More Entertainment!

Recently, I told you about how our son is always entertaining us.


Tonight was no exception. Here he is in his daddy's snow ski cap...

....pretending to play the guitar.

What a ham!

Toddler Language

Our son: "Mom, you know what's spanish for sheep?"

Mom: "No, what?"

Son: "flock"

Soccer Season Means Team Photo

We are in the midst of soccer season! This is our family's first year to be in organized team sports. Ever since watching Dora the Explorer shows at age two, our daughter has said that she wanted to play soccer. In previous years, she has said things like, "I want to play soccer when I am 14." That was fine with me. I didn't mind waiting until then.

But this year she decided she wanted to play now. And of course, when our son found out about it, he wanted to play too! So we bought some cleats and gratefully accepted some second hand socks, shin guards and shorts. It has been a fun season so far. Hubby has even been helping to coach!

As with any team sport, there comes the time for the team photo. I think trying to pose and photograph a whole team of 4 to 7 year olds is a hilarious task (hey, ya gotta laugh to keep from crying, right?)! When our team was being photographed, I tiptoed into range with my camera and started shooting.

First, one of the coach's wives tries to get them all arranged in nice straight rows.


I must say, the rows look nice, but will you ever be able to get them to look at the camera and smile?

I managed to stifle my giggling long enough to get this photo

and this one

and this one.

Don't kids do the funniest things in soccer team photos?

P.S. Both kiddos are on the same team (which is GREAT and CONVENIENT), so not only is this an organized team sport, it's an organized family team sport!

No Words Necessary!

A Funny Discovery

Today, I was searching for a document my hubby needed. I guess my filing system is lacking something, because I couldn't lay my hands on the document right away. I searched through several files until I found this:



This is the remote control to our tv. While it is very strange that I would find a tv remote in my files; what's more strange is that it has been missing for 3 years!

One day about three years ago, I reorganized, refiled, and culled our files. It was a huge project which included large bags of trash. I had the tv on, listening to a news channel and about mid-day, I realized I couldn't find the remote. I looked everywhere for it. I dug through the large trash bags of paper trash. I looked under and behind the furniture. I examined boxes and files, but could not find it anywhere. I finally gave up my search, and we concluded that it must have gotten thrown away in the mess somehow.

Now, years later, I came upon it randomly. I yelled and laughed and went looking for my hubby with the exciting news.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time something like this has happened to me. After I graduated from college, I packed up the things in my apartment to head home for the summer. I got everything squared away and was ready to head for the office to turn in my keys, but could not find them anywhere! I turned the place upside down to no avail. Fortunately, I had a spare car key and the apartment manager didn't charge me a fine.

Three years later, I had just gotten engaged and was moving to my parents house to plan my wedding. I was searching for something and decided to check the couch. Wouldn't you know it: I found those keys stuck way down in the sides of the couch! It had been so long since I lost them that I didn't recognize them at first!

Pretty Hairclips and a Silly Son

One of the really awesome gifts our daughter got for her birthday recently were these hairclips:


Her Aunt April made these for her (a very timely gift since the hair is suddenly shorter). These clippies are completely covered with pretty ribbon. The inside is covered with a fabric that helps to keep them in place in the hair.


These are just one of the many CUTE items for sell at April and Dawn's blog, Something Girly. You must get over there and check it all out. The items you'll find make great gifts for daughters, nieces, and other girls in your life.

See how they just dress up the new hairdo?



Of course, in my son's world, nothing is used for its original purpose! The ever experimenting young whippersnapper keeps us grinning! Here's his version of how to use the clippies:


Oh, and did you notice the red kool-aid mustache? That's a permanent sight around here!

Who Needs a Swimming Pool?

My original plan was to just post the above photo. But these just make me laugh out loud and I have to share them with you!

This whole idea was my kiddos'. As I was gardening, they got the bright idea of filling this tub with water to use with their shovels and pails. Later in the day, they asked me if they could put their swimsuits on and get in the tub. I said, "sure" and went on about my task. When I looked up to see this, I just couldn't resist a series of photos.....giggling all the while.


It brings to mind the washtub baths that people took before indoor plumbing was available.

What made it even funnier was the pink flamingo my son dragged up.


Now, I must take a moment here to explain that we do NOT have pink flamingos in our yard! Our son found this one under a bush....left over from a prank several months (years?) ago.

Anyway, I guess Mr. Flamingo needed a bath and apparently a drink, too!

To use an old phrase left over from my high school days. "Son, you slay me!"

National Flip Flop Day

A friend of mine called today to let me know that today is National Flip Flop Day. Did you know there was a day to celebrate flip flops? I didn't, but I can sure understand why. I love flip flops! In fact, I just spent some birthday money purchasing flip flops.



And I used a $10 money back certificate that Old Navy sent me to purchase four pairs of flip flops for my kiddos (I use the term "purchase" rather loosely since the flip flops were 2 for $5 and after the coupon, I paid nothing!).


In honor of this holiday (which BTW I don't think its a real holiday, just a marketing tool invented by Tropical Smoothie), I want to take a little time to tell the the story of the flip flop bandits. I did after all, promise here and here to tell you about this. My hesitancy is that I won't properly recount the tale and you'll be left saying, "what's the big deal?"

The Story of the Flip Flop Bandits

Once upon a time, there were six friends who loved to get together for each others' birthdays. They would meet at a restaurant or someone's house to eat, laugh, open gifts and enjoy some girl time. On one particular spring night, the six friends were enjoying a birthday meal on the patio. The night was quiet, the breeze was soft, the food was good and the companionship was comfy. All wore the cutest pair of flower-adorned flip flops in various colors given to them as souvenirs from the recent travels of one of the friends.


It just so happened that the small town in which the six friends lived was in the midst of a mayoral election. There were four candidates running for mayor and all were members of the same church that the six friends attended. The idea was hatched that since the pastor of the church couldn't really advertise his choice for mayor (as not to offend any candidate or family member of a candidate), it would be hilarious if campaign signs for each of the candidates were to mysteriously appear in his front yard.

Heads conferred (amidst lots of giggles), plans were made and the friends waited for the appropriately late hour to work their mischief. At the appointed hour, all pranksters squeezed into a vehicle and sneaked into the streets. Their first stop was a family member's house to pick up the first sign. Problem was, they didn't have the three other signs they needed. To avoid being accused of trespassing or theft, they must find the signs they needed on right-of-ways, not on other people's property.

Some of the friends were having a blast, other's were scared to death! At one stop to get signs, one of the friends was plastered to the floor board for fear of being seen. This, of course, was the source great fits of laughter from the other pranksters.

Finally, signs were secured and phase two must be initiated. The friends drove to the pastor's neighborhood, parking their car several houses away, of course. Then one must imagine in the mind's eye what happened next: Five flower-adorned flip flop-wearing mischief makers walked down that neighborhood street (the "plastered to the floor for fear of being caught" flip flop wearer was too afraid to join in the prank; she designated herself as the driver of the get-away vehicle). One would think that the ladies carrying out this dastardly deed would have the presence of mind to be quiet while working out their plans, but that was not the case. A severe case of giggles had erupted long before arriving in the neighborhood, and they were unable to keep from laughing.

With hearts racing and giggles escaping from their lips, the bandits carried the signs to the pastor's front yard and hurriedly placed them in strategic places for all passers-by to see. The "plastered to the floor for fear of being caught designated driver" swooped in for the pick up. She was so flustered, she practically dragged her cohorts down the street before they were able to jump in the vehicle. As one can imagine, the ride back home was loud with uncontrolled fits of laughter and boisterous recountings of the escapade!

The six friends have never forgotten their adventures that night and have dubbed themselves the flip flop bandits. Their prank lives on in small town lore and is often alluded to with covert winks and lots of giggles.

Epilogue: The pastor received a card from the bandits the following Christmas. On it was a group photo of the pranksters. The photo was altered to show a yellow smiley face in the place of the ladies faces and the caption read, "Merry Christmas from the flip flop bandits."

There you have it: the event that deepened my love for flip flops and made me thrilled to find out that now there's a holiday for celebrating my favorite footwear.

????????

A friend of ours recently made a trip to Moscow. He brought this candy bar as a gift to Joel. It makes me giggle. What qualities make this chocolate good "for men"?

I wish I knew what the Russian writing said. I am very curious.

Anyway, my sweet hubby saved me a piece and it was very yummy! It may be "for men," but this woman liked it!

Reality Bites!

You may have noticed that I changed my profile picture. And you probably are very aware that it is a "doctored" picture. My hubby gave me photoshop elements for Valentines Day and I have lots of fun trying to figure out how to use it.

