The Little Yellow House

Wiley ways...

 

 

Sooooo – perhaps I should ask for daily prayer in raising this young climber…….

 

Yesterday afternoon my sweet baby wiped out his mouth again on the slide (small indoor slide that resides in our den)…biting his lower teeth into his upper palette – creating a huge hole on the top -  and knocking free one of his bottom teeth  ~ splitting the gum around the tooth open. The small tooth now sits at an angle.

*Yet another tooth sacrificed to his wiley ways.

 

We rushed him to the ped. dentist again – blood everywhere/hysterical crying ( just from him, this time) ….and they will see him again tomorrow to note the progress of it and the swelling.

 

Daughter and I were both RIGHT THERE when it happened – he was actually standing on the ground – trying to step up into the slide…his foot missed and his face came down on the edge of the plastic slide. We instantly knew the situation was not good…..but at least we were there for each other and knew what came next…..we threw him in the car and drove 90- to– nothing to the dentist.

 

This child is just twisty – slippery – wiggly  and ‘ googly – footed.’  He is without a fear of falling or apprehension of pain – oblivious that gravity exists….all things are possible …from all heights……all things are to be lifted over his head and carried from one room to another….often while looking backwards.

 

Knowing this…… we guard him like he’s a small prisoner….but none the less our efforts only save him from 97% of all bumps and bruises.

 

He’s attempted the ‘flying squirrel’ move a few times….tried ‘leap frog’ over the coffee table….and dangling from the second shelf in his closet.

 

He thinks anything with an indentation was made for his foot…anything that can be stacked was made for piling…

 

Which then lends itself to having some inevitable footholds…and the things that were stacked…are now climbed…..and the combination is a doosey!

 

Hard, pointy objects……like little animals with hooves and ears, seem to make better toys…then stuffed bears or round balls.

 

Hands must ALWAYS be carrying TWO objects…thus preventing us from holding unto our surroundings firmly, or using our hands to steady ourselves…….* or simply break our fall.

 

I’ve decided I must always be dressed – with shoes ready at the backdoor – purse and keys ready to grab and go to any emergency facility with my baby – dundee………..

 

Lounging in jammies during the day while playing and cleaning…. does not provide the good bat-man exit I need to have on hand while in the throes of raising this young warrior.

 

Somehow being bra-less and shoe-less during these emergencies..........makes me feel less in control of my faculties when I need them J

Ending Easter.....

This is how Easter day ended....

An Easter Egg hunt in the yard.....and running off some energy....

   

 

Sister helping with the eggs......

 

 

*And an attempt at a family photo with our new Easter hats on.......

This is last years lovely picture:

Here is THIS years.

..........................My Favorite..............................

*Poor thing...we terrorized him with his little mask:(

  

so I wore it instead.......

 

I think last years hats were far more flattering....

BUT, we had a whole lot more laughs this year!

* just can't see why these bunny faces might scare the baby?

Easter! Easter! Easter!!!

Good Easter Morning!!!

He has risen!!

 

I LOVE EASTER…

 

I think I might love it equally with Christmas.

One holiday so full of Joy that the Savior was gifted to us…the other, that eternal life was gifted to us.

Amazing. Truly amazing.

How can there be any more joy than receiving the perfect gift when I have done nothing to deserve it?

 

I love a sun rise service…..

 

I love Easter lilies….and tulips.

 

I love singing at the top of my lungs 'Halleluiah'…and all the glorious music played on this morning!!

 

I grew up in a church that had a HUGE wooden cross – hollowed out in the middle…just wide enough to place in containers of lilies……I so vividly remember that gorgeous brown cross luminating with light – filled with lilies…and suspended in the front of the church. * Oh, that I wish I could see that again!!

 

 MMMmmmmm ~ mmmmmm…….I use to sing so loud that I thought a lung might collapse as I competed with the womanly voices around my young body.

* I have no doubt they were trying to drown me out...a gifted singer ~ I am not.

