Conversations with a three year old...

E: Mommy, can i paint?
M: No
E: Well...can i play with playdough?
M: No
E: Well...can i have a tattoo?
M: No
E: Well...what can I do then? Just play with my toys?
M: Yep...or color, or play a game with your Bubba, or put your babies to bed since they are all over the living room...
E: AWWWW.....

Did I mention...

that I HATE ROACHES???? Well I do. I am not scared of them I will kill them dead the minute I see them, but there is a story from this weekend I forgot until I was out to lunch with a friend today recounting our crazy weekend.

I was bathing the children before church on Sunday and Princess Emily did not want her hair washed so she was screaming at me. Oh how I LOVE that. It makes me feel so especially cheerful about church. ;)

So I had washed them up and Ben was out of the tub in a split second when I said everyone out. So I pulled the plug and I heard Emily start SCREECHING. I mean that blood curdling screech that every mom is familiar with. That one that will wake you from a dead sleep even if you were dreaming of Justin Timberlake, or is that just me? :) or make you come running from one side of the house because you are SURE that the other side is burning.

So I turned around expecting to see Emily sprawled on the floor with blood spurting out of your mouth or something, thinking that she had slipped getting out of the tub. But no she was in the tub still...hmmm...what was going on.

Upon further inspection I noticed the BIGGEST roach I think I have ever seen, and I grew up in Houston so I have seen some big ones, but this sucker was HUGE. He had jumped out of the drain when I pulled the plug. So I grabbed Emily as quick as possible because that is horror movie stuff in our house. Because you see in the six years that we have lived in our house we have NEVER seen a roach. NEVER, and let me tell you that is the way I like it. A home with no roaches is the home I want to live in.

I was a little frazzled because Emily was escalating and I needed to get her calmed down so I called in Chris. I know I sounded like a CRAZY woman because I needed him to come and take care of it. He comes and says what it is just a roach...men!

Silly Songs

We had a very busy weekend, there is so much to report. I should save some, but I have a little time this morning waiting for an update to our technology site that I am just going to do it all right now!

Sunday night Ben decided that he wanted to write a song while daddy was playing the piano. We love to listen to him play the piano for us. Mostly Beatles songs. Anyway, I digress. So Ben and I sit down on the couch and start composing his first song. Of course Emily had to join the fun when daddy was done playing she had him write hers. Ben's makes a little more sense, but they are still a little crazy. But I applaud the effort. It is difficult to write anything and Ben has become very prolific in his writing. The only help I gave him was to tell him how songs are usually organized with the verses and the chorus.

Nightbird of Day
By Ben Cullum

Day falls to night
But I'm not fright

For think of the things our in that world
I will love it

So I am a nature traveler
For the things I will like

Trees and butterflies
Sprouts of flowers


Day falls to night
But I'm not fright
Since where time
I'm going to tell you I'm a nature traveler

I search for bumble bees and wasps they won't be mean to me
I'm still a nature traveler



Day turns to night
But I'm not fright

So I am going to warn you...this song is VERY silly...

Sally Hot Dog
By Emily Cullum

I love you, Jesus
But you need to cover your mouth when you cough.

SHA-SHA-SHA-SHA-SHA
WA-WA-WA-WA-WA

So what I'm not a salad.
I'm just a hot dog.
I'm not a baby or a guitar

SHA-LEE, SHA-LEE, AH AH AH
I have freaky eyes
LOO-LOO-LOO-LOO-LOO-LOO-LOO

I love you butterfly
I love you towelie
I love you Caty
I love EVERYONE!


So can you tell that we have been listening to lots and lots of SO WHAT! by Pink lately? I am telling you I have been nominated for mom of the year, I swear! ;)

Painting pirate ships

Remember when I told you that Chris took the kids to make pirate ships at Lowe's? Well here they are at the newly cleaned kitchen table painting them. They were so excited to paint them after nap on Sunday!

Emily is not mad, just concentrating!
Ben new exactly how he wanted to paint his ship, starting with the canons. Those HAD to be black. I had to search and search and search for black paint.

hmmm...where is the brown going to go?

Emily went right for the pink, purple, and yellow...such a girly girl!

hmmm...just the right color....

