Leap Day and Okra Gumbo

It's Friday. During Lent. And I've already screwed up and eaten meat. Bacon, of course. And when The Tall One and I discovered what we'd done, I think the words out of his mouth were, "Shit. Just ate meat." He was feeling very churchly and reverent.

One of the items on today's school lunch menu is okra gumbo. The boys' Grandmommy saw that while she was visiting last week and exclaimed, "OKRA GUMBO!?! Surely that's on the TEACHER'S menu!" We couldn't figure what kid would actually choose the green and red slime over the beauty of Red Jell-O and we surmised there was probably a lot of gumbo left over.

On the way to school this morning I was telling the The Big One that his Girl Cousins Whom He Idolizes are going to camp in another state this summer and when Younger Teenage Cousin was asked to rank her pasttimes from 1-23, she chose photography as her favorite thing. "You mean she didn't put TEXTING as her first?" And he was sincere. Not w/ smart-assy intonation like an adult might've used. TEXTING is a skill. And she's good at it. And that's what summer camp is all about.

I'm in complete agreement w/ the votes on American Idol last night except for one. I think SHE should go home. And SHE should stick around and play for awhile. One of the coolest things about using our DVR to watch Idol now is that when I'm playing it back, The Tall One usually sits and watches with me. It's so much more fun to "share." He thought the guys were more talented than the girls and thought this LITTLE FELLA sang "imagine" BETTER than Lennon. That seems sorta sacriligious, but he WAS good. And he made Paula cry. Which isn't hard.

And, I've got to vote today. The last day for early voting. I am usually an Election Day kinda girl, but the stakes are too high this year to wait ... just ... in ... case something kept me from the polls on Tuesday.

Personal politics aside, I think it's cool that Texas is such a big damn deal this election year. No one has bothered w/ us for the past eight and now we're all over the national news. And we're important. Like Florida and California. They all "want" us. Let's don't screw up. Stand up straight. Don't pick your nose in case some TV camera is lurking. And VOTE!!

And I'll leave you with BabyLegs. The Baby Girls joining our family this year (by way of NOT this mama!) will be sporting these fer shur. (So, don't go buy yourselves any, Baby Girls!) Had BabyLegs been around when my boys were crawling and wearing onesies, I fear they would've worn them in every color. Same goes for those little moccasin baby shoes that you see in every possible flavor ... Robeez? Is that the name? Thank goodness those came along after MY boys' baby days. And if you agree w/ the BabyLegs cuteness, don't go to Babies R' Us to buy them. A version of them appear on the Babies Web site, and NOT as an online item only, but the employees couldn't find them in the store, didn't know what I was talking about ... or CARE. Never left their chairs or computer screens to actually LOOK. Quite possibly the worst customer service I've had in a long while. (And, plus, they didn't open their doors until a full SEVEN minutes past the posted store opening hour.) And when I tried to order them online? $12 shipping! Puhleessse!

Found BabyLegs online at Target, of course. The happiest, shiniest store in the world. Free shipping. And you can't appreciate the cuteness of them all flat on your computer screen, but you can here ... all full of baby legs. (Thanks for turning me on to these, Jenny, who I don't know but admire for her writing and her mothering. Keep up the good work!)

Enjoy. Both your day and your weekend.