 

But ...if one was ever going to sing or belt it out, oblivious to tone or tune...Easter was it!!

I loved it!! ** I still do**

 

So this Easter…I thought I’d share with you Baby’s Easter Egg.

Lovely huh?

His arrived a day early and was nursed with lots of kisses and ice.

 

This boy is going to give me a run for my money.

 

It's been determined ~ he’s a climber.

 

Did I hear you gasp? I’m gasping…as I run after him EVERYWHERE pulling his little arms and legs off of anything that has an indentation that will work as a foot hold for a small footJ

Someone have mercy on me.

 

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Easter is underway.....

 

Early morning church service….

 

Baskets have been found..

( we always put a lot of brain power into theeee best hiding spot – trying to top the year before)

 

New toys for Baby discovered underneath the couch....

 

Casseroles prepared for the family dinner........

 

*I’ve only eaten one chocolate malt ball thus far….

* And I've already blogged - wow!! Things are coming together!!

 

So....It’s off to a great start!!

I hope yours is wonderful too.....

Re-Do & Remorse....

 

It’s Thursday and I think I’ve almost recovered from my daughter’s 12^th birthday party a week ago  - last Friday. But it’s still touch and go – really.

 

That’s a story about me thinking I was Super Woman….and finding out that I’m not.

I’m really really really NOT.

I’m looking forward to penning my night of disorder, trouble and anarchy….but for right now I feel led to tackle another topic.

 

Me.

Most of the time....I  think that I have my arrow pointed in one direction and know who I want to be…who I want to become.

 

I’m okay it with it being a process…and strive to work diligently at bettering myself every day.

 

I know of no other way than to seek my heavenly Father with all my heart, talk to Him  – all the time, and read the life manual left for me ~ my bible.

 

I’m hoping that a little bit of Him seeps into me.....a bit more every day.I really want to be 'Christ–like'...... in all that it means.

 

But I find…far more than I care to – that the human/flesh part of me is much larger and harder to battle – sometimes harder to recognize, that I want to admit.

 

But.... I have some 'admitting' to do……

 

I must say that I apologize for my dog rant…and have pulled it from my blog….because although, it might be relatable, it’s really not who I want to be….nor what I want to blog about.

 

I’m repentant.

 

Being a good friend is something that I preciously treasure, and although my friend does not know that I blog…taking out my frustrations with being a wordsmith is not an admirable characteristic.

 

The golden rule rose up and bopped me on the head – *as it ought to have…..

 

Treat others as you would like to be treated.

 

HHhmmmm…I don’t think that I would like a friend of mine having an opinion about me and then chatting about it on the side – whether I knew about it or not.

 

 And I think it would say something about my friend.

 

So…there it is. I think it said something about me, that I didn’t like looking at. Argh.

 

It wasn’t my intention…it really wasn’t even about my friend as I was writing it – it was about all people and their animals…and observations that I have had a long time …but I gave it voice after my latest encounter on a recent afternoon.

 

Non – the – less……I did use it as a muse ~ wrongfully.

 

Entertaining? Maybe.

 

Wrong? Definitely.

 

Perhaps if it had been an observation outside of a personal friendship…only the humor would have been alive…but because I love my friend – I could not escape that this was ‘talking about her’ …in a form – even if she had no idea. I knew – and that was enough.

 

Upon reflection and discovery of my far-from–perfect-self  …..I called my friend and  had a sincere conversation with her about our visiting, her dogs and visiting in the future. It went very well – and I think that our time together will be so much better.

 

This was an authentic way to honor my friendship with my friend, and deal with a sensitive topic.... it feels right with my soul. The blogger in me got a good 'ol talking to......

 

Not as entertaining, but far more genuine.

Who knew blogging could be self -actualizing??

 

I had to make a U-turn….this is who I want to be.

 

I’m so glad there is forgiveness.

 

I have always admired and appreciated a woman who was soft spoken, full of encouragement, and full of life. Someone who can roar with laughter when it is appropriate and find the silver lining any situation.

