When Do You....

start shopping for or making Christmas gifts?

Before the kids came along, I started my shopping in September. Since the kids, I am usually at crunch time. I have always hated putting things off till the last minute and this year I am determined to get back to being the early bird.

About 10 years ago, my dollars had to stretch to immeasurable lengths. That's when I taught myself how to make candies. I never thought I would conquer Divinity. I was determined and after 10 failed attempts, I got it right!! I’ve actually had a couple of my family members ask me to make them candy instead of buying them a gift.

I also plan to make more gifts than giving store bought thingies. My niece, Daushinay, got to meet Josephine, my rag doll, the other day. Even though I think Josephine is a little goobery looking, Daushi got a kick out of her. I know she was my first attempt at doll making and I’m sure the next one will turn out better. But anyways, Daushi has decided she wants me to make her a black doll with hot pink hair. This should turn out pretty interesting. Don’t ya think?

The one gift/project I am totally psyched about is the one I'm planning for my oldest, Cat. She is so into fairies and all the magical, mythical creatures. I really want to try to make her a fairie story book. The only problem is I don't know that much about fairies. Someone HELP PLEASE!!!

Ruby had a bad day...

Poor gal's annual checkup at the vet's office this morning. Ruby did get a clean bill of health although doc and his helpers feel Ruby is anything but a lady.

She let off the bark that will split your ears in two. And of course it seemed to be even louder in the sparsley decorated office. Every dog and every person was greeted by Ruby's shrill bark followed by the "come closer so I can bite you" growl. But she will only bite you if you hurt her. She's really a big chicken.
Anyhoo, 4 sticks all together. One for her bloodtest and three vaccines. A capstar pill. Now tomorrow morning she gets her Comfortis pill for fleas and Sentinel for heartworm prevention. She will like the way I give her meds much better. I wrap them in her favorite food. Well one of her favorite foods-- hamburger.

Hallie hasn't tormented her too badly tonight. I warned Hallie it wouldn't be to her benefit to mess with Rubis too much. Rubis is another of Ruby's names. She has oodles of them. But just before bedtime Hallie couldn't resist making Ruby look like the queen that she is.

Is This an Overactive Imagination???

Cat's my oldest. Last year at school she made a new friend. At first I was really happy. She has never been the kind to make friends easily. Not that she's a bad kid. She's just very bashful and backwards. While a lot of the kids her age now are into Hanna Montana and makeup and all that, Caitie really isn't.

She's a super smart kid. She was one of the few kids picked last year to join the Excel Class. It's a special class for gifted and talented kids. To be apart of this class though she had to change schools and that meant leaving the one friend she had.

So anyway at the new school she met a new friend. The first time this gal called wanting Cat to stay over, I said no. I mean I didn't really know her and I had never met her family. Also had a strange feeling come over me that just said no. I can't really explain it. I told her maybe another time.

Well a couple of weeks later, she called and this time I let Cat go. Cat came home safe and sound. The next overnighter was at our house. Cat's friend from her previous school and her new friend both came for the sleep over. The new friend is like having 10 kids rolled into one.

But anyways now she wants Cat to come over tomorrow to swim in her new pool. I was going to drop her off before going to work in the morning, but at the same time I would be taking her out this gal's grandma would be taking her mom to work. They leave this lil girl home alone. My Cat is 11 and her friend is about 10. Maybe I'm paranoid but I think that's a lil young to be left home alone. If they were only going a block or two from the house, maybe. But they're not. They're going more like 10 miles down the road.

If that wasn't enough to make me second guess this adventure. I got to thinking bout Cat and what a not-so-great-swimmer she is and how wild the other gal can be. At first I was going to agree to take Caitie out to their house and let her swim so she could get her book and video game back she lent this girl. I was really upset with Cat when she told me she did this the other day. But I just keep getting this feeling, this thing telling me no, don't let her go. I have never had this feeling before with Caitie's other friend from the other school. I don't even care right now if she ever gets the game and book back. Those are things. Things can be replaced. Am I just being overprotective or what????

