The Birthday Chick, A Dead Mouse Story, Tuesdays with Judith, Spending Time with RT, My Favorite Things RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE, Quotable Quotes and Pinterest Stuff (Ten Ways to Keep the Fun in Marriage)

Good Tuesday evening!

RANDOMNESS #1 - The Birthday Chick - The Chick turned 21 yesterday.

I am without words...

Except to say the last 21 years have been an adventure.

Not always easy...

Rarely predictable...

But always, ALWAYS, an adventure.

I am liking the young woman Roxie has become.

A lot.

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come." Proverbs 31:25

This has been "her" verse for the past 21 years, and while it might not have fit her perfectly as a wee babe, I am happy to report, she is growing into "her" verse quite nicely.

Quite nicely, indeed.



RANDOMNESS #2 - A Dead Mouse Story - I bet I know what you are thinking.

"Belinda walked up into another pair of flowy pants, fell and landed on a mouse... thus, killing him... making him dead."

And you would be wrong!

I was at my grandmother's house one day last week, and I walked out onto her carport sometime during the visit and noticed a little mouse. He didn't look dead. In fact, he looked very much alive and he was in a runner's pose.

However, being very intuitive about such things...

And stomping, clapping and yelling, "HEY, HEY, LITTLE MOUSE! I NEED TO GET TO MY CAR AND YOU ARE BLOCKING THE ENTIRE PATH!" for several (nay, many) minutes, I correctly deduced he was, in fact, no longer a living rodent.

Fun fact for you...

I don't DO dead mice. It is not something I am known for, and it is certainly nothing I want to "overcome."

I am quite happy with my "I don't DO dead mice" status.

Proud, even.

Throughout the day, I went out onto the carport maybe three more times, and each and every time, the dead little mouse was still there.

That's when I went into Plan B mode and started yelling, "HEY, HEY, LITTLE KITTY! I GOTTA YUMMY SNACK FOR YA!" for several more (nay, many) minutes.

There is never a cat around when you need one.

As it was starting to get late in the day, I felt a good granddaughter would get rid of a dead mouse for her 96 year-old grandmother...

So I called my sister and my cousin.

We hang from the same family tree, but they are made of much stronger stock than The Enchanting Belinda...

And I am okay with that. It bothers me little, to not at all.

With no help forthcoming (I really didn't call Bev and Amy, by the way), I grabbed an old dustpan from the closet and scooped up the dead little fellow.

Yuck.

Double yuck.

My simple plan was to toss him out into the backyard, but because I failed to walk closer to the edge of the carport, my toss just threw him into the carport ceiling...

And back down onto the carport...

I went back inside MamMa's house to get a hit of caffeine (Pepsi, Baby) before trying again.

The second time was the charm...

Kinda.

I walked closer to the edge of the carport, but I still threw the dead mouse straight up into the carport ceiling.

I was certain he was going to land on my head, and I was just going to have a good ol'-fashioned come apart right then and there, but he fell at an angle about one foot in front of me...

Half on and half off the carport.

I realize, most people would have just kicked him off with the toe of their shoe, but I opted for the "knock-the-bowling-pins-down-by-throwing-the-bowling-ball-and-jumping-up-and-down-really-hard-to-try-and-make-the-floor-move" technique.

It has never worked in the bowling alley, but I kid you not, after 20 or so hard jumps on the concrete carport, the little dead mouse rolled off into the grass.

Once again, I know what you're thinking.

I could not possibly have jumped hard enough to shake a dead mouse off of a concrete carport.

Which means the mouse was probably not dead at all.

At the beginning of the story, he was quite possibly a very hard-sleeping little mouse...

And toward the middle and end of the story (where I launched him into the carport ceiling not once, but twice), he was a stunned and/or concussed little mouse.

I may never know...

And just between you and me...

I'm okay with that.

RANDOMNESS #3 - Tuesdays with Judith - There was only one pic of Judith this week, and Aunt Ro happened to be home.


Yeah.

I liked it, too.

RANDOMNESS #4 - Spending Time with RT


This is RT right before lunch. He was his usual super-cheerful self.

And then I put a spoonful of green peas in his little mouth.


Here.

Allow me to help you with the narrative.

"But Nana B. I thought you said you loved me."


"I thought we had a deal. Only bananas and sweet potatoes at your house. I feel so betrayed."


