Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!

Gee whillikers! (sp??) Blogging takes sooooo much time. I'm sure it wouldn't take quite as long if I didn't post a million pictures and videos each time... I L-O-V-E blogging, but between dishes, laundry, errands, diapers and other kid ordeals, blogging takes a back seat these days. You see, when I'm on the computer, Rhett is just positive that I need his "help", and then Grant wants to join in, and it's just one big mess. So, basically all computer things must occur once they are in bed. Problem is, that also seems to be the only chance I get to do that joyous to-do list. Sigh...
However, I'm taking a break from that to-do list tonight and FINALLY updating my blog. I know - you're speechless. And no, pigs are not flying. But you know me: It's hard to do anything "fun" if a chore is waiting to be done. Well, I've completed enough chores for tonight, and the house looks clean enough - for now...


Thanksgiving was GREAT. We spent half the break at the lake house with Kerry's parents, and we spent the other half with my family in Granbury. I truly cherish these moments we have with our families. I'm so thankful that I married into such a sweet family who love myself and the boys sooooo much! What a blessing! I am also thankful that my mom won her breast cancer battle a few years ago and therefore she is around to enjoy the holidays with. They wouldn't be the same without her. Sure, I think about how much I would be missing her if she had not beat cancer on almost a daily basis. However, it's during special times like Thanksgiving that I think of it even more and feel deeply - well - thankful that God answered our prayers and healed her. What would Thanksgiving be without her? Her chair at the dinner table would be empty. Her "annoying" humming (Jess) would not be heard. No doubt the correct holiday decorations would NOT be put out (no offense, Dad). The constant clanging of her working in the kitchen would be replaced with silence. And worst of all- I wouldn't get a goodnight hug and kiss from her. So once again I say, THANK YOU, GOD, FOR ANSWERED PRAYERS! I hope you were able to add special items to your "Things I'm Thankful For" list this holiday season. Doing so truly puts things into perspective. Besides, it's good for the soul.

A few observations
The best things about Thanksgiving break:
1. The food.
2. No school, lesson plans or grading to do!

The worst things about Thanksgiving break:
1. Rhett had five new teeth coming in - four of them molars!!!!!! Yes - you should feel sorry for him, but you should feel just as sorry for US!!
2. I got a nasty stomach bug. Figures... I NEVER get sick over holidays. I should've known my time was coming.

The holiday in review via pictures and videos:

Rhett "helping" Momma and Grant be creative at the lake house...

Yes, I think that's a bugger on his cheek.

If you click on the picture, you'll also get a close-up look at the haircut

Grant gave him a few weeks ago.

We don't call him Chip Baby for nothing. At least this time he's chowing down he's also reading.

Happy 5th anniversary, Uncle Josh and Aunt Jessica!


Don't touch the Christmas decorations, Grant!!!!


That's why I said to NOT touch the Christmas decorations: they can fall!!! Good catch though.



Grant having a great time at Miyako's (hibachi restaurant in Granbury).
"Maybe I can catch my chopsticks on fire..."


Look Uncle Kory and Aunt Kelly - I'm using chopsticks. Well, I'm actually eating with my hands, but I'm holding my chopsticks... Ten points for effort!!


Every good meal deserves a chopstick fight to aid in digestion. Look out, Uncle Garrett!


Who else can fit on the couch?




Told ya - the boy LOVES his chips!


Mimi and Grant doing a Thanksgiving craft.


Pops being used as a horse. Dude-Dad got to be a horse as well, but my camera was M.I.A. during that play time, so you'll just have to imagine it. Both grandfathers made pretty impressive horses. Look out, Mr. Ed! You've got competition: These horses can not only talk, but they can also change diapers!!!

Rhett's turn. Well, maybe not...

White boys CAN dance... At least to their own rhythm.

Boys will be boys.

Why Rhett refused to sing the "Spongebob Theme Song"(his favorite song at the moment) this time is beyond me. At least you get to see what happens when a 19 month old has five teeth coming in at one time. Lucky you!!!

I thought Rhett was done eating; afterall, he HAD left the table. I came back a few minutes later and found this:

Well, until next time, from our crazy house to yours-

Happy Holidays!!!!

One for the Grandparents

HAPPY LATE HALLOWEEN!!

