My Next Exciting Adventure!

I'm looking forward to a nice, relaxing trip. It will certainly be an adventure to go ALL the way to Little Rock and spend two nights!! I know, sounds silly - but with gas prices....this way I can get a little shopping and a sushi & Sam's fix!!! I think I even have a hotel room to myself. Wow.

I know you'd love to join me, but you know those little ones need you to be the "mean Mommy" and keep them in line. One day, they will thank you for your time, your energy, your love, and your "expertise" while marveling at your continued sanity. Go ahead, make them make their beds up, clean the sink out, play in the mud, ride bikes all over the neighborhood, eat their veggies, and wear mismatched clothes. Let the dishes sit on the counter and go watch them play for a while. Wonder at their imagination. Laugh with them. Ask them open-ended questions about their play. Be a good example of loving life.

Have a good week!

Another Try

I'm listening to my newest CD - Josh Turner's Everything is Fine. I've been listening to it a lot lately - I like it more than I thought I would. My favorite songs:
Another Try with Trisha Yearwood
Nowhere Fast - duet with Anthony Hamilton
The Longer the Waiting [the Sweeter the Kiss]
I think I like the last one for the name. I think I can emphasize. And it's got a kind of Scottish/old timey feel. Nowhere Fast is a little different. I had not heard of Anthony Hamilton so I googled him. He wrote the song with Kelvin Wooten.

So, I've written about Dad and a little about Mom. Can't talk much about the family without mentioning my big sis though. I always looked up to Laura, even when she steered me wrong, got me in trouble, or made me look bad. But most of the time, she was always looking out for me, and helping me out. When I fell off the monkey bars at the playground across the street, I went straight to Laura first. When she saw all the blood, she said, "We better go see Mom." She's always been talented. I loved listening to her play the piano - Moonlight Sonata was one of my all-time favorites, along with Exodus (loved since I never hear her play anymore - hint hint!!!!). I didn't enjoy listening to the trumpet quite as much, but she was good - and she could even play harmony to my clarinet melody. She also has quite the talent for impersonations - I guess she probably peaked when she was in CD Franks Intermediate School though. Those are the ones I remember best. Laura made a good Don Juan, an excellent teacher, a "scary" make-up artist, and she can be devious although few people believe it. I love looking at Emily & Ethan and seeing little snatches of Laura (and definitely John too). Laura has a "one-track mind" and hands like Dad, but she's better known for her similarities to Mom. I call them both social butterflies and Emily is made in that same vein. But if you're around Mom & Laura for very long - you will start seeing it. I've never thought Laura looked like anyone in particular (people usually say how much I look like my Dad) but I always thought she was much prettier than me. She WAS blond of course, and in case you hadn't noticed, the blond dolls are all prettier than the brunette ones (or so I thought anyway). When she left for college, I really, really missed her. Yes, I missed the chauffeur too (I couldn't drive yet) but I missed my friend more. She's always been my best friend.
Various Memories:

• Her white high heels - I grew into them for a few months, then my feet grew more.


• The way she held her hands out when showing her engagement ring (she's double jointed and could make her hands do weird things).


• Those long eyelashes


• Fuzzy Wuzzy............as Dad said


• Our neighbors told Mom that I never ran home to Mom - I just ran to Laura.


• Summer fun - riding bikes all over the neighborhood, down to the 7-11 for icees, and to the Castle to rent movies. Her picks? John Wayne in True Grit or The Journey of Natty Gann.


• Dad bringing Laura to see me in the hospital. She brought me a yellow comb with my name on it in blue (hers was blue with her name in white). I also have some cards she sent me.


• When she came home for spring break her freshman year at Harding wearing John's class ring. She finally got the nerve to put it on in front of Mom & Dad while eating out.


• She had to look "just right" - fluffy 80's bangs and all - which required hair dryer, hot rollers, and such all over the bathroom.


• Her love for all of our pets - Tippy, Sam, Midnight, Tigger, Charlie, Tootsie, and various gerbils. Oh yeah, remember the tail coming off one of those gerbils?!?!?


• Celebrating Mom's birthday last year in Hot Springs

Thanks for being my sister and friend. Love ya!

Here's another of Ethan's early masterpieces- taken at Emily's backwards birthday party (which is the reason Laura's sweater is on backwards).

Random Thoughts again

Well, Sis said to update my blog. So here I am. I'll be honest, I don't have any good stories about little people in my life. I think Laura's covered my favorites anyway. So here are some random thoughts.

• Did you know that most women need 3 servings of dairy foods a day? Raise your hand if you get that. Dairy is good for you!
• Well, string cheese is a yummy way of getting some dairy food. Especially the low-fat kind. Try some of the zillions of new yogurts out there - especially FIZZIX - fizzy yogurt (Warning: don't let it get warm!!!). Or, if you are adventurous, try Kefir.
• And now, for those of you that just can't bear of the thought of "white water" - there is skim plus - skim milk with thickeners added so that it "feels" like 2% milk.
• If you are lactose intolerant, try eating aged cheese like cheddar or swiss. Most of that type of cheese has no lactase.
• Mooooving along...................(yes, I went to a nutrition training this week)
• I got my books for my summer classes. I've already starting reading for one. If anyone has an old textbook from human structure and function, I'd like to borrow it. I need to brush up for a fall class.
• I made up a menu for the next week. Healthy stuff that I wanted to try. I'm going to be adventurous.
• I should be cleaning right now. So I'm blogging in an effort to put off cleaning. :-)
• Yarnell's Triple Play ice cream is my current favorite. I had the pleasure of doing a survey for Yarnell's and my "reward" was a container of ice cream. YUMMY! It is, however, staying at the office. I can't hear it calling "KKKKKKKKkatie, come eat me!!!!" from my office.
• Cheerios has a blueberry yogurt burst cereal - I've only seen it at Sam's. It's good! Sam's also has good prices on a huge bag of dried cranberries, mixed dried fruit, and yogurt.
• How 'bout this weather? Sure was nice today.
• West Point is celebrating 150 years on Saturday - speakers, bands, musicians, dancers, storytelling, BBQ lunch & catfish dinner by Eagleview, and fun stuff going on. West Point News.
• I really like my mom - we had a good week-end for Mother's Day. She's always been a good Mom and now a good friend too. I'm excited about her moving here!!!
• Mom made a Holly Hobbie doll quilt for me when I was little. Also some doll clothes. I'm impressed since sewing wasn't her favorite thing. She always let me "help" make bread (my loaves weren't that tasty!) and cookies (we ate more dough than cookies I'm sure). She sang, and played the piano and dulcimer for us. Mom was always reading to us - We loved "The Little House" series. She stayed with me in the hospital every night, except the one night Dad stayed. I'm sure her bed wasn't too comfy but she hung in there with me for 10 nights or so. I always wanted her close when the "vampires" came to draw blood. Thanks Mom - for all the little things you've done through the years.