It has truly been an adventure being a mom to two boys.  I feel as if I've been given a chance to live my childhood over with them.  Discovering such things as Hot Wheels and Superheroes has been a real eye opener.  How my sweet little guys can run out the door and be covered, not just splattered, but COVERED in mud in exactly 7.5 seconds is mind boggling to me.

One of the things I've enjoyed this summer has been the wonderment of critters.  Yep, we've caught all kinds of critters.  The boys have found cicada shells, lightening bugs, moths, a little garden snake, crickets.  All kinds of things.  You gotta love it!  Harmless little critters from nature that I don't have to worry about.  I assure them they won't harm them and yes, they can keep them in their bug houses.

In the past two weeks, I've caught two disturbing little creatures myself!  Actually, I've caught 3.  Two black widows and a velvet ant, or cow-killer.  I grew up in a house where black widows were always lurking out in the rock garden.  They aren't my favorite bug, but I do find them fascinating...as long as they don't bite me or my fam!  Most everyone has heard of a black widow.  While they are venomous, it's rare that you would die from it's bite. 

Today I saw something red running across the driveway.  It was the most gorgeous bug I'd ever seen!  If you can use "gorgeous" and "bug" in the same sentence, of course.  After catching it and being stumped by what it was, I did a little research on the internet.  I found it to be a "velvet ant" or "cow-killer".  I've never heard or seen such a thing!  It seems that his so-called ant is really a wingless wasp and they say that the sting from this creature is so intense it feels like it could kill a cow!  DANG!  I find this out after I catch it.  YIKES!

So with that said, I think I'm giving my boys a little competition in the critter catchin' olympics.  I figure they should get bronze metals for their moths and silver metals for their harmless little cicada shells.  I, on the other hand, deserve two gold medals for my finds this past week! 

BRING HOME THE GOLD, MAMA!!!  BRING IT ON HOME!!

We've been a one car family off and on for over 3 weeks now.  While we are saving boo-coo's of money on gas, I have become somewhat of a crab.  I hate being "stuck" at home.  Even if I have nowhere to go, I think I do and then I get angry because I can't leave.

We borrowed my dad's truck and I ventured out today.  Yes, out into the wide open, vast world of the Elizabethton Wal-Mart.  I had to get some groceries.  As we entered the store, there was a woman standing there with a camera and she motioned for us to come over.  To my surprise, as well as Maps & Daps, the Easter Bunny was also there.  The woman asked the boys if they would like their photo taken with the bunny, and of course they jumped at the opportunity.  A flash and a click and the session was over.  Whew!  After I got the kids back in the cart, I noticed that Daps had on his "disguise" and had not removed it for the Easter portrait.  (Yes, I let my kids go out in public wearing masks, capes, and who knows what else.)  After I had crossed off every item on our shopping list, I headed back to the photo department to pick up our free photo. 

And, with that said, here it is. 

Maps (with his Alfalfa style hair) ~ The Easter Bunny (what kind of face is that?) ~ and Daps (aka "Dash" from The Incredibles)

Happy Easter Everyone! 

Recently my husband sent me an interesting email entitled "Orange Necks."  It was a series of silly observations that would normally be associated with Red Necks, but since it was aimed towards those of us residing in Tennessee (and being the big University of Tennessee fans that we are), it was entitled "Orange Necks."  As I read down the list, I was amazed at how many of those observations actually applied to me.  Not a few.  Not some.  MOST of them.

THEN...at church this past Sunday we had a small group kick-off complete with pizza.  When the congregation started to dwindle, a few of the children were given some helium balloons that had been sitting on one of the tables.  After a few minutes, one of the helium balloons escaped from the clutches of a child and made it's way to the middle of the sanctuary, way too high for any human to reach.  As I was looking up at it, I thought that it would probably lose the helium and be resting gently on the floor in the morning.  Apparently this wasn't good enough for one of our members.  He took it upon himself to retrieve a bb-type gun from his vehicle, bring it into the sanctuary and attempt to shoot down the balloon.  I suppose the thought of putting a little hole in the wood or drywall, shooting out the glass in the top of the sanctuary , or the bb richocheting off the ceiling and ending up in a child's eye, ear, nose never occured to him either.  All I know is that it was loud and even kind of strange to see a gun being shot inside the church building.

So now when I read back over that list of "You Might Be An Orange Neck" - I'll have one more story to add!

Forget Rednecks, here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about folks from Tennessee aka 'Orangenecks'


If someone in a Home Depot offers you assistance and they don't work there, you may live in Tennessee.

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Tennessee.

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in Tennessee.

If 'Vacation' means going anywhere south of Knoxville for the weekend, you may live in Tennessee.

If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Tennessee.

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in Tennessee.

If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you may live in Tennessee .

If you carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Tennessee.

If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80 and everybody is passing you, you may live in Tennessee.

If you find 60 degrees 'a little chilly', you may live in Tennessee.

If you actually understand these jokes, and forward them to all your Tennessee friends & others, you definitely live in Tennessee.