What daddy? I am concentrating!

The top HAS to be red!

Aerial shot thanks to daddy!

When they dry I will take a picture of both of them for the "after" shots. I think the painting was much more fun for them than the actual finished product!

Craft Corner

This weekend was very productive for me. Chris took the kids to Lowe's on Saturday to make pirate ships, then to the library and lunch. They were all gone for 3 hours! WOO HOO! So I decided instead of cleaning the entire house that I would begin working on organizing my room so that I have a place to put my crafty stuff for my business. This has been a source of contention between the two of us for awhile now. I had taken over the kitchen table with fabric and various supplies strewn around the room. It was starting to get to me as well, so it was time to take action. I found I was unable to focus on what I needed/wanted to do next. So I began by dreaming, then came back to reality and made due with what I have. I now have my kitchen and my bedroom back with a little craft/sewing corner. It was a two day project so I didn't get anything else done over the weekend. AND I was EXHAUSTED last night and went to bed by 8:45!

So this is my dream from Ikea, but it is $369.00 so I will have to keep dreaming on that one. I did go over to my friend Tracy's on Saturday night and she had two tall armoires that were glass front that were only $150, but I couldn't find the on the website. I will actually have to make a trip to see those. Oh and there are no "before" pictures...no one needed to see that!

That trunk is full of material but if you look close you can see my ribbon in a Rubbermaid box. I really want to do something else with this, but right now this is what I had, so I made it work. Also I have not seen that portion of the sewing table in months...now I can actually use it to work. I also found tons of batting that I didn't know that I had...I won't need to buy that for awhile!



So I found a plastic shelf lying around that I had not used so you can see that I used that for my fabric. This is not ALL of my fabric. I still had to put lots of it in Rubbermaid tubs. Some of it is under the bed, and some in the garage, but it is organized and labeled now. At least I have all my Christmas fabric in the same tub, and the orphan quilt blocks that Chris' mom found in Granny's house are in their own tub. I finally decided what I am going to do with those...stay tuned for that. Also I made a current projects basket. That is what you see there in front of the shelf. I have them stacked in the order I am going to do them. Then I can just carry the basket to the kitchen to begin the project and stick it back in the basket if I am not finished.

So here is a picture of the fabric folded up. Wow, that is what took the most time. Folding all the fabric and then putting like pieces together, because I have a tendency to buy more of what I like. I have a good stash, but one day I will take a picture of my mom's sewing room and you will see a stash. She could almost open her own fabric store! So I guess I come by this honestly. You will also see my fat quarters in a tub on top and ALL my thread in my container, but I want to get a new one of those as well. I like the wooden ones that hang on the wall, but this is what I have for now. I also organize my little sewing box with sewing machine parts.

Here is what it looks like from my husband's side of the bed. He thinks it is a HUGE improvement. And I agree, hopefully, I will get something to make it even better soon. My birthday is coming up....hmmmm....

Favorite Blog of the Week

I am going to try and do this on Saturday from now on. That way it can run for a week and it is easier for me to keep track of. I was doing in on Wednesdays, and apparently that is just not good for me. :)


The blog this week comes from someone who started following me on Twitter. I am loving Twitter, btw. I am posting about my business and general fun things. I am starting to get a little following and that is fun! :)


Okay, so back to the blog! This a mommy blog and I just started reading it this week, but I LOVE IT! They do little webcasts like Mom It Forward and I can't wait to hear one live. But they also archive there on the blog so you can listen later...LOVE THIS!


The blog is called 24/7 Mom, go check it out!

UPDATE
use the button on the side because for some reason the link is not working from the text, but the button does! :)

Flashback Friday

Owen's Farm August 2007

Emily had just turned two and we had had a VERY unusually cool summer. If had rained and rained and rained. It kept raining until about October that year. This is also the year that my car was caught in a flood in our parking lot at work. So these are pre-minivan pictures. ;)

We decided to meet our friends the Thielman's at Owen's Family Farm. This is THE Owen's family that makes the sausage. Their farm is here in Dallas just right down the road from the kids' school. Chris remembers taking field trips there when he was a kid. The kiddos all enjoyed feeding the animals.

Waiting on Karon and Mark David in the car.
Crazy kid!

