I Heart Faces: May Flowers

I'm linking up to I Heart Faces today for this week's photo challenge: May flowers.  This flower picture that I took a couple years ago is one of my favorites!

"Earth laughs in flowers." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I Spy...Handmade

This weeks I Spy theme over at Little Miss Momma is "handmade".  I love to craft and sew, but I'm going to show you a few things that Pacen and some others have made for me over the years.  One of my favorite things about being a mom is that I get special handmade gifts for my birthday, mother's day, etc.  I love that Pacen makes these things with his own two hands and that he puts all his love into them.  All handmade gifts are special due to the thought and care that goes into them. 

1.  Pacen made a planter at school.  Below the string is water.  I guess the string soaks the water up and waters the plant above.  2.  He did this finger painting when he was two.  3.  He made this rug for me for mother's day this year using old t-shirts and a hula hoop.  4.  A globe type thing that Pacen made for me for mother's day a couple years ago.

1.  Uncle Bob made this plaque for me.  He is great at wood working.  Wookie is my nickname (nothing to do with Star Wars.)  2.  My friend made this picture.  She photographed each letter from signs, headstones, etc.  3.  My little cousin made this.

My Aunt Sindy painted this before I was born.  My Grandma was clearing out some stuff and gave a bunch of Sindy's paintings to Quinn (my sis).  Quinn thought I should have this one since I LOVE the ocean.

My Aunt Sindy also painted this.  She painted it for Quinn, but I have it hanging in my guest room (Quinn lived in it for a while).

"The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work." ~ Emile Zola

Living With A Miniature Man

Tonight I had a few reminders of the fact that I do indeed live with a miniature man.  Normally Pacen is 110% boy, but tonight he was more like 150% boy. 

It rained most of the day and Pacen decided to go outside this evening to play around in the water.  I had told him if he found any worms to grab a couple for Bubba (our Garter Snake).  About an hour later he came back inside, soaking wet.

"I found some worms Mom."
"Oh yeah?  Where are they?"
"In my pocket."  

Yup, he had about ten worms in his pocket.  I asked him to go put them in a container and give a few to Bubba.  Later I was cleaning up the kitchen while Pacen practiced his guitar and guess what I found crawling on the floor?  You guessed right, a worm.  Apparently Pacen accidentally dropped one when he was putting them into a container.  He didn't even notice.

While I was finishing with the kitchen I noticed a drop of blood on the floor.  I didn't even know I had cut myself. 

"Oh crap!"
"What did you do mom?!"
"I cut myself and now there is blood on the floor."
"I want to see!!!!"

He ran from his room to the kitchen so fast that you would think a monster jumped out from under his bed.  Then he saw what he came to see and he didn't think there was enough blood.  Go figure. 

 

To top it all off, as I was tucking him into bed I leaned down to give him a kiss just as he flung his fist and screamed, "Cheese ball!"  It didn't take me long to figure out what a "cheese ball" was.  He threw a fart in my face. I don't know for sure who taught Pacen to do that, but he's almost 11 so I guess it's about that time in life that he starts learning stupid stuff. Ugh. 

"Boys are beyond the range of anybody’s sure understanding, at least when they are between the ages of 18 months and 90 years.” ~ James Thurber

Day Dreamin'

Spring has slowly worked its way into Wyoming.  The weather was beautiful the past few days and my tulips are finally blooming!  Last night we had our first real thunder storm of the season.  It poured.  I love the sound of rain beating on the roof.  I love the smell.  I love what it does for nature.

Today was a bit cooler and rather windy, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the outdoors after work.  Pacen and I went to the cemetery where I run.  Yes, I run at a cemetery.  It's gorgeous, it's hilly, and it's better than running laps around a track.  I love it.  Everything was so green this evening and while I ran I couldn't help but day dream.   I didn't day dream about one thing in particular.  No.  There were many things running through my head.  Summer.  Our trip to Atlantis (coming up in 27 days).  The lake.  Scuba diving.  Softball.  Camping.  Triathlons.  Laying out in my backyard.  Yard work.  So many things. 

