Friday, May 31, 2013

Thursday Randomonium

1.  We had bad storms here tonight.  B was working so the taters and I took cover in our master bath potty room.  It's a tight squeeze, but I feel like it's the safest place in our house.  After about 30 mins I decided I was going to go check the weather on the computer.  For some reason instead of just having the kids move around a bit to let me out I chose to exit via the toilet seat.  The seat didn't cooperate and instead launched me out the door sooner than I had planned.  No taters were injured in the accident, but my derriere may never forgive me.
2.  Last week M realized he had a tooth he had forgotten to set out for the tooth fairy when he lost it.  We set it on his nightstand at bed time and this conversation followed.

M: I really hope the tooth fairy takes my tooth with her this time.

Me: (walking around picking up his room) Uh huh.

M: Mommy look at me.

(I look at him)

M: (Repeats Slowly) I really hope the tooth fairy takes my tooth with her this time. 

Me: Okay Michael.

M: (Asks for E and TT to leave the room...then leans in and whispers) Mommy I know YOU are really the tooth fairy, and I want to make sure you take my tooth tonight.  I don't want it left on my nightstand...okay? 

Oh this boy!  Only four lost teeth in and already the tooth fairy seems to be going the same way the Elf on the Shelf did last Christmas.

3.  I made a pot of cabbage soup this week.  I feel very accomplished when I make things like this.  While I was preparing it I noticed that my little prep area looked all official...like a real cook resided in my house.  I thought Oh, I'll take a picture of this so I can brag about it on the blog.  When I downloaded the picture I noticed something funny.  Do you see it?  There is a big bag of chicken nuggets and a box of frozen corn dogs on the counter too!  Those were leftover from the taters lunch.  Busted! 
4.  B and I had dinner at Genghis Grill the other day.  There is no story here but I thought he looked handsome in this picture.  :)

5.  During afore mentioned dinner B mentioned that he always thought I liked Cyndi Lauper music, but I never seem to respond to it when he plays it.  Seriously B?  Cyndi Lauper?  Then again, this is the same man who thought I would think it was "funny" when he played Michael Bolton's How Can We Be Lovers If We Can't Be Friends through the bathroom door the other day when I was irritated with him.  Twelve plus years of marriage and he still has a lot to learn.  ;)

6.  I found this coupon when I cleaned out my purse recently.  It expired in August 2012, which means I have probably been carrying it around for about a year.  Odd, considering I would NEVER eat a Sonic breakfast burrito.  I don't have anything against anyone who would though.  I obviously can't judge (see number 3).  It's just you have to draw the line somewhere and I choose to draw it at fast food breakfasts.  Unless a Route 44 Cherry Vanilla Coke before 10 AM counts as breakfast...in that case I'm all in.
Talk to ya soon,
Angie

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Memorial Day

The taters and I kicked off Summer and Memorial Weekend with a trip down South for the First Annual Sweeney Family Gathering.  The Sweeney's are B's mom's side of the family.  The weather was perfect, there was lots of good food, and plenty of great people to visit with.  This is a pic of the entire Sweeney crew.
It was so warm in Little Rock that the taters convinced me to let them swim at the hotel.  Turns out the water was freezing.  I tried to get in with E and had to get right back out.  They mostly chose to play around on the steps.  I'll still take credit for being the first to take them swimming this year!
We got home late Sunday afternoon.  That evening I read to M and E about the history of Memorial Day and its significance in our country.  We talked about our gpa Farrer and gpa Griffin who both served in the military and were in WW2.  M had the idea that since our grandfathers graves were too far away to go visit we could put flags on Georgia's grave instead.  Monday we went to the cemetery and decorated her grave.  M sang an impromptu song he made up about Georgia.  He was so serious about it...that sweet sweet boy!  We drove over to the older side of the cemetery and looked at some of the really old head stones.  We saw one from 1864, which prompted B to conclude that there were some really old dead people in there.   :)
 We spent the rest of Monday hanging around the house, taking naps, and relaxing.  Then around nine o'clock we decided it would be good to make a quick Sonic half price milkshake run.  I can see that this half price shake thing might become a problem for us this Summer.  B tried the Oreo cheesecake shake and it was terrible.  The rest of us had "normal" flavors and they were absolutely delicioso. 

Hope your short week is off to a happy start! 

Talk to ya soon,
Angie

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Our Weekend

We had what B would call a weekend of excellence here at House of Farrer.  This was in part because he installed a new starter in his truck Saturday morning.  It was a one man job, and that one man was my husband folks.  He strutted around the rest of the weekend.  I think this was the first time he didn't utter a single protest over me taking his picture.  I wish I could channel this sense of accomplishment when I unload the dishwasher or mop the floors.
M had another baseball game Saturday.  I had to scream his name like five times to get him to look at me so I could get this stellar shot.  I would love to think that was because he was totally wrapped up in the game, but I'm pretty certain that was not the case.  Oh well, he looks completely adorable, and we all know looking the part is half the battle.  I think George Washington said that.  And I'm pretty sure that's why he powdered his hair.  ;)
 
 E had a dance recital Saturday afternoon.  She did routines to Pizza Dance, Secret Agent Man, Stayin' Alive, and Hard Knock Life.  Like the Super Mom that I am I failed to charge the camera and camcorder batteries so I had to take pics with my phone.  This happened to me at the last recital too. I have got to do better next time.  As God as my witness...I will never be at a recital without appropriate recording devices again! 
Maybe I should also get a phone with a better camera!
E is in the very center (7th from the right) in the below video
M and E spent the night with nanny and B was working so the Tyrant Tater and I had some quality time together.  Sometimes when it's just him at home I feel like I don't even have kids.  Literally, I forget about him and find him climbing on chairs and trying to pull lamps off tables.  He has the cutest puppy dog eyes he gives now when you catch him doing something wrong.  Makes me laugh every time.  It won't be funny in ten years, but for now I'm laughing. 
 
