Oh Where, Oh where are the large orange barrels?

They are gone! I can hardly believe it! I got lost on the way home today. After 3 years of dodging striped orange barrels, I am now driving straight down Hwy 6 and there are people driving on all sides of me. It is crazy! For my non-South Carolina friends, the construction on the Hwy outside our neighborhood began just before we moved here and finally finished TODAY! I am overwhelmed with lane driving options, yet it is less exciting, not having to avoid certain death by wayward back hoe or asphalt truck! I will miss our friendly construction crew with their lovely orange vests and constant cigarettes (which Katie comments on daily. "Mom - look at that man making a bad decision.")

So, Philip and Jaime, you can move back now but don't freak out if you can't find us. We live just down the nice black road with fresh lines and once again have a sign outside our neighborhood! I'll throw a barrel out there to guide you if you need it!

Does barrel have one "L" or 2?

Good Decisions

We have been trying to emphasize making good decisions with Katie the last couple years. The thought is that if we always tell her what to do, she will be ill-equipped to make good choices when we aren't around all the time, namely when she starts school this fall. The funny part about this is that she feels compelled to let everyone else know when they are making bad choices! One of my brothers is a casual pipe-smoker. We had talked to Katie about how smoking is a bad choice. When she saw my brother smoking his pipe, she told him, "Uncle Darrell, I think you are making a bad decision!" It was funny!

Tonight I was trying to use the same strategy to get her to brush her teeth. Occasionally she is too sleepy or lazy to want to brush, so tonight I didn't argue with her. I just told her she could go on to bed. I found this picture online and called her back in to look at it. I told her that this person didn't brush their teeth! She decided that she wanted to brush!

It was sweet later, though, because at bedtime, she prayed, "Dear God, please help that person who didn't brush their teeth and help their cavities not hurt!"

So, person pictured above, whoever you are, Katie hopes your teeth aren't hurting too badly! And thanks for posting the pic on yahoo images for my object lesson! Because of you, one little 5 year old brushed her teeth with no fight tonight! :)

I had a different kind of evening yesterday. My friend Holly (yes, the same one who suggested the Mud-fest – I must be slow for still going with her suggestions!) answered an ad in the paper for us to participate in a survey for folks who listen to country music. We sat in a conference room for 2 hours and listened to clips of 600 country songs and rated them on a scale of never heard the song, hate the song, am tired of the song, have no opinion, like the song and it’s a favorite song. Not a bad way to earn $75! It struck me, as I was filling in very few #6’s (favorite song) that I am a music snob. I had quite a lot of #3’s (tired of the song) and way more #1’s (never heard it) than the guy next to me. (I wasn’t cheating, just doing a little survey of my own!) And amazingly, after 600 songs I was still able to think of a bunch that they didn’t play. That led me to consider what some of my favorite, “even-if-you-don’t-like-country-music-you’ll-like-this-song”, songs are and I compiled this short list. If you haven’t heard these songs, you haven’t really lived. You oughta give just one of them a listen on i-tunes. (If I was as smart as Shane, I’d make you a playlist.)

1. Good Directions – Billy Currington
2. The Good Stuff – Kenny Chesney
3. Red Neck Yacht Club – Craig Morgan
4. Mayberry – Rascal Flatts
5. Somebody’s Hero – Jamie O’Neal
6. My Front Porch Looking In - Lonestar

So that’s my thought for the day. Anyone got one to add to the list?

The Case of the Reappearing Snickerdoodle

I could really use a Hardy Boy today.

Back in March, our friends parents came to visit from OK. On a previous visit, their mom had made some snickerdoodles and given some to us. They were only the finest snickerdoodles ever and, snickerdoodles being my favorite cookie, I went crazy. So this most recent visit, she made some more for us. I thought we had eaten them all, but a couple weeks later, Micah is playing in the living room and I come into the room and see him crunching on a snickerdoodle. I have no idea where he got it - it was somewhere in the living room. It was pretty hard by then. Of course, I took it away, he screamed, and life continued. A couple more weeks pass and again, I see him crunching on another snickerdoodle. Again - no idea where he got it. This time, I conciously remember putting it in the trash. That cookie never saw the light of day again.

By now, it has been 2 or 3 months since we last had snickdoodles. And wouldn't you know it, I found Micah trying to eat another one TODAY! It was extremely hard and he didn't get more than a few crumbs off it. But I still have no idea where his stash is! I don't keep the most tidy house ever but I know I've cleaned everywhere at least once or twice in the last 3 months, yet I have not uncovered the source of the snickerdoodles. Fortunately, there are no bugs in the house. Or maybe that is unfortunate, since they would inevitably lead me to the cookies! I am a little baffled as to what to do. Micah is pretty smart - he waits until I am not in the room to visit his stash! I wonder what else he has hidden!

Mud Mania 2007

I don't feel like these pictures need any explanation. They are fairly self explanatory. Kids in mud. I do feel the need to explain what in the world I was doing there, though. It's all Holly's fault. "It's a great, free community event. The kids will love it. There are places to clean them up - just bring some soap and a towel. It'll be fun." blah blah blah

Uhhh... Fun for who? Truly, during the actual mud slinging, Katie had a great time and so did Micah, once he got used to the idea that he was supposed to get dirty (he would have been more comfortable with the idea if he had been in a nice outfit, just before he was supposed to get his picture made!) He walked on tip toes to avoid the mud for the first 15 minutes, but lucky for him, he has a big sister to show him how to have real fun! Unfortunately, it was about 75 degrees and breezy, so it got pretty chilly during the hose off. But 3 baths later, they are only slightly mud-stained.

