First Installment of The Dance Recital- Winter 2008

The diva took a little time for photo ops just after the performance. Unfortunately, my camera was just not fast enought to catch anything but blurs, so we will have to wait on photos from Kiki to show you some action shots.

My lovely niece came along with the grandparents and really enjoyed the show. She is a cheerleader and basketball, soccer, and sftball player.

Here they are up a bit closer. Have you ever seen two prettier girls....or a more handsome boy?

And here we are after dinner and a shower.....having a bit of a post-recital reward.......chocolate silk pie.

Another one

Love the baggy tights............

Recital recap......2006

Here's how my baby looked at the winter recital, 2006.

Recital Recap - 2007

This was a really cute outfit, with a really cute doll in it!

More Santa Pics

Ho Ho Ho!!!!

This afternoon Dad took us to see Santa at the Santa Village in Collierville. We really loved posing for pictures with the REAL Santa!

Taking a break

Here's another angle, same subject. Right now I am taking a break. I was just thinking that I am really a hippocrit when it comes to ordering the kids to "clean your room!" My own bedroom looks like something Niecey Nash would have a hey day with. Why would I keep a box of old horse bits in the corner of the bedroom? Anyway, the bedroom is sort of cleaned up now - at least all the clothes that were in baskets have been sorted and put away. I do still have about 5000 socks that need to be matched up. Sounds like a good job for someone who watches endless football, eh?

On the agenda for the rest of the day: Go to get driver's license renewed, pick up stuff at Walmart, get teacher gifts ( 4 this year.....), dance class, possibly see Santa if time and patience hold up. I have no idea what we will have for dinner. Oh well.....

Diabetes sucks....especially at Christmas

Just look what was delivered to the office yesterday morning! Fortunately, the staff of scavengers inhaled it all pretty quickly and I didn't have to see it every time I went to get some coffee or water or toilet paper or whatever.

Normally, avoiding things I shouldn't have is not too hard, but all of the Christmas goodies makes it challenging. I think part of that is because it all comes in small pieces, and I know that I can get away with ONE......the problem is that one leads to another. And another. And another.

Oh well....I can count on the "kids" at work to take care of it all for me.

"Awwwwww" for the Day

Our Lulu is the cutest little ding dang puppy I have seen in a while. I'm so glad we kept her!

It's coming!

At least that is what everybody thinks! The schools are already letting out early and people are scrambling to the stores for milk and bread and hot chocolate. You know, I don't think we have ever run out of milk during any weather event at our house.

The kids will be saying, " We told you so, Mom" because they both said there wouldn't be school if it was icy and I told them they were going to school anyway. I was at least half-way right!

Ice Storm Soup

Last night after hearing the forecast for today, the girl of the house said,
" Mama, we are gonna need some soup 'cause the ice is coming." So, since I still had the ham bone from Thanksgiving in the freezer and a bag of 15 bean soup mix, I obliged.

Here's what I did:

1 bag 15 bean soup mix
1 medium onion
1 ham bone with meat or 2 cups chopped ham, or a smoked ham hock ( best)
1/2 lb sliced smoked sausage, browned.
1 can rotel tomatoes
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
Salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash spicy seasoning

1. In a big pot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add the rinsed beans and allow to boil for about 15 minutes. Turn off and let sit for about 30 minutes. This is the "fast soak" method.
2. In a big crock pot, put the ham bone or the ham hock in with the onion and beans. Cover with water or chicken broth. Cook on low overnight, or all day, whatever you need to do.
3. When the beans are tender, add the tomatoes and browned sausage, bell pepper and seasoning. Taste the broth to see how much salt, pepper, and Mrs. Dash that you might want to add. I can't tell you how much to use because it really depends on how salty the ham was and how much you like. If you mess up and get it too salty, just open a can of beans and dump them in.
4. Allow to simmer in crock pot with the lid off to reduce and thicken the juice for a couple of hours. It is worth the wait, if you like beans and pork. If you don't, call Pizza Hut.

You could probably add some corn or whatever to this if you like. It is good like it is, but I figure there is always room for improvement.

Don't forget to make the cornbread to go along with this!

Gingerbread Extravaganza

Here are the Gingerbread Homeowners, getting ready for a big day of renovation and decorating.

They worked very hard on their individual projects. The Royal Icing was of excellent quality - better than I have ever made at home. It held the various candy additions on almost instantly.

The happy holiday homeowners with their finished houses. Of course, Eugene ,in his kind and loving way, said that he was going to give his to Violet, his hamster. Betty said she was going to eat hers, but only after she had some fried chicken. Guess you know now what we are gonna have to make for supper.

