Playing baseball is my son's favorite way to get dirty.

Labels: My Favorite Boy, Photography

Every night, I tuck my Favorite Boy into bed, and we pray. I always ask him what he thinks we should pray about. Last week, I was very impressed with his response. He said, "We need to pray for my teacher. We also need to pray that when other kids at school are doing the wrong thing, I will do what is right. And, we need to pray that God will help me have a good attitude when I lose."

WOW! I was thrilled that he was asking to pray about those things. We prayed, and I ended the prayer with thanking God for sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. After we finished, my Favorite Boy added "We can be so thankful for forgiveness. God forgives us because he loves us." Again, I was impressed and I said, "You're right. God loves us so much, and he wants to forgive us."

And then my Favorite Boy added, "Yes. And we can be so thankful for the NFL network so I can watch a lot of football games."

Oh, well! I guess a mother's pride goeth before her fall! :)

Labels: My Favorite Boy

As part of the Saturday Review of Books Reading Challenge, I decided to read Emma by Jane Austen (this book was initially reviewed by Mommy Brain). I recently read Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, and I would list them among my favorite books. I did not care for Emma as much, but I am glad that I read it.

In some respects, Emma Woodhouse is not a likable heroine. She is self-centered and vain, and she uses others for her own entertainment and pleasure. Throughout the novel, however, Emma changes into a lady who genuinely cares for the feelings of others and learns that she cannot view the entire world through her own desires and perspective.

Although she was sometimes shallow, I liked Emma as a character, and I ejoyed following her transformation. As in the other Austen books I have read, Emma is filled with wit and humor. On the other hand, there were times when I felt the story was dragging. Sometimes, I just had to put the book down and come back to it at another time. (It took me three weeks to read Emma; this is very unusual for me.) Additionally, while I believe that Jane Austen has a gift for creating wonderful characters, there were so many people mentioned that I sometimes had difficulty keeping some of the lesser names straight in my mind.

Of the Austen books I have read, Emma was not my favorite, but I certainly recommend it. If you have never read Jane Austen, head to your nearest library now; you will not be disappointed. And, because Emma has been made into several movies, I am now off to watch the Gwyneth Paltrow version. I plan to watch the A&E version soon as well.

Have a wonderful Thursday. Happy Reading!

Labels: Books

My Favorite Boy had a wonderful first day of school. The only snag was a little confusion in the cafeteria, but nothing major. He was grinning from ear to ear when I picked him up, but he quit smiling after I kept asking question after question. He finally said, "Would you please stop asking me so many questions?" If only he understood that his mommy wanted to know every detail of his day. Oh well, I am sure this won't be the first time that he thinks I am asking too many questions!

Thanks for all the kind comments and emails about the first day of school. I handled it well; I only shed a few tears. My Best Girl kept me quite busy during the day (the only time she stopped talking was when she was napping). While I did miss my Favorite Boy, she kept me from being lonely.

Finally, I thought I would share a humorous conversation we had about the first day. I told my Favorite Boy that I had thought of him many times throughout the day and that I had prayed whenever I was wondering what he was doing. He said, "Oh. Well, did God tell you what I was doing?" HA! Now that would be a wonderful way to keep constantly up-to-date on our kids!

Have a great Tuesday!

Labels: Family and Friends, My Favorite Boy

Remember this?

I thought I might feel like this on my Favorite Boy's first day of kindergarten, and I do. Unfortunately, I feel this way because my darling daughter has been up since 4:50. Yesterday, she woke up at 5:50. This is a very disturbing trend. At least I will be in such a fog when I drop my Favorite Boy off in his classroom that I may not realize what is happening.

We had such a wonderful weekend. I already mentioned our bowling trip, but I want to show my culinary masterpiece as well. Let's just say that I am no Martha Stewart. I was very proud of myself for making this creation in honor of the first day of school.

(In case you can't tell, it's a pencil.)
My Favorite Boy was very impressed. He said, "Wow, Mom! Did you make that all by yourself?" I happily replied, "Why, yes I did!" (I do give credit to Family Fun magazine; I got the idea there.)


