summer grub

does anybody watch good luck, charlie?

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we kinda like that show.  cracks us up.  by the way, if you follow the link it'll take you to hooked on houses and you can see the awesome set.  love, love, love their house!!!

anyway, back to the foodie talk......  my kids were watching a good luck charlie episode the other day (stick with me, I promise i'll make a point soon).  a character named debbie dooly kept talking about her snicker doodles.  well, we kept talking like mrs. debbie dooly. and laughing.  and talking about her snicker doodles.

it just so happens that my grandmother was famous for her snicker doodles.

and so, after my kids begging me in the debbie dooly voice, i made them snicker doodles.

and today i'll pass on my grandmother's recipe.  i can't decide if she'd be thrilled with this or refuse her consent.  i'm gonna go with being thrilled and share with y'all.  i'm a giver, what can i say.

Annie Lee's Snicker Doodles

1 1/2 c sugar (i used 1 1/4c, maybe even less...my grandmother had an insatiable sweet tooth)
2 eggs
1 c shortening (i used real butter, 1 c)
1/2 t butter flavor (i omitted this since i used real butter)
2 3/4 c flour
1/2 t soda
2 t cream of tartar (i didn't have any so i used baking powder and omitted the soda & cream of tartar)
1/2 t salt

chill dough (i didn't...i'm a rebel like that)

Roll dough into balls.  Then roll in mixture of 2T sugar and 2t cinnamon.

Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake @ 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  

i like mine under-cooked, but not everyone does, so i cook for 8 minutes.  for everyone else, 10 minutes was the prime time for my oven.  i also smash them with the spatula when i take them out, making a flat cookie.  again, that's optional.

enjoy!  i'm glad the last of ours were devoured today at the pool.  these are too stinkin' good. i'm too close to my goal weight to be lured in by their cinnamony goodness.  or maybe not...

Grandmother, i hope i made you proud.

i'm so proud.....

summer is oh-fficially here.

i have a ton of photos to share.  we had a fun weekend.  we've had an awesome day today.  but not all photos are uploaded yet...and frankly....i'm tired.

so i'm blogging...while watching golden girls, listening to bruiser 3 kids be too loud for indoors, being jealous of those same kiddos as they chomp on brownies not giving a flip about any calorie, and watching the clock as departure time for bubba's ball game approaches.

of course we won't, but it'd be a great day to skip.  just sayin'..............

moving on.
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Y'ALL.

you would all be so stinkin' proud of me.  no, seriously.  remember my summer cleaning bucket list?  {wow.  that's a long name.  i need to shorten it.  to something snappy.  snazzy.  scbl? suggestions?}

on friday i cleaned out the cabinets in my bathroom & a portion of the spare linen closet.  i'd show pictures, but quite honestly, i'm mortified by the before pics.  so i'll just share some from pinterest.  those are better anyway, right?

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mine looks similar to that...different color scheme, but similar.

i can't even begin to tell you how good it feels to have that project done!!  it was driving me crazy!  

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my spare linen closet is in the process of looking like that.  plus my bathroom cabinets look a little like that too.  except the rolled towels.

do you roll towels?  i fold.  in 3s.  clearly the rolling of the towels is for the photo opp.  is there another benefit?

moving on.....on monday i cleaned out the garage!!  yep.  i did.  checking off another on my SBCL!  {that just ain't working for me.  i'll work on it.}

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we pitched, we sorted, we moved around, we vacuumed (don't freak out....my garage is carpeted)......   IT.  LOOKS.  AWESOME.

no lie....my man & i keep looking out there just to admire it.  i still have to organize all his tools, etc. plus the storage above the fridge.  but all the kids' items, bikes, etc. is done.

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i also cleaned out the garage fridge.  and quite honestly, you should be SERIOUSLY proud of me for that one.  it was yuck.  forgotten leftovers (gross, i know...can't believe i'm admitting it), spills i didn't even know about, expired food in the freezer....all kinds of fun stuff.  

i should take a real picture.  yes, i'm that proud.  but it looks similar to this.

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it feels so good to have that done!  and i have to admit, i didn't really want to swim today.  i wanted to tackle other projects!  but we have much-needed rain forecasted for tomorrow & thursday.  i'm keeping my fingers crossed.  it feels good to check those off my list!

who knows???  maybe i'm becoming a list-maker!  {ok, i just snorted out loud at that one.}

decisions, decisions.

we bought our first house as newlyweds.  we said we'd live there 5-7 years.  ten was the maximum.


