In case you haven't noticed, my Flashback Friday entries usually center around what is going on in my life at the present.  Well, this week was VBS at our church, and basically it was all-consuming, so I dug out the oldest pictures I could find in the VBS genre.

This was Annaleigh's first VBS...

She's the little over-dressed red head there on the front row.  She was two years-old and probably too young to even know why she was there.  The reason why she was there, in case you're wondering, was to give me a chance to go sip a cup of coffee at the Shoney's down the street....but don't tell anyone that, ok?

In the above shot, it's hard to tell if she's putting the offering in or taking it out.  I'd prefer to think she's putting it in, since we were trying hard not to raise a thief.

Boy, the years sure do fly!  Now she's too old to actually be an attendee at our VBS, but she's a helper.

You may think VBS stands for Vacation Bible School, but at our church it actually stands for Verging on the Borders of inSanity.  You see our church is small....very small.  We don't have enough children in our congregation to constitute a VBS.  Nor do we have enough workers to competently run one.  However, our church is located very near a government subsidised neighborhood that is swarming with children, so that's why we host one year after year.  It is cuh-razy!  Yet every year when I look at the photos of the smiling, happy faces while I soak my sore feet in Epsom salts, I realize it's worth it...every chaotic second.

I no longer go down the street to sip coffee (but believe me...it's tempting because our present church is near a Starbuck's...not a Shoney's).  I am the craft person, and it's just about the looniest room in the building. (Big D asked me to give him photo credits for the following...)

Those pictures may look all nice and sweet and tame, but trust me, being the craft person can bring on a headache the size of Montana.

Yet, I still do it because it's not really the crafts that are important.  It's not about the crick in your back.  It's not about the paint on your favorite maternity shirt.  And it's not about the room that you left in a massive upheaval earlier tonight because you were too tired to think about it.  It's the opportunity to share the love of Christ with children through spending time with them and showing them a brief moment of love and peace..

However I still suspect that some are just there for the food...

But then again, maybe not...

Please join me with a flashback of your own!  Then come back here and post the link so we can all come share in it....

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Last Sunday, while on vacation at the cabins featured in my post below, Big D and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary.  See...

I promise that is not the picture insert that comes with the frame.  It's really me and Big D at the tender ages of 18 (give me a break...I was almost 19!) and 21.

Every year when this event rolls around, I like to reflect on the reasons I married this man and am still happily married to him after all these years.  Then I thought how this would make a great "Flashback Friday."  So, here are my reasons, accompanied by a photo that has once-upon-a-time appeared on this blog for some reason or another.

1.  He is a hunka-hunka burnin' love!

2.  He knows how to have a good time.

3.  He can cook.

4.  He's a little bit crazy.

(in a good, non-scary sort of way)

5.  He's a good dad.

(OK...so I didn't exactly know this when I married him, but I had a hunch, alright?!)

6.  He is fierce.

(in a big teddy bear sort of way)

7.  He doesn't mind when I do things like this.

8.  He's creative.

(Yes, I know this involves food again.  I am pregnant...it's how I think nowadays.)

9.  He can dance and rap.

10.  He loves God.

(Even though the expression on his face doesn't exactly demonstrate it.  Trust me....he does.)

11.  He's artistic.

12.  He's romantic.

13.  He lets me have these...

(...even though he doesn't really like them all that much.)

14.  He's a good sport.

(and so are Indiana Mimi and Debbles, I might add.)

15.  He's award-winning.

16.  He's adventurous.

and finally...

17.  He lets me have my way.

(...but not without a fight!)

Seriously, Big D is the best husband out there, and I am blessed to have lived almost half my life with him.  I'm looking forward to the next 17 years of fun, chaos, love and adventure!

So, have you been saving anything up for Flashback Friday for the past couple of weeks while I've been delinquent?  If so, post below so that we can come share the memory with you...

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Since Flashback Friday happens to fall on a national holiday this time around, I'm skipping it this week.  I figured you might be more interested in grilling hamburgers, eating slices of watermelon and shooting fireworks with your families than sitting at the computer and reading about....oh, say...my mild obsession with Michael J. Fox and "Family Ties" in 1986.  So just like Mel shouted so appropriately, right before he lost his head in Braveheart, you have freedom this week from Flashback Friday!

I thought I might put a cute Independence Day graphic on here to create a festive mood, but finding an appropriate 4th of July graphic is about as difficult as it was to find a nice Christmas one.  Let me just say that I was not aware that the Statue of Liberty could glowand sparkle in seven different neon colors while breakdancing  or that so many buxom young cartoon women like to wrap themselves in the American flag and nothing else.

I finally settled on this one...

I like the homespun, vintage feel to this one.  I also found humor in the fact that this child has no idea that he is about to blow himself to kingdom come since he built the "4" with dynamite sticks that are larger than his torso.  How quaint.

Truly, I do wish you a very happy Independence Day.  Enjoy your time off and fun with your families and the privilege of living in such a great country!

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This past week we bought a new sofa, which naturally started me to thinking about evolution.  Well, not Darwin's theory of evolution, but of the evolution that Big D and I have undergone through the years in being consumers of sofas.  I don't mean that we eat sofas, but that we purchase them.

