Slaughterhouse Rules

MOVING DAY!!

2011-01-26T00:43:00.004-06:00

I am very excited to announce MY SITE HAS MOVED!!! Please update your information and come visit me over at the new place.

You may click HERE or go to www.angslaughter.com

I hope to see you very soon!

Duck Hurling at Nap Time

2011-01-25T13:36:00.004-06:00

The Jeb Man got into a little trouble at school recently. The boy hates nap time. He refuses to nap anywhere other than at home in his own bed. I knew he wasn't napping at school, but his teachers assured me he was staying quietly on his nap mat.

That all changed yesterday.

His teacher met me at the door and told me he had some "issues" at nap time. Apparently, not only did he refuse to stay on his nap mat, but he also hurled his duck at other sleeping children, trying to wake them up so they could play. (I mean, it was a good plan...)

I. Was. Mortified.

I videoed part of his confessional to send to his daddy. It's pretty cute, but ends awkwardly. I guess that's how we roll.

I should have known this duck was going to be nothing but trouble.

Me in a swanky spa equals awkward

2011-01-24T11:16:00.006-06:00

I apologize for my elusiveness over the last few days. As I mentioned, we were on a mini, no-child, no-snow vacay in Dallas over the weekend with friends. And it was amazingly fun. We went lots of places and did lots of things, but the one I want to share here, of course, makes fun of me.

On our last day, our husbands suggested Kate and I get a manicure at the Nordstrom spa. Now to many of you who regularly get manicures, that might not sound like a big deal. But I never. get. manicures. Ever. Plus, I'm a little weird about strangers touching me. (Don't try to psychoanalyze. Just roll with it.) Even so, Matt gave me no choice, and off we went to Nordstrom.

When we arrived, they immediately separated Kate and me and placed us into tiny, private, spa rooms, complete with dim lighting and Celtic, chanty, spa music. The separation threw me. I wanted to panic, but kept silently chanting, "Play it cool, Ang. Pretend you do this all the time. Just another day at the spa. Just another day at the spa." Then the nice lady had me lay down in a reclining chair (awkward), covered me with white blankets (so awkward), then said, "Ok, just close your eyes and relax," as she placed a warm towel over my face (oh, dear Lord).

Add "loss of vision" to my list of possibly causes for breakdown. Cue full-on panic.

(As a side note, I looked up the definition for panic attack. It is as follows: "an intense attack of anxiety characterized by feelings of impending doom and trembling, sweating, pounding heart, and other physical symptoms." Check. Check. Check. Check, and check.)

After a few minutes of the woman massaging my hands with seventeen different lotions, then putting them in the hot wax gloves, I realized some of my anxiety had dwindled, and I was actually sort of enjoying the experience. And then a few brief moments later, I was overcome with the question.... "Who in the heck do I think I am?" I mean there I was, lying in a chair, covered in lightly scented spa towels, while a perfectly nice woman with extremely strong hands was massaging me as though I were Cleopatra or English royalty. At that point, I was thankful for the towel over my face because I could not help but laugh at myself.

When it was all over and we met up with the boys, I showed Matt my fabulous nails and told him about the whole thing. He, knowing me the way he does, gave me a hug and laughed. Hard. And when I told him how ridiculous I felt about having someone take care of me that way, he said, "That's exactly what you deserve. I wish we could do it more often."

I love that he feels that way, and a part of me wishes I could, too. And I don't think it's just me. I mean, I know lots of women who frequent the spa often, and I think that's great. But I know just as many who never think to treat themselves and who, most likely, just like me, believe the $45 spent on them alone just isn't worth the money. But you know what? It was worth it. Even though I had to fight through my weird, irrational anxiety stuff, I had 45 minutes that, for the first time in who knows how long, was all about me. It's rare. It's precious. But I think it's ok.

What about you? Do you treat yourself enough?

Look beyond the mirror pose...

2011-01-20T19:00:00.001-06:00

Matt and I outran the snow with a couple of dear friends to spend the weekend in Dallas. I am reduced to blogging from my iPhone, but I had to share my deal of the century.

I had one shopping goal in mind--I needed a new camel colored coat and found this little number at Macy's. Original price: $380.00. (Yikes!) Sale price: less than $100.00 (Yay!)

What do you think? I know. I know. I need to work on my mirror posing.

Life according to the iPhone

2011-01-19T09:20:00.004-06:00

The following documents life this past week according to my iPhone.

The girls picked out some super cute shoes at Target. (I would totally wear them if they were my size.)

A few nights ago, the girls walked into the living room before bed and announced (ever so proudly), "Same panties. Same jammies. Same snuggies!"

This. Never. Happens. Estella Dru fell asleep while watching tv on the couch. Miracle of miracles. Must have been the comfort of the snuggie that lulled her to sleep.

This happens every single morning. Faulkner the cat has bed-making radar, and the moment I begin, he jumps onto the bed and doesn't move until I drag him off. Hence, the lump. Some days I just make it over the top of him.

This is a video capturing part of Jeb's nightly routine. He sits on the counter top, drinks a little chocolate milk, then stands up, counts to ten, and jumps to me. Recently, he's been counting in Spanish and can usually get to five without a problem. This night, though... not so much.

Do you tweet?

2011-01-18T11:10:00.004-06:00

Do you Twitter? Or is it, do you tweet? Either way... do you?

I'll be honest. I love Twitter. When Matt first told me about it (years ago), I laughed and told him it sounded ridiculous to me. Who needed Twitter when we lived in a Facebook world? I have officially eaten my words.

Here are some of my recent tweets....

Kids playing hide-n-go-seek. Dru hid under blanket. When Belle found her she tried meowing to throw her off--the old pretend-to-be-a-cat trick.

Wldnt let girls watch Wiz of Oz. Snuck arnd & did it anyway. Now begging to sleep with us. Belle: I shoulda believed u abt the monkeys, Mom.

Instead of hitting Dru again, a tactic that wasn't working, Jeb reached down and calmly unbuckled her seatbelt. Pure genius.

Wonder how long before Jeb realizes he really isn't controlling the Wii, but Daddy is doing it all behind him. Twill be a sad, sad day.

Spell check always wants to change "Ang" to "Nag." My husband finds this funny.

Jeb just pointed to a bottle of Tums and yelled, "Candy!" Thanks, Grandpa.

When exiting ladies room in Fville Jason's Deli, hang a right. Straight will take you into men's room. & you will feel stupid. I'm guessing.

Guy just got on treadmill nxt to me wearing orange prison clothes. Trying to play it cool. Pretend to text. Just pretend to text.

So do you Twitter? Why or why not? Are you a loyal Facebooker? I'd love to hear.

A hero of mine

2011-01-17T12:51:00.005-06:00

I grew up in an area where not much respect was afforded to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Maybe none at all.

In college, one of my favorite courses was on the American civil rights movement. I think it was then that my admiration of the man began and now runs deep.

To anyone who is dreaming or has ever dreamed a dream much bigger than themselves--a dream that will undoubtedly place them in the path of detractors and enemies but fearlessly chases after it anyway.... Martin Luther King, Jr. led your way.

This is Dr. King's Alabama police mugshot on February 22, 1956. I love the look on his face. There he sat, arrested, humiliated, no doubt being treated shamelessly by the Alabama authorities... but the look on his face is one of determination. Resolve. As though he's thinking, "The work I'm doing is so far above you and your inability to understand it. Do and say what you will. It will not slow me."

To the man who understood his calling and ran headlong to embrace it, no matter the cost, you are a hero of mine.

(You can go here and see some pictures from our 2009 Spring Break when we visited the Lorriane Hotel where Dr. King was assassinated.)

Pulling from the archives: Cupcake family tree

2011-01-15T11:11:00.004-06:00

I stole these pictures from a post I did in 2009. I got the idea from this cookbook...
...and made a family tree out of cupcakes to celebrate Matt's grandmother's birthday.

I made an easy box mix for the cupcakes, tinted some icing with food coloring for a nice skin color, and used melting chocolate dyed with a little food coloring for the hair. It would have been much better to use mini M&Ms for different eye colors, but since I couldn't find any anywhere, I went with tube icing. The noses are jelly beans, and the mouths are Starbursts. You really just have to play with it all to get it work the way you like. (The cookbook gives MUCH better instructions than I can here. It's got some amazing ideas if you like to play with cupcakes. A great buy.)

I painted a tree on a large piece of white cardboard and placed 'everyone' in their proper places on the family tree. Here it is... Gran and Grandpa's legacy... in cupcake form.

Gran and Grandpa. (I love Gran's glasses.)

Pat and Sarah's family. (Owen is my favorite.)

I got a little carried away with Sarah's hair. Sorry, Sarah.

Gigi and G-Pops.

Jeb eating his cupcake self. Look how little he was.

Our family. Pretty sure I captured Matt perfectly.

This project was time consuming, but so worth it and very fun to watch everyone eat their cupcake selves. I think this would be fun to do for a little girl party and make a different cupcake for each little girl in her likeness. Maybe someday....

Random Friday

2011-01-14T12:50:00.004-06:00

1.) My house is a wreck. If you came over, I wouldn't consider opening the door. Because I would lose friends. And respect.

2.) Yesterday when I put Jeb in the car, he said, "I no watch iCarwy." (The girls' iCarly dvd was in the dvd player.) I was thrilled. Yes! He wants a tough, boy movie. I started looking for Thomas or Diego when he said, "Hey Mama. You got Barbie?"

3.) I really want to make this. Doesn't meant that I will.

4.) Still working on book number two. I have put Matt is charge of deciding who to talk to/what to do/where to go in efforts to get number one published. It is brutally hard to get published, just in case you were wondering. One of the agents I really like posted her stats from last year. Out of 10,000 unsolicited queries (people like me who have not been referred) she received in 2010, she took on NONE of them. That's 0 out of 10,000. It's going to be hard. But not impossible.

5.) Last year at this time I was falling out of my size 2 jeans. I was sick and about to find out that life was seriously going to change. (Ahhhh, to go back to those few months of bliss when I was tiny and dying but had no idea. Sigh.) But I was falling out of my size 2s. I still have those size 2s. And that is all I will say about that.

6.) Matt has Fatbooth on his iPhone. I am sure it is politically incorrect and insensitive on so many levels. I apologize in advance. But I haven't been feeling so great this morning, so in an effort to make me smile, he sent me this picture with the caption, "Do I look bloated?" Ummm, "bloated" is not the word I would choose.

7.) We are still working on my new site. It's going to be clean and simple and I am so excited about it. One of my favorite features will be that I will have the ability to comment on a comment left by a reader. I love that and can't wait to get it up and running.

A few of my favorite things....

2011-01-13T09:20:00.005-06:00

I love Christmas. Of course, we celebrate Baby Jesus. But also at Christmas.... I get stuff. Really cool stuff. Once-a-year-kind of stuff. I wait for Christmas like a kid. I. Love. Christmas.

I shared one of my favorite things here. (My husband couldn't have done better.) But I have a few more favorites worth sharing... in no certain order.

This is another one from Matt. (I'm telling you... he was on his game.)A CHI Ultra straightening iron. A lifesaver for me and this naturally wavy/frizzy/yuck hair. I had a CHI ultra, but sadly, it died on me last summer. Ever since I have been using a regular CHI. They are great, too, but simply don't heat up enough to give me the look I need. Plus... it's pink. Perfection. By the way, we picked this up at Ulta. They usually have great deals in the store, and if you sign up for their mailing list, they send you even better ones.

Another one of my favorite gifts came from Matt's mom. I have been needing some tall, brown boots, and she surprised me with these on Christmas morning.

I could not love them more. They are called Nicole 'Buster', and you can get them for a decent price over at Amazon. My favorite story about these boots.... Estella Dru and I were in Market Place, and she looked at me and said, "Mama, I just cannot stop starin' at your boots. Those things are rockin' hot, Girl." And they sort of are.

Another gift from Gigi which has been SO great is this little zip bag from Fossil.

I always hated pulling out my diabetes testing things at restaurant tables in the little black medical-like, hospital-ish bag I was using. This bag is the perfect size to hold all my testing stuff, and it's so stinkin' cute. If you have a diabetic friend, this would make the. perfect. gift. Here's a link.

Did you get a "favorite thing" for Christmas?

She's looking to me.

2011-01-12T10:33:00.004-06:00

I'll be honest. We are strict parents. We aren't trying to raise "free spirits." (I've read the Bible front-to-back and have yet find that passage--"Thou shall raise thy children to be free spirited, and thou shall discipline rarely while meeting their every desire.") We are trying to raise well-behaved, disciplined children, grounded in faith, and who realize they are part of a big world that does not revolve around their every want and desire. Because it doesn't.

And I make no apologies.

That said, my kids are loved. Crazy loved. And they know it. Some days, yeah, I wish I could give them their way more or give in to their selfish little wills because I love them and want to make them so happy. But it's because I love them so much that I rarely give in. I realize to some that seems over-the- top, but ultimately, I'm raising my children for the glory of One. If I don't obey what I know in my heart to be the calling He has for me and for the lives of my children, I will have failed myself and the three most precious gifts He has ever given me.

But some days, being the parent gets frustrating. Saying "no", correcting behaviors constantly.... It's disheartening... and just plain hard. There are times I want to lock myself in the closet and just cry. Some days I think, "Grandma would know what to say... or do." But Grandma isn't here. It's me. It's my responsibility to be the best mother I can be. Still, sometimes being a Mommy is a lonely place.

Then yesterday, after a trying day with the Slaughter Sisters, I opened up my jewelry box and found a note from Estella Dru. It read simply, "I love you, Mommy." And this was the picture attached.

I realize it probably was not intended, but the emotion in her little eyes in this picture brought me to tears. It's as if she is looking to me with all the admiration in the world. Me. The one who tells her to stay in her seat, pick up her room five times a day, stop doing this, stop doing that, spanks her bootie when she needs it, assures her that while her friends may be "doing" it, make no mistake, she will not. Me. She's looking to me.

I find that miraculous.

I'll be the first to admit, I mess up as a parent all the time. ALL the time. But I believe that if we're more committed to raising our kids according to what the Lord calls us to and not this messed-up, self-loving world, our rewards will be immeasurable. Yesterday, for me, it was a note from my daughter. And it was priceless.

Snow Day=Snow Outing=Train Wreck

2011-01-11T11:00:00.003-06:00

Yay! SNOW DAY!!

I prayed it here. I am quite certain. All me. My prayers. You're welcome.

The excitement in my house this morning was fever pitch. Every Slaughter kid was chomping at the bit to go outside. I knew it was a bad idea. I knew the outing would maybe last two, possibly three minutes. They are their mother's children. We don't do cold.

But Daddy came to their rescue, even with my warnings that, "This will not end well."

We bundled them up, a process that took approximately 35 minutes, opened the door, and out they went. Three steps later, two of them lay crying flat on their backs, having fallen on the ice. They recovered without much drama and ran into the yard.

Estella Dru got the brilliant idea to slide down the slide that was covered in snow and a little ice. I knew it wasn't wise, but before I could protest, she was being catapulted into the middle of the yard. It sort of reminded me of an old cartoon. Unbelievable, but happening before my very eyes. Though she was in tears, apparently it looked like so much fun that Jeb wanted to try. I barely caught him before he plunged to his death off an icy rung of the ladder leading up to the slide.

At this point, I called for Matt and told him this was his disaster. I was going in. I couldn't watch.

Less than a minute later, Jeb had a melt down. (No pun intended.) He was screaming and shaking and, for all intents and purposes, dying of pain. When I ran in to see what happened, bracing myself to see blood or a broken bone, Matt informed me he had taken off his gloves and touched the snow. Yes, I'm serious. Snow-touching took him down. Jeb was holding his little red hand out to me, screaming, "Mama, help! Pwease!"

Train. Wreck.

Matt rushes (yes, rushes) him into the tub to get warm when Estella Dru comes to the door crying. She was cold, too, and still reeling from her slide ordeal. I sent her to the tub. Belle wasn't far behind. 35 minutes of getting ready for maybe four minutes of unadulterated outside fun.

I let Matt deal with the snow drama, and went to gather up some snow of my own for snow ice cream. I'm sure there is some crazy delicious, sophisticated way to make snow ice cream, but around here we do it the was Grandma did it. Milk, sugar, and vanilla. No measuring. Just pouring until it looks right. And that's how I'll always do it.

Even with all the craziness, I love having them home with me for a 'surprise' snow day. Oh, and by the way, Jeb has recovered nicely and learned his lesson about the snow. When I handed him his snow ice cream, he told me, "I use spoon, Mama. Don't touch dat snow. It hurt."

Brilliant, Son. Yeah, use the spoon.

A "Snowed In" Snack

2011-01-10T09:24:00.006-06:00

We aren't really "snowed in" today. (Dang it.) But I had planned on making these this morning to take to some sweet people who have been wonderful to us lately. And then I thought... what a great "snowed in" snack.

Someone very precious to me used to make these, and I'm so glad I thought of them after all these years. Here's what you do....

Place around a cup and a 1/2 of creamy peanut butter into a plastic baggie, squish it down to one corner, and cut a hole in that corner.

Fill the inside of Bugles chips with the peanut butter from the bag. (Some of the chips are more "open" than others. Don't force it. Just use the "open" ones and save the rest to snack on later.

I didn't count how many I made. I just filled until I got tired of filling. You can do the same.

