Throwback Thursday. . .

A little stroll down memory lane.

My three favorite fellas on Father's Day 2011

The Hubbs and Sprat at the Fair 2011

The Beach with Sprat and Big T 2013

My fellas 2013

What are We Living For???

What are we living for?  I know that seems like a harsh question but it is an honest one.  Are you living to work, play, grow, or just be?  A friend of mine posted on Facebook yesterday about as parents are we living in the moment or are we just living to get to the next moment?   I guess what I am asking is are we living and enjoying while it is going on or are we pushing for the next season or thing to come our way?  This is definitely one to mull over a bit since one of my boys is finishing his sophomore year.   We had a little lull after football season this year and I must say it was nice not to feel like I had to rush out the door as often.   I am going to try and live in the moment more this year and not rush so much to get to the next thing.  My boys are growing fast enough as it is and goodness knows I do not want to rush them off too soon.   I will be trying to slow things down a bit, I want to enjoy my time with the boys before they go off to college.
Sprat got aggravated with me the other day because I rubbed his arm.  It sort of hurt my feelings because he jerked away from me like I had some sort of disease.  I am a touchy person, I touch people when I talk to them.  I also touch my kids, it is kind of how I say "I love you" when we are out in public and I do not want to embarrass them.  When he pulled away it really hurt me.  I did not say anything at the time because we were out in public but later that night I did tell him he had hurt my feelings.  He had no idea that is what I was doing.  I hope that now he knows he want be so ugly about his mama touching his arm.   I also run my fingers through their hair but he has gotten so tall I cannot reach his head without stretching.
My goal this year will be to enjoy my little moments with my boys and make great memories with them so that when they do have a family of their own they can tell their kids about their crazy fun mama that tried her best to make life fun.  

What Happened to Wednesday????

Sorry I missed ya yesterday, things started out pretty normal.  I had an eye appointment and then met the hubbs for lunch.  While we were at lunch storms rolled in and we were trapped at the restaurant for an extended amount of time.  High winds and lots of rain made my drive home a little sketchy.   Had  to pick Big T up at school for his doctors' appointment, he has a plantars' wart on the bottom of his heel and was complaining of pain in his Achilles tendon.   Big T hates going to the doctor especially if there is any chance they might do something to him.   I have never taken my kids to a pediatrician, they have always seen a family doctor.  Our family doctors are wonderful and Big T loves the PA that he routinely sees and thank goodness she knows us, has a sense of humor, and knows Big T.   It turned out that the wart on the bottom of the heel needed to be frozen off and you can just imagine how that went.  The tendon will require ice and rest.  Thank goodness Lacrosse practice was cancelled last night because of the weather.  
The hubbs and I had some crab dip at lunch and it reminded me of a place we used to go when we would go to Charleston to visit my brother at school.  He graduated from the Citadel.  The Trawler was an awesome place to eat and they had the BEST crab dip any where.   They also had a light house outside of the restaurant and my sister and I would go up to the top and look out while we waited to be seated.  The hubbs and I went to Kiawah one summer and made a treck to Charleston and tried the restaurant that is where the Trawler used to be and it was not as good.  I am not sure if the Trawler is there now or not.  Here is a recipe I found called Trawler crab dip, not sure if it is the same one but I am going to give it a shot, this is a cold dip.

Trawler Crab Dip

1 cup crab meat (fresh would be great canned is ok)
1 8oz pkg cream cheese softened
1/2 cup mayo
4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp prepared horseradish
2 tbsp butter melted
1/2 tsp garlic salt  ( I do not like adding salt so I use garlic powder or fresh garlic pressed)

mix together and chill for at least two hours then serve with crackers.

I found this recipe on  www.city-data.com

This brings back great memories of family vacations and family visits to Charleston.

Family Funnies. . . Mom Babbles. . .

I got my Mother's Day gift on Monday.  My hubby never gives me gifts early, NEVER.  He decided to celebrate on Monday since our weekend would be all about baseball.  We went out to eat at a favorite little place we all enjoy as a family and he gave me a beautiful amethyst necklace to wear that night.  He was very pleased with what he had picked out, as was I.  I was a little surprised  since he had not had the opportunity to do any shopping since he fell.   I am very surprised he gave it to me early, he never does that.   He prides himself on making me wait for gifts, he loves to tease me with them.  Needless to say, he surprised me all the way around.  My family drives me crazy but, I do love them dearly.  

