A House Full of Girls

Life with a houseful of girls is always fun. I always joke around with Ken because not only did he choose all of us Ladies, but he started over having young children again. (Keep in mind that his youngest is 16 1/2.)

Ken is definitely a romantic and a wonderful man in [almost] every way.  Last night, he came home from his Quail Forever meeting with a bouquet of flowers and a Get Well card for me. He knows that this wrist/hand problem has made me miserable, and not being able to complete my work is frustrating me. He was even emotionally injured when I suggested that I thank Taylor for giving him the idea. Apparently, he had planned to get the flowers and card ALL day, thank you very much. He just let Taylor sign the card since they were out together. Oh! And I got a box of Junior Mints as well to help me smile!

So, this evening, Ken was walking by the table where I have happily placed the flowers.  Ken remarked about how I must have a wonderful husband because look at the really nice flowers that was brought home for me without having to be reminded or even told to do it.  He was throwing me that cute little smile of his and totally flirting with me.  However, each girl - upon hearing Ken talk about how much he loves me - started asking him, "What about me? Don't you love me??"

Ken remarked that he loves each of his beautiful daughters, two of whom are growing into very beautiful young ladies and then there's the one who is right behind the other two.

Jordan responded, "Yeah, but I know I'm your favorite because I'm not on my period yet and don't need bras, right Daddy?"

Oh.Dear.God!!  Ken and I both stopped what we were doing, looked at each other and then started laughing hysterically!!

Jordan is still waiting for confirmation that she is Ken's favorite. She's not letting this one go.....

Jordan Wants Kitten

Jordan has been begging and pleading for a kitten for quite some time. Well, between Ken and I really not wanting one, and Mandy being allergic to cats, we have kept telling her "no." So, starting last week, Jordan decided that she was going to work to find a situation in which I could NOT tell her no and let her have a kitten.

One day, Jordan asked if she could have a kitten if she had her own home. Of course, I told her she could, but then it may be difficult for her sister to visit. Jordan said that it would be no problem since she would just hide the kitten in the bathroom while Mandy was visiting. I started laughing and told Jordan she better have a home with two bathrooms then or no one was going to be able to pee. Jordan said that wouldn't be a problem since she'll have a really great home.  

Well, Jordan saying that she was going to have "a really great home" led to this next part. I asked Jordan how she was going to be able to afford a really great home. She said that she was going to get a great job and she could get a really great home.....oh! and she would be able to take me and Daddy on vacations to thank us for taking such good care of her, and for when Mama buys her a kitten!

A few days later, I asked her how she was going to get her great job that would let her get her great home which would let me buy her a kitten. She said that she is going to go to college and then everyone will want her to work for them. My next question was how was she going to get to college, and Jordan quickly responded because she is going to be really great in school.  Now, I'm just having fun with her. So I ask her if she plans on dating at all and having boyfriends in high school and college.  She said, "Of course!" Then I pointed out that sometimes a boyfriend will cause girls to stop going to school and then they get busy being wives and mothers. Jordan said she is NOT going to have a baby until she has her own home. 

Ah-ha!! Now I've got her!  So, I told Jordan that if she were to only have guy friends and not have a baby, and then get through high school and then college and get a really great job that will let her have a really great home that she lives in, THEN I would buy her a kitten.  Jordan's eyes lit up, she jumped up and gave me a big hug.  

"You promise Mama?!"

"Yes, I promise Jordan. If you can do all of those things and end up in your own home, then I will buy you a kitten." 

Jordan made me pinky promise and cross my heart and hope to die - which, of course, I did.  Then I made her complete this contract, which she signed in cursive to be exact and then added her own little clause at the bottom:

Post-script: I showed this to Jordan, and she exclaimed, "Why did you put it in the book??" I told her so that she and I would already remember our promise to each other. Jordan thought about it for a moment, and then asked, "Wait?! I can't have a boyfriend??" I told her she could have boyfriends, but she should probably just be friends and not be serious because then that can lead to sex and babies. Jordan scrunched up her face, "Yuck! I am definitely NOT doing that!"  I told her that was a good idea.

Jordan continued, however, "Yeah, and you're probably going to have to give me the paper when I go to college so I don't forget about this. Oh! and you'll want to call me a lot and remind me no sex and no babies."

Oh my freaking God!

Report Card Shopping & Tacos

I had been looking at a picture of myself and comparing it to pictures of Taylor lately. Many people were talking about how much Taylor looked like me, and I've always joked around about how she is my clone, but I took it one step further today. I have a picture of myself in First Grade, and I used Picasa to put a picture of Taylor from First Grade side-by-side. The results are in - Taylor is my clone:

Just for clarification on the picture quality - my picture is on the left and Taylor's is on the right. Yep, I can't deny this child if I wanted to. Luckily, Taylor is very excited that she looks like me - I'm hoping it lasts forever, but she is going through the teen years.

The girls got their first Trimester report cards, and we sat down and reviewed them together yesterday. After discussing the areas where they are having some trouble, we discussed the really good points and the improvements from last year. Then comes their favorite part of all - the money they earned with their grades. Ken and I developed a system that really works out well. If they are "basic" or "average", then they don't earn money. If they earn "proficient" or "advanced" then they get paid an amount. If they are "below basic," then they have to pay us. The same goes for their Citizenship grades - if they are "Excellent", then we pay them, but if they are in "needs improvement," then they pays us. 