Next, crush about a cup of pecans. And I mean crush. You want them almost powdery. Set aside. You'll need them in a minute.

Now you need to get some melting chocolate. I already had some chocolate chips, so I added the bag of chips, plus around a tablespoon of shortening to the bowl and used a double boiler system to melt. (The shortening just makes it more smoother and manageable. It's not a necessity.) You can use any sort of melting chocolate you have on hand.

Once your chocolate is melted, dip only the end of the chip into the chocolate, sealing off the peanut butter end. Before the chocolate begins to set up, sprinkle on your pecans.

Let them set up. (I put mine in the garage for about thirty minutes, and that's all it took. It's cold out there!) And that's it. Serve away.

WARNING: We made these at Christmas, and they went fast. Lightening fast. They may be slightly addictive, so if you're on a New Year's Diet, prepare yourself to resist.

And then watch yourself eat the whole batch.

Mortifying Mommy Moment Memory

2011-01-07T10:37:00.006-06:00

My sweet Estella Dru slammed her little finger in a door at the end of school yesterday. And not the front of the door, but the back... like by the hinges. It doesn't look nearly as bad as it sounds, and nothing was broken... except for her sweet little heart.

She walked in the door with the biggest tears in her eyes and asked me to hold her. She wasn't really complaining, but she wouldn't let me let her go for the longest time. Is there anything worse than when your kids are hurting?

The whole incident reminded me of my ALL-TIME-WORST Mommy moment. I'm going to share it, but I warn you... you will never think of me the same. You may even be tempted to call DHS. But let me assure you, the guilt and shame I've carried all these years has been punishment enough.

Let the confessional begin...

When Belle was two, we were at Matt's mom's (Gigi's) house. When it was time to leave, Belle decided she wanted to stay and tried to escape into Gigi's room. I told her we had to go and that she needed to come to Mommy. Being the obedient child she was, she burst into tears and ran into Gigi's room again. I brought her out, sat her down, kicking and screaming, and shut the door to the room.

At that moment, the child let out a blood curdling scream. I assumed that is was because I shut the door, and so I popped her little bottom, made her look at me, and said, "You do not pitch fits, Belle."

And that's right about the time that I noticed three of her little fingers were caught in the back of the COMPLETELY CLOSED door. If you're not following me, let me clarify. I. Spanked. My. Child. While. Her. Fingers. Were. Being. Crushed. Inside. A. Closed. Door.

Thank God they didn't break. I honestly don't know if I could have forgiven myself. She recovered quickly, but I didn't. It was definitely one of my darkest mommy days.

But maybe my biggest mistake was confessing the whole thing to Belle not so long ago. That child forgets nothing. So yesterday when I was holding E Dru, Belle came in, looked at her sister's finger, and said, "Hey, Mama. Remember when...."

"Yes, Belle!"

"She made the purdiest corpse I ever seen."

2011-01-06T09:40:00.005-06:00

Mouth filters. Don't you wish everyone had one? You know what I mean, right? The invisible device that only lets appropriate words flow out of an individual's mouth and keeps the inappropriate, ill-thought, offensive words in.

I think sometimes my filter filters too much. I'm crazy non-confrontational. I will nearly kill myself to avoid having "words" with someone. It has to get extremely ugly and/or involve someone I love for me to put myself out there with my words. I almost took out a 4-year-old once on the Chick-fil-a play area. (Don't mess with my kids, Punk Toddler Who Hits or Punk Toddler Who Hits' Non-observant Parent.)

So since my filter works so well, I thought I might take the opportunity here today to share some real examples of non-filtered comments I've received lately and how I actually responded versus how I would have responded without a properly functioning filter. Observe.

Example 1: To the lady who never fails to say to me, "When are you gonna cut that boy's hair?" each and every time she sees me with Jeb.

What I said: "Ha ha. Yeah, he probably needs one."

What I might have said without my filter: "Seriously? Were the trimmers on like .2 when you sheered off your poor kid's hair? How many people stop you in the mall and tell you how gorgeous your kid is? (As I point to Jeb...) See that kid? Potty trained at 25 months. Could sleep till noon every day. Counts to five in Spanish. (Thanks, Dora.) As absolutely as adorable as they come. Plus he can HEAR YOU. And asking me that question is just straight rude. Stop it."

(Ok, so that was a little intense, but please see the above statement about unfiltered statements involving my kids. I get all mama bear freaky.)

Example 2 (related to Example 1): To the lady at the Target check-out who referred to Jeb as a 'pretty little princess'.

What I said: "Oh. Yes. Yes she is."

What I might have said without my filter: "Really? A collared shirt and tie beneath a black Aerosmith t-shirt? That wasn't a tip for ya'? What about the cargo khakis and hightop Converse? Still? Still not with me?"

Example 3: To the person who continually brings up her "housekeeper" in conversations with me. (P.S. This person is NOT a blog reader, so I'm safe.)

What I say: "Oh, yeah... I so know what you mean. I like my fan blades dusted, too."

What I might say without my filter: "Ok, so you know I don't have a housekeeper right? I'm a stay-at-home mom. A proud stay-at-home mom who willingly makes sacrifices. I keep my own house. I sort of suck at it. I would love to have someone do it for me, but the thought of paying someone on our budget is laughable. If you want to loan me your awesome housekeeper, please send her my way. Here's my address. Otherwise... not cool."

Example 4: To the person who recently made an excessive amount of fun of my non-existent math skills.

What I said/What I might have said without my filter: "I'm sorry? Can you name all the American presidents in order? No. You can't. And guess what else? You can't spell president either. Yeah, I made a D- in 9th grade algebra and barely passed it in college, but I have YET to use it as an adult. How's your spelling deficiencies working out for you in the real world? Oh yes. I just went there."

(Ok, so that last one was to Matt. In extreme love, of course. He had it coming ok???!!)

Example 5: To the sweet little old man who said to me after Grandma's funeral, "She made the purdiest corpse I ever seen."

What I said: (Big hug.) "Thank you. She did, didn't she?"

What I might have said without my filter. (Big hug.) "Thank you. But that might be the creepiest thing anyone has ever said to me."

Has anyone made a non-filtered statement to you lately? Please do share.

Tico.

2011-01-05T12:59:00.006-06:00

I swore I wouldn't share this with anyone, and here I am about to blog about it. I'm a sucker for a funny story.

It happened the week before Christmas. My house was a wreck. The kids were a wreck. I was the biggest wreck. No make up. Still in pajama pants and a sweat shirt. Scary. So very scary.

I had just taken Jeb to the potty when the doorbell rang. I wanted to ignore it, but I have frosted glass on the front door. Whoever it was must have already spotted the girls who were being much too loud in the living room. I had no choice. I left Jeb to finish his big boy business and went to answer the door.

Half way there, I remembered how hideous I looked. Again, I wanted to ignore the door, but by this time, the girls were screaming, "Mama! Somebody's at the door!" at 989 decibels.

Really? Thanks, girls.

So I swallowed my pride and opened the door to find a delivery guy standing there with a package. I tried to play it cool and made a pitiful excuse for my scary appearance and my disaster of a house. By this time the girls are standing on either side of me in their crazy-hair, 1/2 pjs 1/2 normal clothes, orphan-like state, staring at the poor guy like they haven't seen another human being in months, drooling at the package in his hand. If he wasn't terrified at that point, he should have been.

I signed the little thingy as fast as I could, handed it back to him, and... this is when it really goes downhill... I handed it back to him and said, "Tico."

Tico. Never heard that word? Oh, maybe because it's not really a word. It's a character on Dora the Explorer. Explanation: When Belle was teeny tiny, she LOVED Dora. And for some reason, her word for "thank you" was "tico." She said "tico" for years, and it just stuck with us. So from time to time, instead of "thank you" we say, "tico." But. Not. To. Strangers. Delivering. Packages.

The poor man did a double take at me after the word came out of my mouth. I wanted to turn back time and somehow reel it back in, but it was too late. I started to at least attempt an explanation when Jeb came running out the bathroom, thinking someone he knew was there. He busted out of the front door at the guy and stopped dead in his tracks. Dead in his COMPLETELY NAKED tracks. Oh yes. My son was fresh off the potty with not a stitch on.

The guy just laughed, but I'm pretty sure it was a desperate attempt not to scream. I told him, "bye," but what I really wanted to say was, "It's ok to run."

I scooped Jeb up, escaped back into the house as fast as I could, and locked the door behind us. If delivery people have a little black book where they flag people as "crazy," make no mistake... I have been flagged.

And just when I thought it couldn't get worse, as I was putting Jeb's pants back on, he looked at me and smiles, then says, "Mommy, you a printhess." I gave him a big hug. I totally needed to hear that I was a princess. I told him, "thank you" and then, from the couch, I hear Belle say, "He means your crown."

My what?

I feel on top of my head and pull off a plastic, purple, feathery, bejeweled tiara. I barely remembered when Jeb put it there while I was talking on the phone earlier that morning. Awwwwwwe. Some.

And here's what I told God.... "God, If I were a prideful person, I would totally understand that lesson. Maybe learn from it even. But since I'm NOT... I'm pretty sure You just needed the laugh."

But I guess if there IS a moral to be found to my story it would be... even when I look like a mess to the world, I'm still a princess to my son. That's a pretty big honor. Maybe the biggest. Tico, Jeb. Tico.

Go get your candy canes.

2011-01-04T11:09:00.003-06:00

Last year, I really wanted to make THESE for Valentine's Day.

BUT...

I waited too late after Christmas and couldn't find any mini candy canes ANYWHERE. Sigh.

So this is ME, telling YOU... go find some Christmas candy on super sale, and grab up some baby candy canes. I've already got mine and will be making these adorable suckers for Valentine's Day. Make them with me!

Hello, 2011.

2011-01-03T13:09:00.007-06:00

I am trying to get back into the groove of things after the long break. Anyone else know the feeling?

My girlies and Matt went back to school/work today. While I thought I would enjoy getting our routine back... just me and Jeb... I miss them.

I have a lot of things on my plate. Good things. This blog being one of them. I hope to improve its look, not to mention content, in 2011. (Last month, I had the highest number of visits and views I've ever had. THANK YOU. Sincerely. THANK YOU.)

2010, for me, was a year of crazy, insane changes and revelations. (Some of those revelations I haven't spoken about yet but hope to be able to very soon.) The story God wrote for me in 2010 is one that I couldn't have written in the pages of a novel. Who would have guessed a year that began with me discovering I had Type 1 diabetes--a year that began with me feeling so broken I couldn't imagine healing finding me--would prove to be one of the most amazing years of my life. I can't imagine what He can do in 2011, but He can do something even bigger. And I'm trusting Him for it. I don't deserve it. I don't deserve the air He gives me to breathe, but I'm trusting Him for bigger things. Every time I think He must be done with me, He moves in a way that leaves me with my jaw dropped.

But since this is a time of discussions about resolutions and goals, I will share one. Sorry. It's pretty generic.

In 2011, I want to..... get in great shape. (See? I told you. Generic.)

In June, Matt and I will have been married 10 years. (Crazy, I know.) We are planning a vacation to a beach somewhere. (He's being fairly shady about the whole thing. I'm going to have to do some serious sneaking to get to the bottom of it.) Anyway... we have decided to work hard and see how close we can get to our ten-years-ago-"honeymoon"-bodies. I told him it's not quite fair. I'm the one who's carried three children. But it will be fun to put in the time and effort and see how we've done in June.

I also wanted to post my favorite picture from 2010. And wouldn't you know it? It's a grainy shot from an iPhone, I think. This was taken just as Matt and I got off the plane from our mission trip to Brazil--one of the most life-changing events from my 2010. Seeing these girls for the first time in over a week... wow. It's a take-my-breath-away moment.

Do you have a take-your-breath-away moment from 2010? Or a New Year's Resolution you'd like to share? I would love to read about it.

If Only I Could Write Lyrics....

2010-12-30T15:58:00.003-06:00

Every now and then I hear a song at just the right moment--a song that I can literally feel searing into my heart. It's almost as if someone leans close and whispers, "Listen." Do you ever get that? You try to play it off as coincidence, but every time you get into a car, it's on the radio. When you walk into a store, it's playing. When you stand in line at Target, the chick next to you is humming it.

And you concede, finally, that for some reason, you are supposed to hear it. Really hear it.

That is this song for me. I can't remember where I heard it the first time, but it has relentlessly pursued me. It plays over and over in my head, night and day. The lyrics (oh if only I could write lyrics like this) have spoken to my heart like nothing else could. It leaves me in tears almost consistently.

I. Love. This. Song.

Hey now, this is my desire
Consume me like a fire
Cause I just want
Something beautiful to touch me
I know that I'm in reach
'Cause I am down on my knees
And waiting for
Something beautiful

Do you ever get that? A song you feel that, at least for a moment, was written just for you?

LOCKED OUT

2010-12-29T13:51:00.003-06:00

We have a little problem at our house.

If Jeb makes it in the house before anyone else, he locks us all out.

Go ahead. Laugh if you will. But you try standing outside. In a cold garage. Weighted down with grocery bags. Screaming for a giggling two-year-old to let you in. It can get frustrating.

Yesterday Matt was the last one in the house. I knew what Jeb was thinking, so I grabbed my phone to catch it on video. But the poor little guy ended up needing just a little help.... I was happy to oblige.

Did you see how scared he was at the threat of a spanking? Oh the horror in his eyes.

Christmas Morning Torture with a Train Table

2010-12-28T15:06:00.004-06:00

All my boy baby asked for from Santa for Christmas was "twains." That's it. Nothing more. Just "twains."

If you've ever been in the Fayetteville Barnes and Noble you may have noticed the train table in the kids' reading area. Jeb loves that train table... so much so that it's hard to get him to leave. Ok, that's not true. He never actually leaves of his own volition. The leaving is forced. And there's screaming. And kicking. And tears. And begging. "My TWAINS!! Pwease Mama... My TWAINS!" It's just ugly.

So imagine how happy that little boy was when he opened up his very own train table at Gigi's house on Christmas day. The only problem was... it was still in the box. Obviously, we had to wait until we got it home to get it out and ready for him. I think he sort of understood the explanation.

So he found a nice comfy spot in front of the box, parked himself, and stared. No whining or speaking or crying. Just silent staring.

Later that day, his daddy set everything up in his room, and we haven't seen him since.

Seriously.

My very own lightening bugs in a jar

2010-12-26T20:40:00.005-06:00

Wow. Another Christmas in the books. This past week has been a whirlwind of events and places and people, and I'm grateful for all of it. This year was extraordinarily special. I hope to talk about that soon. Stay tuned....

The Slaughter kids were overwhelmed with gifts, and I have tons of pictures of their happy little faces as they tear into packages. But I wanted to share one of my favorite gifts.

This may just be the most thoughtful gift Matt Slaughter has ever given me. I love it so much I can't even begin to explain.

A jar filled with lightening bugs that light up and flicker.

I get how that may not seem so fabulous. But it is.

There is a scene in my book. (You know... the book that isn't published. Yeah, that's the one.) The scene is one of my favorites and one that was probably the hardest to write. I finally had to make myself put it down because I don't think I could ever feel that it's perfect.

In the scene, one of the main characters, Malcolm, is trying to let go and say goodbye. He ends up getting a little help in the most unlikely of places in the most unlikely of ways by the most unlikely of people. I'll share a little below.

He fell upon his knees at the stone bearing her image, lowered his face to the ground, and sobbed as he had the day he left her there. Beulah Two was careful not to frighten him. She placed her hand on his back as gently as she could. He raised his bloodshot eyes to her and leaned his back against the stone. Slowly, the little girl extended the jar toward him. Malcolm watched the tiny insect crawl along glass bottom, searching for a way out of its prison. Suddenly its body illuminated with a beautiful green glow, and it flew to the top of the jar, only to be met by the metal lid. Malcolm reached out and took it in his blistered hand.

“Remember the story?” Beulah Two asked him. “The one you told me about Anna and the lightenin’ bugs?”

Malcolm nodded. “I remember.”

“You said Ms. Anna was sad when she seen all the lightenin’ bugs you put in the jars. You said you and Ms. Anna opened up all the lids and let ‘em go.”

“Every single one.”

“You said that when they flew out they looked just like stars dancin’ above your heads, like stars you just set free, and they flew up to the sky and found the place they belonged.”

Malcolm’s bottom lip quivered. The lightening bug was climbing up the glass again. Beulah Two knelt down beside him. “Do you remember?”

“I remember.”

She took his right hand and placed in onto the jar’s lid. “Set her free. That’s what Ms. Anna would want. Let her fly right on up to the sky so she can be beautiful again.”

Malcolm’s hands shook. He stared into Beulah Two’s small face, so innocent and bold. Her hand was frozen still on top of his as she waited for him to make a move. Her dark eyes gazed into his, imploring his. He looked out over the cemetery again. So many other lights, so many lives. His vision blurred with tears. He blinked them away and noticed a single light float toward the sky. He watched it rise higher and higher above the graves, flashing its green radiance, until it disappeared from sight.

Thank you, Matt. If everyone knew how amazing you are, there wouldn't be enough of you to go around.

My favorite Christmas Candy

2010-12-21T10:16:00.003-06:00

Each year before Christmas the girls in our family get together to make Christmas candies/goodies. Yesterday was the day, and as always, we ended the day with tons of sugary treats. I wish I could share all the recipes, but I will share my favorite.