After three bites, I gave him the rest of his bottle...


And I let him lose the shirt for the rest of the day.

A naked baby is a happy baby.

I read that on a pillow once.

I think he forgave me!

RANDOMNESS #5 - My Favorite Things RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE - I just have a couple of things to add to my ever-growing list, so bear with me, please.

1. I am loving the Great British Baking Show on Netflix. My cousin told me about it, and I passed over it again and again and again. Little did I know, this is one of the greatest shows ever from PBS. In my mind, I have to put it in the same category as Sherlock Holmes AND the ever-popular Downton Abbey.

That comparison may be a little bit of a stretch, but not too much.

At the end of each and every show, I have an incredibly strong urge to whip up a batch of crisp biscuits OR a dessert which ends with spun sugar OR play with flavors like blackberry/chocolate, rhubarb/peach, vanilla/cardamom...

And raspberries!

Oh... my... goodness.

The Brits do love their raspberries.

And now, so do I!

2. Have you seen The Pioneer Woman magazine?

Have you?

The second one recently "dropped," and it is a feast for the eyes, I tell you.

And it has user-friendly info, too.

I mean, recipes and tasks the average person can actually make and do without having to sign up for a college course.

It isn't British, but it is absolutely lovely!

Quotable Quotes - In honor of The Chick and her birthday, today's quotes all have something to do with ADVENTURE.

"Spontaneity is the best kind of adventure.”

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain

"As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was about to happen.” Winnie the Pooh

Pinterest Stuff

Ten Ways to Keep Fun in Marriage

1. Never stop experiencing new things together.

When you go on that cruise, sign up for dance lessons. When you go on that beach vacation, rent some jet skis and take off.

2. Flirt. You know how to flirt, so do it.

3. Go on dates. Another one of my favorites. I love going to a quiet restaurant where we can talk. This is usually when we really catch up on what’s going on in each of our worlds.

4. If possible, go on mini vacations together. If your husband travels, and it’s feasible, go with him. We’re just now able to do that because our girls are older.

5. Go to a concert and dance. Get up and move yo’ body. This is so fun!

6. Go on a bike ride.

7. Watch a funny movie together. Laugh together!

8. Enroll for dance lessons together in your town.

9. Go on walks or long car rides together, especially when it’s nice outside.

10. Find some favorite shows on TV and watch them together. I love doing this with John. It’s kind of our thing, and we make a big deal out of watching them “together.”

NOTE FROM ENCHANTING BELINDA - You have probably seen this list many times before. If it doesn't inspire you to do anything else, at least let it inspire you to make your own list!

I'll be back in a few days with some 89-degree Autumnal Fun.

Yeah.

It doesn't sound like much "fun" to me either...

But we'll make the most of it!

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

Weekend Happenings, THE EMPTY NEST, Blog Linkage AND Pinterest Stuff (Toddler Fun)

Good Friday night!

RANDOMNESS #1 - I downloaded puppy pics from Roxie's camera before she left for Auburn.

As you can see, she is much better at "capturing" Tucker, but it can still be challenging.













He's sweet to me and Mike, but it is kind of obvious he misses The Chick.

He will just have to take a number.

RANDOMNESS #2 - THE EMPTY NEST - Mike and I have officially been Empty Nesters since August 6, 2015.

Five months now.

Well...

Four if you take into account Roxie was home for an entire month during her Christmas break.

So, four months.

I wish I could tell you Mike and I have adapted beautifully...

The transition was easy, breezy...

EVERYTHING fell right into place after the last of our children "flew the coop."

But, I would not be telling the absolute truth.

Guess what?

I've made a list!

PROS FOR BEING A TOTAL AND COMPLETE EMPTY NESTER

1. The laundry pile is virtually non-existent. Who knew Mike and I produced SO LITTLE LAUNDRY? This is a huge pro. HUGE! That is why it is listed first.

2. When I straighten a room, it stays straightened.

3. The kitchen is much easier to clean.

4. I can bring in all of our groceries in just one trip from The Big Gold Van.

5. Mike and I can do anything and go anywhere we please without checking anyone else's schedule.

6. Toilet paper lasts SO much longer.

7. And milk! Don't get me started on how long a gallon of milk lasts now.

8. It is really, really quiet now. I mean, "the-house-has-been-abandoned" kind of quiet.

CONS FOR BEING A TOTAL AND COMPLETE EMPTY NESTER

1. I find I miss doing laundry. Who knew it was my favorite chore? Certainly not me!

2. Mike and I definitely live in the "back of the house," which is kinda sad because we have discovered the "front of the house" is where all the action was when the kids lived at home.