So, almost seventeen years ago, Big D and I got married.  We were uncharacteristically young, and we each had nothing by way of material goods, except a closet full of clothing, to our names.  Big D had been living on his ship, the USS Sierra, and I, a college student, had been living at home with Indiana Mimi, Gigi, and Debbles.  So we needed furniture.  Imagine my surprise and delight when an associate pastor from our church told me an elderly woman had a trailer full of old furniture that was just sitting around and that we could have whatever we wanted.  For the most part, we hit the jackpot.  Big D and I were going for the country look and really liked antiques, and among the pieces was a beautiful claw-foot table and six flute-back chairs, as well as a couple of nicely upholstered wing back chairs.  The sofa, however, was a doozy....

• Yes, it is pale orange.
• Yes, it is adorned with large, dark orange peacock-like birds.
• No, I don't know why I have a cooler lid sitting on the couch next to me.
• No, I don't know what the scrap of paper says that I'm holding, but I suspect it might say, "This sofa really bites."
• No, I don't know why I chose those tortoise shell frames for my glasses or why I wore them in the picture.
• Yes, I did always feel like singing "Dream On", weaving a wreath of daisies for my hair and smoking a doobie anytime I sat on it.  OK...not really....at least not the part about the doobie.
• Yes, that's the claw-foot dining table and flute-back chairs in the back ground.  We still have that table, which we use for a side table in our dining room.
• And, finally, yes, we do have cinder block walls because we were living in the married dorms of my college.

Ugh....is that not the ugliest sofa you've ever seen?!  Yet, we were thankful for a free place to sit for a year or so.

For our first anniversary we bought this familiar piece of furniture....

I say "familiar" because if you're a regular reader of this blog, then you've seen this sofa many times, as we still owned it until last weekend.  In recent years it was in our family room/loft where we do a lot of our school reading.  Most recently it was the site where I pancaked a tutu and lived to tell about it.

For many years, the above was our only sofa, but when we moved to TN almost seven years ago, we bought a house with two living areas.  For the first couple of years, the plaid sofa was in the downstairs living area, while our loft was housed with not much of anything, except some beanbags and such, until we bought this...

...our denim furniture! (Please ignore the random stuffed animals on the floor.  My kids were making them play a baseball game, and the photo is from a previous post of mine.)  This sofa is super-comfortable, being the squishy, slipcover style, but we've been a little dissatisfied with how slouchy looking it gets.  We've thought for a long time that it would be a better fit for our loft where the TV is and school happens, and we've been looking at more formal options for the living area.  Also, recently a certain reader and blogger friend mistook the armrest of this sofa for my hind parts (see the comment section), so I drug the whole thing into the yard, sprayed it down with four cans of AquaNet, and threw a match on it.  OK, not really.  It's now upstairs in the loft, but I swear I will never pose in front of that sofa again.  Never.  Never ever.

Well, this week we finally settled on this...

I'm sort of going for the Pottery Barn look, but I see now that Bridget, her green ball, and random magazines that are on the floor ruin that effect.  The green water bottle that I left on the stairs for spraying Ripley for getting on the new sofa doesn't help any either.  And  I think it's safe to say, that unless I'm ever wearing tight brown leather pants, there is no way that the armrest or any part of this sofa, could be mistaken for my rear anatomy.

Thanks for tolerating this somewhat bizarre look at my furniture tastes and purchases over the years.  Do you have any memories that you'd like to share?  Sign-up with Mr. Linky below with a link to your post, so that we can all come share with you....

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When Annaleigh was five, something weird happened.  We gave her a Cinderella party because she pretty much was obsessed with this princess at the time.  She watched the movie weekly.  We read books about her.  She had the doll.  We traveled to Orlando, Florida to visit her castle and meet her at breakfast.  It was a crazy time.

So, anyway, we had this party, and in the invitation we told the attendees they could dress up, if they wanted to.  All the girls came fully decked out in their princess garb.  All the boys came in their jean shorts and tee-shirts and were probably not all too clean.  All but one.  This guy....

He comes in a little tuxedo and bearing a corsage for the party princess.  It looks like they were going to a little mini-prom doesn't it?  Well, we did what any over-protective parents would do....we sold our home and moved out of the state.  And that's a true story!

Here in Tennessee, we've managed to avoid the romance department so far.  Well, until this guy came along...

Frankly, I'm not sure what she sees in him.  I mean he's not exactly a looker.  However, he's been causing her to dress like this....

and go around in a constant swoon...

and declare her love in the most ridiculous fashion...

Oh, c'mon..."Your form is beautiful!"  "He doth teach the stars to sing."  Who does she think she is...Shakespeare?!

Anyway, it looks like another move is in the works for us.  I'm looking at Maine.  Anyone know anything about Maine?  Anyone?  How about Oregon?

(***Disclaimer***  Just in case you hadn't figured this out by now, this entire post is tongue-in-cheek.  Annaleigh was recently cast as Titania in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, and this was just my attempt to chronicle her time at drama camp as the fairy queen who falls for the donkey-headed Bottom/Pyramus and to tease my pre-teen daughter who will eventually read this and be mortified.  But that's what blogging parents do, right?  She was actually pretty fed up by the young man who played her opposite, saying he acted fairly obnoxious during rehearsals.  Well, what can you expect from an ass?  Now, if I can just convince her that all people of the opposite sex are thus for the next...oh, say...twenty years then we can just stay here in our fair state of TN.)

So, got anything for us to share this week?  Sign in below and flashback with us...

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It is past 2am here (I'm back to drinking a bit of coffee again now and then), and I have been playing Spider Solitaire for about an hour, waiting for inspiration to hit me for my flashback.  Nothing.  Nothing...well, except a few frustrating electronic card games.  Usually I know what I'm going to blog about for Friday a few days in advance, and I will begin to hunt for any old pictures that need to be scanned, get permission from my family to post their retro photos (again, not really...but it sounds good), and sometimes even begin to write the entry early on Thursday.  But not this week.  Nothing historical was coming to me.  Nothing.

