One Big Kleenex

I never knew this would be my lot in life, but kids love to wipe their nose on me!

My brother started this when I was about 17. He would've been about 9 I guess. We were sitting in worship one Sunday morning and he was sitting next to me leaning his head against my arm. All of a sudden he turned his head and wiped his nose. I'm sure he'd done it before, but for some reason I really remember this particular time. Probably because I was wearing a blouse/skirt outfit I'd just made in Home Ec. class. Why do I remember that?

All my nephews have done it. I'm sure most of the kids I've babysat over the years have done it. Just this last weekend it happened numerous times on the same shirt! Yuck!

I went to sis#'s to help her last Thursday night. She was in charge of the food for a family retreat they were having at a youth camp. I don't know exactly how many people were there, but there were 18 kids. Evidently there was a miscommunication about the lesson's and child care and 3 of us wound up taking care of all the kids except my youngest nephew. He stayed with mom and dad. By the time it was over that night I'd been snotted on more than once. I think there must be a sign on my forehead that only little boys can see that says "wipe your dirty nose on me!" I think it must be below the neon flashing sign all the other's can read that says "walk all over me, I can take it!"

Well, I'm sounding like I'm a real door mat, and I am, but I would much rather kids liked to wipe their nose on me than were scared to be around me! Next time I might rig up a big ol' load of kleenexes on my arms! Maybe Mr. Puffs could work on that for me!!!

As for the door mat thing, that might take a little more work!!!!!!!!!!!

Great Friends, Good Food, BAD movie!

My dear sister friends came over last night. Of course, supper wasn't ready when they got to the house so they all jumped in and helped! We had this yummy Artichoke Pasta thing and Olive Cheese Bread I got off The Pioneer Woman website. Wow! It was all good!

I picked up a movie yesterday when I had to make a mad dash into Wal-Mart for French Bread, can't have Olive Cheese Bread without the bread. Bad idea! This movie was called "Soldier Love Story". The movie wasn't a complete disaster. It was just the soldier dude. He was way creepy! I've been trying to figure out a way to return this movie and not have to lie about it. I want my $12.00 back!!!!

We still had fun watching it but I think it was just because Sage and I couldn't keep quiet and kept making fun of the soldier guy. Just think of a young, muscled, Jim Varney(aka Ernest P. Worrel) in Army camo.

Not that attractive or my idea of a romantic suitor!!!!!!!!

I'm on a roll!

I'm evidently getting into the swing of this whole "40 new things my fortieth year" thing.

This weekend I actually had two days in a row off because of the snow. After I made the big drive home Saturday morning I put some butter out to soften and made some chocolate chip cookies. I can't have a snow day without them! And let me tell you something, my little 5'6" 155lb Dad can inhale those cookies!! He has no will power when it somes to the "CC" cookie.

I've been needing to recover the cushions on my dining room chairs. The fabric that has been on them for 40 or so years was toast and ugly to boot. This dining room set was my Grandparents when they got married and set up housekeeping in 1939. She sold it sometime in the 50's I think to her brother who had it in his home til about 6 years ago. Grandma then bought it back from him and gave it to me. I just started using it about 2 years ago when I lived alone for the first time.

Sorry, back to the cushions. When sis#2 was here last week she helped me, or I helped her, cover one of them with this great green cowboy fabric. Neither of us had done that type of thing before, but she's great with that type of thing. It gave me the kick start I needed to get the others done. I did one on Saturday and the other 2 Sunday afternoon. They look great! At least to me they do. I wouldn't want a professional upholstry person to even take a peek at them, but that's unlikely to happen. Add another new thing to the list!!!

As sis#2 and I were working on that first cushion I said, "I bet Grandma Great would have a fit at how we're doing this!" Grandma Great was our Grandma's mother who was a upholstrying machine and antique's dealer back in the 1950's-70's. Sister said she'd probably just be glad we were giving it a whirl. I'm not about to start up a business and don't really care to do anything like that again. But I felt good that it was done and they are so cool looking!

I also got a rod hung in the kitchen and curtain up in there. I love it! So, when my dad can help me get my big horns (actually, dad's big horns) on the wall it'll be just about finished. I'm so ready!!!

A Spring Snow Storm!

Don't you just love Oklahoma in the Spring! Just when one thinks it's time to put away the coveralls and wool socks a huge snow storm blows in and reminds us how unpredictable our weather is here in our great state.

Who knew this crazy weather would give me the opportunity to add to my "40 new things" list. My brother, sis-in-law, and Ruby went to Texas to take sis-in-law's mom home, or at least part way home. I went over to their place last night to feed and stay over since I would have to feed this morning. During the night the snow started flying and by the time I left this morning I needed to put my pick-up in 4 to get out. I left it in 4 all the way home! I'm talking all the way through town and on the highway. There were people all over the place and I was really hoping they'd stay away from me!

I realized when I had a death grip on my steering wheel coming through town that I had never driven in town when it was snowing and slick like that! I always make a point of being where I'm gonna stay when the bad weather hits. I don't like to drive in the bad stuff!!! So, I'm adding it to my list. Is anyone keeping track? Am I even remotely getting close to 40? I doubt it.

Here's a Dad story for you. We were down feeding tonight and all of a sudden he said, "Have you gotten any snowflakes up your nose yet?" I said, "Ah, no." He said," Maybe that's could be a new sinus rinse."

What????

