Have you noticed something about my blog?

Have you noticed that little map thing on the right hand side of blog?  I am totally intrigued by it... now I put it there so I knew what it was for but... some one who isn't related to me is getting on my blog... how crazy is that?   Hey if your not related to me and you aren't in Dog Patch as my dad calls Childress send me an e-mail (halemaria@sbcglobal.net) - unless your creepy or maybe like a pervert... then I'll take a pass at knowing you're looking at my blog... cuz I really don't like creeps or perverts, or ex-inmates or jerks - although I hate to judge you, I just don't what to visit with you... I'm just saying...

I know, I know...

It's been a long time since my last post. Sigh - I am so, terribly busy... no not really! Don't you just hate when people complain about being so busy when they've totally done it to themselves... GAG!  anyhoo... since my last post, I have seen my darling new niece, spent time with my sister and her cankles and administered two TAKS tests!!!  I will post pics of Jaeli later, (I've got to find my camera...) but I must tell you she's a little pixie, she's so tiny and sweet, she's totally a gift from above.  Her sister and brother are over the moon about her and so are my kids.  I hope she knows how blessed she is to have so many people thinking about her and loving her. Sager is absolutely crazy about her.  I am so glad that Sarah's and my kids are so close. 

While we were in Amarillo, everyone got new shoes, Sager wanted a pair of "rockin'" shoes, so he picks out Nike's.  I hated to tell him that Nike's aren't really rockin' but who am I to judge?!  Shaw of course got some more Tony Hawke (his total favorite!) and Scout, oh my, Scout had to get Puma's.  Don't get me started on the Puma business, let's just say that his Daddy and I are kind of, just a little bit tired of the Puma!   

Also while we were in Amarillo, we stayed with my Dad and ChaCha.  On Saturday, they got up and debated each other.  Now while most people might think this is a little out of the ordinary, for me this is the total norm.  I told my kids that we might as well go in our pajamas because it's really how every Saturday morning of my childhood was spent - them arguing with each other!!  Literally and figuratively.  This time however, I think it was for the League of Women's voters.  Selden and ChaCha were going to debate the Electoral College.  Only my parents could know enough about the 2nd article of the constitution to wake up on Saturday morning and go to a debate when Friday night they still hadn't quite decided who was going to argue for or against.... you just gotta love 'em!  

well, I've got two more tests to give, on Thursday and Friday, and then the weekend will be here - yeah!!!!

Earth Day

Hey - what did you did for Earth Day?  well, we finished planting our vegetable garden.  We had already planted some tomatoes, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower and some peppers but yesterday we planted squash, cucumbers and some more green beans.  We usually have a decent garden, except last year when we had the tornado, we didn't get tomatoes until the end of summer and the beginning of fall.  They were pretty tasty!    The other thing that happened on Earth day is Brandon brought home another hen.  Let me set the record straight, Brandon didn't consult me before he brought her home.  The boys named her Sassy.  Let's just say we don't like her, and when I say we, I mean, me, Mona and Maria (the other hens)  Mona, and  Maria are beautiful, smart and let's just say petite.  They have some girth to them.  Sassy isn't like the others.  She's tall and skinny.... we don't like that.... Mona and Maria picked on her all last night, Brandon says, I don't know why they don't like her... (he's such a man) I tried to explain it to him but he just couldn't understand.  If he would have just talked to me about it....

   

She's here!!!!1

She's HERE!!!!! baby Jaeli has finally arrived!!!!

Finally!!!!

Well my sister Sarah is finally going to have her baby, she only threatened her obgyn with imminent harm, but other than that I think she's doing pretty good!!! She was supposed to be at the hospital at 7:00 this morning but I tried to call her and she didn't answer, how rude!!! (ha-ha) too busy to talk on the phone  tsk, tsk...  

I absolutely love that her main priority after waiting ten months and gaining forty pounds is that she wanting to make sure she gets some drugs!! 

It will be sooo good to have another little one here, her brother and sister, Jamison and Jackson are sooo ready.  They are going to make the best big sister and brother!!!

We are going to go up this weekend, I know you're wondering why wait? but sometimes it's nice to get to spend some quiet time with your new baby without all the hullabaloo.  The first couple of days are the most magical, especially since your in the hospital and the nurses are there to help you, that's the best!!   There will be plenty of time for my loud bunch to invade.  (Besides I know once Sager gets a gander at that baby, he's not going to want to leave! He's already asked if he can skip school on Friday and that was before we knew that Sarah was going to the hospital)   Jaeli, sweet girl, we can't wait to see you, we already love you!!

Here are some pics from the district track meet...