So, this morning, I will take him to school. If I can stay awake, I am sure I will be sad. However, he is so excited, and I know that he will be fine. And, I am certain he knows his mommy loves him. No matter how much fun he has at school today, he will be coming home to me!

Labels: My Favorite Boy

The time I have been dreading is fast approaching. My Favorite Boy starts school full-time on Monday. In honor of this milestone, we decided to spend a day doing something fun as a family. Because of the extreme temperatures, we knew we needed to find something indoors. After tossing about a few ideas, we headed for the bowling alley.

Our local bowling alley has an area that is just for kids. The lanes are smaller, the balls are smaller, and no bowling shoes are required. We ordered some pizza and settled in for two games of competitive fun.

If a score is involved, my Favorite Boy is in it to win. Here are a few shots of him enjoying the game. The second shot is a little blurry, but I couldn't resist including a picture of his very serious bowling form.



On the other hand, my Best Girl bowled several frames, but she didn't care quite as much. Half the time, she let her brother take her turn. She was more concerned with the pizza and goldfish crackers. The last time we visited the bowling alley was for a birthday party, so she was very disappointed when she realized there were no cupcakes involved with our visit.

Okay, shhhh. It's time for quiet. She's ready to roll.


Actually, I should have said she's ready to throw. She looked more like she was competing in the shot put than bowling. Each time she threw the ball, it landed with a loud thud and then rolled toward the pins at approximately one mile per hour.



We had such a fun time as a family. My Favorite Boy thinks we should make this an annual event, and I think that's a great idea! For the record, I won the second game with a whopping score of 128. Very impressive, I know.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Labels: Family and Friends, Fun, My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy

Happy is the theme for the Photo Hunt this week. I have heard Disney World called the happiest place on earth. Three years ago, we took our Favorite Boy to the Magic Kingdom, and it certainly made him happy! We decided to attend a character meal. When the first character, Eeyore, came to our table, our Favorite Boy grinned from ear to ear. He was smiling so big, it seemed like it would hurt! I included a close up of his face so you can see his happy smile.


Of course, all good things must come to an end. When we got back to our car at the airport, he realized we were going home. He wailed for twenty minutes.

We hope to bring back this magical smile with another trip to Disney World. Now that we have a daughter as well, I predict we will have two happy, smiling faces on our next trip!

For more happy photos, click here. Have a great weekend!

Labels: My Favorite Boy, Photography

(This is a photo of the corn behind our house.)

Have I mentioned that it is hot and dry? In Tennessee, our weather has been breaking all kinds of records. It has been in the 100s for several weeks, and we have had almost no rain in months. Because of this, we are under tight water restrictions. On Wednesday, five homes in our town had their water turned off completely for violating the restrictions. I guess the water department means business.

All I know is that I am praying for cooler weather and rain. I am ready to enjoy playing outside with my children. I am wishing that our leaves would stay on the trees until October rather than falling down now because they are dying. I am hoping we will receive rain so our water won't taste and smell funny anymore (it is supposed to be safe, but the taste is altered).

Thinking about our conditions reminded me of Psalm 63.

1 O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.

3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.

4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.

5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.

7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.

8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

9 They who seek my life will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.

10 They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.

11 But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God's name will praise him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

Regardless of the weather, we are living in a world that is dying from a lack of living water (John 4). Jesus offers this living water, and it is there for everyone to take and drink. It is truly tragic that few reach out to accept it.

I pray that today I will thirst for living water; and when I see the parched earth all around me, I want to remember to earnestly seek Him because His love is better than life!

Labels: Life Lessons

Labels: Fun

Labels: My Favorite Boy, Wordless Wednesday

This morning, I dropped my Favorite Boy off at kindergarten for his first half day. He will stay for three and a half hours with four other kids from his class. One of the other children there today is on his baseball team, so it was nice for him to have a buddy from the start. He was very excited. I, on the other hand, wasn't ready to take him. I did hold myself together; I didn't cry. Thankfully, I had to take my Best Girl somewhere, so I didn't have time to linger and get emotional. That really helped. I have a feeling, however, that the floodgates will burst at some point. How is it possible that my little baby is so big?

