Abilene Zoo

There are places in the world that one should see in his/her lifetime.


Taj Mahal


The Great Wall of China


The Pyramids


The Grand Canyon


And the ABILENE ZOO.


Really.

I happen to love zoos, and this one is a pretty good little zoo. It's not too big, but the exhibits are wonderful. Especially compared to the Amarillo Zoo, which puts pigs and goats in cages and then calls itself a zoo. We took a little jaunt there last Saturday while visiting Abilene for Easter.



Feeding the giraffes is the best thing about the zoo. I'm sure there are other zoos in the world where you can feed a giraffe at eye-level, but I don't know of too many. I remember doing this with my mom and grandmother when I was a child and I was so excited to share it with Eli and Phoebe and Lincoln.











I probably could have stayed there all day snapping pictures, but there was the rest of the zoo to see.

And more precious pictures to take. Like this one.



And this one.



This picture just mostly creeps me out.



It was a lovely way to spend a few hours...even though my sister-in-law was quite finished with the whole thing about 10 minutes after we arrived. Something about it being sad and depressing. I think Isaac agreed.



But at least she has one less place to visit in her lifetime.

BFF

This is Phoebe's best friend. Really.



She says things like, "You know my best friend, Nena? She does this and such." And, "Nena, my best friend, has crazy hair like me." And, "My best friend Nena reads to kids all day wong." I guess Nena thinks Phoebe is her best friend, too, since she made them matching shirts.



Matching shirts with kitties on the sleeves that Phoebe just adores. Almost as much as she adores her best friend, Nena.



Don't you remember a time in your life when matching shirts were the sign of true friendship?

Nena does.


"Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children." ~Alex Haley

The Golf Game

My dad loves to golf. My son loves to golf. And in this twisted, unfair world of ours, my husband abhors golf. It makes my heart happy when my dad takes Eli out for a round of golf...and it makes it even happier when my husband offers to tag along for a bit to take some pictures for me. 'Cause you know I'm not headed out to the golf course any time soon!













You can read my dad's thoughts on the subject HERE. And I am beyond blessed and grateful that my dad loves to spend time with my hard-headed, challenging, frustrating
amazing baby boy.


"Golf is a day spent in a round of strenuous idleness." ~William Wordsworth

Show and Tell: The Tunic Tank

I whipped up this little tank tunic a week or so ago and I've been waiting and waiting for the weather to be warm enough so Phoebe could wear it. Spring in Amarillo is still pretty cool and it's usually well into May before one can wear a sleeveless shirt. Luckily, the weather was very warm in Abilene this past weekend so she was able to wear it on Saturday. I was able to take some pictures of her wearing it in my grandparents bee-you-ti-ful front yard.

Apparently, Phoebe decided the conditions were right to have an impromptu photo session and she turned on the charm.















I'm especially proud of this flower corsage. I've never made a fabric covered button before and I always they looked really hard. Guess what?! They're not! I see lots and lots of fabric covered buttons in my future...

Easter 2011

We spent the weekend at my grandparents' farm in Abilene. It was a good weekend. Full of family and fun and laughter and lots of memories. So many memories, in fact, that I took 588 pictures. Lucky you, I didn't put them all in this post! You'll still have to bear with me, though, since this is my childrens' only scrapbook.

I kind of enjoyed having a late Easter this year. Since I have no idea why Easter falls when it does (nor do I care to), it was a pleasant surprise to have some breathing room between Spring Break and Easter. And then there was the fact that we weren't all freezing in our Sunday best. THIS is a great post by a mom who thinks deeper than I do and her thoughts on the late Easter.

I'm pretty sure 300+ photos from my weekend were taken on Easter Sunday. It had something do with trying to photograph 4 children under the age of 7. My philosophy was to just lump them together and start snapping away. I got some really great ones....and a whole bunch of really bad ones! Enjoy the good ones.











My grandparents yard is the absolute perfect place to take pictures. It has big, beautiful, old trees with lush, green grass underneath. It's beautiful in an old farmhouse kind of way and my heart aches when I leave because soon it's going to be the last time we leave. So I took a billion pictures. And the weather cooperated, too. It was warm, but a little overcast so the lighting was great for a not-so-great photographer like myself.





This little guy is a funny one. He is worker bee. All the time. He was probably thinking the whole time, "Who left all this crap in the yard?" Ha Ha.



This is Isaac with the Fat Cheeks and Grandaddy. I just wuv to squish his cheeks. Isaac's, not my dad's.



Hope y'all had a great Easter!

Thank You, Angry Birds

What do a bungee cord...



and an Easter Egg...



and a spoon make?



One determined little boy!


Thank you, ANGRY BIRDS!

