Writer's Workshop

The Last Time I Laughed Really Hard.

I laugh a lot so this story isn't really the LAST time I laughed really hard but it was the first thing that popped in my head so here it goes...

A few years ago, Sparky and I were preparing supper together, we were cooking steaks on the grill, boiling potatoes for mashed taters, tossing up a salad, etc...
Sparky and I have a lot of fun together. We play jokes on eachother, he scares the crap outta me, I throw candy at his forhead, we wrestle and chase eachother around, goofy stuff like that.
So anyway, we were cooking supper and I had just taken the steaks off the grill and had them on a plate to take into the house. I can't remember what exactly made me ask him to do this for me but i asked him to skip across the yard.

Sparky: What? Skip? You really want me to skip? Like a little girl? I can't skip!

Me: Come on, just do it, for me, please.

Sparky: No really, I don't think I can physically skip, I don't know how to.

Me: What? Everyone knows how to skip, you learned it when you were a little kid, remember?

Sparky: I don't think I ever skipped when I was a kid. Seriously.

Me: Whatever, just try it. Picture in your head a little girl skipping around. You got it pictured?

Sparky: Yea, I see a little girl skipping.

Me: See how she's doing it?

Sparky: Yeah.

Me: Ok good. Now you do it.

Sparky raises his arms up, kicks one gigantic foot straight out in front of him with his toes all spread apart like Fred Flintstone, and hops.
I know it's pretty hard for you to picture for yourself but that was THE most hilarious thing I have ever seen in all my 37 years! A six foot, 240 pound grown man trying to skip, looking like a total I don't know what!

Remember how I said that I had the steaks on a plate to take into the house? Well, I was laughing so hard, I had to go down on my knees in order to keep from loosing the plate cuz I couldn't hardly keep my balance. I think I even peed in my pants a little.

One of these days I'm gonna get his skipping on tape and put it on utube for the whole world to see.

Sparky is the best sport ever, anytime I ask him to skip, he does it and it's just as hilarious as the first time cuz he STILL can't do it right and he looks like a great big dork but I love him anyway with all my heart forever and always!

Sometimes, (when I remember to do it) when we're in a parking lot somewhere and I get in the car before he does, I make him do a little dance before I'll unlock the car door and let him in. That's another great laugh cuz he immediately looks around to see how many people are gonna see this shamful display of random white boy dancing. I'm merciful though and only make him do his little dance for about 5 seconds, then I let him get in the car and I laugh my butt off!!!

Like I said, he's the best sport ever!

Writer's Workshop is hosted by MamaKat over at Mama's Losin' It

Wordful Wednesday-The Cutest Letter Ever

It's Wordful Wednesday again hosted by Angie over at 7 Clown Circus so here's my photo for today and the story behind it.

My Mom moved to Texas about 4 years ago, it might be getting closer to 5 years now but anyway, my youngest son Jordan and she had always spent a lot of time together and then after she moved he went and spent 2 summers with her and my Daddy and he Loved it! Right after Jordan came home from his first summer visit, he wrote this letter to my Mom, his Grandma...


In my biased opinion, the drawing makes up for the spelling.

For more stories, hop on over to 7 Clown Circus, Angie is expecting you, she might even be serving coffee this morning!!!

Umpa Luffas!!!

Pop Quiz!
Where do Luffa Sponges come from?
Seriously, what's your answer?
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Did you say "the ocean?"?

Nope, that's what I thought too but contrary to popular belief, luffas do not come from the ocean. They are actually a plant, more specifically, a vine. They are much like a cucumber or a zucchini. I recently found out that in some parts of the world, they are harvested before maturity and eaten. Interesting huh?
I learned about luffas this past spring and decided to indulge, with the intentions of giving luffas and home made soap as Christmas gifts but so far I haven't made any soap so I guess I'll just be giving the luffas.
Anyway, the luffa vine is a very nice thing. The vines grow VERY tall and have the pretties little yellow flowers that bloom throughout spring AND summer. Next year, I will plant the seeds along a fence or lattice and it will be a beautiful site to see!
The luffas grow in various sizes but the bigger, the better. So now I'll show you what they look like and how you harvest them...

First, you find the ones that are ready...


You cut them from the vine...


You crack the peeling by useing a little pressure with your thumbs..


Then you peel...


Jordan was very proud that he managed to peel this one in one piece...



