Enjoy the Journey

Stinky, Stinky, Stinky

2011-05-13T21:22:00.002-05:00

About two weeks ago, the kids and I were headed to a friend's house for a photography session. I had felt a tad queasy all morning, but that's nothing too unusual. As we pulled up to a railroad crossing, a train starting coming our direction with it's steam blowing. Big E was in the middle row, so excited he was literally shaking the car. I knew it was coming and I just didn't know where to put it. I searched high and low for a plastic bag. There's usually a ton of them lying around - when I don't need them. Under the third row seat, I saw a paper sack, and with all the voice I could muster, asked the kids to hand me the left over Easter bag. It soon held the eggs I'd had for breakfast instead of the pretty kind.

Meanwhile, the train was still rumbling by and we were surrounded by other vehicles. I just kept chugging along, too. When the train had finally passed, I knew I had just moments to dispose of this bag before it completely disintegrated. I pulled over and hid it in the woods. My pants were drenched, and I figured my friend would prefer that I not show up in this state. So, back home we went. I cleaned up and changed. I had spent all morning ironing clothes, combing hair, and by golly we were going to get those pictures taken.

We were over at her house for about 30 minutes when my episode continued. Homeward bound . We did get the pictures (which I will post at a later date).

All this just so you could understand today's predicament. We got in the car this morning and it REEKED!!! Let me say that again. It R-E-E-K-E-D!!! The funny thing is that we had just spent 6 hours in it the day prior and no one noticed anything. Think curdled milk x 1,000. We were on the way to school with the windows down flying down the freeway. It still stunk. All I could imagine was that the previous experience must have some how reached it's ultimate st inkiness. I couldn't even drive it to pick up the kids. I preferred to cram us all in the truck instead.

I finally got a chance to clean it out tonight. I Febrezzed, steam cleaned, and Llysoled until my head started feeling funny from all those fumes. Something kept telling me to keep looking - just to be sure. I lifted each seat. When I lifted Big E's, I almost died. No, I think I did for a moment. Lying under his seat was the nastiest, most rottenest, horrible smelling tomato I had ever seen. I started thinking about when the last time I had bought a tomato at the grocery store and I knew it had been a few weeks. Where did this thing come from??

That's when Eric invited the kids to come out and see the object of odor. Pods said, "Hey, that's the tomato Memaw gave to Big E." I'm sure she was joking and said, "Hey, you want this tomato?" thinking it would gross him out. Big E was probably excited to get something. And I almost died as a result of this incident. Rotten tomato!

A New Year. A New Adventure.

2011-01-29T21:49:00.004-06:00

Well, now that it's almost February, I suppose I should update the blog for January.
Here are the top moments of 2011 so far...

1. Biggins getting upset about having to go to church and looking at me with his angry eyes and saying, "I don't want to be a Robertson anymore!"

2. Bubbie: "Mom when I grow up and go to college, I want to be a dad. That way I won't have to go to work."

3. After touring the Acme Brick plant, I asked Bubbie if he had any questions. "Yeah, what do brick makers eat for lunch?"

4. Biggins and Frijole were discussing the all important birthdays. Biggins said, "I'm six." Frijole said, " No. You have to eat two more birthday cakes to be six."

5. While waiting in a checkout line, an older gentleman in front of me turned and faced us and then turned back around to his wife and said, "I don't know why anyone would want to have so many kids." I only had three of them with me. We prayed for his dear soul that night.

6. Cinnamon gummy hearts have hit the shelves again. Favorite thing about this time of year.

7. We endured one snow day so far....more to come.

Treasures of the Heart

2010-12-21T19:24:00.003-06:00

The Bible amazes me. I'm fascinated by the fact that one can read the same story a zillion times and gain new insight every time.

During the season, I've spent time reading the Christmas story in the book of Luke. The same story that is read every year. However, this year, one little sentence just grabbed me. While in the manger listening to the shepherds explain what the angels had told them, "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:9).

I remembered when I gave birth to my first and everyone was so excited to meet her. The room was packed with visitors waiting to see the new baby. I was so proud and elated! I cannot begin to imagine the emotion Mary contained when unknown shepards appeared and confirmed what she already knew. She treasured the moment, and kept it close in her heart.

Later, in Luke 2:41, when Jesus has grown into a boy, he stays behind and listens to teachers, while his parents begin a trek back home. After realizing that he is not with them, his parents anxiously went back and searched for him. As any parent would do, they questioned why he had done this to them. He answered, "Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?" and then returned obediently with them. Again, (v.51) "But his mother treasured these things in her heart."

As a mom, I love taking mental photo's and thinking, "I want to remember this moment forever." Little giggles, silly faces, looks of accomplishment, even pouty faces are among my favorites. When my kids are grown, I want to look at them and have a flood of memories of their childhood - the moments that got them to where they're going. I want to see all of the years gone by, but yet relish the moment of the present. I want to treasure these things in my heart the way Mary did of Jesus.

Conversations With the Tooth Fairy

2010-12-11T21:30:00.003-06:00

Pods lost her seventh tooth. Mom forgot to do the deed. Pods came running downstairs the next morning to let me know that the Tooth Fairy did not come to visit. Mom tried to explain that maybe she was incredibly busy the prior night. Pods explained that she had tried to trick the Tooth Fairy by placing a piece of candy where her tooth should have been. Mom was off the hook. :) And so began the conversations with the Tooth Fairy....

She carefully wrote the Tooth Fairy a sweet note asking to keep her tooth. The Tooth Fairy wrote back, congratulating her on her "loss" and letting her keep the treasured tooth. She still got her dough.

The following night, while turning out her lamp, I noticed another little note to the fairy. So, the good little fairy wrote her back and left a little fairy dust behind while reminding her to brush up. Oh, the excitement in the morning!

To my surprise, on the third night, Pods created a little bed beside her own, complete with a note asking the Tooth Fairy for more fairy dust. On the pillow lay a little crown made out of wire. How precious is that? Almost as precious as Pod's face looked the next morning when she found curly hair intertwined in the little crown.

Sweet little notes and all sorts of little treasured have been layed out for the Tooth Fairy. She has received Christmas ornaments, money, and crowns of all kinds. Every morning, Pods wakes up to discovered the magic that took place while she dreamt.

I think I'm having the most fun! It's like finding a little Christmas present each night and getting to see that gleam on her face each morning.

The Ant Farm

2010-10-14T20:07:00.002-05:00

Since we are homeschooling, I find it to be the perfect opportunity to let our children experience things "in real life." We needed an ant farm. The kids needed to see how ants live. I needed to see it. In real life. Better yet, I found a whole lesson on how God tells us to be like the ant, and not lazy in our work. This was going to be great! I bought the ant farm and ordered my ants. Not just any ants. Harvester ants. The big ones.

I got my ants and in the "farm" they went. This was one of the most interesting things I have ever seen. Those little critters got right to work digging their tunnels. It was amazing to watch them work. They never slowed down. The kids were fascinated and so was I.

All was good with the ant farm. Until, I left for the day. I got a "free the mom" day with my sister at Canton. After returning and having a somewhat restful slumber, I noticed a rather large ant walking across my bedroom floor. We don't usually have critter issues, so I just wrote it off to the weather. A few hours later, I noticed another large ant looking confused and alone on the living room floor. This could not be what I thought it was. Oh, yes. Another story to tell in twenty years. The day the kids opened the lid on the ant farm. Thankfully, I was not the one in charge when this one took place.

And by the way, most of the ants were still in the farm. The rest have a very short life span and are probably in my vaccum by now. Let's hope.

Fall Fun!

2010-10-14T19:45:00.007-05:00

I'm getting really good at blogging once a month. That was never my intention, however. Part of my dilemma is that my hubby and I now have separate computers. You'd think that would be a good thing. The problem is that all my pictures are saved on his computer and I HAVE to add pictures to my blog. So, I have to wait until he leaves town to catch up. Unfortunately, by then I have forgotten that moment that I intended to blog about. And that's why I blog only once a month.

I absolutely love fall. It is now my favorite season. Life is structured - as structured as it gets, anyways. The kids can go out and run without having a heat stroke. The holidays are upon us. It's all good. Most importantly, it's time for the state fair tradition!

Pods drew a picture of herself holding hands with my mom's man and a Ferris wheel in the background. Eric was happy to join us after realizing that he was going to be replaced during this memorable experience. The kids were in hog heaven when they got to sit up on the big tractors. Mommy and Daddy were not in hog heaven when they stepped in the pig poo. Picking out their favorite color car was fun, too. Not for the people trying to keep the car's windows clean.

They saw Big Tex and weren't as in awe of him as last year. Everyone had their eye on the Texas Star. It was going to cost us $45 to ride this giant circle around twice. So, the oldest two got to ride this year with their dad. Suppose I'll get to take the younger two next year. :) That should be exciting!

Ready, Set, Here We Go!

2010-08-19T22:07:00.002-05:00

I've spent the last two weeks making sure the next ten weeks are full of activities. The ironic thing is that we try not to be "one" of those scheduled families. Ten weeks won't kill us, right?

Homeschooling allows us a lot of "together" time, which is why I like to give the kids some time to pursue their own activities. Since our days are quite flexible, it also allows our activities to be flexible, too. I love that the kids can be involved and that we can have dinner and evenings together every night.

So, here's the extracurricular run down:

Pods: piano, soccer, Faith Keepers, and church choir
Bubbie: soccer, baseball, church choir
Frijole & Biggins: soccer

They all get to play soccer because it was going to cost the same whether two or four played. You better believe I signed them all up. Free energy depletion!

Baseball is our only evening and weekend activity...but because Bubbie loves it and so does his momma, that will be okay. :)

School starts September 10th. Another exciting year lies ahead!

Where has the Summer Gone?

2010-08-04T20:39:00.005-05:00

This summer turned out to be nothing like what I envisioned. That's probably a good thing... for the most part. June started with a tenth anniversary get-a-way for my Honeymooner and I. We took a quick trip to Hot Springs...nothing fancy. We're saving that one for when we don't have to make arrangements for all the kids - and when I get a new passport.

The following weekend, I hosted a baby shower for my new little niece - who will be arriving in the next few weeks. We're very excited to have some pink around!

Eric's big 40th took place the next weekend. It was a fun little shindig. I think he enjoyed it - which made it worth all the trouble. :)

Our little Podderiffic turned seven one week later. She's growing up so fast! This is a great age!

Independence Day was celebrated next.

Twelve days later, Bubbie celebrated turning five. He's getting so tall and is becoming quite the gentleman...well, except with his brothers. He must reign "King of Boy-ness" over them.

Followed by a week of VBS.

Throw in a few days at the water park, visiting museums, playing in the sprinklers, friend's birthday's, cook-outs, library visits, and a garage sale and there went our summer.

