Her Hillbilly Highness: June 2008

6.22.2008

8-8-08 The Big O

The fever has hit! This weekend the Women’s Gymnastic Olympic Trials was on and I could not have been happier! I get so excited every four years when they are picking the team to go to the Olympics. This year, the group to decide between is fierce! All of these girls are so talented, but I do have my favorites!

One of my favorites is Shawn Johnson. This girl is like a ray of sunshine. She is compared to Mary Lou Retton constantly and she really makes you want to stop and watch her. She is consistent and powerful in her routines. I can really see her taking gold and capturing hearts everywhere. She won the whole thing tonight so is guaranteed a spot on the Olympic team.

The other person guaranteed a spot is Nastia Liukin. She has gymnastic DNA in her blood as both her parents were Russian all-around gymnasts as well. She is serious, focused, and her routines are full of high-difficulty skills. She has one move on the beam that she wants named after her. She lives in the same county as we do and I just know that she is going to bring home one or two gold medals for me.

My other favorite is Alicia Sacramone. This is the comeback girl with a great heart. She just missed making the Olympic Trials four years ago, watched the Olympics with a back fracture and almost swore off the sport. Then she enrolled in Brown University, broke a whole mess of gymnastic records there and now she is gunning for a spot in the 2008 Olympics and impressing people right and left. She is the girl that everyone wants to be friends with. She’s got style, an outgoing personality, and is great at this sport. She will be joining eleven other girls at the Karoyli’s camp in Houston this July. There they will all compete for the other 4 spots to be on the Olympic team. I would love to be in that gym watching them all vying for a spot.

One thing is certain, I will be watching Women’s Gymnastics at the Olympics in August this year and hoping for gold for Team USA. I even got Kylie hooked in all the action. I think she knows more about each girl than I do. She also mimics their routines in the living room. That’s a girl after my own heart!

Other than watching gymnastics all weekend, we really have been busy this summer. Riley has Early Class until mid-July, is FULLY potty-trained and Kylie will be going to VBS at the church we used to attend. She is really excited about the theme and seeing her old friends. Since I have to take Riley, my friend Tracey begged me to let her take Kylie all week. I know she will have a good time but I will be losing my shopping/park/library friend this week and that makes me a little sad. At least I will be able to get some work done. I am in the middle of designing my first website for my friend Stephanie’s store. I think it looks fabulous- I just have to get it working properly.

So, even though I am constantly on the computer, I am working and not blogging or reading other blogs to keep up. I will post about the kids later this week but after that, my blogging may have to suffer again. I don’t think my readers will be missing much, though- oh, except for Riley dragging out that Mickey Mouse costume that is like a size 12-24 month and wearing it around the house. Yes, I did get a picture and yes, I WILL post it!! Lots of memories- that Mickey Mouse costume gave us!!!

6.20.2008

Chrismas Cookies & Icing

Christmas Cookie Dough

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
3 Tbs. milk

Cream together shortening and sugar. Beat in egg. Mix in salt, baking powder, vanilla, and flour. Add 3 Tbs. milk to dough for cut-out cookies.

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll dough to 1/4" thickness and cut with holiday cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove cookies and put on cooling rack to cool.

Christmas Cookie Icing

1 stick butter (softened)

1 box confectioner's sugar

3 Tbs. Pet milk

1 tsp. Vanilla

Food Coloring

Combine butter, milk, vanilla, and sugar until creamy. Add food coloring and then ice cookies. You may need to add milk to make icing creamier.

6.05.2008

For Chosen Mothers

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures, and a couple by habit.

This year, nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of a child with special needs. Did you ever wonder how mothers like this are chosen?

Somehow I visualize God hovering over earth selecting His instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger.

"Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron saint, Matthew.

Forrest, Marjorie, daughter. Patron saint, Cecelia.

Rudledge, Carrie, twins. Patron saint... give her Jude. He's used to profanity."

Finally, He passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a child with special needs."

The angel curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."

"Exactly", smiles God. "Could I give a child with special needs a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."

"But has she patience?" asked the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a seal of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she'll handle it.

"I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has his own world She has to make him live in her world and that is not going to be easy."

"This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness."

The angels gasps, "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she's to be envied. She will never take for granted a 'spoken word'. She will never consider a 'step' ordinary. When her child says "Mama' for the first time she will be present at a miracle and know it! When she describes a tree or sunset to her child, she will see it as few people ever see my creations.

"I will permit her to see clearly the things I see... ignorance, cruelty, prejudice... and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side.

"And what about her patron saint?" asks the angel, her pen poised in mid-air.

God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

6.01.2008

First Field Day

Friday was Kylie’s Field Day at her school and she already can’t wait until next year’s field day. She had so much fun and I’m so glad that she finally agreed that I could come and take pictures! I got there just in time to see all the water fun. It’s funny because at home, if Kylie drops a speck on her clothes, she changes immediately. At school, she totally rolled with the punches and got just as wet as the rest of her class and didn’t complain once. I even asked her before I left if she wanted me to bring her some warm clothes. Nope.

Here are some wet ‘n wild pictures of Kylie’s class and her wonderful teacher having “the best field day ever” in the words of Kylie and Katelyn.

I love that they had to run with this glass of water on their heads. It was littered with holes and the kids giggled the whole time.

Cheering on the team!

This was one of her favorite games!

Having fun on the rollerboards.

Just a cute picture of Riley! He stayed at home and played with Kristen. Thanks, Kristen!!

Her Hillbilly Highness