Another Day at The Fold

Hello, F.O.T.E.s!
Well, another day under our belt here at The Fold. The Ram's deployment is over halfway done. I'll admit, though, that since we topped the hill, the roller coaster has slowed down. I mean, time seems to be creeping along for us now. The Ram, on the other hand, is really busy right now. That's good for him--makes time pass faster. And when the temperature is 122 degrees outside, it's good for time to pass fast!!! LOL He told me he hasn't gotten sunburned because you can't stay in the heat long enough for the sun to burn your skin. OUCH! What a harsh place.
We're surrounded by green here. It has rained for 2 solid weeks here. Thanks, in part, to Hurricane Dennis. Now, Hurricane Emily is churning out in the Gulf. Don't' expect we'll see any effect from her. She's aimed more toward TX, from what I heard last.
Oh, Friends. I miss my hubby. Sometimes I just wear down. I must remember, though, that we are so blessed. We have very regular contact with The Ram...not all soldiers have that luxury. Golly, though...a year is a long time.
Let's see...on the menu today was chicken, broccoli and cheese casserole--very yummy. We also made pumpkin bars--a recipe I made up. They're very good!!!! And, outside the 18 pounds of sugar, good for you! LOL Ok, so it's really just a cup of sugar...I guess that's not bad, spread out over the whole pan. May have to tweak the recipe and see what I can do to reduce the sugar content. Why didn't anyone ever tell me how nutritious pumpkin is?!? A whole lot of vitamin A and fiber. Beta carotene...it's good stuff. You oughta go buy a can and make muffins or something. LOL
Well, I'm a tired ol' ewe. I'm gonna go lay my carcass down and catch a few winks...y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote of the Day:
Horse sense is the thing a horse has
that keeps it from betting on people.

~W.C. Fields~

Our Fourth of July Trip

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Well, the Flock and I are back at The Fold after our safari adventure. What? You didn't hear about that? Oh, yes...we went to the land of fire ants, alligators and rattlesnakes...You guessed it!! ALABAMA!!!
Traveling (or would that be "travailing?") with 4 children is always an adventure in itself, but I will say I was very pleased with the children's behavior both on the road and at our destination. No complaints from me!
As for the wildlife...I had been warned to avoid the fire ants every year we'd been down that way, but never (in 15 years!) had an up-close and personal relationship with one. Well, I guess they felt an urge to get to know me better, because they marched in through the window of the room we were sleeping in, and right on into my suitcase and through my underwear and everything else in there. Imagine my horror when I opened the suitcase to find a colony of fire breathing insects rifling through my unmentionables! Imagine the increased horror, when I began shaking out my things (outside the house ;-) and the buggers started biting/stinging me! OUCH! The real kicker about those bites is later, when they start itching. My word! Talk about a make-you-crazy itch. I believe the ants are gone now, though the bites remain.
Now, just in case *you* ever get bitten by one of those ill-mannered creatures, the remedy recommended to me was meat tenderizer. Do skip the "pierce several times with a fork" part of the directions on the bottle. ;-)
Well, I'm still a tired mama, so I'm going to sign off for now.
Y'all keep your wool dry...
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Don't you bite my cellulite!!!" --overheard at The Fold (wink)

A Letter to The Ewe

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, The Ewe had a "letter to the editor" asking my opinion about a passage of scripture. The question was re: I Cor chapter 5. I'd usually put this on our "sister" website, activeflock.com, but AF is down for the moment, so I'll respond here--Y'all don't mind, do you?
What was going on in this letter (to the Corinthians) was really nasty stuff, like immorality between men and their stepmoms, etc...To top it off, they were actually boasting about doing it! Paul basically said to just expel them from the fellowship. A couple things to keep in mind: these were people who called themselves "Believers." Folks "of the world," who don't claim a relationship to Christ--we're not talking about them. We're also not talking about Believers who sinned, then were repentant. These folks Paul was talking about enjoyed their sin--were even proud of it. Those are guys Paul said to expel. Don't even associate w/ them. Jesus didn't tell us not to have anything to do w/ "sinners"--unbelievers...The folks He told us to avoid are "Christians" who are unrepentant and hypocritical...the "image only" guys. I call them "schmoozers." Basically, what I think of as the Pharisees--Jesus called them white-washed tombs. Ick. Look good on the outside, but just full of nothing but death on the inside. So, to my reader who wrote the question aobut ICor5:9, telling us "not to associate with sexually immoral people" we've got to read on in verse 10, "not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you not associate with anyone who *calls himself a brother* [emphasis mine] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolator or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you." This is not referring to folks who "mess up," and repent--it's talking about folks who are proud of their sin. So, reader, does that help?
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