Labels: My Favorite Boy

I mentioned last week that I was preparing for unexpected guests. Although it was a very quick visit, we had so much fun with our surprise visitors. We don't get to see these special guests often, so any time we spend together is precious.

Abby Grace and my Best Girl enjoyed dressing up together. You can see that we had a visit from a very lovely Cinderella and Snow White.

Nate and my Favorite boy are both blessed with sisters, so they enjoyed pretending they were brothers for a little while. They played like brothers and sometimes tired of each other like brothers too. :) The boys played football, basketball, baseball, computer games, and even got to spend the night in my Favorite Boy's bunk beds. This picture shows them after playing outside for about 10 minutes; they were both as red and sweaty as could be. To cool off, they checked out the sports page from the newspaper (they also rid themselves of modest apparel in order to cool more quickly).

Yesterday, I found out that I am going to be blessed with some out-of-town visitors for a few days. They are arriving today and staying until Saturday. I am busy cleaning and preparing, which means less time for blogging and commenting. I will be back on Saturday to tell you all about it. I hope everyone is having a great Thursday!

Labels: Family and Friends

Labels: My Best Girl, Wordless Wednesday

Yesterday was the first day of school for most of the kids in our county. As I mentioned before, the kindergartners did not begin with the rest of the students. Our principal, however, made sure that the kindergarten children had a special day as well. Mrs. Principal wrote a letter to the kindergarten students and had parent volunteers drive to all the kindergartners' homes. They attached the letter with a helium balloon to the students' mailboxes.

Around noon, I noticed that my Favorite Boy's balloon was on our mailbox, so I encouraged him to go outside with me. As we walked to the mailbox, he wondered, "What is that?" I took the balloon and note off the mailbox and explained what they were. He was ecstatic. I said, "Let's go inside and take a picture of you with your kindergarten balloon." Without breathing, he said, "Yes! And let's attach it to my bed so I can see it all the time and I can't wait to show dad and I can't believe I got a letter from the president!" (He meant the principal, of course.)

Then he entered the school of hard knocks.

All of a sudden, his balloon popped. I don't know why; the only explanation I could fathom was that the 100+ degree heat caused it. Immediately, my Favorite Boy burst into tears. I thought the unexpected, loud noise scared him, so I asked him if he was alright. He replied, "No! That was my kindergarten balloon, and now it is gone!" My heart broke for him. I wanted to fix it, but I couldn't. He was right. It was his special kindergarten balloon, and he would never have another one. I wanted to cry too!

As unhappy as he was, he got over it. He mentioned it several times during the day, but his tears disappeared. After all, it was only a balloon. In the grand scheme of life, the balloon really didn't matter all that much. Unfortunately, he will face many more disappointments in the years to come, and some of them will matter much more than his balloon. When he deals with these disappointments, I hope the lessons he learned yesterday will serve him well. Sometimes bad things happen, even when you have done nothing wrong. Sometimes bad things happen, and Mom and Dad can't fix them. Sometimes bad things happen, and you just have to get over them.

One day, he will also grow up and realize that there is something much worse than dealing with your own hard knocks. Lord willing, one day he will grow up and have children of his own. Then, he will learn what all moms and dads know. Watching your children face disappointments is one of the toughest courses of all. I know I need a school to teach me how to deal with that!

Labels: Life Lessons, My Favorite Boy

Once again, it is time for Weekend Reflection. I am trying to remember what we did this week, but I think the high temperatures have cooked my brain!

Seriously, it is hot! Swimming is the only outdoor activity my kids can convince me to do, so we did swim with friends a couple of times this week. We also went to library story time and my Favorite Boy's first ever school supply sale. On Friday morning, my Best Girl visited the ENT, and she received very good news. Her ears look great, and she will probably not have to have a second set of tubes. We were very thankful to hear this.