The hubbs is getting around better now, my classes are over, and I feel much more relaxed.  Now to get my house cleaned up and back to somewhat normal.  It is funny how a house can get turned completely upside down is such a short time.   Mine is most definitely upside down.   The kids rooms are staying more organized in fact, Big T went to his room last night because he said he wanted to organize his things.  I had to laugh because that is one thing our family is not, we are not organized at all.   You can all breathe a sigh of relief he is not sick, he was organizing his toys.  He has a table in his room that he has all of his army men set up on in a battle.  He was re-arranging them in a new battle.  

My husband was telling the boys stories of his youth and how he used to play when he was growing up.  He told them about how he and his friends would set up battles with their army men and throw rocks at them and shoot them with a bb gun.  How he would strap them to bottle rockets and send them flying.   Big T piped up and said, that is why the army men at memaws' have holes in them and have burn marks.  I had heard most of the stories, the kids were amazed at their daddy and how he could occupy his time.   I had to laugh, this is where our dinner conversations go some nights.  

Big T has been going through "family life" at school during health class.  This is the class where they learn more in depth about the birds and the bees.   He has not said a whole lot about the class.  I picked him up at school the other day, and when he got in the car I asked him how his day was just like I do every day.  His reply is what threw me.  He said, mom I feel so sorry for one of my friends.  He seemed very sad about what ever the friend was going through.  I said, I am sorry what is going on?  I was expecting maybe they had experienced a death in the family or something.  Big T replied, my friend (Sue) got her period.  I am so glad I was at a stop sign when he said that, I just about fell out.  I said, do what?  He repeated that she had gotten her period.  I said, how do you know about that?  He simply said, I have taken "family life" mom, I know all about it.  By this time we were home and getting out of the car.  He hugged me and kissed me on the cheek and said, "I am sorry you had to go through that mom."   Gotta love that kid.  He will make some young lady a great husband some day, some day far in the future.  

Hang on and stay tuned, raising these boys is going to be very interesting.  

Break Over. . . Here comes School. . .

Break is over, back to the grind.  The boys went back to school today and hubby is back at work. Today the Christmas decorations come down,  and my beautiful living room goes back to normal.   It is always a little sad when Christmas is over and the decorations come down.  When my hubby and I were first married he insisted on taking everything down on New Years Day.  I hated that, that was too early to take down decorations.   I have left my decorations up till mid March before, with a real tree.  That was an accident though.  That was the year Dad fell through the roof of our barn and was in the hospital for almost six weeks, three of which were in ICU on a ventilator.   Poor hubby was home by himself and after most of the needles had fallen off the tree he decided he would put away the Christmas ornaments.   I stayed with my Mom while Dad was in the hospital so she would not have to be by herself.    That was a wild year.   The next year we had an artificial tree and it was like an Easter egg hunt finding my ornaments.  Men are just not made to put delicate things away, unless you use them to fish with, that is.
The boys are back in school and dear hubby is back to work, so I  am appreciating the calm and quiet of my house this morning.  As I reflect on this past year, we have had good days and not so good days.  I will not say bad, because as someone told me at Church yesterday, any day the Lord has made cannot be bad.  I think that is how I will approach this year.    So, here is to no bad days in 2015.  

Someone posted on Facebook one time about the kind of person they wanted to be.  It said something like; I want to be the woman that when I wake, the devil says, oh no!! she's up!  I think I would like to be that kind of woman.  

Remembering 9/11

I was still working when the world fell apart in 2001.  I had an almost two year old little boy that had his whole future ahead of him.   We made it thru the Y2K scare right after he was born and now this. 
I don't remember exactly how we found out, I think a patient came in and told us.   My dear sweet hubby had flown out the day before to Dallas on business.  I was so shocked I had to stop and think where he was and when did he leave.  It was late that night before I was able to talk with him.   He was supposed to be in Dallas several days so I was not really worried about him trying to get home. 
I remember just sitting in front of the TV and crying, thinking how could soneone do something so horrific.  I kept thinking I have brought an innocent child into such a hateful world.  Something about looking into his sweet face full of hope and laughter, that was the only way I got through that.  I think everyone held on to their loved ones a little tighter during that year.   Goodness knows I did.  Hubby ended up driving home from Dallas, it took him 24 hours.  He had four other reps with him that he dropped off on the way to our house. 
We did not lose anyone personally during that time but my heart went out to all of those that did.   My heart still aches for all of those affected.   I hope we never forget how precious life is and that we should cherish everyday with our loved ones. 

