Because some days you just need a list.

I have so many random things swirling around my noggin that really aren't cohesive to make a post.....other than to just make a list, so here goes:   

1) College football begins in just over a week. War Eagle!!!!

2)  Are y'all enjoying Pinterest as much as me?  I hardly have time for it, true, but I'll carve out a minute for it when I can because I know I will immediately find something inspiring....a neat craft, a yummy recipe, a laugh out loud quote, a cool idea for the house, etc.etc. So many ideas....so little time.

3)  This summer I added a new app to my phone for the kids to play to help encourage their math skills---Arithmetick. 

 

I also added the iheartradio app (i know i'm way behind on getting this app but anywho...)---and my exercise regime has never been happier.  I love that I can listen to whatever I want....talk shows, various 80's music, comedy bits, or a little Elvis every now and again....

And speaking of apps (I still remain hooked on Words with Friends).....I was wondering what you had added lately....or what your favorites were? For the kids, yourself, cuisine, anything??  Please do tell.

4)  This guy is a killer.  And while I'm still not a cat-lover, I do love Mr. Jingles.

                                                                                                                  

5) I hope to have new updates posted next month sometime on finishing up our basement level.  We are using it soooooo much!  Love the spaces. Need to add some wall art, photos, lamps, chairs, etc., just some finishing touches....although as I've found with a home, there's always more to do. 

6) Somebody had a haircut earlier in the week....like 5 or 6 inches cut off...and she's never looked cuter.

7) And finally.....FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL!!!  It has arrived!

At least they outlawed M80's or who knows what might of happened.

My boys, especially Elder Son, have an extreme fixation with the FIREWORKS.  And after having some fun with leftover firecrackers, I walked out our back door to find the following:

The Crime Scene.

You may be amazed at what you can find hidden in those trees and surrounding landscape.

Oh my. Legs.

Oh my. An arm. A detached arm. As in seperate from it's body. Ugh.  

Uh oh. A body. Um. a headless, one armed, naked, barbie body.

Look closely....right in the middle of the photo.
Yep. There's her head.
Must've took a hard roll when the firecracker blew.

Now, just to be clear, and so that the boys don't get all the blame for her terrible condition....Baby Girl had chosen to shear her hair off at the scalp many months ago.....but at that time, it was still attached.

However, that decapitation proved to be of little challenge for a couple of boys and a round or two or ten of firecrackers.

Oh the joys of trying to keep them out of juvenielle court raising boys.

Because I refused to pay $48.95 for it....

While looking on Garnet Hill's website, I found this adorable advent calendar of sorts that used small buckets.   I thought it was cute.  A great idea.  But for $50?  Nope.  I can buy too many boxes of Krispy Kremes with that much cash. :)

So I decided to get crafty and make our own little buckets of joy advent calendar. When the kids were really younger, T5's Mimi, would always send us one of those Advent calendars with the little paper doors or windows that you could punch out each day and find a little chocolate treat inside.  Did y'all have those?  Or do you get them for your kids?  It's just so fun to count down the days until Christmas!!

Of course, after several rounds with the hot glue gun (because I know not how to sew) I was ready to call it quits!  Let's just say if I had a cuss jar set up in the kitchen nearby, we could have all retired by now.  I could have paid for my kids plus the Duggar kids (all 18 of them) to attend college.  At an Ivy League school, no less.

See these nice little balls of dried up glue mixed with charred flesh?  Yep....I'm telling you, the hot glue gun is of the devil. Luckily, I survived, and no one heard the nasty words that spewed forth during the making of the buckets of JOY. And I promptly packed the glue gun away.  No more crafty projects for me without a glass of vino before, during and after.   

Of course there has been much drama with the decision to see who would get to start with the first bucket.  Middle Boy was chosen.  As he is usually always in the second spot whether we go from youngest to oldest or oldest to youngest....hence the name Middle Boy. He deserved it.  I also had to inform the kids that I wouldn't be filling the buckets all up until the accounted for day, because they are kids....who peek....and would topple the buckets on day one just to see what would fall from all 24.  Life at House of Bowling is never dull....just ask the lady with the hot glue still stuck to her fingers.

