May 31, 2006
Green
Houses are being built at an alarming rate in a new area right off Leestown Road along with a Shell station, an Applebees, Fazolli’s, Walgreens, and other places I cannot remember right now.
I think this gigantic frog was supposed to take your attention from the main road and get you to look at the new houses. It did get our attention; at least enough to stop and take a picture.
What could be cooler?
Posted by tami at 5:22 PM Comments (3)
May 30, 2006
Face Paper
While visiting the loo at my aunt’s house, I noticed this pretty little book:
Even though it specifically says to press the powdered side to the face, I couldn’t believe what I was reading, so I went to my aunt to make sure my thoughts were running in the right direction.
It just seems odd to me that a person might tear a page from a tiny book and rub that page against their face – even if it does look like tissue paper. I am used to compacts and regular face powder, but not sheets of paper.
Has anyone else seen these books or even better, tried them?
Posted by tami at 11:03 AM Comments (2)
May 27, 2006
Cakes
I believe everyone loves a pretty cake, so I have created a Special Occasion Cakes photo gallery filled with my family’s cakes. I will add more as they are made or as I find old photos to scan.
Posted by tami at 11:04 AM Comments (1)
May 25, 2006
Kings Island
Almost every summer of my life, I went to Kings Island. Sometimes it was with the youth group at church, but most always, it was with my parents. They loved taking my sister and me for an exciting day of fun.
Here I am on one of the children’s rides. This may have been my first visit:
My mom was always afraid of riding the roller coasters, so she would find the place where the riders exited, and wait for us there. After we rode the coasters for a while, she had her fun by watching the shows and going through the shops. Not me and my dad though; we had a blast on those roller coasters!
My dad and I would sit shoulder to shoulder in the roller coaster car. When it would start moving, my heart would start drumming. As the car crept further and further up that gigantic first hill, I would think, “there’s no backing out now.” The car would creep over the top of the hill and just as I got a peek at the very bottom; it would jerk the entire coaster down that hill at full force. I’m sure the look on my face was fierce.
Back then, there was a stand-up coaster called the King Cobra. That coaster turned you upside down and inside out and all the while, you were sitting on what looked like a bicycle seat.
The Racers are still there. These are side-by-side wooden roller coasters; one is red and the other blue; one goes forward while the other goes backward and they race. I only rode the backwards Racer once. That was an experience let me tell you!
It took me years before I would ride the Beast, but once I did, I was hooked. At one time, the Beast was one of the longest wooden roller coasters in the world. You ride up and down enormous hills, through tunnels, and twists and then right in the middle of the ride – it stops! You’re sitting there freaking out thinking that another car is going to come crashing into yours at any minute. This is all planned of course, but you don’t know that when you’re riding it for the first time and it scares the heck out of you.
Besides the rides, the food was always great. They had anything on earth you’d want to eat. I preferred either the pizza or the foot-long hotdogs topped with sauerkraut, onions, and mustard. Yummy!
I don’t know about now, but the shows used to be awesome too. You could hear singing and watch incredible dancing with lots of costume changes (which I love – it’s all about the costumes!). I think I pouted about having to watch a show rather than be on rides all day, but once I was there, I was enthralled.
My parents had this souvenir cup made and it now sits on my desk full of pens:
By the way, do you remember The Brady Bunch visiting Kings Island?
Check out my Kings Island gallery and you will see The Brady Bunch and more!
Posted by tami at 5:10 PM Comments (2)
May 24, 2006
Our Mr. Hoover
I have only been out of school for two days and am already getting a nice tan. I am not lying out in a bathing suit though, so the tan ends where my shorts end. It’s what you would call a “farmer’s tan” I guess. However, I’m not laying out for that purpose; I’m just trying to enjoy the weather and read my book; if I happen to get some sun in the process, then great.
I am considering putting my bathing suit on today before I go out to read though. If I don’t, I’ll look hideous when it comes time to go swimming. Actually, I think a partial tan looks hideous regardless once you get naked. Imagine this: you have beautifully tanned shoulders, arms, and legs, but once you get naked, the rest of your body is ghostly white. It’s kind of scary. Luckily, thankfully, most of us only have to worry about one other person seeing us naked.
I stayed outside about 70% of the day yesterday. I read my book as I said, but my sister came over and we talked forever while the kids ran around. They colored with sidewalk chalk, hula-hooped, aggravated Guido, and kicked a ball around the yard.
After dinner, I gave the kids each a container of M&M Minis to take outside and eat. One of them promptly dumped her entire container in the grass. Guido was thrilled as the little colorful chocolate candies fell everywhere – he had never eaten an M&M! I scrambled to pick as many up as I could before he sucked them in. He is the REAL Mr. Hoover!
Posted by tami at 10:10 AM Comments (0)
May 23, 2006
You're The Inspiration
Miss L my thoughts were on you all day yesterday as I cleaned out my filing cabinet where we keep old receipts. It’s only a small cabinet with two drawers, but it tends to get messy and crammed full of papers that do us no good.
