MarytheKaytheBlog

A 10-year-old's Room Rules: Words to Live By

 

I noticed several weeks ago that our 10-year-old had taped a Room Rules poster on her bedroom door in our summer cabin, but I really hadn't studied what the rules said.  Just the other night, some friends were visiting, and giggled and commented how much they LOVED her Room Rules.  Finally, I stopped long enough to read my sweet daughter's rules...and I really liked what I saw!

Reading these rules makes me hopeful that this sweet girl of mine, my tender-hearted one, will adopt "rules" like these for her life.  That she would set strong boundaries which will help protect her beautiful full-of-faith heart.  And biased mama or not--she is a beauty, and will need resolute boundaries to protect her as she navigates this life.

In case you cannot read them, here they are...

Rebecca's Rules

(Words to Live By, said her mama...)

1.  Do not yell in my room.

2.  Do not track in mud.

3.  I am not responsible for lost and stolen items.

4.  Take off your shoes and set them by the door.

5.  Do not cry or cuss in my room.  (This one may be my favorite!!)

6.  If you made a mess while I was gone, pick it up.

7.  I am not to blame if you get sick in my room.

8.  Do not take stuff out of my room.

9.  Do not get mad in my room.

10.  Have fun! 

OBAY these rules and you will accept my WRATH!!!  (I think she means business, people!)

 

Ah, but in spite of the rules and the wrath...guess what else is going on in this room?

Sweet daughter of mine,

I pray that you will set boundaries in this life.  I pray that you will set high standards that will allow you to feel safe, and give yourself space to grow and learn in that safe space.  I pray that you will always be able to say "NO" in any situation you do not feel comfortable.  That you will not allow others to sway you one way or another--but that YOU will set the standard.  YOU will decide the path you blaze, and that you will blaze it with your chin up and your eyes focused above.

And yet, in spite of the boundaries, and the seriousness of blazing a sometimes lonely trail, I also pray that you will always, always be able to DANCE.  Dance your heart out, my free spirit!  Dance to the music that makes your heart sing with joy.  Dance when no one is looking, and dance when everyone is looking.  Life may sometimes feel heavy or busy or sad...but there shall always, always be dancing!!

 

I love you, my sweet girl,

Your Mama

 

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The Saturday Evening Blog Post @ Elizabeth Esther

The Swim Bag...You're Going to LOVE this Idea!!

Well, here I go again...posting embarrassing pictures of my toes.  I am sure that tomorrow or the next day, I will happen to see this picture and wonder WHY in God's green earth did I post that picture???  But, tonight, my excitement over the Swim Bag idea won out over good sense about embarrassing pictures.  (And it's the only picture I can find of our swim bag...I couldn't possibly take a picture of it tonight, could I??)

I don't know about your family, but my family swims a LOT in the summer.  And if your kids are anything like mine, they require about 29 items each to take to the swimming pool.  Several years ago I bought an inexpensive plastic mesh bag (pictured above) at Walmart (Surely you know about my Walmart LOVE!)  I keep the Swim Bag on a hook by the door all summer long.  I'd love to share what I keep in my bag at all times.  Please keep reading until the end, when I will share my FAVORITE ITEM, BEST IDEA that I keep in the swim bag!!!

Items currently in my Swim Bag:

1.  Sunscreen (spray and rub-on for the face)

2.  Swim goggles (1 for each daughter--that part is very important!)

3.  Diving rings and sticks

4.  Floaties (that my daughter used to use)

5.  Masks and snorkels (again, 2 sets!)

6.  Ziploc bag (to keep my phone nice and dry!!)

7.  Package of peanut butter crackers (I throw in snacks when we head to the pool)

8.  Leftover water bottle (I also always throw in a water bottle)

9.  Loose change - when my kids get tired of diving for rings or sticks, I toss in a bunch of change and they race to see who finds the most.  I always feel so sneaky smart for having them do a little summer math as they count their change!!

10.  Towels - When it is time to head to the pool, this bag is big enough to toss in a couple of rolled up beach towels.

(By the way, my girls wear their swimsuits and cover-ups to and from the pool...so we don't need to pack those.)

