The Lizard... and other things of the past

The Lizard....that was in our house

Emma Claire and Wilson weren't afraid...

but I'll let it stay my secret....

that I'm terrified!!!!!

I won't touch the things,

but I won't dare tell them that

I'll just let them keep on thinking that I just want them to be able to enjoy them...all to themselves!!!!!

Poor little thing

Emma Claire came inside to tell me that his tail broke off

and it was still wiggling......

the broken off part - YUCK!!!!!

I just spouted off something about "that's how God made them

Isn't that SO Neat?"

While inwardly I was shivering!!!!

While at my parents house this weekend, Wilson had a bumble bee land on his hand

He looked at it and tried to pet it like a butterfly!!!!

Then it stung him (his hand even got really swollen)

They are scared of nothing

It was a good lesson I guess

Didn't keep him from holding the lizard though.....

Now...to the past....This here is a 10 pound bag of Sopapias that sat in our hotel room at the State Tennis Tournament. You see, one of my roomates' husbands' family owns Taco Casa - if you've never eaten there, you are MISSING OUT!!!!!!!

But dear dear Sopapias....

I loved you, ONCE, but now.....

you put 5 pounds on me at least....

and I can't bear the thought of eating you anytime soon...

but one day....

I"ll forget about the 7 pounds I ate on my own.....

and I"ll try you again!

Promise!!!!



On again to a past experience.... The Tuesday night before we left for Mobile, Ashley and I took Emma Claire and Mary Alice to see Dora Live in Birmingham

It was awesome!!!!

Boots was our favorite character - can you tell?

I picked Emma Claire up on Tuesday, after being with my parents for the week, and on the way home she asked me when was I going to take her to the jungle? Come Again???? Jungle???? I think she's been watching way too much Dora - but I answered with, "Well, sweetie, the jungle is very far away from here, but one day, when you are a little older, maybe we can take an airplane there and go and tell the people who live there about Jesus!" That night at Bible Study, there were people absent b/c they were on a mission trip to Peru ( I have never even dreamed of taking my children far away), but just one question, by a young child....and it got me thinking....God is stretching me....pulling me out of my comfort zone, one day, one child at a time. Teaching me that my plans are not always His plans. The lesson was on Jacob - I don't need to make my plans and then say, "okay God, come with me!" I need to wait on God and let Him lead me. One day, I have a feeling He is going to REALLY stretch me and mold me and take me places I could have never imagined or even wished. I am learning to Trust Him - to be willing and ready. To relinquish all this "control" I feel I have and let God be God. Will I trust Him? Am I trusting Him? I have a feeling, just like Jacob, I'll be wrestling with God on this one. All in His will. I am ready.

On a lighter note:
These girls have a great time wherever they go!

Next up was VBS Block Party on Sunday night (before I left for the tournament) - all the downtown churches (4 of them) get together and have a VBS kick off on the street that runs in between them all! The children had a blast as usual - cotton candy is Wilson's new best friend - if only it had some nutritional value at all - except of course a sugar high and empty empty calories, but calories nonetheless, and with Wilson, we'll take anything!!!!

Wilson and his friend Lee - they are only 5 days apart - we are so blessed to have such great friends at our church!!!!!

Marlee (Lee's big sister), Mary Alice, and Emma Claire

There were lots of sweet treats to be found!!!!

Solving the world's problems, one popsicle at a time!!!!

Busy Busy Fun Summer!!!!!

Summer

It is summer!!!

(hence the lack of posts - I'm trying to soak up as much as I can!!!)

I am back from the tennis tournament

It was a BLAST and we did great!!!!

I am missing my children SOOOO much - it hurts sometimes!!!!

I pick them up today - I am counting down the minutes

6 days is a long time to go without seeing them all!!!!

My house is way too neat - there's no one to pick up after

I miss that... REALLY!!!!

I'm going to spend the evening loving on them and just watching them play!!!!

Then I'm heading to my summer bible study that I am pumped about!!!!