For two years now, I have made a recipe I found called Almond Joy candy. I can't even remember where I found it, but it is really really good. If you like Almond Joy candy bars, you'll die for this.

Almond Joy Candy

3/4 cup (or 1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pound (5 1/3 cups) sweetened shredded coconut
2 cups toasted almonds, chopped
2 cups (12-ounces) milk or semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Line a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with lightly buttered waxed paper or aluminum foil. Set aside.Melt butter in large saucepan, add milk and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in coconut and almonds and mix well. Press into prepared pan and refrigerate until firm.Invert pan, peel off paper and cut candy into small squares. Melt chocolate and shortening in double boiler over simmering water; dip candy pieces in chocolate. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets and allow to dry at room temperature. Store tightly covered at room temperature. Makes about 4 pounds candy.

I have not mastered the art of dipping them properly into the chocolate. I usually put the pieces down on wax paper and spread the melted chocolate on top. They aren't the prettiest thing to look at, but the taste is amazing.

Happy Christmas candy making!

Who knew she could ball?

2010-12-19T17:13:00.004-06:00

This is me eating my words.

I'm sorry I ever doubted you, Honey. I'm sorry I ever once entertained the thought that you were more dancer/cheer material. Because you ARE a great dancer and cheerleader, but...

...you also got some KILLER basketball skills. Your mommy is CRAZY proud of you. The video is only 2 of like 14 points you scored on Saturday. High five, Boo! (We won't talk about all the trips down court that you skipped so your pigtails could bounce just right or the cartwheels you turned when the coaches weren't looking.) Shhhhhhh.

Caramel Pecan Popcorn

2010-12-17T11:39:00.006-06:00

I want to share the caramel corn recipe today. It really is incredibly good. My only hang-up with it is that you really do have to use an air popper. I can't think of a way around it and do not think this recipe will work if you use any oil to pop the corn. I, personally, do not own an air popper, but thankfully, Matt's mom has THREE!! If you don't have one, it's worth borrowing or hunting one down.

Here is Matt's mom (aka Gigi) Not-So-Secret Recipe....

Caramel Pecan PopCorn

3/4 cup unpopped popcorn
1 cup light corn syrup
2 cups of brown sugar
2 sticks butter
1 bag raw peanuts or 3-4 cups pecans
1 tsp of vanilla
½ tsp of baking soda

Pop popcorn* and remove unpopped kernels and place in a large roasting pan. Combine the nuts, butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and soda. Pour over the popcorn and stir well to coat. Bake for one hour at 250, stirring every fifteen minutes. Pour out and let cool on waxed paper or the counter top. Break apart, cool, and store in air-tight container.

*An air popcorn popper works best because you don’t want any oil or butter on the popcorn.

Boiling....
After we added the vanilla and soda. Big transformation.

Pouring over the popcorn.

Into the oven.

We use the countertop to spread it out. This is what one batch looks like. We usually do at least two.

And let me say, if Gigi and I accomplished this from start to finish with THIS MUCH "help"....

...you can do it, too.

Fun, Yummy Homemade Gifts

2010-12-16T12:03:00.007-06:00

Today and tomorrow I am handing out Christmas gifts to the kids' teachers and a few of Matt's co-workers.

I think my favorite gifts we're giving are bottles of homemade chocolate sauce and caramel sauce. It looks so cute, and of course, it's crazy yummy.

If you don't have any favorite homemade recipes for the sauces, I totally would keep it between us if you opened up some store-bought and dumped it right in the cute little bottles. No. one. would. ever. know. (Except Jesus.) P.S. The bottles are half off at Hobby Lobby right now for less than a $1.

Also, Matt's mom (aka Gigi) helped me make her amazing caramel pecan popcorn to use as gifts. You might think you have a good caramel popcorn recipe, but I promise.... it's not as good as this one. Sorry if that hurts. Facts are facts.

I'll share the recipe tomorrow. Did you make any homemade goodies this year?

Christmas Oreo Pops

2010-12-15T13:18:00.003-06:00

Are you needing a quick, cute snack project for your child's class Christmas party? Jeb and I made these yesterday, and I think they might just fit the bill.

I didn't take step-by-step pictures due to all the extra "help" I had (aka the 2-year-old-who-thinks-he-needs-to-do-everything-by-himself), but who needs pictures, right?

I used a bag of the peppermint flavored Oreos and broke them open so that all the filling stayed on one side. Then I melted a little white chocolate and put a touch in the center of a cookie on top of the filling, then pushed a sucker stick on top of the melted chocolate and put the other half of the cookie on top. After this sets up, your sucker stick is 'fastened' in place.

After, I just dipped the Oreos (holding the stick) into more melted white chocolate. I dipped others in red-colored melting chocolate I purchased from Hobby Lobby in the candy aisle, along with the sucker sticks. I only used red and white, but you could go with any color you like.

Then I just drizzled with more melted chocolate, and on a few, I sprinkled some red sprinkles and/or peppermint Hershey's kisses shavings.

I bagged them up, tied on a bow, and that was it. I gave them a 'test run' using my kids and niece and nephew as test subjects. They passed with flying colors.

Here is another great idea from the Idea Room using Oreos to make little snowmen.

Don't Eat the Popcorn

2010-12-14T11:02:00.007-06:00

One of my good friends was one of many children in her family. One of my favorite stories she ever told me was about how with so many kids, when food came out, they jumped on it. Food didn't last long, so they grabbed whatever they could as fast as they could.

One day the family had just shared a big bowl of popcorn, and as usual, it was gone in seconds with no one feeling they had enough. Then my friend looked down and spotted a piece of fluffy white popcorn on the floor. Without even a thought, she snatched it up and popped it into her mouth... only to discover it wasn't a piece of popcorn at all, but a rolled-up ball of deodorant that had fallen from someone's armpit.

Gag. Gag. Gag.

But I LOVE that story. Every time I think of it, I think about how many times I have jumped into a decision without thinking (or praying) the way I should have... and ended up suffering the consequences. Even times when things fell magically into place and couldn't have appeared to be more perfect, when I stilled myself and listened, God was saying, "No. That's not what I have for you now. Be patient."

I don't know why I felt prompted to share that today, but I did. If you're facing a big decision, find a quiet place away from all the fluffy white popcorn-ness and noise, and listen to what He has to say. The last thing you want to do is end up stuck with a mouthful of deodorant, pretending everything is fine.

Just Bump the Bunny

2010-12-13T16:30:00.005-06:00

You may have heard me talk about the Danger Ranger from time to time. For those who may not know, the Danger Ranger is how we referred to Matt's vehicle. I'm not certain on the year, but I'm guessing it was an early 80's model Ford Ranger. It was his primary mode of transportation for more than four years.

No heat. No air. Interior falling apart. Oil guzzler. Required much coaxing to start from time to time. He drove it to work every single day and didn't complain not once. Not ONCE.

When we lived in Siloam and he drove Belle to school in the winter, I had to tuck her under several blankets, and Matt said her teeth chattered all the way through town every morning. In the summer, I would put her hair in a tight ponytail so the open windows wouldn't blow it into a mess.

When Estella Dru became old enough to go to school, they decided they were embarrassed to ride with Daddy and begged for him to get a new car. Matt just laughed and told them they should be proud of the Danger Ranger.

But it was time.... Time for something new. Something safer for the kids. And warmer.

This weekend we were blessed to get into a new car. A used Toyota Camry. One with heat. And air. And enough room for all my kids to ride in their car seats safely.

I thought my girls would be ecstatic. Instead, when we went to leave the Danger Ranger for good, they ran out and begged us not to go without it. It had to be below 30 degrees, and before I knew it, they ran outside without their coats, and held on to that stupid truck for dear life.

Somewhere in their sweet little minds, they knew it had served them well.

The new car, though, is a bit bigger than the Danger Ranger, and Matt was concerned I might not be able to park it safely in the garage next to the 4-Runner. When I opened the garage door, this is what I saw.

When I looked at him, he said, "Just bump the bunny, Ang. All you gotta do is bump the bunny."

I know. It's mortifying. And creepy. But actually quite useful. Here is a quick demo.

I won't lie. I do not miss that Danger Ranger. I am grateful for it. So grateful. It saved us when we had nothing, but I am SO relieved to finally be in something new. And grateful for a selfless husband who never wants for himself.

Homemade Doughnut Snowmen

2010-12-09T13:09:00.009-06:00

Last night, the girls and I were home alone and decided to make doughnuts... the old-fashion, how-Grandma-did-it, insanely unhealthy way. We popped open a can of biscuits, cut out holes in the middle, dropped them in hot oil, and rolled in powered sugar. And icing. And cinnamon and sugar.

We needed a little variety, ok??!

As I was rolling the last ones in powdered sugar, Estella Dru said, "Mama, these look just like snowballs." Ding! Ding! Ding! I had an idea. I remembered this post about little powered sugar doughnut snowmen and thought, "I bet we can make our own."

So I made some big "snowballs" by rolling several biscuits together and dropping them into the oil, then rolling them in the "snow" (aka powdered sugar).

We made some little hats out of black construction paper and scarfs out of an old dishtowel I had that had seen better days. The eyes are rolled up Tootsie Roll balls stuck on with a toothpick, and we fashioned the carrot nose out of a red Now and Later (all left over Halloween candy, by the way). We built a stand for our snowmen by covering a piece of cardboard with green construction paper, then made it snow by covering that with fiberfil or "stuffing." We then stuck three skewers into the cardboard with a little hot glue to make sure they stayed and built our snowmen by pushing the snowballs onto the skewers. Oh! And as you can tell, their little arms are broken pretzels.

Our little snowmen turned out cute and were a big hit with the Slaughter kids. After this, maybe they won't ask to do a gingerbread house.

Yeah, right.

Clothes Quilt

2010-12-08T11:00:00.006-06:00

I love homemade Christmas gifts. I love getting and I love giving.

A year after Grandma died, I knew I wanted to give special gifts to my aunt and mom that would remind them of her. I remembered that we had boxed up all Grandma's clothes after the funeral (all the ones we didn't give away), and they were just sitting in Grandpa's shed. So I gathered up every piece of her clothing that she had worn a lot, stuff that was easily identifiable as hers, and began working to make two small quilts out of her clothes.

It felt so weird cutting them up. I kept thinking about her sitting beside me saying, "Now that's what I wore to so-and-so's wedding" and, "Oh---, I had that for years." It was hard working with them. Until you've lost someone close to you, you just can't understand how a familiar smell or sight can affect you. Most of the pieces still smelled like her perfume, and I wasn't about to wash it out.

I had never made a quilt before, and the finished products wouldn't win any blue ribbons for craftsmanship, but they were special. Wherever I could, I left a button or a pocket, and every single quilt square has a memory.

The brown squares... those were a pair of polyester pants she had for years and years. The light pink squares with squiggly lines, those were a shirt she got back when I was in elementary and was still wearing in 2005. The light blue squares with white checks was one of her favorite dresses she wore to church all the time. And the light yellow ones with the blue lines... that was just a wear-around-the-house shirt that was a definite staple.

You may see an ugly quilt. I see her.

What about you? Do you have a favorite homemade gift that you received or gave away?

Christmas Card Time.... AGAIN.

2010-12-07T11:00:00.008-06:00

The time has come for me to decide.

Christmas cards? Or no Christmas cards?

Here's the thing. I LOVE getting Christmas cards at Christmas time. Christmas cards with pictures of family and friends make me happy, and I smile every time I tear into one. For that simple reason, I should not even question whether or not to send cards. But I am.

This year I am even a step ahead. I already have a family picture that I love. That's the hard part, finding a decent picture. And it's done thanks to ever-so-talened Rachel Blackwell.

But now I'm contemplating the address finding. And envelope addressing. And stamp licking. And, if I'm being honest, mainly, I'm dreading the cost. I don't think you could call me "cheap," but we are always tight. And at Christmas... well, even tighter. Can I get an amen?

So, I'm still contemplating. And wondering why the cost of stamps keeps rising.

I've posted these pictures on my blog before, but they are so worth repeating. This is my all-time, favorite Slaughter Christmas card attempt, captured on film.

We were still at John Brown, living in Siloam Springs (pre-Jeb) and decided to take our Christmas card picture in front of the fire with a camera mounted on a tripod in the middle of the living room floor. Everything was going fine until Faulkner, who was just a kitten at the time, became curious about the fire, and before we knew it, leaped into the flames.

Here you can see the curiosity setting in....

And there he is... actually IN the fire with Matt and I yelling at him.

I so wish we had the shot of the cat realizing what he had done and tearing out of there (just a bit singed). If memory serves, someone knocked over the tripod, and I got several great shots of my ceiling.

So what are your thoughts on Christmas cards? Are you doing them or not doing them? Or do you have a crazy good suggestion about getting through the process? Love to hear.

Redneck Retro

2010-12-06T09:53:00.005-06:00

Since our very first Christmas together, my husband has asked--no, my husband has begged--to decorate the house with colored lights.

I put my foot down every year. No colored lights. It's tacky. And sort of redneck. No! I was not having it. And we haven't.

Until this year. This year, somehow, he managed to coerce my children into believing that only cool people have colored lights. Since the summer, every time Christmas has been brought up in conversation, they have whined like babies (Matt not being excluded) for colored Christmas lights. Within the last few weeks, the whining and begging intensified and grew intolerable. If it was a strategy, it was a good one. Wear down the opposition. I need to remember that.

Finally I had heard enough. I gave in. I was mad. I threw up my hands and said, "Fine! Be tacky if you want!" Matt relished in his victory but knew if Mommy isn't happy, it's just not gonna be good for anyone in the long run. (Such a smart boy.) So in an effort to smooth things over, he and the kids went out and bought me a light up flamingo.

Yes, you heard right. A three-foot, light up flamingo, complete with Santa hat and scarf, to go in the yard. You know... beneath the colored lights.

Ok, so yeah... I love flamingos. I get a flamingo ornament every year. The girls and I pose with flamingos at the zoo. I just bought a flamingo Christmas platter. I love flamingos. But as you can imagine, the flamingo did not help the redneck situation in my yard.

But wait... it gets better... or worse.

Having heard about the flamingo, Matt's mom and dad found a palm tree that they thought would go perfectly next to the flamingo. And bought it. And gave it to us. And the crazy thing... it already CAME with big, colored lights. No need to add lights. They came standard.

As Matt was outside working his magic on Saturday, I was in the house wringing my hands. What will the neighbors think? Can I ever show my face again? When he came in to say, "It's ready," I wasn't sure I could even look. But I'm so glad I did.

I love it, y'all. It's so ridiculous, it's awesome.

I like to call it redneck retro. He even made my flamingo appear to be standing in water beneath the palm tree. So perfect. I can't help but smile every time I see it.

The only problem was, my traditional Christmas wreath totally clashed with the redneck retro motif. It had to go. Two boas, 3 wooden letters, and an old wreath base later, I came up with this little flamingo-esque number. No more clashing. Don't laugh. You know you're jealous.

The only thing upsetting to me now is that I waited this long to give in. We have had so much fun with these decorations. Much more than the traditional white lights and outside decor of years past. And who was I kidding? We are SO redneck retro. It's good to finally come out of our Christmas closet.

Pregnant Brain

2010-12-03T10:00:00.006-06:00

My friend, Melissa, had the funniest blog post today. She is pregnant and talking about what I refer to as "pregnant brain."

If you've ever been pregnant, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's inexplicable. It's mind baffling. It's beyond the realm of what medical science can cure. Pregnant women do and say things that they would NEVER do or say when they are not growing another human.

I have thrown away keys. I have tried to pay with my driver's license. I have walked into walls that were always there. I have called people I've known for years by the wrong name. I have worn two different shoes. I have left the house and realized I forgot to put on make up. Pregnant brain is real, Girls. It's real.

But by far the worst pregnant brain episode I ever had occurred when I was carrying Belle in 2003. Matt and I lived a few streets behind Whatta Burger in Russellville. (All my Hog fans out there know Whatta Burger.) And if you've frequented it for long, you might remember the GIGANTIC drink cups they used to have.

Well, one day, Matt came home from work and brought me an extra large diet coke in one of the mammoth cups. (I know. You're not supposed to drink caffeine when you're pregnant. Mind your own business.) I was sitting on my couch, watching tv, holding my drink when I realized my head was itching. So, I raised my hand to scratch it--the hand that was holding my drink--and proceeded to pour the entire diet coke directly on top of my head.

Poor Matt just stared at me, not knowing whether to laugh, cry, or call someone to take me to a padded room.

Pregnant brain is real, Girls. It's real.

What's your pregnant brain story? You know you have one!

"I really want a sock monkey."

2010-12-02T08:59:00.005-06:00

The conversation went something like this....

Belle: (quite thoughtfully) Mom, I've been thinkin'. I really want a sock monkey.

Me: Are you being serious right now?

Belle: (very serious) Yes.

Me: That's a little weird to me, but ok.

Belle: Why's it weird?

Me: Because it's a sock monkey.

Belle: (thinking) Ok. But I still want one.

We went our separate ways, not knowing that Matt had overheard from the next room.

A few minutes later, I hear him urgently calling for me in a whisper. When I turn to look, he is covertly peeking his head out from the kitchen like 007 and motions for me to come there. When I get there, he's laughing. Like, doubled-over, quiet laughing so no one can hear.