 

Okay, are you ready for my FAVORITE ITEM?  My FAVORITE IDEA to take to the pool?  Having 2 girls, and one of them with pale blond hair, I recognize the importance of rinsing the chlorine out of their hair daily.  Because sometimes by the time we get home, I don't always feel like helping them wash their hair (okay, I only have to help the youngest wash her hair...but I have to MAKE the oldest, and that requires effort, too)

 

So, I keep a bottle of kids' shampoo in the Swim Bag!!!  We walk right over to the pool shower, I squirt a small amount of shampoo into their hands, and they rinse out their hair right then and there.  Because the shower is sometimes chilly, they tend to take really QUICK showers!  And--voila--the washed hair is done, and we can go home all clean!

 

Another bonus of washing their hair out at the pool, is that their swimsuits get a good soapy rinse.  I'm sure that helps with the life of their swimsuits over the course of a summer. 

 

What about you?  What do you pack to take to the pool?

(Click HERE if you want to enter the 4th of July TRIVIA QUIZ!!!)

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The Town that Loves America

(Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe at the end...)

I live in Branson, Missouri, and our town loves America like none other I have ever visited!  I am proud to live in a place that loves our country, continually honors our veterans, and celebrates The Fourth of July like it's being filmed on a movie set.

To celebrate the Fourth, our entire town gathers on our college campus in lawn chairs, on quilts, with potluck dinners and ice chests.  Every single year, as I'm arriving carrying lawn chairs and holding little hands to cross the street, I think, "This is small town America at it's FINEST!"  Truly, I have never been to a town event like it!  It's festive, it's laid back, it's full of all of my friends and acquaintances, and I feel safe letting my kids run around with their friends.

Here--see for yourself:

Of course, there is face painting and crafts for the kids...as well as a station to write a letter to our soldiers...ALL FREE of charge!!! 

Good friends to pal around with...

 

 

Even for the adults...

 

 

Oh, we see you Zac Man... 

Nothing says outdoor festival...like sharing cotton candy...

 

 

And...

 

You know what else just says Fourth of July Picnic??

 

 

 

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM, that's what!

Now, I have to be honest...I did not get my homemade ice cream made for this year's Honor America.  However, I can guarantee you that I WILL be making it this weekend on the actual Fourth!!

I would love to share my EASIEST EVER Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream recipe with you.  It's not really my recipe...my husband got it years ago, before we were even married, from our good friend Debbie Jo.  This is a wonderful recipe if you are going on a picnic, or even to a friend's house--you don't have to worry about cooking an egg mixture, or transporting eggs of any kind!  You can just pour everything right into the ice cream freezer.  All you need to do is grab an ice chest, your ingredients, some ice, rock salt, and an ice cream freezer and you are good to go!

Here are the easy-breezy ingredients:

Vanilla Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 cups half and half

2 cups whipping cream

1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon vanilla

That's IT!!! Now, here's a little tricky trick....Most times, I only purchase whipping cream--and NOT half and half...Just seems easier.  Did you know that half and half IS what it says--half cream, half milk?  So, I just buy extra whipping cream, and make my own half and half!! 

I really love this recipe!!  It tends to be more on the icy side than the heavy creamy side--which I much prefer!  Plus, the fact that it is SO EASY to make, it's hard ever to try anything different!

I hope you all get to gather with dear friends and eat delicious food to celebrate our country's birthday!  As you are watching and ooh-ing and aah-ing over the fireworks, I do hope you have a bowl of homemade vanilla ice cream in your lap!

(Click

HERE if you want to enter the 4th of July TRIVIA QUIZ!!!)

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Feeling Helpless in Parenting

 
Well, I had a happy post planned, complete with red, white, and blue pictures, as well as a WONDERFUL and EASY homemade ice cream recipe.  But, tonight I am not feeling happy, nor wonderful, and my night has been anything but easy.  Check back tomorrow for the happy-go-lucky post...

Tonight is one of those I feel helpless as a parent night.

Maybe by writing about it, I will gain some insight.  Or maybe--one of you will read this, and just tell me what to do. 

Because, I am wrung out, tired, and completely at a loss for what to do.

