So My Kid Is In High School

Well, he started high school last week actually. So this shouldn't be a new realization. But I attended a high school meeting last night that made my head spin. It's real.

 
Somewhere along the line my baby turned into an almost 6-foot young man with size 13 shoes, a lower voice, and a couple of whiskers on the chin. A young man who treats others with respect, laughs with friends, thinks for himself, and gets good grades. A young man who is trying to learn what having a personal relationship with Jesus really means. A young man who wants to play basketball, does not want to play soccer, and absolutely will not audition for The Sound of Music {school play}. :)

Just 4 years left of my kid's school career {well that's not really *all* as he does plan to go to college}. And I already know how fast the years go by - they're a blur. I know his graduation is just around the corner. I see glimpses of what he'll be like as an adult. I like what I see. But oh, it hurts a mama's heart to see it all go by so quickly. And it's harder because he's our only child. Each milestone is a first and a last.

I think I've recently posted similar thoughts...and I'll probably post them again! I'm just trying to wrap my head around this whole thing. My.Kid.Is.In.High.School.

Thanks for bearing with me today! Do you have or have you had a kid in high school? Have you figured out a way to slow down time? ;)

Have a blessed day friends!

My Son Is 14!

How can it be? 14 years? Everybody says it, but it's so true - time goes by so fast. My son was an adorable toddler just yesterday, wasn't he? And now he's about to begin high school. *insert big mommy sigh here*

Just 10 short years ago. :)

A couple months ago.

No big party this year - we did the expensive thing last year. He's just having a few friends over to hang out and he requested cheesecake and strawberries instead of regular cake.

OK Son, if you insist! :)

Happy Birthday, Son! We pray that you will follow God's guidance as you become the man you were meant to be. We're proud of you and we love you!

P.S. There will never be a time that we won't want to hug you in public, so don't even think about trying to stop us. :D

How old are your kids {or grandkids or nieces/nephews}?

Have a blessed day friends!

Annual Montana Trip

Since I grew up in Montana and still have family there, we try to visit every Summer. Son and I flew out this time for a week and enjoyed ourselves! We stayed with my dad, visited family, did a few fun things, and relaxed.

I'll just share a few photo highlights with you:

This is how you know you're in Montana - one of the displays in the airport. :)

Saw the fireworks show after an annual Summer concert on the college lawn!

Visited my sister!

Scored some awesome golf shoes in my size for $5 at a thrift store.

New golf shoes did not improve my score when we golfed 9 holes together. Dad won of course - how can you go wrong when you start out with 7 pars in a row? Now if they would make it a Par 7 course instead of Par 3, I would be considered an awesome golfer. ;)

Went to the museum that I hadn't been to since childhood and was glad to see a couple things that I remembered, including this white buffalo named "Big Medicine."

I never miss a chance to go to The Parrot! I did share this sundae with my dad - all the ice cream is homemade and so are the toppings. SO delicious!!

My Aunt & Uncle gave us some hand-picked raspberries, so dad and I made raspberry freezer jam. I did get to taste it before I left - delish!!

We did a few other things that I didn't get pics of and I visited a few relatives on both sides of the family. And we ate out...a LOT. Mostly we enjoyed not getting up too early, hanging out with dad, and playing card games in the evening. Other than flight delays there and back, the trip was a good one!

Do you take a family trip in the Summer? Have you been to Montana?

Have a blessed day friends!

Our 8th Grade Graduate {One Beautiful Thing}

Brooke from Surprised by Life sometimes has a link-up for #OneBeautifulThing and asks us to look back at our week to see the beauty in our everyday lives.

This past week, our son graduated from 8th Grade! Wow - time really does fly! While it's so hard to watch my son grow up {too too fast}, there is such beauty in watching the changes and seeing the young man he is becoming. That journey is my beautiful thing for the week.

Here he is on the very first day of Kindergarten...

And then on the last day of 8th Grade! *sigh*

Though his journey is not without sins and trials, he's a wonderful son and God is working in his life. We are truly blessed to have him for a son! And we are proud of all the things he has accomplished along the way to the end of 8th Grade! Now on to High School...how.can.that.be. :)

What's your beautiful thing for the week? If you post about it, go link up at Brooke's place!

Have a blessed day friends!