We went by the mall after the ENT appointment to look for some shoes and buy a wedding gift. Because the appointment went more quickly than I planned, we arrived at the mall 40 minutes before the stores opened. We could, however, go into the main mall area, so we headed for the playplace. We were the first to arrive, but it was packed in only a few minutes. I was surprised that so many people were at the mall before it opened! I guess we have been missing out on a popular spot (or perhaps people are going there to play since it is already 95 degrees at 9:30 AM).

On Saturday, I went to a wedding shower, and then convinced my hubby to get the family out of the house for a little while. We all headed to the mall (again) for ice cream, play time and a visit to the pet shop. We saw four families that we knew, so I guess we weren't the only ones with the idea to hang out somewhere with air conditioning.

We also got a call from my Favorite Boy's new baseball coach yesterday. We were excited to find out that most of the boys on his team will be in kindergarten at the same school. Hopefully, this will be a fun way for him to meet some of his new school buddies, and I can commiserate with the other moms. The first practice is next Saturday, so he will get to meet his teammates before he starts school on the 27th. I think it will be fun for all of us.

Finally, I want to thank Mamacita Tina at Carpe Diem for awarding me with the Power of Schmooze award:



The definition of this award: Good schmoozers effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogosphere, leaving friendly comments, happily making new friends along the way.

I do try to be friendly, and I certainly appreciate making new friends, so thanks, for thinking of me Tina!

I guess that's all from the Baseballs and Bows household; for more Weekend Reflection participants, visit Judi!

Labels: Weekend Reflection

This week's theme is row (as in something "in a row"). Several weeks ago, before our temperatures were in the 100s and humid, our family spent an evening at the park. Here are some things we found in a row.

Tires in a row...



More tires in a row...



Triangle handbar things in a row...



Bells in a row...



Rocks in a row...



I was actually surprised at how many things I found when I started looking. Of course, my kids were not concerned with whether things were in a row. They just wanted to play!

For more Photo Hunters participants, click here. Have a great weekend!

Labels: Photography

My Favorite Boy cried when he turned one, but I didn't (he really hated the birthday hat). I know moms are supposed to be sad at that first big milestone, but I couldn't have been happier. The first year was tough. My son didn't nurse well, and he didn't sleep for longer than two hours until he was eight months old. Since sleeping and eating are a major part of a baby's life, our days weren't all that peaceful. At his first birthday party, I remember feeling a sense of relief. I knew the second year would go much more smoothly than the first. Thankfully, it did.

Fast forward to the present. Now, I am the one crying. Could someone please stop the growing-up train? It seems to be going faster and faster! Last night, I took my Favorite Boy to the PTA supply sale at his school to purchase his supplies for kindergarten. The PTA offers all the necessary supplies in a handy box, which is conveniently delivered to your child's classroom. The sale was in the gym, and my Favorite Boy could not have been more impressed. "Look! A Goal! Look! A Scoreboard! Look! A Basketball!" I think he would have stayed there until time for school to start if I had been willing. He is so excited, and he is counting the days until he heads off to the world of big kids.

I, on the other hand, am not ready for him to go. In our county, school starts on Monday. Thankfully, kindergarten starts two weeks later. I am going to spend the next few weeks trying to figure out a way to keep him from growing because I know what will happen. The first day of kindergarten comes; then, before I turn around it will be time for college, and he will leave me forever (okay, I know I am being a bit dramatic, but it is going to go so quickly)!

So, I am warning you. When August 27th rolls around, I will try to control my outward appearance; but on the inside, I will feel just like this...


(My Favorite Boy crying at his first birthday party - January 2003)

Labels: My Favorite Boy

Jill has a fun idea for her monthly book giveaway. One lucky reader will win a very cute bag filled with cookbooks. I think my family would appreciate this as much as I would! Go check it out!

