Inspired By You Wednesday

My friend KS blogs over at It's All about Books (see my side bar). She is my inspiration today because she is an avid reader, she writes a mean book review, plus she has a darling husband, CUTE kids and a fun personality. KS likes some really cool things that begin with T, I know this because she wrote a post on 10 things you love that begin with T. It looked like so much fun that I requested a letter from her so I could do my own ABC lovin', with all the goings on around here you really wouldn't think I'd need blog fodder; but, even we bloggy geniuses experiences a bit of bloggers block from time to time alphabet love seemed a fitting subject for the week, so I ask for a letter. One again, those naughty A's reared their little heads and inspired KS to give me the letter A.

10 Things I love That Start with A

* Adorable Hubby: WooHoo! You made the top of the list Babe! Adorable Hubby claims he is last on my to do list just below the fish and the laundry. His quirky sense of humor and gorgeous blue eyes are just two of the 400 trillion reasons I love that man. I'll share more about him on Throbbin' Thursday; just wanted it known that despite all my girly issues and guilt's he's my heart and soul mate.

*Agriculture: I love things that grow, children, animals, gardens, laundry piles (not so much), families, relationships, love, ideas, souls, trees. I love all the aspects of nurturing, cultivating, feeding and experiencing growth. This probably explains why every family pet ends up being mine, and why my yard and house are filled with plants, children and animals.

*Ambulating: I wish I could say I loved the bone jarring, brain rattling, lung bursting, sport of running, I admire runners, their effortless gait and their lean bodies; but, I ambulate, I looked it up it means, to walk. I love walking, outdoors, on a treadmill, doesn't matter it's just something I adore.

*Athletics: I may love them in self-defense, given my life of boyness, but love them I do. Sitting in a lawn chair on a warm spring day watching my boys play baseball, or wrapped up in blankets on a crisp fall night watching a football game...it just doesn't get any better.

*Adagio: This is slow, leisurely music or intricate dance. I love music, and dance especially as performed by my oldest son. He is a joy to watch, he loses himself in the song or dance and the joy of oneness that comes from group performance. Music and the movement it inspires are eternally beautiful to me.

*Adam: Thanks to his name and his mad 'A' writing skills, my youngest son gets to symbolize all my sons, I can't express my feelings for these magnificent creations of God. I feel so blessed to have been entrusted with their early lives. They teach me so much more then I'll ever teach them.

*Alliteration, Adjective, Allusion: Admirably, alliterating literary terms alluding to my love of literature both reading and writing it. I love, love, love a good book the kind that has so many layers of meaning that each time you read it it means something new. I love writing, I know my grammar, style and spelling leave much to be desired, but the work of combining words into sentences that tell a story never gets old for me.

*Afterglow: (Not the Mormon musical group, though I'm sure they've aged wonderfully) That feeling you get after umm...you know, cuddling and stuff with that special someone. Afterglow or, "floating down stream" as Adorable Hubby and I call it, in the arms of your lover is the best feeling ever.

*Attitude: Don't care whether yours is sweet, sassy, upbeat, sarcastic, fiery, pitiful, positive, funny or needs to be adjusted; I just love me some get in your face, make the world listen, AT-TI-TUDE!

*Atonement: I know God lives, I know Jesus is my savior. Every moment of my life is touched by the hands that bear the marks of my salvation. His sacrifice, to offer me the peace that comes from being AT ONE with each moMENT of me, is my greatest love.

Wasn't that fun? I'd love to know what you love! Leave me a comment, I'll consult my 4 year old, then give you a letter to love on.

Toothsome Tuesday

Sorry, I've just got nothing today... no recipe comes to mind... I'm determined to move the naughty A's down the page a bit though.

OK, I just thought of a recipe that I could share. I have never tried it but it sounded good and healthy when I read it.

Hot Chocolate

Pour a mug full of milk
Put in two or three or twenty-three mini bars of
Dark Dove Chocolate, Unwrapped.
Microwave for two or three minutes until chocolate is melted.
Stir well.

Yum, healthy hot chocolate.

If you go with the twenty-three bars of chocolate and Sweetened Condensed milk it should be realllly good!

Purpose accomplished, recipe shared, you'll have to scroll down for naughty A's, which, it just occurred to me, could be #7's version of family portrait. My boys are really deep thinking that way.

Mondays Muttered Mumblings

#7 is practicing writing A's at preschool! I wonder if his preschool teacher, Mrs. Courtney, got the giggles like I did.


Happy Monday!

What The...Friday (on Saturday)

My boys went through a phase where, "What the heck" was heard 490 times a day. Then the big boys began ending, what the... with words that were, UNFRIKINACCEPTABLE! (where do they get their potty mouths from?) After an explosion or twenty from Boy Mom they settled on saying, "What the..." leaving all the alternative words off the ending. Fortunately we are about through the, What the... phase, thank heavens, there is nothing like walking through the grocery store with a three year old, yelling, "Mom, what the..." about every item I place in the cart.

Blogging, as usual, changed my perspective and I decided it made a great title for Friday posts, about things that make you go, WHAT THE...

So, after that introduction, here is this weeks Friday, What the...