A Tick Tip from GrandRamama

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Yes, yes...it's been a while. Please forgive me...I'm juggling just as fast as I can!
The tick season is pretty much in full swing around here. I really despise those critters! Sometimes it's hard to know what to do with one once you've found it and pulled it off. GrandRamama found a tidy way to dispose of them the other day...
She was riding along in the van on some interstate between Here and There and felt a tickle. She tried to ignore it a while, but that tickle persisted. So, she reached up and, lo and behold, it was a tick. She thought of throwing it out the window, but she feared the tick would be swept back in by the rushing wind from the open window. Hmmm...what to do? Couldn't hold in her hand all the way from Here to There....Hmmm....
Well, ingenious lady that she is, she took the chewing gum out of her mouth, wrapped it around the little pest and *then* tossed the whole Tick Burrito out the window. The gum added enough weight that it flew out, instead of out--then back in. Also, she knew that if the tick *did* fly back in, she'd surely know it by the icky sticky mess. :-)
Well gotta run...the Lambs are enjoying the day outside and I think I'll go enjoy it with them.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Dead rabbits don't hop." The Ram

Bit of Excitement

Well, Friends of the Ewe,
I'm not going into all the gory details, but just suffice it to say that it's a *good* thing that lizards can't get good traction on linoleum. Also, that a person can maneuver quite well in a kitchen by standing on one pink chair and picking up and placing another pink chair adjacent, then stepping onto Pink Chair No. 2. Then, you reach back, pick up Pink Chair No. 1, place it next to where you are...step onto it...repeat...
I will add, too, that it is a good thing to have children who are adept at catching reptiles.
GRIN
The Ewe

Happ'nins

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Well, I'll tell you...the calendar says "Spring" but the thermometer says "Summer" here at The Fold. Those of you who know me well, know that Summer is my least favorite season. Something about staying sweaty for months just doesn't appeal. On the other hand, I must admit the produce during the Summer is wonderful! We had the sweetest cantaloupe (our favorite fruit!) a couple days ago, and I thought that might be our reward for surviving the heat. :-) Thank you, Lord, for Summer!
I guess the biggest news around here is the state of Tater Tot's noggin. Nearly 2 weeks ago now, he fell onto a stick outside. He cried a bit, then acted like all was well. That night, as I was putting him down for bed, I found a spongy spot on his head. !! I was talking to a friend on the phone at the time, and I'll admit to you, panic just about set in. I shot off a desperate email to The Ram and awaited his call. He did call...and continued to call through the night, as we kept vigil over T.T. The next day, we went down to The GrandRams and Grandma Ram went to the E.R. with me. After we were *finally* able to get the X-ray done of T.T.'s head, the doc saw that the skull was fractured. So, T.T. has a cracked head, in exactly the same place *I* cracked *my* head when I was exactly the same age as T.T. is now! (The "fractures of the mother, visited on the son," or something ;-) The doctor told me to not let the Boy hit his head on that spot again for 6 weeks. This is quite a challenge, as T.T. is a lil busy guy. It's getting easier, though...that first week, his balance was terrible and he kept falling all over himself. He's much more sure on his feet now, thank You, God.
Well, I have a lot more to write, but life at The Fold calls. T.T. is toddling around w/ strawberry jelly on his face and I know it will end up other places if I don't act now. Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: "OOOOOoh! He's *maditated!*" Musical, as T.T. carried out a protest at having to sit at the dinner table. We had earlier discussed the word "agitated." :-)

