1000BlessingKisses

Getting Closer

2011-10-06T21:05:00.001-05:00

Some housekeeping is in order ...

First, school has begun. In fact we're now in our second month of it and second grade is going smoothly. N is very excited about going and isn't moody or putting up a fight. Holding steady at 4 teeth gone and two doing the wiggle dance. He's grew at least 4 inches over the summer. None of his pants fit from last year (above the ankle now), same with the long sleeve shirts (about 3 inches above the wrist).

G thinks it isn't fair that she cannot go, even though she has a Hello Kitty backpack and notebooks and markers and pencils. She cannot wait! We'll see how that goes in a couple years when it's really time for her. Who am I kidding, she's probably going to love it. Curly Girl has also shot up 4 or so inches. She too will get a complete new wardrobe for fall/winter.

I have Chaired the yearbook committee for the PTA and within the second week was threatened by a parent that this year better not be a book about my kids and their friends. I have started to run and gave that up. I'm not a runner. So cycling it is. Now I've got to get a bike, I've picked one out and am saving to make that purchase.

Big D is now spending part of his workweek looking for work and developing his homemaking skills. He has gotten his Missouri Hunter Safety License and is now an official hunter. Bought a gun and hunting clothes (I don't know the 'official' term for the clothing hunters wear) and shotgun shells. Now itching to go 'population control' with Big B.

That's it for now, check back soon for more Summers family fun!!

How do you like it?

2011-10-05T20:42:00.000-05:00

So?

How do you like it?

Please, tell me. One of the features I need to look at are the comments. So? Please send in a comment. I do like hearing from visitors. Then I know someone is really reading (at least looking at 1BK). I won't comment back if you don't want me to. I promise. Really.

I still need have a couple items to fix, like the header and photo size. For some reason I cannot get my head around those. Any suggestions are welcome. Really.

2011-09-29T20:22:00.000-05:00

what i've learned while learning to jog, part four

so ... i've wrote this three times and this is what i've got ...

what i've learned is that i'm not a runner. i don't like to run, it's uncomfortable to run and i'm not any good at it. even after some practice - not good. so i'm gonna go to plan b ... i'm going to take up cycling. more to come on that.

2011-08-10T07:40:00.000-05:00

here we are at tattoo tuesday and another look at big d's half sleeve. so if you're squeamish about needles, then ... don't look at the below pictures. because they contain images of big d with jessie going at it with a needle! arggg!

original artwork for big d's arm

if you don't like needles you can check out the stuff on jessie's walls. it'll be over soon! it only hurts for a minute. hee hee hee, not really it hurts the entire time, but it's a good hurt! it's fun to feel.

a little free hand

aahh, going at it

really getting in there (digging in)

all i can do is smile. i'm a bit sadistic, i enjoy it and i really enjoy it when it's someone else. (my turn is coming i won't be smiling then)

2011-07-20T12:30:00.000-05:00

randomness from the heat

2011-07-19T12:15:00.002-05:00

what i've learned while learning to run, part three ...

taking time off isn't a good idea. remember running is a mental thing? well, when you take time off you're breaking the pattern. remember i'm trying to establish a habit here? no going so well when i take a week (or two) off of establishing this habit of running. i've ran for two weeks and i've taken two weeks off - what am i thinking? not much evidently! i never said this was going to be easy. and i certainly never said i was going to be good at it. what i thought was i couldn't just wait around for something to happen. if i don't get to making things happen then stuff doesn't happen! so, i'm starting over and going to make things happen. good luck to me.
i'm soooo gonna need it.

2011-07-09T07:37:00.002-05:00

little drummer girl ...

me thinks she's take'n after big d!

2011-07-08T11:29:00.001-05:00

i have to share with you a conversation g and i had last night as she was finishing her power shower hour.

g is out of the shower and drying off, she asks me to smell her hair.

me: your hair smells like coconuts, i want to eat you up
g: no mommy! i have blood and bones in me. that would taste really bad.
me: uhhmm (long pause) o.k.
g: smell my pits!!
me: ahh (a longer pause. i'm not sure it that's a good idea. and where did she come up with that?)
g: mommy. smell. my. pits.
me: i lean in and i take a long deep whiff
g: they smell like strawberries!!
me: ok
g: daddy's pits smell like cookies.
and n's pits smell like apple juice.
and your pits smell like strawberries too!
me: yeah! i have strawberry smell'n pits! and daddy has cookie pits - that's funny!

she's now giggling and not so mad that i got her out of her power shower hour. so she's moving on.

later, while she was having strawberries before bed, i asked her if she told daddy about his pits. she said no and that they now smell nasty. but hers still like strawberries. g says that her mema told her that she's going to turn into a strawberry because she eats so many of them. maybe g thinks the change is starting.

this my friends is a glimpse into the strawberry scented world of a 3.5 yr old curly girl.

2011-07-07T07:01:00.003-05:00

a couple weeks ago the family celebrated gpa m's 85th birthday. what a feat! 85 years of life spent farming and with family. i can only imagine the events he's lived through and places he has seen. cheers to you, gpa m, for several more years!

a scene from set-up

my brother and his wife

here we have n (lower left corner), w (on top) then toothless n and curly girl g

next up is e and a blurry uncle big j

this one seems to have a taste for the sweeter things in life ... strawberries

this is for aunt e ... uncle s, cousin s and aunt e (missing cousin's s and s)

this is the aunt's and uncle ... aunt e, (my) mom, uncle bj and aunt g with gpa m chill'n in the chair

second generation, the grandchildren (minus 3) i'm not going to name everyone just know we're all family

this, my friends, is the third generation ... the great-grandchildren!

we spent time in the club house at Gen. John J Pershing State Park here in Missouri. who by the way is also a family member. if you are interested in war hero's and there lives, you must visit his boyhood home in Laclede Missouri and check out the state park named in his honor. good times.

while celebrating 85 years i got to spend time with my cousins, this too was a welcome time for me. i haven't really got to sit down and talk for a long time. we got re-acquainted with conversations of our own children and our grow'n up(s). it was a very nice time. i got to share the recipe for Dusty Miller's and excite a few cousins at the same time. one cousin has even taken to the blog-a-sphere for herself ... midwestmeanderings-tonia i'm excited for her and interested in what she has to say. please stop by and check her out.

2011-06-30T08:01:00.004-05:00

what i've learned while learning to jog, part two

i raise my shoulders while running. what does this mean? to me it means i need to relax and lower my shoulders - get them out of my ears.

i also have considerable 'torque'. meaning my shoulders and hips twist. this means that as i run i swing and cross my hands/arms in front of me causing my shoulders and upper body to twist. how do i remedy this? by not crossing my body with my arms! instead of crossing in front of myself i drop my shoulders and swing my arms (bent at the elbow) at my sides. i haven't figured out if i should be elbow out or closer to the body. i'm guessing it's whatever is comfortable. for me that would be in the closer position.

lastly, that getting your foot to land gently (quietly) on the ground is work. i really have to think this one with every step i take. i'm not a pretty runner i twist, my shoulders are in my ears, i have trouble breathing from the diaphragm and i land a foot as it does - loudly. a couple weeks ago i read something while researching the minimal running movement that you want to place your foot down without sound. no plodding! no sharp movements, gentle flowing movements. so i started concentrating on this and it's amazing how much faster i'm moving. i seem to glide. how less ache my knees feel. how pretty i feel like i look. not sure about that really. i run in the morning (it's dark) and no one is watching me (at least i don't think so).

so there you have it. what i've learned.

2011-06-28T08:00:00.002-05:00

welcome. one and all to ... tattoo tuesday

big d is starting his half to full sleeve and i've got pics. i say half to full because at this point he's not sure what's gonna go on the bottom. he's got the top ironed out and an existing small piece on the forearm that will need to be worked in.

jessie on the cover of herlife mag (she's famous)

the facts ... artist ... jessie hopeless, may be found at exile tattoo on 39th and rainbow. please check out the links and definitely check out jessie if you want a tat. she's amazing. easy to work with (hard to get in - 6-9 month wait BUT worth it! a good artist is hard to find and you're gonna wear this art on your body for the rest of your life.), easy to conversate with, loves chocolate and coffee, she's way spastic about germs and her work environment (that's a really good thing. germs and tattooing don't play well together.) and she's particular about her work. the gal's got talent!

getting started

did i mention jessie was beautiful? she is. that makes it even easier to sit there for hours on end with a needle stuck in your arm.

end of secession 1 about 90% of the outline is finished. with only a few more stars, stems and leaves to outline.

2011-06-26T08:10:00.002-05:00

someone else got kates! no, i didn't forget the s. g doesn't say the s. she has decided that s's are not necessary, thus she will not be using them.

would you look at that face? is she pissed? is she serious?

aah, this is better. it must have been the pj's she was wearing. not giving off the right vibe. now we're ready to roll.

getting our pads on ... knee, elbow, and hand. she wears n's old helmet. it's not pink and (s)parkely so she would let me take her picture with it on. i'll sneak one sometime for you, it's a hoot.

someone also got new sun glasses. (pink and purple her favorite!)