After we got our animal food...watch out here we come!

Emily was fearless...she LOVED the animals even the bull!

Uh oh, those goats are hungry...

Listening to Bubba tell her something about feeding the animals.

Trying to coax the chickens or ducks out...

Brave girl...

Ben and Mark David posing by the old milk trucks...couldn't get Em to join

She was a tired little girl and just wanted her daddy...look at those cheeks! YUMMY!

The Many Hats of Ben....

So I swear every time I looked up on Sunday at the game the boy was doing something else with his hat...

Rough Riders

On Father's Day we went to a Rough Riders game in Frisco, Texas. The Rough Riders are the minor league team for the Rangers. It was a work function for Chris so we got tickets to a double header, hats, and food all for free! YIPPEE!
But, then we got there and it was HOT! We got there in the middle of of the first game because the kids took a nap, and ended up staying through the entire second game. We were thankful there was food because it gave us a place to cool off for awhile during the break between games. We had lots of fun and Ben entertained us all with his many styles of hats. I will have another post completely dedicated to the many hats of Ben. Emily really liked the game. She watched and whenever we said "Are you ready to go, yet?" She would say, "No, I want to see more baseball!" Loved it

Father's Day Crafts

I know this is late, but this is my Father's Day post. For Father's Day I gave Chris an appointment for a massage, and some free time at home. So Saturday morning we sent him off to see the massage therapist and we started working on the gifts for the kids. Earlier in the week we had gone to Mardel's to pick out something for the kids to make for him. The kids picked a plastic cup and a mug. They were so excited to be able to decorate these for their daddy. They really wanted to make him a plate, but mommy was a little bit too late to do that. After I read that you had to send it off for the company to make it into the plate for you. Oh well, maybe Christmas? So here is the photo story of the kids making their presents for their daddy. Who, by the way is the best daddy in the world! :)

Getting the markers ready

Coloring the inserts for the cups....

Really concentrating on doing a good job...

Look at that coloring, his fine motor skills are getting so much better!

He really wanted to do a good job....

Look at that pencil grip! Her fine motor skills have always been really good. Do you think it is because she is a girl? I don't know.

This is what we are going to put the inserts into.

Still working...

Finally done...crazy kids!

Love you daddy!

After we finished our crafts we headed over to the Chatmon's for the afternoon. This was daddy's alone time. We played with Addi and Jack in the giraffe pool and on the swing set. We had lunch and watched Nemo, then we headed home. Mommy managed to get a rockin' sunburn that has now turned into a rockin' tan! I love that about my skin...but the skin cancer could be a problem later. I did put on sunscreen, but apparently the sun was just too strong. Kids did not get burned, and Emily is now rockin' a pretty nice tan as well. Ben is like his daddy, not tanning for him, but he is getting a nice dusting of freckles across his nose. Cathryne and I enjoyed watching the kiddos play, chatting, and "laying out". Reminded us of college! HA!

Favorite Blog of the Week

So...the favorite this week does not have a button, but you will get the idea with the link...

She is sew awesome! Yes I said "sew". For those of you who do sew you are going to love her ideas and tutorials. For those of you who do not sew you are going to love the ideas you get for things to ask me to sew! LOL! Just teasing! I am having a blast sewing things for all my friends lately. They are so supportive and are trying to find very uniques ways to help me feel successful. I don't know what I would do without all of you! :)

The blog is the ikat blog. Go check her out! :)

Flashback Friday

So this flashback has nothing to do with the kids. It has to do with me. Yes I know you are shocked to think that I could actually just write about me, huh? LOL!

Anyway...this time last Friday (that is a flashback right?) I was laying in bed wishing that I could just crawl in a hole somewhere because of that kidney stone, at least that is what I thought. I found out on Monday that it was also a REALLY bad infection as well. So, this flashback is a little bit of an update to my condition.

So I have been on antibiotics three times a day since Monday and I am finally feeling like myself, and back to 100%. I also did a ton of research on kidney stones, infection, and failure. I found out more than I ever wanted to know about the kidneys and how to really not take care of them at all. I think most of us neglect these organs. After reading about them I don't know why we do except maybe because we have two??? So we figure that if one gives out we always have another one, right?

