Okay.
Here it is.
An exciting announcement.
I am engaged.
YUP!
Gonna get married to Lamar.
And I couldn't be happier!
The date has been set.
August 1, 2011.
I know, it's soon.
But we figured, why wait?
So if you'd like to continue to follow our family, check out our new blog.
*SHADES OF GREY*
You can either click on the hyperlink above or the link to the right.
It will be a whole new look and will focus on our new, expanded family.
The Coker-Bunton Family.
See you there.
About Me
- Kim
- "Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." ~Unknown
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Young Women's Camp 2011
This year Sammy went to camp on her own. Yep! I was supposed to go with, but at the last minute she felt like she could handle it on her own. She was actually really excited to go. I drove up to camp with everyone...
But as soon as we arrived it started to downpour. I was in no way thrilled about helping to set up camp in the rain. When I checked on Sammy, she was happy as a clam with Sister Bergloff and the other girls. They were planning to sit and wait the rain out. So I headed home. Unfortunately, it ended up raining all day. All the girls ended up getting accomplished that first day was setting up camp and eating lunch.
The whole week long I worried about whether or not Sammy was having a good time at camp. When I got there Saturday morning to pick her up, she was in high spirits. I was told that she had been given an award for her positive attitude. As we drove out of the camp area, Sammy was waving to everyone she saw. On the way home she admitted that she was trying not to cry because she missed camp so much! What a successful week!
But as soon as we arrived it started to downpour. I was in no way thrilled about helping to set up camp in the rain. When I checked on Sammy, she was happy as a clam with Sister Bergloff and the other girls. They were planning to sit and wait the rain out. So I headed home. Unfortunately, it ended up raining all day. All the girls ended up getting accomplished that first day was setting up camp and eating lunch.
The whole week long I worried about whether or not Sammy was having a good time at camp. When I got there Saturday morning to pick her up, she was in high spirits. I was told that she had been given an award for her positive attitude. As we drove out of the camp area, Sammy was waving to everyone she saw. On the way home she admitted that she was trying not to cry because she missed camp so much! What a successful week!
Redesigning the basement
Since Lamar and the kids will be moving in at the end of July, Jonathan had the choice of sharing his upstairs bedroom with Derek or converting the basement in to a livable space. Not surprisingly, he chose the latter. Who could blame him?
While Sammy was at camp we worked like crazy getting his room ready. We had to clean, organize and capret the basement. Then new furniture was brought in. It sure looks great now!
BEFORE:
AFTER:
BEFORE:
AFTER:
I have to admit that his bedroom is pretty cool now. Kind of like his own personal "cave" to retreat to when he wants to get away.
While Sammy was at camp we worked like crazy getting his room ready. We had to clean, organize and capret the basement. Then new furniture was brought in. It sure looks great now!
BEFORE:
AFTER:BEFORE:
AFTER:
I have to admit that his bedroom is pretty cool now. Kind of like his own personal "cave" to retreat to when he wants to get away.
Cookies as a substitute for BBQ ribs...
Gotta love our missionaries.
I saw that no one had signed up to feed them today so I told them they were welcome at my house - although Lamar wasn't going to be cooking. Elder Stringam said, "That's okay, Sister Bunton. We can come over anyway." So I promised chocolate chip cookies since I knew my dinner wasn't going to be very exciting.
When they arrived, the missionaries sat down at the table and loaded their plates with chocolate chip cookies before dinner was even served. Elder Stringam must have eaten two dozen alone! I snapped this shot so I could send it to Lamar so he knew that we missed having him there.
I saw that no one had signed up to feed them today so I told them they were welcome at my house - although Lamar wasn't going to be cooking. Elder Stringam said, "That's okay, Sister Bunton. We can come over anyway." So I promised chocolate chip cookies since I knew my dinner wasn't going to be very exciting.
When they arrived, the missionaries sat down at the table and loaded their plates with chocolate chip cookies before dinner was even served. Elder Stringam must have eaten two dozen alone! I snapped this shot so I could send it to Lamar so he knew that we missed having him there.
Preparing for "Boot Camp"
Since the theme this year for Young Women's Camp is "Boot Camp", the girls all tie dyed t-shirts in camoflage colors. Each t-shirt also had a nice big boot print on the back side.
At first Sammy wasn't sure about the whole process, but with a little guidance she got her t-shirt AND a pair of socks done for camp!
At first Sammy wasn't sure about the whole process, but with a little guidance she got her t-shirt AND a pair of socks done for camp!
Movie in the park
Every Friday night during the summer the city of Clarksville shows a movie on a big screen in the park. Tonight "Ferris Beuler's Day Off" was showing. I remember watching that movie when I was a kid, so I took the kids to see it.