It is Never Beyond Hope by J.I.Packer and Carolyn Nystrom - it's great so far!!!

Summer is the best

I hope to be at the pool everyday from now on

God will have to send some rain to give me a break!

Are YOU having a great summer?

Please tell me what you're doing!!!!!

Oh! and by the way - I hosted a Castles and Crowns trunk show yesterday - if any of you would like to order something - look online at their fabulous clothes and email me with what you would like by Wednesday!!!!

Tennis

Sorry for the lack of posts lately....I am in Mobile playing in the State Tennis Tournament. I don't have any pictures to share, b/c it's pretty hard to take pictures of yourself, or anyone for that matter, when you're out on the court playing. I did take a few pics last night at a Mexican Restaurant - we were serenaded (and practically seduced) by the Mexican band playing "at request" around the restaurant. I don't think I've laughed that hard in all my life!!!!

We have had a great time. I have won all my matches so far - we beat Birmingham Bussey team - YAY us!!!!! We did lose to Mobile as a team - won 2 courts, lost 3 (one in a two-time tie breaker that went into extra points - the girls played HARD for 3 hours - from 12:30 - 3:30 in the afternoon sun in southern ALABAMA!!!), but if Mobile gets beat today or tomorrow, we're still in it for the semifinals!!!! We will be cheering for Birmingham Bussey team this morning as they play Mobile - we are hoping they whip them!!!!

It's been a great time - good girls weekend!!!! The children are having a blast at my parents' house and Will is enjoying some beach time too! So, I am enjoing my trip without any of the usual "mommy guilt" associated with leaving 3 children at home with husband and babysitters!!!

Hopefully I'll get some great pictures today and can share them soon, though we get soooooo sweaty and gross - it's HOT down here, ya'll! Even if I do get pictures, I'm not sure I'll want to post them - maybe some from the tennis party tonight at the Battleship - I've heard it's alot of fun!

Oh what fun it is to be.....

So VERY VERY busy!!!!!

Friday morning was the last day for Emma Claire's tennis camp - she had a blast and learned alot - maybe she'll follow in my footsteps with this one. I heading down to Mobile this week for the State Tournament - wish me luck - it's going to be HOT down there!!!! Oh! and by the way, do any of you listen to Rick and Bubba? Well, the team we play first is Bubba's wife, Betty Bussey's team - I hear they're REALLY good - if anyone knows anything about them - feel free to tell!!!!!

A trophy - that's all you need to make little kids' dreams come true!!!

Friday night we met Ashley and William at Pepitos (or Puppy Toes as the children like to say) for dinner before heading to my neice, Chandler's 8th Birthday party at the pool!

This little guy LOVES some water - he has NO fear!!!!

Did I mention that yesterday at 2:00 pm the high had only reached 65 degrees???? It was VERY cold in the pool last night!!!!

That didn't stop the children from having a blast though!!!

The birthday girl herself with Will's parents!!!!

Happy Birthday Chandler - though we'll celebrate it again in a few weeks when it's REALLY your birthday!!!!

Emma Claire enjoyed a couple of slices of pizza - even AFTER we ate dinner at the restaurant - she's our "eater"!!!!

He likes to eat too - I caught him trying to swipe a huge pink cupcake at one point - it didn't take him long to be COVERED it hot pink icing - I was too busy trying to get him cleaned to get a picture!!!!!

Wilson would rather plaly with Sarah Davis and the pink flamingos than to eat!!!! They'll be a cute couple one day!!!!

It was a triple party - all 3 birthday girls!!!!!

I brought the 3 children home while Will went to a movie with a friend. Wilson and Emma Claire ended up going straight to my bed and falling asleep. This morning I woke up to find Will in Emma Claire's bed - I guess he thought it was too much trouble to take 2 children down stairs to their rooms. They slept until after 7:00 - that's a record for Wilson - he's usually a 5 am'er!!!! Henderson was up at 6:00, so don't get too jealous of my Saturday morning!!!!

