Baby Bee and her New Christmas Jammies

Grandpapa sent new jammies all the way to Japan from Texas......for Christmas, of course.  Baby Bee's soft and cozy sleeper is in a muted leopard print.

She has deemed this set of sleepwear her "Meow Meow" jammies...

Killer Finds the Silver Lining

Sadly, one of the adorable stuffed Christmas bears we pull out each Christmas emerged from his storage box missing an eye.  Still jauntily sporting a green elf hat, and holding a festive wreath.....he is nevertheless a little worse for wear, only showing a bright red nose and an eye.

Pulling Mr. Bear out of the box, Killer looked at him aghast for a moment, and then took a deep breath before stating,

"Well, that's okay.  We can just pretend the Christmas Bear is winking!"

Killer the Bee Lurns to Spel

In the main bathroom of the apartment, Queenie has placed two bottles: one of hand sanitizer, and one of a fun "Kan-Do" soap that foams up bright green and is nice and easy for tots.  

Mr. Fumble Bumble likes to push the boundaries and always attempts to use the clear bottle of hand sanitizer instead of the kiddie soap that Queenie bought for him- the only reason being that the hand sanitizer is the bottle that is off limits.  (besides being almost completely alcohol- which poses problems in itself for a 3 year old, it's also a rarity around our overseas base where the store may or may not have it in stock when you need it!) 

Queenie is constantly repeating herself by telling him: 

"F.B.!  PLEASE use the fun green soap!  That other one is for Mama's and Papa's"  

Queenie's DH was washing his hands the other day and afterward presented Queenie with the bottle of hand sanitizer, upon which a black sharpie had phonetically scrawled (compliments of F.B.'s brother, Killer):

Fo.

Momo.

and

Popo.

Queenie and her DH must have laughed for half an hour.  Killer not only took it upon himself to label the bottle of hand sanitizer, but had assumed that his three year old brother could actually read it as well. 

Killer the Bee Masters the Engrish Language

Well, it's needless to say life in Japan is unique, amazing, and baffling at the same time.

Queenie finds herself and her little hive of busy bees constantly walking a narrow line of hanging onto American traditions, unwittingly absorbing parts of the Japanese culture, and even trying to instill some Mexican (Queenie's Marine hubby hails from a Mexican town right on the Mexican/American border in Baja) accents into their daily lives.

Even though dear hubby speaks Spanish on a routine basis with the kids, Killer the Bee seems reluctant (and even sometimes confused), because to him, all things "Non-American" are "Japanese", not "Spanish or Mexican".  The only reason for this is because that is what he's exposed to, on a 24/7 basis....the Japanese way of things, grocery stores, elderly folk, flower shops, etc..

At any rate, he was counting the trucks on the expressway (Japanese "inter-state highway")....when he shouted out,

"MAMA!  Look, there are Eareven of them."

Not eleven, mind you.  Eareven.  Queenie howled and hooted with laughter all the way to the next exit.

Her 5 year old, American-Mexican son had just spoken fluent Engrish.

Mr. FB's Plans for the Future

During a recent restaurant family dinner, Mr. Fumble Bumble (age: 3) was asked what he would like to do when he grows up....

Mr. FB: "Hmmmmm....well, I would really like to be a Maween.  Yes, I am gonna be a Maween who fights bad cows.  Those bad cows will be dead."

Queenie: "Awww, that's funny. Bad cows. hahahaha. A Marine like Papa.  So cute."

Mr. FB: "No.  It's not funny.  It's see-wius."

Queenie: "Serious?  Really?"

Mr. FB: "Yes!  It WOULD be see-wius.  It be see-wius for those cows!"

Baby Bee Tries to Smile

Now that Baby Bee has a mouth full of pearly whites, Queenie has been dutifully brushing her teeth each night before bed.  She first animatedly says, "Open up your mouth, Baby Bee!  Say, Awwwww!" So, Baby Bee soon learned to open up her mouth wide.  After brushing all the new molars, Queenie says, "Smile!", to clean the fronts of Baby Bee's little teeth. 

Apparently, Baby Bee carries those instructions along for photos as well. After saying "Smile!!!!", Queenie is greeted by a big, open-mouthed "Awwwwww!!!"

