My dad, brother, and nephews just love sporting goods stores such as Cabelas and Bass Pro Shop. You could buy them anything in those stores, and they would be thrilled!

My mother’s birthday was yesterday, and as you can read in one of my articles, Bass Pro Shop would not be her favorite store. However, when it came time to present her with her gifts, my nephew proudly announced that his gift was from the Bass Pro Shop. It was a lovely bird feeder. Then my daughter presented our gift, and announced it was also from Bass Pro Shop. It was gourmet coffee beans purchased at the coffee shop in the store. Then my dad presented his gift, a lovely coral colored top – from Cabela’s.

We all had a good laugh, and decided that gifts from a sporting goods store can make everyone happy – even Grandma!

Tags : family, gifts

It is the middle of February, and my entire family has spring fever. I can’t wait to start planting some flowers. My husband started looking for a softball team to play on. And my girls started digging through their clothes looking for shorts and tank tops.

I love spring, but I hate it when my girls start digging through their clothes. For starters, we quickly discover they have outgrown nearly everything they own. My husband and I start getting visions of a credit card on fire from over-use at children’s clothing stores. We also discover that the only things they still own that fit properly are completely inappropriate to wear in February. We now have to discuss why we cannot wear the cutest pair of shorts with the matching tank top on February 20th when the temperature is a balmy 40 degrees.

I’ll just keep focusing on those lovely flowers that are freezing outside because I planted them too soon!

Tags : gardening, spring, spring flowers

My youngest daughter has finally started to loose her teeth. She has been very slow to loose her teeth, and is young for her class, so she has been feeling as if she would never be toothless like her friends.

She lost her very first tooth over Christmas, and her grandfather (better known as “Pops”) was visiting. She refused to let him pull it, even though it was hanging by a thread. But it managed to fall out anyway while he was still here. And wouldn’t you know, that tooth fairy left $5!

My parents were recently here visiting, and behold, another tooth was loose. This time she was brave enough to let Pops pull it. Once again, the tooth fairy left $5.

I have a suspicion that when the “real” tooth fairy comes back (with much less than $5), this child will quickly figure out that teeth should only fall out when Pops is in town!

Tags : family, tooth fairy