It was Professor Plum, In The Kitchen, With The Blender

Tonight we watched a movie (Firewall) in which I learned that a blender pitcher can be used as a murder weapon. I had never considered this before, and it really opened up a whole new world of violence for me. I mean, it's just good to know that if a bad guy gets in the house, you don't have to rely on your shotgun or even your baseball bat. But Jeff and I did decide that it would definitely need to be a glass blender. A plastic one would just be too flimsy to get the job done.

Seriously, it was a good movie, as most Harrison Ford movies are. He's just so tough. I mean, a blender. Wow.

What Will We Do When We're Old?

Jeff and I had a discussion last night about what we will do when we're old. Jeff suggested tennis. We agreed briefly on golf. And then I had a flash of brillance and a fond remeberance of an experience I had in college: square dancing. It's perfect...except for the fact that Jeff absolutely despies all forms of dance (that involve himself) except for maybe the chin bob. But I figure I have 40 or 50 years to work on him, and maybe by then he'll loosen up a bit.

Now bow to your partner and dosey do.

Sweet Siren Song

My husband has an iron will and cannot be tempted by anything...except the Siren's call of "Good Deal," "Cheap Stuff." And when the call comes, he has no power over her. On Friday, she called from a neighborhood garage sale, in the form of an extremely huge treadmill with an extremely small price tag. Did I mention this thing is HUGE?! Huge, but outfitted with all the bells and whistles. And so, we have made room in the living room, and have been overwhelmed with inspiration to lose pounds that we never quite invited to join us but that we never turned away either. (Can you say Chuy's)? That's the goal, anyway. We'll see if it makes it past our next garage sale!

Insaitiable

adj. impossible to satisfy.

This pretty much sums up Weston's intense appetite. He wants to eat often and he wants to eat much. Tonight I went out and bought the BIG jars of food because the others just weren't cutting it. On a related note, I also had to buy him some bigger clothes--9 and 12 month size, and even a few 18 month things! It is just astounding. I'm pretty sure Jeff and I will both have to have two or three jobs to support this big guy when he's a teenager!

80 Years

We were out of town this weekend celebrating my Grandaddy's 80th birthday. We got to see lots of family friends and relatives, some of which we haven't seen in quite a while, and we really had a good time. My Grandaddy is really just the most amazing man. I wish you all could know him. And if you did know him, you would certainly never guess he's 80! Happy Birthday, Grandaddy! We love you!
(That's Grandaddy on the far right).

FYI

For those of you whe may be wondering how all my tests came out at the doctor earlier this week, I heard today that they were all negative. Apparently, my almost-29-year-old body remains arthritis-free. For the record, this does not really change my position on how my appointment was conducted or the fact that I would like to find a new primary care physician.

Now I've Seen It All

You just never know what you're going to see. This morning while Weston and I were taking our walk we came across something very interesting. We saw a woman walking two very large dogs-- or they might have been small horses. Anyway, they were huge and they had these cute matching collars in kind of a his-and-her set, which caught my eye. Honestly, I never would have looked if it wouldn't have been for the collars. But look I did. And it was then that I noticed that this woman was not only walking her large dogs, she was also walking another pet. What pet is that, you ask? Well, it was her parakeet--just sitting there on her shoulder. I did a double-take and then I laughed out loud (out of earshot of the lady, of cousre). It was very funny. I wish you all could have seen it.

The Little Things

Life really is all about the little things. And sometimes the little things turn out to be big things. Last night at bedtime, Jeff asked Ruth if she could do him a big favor today and clean up her room. She reluctantly agreed, and I thought I was in for some big fun as the enforcer. So this morning I asked her to get to it, and I was pleasantly surprised when she did just that. She didn't get too far in to it before we had to leave the house for a playdate, and I thought that would be the end of the cooperation. That thought seemed to be confirmed when I gave her a choice after lunch of finishing her room or taking her rest time, and she picked rest time. But after her nap she got right to cleaning her room without even one word of complaint. She worked diligently and methodically and got the whole thing cleaned by herself in a fraction of the time it normally takes her. And frankly, she did a better job than I would have done had I been the one cleaning it. She even asked me if we could bring in the vacuum cleaner! She was so proud of her accomplishment and couldn't wait for her Daddy to see it. This was a huge deal for us, because she never willingly cleans her room--and she never does such a thorough job. We were very proud of her, so we took her out to celebrate at Cici's. She really is getting to be such a big girl.

