Off to see the Wizard!

As I've said before Jay is in love with the Wizard of Oz.  It just so happened I took him with me to do some errands this week and he saw a billboard with the Wizard of Oz on it.  Turns out one of the local High Schools was doing a production this weekend.  Of course we had to go!  Tickets were cheap, my husband was off, and there happened to be a kid movie that he and my other punk could go to.  It was meant to be!

Here is how our day started.  At 5:45 am, no less.

Jay:  Mommy today is the Wizard of Oz!

Me:  Yes, I know!

Jay:  Is it almost morning?

Me:  Yes, almost!  (Kind of chuckling to myself because to him it's not "morning" until it's light outside.  So why the heck can't he sleep until morning?)

Jay:  (In a panicy voice)  What if we miss the play?!

Me:  We won't.  We'll go after dinner.  (TWELEVE HOURS from now.  Heaven help me through this day!)

And at 6:30 am

Jay:  Mommy, is it starting yet?

Me:  (Already wishing I had surprised him rather than let him know we were going, but once he saw the billboard it was all over!)  Honey, I've got this.  We will be there on time, please don't make me crazy all day.

And surprisingly, he didn't.  We did talk about being excited many times throughout the day, and I loved that.  But, he didn't keep asking the "is it time yet" question.  Thank goodness!

So finally it was time. 

Can you tell he's just a teensy bit excited?  Gotta love the big grin!  We went inside, and there was already a line starting to form.  10 minutes later it was out the door!  We stood in line for about 20 more minutes.  I think those were the longest moments of his little life!  I asked him if he was nervous.  He said yes.  I asked him why.  He said he was worried about that witch!

Here he is just before we walked into the auditorium.  He loved the little tin man.  I may have to make one of those for him!

As soon as we sat down he grabbed my hand.  His excitement and nerves were getting to him.  Now we had another 15-20 minute wait before the show began.  Could time go any slower?

Some friends showed up and sat next to us.  She was kind enough to take our picture.  He is just giddy!

Finally his wait was over.  The show began, and it was incredible!  I've never seen such an amazing high school play.  Not a bit cheesy, fabulous back drops, props and costumes.  He's completely convinced it's all real.  Even though he still had my hand in a death grip, he LOVED every minute!

He did not let go of my hand until intermission!  Yes, it was a hot, sweaty mess.  The special effects were amazing.  The witch, Glenda and the flying monkeys all actually flew.  "The Oz Man" was larger than life, and according to Jay, the scariest part!  (And he was worried about the witch, heh, heh!)

 At the end, and I think this may have just been the very best part of the evening, he got to MEET all the characters!

Now, if you know my Jay, you will understand what a HUGE deal this is.  One, because he LOVES the Wizard of Oz more than anything else.  And two, because he is very shy and reserved.  He HATES Chuck E. Cheese, and all other characters.  But, he mustered up the courage to meet his idols!  I was so excited for him!

 Tin man

 Dorothy.  His very most favorite.  And she was so sweet to him!  I just wanted to hug her for making my baby happy.

 Seriously, THE most amazing lion I've ever seen!

 The scarecrow could not have been better.  The play had people dressed up as crows walking around singing on stage.  So fun!

 An "Oz Girl".  I know he looks less than thrilled, but you've got to remember how nervous he was!

 Toto!  That's his self assigned character when he's playing Wizard of Oz!  He was so impressed he's a real dog!

 And finally Glenda.  So kind and took her time visiting with him.  Amazing.

Material things in this life fade.  But memories are forever.  Someday he won't love Wizard of Oz like he does now.  My dad always told me to enjoy life and make memories NOW.  I am so thankful that I could make my little boy's dream come true.  He will always remember the time we went to the see the Wizard of Oz.  I hope he also remembers that I love him and love being with him. 

Wizard of Oz tickets: $20.
Making special memories with my baby:  PRICELESS!

"O" is for Octopus!

This week is "O" week.  We have been learning about the ocean and the octopus.  After making some octopus critters to hang on my already overly decorated fridge, and reading stories about the ocean, I decided to try something special for lunch.  It was an idea I found online and thought was too great not to try!  I'd like to share it with you!

Boiled Octopus!

Yes, I know!  My boys were a little freaked out too.  But, just like I told them, TRUST ME!

Here goes.  Step by step.  Are you ready?

Start with regular hot dogs.  The bun-length ones would be great too!

Slice through the hot dog, leaving an inch or so at the top.  Then rotate the hot dog 1/4 turn and repeat.  You will now have four sections.  Cut each section one more time so you have 8 legs.

Your octopi (that sounds so weird!  Why can't we just say "octopuses"?  Who makes these rules, anyway?) are now ready to be boiled.

Drop them in the boiling water.  Don't worry, they won't feel a thing!

The legs begin to curl up as they cook.  Honestly, I don't know how long I cooked them for.  I was making mac n cheese at the same time, so you get the idea.

