Betcha Didn't Know...

Did you know I spend a fair amount of time hunting for insects? It pleases my children and keeps them busy for hours....OK, minutes on end. I'm great at finding roly poly's, moths and a cricket here or there. When I do, I'm a hero for the next hour.

However, when I find something like this, I'm hero for the entire day.

(Gloves are a must when handling a Praying Mantis. They tend to pinch and bite if you tick them off.)

We played with our friend for a while and them released him into our flowers to dine on all of the naughty bugs. Thanks little guy....you made my day.

10 Years!

9.11.1999 - 9.11.2009~Happy 10 years to us!

According to about.com, the 10th anniversary traditional gift should be none other than tin or aluminum. "The pliability of tin and aluminum is a symbol of how a successful marriage needs to be flexible and durable and how it can be bent without being broken."

Some gift suggestions from about.com:

Tin or aluminum paper weight
Antique tin toys
Tin or aluminum wall sconces
Tin snips or cutters
Shaker pie safe with punched tin panels
Antique tin bank

Dear Darling Hubby,

Should you decide to follow the lead of about.com and purchase me something made of tin or aluminum for our tenth wedding anniversary, proceed with caution.

I shall break your neck.

Thanks for 10 AMAZING years. I love you!

Me

Training Camp

Last week Evan held 'Football Training Camp' in our backyard. He created tickets on his computer, which he printed out and gave to Derek and me.

His brothers had no choice but to be willing and active participants.

It's something they're quite used to.

We handed our tickets to the short person at the ticket booth (Logan) who happily accepted them....and then crumpled them up.

We were ushered to the bleachers (handmade from piles and piles of rocks).

Some chose to forgo the rocky bleachers for a better view from inside the sandbox.

Others chose to steal the tee. Again.....and again.....and again.

The brothers huddled.

They kicked.

They bonded.

Brotherly love rocks.

Eye Black...Jack Jack Style.

Eye black
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eye black is a grease applied under the eyes to reduce glare. It is often used by baseball and American football players, where sunlight or stadium lights can impair vision of an airborne ball. Eyeblack has been used for centuries to help reduce the glare of the sun. Traditional grease consists of beeswax, paraffin, and carbon. Anti-glare stickers that emulate the grease are also manufactured, sometimes with a sports team logo printed on. According to Paul Lukas of ESPN.com, the earliest known instance of a player wearing eye black is Washington Redskins fullback Andy Farkas, who apparently came up with the idea on his own in 1942. He also goes on to say that the original eye black was made from burned cork ashes.

If you find yourself in need of eye black and you have no traditional grease, burned cork ashes or anti-glare stickers, you have to improvise.

Green sharpie markers will also do the job. Just ask Jack.

Note to reader: This picture was taken after I did my best at scrubbing it off.

Wes has a new trick-

Just when all seems to be calm, life hands me another ball to juggle.

Wes can now reach the door handle, pull down the lever and go outside.

Enough said.

I'm not as smart as I thought.

Back in March, when Luke turned 5, he received a kit to grow his own Venus Fly Trap. It came complete with a nice terrarium to grow several different carnivorous types of plants. We happily planted the seeds, and have been eagerly awaiting their arrival ever since.

Patiently and eagerly awaiting.

So far, all we see is the same dirt, rocks & plastic amphibians that were there back in March. Everyone knows we're heading into the dreaded 'dormant' season, so I've been praying for a miracle.

My prayers were answered last week when I walked into the grocery store and saw a sign that read, VENUS FLY TRAPS. I ran to the floral section and grabbed the most beautiful trap I could find. I rushed my way through the rest of my shopping and couldn't wait to give Duke my $6.00 gift. I was about to become a hero and my badge of honor was well-earned.

Luke was as happy as a child could possibly be. He immediately went hunting for bugs. He came back inside 2 minutes later with a live grasshopperish/crickit-like/green moth thingy. He knew just what to do. He carefully removed the terrarium lid and placed his catch into the jaws of the trap. As they quickly closed upon their prey, Luke watched with horror.


Then he burst into tears. LARGE, crocodile tears.

He informed the venus fly trap that it was 'not nice to eat one of God's creatures' and that he needed to 'spit it out RIGHT NOW!'

The venus fly trap didn't listen. He just kept right on trapping.

What was I thinking? Buying a venus fly trap for a future entomologist and bug/creature lover extraordinaire was one of the worst and most shameful mistakes I have done since taking the role of motherhood 8 1/2 years ago.

Since last week, I have spent my days catching flies and feeding them to 'Trappy.' If Trappy doesn't eat, Trappy will die.

And that would break Luke's heart.

Picture this...

I hate, hate, hate to blog without a picture. You'll just have to use your imagination.

(PS-Hate is not a word that's allowed in our house. Ah, the dreaded 'H' word. However, seeing as my kids don't read my blog, I'm breaking the rules.)

Earlier today, Jack wound himself around, and around, and around until the swing would no longer wind. He counted to three and let go. I watched him spinning out of control until my stomach could no longer take the view. Once his ride was over, he stumbled like a drunken sailor and sat down next to me.

"You know what, mom?" He said. "If you spin very fast on your swing and then try to walk, it makes you really dusty."

"Dusty?" I asked. "You look clean to me."

Becoming easily agitated, he added-"NO, MOM! I don't mean dirty, I MEAN DUSTY! You know like when you swing, and swing, and swing and you try to walk but you fall over?"

"You mean dizzy?" I suggest.

"Yes, dizzy!" He said. And then he got up and sat by someone else.

The end.