Now I know why some Animals eat their young....

Christmas Eve Gift, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.




Here is what my kids do for fun. We were outside last Sunday after Church, BR and I were trying to decide which project to start on. and the kids disapeared.










We just left them to have some fun.

Keep in mind, those pants Brett had on? they WERE camo pants. and those boots Matt had on? took them 4 days to dry, and thats his GOOD BOOTS!!

Oh- Did I mention it was quite chilly that day? I'm not talkin 'your used to 110* weather chilly" I'm talkin downright Chilly! But I wasnt gonna tell them not to do it... I just didnt sympathise with them when they said they were freezing....

Once Brett got enough of the cold he took Bow to the house to get warm in the bath. And I had the other two kids get started helping me. I had a pretty messy job and they were dressed perfectly. BR and I had decided after already filling up the hogs water trough, to move the pregnant girls to baby girls pen, and to move the meat hog (baby girl) to where the pregnant sows were. But they had to take their tub of water with them. So it needed to be bailed out. Like I said, we had already filled it up. Since Brett had emptied out the one that was originally in baby girls pen and being moved to the Boars pen earlier it was only fair that these two did this.

8
7

6




Like I said before, the kids got out of school last week. We had the santa stores at Rayleys school and Matts school, They went great. I got to work at Matts school one day and went to shop with Rayley. Then the fun started.

On Tuesday, the day I was headed to Matts school, Brett told me that his teacher had said he could bring his project in for their party on Friday. Well, his project was to be the 3 stages of a land form.

He chose a volcano. The first stage was it erupting in the middle of the sea. The second was the aftermath of it erupting and 'making' an island. And the Third was when vegitation and life was evident on the land form.

he had asked if he could make it out of cake.

No problem. EXCEPT it was due FRIDAY. My dad was coming in Wensday afternoon, after I spent all morning in town buying their gifts and working a little more at the school. I had to hand out Turkeys and all the trimmings at the Food Pantry on Thursday, go to Matts party (and bring the cheese dip, although on Tuesday morning he had asked me to make homemade chili for his class), and shop with my dad for their Christmas and Birthday presents. Oh yeah, and Bretts party was Saturday.

But I told him we would.

OH and on Wensday evening, Rayley got off the bus with a note saying "tomorrow is Pajama day at school" well crap. I had JUST spent ALL day in town, AND bought the kids Christmas eve gifts, which is ALWAYS PJ's. Of course the ones I had gotten her were not something she could really wear to school, they were the tightish pj's, not the traditional button ups. And she would have been cold. As it was, she wore long johns under her button ups that I had to drive BACK into town at 6pm to buy her.

Anyway, we DID get the cakes started, on Thursday morning. OH and I forgot, I had to start breeding rabbits on Thursday. This isnt as simple as 'throw them in the same pen and let them have fun'. You have to watch them, to make sure noone kills the other, and to see if they actually DO do it. The thing is, to have them born and at the right size for show you have to breed on Dec 17. It was cold and rainy that morning too. YUCK. They DID NOT breed well. After days and days of trying, I am pretty sure I got ONE doe bred. so the chances of the kids showing rabbits in 4-H this year are slim to none...

Oh and between breeding rabbits and baking cakes, I was trying to get ready to go to town to hand out the Turkeys and fixins. The National Wild Turkey Federation donated dozens of turkeys to be handed out, and me and 2 other ladies on the committee were on hand to assist in handing them out. Bow was ADORABLE while we did this. I would tote a huge box and a frozen turkey, and Bow would tote the sack with some trimmins and fruit in it. All the way out to folks cars. It was cold, and misting rain and he just kept plowing on.

Of course, he had the energy to, once I came out from putting on my makeup, fixing to go down and throw a doe in with the buck for another 15 minute round and found he wasnt interested in his cereal, instead, he had pushed it to the side to eat a volcano. The ENTIRE thing....







So, instead of being 2 volcano's and a sheet cake down by the time we headed into town, we were 2 short and the one in the oven wasnt even done yet, so basicly, I had a sheet cake done.


The day went well, we dropped off Matts Cheese Dip with sausage in it, did our food pantry duty, which I really enjoyed doing, until the folks who couldnt do anything but complain showed up. Not enough food, not the right kind of food, that we were not working fast enough, that not enough people were volunteering there to help them all.... That for me was just too much. I pray I dont have to ask for food at any time, and dont in any way begrude those that do, Lord knows we are all a paycheck or two away from it, But I guess being raised on the old adage "never look a gift horse in the mouth" just sticks with me. What we are given is not always the best, the newest, the biggest, or even the prettiest, But its something we didnt have before. And heck, if the horse wont ride, sell that sucker to the glue factory and get you some new shoes, so at least its more comfertable to walk.

