Farm Girls can be pretty, too.

A short while ago I posted my header picture again & Art commented that I needed cooler mud boots. While my boots are both warm for the winter & functional in the mud & muck farm life has in store, they are not cute. Not even a little bit. In fact, they are the total opposite of cute. But for once, I've taken function over fashion. B-o-r-i-n-g.

A few weeks ago we had to take the FarmHands to the big town of E'ville for dental appointments. Afterwards we made a GIANT Rural King run. Not that we had to get a lot at Rural King, but the Rural King we were visiting was HUGE! I love it there. It's like the Ikea of farm supply stores (not that I've ever been to an Ikea...I'm just guessing). The boys both needed new mud boots as they've outgrown & worn out their last pairs.

While searching through green & black boring boots, I stumbled on the super cute ones. They had their own aisle. Most of them were for kids. Horses, fire trucks, lady bugs & the like decorated most of the boots. On the next shelf over were women's mud boots in pastel plaids, polka dots, candy stripes, and other pretties. They weren't terribly sturdy, fit mostly for rain puddles & not hog stalls.

And then I turned the corner. There they sat in all their resplendent glory. Purple Paisley Cowboy Boots made entirely from rubber. I'm pretty sure I heard angels singing country music in the back ground. Knowing full well that I was not going to buy them, I still needed to try on a pair. I have a perfectly good pair of boot at home. I had no real call to spend money on fancy ones....as much as I wanted to.

Today I went to Bucka & Busha's to shampoo their carpet before the Aunties come to visit for their week in the fall. Busha & I were talking in the kitchen when she went into one of the back bedrooms & brought out a big shopping bag. In it were the boots! She & Bucka & Uncle Gick had doctors appointments in E'ville yesterday & they decided to check out the Giant Rural King. Busha decided I needed the boots so she found an employee to help her hunt them down.

I am a very happy FarmWife now. And for good measure, it started raining this afternoon, so they'll have to be worn tomorrow!

I only hope Art approves.

---------------

Oh, and Zann, yes, BabyGirl did stay at her camp out. She had a wonderful time! Hiking, rappelling, compass walk, blindfold walk, rope walk, scavenger hunt, sing-a-long at the campfire, hot dogs, s'mores, pop corn over the campfire, breakfast on buddy burners (cookers made from a candle & a coffee can), teachers sneaking in to TP the tents, games, giggling, little sleep, dirty shoes.....you name it, they did it! I'm so proud of her for sticking around. She decided to stay about 30 minutes after we got to camp while we were setting up the tents.

A grown up Christmas list.

In about 45 minutes I will have been stuck on this 10 acres of land for a full week. 7 straight days. In that time I've made 2 or 3 trips to the mail box at the end of our drive, 2 trips to take out the trash, and one trip out to the sheep pen to dump table scraps. Stir Crazy would be the phrase that best suits my current frame of mind.

The FarmHands are going nearly as insane as I am. Husband decided to put all the presents under the tree today. This is the first time the FarmHands have ever seen their wrapped gifts prior to the day we celebrate Christmas. This change has caused B.B. to collapse into a bawling heap at least 3 times just this morning. He's desperate to open a gift. I really do not want to give into and therefore encourage the tantrums so I said no. I am currently public enemy #1.

Because we've been snowed and or iced in all week, Husband decided he'd do the grocery shopping Friday night after work. He's been able to make it back & forth to work with no small amount of stress. Once he's reached the high way, things have been hunky-dory...the problem is the five miles of ice between us and the highway. Since he was already out on good roads, I made him a list & sent him shopping, much to the amazement of the FarmHands. When they woke up yesterday to a pantry & fridge full of food, you'd have thought Santa himself brought it all.

While at Wal-Mart, Husband bought my Christmas present. He has a horrible time trying to keep secrets. He's already offered to tell me what it is. I declined but fear he wouldn't have been honest had I allowed him to ruin the surprise. He wrapped my gift & put it under the tree yesterday while I was baking cookies. The FarmHands are dying to know what it is, so Husband told #1 Son. #1 Son told B.B. B.B. told Bitsy. 7 seconds later, Bitsy came running out of the bedroom and yelled, "Mommy, Daddy buyed you Eclipse and...." that's when the others began screaming. "NO, Bitsy! Don't tell Mom!!" and they whisked her away to the bedroom. Husband starts laughing because he hadn't told them what he actually got for me. About a minute later Bitsy runs back out of the rooms and says, "Mommy, Daddy not get you Eclipse."