And now my caffeine high is wearing off a bit, and I need to drag my body to bed.  So I am not flashing back today.  I'm sorry.  Yet if you have something you want to share and have been waiting all week for Flashback Friday (ha, ha), then I thought I'd go ahead and post the Mr. Linky box.  See? Here it is....

 Later today (or this weekend) I may do a highly intriguing post about my recent experience with pancaking a tutu.  You won't want to miss it!  And then I will be thinking intently about next week's Flashback Friday piece, and I will try to come up with something riveting....but don't hold your breath.

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This is a picture of my grandma (mine and Debbles' kids always called her "Gigi"), Debbles and me in about 1986.  Oh, yes....and I'm holding our dog, Bonnie, and Debbles is holding three Pound Puppies (anyone remember Pound Puppies?!?).

Gigi lived with our family from the time I was about two years-old, so I actually can't even remember life without her with us.  It proved to be providential after my parents' divorce because my mom had to go back to work, and Gigi's being there prevented me and Debbles from becoming latchkey children after school.  It also prevented mine and Debbles' early demises since we probably would have killed one another if left alone for too long.

I always loved to hear stories about Gigi's family when she was young.  If I ever write a book, it will probably be a fiction-based-on-truth novel about her family.  She came from a family of eleven children, growing up in Depression area, rural Arkansas.  Every time she shared a story or tidbit from this time, it was like opening a window to the past for me.  I know they were a very poor family, but the stories she shared were rich with character, life and love, and I was always a captive audience.

Gigi passed away in April of 2003, and she was buried next to her husband, who died a couple of years before I was born, and her son, who died when I was just a couple of months old.  It is a little cemetery in her hometown, where almost all of her large family is buried.

This past Monday, for Memorial Day, Big D had the idea to drive to Arkansas to visit her grave, since we haven't been back since the funeral.  It was a crazy idea really, but we did it anyway.  Four and half hours there and the same coming back.  All in one day.  Whew!

First, we stopped to visit Gigi's oldest sibling, Henry, who since a stroke a couple of years ago, has been in a nursing home.  He's 92 and the only brother that's still living.

This was actually a very sad visit.  Just five years ago at Gigi's funeral, he was still such a vibrant, feisty man.  Thankfully, he did know my mom, although he got a little confused towards the end and thought she was Gigi.

Then we made our way to Hartsoe Cemetery where we first paid our respects to my grandparents.

The cemetery places flags on all of the veterans' graves.  My grandfather was a veteran of the army in WWII.  Like I said, I never knew him, but Indiana Mimi likes to tell the stories of how he swam in Mussolini's swimming pool after the Italian take-over and how he was the only survivor of his tank which was hit by a grenade.

To the left of their plot is where my Uncle Larry, Indiana Mimi's only sibling, is buried.  He died tragically at the young age of only 23.  Harrison is apparently his look-alike.  All of my grandma's living sisters always gasp and tear up when they see him because he looks so much like him.  Even my Uncle Henry saw the resemblance when we visited him.  At one point he was staring at Harrison, and he said, "I sure do like that boy.  Looks like Larry."

I remember always being fascinated with that picture frame on his headstone when I was young.  My kids did more than their fair share of opening and closing it on that day too.

Here Annaleigh is looking at the headstones of three of Gigi's brothers who all died fairly young.  They were all unmarried, so they were buried by one another.  One of her brothers, Herman, was buried in Washington state where he lived with his wife.  These are the graves of Robert (the youngest), Al and Bill.

This is the grave of one of Gigi's younger sisters who died when she was only 8.  Gigi always said she was diagnosed with a hole in her heart, which I believe is, most of the time, easily remedied nowadays.

Later, Indiana Mimi wanted some time to walk around alone, so we entertained ourselves by taking pictures of one another and reading random headstones.

Lastly, we stopped by Indiana Mimi's aunt's house, who  lives just a few miles from the cemetery.

Her name is Zelba, and she was married to Indiana Mimi's dad's brother Allie, who died the same year as Gigi.  I always get the biggest kick out of the fact that she has an identical twin whose name is Melba.  Zelba and Melba....isn't that great?

And then we started the journey home.  It was a crazy, long, exhausting day, but it was well-worth it.  I think we'll probably do it again next year....that is if our six month-old baby will cooperate for a trip like that.

So what memories do you have for us today?  Sign in and share them with us!

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Ack...I'm late again!  Sorry!  I had every intention of posting this last night, but Harrison's baseball game ran very late, and I was too tired.  Then I had every intention of getting up this morning early to post it, but my eyes weren't cooperating with me, and they kept staying shut when I wanted them to be open.  When I finally got my eye situation under control, I realized that our refrigerator had died sometime during the night, and my ultra-expensive groceries that I had just bought were spoiling.  We're still dealing with that right now, but I'm taking a break from deciding whether to try to salvage last Wednesday's pizza leftovers in order to bring you this flashback.

Yesterday, Annaleigh babysat, solo, for the first time.

There she goes, trekking across our little valley to the neighbor's house on the next street, with lunchbox in hand and math homework slung over her shoulder (which she didn't do, by the way).  She's been watching kids for some time now:  in the church nursery, at our Bible study group, etc.  But this was the first time someone has requested her services in their home and paid her for it.  It is an understatement to say she's thrilled.

