Happy Valentine's Day

This is one card Hallmark won't ever sell...

I'm one of those people who choke a little on spending $5 or $6 on a card that will eventually end up in the trash. And it usually doesn't matter if it's Valentine's Day or birthdays or special holidays. I'm a cheapskate. Over the years I've tried to be creative and will actually make something special. But sometimes it's easier to pick one off the shelf. That's what I did this year.

The card above is one I found from Mr. Wonderful a couple of years ago on Valentine's Day. It was right there for everyone to see. Right smack dab in the middle of the kitchen table! I left it there all day long until eventually I had to scoop it up and well, you know. There was a little love note left beside this card on the table, but the truth is, I've never forgotten this creative I Love You from my husband.

I hope your Valentine's Day is filled with love and many wonderful things that hold lasting memories. Long after the roses have faded and the chocolate box contains only crumpled papers, it's all the little things, all wrapped-up together, that make life special. Those things remain.

Hugs and kisses,

A Day at the Lake

Yesterday was a wonderful day spent with family. It's the last big family get together while the weather is still warm. The kids always love hanging out together regardless of what they are doing. Besides lots of fabulous food prepared by all the girls in the family, Labor Day usually involves fishing at the lake.

Enjoy the end of summer!


Caleb setting sail (well, you know what I mean!)


Caleb with his six-year-old cousin, Braden, who is a very patient fisherman


Rachel getting ready to tackle some fish


Rachel caught three fish, three different times, and all three fish got away. Each time, we all got excited as she was reeling it in only to share in her disappointment as it jumped back in the lake. We finally realized the hook on her line was just too small for the size of these bass. Uncle Gary helped change the hook, so here she is trying once again.

In a matter of two minutes, she reeled in this nice catch.

And, no, I do not take the fish home and clean them and cook them and eat them.

Been there. Done that.

When my kids decide they want to eat fish, we'll try it again. Did I mention the last time we tried taking the catch home for dinner, poor Rachel cried when we started to cut off their heads.

For now, we'll just stick to kissing them goodbye (yes, it's a tradition) and throwing them back in the lake!

Happy Tuesday, Friends!

Gone Fishin'

I thought that sounded better than Gone Firin'

The weather finally cooled off enough that we made a fire on the patio. Mr. Wonderful made it so our toes were kept quite toasty. Actually, Caleb thought he might have melted the bottom of his flip flops! It was too dark, so I couldn't tell. I'm sure they'll be all right. I came in because I was actually getting a little chilly. Such is life as a woman. One minute too hot, the next minute too cold.

It's nights like this that makes me so happy our kids love hangin' with us. We all sat back there around the fire together for several hours, just talking, reminiscing, hearing camp stories. Rachel asked us if she had a lisp. What? "One of the girls at camp told me I had a lisp. Then she asked another girl if she thought I had a lisp and she said yea." No, Rachel, you do not have a lisp. That's just how girls are sometimes. Mean. I am so thankful that was their worst.

The windows are open. Should make for a great night of sleeping.

Night night, all.

Happy Thursday!

I don't know how many big brothers would appreciate a little sister...



who decided to have her dolls throw a surprise birthday party just for him.



I'm so glad he did.

Happy Thursday!

Shock and Old, Not Shock and Awe

That, my friends, is the look of pure shock!


A number of years ago, Mr. Wonderful and I had a very short talk about allowing video games in our home. We usually agree on just about everything and that was the case with this as well. Video games are a distraction and completely unnecessary.

We decided, however, that the computer could be used by the kids for educational games like Jump Start, Spy Fox, Reading Blaster, Quarter Mile Math and Mavis Beacon. Over time, a few fun games were added that had no educational value whatsoever. The kids were self-monitored and we didn't find them abusing their time limits.