And then I see the sharpie in his hand. And the extra gym socks lying on the counter.

Yes. My husband decided to make Belle a sock monkey. Take a deep breath and prepare yourself for the picture. Although, I'm pretty sure nothing can prepare you.

I'll admit it. I laughed with him. A lot. And then we called Belle in to show her her very own, brand new sock monkey. Her reaction was priceless. At first she laughed and said, "Daddy! That's not what I meant!" But the next thing I know, she is doing this....

She loved him. And named him! And then Estella Dru actually starts CRYING because she didn't have one. No more laughing for me. I was baffled.

So Matt went back to work with his socks and sharpies and produced this one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

They slept with them last night. E Dru had breakfast with Matt the Sock Monkey this morning AND took him to school. But don't worry. He was dressed and ready to go... along with KC the Sock Monkey, who, by the way, is a girl if you couldn't tell. Here they are side-by-side.

I honestly just don't know what else to say.

Reindeer Pops

2010-12-01T09:48:00.006-06:00

I really wish I was creative enough to come up with this stuff on my own. But I'm not. Once again... I'm a pirate.

I found this super cute idea here. Reindeer Pops.

The kids and I did everything as instructed in the link above with a few exceptions. First of all, separating the Nutter Butters can be tricky. The first ones we did broke into several pieces. I decided to take over that job, and I used a butter knife to carefully separate them before adding more peanut butter on BOTH sides. Then the kids put the popsicle stick inside and closed the cookies tight. (You can find the popsicle sticks in the craft department of Wal-Mart.)

After we dipped our cookies in melted chocolate bark, we had to work fast to assemble the little reindeer face before it hardened. So sorry for the lack of pictures. We were really movin'.

We added our M&M nose, then the white chocolate chips with the tips cut off for the eyes. Next we sprinkled on a few sprinkles on the reindeer's cheeks, and last.... the antlers.

I found the best way for us to do the antlers was to stick them INTO the sides of the cookie, INTO the peanut butter. It worked great for us. (Keep that in mind when you're adding your peanut butter.)

And lastly, I put a little extra melted chocolate bark into a baggie and cut a tiny hole in the corner to make the little 'dots' of the reindeer eyes.

To be completely honest, there were several steps to these that Mommy had to do simply because of the hot chocolate and little hands. But the things the kids really enjoyed doing (even Jeb) was adding the extra peanut butter to the cookie halves, putting in the popsicle sticks and smushing everything back together, counting out (and eating) the M&Ms and chocolate chips, and breaking (and eating) the pretzels.

After everything had hardened, we bagged them up into these cute bags I had left over from doing our caramel apples. I found them in the wedding accessories aisle in Wal-Mart. We just slipped them on and tied on some ribbon.

Don't tell, but I slipped one into Estella Dru's lunch box today. I have a feeling she's going to be one happy little kindergartner.

These were super fun to do. The girls worked great together... see yesterday's post... so that was a win all by itself. And Jeb... well, I can't even begin to count the number of cookies he broke, but it didn't matter. They had a ball. And in Matt's words, "For something so froofy, they really do taste good."

Coming from Matt, Mr. Picky himself, that is huge.

"Girls, you are best friends!"

2010-11-30T15:59:00.008-06:00

My girls.

I can't begin to express how much I love those two. They are precious. And crazy beautiful. And smart. And creative.

And 95% of the time, if they are together, they are fighting. (And that is a conservative percentage.)

Oooops. Wrong picture.

When I found out Estella Dru was on the way (when Belle was only seven months old), I was shocked to say the least. When we learned we were having another girl everyone... and I mean everyone... said something along these lines.... "Oh----! How exciting. They're going to be the best of friends."

Well, folks... shows how much you know.

I know.... I know.... They're young. The best friends part will come. But there are days when I find myself in tears at how my girls are constantly at one another. No joke--on Sunday we took them to see Santa, and they got into a fight while sitting on his lap. Then last week, I confiscated a picture from Belle she had hidden in her room. It was a drawing she made of her sister, with a thought bubble that read, "I'm Dru and I stink."

Ok, it's a little funny. But it does wear on me. I grew up by myself with Grandma and Grandpa. I remember feeling so lonely in that house. And my girls never have to feel that way. They always have each other, and most of the time, they fight their time together away or spend it incessantly tattling. I wonder how many times a week I point my finger at them and say, "Girls! You are best friends whether you know it or not! Do you hear me? Now act like it!" I'm sure that's doing wonders for the situation.

I have been praying so much for them lately--praying for them to realize that their life-long, die-for-you-without-a-thought, loyal, best friend is right in front of them and to treat each other with respect and love. They are so blessed to be sisters, and I'm hoping they realize that blessing soon. I would have given anything for a sister.

Until then I'll keep soaking up those moments when I see their love for each other peek out. An unsolicited hug here and there. Sharing a piece of gum without prompting. Those nights when we go to tuck them in and they're in bed together. Those are the moments that make my heart soar.

So maybe we're not to the best friend part yet. But I'm praying those two will grow into beautiful young women, leaning on each other, praying for each other, and loving each other through all of it. I have a feeling it's going to be amazing to watch.

The Rejected Writers Club

2010-11-29T13:42:00.005-06:00

Well, it happened.

I feel like I am now part of a club. The Rejected Writers Club.

Yes, I received my very first rejection letter. (Wah. Wah. Waaaaaaaaaaaah.)

I had only sent a proposal, not my actual manuscript. (In case you didn't know, NO ONE will accept an actual manuscript. NO. ONE.) And I'm pretty sure it wasn't a good proposal. Still, it stung a little. For maybe half an hour I had a little knot in my throat. No tears. Just a knot. I didn't call anyone. I just sat by myself in my car (I was on my way somewhere when I got the email) and let it all sink in.

It hurt to be rejected. Even though it wasn't my actual manuscript they were rejecting, it hurt. But at the same time, I felt like I had cleared my first hurdle. I was rejected. And I lived through it. And at the same time, I joined an elite group of novelists who had received similar letters and lived to tell the tale.

I think I read somewhere that John Grisham was rejected by sixteen publishers before finally being signed. That is just crazy to me. How could anyone reject A Time To Kill? I'm a hardcore Grisham fan, so I may be a bit biased. But A Time to Kill is like... un-rejectable. It's beautiful and brilliant, and I can't begin to fathom someone thinking otherwise.

And I'm pretty sure James Patterson told us at the breakfast I attended with him last year that he was rejected somewhere around thirty times. Thirty times. That is mind boggling to me. I love Patterson's work and can't imagine if he would have thrown in the towel on himself.

I felt so humbled to be in Mr. Patterson's presence. Can you see the stars and rainbows shooting from my eyes? And that noise you're hearing in the distance is a choir of angels singing the Hallelujah Chorus.

I'm thankful that he has a story to tell. Not that I'm glad he was rejected so many times.... but that I can draw inspiration from him. And Grisham. And so many like them.

So one little rejection isn't going to do me in. And it actually feels nice to be part of the club.

But I want my own story to tell.

Ten Extremely Intellectual Black Friday Observations

2010-11-26T18:27:00.006-06:00

1.) If the temperature outside is hanging out around freezing, a store's open door may be inviting to those on the outside, but it's cruelty for those on the inside. As if people want to chatter and shake while perusing your merchandise. And it's also stupid. And also I will not shop there. And also use your head. And also it's stupid.

2.) Keds shoes are back in stores.

3.) If you purchased a pair of Keds shoes, you shouldn't have. Trust me. I am somewhat of a Keds connoisseur. Ask anyone who knew me in junior high and high school. It wasn't pretty. Learn from my mistakes. You can never take it back.

4.) An early morning Starbucks before shopping tastes so good.

5.) An early morning Starbucks before shopping shaves at least half an hour off valuable shopping time due to the necessary restroom breaks. Maybe more.

6.) No matter how many pairs of boots are in a store, I will always want the pair the cute little salesperson is wearing.

7.) Stores who sell glitter sweaters to women of a certain age know better. And they do it any way.

8.) Target needs more mirrors.

9.) When you walk in to Bath and Body Works, be prepared to hear a five-minute narrative about the day's sales and what is included in the $20 VIP gift bag from at least seven employees... some twice because they forget your face five seconds later.

10.) When you walk out of Bath and Body, make sure you have not shoplifted a $20 VIP gift bag. (We're taking it back, ok!)

Do you have a Black Friday observation? Please share.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T09:01:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving from the Slaughter House.

A "Thanksgiving" joke by Estella Dru

2010-11-23T08:57:00.000-06:00

Candy Cane Kisses Cookie Bark

2010-11-22T12:16:00.007-06:00

Remember when I raved about the Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses? Well, I loved them so much I searched until I found a recipe HERE that used them.

This morning, I grabbed my always-ready-to-help-Mommy-in-the-kitchen helper...

... along with:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted, room temp butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)
2 ounces white chocolate

And we got started.

Preheat oven to 350. Then spray a 13x9 metal baking pan with non-stick spray. Line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper so that there is overhang on the sides. (This will help you remove your bars later with ease.)

Whisk together flour and salt. Jeb took care of that.

Next, beat butter in mixer until creamy. Gradually add in sugar and continue mixing until light and fluffy. Add in vanilla, egg yolk, and finally flour/salt mixture until all is blended nicely. This is what ours looked like.

Drop by rounded spoonsful onto the parchment paper and using, moistened fingertips, press down in pan to form even layer. Pierce all over the top with a fork and place into oven for 30 minutes or until top becomes light, golden brown.

When done, remove from oven and immediately cover top of cookie layer with your chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips) and let stand for 3-4 minutes so they can melt. Then using a spatula or spoon, spread the now melted chocolate into a thin layer all over the top.

Now immediately sprinkle your chopped Kisses over the top of the chocolate. Don't spread.

Next melt 2 ounces of white chocolate and drizzle it all over the top. Pop into fridge and let set up, probably 30-45 minutes. Jeb grew quite restless and bored during the waiting period. The Slaughter children do not possess the virtue of patience. I have no idea where they get that.... or don't get that, rather. (Yeah, he's wearing an apron. Don't judge.)

Once chilled, remove from fridge and, using the parchment paper overhang, transfer to a work surface.

Cut into irregular pieces, and you're done. Serve away.

Aren't they just beautifully festive? And they're yummy, too. Let me know if you try them!

It's the shoes, Man.

2010-11-20T14:36:00.003-06:00

Belle made her first basket ever in a basketball game today. So stinkin' exciting for her mama. In fact, she got the ball through the hoop not once... not twice... but THREE times in game one. That's six points.

I would like to attribute her talent to my excellent basketball pointers and maybe a little genetics, too.

But Belle's explanation for her mad skills on the court today is much simpler.

Apparently, her new basketball shoes from Gigi and G-Pops made her faster and all-around better. Nothing to do with Mommy.

It's the shoes.

Kisses of Kahlua Giveaway Winners.

2010-11-19T14:08:00.005-06:00

Thank you to EVERYONE who entered the giveaway. It hurts me not to give a cake to every single one of you. The winners (selected by random number generator) are:

1.) The Turnipseeds
2.) gina
3.) Gretchen

Congratulations to the winners! I am so excited for you to try these cakes. And if you did not win, don't fret. Kisses of Kahlua is baking for the holidays! Order your awesome cake today, slap it on one of your nice plates, and politely thank people when they tell you it's the best cake they've ever eaten. (A little holiday deception never hurt anybody? Right? Right?)

Another day with Jeb....

2010-11-19T11:06:00.003-06:00

I thought the front of Jeb's undies looked a little... ummm.... full.

When I questioned him about it, he acted as though he had no idea what I was talking about. I knew there was a story there. Camera, please.

When questioned a second time, he flashed me this smile. I'll give it to ya', Kid. You're cute. But Mommy knows when you're hiding something... in your crotch.

So, he started digging around....

... and pulls out one of the girls' favorite toys.

Thanks just sick, Son. But wait.... There's more.

Poor toys. Poor unsuspecting Slaughter sisters.

All in all, the excavation uncovered four of Belle and E Dru's favorite Pet Shops.

I do not understand the male psyche. Who carries around toys in their underwear? When asked, my son faked a hand injury and said, "Hand hurts." Ohhhhh. Well, now, that explains everything. How else is a boy supposed to transport his toys with an injured hand?

But seriously... who could stay mad at this beautiful little face? Well... excluding Belle and E Dru, that is. They were less than happy when they saw these pictures.

Today, the Pet Shops are under lock and key. I don't blame you, Girls. I don't blame you.

THE GIVEAWAY WILL CLOSE VERY SOON! IF YOU HAVEN'T ENTERED, BETTER HURRY! I'LL POST THE WINNERS THIS AFTERNOON!

Funniest Jeb Video Ever

2010-11-18T09:42:00.004-06:00

{Don't forget to enter our Thanksgiving Giveaway for a cake from Kisses of Kahlua. The giveaway closes tomorrow (Friday) at noon, so there isn't much time left! Enter away!}

Bit of background before viewing: Faulkner the Cat has his bluff in on all the Slaughter children. He may go months without an unforeseen, yet ruthless attack, but when he finally has enough of their antics and decides to exact his revenge, Slaughter child beware. He comes flying out of the shadows with his clawless paws and scares the living daylights out of them. All my kids have a healthy fear of Faulkner the Cat. And rightly so.

Jeb clearly remembers his last run-in with Faulkner. I believe it had something to do with a jumprope. Faulkner didn't want to play. Jeb thought he should and forced the issue. Faulkner waited a few days, then took a flying leap onto Jeb's head from out of the laundry room. Traumatic. Very traumatic.

So when I asked Jeb to remove the cat from the bed so I could make it, he was less than confident. I thought maybe I might be able to get a Faulkner attack on video. (I know. Worst mother ever.) But I got this instead, and to me, it is quite possibly the funniest Jeb video to date.

Apple Pie Contest: The Results Post

2010-11-17T12:01:00.006-06:00

{Don't forget to enter the Thanksgiving Giveaway. You don't want to miss out. Click HERE to enter.}

As I was saying yesterday...

Belle woke up very excited about entering her pie in the 2nd Grade Apple Pie Baking Contest. In fact, I only had to tell her to get out of bed once.... as opposed to four or five times on most days, along with lots of poking and prodding.

When we arrived at the school, I was shocked to see over thirty pies waiting for judging. I was expecting maybe ten. I was wrong. Here's a shot of Belle and her adorable little friends while they waited for the contest to begin.

The pies were kept "anonymous" for judging. There we are. Y13.

I felt so sorry for the distinguished panel of judges. Can you IMAGINE sampling over thirty pies, some more than once? And all at 8 in the morning? Ugh. Makes me nauseous just thinking about it.

But when all was said and done, Belle Slaughter took home the SECOND PLACE PRIZE! And that little girl was over the moon excited. She is still talking about it, and I think it has even made her excited about baking in the future. She keeps asking what we can do together next. Here she is getting her prizes.

Yes, I spent an entire Sunday afternoon helping her bake those pies. But this smile made it all worth it, even the Sunday nap I missed.

She even made the Shiloh blog. Click here to see. (It's totally irrelevant that her daddy does that blog, right? I mean, there is absolutely no favoritism there. That's just crazy talk.)

So if you see my girl, congratulate her for a job well done. I promise, you'll see that smile.

Belle's Apple Pie

2010-11-16T12:12:00.011-06:00

Remember my apple pie post? Well... it came back to bite me. (No pun intended.)

I believe it was the very next week, Belle came home telling me that her second grade class was having an apple pie baking contest. I laughed. Out loud. Totally figures. BUT... we were not deterred by the fact that we couldn't procure Grandma's recipe. Instead, we set out in search of our own awesome, unique apple pie recipe.

On Sunday after church, we baked all afternoon. And I do mean 'we.' Belle does not tend to volunteer in the kitchen, but on Sunday, she was all over baking with Mommy. I found a similar recipe on two separate websites and tweaked them into a recipe Belle named, "Belle's Apple Pie."

We used a roll out, refrigerated crust. (Lazy, I know, but it worked great.) I let Belle 'crimp' the edges.

Next I cut up four large Granny Smith apples and sliced them in thin slices. To them, Belle added:

1/2 cup sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons flour
a dash of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon allspice

Then, Belle mixed it all together. She found this process to be quite disgusting. I love the look on her face in this picture. (Umm, excuse me, Matt? Could you please be more considerate with your comings and goings in your own house? Trying to get good blog pictures here.)

Then Belle dumped her apples into the pie crust.

Next, we made the crumb topping. Belle put together in separate bowl:

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup butter

If we would have had a pastry cutter, we would have used it to integrate the butter, but since we didn't, we used our hands and mixed it all together until it resembled small crumbles. (Waaay more fun that way.) Then we sprinkled our crumb mixture evenly on top of the apples.

We covered the edges of our pie with foil so the crust wouldn't get too brown and baked at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. After the 35 minutes were up, we removed the pie, got rid of the foil, and baked another 20 minutes.

While our pie was baking, we put 1/2 cup whole pecans and 1/2 cup Heath brickle into a plastic baggie and crushed them together. Again.. if I had a food processor, we'd have used it. Since we didn't, we used Daddy's hammer. (Again... waaay more fun.) This is what it looked like when we were finished.

We covered the top of our pie with the pecan and brickle mixture. But wait... still not done.