Watching her walk across the way yesterday as I snapped picture...

after picture...

after picture...

...made me nostalgic about the days when she needed a babysitter if Big D and I had to be out and about.  I set about looking for pictures of babysitters of old and found this unique shot...

Basically, nearly every babysitter we ever used is pictured around this table at her 2nd birthday party.  We have Indiana Mimi ( in fuschia) and Gigi (in the blue plaid), who probably babysat more than anyone.  Then we have Debbles (in the tan overalls) who definitely stepped in on more than one occasion to watch the redhead.  Aunt Amy (in the coral) also did her fair share of the watching.  We were lucky then to have them all living so close.  Ma (in the navy blue) and Aunt Susan (in the cream) have also kept both of our kids from time to time when we've had out of town trips.  We have been very, very blessed with FREE babysitters.

The only outside-of-family babysitter that I could think of was Sonia, pictured here with her brother, Ricky...

Sonia was a part of the youth group that we worked with at that time, and she sort of became like another daughter to us for many years.  When Annaleigh got older, she did watch her from time to time for me.

Well, it looks like the family that used Annaleigh yesterday would like to use her some more over the summer, and that's a good thing.  She's going to need plenty of practice for her own new brother or sister in six months or so....

I know it's late, but go ahead and share some memories with us if you have the chance...

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Right now, as I type this up, there's approximately forty minutes left of Harrison's 8th birthday.  We, of course, have already celebrated like mad people, but I still wanted to do a little something to mark the event in cyberspace.  So, please join me for a brief, slightly chaotic, and wholly incomplete trip down memory lane....

Here is our boy on his actual BIRTH day...

Isn't he alert looking for a newborn?  That's because he was born two months late.  Just kidding....it just felt like that long.  It was actually about a week and half.  I still think he was a tad overdone.

His first birthday, with a smiley face theme, was celebrated at our home in Summerville, SC.

Later he ate a little smiley face cupcake on his own and was yellow from forehead to chin.

His second birthday, with a ball theme, was celebrated in our current home.

I served all round food:  cheese balls, fruit balls, meatballs, etc.  He loved it!  I couldn't actually find a picture of him blowing out his candles, but here's one of him in a favorite gift...

OK, now we're going to fast-forward to birthday #6 because photos from birthdays 3-5 are being stored on an external hard drive, which I have no earthly idea how to use, and it is much to late to involve Big D, the smart one around here, in this endeavor.  For his sixth birthday, we celebrated at Laser Chase, and he chose a Hot Wheels cake, one of the few which I have not decorated myself.

Last year, when he turned seven, we didn't have a party, but I did make a cake, and we celebrated with our Bible study group.

That's Jack Sparrow and company sinking into those graham cracker crumbs.  The little figures wouldn't stand up unless I pushed them in thigh-deep.  If you'd like to see a better picture of this cake, you could to last year's blog entry about this event by clicking here.

And then, finally, I snapped this picture last night after his baseball game.  I made cupcakes in their team colors (Cubs!).

The celebration continues, as after church tomorrow, we are taking six of his friends to see Prince Caspian.  It's opening weekend, and I know that we are insane for doing this.  I'm sure I'll post some pictures in a few days.

Happy 8th birthday, Harrison!!!  We couldn't love you more if we tried!

(Since I posted this flashback so late this time, I won't have sign-ups.  We'll be back to normal this Friday...I think.)

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Something really weird just happened to me.  Annaleigh has a play this weekend, and tonight we went to see the dress rehearsal with Big D's mom and dad.  When we came home, we got the kids settled, and then Big D asked me to "put him to bed," which is a code phrase for him needing his back scratched.  That was three hours ago.  I just sat bolt-right-up in bed.  I was fully dressed, and I had been dreaming that I was about to meet Barrack Obama backstage at an American Idol concert.  (I think it was turning into a nightmare.)  I got up and changed into pajamas and was about to get back into bed when I remembered there were a few things I needed to do....Bake cookies.  I had volunteered to bake cookies for the receptions after Annaleigh's plays.  Make Mother's Day cards.  Wash Harrison's baseball uniform that he got dirty wearing for 15 minutes this afternoon before his game was cancelled due to rain.  Write my Flashback Friday blog.

So, here I sit at 1:12am on Friday morning, flashing back to another time and another place. (Trust me....it beats dreaming about Obama!)

This is Indiana Mimi and I way back when.  Cute, weren't we?  The story behind this picture is that my dad was supposed to go with us to get a family picture, but my parents had a spat before we left, and my dad wouldn't go.  I don't really have any memories of that, but looking back at this photo, I'm glad it was just me and my mom.  We don't have a ton of pictures, just she and I.  Another bit of the story is that when we went to choose and pick up our pictures, I was only interested in the individual ones of me.  I'm glad Indiana Mimi wasn't having any of my vanity because I really treasure this picture now.  I like remembering my mom at this stage...remembering how she would always drive me to and from school so I wouldn't have to ride the bus.  I remember once when I was really sick and couldn't sleep she stayed awake into the wee morning hours playing Hi-Ho-Cherrio with me.  She was always my advocate when my dad wanted me to eat everything on my plate, but I knew I would die if I had to eat a beet.  Once I got a detention in 2nd grade for something I didn't do.  Indiana Mimi believed me, and even went to the school to discuss it with my principal. (I still had to serve the detention, by the way.)  Indiana Mimi never missed one event of my entire life that I know of.

Here we are now...

Ummm...something has definitely happened to us over the years, but we're still kinda cute aren't we?  I don't know....something in me wants to recreate the sailor suit look and troop into Olan Mills for another photo op.