2011-06-24T16:10:00.001-05:00

i realize that i fell behind with 1bk and it's pictures, so i'm going to make it up to you by posting a few random images from the last several months.

someone got a new bike from the easter bunny. any guesses?

(someone needs to have cut the grass. wow ghe-t-toe. green and in need of a trim.)

and he's off!

2011-06-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

what i've learned so far, whilst learning to jog.

1. make friends with good (sturdy) sports bra's. yep, that's plural. if you sweat anything like myself; you're gonna need more than one - at least two of these babies. i don't think i need to explain this but for those of us who are clueless ... if your boobs are big, strap them down.

2. jogging is difficult. it's a mind thing.

3. it's rather difficult to breath from your diaphragm and keep your belly button pulled in. i'm hoping this one gets easier.

4. find running shoes that are big enough. i've had to switch from fairly new tennies to the oldest pair i have. for several reasons, first being that the toe box is much larger and second it's a 'flatter' shoe. yes, i'll get running shoes shortly. i wanted to get into a groove first and i want to try a more natural running style - minimalist running. shoes for this are not cheap and i've got to find a place to get fitted. so the search is on.

5. do it for no other reason than to do it. this is for me only. you exercise/run for whatever reason you need/want to. and i sort of like it.

2011-06-20T15:37:00.000-05:00

we've already decided to add a couple items to our summer to do list, they are at the bottom ...

.picnic .fountain tour of kc .tin can stilts .wof (worlds of fun)

.oof (ocean of fun) .mini golf .make a tee pee

.jump in puddles .carnival .paint rocks

.homemade funnel cakes .liberty memorial

.kemper museum .nelson atkins museum .planetarium

.st. louis .balloon derby (pershing days)

.make garden stepping stones .homemade ice cream

.homemade popsicles .make a rainbow cake

.play in the rain .great wolf lodge

.make fairy houses .homemade snow cones

.baseball game (t-bones and royals)

.bowling .garden .fireworks

.science city (union station) .circus .imax movie

.drive in movie .powell gardens .connie museum
second installment
.water balloon fight .wash cars at home
.farmers market(s) .make a time capsule
.make bubbles and wands .make s'mores .play flashlight tag
.scavenger hunt in the dark
.have a pj's and pancakes party

2011-06-14T12:54:00.001-05:00

after all this time and you thought i'd forgot about you.

not so!

oh, not so!

this my friends is something you simply must try. and because you have to buy the ingredients, you'll be having this glorious treat many more times. and because it's summer, it's hot, this glorious cool and chocolaty treat kicks all other treat's in the whoo whoo! (how about that?)

introducing ... wait for it ...

all of these returns are to add to the anticipation.

The Dusty Miller

meet the Dusty Miller
DM say hi. "hi"
everyone say hi "hi"
k, now that the pleasantries are over, let's get down to the goodness. shall we?!?

list of your requirements ...
vanilla ice cream
chocolate syrup
malt powder
marshmallow topping

other item's you may need ...
bowls
spoons
hungry summers-lett's (or your own babies, though mine would gladly help you out with this one)

first scoop the vanilla ice cream into said bowls. please, no critiquing on my bowls. it was either the cheapy ziplock things or large white bowls. this makes for a nicer pic. all lined up like Dusty Miller soldiers! yee ha!

then yur gonna throw down with some chocolate syrup

next lay on some marshmallow topping and ...

finish with a dusting of chocolate malt.

get it? a dusting? it's a dusty miller! aaah ha ha ha. woot, that's side splitting. careful if you get to close to the malt it blows up into your nose and eyes and sometimes you just plane inhale it. this my friends will create what i call a choked-up affect. not so good when you're trying to eat such loveliness. not good at all.

g has decided to take a nibble. nibbles are no good. full spoon fulls work best here.

big d is showing us how to partake in the classy dusty miller. a dusty miller a glass of wine and the most recent copy of game informer. this friends will sooth the sweet tooth and get you 'relaxed' (with the wine) to play your favorite video game.

n, on the other hand, believes that if it's mingling then it's better. his mingling technique is to grab bowl with one hand and spoon in the other and mingle away!

here we are mid-mingle. ah the fingernails of a young boy. just makes you're mouth water, doesn't it?

start

finish

why, you ask are these soooo glorious? well friends, the Dusty Miller (for me) came from the Top Cats Skate Rink in Marceline Missouri. of which was owned and operated by big d's family. so i'm passing this family recipe down the family and on to you. big d asked aunt liz, while at a family gathering, if i could post about the DM. aunt liz has graciously agreed to pass this on to you. i hope you enjoy the Dusty Miller for years to come.

2011-06-08T16:25:00.000-05:00

i found this quote and personally it has to be one of my top 5 ...

"you know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams - dr seuss

this speaks to me on several different levels. my children, my spouse, my future.

2011-06-03T14:52:00.000-05:00

after many discussions, even a small brawl the summers-lett's have made some decisions on their summer to-do list. it's our new family summer tradition ... a summer bucketlist! last year i posted a pic (it was/is hard to read and my handwriting is sucky) so i've made a few changes to presentation and came up with the below - watch out, gettn c.r.a.z.y. round here!

.picnic .fountain tour of kc .tin can stilts .wof (worlds of fun)

.oof (ocean of fun) .mini golf .make a tee pee

.jump in puddles .carnival .paint rocks

.homemade funnel cakes .liberty memorial

.kemper museum .nelson atkins museum .planetarium

.st. louis .balloon derby (pershing days)

.make garden stepping stones .homemade ice cream

.homemade popsicles .make a rainbow cake

.play in the rain .great wolf lodge

.make fairy houses .homemade snow cones

.baseball game (t-bones and royals)

.bowling .garden .fireworks

.science city (union station) .circus .imax movie

.drive in movie .powell gardens .connie museum

our list is certainly subject to change, without notice! soo, hold on to yer garters, yer in fer a spicy summer.

2011-05-26T08:25:00.000-05:00

sooooo, whatdaya think? about the header. i mean it's simple (really simple, maybe even 'elementary') (i like it) it's got a shot of color and it gets the point across. (did i say i liked it?) k, i'm not a graphic designer and my graphic skills are rusty at best, more like non-existent now. i ~~like~~ love color and pattern, however i have a hard time using for myself. i have no trouble putting color and pattern together for friends, just cannot do it for me. how about the first letter of each entry in red as well? i'm gonna try it out a couple times and see how i feel about it. possibly change the color every entry. who knows.
well that's it for now. hope you like it. subtle beauty. rather than in your face and fading fast.

2011-05-23T16:00:00.001-05:00

i believe an update is what is needed right here right now!

g is as sassy and curly as ever. she is all about doing it her way or no-way. she tells you like it is and you be damned if you don't like it. (sounds familiar) she still thinks that everything must be pink and parkly (no, not sparkly but parkly. she's havin a hard time with the s's) likes to make sure she uses items that are for girls-boys use boy items. cause girls r.o.c.k. g is a girly girl and i love it!!

n has now lost 4 teeth, all from the front, and has two more loose. (and no i didn't get that stinkin' pillow done so don't eeeven think about it! bad creative mommy) first grade is within days of being completed. thank all things that are holy, this year was a little tougher than last. yep i know two years into it and i'm already complaining. there's more concern here than you could imagine. he's gotten a big boy bike and riding it well. well, he's hit the mail box a couple dozen, ran straight into the corner of the garage once, fell over countless times, ran over g, big d, me and neighbor kids on occasion, as well as gotten off the bike, thrown it to the ground (swearing) and stomped to the living room once. all in all he's doing well on the bike. oh, i forgot, and almost ran over once. aaah the bicycle. g received n's old bike - she won't ride it because it isn't ... pink! it isn't a girl bike! and don't you know that girls ride girl bikes?! as if!

we have gone to big cedar (and made it back). one of us partook of a few fine summer shandy's and slid down the side of a small mountain, shoving a large 'stick' very close to somewhere you wouldn't want a stick shoved. bruised the bones in ones wrist and now has to wear a brace. while the other one of us made a quilt top, blew out the very last sewing needle she had on that fine trip on a pair of hunting overhauls and still needs to finish putting it together (the quilt not the overhauls, those got finished by hand). missing it greatly.

2011-05-20T14:33:00.001-05:00

i'm not sure why the followers aren't showing. they haven't for a couple days, while i've been tweaking, i don't know if i've turned something off or what. i'll get it figured out and there they'll be!
just thought you may like to know i know. sometimes you're there sometimes you're not. i'm not gonna let it bother me. picking my battles.

my plan is to get 1bk all gussied up this weekend, maybe even inject some color (ooh aah, i know!) and start on the back log of pics. because you and i both know that's the reason you frequent. surely isn't because of my witty banter and amazing intellect. i even have a treat! a feast for your eyes! hint ... ice cream.

