Heather over at Untraditional Home wrote this line while describing how her family celebrated the Fourth.

“And catching lightening bugs with uncle James.”

This made me think of our own celebration.  We helped put on a huge party at my parent’s house.  When it was over and I asked Sister what she liked best about the evening she immediate replied, “catching fireflies”.  I smile still at her answer.  It was not the sparklers, nor the mounds of food savory and sweet; not even the bajillion fireworks but the fireflies that lingered in her memory.  Makes me think of that verse about the lilies.

“Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

Luke 12:27 (NKJ)

Nothing compares to our God and His marvelous creations.  Nothing.

I know.  I’m a tad behind but I had so much fun making Mother’s Day cards this year that I had to share.  But I couldn’t very well do that until I was certain each card arrived at its chosen destination.

I always forget how satisfying crafting is until I get back to it again.  Now I suspect that getting back to it will be much easier because though these were done on my kitchen table future endeavors will be created in the very best mother’s day gift ever … my new craft room.

Wait for it…. pictures to come.

Anne Kroeker’s has started hosting Monday Funday recently.  I mention it because there are some good ideas floating about over there and because I thought of her carnival this weekend during Brother’s Un-Birthday Party.  Sometime early in the day Brother declared he wanted a party.  Always accomodating (HA!), Sister began making preparations.  With very little adult supervision help she decorated the bedroom with balloons, made paper party hats, pulled out games to play and turned on some groovy music. (Because “No party is complete without music, Mom.”)

Sister found out I was making muffins for breakfast the next day and as soon as they appeared from the oven she stabbed one in the center with a candle claiming them as party food.

Once the party began there were puzzle races and a hilarious game of Party Line.  You remember that one don’t you?  The first person whispers a phrase to the second person who whispers it to the third person and so on.  The last person says the unusually altered and often humorous phrase aloud.  This was especially fun with a three year old in the mix.  Next, our hostess brought out the snacks and we sang “Very Merry Un-birthday” while Brother blew out the candle.  A little dancing and a game of Guess Who? rounded out the hour.

Is today your Un-birthday?  It is!?  Well, then this is for you!

On Monday Ann Kroeker reminded me how to make Cootie Catchers or as some people call them Fortune Tellers. The children and I have had much fun since then creating and using our own. A big square of scrapbook paper is perfect for this and makes them so colorful. Anyway, it occurred to me that since you could write just about anything inside that perhaps they would make a good Valentine gift. So that’s what I’m making for my sweetie this year. Hopefully, he won’t read this post before I actually get to give it to him - or maybe he will and he’ll smile at the thought of what’s coming. ;)  See, I’ve hidden phrases like ” ‘K’ is for …” or ” ‘H is for … ” inside so if he picks one of those I will give him a “K”iss or a “H”ug.  Make sense?  These examples are pretty benign (This is a family friendly blog after all.) and are not actually in my fortune teller. For my hubby of almost 10 years I came up with some more lover-ly phrases.  Phrases which I expect will lead to much satisfaction happiness at the Simple house.

******************************

shadow play of love

only a candle watches

rhythmic forms dancing

Have you written your haiku yet?

To commemorate the event, towns throughout the state are having parades and picnics and concerts and such all this year.  On November 16th, the children and I drove with Grandma to celebrate Statehood Day in Guthrie (our state’s original capital).  There was a huge parade and a picnic.  Many people were dressed in period clothing.  The town had even chosen to recreate the menu offered 100 years before:  a slice of bread, a piece of beef, a pickle, lemonade and coffee.

This was what it looked like walking along the parade route.  Besides all the people you can see ahead there were just as many behind and even more around the corner where the parade turned toward the park.  I overheard an official say they estimated over 4,000 people in attendance.

For the two horse-loving girls with us, the Clydesdales were a great favorite.  I suppose God knew that because He arranged for us to get a wonderful close-up look at them not once but twice.  First, since we didn’t have any clue where to park, we ended up walking through the parade staging area.  This picture was taken there.

