Splish-Splash!

We visited the pool twice while I was with Angela. The kids really enjoyed the water and outdoor playground while their mom did laps. She also spent plenty of time in the water playing with Ashton and Juliet. Theirs is a very nice and modern facility that offers lots of family fun. I didn't take my bathing suit for obvious reasons, but discovered I wouldn't have been the only one there with a non-swimsuit figure. I'm sure everyone was jealous of Angela, even the day when she wore her more sensible suit for laps.

Mother & Daughter, What a Blessing!

Yesterday was a special Mother/Daughter day where we left the kids with their sitter and headed out for some girl fun and bonding. Ashton was none too happy about being deserted, but I promised him a surprise when we returned.

We began our outing with a relaxing spa pedicure. Ah, it was heavenly sitting side by side and getting our feet and legs massaged. Then Angela opted for a bold orange polish and I did the French pedicure. From there we enjoyed a delicious vegetarian lunch. I had a Veggie Philly that was to die for. The sandwich consisted of mushroom, onions, green peppers, and cheese in a delectable sauce. And these healthy eating establishments don't serve fries or chips with their sandwiches. The side was a mixed green salad, all very good and enjoyable. Angela had a vegetable plate with salad.

We traveled to a quaint little town and did some antique browsing and Angela came home with a few treasures she found. You will need to check out her blog for additional pictures of our day. I know she captured one picture that might require its own blog post.

The time passed too quickly and we needed to head home, but I still had no surprise for the kids. We'd seen a nice Farmer's Market and orchard and decided to stop there on our way home. The aroma coming from within had our mouths watering and we followed the smell to a counter full of hot fried apple turnovers. Definitely not on Angela's vegan menu, but she let me splurge and buy one for the kids. I also bought them a bag of fresh peaches. Ashton and Juliet were thrilled with their surprises.

Our bonding continued even though we arrived at Angela's house and had kids to bathe and feed, and a kitchen to put back together after the painters left. We bonded in there until about midnight. I'm sure this subject is a post in itself, too. Again, keep checking Angela's blog.

Few things are as special as a close mother/daughter relationship and I'm so blessed to share it with both my daughters. The trip was perfect to me since I got lots of quality time with the grandchildren and a delightful day with just my daughter. God is good.

What is it with my kids sleeping positions?

I am not making this up. It is not staged. When I got up this morning I passed by Jude's room and this was how he was sleeping. As soon as I took the picture I went to the girls' room I heard a thump and Jude shot in the room and said, "Mom, I fell out of my bed and it woke me up!" You don't say!!!

The Addams Family - Next Generation

Swing & Splash!

There hasn't been much time to blog so I'm grateful that Allison is keeping us all entertained here. It would be a shame for this beautiful new format to remain idle.

My stay at The Painted House has been great. I'm really enjoying the grandchildren. The vegan meals are delicious, too! Ashton and I have played many games of Yahtzee. Cheryl, he could spend a week with us in Bandera and never slow us down. He's on the ball and hasn't inherited his Memaw's tendency to sling dice.

Juliet is a little doll. I love to hear her talk even if I don't always understand her. She is all girl and I love that! Several times, she and Ashton have told me they love "hanging out with you". So sweet.

Callan needs no words. There are no words! He smiled the minute they picked me up at the airport. I was not a stranger and few people are to him. I've been doing some serious munchin'! Ah, those cheeks and thighs!

Placing all three in the bath was a hit. Juliet was amazed that they were all in the tub together, Ashton commented on how they all fit in there, and Callan was beaming as he felt as big as his older brother and sister.

Oh, and I've washed a few dishes.

Stick your hands up - this is a hijacking

Since Peggy Poet is at the Painted house this weekend for Camp Chemo I am manning the PP site - isn't it pretty?

My weekend started off like every weekend has started off for the the past 8 weeks - a trip to the doctor. I started working at Jude's school after spring break and ever since we have been on 5 rounds of antibiotics and 2 rounds of steroids. My stay-at-home kids have entered the world of germs and their systems are revolting. Sophia - my 18-month-old - has really had a time with it. She started peeing out her rectum on Tuesday evening which provided lots of fun for the wonderful ladies who had to keep her while graduation services took place. They said she cleared the room! Sophia gets that from her father's side of the family.

She continued to have the loose boonda all week. I took her to her pediatrician on Friday and the DR said that it was probably caused from her drinking too much apple juice so take her off of it for good until she can get all the good stuff back into her gut. I told the DR that I would be in next week for a broken toe because as soon as I give her the water in the morning instead of the AJ she will throw it down and it usually lands near or on my foot. It is her cup of Joe in the morning. She is a bear until she has her cup of apple juice.

