Posted in General Ramblings

Am I the only one who understands the title?  Y'know, the aye's have it?  Okay.  Nevermind.

My dear Kodak Easyshare camera was our first venture into the digital world of photography.  No more clicking up a whole roll of film and just wishing for at least one measly picture out of the entire roll to come out good!  Then we got a teeny tiny Sony camera with more! megapixels! and it was the size of a (fat) credit! card!  But we quickly learned that more megapixels does NOT equal more bueno in the quality department.

As I anxiously await the arrival of my big bad new camera, I am waxing nostalgic over the great colors and quality of my old steady Kodak.  Seriously, it is probably my favorite point and shoot digital of all time.  Here are a few pics of my boys that are straight out of the camera.  Tres bien, no?

See the eyes?  Instead of aye's?  Oh, nevermind.

Goodbye my dear Kodak.  I shall miss you.  And yet I know you will live on in the grubby little hands of my boys... I just hope you survive more than just a few weeks.

***

PS I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but Heart of the Matter has giveaway's every week.  Check out what's going on this week!

Posted in Kids-Family-Funnies-Etc

Hi y'all!

Just wanted to spread the word that Johanna (Bluedorn) Stanford is selling one of her original watercolor paintings on eBay.  Bidding ends on Sunday.  Cozy, isn't it?

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

May 2008 Edition

Posted in Kids-Family-Funnies-Etc

Do you have one of those kids that thinks a lot?  As in it surprises you that they have so much going on up there and yet they don't even tell you about it?  Silent thinking... scary stuff, I tell ya.

Well, Tank is kinda like that.  He has always been quiet, easy going, and tends to ask you questions out of the blue.  Like when he was 4 years old and I had a rare outing at the grocery store with just me and him.  As I was passing the toilet paper, he looked up at me from in the cart and asked "What happens when we die?  Am I going to die soon?  Are you going to die soon?"  Yeah, talk about stopping me in my tracks and catching me completely off guard!  Oi.

Tank is now almost 7 years old.  I was doing some work on the computer last night and he comes running into the room crying.  He is so hysterical I can barely understand him! 

T:  Ooooohhhh... my stomach hurts!  What happens when you eat poison?!  Can you tell me?!  Will I die?!  What happens when you eat poison?!!!  (and he continues to bawl and babble)

Me:  What?!  You ate POISON?!  What poison?  How can you eat poison when you're in bed?!  What did you eat?!

I finally got him to stop crying and wailing long enough to get a sorta straight answer from him.

T:  Y'know, sprinkles?  If I eat sprinkles will it kill me?  Is it POISON?!

Me:  Sprinkles? What sprinkles? Cupcake sprinkles? Or ant killer sprinkles?

T:  I DON'T KNOW!!!

Me:  Show me.

So I follow him to his room and ask him to show me what he's talking about.  I was half expecting it to be those little silica beads that come with shoes and other items.  We looked all around and I'm starting to raise my voice asking him WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!

He continues to look and ask me questions about poison-- will it kill you, does it make you throw up, what happens?  We discuss garage chemicals and under the sink cleaners... but it was none of those.

Alas, my crazy kid (who is usually so calm-- really!), has me feel his bed.

T:  It was actually just one little piece of this. 
(wipes his hand across his bed). 
Feel it?  Do you see it, mommy? 
(His voice is now a little quieter and he sees the look on my face... he's starting to feel silly... and in trouble.)

Me:  Uhhh... Tank?  That is SAND.  You ate a piece of SAND!!!!!!!!

T (a little more quieter):  So will it kill me mommy?  Is it poison?

If he ever does this to me again, poison will be the least of his worries!!!  I gave him a hug, kiss, swat on the hiney and told him to get his worrywart self into bed. 

It will not kill you.  It will not give you a tummyache.  It is SAND. From the dirtpile you played in earlier tonight!  We'll clean it tomorrow.  Don't ever put something that is not food into your mouth ever again and you won't have to worry about this ever again!!!

Y'know he gets this weirdoness from his dad's side of the family. 
(I love you dad! I love you mom!  I'm sure it skipped your generation though!) ;-)

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

I swiped this fun video from Nancy.  (Most of my "good ideas" originate elsewhere-- just goes to show that it pays to have smart and resourceful friends!).

Posted in School Stuff

In my most recent post for HOTM, Teresa in NC asked to see my favorite kind of gravy-- MY MAP!

Well, here it is!  TADAAA!!!

Posted in School Stuff

Obsessed. Compulsive. Junkie. Curricaholic.

Those are words that described my passion for all things curriculum. Be it posters, workbooks, CDs, books, DVDs, games or puzzles-- if it was "educational" then I had to have it! I mean, come on, look how packed that one measly bookcase is up there!

Believe it or not, that is actually pared down from what I used to have. You can say that I am a recovering curricaholic. As summer and the season of homeschool conventions draws near, I can't think of a better time to share with y'all some tips on how to combat the compulsion to cache curriculum.

But first, you must realize one very important thing...

To read the rest of the story, visit me at

Posted in General Ramblings

TWO ice cream cakes!!!  Yupperino, I did get me some delicioso ice cream cakes for my birthday.  A decadent chocolate one from my friend Suzanne and a yummo cookies and cream one from David and my boys.  Mmmmm....