When Will woke up, I put Henderson in his high chair with a cinnamon roll, ran out for a quick run and came back to Will walking out the door to go set up for the Family Fun Day for his work and Henderson covered in icing from head to toe. I took him out of his high chair and just put him in the kitchen sink for a quick bath. Next thing I know, I look down and the water in the sink is BRIGHT RED!!!!! The cup Henderson is playing with is covered in blood too. I hadn't taken my eyes off him and couldn't figure out what was happening. I quickly got him out of the water and rinsed him off and realized his index finger and palm had been sliced open - blood was shooting out. Have you ever tried to get a 13 month old to let you put pressure on his hand for an extended period of time, or better yet kept a band-aid on it? He would have none of it. Not that it was doing any good anyways. It was a blood bath. ( I still don't know what he cut his finger on - the sink was empty, the only thing I can think of, is that he tried to lift up the drain cover and somehow got his finger on the rim and sliced it there, though it really doesn't seem that sharp to me - who knows!!!???)

I kept a cold compress on it, but everytime I let go blood came shooting out!!!! After 30 minutes, I finally realized it wasn't going to stop on it's own and a 13 month old isn't going to just "not touch anything" like I kept asking him!!!!! Soooooo I managed to get Wilson and Emma Claire somewhat dressed (they were still in pajamas) without putting Henderson down, because my house already had enough blood on it!!!! I took them to Will's parent's house and drove to Med North - an outpatient family practice. I got there at 8:30 - they didn't open until 9:00. I decided to drive to the emergency room that was 5 minutes away. I got there, signed in and waited. And waited and waited and waited - all while standing (b/c I dare not sit down in the filth of the ED waiting room), holding Henderson wrapped in white towel - covered in blood and HE is covered in blood, b/c he wouldn't keep his bleeding finger by his side - he rubbed it on his head, stuck it in his mouth, rubbed it on me and on his legs - he looked as if he had been shot. I have never seen so much blood before. After 15 minutes of still waiting and seeing that my sign -in sheet was still just sitting at the window - I left - and it's not as if they were very crowded, there were only 2 other people in the waiting area. Not sure why it's called the emergency department, because one may surely die in that waiting room.....waiting.

So, back to Med North we go - they are open now, but there are probably 8 people ahead of me. I signed us in and we sat down and not 2 minutes later they called us back. Apparently they care enough not to have their waiting room covered in blood.

We immediately had a nurse and a CRNP cleaning his off with Saline from head to toe to figure out where the bleeding is actually coming from. Finally found the 2 sources - his index finger and palm - the skin is flipping back, fairly deep. She had to cut the circulation off just to get it to stop bleeding for long enough to put Dermabond on it - now that's some good stuff - sure beating holding him down listening to him scream while they try to stitch him up!!!! He was a great patient. Thank you Med North for being a WONDERFUL, CLEAN place for me to take my child, and for realizing an EMERGENCY situation (though not life-threatening, still something that needed to be seen to quickly)!!!!

In the meantime, Will's parents took Emma Claire and Wilson back to our house to get them ready for a 10:00 birthday party at the park. They took them and I came home, put Henderson to bed and got a shower. Then I woke Henderson up, got him dressed and headed to the party, then to Will's work family fun day where we ate a good lunch, chased children around, bounced in the bounce houses and had popsicles and ice cream.

Now we are all home and the children are ALL asleep and I am about to get dressed so Will and Emma Claire and I can head down to Montgomery for my sister's engagement party - whew - are you tired yet????? I sure am, but it'll be lots of fun!!!! Will's parents are keeping the boys, so we don't have to chase them around all night!!!!

Tomorrow the fun continues with church, then a family reunion, then a VBS block party!!!! Did I mention I am leaving this week to go play in a State Tennis Tournament - THAT will be rest!!!!!