Since then they've been on a mission to wheedle the truth out of their father, who surprisingly has not cracked. This morning he told B.B. it was a banana in a box, wax fruit for the table, a board game, and other odd things.

I fear the FarmHands have run out of ways to entertain themselves. The fighting and bickering has reached epic proportions. 30 minutes ago they were in the boys room when the screaming started. I went to investigate and found Bitsy playing, "Duck, Goose, Come Chase Me!" with the boys. They're currently on their 2nd or 3rd viewing of the cartoon How the Grinch Stole Christmas for the day.

All I want for Christmas is a grown up to visit with....one that I'm not married to.

Wii wish you a merry Christmas.

After about 3 years of debating, Husband and I decided to get the FarmHands a Wii for Christmas (shhhh, don't tell). It will be the one & only gaming system in our house. Someday I might let them have a Kinect, but I'm pretty opposed to the traditional zone out while exercising only your thumbs gaming systems. Besides, I'm horrible at them. With the exception of Centipede (remember that one?) I never could get the hand eye coordination down....not even for Pac-Man.

The kids have been begging for a Wii ever since J got his a few years back. We didn't think they were quite coordinated for one and were not prepared to break up fights all day long. I'm still not keen on that idea, but we need something physical to keep them entertained this winter. The Wii was much cheaper than the Kinect and more age appropriate in my opinion.

But since Husband and I are completely clueless about video games, we need some help. What games would be good for our heathens? BabyGirl is 9 1/2 now, #1 Son is 7 1/2, and B.B. is 6. Bitsy's still too young to take into consideration when choosing games. I know what games I'd like. I have my heart set on a Sims game and the Wii Zumba....but will have to wait on those. First we need something to entertain the FarmHands. We have the basic Wii (no Wii fit). Any suggestions would be appreciated.

And, we're done!

The last of the Christmas presents were purchased today. Bitsy now has gifts & the stockings shall be well stuffed. The FarmHands may be a bit disappointed as this years haul won't be quite as awe inspiring as last year's, but then I didn't start in October this year...and they are getting clothes this time around.

Personally, I think this year may be easier. The FarmHands have spent very little time at Wal-Mart since school started and not having satellite television means we haven't been bombarded with the "must haves" of the toy world since August. That's meant much less, "Mama, I want..." and "Mama, I need..." and "Mama, I'll die without..." Have to say, that's made a happier Mama.

Now to get it all wrapped.

These Boots are Made for Walkin'

Once upon a time, I was a Doc Martens kind of girl. In my defense, I grew up during the era of grunge rock. I wore my over sized jeans, funky t-shirts, and flannels. With my high school graduation money, I bought myself my first (and only) pair of Docs. They were my pride & joy. I dreamt of a day when some kid at school would taunt my children with, "Your mama wears combat boots," and my children would reply with, "And your point is?"

I rocked Chuck Taylor Converse All Stars with cow spots painted on one side & daisies painted on the other. I wore black Sketchers, canvas Chinese shoes, satin embroidered slippers, crochet flats, and many other odd items of foot ware.

Things have changed. Doc Martin has changed. Now, instead of coveting a pair of Ox Blood 16 hole combat boots, I covet these (Yup, they're Docs):

With a bit of age, some help from Stacy & Clinton, and influence from the Hot Mama Revolution, I've developed a new love for shoes. Girly shoes. Shoes with pointy toes. Shoes with heels. Shoes I wouldn't have touched with a 10 foot pole in high school. Shoes better adapted to an office or a run way than a cow pasture or mine field. Shoes like these:

QM sent these up for me last weekend. She called me a few weeks back & asked my shoe size & I promptly forgot about it. Daddy gave me a big bag when he met us for our trip to the Circus Saturday. Tucked inside (along with some super cute flannel pajamas & new hair bows for Bitsy) were these fabulous boots. I immediately tried one on. Husband immediately told me I couldn't wear them to the circus. He had visions of me tumbling down the concrete steps of the arena with one of our children in my arms due to a misstep.

I've worn them everywhere since. Church on Sunday. To the eye doctor & Wal-Mart with #1 Son, B.B., and Bitsy yesterday. To take the kids to school & go visit Busha & Bucka today. They were a hit at pre-k pick up this morning.