 

Someone who doesn’t always feel the need to speak….. values listening and discerning what needs to be said….or blogged aboutJ

 

My list of attributes for WHO I want to be…is sooooooooo very long.

 

I hope I took a step in the right direction today.

 

I appreciate your goodness in following me through the U-turn….

30 days....

So the 26^th was 30 days of blogging (YIPPPEEEE!!!!) 

 

(It's also Dad's birthday - Happy Birthday Dad!!! * He doesn't like Birthday fan-fair, so that is the most I can do)

 

I added up my 'reality' verse 'my commitment'.... and I truly only posted 18 times. ( *boy , it felt like sooo many more than that) Should I look at the glass half empty or half full?

I didn’t make my commitment…but I posted more than I ever have before.

 

 HHHhhmmm……

 

 I always like to go with half full…….

 

AND I think I need to spin some positiveness into this blog because I really felt like I was rather opinionated with my DOG DAYS and may have offended a few patient listeners of my rant.

So sorry to anyone who knows me and now thinks that they have to BAR their animals from me.

 

I LOVE ANIMALS!!   

 

And 98% of people have warm, wonderfully adorable pets that I love to visit with….please don’t make me out to be Cruella De Vil. J

 

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 It’s 1 am and I have one eye open….so I thought I’d just post one of last weekend’s projects.

 

 Cutting the legs off of the crib.

 

Baby is very very tall but not old enough to understand that if he hikes one leg up on the side of his crib... he is going to fling himself headfirst into the floor…a very steep drop.

 

The mattress was on its lowest rung…so we simply removed it – placed the mattress on the floor and made the crib match the height on the floor – thus raising the bar back up.

Now it meets Baby at his neck – so he’s not going anywhere for awhile.

 

Before:

 

 

 

After:

 

 

 

**I will tell you.....BENDING over now to change a diaper, give a hug, or rescue a toy from his grasp.....is quite the feat for this old lady!!

 

OOoooo - EEEEeeee...this back does not want bend that far.... or for longer than a nano second.

 

But I'll endure....Baby is safe.

 

Friday is here...I'll have to make my new weekend list of 'projects'.....

 

Perhaps getting a back massage will be on there......*then I could lay there and think of making a whole post about something I love....something that brings peace, unity, and good tidings to anyone reading it....then maybe you'll see me as "half full" - ?

 

Fireplace/graveyard

$300 later…no more rotting squirrels in the fireplace.

 

Chimney Sweep was here from 9 – 4pm the other day…. a long day of death management.

 

I was right – a couple of squirrels had passed away on the other side of the bricks (that makes me sad) and the 20 huge horse flies that had accumulated on the brick of my fireplace inisde my house, ( gross) was 'PROOF without witness' that their tiny bodies were trying to go back to being dust again.

 

The smell was outrageous.

 

 

 

A small man in a top hat and coat tails – no joke - showed up at 9am already looking like an ash balloon had engulfed him – it must be a permanent color due to the nature of his work - ???

 

The coat tails came off – but I noticed he donned his hat while climbing to our roof and working away on the smoke stack. In fact – it proved quite useful to me as I looked for him – for I could not see him due to the slant of my roof…but could see the little hat tottling around from time to time. I wonder if he wears it for that reason?

 

Then came the good news – the builder of the house had failed to put a cement shelf behind our flue…so the squirrels were 3ft. lower, and in an area that they could not be retrieved from. Bummer.

 

So Mr. Sweep suggested we entomb them in cement.

He built us the shelf that should have lived in our fireplace from the beginning. He patched up the hole at the top of the stack so that no other creatures would meet this fate.

 

No more smell.

 

No more flies.

 

No more Money.

Springing back from Spring Break....

Well...if you're going to fall off the wagon...then fall really hard - right??

Yep - that's what I've done - I've gone from occasionally missing a post to going a week without one update.

sorry.