TA-DA!  Boiled octopus, and if your kids are like mine, they will LOVE it!  I wish I had that green ketchup (do they still make that?) for them to dip it in because it would have looked like algae.

Brave octopus eating boy.

And look, here's another one!  Of course, it helps to always have chocolate milk to wash your octopus down with!


Their dinner conversation was almost as entertaining for me as the octopus was for them!

Jared:  I don't know if I'd eat REAL octopus.

Me:  Shawna has eaten it.  She liked it.

Jay:  I ate alligator before!

Jared:  What did it taste like?

Jay:  (pause)...  ALLIGATOR!

Jared just gave him a look.

A few minutes later:

Jay:  They're gooder with ketchup!

Jared:  You mean BETTER!

Jay:  NO...  GOODER!

What can I say?  I always have a reason to smile!

Splinters In My Forehead

As you may or may not have noticed, I changed my address on my blog.  I did this for two reasons.  One, I saw that someone else had my previous address as a twitter address.  I wanted to avoid confusion.  Second, I wanted something unique.  As it turns out, there is a pretty funny story leading up to the title/address of my blog.

So, about a year ago, my little boy wanted to take a bath in my jetted tub.  No problem, I knew that would keep him busy and happy for at least half an hour, so I hooked him up, bubbles and all.  You would not believe the amount of bubbles jets create!  Well, look at the picture, you'll see.

I was walking out of the bathroom, and evidently wasn't paying much attention to where I was going and KICKED the wall next to the tub.  OH MY GOSH!  I thought I was going to pass out, it hurt so bad!  I hopped to my bed and examined my foot.  My poor pinky toe was totally crooked.  It bruised and swelled almost immediately.  Really, I wanted to cry.   I could not put ANY weight on it whatsoever without shrieking.  Of course the fact that I had to drive my husband's STICK SHIFT car to go pick up my daughter from school in less than an hour, and it was my clutch foot that was injured, made me want to pass out for sure! 

Anyway, since I lived to tell about it, I'll shorten the story and just say:  NO, I didn't go to the doctor, because I'm STUPID.  I know my toe and the foot bone below said toe were broken.  My foot was black and blue for WEEKS, every other step was painful, and people at church were stunned to see me NOT wearing heels.  Seriously, my ego in flats was almost as pained as my toe.

Anyway, back to the point.  A couple of days later, I needed a few things from the store.  (I drove my automatic transmission truck, in case you were wondering.)  I sent my daughter in with my list and money and waited in the truck...  I didn't do anymore walking than a mother of six ABSOLUTELY has to do.  ha ha.  So, I sat when I could.  Well, I just happened to pull down the vanity mirror on the visor to check my hair and reapply my lip stick.  What?  I had no book, I was bored.  I noticed that my eyebrows were out of control.  Again.  (Jared had climbed up in the front seat next to me to play with everything he wasn't supposed to touch.)  I pulled out my tweezers and began pruning my eyebrows.  Jared, bless his heart, had such a look of concern on his face.  He touched my arm and said, "You okay?  You got splinters in your forehead?"  I could not help but burst out laughing!  He began laughing too, though he didn't know why.  Poor baby probably thought I'd lost my mind.  I didn't even know what to say or how to explain.  I just laughed.  And hugged him for being concerned.  So, the moral of this story is:  They are watching even when you don't think you are doing anything for them TO be watching!

And NO, I'm not gonna post pictures of my eyebrows.  Aren't you lucky?

Wendy Dewitt -- Food Storage Seminar, Part 1 of 9. "Top 10 Reasons"

Here it is! There are 9 parts. Take a few minutes and watch!

It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark...

...but today I see the clouds forming.



We, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have been counseled for 80 years to have food storage.  We can't rely on the government or church or anyone else to "save" us in an emergency.  We need to be prepared to take care of ourselves and our families.  I hate the thought of not being able to provide for the needs of my children.

Recently, I was able to attend a seminar by Wendy Dewitt.  Her system for planning, organizing and implementing a one year food supply is awesome!  She has videos of her seminar on YouTube, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to put up the link.  Just type in her name and I'm sure you'll find her.  :0)

She also has a website where you can read all about her system.  You can email her and she will send you (FREE!) 2 booklets with detailed information on how her system works.  I'll type the address in case my link doesn't work like I think it will and you can copy and paste it if you want to.  http://everythingunderthesunblog.blogspot.com/

I am so excited to organize my storage and be prepared for whatever emergencies life my inflict upon my family.  Go check it out!  Hurry up!

I Spy with my Little Eye...

WARNING:

The pictures you see below may be disturbing to some.  Especially my mother.  She would think I should be embarrassed.  And, she's probably right about that.  But, it's my reality.  Now, my entire house does not look like this. THAT alone would make me go insane (if my  SIX wonderful children haven't already, and I can still claim to be sane at the moment.)  But, my office does spiral out of control frequently.

