And a partridge in a pear tree...

As promised, Copper has gotten me OUT OF THE MAN CAVE! Not just a wireless router - but a new computer too! He has a total "get out of jail free card" with me... not that he was ever in the doghouse... he's a super great husband all the time!

Tater-tot had a great Christmas. He got exactly what he wanted from Santa - and has barely played with it since (ha ha)

We got him a small figure-8 slot car track - Uncle L (my bro-in-law) got him a super cool HUGE Transformers slot car track.

Since we knew that Grandma (my mom-in-law) was getting him a V-Smile V Motion we got him a game for it...

We did have some unfortunate duplicate gifting, so his one present from Mommy and Daddy was a $7.00 action figure! Ah well - he'll get some cool stuff from us once the returns are complete...

And of course - that's not really what Christmas is all about anyway, right!?!?

I've been charged with listing 7 interesting/weird/random facts about myself. Tagged by Eternal Sunshine

I'm tagging these 7: Merrie Melody, Betty at Keeper of the Skies Wife, Connie at Tales from the Fridge, Dawnmski at Yes This is How My Mind Works, Lisa at Diapers to Dating, Qweenie at Qweenie's Court and Holly at Anglophilefootballfanatic who just had a birthday and is a friend of Eternal Sunshine's (I may not get everyone's comments letting them know they are tagged in until monday - as we speak the family is descending for the first of several holiday celebrations)

Here are the rules:

• Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules in your post.

• Share seven random/weird facts about yourself.

• Tag seven random people and link to their blogs.

• Let each person know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment in their blog.

SO.... HERE WE GO...

1. I've traveled to 5 different countries on 3 continents. I've been to England and France (Europe), South Africa and Tanzania (Africa), and Canada (North America). Oddly - I live in Texas and have never been to Mexico.

This is a mountain top view of Iringa, Tanzania... not how you'd expect Africa to look, huh?

2. I have played multiple musical instruments including flute, oboe, percussion, piano, and guitar. (Truly a "jack of all trades-master of none).

3. I married my cousin... and my sister... no, really... I'm a licensed minister and officiated both of their ceremonies...

4. My husband (and I, by default) collect Looney Tunes memorabilia and collectibles. A handpainted Daffy Duck figurine taken from the "Alibaba Bunny" episode is considered a sound investment in our future in this house (given the state of things today - more people may be trying out this retirement plan)

5. I picked my major in college by determining what I could pick and still get done in 4 years without having to take any more math or science classes than I'd already taken...

6. I worked for 2 summers as "wrangler" at a summer camp... that's right... I taught riding lessons and lead trail rides and shoveled poop and the whole shebang. Truly a Texas cowgirl.

7. I love Cherry Sours... love doesn't do it justice... I must have them... I get emotional when the bag is at half empty and I must face the fact that I will soon run out... I shop all the stores in town to make sure I know who has the best brands and prices... not all Cherry Sours are created equal.


Bonus weird fact: I'm related by blood to Eternal! And she's the one that started me blogging. Which means that, yes - I grew up eating bananas and fritos (seriously, people, don't knock it until you've tried it) and Lucky and Dumplin' and Chicken Surprise... Of course we didn't REALLY have a rabbit named Lucky - if we had - it wouldn't have really been funny - just sick and twisted... (If you are confused by this - read HER 7 FACTS.)

These are a Few of my Favorite Things...

As promised I have below my 10 favorite things list... compliments of Betty at Keeper of Skies Wife I was assigned the letter "F."

If you want to participate visit Betty's blog and leave her a message. She'll let you know your letter. If you let me know about it when you post I'll link to it too!

10 Favorite things beginning with the letter "F"

1. Food - any and all - in its many varied and beautiful forms... Copper makes some really great dishes - he's the cook in the family! I've listed some specific "F" foods at the end of the post. Alas - my love of food has sent me packing to Weight Watchers... Its a food adict's verson of AA (except we can't quit cold turkey... mmm turkey... )

2. Friends - both old and new, physical and virtual (Internet)... they are the salt that makes life interesting and preserves my sense of humor, sense of worth, and sense of reality.

3. Four-year-olds (more specifically - MY FOUR YEAR OLD) not necessarily any other four year olds... although some others are okay too... and at his next birthday we can change this to five-year-olds.

Tater-tot at a family wedding and on crazy hair day at school.

4. Family - Most specifically my husband, Copper, and son Tater-tot - but of course - Eternal (she's my sister) and her crew, Dad and R, Mom and B, extended family and the heritage and legacy that they have given me.