As part of Jennifer's Read Together Challenge, I pledged to read Toys Go Out with my Favorite Boy. Jennifer recommended this book when she started the challenge, and the story did not disappoint.

Toys Go Out is a delightful narrative that chronicles the lives of three special toys. My son delighted in the adventures of Stingray, Buffalo, and Plastic, including a surprise journey in a backpack, a horrifying trip to the laundry room, and even a day at the beach. The author's writing style is unique and kid-friendly, but the story enthralls kids of all ages (including age 33).

One of the reasons I enjoyed reading this book with my son is that it generated several great discussions in a natural way. Our first lesson was to always tell the truth. In Toys Go Out, Stingray often exaggerates to make himself look smarter than the other toys; he also lies to make a friend feel better. I was able to point out that a lie is a lie, no matter the circumstances. In another great lesson, we learned that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Buffalo greatly desires a privilege belonging to Stingray; but when he gets it, he realizes that the privilege wasn't as wonderful as he thought it would be. In all honesty, these were great lessons for my Favorite Boy, but wonderful reminders for me as well.

Yes, we did learn some valuable lessons from this book, but my son would just say that it was fun. We really enjoyed it; perhaps you would enjoy reading it with your children as well. Be sure to visit Jennifer's wrap-up post for reviews of other books. Happy Reading!

Labels: Children's Books

Be sure to visit Overwhelmed with Joy this week. Not only is she giving away The Road, but she has a list of other bloggers who are giving away books as well. Some of the deadlines are this week, so go check it out!

Labels: Books

Jenny tagged me for this fun meme. I'm supposed to use 8 of my blogging friend's names in a unique way and post them. I must include the person who tagged me, and then add 7 more. The instructions said to be creative; if possible, I am supposed to include one of the natural wonders of the world.

At first, I didn't know how I could include one of the natural wonders of the world. However, because I am such a dedicated blogger, I figured it out! Here are the names of some great bloggers with a shot of the Grand Canyon. (Now, who would have thought that I would use this photo 12 years after my trip for a meme?) I am also including the real picture at the bottom just because I love the picture so much.

First up is Jenny. Jenny is a great gal, and I had the pleasure of meeting her several weeks ago. She is just as nice in person as she is on her blog!



Next, I plan to name two ladies with one photo. Stacy, aka Vader's Mom, is a wonderful blogger with a beautiful dog and a handsome pilot hubby. She is also a Tennessee girl, but we have to forgive her for living somewhere else right now! :) Another great Stacy can be found at Exceedingly Mundane. This Stacy is always asking fun questions, and I love to get book and movie recommendations from her.



There is no way I can mention enough wonderful things about Amberly. She is my friend in real life, and I don't know what I would do without her!



If you haven't met Leah, head over to South Breeze Farm. I love to read Leah's blog, and she regularly features recipes. She recently started a recipe exchange. Head over there to check it out!



Julie is a hilarious lady with an adorable blog design. Her family loves baseball (who doesn't?), and she just had a birthday! Be sure to stop by and wish her a Happy 23rd (because it is how you feel that counts)!



Sonya is a fellow Tennessean I wish I could meet! She is very dedicated to her family and her love for them is obvious on her blog. Sonya, you need to come visit me. We could visit Carnton and take your daughter to a Titans practice!



If you want to smile, be sure to visit Jill. She has a talent for writing everyday happenings in such a funny way. She also hosts Jill's Book Bag each month. Who could resist a free book and a cute bag?



This meme was fun! For those of you I tagged, feel free to play along if you would like, but there's no pressure to do so. I think I have posted this picture before; it is the picture I used as my background. That's my friend Debbie and me at the Grand Canyon in 1995. I have always loved this picture. Have a great day!

Labels: Blogging, Fun

Labels: My Best Girl, Time Travel Tuesday

Lynn, a fellow Photo Hunter, recently tagged me for this meme. I have done it before, but I thought I could probably come up with 8 more random facts about myself.

1. I like even numbers better than odd numbers.

2. Over the past couple of months, I have read the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2007 twice (all 818 pages). I am nothing if not a planner.

