Minivan Convention Here Monday

I am having the moms from our homeschool co-op group over Monday night, so woohoo about that.

Listen peeps - if you're thinking of homeschooling you should do it just for the get togethers. They are few and far between, but when it happens it's an amazing assortment of laughs and yumminess in the area of foodage. This last part I say cautiously since I am in charge of the food this time and there is still plenty of time for things to go awry.

Since sometimes I can kind of be a what am I going to do with him kind of wife. Today can I just say, what would I do without him? I woke up this morning and it was 59 degrees inside - with the heat on. He went outside fixed the heat, then came in and put together my tiered serving tray that, for the love, was a touch difficult, moved the camper (for extra parking), cleaned the leaves away from the front door, worked outside all day, and is now getting ready to go to work. What a guy.

Also, it's admirable how he takes an active role in our homeschool day. Today for example, he has helped Schyler with poetry appreciation: Beans, beans, good for your heart. Beans, beans, make you...

Thanks Dad. Thanks.

Just to be sure, he didn't finish it. We don't say the f word, but hysterical giggles abounded from the known implication.

Well, if you don't have anything to do Monday evening come on over. Just follow the minivans.

It's a good one.

Okay best inventions ever - heated bed products. Mattress pad, blanket, etc. So much more beneficial and useful than antibiotics. Makes my cold nights toasty warm and our cold school days toasty warm. Thank you to my dear husband who knows all it takes is the promise of warmth to win me over and brought home a heated mattress pad for all these cold nights we've been having. Is that biblical? A heated bed product covers a multitude of sins? Hmmm, I'll have to look it up.

If my poor daughter ever works outside the home she is going to be so messed up. Can you imagine her asking her boss,"Okay, so where is the bed? And the electric blanket? I mean I can do all this from the bed. Right??" We don't stay in the bed all the time, but I told you, we're hibernators. Winter is for hibernating.

Another great invention - the crock pot. Mmmmm the crocky goodness. We just got home from our post church fellowship and there were about 15 crock pots lining the counter. There is always sure to be an amazing treat in the crocky goodness. Especially from a small group of reformed baptists. Hollaaaa.

So being without television completely has been good. We've really excelled in handling rattlesnakes. We may take it on the road. Not until the spring thaw, of course.

Anyway...for now, I feel my Sunday nap coming on.

[Insert big ol' whine here]

Oh y'all. I know she didn't. Yes she did.



Yesterday someone told my daughter, "I hope you don't get tangled up with a man too young. You need to go to college and do something to make lots of money. What do you want to do when you grow up?"



To which my seven year old replies, "Maybe a grocery store lady or cookie maker."



*Chuckle* Come on. Who doesn't think that little scanner thingy looks like a ton of fun? And cookie maker? No explanation necessary.



Then came this - "Well whatever you do, you need to make looooots of money. Do you want to be just a wife and mother?"



We walked back to the car, my mind is reeling with how I would counter this, because it's not important whether she makes a ton of money or is "just" a wife and a mother. It's important that she obeys God and follows His plan for her life - whatever that may be. Or it could be reeling from the massive amount of boiling blood pumping through my arteries at this moment.



My daughter looks at me and makes a kind of sad face and says,"I don't think she trusts Jesus."



Okay, so inside- big smile. BIG smile. But I won't lie, a healthy dose of conviction for the thoughts I was having about that woman who just insulted me in front of my child. Was I immediately concerned for her salvation? Noooo. I was too worried about the fact that she had hurt MY pride.



So I'm looking over some blogs I follow, and over at the JC Ryle quote of the day - The Cure for Self Righteousness".



Why does everyone pick on me?

The ice may now commence-

I did it. I had to go to the store for lack of preparedness. I always say, If we would just look in our pantries and freezers, we could live for months. But people never cease to flood the store before a storm.

And this time it was me.

This morning before church I realized I was getting the last roll of toilet paper out and that my mascara was all dry and flaky.

Now I am not about to be caught, quite possibly rehashing the horror of it all on a news camera, with a dirty bee-hind and mascara flaking from here to yon.

