Happy Birthday, Ashley

Wordless Wednesday - Small Town Texas

One minute you are sitting on your front porch watching the world go by, the next a neighbor has ridden a horse into your front yard. The joys of rural Texas life! This sure made Ashley's day!

My Aspiring Chef

This is so adorable of Miss Ashley! She's being doing her own cooking shows for years now! AAnd Tristen is sucha great big brother! how many almost teenagers will still make mud pies with their sister?

The Things That Go On Around Here!

Ashley ended up with chocolate all over her face today. I am not sure how, but this child can be given one M & M and make a complete melty mess of herself! Anyway, her face was a mess, so I told her too go get a wipe out of the bathroom and clean up. I keep a box of baby wipes in the bathroom for quick clean ups during the day, and have done so for years. I thought nothing of telling her to go wipe up.

Fast forward about 10 minutes later. Ashley says her face feel weird and she's spitting like she has the worlds worst taste in her mouth. I could not for the life of me figure out what her problem was. I rewashed her face with a wet wash cloth and she seemed to get over it.

Then I went to the bathroom. While sitting on the potty, I glanced into the trash can and saw the package from a Vagisil Medicated Anti Itch Wipe! She'd apparently dug into "Mom's Drawer", which she knows she is not allowed to do, and helped herself. Can you even imagine washing your face and mouth with one of those little lovelies? Ick! I am sure her mouth did have an awful taste in it! Just yuck! Anyway, I am hoping she learned her lesson about getting into things that aren't hers.

What classic capers like this have your little ones pulled?

Gifted and Talented, Help!

Ashley has been nominated for her school's GT program. I have to fill out a zillion page survey outlining her brilliance. Then she has to submit a portfolio. A portfolio?! I think my kid is gifted and creative, not me! It is supposed to demonstrate her wonderfulness. What the heck? The kid reads at a high school level, is unbelievable creative in the way she thinks, and is in my mind years above her actual age, but what am I supposed to put in a portfolio? I am so panicked about this! It has to be turned in by the 6th. I do not know what to do!

Do any of y'all have ideas? If you've been through this before, can you give my an idea as to what to include? I will be forever grateful!

My Daughter's Beard

Are mornings crazy at your house? They sure are around here. Thee is always something to be signed at the last minute, or the I forgot I need pencils statement, or some such nonsense. I live in a household full of poor planners, myself included.

Take for example yesterday morning. Ashley is in the bathtub at 6:50am when she announces that her oral presentation on Michael Angelo is due today. The one she has to dress up for. I was certain that no teacher would assign such a task over a long holiday weekend without sending home a reminder note, so I searched her back pack and found nothing. So, I went and dug through my desk until I found the original note that said yes indeed the day was today. Mom obviously dropped the ball on this one. So, I put Ashley in the closest thing we have to a peasant blouse, a pair of leggings, then draw a beard on her using various make ups. Yep, I dropped my daughter off at school wearing a beard.

When Ashley came home from school yesterday, her beard was washed away. And she had a note. The note said they had changed the presentations to Friday. My daughter went to school with a beard for no reason. The only highlight to this is that she wasn't the only child in character for her presentation. But, she was the only one doing a report on a person of the opposite sex and therefore the only bearded little girl. I was afraid she would be embarrassed, but she seemed fine about it. Frankly, I think we are both thankful for the extra time to prepare.

Am I the only one who is blessed with a family full of "last minute" type kiddos?

"My Heart Is Filled With Such Sorrow"

These are the oh so sad and dramatic words uttered by my darling daughter just a few minutes ago. Here's the story:

Ashley was taking a bath and playing with her HSM Troy and Gabriella dolls. I have fond memories of playing with my Barbies in the tub and she loves it just as I did. Anyway, she decided to wash their hair. When she started massaging the Pantene into Troy's lovely locks his head popped off. Ashley freaked out. I tried to calm her and did everything I could to pop his head back on. No luck. So, I get Ashley out of the tub and into pajamas, reassuring her that certainly Daddy can get Troy's head back on. Daddy could not get Troy's head back on. We both tried everything we could think of. Poor Ashley said "Troy is dead. It wasn't his time. My heart is filled with such sorrow." I was a good mom and did not crack up laughing over this pitiful display. Then she asks "Do we have to bury Troy?" That is the point at which I burst out laughing. She knows it's just a toy, but if you could've seen the look on her face...well you would've cracked up too.

Tristen is building him a coffin. Ashley has written him a tombstone on a piece of paper. He came to live with her on Christmas Day, so he sure didn't last very long. Tomorrow is poor Troy's funeral. I think it's sort of odd to bury a plaything, but Ashley loves him and insists he cannot be just tossed in the garbage. Parenting is such an interesting adventure!

Goodbye, Troy. Ashley will miss you.

Pure Happiness

Can you guess what DVD is in her hands? Who knew how happy Netflix could make a girl?!

SAVING is good.

"Show Me Your ______!"

Now I know kids are full of questions, that's part of being a kid. I also know that kids love to say interesting things whenever they have an audience, as I said, it's a kid thing. Moms know these things, right? Well, I may know these things but nothing could have prepared me for this interesting request Ashley sprung on me.

Our neighbors, John & Lenore popped over to visit yesterday evening. The guys were in another room doing their thing and us gals were hanging in the living room. Ashley showed Lenore her new book, Where Babies Come From. At that point I realized the conversation was going to take an interesting turn, but I wasn't sweating it. Lenore is a mom and an extremely logical person, so she rolled with the punches and helped me answer the questions Little Miss was throwing at me. We were treated to some great insights too,like how your belly button looks like the tied off end of a balloon. Ashley's might, mine looks like a huge sink hole. Anyway,things went along just fine, I felt good about our group girl talk.

Then Ashley says "Show me your uterus!" My jaw drops and I'm just speechless. I've heard some strange request before, but nothing half as unique as that. Trying to keep my composure, and I'm afraid I didn't do to well, I explain that I cannot just remove it to let her take a peek. It occurs to me this was much funnier as it was happening than it is now. I fielded some more questions like
"Where is your uterus?"
"Um, inside me, Sweetie."
"Where?"
Pointing to my ample gut area "In that general vicinity someplace." I know, I am such a brilliant mother.

I'm not sure how, but we got off that topic, thankfully. Some days are so weird when you're a Mommy!

What's the best question or request your kids have ever come up with?


SAVING is good.