Suzanne Griffin

"...but a child left to himself, [or with dad]bringeth his mother shame." Yes, the inquisitive young boy is emerging. I thought each family only had one of "those" kids that they had to worry about. But I'm beginning to think it's just boys in general. I refuse to believe I'm the only one so lucky to get two. I wonder who did this?!!! Yes this is Sharpie marker. He used the Sharpie like a Q-Tip in BOTH ears. I've been trying to clean out his ears the best he'll allow. So with all the ear and QTip chatter this week, we decided to play a little joke on Allen. I cut a Q-Tip in half. Then Gabby just barely held it in her ear and asked him, "Do you think I have this in too far?"

I'm reading this book right now...for the 3rd time. Let me just say, I was a much better mom before I had kids. I can remember all my wonderfully wise a.k.a. judgemental, thoughts of the other parents and all their obvious mistakes. I just knew I was going to be the funnest, wisest, most respected and loved mom. In 2000, not only was our 1st little one born, but so was a mom. All the reading and observing in the world doesn't prepare your heart for what you feel when you hold this precious being for the 1st time and you transition from being a woman to becoming a mom. Nor did all the reading and observing prepare me for what I felt just 3 short years later when this precious completely dependant beautiful gift became this irritable, independent, destructive and back talking individual. Whoever coined the term terrible two's obviously hadn't made it to the trying three's. I had no idea that trying to coerce a 3 year old to willingly sit down, stand up, come to,...

Menu Plan Monday Jan 25 th Here is our plan this week in order of Breakfast, Lunch, Snack, Supper Monday: Raisin bread Toast & Juice leftovers oranges chimichangas (make large batch), jello, tortilla chips, salad Tuesday: Rice pudding (make large batch of rice to use later in the week) Pizza from field trip apples Left overs from Sunday (garlic salmon, cheesy garlic biscuits, Parmesan artichoke casserole , salmon chowder) Wednesday: Oatmeal & banana Ham sandwich & carrots popcorn Enchiladas (use leftover chimichangas ), Mexican rice (from leftover breakfast on Tuesday), refried beans, fruit cocktail Thursday: Cold cereal tuna and noodles casserole peaches crock pot of bean soup (make a large batch to freeze multiple meals) and hoe cakes Friday: scrambled eggs and toast bean and cheese burritos (from leftover mashed beans) & tropical fruit salad cinnamon toast Chicken fried rice (cook extra chicken) (rice from leftover rice), potstickers , crab ragoon Saturday: Suc...

Gabby: So I'm the only normal kid, huh? Me: What? Gabby: Brian and Makensie are "special" kids right? Me: Why do you think that? Gabby: Makensie is right brained and Brian is left handed ----------------------------------------------- Brian playing the Wii with daddy Brian: Mom who's side are you on? Your sweet, precious little boy? or your ugly, fat, old, mean husband? Allen: You realize I'm sitting right here don't you son? _______________________________________ Brian: I know how to speak Spanish Me: Really? Brian: Yep, just add a "O" or " ilda " to the end of everything. Taco, burrito, enchilada, cheesilda , chipilda , friendo , _________________________________________ I woke up to Gabby sweeping the kitchen last week. Me: What cha doing? Gabby: I'm eight. It's time for me to grow up. Me: Wonderful And she was been sweeping the kitchen every day since. :) __________________________________________ Brian: Mom drive faster! M...

I had so many grand plans as always to make wonderful handmade gifts for everyone I remotely came in contact with...friends, family, neighbors, the mail man...I managed to get gifts for family done and that was about it. This is the one I was most excited about. I found this 1952 gem of a book on Costmotology at the local print shop for 10cents. I picked it up for my sister Debi and held onto it. Then I tore out all the pages (I'm sure Trish and other teachers and library enthusiast across the land are passing out right about now;) Added a little matching fabric and some handles and duh da.... I'm sure Debi will love it when I remember to bring it do her as I forgot it at Christmas! rrrrrr.... Next I made aprons. Wendy had several apron tutorials on her site and I was blessed enough to have a great yard sale day last fall and found several square dance dresses for a quarter each. I made these into some rather cute aprons if I might say so myself. Then I added iron on monogram...

Or is it the other way around? If I would just regularly sit down and update this blog quickly nightly, I wouldn't have these h odge podge of things I'm wanting to record and overwhelm all 3 of my friends that read this. :) Makensie is taking ballet lessons and had her 1st recital. She felt really good about what she achieved. She is graceful and beautiful. We are so thankful for her teacher, Miss Anna, as she has done a wonderful job instructing the girls and helping them to appreciate and use their bodies to glorify the Lord. And thankful that Miss Anna is offering this to our home school group. We celebrated afterwards with Pizza and a cake. We had round 2 of the Keepers of the Home with using royal icing to decorate Christmas Cookies. Once again thank you to Miss Kathryn for opening her home to a great group of kids and the mess that comes with that. I always thought it would be fun to make a gingerbread house but was pretty intimidated with it. So we bought a $7 kit at...

I don't want to sound crass, but I'm not a huge pet person. I enjoy cats more than dogs. I don't like pet hair or pet smells or pet licks or pet poop. My kids however did not inherit this non-pet-enjoying trait. They would gladly bring home every stray animal in the world if allowed. I know that animals are suppose to be therapy, but so are plants and art and baths. :) Don't get me wrong, I don't hate animals, just don't want them in my yard or house or licking me. All that to say, we adopted a dog several months back, a sweet girl puppy and named her Marley and bought food and gave her a bath. She lasted all of 3 days before she ran off to greener yards and probably less kids or at least less attentive ones. So then we had a cat show up. She just walked into the house as if she owned us. Which is pretty typical of cat personalities. As she walked in I felt her say, "This looks like a nice place. Think I'll check it out. See how it feels. ...

This is an except from a book I'm reading.... --------------------- Most of our lessons in trust have been incredibly painful. Haven't we all been disappointed by people we thought would treat us fairly or compassionately? Perhaps you've experienced the betrayal of people you considered close friends simply because you no longer served their needs or desires. Through the course of life we learn to keep a wary eye on people, knowing how few trustworthy people there really are. That may sound jaded, but Jesus lived that way, too. He didn't entrust Himself to anyone because He knew what was inside people (John 2:24). So of course our attempts to trust others will often be frustrated, but that's because He never wanted us to trust others. He wanted us to love others but to trust Him alone. But learning to trust Him can also be a struggle. In my spiritual journey I've often been disillusioned by trusting God. It seems so easy when all our circumstances are ple...

Today we have been married 11 years. I read thru my post from last year on " The Story of Us ", and there really isn't more I can add except to the list of things I love about Allen. I know I give him grieve but only because we he knows I'm just giving him a hard time. He has been my friend when I felt there were no others. He is the love of my life and I'm so thankful for the gift that the Lord gave me in him. And in him I find it all the more sweeter for all that I had to endure to find him. -He really tries to get me anything I even mention I might like. -He has way more patience with me than I deserve. -He makes me feel safe. I know we could survive in the wilderness indefinitely. -He touches my back gently almost every time he walks by me. -He isn't afraid of wearing the pants and knows he is the leader. -He has grown so much this past year thru many trials and came out shining brighter than before. -He is a good man, good father and good husband when he ...