Indiana Mimi is still a great mom to me today, when I'm 35, instead of 5.  Something tells me that she would still not want me to have to ride the bus or eat beets.  I think she might play Hi-Ho-Cherrio with me if I needed her to.  I know she'd argue tooth and nail if someone gave me a detention.  She still hasn't missed any events of mine or my children.  And she allows me to call her Indiana Mimi and post silly pictures of her on my blog...ones of her wearing silly hats, with a Webkinz bullfrog on her head. (Well, I use the word allows very loosely.  I'll just say she hasn't disowned me for it yet.)

Does it get any better than that?  I think not.

Happy Mother's Day, Indiana Mimi!  I love you!  You're the best!

Now, I'm off to bed, hopefully not to dream about eating breakfast with Hilary Clinton at Cracker Barrel....

Do you have any warm fuzzy memories of your own mother?  Why not share them with us.....or any memory for that matter?  Sign up with Mr. Linky below, so we can all come and share!

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As summer approaches it finds me thinking more and more about movies.  We subscribe to Netflix, and through the school year we use it mainly to get films that supplement our history and science studies.  The summer, however, is a different story.  We order all kinds of fun films that we missed in the theaters or that I remember fondly from my own childhood.  I decided for today to narrow down my favorites to my "Top Ten," so here they are....

10.

I loved all Disney movies really, and a couple of others will undoubtedly make this list, but this one was especially memorable for me.  I vaguely remember seeing this in the theater, and as a matter of fact, its sequel, The Rescuers Down Under , was the first movie that Big D took me to see.

9.

C'mon....who didn't like ET?  I remember this movie sparking clever Halloween costumes, a renewed interest in Reese's Pieces candy, and numerous "phone home" jokes and quips.

8.

I loved the Muppet Show and all the movies, but this was my favorite.  I love Charles Grodin in it, and the scene where Miss Piggy breaks into the mansion and pretends that it's her home still makes me laugh today.

7.

I'll bet this is on almost everyone's list...unless the Wicked Witch scared you to death.  I always anxiously awaited when this would come on television every year.  It was quite an event at our house.

6. 

Admittedly, this is kind of a strange movie, and after watching it with my kids a few years ago, I didn't like it nearly as well as when I was ten.  But in 1982, I was a certified unicorn fanatic, and I thought this movie was the best thing since sliced bread.

5. 

When I was little, I was kind of a monster movie freak.  I liked Godzilla, mummies, werewolves, Frankenstein...you name it.  Weird, I know, but it was my childhood and I'm kinda fond of it.  Well, I LOVED King Kong the most.  When I was really small, like three or so, I really liked the old B&W movie, starring Faye Wray, but when the above film with Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges was released when I was about six, it stole my little heart.  And, just for the record, I don't like the most recent King Kong film much at all.

4. 

I have to include the whole original trilogy for this one, but I think, if I had to choose, the last one, Return of the Jedi , is my favorite.  The newer ones were a bit of a disappointment to me, but I've enjoyed seeing them with my kids, who love them all.

3.

This, to me, was the ultimate of Disney princess movies, to be rivaled in modern times only by Beauty and the Beast.  Everything about this movie is so perfect, from the music to the fairies to Malificent.  It's just all-around great and timeless!

2.

I remember when my parents saw this for their anniversary the year it was released and them coming home just raving about it.  I couldn't wait to see it on video, and it did not disappoint.  It became a favorite that I could watch over and over and never tire of.  I liked the other ones as well, but this one was my favorite.  Oh, and just for fun, here's a favorite quick clip....

1. 

Does it get any better than this?  I'd have to say that this would go on my list of favorite movies of all time and not just childhood.  It has to be the best sing-along movie ever!

So, what are some of your favorite films from yesteryear?  Leave me a comment and let me know if I forgot a great one.  Also feel free to join me in a flashback of your own.  Sign Mr. Linky below, so everyone can come reminisce with you!

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I apologize if you came here today just for your weekly dose of my 80s big-haired goofiness.  I had an exceptionally busy day and am heading into an equally exceptionally busy weekend, and I just don't have time to scan pictures and the like.  Not to mention that I have the worst cold I think I've ever had in my life.  I honestly don't know where this amount of snot is coming from.  I am very fearful that it may be brain matter at this point, and I don't have a lot of that to spare.  Unfortunately, there's not much for a woman-with-child to take, so I have been finding relief in sucking Jolly Ranchers non-stop.  They help my dry mouth and taste good to boot.  My teeth may rot, but I am momentarily happy.

I also want to thank all of you who took the time to read my post below, read the articles, watch the videos and leave a comment.  It meant a lot to me.  After I posted that, I wondered if others might watch it and think Randy was drunk as a skunk.  It was difficult, since I know him personally, to be objective.   So it was good to hear that others saw what I saw.  I'm following the story the best I can from a different state, and I will let you know how it all turns out.

Have a wonderful Flashback-Free weekend!

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Earlier this week Indiana Mimi brought over a stack of old photos from her house for me to use for my Flashback Fridays.  Going through that stack has caused me to realize one downfall to my flashbacks:  they can make you feel really old.  So that's what I have decided to focus on this Friday...things that I can no longer do because I'm too old and weathered.

1.  The splits.

Actually, I think I still may be able to get into the splits.  It would be getting up and out of them without injury that would be the problem.

2.  Wear high heels.

Man, that is a skill I just thought I had never acquired, but apparently at age three, I had "it."  Too bad....at only 5'2", it would come in handy.

