Cats vs. Dogs

The Superbowl came up in conversation today and Kendall asked what was the Superbowl.

I said, "It's a football game where the two best teams of the year play each other to decide who the best team is."

Kendall said, "Who are the teams that are playing?"

"We don't know yet."

Then Kendall is quiet for a second and says, "Well I hope it's not Kentucky vs. Winterset Huskies because I would have to hope for a tie in that case."

Don't worry honey. I don't think those will be the teams.

Grandma knows best

Living in a small Midwestern town has advantages. One of those being that I can go to town looking pretty much anyway I want and no one bats an eye. There is no place for make-up, styled hair, or pumps at the grocery store on a Tuesday morning in my town. So while I was wrestling two toddlers into clothes and winter gear last Tuesday my main concern was that my ponytail wouldn't come loose or I wouldn't start sweating before I got us all buttoned and zipped up. I peeked in the mirror before walking out the door and something popped into my head. "My lips could use a little shine." Why was that odd? Growing up it was rare that I saw my Mamma Barker without full make-up. If she wasn't wearing full make-up then she at least had something on her lips. I swear the women probably puts on chap stick or lip gloss before she gets out of bed in the mornings. It didn't matter where we were going, she was always totting a lipstick or at least some gloss and reapplying it frequently. When I would say, "Mamma, why are you putting on lip stick? We're just __________(taking a walk, getting the mail, taking out the trash, etc.) she would say (yup, you guessed it) "My lips could use a little shine." So I hustled into the bathroom and put on a little lipstick. Guess what? I looked better! In fact it made such a difference that I've been putting it on when I'm home with just the kids. I was even sizing up the clear lip gloss at the store today. I'm right on the edge of being a lip gloss totting Mamma and someday and lip gloss totting Grandma!

Yes, another storm

Just posting some pics of the ice storm because I think they're cool. I hate the storm, but love to look at the ice. Go figure.

I Spy--Maddie style

See if you can find the guitar pick in this picture. No I don't know why or how it got there. Some things are best left unanswered. (Pay no attention that my child has spaghetti sauce on her diaper from dinner. When we have spaghetti some of us eat it with no clothes on. I'm not saying who; you'll just have to guess.)

The Pusher

Lately I have been repeating in my head (and aloud) something I heard once. "Some people are for you, and some people are for what you are for." Byron and I have been making some big changes in the past year and we have seen that lesson played out again and again. It's easy to get frustrated when people are pushing their own agenda on you. At let's face it; we all have one. Our own selfishness leads us to want our money for nuthin' and our chicks for free. But I'm starting to learn that the best thing to do (for me) when you're being oppressed is to take a minute to look around and see who you might be oppressing. The best time to feel compassion for another is when you can be empathetic to their situation. So instead of getting put out with the people that "are for what you're for" I'm going to TRY to focus harder on being someone who is FOR YOU, not for what you are for. Even if I think the stuff you're doing is stupid. :-) If you do happen to have some people in your life that are for you, then hold on to them tight. They are a true treasure and I think God everyday that I have those people. They're the best people to have a laugh with when you talk about all the other crazy people in your life!