Outdoor Living Space

I've always secretly desired to have an outdoor living space. You know the kind? You've seen them before at Sam's. Your kids want to adjust the lovely red canvas umbrella that coordinates so beautifully with the dark brown wicker furniture with deep red cushions for the love seat, ottoman, and sofa.

You can picture yourself drinking your refreshing Coke Zero that your husband just retrieved for you from your outdoor bar area. You recline with him while watching your four peaceful children play quietly in the yard together.

Well, yesterday morning as I'm in the van leaving for church (Cowboy was already there warming up with the band--not sure how you warm up a bass guitar), the 3 boys donning their matching shorts and shirts, Miss B wearing an adorable summer dress, and me looking mom-ish, going over my mental pre-church checklist something catches my eye.

Could it be someone knows my secret thoughts of a lovely outdoor living space? I was absolutely stunned to see that someone had done this for us:





You'd have been stunned, too!!! Not only did we get a sofa, lamp, TV, table, and flower vase filled with silk flowers, but we also got a trash can (a partially-filled trash can, I might add).

Slippery Stuff

For those of you who are not blessed to have someone with beautiful brown skin in your family, here's a news flash:

Quality Oils & Lotions Are Needed To Keep Skin Healthy





Apparently Little I was born with that knowledge. At only 3 years 11 months 1 week and 3 days he knows that to keep his skin healthy-looking and feeling, he needs oil. Look at how well he took care of himself yesterday.

We're pretty sure he's ready for body-building competitions!

Miss Mack

When I was 21, married for only a year, and doing my student teaching, I became an aunt. I was heartbroken that I did not get to meet Miss Mack when she was in the hospital, but when you're student teaching you don't really get to take personal days. So, when she was a week old or so Cowboy and I made the road trip from Stillwater (God's Country) to Dallas. I fell instantly in love!!!

I spoiled her to the best of my ability, even though she lived in Texas, then Iowa. I took her to Discovery Zone (just the 2 of us) when she was only 1. I climbed through every slide and tube with her. She stayed the night with us when she was 2. She locked herself into a bedroom and I went into complete panic! I couldn't, for the life of me, remember how to pick a bedroom door lock, and Cowboy was unavailable at work. (Apparently it had been too long since her mom and I were living at home together under our parents' roof, driving each other crazy). I actually had to call the local fire department and have some help. (Embarrassing, I know, but I just kept thinking of what she could be getting into by herself in that room and how her mother would just KILL me if I let anything happen to her baby girl).

Then, when Miss Mack was 3, I had Miss B. Well...things changed a little with our relationship. I still adored her, but was rather occupied with my own precocious little girl. Then she had a baby brother, then I had C-Man, then blah, blah, blah. You get the picture. Life happens. When her family lived in Iowa I was fortunate enough to get to have Miss Mack and her brother come stay with us sometimes while their parents were busy working church camps, etc. Then, when Miss Mack was in 4th grade, they moved back to Oklahoma. Fewer overnight trips to Aunt Jenn's house. Then she became a sister to a sister. Then we got Little I. Then her mom had her surprise baby. You get the picture again. When Mack was in middle school I was able to teach her a subject a year for a few years. Then she went to public school for high school. SIGH...

So...last night I was left at home with just the 2 little ones. I invited Miss Mack over for dinner and a movie. We had a great time. She is 15 and is an amazing girl! She is a Christ-follower, a world-changer, a wonderful photographer, student, friend, sister, cousing, daughter, niece, babysitter, etc. I was so happy to get to hang with her. It's fun in a happy-sad sort of way to see her getting so old and mature.

Catching My Breath

Sometimes the change in our kids happens so gradually that, unless you go away for a few days, you don't seem to notice it.

At other times, though, the change happens so fast that it takes your breath away! That's the kind of change C-Man's had lately.

A couple days ago from the back seat of the van I hear, "Mom, my pits stink."

Being the great mom that I am, I holler back, "We've gone through this before, C-Man. You don't need deodorant yet."

When we arrived home he insisted that I smell of his pits. I did so expecting not to smell anything except that wet puppy dog smell that little boys have after playing outside. WHOA! Was I ever wrong! He had REAL STINK--manly stink! He proudly washed his pits and applied his daddy's deodorant to his pits.

Then, Last night Cowboy calls me to say he and C-Man have left baseball practice and are heading to Wal-Mart. I can't imagine why they would need to go to Wal-Mart so late at night. (I'd already been twice this week--what else could we possibly need?) Cowboy then informs me that C-Man was playing catcher during practice, stood up (without knowing any better) and took a ball to his almost-personal region. Realizing he didn't want C-Man to have a closer call than this, Cowboy decided to take C-Man to buy his first......I can't even write it! He's such a grown boy!!!

SIGH...what's a mom to do when her first boy is wearing deodorant and other items? Thank goodness he still kisses and hugs me!

It's Official

Click on the title of today's post for an amazing video. It will bring you to tears, I'm sure.

Apparently after a total of almost 26 years of parenting (each kids' ages added together), I'm finally being recognized for the bang-up job I'm doing.

Yes, I was in shock to win this, especially since Cowboy says things like, "Spanking is the international sign of love."

Apparently those who voted on me realized that the recipient this year needed to be a completely selfless mom. You know the kind, right? A mom who keeps a stash of Coke Zero at home and won't buy pop for her children, a mom who takes her children's good Christmas and Easter candy to enjoy herself, a mom who can't wait for 9 pm each night when she gets to sit with her man and relax with a cup of hot cocoa with whipped cream, a mom who loves the time she gets at the gym by herself, a mom who does not like to take her children to Wal-Mart,...

I'm so proud to say I AM THAT SELFLESS MOM and apparently from the award I received, it has paid off!!!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the truly selfless moms out there!

This is Why I Taught Him to Read

The whole family was running errands together today. I hear laughter from the back seat. Then C-Man speaks up, "natural gas pipeline. It's a fart pipeline!"

When I taught this kid to read when he was 4, I had no idea he'd use his gift to keep our whole family in stitches! I love his sense of humor and fresh outlook on life.

Seeing Double

Are you seeing double?

Let me just say...as long as C-Man wants to dress like Little I, I will purchase as many matching outfits as possible. Because they look nothing like brothers it is oh so precious when they dress alike. So I was completely thrilled last week when my purchases arrived at my front door!!!

And the clothes in this pic were a steal! I also got a few matching things for NoBo.

I'm also thinking ahead to Disney World. I LOVE for our family to dress alike at Disney World. It's more difficult to lose our kids and we're maybe possibly more likely to get noticed from their Prize Patrol (I know...I'm crazy!).