I know it's been too long when friends and grandparents start asking if I have "adding a new post" on my to-do list. I have fallen WAY behind, and feel oddly guilty for that. I suppose that emotion comes from the fact that I'm WAY behind on keeping up with Rhett's baby book, and this blog serves as a kind of make shift baby book - but cooler. Ya know? And, I have also fallen WAY behind on friends' blogs, so I've got major catching up to do. Guess I'll add that to the to-do list. Oh, the list never gets smaller, does it?

I've been very busy with my two craft shows I've done thus my blogging has fallen behind. The shows were fun, and like I've said a million times, sewing beats laundry and dishes hands down. I've decided to name my "company" Scoodle Doots. I wanted a name that said "spunk", "fun" and I also wanted a name that didn't scream, "You will only find little girl things here - just like everywhere else," because you won't. I have LOTS of boy items - of course they happen to be my favorite. So anywho, "Scoodle Doots" sounded just right. Plus, I wanted a name that reminded me of the boys, and Scoodle Doots does just that: One of the boys' favorite books is Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom, and if you are familiar with that book, the main line that is repeated over and over is "Skit skat scoodle doot flip flop flee." It is such a fun line that comes to life as you chant its alliterative rhythm, (gosh I sound like the dorkiest literature/English teacher EVER right now) so I chose to go with it. The boys love saying it, I love reading it, and that's about all the reasons I need. hee hee I need to post some pictures of my work. Well, when the time presents itself, I shall do so. I mean, I'm giving myself a big high five for the things I have finally done. (can one give themselves a high-five?) as I have picked up the house, caught up with my laundry (thanks to Gramma), done some organizing (picked up parts of my closet) and worked on some orders. Oh, and Kerry worked his tooshie off cleaning the garage. It's amazing how good I feel when things are as they should be. Too bad as soon as the boys wake up tomorrow morning the whole house will look as if the kids have a horrible mother who never picks up anything - ever, who does not care to do laundry, and who seems to have forgotten how to do dishes and take out the trash. Never fear though... my toilets are germ free. ha ha One can never own too many bottles of bleach. (a little joke for fam and close friends)

Below are pictures of Halloween per the request of Mimi and Pops which is the real reason I write tonight. Grant was a policeman as you read about in my previous post. He thought he was so cool and said several times how he could help someone if they needed it since he was a policeman. And the world takes a collective sigh of relief... Rhett was a pirate because I was pretty sure he'd make a great pirate for whatever reason. (Mother's intuition??) Two days before Halloween, however, I came to the bummed realization that a pirate costume was not the best choice for him, but that Curious George would have been more appropriate. This thought hit me as Grant and I were snuggling on the couch one morning watching "Curious George", and I tell ya I quickly learned that - George and Rhett sound the SAME. They both communicate with "Ooooo! Ooooos!" and, "Ahhhhh-Ahhhhhhs!" and, "Uhhhh-uhhhhhhs!" and lots of pointing in between. But, it was too late, and fate deemed him a pirate. He pulled it off well, so maybe I made the right choice after all. To be honest, I was a little nervous about how Dada would react to the costume as it had lace on the front of it, but Dada thought it looked very pirate-like (he said something that sounded more accountant/smart, but hey - this is my blog so you get my version) and was just fine with the lace. Rhett's hair is spiked because it felt more appropriate than combing his hair flat and parted to one side. That doesn't sound very pirate'ish' to me. Much to our enjoyment, Rhett "got" trick-or-treating more than he did last year. Sure, that's to be expected, but Rhett really did NOT enjoy Halloween last year which left us nervous about this year. Not to worry; he loves suckers, and when he figured out that he could hold his spider bucket up to people and get suckers, he was a firm believer in the special happiness only Halloween can bring. You'll see in most of the pictures he's got a sucker in each hand. He was VERY happy.

Happy Halloween (and happy birthday, Pops)!

Break time. Which candy (or if you're Rhett, candIES) should we eat first?
Sucker anyone?

Shiver me timbers! This trick-or-treat thing is pretty cool! I got more suckers!
We want candy! We want candy! We want candy!

Dada, can you give me another sucker from my spider bucket, please? (Dada dressed up at the last minute per Grant's request. What a good Dada! I wore my angel wings from a few years ago at Grant's request as well.)
Gotta get my Halloween hug from Gramma (who is looking soooo skinny these days).