Baby Bee and Baby Spider

Baby Bee just got tucked into bed, all the while she was singing babbling the Itsy Bitsy Spider.   

For some reason, she's positively smitten with that song, and does her utmost best to make her chubby little fingers do the spider walk.  

*so cute!*

Some Credit in the Day...

Uptown Nanny I don't trust because I've never met her, can't afford, won't come because the kids are sick,  am too busy to call for the day: $100.00

5 Star Housekeeper I don't want to see my house in its current state, can't get booked, who would be yet another warm body in our already broiling and crowded apartment: $80.00

Ordering KFC delivery because Queenie is exhausted, frustrated, overwhelmed, craving fried chicken and coleslaw: $18.00

The image of Baby Bee strapped to Queenie's back in a baby carrier while her mommy scrubs a cup of dried sunscreen off the fish tank because Mr. Fumble Bumble was sure that "Beluga the Goldfish" was too hot under his aquarium light: PRICELESS.

Happy 5th Birthday to Killer!

It's a bittersweet birthday for Killer.  His Papa is traveling and is unable to be here to celebrate with everybody this year.  Nevertheless,  Queenie is doing her best to make wonderful memories for the little boy bee. 

She is buzzing with joy because, this year- for the very first time- she can write Killer a note that he will see in the morning....a note that says:

"Happy Birthday, Killer! (well, she didn't write Killer)
I love you.
5!
Love,
Mama"

And he will read it ALL by himself and know that his Mommy loves  him sooooooooooo much. 

When I grow up......

Killer the Bee (Age 4), 

1st day of K5

Bee Family Homeschool 2010

........this marks the beginning of what will now be a yearly tradition for each of the 3 bees. *smile*

A Kitten Named Banzai

There are two Japanese words that have extremely similar sounds.  Bonsai , referring to the pruned and manicured artsy tree, and Banzai, which is actually part of an ancient war cry meaning "May the emperor live 10,000 years!!!".

Banzai the kitten (only 4 weeks old!) is a little firecracker, so of course, his namesake would have to be the word that displays a bit more action and spunk. He was found by a local Marine stuck in a drain pipe, starving and dehydrated.  The base veterinarian coaxed and nursed him, as well as his sister, until they were well enough to go to a new home. We are excited about this little bit of furry nature prancing through our tiny apartment.  

Apparently, he enjoys fighting fires....

and battling dragons and dinosaurs.

A true military cat, Banzai also has an affinity for rifle magazines.

Killer the Bee and the World's First Guard Cat

Mr. Fumble Bumble is attempting to muster up some gentleness...

Even Killer knows Banzai is tiny!

.....and Banzai simply must end the day in his basket snoozing with a cuddly bear. 

Beeism of the Day- Killer Wishes He was All Grown Up

Queenie and her 3 bees went to have lunch at the food court here on base last week.  They were approaching the line, and Queenie gave Killer 2 choices:

"Tacos or Taco Salad, Killer?" Queenie asked.

"Hmmmmmm..." Killer quietly thought.

Then, he continued, "I want Taco Salad.  Because Taco Salad is BIG, and I want to be a MAN."

Beeism of the Day... Stuffed Animal Faves of Mr. Fumble Bumble

Mr. Fumble Bumble has a favorite bean-stuffed animal named Pickles.  Pickles is a leopard, and the manufacturer actually named it Freckles, but to a 3 year old little boy.....Pickles sounds just close enough.

Queenie thought this was humorous at first, and now the name has stuck- Freckles is no longer Freckles to anyone else in the family....Pickles it is.

Today, Mr. FB found a bean-stuffed ostrich from Queenie's kiddie bee days, and when she asked Fumble what he had named the ostrich, he replied....

"Ketchup!"

Baby Bee and her new mascot...

Thanks soooo much to a certain hive in VA for sending little Baby Bee her 1st birthday bee!   She thinks it's just perfect to chill out with....do bees chill out?  Well, this one comes pretty close.  *wink*

Buzzing for Babies....

