Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Box Sign

I have recently added some fun new items to my purse line. Humorous and inspirational signs, plates and coffee mugs! I can't remember if it was this year or last year, but in one of my posts, I compared life and young love to an amusement park. When I found this sign last week, I felt like they were reading my thoughts exactly. It is my all time favorite one. Amen.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Fair Time!

For the past 5 years, when the fair rolled around, I didn't get very excited. I was always inside the industrial building with my purses. Don't get me wrong, I love my purses, but four days and nights in a hot building is tough! So this year, I decided to offer my purse spot to another girl who also sells purses. She was really happy to take the spot! (She's only 20 something. Piece of cake for her!) So, this year I really got to enjoy the fair. I am a little bummed because the 2,334 pictures I took are gone. Somehow I deleted them and can't get them back. I am not giving up though. The Internet has the answer to everything! Right? Right. Anyway....this year I was able to enjoy the fair with Tim and Landon. We attended the pig races on Thursday night and the first winning ticket drawn for $50 was held by....Landon! Whoo hoo! He was sooo happy! We played a little Bingo where Landon won a hunting chair! We then decided to have foot long hot dogs and call it a night. Then on Friday Landon and I took some of the dc kids to the fair for lunch. They loved it! It was so fun to see them interacting with all the animals. (Later one of my dc parents told me their little guy was upset that they couldn't take me along too, when they went to the fair. That just made my whole year!) On Saturday I had a rummage sale with Tim's sister, Laurie. It was a good sale but I swear to Betty Crocker I will never have another sale again! Too much work!!! Landon enjoyed the rides with his cousin, Katie while I was at the sale. Anyway....then Saturday night Tim, Landon and I played a little bingo and won a cool cooler! A dusk we watched the most amazing fireworks show! It was simply spectacular. After the fireworks, Landon went home with his grandma to spend the night and Tim and I got to play with our big kid friends! Our friends Kenny and Nancy were here from Fargo, so we got to catch up with them. Hard to believe they have been in Fargo three years already. The band Silverado was playing and they played every song I loved! Country. Old Country. Old Rock. All the good ones. I got Tim to dance one song and then I found my friend Julie and we danced to just about every fast song they played! Oh, what a night! It was totally worth the sore hips in the morning! On Sunday, we caught the demolition derby. My heart was just pounding, watching the cars crash and burn. Talk about exciting! Towards the bottom of my bucket list is "Demolition Derby." (Notice I said "towards the bottom.") If they would have a powder puff demo, I would so be there. The only thing that might stop me is common sense. I do seem to get wiser with age. Why couldn't I have the brains I have now, 20 years ago?? Live and learn. Anyway... I am saving the best for last here. After the demo, Landon wanted to play a little bingo. They had a 40 inch flat T.V. that you could either put your winning bingo ticket in, or you could by a $10 chance. They said they were going to draw in a half an hour. So, I bought one chance. Half an hour later, I was jumping up and down and hootin' an a hollorin' because....that's right. I'M A WINNER, BABY!!! I love the fair. Can't wait until next year.
How does this T.V. look on me?

Monday, August 22, 2011

It's Been A Long, Long, Summer...

Landon has always been fascinated with any creature that lives in the great outdoors. Anything that creeps, crawls, climbs, or hops, is right up his alley. (And can usually be found in our alley!) This summer even more so. It's gotten so bad that I now dread even doing the laundry. Every time I have to stick my hands in his jean pockets I literally shake. I've pulled out 2,387 dead lady bugs, caterpillars, worms, butterflies, bees, and even a few live ones too! He sticks them in his pockets with the intentions of bringing them home and making a "home" out of one of my good Tupperware bowls. The problem (besides my good Tupperware bowls!) is he gets side tracked on his way home and forgets all about them. Until he hears my screams from the basement. Then he bolts down there in .002 seconds and demands to know what I did to his new find. What I did? Really? What I did??? Anyway...back to the story... The other day I was doing laundry and everything was going smooth as butter. Nothing but nuts and bolts, nails, string and bubble gum in those pockets. I was so relieved. I dropped a basket of clean clothes off in Landon's room and then went back down to the basement to get another basket. I returned to Landon's room in less than a minute. As I picked up the first basket to start putting away the clothes a GIGANTIC frog hopped out of the basket!!! ( I am scared to death of frogs!!) I dropped that basket, stiffled a monster scream and backed out of the room so fast I got carpet burn on the bottom of my feet. (Well, maybe not carpet burn, but they were hot!) Of course no one was home to help me. So, I pulled up my big girl panties (It's just a figure of speech!) and spent the next half hour screaming and shaking and chasing a horrible, grey/green, slimy frog with a garbage can and a piece of cardboard. When I finally captured him and got him outside, I was exhausted. I was sweating buckets and cold and clammy at the same time. It was insane. Landon later told me he "forgot" to put the frog in a bowl and didn't mean to let him run wild in his room. We set some new rules right then and there! So tonight, (No, the story isn't over yet!) when Landon was kicking the back door with his foot, holding the bottom of his shirt close to his body that was full of "something" and hollering at me to "Get the camera mom! Get the camera! Look at all the lives I saved!!!" I felt my stomach drop to my knees. I did grab the camera because someday when he has kids and is pulling his hair out, I am going to be pulling out all these pictures to remind him of all the things he did to me! I was shaking so bad, I barely got the picture. I only got one, because as soon as he dropped his shirt, I had to stiffle yet another scream and RUN!!!