So a couple of years later, Mr. Wonderful and I had another talk about allowing video games into our home. This time our discussion was a little longer, but we both agreed they were disciplined enough to follow our house rules. Later on, the only established rule, besides a one-hour per day limit, was "We reserve the right to sell the video gaming system should you decide to abuse your privileges."

For his 10th birthday, Caleb had asked for the PC version of a Star Wars Lego's game. We went shopping and secretly bought him a PS2 along with the Star Wars Lego's game.

Of course, we saved the opening of the PS2 for last which is what you see in the photo. However, being so ornery, I decided to "get him." Keep in mind, he knew he would never ever get a video system...not ever.

The first gift he opened was the Star Wars Lego's game. He immediately sees PS2 up in the corner of the game package and kindly tells me it's the wrong version since he needs it for the PC, not a PS2. I apologized profusely and told him we can make sure it's exchanged quickly. Poor kid. He finally got the game he had wanted for so long and here his mother went and bought the wrong version! He was very gracious and accepted my apology.

As Caleb moves along to the next package and unwraps what appears to be a PS2, he says something like, "Really? No! It can't be!" He was absolutely convinced the box was a fake and there was something else inside. It was a classic "gotcha" moment!

At this moment in time, we are not convinced our kids need cell phones with texting nor accounts with social networking sites. I know, what horrible, old-fashioned parents we must be. I suppose in time our opinion on these things will change. For now, I'm good with land-line telephone calls without caller-ID and play dates with friends...in person.

Getting older by the minute in more ways than one,

A Birthday, A Boy, and A Boffer

Yesterday, July 6th, was Caleb's 14th birthday. I think the July 5th Man Day Event post was a little confusing. Understandable. And the fact that I posted a blog yesterday on birds made this birthday celebration even more confusing. Even more understandable. I just figured I'd use the blog scheduler (because I am so technologically advanced, you know) for the bird post since we'd be out celebrating and not blog writing. And so there you have it. Today is not Caleb's birthday. Yesterday was Caleb's birthday.

Here's how the day unfolded:


The traditional smiling pancake for breakfast

This is Grandma Meme's Lemon Cake batter

Side story: Caleb gave me his birthday list sometime last week. One of the items on it said, "lemon cake batter" which caused me to ask if what he really wanted was a lemon cake. With a huge smile on his face he said, "No, I want a whole bowl of lemon cake batter!" I explained to him that several spoonfuls would be plenty since there's only so much cake batter one can eat. Right?

Here's a side story to the side story: When I was a little girl my mother made decorated cakes. You know, wedding cakes, birthday cakes, baby shower cakes. We were never allowed near the cake batter bowl unless it had been emptied into the cake pan. My mother made sure every drop of cake batter was in the pan and not left in the bowl. Try to imagine little kids sticking their heads inside a bowl trying to lick cake batter off the sides that was pretty much scraped clean. Well, one day I opened the refrigerator and found a huge bowl of cake batter. I took a step back, looked around and saw there was no one near. I grabbed the biggest spoon I could find and proceeded to scoop that cake batter so I could finally, finally, have more than a measly lick. Imagine my surprise when that big spoonful of batter filled my mouth and tasted absolutely horrible. Oh was it ever gross! It wasn't cake batter. No, it was pancake batter. Nice, huh? That's what I got for being sneaky! Sometimes as parents we make decisions for our kids based upon what our parents did or didn't do to us. Unlike my mother (although I'm sure her cake customers were very happy she didn't share their cake with us kids), my kids always have cake batter dripping off the beaters, a spatula that's very lickable, and a bowl they'll never have to stick their heads in.

OK...back to the birthday story

Caleb had several spoonfuls of lemon cake batter that I left for him in the bowl along with dripping beaters. He quickly realized he had had enough.

This is the birthday boy on the patio in front of the fabulous hydrangeas

Uh, no. He didn't get a new watch for his birthday. His birthday list actually stated "new battery for my watch." He has been without his watch for well over a year. Poor guy. So, that's why the big smile..."Hey! I've got my watch back!"