So I got home from the DR and gave her some "UNCH" and 15 minutes later it was on my stairs - she had vomited it all over the place. I then started her on a BRAT diet (Banana, rice, apple sauce and toast) and she seemed to be ok. Saturday came and she could not keep anything down. She hated the water. She was sleeping most of the day and now not only was she having diarrhea but she was throwing up too.

This morning she woke begging for ice water and she downed the 8 ounces without complaint. Soon the water was all over me, her and my couch. I gave her some Gatorade and she took one sip and it went too. To top it off when she woke she did not have a wet diaper. Usually her diaper weighs as much as she does.

I took her to the ER and 5 hours and $100.00 later she was showing signs of my little Sophia. Those people that work at the children's hospital are saints. Not many people can say that they had a pleasant experience at the ER with an 18 month old. Sophia is still not 100% but she is getting her color back and she is getting her rolls back on her legs.

Subject changer

Baylee loves the movie "Enchanted" we watch it together at least once a week, it is our bonding time. Last night all the tvs were occupied so I set up the van DVD player in the kitchen and turned on the movie. I went upstairs to get some stuff done (read the blogs) and Jude came upstairs and said "You have to come see Baylee!" I went down and this is what I saw:

Poor girl, "Put me to Bed!!"

Subject Changer

I did a craft this evening. I am not a crafty person so when I do something and finish it it is quite an accomplishment. It is just a bracelet. I did the pink one, the brown was my example. Guess what all the ladies in my family are getting this year in their stocking this Christmas?????

Baylee thinks it is so beautiful.

My New Look!

Aren't I beautiful?!

Thank you, Angela, for this gift. Thank you, Shannon, for your excellent work. I am so pleased!!!!

It's Finally Happened!

It took 4.5 months, but it's finally happened. We were having our coffee together last night when Parker came in, saw Robin's feet on the coffee table, and jumped in his lap to spread out on his legs! Our jaws absolutely dropped. Usually Parker has nothing for Robin but a hiss, unless he's holding the food can. Once Parker got himself all comfy, he rubbed his head on Robin's legs, loving on him. I say loving, Robin says marking. Whatever Parker was doing, it was cute and we waited a long time to see it.

I could tell that Robin was impressed. We had been in shock that Parker took to me so completely when cats usually swarm to Robin. I think animals sense something primal in Robin. But I was, after all, the one who rescued Parker from the belly of an airplane and he shows his gratitude daily.

Since I'm leaving tomorrow for Angela's, I was happy to see that Parks had taken some initiative towards Robin. They should become great pals while I'm gone. Robin did make the comment that Parker might "run away" while I'm gone. I think Parker heard that and is smart enough to know who butters his bread when mom's out of pocket.

Pictures of Jude's graduation

Guest - Dee

Here is a picture of Jude with his teachers at his graduation. Brian was holding the video camera the whole time so we didn't get as many still pictures. His class sang a song then they each said their name and what they want to be when they grow up. Some cute ones were: King, whale trainer, like my mommy (not Jude) and serial killer. Kidding on that last one but one of my students.... Let's just say I won't be surprised.

Jude said he wanted to be an "oceanbatographer", a scientist, an astronaut, and a police man. The crowd in the video ooh and ahh. One lady today told me that his was so creative and unique and he had such a good vocabulary. I told his teachers not to correct him on Oceanographer - it was cuter that way.

They then called their name and handed out their diplomas. A little overkill for pre-school, but I enjoyed seeing my boy up front. He loved his graduation gift from "peggy poet".

Lunch with a New Friend

What a wonderful lunch date I had today with Sharon. She is the proud mother of Rachael, one of Angela's close friends. I was invited to her home and we visited awhile before heading out to lunch. She is a very easy woman to get to know and share with. Angela told me I'd come away feeling so comforted and I did.

Sharon is one of the most beautiful and spiritual women I've ever met, and I've had the privilege of meeting quite a few. She has a wonderful relationship with God and one can see it in her countenance. She's both gentle and strong and that's a super combination.

I guess I'm not a blogger addict because I forgot to take my camera. I wanted so much to get a picture of Sharon and I together to show our daughters. And to post here. From Sharon's, I went to Allison's and then to Jude's graduation from Wee School. Still no camera. But I will get pictures from Allison to post.

Thank you, Sharon, for the lunch, and especially for the friendship you so freely extended. No wonder Rachael is so close to her mother. You are two peas in a pod. Today was a blessing.

Litter Box Mania

The title may make you want to skip this post. I don't blame you. It's a nasty one, but one many pet owners can relate to.

