"Slurp it like an oyster!"

Perhaps we've had a little bit too much Food Network around here while we haven't been feeling well, for we've been sleeping a little here and there (thanks to cold meds!), and there have been times when the only thing on TV to watch for entertainment was Food Network.
Today at lunch, I overheard the girls' giggling and saying, "No...like this...slurp it like an oyster!" while they were eating their pizza bites. And aside from vacationing at the beach, Food Network is the only other exposure that I can imagine they've had with oysters!
One of the best joys of motherhood (among many others!) is the fun in watching the girls enjoy life's little things!

Yummy fingernail polish!

Last Sunday we had some new friends over for lunch...Chet and Erin H. along with their new baby Harkins (or baby Hutch, as I seem to always call him!) as well as Ed and Erma C. with their son Daniel (who is a hoot!) and Ed's father, Señor Ephraim, who is "Annie's new best friend."

We had roast, cous cous, green beans w/ almonds, baby carrots, and E's delicious yeast rolls. Then for dessert, I served a new recipe that i made up for Bourbon Bread Pudding with a wonderful whiskey sauce. It seemed to be a big hit with everyone, and some even went for seconds...including the girls, to whom I had gladly given just the bread pudding; however, they were intrigued by the sauce that was being passed back and forth, and I explained to them that it was something that they most likely wouldn't care to have. And little Annie (who thinks that Sprite is too "spicy") insisted...so I gave her a teaspoon of the sauce onto her bread pudding, and she whispered to me, "Bleck...it tastes like fingernail polish!"

That precious girl!

Having four of us gals, we inevitably have seen most restrooms in restaurants, shopping malls, etc.

So the other day when we had to run into a store after a day of running lots of errands, I knew that it would be a good idea for us to run into the restroom "before" we began our shopping. And being in a hurry, I rushed us in and was hoping to rush us back out!

Well, Annie (the girl who is NOT in a hurry and just takes life in stride and enjoys every minute of it!) was slowly taking her time to wash her hands in the touch-free faucet and was in a stare in the mirror.

After a few minutes of us all standing there waiting for her to finish rinsing off her hands, I was "this close" to fussing at her when she broke her stare and said, "Momma, I've just been staring at how beautiful you are!"

What a precious thing that girl is!

"No talking with food in your mouth!"

"No talking with food in your mouth!" is the reminder that the girls hear from momma and daddy and of course each other over and over!

The girls and I were eating lunch together today (sandwiches that Macy had made for us), and I said, "Macy, that was delicious! Thank you!" Annie said, "What, momma?" I then said it again...the same way, for I'm in such a hurried rush today, "I told Macy 'that was delicious! Thank you!'" Then I realized why they couldn't understand me! Aghh...the horror! So I then corrected myself and told the girls, "Aghh! I was talking with food in my mouth! So sorry, girls!"

So Tressie sweetly said, "That's okay, Momma, I don't think that the neighbors saw you!"

How much does this cost?

Yesterday, we quickly did most of our school work in the morning (leaving some more readings to be done in the afternoon) so that we were able to go and pick up Miss Craig and take her with us to have lunch with Laura S...and Anna and Sam!

After lunch, we ran inside a new bookstore in the mall, and the girls were thrilled! But so was I, for everything in the store was automatically half-off...I love stores like that; however, it just makes me cringe a touch when I go into the next store and my brain automatically takes 1/2 off there as well! But back to the girls...it is so nice to have children that get thrilled to go into a bookstore; however, there were too many books that they were begging for me to purchase for them.

Knowing that they each have their own little purses, and some of them actually haven't spent all of their "spending money," I saw an opportunity for them to decide whether or not they wanted to make their own purchases. Tressie quickly set her eyes on a book on tea parties...no surprise there!

She asked the lady, "Um. Excuse me, ma'am. Um. How much does this book cost?"

The lady answered, "$5.00."

Tressie said, "Well, I only have one dollar and a few pennies."

The lady was quickly cast under Tressie's spell and answered, "Well, if your mommy says that you may, then I will sell it to you for $1.00."

Tressie was beaming with pride, and she successfully made her transaction ALL by herself. I did show her how to set her purchase up on the cashier's table, then she counted her money out and slid them across the counter to the lady! Then she asked the lady for her receipt to put in her purse and then said, "It was a pleasure doing business with you!" And the lady ran to the back of the store to get her manager to have Tressie tell him what she had said.

Now, all the while Miss Craig had picked out the same book, and I could tell that she was thinking, "I'd like to get this for my grandkids, but I'd like that same deal!"

Then once the coast was clear, Annie set her eyes on her prize and begin to "bargain" for the David and Goliath book that she HAD to have! She went to the manager (since the other lady was still palling around with Tress!), and she asked him, "How much does this book cost?" And I'm standing back watching and thinking, "Once again...here we go!"

He answered, "$5.00."

Annie said, "Well, I only have one nickel!"

Now the fella was cast under Annie's spell, and he answered, "Well, let's think. What can you do?"

She said, "Well, do you have any jobs here that I can do?"

He said, "Well, let me think!" "There's a customer over there that looks like she might need some help. If you'll make sure that she can find everything okay, then I'll give you that book!"

As a mother-hen I watched her closely, and I could see that we weren't getting out of there any time soon! Annie was then proudly accepting her task as a "worker" and making sure that customers were "finding everything okay"! She did a great job, and the look on her face was priceless when she was awarded her earnings...she's still holding onto that book tightly! And she had to call her daddy at work and Mimi and Aunt Jenni and Aunt Losi,...to tell them what a great day she had! "My first real job!" she continued to exclaim!

After a couple of more stops to help Miss Craig get some of her shopping done, we dropped her back off at her house, helped her unload her shopping bags, then drove back home and collapsed...on the sofa to finish our readings, of course!