You Gotta Have A Good Story

As I mentioned in my last post, my son recently broke his wrist. It was kind of like deja vu.

This happened in May of 2011:

This happened in February of 2013:

Practically the same thing! The first time he was playing tennis and tripped over his own feet going backwards. He braced his fall and broke his wrist. He had a cast for 6 weeks.

This time, he was going...yes, backwards again! He was walking backwards looking at something and tripped over a backpack behind him. He braced his fall and broke his wrist. He has a cast for 5 weeks {4 to go!}.

My friend that cuts his hair insisted that he come up with a better story to explain the cast - a good story. So today she asked him how he broke his wrist and this was his story:

"Somebody walked out in the street in front of a car. I jumped out to save him from getting hit. But then the car ran over my arm. Luckily it was just a minor break."

Much better, right?! Hee,hee. :)

Have a blessed day friends!

Five Minute Friday ~ Stay

It's time for Five Minute Friday again  - hosted by the lovely Lisa-Jo Baker. It's a chance for us to write for 5 minutes based on a 1-word prompt - without editing or over-thinking. I find it scary which is why I haven't done it much! It is fun to write that way but publishing it isn't so easy when you wish you could put a lot more work into what you wrote. :)

The prompt this week is: Stay.

Start...

As we get older over the years, we experience more and more losses. More loved ones passing from our lives. I have lost friends, aunts & uncles, grandparents, my mother, and my stepmother. Each time is a little harder and one less lovely person in our lives. As the years go, these things make me hold a little tighter to the loved ones I have left, especially my husband and my son.

I do know that God is in control and we have no say about His perfect timing. But when I imagine losing my precious man and young man, I tear up. I know that God would bring me through it, but oh, that He would not choose *me* to experience that pain.

I know so many others have experienced and are experiencing that pain and that it's especially hard as we go into the holidays - a time of family and friends joining together in fellowship.

With tears in my eyes, I whisper in my mind to my husband and son...stay.

Stop.

Did you join in this week? Even if you're not a blogger, this is a great way to practice writing and it only takes 5 minutes!

Have a blessed day friends!

Hanging Out With Grandpa {One Beautiful Thing}

Last week we were in Montana for our Summer trip to visit family. My son always enjoys himself, no matter what we do and as usual, he didn't want to leave! While we were there, we stayed in my dad's apartment. I love watching my dad "hang out" with his only grandson. It doesn't matter if the "hanging out" is during fun adventures like playing golf and visiting the state capitol, or during times of relaxation in Dad's apartment. 

The kiddo likes playing computer games and card games with Grandpa. And I captured this moment with my phone - the two of them working on the daily crossword. I love this - seeing them enjoy each other's company while working on such a simple pleasure. And the difference in ages {68 years apart} just doesn't matter.

This Grandpa/Grandson moment is my One Beautiful Thing this week! Stop over at Brooke's place {Surprised By Life} to enjoy her One Beautiful Thing and link up your own!

What is your One Beautiful Thing this week? Have you taken a moment today to notice something beautiful in your life?

~ Friends, don't forget that I'm starting up a new link-up this Saturday! This is your reminder! :) And I have a name for it now ~ Savor 7 {Saturday}. Click here for the details and I hope you'll join me! ~

If you enjoyed stopping and smelling the chocolates with me, I'd love it if you click to Subscribe to Stop and Smell the Chocolates by Email or RSS!  

Have a blessed and beautiful day friends!

Sharing Childhood Stories {Dads Can Be So Embarrassing}

My son likes hearing stories from my childhood. He especially enjoys hearing stories of how my dad embarrassed me. My son laughs and laughs and asks to hear those stories again.

1988 {Yes, I'm THAT old}

As if the black dress socks with shorts weren't embarrassing enough! 

When I was a teenager, Dad and I would often head to fast food restaurants for lunch after church. When we would go to McDonald's - I would place my order and then the cashier would ask dad what he wanted. He would look up and look over the menu - undecided, as if he hadn't seen the menu a hundred times before. And then this is what he would say {every.time.}:

"Hmmm...what's that, uh, Happy Meal there? Is that any good?"

As an adult, I would just laugh at this! As a teenager, I wanted to sink into the floor. I would inform him that it was a meal for KIDS. And then he would chuckle and order something else.