Life at the Fold--May 23

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
I just realized I'm not doing a very good job at reporting on the sometimes run-of-the-mill days around here, and that was kinda the point of my starting this blog. The Ram (for those of you just tuning in) deployed to Country Across the Sea last Dec. Before he left, he helped me set up this blog so that he could tune in and peek into our days here at The Fold. I'm going to attempt to post more often to provide that "peek."
I hadn't slept well the last 2 nights--Tater Tot had a very high fever and the Hot Tot just couldn't settle. So, The Ewe kept vigil Sat. and Sun. nights. Finally, today, his fever broke and he started acting like his old self. I'm looking forward to what I hope will be a better night tonight.
I hear tell that the workers showed up today at our house that we rent out down in TN. The work is tantalizingly close to being complete. Praise GOD!!! It's like a dream come true. LOL Thanks to you FOTES that contacted them.
On the menu today was baked cheeseburgers for lunch and pintos and hot cornbread for dinner. Dinner was served w/ butter and "sweet" tea. YUM! YUM! ("Sweet" is parenthesized, because for you true Southerners, it wouldn't be considered sweet. :-)
You'll notice that breakfast wasn't included on the menu, because I don't believe we had any. When we got up this morning, T.T. was very clingy and lunchtime got here before we'd had breakfast. It's not uncommon, though, for us to have only 2 meals a day--plus snacks.
Lawnmower Man's Mama came by and mowed our yard this afternoon. Lawnmower Man is a college student and is very busy--Mama's helping out for the time being. I have noticed that Mama has a little closer eye to detail than L.M. :-) Our yard looks really good this year, though my beloved tulips never made an appearance. Even my next favorite--black irises--were a no-show. Wah! :-(
The Lambies played out quite a bit today. Musical, who turns 5 tomorrow! has just about got her two-wheel bike-riding down. I'll be glad when her ability is perfected--she looks pretty beat up, LOL.
The Lambs also spent some time this evening scrubbing down the picnic table. For Mother's Day, a sweet couple of ladies at church gave all the mamas a picnic basket, filled with yummy picnic goodies. So, now that our table is all tidy, I'm anxious to pack a picnic. We may do that tomorrow for Musical's birthday.
Carnival and Lovable used some of their chore money last week to buy Musical a birthday gift. They are a thoughtful little pair. Carnival spent some time today planning out a party for her sister. It will be fun. :-)
Well, (yawn) I'm going to sign off for the night and hit the hay. (yawn) I'll update soon...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Operation F.I.F.

Hi, Friends...
I thought I'd update you on Operation Fix It or Fifteen. Some workers showed up Tuesday (I believe it was) and did do a portion of the remaining work. They said they'd be back Friday (that's today)--I'm sure hoping they do. My understanding is that they received a fair number of faxes and some phone calls. :-) We surely appreciate you folks who took the time to help us out like that.
Gotta run...We had strong storms last night and I'm not very "with it" this morning...gonna take me a while to get the Lambs' breakfast made!
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Only one strip left 'til my birthday!!!" Musical, referring to the weeks on a calendar. :-)

Operation Fix It or Fifteen

Hey, F.O.T.E.'s,
Some of you know that 3 months ago, we hired a contractor out of Paducah to do some repairs on the house we own and currently rent out in TN. Well, the fellow we hired did a portion of the repairs, but hasn't been seen (except to come get more money, which I am no longer handing out ;-)in a couple months or so. We've called innumerable times and sent certified letters, pleading with the company to complete the work. We are very anxious to get these repairs done, so the folks who want to buy the house can. We've tried being nice, tried being assertive, tried crying (yes, I confess), tried every tactic we can think of (barring those being illegal/immoral--though even some of those crossed my mind during weak moments). Absolutely nothing will prod this company to complete this job. So, today, we launched "Operation Fix It or Fifteen." (the "Fifteen" being the $1500 we want refunded if they won't do the work.) This is not intended in any way to be threatening to the company, just to bring attention to our plight, and, ideally, prompt them to finish what they started. So, we have begun a phone calling and letter writing campaign. From the time The Ram announced that he was being deployed, wonderful friends and family members have repeatedly told us, "If there's ever anything we can do for you, while The Ram is gone, just let us know..." Well, here's something, LOL. The Ram and I can't spend all day, every day, calling and writing letters to these folks, so we're asking our friends and family to contact the company on our behalf. Yes, in case you haven't noticed, we're getting desperate. LOL
Well, I just wanted to document our progress on Operation Fix It or Fifteen. Here's to a great campaign!!!!
The Ewe


"All great journeys begin with a single step."

Tater Tot's First Haircut

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Thought I'd try to do a quick post before things really get rolling her at The Fold.
You'll notice that "Tiny Tot" is now "Tater Tot." If you've ever been around him at mealtime, you'll understand the change. :-)
I had noticed for a while now that T.T.'s hair was creeping over the edge of his collar. So, I gathered information about how to go about cutting his hair. This is a new one for me. With the girls, we just let it grow as much as it would. But The Boy...hmmm...
Yesterday, when he was seeming calm, we set him down and I began going over his head, pulling up hair and clipping it off. I've discovered, Floyd the Barber, I ain't. LOL Oh, where, oh where, is The Ram?!?! I'd intended to wait until he got back and let *him* do the hair cutting, but T.T.'s shaggy "do" was getting to be more than I could stand.
The sad thing is, I only got half of his head done before he was too wiggly to continue. From a distance, he looks fine. :-)
Well, I'm sure this story will be continued...but for now, I must go.
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: Musical: "Why do they want to sleep on the roof?" Upon seeing the feather beds airing on the roof of the cabin at The Homeplace, 1850. LOL