The month of August is going to be used to get us back in the swing of life. And the kids just started sleeping a little later.. 7am.... Oh, well. We just started a new curriculum and the kids are loving it! They all got to learn the meaning of their names. We have studied the Vikings, Leif Erickson, and Eric the Red. Today we read about Christopher Columbus and made boats out of foil. Our very own Nina, Pinta, & Santa Maria. Then, we sailed them across the bathtub blue. It was so fun and what memories will the kids have!

And that's where summer has gone....

Why do I do this to Myself?

2010-08-04T20:35:00.002-05:00

For some reason, every time I get around to posting, I think, "Oh, it would be so fun to freshen up the blog again." Aaarrrrggg!! One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I had designed this adorable little background. Has the kid's pictures and all. I followed the cut and paste directions to a "T" with no success. I have spent days on this with no luck. So, until I get this current issue resolved, you get to look at this festive fall background with an un-centered header. I apologize.

Baseball Season Has Arrived!

2010-04-14T21:09:00.002-05:00

This is the first year Bubbie has had the opportunity to show us his skills. Blastball is our newest addition to the family schedule. It's a chance for the little ones to learn how to play baseball. Very basic. They have to hit the ball and make it to first base, which is like an over-sized whoopie cushion. What little boy doesn't love that? Bats, balls, and obnoxious noises.

Bubbie has his dad's baseball skills - which are actually quite good. In fact, we have to make sure he lets the other kids have a chance to catch the ball. If no one seems to be reacting (fast enough for him), he takes care of it no matter what his position.

At his last game, he hit the ball and somehow it came back toward the line between home and first. He just kept running, hopped over it, and made it to second - no problem. I guess the fact that there's always flying objects in our house is finally paying off. :)

Bon Jovi, BABY!!!!

2010-04-12T16:34:00.006-05:00

Seeing how I'm about to turn 35, I think Bon Jovi is a great

way to kick off my midlife crisis. I can't believe April 10th

has already come and gone. I really need it to come again

and soon!

Here's the 4-1-1....Sixteen momma's gettin' all hot and ready

to rock all night. It takes a lot of prep work at this age. Got

to get the tan, nails, hair and all the other fake stuff

into position. Hoppin' in the mini van and heading to Big D

for a night of fun!

We all met in the West End - it's been at least a decade

since I've been down there! Dinner was served up at

TGI Friday's. It was a fabulous night to sit outside!

We ladies had ourselves a blast sitting outside enjoying

the perfect evening.

After dinner, it was time to hop on the Gator bus. This

was definitely the most fun bus ride ever! It was covered

top to bottom with autographs, and we made sure we

left our marks. Jovi was blasting and we were rockin'

all the way to the American Airlines Center.

We knew we had some cheap seats, but we were not

expecting to be in the VERY top row!! We were split

into two groups because of the way we had to purchase

the tickets. The other girls were about ten rows ahead

of us. hands were literally grabbing the cup holders.

How were we going to dance without falling on

our heads?? The concert started and we adjusted. You

gotta make the best of it, right?

Early in the concert, a lady came up and asked us

how many were in our group. Eight was our lucky

number! She had eight tickets down on the floor!!

Talk about some ecstatic women!! We ran, screaming

all the way, down to our floor seats! Doesn't get better

than that!!

That hot 47 year old Jersey boy can sure put on

a great show!! We rocked. We swayed. We were

so sore by the end of the show!! He is a classic! A

great performer and I can't wait to go the next concert!

As for me and the girls, we're still recovering. It takes

a little longer at our age, but that's okay. We just relish

it longer!

Snow?? Seriously??

2010-03-21T21:18:00.002-05:00

Today was the first day of the season of which I live for it's arrival. Spring. The kids and I have already refilled the flowerbeds with new dirt, preparing them for a bounty of flowers. Thankfully, we delayed buying them because the vacuum fell on my foot. Long story, but basically my foot hurt so bad we didn't make it to the store before it hit. Yes, ANOTHER snowy day here in Tejas. That's our fifth snow of the season. I am tired of snow and ready for sun.

It's kind of humorous because I spent four hours one night two years ago, trying to figure out how to make it "snow" on my blog. This year I got it, but now I can't figure out how to turn the darn thing off. That's why in July, it will still be snowing on here. I'll probably like it then.

March Update

2010-03-11T21:20:00.003-06:00

I'm really getting behind on this whole blogging thing. So many funny things are happening and I am neglecting to keep record of them. Here are some recent stories that I can still recall after indulging my red wine ice cream float....

Mr. Bubbie has been refining his back-talking skills lately. He walked away from me the other day mumbling some choice words. I called him on it. In the sweetest voice a four year old boy can have, he said, "Oh, it was nothing mommy. I was just talking in Spanish." Se habla red bottom.

Pods has lost her second tooth (3/10/10). She is looking quite holy these days.

Biggin's speech is coming right along. His speech therapist was working with him the other day. She was verbalizing the activity he was working on and evidently he had had enough. He looked up at her with a mean face, teeth clenched and told her to "STOP IT!" Never interrupt a man when he's working. Potty training is moving right along, too!

Frijole, well, he just thinks everything is funny. "Is that funny, Mommy?" He's also been very talented with the Expo markers lately....carpet, walls, bookshelves. He likes to color outside of the lines.

Happenings & Mishappenings

2010-02-02T20:50:00.007-06:00

There have been loads of changes going on at our household. That's the explanation I have for not blogging more anyways.

Our sweet little Bubbie, who is now four years old, has learned to write his name. I am thrilled, except for the fact that he has labeled the house. Each step leading to our upper level has been graffitied with his name as well as his bunk beds, dresser, and wall. To welcome his friends to his room, he even included a "mat" so they would know they were in the correct place. Unfortunately, he chose a permanent marker as the weapon of mass destruction. I've researched, googled, and basically tried everything to remove it. It has become lighter, but that's about it. I love going to web-sites only to see..."that's why they call it permanent." Really... He did survive the consequences. And yes, his future wife will see it someday.

I can report that Big E has been doing a great job in underwear. Hallelujah!! There is hope! He's been very proud of himself! And I am so proud of him, too! Still likes to push buttons...real ones and mine.

Holy Man...could care less about potty training. All this kid wants to do is play UNO and identify letters and their sounds. No kidding, the first thing out of his mouth each morning is, "Mommy, play UNO game?" He knows every letter and their sound. He even tried to write some of them during school the other day. I'm going to work on spending more time with him and maybe he'll be reading soon....in diapers, of course.

Our little Podderific is growing up. :( She lost her first tooth on Saturday. She was trilled! We were happy for her. We had made a tooth pillow a few days earlier and she was so excited to get to use it. She's a big girl now!

I have more stories to tell, but after looking at that last picture of Pods, I'm going to do the same.

Nighty Night!

My New Year's Addictions

2010-01-26T20:04:00.005-06:00

So, instead of making resolutions this year, I have opted for addictions. They seem to be a lot more fun, anyways. I've never really been addicted to anything, so this is a whole new territory.

Flair. Who would've ever thought tiny little "buttons" would be so addictive! There's cute ones, symbolic ones, and ones that make me laugh out loud. I think they are such a fun way to showcase your personality on Facebook. These are a few that I have..

The Bachelor has also found it's place amongst my latest endeavors. I've never been a fan because I'm not one to enjoy watching people make out over and over on TV. However, the latest bachelor is from my town and went to high school with several of my girlfriends. Yes, I have asked them, "How on earth did you ever pass him up???" He also seems to be a "gentleman" compared to the previous men. I have to tune into Jake every Monday night just to see the drama unfold. Rumor has it around here that he ends up with no one. We'll just have to wait and see...

Can't wait to see what other addictions this new year holds.....

Pricey Pedi

2010-01-02T20:44:00.003-06:00

I had a gift certificate to get a manicure and pedicure. Well, it had actually expired a week prior, but thanks to a conversation with my husband, I was actually going to get to use it. I decided that since my fingers and toes were going to look pretty, I should try to make the rest of me match...just for the day. So, I waxed my eyebrows, shaved my legs, did my hair, and make-up...all that vain stuff. I left the house with just a tad more self-confidence.

Forward to the beauty treatment. I'm sitting in the chair while a lady works on my fingers and a guy is working on my toes. The lady starts telling me that I have beautiful nails. What? I think I've had this nail polish on since Halloween and my cuticles were peeling off like my boys on their big wheels. Anyways, she goes on to tell me that a French manicure would look beautiful and make my nails look longer. Since I was having a vain moment, I said, "sure." Next thing I know, she's staring at my eyebrows. She said, "You need eyebrow wax. Your brow all messy. I clean them up for you." Seriously?? I had just fixed them! Within five minutes, the guy asked me if I wanted to have my heels scrubbed for an extra $5.00. Isn't that part of a pedicure? After finally catching on to this little game, I told the lady I wanted regular paint on my nails. She goes, "Fine. Whatever you want."

That was my relaxing get-a-way for the day. I do have pretty nails now. :)

Redemption through Adoption

2009-12-26T19:46:00.002-06:00

This was posted on my mom's loop. I know it's long, but what an incredible story of redemption! What an amazing adventure to truly follow the Lord's calling, even when it makes no sense to us...

I wanted to share a blog post written by Derek Loux as he sat in Ukraine last year during the process of adopting three of the beautiful Reece's Rainbow children.

This morning, Derek was killed in an automobile accident in Nebraska, leaving behind his wife and 11 children (after adopting the three boys from Ukraine, the couple almost immediately adopted two more from the Marshall Islands). Please keep them in your prayers.

Friday, December 12, 2008
Renee' and I are sitting in the office of a telephone company in Novograd Valenski, Ukraine, using wireless internet. We are in the middle of adopting three special needs boys from an orphanage here. Two of the boys have Down Syndrome. Roman is high functioning, energetic and happy. Dimitri has serious mental retardation, failure to thrive, and though he is five years old, he is the size of a 1 year old. He has sores on his face, a distinct smell of death on him, and yells out if we try to do anything with him other than hold him. Because he has less ability to respond and learn, he naturally gets less attention and care from the orphanage workers in this world of limited resources. The harsh reality of the "survival of the fittest" principle is a life and death struggle that this little boy is losing fast. Our third boy Sasha, is a brilliant six year old who has Spina Bifida (the condition our son Josiah died from in 1996). He is like a learning sponge that can't get enough! He is happy and alert and thirsty for knowledge and experience. So with two of our boys, we get an immediate return on any investment we make. With Dimitri, there's not much immediate gratification. In fact, it's unknown when and if there will be a return at all. This is the kind of situation that makes the carnal, fallen, human reasoning think, "Why try? What's the point? What will this produce? What good will this do? Why not select a boy who has more potential? This looks like a lost cause.