Bye Bye to Caffein

I guess it's time to give up the sugary, caffeinated foods and drinks I've been putting away. Here it is 12:30 a.m. and I am kinda sleepy but not exhausted enough to crash. Jeremy and Isaac came down this evening. We all went to Mc'Ds to eat. The kids picked. Jeremy and I both said said "Eeewwww." I had a Dr. Pepper with dinner. When we got back home I had a hot flash from h-e-llloooo. Finally got cooled off. Had half a glass of tea before trying to go to sleep. Hallie crawled in bed with me. That child does not know how to stay on her side of the bed. She's always right up underneath of me. Then there's another hot flash and now I can't sleep. Yippee! I have been back up out of bed for about an hour. I have ate two peanut butter and honey sandwiches and downed two more glasses of tea. Can we say goon???

Look What I Found!!

I went to upload a pic of my flower arrangement for the last post and found some pics on my camera I didn't know was there. I'm soooo glad my camera is pretty much kid proof. So far they haven't messed it up. They take some of the best pictures sometimes. There are some though.... You just sit there and scratch your head wondering what in the devil is that?!

Hallie really, really wants a real pony. I got this pony for her from a lady I clean for. She was getting rid of a bunch of stuff to goodwill and was going to throw this handsome lil guy out too. I don't think Hallie will ever part with him.

I'm still debating on if I should say something to her about riding her pony on the dresser. Cute pictures, but still one of these days that lil daredevil is going to fall off and break something. If I survive this child it will be a miracle!

An Evening Out With the Kids

The 4-H fair is this week. The kids and I didn't get to go last year. We were very much in the poor house. But this year has been much more padded. We are so very thankful for our many blessings. We started with supper at home. Fair food can be so expensive. We went out to the fair grounds, which is only about a mile from our house, after supper. They rode some rides and played carnival games and had a great time. We were only out there for about an hour and a half. No one threw a fit when I said we needed to go.

In a way I was kind of suprised. Some days they are the best behaved kids you'll ever meet. Other days you might really consider knocking their heads together. But you know I have alot of those days too. Days when I'm an absolute bear to be around.

You know I just had a thought. I don't know how many times I've heard people complain about ill mannered children. Sometimes these same people want to make their children out to be perfect lil angels that never do anything bad. But anyways back to what I was thinking. Kids learn what they see. Think about a baby. They learn to talk by mimicing sounds. Younger siblings learn to play pretend games by watching their older siblings. Kids will throw fits and fight, but I think the snotty, better-than-thou attitudes some of them develop are most defiantely a learned trait from an adult or parent they are around. THINK--How does a child develop a potty mouth?? Say a bad word just once and you know that lil mouth will say it a hundred times over. I don't believe the bad wrap kids get these days should fall on their shoulders. It's us adults that need a good swift kick in the butt for not teaching our children better.

Soooooo anyways after the fair we made a run to Wally World for some flowers. I make arrangements for members of our church when they go to the hospital or some occasion that our pastor's wife will call and ask me to make something up. I love playing with flowers, but I just wish it was for a happier occasion and not sickness related. I only used a few of the flowers we got at the store. Most of them came out of my leftover box.

Clean, Clean, Clean....

I've have spent the biggest part of the day cleaning this house and mowing the yard and I'm still not done. The only things I really have left to do are; strip my bed and dust all the furniture. The bed will get done. If not tonight then first thing tomorrow morning. But the dusting. For some reason I can just never quite find the time. Or maybe it's I just don't really want to cause three days later it looks like I haven't touched the place. Very aggravating!!

The gourds Matthew and I planted the week Cat and Hal went to VBS are growing quite nicely. I'm ready to box me a kitty cat though. She thinks our little garden is her personal outside litter box. I'll try to remember to get a pic of them in the morning. My geraniums died. Go figure. But Hallie's petunias and my asparagus fern and English ivy are doing really well.


Mom and I made it to Newburgh over the weekend. Mom has panic and anxiety really bad. She hasn't left town in about 4 years. So I rode down with her so we could help my aunt Donna pack some boxes and see what we could cart home and out of her way. I kept telling myself on the way down, "You don't need to bring anything back with you. Don't pack home a bunch of stuff you don't have room for!" Did I listen?!HAHAHAHA!! Aunt Donna gave me some old sewing books, some purses, a dish rack for over the sink, and I bought her antique sewing machine. It is so awesome and in great shape. I haven't tried to use it yet. I honestly don't know a thing about those ole machines, but hopefully one of these days I'll learn.