Last night, Queenie called the base repairmen to please, oh pretty please, come fix her refrigerator which was leaking icky fridge water all over her kitchen.  They weren't able to come until this morning- at 8:30AM...and Queenie hadn't even served the little bees their breakfast yet!  She was glad they arrived bright and early, but scrambled around trying to find something easy to grab from the pantry- tools and repairmen speaking fast Japanese blocked the rest of the kitchen.  Killer, F.B., and Baby Bee ended up getting a breakfast of individually packaged applesauce, graham crackers, and juice from a new jug poured into their water bottles.  (Queenie couldn't reach the cups!)  

It was an eventful morning, but while the boy bees were playing with cars in their room, Queenie was able to tuck in the last strands of yarn on a baby gift she crocheted to give at a baby shower in exactly.....one hour!  She hopes the new baby girl enjoys her lovelies....Queenie wishes she had some in her size! 

"Deep and Wide..."

There's an old children's Sunday School song that goes,

"Deep and wide, 
Deep and wide, 
There's a fountain flowing-
Deep and wide....."

It has a catchy tune, and those same lyrics are repeated several times before the end of the song.  It's one of Mr. F.B.'s favorite tunes, and he can be caught, occasionally, milling around the house and humming it while he plays.

A few days ago, much to Queenie's delight, it was discovered that Baby Bee had just enough hair to pull up into the cutest little top pig-tail.  The baby hairs sprayed out in the most hilarious way, and upon seeing his little sister all dolled up with her new hair-do, F.B. exclaimed:

"LOOK, MAMA!  She has a deep and wide!" 

Queenie expects that was his little way of trying to say her tiny pigtail looked just like a fountain.  She definitely agrees.

Killer the Bee visits the Farm

Killer the Bee visited a farm- a farm in his imagination, that is. 

Today, Queenie was stuck in the hive with a 4 year old who sported a tummy ache, slight fever, and stuffy nose.  She used Adobe PhotoShop in an attempt to bring a smile to his cranky little bee face....the results were successful!  Killer laughed out loud 
when he saw himself smack dab in the middle of his own drawing. *smile*

Episode 2: Summer Pre-K/Kindergarten Fun- Buzzing to a Beat

 It seems that Queenie is daily astonished at the amount of incredible and completely free resources available on the internet- some of which are absolutely perfect in accessorizing a preschool/kindergarten home school education!  Killer and Fumble Bumble are learning piano with their mommy, and since they are both very visual and hands-on learners, Queenie was scrounging around looking for examples to show them of children practicing and performing on various instruments- so that they could see what a "real" musician is like.  One of the resources she found is from PBS, and is astonishingly thankfully available using our Japanese internet connection!  We hope you, dear readers, appreciate a little music culture with your breakfast tea, coffee, juice, milk  nectar as well!

 From the Top at Carnegie Hall

Episode 1: Summer Pre-K/Kindergarten Fun Via You Tube!

Mr. Fumble Bumble's Birthday

Mr. Fumble Bumble, Esq....is no longer a toddling two year old.....this past week he turned THREE!  Queenie and the entire bee family were so blessed to see many friends at his recent "Firefighter Party"- and Queenie was tremendously blessed that a few friends grabbed cameras and caught some precious shots.

Queenie also hopes you readers enjoy the pictures below- happily,  her first attempt with "felt crafting for kids" (the fire vests pictured below) was apparently a success.  Mr. Fumble Bumble had a tremendous time climbing and rolling around with the other kiddie-firefighters.  Thank you to Heidi, Ashley, and Rachel for capturing these darling moments while Queenie was otherwise occupied! 




Mr. Fumble Bumble himself, blowing out the candle for his 3rd year...

"Pin the tail on the dalmatian, anyone?"

The Fastest Firewoman Ever!

Move over, Smoky the Bear....Firefighting may have two new mascots!

F.B.'s brother, Killer the Bee, rescuing something from atop...a perilous bridge, perhaps?

Beeism of the Day (Killer and his Pleasantries)

Queenie's little guy, Killer the Bee is 4 1/2, now.  He is coming into his own, personality-wise, and it is quite humorous to watch.

A day or two ago, Queenie's hubby was getting ready to head out the door to work.  Sitting on the piano bench near the door while lacing up his boots, he asked about his giant mug of coffee.  Queenie was preparing the coffee in the adjoining kitchen, when she heard Killer walk into the living room.  Standing as straight and tall and trying to appear as mature as his 4 1/2 self can possibly appear, Killer said in a deep and serious voice:

"Goodbye, Papa.  I hope you have a looooong day!"