When Parker first arrived at our home he was introduced to the litter box. He did fine until we noticed urine under the box. Apparently, his sprayer sprays too high or he assumes an unnatural pose while doing so. Whatever the reason, it was getting tiring to use bleach on such a large area of floor. So, we resorted to purchasing two new litter boxes with covers for privacy. Mainly, though, a cover to catch ill-directed urine.

The new litter boxes did not work. Parker began soiling my carpet and furniture. His new toilet box coincided with our 10th anniversary trip so I wasn't sure what caused him to change his habits. Finally, I asked Robin to bring back the larger box to use as a tray and we set his new box in it and kept the lid off. Presto! Parker was immediately back to using the litter box. Oh, happy day!

Alas, it wasn't long before the smell of urine was present and the pool underneath the litter box when we changed it. He had completely missed the box and the tray it was in. By this time, Robin was telling me that I'd better find a solution or Parker was going. I decided to research dog houses, which Angela told me Parker had used for a litter box when he lived with them. I found one at Petsmart that looked like it would work. It was deep and had a removable top. Robin and I wrote down measurements and went shopping. We bought a dog house.

Before I could remove dog stickers and other traces that the little building was meant for a dog and not a finicky feline, we had to clean the utility room where our (by now) large assortment of litter boxes reside. Cleaning underneath the pan wasn't enough. The urine had gone under our spare refrigerator. Robin pulled it out and I scrubbed the floor. Once everything was done, we filled the dog house/litter box with fresh litter and moved it into place. So far, so good. We'll really see how effective it is when we lift the box to change the litter.

While at the pet store, I had to keep reminding myself why we were there. We had a litter box problem and I had to remember that as Zoe, a female American Shorthair, rubbed against the glass of her cage in an attempt to connect with my hand. She was beautiful! And affectionate! And litter box trained! But so was Parker and I still had a problem.

So, I turned my back on Zoe even though I now have more litter boxes than I have cats to use them. I'm seriously thinking of going back to rescue Zoe and place her in the loving arms of my sister, Donna, who lost her beloved Bucky last week. Would Sissy be mad if I did that?

I have decided that if the dog house doesn't work, I have a new solution (short of moving Robin out instead of Parker). There's a bathroom at the end of the utility room with a shower that is never used. I could put the box in there and have plenty of water available to wash out any overage. I should have thought of that before investing in three more litter boxes. Sometimes I'm slow. Sometimes I'm slow because my heart is involved. Parker is my tangible connection to Angela, the one I can hold when I feel like holding my daughter. Parker isn't going anywhere.

Besides, I think Parker was feeling some of my frustration and redeemed himself at the last minute. At the end of the scrubbing and bleaching and sanitizing, he appeared with his toy mouse in his mouth and promptly dropped it at my feet. He was ready to play fetch and he knows I love to see him fetch. Yep, Parker's staying.

Deborah's Pool Party

Add a fun group of women, lots of delicious food, and a paradise back yard and you have a pool party at Deborah's house. Only one woman ventured into the heated pool while the rest of us were too busy visiting. We met new friends and discovered that all of Deborah's friends blend in nicely with one another.

We munched on sandwiches of turkey and chicken salad, salad and cole slaw, potato salad, deviled eggs, queso and chips, cheese ball and crackers, a fruit patter with a sinfully delicious dipping sauce, and all kinds of strawberry desserts. I don't think anyone left hungry. We sat at tables by the pool and the weather cooperated perfectly. Not too hot, not too cold.

It is obvious that Deborah and Larry love flowers. The yard had every kind of bloom imaginable and were tended to carefully. The colors were beautiful and it was such a relaxing place to be. Her home, too, was very inviting and lovely.

I was happy to meet Larry after hearing so much about him. It's obvious that he loves our Deborah very much. He says he hates to be away from her. I'm sure we all wished our husbands could say the same! Mine probably relishes my absence for awhile, until his stomach starts growling.

Donna and I were the last to leave at 6:00. We carried out containers of food before everyone carted off their dishes. I made it home with a strawberry and angel food cake dessert that was planned for Robin but he may not get it all.

Thank you Deborah for a delightful party and for being such a gracious and fun hostess. We love you!

Cancer is no Match for God!

Even though we tremble at the thought of cancer, it is only a slight nuisance for God. Nothing, no matter how great, or devious, or alarming, is a match for our Creator. In February I posted "Don't Mess With Clayton". I warned that he is armed with a heavenly presence and a slew of Prayer Warriors. I was right. Not because I'm all-knowing, but because I know God.

The insidious cancer that invaded his body, affecting the bone marrow and putting him in stage 4 lymphoma, is now gone. How is that possible? Are chemo treatments that effective? What about the healthy vegan diet? What about fervent prayer? What about God?

