The Many Hats of....

Tanner!! He has now taken up a new interest. Tanner says that he is going to still keep his restaurant stand but he is going to take on a new venture as well. He is going to write a book and illustrate it and then get me to make copies for his book and sell it at his restaurant stand!!!

This all came about yesterday after school after he finished his homework. He made a book a few years ago about dinosaurs and now since he is older and wiser (his words) he is going to write a better book about dragons. He has started his research and is now beginning his writings. He drew the cover for his book at mom's after he finished his homework and when we got home, he started his writing. He finished page one and page two. Today he will start on page three and four. He told me that he can write a book better than others because he knows so much about dragons. Tanner likes doing so many things. He loves to cook, loves to draw and loves to write. His imagination is incredible. I hope that we give him enough encouragment to do what he wants to do. He still hasn't ruled out being an archeologist yet either!! Who knows what he will be, but I know he will be the best at what he does!!

Breaking Out the Padlocks and Deadbolts

Ugh! What is a mother to do? I think I am about to go insane. My wonderful, lovely, beautiful daughter, has decided that when we get home in the afternoon that she must change clothes. Not only just the clothes, but panties too! (I guess though you never know when an emergency is going to happen and it is always best to have on clean undergarments?!) She not only changes clothes once, but three or four times, before bath time and then sometimes after she gets her jammies on, she will even change those!! She thinks it is so much fun to change clothes and put them on by herself. She loves being independent, but my laundry piles have doubled in size just because I don't know what is clean and what is dirty!! I don't know if she had that mismatched outfit on for two seconds or two hours and how many times she has been in and out of the house with that outfit on. I caught her just a few days ago, after she had put on another outfit, admiring herself in the mirror. She has a full length mirror in her room and is already making sure she looks good!! Oh boy am I in trouble!!

Ella is bright and very smart. She has figured out how to reach things that I have purposely placed out of her reach. I have all of her clothes hanging in her closet. Since she has decided to change clothes so often, she figured out that she can turn the laundry basket upside down and stand on top of it to reach whatever outfit she so desires. I am seriously considering putting all of her clothes in my closet just so she can't find them!! It's either do that, or put a deadbolt or padlock on her closet and chest of drawers!! So, if you see us out and she is mismatched or a shirt on wrong side out or pants on backwards, know that I lost that battle on what I originally put on her!!

My Soon to Be Chef

After work today I went to pick up Tanner from my mom's house. As we were leaving he was telling me about his plan that he and two of his friends have come up with. Interesting and intriguing to say the least. As we were talking about it, I realized the three of them have thought it out well. I laughed to myself in amazement at the details that the three of these third graders have come up with. Tanner, Caleb, and Grayson have come up with a great idea to open a restaurant. Instead of a big restaurant, it will be a small stand until they can afford to buy some tables and chairs. As they make more money they will get a bigger place. There will be themed meals and if serving at night they will have flashlights instead of candles. They will take turns taking money, being the chef and the idea maker. They have decided that the first time they serve food it will be a rainforest theme. They will start off with a simple menu at first and then add more specialized foods. They will serve mashed potato sandwiches, potato salad sandwiches, tuna salad sandwiches. Their prices are going to be $3.59 per meal. Extras will be $.10, extras include cutting the crust off the bread, extra cheese, extra mayonaise, or extra potatoes. He asked if one night for his themed dinner if he could borrow my bread recipe. I told him he could. He knows what ingredients go in the spread for the bread and does a fabulous job making it himself. He knows I don't measure any of it and what it tastes like and can make it just like mine. Tanner said that in a few years, he figures they will have a franchise.
As I am sitting here typing this, I still sit in amazement as to what these three boys have thought up. They have an idea, a plan and the steps to take to get to where they want to be. I am also sitting in amazement as to why three boys at the age of 8 are planning on opening up a restaurant.

Blessings

Today I was reminded more than once how truly blessed I am. I am blessed with my two wonderful kids. I am blessed that I have a roof over my head. I am blessed by the food that is in my pantry. I am blessed with two wonderful, loving parents. I am loved beyond belief. Today, I thanked God for all of this and more. Because I realized today that some people don't have what I have been given. Even people whom I love dearly and whom are in my family.

You see, I have a cousin who is the youngest of three in her family. She is the only girl and was never wanted. I cannot imagine having the feeling and knowing that I was not wanted. The words were never said to me from a young age, but I knew that she was never wanted by the actions of her parents. My parents, have some of the biggest hearts. Every summer I remember my cousin coming and staying the entire summer with us. She would come as soon as school was out and never had clothes. My mom would go buy or make whatever she needed just as she did for my sister and I. When we went on summer vacation, she would go with us. My parents treated her as their daughter.

She has recently gone through some very difficult times. She has lived with her mom for the past two years and has lived out of her suitcase during that time. Her mom has not once moved clothes out of a closet or cleaned out a dresser drawer for her to temporarily put her belongings. Today, she and my mom talked. My cousin has no idea what to do. I talked to her for a while as well. She asked me point blank what she needed to do. To tell her what to do. I told her what my parents have taught me and still teach me. Do what is best for you and the rest will follow. She asked me what would I do in her situation. I told her that I would find some place where I had all the love and support I needed to put my life back together. Some place where I felt safe, some place that I knew would help me heal. She laughed and said, "Where? Home?" She and I both know she meant with my parents. They have been there for her when no one else is or has been. They have been her rock when her parents, her brothers, her uncles and grandparents weren't.