3. While the kitchen is easier to clean, I'm having to learn to cook for a much smaller group, so that's been a little harder...

But I'm getting there.

4. If The Big Gold Van was becoming obsolete during the last two years of Roxie's high school career, you can imagine how useful it is now.

5. I had thought with the house so quiet, my mind (which has been scattered all over the place the last 24 years or so) would become more focused and sharp.

Yeah.

That hasn't happened yet.

6. Mike and I have both come to realize we weren't the main people talking during meals. (I have threatened him with a Conversation Jar if things don't start to improve!)

7. Becoming an actual Empty Nester made me finally realize Mike and I are really, really old.

Mike more so than me, but still.


See?

While I know it's difficult for me and Mike, it is especially hard for Roxie right now. She hasn't been able to cope as well as her Dad and I to this "leaving the nest" thing.

What can I say? We're pretty hard to leave.


I know what you're thinking.

She looks pretty "well-adjusted" in this picture.

Well, that's where you would be WRONG!

She is crying...

Nay...

Sobbing on the inside.

I just know it!

NOTE - When all is said and done, I know this "season of life" is going to be something we really enjoy.

It is just going to take a little longer than four months to get there!

Blog Linkage - Go to Confessions of a Pioneer Woman under My Blog List and read today's post about MORNINGS! I'm not a "morning person," but this post makes me wish...

Hmmm.

Nope. I am going to continue to embrace being a "mid-afternoon (2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.) person." It works for me.

Pinterest Stuff

Toddler Fun

Since I have started the Nana-for-Hire business AND become a Nana to Judith in real life, I have been researching fun and affordable toddler activities. As usual, Pinterest has been a lifesaver.

Rip It and Stick It Pictures

1. Buy a roll of clear contact paper at The Dollar Tree. Use tissue paper OR if you are/were a scrapbooker, use some of the scraps you've collected over the years.

2. Tape the contact paper "sticky side up" on the floor OR on a window frame.

3. Demonstrate how to rip the paper. If the toddler has trouble making it tear, you can make it easier by putting several small "rips" in different areas of the paper.

4. Let them rip and stick as much as they like...

And then start a new picture.

Sticky Snowmen/Sticky Sheep

1. Using the same concept as above, use a Sharpie to draw the outline of a snowman on one piece of contact paper (sticky side up) and next draw the outline of a big fluffy sheep on another piece of contact paper.

2. Let the toddler use cotton balls to fill in the snowman and sheep.

3. You can also break white cotton swabs in half and show the child how to make snowflakes using the half sticks.

Wrap Treasures in Aluminum Foil

1. I went to The Dollar Tree and purchased a stuffed Love Bug, a princess mirror and comb, a princess figurine and a bag of animal crackers.

2. I loosely wrapped each individual item in foil making sure I went around the toy two times.

3. I put all five items in a gallon-sized Ziplock bag and gave it to an almost three year-old.

HUGE, HUGE SUCCESS!

Bow Hunt

1. Keep around 20 bows from your Christmas packages in a small bag to use later.

2. Place toddler in baby bed and hide the bows (in plain sight) around one room.

3. Bring the child into the room, show them what they are looking for and turn them loose.

I played this nine times with a toddler, and she still wanted to play ONE MORE TIME!

Weekend Happenings

1. Today was a good day. I planned and finalized Josh and Courtney's Rehearsal Dinner. I had a nice, long lunch with Josh, and we talked about all sorts of things.

He, Mike and Austin had planned a Boys' Night earlier in the week, so as I type this post, they are enjoying dinner and a movie...

And I am Tucker-sitting.

2. Tomorrow, Judith is going to come visit for a little while and more wedding stuff will be taken care of during the afternoon hours. (I predict I will have an abundance of Judith pics to post next Friday. My camera battery is charging as we speak!)

3. Sunday is all about worship, and perhaps a little Sunday afternoon snooze.

Just between you and me, I am really looking forward to Sunday!

I hope you have a magnificent weekend. I'll be back next Friday with MORE!

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda