Mental differences aside children are boys or girls. and they are all students.

Local community colleges report that today's college student is ill prepared for college because they cannot think out side the box and lack the critical thinking skills required to get a college education. I am not surprised - The TAKS test is a multiple choice memorization feat. All you have to do is color in the bubble that relates to the correct fact. You don't have to be ableto relate theat fact to another fact.

Our education system has become a fill in the blank multiple choice world. Anything that doesn't relate is unimportant.

A Line in The sand - Jedi Style

I've written before of Joey's love of all things Star Wars. It is a love he gets from his father. Joey would like nothing more than to be a Jedi Warrior. For his birthday, we bought him a light saber. It has been a part of his anatomy since.

This year at our house, Charles has been taking texas History. They finished the Alamo and the Independence of Texas just after Christmas. Charles has led Tommy and Joey in the fight for the Alamo and Colonel William B Travis' speech on the braveness yet daunting task that lay ahead for the 190 men who defended the Alamo. They have reenacted the line in the sand many times. Being good texas boys (for the record Tommy was born EAST of the rio Grand and if we stand by the sovreignty of our origional borders - he was born in Texas by 8 miles) .

Last weekend, Joey was playing with his light saber in the back yard and he began his version of the Travis speech and line in the sand.

His take is that if JEDITEXANS had fought the battle a few would have been saved and there would have been no reason for San jacinto. Light sabers are more powerful than steel swords, cannons and bullets. and the tiger tale for balance would have let the Mexican army know that the JediTexans meant business.

Oh to have the imagination of a five year old.

really, I Mean REALLY???

For the love of all that is holy - Yesterday it was 35° here in the morning. Today it was 46° when the minions left for school.

DUDE! It's SPRING. I mowed the grass. MOWED it down and you send near freezing temps???

It's APRIL.

Yeah, I know remember this back in August when we get up at 7AM and it's already 95°F. I'll be sayin g I wish it was April and 35° again.

Oh what a Happy Day

Hobby Lobby opened just down the street from me yesterday.

I cannot tell you how happy this makes me. I LOVE Hobby Lobby.

My friends and I went and sat out in front of the store at 8 Am yesterday JUST so we could be first in the store.. Losers, we know but you have no idea how exciting it is not to have to sit in traffic for an hour to go ten miles for a craft supply fix.

When it was first announced that there would be a Hobby Lobby in the strip mall at the end of the block I was in oblivion. When they started building the center - Eric wanted the gym to open first, I wanted the Hobby Lobby to open first. I won :-)

Now I can craft to my heart's desire. And who doesn't love scrapbook paper 5 for $1. Now all I need is a local scrapbook shop to go in next to Starbucks and life here in the Little E will be complete.

Oh and the "but it supports our tax base and it's in our school tax base" discussions will be coming soon to a house near me.

We all wanna be Big Rock Stars

or at least Patrol Leader of the Hawks.

But alas - that was not the case.

In a moment that I think shows the man my oldest is in the makings to be. He ran a fair race (remember what those are like? - no? me neither) He didn't bash the competition. He went and stated what he wanted to do and how he planned on doing it. Simple words - good ideas and a plan.

When all was said and done and the ballots were counted - he didn't ask for a recount or a hanging chad inspection. He went and congratulated the boy who won.

Five Years Ago Today

Five years ago, today, Joey was born. He was the answer to a prayer. He was wanted and, after two miscarriages needed. He filled a void in my heart.

His entrance into the world was dramatic and scary. He had a knot in his cord that was pulled tight. I had an issue with my blood pressure that caused his 37 week arrival. But, after all was said and done – he was in my arms, big, beautiful and healthy.



Now, my baby boy is five. I look at him running alongside his brothers or learning to write his name and I wonder how time could have passed so quickly? Soon enough – way too soon – those little hands that always reach for mine when we go anywhere will be waving goodbye and headed off into adulthood.



He is so much like me, it’s not funny. He is obstinate. He is determined. He’s happiest when he’s creating something, either on paper or beside me in the kitchen.

So to my sweet blonde haired blue-eyed mini me – Happy Birthday!

We've added on

to our blogworld -- Now we're in the kitchen drawing knives and taking names

http://mischiefmanaged-ornot-inthekitchen.blogspot.com/

Grab a spoon and an apron - oir not and join us

March went out with a ROAR

The last day of March saw Joey, Tommy, the dog and cat and I huddled in the laundry room as tornado sirens wailed. The wind howled

The storm started just after Tommy got home from school. The rain dropped in buckets. Then came the hail and wind. we lost two screens, one on either side of the door. The two outer windows remained in tact.

When the sirens stopped so did the rain. In a matter of minutes, the sun was out, the skies were blue and the window blowing again. Birds were singing and the humidity was way down.

Gotta love a Texas Spring.

Since We're on the Subject of Confessions.

Today - and yesterday too I had a play date. Yes, *I* had a playdate with my friend Rachael. We ran errands, had lunch, chit chatted and then played board games.

