On Friday morning, P walked in to wake Caroline up for school and she literally leapt out of bed, ran into the kitchen and stood there trembling with excitement and firing off words at a rate that would make the speed of light jealous, while I did my best to match her enthusiasm in spite of the fact that it was 7:00 a.m. and I was slaving over frozen waffles as opposed to lying in bed. The reason for all that excitement was due to two reasons: pajama day at school and a road trip to Bryan/College Station with Gulley and the boys for the weekend.
That was the sixth attempt at a photo and the only one that wasn’t blurry due to ALL THE EXCITEMENT. It was the kind of energy that would make Richard Simmons suggest that maybe you should settle down and I’m talking about the Richard Simmons from the height of the golden age of Sweatin’ to the Oldies.
I picked her up after school and we came straight home because Gulley and the boys were on their way to pick us up. We made one quick stop at a convenience store to ensure we had the proper amount of candy for the trip (You know what excited kids need? MORE SUGAR.) and then we made the rest of the almost three hour drive without stopping. Read that sentence again and let the weight settle on you. We DID NOT STOP for the next three hours. It was a road trip miracle.
However, when Will began asking “How much longer ’til we get there? Two thousand hours?” at fifteen second intervals about twenty minutes into the trip, I banned them from asking any version of “How much longer?” until someone saw the Aggie water tower which would signal that we were about ten minutes away from Honey and Big’s house. I guess the Aggie water tower became like a mirage in the desert because it was astounding how many times they saw it over the course of the next two and a half hours.
We finally arrived at Honey’s and she had a pot of shrimp creole on the stove and some of the best dip I’ve ever tasted waiting for us. In all seriousness, I am sad for all of you right now because I don’t know if you’ve ever had this dip and your life won’t be complete without it. I vow to get the recipe before the week is over and post it because no one should have to live without this kind of goodness in your life and on your crackers or Fritos or what have you.
Nena was also there when we arrived and she’d surprised Honey by making a vegetable casserole to go along with the shrimp creole. Ever since a few assorted cooking incidents, including the time she nearly poisoned her Sunday School class, people in the know are a little frightened by what kind of homemade goodness might come from Nena’s kitchen. I knew all I needed to know when everyone went to serve their plates and no one helped themselves to Nena’s casserole. I think we were all scared because when Gulley asked her specifically what kind of vegetables were in her vegetable casserole, she replied, “Vegetables”.
That’s the sort of vague answer that you just know contains a can of Veg-All somewhere in the mix.
After we all finished dinner, Nena cornered me in the kitchen and said, “Melanie! I want you to taste some of my vegetable casserole while it’s still warm!” And it was at that moment that Gulley, my best friend of twenty years, threw me under the Veg-All bus. She couldn’t even look at me, but I saw her holding in the laughter as she fled the scene. In fact, the whole family fled the scene and just left me there. Alone and defenseless.
I picked up a fork, wondering all the while how I could get out of this situation gracefully, especially since I’m finicky about the texture of my food. Water chestnuts have been known to make me dry heave so you can only imagine my fear of canned mixed unidentifiable vegetables.
Just as I knew my casserole fate was sealed, Caroline yelled out, “Mama! I need you to come help me get in the bathtub!” I was saved by the bath.
The next day I told Nena that her casserole was delicious. In all honesty, I didn’t try the casserole but for all I know it could have been delicious and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.
And then she gave me the recipe which did, in fact, contain a can of something she referred to as Stockley’s Mixed Vegetables. So while I can’t give you the recipe for one of the best dips I’ve ever tasted, I am completely prepared to give you the recipe for vegetable casserole.
I apologize.
And on a perfectly delightful note, this was the front of the Sports page in the Bryan/College Station Eagle yesterday morning.
Yes, it was a total surprise that the Aggies beat Tech in Lubbock for the first time since 1993 (I was still a student at the time so that means it was approximately FOREVER AGO) but the fact that the headline said “Surprise!” made me so happy. You know your football team isn’t quite the powerhouse of yore when the local sports page leads with “Surprise!” when you win.
