Granny's Gabbings

This is another Granny-ism from my Aunt S.. I love reading them!! I'm sure it isn't the same for others to read them, but for me I can hear inflections and see expressions, and it just makes me giggle.

In this episode Granny and Aunt S are talking about an upcoming visit from my mom, J. Aunt S prefaces this story by saying:

"Sometimes old people are surreal. Not old like me, but ancient, like Mom. her body is hail and functioning, but her brain has left the planet."

Granny: What are we going to feed J on Sunday

Aunt S: I have some Mahi Mahi in the freezer. I'll stuff it with asparagus.

Granny: J doesn't like fish

Aunt S: Since when?

Granny: She won't eat it.

Aunt S: Why won't she eat it? What makes you say she doesn't like fish?

Granny: Because she won't eat coconut.

There you have it folks. New data has been released to all the 'ancients' about the correlation between coconuts and fish... stay tuned for more details to be released from those who actually do some sort of studies... cause that would be a great way to spend some tax dollars! Until then, this Sunday Granny, Aunt S, and J will be having ham for dinner ~ unless a connection between ham and the color orange is discovered and then it will be salad.

And as an afterthought, my mom does in fact hate coconut but love fish... it's one of her few bad habits. (Fish are smelly and slimy and have beady eyes...nothing good other than Omega-3 comes from fish! Everyone who loves fish inherently have at least one downfall to their personality.) Conversely, I love coconut, but hate fish... perhaps there is something to Granny's thought processes; she just got them backwards.

Owen's new heavy metal

Boy versus Bookcase

I have this working theory about Owen's only injuries ever being head injuries, and that his greatest of injuries tend to involve Garrett and/or some of his 'greatest' ideas. Today is another tally mark for that theory. While they were "doing laundry" in the front room (ha ha ha to how much work was really being done), it somehow also involved wrapping Owen like a mummy in a blanket. And according to Owen, Garrett said, "Okay Owen, I'm going to let go of you now..." and down he went, wrapped in a blanket like a hotdog in a very confining bun. The bookcase was there to cushion his fall...only his head got in the way. Owen was immediately forgiving of Garrett and told him over and over, "I know you didn't mean for this to happen.... you'd never want to hurt me... it's not your fault." He was SO brave at the doctor's office. He got all five staples without any numbing gel or litacaine. He didn't even flinch or squeeze one single tear out!! And since he was so amazing, the doctor gave him three little toys and I stopped and got him a root beer float on the way home!

I think he is getting used to the pain!

Six-year-old Sayings

Today while we were working on math in school, I had all the kids open up to their next chapter and preview it while I made the rounds to each one to explain it in detail. Owen had already self taught himself and was mid lesson, so he needed no help (as usual!). I was working with Garrett, teaching him how to find fractions of a fraction. Teagan wanted some help, even though I was actively working with Garrett. Here is the conversation that followed:

Teagan - Mom can you just help me for a quick second?

Me - No, Tiggy, I'm working with Garrett right now. I'll be with you in just a few minutes.

Teagan - But Mom, I only need a refresher!

Owen - A refresher? I can do that for you!

Teagan - No you can't, Owen. You don't even know what a refresher is.

Owen - Yes I do. It is a cold drink or an ice cube.

He was correct - those are refreshers!

Another Granny-ism - Wells Fargo

setting: Granny and Aunt S are sitting in the drive up lane at Aunt S's bank - Wells Fargo

Granny - What is this?
Aunt S - Wells Fargo
Granny - Isn't that in South Dakota?
Aunt S - FARGO is the city in North Dakota, this is a bank - Wells Fargo
Granny - They're from North Dakota?
Aunt S - No, this isn't Fargo, it's Wells Fargo - it used to be a stage coach, then a money delivery firm, then a bank. Wells Fargo. I believe they are headquartered in Denver.
Granny- They aren't in North Dakota?
Aunt S - Well, they probably are, they are everywhere now.
Granny - I thought you said they weren't from Fargo.

Aunt S could see that this conversation was going nowhere, and fortunately the teller interrupted this stimulating conversation.

Aunt S wrote us when telling us this story, "I'm not exactly sure how Mom is processing information, but I think her mother-board needs tightening!"

March pack meeting

Tonight was the pack meeting for March and the kids and I had a fun time, as usual. The them for this month was compassion, so for their activity today, the kids got to experience different "disabilities" for a little bit. They were blind folded and had to walk across the gym, wore men's work gloves and had to try to pick things up and do things with their hands, and a couple other activities that put their normal senses on a break and made them deal with less than normal abilities. Everyone seemed to have a fun evening.