Some of those things may not sound like day dreams, but trust me when I tell you that the way I think about them is a dream.  I don't think of the yard work and imagine all the sweat and frustration that will more than likely occur.  No. I think about what the finished product will look like.  In my head - in my dreams - it's beautiful and I can picture myself relaxing and taking in all that I accomplished.  I don't think about all the hard work and training I have to do to complete the Triathlon.  Nope.  I think about the unexplainable feeling I get when I cross the finish line and how amazing I feel that I did it!  I'm a natural at day dreaming.  I probably spend way too much time in my dreams, but that's just who I am and there is absolutely nothing wrong with dreaming.

"He does not need opium.  He has the gift of reverie."  ~Anais Nin

Brutally Honest

Pacen has always been brutally honest with me. I prefer it that way and I hope he is always like that. Lately he has started this new "thing". He knows I have always obsessed about my weight. I am, by no means, obese or over-weight, but with the way society is about appearances I have always felt like my body isn't nice enough.  I feel I could be skinner, more tone, etc.  Anyway, lately if, for example, I grab a third slice of pizza or a cookie after dinner, Pacen looks at me and says, "You know that's how you get fat."  He's not trying to be mean.  He is just trying to get me to follow the rules I have for myself, cause I hate following them and he, apparently, hates to hear me complain about how I feel fat. :)

Look at this sweet face.  I don't think he would ever purposely hurt my feelings. :)

A while back I bought a new dress, a cute little red knit thing.  It was on super clearance so I didn't bother trying it on before I bought it.  When I got home I tried it on and realized it was probably a little tighter than it should be (to wear to most public events).  I asked Pacen if he thought I looked too fat in the dress and he said no.  I then asked him if it made my butt look big and I turned to the side.  He looked at me, his face scrunched up, his lips made the shape they do when he says "oooooooo" (like ewww, not oh.), and then he did that sucking air through the teeth thing.  He didn't have to say a word.  That expression and air sucking was enough.  Hahaha!

One more.  Another good one and, honestly, my favorite!  One day I tried on a new pair of workout pants.  They were tight, but that's how they are suppose to fit cause they are mostly spandex.  I don't care what I look like when I workout inside, but when I go running outdoors I am self-conscious about how big my butt and thighs look in my workout clothes.  I asked Pacen if the pants made me look fat.  He started to put his fingers together like he was showing me the size of something.  It looked like something small.  I started thinking this was good and then he said, "Mom, have you seen that Geico commercial with Abraham Lincoln?"  I busted out laughing.  How could I not laugh at that?!  Haha!  I'm sure everyone knows what commercial he was talking about, but just in case you don't, here you go:

So, I'm thinking I need to work on slimming my "ghetto booty" down or something and then maybe he would change his expressions and answers when I wear tighter clothes.  :) 

"Pretty much all the honest truth telling in the world is done by children." ~ Oliver Wendell

Why Is This Necessary?

For years I have been wanting to watch The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  I wanted to watch them all, back-to-back, on a cold blustery day.  Well, that didn't work out.  About a month and a half ago I noticed that the first movie in the trilogy was on instant Netflix.  It was a cold blustery day so I decided to watch it.  The other two had to be ordered through the DVD portion of Netflix.  Bummer.

I watched the second movie and then the third came and it sat on my kitchen counter for a good two weeks.  I finally decided I would just watch an hour every night until it was finished.  So, the other night I was lounging on the couch, enjoying Return of the King when it happened.  The thing I wasn't expecting.  The thing that always seems to pop up in fantasy movies.  Have you guessed what it is yet?  The scene where the MASSIVE spider comes in.  WHY?!  Why I ask you!  Why do fantasy movies always have to have a MASSIVE spider?!  Why?!  It is ridiculous and it creeps me out.  Big time.  I have major arachnophobia.  Okay, so my "problem" is a lot better than it used to be, but still.  Spiders scare the shit out of me.  The last thing I want to see in a decent movie is an enormous man-eating spider!  *Shudder*