Then later during the parade there was an especially long pause and what entry stopped right in front of us for several minutes?  Yep, the Clydesdales.

All in all we ended up walking about two miles that day.  Not so much for an adult but it almost did Brother in.  We were so fortunate to find a space on the trolley for the ride back to our car or that distance would have been doubled & my arms would have fallen off from carrying the exhausted Brother.

(This pic was taken mere moments before I stepped into a ginormous hole which I didn’t see because I was looking through a camera lens.  - Since this is not the first time something like this has happened, I’m thinking of changing the name of my blog to “The Graceful Photographer.” )

Finally, back at the car after a full day we decided to grab a snack before heading out of town.  This would have been an easy feat if we actually knew the town’s layout or even if the main thoroughfares (closed for the parade) had been opened.  After much wandering we found ourselves exactly back where we started at which point Sister helpfully noted, “Hey, hey grandma!  I think we’ve been on this street before!”

There was one bright point in our wanderings:  a sign which I’ve recreated below.

I mean no disrespect if you’re last name is Brown or Gross but knowing how a bride agonizes over all the details of her wedding I can just imagine the conversations surrounding this one.

Bride: Should it be Brown/Gross or Gross/Brown?’  Could we get away with just saying ‘B/G wedding? 

Groom:  Oh, the heck with it.  Let’s just elope.

Anyway, thanks Mr & Mrs. Brown-Gross.  You gave us a good chuckle when we needed it.  We hope you had a lovely day - neither gross nor brown.

In summary, a good time was had by all.

____________________________

In honor of our state I leave you with these fascinating facts.

Most people think of the stage play ” Oklahoma !” when they hear our state’s name mentioned, but there is so much more to Oklahoma than “beautiful mornings,” “fringe-laden surreys ” and “a girl who cain’t say no.”

Oklahoma is not only the home of Ado Annie and AuntEller from ” Oklahoma !” but of the parking meter(invented in OKC) and the shopping cart (invented in Ardmore ).

The electric guitar also was invented in Oklahoma, by a Beggs musician named Bob Dunn. The first “Yield”sign was installed in Tulsa .

The Environmental Protection Agency recognizes Oklahoma as having the most diverse terrain of any state in the nation. The state, according to EPA, boasts 11distinct eco-regions.

The state has more man-made lakes than any other, which give us more than a million surface-acres of water and 2,000 more miles of shoreline than the Atlantic and Gulf coasts combined.

The Sooner State has produced more astronauts than any other state in the union. Owen Garriott is an Enidboy, while Tom Stafford is from Weatherford, Shannon Lucid is from Oklahoma City, WilliamPogue is from Okemah and the late Gordon Cooper was from Shawnee.

Oklahoma is home to the Amateur Softball Associationand Hall of Fame, a world class zoo in OKC and more F4 and F5 tornadoes than any other state.

Oklahoma is the third-largest natural gas-producing state in the nation and ranks fourth in the production of wheat, cattle and calves, fifth in the production of pecans, sixth in peanuts and eighth in peaches.

The state’s colors are neither OU’s crimson and cream nor the orange and black of OSU but green and white.

Oklahomans practice 73 major religions. The largest is the Southern Baptist Convention, with nearly 1,600 churches and more than 960,000 members.

Oklahoma gave birth to Dick Tracy (cartoonist ChesterGould is a native of Pawnee) and Donald Duck (Clarence “Ducky” Nash, the original voice of Walt Disney’s Donald, grew up in Watonga).

The number of famous singers from Oklahoma is too long to list here but includes Vince Gill, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Reba McIntire, Woodie Guthrie and Roger Miller.

Oklahomans have survived the Dust Bowl, any number of killer tornadoes, the 1995 bombing of Oklahoma City ’s Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and various oil booms and busts. Oklahoma is populated by people who are caring, giving, hard-working, patriotic and fiercely independent. Oklahoma is a good place to live, work and play.