Here's hoping you have BUCKETS OF JOY this Christmas season.

I can only assure you of one thing, you are not prepared for this post.

Did you have any idea they sold "Hanky Panky" for less than a dollar??? Well, they do. And I have a picture to prove it.






I found this while at Dauphin Island Sea Lab back in September on the field trip, when I went to the activity room for a little late night snack. I stood there laughing, completely OUT LOUD, at the vending machine window before me. And then composed myself enough to carefully put in 3 quarters and 1 dime, push C-6 and wait for the goodness to fall through the slot.

Because, clearly, I was not leaving that island without trying some 85 cent Hanky Panky.   

"X" marks the spot.....

Do I have a big target on my back? Because I've been hit, not once, but twice this week.

First I see my name in the title of this blog post, then I click over and learn that:

• I'm a big fat doughnut eating lover of all things krispy kreme.....or basically they said something along those lines. ( ;-) smile). Which may or may not be truth.....I plead the 5th, but my big fat rear-end speaks VOLUMES about this alleged fascination with the HOT-NOW goodness that comes in a nice neat box of a dozen, glazed, please. Which sadly, I was more upset that those "friends" of mine writing the lovely post, didn't care enough to fed-ex me a slab of that lucious dessert they feasted on at the beach! Where's the love? Spread the love! And pass the Krispy Kreme bread pudding while you're at it.

Then, another day passes, and I see my name in the title of this blog post, and click over to learn that:

• our little family's chances of being the next Food Network Star with our "cooking camp" posts are slim to none. Or it was a post that said something like that. ( ;-) smile). Who knew? Maybe it has something to do with the whole child labor laws....if they're my kids, can't I work them in my home, as I see fit.....which may or may not include cooking me supper and lots of chocolate desserts at my beckoned call???

Did I mention that both of these blogs happen to be real live actual friends of mine, dating back to childhood....which was so many decades ago, I've even lost count. And did I mention they made me giggle out loud when I read them....and then I squealed with delight because I realized there was going to be NEW RECIPES for me to savor because of these posts.....NEW RECIPES....which may or may not up our shot at knocking off Giada, or Barefoot Contessa, or Bobby Flay (of course I'd have to learn how to use a grill first) or somebody along those lines with our House of Bowling recipe blog.

Seriously, I just wanted you to click over and see for yourself there's gonna be some tasty treats to cook up.....the recipes are just waiting for you.

It's Friday, y'all. And that can only mean one thing. I survived another week. Welcome to the weekend....I love you already, and with this slight nip in the air, I think a pot of Brunswick Stew will just hit the spot....with a little, or a lot, of Krispy Kreme bread pudding on th side.

Sharpen your #2 pencils, please....it's test time.

Really there's no need to sharpen anything. Just have your typing fingers loosened up so you can strike in your answer.

Does anyone remember that old game show...."Will the real __________ please stand up?". Well, this test is kind of like that.

Below you will find two photos. Look closely at the two photos. One is real. One is fake. Well, that's not entirely accurate. They are actually both real photos......so let me rephrase that :

• One photo has the real deal MASTER chef of the chicken dinners. (The 400 chicken dinners that were sold for Homecoming plates a couple of weeks ago.)
• And one photo does not. It has imposters. Mere wannabes.

Picture A

Picture B

Choose wisely. Is it picture A or picture B?

And I'm sorry to report, for those of you who have had the real deal chicken before....wherein you experienced a culinary delight like no other to your taste buds.....I apologize that the photo is not scratch and snifff....because you know how good it would smell. Maybe we should have a blog party and invite the real chicken chef over and tell him to bring his grills.

And maybe, just maybe...we'll let those little helpers come along too. If they act right. Of course, they never act right. Which is why they never get to be MASTER griller. :)

Go ahead.Leave your answer in the comments below....I didn't mean to interupt you, or deter your thinking process in any way.....you may begin the test now.