Anyway, once we left there we headed out and got the kids gifts. Then we headed home. to find some wet bunnies... I brought them in and tried to get them warm.

Here is the result of that.




He was SOOO scared we were gonna take them away from him.












This is not a funny face, Bow reallly thinks he is smiling.



Rayley in her PJ's she wore to school and the bunny.


And we were back to cake making. The volcano cakes had to be done before 7am. I was driving them in the next morning.

Each cake consisted of a base made of 2 1/2 batches of cake, then the volcano that sits on top was another batch (made in a pyrex bowl).

We had to show lava, both red hot and flowing, and cooled and hard. We had to show the devestation, and then the regrowth, complete with trees and grass.

Trees have been my arch enemy on cake making since I started. I have scrapped many a cute cake idea because the trees just confounded me.
then I found the simplist trick.
grapevines, chocolate and green rice crispy treats.

Please ignore all pictures of me- remember it was rainy and nasty, and I had been outside trying to sweet talk bunnies into breeding.


























































Brett really did most of the work. I did help him, working with chocolate, (the cooled lava), piping gel (the water over the blue frosting), making the trees, all of that sounds easy, but you do need some guidence. PLUS, there was just some that I didnt want him making such a monumental mess out of.
Once this cake project was done I still had to make 60 cupcakes. That were also due first thing Friday morning.

There are some things I would do differntly after the finished project was done, but I am pretty happy with it.

My dad was instumental in helping, he kept the batches of icing going in the NEW SUNBEAM mixer! Yes, I got one!! whoo hoo!! and its a good thing too, cause Saturday morning BR was trying to get the green paste color mixed into the green icing with the hand mixer and it finally gave up the ghost, smoking and makin all kinds of noise!


Anyway, We got it done. Complete with a dolphin and swordfish who where none too happy to have their nice warm ocean water turn to a boiling mass of liqued fire.


Then it was time for everyone to go to bed and me to get started on my cupcakes. Easy enough, just throw some icing on top. I decided on a peppermint on top instead of decorating them. Honestly, I just didnt think I would have the time to get them all iced with a cute little tree or Christmas bell.



They wernt that pretty, and this is a bad picture, but there was 60 of them.


Friday morning I got the kids up and on the bus, It was Rayley's party day, and we started loading the cakes and cupcakes into my truck. The entire backseat was full of sweets, I still had to stop at my mother in laws and get the divinity that she has made every year for 20 plus years for her youngest sons kindergarten teacher (who also was Bretts teacher) plus she made a batch for Rayleys teacher (who was also Matts teacher). We just prayed that Bow didnt throw his sippy (as he is known to do) into one of them, dig in one, or drop a boot in one!

We started out the driveway, three times, and even got a mile down the road once, but I kept having to turn around and come back cause I forgot something. Finally we got to town. Dropped off the cakes, (they were a hit), dropped off the Cupcakes

and headed to Rayleys party.



This is her with her Teacher. She refused to dress "Christmasy" because I had only gotten her ONE Christmas outfit and she wore it for Pictures with Santa.


She came home with us and we spent all day in town. Waiting on the kids to get out of school. finally 1:30 came and we drove up to Bretts school- There he stood with what was left of one of the cakes. He had given one to the front office, One stayed in his class, and the other went to his other favorite teacher. For them to enjoy. But there he stood, with about an 1/8 of a cake. I rolled down the window and my dad and I hollered at him to NOT bring that cake home with him. PERIOD.

We still had to make HIS birthday cake for saturday!!

Once we gathered ALL the kids we headed to a few more stops and then to the Radio station. The kids were going to get to draw the tickets for the 3 gun raffle the NWTF was doing to raise money for 4-H shooting sports- Both of which they are a part of. (thats the National Wild Turkey Federation-)

We met the chapter president there and she and I were shown to a little room with the kids. there was a set of headphones and a microphone and we could see the local mayor and radio station owner through the glass in his booth. It was pretty neat.

Till I found out I was the spokesperson. I had NO clue. All I knew I was doing was bringing the kids to draw names. All the way there I had versed them in how to act. Incase for some reason Mr Lout, or Mayor Lout, or Mr Mayor as the kids decided to call him, spoke to them and they had to speak. we pretty much went over all the scenarios. till my dad said I sounded like Sheriff Andy tryin to teach Earnest T Bass how to speak to a young lady.









Anyway. I put on the headphones, threatened my kids and prayed I rememebered my own name. I dont really mind public speaking, which I reckon is obvious from all my rambilings, I just am always aware that I tend to speak before I think.

It was fairly easy, he asked who I was, that I knew.
he asked who was with me, - whoo-hoo thats an easy one! I gave birth to two, and was silently thinkin of ways to get back at the other....