Then it was time for the awards and I was so excited because every boy in the whole pack had earned at least one thing, with most of them earning multiple awards; either progress ranks, belt loops, pins, or miscellaneous badges. It's no longer just Garrett earning all sorts of things, but now the other boys have caught on that the sky is the limit and they can earn all sorts of fun things if they work a little! It made me really happy!

This month Garrett earned three more arrow points, a sports pin for soccer, academic pins for geography and nutrition, a Hogle Zoo badge, and a Boy's Life badge.
He was proud of himself once again and came home feeling sure that he could take on the world!

I really wish that our scout program did it for the 7-year-old Tigers as well, Owen really wants to join scouts like his big brother and is begging me to find a troop for him to join at the end of this year!

Macaroni and cheeseless

I love my grandmother. She is a hoot to be around! Her mannerisms are from another time and place. And even with that reasoning, she is completely different from anyone else who came from the same time and place!

Add on to that the fact that she is 89 years old and although her body is still going strong, her mind is starting to show it's age... well, you get some really funny times!

Right now she is living with my aunt in Georgia and occasionally my aunt will pass along her most recent Granny-isms.

My aunt is a character all to herself as well ~ I'm sure she was a gypsy in a former life and loved it so much that she remains the same today. She is an artistic soul who won't conform to anything. I love reading about them and giggling as I visualize the conversations going on between these two women that I love.

As I was reading one that my mom passed on to me today, the thought occurred to me that these really need to be written down somewhere for our family to remember them years from now. And since typing is so much quicker than actually hand writting them, I decided to put them here. That way I have them for me and my kids to look back on and remember and giggle some more!

So here is today's story: the tale of the Macaroni and Cheeseless.

"So I have been hankering after some macaroni and cheese and asked mom if she wouldn't mind making me some...not from the box, but actually browning the macaroni, mixing in the little cubed ham and then some onions and cheese. Oh yeah. Love that stuff. So she says yes, she'll make me some for dinner. I get home from work and she gives me a bowl of macaroni.

Aunt S: what is this?

Granny: macaroni and cheese

Aunt S: it looks like macaroni and nothing.

Granny: I didn't use any cheese

Aunt S: (aghast) why didn't you put any cheese in the macaroni - that's half the dish!

Granny: I don't like cheese

Aunt S: I DO

Granny: you said you didn't like cheese

Aunt S: generally speaking I'm not a big cheese eater, but when I eat macaroni and cheese I kind of expect there to be cheese in the dish

Granny: well, I didn't know if you wanted cheese in it

Aunt S: when someone says MACARONI AND CHEESE they usually expect cheese in the dish!

Granny: they might be wrong though, they might not want cheese in the dish

Aunt S: of course, they might not know what they heck they want. Ok, give me some salt and I'll eat this macaroni cheeseless."

My Sweetie takes good care of me!

As I was sitting here at the computer working on the papers I need to take to church today, I had Scott in the kitchen working on getting breakfast lined up for everyone and helping get the kids ready for church.

He made one of his favorite, quick-and-easy, foods: scrambled eggs with cheese, but today he also threw in some left-over rice that he fried. The kids love eggs plain or with bar-b-que sauce, he loves them with cayenne pepper sauce, and I can't stand them at all. I hate almost everything egg-y. The smell, the taste, the papery film they leave in a ring on the pan when you cooked them, that weird plasmoid state that one part of the yolk is that never wants to mix... eggs and I just don't mesh unless they are going in cookies, crepes, or baked goods :-)

But I didn't say anything about the terrible smell that now filled our house that I was worried we were all going to go to church smelling like, or the dread I felt at eating scrambled eggs, because he was after all being such a good guy and doing all the domestic things while I finished my computer work.

So breakfast prayer was said and then he brought me my breakfast at the computer so I could keep working: a cup of yogurt with granola and fresh strawberries in it!

I love my sweetie!

Another milestone

This month has been full of growing up milestones, and it is only the middle of the month, I'm worried about what else will come!

We've had Teagan turn 12 and graduate from Primary into Young Women's in her church class. (This was her making chicken fajitas this weekend in my new Green Pan that I got for free from hosting a Philly Cooking Cream dinner party... they turned out yummy by the way!)

We had Emmett decide to potty train himself, and now wears cute undies on his cute little hiney.

And Owen has decided to throw his hat into the ring of big kids as well...He had his very first tooth come out!

(And this was the very first tooth of any of my kids who I pulled out - that's usually Daddy's job!)

The other bottom front tooth is really wiggly too, and the older kids wanted to 'help' him get that one out as well... it was the old 'tie-it-with-dental-floss-and-slam-the-door-shut' trick, but it didn't have the same outcome as it does in the movies. I drew the line when they asked if they could attach his dental flossed tooth to the toaster and then toss the toaster out the door! Owen decided to wait a day or two and then let me try to yank it out when it is a little looser.

