....with apologies to Bill O'Reilly....

My husband is mowing the lawn.  One last time (we said that the LAST time).  He thinks it is above and beyond the call of duty to cut grass on November 28 in insulated coveralls.  For going above and beyond the call of duty to make me happy, he is a patriot, not a pinhead.

Youngest Daughter helped me clean.  Now she is cleaning out and organizing my pantry cupboard which was, well, in mighty disarray.  For this industrious spirit, she is also a patriot, not a pinhead.

I followed a car home from work yesterday afternoon that went 45 miles an hour the whole way from Milford to Harrington.  For this blatant disregard of the line of cars behind it and the posted speed limit, it is a big fat PINHEAD. 

Amen.

Word of the Day:  When posting a comment do not be pugnacious.

....that's what you get with me and this blog...you feast for a few days in a row...then silence for weeks.  There will likely be silence after today for at least the rest of the week since I will barely be home at all.  For for now, feast upon this...

The view outside my front door...gray, rainy, dreary...

It calls for this...

...and this...(altho' husband lifted the lid and took one look saying in a doubtful tone, "I sure hope this tastes better than it looks!")  It's a lentil casserole type thing.  I'm making homemade bread to go with it, so maybe we can choke it down.   

The other day was Poetry Contest Recitation Day at Cole's school.  Here he is saying his adorable poem in front of what must have seemed (to him) a huge audience all up on the bleachers as we were.  He was a little afraid at first, but he conquered that and did great.  He won first place in Kindergarten.  Finally all that drama producing a ribbon! 

Here is his baby sister Carli with her beautiful blueberry eyes.

Cole brought along his special friend who watched from the safety of mommy's bag as he said his poem.

That was last week.  This week, Cole and Carli and Ellie and Mommy are all sick.  I went over there for a little while around lunch time and fed the munchkins, cleaned up the kitchen, and sorted and started laundry.  The kids all have coughs and runny noses, and poor Second Daughter was prone on the couch.  If she has the swine flu I just prescribe lots of oinkment.

  Charlie was on his way home so I left them in good hands. 

Looks like it'll be a cozy evening at home.  I like that.

(I got a nudge today from Amazing Amanda that I have not updated here for way too long.  I agree.  Facebook is so much easier.  Just a sentence and you're done.  But I still like xanga better over all, it just takes more time.  So, for all of you that were just longing to hear from me, here goes.)

Back almost a month ago, Youngest Daughter turned 18.  Yes.  Our children are now all officially "adults."  Then she wrote THIS on her Facebook page...."hooray for being able to: vote, buy cigarettes, go to REGULAR jail, and being able to buy lottery tickets!"  MmmmHmmmmm  Isn't she cute.  Think we still have a lil' work to do?

Eighteen is a very important birthday, obviously, for all the above reasons and more.  It cannot go uncelebrated.  Amazing Amanda and Ravishing Ruth put their heads together and came up with a Surprise Plan. 

Just look at this.  Consider the results of the two of them coming up with a plan.  Oh me!

The plan was this:  All of us would dress up like we were going to the Kentucky Derby, surprise Marla, and take her around town in Seaford on a scavernger hunt, gathering pre-deposited wrapped gifts at various and sundry businesses.  The surprise part happened by the hair of our chinny chin chins.  There was a funeral at our church that evening.  Oldest Daughter was in charge of the meal.  I was helping with clean up.  We were supposed to meet at Ravishing's house before Youngest Daughter got there at 6:15.  Oldest Daughter and I got "parked in" at the church.  I have never seen the parking lot so full.  They were parking all up and down the road as well.  We barely got out.  We were late.  Amazing was wringing her hands in dread that all would be ruined.  It wasn't.  With five minutes to spare.  Whew!

Teary eyed and in shock, Youngest Daughter reads the first clue...

First stop, Dairy Queen...and yes!!...we all went in with her.  Every time.  We're just supportive that way.

Each package contained another piece to her ensemble.  The dress was first.

Subway inside Walmart...oh did we get some looks!  We sang "Happy Birthday" loudly on the way out.  Just to explain what we were doing you know.

Walgreens....

Oldest Daughter made a purchase...the clerk here was not amused.  Party pooper.

Texas Roadhouse...with her boss, Jeff...she had to ride the birthday saddle while all her coworkers sang to her.  It was a truly embarrassing and wonderful moment.  (Embarrassing for her, wonderful for us.)

On to the last stop:  Lowe's. 

My three daughters.  I'm so proud.

On to the flooring and tile dept....

"Do you have a gift for me, good sir?"

"Why yes!  And I'll sing happy birthday to you and take a picture of your high class family too!"

But that was not all, no...no, that was not all.  We went back to Ravishing Ruth's abode where Youngest Daughters two older brothers had been setting out all her favorite Chinese delicacies.  (What was the connection between the Kentucky Derby attire and Chinese delicacies, you may ask?  None.)

Amazing Amanda decorated with an idea from a picture she got in a magazine.  Beautiful!  She did the lion's share of the work for this event and my purple church-lady hat is off to her! I also stole all these pictures from her Facebook.  I had all I could do that night to get my giant purple self in and out of the vehicle without trying to take pictures yet! Thanks 'Manda!

Happy, Happy Birthday Marla!  We wouldn't make fools of ourselves for just ANYBODY you know!