2011-05-08T13:52:00.000-05:00

as many of you may know my mood and interests change like the weather (frequently). of late it's been rather difficult for me to keep focused and keep to the blog. i've been wrestling with the idea of letting go of the blog, though i don't really want to. i'm going to give it another go.
i'm going to keep my topics light and my pics as random as they've ever been. should make for interesting reading. i'm off to get this started in a good way. i'd like to make changes (again) to the look of 1000blessingkisses so those will happen shortly. i'd like to have a couple weekly or monthly type items that i do. you know, to keep things interesting. and a few other little bitties as well.

so, if you're new to 1000blessingkisses, thanks for stopping by and i hope to see (and hear) from you soon. and if you're a frequent 1bk reader, thanks for sticking with me and my weather patterns.

don't forget to become a friend. i do like to know that someone is out there.

2011-03-10T09:44:00.002-06:00

a little bit of an update ...
n has lost a second tooth. no, i have not gotten that stink'n tooth pillow done. (i haven't even started. i'm a bad bad crafty mom. i know.)
he is now experiencing a 'wash' of his identity. big d and i have made the decision that thought n doesn't care if his clothes match or have holes in the knees - we do. so at this moment n is down from 9 pairs of pants to just 1. he is allowed to hit the jeans with wholes until we get them replaced. but we're having him wear the 1 single pair without every other day. nothing with a whole unless it's a fashion statement. (he has not a clue what that is. for some of you who may know me, my clothes have, to say the least, are very big part of who i am. so for n to not care if they're even clean sort of puts the fear in me.)
g on the other hand seems to get the clothing thing real well. it could have something to do with the fact that 99.99% of her clothes are pink. hues of pink. some sparkle, some twinkle (those are the favorites) but most of them a pink. so they all go 'together' nicely. she is insisting to now only wear her rain boots (she calls them queeky boots-no s because she doesn't pronounce the s, because the queek when she walks) or her dance'n shoes (pink sparkle-glitter). she would wear them to bed if we let her. she takes them off at the side of her bed those beauties are lined up like soldiers.
we are officially three weeks from vacation - big cedar - in southern missouri. i'm (we) are so looking forward to heading down. i can feel the stress lift as i write this. the only thing i need to get ironed out is what am i going to do. i have taught myself to knit, made trivets from beer caps, read entire books (twice) had spa days. this year i'm thinking about making a quilt, embroidery some pillows, a bird (fabric stuffed) mobile, fabric pennants, and some other things not yet popped into my head. lot's to think about. i'm getting excited now, better get going.

later lovelies - j

2011-03-09T09:40:00.001-06:00

i found the below quote here. by the way a beautiful blog. i love european design. clean. modern. comfortable.

"be yourself everyone else is already taken

how about them apples? love it

2011-02-22T14:54:00.000-06:00

the first of a couple day's with sun. warm enough to sit on the deck and put your feet up!

something magical happened ... my baby n lost a tooth. his first one! the tooth fairy visited our house and left a couple bucks (and the tooth). this t-fairy thought a couple bucks was good and is it really a big deal if the tooth get's picked up? evidently it is. n was a little confused when he brought me his tooth and the cash. i asked what the problem was. he says ... i thought she was supposed to take the tooth!
me: well maybe she didn't see it? (you know it was dark and i was practically sleep walking. big d forgot to wake up and do the fairy thing. i mean wake yourself up whilst sleeping like a baby in your warm and comfortable bed.)
n: what am I supposed to do with it?
me: uhm. long pause. i suppose you could leave it on the plate and see if she'll give you more money.
n: (looking at me like that's the smartest thing he's ever herd) oh. what if she doesn't take it or give me any more money?
me: then i'd say you're done. and we'll wait for the next tooth.
n swiftly puts the plate back on the table next to his bed and we head off to school. he was so excited that the tooth finally came out he was practically tearing up; and the money was a bonus. (he's been saving up for a bionicle)

some of you may be wondering about the plate. well, me being the creative mommy type i'm supposed to have a totally fabulous tooth pillow. one perhaps in the shape of a tooth. one that may have a pocket to place said tooth in. one that didn't get made because i thought i had more time. evidently not! i best be gett'n on this one. he's due to have another tooth pop out any day. not to mention the tooth fairy will need to hit the bank for more cash.

to be continued ...

2011-02-15T11:30:00.003-06:00

this two part-er comes to ya a little late. but that ok. why? because part two has yummie-ness for you. it's called the dusty miller. so i guess that means you're gonna have to come back one more time to get it.

part one ...
this summer was a wedding anniversary/family reunion on the summers side. i've got a couple pics of the event (not much). we had a good time and the kids got to have their very first ... wait ... wait ... dusty miller! oh for the love of vanilla ice cream!

east california train tunnel

n, me and g

g, please may have some more (dusty miller's)

big d and aunt jo anne (can you tell they're family?)

d and baby c

as i looked thru the pics i realized there were none of the guests of honor. not that i got. lot's of everything and everyone else. the summers-lett's like to take pics as well. i am a bad picture taker; i will spend some time getting together a back story for part two ... dusty miller.

2011-02-14T04:00:00.001-06:00

hey you guys! (remember that? from the electric company.? k, maybe not. maybe that just dated me. not that i'm old or anything (38).)

happy valentine's day ... we love ya!

2011-02-13T16:19:00.001-06:00

i'm sure a few of you have heard of 'snownamie 2011' or 'the blizzard of 2011'. here's the summers-lett's take on all that is, could have been and now was.

in the beginning ... there was 'snow'

don't you just love the crazy hair?

then we got it ... in the front.

and in the back.

interesting ... drifts as high as a thigh!

see that gentleman on the atv? $40 bucks and 20 swipes ... we're done.

the first part of the snow was easy. then it got heavy and deeper.

manplow

friends, look it up ... manplow. it's 36 inches wide, very light and will allow big d to push snow off the drive in less than 30. really.

sledding

isn't that just lovely? n showing g how to hold on. because what she doesn't know is that n is going to chuck her down the hill. what i didn't know is that she wasn't going scream for her life. it was more like ahhhhh!! let's do it again!!!

2011-02-08T13:39:00.000-06:00

there hasn't been much to say, until now ...
we have spent the last two weeks under the nasty evil grips of THE FLU type A. dah dah daaa. being sick sucks. being sick with the flu really really sucks! it's hard enough on adults. but kids!? not good. this time around i'll not share with you the lovely details of the flu type a. just believe that it isn't pleasant.
in my opinion, we (everyone) uses the 'flu' as a generic word telling us that you're sick. 'oh, i've got the flu.' there is no 'oh.' it's 'for god's sake i've got the flu. i think i'm dying. wait my arm just fell off, there went my nose.' type of thing. body parts fall off it's sooo bad. unless you've been there and done it - don't use the flu as an excuse. i'll not believe you until i see the pain in your eyes and the quiver in your voice.
rainbows and unicorns!!
later lovelies - j

2011-01-23T08:00:00.001-06:00

a new day ... and new year ... ohhh yeah!!

2011-01-22T12:25:00.001-06:00

normally santa, when visiting our home, get's protein shakes and power bars. but this year we spent Christmas eve and my parents house and i forgot about half of our items. one was santa food. so dear dear santa eat two large plates of sweets and a capri sun.

one more item i left at home was the stockings. so me being the mom and i'm thinking on my 'feet' ... S.H.O.E.S. santa can leave your crap in your shoes. by this time it was crap, everything was crap. i was crapped out. crap this and crap that. i'm sick, i forgot most everything and i've got a child who i think is getting sick. (and boy was she) crappity crap crap!!

see the look on g's face? by this time we've had our 3rd Christmas in two days. i'm sick (i said that already) and she's about to cross the threshold of sick. man, what a weekend.

note: we had a wonderful Christmas. it was very special and i'm thankful for a good year. amen.

2011-01-21T12:25:00.000-06:00

we are now standing in marceline missouri and looking down the street ... train depot (right), library (left) and fire station (bottom) ... it's the night after thanksgiving (peanut night) and someone is paying us a visit ... santa claus

big j and g

papa, n, w, e, g, and oma

a really bad pic of oma and the girl grand kids

a, mema, n, g (what kind of look is that?) and m

unck walt, aunt woowah and me

the ladies summers (do the they look alike?)

the ladies heller

finally we made it! n and you know who

our traditional bad pic at the gazebo

more traditional bad pic's at the gazebo

a better than normal traditional pic at the gazebo, papa and oma

2011-01-18T11:53:00.000-06:00

ahhh, maaaan! not exactly what i said, but first thing saturday morning ... i removed the entire underside of the pinkie toe (right foot). see we have an almost three year old who happens to be potty training. you know the short people in your life who need assistance, almost all of the time. well, it's 7:03 (AM) on saturday and g was up, thus needed to do her thang on the potty. i was up and in the bathroom with her. she finished and i was swinging my right leg over the step stool-standing-and placing my foot on the floor. i didn't swing quite high enough and got it caught in the step stool. stood up and wow that hurt. i stood in the bathroom slightly bent over the sink thinking man did i just take my toe off? hummm. pain. stomach turning, due to pain. i look down, lift up my foot and ... hey there's blood on the floor. "big d, i need help" "what?" "i think i hurt my foot. it's bleeding." "a lot?" "not yet, there's some on the floor." "i'm not going to get sick?" "i hope not." " oh it's not that bad." so i sit back down on the potty (lid down) and take a look see at my foot. "hummm, you need to go in the other room." "what?" big d now lying on the floor in the hallway. skipping to the end ... i have removed the top two layers of skin from the pad below the pinkie toe to the tip. and yes, it's hurts.

note: multi-tasking in the bathroom is not always a good idea. take it slow. toes are hard to put on, let alone keep a band aid on. and soap on the shower floor makes for a bright morning when you're missing half a toe.

now the gym will wait.