There was another fast food place where he would order the same thing every time - the fish sandwich. Except that this place didn't have a fish sandwich, which he knew quite well. And every time, I wanted to hide my face in my hands and shake my head. LOL!

Of course, there was also the time that Dad was driving and me, my sis and 2 cousins were in the back seat, admiring a handsome young man on a motorcycle. Dad made sure to honk a few times, wave at the guy, and point to us in the back seat. We all sunk down as low as we could!! "Daaaaaaaad!!!!" How *could* he?! 

By the way, Dad still likes to embarrass me - he managed to do it in a retirement home last year {look at #10 in the post!}.

Love you Dad!!!  :)

These are little stories and not anything all that traumatic, but they stuck in my memory and oh how my son loves to hear them. I enjoy passing on the little day-to-day stories that give my son snapshots of my life as a kid. We shouldn't forget to share these stories with our children - they find them fascinating {you know, like how we had to rent a VCR to watch a movie or how we didn't own a microwave - *gasp*}!

Do you share your childhood stories with your kids? What are their favorite things to hear about?

Maybe you can stop and share a story right now! Start out...Did I ever tell you about the time...

If you like "hanging out" with me while we stop and smell the chocolates, feel free to "Like" my Facebook page!

Have a blessed and hopefully not embarrassing day friends!! :)

Teaching Your Son What *Not* To Say To a Lady

Aaaahhhh...the good old days. That is my silly but adorable son when he was in 1st grade! But that has turned into this...

...goofy preteen with just enough photo editing skillz to create disturbing pics. LOL! :)

He is quite fond of joking around and really does make us laugh quite often. But he is still in the process of learning which jokes are appropriate and which jokes go too far.

We were getting our fave "fast" food - Chipotle {yum} - about a week ago. As we were getting our utensils, etc., son said something to me.

"Mom, you know, you look sooooooo old."

After I regained consciousness, I didn't quite know what to say, but my son quickly smiled, laughed and told me he was just joking. In true "girl" fashion, I obsessively questioned him all the way back to the car.

What made you say that?

Did something about how I looked or what I was wearing make you think up that comment?

Have you always thought that?

Do I really look old?

Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?

He assured me that the only reason he said it was because he knew it would bug me. Nice. Now the whole thing didn't really bother me - I mean, obviously I forgot all about it and never wrote a blog post about it or anything. *ahem*

Okay, truly I laughed, BUT I had a talk with him explaining that this is *not* the sort of thing that a man of any age should say to any lady. And most especially, he should never say such a thing - no matter how well he thinks the joke will be handled - to his future wife!! :)

Got any kid quotes that have made you shake your head lately?

Enjoy the everyday moments - subscribe here to stop and smell the chocolates with me!

Have a fabulous day friends!  :)

Our Son Plays Tennis {One Beautiful Thing}

I'm linking up with Brooke at Surprised By Life (her new blog!) for her first #OneBeautifulThing link-up! Stop by her blog to see what it's all about and to share a little beauty from your world.

Is this really a beautiful picture? Not by any photographer's standards. It was taken with my phone through a fence and zoomed in quite a bit - barely catching our almost 13 year-old son standing tall in the center.

But this is my beautiful thing for the week. Our son has tried a few sports over the years. He played soccer for a couple years and decided it wasn't his thing. He played baseball for 3 years and enjoyed it, but not enough to go into the more competitive level. And despite his height, he didn't want to play basketball {he was traumatized by a basketball class I took him to in 2nd grade - sigh}. Kiddo wanted to try something new. Tennis was one of my suggestions though I do not play. He tried a beginner class and was hooked.

Side story here: After completing the first beginner class last year, we bought our son his own racket, tennis balls, new and much larger tennis shoes, and a racket for hubs. Off they went to play their very first match together! 15 minutes later I received a phone call to get ibuprofen and son's Kaiser insurance card ready - they were on their way home before heading to the emergency room. Our son had broken his arm by tripping over his own feet running back to hit a ball! Awful!! No more tennis for quite some time. But he recovered nicely. :)

After completing another beginner class, our son wanted to move on in tennis. Now we go to a local club that offers lots of tennis lessons. He's in an intermediate class and improving all the time. But the best part? He LOVES it!! He wants to keep playing! He can't wait to get to his lessons, learn new things and improve! That hasn't really happened before with past sports. Whether or not our son ever plays tennis competitively, he finds joy in the sport and I know he will continue playing it into his adult life.

