Let's play a little game. All you girls who grew up in the 70s playing with Barbies will probably get this.

I'm thinking of a 12-inch doll.
She's a brunette one day
and a blonde the next.
This particular doll gets a groovy tan when she's under a light.
And she came with stickers so you could make little tan marks on her body.
She rocked.

Did you guess....


Yep. It's Suntan Tuesday Taylor.

She was my favorite of all the 12-inch dolls. She was Ideal's answer to Mattel's Barbie. And though she didn't last, she continues to be the icon of my Barbie days.

Don't you just wish you were cool enough to don this get-up?
I had this for my Suntan Tuesday Taylor. And she looked amazing in it!
Just as we would, I'm sure, if we had the (mis)fortune of owning this caftan today.
And just ogle those sunglasses for a bit! She had it going on WAY before Sally Jesse Raphael!

My STT also had this bikini with REAL FOIL trim.
Can YOU say that, ladies?

Here's a shot of the penthouse. Not my penthouse. Mine's long gone. But let me tell you that it came with the most amazing set of accessories. I felt like a real sophisticated chica living in New York City when I played with this high-society apartment.

I haven't felt like such a chica since I was about 10.

And here are the doodle stickers you could put on STT's bod to give her the most amazing sun tatoos. Don't tell me you're not even thinking that you could so do this when the sun comes out in June!

In the world of sports:

Today I punched Mr. Dreskler in the face while point sparring.

Yes, I know that's illegal.

And, yes, I had my helmet on right.



In other news:

Here's a conversation I overheard between Camden and Benjy last week. Both were tucked in bed, Benjy choosing to sleep on a cot in Camden's room. He said he missed his big brother who didn't go to school that day since he'd been sick.

Benjy: Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. May angels watch me through the night and keep me in their blessed sight. Dear Lord, please bless Mommy and Daddy and Camden and me and Emma. A-men.

Camden: Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. May angels watch me through the night and wake me in the morning light. Dear God, I want to ask you to bless Mom, Dad, Benjy, and me, and Emma.

Benjy: Camden, Carly was holding your work for you today for me to give to you. It was Carly.

Camden: OKAAAAAAAAAAY.

Benjy: Do you think Carly likes you?

Camden: No. She doesn't like me like that.

Benjy: Yeah, girls are stupid.

Camden: Yeah, girls are stupid.

Benjy: Except grown-up mommies. Grown-up mommies are not stupid.

Camden: Yeah, mommies aren't stupid.

Gee, thanks guys. This grown-up mommy sure loves you two.

Here's my Sunday post from the Simple Woman's Daybook.

FOR TODAY, Sunday, Feb. 22...
Outside my window...a fresh coating of snow with double footprints snaking through the backyard where Camden and Benjy enjoyed a few moments of freezing fun this morning.

I am thinking...how much I'm procrastinating on starting my National Boards renewal portfolio.

I am thankful for...a home, my family, my friends, my dog.

From the kitchen...the day's paint projects from me and the kids are drying.

I am wearing...penguin pajamas.

I am creating...a little house that I hated the color of, so I'm renovating it by giving it a happy whimsical touch of yellow, red, and pink.

I am going...to school tomorrow for the last week of February.

I am reading...a great spy novel that Mr. Dreskler gave me. Hopefully I'll finish it this week.

I am hoping...to accomplish ONE of my portfolio papers this week.........

I am hearing...M*A*S*H reruns 'cause, frankly, I just don't get awards shows.

Around the house...Benjy is snoring, Camden is reading, Curt is making a snack, I am blogging, Emma is thinking about Curt making a snack.

One of my favorite things...is Cornerstone on Saturday nights. The praise and worship songs are the best. And Aaron on guitar rocks.

A few plans for the rest of the week:
* Taekwondo on Monday and Friday, perhaps Saturday.
* We start Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University at church this week.
* I have a teacher workshop to go to on Wednesday in Pittsburgh, so I have to get some sub plans ready.
* Church on Saturday night.
* Camden gets to take his splint off his finger - at last.
* Print some pictures out and get crafty. (ie, use up those scrapbook kits piling up in my grandmother's trunk)
* Lunch duty this week at school. Soooo glad recess duty is behind me.
* Track my weight watchers points - gotta keep it up.

Here are a few picture thoughts I am sharing...

Benjy was inspired by Camden's Little House in the Big Woods project. So he took control of the hot glue gun (he's a natural!) and crafted this with odds and ends. He gave it to his teacher. :)

Oh, to be Emma Louise Dawn for a day.

A stray missile.

Camden's project - the Little House, the woods, the barn. ..... He's so crafty.

