Why I don't like to eat at home

So today we treated ourselves to a little Chic-a-lay (as Madeline calls it) and here is sweet little Anna enjoying herself having a french fry or maybe a bit of chicken nugget. Isn't she sweet? Doesn't she look like she's the picture of prim and proper? Weeeellllll, just you wait....
Oh yeah...this is her at home at dinnertime feeding herself some green beans. Aaron was feeding her tonight because I was trying to make that complicated dinner...what's it's name...? Oh, yeah, frozen pizza. Well, you do have to read the package you know. Anyway, so I look over and this greets me. Oh, lovely. My immediate thought? Cool blog pictures.




Please keep Aunt Betty in your prayers. For those of you who don't know, the Dr. is saying the end is near for her. Six months or less. Please keep her and Uncle Ernie and Peggy (her twin) in your prayers.

The family that plays together...

Here are all the girls playing the piano. I think we all have potential.

OK, so we went to see "Brooklyn" today. It had Diana DeGarmo (from "American Idol" fame) and Melba Moore (a Tony Award winner) in it. It was very good. There are only 5 people in this show and 3 people off stage as, I guess you would call them, back up singers. It was upbeat, sweet, gritty and fairy tale-ish. That Diana can flat sing. As can the rest of the cast. They were just great. I had no idea what to expect and was very pleasantly surprised. Thank you again, Uncle Ernie!

On to more delivering news...Rachel did have her baby. It went to Neo-natal for tests and the x-ray showed nothing but the MRI showed a little bit of the C-Cam left. The baby (Eden) was born at 9:40 something and weighed 7 lb. 15 oz. and was 20 inches long. I think I got all that right. Rachel should be going home tonight and I'm not sure if the baby will be or not. It got out of neo-natal but then went back in for breathing erratically. Keep Eden and Rachel in your prayers. They're not quite out of the woods, but I think they're seeing some light.

The Piano

This is my sister's piano. It is beautiful. Our grandparents gave it to her a looooooonnnnnnnggggg time ago. You see, she's older than me. (sorry, Pamela, I have to speak the truth, you know, journalistic integrity and all) Teehee.

Anyway, my sweet sister has allowed me to borrow her piano which was being stored at a friend's house in Balch Springs so we went and picked it up tonight. My mother was right, it really needs tuning and I'm not one of those perfect pitch people and I can tell. I am taking piano lessons and Sadie will be in the fall so now, thanks to Pamela, we have a piano on which to practice. Thank you, Pamela!

Now, on to other news...The baby we've been praying for will be here (according to the people who know) before midnight. Rachel went to the hospital today to have the baby. Last check (around 8:30) she was dialated to 8-9 and they had to break her water. I will send news as I have it. Exciting times!

Sock Moppin'

This is what we call "sock moppin'". We put on socks (well, the girls do) and throw some water on the floor and away we go!


I subscribe to a website called "Flylady.com" and this "sockmoppin'" is an idea that came from a "flybaby" (although I came up with the name). If you have trouble keeping your house tidy, I wholeheartedly suggest a visit to the sight. You'll think "how can it be so simple" and "why didn't I think of that" when you read her strategy. But it works - so if you're in need of help...it's free!

Happy Birthday, Tylar

This is Tylar, Jon Michel's girlfriend. It's her Birthday today. Happy 21st Birthday, Tylar!!!! I know Aaron made her a beautiful necklace (you can see she has it on) that says "T-BONE" and I gave her a package of Oreos and a package of Double Stuffed Oreos. How could her day have gotten any better?
Conrad and Sadie are rollerblading on Ruth's hill. Color me nervous.
When Jon and Tylar came over Jon played "sister burrito" with Sadie and Madeline. He shows alot of promise for a job at any place with "taco" in it's name.
All I can see when I see this picture is broken limbs. Thankfully, he made it safely down Ruth's hill and all the way home with no broken anything.
This is a finished "Sadie Burrito".

First Big Girl Bath

What with the upcoming big 1st birthday and all, I thought it was time for a big girl bath. That and there were dishes in the sink and I didn't have time to clear them out.

She's gettin' into it. She sees the fun potential in this bath thing.

Oh my goodness, the most amazing thing just happened...OK, first this is Anna after she's all cleaned up. What a cutie.

OK, now, y'all all know how I can never get the pictures in the order I want, right? Well, I thought I had put on the picture of Anna after she was all washed up but I had actually clicked on the first picture twice. So, with great hesitancy I clicked on the second "first" picture and it actually deleted only that picture. So, I figure, that went well and what the hay I have time to redo the whole thing if need be, I go back to download a whole 'nother picture and voila, it's there. It's at the top but it's there. So then, I get really brave and I try to move the picture and I'll be danged if it doesn't go just where I wanted it to. What a red letter day for the blog! That's almost bigger than being able to put links to stuff on here. But not as big as when I can put video. I have two cute ones of Anna. Keep your fingers crossed!

PSKA

This is a Public Service Kitten Announcement... Do you have snuggling issues? Do you have a need to hear purring every now and then? Does a kitten sitting on your lap sound appealing to you?
Are you in need of an independent yet loving companion? One who can take care of itself if you need to go away for a few days? One who probably will enjoy that time away from you, too, thereby eliminating the guilty feeling you feel when you leave fido at home for a long weekend?
Please consider adopting one of these absolutely adorable kittens birthed by Banda's mother. This will be her last litter so these are a collectors' item. Get 'em while you can!

Just e-mail me (lwangler@sbcglobal.net) and let me know you would like one and I can make arrangements. There are 4 boys and 2 girls, 5 tiger striped and 1 gray. And I think the gray one is a female.

