They Put The Security Tags In The Darnest Places...

Today I went shopping while Em was at a pottery camp. Soph, Little One and I headed over to the very swank and upscale boutique of TJ Maxx. Anyplace where you can pile clothing into a plastic, squeaky cart seems to be my kind of place these days. Now, before anyone accuses me of being sarcastic, which I never am by the way, let me say I'm serious. A cart is a very nice thing to have when you are tired of chasing a two year old around the store and telling her to "look please, not touch" no less than twelve dozen times. Put child in cart with a book or whatever she just pulled off the shelf along with the heavy tote bag you carry as a purse. The purse is hot pink with green dots by the way. Just another accessory that screams, "I'm a Mom with a child in diapers!".

So we wheeled the squeaking cart across the store to the dresses, but before we could shop Soph decided we needed a bathroom break. Then Little One decided to try, with no success. Don't ask her though because she will always respond to the question "Did you go?" with "Just a little bit". I never argue even though it is obvious she didn't go even just a little bit, it's the trying that counts right?

Back over to the dresses. I pick one up, like the colors, like the price even better and turn to put it in the cart. Soph looks at the dress and then at me and asks, "What's that shirt doing in the dress section?" Quickly I hold very cute dress up in front of me and realize it hits 4 inches above my knee. I glance up at the sign over the rack and it says JUNIORS. Ahhh, that explains it. I take this time to explain to Soph that it is really not very modest to wear such a short skirt, no matter what the age. I'm hoping she'll skip those teen years all together actually.

Creaking over to the Misses dress section I'm relieved to find dresses of a more appropriate length. Soph picks out a very pretty one and guess what, the skirt of the dress goes to my ankles. See she took my little chat about modesty to heart, bless that child. So we throw a few more things into the cart and race across the store to the dressing room. The cart is now full of clothes to try on, but is minus a toddler. She is skipping across the store yelling "Pretty, pretty" as she points to everything she passes.

I am a little upset that the largest dressing room is occupied. I hear the voices of two young women commenting on colors and hemlines behind the dressing room doors. I listen to them giggling as they twirl about in that spacious room as I cram myself, Soph, and Little One into a stall about 2 feet wide. But it's okay because I can try on clothes in record time. I've learned this from having three children and a husband who highly dislikes shopping. I try on Soph's dress and because of the lack of zippers or buttons it's a little bit of a struggle getting it on, but once it's on it fits very nice. The cut is sexy enough for my husband and modest enough for my children. Folks, I don't know about the rest of you women, but for me that right there is a winner. Almost enough that I wouldn't care what it costs, almost. The problem comes when I try to take off the dress. It has these twisted crisscross straps in the back and right smack in the center of the straps they have the security tag. You know, the big ugly plastic thing that is filled with ink. The one you shouldn't let your very curious 6 year old play Macgyver with.

So there I am in the snug little stall pulling and tugging, trying to get the dress off. Every time I wiggled the tag dug itself into my back. When I shimmied it pulled tight onto the straps so I couldn't slip my arms out. I thought of asking the dour faced woman at the entrance to the dressing room to take it off, but the fact that she counted my items twice before going in and then eyed my purse-bag suspiciously I was hesitant. She'd probably think it was some sort of evil plan to thwart their security system.

Taking a deep breath I try again and whack my elbow on the wall behind me. Ouch. I dare to glance over at Soph. One look and we both burst into laughter. Little One, not wanting to feel left out, stops trying to peek under the next stall and begins to laugh. Her laugh is the throw your head back, scrunch up your eyes and nose, deep belly laugh. This of course makes Soph and I laugh even harder. Somewhere in this hilarity I am actually able to slip the dress down and off my body. Thank you, I'm free.

But all this makes me wonder who is the person that puts these security tags into place. They always end up in the very worst places. I won't tell you what happened when I tried on a swimsuit with one of those things attached. Well, it just wasn't pretty. And sometime it's really hard to imagine the outfit without the tag when its sitting dead center on your chest.

If you are a security tag pinner I'm just asking if you'll please think of us before you shoot that tag onto a garment. Please.

Oh, and by the way, I splurged and bought myself a purse. A real, honest to goodness purse. There is nothing bag or tote about it. No pink, no dots, no pull out diaper changer. I can't wait until the day I get to use it.