See Laura's swing on the tree? Those sticks came from his "climbing tree" in the backyard. Every lick of this was hot glued together by my 9 year old architect. :)

Since Eaglescout won't hijack my blog, I'll do it for him. Here's 

the 

latest 

installment 

of

.

.

.

.

.

.

 _____ Needs.

1. Curt needs to tell it. And if he won't, then I will.

2. Curt needs some wax. Gross.

3. Curt needs some surgery to pitch. Perhaps a lobotomy?

4. Curt needs our support and sympathy. Yes, generally speaking, he does.

5. Curt needs our HELP. He's really lame, apparently.

6. Curt needs to handle new HKWD_KERN_INITP HOOK. This clearly involves his super top secret CIA operative spy work.

7. Curt needs our help right away! This linked to a page with scantily clad nurses with large mammaries holding hyperdermic needles big enough for Jabba the Hut. All the nurses looked happy. I wonder if they know Curt.

8. CURT needs and will take the time and effort to organize, facilitate and make the leadership and resources available to deliver this potential to the ... riders on his bus.

9. Calling all TFF fans: Curt needs your help! TFF = Taekwondo For Free

10. Curt NEEDS Roland. Should I be jealous???

You've simply got to take 8 or 9 minutes to watch this. I promise goosebumps.

Leslie sent this to me on Facebook. Which if you're not playing on, then you should quit reading this right now and go FB for a good bit. But, if you're inclined to stick around, then try this: Type your name into Google with the word needs in quotes. For example: "(your name here) needs". Write the first 10 results in a post.

1) Wendi needs to sort through boxes that are full of craft stuff. (I swear, I swear, I swear, I didn't make that one up. Somebody out there is masquerading as ME!)

2) Wendi needs a new tatoo!

3) Wendi needs to wait a few years to be a successful part of the WWE. (Is this a union of some sort???)

4) What Wendi needs now. The perfect client for me right now is someone who is in the preliminary stages of planning their wedding or event.

5) Wendi needs to get it all together. (That's something to consider.)

6) Wendi needs better writers, because she isn’t knowledgable enough on sports.  (True dat)

7) Wendi needs more sauce on her fishcakes, but Gregg doesn't object to the sweetness of her main dish. (Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww)

8) Wendi needs to fully feed all babies and then reach the level exit, depicted by a Big Sanguinite Deposit. (As titillating as this sounds, this actually came from a gamer's website.)

9) Wendi needs the services of a true psychic so she would have known you were going to say nasty things about her!

10) Wendi's aim is off, again. (direct quote from Chief Master)

Here's an easy blog for ya:

44 Odd Things About Me

1. Do you like blue cheese? 

N.O.

2. Have you ever been drunk? 

I don't remember. hehehe

3. Do you own a gun? 

Yes, a Nerf gun.

4. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite? 

tropical punch

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? 

No, I take a book and relax while the kids are elsewhere. It's like a tiny resort visit.

6. What do you think of hot dogs? 

They are gross. Like a roll of Spam.

7. Favorite Christmas movie? 

Christmas Story.

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? 

Black coffee

9. Can you do push ups? 

yup, and not the girlie ones either

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?

 My great grandmother's wedding band and tiny diamond that Great Grandaddy was gonna surprise her with, till Mom blabbed to Mamaw.

11. Favorite hobby? 

making stuff out of paper and fabric.

12. Do you have A.D.D.? 

Possibly. Certain sounds - like the buzz of flourescent lights - drive me bonkers and I can't concentrate on anything but the bothersome sounds.

13. What's your favorite shoes?

 my Dearfoam slippers my grandmomma gets me for Christmas every year

14. Middle name? 

Leighann

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? 

Where are my slippers???......Gotta get those wild boys in bed.......What am I gonna teach those Tiny Tigers at taekwondo tomorrow morning????

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? 

coffee, diet Pepsi, wine

18. Current hate right now? 

when people don't take responsibility for their life choices

20. How did you bring in the New Year? 

Asleep, duh.

21. Where would you like to go? 

south - home

22. Name three people who will complete this? 

Leslie, Mom, and Jodee

23. Do you own slippers? 

Yes. Many, many, many pairs.

24. What color shirt are you wearing right now? 

light blue

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? 

No. I like fine cotton sheets. But I'd never iron them. That's weird.

26. Can you whistle? 

Uh huh.

27. Favorite color?

 yellow

28. Would you be a pirate? 

Only if I can sing

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? 

I would rather take a bath, but not with a pirate

30. Favorite girl's Name? 

Emmalemmalimabean - my dog

31. Favorite boy's name? 

Michael Weston. Hey, do you watch Burn Notice???