It's kinda funny to me that I have such a wide variety of weirdness in my office.  Who has soooo many things that belong so many other places taking up precious desk/floor space?  So, I thought it would be fun to play a little game of "I Spy."  My little ones love the game, (although they CHEAT!) and it keeps them from killing each other in the car.   Sometimes.

So, have a good look at the photo, if you can stand it, and then see if you can find all the odd things I'm going to list for you.  And feel free to call me a slob if it makes you feel better about yourself.  ;0)  I don't mind.

*Mardi Gras Beads that I can't seem to find a home for.
*Pantyhose I purchased in the wrong style.
*A very late birthday present for my mother (I bet you're "lost" on that one. heh, heh!)
*A Bed, Bath and Beyond flier containing an ad for a cotton candy maker that my 4 year old has asked me to by for his birthday at least 7 times.  (His birthday is not until spring) I'm going to throw it away at once!
*Several file folder games that have been sitting there, unfinished for 6 months.  Maybe even longer.
*A small notebook that needs to be taken to my truck.
*A xyron sticker maker
*A Creative Memories Album that is full of pictures from 2006, but is still not all titled and journaled.
*A couple of boxes of Bob Books.
*A cup from Sea World with my name on it, that my Dad found at a yard sale.  This is only weird to me because I don't have a common first name, and have actually been to Sea World.
*A cricut cartridge, including the keypad, box, and booklet.
*Jump Start First Grade Math computer game that I bought last century.
*Bible Crazy Eights card game.
*A broken candy cane reindeer
*The Children's Songbook
**I'm sorry that you can't see the vampire teeth and play-doh cans behind my computer.


PART TWO:


Now this one is the other side of my office.  I guess if you are brave enough to look at my desk, you can handle this...

I spy...


*A dry erase writing book.
*An over flowing trash can.
*Two baby dolls for my sweet little nieces.
*A baby afghan for the new sister of above nieces who was born in October.  Yeah, I have a post office phobia.  Not really, but it would sound like a valid excuse if it were true.  Wouldn't it?
*Pink, girly wrapping paper for said gifts.
*Various over due library books.
*Several wounded stuffed animals waiting for much needed surgeries.
*A box of file folders for making file folder games which I procrastinate finishing.
*More scrap booking paper than I will use.  Ever.  Mostly because I no longer like half of it.
*A family home evening board that needs names of my newest children added to it.  They are now 4 and 6. 
*"Happy Phonics" games which we actually do use in our home school.

Now, I have to go clean my office.  I bet you feel better about your day already, don't you? ;0)



Update:  I DID actually clean this mess up.  Mom would be proud!  But, sadly, it was not picture perfect by the time I got around to getting my camera out to take pictures of it.  So, you'll just have to take my word for it...  I really am NOT a slob.  Usually.

The Wizzin Uh Boz

... or the Wizard of Oz, as it is more commonly known, is my 4 year old's FAVORITE movie in the whole, wide world!  It's funny to me that he can watch it over and over and over, and never grow tired of it. 

Last year at Halloween he saw a woman dressed in a Dorothy costume walking around Walmart.  He BEGGED me to take him to say "hi" to her.  Of course I made Shawna do it instead!  He was THRILLED!  She was so sweet and talked to him and even let him pet Toto, who happened to be stuffed.  He asked me why Toto wasn't real.  I told him that She couldn't bring the real Toto into Walmart, so she left him home and brought the stuffed one instead.  He believed it.  ;0)

This year at Halloween, he wanted to be Toto.  Yeah, how the heck does a mom make a Toto costume?  I had no clue, so I didn't.  But, I am thinking about it, and maybe next year our entire family will dress up as Wizard of Oz characters. 

He has already assigned everyone their character anyway.  He is Toto.  Stephanie is Dorothy and Shawna is Glinda the Good Witch of the North. (Which is really funny since we live in the South, and people tell her that she has an accent and sounds like she's from the North.)  Keith is the scarecrow, Kevin is a flying monkey (go figure!) and his Daddy is "The Oz Man."  I,however, am unassigned.  I have often wondered about this.  He NEVER mentions me when he's talking about "who is who" in the movie.  I thought maybe I was the Wicked Witch of the West and he just doesn't want to tell me.  Sometimes you have to be the Wicked Witch when you are a mom.  Sad, but true. 

Well, I have been purchasing Wizard of Oz figures for him for Christmas.  You know, the McDonald's toys that came out a couple of years ago.  I know, it seems weird, but you have no idea how happy he will be to open those all up on Christmas morning.  He had a couple of the toys, but our dog pretty much destroyed them, and Jay was devastated.  Anyway, I received the Wicked Witch of the EAST the other day, and it hit me!  That's me!  That's my character!   She has the best SHOES!




Yep, I'm pretty sure that's me.  ;0)