Bob the Builder & Monster Trucks

I have a birthday coming up tomorrow. It will be my last birthday in my 30's. Ahh - I will enjoy it. You might remember that last year I was going to have a Bob the Builder birthday party. Then on the day of my birthday, it was changed to a backhoe birthday. Oh, indecision. This year I was going to have a Bob the Builder birthday cake again and just when I thought I had the greatest idea of how to make a round cake into the head of Bob with cupcakes for his ears and a hard hat, it was changed again. Dollar Tree had Monster Truck birthday stuff and Little Man couldn't resist. Did I fail to mention that Little Man shares a birthday with me? Makes more sense now? Yeah, he's turning 4 and has no concept of time. I made the mistake of mentioning his birthday was next after Lydia's. Hours, days, minutes, years...they are all the same to him. Is his birthday after lunch today? Will it be after nap? After Sunday School? Tears...wailing...."WHEN THEN? You said after Lydia's birthday and it's after Lydia's birthday." Note to self...don't mention the chronology of birthdays to children who have not covered time in homeschool math.

So I guess I don't mind the Monster Truck theme. I think I have a great cake pattern for that with doughnuts for the wheels. I will decide the cake and ice cream flavor though. Gotta draw the line somewhere. After all, it is my birthday too. And since 2012 will be my big decade, we might just have a cowgirl party next year since I'm a cowgirl-wanna-be. I don't think Little Man will mind that.

Heel and Toe - Tap Tap Tap!

There's this little song that my kids have learned at library story hour called "Wind the Bobbin." Lydia has become obsessed with it. That's the only song she will sing and when we went to VA to see Mimi, she asked me to sing it to her constantly. She's not 100% performing in this video clip (it seemed like a Mama solo to me - sorry about that!) but she did some of it. Just thought ya'll like to hear her talk a little bit.

Turkish Treats

My mom was QUEEN at care packages when I was in college. She used to stock up after each season and save them until the next year. Glow-in-the-dark ghost boxer shorts, valentine heart socks, miniature Christmas trees with ornaments, Easter bunny decorations not to mention all the good candy that goes with each season. Now that my role is no longer a college student but a mother of 6, I don't usually receive care packages. Today I got one and it was the highlight of our morning. My SIL sent us a care package from Turkey. The photo shows you the most interesting food items in the box. I test tasted each one and they are so yummy. A little bug guy filled with a chocolate spread, whole dried figs, jelly/rubber covered walnut sticks and sesame something chunk that tastes like sugar. That would be my redneck title to each one. The Fish Sticks also got notes from their cousins with little goodies too. What fun!! Thanks so much, SIL! The Fed Ex guy brought us joy today.

Lightning Strikes Twice

I consider myself to be a city-girl-turned-country. I love living on our small acreage with elbow room to grow. The taste of spring weather turns my mind cranking about my garden to plant and my egg-laying and meat-providing chickens to order. Rocking on chairs on the front porch and hearing crickets over the pond are things I long to do until my hair turns gray. Hearing roosters crow in the morning are like music to my ears except this past weekend.

At 4:30 on Saturday and Sunday morning I awoke to hearing a VERY LOUD rooster crow. It sounded like it was in the house, it was so loud. Now I normally wake up at 5:30 to exercise with my Man on the WEEKDAYS, but sleeping until 6:30 on the weekends is a schedule I cherish and clearly Lightning the Rooster wasn't aware of my feelings. On Sunday I got up and shoved 2 balls of cotton in my ears and tried to return to my pillow. At 6:00 I could take it no more (Haven't I seen a Looney Tunes cartoon with this theme?). I walked into the kitchen and it sounded like it was directly under my feet. Went into the basement and lo and behold, there was Lightning and Peach (his little Misses) perched on the top rafters of the garage door (directly under the hardwood floors of the kitchen) crowing his lungs out.

Mystery solved. Fish Sticks questioned as to who left that garage door opened days ago. "Not Me" was the culprit again. Wish that unwanted 7th child of mine would get some responsibility quick so I can get some much needed shut eye.

In Memory Of...

Caleb just started baseball practice with his school team. He told me he was a little disappointed that he couldn't get his numbers: 11 and 23. I asked him why 11 and 23. He said that 11 was the day that Amos was born and 23 was the day that Amos died.

Today marks 1 year since our beloved 13 1/2 year old black lab died. I won't lie and say that I don't tear up every time I think about him, because I do. Getting our puppy, Autumn, this past fall has been an adventure. As cute and playful as puppies are, they are a ton of work too...especially for this already busy Mama. I think Autumn is finally house broke...mostly....if you don't count the puddle I cleaned up this morning. I think she has quit chewing up everything in sight, or maybe we've just learned to pick up our things better....nah, probably not.