Someday my feet & back will hate me, but for now, I'm rockin' the heels. Maybe I'll do like Sarah & wear them to vacuum.

There were showers of blessings

It's all over & everything went well! Beck was thrilled with all her gifts, the cake, the games, and the guests. QM, Princess, Grandma M&M, Unkie Di, and Grandma B all came, so along with Beck, my girls & myself, we had 9 people. Just the right size for a bride who doesn't do so well in crowds.



Busha didn't get to come because she & Uncle Gick were at the ER with Bucka. He's come down with pnemonia! He gave us all a pretty good scare Saturday morning with some confusion, a fever, chest pains, chills, and other issues. He's going to spend a few days in the hospital, but the good news (so far) is that his heart doesn't seem to be part of the problem.



Unkie Di & QM loaned us their antique snack sets. Unkie Di loaned us her candy dishes & Grandma B loaned us her punch bowl. Husband's Aunt C loaned me a fruit plate. QM brought her vintage lace table cloth & I hemed a lenght of bright pink fabric to put underneath it. The napkins were white with large pink & yellow flowers & the cake was white with blue boarder & bright pink letters. I thought it all looked very pretty & Beck loved it, so that's all that matters.



We played a memory game first. I made Beck an apron & Princess & I covered it with little things you need in your home that a bride might not register for or think to pick up. Beck wore the apron for a few minutes while everyone checked it out, then the guests had a few minutes to write down everything they remebered. Unkie Di won by remembering 17 out of 22 items. Here's a run down of some of the items: pot scraper, stapler, styptic pencil, sewing kit, rubberbands, post-its, shopping list, ladle, spatula, slotted spoon, mixing spoon, measuring cups, measuring spoons, tape, scissors, tweezers, saftey pins....and a few more.

Next we played Bride & Groom True/Fasle Trivia. 50 statements ranging from "Bubba likes Green Beans" to "Beck was a pool shark in college" to "The couple plans to move to Montana to run a small bed & breakfast" that everyone had to decide if they believed or not. QM won by only missing 7 questions.

After cake & punch, Beck opened her gifts. She was thrilled with everything they got & was repeatedly shocked to find she'd registered for certain things. "When you're shopping with Bubba, it's hard to pay attention," she told us. They got a toaster, lots of kitchen utensils, dishes, flatware, Rubbermaid containers, hand made dish cloths (that nearly left Beck in tears because it reminded her of her grandmother who passed away a few years back), magnets & pot holders made by the FarmHands, and a beautiful set of Noritaki stemware. She could not have been happier.

I keep trying to load pictures for you, but Blogger hates me today. I actually wrote this post a few days ago, but it hated me then, too & wouldn't publish. Grrr.

Smells like Safari Spirit

Last Christmas was the first Christmas my brother was both gainfully employed & had a steady girlfriend (fiance by that time). Those two things combined to make it a fairly exciting Christmas when Uncle Bubba got to our house. He brought the boys their very own Indiana Jones bull whips, BabyGirl a fabulous Fancy Nancy doll, and a Cabbage Patch Kid for Bitsy. I scored The Last Unicorn DVD & a basket of bath stuff.

When I opened the box containing the basket of bath goodies, my first words were, "Beck picked this out, didn't she?" Bubba said, "She handed it to me & said, 'This is what you're getting your sister.'" It's not that my brother doesn't give gifts I like. Bubba would get me a Labyrinth poster or the complete first season of G.I. Joe on DVD or a pair of Ox Blood Red Doc Martens, but not a bath set. Never a bath set.

It was one of those shrink wrapped deals they line the shelves with every holiday season. The "basket" was a brown faux alligator toiletry bag. The labels were all leopard print. The colors all brown & gold. It was labeled Safari Escape. It was something I'd (honestly) have passed by & never taken a second look at. I noticed the scratch-n-sniff label on the side & gave it a whiff. "Not bad," I thought. (Please do not think I wasn't happy about my gift. I was very happy with it. It just wasn't something I'd have picked out for myself. Most of my favorite gifts fall into that category.)

When I think "Safari Escape" I don't think "Good smelling bath stuff." I think Elephant poop. I think rotting water buffalo carcases crawling with vultures. I think lions sunning themselves on the savanna. I think of those giant jeep things that are a little open for my tastes when trolling through big cat country. None of these things smells particularly good in my imagination.