Note to self - be more suspicious when Holly suggests great, free community events! Just kidding, Holly!

Uckkk is just not the same...

Earlier this week, Rick sold his truck. Actually, it felt like he just left his truck at Carmax and stole some money while he was there! We have loved and appreciated the ole' "uckk", as Micah calls it, but it was dying a slow and expensive death, so we were also happy to let it go!

The saddest part was listing to Micah cry the whole way home from selling it. "Uckk, uckk, uckk.." Katie was so sweet to try to explain that we would get another uckkk! We finally had to drop the whole uckk discussion. (And no wonder the kid can't talk right!)

Anyway, today we replaced old uckk. Unfortunately, this new (to us) one is a 4 door (one of the reasons we needed another truck) and he is sitting in the back again. No more sitting by dad with the wind blowing through his hair - this one actually has a/c! (I propose a toast for the first time that both of our vehicles have a/c at the same time.) Micah is not thrilled with the new arrangements. He sat in the back during the test drive and pointed at me in the front passenger seat, accusingly, since I was apparently in his seat! He was not happy. But then I gave him a sucker and he forgave me! (Too bad that doesn't work for everyone, but that's another blog!)

But that's the new order around here. I posted a pic of a similar truck that I found online. Rick's version doesn't have the running boards or a bed cover, nor is it parked by such a nice green lawn! But hopefully now you will recognize us if we honk when we see you on the road!

It's official...

...My kids are southerners. Last night, Katie was talking to my mom on the phone. Katie was telling her about some pets she had seen in the pet store. I didn't hear my moms side of the conversation, but then I think she proceeded to tell Katie about some of the wildlife that they have living up where they are. All I heard before I fell out laughing was Katie say,

"You saw a deer? Cool! Did you shoot it?"

Children's Museum

I wanted to post these pictures from the Columbia children's museum. It was really cool. Micah liked the fact that he could maul and climb on everything. Katie liked dressing up in each exhibit, like a fireman, farmer, construction worker, dentist, etc. Next time you come visit, we'll have to go!

You don't have to be very smart to be a mom...

...just a little smarter than the kids. This is my new mantra. For example, I have had a real problem since Micah (who Katie is calling "Tyler" today) learned to move around - I can't work in the front yard while he is awake, which would explain why our house frequently looks abandoned, because he loves to run into the street or try to eat the things in the garage. Neither is a good scenario. But today, I solved that problem, at least temporarily. I used a long rope...no, I did not tie him to a concrete block, dad! That was your idea, and a good one. I figure that as strong as he is, that would only buy me a few minutes! Actually, I strung it back and forth between the pillars on the porch to make a fence. Lucky for me, Micah quickly made a broad assumption that it was impassable and contently played on the porch while I got yard work done. I'm sure it won't work for long, but the yard looks okay for now!

The best part was listening to Katie (who is going by the name "Sabrina" today) "read" Micah, I mean Tyler, a story. He had brought an atlas out on the porch with him and she got him to sit by him on the bench and "read him this story out of the atlas. (I think she was on the Asia map page for whatever that is worth.) I actually jotted this story down so that I could remember the details.

"There once was a land called South Carolina where there lived 2 kids and a woman. The woman was not their mother. Their mother had moved to Houston, Texas and left them as orphans. She didn't abandon them - they were just in the bathroom and didn't know she was leaving so she left them on accident..."

She told Micah, I mean Tyler, that she would tell him the rest of the story tomorrow! I can't wait to hear it!

By the way, I've never left the kids because they were in the bathroom, but it might happen! It's happened to folks far greater than me! Stay tuned for the next chapter!

I hate making lunch...

I know that sounds petty and more than a little short-sighted. I am thankful that I have food to make lunch and recognize that many folks don't.

I just never know what to make. If I could afford it (financially and calorically - is that a word? It is now.) I would go out for lunch every day, just to save myself the trouble of figuring out what I want to eat.

Anyway, that said, here are my latest 2 interesting lunch ideas, and I would love it if any of my 3 faithful readers wanted to share what they have for lunch.

Vegetarian Sandwiches - thanks to my friend Brenda for this. She is the best kind of vegetarian. She has no issue with anyone else eating meat - she just doesn't like it. Never has. For this you use fancy, crusty bread, like marble rye or sliced italian bread from the bakery. You spray that squirty kind of dressing, balsamic vinegrette, on each slice and put on it some sliced plum tomatoes, fresh sliced fresh mozzerella (the kind that you buy in a block - slice it thick) and some fresh basil leaves (which taste to me like the way a Christmas tree smells.) Deeelish. Cool on a hot day.

Black bean salsa - I like this on tortilla chips (the scoop kind work good) or on salad with a little ranch. For this you cook some black beans (I'm starting to use the dry kind that you have to soak and rinse and cook - they are more trouble but they taste better and are SO cheap. You can use the canned kind but you have to rinse them good.) and then let them cool. Also, cook some frozen corn and let it cool. Chop up a bunch of fresh cilantro (I would bathe in cilantro, I love it so much.) and mix it with the beans and corn. Then stir in some taco sauce (not salsa, though you can use that if you want. Taco sauce is thin and not chunky. I like it better.), just enough so that it sticks it all together. Salt and pepper and BAM. It tastes best cold.

So there you have my lunches for the week. I would love to know what you like for lunch, besides turkey sandwiches and pb and j! I got tired of those many years ago!