Good Things

These are a few of the good things that have been at our house this week - yummmmmy cherries - not only are they super tasty, but they are also super good for you! I'll use my RD status to give a plug for these outstanding fruits - they contain some of the highest amounts of disease-fighting antioxidants compared to other fruits. They are tart and sweet and my children love them too - just be careful for the pits!!!! I'm sure there are many things you can do with them, but when they're this good straight off the stem, why bother? And they look pretty on my kitchen counter too!

Up next is not so good for your body, but will make your mouth happy! It's all about moderation, Amen? Chocolate Chess Pie!!!!! YUM YUM!!!! I forgot to take a picture when I first made it and it's disappeared very quickly - I think Will had maybe one piece, the rest went to my mouth - I can't resist!!!! Pop it in the microwave for 12 seconds and top with cool whip or a scoop of ice cream - holy cow it's good!!!!

Chocolate Chess Pie

(from Southern Living 1992 Annual Recipes Cookbook)

1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 1/2 Tablespoons cocoa

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bake pastry shell at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Set aside.

Combine eggs and next 6 ingredients in a medium bowl, and stir well. Spoon egg mixture evenly into prepared pastry shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Easy Peasy!!!!!


Thanks for all your sweet comments and questions - I'll try to get back with each of you very soon if I haven't already!

Questions

To answer the most popular question of late....the blow-up water slide was at my friend, Ashley's house - I asked her the same - "where did you get that?" It was bought over a year ago and she couldn't remember exactly because they shopped around - but either Toys-R-Us or Sam's. Their neighbors bought one last week similar to that one, so I know they are available right now. Check out the stores mentioned above and also maybe Academy Sports and Walmart.com - just some suggestions. If you have a place to use it AND a place to store it - I say go for it - the children have hours and hours of fun and it would be great for parties too! Our backyard is hilly and tends to get muddy, so we will not be purchasing one, but we hope to get invited back for more fun in the sun!

I'm going to open up the floor for more questions - I get questions from time to time from my 4 readers, but rarely do I remember to answer them - SORRY!!!! I'll try my best at this time to do so! If you asked before and not gotten a response back from me - ask again - I'm busy busy with work and 3 children and forget to go back to those comments and emails! Fire away!!!!

In other news, Wilson had his Failure to Thrive check up and it went okay. Does the term Failure to Thrive bring the same emotions to you as it does to me? I am a dietitian and I remember studying that in school and thinking it only applied to children who were neglected or lived in Third World Countries. Well, apparently not - he's been diagnosed since he was about 6 months old. He's simply off the charts in weight and height. At 3 months shy of turning 3 years old he's weighing in at a whopping 25 # 14 oz!!!! Go Wilson - he's consistently gaining, but at a very slow rate. He's a TERRIBLE eater, but doing better each day with much focused attention at meal times. But with all that, his little brother is a SUPER eater and weighs in at 17# 13 oz at 12 months - only a pound larger than Wilson at 12 months. SO, this begs the question, had Wilson been a great eater, would it have made any difference? We will never know. Hopefully they will just be late bloomers!!!!

Alrighty then, the floor is open!!!!

Summertime!!!!!

Fun in the water - that is what our days are consisting of mostly. It is June, and I know by the middle of July to August it will be stifling, too hot, even for the pool in the middle of the day, so we are making the most of it right now!

Yesterday afternoon, after church, we enjoyed some backyard fun with Ashley, Mary Alice and Sarah Davis. I oughta just make this a joint blog - b/c they seem to make appearances nearly as much as my family!!!! My SIL aslo joined us with Patton and Mills - the children literally played for 4 hours NONSTOP!!!!

Popsicles are a MUST-HAVE on a 90 degree day!!!!

Sorry Ashley!!! I couldn't resist this picture - it just shows the pure joy that was experienced, even by the adults!!! Too bad I couldn't grab my camera fast enough to show you sliding down the slip-n-slide or the blow-up slide!!!! She's the most fun mommy EVER!!!!!

Summertime - please don't leave us anytime soon!