We have 2 indoor dogs now. We love them both, but honestly, Amos is just irreplaceable. Maybe it was the lab thing...you know, very intelligent, perfect family dog. Sometimes I think Autumn might be a special needs dog. I guess that's where my master's degree will come in handy. She hasn't picked up on my training attempts as fast as Amos had. She occasionally walks into things too. She will actually turn down Beggin' Strips sometimes, but will consume bark and sticks. Amos never liked to be without us. He followed into the bathroom even. Autumn hides out from us sometimes and prefers being outside more than inside, no matter the weather. Autumn's sweet and it's been good for the kids to have a puppy, but she's no Amos. Amos was so smart that our dog trainer had suggested we sign him up for commercial acting. Tim and I trained him one evening in our early marriage to open the fridge, retrieve a Mountain Dew and bring it to Tim on the couch. It was a great trick until his teeth punctured the soda can and it spewed everywhere! He was just a smart dog.

So today my thoughts are consumed with sweet memories and sadness of the events that led to his death last February 23. He was just a really good dog and we sure do miss him.

Cindy Lou Who?

And because Dr. Seuss' birthday is next week,
here's our tribute to the man who wrote great books.

Doesn't she belong in Whooville??

Face Painting

I think I've mentioned this before, but we have a friend who is a photographer for Lifeway and occasionally takes our family's photos to use with the Southern Baptist Sunday School curriculum. This past Saturday he needed a photo of Tim and Ruth posing with a piece of birthday cake. When they were finished, he asked if he could practice his face painting skills on the kids. They all gave a loud "YES!" 2 of the girls were gone, but the 3 left loved the results.
This Little Guy was so thrilled to be Batman. He cried that night when I made him wash it off for church the next morning. He said through his tears, "Mommy, I will wear it to church and when people look at me I will smile and it will make them happy. PLEASE!" It broke my heart to say no.
Caleb chose to be a knight and then off he headed to a birthday party where he sported his new look proudly. Braveheart, watch out!
And this little princess went back and forth on what she wanted. She finally opted for this fairy look. I forgot to take another photo after he put jewels stuck to her forehead. Check out Dan's web page on the link above. He does amazing artwork too! We welcome him back for another fun shoot!

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day just wouldn't be Valentine's Day in the Fish House without the Cherry Berries On a Cloud Valentine Heart Dessert that my mom made for us growing up. After making it yearly for the last 11 years, I finally feel that I have mastered the art of meringue (marin-goo, as Caleb calls it to be silly).
This year I started a new tradition, Valentine's Sweetheart Trail Mix. It was a hit and so I think the tradition will continue. Since I am not so good at always following recipes to a tee, I thought I'd show you the bags of what I put in it so you can try it too. Mini pretzels, dried cranberries, Valentine M&M's, mini marshmallows, conversation hearts, yogurt covered raisins and teddy grahams. The only rule: Don't pick out the healthy stuff or you can't have 2nds. They didn't all follow the rule. They quickly figured out that someone was willing to trade the yogurt raisins for the cranberries and so forth.

And 16 years ago on Valentine's Day, My Man told me those 3 precious words that I had been longing to hear for several months by then. They still make my heart flutter today just like they did back then. I'm one blessed girl!!

Budding Artist

As I have mentioned before, my girls love art. They spend hours and hours coloring and cutting and gluing. When Ruth was 3, I remember her coming home from Sunday School and telling me that everyone in her class just scribbled on their papers. I didn't think much of it until I was a substitute teacher in her class and realized that Ruth was right. They did all scribble and her coloring really stood out above the rest. Ruth just turned 6 and cranked these 2 pictures out today. I was so impressed. Wonder if we could make a profession of this one day?

I Didn't Know

Before Lydia and I took our trip to VA to see my grandmother, I borrowed a framed portrait of Mimi. I wanted to show Lydia and get her accustomed to seeing Mimi and calling her by name so that she'd be familiar as soon as we arrived.

This weekend, Lydia was sitting in my lap at the computer and pointed to this oil painting of a hispanic elderly man. She said, "Mimi!" I asked her questions to make sure I knew what she was talking about. She was CERTAIN that this painting was Mimi. Well, gray, short hair and a walking stick....maybe it could be ???!!!!

It didn't matter what I thought; Lydia was certain it was Mimi and she was thrilled. If only I knew we already had a displayed portrait of Mimi, I wouldn't have had to borrow my moms.

Re-group and Re-evaluate

I know that most of my readers might be under the impression that the Fish Sticks are perfect children, I am the perfect housewife and peace abounds in our home (Our families are laughing right now!) Although I strive to be the "Leave it to Beaver" mother, always smiling and cheerful, keeping a tidy home with a hot meal each night, sometimes it just isn't the case. Although the Fish Sticks are super wonderful kiddos, we have our moments of discord.

Just recently My Man and I had a Fish Stick Pow Wow. We were seeing and hearing way too much arguing, pestering, and selfishness among the Fish Sticks that was very disheartening. I called my Bender Buddy (mother of 11) to seek advice and encouragement. She gave me 3 very helpful pointers. They are too rich not to share.

