We have EYE!!

The only excitement we have going on around here are the kittens. They will be one week old tomorrow and we were very excited to find one kitten with one eye open this morning!!

They are growing like little weeds and it's no wonder...they're eating ALL the time. I kind of feel sorry for Angel. No breaks for her. If I were her, I would be wondering where their dad was because I would definitely need a girls night out!!

I'm not sure if you can tell from the picture, but they really are getting thicker!!

They're also getting stinkier!! I'm glad that Scott said no to letting me put her in the closet under the stairs. I see now that that would have been a bad plan!!

From someone who really doesn't like cats

Remember how I don't like cats??

Remember why we got two kitties last Fall?

Remember that when we got back from North Carolina over Christmas, we never saw our Pixie again??

Well, we decided to let Angel live on the wild side so she could have a "friend" again!!

Here's what she looked like a couple of days ago --

And here's how she looks today --

In case you're counting, there are 5 of them!! 2 gray, 2 striped like their momma, and one patchy one. These little guys/girls are so stinkin' cute!! And so small!! And did I mention that I really don't like cats??!!?

Everything happened without a hitch, exactly as we planned it (as though we could plan it!). She had them in the garage (we were afraid she would run off into the woods to have them) and she had them when we weren't here which was awesome!! After I read everything that cats do to their babies when they're born, I wasn't really sure I wanted the boys to see that! We knew she was getting ready to have them when we left for school so I called my neighbor and she checked on her during the day. She called me a few hours later to tell me she had had them and all was well!!

Pretty amazing when you think about it . . . go into labor at breakfast, have 5 babies and be good by lunch!!

The cutest 4-eyes around!!

Before

After

Parker went to the eye doctor today for what I was hoping was a little flair for the dramatic in regards to his complaints about not being able to see well. But, the doctor proved me wrong! Parker has the unfortunate case of having his Dad's not-so-great eyesight!! His right eye (the good one) has 20-80 vision and his left eye has 20-200!!!!! I couldn't believe it when the doctor told me that!! He really hasn't struggled in school at all so I was really surprised. But seeing things far away just hasn't been happening for him evidently. While we were with the doctor, he clicked a few clicks on the computer and let me know that Parker's eyes are virtually the same as Scott's . . . right eye stronger, left eye weaker, and almost the same prescription!! Weird!!

After the exam, we went over and picked out his frames. The tech was actually able to make them there in the office today and Scott and Parker picked them up on their way home. Parker called me on the way home and said, "Mom, this is so cool -- I can see the leaves on the trees!!" How sad is that??

Parker really seems excited about wearing them and taking care of them. I hope that part of it lasts!! It's definitely a different look for him, but very handsome, indeed!

Cooking School

I'm a little behind in my blogging, but I'm going to try to get caught up.


A couple of weeks ago, my mom and I went to Central Market for a gluten free cooking class. We had no idea what to expect or even how it would work, but we both left very pleased with the whole experience.


When we went it, it was just like a real cooking show kitchen, complete with a mirror above the main prep area and two big screens up on each side that showed what the chefs were doing. There were GF snacks to eat and GF beer to sample!!


Basically, during the course of the night, the chef prepared a salad, a main course, and a dessert. After she showed us how to make them, then they served the class what she had made. So, after she made a Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing, then we ate it. I had the great idea to take pictures of everything AFTER I had eaten most of my salad. But, I discreetly managed to take a picture of the lady sitting next to me's salad, though at this point, it really just looks like Spinach Salad.


Then, on to the main course, which was Chicken Stuffed with Gluten-Free Stuffing. She showed us how to make the stuffing from cornbread that had some orange zest in it that gave it an unusual flavor. She showed us how to rub down the bird with lots of spices and butter and how to stuff him. I'll just say that's not gonna be happening at my house anytime soon!! It was really good, but a lot of work!! Here's the chicken with Hot Cross Buns.

The Hot Cross Buns were typical GF fare . . . hard and dense. Even the chef said she wasn't pleased with them. But, the chicken and stuffing were both very good.

