Never judge a book by its cover

Paul Potts on Britain's Got Talent

Obey your mother or else...

Yesterday I needed to go to the bank. I told all the kids to get dressed and ready to go. George didn't want to get dressed so I followed him to get dressed and to direct him from his protests of going. I finally got him dressed while the others waited in the car. I then tried to push him a little to get in the car and he stood his ground and didn't move. I decided then that I would just get going and turn the car around and see what he would do. As I was slowly driving down our road he came running after us. I stopped the car and let a tear filled George get in. I had him sit in the front to talk to him. I was very calm and I told him that when we need to go to the bank, we need to go to the bank and you need to obey your mother. With big tears he cried and asked why I left and I explained it again. He then said, still crying, "You scared me like a freakin' chicken!" I had to turn my head so he could not see me laughing and I had to hear it again. I turned and asked him what he said. He repeated it exactly with tears and all, "You scared me like a freakin' chicken." Poor guy! I just chuckled a bit and hugged the little guy.

No More Thumb

I believe I am safe to say that Ginger no longer sucks her thumb.

Ginger did it from the beginning and I was worried because her older brother did it and I had no idea how to get him to stop. George finally stopped a month before he turned 4. We actually got a game cube for Christmas and it kept his hands busy so he didn't think about it. Within a month he gradually stopped, even at night when he did it most.

With Ginger I painted her nails with regular polish then I tried some of the "stop the bite" nail polish that is suppose to help keep you from biting your nails. And let me tell you it is nasty and bitter. I got some on my fingers barely and then on my lips. I tasted it for half the day. I didn't use it quite as long as the bottle says to but it seems to have worked. There were two times in the beginning when I caught her and I just painted her nails more often.

A couple of other things that have helped her is all of her new surroundings here, lots of things to do with her brothers and sisters home from school, and her age which is close to George's when he quit. One thing I've noticed is that she tells me she's tired a lot. So I think that has substituted her putting her thumb in her mouth.

NOW, we are just waiting for her front teeth to grow back. We had them pulled when she was almost 3. She badly chipped one and the other one was greying when she fell down some stairs.

Some things we've been up to

Ginger loves to use marker and put eye shadow on.

We went to the lake with part of the bishop's family. The blonde girl in the picture was a registered participant in the 4th of July walk/run in town and each participant was entered into a drawing to win prizes. Well, she won a 2007 Toyota Yaris. Pretty wild. My kids want to enter next year for the run.

Lucy had fun playing in the lake. That was the first time she went without her bandage on her leg. It was looking really well. I thought it would dry out and become a big scab but a few days later it started cracking and bleeding again. So I continue to put antibiotic cream and a bandage on it. She is really good about it all.

This is a baby deer on the side of the road. So cute! Its mom was close by so I couldn't get the best picture.

I thought it was cool you can see the little teats on the mom.

We've been planting flowers. Yes, its a bath tub. There was green weeds in it when we got here. I thought I would go patriotic with the colors.

The pots on the walkway were already there as well. It was fun coordinating colors and arranging the flowers.

I just love how bright and sunny these flowers are.


This is the view of the creek from the gazebo. The water has been cool and refreshing on these hot days.


The kids love to wade in the creek. My parents drove out for the 4th of July. While they were here we got a couple of watermelons and put them in the creek to chill them. We didn't secure them very well and they started to float down stream. Carson braved the water and went after them. We got them back and they were delicious .


The 4th of July is my mom's birthday so chef Callie made a cake for her.


While not obeying her mother, Ginger climbed onto the counter and fell into the cake. She tried so hard not to hit the cake that her bum landed into an empty frying pan and her elbow into the cake.