This Is How I Know He Loves Me

I know Brad loves me because this sign hangs in our kitchen.



I love it.


Brad does not.


Is there anything more to say?

Things I Tell Myself...That Probably Aren't True

No one else can see the wrinkles I've discovered around my neck/eyes/mouth.


BBQ sauce is a vegetable.


Everyone turns their plates and bowls to face the same way in the cabinet when putting them away.


Eli is going to "get" this reading thing at some point and there won't be any need for tutors or Reading Recovery or dyslexia therapy.


My husband makes me go to FAMILY CAMP (that I don't like at all!) because he doesn't love me.


Buying my very first pair of CLARKS FLIP-FLOPS doesn't make me old...I just like comfortable shoes.


Phoebe really is prettier and more talented than all the other children. She just seems to "sparkle".


Working so hard on homework now will teach Eli how to study and he won't always have to work so hard.


No one notices how dorky I am.


Of course I like camping! We've never done it because Brad doesn't plan any trips.


My thoughts about other customers at SONIC aren't judgemental and harsh...they are just common sense.


It's so easy to see that Eli is the best soccer/baseball/golf player on his team. Who else can move so effortlessly?


I'm not a controlling perfectionist. I just like things done a certain way...my way.


I'm not addicted to my (almost) daily Diet Coke with lime from Sonic. I can quit anytime.



What are you telling yourself today?

Show and Tell: A New Take On The T-Shirt Dress

Ever since I finished MY SISTER'S QUILT, I've been sewing like a fool! It's as if that one enormous project was looming before me and I just couldn't do anything else. Now that's it's finished, I'm knocking out (easy) projects right and left.

Like this dress for Phoebe.



I am in love with THIS tutorial! Actually, I'm lovin' this whole BLOG because her tutorials are sooooo cute and sooooo easy.



I have to apologize for the black mary janes. We had shoe malfunctions Sunday morning and those were all that would work. I had ordered a pair of white mary janes online. When we got them last Wednesday, Phoebe assured me they fit. I put them on her Sunday and she cried that they were too tight. Ugghhhh! I ordered another pair in hopes they will be here before Easter.

Oh well, at least her dress was cute.

An Open Letter To A Customer At My Local Sonic

Dear Ladies in the Burnt Orange PT Cruiser,

I drink too many alot of Sonic Diet Cokes with lime. I'm there several times a week. (Just between you and me, I think they put crack in the Diet Cokes.) You, however, are apparently new to the Sonic scene. I can tell because you broke a few unwritten, yet highly important, rules of this fine establishment. I realize that because these rules are not posted, you may not know them, but I am here to help! They are simple...one might even call them common sense. Then again, if they were "common" sense, not so many people would break them leaving me exasperated in my car.

Rule #1: Always turn off your car when waiting for your food in the stall. It's going to take a few minutes because your food is made to order and your car is gunking up the parking lot with all the fumes. If it's cold, just keep the windows up. If it's warm, roll them down and enjoy the day. This is what Sonic was made for!

Rule #2: Always tip your carhop...even if it's just a few cents. Especially if it's raining or windy or cold. And it's always windy here!

Rule #3: Always check your drink before you pull away from the stall or drive-through. There's a lot of orders coming and going at a Sonic and mistakes happen. Trust me, it'll save you having to pull back in (or back up in the drive-through line!) thus irritating the person waiting behind you. Which brings me to Rule #4.

Rule #4: Do not pull halfway out of your stall, realize a mistake has been made or you've forgotten your ketchup, and then pull back into your place. As stated before, Sonics are a busy place and sometimes it causes traffic jams because someone was waiting for you to finish your order. This is especially important in the drive-through lane! If you do happen to need something else, please for the love of all that is good and holy, do not back up in the drive-through lane! This will cause the person behind you to slam on their brakes to avoid a wreck and utter an expletive and I'm sure you do not want to be responsible for their immortal soul by being the cause of said expletive.

Rule #5: Turn the music down! Just because you enjoy your music does not mean I'd like my children to hear it.

And last, but certainly most important:

Rule #6: Do not, I repeat, do not order food in the drive-through lane! The drive-through lane is for drinks only! If you need a burger or some tots, pull into a stall because each order is made to order and takes a bit longer than filling a drink. This includes any and all ice cream products. Yes, even shakes. This is especially important during Happy Hour when there is a long line of people who only want a large Diet Coke with lime or Route 44 Vanilla Dr. Pepper or medium cherry limeade. Do not order food in the drive-through lane!


Thank you for your understanding. I realize this might be new information to you (although I'm not sure how) and you'll try to keep said rules in the future. When followed correctly, Sonic can be one of the most pleasant dining experiences this great nation of ours has to offer.