It took every fiber of Queenie's little insect being to not double over with laughter at this point.  Killer was trying his best to wish his Papa a nice and pleasant day.

Queenie guesses that in Killer's mind, when at the conclusion of a very full, busy, and stressful day she sighs,

 "Whew!  What a long day!"

Killer Bee assumes Queenie is using the word long to substitute marvelous, wonderful! 

Awwww.....the things little bees enjoy- maybe Queenie will see her next long day as marvelous, wonderful.

I hope you, dear readers, have an extremely long day!  

When in Japan....

One knows they are not residing in the United States when they plead to the family before dinner,

"Please say nice things tonight, no mean words.  It's a special dinner, please don't ruin it- we're having a big, fresh, crispy salad!"  (when compared to the normal fare which is an assortment of steamed or sauteed veggies, purchased at a lower price)

and emotions involved with the above quote are synonymous with:

"Only peace and joy this evening, fellow diners.....might I trouble you to pass the champagne?" 

Joy in Simplicity...

The below paragraphs were taken from a recent Facebook status that Queenie merely wanted included in her blog- mostly due to the fact that she counts her blog as a journal that is never written.

(Queenie)... is blessed...true, I am not utterly thrilled with our current housing or location, have learned to appreciate the simple things- like a working washer and dryer, food in the fridge, and safety; 

my children are constantly sick (mostly due to the above circumstances) and sometimes it feels like I am missing out on life- but I have been gradually drawn to the fact that it is the smallest things that mean the most in my life- like the look of pure rapture on my son's face when his turtle actually acts like he's listening to him. 

 I never get much time with my husband- but on the other hand, is it possible to get enough time with the person who is your life's breath? I think not, and have come to the conclusion that the amount of time spent together will always leave me longing for more- I cherish each moment of fleeting joy with my children, and I relish each laugh and light hearted moment I am blessed to occasionally share with my husband.

The Bee's Knees

Queenie has dozens, if not hundreds, of some of the most delightful childhood memories with the vintage show, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood"- the antics of Lady Elaine, King Friday, and the many factory/museum outings will forever be warm fuzzies in her memory.


Now, at long last, everyone can view full-length (26) episodes of this excellent children's show online.....for free! 


Finding this just started Queenie's week off on the right foot.  Or insect leg. 

Either way- exciting news for the Land of Make Believe!

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Worth buzzing over to.....

Queenie would just like to share an absolutely amazing blog with you, dear readers.  An anonymous author who describes herself as a daughter of Jesus, wife, mom, and teacher- also happens to digiscrap and practice up on her graphic design in her free time.  Now, that line right there amazes Queenie- if you buzz over to her blog, you will wonder if she ever sleeps!

Chalk full of absolutely darling crafts, ideas, and enticing tot projects, Confessions of a Homeschooler will forever ban the word bored from your vocabulary (if you have ever actually used that term while caring for small children. Queenie personally feels as if she is perpetually buzzing around a blossom that she is not allowed to sit and rest on....so for some reason bored is not a term she fully understands.

Regardless, this site is incredibly fun- whether you are homeschooling, or would simply like to supplement some lessons for your brick and mortar-school-going tot.  Enjoy!

Confessions of a Homeschooler

Beeism of the Day

Mr. Fumble Bumble, during storytime last night (A 2 year old's stuttering rendition of a deep thought):  

"Mama, ......God......Adam........ummmmmm........Joseph......AHHHH (frustrated sigh)....... :(.......me......dinosaurs.....snake.....daniel..........:( I CAN'T SAY IT."

Queenie: "OH! You mean God was there with Adam and made the dinosaurs, AND he was also there with Joseph and Daniel? AND he's here with us? Is that what you mean?!" 

Mr. F.B. (happy smile): "YES!"  

Queenie (thinking to herself): "Oh, his thought pattern is hilarious!"  

(Many thanks to Brandi Picou for this picture of Mr. F.B. himself)

Bzzzzz......It's Reading Time!