If that’s not enough check out these links.

• http://www.computerlabkids.com/oklahoma.htm
• http://www.shgresources.com/ok/facts/
• http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002026.shtml

We’d love to learn something about your state too!  Leave us a link in the comments.

It seems fitting somehow that on Brother’s third birthday he had three different celebrations.  Each was special in their own way and yet all were very low-key (so unlike Sister’s birthday party trend).

First, a simple breakfast celebration with Grandma & Papa in Tulsa.

After being a birthday observer these past few months he couldn’t quite believe his turn had come.

The following Wednesday (his actual birthday) we celebrated at home with just the four of us. 

Both children enjoyed decorating the cake

and afterwards we played with one of Brother’s presents.

Finally, the weekend came and with it our annual fireworks bonanza at Grandma Mary’s (For those of you keeping track, that would be fireworks show #4). 

Brother had a grand time playing with his cousins….

and what’s not to love about more cake.

Did you have a good holiday?  I hope so.  We took it easy this year.  Hung out with the family, roasted some hot dogs, set off a few fireworks.  Okay, that last bit is a complete understatement.  Independance Day ranks right next to Christmas on our favorite holiday list.  In fact for us, it is very much like Christmas.  We go to the store with our budget in hand and leave the store with our budget in the trash.  See.

I should tell you that we didn’t set all of these off… yet.  We usually do two shows each year.  One on the Fourth for our Tulsa family and friends and then another sometime in August for the family out in Gate.  This year we are adding a show in Arkansas for a different group of relatives.  …. because we are crazy people, I tell you.

To our credit we only go crazy like this on special occasions.  It’s not an everyday sort of thing (so you can just stop looking for that insane asylum number right now).  And for Independance day the craziness seems limited to the four walls of the TNT Fireworks Superstore.  This is why: 

• You can get the most of “bang” for your buck.  (Punny but true.) Mom and Pop shops may be nostalgic but they can’t offer the best deals.  For even more savings don’t wait until the last minute.  Shop the first day they are open when almost everything is “Buy One, Get One Free.”
• They are willing to negotiate.  If you’re spending a lot of cash (or even if you’re not) don’t be afraid to ask for discounts and/or substitutions to get the widest variety for the least amount.
• TNT has a “NO Duds” guarantee.  They store and later sell their product in a climate controlled environment.  So in spite of the rainy/muggy weather outside, everything you buy will work.
• Similarly, climate control means a pleasant place to shop…especially with kids.
• All the staff really knows about the product.  They don’t just guess or read the label.  They’ve actually seen each thing work and can describe it to you.
• It is run by a local church who uses the profit for their ministry.

Disclaimer: If this post reads like an advice column it’s because it was written for the WFMW that wasn’t.

We celebrated Hubby’s birthday at a double bash with Uncle B. a couple of weeks ago but I thought I’d do something special today too.  So in honor of the day an idea I borrowed from somewhere.

I like you because…

1. you are the only person I know that ever requests a lemon cake for his birthday.

2. you are thoughtful.

3. you are kind.

4. you are compassionate.

5. “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” seems to be your personal motto.

6. when I am standing on the ground you are the perfect height for hugging.

7. when I am standing on a step you are the perfect height for kissing.

8. you intentionally only own or rent video games that are kid appropriate.

9. you make me feel safe.

10. you understand my jokes and 

11. you think they are funny… mostly.

12. you opinions are always honest and

13. they are tactfully given … mostly.

14. you play the guitar.

15. you started learning to play my favorite Alison Kraus song a few days after I mentioned that would be nice.

16. you are the one I think of as you play it.

17. you are tackling Chopin on the piano.

18. you bring me chocolate on Fridays.

19. your propensity for loyalty has gotten a diner special named after you.

20. you take care of things like life insurance and retirement investing and such.

21. you get along with my parents.

22. you have taught me much about patience and

23. slowing down and

24. living simply even as

25. you go to a busy corporate world each day just to provide for us.