I head out the door to pick up #6 at 12:05PM, his kindergarten class lets out at, yep, you guessed it, 12:05 PM. I was in a bit of a hurry and #7 announced he was going with me because he had shoes on, he also had on a shirt and underwear which is WELL! dressed for him, so I figured why not, I didn't have time to argue or find pants.

We pull up in front of the school, most of the kindergarten kids are gone, no #6, I can see that the door to his class room is open and figure he'll look out soon and see us, so we wait. After four or five minutes with no #6 I have a dilemma, I can't very well, haul #7 in to the school to look for his brother, they frown on undies only at our elementary school, plus, I recall having a dream or two about being at school in only my underwear, don't want to traumatize the poor thing. I can't just leave him in the car because leaving your 4 year old alone, in your car, on a winters day, in a t-shirt, Super-hero undies, and croc's is just screaming for Child Protective Services to come a'calling.

I sigh, wondering what to do. From the back seat #7, wonders aloud, "Where is #6, did someone eat him alive?"

What the....

Where do they come up with this stuff?

#6 walked out the door 20 seconds later.

Note to self: Consider pants and therapy for #7

Inspired By You Wednesdays

I was reading Gills blog, she blogs at me-n-him-n-them, I have been unable to get Google to post her site to my blog roll, so frustrating, anyway, she mentioned that a little girl, Tuesday Fiona Whitt passed away on January30. ( www.half12.blogspot.com)

I read back to the beginning posts of this mom of 4, the youngest, adorable twin girls with bouncy curls and angel faces. This mom blogged about the funny little day by day events we all blog about, birthdays, kids, playing in the garbage cans. In July everything changed one of her little twins was diagnosed with cancer. I read heart breaking posts about long nights spent in the intensive care unit, inspiring posts about prayers and fund raisers and good news, posts with pictures of a beautiful little girl with no hair, fighting hard for her life, here and there are bits of humor, a sweet acceptance and presence that is often lacking in my life.

Thanks Whitt family for having the strength and courage to share your beautiful lives with us. We will wrap our arms around our little ones and big ones, relish each second of their precious lives, accept the unacceptable that we may embrace each moment, for truly that is all any of us have.

Toothesome Tuesday

You know that saying, "A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips", I have a new version. "Sign one little PTA line, they'll call you every time."

I have made it a habit to never sign up for the PTA (parent teacher association), it's not that I don't appreciate all the carnivals and book fairs...OK I really don't but, that's beside the point. It's just that I don't like ending up on lists that get me called over and over again to sit behind rickety tables handing out live goldfish to children who,"Just need 11 more for my little brother and my cousin who might be spending the night this weekend and my friend who's at the blow- up slide and his little sister who couldn't come because she has the Chicken pox and have you had the Chicken Pox because I might be contagious because my mom can't remember if I had them or got the shot, and do you know what these gold fish eat and how much do the snow cones...oh hey, hey, sorry my friend is ...can you just hold my fish till I get back from..hey, wait for me!"

So for years I've walked past the sign-up table at back to school night with my eyes down, muttering under my breath, "Sorry too many pre-schoolers." Alas I'm running out of pre-schoolers so, this year, short of giving birth to keep my excuse going, I signed up for one little PTA sponsored event.

Yep, one little name and phone number on one little sign up sheet, to make one little batch of cookies for the PTA sponsored, parent/teacher conference dinner. I reasoned, semi cute new principal, always good to collect a few "brownie" points (cookies... brownie points...ha! it's a little pun) with the principal. Then there was the whole homeschooling conversation with said principal when I pulled #5 out, and suddenly he's not so cute anymore. But, of course, I'm getting called for everything, could I help with the safety fair, could I bring Scotcheroos, could I bring more Scotcheroos!

Dang Scotcheroos, I knew they were the "crack" cocaine of the Rice Krispie treat universe, which is why I had never made them nor collected the recipe. Now I'm stuck, I have the recipe, I have to make them and try them just to make sure they taste good, I have to make enough for my boys, don't want them feeling left out. "Thanks for the addiction!" I snarked at the PTA lady today as I handed off the plateful of Scotcheroos for yet another PTA sponsored, parent/teachers conference dinner.

"Sign one little PTA line, they'll call you every time"

Here is the recipe for,

Scotcheroos

In a medium sauce pan combine:

1 cup Karo syrup
1 cup sugar

Bring to a boil, boil for a minute or so until sugar is melted, be sure to scrape down sides of pan.

Add:

1 cup peanut butter

Mix well.

Pour over 6 cups Rice Krispies

spread in greased 9" X 11" pan

Melt 8 ounces of chocolate chips, and 8 ounces of butterscotch chips in microwave, spread over Rice Krispie bars. Cool, cut, eat and eat and eat, resolve to go on sugar fast tomorrow.

Just remember, "A Moment on the lips a lifetime on the hips!"

Mondays Muttered Mumblings

Well I now have the, "fastest computer in the house!" Thank you Adorable Hubby, #1 and #2, it also has a,"Kick butt graphics card so now you can be the best blogger in the whole world!" Are you all soooo jealous? Uhh no not really...yeah me to, I just don't know enough about technology to be suitably impressed.

Even though I'm now the best blogger in the world I believe I'll save all the amazingly creative posts I've though up while being upgraded and go visit some of your blogs.

Night all!