2011-01-08T08:00:00.002-06:00

n's birthday part-dose ... n had a guy's night. one of video game playing, junk food eating and staying up as late as they want. statistics are as follows: xbox, wii and nintendo ds playing (until 11-they couldn't take it any longer. talk about a bunch of crabby guy's) and 1 2ltr of root beer, 1 pkg of oreo's, 1/2 bag of mini marshmallows, 1/2 bag of fruit loops, 3 very large snicker doodle cookies, 1 bag of of m&m's, 1 bag of dorito's and 2 medium pizza's. i don't know where the food went? i did check with the other two parents to see if the 'guys' got sick from all that food and was told no. noone got sick, just tired. so i guess the guy night was a success. the guy's asked to come back, no one got sick and no fighting/wrestling or general jack-ass-ery occurred. yeah!

next up, the party at positivity-gym

notice the lego heads? and wonderful very colorful cupcakes? yes, there are pink ones. i guess who requested them. i'm a pleaser what can i say.

big d directing traffic

mrs linda lay'n down the rules

time to party!!

happy birthday n!!!

2011-01-07T14:02:00.003-06:00

still catching up.
halloween! pumpkin carving and getting ready for trick's and treating. first up ... big d with a knife.

finished product. okay, okay. for a creative bunch of people, yes, my pumpkins are, well, lacking. there i said it. they are lacking in creativity. at least this year not only did i buy the pumpkin but we got around to cutting shapes in them as well. next year we'll try for something a bit more 'creative'.

from the road (and in the dark) you cannot see the sketching. i promise. man am i a crappy creative parent or what?

below are the only pic's i have of halloween itself. i'm not going to say my camera stopped working, but ... it did. bahh-cauhhz the battery was d.e.a.d. don't talk to me, talk to big d.

here we have mrs s painting f and g's faces. f was the queen of hearts. she rocked it. and g was a butterfly fairy princess! pink and sparkly-need i say more. (n was a bionicle, not pictured you know why)

my butterfly fairy princess all painted up

the queen painted as well

and there you have it. g ready for candy.

2011-01-07T08:00:00.001-06:00

in an effort to expose the summers-lett's to the glory of small town fun we went to the annual sumner, mo wild goose festival. if you are interested in more specifies look here. this actually ended up being a girls trip to the festival. (the men folk got their gun shoot'n fix and my grandparents)

e and aunt woowah at the pioneer kitchen for some lunch.

where's the baby?

notice the funnel cake for $4.00

here is the largest funnel cake i've ever laid mine eye on. shazam!

boys and girls, i had to. i couldn't help myself. it's too good. so good i got a close up.

yep, that's right hunter orange visor, camo shirt and glorious spikie hair. i wonder if he put the visor on before he did his do; or after.

this my friends is maxie. she is the worlds largest goose.

maxie at one time turned with the wind. a sort of very large weather vane.

i told you ... the world's largest goose.

2011-01-06T13:27:00.000-06:00

i realize that it's late, but right now better late than not at all. n had his 7th birthday (last) november. and yes, my camera shot craps again - really? big d didn't heed my warning about charging the battery. and soooo some lovely snaps are taken via the phone and some a camera. either way pic's got took!
his theme was lego's. n and got busy making marshmallow lego heads (below) and the best invites yet (not below ... i forgot to take pictures! BEEEEEP!) a breif explanation: lego brick invites! we took several small jewerly gift boxes and spray painted them yellow/blue/red. one box one color and so on. then we cut quarter size circles from the thick sheets of craft foam. glue the circles (four to a box/depending on size of box) to look like a lego. spray the completed lid's with corresponding color and allow to dry. once the lego boxes dried completely n stuffed the invitation and several starburst's into them. you now have a lego box invite!
now on to what i've got pic's for ... mallow lego heads! woot woot!!

marshmallow lego head's

materials:
large marshmallows
plain m&m's
yellow melting chocolate candy (i for the life of me cannot remember what those chocolate melting disc's are called)
lolly pop sticks (we did both: long and short)
edible marker (i found a package at a craft store in the bakery isles)

how to:
melt a handful of melting chocolate disc's (i used extra white almond bark). shove a lolly pop stick in one end of the mallow. then ...

while using a bamboo skewer (cut in half), drop a glob of your melted chocolate at top/center of mallow-on-a-stick. before you eat all the m&m's place one on the chocolate glob at top/center of mallow-on-a-stick.

place m&m topped-chocolate gobbed mallow-on-a-stick in a cup to dry. and carry on until all mallow's on sticks get choco globed and m&m'd.

close up ...

pile up ...

now that that's done. melt the rest of your yellow melting chocolate candy disks (in a micro-able bowl) and dip, swirl, twist of the wrist and up. place your now lego looking head back in the cup to dry. carry on.

with your great artistic skill draw a lego face using your edible marker. (not shown here, this batch was to cool, thus thick) you now have lego head's!

notes: i found this exercise in birthday candy making whilst perusing the wide web for lego birthday ideas. i am unable to remember where i saw it. her's looked better, mine has better (funner) how-to. if you allow the chocolate disks to melt until a bit more runny you will have a smoother head-lego head-that is. wow people, out of the gutter.

more to come on the second installment of n's lego themed birthday loveliness.

2011-01-06T13:09:00.001-06:00

in late fall we and our bestest family friends decided to take a trip to the kc zoo. my last trip to the zoo here at kc was less than impressive. lot's of walking and little actual animal seeing. it was like the animals knew we set to have a look-see so they hid. this trip was ... lot's of walking and not a lot of animal seeing. let's say more walking and listening to children complain about walking and no animals than actually seeing them. below are a few highlights of the morning.

look at g's face. makes me crack up every time.

the smell

the noise

man that's big

can we go home? he scared me. that's big, too.

you almost didn't see this one. shade + mud covered = camo!

funny thing here is that we were in the africa side and just to the right of this frame was canadian geese. lot's of them.

the kids got more excited about seeing spidy than the animals. i bet he dropped 20 lbs that morning.

2011-01-04T12:56:00.000-06:00

a couple of things ...
1. header - gonna come up with a new one
2. blogs worth combing - i've added a couple, please, check them out. and if you've got a one i should look at let me know.
3. remember the post about the sickies being shunned? (here) well, the damn sickies didn't listen! i mean not only is g on her third round of antibiotics, n is now sick with strep and i've got another sinus infection. beep! beep!! beep!!! (insert bad words, very bad words)

and by the way ... i'm tired of eating chicken, i don't really like turkey and i especially am repulsed by ground animal flesh (burger of any kind) (oh the smell!), i don't care for cow, pig, lamb or fish. calgone take me away. i cook it because i know how, and i (mostly) eat it because it's there/too time consuming to prepare and cook two different meals everyday and my family (big d) likes it. i don't know if the summers-lett's like meat or not. they eat all the stinking time; mostly crap. did i say that? CRAP!? yeah, well. i cook and the summers-lett's eat crap. i know n and g don't like meat, just joking. geesh! i don't know, however, if it's the texture or the taste or both. i guess i could ask them. i guess it wouldn't hurt. at least i'd know then. but if they knew for sure that if they pretended to not eat meat any more they'd have to eat (more) veggies then' they'd not eat that either. i guess it's pb'n j waffles for life. hope i learn to make those as well. healthy version. my waffle budget just got way off budget.

by the grace of anything anyone thinks is holy, i shall rest my case. - j

2010-12-31T08:00:00.001-06:00

end of year randomness. still lot's to catch you up on.

i'm not sure, but i think her eye's rolled to the back of her head. oh for the love of capri sun's.

ahh, a proud moment for big d. n looking like a man, wearing a kiss t and gettin' ready for nachos.

i told you kiss and nachos make the man!

homework anyone? 1st grade is pretty good.

what's that green stuff on the corner of her mouth?

oh, wait ... let me wash it off (and i'll wash my camera too) then you can take my picture again.

the finale of the left arm tattoo sleeve; my little n wants to be like big d.

now give my a serious look. like you're pondering the complications of your actions.

get closer mom! i want you to see how good the color is.

2010-12-30T08:00:00.001-06:00

the finale swing of the season ... yep, it's actually pretty chilly out though you couldn't guess it from the grass, tree's and lack of outwear my summers-lett's have on.

see the tongue?

ok, i'm wearing flip-flops. but i wear them year round. they're good for all types of activities.