Dad, my step-mom, R (holding Mater) Monkey and my step-dad, B (yes the steps and exes all get along remarkably well and often intermix with each other and in-laws for family events...






Me, Copper and Tater-tot when he was just a wee thing. Note Copper's very hippie hair cut - its a thing of the past now!








My mom and Eternal aren't pictured not because I don't love them - just couldn't find a pic in the time allotted...

5. Force (as in our local police force) - May God protect our men and women in blue. If they'd wanted to be well liked and revered by all as heros they'd have become firefighters but instead they stand between us and the evils of the world and say "I'm not going to let anything hurt you. Not on my watch!"

My husband, Copper.

6. Faith - in God, in others, in the goodness of mankind, in myself that maybe I'm getting it right more often that I think.

7. Films (yes, more traditionally called MOVIES - but I'm working with the letter "F" here) They open a world of insights, points of view, humor, adventure and imagination to us.

8. Freedom

9. Fudge, Fun-dip, (technically these are candy - not food so its not a repeat to mention them.)

10. Flavored sunflower seeds (Nacho Cheese) and Flavored Peanuts (Cajun) - Okay so these are a food and thus a repeat... but they still deserve their own category... Sadly - since I called technicality on flavored seeds/nuts and candy you can now tell how much I truly do LOVE food! So pathetic!

A few bonus F's - Fritos, Funyuns, fondue, France, furniture, firewood.

Shout out to friends - and some holidy photos

I was recently inspired by Merrie Melody and her extensive photo posts of great Christmas Decorations... I've taken some photos of my own and am putting them below for your enjoyment.

Melody was also the person that introduced me to Betty over at Keeper of the Skies Wife. She has an ongoing 'game' of assigning letters to anyone who wants one and then that person posts their 10 favorite things starting with that letter. Melody was given the letter "E" and you an see her 10 favorite things here.

If you want to play leave a comment at Betty's blog saying that you want to play along, and she'll send you a random letter. Then you can make a list of your ten favorite things that begin with your assigned letter.

I'll be posting my 10 favorite things beginning with the letter "F" very soon!

By the way - Betty posted some pretty great Christmas photos recently so check those out too.

Now to my photos:

My father-in-law drew this pencil sketch of Santa Claus years before I met my husband (he passed on before we ever met) but he was clearly gifted. My brother-in-law had this framed for us a few years ago.

This is a soldier ornament that I made in 1st grade... Eternal - do you still have yours? We had the same 1st grade teacher!

I think I made this little reindeer the same year - 1st grade.

The next few photos are of our snow village... we collect a few new pieces each year.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Tater-ism...

In the car... as usual (he says the greatest stuff there!)

Tater-tot: Mommy, when we get home can I have a tomato?
Me: Why do you want a tomato?
Tater-tot: I'm going to squish it flat like we did in church today?
Me: Ummm... you squished a tomato flat in church? (what kookie tradition is that?)
Tater-tot: Uh-huh...

Me: Oh - you want to squish Play-doh?
Tater: Yea, Play doh!

How I knew that Tomato was Play-doh - I really don't know... it truly was an epiphany from on High...

I'm declaring Mondayto be "Photo Phunday!"

Let me just say... BRRRR... Night two of the hayride was every bit as cold at night one. But we had fun anyway. Here's a pic of me and Tater-tot braving the cold for the sake of Christmas Spirit.

And here... is Tater-tot's very first Santa picture ever! I know, what mother let's her kid get to be 4-years-old before letting him get his picture taken with Santa!?!?! I promise it wasn't intentional... just one of those things...

Tater-tot now believes that Santa is his best friend as they spent the better part of two nights "hanging out" together while mommy worked at the hayride... (Kudos to Santa for staying in character for the sake of my little boy!)

A Very Cold Hayride!

This is the county courthouse for the town where we work and go to school... It's beautiful isn't it. At Christmas they put lights all over it and run strings of lights from the top to all the businesses that surround it on the square... you can see it for miles!

Last night, on a VERY COLD hayride through town looking at lights Tater-tot saw this building and said:

"Momma! Who lives in that house!?!? It's huge!"

Everyone on the hayride laughed with us as I tried to explain that it was a courthouse and that no-one lived there.

(I tried to find a picture of it at night with the lights but wasn't able to. Should have taken my camera with me last night!)


Also, while waiting at the historic depot building for our turn on the hayride I told Tater-tot that daddy was working and that he was at the hospital.




Tater-tot: Oh no, is he hurt?
Me: No, he's watching a bad guy who's hurt.
Tater-tot: Did Daddy shoot him?