Two days ago we drove for hours into the Ukrainian countryside to the village where Dimitri was born. We met with officials there and signed papers and answered their questions. We also went and saw Dimitri's house. The day had been long, we were still recovering from jet lag, I was beginning to really miss my six daughters at home and all the familiar things our fragile human hearts entangle themselves with in feeble attempts to feel secure. Sitting in the dark on our very long drive back to Novograd that night, the Holy Spirit began to whisper to my heart, and new understanding about redemption began to take shape.

I was thinking, "Man, adopting this little boy has been so much work. This is exhausting, expensive, uncomfortable and it doesn't feel very rewarding right now." What am I doing in some little Soviet car in the dark, in the middle of rural Ukraine in frozen December, as the driver dodges cats and potholes? What if Dimitri doesn't improve at all? What if we get "nothing" out of this? Ahhh, there it was; that dark, fallen, unreedemed, selfish human love, rooted in the tree of the knowledge of "good and evil". The love the Greeks called "erao" love. The love where we treat someone as precious and treasured for what we can get out of it. This is unlike "agapeo" love, the God kind of love that treats someone as treasured and precious for their good, not for my good. It's when I love a person in order to meet their needs, having no expectation of them meeting any of my needs. At a whole new level, God is working His kind of love into my weak heart, and He's using little Dimitri to do it.

On the drive home that night, the Lord whispered in my ear, "This is Redemption. Derek, do you know how far I travelled to get you and bring you back? I had to be separated from my Son, in order to get you, just like you are separated from your children in order to get these boys. Do you know how expensive it was for Me to purchase you? It cost me everything. Do you know how broken, sick, damaged, twisted, dirty, smelly, and hopeless you were? And at the end of it all, you had nothing to give me or add to me. I did it for you. I emptied myself and became nothing so that you could have it all. This is redemption.

My friends, adoption is redemption. It's costly, exhausting, expensive, and outrageous. Buying back lives costs so much. When God set out to redeem us, it killed Him. And when He redeems us, we can't even really appreciate or comprehend it, just like Dimitri will never comprehend or fully appreciate what is about to happen to him, but he will live in the fruit of it. As his Daddy, I will never expect him to understand all of this or even to thank me. I just want to watch him live in the benefits of my love and experience the joys of being an heir in my family. This is how our heavenly "Papa" feels towards us.

Today, settle your busy heart down and rest in the benefits of redemption. Enjoy the fruits of His goodness, and stop trying to "pay Him back". You'll never get close, you goofy little kid.

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-24T20:29:00.002-06:00

It's a white Christmas...in Texas! Dad's home for a few days. We're warm, bellies are full, healthy, and so very blessed. Thank you. Lord for a great Christmas and a great year!

Merry CHRISTmas!! Rejoice! The KING is born!

Four Little Amigo's Looking for Mexican

2009-12-10T20:18:00.003-06:00

So, we decided to continue the annual family tradition of packing up the mini and heading out to look at all of the beautiful lights. Since the kids are older, we thought we'd drive them into the big city and see all of the fancy lights. Our poor children are never out after dark, so this was a big experience for them. We caught the end of rush hour traffic and the kids were fascinated by all of the cars and lights. I told them we were stuck in traffic. Bubbie asked, "Does 'traffic' mean 'cars' in Spanish?" That's my little amigo!

Later on the trip, as we went way up high on a mix-master, Bubbie said, "WOW! We can see the whole city up here." My little know-it-all daughter responded, "NO it's NOT! If it was the whole city, we'd see Mexican. Do you see Mexican?" We have so much work to do.

Finally, we did arrive at the lights. Biggins was fast asleep, but I wasn't going to let him miss it. Gradually, his eyes started to open and when he finally figured out what was going on, all he could do was shout, " LOOK AT DAT!" "Do you see it?" His enthusiasm made it so worthwhile!

Here with Us

2009-12-08T15:15:00.000-06:00

Here's a little Christmas Joy for you! Enjoy!

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2009-12-02T21:52:00.002-06:00

Tiger's family Christmas card....

Saw this on Facebook and had to share. Don't know where it came from...

Because I'm Bored...

2009-12-02T21:46:00.005-06:00

A friend started making these adorable dresses out of pillowcases. As usual, I got the "I can do that" thought. Here's my first two...

Got some more cute ideas and can't wait to see how they turn out!

SNOW!!

2009-12-02T21:41:00.002-06:00

A Holy Snow Man

So, this morning at 6:15 am, Bubbie comes flying into my bed. "MOMMY!! Wake up!! It's SNOWING!!!" Does this kid automatically wake up each morning and look out his tightly closed blinds or what? We spent 40 minutes running around finding warm clothes, gloves, etc. The kids did have a blast for the five minutes they stayed out in it. A nice way to start the winter season, for sure.

Turkey, Rock 'n Roll

2009-12-02T21:36:00.003-06:00

Our dear Uncle Patrick brought his Rock Band game over for some Thanksgiving fun. We are now addicts. On our Black Friday outing, we found the whole game and the Beatles CD for $50. That is a little price to pay for some big family fun. It's a blast to relive those lovely 80's with my hubby. Our kids love playing the drums and guitar. Fortunately, they can't read all the words yet. :) We're looking forward to watching our extended families croon their hearts out over Christmas.

Be Still

2009-11-29T19:45:00.003-06:00

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. Wow, that was fast! Christmas is only 26 days away. Twenty-five days of over-sugared, over-excited, over-joyed children anxiously trying to prove their angelic innocence all in these few days. Schedules packed with parties, programs, feasts, and activities.

Through all the insanity, I try to remember the quietness in which our Saviour entered this world. I believe He wants us to slow down during this time of year and reflect on Him and worship Him in all His glory. There is something that can only be found in quiet stillness. Now if I can just figure out how to get the kids to understand that.

Oh, I Must Go!!

2009-11-23T22:18:00.001-06:00

I WANT IT NOW!!

2009-11-19T20:21:00.004-06:00

I'm TRYING SO HARD to be patient!!! I didn't realize the urge to run out and see the midnight showing would be SO strong!! Going to try and hold out for my hubby to go with me on Thanksgiving day. Don't know if I can hold on much longer....

Hmmm...

2009-11-19T20:00:00.003-06:00

Recently, a friend took some family photos for us. She included this one on the cd..

I've known all along where this child came from.

Trick or Treat!

2009-11-01T19:28:00.010-06:00

I knew if I was ever to enjoy my kids with a cute Halloween theme, this was the year to do it. Surprisingly, it didn't go over too well, especially with the older two. In fact, I think they were ready to tie me to a chair and hide me in a closet. After forty hours of labor, I felt like I deserved this moment.

The Wizard of Oz was my decision. After all, we had the perfect number of kids - one girl and three boys. I was going to make all of the costumes. However, Wal-mart had a Dorothy with hair bows and sequins, so I was able to "sell" Pods on that one. And as more proof my theme was of divine inspiration, a local consignment sale happened to have both the lion and the tin man - in the perfect sizes and $10 each. What are the odds? I did end up making the scarecrow. They're supposed to look all scraggly, so that was pretty easy.

Let me just say that last night made the last three years of my life totally worth it! Every child wore their costume without any complaining. Big E had a little moment initially, but once he figured out there was candy involved, we never heard another peep. Dad was so proud, he took a picture at every house they went to. In fact, Big E started saying "cheese" instead of "trick or treat." They were great!

We ended the night having hamboogers and halloweeiners at a neighbors house. The kids sat out on hay bales and watched "The Great Pumpkin" on their garage door. What a fun night! I'm already thinking about next year...hmm...

Bright Ideas

2009-11-01T19:18:00.006-06:00

Two little boys were outside on a beautiful fall day. They saw a squirrel run up a tree. The boys decided to catch the critter. Unfortunately, neither boy was tall enough to reach the branches. Idea! The little boys decided to run inside the house and get their step stool. They tried to help each other reach way up to the branches. Almost!

I bet we have little engineers in the making...or at least future Nobel Peace Prize winners.

This is What I Feel Like Most Days...

2009-09-27T20:13:00.001-05:00

To Whom It Concerns

2009-09-27T20:07:00.003-05:00

Let it be known to all

on this day of

September 23, 2009

2:00 PM

I officially became a mini-van driving

soccer mom today.

Sheesh...I thought I would NEVER say that!!!

It wasn't so bad. It was a blast to watch Pod's play.

And who says you can't look hot in a mini...van ...that is!

Hands Off!

2009-09-27T19:46:00.003-05:00

My dear hubby has not been called out on a four day trip in over a year. Occasionally, at the right time, these can be a treat. I had been wanting to texture my half bath for quite awhile. So, when he told me the news last Tuesday, I jumped at the opportunity. He walked out the front door and I started ripping the wallpaper down.

Stay with me here... Thursday morning was school picture day at the boy's CDO. I put them in coordinating outfits and shined them pretty good. Everything was going to good to be true. When I dropped them off at school, Big E did not want to go. Frijole Man's plan was to run in, take his picture, and run out before Big E saw mom. No one cooperated. Frijole usually loves to be in front of the camera. No luck on this day. When I finally gave up and was headed home, guess who was coming around the corner. Yep. I ended up bringing both boys home and making them take a nap. Meanwhile, Pods and I did our lessons for the day.

After a rest, the boys were returned to school where Big E was left with his class. Frijole finally let the photographer snap a few shots. Pods, Frijole, and I headed out to run those errands.

I decided to replace the plain bathroom mirror with a fancier one. I went all over town looking for the perfect mirror. They were all right around $100. Ugh. I ventured into Kirkland's. The perfect mirror was staring right at me when I walked in the door. $39.95! Perfect!! I wanted to look in one more area just to make sure there wasn't something better. Some inner feeling told me to keep an eye on that mirror. I didn't want to haul the heavy thing around with the kids in tow. So, as I'm searching through some frames, I feel a presence nearing my mirror. I look over and low and behold it's Evie! I said in a very firm voice, "Evie McNe, you get your hands off my mirror right now!" She jumped up with open eyes and looked around as if God was calling her. It was a hilarious moment! You must understand that Evie and I are like long lost sisters that were separated at birth. She is one of the few people that understands my need to smell paint fumes on a monthly basis. We also can look at color samples for hours. Not to mention our whole New Kids connection. Anyways, the fact that we were in the same store at the same time and looking at the same mirror...weird. I did get my mirror and I love it! Love the bathroom, too!

Oh, By the Way...

2009-09-19T22:04:00.005-05:00

61 days until

NEW MOON!!

Yes, I know this is "that creepy stuff." It's my one guilty pleasure...fascinating!

Attack of the Oreo Shake

2009-09-19T20:40:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I don't know what is happening to me. Menopause? Kids? Mid-life crisis? I have been doing some really out-of-the-ordinary things lately. I've always been able to be a mind over matter type. Well, on Friday that all ceased.