Sugar Body Scrub

Sometimes you just need a spa day. And sometimes you neither have the money nor the time for such a treat. So, I decided to make my own sugar body scrub, so that I could have an opportunity for a little pampering. It was super easy and used things I had here in the house. Plus, it made me feel pretty! If anyone else wants to try it, you can check it out here. There are also several other scrubs listed on the site and lots of other homemade cosmestics and pampering agents. Go on, you deserve it!

What's Up, Doc?

Anyone out there ever been to the doctor and felt as if the doctor (or in this case the PA) already knew exactly what they were going to say to you before they ever even walked in the door and heard your description of the symptoms? It happened to me today, and it really burned me up. I did not feel like this woman really listened to me at all, nor did she seem too concerned with asking me questions that might be helpful in making a diagnosis. Consequently I didn't feel like she gave me very good advice. Then, I felt like she ordered some tests just to make me feel like she was doing something and just so she could get me out of her hair. I am now in the market for a new primary care physician. I am never sick and I am not a hypochondriac, so when I go to the doctor I expect to have someone really listen to me, and after carefully assessing the situation, to tell me the best way to proceed. And here's a big newflash: I am not an idiot. I know that arthitis affects the joints, and I even know where the joints in my hand are. But I also know that "tendonitis" of my right hand would not be causing me to have pain in my ankles when I wake up in the morning. Thank you very much!

World's Best Dad

Says so right on the hat Jeff got for free when we made our anual trip to Catfish Parlour, to enjoy one of only two Sundays a year when they open their doors. (We missed our chance on Mother's Day. Darn). But seriously, we think Jeff is the best, and we had a very fun Father's Day.

Firefighter Ruth

Ruth was invited to a firefighter-themed birthday party today for one of her friends from school. It was a fun party, and in the middle of it the real firefighters showed up in their cool firetruck. They let the kids climb all over the truck and even spray one of the hoses! I knew you could ask to tour the firestation, but I had no idea they would actually come to your house for a little demonstration like that. It was really neat, and I'm filing that away in case the need ever arises for me to host a firefighter party.

June Rain

We had a nice little rain shower this morning and it was really nice. It cooled things off a bit and I know the yard and plants really appreciated it. I think there's a chance of rain for several more days, so I hope we get to see some more of that action.

"I Have A Really Good Brain"

Today Ruth was quizzing me about something we did a really long time ago--so long ago that I couldn't remember what she was talking about until she gave me more details. I said "Ruth, how do you remeber these things?" "I have a really good brain," she said. I don't know when a truer statement was ever uttered. For example, on our way home from church tonight, she saw a guy standing on the corner with a little sign and she pipes up: "That man is a vagabond; he doesn't have a home and he begs for money." Jeff taught her this word who-knows-when and it's just there in her memory bank to use appropriately whenever she wants. Her teacher is also in to teaching the kids big words they can actually use: epidermis, insomnia, fatigue, metamorphasis, etc. She learns these words, and I never know it until she just spits them out, always in context. She's a smart girl. I'm very proud of her.

One Fish, Two Fish, Pink Fish, Blue Fish

We took the kids to the pool this afternoon and they really had a blast. It always takes Ruth a little while to warm up to the water and get over her natural tendency to be afraid, but once she gets going, there is no stopping her! Weston needs no warming up time. He loves the water and almost jumps out of our arms to get in! We all had a good time and I have a feeling the kids will really sleep well tonight!

Creepy Crawly

Weston is not officially crawling, but he is "creeping." He can push up to his hands and knees but when he really wants to get around he just pulls himself with his hands. And sometimes he just scoots backwards or spins around and around. It's so much fun! It won't be long before he really takes off.

Season Finale

We had dinner with one of Jeff's co-workers last night, and we mentioned something about Ruth's birthday parties. He replied, "Oh, that's right, it's Ruth's birthday party season!" So, that being the case, we had the season finale today. We got together with my side of the family this afternoon for Ruth's final birthday party. We had a wonderful time and I think we have officially gotten Ruth turned four now. It's been a really fun season and I'm looking forward to next season!

