Excuse me sir, do you know where your kids are?

On our way to El Paso to see my beautiful nieces.........................

We stopped to eat. When we travel through Texas, we usually look for a Whataburger because that seems to be the only place we can all agree on.

We found one and were sitting there eating when a man with two little ones walks in. The little boy must have been about three and the little girl about one and a half. They sat down in a table/booth acroos from us. The kids each had a ketchup container and were eating that as if they were really hungry. None of the kids had any shoes and the little girl had clothes on that were way too big for her.

We all watched them while we ate. The dad got the paper and proceeded to read it while the kids ate the ketchup. Hubster and I thought that the man would eventually get up and order the kids something, but we were wrong.

The kids finished their ketchup and while the dad was still reading the paper, they ran around the restaurant. They were crawling on top of the tables, all the way to the top of those fake flower holder containers. The dad wouldn't take his eyes off the paper, he would just quietly call out their names and tell them to get off the tables. Neither kid listened.

At one point, the little girl was nowhere to be seen and the little boy was outside. Outside all alone and the dad was still reading the paper and had no clue where his kids were. Astonishment is one word to describe how we felt. Even the boys were sitting there in amazement while watching the events unfold.

When the dad, without looking up from his paper, started calling out their names and the kids wouldn't answer, he finally put the paper down and went to go look for the kids. He brought them back in and he sat down again.

They both started to push around the high chairs through the restaurant and even the big yellow wet floor signs. After a while, the dad put his paper back down, got the kids, sat the little girl in a high chair, sat the little boy in the booth and gave them each another pack of ketchup. He then told them that they were giving him a headache.

We left and didn't finish watching the show.

Parenting from a chair. I've seen that several times before. I've also seen that it never works.

Wordless Wednesday

Habla Espanol?

When I was growing up, we mostly spoke Spanish in our house. We spoke English at school, but at home, we broke out the Spanish baby. That's all that my grandparents knew, so if we wanted to converse, we'd better learn how.

It was Tex-Mex Spanish, but still, we all understood each other.

While in High School, I took at easy elective. Spanish. My good friend wanted to take it together and we sat with me in front of her. This worked out well, since she wasn't fluent in Spanish, she would copy off of my test. I'm not sure what she ended up with, but I ended up with an A. I learned how to read and write and speak Spanish correctly.

While in College, I still spoke Spanish because the University I went to had lots of International students. Some of my good friends were from Venezuela and Puerto Rico. Yes, the dialect is different, but we still understood each other. I learned some of their words, and they learned some of mine. Some not so good ones.

Then I started working for Wal-Mart and traveling. I used Spanish to my advantage. I'd speak English and then if someone said something about me in Spanish, I'd start speaking it as well. Pretty sneaky huh? Hey, whatever works.

Then I got married to a Gringo (white boy). I worked at a Wal-Mart that had some Spanish speaking associates, so I still spoke it. Hubster even started learning some words. He understands a lot more that what he lets on.

But lately, I haven't been speaking Spanish. I have no friends who know how to speak it. But this past weekend, I was able to refresh my Spanish. I was a little rusty, but I jumped right in.

My sister-in-law's family speaks only Spanish, so that is the dominant language in that household. I learned some new words and it did feel good to speak it again.

My sil had lots of family there this past weekend. UB and AB made friends with some little boys that were there. When Hubster asked UB what the little boy's name was, UB replied "I don't know. He doesn't speak any English, only Spanish." The language barrier didn't stop them from playing together.

Then Saturday and Sunday night, AB told me that he wants me to teach him Spanish, so that next time he sees his cousins, he can speak Spanish to them.

I guess this summer, we'll be doing lots of Spanish lessons.

But first, I need to continue brushing up on my Spanish because in July, I am going on a mission trip to Ecuador.

I'll be back later, after I feel better

Well, I'm back. Sort of.

I puked my brains out last night and can't seem to find them.

Of course, when I gave birth, they seemed to have shrunk.

So I'll be back when I find my brains.

But first I'm going back to bed. No, I'm going to do laundry, clean the kitchen, change the sheets.

But yes, bed first sounds like a good idea.