Much to my surprise Safari Escape smelled wonderful. I'm not a girly-girl when it comes to scents. When we were dating, I liked to wear Husband's cologne....he never did, so it's not like we matched. My favorite fragrances are usually a bit on the masculine side. I jumped on the CK One boat real quick. My current favorite is Gucci because it's not really floral or overly feminine. Safari Escape fit my bill perfectly. Sadly today, I used the very last of the body wash, the last bottle in my set.

Now I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of the bath sets at Wal-Mart hoping they'll stock Safari Escape again. Since it's Mid-July, I figure I have about 2 weeks left to wait.

Kisses, clothes, and Hula-Hoops

On the way home from town today, Husband leaned over in his seat to kiss me. It made me laugh remembering how we used to sit as close together as possible in his little Ford Ranger when we were dating. Now we sit 3 feet apart in a giant van or his Silverado. It was very sweet & made me feel young & in love again (not that I feel particularly old or don't normally love my husband....you understand, don't you?).

Then I glanced over my shoulder to see B.B. leaning as far as he could out of his booster seat to try & kiss his sister. Bitsy was trying to lean toward him, lips puckered, but the five point harness in her car seat doesn't afford her much freedom. It was so sweet.

Tonight B.B. & I have big plans. We're going to eat corn dogs & pop corn & watch my new Princess Bride 20th Anniversary edition DVD for Family Movie Night. It was part of my Mother's day/Birthday shopping trip Husband took me on today. I also came home with muffin pans, a pizza pan, new rubber spatulas, 2 tops, shorts, a summer dress, and a new purse. I'm excited.

Oh, and if you happened to stumble across a couple in Wal-Mart this morning debating the pros & cons of all the different types of Hula Hoops, while the woman was trying them all out in the aisle, it was just us. Yes, I was Hula Hooping in the store today. There's no point in getting BabyGirl a Hula Hoop if it's not easy to use, so they must be test hula'd.

Christmas Dinner...two days late.

Today is the first day since last Friday that I've felt human & whole all day long. I was so ready for it! MIL watched the older kids this morning so Husband & I could go to the grocery. We came home & played & watched movies & went out to run around in the 70 degree weather (yikes!!) & I finally got around to making the dinner I'd planned for Christmas Day. I roasted a chicken & made mashed potatoes, green beans, & sweet corn. B.B. has discovered the wide world of meat lately & was desperate for chicken. I cut some up & put it on his plate. "Yum! I love this chicken, Mom! Even the peel of the chicken is good!"

Now I'm attempting to email all the pictures from our Christmas with Uncle Bubba yesterday to QM & Daddy so everyone can see them tonight at Christmas at their house. I've tried twice only to have the emails fail on me. Grrr.

The FarmHands got quite a haul for Christmas this year. Sheets or a blanket for each kid & a big box of books, coloring books, card games, and little toys from MIL & FIL, toys, toys, and more toys from Husband & me, Indiana Jones Whips for the boys, a Cabbage Patch Preemie for Bitsy, and a Fancy Nancy doll for BabyGirl from Uncle Bubba & Aunt Beck, Bibles, a movie, and a shopping cart for Bitsy from Grammy & Pa, and lots of movies and books and other goodies.

Princess sent me two wonderful pairs of jeans (I love having a sister who works at Macy's...$88 jeans for $10). Bubba gave me the Indiana Jones trilogy & The Last Unicorn on DVD and a wonderful smelling bath set Beck picked out. QM & Daddy sent me some fabulous new kitchen knives that I threatened to use on Husband should he ever try to butcher a chicken with them.

Christmas has been good...and bad...and tiring...and difficult...and wonderful. But then things are usually like that around here.

Tomorrow night is our Candle Light Service at church. Uncle E called tonight to ask if I'd sing a special. I said yes. Now I have to find one to sing!

Monday I'm going to have my stitches taken out of my mouth. I am so ready for it! I've been done with these stupid things for three days now...unfortunately, they aren't done with me. It will be good to get that much closer to normal.

At some point I'd like to take the FarmHands to see Desperaux.

That's all the news that's fit to print.

Things are looking up

I'm feeling a bit better. Well, I'm not wishing for the grim reaper to drag me off to the river Stix at the moment, so that's a good sign. I've washed dishes, made chili to cook in the crock-pot until Husband is ready to eat, talked to Inkling for a while, and I've found a new Monkey bread recipe in hopes that I'll feel up to making it in the morning. The FarmHands are clamoring to hang their stockings, but I'm putting that off until bed time.