3.  Make my profile float eerily in the air.

Somehow I think a lot of kids who grew up in the 80s could do this.  It was the phenomenon of the decade.

4.  Get away with this at the dinner table.

Big D would definitely not be taking me out to eat much if I tried this now.

5.  Play on a Sit-and-Spin.

Annaleigh used to have one of these several years ago, and I tried and tried to get that thing to go with me on it.  It just wasn't happening.

6.  Do a back bend.

And, unlike the splits, I really cannot do this anymore.  At least I'm pretty sure.  It hurts just thinking about it.

7.  Sit on my dad's lap.

In all fairness to my dad, I haven't asked lately to sit on his lap.  I'm just pretty sure he wouldn't want me to.  I'm also pretty sure he doesn't wear Mickey ears anymore.

8.  Be lifted into the air by a super hero.

Super heroes just aren't what they used to be, I guess.  This hasn't happened to me or anyone I know in decades.

9.  Wear a mini dress and thigh-high boots.

It's not that I couldn't still pull it off.  It's that Big D wouldn't let me out of the house.

10.  Hang around the house in my underwear.

And just for the record, I don't think Debbles can do this anymore either.  Whatever happened to Underoos anyway?

So, how about you?  What can't YOU do anymore?  Or what other memories do you have for us to dip into today?  Sign in below and tell us all about them....

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The crack of the bat.  The smell of freshly cut grass.  The roar of the crowds.  The taste of popcorn and nachos.   Ahhh....all of this means that I'm back on the ball field again....hot dog!

I mentioned in an earlier post that Harrison is playing Little League.  I grew up playing softball, and I absolutely looooooovvvvveeeeddd it!  The only other thing I was equally passionate about was boys, but a flashback about that would be ugly and dismal, so I picked baseball.

I started playing softball in 5th grade, when I was living in Great Lakes, IL (or Great Mistakes to all Navy people).  I really didn't consider myself athletic and didn't want to play, but my parents really encouraged me.  My dad said he'd coach, and Indiana Mimi volunteered to be team mom, so I stepped out of my comfort zone and never looked back.  Softball fit me like a....well, like a well-worn ball glove.  I'm not sure how it happened, but I became the team pitcher, and it was the position I would always play for years to come.  Our team was called the Shortcakes.  Can you believe that?  The Shortcakes?!  We came in last place that year of course.  What else could you expect from a team called the Shortcakes?

In case you can't tell, I'm the third from the right in the back.  This is my one and only team picture where I was tall enough for the back row.  In 6th grade everyone passed me up in height.  Indiana Mimi is back there in her big 80s glasses.  That's my dad on the left, and then there's little Debbles on the far left, first row.  She was our mascot.

After this year, my dad was transferred to Charleston, SC, where I continued in the Navy base league there.  I spent two more losing seasons on a team called the Rainbows (Hello?  The Rainbows?!), but then I graduated to the teen girl league and was placed on a team called the Cougars.  Finally, a decent, fierce sounding name.  I played for the Cougars for 3 years, and we were really good.  Our best year was my last year, 1988, where we went 16-2.

I'm on the bottom row, second from the left....the one with the big hair, who refused to wear her cap.  The girl to the right of me was one of my best friends, Angie, who was later in my wedding.  Her mom was our manager (top row, second from the right).  The girl second from the left on the top row was not well-liked by anyone.  We weren't very nice to her, and I've always felt badly about that.  The girl who is right in the middle of the top row stole my boyfriend once.  I wasn't very nice to her either, but I still don't feel badly about that.

Then I took a break for almost 10 years.  I graduated from high school, went to college, got married, had a baby.  Then I played for two years for a church team.  I was rusty and a little out of shape, but they still let me pitch, and every now and then I'd actually get on base.

(Look, Adrienne....your mom and dad!  Adrienne reads and comments on my blog from time to time.)

I'm third from the left, bottom row...again.  The lady in the top row, 4th from the left, was my boss at a daycare all through my college years.  Then I taught her daughter.  Actually, now that I'm looking at this picture, I taught five of these women's children.  I went to my senior prom with the two girls' brother who are in the top row 3rd and 4th from the left.  Then he married my best friend, but I'm okay with that.  We're all still friends.

After this year I had Harrison, and I haven't played since.  Something about having a c-section makes you never want to risk injury again.

I tried to get Annaleigh interested, and she played one year of tee-ball when she was four.

Her team came in first place, but Annie's (as she was called then) main contribution was flower-picking and twirling in the outfield.  Next year I enrolled her in ballet.

Now, it's Harrison's turn.  He was randomly placed on the Cubs, much to my delight, since that's my favorite major league team.  He says he loves it, so maybe I can finally be a permanent fixture at the baseball diamond.

Now, for the contest!  Post a comment (not to be confused for joining in for Flashback Friday) and tell me one of your baseball memories.  If you don't have one, make one up because it's totally un-American to not have any baseball stories up your sleeve.  Actually, you can just tell me to enter you in the contest and be a dud if you want.  You could win one of these....

or another inch-thick stack of 12x12 scrapbook paper...

I'll take entries until Sunday, April 13 at 9:00 pm, Central Time.

Also, feel free to join me for Flashback Friday.  Share whatever memory you might have rolling around in that brain of yours.  Sign up here, so we can all come read it....

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In light of my recent news, it has made me nostalgic about my two past pregnancies.  I have been busy trying to recall little tidbits about those times.  And I'm finding that difficult in some respects since those pregnancies were 12 and 8 years ago, respectively.  Yet I was able to find a few snapshots.

