Back To School Already?

Doesn't it seem like the back to school starts earlier and earlier every year? (Not that I mind, of course, it's a small reminder that a schedule lurks just around the corner and I just might not lose my sanity this summer.)

For us, it all started last night at the ACU Back To School party here in Amarillo. ACU has these parties for incoming freshmen all over the state for the students to be blessed and find out a few more people who are headed to ACU and just get a little more excited about going to school in a few weeks.

There was a time of blessing.


And a couple of group shots. This is everybody. Well, everybody except me and Phoebe because I was taking the picture and Phoebe was being "clingy".


These are the alums.


That's one thing about ACU. The legacy. If you go there, you know. If you don't, I can't really explain it to you. It's more than a good education. It's more than just a college experience. It's the way you feel when you hear the words "The Bean", "Sing Song", "The Double Gym", "Chapel", "Freshmen Follies", "Candlelight Devo", or "Anson Lights".

It's why I make my children wear ACU t-shirts and eat gigantic wildcat paw print cookies.

Phoebe did wear her ACU cheerleader dress, but she was having a rough evening. The dog that lived there kept chasing her and nipping at her feet because he thought her shoes were his squeaky toy. Awesome.

We also got to see some of our Huddle kids who are headed off to ACU in a few weeks.

These cookies are seriously good.

Don't they all look so young? And excited? And ready to conquer the world with optimism and hope and energy? And pretty? Well, except for Vance. He just looks like a mountain man.

We even convinced Holley to come to the party. I think it was the free dinner that clenched the deal. And, of course, there were the cookies.


I did get one picture of sweet Phoebe. We're sure gonna miss one of our favorite babysitters!


Maybe I shouldn't be so ready for school to start after all.

Why My Son Needs A Dog

We are not much of a "dog" family. We don't hate them and we aren't cruel to animals, but Brad and I have never been ones to want a dog. Sure the companionship is nice, but they're just one more responsibility to deal with and one more being to clean up after.

Eli, on the other hand, has been asking for a dog for about a year now. We haven't given in. We don't have a fence and I'm just not sure our family is ready to deal with a dog. Then I found this the other night. And it made me kind of sad.

There are flies in each of these paper-towel covered cups. (Let's not even begin to talk about how he was able to catch this many!)

He told me that they were his pets and he wanted them to sleep in his room. I put my foot down and said they had to live in the garage so he found for them. On top of my car. Gross. This boy needs a dog.


* No flies were harmed in the making of this post. Flies are, apparently, brilliant escape artists because when I told Eli to take care of the cups and paper towels the next day, all the flies were gone. I'm not sure I'll ever use those cups again.

Because I Haven't Posted A Recipe In Awhile

Mostly because I haven't been doing a lot of cooking. I usually don't in the summer, which is odd because my schedule (or lack of schedule) should lend itself to new and delightful culinary feats. Not so much. I seem to be more about fast, light, and easy these days. The recipe I'm sharing with you, dear reader, is all of those things. And I can convince myself that it's mostly healthy because it's tilapia and everyone knows fish is good for you. Even if it's cooked in butter!

I found this recipe several months ago in SOUTHERN LIVING. So you know it's gonna be good! But it sat in my recipe file, waiting for I-don't-know-what to get me to try it. I made it the other night and it was yummy! Absolutely perfect for a weeknight.

Cajun Cornmeal Pan-Fried Tilapia
4-6 tilapia fillets
1 1/2 teaspoon cajun seasoning
3 tablespoons self-rising flour (I didn't have any of this, so I just added a pinch of baking soda to regular flour...it turned out fine.)
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
lemon slices (optional, but highly recommended!)

Sprinkle tilapia lightly with cajun seasonings. Combine the rest of the seasonings, flour, and cornmeal. Dredge the tilapia in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fillets and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side. Squeeze juice from lemon over fillets. Serve immediately.