Once you've got it peeled, you squeeze out all the seeds and "dog slobber", then you rinse it with water, fluff it back out and lay it on the roof of your car and let it dry out in the glorious sunshine. :0)


These luffas are PERFECT because they are NOT hard as bricks and they do NOT peel your skin off like a cheese grater. They are just right in texture, not too hard, not too soft, they're just perfect and I LOVE them! I'll never buy another wash cloth again. AND, they make great scrubbies in the kitchen so I'll never buy another one of those green scratchy things again either!

If you would like me to send you one of my Umpa Luffas, just leave me a comment then mention and post a link to this post on your blog. I'll do a random drawing on Friday.

You'll love it, I promise!

A is for Apron

so what do you do when you wake up at 1:30 am on a saturday, lay there for an hour and still can't go back to sleep? you get up and make an apron, of course!
yep, you get up turn on the hallmark channel, turn the volume down real low so as not to wake anyone else up, watch a little bit of Walker Texas Ranger (i don't really care for the show but whatever), you flip through the pages of your Apron Book, and then you jump up and go into the sewing/dining room and pick out your fabrics!



i started constructing the apron at around 3am. i don't like patterns very much and aprons are pretty basic so i just cut the pieces as i imagine they should be...


i iron out any wrinkles and then iron all the seams. see that iron? i got that at a yard sale for 5 bucks. this iron is incredible, the best one i've ever had. oh and see the fabric that's covering my ironing board? it's actually a shower curtain made of toile fabric. i paid $1 for it at a thrift store. i'm still not sure what i'm gonna do with it yet...


anyway, back to the apron. after all the seams are ironed down, it's time to start stitching! i love to sew...



and i love to take pictures...


so what do you get when you can't sleep?

a cute little apron like this!


and then you add another piece to it and you get this...


i know, the apron is cute but i look terrible and there is a pile of dishes in the sink but who cares, i have another apron now!!!

Be sure to come back tomorrow for the Umpa Luffas...

Wanna Wrestle?

I just thought I'd post about Cory today, cuz I'm extra proud of him lately. He's in 10th grade this year and is taking a business management/entrepreneurship type class that also has an after school club, so to speak. He really loves this class and aspires to go to college and major in business. YAY!!!!!!!!

ALSO, he has joined the wrestling team! I'm sooo excited about going to his matches and cheering him on! Yesterday was his first practice (if that's what they're called). He told us all about it and admits that it's very hard, what with all the work outs and learning the all the techniques. He was very tired and very sore when he got home. I think he even went to bed early!

He even looks like a high school wrestler, doesn't he?


Look at his poor knee, both of them look like this.


And I can't forget about Trey. I'm very proud of him too. He passed his test and now has his diploma!

Say "Hi" to everyone, Trey.

Shoe Box Makeover

So I've been saving these 2 red shoe boxes I've had for years now. I saved them because they aren't your ordinary shoes boxes. You know how your ordinary shoe boxes have a lid on top that you take off? well these ones are more like a pull out drawer with shoe string handles and they are very thick and sturdy. I thought they would come in handy for storage someday so I just kept them in the top of my closet waiting for the day that I decide to do something with them. That day came over last weekend. Remember the Mod Podge I couldn't wait to try? Well...

Red Shoe Boxes + Mod Podge + Pretty ScrapBook Paper =

Sassy Storage Boxes for More Crafty Things!!!


I know, I know. I forgot to take before pics. But how stinkin cute did they turn out?

Wordful Wednesday - Jordan's Art

Today is Wordful Wednesday which is hosted by Angie at 7 Clown Circus . In case you didn't already know, it's the official day in Blog Land where you post a photo (or photos) and then you decsribe the scene(s). I love to post photos and then write about them so that makes Wordful Wednesday my favorite blog day!

I decided to make today's post about my son's art. I have hung on to a few of Jordan's little masterpieces for years now with the intention of framing them. Unfortunately, during our last move, we somehow managed to loose my favorite painting which was of a jaguar drinking water from a stream that he did in 3rd grade.

However, all is not lost...

This one he painted at school while in 2nd grade. It's a beautiful bird and a very happy sunshine! I'm not sure but that may be a worm in the bird's tummy. :0)


This one is a simple paper drawing of our beloved dog Mackenzie. I believe it to have been drawn sometime during the 3rd grade as well. I love this one because we lost Mackenzie a few years ago and this reminds me of how much she was loved.


When I expressed my sorrow at loosing my favorite painting, Jordan painted this one for me as a Christmas gift last year when he was 13. I was overwhelingly inpressed with his talent! I still have to take it for framing...

VOTE!!!

I'll be leaving work early today so that I can vote. My vote will be based on Christian values, period.

For a great post on voting guidelines, check out Tiaras & Tantrums post titled "We Are Christian First, American Second".