1. When kids can't treat their siblings better than their friends,
then they have no friends (or entertainment).
2. Look for the kids that need attention and to be "filled up"
and spend additional time with them.
3. Don't lecture. Let God's Word speak for you.

For the last 2 weeks we announced that we are taking a break from all forms of electronic entertainment. No tv. No Wii. No computer games. (They usually only get those on the weekend and only for 1 hour anyway.) No play dates with friends. We have kind of dropped the ball on Daddy Dates due to cold weather, Tim's need for wind-down time after a hard day of work and lack of creativity on my part to find a cheap, quick entertainment for Tim and the kids. Now we will begin having a late night on Friday nights with a Fish Stick. It will be a surprise (they won't know who's turn it is) and they will get to stay up 2 hours late with Mommy and Daddy and do what they think would be fun for us. When I have been correcting the kids, I have broken out my "For Instructions in Righteousness" book by Doorposts. It's a topical study guide for childhood behaviors with scripture references. Instead of giving them a lecture on obedience, I read verses that apply to the offense and then ask them what they think God has to say about what they just did. It's been very beneficial to both me and the Fish Stick.
So weekends have looked a bit different for us. No play dates with other friends. They have had to play with only each other. No tv on Saturday mornings, instead we have found them playing Uno, making forts, coloring, playing dress-up, and just plain being creative and having FUN.
Mommy: "Are you girls playing in the chicken coop?"
Ruth: "Yes. I am the rich girl and Leah is the poor girl. This is her house."
Mommy: "Sounds like fun. Watch where you step!"
Not only is there more peace and harmony in our home, but Saturday was very productive as we worked in the cold and for a few minutes, snowy weather to get our flowerbeds trimmed and cleaned up. The Fish Sticks earned enough to help with a service project through our Community Group.

It was time to regroup and refocus with fresh ideas. There's just nothing like spending time as a family!

Book Arrived

I was so happy to get my 2010 blog book published. The Fish Sticks, My Man and I have all loved going through it and reading it, reminiscing about all the events of this past year. It was a little bit thicker this year than last year and almost 200 pages, but I opted to have the photos placed according to the copy instead of in the smooshed together to utilize space. It was worth the extra money. Thanks Mimi for sending us Christmas money to make our family history book!

Sisters

My younger sister and I are 8 years apart. You might think that would mean that we aren't close, but on the contrary. She and I are just as close as my sister who is 16 months older than I. When she was born, I was the happiest 2nd grader ever. I went to school with a sign safety pinned on my shirt announcing her arrival complete with all the necessary weight and height information. I called her my "Buddy" and even had a little song that I sang to her.

Now I have a daughter who has a little sister 8 years younger. She wanted her baby sister to share a room with her. She plays with her little sister more than her other 2 sisters. She is like a 2nd mom. This a.m. she wanted them to match clothes. My little sister had given my girls adorable leg warmers for Christmas and I made the girls skirts to go with them. AB dressed LL this a.m. but when she tried on her own black shirt, she realized it was too small. She switched to white but had a hard time convincing her now 2 year old (catch that?? Two year old on the verge of terrible sometimes?) sister to switch to white also. So here they are.

What joy it brings me to see their friendship so strong despite the age gap and to consider how much I love my little sis to this very day. Not a week goes by when we haven't spoken several times on the phone even though she lives on the west coast. There's just something strong about the bond of sisters!

Welcome New Tea Pot

As I've mentioned recently, I have become a tea lover over the last few years. Funny thing that I didn't become a tea lover until AFTER I lived in Asia.

I also love teapots. This beautiful set My Man got in Hungary on a mission trip just months before our first date.

This one I bought in Singapore, but it's from Thailand.

This one matches my beautiful china that my Mimi Payne passed down to me when I got married.

And this is my newest one. On my recent visit to see Mimi, I saw this in her china cabinet and commented how I remember the adults drinking coffee from those mugs without handles, but I had no idea that there was a teapot to go with them. Mimi said that Papa had purchased them for her in Japan during WWII. I loved it even more and Mimi said I was welcome to have it.

I couldn't wait to surprise the Fish Sticks with our favorite activity...a tea party...with my new Japanese tea set. The boys were even happy to be included especially when they saw these on the table....

Thanks so much, Mimi for adding to my teapot collection.
Fish Sticks LOVE tea parties!! It will not go dusty in our house.

Birthday 2 to a Close

And what is a birthday in the Fish House without Oreo Ice Cream Cake? Due to late basketball ball games (our last ones), we had to celebrate at 8:00 p.m. but the Fish Sticks didn't mind.

Helping little sis put up her 2 fingers.

My camera messed up for some reason on my close ups but you get the picture that her face and her tummy enjoyed the cake!