3. As a child, I had Wonder Woman Underoos.

4. I also loved to drink Slush Puppies. This past spring, I was so excited to find out that they sell Slush Puppies at my son's baseball games. There are some things you don't have to outgrow.

5. I don't eat seafood (except for Captain D's fish, and it probably doesn't count).

6. I don't like milk, but I do love milk products (cheese, ice cream, etc...).

7. I wear a size 8 shoe.

8. I drive a Honda Accord. It is silver. I don't really like silver. My husband's car is the color I really wanted (a charcoal color), but we didn't want two cars the same color. Regardless of the color, it is a nice, reliable car.

Now you know 8 more random things about me. Thanks for the tag Lynn! I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!

Labels: Blogging, Fun

Once again, it's time for Weekend Reflection (otherwise known as an update on my daughter's potty and sleeping habits). I am sure you are on the edge of your seats, so I will excitedly say that my daughter is completely potty trained (even at night). As a reward, my Best Girl got a Sleeping Beauty costume. Here she is in all her glory.



My Best Girl also transitioned into her big girl bed. She started taking naps in it earlier in the week, and she slept all night in it on Friday and Saturday as well. Here is a picture of her new bed (it is really a very old bed, but it is new to her).



This bed was my mother's grandfather's bed. I slept on it as a child, and I once left my teeth marks on the foot board while having a temper tantrum. You can guess what happened to me after that. :) We still need curtains and things on the wall, but I hope to do that in the next few weeks.


In other happenings this week, the kids and I went swimming with our neighbors, and we also attended a free "Music with Mommie" class at the library. Our state is having tax free weekend, so we did a little shopping on Friday afternoon and then met Dad at Cracker Barrel for dinner. We signed my Favorite Boy up for fall baseball, and my Favorite Boy and his Dad also went to a Titans' football practice. They planned to stay until the end of practice for autographs, but it was too hot. Perhaps there will be a cool August day for them to spend at the Titans' camp. Alright, who am I kidding? I seriously doubt there will ever be a cool, August day in Tennessee, but we can hope (our forcast this week has several days at 100)!

I guess that is all from the Baseballs and Bows household. I hope you all have a wonderful week! For more Weekend Reflections, visit Judi.

Labels: Weekend Reflection

Congratulations to Leah! Thanks to random.org, she won my copy of Straight Up. Leah, please email me your address. My email is baseballsandbows@hotmail.com. Thanks to everyone who entered the contest!

Labels: Books

Photo Hunters time is here (actually, I am a bit early). This week's theme is funky. According to Webster, one of the definitions of funky is "odd or quaint in appearance or feeling." For those of you who know my very conservative and straight-laced hubby, you will know that in this picture he looks quite funky! We were attending one of his work meetings, and we were required to dress in 60s garb. It took several hours before some of his coworkers realized who was wearing the odd wig. My son, who was two at the time, wouldn't even go near his daddy and asked that the wig be put back in the closet.

Another definition of funky is "having an earthy, unsophisticated style and feeling." Three years ago, my Favorite Boy and I attended a meeting in Orlando with my husband. The meeting happened to be in July. It was 98 degrees and humid, and I was six months pregnant. In this photo, it was early in the day, and you can tell we were already quite hot. Let me say that by the end of the day, I certainly had an earthy, unsophisticated style and feeling, and I probably fit the first definition of funky as well, which is "having an offensive odor." :)

And, just so we can include every member of the family, here is my Best Girl admiring some funky necklaces that belong to her Grammy. My Best Girl was very impressed with the jewelry selection, and I know Grammy saved these necklaces for thirty years for that very purpose!

This week's theme was challenging to me, so I look forward to seeing the pictures of others. If you would like to visit Photo Hunters participants, click here. Have a great weekend!

Labels: Family and Friends, My Favorite Boy, Photography

Labels: Blogging, Life Lessons

For more WW, click here.

Labels: Wordless Wednesday