annie blog

Back in Alabama
Well, I’m in Alabama with all the boys today. I drove down with them yesterday and, in all, I think that it went pretty well. It just got a little gnarly toward the end when everyone wanted to keep stopping for various reasons while really wanting to just get to the destination, too. All that I know is that I’m tired of taking four boys into restaurants and gas stations to use the facilities. Besides the germ factor which I try/am trying not to think about, I have my oldest, who will ask anyone anything and this stresses my second oldest son out. Yesterday, when I exited the bathroom of a gas station, 2nd son informed me that 1st son had been carrying on a conversation with another customer (a man). I asked 2nd son what they were talking about. He told me that 1st son had asked the man, “Are you a breather of smoke?” Which perplexed the man, I think. Of course, he is a smoker — I’m assuming that most folks don’t put it that way. Breather of smoke does kind of make one think of those bulls on Bugs Bunny cartoons.

On tap for the rest of the day: no gas station bathrooms, eating lots of good food and fruit, and going to see some ponies. My youngest son LOVES horses and when his Mama Susie found out that it was his biggest dream in life to ride a pony she made some phone calls so that she could get that done for him. So, to the ponies we shall go.

Have a good weekend, everybody!

Back in Alabama
Well, I’m in Alabama with all the boys today. I drove down with them yesterday and, in all, I think that it went pretty well. It just got a little gnarly toward the end when everyone wanted to keep stopping for various reasons while really wanting to just get to the destination, too. All that I know is that I’m tired of taking four boys into restaurants and gas stations to use the facilities. Besides the germ factor which I try/am trying not to think about, I have my oldest, who will ask anyone anything and this stresses my second oldest son out. Yesterday, when I exited the bathroom of a gas station, 2nd son informed me that 1st son had been carrying on a conversation with another customer (a man). I asked 2nd son what they were talking about. He told me that 1st son had asked the man, “Are you a breather of smoke?” Which perplexed the man, I think. Of course, he is a smoker — I’m assuming that most folks don’t put it that way. Breather of smoke does kind of make one think of those bulls on Bugs Bunny cartoons.

On tap for the rest of the day: no gas station bathrooms, eating lots of good food and fruit, and going to see some ponies. My youngest son LOVES horses and when his Mama Susie found out that it was his biggest dream in life to ride a pony she made some phone calls so that she could get that done for him. So, to the ponies we shall go.

Have a good weekend, everybody!

A Beautiful Bird
I know that not everyone loves birds as much as I do. But, look at this beautiful Northern (Yellow-Shafted) Flicker. I first saw this bird in my yard in February during one of the milder days that we had in the middle of all of the freezing weather. For at least 15 minutes, it sat in the front yard and ate and ate — ants, I’m assuming.

Later in the spring, I saw several of these birds again. Now, Jon got me a bird guide as one of my birthday presents this year, so after observing with my binoculars, I determined that this bird was the Flicker. It was easy to identify because of the brilliant yellow under its wings and tail that you can see easily when it flies.

Now, here comes the funny part. My 2nd oldest son is very interested in animals and he is already quite a researcher. So do you know what he told me? That this bird is also called the Yellowhammer. Anybody know why that is funny? Because, dear reader, the Yellowhammer is the state bird of Alabama. Yep. That’s right. This bird-loving Alabama girl had to come all the way to Missouri to see a Yellowhammer — and even then she didn’t know what she was looking at.

It is a gorgeous bird, though. Whoever decided it should be the state bird of Alabama made a good decision.

A Beautiful Bird
I know that not everyone loves birds as much as I do. But, look at this beautiful Northern (Yellow-Shafted) Flicker. I first saw this bird in my yard in February during one of the milder days that we had in the middle of all of the freezing weather. For at least 15 minutes, it sat in the front yard and ate and ate — ants, I’m assuming.

Later in the spring, I saw several of these birds again. Now, Jon got me a bird guide as one of my birthday presents this year, so after observing with my binoculars, I determined that this bird was the Flicker. It was easy to identify because of the brilliant yellow under its wings and tail that you can see easily when it flies.