Uncle Little BIL came over today bearing a giant bag of gifts. The boys now have their very own Hulk Smash Fists, BabyGirl has HSM2 on DVD, and Bitsy has bucks for her savings account. Husband even snagged a real life pair of 16 oz. Everlast boxing gloves. Little BIL picked them up a few years ago but never really used them. He thought Husband & the boys would put them to good use. It's been Ali in my living room ever since.

A few days ago Bitsy wanted to play baby. She brought me a blanket & had me wrap her up & cradle her in my lap. She laughed & giggled & "baby"d to her heart's content. B.B. walked in on our game & said, "Awww, look Mommy, Bitsy is Baby Jesus!" To which Bitsy replied, "Gee-Gee," and nodded vigorously when he asked her if she was Jesus. B.B. later informed me that Bitsy was Baby Jesus "when he was one." A few minutes later he said, "Baby Jesus, now you are two!" He then took to calling her "Jesus Two" (and I was dying to say "The Sequel" but was pretty sure I'd get struck by lightning for that).

Today she was wrapped up on my lap again when B.B. came storming up with his Hulk gloves on & said, "Mom, there are bad guys over there who want to kill Baby Jesus. The Hulk will smash them!" So for the rest of the afternoon, the Hulk has been battling what I can only assume are Roman soldiers invading Bethlehem intent on the destruction of the Christ Child.

How the Hulk saved Christmas!

Yeah FarmBoy!

You know how I've been obsessing over the apple green Kitchen Aid mixer lately? Apparently Husband noticed too. When I woke up this morning (our eleventh wedding anniversary) this was sitting on my kitchen counter:

It's not apple green & it's not the biggest mixer Kitchen Aid makes, but to be honest, the one I was lusting after was way more mixer than I need. This one is just the right size for me & the white matches everything & always will (in 15 years, Apple Green may be the new Harvest Gold). And making it even better, my Husband, the man who hates to shop, got up (with out my knowledge) at 4:19 and went to Wal-Mart to face the crazy Black Friday crowds and saved $68 on it! I knew he'd left the bed room, but because I spent part of the night in the recliner with stomach problems, it didn't really phase me. He was back in bed by 5:40.

Can't help lovin' that man of mine.

We had a wonderful visit yesterday at Grandma M&M's house. My folks, Inkling's folks, & her youngest brother & his family were all there as were Uncle Greenteeth & Aunt Anita, Aunt LV (Grandma's sister) and her daughter & son-in-law. I hadn't seen Inkling's youngest brother since before Bitsy was born. She was very interested in their littlest one (BP). Aunt Anita was holding BP when she began to suspect his diaper was in need of changing. She showed him to me to confirm her suspicions. I checked his pants & said, "Yup, BP. You've pooped." This piqued Bitsy's interest. Although she refused to talk to anyone yesterday, she went around & pointed & gestured & told everyone that Baby BP pooped in his diaper. Fascinating.

The kids all put on their matching jammies & had their pictures taken with G'ma & G'pa M&M and then with FarmBoy & me. Hopefully we got one for the Christmas cards. The picture below is Bitsy & me in our matching jammies. I love them!! I may live in them all winter.

The only damper on the day was my stomach. I've been having trouble on & off for the last week (not pregnant). Wednesday night it felt like everything I swallowed stayed in my esophagus. Yesterday the feeling continued. So even though there was a magnificent spread & I was so hungry for deep fried turkey, cranberry salad, mashed potatoes, green beans, Aunt Anita's broccoli casserole, sweet corn, dressing, and hot rolls (yum....), I ate about 5 bites & couldn't swallow any more. I was not happy. But my cousins packed up my plate so I could bring it home. I didn't even attempt the (beautiful) pecan pie. :(

Because of my stomach issues, I'm not sure how we're going to celebrate our anniversary. We have decided to wait until tomorrow to go out so QM & Daddy can watch the FarmHands. Their Uncle Little BIL wants to take them to see Bolt, so we might do that today.

I hope you all had wonderful Thanksgivings! I'm off to gaze happily at my new mixer & enjoy the beginning of our 12th year together.

Why we heart Belk's & QM's shopping abilities.

You may or may not know that the Queen Mother (all hail the Queen Mother) likes to shop. I wouldn't go so far as to call her a compulsive shopper. It's not really her main hobby. She's not a serious bargain/freebie hunter like my Aunt Silverbelle. But the woman can shop.

Last week she called wanting to know the sizes of all the FarmHands as well as myself. Belk's was having a sale. She & HT went shopping. Today we got a giant box from UPS that looked like HT had wrestled it to the floor so Mama could pack it.

Oh the clothes! Oh the clothes, clothes, clothes, clothes, clothes, clothes, clothes! And much to the FarmHands' chagrin, not all of it was for them. I now have to make room in my closet for my new wardrobe. Yeah me!

And one little HMR post about my new obsession with bracelets & my longing for Bakelite and this is what happens:

I am a happy girl today.

To be honest, I've accomplished little from my to-do list today. One load of dishes, two beds stripped, one dishwasher load run.... & now I have to add more laundry and cleaning out BabyGirl's drawers to incorporate her new wardrobe. But that's OK. She'll be the best dressed girl in second grade....if she gets dressed. And I have two little boys who are absolutely over the moon for their new swim trunks. I'm waiting for them to ask to wear them to town.

Blankets, Allegies, And Coyotes! Oh My!

I finished the blanket, three burp cloths, and taggy for Scottie & May's baby shower (all modeled by Baby Rose. She's Bitsy's birthday present from B.B. He named her, "A'cause I buyed it for her!"). Now if only my kids would get well enough that I can go....guess we'll find out on Saturday. If they're still ill, and Husband has to work, I'll be housebound. Crumb (that's my new word...well, not really new but I've only recently realized just how much I use it).

I really need to start going to bed at a decent time. Last night I stayed up until 11:30. The night before that I didn't turn in until after midnight. It wouldn't be a big deal if my kids weren't waking me up a minimum of 6 times a night & getting up for good around 7 am. Makes for one cranky, sleep deprived, zombie of a mom.

My allergies are in high gear this morning. I'm waiting impatiently for my Claritin to kick in. Normally I'd say ragweed or milk weed is making me itchy & sneezy, but Inkling has currently brought to my attention that it may in fact be a laundry allergy. There is a basket of blue jeans needing to be put up in my living room & I did fold & put away 3 loads of towels last night & I have to strip the beds today....so yes, it's definitely the laundry.

I keep forgetting to tell you all that we found out what happened to my diamond. It's an interesting story...I only wish I knew all of it, but we only have bits & pieces at the moment. Apparently bad coyotes "stoled" it. At least that's what B.B. said. It's either that or, "A bad guy what didn't have a girl to marry stoled it. Then he got in his car & he went & he got there and he founded a girl to marry. And the girl what he's going to get married to was in the car & now they're married." At least it went to good use.

Before you start thinking B.B. is making up stories to cover his own crime, let me assure you, he makes up stories about EVERYTHING. After Bucka had his bypass last December, B.B. informed me a bad skunk scratched Bucka all up & that's why he had to get all those stitches. Every time we went over there, B.B. had to check Bucka's skunk scratches. Maybe he'll be a writer when he grows up....no, wait, I forgot. He's not going to grow up because he doesn't want me to die. At least until he's good & mad at me. Then he threatens to grow up so I will die. Can you feel the love?

Houston, We have Zune

If you don't hear from me for a few days it's because I've entered the world of Zune & may never return. 700+ songs. 150 or so pictures. I still have 71G left to fill. I'm hurriedly ripping my entire CD collection (including our extensive collection of Veggie Tales CD's) into my computer. This could take a while...well, not really. I don't have that many CD's.

In the meantime I've learned that those brief moments of feeling decent in the midst of a horrible head cold should be used to their full advantage. As of 8 am I had scrubbed both bathrooms, made tea, folded & put away 2 loads of laundry, washed one load and had a second washing, washed the big dishes left over from yesterday, made the boys' beds, scrubbed both bathrooms, vacuumed the entire house, cleaned up from breakfast, dressed & sent 2 off to school, & picked up the kitchen.

Now Husband is fixing the drywall in the kids bathroom...why, you ask? Because #1 Son didn't believe me when I said hanging from the towel rack was a bad idea. This has been a problem from the time we moved in. I guess it was only a matter of time....but I'm still not happy. I was making BabyGirl's breakfast when I heard a crash. I ran to the bathroom to find the boy sitting on the bath mat looking rather confused & very worried. He had every right to be worried. When the rack came down it brought big chunks of dry wall with it! Grrr...