Here's what is going on...Our 5 1/2 year old has a very painful ear infection.  It's her 2nd in a month, and our summer camp doctor suggested she take a round of Cipro this time.  After calling in the prescription, we found out the liquid form of Cipro is a whopping $104!!  Strangely enough, the pill form is $6.  Seriously???  That makes no sense to me, Mr. Cipro! 

So, my husband and I decided that for $100 savings, we were sure our 5 1/2 year old could learn to take a pill.  Here's where the problem gets dicey.  For her dosage, she needs to take 1 1/2 pills twice per day.  The pharmacist had warned me that Cipro tastes very bitter...so I was already worried about that half pill being a problem to swallow for her.

"Problem" is the understatement of the century!!  Wow.  We spent a VERY STRESSFUL-- like Def-con 10 stressful--30 minutes trying every trick in the book to get her to swallow the pills.  The only thing we didn't try was crushing it up in some applesauce, like the pharmacist suggested.  (Crushing a pill, and obtaining applesauce requires some planning at a summer camp...Planning that I didn't, er plan for!)

I was hoping she would just take the pills, easy breezy, and put her head on the pillow and go to sleep.

When will I LEARN that with our 5-year-old "hoping" NEVER EVER WORKS???  Do any of you have children like this?  Now, I certainly don't want this post to be one where I am using frustrated language about our daughter.  Because, honestly, those are not my feelings tonight.  My feelings are of helplessness.

I completely believe our daughter is not always capable of facing new or stressful situations.  Sometimes, she surprises the socks off us, and doesn't bat an eye at certain things--like jumping off the high diving board repeatedly this summer!  Or strapping up and going right up the climbing wall last summer.  I was completely floored.  The important distinction about these events, is that they were HER CHOICE, and on HER TIME SCHEDULE. 

The fact that I don't believe our daughter is always capable of facing stressful situations really flies in the face of the way I was raised...and in my former view of parenting.  Formerly (before parenting this daughter), I believed that some children acted like babies at doctors' offices or when getting shots or on the first day of school--because their parents had coddled them, allowing them to be big babies.  I was a product of the "tough it out" parenting technique, and kind of prided myself in my ability to face difficult situations without flinching.

And now.  Now, I have a child who I absolutely cannot force to do something she doesn't want.  Like taking those pills.  I guess I could have manually pushed them down her throat...but I guarantee she would have made herself throw up.  Plus, that seemed a teensy bit extreme.  I don't want to scar the poor child, who is genuinely scared of swallowing the pills.

No amount of soft talking or reasoning was going to help her swallow those pills.  I tried everything in the form of talking, explaining, soothing, loud talking, threatening, snuggling, and even bribing. 

Oh, and in case you are wondering, tonight was my attempt #3 today.  I sure didn't wait until bedtime to try the first time.  It was my final effort, and answer to her tears from a hurting ear.

I guess tomorrow I shall call the ENT doctor, make an appointment, and talk about options that don't involve pills for now.  Perhaps a yummy gummy bear version of the medicine?  Oh, I could only hope...

The bigger problem here for me is the helplessness.  I have a child who suffers with anxiety in certain situations, and it feels like there is nothing I can do to help.  I am a DOER.  I am a HELPER.  Yet, I have a child that sometimes I cannot help.  Well, except to hold and comfort her, to accept her as she is--fears and all--and to find different ways of tackling the problem.  I guess that's my answer, huh?  It's not the answer I was looking for, nor the one I really want.  But, if it is the solution that will work, I guess I will do what I can...

 

Feebly, blindly, battered and bruised, but with a love so big for my little girl, that I will try.

 

Linky Dinks...All About Hair Edition

Well, here we are again--the weekend!!!  Whew, can you believe we made it?  Kick back, relax a little...I have a few links for both your hair eduction and entertainment.  I call that a Two for ONE!  You are welcome.

I know blogs are all about self-confession...and I have yet to confess to you that I got my hair cut.  A LOT.  I guess I've been in a bit of shock.  But, with some honest work with my hair therapist, I am now ready to share the truth with the world.  I knew it was time to shed some serious hair length (I am 40, you know), and just time to do something really different.  Wow, is it different.  I am still figuring out how to style it.  I am very slow at learning new skills--especially hair skills.  I am no Annelle, ya know...

Oh, HOW do I know I am no Annelle?  Because Quizilla said so!  See for yourself!  Sigh, I am Shelby...whatever that means...

