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September 25, 2006

Safety 1st???

If you're in the market for a carseat, DO NOT buy one from Safety 1st.  We purchased this one for our Julianna about a year ago.  At the age of 19 months, Julianna could UNBUCKLE HERSELF  by pushing the little button the harness strap of her Safety 1st carseat. 

I have emailed Safety 1st twice now but they have not even granted me the courtesy of a reply.

So, in order to really pick up the Google traffic, let me just say:

Don't buy from Safety 1st.
Don't buy from Safety 1st.
Don't buy from Safety 1st.
Don't buy from Safety 1st.
Don't buy from Safety 1st.

Why?   Because Safety 1st doesn't put safety, 1st. 

September 21, 2006

Teenager in the House

Make that two teenagers, now! Happy 13th Birthday Son!

Truett_band

September 20, 2006

WFMW: Turning Tank-Tops

Works_for_me_5I was perusing our local consignment shop yesterday for some winter things for baby.    I had just done the summer/winter closet clean out for Julianna and realized that though we had received oodles of hand-me-downs from friends and relatives, we were short on winter items in the 24 mo/2T size.  Lucky for me, I found some really great deals on the dollar rack.  The name brand stuff goes for $4 - $8, but anything that was originally purchased at Wal- Mart or Target always goes to the dollar rack.  Julianna will be sporting her new, red-knit outfit tonight and never realizing that she's going shabby chic.

As I was digging through the piles of ugly things looking for the one or two cute items, I started wishing that I could still buy my teenager's clothes at the consignment store--but alas--the modesty issue has made that nearly impossible.  The only thing harder than finding cute baby clothes on the dollar rack is finding modest clothes for a teenager...  ANYWHERE.

Which reminded me of my Works-for-Me-Wednesday idea:  Turning tank-tops backwards.

You're thinking, "Huh?"  In case you didn't know it, layering tank-tops is the current fashion rage among females falling between the ages of 13 and 25.   It's a cute little trend.  Often, one will see someone wearing 2 tank-tops of different colors under a button-down or a cardigan.  The combinations are endless--teal and magenta, black and gray, orange and chartreuse.  These kids are having as much fun as all of us post-80s folks had layering our socks.  (You remember that fashion disaster, don't you?) 

The only problem is that the new tank-tops are cut low.  Real. Low.  And while somehow Elizabeth Bennett  got away with showing half of her bosom, it's not working for me.  So, I have instructed my 14 year old to simply turn her tank-tops around.  Now she's fully covered and trendy at the same time.

So, turning tank-tops!  Works for Me!  Don't forget to check out all of the other great tips over at Shannon's.

September 19, 2006

Fall into a New Blog Design!

Susie from Bluebird Designs will be giving away two free blog designs this fall.  Go on over to her sight and check out all of the details!  Her work is so beautiful and you'll love anything she creates!

Why are you still stickin' around here?  Go. On. Over to Susies!!!

September 15, 2006

The Wedding Singer

I get asked to sing for a lot of events--community events, church events, funerals and my personal favorite--weddings!  Yup, it's true.  I'm a wedding singer.  No, not this kind of wedding singer, but I do usually  get asked to sing at several nupital occasions every year.

And so I have a standard "I'm-going-to-sing-at-your-wedding-outfit."  If you for ask me to sing at your wedding, I'll more than likely show up in a short-sleeved black dress with a black cardigan, black pumps  and pearls. 
Fh000031 I sort of feel like I  blend into the scenery with this outfit and I'm never scared that I'm going to clash with the wedding party's attire.  It's safe.  It also saves me from having to go out and buy a dress that "matches."  When you sing at five or six weddings a year, all of that formal attire could really start to add up if you know what I mean.

However, I found myself needing to go shopping for a new wedding-singer-dress when I was asked, a few months ago, to sing in what is formally known as a "snowball wedding."  For those of you who don't know what that is, neither did I.  But I now know that a "snowball wedding" is one in which the entire wedding party, including mothers and grandmothers and even guests wears shades of white and/or off-white.   That includes the wedding singer.  Uh-oh.  Looks like my standard wedding uniform isn't going to cut the mustard this time.

And so--I've been on the look-out for something white.  And something affordable.  We spent a pretty penny back in June when Cole's brother got married and to be honest, I've been dreading doing it again.  Don't get me wrong--we looked fantastic, but I didn't want to fork over that kind of cash.  By the way, did I ever show you those pictures?  Oh I didn't?  Well my goodness, scooch on over here and I'll show you a few. 