It was Spring Break week for us - and I needed a break...to get ready for Spring.

It's 4:05 am - and NO - I haven't just woken.....I'm STILL up:)

My specialty - all nighters. Exhaustion will kick in in about 60 minutes and I'll want to gouge my eyes out - but that's okay - I got A LOT accomplished.

* Though I've been madly trying to chase down a check I misplaced about 2 weeks ago and have torn the house apart looking for it. This is a sick feeling ~ I can't find it anywhere. I have one spot left in my bedroom that is my last hope....but don't want to rummage around right now while Hubby is sleeping.

* Boy - I hope it is there.

Last week was a bit of a blur because I just threw myself into all kinds of projects....

For Spring Break my daughter went on a Ministry trip all week - helping to rebuild another church and put on a small VBS program for the children of that church.

 Isn't THAT a marvelous way to spend a spring break??

I thought that was the best use of her time, imaginable...

The other option was:  loafing around the house, telling me how bored she is quite often.... as all good teenagers do..helping to watch the squirmy one year old...or trying to jump on the computer to play her one game she has a membership to. Doesn't that ALL sound like a lot of fun?? * nope.

I thought that.... going and 'giving' of herself to others for the whole week - disguised as fun and a big get-away from the 'routine of life'...might just do her heart a world of good.

And it did :) I'm so proud of her! * she's a good egg*

I buried myself in small projects - nothing notable...but none the less important.

I 'm always amazed at how many itsy-bitsy details life has in it - all needing loving care and tending to. Everything thing from writing important love notes to family.......to remembering to pick up paper clips at the store.....because that project at home can't move forward until you have some DARN paperclips! * Oye!

So tonight....with laundry stacked in 10 piles around my kitchen....every piece of silverware in the sink, and every dish we own on the counter....toys scattered across the kitchen floor like mini-ankle-breaking-bombs....and wearing my grubbiest of clothes...we closed the dining rooms doors once again and sat down for a candle lit Sunday night dinner. Closing out the chaos.

 

Boy - that is nice. The BEST way to end a weekend......

I could escape the mayhem...if for only a few bites....and it was well worth it. Breathe in....breathe out.......

Tomorrow I will start again with the details - one of the first being, to find a guy to clean the fireplace out as I'm 100% sure this little guy has expired in the flue.... 

Which makes me very sad.

And then I will move onto the next 35 items on the list....I'll let you know tomorrow night how many got accomplished on my ZERO hours of sleep from tonight - hahaha!!!!

I'll leave you now with Baby rock'n the Mohawk........

One of my new fascinations at bath time.

As he plays care-free in the tub.....I'm trying to see how high and stiff I can make his hair....I must be needing some mental stimulation......

 

 

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Now..... I need to just stay awake for another hour when Daughter will get up for school and want me to to curl her hair - strand by strand . Perhaps I'll put on the list for tomorrow...teach daughter to use hot rollers all by herself!

I'm glad the little one is a boy...so 10 years from now......I'll only be begging him to wash his head before school...and I can yell that........ from my bed:)!!

** Terrible - I know**

An Angel kissed me - I tell you......

Okay - I've blown it - I knew I would.

 I knew the minute I sent it forth - that this moment would come where I would have to say...I've blown it and big!!

30 days of blogging....!! Hahahaha!!!* I must'a been higher than a Georgia pine!

When I said 30 days...did I say consecutive days??

 Maybe that's my loop hole....I think I need a loop hole:)

Well, I'm just going to be satisfied with blogging MORE  this month than I EVER have since I started to blog. I'm going to be fat and happy with that fact alone:)

Tonight I'm returning from a wonderful birthday dinner for a friend.....they love to cook, and we love to eat.... when they cook!

Just the table alone looked ready for a feast....

...donned with Texas plates & placement cards.......

 

  

Birthday boy is in the middle holding roses...don't ask why - I have no idea.

We managed 2 of 4 husbands in the photo ...who knows where the other 2 are.

