Extra

I have started making breakfast for the kids a week in advance. This works great, when I remember to do it. Some weeks it's muffins but my favorite was the cranberry caramel scones we made. A cup of hot tea, and a warm scone. What could be better? I really don't even have to eat it. Just smelling them makes me feel cozy.


These are the newer cookies. Oh, did I tell you I decorate cookies for parties? These were for a bridal shower. She likes Fleur-De-Lis. So that's what she got.

And this is the creepy painting for the dining room. Who cares that the trees look like a two year old painted them and the sweet little swallow is going down in flames? Not me. I'm on a tree kick. It fits.

Sprung

I think I may have spring fever.

I found myself looking at pressure canners yesterday.

I have nothing to can. Well, eggs, maybe.

("pleh" and "ew")

I tried crocheting (compulsively)

After that, some

sewing

baking,

a little gardening

some reorganizing.

Then.

I planned and executed the hands and knees scrubbing of all non-carpeted floors.

And ENJOYED it.

AAGGGH!

Time to remove Martha Stewart's hot breath from off my neck.

There is always the quick fix.

Creedence, and Argent - to help me not feel so much like a soccer mom.

Miles Davis, and James Taylor - to help me put my feet up.

Ahhh. That's better.

Thanks guys.

The Disaster Relief Kit.

Today we had an emergency.

Not the life threatening kind, or even the ER kind.

The "in five minutes I am going to lose my mind" kind.

So, I acted in response, and broke out:

Our expired "Emergency Disaster Relief and First Aid Kit".

It. Is. AMAZING. Do you realize how much fun is packed into a relief kit?

Here is a run down on some of the goods:

1. green glow sticks (8 of them!!) .

2. portable radio

3. flash lights

4. those metallic emergency blankets

5. whistles

6. see-through red ponchos

(Red Cross Rave? Nah.)

7. gloves

8. crayons and coloring book

9. white dust masks

And we didn't even get to the first aid box.

You get the idea.

The kids were pretty excited.

They insisted on wearing the glow sticks on a string around their necks, and listened to the radio. They put on latex-free gloves and ponchos, ruined the emergency blanket and played with the flashlights.

It occupied them for...

Wait for it.......

15 minutes.

*sigh*

I figure it will cost me about $30 to replace all the things that were used, destroyed, licked, stepped on or lost.

They obliterated at $2 a minute.

That's $120 an hour.

You know, if they worked at this as a nine to five job

with vacation time

I figure that's almost $200,000 a year in destructive potential.

OH

GREAT.

I think I may have another emergency.

Puddles, Texas or Louisiana?

In Texas, the puddles reflect the sky.

They are surrounded by bluebonnets

and there is silt at the bottom.

In Louisiana, the puddles are green.

They are surrounded by mosquitos waiting to lay their eggs,

and they have grey mud at the bottom.

In Texas, when you stomp in a puddle,

the water sprays outward.

In Louisiana, when you stomp in a puddle,

the mud says "gallush" and lands in your boots.

In Texas, when you poke a puddle with your best puddle-poking stick, the water sparkles and birds sing.

In Louisiana, when you poke a puddle with your best puddle-poking stick, the mud swallows it and you can never get it back.

In Texas,

there are no permanent puddles.

In Louisiana,

stay away from the permanent puddles,

they smell like dead frogs.

In Texas, my kids NEVER beggggggged to go "stomping".

Now that we are in Louisiana, my kids stand at the window and drool until the rain stops.

Today, they bawled because it's too cold to get into puddles.

They LOVE it here.

Thanks Louisiana,

Your stagnant water is the BEST.

Update

We found a rent house!!

It won't be ready for another month, which works out perfectly because it gives the apartment complex time to rent out our apartment.

The house is in a nice neighborhood and several people within walking distance go to our church. There is a swing set in the back yard and a wonderful porch complete with rocking chairs and permission to garden to my heart's content. I am optimistic.

Easter was wonderful. We were involved with the church' Easter service. By the way. Never finished the Easter advent we worked on. We made it until we had two or three weeks until Easter and then I destroyed the advent order by "borrowing" a couple of the candles. I intended to burn them for an hour or two to make the house smell good. I forgot about them and they burned down to their little silver nubs. JR was a little annoyed, and frankly, I was too. It never fails that I take apart one project to make another. I think the kids got the point though, and really, that's what I was after.