Killer is reading.  Sometimes on his own.  At 4 years old, he has finally memorized all the most common sounds that the 26 letters of the English alphabet make, and sounds out words slowly but about 80% correctly.......all day long.  A year ago, Queenie was trying to start the pre-primer section of the 210 Dolch Words (Dolch Word Wikipedia), but Killer didn't quite get the concept, so she gave it another year...

Now, with the letter "sounds" firmly in his grasp, Killer is phonetically starting to read simple story books by himself.  Queenie still thinks it's very important that Killer master the 210 Dolch words, because that will greatly improve his vocal reading later on- he'll know the words by sight and not have to sound them out. (Making story-telling and reading out loud much smoother) 

Did you know The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss was written completely out of the 210 Dolch words?  Just a tiny tidbit Queenie picked up this afternoon while trying to find a fun (free!) word chart to print out for Killer. 

Killer loves hands-on games, so Queenie printed out the first two site word charts from this wonderful site that showcases the absolutely gorgeous artwork of Jan Brett. Dolch Word lists from JanBrett.com Killer cut them out, and Queenie used contact paper to attach them to his clipboard....making a darling dry-erase board.  The game of the afternoon was Queenie saying a word, Killer finding it, and circling it with his (favorite color) green dry erase marker.

Another idea for the same "game" boards that Queenie had were:  putting a small treat (honey nut cheerio, raisin, M&M, etc...) on each box, and Killer gets to gobble up the treat as soon as he says the word correctly.

For Mr. Fumble Bumble (2 years), the bees are working on letter recognition. Queenie found a darling letter chart on this same Jan Brett website.  She attached it to a second clipboard for Mr. F.B. exactly the same way. The dry-erase board concept stays the same- only with letters instead of site words.

Queenie and the bees hope you enjoy this wonderful site that provides oodles of (free!) educational and fun activities for kids.

CORRECTION: For simplicity and ease when cleaning your "dry erase" board, Queenie has just discovered that using Crayola Washable Markers is MUCH easier to clean with a damp paper towel than dry erase markers.  So....that is her new suggestion.  

A Rare Sunny Day...

Here in Asia, whenever you take a photo of someone who is living locally, visiting an historically important place, or just experiencing normal day-to-day life, they are 99.99% likely to flash the "peace" sign in every photo.  

Queenie snapped a quick pic of Killer playing at the park....with a 4 year old's "interpretation" of the peace sign!  This pic was definitely not staged....Killer was just tryin' to be cool. 

Rainy March

It's been raining on Queenie and the 3 Bees....again and again and again and again (exactly how Killer and F.B. describe it) This coming Sunday is Easter (or Resurrection Sunday, for Christians), the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus.  It's important to Queenie and DH that the little buzzing bees learn that this coming Sunday holds as much (if not more!) significance as Christmas Day, which is celebrated with much enthusiasm in this little hive.  

In preparation for this special holiday, Queenie ordered two Easter coloring books- a 2-5 year old one for Mr. Fumble Bumble, and a 5-8 year old one for Killer. Each book tells the story of Palm Sunday, The Crucifixion, and the Resurrection in a way that is completely appropriate for small children.  ChristianBook.com has hundreds of inexpensive, but doctrinally sound, options for teaching children the significance of certain Christian holidays.  For story time each night, we've been reading the coloring books....which might seem odd to you, dear readers, but Queenie realized that the story was well-written for this age group.  Also, it is special to the bees because they can recall the story as they color each particular page.  

In addition to the special Easter coloring books, and because it just won't stop raining, Queenie helped F.B. and Killer make little bunnies to celebrate Spring.  Now, Queenie realizes that bunnies have absolutely nothing to do with Resurrection Sunday, so we've been calling them our "Spring Bunnies". Little Baby Bee even had one made especially for her, with long knotted ears just right for grabbing and chewing.  (Baby Bee's 4th and 5th teeth are popping out, and she is chewing everything in sight!) 

The bees here just thought you readers might enjoy seeing the projects we've been working on- the little baskets with bunnies and cookies were made by this bee hive's occupants to share some Spring joy and sunshine with several special friends also stationed here on our base.  All the bees hope that you, dearest readers, enjoy the following snapshots that add some visual detail to the last few days' happenings.

 

 

Killer the Bee and Mr. Fumble Bumble work with needles and thread for the first time....the results were quite humorous, but at least it gave Queenie a few minutes to cut out the actual fabric for the bunnies! 