2010-12-29T14:36:00.001-06:00

one of our trips to marceline was for toonfest. this is where marceline celebrates it's celebrity ... walt disney. there is a parade, candy throwing, a marching band and guests from disney. if you're interested in the specifics please check out the marceline site here.
i only got off a couple pics of our trip due to camera issues. so for the gma's, gpa's and ggma's and ggpa's this is what i got.

heading up to main street (usa) for the parade

eagerly awaiting the candy

doesn't every parade start with the pipes?

then the band

w has something very special to show us ... wait for it, wait ...

booyah!

n ready to eat (chips n' salsa)

e. do you really have to take my picture?

isn't she beautiful? isn't she lovely, yeah? g aka: curly girl

2010-12-28T15:22:00.000-06:00

i found this in one of my journals, hope you enjoy ...

"the chief cause
of failure and unhappiness
is trading what
you want most
for
what you want
now.
zig zigler

2010-12-28T08:00:00.002-06:00

looks like someone was going thru my kitchen drawers ...

show me your mitts

g wanted an 'action shot', so here it is ... g jumping off the fireplace ... super chef!

and of course, so did n. super duper chef!

2010-12-27T13:44:00.000-06:00

sickies, if you think for one instant i'm gonna let you in the door ... you got another thing coming.
bring it!
i will smack you so hard you're gonna go back to where it is your kind comes from.
you hear me?!

that's the nice version. if you're interested in the r or even x version, drop me a line.

today is a better day, for sure. and tomorrow will be even better. why? because it'll be tuesday.

later lovelies.j

2010-12-21T10:24:00.000-06:00

around the middle of august (i think, i do remember it was hot) is butterfly season. so we decided to take a day trip to lawrence kansas to pendleton farm and see the butterfly garden. let me just say this ... i'm sure it was nice.

this is as close as we got to see an actual butterfly. they were all gone. and the garden grounds have been all dried up. (dead)
i did, however, get some lovely pictures of the summers-lett's posing as butterflies. even me and big d.

it was nice after a long warm drive to get out and run the summers-lett's. they got to prowl around the grounds and check out the scenery.

just plain worn out! i love that and it's quiet too.

yep, that's a smirk!

two things to see here ... one, n's head is almost in his lap. two, big d's new sunglasses. (n gets the old ones)

2010-12-17T07:28:00.001-06:00

2009 Sportster 1200 Low

look at that saucy engine

see that sparkle? that's a good paint job.

remember when i said my mom retired? yeah? she got herself a brand new motor cycle. well, it's for sale. so if you or someone you know are interested in a really nice motorcycle shoot me an email.
specifics are as follows ...

2009 Sportster 1200 Low

Flame Blue Pearl, only 256 miles, 20 months of Harley warranty left. Windshield, forward controls,

and engine guard added. Fuel Injected, 4.5 gallon gas tank.

$9,000.00 OBO

2010-12-15T08:20:00.002-06:00

big d

g ... before

n ... before

sonic run ... vanilla cokes and vanilla rootbeer's

happy hour at sonic

g ... waiting

we like to hit sonic for happy hour before we get our sweat on at the park. liberty has several really nice parks, this one has lots of trees. (shade)

g ... after

back

forth

play area

by the way, on this entire play area the 'ladder' that you see n on, is the one piece i dislike the most. i see a child's foot slipping off the wonderfully curved 'rung' and falling through. face smacking the 'rung' and teeth poking thru lips, missing teeth, bloody lips and noses. bruised cheeks and last but not least crying. lots and lots of crying. a scream (or two) thrown in for good measure. oh, i forgot confusion. that's a good place for it. right here. child upset (confused) because he/she doesn't know what just happened.
not that i'm the protective type or anything.

g and big d

just a note about the pic above. g has never and i mean never; sat in a baby swing, at home or at the park. i got one for her and she refused to use it. she went from watching to swinging in the big kid swings. and yes, she's going fast and she's going high. very very high. she would probably hurt herself 'big time' if she fell out. (she has not, yet. knock knock knock on wood!) i would probably faint if she did fall out. baby crying on the ground and mommy passed out on the ground. n crying because he didn't know what to do and big d just in a bad mood because all hell is breaking loose. really.

2010-12-14T09:20:00.000-06:00

big d's birthday celebration ... mac'n cheese and oatmeal cream pies!

2010-12-07T10:45:00.000-06:00

a couple months ago i got a package of gum for the summers-lett's and proceeded to hand it out piece by piece, until ...

... my little curly girl found it and stuffed nine sticks in her mouth (at one time).

let me set the scene. i rounded the corner to find g with slobber down her chin and the front of her shirt; my purse was stuffed with silver gum wrappers and the empty pink package in her hand. she looked up at me as if she had accomplished something she'd been thinking about for a while. this, to her, was major! she takes the wad of gum out of her mouth and states ... 'i got some gum.'

me:yes, you got some gum. you got a lot of gum. do you think you maybe got too much?

g: nah-hah.

me: are you sure about that?

g: yah-hah.

me: how bout you give me that. (she hands me the pink package. not what i was asking for. let me ask again.)

me: g, would you spit that gum out? please.

g: no! i got it. it's mine.

me: not really. you see you got the gum without asking for it and that makes it not yours to have.

g: n got some.

me: yes, i'm sure he did.

g: i gave it to him.

me: yes, i'm sure you did.

me: please give me the gum. your poop will be pink. (she's thinking about this and it doesn't seem to bother her much. i mean, pink poop. who doesn't want pink poop. it's pretty. pink is pretty. if only it had sparkles too.)

me: your tummy will hurt because you will have pink gum poop.

g: nah-hah!

me: i'm sticking my hand out now and looking very seriously at her. (you know, the mom look)

g: darn'it!

and now i've got a lovely pink glob of gum in my hand. nice and warm and slobbery. g is crying because she thinks she's gonna get in trouble. n is asking what's going on (as if he didn't know what was going to happen, he probably prompted her anyway). and i'm left with one thought ...

years ago our niece megan fed n a package (one of those 5 stick kind) of neon green gum. when asked why she kept giving him gum she said he kept asking for it. (? what? are you kidding? he's only 3? he's eating the damn stuff!?) anyhoo, big d told n that the gum would just sit in his tummy and make it hurt because gum doesn't get pooped out. oh contrare! it does! about two days and some pushing n had the most amazing ball of green poop that wouldn't go down the toilet without being cut into pieces with a knife!

lesson learned, do not let your children eat gum.

2010-12-06T14:17:00.000-06:00

black rage (clap, clap, clap) black rage (clap, clap, clap) black rage
that's right the marceline tigers 'black rage'. i think this was the bell game which happens every year between rival towns brookfield and marceline. the bell game is a brookfield/marceline football tradition in which the two towns duke it out on (and sometimes off) the field to see who gets to take home the bell. the bell is a bell from a firetruck. -the short and nice version.

sister-n-law, niece e, father, n and some random people in the background

n and nephew w

big d

e, g, n, w and dad

marceline football team

marceline tiger football players getting ready to take the field

i admittedly do not spend much time at my hometown, though i'm trying to get more involved. i've spent most of my life trying to get away from marceline so this is a slow process to get back to it and enjoy it. it certainly helps that i have children now and can share the festivals and football games that i grew up with. i do like that ... the sharing it with my kids. i'm not sure if they get it, or even if they care. they get to see oma and papa and their cousins and that's good enough.

2010-11-12T15:40:00.000-06:00

perfection ... as i was just making notes on an idea i had, i was drawing little envelopes. it is terribly hot in here, dry in here and did i say hot. i'm in the 12th ring of hell - hot. needless to say my hand is sticking to the paper and my arm to the desk. and my handwriting is not perfect nor is my drawing of little envelopes.
after getting my idea down and drawing all those less than perfect envelopes, i took a look at my work. not perfect. i wipe the stinging sweat from my eyes and there i was ... looking at perfect perfection, right there on my notebook. little awkward envelopes, little smudgy, paper wavy from sweaty hand/arm. though they, my envelopes, may not be perfect to others. they are to me. i love them. i'm proud of them.
and.
i'll show them to you.
later.

it's a gift.
and if i show them to you now, the one getting this gift will not be surprised. i cannot let that happen.
can you?
i can not.

by the way, i've not been abducted by aliens. sometimes you fall off the horse. sometimes you sit looking at the horse. sometimes you walk away from the horse. and, sometimes you get back on that horse.

2010-11-03T15:50:00.000-05:00

poser!

sometime i need to tell you about the night with the glow bracelets

it's almost my birthday ... one more day.

2010-10-30T13:31:00.001-05:00

why so dark? why the backpack and cooler? i'll tell you ... it's 5:30 AM and big d has made breakfast. complete with a candle and coffee cups of oj. big d makes the most awesome cheesie eggs. i am unable to replacte this so i am relagated to making the toast. but this morning he had it all out, bags packed and kitchen cleaned. the only thing missing was the two waffels n requested. (micro'd for 20 seconds on each side, peanut butter on one half and jelly on the other, folded over and placed in a paper towel. n does not like his waffels toasted, it makes them 'crunchy' and they must not make a sandwich. waffels are only made to be fold-overs.)
love you big d. happy anniversary. xo

2010-10-29T01:24:00.001-05:00

bye summer. we will miss you.

