Betty

Dear Betty,

I am so glad to hear that we are friends! I was thrilled this morning at 3 a.m. when facebook notified me that you had decided to include me as one of your 743 friends. I really feel like our friendship is off to a good start despite the fact we have never met. Or wait, was that you, in the grocery store that commented (as I wheeled by) on the contents of my cart? If so, I'm glad that we could start a friendship on something so unassuming as hotdogs.

I do hope you won't be offended when I don't immediately answer your friendship request. I feel like we need to have a few more conversations (perhaps about broccoli?) before I let you know my birthday, my likes/dislikes, my other friends and view my kids pictures, etc. I'm sure that we will soon be the best of the best of friends. But let's take this new relationship slowly. I'm kind of old-fashioned that way but since we are friends, I'm sure you'll understand.

Sincerely,

Erica

13 Years and Alligator teeth

I have yet to train him. Or kill him. (I might have thrown a pillow at him once.) And I still quite enjoy his company. I guess it's a good thing I love him. I think I'm in for the long haul.

Jackson and the Alligator tooth caper

We found the perfect gift for Jackson: real, certified-Florida Alligator teeth. He was overcome with excitement and declared the teeth, "the best gift ever". He proceeded to show them around the neighborhood and insert them into water balloons and blow them up. Who would have thought one could have such fun with decaying teeth? A few days later, Jackson got to thinking. He had a whole bag full of these teeth and you can only insert so many into a balloon at a time... so he wondered, perhaps the Tooth Fairy might be interested in them. Perhaps, he could make a little dough on the side. This seemed a brilliant scheme to him. The tooth fairy likes teeth, right? Why wouldn't she pay some good money for the Alligator teeth? Besides, he was tired of waiting for his teeth to come out...

I thought nothing of it, until the next morning when I walked into his room and I saw his tooth fairy under his pillow with a few Alligator teeth strewn around it. Do you think his plan will work?

Good news: My Sister snagged herself a M-A-N.

(Picture stolen from afore mentioned Sister's blog at night while lurking.)

Congratulations! I love you. Now, when do we get to see the "hardware"?

(May I respectfully suggest that you view this post while listening to the classic Weather Girls' song, "It's raining men.")

Kate shines..

Kate as "The Bus"

Kate's solo

Random, saturday night thoughts with guilty, chocolate colored feelings.

I'm obsessed with these: :) and these: !!! I never considered myself a person for which an exclamation point or a visual cue would be necessary communication devices! :) See??? I am extremely concerned with what this says about me! Why, oh, why do I feel that I need these two? :) Perhaps my vocabulary isn't as stellar as it once was? Maybe I need to proclaim to the world that I feel happy? :) Maybe as my mother once said, (at least I think it was her...oh, that should be a post of it's own. All the things my mother used to say. Okay, sorry back to my point. :)) "You can say anything with a smile." It's true that I have precious little in the way of an edit button when it comes to the words that come out of my mouth or frankly from my typing fingers! :) This madness must stop! It must! :)

Jackson's Leapster (think educational, electronic babysitter) has been MIA for the last couple of weeks. Today he decided he was on a search and rescue mission. He would not stop until it was found! (Or at least until his attention was diverted elsewhere: lunch, more interesting toy, snack, underwear, book, ball, why does____?,---you get the idea.) Okay, okay, he was fairly diligent about looking for it. He spent about an hour tearing the toy closet apart to find it. (I spent two trying to put it back together, in case you were wondering.) Amazingly, it was found tonight underneath the couch or as I call it the black hole abyss. (I'm just glad it wasn't one of Max's curdled milk sippy cups like I found last time I looked under there. Seriously, EW!) The discovery of the Leapster affected Jackson so greatly that he took time tonight in his prayers to thank Heavenly Father: "Thank you for helping me find my Leapster. That was very nice of you." I smiled to myself at his colloquial way of speaking to God, you know, as if he were a nice uncle or the neighbor down the street. Then I realized how differently we must think of God. You see, I've prayed and prayed for something for years. I am not exaggerating, literally years and not "found" it. I'm not sure if I ever will "find" it. But Jackson made me think. Perhaps, I am approaching Him in the wrong way. I am so caught up in what I want, what I need, what my family/friends need, I am praying but not thinking of Him. I am not thinking of His all encompassing perfect love and goodness. Maybe if I was better at my end of this relationship, I would be more inclined to say, "Thank you, that was very nice of you."

Word to the wise: While trying to lose weight, do not eat milk chocolate brownies...especially 5 of them. Also, do not have fat rolls bigger than your boobs.

Sorry, about the self indulgent post Mom and Dad. I'll have Katie's Kidshine pics/video up tomorrow. Promise.