I Heart Tarjay!

Oh, I love Target! This morning, Derek watched Ella Grace and I went on a few errands. I took a little time to go to Target to browse. I just love that place. I really didn't know what to do with myself, actually being able to look around since I was by myself. I wasn't making a mad dash with a list. I had no list and nothing in particular to get.

I have been wanting to get Ella Grace a purse. I ran through the Toy Department and saw this and knew it was perfect for her. It included all her favorite things...sunglasses, makeup, cell phone, and keys. She loved it, and I have had the best time watching her carry her little purse around with all the treasures inside. It made me think about my mom telling me how much I loved my purse when I was little and whenever she had to discipline me all she had to do was take my purse away. She said it was punishment enough because being without my purse would break my heart. Isn't that funny?!

It won't be long until I will begin potty training Ella Grace. She is already very interested in it and sits on her little potty a lot. My sister gave Ella Grace all of my niece's old baby books and there is a book called "Bye Bye Diapers" that features baby Miss Piggy. It has a picture at the end with Miss Piggy wearing big kid pants. Ella is all about pointing out Miss Piggy's panties. So, I bought these today. EG LOVES dogs and cats, so these are perfect. I think they are about the cutest things I have ever seen.

I am trying to get Evan interested in board games. Right now, he is enjoys computer games more. I picked up this game for him. I think he'll like making the hippos eat the marbles. I have vivid memories of playing this game with my best neighborhood friend, Tracey. I loved it. Maybe Evan will, too.

So, I used my time alone at Target to buy toys for my children! Ha!

I want to thank you all for your encouragement and prayers this week. Tomorrow is the big day and I'm starting to feel a little freaked out. I keep trying to tell myself it is just me telling about Evan, one of my favorite people to talk about, to a group of people that need to know about him. It's helping a little, but as the time draws near I am feeling more nervous. I practiced it a couple of times today, and I cried both times! Now, I'm kind of worried about that. I just don't want to do the "ugly cry" where they can't understand a word I'm saying. Oh, good grief! Ha! I just want to make the most of this opportunity. Thank you all for being so sweet to me. I'll definitely give an update tomorrow.

My friend, Abby, sent this to me today, and I thought it is pretty funny, especially when I think about how many times I've told my mom while taking care of Evan and EG, "Mom we don't do THAT anymore," and her reply is always something like, "Well, I'm surprised I was even able to raise three girls and you all survived." Ha! Maybe you can relate to some of these, too.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's & 80’s!!

• 
  First, we survived our mothers who took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
  
  We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took
  hitchhiking.

As infants &children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster
seats, seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because:

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms.......
WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They
actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
If YOU are one of them CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good ..

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and
lucky) their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!