Marriage Proposal

Today I got a marriage proposal.

Yes, I am already married.

No it wasn't my husband asking for a renewal of vows or anything.

It was my four year old little man who melted my heart.

He climbed up in my lap, grabbed my face with his hands and said....

"Momma, when I grow up; will you marry me?"

(Everybody all together now say.....awwwwww)

I explained I was already married to daddy; and that I was his mommy so I couldn't be his wife. That someday when he got older he would meet someone for him to marry.

Oh, how I pray for that women. I pray that I can lower my standards. I want the very best for him, as well all do for our children. I pray that I love and accept her the same way my mother in law loved and accepted me.

Yeah, I should probably go start that prayer right now, it just might take that long to for me to accept another woman in his life.

Rodeo roundup

My little man turned 4 this past weekend.

He is about all things cowboy. So, we decided to have a Rodeo for his birthday.

It was a gamble...January in Texas is a toss up for weather. We really needed to be able to do this outside. How, pray tell, could we herd pigs inside?

So, I did what any good mother would do...I pleaded and begged with my heavenly Father, to please send some beautiful sunny weather my way.

He totally came through! He loves me...and I don't deserve it! But that's another story.

We had beautiful weather in Texas on what could have been a cold January day.
Here's a picture of our cowboys and cowgirls. I had a stick horse for everyone. I had borrowed them from a friend. They all received a cowboy hat, and bandana before we started the rodeo. Which I got from Oriental Trading, really cheap.

Decorations:
As you can see from the picture, I used red white and blue bandannas tied together and draped along the fence. Also used Wanted pictures that I ordered from Ziggos Western. We had bales of hay sitting around the yard as well.

Unfortunately I did not get pictures of inside. I had bought a barn scene setter and put up in our entryway, along with a horse and cowboy cut out. I also made wanted posters for each child who attended the party. So I had those posted all over the place. The kids had a lot of fun looking for their picture. My son's poster said "Ethan THE KID" WANTED for Turning a year older. My daughter's said..."Emma BOSSY BRITCHES" WANTED for trying to run this place.

Food:
We had fixin's for frito pie. I also made pulled pork sandwiches. You just take a pork butt and put in your crock pot and cook over night. It will be falling apart. With a fork, pull apart and then pour in a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce. Serve with buns. It turned out so yummy.We also had nachos; which are the birthday boys' favorite.

Games:
We played some great games. The first thing we did was a modified version of barrel racing. They rode their stick ponies around bales of hay instead of barrels.

Then we played Pig Herding. I split them up in to two teams. Again they had to be on their stick horse. I gave them each a fly swatter. Then I released about 30 pigs, which were pink balloons blown up, into the middle of the yard. Each team had to try and get as many pigs to there side of the yard as they could using the fly swatter. They had a blast.
One little girl misunderstood what I said, when I said we were going to herd some pigs. So when I told them to go, she said "okay let's HURT some pigs." All the adults started rolling. I had to stop the game and explain to her that I had said HERD not HURT. All I need is her to go to church and tell people I abuse animals.

Then we played the "Blindfold branding game". We took a large piece of brown kraft paper and traced with an overhead projector the picture of a cow. We posted this up on the fence at the kids level. Then we made a "brand" out of a large dowel rod and a sponge. Since my sons name starts with an E; thats what we made the brand. I took a clean household sponge and cut the letter E out of it. Then we backed it with a piece of heavy duty plastic. I actually had an old storage tub that was broke and we were about to throw away. My husband cut a square out of that larger than the E. We glued the E to the plastic; then stapled the plastic to the end of a large dowel rod. I had a plate of tempera paint out there. I explained to the kids about branding, the why and where the brand is put on the cow. Each kid came up one at a time, got blindfolded. I would dip the brand in paint for them and then let them go. The birthday boy won this game. I only wound up with one green E on my fence.


The last activity for them was "Needle in a haystack game." I bought some harmonicas and parachute men and hid them in a pile of hay. They had to dig through and find their loot. They also had a cowboy boot cup with a small pack of crayons and activity book and sheriffs badge to take home with them. As well as the cowboy hat and bandana I gave each one before we started the rodeo.


Cake:
I love this cake. I have been wanting to make a cake like this for some time. When I asked little man what kind of cake he wanted me to make, he told me he wanted me to make a cake with cowboy on a horse roping a calf. I told him I would see what I could do about a cowboy on a horse...but the roping a calf part...probably not. My hubby was a huge help. I am totally thrilled with the way it turned out.
All in all it was a wonderful day. Little man had a blast. Mommy can't believe her baby is four!

Tooth...You're Outta Here

It was Christmas Eve, and we were getting showered and changed to go to our Christmas Eve service. My husband and I were in our bathroom getting ready. I had laid the kids clothes out and instructed them to get dressed.

The next thing we hear is my daughter; she comes running in the bathroom crying. The first thing I see is blood. I'm like OH NO!

She opens her hand and it's her tooth, it has been loose for a couple of months. Whew! I think to myself...just a tooth. I am cheering...yeah sissy that's great!



OH no, she is hysterical. Screaming, "no no, I don't want my tooth out. DADDY, PUT IT BACK IN!!!!" I am trying so hard not to laugh, because she is really traumatized by this. She is still standing there crying, asking her daddy to put it back in. We are both trying to explain that's not the way it works. We finally calm her down and get her to except the reality....it ain't going back in!