It was good to go and play. However, the "what did you do today" questions - not so much of an answer. So I had to run home. Throw dinner together and then corral the kids into helping with the chores.

The downside- well I have clothes in the washer that will need to be dried before morning. Here I sit. waiting for the washer to buzz and for the dryer to finish spinning.

Analyzing Lent

Happy Easter!

Lent is now OVER OVER with all capital letters O-V-E-R!!!!!!

As a family - well yeah we flunked. We made it three weeks before we gave up giving up TV.

So if we were the grading kind of people which I am - we got 50%. we all know 50% is a big fat F - grade wise.

Visions of family bonding over board games - well yeah those were hallucinations.

After about 25 games of cars Uno with an 8 year old and a four year old who is just learning to read and write - well yeah - I am not that patient.

We did miss all the Obamamessiah and Her Thighness commercials. That was a blessing.

so we try try try again.

Happy Trails

This Spring Break, we had planned on heading south to San Antonio. Gas went up and my mom had to work so we decided to do Spring Break here. Even though we’ve lived in the local area for seven years, we hadn’t done a lot of touristy things. We decided to visit the Ft. Worth stockyards. The Ft. Worth Stockyards was a main cattle holding area in the 1800’s – before the days of the train. Cowboys would drive their herds to Ft. Worth for distribution throughout the country. After the advent of the railroad – Ft. Worth was still a big town in the cattle industry. The Stockyards are now a tourist destination and night spot. Ft Worth is still known as Cow Town.

Every day – rain or shine, the cowboys simulate a cattle drive through the middle of the stockyards twice a day.



Here are the boys waiting for the “cattle drive” to start Instead of “Cheese” Charles had them all say “Beef”



Here’s the start of the cattle drive.



There were cowboys!



This man is the drive boss. He leads the drive



This guy was the leader of the pack. Later on we learned that the leader usually wore a cowbells. Stragglers could hear the bell and follow along.



As the “drive” progressed we didn’t hear a lot of mooing. In fact, most of them were not real happy to be walking down the street while people gawked and took pictures. I think some of them were teenaged cows. I swear I even heard one of them sigh. All in all they had a BTDT air about them.







This man is called the drag. Charles and Tommy thinks that the side riders were called drags because they dragged slow cattle.



These guys appear to be sulking. I guess I would too if all I had to do was walk along the road twice a day



This is the end of the drive



We ate lunch at Risky's BBQ. The ribs were YUMMY and the beans and fixins were DIVINE. On the wall they had neon signs and Texas memorabilia. One of the signs was for Lone Star Beer. Lone Star Beer and it's neighbor - Pearl - are a college studen't dream - cheap - and well yeah cheap. Both are really bad beers.

Lone star was founded the Adolphus Busch. in the 1880's and made san Antonio a leader in brewing. Today Lone star is owned by Pabst ands brewed in Ft Worth.



The Stockyards have a lot of replica stores – little specialty shops and an old timey General store that sells Texas things. They had rocks. Because we don’t have enough rocks, the kids thought we needed some



they also had spice rubs



and salsa



They also sold Dublin Dr. Pepper – Dr. Pepper made with pure cane sugar not corn syrp and blue bell ice cream – can’t get much more Texas than that. Seriously, Dublin Dr. Pepper made the ORIGIONAL way is a taste treat.

This “Indian” guy cracked me up. You could take his picture for tips. He wasn’t a real Indian and didn’t know anything about the stuff he was displaying – a bad combination for a smart aleck 7th grader who delighted in pointing out inaccuracies in the man’s costumes. Joey want to get on the horse so I gave the guy a couple of bucks (Eric almost belted him when the guy made a comment about the $5 tip we gave him because we had an expensive camera) - any ay I took the picture of Joey on the horse and when I uploaded it died laughing at the “stoic Indian warrior” pose the guy gave. I call thise one “Cheesy Like Velveeta”

Beefy Bison Chili

Chilli

Because it was so cold, last week I had to make chili – kind of a thermodynamics thing – create heat from the inside out - so here is my sort of recipe for Beef and Bison Chili. I have a new “thing” for bison meat. I buy mine at Central Market. It’s similar in tatse and cost to beef but lower in fat. It does not make great meat loaf because it is so lean – unless you add some oil.



Take various spices ( use cumin, oregeno chili powders – this time San Antonio, New Mexico and Chipotle – chipotle adds some smokiness) and some other things.



Chop up an onion – or two



and some garlic



Heat this in some olive oil Then add the bison and ground beef once the garlic gets fragrant. Add half of your chili seasoning.

Once the meat is bround and crumbled add water, the rest of the seasoning and some chopped tomatoes – I add fresh jalepenoes here as well when I use em because I don’t like icky black char on my peppers. I also usede yellow tomatoes this time because I thought they were prettier than the red ones at Kroger.



THEN add some canned tomatoes in green chilis. Let the whole thing simmer until it’s done – I go about two hours at least. We like our chili with fritos and cheese.