He had 4,567
 FREAKING FROGS
in his shirt!!!!
If he really wants to save lives,
he's gonna have to be a preacher or a vet.
I can't take much more of this kind of savin'...

Click on the picture twice to get a close up view.
Unless Frogs make you squeemish.

V.I.P. Baby!

My Mother-in-law, Cleone's
brother Harley, and his wife Sylvia,
had two extra V.I.P. tickets to
the Kenny Roger's concert last night.
Guess who the two lucky girls were
that got to use them?

Not only could he sing, he was funnier than all get out!
He is a 73 year old dad to 7 year old twin boys.
Suddenly being the mom of a 9 year old boy,
makes me feel.....
so young!!

Friday, August 19, 2011

A Great Suggestion

A few days ago during dc, Landon was trying my patience at the dinner table. After a few unsuccessful attempts at reminding him to use his table manners, I got a little short with him. Then I felt bad because I embarrassed  him in front of the other dc kids. So, I apologized and explained that it was getting to be a long summer and that maybe I just needed to call one of my "big kid" friends and have myself a "big kid" day. After my little speech, one of my little dc girls said to me, "You should just do what my mom does and go to a bar!" Hmmm....not a bad idea. Not a bad idea at all.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Amazing Grace In Action

O.k. I can't figure out how to turn this picture around...
But, anyway....
One of my daycare families brought three Monarch cocoons
this morning for us to watch hatch!!


Click on the picture for a closer view.
You can see the wings through the cocoon!


Simply Amazing

The Next Designing Star

This is what happens when I sit still too long.
Landon decided our hallway
needed a little jazzing up!
I've got to quit watching those
home decorating shows with him...

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Our Little Entrepreneur

Landon decided he wanted to sell night crawlers (worms!) at the Farmer's Market last week. He spent hours in the yard with the hose running. The worms would climb out of the ground where he would capture them and stash them in his bucket of dirt. (I don't even want to think about the water bill!) His dad made him a business sign, picked up a few cups with lids at our local convience store and he was all set! He sold over 12 dozen!! He's all ready to set up his stand again tomorrow. If you're headed to the Farmer's Market tomorrow, you better get there early. Because....."The early bird gets the worm!" Sorry. Couldn't resist.

The sign says....
Night Crawlers
$1.50 a dozen.
Guaranteed to catch fish
or die trying to!

Setting Mrs. Rose right up!


He spent some of his earnings on a great taco salad!
Those aren't worms in that cup.
It's all his cold cash!!


She Knows Me So Well

A few weeks ago, I was able to meet up with my
friend Nancy in Fargo for breakfast.
We met at Denny's and when she said she had a
little surprise for me, I couldn't imagine what it could be.
This was it!
Does she know me or what??
I love it!!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Winding Down...

Our mini vacation is winding down. It was just what the Dr. ordered. Landon is obsessed with fishing and has been fishing for three days nonstop. He is in fish heaven. In the boat, off the deck, even standing in the water with a net. Catch and release. Catch and release. All day long...I have never seen him so happy and content. He loves nature and has found many turtles, frogs and bugs. Each one is as exciting to him as the last one. He asked if we could move here. I told him maybe someday. Who knows. That lucky lottery ticket just might be right around the corner! Tim is very happy too. There is no "honey do list" here. The most strenuous thing he has had to do so far is fry fish and shuck corn. He is quite content. Me. I am trying really hard to "be still." I was feeling a little restless just with life in general. I couldn't put my finger on it. It was just "there." I kept questioning myself and the path my life was taking. So, this little break was in high demand. The first two days, I couldn't stop thinking about all the things I could be doing and getting done if I had these days off at home. While I love being here and the peace and quiet is pure heaven, my mind never shuts off. Yesterday, we went into Detroit Lakes for the Arts in the Park and the Shaddy Hollow Flea Market. I found a few fun things for my dc kids and I met a woman who also does dc. We talked for a long time, exchanged email addresses and I walked away feeling inspired and back on track! I had also been questioning my purse business. I have been selling bags for almost six years now. I keep saying one more year....But, I was starting to feel in a rut and a little bored. At the Flea Market, I saw several cool items that gave me inspiration and the boost I needed. I have decided to add a few new things to my purse line, and once again I am excited and ready to go. Once I got my "business" fix, and an unexpected, new friend who not only listened to what I had to say, but  actually understood and could relate, I was good! Today I am feeling much more rested (I even slept in until 9:30!!) and have a much clearer vision of where I am headed. I am having a much easier time just being still and enjoying the moments as they come.
I feel refreshed and ready to go.
Bring on life!!

Tim feeding the fish a little bread.

Jackpot!

Big catch of the day!

Happy Camper!

Smores!