It is my firm belief that God is present during all our life experiences. The good and the bad. The healthy and not so healthy. And I believe God can take whatever human means we give to Him and work miracles. He was there through the chemo treatments and the sickness that followed them. He was there as Angela washed organically-grown vegetables until her hands were raw and sore. He was there for three young children who aren't old enough to understand the changes, but knew their lives needed to remain the same. He was there and heard the prayers of a loving wife, their children, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, friends and a host of bloggers, many who haven't met them but whose hearts were touched. He revealed Himself in a PET scan.

We are humbled and grateful that God healed Clayton and restored his family. We believe in the power of prayer, and we believe that God traveled every step of this rocky path with Clayton and Angela. We rejoice in His goodness and mercy. No one can mess with them or any of us when we are backed by the army of heaven.

I challenge anyone to deny the existence of God. The proof is in the scan. The proof is in the tears of a relieved wife who had kept a prayer on her lips each moment. The proof is in Clayton who allowed himself to be used as a tremendous testimony of God's healing power. The proof is in the peace each of us knows as we trust God with the solutions to all that ails us. To God be the glory and honor forever.

THE THREE GREATEST MOM'S

If you are reading this, my name is Cheryl and I am a blogalcoholic (sorry, I am already getting carried away).

This is a day late for Mother's Day, I want to acknowledge and pay tribute to three women I just adore. I felt I needed to let them know how I feel and how much happiness they have brought into my life, by letting me be a part of the most "important" part of their lives.

I was particularly sad yesterday, as I can no longer tell my mother how much I love her, so I thought I will tell the three of you how much love and admiration I feel towards each of you. My mother passed away in 2003. She was an exceptional lady. At the age of 83 she drove her car, lived independently, swam at the Y, bowled, wizard at bridge, had a huge realm of friends and as Peggy knows, could stay up late with the best of us for a game of Boggle. She had so much patience and caring during some very hard time taking care of my father with Alzheimer's. She then turned around to watch her son (actually son-in-law) who she adored, slowly die of cancer. I loved her very much.

This all brings me to the point of why I am "guest" blogging, to tell these three wonderful mothers in their own right......PEGGY, RANDEE AND ANGELA, that they are extraordinary women, mothers (and memaw). I see so much of Peggy's standards in Randee and Angela, but with a such a wonderful twist of their own. They both have the most adorable (and very pretty!) children ever made. They spend so much time with each one as my mother did with me. No story or activity in their children's lives takes a back seat to anything else. That makes a child feel so special when a mother shows such interest in a sometimes uninteresting conversation. I know my mother did that many many times with me and I remember it all. My mother was a stay at home mom. Looking back...how important that was to me! She was always there. I can see that same quality in Randee and Angela's children now growing up. I could see that difference the minute I met Peggy and her daughters. There is a certain closeness a stay at home mom shares with her children. I am not condemning working mothers. They have just as much love for their children. I just admire them for sacrificing the extras another income can bring in. I say this because of the special "extras" my mother was able to do for me by staying home.

I think the biggest compliment I can give the three of these women is the deep faith they have developed. This was started and instilled from their mother Peggy. My parent's were not over the top religious people, but they too instilled a good Christian background into me. When I met Peggy, she enhanced it and oh so broaden my love for God.

PEGGY - you have done such a wonderful job of raising three beautiful (inside and out) children. You and I have always said our mother's could see no wrong in their sons - but now I can see how much more "reality" can be discussed with daughters. I guess it is just an "unspoken" dialog between mother and daughter......how special!

RANDEE - God broke the mold when he created you. I could see you were destined to be a "mommy" from the minute I met you. What a difference your children will make in this world because of your love, laughter, wit and like Angela, endless energy. Jude is already light years ahead with his exceptional personality. Don't let anyone or anything discourage you to be anything else than who you are now.

ANGELA - You are the mom everyone only can wish to be. Determined, talented, concerned and very meticulous. All with one purpose in mind...love for your family. You see the personality in each one of your children. You give each child the time to be proud and develop that personality. With their faith and determination and love from you, this world will be forever grateful. I see something amazing coming from them all.

There you have it. My rambling might not make a lot of sense to everyone, as I do not have the writing talent like this family does, but they all know me and understand what I am trying to say. After all, this is for each one of them.

Since my mother is no longer here, I see a little bit of her in each one of you. Thank God you are all in my life .... FOREVER.....