And if you have any shopping horror stories, I'd love to hear all about it!

The Chicken Post

"Momma, Momma! Ms. L is going to get a bunch of chicken eggs for our class and we are going to watch them hatch", Soph exclaims as she throws herself into the backseat of the van after school. "Then we get to take them home. Can we take one home?"

I'm about a sentence behind, my sluggish brain not able to keep up with her rapid speech.

"Um, well okay. Not to keep, but for a few weeks", I respond hoping this will be the answer she is looking for.

It is. Her smile is wide as she turns to Little One and begins telling her all about chickens.

Luckily, my parents are visiting when the chicks hatch. My mother, who was raised on a farm, remembers chickens from her childhood. She helps us set up the aquarium with heat lamp and newspaper for bedding. It is at her suggestion that we bring home not one chick, but two. To keep each other company, my mom explains.

We end up bringing home Cookie, a black chick, and Sugar a yellow bare-necked chick. Ms. L calls it a turkin (half chicken and half turkey), but the people at the feed store said it was a bare necked chicken. Either way, it is alarmingly ugly with the feathers missing from around its neck and part of its head. I feel like making it a little scarf or stylish boa to wear.

Little Sugar and her bare neck

Soph and Little One on the first day.

The girls play with the chicks everyday. Feeding, watering and changing the cage is a daily job. When they get bigger, Soph sometimes cleans the cage twice a day. They take them out for flying lessons and exercise. The cage sits atop our kitchen table. We eat at the dining room table so it works out. I must admit I get very used to the constant chirping the two make during the day. When they sleep they cuddle up next to each other and I have to smile because my mother knew what she was talking about.

Soph, Little One and Em giving the chicks their morning exercise

Flying lesson at about a week old

Some cuddle time

At 2 weeks Sugar is able to fly to the top of the cage when we take off the screen. She has become the more advanced of the two and I have come to appreciate her unique appearance. At 2 1/2 weeks it is time for them to go back to school. Sadness descends upon our house. But it is time, I insist. Plus, they are going to a nice farm to live. Soph wants to see the farm. She is a mother hen wanting to make sure her chicks new home is nice enough. On their last day at our house Cookie flies to the top of the box I have her in. I find an odd comfort in this. Now I know she is ready.

Sweet Ms. L says it is no problem, after school we will go out to her parents place and put the chicks in their new home. Soph is so excited, that she forgets to be sad. That afternoon her best friends mom arrives with their chick to return. They had no intention of going to the farm, but once it is found out we are going, the poor mom has no choice. Whoops, sorry. Here we are at the farm, that is sweet Ms. L

The farm is very nice. The girls are thrilled to see all the other chickens and even a turkey. Dogs greet us as the girls giggle. The chicks are carefully placed in their new coop. Our chicks are twice the size of the others. I'm not sure why, maybe it was all that exercising and extra attention, or maybe it was because we took home two. Companionship may just grow healthier chicks. Even in the coop they stick together like glue, they have become good friends.

Soph putting her chicks in the coop.

Little One thinks this Border Collie looks just like her grandparents dog.

It is oddly quiet at our house. I keep expecting the little chicks to peep as I walk through the room. Amazing how attached you can get to little creatures. The girls still have a hard time eating chicken, and I must admit it has lost some of its appeal to me as well. Soph now is awaiting a field trip out to check on the chicks. We will see if that can be arranged.

My girls and Soph's sweet friend

Soph's World

When I was a kid I had a wonderful imagination. In fact, I don't ever remember being bored. If nothing was going on I could curl up with a book and find myself immersed in a new world. If I had a piece of paper, I could make up my own story. Daydreaming was a favorite past time, even in the middle of Algebra class. Oh, and I took that class twice by the way.


Sometimes now that I am all grown up life gets in the way of my imagination and daydreams. Luckily though, I have kids who help me take a break from the real world and I'm able to immerse myself in the land of make-believe.


Soph is my middle child and she is a dreamer. Has been since she was very small. I recognize that trait in her just as easily as I recognize the ability of my oldest to finish math facts at an amazing speed. Some might call Soph a loner, but I know better. She is never alone. She is surrounded by all the characters she makes up in her head. She doesn't feel the need to talk very much around others because she is too busy observing and absorbing her surroundings.

She often asks questions like, "How do you feel being a mother?", "What do you think it would feel like to be in a rocket going to the moon?"and "What did people eat 200 years ago?". She's a thinker.

Her world is not black and white. Instead it is a kaleidoscope of colors which twist and twirl together exploding with points of light. This gives her the ability to view her surroundings with curiosity and wonder.

She constantly drags me into her world of make-believe. I'm not complaining though, it helps to me to see things from different perspectives. And for a writer, seeing things in different lights is essential. She helps me to exercise my imagination. I feel very privileged to view the world through her eyes every once in awhile. Lucky me.

So what or who triggers your imagination?

Memorable Moments Monday

This weekend was full of fun that kept us busy. I would like to post some pictures, but WB still has the camera in his car so I'll have to do that tomorrow! Three of my dear friends from my old hometown came to see me Friday night for a girls night out. They arrived wearing big, red, clown noses. They just crack me up. It's amazing what just an evening with your girlfriends can do to boost your energy!

Then it was off to my old hometown for a haircut Saturday morning for a little trim and upkeep. Always, nice to have your hair done, even though I know it will only last a couple of days because I can never do it the same way. Oh well, I'm just not good with lots of maintenance, don't have the patience for all that girly stuff most days:)

Then we rushed back home to catch the end of Soph's first track meet. She did great and got some ribbons. I think they all get ribbons of some sort, but she said she came in first twice! Those long legs make a good runner. I was so happy for her, because this is the first sport since the Karate debacle that she has participated in. (Karate + elderly teacher + being 5 + sitting for 90 minutes with little activity and lots of just listening to instruction = unhappy camper!) I'll have to post pictures of the meet on Tuesday if I can snatch the camera back from hubby.
Oh, and note to self: Bring lots of blankets to ward off chill of wind, chairs, snacks, and lots of energy to chase 2 year old around for 2+ hours while meet is going on. Can't wait until next Saturday!

And finally we planted our Western Prairie Garden and booster from High Country Gardens. I'll have to give you more details on that later this week. Plus, some pictures of our 10 TON pile of manure that is starting to look a little smaller with all our work! Everyone needs to view pictures of 10 TONS of manure, don't you think?

Those are some of my Memorable Moments...what's yours?

MMM- Thanksgiving History According to Soph

Soph is my 6 year old who is loving, sensitive, and has a wonderful imagination coupled with an extensive vocabulary. For several days she has been recounting stories of pilgrims, Indians, and Christopher Columbus. The following conversations are her recounting of historical events, because I'm sure we all need to brush up on the story of Thanksgiving before Thursday.

Soph's voice drifts forward from the very back of the mini-van, "Christopher Columbus was Spanish, and so that means he came from Mexico. He landed on a rock...Plyy....., what was it called again? (I tell her Plymouth) Oh, yes Plymouth rock. Now, they didn't have airplanes back then so he must of come in on a parachute. (I ask what he jumped from then?) Some high place I guess."

A day or so later:

(Again in the car) "So the pilgrims ate fish (looking at her little sister) you may want to put this out of your mind, and deer. (Little One views all deer as her pets since they visit our yard nightly). It was cold and they were starving and the Indians shared their food. The Indians lived in big round houses and they let the Pilgrims live with them.

Later:

"Remember that big rock. Well it cracked and the Pilgrims tried to glue it back together with concrete. It didn't work and they took pieces of it to build a gate in town."

Even later:

"The pilgrims came over on a ship called the Mayflower. It was about as long as a football field. They didn't have bathrooms so they used buckets. When it was full they yelled, "Bucket is full!" and the maids came and dumped it over the side, into the ocean. A lot of them got sea sick and well it just wasn't a very pleasant trip."

Later still:

"I don't think the pilgrims even ate turkey which leads me to believe we eat turkey on Thanksgiving because we want to, not because the pilgrims did!"

Disclaimer: The above is a history lesson given by a six year old and all historical data should be checked for accuracy.

Eating Ribs 101

Around here eating ribs is sort of an art form. My Dad is a master at stripping the bone completely clean. Because of this we were brought up under The Rib Enforcement Act of 1976, which clearly states that all meat must be cleared from the bone. In fact it was strictly enforced and we were not allowed another rib until we passed the rib inspection test. Okay, I may be exaggerating a little...no, no really that is how I remember it. My oldest daughter Em, passed this test early on, probably around the age of 2. Soph, my on and off vegetarian, hasn't put much stock in the Rib Enforcement Act until recently.

When my parents were here we had ribs. The following is documentation of the REA when put into effect:

This is what I mean folks. This is true dedication to the art of rib eating. She makes her Gramp proud!

Memorable Moment Monday

Today's memorable moment was when Soph swam across the width of the pool during her swimming lesson today. It is hard to believe that at the beginning of the last summer she wouldn't leave the pool stairs much less put her head under water. Today I watched as she made several very determined attempts to swim freestyle to the other end of the pool. I smiled as I watched her listen to her teacher's instructions then bowed her head and with folded hands said a prayer. I watched as her little brow furrowed and her lips moved as she concentrated on her conversation with God. Suddenly she was finished and she took a deep breath and pushed off the wall. Her strokes evened out and became more fluid, which was just the boost she needed to push herself to the opposite wall. Her teacher jumped out of the water and gave her a high five. Soph turned to me as I sat watching her from the observation window and with a huge grin she waved. I gave her a big thumbs up as Little One clapped in glee. I can't even begin to tell you the confidence this sport has given her both in and out of the pool. It makes a mom proud!

Look at Our New Do's

Okay, I know I have a story to tell about our long trip home the other day, but I had to post this picture of my girls and their new haircuts. Em went first and something amazing happened, Soph decided to cut her hair short and get some bangs. I almost fell over, in fact I had to sit down for a moment. I anxiously watched as her hair was cut and was so happy that halfway through she didn't change her mind and start crying. Mrs. Brenda, who has been cutting their hair since their first ever haircut did a wonderful job! I am so happy that I can now see Soph's face and the brushing will be so much easier, yipee!!

I'm just so happy, I think I'll just sit here and take in their glowing faces:)

Memorable Moments Monday - Passing of Time

I know we all think about time, and how quickly it passes. We blink and suddenly almost twenty years have passed since your high school graduation and you open your eyes one day to your sweet baby passing from kindergarten to first grade. It was just yesterday I was laying in a hospital bed watching her sleep, listening to WB snoring beside me, while completely thrilled with my little Fourth of July bundle.

I remember she used to let me pick out her clothes and do her hair so it wouldn't hang in her face and drive her mother crazy! Those days are long gone, long, long gone... She has a mind of her own now (maybe I shouldn't have let her listen to my record of Free To Be Me And You every night as a toddler) and she's not afraid to use it.

We measured her foot today and she wears a size 1 and Em is wearing a size 2. She's already wearing the clothes her big sister just put away last summer!! Good grief, she will outgrow Em here in another year or so.

And as I looked into her big brown eyes as she sang with the rest of her class up on stage, I imprinted that image into my memory. Because I know that if I were to blink I just might open my eyes to her walking across her high school stage wearing that same black hat and smiling that same sweet smile.

Posting Minus The Rant

Well, I just wrote a very therapeutic post in which I expressed something that has really been upsetting me, unfortunately I can not post it now. WB has asked me to hold off until things get more settled...we're in the middle of a an issue and we're setting up meetings with the involved parties and once that is done I can rant, aren't you excited? WB, the dear man, believes hundreds of people read my blog on a daily basis (not you loyal twelve!) and doesn't want to rock the apple cart just yet, it's a strategic move on his part. He really would have made a good lawyer or chess player for that matter. So I will have to share later...

Em played Little Late Riding Hood in her class play. It was a hoot and those kids are budding actresses and actors. Her teacher works with them so hard on these things and she is such a great teacher. We have been blessed on the teacher front!

That was supposed to be a picture of Em in her play, but that picture is on my laptop downstairs and well I'm upstairs now! So imagine this face and a red hood, that's what it was like.

And here's Soph. She has been busy with end of the year activities. And she found a turtle yesterday, so life is good.