Update from The Fold

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Well, it's been too long since an update. It's not that nothing has been going on, just the opposite! It's been so much going on, I haven't taken the time to sit down and write.
Carnival, Lovable and I are taking a quilting class at The Homeplace. If you're not from around here, you may not know about The Homeplace at Land Between the Lakes. LBL is a beautiful nature area about an hour and a half from here. When the Ram and I were in college, we went there near every weekend. Go over to www.lbl.org to take a peek. Anyway, The Homeplace is a working farm, set up as it would have been in the 1850's. The historical interpreters are in period dress and they're always eager to answer questions and let you take part in their activities. In the past, we've split logs, stirred lye soap, gathered herbs from the herb garden...many things. Once, we attended a "Wedding" there, as it would have been in the 1800's. It's great fun.
So, our latest Homeplace adventure is quilting. We are making a wall hanging, consisting of 4 blocks. One is a nine-patch, one is a Grandmother's Flower Garden and one is a Churn Dash. The fourth block will be one of our choosing--I'm considering Bear Paw. I'm finding this to be faster and easier than knitting or cross-stitch, what with the little ones around. With cross-stitch, I was always losing my count when I had to attend a child. Same for knitting and crochet. With this, it's pretty obvious where you left off, LOL.
Carnival is Miss Speedy--she's nearly finished with her 3 blocks. I'm helping Lovable with her Nine-Patch and I'm just starting on my Grandmother's Flower Garden. We're having a lot of fun.
Well, must go. Life at The Fold is calling.
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: Reading from Proverbs 24:13, I asked Musical to fill in the blank: "...honey from the..._________ is sweet to the taste..." Musical replies: "Store!" Mom says, "No..." Musical tries again: "Cow!?" (the answer is comb) :-)

Baby's Got a New Pair of Shoes

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Well, the big news around here is that Tiny Tot has *finally* started taking some steps. Early last week he took a step. Now, he's stringing together 4 or 5 steps at a time. I can tell--he's revving up! I need to buy myself a new pair of tennies before he gets in gear. I have a feeling I'm going to be doing some running!
Speaking of shoes...a Ram-Family tradition took place yesterday. We don't buy our babies shoes until they've started walking, and even then they usually only wear them when they're going outside. Last week, though, T.T. discovered the joys of trike riding when we were outside playing. Bad thing was, the little guy kept scraping his toes on the sidewalk! Ouch! So, I ordered him some Robeez, which are a lot like moccasins. They came yesterday, so we had the First Shoeing for Tiny Tot. It was hilarious. He immediately loved his little shoes and wore them all day. AND he rode the trike without bloodshed. LOL
So, if you know a little tiny tot, you can tell his parents about Robeez--they're like leather anklet socks. Foot doctors say not to put stiff shoes on little babies, because it can cause their feet to grow wrong. We had always solved that by just not using shoes! But T.T.'s a little more aggressive and need something to protect those lil tootsies. He loves these little shoes with the puppies on them. LOL
Must run--Carnival is making her first attempt at waffles and it sounds like maybe my presence is needed in the kitchen. ;-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