I had to pick up Pods from school at 2:00 pm. At 1:40 pm, I had the most overwhelming craving for a Chick-fil-a Oreo shake. If you've never had one of these, you haven't lived. Here's another addict's comment that sums it right up...

The whipped cream and cherry is standard stuff and tastes as you would expect it and blends well with the milkshake. The milkshake flavoring itself can be summed up in one word: OUTSTANDING. The shake has a very strong flavoring of cream that lingers in your mouth for quite some time after each bite (and for about a half hour after you are done with the shake as well) and is mixed with a healthy helping of crumbled Oreo-type cookies. They really could do no wrong with this thing.

I'm telling you, I could not shake it! It takes fifteen minutes to drive across town to the school. I threw the boys in the car and raced over there. You're asking, "Why didn't you just go after picking up Pods?" Then, I would've had to buy everybody one and that gets expensive.

At 1:55, I was still stuck in the drive thru, behind the mom in the suburban who ordered five kid's meals...I would NEVER do something like that! How rude. Meanwhile, I was planning the fastest way to get across town. There is no fast way. Finally, got my shake and all was well - except that it was now 2:00 pm. There's always a line, so it'll be okay. Well, of course I got behind every pokey person in town. Figures. When I arrived, there were about two cars still in front of me and I was the last one to pick up my kid. All for a shake.

This would be no big deal except for the fact that for once I didn't care if I was being irresponsible. I just had to have that shake! Wow! That was fun!

One Moment in Time

2009-09-14T10:24:00.003-05:00

The other day, my mom-in-law reminded me of a story that happened long before my blogging days. It was a pretty good one, so I'm going to add it... so I don't forget it...again.

She was up here helping out when the twins were newborns. I had the babies laying on my bed preparing to do the double diaper duty. In the middle of that fun job, our dachshund, Sydney, started going into a seizure. This happens from time to time. She was at the backdoor which is a good place to be when a seizure begins. I heard the vomiting about to begin, so I left the babies and darted across the house to let Sydney outside before her episode got ugly. In the meantime, I saw Bubbie, who was barely one at the time, walking around the house with the phone attached to his hear and passey in mouth. When I had gotten the babies in new diapers and Sydney recovered from her seizure, I found Bubbie and recovered the phone. He had pushed a million buttons. I turned it off and put it back on the charger. I had just sit down when the phone rang - of course. I didn't recognize the number, so I ignored it.

About twenty minutes later, an uniformed officer showed up wanting to know who had called 911 and why. He took a look around, said, "You have a good day ma'am," and scurried along on his way. Is it bad when you scare a cop away?

Give Me That Wink!

2009-09-14T09:59:00.003-05:00

Caleb's figured out how to wink...as only a four year old can. His mouth is wide open while doing some sort of contorted movement as half of his face scrunches up and squishes his eye shut. The best part is when he adds a "thumbs up" with it. I catch these little winks at all the wrong times which is the funny part. During our dinner prayer, when I peek my eyes open to make sure no one is stealing a bite, I'll get "the wink." "Mom! Can I play the Wii??? I lub you bery much!! *wink*." "Mom!! Kathryn's hitting me!! (Aren't you going to give her a red bottom?) *wink*." "Mom!! Dad's gone for three days and I'm going to be a holy terror!! *wink*."

Our Latest Expedition...Camping

2009-09-05T20:23:00.004-05:00

We've been looking for a fun family activity that will build memories with our children. Oh, and it needs to be cheap. Camping was the first thing that came to mind. Our kids are getting a little more independent, the weather is getting cooler, and we're all itching to get out of the house. So, for a trial run, Dad decided to take on the backyard with the two older kids.

It took us two days to get the tent to stand up alone. Once that small detail was taken care of, the kids were excited. Dad was determined to spend a Sunday night outside. Never mind the fact that Pod's first day of school was the next day. The kids did well. They read stories by flashlight and enjoyed the excitement of it all. Pods got a bit upset when the big rigs on I35 would downshift and make a loud noise. Other than that, the night went well.

Now, about four in the morning, Sydney had to go outside. The dogs were a bit confused on why the kids were outside. So, I took her out and watched over her to make sure she didn't bark at the tent. I threw myself back in bed, wondering why I didn't visit the restroom while I was still up. After laying there for ten minutes, I forced myself out of bed and into the bathroom. I flipped on the shower light to make sure I was in the right place. Well, earlier in the day, I had twisted the blinds just enough to let a little sunshine in the room. Didn't think anyone could see inside. Well, I learned my lesson! At the same time, Eric had gotten up to relieve himself outside...what a nature boy. He was standing right outside the window when I flipped the light on. A bit of a shock! He thought he'd been caught. I can only imagine the look on his face. He looked in the window only to find me hunkered down on the toilet. I guess after nearly ten years, we are becoming each other. We have to get up at the same time in the night. Maybe we should just go ahead and invest in the side by side potties right now.

The kids had a blast. They were very energetic the next morning and excited to tell me all about their camping experience. Maybe next time, we'll all venture out farther than the backyard!

Full Service...I Think I Need an Oil Change

2009-07-25T21:37:00.005-05:00

Ok, here's one of the greatest highlights of my life. TWENTY long years I waited for this moment! On Tuesday, my friend, Sue called to let me know the NKOTB was coming to town. That can't be real! I hadn't heard anything about such wonderful news! The phones started ringing and before we know it, six ladies were lined up for this night that will live in infamy.

To give you a little history, I was going to marry Jordan Knight and have fifteen kids - or something like that. Sue was going to marry his brother, Jon, and we were going to be best-friend-sisters-in-law. We had it all planned out...perfectly. The last time I saw them in concert was in 1989?? I even went to Vista Ridge Mall to meet his mother. I touched the hand that wiped the poo from my dreamboy's behind. Amazing!

Return to Friday, July 17th. Evie came over around 4:30 and we started getting all dressed up for the big night. She had bought all kinds of goodies because we were going to be the hottest looking 80's chicks there. As we put on our three shades of neon eyeshadow, Kathryn said, "Mommy, it looks like you have a rainbow on your eyes." Big belts, obnoxious colors, huge earrings, side pony tail...we had it all!

We got to the concert and low and behold, NO ONE else is dressed from the last century. We were total outcast. And to add to it, the concert was being broadcast live over iclips.net. NICE! It was okay. We had a fun time with it.

There were some extra seats available, so we moved from the lawn up quite aways closer to the stage. Then, the fun began. Twenty long years I have waited to see this face...

The concert was a blast! I haven't danced that much in years! And my how they have grown up...mercy! I'm still riding high from that night. AND, since I was able to download the whole concert, I'll be enjoying for a LONG time to come....until they come back for more!

Summing Up Summer

2009-07-25T21:07:00.008-05:00

Oh my, I am so behind on this blog! So many stories to tell! I'll try to keep the updates short and sweet...

My baby girl is now six years old. She had a little mermaid "under the sea" party. She really wanted a cowgirl swimming party, but mommy couldn't figure out how to work that one out. She had a bunch of adorable little girls over. We transformed our living room into an ocean complete with an ocean soundtrack in the background. I needed a hammock and I would've been the happiest momma on the planet!

Next, we celebrated July 4th out at a local ranch. It was a blast! We got to ride paddle boats, jump in bounce houses, ride a mechanical bull, and just hang out together for fireworks! What fun!

Oh yeah, my sister eloped in Vegas around this time, too. No one really knows exactly when, but I'm sure it'll show up on Facebook at some point.

Next came Bubbie's birthday. I can't believe Bubbie's four! I still see him as that little melon head cutie pie. Bubbie got to celebrate with a McQueen party at Chuck E. Cheese's. He had a blast because they had Mario Cart which is his most favorite game. Bubbie is always so excited about and appreciative of his gifts. It makes it a blast to watch him open them.

Somewhere along the way, we ended up with a bunch of high-powered water guns. Bubbie is a perfect shot, whether he's aiming at you or not. We had a blast and everyone and the camera was soaked by the game.

Here's a picture from my sister's "I've been married two whole weeks!" party.

One more thing...We were driving home from the waterpark and Pods saw a homeless man on the street corner. She asked me what his sign said. I explained to her that he doesn't have a home and is needing food. After a few moments, she replied, "Well, he can live with us." I said that was very thoughtful and asked her if she was going to share her room with him. She said, "No, but he can sleep in Caleb's room because he's got a bunk bed."

In the Meantime...

2009-07-12T22:07:00.005-05:00

I have a million things to blog about. I've been absent way too long. You can thank the cans of paint and Facebook. Well, and my children and husband. I will be back. In the meantime, have a good laugh...

Things That Make Me Go Hmmm...

2009-06-22T13:33:00.002-05:00

Bubbie just came downstairs and said, "Mommy! If you don't let us come down from rest-time, we won't be your kids anymore!" Hmmm....

2009-06-08T21:26:00.000-05:00

Sweet Summertime

2009-06-08T20:58:00.003-05:00

I have officially been home with the kids for two whole weeks now...and am still alive to tell about it. This summer has been a tad bit easier than the last. One less bottom to wipe, no passey's to keep up with, and almost everyone can put on their own shoes. There might be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel after all!

Last week, I saw that light and ran toward it. It had been a pleasant day. The kids were playing, and for the most part, sweet with each other. Well, I've had this night stand that I bought at a garage sale three years ago in the garage. This crazy idea popped in my head that it might be a nice time to start refinishing it. After all, it just needed a little sanding and repainting. Then, Caleb would have a cute night stand by his bed. So I took it out and started working on it. Everything was going smoothly. The kids were under my feet of course, but it was workable. They were just inhaling all of the lead in the old paint as I removed it. So, please don't make a big deal if they show up with a third eye or something someday. My fault. Anyways, I got everything painted and left it to dry.

Later, in the afternoon, the kids went out to play. I didn't think anything of it, because the paint was dry by now. Nothing could POSSIBLY happen, right? well, except for Frijole Man thinking it needed another 50 coats of paint!!

Caught red-handed. I'm not sure if he's praying for mercy here or what. He needed it!

I'm sure this summer will be filled with a number of exciting stories, so I'll keep you posted!

2009-05-27T20:44:00.000-05:00

Check out the new pictures at the lower section!

Aahhh, Sweet Summer Time

2009-05-27T19:59:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is the final day of Mom's Day Out for the '08-'09 school year. Bittersweet. While I've been slowly training my two and a half year olds to sleep past 6:30am, I am still not sure what I'm going to do with these kids all summer. It should be easier than last year. At least we can go places without me having to chase down two runaway monkeys going in different directions. This year we have the threat of the "NO NO stick."

