Breakfast

I seriously just told my daughter if you don't eat food (namely breakfast) you will die, in a desperate attempt to get her to eat SOMETHING this morning. Whoops. I know that will slip of the tongue will come back to haunt me. I really am at a loss for how to get her to eat, especially in the mornings. It's like anything that is a breakfast food is repulsive to her palate. So for now, we have settled for leftover Little Caesars from last night.

This recipe my mom gave me is a breakfast cookie from Weight Watchers. I'm going to be trying this tomorrow!

Breakfast Cookie
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Bake 20 to 25 minutes - spray cookie sheet with Pam

1/3 cup oats
1 Tbl. flour
1 Tbl. splenda
1 Tbl. raisins, cranberries, maybe chocolate chips...
1/3 cup dry non-fat powdered milk
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup applesauce

Mix dry ingredients, stir in applesauce.
Spread batter on cookie sheet into a 5 or 6" circle. Bake 20 or 25 minutes

Put batter on the cookie sheet and flatten out to cookie sized thickness, and watch your toddler scarf this baby down.

Thanks. Thanks a lot, Mom.

Toddler transformation complete. 'Han' Montana shirt in possession thanks to Grandma. Doesn't matter that she has never seen one episode. She knows that it symbolizes the passing of babyhood, and in her words is "getting bigger." She may think so, but I will choose to remember her pull-up that is on underneath this t-shirt. I will take night-time bed wetting if that means she'll stay this way a little longer. :)

Summer days

Eating

Beading

Reading
However politically incorrect this 1988 version of Sir Topham Hat, Greyson loves it all the same.

Curves

I sort of laughed today when I drove by Sonic, and saw a vehicle with 'Curves' logos all over it going through the drive through. I think Curves is a work out place next to Jimmy Johns...? I don't know, but I got tickled. I hope I'm not sticking my foot in my mouth in case I know someone that owns that place or goes there, but it sort of seems doomed for failure. It shares a wall with a sandwich shop, and is way too close to Sonic and McDonalds for comfort. (As noted in the drive through comment). Sort of like the jazzercize place next to Daylight Donuts. I eat an extra doughnut every Saturday morning just to cover my guilt at not being across the parking lot working out with the other spandex-clad women.

I should be ashamed. That Curves car was probably ordering a salad and Route 44 water in that drive through. That's more than I can say for my yogurt and chocolate chip cookie lunch.

Things

I don't know what is wrong with me lately. I cry at the drop of a hat, namely when I think about my baby girl going to pre-k in ONE MONTH! I'm hyperventilating just typing those last two words. As she lays curled up watching Super Why in her chenille blanket of choice each morning, I realize these days are so fleeting and precious. In one month I will find myself asking what color of safety scissors she wants to pick out on the school supply aisle, will be frantically slathering peanut butter on pieces of bread in a hurried rush to get to school on time, and will attempt to navigate my way each morning into a drop off lane filled with other heartbroken, hopeful, and bewildered parents.

Lord, let these times slow down a little. Help me keep her close - the smell of her sweaty tangled hair as her head rests on my shoulder singing 'Nearer, Still Nearer' on Sunday morning. The way her long gangly legs hang halfway to the floor as she sits in my welcoming lap. The need to be babied and grown up all in the same moment. I feel her independence creeping ever nearer, like a necessary yet unwelcome thief stealing her last bits of babyhood. KNOWING it's all part of God's plan, and trying not to fight it with every ounce of my being. Can't I just stop time right here and embrace her as tightly as I can until this all passes by?

I know I can't.... but today, I wish I could.

The grossest thing

I thought the grossest thing was curdled milk in a sippy cup. (You know..the kind that the cup rolls under a couch and you find a week later.) I take it back - the grossest thing is buying turkey cutlets from Wal-Mart on July 20th that say 'USE BY JULY 3RD'!!!!!!! I got those babies home a few minutes ago, and have used half my can of febreeze trying to de-funktify the kitchen. Man, how I didn't smell those at the store or in the car I don't know. Super gross.

Poor thing

Last night at church, Raegan's bible class helper asked me, "Does Raegan not like to answer questions?" "Because when she is called on by Mrs. McBride, she sometimes gets really nervous and runs to sit in my lap." I was surprised to hear this, because Raegan is the opposite of shy and fearful. SO...I found out she is so nervous because the questions that you bring back and put in the basket each Wed. night have your name on them, and YOU WILL BE CALLED ON when she pulls your sheet with the questions. It's like you're saying, "I am not JUST bringing these questions back to get a prize...the main reason is because I worked hard on them all week with my parents so I can learn more about the BIBLE, and am prepared for you to call on me."