I have more stories from the weekend, but I’ll have to fill you in later because there’s a line of storms headed this way and it’s just a matter of minutes before Caroline senses imminent thunder and needs to get in our bed and spend the rest of the night kicking me in the back.
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Love the headline! Whoop!
You crack me up. My son was sick with the croup this weekend which won him a pass into our bed. I think I will need new kidneys today I was kicked so many times.
I have to applaud your 3 hours road trip without stopping. That would be like us driving all the way to Knoxville without a stop. I had to let that sink in. Wow.
Please do share the dip recipe. I’ll serve it this weekend.
I’m almost afraid to say this but I have a recipe for a ‘vegetable casserole’ and it does indeed contain veg all AND water chestnuts. It also contains cheese. I’m a person who likes my vegetables right out of the garden (or at least looking that way) so canned vegetables are not my thing. But…this casserole…it is honestly good.
Congrats on the surprise win…we’re Vol fans here who lost a nail biter to Alabama on Saturday. Sigh.
Kids are a great way to get out of things like eating vegetable casseroles, or talking on the phone to someone when you’d rather be watching something you DVR’d.
Love Caroline’s enthusiasm for road trips and pajamas.
Gig’ em Ags!.I did not even attempt to watch after last weeks showing and only saw on Facebook we were winning. Then I looked it up- apparently getting humiliated is a motivator!
So glad you had fun! I love that kids have pajama days at school – I’d be excited too if I could wear my pj’s to work! Although I don’t know if my co-workers would really want to see me in all my sweat pant, tattered t-shirt glory.
Hmm.. maybe there’s a reason we stopped doing pajama days in elementary school afterall?
I have that vegatable casserole recipe too! Eeek!
The water chestnuts…..blaahhhhk!
You did what was right…..walk away!
Anxiously awaiting the dip recipe…
Thanks for my morning fix minus the vegetable casserole recipe.
Just what I needed.
Caroline does look as if she could just out of her PJ’s at any moment. Cute!
ROFL!!! Congrats to your football team and I can’t wait to see that dip recipe!
Congrats to the Aggies (and you for making a 3 hour drive without stopping!). . .my Tigers got hooked over the weekend.
Gig’em!
The Mean Green got creamed. It would be more than a surprise if we won at this point. I love college football.
Pajama day? I’m jealous. Why can’t they have pajama day at work???? haha!!
Whoop! That’s all I can or need to say.
Oh… and I steer clear of vegetable casseroles and almost all canned vegetables.
My kids get so excited for pajama day also. I believe my oldest dubbed it her “best day of the year”! And, the Aggies! Unbelievable. I never would’ve dreamed, but I am beyond thrilled and hope it was a showing like we can hope to see in the next few seasons with our young team.
Even though I was there in real time…..I am laughing all over again as I picture all of us leaving you alone in the kitchen with Nena to fend for yourself. I was so sad when you drove off and it was REALLY too quiet around here. We enjoyed your visit so much! We love you!
I can’t wait to see the dip recipe. And, I wish we could see a picture of Nena. Everyone should be so lucky to have a Nena.
Y’all have the best adventures!
I know, right? How ’bout them Ags?!
Learning about the victory over Tech brightened up an otherwise awkward evening, involving “Rotel Chicken” [ie, pasta, Rotel canned tomatoes, Velveeta and barely-seasoned chicken]. The only thing missing was Veg-All. Of course they insisted we take some home… *sigh*
I had my first vegetable casserole during the holidays last year. I was pregnant and in the stage of everything tasting good and couldn’t even eat it, if that tells you anything.
Too funny! So, did Caroline change her pjs or did she just jump out of bed and was ready to go to school?
“throw me under the Veg All bus” Ha! Hilarious!
I’m an Aggie by marriage (vicarious WHOOP!)