Taylor had the best report card this term and made out with $45. She immediately started combing the sale ads to see who had the best deal going for clothes and she purchased another outfit for herself. Jordan brought in the rear of the three with only $10, and she is still deciding how she wants to spend her money. Mandy has had her eye on a jewelry starter set, so we went to Joann's this afternoon armed with some of Mama's coupons, and she managed to get the starter kit with some basic tools, some jewelry basics (earrings, pins, etc.), and then a few beads. She also found a book to help her learn some of the basics. Luckily, Mama helped out with a few items to get her going a little further on her new hobby with the reminder that you always keep a list of what you want and purchase it as you can.

Mandy was very excited about her purchase, and she was very happy that Mama had a bead organizer she wasn't using to help with storage (a major item that went on her wish list), and then Mandy spent a couple hours combing the internet for ideas, techniques, and places to shop for beads that might be cheaper than Joanns.  

Ken and I had decided on smoking a tri-tip for supper, but the weather was way too foul and windy to use the smoker, so we opted for the carne asada tacos and all of the fixings. We picked Jordan up from the birthday party she was attending, and we went to Stater Bros. to get the items we needed: carne asada ranchera, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime, jalapenos and some black beans. 

While getting some black beans, Jordan saw cans of kidney beans. She became very alarmed, got one of the cans and held it very tenderly. She looked at me with her blue eyes very wide while holding the can out to me and asked, "Mama! Whose kidneys are these?!"  I couldn't stop myself! I started laughing long and hard and could barely breathe let alone answer her. Jordan persisted, "But Mama! Who died for these cans?!" Now, Ken is laughing as are the two people in the same aisle with us. It was such an honest question, and Jordan was so proud that she knew what a kidney was. Finally, Ken was able to answer her and explained it is a red bean in the shape of a kidney, but she seemed a bit skeptical of that explanation for a while.

When we returned home, Ken and I got busy in the kitchen. It had been quite a while since we had cooked supper together, and we really missed it. I had a great time having him in the kitchen with me. Ken is the expert chef especially when it comes to chopping and mincing. I refuse to slice, chop or mince an onion, so he got the fun of doing those, but he also hates how much time it takes for me to mince items with a knife - I so want to purchase the specialized tools to make it faster and easier. The process was fun and soon we had salsa and fixings for the tacos. Ken got the carne asada cooked up while I worked on the rice and beans as well as heating the tortillas.

My hot flashes were anything but flashes tonight. It was a steady stream of "Holy Hell It's Hot" and caused me to open up the house and freeze everyone else. I did make sure to hand the camera to Taylor for a picture of us cooking, but I wanted to be able to explain what the hell was wrong with my hair:

Supper was amazing!! Even Mandy kept eating the salsa despite the three jalapenos and their seeds in it. She would go on and on about how hot the salsa was, but when Ken asked her why she was still eating it, "Because it is SO good!" He was very happy and proud of her.

You can always tell when the girls really love supper - they are all completely quiet because they are too busy eating.

We were again joined by Michael Gallagher for supper. He is so busy trying to get his house ready for move-in, and he loves that he can count on us to help feed him in the meantime. We love having him around and the girls love their crazy uncle Mike, so it all works out. 

Mandy could not wait to start making jewelry, so she scurried off into my office/craft room after supper and got started. She was so excited to make her first pair of earrings!!

Once she showed off her creation, Taylor was interested. Apparently, Mandy and Taylor struck a deal, and I am now "keeper of the contract" where Taylor wrote a contract to Mandy that states, "I swear I will help pay for everything if I can make the necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. Signed, Taylor"  Well, for at least an hour tonight, the two of them didn't argue, the worked together and have agreed to combine their efforts into a project. I'm just glad that they are interested in learning a skill and they are enjoying themselves!

Once in a Blue Moon

To start, I wanted to share Jordan's spelling sentences from this week. Thankfully, Ken got to see them before he left for his hunting trip. We weren't going to look them over, but I was curious how Jordan used the word "slope" in a sentence.  She and I had spent some time going over the definition and we went round and round about how to use it. 

So, when I started reading through her sentences, I was taken aback. Once again, she shows herself in her colorful multi-layers. 

I was very glad to see that she identified which daddy does the smoking, and I giggled like a maniac that she simply said Daddy Ken is huge. But then, she references that Daddy Ken saves her. Ken and I sighed over that one. Of course, she talks about making mistakes - which we do a lot of in this house, and Jordan says she's becoming good. I felt a tug of guilt that she said she was "the blame" and hoped that she wasn't referencing a specific event or idea. God help my adult transference and guilt for my decisions.

And then, she did both Ken and me in with her simple statement, "I have a great life." Wow! How many of us would have thought we had a great life at 8-years-old?? I remember always wanting more and wishing more. Of course, I had my mother to contend with, so there was a lot of wanting, but most children have a laundry list of things that would make their life better. Jordan, at the core, finds her life already great. How cool is that?!