The Cookie Jar

Hello, Friends Of The Ewe!
I hope this finds you just blooming like my irises! My very favorites are on the verge of popping open--those are my deep purple ones...I call them "black." They just look so elegant. :-) My tulips have *not* bloomed--is that normal? I can't remember when it was last year that they bloomed. Anyway...
A couple weeks ago, we were blessed with a cookie jar. This is one I've had my eye on at a relative's house for a few months now. I didn't ask for it, but I was sure happy to be offered it! LOL Let's just say it's a Bible character scene, and I really like it.
Since The Ram and I married, I've been an "anti-cookie jar" gal. You see, I have a "love/hate" relationship w/ cookies--I hate that I love them! Though there had been a few jars through the years that I admired, I always thought it would be bad to welcome cookies into my house. (Rather like housing the enemy.) I didn't want the children expecting there to be goodies in the house all the time. But...
When this just-too-cute jar was offered, I couldn't resist. So, I brought it home. It sat empty on the counter for days. The girls were anxious to fill that puppy! Finally, one day, The Ol' Ewe broke down and gave the go-ahead for cookie baking. Now, my girls know their way around a kitchen and they had cookies baked in no time. We gathered around the cooling racks, admiring those round treasures. Before they'd cooled 10 minutes, the girls wanted to put them in the jar. I realized that the Cookie Jar Way of Life was foreign to my daughters. I explained that you have to wait to put them in there, or you'd have one huge cookie. I began to think that maybe this whole cookie jar thing could be used to teach self-discipline. Any time before The Jar, we'd pull the cookies out of the oven and break out the spoons, if we had to. A dozen cookies never made it to "cool-dom." So, now, with the anticipation of getting to fill the jar, we learned to wait. I explained to the girls what a huge responsibility it is to have a full cookie jar in the house. I knew I had to lay down some ground rules. Or actually, rule. Basically The Cookie Rule is that we only get cookies at tea time. For us, that's 3 p.m. (I know it's supposed to be 4 p.m., but that a bit late for us--too close to dinner!) So, we have the cookie jar on a time-lock security system. (It's the Honor-type.) I believe I've sufficiently instilled in the children the gravity of unauthorized cookie gnoshing. I'll admit, it's been a challenge for me to deny the flesh and walk on past that piece of ceramic, but I just remind myself that 3 p.m. is coming and the lid will unlock and we'll all get to fellowship around the round things. :-) Yes, I'm thinking this cookie jar is a good thing. So far, we've had good compliance with the Cookie Rule. No one even asks for cookies unless it's 3 p.m. (or later, if we've missed cookie time.) They know I'll say "no." LOL
I remember as a child, my babysitter had a cookie jar. She generally kept on hand those sandwich cookies--duplex, vanilla, peanut butter...Man, they were good. I confess to you that *I* did not typically ask first. My babysitter, though a sweet lady, had an open-jar policy. Any time I wanted to open it, I could. I believe that is not a good way to run a cookie jar-containing kitchen. Some little critter like me could get in there and founder.
Well, y'all keep your wool dry...and your cookies cool!
The Ewe

Recycling Run Amok

Well, hello, F.O.T.E's! Life's been busy and interesting around here--as usual! It's been wonderful seeing the plants and flowers come back to life after the long winter. We were delighted to find that an iris plant Lovable rescued from sure death during an excavating project last summer, had bloomed in the pot she transplanted it to. It's beautiful. The bees and wasps are busy, and the lizards are beginning to show up again. Carnival reminded me that if you grabbed their tail, it would fall off. I love Spring.
I hear tell that Earth Day is (was?) sometime this month. In honor of it, I'm going to tell you a story about my ingenious children and their little contribution to The Fold Recycling Program.
First, you should know that, again, our Beloved Vehicle is visiting the mechanic. This time, it was a pre-emptive strike; I just wanted him to check out some suspicious behavior and fix anything that needed it before it actually broke. So, anyway, we've been home for days (which is just fine with me, homebody that I am.) We've been "living off the land," foodwise, which around here means we're cleaning out the freezer and pantry, making do with what's on hand.
Tonight, what was on hand was an old pantry standby: spaghetti and marinara sauce. We had just about eaten our fill and Lovable wanted a second helping. I explained that the noodles were just about gone, though we had a lot of sauce left. I guess in a subconscious attempt to convince Lovable she was getting more food than she actually was, I put more sauce on her noodles than she wanted. I apologized, and, seeing that my plate had too many noodles and not enough sauce, I quipped, "Hmm. Well, we can't take the sauce out of your noodles." Lovable glanced up and matter-of-factly announced, "Oh, I can. I just suck the noodles out of the bowl and the sauce stays behind." For some reason, this struck me funny and I chortled a few minutes. Seeing my enjoyment of Lovable's ingenuity in Sauce Conservation, Carnival decided to share with me an episode that had happened this week...
Carnival and Lovable had gotten up one morning and made cereal. This emptied out the milk container, with no way to get more. While those two were munching their kibble, Musical came padding down the stairs, wanting cereal. Hmm...no milk. What to do? Well, not one to be daunted, Carnival came up with a plan. She instructed Lovable about her scheme. A few minutes later, Musical got her bowl of cereal, complete with milk. How did they do it? Carnival tells me that she and Lovable used their spoons to carefully fish out the bits of their cereal, leaving the milk (or what was left after the cereal soaked up it's share)in their bowls. Then, they combined the paltry puddles in each of their bowls and poured it over Musical's cereal. So, all three girls got bowls of cereal, even though there was only milk enough for about one and a half.
Carnival does report that, since each girl had a different type of cereal, the resulting residual milk tasted a trifle funny. Ahh, that's ma' gals! Making it good to the last drop! :-)
Well, must run. Gotta get to bed. A lady never knows when a mechanic might call and tell her her carriage is ready. Could it be tomorrow? Alas, only time will tell...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

P.S. Though the carrot cake last Saturday was a bit homely, the church folk assured me it *was* "fit to eat" and, in fact, they made rather flattering noises while consuming it. :-) I just might do that again...maybe...