After gathering all the candy his bucket could carry, Grant wanted to help pass out candy. We were very proud of him because this was all HIS idea.

Grant helping Miss Shaye and Miss Alicia pass out candy. Look who came: GABBY!!
Oh, Gabby, you smile so pretty for the camera. We'll have to work on Grant's camera poses.
In other news:
1. Grant gave Rhett a haircut a few days ago. Both boys thought it was funny. I disagreed. Rhett already has Ashley-Myatt-crazy-baby-hair-issues. He didn't need big brother's help in making it any zanier. (Ashley, you know we love you and your cute baby orangutan hair you once had!!!)

2. I had to call a repairman to fix the garbage disposal as it would not turn on! Come to find out, the dude found a rock and a Popsicle stick jammed in there. The rock is odd for the obvious reasons, and the stick is also out of place since we don't eat Popsicles. I say this has to do with Grant because the disposal stopped working after he "washed dishes" one night...

3. Grant has overflowed his toilet... twice. You know that Charmin commercial with the give-way-too-much-information-cartoon bears that say, "Kids always use too much?" Well, let's just say Grant could have been one of those tp loving bears.

4. Grant put liquid dish soap in the dishwasher which I did not know. So, yes, you can imagine my bewilderment when I put in the gel pack, started the cycle and quickly noticed LOTS of bubbles oozing out the sides, top and bottom of the dishwasher. It was AFTER this that I learned from Grant that he had "helped" me and "put some soap in there already." He didn't just squeeze some in there - oh no. The child SQUEEZED half the large bottle in that hole you can put Jet Dry in, so that stuff was IN THE SYSTEM. I finally got it cleaned out after running load after load after load and stopping the loads every few minutes to scoop out the bubbles and water.

5. He painted the doorhandles on my car blue.

6. He planted some beans in the flower bed in the front yard. This means I not only have one of my favorite flowers, pink and purple Dwarf Rhuellia in my flower bed, but we also have bean plants as well. Pretty.

7. He chased a kid down the street with a stick twice/three times as big as he is. (the kid deserved it though, so don't feel sorry for him)

8. Cute one: Grant wanted to get some clothes like Datee's, so I bought him a brown belt and a pretty nice collared, long sleeved, button all the way down shirt. Grant LOVES them. He HAD to wear the belt and the shirt to church today so he would look like Datee, and he refused to take the belt off once we got home.

9. During a quick shopping trip to Wal Mart, we were greeted by the sweetest old man the world has ever known. I mean, the dude was OLD - bent over with a cane old, but soooo precious. He's probably a veteran knowing my luck. So anywho, he specifically walked up to Rhett to say hello to what he assumed was a sweet baby. Instead of waving hello back, or even giving the gentleman a sweet smile, Rhett shook his head vigorously and grunted, "Uh-uh!" Someone got up on the wrong side of the crib that day. So delightful. On a side note: If you're out there old man, I promise I am raising my sons to be gentleman and to love their country and elders.

Until next time, Rhett wants to say one more thing, "Don't worry, Pops. My momma says I'm gonna have to give my five teeth a thorough brushing before bed tonight."

PS. Oh, no! My camera's battery just died. I'll have to post some videos later. Sorry, Mimi and Pops.

Grant strikes again!

It seems that it is fire prevention week (maybe month) as Grant was taught how to dial 911 this week in preschool. Now, if I had had my head on straight I, I would have gone ahead and laid the ground rules down about 911 by saying something to the effect of, "You can only dial 911 in an emergency. We are not going to call them for fun," because this is Grant we are talking about; you gotta stay waaaaaaay ahead of the game with the child. Let's review his track record, shall we? This is the same kid who stuck a pea up his nose last year for the heck of it - took two doctors (including an ER visit) to get it out. This is the same kid who pulled the fire alarm at church one Sunday morning when he was two just because it was within his reach and it was red. (am I right, Bryan and Shaye?) This is the same kid who pushed the "P" button on our house's alarm system when he was three because the button looked cool, so therefore the police came. Which means... this is the SAME kid who called 911 tonight!!!! Why am I not surprised? And if you know Grant at all, you are most likely not batting an eye at this story!


