There Is No Place Like Home....

OH my Goodness Dorthy couldn't be more right "There is no place like home!!" I am sooooo pooped, but had a truly wonderful visit with all of my Kiddos and Grand Kiddo!! We stayed up late and visited. Once again there were kids bouncing into my room at 7:00am to plop themselves at the foot of the bed for a bit of conversation,planing out the day and sips a Mom coke!! Mom coke???? Oh yea they are the best! I have always been a heavy user of "real" Coke-a-Cola ( none of this icky diet business!) in a tall glass full of ice. It's how I get my morning shot of caffeine.

Well when the kids were small there was a no soda except for very special occasions rule in our household. My kids were okay with the concept of there are different rules for parents and kids. So very early on they thought they had found a way to get around the no coke rule by waiting until after mom had taken a couple of sips of coke and the ice started to melt. Then one at a time they would ask if they could "have a sip of your coke Mom?" Of course I always said "yes you can have a little one" They were sure they had outsmarted the mom, but she knew that by the time she let them have their sips there was more melted ice then coke in the glass. ;)

As they got older they started calling my coke "A mom coke". But it could only be considered a mom coke after I had a drink from it. Or they would offer to fix me a mom coke if they could have a sip of it. Even to this day they still ask if  the coke is a mom coke and could they have a sip! :) What would life be without those funny little  family traditions and rituals we create? They make our life so much richer, and bring that comforting warm fuzzy feeling we all long for.  How about you guys what little family traditions or rituals does your family have?? 

What did I do while I was gone??? Oh I shopped and I shopped and I shopped a bit more. I was able to find everything on my list except for the cotton chintz type fabric. It was no where in town. I went to the huge new Joann fabric and craft store. There were bolts and bolts of material lining the walls of every color in the rainbow There were plain, stripes,small pattern calico type,tie dyed,figured,polka dots,you name it, they had them all.

Except for those lovely cabbage rose, English type chintz. :( Every bolt of fabric in there was for quilting!! No kidding!! When I asked how come, I was told that the American working woman doesn't have time to make their own clothes. The only sewing they do any more is craft sewing, ie quilts. And the English rose,flower type patterns have fallen way out of favor! :( Who'da thought?? 

Ah but the most important things I did and the time I spent was with my little famdamily!! We had a birthday BBQ for my youngest (25) son's birthday Little Dylan had a great time at his uncle's party.

You never know he could be the next Beethoven??

     Uncle Anders I'm helping to blow out the candles!

Yuuuummmm I can really get into this cake!! It's soooooo good!!

But you know, no matter how wonderful it was to be with all my kiddos I was soooo ready to come home to the one person in the world who holds my heart next to his with his incredible loving and caring hands! Oh There is no place like home!!

More show and tell of the wonderous things I found in the Northlands, in a few days when I get my "slightly" over weight bags unpacked! Until then my very much missed Bloglandian family, have a most audacious art filled day, no matter where you are in the world   p;)