Addictions...

Ok, so it isn't like I've hidden my addictions on this blog.

Yes, I'm addicted to pepsi.

And I'm addicted to shoes.  (For a good laugh, click on 'addicted to shoes')

I'm also addicted to sewing.

But, did you know I'm addicted to reading too?  And this website? 

If you are a reader and you're willing to pass along some books, check it out! It has saved me tons of money on books and is much faster than the library at times!  Enjoy!

Friday's Five

1. We were to have a pool party with our Sunday school class tonight, but it has been cancelled due to rain and cooler temps...and I'm not complaining! ;-)
   
   
2. My inlaws return from vacation this weekend and I'm eager for their safe return as well as to hear about their trip to England.
   
   
3. Gum does the body good! Ever try using gum to keep your children focused? It works wonders to keep Q focused on math! Thanks WeaverMom!
   
   
4. Today we finished our 4th week of school - ahhhh, so good to be back into a routine. Q is in 2nd grade, E is doing pre-K/K work and C provides the comic relief!!
   
   
5. The kids and I had a great time with their cousins here for 2 days! However, we all appreciated sleeping in this morning! :-D
   

New Tricks!

My niece and nephew have been hanging out with us and my nephew, 10, brought an old skateboard for Quintin to use.  These two have been skatin'/scooterin' fools!  Here's some of their tricks!  My nephew is on the scooter, happy to be jumping off the rock wall.  And Quintin is on the skateboard.

My niece came with her bike that had the cutest basket on it. 

Knowing Elle would love a basket, but not wanting to put anymore money into the beat-up $7 consignment shop deal of a bike she rides, we rigged up our own little contraption and she's as happy as a peach. A loaded down peach, but happy nonetheless.

And Colin, he just plays alongside them all - or helps out the injured as they recover!

Kitchen Helper II

He claims innocence in the case of the biten bar of cream cheese. But I know it was him!!!

What a boy!!!!

Kitchen Helper...

Kid tested!

Mother approved?

Friday's Five

I picked up a copy of "The Fishwrapper" last night from a local store.  It is a "little, big paper" that offers positive news, inspirational articles and information everyone can use in the local community.  It's a very uplifting little newsletter and they are available for free in many local stores.  I'm sharing some my favorite 5 quotes taken from the newsletter's article, "An Old Farmer's Advice."

• Words that soak into your ears are whispered ... not yelled.    
• Forgive your enemies.  It messes up their heads.
• Every path has a few puddles.
• Live a good, honorable life.  Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.
• Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement.

The whole tooth and nothing but the tooth...

4 weeks ago, I took Quintin and Elle for their dentist visits. Prior to going, we knew all 4 of Q's top teeth were loose, but he liked it that way...as opposed to having them out.

The hygienist had told Q that one of his middle teeth was so loose and mentioned it was "hanging in the wind," and should come out any day. 3 weeks later, Q refused to pull his tooth out, so we let it go.

Then one night, Q and C were wrestling and Q comes running to me, his eyes filled with tears, obviously in pain and asking me if his tooth was bleeding. This is what I saw...

Yeah, give me the 'awful-mom-of-the-year' award for taking a picture of my child in pain. But I couldn't help it. He was actually chuckling right before I snapped it, because I had told him he looked like Mater. What do you think?? ;-)

It took some time, but we finally convinced him that the tooth would be coming out that night. He did and the tooth fairy visited! :-D

However, the one that came out that night was not the tooth the hygienist said was hanging in the wind. Finally, this week, Tuesday night, that tooth came out. But not without a fight from Q. You see, soccer practice starts today and we told him in order to play, that tooth would have to come out. The last thing we all wanted was for him to get knocked in the face with a ball and swallow it or lose it on the field.

Phew ... this parenting gig is tough - fighting for teeth? I used to LOVE pulling my teeth out!!

The smaller teeth on either side remain loose, but Q has said many times how glad he is to have the bigger ones out as it makes eating a little easier! Poor guy!!! I know he is already looking ahead to next year, and eating corn actually on the cob!

Ahhh, but that smile!!

Wordless Wednesday

**There's a story about this new smile that I'll share tomorrow! :-D

Back to school shopping - oh my! Ranting session!! ;-)

Quintin ripped his flip flops at the cabin the other weekend, so I headed into O.ld N.avy to get a new pair.

They always have a 2 for $5 deal so I looked for a cute pair for Elle. After browsing the slim pickings, I was quite pleased to find camo for Q and hearts for E. Toting my selections to the check-out, I even beamed that I had cash to pay for them - which is a rarity.