The lowdown: Grant came running into my bathroom around 7:30 tonight crying hysterically and saying, "I am soooooooooo sorry, Momma. I did not mean to call the emergency people! I am sooooooo sorry!" You guessed it: "emergency people" meant "911". I immediately raced to the phone hoping someone was still on the line. Nope. I hit "redial" to see if 911 would come up on the screen. Yep - it did. This meant he really did call 911. I called 911 back and told them it was a mistake and everything was okay, however they still had to send a policeman to our home to check things out. In the meantime, Grant was beside himself. He was sure he was going to be arrested or maybe get a ticket, so he hid in his closet (because I am sure you are all aware that if you hide in your closet you can not get arrested or be given a ticket...). At that moment, the policeman shows up. I open the door and quickly began to tell (you know how fast I can talk) him that we are so sorry for causing this problem; that Grant had learned how to dial 911 in school this week and for some reason he had decided to give it a try. I invited him in (thank goodness I had just picked up the house) and told him that Grant was going to need to apologize for what he had done. To my surprise, the policeman was soooooo VERY kind about the whole thing. I mean, I figured he would be annoyed at yet another obnoxious kid who dialed 911! But I am so thankful to say that he proved me quite wrong. As a matter of fact, he followed me to Grant's room (where Grant was hiding) - I think the officer came in and followed me to take a look around the place to make sure everything really was okay - and spoke so sweetly to Grant. Grant was in awe that he was getting to talk to a REAL policeman in his OWN room -his facial expression was one that said, "I am the luckiest kid on the planet to get to be talking to a policeman right now." Too cute. Anyways, Grant apologized a million times to the officer, and the two became best buds faster than I can eat a Hershey's Kiss. Grant told him how he was going to be a policeman for Halloween, and the officer took Grant out to his truck and let him sit in his truck, turn on the lights (I got a video of this, but I 'm having a hard time downloading it.), the siren, and he even gave Grant a little badge. (Grant is sleeping with it tonight. He thinks it's pretty neat.)

I very much appreciated the way the man handled it as he told Grant he was so glad he knew how to dial 911, but that he should only do so in an emergency. Of course, I had already told Grant that, but I think it was good for Grant to hear it from the officer as well. So what was Grant's response to this? He looked at me and said, "Okay, Momma. I will only call 911 if Rhett is drowning in the pool (we don't have a pool) or if you are dead." I am sure something about that is supposed to give me comfort...

Pictures of the event:

Grant following the officer out to his truck to get his "surprise".

The officer giving Grant the little badge.

Best buds!

On a side note:
We all wore our Halloween shirts today. They got great reviews.

My little toots. (I mean, my sweet pumpkins.)

Catch-Up Time

Wow!! It's been quite a while since I last posted. (Bet you're pretty shocked, Shaye and Courtney.) Truth is, I've been wanting to add a new post for a while now, but the time to do so never seems to present itself. I think that's primarily because I have been spending every spare moment HAPPILY making things that I am going to sell at our church's Holiday in the Grove at the end of October. I am making personalized sippy cups, adult sport bottles, kid sport bottles, travel coffee mugs (the kind that have a lid), and t-shirts with my embroidery machine. I am totally pumped about the cup/bottle/mug thing, but alas, I don't have many pictures to share of those yet. I know you'll be on pins and needles until I do. In the meantime, here are the most recent shirts I made:


Sure, the pumpkins' leaves makes them look more like apples rather than pumpkins, but that's okay. And yes, my pumpkin's mouth (my name) is a bit lower than I had planned, but oh well. I got better with Grant's and Rhett's as practice does make perfect. (they really are cuter in person) Something tells me Da-tee won't like these, but oh well about that too. hee hee


I decided to MAKE these shirts for three reasons: 1.) Making is waaaaaaaaay more fun than buying. 2.) The Halloween t-shirts I bought for the boys are long-sleeved. Dumb purchase, I know. It's still like 100 degrees down here. 3.) Making soothes my soul. It takes me away from the every day blah of laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning and chasing kids.

I totally love these shirts! I monogramed the chunky car shirt with Rhett's name to be the exhaust coming out the back of the car, and the chunky flower's stem is actually the little girl's name. I'm not sure I totally love the fabrics I used for the flower shirt, but the idea came to me on a whim, and I HAD to make it right THEN (when I get excited about a project, I drop everything and have at it) which meant there was no time to go to the fabric store, so I had to use some remnants that I turn to when I must do emergency sewing for the soul.

