Okay, since I am the only one who seems to not be able to get pictures on in the way I want them they are all out of order. So just scroll around and use your imagination...



Here is Nurse Aunt giving Aunt Mama Hen and me "the Look" after we expressed remorse that we were just sitting at the table enjoying ourselves while she was putting dishes away. I quickly retracted my remorse and informed her that we should let Nurse Aunt do it because she is never here to do it when we have to!

Favorite Nephew's first taste of lemon. He really liked it and kept asking for more.

Here is Nurse aunt putting dishes away. Builds character...I mean in those that don't have children. Me, that's why I got one.

Writer Cousin striking a pose. I'm pretty sure he won't sit like that anymore after he gets a load of this. Favorite Girl says he's "the craziest one. And he likes Kung-Fu Panda."

Favorite Nephew and I am sure his favorite cousin playing ball with best granny's grapefruits. I'm sure those were the juiciest grapefruits the next morning for breakfast.

There are no pictures of Favorite Girl and her favorite cousin because they kept running around looking for "privacy" and once they found it they stayed there. Good idea. No pictures of Favorite Girls favorite cousins brothers (as she refers to them) because all they did was play Rock Band on Nurse Aunt's DS. Good stuff.

Posing Topless

Here is a little convesation held between my favorite girl and the officer (keep in mind that I know what she is talking about, but I am staying quiet as to add to the comic relief)...

F.G.: "Got my picture made today."
T.O.: "Really?"
F.G.: "I was on a motorcycle."
At this point the officer stops what he is doing...
T.O.: "A motorcycle? Whose motorcycle?"
F.G.: "I don't know. Some guy's. And I had to take off my shirt."

So how cruel am I? I can't help it, it runs in the family. Can't fight genetics. Okay, so here's the story...Favorite Girl got her picture made at school in some dress up clothes and she had to change shirts. Not nearly as exciting as her version, but much easier on a parent's nerves.

Old Friends and New Turds

I know it's awful! I haven't posted in sooo long. And I even have some great pics from when Nurse Aunt was here. I promise I will get them up soon. In the meantime, I am supposed to be researching a historical figure from early education to make a poster about, but I am not. Surprise. But...it was because I had a great surprise when I checked my e-mail! One of my NICU friends sent me an e-mail and we have not talked in months! So now she is blooging too and you can see her blog on my list, Capturing Glimpses. So sweet!

Tonight when I was putting my favorite girl to bed, it took us 20 extra minutes because she couldn't find "Turd-y". So I told her I wasn't very excited about looking for something that she kept referring to as "Little Turd". Anyway, how were we supposed to find this Little Turd in the sea of stuffed animals and dolls she sleeps with. I was happy to find out that we were actually looking for a little turtle.

Well, I am really, really tired. Not too bad, I guess, just really rearranging schedule and priorities. My Leadership in Childcare scholarship paid for 9 hours so I am taking 3 classes that started last week.

There actually have been some pretty funny things happen between home and work, but don't have the energy to remember it all right now. Must store up for sleep-over tomorrow night. We're rescuing a friend's 13 year old daughter from her 5 year old sib so she can have her ultra- cool-no kids-allowed-birthday-party-sleepover. I'm sure we will have tons of fun.

On a brighter note, we do get to eat at best Granny and Granddaddy's this weekend. Nurse Aunt is coming to town and even though she is only staying for 1 day in order that we don't get the chance to corrupt her, best Granny has been around for a day or two so she knows how to get around that. We'll all be meeting Sunday night and handling snakes, making home remedies, etc.

So to end this I'll apologize to all of you - my loyal and faithful readers. My posts may be fewer and further between and will not be any better when I finally do post. Sorry.

So we got big noggins...

So we got big heads, you know...leave us alone. Just means we got big brains, sorry for all you haters. I have a big head, Steph has a big head, Schyler's head was always in the 90th percentile even when her height and weight were in the 25th! So we kept trying to tell this to favorite nephew's doctor, but would he listen? Noooooo. So he went and got his fun head ultrasound in order to confirm guess what? He's got a big ol' head. Just like the rest of us. (All brain.)

YoGo

Can I tell you that I have had nothing wonderful or of great interest that will enrich your lives - you know, because usually I do - but I just felt like my last post was so bloomin' serious. There is so much seriousness and drama in my life that I try to scale it down in every area that I have control over.

Tomorrow I will try to have a picture of my class doing yoga. I have been teaching them and can I tell you that 5 year olds love yoga. Even the boys. Especially when we do stretches called "the warrior" and "down facing dog". It's really great, especially with all the arms and legs flying, the occasional breaking of wind, and them ever so not-gently informing classmates that their feet stink. Nothing like opening your eyes to a five year olds sweaty sock-foot on your face. I guess that's why it's supposed to be good for you...I assure you I didn't want to eat for a while after that.

