tightness....

The first picture of today is of the Magnolia tree in our barnyard. I used to climb this tree all of the time when I was little. I loved to climb to the top and throw the "pods" from the Magnolia bloom at my Daddy. Of course, I tried to hide like I wasn't there, but he knew it was me!! I had many adventures in that tree. There was a time when a cow got loose from the fenced area when Daddy was trying to load it in the trailer. That cow took the gate off the hinges!! Can you imagine a cow with a LARGE gate around its neck and the cow trying to get it off its neck at the same time it is coming up the hill toward you???? Well, that was me and it scared the living daylights out of me! HA!!! I climbed this Magnolia tree so fast I don't remember my feet touching the branches! After they finally got the cow settled down and in the trailer I ran home as fast as my little legs would carry me and got inside the house!!! I have a lot of good memories with this tree. :) I remember when the county made us tear down our dairy barn the local fire station came out to use it for "practice". (May I just say that was a SAD day around here???? It was Dec. 1998 and I still miss that barn...) Well, that fire was so hot because the barn was so old that the Magnolia tree had "burn damage" on the one side of it!! It actually looked a bit dead on that side for a few years!! It has now gotten back to being evergreen and beautiful. That tree is something special. :)
This next picture is of another weed... :) My brother knows the exact names of each of these weeds, but I didn't write it down so I don't remember. (I am sure as he is reading this he is talking into the computer!) I just thought these were so sweet. Again...trying to find beauty in weeds and the ordinary.

Speaking of finding beauty in everyday....Mikayla and Wesley love looking at scenery and things now. I have "oohed" and "aahed" at so many things as we go to school so they notice things more now. Mikayla even wanted me to see the moon tonight because she couldn't believe how beautiful it was. :) Last night when Wesley prayed he did his prayer for the many things God has made and thanked Him for them. When he finished he said "Mommy...did Jesus like that?" I said "What?" He said "My prayer of all those things...I just want Him to know I appreciate them..." That was so precious to me. They really do observe and see the little things in life.

Yesterday I had a teacher workday and got off early. We went to find shoes for Easter/Summer along with the rest of the county and after an hour and a half of waiting patiently we finally were out with new shoes. :) We also ran by Target and Walmart so I could get some other clothes for them for birthday and their cap and gown pictures next week. I want them to look sweet..you know I'll probably take pictures. hee hee... Let us just say, though....I was SO tired after that yesterday. You can tell I am not used to shopping! HA!!!

OK...now to the title of this blog for the day....tightness. I put on one of my skirts this morning (5:30 am) that I knew was a little snug but figured as the day wore on I would be fine in it..... Well, I was wrong. I was OK by 8:00 but as each hour passed I began to find that the tightness increased...a lot. I was beginning to wonder if I had vice grips around my waist!!!!! On top of that, this afternoon I had recess duty and car duty and was concentrating so hard on getting that over with because I was in so much pain that I don't think I was fully paying attention! What is really bad is that the kids had Kindermusik today. On the way to Kindermusik I finally decided to unbutton the button in the back since my shirt covered that. Well, that worked for a minute or so and then the vice grip began again!! I called Steve and told him that only half of his wife as he knew me would meet him at home later because the skirt cut me in half!! HA!! I survived waiting for the kids in Kindermusik by grading test papers, but that didn't keep my mind off of it a lot. Of course, on the way home we get behind a HUGE line of traffic that is going SLOW and then a dog was in the middle of the road and the people a few cars up from us decide to get out to rescue the dog. (I was happy for the dog, but in pain at this point..) I finally get home and it was all I could do not to knock my children over to get into the house to yank that skirt off. I had had the thing on for 12 hours and I am surprised I didn't pass out!!!!!! Let's just say that skirt will go in the back of the closet for the day when I lose little weight....yeah, right.

Well, I still have test papers to grade so I don't believe this is helping, huh? Have a wonderful day everyone and try not to wear anything too tight today! HA!!