He also asked for this specific video game. Unfortunately, just after he made his birthday list, his PS3 died. As in, it won't turn on or do anything whatsoever. Mr. Wonderful and I went round and round about buying a game for our son when he didn't even have a system to play it on. Mr. Wonderful won the battle (with Rachel's support). While Caleb was happy to have gotten this game (which I might add is used and quite old), he was a little bit bummed out not to be able to play it. Not my problem, now is it?

Hmmmm. What on earth is that thing wrapped around Caleb's shoulders? Why, could it possibly be a quilt? As in, a homemade hand-stitched quilt? Yep! That's tomorrow's blog entry, Lord willing.

Here you have the birthday boy with his boffer weapon supplies!

Yes, that would be four rolls of duct tape along with several rolls of electrician's tape in a variety of colors. He couldn't wait to get started!

A few hours later, we have two boys and their brand new boffers. Caleb actually made them for Evan. As soon as he handed one to his almost four-year-old cousin, he quickly realized they were bigger than Evan and weighed almost as much! Caleb's already working on two new boffers for Evan. They are munchkin-sized!

We spent the afternoon with my sister-in-love and the kids at the pool. Doesn't it look like there are brightly colored ribbons in Rachel's hair? Too cute. It's just pool toys in the back ground.

I can't believe how much he's changed in one year. Do you see that little spot in the middle of his nose? That, my friends, is from a pool rescue. Caleb decided he wanted to be rescued on his birthday, so his loving sister swam to his side. While attempting this fake rescue, Rachel accidentally bonked Caleb's nose into the side of the pool. Ouch. All is well, and I mention it here so we'll always remember.

Grandma Meme's lemon cake (which Caleb has had on his birthday since he turned four) with five candles. You know, 1 and 4 makes 14!

Happy Birthday, Caleb! Your mama loves you very much. And she'll make lemon cake batter for you anytime. About that Bowflex you asked for. Sorry, sweetie. It was a nice birthday wish though.

If you read this blog and you are the maker of Bowflex and would like to make a generous contribution to our son, he'd be happy to help test your fabulous system!

Don't forget...tomorrow's post will be on those quilts I made. Yes, QUILTS!

Being Amused at the Expense of Others

Bumper cars are just a little too tame for this girl

We recently went to an amusement park for some amusement. Everyone who knows me knows I just go along to watch since I can't ride rides. In my younger years, I loved to ride rides. Although I will confess the taller the roller coasters, the less I would ride them. I am terrified of heights, you know. I can't ride rides because I get a screaming headache. I have told my kids that it's because my brain has shrunk. When I'm jerked around on rides, my little brain rattles around inside my skull. Hence, the headache.

I don't mind really...going to an amusement park and just walking around, watching people. Plus I love to see my family having fun together. And it's really fun to hear Rachel scream. I can pick out her scream over all the noise in the entire park! She is our resident dare devil. Any ride. Any height. 100, 200, 300 and yes, even 400 feet high (although Mama won't let her ride on the biggest one because she's convinced she'll fall out). But it doesn't matter. The scarier for her, the better. And the scream, I think she does that just because it's fun.

I have to say, for as much fun as amusement parks can be, I was somewhat taken aback by some of the sights and sounds. I don't think it was always this way, was it? I don't know. Maybe when my kids were younger I wasn't paying as close attention. Or maybe things have gotten worse.

Maybe it's because I'm getting old. Yep, that's it. I'm old.

I just couldn't believe some of the clothes people were wearing. Or should I say, weren't wearing. Honestly. What on earth are some women thinking? And how on earth do they keep it all in when they are going upside down on a roller coaster? Or, in some cases, just strolling through the park. Yikes.