Well, this is true to a point, but if one gives out you are still going to have to have some medical intervention and it could be pretty significant. So I decided that I am going to try and take care of these precious organs. Did you know that there are three different kinds of kidney stones? And that each one is caused by something different? And that if you eat lots and lots of sugar (me) that it can cause the pancreas to produce too much insulin and that insulin can cause stones? And that eating lots and lots of animal protein (me) can cause you to have stones as well? And did you know that it does not matter if you are underweight, a healthy weight, or overweight that you can get kidney stones and have kidney failure?

WELL...all of these things are true, and I am sure that some of you did not want the Public Service Announcement, but this post is as much for me as any of you. I need to be held accountable. I have given up processed sugar, half the red meat that I eat, and sodas. I have also added in lots more water. I am trying to drink about a gallon a day.

NOW...let me say that I am also taking some vitamins and supplements to help as well. Calcium supplements are crucial for all of this. I have always had a deficiency so this will help me in lots of ways. And the time that I take the calcium is important for absorption otherwise I will be wasting my time. I need to take the calcium with my meals for proper absorption, but some people need to take it between meals.

So now back to the flashback...I never want to forget the incredible pain that I was in last Friday. Not because I am a martyr, but because I want to have motivation for the changes that I am trying to make. Here are a list of the changes that I began this week:

• No processed sugar
• Reduction in animal protein
• Calcium supplements
• Exercise daily (OMG...this is the hardest one...)
• Increase in the amount of water I drink
• NO MORE SODAS, ever....(yuck, ick, i hate this one)

Now I need every one's help...keep me accountable. I plan on writing an accountability post every once in awhile, but ask me about it. Hear and when I see you...most of you who read this on a consistent basis I see or talk to quite often! :) Although I love my stalkers! LOVE you guys!

I will tell you that I feel a difference. I feel great. It has only been three days, but you know what...I don't miss the sugar or the sodas...I am starting to look forward to the exercise again...and water is not that gross...right??? :)

If you can spell...

So this is the conversation that Ben and I had in the car the other day...

B: Mommy, I can spell poop!
M: Really...well let's hear it.
B: *insert giggling here* p.o.o.p
M: Oh my goodness you can spell poop! You know if you can spell poop then you can spell loop.
B: *insert more giggling* l.o.o.p
M: Awesome...if you can spell poop and loop you can also spell snoop.
B: *almost falling out of his seat giggling* s.n.o.o.p
M: Perfect...you know if you can spell poop, loop, and snoop then you can spell scoop.
B: *almost unable to talk because of giggling* s.c.o.o.p
M: You are such a good speller! *insert giggling of my own*

Teachable moments people...that's what is all about right?

Giveaway Winner

The random number generator chose #1 so the winner is Jeannie!

Thanks to the three of you who commented! Those of you who didn't I will be holding another giveaway soon! Come back and comment, and comment often! :)

Jeannie...send me your email so we can convo about the crayon or marker roll that you want! missi_082872@yahoo.com

Just when you think....

Just when you think things are going along pretty well...things are crazy but good...you get slammed, right?

Well, this is exactly what happened to me yesterday. I had not been feeling well for a few weeks, but it was totally manageable and I couldn't figure out what it was. One day I had a UTI, the next I didn't, then the next it was back again, and then I had a migraine or two...UGH! But I was muddling through it all just fine. Keeping up with most things domestic and work. So yesterday after a meeting I had I noticed that I was having a sharp stabbing pain in my left side. At first it was just a little annoying, but then it started getting worse. By the time I had made it to pick up the kids at school it was MUCH worse, and by the time I went to bed last night I couldn't sleep because it kept waking me up, even after I took pain meds!

So I dropped the kids off at VBS this morning and headed to work, called the doctor and went on about my way. In pain, but moving. My doctor's appointment was at 1:00 this afternoon, and at 1:05 he delivered the bad news...(insert horrible scary movie music here) "You have a kidney stone, and I think it is rather large so you need to get x-rays this afternoon."

I think my entire world came to a screeching halt right then. Kidney stone??? Are you kidding me????? So after going to get my pain meds and lots of junk food because I am not eating anything healthy for the next few days I am sitting in bed writing this post. I will find out tomorrow if I have to go in the hospital for the stone or just have to let it pass...UGH!

