Meat & Cheese Pie

Bryon brought home this awesome recipe last week, and I made it up for dinner. I doubled the recipe and it made three quiche-like meat and cheese pies. Bryon won't eat quiche, but he liked this a lot. I froze the other two. Try it if you like...we did!

Meat & Cheese Pie

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
1 small can corn (drained)
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup green onions, thinly sliced
salt & pepper
1 pie crust

Brown beef in skillet, stirring until crumbly; drain. Combine mayo, milk, eggs and flour in a large bowl; mix until smooth. Stir in browned beef, cheeses, green onions, salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until crust is brown. Let sit for a few minutes until firmed up. Serve.

Editorial Blog Correction

Let the record show that BRYON found the Where Did I Come From? book and not me.  Much like FoxNews and CNN, I reported erroneously.

And so it is.

The Birds and The Bees Talk

Grace has been very curious lately as to exactly how babies get into mama's bellies. She's 7 1/2 if you remember.

She actually got an eyeful last year thanks to a pregnancy and childcare book I forgot I had. When Bryon painted and redecorated her room for her birthday last September, I piled all of her books from her book case in the entryway including that pregnancy and baby care book. My dad had gotten it for me before she was born. Now it was just in a stack on top of her book case used to prop up dolls for viewing.

I had forgotten all about that book.

As I moved the piles into her room after the redecorating was finished, I insisted that she be the one to organize her books back on her book shelf. It was a ridiculous plan because I knew I'd end up reorganizing them due to my Type A, slightly OCD obsession with that bookcase.

After a while of working on the project, she came out holding THE BOOK and said, "Mama, this is like a doctor book! Look!"

Sure enough there was a picture of a fuzzy little, dark haired baby crowning between a mother's legs. It was not cartoony. It was real.

You can imagine the questions that followed. I told her the truth. Yes, it hurts. Yes, it's messy, etc. etc.
At that point it was plenty of information, and mercifully she didn't ask how it got there in the first place. Whew!

This summer she's begun to put two and two together and has been asking much more specific questions. At first we just told her she wasn't old enough to know yet, but like her mother (ahem), she's persistent. She started pummeling Nana with the same questions.

Bryon took a poll of parents at his work and it was unanimous that if she's asking questions it's inevitable that someone  would eventually give her answers right or wrong. And that someone might as well be us. Several of the parents recommended this book, Where Did I Come From? 

Bryon found the book and last night he read it too her. Brave, brave Daddy! I came in at the tail end for the big finish: birth. She didn't ask too many more questions. It was pretty specific and explained everything. In great detail. With all the correctly named body parts. Bryon told her that all animals (mammals) basically do it the same way. Like the chickens and rooster in our yard.

Every time she sees that rooster going after a hen she thinks they are marrying.

No more.

She did ask if that's why they squawk all the time. Yes, yes it is. She also asked why people don't make sounds. Well, we did manage to avoid that one.

Bryon explained that this was private information and not to be shared with all of her classmates because some parents do not want their kids to know about all of this yet. She agreed to be the keeper of the truth about creation.

We'll see if it sticks. By the end of August we'll be the heroes or the villains for telling her the truth and not letting her learn on the bus like everyone else.

I just saw the same author has a book for puberty too.

Thank God.

Summer Time And The Swimmin' Is Easy

Bryon built this great deck for our new swimming pool. So now we can just jump right off into it or lounge on the side benches. Grace has been in the pool a lot already. A swim suit is pretty much constantly dripping on the back deck while it hangs to dry.

This week has been especially crazy because swimming lessons started. She's in the advanced class already and doing great.

Now he and the Grandpa's are working on a pergola and concrete patio at the end of the stairs where we'll then have an outdoor room.

I wonder if we can put an air conditioner in?

Silver Dollar City Day

 Last week I took Grace and her BFF to Silver Dollar City. For one briefly insane moment there, I had a third seven year old lined up to go with us. I'm pretty sure a third would have done me in.

Actually, there were really, really good. It's me, not them. I have absolutely no patience, so I just had to go to that happy place in my head for twelve hours. Yeah, it took twelve hours. We left at 8 am and returned home at 8 pm.

We burned that place down.

We rode every ride except Wildfire (they were still too short) and the train.  In fact, her friend was a half inch too short for most of the rides. Luckily, Grace had her high heeled flip flops on, so I made them trade. That got Short Stuff on all the rest of the rides.