The visit

My sons' grandparents came over tonight to visit with Aaron and take him to dinner. I always enjoy visiting with them and tonight was no exception. If you read this Anne and Walt, thanks for the visit, we enjoyed ourselves. This is Walter with Anna. He is such a gentle soul, I can't imagine a child not looking like that at him.
They always bring the girls a treat when they come. This time it was suckers and paper doll books. This is Sadie dressing her doll.
This is Anne with Anna. I didn't know until tonight that Anna shares her birthday AND her name with Anne's mother (who will be 90 this Aug. 13).
They (my children - including Aaron) begged me to take a picture of Banda in the doll stroller. I chose this one because it looks like Mia (the stuffed dog on the floor) is trying to bite her feet.
This is Aaron with Granny and Grandpa. They are very lovely people.

Trying new stuff

OK, I'm trying something new~

Since Aaron is here to show me how to do things I want to learn how to make links in my blog to other things. So, click here and it will take you to a site that my Aunt Janis found. You'll be amazed what this guy can do. Don't ask me how he does it.

So, no pics tonight, just the link. Give it a try.

Holiday at Nan's revisited

We are back home!!!!! Woohoo! I cannot wait to sleep in my own bed with no children in my room.

Thank you, God that our tire only went flat and didn't "blow-out" as the consequences could have been much more severe than just pulling over and changing the tire. Thank you, Conrad for being so good at stuff like that.

Since we spent the day traveling. I thought I would send out some pictures that didn't make the blog this week but that I really liked.


This one actually made the blog but in a different form. I liked the one I took with Auntie B's camera better but it hadn't been downloaded when I did the blog on this day.
This is the baby deer as it ran toward me that fateful day. I thought I had put this picture on and was disappointed to find out I hadn't. As an update, the Wildlife and Fisheries people came and got the deer. In my world, they nursed it back to health and put an ad in the "Daily Deer Planet" classifieds and Doe and fawn are reunited.
This is my overall favorite picture of the week. My Auntie B. gives looks like this when she is all up in arms about something or someone. I will be printing this one out and framing it.
I thought this was such a pure joy picture. Ashlea and Uncle Greg playing the guitar. He was making the notes and she was strumming. That's teamwork.
This picture is from today. We saw this motorcyle on the way home. How cute is this? That's a real dog.

Holiday at Nana's Day Seven

Day Seven. All available troops, save one, on a mission at the Air Force Academy in Colorado are present and accounted for.



You'll understand in a moment what I mean when I say "the torch is passed".
I don't know how long we've been singing "I'm a Little Teapot" in my family but for as long as I can remember we have and it was requested again tonight at our family reunion talent show. Here are some of us doing it. In the picture above this one, the little ones finally learn it and get their turn at it.
This is our "Scrivner Playhouse Presents" cast from "The Wizard of Oz". Ashlea made an absolutely wicked witch, the scarecrow, lion and tinman couldn't be any more authentic if it had been Lahr and Co. themselves and Dorothy? Man, could she take you with her down the yellow brick road. And, of course, our guest stars, Wendy and Pamela as Glenda and the Wizard, respectively were to die for. Great job one and all.
This is Pamela and Greg entertaining us all with singing and guitar playing during the talent show. Great job everyone!

I have to tell you that one of the best pictures on the blog tonight disappeared during one of my trips back to the Phase 10 table. (We're playing Phase 10 while I blog and it's in a whole 'nother room and I'm running back and forth.) I will put it on the blog tomorrow as there are several pictures from the week that didn't make it that should.

Holiday at Nana's Day Six

As the days wore on, we realized we needed more reinforcements. Nanny was brought in to be followed in the coming hours and days by more formidible troops. We welcomed the new blood as the children began to sense our weakening.


This is my sister Pamela. All of these children (except Anna) screamed "Nanny, watch me" about a thousand times in the pool this afternoon. Welcome to my world, Pamela. Thank you for sharing it with me.

Holiday at Nana's Day Five (part two)

Day 5 at Nana's (part 2) - Reinforcements arrive!


Mom and Aaron got here today around lunch time. Yahoo! They brought with them energy and peach pie.
This is my magic wand. Madeline made it for me and I only use it for good, not evil.
This is our craft mess for the day. We made magic wands and visors and picture frames. We're going to put pictures from this week in our picture frames for a lasting memory.
This is Anna finding a new source of snack. I think her favorite is the liver flavored kibble.
Sadie took this picture and it was so energetic I couldn't resist putting it on here. This is Alysse, Wendy's oldest girl, she's the same age as Sadie, 7.

Holiday at Nana's Day Five (part One)

Day four at Nana's OK, really it's day 5. It started out with a phone call that went a little something like this:


Me: Hello?
phone voice: Is Brownie or Howard there?
Me: No, they're gone right now, may I take a message?
phone voice: this is their neighbor, and do you know there is a deer in your backyard? Really it's a fawn.
Me: NO WAY! I'm coming out to take pictures, no one will believe this.

Chaos ensues.
These are the pictures (of course, not in order and in fact they are backwards).
This is the little fawn after Greg(on the right) caught it. That's Joe on the left feeding it from Anna's bottle. You can buy a baby bottle anytime but you can only save a deer once maybe twice in a lifetime.
The great catch. The little thing was exhausted and bleeding from it's nose and back hoof, paw, whatever you call it.
This is the cute little thing running through the brush.
Again, through the brush.

Holiday at Nana's Day Three

We are into Day Three of Holiday at Nana's

Madeline was a bit more willing participant in the activities today. Full of gusto I would say. "Go Madeline"!

This is all the cousins except Anna who was asleep upstairs. It took a great deal of cooperation to take this picture. No splashing and no sudden moves because I took my camera in the pool. I know, not the smartest thing but look at the cute picture!

"One, two, three, jump"!