My New Cover Picture. . .

This is a throw back picture to 2003 when my sweet Big T was just a Tiny T.   This was from his first beach trip.   Time goes by so fast, that was Big T's poem that he wrote that I posted yesterday.  It was part of his language arts homework.  I thought he did such a good job it warranted sharing with the blogosphere.

I started this blog to share the funny quirky  things that my kids said and did on a daily basis.  I love sharing things here, it is a means to get things off of my chest and, some days, brag just a little.
Motherhood is a crazy roller coaster, some days I feel so positive and excited about things I could burst, other days I feel like I could just explode at the drop of a hat.  I know we all go through this and it is supposed to be normal.  Huhhh!!!   Some man must have said that.  I guess it is important to remember that in life there are ups and downs and we hope that there will be more ups than downs.   I remember being frustrated with both boys trying to potty train and now that is such a distant memory.  I guess that is one more thing I should remember, the bad stuff fades away and all you remember are those blissful times when your little angel says, "mama" or "dada" or one of my favorites from Sprat, (while trying to put on his zip up hoodie) "mama, mama, I can't get my neighborhood on."   You just have to bust out laughing.  Or when Big T had been somewhere and I had not seen him in a day or two and I looked at him and told him, wow! you have a grown a foot.  Big T looks down at both legs and asks earnestly, where?
 We had difficulty getting pregnant with Sprat but things happen in God's time not ours.  Big T was a complete surprise and we could not have been happier.  We almost lost him at 25 weeks, when I went into preterm labor.  One of the scariest things I have endured as an adult.   Dear hubby was two hours away in a deer stand and I had Sprat age 3 and did not realize I was in labor.  We did make it to term, thank goodness.   Yes, I guess the good does out weigh the bad.  It is just sometimes so difficult when we are living the bad to think about that.
So if you are a mom or trying to be a mom focus on all those good things so that when those years have flown by that will be what you remember.

The Good Ole Days . . .

What are the "good ole days" to you?  I remember eating dinner as a family every night without fail at 6pm.  Mom always had a spread; fresh bread, veggies out of the garden, and some type of meat (baked chicken, roast, or pork chops).  My sister and I helped set the table and we also helped clear the dishes.  We all sat down together, ate and talked about what all happened to everyone during the day.  We rarely ate out and if we did it was a big treat.
  I also remember going to Church on Sunday, Mom getting lunch in the oven before we left so it would be ready when we came home.   After lunch and after the kitchen was cleaned up we went downstairs and watched TV together.  We watched Ma and Pa Kettle, Abbott and Costello, Frances the talking mule, and sometimes the Little Rascals.   We relaxed on Sunday afternoons and enjoyed time with family. 
I try to keep my own family on a routine like this but these days we are running crazy just like everyone else.  My sister and brother and I were all involved in sports but some how my Mom kept us fed and on time to all of our practices and games.  
I think times were so much simpler then, goodness,  I sound like I am 100 years old.  I am not that old but, I do miss those times.  I will continue to try  and keep our family eating together because I know how important that is.  We do discuss the days events as we sit around our cluttered table.   I hope my kids will have good memories about our time spent as a family around the table.  We also try and have some quiet time before the kids go to  bed. 
I have introduced my youngest to Frances the Talking Mule,  thanks to my sister sharing some videos she had.  He also likes Andy Griffith.   Here's to the good ole days.

Sprats' Birthday. . .

Sprats' birthday is fast approaching.  He went to his first concert last weekend to celebrate.  They went to see Carnival of Madness.  It rained, stormed and they had a delay, they got wet but they all had fun.  He got a new pair of tennis shoes, a size 12, heavens to Betsy he has BIG feet for a soon to be 14 year old.
Thinking about his birthday made me want to pull out his baby book and my pregnancy journal and revisit those days before his birth.
I had forgotten about the nick name dear hubby had given him before he was born.  Hubby went with me to one of my visits to hear the baby's heartbeat and he said it sounded like a diesel engine humming, so he called him "little diesel."  I had forgotten all about that one.  All of the boy names I had picked out and we did not use any of them for either son.  It is funny all the things you write down with the first child that get forgotten as time goes by.  I am so glad I wrote those things down.  I was telling Sprat about some of the crazy things that happened when I was pregnant with him.  
Hubby and I like to watch wrestling, yes I am a closet wrestling fan.  There was a particular duo that we liked that do not wrestle together anymore.  They were the Road Dog and BA Billy Gun.  Whenever their music came on Sprat would start bouncing around inside my tummy.  You could see my stomach ripple as he bounced and danced, he loved their music.  
Poor hubby could not eat any meat in the house in my first months of pregnancy.  The mere smell of meat would send me over the edge.  There were days I could be in the bed room down the hall and he would open the refrigerator and I knew it by smell.  I also craved watermelon while I was Great with child.  I remember going to the little fresh market down the road from our old house and buying them almost weekly. I got so big that the little man had to help me get them in the car later on in my pregnancy.  My belly was as big as the watermelons.

I found some old camera cards . . .

I found some old camera cards and decided to see what they had on them.  They are from a couple years ago and they have brought back some fond memories.  They covered  spring, summer, and fall for three years ago.  I found Halloween pictures and football pictures, lake pictures and baby pictures of precious Basil.

Wrestling. . .

Ok, I am going to tell you something that most do not know about me.  I used to be a professional wrestling fan.  Dear hubby and I used to watch it every Monday night before the kids came along.  I have not watched it in years, but last night they were having all the old wrestlers back to the WWE.  I had to turn it on and watch just a little.  It brought back a lot of great memories of our early married years.   Dear hubby and I went to a wrestling event when I was BIG and pregnant with my oldest.  I blended well with all the rest of the red necks out there.  Huge pregnant, screaming at the wrestlers, and eating nachos with extra jalapenos.  Oh the memories. . .
I remember one group in particular that was a favorite, not because of who they were but because of the way my dear sweet baby reacted to their music.  When the music for the Road Dog and BA Billy Gun came on my stomach started jumping.  It was my sweet baby reacting to their music.  He jumped and rolled and wiggled like crazy, only to their music.  This group stopped wrestling together a year after my sweet boy was born, so he never heard about all this till last night.   Dear hubby and I let the boys stay up late last night so they could see some of the old wrestlers that were popular before they were born.   I never let the kids watch wrestling when they were little, they never had an interest in it then and they still don't.  They did enjoy hearing us tell about the old days before they were born and when they were little.  I still remember that feeling of my bell bouncing around with my sweet baby inside dancing and rolling.

Thankful thoughts. . .

I saw on facebook this month that everyone is posting thankful thoughts, I have not.  I am very thankful but, I do not see the need to post something everyday just because everybody else is doing it.  That to me is adult peer pressure.  I will not fall to that, however, I am going to post some things here and talk about how thankful I am.
I am thankful for my family and that my parents have been able to see their grandchildren grow up.   My grandparents all passed away before I was born except my grandmother on my Mothers' side.  She passed away when I was in elementary school.  I do remember going to her house and playing and seeing her on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I remember  her house and playing in the apple trees in her yard and this huge weeping willow tree.  The willow had the best branches for climbing and swinging.   I also remember how much I loved her dressing she served on Thanksgiving. 
Thomas and Jack are very lucky, as am I that they have their grandparents to spend time with.  When we go to Moms' they go to the barn with Poppy and Gee and help feed the horses and kitties and play with them.  They also get to see the goats at my sisters' house.   This year Thomas was sitting at the table having lunch with my mom and he saw three deer run through her back yard.   We usually see some deer, turkeys, raccoons, foxes and an albino skunk all while sitting at the kitchen table.  
I am very thankful for my family.  I am also thankful for how the Lord is working in our lives.  So many little things that have happened and I see the Lords' hand in all of them.  I am thankful for the great conversations that dear hubby and I have had with our kids about the Bible and God.  I love to see these things through my kids' eyes.  They see things that we as adults do not and in different ways too.   I learn something new every night as we read devotions and the Bible.  Some nights after reading we just have great conversations about their day and what happened at school. 
For all of this and so much more I am truly thankful!!

Christmas Memories. . .