 Probably going back for seconds at the dessert table.

** Dessert by the way, was a bread pudding made out of Krispy Kreme donuts and rum sauce.  Imagine that for a moment.....so yummy you could faint straight away from one bite of it....

And the sugar rush will knock you right out. No joke.

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In the last 3 days I've actually had 3 social occasions at night and felt like a busy bee. * Though I think it's really only that I've had to get dressed 3 straight days in a row ~  no 'stay-in-my-jammies' days for me.

 (I LOVE those)

So one night, I had a friend - one whom I've known for 8+ years...walk up to me and attempt to wipe something off of my face.

 As she reached up...she hesitated and then quietly said ' Uh? - Oh' and put her hand down.

 

I just looked at her...squinted my eyes and said...."uh-uh ...no you didn’t!! You didn't just try to wipe my beauty mark off my face - did you?"

To which she burst out in laughter and embarrassment and admitted that she thought I had something 'on me', and was going to assist with getting it off of me. Also professing that she'd never noticed it before.

??????

I looked at her like she was crazy. 8+ years of friendship and she's never noticed this black dot on my face???!!!

Once again - I was stunned. I say 'once again'...because this has actually happened to me far more than I would ever care to admit. And often with people who have known me for awhile. One day they just try to wipe my face with their fingers - telling me to hold still - 'something's got me"...

I've had them lick their fingers like your granny would do ...

...or just do a big 'flick' across the face as if removing a bug.

 Then I never know who is more embarrassed...them or me.

 I don't know who is more shocked...them or me.

Me ~ that they didn't realize it was a part of my face...or them, that they just tried to pry something off of me that was permanent.

I would say it is along the lines of asking someone when they are due...and being told they are not pregnant.

* I often have small children point and ask candidly - 'WHAT"S THAT'?

 And I tell them it is where I was kissed by an angel.

They always like that answer - and so do I.

I call it a beauty mark to make it sound 'beautiful"..... especially when they've just tried to remove it from my face, and I'm not feeling very beautiful. But it's really just a mole. But that sounds sooo horrible - like I'm a wicked step mother with 2 coarse hairs that grow out of it.

I say to people - especially people that have known me for awhile and attempt to gouge it out - 'haven't you noticed...it never moves..it's always there...day after day in the same place??' * Personally I can't imagine not noticing a thing like that....

But that question is often met with a blank stare....and who knows what that means - ??

I use to think  it was kind of cool - like Ms. Kitty in the old western...but the longer that I live and the more people try to wipe it off my face....the less cool I feel.

I wonder if Ms. Kitty had this problem??

  

Ms. Kitty from Gunsmoke

Perhaps I'll get it removed one of these days - or perhaps someone will finally be successful in helping me out with that:)

Blessed...

Just thought I’d share with you my daily companion…..

 

He is such a joy in my life.

 

 I had him at 38 ~  a wee bit late in life…my mother had 2 grown children and a grand baby at the same age.  I think of that often - * though, I admit – mostly when I’m bending down and thinking that I’m way too old to get this low and be sitting indian style on the floor.

 

There was definitely a reason the Lord created us to do this at a young age – we’re more bendy when we’re young.

 

When I called my grandmother 2 years ago to let her know my blessed news…the first things she said was “ DEBRA……HOW OLD ARE YOU?!!” in a way that only a loving grandmother can do….full of shock with no condemnation…just a joyful flabbergastedness (I’m sure that’s a word – if not, I just made it up)

 

Being pregnant at my old age was no picnic either…but actually easier than my first – but short of being run over with a Mac truck – anything would have been easier than my first. That's a story for another day. Daughter's birthday is coming up soon - perhaps I'll reminisce about her creation then:)

 

With this child....I didn’t gain a pound of weight the whole pregnancy until the 7month. Which I found quite hysterical and horrible at the same time. That meant momma had enough fat on her bones to feed another human for 7 months before anything additional was needed. Mmmmmmm.....that's a real shocker ~ not really.