The Boy's Corn Fed

Hello, F.O.T.E.s,
How're y'all? We're having a great day here at The Fold. It's sunny and probably about 80 degrees out there. The girls are enjoying some fun in the water hose and Tiny Tot has just come inside for a nap. I used the time their obsession with the water afforded me to bake a carrot cake. I've never done that before--I'll let you know how it turns out. I had planned to take it to church tomorrow, as we have a meal after most Sunday services, but then I decided that maybe I ought to taste-test it first, since I'd never made one before. So, there will likely be 4 pieces missing from my carrot cake tomorrow. (grin) That is, if it's good. If it's not good, the whole thing will be missing. LOL
We returned last night from a visit with the Grand Rams. We had gone down to celebrate the Great-GrandRamamama's 88th birthday.
A couple of nights ago, having dinner with the Grand Ram's, we marveled at the amount and variety of food that Tiny Tot can dispose of in one sitting. That particular night, I let T.T. have his first cob of corn. He delighted in shearing off the kernels, though I think he enjoyed sucking the end of the cob best of all. I'll admit, it was a bit disturbing when I needed to adjust the cob in his hand, so that he could get to the actual food, and not the silage. I would reach my hand toward him, and he would curl away from me, shielding his corn. A few times, I had to stick my hand in between his mouth and the cob, and I'll tell you--the phrase "draw back a nub" went through my mind. He growled at me like a dog at the food dish...Anyway, we decided the boy likes corn. My family will get a chuckle at that, as, growing up I was the corn fiend in the family. I was mocked mercilessly--"More corn." So, I guess the affinity for corn is genetic. I passed it on to my son. :-)
Must run frost that carrot cake.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Peanut-butter-pizZA! Peanut-butter-pizZA! Peanut-butter-pizZA!" All the Lambs' as they composed a new song about, well...peanut butter.

R&R Highlights III; Revenge of the Peanuts

Hello, F.O.T.E's!
Well, I know it is taking forever-long to update you on The Ram's R&R, for which I apologize. Here's the next installment:
Since we had already determined that a camping trip or trip to the beach would not really be a "vacation" for The Ram, we decided a couple nights in a nice hotel would fit the bill. So, we packed up our little flock and drove a bit up to Small City to the North, where we bedded down for a couple of nights. The hotel had an indoor pool, which we made frequent use of. The girls had a great time splashing around and playing with Dad. We were often the only family in there, so that was an added benefit.
This particular hotel has suites, with a living room area joined to a bedroom by the bathroom. It sported refrigerators and microwaves in each room, plus both breakfast and dinner served in the dining room most nights of the week. For a family of our size, it's a pretty good deal.
One night, we decided to forego the hotel's dinner and go out with the Grand Rams. The Ram had a taste for a Texas-type grill which was near the restaurant, so that's where we headed. This was one of those places where you grab a handful of unshelled peanuts, crack them open, dump their contents into your mouth then boldly drop the shells to the floor. I was sure to explain to the children that only at this particular place was it ok to throw trash on the floor--and even there only peanut shells.
While waiting to be seated, I discovered that Musical had stuffed peanuts in any convenient cubby she could find on or in her clothing. Tiny Tot, despite my best efforts, joyously popped a whole, unshelled peanut into his mouth and sucked off the salt. Any attempt to extract said peanut brought on a growl of displeasure from him. Though it offended my motherly instincts, I allowed this perilous behavior to continue through two peanuts or so...thank goodness, by that time we were called to follow a waiter back to our table and T.T. lost interest (for the most part) in the peanuts. Maybe they should supply barrels of animal crackers for their patrons under 3? Anyway, the tot survived and so did I.
After the meal, we bid farewell to the Grand Rams and turned in for the night. We are still finding bits of peanut shell in Musical's clothing.
Well, it's time to hit the hay here at The Fold. I'll provide further updates as time allows. Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Mom, why would anyone like Elvis? I mean, his hair was sorta weird. And his name was sorta weird, too." Lovable