Yours Truly,
The Exasperated Mama Who Needs A Diet Coke With Lime To Make It To Naptime

P.S. Feel free to pass this along to any of your friends who might not know this information. Especially the ones who live in states where there aren't very many Sonics. My heart goes out to them in their time of desperation.

The Treasure In My Attic

Updated since my mom couldn't find the link! :)

Over a year ago, my mom gave me two old, cast iron skillets. Neither of us can remember where she picked them up, but they've been sitting, neglected, in my attic since. The attic is where I put all crafts that won't be completed quickly. Like the giant box of keepsakes I need to go through and organize and the vintage chenille bedspread I plan on making into a cushion for Phoebe's window seat and the old bedding I plan on making into pillows for said window seat. It was very sad to have such treasures hanging out in the attic, but I was too overwhelmed and nervous about restoring them.

Apparently I just needed the right motivation. Last week I found the motivation (which I'm revealing at the end of this post) and then spent the week...and I mean all week...getting them ready for service again. I found THIS article showing me how to restore cast iron, and it seemed the easiest to follow of all that I found, as long as you ignore the whole "be-a-pirate-and-find-buried-treasure" bit.

These were my little treasures straight from the attic. They weren't too bad, but it still took 4 days to restore them. Mainly because each step takes several hours.



This is the "Self Cleaning Oven" phase. I'm not sure it did a lot of good since there wasn't very much baked on food, but my oven is all nice and shiny! Now I just have to work up the courage to clean the bottom oven, as well.



The skillets still had a lot of rust after the oven cycle.



I soaked them in a vinegar bath. Mine was about 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 water because I ran out of white vinegar. I only soaked them about an hour and fifteen minutes, but it was enough to get rid of most of the rust. The tutorial recommends using rubber gloves for this step. I didn't and my hands turned a lovely shade of burnt orange. It came off, but it took a while so I spent most of this day with orange hands. Quite lovely.



After you soak them in the vinegar solution and scrub them clean, you place them on the stovetop to dry completely. That's where the rust forms again. I was so glad the tutorial mentioned this because if it didn't, I might have given up at this point. I kind of felt like I was back at square one.



Nothing a little sandpaper and elbow grease couldn't take care of, though. This was a pretty messy part, too. Then I had to rub them with Crisco and "season" them in the oven. Sometimes I feel like this blog is a "Where's Sonic" search and find. I think it would be interesting to go back and see how many actually make it onto the blog in pictures. You'll also notice Phoebe's McDonald's cup from that day, too. We were eating really healthy that day! Sigh.



The seasoning cycle was my favorite. I think it's because there was a tangible difference in the appearance and texture of my new-to-me skillets. And I was getting pretty excited by this time thinking of all the wonderful things I could make in my skillet.



Aren't they pretty?!



"Oh Mama! I have got to get me one of these!"

Name that movie. And while we're on the subject, may I just take a moment and tell you how amazing I think THAT movie is?! It is pure Disney great-ness! We have watched it several times since the DVD release date and I'm loving it every single time. Do yourself a favor and watch that movie ASAP if you haven't already. You'll thank me. I promise.

And just why did I go to all that trouble to restore a couple of old skillets?

This is why.



I found the recipe HERE a few weeks ago and I've been dying to make it. Here's the actual recipe for those of you who aren't able to get the previous link to work.

Skillet Monkey Bread
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tube refrigerated biscuits (I used Pillsbury's Simply Buttermilk Biscuits)
1/2 cup apple jelly

Melt the butter in a small bowl. Stir the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Cut the biscuits into 4 pieces each. Pour the melted butter in a gallon size zip top bag. Add the biscuit pieces and gently squish to coat them with butter. Pour in the brown sugar and flip the bag to coat the pieces of biscuit with the sugar. I had evenly sprinkle the biscuits with the brown sugar or I couldn't get each one coated to my liking. Yes, I've made it twice to figure out this little technique thankyouverymuch.

Spray a 9″ or 10″ iron skillet with cooking spray. Dump the biscuit pieces into the skillet and arrange in a single layer. Warm the apple jelly, till it thins. Pour over the top of the biscuits. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.


It was worth every second of grit and grime to eat this heavenly, gooey, rich breakfast bread. I don't even like apple jelly and this was brilliance in my mouth. I had hoped to post this earlier in the day because this monkey bread is perfect for a Saturday morning...or a Wednesday morning like we did. I'm pretty sure you could make this in a round cake pan, but it wouldn't look as rustic and home-y.

And now I have a weapon to fight off Escaping Thieves and Castle Guards.

"Who knew, right?"