I've been wanting to change my profile picture for a while, but I hate pictures of myself. So here's how it works: I take thousands of self portraits, delete them all, take thousands more and repeat until I find one that I think I can live with. Then I get on photoshop and doctor it until I think I look half way decent. Now I know, I need to be real and not be pretentious...etc, etc.

But come on...humor me. Can I please pretend to be younger than I am? Can I just tell myself that I don't weigh thirty pounds more than I used to? I like living in denial (After all, reality bites). It doesn't bother me one bit that I lie to myself about my puffy eyes, blemishes and wrinkles. So when I use photoshop to help me live in denial, you won't judge me will you? Just pretend right along with me that I'm still the young, firm-skinned youth I once was. What's that you say? I don't look one bit different than I did 15 years ago? Bless you, my sister. You just became my new best friend.

Here is the original picture (it's reality):

This is the doctored, more flattering version (it's the version based on denial):

And, just for fun......here I am about 15 years ago:

For Your Funny Bone!

If you like this, you can find this and much more over on You Tube! Search for Tim Hawkins

I Joined the Craze!

I have read Mer's and Nan's and Julie's posts about all the fun they are having with Wii. And, I must admit that I thought, "that's nice, another video game." You see, I've never really been into video games. Sure, I'll sit down and play a car racing game with my hubby every once in a while, but I have never gotten excited about it!

Until recently, that is! I was introduced to it at a girlfriend's house. She invited several friends over for an evening of Wii! We went bowling, played tennis with each other, and even tried our hands at boxing!

We did all of this in the comfort of my friend's family room.

Here is my Wii alter-ego (Note the beauty mark I gave myself and the over-the-top eye make-up!).



We had a blast, and I am hooked. So much so that I have been checking out the cost of owning a Wii!

Not only did we interact with each other, get lots of exercise, and develop our game skills, we laughed our heads off! It's pretty impossible to watch each other trying to take out our boxing opponent with out rolling in the floor.

Funny Kids!

Tech head: this mohawk brought to you by headphones!

What an inventive child: her hands free solution for nasal drip!

We Interrupt This Series...

I came across this Vision Forum giveaway (thanks to Olive Tree). I am here to announce that I hope I win this giveaway for $250 in items from the catalog. I promptly made a wish list that is worth much more, but, oh well....

1.10 Volume complete R.M. Ballantyne Christian Adventure Library
2. Complete Henty Library
3. so much more....I love many of the offerings they have. This history major drools over the Vision Forum catalog often.



In other news, I snapped this picture while sitting at a stop-light yesterday. I was amused by the misuse of an apostrophe.

Say What?

Hubby and I spotted these signs on the door at the new Michael's in the nearby town where we shop. We were amused! I wonder why they haven't noticed it yet? The store has been open for more than a month now.

Dinosaur Trees!

Are you familiar with Kudzu? It is a vine native to Japan and China but grows well in the Southeastern United States. When left uncontrolled it will eventually grow over almost anything including other vegetation. It is pretty much impossible to kill and so, as you can imagine, is a real pest! It did however supply us with a good grin the other day. As we drove by an area covered in Kudzu, my son yelled out "Dinosaur Trees!" I guess they do kind of look like dinosaurs, huh?

Strength Training

A man from the rescue mission was in our neighborhood recently. He pulled into our driveway to pick up some clothing we were donating. My hubby and our son were there to greet him.

Man from rescue mission: "Hi, I'm ----- Armstrong."

Joel: "Nice to meet you. Thanks for stopping by."

Our Son: "But, Daddy you're strong, too. And I'm strong like you."

My Nephew's Big Dream!

A conversation between my brother and his 4 year old son:

My nephew: Daddy, I want to be an astronaut when I grow up.

My brother: Really? Do you know what an astronaut does?

My nephew: It's easy, Daddy!

My brother: Is that right?

My nephew: Yeah, all he has to do is count down from ten!

Toddler Language Sequel

This morning when I was getting ready to fix my son's hair,
I got out the hair gel. He saw it and said,

"That's Daddy's hairdude jello!"


(For toddler language part 1 click here.)

Toddler Language

My 3 year old son caught a glance of himself as he was getting out of the tub a couple of days ago. His hair was sticking up on end, and he said, "Mom, I've got a hairdude!"