R&R Highlights II

Well, Friends,
I'm going to try to post this again. I had already written out a complete post, then, locked in mortal combat with me over the mouse, Tiny Tot somehow highlighted the whole post and deleted it. I screamed at the monitor, "NOOOOOOOO!!!!!" but it was already gone. I will attempt to recreate that post, now that I've sent T.T. outside with the girls. :-)
When we picked up The Ram from the airport, we found that his luggage had taken a different flight and was not expected for a few hours. So, the Grand Rams and we decided to go for lunch. Sitting across from The Ram, I looked over at him and noticed an enraptured look on his face. I asked, "What is it?" He held up his glass and said, "I haven't had sweet tea from a real glass since I left [on deployment]. It's so cold and hard!" Tears came to my eyes. The Ram never complains about his living conditions, so it's easy to forget how lacking in comforts his everyday life is. When I lie down on my cushy, king sized bed, I think about him, barely able to turnover on his uncushioned cot. When I flush the toilet, I realize he doesn't get to do that. ;-) You can't flush a portapotty. When I drink sweet tea from a *glass,* I take a sip for him.
I realized at Cracker Barrel that the ideas the Lambs and I about R&R weren't going to work--we had thought about going to the beach and we'd also thought about camping. How insensitive! LOL The Ram camps in the sand every day. So, we decided to keep him in plush surroundings during his short reprieve. :-)
I often have folks express sympathy for me, going through this with four little ones and an absent husband. Oh, but I have my family surrounding me! The Ram is in a foreign place with no one. Yes, he's surrounded by people, but still, basically, he's alone. I have a very nice home to wait in--he wades through sand with very few creature comforts. Yes, I'd say I've got the better deal. God bless him.
And you know, all our troops need our prayers. They all have their own burdens to bear and families who miss them. And it's always been this way for our military families, but this has certainly brought that fact "home" for me.
Well, must run. I'll continue sharing about R&R as time allows. Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

R&R Highlights I

Hello, F.O.T.E's! Yes, it's been a while since I've blogged. I've been engaged in Very Important Business for the last two weeks. The Ram was here for his two weeks of Rest and Relaxation--R&R. We had a wonderful time and, of course, the time passed too quickly. Here's a recap:
On Sunday (2 weeks ago) we picked up The Ram from the airport. He told us the pilot had invited him and the other soldier on that flight to sit in first-class. That was awfully nice. I must admit that when The Ram came out of the "tube" at the gate (what do you call that, anyway?) I involuntarily emitted a squeal. I was so embarrassed later, but it just happened. I imagine the others around there feared some wild boar had been let in the airport. I will also admit that I fairly tackled The Ram when he emerged from the gate--a fact that also slightly embarrasses me. This breach of propriety was, as the squeal, completely involuntary. It couldn't be helped. I do wonder if the Transportation Security personnel saw it coming. You see, they were suspicious as soon as they saw me (...and my four Lambies...and the stroller...and the Grand Rams...) I imagine they could tell I was a risky sort. The sort given to involuntary squeals and husband-tackles. So, they did what any prudent Security person would do--they performed the Super Deluxe, Stand-Here-On-These-Peanut-Shaped-Mats-With-Your-Arms-Extended-Palms-Up Inspection. Complete with Magic Wand and the Thorough-Rifle-Through-All-Your-Possessions Drill. This was all executed to the tune of Tiny Tot's "One-Year-Old Overture in the Key of Shrill." (Yes, Tiny Tot was none too sure about the service we were given and vociferously called for the ombudsman.) Every member of our entourage was carefully inspected, hoof to tail, and deemed a manageable risk to security. Musical was traumatized by the whole ordeal; and it took Tiny Tot a few minutes to stop sniffling from his outpouring of complaint. The scrape with the law was soon forgotten, though, as we readied ourselves to meet Daddy. The pork rinds the Grands had brought helped out Tiny Tot, too, though he was the only Lambie who gave the pig skins more than 1.5 stars.
Oh, Yawn! It's getting late here at The Fold...I'm going to tuck in the Lambies and bed down for the night. There's ever-so-much more to share about our wonderful 2 weeks with Daddy--I'll continue this expose tomorrow.
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Why do you have to go back?" asked of The Ram by all Lambies old enough to speak. The Ram replied, "Because it's my job. But I'll miss you." :-)