At one point, the ride operator of the Electro Glide told us we should just go to the measuring station and get her a wristband so she wouldn't have to be measured every time since she was "All Ride" height. Cool, I thought. So off we traipsed to the measuring station where the girl made her take OFF Grace's high heeled flip flops and measured her flat footed.

No dice.

She was still kiddie ride bound. Grace was an inch OVER All Ride status so as soon as we were out of sight of that measuring station, I tore off Short Stuff's wristband and we were golden again. Was I perhaps setting a bad example by using deception to get what I wanted? Yes. Did we ride like fiends? Yes.

Grace got to ride the barn swings for the first time and Powder Keg for the fifth or sixth. My only real regret was those dang tea cups. I'm pretty confident I've spun my last tea cup. I remember when we went to Disney World when I was small and my Dad hated those things and got sick after riding them. Oh yeah, I wanted to hurl.

We wore our swim suits under our clothes so we could ride the water rides and not have squishy underwear all day. Ingenius I know.

We pretty much ate our way through the park. I don't even want to add up what we spent on food, but over all it was a very fun day.

A day full of YES.

Boy did I sleep well that night.

 Who doesn't love that?

Read Me A Story

 At the risk of being too stinkin' cute, I had to share these pics of Grace and Rosie.

Grace brought her into her room one night (a feat in itself because Rosie still likes her little bed in the garage much more than inside). Undeterred, Grace decided she was going to read to her.

I'd say it was a success all around.

Memorial Memories

Okay, first of all I know...I suck. I just realized I hadn't posted since May 3. Eek! My three fans are revolting. So here you go, the colossal update and a promise to try harder. No, I'm not going to post every day, but I'll try to make it more than monthly.

This weekend we finally got the pool up. We had a dozer guy out to level the ground several weeks ago then hand-worked the ground and leveled it more with a 2x12, a tape measure and a four foot level.. We felt like it was pretty good but my dad borrowed a transit on Friday, and we shot it . Thankfully, it was less than a 1/2 inch off. We had two inches to work with so we were relieved.

Saturday we had a crew of friends and family rounded up and started the pool raising at 7 am with homemade biscuits and gravy. We had the pool up by noon and the Niangua fire dept. brought us out water to fill that puppy up.

Grace was in and out of it from the first droplets till the final fill.

 

The garden hoses only got it so far and when the fire truck arrived things really picked up.

 

It took the rest of the afternoon to get that sucker filled to three quarters full. They came back out this afternoon and finished it up. Bryon and I finally go the skimmer and the filter/pump hooked up no thanks to the absolutely horrible instructions or lack there of.

It was chilly, but we all got in this evening including Nana and christened it.

Grace went through four swimsuits in two days.

We had a talk about that.

Looks like a long fun summer. Bring it!

The M.R.S. MisGuided

I'd like to introduce The M.R.S. MisGuided. 

It's officially finished and successfully completed it's maiden voyage last weekend with Bryon, Matt and Steve taking turns at the oars. Not only did it float successfully but it also survived the misguided oaring of three novices.

They even caught some fish.

Grace and I are waiting for our turn now.

Row, row, row your boat.

Sprung!

We've had spring around the Big Cedars for more than a month now. Way earlier than usual, so of course we got premature gardening fever. Bryon planted potatoes, radishes, onions, lettuce, cabbage and broccoli around the first of March and yesterday we enjoyed the first fruits, er, vegetables of that labor.

It was delicious! I finally stopped buying balsamic vinaigrette from the grocery story and just mixing up my own. I figured out the trick is LOTS of honey and half balsamic vinegar and half extra virgin olive oil.

I found a recipe for radish relish I'm going to try, maybe tonight. I've made zucchini relish several times and it's soooo good on hamburgers and hotdogs. I never know what to actually DO with all those radishes but the are just so lovely their too good to waste. I'll report back on how it turns out.

Today we bought tomatoes and pepper plants. Sure it's probably way to early, but hey, if we get tomatoes a month sooner, WooHoo!

We've had some progress on the pool building as well. We have a spot almost leveled out and we'll be putting it up very, very soon. YOU may be on the list of potential pool builders so prepare your strong ropy muscles in advance! It will be all hands on deck for pool raising day! We pay in beer and Aleve. The beer comes AFTER the work is done. That was a lesson learned long ago. Yeah, I'm talking about you brother Mike ;)

Friday night we got another little farm surprise.

She was up by the road in the ditch along our driveway. Bryon found her when he went in the Rhino to pickup Grace off the bus. She followed them home. Grace fed her. Case closed.

She is COVERED in ticks and fleas and has hardly any hair on her belly. Her nipples look like she's had a litter of pups in the recent past. She's thin and pitiful. We are hoping she doesn't have mange. We gave her a flea/tick bath yesterday and Frontlined her. She's very friendly and can't keep her tail still when you peek your  head out at her or talk to her. Of course she's a little skittish but she's warming up.

You can feel every bone along her back and her sternum protrudes. We've all been washing our hands incessantly after handling her but you just can't resist giving her a pet or a scratch or picking yet another tick off of her. Bryon is taking her to the vet tomorrow and Grace can barely wait for a report of no mange so she can cuddle with her.

Grace had a complete meltdown Friday night as we discussed what to do with her. We thought maybe someone in Bryon's dad's apartment complex would enjoy a tiny dog like her. Grace lost it and proclaimed her undying love for her. Bryon told Grace we can't keep every pet that shows up at our house. Grace responded (correctly) that this was the first one in her WHOLE LIFE and that she wanted a dog that was little she could hold that wouldn't ever grow up.

Geez, how can you argue with that?

Besides, how much could it possibly eat? It's tiny.

I'm pretty sure she has worms too. Double fun. Bryon will probably stroke when he has to pay the vet bill tomorrow but she's too cute to turn out. I'm surprised she hadn't already been eaten by a coyote up there by the road and the field.

She's stayed right on the back step on that little bed the past few nights. I'm sure as time goes on she'll get more adventurous but for now, she's pretty damn happy to stay right there safe, sound and fed.

Stay tuned for the vet report. I'll try to let you know before ten days passes again :)

Damn bloggers.

Belle Eats Bubbles

Here is your video entertainment for the day. Grace busted out the bubbles last night, and Belle joined in. That's some good clean entertainment right there.

Bryon and Gary were playing trackball in the yard off screen, and the chickens were in the peanut gallery.

First shorts and flip flops of spring.

Puss In Boots & Kitty Softpaws

Grace's art of the week. Guess what she watched last weekend.

That's a sword by the way...just in case you were wondering. 

We asked.

A Medley of Certificates & Awards

This was a big week for the Medley children, furry and otherwise. 

Grace brought home three certificates of achievement and another 100% on her weekly spelling test. She's only missed words on two tests all year and those were the first couple of weeks before we all caught on to how things worked in the first grade.

And Belle graduated from Obedience School.

I'm pretty sure they gave Belle and I a pity pass but you know what, I'll take it. She is a terrible walker on a leash. Wednesday night she turned it on and did great for her test .She was also supposed to sit and stay for one minute. She did, but in 15 second increments. You can see she "needs work". Well, duh. That's why she's in obedience school

I would give her overall performance a C+. Ms. West was generous.

Now it's my turn. My writing workshops begin in two weeks. I'm just glad I won't get a grade or have to take any tests. 

I hope I get a certificate of achievement.

Belle Eats Bubbles

Here is your video entertainment for the day. Grace busted out the bubbles last night and Belle joined in. That's some good clean entertainment right there. Bryon and Gary were playing trackball off screen and the chickens were in the peanut gallery.

First shorts and flip flops of spring.

Top 10 Things I've Learned From Dog Obedience Training

Week five of dog training. Two weeks left.

Honestly, it has been a pain. The weekly commitment is excruciating, especially since I hate doing things during the week nights. I know, I know I'm getting old. I'd just like to come home and relax (cue hysterical laughter here because that rarely actually happens either).

I have learned and clarified a few things these past few weeks about myself and my dog.

Here ya go:

10. Even if you pay for it, you can not force people or animals to respect your authority. I still have no idea how to command that. 




9. My dog will do virtually any trick for a hot dog. I would do virtually any trick for Thin Mints.

8. It is rarely a good idea to wear a fanny pack around your waist. At obedience school, it's the only way to both protect your hot dog ammunition and ensure your dog's rapt attention.

7. A doggie seat belt is only somewhat effective. It does indeed keep your pet out of the front seat, but not from pinging around the back seat.

6. My dog, like my kid has her own opinions and a strong will. Possibly stronger than mine.

5. Dog training instructors take things very seriously. Most of the classes I've felt like I landed in the middle of a Saturday Night Live skit. I may be the only one who sees the humor, but I have entertained myself. 

4.  I can only remember the names of the bad dogs and not the good ones. I have no idea who the owners are.

3. Two of the tricks Belle has learned are to spin around and to roll over. I see no practical application for either trick, but I was inordinately proud that she could do them.