Now, here comes the funny part. My 2nd oldest son is very interested in animals and he is already quite a researcher. So do you know what he told me? That this bird is also called the Yellowhammer. Anybody know why that is funny? Because, dear reader, the Yellowhammer is the state bird of Alabama. Yep. That’s right. This bird-loving Alabama girl had to come all the way to Missouri to see a Yellowhammer — and even then she didn’t know what she was looking at.

It is a gorgeous bird, though. Whoever decided it should be the state bird of Alabama made a good decision.

A Beautiful Bird
I know that not everyone loves birds as much as I do. But, look at this beautiful Northern (Yellow-Shafted) Flicker. I first saw this bird in my yard in February during one of the milder days that we had in the middle of all of the freezing weather. For at least 15 minutes, it sat in the front yard and ate and ate — ants, I’m assuming.

Later in the spring, I saw several of these birds again. Now, Jon got me a bird guide as one of my birthday presents this year, so after observing with my binoculars, I determined that this bird was the Flicker. It was easy to identify because of the brilliant yellow under its wings and tail that you can see easily when it flies.

Now, here comes the funny part. My 2nd oldest son is very interested in animals and he is already quite a researcher. So do you know what he told me? That this bird is also called the Yellowhammer. Anybody know why that is funny? Because, dear reader, the Yellowhammer is the state bird of Alabama. Yep. That’s right. This bird-loving Alabama girl had to come all the way to Missouri to see a Yellowhammer — and even then she didn’t know what she was looking at.

It is a gorgeous bird, though. Whoever decided it should be the state bird of Alabama made a good decision.

The School Bus Song
Four years ago, my summer basically revolved around driving. Mainly, I had to take our oldest to and from occupational therapy many times a week. So, my boys and I were in the van a lot. I also had another little one inside of me and, man, was he making me nauseous. We listened to a particular cd quite a bit that summer in the van, it was the one that we had received from Oxford American magazine. Number 13 on that disk is Grits Ain’t Groceries by Little Milton. My boys love that song. And, the one that was inside me during that summer 4 years ago — who is now 3 — particularly loves the song. He calls it the school bus song. Now, I don’t know why it is the school bus song. Maybe he was listening to it one day when he saw a schoolbus drive by? I will never know. I do know that Grits Ain’t Groceries is what he wants when he asks for the school bus song, though. In the words of my eight year old, “This song is genius.” I think so too. And, now I’ve finally reached the point where I can listen to it without remembering the nausea of 4 summers ago — at least most of the time.

You can hear it here on the NPR site. Just listen to the first 30 seconds of the interview and you’ll get a great sample.

The School Bus Song
Four years ago, my summer basically revolved around driving. Mainly, I had to take our oldest to and from occupational therapy many times a week. So, my boys and I were in the van a lot. I also had another little one inside of me and, man, was he making me nauseous. We listened to a particular cd quite a bit that summer in the van, it was the one that we had received from Oxford American magazine. Number 13 on that disk is Grits Ain’t Groceries by Little Milton. My boys love that song. And, the one that was inside me during that summer 4 years ago — who is now 3 — particularly loves the song. He calls it the school bus song. Now, I don’t know why it is the school bus song. Maybe he was listening to it one day when he saw a schoolbus drive by? I will never know. I do know that Grits Ain’t Groceries is what he wants when he asks for the school bus song, though. In the words of my eight year old, “This song is genius.” I think so too. And, now I’ve finally reached the point where I can listen to it without remembering the nausea of 4 summers ago — at least most of the time.

You can hear it here on the NPR site. Just listen to the first 30 seconds of the interview and you’ll get a great sample.