 

So now I’m still carrying around this baby weight around a year later and looking at it daily in the mirror with sheer disgust. I'm lumping that flab around my legs and knees in with the baby weight too - okay? It's just all one big increasement to me...it's everywhere!

 

I was reading a blog that I love and felt so very inspired earlier today…. http://donnadowney.typepad.com/

*maybe I’ll follow her lead – I’m still thinking about it:)

 

The Noodle looks like he is very close to escaping from his play box…and then I’ll get quite the work out trying to keep up with his baby legs. So maybe I’ll drop 15 pounds just carting him around – that’s my HOPE anyway.

 

 Does a good dose of HOPE help melt the fat away? Please say *yes…I need encouragement…..

This one year old....is the size of a hefty 2 year old and fast as the wind....it's a little scary:)

Perhaps I don't need HOPE or encouragement...just some prayer, and a pair of wings to keep up.

 

He has created his own purpose for the bins I bought…..* of course. Like any good kid – he likes the box. So my latest fancy trick is pushing him around in the box that has small wheels underneath it. *** I’m telling you…this is quite the work out.***  *I think this alone might give me some upper body toning and a few leg cramps.

 

So...tonight I'm just reliving my day.

 I'm sure you're wondering where this meandering blog is going....

 I'm really hungry as I sit here blogging and want to go into that kitchen and make myself a whole cake.  Just sit here and eat the whole cake myself...I've even thought about how many minutes it would take to make and bake it, and how I could sit here and peruse other blog sites - indulging my eyes and brain and stomach all at once:)

 

But then...I thought about how many times I walked past a mirror today and grimaced at the size of my reflection......

 

Which then led me to Baby.....and how very much I do love him - love the days I have together with him learning new things or simply doing nothing together. How may gleeful moments I get to witness him discovering something for the first time....and how many hugs and kisses he bestows upon me without any notice.

 

 How blessed I am...'fat'-mother that I am.

 

How blessed I am.

Baby Buggy....

Ever had something SO startling happen at the beginning of the day that, it set the tone for the day...and you struggled to get past it?

I had that day today.

 I walked into Baby's room early this morning..one eye open...and inhaled a strong whiff of the messy pants I was about to be greeted with. * Always a lovely way to start any day....and let me tell you ~ I start EVERYDAY this way..it's our morning ritual:)

I grabbed the folded blanket that was resting on his dresser to place underneath him while changing him. As I unfolded it... I grabbed the corners to shake it out...

that's when it happened.........I caught a glimpse of a monster!!

A huge red cockroach clinging to the blanket as I held it in the air.

I had been nano-seconds from flicking the blanket to shake it open....which would have had this filthy creature land smack dab on Baby's chest!!!

 

* sorry if you find this picture disturbing...* it should be disturbing.......it's still disturbing me!!

As it was...I quickly folded it into the blanket and ran to the backdoor  - I just flung the whole darn thing out into the rain....ick - ugh-gross-sooo nasty!!! I sat there staring at the blanket on the lawn with the creepy crawlies running up and down my spine! * And breathing hard.

OOOOoooooooo~ you just can't get past a thing like that when it happens within the first 5 minutes of being awake. It's so startling to all of the senses.

* I spent the ENTIRE day trying to figure where and how that got in his room. We've NEVER had a roach in the house....let alone one the size of Baby's shoes!! A very healthy - fat critter that was definitely getting plenty to eat from somewhere.  WHERE????

HOW??? WHEN? How did it get in the blanket - of all places!!? Are there more?? Where???

It's like trying to solve a masterful mystery and knowing that you will never know the facts...the details....the ending.

It can drive you crazy.

Today I've been crazy - approaching every step, and every task with extra dutifulness and x-ray vision....looking wearily for more invaders.

I'm worn out....I'm going to bed..chanting to myself....'there are no more'....'there are no more'''....'you need your rest'...'let it goooooo'...'let it gooooooo'......