2. The three main training goals I wanted to accomplish (no jumping, come when I call and no more chewing on me) continue to elude us. Luckily, we also have a shock collar. That will be plan B.

1. Even though she may never be Best In Show or win an agility competition, Belle is still a part of our family now, til death do us part and at six months we all love her despite her occasional naughtiness.

Redbox Anxiety

I rented my first ever Redbox movie this weekend.

I don't know why those little red kiosks inspire so much anxiety in me but they do. The idea is ingenious, but I am very intimidated by them. I have no idea how they work or how they hold all of those movies or how I can possibly drop my movie off at ANY Redbox kiosk and not upset the balance of the movie going universe.

It's boggling.

Since Bryon had to work all weekend, I thought it would be a good time to give it a try. I picked the Kum & Go kiosk. There was already a family renting a movie when we arrived. I got in line in the cold with Grace in tow. We waited impatiently while I tried to see exactly what they were doing. Normally, I'm pretty good with computers and finding my way around them (e.g. just keep punching keys or clicking until something happens).

The family finally retrieved their movies and moved along. We were up. I slid my card prematurely and screwed up the whole works. I waited for it to reset. Grace had already picked out a Wii game and a movie she wanted from the display. I went about trying to find them on the touch screen while holding up the little window shade and trying to read with a glare blinding me.

The movie was not available but the Wii game was. I picked out another movie, Real Steel and proceeded to the check out. The game cost $2 a day and the movie was $1.20. What a bargain! Real Steel is on our DirecTV right now, but it is $4.99 to rent so I was pretty excited. Grace always wants to buy new Wii games but most of them are too difficult for her or just lame. This was a good opportunity to try before we buy.

I am always on the lookout for a bargain so this process appeals to me. The anxiety boost for me is the pressure to then WATCH the movie and RETURN it immediately so I don't get charged again. When there were actually brick and mortar rental stores, you got to keep  the movie for five days. There wasn't so much pressure to watch it immediately. What if something comes up? What if I suddenly develop bronchitis on the way home and don't feel like watching my movie. What if I'm just not in the mood. Now that I HAVE the movie in my hot little hand, I don't even WANT to watch it.

It's really only a bargain if I get it for $1.20. Of course if I pay less than the $4.99 it costs on DirecTV, I am still saving money but $1.20! That's a deal!

Geez. The PRESSURE!

As I'm struggling with the whole procurement process and having the above conversation in my head, another family gets in queue behind us.  As if that's not enough pressure, Grace pipes up, "Nana is a lot faster at this."

Really? Your sixty five year old grandma is faster than me? Well, it's on like Donkey Kong.

I put some brainpower into it and finally get the mission completed and we scurry away with our treasure. As I pull out of the parking lot, I am more than a little paranoid that maybe my card didn't clear out before the next group rented their movies. For all I know, we could be paying for the entire city of Marshfield's movie rentals as I type.

I'll bet Nana didn't think of that.

On Being Regular

There's something to be said about being regular.

Don't worry, I'm not about to launch into an Activia commercial. I'm talking about being a regular, which also strangely enough makes you feel sort of good inside.

Most of the time, I would just as soon be anonymous in my eating and shopping. I like to just go about my day and not necessarily see people I know. Strangers become a part of the scenery and background noise. Most of the day, I am content to just stay inside my head and listen to the internal chatter. Trust me, it's plenty noisy and entertaining in there.

One time in particular that I most wished to be anonymous was when I was teaching school at Fair Play. The closest Walmart was in Bolivar so that was the shopping mecca for everyone who didn't want to travel to Springfield. I used to have this really funny t-shirt of a cartoon dog humping a fire hydrant. It said, "Safe Sex" on it. I found it hilarious. I wore it often.

One day I wore it to Walmart. That day, I saw three different student parents. I strategically crossed my arms over the tag line and humping dog. No one said anything, but if I could have slipped into invisibility from embarrassment, I would have.  Sometimes, it's best if you are anonymous. Or if you at least turn your inappropriately funny shirt inside out.

There are a couple of places I visit often enough that I have become a 'regular'.

One is Hebrews in Springfield. Hebrews is the coolest most laid back of coffee houses. Local art gallery offerings bedazzle the wall, cool Indie music croons from the sound system, and I see lots of other familiar faces when I am there. Like Norm at Cheers, they know my name. If only I could remember theirs.