11.  ELEVEN.  we were there 11 years.  crazy.

we looked for a new house for almost 4 years.  nothing ever seemed to fit....us.  we're simple.  not looking to impress, define, or out-do.  our current house is only blocks from our last house.  we even used to walk by this house & wonder what it looked like on the inside.

it came on the market and we immediately saw it, loved it, and made an offer.  yes, it was a bit smaller than what we wanted and was missing a few bells and whistles i thought i couldn't live without.  but we loved it.  

and it felt like home when we walked in the door.

at our last house, the boys shared a room after doh doh was born.

when we moved here, we decided to have them share again.  that way, since the house was smaller than what we had originally looked for, we could have one room as a playroom.

(that picture brings back memories!  we don't even have that train table anymore!!!!  sniff, sniff.  this picture is old, but the room still looks about the same.)

so here's my dilemma:

i have 2 fellas 

who are spending a lot of time fighting.  i mean, a LOT.  i have no doubt i'll be posting about that very soon.  {ahem}

one particular fella

really wants his own room.  his own space.

{a part of me wants to bust out & sing "in my own little corner, in my own little room i can be whatever i want to be!" from Cinderella.  as in the musical, not the disney cartoon.  and yes, it's a big part of me that wants me to do that.  anybody else???}


i understand his desire for alone time.  believe me, i just want to pee alone & uninterrupted.  so yeah, i get it.

so now, decisions. continue to share?  separate them?  i've always said i want them to share, to learn to share, to learn to get along.

i really think at night they'll miss each other.  but if separating them gets them to stop fighting........

well, i just might be revamping my summer cleaning bucket list.

summer {cleaning} bucket list

is everyone making their summer bucket lists?  

me neither.  i know a lot of folks do them, and they look so fun.  but honestly, i'm not a list maker.  shocking, yes?  

and i love summer.

like, love love LOVE it.  l-o-v-e it.


if summer were a hunky manly man, i'd marry it.

summer and spring define so much of my personality.  i was born to wear flip-flops and a swimsuit year round.  no.  joke.

ahhhh summer......where everyday is fun.  we swim.  

we play in the sprinklers.  we splash bubble water.

we're outside, only coming in when it's even too hot for us.

and then we do a ton of other fun stuff.

no schedule.  no worries.  no problem.

but this summer......well, it's a first.  i'm actually making a bucket list.  well, kinda.

i've got a cleaning bucket list.  is that weird?  well, it is for this non-list making chicka.  but bruiser's not the only going to boot camp.  {grin}  we all are.

i can't handle the clutter, the disorganization anymore.  {side note:  if any of you super organized people wanna come over & help me, i'm available 24-7.}  so on my list so far??  well, just about every room in the house.

* laundry room
* family room
* all closets
* doh doh's room
* boys' room
* playroom
* garage
* shed
* gated side of house (i have stashed unfinished projects:  pallets, painted pots, empty trash cans....it's a mess, but gated so no one sees it!)

not a fun bucket list, but it's gonna feel oh-so good when i'm finished.  and honestly, i'm hoping to start very soon and be finished early summer.  then it's outta the way.

how 'bout you?  any summer projects brewing at your place????

oh, this face.

do you see this face?

this is the face of sloppiness.

i realize you thought you had the face of sloppiness living with you.  but i promise.  he resides here.

and he's all mine.  {sigh}

this summer, that cute little face is in for a rude awakening.

this is the summer of cleanliness.


that's right, folks..... bruiser's headed to boot camp.

this momma is tired of:
* picking up boxer shorts all over his room
* never having matching socks after all laundry is finished
* finding shoes all over the house (when he swears he put them all in his shoe bucket)
* stepping on lego pieces & sucking up lego pieces in the vacuum (then listening to the whines that he can't find a crucial piece during construction)
* finding dirty clothes hidden by his bed AFTER all laundry has been washed
* listening to his whines & moans when he's supposed to be cleaning up* dealing with his attitude while everyone else does the work
* having to tell him every single day to do things neatly and correctly
* dealing with  his attitude  (oh, did i mention that one already?)

we have 5 days of school left.  5 days until BOOT CAMP.

you might want to pray for bruiser.

actually, you might want to pray for momma.  while i have high hopes for his transformation, i have no delusions.  ok, that's not true.   i am delusional.  but that's a different post for a different day.  {wink}

sing over your children

monday was a rough parenting day.  

i currently have one who whines over everything; one who is so energetic, loud, pouty and refuses to do anything for himself that he exhausts me; and one who is full of attitude, some defiance, exhaustion and is too smart for his own good.  

