Biscuits 'N Gravy Gets Me More Love Than You Can Shake a Stick At

And bacon gets me an extra extra lotta love. It's true-the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. But I ain't talkin bout a man this time. I'm talkin about our first-born son.

I made biscuits and gravy one stormy night this past week. Wy took his first bite and said, 'Mmmmm, thanks mom.' Then, as an afterthought, he added, 'Good cookin, mama.' This 'good cookin' compliment has become as much a part of our meals like bread and butter is to a supper table. E got him started on it months and months ago. Daddy doesn't even get to say it first anymore. Wy almost always beats him to the punch.

Then Wyatt said to me, after chewin thoughtfully on a hunk of Jimmy Dean sausage drowned in gravy, 'Mama, you make me feel happy.'

Blast it! Hold the phones and stop the presses! Here and again, I just wanted to grab him, smother him with kisses and hugs and never let him grow-which would mean no more food, which in turn, would mean no more compliments, the whole of which I could simply not bear! So, I guess I'll feed him and let him grow, and taxi him around to this and that, and go off to college, and move out, and get a....a....what are those things called?....fake smile, high-pitched chatter boxes with makeup plastered on so thick a pitch fork couldn't take it off? Oh, yeah, 'scuse me, a girlfriend. Yeah, I guess that will eventually have to come. But you better believe good 'n well, I'm gonna enjoy ever-single-lovin, tear-inducin, heart-swellin compliment that I ever ever ever get from my men.

And if ever I don't hear that compliment, I just want y'all to know that my body is immediately overcome with anxiety. I hyper-ventilate. My knees start shakin and my heart palpitates. Do they not like this meal? I made it three weeks ago and they chowed down! Is it too salty? Too crusty? Too dry? Too flaky? Too bland? Too spicy?

I'm just kiddin. They'll eat whatever the heck I slap down on a plate! Even if it is day old bread soaked in milk with some beans! They're always grateful! And for that, I'm even more grateful.

Aware Vs. Unaware

The subject is worms. Jd has not become aware that all creatures are living things and as such, wiggle and squiggle, crawl and slither. He doesn't understand particularly how that relates to him. He sees them just as innaminate toys. His big brother, on the other hand, is very aware that creatures have a life. He's confused by it. He doesn't understand that worms won't bite. He doesn't understand why that turtle climbed up his leg at the river. He has become so aware of creatures and their baffling actions, that, in the case of worms, turtles, snails, toads, lizards and the like, that he wants absolutely no part of them!! Now, he understands that worms go on the hook to his fishin pole, and he can comprehend that. The worms he has a problem with are the ones that end up hitchin a ride on mom's folded up pant leg and ending up in the house. Last Sunday, exactly that, happened:
Wy-'Mom!' (slightly hysterical) 'There's a worm on the floor!'
Mom-'A worm on the floor? No way! Worms live outside silly boy!'
Wy-(skirtin around the entryway and makin a dash to jump on the couch, now in a state of panic)'A worm! A worm!! Get it, mommy!'
Mom-(still sittin on the floor playin with JD, around the corner of the couch)'Is there a worm over there?
Wy-'Get it, mommy! Hurry!'
Sure enough, there was a worm and here's the difference of the Aware vs. Unaware: The other day I took the boys for a walk down to the creek. I grabbed some bread just in case the geese were up closer to the road. And they were. Wyatt was excited. He started chuckin bread at the goose in the neighbors yard. He didn't see the male goose come up the hill and cross the road, but JD did. As soon as JD saw it comin for the wagon he was very aware of it's presence and started screamin-hysterically. Wow! What a flip from the worm episode the day before! Wyatt saw the male goose comin and ran over to JD in the wagon. He put his arm around him and said, 'It's a-right, Jar-rett. It's a geese. I give him bread. Watch! Watch me, Jar-rett.' It didn't help JD at all. He still was cryin and gaspin for air in great sobs. When I knelt down by him, he calmed down. Talk about reversing the roles.








More? Can we have more?



Wy was just as disappointed as the geese when the bread all ran out. We also saw 6 mallards bedded down by the crick. This is 5 of them. The 6th one was standin guard.



Here's the video of the worm episode:

Too Nice

Okay, I'm sorry but it's too nice outside this afternoon to be inside, sittin in front of a computer. I'm takin my Dr. Pepper and gonna go pick up the shiny sparkly piles (courtesy of our dogs) in the backyard. We've got more rain, more strong to severe storms comin in this afternoon and thru the night. Those land mines out there tend to get a little nasty after Someone dumps buckets of rain on us.





Can you see the blue-green speck on Hoss's lower lip? I'll give ya one guess as to what that is.

Later! I'm gonna go get some sun!

Caught Red-Handed

This here video is what I've been findin on a regular basis around here during naptime.

Crumb-snatchers-I Love Mine!

Saturday, at breakfast, Wy pretended he was shootin things and JD got the giggles bad! For anyone who loves to hear a baby giggle, or you just need a giggle yourself, these are our crumb-snatchers sharin that brotherly love: (oh, and by the way, I've just taken Wy out of JD's crib 4 times in 20 minutes! NO! I'm not fibbin, even a little bit! He's doggone adamant about sleepin with his brother)



Later that day, Wyatt came in and handed me a flower.


This is what he said: 'Here mama. I got you a flower. It's my favorite. It from a bush. You like it?'

Like it? How 'bout LOVE it? I'm not a sap, but that will cinch up the heartstrings up faster than you can say hogwoller. I couldn't help but grab him and tell him that I absolutely loved it and loved him and that I'd never let him go to college or get married or even go to Kindergarten! He can't have a first kiss or take any girl to the prom. He can't even have a first date! Now I'm cryin just thinkin of all this. Maybe I am a sap. Damn! I hate when that happens. I know they'll grow up and I know all that other stuff is comin too but I'm not ready for it. So in the morning, I pray the day goes by very slowly so I can enjoy every minute of it with my boys- even if it is haulin the oldest out of little 'brudder's' crib 4 times before they finally go to sleep.

I have a hunch this man was behind the flower thing.



He's good at that.

The Sun Dance Doesn't Work

Last night we did what all normal people do-'cept those who are a coupla cards short of a full deck: We grilled during impending rainstorms.

My aunt, uncle, cousin AJ, and his girlfriend Jordan were all here. We tried the Sun Dance last night to ward off the rain. It didn't help so much, but at least it was only sprinkles instead of a downpour. I swear there's somethin goin on. Kansas is in some kinda global warming atmospherical phenomenon that keeps dumpin rain in our area. Other places around the world have them and they're called Monsoons, or rainy seasons. I lived in PNG and we had rainy seasons. Never thought I'd see a rainy season in Kansas, of all places.

We had to come up with somethin to save the fire. I had an idea of usin our extra umbrella and the grill-master, for some crazy reason, was complainin because he wouldn't be able to stand under the umbrella. Hey! We don't care if YOU get wet! All we care about is the fire and the chicken you're grillin for us! Now get to work!



Grill he did! That chicken was the best-tastin BBQ'd chicken I know I've ever had! I'm not exaggerating or tryin to make E feel good (although I do like to do that-not exaggerate, but make him feel good). It was GOOD! The chicken had a smoke flavor to it like none other! I guess the rain did us a small favor anyway. We had a good spread of chicken, my roasted/seasoned potatoe cubes and steamed corn. While I was startin the fire, Hoss kept escaping down the driveway. I was out of breath from haulin him back up the drive so many times. We ended up tyin him off to the bumper of the truck so he wouldn't get away. It didn't damper his spirits. He was still just happy to keep tryin.