Duh. I can really miss the boat sometimes. We worked on those questions the first couple of weeks, but then somehow neglected to do that the last few times. Like an idiot, I let her take her questions back each week, only to be called on and have no clue what the teacher was asking. Now my child is probably scarred for life at being called on in class, and will be one of those girls on the Dateline specials that gets overshadowed and ignored by more dominant kids in the class, thus affecting her grades, self-esteem, and ultimately acceptance into college. Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration - but we WILL be working on our questions this week! Parents of soon to be 3 and 4 year olds - you've been warned!

Best getaway...

What's the most fun mini-vacation you have had that is close to home? Our family isn't taking our usual trip to Colorado this summer, and I am dying to go to a State Park or something. Just to get out of town and go somewhere fun with the kids for a weekend. I just don't have a clue of where to go! Help me out here, or we'll end up at Arcadia.

True, and you know it.

We're back

Yesterday we went down to Bokchito for a whirlwind trip celebrating Erick's Grandpa's 97th birthday. That's right...his Grandpa!!! Erick's mom was born late in the life of her parents...her mom was 46 when she was born. Grandpa is as sharp as a tack, and remembered to ask me the obligatory question "Did you bring that fiddle?" Here are some pictures which will probably only interest our family, but here they are anyways.

The family with Grandpa Clint.

This pick up game with newfound friend cousin Phoenix lasted ALL DAY.

Erick and his cousin Farron. Twins separated by a moustache, glasses, and 20 years...scary.

Grandkids and Great-Grandkids. Which one of these things is not like the others? That's right..my pale little blue eyed German amidst a sea of tanned Choctaws. Sorry sweetie.

My favorite picture of the day. Grandpa looking at a picture of himself on a cell phone. Talk about two worlds colliding.

Leaving town and I get this

Raegan just asked me if she can have a Hannah Montana shirt. I'm officially marking this as the end of toddler-hood, and am bawling about it.

The new babysitter

This is what I found in my fridge when I got home today from running errands and leaving the kids with the sitter. Raegan's leftover yogurt, with her initial and the date of consumption. My new babysitter comes each time bearing her official babysitter t-shirt that says "Babysitter, red cross certified" as well as her huge red cross backpack, containing first aid kits, fun toys, prizes for being good, and no telling what else. Probably some sort of book on surviving a natural disaster while babysitting children. VOLUNTARILY tells me what they did while I was away. Lives within biking distance, and is home schooled. Uber responsible, and probably more mature than me and Erick combined. I'd tell you her name, but I would have to kill you.

Check it out

When you get a chance, head over to my friend Amy's new blog Mom Spark. She's looking for more contributers, too. I love blogs that share authors.

Update: Thanks Summer and Amy for shaming me into using the link function on my husband's laptop. SOOOOO...please check out Mom Spark here.

Bridesmaid Barbie

That's right. We may not be sleeping, but at least we figured out Erick's laptop is the updated Safari wonderland I have been needing to allow me to upload creepy videos like these. Thanks, Summer, for buying Raegan this second-rate bridesmaid. Despite what you may think, she really loves it, and wouldn't trade it for Mia's wedding day Barbie in a million years. ;)

Not sure what is happening

Here.

Here.

Or here.

And I'm not convinced that Raegan isn't up to something in each picture. Those big blues don't fool me a bit.

Just. Don't. Do. It.

My friends, please know that spending that extra .75 cents at Starbucks is well worth avoiding the havoc that this drink will wreak on your body. Don't be fooled...they don't call this the McColonic for nothing.

4th

(my brother and sis-in-law's new babies)

Fear is...

Having this happen to Joanne North's Artemis idol (that she scoured the streets during her third trip to Epheses for) while under your care. An unnamed party knocked the statue over, and during the next VBS class when I went to pick it up, the top part was hanging by a hinge. Running around like a crazed Brady son (remember the broken vase episode), some good-doers (Summer and Sada) attempted to glue it together with craft glue. All of this for naught as I am setting the tray of cookies down during the last class, and in slow motion I see a little boy pick it up and sling it forward like it's a light saber, as Artemis' gooey headpiece finally comes unhinged and catapults 10 feet forward and slams into a wall.

Not good because I was SPECIFICALLY INSTRUCTED TO WATCH OVER THIS IDOL AS IT IS VERY BREAKABLE. My only consolation is that Joanne cracked a smile when telling me that it was only an idol after all - they all break. (I'm confident she's quietly mourning inside). On the way home to top it all off, my little darling told me to SHUT UP when I informed her we would not be watching TV when we got home. Upon hearing this new choice phrase she undoubtedly picked up at VBS (ironic), after I remembered I hadn't breathed in ten seconds out of complete shock, I had to pull into the Chili's parking lot and spank her. Maybe overreacting, but man...not something you say to me if you want to live to see tomorrow.

So, I will choose to remember some other highlights of this evening, as opposed to the unfortunate disfiguration and demise of Artemis, and the first pull off the side of the road 'don't make me come back there' backtalking incident.