I tell ya, nothing makes me happier than being able to create and sew with my new embroidery machine!!! It's the highlight of my day!!! Well, other than the kids and Kerry, but you get my drift. I'm currently thinking of other designs including some spunky ones for Christmas. I can't wait to make those! Do you know what I would give to turn off my phone, turn off the stresses of every day, send my kids somewhere else and just make, create and sew in my own little I'm-Alone-and-Happy-to-be-Sewing world? First things come first though: I can not "work" when the house is dirty because when I sew, it is my time to relax and enjoy being me. But if the house is dirty, loads of laundry need to be folded and dirty dishes are staring me down, there's no way I can relax. So like I said, first I would have to clean. Then I would need to turn on "The Golden Girls" or an old black-and-white movie, open the blinds and enjoy the happy sunshine (a thunderstorm would be even better with a flickering sugar cookie candle next to me) while sewing and sipping a DrPepper or a decaf hazelnut Skinny Latte from Starbucks. I mean, sewing is my steroid, if you will. (I know - odd analogy, but I'm Amanda, and what you get is what you get.) It makes me feel alive, energized, happy and it makes my soul feel strong. And let's just take this quick opportunity to say that I've never actually taken steroids other than when they were prescribed by a doctor. I'm not like those Granbury football players I went to school with. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! That was looooooooooooooooow!

Moving on: So, a few days after Ike hit the Galveston/Houston area, the boys and I made our way to Granbury to get away from the crazy lines as the gas stations and the lack of bread, milk, eggs, and so forth. During our visit, my dad drove us to my Uncle Mark's ranch house which is where Boone, Kate, Jackson and Everett are living until they can move back to Galveston. We really wanted to see them and give them our support, but we also wanted to meet Everett. What a cutie-pa-tootie he is!! Of course my camera died when I was getting a picture of the newest member of the fam because I have incredible luck, so instead, I will share other events of the day at the ranch.

1. Uncle Mark bought this jeep thingy for my Grandmom after she had both knees replaced because he thought she would have a hard time getting around the ranch. Boy, did he underestimate her! She gets around just fine, so now the jeep thingy is the favorite boy toy at the ranch. I'm not sure who loved it more: my dad or the kiddos...

2. Well, the TV is really fun to watch at the ranch, too. (cute cousins) 3. And, I suppose one could also have fun fishing in the stock tanks. (Sorry, Kate. This is the best "1st picture of Jackson fishing" that I could get.)
4. (or trying to swim in the stock tank - Rhett...I wonder how much cow poop is in there...GROSS! Let's just stay out of the stock tanks all together, boys!)

I told Grant to point to the fish he caught, but of course when I took this shot, he moved and instead it looks like he is doing some kind of ballet pose. Sorry cousin Carrie. ha ha

Rhett and Pops playing in the jeep:

How is it that M&Ms melt ON Rhett's mouth instead of IN it? So no, he has not grown facial hair.
Someone had a great time with their reflection in the shower knob during their bath... (this one's a great example of the "impressive lungs" Josh Howell says my kids have)

This week Kerry is in Brazil on a business trip. He was very excited about going, and I was very excited for him, but I miss him terribly. I have a bit of an ill feeling deep down in the pit of my heart due to the extreme distance there is between us right now. He comes back Sunday, but a week later he goes to Egypt for another week long business trip. I'm sure I'll be sad then as well, but I'll try to make the best of it. Maybe that's why I tend to sew when he's gone: it keeps my spirits up. I am TOTALLY used to his traveling. It really is just part of my world. Most people have no idea HOW I do it, but really after eight years you figure out how to manage for several days w/o a hubby while at the same time taking care of two young kids alone. He used to travel a lot, but now that he's moving up the corporate ladder, he truly doesn't leave town much, so I know I should just be thankful for that. And, I am. I still miss him, though. No doubt he's having a blast. To quote his email the other night, "I am not going to begin to describe the view of the ocean from my hotel room because I don't want to rub it in."Well, good for you, you big mouth!!! (I mean that in the most loving way. ha ha) I do hope he is having a good time on his little South American adventure. He is such a hard worker and deserves these types of perks. I'll post more about the boy's work schedule when Busy Season rolls around (January - May). I think it'll blow you away! My mood also seems to dip waaaaaaaaaaaay down during those long months as I am 100% a single mom, and the stresses of that can be overwhelming at times. This will be my first Busy Season with blogging. I think it will help keep me company. Gee - that's pathetic!! We'll save that fun for a later date though. Well, I am off to get ready for bed. I've been quite ill with asthma the past six days, and I need all the rest I can get before going back to school tomorrow. I am actually looking forward to the school day. I miss my PERFECT students and my 6th English class is studying Greek mythology - one of my FAVORITES!!!! I totally LOVE it! What? Did you just call me a dork?

