Weekend Visitors

My brother brought his wife and son down to visit us this weekend. They arrived bright and early Friday morning (it was much easier to drive in the wee hours of the morning while their toddler was sleeping). We spent our first day visiting the Mobile Exploreum.

And of course, I have pics.

This was his favorite exhibit. At the touch of a button, you can experience the noises that the human body makes. Josh pushed the button and....

... EEWWW!!!

This button was quite informative as I have never actually heard one of these...

*ahem*

He was so sweet playing in "the sea of balls". It is the largest ball pit that I've ever seen!

And of course this was my favorite part of the day. He was so sweet when he konked out in my lap.

Once we were back home, The Boy built a blanket fort on top of our (fancy-pants) dining room table.

*One day, I will get to live in the same house as my dining room furniture*

The table may be plastic but it served its purpose - look at that grin.




Uh oh - it looks like they are making plans...


One toddler fort wrecking crew...




I took him outside and managed to get him to sleep for his late afternoon nap. My nephew can fight sleep like the Muhammad Ali of sleep fighters so I started singing the "lullaby" that I sang to The Boy when he was a baby. The Boy would always settle down and quit crying when I would sing it and I was amazed that my nephew did the same thing. I believe this shows that I have THE WORST singing voice in the history of bad singing voices (Rosie O'Donnell is vindicated). I shock those to whom I sing into a stunned silence.

This is the lullaby that I sing to my young victims, inserting their names and the names of family members into the song (no offense to Safron or 14) and completely omitting the electrical banana part.



Once he was asleep, I hit the recliner and he and I took a long nap.

We are having a nice weekend here in South Alabama. I hope that you, wherever you are, can say that your weekend is nice too. Be blessed Y'all!

Review Answered by a Twelve Year Old

by Diva Daughter

I recently read the review of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by Joe Morgenstern in the Wall Street Journal. I disliked his review very much! He said "I wish I'd been able to find one {potion} for patience."

It seemed to me that for a 652 page book it was the perfect length. I have been looking forward to this movie for months and I enjoyed all of it!

Why are some people always so negative? It's like they take something that many people enjoyed and try to mess it up!!! I think people shouldn't be so negative all the time. They need to be more positive (when I become president in 2032 I am going to make a special holiday called Positive Day).

Oh yeah!!! {Mom edit}!!! Seriously, what kind of person uses words like chiaroscuro to review a kids movie???

Thank you everyone.

Making a Memory

It is exactly 3:05 a.m. as I sit down to write this post. We walked through the door about 10 minutes ago and the girls are still stirring around, getting ready for bed. I'm not sure if Diva Daughter will be able to go to sleep once she settles in - the child is on cloud nine.

Our movie time was 12:05 a.m. and we arrived at the movie theater at 11:00 p.m. Even though we had bought our tickest ahead of time, we wanted to make sure we got great seats. It was worth the time standing in line waiting to be allowed to find our seats - it was fun to watch all of the serious Harry Potter fans. We saw robes and wands and glasses galore. Even a red and gold striped scarf (Quidditch anyone?).

The manager entered our theater and gave away two movie posters and some tickets. My little Diva Daughter won a Harry Potter poster with her ticket (numbered A6).

She. Was. Thrilled.

The movie was amazing. If you are a Potter fan you will love it. If you haven't watched the other movies or read any of the books, I don't think it would be quite as enjoyable. The movie could stand alone, but it would be like watching Star Wars from the middle (oh wait, everyone who watched the Star Wars movies started out of order). You know what I mean.

The funniest moment for me was during the previews. Needless to say, women my age were the minority as there were many many many teenagers in the theater. A preview for New Moon (the Twilight sequel) was playing and suddenly a shirtless Jacob was on the screen. All around me young girls screamed! It was like the Beatles had suddenly started singing - you know, fifty years ago. No I wasn't one of the screamers and yes I cracked up.

We really had a ball tonight. It was so much fun making a memory for the girls.



*Steph is staying with us this week. According to my girls, she is their "other sister".

And now, as much as I would like to continue reading the seventh and final Harry Potter book, I must go to bed.

*PUBLISH POST*

Mimi Queen of Memes has started a new Meme-along!

And I DON'T want to wind up in the Bloggingham Dungeon.

Mimi Lenox has started a blog for a weekly meme. I adore Mimi - for a taste of her lovely writing go HERE.

So of course I want to participate.


No. 1 - The Blog Outside The Box Meme

1. You are in court. You are in deep doo-doo. What did you do? Well it certainly wasn't an assault on the Dust Bunnies (they are thriving right now). Hmm, maybe I was caught rolling the yard of Auburn's football coach (do you know I haven't even learned his name yet? Roll Tide).


2. Your blog just became a best-selling book . What is the title of your book ?

"100 Cleaning Tips that YOU Can Do Today!" *snort* I'm kidding. How about "The Dust Bunny Who Loved Me."

3. It is midnight. The phone rings. It is Michael Jackson calling from the Great Beyond.
What would you like to ask him?

Why the Monkey sir? I never got the monkey.

4. You are having your future told. The fortune teller looks in the crystal ball, screams and leaves the room in fright. What did they see?

The inside of my closets.

5. You're blogging along minding your own business (that's blog + oh...you know) when Google unexpectedly puts a Objectionable Content Warning on your blog. Your own mother is afraid to enter! What, pray tell, did you do to warrant it? How did this happen? Do you think you deserve it? Just how objectionable are you? Do tell.

I posted pictures of the inside of my closet. Just ask the fortune teller.

6. You suddenly become God Of The Universe. What would your first Commandment be?

Everyone should pull together and clean my closet.

7. And finally, what secret would you like to tell the Queen?

I fell off the diet wagon again. Actually, I jumped... right into a bag of gummy food. Gummy bears are evil and they taunt me. Tomorrow will be the start of diet #875.

Neither rain... nor snow... nor sleet... nor streptococcal bacteria...

.... shall keep us from watching Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

Diva Daughter has been looking forward to the latest Harry Potter movie for... wow, a long time. She has been counting the days til July 15th for months.

Sunday night she had a sore throat and fever. Monday morning she started puking. I took her to the doctor and he diagnosed strep throat. Thankfully she seems to be feeling better today.

The girls and I will be watching the movie very soon - Strep throat can't keep Diva Daughter away!

The Invisible Sister

The Boy wanted his sister to watch a movie with him in her room and he was calling for her. She said from the recliner next to me, sitting right out in the open, "Don't tell him I'm in here." He came walking into the den and said "Oldest Daughter come on!" She didn't answer.

I asked him "Who are you talking to son?"

"Oldest Daughter."

"Okaaaaaaay...."

"C'mon O.D. - watch the movie with me!"

"Why are you talking to the recliner?"

"I'm talking to Oldest Daughter."

"Son, are you feeling all right?"

He jumped on Oldest Daughter using a crazy wrestler move. She didn't make a peep.

"Son! DON'T jump on the furniture!"

He looked at me funny and said "How many kids do you have?"

"Three."

"And you don't see Oldest Daughter sitting here?"

With that he threw a tough little karate punch on her leg.

"All right Dude. Joke's over - leave her alone."

To which Oldest Daughter said "Gee thanks for blowing my cover Mom."

I've been to the filling station today....

... and I am full.

Thank you Father God.