I wonder if Noah's wife had these problems....

We've just returned from being outside. Playing outside. Playing football and badminton and such, outside. Because for a change, the rain stopped today. It was nice outdoors. Kind of like fall....with a TON of humidity. Like a TON.

And only a few minutes in the green stuff and the baby girl began jumping around, scratching at her ankles, complaining....."I'm allergic to grass, mama".

Apparently with all the outdoor activity neglect due to the rainy days, weeks, months, what feels like years....she has developed an allergy. To grass. Oh the drama that will evolve with this one.

Hope you had a great day of no rain. Fall-ish weather. Did your hair kink up with the TON of humidity? Did you suddenly find out that you, too, are allergic to that green stuff you haven't played in for so long?

Homecoming or Bust.....

Let me just tell you....a box of Krispy Kremes can work wonders but I don't even think they could have helped me last week. Homecoming....Great Grandparents....Parade Floats....Bonfire....Chicken Dinners....Gymnastics....ACTUAL football games! And the list could go on, but I'll stop there. It was exciting and exhausting and I'm not sure I'll ever fully recover. But that's nothing new at my age. And while I loved it, I am glad it's over. And would also have loved to have put it out of my mind completely, because my muscles start twitching with trepidation when they think about it again. However, one of my dearest cousins emailed to say she thought she would be seeing some homecoming pics on the blog....so I give you, homecoming pics.

The husband had to ride in the parade, and wave like Miss America....or Mr. Universe, I guess. But before he jumped aboard his chariot, he parked a vehicle right on the front lines for the GREAT GRANDS to have a birds eye view. Parades amuse the young and old alike....83 year olds love this stuff. :)






The opposing mascot this year was a "tornado". Really? I thought it was going to be pretty tough to come up with a good float having a tornado to defeat. But I must say....it was one of the best years yet. And although I won't show you all of them, every grade did an excellent job!






There were lots of pretty girls....homecoming reps....one of these gals was later crowned QUEEN at halftime!! Yahoo!

And there was also future homecoming queens watching and waiting....such a cutie!!

And there was even a Wildcat---with candy. That's my favorite kind. A wildcat bearing sweet gifts.

So, there's your homecoming recap, in a nutshell. Because I'm still tired. And just looking at it all wears me out all over again!! :)

I have something fun planned for next week. Be sure to check back maybe on Monday for a test....don't worry it's a picture test....and I don't think you'll have any trouble figuring it out, at all. At all. No need to even study this weekend.

mondays = BLAH...the sickness returns but at least I found a good recipe at the doctor's office

Yep. You read that right. Although I don't want you to think it's me. I'm not sick. Never have been. Except for if you count that time I spent in the psych ward 20 years ago.....

No, I mean I haven't had the flu (regular strain or the kind that sends bacon drippings out of your nose) or strep or pneumonia or the stomach bug or the croup or anything yet this season. For which I am EXTREMELY grateful.

However, I've had to open up the patient rooms again at the House of Bowling Hospital on the children's floor. The eldest son and husband, as you may or may not remember from this post, had the flu and crud and fever and such for several days. Eldest son stayed home from school for the whole week...except Friday. Which when he returned, he looked like warmed over oatmeal. Pale. Weak. Mushy.

Anyway, the point is, the fever eventually broke, the medicine began working, and he did regain some strength, and 7 of the 10 pounds he lost during that sick week. However, yesterday, he came home from church and crawled into bed....by-passing lunch and any family fun we had planned for the rainy day indoors. By early evening the fever was among us....and my little man was sick. Yet again.

So, off to the Dr. we went Monday morning. Fortunately, our wonderful cousin is also our wonderful pediatrician....unfortunately, clinics like hers are often very busy. On Mondays. During flu season. We opted to run over to the "doc in a box" as I call them. Because my cousin and myself have spoken extensively about it, and she has great confidence in the doctors there. Some of whom she has taught as students in Med School.