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Cole & Me

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Tru & Emma

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The entire wedding party

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Ty- the Bible Bearer

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and Ava the Flowergirl

Didn't we all look so purdy?  But really, one formal dress per year is enough, don't you think?  And besides, the snowball wedding is going to be in the morning  and so my white dress doesn't even have to be floor length!  I've been praying and on the look-out for a nice white dress that also fits nicely within my price range for a few months now, but I wasn't having any luck.   I had something in mind--something sort of suitish, but not business suitish, y'know?  Everything I had found so far either looked like a prom dress or a power-suit.  Snowball dress shopping had become a real chore.

Well, I had to run some errands in the city today and while we were flying through the mall, lo and behold, I just happened to notice a row of six or seven white suitcoats  with matching flouncy skirts hanging on the 75%-off rack at Dillards.  On closer inspection, they were beautiful and they just happened to have ONE in my size.  Original price:  $200.00.  My price:  $45!  Hallelujah! 

So you see, friends, God cares about even the little things--even a snowball-wedding-singer's outfit.  Now I've got to get busy praying for a pair of white shoes to match.   The real question is:

Do you think God cares that we're all going to be wearing white shoes after Labor Day?

Just wonderin'.

September 14, 2006

Lookin' for My Groove--Have You Seen It?

I know I've mentioned it before, but I started a new daily routine back when school started and I think it's the best schedule I've ever had because our home seems to be running more smoothly than it has in a long time.   

But it hasn't left much time for blogging. 

I don't want to give up my beloved bloggy hobby completely--but I haven't quite figured out how to do the blog on a consistent basis with my new routine.  Thus, I continue to be sporadic.

Every morning, I stumble out of bed at 6am and make a bee-line toward the microwave to whip-up some Earl Grey for Cole and myself.   During this little ritual, Cole wakes the kids up, coerces Tru into the shower and gets Emma started on the piano.   By the time I hand Cole his tea, he's sitting in front of the computer perusing the headlines at msnnbc.com.

Immediately upon serving the tea, I start breakfast.  This is a first for our family as I've never been a big breakfast eater.  As a kid, my mom was always gone by breakfast time and I learned to fix for myself some sort of  instant breakfast drink to sip upon while waiting for the school bus.

Some habits die hard. 

A light breakfast really worked well with my old routine, but this summer, I started feeling an urge or a conviction, or SOMETHING, that I needed to start fixing a full-fledged breakfast for my kids every morning.  I just sort of got the idea that if we actually sat down at the table before school every morning (instead of the "everyone-fend-for-yourself-there-are-eleven-selections-of-breakfast-cereal-in-the pantry" kind of breakfasts) that our mornings would run more peacefully.  And lo and behold, they really have.  The difference has been amazing.

In addition to slingin' hash every morning, I have simultaneously started a new little laundry-while-I-work-on-breakfast routine and you wouldn't believe it, but I think I've been caught up with my laundry since August the  25th.  I won't go into all of the particulars, (since you're probably already yawning)  but I just want to say that my ironing pile is completely empty at the moment and no one has had to go pilfering through the sock basket in weeks.  I also start cooking supper while I'm fixing breakfast which is something I've been doing for a couple of years now.  If you've never been in the habit of starting your supper prep in the morning, I highly recommend it.

Anyway, I was sayin'...

In addition to all of that new morning routine stuff--Ava's homeschool has become a lot more intense this year.  We start her piano practice at 8 o'clock on the dot, as soon as the older kids go tumbling down the stairs to head for the van.  (Their daddy always deals with that little circus.  Smile.)  We practice for 30 minutes and then we segue right into math.  As soon as the math lesson concludes, it's time to wake baby Julianna up and start the real fun of trying to finish all of Ava's lessons for the day while trying to entertain Toilet Baby.  (Today she emptied half of the contents of the kitty litter box, dumped all of the music out of the piano bench and tried to throw Cole's cell phone into the toilet.  Fun.)

So while I don't want to give up blogging altogether,  I just really don't have my blogging groove goin' this year.  Last summer, I would blog late at night after the kids had gone to bed--but that was before I became The Sunrise Chef.

Speaking of breakfast, morning will be here before we know it, so I'd better get to bed. 

But I'll keep looking for that bloggin' groove.  I know I'll find it... eventually.

September 08, 2006

Modesty for Girls

Update:  There are over 400 women who have signed Julie's modesty post.  If you haven't already signed up, please head over that way.  I am very anxious to see how retailers are going to respond to this!

I'm a little late for jumping on the modesty bandwagon (since most of the blogosphere has already read/signed this petition)--but I still want to link to my friend Jules and her post/petition on modesty for girls for all of my real-life friends who only read my blog.