I find beauty in my son finding the sport that brings him joy and makes him want to strive to improve. His joy and enthusiasm bring me joy! So if you ever hear me grumbling about running him to tennis lessons or watching him out in the wind/cold - remind me that THIS was my One Beautiful Thing.

What's one beautiful thing from your week?


Have a beautiful day friends!  :)

Monday Musings

I'm joining in with my friend Charlotte this morning to share a few musings...

What I'm thinking: I'm thinking about how far behind I am in everything - housework, homeschooling (just a bit behind), organizing, reading, planning.  I know I can't be caught up on everything all at once, but further along would be nice!  :)

What I'm reading: Trying to do my daily Bible and devotional reading and still trying to finish Raising Your Children for Christ by Andrew Murray - so close to being done!

What I'm listening to: The clinking of a spoon in a bowl while kiddo eats some cereal and some chirping birds outside.

What we're learning: In Bible, we're finishing up the book of Acts.  In History, we're starting a chapter on the Reformation and in Science, we're starting a unit on the atmosphere.  Math is the usual pre-algebra stuff; we're about 2/3 of the way through the book.  And in kiddo's writing class, he's finishing an outline for an oral presentation at the end of the month.

What I'm watching: Watched a couple episodes of a hoarding show yesterday on instant Netflix.  We like to watch a few of those occasionally - it inspires us to go get rid of some more clutter & organize more things!

What's cooking: Tonight we'll have pork loin for dinner (I put a rub on it and roast it in the oven).  We'll also be having salmon loaf this week - something I grew up eating that people either think sounds disgusting or fantastic.  :)

What I'm buying: I need to buy a wedding gift and possibly a new skirt or dress to wear to a wedding.  Also have a couple of returns/exchanges to take care of this week.

What I'm thankful for: My wonderful husband - he really is amazing!  And ever so thankful for sunshine which is here for the moment but rain is coming back.  Also thankful that we don't live in an area with tornadoes and am praying for all those that have been affected by the storms.

What I'm creating: Making plans for my blog in April.  It will be my 4-year blogiversary and I have some ideas for a kind of, sort of relaunch/refresh/re-whatever you want to call it - LOL!  :)

What I'm praying: Praying for my husband as he has many things going on in his work this week.  Praying for me to stay focused on getting caught up.  Praying for friends with financial and medical struggles.

What I'm planning: Keeping up with the weekly out-of-the-house activities: writing class, tennis lessons, performance group, Boy Scouts, Lego class.  And kiddo has a fun Boy Scout campout to go to this weekend!

What we did this last weekend: Caught up some on cleaning & chores.  Kiddo had a friend spend the night, which is always fun!  And I cooked up a bunch of food for our church potluck - I'll be posting some of those recipes here soon.  After church and our potluck yesterday, we ran a few errands and then came home to relax.

What I'm looking forward to: Looking forward to the wedding we'll be attending on Saturday!  The couple both attended the Christian school that we are involved with and their families attend our church.  So we've watched them grow up over the last several years and it will be delightful to watch them get married!  They are such a sweet couple!!

A picture to share:

Our son's new hat that he received at the Boy Scout Court of Honor last week for achieving First Class Rank!  He was very excited!  He had to give a speech too and he did a great job!  We're very proud of him!

What's going on around your place?

Have a day full of blessings my friends!!

To Catch A Hacker

Several days ago I got an e-mail from Amazon mentioning 2 Kindle books that I had ordered. Except that I hadn't ordered any. Immediately concerned, I changed my password and looked more closely at my account. There were 2 free Kindle books that I had not ordered and a 2nd Kindle device registered on my account {I only have a Kindle app on my Android.}.

I contacted Amazon and was told to just cancel what I didn't want and they saw that I had already changed my password. I replied that it looked suspicious to me as somebody definitely accessed my account. They replied back that they looked into it and did not see any suspicious activity but they would send the matter on.

I was more than a little concerned that Amazon didn't feel that somebody getting my password and accessing my account was "suspicious" even though there had been no fraudulent charges. I thought maybe somebody was testing out my account to see if I noticed the activity before they tried making a costly purchase. I was about to write up a post telling you to check your accounts and keep an eye on them!

But then, I discovered the identity of the hacker. Isn't that amazing? I couldn't believe it - I was shocked!

Turns out it was my dad.

Yes, my dad who lives out-of-state. This 81 year-old man in the picture - obviously a hardened criminal.

Good thing I caught him and saved all of you from his computer-hacking skillz.  ;)

How on earth did this happen, you ask? Dad came to visit just a few days after my Amazon experience. While he was here, he showed me his new Kindle Fire {yes, he is cooler than me - I don't even have a Kindle}. Later, he was asking if I had an Amazon account. I told him that I did. And then I began to realize that I had a criminal in the car with me. LOL!

He had gone on his computer to bring up Amazon and when the page came up he started testing out adding free Kindle books, even registering his device somehow. But he couldn't access the books. He then noticed my name on the page but couldn't figure out why it was there. He eventually got to his own Amazon account and assumed that none of that had even showed up. Obviously I used his computer to access Amazon when I visited a few months back so that was the page that automatically came up - I may have even checked the box telling his computer to remember me.

We had a such a good laugh over the whole thing!! I was so relieved that nobody had actually figured out my password and accessed my account! At the same time, you should be cautious if you use your Amazon account on any shared computers or devices. Somebody might be able to access your account. Like your dad.  :)

Hope you enjoyed the story - we got such a kick out of it! Got a funny story to share? I'd love to hear it!

Have a marvelous day friends!

19 Years Ago Today...

...I married my best friend!!!  I've been married to my hubs for as many years as I lived before knowing him (and we've been together longer than we've been apart in our lives)!

We got married outside in Tahoe, CA above Emerald Bay - really pretty but it was getting chilly and that night a snowstorm hit!  Thank you Lord for delaying the snow as we didn't really think that through.  :)

I've had people ask if that's a fake backdrop, but it's the real scenery behind us - lovely!

When I look at that pic, I see a happy couple, but I also see two naive "kids" (we were 22 & 23) who weren't really walking with the Lord at that time.  We are so blessed that God worked in our hearts, drew us to Him and continues to grow and stretch us.

19 years have flown by and yet I've forgotten so many details of the early years.  Some of it is a blur, but it's a mostly happy blur!  Happy anniversary honey!  Thank you for putting up with all my piles (clean laundry, paperwork, dishes) and all my complaints about how things are "hard" (homeschooling, cooking, cleaning).  You are truly a blessing to me and I love you!

Have a lovely day friends!

10 Lessons We Could Learn From A Retirement Home

Last month my son and I went to visit my Dad (in Montana) for a week.  He recently moved in to a retirement home, so we stayed there with him, ate meals there, etc.  I kind of enjoyed staying there actually!  And I noticed a few things that I think us younger folks could learn from the retirement home...

1.  Slow down.  Life definitely moves at a slower pace in the retirement home and that's OK!  It's nice to avoid the hustle and bustle of life sometimes.  People are calm, not frazzled.  It's nice to be around.  Sometimes it's good to take your time and you know...stop and smell the chocolates.  ;)

2.  Make eye contact and say hello.  Every time you pass somebody, you smile and say hello.  Wouldn't it be nice if we did that more often (other than people thinking we were a little strange - LOL)?

3.  Eat slowly.  Meals in the dining room are served in courses and you wait while other tables are served.  It helps you eat slower and not eat as much!  And you feel free to sit and enjoy the conversation at your table.  We might not be able to do that for every meal in our homes, but maybe we can make it a priority for one meal a day. 

4.  Dress nicely and modestly. You're not allowed to wear sweats/lounge wear/tank tops to the meals in the dining room and you can't wander the halls in PJ's or robes.  It does make everything feel a little more special when everybody has put some effort and thought into their clothing.  I know I've become lazy with clothing and could use a reminder that lounge wear really should just be for curling up on the couch in the evening or for a sick day.

5.  Be considerate of others.  It's simple - think of others first.  Be considerate when driving, when talking, when shopping, when eating, etc.  Remember J.O.Y. (Jesus first, Others next, Yourself last)?  That's always a good reminder.  I get stuck in "me" mode sometimes.

6.  Stay active. The retirement home offers lots of activities - walking, exercise classes, pool table, card playing, Wii golf and bowling, armchair volleyball (Dad likes that one), horse shoes, movies, barbecues, and more.  Don't just sit - do something!  I've been feeling much better since I've started working out 5-6 times a week since I don't have much else in the way of activity.

7.  Meet new people.  You're always meeting somebody new in the hallway or during an activity.  You can sit at different tables in the dining room and meet new people there too.  It's good to put yourself out there and make some new acquaintances.  It helps you (me) brush up on those rusty social skills and maybe make some new friends!

8.  Have a little fun every day! There's something to enjoy every day - whether it's chatting with others, gardening, working on hobbies, reading a good book, or laughing with friends.  Take some time to "play" each day!

9.  Don't let your age define you.  There are many ages represented in the retirement home.  The oldest lady is 104 and shows up for every meal.  The lady who keeps up the beautiful gardens with little to no help is in her 90's.  The guy who takes the lid off the pepper shaker to pour it over and cover his eggs is in his late 80's.  You're only old when you decide you're old!  Now my Dad considers many of the people in the retirement home old but doesn't consider himself old - and he will turn 81 in a couple of months.  :)

10.  Don't run on the stairs.  :)   There are signs on one indoor flight of stairs emphasizing NO RUNNING on the stairs and to be quiet while in the stairwell.  We did giggle a bit at the idea of older folks running and shouting on the stairs - LOL.  But then my dad actually did run loudly down the stairs to embarrass us and said he would point his finger at my son if anybody said anything.  Well about the 3rd time he did that, somebody looked out at us from the apartment next to the stairs!  Dad went over, apologized, tried to explain that he was doing it to scare us, and said it wouldn't happen again.  LOLOL!!!

It's a list of 10, so you know I'm linking it up to Top Ten Tuesday at Oh Amanda!  Check out all the other Top Ten's there!

Do you have any more lessons to add?  Let's hear 'em!

Have a great day friends!  And hey, look at me - took me all day of writing in between homeschooling & everything else, but by evening I finally squeezed in a post - LOL!  :)

The Latest and Greatest

How about some bullet points (my friend Kim loves these), or in my case squiggly lines to let you know what's happening in my world?

~ My son turned 12 yesterday.  Big sigh.  I didn't realize how sentimental I would be about the number 12.  But he is turning into a young man, no longer just a boy.  And I mentioned on FB that he is close to 5'4" already and in a size 10 men's shoe.  I have had a few tears the last couple of days, but I'll be fine.  On to new adventures!

Who said this sweet little guy could grow up?

~ I don't have any more no-bake posts for you.  Shocking, I know - LOL! I gave you chocolate no-bake recipes, non-chocolate no-bake recipes, and traditional no-bake cookies - what more could you possibly need? :)

~ My giveaway for a copy of Notes to Aspiring Writers: Your Dreams, God's Plan is still open, but closing soon! Read my review and enter the giveaway!**Giveaway closed. Congrats to Mary Beth!**

~ It's R&R month over at Pennies and Blessings!  That means everybody will be taking it easy and sharing great links for you to read.  But more importantly - this is **Giveaway Week** over there to celebrate Mandy's birthday and a belated Blogiversary!!  Be sure to stop by and enter giveaways all week!

~ I plan to post an update on my baking soda hair-washing.  Yes, I don't use shampoo and instead wash my hair with baking soda and apple cider vinegar.  Crazy, huh?!  I recently took pics of my hair for a week so I could show you how it turns out.  I hope to post that sometime this week.

~ Remember I mentioned that I wanted to do a blog series?  Well, I have the topics for the series figured out and the intro post mostly written - in my world of procrastination that.is.amazing. - so I want to post that Intro this week (which will then force me to get the next post done!!).  The series is about encouraging bloggers - why you should start blogging or keep blogging even if you're new, small, nicheless, penniless, etc.  Don't be intimidated by all the blogging info out there - you can do it your own way and it's OKAY!  :)

~ I'll try to post a recipe this week too - maybe Lemon Blueberry Muffins (they were yummy).  How does that sound?

~ In real life this week: more birthday celebrating for the kiddo, Boy Scouts, getting together with friends, kiddo getting his bottom braces on, and a baseball game followed by fireworks!

Got all that?  :)  You know you want to leave me a comment with your thoughts and input!  What's the latest and greatest in your life?

Have a super day friends!!

10 Things You Might Hear Yourself Asking Your 11-Year Old Son

1.  I know it says to pack deodorant, but do you get sweaty under your arms yet?  Do your armpits stink?  I'm not checking - you check.

2.  MUST you keep making that horribly annoying noise?

3.  Are you sure you didn't already hit me for that slugbug?  Seems like the rules keep changing.

4.  Is that what you're going to wear?  Weren't we giving that shirt away?

5.  Can you turn the volume down on that video game?  I'm getting really tired of hearing the same tune over and over and over...and over.

6.  Are you the one that got your friends to make the same annoying noises?  Have you thought of using your powers for good?

7.  Do I need to remind you that your shirt is not a napkin?

8.  Have you seen the bottoms of your feet?  'Cause they are b.l.a.c.k.

9.  Did you forget that we ordered you to stop growing?  (He's over 5'3" and in a size 10 shoe.)

10.  Can you PLEASE go make those noises somewhere where I can't hear them?

Can you relate to any of these?  And who's making that noise??  ;)

When you aren't sure of what to write on your blog, a great place to stop for inspiration is Top Ten Tuesday at Oh Amanda!  I'm linking up - maybe you should too!

Have a fabulous day friends!!

Monday Musings

I'm stealing borrowing from my friend Charlotte today and filling you in on what I'm up to...

What I'm thinking: That I have GOT to catch up on housework this week and get back into 31 Days to Clean.  And thinking it's time to get organized about Summer since we haven't yet.

What I'm reading: I read Just Too Busy by my blog friend Joanne (see my review) and I'm still working on my 12 books in 12 months list.  I'm a little behind on that schedule - currently reading Oliver Twist by Dickens.  And I'm looking over a cookbook that I'll be reviewing on the blog.

What I'm listening to: The coffee maker finishing, whispering to me to get a cup before I finish this post - LOL.  And wind chimes outside which means there's a nice little breeze on this hot day.

What we're learning: Kiddo is trying to finish 7th grade math this Summer so he can start 8th grade math in the Fall when we start school, so we're currently doing 2 math lessons a day.

What I'm watching: The overgrown jungle in our little back yard - we really need to do some trimming!  But at the same time I like looking at all that green. We recently borrowed a movie from friends to watch: Gifted Hands - The Ben Carson Story.  Amazing story - I highly recommend it!

What's cooking: Tonight's dinner will be taco salad.  I'm naming it Montana Taco Salad ('cause I learned the recipe in MT) and I'll actually post it soon - you'll get a laugh from the simplicity of it.  And I need to mix up some more Instant Oatmeal Mix.

What I'm buying: Hopefully not too much!  Last week we spent some $ at Costco, Kohl's, and Lowe's so I'll try not to shop much this week.

What I'm thankful for: My family!  And I'm thankful that son and I can fly out to visit my Dad later this Summer - plane tickets are just not cheap!

What I'm creating: As much as I would like to try out some crafts, I really need to focus on organizing my household.  So I'd like to create some order around this place!

What I'm praying: That I would be a better wife and mom.  That kiddo's arm will be all healed up when his cast comes off tomorrow!  And for friends suffering with illnesses, financial problems, and more.

What I'm planning: To finally see the kiddo without his cast - yay!  Hoping to go to the $1 movie with friends this week.  Helping hubs with appetizers for his appetizer contest at work!  And trying to figure out our 4th of July plans.

What we did this last weekend: Well.  The weekend before I was helping host a ladies' tea.  But this weekend was quite the opposite!  I helped hubs who was blowing extra insulation into our attic.  I was the one loading the bales of insulation (which had to be broken apart) into the hopper in the garage and trying to keep up the pace so the hopper didn't empty!  SO dirty!!!  And my back is still hurting today, though I'm sure it will be fine soon.  Kiddo helped too by opening the bags up and sliding them over to me.  We rewarded ourselves for our hard work (and MANY $$ saved!) by going to see Kung Fu Panda 2 and then out for a steak dinner - yay!  :)

What I'm looking forward to: Kiddo getting his cast off!  4th of July!  Getting organized! (See, if I keep saying it I figure it will seep into my subconscious and help me out.)  :)

A picture to share:

After the insulation loading - SO dusty!!  I'm only smiling 'cause it's OVER - LOL!

What's happening with you?  Have a beautiful day friends!!