Drive-by blogging

I'm so late posting because tonight consisted of:

Making soup, bread, salad, and brownies for friends who just had a baby .

Delivering the meal to their home which forced me to touch and sniff a newborn (totally worth it).

Making homemade pizza for our family (Eh, it was okay; they liked it though).

Making and putting together a breakfast casserole for tomorrow morning (a recipe you SO need because yummy doesn't even come close to describing it).


Diney's Breakfast Casserole

4 slices bread, torn
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
6 eggs
2 cups milk (beat eggs & milk together)
1 lb sausage or links (cut up) browned & drained
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper

Place bread in greased casserole dish (9x13). Spoon sausage over bread. Sprinkle with cheese. Add salt, mustard and pepper to egg and milk mixture. Pour over cheese.
Prepare night before, cover and refrigerate.

Bake 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes. Serves 10 - 12


Seriously, try this recipe, my family loves it.

An old stand-by

When the Wii gets worn out, the board games get boring, and the DS's have to be recharged, my kids do what children have done for ages: they play hide and seek. And while the older siblings are old pros, baby girl does her best just to keep up.

"I just don't get it!"

















"Like this?"

















Watching Keaton's every move.

















"You can't hide upstairs!"

















"Everybody wait! I have to pick my nose."

















"I'll count with you, Rea."

















"Oh well, hugging's easier."

It shouldn't all be high-tech

While our children were blessed beyond words with some wonderful gadgets for Christmas, Santa also saw fit to leave some old faithful, tried and true board games. Surprisingly, the kids couldn't get the games opened fast enough and literally hours have been spent each night learning and relearning these perennial games of our youth.

Unfortunately, a certain toddler girl is convinced she's old enough to play too.

She'll find the weakest link in the family (usually dad), scale his chair and clamber effortlessly onto the table. She immediately pirates the prettiest game pieces for herself and "plays" with her siblings.

The problem is, she doesn't take direction well,













Insists on creating her own rules,












Is quite the sore "winner,"

















and quickly alienates all parties involved.












So Peyton and mommy have spent a lot of time locked away in our bedroom performing damage control playing. She's not thrilled to be missing all of the excitement at the kitchen table (we can hear the cheering and jeering), but playing chase and mommy/baby tickle-wrestling where I steal copious amounts of kisses and neck sugars has been a more than suitable replacement.

Who wants fancy gizmos and board games when you can have that?

Not one to sit and watch

While everyone else has been busy Wii-ing non-stop, Peyton has made sure she has stayed very, very busy.

She's played her popper game.

















She's walked her baby.

















She's ridden her caterpillar and picked her nose.

















She's cooked in her kitchen.

















Taste-tested

















And served her guests.













She's even texted all her girlfriends.

















Then there was that whole wear-a-kitchen-drawer-on-your-face experiment...


















But I think that's out of her system now.

Things are really hoppin' around here

Especially Peyton in her new little trampoline.

She jumps this way.

















She bounces that way.

















"Who's there?"



We're hoping she wears herself out enough that she might someday sleep.

I can dream, right?

Wii've been doing little else

Wii're a little slow on the uptake around here. While the rest of the word got bit by the Wii bug last year, wii had to wait until the price went way down and, luckily for us, this year Granna and PawPaw decided to buy it as a Christmas gift to the kids.

Wii were very excited.

Wii have bowled, wii have golfed, wii have played tennis, wii have played baseball, and wii have boxed...oh, how wii've boxed. Wii haven't watched TV; wii've been feverishly racing through malls, beaches, waterfalls, coliseums and racetracks thanks to the Mario Kart game provided by Uncle Dave.

Wii've been busy.

And wii're quite sore.


















Wii played so hard, wii got quite exhausted.




















And wii really hope my in-laws don't get angry that wii posted these pictures.

Wii'd be sad if they did.

Because I'm too lazy busy to title them all

Christmas morning 08

Santa's where?!

Dad (yelling upstairs to the boys as he tracks Santa on the computer): "Hey guys, come here and look, Santa's in Uruguay!"

Landon (5, bounding down the stairs at break-neck speed): "Hayden, hurry up! Santa's in My-a-guay!"



I'll give you a second to let that sink in.

She looked like a candy cane

The only one more excited than Peyton about her brothers' school Christmas parties was one of the party boys himself: Landon.

















THRILLED to be giving his teacher her present.












"Hi Bubba!"















"This is the life."












Hayden saying the blessing.

















"You gonna share, Peyton?"













"Thanks for letting me come, boys."

She gets it from her mama

Pfffffffft...NOT.

Sutton got her grades this morning from her first semester at college;

a college far, far away;

where she plays volleyball and has practices from 6:30-10:30pm each night;

where she must miss classes due to their travel schedule;

and go to her 8am classes when she returns from out-of-town matches at 3am;

where she wears a back brace 23 hours a day and has daily rehab and physical therapy in addition to practices;

where there are fun parties she sadly declines so she can study;

a college where she has to stay and doesn't get to come home.

It's not easy.

She got three A's and three B's.

I'm so proud I can hardly stand it.

It's Christmas so, as usual, pass the antibiotic

I've been a mom for 19 years and in those 19 years I can't think of a single Christmas when at least one of my children wasn't sick. It's like clockwork every year: put up the tree, decorate the house, buy too many presents, visit the pediatrician, beg for drugs.

You know what I mean.

This year it's Peyton's turn. Actually, last year was probably Peyton's turn too, and Landon's; when it comes to sickness my kids don't mind sharing. She's had a low-grade fever for a week, a touch of diarrhea but no other symptoms. Last night, or rather, early this morning she was burning up. Our ear thermometer read 102 but having done this mom thing a while and estimated temperatures on many little foreheads over the years, I know it was at least 103, possibly higher.

Today, only a few days before Christmas, we made our annual trek to Dr. Knapp. If you live in this area and need a pediatrician, this man is wonderful. Her chest is clear, her ears are fluid free, but her throat is pussy so he's treating her for strep. She should be feeling better by Christmas Eve.

So come on Santa, we're ready! But hurry, remember my children love to share and Dr. Knapp closes early.

Family home evening, y'all

Nothing beats:

All eight of us lounging lazily in the living room...

popcorn being passed from kid to kid...

and Hee Haw playin' on the TV.

(I'm sure Sutton's missed this fast-paced life while away at college.)

Thank goodness

Twenty-four hours later, many changes in plans, and unbelievable kindness from total strangers left eldest daughter very thankful to be home...almost as thankful as we are that she's here.