Oh, but back to my hair...  In honor of my very FIRST ponytail, er stubbytail today, since the HaiCho 2010 (Hair Chopping of 2010), I thought it would be fun to check out the Top 17 Celebrity Ponytails!  I have a long, and rich history of my ponytail love affair.  The Ponytail and I go way back.  And I have never turned my back on, nor cheated on The Ponytail.  I have remained true all these years.  Even now, in my time of length-loss, I still can appreciate the quirky loveliness of a Stubbytail.  (I'm so sorry I do not have a picture to illustrate my own dear quirky Stubbytail...but have you ever tried to take a picture of your own ponytail?  It is NOT easy--I dare you to try!)

By the way, which celebrity ponytail is your favorite?  My current favorite is Emmy Rossum.  I do love the braid/ponytail combo...

In my looking around the hairstyle internet at ponytail styles, I stumbled upon a whole treasure chest of blogs that I did not even know existed:  Children's hairstyle blogs!!!  I have to warn you before looking, though.  Look at your own risk.  I looked, and now I feel like a slob of a mom for the way I fix my girls' hair (or is it hairs?)  I am proud of myself if their hair is brushed and a hairbow or clippie pinched in as we're walking out the door.  And I only mean on my 5-year-old.  My 10-year-old took over her own hair duties 2 years ago. 

Take a look for yourself--do any of you know about even 1/10 of these hairstyles?  Here are even more.  Wow, there are some fancy techniques going on!  Click over on the categories on the right-hand side to see lots of different styles.  My poor, hairstyle-deprived children.  Here is my entire repertoire of styles for them:

1) Brushed

2) Ponytail

3) Side ponytail for extra sassy

4) Hairbow clippie

5) The hand-dryer style

To help ease the pain and sorrow I feel from being a hair-fixing slob for my children, I headed over to my go-to giggle site Stuff Christians Like and searched "hair."  Ah, it never fails with the automatic giggle button. 

 

In conclusion, since I am very interested in helping improve lives all over the blog world, I would feel guilty not telling you about the 25 Beauty Products that Will Change Your Life.  Seriously--get out your wallet and a pencil and paper.  Your life will never be the same.  Amen.

 

Now, go grab a hand mirror and brush, a box of bon bons, and kick back and relax. 

 

Happy Weekend, Ya'll!!

Friday Flashback - Summer First-Date Memories

 
 Just tonight, I was driving in the dark over the dam in our town, and my mind was suddenly taken back 20 years, driving this very same road through the dark...Only that night, I was riding in an open-air jeep, with a cute boy beside me driving, the warm breeze tangling through my hair, the moon and stars shining down on a grinning first-date couple.  I can still almost smell the warm summer wind that night so long ago...hear the hum of the Jeep in the silent night air...feel the little tickle inside my belly, reminding me of my nervousness about the ending of our date...kiss or no kiss?  Oh, I'll never tell--I am not a kiss and tell kind of girl.  I will tell you this:  I sure kiss him now!  Only, I am quite sure he would tell you it is not nearly often enough!

That night 20 years ago, my adventure-seeking date took me first to a tower, high above every treetop and building--just to watch the sunset together.  Honestly?  I don't remember the sunset at all.  What I do remember is the feeling of being with someone who had thought to show me the sunset from a tower.  To share that moment together.  I remember feeling a little shy sharing that moment, not sure what to talk about in the quiet tower, or if I even needed to fill the silence.

Next, we ate a slow dinner at an interesting restaurant.  I don't remember specific conversations, but I am quite sure I asked him a thousand questions--because that is what I do.  And because he told me later that those questions were one of the reasons he fell in love with me--my wanting to get to know him more, and deeper.

I do remember thinking it was odd that he ordered dessert to go.  I didn't understand why we didn't just eat it there.  After all--he had ordered my very favorite dessert--key lime pie!  He was already wiggling his way into my heart with that choice.  I have since learned that when something doesn't make sense with that guy--there is a very good reason, a surprise yet to be revealed.

The very good reason that night was probably the very best part of the night.  We drove that starlit road to the dam.  He parked across the street from the dam, at a little park.  We got out of the Jeep, and he led me down a wooded footpath, to some rocks, just overlooking the dark water.  We perched upon the sun-warmed rocks, opened up the squeaky white styrofoam box, and began slowly savoring the creamy lime pie.  I remember the quiet in that moment.  Hearing the occasional lapping of the water on the shore below us, stealing little glances--awkward little smiles--at each other as we finished off the pie. 

As we finished the pie, we started talking.  We talked and talked and talked.  Looking out over the water, we began the process of discovery...discovering each other little by little, the water reflecting the hopeful light of the moon onto our faces.  Finally, it was getting late, and we had to leave to make curfew.  I remember the electricity as he held out his hand to help me down.  And his hand on my back again as I climbed into the Jeep.

Then, the hurried drive back down that dark winding road, the warm wind tangling through my hair, the hum of the Jeep in the silent night air, the moon and the stars shining down on the grinning first-date couple, and that nervous little tickle in my belly.

I'm so glad I drove that road tonight...It's so good to remember...

 

I would love to hear some of YOUR first-date memories!!!  Please share!!

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The Heat is ON!

A little 80s musical flashback there for your enjoyment.  My friend Carissa probably just fell out of her chair, because I do not know music lyrics, nor titles.  Carissa--are you okay?  Did ya bruise anything?? 

 

Actually, I cannot tell a lie.  My friend Bill, aka "Wild Bill" just supplied me with the 80s reference.  Which is amazing--because I believe he was born in the 80s...maybe even the mid-80s.  But, it just goes to show you that a great decade and all its accouterments is appreciated by many.

 

 I have no idea if "accouterments" is used correctly there, but it sure does fancy up that sentence, doesn't it?  And if I'm aiming for anything here--it is definitely fancy.

 

So, now that I have written exactly 3 paragraphs that have nothing whatsoever to do with my topic today...maybe I should get to the point, right?  However, I do hope that in some small way you have been entertained in those paragraphs.  Because, like a small lap dog, I do hope to entertain and sometimes receive a little pat on the head.  Also, I would like a diamond choker...but those are reserved for lap dogs of...say, Paris Hilton...and I am pretty sure I don't want to be her lap dog, diamond choker or not.

 

Well, now make that 4 paragraphs.  Without further adieu...  *clearing throat*  *clearing throat again, and coughing a little*  *taking a sip of water*

 

Man, is it HOT or WHAT???  I don't know where you live, and if I did, that would be sort-of creepy in a stalkerish way...  But where I live in Missouri, it is seriously HOT.  Like, check on your neighbors to make sure they're okay kind of hot.

 

Look, I RECORDED how hot it was today--in case you didn't believe me when I told you.  Now, if any nice law enforcement agents are reading my blog today, please know that I was observing the laws of traffic as I snapped this little pic.  I know there's that little church sign picture going around the internet about texting if you want to meet God... Does snapping a picture count?   Because it was NOT with my phone.  I promise.  It was with my camera.

I have no idea why I am smiling in this picture, because I was DANG hot.  Okay, I know why I am smiling...Because the first picture I snapped I looked like a dork with a weird look on my face.  So, I made sure to smile like a goober for the next one!  Oh, and also because I had a brand new LARGE Sonic sparkling lemonade in my cup holder!!  Oh yeah.

Want to know how my girls decided to cool off this afternoon?  Well, besides the MEDIUM Sonic Coke slushes they ordered.  (Hey!  They're little--they don't need larges!)  Driving out to our summer camp late this afternoon, on a pit stop--remember, they had Coke slushes--this is how Sara Beth cooled off...

She said the breeze felt nice.  A little loud, but nice nonetheless.  Oh, and please ignore the Coke slush stains down the front of her shirt.  I promise I had her change shirts right away...Okay, she changed shirts at bedtime, if you must know the truth.  But, she did go to bed in some nice, clean pajamas!

 

WARNING:  Do not try this at home...or at a nasty gas station bathroom...Unless you want to have some really CRAZY, and TANGLY HAIR...

 

I must admit...she was kind of very proud of her new hairdo.  Referring back to those fabulous 80s again, but she did have some very nice hair height going on.  Cyndi Lauper would be proud.

In closing, I thought I would do a nice little Public Service, and leave you with some photos that might help cool you off a bit.  If not in reality, then in the figment of your imagination...

I give you Christmas 2009 pictures...Any of you Midwesterners remember this?  South Dakotans, remember?  We sure do!  We'll never forget our visit to our South Dakota grandparents... 

 

Walking (in a manner of speaking!) to the front door...

 

But wait!  HOW do we get in the er, front door...????

Honey, are your legs cold???

It was FUN to play in thigh-high snow...for about 15 minutes.  Then, it was just DANG COLD.  (2nd time I've said "dang" in this post...interesting)  This was the kind of cold that makes you angry.  Or, at least it made me angry...even though I am smiling here.  I think this was in the first 15 minutes.  After this picture, I tried to make it back to the house.  I fell about 257 times on the way there, and was sweating and freezing at the same time.  Strange.

Ah, but what I wouldn't give for a SNOW CAVE today in this HEAT!!!  Can't you imagine how FAST you would cool off in that lovely snow cave?

Hmm...I bet there are some mathematicians out there that could actually figure that out.  Here is the equation:  If it is 100 degrees, how fast would a person cool off in 23 below 0 temperatures...that is, NEGATIVE 23...See:

Since I don't have the slightest inclination to answer that math problem, here is my answer:

FAST.

The end.

 

Red Box Renters (and Non Renters)

Are you people as in LOVE with Red Box as I am?  I mean, that idea was GENIUS.  Why, oh why couldn't I have thought of that one?  Cause, if I had, I would be typing this blog post in Maui, on my balcony overlooking the ocean, with somebody fanning me with a gigantic white feather fan, and someone else bringing me frozen blueberries and fresh squeezed orange juice.

I mean, not that I've thought about it at all...

I have seen a couple of movies recently, and thought I'd tell you about them.  If you're anything like me (and I pray to God for the sake of therapy bills, you are not), you like to hear about a good movie suggestion.  Or, a not so good movie suggestion to stay away from.  Oh, and BOY, I have one of those, too!!!

Here goes!  I'll tell you about the most recent 4 movies I've rented from Red Box--and I'll put them in the order I liked them.  (First one was my favorite!)

 

1.  The Young Victoria- I LOVED this movie!  It has been, by far, my favorite movie lately!!  I loved learning more about the history of Queen Victoria, and her love story with Prince Albert.  I felt the movie was well-written and beautifully acted.  Beautiful sets and costumes, too.  This movie is a double-thumbs up for me! 

 

2.  Extraordinary Measures- I really liked this movie!  I'll be honest...I'd had a really tough day when I rented this, and knew I just needed a good cry movie.  Please tell me I am not the only one who rents sad movies to get in a really good cry!  And, this movie delivered.  I will say, that at times, it is a teensy bit heavy-handed, and not the very best writing--but it still is a good movie.  Plus, I LOVE an inspiring movie that is based on real life, like this one!  How can you go wrong with actors like Harrison Ford, Brendan Fraser, and Kerri Russell?

 

 

3.  Amelia- Wow, I am just noticing that all 3 movies I have listed are based on true stories!  I guess I am giving away my taste in movies here--I do love history!  First of all, I wouldn't have cared WHAT this movie was about since Hilary Swank and Richard Gere were starring in it.  Every time I watch Hilary Swank in a movie, I am blown away by her acting.  In my opinion, she is by far one of the most talented actresses in Hollywood today.    Going into this movie, I knew very little about Amelia Earhart.  I felt like the script and the wonderful acting captured her adventurous and independent spirit.  I loved the tender love story between she and Richard Gere.  I also loved watching the "Special Features" included with this movie.

And now, for the NON-Renter:  (In other words, do not waste your time or your dollar on this movie!)

4. Peacock- I was unsure about this movie when I rented it...but because it had really GREAT actors, I went ahead and brought it home.  I really loved Ellen Page in Juno, so I thought she might play another funny and quirky character in this movie.  Plus, with heavy-hitter actors like Susan Sarandon, Bill Pullman, and Josh Lucas--I thought the movie must be good.  Boy, was I WRONG.  What were these actors thinking when they accepted this job???  I turned this movie off way before the end, so maybe everything got redeemed in the end?...  But, I turned off the movie when I realized the great suspense of the movie's climax was whether or not a little boy was going to be abused by a character with a dual personality--in the very same way that man was abused by his own mother as a child.

Um, hello?  That is NOT entertainment.  That is SICK.  This movie is categorized as a "psychological thriller," but I call it revolting.  There is enough abuse in the world.  I do not need to watch a movie portray it in order to understand that there are sick people in the world who were themselves abused as children.  I can turn on the news for that. 

However, maybe the movie redeems itself in the end?  Maybe the main character stops himself before hurting anyone.  Maybe he finds the help he desperately needs?  I certainly hope so.  But, I sure wasn't wasting my time and emotions to watch and find out.

And I hope you don't, either.

Well, shoot a monkey, I sure do hate ending on such a negative note.  I should have started with the gross movie, and ended with the 3 really great ones!

Instead, I'll ask you--what movies have you rented lately that you LOVED?  Or, which ones should I avoid?

My Favorite Kind of Picking...Blueberry Picking

Last week, my sister, her dear friend Wendy, and I met with all of our kids for our 3rd annual Blueberry Picking at Persimmon Hill Farms in Lampe, Missouri.  Now, even though my sister has a blueberry farm not 5 miles from her home, she still likes to make the trek to Persimmon Hill.  Frankly, I think she likes meeting at Persimmon Hill because of ME, her big sissy. 

There she is!  Isn't she cute?  She wears sunglasses because:  a) She's cool; b) She's famous, and doesn't want to get noticed; c) She has a crazy eye, and is embarrassed about it; d) She's gonna kill me; e) Tired of my game yet?; f) The sun was bright.

Oh, and have I introduced you to her DARLING kids?  Oh my WORD, can you see my niece's freckles?  Sure wish I had some of those freckles...they are the cutest thing ever!  And the little guy?  Yeah, he's into me.  He calls me KK, and evidently we chat on his pretend cell phone all the time!!!

 

Notice the bucket?  Persimmon Hill has plenty of buckets and rope available--Us veteran blueberry pickers know that as soon as we arrive, we can grab a bucket, tie it around a waist, and start picking right away!

Oh, Look!  They even allow broken legged children to pick blueberries!  (Okay, it's the foot, but "legged" sounded cuter.)  That air cast has not slowed her down one bit!

 
I kept looking for the little ones, and I kept finding them sitting beneath the blueberry bushes--in the SHADE.  Smart kids, they are!  They'd pick a few berries within reach, eat a few, then move on to the next shady spot.

 

Oh, and the folks at Persimmon Hill?  They are the nicest folks!  They encourage you to eat as you pick--no charge for the snacking!

 Here is what blueberry picking looks like!  I have to admit...my first visit to the blueberry farm, I thought I wouldn't tie the old-looking rope around my waist, I'd just carry the bucket.  I quickly realized the rope around the waist was a GREAT idea--hands-free picking!  Blueberry picking may be the EASIEST kind of picking...you can just saunter down the rows of bushes, easily plucking berries as you go.

After lots of picking (and eating), what do you do?  You sit at one of Persimmon Hill's wooden picnic tables, and have yourself an ice cold Capri Sun!  You can also bring your lunch and enjoy a picnic--or order something from their kitchen.  BIG HINT:  You HAVE to order one of the Thundermuffins.  They are the biggest, and best blueberry muffins I have EVER tasted.

 

(For those of you who don't live within driving distance, Persimmon Hill does sell Thundermuffins online.  They are not cheap, but they ARE delicious!!  And, no, they are not paying me to say this...not with Thundermuffins, either...sniffle.)

 

That day, I checked out with about 2 lbs of blueberries.  At $2.49 per pound, I felt GREAT about my huge bag of $5 blueberries!

What did I do with all those wonderful berries? 

Here are my 3 favorite ways to eat blueberries:

1.  Eat them frozen (If you haven't tried this, you must must must!)

2.  Effortless fruit salad:  watermelon + seedless grapes + blueberries

3.  Blueberry Cobbler -oh my, divine!!

Would you like my blueberry cobbler recipe?  Okay, okay, I must be truthful...this is actually my sister's dear friend Wendy's recipe.  Let me warn you, though.  Wendy is an AMAZING cook, and her recipes are highly addicting.  Okay, they're even more addicting if Wendy makes them.  But, having her recipe is 2nd best.