Another Homefront Adventure

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Well, my cell phone is fixed...sort of. It had stopped working about 2 weeks ago, and I finally worked up the moxy to go by the C****** store to see what they could do about it. Yes, it took some bravery, because every other time we've had a phone stop working and we went in to have it fixed, it cost us a bunch of money, or years added onto the blasted contract. So, I went in to the store a couple days ago, ready to do battle.
At first, the lady said, "Well, I bet you're due for an upgrade." (?) I replied, "OK." She clicked away on her computer a few seconds, then frowned...like a doctor hearing something through the stethoscope. "Hmm..." she said... "You can't have an upgrade for another 10 months." I replied, "OK." (?) Then, she looked at me in a way that implied, "Ok, thank you for playing...NEXT!" I looked back at her in a way that implied, "That's NOT your final answer." An impasse.
I asked, "How much would it cost just to pay off the contract?" Either I was getting service or I was running.
Another worker walked up and addressed the first one, "Is she wanting an upgrade?"
I blurt, "I just want my phone to work." (sad face) I decided that maybe bluffing a confident attitude was less effective than playing the pity card. I threw in, "My husband is a deployed soldier and I really need a phone to stay safe..." (Ok, I don't NEED a phone...it's a luxury...but one of my favorite ones. :-) (C'mon lady, where's your patriotism?!) PAUSE
The first worker leaned close to my ear, "We'll fix you up."
What does that mean? I don't need a blind date, I need a phone!!!
The worker began digging around in a back closet, and soon produced a cell phone that looked like a long-lost twin to my own. She waved a magic wand over them both, then handed me the new one. (Really, she just used a new shell and put the computer-thingy from my old one into it...did I fool you? ;-) Anway, she tested it out and the bandaid fix worked. I was happy. I think I'll try the pity card more often. They see right through the Confident Woman act. :-)
Well, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: (while visiting with MommyX3 at a restaurant, one of the flock asked:) "Mommy, what's this card?" (holding up a solar system collecting card)
The Ewe: "Venus. It's the brightest planet."
MommyX3: "Nah. We're smarter than those people on Venus."

Proof of What?!

Hello, F.O.T.E.s!
Well, The Ewe continues to experience the big, wide world. ;-) Monday I had to renew our two vans' registrations. Silly me, I thought I'd just take those two cute li'l' postcards into the courthouse, write a check, and come waltzing out with two li'l' stickers for the license plates. Well, now. There seems to be some unwritten rule about needing "proof of insurance" before they'll let you have those li'l' stickers! When the lady asked for that, I was standing at the counter, juggling a baby, a purse and those postcards. I handed T.T. over to Carnival and commenced digging through my 50 lb handbag. I produced an insurance card and handed it over to the clerk. "I'll need a card for *both* vehicles, please." Really? Ok, well, I don't *have* the card for my husband's van, so I'll have to come back. Trot, trot, trot...I and my entourage replace ourselves in our seatbelts and drive the 30 minutes back home. I look in DH's van--nothing. I go into the house, looking for the card for DH's van...nothing, though I did grab the actual policy, in the event that the card never surfaced. Upon close examination of the policy, I discovered that the card I *did* have was actually the card for DH's van and the missing card was for *my* van. Well, isn't that interesting?
Anyway, with 3,000 page (yes, I'm exaggerating) policy document in hand, I climbed back into the van and drove the 30 minutes back to the courthouse. This time, my entourage and I tooled into the clerk's office, presented the aforementioned 3,000 page document-- oh and don't forget the cute li'l' postcards--wrote a check and walked out victorious with two li'l' stickers. All in about 7 minutes. I did think that after all I went through, they should have given me a plaque or something, but the lady acted like that wasn't going to happen, so I just thanked her and left.
A day later I was chatting online with The Ram. I told him my tale of woe about the insurance cards and the adventure getting the registration renewed (by the way, if I'd just mailed it in, none of that would have happened, eh? Hmmm....). He asked if I had a new card for my van. I told him, "No, but I've got the policy in there." For some reason, this made him laugh really hard. Evidently, he was envisioning me being pulled over by the police and handing the officer that 3,000 page document. The Ram said it would almost be worth it to see the cop's face. I was unaware that this was "just not done." So, in the span of another 7 minutes, The Ram had emailed me a copy of my van's insurance and I'd printed it off and placed it in my 50 lb handbag.
Just wait...in another year, I'll wait for those cute li'l' postcards to come in the mail. I'll drive into town with my proof of insurance. I'll march in there and write a check and come out with two stickers. All in 7 minutes. Just you wait...
Well, gotta run....Lambies will be rousing before long. Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe
Quote of the Day: "These pants are on their last leg!" Anonymous Lambie