I think Garrett is trying to keep up with the rest of the crew and has decided to move into the 'hollow-leg' part of his growing up. He had 4 helpings of dinner today, a fresh fruit smoothie, and 3 slices of cantaloupe, and was trying to tell me that he was still hungry! I don't think I am ready to feed a (pre)teenage boy quite yet!

*UPDATE* Anticipation overcame him and his second tooth was evicted today as well. He wiggled and twisted and had Teagan help yank it out. She got most of it out and left it hanging on a little and he was able to finish pulling it out himself. He is so tickled with himself! In his words, "This is so awesome!!!"

Trial test number one- successful!

All week long Emmy has done wonderfully on his self started potty training. We've only had one or two accidents, and it usually involved me not hearing his sweet little voice asking to be taken to the bathroom.

But today was going to be the real test...three hours of church. We've mainly stayed at home all week, mostly for convenience sake, and since he is a toilet sitter still and I didn't want him to sit on strange toilets. But we had three hours of church, and I was nervous! He was going to be in nursery, with me, for two hours of it. I imagined the poor nursery ladies having to bring him to me because he wouldn't be heard in there with all the other little ones, or if he didn't know who to go to when he needed to go. But during the second hour of his class, they brought him to me because he had asked one of them to go to the bathroom!

He made it all three hours staying dry, even through playtime and snack time and bubbles! And then, as an added bonus, after we got home and ate a quick lunch, he slept through nap time (on my bed, mind you!) without wetting his pants!! That was his second day nap in a row that we have been bold enough to try it out, and he didn't wet the bed either day!

He is making this so easy for us! He has always been such an angel baby and that is just extending into his toddlerhood as well! Thanks, my Emmy-boy!

My first birthday present!!!

Emmy decided to give me an early birthday gift this morning and has decided that he doesn't want to wear diapers any more!!

He's gone to the bathroom seven times today in the big boy toilet and we all give him a great big cheer and loves and kisses when he finishes. He giggles and laughs and is so pleased with himself!

Thank you, Emmerson! We only had another 20 or so diapers, so I am looking forward to the idea of not having to buy another pack of diapers!!

The Mom in the Hat Knows A Lot About That

Sometimes I wish that weren't one, but were two
Then imagine all the things I could do!

While Me One did the teaching
Me Two could be bleaching.

But why stop there, at only one more?
What more could get done with a Me Three and Me Four?

The floors could be mopped and the toilets get scrubbed,
Trash cans all emptied, and the baby in the tub.

If I added a Five, and maybe a Six,
I could learn some new skills, and maybe some tricks!

I've always wanted to learn how to ski,
Perhaps that could be done by a seventh Me.

Me Eight and Me Nine could work as a team.
Together they could finish getting the house clean.

With Ten and Eleven right by my side,
We could get all the gardening done outside.

But I wonder if I might get confused,
Which is Me Seven and Which is Me Two?

And who would my kids go for hugs and for kisses?
What other great things would the real me misses?

Maybe so many Me-s is not a good thing,
Maybe too many cooks cooking too many things.

Our three bedroom house might get a little tight,
And Which me would Scott kiss good night?

This multi Me idea, I'm starting to hate!
I'm crushing the idea before it's too late!

I want all the kisses, and all of the tears,
I want all the memories throughout all the years.

So tonight as I lay myself down in my bed,
With tomorrow's to-do list in my head,

I'll be happy that I am the one and the only,
Just me, only me, as my kids' Mommy.



The previous nonsense was in honor of Dr. Seuss' Birthday! We love Dr. Seuss around our house and celebrate the fun-ness that he imagined up! We always have Green Eggs and Ham and read far too many Seuss books to keep straight thoughts going on in our heads. (we often spend the day in nonsense rhyming!)
It's a wonderful day celebrating a wonderful man. Some of his books are nonsense books that make us smile, but some have deep meanings that I love for my kids to learn.

Here are some of our favorite quotes:

"I meant what I said, I said what I meant, an elephant's faithful 100%'" Horton Hatches the Egg

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." The Lorax

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than you."

"Congratulations! Today is your day. you're off to great places, You're off and away! You have brains in your head and feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." Oh The Places You'll Go

"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter."

Happy Birthday, Theodore Seuss Geisel!