2010-10-28T13:23:00.001-05:00

what?!
what!?
like my kitty bracelet?

2010-10-21T10:32:00.002-05:00

some of us enjoy taking pictures. some of us enjoy it more than others. some of like our picture to be taken. and some of us don't like it at all. the end

2010-10-20T13:31:00.000-05:00

don't even say it.
i've been busy. like you haven't.

n - first day of first grade. what'z up!!

n and the new mrs d

2010-10-20T13:23:00.000-05:00

enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. when you do a thing, do it with all your might. put your whole soul into it. stamp it with your own personality. be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. nothing great was ever achieved without great enthusiasm. - ralph waldo emerson

2010-09-21T12:35:00.000-05:00

a few of my favorite things ...

2010-09-14T15:18:00.001-05:00

sometimes i just need ... a drink.
i made this drink for a party. not much was actually drank by the party goer's, i ended up drinking (eating) the rest. it's really yummy! fyi, the drink is called gin juggers, because it was originally made with gin and placed in a jug. i made a couple of changes.

frozen fruit frau frau drink (ffffd)

1 frozen 12 oz can of orange juice

1 frozen 12 oz can of lemonade

8 cups of water

1/2 cup sugar (you can cut this down to 1/4 and it's still good)

1 1.75 liter gin (i used coconut rum, yum)
1 liter sprite
chopped fruit: mango, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple (whatever you like, though the mango really soaked up the coconut rum, yum)

dissolve sugar in water and add, now thawed, orange juice and lemonade and chopped fruit. re-freeze all of this in a large container, then place in frig the day before you want to serve. mix equal parts ffffd (fancy fruit frau frau drink) and sprite to make slushy and serve.

2010-09-09T11:58:00.000-05:00

is anyone ever just to cute to get into trouble? even when she's in time out, she is so darn cute.

2010-09-02T13:39:00.000-05:00

i have always had a thing with hanging paper on the wall and letting kids draw on it. my thing was i didn't like it. what if the kid took it to the next level and just started drawing on the wall (next) to the paper? another step would be just drawing on the wall without paper even up! the summers-lett's would take it upon themselves and marker down the hall and everywhere else. 'ooh, there's nothing here. let me make something pretty. here. right here.' needless to say i toiled and toiled over giving the kids an area to doodle and display as they wish. i took my sweet time with this, about 6 months worth of it. and finally i jumped ... i painted the wall in our kitchen with chalkboard paint. (and i love it)
check it out

start

i took the paintings off and prepped the wall. i used painters tape to mark off my work area, and gave it 3 coats of black chalkboard paint. (chalkboard paint is available in any color. black and green are the 'regular', you would need to special order any other color from your local hardware store. unless they carry the array.)

middle

once my third coat was on and at the non-tacky state, i removed the tape to let it cure over night. first thing in the morning i set about to make my 'frame'. i used a sample jar of white latex paint, found at the paint counter at 'that' local hardware store, and free-handed a drawn on tool line. i didn't want it perfect and sterile. i wanted hand made and casual. i think i got it. did i say i loved this? man, i do. love this. i was so excited and nervous while painting this out. i wasn't sure the summers-lett's were even going to like it. let alone use it. i figured if they didn't i would. we all do.

finish!!

we recently had a neighbor over who said our house looked 'child friendly'. i giggled and said yes. we have kids. i'm not sure i like that 'child friendly'. was that a dig? was that a compliment? well, i taking it as a compliment. the truth is we have kids, we live in the house together and i would hate for my children to be raised in a non-friendly environment.
later lovelies - j (one who two children)

2010-08-31T14:03:00.000-05:00

family bowling keeps a family together!

snacks! drinks! bowling!

ok, i never said we were any good. what i said was a family that bowls together plays together. proof that we do stuff together. (and i win hee hee hee) we only have one controller right now, so it's pass the sweaty controller around. make sure the kids have the strap around the wrist. g has on occasion chucked the controller right into the cabinet under the tv. thank goodness she's only 3 feet tall.

n told me that first grade is a year of firsts.
'i have to try all sorts a things. to make sure i like them or not.'
k, what should we (you) try?
i think i don't know, i guess i'll know when it come to me.
uhmm, how are you going to know?
i don't know. (confused look upon the face)
how bout, we pick some things to try and try'em out?
k ...
sunday was a free class at kearney high school - judo, like it. loved the cartwheels and throwing people around. (it's ninja practice)
tuesday is cub scouts - this evening (we'll see how this goes)
roller skating - coming up
sleep overs - coming up
tying shoes - finally
too many to list, i'll keep you posted!

2010-08-28T04:11:00.002-05:00

home made french fries, anyone?

well, i do.

this how i did it. my first time and all. french fries ...

whatcha need: potatoes (duh), skillet, oil, scooper (i used tongs), salt (seasoning of some sort), draining area (plate with paper towels, lot's of them)

what to do: wash and pat dry your potatoes. i used what i had which was ginormous baking potatoes.
slice into 'sticks' and rinse. i don't know why i rinsed them, but i did. it didn't seem to bother things. i wouldn't really know if it did or not. they tasted like home made fries. good! drain and pat dry (again)

start your skillet while you're messing with the potatoes. so, heat cooking oil in skillet. get it nice and hot. my testing method? i sprinkled water from my fingers into the oil. if it popped i figured it was plenty hot.

drop in a handful potato stick's, mine looked more like logs. big fat logs, steak fries, that's the way i like'em. obviously the bigger the fry the longer it takes to cook. now i just eyeballed it when it came to length of cooking time. i cooked them until they started to turn brown(ish). i spent some time pulling them out, pushing on them to see if it was soft inside (cooked). there's nothing yuckier than crispy inside fries. ok, there are gobs of things that can and are yuckier, but i'm talking fries right now.

once your fry logs are cooked to your liking, remove them and season on a beautiful bed of restaurant napkins you've been saving just for this type of thing.

look at those beaut's. aren't they just beautiful?

i don't normally eat fried, but once a month, every month, i've got a hanker'n for some fried goodness. next month ... i'm thinking ... funnel cakes!! o lord of things i cook, please keep me focused for funnel cakes.

2010-08-27T16:11:00.000-05:00

pools, sprinklers and bubbles! oh my!

kiss'n summer good bye ...
oh lovely summer
this year so damn hot
good bye lovely summer, good bye

2010-08-24T12:14:00.004-05:00

word of the day: conflict (noun) mental struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, wishes, or external or internal demands.
what this means to me: i suffer from conflict. conflict of the blogosphere, such beautiful blogs with beautiful idea's and amazingly crafty people. conflict of parenting, having children means it isn't about you and/or your partner anymore, just about everything is about the babies. conflict of money, i want to spend it, i want to save (hoard) it, i want to give the summers-lett's anything their lil'hearts desire. conflict between need and want. conflict of everything.
i learned during a high school history class that any civilization that ceased to progress, died. if you become content in your abilities and your knowledge; you grow stagnant; eventually drying up and blowing away (dying). here lies a conflict. i want to be happy with what i have and to teach the summers-lett's to be happy as well, but, what about goals? do goals fall into the being content? can you have goals and be content at the same time? i have had three major goals in my life and i have accomplished them. since the last goal, i have spent most of my time trying to keep those three moving in the same direction. you must create a structured environment for your children. does all this structure mean you loose your ability to be spontaneous? ahhhh, i'm talking myself into depression.
i'm getting sidetracked with miles of side streets on my path. i'm human.

upside down sunglasses girl aka: g

4 chin aka: me

do i have anything in my nose aka: big d

crazy i have no hands game player because my hands are a d.s. aka: n

all on our sunday morning-going-to-get-donuts-and-a-drive-in-the-country drive. all hands on deck! and no one is complaining about being b.o.r.e.d., dropping donuts on the floor, my hands are sticky, i spilled my juice/milk/coffee, will you stop jerking us around you're making me sick, my head hurts, the sun's in my eyes, this seat belt is cutting my head off, kitty, cow, horse, bionicle's, where's my bebe?, i need to potty, can we go home yet? the sun's is in my eyes (again), i don't like that song, please take us home i need to get out of here. you people are making me crazy!! the end

2010-08-23T12:13:00.001-05:00

so on my last trip to oma and papa's house (marceline, mo) i happened upon an interesting site. just to the right of this pic is a house and just to the left is the chillicothe airport. yep, an airport and a house with an airplane in the middle. how did this happen you ask? after some digging it seems this beautiful yellow biplane crop duster was taking off and the engine dropped (the brown circular object to the left of the wing). thus the plane went nose down (upside down) and 'landed'. the pilot was sent to the emergency room and check out in good working order. not so much for the plane. just so you know, i took this picture from the window of my car on the side of the highway. this plane coming down would have been quite a show, being so close to hwy 36.
even small towns have crazy excitement.