We arrive. Eldest son is tested for strep and flu. Even though they assure me that it would be rare if he were to have flu again, so soon, only two weeks from the first batch. And they were right. Flu test negative. Strep test negative.

Plan B. Chest x-rays to see if pneumonia may have set in......which is not uncommon after having the flu. The good news was no pneumonia spotted....however there were some lines in his lungs and signs of bronchitis. And apparently to go along with that, has also picked up something else since his immune system was so.run.down.

So another round of antibiotics has begun. He's a sick little man who would appreciate your prayers. One of two scenarios will play out....according to the doctor. He will begin feeling better within two days, not great or well, but better, and can return to school. Or he won't. At which point we were asked to return to their office for further tests.

I'm wore slap out. And Lord only knows what would happen if I lived in a "big" town.....if there were a HOT and NOW sign flashing in my neighborhood, or down the street, or a few blocks over, or even in my county......I'd have probably O.D.ed on Krispy Kremes by now.

But sadly, the HOT....NOW sign is no where near me. So I made do with what I had. A new recipe for some good old-fashioned, warm, comfort giving cookies. Called Oatmeal Scotchies.

Nope, the recipe doesn't call for scotch.....but if this sickness cycle keeps repeating itself, I may take a shot straight from the bottle with each cookie I scoop onto the pan for baking.

You know you want to try them. And they are easy to make....and really yummy. I should know.....I ate 3 of them while baking. For taste purposes only, of course. Each pan could have had slight variations from the oven, and we plan on sharing with the teachers tomorrow, so no need to send a bad batch. :)

If it makes you feel any better, as it did me, I will tell you that I did in fact enjoy those 3 cookies with a tall glass of low fat milk. Because the oatmeal coupled with the milk = healthy. So much so, I may call them breakfast in the morning. While I'm making my rounds to the sick and afflicted. Eldest son is sick and I'm just afflicted.

Go over to our recipe blog if you want to become afflicted with me. Get a glass of cold milk ready. You're gonna need it.

Random things I've learned, just today....

And they will be in list form, because, well, that's all I can muster....my brain has been on overload for many, many hours....and you are getting a list. Like it or not.

I do ask that you allow me to remind you of a few items of interest first, so as to bring a little more clarity to the list. A little. Mostly it's random. Like my life.

Today was Parent/Teacher conference day. This is homecoming week in Small Town, USA. The great grandparents (ages 83 and 81) have been with us all week, and are being real troopers through these events.

1. Tissue Paper and Chicken Wire. It drives me insane. But oh, how I love the floats in a parade.

2. If you offer Broken Leg Boy a reward of 7 animal crackers, he can talk with a British accent ALL day. But you must also include in that bet, every classmate will earn 5 animal crackers, if he succeeds.

3. The elderly are apt to get confused, very often. And need things repeated, very often. But do not confuse yourself into thinking that just because you are repetitive they will ever become unconfused.

4. My heart ached at the thoughts of this "first-ever" homecoming for my 7th grader. I didn't bore you with a whole post about it, because who reads that anyway? So, I just moped alone.

5. Baby girl enjoys math, and scored a 99 on her report card in that subject. Where does she get that from??? Must be her namesake Aunt, because Me + Math = zero.

6. Eldest son is a smart boy, but does not always "apply" himself. Really? You don't say??? :)

7. Bonfires are cool....when you're a teen, but at my age, it's just a fire hazard.

8. When you reach age 80 or over, there's a law apparently that says you can say whatever you want, whenever, in front of whomever.....manners cease. (Sorry if you were in car line ahead of us this week!) :)

9. October has snuck up on me. Who let the calendar get away from me like that???

10. Toddlers are often easier to keep control of than old folks. They may be faster on their feet, but you can at least put them in time-out.

11. I may not survive to write another post on the cool stage of my children. I find myself daily asking God why he thought teenagers were a good idea.