Then there was this gorgeous Asian woman. Long shiny black hair all the way down to her waist. She was the tiniest thing ever with very beautiful legs topped off with a pair of very short shorts. Her feet were adorned in 4 inch stilettos. I kid you not. At an amusement park. You know, where you walk around for ten hours? I wanted so badly to take a picture of her feet. But I figured I'd best not draw too much attention to myself. 4 inch stilettos at an amusement park? And I thought my brain had shrunk! She looked good though.

Oh, don't think there weren't tons of boys (er, young men) walking around with the waist of their pants held on with a belt...just under their rear end. Yes, that's right. Their belt was fastened not at the waist, but under their rear. Yes, of course, their underwear was showing. I think that must be the part of the "look" they like most because in most cases they had on fancy underwear. They have to walk with their shoes about five feet apart in order for their pants not to fall off. One guy kept his hand on his belt, with a constant tug. Can you even picture this? Although at this point, I think everyone has seen this "look" just about everywhere. I just have one question. Why?

And why do people who choose to use nasty language have to talk so loudly? Is there no shame? Now there's an old-fashioned word you don't hear too much these days. A little dose of shame goes a long way.

It really was a fun day though. Really. The sun was shining and the weather was perfect. We needed it...a fun-filled day. We were able to forget about life for a while. Sometimes it's a good thing to be amused. And we were certainly amused. At least I was. Even if it was at the expense of others.

A Big Dose of Today

Skyline of the Great North Coast



Two very happy beach-goers



The waves were perfect...and lots of fun to walk through



Caleb could have hung out here all afternoon

Evan, still mostly dry at this point

I told the kids yesterday (on Mad Monday) if we could get all our indoor work out of the way, we could spend the next seven to ten days enjoying what the local weatherman is promising... absolutely perfect weather. Can I just say, "It's about time!" We've had so much rain that even my impatiens were getting water-logged.

So this morning, on a whim, we hopped in the car, picked-up my sister-in-love and her two younglings, and drove to the beach. It was a picture-perfect day with a back drop of sapphire skies and wonderful warm sunshine. Oh, did we ever need a big dose of today!

There's something to be said about hearing the surf constantly breaking on shore. I found it to be so comforting. I think I could have parked myself on a blanket and stayed there for hours on end. It was only about 70 degrees today and the water temperature was 65...not exactly great swimming weather, but fantastic walking-in-bare-feet weather. The kids have already asked if we can go back tomorrow.

While walking on the beach, a fairly sizeable inlet had formed from the tide waters coming ashore. At the far end of it, an adult could easily take a couple steps and be on the other side. And that's exactly what Caleb did. My little almost-four-year-old nephew, Evan, decided he was going to do the same thing. The only problem--Evan is just a little guy and, what was an easy two-steps for Caleb, ended up being many steps for Evan. And then he decided running might help. We saw what was going to happen just as it was about to happen. The soft sand gave way under his little feet, he lost his balance, and ended up, fully dressed, in the water. The look on his face was priceless. Somewhat of wonder and shock at the same time. Then, we find out later that after he stood-up and got out of the water, he looked at Caleb and said, "I didn't mean to do that!" Not exactly what you might expect to hear from an almost-four-year-old. How absolutely adorable is that?

It was truly a wonderful day. I am so thankful that God sees us where we are as we walk along this journey of life. He knows exactly what we need. And to top it all off, He blesses us with magnificent beauty. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the wonder of it all.

1 Corinthians 2:9
But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Amazed again,

Cartoons and Crying

Toy Story 3 with Woody and all his friends

While waiting for the sun to come out yesterday, without telling me, the kids decided to pull out a stack of the old home movies. I had no idea what they were up to until I walked past the family room and saw two little blond-haired kids splashing in a kiddie pool. I stopped dead in my tracks. It has been so long since I've seen any of our old home movies, I was somewhat stunned to see my man-child sitting in the chair watching himself as a three-year old. And then there was Rachel smiling as she watched herself as a one-year old who would trip over the side of the little pool every single time she tried to "jump" in. I had to stop what I was doing. I sat down and watched and was mesmerized.