mix all that together with the remains of a rough migraine.  yep.  not a good day.

in the midst of my parenting breakdown the boys and i had a discussion about creation.  yes, God made everything....no, He didn't make that stop sign but he made the elements that made that stop sign.  no, he didn't build that train or the tracks that it runs on, but he created man and gave man the brains and the elements to build said train and tracks.  yes, He made the trees, including the seed that man plants to grow more trees.

for some time now, i've wanted to get bubba his own devotional.  to really encourage his personal relationship and time with the Lord.  i decided today was the day.  but first i stopped at sam's for tomatoes.  who'd a thunk i'd stumble upon one there?

i didn't give it to him right after school.  i wanted to wait until dad made it home.  but that just ain't how my bubba rolls.  he sniffed it out way before that.

at first he read the daily passage up in his clubhouse.  but he needed a little help finding the corresponding Scripture references.  so we worked on that together.

 

he then reread the devotion for today.  a few times.  and again tonight with dad and bruiser.  man, i love that kid.  even his defiant little attitude.  God's doing a mighty work in that little heart of his.

after finding one devotional, and still before purchasing the grape tomatoes that began my quest, i stumbled upon another one.  a mommy & me one.  what the heck, i snagged it too.

bruiser loves it.  we read 2 sections together tonight.  he read all the 3-4 letter words.  i read all the comfort and guide and attitude words.  i love hearing him read!!!!  you have no idea....this little one who never would sit still to be read to or even want to pick up a book, loves to read and be read to.  {cue hallelujah chorus}

not to be outdone, while bruiser and i read together, little miss doh doh repeated every word we said.  every.  word.  we.  said.  i'm tellin' ya, that kid cracks me up.

sooooo, i don't know why, but while typing this post this song kept coming to mind.  do you love matt maher?  cuz he's simply awesome.  do you know this song?  if not, get it.  get it today.  you'll be hooked....and you'll be singing with me.  

listen to it.  you'll love it.  and yes, you should be proud that i knew how to share this youtube clip.

a family first

for all you haters {ha, ha} who hate my picture-less posts....this is NOT one of those posts.  in other words, lots of pics ahead.
a few weeks ago we headed out with some friends to rock climb.

i can't even put into words how much fun we had.

we were out in the boonies.  way, way out in the boonies.  so i didn't haul my camera out there. i snagged some phone pics....sat in one place on an enormous rock one hand in the air clutching the phone, one leg suspended over a ledge, hopping every 2.7 seconds just so i could text them to my nephew....the boys were so proud.

please oh please check out that dimple.  oh my i love that kid.  can you see it?  what you can't see is the twinkle that kid has in his eyes.  yes, they twinkle.  sparkle.  perfection.  

despite his perfectly placed dimple {and twinkling eyes}, bruiser didn't make it to the top.  the bottom of the rock was really difficult.  he tried twice, but only made it halfway.

but he looked cute doing it.  {wink}

bubba, however, being the stud that he is....MADE IT TO THE TOP.  yes, he did.  it's a dark pic, but can you see him?!?!?

i'm actually going to try to share a video here.  of my fella.  climbing.  if you've never heard me talk before...well.....be prepared.  {snort}

ok, so i tried.  after several hours of working on it -- and Vimeo telling me it was uploaded but that they're "finishing up" -- i gave up.

so what was the little lady doing while the rest of us were rock climbing?  soaking those piggies of course.

she is truly her mother's child.  she sought out every waterfall, every puddle, every trickle.  and she soaked her piggies.  i'm sure when she's older she'll wash her hair in it.  just like momma.  although i did refrain this time.  i was a little busy watching 3 kiddos.

to be honest, i was a little shocked she didn't beg to rock climb.  she asked in the beginning, but was content when told she was still too little.  i was floored.  

so did my man and I make it to the top?  of course we did.

do i have a picture of me making it to the top? 

uh, nada.  do you really think i'd post a rear view picture of my derriere?  strapped in a harness??!?!?!

modest i am not.  but you still won't see my best asset backside splashed on this blog.  of course, my man never said his backside was off limits.

mother's day {& happy monday}

oh monday.  i love you.

on mondays life seems to get some normalcy to it.  the end of the week brings craziness, as does the weekend.  but monday, beautiful monday....you bring a calming peace.  i feel refreshed on mondays.

is that weird?  that i'm waxing poetically to a monday?!?!?!  a day that The Mamas & The Papas claimed couldn't be trusted?

no worries.  i still love you, monday.  i got your back.

so today:


* i'm recovering from a wonderful mother's day.  i was spoiled rotten.  it was also baby dedication at our church.  we missed it last year -- which stunk b/c last year mine & doh doh's birthday was actually on mother's day AND it was baby dedication.  but she had strep last year. (our church is very dark!!!  horrible pics ahead.  but enjoy Bruiser's face.)