The Boy Bees stuff their individual bunnies while listening- Queenie promises this was not staged- to their Playskool Mp3 players with, what else, but their vintage stories!  (see previous post, The Bees Knees)

Baby Bee plays with her finished bunny

Killer and F.B. do some "baking" of their own...(continued below)

Baby Bee joins in the pretend baking fun...

Queenie's late-night (as in, started at 10PM) batch of "Orange Spring Cookies", which was really a gigantic batch of the world's most awesome sugar cookies with orange extract instead of almond extract! 

Straight out of the oven....(around 11PM)

Spring-themed lovelies

Queenie is wishing there were 40 hours to every day so she could have made more bunnies to share!  Unfortunately, she was able to complete enough to fill 8 baskets....maybe next year, she'll start working on them earlier! 

Nevertheless, the bees were excited to share a little sunny bunny joy.

If you, dear readers, are wanting to sew up a few of your own little darlings, the pattern is found here: Revoluzzza

Simply......The Bee's Knees

Queenie simply had to let you dahling (sic) readers know about the swell sight, Kiddie Records Weekly. A few technically-savvy individuals have compiled a collection of hundreds of vintage kid-friendly LP records.  The best part about it is- they have had the kindness to convert ALL of them to MP3, for our (and our kids') modern listening pleasure! 

Queenie is brimming with excitement about this find, and has already uploaded 4 hand-picked stories for her sons' indestructible Playskool MP3 players.  Killer has been listening to his somewhat obsessively.  

I have done extensive flying around this sight, and have discovered just a few glitches that you might appreciate knowing about before hand, to make your listening experience as pleasant as possible.  

Hints by Year: 

2005- the easiest way to listen to these is streaming from your computer.  After clicking on the individual story, stream it by clicking on the separate parts in the "Download Option A".  Downloading may be possible, but it is a different format than MP3, and Queenie found that the boy bees didn't mind listening right by the computer anyways. Clicking on "Audio Stream" doesn't work.

2006- Same as above, stream the story by clicking on the individual parts under "Download Option A".  

 

2007- Exactly the same as 2005&2006

2008- the beloved authors of this sight took a break.  Queenie can't blame them- what a huge collection they have shared!

2009- Whoohoo!  They're back again, and better than ever.  This year makes MP3 downloading a snap.  To listen & download, simply click on the story you would like, and then click on "download image and audio files" at the bottom.  This will most likely save the file(s) in your computer's "downloads" folder.  Cut and past from there into the file of your choice, to keep them accessible and organized for you. The funny thing is, streaming is difficult for this year!  

In case you readers are the least bit curious, the first stories we uploaded were: 

1. Jimmy Stewart narrates "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger" 
2. Johnny Appleseed
3. Tex Ritter Sings Sunday School Songs 
4. Bible Stories for Children

The boy bees have also enjoyed several stories (mainly Rob Roy, which is the story of a Scottish hero- similar to Braveheart; and also Bugs Bunny Storyland, which pretty much describes itself. These are both found in the year 2005)

If you have ANY questions, please contact Queenie.  The authors are completely unreachable, as there is no contact address on the site.  They are quite the mysterious benefactors!  

Please, dear readers, humor Queenie and the Bees with updates about your latest listening adventure!  She would love to hear what your own little munchkin's latest (television-free!) favorite is.

Later, gators............ and Happy Listening!

Beeism of the Day

"...for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart." (Luke 6:45b) 

Queenie is fond of asking Killer and F.B. lots of questions.  Since they are only 2 and 4 years old, it tends to be more in the form of, "Which one would you pick?" or "What's your favorite?"  The favorite question gets asked pretty often, because both the boys LOVE to answer it, and Queenie has seen they really enjoy discovering another tiny portion of their identities.

This evening, Queenie asked Killer what his favorite character from the movie "Cars" is... Killer's answer was surprising, and was given quite a bit of thought before he told her!  The question was actually asked while Queenie was brushing his teeth, so the pause was probably the bubbles' fault!  At any rate, Killer's answer was: The Firetruck.  Not Lightning McQueen, Sheriff, Doc, or even Tex Dinoco (much to Queenie's relief!).