"My baby's all grown up and *sniffle*.. and saving China"

When Teagan was little, her favorite movie was Mulan. She loved Mushu the best. She would giggle at his quotes, like when he called Mulan's horse a cow, or when he explained that he was little because he was just 'travel-sized, for your convenience.' I loved the movie, too, but saw it from a little older point of view. I saw the girl who was torn between being true to herself or becoming what everyone expected of her, and of the power that you can find when you trust in yourself. One of my favorite quotes was when Mushu was sending Mulan off to train for the war and he watches her run off and says, "My baby's all grown up and *sniffle* ... and saving China." I knew that one day I would be feeling the same way... minus the saving China part!
With her being our first born, we wondered what kind of parents we should be to help raise her to be as strong as she would need to be in the world she was brought into. What sort of person was she going to grow up into? Would she be headstrong and immovable and solid in her beliefs? Would she be timid and shy and need to be taught to stand up for herself? What did her future have in store for this beautiful little angel Heavenly Father had sent to our family?
As we watched her grow into her personality, we learned just how wonderfully wise Heavenly Father is in sending these children during these last days. She was strong-willed from the get-go. She had her own time schedule, her own ideas of what she wanted, and her own likes and dislikes - all from the time she was tee-tiny! As she was old enough to walk and talk, we saw what a fun personality she had. She loved being the center of attention and loved smiling and making others smile too. She still liked making up the rules of games and dictating what was going on, but she also loved to follow the lead of those she played with. She was a natural star at everything and easily acquired whatever skill she attempted. She was walking by 8 months, talking by a year, reading by the time she was 4...it seemed like everything came easy for her. But there was one characteristic that worried me... Teagan would absorb the personality of whoever she was playing with. If she was with shy kids, that's what she would become. If she played with loud and wild friends, well, that would be who she was for a few days too. It always took a couple of days home alone with mom and dad to 'deprogram' her into being her normal self again. I worried how she would fare when she was older if this kept up.
Here she is today, on her twelfth birthday, and even though I still worry about that trait in her a little bit, she has come a long way from the days when she had to be deprogrammed after playing with friends!

She is still a strong willed little girl, but has learned where to direct it and it isn't used in a bull-headed sense of the term. She knows what goals she has and barrels towards them full speed. She is determined, and jovial, and outgoing. She still loves to smile and giggle and make others happy. Often times she is so excited tears come to her eyes!

She is also to that stage in growing up where you get really goofy at times! She thinks the silliest things are funny and loves to be different and unique. There are days when she goes around the house calling herself "Bob."

She is still a social butterfly and loves to be around her friends, but in the past few years she has picked up a nervous/shy streak as well - I think it comes from being around me too much because it comes in the same situations when I introvert as well.I've tried to teach her to be strong and brave, but I guess my example has also done some teaching in the other direction! Sorry, Tig!

She is so strong and so beautiful and so sure of herself. I worried if she would have issues with her body like all young girls do, but it has never been even a dot on her map. (Sometimes I wish it were a little more of a concern though, she never worries about how she's dressed or what her hair looks like, or when the last time she washed her hair... at six it was fine, but now at 12, we're having to lay the rules down kinda thick! No stripes and polka dots, no green does not match purple, hair needs to be washed every other day....) Teagan continues to absorb knowledge like a thirsty sponge. It amazes me how quickly she understands new concepts and how little explanation she needs to grasp things. She is a year ahead of her friends in school and still just blows through pre-algebra like it was a fluff class.

Her heart is just as full of kindness and love as her head is full of new ideas. I have enjoyed having her in my little family and as my best friend for the past 12 years. I couldn't have imagined a better match for our family!

Having gushed all that... she is still a 12 year old girl! She is indecisive and stuck between the world of playing with Littlest Pet Shop Animals or painting her nails. She wants to watch Magic School Bus cartoons and Disney Channel tweeny shows at the same time. She makes me glad that I am past that part of life - where you have one foot in both worlds and want the best of both but don't know quite how to make it work. I love watching her grow up and seeing how she faces all the challenges life brings her... she's a lot stronger than I was at her age, and I am sure glad of that!

We had a family birthday party for her to celebrate this special day. She chose scones and honey butter and OJ for breakfast, BLT soup and soda pop for lunch, and a spaghetti pig-out for dinner (but we were all so full from lunch that we just opted for a lighter dinner instead of the spaghetti!)

Here are some pictures from her little party:

Daddy lighting her candles before we opened presents.

Emmy was overly excited for her to blow out her candles and was 'helping' from across the table

Tig showing off some of her gifts. She got a subscription to the New Era, some modeling clay from Granny, the book The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan, and some polka-dotted knee socks from Granny. She also got the movie MegaMind from Garrett and Owen and a Lego game from Mom and Dad. She loved all of her gifts and has already finished her 557 paged book!

The other kids loved the 'un-birthday' gifts from granny, too. Emmett really loved the light up, spikey, squishy, air-filled ball the best!

I LOVE YOU, TEAGAN RUTHIE!!!!