My animal loving child wants to be vegetarian

Our chicken nugget, hot dog eating days, may be over. Though, that wouldn't really be a bad thing.

I should have known this day would come. Actually I did it to my mom...but I was 12, not 4.

It all started when Dad brought home a delicious chicken from Costco. You know the juicy rotisserie type for $4.99. And it's enough meat to feed a family of 5.

Well, as we were digging into this delicious meal that Costco had prepared for us, a light went on in Eden's head.

"Wait? This is a real chicken?" She looked at us in disgust for trying to feed her an animal. She wanted to know what had happened to it, how it died, who killed it, where did it's feathers go. Inside I thought it was pretty funny, but I could tell she was really quite upset about it, and didn't really see the humor in it one iota.

She didn't mention it much since then, until tonight. When I was making chicken for dinner. "Mom! I can't believe you are making chicken! I thought you weren't going to make that anymore. I am not going to eat chicken!!"

"How about chicken nuggets?" Dad asked,

"NO!"

"Hamburgers? Those are made out of cows..."

"NO!"

Luckily the chicken was for tomorrow's dinner, and I had already made her a Boca burger for her dinner along with orange and cucumber slices...so she was able to finish her meal without going back on her word, and still be eligible for an after dinner treat. ;-)

So, we'll see how long this lasts. I understand. Like I said, I was once vegetarian too for about 10 years before I met my meat eating husband. I still have a few delicious vegan/vegetarian recipies and cook books up my sleeve.

It's a Hard Knock Life For Us

To whom it may concern:

Today, Mom made us take pictures in our church clothes....

and then Dad made us sweep and clean the porch...

we only get paid in bubble gum...

and the only dog we ever get to play with belongs to the neighbor's.

And though somehow we are smiling in most of the pictures...we really weren't very happy to do any of it.

Our best regards,
Eden and Tex

My view this morning

No, it wasn't a beautiful sunrise over a pretty ocean. It was Tex, who had climbed up onto my bathroom counter....to pee in my sink.

Interestingly enough... I made a post about this very same thing in JULY of 09. No wonder my life feels a bit like Groundhogs day.

(old post below)

Monday, July 20, 2009
TOO MUCH BABY MAMMA

Dear Mom,

Looks like Eden and I watched Baby Mamma a few too many times while visiting. Today I found her peeing in my bathroom sink. I wanted to take a picture...but was worried about encouraging more of such behavior. ;-) It pretty much looked like this though.




If you aren't sure what I am talking about...click here

Peanut Butter Banana Shakes

Awe, Tex. What am I going to do when I can't fix your whole world with a peanut butter bananna shake? I hope they never loose their magic.

She said the darndist thing...again. ;-)

Yesterday Eden threw the tantrum that would top all tantrums when I dropped her off in the morning at he sitters. Kicking, screaming, hanging on to my leg, crying, and even saying the "s" word. "This is stupid!! I don't want to be here!!" All the while, her sweet and understanding, patient and saintly baby sitter was carrying her away kicking and screaming, working extremely hard to earn her small pay.
I was feeling pretty bad and embarrassed as I drove off, and feeling guilty for leaving her for 7 whole hours while I went to teach an equally dramatic 4th grade class. I was pretty sure Eden had woken up half of TVA considering it was only 7:15 in the morning.

Anyway, today, she was looking at some coral that she and her baby sitter had collected at the beach yesterday...and she was telling me about some of the fun things they had done yesterday, I hear her say with a sly little grin on her face.

"Hmmm... I guess it wasn't that bad. I guess I was wrong after all."

Oh that little character.

An Orange Sunset and Your Blueberry Breath on My Face

We cleaned the house a bit this morning, and headed out for the day. First stop, a few returns at Costco and run around to try as many samples as possible. A few laps through the isles on the bikes and we were off to the water park. We first rode the river a few times together. You love to swim by yourself cause you are brave like that, and every so often you grab our feet to pull yourself up for a quick snuggle to get warm. And then off you go again. Tex was excited as could be running from slide to slide. Everytime saying again! Again! He even wanted to ride the big slides. He watched in amazement as the older boys did cannon balls at the end of the slides that drop you 7 feet above the water. "Come!" He yelled as he tried to pull me over to the line.
I was able to talk him into riding a few more suitable to his size.

Poor Eden wasn't having quite as much fun. She was pretty much cold the entire time. I guess she doesn't have the same padding Tex has, nor the wet suit. But, now and then she would brush it off and had fun anyway.

And I must say, I was extremely suprised and proud with how well you jumped from lilly pad to lilly pad, and stood in that long line with the big kids.

After the park we headed for treats and ice cream. Eden insisted she wanted candy and not ice cream. I went for it knowing how it would end...and I was right. Luckily Tex was willing to share his ice cream and Eden was slightly willing to share her blue swirly sucker.

On the way home, we realized it was perfect timing to enjoy the sunset on the North Shore. We decided to stop at the Turtle Beach to see if there were any turtles...and there was one basking and waiting to greet us.It didn't take long before the clothes came off and the two of you were in the water.We attempted a family photo with the timer a few times....watched out in the water for more sea turtles, and Eden was pretty sure she saw a whale out there too.

And then the camera battery died.

That's when the sky lit up with colors. Purple and orange. It looked amazing as the back drop against a beautiful ocean lined with black rocks and dark green palm trees. I sat there looking, watching the sun go down, and smelled your blueberry breath on my face. I realized how blessed I was to be there in this spot on earth, at this moment, together with each of you.

He's a Manly Man

I was just working on a project at the computer, when I hear a loud rumbly fart behind me. I turn around to see whom the noise came from and see this character standing outside the bathroom putting deodorant under his arm pits. I snapped a picture with my handy phone...

And it reminded me I took these cute photos the other day with daddy.

And talk about a 5 o'clock shadow!