I've been a mother for over half of my life...

Today is my 1st borns birthday. Vance is 31 today. He is a northern baby and a southern child. Enough about him - 31 years ago at the young age of 20, I became a mother! There really isn't a good time to have a child. If you have them young, as I did, you don't know what the heck you are doing and really don't realize that this is a life you are shaping and molding. If you have them later in life, when you are more mature, you know too much and worry about everything! I'm glad I had my children when I did. They really turned out pretty good, but I can't take the credit for that. They had a super dad and a heavenly father to watch over them.

Happy Birthday, Vance! I'm sorry I had to whack you so much with a wooden spoon when I was shaping and molding you. I'm sorry I overreacted when you scared Abby with the rubber snake. Remember, it was your daddy that made you eat all of that spaghetti till you threw up. Sorry about slamming the trunk to the car on your hand - you were smart to take the keys away from me to unlock the trunk.

You are a terrific person and I love you very much!!!

Kitty Litter Cake

Serving Size: 24

1 (18 oz.) box spice or german chocolate cake mix 1 (18 oz.) box white cake mix
1 pkg. white sandwich cookies
1 large box vanilla instant pudding mix
12 small tootsie rolls
1 litter box (preferably a NEW one!)
1 plastic scoop
green food coloring

Preparation:
Prepare cake mixes and bake according to directions (any size pans). Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble. Crumble white sandwich cookies in small batches in blender, they tend to stick, so scrape often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, add a few drops green food coloring and mix using a fork or shake in a jar.
When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble into a large bowl. Toss with half the remaining white cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. You probably won’t need all of the pudding, mix with the cake and “feel” it, you don’t want it soggy, just moist; gently combine. Put mixture into clean litter box.Put three unwrapped Tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie rolls and bury in mixture. Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly over the top, this is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter. Heat remaining Tootsie Rolls, three at a time in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake and sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Place the box on a newspaper and sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around. Serve with a new pooper scooper.

sunday

My friends are in church and I'm trying to decide where to go for lunch. There are procedures or rules that should be followed when going out to lunch on Sunday.

• Rule number 1 - It is the Lord's Day so you need to walk quietly and try not to sin.
• Number 2 (Michelle likes number 2, so I have to make this one good) Take a shower.
• 3 Try not to get mad or wait too long to leave to eat - this will cause you to sin.
• 4 You have to leave the house by 11:00 (earlier, if possible). Some of the local churches start early. You have to watch out for these people. They are your competition. They cause traffic to back up because they usually have a policeman directing traffic. This is a problem because the policeman will always favor the ones that are coming out of the church parking lot. You can get around this by pulling in to the church parking lot and going back out with the policeman directing. (I personally haven't tried this.)
• Do not go to the obvious "Sunday lunch" restaurants. A bad choices would be Cracker Barrel or any restaurant that has a buffet.

More later, I have to go wake up everyone so we can shower and get on the road!

Time

After a long week at work, weekends are truly a blessing, but on Monday morning don't you always get asked "what did you do this weekend"? I usually can't remember what I did, unless it was something tramatic that stands out like being in an accident. As I see it, there are several ways to use your time so that you can give a good and interesting report on Monday.
You could spend time cleaning and doing the things around your house that would make your mama proud, but who wants to hear about that on Monday??? If I chose to use my time wisely today, what would that mean that I should do? Should I spend my time vacuming or washing clothes? I can easily get the dog hair up by just walking to the fridge and back to the computer with socks on. I can solve the "nothing to wear" delimma by doing a little shopping on Sunday so I would have something to wear to work on Monday.
If I chose to spend my time being creative, I could get a little TV in, as well as satisfy my need to create and I would have something to bring to show and tell on Monday.
What about spending time foolishly? Would I feel like a fool if I chose to spend my time foolishly??? I wonder what I could do that would count towards spending my time foolishly? Hmmm, let me think (hands should be in the prayer position and tap your pointer fingers on your lips - this is good for pondering an idea or thought. my friend JOH taught me this).