Jonathan brought his guitar and entertained us while we waited for the show to start. Thank goodness the weather hasn't gotten too hot yet.
Jonathan brought his guitar and entertained us while we waited for the show to start. Thank goodness the weather hasn't gotten too hot yet.
I love this man!
Showing off his biceps...
I love that we can be silly together.
Thanks to Jonathan for taking this picture.
I love that we can be silly together.
Thanks to Jonathan for taking this picture.
Gotcha!
All on his own, Jonathan gave Lamar a great big hug this weekend. I, of course, missed catching it on camera. For the rest of the weekend, They teased me by hugging just long enough that I would grab my camera and then they would stop so I couldn't take the picture. Shortly before he left, Lamar gave Jon a great big bear hug and wouldn't let go until I was able to snap a picture. Here are the results:
It cracks me up to see the look on Jonathan's face. Doesn't quite look like he is enjoying himself, does it? But I managed to hack his Facebook page and replace his profile picture with this one for about ten minutes - until he discovered what I had done and changed it back!
It cracks me up to see the look on Jonathan's face. Doesn't quite look like he is enjoying himself, does it? But I managed to hack his Facebook page and replace his profile picture with this one for about ten minutes - until he discovered what I had done and changed it back!
Jon's Biggest Little Fanclub
Derek and Abbie thought Jonathan was just the coolest anyway, but when he brought his guitar downstairs and let them play some he took on super star status.
They loved hearing him play songs on his guitar - especially their favorite song to sing along to, Justin Bieber's "Baby".
They loved hearing him play songs on his guitar - especially their favorite song to sing along to, Justin Bieber's "Baby".
"Frick and Frack"
Sammy and Derek are in so few pictures from our Memorial Day Weekend because they hardly ever left Sammy's room! They played games, colored, played with toys, jumped on the beds, and played video games together.
Lamar said they were best buds and called them "Frick and Frack". I'm just glad they had such a good time playing together this weekend!
Lamar said they were best buds and called them "Frick and Frack". I'm just glad they had such a good time playing together this weekend!
Memorial Day Barbecue
When I took this picture of Lamar, he warned me that I was giving away his secrets to making great meat on the grill. So, if you look too closely, he might just have to kill you. Ha ha ha.
Whenever I show this picture of Lamar, he tells people that the only reason he made such a big flame is because I asked him to. What he fails to add is that I asked him to make it a big flame because I had already SEEN him do it and just hadn't grabbed my camera fast enough to snap a picture. (always trying to blame it on me...)
I'm just glad that we were able to have yet another successful barbecue this weekend!
Whenever I show this picture of Lamar, he tells people that the only reason he made such a big flame is because I asked him to. What he fails to add is that I asked him to make it a big flame because I had already SEEN him do it and just hadn't grabbed my camera fast enough to snap a picture. (always trying to blame it on me...)I'm just glad that we were able to have yet another successful barbecue this weekend!
Super sweet...
One of our favorite things to do is frost and decorate sugar cookies. Messy, but delicious!
Sprinkler Fun
The weather was ridiculously hot over Memorial Day weekend, so we had to find ways to stay cool and have fun at the same time. One idea was the sprinkler.
Derek and Abbie loved running through the water while Sammy went for a bike ride. Eventually Sammy was so hot that she joined the little kids - fully clothed! Oh well. At least she was able to cool down.
Jonathan, on the other hand, slept through all of the fun. Teenage boys - go figure!
Derek and Abbie loved running through the water while Sammy went for a bike ride. Eventually Sammy was so hot that she joined the little kids - fully clothed! Oh well. At least she was able to cool down.
Jonathan, on the other hand, slept through all of the fun. Teenage boys - go figure!
Little Helper
When Lamar and the kids came to visit, Abbie decided that any time I was in the kitchen, she wanted to be there "helping" me. She would run to the bathroom and grab her little pink step stool so she could see what I was doing.
What made me laugh was the time she used her stool to see into the oven while the cookies were baking. She apparently needed to make herself taller so that she could scrunch down to see inside. Too funny!
What made me laugh was the time she used her stool to see into the oven while the cookies were baking. She apparently needed to make herself taller so that she could scrunch down to see inside. Too funny!
Chalk Art
One of Sammy's favorite things to do outside is draw on the pavement with chalk. Today she took Derek and Abbie outside with her to color pictures for a while. Here are the results.
I always like the pictures in chalk because they are fun to look at and wash away in the rain!
I always like the pictures in chalk because they are fun to look at and wash away in the rain!
Another son?
Jonathan tells me that his friends like to come over to our house because they say I'm such a "cool mom". I'll take that compliment. I actually prefer to have them at our house because it gives me a chance to get to know his friends and also keep an eye on what they are up to. 