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I love St. Patrick's Day!! No presents, no family gatherings, no months of decorations ahead of time, it's great!!

I don't think I have a lot of Irish blood in my family tree, if any. However, I've always felt like I have. I think it has something to do with "The Quiet Man". This just happens to be my favorite movie of all time! I remember when I was about 15 and movies were expensive on vhs and not many were out yet anyway. I was visiting my aunt and watching tv on a Sunday afternoon. I ran across this great movie after it had already gotten started. I was hooked! I couldn't count how many times I've seen it since. It has Maureen O'Hara, John Wayne, Mildred Natwick, Ireland, love, fighting, overbearing relatives. Pretty much everything I love in a movie. If you haven't seen it, you should asap!!!

So, hope everyone has green on today. I sure do!!!!!!!!

Shopping Excursion

Word of advice.......if you are taking a 20 pound baby on a shopping trip make sure you have a body builder (and make him a cute one!) with you to hold him the whole time!!!!

It's been a long few days with the time change, filming a movie scene, and keeping a couple kids at my house!

I'll get to some of that here today. Yesterday afternoon Sis#2 and I set out on a mission. She needed some "post baby" clothing. I need some of those too, but I didn't have a baby!

Anyway, we hauled Hoss and Jessie Jane back to town about 3:30 in the afternoon. We got home at 9pm. Snort was with us since his source of nutrition was Sis#2, if you get my meaning. No big thing, one baby, two grown women, we should be able to handle it, right?

Wrong!

He wasn't a happy camper last night! He didn't like the stroller, he didn't like the shopping cart with the cute little cover over the seat, and he didn't like the ride in his car seat. He just wasn't feeling like going on a shopping trip!

By the time we got finished sister's neck felt like it was separating from her body and my arms were JELLO! And when I say jello, I mean just when you've stirred in the hot liquid and it's still runny jello!

I got down to my house about 10, put on my jammy's and went to bed. I didn't wake up til the alarm went off at 7:30 this morning. I'm sure sister didn't get even close to that much sleep, but I'm older and I need my rest!!!

Besides, aunt's are suppose to get more rest, right?!?!?!

Snort and Buzz

My newest nephew is a sweetie! I realize that Snort isn't really a name that might be associated with a sweet baby, but it fits him perfectly.

This baby is all there! And I mean he's 3 months old and weighs 19 lbs. He's long and his hands are huge! I think he might have taken after the biggest relatives on boths sides of his family. He loves to talk to you and smile a lot. There's nothing sweeter than a chubby, smiling baby. In my opinion anyway!

Sis #2 and family are here for spring break! We've never really had spring break time before. I'm sure we'll have lots of fun while they're here in between all the exhaustion!

So, about Buzz, he lost his first tooth! He was very, very excited. It's on the bottom in the front. He told me he got a gold dollar that had a picture of Sacajewia on it. I'm sure I spelled that wrong, but he knew how to say it! I'm sure if I asked him he could tell me how to spell it.

Well, have a great weekend everbody!

Frogs are Croaking!

Well, it's official. Spring has to be on the way!

Yesterday I was watching Ruby at her house and my dad called me. He said the frogs at the pond by the barn were croaking and thought I'd want to know. YIPEE! I also found a tick crawling on my wrist the other day. I was hoping the bad winter would help with those things. Guess not!

Ruby and I didn't have our best day. I think she must've had a tummy ache because she was very, very unhappy for most of the morning. She cried more yesterday than she had all the other days I'd watched her combined. I finally gave up on trying to get to her sleep in the basinette and just held her. She spent a little time in the swing and a little time on the floor under the rainbow thing that holds toys, but other than that I held her. I hope she slept good last night!

Her mom and dad, my brother and sis-in-law, are adapting now to the loss of sleep I think. Yesterday I told sis-in-law that she didn't look like she was going to drop over now like a few weeks ago. She said she's more tired now that before and that looks could be deceiving. Oh the joys of parenthood!

I'm looking forward to a little spring cleaning, green grass and flowers blooming. Til all that happens I think I'll just listen to the frogs talking!

Hello to new friends.

First, before I get to my usual rambling, I'd like to say hello to a couple I met last weekend. I don't know their names(I'm bad about asking people!), but they came into the shop where I work and we chatted for a little while. Somehow this blog came into the conversation and they said they might try to look it up. So, Hello to the couple from Poteau if you find this crazy thing! Best of luck to y'all and it was great to meet you!!!

Now, I don't really want to think there's a chance winter is over. It's been so nice all this week. No stocking cap or coveralls are necessary to get around. I love that! I think we needed this rough winter to appreciate our "normal" winter's and give us one more reason to snicker at Al Gore. I can't believe I just wrote that man's name in my blog!

It'll probably snow within the next week or so, but for now we're just gonna enjoy the sunshine and warm temps!!! Have a great day everybody!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Sis #4 & Friend!

Today is my sister's birthday. She's a whoppin 34. Oh to be 34 again!!! Happy Birthday Sis! I hope you have a great day!!! 34 was one of my favorite year's ever. It was the year I became an aunt. I've been exhausted ever since!

Today is also the birthday of my dear friend Sage. I'm not going to say her age, but she's between me(I'm 40) and Sis#4. Sage has been connected with my family in some way or another for about 27 years now. She and Sis #3 were in the same class in 5th grade. She's not been able to shake us since! Happy Birthday great friend! I'm hoping you have a fun filled and exciting year!