Just for me?

Oh My Goodness!! The New Kids on the Block kick off their world tour on my birthday!! It's fate. It's also Jordan's birthday. Which is the sole reason he was my favorite New Kid. *Sigh* They planned it that way, didn't they?

Good day. Played outside. Played at the Playground. Played at Uncle E's. Saw Beffie's Prom pictures. Husband ordered a tiller for himself (he hates borrowing). Plan on watching House tonight & possibly Stardust. Found out QM & Daddy got me a ROCKIN' birthday present...but I'm not telling you what it is...unless you ask nicely.

Speaking of asking nicely, it's that day again. Ask FarmWife. So, waddayawannaknow?

I have a question. How do you keep your house clean in the summer? I cannot bear to keep the FarmHands inside in the summer. I cannot let them run loose outside unsupervised for more than 30 minutes (and even that is not truly unsupervised time). While I'm outside with them, my house seems to fall apart at the seams. Maybe if I cleaned it up & kept it that way, I'd be OK....Oy.

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away

Yesterday we made the trek to Grandma & Grandpa M&M's house. BabyGirl didn't want to leave the house, but eventually gave in and graced us with her very grumpy presence. Bitsy spent the entire trip either sleeping or happily playing. BabyGirl spent the entire trip asking how much longer it would take & picking fights with everyone in the van. The boys started asking for snacks as soon as we pulled out of the driveway. It was FABULOUS!

But it was well worth the trouble to get to spend some time visiting with G'ma & G'pa & Aunt Silverbelle. Uncle Greenteeth is sick, so we didn't get to see him. Bitsy ate a big helping of Grandma's mashed potatoes, BabyGirl ate a little of everything, B.B. ate sweet corn, and #1 Son ate ketchup & bread. Go figure.

They even made it through most of lunch before they asked about M&M's. When we went on a family vacation a few years back, Inkling's mom, my Aunt D, brought a big bag of M&M's with her. They stayed in a lodge house with G'ma & G'pa. G'ma got credit (from my children) for the M&M's & they've been Grandma & Grandpa M&M's ever since. Unless you ask B.B. He calls them Gwandma & Gwandpa Em-da-lems (that's B.B. speak for you).

The shower went smashingly...RA got lots of goodies & her baby boy is due to make his appearance on Easter Sunday. I'm very excited for them. I know there were fertility treatments involved, but I'm not sure how far down that road they had to go.

The trip home was peaceful & uneventful. Blessedly. Most everyone slept the first half of the drive & I got to read Villette. The last half of the drive, I sat in between B.B. & Bitsy, fed her bananas, and played the Fantastic 4 with him. He wasn't too happy that I said The Human Torch had to stay in his car seat to save the day. Mean Mom.

Today I picked up a package QM sent to Busha's house. I am now the proud owner of 2 more velour track suits (of the sexier variety than the ones your grandma wears to play bridge with the ladies at the retirement village). They are my new uniform. And cute too!

I also have a copy of The Shack, Inkling. I'll start reading soon. Just let me finish my SPD book, and get to a good stopping place in the two others I'm working on.

One last Christmas

We had 4 Thanksgivings. That was fun. We only had one Christmas. That was fun too...but today we had Christmas #2 with QM & Daddy. I am now the proud owner of a new mattress cover (exactly what I asked for). Husband got a LED/Halogen rechargeable million candle flashlight & a new quilted flannel. The kids all got movies & a collection of Dover puzzle books. Bitsy got a Church Toy bag (it's a bag to carry her quiet toys to church in) and she had plenty of wrapping paper to chew on.

One of the movies the kids got is the Pixar Short Film collection. If you have any of the Pixar DVD's you know the short films are great, but it gets old having to change out DVDs so you can watch a 4 minute film. The put them all on one DVD & the kids were thrilled (as am I).

Then Mama & Daddy headed back to their little realm. Mama's not been home since Bucka's surgery. While she was up here, Bubba moved out. He's renting a town house with a friend who's going through a divorce. At 26 he's growing up. Mama's going home to find out what he's left behind for her to sort through. For the first time in almost 32 years, QM & Daddy will be living alone. I think they need a dog.