On a side note, keep my ACU friend, Alyson, in your prayers. Her baby is due any day now, and if you've ever been in her shoes, you know all too well the anxiety, worry, happiness and the crazy emtions she is feeling right now. Hang in there, Aly!! All of us moms out here are pullin' for ya!

Did Jesus miss out?

Bedtime seems to always be the marked slot in our day that Grant and I talk about God. Grant has been asking some very deep questions recently as he has been trying to piece this whole very confusing God/Jesus/Heaven thing together. Tonight's talk, however, was just funny. Short, but funny:

Grant: Momma, is Jesus big enough to drive?
me: Yes, but there was no such thing as cars when Jesus was still alive on the earth. So, no,
Jesus did not get to drive.
Grant: Ahhhhhhhh! Poor Jesus! I think he really would have liked driving.

Check out these cakes!

My chilhood friend, Heather, is an AMAZING cake decorator. She truly inspires me to try new things, but let's face it: she's really good, and my cakes would look... well... not as good (I know from experience as I have dipped my creative juices in the whole cake/icing/fondant world. No doubt my pigs or chicks would look more like pink and yellow rocks.), so I'm not sure if I'll give it another whirl. I really just wish she lived closer because I would get all of my cakes from her, but she lives in the Granbury area. BUMMER!!!! Well, if you're ever in the Granbury area and need a cake, you should give her a call!!!

Now how perfect is this cake? Can you tell she is the mother of two boys?? Here's how creative she is: the haystack cake was just for the birthday boy to smash and smear as all one-year-olds always do.

Precious Words

This will be a short one, believe it or not, so there is no need to get comfy. I just want to quickly share the sweetest thing that Grant has started to say with the whole world because I think it's priceless and it totally melts my heart. Grab a tissue because it's precious.......... "Momma, I will love you forever and ever!" and then he gives me a kiss. I don't ask him to say it, and I don't even ask for the kiss that definitely serves as the icing on the already yummy cake. Now how perfect is that?Every time he says it (usually at bed time) I find myself not only storing those innocent words in my "Extra Special Mommy Memory Bank" where only the PERFECT moments are kept, but I also find myself trying to save the way his little voice sounds when he says it so I can pull it up on the day he goes off to college or the day he gets married and remember "our" special times and how he'll always be my "prince". (Disclaimer: it still totally surprises me that he is so lovey at this point because he was sooooooo NOT a touchy-feely baby. He did not want to snuggle. He did not want to rock. (Too bad we bought a really nice leather rocker before he was born for that specific reason. Oh well - at least Rhett likes it.) I feared he would never want to be close to me the way I imagined he would when I was pregnant with him. Thank goodness he's changed his mind!)

PS #1= The boys and I spent a lot of last week in Granbury to get away from the whole Ike mess. While we were there, we took a day trip to my Uncle Mark's ranch house outside of Brownwood (where Boone, Kate and the boys are currently living until they can go back to Galveston) to meet our newest cousin, Everett. The boys (Grant, Rhett and Jackson) had the BEST time together on the ranch, and Everett, well, he just slept, but he was still really cute and a perfect snuggle-bug. Pics will come whenever I get a new battery for my camera... You know how long that took me last time.

PS#2= Due to Ike, Kerry's business trip to Brazil that was supposed to occur this week was cancelled. He was a bit disappointed, but I was selfishly THRILLED. Ya know - I'm liking Ike more and more. (except for the HORRID traffic problems he caused! It took me an HOUR to get to school today; it usually takes me less than 20 minutes!!)

Guess this wasn't as short as I planned. Big shocker!