There will be swimming and Popsicles. Lots of Popsicles and snow cones. I'm hoping it doesn't get brutally hot-like that's possible in Texas. We have birthday parties every month, so that will add to the excitement. Play dates with friends are a lifesaver for mom! Holy man -as he prefers to call himself- is starting to color and loves to play with his cars. Big E talks non-stop and is calming down in only a way that he can. Bubbie keeps himself occupied by learning how to make rude obnoxious noisy that drive his momma crazy...with NO help from dad of course! And Pods is always working on a project of some sort.

Lord willing, it will be a fun summer and I won't have a nervous breakdown two weeks into it this year!! 61 days until school starts!!

Life's a Little Crazy

2009-05-20T20:31:00.004-05:00

It's the end of another school year. It would seem that the end of the year would be less chaotic that the beginning of a new year. However, everything seems crammed into two weeks and then all of my kids are thrown back at me for three months of summer "fun." This weekend includes two days of garage sales, circus day, one final school day, a dance rehearsal, recital, and our cousin coming to visit. And to start the "fun" off right, here are a few funnies for you!

I guess this is what a real "manwich" looks like.

Oh, if I could only get my hands on this suit!!

Nuggets

2009-05-08T18:59:00.003-05:00

I've been trying to cook more lately. You know, the "real" meals. My little picky eaters are making it very hard for me. It's frustrating to spend all that time preparing a meal that no one will eat. Anyways, tonight was one of those chicken nuggets and corn kind of evenings. While I'm loading up Pod's plate, she looks up at me and says, "I love chicken nuggets! They're the best thing you make." UGH!

2009-05-02T20:47:00.012-05:00

Well, the kiddo's and I have been locked up in this house all day. We're all going nuts! We haven't seen the sun in, well, I can't remember the last time. Our backyard looks like a lake and we watched one of the biggest hail storms since the summer of 1994 today. The kids have gone to bed now. Every time it thunders, Andrew flies under his comforter screaming, "Boom! Boom!" And to top it all off, school has been canceled ALL week due to the swine flu! I had three weeks of sanity left and now one of those weeks is gone...and I'm paying for keeping my own kids. I'm praying there aren't many days of rain left in the forecast. We might be playing out in it soon.

In honor of all this insanity, and the fact that I'm bored out of my mind, I found some humor for you to enjoy....

Wouldn't want to venture down this road alone....

Better hope your boss isn't in charge of traffic control....

I'm wondering if you have to "qualify" to live in this community?

This is kind of cool, even though I'd be caught red handed...

hmm...They might have a more fun childhood...

This is the direction I go in all day...

Come back tomorrow for more funnies!!

Summer Sippin'

2009-05-02T13:26:00.002-05:00

At our last Girl's Night Out, we were all sharing gross kid stories. My friend, Mindi, who is a second grade teacher had one of the best that I've heard in a long time.

She was telling us about a co-teacher who is a germ-a-phobic. She has to sanitize everything. There are no boogers or snot on her kid's desks! All hands must be washed and dried properly. You get the idea.

Well, she was working in her classroom after school and enjoying her daily Sonic drink. She left the room and returned a bit later to find one of her students in the room. He started looking at her with a mischievous smile and giggling. She said, "Johnny, what's so funny?" He replied, "I snuck a sip of your sonic drink." She was completely disgusted and said, "Now, Johnny, why would you do such a thing? You know it's bad to drink after someone else. You could get their germs and get really sick." Blah, Blah, Blah.... That's when little Johnny started laughing even more and said, "But Mrs. Martha, I've been doing it all year!" That's when Mrs. Martha's eyeballs popped out. Poor teachers! He! He!

Where Have the Years Gone?

2009-04-27T20:03:00.004-05:00

Some how I completely missed year 33 of my life. I'm sure it will turn up somewhere someday. All of a sudden it was my birthday last Tuesday and I turned 34. Part of me is very grateful that I have had 34 years of good health. That's also the part that says "Who cares how old you are!" I like that part. Then, there's a little part of me that says,"Woah! When did this happen?" I remember my mom at 34. I was a seventh grader at the time. Now, all of a sudden, I've got the four kids and I'm 34.

This is me at 34: I drive a mini-van. My hubby and I have made it past the seven year itch -successfully. We are starting to see hope with our kiddo's. I get to be with my kids every day. I've gained about 10 pounds. My hair is longer than it's ever been. I love to roller skate with Pods. My relationship with God is growing everyday. I'm starting to come back to my old self - as much as possible. ;) All in all, life is really good!

Deep down, age doesn't bother me. After all, it's not the number of breaths you take, but the number of moments that take your breath away. When my day finally comes, I hope I have a million laugh lines and smile wrinkles. So many that the mortician has to glue my lips to my teeth to keep me from grinning.

I Will Follow Him

2009-04-16T21:04:00.005-05:00

If I could just get some sleep. If I could just get my house organized. If the kids would quit wearing me out. These were all my conditions on my quiet time. For the last three years, I have begged, no, pleaded with God to just let my kids sleep at night and let me get my house organized to handle this crew and THEN I would have time for Him. Well, I think at least one child has gotten up every night for the past three years. No kidding. And only "one" is on a good night.

Then, there's the house. Erma Bombeck said that trying to clean house with kids around is like shoveling snow while it's still snowing. She wasn't kidding! I think I'm being successful in one room, only to come out and find that four tornado's have blown through the rest of the abode. I have been rigorously trying to clean out room by room, passing on the baby stuff and moving on into the next phase. This is no easy task with kids that have to go through everything I've tried to secretly remove from their rooms. Keeping up with just the "daily" stuff on top has been quite a challenge. But, I'm determined to get there.

My point to this story is that God has been telling me for three years to relax, enjoy the kids, and spend time with Him. Of course, my ideal plan would be so much better. So, for three years I have done it my way, with no success of course.

This Easter, I decided to change my path and follow His. On Easter, I spent time reading about the crucifixion and resurrection. My kids slept that night. The next day, I made sure I sat down and read. My kids had another night of sleep. Well, here we are at Thursday, and I did miss one night of reading because Eric and I had a "date" night. No kidding, my kids have slept every single night. I am so angry because if I had just listened in the first place, I probably wouldn't have these gigantic dark circles under my eyes. Why don't I listen the first time?? Believe me, I'm all ears and am going to do my best to follow instead of lead this dance.

On another note, here's a funny story from this week:

On Monday, I spent four hours working to get Pod's lessons all organized and added some extra's in there. I had the "perfect" homeschooling week planned. Well, Tuesday was so-so. She wasn't really thrilled, but participated anyway. Wednesday, Eric had gone to run an errand and I had all of the kids home. I tried to convince the little ones to watch an educational program :) so I could teach. They were refusing. Then, the doorbell rang. It was the yard guy who needed me to unlock the gate. While I was doing that, the phone rang and Pods went to answer it. It was Cristy. She told her that some guy came to the door and her mom left with him. Cristy was a bit jealous, oops, I meant confused. Of course, by that time three little men in pj's were taking to the street and two wiener dogs were finding out who had visited our mailbox recently. What a scene!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T13:47:00.003-05:00

God is so amazing! Everyday I become more aware of his miracles and plans. I am utterly amazed at how He works! I long to know Him more.

During this season of Passover and Easter, we spent time sharing these special stories with the kids. We went through books and discussed the final days of Jesus' life on earth. It's so wonderful to share these stories with your own children, and more exciting to see them ponder and ask questions about them. It is fascinating to once again see the stories of Jesus through the innocence of a child's eyes.

All That I Can Be

2009-04-02T21:20:00.002-05:00

Today, I told Bubbie that he could earn some "Weed" time (Wii time) if his behavior was above reproach for the rest of the afternoon. He replied, "Mommy, I'll be as good as I can be." Glad he's prepared for the military school that could very well be in his future.

Now, I'm off to finish this Twilight series before it drives me nutty. The suspense is killing me!!

Good Night!

Before You Die, Could You....

2009-03-27T18:59:00.002-05:00

At dinner tonight, we had a little girl who was upset because she was told she couldn't have dessert unless she ate her dinner. There is nothing new about this rule. She went on to tell me that when I die, she gets to make the rules. And I'll bet she gets dessert every night. I went on to ask her how she was going to feel when she didn't have someone to sleep with every time her daddy goes out of town. And who would make her lunch? And what about the laundry? Her response to all of this deep thought was, "Well, before you go, could you teach me how to turn the T.V. on?" It's nice to know I'm valued for such an important task.

As Cold As Edward

2009-03-25T15:17:00.003-05:00

I had a nice thought last night. I would get all the kids in bed and have myself a little bubble bath. It has been over a year now and it might help me sleep better.

I ran around, getting the kids in bed. Then, I did a quick "pick up" of the bathroom. What good would it do to try and relax with cleaning supplies staring at me? Then, I cleaned the tub, found some candles that didn't make it in the garage sale box, started running my hot water, and got my Edward book into position. One last check of the kids and I was off to becoming a raisin. The room was ready to go. Well, I went to check on the kids and when I came back, there was about 1 inch of water in the tub, and about 8 inches of bubbles. No need to panic, I'll just fill it up again. Unfortunately, the only water that was left was frigid. The candles were so pretty that I tried to bear it for awhile. I made it through one chapter before calling it quits. I will be trying again soon. Until then, thin mints will just have to suffice as my vice.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

2009-03-17T09:03:00.002-05:00

Oh, the music in the air!

An' the joy that's ivrywhere -

Shure, the whole blue vault of heaven

is wan grand triumphal arch,

An' the earth below is gay

Wid its tender green th'-day,

Fur the whole world is Irish

on the Seventeenth o' March!

~Thomas Augustin Daly

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

In Addition...

2009-03-13T12:40:00.002-05:00

No, NOT another addition. In addition to the list below, I need to add a spilled gallon of Kilz. Did I mention it is right outside of the door from the kitchen to the garage? I should have known that list was going to grow.

Top 5 Messes This Week

2009-03-11T20:09:00.002-05:00

It's only Wednesday and I'm already learning new ways of cleaning this week. Here are my top five messes so far this week...

5. Toilet paper unrolled onto the floor...in all three bathrooms.

4. A child covered in chocolate pudding running through the house, thinking it was a game of chase.

3. Bubbie thinking he needed a whole roll to wipe that little behind of his.

2. Smooshed banana in the carpet. This had to be the most challenging task ever. Did I mention that it was two smooshed banana's?

1. A green crayon that somehow got washed...and dried... with a load of laundry. Brand new outfits and all. Well, at least they'll be wearing green on St. Paddy's Day!

Would someone please call CPS on me? PLEASE!!

Barbie

2009-03-08T20:56:00.002-05:00

Barbie's turning 50. I wish I could look that good now while I'm in my thirties.

My Barbie's were probably my most beloved toys when I was young. I can still remember the day when my neighbor, who was an older girl, called and asked if I would like to have her Barbie house. Forget Santa! I had hit it big with the tall townhouse with the elevator on a string. I even got the furniture with it! I spent endless hours rearranging the furniture.

