So this is what 8 feels like.......

"So, this is what 8 feels like...." ~~~The Big Apple, (Feb. 3rd, 2010)



It feels like going out for your birthday at Incredible Pizza, and discovering that even the signs on the wall are all about you. It feels like playing Skiball with your sister....as many times as you want.
It feels like shooting hoops, and actually making some.

It feels like going bowling......

and shooting. (Her daddy would be so proud.) And he bought her a BB gun for her birthday, but we are waiting until he gets back from his trip to give it to her.
Being 8 feels like go-kart racing with your friends, and coming in dead last...but you don't mind because even the employees at Incredible Pizza will drive you around because they know it's your birthday and want you to have a blast.

The Big Apple turned 8 years old yesterday. It was a bittersweet, but perfect day.

She finished off the day by spilling over a box of my tampons in the bathroom at bedtime, and asked what they were. I asked her if she felt grown up enough to know, and she said she was. And I guess that 8 years old is old enough, because I sat her down and gave her just enough information for an 8 year old to know, and as scientific and factual as I could be because I know how her brain works....and instead of her being horrified about the prospect of growing and changing...she asked some very good questions and thought the whole monthly thing was kind of cool.

My little girl is growing up at lightning speed....and as sad as that makes me, I am beyond proud of her and am enjoying every single second of it.

I need to hear from some of my bloggers.....when did you first start telling your kids about the facts of life? I'm hoping that I didn't start too early...I just saw an open window for information last night and went for it.

Mardi Gras Unraveled: King Cake

History of the King Cake

The Epiphany or Little Christmas is observed on January 6 in many Christian churches. This day has come to be known as "Kings Day".

Since the 300's, King's Day has honored the meeting of the Three Wise Men with the infant Jesus. King Cakes became part of the celebration to symbolize the "finding of baby Jesus".

Traditionally King Cakes are oval-shaped to show unity of all Christians. It is also said that the oval shape represents the path that the Kings traveled after they visited Jesus. The Mardi Gras season which begins on January 6th is expressed on King Cakes by using the carnival colors of:
green (signifying Faith)
gold (signifying Power)
purple (signifying Justice).

In the past, a bean, pecan, pea, or coin was hidden inside each King Cake. Today, a tiny plastic baby is used. Sometimes the baby can be made of porcelain or even gold. As a King Cake is cut, each person awaits anxiously for a piece to locate the "baby". The person who finds the baby is "King of the Party" and obligated to bring a King Cake to the next seasonal celebration.

King Cake is very very sweet. It is generally filled with cinnamon, but you can find King Cake with many different flavors of filling......raspberry, strawberry, cream cheese, chocolate, etc. They are so yummy. I look forward to king cake every Mardi Gras season now!

....to further embarrass my children.....

It is my hope that one day, when my children become fine young women and start to date that they shall bring their mates home to meet their mother and father.

And Eben and I will do what every good parent is supposed to do on such occasion.

Embarrass the heck out of them.

And this would make a good story.
This morning, before our schoolwork began, the house was quiet. A little toooooo quiet. And that's never a good thing, is it. So called to them that it was time to begin, The Big Apple came to the table, eager to begin. The Middle Apple, however, was silent and nowhere to be seen. So, I got The Big Apple started on her assignments and called The Middle Apple again...this time a little more threatening.

She finally emerged...but looking a little odd...like she had gotten into my lipstick.
Only I don't own purple lipstick.

I looked a little closer and realized she had broken blood vessels around her mouth. Like she had put something over her mouth and created suction....you know....a hickey!

So I asked her. "What did you have on your mouth?"

And the story came out....."Well, I didn't want to do my schoolwork. So I was hiding. And I put a plastic egg bottom over my mouth so I would be quiet and not talk."

So there you have it everyone. My daughter does not have a beard and mustache. That is, in fact a hickey on my 6 year old's mouth, and now you know how it got there. And I don't mind if you laugh about it, because I have laughed until the tears have rolled down my face about it.

The Cast Lady.....

You may call me THE CAST LADY.

The first time The Big Apple broke her arm, I was a little sad...but hey, kids break arms, right? So we made lemonades out of lemons and decorated the cast with as much bling as we could find.


The SECOND time she broke it, just two weeks after getting her first cast off, I was a little more upset. I sighed deeply, shed a little tear and went back to the craft store for more decorations.
When the orthopedist saw what I had done with the purple one. , he offered me a table at the office to decorate casts of patients twice a month. I had to decline, as I was a busy mother and knew my limits.

Having learned my lesson with the first broken arm, I asked if The Big Apple could be left in a wrist cast for an additional amount of time. I'm glad he was in favor of my idea, and that the Big Apple wanted a red one...because I had been dying to make a Ladybug cast. This one was my favorite.
So, by that time, I was an old pro at arm casts. I decorated a few of The Apple Dumpling's friends' casts when they asked. It was then time to try bigger and grander casts. The Middle Apple was happy to oblige my cast fettish, by refusing to give up toe walking by the age of 4, so we casted her too. And decorated accordingly. This one wore clothes. What do you mean you've never seen a little girl wear a mermaid on her legs before?!?! Well, now you have.
And when wearing casts on your legs, you must accessorize with jewels and of course get a pedicure.
So, now since I have brought you up to date on all of my cast decorations, I introduce my latest cast creations. (drumroll please.......)

Probably the best decorating I can do for him and he still be in uniform code. But he better watch out, I'm coming after him with the glue gun and jewels in the middle of the night if he doesn't act right.