The School Bus Song
Four years ago, my summer basically revolved around driving. Mainly, I had to take our oldest to and from occupational therapy many times a week. So, my boys and I were in the van a lot. I also had another little one inside of me and, man, was he making me nauseous. We listened to a particular cd quite a bit that summer in the van, it was the one that we had received from Oxford American magazine. Number 13 on that disk is Grits Ain’t Groceries by Little Milton. My boys love that song. And, the one that was inside me during that summer 4 years ago — who is now 3 — particularly loves the song. He calls it the school bus song. Now, I don’t know why it is the school bus song. Maybe he was listening to it one day when he saw a schoolbus drive by? I will never know. I do know that Grits Ain’t Groceries is what he wants when he asks for the school bus song, though. In the words of my eight year old, “This song is genius.” I think so too. And, now I’ve finally reached the point where I can listen to it without remembering the nausea of 4 summers ago — at least most of the time.

You can hear it here on the NPR site. Just listen to the first 30 seconds of the interview and you’ll get a great sample.

J, the Hilarious
I have to record a few things about my oldest son. His interests lately have been unusual, to say the least. Now, I should say that he has always had unusual interests — for instance, this is the boy who I once found intently searching the internet for all different types of thimbles. That’s right, thimbles. Why? Because the flea in A Bug’s Life stood on one in the bug circus. So….

Lately, one of his interests has been men’s formal wear. This was brought on by seeing the movie, Flushed Away, in which the main character, Roddy, is a well-attired mouse. J is now intent upon having his own tuxedo and is really hoping to get some brogues. An example of this interest is that he is examining all the shoes at his disposal to see if they could be worn with a tuxedo or not. He asks anyone he can get to listen to him — this means most of the men at church — what kind of shoes they have on. Also at church, when an man was passing us the wine instead of saying, “The peace of Christ be with you,” as he was supposed to, J leaned over to get his wine and whispered, asking the man, “Are you wearing a tuxedo?”. He wasn’t.

Another of his interests lately, besides being intensly interested in all aspects of Looney Toons, is his wanting to know about many old — and obscure — actors in Hollywood and how and when they died. He is always asking us if someone we have never heard of is “the late so-and-so or not the late so-and-so”.

Finally, the other night, as I was kissing him goodnight, he whispered to me, “Oh, Mom, I wish that you were Jennifer Love Hewitt”.

Miss Liz always tells me that I should write this stuff down because I couldn’t make it up. She is right. I couldn’t make it up if I tried. I mean really, that Jennifer Love Hewitt comment alone. Why he wants me to be her — I don’t want to know. He makes me laugh.

J, the Hilarious
I have to record a few things about my oldest son. His interests lately have been unusual, to say the least. Now, I should say that he has always had unusual interests — for instance, this is the boy who I once found intently searching the internet for all different types of thimbles. That’s right, thimbles. Why? Because the flea in A Bug’s Life stood on one in the bug circus. So….

Lately, one of his interests has been men’s formal wear. This was brought on by seeing the movie, Flushed Away, in which the main character, Roddy, is a well-attired mouse. J is now intent upon having his own tuxedo and is really hoping to get some brogues. An example of this interest is that he is examining all the shoes at his disposal to see if they could be worn with a tuxedo or not. He asks anyone he can get to listen to him — this means most of the men at church — what kind of shoes they have on. Also at church, when an man was passing us the wine instead of saying, “The peace of Christ be with you,” as he was supposed to, J leaned over to get his wine and whispered, asking the man, “Are you wearing a tuxedo?”. He wasn’t.

Another of his interests lately, besides being intensly interested in all aspects of Looney Toons, is his wanting to know about many old — and obscure — actors in Hollywood and how and when they died. He is always asking us if someone we have never heard of is “the late so-and-so or not the late so-and-so”.

Finally, the other night, as I was kissing him goodnight, he whispered to me, “Oh, Mom, I wish that you were Jennifer Love Hewitt”.

Miss Liz always tells me that I should write this stuff down because I couldn’t make it up. She is right. I couldn’t make it up if I tried. I mean really, that Jennifer Love Hewitt comment alone. Why he wants me to be her — I don’t want to know. He makes me laugh.