I wasn't all caught up in the "Barbie" image. I didn't care that she had the perfect body or a zillion careers. I just wanted to dress her up and fix her hair. Well, and give her hair cuts, pierce her ears with stick pins, and dress her up again. I can't tell you how many dolls I had that had been decapitated. I just stuck their heads back on and eventually they would start to rip under the chin from being stretched.

Eventually, I learned how to take the town home apart and turn it into a two story ranch style abode. At Christmas, my Barbie house was decked out! Everything from a tree to a dining room table complete with the fine china and Christmas dinner. And the wreath and presents, no less. It looked like Chevy Chase had hung lights on the outside. I did receive the yellow Corvette with the attached controller as a hand-me-down also. However, my Barbie preferred to drive around in her black and tan Tonka jeep.

I had all sorts of Barbie's. I had at least three of the original vintage ones. They're probably all headless now. The horse was part of my beloved collection, too. Most of mine had the obnoxiously huge hair of the eighties. I remember burning one of the doll's hair with the curling iron. Ugh!

Still to this day, I am fascinated with Barbie. Don't know what it is that I find so captivating. I do know it's fascinating to know she's transcended through so many generations. Kathryn has a bunch of them because of that. However, we're a little selective with which fashion statements get to enter our home. I tried to get to the anniversary edition, but Target was sold out of them before I even saw the ad in the paper. I'm going to keep looking though. Maybe when the kids leave home, I'll pull them out and play with them again.

Disney on Ice Giveaway!

2009-03-04T15:05:00.003-06:00

The lovely ladies over at Mom Central.com and Notsoaveragemama.com are graciously giving away four tickets to see Disney on Ice. How sweet is that! The tickets are for opening night (March 18) at 7:30pm. It's a local giveaway. Head on over there and get your name in the hat!

You can also purchase a four pack of tickets at www.ticketmaster.com and entering coupon code MOM.

Good Luck!

Poopie Doopie

2009-03-04T09:01:00.003-06:00

Guess what? Yep! I've got another "poop" story for you!

This morning, I was trying to take one of those "just remove enough stink to make it through the day" showers when I was greeted by Big E. He just happened to be bare from the waist down. This is a bad sign because he always does his business in the morning. At least he told me there was a "poopie" involved. I started scrubbing a little bit faster.

Then, his noisy twin comes bursting into the bathroom. He had been caught by the diaper-removing monster, too. Ugh! There were two diaper-less toddler boys loose in my house and no telling what evidence was waiting for me. At least they were on tile, right?

Since we're in the "me do" stage, they decided to replace their missing pee pads. Big E would run and get a diaper and return to the bathroom. He would lay down and try to figure out how to get it to work. Meanwhile, Mr. Copycat would do the same thing. Big E could never figure it out, so there must be a mechanical problem within the diaper. So, he would go back and get another one. This continued until there was a mountain of diapers in my bathroom. They were contained and occupied, so that was a good thing.

Needless to say, there wasn't too much damage done. Most of it had been contained in the yucky diaper. Potty training is around the corner and I can't wait! Hopefully, you can't smell me through the computer.

A Life...Could It Be?

2009-03-01T19:21:00.003-06:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7Uqw6syLIk

We, at the Robertson household, passed a major milestone today. It was sort of a rite of passage. My poor husband once again thinks I'm nuts, but this was a major event for the children and I. And it all happened because I made a mistake. Me? Mistake? No way.

Our church has long been void of a married couple's class. A new class started today. I've been so excited to go and meet other couples in the same season of life. I've had this date marked my calendar for two months now. Well, the class (in my mind) is supposed to start at 9:00 A.M. I remember thinking it was going to take a whole lot of effort to get every little body up and out the door on the weekend to be able to get to this class. We rushed around and made it on time. However, the class was moved to 11:00. So much for that idea! There was no way the kids were going to wait through two services. We were out of there by 10:45.

I had been craving On the Border for three days straight. I'd even considered calling the babysitter and getting a date. My poor husband would think I was just enjoying time alone while I really just wanted food. It also did help that the choir sang some jazzy Latino worship music which causes my mouth to start watering for fajita's.

We have not been out to eat as a family in at least a little over a year. Too much work and no enjoyment. You have to understand what it's like. We are that family everyone stares down because their kids are a major disruption to the peace. Four little ones can produce quite a mess, too. However, my stomach won over my brain, so I started hinting to Eric that maybe we should give it a try. After all, it was only 11am and still a way's away from cranky naptime.

Believe it or not, the kids were wonderful. Bubbie even ate a corny dog. Pods was great. Frijole Man got his feelings hurt a few times and just ducked under the table. No tears though. Big E was content using his knife to saw up chips. I actually got to eat until I was stuffed! What a wonderful experience! There is hope for our family yet! All I could do was shout HALLELUJAH!

2009-02-28T19:11:00.000-06:00

Don't ask. I just thought this was hilarious.

Living With the Enemy?

2009-02-28T18:58:00.004-06:00

Do you remember that scene in Sleeping With the Enemy where Julia Roberts opens the cabinets and everything is arranged so perfectly? Julia Roberts is mortified. That's me, only in reverse. I have straighted, organized, and tried to arrange things in a somewhat orderly fashion. After moving on to another room, I will eventually return to the clean room to find that someone out there is trying to make me crazy. For instance, a few days ago the culprit flipped all of my scentsy candle wax holders upside down. Another day, every clean room had one single toy laying out in the middle of it. They know how to make my skin crawl. Everyday there seems to be a new trend. I can't wait to find out who's behind it all...

Lent

2009-02-25T19:22:00.006-06:00

Do you think it will work on kids, too?

Since today is the first day of Lent, I've decided to give up my children for forty days. Who wants them. I can't even imagine having forty days of a clean house, peace and quiet, sleep, and sanity. And, yes, I do want them back after my forty days of R&R.

Today ranked up there in my top ten worst days of parenthood. I had to get up three times last night to settle the little ones back down. I could understand this when they were newborns, but we're at the 31 months mark. Time to move on~and sleep! When I returned to my bed the third time, there was something under the cover. I reached down to move it and it was a body part. Totally freaked me out! My little Pods had snuck into my bed and I couldn't even see her. At 5:30 am, my sweet little Big E came down to join me. He crawled in bed. It would have been easier to sleep with an over-sized flea. Bubbie awoke at 6:30~cranky as most men are in the morning. Everyone was demanding breakfast and cranky-because they won't sleep at night. Big E decided the couch wasn't colorful enough, so he decided to take a marker to it. Frijole Man had a fit because I didn't use the box of wipes that he chose.

The rest of the day was something out of a Stephen King novel. Someone was crying, upset, or had otherwise been violated at almost every point during the day. By 1:30, I was exhausted. Normally, I keep on trucking through naptime. Today, however, I decided to lay down and work on my Twilight novel. Literally every two minutes something happened. The phone rang, the dog wanted out, Bubbie needed to get more of his daily 500,000 words out. I never did get a moment of peace.

I really wish I could remember everything else that happened. The grand finale was Bubbie not making it to the potty. He peed and pooped all over his self, his clothes, the floor, and the toilet. I had just eaten a BLT and was about to enjoy it for a second time. Ugh! I despise cleaning up poop that's not in a diaper. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day. And if you want to take my children for the next forty days as your Lent sacrifice, call me. I'll have their bags packed.

That's My Boy!

2009-02-20T20:38:00.006-06:00

Boys, boys, boys. My dear hubby thinks they are so annoying. I am always quick to remind him that they turn into men that drive their wives nutty.

On Thursday, I went to pick up Bubbie at Mother's Day Out....which should really be called "Cram in as many errands as you can while you don't have your kids" day. He was standing in the classroom doorway waiting anxiously for my arrival. When he saw me, he ran out in the hall all excited. "Mommy! Mommy! Guess what?" I could only imagine what he had accomplished. "Mommy, guess what!! I made the biggest frog eber at school today!" (FYI~A frog is a nice term for passing gas). He said it with such accomplishment in his voice...and with such volume. Gotta tell you, I was the most proud momma in the building. That's my boy!

Hot Diggity Dog

2009-02-16T20:25:00.004-06:00

Bubbie has been the one of my picky eaters for quite awhile now. The child has never before eaten a hotdog. Well, the other day, his daddy a.k.a "his hero" was chomping on a hotdog for lunch. Caleb decided that since he wants to be BIG like his daddy he should try one. Now he wants hotdogs EVERY day. Ugh!

Today, again, he begged for a hotdog for lunch. Hoping this will cease soon, I obliged and made him one. Meanwhile, I had to step outside to help Dad with something. Bubbie decided to leave his beloved hotdog on the table and follow me. When he returned, his hotdog was gone. He ran outside saying, "Mommy, Mommy! My hotdog is gone and I don't know where it went! I think it's lost! I left it on the table." Oh, Bubbie. You must learn that food is a precious thing around here and if you leave it for more than a second, someone or something is going to get it. In this case, a weenie dog.

Courtesy of Funtocollect.com

2009-02-14T21:46:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day !!!!

Courtesy of Flickr

Magic of Cakes

2009-02-11T20:57:00.006-06:00

There is one T.V. show that I just adore, Ace of Cakes. Chef Duff is a creative riot. It is absolutely amazing what he and his cronies can create with a little flour, sugar, and gum paste. Not only that, but me makes me laugh out loud at times. Out of curiosity, I decided to google Charm City Cakes and see what came up. Sure enough, their website contains loads of pictures of beautifully crafted fresh cakes...starting at $1000. Woah! They are amazing, but could you imagine spending that much on a cake?? These are just some of their fantastic creations...

And my all time favorite, of course....

GOTTA GET THIS!

2009-02-08T20:26:00.002-06:00

I have found two new "must haves" that I MUST HAVE! Check out that chair! Can't you just imagine this nice living room with hardwood floors, leather furniture, and over in the corner this chair!! I LOVE a little whimsy in a room! How fun! This will be my grandkids favorite chair ever! And I probably won't get it until I have grandkids.

Behind the chair, you'll notice the latest fashion trend. Can't you just see me walking into church, a wedding, or some other event with this dress? Total show stopper! Eric's going to think I've really lost it now. He still hasn't comprehended my love of the "stream of fish" coffee table. No creativity in that man.

That's the Last Straw

2009-02-02T21:41:00.006-06:00

The Culprit

Well, today I left around 2 pm to go pick Pods up from school. Dad stayed home with the boys who were napping. When I returned home, dad went upstairs to release the rascals from their holding cell. A terrible odor quickly filled the hallway and I could barely enter the room to inspect any damage. Meanwhile, dad cleaned up the behinds. Now, I must cut him some slack because he has four inch stints up his nostrils from his polyp-removal surgery last week. I know he has no sense of smell and you NEVER gripe about a man who changes a diaper-especially and foul smelling one. He did a splendid job of giving them back their little shiny hiney's. However, he somehow missed the chocolate on Frijole Man's hands. Frijole Man had a little boo-boo and needed a little TLC, so of course, I pick him up and lay his head on my shoulder. He's my little lover and very tenderly starts running his fingers through my hair. I didn't notice his hands, but I did notice the odor that followed me everywhere. That's when I traced it back to the source. Of course, I'm already running late while trying to get Kathryn to ballet. No time to clean it, so I just had to tie it up in a bun and take off, with the windows down of course. It wasn't caked in my hair, just lightly brushed through. I'm not going to tell you that it's now 9:50 pm and I'm still sitting here with a bun in my hair. I have priorities and the blog came first. I'm off to the shower now....and the hair will be gone soon.

Whimsical Treasures

2009-01-28T20:37:00.004-06:00

I've been entering all these blogger give-a-ways and I came across this unique treasure...

These are mother bracelets! You can have your children's names inscribe and their date of birth. Beautiful! They have over seventy different combinations to choose from. I love the "slice of spice!" What a unique idea! Check them out over at http://barefoot-mommy.blogspot.com

There's More

2009-01-25T18:20:00.004-06:00

Well, since my last blog entry a few hours ago, Big E has managed to add some more "lovelies" to his list of death for mom...

1. Dumping a new bag of chips all over the kitchen and living room.
2. Putting all of the dogs food in their water bowl and trying to eat it.
3. Taking the dirty dishes out of the dishwasher. We could work with this one.
4. Spilling water in the kitchen.

And I'm sure there's more I've forgotten to mention.

I had to drop Pods and Bubbie off with a friend and found a nail in my tire. Ugh! Oh well, guess I must leave the house and get it fixed tomorrow...ALL ALONE!!! Oh the joys! I'll be an AA honorary member in no time!

If I Should Die Before I Wake

2009-01-25T12:50:00.003-06:00

I'm beginning to believe my children have taken out a million dollar life insurance policy on me. They're trying to kill me, I just know it! They have created a plan and are taking turns executing their role in my slow painful death.

I think this has a lot to do with their Dad's schedule. He used to be gone four, five, up to six days a week. Now it's the opposite. He's usually gone about three days a week. Previously, it was a big party when Dad returned because they hadn't seen him for so long. However, now the party begins when Dad turns the corner heading to work. They know mom has a million things to keep up with and not to mention take care of them.

Pods has been very good. She's going through the "monsters in my closet" stage, but she just sleeps with me when Dad's gone and that takes care of that. I really don't mind because I know she won't want to be around me for much longer. Might as well get all I can get now.

Bubbie. Poor Bubbie has the whole "middle child" issue working against him. He wants to be big and in charge of his younger brothers, but is also under the command of his older sister at the same time. He's learning how to not whine every time he wants something. Unfortunately, it still leaks from his mouth before he can catch it. Whining makes mom crazy! We're working on it..patience my dear, patience. He has been doing a great job with underwear. Well, except for yesterday morning when I woke up to him peeing beside the toilet in my bathroom. At least we had tile down! He must've been half asleep because he completely missed it. I wiped it all up with the intent of moping later in the afternoon when I got around to cleaning the whole bathroom. That, of course, never happened. So, bright and early this morning, I got up and cleaned and mopped. It looked beautiful. Later, while we were outside, Bubbie comes running out to tell me that he peed on the floor. Ugh! Sure enough, it was right where I had mopped earlier. I AM thankful it was on the tile. Bubbie's plan is to do me in with whining and peeing.

Frijole Man is super sensitive. He gets his feelings hurt about everything. He also likes to kick when he is getting his diaper changed. He prefers to run around naked even if it's 20'. He's also smack-dab in the middle of the TERRIBLE 2's. We're working on laying down the laws of the house. We're also going through twenty wooden spoons per week. Frijole Man will do me in with his little attitude, temper tantrums, and taking his diaper off.

Big E could alone do me in within an hour. We think we've finally figured out that he has some sort of "sensory disorder." Basically, he needs A LOT of stimulation. He gets over-excited about things and goes ninety-to-nothing from the time his feet hit the floor. I know you think all boys are like that. I have two other boys and I know what they're like. Big E, however, is like a normal boy times ten. He is CONSTANT. Since Eric left on Friday, I have pulled Big E off of the kitchen light fixture at least seven times. He's always trying to get in the garage because he LOVES to push the door buttons on my mini. He loves to leave the water running, leave the fridge open, and climb on cabinets. I know you're thinking he needs more discipline, but he gets it. Trust me, he does. He's like an ADHD kid who doesn't stop. He's curious about everything and determined to figure it out. We have some kind of a drain pipe in our backyard that is about five inches in diameter. I have no clue where it goes, I just know that anything that goes down it is never seen again. He dropped his special car down it. That was fun, so he dropped another car down. Then, he started having a fit because his "beep beep's" had disappeared. We were ready to go inside, so we started gathering up our stuff, but Bubbie's sandals were missing. They, too, met the drain. I could actually see them way down in the drain. I won't tell you how he flew off of the trampoline (with the safety net attached).

If I am still here tomorrow, it will be a better day. Dad will be home from Alcapulco...grrr..and our little party will have come to a close.

Wee Hee!

2009-01-22T19:59:00.003-06:00

Do you remember my unforgettable Black Friday story? Think back to the part where I was standing in the parking lot next to Wal-mart in the pouring rain at 4:30 am, trying to load a trampoline that weighs more than I do, in my car. Well, the trampoline has been in the box in our garage all this time. We keep having all this beautiful weather, so I lovingly asked my dear husband to put it together today. I had this great idea that it might wear the kids out and they would start sleeping more. Much to my surprise, he complied, and without a single "why on earth is she asking me to do this-now?"

He managed to get the trampoline put together with the exception of the safety net. Yes, we have one. No, we weren't expecting our two year olds to jump on it without one. However, we did let them try it out. They had a blast. There was only one head-banging incident which was quickly recovered from. I'm sure our neighbors love that my knees now reach the top of our fence when I stand on it. I'm even more happy that they had four kids of their own and completely understand the need for energy depletion.

So begins our new adventure of a trampoline. Mom is enjoying the workout and the kids are loving bouncing around like little monkeys. Everyone has warned us of broken arms, concussions, etc. Of course, none of those people lived in a house with three rambunctious boys who do more dare-devil acts in the house than they will ever manage to do on the trampoline-knock on wood. Wee Hee!

Surprise! More Bubba Lub

2009-01-19T22:17:00.002-06:00

Tonight, we had our friends, the Hoefert's and the Prachnick's over for dinner. Love was in the air. Mr. Bubbie has a bit of a crush on the Prachnick's daughter, Miss K. As we were gathering at the door to leave, Bubbie went up and put his hands on her face and kissed her goodbye. Miss. K's daddy was a little concerned about this, but handled it well. When we had made it out to the driveway, Bubbie ran up to give Miss. K one more farewell hug. He gave her a big Bubba squeeze. Bubbie danced away as they parted. Then all eyes turned to Miss. K. She turned and started doing some kind of Elvis pelvic swing dance. Her daddy swiftly picked her up and removed her from the young man's presence. Aww, young love. I can hear the bells ringing already!

Bubbie Lub

2009-01-18T20:33:00.003-06:00

Darn it! I pick on Bubbie yesterday and he turns around and melts my heart today! We were all piled in the middle of the floor, doing what I don't exactly know. He leans over to my ear and whispers, "Mommy, do you know how much I lub you?" I could have melted right there.
I said, "No, Bubbie. How much do you love me?" He said, "I'll always lub you." And then he really did me in. "You'll always be my first girl. I lub you so much." Ahhhh, my sweet boy!

Can you imagine if grown men acted like that? They could have anything their little hearts desired!

But Mommy?

2009-01-17T20:11:00.003-06:00

The mind of a 3 1/2 year old boy is an inquisitive place. They are constantly wondering all of the when, where, why's, and how's possible. They feel the need to voice every single question of thought that pops in their little minds.

Bubbie, who is turning into quite the good kid, talks non-stop. This has to come from the Robertson gene pool, because NO ONE in my family does this. ;) Why mommy? How mommy? Where mommy? Wha'd you say mommy? I can't hear you mommy? What about dat mommy? Is that a great idea? That's a normal minute with Bubbie. Bless his little heart, it's all I can do to restrain myself from sewing his lips up. We started playing the "zip your lips" game for my sanity.

We had spent a fun day over at the Huston's play land and were on our way back to the city. Everyone was exhausted from jumping on the trampoline and running around like wild children. All kids were conked out except for Bubbie. I was trying to enjoy the quietness of the country drive and just relax for a moment. However, Bubbie had an urge to talk for ten minutes straight. This finally woke Frijole Man from his slumber and his mouth started revving up. Bubbie turned around and told him, "Be quiet Frijole Man! Mommy needs to think!"

I know, I know...someday I'm going to wish he would talk to me about everything that goes on in his world. I'm sure his brothers will let me know everything he doesn't.

Wake Up!!

2009-01-11T13:11:00.005-06:00

It's been a long time!! We spent this week just trying to get out of bed on time! All during Christmas break, I worked really hard at getting my kids to sleep in until 8:00 am. Finally, they're starting to understand that I don't want to see their precious little chipper faces until the sun is over the horizon. They still get up, but they're learning not to bother me. I can deal with that.

Everyone returned to school this week. It's nice to be back on a routine. Bubbie's teachers let me know that all he wanted to do was hug and kiss on them all day. What a Romeo! I for see lots of little girl's daddies calling me to tell me that I need to keep my son away from their daughters. Just like his daddy...loves affection, and is determined to get it!

Pods is starting piano this week. She's really excited about that. I hope she will stick with it for a long time. We plan on putting all of the kids in eventually. In case they don't get the girls with their overbearing need for affection, maybe the boys can still woo the ladies with a love song. We want to keep their options open.

Bubbie has been routinely "taking the cookies from the cookie jar." He prefers to hide under the coffee table or behind a chair and devour them. Amazingly, it's always Big E who did it...hmm..

Unfortunately, the little ones are following their older sibling's example. They've both been caught doing the same thing the past few days. If only I could get them to copy the good things!

Well, Bubbie is officially potty-trained. This is more exciting for me than you will ever know! Only two in diapers!! That gives me an extra ten minutes everyday and some extra cash! I'm LOVING it! This summer we're going to work on the little two. What am I going to do without little hineys to wipe??

I've been a busy bee finishing up my grandparent's 60th anniversary slide show. The house is getting a going through, too. I'm trying to get my spring cleaning done by March so I can be outside working off my newly acquired booty on the trampoline with the kids. I'm also trying to stay within my budget and do my part to save. That's my world.