I will admit that keeping bills for a period helps in some situations. For example, doctor’s receipts come in very handy at the end of the year when they are balancing their books and want to tell you that you still owe money. We still have our tax statements from when we were first married. For the most part though, I think after the bill is paid and a while has past, you can safely shred the receipts.
Here is the pile of receipts we did not need:
It doesn’t look too bad in that picture, but it is. It took Ashley and me an hour to shred all that. It was fun for her at first, but after a while, she was bored and quit.
I filled two garbage bags full of junky papers that were taking up valuable space in my filing cabinet.
You inspired me Miss L!
Posted by tami at 9:19 AM Comments (1)
May 22, 2006
Neglected
I feel bad because I have neglected this blog and reading other blogs for a few days. It was getting aggravating for me though. Every time I would look at the blog, some moron would have spammed me 200 times. It would take me an hour to delete the spam and then sort out more spam through my email. By the time I was finished doing that, I didn’t feel like blogging or even reading someone else’s blog.
For this reason, I have reinstated the security code. If you leave a comment, you will once again have to type in the number that appears. It’s not that bad really. Most blogs that I visit have security measures already.
Now, for better news, Friday was the last day of school! If you listened closely enough, you probably heard me yelling a big Hallelujah. This makes me happy.
* I am happy that I can read to my heart’s content.
* I am happy that I can lie out in the green grass and think.
* I am happy that I don’t have such a stringent schedule.
* I am happy to be home with my kids and Guido. (I would say Kevin, but he will be taking classes all summer.)
* I am happy that I will get to swim on beautiful days.
* I am happy that I can stay up late, watch movies, and eat popcorn.
Yes, this is a good time of year.
Saturday, we celebrated the end of the school year by having a cookout. We made BBQ ribs, baked beans, cole slaw, and corn on the cob. We played
Apples To Apples, had more Night Wars and then ended the evening with cake.
Sunday, we cooked out hamburgers and hotdogs and were able to enjoy this:
Who wouldn’t enjoy that?
Posted by tami at 9:39 AM Comments (2)
May 17, 2006
He's So Silly!
Ashley bought Guido this new pink ball and he loves it!
He enjoys backing it into a corner and then barking at it and trying to get his teeth around it.
Posted by tami at 6:54 PM Comments (1)
May 16, 2006
Night Wars
After waiting months, Kevin finally purchased his own blue light saber. We bought Andrew a red one back at Christmas.
The battle was on at dusk:
You can see the serious looks on both of their faces:
But, the seriousness didn’t last long:
Actually, we were all laughing the entire time. However, I do foresee Kevin sewing his very own Jedi costume in the near future.
Posted by tami at 9:45 PM Comments (2)
May 15, 2006
68%
Thanks to Deanna for this cool quiz: Are You a Yankee or a Rebel?
My score:
68% Dixie. Just under the Mason-Dixon Line
I am interested to see what my friends score, especially those in other countries. Let me know if you take it!
Posted by tami at 10:08 PM Comments (4)
May 14, 2006
Mom & Me
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!
Posted by tami at 8:21 PM Comments (4)
May 13, 2006
New Place
I was at a different preschool all last week. I will be at this same preschool again next week. Being sent to another school happens for different reasons. When someone or another has been sick, I have ended up at many different preschool locations this year. Depending on the kids and other adults at the different sites, it can be very fun or very stressful.
This week has been fun for me and I cannot wait until next week. By day two, I had memorized the kids’ names. I was also comfortable in the teacher’s lounge at lunchtime with strangers sitting all around me. Everyone has been extremely nice and made me feel so at home that I have a great time. It’s a very small school, so you know everyone. I have also seen many familiar faces, both in kids and in adults. Overall, it’s a good change.
Posted by tami at 9:58 AM Comments (2)
May 10, 2006
JROTC
Last night was the JROTC awards ceremony. Andrew was awarded the Varsity Athletic Ribbon, Fund Raising Ribbon, and SAI Leadership Ribbon. He received a certificate for the Cadet Challenge Physical Fitness Test.
For receiving the Marine Corps League Outstanding Cadet Award, he was also given a copy of The Illustrated Art of War.
Here he is accepting his award:
I pulled this picture from the GRC website. This is when he went to EKU for competition earlier last month:
Posted by tami at 4:51 PM Comments (0)
May 9, 2006
Prayer
Springtime Prayer
For flowers that bloom about our feet,
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet,
For song of bird, and hum of bee,
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!
For blue of stream and blue of sky,
For pleasant shade of branches high,
For fragrant air and cooling breeze,
For beauty of the blooming trees,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
Posted by tami at 4:24 PM Comments (3)
May 6, 2006
To Be Young Again ...
This is another great email from my friend Deanna.
Out of the mouths of babes:
JACK (age 3) was watching his Mom breast-feeding his new baby sister. After a while, he asked, "Mom why have you got two? Is one for hot and one for cold milk?"
MELANIE (age 5) asked her Granny how old she was. Granny replied she was so old she didn't remember any more. Melanie said, "If you don't remember you must look in the back of your panties. Mine say five to six."
