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the big mama blog

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Just call me Dr. Dobson

Doodle, Motherhood

Caroline has always been an early riser. I can't tell you how many days we have been up and 'at 'em before sunrise or as Caroline says when it's "still darken outside". Really, I blame her father. Sadly, he too is an early riser. It's all about genetics.I heard Tina Fey on The Tonight Show the other night talking about her new baby and she said that the worst feeling in the world is being up for Read More

One week later…paci rehab

Doodle

As y'all know, last Tuesday we got rid of Caroline's pacis. She has done incredibly well and hasn't even asked for them, so I basically dodged a bullet on this one.Last week, we went to this really cool neighborhood toy store because I had promised that once the pacis were gone, she could pick out a new big girl toy, whatever she wanted. This is what she picked.This is further proof that she does Read More

An extravaganza of entertainment

Capital P, Memories

This past weekend the Hunters' Extravaganza was in town. Back in the days when P. and I were young and newly in love, I would go with him every year to survey the veritable wealth of all things hunting related.We would stroll up and down the aisles holding hands and y'all I was so in love that I didn't even care that all the booths basically sold some version of deer urine, ugly camo clothing, or Read More

You say it’s your birthday

Just for fun

Today is my 35th birthday and honestly, I can't believe I'm 35. I know some of y'all are thinking 35 isn't old and it's really not, but it's not an age I ever imagined myself being. Last year when I turned 34, I told P. "You know 34 is really the last age where you sound young." He said "I hate to tell you, but 34 doesn't really sound that young." Oh, he's a smooth talkin' devil.Gulley's taking me Read More

Se habla espanol

Doodle

Caroline and I went to Michael's yesterday to look for some ribbon. She begged me not to make her ride in the cart and since Michael's has these dinky, little carts, I agreed.I'm looking at all this ribbon, completely overwhelmed by all the choices, and she's pushing the cart. Finally, she says "Vamamos Mama, let's go. VAMAMOS". Then, later on during lunch, she ate her peanut butter and jelly and Read More

Can you hear me now?

Just for fun

About a year ago we switched our all of our phone, T.V., computer services to Time Warner Cable. I pay the bills and thought it would be so easy to have one little bundled package that we pay for each month. The only problem...everytime you use the phone, the wireless service on the computer disconnects itself. Our phone service has been so bad that we never use our home phone. We'll answer it and Read More

Turning fashion icons into fashion victims

T.V. Love

I was really going to try to do a Thursday Thirteen today, so what does it say about my creative thinking skills that I couldn't think of one subject to think up thirteen things about? Maybe since I have seven days until next Thursday, I can think of something between now and then. In the meantime, here are my thoughts on last night's Project Runway which is my new addiction (along with Read More

Step 1…Admit you have a problem

Doodle

Yesterday marked the day that I have been dreading for 3 years. I knew it was coming and I agonized, strategized, and theorized on the best steps to take to overcome an addiction problem right here in my home.Hello, my name is Caroline and I am addicted to my pacifier.Oh, it started innocently enough. When they brought my little bundle back into the hospital room after cleaning her up, she had a Read More

Random things that have made me laugh this week

Just for fun

There are a few things that have been said in my presence this week that are too funny not to share. I'd love to somehow weave them into a brilliant post, but my limited writing skills seem to have taken leave. So here they are in no particular order of "funniness".1. My mom came to visit this weekend. She never quite finishes her whole thought on a subject. We were discussing my Read More

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Who is Melanie?

Melanie ShankleMy name is Melanie and, in some strange twist of fate, I’m also known as Big Mama because I started this blog in July of 2006 when my daughter, Caroline, was not quite three years old and I was in the process of convincing her that BIG girls use the potty and BIG girls don’t have pacifiers, thus she thought BIG was the highest compliment in the land and began referring to me as BIG MAMA.Read More

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Events Books The Big Boo Cast Diary Fashion Friday

The Latest on Instagram

Well, we have some news I wanted to share because Well, we have some news I wanted to share because I know many of you are really just here for the Piper and Mabel content. ⁣
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A couple of years ago, Piper contracted a rare fungal infection in her left front paw. It began to invade all her soft tissue and we went to several vet specialists who all agreed there wasn’t any way to treat it short of eventually amputating her leg. We held off on that as long as we could and treated her with meds to slow the growth, but over the last month it became obvious that the foot was causing her pain and it was time. So on Monday, Piper got her left front leg amputated. ⁣
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She’s home now and I’m happy to report that she is doing amazing. Apparently she didn’t get the memo that she is now missing a leg because she hasn’t missed a beat. She’s moving around like a champ and I feel certain she’ll be back to running at the ranch and protecting our home from bearded strangers wearing hats in no time. This is why she is currently on some painkillers and sedatives so she can rest and heal. No one gave her the memo this is a big deal. ⁣
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However, at this point I would like to also give Mabel a sedative because she doesn’t understand why her sister is getting so much attention and is, frankly, a little salty about it. Also special thank you to @alldredgevet who treated our girl like a rockstar.
Back in the high life again. 👍🏻🏈🤍⁣
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I love a bright, shiny football season when the Aggies are 1-0 and the possibilities seem endless. Best time, best place, best people. ⁣
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Thanks and Gig’em.
Twenty-six years ago today we got married. At noon Twenty-six years ago today we got married. At noon. During the hottest month of the year. I give that decision one star, do not recommend. ⭐️⁣
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But we made the best decision when we chose each other because we have lived a lot of life together and still make each other laugh. ❤️⁣
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Also, Perry is spending this anniversary fishing at the coast. And I told him he just needs to remember he already made his best catch twenty-six years ago. 😂
🩵 HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY, CAROLINE! 🩵⁣ ⁣ I 🩵 HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY, CAROLINE! 🩵⁣
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I blinked and my baby turned twenty.⁣
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But the gift that happened when I blinked was my delightful little girl turned into an incredible woman and one of my best friends.🩵⁣
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Wishing you a year of joy, love, laughter and winning Aggie teams. I love you so much!🩵
🥳 Happy Birthday, Gulley! 🥳⁣ ⁣ A couple 🥳 Happy Birthday, Gulley! 🥳⁣
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A couple of months ago, Gulley and I took a selfie at an Aggie basketball game and we wondered how many times we had done some version of that over the years. Here’s just what I found on my phone and this doesn’t include most of college since, well, we went to college in the days you had to take film to Fox Photo to get developed and it was a whole thing. 
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Here’s an excerpt from 𝘕𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺’𝘴 𝘊𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘠𝘰𝘶 that I wrote years ago. ⁣
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“𝘈 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘎𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦: 𝘞𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯, 𝘛𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘦’𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵, 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘶𝘮𝘣 𝘪𝘯 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺.”⁣
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I’m so thankful for every single bit of it and for a best friend who makes life infinitely more fun. 💕 @gulleyfisher
Best cure for the Texas heat? Leave. ⁣ ⁣ Spend Best cure for the Texas heat? Leave. ⁣
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Spending time in the mountains with old friends who have known you and loved you for over thirty years and counting is a great place to be in July. 🤍

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