Does anyone need kite-flying lessons?

Um, you might want to seek elsewhere. Maybe the yellow pages?

Sentimental Saturdays

So, when Sis was a baby, I took lots of pictures. I mean, LOTS! And when Bub came along, everyone told me, "Oh, you'll never take as many pictures of him." Um, WRONG! I mean, I DID forget to put stuff in his baby book, and sometimes comb his hair, but forget to take pictures of him? Nuh-uh.

This is a picture I took of Sis when she was 3 months old. Isn't she adorable? I thought the picture was so cute, I framed a copy of it.

This pose and picture must have been in my mind one day when I had Bub in the exact same sleeper. So guess what I did? I posed him in the same place and in the same way. But I never looked at the pictures right next to each other until today. They were both right around 3 months old. Cute, eh?

I hope you're enjoying these Sentimental Saturdays. I sure am!!! I am enjoying looking through old photos, and sharing them with you!

It's not the Cha Cha, yo!

So, I do what I can to be a fun aunt. You know the "fun aunt:" the one who lets you put on her makeup when you're 8, and THEN lets you go out in public with it on (McDonalds, even). Or the one that lets you and all your cousins spend the night at your house the day she gets home from her honeymoon. Or the one that lets you spend EVERY. SINGLE. WEEKEND. at her house when you're a teenager. Or the one who wouldn't DREAM of watching Little House on the Prairie without you.

Oh wait... I haven't done any of those things. Those were MY fun aunts!!

*me with one of my "fun aunts" last weekend*

So, back to me. I inherited one niece when Don and I got married. T was 5 when we got married, and she was so excited to get to call me "Aunt Darla." She would come visit us when we lived out-of-state, and we'd let her hog the bed sleep with us when no one else would. I would stay up SUPER late with her and tell her funny stories about when I was a kid. One time we emptied out ALL of her hair accessories, and fixed each other's hair using EVERY single accessory at once. Lots o' fun!!!

Then I had kids. I became, while still fun (right???), more of a teacher and, well, PARENT than a fun adult to hang out with... although my kids are surrounded with fun aunts themselves. Lots o' fun!!!

Then my sister had kids. And while I was still a mom, I got to revert back to the fun aunt sometimes, too! When Big Sissy (8 mos. old at the time) went on a trip with my sisters, my kids and me, I taught her to bang her high chair tray when she was hungry (while I chanted: We want food! We want food!)... My sister was thrilled!!! I created a "club" for Big Sissy, Little Sissy, Sis and Bub, me and any other family adult that cares to join... they just have to be willing to sit under my parents' dining room table, because THAT'S where the clubhouse is. We have a secret handshake, secret rules, and some other secrets (that is, you don't know them unless you ask... if you ask, we'll be glad to tell you...). Lots o' fun!!!

Now, there's Little Buddy. Now that he's getting a little older, he's decided that he likes his "fun aunts," too. ALL the kids already LOVE my youngest sister. She's a fun aunt without even trying. They're just drawn to her. But FINALLY Little Buddy has decided to have fun with me, too (once he's scoped out the room and has determined that his mom is NOT planning on leaving him with me!). We went to a family wedding out of town last weekend (see pics that my sis posted here), and Little Buddy was, well, my little buddy all day! I sat by him and he patted my leg, rubbed my arm, fed me, let me "borrow" his sippy cup while he "borrowed" my cell phone... you know flirting 1-year-old style! Lots o' fun!

He started doing a funny thing with his arm, tucking his hand into the crook of his neck... and I thought it looked like he was doing the Sprinkler. You know, the dance? Not to be confused with the Lawnmower... or Feeding the Chickens. So, I taught the "dance" to Little Buddy.

(Um, if you care to view it, just crane your neck as far over to the right as you possibly can, then you'll have a great view... sorry about that!)

So cute!!! And LOTS O' FUN!

Sentimental Saturdays

So, last Saturday I started a new "series," Sentimental Saturdays, with the intent of posting "old" pictures to reminisce on and get all sappy and sentimental. Yeah, I didn't think it would last past last week, either. But guess what? Last Sunday, I bought a used scanner... so this might actually WORK! In honor of my sister's 10th wedding anniversary this weekend, I thought I would post a picture from her wedding day. Here you have all 4 siblings together... we don't all pose together much, do we?



I am (obviously) pregnant here with Sis, so this picture represents all kinds of changes going on for us! I was thinking about it... I also think this might have been the weekend that Don and I decided on our way back "home" to Kentucky that we both were ready to move back to our "real home."



You can go here to read a beautiful tribute that my sister made regarding her marriage. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY C & K!!!

Just pure silliness

So, I was thinking... do you think if these 2 coach purses fell in love and got married, they would have cute little coach wallets??

A story in pictures... Baking Cookies

Once upon a time, Don and Kevin were having a lazy afternoon after cooking their wives brunch (for Mother's Day). All of a sudden, Don gets an idea.

So, I wonder what would happen if I take this raw cookie dough I'm eating, and cooked it right on the spoon?

Here's the lighter I just used to light the candle... let's find out.

WAIT!!! Let me go get my camera! (that was me!)

This is gonna be fun!

This might actually work!

That's hilarious! It looks like you're freebasing cookie dough (you know, from seeing it in movies)!

Yo, yo, yo, YO!

Hey, Kristin, aren't we funny??? Kristin??? Are you READING??? *crickets chirping*

It's actually cooking, but I think it needs to be flipped over.

Here... I'll use this fork handle to flip it over.

I think it's almost ready.

See it smoking? It's almost cooked through.

I'm going to try it now... I'm ready!

I hope it's good!

Oh. Oh, dude. You totally should have tried this!

That was PERFECT!!!

And the cookie eater lived happily ever after.

THE END.

You say it's your birthday? Well, it's her birthday, too! And hers!

So, today is both my sisters' birthdays! But they're not twins! They are six years apart. And one of them is 30 today! And the other one is either 6 years older, or 6 years younger. And our brother is the only still in his 20's. I'll let you figure that one out! ;)

So, I thought I'd throw a few pictures of my sisters in here. You can go to Elissa's blog here or Christy's blog here to wish them a Happy Birthday! Love you both!

*The sisters a few summers ago*

*At Christy's Master's Degree graduation last year*

*Christy at my cousin's bridal shower with her homemade veil*

*Elissa and Christy*

*Elissa swordfighting with Bub at Christmas... she looks a little scared, doesn't she?*

*Beautiful Elissa*

*Beautiful Christy (and Little Buddy)*