He asked what orginzation I was with- BINGO! it was all written on that little raffle ticket I was holdin in my hands...

The rest was just reading off the names drawn. And prayin that noone in radio land could hear my kids arguing over the bucket of tickets, me jerking it away from Brett and givin it to Matt, him coughin up a storm like he was the last survivor of a whooopin cough epidimic, one of them sayin "sucks for him" when the last name was drawn and he got his 3rd choice and the only gun left.... (even though they KNOW they are NOT supposed to talk like that).

After the introductions 'Mr Mayor' did ask me why the boys held such a resembelence to me. I awnsered honestly, that I had NO CLUE. so I am safe, I still havent publicly claimed them.


And when we drove away from there, all of my civic duties for this year were declared OVER. I have NO MORE voluneteer items on my agenda until 2010. I have nothing else (except ONE cake) expected from me for a few weeks!! Honestly, I am at a loss. What am I going to do for the next 3 weeks? clean house? do laundry? play mommy? I suck at all of them!


Now there is someone that didnt get alot of credit this entire week, thats Bow. He was with me every step of the way, from Monday through Friday. All 286.7 miles that I put on my truck since I filled it up last Sunday. and the sad part is, I DIDNT leave the county! I didnt even drive past Jasper- JUST from MY HOUSE to Jasper. That was IT!! and that 286.7 miles was BEFORE Friday!! I had to fill 'er up again before the weekend!

But here is my baby. Now he wasnt an angel. I pulled him out of more crap, and threatened his life so many times that I am pretty sure he will be scared for life, but he was beside me-




We did come home. and we got started on the shotgun shell cake.

No we really didnt. Brett wanted to cook the first cake, so I told him okay. He put in double the ingrediants, except the actual dry cake mix stuff. and cooked it. By the time we fiqured out why it hadnt risen, why it looked so dense, and why it wasnt done yet, I got one more cake done and that was it.

the next one had to be put in the next morning. Party day.


Luckily, I had my dad and BR home with me on Party day.








the cake was to look like a shotgun shell.
And I DID spell it right on the cake. BR and my dad thought it was just HILLARIOUS that I mispelled it on the test run.

I wasnt happy with how this cake turned out. AT ALL. Now the lines, those are supposed to be there, look at an express shell, they have an uneven surface.
they are kinda wavy.




This week has been just the kids being kids. I honestly could strangle them sometimes. They havent been bad perse, but just not real swooft. Like Bow burning his hand on the griddle when Brett was makin grill cheese sandwhiches for Lunch. Or Bow running on the ONLY sidewalk at our church and falling, literly skidding like a cartoon, on his face. He now has a bright red nose intime for Christmas. he scraped EVERY bit of skin off his nose. And, for future refrence, he DOES NOT like being called Rudolph. That is fighting words.

Brett not being able to water the chickens because the rooster sees him as a major threat and attacked him.

Rayley was invited to go to Lufkin with my cousin, I asked before she picked her up if she wanted me to dress her normal or let her dress funky. She said to let her be her. So I did.

this is the result.



And, I must brag on her. She got 5.00 for Bretts birthday, and while in Lufkin she bought the kids all a slinky from the dollar store. I thought that was very nice of her. I had told her to take her money so she could buy herself something.

I cant brag on Brett moppin the kitchen (he had to because he made a HUGE mess), and then leaving the mop in the floor, the sink full of mop water and going to feed- which resulted in Rayley and Bow soaking the floor trying to 'finish for him'.

Or the time that Brett decided to see what would happen to the candle I had on the warmer (its a 'pod' not a wick candle, so it goes on a warmer) if he put water in it- then how long it would take for it to become a solid again when he put it in the fridge. Of course, it was hot, so he dripped wax all over him, my counter, my fridge, and my floor. OH and his brand new sweatshirt.

and the broken kitchen window. The kids swear Bow headbutted it.. which I could belive. He tends to do that kind of stuff- but they had also had to sweep and mop noodles and various other crap off the floor from their 'lunch' that they made, at 10:30am. no less than 15 minutes after I got the kitchen SPOTLESS from their breakfast, and went to take a shower... so was it an accidental mop drop, or an intentional headbutt?

Now, the house is clean, Rayley is changin Bows diaper, (yep... he still is holding on to diapers... ) completly of her own accord- and we are fixing to enjoy a Christmas movie on TV. We have went over what Christmas really is about. Why we exchange gifts, and what we really need to think about during this wonderful time. I think they understand.



as a side note, I'm thinking this will be the last blog with pictures for a while, its too hard for you to load them all, and it takes me HOURS to get them on here and get them in the right places. seriously, HOURS. So I do appologize for all the time it takes for them to load.