Here are some pictures from the district track meet that was yesterday in Dimmitt, Texas.  I am so in awe of all of the kids who participated, especially those from Childress.  All of the kids had to be passing in their classes and they had to practice and they had to have the drive to try.  I absolutely love going and watching not only my ninja but all of the kids.  I am humbled at the thought of how hard they try and how good they do.  I know not all of our kids placed first but they are all winners in my mind for getting out their and giving it their all.  GO KITTENS!!!  (Joe Arcivar even ran with only one shoe... how wild is that!!!)

Banana pudding.... the recipe

I've had some interest in my banana pudding recipe, so here it it:

*now let me give you this one hint before you get started... the recipe calls for 1 - 4 oz carton of cool whip, the last time I eyeballed a half 80z package of cool whip but I didn't eyeball it so good (but it was still pretty darn good!),  if you want to leave the cool whip out and just top it with the cool whip that's cool (just taste it before you add the cool whip) - what I do is  use the remaining 4 oz and then another 8 oz container to cover the top of the pudding but like I said - that's just how I roll!

1 package instant vanilla pudding (small)

2 cups of milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 can eagle brand milk (sweetened condensed milk)

1 carton sour cream (small 8 oz)

1 block cream cheese (8 0z)

1 - 4 oz carton cool whip

Mix pudding and then stir together cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk until smooth, and then mix in all other ingredients, layer with bananas and wafers. 

(do these instructions make sense?  This is what I do...  I make the pudding and set it aside, then blend the cream cheese and eagle brand together and when it's totally smooth, then I add the vanilla, and sour cream, then I mix the vanilla pudding together with the cream cheese mixture, then I mix in the cool whip.  After everything is layered in a 9 x 13 glass pan and then I cover with cool whip.)

 I'm not sure what the sour cream does but I made this same recipe without the sour cream and it was good too!)  I know, I know... I have issues with banana pudding!!!

Let me know how this works for you!!!

the Ninja has left the building....

Well the Ninja just left for the district track meet!  Suzanne (Scout's nana) came and picked up the Ninja.  She had Mason at her house so she said that she would just come and pick Scout up, she said I'm old, there's no way I'll go back to sleep! that's pretty funny! anyhoo... I about to go back to sleep as Scout has to ride the bus the three hours to Dimmit and then we'll leave later.  This time everyone is going.  Sager is so excited. Last week he asked Scout if he could dress up in his track uniform and run around outside while Sager watched, Scout asked why and Sager said, well, I never get to see you run track! too funny!  We've just had the best time watching the Ninja run.  He loves it, he's such a good kid, I'm sure one of these days he'll rob a bank or do something to totally embarrass me but for now...  he's all right!

My Granny...

Well still nothing.... I talked to my sister last night and still nothing.  She hasn't had any contractions, nothing.  She's had an ultrasound and everything is good, she's just not ready to deliver... As we wait, I've been thoughtful about my kids and Sarah's first two and when I think of them, I think of my grandmother, my Granny. Why? I don't know.  Maybe because everyday I walk by a picture of her with Scout, when he was just a few weeks old.  Jackson was also lucky enough to get to be held by her.  But none of the other babies were so lucky.  She died shortly after Jackson was born.  My Granny's name was Pauline and I really, really loved her.  She was the one who we got shipped off to for school break's weekends, whatever.  We never stayed a terribly long time but the times we stayed are totally cemented in my mind.  My Granny was so strong and smart, she laughed and had a good time.  She taught me how to drive, traded books with me, slipped me money, called just to see what was up.  She and my dad would argue at the table and she would make him so mad... I just loved it.  I can still see and feel the smooth table as I looked down wondering how far the fight would go... feeling ever so uncomfortable and thinking oooooh, I wonder what he would do if I talked like that.    I can hear my dad saying, Now Ma... he never called her mom or mother just ma.  She would sit at one end and he at the other, it was like they were some old married couple, (ewwww! that's creepy!!!)    I can hear her stirring her coffee cup first thing of a morning and smell the Sara Lee coffee cake (still my favorite... I could eat a whole one by myself to this day! talk about some weird issues!)  When Brandon and I's baby, Sullivan, died, my Aunt Mona called several days later and told me that she had  a dream while I was in the hospital (it was before anyone had told her what had happened) and in her dream, my Granny and PaPa (her husband, Butch) were laughing and holding a dark haired baby.  That's how important my Granny is to me... I really, really wish that she could be here to help take care of baby Jaeli but I guess maybe she has things to do where she is....

Still waiting...

This morning Sager asked me, has Tia (my sister) decided she doesn't want her baby to get here? I said no that sometimes babies just decide to come when they are ready not when their mommas are ready.  He says what if she never wants to leave her momma's tummy, I said she has to,  so Sager and I are ready just in case Jaeli decides to come, whenever that is, we'd be fine with today or tomorrow, we're just saying.... when she's ready, we're ready...

Banana pudding....

