When Mommy Isn't Watching

Ok, I have a guilty pleasure to admit: Dateline NBC.

Guilty: because I have zero time to sit down and witness someone get "exposed" for an hour in my evening.

Pleasure: because there is something odd in me that enjoys seeing people's true nature... watching people self-destruct right there on cold, hard TV. Ok, feeling guilty again.

Said guilty pleasure happens about once every 6 month... and tonight with Tom OOT (out of town), I DVR'd the show.

This night, no murder trial, no child predators (thank heavens, that show makes me want to pull the plug on every computer in our neighborhood) , but it was the hidden camera watching kids when their parents weren't around that caught my attention.

Interesting situations:

*Will a child stand up against a bully?

*Will a child let a stranger in her house?

*Will a teenager text in the car? (There is a business that actually installs hidden camera to check this out)

*Will a child ride with a driver she thinks has been drinking?

In each case, Dateline NBC experimented with different kids and the outcome was different. One 12 year old girl stood up to the bully like I can only dream my kids would. One set of siblings, 12 and 14, let a stranger into the house when he flashed a badge and said he was a "milk inspector." Another little boy stood his ground when the elderly stranger demanded, "Let me in, my wife is sick!" The teenagers TOTALLY texted in the car, probably because they had seen their parents do it so many times and the kids riding with the older teen who showed signs of drinking? What do you think those 4 kids did? Got in the car with the drinking driver. All 4 of them.

It was pretty thought provoking and I'm somewhat convinced I will do the following things:

*Teach my kids to stand up to a bully. Give them specific strategies and show them the tape of the sweet girl (Lucy) who befriended the victim and was a total sweetheart.

*Set up a test for my kids and see if they will open the door to a stranger. I know it sounds awful. I am really thinking about it.

*Stop texting in the car completely. I am actually pretty good about it, however, I DO, I admit, I DO text at stoplights. I think that probably needs to stop too. The kids are watching!

*Start now talking about riding with safe drivers. And talk to my kids about it. I will probably show them the tape. I want them to see all the signs the teenagers chose to ignore. And set up an emergency code with the kids when they get older. The show suggested "111." That means drop everything and come get me now!

I just hope my kids do the right thing when Mommy isn't watching!!!!

I'm Pretty Sure I'm a Redneck

When your family's idea of a Labor Day Get Together is a cookout between two ponds on a strip of land called the "Island," I'm pretty sure you're a redneck.

When you can't remember one family member's real name because everyone has called him "Tuff" since he was born AND Tuff wears something that looks like a mullett (see blue shirt on left), I'm pretty sure you're a redneck.

When the kids have to dig through dozens of cans of beer to get to the water bottles at the bottom of the cooler, I'm pretty sure you're a redneck.

When you choose to play with a stick gun instead of the football, trackball and baseball your momma brought for you, I'm pretty sure you're a redneck.

When coralling the kids together for a family picture and they step in cow patties, I'm pretty sure you're a redneck. When there is a dog named Hank at the family get together and they stick him in the back of an old Chevy truck full of barbed wire to keep him away from the hot dogs, I'm pretty sure you're a redneck.When you're taking a "cousin" picture and one of your cousins thinks it's appropriate to just stoop down in front of everybody else, I'm pretty sure you're a redneck. When your cousin celebrates her 50th birthday in a lawn chair with a big honking chocolate cake, I'm pretty sure you're a redneck.
When your daughter eats the chocolate cake straight from the serving spatula and everyone gets a kick out of it, I'm pretty sure you're a redneck When it's normal for your son to walk around with a weed in his mouth, I'm pretty sure you're a redneck.When you take a picture of your cousins who you only see once a year, and the background for the picture is two old farm trucks, I'm pretty sure you're a redneck.
When the kids go swimming in the mucky ponds for entertainment, I'm pretty sure you're a redneck.

When people don't see birds in the air but "targets" in the air, I'm pretty sure you're a redneck.

Yep, it's official, I'm a bred, born and raised REDNECK!

The Day

There is no day nearly so wonderful,

no day quite so bright

as the day my child trusted in the Savior

and put her faith in His light

The day of her birth is so clearly etched

in colorful detail in my mind

but the day she trusted Jesus

is the glorious day I prayed she'd find

Each day she lives on this earth

is a day He guides and leads

She need only look to Him

for all her daily needs

Days of sadness and much confusion

Days of loss and despair

are now days she will be strengthened

by the One who is always there

I find awesome joy in the day of her baptism

it is this day I recognize

that strips away the old

and gives her New Life in Jesus Christ!!!

Hats off to Granny and Her 99 Years of Living!

Birthdays are a big deal at any age. But when you turn 97, 98, or 99, it certainly warrants an enormous celebration. Having done a pioneer party and an American Idol party, we were looking for another idea that fit our loving, hilarious, sweet, silly, Granny. One thing she is famous for, (besides her quilts!) is taking pictures with hats and other things (even a lampshade) on her head. I will post those pictures sometime. (Mom, can you email them to me?) So we decided that everyone would wear a hat in honor of Granny and that we did. Granny laughed it up, even if at 99, she is just now starting to feel her age. She hasn't been at her best lately and her comment... "I guess I am just getting old." Too funny. Prayers for granny and praises for a lovely 99th birthday.

First Day of School

We are now the proud parents of one 7th grader...plus a third grader and a first grader.

Heavens to Besty... this is freaking me out!!!

Fun in the Mud

Call me crazy.

I signed the kids up for the mud run on probably the hottest day of the year. It was brutal out there, I tell ya, brutal. It was over 100 and there's no telling what the heat index was. I know this: it was HOT SNOT.

And dirty. Scratch that. Filthy.

but we were with friends....and family....and worked hard...and well, the kids had a blast.

How often can you just get as yucky dirty as possible and your parents don't yell at you?Look at Ana in the middle; proof that kids can get just as dirty or clean as they set their minds to! That was a great accomplishment Ana :)
at the end, the firefighters hosed them clean and as Nana (who came out and watched the action) said, "Every time you get a chance to do something fun in life, you should take it!"

Luke's First Work of Non-Fikshun

He titled it "Non Fikshun"



Wosubus a tim (once upon a time), ther wus a dog namd wilsin.

he was my dog. he cud cum hir win you sed "Wilsin cum her boy!"

But won tim I was riding my scootr, I rod rit bi him and he ran rit in frut of me.

I hit him, but he srvivd. he rin rit undr the car. he sat down but he was ok.



True Story!

The River's Deep, The River's Wide

The River's Waters are ALIVE so sink or swim.... I'm Diving IN!
Just a few pics from our semi-annual trip south to Hunt, Texas and the Guadalupe River.