She was pleasantly surprised that Killer had chosen what can only be described as a minor character.  "Red", the firetruck, can usually be found gardening, cleaning, and tending things around Radiator Springs.  He's pretty gentle (another surprising irony, giving that it was Killer choosing him!), and Red really empathizes with all the residents of the town.

Hmmmmm........  maybe Killer's catching onto this whole "you've got to show kindness and gentleness to others" thing.  Sometimes, God shows us teeny, tiny victories in the most surprising and seemingly random ways- and you have to make sure you are watching!

Beeism of the Day

Yesterday, Queenie asked Killer to stand by and help out with changing Baby Bee's diaper (usually F.B. and himself are on call to run for wet wipes, extra socks, etc...)  After getting Baby Bee all cleaned up, Killer asked to snap up her sleeper.  That's his new thing- buttons on his shirts and getting the snaps all lined up correctly.  

"Sure" Queenie said, and hopped up off the floor to busy herself with some other task.

Killer proceeded to very carefully and painstakingly snap each snap closed on Baby Bee's sleeper.  F.B. was sitting next to him, looking on, and not saying very much.  Queenie walked past and glanced over at the 3 bees...

"Look, Mom!"  exclaimed Killer, snapping the middle 2 or 3 snaps, slowly working his way down to the very last snaps at Baby Bee's toes... "She's getting beautiful!"

"I'm a Truck" Book, by: Dennis Shealy

This funny outlook is brought to you by Little Golden Books' "I'm a Truck".  *smile*

Shealy, Dennis, (2006). I'm a Truck. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.

Latest Project....hat for Julie's Baby Boy

My friend is having a bouncing baby boy within a few weeks.  Unfortunately, the 2 youngest bees (F.B. and Baby Bee) are sick with various ailments...bronchitis and a yucky tummy bug for starters.  So, Queenie won't be able to give them at the shower this morning, however, she will make sure her friend gets them as soon as possible!  Thought you readers might enjoy seeing the finished product.  Simple, yes, but Queenie only had a few hours, so she chose to concentrate on the color scheme instead of complexity. 

 

The pattern I used was a freebie from Bev's Country Cottage  I'm usually pretty picky about patterns (don't get me wrong- some women have wonderful luck with them....but I just get so frustrated trying to decode each individual's pattern-writing style) , so I don't use free ones very often...but I thought this turned out quite nicely!  I certainly hope the mommy-to-be is equally pleased. 

Beeism of the Day

Earlier this morning (Monday), Queenie asked the 2 boy bees about their Sunday School lessons from yesterday.  F.B. spoke up right away and went on and on about his Bible story from church.  

It ended up being a pretty cute conversation, so Queenie thought that perhaps you, dear readers, might enjoy it as well. The following is a 

2 year-old's synopsis of "Jesus Calms the Storm" (Mark 4: 35-41)

Queenie (at breakfast on Monday morning): "So............. tell me about your story from Sunday School, boys."

F.B.: "Dar was a BIG storm.  And dey had a boat near da water.  And GOD was in dat boat! And he made de storm get away.  And der were lots of people in dat boat, too.  With GOD in de boat."

I feel pretty....oh, so pretty.....

Queenie simply had to share these snapshots of Baby Bee, taken this afternoon. Dearest readers, please humor a little maternal doting...

 

"Ooooooooooo!   Darling, that camera is fascinating!"

"Who, cute?  Little ol' me? Nah......."

Kisses from Baby Bee

*cue score from West Side Story*   "...I feel pretty!  Oh, so pretty!"

Random tidbits and an Award

Many thanks to Ramona, the writer of Alone in the Holy Land- a strong Romanian woman currently living in Israel and raising a beautiful little girl.  She recently gave this humble little blog it's first award!  You, dear reader, cannot see through the computer screen- but Queenie is blushing.  (Is it possible for bees to blush?)


The first part of the award is to blog about 10 things that most people/readers don't know about yourself.... and then pass the award on to 7 other blogs that have influenced or been enjoyed by you.  

So, without further adieu,  

Queenie's top 10: 

1. I always wished that I could draw/paint/be artistic......I suppose the creativity came out in other ways like music and writing, but......I was always secretly jealous of people who could pick up their pencils/paintbrushes and just spew out the most gorgeous portraits. 