The recipes we found said, "Top with caramel topping." But the Slaughter girls don't do well with store-bought. Sooo.... we made our own caramel sauce. It's a Pioneer Woman recipe, and you can find it here.( This sauce is amazing and multi-purpose. Last night, I had a bunch of girls over to my house, and we used it to top our hot chocolate and coffees. Yum.)

Now does that not look dreamy?

The contest was yesterday (Monday) morning, and my girl woke up super excited to enter her pie.

How did she do? Since this post is already novel length, I'll save the surprise until tomorrow. (Just call me Ryan Seacrest.)

Kisses of Kahlua Thanksgiving Giveaway!

2010-11-14T21:11:00.009-06:00

I am EXTREMELY excited to announce a Slaughterhouse Rules THANKSGIVING GIVEAWAY!!

My friend, Pam, local baker and owner of Kisses of Kahlua, has GRACIOUSLY donated THREE of HER LARGE CAKES to THREE LUCKY WINNERS!! Yeah, I said THREE. Because that's how we do it. Three people. Three prizes.

A few months ago, I won a little contest on the Kisses of Kahlua Facebook page and received a sample package of all the different kahlua cake flavors Pam offers. I was just super excited to win something. And then I got my hands on the cakes. OH. MY. GOSH. I'm gonna be honest. I'm not a cake person. I don't even do cake on my birthday, but these cakes, y'all.... I'm dramatic by nature, but I have a REASON to be dramatic over these cakes. They are absolutely, deliciously, amazingly amazing. I don't know how she does it, but they are the moistest (Is that a word, moistest? Doesn't sound right. Oh well. My blog.) thing I have ever put in my mouth. Simply awesome.

To enter your name once in the giveaway, this is what you must first to do:

* Go to the Kisses of Kahlua site and take a look around. Check out the flavor selection, then come back and leave me a comment telling me, if you won, which flavor of cake you would prefer. (I'm partial to the lemon flavor, but that's just me. Not trying to sway you. Sway. Sway.) This step is a MUST for giveaway entry. For more entries, read on.

For additional entries (ONE EACH): You may:

* Get the word out about the giveaway via word of mouth, tweet, Facebook, email, blog post, etc. Just leave me a SEPARATE comment and let me know how you did it.

AND/OR

* Go to the Kisses of Kahlua Facebook page and "like it." Then come back here and leave me a SEPARATE comment, telling me you "liked" it.

That is THREE opportunities to enter per person. Wow. Three is a theme today.

I have sent these cakes out of gifts, I have devoured them all by myself in my kitchen in the middle of the night, I have dreamed about them in my sleep. They're that good. And I am THRILLED to have the opportunity to introduce you to Pam and her heavenly cakes. You will not want to miss out on these, Friends.

So enter now. Go on. Hurry up! You only have until Friday at noon. HOPEFULLY, the winners will receive their cakes in time to be on the Thanksgiving table. They will be shipped on Monday, but please don't yell at me if they're a little late. We'll do our very very best, but I promise, they'll be worth the wait no matter when they arrive.

(No international entries, please.)

Tomorrow!

2010-11-14T15:32:00.004-06:00

Big day tomorrow on the blog. Be sure to check back for the announcement of a super fun giveaway with THREE winners! YAY!

Jeb is dying to give away the surprise today. Patience, Son, patience.

Heart Kitty Resurfaces

2010-11-12T10:32:00.003-06:00

{First things first. 1.) Thank you for all your sweet, thoughtful comments yesterday. I read every single one and am crazy thankful for every single one of YOU. 2.) My scripture project was a sad, sad flop. (Insert background sound effect... Wah. Wah. Waaaah.) I haven't given up. I'm simply moving on to plan B. 3.) Grandpa was admitted to the hospital yesterday. He was severely dehydrated and had very low blood pressure. Today, he is doing much better. God is good.}

Estella Dru has a stuffed cat. I blogged about it once. His name is Heart Kitty. Actually, his full name is Heart Kitty Blasty Space-off. Don't ask. I have no idea. She was three. That's what her three year old mind came up with. But as I explained in the previous blog post, bless her sweet little heart, Estella Dru had some speech issues back then. So every time she said, "Heart Kitty," it came out "Hot Titty." (Sorry if that offends you. She said it, not me.)

Somehow Hot Titty, ummm, I mean, Heart Kitty, has resurfaced. I have no idea where he has been all these years, but this morning, I found him sitting next to Estella's cereal bowl.

Poor Heart Kitty looks rough these days. That's what happens when you take on a sultry alias and live a fast, crazy lifestyle. Let that be a lesson to you, folks.

Your thoughts....

2010-11-11T14:12:00.005-06:00

Matt told me a few months ago that he is 'working' on a new blog look for me. Yesterday, he gave me a little preview of what it will look like. I'm excited about it, and at the same time, it has made me really think about this blog.

When I started, I did it to be a cool kid. All my friends were doing it. I loved sharing pictures of my kids, and of course, I love to write. Today, I still love to share pictures of my kids, but for me, writing every single day is a must. And when I write, knowing others are going to be reading my words, I want to write about things I'm passionate about... things that other people can become passionate about like how fun interacting with our kids can be, how life can be amazing and exciting even when it's hard, how to come face to face with seemingly insurmountable obstacles and conquer them, and most of all, I want to tell about how Jesus is the ONLY way I get up out of bed every day and do this life.

I had someone say to me the other day, "Your life is so perfect. Sometimes it's hard to read your blog." And I almost laughed. Ok, I did laugh. I wanted to ask, "Have you ever READ my blog?" I'll be honest, I love my life. I believe with all my heart that I have the most generous, caring, protective, gifted, God-loving, committed, honest husband in the world. I don't deserve him, but God gave him to me anyway. My kids are good. Ok, they're really good. They have their problems... oh my gosh, do they ever, but they are really good kids. I could sit here before this computer and cry my eyes out if I stop long enough and think about all God has given me... but if I went back to the beginning....

If I went into detail about all the nights as a child I cried myself to sleep wondering if I would ever feel adored.... If I told you about how I never really felt worthy of love until I met my husband.... If I talked about my crazy "abandonment" issues and how I irrationally worry every single time someone walks out a door that I might never see them again.... If I really delved into the pain and loss I feel every single day when I so badly want to hear Grandma's voice and just ask her if I'm doing a good job.... or how thoughts of Grandpa alone in that house day in and day out plays on my heart.... MY LIFE IS FAR FROM PERFECT. I touch on all those issues here, and I think that's important. But I do not let that stuff direct me. It's hard. I wish I didn't have to do battle with it, but I do. And that's ok. I have a hope much bigger than all the yuck.

Last year was one of the hardest years of my life. The diagnosis of this disease was insanely difficult for me, and it came in the midst of some already dark days. But very soon after I made a decision. I wasn't going to let that darkness take control of my life. I sought the face of God probably more than I ever had, and in doing so, I completed a major goal and also became very intentional about pouring into my children whether it be baking (which we all love), little projects that make them happy, or just being their crazy mommy. I'm passionate about it. I'm passionate about life and living it for the One who gave it to us. I'm passionate about making the best out of our circumstances and being happy even if it doesn't make sense to be happy.

And I blog about those things.... the things I do that make me happy... that just might make someone else happy. But I want to know from those who read this blog, what sort of things do you enjoy on here? I don't want to bore people. I don't want to do this for nothing. If I'm going to do this, I want to do it for a purpose. I would love to hear the reasons why you read. Do you most enjoy the baking/recipe posts? Family stuff? Spiritual views? What?

I don't get hung up on comments like others might. In fact, Matt is usually the one who tells me that I have comments to read. But this time, I honestly, genuinely want to hear from you. Why do you read and what would you like to see more of?

Christmas Candy Dispenser

2010-11-10T15:17:00.005-06:00

Don't pack away that Candy Corn "Gumball" Machine. Christmas-ize it. (My blog. I can make up words if I want.)

I took off the fall colored ribbon and added some Christmas colors, then filled it with yummy Christmas candy.

I am a sucker for the big, soft peppermints. It's the only peppermint I like actually. Well... that was until today and I bought and sampled the Hershey's Peppermint Kisses. Y'all, it's just obnoxious how good they are. They have just the right hint of sweet peppermint, and as a bonus, little bits of peppermint candy. I wouldn't steer you wrong... they're crazy good. Better than the candy corn kisses, and you know if I'm sayin' that, they're good.

The other kiss flavor I used is called Mint Truffle. Also very very good. Definitely worth a try. Here's my new Christmas-ized dispenser.

Speaking of Christmas candy, I also feel like I have to buy those chewy Christmas tree candies every year. Oh, I don't actually like to eat them. Let's not get crazy. But it's not Christmas without them.

What's your favorite store-bought Christmas candy?

Scripture Project

2010-11-09T15:30:00.007-06:00

Thank you so much for all the names you gave me yesterday. Wow. I laughed. I wrote them down. I called Matt and said, "You've got to hear this one" at least five times. I love being a southern girl who can appreciate our rich culture. Honestly, thank you. I promise, many of those names will show up again. And if you keep thinking of more, please don't hesitate to go back and post them. I will be checking.

I have had an insanely busy day of cleaning, writing, and trying to get ready for a banquet tonight. I had planned on finishing a project to share with you today, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. I know you're just heartbroken, right? Right?

I'll give you a hint about the project. Scripture. I love to pray scripture over my children. I've talked a little bit on here before about Estella Dru's verse. This is how I pray it: I pray that Estella Dru will do everything without complaining or arguing, so that she may become blameless and pure, a child of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which she shines like stars in the universe as she hold out the word of life. Philippians 2:14-16a

And Jeb's: I pray that above all else Jeb guards his heart... that he will put away perversity from his mouth; keep corrupt talk from his lips. I pray he lets his eyes look straight ahead, fixing his gaze directly before him. I pray he makes level paths for his feet and takes only the ways that are firm. I pray he does not swerve to the right or the left, but keeps his foot from evil. Proverbs 4:23-27

I haven't found Belle's yet, and I don't want to rush it. The other two came to me, and hers will, too.

We also have a family verse. I found myself saying this to my girls over and over, and finally it dawned on me... that's your verse. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord, and not for people. Colossians 3:23

Once I knew that was our family's verse, I wanted to display it prominently in our house. I realize you can commission artists to do stuff like this.... But with our budget, we don't "commission" anyone for anything. In fact, the thought of it makes me laugh a little. Someday, maybe. Someday.

So I came up with a solution that I can do myself. I hope turns out as well 'for real' as it is in my head. I'll share it with you tomorrow, hopefully. Here's a little teaser picture, complete with my straight-from-school-middle child. How I love her and that dirty little face.

Do you pray scripture over your children? Or your family? Which verses do you use?

Help a girl out... name a character (or two)

2010-11-08T13:45:00.007-06:00

Novel update.... I have only sent a proposal out to one agent and one publishing house. I know. It's not very aggressive. But I just want it all to be 'right'. And strangely enough, I'm not stressing. If the One who gave this to me wants to give it to others, He will... in His time. No need to stress.

I have asked only five people to read my manuscript, four of which are related to me. And the other I have never met (in person) but to whom am so very grateful. (Have I said 'thank you' today, M? Thank you.) The reviews have been more than I expected, and I am grateful and hopeful. (Did I mention four of them were related to me?) All that said... I am pursuing publication, and hope I realize that goal very soon. As always, prayers are longed for.

As I have been thinking through and working on publication avenues of the book I'm calling (for now) A View from There, I've been praying for Him to give me a new story to tell. Praying hard. And the answer.... a big fat NOTHING. A few times I thought I had something, then trashed it. And so I prayed more. But not even a glimmer of a storyline came by way. Not a theme. NOTHING. Until last week.

Last week, a story began forming in my head--one that I couldn't get away from. Once it came, I've barely been able to think of much else. Today I started writing an outline. An outline! Yay! I'm very excited about this new project and have some serious goals in place that hopefully will ensure I finish this project much faster than the last.

And that brings me here, asking for some help. A View from There is set in the south. Many of the characters are colorful and loud and as southern as we get. They are pictures of people I've known... variations of their personalities or my take on it, anyway. And almost every character in the book has a name with some sort of meaning to me. Don't worry. I'm no Taylor Swift. If we dated, and you broke my heart, I didn't name an ax murderer or the family dog after you in the book. But I do draw from my own life in every area possible.

This book I'm working on now is also set in the south, and I need some names, y'all. Some SOUTHERN AS IT GETS names. In A View from There, I used my great aunt Modean's name for one of my key characters. It doesn't get much better than Modean. Although I saw a name the other day I absolutely fell in love with. Ready for it? Billie Wanda. How awesome is Billie Wanda?

So I'm sincerely asking for your help. Give me those southern names in your family... Uncle Cletuses or Cousin Billy Rays. Or just a name you've heard and it just drips with southern charm. I want to hear them. All of them. And if you want... tell me about that person... a character quality that is unique or special or downright insane. And who knows? If this thing ever gets put in writing, you may be the one who named a character.

Give me what you got. I promise, everything will be perused and considered!

Oh no. I'm that mom.

2010-11-06T20:16:00.005-05:00

Belle had her very first basketball game ever today. And it was quite the show. I don't think I've been to a "pee wee" sport since I was the pee wee, so I had forgotten what to expect. It was absolutely adorable. I mean... who needs to dribble? Or shoot at the right goal? Such trivial matters to worry with.

We had so much fun watching our little gals battle against the other teams. They tried so hard and did such a good job for their very first go at the sport.

Belle got off to a shaky start, but once she got the groove of things, she was aggressive and a force to be reckoned with on defense. At one point, she pulled out this crazy kung fu/ninja move that scared the ball right out of a little girl's hand. I was so proud of her. I shouldn't be surprised. She's good at everything she puts her little mind and heart to.

Who I WAS surprised at... was me. I always assumed I'd be that mom who sat quietly and cheered from the bleachers. Barely noticeable. But no... I'm not that mom. I started out ok. I was quiet enough. But once the game got going, I found myself yelling things like, "Get your hands up!" "You better get that rebound!" "Get that girl!" And my favorite of the day, "Belle, you have to dribble!" Sigh. Who knew I was that mom.

Here are some pictures from the games. The thing I immediately noticed is that there are very few shots out of at least fifty that my girl isn't smiling. I love that. (Well, except for maybe the last one. She wiped out but hopped right back up. She's a tough little thing. Cute, but tough.)

Random Thoughts on Friday Morning

2010-11-05T10:09:00.003-05:00

ONE) I made Paula Deen's Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake on Wednesday. And it's good. If you'd like to try it, the recipe is here. Be sure to serve it warm and with whip cream. I think whip cream is the key.

TWO) This little butterfly may not mean a thing to you, but to me... that little butterfly is a beautiful thing. I thought Matt picked up the wrong testing strips for me, but then I realized Freestyle has improved their strip. I was a skeptic. The claim was that the new and improved strip works with less blood. I tried it, and it's (insert high pitched voice) AWESOME. I only need half the blood I usually need to test. I really love that little butterfly.

THREE) I noticed a while back that my peanut butter label warns there may be traces of anchovies in my peanut butter. Would any care to explain how traces of these....

...might end up in my peanut butter? I'm a logical person. And I do not understand.

FOUR) I always think my text conversations with Matt are hilarious. But I found this this morning and thought you might like it. Matt did not. (See last text.)

FIVE) We really have to change the cat's name.

Apple Pie

2010-11-04T09:05:00.004-05:00

I want apple pie. I have been wanting it for weeks now. I want it so bad that last night I sat down in the middle of my living room floor and cried like a baby.

That makes no sense, right? It's absolutely ridiculous. I know.

But I don't want just any apple pie. I want Grandma's. I watched her make it hundreds of times. I know exactly what she put in that crazy awesome homemade crust--apples, butter, more sugar than is good for anyone, and allspice. No cinnamon. Allspice. But even if I could, by some miracle of God get the crust right, I always mess up the ratios on everything else. It never turns out right. Not even close. My hands are bigger than hers, so my "handfuls" of sugar don't work. And what exactly is a "pinch" or "until it looks right"?

Last night I sat on my floor and cried because I realized I'll never taste her pie again. Imitations, maybe. Recipes that come close, possibly. But not hers. And it suddenly, out of the blue, just seemed so undeniably unfair.

I tend not to wallow in circumstances I can't control. If I did, I would have been caught up in the mire long, long ago and would still be there. I firmly believe life is what you make of it, and the bad stuff we go through makes us better if we let it. But last night... last night I wallowed.

And since I'm confessing... here's another admission. I love Grey's Anatomy. The current stuff is ok, but the old stuff... I LOVE it. I love the dialogue. I love the relationships. I love how the characters would be considered 'weird' in the real world because they do and say what they feel without the slightest hint of worry about others' perceptions. (All they need is a little Jesus, and they would really rock.)

There was a moment on Grey's between Cristina and George moments after George's dad died. The words stuck with me and still ring so true. I don't want to be in this club, but I am. I don't want to have to wonder what Jeb would look like in her arms, but I do. I wish I could see things the way God sees them, but I can't. So until I can, I'm going to keep trying to make her pie the way she did. Maybe one day I'll get it right.

Estella's Reminder

2010-11-03T11:23:00.005-05:00

One of the girls' favorite stories about "Mommy" is one I tell them every Christmas. It's a true story.