How is it even possible that eleven years has gone by? How can that little boy on the television screen be that man sitting in the chair five feet away? How can that little girl with the tiny pony tail be the tall girl with the big pony tail? I don't know. As I sat there, I felt like I was outside myself. I remembered the scenes like they had just happened yesterday.

One of the videos we watched was of Caleb's 4th birthday. I must have been one whacked-out woman! Our driveway is over 150 feet long. Do you know that I hand-painted huge purple T-Rex tracks from across the street (where a house was being built) all the way up our driveway? As the tracks disappeared into the woods, the little party goers found a huge dinosaur nest filled with dinosaur eggs (the kiddie pooled filled and covered with straw and then filled with big white water-filled balloons). And then there was the sandbox perfectly lined with little shovels and buckets. Buried beneath the sand was bone-shaped dog biscuits, you know, so the kids could be paleontologists and dig for dinosaur bones. I found myself laughing...at myself. I thought I had done it all for the kids, but I think I must have done it for me. Oh, to have that much creativity and energy again! What wonderful fond memories.

So today we took the kids to see Toy Story 3. Caleb and Rachel have grown-up with Woody and Buzz Lightyear. I knew the story line of the movie, but I was not at all prepared for the emotions that hit me as I sat there and watched a cartoon mother walk into Andy's empty bedroom. "What will I do without you?" she asks. That was it for me. Tears started welling up in my eyes and then spilling out onto my cheeks as I sat there sniffling. Honestly, I had a big ugly cry right there in the theatre. Even now the tears come.

Are you planning on seeing the movie? If you're feeling emotional, do yourself a favor and follow these guidelines, especially if you have kids in middle or high school:

1. Do NOT watch home videos of your children when they were little before seeing this movie
2. Do not wear mascara unless it is waterproof
3. Have a stack of tissues in hand
4. Sit in the back row where it's darkest
5. Wait until the movie is completely over, including all the credits, before leaving
6. Have your sunglasses on before you walk out in public
7. Realize there's nothing you can do about your red nose

If your husband is anything like Mr. Wonderful, he will cry sympathy tears for you.

If your child has just graduated from high school and will soon be leaving for college, you might want to skip this movie for now. Really.

Cartoons and crying doesn't make a lot of sense, does it? Please let me know if it was just me. If you see this movie and then wonder what all my hub-bub was about, then I'll know I was just being an emotional woman. But I am telling you, I'm almost positive I wasn't the only one crying.

Oh Woody! What will we do without you?

Grandmothers and Hankies and Irons

My ironing board happens to be locted in a wall in my laundry room which makes ironing lessons rather difficult. This set-up worked just fine.

When I was a little girl my grandmother taught me how to iron. Actually, come to think of it, both of my grandmothers taught me to iron. I have many fond memories of spending time with my grandmothers standing next to an ironing board, watching, talking, learning, and trying.

My Grandma Meme ironed everything. And I mean everything. From sheets and pillowcases to my grandfather Ralph-E's boxer underwear. Meme had a ringer washer in her pristine basement. She only used the ringer washer for delicate things like slips, underwear and braziers. I remember standing over it learning how to wash things by hand and loved watching the rollers squeeze water out. Hey, it didn't take much to entertain me. Well, the ironing board was right next to the ringer washer. A glass pop bottle with a red rubber cap sat on the end of the board along with the iron. She would shake the pop bottle and stuff would come out and onto the item she was ironing. I didn't know it at the time, but it was starch. I'm sure this isn't true, but I wonder if Ralph-E's underwear could stand up all by themselves! Knowing Meme, who did everything perfect in the eyes of this little girl, just the right amount of starch was sprinkled to smooth out the wrinkles and make those boxers perfectly presentable to her husband...who happened to be a mailman.