I can only hope to be half as good as my parents are. They have taught me so much about life. They are the best example I have and I hope that one day I will make them proud.

Patience

When my children are good, they are oh so sweet!! I wouldn't give them up for the world. When my children are bad, I just want to reach over and smack them! Tanner just turned 8 and loves to pick on his sister. Ella just turned 3 and LOVES to do ANYTHING to get her brother in trouble. (She has a halo, but it is ALWAYS tilted!)Since I have Fridays off, the kids and I usually sleep late, get something to eat, just chill until we have to get dressed. This Friday, their Nesey was in town and they were up at 7 ready to go! Get them dressed and out the door to breakfast with Nesey. That afternoon I decided to go to Wal-Mart. Usually Tanner is pretty laid back and Ella, well, she gets put in the basket and tied down, hands and all. If she isn't, I buy things I had no idea I was buying until I check out. For some strange reason, I didn't put her in the basket. Instead, I let her help me push the basket. I had to go to the vacuum cleaner aisle to look for a filter. As I am standing there, Ella decides to ram her brother with the basket. Not once, but twice....the second time trying to chase him down the aisle. The first time I told her to stop in my mother tone, but she laughed and chased him down!! Ok, forget what I was after, the sooner I get out the better and safer my kids will be. On the way to the food aisles, via the toy aisles, Ella forgets about trying to run over Tanner. We are happy and loving on each other again and picking out what all they want for Christmas (I need to win the lottery!!) So I go down the laundry aisle first, guess who didn't forget they got ran over with the basket. Yep, Tanner tried to mow his sister down with the basket! I get on to him and he immediately quits and starts defending himself...."But mom, she ran over me first and then chased me." What do I do now? I put Ella in the basket and Tanner in front of the basket...guess who decides to climb out of the seat and into the back of the basket so she can hit her brother!! UGH!! I was so frustrated that I forgot half of everything on the list. New rule...NO KIDS ARE ALLOWED TO GO TO WAL-MART WITH ME. EVER! At least not together!!

Moments Like These

It is moments when you least expect it that you catch yourself falling in love with those moments. Last night was no exception. My little angel, who has suddenly started acting like she is so independent and like she is 21 years-old during the day, melts my heart at bed time. Last night she climbed into bed with me and laid her head on my chest like she used to when she was such a tiny baby. As a tiny baby I used to lay there holding her and be able to touch her feet and all of her tiny toes and imagined what she would sound like when she talked, what she would become one day, what she would look like. Last night, I imagined the same thing, even though I could not reach her feet or her toes. She made me melt all over again. After many battles with her throughout the day, these are moments that I cannot and will not take back. She is as stubborn and sassy as the day is long. She is VERY opionated, and I wonder where she gets that? I do know that she will be great at whatever she does, because of her stubborness and her opinions and her sass. I know she will be beautiful to me. She is one of my precious gifts.

Pink Wallets and Dresses

After work, I went to pick up my sweet little girl. We get home and she is wanting to know where her daddy is. I tell her I don't know, but he would be home soon. Since yesterday was such a warm day, we decided we would wait outside until he gets home. As soon as he pulls around the corner, she asks her daddy to take her for a ride. He convinces her that we need to wait for her brother to get home and then we would go for a drive. Ella is all about going for a ride to see the ducks, the horses, the cats, the dogs, the goats, the donkey. It is amazing what animals we have in town, and my daughter knows where they all live!! Anyway, Tanner gets home and Ryan says, let's go to Wal-Mart. Tanner runs inside to get his wallet. Ella looks at me and asks "Where is my pink wallet?" Hmm, didn't know you were suppose to have one. So, at Wal-Mart we buy her one. She picks out the one she wants. She first picked out one with hearts, then one with cupcakes, then the heart one again only to wind up with a pink camo one. We then go to find Ryan another white shirt and Tanner is itching to spend his money. We go to the video games and he gets a new video game. He is quickly becoming the video gamer. (Scary thought for me!) We leave and head home for the night.

This morning, she woke very early, not to mention for about an hour last night. We were all ready except for Ella. Ryan and I put off getting her dressed for as long as possible. For one, she never wants to take her night dress off and put clothes on. For another, she never wants to wear what we pick out. If it is a dress, sometimes that is ok, but she would rather pick out her own dress. This morning was no different. Ryan goes in to change her clothes and her first words "No daddy, I don't want to take my dress off." He finally convinces her to take it off as he is pulling it off. As we are heading out the door, she has to take her pink wallet with her. In the car on the way over to Nesey and Pop's she asks where her money is and if I would give her some to put in her wallet. I gave her some change out of my car and she thanked me so much for her money. It was so sweet, because she was excited and had money in her wallet ready to take on the day!