Whenever Bradley comes over, he calls me his "other mother". I've offered to kidnap and keep him, but he always insists on going home.
Whenever Bradley comes over, he calls me his "other mother". I've offered to kidnap and keep him, but he always insists on going home.
Seriously - I am embarrassed!
Let me set the scene for you.
Me sitting in the corner of the living room working on the computer.
Jonathan and Sammy talking to their dad on Skype.
Jon's friend, Kiana, over visiting for the evening.
A big, black spider crawling on the wall.
I HATE SPIDERS!!!
Jon hates spiders.
Sammy is a big chicken who has never killed a bug in her life.
Kiana is a guest, so I can't very well ask her to kill it.
And I REALLY, REALLY HATE SPIDERS!!!
So I run to the kitchen and grab a bottle of ant and roach spray - spiders must be related to these somehow - planning to kill it by spraying it with poison. But the stupid, hairy little thing crawled onto the beautiful sign April made for me! I was not about to spray bug spray on the sign, so I started blowing (yes, like blowing out a birthday candle) at the spider hoping to scare it off of my sign.
Well, needless to say, that didn't really work. I tried bumping the sign and that helped. It crawled onto the wall where I was able to soak it with bug spray. It promptly fell onto the floor - onto Kiana's flip flops!
Seriously?!?
So I had to pick up one of Jonathan's flip flops and smack the crap out of it. (Okay, yeah, I was screaming bloody murder at the same time.) Keep in mind that this was the first time Kiana had been to our house AND Mike was listening to the whole episode on Skype. Can you say "embarrassing"?
Before Kiana came over tonight, Jonathan asked me not to show her how crazy I am.
Um...sorry Jon. Too late.
Me sitting in the corner of the living room working on the computer.
Jonathan and Sammy talking to their dad on Skype.
Jon's friend, Kiana, over visiting for the evening.
A big, black spider crawling on the wall.
I HATE SPIDERS!!!
Jon hates spiders.
Sammy is a big chicken who has never killed a bug in her life.
Kiana is a guest, so I can't very well ask her to kill it.
And I REALLY, REALLY HATE SPIDERS!!!
So I run to the kitchen and grab a bottle of ant and roach spray - spiders must be related to these somehow - planning to kill it by spraying it with poison. But the stupid, hairy little thing crawled onto the beautiful sign April made for me! I was not about to spray bug spray on the sign, so I started blowing (yes, like blowing out a birthday candle) at the spider hoping to scare it off of my sign.
Well, needless to say, that didn't really work. I tried bumping the sign and that helped. It crawled onto the wall where I was able to soak it with bug spray. It promptly fell onto the floor - onto Kiana's flip flops!
Seriously?!?
So I had to pick up one of Jonathan's flip flops and smack the crap out of it. (Okay, yeah, I was screaming bloody murder at the same time.) Keep in mind that this was the first time Kiana had been to our house AND Mike was listening to the whole episode on Skype. Can you say "embarrassing"?
Before Kiana came over tonight, Jonathan asked me not to show her how crazy I am.
Um...sorry Jon. Too late.
End of Year Rewards
I made a deal with Jonathan. He had to wait until the end of the school year to get his hair colored. Well, it is the end of the year, so we did it. Of course, Sammy had to do it too. We were there for almost three hours! I wasn't allowed to go into the salon area, but they were super nice and let me sneak back for a few pictures.
Jonathan's hair took forever! They had to put it into a whole bunch of little pony tails first. He looked hilarious. I threatened to post pictures on Facebook. Luckily Jonathan doesn't embarrass very easily. The final effect wasn't quite what he was hoping for, but it was quite an experience anyway. Sammy's hair turned out shocking! My friend, Amanda, called her "Rainbow Bright".
Jonathan's hair took forever! They had to put it into a whole bunch of little pony tails first. He looked hilarious. I threatened to post pictures on Facebook. Luckily Jonathan doesn't embarrass very easily. The final effect wasn't quite what he was hoping for, but it was quite an experience anyway. Sammy's hair turned out shocking! My friend, Amanda, called her "Rainbow Bright".
Hat Day
I don't usually post pictures of me by myself. Usually only for my birthday. But today was Hat Day at school, and I just love this hat...
It was a good thing it was Hat Day too, because I woke up late and was able to put my hair in a pony tail and pop a hat on my head and NOT be late for work. No shower? No problem.
It was a good thing it was Hat Day too, because I woke up late and was able to put my hair in a pony tail and pop a hat on my head and NOT be late for work. No shower? No problem.
Too cute to leave behind...almost!
Another day at the animal shelter. The first puppy we took out to play with was so hyper and kept biting Sammy. This little guy was a spaz in the kennel with his buddies but was sweet as can be once we got him outside.
It's getting more and more difficult to leave each week without adopting a dog. (Be strong, Kim. You can resist. Just think of the messes. The vet bills. The piles of poop in the yard.)
It's getting more and more difficult to leave each week without adopting a dog. (Be strong, Kim. You can resist. Just think of the messes. The vet bills. The piles of poop in the yard.)
His Royal Heighness
Shopping at Walmart, Jonathan and I started getting kind of silly. At one point I turned around and saw him sitting on a "throne" of paper towels. He looked like he belonged there!
As we continued to shop, I kept handing more items to Jonathan and expecting him to haul them all over the store for me. He was a good sport, but it was ultimately determined that his mother must have been a shopping cart and his father was a pack mule because he was so good at carrying everything.
As we continued to shop, I kept handing more items to Jonathan and expecting him to haul them all over the store for me. He was a good sport, but it was ultimately determined that his mother must have been a shopping cart and his father was a pack mule because he was so good at carrying everything.
Little Blue Dots
Okay, so in an effort to be sweet and silly at the same time, I sent a letter to Lamar telling him how much I care about him. But I wrote it on a bunch of little blue circles. 140 of them to be exact. One word on each circle. Don't get me wrong, I numbered each one so he could put them in the correct order. It was all in good fun.
But this afternoon I got the following text message from Lamar:
But this afternoon I got the following text message from Lamar:"I really love you, but I don't know if I like you right now. 140. Really. And 81 and 18 look alike so far. Grrrrrr. Lol."
At first I was so confused. I couldn't figure out what was making him mad. So I called him to find out. All he said was, "Really? Little blue circles..." Then I knew what had happened. And I could not stop laughing.
He swears that he will be getting me back someday, but no matter what he does it will be so worth it! And that silly man actually took the time to put each circle in order and glue them to the sheet of paper. Such dedication. (It only took him the whole day to finish. Ha ha ha.)
Double Doozies
These have got to be the BEST cookies in the world! When we lived in Indiana, there was a cookie store in the mall called the "Great American Cookie Company" and they made these cookies. Two chocolate chip M&M cookies with frosting in between. We used to buy them all the time - until the store went out of business.
Now we live in Tennessee, and there is totally a "Great American Cookie Company" in our mall! Today I took a day off work to go to a meeting at Sammy's school and afterwards I stopped at the mall to do a little shopping - and left with this cookie! Wow! It was so good that I ended up eating it for lunch. Not after lunch. FOR lunch! Mmmmmm.
Now we live in Tennessee, and there is totally a "Great American Cookie Company" in our mall! Today I took a day off work to go to a meeting at Sammy's school and afterwards I stopped at the mall to do a little shopping - and left with this cookie! Wow! It was so good that I ended up eating it for lunch. Not after lunch. FOR lunch! Mmmmmm.
Paparazzi gotcha again!
Jonathan is always trying to hide from the camera. I don't know why. He's such a cutie!
But he's a teenager, so I guess I'll just have to enjoy this stage and wait until he is willing to show his face again...
But he's a teenager, so I guess I'll just have to enjoy this stage and wait until he is willing to show his face again...
Her job is a tough one...
Anytime I make cookies, Sammy wants to help...
Lick the beaters, that is. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it!
Lick the beaters, that is. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it!
Being unfaithful...
Tonight I did something terrible...
I made break-n-bake chocolate chip cookies instead of using my own (amazing) recipe.
I feel like I am cheating.
My recipe is tried and true and turns out great every time.
But tonight I wanted cookies to go on top of my ice cream and I just didn't have the energy to mix up the ingredients myself. Besides, these are the mini size cookies and how CUTE is that???
I promise it won't happen again.
At least not anytime soon.
I made break-n-bake chocolate chip cookies instead of using my own (amazing) recipe.
I feel like I am cheating.My recipe is tried and true and turns out great every time.
But tonight I wanted cookies to go on top of my ice cream and I just didn't have the energy to mix up the ingredients myself. Besides, these are the mini size cookies and how CUTE is that???
I promise it won't happen again.
At least not anytime soon.
My Best Friend, Lamar
It's a crazy story - how we met...
Lamar and I were both signed up on LDSMingle.com (a church dating website). One night I was "shopping online" for new members and I came across Lamar's profile. I've told him so many times since that I never would have clicked on him if he hadn't been listed as living in Woodbridge, VA. It sparked my interest because my family lived in that city for many years and I wondered if he had ever met them.
We started chatting online, and eventually we moved on to talking on the phone - for hours and hours at a time. We got to know each other as well as we could without ever meeting. It was fun talking to him because he is intelligent and funny and different from many guys I had met before. To make a long story a little shorter, Lamar quickly became one of my very best friends!
Over his kids' Spring Break, Lamar drove to Tennessee to visit me and the kids. We had such a great time together. I am super happy, and a lot of that is because I have found a man who can be caring, funny, loving, and honest. A man who also happens to be my very best friend.
Lamar and I were both signed up on LDSMingle.com (a church dating website). One night I was "shopping online" for new members and I came across Lamar's profile. I've told him so many times since that I never would have clicked on him if he hadn't been listed as living in Woodbridge, VA. It sparked my interest because my family lived in that city for many years and I wondered if he had ever met them.
We started chatting online, and eventually we moved on to talking on the phone - for hours and hours at a time. We got to know each other as well as we could without ever meeting. It was fun talking to him because he is intelligent and funny and different from many guys I had met before. To make a long story a little shorter, Lamar quickly became one of my very best friends!
Over his kids' Spring Break, Lamar drove to Tennessee to visit me and the kids. We had such a great time together. I am super happy, and a lot of that is because I have found a man who can be caring, funny, loving, and honest. A man who also happens to be my very best friend.
Lamar's Visit to Tennessee
While Lamar was here, I asked Jonathan to snap a bunch of pictures of the two of us. Most of them turned out cute. Even the ones where he was acting silly were fun
Jon did a good job of capturing our interactions. And used some creative techniques when composing the pictures - angles and repeated shots. Thanks, Jon!
Jon did a good job of capturing our interactions. And used some creative techniques when composing the pictures - angles and repeated shots. Thanks, Jon!
King of the Grill
Lamar loves to grill. And not only does he love to grill, but he is very good at it! His ribs are legendary. Really...
So when he came to visit, Lamar helped me pick out a nice charcoal grill and even worked all day to assemble it so we could host a big barbecue on Sunday. Jonathan (kinda) helped too.
At the barbecue, Lamar manned the grill. He cooked six slabs of ribs - complete with his own special BBQ sauce, a dozen chicken breasts - marinated in another secret concoction, hamburgers - made of ground sirloin and ground bison, and hot dogs - because there were a few kids (including Sammy) who wouldn't eat anything else. He must have been at the grill for almost two hours, but it was worth it!
I asked Lamar to show Jonathan how to get the grill started so that we could have cookouts even when he wasn't here. He shared some of his secret tricks for getting the meat cooked perfectly. Let's hope Jon took careful notes!
The cookout was a HUGE success! We ended up with over 20 guests and everyone had something positive to say about the food. Leftovers were sent home with the missionaries who admitted to eating ribs for breakfast the next day!
So when he came to visit, Lamar helped me pick out a nice charcoal grill and even worked all day to assemble it so we could host a big barbecue on Sunday. Jonathan (kinda) helped too.
At the barbecue, Lamar manned the grill. He cooked six slabs of ribs - complete with his own special BBQ sauce, a dozen chicken breasts - marinated in another secret concoction, hamburgers - made of ground sirloin and ground bison, and hot dogs - because there were a few kids (including Sammy) who wouldn't eat anything else. He must have been at the grill for almost two hours, but it was worth it!
I asked Lamar to show Jonathan how to get the grill started so that we could have cookouts even when he wasn't here. He shared some of his secret tricks for getting the meat cooked perfectly. Let's hope Jon took careful notes!
The cookout was a HUGE success! We ended up with over 20 guests and everyone had something positive to say about the food. Leftovers were sent home with the missionaries who admitted to eating ribs for breakfast the next day!I can hardly wait until Lamar and his kiddos come back for the Memorial Day weekend and we host another great barbecue!
Growing Up Without a Cell Phone
I saw the following message and thought it was too funny not to share.
When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning.... Uphill... Barefoot... BOTH ways...yadda, yadda, yadda. And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it! But now I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a Utopia! And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!
1) I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!
2) There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!
3) Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our butts! Nowhere was safe!
4) There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!
5) Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and mess it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, baby!
6) We didn't have fancy things like call waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it!
7) There weren't any cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY GOSH !!! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please! You kids have no idea how annoying you are.
8) And we didn't have fancy caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, the collection agent... you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!
9) We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen.. Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!
10) You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your couch and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh no, what's the world coming to?!?!
11) There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little brats!
12) And we didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! Imagine that!
13) And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort. And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!
14) And car seats - oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were lucky, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!
See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1970 or any time before!
When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning.... Uphill... Barefoot... BOTH ways...yadda, yadda, yadda. And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it! But now I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a Utopia! And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!
1) I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!
2) There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!
3) Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our butts! Nowhere was safe!
4) There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!
5) Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and mess it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, baby!
6) We didn't have fancy things like call waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it!
7) There weren't any cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY GOSH !!! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please! You kids have no idea how annoying you are.
8) And we didn't have fancy caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, the collection agent... you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!
9) We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen.. Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!
10) You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your couch and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh no, what's the world coming to?!?!
11) There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little brats!
12) And we didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! Imagine that!
13) And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort. And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!
14) And car seats - oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were lucky, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!
See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1970 or any time before!
More Artwork by Jonathan
Jonathan and his friend, Pheobe, drew pictures on the driveway with chalk today. Jon drew a unicorn with a rainbow mane and tail. Pheobe drew a dragon. Both looked great!
The drawings on the driveway led to a debate on facebook about which fantastical creature is better - a unicorn or a dragon.
The unicorns won by two votes.
Congratulations, Jon!
Sqeeeeeze!
Jenn and I headed to Nashville for the day to do a little window shopping and have lunch at Cheesecake Factory. While we were walking through the mall, I found these skinny stairs and just had to squeeeeeze into the spot! Jenn wqas being a stick-in-the-mud and refused to let me take a picture of her on the little stairs.
At first we couldn't figure out why they would create a set of stairs so tiny, but upon further inspection we realized that it was actually just a narrow part of a wider staircase that was covered up because of the constructoin of a new store. It was still funny, though.
At first we couldn't figure out why they would create a set of stairs so tiny, but upon further inspection we realized that it was actually just a narrow part of a wider staircase that was covered up because of the constructoin of a new store. It was still funny, though.
A little bit of Texas
Part of my Spring Break was spent in Texas visiting Jen Oler, a friend from back in Indiana. We hadn't seen each other in almost two years. It was so much fun just hanging out and talking and doing some long overdue scrapbooking.
The day I left, Jen took me to Coyote Candle - a very Texan store. They had all kinds of lawn decorations, stars to hang on the wall, and some incredible large and "western" furniture.
I got such a kick out of some of the pieces that had animal fur all over them. Everything was oversized and overpriced. I guess everything IS bigger in Texas!
The day I left, Jen took me to Coyote Candle - a very Texan store. They had all kinds of lawn decorations, stars to hang on the wall, and some incredible large and "western" furniture.
I got such a kick out of some of the pieces that had animal fur all over them. Everything was oversized and overpriced. I guess everything IS bigger in Texas!
Natural Disaster
On most days it looks like a tornado hit Jon's room.
To deal with this, I try to spend very little time looking around when I am up there. Today, though, I just had to laugh because the scene from the doorway was so chaotic.
Most days, Jonathan just walks into his room and dumps everything from school on the ground. Once a week I require that he straighten up. It usually lasts all of ten minutes, but at least he makes the effort for me.
To deal with this, I try to spend very little time looking around when I am up there. Today, though, I just had to laugh because the scene from the doorway was so chaotic.
Most days, Jonathan just walks into his room and dumps everything from school on the ground. Once a week I require that he straighten up. It usually lasts all of ten minutes, but at least he makes the effort for me.
Service with added benefits
For one of her Young Women's projects, Sammy has decided to volunteer at the animal shelter. What this translates into is us visiting each Saturday for about an hour and taking different dogs outside to play for a while.
The great part is that Sammy is giving the dogs at the shelter some much needed attention while at the same time getting her "puppy fix". The tricky part is making it back home without adopting one of these cute dogs. If only having a pet wasn't so costly and time consuming...
The great part is that Sammy is giving the dogs at the shelter some much needed attention while at the same time getting her "puppy fix". The tricky part is making it back home without adopting one of these cute dogs. If only having a pet wasn't so costly and time consuming...
STRIKE!
So, Monday nights are "cheap nights" at Pinnacle Bowling Lanes. It only costs $2 a person and shoe rental is free. And since we have five kids between the tow of us, Mike and I decided to meet on Mondays for a night of bowling with everyone.
Jonathan gets a bit frustrated because he tends to get a pretty low score each time we bowl. But he keeps at it and really is starting to improve.
Sammy uses the gutter guards so that she has a better chance of hitting some pins. She and Chance take turns bowling and actually do pretty well. Sammy actually kneels down on the ground and shoves her ball down the lane. It makes me laugh, but it works for her.
Jonathan gets a bit frustrated because he tends to get a pretty low score each time we bowl. But he keeps at it and really is starting to improve.
Sammy uses the gutter guards so that she has a better chance of hitting some pins. She and Chance take turns bowling and actually do pretty well. Sammy actually kneels down on the ground and shoves her ball down the lane. It makes me laugh, but it works for her.Mike always amazes me because he bowls using only his two fingers. He doesn't use the thumb hole. And his ball spins and almost falls into the gutter but at the last minute will curve and hit all the pins down!
My high score is usually somewhere in the low 80's, but I am working on throwing the ball straighter and have been doing better. Mostly, we just enjoy hanging out together and having fun!
My high score is usually somewhere in the low 80's, but I am working on throwing the ball straighter and have been doing better. Mostly, we just enjoy hanging out together and having fun!
Another one bites the dust...
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone who is celebrating today...I'm trying to think positively about this holiday.
Valentine's Day (in the past) has been kind of crummy, but today ended up being pretty good. I had a party at school, got some fun text messages from friends, surprised my kids with little goodies, and now I'm going to go work out for the first time in months.
Does working out tonight counteract the cookies I just gobbled down while I checked my email?
Snow (?) Days
I really don't think I can stand it much longer. We are on day 4 1/2 of snow days this week! That's right... I have taught for a grand total of five hours this week. I am in withdrawl. And worse yet, I have had to spend the week cooped up in my house with my two teenagers! Here is a picture of the snow outside our house.... About 4 inches. 
And here is a picture of the snow at Mom's house in Rockford, IL.
And here is a picture of the snow at Heidi's house in Wisconsin - where they didn't cancel school until there was about 20 inches on the ground! Now, that's a snow storm worthy of a snow day. 
Yes, we are pansies here in Tennessee. But while I have the time "off" I'll try to enjoy it and not go completely stir crazy.
And here is a picture of the snow at Mom's house in Rockford, IL.And here is a picture of the snow at Heidi's house in Wisconsin - where they didn't cancel school until there was about 20 inches on the ground! Now, that's a snow storm worthy of a snow day. Yes, we are pansies here in Tennessee. But while I have the time "off" I'll try to enjoy it and not go completely stir crazy.
What to look for...
I love this quote:
Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot
Who calls you back when you hang up on him
Who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat
Or will stay awake just to watch you sleep.
Wait for the guy who kisses your forehead
Who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats
Who holds your hand in front of his friends
Who thinks you're just as pretty without makeup.
One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky he is to have you.
The one who turns to his friends and says, "That's her."
Yeah, I'm a romantic at heart...
Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot
Who calls you back when you hang up on him
Who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat
Or will stay awake just to watch you sleep.
Wait for the guy who kisses your forehead
Who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats
Who holds your hand in front of his friends
Who thinks you're just as pretty without makeup.
One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky he is to have you.
The one who turns to his friends and says, "That's her."
Yeah, I'm a romantic at heart...
Like a pebble on the lake...
First, a disclaimer...
I am not a complete klutz. I know how to walk and even run pretty well. I generally stay on two feet and don't often injure myself. And I turn beet red when I am embarrassed.
Okay, on to the story...
NOTE: I really wish I had a picture (or better yet, a video) to accompany this post, but you'll have to just try to visualize this the nest you can without visual aids.
So, tonight was game night at Amanda's house. A bunch of girls from church and a few from other places (lol) get together to play board games and card games on Friday nights. Tonight was lots of fun - we played UNO MadDog...and I lost. But I always lose, so that is not the best part of the story.
Well, since I had brought the kids along with me, I couldn't stay too late. Around 11pm we said our goodbyes and headed out to the car. Jonathan asked if he could drive home, and I figured that if I got to the car first I would be the driver. So I started running to the car to beat him there.
Amanda's front yard has a pretty decent hill that angles toward the street and ends with a small ditch right by the road. Well, as I ran down the hill, I somehow tripped over my own feet and fell to my knees in the wet, muddy grass. But that is not the end of our sad tale. As soon as my knees hit the ground, I started to fall forward. My keys and the box of Oreo balls flew out of my hands and slid into the middle of the street. I tried to brace myself with my hands and ended up bouncing along the grass on my stomach like a pebble skips across the lake. I slid to a stop on the pavement behind my car.
OUCH!
My first reaction was shock and pain. I started to cry. By the time Jonathan reached me and asked if I was okay, I had moved on to laughing. I couldn't help myself. I must have looked so ridiculous falling and bouncing like that. I couldn't stop laughing - even as I headed back into Amanda's house to wash the blood and gravel off my hands.
Everyone got a good laugh at me, and that's okay since I was laughing the hardest of everyone anyway. After I got cleaned up and Amanda put a band aid on my hand, we left..again. This time I was careful to walk slowly and Amanda even supervised my trip to the car. A very embarrassing situation, but such a great story!
I am not a complete klutz. I know how to walk and even run pretty well. I generally stay on two feet and don't often injure myself. And I turn beet red when I am embarrassed.
Okay, on to the story...
NOTE: I really wish I had a picture (or better yet, a video) to accompany this post, but you'll have to just try to visualize this the nest you can without visual aids.
So, tonight was game night at Amanda's house. A bunch of girls from church and a few from other places (lol) get together to play board games and card games on Friday nights. Tonight was lots of fun - we played UNO MadDog...and I lost. But I always lose, so that is not the best part of the story.