32. What's in your pocket right now?

 I'm in my PJs. When I do wear pockets, I put my hands in them.

33. Last thing that made you laugh? 

Kickin' Curt's butt tonight in taekwondo, even if he did probably let me win.

34. Best bed sheets as a child? 

They were a happy cottony yellow.

35. Worst injury you've ever had as a child?

 I stubbed my pinky toe. Twice. It hurt.

38. Who is your loudest friend? 

I'm gonna have to go with Jodee. :) :) :)

39. How many dogs do you have?

 1 - Emmalemmalimabean, a beagle shepherd mix rescue mutt.

40. Does someone have a crush on you? 

Better be my husband

41. What is your favorite book? 

Oh this is sooooo hard. There's the entire Harry Potter series. There's Beach Music by Pat Conroy, my fave author. There's A Thousand Splendid Suns. I just can't narrow it down.

42. What is your favorite candy? 

Sugar Babies

43. Favorite Sports Team? 

Hokies and Steelers. Not quite in the same league.

44. What song do you want played at your funeral? 

Brick House. hahahaha. I crack me up. OK, John Denver's Take Me Home Country Roads. And you can throw in some Amazing Grace, too.

So I'm feeling the need to blog, but I have absolutely nothing to offer up. Except for a sinus infection which is better left undescribed. So, after searching around the web, I came up with this. It's sort of like a journal entry where I get to fill in the blanks. And I get to do it every week. That means I don't have to think for at least one blog every seven days. Not that I blog every day, but of course, who's counting?

This comes from The Simple Woman's Daybook. She describes it this way: are you content to linger on the simple things of life...then join me in taking a little look into the day plans and thoughts of those of us who are focusing on simplicity...the beauty of the everyday moments around us. That is my vision for this idea!

OK, here goes: 

Outside my window...
It's dark, as it's night time. The winds are calm compared to last night. 

I am thinking...
about Burn Notice starting in 7 minutes.

I am thankful for...
my family.

From the kitchen...
Valentine cookies dipped in white chocolate and covered with red and white and pink sprinkles are cooling. The boys will take these to their classmates with their Hoops and YoYo Valentines tomorrow.

I am wearing...
pajamas. No surprise there.

I am creating...
a blog entry.

I am going...
to watch Burn Notice tonight.

I am hearing...
30 Rock while I wait for Burn Notice to come on.

I am hoping...
that my dear friend finds peace soon. And that she knows how much we love her and her boys and that we know that while life sucks now, it won't always. She will survive. 

Around the house...
the boys are sleeping soundly. Emma is, too. And the carpets are clean.

One of my favorite things...
is eating out. Really.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
...taekwondo Friday and Saturday to make up for missing Wednesday when I was sick. 
...Valentine party at school tomorrow. Did I ever mention that I do not like school parties? I guess it's the change in routine. I don't like them. But I do them anyway. That's what teachers do.
...a special Valentine gift for Eaglescout is on its way here.
...finish reading 2nd Samuel and the latest thriller I Eaglescout gave me.
...weigh in at Weight Watchers. I missed last week, so I'm wondering how I'm doing. I've also neglected to track anything for the past two days. Woops.
...take my meds and get rid of this sinus infection.

Another picture to share...

I ate this today at TGI Fridays. It's the spinach artichoke dip with tortilla chips. Actually, I inhaled this dish. It was that good. I told you eating out was a fave for me. Eaglescout, the Eaglets, LL and I ate lunch here today on my surprise day off from school. I could get used to this.

Camden asked me today: 

Mom, were any of our relatives on the Titanic?

I told him I had no idea. But it made me wonder what urged our relatives to board a boat at some time in the past and make the move to America. I'm fairly certain they didn't use floo powder.

Why then? 

When it would have been easier to stay put. To not risk a dangerous voyage with no room service or poolside drinks or snorkeling excursions.

Why?

When it would have been expensive at best. Deadly at worst.

Why?

Was it a promise? Hope? God?

I wonder.

Because I daily find myself thanking God that I am here. 

In America. 

With the economy in a downward spiral.

With a morning newscast we call the Murder Report.

With drugged-up heroes and knocked-down politicians.

Yes, I am thankful to be here.

Because I think of where I could be.

Where I could be raising my kids. 

Where we could be struggling to merely survive.

And I'm humbled that God chose this place for me and my family.

This promised land.

Happy Birthday, 

Michelle.

I miss you.

A lot.

And your little dogs, too.

.

.

.

.

.

But not your cats. 

.

.

.

.

And now a message for all your dads out there. 

Isn't this the most precious thing you've ever seen?