12. Wacky Wednesday should come around a few days a week, why limit it to once a year?

13. I have never been more tired after a week of events like this in my entire life.

14. I have never cherished every precious, heart-wrenching, stress-inducing, fast paced days of a week of events in my entire life as I have now. Especially having great grandparents share in these life moments with my kids. Even the cool high school kid. Whom I may or may not wrap with chicken wire and stuff with tissue paper before the week plays out.

15. God bless you all....have a great weekend!!

Okay, okay, already....the taco ring is on the recipe blog.

Seriously....I thought everyone already knew how to make it and would be bored with even me posting pics of TB doing it. Started not to even include it, but it was a fun afternoon with her in the kitchen.

After a few demanding comments and even a couple of email-ers as well, I put the recipe on the House of Bowling recipe blog, where all good foods hope to reside. :)

Hope you all enjoy!

On a side note, can you believe tomorrow begins OCTOBER????

Click and SEE THE AMAZEMENT!!!!

I know y'all are more than capable enough of finding some internet videos to watch those little eight-armed sea creatures that I find so intriguing....

however, to save you some time.....

and because I want you to see this one....

this little guy disguises himself to match the piece algae--color and TEXTURE!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpbCGBJs-P0


and now, watch it in REVERSE!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJq-wAUmkeg&NR=1


See. Told you. AMAZING!!!

(And I beg to differ with anyone who believes this came from some BIG BANG THEORY????)

T5 calls me a sucker for gimmicks....I am.

Have you tried these????

They remind me of an Almond Joy....I love Almond Joys.

They also remind me of the beach....I love the beach.

And they have these cute little designs on the M&M's....I am easily amused.

Rest in peace, Johnny Castle. (a.k.a Patrick Swayze)

Y'all. My early teen years were formed directly around the events happening at Kellerman's.

From the time of it's release in the summer of 1987 until I realized that I was never going to be a real dancer with Patrick Swayze (which may or may not have been realized much later in my life), I watched Dirty Dancing dozens of times.

And I played the soundtrack repeatedly in my Nissan, 4 door, stick shift, hoping to make it at least "sound" cool, since it didn't "look" too cool.

I still get weak in the knees if I hear one of these 3 top songs from my youth:

• I've Had The Time of My Life
• Hungry Eyes
• She's Like the Wind

I remember that summer, and subsequent ones watching it on videotape, honestly thinking that my life could turn out just like Jennifer Grey's.

• Patrick Swayze himself, or at the very least some good looking guy who could dance well, would scoop me off my feet from the dance floor, and firmly announce, "No one puts Baby in the corner".

And I would dress in my finest pale pink chiffon short dress, which would flow in the wind as I ran down the makeshift aisle to leap into the arms of my dancing dreamboat.

Man, oh, man....those were the days. I was 14. I felt pretty sure I knew exactly what my future plans held.....and they had been set in stone thanks to two box office hits in the summer of 1986 and 1987.

I was certain I had narrowed down my life choices to these two scenarios:

• A.) offering dance lessons by day at a posh resort, and doing the steamy salsa by night with my partner, Patrick Swayze

or

• B.) "cruising" around Fightertown USA, waiting for my boyfriend Pete "Maverick" Mitchell to pick me up on his motorcycle, while wearing his flight jacket and a white T-shirt, after a hard day as a TOP GUN pilot.

Even at 14, a girl had to have goals.

I'll leave you with the mention of two other songs that can still make my heart skip a beat and take me right back to summer nights in the late 80's...

• You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling
• Take My Breath Away

So....what songs do you love from your favorite movies during your teen years???? Did you swoon over any male actors on the big screen???

Please don't tell me I'm the only one who thought dancing a special with Johnny at the Shelldrake would be fun??? Or watching Maverick play volleyball with Goose. Shirtless.

What? You were never 14 once....and had a slight crush on Tom Cruise? Before he went all scientology on us? I bet he still looks good playing volleyball, shirtless.