Well, since I had brought the kids along with me, I couldn't stay too late. Around 11pm we said our goodbyes and headed out to the car. Jonathan asked if he could drive home, and I figured that if I got to the car first I would be the driver. So I started running to the car to beat him there.
Amanda's front yard has a pretty decent hill that angles toward the street and ends with a small ditch right by the road. Well, as I ran down the hill, I somehow tripped over my own feet and fell to my knees in the wet, muddy grass. But that is not the end of our sad tale. As soon as my knees hit the ground, I started to fall forward. My keys and the box of Oreo balls flew out of my hands and slid into the middle of the street. I tried to brace myself with my hands and ended up bouncing along the grass on my stomach like a pebble skips across the lake. I slid to a stop on the pavement behind my car.
OUCH!
My first reaction was shock and pain. I started to cry. By the time Jonathan reached me and asked if I was okay, I had moved on to laughing. I couldn't help myself. I must have looked so ridiculous falling and bouncing like that. I couldn't stop laughing - even as I headed back into Amanda's house to wash the blood and gravel off my hands.
Everyone got a good laugh at me, and that's okay since I was laughing the hardest of everyone anyway. After I got cleaned up and Amanda put a band aid on my hand, we left..again. This time I was careful to walk slowly and Amanda even supervised my trip to the car. A very embarrassing situation, but such a great story!
Happy Birthday, Sammy!
We kept things kind of simple for Sammy's birthday this year.
Nothing too complicated...except for the cake!
Sammy wanted a dog cake (big surprise, right?) so I worked on making one that was 3-D. It took me forever and the silly tail gave me fits, but it ended up looking pretty cute!
Sammy got lots of fun presents, but her absolute favorite was a Justin Bieber CD. She was such a nut tonight. Quite the cheeseball. But we love her! I still can't believe she is fourteen!
Nothing too complicated...except for the cake!
Sammy wanted a dog cake (big surprise, right?) so I worked on making one that was 3-D. It took me forever and the silly tail gave me fits, but it ended up looking pretty cute!
Sammy got lots of fun presents, but her absolute favorite was a Justin Bieber CD. She was such a nut tonight. Quite the cheeseball. But we love her! I still can't believe she is fourteen!
Special Visitor
Life has been really hard lately. I have been super lonely and very stressed out. One afternoon I broke down and called Mom and asked her to come stay with me for a while. I just needed the emotional support.
She wasn't too sure about such a long trip at first, but ultimately agreed to stay for a whole week. It was so nice having someone to talk to and help with the kids.
She wasn't too sure about such a long trip at first, but ultimately agreed to stay for a whole week. It was so nice having someone to talk to and help with the kids.
The greatest son on earth...
I can't even begin to count the number of times that people come up to me and tell me how awesome Jonathan is. Seriously. At least once a week at church.
I have to agree with them. Jonathan is such a kind, smart, caring, responsible, friendly, mature kid. I would love to take some of the credit for his amazing personality, but he came to earth that way! I just have the privilege of taking care of him. :)
I have to agree with them. Jonathan is such a kind, smart, caring, responsible, friendly, mature kid. I would love to take some of the credit for his amazing personality, but he came to earth that way! I just have the privilege of taking care of him. :)
The effects of gravity
At school I have been teaching about gravity and its effect on falling objects. My students conducted an experiment where they dropped various objects (paper, feather, tennis ball, golf ball) and recorded which object fell the fastest. The results were as expected...the paper took teh longest every time.After that experiment, I challenged my students to find a way to make the tennis ball and the paper fall to the ground at the same rate. It was interesting to see what they tried...dropping it sideways, dropping it with the ball on top, dropping it from a different height....
When they had been given a few minutes to complete the task, I showed them another option. I took a piece of paper and crunched in into a ball. When I dropped the crumpled paper and the tennis ball this time, they hit the ground at the same time. This got the kids' attention.
I next asked them to try to explain why the crumpled paper fell faster than the flat paper. I assumed they would talk about the shape and air resistance. What surprised me was that many of the students actually suggested that the crumpled paper weighed more than the flat one! It was at this point that I knew I had to address this misconception.
I tried relating it to something more familiar. I asked the students if I would weigh more on a bathroom scale if I crouched down than if I stood up straight. Most of them said that I would. Hmmmmm. They needed proof.
So.....
Today I actually brought in a bathroom scale and weighed myself...that's right...in front of my students. I stood up straight, I crouched down into a ball, I stood on one leg. They were surprised to discover that I weighed the same no matter what position I stood. Finally! They began to understand that an object (like me) did not change mass or weight just because it changes shape.
Unfortunately, now my students all know how much I weigh...and I am sure that by tomorrow so will half the parents! Oh well, all in the name of science education!