The other place where my entire family has become regulars over the years is Freda's Uptown Cafe in Marshfield. You can find one of us there (mostly Grandpa) nearly any given day of the week. Grandpa has become such a regular they call him Hoppy because he hops from table to table visiting and socializing most weekday mornings.

When he missed several days this past couple of weeks for sickness, Freda was trying to find out where he lived so she could take him is senior breakfast order of biscuits and gravy. Bryon represents the Medley clan a day or so during the week as well since he's been working three twelve hour days. I like to go every Saturday and Sunday.

We are so regular at Freda's that we exchanged Christmas cards. Grace's still hangs behind the register even now, halfway through February.

One of my teenage Facebook friends posted in his status that one of his life goals is to become a regular somewhere. There are many definite benefits and really only a one disadvantages to being a regular.

Disadvantages: 
1. You can NOT read a book. People will greet you, engage you, quiz you and if you are alone ... join you, because obviously you do not WANT to be alone. Otherwise you would not have come to the restaurant. That's crazy talk.

Advantages:
1. The waitress' know what you want and orders for you. Every time. They are correct.
2. You get to see the same other regulars who have now, over the course of many years, become your real and actual friends. You don't see them usually outside of the restaurant. It's a special club.
3. The owner gives your kid special holiday gifts.
4. The owner hangs your father-in-law's art on her walls.
5. People buy that art.
6. You are pretty sure your seven going-on-sixteen year old daughter has a secure part-time job prospect hinging solely upon getting a drivers license at some point.
7. A famous person occasionally stops by to schmooze with the locals.
8. You can catch up on all of the town happenings on the bulletin board in the breezeway. It's better than the local paper.
9. Cream cheese stuffed strawberry French toast.
10. Breakfast all day no matter how late you sleep in.

Are you regular?

Online Alzheimer's

All characters appearing in this work are not fictitious. 

Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is no coincidence. 

Sometimes I feel like I have online Alzheimer's. These days between Facebook and blogging, tweeting and meeting people in real life, I forget who I've told what. Just another reason I make a terrible liar. I never know who has read my blog and who hasn't. So I'm pretty sure I'm repeating myself more times than not.

I suppose my friends think I've morphed into one of those annoying long married spouses who just keep retelling the same dozen glory days stories over and over. If they were good the first six dozen times around, they are good enough to retell again.

Stop me if you've heard this one:

Phone rings. Conversation with my Mom progresses. 

Mom: Brenda {her sister} called me to ask if I had seen the article in the paper about the symptoms of Alzheimer's.
Me: Yeah, was that in Bolivar paper?
Mom: Yes, I read through them. I had all of them except two!
Me: Which two?
Mom: I don't remember.

See, it's hereditary. I have become my mother.

That's not a bad thing. I'm just saying: Apple ... Tree.

I've mentioned before that I'm not a good oral storyteller. I need the time and luxury of seeing and then massaging the words until they make the most sense. When I try to tell a story out loud, it basically comes out like something closer to a seven year old's knock knock joke. All the elements might be there, but they get them jumbled up and in they end make no sense. The punch line is ruined.

One thing I do know is that I can't keep anything inside. Especially if it's funny to me. So if you do something ridiculous or funny in my presence, you have a good chance of making the blog. Especially now that we are halfway through month two. Today was especially tough to come up with something as you can probably tell by this struggling post. Today would be your rock.

Also, just so we are clear, by being my friend or family you are agreeing by proxy to an implied contract that all actions, words or odd quirks you may have, can and will be exploited as blog fodder. 

You have been warned.

Thanks Mom ;)

Some Assembly Required

Bryon's drift boat project is taking shape. Bryon, Matt and Steve got it partially put together over the weekend.

I can never envision what most projects will look like completed. I need to see pictures. Without pictures to use for reference, bad things happen. Like, you might paint your entire kitchen trim hot pink because it seemed like a good idea, and that hot pink looked like a nice mauve on the paint chip. You might have had some indications early on in the painting that it was not looking so good, but you just kept going thinking it would dry differently or look better when it was ALL painted. It does not. Not that I've done that, just saying it's a possibility when you don't have big picture vision.

To complete a project like this takes lots of attention to detail, lots of patience and the ability to follow directions. Very complicated directions. I used to think I was good at following directions. I preached and preached it to my students. I gathered up lots of job applications from all around town and made them fill them out to perfection. I created other little direction following tasks from recipes to more complicated projects in an effort to reinforce how important following direction is in a person's daily life.

For all of that preaching, I have discovered that I actually hate following directions. Much like editing, no matter how many times I read over those directions, I usually miss something vital. I try reading through for the overall feel and plan of the project. I gather my materials. I start with step one, but then, inevitably somewhere I go awry. The best laid plans and all that.