Shelob

The Lord of the Rings isn't the only movie that I have had this problem with.  Harry Potter also had a man-eating spider.  No, wait.  That movie had hundreds of man-eating spiders.  I had to cover my eyes.  Yes, I covered my eyes even though I know they are not real and it is only a movie.  I covered my eyes the other night too.  But when Shelob (who names a spider?) stabbed Frodo in the stomach with her pointy thing my eyes were not covered.  I was frozen in a state of shock!  I sat there with my mouth dropped open and my eyes wide as she wrapped him in a web, preparing to eat him!  I couldn't believe it!  I thought he'd get away like the good character always does.  Granted, he did get away, but he suffered first!  Good grief!  I still can't believe it!  *Shudder*

Aragog (Yet another named man-eating spider)

 Just so you all know...it took a lot for me to find these pictures and post them.  I'm not gonna lie, my legs are all weak and shaky right now and I feel rather light headed.  Seriously.  *SHUDDER*  So, explain to me why fantasy authors feel the need to add these nasty creatures to their stories?  What is the point?  Can't they have a huge man-eating beetle?  I can handle beetles.  What about a walking stick?  Those might be close to crossing the line, but I can handle them better than spiders.  Okay, I have to go now.  I need to try to walk around...maybe go out and get some fresh air, although I will probably be scanning every surface thoroughly to make sure there aren't any eight legged bastards crawling around.  *Shudder*

Frodo: "What is this place?"
Gollum: "Master must go inside the tunnel."
Frodo: "Now that I'm here, I don't think I want to."


Frodo should've followed his instincts.  :)

My Little Grill Master

Pacen loves to grill!  He grills mostly hot dogs, but he's willing to grill just about anything if someone lets him.  I call him the Grill Master.  :)  Saturday was National Grill Day and every True Value (my family owns a couple True Value stores) was giving away a very nice, very large grill.  We grilled hot dogs for the public for lunch.  Many people showed up to eat, which was rather surprising because it was a miserable bitch of a day.  It was SUPER windy and very cold.  Apparently, the person that decided National Grill Day was April 30th doesn't live in the Midwest.

Pacen did all of the grilling and he did a great job.  It was funny to watch people tell him how good his hot dogs were  He'd thank them, but then he'd act rather "cocky".  Haha!  He must've thought he did a good job too.  :) 

Now I must tell you a funny story about Pacen grilling.  My dad has a cabin North of where I grew up.  It's in the woods and it is a beautiful place.  One of these days I'll have to do a post about the cabin.  Anyway, Pacen goes out to the cabin quite a bit with my dad.  The first thing they do is check the mouse traps.  If there is a mouse in the traps my dad lets Pacen dissect it (they are already dead, after all).  Yes, it's gross, but I guess he's kind of learning about anatomy and I can only hope this helps him pass high school level Science.  :) 

Well, a couple weeks ago the boys headed out the cabin.  They checked the traps and sure enough there was a mouse.  Dad gave it to Pacen and then went to work on a corral.  When it was about lunch time dad asked Pacen to grill some hot dogs.  While they were eating my dad made the comment that he hadn't noticed any mouse guts laying around, as is the norm when there is a mouse in the trap and Pacen has dissected it.  Pacen just looked at him and said, "Oh, I grilled it."  My dad said, "You grilled it?"  Pacen said, "Yeah".  Dad said, "Whole?"  Pacen said, "Yeah."  Dad then asked, "Was this before or after the hot dogs."  Pacen said, "Before, but I scraped the grill very well before I grilled the hot dogs."  Haha!  I don't think I'll be eating anything that comes off that grill.  Oh, and please keep in mind that Pacen is not cruel to animals.  He just has a somewhat morbid fascination.  I believe he will be a Scientist of some sort in the future.  Who knows, maybe he'll find the cure for AIDS or Cancer. 

"Grilling means good times, good friends, and hopefully, great food." ~ Bobby Flay