2. I'm TRYING to teach myself violin.  I did play when I was younger (as in, 3 years old) but gave it up for piano.  Currently, my project is to get the darn thing tuned.  Of course, I broke a string on my first try, so I am trying to find a day when the 3 bees are healthy, rested, well fed, and happy to venture out into civilization and pick up some new strings at the Yamaha music store.

3. In highschool, I took 2 years of French.  Then graduated and married a man who is 100% Mexican.  How is that for irony?

4. My top 3 favorite books of all time are: "The Holy Bible, NASB ", "Jane Eyre", and "The Fellowship of the Ring" (before it was made into a movie)

5. My top 3 favorite movies of all time are: "Life is Beautiful", "Braveheart", and "The Sound of Music"

6. In the same stream of thought as the above #5......I played the character of Gollum in a musical of "The Hobbit" while I was in highschool.  Yes, I was Gollum- not a beautiful princess, or an Elf, or even an Ent- much to my chagrin.  I hope to the heavens that I am the only one on earth who possesses a video recording of that performance.  Although, I somehow managed to find a husband, so I don't have to worry about that tape coming out any more.  Maybe Andy Serkis should have called me for some pointers....

7.  I really dislike loud music.  Really, really, really.  Pulsating from subwoofers so far that it's heard in an entirely different neighborhood......the person comes across as entitled and rude. Just sayin'....

8. I have a dream to visit all 7 continents of the World before I die......Australia, Europe, Asia, South America, and North America are down....Russia, Africa, and Antarctica are still waiting on the list!  If I could only get DH to stop traveling for work so much, maybe he'd want to come with me!  Now THAT'S a funny thought....don't think that will ever happen.  He travels with the Devil Dogs so often that the last thing he wants is to take our whole kit-n-caboodle of a hive and go to a different continent. Ahhhh....I can still dream.

9. I would really like to try one of those new Kindle readers.  I kicked and fussed and fumed about how they were taking away the beauty of the written word....and now I want to try one.  They won me over.  Have you seen how SLIM they are?  Beautiful- I can see that slipping into my handbag soooooooooo easily.  They're pricey, though, and pricey is not a good thing for our fam.  At any rate....once I got it, with my luck, it would be obsolete within the year.  Too bad- I thought it was a good thing going.....

10.  I am the world's worst dancer.  Okay, it's in print, so now it's official.  Where's Guiness when you need him? 

And now, ladies and gents, I would like to pass on this award- for which I had no idea that my post about it would take me an hour to write- to.....drumroll, please......the following 7 blogs (their order has nothing to do with the amount of love I hold for each of them)

 1. My Favorite Things I didn't choose this site because it takes its name from a song in one of my favorite movies.  I promise.  But, admittedly, the precious girl sporting a frilly white dress, was a key drawing factor...what an adorable logo! Molly and Danyelle just post the funnest, most unique, and brilliant ideas and discoveries.....it's way more exciting to read each morning than the news!

2. Girl Talk Wonderful, Biblical insight into life as a Godly woman. Each post full of friendly wisdom and practical application. Friday funnies are always hilarious, too!

3. Manners for Modern Mothers Somewhat cheeky, and sometimes said in a way that Queenie *blush* wouldn't say herself, the ladies at this blog really drive the truth home about being polite and navigating our often rude society with strength and grace. 

4. Christian Military Wives chalk full of smiles, encouragement, and good ideas, the ladies who contribute to this blog really have a heart to reaching other military wives.  I love reading their new posts every single time.

5. Artistic Adventures Ahead Alicia is an old friend from elementary school....we got back in touch through the far-reaching facebook.  She is so extremely gifted and blessed- and uses her talents to glorify God.  I love seeing her new projects!

6. Technology for Mommies Exactly like the name.  New posts cover anything from Wii to strange computer words that you know you like to throw out there, but really have no idea what they mean.

7.The Story Spot (Coffee Break) Very recently up and running, without much posted yet- I have insider info that more is coming soon! Young kids (and young at heart) are going to love story time with Mrs. J and get wonderful insight and information about kids, literacy, and reading to your kids. The fun idea of an online story time is itself worth the award- I look forward to many more posts in the future!