Thursday, August 26, 2010

Monday, August 23, 2010

Tuesdays with MeMe

This past Tuesday
I helped the kids cook
supper for their Mom and Dad

I had noticed how much they loved making brownies
over the summer
so
I thought every couple of weeks we would give Kim
a break and I would help them make supper

This really brought back
memories for me

I was a stay at home Mom
but
I didn't want my kids to grow up
not knowing how to take care of
themselves just because I was always there
so
we gave them many jobs
cutting grass
weed eating
weed pulling
pool cleaning
car washing
dusting
sweeping
ironing
and finally the day came
when I decided it was time to
learn to cook

We talked it over with the kids
and once a week they were going to cook
now....... they also
were in elementary school
we gave them a simple menu
and they really did a good job
but.......
I do remember the very first meal
consider that Josh was in the first grade
the meal included a salad
now...this was way before the days of
salad in a bag
all you had was
iceberg lettuce
or at least in Berry that was all you had
so Brady and Courtney told Josh
to get out the head of lettuce
and tear off pieces into bite size
and put it in a bowl and return it to the frig
Well......
we got ready to eat
sat down at the table
all three of the kids were so proud
Josh remembered his salad
now remember...
he was a 1st grader
and you can picture
his brother and sister give him a job
that in their
much more highly developed minds
could not be messed up.....
Josh
got the bowl out of the refrigerator
put the bottle of salad dressing
down on the table
took the lid off of......
a bowl of torn up cabbage!
I remember the moment of silence
then.....
the brother and sister...laughing
Josh and the look on his face
but
his Daddy helped him cut it up a little smaller
and put a little mayo with salt and pepper
while
I informed the brother and sister
that they would.....
eat it
eat a lot of it
and love it

I guess it worked
all of my kids are
good cooks
and
they can also iron a mean shirt!

Back to last Tuesday
our menu was
Bertolli Chicken Parmigiana with Penne
Bacon wrapped green beans
Caesar salad
and BarBQ bread

Of course
the Bertolli's is easy to make
but very good
Emma took on this job
since it involved heat
on top of the stove
They all buttered the bread
Abby made the salad
They all
enjoyed
making the bacon wrapped green beans

They got so into it that they
went upstairs during a baking time
and
made place cards

The meal was really good
Mom and Dad seemed to enjoy it
and
I think they were very proud of their selves

Can't wait to do it again!



MeMe Notice
all hands were scrubbed
and I made a point of explaining to them
that we had to disinfect the counter
after the raw bacon was on it!

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Happy Birthday

Abby Claire Lawson

MeMe and Pops
Love you

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Focus Your Eyes

Okay I am going to try this

Focus your Eyes
Think with your Mind
--------your Body
SIR!

picture
pointing to your eyes, head and chest as you say this
as part of your
KARATE BELT TEST
pretty big deal for a
5 year old
and
MeMe
can't even remember it
help me out
John Brady!

Back row
taking a really deep bow
our little man



He did it!
JB2 & JB3


Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Anna Got Married

Congratulations
Anna and Rob
the wedding was beautifulThe Father - Daughter dance

The reception was at the
Museum of Natural History
on the
University of Alabama campus


Calling all Crimsonettes
the 4th dance/routine to the tune of
Yea Alabama

John Brady enjoying the chocolate cake

Lawson enjoying my iPhone


Courtney, Dave and Lawson
enjoy a slow dance

The Vapor Sisters
(minus Teresa)

Monday, August 16, 2010

Rememories Taste Good

My doorbell rang Friday morning
It was one of "my girls"
Yes, one of my cheerleaders
from those good ole 1990's

Look what she brought me
She read my blog
and
went and got these cookies for me

I went straight to the kitchen
and
made some kool aid
AHHH!!!
so good
so there you go.......... until
JEN
left a comment that stirred some more memories
JEN asked if they had little almond slivers
in the cookies
YOU KNOW
that rang a bell
so
the cookies Kim brought me taste just
like what I remember
But
I
am going to hunt the Archway cookies
with the almond slivers

I will update you


Thanks, Kim....for a loverly rememory

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Tuesdays With MeMe

Emma, Abby and John Brady started back to school Tuesday
of course
that is
Tuesdays with MeMe
so
I got to pick them up from their
1st day of school

Northport Elementary
was my first lineMei Anna
also rides with me on Tuesday
that little smile will brighten a day!