STEVEN (age 3) hugged and kissed his Mom good night. "I love you so much, that when you die I'm going to bury you outside my bedroom window."
BRITTANY (age 4) had an earache and wanted a painkiller. She tried in vain to take the lid off the bottle. Seeing her frustration, her Mom explained it was a childproof cap and she'd have to open it for her. Eyes wide with wonder, the little girl asked, "How does it know it's me?
SUSAN (age 4) was drinking juice when she got the hiccups. "Please don't give me this juice again," she said, "It makes my teeth cough."
Diane (age 4) stepped onto the bathroom scale and asked, "How much do I cost?"
MARC (age 4) was engrossed in a young couple that were hugging and kissing in a restaurant. Without taking his eyes off them, he asked his dad, "Why is he whispering in her mouth?"
CLINTON (age 5) was in his bedroom looking worried. When his Mom asked what was troubling him, he replied, "I don't know what'll happen with this bed when I get married. How will my wife fit in?"
JAMES (age 4) was listening to a Bible story. His dad read, "The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city, but his wife looked back and was turned to salt." Concerned, James asked, "What happened to the flea?"
TAMMY (age 4) was with her mother when they met an elderly, rather wrinkled woman her Mom knew. Tammy looked at her for a while and then asked, "Why doesn't your skin fit your face?"
Last, but not least: The Sermon I think this Mom will never forget....
"Dear Lord," the minister began, with arms extended toward Heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. "Without you, we are but dust." He would have continued but at that moment, my very obedient daughter (who was listening!) leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little girl voice, "Mom..., what is butt dust?"
Posted by tami at 10:42 AM Comments (0)
May 5, 2006
The Poor Dandelion
Thanks to Deanna for this email. (The images are from my own yard.)
GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and nature; what in the world is going on down there in the U.S.? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistles and the stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought, and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honeybees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of color by now. All I see are patches of green
St. Francis: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. They are called the Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers "weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD: Grass? But it is so boring, it's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, bees or birds, only grubs and sod worms. It's temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want grass growing there?
St. Francis: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it has grown a little, they cut it....sometimes two times a week.
GOD: They cut it? Do they bale it like hay?
St. Francis: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags
GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
St. Francis: No sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD: Now let me get this straight...they fertilize it to make it grow and when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
St. Francis: Yes, sir.
GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
St. Francis: You aren't going to believe this Lord, but when the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD: What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to
keep the moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves become compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life.
St. Francis: You'd better sit down, Lord. As soon as the leaves fall, the Suburbanites rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD: No way! What do they do to protect the shrubs and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?
St. Francis: After throwing the leaves away, they go out and buy something called mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
GOD: And where do they get this mulch?
St. Francis: They cut down the trees and grind them up to make mulch.
GOD: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. Saint Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?
St. Catherine: "Dumb and Dumber," Lord. It's a really stupid movie about....
GOD: Never mind....... I think I just heard the whole story from Saint Francis
Posted by tami at 3:31 PM Comments (2)
May 2, 2006
Flop
When Ashley awoke this morning, she was in the same condition as the night before. I won’t go into the gory details, but suffice it to say, she had more wrong with her than just a fever.
Thankfully, around 10:00, her fever broke and she began feeling better immediately. She ate a decent lunch and was able to eat a great dinner. She seems to be back to her normal self. Stomach virus’ are awful and I’m glad we are through with it!
****
One of my nieces came to my front door holding a little piece of Lamb’s Ear. I wonder where the little dear got it?! I told her that I would rather she didn’t pick pretty things from my yard.
Apparently, she was having a bad day because my sister told me that while driving down the Bypass the same little dear threw one of her flip-flop’s from the car window.
Now, I would have driven on and told her that the flip-flop was gone forever and that you don’t EVER throw ANYTHING from a car window. I would have made into a nice learning experience.
Instead of doing that, my sister stops the car in the middle of the road and proceeds to hold her arms up to stop traffic while she retrieves that $2 flip flop! Why did she go to so much trouble and risk her life and risk getting rear-ended?
Well, the little dear who threw the flip-flop out the window began to cry.
Too bad!
Posted by tami at 8:23 PM Comments (3)
May 1, 2006
Tepid
Last night Ashley had a fever. We gave her Motrin and put her to bed, but this morning the fever was still there. I stayed home from work today and took her to the doctor.
Since she is already taking an antibiotic for strep throat, the doctor didn’t prescribe another one. She said the strep throat was gone, but told her to continue the antibiotic. She did prescribe Promethazine Gel for her vomiting and said that she has a nasty stomach virus.
The doctor also told us she couldn’t go to school tomorrow. She said the fever needed to be gone 24 hours before she went back. That means no work for me again tomorrow.
I made sure to get a doctor’s note for her AND myself.
***
I just took her temperature and it is at 103.7 …. The Motrin is not helping. I will put her in a tepid bath.
Posted by tami at 3:58 PM Comments (3)