Words That Bang Around In My Head...

and fight to get out. I am in a writing mood, not bloggish type of writing honestly, but story and poem and just stuff kind of writing.

 Its been building up for several days, the thought of writing each of my children a letter or even letters to be opened on a certain special days has been tugging at me as well. 

Stories for the younger ones, poems for the older girls. An account of my first and only hunting trip with my dad for Bubba. He needs to know that grandpa took me hunting but didnt have the heart to kill anything in front of me so he kept me chattering about anything and everything to scare all the animals away, and then we went home and shot at coffee cans. I was 12 then, same age he is now. 

There are days I want all of them to have letters for, graduations, wedding days, the birth of children and other things as well. I dont know why this is pressing so hard at me but Im going to do it. Maybe they will each end up with a stack of crazy ramblings and memories from their mother and roll their eyes thinking Im sappy and ridiculous but I feel this is something I need to do. 

I have no idea how to wrap this post up so I think I will just leave it with this little quote.

God gave us memories that we might have roses in December.
JM Barrie

Liebster Day Surprise!

So it's been pretty hectic around here the past couple of weeks, my father in law has been in and out of the hospital, hubby was out of town for a week, I had an injury that put me back on crutches and then just your general every dayness that goes on. I finally get a chance to log in this morning and have a little message about the Libester blog award. At first i was like, huh? What's a Libester? So after checking in to it I got all excited because I like participating in fun things. In case your wondering what a Liebster is, it's a fun little thing for blogs with LESS than 200 followers. I found this handy dandy little explanation pic on google.

Not my image

Thank you to Krista over at Rollin with the Fruit Punches for the award! If you have a minute click the link above and check it out. They have an adorable little family and Buffalo Chicken Pasta recipe I'm going to have to try out soon! 

So 11 random facts about me, well, let's see:

 1. I have a creative soul. I love to create and just DO stuff. From writing, cooking, carving stamps, making up games or projects for the kids, crafting... oh the crafting! I have a friend who calls me the crafting queen, but I promise I'm not THAT bad. Really I'm not, you believe me right? :)

 2. I'm generally a rerun junkie. My tv watching habits consist of things like Charmed, Full House, House, Monk.. you get the picture. However I/we have been branching out and trying newer shows, still mostly they aren't new and are already well established shows.

 3. I'm obsessive.. When I get hold of a new idea or into something new that i like I get a taaaad bit obsessive. I will research and read everything I can about it and think about it before I pass it over to the normal state of liking things. My mother says I have always analyzed everything to death, even when I was a baby lol.

 4. My favorite season is winter. Now you have to understand that our winters in east Texas are fairly mild. Occasionally we reach the upper teens and if we are really lucky we will get a bit of snow. Generally we hover in the 30's and I kinda like it because you can always put on more clothes and get warm, but their are times in the Summer that no matter how much you take off your still hot and I don't like being hot.

 5. I love to fish. I don't often get the chance to because I'm helping Brudderbear or Dede with their poles but when I have the chance to dip a pole in the water I'm a happy camper. I hope to get the chance to go deep sea fishing someday.

 6. I am an only child and my parents were married 20 years before they had me. It wasn't from lack of trying, it was just how it happened. I'm kind of grateful they didn't have IVF back then because chances are I wouldn't be here now if they did. Oh and no, I wasn't spoiled like people think only children are.

 7. I'm emotional, sensitive, compassionate and frequently get called naive. I'm one of those people who wear my heart on my sleeve and tries to look for the good in people. 

 8. I love the Statte Farm Mayhem commercials. By far my favorite one is the GPS one where he hollers (yep, im east Texan I say hollers) "RECALCULATING!" after the car crash.