My husband was like a kid in a candy store on Saturday night! We all wore maroon to church on Sunday to rub it in the faces of – er, graciously and humbly console our Tech friends! Rumor is that the game will be airing on tv at noon today where we are. I hear tell from the hubs that we will actually be recording the game to keep for posterity! Gig ‘em!
I am crying over here in Alabama! i especially love the link to the poisoned muffins!
I once had a patient’s mother make “porkchop casserole” for me and the other RNs. It involved fried porkchops put in a glass dish and smothered with cheeze whiz & veg-all and topped with butter and ritz crackers. Since she kept frozen pizzas in the closet of her son’s room I pretended to taste it and was saved by the call of another patient! One of the others was not so lucky and spent alot of her shift in the bathroom.
It is so unfair that it’s a big adventure when kids where their pajamas all day…
But when I do I am the human equivalent to a can of Veg all….oh to be a child!
Thanks for the giggles on a dreary Monday morning!
(((Smooches)))
Congrats on the BIG win! Wish I could say the same for my team. Oregon State tried but couldn’t beat USC. RATS! Sorry about your back. I tell my kids that I can kick harder than they can and that usually solves the problem right there.
oh my word, this totally cracked me up – especially the richard simmons part
Here’s you a completely random comment: I went back and clicked on the link for “Nena” to refresh my memory and was reading the part about the knife that said “Kelly and Randy 1980″. Randy Owen, of the group Alabama’s wife is named Kelly. I met them when their son and my son played college baseball together. I’m not sure when they married, it was around 1980, but they are still together and I couldn’t fathom how their knife would end up in Texas. But what if, huh?
Your post jogged a memory for me–I had my own little cooking disaster one time and my husband’s family will never again eat one of my pumpkin pies. Nuff said. Just call me Nena.
Dang! I love me some vegetables…but I’m with you. No can do the can do
Glad y’all had a fun weekend!
AAAhhhn I would just love for your Caroline and my Tanner to get together but since he is for sure to be a HOG and she an Aggie, I sense its not that likely.
We cant seem to go an hour away without a trip to at least one bathroom. Anyways….sounds like a fun trip!!
Steff
That was great. And since my husband was a Tech grad and flew down to the game in Lubbock over the weekend, things are pretty grim around here.
Loved the pic of Caroline.
The pj picture is one of my fave’s! Love a gal with enthusiasm. Richard Simmons comment flat out cracked me up! Veg-All! I think I dry heaved just reading it. Hilarious!
i think pajama day is awesome in theory until lunch, when you have time to think about how long exactly you’ve been wearing the same clothes.
whoop!
Caroline’s face is just exuding joy! It looks as if it is Christmas morning! She is too cute. Isn’t it amazing how something as simple as wearing PJs to school can totally pump kids up?
I slaved over frozen waffles this morning, so I feel your pain, especially since I had to be at work at 6:30 AM for a meeting which required me to leave my home at 6:00 AM. That is way too early to be slaving over anything. When arrived at work said meeting had been canceled! Yup, nothing like letting us know the night before so we could actually wake up after sunrise!
I must say that though, that if a trip to Aggieland was coming up at the end of the day that I would have had a smile on my face! The win was definitely a huge surprise. Only the Eagle would make that the headline though! Were you actually at the game? That would have been so fun to be there for! Instead my hubby & I listen to Dave South’s radio show of the game via the Internet! WHOOP!
I can’t wait to get the dip recipe… I’m all about the dips lately. I’ve been trying to justify them as a meal quite often lately. Scary, considering the main ingredient in most of them is cream cheese!
I love your Richard Simmons comparison…too funny!
Yes… the Aggies won. I was SHOCKED! I was not expecting it (no offense). I cried (sad tears). People at work laughed at me. No need to rub it in. : )
Caroline looks adorable! I remember when I was in 1st grade and we had Pancake/PJ day!!
We had our own “Nena,” my friend Trina’s grandma, God rest her soul. She once told me that if I was hungry, there was a pot roast right behind the back door. And there was. In a roasting pan. Cooked (hopefully) sometime that year . . .
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