If I had only had THESE shoes!

I could have had the highest score of the night!

We went bowling last night in lieu of a formal Christmas party at work.....we had a great time.

I can hardly move this morning and I think my right arm is about two inches longer than the left. It was really a cool outing because the alley wasn't busy, we were able to take the kids, and it was all really relaxed.

Most importantly, I discovered that bowling shoes would make excellent clown shoes. I may have to browse ebay for a pair and embellish them like the ones here. Wonder what kind of paint you use on leather? Hmmmmmm.......

I'll put up actual pictures of the festivities when I get some. I didn't take a purse, hence didn't take the cameras, but others did, so they WILL send pictures, someday!

New Book series

I found a new book series to read, only the newest one is #19, so I had to go to the piddly library here and get the earlier ones. They only had 8 of them, so I got them all. I think I can do eight in two weeks since I have already read half of the first one I got. Of course, they did not have the earliest ones, so I got the 11th through 18th. They do have the 19th one, but it was a 7 day loan and I don't think I can do that many in one week! ( You know how I am about reading books in order).

Anyway, these are about a fat, middle aged, retired ad- executive who has turned sleuth. She is cranky and lives alone and chain smokes and is always trying to make deals with God about the smoking. Pretty funny, actually. They are set in England and written by an English author, so you kinda have to get in that mindset and be able to weed through the colloquial language. For example......a biscuit ain't a biscuit in England .......it is a cookie.

I'll be sure and let y'all know if I can wade through them. So far, so good.

New 'Do for "Lunchbox"

Here's is a pic of my little Bindi. Ok, she isn't so "little" anymore, in fact, she is downright fat. The gals at work have started calling her "Lunchbox" again. She had a little period when she had gained a bit of weight back when she was a "teenager" and she earned that name. She lost most of that, but now I am afraid that she is back on the portly side.

When Gigi was here, I had found a bunch of clumps of hair on the floor....I thought Bindi was pulling it out of Gigi, but I continued to find it after Gigi went home. Actually it was coming out of Bindi.....big hunka chunks of undercoat. I took her to work yesterday and just shaved her down to keep it off the floor. Bad move.

Now she looks like a pin-headed pig. Everybody was laughing at her. As if she doesn't have enough anxiety already! She has perfected the "deer-in-the-headlights" expression.

Oh well, guess it is back on a diet for the Binster.

I'm watching the old movie "Gigi" on TCM. It is so good. I am recording a bunch of old musicals for the little Girlie to watch in her spare time. She loves them.

The Face of Fun

If this is the face of fun, I can hardly wait to see how it looks when we go to Disney. She may glow in the dark. Or shoot out sparks.
I can hardly wait!

We finally finished putting our tree together and I think it looks pretty good. I know, the stand is showing, but I can't put a skirt around it because the ding-dang dogs won't leave it there. I put it around the bottom, and next thing ya know I am chasing it around the backyard. That one of the negatives of having a doggy door. The other two are that they can go out and bark whenever they want and they can go out and get wet and nasty, then come in and make a big mess. Eighty times a day.

Today I think I am going to try and STAY HOME, at least until time to haul over to dance class. The girl has an extra class today, so I may do the grocery run while she is tapping her toes.

My big dumb poodle went out and got in the mud last night so she will need a bath today. I might just bathe them all.

Beef.......it's what's for dinner.

My male child has decided that steak is his new favorite food. He is only 7 years old, and he ate a medium rare , 10 ounce rib-eye the other night when we went out. He cleaned it up and would have eaten more if there had been more. I think we may have to buy a cow if his carnivorous craving continues. I can't really complain, because I told him that he needed to learn to eat something other than mac and cheese, but dang.

How much freezer space would it take to put up a quarter of a cow? Anybody want to go in with us on a cow? I am really going to ponder this one.

Our Visitor will be going home......finally!

GiGi is so ready to go home. She looks like a mop now that she has spent a week here with the wild pack. I think there may even be a bald spot on her somewhere because I found a large clump of hair that looked like hers on the floor. I'm just glad it wasn't her topknot!
Tomorrow she will get groomed and then will likely go home tomorrow evening or Tuesday morning at the latest. Now we gotta get ready for our next guest......the lovely and talented Maya. I'm sure we can corrupt her as well!

Picture from the Summer

I was just fooling around with some pictures in Picasa and found this one.......they have changed so much even since just this past summer.

Random pet photos

Lily, the oldest member of our pet family.

Bindi, the barking maniac of the family. She's a miniature australian shepherd.