John Brady is in the back seat
but
MeMe can't get turned around enough to get a picture
and
oh me
if you hold up the pick up line!
On to
Huntington Elementary
To drop off Mei Anna
and pick up
Emma and Abby

We went to McDonalds
for a
back to school treat

As we were pulling into the driveway
I handed Emma my camera
I asked her to take some pictures of John Brady
since I had not got to take one myself


Well, the Kim Lawson Photography
came out in Emma
She snapped about 30 pictures in the time
it took me to put the car in park
I heard her telling him to
look this way
turn that way
smile
don't smile
so
I thought these were the two cutest pics
that Emma made



Friday, August 13, 2010

Thank You for Loving Me

Kim and the girls came to the house Monday to visit
They brought me a "thank you"
for this summer
NOW
I never need to be thanked for keeping my babies
BUT
it is nice to know that you are appreciated
Brady, Kim, Emma, Abby Claire and John Brady
Thank You and I Love YouI have already tried this idea
I am putting this pumpkin on my door
in place of my summer wreath
I am looking for a fall bow to top it off
Now, these are truly "PRICELESS"



Back to School
Here we come......

Thursday, August 12, 2010

It's a Rememory

I have made a lot of Kool Aid this summer
With the hot temperatures
the kids were always thirsty

As I was making my Kool Aid with Splenda
my mind went back to my childhood
my Mother never made Kool Aid
but
I learned to love it at
Vacation Bible School
at
Westwood Baptist Church
Those ladies made the best Kool Aid
I have tried to copy it
They mixed grape Kool Aid with
what seems to me to have been lemon
It was just the right amount of sweet
(and I am sure it wasn't Splenda)
and tart
Man, could it quench your thirst
and they always had these cookies
that were shaped like
windmills
I would love to find
some of those cookies
Treat time was something to look forward to

Skip forward to my
Tuesdays with MeMe
I mix grape and lemonade Kool Aid
I love it
not sure about the kids "loving" it
but they do drink it
but
it isn't as good as the
"Vacation Bible School Kool Aid"
I wish I knew their secret!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Praying Mantis

It seems like there were a lot more interesting
insects back when I was a little girl
We were always playing with some kind of
interesting bug
or
at least watching one if we were scared of it

A praying mantis
is one of those insects that I remember
being plentiful when I was little
It has been a long time since I can remember seeing
a praying mantis
Now
all of you could possibly see these insects more often that I do
Living in the country
around planted fields
that get sprayed regularly
could easily affect the number of insects
we see
But
anyway
Lawson
along with his MeMe
was so excited over this
Praying Mantis
and I thought the
Praying Mantis
just looked bewildered at all the
activity going on in the yard
Look at it
it just looks
aggravated!





Finally......

It is time to put together
Lawson's 3rd birthday present

Dave took on a major landscaping job
(with the help of his Dad)
make a level spot for Lawson's play set
he started working on this about 4 months ago
and this weekend
it was not declared finished
(water and electricity still to be run)
but it was declared
ready for the play set
So...
we spent the weekend in Birmingham

Sorting the lumber and hardware
And....it begins

Everybody had to help

Movin' on up



FINISHED

Lawson paints a sand dollar or.....


Lawson paints Lawson

I had Lawson a sand dollar to


paint as a reminder of our

summer beach vacation
He was very serious about his painting





Notice the drop of sweat running down his cheek

Lawson had been outisde about 5 minutes


Okay, I sanctioned this hand painting

so we could put his hand print on the sand dollar

little did I know

what I started!

See that serious set to his jaw


Couldn't wait on his Mommy to see this


Good Times!



And....

this is what the bath tub looked like

after Lawson's bath