We just got back from Brandon's grandmother where we hid eggs and ate and ate!  I made some hot sauce, it was delicious if I do say so myself!!!! and I also made banana pudding.  I have a real problem with banana pudding.  Some people can't control themselves when it comes to tequila, cigarettes, or gambling... not me, the only real vice I have (other than my stampin' up addiction - which I use for good not evil!) is banana pudding.  If I make it, then the boys and I  (really just Scout and Shaw) will eat it all in one night.  Now after I took the banana pudding over to Brandon's grandmother,  Mason Holcomb is in the banana pudding club.  I thought we were going to have to fight over the last bit!! (ha-ha!!) I use my gandmother's recipe that she got from her nephew's wife (I think that's right, her name is Oneta and they live in Oklahoma) it is just delicious.  It has eagle brand milk, instant pudding, vanilla, cool whip, cream cheese and sour cream.  Now my Aunt Quetha makes a mean banana pudding too.  In fact she made me some over Thanksgiving!  It was quite possibly one of the sweetest things (to have remembered my banana pudding love!).  The aide who works with me at the junior high, Kara, said she used to eat her grandmother's banana pudding which she served warm.  That sounds quite delicious!  I should have gotten the recipe for it!  If I ate warm banana pudding, I might just become comatose!  Anyhoo, we are still waiting for Sarah to have her baby and we'll stay warm inside listening to the rain and eating banana pudding!! Hope everyone had a weekend and a good Easter!

Still waiting...

I am still waiting patiently for baby Jaeli.  My sister said yesterday she was pretty sure she would have it last night even though she hasn't even had a contraction nor has her water broke.  She lied!!!! I told her about the track meet, I guess she listened to me!!! Good! I love it when people listen to me.  Sager says that we need to go to the store and buy her a pink dress with polka dots on it and then get a bow for her head, because she won't have hair, she'll have to get a headband.  (Isn't he the sweetest!) Hurry up Jaeli!!! we're waiting!!!!

Waiting patiently...

I'm waiting, patiently, for my sister to go into labor.  When I talked her  today she said that when she sits down, her belly rests on her legs (ha-ha!) (She has gained 36 pounds, so that means that she has been carrying a Sager around!) She goes to see the doctor tomorrow and I am  hoping  that will get things going!  I really would like for her to wait until Friday morning because Scout has a track meet on Thursday and I really want to go to it, but I really excited  for her baby to get here!!   My sister Sarah has two kids already and we are waiting for baby girl Jaeli.  Our doctor has delivered all of our babies and we just love him.   He is so kind and laid back.  Truly a man of few words.  Hurry up Jaeli and get here soon!

The Share Bears....

So this week was Sager's 2nd grade musical.  Sager evidently has some issues with musicals.  He doesn't like standing up (he gets tired!) and he doesn't like people judging him.  That's right I said judging!!! It seems that Sager doesn't hold back when it comes to complaining about certain things.  One such certain thing is that Sager doesn't want to dress up in a costume for school.  (Although he wears his old Halloween costumes all the time! so go figure!)  After practice one day, Sager tells his music teacher (who is quite possibly the most patient, calm and wonderful woman, and who can sing like an angel!) that he is worried about all the other kids out in the audience who won't be wearing costumes, he thinks they will think he looks, ridiculous, so he wasn't sure if he should wear a costume (her version was waaay better, she could totally do Sager with his hand movements and everything!) So the sweet woman that she is, calls me and tells me that she's worried about Sager being scarred for life because of the bear costume (it was so funny!) and I tell her that his worry over being judged by others took a back seat to my worry over being judged for having the poor little kid who didn't have a costume!  So the day of the musical, Sager was totally precious in his costume and even hammed it up for the camera!  

It's been a while now...

It's been a while since I posted last!  This week has been kind of crazy!  Monday morning as Shaw was microwaving his toaster strudel before school, I noticed that the top of his big toe was red and infected.  When I asked about it, he said oh don't worry Momma, I already squeezed all the pus out of it!! (Thanks Shaw, that's exactly what I wanted to hear!!!)  then Scout who had been a little sick, ran really hard in Athletics and evidently that sent his sickness into overdrive!! After two days of school missed, and a blood test for anemia and mono, he's finally feeling better (blood test was negative!) (Thanks goodness, because when I told him he would have to drop out of track if his test was positive for mono, he nearly cried!!!)  So after three doctor visits (Brandon took Sager to the ear, nose and throat doctor on Friday!) and countless prescriptions and one 2nd grade musical ( I'll have to post about that later!!) we have finally reached the end of the week!!)    So...

Here are a few pictures from last week's much anticipated snow storm.  Sager was the the only one who had any desire to go outside.  The others are too jaded!  As you can tell it really wasn't much of a storm.  I can remember massive snow falls in Amarillo when I was little, part of me wishes my kids could have some of that fun but alas I don't think it will happen any time soon!