Then there's the adage, "Once in a Blue Moon." Well, tonight was the second full moon of the month resulting in the fabled Blue Moon. I tried very hard to explain it to the girls, and I held off on the movie in order for them to see it.  

Mandy ran outside and started commenting on how bright the moon was, and then she stopped, turned to me and simply said, "Um, it's not blue!"  I laughed and tried to explain the origin of the name, the meaning, why it's important, and even how and what the saying means. They seemed to get that they won't see another one for 3 years, but it still just wasn't totally there for them.

Jordan kept looking around and around and around. Finally, she turned to me, "Mama? Where is the second moon? I don't see it!"  Oh lord! I started laughing and saved that statement for when Ken called me.  Of course it would be Jordan that asked. No matter how many times I tried to explain the lunar process, she just wasn't getting it.

The quality of the photo isn't great - as it was taken with my phone - but you can get an idea of how bright that moon was tonight.  Very cool indeed!

Jelly Bellys.....or Else!

I am still working to get the pictures from the 4th Celebration uploaded and cleaned up so I can finish my post.  However, Jordan interrupted my progress in her usual way yesterday.


During our visit to Manhattan Beach, we got to spend time with Michael Harris.  It is Dr. Harris now, and I truly enjoy saying that since he and I went to elementary school together.  It is sheer joy to see how well some of my classmates did in life, and I love to show them off to people.  Silly, but it's one of the things I do.


Well, since Mike doesn't have a family of his own (yet), he decided to spoil me and mine.  I received a wonderful bottle of Scotch, and the girls each received a 2 pound bag of Jelly Bellys.  They have been in HEAVEN!! 


When we got home, I put the Jelly Bellys away because candy is only allowed on Fridays or holidays.  Sadly, while yesterday was, in fact, Friday, Jordan decided that she was just in a truly foul mood and never seemed to be able to earn her candy.  I asked each of the girls to write a thank you letter to Mike for the candy, but Jordan got derailed by her want of the candy.  


She took a note to Ken asking to have some candy, and she refused to take "NO" for an answer:

Holy shit!!! Really??? "Just Yes"? And a threat of "or else you will regret it"??  How about those little X's for eyes depicting his demise???


This is my child! Sometimes I wonder if I should actually be worried, but given my sick and twisted sense of humor, I think she's turning out quite normal compared to her peers.  


I cannot wait until the day when I can show all of these letters to a potential spouse and laugh hysterically at her embarrassment.  

A Finish and some games

I am happy to report that I finally finished the Flip-Flop Welcome! Whoo-hoo!! Talk about being excited.

While I was finishing the last letter, Ken decided to play Kinect with Jordan.  Everything was great as long as she was winning (of course), and when she was losing, I could hear, "Dad!! Ugh! I HATE you!" and other really wonderful, warm and tender responses from the youngest child.  I love that he didn't let her win though. She has got to learn how to lose.  (And just for the record, I have NO idea where she gets this from!)

On a side-note, Ken shared a conversation he had with Jordan yesterday. He took me into our room for privacy. Apparently, Jordan was telling him about the last time she talked to her Daddy C on a phone call. I know that she hasn't wanted to speak with him lately, but I wasn't going to ask her about it. Ken repeated the conversation to me:

Jordan, "So, I haven't talked to Daddy C in a while.  Do you think he's a woos?"

Ken, "Um, why would you ask that, Sweetie?"

Jordan, "Well, the last time I talked with him, he was saying that he was going to cry every day because he couldn't see us over the summer."

Ken, "OK."

Jordan, "Yeah, I told him to 'Man Up, Dude."

Ken (at this point working very hard to keep a straight face), "Why would you say that?"

Jordan, "Really?! He's going to cry every day like a little baby? Whatever! It's his choice not to see me, so why cry about it. I guess he thought I'd feel bad for him.  Whatever."

I asked Ken if she seemed upset about this. I'm always so afraid that their father's games will play on their hearts and minds, but he said she was typical Jordan.  Totally just out-there about it, but apparently her facial expressions and mannerisms made this even funnier.  Once I knew she was OK, I started laughing about it.  That child has ALWAYS said exactly what was on her mind.


Ken and I are still laughing about it though.  "Man Up, Dude!"  Hahahahaha! One day, that man will find out what his daughters actually think of him, and I cannot feel bad for him.  

Flip Flop Update

I have been horribly busy with work, but I decided to spend some time cross-stitching this afternoon in order to relax a bit.  I have been really happy with this project - not just because I completely ADORE flip-flops - but because it is so easy to work on Jobelan rather than the linen.  I'm making really good progress:

To cap off the evening, Jordan was in true form.  She received a referral for hitting another boy at school, so we were discussing her at the dinner table.  After this very serious discussion, everyone started talking about an award certificate that the girls' father told Mandy he had from when he was Taylor's age.  Mandy said she's going to get a picture of it, and it has his name printed on the front.  I asked how it was printed because when we were little, we had pens and typewriters - not computers.


At that point, Jordan yells out, "I know! You guys had the Quail Feathers with the special ink and you would dip the feather in the ink, right?!"


Holy crap!