When I was four or five, I was chosen to perform in my church's Christmas program. I held a little candle and stood beside my friend, Brandon, who sang, Frosty the Snowman. He rocked it. I had to do good. After his big solo concluded and the applause finally dwindled, I stepped up to the microphone to sing Away in a Manger. I had practiced. I was ready. A few deep breaths, and I began belting out the first verse. I was hitting the notes. I was smiling like Grandma told me to. And all of a sudden, no less than five people rushed the stage, all of them, hitting me on top of the head.

I was concentrating so hard on my singing, I forgot about the candle in my hand and set my hair on fire. Solo over. (In my defense, who gives a four year old a candle?)

This Monday, I was brushing Estella Dru's hair, and she looked up at me and said, "Mama, I told all my friends your candle story." I laughed. She finished with, "I told them you used to have hair like Belle's, but when you set your hair on fire, it turned all black."

I couldn't help but laugh and then explained to her that while that was an excellent theory, it simply wasn't true.

The next day I happened to be in a room full of ladies and overheard a conversation between two people I did not know about another person (whom I also do not know). They were discussing a situation that had taken place, then making all sorts of assumptions and guesses as to "what really happened" or "what's going to happen next." I'm fairly certain they had no idea what they were talking about, but they were thoroughly entertaining themselves. And they didn't care who overheard.

I immediately thought about Estella and how she innocently added her own version of events to my true story. Clearly, no one was hurt by her assumptions, but how often do others get hurt when people openly discuss personal situations using suppositions instead of facts. It's a dangerous thing.

I was thankful in that moment for Estella Dru's reminder. If we have to find our entertainment in other people's trials, something needs to change.

Evil, Evil Halloween

2010-11-02T10:47:00.003-05:00

Some parents do not allow their children to participate in Halloween because of its debauched wickedness. No costumes. No decorations. No trick or treating.

Ok. I respect that. Debauched wickedness is bad. If you feel you should flee from it, by all means, flee.

But two days after Halloween, I would like to offer another reason for the sheer evilness of Halloween and an evermore prevailing reason why we should flee from this most malicious of holidays.

This....

This is sitting on my counter. Three bags full of sinfully delicious goodness just waiting, begging me to come sample with its evil siren-like song.

EVIL, EVIL HALLOWEEN CANDY!!

I can't throw it out. The kids would be devastated. I can't hide it. They've placed it strategically where they want it. And besides... if I hid it, I would still KNOW where it was. There's no way to flee. No way, I tell you. Halloween has sucked me in. I am in its evil grasp.

To make matters worse... someone had to go and give them 87587 Twizzlers Pull-n-Peels. I wanted to take a picture for blogging purposes... but I can't. Do you know why? Because they're gone. All 87587 of them. How? Why? Because I snuck them out of my children's Halloween bags when they weren't looking and ate every last one of them. Every. Last. One.

So, I get it. I get why people flee from the evilness of Halloween. Because it is. It is evil.

I want to know. I really want to know. Have you been sneaking candy from your kids' Halloween bags? Give yourself up. What's your favorite candy to steal? Make a girl feel better about herself.

Halloween Slaughter 2010: Charlie's Angels

2010-11-01T08:59:00.008-05:00

(WARNING: TOO MANY HALLOWEEN PICTURES AHEAD.)

Some of you guessed....

For Halloween this year, the Slaughter kids went as Charlie's Angels. Well... my version of Charlie's Angels.

Without further ado, meet Charlie...

And his angels....

And my all time FAVORITE of the night...

Daddy's Home.

2010-10-30T20:12:00.004-05:00

We are so happy to have Matt home.

I'll let these pictures speak for themselves. Belle is with her b/f/f at the Razorback game tonight, so just Jeb and Estella Dru and I went to get him at the airport.

It was a happy day.

And I can breathe again.

Have you seen Matt?

2010-10-29T10:31:00.008-05:00

I did not want to broadcast the fact that I have been alone for a little over a week. But I have. Matt has been in Budapest, Hungary, with a group of Shiloh students and two other sponsors for a mission trip.

I won't go into the ooey gooeyness of how I can barely breathe when I am not with him. I'll spare you those details. But I will say that we have all missed him desperately and could not be happier or more relieved that he will be home with us very soon.

We have skyped every day, which is awesome. We've also emailed and texted, and he has told me a lot about the city and its history. On Wednesday, I called him, and after we hung up he sent me this picture with the following caption.

"This is what I was seeing when you called."

My response back immediately...

"That's awesome. This is what I was seeing when I called." Just bein' real. Absolutely no resentment.

Matt requested that I send him several videos of the kids. My first few attempts with Jeb went something like this...

But then I caught this sweet little prayer from Belle.

I have a feeling he's going to have a hard time prying us off of him when he finally gets here. Although I may be too busy with Halloween costumes for hugs. Sigh. I can't wait for the big reveal, though. They are going to be super cute. Stay tuned!

Jeb, Me, and Caramel Apples.

2010-10-28T15:24:00.006-05:00

Today Jeb and I made caramel apples. (Well... Jeb watched and sampled everything in sight while I made caramel apples. But he definitely inserted himself into the process.)

I know the easiest way to do caramel apples is melting down caramel candies. But I really wanted to go homemade with our apples. Grandma did everything homemade. She taught me well.

So, I found a recipe that looked good (aka, a recipe that contained sweet and condensed milk), and we got started. The recipe is great as given (just click the link). The only thing I might suggest is to wait just a bit before coating the apples. The caramel seemed to thicken up a little as it sat.

We made plain caramel, caramel pecan, and caramel pecan with chocolate drizzle. For the chocolate drizzle, I just melted down some chocolate chips in the microwave and drizzled it on top of a few.

We are planning on giving some away as little fall gifts tomorrow, so I found these neat little bags in the wedding section at Wal-Mart. We split open the sides of the bags about half way down, then stuck the apples inside and tied with a bow. (This will ONLY WORK if your apples are pretty small. Otherwise, you might try some of the little candy bags that can be found in the Trick or Treat aisles.) Just make sure your caramel and chocolate have set up before you put into the bags.

I have to admit, I did sample one... simply for blogging purposes, of course. And it was good. Really good.

Wednesday Randomness

2010-10-27T11:20:00.004-05:00

1.) We made more pancakes last weekend. Estella Dru requested a princess and a crab. Belle wanted a princess that "looks like me."

2.) While looking for old Halloween pictures on my computer, I ran across this picture of me holding the girls. Estella Dru was not yet one.

I love this picture. And not because it's flattering of me. (That hair is way too flat.) But I love the expression on my face. It is so indicative of that time in my life. I was exhausted most of the time, but so happy. I had my hands full both literally and figuratively, but just... happy. I miss that time when my girls were so little. Mommies, don't they get big in the blink of an eye?

3.) I haven't started on the kids' costumes yet. What in the heck am I thinking? Tomorrow I will be in full panic mode. I do this every single year. Can I not learn a lesson? Seriously?

4.) I ran across the strangest thing on Twitter today. PERFECT timing for Halloween! This dude found footage in a 1920's Charlie Chaplin film of what he claims is a woman talking on a cell phone. His only explanation is that it must be a time traveler. Stupid, right? And then I watched the video, and it's just weird, y'all. Do I believe in time travel? No. Then what the heck is it? I have no stinkin' idea.

5.) I entitled this post Wednesday Randomness for a reason. Does it get more random?

Homemade Halloween Necklaces

2010-10-25T23:22:00.007-05:00

The girls are very into homemade jewelry at the moment. They make it for their friends. Their friends make it for them. Paper bracelets. Rubber band rings. You name it... they bring it home and, also, dole it out. And for them, it's a big deal. Once Estella Dru ripped a bracelet Belle's b/f/f made for her, and let me tell you... the. fight. was. on. I thought for a moment I was going to have to call in the National Guard to restore order. Luckily, Matt was home and somehow subdued the violent unrest. But be sure, before it was over, it got ugly.

So last night I told them we would make some fun Halloween necklaces for their friends. I got the idea from my friend, Meredith's, blog, and she got it from Ms. Martha Stewart herself.

I sort of put my own spin on it, of course. (I think my Native American name might have been She Who Does Not Follow Instructions.) I just used a thick card stock for the ghosts, a sharpie-drawn face, and ribbons for the necklace and ties around the ghosts' necks.

It was such an easy little project for the girls, and they are looking forward to giving them out to a few friends at school today. In fact the only glitch was when Belle said, "I love 'em, Mama, but next time, let's do something a little spookier. I'm in second grade, you know?"

Little does she know, cute little ghosts are just about as "spooky" as her Mama gets.

If you could dress up...

2010-10-24T15:37:00.008-05:00

After much deliberation, I have finally decided on Halloween costumes for the Slaughter kids. I know. It's about time. While I can't reveal, nor confirm, their secret Halloween identities until the 31st, I will give you a hint. Any guesses?

As I was working on the costumes last night, Jeb looked at me and asked ever so thoughtfully, "Mama? What you be Hall-ween?"

I tried to remember the last time I actually dressed up for Halloween. Belle was just a little thing, and our church back home had a fall festival. We all dressed up as farm folks--for lack of a better word. I borrowed the overalls from Grandpa--size 44, I believe.

But Jeb's question made me think. If I WERE to dress up for Halloween, assuming I had a place to go like a rockin' party, what/who would I want to be?

I didn't have to think long. I have ALWAYS dreamed of having a reason to dress up like Scarlett O'Hara at the Twelve Oaks picnic.

Sigh. Is that not the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? The dress. The hat. The face. Vivien Leigh, I adore you.

So what about you? If you had somewhere to go and could be anything you wanted, what/who would it be? C'mon. Spill it.

Bad Pronunciation Back by Popular Demand

2010-10-21T21:23:00.005-05:00

{I have been asked about this post many times over the past couple of months, so I decided to re-post it for anyone who missed it. In case you are wondering if there have been any pronunciation improvements, the answer is a definitive 'no'.}

Originally posted August 3, 2010

In the last few months, my husband has changed his normal restaurant drink of choice from Diet Coke to half sweet tea and half lemonade. This drink, as you probably know, is referred to as an Arnold Palmer.

The problem is... bless his sweet heart, Matt can. not. say, "Arnold Palmer." Each time the waitress/waiter asks him, "Can I get you something to drink?" I cringe. In my mind I'm silently begging, "Please just say half tea, half lemonade. Please! Don't try to say it. Don't try--. Oh, he tried. And now he has to say it again because they didn't understand a word of it. No one could! Pretend to text, Ang. Just pretend to text."

But instead of trying to explain, cue the YouTube video.

See!! I'm so glad he is such a good sport. We laugh a LOT in this house, but tonight, it was the roll-on-the-floor kind of laughing. In fact, it got so bad that the kids came in to see what we were doing. I pointed the camera at Estella Dru, and was shocked at the result. I'm afraid genetics may play a role.

Turns out, the two-year-old can say it better than anyone in the house.

If you're wondering about Belle's attempt, she was having none of it. The girl is still traumatized over her "gift certificate" attempts and ultimate failures. Click here for that blast from the past of Slaughter history. Makes me smile every time... and sort of cringe.

Candy Corn Cake

2010-10-21T13:21:00.005-05:00

If you read this blog often, you might think this family goes crazy on sweets.

It's true.... in the summer we do enjoy our homemade ice cream. But much of the other sweet stuff I blog about gets sent out and about.... Matt's office, neighbors, family, various friends, or anywhere I can get rid of it!

But today's creation... it's not going anywhere. Today's creation is for my sweet Estella Dru who has a sad little heart today. (I'll explain why at a later date.) So the other day, she asked if she could make something with me. I asked her what she would like to make, and she replied, "Ummmm? How about a candy corn cake?" Ever since, I've been brainstorming how in the world I could make a candy corn cake.

Then I remembered our rainbow cake, and the answer clicked. I used the same concept as the rainbow cake, except instead of rainbow colors, I used candy corn colors. I used two packages of white cake mix, coloring three round layers orange, two yellow, and one white.

This time I made my icing instead of using store bought, and it tastes so much better. I used this recipe but added more sugar than called for.

I decorated by coloring some of the frosting and free-handing a candy corn on top, using some frosting in a ziploc bag with a hole in the corner. I finished by sticking candy corn pieces all around.

I can't wait to see that little girl's face when she gets home from school. Hopefully it will make her day a little sweeter.

Countdown to Halloween... tick, tick, tick

2010-10-20T15:50:00.004-05:00

Eleven more days until Halloween, and I have no idea what my kids are going to be.

Belle wants to be a hippie. Estella Dru wants to be an angel... or a puma. (No, I'm not kidding.) And Jeb could care less.

I know I don't have many years left to dress them up how I want, and this distresses me.

Last year my girls were cats. E Dru was a white cat and Belle was a black cat. Of course, they were extremely fancy cats, complete with bedazzled collars and mouse hair pieces.

And Mr. Jeb was a rock star with tattooed arms, piercings, nails painted black, and a killer mohawk.

I have a few ideas but nothing that screams perfection. I do believe it is time to panic.

What are your kids going to be for Halloween?

HALLOWEEN PANCAKES!!

2010-10-19T10:37:00.005-05:00

The other day (probably my bum day) I was flipping channels and landed on the Rachel Ray show. They were doing a segment on this guy who is an artist and does these amazing pancake creations for his little girl. I was hooked. The dude (whose name is Jim, by the way) was crazy good, and it actually looked like something I could do here with my girls.

And well... you know I had to try.

I went out and bought the condiment bottles he used ($1.50 at Wal-Mart), my favorite pancake mix, some food coloring, and I was good to go. (By the way, Jim uses more natural elements to color his batter, such as cocoa powder, jams, and berries. But #1) My crew wouldn't touch a pancake if it was flavored, and #2) the food coloring is so much more vibrant.) You just need to make sure the batter isn't lumpy or too thick to come out of the little nozzles.

Belle and I decided to do Halloween pancakes and began with a pumpkin. We did the pumpkin outline, including the stem, first, and then we came back inside and did the face. Once the face set up a little, we filled in our pumpkin with more orange. (By the way, you can sign up for Jim's newsletter to get much better tips than I can give. Sign up and check out his blog here.)

Once we flipped this little guy, this is what we got. Belle actually gasped out loud when she saw it. I thought for our first attempt ever, he turned out pretty cute.

Estella Dru decided she wanted a black cat--I did the same thing with that one. I drew the outline, including the ears, first. Then I added the face, and once that set up, I filled in the back (you can go over the top of everything) with more black to fill in our black cat. I decided to make separate whiskers so E Dru could add them herself.

And Jeb chose the ghost! I made letters that spelled "Boo" to go along with it. Remember, if you do letters, make them backward because you'll be flipping them.

They added a little syrup and chowed down. The kids thought it was so neat and are already brainstorming about what we can do next. I have a feeling we'll be making lots and lots of pancakes in the very near future. Thanks, Jim the Pancake Man. We had a great time. There's nothing better.

The Locket

2010-10-18T09:12:00.008-05:00

I have a very special locket.

My Grandma gave it to me for my wedding. The chain was lost long ago, so I pinned it underneath the layers of my dress. It had to be part of that day, chain or no chain.

Estella Dru loves going through my jewelry. (It's not an extensive collection, let me assure you.) But she always fixates on that locket. I even had to hide it from her because she would sneak it off in her room to look at it. She loves that locket.

This weekend while at Grandpa's, I had the opportunity to not only tell her but show her why the locket is so special for us.

This is a picture of Grandma's parents that hangs on the wall at Grandpa's. Her mother's name was Lillie Ann. I believe Grandma told me she was 13 when she got married and raised 12 or 13 children. (How sad I can't remember the correct number.) She died long before I was born, but Grandma told me stories about "Mama" all my life, so I feel like we're old friends. Notice the locket hanging around her neck.

And this is Grandma not long after she and Grandpa got married. She is wearing the same locket.

This is my mom (Grandma 'Nita to my children) in her wedding dress at age 18. So pretty. She is also wearing the locket.

Even though I didn't wear it around my neck, there was no doubt the locket had to be part of my wedding. Just holding it in my hands makes me feel stronger. The women in my family are tough. Much tougher than me. The obstacles my Great-Grandmother Lillie overcame... the loss of three baby boys, the loss of an adult daughter, living through the hardest of times when she had no idea what she would feed her family from day to day... I could only hope to be as courageous and strong.

The locket is special.

Estella Dru was absolutely amazed to see the locket in pictures. She made me promise over and over that it was the same one. I told her one day it could be part of one of her special days if she wanted. She was beside her self excited. Here it is in her little hand.

I know I've been ending several of my posts with questions, but I am so interested to know.... Do you have a special treasure in your family that has been passed from generation to generation?

Thomas Obsession

2010-10-14T10:41:00.006-05:00

I think I've mentioned before that Jeb is obsessed with trains, specifically Thomas the Tank Engine.

If you love Thomas, too, please do not be offended by my next statement. Here it comes.... I would rather watch The Wiggles than Thomas. Oh yeah. I just said that. There's just something about how the trains' and people's mouths don't move when they talk. It's unnatural. And that theme song. Honest to goodness, every time I hear it, I shudder. Again, I apologize if you are a Thomas lover. It's nothing personal.

But for now, I have a boy who loves trains. In fact, when I took him to school this morning, he had one stuffed in each pocket. So, a few weekends ago, Matt and I decided to take him for a ride on a real train. The little guy was absolutely beside himself. I think the facial expressions say it all.

