The Use of Toilets

Toilets are used for one thing and that is either number one or number two. Levi, my 20 month old has found another purpose for the toilet. He uses toilet water to style his hair. I did not connect the dots when I found his clothes and hair wet. I thought he stood on a stool step and used the faucet. I changed him into dry clothes and we went to church. Upon arriving home, my roommate Rhonda showed me Levi's toothbrush she had found on her wet bathroom floor. It only took a moment to connect the dots. What can one do, but laugh and hope the toilet water was clean when he was playing in it!

Elleanna and the Earthworm

Today Elleanna found a pet worm that she put into a plastic container with some grass and some mud. She showed it to her friend Melissa. 

Melissa said, "Squeeze the head." I interjected that they might be squeezing the butt so maybe they shouldn't do it. Secretly I didn't want the poor, pathetic worm to be tortured by a four year old and a five year old. 

Melissa thoughtfully asked if the worm goes poo-poo. 

With confidence, Elleanna said, "I think the worm poops mud." 

Tomorrow I think I need to go get a worm farm and so we can learn more about worms. 

"I think it is a boy," said Elleanna. "Maybe it's a girl." 

"I don't think they have a sex," I said trying to recall facts about worms. Ya, I think we need to get that worm farm. 

Date night to self

Since I home school, I believe in the importance of a date night to my self. So tonight I go to the local coffee shop where I use my 'free coffee birthday coupon'. The coffee shop is packed, but I happen to find a table next to a party of six. To my surprise, they were low talkers and I even wondered if sometimes they were just staring at each other because it was so quiet! 

I open my Bible to Galatians. I am using one of Kay Arthur's Bible Studies. I have done many Bible studies, but I think these are the best I have ever done. I am learning so much as I mark my Bible and read and re-read the chapter several times. 

Tonight I had to read the verses more than once because 15 fifteen feet away was a 40ish year old man on a "first coffee date" with an attractive 45 year old woman. For 45 minutes he talked non-stop about his 16 and 13 year old daughters and about their ipod and the classical music he downloads into it. He believes once a week they should be exposed to The Who, Asia, and anything else from the 70's. Gee - what a dad! Barely catching his breath, he proceeds to share his life as a sports writer. I try desperately to tune him out wishing for my ipod! The woman has barely said 10 full sentences and when she does, her date appears to have a plastered smile just waiting to talk about himself. After returning from the restroom, he asks the woman if he has freaked her out. I want to shout, "Yes and me too!" She politely says no, but you read in her response that this is the last date with him. He confirms this with, "I have been on many coffee dates like this." And I thought, "Something tells me this will be your last coffee date with her." He then proceeds to tell her, "They all say that I am a nice guy." Oh, that is really going to get you a second date! When she declines coffee with you again, she will make sure to use that line. 

As I leave the coffee shop, I look forward to going home to my husband of 14 years. And of course, we reminisce about our first date as I share my evening with him.  

My Irish Red Head

Elleanna started kindergarten this year. Being a red head, she gets extra attention. A boy named Michael is smitten with red heads. He has already given her a peck on the cheek and follows her around on the playground! His mom said he can go to Ireland when he growns up and marry a red headed Irish lass! He has no idea what he is in for! Red heads have a mind of their own!

Hostess Snoball!!!

Give me a Snoball over an Idaho Spud any day! This delicious, fattening cake has a creamy filling center covered with marshmallows and sprinkled with pink coconut. I only eat one every two years because it is way too rich and crazy for me! It is moist which is more than I can say for the Idaho Spud that resembles a potato!

Hostess boasts that 25 million Sno Balls are sold each year. Somehow I believe this could be true...

Idaho Spud Candy - "The candy bar that makes Idaho famous"

As anyone can tell from the looks on my kids faces - they didn't like the candy. I am not sure how it made Idaho famous and I payed $1.00 for it.

Yes, I have regrets.

The candy has made me possessed! I did swallow, but I did not take another bite!

So I had to find out what was in this dried out candy bar

that had stayed on the shelf way too long!

It is a light cocoa flavored marshmallow center drenched with a dark chocolate coating and then sprinkled with coconut.

Marketing says that the "Idaho Spud" is one of the top hundred selling candy bars in the Northwest, and is Idaho Candy Company's best selling bar.

Is this true or just a sales gimmick?

Give me a snowball anyday!

Montana

This town is right outside the entrance to

Yellowstone Park.

I feel like I have entered another place, another era.

I am expecting a rugged cowboy on a horse to come cantering down the road. Maybe even see a horse drawn wagon which will take me back to episodes of 'House on the Prairie.' The sky is beautiful - not a power line in sight.

Mammoth Country - It's not snow - it was 100 degrees!

Bison

I love this picture that Kenny took of the bison. People slowed down traffic and would even get out of their cars to take pictures of these animals. We stayed in the safety of our car. A few days after our vacation a family was standing only a few feet away from the bison when their son was thrown into the air by a very disgruntled bison. The boy survived, but let that be a warning!

Firehole Hot Spring

I must say Yellowstone is an amazing place on earth. It is beautiful and raw and dangerous. Not a place to take unruly children. One wrong move and there could be death. So to say I had a relaxing vacation would not be true. I was constantly watching my children and warning them of the dangers.

Highschool Musical Auditions?

Strike a pose!

Firehole River

Samantha took this picture. I love it! It looks like a picture I would take.

I just love the curve of the river and the contrast of green and brown grass. God's creation is beautiful!

Grand Prismatic Spring

The yellow, orange, and brown colors are caused by heat loving microorganisms. These microbes contain colorful pigments that allow them to make energy from sunlight and thrive in hot springs.

The intense blue color is because sunlight is scattered by

fine particles suspended in the water.

Magma from an active volcano heats water that rises to the surface through fissures in the rocks. The water is constantly 160F causing the spring to steam.

We need some ivory soap!

I left Levi with daddy for 2o minutes and came back to a dirty little boy! So that evening I gave the kids all showers which was a nightmare! First, we had to pay to take showers and then I was holding Levi in one arm while trying to help Elleanna wash her hair. Elleanna won't rinse the soap out of her hair and starts screaming there is soap in her eyes. I put Levi down to help Elleanna only to have Levi almost slip in the shower stall and then touch hair in the drain.

Nasty!

Old Faithful

Old Faithful is just that...faithful.

It goes off every 90 minutes like clockwork.