Two Is Better Than One; One Is Worse Than Zero

Ruth has been talking to me about getting earrings for about a year. Every time the subject has come up I have told her that I would be more than happy for her to get earrings, but I have warned her each time that it hurts a little and that if she gets one, she has to get them both. That was always her back-off point in the past, but in the last week she has stepped up her requests almost to the point of begging, and she has not been deterred by The Warning. So, today, she finally convinced me that she was ready. I took her in the store (which was short-staffed, which should have been a red flag for me) and she picked out just the earrings she wanted. Then she sat in the chair like such a big girl and the lady punched the earring through the first ear. It is at that point that Ruth completely lost control of herself. She screamed and cried for the next hour. I am not kidding you. Nothing worked to calm her--and believe me, everything was tried! And she wasn't the least bit interested in having the other one pierced. Not only that, she wasn't the least bit interested in having the one that was already in removed. It was one of the least fun experiences of my life. And I'm pretty sure that Ruth has been traumatized for the rest of hers. You're all wondering about the outcome no doubt. Well, I finally had to practically hold her down and pull the one out. So many things about parenting are fun and exciting, and then there is ear piercing!

A Perfect Four

Ruth had her four-year check-up today. She's very healthy, and she really impressed the whole staff with her precociousness. She is 41 1/2 in. tall (80th percentile) and she weighs 38 pounds (75th percentile). She had her eyes and her ears tested and did well on both tests. And she had two shots, which weren't much fun, but the anticipation of them was really the worst part. Fortunately, those are the last ones for her until she's 11! Woohoo! The part of the visit that interested her the most, though, was peeing in a cup. She was absolutely fascinated with that. You just never know where you're going to find a good time when you're four!

Shotgun Rules

(According to Austin Family Magazine)

1. The first person who calls "shotgun" gets to ride in the front seat next to the window.
2. "Shotgun" must be spoken loudly enough to be heard by at least one witness.
3. A person may only call "shotgun" for one way of a trip.
4. "Shotgun" must be called while outside of the vehicle. (No arguments or calls inside the car).
5. The owner of the vehicle may make up his/her own rules for "shotgun" and is the final judge.
6. If a passenger in the "shotgun" seat leaves the car for a break, the break can not last more than five minutes or that passenger will lose the "shotgun" position. Long lines at the restroom are part of the five minutes.
7. Crossing any country's border changes the "shotgun" claims. So going into Mexico or Canada would change who owns "shotgun," but going into Oklahoma does not (go figure).
8. The "shotgun" passenger has responsibilities such as: pumping the gas, spotting speed zone signs for the driver, spotting radar on the side of the road and spotting law enforcement officers for the driver.
9. All ties for "shotgun" shall be decided by one round of "rock, paper, scissors."
10. To avoid arguments inside of the restaurant, all calls for "shotgun" must be made in full view of the vehicle by the passengers.
11. Once the "shotgun" order has been established, it can rotate without the need to repeat the calling of "shotgun" each time. (Although, I personally tend to disagree with this particular rule).

Park and Ride

Let Me Splain. No, There Is Too Much. Let Me Sum Up.

Here are the highlights of the last ten days.

• Weston had his half-birthday--to view his six-month pictures go to https://www.smilesbywire.com/home.asp?AC=LTP68701081035JCP and put in "Mandi Watts" where it asks for customer name and then click on "click here" to view images.
• We made a road trip out to the Davis Mountains in record time. (Who knew Minnie could go 100)?
• We had a birthday party for Ruth, and she officially turned 4!
• Ruth was in a car accident--she and everyone else involved are fine, but it was very scary there for a little while.
• We built a very cool cabin in the Davis Mountains and learned a whole lot of stuff we never knew about carpentry, electricity, plumbing and radiant barrier.
• We saw all kinds of wildlife including mice, bats, mule deer, antelope, audads and elk.
• We put down a contract on a convenience store/gas station and have begun the negotiations to purchase it.
• Weston perfected sitting on his own, and he pushed up to his hands and knees a couple of times.