Can I mention here that Ralph-E only ever kissed us with his signature Ralph-E kiss? My kids and I give one another Ralph-E kisses to this day. Wrap your lips around your teeth (you know, like someone that has no teeth), and then suck in. It makes a wonderful little popping noise. See there, now you can give someone you love a Ralph-E kiss too.

Let me digress for another second...I made a wonderful little discovery about 12 years ago as I was creating slime for my two-year old son to play with (yes, what on earth was I thinking!). The recipe called for starch as one of the ingredients. I had never bought a bottle of starch before. I'm sure I had never even used starch before. Well, when I opened the bottle and poured some into a bowl, memories came flooding back. I remember standing there in my laundry room just smelling the smell of starch. Honestly, that smell catapulted me back in time. Meme died when I was only 10.

Anyway, Meme let me iron the simple things at first. Hankies (this is when people actually used hankies) and pillowcases. I'm sure I must have burned myself at some point or another, but I honestly don't remember.

My Grandma B lived just down the little country road from where we lived. I would walk to her house as a little girl. I can remember her teaching me to iron the harder things and then giving me a little basket of items to press. To this day, because of my beautiful red headed grandmother, I can still remember the order in which to press a dress shirt.

Well, who knew that a few weeks ago as Rachel and I were spending the afternoon at Mrs. Nagy's house, Mrs. Nagy turns to Rachel and says, "I'm sure you know how to iron, right?" My little heart stopped on the spot. Rachel looked at me. I looked at her. Then I looked at Mrs. Nagy and said, "Um, no. Oh, Rachel, I'm so sorry!" Then I poured my heart out and confessed to Mrs. Nagy that I had never taught my daughter the very thing my grandmothers had so lovingly taught me. You may not believe the reason, but I can assure you it's absolutely true. I was afraid. I was afraid she'd burn her hand or her beautiful slender fingers that spend so much time on the piano keys. I didn't want my little girl suffering from an ironing catastrophe. That's how I pictured it in my mind...a third-degree burn and a trip to the hospital. I know. Honestly, what was I thinking. I apologized again and committed myself to teaching my only daughter how to iron.

A few days later, I happened to wash all of the sheets and pillowcases and found it was a perfect opportunity to teach Rachel how to iron something simple. I'm afraid to say there's no one I know that uses a hanky (it's not even in the Blogger dictionary!) these days. My family happens to be very good friends with Puffs Plus. Do you think it's a little more sanitary to throw away stuff that comes out of your nose than to carry it in your pocket? I suppose so. Sigh. It's no wonder ironing has gone by the wayside. How do you start ironing lessons if there aren't any hankies that need ironing?

By the way, Rachel loved ironing the pillowcases. I suspect she'll enjoy learning how to iron a dress shirt too. And just for the record, Caleb's going to learn how to do that too. I mean, at some point in his life, he will need a crisp dress shirt that isn't provided by his mother. Yes, I still iron dress shirts. I happen to think there's just something wonderful about a perfectly ironed shirt. My grandmothers thought so too.

Iron't you glad you stopped by today?

Stop and Smell the Roses

Well, yesterday started as another Tuesday Morning and ended as a Wonderful Wednesday. An impromptu get together with two of my sisters-in-love and their kiddos made for an all around great day. I forced myself to come inside around 10 o'clock last night. I didn't get a single thing done I had planned on doing and, you know what, it was great. I love it when fun stuff pushes away the mundane!

This morning we headed out for a family hike along the beautiful towpath. I decided I would try and capture every single wild flower I walked by. I am not going to take the time to look-up all of their names in my handy wildflower book, but it's easy to use one's imagination.

Here's to another stunningly beautiful day...enjoy the flowers!


This is how the trail begins...

You could smell the rushing water in the air

This was a strange sight...perhaps some kind of fungus

These little flowers are the size of a pencil eraser

It took several photos before I captured this little butterfly with open wings

Wild roses...you could smell their fragrance all along the trail

Stop and smell the roses today,