I watched the check out gal scan them and looked at their little computer screen, not comprehending what I was seeing and hearing as she told me my total was $7.

Um ... what??

I pointed to the "2-fer" deal on the price tag suggesting she, perhaps, try again.

She looked at the screen, looked at the flip flops and preceeded to explain the situation, while punching some keys to give me the "2-fer" deal.

"For future reference," she stated, "you have one pair of boys' sandals and one pair of girls'."

Totally blind sided by that comment, I tried to chuckle and maintain a slight smile while saying, "So what? O.ld Na.vy discriminates against the sex of my children. I can't have one of each?" I said, pushing aside my slight feelings of annoyance so not to let her think I was upset with her. She chuckled back, packed my goodies in a bag and handed me my change. I walked out of the store puzzled.

Seriously?

The 2 for $5 deal doesn't work with every pair of sandals? What if I would have purchased a pair for T? I wonder if their computers would have taken that for the deal - considering T's sandals would be twice as large as Elle's!!??

Ugh...but this wasn't the end.

I also went to Office Max that morning. With the intent to purchase their $.01 (yes, one cent) 1-subject notebooks. I thought I'd get one for each of Quintin's subjects for school and one or two for the younger ones since the kids use that type of notebook during the worship hour on a Sunday morning.

Guess what? Each person is limited to 3 notebooks - and I was alone. Seriously, 3? Three 1-subject notebooks?

Oh bother ... I knew then, that it would be best, just to go home.

It's Monday, are you ready?

It's almost 8:30.

In half an hour, my parents will be here and we'll be getting started on this...

It's been 3 years since I've done any corn to freeze. 3 years ago - it was the summer of 2006 and I was 5 months pregnant with Colin...and for some unknown reason (nesting, perhaps) I was feeling energetic enough to do 16 dozen ears of corn. by. myself. The burn-out lasted three years ;-D. This year, I've enlisted my parents!! We'll work together to husk, cut, sauté and maintain some control over the 3 kiddos that will inevitably take over the house until we've worked our way through the maze maize. ;-D

Today, I'm starting with 10 dozen ears for our family and then I'll gauge if I want to do anymore - and I'll have to gauge the space in my freezer!!

Do you freeze corn or any other summer veggies?

I've done corn by cooking it first and then cutting of the cob. But in the last few years, I started by cutting it off and then sautéing it in a fry pan with butter, adding some salt and pepper while it cooks. I prefer it this way, as I use a lot of the corn in soups and stews and it seems to be more crisp coming out of the bag. My aunt does her corn in a crock pot. What's your method?

Never lose sight...

No matter the circumstances, never lose sight of the victories.

Remind yourself of the many times that God has proven Himself faithful and praise Him that His mercies are new every morning - stir up a grateful heart as you enter into His gates for a minute of praise.

Taken from Darlene McCarty's One Minute of Praise

Wordless Wednesday: Keepin' it Reel!

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Quintin loves his Indiana Jones lego set up in his bedroom.  While downstairs, he acts out the different bits and pieces he knows of the movies.  He asked me to make a bag like Indy's and he wore it all day yesterday, along with his fedora.

Somewhere during the day, I overheard him playing with his siblings, saying, "Just call me Quintin-ana Jones!"

For more Tiny Talkers, visit Mary.

I'm a bowl of mush...

Why does it bring a tear when I see the newly pulled tooth of my 7 year old and think about the excitement when it first pushed through his gums 6 years ago?

Why do I chuckle when I look at my daughter, fast asleep, sprawled across her double bed and think she's just like me?

What is it about my littlest man's growing independence in wearing "unnerwear" and his buzz cut which has really made him look older?  And he is saying so much - full sentences and sounding so clear.

We are at that stage where we don't really have a baby anymore - he's a toddler moving onto preschooler ... and fast.

Last night T and I had an opportunity to have dinner out together, by ourselves.  We had a babysitter here, planning to go to Bible study and storms and a power outage at a friends' house changed our plans.  So we were had a date night and sat across from one another in one of our favorite restaurants, enjoying some buffalo wings. 

And I said to T, if I could make time stop, now would be the moment I would choose.  With the kids the ages they are.  He told me I can't, and I understand, but I know time is going to keep slipping away so quickly and I am trying my hardest to enjoy each and every minute that we have.  I feel like my children are too young to think like this - them being 7, 4, and 2.  If I've learned anything from the older and wiser women in my life (you know who you are), it is the fact that time doesn't slow down, for anyone.

From one of my favorite movies, Ferris Bueller: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

I'm making sure to look around and not miss it.