Arms the Size of my Three Year Old...

Okay, so last Thursday, the kids and I stopped at Van Dee's ~ the local ice cream shop ~ for a little afternoon delight! It was a warm day and, thankfully, I wore jeans, but I also wore a sleeveless shirt - bad idea. We are sitting at a table, my three kids and I, and a "newspaper man" came up to us and asked if he could get pictures of us for the Johnston Register. I agreed, but specifically asked that he "not get momma in the pictures".

First thing he did was go out to the street to get a far shot of the Ice Cream shop and a photo of us at the table. I was completely paranoid that my "whale tail" would be hanging out for the world to see, but that he would not notice it while editing the photos and then it would show up on the cover of the Register and I would be the "butt" of jokes in the Johnston/Dallas Center- Grimes and surrounding areas for years to come. Thankfully, that did not happen...my shirt was long enough to cover my dirty little secret! (What in the hell is she wearing a thong for anyway? That girls ass is the size of Texas ~ to borrow a phrase from my friend PYi ~ clASSy, huh.)

Anyway, I got a couple of emails yesterday requesting "autographs" for the photos of the family on the cover of the Johnston Register. One from a neighbor guy whose wife would likely divorce him if she knew he even had my email address much less sent me a message (not because she is at all threatened by me, but just insecure of all women) and another from a sarcastic Urbandalite and Hawkeye fan (shout out to Traci ~ my newest reader) who had not even seen the photos yet, but got the "heads up" from her sister in the "surrounding area" of Grimes. I told them both that I would be setting up a table today in our driveway to sign copies. Of course, it would be $1 a piece to go towards the purchase of a personal trainer to get these arms in shape!

Anyway, I had not yet seen the photos, so I made a stop at Casey's and purchased a paper and there, on the cover, in living color, was my adorable kiddies and their "grandma" with her left "arm the size of the 3 year old". Oh, of course the pictures were so cute of the kids, but they really could have done without the close up of me with ice cream melting all over my hands 'cuz there was no way in Hell that I was going to have a picture of me in the paper licking away at an ice cream cone...that would definitely not be a pretty picture ~ UGH! And the wrinkles, oh the wrinkles around the eyes!!! Also, I was sporting the 'burns that bug my husband so much, but it was windy and I had to keep the hair out of my face and had to tuck a bit behind the ear...just didn't get it all back there, hence, the Elvis-like sideburns!

Oh, how I love to pick myself apart. All in all, it was a fun little thing. The kids were so happy to see themselves in the paper and we all had a big laugh over the action shot of Sammy coughing his head off - too cute! Jack and Sam both enjoyed being noticed around town by friends and passersby that had seen us in the paper!

Once again, my husband is going to feel like the "spirit of himself watching on as his family goes on without him." But, we missed him and wished he was there!

Go get yourself some ice cream today. It is a beautiful day for it! I suggest a sugar cone with chocolate ice cream and chocolate dip ~ my favorite!

Speaking of "dip", I gotta go do 20 or so on the steps to get these triceps in order for my next Johnston Register cover!