Seriously, folks, it's easy-peasy and it's fish, which I'm trying to add more of into our diet. We had ours with pan-fried SIMPLY POTATOES and steamed broccoli. Start to finish? Maybe 20 minutes. I could have done it faster if Holley hadn't been here in the kitchen distracting me! :)

I'm hoping to re-discover my love of cooking this weekend. THIS is on the menu and I can't wait! I'll let you know how it goes.

A Guilty Mommmy's Confession

I would like to say that my lack of blogging has been due to all the fun we've been having this week. That every waking moment has been bursting at the seam with memory making and contentment and bright shiny faces.

But it hasn't. We've stayed home all week long. And I mean ALL. WEEK. LONG.

And what a long week it's been.

Remember last fall when Eli said he was going to start obeying the first time every time and then he did? (I tried to find the link to when I posted about that, but I can't find it. Just take my word for it. He did.) Well, apparently he's decided to try something else right now. These last two weeks have been really rough. There's been lots of disobeying and some lying and lots of disrespect. So on Tuesday I'd had enough so I grounded him from everything. No friends. No TV. No swimming. No fun. Guess who gets to enforce all these awesome rules. The mom. And she's not feeling 100% this week. I've been fatigued and cranky and very impatient. Maybe that's why Eli was grounded from everything except eating and breathing. It's like my medicine and my body and Eli all conspire against me and pick the same time on the calendar to wear me down. So basically we've stayed home. I have ventured out to the grocery store, but that's about it. My week has also been filled with no friends, no TV, no swimming, and no fun. It's a great way to spend summer.

The fact that's it's summer only compounds my tired and cranky feelings. All the good moms I know love summer with their kids. They love not having a schedule. They love the spontaneity. They love all the one-on-one time with their kids. They love all the fun things you get to do with your kids. Guess who feels guilty because she's not spontaneous and thrives on a schedule and really needs a break from her children and really doesn't enjoy field trips.

I thought I was alone until A FRIEND posted a similar feeling on facebook. It made me feel marginally better. It's amazing what a little camaraderie will do for the soul. However, I still woke up this morning so not wanting to get out of bed and face another day.

So here I sit, in front of the computer, using this blog to vent a little, and trying to find the "want to" to clean the kitchen from last night's dinner, vacuum and dust upstairs (because it's Thursday), do another few loads of laundry, and spend some quality time with my children so I'll remember why I love this whole mommy-thing. It's not working yet.

But I do see some little feet followed by a mop of curly hair coming down the stairs. Maybe 10 minutes of cuddling with Phoebe will improve my outlook a little.

And The Fun Never Stops

Sunday afternoon.

The words bring to mind big lunches after church with friends or family followed by long family naps and leisurely dinners. A time to relax and get ready for the week ahead. Maybe enjoy the last few hours with some out of town guests.

At least that's what they should be. If you do them right. Which we don't.

We were pretty on track today...at least, until Phoebe fell down the stairs helping my mom take her stuff to the car to get ready to leave and busted her lip. It required a trip to the hospital and stitches. Courtesy of my AUNT AMY who was in town with my mom. We really know how to have fun around here.

Here's the "before". Yes, that's blood on her shirt.


And the after.


It looked pretty nasty, I admit, but after a "feel better" stop at Sonic and Phoebe's favorite mashed potatoes for dinner, she looks and feels alot better. It helps that Nena and Amy stayed over another night due to all the excitement.

And I have to tell you, I was a little surprised that Phoebe received the first set of stitches in our family! :)

"Fashions fade, style is eternal."
Yves Saint Laurent

Show and Tell: My Dad's Quilt

Way back in March, I put together the top for my dad's quilt with every intention of getting him the entire quilt by the end of school. It was also the quilt I was going to learn to stipple on. And as a side note, I really kind of enjoy stippling in a get-in-the-zone-tune-out-the-world kind of way. I may just add that to the list of things I do when I'm worried or anxious about something. Right up there with NESTING and cleaning. I'll be the first to admit that my stippling skills left something to be desired on this quilt, but I did get it finished way back in May...even before I finished MRS. RIGGLE'S QUILT, but like most of my projects, summer has taken a toll on my project-making. I'm back on the wagon again this week, though! :)

Well, I finally finished Dad's quilt while we were visiting them this past week! And while I'm sure you are just enthralled with my overly verbose explanation of how I arrived at finishing my Dad's quilt, I am also certain you are thinking, "Would she just post the pictures already?!"

