Meet Drumstick

Yes, I said "Drumstick."

Yes, Drumstick is a CHICKEN.

Yes, I see the irony. The kids named her. Rumor has it that the ugliest/smallest chickens are usually the best layers. Here's hoping.....

Drumstick feels she is a member of the family. Perhaps after the kids named her, she realized the connotations of her name and decided she better integrate herself into our family a little more. I'll give you an example....

Thursday the kids were outside at the picnic table doing school. Drumstick hopped up on the bench next to T and watched for a couple minutes.



















She then proceed to get in T's lap and "read" with her.




















She wandered away for a couple minutes only to return to T and watch her put her hair up.



















After spending a few more minutes with T, she wandered a couple feet over on the bench and perched next to JT and observed his "math class".




















Drumstick loves all four of us and has no qualms about parking next to the dog, either. She is more than happy to follow us around, weaving in and around our legs, and is even happier to be CARRIED around.

Dear God, PLEASE don't let this chicken be a rooster in disguise and PLEASE make her the best layer we have. I don't think I would have the heart to eat her. Amen.

And God said...

... let there be DIRT!

And a big hole to fit a house in. Hurray!!




















Isn't it pretty?




















We started with a hill, took a bulldozer, and removed a big chunk of hill.




















Then we realized that not enough hill had been removed to fit a house - our bulldozer friend had to come back. So hurray for the new hole in the hill!! Lots of dirt to move now...




















The kids said the piles made great play-things.



















Too bad, so sad, the piles need to go. I think I'd rather have the house....

To my birthday girl:

Well, T, another year has come and gone. I still clearly remember all the emotions I felt when we found out I was pregnant with you... Relief in knowing WHY I was eating french fries and cottage cheese and honestly thinking it was good; shock because my DOCTOR told me I wasn't pregnant... Shouldn't they know?? Panic, wondering what on earth I would do with two babies at once... Thank God your brother grew up some in those nine months. :) Fear, not know why your brother had been born so early and not knowing if I would go through the same thing with you... Would you make it?? But, T, stronger than any of those emotions was excitement and hope. I prayed every day for you, that you would be a happy, healthy, FULL TERM little GIRL.

The minute we laid eyes on you, daddy and I fell in love with you. You were so sweet and tiny, and most definitely mommy's girl!!! Now you are eight years old and you are daddy's little girl too. I wonder, when you are grown and out on your own, will you still consider yourself "daddy's little girl" like I do with my dad? Will you still love to spend time with mommy? Will your hair still go down to your pants? These are some of the questions I have had running through my head today. I watched you on your motorcycle in your new pink and black riding outfit, looking so girly, yet so confident on what some would consider a "boy's toy"... I was so proud of you!!! T, you are growing up into a fine young lady, and I love you and am so proud of you. Your smile lights up a room, and you can be a clown and a card with the best of them, but what I love most is your soft heart, your love for Jesus, and your joy in worshiping Him. We love you, Princess.

Great Start

Well, we are "two" days into our second week of school. Yes, I know it is Monday. The first day of the work/school week. Yes, I still say we have made it through our second day of our second week of school. Successfully, too, I might add. Do I have trouble counting? No, I don't. But thanks for asking....

We live life on second shift. Which means we go to bed late. Like, wee hours of the morning, late. So do the kids... Well, not TOO "wee", but midnight is late enough for a ten and almost eight year old. We all sleep in. Then we get up, have lunchsupperdinner together as a family, and ship daddy off to work. Now we have two options: Start our school day then and there, or let the kids have a social life and play with their neighbor cousins. For some reason, the kids like the social life. Can't figure it out. So, we made a deal. Our school.... night.... starts at six o'clock. On. The. Dot. Except for today when poop hit the fan and chaos seemed to reign. But that is another story for another day. :)

I told little person #1 and little person #2 that I had no problem doing school in the evenings on ONE CONDITION. No matter how silly it seemed since our school schedule is, at least for now, permanently at a 6:00 pm start time, we MUST have that day's work done BEFORE we play. It is the principle of the matter. Work before play. Good ethics. So, while today was Monday, we technically did Tuesday's work.... And let me tell you, the littles are doing GREAT. Mommy is doing great...

...And mommy is totally ready to curl up on the couch with a hot cup of coffee, a fresh chocolate chip cookie and a fluff book. My brain is done.

Priceless

Yearly dues for membership at F-town Volunteer Fire Department:

$5.00


Flippers, Mask and Snorkel set from KMart:
























$30.00


Needing your newly purchased scuba gear to respond to a call for a car in the reservoir and finding out that said car was in said reservoir because the owner of the local porn shop was mad at the fire department so he drove his car to the reservoir to "drink some beers, look at the stars and cool off" and then accidentally put said car in drive instead of reverse *whew*:

PRICELESS

Clownin' Around (Wordless Wednesday Edition)

They say the darndest things....

Here is an excerpt from a conversation held recently on a trip to RCity:

Me: "***** is the only one that will be a stick in the mud about the idea. Otherwise, everyone will do it."

T: "Then maybe you guys should pull the stick out."

Hmm.... How does that work exactly?