Sometimes when you are tired, you just got to take a thumb and a chihuahua and call it a day.

This little doggie is our year-old chihuahua, Allie.

Ok, so now I will go back to picking the latex out of my remaining eyelashes. I don't know how Paula Deen wears those things every day!

Christmas Parade 2008

All the kids crammed onto the float.

The theme was "Surfing Through the Scriptures"

We had a lot of fun walking and waving. We "high-fived" and even gave out a few hugs to anyone who looked like they would tolerate it! After the parade, we went to Applebee's and had some goodies 'cause we were starving. The place broke out in laughing and clapping when we walked in. I guess they had never seen some clowns before. Then we went to Lowe's and bought a new Christmas tree. It is way bigger than what we had and was on sale for less than half price.

We won't decorate it until tomorrow night when everyone is home and we are a bit more rested.

Pretteh Kitteh

Princess Poopsalot at 8 weeks of age. She was a cute kitten, but she turned into

a very beautiful cat. Poopie belongs to the boy child and sleeps with him every night.

Mouse Ears

My kindergardener needs a set of mouse ears ( think Minnie) to wear to school tomorrow and, of course, there are none to be found in Memphis. My only
"go to " person for Disney stuff is , of all places, at Disney World. ( Their dog is here with us while they are yucking it up with Cinderella and Goofy) .

I even called the Disney STORE and they said that they only keep them at Halloween. Wasn't that just a month ago? Anyway, when there is a need, good Mama's get out the glue gun and "git to gittin".

Here's dear "Mary" modeling the finished ears before the actual recipient got home from school. Mary was born back when Cabbage Patch dolls were a big thing...the first time. I think I was in junior high - maybe 7th grade. I have been wagging her around for 30 years. Time flies.

Now Mary does her thing in style - she even has her very own rainbow clown wig. She doesn't get to wear makeup because, well, we would never get it off and besides, babies just make a mess out of makeup.

Here is the actual ear owner, trying them on while freezing to death ( she said).

Of course, we will never miss an opportunity to show out...... just a little. He hehehehehe.

Anyway, Mouse ears accomplished and approved. Now on to "Christmas Clown "costumes for the Christmas Parade on Saturday. HoHoHo!

Blame it on Charlaine Harris

Lots of you have asked why I haven't posted much lately. Well, you can blame it on Charlaine Harris. I have been reading the Sookie Stackhouse books for about 2 weeks now. They are so addictive, that I just can't stop reading. I'm on the last one now, so I am trying to just read a few chapters at a time so as to make it last, but I know that I'll likely stay up all night tonight and just do it all. Then I just don't know what I will do because the HBO series has wrapped for the season and the next book won't be out until MAY!!!!!!

I thought it was funny that the cat in the book is named Bob. I may have to get me a big orange tiger cat and name it Quinn. Just kidding. Sorta.

Anyway, if you can stand some blood lettin', outright killin', and humor, read these books. Charlaine is from Mississippi and we ought to do all we can to support southern writers.

So, soon as I finish the last one, which will be tonight or tomorrow, I'll be back to posting like you are used to!

Stephen Moyer plays Bill on the series.......he is SO cute!

Jiffy Corn Pudding Stuff

Ingredients:

2 boxes Jiffy Corn muffin mix, 2 cans creamed corn ( 15 oz), 2 sticks butter (melted), 16 oz sour cream ( more or less), 2 cans whole kernel corn( drained), 2 eggs.

Just mix it all together and bake at 350 in a buttered 9X13 baking dish until set in middle and brown on top.

This is good as above, but I like it better with Mexicorn and some jalapenos chopped in.

I don't make this really often because it is quite sweet, but it is always a hit where ever it goes. The best things about it is that it is easy and inexpensive and transports and reheats well.

Yeah!!!!! The Chillren are HOME!

It is about 6:30 am on Sunday - and everyone else is still asleep. I just finished de-constructing a turkey that I overnighted because it was thawed and needed to be cooked.

We went South yesterday and had Thanksgiving dinner with the family. It was all great, way more food that we could eat. There were a bunch of cute little babies to play with, but the cutest of all are the two above. I was so glad to see them I can't even describe it. It was awful quite here the last few days - nothing to do, no chaos, no cooking, no laundry, no fighting.

They were pretty whipped when we got home, so I think I am going to just let them sleep WAY late and play hooky from church (sorry preacher cousin) . Later today we have to go have dinner again with Nanny and Papa in Hernando, so they will need to rest up.

Weatherman says snow tonight......we'll see.