Ship To: Galmi, Niger, AFRICA

And he's off! Today Rob left on a Medical Missions trip to Niger, Africa. He is so excited and appreciative of the support that he has received in order to go on this adventure. The last couple of days have been busy with final preparations which included copying, banking and several Emergency Wal-Mart Runs. (These are in addition to the DAILY pilgrimages I make to "the Big Box"...). Last night we did the actual packing, which was loads of fun. Rob spent a lot of time on the scale while holding a variety of very heavy luggage. Then he'd hop off and we would reconfigure and discuss the possible options...

~Do you think that you using the bathroom will have any effect on the weight of your luggage? No?

~Rob, honestly.....clothes are so overrated in Africa....you probably don't really need ANY of these pants.

~If the square root of 9 is 3 and x is equal to 7, then.........

~Hmm...perhaps if we took out 1 sock, a battery and squeeze out 1/2 the tube of toothpaste, you will make weight.

In the end we were able to fit in the necessities and send him off without having to leave too much behind...except for the pants of course.

Uhh..Cole, did you see which way Gumby went?

So sorry, Pokey. There was nothing I could do.

Yesterday was our little neighbor girl's 4th birthday. She was sweet enough to bring over cupcakes for our family and you'll never guess what color icing they had.

Cole and cupcakes are always a challenge. He eats the top 1/4 without any problem, but then fights me on the "stump" consumption.

I mean I actually run drills with him before I give him a cupcake. It usually goes something like this..

Me: What are you gonna do?

Cole: eat the cupcake.

Me: I can't hear you.

Cole: EAT THE CUPCAKE!

Me: How much of the cupcake?

Cole: all of it.

Me: I can't hear you.

Cole: ALL OF IT!

etc...etc....

And then I tend to give up and just give him icing on a spoon.

Tea for 2 or 200?

Kasey is obsessed with my pantry. She is immediately drawn to it. If it is open even a crack, she knows it. It's like a baby pantry "sixth sense" or something...minus the dead people, I think... She must like it because there are so many things at her level in there. She frequently moves the cans around and her favorite is taking all the ziploc bags out of their boxes. I know, I know, very unsafe. It looks like she has found something new to unpack. One lump or two?

Behold....The Braid

I like to bake. Let's be clear...I like to BAKE, not COOK. I have this theory that all of life's problems can be solved with baked goods. Oh, you're having a party? I can make dozens of cookies for that! You stubbed your toe? Good thing I have this pie in my purse! Your car won't start? Here have a cupcake! World Peace? No problem, I have just the recipe.....

Today was my table's day to bring food for our Mops Group and so I got to make an Apple Danish Braid and German Chocolate Cupcakes. I'll show you my braid, but the cupcakes weren't very pretty. Tasty, but not very pretty. Ding! Oh good, the banana bread is done. Always be prepared!

A little self-inflicted punishment is good for the soul.

My kids got in some big trouble yesterday. Apparently, while Rob and I were out on Friday night, they were extremely bad for our babysitter. So we had a "sit-down" with them and created a list of suitable punishments for the 3 older ones, which included spending a significant portion of Saturday in their room, among other things... When I took them up to begin the "banishment" I even prayed with them, asking God to help them be on better behavior and to get along with each other. Turns out Abbey (5) was especially convicted, because she spent her entire time copying from her Beginner's Bible and emerged with 12 pages of scripture! She told me she was "studying" Jesus. Bless her heart. Her efforts produced the first 4 days of Creation. Although I think she could have used a little Ephesians 6:1, a truth's a truth, right?

And 3 grew back in it's place...

Ok. So here I am, mere weeks from turning the big "3-0" and what do I find lurking on my head this week? You guessed it, my first gray hair. I wasn't even intentionally scrutinizing myself for signs of aging, it just appeared, which was even more upsetting.

So here's what I did....

1.) Resisted the urge to slump down next to the toilet and cry.
2.) Slumped down next to the toilet and cried.
3.) Readjusted the 3-way mirror and lighting just be certain.
4.) Yelled for my husband to a.) confirm my fears, b.) take a picture for blog fodder
5.) Talked myself out of pulling it out...I think I've heard rumors...
6.) Started compiling a mental list of possible matching coverups that I had on hand: maple syrup, a melted chocolate bar, vanilla extract, etc...
7.) Tested said coverups.
8.) Lather, rinse, repeat....lather, rinse, repeat.
9.) Stole all my neighbors newspapers, just for their Nice 'n Easy Coupons.
10.) Accepted it, but prayed that God would give me anything but the "Don King" look.

Introducing the amazing Raccoon...I mean, Snack Trap!

Well this is a neat item to add to our arsenal of baby gear. Although originally invented hundreds of years ago for the purpose of catching raccoons, it has somehow made it's way into the feeding aisle of our local Babies R Us. It's official name is The Snack Trap, however, we have lovingly dubbed it the Baby Raccoon Trap. Kasey has been gracious enough to model it for us. It is a snack cup, with a soft plastic lid. The lid is cut in such a way to allow a child to put their hand in and get out a snack, however, even when turned upside down, the snack won't spill. We've even run a few tests to prove it. Today it has been vigorously shaken upside down, thrown and kicked across the room multiple times, as well as taken a trip down a flight of steps. It even seems to be impenetrable by our dog, Butch. However, this could be on account of his very short "snoot". Will try with a labrador at a later time...

Ice Cream for breakfast

Today when the kids got up, I told them that it was "Anything You Want For Breakfast" Day! They were extremely excited. The twins immediately knew that they wanted ice cream sandwiches, while Cole enjoyed a big bowl of cocktail peanuts. Kasey even got in on the action when she repeatedly refused her applesauce and said "eat" to a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. No worries, I will counteract it all with a carrot later....

We've got a "2419" in progress

I was in the baby room getting Kasey ready for the day, when my oldest son Blake came running in to say...

Blake: Mom! We've got a "2419" under the table! (like we're on COPS, or something)
Me: What's a "2419"?
Blake: A man exercising! Hurry!

and this is what I found when I looked under the table...

Bad Boys, Bad Boys. Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?

E - I - E - I - Waffles!

As if having waffles for dinner couldn't get anymore exciting....I have this fantastic waffle-maker that makes Farmyard Waffles. These are our latest "victims". The kids love them and it makes for some lively conversation around the dinner table.

"Cut the chicken's head off momma" and "I am about to eat cow bun-buns" are some of my favorites so far. I hope this thing holds up because I don't see how we could ever go back to a simple round. Pass the syrup please!

Ready, Set, Blog....

So I've got this new blog here....because Amanda made me....
No, seriously, I think this will be a great outlet for daily rants and raves. Lucky you. At the moment, all is quiet on the homefront. 2 at school and 2 napping. Disaster normally doesn't strike until between the hours of 4 and 5 pm when everyone is home. So stay tuned!

Our house is a very, very, very fine house.....

This is my house.
Six people and a dog live in this house.
We laugh in this house.
We cry in this house.
We scream in this house.
We love in this house.

Come on inside and let me introduce you to the craziness that is my "real" life. Everything you read here will be true. No names will be changed to protect the innocent, because honestly, no one here is innocent...