NOW THAT MAKES ME SMILE :)

Love you

Cheryl

FYI I am really bad at attaching pictures so the only one I have of my mother managed to come across the wires with my brother also in it....oh well, you get the picture right? lol

Happy Mother's Day

We enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day at the farm with my parents, siblings, and children. My baby, Angela, wasn't present but I did get Mother's Day greetings over the phone by her, Ashton, and Juliet. Also, she sent me some wonderful goodies via The Big Brown Truck.

Thank you, Donna for supplying all the barbecue and the delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. By popular demand, Rita made her famous cole slaw with garlic, and her homemade strawberry ice cream. Poor Mother, who should have been Queen for the day, slaved away in the kitchen with potato salad, baked beans, deviled eggs, homemade rolls, chocolate cake, 4-layer delight with a new twist - chocolate chip cookie crust - and coconut oatmeal cookies. Oh, and I can't forget to mention her homemade chocolate ice cream. I straggled in with my usual chocolate chip cookies.

Allison, who has been teaching a pre-school class, thrilled me with an original corsage she made for me in her class. All the children made one for their mothers and I was filled with pride to wear mine the entire day. I have to attach a magnet to the back and display it on my refrigerator. I thought those days were over, but to my delight, they aren't! I love it and it defines my daughter's personality so much.

Two gifts, both wrapped in newspapers, were on the table when I awoke this morning. Parker and Weasil surprised me with two sets of towels and sink mats with a pretty stone pattern. They, too, made a homemade treasure for me, a card with two kitty prints inside. Thank you, Robin, for helping them choose.

Happy Mother's Day to all and I hope your day was spectacular.

Happy Birthday Allison & Brian!

Thirty-something years ago today I was blessed with my first daughter. I do remember the exact number of years but I am being kind to her. If I were Allison, I would reveal my age to everyone I meet since she doesn't age at all. I still see the little girl that I cherished every time I look into her face. I don't think those good genes came from me.

Allison and Brian are the second set of double birthdays in our family. Not many can say they have the same birthday as their spouse. At least Brian has no excuse forgetting her birthday.

My baby girl was born at 5:34 PM on a Monday, the day after Mother's Day. The wonderful news that I had a girl will continue until the day I take my last breath. She continues to be such a joy to be around. She's always been easy-going, happy, positive, and energetic. Her personality just explodes in a rain of pure delight. She makes me laugh. She makes me feel loved. She makes me darn proud.

I'm in awe of Allison and Brian as parents. Brian is a hard worker and makes it possible for Allison to do what she was born to do: stay home and raise her children. Her job is equally challenging and she is on call 24/7. But she is where she wants to be, making sure her children are raised with love and attention and being the one to witness all the firsts. As parents, they delight in each word and action of Jude, Baylee, and Sophia. Hugs, kisses, and praise are plentiful in this home. Those three precious children should grow to be confident, caring, Christian adults.

Have a wonderful birthday you two! And always be ever thankful for the years given to you by God and never lament over aging. Birthdays are a blessing. I love you!

Robin in HD

What a sad state of affairs Robin found himself in. His big screen TV, which dated back to pre-Peggy, began having problems with the wiring. Robin was forced to go shopping for another TV. There is no way he would have purchased a 70-inch HD TV had he not been shoved into it by the aging set he wore out from too many viewings of Alien and other sci-fi flicks. Then to add insult to injury, the cable provider had to install a new box and hardware, and a promise that our cable bill would go up. It just couldn't be helped.

The older set was moved to our bedroom. Robin used the connections in front of the TV to hook it up and it works better, but is somewhat unsightly. Definitely, too unsightly for his manly den. But he isn't completely happy with it in our bedroom. He thinks it's too big for the room and the cords are an eye sore.

"Maybe I should sell it and bring back the small TV for the bedroom. What do you think?"

"I think that is easy for you to say since you have the 70-incher to watch and I have the small portable one."

Not that I'm much of a TV watcher. I prefer my computer for evening entertainment. Do they sell 70-inch monitors? I think mine is going out. Mind you, this would be an added expense that is totally out of my control.

6 Uninteresting Things About Me

Angela has asked that I play along, but I don't have enough blogger knowledge to do it as she requested. This is my futile attempt.

1. I'm addicted to peanut M&Ms ( uninteresting to you, but a necessary fix to me)

2. Before going into the freezer, my meats are broken down to small servings and labeled "ground mad cow", "chicken knockers", "beef mystery meat", "dead chicken flesh", etc.

3. I'm a night owl, hoo, hoo.

4. I once dated a boy whose father owned the funeral home in our city. Creepy stories.

5. I've had a Black Cat firecracker go off in my hand. Ouch!

6. I'm married.

I now tag Cheryl, Donna and Allison who can use my blog for their uninteresting tales.