Here's her statement:

Moms for Modesty Mission Statement

  • As a Mom for Modesty I believe in common-sense modesty for girls and young women. 
  • I believe in refraining from sexualizing our girls and young women. 
  • I believe that it is unwise and unfair to taunt boys and young men by permitting my daughter(s) to dress in an immodest manner.
  • I believe that true beauty comes from within and I strive to teach my daughter(s) this truth.
  • I will loyally shop at retailers that provide girls' and young womens clothing that is modest, affordable and stylish.

I agree with everything in her statement and just want to add that when teaching our daughters about modesty that our instruction should deal with more than just the clothing that they wear.  Modesty is really a state of the mind and an attitude of the heart; and we need to teach our daughters that there are certain ways to sit, walk, move and behave.  In fact, the modesty issue is the number one reason that played into our decision to not let our daughters be cheerleaders or flag girls for our community's band.    The truth is,  we always instruct our boys to look away during the halftime shows because of the suggestive ways that the girls move their hips.    We've also shied away from  dancing (jazz, tap, etc...)  because of some of the suggestive moves we've seen being taught to very, very young dancers.  (And don't forget the Jon Benet' showtime make-up!)

The modesty issue also comes up when we start the discussions about boy/girl relations with our kids and our girls know that when the time DOES come for them to be able to date (after highschool) that they will never be the ones calling the boys.  Being overtly flirtacious and forward is not behaving in a modest way and is not becoming for Christian girls/women.   (Oh--and if any girl come a callin' for one of my boys, she is immediately red-flagged as "not-our-type" if you know what I mean.)

Lastly, don't forget how to teach your girls some simple, yet important things like how to walk and how to sit.  This starts early and I always remind my little Sunday School preschoolers to keep their shirts down and their legs together.   Modesty is a mindset that will become a way of life if talked about consistently from an early age.

So enough from me!  Go sign Jules' petition!  If enough moms speak loud enough, maybe the fashion industry will wake-up and pay attention.  Thanks Jules!

September 06, 2006

Works-for-Me-Wednesday

I've been all tipped out lately--and apparently so has Katherine.  But she's not so tipped out that she can't write a super cute poem.  T'was the Night Before Wednesday.   She mentions me, y'all, so go check it out!  :)

The Wedding Planner

Yesterday Ava and I were reading in 2 Samuel about King David and the fact that when God told him  to move to Hebron, he of course had to take all of his wives with him.  Here is a snippet of the conversation that followed:

Ava:  How many wives did David have anyway?
Me:  I'm not sure.  Several, I know that.
Ava:  Oooooh, gross!
Me:  I know!  And what's more--his son Solomon had around 1,000 wives.  (We didn't get into the whole issue of concubines since Ava is like, 8.)
Ava:  Man!  [Silence]
Me:  What?
Ava:  Think about how many bridesmaids there were at all those weddings!


September 05, 2006

The Things We Do For Love

Make no mistake about it--I go to Friday night football games in our small town for two reasons, and two reasons  alone:  1)  I'm the band booster president and I really enjoy watching my two oldest kids play in the marching band and maybe even more importantly 2) SOCIALIZIN'.  I mean really, when one looks upon the field and sees 22 men running around, grunting and knocking each other down, what IS there to hold that person's interest?  The answer to that question has always eluded me.

And you really have to wonder about a sport where they pull the county ambulance up near the sideline AHEAD OF GAME TIME.  Like, what?  Are they anticipating an injury??  Why, yes, I believe they are.  In fact, although the ambulance didn't get used last weekend, there were two substantial  injuries that knocked players out of the game completely.  That doesn't even count the leading quarterback who was injured earlier in the week at a PRACTICE.  Insanity, I tell you, insanity.

So--seeing how I feel about the whole dealio, you might be surprised to hear that I suggested to my husband that we reinstate television service to our home so that our family could partake in Saturday afternoon...

RAZORBACK FOOTBALL.

My husband has only mentioned his homesickness for his beloved Razorbacks a few times in the past month, but it was enough for me to take notice.  He doesn't ask for a lot.  We're talking about a man who is still wearing glasses from two contact prescriptions ago and hasn't had a new suit in years.  When I ask him what he wants for Christmas, he usually names a few inane objects such as socks or cashew peanuts.  (And of course, there's always BOOKS.)  Easy to please, my man is.  So-- while we will still have strict rules regulating TV viewing--I called the Dish people today and a cable guy will be here on Monday.  He's even installing a DVR. 

Heaven help us.

So, now after fifteen years of marriage, it looks like I'll be needing to order my own copy of this.    Oh the things we do for love.

Wooooooo!  PIG!   SOUIE!!!   Razorbacks!!!!!