9. Speaking of east Texas, I do have a bit of a twangy accent. My ex husband and I lived in Houston which is just a couple hours from where I grew up and also currently live, and was shocked that people weren't twangy there as well. I used to get so embarrassed because people there would tell me my accent was cute lol 

 10. I love to read, when I was a kid my mom would say I'd read anything, including the back of a cereal box, like it was a best selling novel. Ive gotten a bit more picky now, but I still read a wide WIDE variety of different things.

 11. In school even tho my grades didn't always reflect it, English and History were my favorite classes. I still enjoy the reading and writing side of English class and still get a kick out of the story behind the history. Don't ask me dates however, that involves numbers and God forbid we get into my math insecurities!

Wow, that was a little more difficult than I thought. I didnt want to just throw out basic boring facts so I did try and put some thought into it. Ok, so now on to the 11 questions from Krista's blog.

 1. If you could have a superpower for a day, what would it be? I would have to say the ability to freeze time. I would love to be able to have a little extra time in those special moments, the cuddles, hugs, perfect family moments.

 2. What is your guilty pleasure song? Guilty pleasure? Ummm, I can't really think of one. I'm pretty open about what I listen too. I embrace my weirdness in everything including my music and listen to what I like whether others think it's silly, boring etc etc. My main favorite kinds tho are oldies from the 50's to some 80's and country. However I lisen to a bit of almost all kinds of music.

 3. What would your plan of action be if there was a zombie apocalypse? Shoot them in the head and burn them on a pyre, Winchester style! :) (Please forgive the obvious Supernatural reference here lol)

 4. What is your favorite cartoon character? Michigan J. Frog! Also Eeyore. i wish it was as easy to find Michigan stuff as it is Eeyore stuff.

 5. What does your blog name mean? It's a nod to the fact that no matter how crazy and mixed up life can get it's still a pretty sweet deal. Whenever I seem to forget that fact all I have to do is look around at my family and I realize how blessed I am.

 6. What inspired you to start a blog? Basically a way to satisfy the need for another creative outlet.

 7. What is your favorite vacation spot? There is a family oriented resort we go to every year that's actually pretty close to our home. We've been going there since I was a kid and some of my happiest memories are from there. Granted it has changed and grown so much that my children will never experience the freedom and whatnot that I did there but they all really enjoy it and talk about it all year long.

 8. What is the last good book you read? LOL, here we go with me embracing my weirdness again, I have been rereading the Babysitter's Club books with one of my daughters. I forgot how cute they were and I would definitely recommend them. My favorite is Kristy and the Snobs. As far as books a normal adult might enjoy, Id have to say anything in Kim Harrison's The Hollows series.

 9. Mention one of your obsessive compulsive habits. The older I get the more like my dad I get, we call it quirky in our family lol. I guess I'd have to say over organization. I know, I know, most people think there is no such thing as being OVER organized but I promise you there is. I have a tendency to organize to the point that it's impossible to keep up with which in turn causes utter chaos lol.

 10. If you were given a million dollars to donate to a charity, which one would you choose and why? Definitely something for kids. I would really have to research to narrow it down, and then I still might have to choose a couple. I'm thinking Autism research and maybe the Make A Wish people as well.

 11. Who was your childhood idol/hero? You know, I honestly don't remember having one? I mean, I went thru the fad fan stages just like everyone else but an idol or hero? I just called and asked my mom and she said with the way I always had my nose stuck i a book (yep, nerd right here!) that it was probably an author but I honestly just cant think of anyone. 

 Ok, that was fun and probably waaay to chatty lol. Here are the 11 blogs that I choose to nominate, take a minute and check them out if you haven't already.

Alphabet Soup

Teacher Momma

The Resourceful Mama

Crazzi Mum

Life With Four Boys... Coffee Please

The Pursuit of Normal

Step-ville

26 With 4 Kids

Creative Mess

Crazy Little Love Birds

Eating In The Shower

Choosing 11 blogs was the hardest part, there are so many good ones out there! Here are the 11 questions I chose for them:

 1. When do you find the time to blog?

 2. If you could be any animal, what would it be and why?

 3. Describe what you feel when you see your favorite color.

 4. What is your favorite television show?

 5. What one thing would you like your children to take into adulthood?

 6. What does you family think of your blog?

 7. What would your dream vacation be?

 8. What is your favorite midnight snack?

 9. What daily chore do you despise the most?

 10. What advice would you give to a first time blogger?

 11. If you had 3 wishes what would you wish for?

Ok, have fun!