Apparently, she used her teeth to try and open her pants hanger. Yeah, bad idea! The tooth was pretty loose, but not quite ready to come out yet. So come to find out it had a little help coming out.

My aunt gave her a tooth fairy pillow. We explained to her how that all worked. She wasn't too sure about the tooth fairy coming that close to her while she was sleeping. She said, How about I hang the pillow on the door knob. I am thinking...great..makes my job easier.

Then, daddy had to go and bring up the whole Santa thing. He said...do you think Santa AND the tooth fairy can come on the same night?? So, then she got a little apprehensive and said "Why don't I wait til tomorrow night." So thankfully, Santa and the tooth fairy did not have a collision.

'Fro me to you - What he'll do to get a laugh

I love this man y'all; I really do! This is one of many things he will do to get a laugh from his children; and me as well for that matter. What pray tell, you ask is that on his head?? That would be a rubber glove.

Then he does this to really get a chuckle...


Oh yes, that's right! He pulls it down over his face and blows it up with his nose until it flies off his head and lands across the room. The children fall into fits of laughter on the floor. I just sit back and shake my head. He smiles and thinks to himself...mission accomplished!

Now go join the fun at We are THAT family!

O Christmas Tree

I am participating with We are THAT family, in showing off our Christmas Tree.




We have a couple of traditions. One is the hubby and I collect Christopher Radko ornaments. We usually try to pick one up whenever we go on vacation. If we can't find one, then we try to find an ornament to remind us of our vacation. I'm not the buy a t-shirt kind of girl. An ornament suits our style a little better.

Like, earlier this year hubby and I got to go to Canada for 4 days. He won the trip through his work. While there we visited the Frontenac Hotel, we brought home an ornament that looks like the hotel.

We also try to buy each one of the kids an ornament every year. That way when they grow up and have their own tree, they will have some ornaments. We try to buy an ornament that represents them and the time they are at in their life. Like when princess was 3 years old, that year we got her an ornament that looks like a paint palette. She loved to paint with water colors. The child painted EVERY single day. Little man got a train as his ornament last year because he loves trains.

Please take notice of my NEW tree skirt. It just arrived in the mail today. So of course I had to take the old one out, put the new one on and take a new picture. I absolutely love it. I purchased it from Etsy store called Primsncountry

Karen over there at Primsncountry is fabulous!! She makes this stuff herself and does a wonderful job. Go visit her!

Now go visit Kristen at We are That family and show us your tree!

Just a Parade kind of day!

This morning we attended the Dallas Neiman Marcus/Adolphus Christmas Parade. It was awesome. The first time we went Princess was 2 years old. We have not been back since then. We decided it was time to start the tradition again. Both of them are old enough to enjoy it and brave the cold weather. So we went for it. We were not disappointed!

Here is Sissy, bundled up and ready for the show.


Brother, ready and waiting.

Here's just a few things we got to see.....


We got to see Sissy's favorite My little Pony - Pinky Sparkle. Sissy was beside herself with excitement!

Mr Potato Head...from Toy Story of course. This was little man's favorite!

It was pretty chilly that morning while waiting for the parade to start. As the day went it along it warmed up. So, after the parade we went over to the West End and ate lunch outside.

Here's Nana and sissy, waiting for our lunch.


Daddy and brother waiting for lunch as well! It was wonderful morning!



We went home and took a rest. Then we headed out for our small town's Christmas parade. It was nothing in comparison to the the Dallas parade, but it was still a good time.


Here's our Motley Crew, waiting for the parade to start. This is Brother, Sissy, some cousins and a neighbor.


Here's a little of what we saw...
This was our church's float. Which by the way, won 3rd place!! GO FBC!




It was just a parade kind of day and a nice FREE way to usher in the Christmas Season!

Put it up...Take it down

The little man has been driving me crazy ya'll! We put our tree up Tuesday night. Everyone was so excited, the house was all decorated. Even if it was 60 degrees outside and we were sweating a little bit. That bad boy was up and decorated.

Well ever since the minute my feet hit the floor Wednesday morning, little man, who is 3, almost 4, has been bustin' my chops wanting to take it all down. He just doesn't get the concept of leaving it up til Christmas. I walk in the living room and he is standing in the middle of the room with his hands on his hips, he says "Ok mom, let's put it up." I said "what??" He said "all this Christmas stuff, let's put it back up in the attic." I said "Oh no sir!" I have tried to explain ya'll; I really have. Hubby has tried to explain. But about every 30 minutes for the past 3 days he comes and tells me it's time to put it up, and we go through the entire conversation AGAIN.

This evening he started to say something again. I said "Whoa, if you are about to talk about the Christmas decorations, just zip it right now, cause I ain't listenin'. Yeah, that didn't work. 21 more days to go...oh joy!

I think it just kind of messes with him because we have to rearrange the furniture a little bit; o.k. A LOT. The love seat has to be removed so the tree can go in it's place. So I think it just kind of throws him off. He likes consistency and routine. And I have totally thrown a wrench into that. Well, he might as well get used to it...he as a long life ahead of women throwing wrenches into his routine. I'm just sayin'