I am feeling a little nostalgic today.  I started wrapping gifts last night.  Christmas is my favorite time of year.  I love the smell of a fresh cut tree, even though we have an artificial one now.  I love the feel of the cooler weather, the excitement of the kids thinking about Santa, our Church music and Christmas carols.
I like shopping for that special gift for everyone on my list.  I always try to pick something that I think that person would like.  I love seeing their faces when they open their gift. 
 I remember one time trying to wait up on Santa Clause.  I sat my bean bag chair right in front of the fireplace so when he came down our chimney he would fall over me.  Mom and Dad have a picture of me asleep in that spot.  Needless to say I did not wake up when Santa came to my house, I slept right through it.  My kids tell me every year they are going to try and catch Santa sneaking in the house.  I always tell them he won't stop if you are not asleep.  They always leave cookies, milk and reindeer food.  I love that my kids believe in the Spirit of Christmas and I hope they always will.  I still do.  The saddest thing is when a child looses that belief.   Mark and I  are both still kids at heart and I guess that is why I love Christmas so much. 

A walk down Memory lane. . .

Mark and I met while working together in a local laboratory.  We ran a blood test together.  He was my superior, while we were at work.  HA HA!!  He was the senior lab tech on this particular test.  So I had to follow his instructions.   I got this job right out of College.   In fact, I was interviewing for this job while I was still in school.  It was third shift and my folks were not very happy with me about that.   Because it was a third shift position I had to interview with the shift supervisor during his regular shift.  I drove from school to be at my interview at midnight.  That was strange.  My parents were still not happy about all this.  I told them the reason they did all this on third shift was so that the doctors offices would have their blood results by the next morning to treat their patients.  Where I grew up third shift meant you worked in the mill.  Once my folks got over the third shift thing all was ok.
After my interview the night manager took me around and introduced me to everyone and also introduced me to Mark (hubby).  When we met it was a little strange but I knew when we shook hands there was something there.  I felt my heart fall to the floor and it was hard to breathe.  I know it sounds silly but it is true.  I was so excited about working.  I could not believe I was going to have a job that related to my degree.  So many of my friends were not working in their area of expertise.  I was also excited to have a job of any kind.  I felt like an adult.  I was going to work and I had my own place with a roommate of course.  One of my friends from College was working at the lab too and she needed a roommate.  So that worked out great.  I noticed that when I would talk to the folks at work they really listened to what I had to say.  That made me feel good.  They paid attention to me and always looked me in the eye.  That impressed me.  Here I thought wow, they really care about what I am saying.  
I did not realize what a prankster (Mark) I was getting involved with.  I can't tell  many of them or he might get in trouble but let's just say there was never a dull moment in the lab when he worked.  I found out years after the fact that Mark had told everyone that I had a glass eye.  So when I thought everyone was really paying attention to what I had to say, was in fact them trying to figure out which eye was glass.  We had a rocky start to our relationship.   He had his views on things and I had mine. He was always putting his foot in his mouth.  There was this poor young lady that worked behind glass next to us and we had to go in there to get our samples.  I call her a poor young lady because she had to listen to all of our troubles.  Mark and I both confided in her about our relationship.  Like I said we had a rocky start.   I am very head strong and set in my ways.  Even then I was set in my ways.   Mark was just crazy.  He had made the comment one night that Women were inferior to Men.  Well, that flew all over me and the rest of the ladies that worked in the lab.  We had not officially started dating yet and at the rate he was going we might not.  This is what poor Sally behind the glass had to listen to all the time.  I would go and fuss about Mark and Mark would go and fuss about me.  Finally we were going to go out.  We were going to a concert.  It was a rock concert.  I had never been to a concert before so this was new for me.  I will be honest I did not like it at all.  I put on a good show though because I did not want to hurt Marks' feelings.   Later that week Mark and I were at work and having a discussion over something and our manager came over and said why don't ya'll just date you argue like you're married anyway.  I piped up and said we had already been on a date.  I was referring to the concert.  Mark broke in and said that no, we had not been on a date.  I looked very surprised, and asked what?  You can imagine the conversation that ensued.  I simply told him that he need not worry about ever asking me out on a date that it would not happen.  I was so angry.  What did he consider a date?  He picked me up, he paid for everything, and he took me home.  Date?  Right?  According to MARK, it was not a date.  Poor Sally got to listen to all this for several weeks.  I was dead set we would not be dating.  Well, I gave in and we went on a date.  Well, what Mark considers a date.  We went to dinner and then on a horse drawn carriage ride around town.  This was truly a date.  I cannot tell you how excited I was to do the horse drawn carriage thing.  It was so romantic.  So now  19 years later we are still together.  I guess he has done some things right.  We still argue over the date thing though.  I will never understand that one.