2010-08-17T07:21:00.000-05:00

this is it! the finale day of summer break. n will be a first grader within 24 hours. he asked this morning if he was going to get to sit at a desk or table. he'll find out this evening ... back to school night/meet the teacher night. it doesn't feel like school's around the corner, we ordered n's school supplies last year from the PTA. that has always been the hallmark of going back to school. supply and clothes shopping. we did the clothing thing but the stress of searching out supplies has been adverted. (i sort of miss it.) anyhoo, n didn't really say much about it. i know he's excited about seeing his friends. i also know he's nervous that he'll not have his friends in his class with him (even though they go to recess and lunch as one big class). i feel for him, i don't remember the stress/anxiety/excited-ness of the new school year during elementary. what i remember is the dread during jr high/high school years (school was not the most wonderful time of life for me but this isn't bout me!) he's going to do well. n is a great kid. he's very smart, caring and a really good friend. how many mom's can say that about their child? i'm proud of him and i'm proud of that.

n, mom is proud of you. i love you- j (mom)

2010-08-12T12:35:00.000-05:00

friends, i know it's been awhile since our last meeting. i'm sorry, i promise there will be pics of the summers-letts. we've been rather busy winding down our summer and gearing up for the first grade. (no more car pooling, sad)

later lovelies - j

2010-08-03T15:28:00.000-05:00

in a mere 15 days this d-lion killa will be a FIRST GRADER!

anyone need any d-lion's killed?

the one above will do your kill'n for a measly $20/yard.

he will break out that lovely blue plastic hoe and whack the c.r.a.p. out'some d-lions for you.

'i know there's d-lion's out there and i know there's some yards needing them ta get out. i'll even pick the whacked one up and put them in the trash. all somebody needs to do is ask me. i'll do it. really, i will.' n

you heard it here folks, he'll do it. really.

2010-07-30T16:19:00.001-05:00

it's hot out and school's gonna start in ... 19 days!!

2010-07-29T04:16:00.001-05:00

an eye for an eye (bionicle)

tomp tomp tomp ... doin' the yetti tomp! (backyardagain's anyone?)

2010-07-28T16:16:00.000-05:00

simple living frees you to ... simply live

cookies anyone?

2010-07-23T09:57:00.001-05:00

g at home after a mary kay makeup party

me and g during our mary kay party

g during her mary kay party

what a week ... we started with a not so lovely mary kay party. i'm not one for those sort of things but did it to help a gal out and get free product. who doesn't like free crap? someone once said ... free shit'e rules!! anyhoo, i didn't get my five ladies so i didn't get me free crap (oh well, life goes on and so am i) the party was good and fun, the mk lady was not so much. we felt rushed and that she had something more important to do after us. so we didn't keep her, we just let her go about her day and we did as well.
monday came. i lost a filling on a fruit chew thinging.
tuesday showed up. mema cut her ring finger off at the first knuckle and was rushed to the e.r. by ambulance.
wednesday arrived. mema is at home with her finger sewed back on and big d and i are at home the summers-lett's. gma h arrived to sit with the summers-letts. i went to the dentist, got a temp filling and found out that because i clinch my teeth (most of the time day or night) i have cracked that tooth. and that my teeth show signs of possible cracking at other locations. yeah! i could not be more proud than i am at this moment. (sarcastically said)
thursday had nothing of importance. and .
friday is inching by. v.e.r.y.s.l.o.w.l.y.

2010-07-21T07:01:00.003-05:00

me and g just after breakfast

me and n 'as if' (n the day before the mohawk cutting) look at that mess

2010-07-20T07:05:00.000-05:00

"nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'i'm possible'! - audrey hepburn

2010-07-13T12:41:00.001-05:00

the emperor's new do ... 5 inch mohawk ... i'm not sure he's gonna let his new coif go, he really likes it.

ps. who knew bathroom light was so bad? it really doesn't look like that (orange) in there. what will happen when i paint? hummm.

thanks to the gparents in marceline for hangen with the summers-letts for a week. g was very sad when she woke from her car nap to find no gma. i think gma has a friend in g. someone's gonna need more gma time soon! thank you mom and dad - love you. j

2010-07-12T07:42:00.000-05:00

so i had a hankerin for something homegrown, home fried and artery fill'n. fried zucchini!! i believe this is the first time i've ever made fried zucc's on my own, odd i know. they turned out just as lovely as i remember them.
here's how ya do it ...

(way up at the top of this pic) slice zucc's (thinly); prepair egg wash; flour, salt and pepper dredge; and finely crushed miscellaneous crackers

1. grab your zucc, throw in the egg wash and remove

2. place egg washed zucc in flour dredge, cover both sides and remove

3. place back in egg wash and remove

4. bury zucc (egg, flour, egg) in crushed crackers and remove

5. gently place, now creatively covered, zucc in very hot oil

6. cook on each side until golden brown (i like mine a little more on the brown side rather golden side) and remove

7. place on the cheapest paper towel's you can find to drain and cool and remove
8. place in mouth and chew - ahh what lovely delight garden goodness fried within an inch of it's life!!

happy monday's my lovelies

2010-07-07T08:00:00.002-05:00

curly girl

curly girl - book baby (excuse the dirty black cabinet, one more reason to ditch that thang)

cheese (n) ham

i enjoy when my summers-lett's are a visitin the g-parents. i get to spend time with big d and we get things done around the place, stay up late (10p) and get up late (5:15a instead of 4:45a), watch movies (adult type, not that kind (them too, if we feel like it), the kind you're not supposed to watch with your kiddo's - violence language - you know adult stuff.), play video games (again the adult type), get this, we even get to eat without having to wipe spills, pick crap off the floor, no negotiating, no 'if you don't like it, you still have to eat two bites', or 'if you don't like it i don't care and you're gonna eat it anyway even if i have to shove it down your throat. don't cry or i'll give you something to cry about. i mean it. don't make me turn the timer on. no. you cannot go to the bathroom for the 27th time. swallow that or i swear i'll ...' really it's not like that. sometimes when we're not eating chicken-a-like nuggets ... by the way did you know that mcd's nuggets have 13 plus ingredients? really 13+ seriously if the summers-lett's aren't into chick-a-like nuggets then veggie is fine with me. i'd prefer to be meatless most days anyways. (tangent?)
i miss my babies. like i said i enjoy when they spend time with the g-parents, this time though i'm missing them greatly. i'm not sure why, i'm fine with it, i just miss them more than i normally do. fyi, they've only been gone for less than 24 hours. sad, i know. i've fought off the urge to call. i know it will make them upset, but i need to feel needed. and by having them scream and cry is a great way for me to feel needed 2 hours away. don't you think? i cannot wait to get home and smell some dirty clothes!

2010-06-30T15:18:00.001-05:00

it's been crazy around here lately, with planning a party for the fourth of july, multiple visits to either the doctor's office or er (g somehow has a hair tie around her wrist and her arm and hand swell up 27 times the size of it normally, no sleep, no eat, a boat load of whining, strep throat/scarlet fever, major ear infection and two rounds of antibiotics), finally cutting n's hair (n2 a long 5 inch mohawk!), building a sweets business, hanging with friends, a mary kay party (i'll do just about anything, i think, to promote mmtac), the summers-letts big d and i have been busy crossing items from our summer(s) to do list (i've got pics of the highlights), and finally this evening is man time.
big d and n are having 'man time', you know that special time when the male folk get together and do/discuss manly things. like when is the optimal time to touch yourself. remember n is only 6 so these things do come up (hee hee, they come up) i know, i know i'm a bad blogger. but it made me giggle. and for the sake of neighbors when/where is it acceptable to pee outside. big d doesn't know about that one yet. he will.

2010-06-28T07:43:00.002-05:00

this just in ...

"a goal without a plan is just a wish" - antoine de saint-exupery

2010-06-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

so our pool is open and broken and closed and fixed and open again. g thought it would be a good idea to pactice (g speak) wearing her goggles, while eating her breakfast on the sofa with n's airpane (g speak) blankie.
beauty i tell you, beauty.

2010-06-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

sumner missouri is the ...

just tie up your horse and head over to the pioneer kitchen ... family and food

let me say this ... this is the ONLY pic of my cousin that he IS NOT trying to hide and he's actually looking at the camera. peace out jack!

more family, we have a large one

i'm trying to lighten it up and g's just ready to git!

i love the color, tiff looks lovely

panoramic

panoramic the other side

like i said, food

and more food

gma m i miss you and love you. j

2010-06-18T07:06:00.001-05:00

n and mrs d - last day of kindergarten

n - count down

mrs d we miss you. (so does n - the first grader!!!) dinner soon. very soon.

2010-06-17T07:01:00.000-05:00

a couple weeks ago big d and the d.boy's went out for some guy time. those handsome d.boy's.

2010-06-16T15:10:00.000-05:00

what will summers-lett do? ...
i saw this totally, absolutely, awesomely cool idea for summer activities for the summers-letts. check this, 'the-summer-list' then check mine out (below). you know how i l.o.v.e. lists and this one's gotta be the mother of all summer activites lists.