Awwww.... Pickles....

This is what Tater-tot says when anything doesn't go his way... his version of "aww shucks" I'm guessing he gets it from a tv show.... but maybe he came up with it on his own?!?!?

He's been telling me he doesn't want to go to school a lot lately... there has been a lot of turnover lately and I'm not thrilled with his current teachers "what'shername" and "thatothergirl."

So I called another school (that he was waitlisted for) just to see if we'd moved up the list at all and....


(dramatic pause)

He's in! Starting after the holiday break he'll be attending the FBC Academy in the town where I work. It is one of 2 schools that every parent wants their kid to go to... It's run by a retired teacher and most of the teachers there are retired teachers or have formal training in education!

all the other schools in town are just second best and third rate...

No more spending time at school watching TV (yes! They actually watched about an hour and a half a day AT SCHOOL!!!!) No more having teachers fired because they cuss out an upset parent (this actually happened!) No more having teachers fired because the owner finds out about their drug problem (this happened too!) And like I said - this was the best option available in this small town until now!

SO HIP HIP HURRAY for the new school!

Fox

More cute things he's said...

Tater tot - in the parade, on a float shouting over and over to the crowds...

"Very Christmas! Very Christmas!"

In the car to me (with an exasperated tone of voice)

"You are driving my nuts!"

Have a great Monday everybody!

Weekend Update - BEFORE the craziness starts

Okay people - I really still need crafty ideas since my schedule doesn't currently allow for hours browsing my local craft stores! Tater-tot wants to make Christmas presents and we'll get started on them this week so give me ideas... I wish I could offer a prize for the best suggestions but I'm all out of stuff I could use to tempt you!

About the weekend... I think tonight will be our only breather... After Tater-tot goes to bed I've got to dye my hair and cover up all of this gray! But other than that - tonight is clear.

Tomorrow - I have to actually set an alarm - on a Saturday (there should be a law against it!) so we can be at the starting point of our community's Christmas Parade by 8:00 a.m. The parade starts at 11:00 so we will stand around freezing our tuckuses (what's the plural of tuckas?) for 3 hours before things even get underway (okay so its forecast to be in the 40s but I'm a Texan so that IS freezing to me).

Thanks to a brilliant committee of goofballs the parade theme is "team spirit" - What the H - does that have to do with Christmas??? So our float is a football field with "stockings hung by the goal posts with care..." and our kids are dressing like football players and cheerleaders... The grown ups are wearing referee shirts, whistles, and Santa hats.... Nothing says Christmas like "Blue-22, Blue-22, Hut!"

A few hours later - after we've warmed up... I'll start getting ready for the company Christmas party. Copper's working so I'm going solo... but its always a fun event. I actually like most of my co-workers and we always have a good time. They give good prizes too! Once year I won $100 cash and another year I won a digital camera.

Sunday might be a bit more restful even though the Church's Christmas dinner is that night and I'd like to go that won't last too long...

somewhere in there I'll need to do laundry though or by Sunday Tater-tot and I might both be showing up to Church naked!!!!

Fox

A kid named "Le-a"... How do you pronounce that?

Okay - I was at a thing last night and a co-worker told this story - second hand from his daughter who works in a nearby public school.

On the first day of school a new child named Le-a started in their school and they were trying to figure out how to pronounce her name... 'lee-ah' 'lee-ay' etc...

So they call the child's mom who told them (this is his quote of her quote of what the mom said)

"It's 'lee-dash-a.' The dash don't be silent."

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I'm still looking for good craft-ideas for Tater-tot to make for Christmas gifts... submit your ideas to me - AND if you have crazy name stories - give me those too... we all need a good laugh!

"Mommy... there's a Snake on my Slide!"

Words that send fear into the hearts of all moms!

I donned shoes (big heavy boots) and tried to silence my 'inner Samuel Jackson.'

"Mother-bleeping snakes, on a mother-bleeping slide!"

Turns out it was...
...
...
...
...
Bird poop...

There is nothing more I can say after that...

Still looking for Crafty Ideas

I'm still searching for Crafty Ideas for a 4 year old to do for Christmas presents. He wants to make something for 2 grandpas and 3 grandmas... and hopefully something that they'll actually keep... and maybe even use...

He told me over the weekend that he had a dream ("a cloud in my room while I was sleeping") and in the dream I kicked him out of the house and it hurt his body...

*frown*

I'm actually a really nice mommy.... I promise I am.... maybe I put him to bed without candy or something?!?!?