Sunday we went to church and then I headed to my parents house for the afternoon.  They had filled up their baby pool and the taters had a blast in it most of the day.  
E planting flowers

Checking out a caterpillar in a cocoon on the deck
TT wanted NO PART of the pool fun
Helping Ungle Greggy hollow out some gourds to make birdhouses
B and I always laugh at how we thought when we bought a smaller house we were going to feel too cramped.  The truth is we are normally all within a five foot radius of one another anyway.  It's like we navigate the house as a pack, or herd, or gaggle (Michael informed the other day this is a large group of geese).   I told him I already knew that.  Of course.  What kind of mom wouldn't already know that?  Heheh.  Anyway, my point in all this was just to say that this is how I found the taters at bed time Sunday.  They all wanted to sleep together.  And the dog wanted to sleep wherever they were sleeping. Sometimes they're pure sweetness.
Talk to ya soon,
Angie

Monday, May 13, 2013

Seven


A couple months ago I heard a friend’s daughter’s birthday announced on the radio.  She was turning seven.  It totally shocked me when they said seven.  I immediately got a little sniffly over it.  I remembered visiting this family when their daughter was an itty bitty newborn baby.  How could that have been seven years ago?  Seven sounded like a lot of years.   I remembered being pregnant with M when we visited.  Then it hit me (hard)...M was turning seven soon too.  I was sniffly over my friends little girl, but  I completely lost it over my own firstborn son.  I had never been bothered by M's age before, and it was completely out of character for me to get so emotional over it.  But for some reason seven just felt like such a BIG number.  It felt different and I wasn't sure I liked it. 
 
That night after M fell sleep I sat by his bed, stroked his hair, prayed over him, and made peace with seven.  I thanked God for the wonderful years we've already had with M, and asked for wisdom to guide his little soul in the next year.  I prayed for him to have a heart for things of eternal significance and not the things of this world.  I also prayed for the girl he will someday marry.  I was joking with MIL and SIL the other day that I have already done so much praying for M's future spouse that there is no way she will ever be able to live up to my expectations.  :)
Fast forward to last Tuesday, and it was time to actually celebrate my sweet boys birthday.  Him and B were coming home from float trip the evening of his birthday so we all gathered at the house to surprise him when they came in.  If you know M then you know this type of this is right up his alley.  We all waited in the backyard and sang Happy Birthday as soon as he walked around the house.  It was so fun to see how surprised he was!  B said he didn't even notice all the cars in the drive. 
A little overwhelmed by the surprise

Cousins 
The party had sort of a military theme.  Everyone was supposed to wear camo.  Guess who has two thumbs and totally forgot about wearing camo?  This girl!  I didn't remember until my parents arrived.  They go all out for any kind of dress up event (see below photo).  Fortunately, B had a jacket in his closet I was able to throw on.  We gave M a wallet with some cash, and gift cards already in it.  He loved it.  Later that night I found him in his room pull all the dollar bills out of his piggy bank to put in his wallet.
We are so proud of the little man Michael is growing up to be.  We can't wait to see what his seventh year has in store for us!
Talk to ya soon,
Angie


Monday, May 6, 2013

Turtle Rock Retreat

Last weekend B planned a family getaway at Turtle Rock Retreat just outside of Jasper, Ar.  We will never understand how he finds these places, and the getting there is usually a little sketchy.  But we always have a great time.  B's parent, my parents, and B's brother Rog all came along for the fun this time.  I attempted to catch my death while we were there so I spent a lot of time resting.  This isn't necessarily a bad way to spend a vacation...just not what I had planned.  I would like to thank the owners of Turtle Rock for their investment in a wonderful memory foam mattress for the master bedroom.  It helped me quickly forget my worries about resting while everyone else was having fun.  :)

The kids were more than a little over the moon about the hot tub on the back deck.  They LOVE them a hot tub or "hot pool" as M used to say.  I let the older taters talk me into a little late night hot tubbing in the rain the night we arrived.  It was alot of fun.  I love that kids don't consider rain or cold a reason not to do something! 
Late night hot tubbing
Early morning hot tubbing
The guys and the taters were able to do a little fishing between breaks in the rain.  There was a nice pond beside the cabin and the Little Buffalo ran just along the tree line in the pic below.  E was excited to get to with them.  She is such a funny cross between girly girl and tom boy.  She loves to do things with her daddy!


Looking for worms
 The rest of our time was spent doing the things we do best...talking, laughing, EATING, and enjoying each others company.  We are so fortunate to get to be with both of our families at the same time.  It makes the memories that much sweeter.
Games with papa Bill
Tyrant Tater and Memaw checking out the horses
Breakfast with Pepaw Frank


M turns seven tomorrow!!  I've gotta go cry in my sweet tea for a bit to prepare myself for it.  :/ 

Talk to ya soon,
Angie