2010 summers summer list

2010-06-10T13:43:00.001-05:00

hey there everybody!! my mom's totally awesome cookies getting ready to go live!

currently on the mmtac front ...
licensing
testing (anyone interested in freezing, answering questions, baking, answering questions, eating and answering questions?)
procurement of mouths (anyone interested in eating and answering questions?)
web page (anyone interested in working for cookies?)

and ... a teaser ...
mmtac will be making appearances at tres chic exchange the last saturday of the month for a couple months. tres chic exchange is located at 44th and state line road. much more to come on this. yeah for me!! i'm so excited!

2010-06-08T15:35:00.000-05:00

so here i am bearing my soul to you. again.
like everyone else in this great place, we too are a busy bunch; a few itty bitties for you to chew on ...
. i am starting a business MY MOM'S TOTALLY AWESOME COOKIES, if you're interested (and i sure hope you are) check out the info on the mmtac page at the top. with that said, if anyone knows anything about building websites and the such and wouldn't mind helping out and wouldn't mind being paid in cookies, please contact me. i need you and you need my totally awesome cookies! really, you do.
. n is out of kindergarten and now a big'ole first grader. mrs d gave the class a dvd of their year together, let me tell you i cried the entire time. not the sad crying but the i'm so happy i'm can't stand myself cry. smiling and snotting and mascara running down my cheeks. (big d too minus the mascara part) n we are beyond proud of you. you are the best!
. g is sick ... again ... but still a ball of fire. she is talking up a storm. 'tomping' her feet when she gets mad, gritting her teeth and pushing her fists down at her sides. man i love that little angry 2.5 year old.
. big d is working feverishly in the yard as he does every summer. helping friends move. helping others mow. telling me to poo or get off the pot. (i'm pooing - mmtac)
. p+l is going to make a change as well, i'm going back to the 1000blessingkisses. i tried out the parts+labor thing and didn't much care for it. it just doesn't seem to fit well. hopefully i'll have the blog back online by this weekend.
for myself: i need to organize. organize like a mad woman. i've got so many things going at one time, the advise i got from big d was to poo or get off the pot. make a list, try that item out (all the way out) and if it doesn't work then mark it off and move to the next. so mmtac is at the top. i'm putting everything else away, and focusing on the number one project (now the only project ... a full blown business) some of you are saying it's about time. really, me too. boys and girls - girls and boys - the cookies are coming!

2010-06-03T09:06:00.000-05:00

so i realize that it's now june and the pics below are from easter, but you know what. i don't much care. i found them when i was looking for pics of my gma m. i forgot- shoot me.

all done, better now. what's better than pics of the summers-lett's? summers-lett's and chocolate bunnies!!

2010-06-02T08:30:00.001-05:00

with great sadness and heavy heart i tell you that my grandmother has passed. my solace is that she will suffer no longer. my time away from this blog was to be with my family and visit gma m while in the hospital. i am eternally grateful to have been able to speak with her, to bring n and g to visit and comfort her.

n has always been interested in death. what happens to your body, where do you go, why do some people go in the ground, on and on. n's questions for us this time around had to do with gma m.

'how long will gma have to wait for the angels to get her?'

'well, when your body gets so tired and sick the angels just know and are waiting for her. they wait for gma m to say that she's ready and they take her hand and go.'

'will gma m go in the dirt?'

'yes, her body will go with gpa grape. and gpa m will someday go there as well.'

'can i visit her like i get to visit with papa pete?'

'absolutely!'

4 Generations! Aunt Sarah, Gma H, Me and G, Gma M

Gma M at her 80th birthday 2009

gma we love you and will miss you greatly. n asks that you say hi to his papa pete.

2010-06-01T08:53:00.000-05:00

breakfast at chez summers

breakfast after

big d and a cup o'joe

g and a cup o'juice and some egg on her foot

mom and her cup o'joe

n and a cup o'juice

after breakfast activities - svingang (g speak)

plane plane (more g speak)

2010-05-27T11:48:00.000-05:00

having a bad hair day! i feel like i look like i just rolled out of bed and drove to work. need a pause for a moment. be back soon.

2010-05-21T08:26:00.000-05:00

boys and girls, i totally absolutely love this ... mustache!

'stache number 01

i love this soooo much that i'm going to make this a regular here on p+l. any time i find a beautiful 'stache, like the one above, i'm gonna get a pic and load'er up. so, if you have any glorious pic's of lip warmers send'em my way and i'll share them with the world. love love love this.

i find myself laughing out loud every time i think about it. by the way ... this is my loving tribute to my father, who, has sported a 'stache in some way or another my entire life (37 years). i love you dad - j

2010-05-19T08:40:00.000-05:00

with the weather being the way it is RAINY i swear to all that is holy, please stop for a couple days. please let us dry out, then by all means begin again. far be it for me to dictate what the weather is to be, especially in the mid west. hot cold hot cold flood drought hot cold, you get the drift.

o.k.

back to my blog entry (i went off on a bit of tangent, now i'm back) with the weather the way it is, the summers-lett's have had to make due with some indoor activities. n has permanently gotten his ds attached to his hand. i'm telling you that he has sneezed on it (allergies) so much that he needs, well that's just gross.

kick'n it ds style

i've even seen this one up-side-down and playing!

and g, she's been busy playing tea party and kitchen. i found a 'lovely' kitchen circa 1981 got it scrubbed down and lugged it up to our kitchen for her. if you could die and go to heaven and actually still be living then she definitely would be right now. she gets so upset when it's time for night-nights. this one will take some dishes to bed with her!

she's a beauty! notice the microphone on the stove, we have our very own singing chef!

my what wonders will come from this baby

p.s. i've got a goodie coming your way, keep watching for something absolutely fabulous!!!

2010-05-17T10:59:00.000-05:00

picture this ...

mom, i want to make some money.
k.
do you think people will pay me to kill their d-lions?
uhm, i donno. what would you charge?
well, i think one hundred dollars would be good.
k. what do you plan to do with this money?
well, i want to save it and also buy 42 lego's and bionicle's.
uhm, k. why 42?
42 is a good number of lego's and bionicle's. i would be able to have a really good time with them!
uhm, k. is this 100 per dlion? or 100 per yard?
per dlion! (looking at me as if there was any other way)
so let me get this clear. you want people to pay you $100 for every dandy lion you kill in their yard?
yes. (again, looking at me as if i was dumb)
n, do you know that there are some yards that are just dandy lions?
yeah, i can make a lot of money that way.
why yes you can. i'm not sure people are going to pay that much. that's a little pricey.
(now looking at me as if i just cut his arm off)

so, n and big d have gotten some pics taken and i'm going to put together a flyer. if you or someone you know needs some yard work done (something a 6 year old can do), please let us know. no his fee is not $100, i'll have to work on that part. he is a hard worker and very passionate about killing dandy lions. remember n is the dlion killa!

the dlion killa 2010 ... primed and ready to kill your dandy lions!

2010-05-16T13:57:00.001-05:00

curly girl

n - look at that hair "sir spiky" (pic taken from phone)

2010-05-16T13:40:00.000-05:00

let me first say that ladies, i truly enjoyed visiting with you tuesday night.
you see, my mother is retiring after 34 years of teaching and last night was her 'teacher' party. big d and i made it to marceline from liberty in record time to attend a lovely dinner. we broke bread with several teachers from my time, my brother's time as well as my sister's time and a few newbies to spice things up.
to think of all the kids a teacher touches (not physically, however i'm completely positive some would like to touch a couple - repeatedly across the back of the head) thru her career. that could populate a small nation. not that you're asking ... in my opinion, a teacher is the most important person in a child's life a part from the parent. both mold your child into an adult. both nudge your child in a positive direction. both allow your child to experience the light and dark sides (star wars) of life. (hopefully not too far on the dark side, damn you darth) both, your child depends on for survival.
her gift to herself ... a hog to call her very own ... it's blue.

(there was supposed to be a pic here, but i've miss placed it)

not in my wildest dreams did i see this. my mom riding a motorcycle! i'm sure she'll do well. i'm sure she'll have fun. i'm sure she will. good luck mom, i love you, we love you.

2010-05-13T12:45:00.000-05:00

i'm not sure bout this time frame but sometime ago my sis said that she keeps hinting to her husband (big j) that she would absolutely and totally love flowers sometime. and the flowers would/should be those that they had in their wedding. this got me thinking, what doesn't really? i like this idea and would love for this to happen to me as well, since i do actually like flowers. and just because they die doesn't mean i don't want them. i do. (that was my thought until recently. recently i decided that i want them, need them and would love to have them. daily. i don't care if they die. we will all die. so what's the big deal. i'm a girl and i like flowers. and pink.) the problem. is that i haven't exactly let on to big d that i'm interested in this. that maybe just maybe flowers like those from our wedding would make a most glorious surprise and would surely brighten my day.
anyhoo, i should probably let him know this. otherwise i'll have to just surprise myself.
later lovelies - j

2010-05-07T11:43:00.000-05:00

17.5 days of school left and summers-lett's are get'n ready for ...
bare feet
popsicles
sprinklers
sleeping in
sleep overs
friends and family fun
grilling
gardening
swinging
just to name a few.