Right Kind of Camo. Fun at the Creek.

"Mom, I need to get the right kind of camouflage. Oh, and the right bullets to shoot coyotes." That's what Andrew told me this morning as I was helping him get his coat on and go out the door. For some reason the channels the kids used to watch cartoons on in the morning don't have cartoons on at 7 a.m. anymore (TLC, PBS - we don't watch Cartoon Network or the other one very often) so we have resorted to the Outdoor Channel. Andrew loves this channel and enjoys watching the hunters scout out deer and other animals each morning; this morning obviously being coyotes. ;) He tells me (and Wade) about all the right kind of hunting equipment Daddy needs to get and get for him. This morning he was telling me about the field camouflage he needs for hunting.


Last night we went to Mom and Daddy's to get Wade and Andrew haircuts. It was funny because Elizabeth asked when she came home yesterday if we could go to their house. She didn't know we had planned on it. When they were there on Sunday, they re-discovered the creek at the edge of their property and had a fun time before we left. So we went back last night and they planned on catching some tadpoles or minnows. Mom invited us to eat leftovers from Sunday's big lunch so we did that before the kids set off down to the creek. We always say "down at the creek" because my parents' house is at the top of a hill. They have about 3.5 acres and the creek borders the lower part of their property.



Looking for minnows. I helped them get two. Yes, we have two new "pets". They will be going back this coming weekend. The kids had set up a sleepover when we were there Sunday to spend the night this coming Saturday.



Getting big Papaw pushes on the swing. They were going HIGH! Loved hearing their squeals of delight as they were pushed.

Andrew.




Elizabeth.




Andrew had to play in the muck of the creek. He asked why it stunk so bad (decaying leaves and such). When Wade hollered for him to go back up to the house and get his haircut, he was upset. We all headed back up though so he wouldn't feel like he missed out on anything.



Papaw picked a strawberry for Elizabeth on our way up to the house.



I have been wanting to show three recent purchases that has made my life better. Those are always good, right? Ha! Well, one good thing is the pack of microfiber cloths my dad picked up for me at Harbor Freight last week. They had some and I asked if they would get me a pack next time. He went a couple of days later and they had a pack of four on sale for like $3 or something. I have gone crazy cleaning with these things - dusting, cleaning sinks, wiping off lampshades, and even cleaning the light bulbs in my bathroom!! I don't know the magic of these colorful cloths but as long as the magic doesn't wear off! :)



Another thing and it's another cleaning item. After I told my mom to get me some of the microfiber cloths, I was looking at Target for some and found these. They are very absorbent, machine washable cleaning cloths. They are sort of like reusable paper towels. They work great around sinks where water spews around the countertop.



My other must-have of late. Some of you know that since the kids were in preschool, I have made sure I had a cup of chocolate milk for each of them when I picked them up from school. Yes, it's one of those spoiled things being a good mommy things. ;) But with Elizabeth and Andrew being in first and third grade, drinking from a sippy cup just isn't cool. I've noticed they have been sort of hiding their cups until they were off school property. LOL Lorrie told me about some Rubbermaid cups she used for Abbie so I set off looking for them. I found what I thought was what she was telling me about but later found out they weren't. I like them better though. They hold 14 ounces are spill proof but the kids can open them easily. I can shake the chocolate milk before giving it to them and don't even have to hold my hand over the spout in fear it will open. They are around $2 each and I could only find them at Target. I did get a couple of the ones Lorrie told me about. They are more like juice box size and have a straw that folds up. They only hold 8 ounces but I thought they would be useful if I needed to pack them in their lunches like she uses them.



So I'm not a big celebrator of Halloween. I like the holiday fine, but I don't like the origins being a Christian, but we do let the kids trick-or-treat and we do have some Halloween fun. I just like to stay away from the "death" and "evil" aspect of the holiday (skeletons, vampires, witches, etc.). However, I got an idea to make some little cards to put in their lunch boxes. They have jokes, parts of poems and some count down until the day. The kids loved when I put little notes in their lunch boxes last year and kept them, putting them on their bulletin boards in their rooms. I like doing things that I know will make for good memories so I made these. They are about two square inches.



Evidently, or at least in the words of my babes, they are envied by the other classmates. LOL Not what I had in mind! I am happy that everyone is enjoying them. Elizabeth and Andrew told me that they share them with their friends daily and their friends are anxious to see what the one for that day looks like and says. :)