Easter or Frat Party?

Wow, as I'm looking around the house this morning I'm seriously wondering how I let this happen. We are usually pretty good at cleaning up before bed time rolls around, but I guess we were just too into the family fun yesterday and last night. It looks like a frat party (minus the keg and beer bottles)! The house is trashed! It seriously looks like there was a wild party going on here lol. I would share a pic but because of my OCD'ness thats just NOT going to happen! lol

So I guess I know what Im going to be doing after while, besides laundry that is. In all honesty, the flock had a great weekend, Sissy, Mimi, and Dede celebrated here on Saturday and then off they went to their dad's to celebrate there on Sunday. Bubba, Brudderbear and the Princess woke up here to little toys and chocolate for the boys and a big zebra, onesies and suckers for our allergic spoiled princess. Along comes Dede back home in the afternoon and a spirited game of whack 'em with Bubba at grandmas next door. What is whack 'em you ask? You know those giant pool noodles? Not the skinny oes, but the fat ones? Yeah, I think you get the picture. That afforded us a pair of broken glasses and a little girl with a headache from being without said glasses but from what I could see from our back door into grandmas yard, Dede gave as good as she got. I think Bubba forgot that even tho shes small for her age shes quick and cunning.

Guess I better go start cleaning the mess up, anyone have a backhoe and a dumpster I can borrow?

Saturday Centus: Deviled Eggs

Once again Saturday has rolled around, and that means it's time for the Saturday Centus blog challenge from Jenny Matlocks blog. This weeks challenge is a photo prompt and we are to write 100 words in rhyming form using this picture.

If youd like to give this a try (its a LOT of fun) or read more blog entries you can check them out HERE. Now on to my entry.

Little fingers creeping over so slowly,

Across the counter they inch towards the plate.

Blue eyes watching moms face so closely,

If she was caught, who knew her fate.

Almost to the plate, and mom cracks a smile,

Hands her a deviled egg and places a finger to her lips.

As parents we have to play along once in awhile,

Indulging little ones and not always with denial.

A smile and a hug, and away she will run,

All to soon she will be grown, moved, gone.

Relax and love, have some fun,

And cherish every stroke made with crayon.

Eyes On the Tiger...

Wow, spring break has been good for the most part. A few blowups have happened, but isnt that part of family life anyway? Weve played, enjoyed staying up late, sleeping in, shopping trips, homemade milkshakes and so much more!

Yesterday we took the flock to a big cat refuge a few towns over from us. This is one of our favorite places to go. It isnt anywhere near as big as the zoo and they have guided tours telling you about each of the cats they have. So much more interesting and the kids learn something new every time we go.  

This was our favorite big cat shot of the day, its amazing to think that a tiger, even in the wild will eat several pounds of food a day, and then spend 20 hours or so lounging around and napping!

This is one of my favorite shots of the day, Dede just looks so thoughtful and reflective. Its not often that the whirlwind comes to a complete and utter stop in this manner. I think I took this as the intern was telling us about how our favorite tiger from last year had passed away. His name was Puppy and he had such a goofy personality, he "talked" to and showed off for us as we stood watching him. 

To me this is one of those places that is a big families dream. We  can get a years family pass for cheaper than we can get in for one days visit. Those are always great deals in my book.

Its a great deal as far as the flock is concerned too! 
Yes, we are THAT family, you know the ones... we dress similarly quite often, not because its cutesy, but because its so much easier to put your eyes on your flock when they all match to some degree.

Whipped Cream and....