So we swung by the local dollar store, which is downright sinful on the sabbath, but seeing as how we are about to be inflicted with a cold and dreary plague, I hope The Good Lord understands my dilemma. And can I just tell you, unless you plan on living off of valentine's day decor and candy, I hope you have ever whatcha need, 'cause they ain't the first thing...the first. thing.

Now I've got to go plant myself under my Pepto pink Snuggie and crochet my little heart away.

Everyone stay safe and warm!

Let's start off with some advice...

1. If there has been a winter weather storm predicted and you live in the south, do not, I REPEAT do not take the movies back that you rented from the kiosk... at Publix. Just suck it up and pay an extra dollar for another night. You may wind up having to get your child therapy after she witnesses a fist fight in the bread aisle.

2. Seriously consider whether or not speaking to the not so happy looking young man will actually bless him or just cause you to quite literally stick your fingers in your child's ears. He could just launch in to a tirade of cussing.

3. If you want to stand and read every title of every new release they have, please let the nice, and quite fashionable, mommy and daughter standing behind you just go ahead and return their movie. It only takes a second, for the love.

We are gearing up for a storm and I am telling you, my family could not be more excited. My husband is Mr. Survival and always has everything covered for any sort of emergency that could ever possibly arise. And the chance to actually get to use the things that his wife always rolls her eyes about, is, well, pretty good for him.

And my daughter, she's 7 so winter weather is fun for her. She has prepared by having me download all the free episodes of "Adventures in Odyssey". Me? I'm neutral I guess. I am not really an anxious type or worrisome. It does not bother me to stay at home for days at a time. I just made a huge pot of chicken and dumplings so we're good. I also am getting better at crochet and I have a new skein of yarn and about 4 books I want to finish. Not to mention if we keep checking the news website I'm pretty sure I can count a school day.

So I got a little off course...

We didn't have cable or satellite until the government decided that we were too dumb to even make decisions about something as brainless as television and forced us to get it.



You know, if the government wants to do idiot things like that and make everyone have the same of everything, how about work on something we would appreciate. Like USB cords. How about everything that has to have a USB cord be the same size so I don't have 50, 000 of them in a drawer.



Or those credit card swipey things at stores. Why can those not all be the same so you don't have to stand there and read the directions at every one of them with your mouth hanging open?



Or...oh. Sorry. I better get back to my original story...


Well, yesterday my husband called to cancel it and y'all, that sweet little girl on the other line said, "You want to...cancel?" As if she couldn't hardly make herself say it! Then added, "Can I just, personally, ask you what you will do for entertainment???" Yes she did!! As if there is absolutely nothing else to do!
I imagine her looking like this -


Girls! It was so funny! He smiled and said, "Well, you know, people do other things."


I tried to get him to say we had really gotten into handling rattlesnakes and we were hoping to be able to focus much more on that.


But I can't ever get him to do anything fun.






Ladies, listen to me here. For I know this is true. If it is so cold that you have to bundle up in your cute little sweaters and hats to go to the Publix, put on some shoes. It is NOT okay to wear flip flops. Should I make some posters and post them around town?







Last night we watched Toy Story 3. How cute was that? I love how Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head promote adoption.



Of course we made a delicious treat of brownies(of which I have a really good and easy recipe for which I will have to share), but don't worry. I'm pretty sure if you are doing a family activity calories don't count.

Check out this scene:

Count 'em - 3 blanket, 2 bears, 1 baby, a pillow pet, and a cat - real, not stuffed. Not to mention about 10 bajillionty pillows. And a dad. All that to watch a movie.

Do this now.

Do yourself a favor and go watch this documentary on YouTube. I don't know how to put videos on my blog, but here's the link to the first one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhoz_nLqMlI&feature=related

I got it from Pursuing Titus 2.

There are six videos, but I promise time will pass and you won't even realize it. So don't watch it if you're supposed to be doing school work with your kids or cooking supper. And make sure you watch the ones posted by "noeuro".

On the fifth one I was a little teary and by the sixth one I was out and out bawling. In a good way, though. Wait until you see the end of the sixth one. The man is evangelizing as they're leaving! (I know I'm speaking in code, but I don't want to give it away.) Can you believe it?!

I can't believe I had the audacity to actually complain today. I am such a schmuck.