Here I am, barefoot and pregnant in late July of 1996.  Annaleigh was born in early September.  I was 23.

Big D and I were up late working on the nursery.  The theme was Noah's Ark, and I was busy painting a little doll bed that I'd had since I was four.  My Dad made it.  (It was a decoration.  We didn't put Annaleigh in it.)  We didn't know what we were having, so I picked a theme and colors that could go either way.  We were still in this house when we had Harrison, so we just moved Annaleigh across the hall and kept this room the same for him.

Just for the record, I normally do have ankles...just not for the tail end of this pregnancy.  I was in the early stages of pre-eclampsia and was swollen like a rotten watermelon.  I just didn't know it yet and kept blaming it on the sweltering Charleston summer.

Here we are as a happy family in the hospital, the day after she was born.

She was actually born a week early due to my blood pressure with the pre-eclampsia.  I had to be induced, but everything went smoothly.  She only weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz., so she popped right out...literally.

I couldn't find any pictures of me pregnant with Harrison, but I'll just tell you that I was huge.  I actually gained more weight with Annaleigh (although a good bit was water), but I gained it all over.  With Harrison I was all out front.  It looked like I'd swallowed a basketball.

Our family after his birth...

Annaleigh, at three, looks shell-shocked, doesn't she?  I was 27, and Big D was 30.  Harrison weighed in at 9lbs. 2 oz., and I don't recommend delivering children that weigh almost 3 lbs. more than the previous one.  As a matter of fact, he got stuck.  After pushing for four hours, they finally decided to do a C-section.  Come to find out, he not only weighed as much as a two-month old baby, but his head circumference was 14", and his chest circumference was 14.25".  There would have been none of this, "OK, now the head's out.  The rest is easy.  Just push."  It was just unfortunate that I had to push for so long.  Later that day, as a nurse brought in some ice and the stuff for me to take a sitz bath, she said, "Poor thing.  It's really like you delivered both ways."  I didn't hit her, but I dreamt about it.

Interestingly, the blanket that is on Harrison, became his special blanket that he's always called "Blue,"  or before he turned 5, "Byoo," as he couldn't say his L's.  You might even still catch it now and then in pictures that I post because he still, even at almost 8 years old,  carries it around some.  Although it is now decidedly gray and frayed all around the edges.

Ahhh....memories.  Looking at these though has made it seem even more surreal that we are embarking on this all over again.

So, how about you?  Got any good memories to share with us this weekend?  Sign in below and tell us all about them!

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Folks, this Flashback Friday is going to be short and sweet.  I mentioned that in an earlier post that I was sick over the weekend.  Well, on Wednesday evening, Harrison came down with a nasty stomach virus, and he and I were up until 4am Thursday morning.  I have been feeling light-headed and fuzzy all day from lack of sleep.  I went to Wal-mart tonight to buy things for my Easter dinner, I forgot my list, and then wandered the aisles in a drunken-like stupor.  I finally just bought 3 bags of Easter candy, bananas and a cake mix and left the store.  No breakthroughs from this illness, except as an observer and bystander, I just noted that it's amazing how much vomit can come forth from such a little person.  And now, on with the flashback...

Debbles and I on Easter of 1987, I believe.  I was in 9th grade.  I'm not sure if both of the bunnies were Debbles' or if the big one was actually mine.  I don't remember ever owning such a big bunny, but you never know.  Perhaps Debbles might chime in on the comments and shed some light on the subject because I'm sure your weekend will just be positively ruined if we can't sort this bunny mystery out.

While bunnies are cute and cuddly, and chocolate is yummy, make sure you take time this weekend to reflect on the somber and then victorious reasons that we, as Christians, have to celebrate.  Christ is risen!  He is risen, indeed!

Please join me in flashing back whenever you'd like.  Leave a link here, so everyone can come join you!  Thanks....

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When I was about 17 years old I went into our local Sears store and bought, with a gift certificate (this was before the days of gift cards), a Notre Dame Fighting Irish sweatshirt.  I never guessed that it would be my most loved and longest-lasting piece of clothing ever.  So in honor of St. Patrick's Day, I am dedicating my flashback to this sweatshirt.

For fun, let's do a brief Q & A....

Now, am I a Notre Dame fan?  Ummm...sorta, kinda.  I was born in Indiana and was raised by Irish fans, yet I hardly ever watch college football.  All I know is that I like the movie Rudy and that last season was a bad year to be a fan.

Am I Irish?  Yes....well, as most Americans, I'm a hybrid, but my maiden name is definitely Irish.  And so is my first name, but that was just coincidental.

Do I wear green on St. Patrick's Day?  Of course!  I even bought shamrock socks to wear this year.

Do I drink green beer?  No.  I don't like beer, green or otherwise.

Have I seen the old horror movie The Leprechaun?  Are you kidding me?!  I like to sleep at night.

Am I ever going to get to my entry about my sweatshirt?  Yes.  On we go....

This was the oldest picture I could find of the shirt...

That's me and Big D on the bottom left.  We were on a college youth retreat with our church.  This took place when we were dating.  I was 18 and Big D was 21.

Here I am wearing the shirt a few years later...

Big D, who took this shot, and I were married by now.  I was probably 20 or so.  The others are Debbles, Indiana Mimi and Gigi (my grandma).  We were at a rest stop, traveling to Arkansas for a funeral of a great uncle.

And then here I am yesterday...  (I'm sure I have many other photos of me wearing this shirt, but I just didn't feel like thumbing through thousands of pictures.)