Most of the time it's not unrecoverable. Sometimes it is. I spent about three hours putting together this bookcase by myself. The directions were perfect. Each piece was carefully labeled. The hardware was impeccably labeled and separated by step. Seriously, it was the best I had ever seen. Still, I finished with a key piece on the top and back of the case and another on the front bottom facing trim that were backward. I also managed to drill holes into them both trying to make them fit.

I took the thing back apart and then covered up my mistakes with a black Sharpie. You probably couldn't even tell now. My brain is just not analytical that way. I want to skip a head. Get into the middle of the action. See some progress. I can't watch the pot boil; I just want to eat the stew.

I think that's a pretty good lesson to learn about yourself and life in general. Sometimes things work out okay. Sometimes they don't. Either way, you can usually salvage something good and workable from the experience. That's just life I guess.

Some assembly required.

Valentine's Day Treats: Bonus Post

Saturday night Bryon took Grace and I out to Flame in Springfield for Valentine's Day. He received a $50 gift card from his work for successfully completing their accreditation. They also gave him a nice letter for his personnel file and a writeup in the Mercy InTouch newsletter. Things sure have changed since this time last February for him. Next week is his one year anniversary.

In celebration of Valentine's Day and his recognition, we all got dressed up and headed to town. The Shockley's came along as well. Bryon likes to take Grace on dates from time to time somewhere fancy. Flame is pretty fancy. I thought she would be the only kid there, but we did see a couple of others.

She insisted I wear a dress. One of my self-proclaimed missions in life is to never wear another pair of panty hose as long as I live. Wearing a dress in twelve degree weather demanded some sort of leg coverings. Since I didn't think long underwear would pass the Grace test, I had to go buy some because I don't even own a pair anymore.

I stuffed myself into my thigh high stockings instead of the dreaded panty hose. I spent the rest of the evening praying they stayed up and didn't roll down my chubby thighs and pool around my ankles. I also wore my Spanx. You know, the spandex shapers that squish your round shape into a flat shape. Okay, flatter shape. This stomach hasn't seen flat in a long time. It was a lot of work but it was worth it.

We had a very nice pre-Valentines dinner, and Grace had DQ ice cream for dessert.

There wasn't room in my Spanx for ice cream.

Snow Day

Ah, a snow day. Somehow they aren't nearly as appealing as they used to be.

When I was a kid, absolutely I wanted a snow day. What could be better? Then as a teacher, I prayed even harder for a snow day. Now, as a parent, snow days are a hassle.

I get sick days and vacation days and now I have work at home days. We do not get snow days. If it even spits snow, Niangua closes. When I taught at Fair Play, we very rarely had snow days. We had lots of farm kids, from farm families with farm 4x4 trucks. The rest of the kids lived in town, less than a block or two from the school. Of course that was 22 years ago when I think folks were a little tougher.

Grace loves snow days. She proclaimed first thing this morning that she was staying in her pajamas all day. No problem. Just let me work, and you can wear whatever you want. She also gets to eat almost anything she wants and watch almost anything she wants on the three or four cartoon channels we have. She loves Dr. Pol and Larry the Cable Guy's Only in America.

She knows how to read enough now and work the remote that she can pick out what she wants from the DVR. THAT is a nice advancement. Everyone is always saying, "Oh they grow so fast, don't you miss when they were little?" Uh no. She can get in and out of the car herself, wipe her own behind, bathe herself (most of the time) and work the remote. I think that's great!

School cancelled this morning at 5:22 am. I didn't sleep well all night waiting for that call and the call that my blood drive at another area HS would be cancelled for the same snow day reason. Did you ever wonder why snow days are never on the weekend? Seriously, think of the last weekend snow day you had. I can't think of even one.

Bryon is a much better snow day parent. He takes her sledding behind the four wheeler, they build snowmen and throw snowballs. I wait for them to come back in and make hot cocoa. I might drink some while they are gone just to make sure it's not poison. Tomorrow Bryon will be home, and I'll go into the office.

Today Grace has eaten God only knows what downstairs, watched about eight hours of television and made so much of a commotion down there I had to go investigate twice. She's made the trip up and down the stairs to and from my office at least two dozen times. I've let the dog into the house, gotten frustrated with her and put her back into the kennel outside four times. I've actually accomplished very, very little. It's frustrating

And people wonder why I don't home school. Can you say "Insane?"