Anyway, it's pretty funny that some of the kids call it YoGo after those little tubes of yogurt (gross). I guess in there little minds there is no difference between grossy tubes of yogurt and us exercising. There's you a point of interest.

The Year of Jubilee!

It didn't start out that way, but you'll get there...


About two weeks ago I was verbally attacked in such a horrible and hateful way because of something I said. I had somewhat droppped out of a conversation because I didn't believe the same way, and when another person said something about it, I simply stated that I did not believe in cavemen. Now, just in case I am in mixed company, let me clarify - I do know that people took shelter in caves, dwelt there, hung up "cave sweet cave" signs however you choose to say it. I know this. I do not believe that man began as anything other than man. I believe that we are a wonderful creation of God, His most prized posession. So anyway...I really have never been so brutally assaulted, especially for such a small, non-leading, neutral comment. I mean it's not like I took out my Bible and started yelling that they were all going to hell. I have definitely come across people that don't agree with me, but I have always been able to have good conversation about it.
And listen people, if you ever needed confirmation on the power of the Holy Spirit, here it is. Because you all probably know me and you know that I have no problem letting people know when they have wronged me or my loved ones, and my desire was to come across that table and rip that woman a new one. But honey...the Lord held my tongue, enabled me to speak lovingly, and anchored my feet to the floor. Bless His merciful name!

Well this renewed for me a love for God's Word. I hated that the awful thing had to take place, but isn't it a great example of how God can take something so negative and make it positive?! I have been so filled with a desire to know Christ more and with more of a heart knowledge, not just a head knowledge. To know Jesus, have access to His word and so many study aids, to freely meet and discuss is absolutely the best thing!

We sang a song today at church called (I think) "These Are the Days". It talks about the days of Elijah and Ezekiel and the different phases of spiritual life we can go through. It was incredible as I thought on the words of that song and how they came alive and God spoke to me through those words in such a fresh way. All I have been able to think about is one part of the song, "this is the year of jubilee!" How I claim that!

Our pastor taught on Ephesians 3:14-21 and it was amazing how God confirmed things for me. And convicted me! 2008 was such a tough year for me and I have been satisfied with blaming it on everything happening around me. My pastor asked, "Who will repent, who will confess that they wasted 2008?" My heart was stung. I realized, I wasted 2008 with a vengeance! he asked more questions, "Do I believe that God is sovereign?" Unquestionably, yes.
"Am I living that belief out?"
"Is it evident?" Oooooooh. Maybe not so much.

This year as I lay claim to "the year of jubilee" I pray that you do too! And if you kept reading and I didn't lose you paragraphs ago with my ramblings, thanks!

Yummy and Yucky - baby, that is

Well, yummy is for the traditional New Year dinner!

Favorite girl helped me select and cook a ham, soak and prepare black eye peas, babe picked collard greens from the garden and we completed it with a big cake of perfect cornbread. Delicious! We put the ham bone in the peas along with onions...onions and cheese in the cornbread...mmmmm.

Now this is for Nurse Aunt and Best Granny.

Nurse Aunt had a sweet little baby when she was a little girl that she called "Yucky Baby". Now she says that she had no idea that that wasn't very nice, hmmmm. I mean come on, she's not just any old nurse. She's like the smartest nurse ever and she didn't know what kind of word yucky is...

So Best Granny gave this to my favorite girl a couple of years ago and here she is...

The name Yucky Baby hasn't quite stuck with favorite girl, she usually just goes with "Baby". But Yucky Baby goes everywhere - church, school, grocery store, everywhere. And by now the term yucky baby is probably a little more true. A little girl at school told favorite girl that her baby needed a bath and another said "ewww" when she saw her, but favorite girl didn't care, she loves her just the same. You can see she does have a permanent case of bed-head and her clothes are like garments of the Israelites - same ones for 40 years! Sorry for the glimpse into your age, Nurse Aunt.

This one's for the girls - The Austen girls

Hey my Jane Austen friends!

I snagged a fun little thing off of Aunt Mama Hen's blog for you to do. It's over on the left. Take the little quiz and let me know who you are. Mine says Anne, but it has to be because Jane herself wasn't an option. Always thought of myself as more of a Jane...of course I bet a lot of other girls do too!

Highlights Reel

Well, I realize that I may not have done the best at posting on Christmas, so I am doing a little catch-up for all of my loyal followers. You know, I do it for the fans...

Favorite's Girl and Nephew enjoying the vibrating cow (what's not to like?). Note the reindeer sweater vest. Someone should have called DHR about that.

Nothing like parading the Christmas hen around before you put it in the roasting pan.

Best Granny doing something she loves and is very good at - taking care of everyone else.

That's just a few highlights. Actually I can't put anymore pictures because I obviously am not doing it correctly and it is causing my computer to do very strange things.