Pray for me...ALL of you please pray for me!!!

My first award...

So over at Jeannie's Happy World...you might remember me posting her blog in favorite blog of the week last week...she is giving all bloggers this beautiful award! SO I am giving it to you! If you have a blog go ahead and copy it and paste it into your blog and give yourself a lovely award! :)

Favorite Blog of the Week

This is one that I recently found, but I like it. I am getting into Twitter more and more these days as well so I can follow them on Twitter too...love to support those women bloggers! :)

This blog is Mom it forward, and the button is from their Summer of Service promotion going on. Having preschool children who have the focus of me, me, and ME, I really want to teach them service now so that when they get older the are not teenagers that focus on ME, ME, and ME!

Go check them out and participate in their Summer of Service. Also over at Make and Takes they are having a giveaway if you put the button on your blog as well. (wink wink) You can win a nifty book and some popcorn...I am totally in it for the popcorn! :)

UPDATE to post...

As I was posting I realized that I wanted to add something so here it is...

I KNOW I have some blog stalkers out there, but even the non-stalkers have not been leaving comments lately. If you leave me a comment on this post about what you are going to do for the Summer of Service I will host my very first giveaway...so send your friends! :) For this giveaway leave me a comment and I will send you a crayon or marker roll, ABSOLUTELY free! :) Leave the comment by Friday at 8:00 am!

Crazy Busy Update

I have been crazy busy lately with making stuff and working with both the kids on their reading. Ben can read, he is just not motivated. I am not sure why or what happened, but he is not. Emily is so motivated that it isn't funny. I think her motivation comes from a little sibling rivalry, and mommy time. She is attached to me lately and really wants to spend every minute with me. This in itself is not bad. I know I should relish this time that we have together, but there are times when I just need to be by myself. I love how she helps me with every.little.thing, but the constant momma, momma, momma, sometimes can drive me a little batty. Sometimes you just want to get the clothes out of the dryer, empty the dishwasher, make the beds, and check your facebook without help or a constant conversation. But, I would not trade either of them for anything. 

So I have been working with Ben and we found a computer game that he LOVES so that has helped with the motivation. This morning he read something and he actually said, "I can read, momma!" and I said, "I know you can, Ben. You are a great reader!" I feel like we have turned a corner. Oh and the computer game that we have been using for motivation is: www.wizard101.com. If you watch any Nickelodeon station you have seen the commercials for this I am sure. And, my son is a SLAVE to marketing. I feel sorry for him when he gets older and had real money to spend...he will be up late watching all the infomercials and spending all his hard earned money on Ronco products.  

So this little conversation happened yesterday at lunch and you will understand it a little better with the above context:

E: Bubba, I want to tell you something...

B: I know, I know, I know, Emily (elongate all those words in a VERY exasperated fashion)

E: You know when you play the Wii and computer games...

B: (interrupts) I know I am not moving my body...

E: And Bubba that is not good...

B: Stop it Emily, you are being ignoying...

E: I am just sayin, Bubba!

random post

This is just a really fun bathtime pic of Emily...enjoy! If this doesn't make you smile...then nothing will!

Memorial Day Weekend

These pictures are out of order, but you will get the idea. Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend Emily and I went to lunch with Addi, Cathryne, and Jack at Gloria's. Then in the evening we went over to the Beck's for some outdoor fun. Garrick had turned on the reggae and mixed up some margaritas and we sat and watched the kids play in the pool and sprinkler. He decided if we couldn't go to Jamaica he would bring it here for us. It was so much fun. I was so tired though, and I really couldn't figure out why. I had temporarily forgotten that I had an UTI on Friday that I mistakenly thought had gone away. BUT...Sunday it came back with a vengeance. I went to church and then came home and that was all I could handle. We had to cancel our plans that night and Chris called his mom to come get the kids so I could get a little relief.

Lilly and Emily...silly girls
Jack...what a cutie!

Emily and Addi....another pair of silly girls!

Cathryne and Addi

Emily and I

Kiddos playing in the pool

Ben relaxin...I think we might be in trouble...