The boy LOVED it and talks about his train ride every day. I'm so glad to have been able to take him but am afraid it has only intensified his train fixation. Sigh.

I remember my girls really liking Dora the Explorer, but their fanaticism never reached the heights Jeb has with his Thomas. What about you? Are your kids obsessed with anything at the moment?

Bum.

2010-10-13T17:48:00.005-05:00

I was lazy today. Not just a little lazy. Like... slob on the couch in a sweat shirt and pajama pants lazy watching Diego and Thomas the Tank Engine with Jeb lazy.

I did not write. I did not read. I sat in a near coma-like trance and thought about nothing. Except Diego and those darn red-eyed tree frogs that were in danger.

Around 3:00 pm, I took a bath and put on make up just to try and make me like myself. It didn't work. I was a slob. A bum. There was no masking it with make-up. Or Bath and Body coconut body spray.

After picking the girls up from school, I did force myself to make my children dinner. Afterwards, I went into the garage to retrieve Jeb's train from the car and slipped in a puddle of green fluid that had leaked from Matt's Danger Ranger. And I fell. Not just a little fall. Like... feet fly up in the air, land flat on my back in the green fluid fall. As I lay there, with Jeb saying, "Oh. My. Gosh. Mama, you fall down," I couldn't help but think... "This is what you get for being a bum, Ang. This is what you get."

In all seriousness... I think we all deserve a day like today with no guilt involved. But how hard is that? I find that guilt sneaks up on me at every corner. And the thing is... if we are seeking His face and His will, there's no need for guilt. He took care of that a long time ago.

Were you lazy today? Or did you solve world issues while I watched Thomas? Do tell.

Fun Pumpkins and Candy Corn Kisses

2010-10-12T09:16:00.006-05:00

I decided to do something different with our pumpkins this year and deviate from tradition. I've done traditional. I'm tired of traditional.

So I pulled from my new wreath for inspiration and am sort of proud of the results.

My favorite is the beaded one. Just hot glue, cheap-o beads, a sharpie, and a free-handed design. Love it.

On a separate fall note...

The Hershey's Candy Corn Kisses are now on shelves. If you read this blog at all, you know this family is candy corn crazy, so we snatched up a bag on sight at Target.

I have never baked with them but thought surely there had to be some recipes out there. And there are. A lot of them actually. This one looked especially yummy. Candy Corn Kisses Cheesecake Squares. You can find the recipe here.

I knew, however, NO ONE in my family would even try them, much less like them. They don't do cheesecake. (I challenge anyone to find a pickier group than mine.) Then I found this recipe from Tasty Kitchen and knew it was way more up the Slaughter alley.

Instead of doing a kiss on each one, I melted down a handful of kisses and drizzled them on top of a few. Everyone likes a little variety.

The Slaughter girls are going to be so excited when they get home from school and see this little surprise. Jeb probably won't be able to try one. I'm pretty sure he ate half the cookie dough all by himself. (I know... some mom out there just gasped and grabbed her heart. Deep breath. One of my favorite memories of baking with Grandma was licking the batter off the spoon. He'll be ok.)

Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-10-10T23:44:00.006-05:00

On Saturday morning, Matt surprised us by taking us to a local pumpkin patch. It's one of my favorite fall things to do as a family. We pick out pumpkins, tour the little store, and of course, take pictures. You can see some past pumpkin patch excursions here and here.

And here are some shots from this year's trip to the pumpkin patch. Definitely another wonderful memory in the books.

I deviated from my traditional fall yard scene motif and went a little more "fancy-schmancy" with my pumpkins. Such the rebel am I. Tomorrow I will post our pimped out pumpkin creations.

Resemblance?

2010-10-09T01:00:00.002-05:00

I ran across an old picture of Estella Dru tonight and was really struck by how much she and Jeb resemble.

Or am I seeing things?

Creepy Crawly

2010-10-07T09:04:00.005-05:00

We are gearing up for Halloween here in the Slaughter house with some creepy, crawly business.

Let's start with 'crawly' first. Shall we?

A GINORMOUS, man-eating spider has spun her web just outside my front door. As I went to tear it down, my children began to scream, "No, Mama! Please! Don't kill it! Don't kill it!" Belle's class had just watched a performance of Charlotte's Web, so she was it utter shock that her heartless mother would even consider such a murderous act.

And so the beast remains. Every time I open the door, she stares at me with her 89843909843098 eyes, just waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.

And now for the 'creepy.'

Last week, Matt and I were sitting on the couch watching Criminal Minds--quite possibly the creepiest show ever--when I heard a rustling noise on the back patio.

Matt, Mr. Deafness, didn't notice. So me, in all my bravery and stealth, got up to investigate, and just as I neared the screen door, this face popped up.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! (Ok, I didn't actually take this picture, but you get the point.) I. FREAKED. OUT. At first, I screamed, waking all my children. Belle and Dru run into the room. Belle grabs a dust pan. I grab a coconut candle. (Don't judge. It was a panic situation.) Just like those stupid women who run outside and meet certain doom on Criminal Minds, Belle and I rush onto the patio with our deadly weapons while Matt and Estella Dru stand in the living room watching in awe.

As soon as Belle realizes where she is and what is lurking in the bushes, she jumps on top of the patio table and begins to cry. But I continue to search for the beast with my coconut candle in hand. Matt finally comes outside and rescues a tearful Belle, then laughs at me and my weapon of choice.

The possum escaped unharmed only to return twice more to peer inside the house with his beady, glowing eyes. And I know it will be back. The thought is almost more than I can bear. A spider at my front door... a possum at my back.

So very very not cool.

Cupcake Tip

2010-10-06T11:24:00.006-05:00

Matt's mom (aka Gigi) is hosting a home group for our church tonight, and I volunteered to help her out by making cupcakes. We thought we'd do a little Halloween theme since there will be some little ones there, and since it was sort of last minute, Gigi picked up a package mix and frosting.

I made the cupcakes... then stared at the frosting container. I mean, store-bought frosting is ok. But I'm just not ok with ok.

So I got online and did a search... "how to make store-bought frosting better." I got everything from add cream cheese to a container of whipped topping to mini chocolate chips. I didn't have any of those things. Awesome. Then I ran across a site that suggested adding a little vanilla extract, a touch of half and half, and butter. Yay! I had all that!

I dumped the frosting in my mixer then added a teaspoon and 1/2 of vanilla extract, a tablespoon of butter (just call me Paula Deen), a tablespoon of half and half, and then a handful of powered sugar to get the consistency right. I mixed it all together, then transferred it into a large ziploc bag. I cut a hole in the corner and used the bag to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.

I was amazed at the difference in taste and appearance. I'd say there's a 85% chance they could pass for homemade. Maybe 86%.

I did a side by side of a cupcake topped with the "jazzed up" frosting and one topped with the store-bought stuff. Big difference.

And just for the kids, I added a fun touch... a piece of candy corn and sprinkles.

Do you have any ideas on how to jazz up store bought items? I'd love to hear it. This girl loves her shortcuts.

No Dad is better than her Dad.

2010-10-05T15:27:00.004-05:00

This picture is hanging in the second grade hallway. Belle wrote it about her daddy.

In case you can't read it, it says, "My Dad is a great person. His name is Matt. My Dad has brown hair and blue eyes. He is a fun Dad. He plays golf. It sounds like a lot of fun. My Dad helps people build homes. I couldn't have a better Dad. He likes to take bike rides. He works hard. He built us a swingset. It is so cool. They have monkey bars and a slide. No Dad is better then my Dad."

I think any mom would beam with pride about something like that. And I did. But it runs deeper for me.

Growing up without a father is hard. I know many can attest to that, just like I can. I can remember as a little girl, seeing my friends with their dads and having to wipe away tears when no one was looking. I wanted to be a daddy's girl. I would have been a great daddy's girl. I don't think people realize how losing a parent through abandonment or divorce or any circumstance affects a child--their sense of self-worth, their view on relationships... everything is touched by that loss. Everything.

I can remember when Matt and I first got married... all of sudden I was hit by this incredible sense of protection. For the first time, I felt safe. Truly and completely safe. I knew that he was there to hold my hand and protect me... or die trying. I don't know how to describe that to someone who has always felt it, but it was overwhelming. And amazing. To close your eyes and know you are protected... for me, it was miraculous.

But my little girls don't have to wait for that feeling. They have it every night when he prays with them before bed. They have it every morning when he comes in and kisses them and asks them how they slept. They have it every day when he gets home from work and they run into his arms like they haven't seen him in days. And they have it every time they see him hug their mommy and tell her he loves her. Only death could steal him from them. And they know that.

So when I see Belle's picture and read her words, it means much more to me than a nice little picture. Much more.

A fall morning with Jeb

2010-10-04T09:06:00.005-05:00

It is a gorgeous, crisp fall morning. I just sent all my kids to 'school', and I have a ton of stuff to do in front of this computer screen... none of which include blogging. Sigh.

I do have to leave you with a few pictures of Jeb. This morning he found his old, favorite hat. It's too small, and I managed to get it away from him before he got out the door. Looks like it's time to make a GAP run and find him a new one. (They always seem to have the cutest.) It was fun putting him in his little jacket, and he thought he was hot stuff.

Not that he doesn't always think that.

Check out that pose. Oh yeah. He poses. He has older sisters, remember? We had a fashion show the other night in the living room, and he walked the runway just like we did--in boy clothes. I did draw the line. At one point when Dru was stompin' it out, Jeb said, "Dru fierce." Does he even have a chance?

Scrap Wood Pumpkins

2010-10-01T13:04:00.004-05:00

This has been a weird week for me. I have been way more crafty than normal. And here's why... I love fall and fall decorating, but I'm cheap. I have to be. I can't run to Hobby Lobby and throw down fifty bucks or more on fun decor (though that would be SO much fun). But I CAN decorate with stuff I already have. And that's what this project was. I spent $0. That's right. What I didn't find in Matt's shed, I had in my craft box.

I found the idea here. (Of course it wasn't mine. I'm a craft pirate.) They are scrap wood pumpkins. She took more time sanding and making her pumpkins smooth and rounded. I went more for the 'rough', finish-before-the-kids-get-out-of-the-tub look. But I really like the result.

I was so excited to show the kids, and the first thing Estella Dru said was, "Pumpkins are round." Sigh.

Again, if you're looking for some easy, adorable fall projects, go visit the Idea Room's fall projects and ideas link up party here.

As for me, my craftiness is officially over for the fall season.

New Fall Wreath

2010-09-30T15:57:00.005-05:00

The fall wreath I've been using for years is lame. And sort of grandma-ish.

So I decided to spruce it up a bit this year. I used an old wreath, several yards of black tulle, and 3 wooden letters that I painted orange. Oh and hot glue. Of course, hot glue. And I L-O-V-E it.

Go here or here or here for some more cheap, easy wreath ideas and let me know if you're trying something new this year. I LOVE hearing about all of you who are making the candy corn dispenser. So much fun!

Random Wednesday

2010-09-29T13:19:00.003-05:00

1. ) I just got the cutest haircut I've had in a long time. I hope I feel the same way when I try to fix it myself tomorrow. This is unlikely.

2.) Matt was gone for two days and just got home last night. Not that I need reminding, but whenever he's gone I realize how much I love and depend on him. I wonder how many husbands answer their phones, "Hey, Princess," when their wife calls. I. Love. That. Man.

3.) I did not get my laundry done, but I am so relieved to know that I'm not the only one who struggles with the laundry monster. It is my nemesis.

4.) It is very frustrating walking past my new candy corn dispenser and not being able to grab a handful and go. Dang diabetes.

5.) Matt is going to Budapest next month. Where the heck is Budapest?

6.) I found this video Matt took this summer. We took the kids to the park, and Jeb 'thought' he was jump roping like his sisters. I have decided we are cruel parents. Listen to us both laugh when he wipes out. Pitiful.

Laundry 9-1-1

2010-09-28T13:39:00.001-05:00

This blog is closed today due to a laundry emergency that requires my full attention throughout the duration of the day. Please come again. Or send help.

Candy Corn 'Gumball' Machine

2010-09-27T11:58:00.004-05:00

Yay! Fall is here. I sort of go all out for fall decorating. My kids love it. I love it. Matt tolerates it. More than anything, I love the memory making. When my kids think of fall, they're going to think of the smell of pumpkin spice or apple pie candles burning in the house... pumpkins every which way you turn... scarecrows and hay bales in the yard... and of course, candy corn.

We love candy corn in the Slaughter house. Well... we 'love' the white part of candy corn and 'like' the rest. Remember the white part bandit? And the apprehension a short time later? Well, hopefully that problem has been solved. And now I have a new way to serve it... a candy corn 'gum ball' machine.

I found this on The Idea Room. She is doing a fall idea link up party, and people way more crafty than me are submitting fabulous ideas. I found this one here. Again, this was NOT my original, creative thought. (I have to save all those I can for writing.) But it's super cute and super cheap, and I put it together in less than an hour.

You'll need a small ceramic flower pot, saucer, wooden ball, and glass globe. (I picked all this up at Joann's, but I believe right now the ceramic pot and saucers are 50% off at Hobby Lobby. My total bill was less than $6.) Also, you need a can of black spray paint, less than a yard of ribbon, and a bag of candy corn. (And you're still under $10.)

Paint the pot, saucer, and ball with the black spray paint. Glue the globe to the pot. (I used hot glue because I'm obsessed with it, but I assume there are many other options.) Also glue the wooden ball to the top of the saucer. Add candy corn inside the globe, top with your new lid, and there you have it....

A candy corn 'gum ball' machine. No coins required.

Grandma's Angel Story

2010-09-24T08:31:00.003-05:00

Remember in my angel post when I talked about Grandma and her story about the truck almost going over a cliff? Well, I dug around and found her telling the story on video. And let me tell you... she would kill me if she knew I was posting this. She had just undergone heart bypass surgery and wasn't able to go to the 'beauty shop' and get her hair done. I still think she looks beautiful.

I can't watch this without crying. Not because of the story. Not because of the way she told it--she was nervous being on camera. But because I was sitting there... right next to her on her bed. What I wouldn't give to be there again. Don't take it for granted, y'all. Cherish every second of being together. They are so precious.

Chasing my lion.

2010-09-23T11:23:00.009-05:00

I am doing a study with Matt on Wednesday nights called, "In the Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day." It's a book by a guy named Mark Batterson, and it's been rocking my world. It's based around 2 Samuel 23: 20.

There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. (I can't say those names either.) He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two of Moab's mightiest warriors. Another time he chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it."

Now have you ever once heard that verse? ME EITHER! (Sorry. Irrelevant.)

Batterson says, "[God] is always using past experiences to prepare us for future opportunities. But those God-given opportunities often come disguised as man-eating lions. And how we react when we encounter those lions will determine our destiny. We can cower in fear and run away... or we can chase our God-ordainded destiny by seizing the God-ordained opportunity."

The book talks about becoming a "lion chaser." The lion is whatever fears we have that hold us back from what God wants for us--the fear of rejection or looking stupid or failure, or anything that keeps us frozen where we are.

Benaiah CHASED the lion in the pit. It didn't chase him. He took a risk, and because of it, met his God-given potential. 2 Samuel 23:23 says, "And David put [Benaiah] in charge of his bodyguard." Had Benaiah snuck away in fear from his lion, the opportunity of a lifetime would have passed him by. Batterson says, "The greatest opportunities [are] the scariest lions."

If you know me well at all, you know that the fear of being rejected or failing terrifies me more than anything else. I spent four years working on a book that I poured my heart and soul into and now here I am offering it up to others to judge it. What I want to do is keep it all to myself and not take a risk--or find a corner and vomit... what I HAVE to do is get over it, get tough, and go chase my lion.

I recently read a blog by a literary agent name Rachelle Gardner. She wrote, "Once you're a published author, you're going to have a target on your back. You will offer up your words to strangers. Not everyone will like what you write. You'll be naked and vulnerable in front of the world. You'll make mistakes, you may offend people. And you will not be safe.They will write things publically about you, on their blogs, on your blog, on book review sites, or on Amazon." She ended with, "Regardless of who you are or how kind-hearted your intent, if you're a writer in pursuit of publication, eventually you're going to be judged. Carry a shield."

I have a feeling me and Benaiah are going to get really close before this thing gets published. And I believe it will. It may take a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, but it will. I'm praying for big things, and the big God who gave this to me listens. So, I am chasing this lion. I'm scared, yes, but I'm determined.

And wow... I COVET your prayers. I have been asking Him just to help me get it into the right hands. I think He'll take it from there. Do you have a lion you need to be chasing?

"GWURS! BE QUIET!"

2010-09-22T11:36:00.004-05:00

I just found this video on my iPhone. It was taken on our way home from Florida this summer. I think we had been in the car ten hours at this point.

I have a feeling Mrs. Duggar would not approve.

It's ok to admit. You are SO glad you weren't in this car. Aren't you? Poor Matt. He actually was in the car... and still traumatized.

Do you believe?