Here you go.

I used Moda's HAPPY CAMPER jelly roll for THIS pattern. I just loved this fabric!! It's bright and retro and so much fun!

Dad chose the fabric for the backing.


But then I chose the binding fabric...mostly because I found this in a store and it saved me shipping. Oh, how I hate to pay shipping!


I think he liked it. :)

All He Wants For Christmas...

There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in. ~Graham Greene


I've always thought that once children lose their two front teeth, they start looking less like a little child and all at once like a big kid. Then, of course, the permanent teeth grow in and they all go through that "ugly duckling" phase where their big teeth don't quite match up with their little faces.


I was really hoping to put that off a little bit longer.


We've known for awhile that Eli's two front teeth have been loose. We were even more surprised when they stayed put after the HORSE KICKED HIM. But the in the last few days, they've gotten really, really loose. Like loose enough to pull. I've been telling him to leave them alone. Just let them hang out a little longer, but he couldn't. Today during nap time. And by "nap time" I mean mine and Phoebe's. I gave Eli explicit instructions to "find something quiet to do" while we napped. When I woke up, he was missing his two front teeth. At least he'll never be bored!

We told him that when he pulls more than one tooth, he's going to have to give the tooth fairy a few days to get her act together.

I hope...

your 4th...

was this...

much fun!!

And maybe not this dangerous! :)

Show And Tell: A Nightdress

"More than anything else in the world, Angelina loved to dance."


I know I say it all the time, but one of my very favorite children's' books is ANGELINA BALLERINA. Not only is the story precious and the pictures a delight, but it's the first book I remember having an emotional connection with. My parents' close friends sent the book to me when I was five or six. I'm guessing it's because I was Angelina...always dancing and pretending with big dreams floating around in my little head. Whatever the reason, I loved the book. And I still do. I even learned how to make Mrs. Mousling's cheddar cheese pies! I like to serve them at TEA PARTIES.

I never read any of the other ANGELINA books or saw the DVD's so I can't give you a review of those, but I was more than excited to introduce Phoebe to Angelina. I just knew they would be kindred spirits in the way they love to sing and dance all the time. I read it to her for the first time a few months ago and I've probably read it 285 times since then! That's okay, though, a good book deserves to be read and re-read countless times.


But this is a Show and Tell post, and I'm sure you're thinking I should just get on with the "showing" and wrap up all the "telling" part, right? A few weeks after I first read "Angelina Ballerina" to Phoebe, I found this fabric at JoAnn's.


And like every other project I start, it took me two months to make it into a night gown for Phoebe. I think it has something to do with taking on too many projects at once and being a fabric junkie. But look how cute it turned out!


I found the pattern in a pattern book I bought at Hobby Lobby. I looked for a link online, but couldn't find one. The pattern was waaaayyy easy and I'm looking forward to whipping up a few more things from the book.


I also found this little Angelina doll online and ordered it thinking it was plush and would be perfect tucked away inside a little pocket. Well, it wasn't...but it still looks cute in a pocket.


And it gives Phoebe something to play with when she wakes up at 4:00 in the morning.

So that's my project. You're up next. What did you make and what was your inspiration? Leave the link in a comment if you can, but still tell me all about it. I just love Show and Tell!

The Sign Of A Well-Spent Day

I'm posting my "Show and Tell" on Saturday morning! Everyone get their links and pics ready so I can see what everyone's been up to this summer. I'm so excited!! Please don't let my little idea bomb! :)