And no, I am not pregnant.

I have two brothers. One is older than I and the other is younger than I. As we grew up, we all went in different directions. We still kept in touch, but hardly saw each other. Then we got married. We were still busy and now had our spouses families to think about as well.

Time passed by and before we knew it, it was a couple of years that we had seen each other. So we visited and saw each other. Although, we did keep in touch by phone. Years passed by and I hate to say it but it has been six years since I have seen my older brother and going on one year since I last saw my younger brother.

I'd like to blame it on business, but the more I think about it, I'll blame it on laziness. My older brother lives in El Paso, Tx and my younger brother lives in Flour Bluff, Tx. My older brother is extremely busy as he goes off for training a lot. He has two daughters. One of which I have met. Him and his wife have not met UB. So this weekend, we are going to go see my brother and his family in El Paso and my younger brother and his family are going from their end up there.

I am looking forward to this reunion as it has been a long time coming. Phone calls are one thing, but being with your family is another thing. My boys are excited to be able to meet their cousins and play with them. I will take lots of pictures.

As I have lots to do before we leave, I will not be posting again. (unless Hubster lets me borrow his computer while we are there). I will be back again on Tuesday, if not sooner.

Have a wonderful and safe weekend.
Lots of love to all of y'all from me.

Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck

Caroline always puts others needs before her needs. When she inherits a diner, she is undecided as to what to do. If she sells the landmark diner, the workers lose their jobs, the place gets torn down and the regulars will have no place to go. So she has to decide whether to save the diner, or move to Spain with her best friends and finally put herself in front of others. But then along comes Mitch, the Nashville made singer, and suddenly things just don't make sense anymore.

The ending is not what you think. I thought this book kept the reader interested in the story line and kept you wanting more.

Go to http://rachelhauck.com/newsletter.htm and enter to win a Scrumptious Baking Basket

Bubba's Buttery Biscuits

3 cups self-rising flour

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled, plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted for brushing the tops

1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place the flour and chilled butter in a medium mixing bowl. Work the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingertips until the butter pieces are a little larger than an English pea, but not larger than a lima bean. If you are using your fingers, work quickly so that the heat of your hands won't melt the butter.

Pour in all of the buttermilk and, using light pressure, fold the mixture a few times with a plastic spatula until it holds together. Do not over mix. In order to make light biscuits, it is important to work the dough as little as possible.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead it quickly and gently 6 to 10 times or until it begins to be almost homogenized. There will be large pieces of butter throughout. Sprinkle a little flour under the dough so that it won't stick to the board and lightly dust the top of the dough so that it won't stick to the board and lightly dust the top of the dough so that it won't stick to the rolling pin. Roll the dough out to about 1/2-inch thickness.

Cut the dough into 2-inch rounds, place on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes. I like the biscuits to be crispy and brown on the top and bottom, but not dry in the middle. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and brush the tops of the biscuits with the melted butter. Serve right away. (recipe from Louis Osteen)

About Rachel:

I'm a forty-something, a child of the '60's, '70's, '80's, '90's and '00's.

I roller skated through the '70's into the '80's with Farrah Fawcet hair and a three-speed orange Camero.
Born in Ohio, I lived several years in Oklahoma and Kentucky before my parents moved the family to Florida.
I graduated from Ohio State University (Go Buckeyes!) with a degree in Journalism. As a member of Phi Mu sorority, I partied my way though the last few years of college.
But, the truth is, and always will be, I belong to Jesus. At the age of six, I knelt at the altar of a Tulsa Methodist church and gave my life to the One who loves me.
After graduation, hired on at Harris Publishing as a software trainer, determined to see the world. And I did it without a laptop, a cell phone, an IPod or portable DVD player. Those were hard times.
But, I traveled to Ireland, Spain, Venezuela, Mexico, Australia, Canada and the U.S. from California to Maine. But, life on the road is difficult. Working twelve to fourteen hour days, one doesn't get to see many of the sites. In Ireland, our company's distributor drove me around at night so I could see something of Dublin.

I met Tony, my husband, in '87, at church, of all places. We got married in '92. Tony has been a pastor for twenty years. I've worked with him in eighteen of those twenty. Our heart is to see teens and adults passionate, radical and whole hearted for Jesus.

Tony and I don't have any children of our own, lots of kids-in-the-Lord and we love them all. However, we do have a very spoiled dog, and an even more spoiled cat.
I've always wanted to be a writer. My dad used to tell me, "You're a writer." I have letters he wrote me post college, exhorting me to write. In this, I believe he had the heart of God.

In '93, I started an epic WW2 novel with two plots. It was well rejected. After that ordeal, I took a break and put efforts into my job as a software project manager. But, I missed writing and in late ' 99, I took up the craft again.

With a little help from my friends, my first book was published in ' 04, Lambert's Pride, a romance novel. I love writing chick lit and romance. I love writing. What an honor.

Wordless Wednesday

The new family

Last year, we had a family of cliff swallows that made a home on our window sill on the back porch. But one home was not enough for the family, so they made another home an the other side of the window. The mom sleeps in one nest and the dad in the other. We enjoyed watching them make this home. The meticulous way they would work on their house and wouldn't stop until it was done.

When winter came, they went back away. They returned this spring and we watched as the mama sat in the nest, day after day. We waited for little heads to pop up and today, we saw them.

I tried to take pictures outside on the back porch, but the mama and her entourage wouldn't let me. So I had to take pictures from inside my house. They are a little dark, but you can still see the birds.

The mama feeding her babies. Don't leave mama, we're still hungry.
La, la,la, la la

Mama, feed me next.

I think she knows we're watching. Good job mama, just keep doing your job.

Maaaaammmmaaaaaa!!! Maaaaammmaaaaa!!

I heard you the first time. I'm trying to find food for you as fast as I can. Now chill out!

But we're hungry!! Please hurry back. Could you please bring us back a supreme pizza?

I wonder how long I can sit here and stare into the wide open space before they demand more from me.

Anyone need some rocks?

During the winter, I find ice in my house. During the spring, I find wild flowers in my house. All year round I find lots of dirt and lots of Lego's in my house. Lately, I've been finding rocks in my house. On the tables, in the bedrooms, in the washer and dryer, in the bathtub, in the sink, on the chairs. These rocks seem to be multiplying by the day. We may not have trees for the boys to climb on, but we sure do have rocks. This makes the boys very happy because they get to look for their treasures and then come running in the house to show me what they found.

They look at the shape, texture, style and color. If it looks odd, it must be valuable. That is what they think. For example, the ones in the next picture show 'two faced' rocks.

AB has been on a hunt for crystals. He believes that one day he is going to find enough that he will be able to sell them and become rich. I sure hope he remembers me washing these crystals to their beauty in the washer and shares his wealth with me.

I felt so special on Mother's Day because he made me a card and in the card, he had attached a crystal he had found. Maybe that one crystal will make me rich one day.

UB found him some unique rocks as well. He doesn't really look for anything in particular, he just wants rocks to be like his brother. He also likes the smaller rocks. Those are the better ones to hit you with. See, he's got a plan. When AB won't share his crystal rocks with him, he just pops AB on the side of the head with one of those small rocks and he gets even. He may be small, but he's not dumb.

Now I just have to go and pull out all the little rocks from my lint holder and go throw out the ones that are rolling around in my washer.

Look like a woman and not a man

Usually when a woman is looking for something, she looks everywhere. She will dig in behind stuff to look for whatever it is she is looking for. She will move stuff around just to find it. She will re-arrange wherever she is looking, just to find the item she is looking for.

When men are looking for something, they only look on the surface. Then open drawers and just scan the top, if it's not on top, they just shut the drawer. They open doors and just look inside, scanning for the item they want. If the item were a snake, it would surely bite them.

One of my friends says "look like a woman, not a man". I have started to say this phrase to the boys when they are looking for something. That or, "last time I was wearing it, I left it there".

When AB can't find what he is looking for, he comes running to me. He'll tell me, "Mom, I can't find my such and such. And yes, I did look like a woman and not a man."

The other day, I was making pb&j sandwiches for lunch. I opened the fridge to look for the apple butter and couldn't find it. I asked out loud "Does anyone know where the apple butter is?"
AB responds, "Right there on the bottom. Remember mom, look like a woman and not a man."

Smarty pants.

Wordless Wednesday

My son......Hammy

If you saw the movie Over the Hedge, then you are familiar with Hammy. The ADD squirrel that is non-stop. We used to say that AB is Hammy, but when UB is on medicine, he is Hammy. UB has seasonal asthma. When the weather has been as unpredictable as it has lately, his asthma goes into full throttle. Not to mention the pollen and mold count outside. Pretty soon, the cottonwoods are going to be blooming, if they aren't already, and that will kick his asthma again.

He's on a medicine that makes him go from happy.....................................

to sad........................ All in a split second. I feel bad for the kid. School has been impossible with him during this drug time. I'm ready for this season to be over so that he can stay off this med.

When he's done crying, he'll be happy again and go back to being Hammy. It's a vicious circle I tell you.

This is how his conversations go. Usually one sided and all in one breath.

AB: "mom, mom, I know how to spell 70. Moooooommmm, I know how to spell 70. You spell it with a 7 and a D. 70. That's how you spell it mom. Moooooommmm, did you hear me? I know how to spell 70."

Right after that conversation he changes topics. This time, while he's chasing the chihuahua and trying to tell me a story, all in one breath.

AB: "mom, did you know that AB didn't wash his hands again after he used the bathroom? He always does that mom. Isn't that gross mom? Why does he do that mom? Mom, did you know that I'm faster than AB? I can run a lot faster and AB can't catch me. I think it's because he has dirty hands, right mom? (to AB) go wash your hands because you didn't wash them and they are dirty. Use soap. He has to use soap right mom? Mom, smell my hands. I washed them with soap. They smell good right mom? It's because I wash my hands after I use the bathroom."

The conversation continues until I either walk away of change the topic.

The other problem that he has with this med, is the fact that he doesn't sleep much. UB likes to sleep, he's always liked to sleep. When he was a baby, I called the Dr. to ask him if it was normal that a baby sleep a lot. He still sleeps a lot. He's the one that sleeps in (8:30 or 9). Or I should say, used to sleep, because now he wakes up very early. Sometimes even at 5:30 and can't go back to sleep.

I'm so ready for his asthma to go away. In the meantime, I'll just try to keep Hammy from ruining my house.

What do you think?

I went downtown yesterday and noticed something. I'm not really sure if it's OK or not, so I'm going to see what y'all think.

I noticed this little girl, about three years old, in a truck, strapped into her car seat in the front seat, with the truck on, but no one else was with her. I stood there for a couple of minutes, looking to see if maybe her mom was coming right out of the place. No.

I went to my location and looked out the window. The little girl was trying to get out of her seat. Her mom still hadn't gone back to the truck.

After about 5 minutes from when I got there, the mom shows up.

I know we all say, "oh, I'll only be a minute", but that's scary.

So...............is that wrong or is it OK to leave a child alone with the motor running?

The terrible, no good, very bad, unpredictable Oklahoma weather

Once upon a time, there was a trampoline that was used for enjoyment. It got bounced on, ran on and even beat on.

This trampoline was a joy to have around because it could entertain kids when the mom didn't have any entertaining left in her.

The neighbors and cousins would come over and jump on this trampoline as well.

But one day, the crazy, unpredictable, Oklahoma weather fought with the trampoline and the trampoline was no match for the 5o+mph winds. This poor trampoline fought hard to stay alive, but to no avail.

The taco looking trampoline was blown about 100 ft away from where it originally was.
It's a sad day at the little house on the prarie, especially for mom, because now she will have to do all the entertaining. Boo hoo!

Wordless Wednesday

Let's talk wild

I have wildflowers growing out in my backward. Lots and lots of wildflowers. Everywhere. Even though they are weeds, they look purty. I took advantage of this and took the boys pictures. So here are some wild boys with some wild flowers. Don't they look wilderful?