2010-09-21T10:43:00.004-05:00

There is a character in my book, a young girl named Beulah Two, who believes she sees angels. Real live ones. I won't spoil the fun and tell you if she does or not. Here's a quick excerpt:

Beulah Two lay on her back in a patch of dead grass behind her grandmother’s home. She watched two white, fluffy clouds float side by side for a moment, then converge into a heap, forming what Beulah Two thought looked just like a giant ice cream cone. She loved cloud watching, and today was perfect for it. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue, and the clouds were thick like the meringue she helped her grandmother make for pies. They swirled about, coming together, breaking away. They made elephants, clowns, whales, trees, sailboats, teddy bears, and even a castle that split down the middle, its halves forming two dancing birds. Then she saw him. Next to one of the birds. A face, a body, two powerful wings. Finally. She waved to him, satisfied, and fell asleep.

I'm not ashamed to admit it. I believe in angels. I believe they are part of our lives every single day. And at the risk of having anyone read this believe I'm crazy, I have a story to tell.

A few years ago when we were vacationing on the beach in Florida, I went outside to sit on the balcony. It was late at night, and if I remember correctly, I was having myself a little pity party. I sat there looking out at the ocean, crying, feeling alone and missing Grandma--nothing new, especially back then. The door opened behind me, and Belle came out and crawled into my lap. When she asked me why I was crying I just held her and told her I was missing Memaw. Then she asked, "Mama, is Memaw an angel?" I can't remember how I answered that. But she was. Just an absolute angel. Then Belle asked, "Mama, have you ever seen an angel?" I told her, "No, Baby, but I'd really like to."

And here comes the crazy part.... At that very moment, a bright, glowing ball appeared from my left, about the size of a basketball, and moved slowly across the sky in front of us before disappearing seconds later. It wasn't a firework. It wasn't a flare. It wasn't anything I had ever seen before. What I do know is that after I caught my breath, I sat there and cried, holding my child, and telling God how awesome He is.

Grandma used to tell a story about how she and her family were driving in an old car in the mountains of Texas when the driver lost all control. Just as they came to the edge of a steep cliff, the car stopped all by itself. She believed an angel of God saved them that day.

Do you have an angel story that you're brave enough to share? Or do you even believe in angels? I'd love to hear.

Boy Barbie, Football Shots, Nap Mat

2010-09-20T09:32:00.004-05:00

When the girls told me they needed a "boy Barbie" to be the "prince", I had no problem with it.

I am currently rethinking that decision

On another note...

At Friday night's football game, Coach Kelley Waters who takes pictures on the field, shot a few of Jeb when he was visiting daddy on the sideline.

He just has 'Stinker' written all over him.

And on still another note...

I finally finished Jeb's nap mat. It's not my best work. Or even close. But it's better than the plastic one. Poor guy. His sisters certainly never took an uncovered nap mat to school. Maybe he won't remember.... or read this blog.

Check out this giveaway!

2010-09-19T01:06:00.003-05:00

My friend, Kate, over at Southern Belle Simple is having a Diana Warner giveaway. GASP! Go here to check it out, but I'm just tellin' ya', I've been praying hard that I'll win. So only enter if you think you can out-pray me. I want that necklace!

Let's rodeo!!

2010-09-17T07:33:00.004-05:00

Today is Estella Dru's kindergarten stick horse rodeo. (Yes, I'm sure.) She looked so cute this morning going out the door.

My girls are only fifteen months apart, but are separated my two grades in school. Since E Dru has an August birthday, we opted to let her do two years of K-4 instead of going into kindergarten as the youngest in her class. That decision was brutal to make. Did you hear me? BRUTAL! I cried and prayed and cried and prayed. In my heart, I knew she wasn't ready for kindergarten, but the thought of separating her from friends that were moving on just broke me. The thought that she would be one of the oldest in her class to graduate was hard. The thought that she would see her old classmates eating at the big kid tables in the cafeteria and moving over to the big kid playground crushed me. The thought that she and Belle would be separated by another year was excruciating. But in the end, our hearts (the Lord) led us to put all that aside and hold out for kindergarten just one more year.

It hurt. I second guessed myself a thousand times. I probably drove Matt crazy asking, "Are you SURE we're doing the right thing?" Even if I had wanted to change my mind, he wasn't budging. And I'm glad he made us hold solid to our choice.

Drusy started kindergarten this year with confidence and is tackling it like a champ. The little girl I used to see as a follower, unsure of herself with her school work and her 'place' in the class, now takes charge and is rocking kindergarten.

It still makes me feel a little sad when I see her wanting to do the 'big' things her old classmates do now, but she doesn't complain. I think it pains me more than it does her... I'm her mama like that.

I know lots of families are faced with this decision for children who have later birthdays. And let me warn you, when that time comes, EVERYONE you know will have an opinion. And I mean EVERYONE. It will be sort of like, when you're pregnant, every woman you meet wants to give you a run down of their birth story. Politely listen and FILTER! For us, the key to making the right decision for our child was first, drowning out all the noise, talking with teachers and other educators, and prayer. Lots and lots of prayer. I think the key thing to realize is that there is not one blanket decision for everyone.

So maybe you can understand why finally making it to kindergarten stick rodeo day is a big deal for us. She's been waiting for this for a long time, and I am so happy for that sweet girl. You go get em', Cowgirl!

Randomness on a Thursday

2010-09-15T22:17:00.008-05:00

1.) I still have not finished Jeb's nap mat. He has taken an ugly, plastic mat to school with him every day for 3 weeks now with the words, "Belle Slaughter" written in sharpie in the corner. I am ashamed. When he finds out it's not ready again tomorrow, he's gonna be TICKED!

2.) Today in the Chic-fil-a drive thru, I was tempted to ask for a large drink for the price of a medium. I mean... if I was IN the restaurant, I would drink my drink, then go back for a refill. But since I am in the drive thru, and clearly won't be there to get refilled for free, it makes total sense. Right? Right?

3.) I stood up from the bathtub this morning and felt something stuck to my bootie. (That's what we say in this house, ok? Bootie.) It was gum. A big ol' wad of chewed up Hubba Bubba. We are now under a gum ban.

4.) On Friday, Estella Dru has her stick horse rodeo at school. I am checking and double-checking to make SURE it is, indeed, Friday. See here for why I might be a tad paranoid.

5.) Yesterday my husband won Employee of the Quarter at his quarterly luncheon. Just a few of the things that were said of him:

· makes everyone they meet feel welcome and valued.
· is the definition of “relational” and they use these relationships to minister to others.
· has an outstanding attitude about their job, their co-workers, their Church, & our people.
· You can trust this employee – to do the right thing – to do what they say they will do – and to tell the truth.
· is Christ-like in their behavior and attitudes.
· has helped lead our school to achieve its highest enrollment in 9 years.
· Everyone wants this employee on their team - especially during a golf event.
· He is a very talented individual that again serves others and does so with a great heart.
· He teaches a small group and sometimes leads chapel service – all with great confidence and in Truth.
· He represents us all very well and he represents our Savior well.

I'm shocked they didn't list incredibly handsome and smokin' hot, but oh well. I am BEYOND proud of him. I am well aware of his crazy awesomeness and SO happy for him. Have I mentioned he is the love of my life lately? Wow. He so is.

6.) Y'all, getting a book published is HARD! So I haven't actually sent anything out yet, but I've been reading information like a maniac and putting together proposals. But wow. It's nearly impossible to get your foot in the door. I am praying for a miracle--that is, if that's what God has for me. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed the other day. I reached for my Bible and prayed for Him to talk to me. When I opened it, this verse was staring me down. Hold on to your hats. This one might just blow you away. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith and if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. Hebrews 10 35-38.

7.) I made muffins today. Lots of muffins. If you like pecan pie, you need to stop what you're doing and make these right now. They are SO yummy. I swiped the recipe from a Pioneer Woman site. Five ingredients, y'all: flour, brown sugar, eggs, butter, pecans. Five ingredients to heaven. SUCH an awesome, easy treat for the fall. Go here for the recipe. (FYI: I used a mini muffin pan for little bite-sized jewels.)

8.) I never say anything about comments left by my readers, but let me say now... I SO appreciate every single person who takes a second out of their day to read this blog. I love to write. I love to share my family. I love to share my faith. I love to share my life. And so, this blog is an awesome way for me to do all that. Please know I am overwhelmed when just one person tells me they visit this site. Honestly. Overwhelmed. Thank you so so much.

If I were a...

2010-09-14T22:29:00.008-05:00

I have been tagged with a list of fun questions by the gorgeous Ms. Kate over at Southern Belle Simple. If you haven't already... GO VISIT HER! Her blog is adorable and always, always fun, especially for us southern gals. I don't have many everyday staples, but Southern Belle Simple is definitely one of them.

Ok, here goes...

If I were a month, I would be October. The beauty of October always surprises me. Every single year I forget how bright and brilliant the leaves get on the tree in my front yard, not to mention, in everyone else's. I love the cool air and getting ready for Halloween and knowing that the winter is coming, but for a little longer, we can play and enjoy ourselves before everything turns brown or gets covered in white.

If I were a day of the week, I would be TACO TUESDAY! Every Tuesday is Taco Tuesday in the Slaughter house. And if I forget, well, let's just say, things get ugly.

If I were a time of day, I would be the moment I go check on the kids just before I go to bed. I can't describe how it feels to look down at those sleeping little babies, chests rising up and down. They're so still. They're faces are so peaceful. And they're mine.

If I were sea animal, I would be a jellyfish. Why? Ummm... not sure. For starters, they're pink. And also, have you ever looked at a tank full of jelly fish? I could stand there forever just watching them move. It's mesmerizing. Well, to me anyway.

If I were a direction, it would be north. SO KIDDING! I am southern through and through. I would be south. So very south.

If I were a piece of furniture, it would be a chiffarobe. Ha. Gotcha on that one, huh? I love that word, chiffarobe, because the first few times I saw it, I had no idea what it meant. In To Kill a Mockingbird, it was the piece of furniture Mayella Ewell asked Tom Robinson to come over and chop up for her. I think it's just a chest of drawers... which will work, too.

If I were a gemstone, I would be a pink pearl. I like pearls. I like pink. Pink pearl.

If I were a tree, I would be a magnolia. Oh how I love magnolia trees. The blossoms, the smells, the way you can hide underneath the really big ones without anyone seeing you.... In fact, I have a great book idea about magnolias brewing in my head right now.

If I were a flower, I would be a magnolia blossom. (Please see above explanation.) Plus, they smell like fresh lemonade.

If I were a kind of weather, I would be the cool of the evening. That has to be the best part of the day. Genesis 3 talks about God walking through the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day. If that's when God decided to take a stroll, that's what I want to be.

If I were a car, I would be a mint condition 1970-something Range Rover. I saw a 70 model once in the parking lot of the Donut Hole in Destin and almost cried. Maybe someday....

If I were a place, I would be the bank of my Grandpa's pond. When I was little it was the spot I would go and talk to God. When I was a teenager, it was the spot I would go and talk to God. When I was in college, it was the spot I would go and talk to God. When I lost Grandma, it was the spot I went and talked to God, then hurled rocks at Him. We're cool now. Today, I still go there to feel close to Him... and also to throw rocks at turtles. Why does that never get old?

If I were a fabric, I would be linen. It's my favorite. No explanation I guess. Dang you, Labor Day!

If I were a scent, I would be Riviera Sun by Victoria's Secret. It's been discontinued for far too long. I still dream that they will bring it back. I have found nothing since that I love they way I loved that scent. Curse you, Victoria's Secret!

If I were a song, I would be Nichole Nordeman's Take Me As I Am. And you know I gotta share some of my favorite lyrics. Oh, for a heart that does not ache, For a backbone that won't break, For some steady feet or sturdy ground, A road that isn't gonna let me turn around and run. Oh, to feel hope in hopeless times, Never mind the silver lining 'cause the clouds are fine, To breathe prayers that move the heavens, Or save hundreds from the flames, To know my place, to know my name. But the gap grows wider, Between who I am and all I aspire to be. Wow. If only I could have written that myself.

If I were a pair of shoes, I'd be these.

Are they not absolutely hideous? I know. But every time I see someone walking in them, I get a little lump in my throat. They were my Grandma's favorite. She wore them everywhere. If I can walk in the same paths as her... I'll be ok in this world.

Alright, now it's my turn to tag someone. And I pick my friend, Lori, at Everything Edgin.

Do You Think I'm Weird?

2010-09-14T11:33:00.006-05:00

Last night while brushing Belle's hair, she turned and looked at me and asked, "Mama? Do you think I'm weird?" My heart sank. I knew there had to be a reason for such a question. When I asked where it came from, she told me some kids at school have been calling her 'weird'.

After the initial surge of anger and desire to knock out a couple 7 year olds passed, I took her in the kitchen and sat her on the bar so we could be face to face. And I told her... "Baby, if weird means different, then yes. I think you are."

She looked at me like... "HUH?" And I told her I could not be prouder that people see a difference in her... that she doesn't feel the need to act, speak, imitate everyone else. I told her the confidence she has in who she is and her ability to see the good in everyone and every situation could not make me and her daddy more happy. I told her for the rest of her life, people are going to follow after things of the world, and because of that, they will eventually all look the same... and the only time she needs to be worried is if she ever stops standing out as 'different' or even 'weird'.

I told her, "You're not supposed to be the same."

She smiled at me and said, "So when they say I'm weird, I should just say 'thank you?'" I gave her a big hug and told her, "Yes. That is exactly what you should say."

I won't lie. My heart is still a little sick over it. The thought that my precious, beautiful child is already struggling with a situation like this in 2nd grade.... (Well... I don't think 'struggling' is the word. She never really seemed upset, just curious. She is the most optimistic person I've ever met.) But at the same time, I can't put into words how proud I am of that child. She lives every day with her whole heart. She is sincere and real and loving and unconcerned with things I see other little girls already concerned with.

I think about all the mean things I dealt with when I was in school and wish I could shield her from all the yuck in her future. I know I can't do that. But I can keep encouraging her right now to be the little girl God made her to be... the little girl that makes Him proud.

Last night I told her, "Sweetie, other people's opinions don't matter." And she said, "I know, Mama. I just care about what you and Daddy think. Oh, and my teachers. Oh, and for sure God." That's my girl.

Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives. 1 Peter 2:11-12 (The Message)

POWER!!

2010-09-13T13:17:00.003-05:00

Boys are funny.

And a bit weird.

This is my first go at a boy child, and almost every day brings about something new that makes me either laugh, sigh, or wonder how in the world I'm going to make it until he's eighteen.

One thing he does that always makes us laugh is... whenever he finds a stick or bat or anything that can be used as a weapon of some sort, he raises it high into the air and yells, "POWER!"

No one taught him that. As far as I know, he doesn't see it anywhere. He just does it. Every time.

Today I am needing a power boost. I'm starting with some scripture, then moving on to a little Starbucks. A winning combination, I think.

I am a tried and true White Chocolate Mocha or White Hot Chocolate fan. Is there anything else out there I should try? I just know there is a crazy awesome Starbucks drink I need to experience. Please share. I need a change--something new and exciting. Something that will make me raise my cup in the air and yell, "POWER"! (Or something close.) Lay it on me. What's your favorite?

Oh my goodness

2010-09-10T11:21:00.004-05:00

Jeb has a new phrase. He says it all the time, and it makes us laugh without fail.

Yesterday, I finally got him to say it on video. Quite the task.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Biggest Loser Moment

2010-09-09T09:26:00.003-05:00

There aren't many shows I'm addicted to. But The Biggest Loser is one of them. Love. It. I schedule my time so I will be sure to be watching from the elliptical at the gym while the contestants are working out at the ranch. It is so motivating, even if Jillian isn't there screaming in my ear.

Last season, I had a favorite team. The Pink Team.... how fitting. I rooted on Sherry and Ashley Johnson every step of the way. Remember them? Mother and daughter? Knoxville, TN? Let me refresh your memory.

A few weeks ago, I was privileged to hear and meet Sherry Johnson in person when she came to speak at an event at our church. She was incredible--a solid woman of God who talked about how she drew on her faith throughout the show. I mean, when Jillian is yelling in your face, you better have something solid to draw from, right?

Sherry was genuine, honest, and completely unashamed to talk about Jesus and His role in her life. She was so refreshing, and I was so starry eyed. I was not leaving there without a picture... even a bad one. Here is a shot of me, Sherry, and my sweet friend, Kate.

Does that woman not look A-MAZ-ING!? I believe she went from 218 pounds to 135. Isn't it insane when you do something you never thought possible? That's what she did. And from that, she is reaching and blessing life after life after life. If we hand over what we have with all our heart, God. Can. Do. Anything.

Chillin' at Cowboys Stadium

2010-09-08T08:53:00.003-05:00

After we left Grandpa's on Sunday, we headed to Dallas to watch our Shiloh Saints play in the Kirk Herbstreit Classic. I had never been to Cowboys Stadium, so I was in awe from the get-go. It's a pretty insane facility--impressive to say the very least.

My kids were in awe, too... for about the first thirty minutes. Then it was all old news.
Jeb fell asleep standing up and hung out in my arms for the next 45 minutes or so. I mean, his surroundings were so booooring... what else is a boy to do?

And here's Estella Dru, playing her iPod from her suite. You know... nothin' else to do but play your iPod in Cowboys Stadium.

Sadly, Shiloh lost. But seriously? Who gets invited to play in Cowboys Stadium in high school? We are SO proud of those boys and their coaches. Oh... And wanna see who we played? I'm just going to warn you.... this isn't normal. Not even a little. They performed this little number on the field before the game. I'll just tell ya'... it was just as freaky in person.