26. blue is your favorite color and I think that says something about your peaceful nature.

27. you know how to listen.

28. you are quixotic.

29. you are an HSP and you have taught me how to recognize and accomodate that trait in others (especially our daughter).

30.  you won’t mind that this post is a day late.

We had a lovely Easter holiday over here.  For starters we didn’t go to church.  That is to say we didn’t go today.  (I liken Easter Sunday crowds to the ones you find at the mall the day after Thanksgiving. It’s almost as if they are thinking, “okay, I have to do this thing and this is the best day for it so here we go.)  Instead we took Sister to see Victory Christian Center’s annual Easter production last night when the crowd was (relatively) small.  That is less than 500.  It was her first time to really experience a retelling of Christ’s crucifixion and she cried from His sentencing by Pilot until His death.  The drive home was full of questions as I’m sure there will be many more in the coming days.

So because we went to church last night, this morning was allowed to mosey along at its own pace.  We didn’t invite scads of people over like we have in the past.  Just family this year - which still means a lot of people but not so much stress.

Many thanks to Boo Mama who orchestrated dinner.  Okay she didn’t actually come over  - in fact other than being a frequent lurker of her blog I don’t know her at all but I do know a good recipe when I see it.  She recently recommended Asian Pork Tenderloin, Shrimp & Wild Rice Casserole & Green Beans Y’all Won’t Believe and because I’m lazy always looking for ways to make life simpler, I stole borrowed her dinner plans and made them my own.  Every dish was incredibly easy and tasty as well.  My Sister-In-Law baked fresh bread (”Yummo!” to quote Sister quoting Rachel Ray) and Aunt R. brought dessert. (double Yummo!)

After dinner we sent the five children present out to hunt for the over 100 eggs we had hidden earlier.  Some contained money but most had chocolate and it is for that reason I was grateful for the coolness of the day.  Digging sticky, gooey chocolate out of a plastic oval is not my idea of a good time. (Though the kids may disagree on that point.)

We let the kids go through their treasure while Will & I set up to dye eggs.  Usually we boil several dozen eggs and let the kids do as many as they can.  That always seems so wasteful to me because we never eat all those eggs. In fact many of them get broken in the frenzy.  This year, I boiled only enough for each child to have 3 (one white, one blue, & one brown) with a few extras for the adults.  Interestingly, the process was much more organized and the children were more deliberate in their choices. 

Instead of dozens of mottled gray/blue eggs they created really beautiful designs.  We used materials around the house instead of buying kits and we discovered that food coloring and vinegar make more vibrant colors than those little Paas tablets.  Rubber bands, stickers & plain white crayons enhance the design process and glitter is always a nice touch. 

About midway through the dyeing process, I decided to award prizes:

Then it was our turn:

Any day that starts with your husband going out to get breakfast for you and coming back with these is bound to go well.  In case you can’t quite tell there are ten of them.  Today, ten years ago the love of my life proposed to me.  He asked in the middle of a crowded Border’s cafe (It was our favorite bookstore at the time.) and I said, “yes” to the cheers of the other patrons.  I suspected he was planning a Valentine’s proposal and he knew it; so that tricky boy popped the question two days early.  He surprised me then and he surprised me today.  The roses came with a day of pampering at a local salon & spa which I am soooo looking forward to.  But the best part of the surpise - Will took the day off just so we could be together.  He ran errands with me.  We went to a doctor appt together.  We did laundry and all the other little mundane tasks of my day.  It was perfect.

Guys don’t think you have to hang the moon to please your wife.  Sometimes it’d just be nice if you’d hang the laundry (or show some appreciation that she does).  And ladies, don’t let Hallmark and the jewelers and the florists trick you into thinking he who spends the most loves the most.  It’s not about the “stuff”.  It’s about relationship.

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.  “Pooh!” he whispered.  “Yes, Piglet?”  “Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s paw.  “I just wanted to be sure of you.”  ~A.A. Milne