And if that weren't enough, I got to go on another date with the hubs tonight!  We actually doubled with another couple that we're really good friends with.  So the kids had fun with a babysitter and we got to go play unlimited bowling, lazertag, pool and arcade games.  Yeeeeehaw! 

I think we might even be inspired to do date night once a month.  As in a date that does not include *gasp* Sam's Club!  It's hard to believe.  I know. 

So do y'all do date nights?  If so, where do you go and how often?

And in other news, HOTM is having another giveaway-- this time it's Preschool Activities in a Bag.  They are also still accepting nominations for their BIG Mother's Day giveaway!  So don't delay, submit today!  You may just win if you'd but play.  These bad sad rhymes just should not stay... not in this post, there is no way!  Please make it stop, it's really horrid.  If you're still reading, you must be bore-d.

Okay, I'm really stopping now... it's hard, but I am...  You can thank me later.

Or not.

I'm going to be away from the blogosphere for the rest of the week.  So if you have any special news, happenings or whatever, feel free to drop me an e-mail!  I'll check back with all of y'all next week!

Love,
Marshiemellow

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for helping me celebrate my birthday this week.  It has been exhausting and fun!  I know it's cliche to say, but I really do wish I could give everyone a prize-- because I like y'all.  I really do!  (and it is taking all my willpower to resist saying that y'all are all winners in my eyes...)

Ze winners are:

Coffee: 40winkzzz
Earrings: Julie@ moreofhim
Books: KarenW
Southern Living: cammie
Bag: missionsmom

I've either sent y'all an e-mail or left a comment on your sites, so please send me your info, okee-dokee-artichokees?

Hey, did you know that today was the last day of our spring soccer season?!  Well, it was and it! is! over!   Yeeeeehawwww!  I now have 3 weeknights and every Saturday back to myself... er, to family time together to bond and learn and all that family goodness stuff. :-)

And as if that weren't enough, tomorrow is my birthday!  I finally bit the bullet and conceded that my husband cannot read my mind.  Oh no he can't.  So this year I clipped a coupon (because I'm frugal like that) and told him flat out that I would like a birthday cake for my birthday this year.  With candles to blow out.  And not the cheesy number 33, but 33 blazing candles that will melt that ColdStone ice cream cake that I so desire.  (because I'm not that frugal!).

I now sit here at the computer resisting the urge to look in the freezer where I just know that the cookies and cream ice cream cake will be waiting for me tomorrow.  Because he really does like to please me but for some reason he can't read my mind and then forces me to tell him exactly what my expectations are. 

I can almost taste that cake now...  I wonder if I can have it for breakfast.  Mmmm... that would be a great way to start the day.

Love,
Marshiemellow

I can't believe it's already here... Day 5 of my Bloggy Birthday Bash!

I was hoping to add some kind of story to my post but I'm tired.  The hubs and I got a sitter for the kidlets and went out on a date!  I had some very delicious lobster ravioli for dinner and then we went out on the town like a true couple that has been married for almost 12 years-- Lowe's to buy plants, Dollar Tree, the pool place (man, pools are expensive!) and then to Sam's Club to round out the evening.  LOL  But we really did have a great time together.  We could just sit in the same room as each other doing totally separate things and still be content. :-) 

Anyhow, on to the giveaway!  The final giveaway for my Birthday Bash is this:

I can't believe it's already Day 4 of my Birthday Bash Giveaway!   Thank y'all so much for visiting me this week-- it has been such a blast-- amd there's still tomorrow to go!

I have always loved to cook.  I did not inherit this passion for cooking from my mom.  She was the baby of the family and has always hated cooking (although she can clean like nobody's business)! 

While my mom can cook well, she just doesn't enjoy it.  My mom's mom, however, was an excellent cook!  One of my favorites dishes that she cooked was crab soup.  I have such fond memories of her chopping the crabs in half with a butcher knife.  Every once in a while, one would escape and scurry across the kitchen floor.  It didn't take long for her to jump up and catch it again-- then bam! slice! into the pot!  She was like superwoman to me as I watched in awe while the crabs would pinch and scratch at her hands.  She never flinched.  She showed no fear.  *sigh*  I miss her!

Another great cook in the familia is my grandma on my dad's side-- lovingly referred to as G-ma.  G-ma was always kind enough to let me help her in the kitchen... mixing, frying, grating, stirring...  I wish I had a picture of us in the kitchen together, but I'll spare y'all the circa 1990 photo that's floating around my computer somewhere.

In honor of all the grandma's that can kick bootay in the kitchen, today's giveaway consists of Southern Living Ultimate Quick & Easy Cookbook, a cheery apple potholder and matching dishtowel.

Seriously y'all, Southern Living has the best cookbooks!  I kid you not.  This is the next best thing to grandma's own family recipe book.  Plus, it has my two favorite key words: Quick! and Easy!

Now the cute potholder and dishtowel are brand new, but the cookbook... well, it is very slightly used.  I couldn't find a new one at the store, but I did find this used copy in excellent condition at Half Priced Books.  I'm still shocked that someone would buy this book and not use it!  And it is in much better shape than *my* copy of this cookbook!  (I highly recommend the Chicken Piccata recipe-- YUMMO).

Okay, so y'all know the drill by now.  Leave me a comment, be sure to include your contact info/link, you have until Saturday to enter this and all the previous giveaways, you can be an international friend, and if you are blessed to still have a grandmother around, be sure to call, visit, send a card, or give her a big hug ASAP!