* the sheets have been stripped off all the beds.  

* all laundry has been sorted.

* bills have been paid.  the checkbook balanced.

* doh doh has watched The Jungle Book and is now watching Toy Story 3.  i just heard her yell at evil Dr. Porkchop.

* the house painters are here.  making it even more difficult  impossible for her to play outside while i'm trying to get other things done.

* i'm currently giving doh doh lots of baby sugars.  it's our thang.

* for mother's day, all i really wanted was an entire day to clean out our playroom & doh doh's room.  her toys need to be moved out and put in the playroom.  she has the smallest closet in the house....which is sad b/c at our last house we had HUGE closets and she had the biggest!  it was our playroom!!!  {sigh}  i didn't get that done yesterday b/c we played outside, shopped for outdoor furniture quickly, and played outside.  so maybe wednesday?


* i ended mother's day with a migraine.  full-blown, sick at my stomach, migraine.  i only get about one a year.  and it happened on mother's day.  not.  fun.

* the kids got me a blu-ray player for our family room.  i'm so excited!  since moving in almost 2 years ago we've never had a dvd player in there.  now we can watch movies in our FAMILY room!  exciting.  we turned on cars 2 last night.  they watched about 10 minutes of it and went right back outside.  they truly are my children.


well, that's all i got.

haPpy moNday!!!  

don't be hatin' on my day, y'all!


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10 days.  we have 10 days of school left.  i'm so ready for summer!!!!  wooohoooooo!!!!  ready to have my fellas home fighting. 

oh happy day!

today is my birthday.

and i don't even care.

because 3 years ago this very day, i gave birth to my baby girl.

i can't even explain how much we love our doh doh.  of course, as i'm typing this she's getting in trouble for throwing a toy.

she also just stood up on a guitar and shouted, "please and gentlemen!" 

and then she took a bow.

she's definitely her mother's daughter, i'm afraid.

she still hasn't grown into those big ole eyes yet.  and i'll be sad when she does.

she's not quite as chubby as she used to be.  although her daddy won't yet admit that.

but she's still our doh doh bird.  who will one day smack us upside the head for calling her that.  {but i have no doubt that b/c bruiser named her that she'll always secretly love it.}

we love you, doh doh!!!


doh doh, at 3 years old:

* you love your brudders.  a.  lot.
* you are very much a daddy's girl.
* you still wake up in the middle of the night and come crawl in bed with daddy and me.  although this morning you had the courtesy to wait until around 6 a.m.  then you slept until 8. 
* daddy will not let me put you back in your own bed.
* you love going to the gym with momma to workout b/c they have a mini-trampoline.
* you boss everyone around.  especially your brudders.  and their friends.
* you currently love mermaids.
* you love to watch bubble guppies...especially the fairy tales episode with "the witch!"
* you really love chips with any kind of dip.
* you are slightly obsessed with dogs.  and making your brothers play dogs.
* you constantly sing "twinkle twinkle little star."
* you are singing it right now.
* today you & i had a mini-concert with the piano & guitar.  we sang "twinkle twinkle little star."  several times.
* daddy & i listen to the monitor at night while you serenade us with "twinkle twinkle little star."  it's the best part of our evenings.
* you are greatly loved.

i'm lovin' this monday

i'm oh so glad that last week is OVER.

i never say that.  seriously.

but last week....ugh, so much to do:  3 baseball games, pta meetings, last minute recruiting for carnival volunteers, set up for carnival, baseball practice, fundraising basket, work the carnival, doh doh's birthday party, home group....

...and that's the condensed version.

i was ready for monday.  even all the laundry it brought with it.  {well, kinda.}

so i promise birthday pics soon.  we had fun.  it was cute.  her reactions to presents:  priceless.

and now, to sort thru the 9 million pictures i've taken and not shared with y'all.
 

and ya know what?  i've missed y'all.  truly.  i've missed blogging, sharing pictures of my seriously cute kids, and i've missed reading all my blogs.

oh y'all.....they crack me up.

and what are these angels doing while i'm blogging?  i'm sitting outside, the boys are fighting over who gets to drive doh doh in her new barbie jeep....

.......and doh doh is sitting like the princess she is.  waiting on the fellas to cater to her every whim.  i'm. for. reals.

life is oh so good.