Finally came the dessert section of the class. Gluten-Free Pie Crust with Lemon Meringue Filling was on the menu and she did a great job of showing us how to make a good pie crust. Then she proceeded to make the lemon filling with the juice from no less than 10 really big lemons!! This was a great little tart, but tart doesn't even begin to describe the sour level!! I love sour things so it was great to me, but it definitely wasn't for the faint of heart!! My mom and I shared one so we could bring the other one home to Luke and as he was eating it the next day, he ate off all the meringue and started in on the lemon part. After a bite or two, he said, "Mom, can you get all this yellow stuff off so I can just eat the cookie??!!" Totally cracked me up! So, being the great mom I am, I took a spoon and cleaned off his "cookie!" And, maybe I ate it!!

The Lemon tart is in the upper left corner and the rest are cookies that you can either buy or make, most of which Luke has already tried and eats regularly. The cup in the upper right corner is Pirate's Booty, a popcorn snack they had on the tables when we arrived. Good stuff!

The last picture is a very blurry image of the kitchen from our vantage point. I think I was trying to be sneaky because I really wasn't sure if they were ok with people taking pictures. So, it's a bad picture, but you can kind of get the idea.

Overall, it was a great time and we really learned a lot. We heard about new products from other GF people and got lots of great tips about things unique to Central Market and just cooking, in general. I would definitely do it again!!

Easter '09 (with pictures!!)

Easter Sunday was a great day!!

Look how handsome the boys look!! It's always good to see that they CAN brush their hair (when forced!!)

Here are all the cousins while they still look handsome/beautiful!!

On to Nana and Poppy's house for lunch. This year's crowd included Grandma & BigPa, Mom & Dad, Ryan, Shannon, Meagan, and Lexie, MawMaw and PawPaw Alexander, George, Edith, (Little) George, Ben, and Ernie. Here's the grub --

Then on to the main event. Here are the kids getting ready to find their eggs. The funniest part of the hunt this year to me was watching Alex and Meagan who totally know that they are way too old to be doing this, but there's no way they're going to miss out!! You can see in their posture that they are too cool for this little kid stuff!!

And off they go . . . .

And definitely one of the highlights of the whole day was when Luke wrote this note during church:


It reads, "Jesus I love you (you) died for aer sins. Thank you for dieyg for aer sins."

And that is why we celebrate!!

Happy Birthday, Landry (with pictures!!)

I really love the idea of a blog!! I semi-regularly go back and read old stories and just crack myself up! So, I really think I'll be glad when I'm old and have even less of a memory than I do now.

But, it's really hard to find time to blog....especially when there are pictures involved.

Enough whining. Here are the pictures from Landry's small little party at Chut E Cheeeeze!!

Landry, the baby is now Landry, the big boy. The fact that he wanted to have his party at the place where the giant mouse, who is extremely frightening lives, is proof of that!! (Try diagraming that sentence!!

He didn't want any of his friends . . . only his brudders and Maden and Letsie (brothers and Meagan and Lexie). Not a problem for me AT ALL!!

Here's the crew - Landry's so excited he can't even keep his eyes open!!

This is as close as Landry got to Chuck. He was visibly relieved that he never came out and was even a little timid around this fake version!! He really doesn't want to be "stared" but he is still very much scared of the mouse!!

Having a little fun . . .

Ready for the cake . . .

Alex --
Parker --

Luke --

Lexie --

Parker, Meagan, and Lexie showing off their jackpot!!

Grandma, Landry, and BigPa

Here's the loot --

A new blankie!!

GeoTrax Airport -- very cool!!

A brand new BID WHEEL!!! (aka Big Wheel!!)

The kids put all their tickets together and got Landry this giant ball!! Wasn't that sweet??!!?

The whole crew -

Happy Birthday, sweet boy!!

Easter '09

Oh, praise the One

Who paid my debt

And raised this life up

From the dead.

Jesus paid it all

All to Him I owe.

Sin had left a crimson stain

HE washed it white as snow!!

R.I.P. Rocky

Wednesday morning started like any other . . . sleepy kids, reminders about brushing teeth, eating breakfast, white glove check in the boys' room . . . haha!! Just kidding about that one!!

Anyway, we were almost ready to go when I went into the playroom to turn on the TV for Landry (something I don't normally do) and imagine my surprise when I glanced into Rocky the bird's cage and found him lying in the bottom of his cage in a rather unusual position for a bird!! Before I could help myself, I gasped loudly (Parker's description) and said, "OH MY GOSH . . . LOOK AT ROCKY!!" Everyone runs over and we're all just standing there staring at Rocky with our mouths hanging wide open!! Parker reaches in and rubs his belly, but nothing happens. He thinks that he must just be resting though I've never seen a bird rest like that before!!

Not wanting to break it to Parker just yet that Rocky is no more, I suggest that Parker get a water bottle and spray a little water on him. That was how he would get his baths and he really didn't enjoy it, so I thought if there was any little bit of life left, this would certainly get him going!! But . . . it didn't!

I gently tell Parker that I think Rocky is dead, to which he replies, "No, Mom. I think I felt a pulse when I rubbed him!!!"

Luke softly says, "I knew we shouldn't have gotten that cat!!"

Landry says, "Can yall get out of the way of the TV?? I can't SEE!!!"

I go and get Scott who comes in and confirms our worst fears . . . Rocky is dead!!

Parker and Luke immediately fall apart and Parker is convinced that he will not be able to pull himself together enough to go to school. He immediately begins to feel regret for not playing with Rocky as much as thought he should have and for not taking care of him as well as he thought he should have. That was very sad to see!!

Finally, after no small amount of drama, we loaded up and headed to school. It wasn't going to be easy but, as I told Parker, Rocky would have wanted him to press on!!

He made it though the day ok, though he decided at one point that he wasn't going to eat, drink, or sleep until he got a new bird. That however, changed by lunch!! By lunch, he was only going to eat/drink/sleep on weekdays, but not on the weekends!! Isn't it funny how their minds think??

That night after Scott got home, they went out to the back of the property and had a proper funeral. (I was hanging with the girls for Deneise's birthday so I missed the service!! We agreed that we needed some closure so we shouldn't drag it out!!) This is how Scott described it . . . he had one arm around a crying Parker, one arm around a crying Luke, Alex standing off to the side like DUH?? and Landry running around like a little maniac wondering what was going on!! They talked about what a great bird Rocky was and how much they would miss him!!

Parker now wants to go to Albertsons to get some flowers to put on his grave!!

It has been an interesting mix of smiles and sadness! We've never had a pet die on us before but that is a life lesson, if there ever was one!!

My baby is 4!!

Today, my youngest child turned FOUR years old!!

It is seriously hard to believe that Landry entered this world four years ago. It some ways it seems like last week, and it other ways, it's like he's always been a part of our family!!

We celebrated last night at "Chut E Cheez" and he had a blast!! Once the pictures make it on to the computer, I'll post a few.

Landry has the most beautiful blue eyes and a great smile! He does NOT like to be called the baby because he is most definitely a "bid boy!!" I love to listen to him tell stories with great expression and excitement in his voice! Almost everything is exciting to him! I bought him a Lunchable today for his lunch (special day and all!!) and you would have thought I'd given him a million dollars!! His whole face lit up with sheer excitement!!

Landry loves to do what his brothers are doing, but doesn't mind doing his own thing either. He's happy to play cars or animals or trains. He loves his brothers and alternates between awarding them with the title of his "best brudder!!" It's not uncommon at all to hear him try to convince someone to do something with the phrase, "I'll be your best brudder!!"

He has grown from a curly headed baby into a little boy who wants a big boy haircut!! He's changed from a dependent little dude to someone who fiercely fights for the chance to do things himself. He is just pure delight and I can't wait to see what his future holds!!