Birthdays! It's official, we now have another teenager on our hands. Today was Mimi's 13th birthday. We usually do a small family thing here at the house with a cake and then the birthday lamb and I take the day together on the weekend and go have lunch, window shop and just spend a little time together. It's so hard to comprehend that she is already 13, wasnt it just yesterday that she was watching the Tigger Movie and snuggling beside me? Well yeah it was but you know what I mean, Im sure. Kids grow up so fast, they grow up faster now then we did. They go from our little babies to these half grown strangers that we dont even recognize seemingly over night. See what I mean? 

From this

to this

Even having a messy hair day she is still so photogenic, she always has been. I could probably count on one hand how many bad pictures shes taken in her lifetime.... unlike me lol

We tried a new recipe tonight, the flock all really enjoyed it. I thought it needed more cheese personally lol. Look how cute these are.

They are super easy to make, heres the recipe:

Create Your Own Signature Mini Pie (and an easy way to get rid of leftovers!)

Mix 1/2 cup of Bisquick, 1/2 Cup of Milk, and 2 eggs together for a base. (put about 1 tablespoon in each muffin cup)

Top with about 1/4 cup of any "fillings" you want. - Cheeseburger, Pizza, BLT, Chicken and Veggies, etc.... You can mix it up in the pan (any meat should already be cooked)

Then top with one more tablespoon of the "Bisquick Mixture" - and bake at 375 for 25-30. It's a great way to get rid of your leftovers! These can also be frozen! Just pop them into the microwave for a quick meal on the go!
Recipe from Betty Crocker

We used ground beef and cheese in ours but the flock came up with so many interesting ideas, I do believe we will be having these again soon. Paired with a salad they made for an amazing meal!

Well I better bring this to a close, tomorrow I get to go to town to buy the items needed to make a 3rd grade solar system with Dede.

The Art of Catching the Bus

Maybe I'm weird, well there's no maybe about that. Anyone who knows me will be glad to tell you I'm plenty weird, but I own that weirdness in an amazing way lol. So let me start that sentence over.

 Maybe I'm the only one who does this, but it works for us. I have multiple alarms on my phone to start our every school morning. At 5:30 the first alarm goes off rousing me from whatever amount of sleep I've managed to attain, letting me know that I have 15 minutes to shake the exhausted stupor from my brain before the next alarm goes off at 5:45 signaling that it's time to get the grumpy little lambs up and ready. 6:00 am, there goes another alarm signaling each and every straggling lamb that they only have 10 minutes to finish their tasks of getting ready before time to walk out the door. 6:10 the final alarm rings as books are gathered, jackets are put on, back packs hoisted, and little feet tromp out the door and down the driveway for the 3 minute wait for the bus. 

Barring that inevitable, last minute, frantic rush, to find that misplaced object, (jacket, backpack, homework, a left shoe) that never crossed the mind of the little lambs in question, even tho they have been questioned and reminded multiple times, until that last alarm rings signaling time to walk out the door, we have that timing down to a science. (Note the run on sentence, much like our run on lives  lol) 

Yes folks, its a science... No, no no no.. It's an ART, (yeah, that's it, an art) getting our flock of lambs out the door, to the bus, with all the needed (and occasionally some not so needed) objects, at the same exact time every day, so much so that many of our bus drivers set their route time by our kids. See, we live in the country and our little driveway is the first stop of the morning. Our route is one of the largest as well, and we have a high rate of turn over on drivers for our route. 3 or 4 and sometimes more drivers per year. With the exception of one day out of the past 5 years (other than the first day of school) that day happened this school year, after a particularly long string of sleepless nights with the princess. I somehow managed to sleep thru every alarm. Yes, all 4 blaring, screaming alarms. Funny thing is that even tho I never heard those screeching alarms I did hear the bus and it's not like our house sits on the road either lol. So the flock got to be car riders that morning. 

What goes on after the bus pulls away? Well it's nap time of course.