OK, it was 70 degrees here yesterday, so I just put this on for the photo.  It doesn't look bad for a nearly 20 year old shirt, does it?  I'm thinking it may be around for another decade or so.

Having a flashback of your own?  Why don't you share it with us?

And now for the little contest!  E-mail me at kellieann@adelgren.com and tell me what state you think we were visiting for the mountain picture at the top, and you may choose one of these great homeschooling resources...

They are...

• Global Discovery Activities
• Uncle Josh's Outline Map CD ROM
• Evaluating for Excellence

All of these are very lightly used and are in like-new condition.  No marks, bent pages or highlights.  The CD ROM is compatible with Mac or Windows and you will need Acrobat Reader 4.0 or above (you can download this for free).  All retail for $20 or more.

I will receive answers until Sunday night, March 16 at 6:00 pm, CT.  I will then draw randomly from the correct answers one winner, who may choose the resource of their choice.  You may click on any of the titles above to read more about the product. (Yes, I'm cleaning out!  Watch for more "little contests" over the next few weeks!)

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About a week ago Chris, over at Mountain Homeschool tagged me with the challenge to post a picture of my desk.  Sorry, Chris, that it's taken so long.  I almost postponed again with my Flashback Friday looming over me, but then I thought....why not combine the two?  I am like such the queen of multi-tasking (not really) and I like totally always kill two birds with one stone (I would never kill birds with anything other than my windshield).

So in the spirit of all things retro, here was my desk then:

This was probably around 1979, maybe 1980.  My sole passion in life at this time was playing school.  It's what I did ALL the time.  I was the teacher sitting at my little blue desk or standing at my Raggedy Ann chalkboard.  This obsession would continue until...well, I sometimes still think I'm playing school, and I've just cleverly disguised it as "home schooling."  Seriously, besides the occasional Barbie fashion show, and a little later, playing Dance Fever with my record player and disco ball, school was my favorite pastime.

For the NOW section, I have three pictures:

This is my "real" desk, I guess, but I don't sit there all that much (as you can see, it's minus a chair), but I store a lot of junk in it.  It is sort of "Scrapbook Central," as you can see much of my supplies surrounding this area.  I usually lay the page out there, but I usually do most of my work over on the kids' table, which I'll show you now...

Besides being my craft fall-out area, this is where the kids do at least some of their school.  Annaleigh has a desk in her room, where she works a lot of the time, but you can find me and Harrison here working out our 8-times tables or reciting his memory verse or defining nouns.  We do most of our reading in the family room, but here is where he does seat work, and I check papers, etc.

This is probably my favorite "desk" area...

...because it's where my computer sits, and I'm just mildly in love with my computer.  Oh, and I also like the fact that we once removed a shelf from above this area and decided to never touch up the paint because we're so Bohemian and liked that grungy look (again, not really....we just forgot, sort of like that wreath).

I realize these areas are looking rather spiffy right now.  I didn't clean up for the pictures....I promise....even though that was a temptation for me.  We had a Bible study meeting at our house today, and the kids were going to be in this room, so we straightened it up.   It's usually not this tidy, yet it's not a complete disaster either.

And just for fun, I thought I'd show you a picture of my dream office area, my "inner desk," if you will....

It's from Pottery Barn.  Someday....maybe.....I'm not holding my breath....

Now I'm supposed to tag 5 more people.  Eenie, meenie, minie, moe,  I pick....

• mycrazylife
• MayTheyBeMightyMen
• kaysmarmey
• 4sweetums
• naturalpaths

(The tag is just for your present desk area.  I just got all crazy and rebellious with it.  Let me know if you post your pic, so I can come be nosey and see it!)

Feel free to join us for Flashback Friday.  If you do, sign up with Mr. Linky below so everyone can come read your post.  Your post doesn't have to be about your desk. Thanks!

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Spiderman!

Twenty Random Thoughts About This Photograph...

1. Yes, I know that phrasology such as "Leapin' Lizards" was more associated with Batman and friends, but...
2. I wanted to write about something/someone that had to do with Leap Day, and this is the only photo with a springy super hero I could find. 
3. Thus, you have Debbles and I with Spidey.
4. I have absolutely no memory of getting this picture taken.  I remember getting my picture made with Batgirl and Wonder Woman at Sea World, but Spiderman made little impression on me, I guess.
5. I doubt that Debbles has any memory of this either.  Do you, Debbles?
6. The writing on the back of this photo says "September 1978."
7. That would make me almost 6 years old, and Debbles would have been about 2 months old.
8. It's a good thing Spiderman was wearing a mask because we look like quite a load, and I'll bet he was straining because he looks rather skinny.
9. I wonder how he's breathing.
10. Who am I looking at?
11. Who is Debbles looking at?
12. Harrison likes this picture.
13. Debbles boys will probably like this picture too, but I doubt that they've seen it, since it's at my house, and I only just found it.
14. My nephew, Benjamin, thinks he's Spiderman/Peter Parker.
15. He's killed me several times in various scenarios pretending to be Spiderman.
16. Did I mention that it's almost 1am?
17. I think that's why this post is so loopy.
18. I'm sorry.
19. I'm going to bed.
20. Happy Leap Day!

 Now, surely you can come up with something better than this.  If you can (or even if you can't), post a flashback on your blog, and then come back and sign Mr. Linky today. (The Mr. Linky site seems to be having some problems.  If the sign-up box doesn't appear below, just link to your post in my comment section....thanks!)

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