It's supposed to turn cold tomorrow...really cold. I'm hoping the cold snap will be enough to kill all the germs circulating before the kids have to go back to school. I'm sick of them being sick. I'd like a week when we don't have to go to the doctor!

Please keep praying for Livy, Breezy, and Aunt CB. As of now, they aren't sure what happened to their father. The car was wrecked & he was a good distance away from it. There are conflicting stories & a lot of speculation right now. There will be an autopsy within the next few days & the funeral will be later this week. The girls seemed to be holding up well at church today, but I know appearances can be deceiving.

Things are looking up...again.

Good news: Bitsy does not have Strep throat. Bad news: Bitsy has an ear infection. This is her second so far. I got a tad worried considering BabyGirl & #1 Son's histories, but the NP thought she was doing pretty good. Her last ear infection was in August, so I guess that's acceptable. I'd be happier if there were no infections...but what can you do?

I'm feeling leaps & bounds better, so that is yet another plus. Daddy & I took the microwave back last night & the new one is behaving much better. I'm relived. I did not want to have to take my small appliances down a notch. I'm trying to be a better, happier employer.

QM & Daddy came in yesterday afternoon bearing gifts from Aunt Silverbelle & Uncle Greenteeth. Can I just say, Aunt Silverbelle can pick out the cutest things ever?! She sent Bitsy a plush barn with a flip open roof. Inside are a rooster, pig, cow, and duck that make the appropriate noises. She also sent her Busy Lil' Honeybee. Isn't she adorable? Aunt Silverbelle, do you know that I call Bitsy "Bitsy Bee"? She loves her new baby! The older kids got Color Wonder stuff & puzzles. BabyGirl's puzzle makes a ball covered in Disney Princesses & the boys are Cranium games. They are all thrilled!

Daddy went with me to take Bitsy to the doctor while QM stayed here with the big kids to Color Wonder & build puzzle balls. When the NP checked Bitsy ears, She said, "Here, I want to show Dad this ear." It took me a second but I realized she thought Daddy was Bitsy's Daddy. I said, "No, that's Pa. He's my daddy." NP looked at him, then at me and said, "You're kidding. Honey, you've got good genes! You'll never look old! Heck, she only looks like she's 20 now." It's not the first time we've had people think that. If they look closer, it's kind of hard to miss how much I look like my dad, but then QM has been mistaken for his sister on more than one occasion. Odd?

Build-A-Family

When I was pregnant with BabyGirl, Daddy called me and said, "Your mom & I went to the mall this weekend & found the coolest place. You can build your own teddy bear! When you come down next month, we'll go and build one for the baby." I went down to visit the beginning of April before BabyGirl was born in June & he took Princess & me to Build-A-Bear Workshop. I thought it was the coolest thing ever!

Since then, he's built a bear for each of his grandkids. BabyGirl's was the only one built before the baby was born. I think it's a really fun tradition.

Yesterday during Bucka's nap time, Princess, Bubba, HT, Daddy, Bitsy, and I headed to the mall to build a bear for the newest member of our family.

In the picture, left to right, are the bears. The black bear is BabyGirl's bear 'Ivory' (only my dad would name a black bear Ivory). Next to her is #1 Son's bear 'Huckleberry,' named by QM and me. We were building him when we looked at each other and said, "I'll be your huckleberry." B.B.'s is the orange bear. His name is 'B.B. Squeaks.' When B.B. was little Uncle Gick called him B.B. because he was breech (Butt Backwards) and I called him Squeaks because that's what he did...all night long every night! So yesterday when it came time to name Bitsy's bear, Pa was looking through the list of names when I said, "We should name her 'Bitsy.'" Pa thought that was appropriate, so 'Bitsy' she is. H.T. has a biker bear named 'Spike' complete with a Harley shirt & boots.

Of course this has prompted BabyGirl to inform me that she didn't get to make her own bear. I told her if she likes she can save up her Christmas money this year (which I usually squirrel away into her savings) and we can make a trip to Build-A-Bear...which means the boys will probably have to save their Christmas money as well.

Christmas is coming

The Christmas Tree Fairy came to my house today. Not only did she give me a beautiful tree, but she helped me set it up, and brought her children to play with mine while we sat and visited. Thank you so very much, Brando. I promise to give your tree a good home...you can assure Yuri of that. He seemed a tad concerned.

We're watching Nanny McPhee. I love this movie! It's so sweet.