Wendy's Blueberry Cobbler

1 stick of butter
1 cup of flour
2 cups of sugar divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup of whole milk
2-4 cups of blueberries or your favorite berry

 

Melt butter in a 9x9 pan (If you use a 9x13,the cobbler will be a little more crunchy).
Mix Flour, 1 cup of sugar and baking powder and milk.
Pour your berries over the melted butter and then drizzle batter on top and
sprinkle remaining cup of sugar over the top. Bake at 350 until golden
brown. Don't forget the ice cream!!  (Amen, Sista Wendy, Amen!!)

 

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Relief from Chigger Bites

Well, now that may be one of the most unusual titles I've had for a blog post yet!  But, you people know I am all about a good Public Service Announcement!

Seriously, are chiggers the WORST part of summer?  I mean, at least a mosquito you can see and swat away.  But chiggers--they are the invisible little terrorists that quietly jump onto a nice, unsuspecting girl's legs, and patiently wait until bedtime to inject their evil poison, causing that formerly nice girl to claw away at her formerly pretty legs, and also cause her to think words that a nice girl just doesn't think (or say.)

Are you with me on the evils of the chigger?  Can I get an amen?

Just tonight, we were enjoying a cookout with friends, when my husband looked across the yard and uttered those time-stopping words, "Sara Beth is SITTING in the GRASS!!"  For me, the conversation all stopped in that moment while I screamed out, "NOOOOOO!!!  GET UP OFF THE GRASS!!! HURRRRRYYYYY!!!"

Okay, I didn't really scream those things...but I DID wince, close my eyes, and just imagine the itching and scratching drama we will surely witness over the next several days.  Because, although all chigger bites are bad and terribly uncomfortable, for some children they are just WORSE.  Terrible, no good, bad, worse.  Trust me.  And, for Sara Beth, chigger bites are from the devil.

During my wincing and eye closing and imagining the chigger scratching drama, my friend sitting next to me calmly said, "You know, just get that girl in a bath with a little bleach, and it'll kill those chiggers right away!"

After I kissed my friend for her life-saving information (not really, I'm not even a hugger, much less a kisser) we started talking about chiggers, and what things work and don't.  I had not heard about the bleach trick--but I sure as heck gave it a try!  In fact, I asked my friend if we could just bathe Sara Beth right then and there!

We'll see tomorrow morning if the bleach water trick actually works!  My friend said to add about 3/4 cup of bleach to a full tub of water.  I had Sara Beth sit in the water, and I made sure to scoop up the water and pour it all over her shoulders and back. 

Of course, when I got home, I looked up the evil chigger online.  Contrary to popular belief, the chigger does NOT burrow into the skin.  It does insert a feeding structure (GROSS) into the skin and inject enzymes that cause destruction of the host tissue...Um, yeah--from all the SCRATCHING I'm sure I destroy lots of "host tissue!!!"

The article I read said the most common symptom is pronounced itching...Ya think???!!

 

The article also de-bunked the bleach remedy:

Many home remedies for chigger bites are based upon the incorrect belief that chiggers burrow into and remain in the skin. Nail polish, alcohol, and bleach have been applied to the bites to attempt to "suffocate" or kill the chiggers. But because the chiggers are not present in the skin, these methods are not effective.

Treatment for chigger bites is directed toward relieving the itching and inflammation. Calamine lotionand corticosteroidcreams may be used to control itching. Oral antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine(Benadryl), may also be used for symptom relief.

 

HOWEVER.  I feel that many home remedies DO work...  Even if they do not make medical sense, sometimes they work anyway.  The reason these remedies may be so popular is because they DO relieve some of the symptoms, and people tell others about how it helped them...

 

I'm REALLY hoping that the bleach home remedy works for Sara Beth tonight.  She is sound asleep right now--and smells amazingly fresh and clean!!!  And bleachy!  Let's just pray those EVIL CHIGGERS are not right now injecting any evil enzymes into my baby girl. 

 

Cause, if they are...heaven help me...I am going to need more than 1 Coca-Cola tomorrow morning...

What chigger remedies work for you?