To sleep or not to sleep

Ever since I can remember, I have always slept with more than one pillow. I never really liked to go to sleepovers when I was younger because I always wanted to take ALL my pillows. I know, I'm weird. I like to sleep in a room that is not only dark, but cold as well, then I add three pillows and I'm set to sleep.

When I got married, I brought my bad habit of three pillows. I have a body pillow and two king sized pillows. Poor Hubster has always allowed me and my entourage of pillows to sleep together. I give him a little more than half of our King size bed, while me and my pillows take up the rest. We like our space when we sleep.

So when we had kids, I taught them that nasty habit of more than one pillow. Both boys sleep with lots of pillows all around them. I'm apologizing right now to their future wives.

When Hubster is out of town, the boys camp out in my room. I don't get to hog up the bed while he's out of town. Someone else does that for me.

AB is usually the one that sleeps on the bed with me. UB likes his space. Alone. AB and I start off with three pillows each. His body pillow and two regular size pillows. So far so good. I can share. Half for him, and half for me. We are both having peaceful, wonderful dreams at this time.

But then, I think that AB practices his karate in bed or something, because next thing you know, he's scooting over to my side. Sleeps right in the middle, so I scoot over to the far side. AB is still having peaceful, wonderful dreams while my dreams are anything but.

Pretty soon though, his pillows are forgotten and he's hogging mine. Notice how I have only 1/4 of the bed while he has the rest. Motherly sacrifices people. Yeah, right! I end up sleeping on my back with my arms crossed and moving as little as possible. Sleep is still possible, but I have to kick AB over so that I can sleep with my pillow friends again.

When the night is over (usually at 7 am for AB), I'm grumpy and need a nap. AB however, is full of energy and ready to tackle the world. And as much as I complain about my kids, and would like to tell them to go sleep in their own rooms in their own beds with their own pillows, I won't. Because AB will wake up and sometimes give me a morning hug or kiss, or tell me he loves me at night before he goes to bed. And those are things that I would not get if I didn't let him hog up my bed while Hubster's away.

Call me crazy, but I"ll take those loving moments (as rare as they come) any day. And yes, I'll even sacrifice some sleep in order to get them.

Star light, Star bright

The boys and I were talking about stars and I was telling them that God is amazing because he not only made every star, but he also named every star. AB asked if he knew every stars name and I said yes.

UB looked like he had an a-ha moment, jumped up and down excitedly and said "mom, I know one of the stars name!"

"You do?" I asked

"Yes," he said " I think I know four stars names. They are Twinkle-Twinkle-Little and Star"

.

It's all about the treat that comes after the game

UB had a T-ball game the other day. I don't know if y'all have ever had the chance to go see a T-ball game, but just to make you laugh, I'd go. The competitive T-ball is a lot more fun to watch than the regular T-ball. Strikes are counted, outs are counted and so are points.

These are 4,5 and 6 year olds wanting to show their parents how well they play. UB's team played another team that was very good. But UB's team was having fun. I'm not sure their coach was, but the kids were.

The majority of the kids out on the field were distracted. The catcher was twirling around as he looked at the clouds. The first base girl was staring into space. The second base girl was sitting on the ground. The shortstop man was yelling at his mom to ask if he could go to his dad's house. My boy was on third base and was actually paying attention. The out fielders were all picking weeds and talking to each other and one of the girls was trying to fix her pony tail. The coach was with the outfielders probably trying to figure out the best way to get off the field without anyone realizing he was not there.

Our team was getting their hiney's kicked. I think the score ended with 20-8. But the kids didn't care if they lost, they just wanted the snow cones at the end of the game.

They would come to the dug out and each child would ask their mom, "are we getting snow cones?" So much for the game. I think they decided they were just going to play in order to get a treat.

I had fun watching them because while there were a few tears (UB's included), they all had fun and you could tell by the way they looked to the stands whenever they stopped a ball or whenever they hit the ball and scored a run, all they really were interested in was mom or dad's approval.

The smiles on their faces when mom or dad gave them the thumbs up made me realize that we are just like kids. We do something and we look towards heaven to see how proud He is of us. And I'd like to believe that He's looking down at us with his thumbs up saying "good job".