Eric wanted me to mention that he has been driving the family nuts lately. He'll get up and make breakfast to his favorite Kenny G Christmas cassette tape. The cassette tape part should tell you how old it is. And the fact that Christmas is over. I'm trying to deal with it. After all, he is making breakfast and that's ten more minutes of time I get to be cozy in my blankets.

Happy Birthday to Cheri and Anita!!! Hope y'all had a great day and your hubby's took you out for a yummy dinner! ;)

A Few Jots

2009-01-01T20:39:00.004-06:00

Wow! This week has flown by so fast! We've been enjoying our Santa treasures, cleaning out the house, and sleeping in a little later. Well, some of us anyways. Two mornings ago, I awoke at 5:30 to the sound of a little boy yelling, "YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!" What on earth could possibly be going on at this hour? Party in the twin's room. They had the lights on and music playing. Frijole Man was giddying up on the horse and Big E was playing cars. Much to their disappointment, mom crashed the party and sent both boys back to bed.

Dad went back to work today. "Cabin fever" syndrome was beginning to set in. Since I rarely take the whole brood out alone, I had to consider which store offered the shopping cart with the most seats. Target fit the bill. The older two rode in the kiddie seats, Frijole sat where I usually put my purse, and Big E had the basket all to himself. They were wonderful. I can count on one hand how many times the twins have been to the grocery store. They always get the "shock and awe" effect when we hit the food aisles. We got some 75% off Christmas calendars, educational video's, and some more parts to our favorite Christmas gift, the Geo Trax. Even mom and dad are entertained with it! I'm staying on budget so far...counting every penny!

For some strange reason, I got the urge to clean out my kitchen when we got back home. I went through all the cabinets, did some rearranging, removed more baby stuff, and cleaned. It looks nice now. And I love knowing there's not anything hiding, just waiting to jump out at me when I open a door. Life's simple pleasures.

Tomorrow's our last day to goof off. Saturday brings birthday parties and dad's return. Sunday will be church and preparing for the week ahead. I must say this has been the most "down" time we've had since the twins entered our world. It's nice to see there is hope ahead! I am starting to miss my babies though. Not necessarily all the work. Just having them fall asleep on my shoulder, having their tiny hand wrap around my finger, all their coo's and little noises, and everything else that's sweet about them. I just need to find one to hold and I'll be ok. ;)

Oh yeah...forgot to mention that I am aspiring to be like the Duggar's. You're thinking I'm well on my way. I don't necessarily need more kids....quite happy with four. I just like their simple and frugal qualities...and the fact that their children are so well behaved and quiet. I went to their web site and found out that they make their own laundry detergent. For $2 they can was 160 loads! Unbelievable!! I just had to try this! I bought the three ingredients and had the whole thing put together in about 10 minutes. I now have a five gallon bucket of detergent which will be diluted by half, so actually 10 gallons for about $2.50! It smells wonderful and so does my house after making it. LOVE IT! No more $15 for 60 loads! Ha! The kids loved watching me make it, too. We also made some of their casseroles and they have been a hit. This is so wonderful, I might just have to have 15 more kids just to get the full effect...just kidding. ;)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 2009 - WOW!

New Days Ahead

2008-12-27T19:11:00.006-06:00

This is the week I was going to relax and enjoy my family, but manage to accomplish a few major tasks. So far, so good. Christmas Day was very exciting! Four happy kids, a shiny tree, and all the other makings of a Norman Rockwell painting. We had loads of excitement filling the air and toys everywhere. We spent the following day taking down the decorations, mainly because mom was tired of picking them up, and cleaning up the house. The kids were angels who disappeared to play with their new toys. Mostly, we've slept a little later, played more video games, and just slowed down all together. It's been a much needed hiatus.

Our major accomplishment has been getting Bubbie potty-trained. We went cold-turkey and told him that only babies wear diapers and pull-ups. He is now a big boy and must wear underwear. The first day, he ran downstairs to tell us that he had put his poopy in the potty. Eric and I stared at each other in disbelief...it couldn't be this easy! Come to find out, he had gone in his underwear, picked up the little package, and put it in the potty. Technically, he did as we asked. After explaining the procedure in a bit more detail, he got the idea. He's been doing it right ever since, excluding one accident. It's amazing how easy it is to only have two kids in diapers now!! Yippy! Unbeknownst to the little twins, the passy-nazi is coming to visit next!!

After taking down the tree trimmings, I rearranged the living room in a new fashion it has never before seen. Eric is reluctantly going along with it, while I feel like I'm in a totally different house. I'm sure I'll get tired of it and move it again, but for now it's a nice change of scenery.

This going to be "Our Year." Eric and I have decided that we have been so focused on surviving, that this year we're going to get our lives back in order. I've been working hard to maximize our budget. Having one more out of diapers will help. We have a savings goal to reach and when we get there, we're going to get a bedroom suite. I've always wanted Eric and I to have a nice bedroom that we could retreat to after a crazy day. I'm hoping to have it by our eleventh anniversary. Got to start saving away!!

This is starting to sound like a generic New Year's Resolution list...

I am going to go to the gym more. Not necessarily for my physical health (even though that's a plus), but for my mental health. It's so good to get the blood flowing all the way up to the brain!

On a different note, God's really laying things on my heart that he's got big plans for our family as long as we trust and obey Him. We're at a point with our kids that we must choose to fully devote our lives and follow Him. Mom's do a lot of what I like to call "behind the scenes" work. We constantly pray for our kids, devote our lives to making sure their needs are met, run the home, take care of the man of the house. I believe God made moms as special unique beings created for this purpose. However, when a mom chooses to devote her life to God and her family is raised up by a woman who fears the Lord, then there are no boundaries to how much blessing will be poured out from above. Not to say they will endure no hardships. God doesn't promise us an easy life. He just promises to never leave us in this life. Everything we endure is for a reason. I am thankful for all the things I've endured in this life because it has taught me compassion, faithfulness, and to be humble. God is so good. I hope to truly devote my life and my time to growing in His grace this next year. I hope my family will reap the rewards.

So here we go...into 2009. Seems like just yesterday we were rolling into a new millennium!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T14:23:00.003-06:00

I've been a baking fool today. The house smells WONDERFUL ...for once! We've got cakes, cookies, fudge, and everything in between. And I've only left out two ingredients so far!

The kids have been pleasant and we're all enjoying some much needed pajama days. We're all hanging out in our flannels, watching too much t.v., and everything else that good mommies don't let you do. I will say I can't wait to take down the Christmas tree! My little OCD Pods insists that all similar ornaments must be hung together on the tree. We have a candy cane section, ball section, etc. Little Big E prefers the ornaments to be on the floor. Thank goodness for the plastic balls!

I'm looking so forward to the chaos of Christmas morning this year! The kids are finally old enough to be excited and understand what's going on. I almost feel the same excitement as I did when I was a kid! So much fun! I've already cut all of the wires that keep children from removing their toys from the boxes and inserted batteries. Everything is ready to go!

Since I probably won't be back until after Christmas, have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy the day with your friends and family. If you don't have any, come join us. We've got plenty to share! Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-21T13:21:00.001-06:00

Christmas is Coming!

2008-12-14T20:47:00.003-06:00

Wow! A whole week's gone by since I was last here. This year, I decided that I was going to let things go around here and enjoy doing Christmas projects with the kids. I always have these great plans of decorating cookies, reading stories, lighting up the neighborhood with our house, etc. Somehow the busyness of the season always seems to take over. Not this year. All Christmas shopping was done before Halloween, except for a handful of little things. You wouldn't believe the load that takes off! Decorations were put up right after Thanksgiving. We've just been enjoying time together. We've painted ornaments, read Christmas stories, and sang Christmas carols. I built a gingerbread house and Miss Pods took over the decorating. I iced the roof and she did the rest all by herself. I thought she did a good job for a five year old! Thanks to Anita for all of the decorating tips! :) We drove around and looked at lights. Frijole Man had to tell us about every light bulb he saw. Bubbie and Pods wanted to go home.

Oh, and Thursday night was our first Girl's Night Out in MONTHS!! We had a great time celebrating all of the Mrs. December's birthdays!! Especially, Mrs. Cristy! Doesn't she look FABULOUS for 50?? Just kidding... she is one hot 40 year old!! Sorry boys, she's taken. :) And when they kick you out of the restuarant where else is there to go but Big Lots? ;)

On Friday night, Eric and I had our first date in months. We decided to go all out, so we ventured out to the "ICE" exhibit at the Gaylord. Amazing!, but freezing! Something to see. We are planning to take the kids out there later this week and try and get a picture for the annual cards. Our first attempt was a failure.

Pods and I went to see The Nutcracker today. We've done this every year since she was two. It was beautiful! Always a treat!

This week will be consumed with school parties and programs. The count down to Santa's arrival is beginning...I've already had to pull out the old "Santa doesn't come to naughty kid's houses. Remember on Polar Express!" Eleven days to go and threats already fill the air!

I must say, I am thrilled that we haven't had all of the usual illnesses that plague our bunch this time of year! It has been such a blessing to have healthy kids! I used to keep charts of who got what meds and breathing treatments and when. Explains some of my nuttiness! Hopefully, this will be an easier winter!

Party Time

2008-12-07T17:51:00.004-06:00

Today is, regretfully, a very good day for blogging. I must begin on a positive note. Yesterday was a great day! We went to Gabby's and destroyed her house. Then, she retaliated by loading the kids up with sugar and sending them home with me. On the way home, we drove through a local nativity scene, or an "activity scene" as Pods would call it. Everyone got home and took a quick bath and hit the bed. What a day!
1:45 a.m. changed all of that. I woke up with a flash. My stomach felt awful! You know, when you want it to either go up or down, just go! I started analyzing what this could be. Stomach virus, Griff's burger, antibiotic, time of the month?? Whatever it was, I was going to die right there. Well, I might as well do something useful, so I started thinking of future blog topics. I
stayed in bed like this until 6:15 a.m., when the party got started. There was a loud crash from the floor above. All sorts of noises were coming from "their room" upstairs. When I reached the top of the stairs, their light was on and they were having a party. My intent was to open the door, put them back to bed, and turn off the light at the ceiling fan so we didn't have a repeat. Of course, my plans never work. As I reached in to turn the light off, down the stairs they went. Ughhh! They were wired. I decided it was Sunday morning and I would not be getting up a moment before 8:00 am. I've paid my dues, now I'm going to get some rest. I tried to get them to lie down with me, but that was pointless. Big E had bigger plans like seeing what was cooking in the oven for him.
Finally, I got all of the little restless rascals in my bed and still. And wouldn't you know it? The little kid with a bad hiney rash released his bowels. I had to go over all of the other kids to get to him. So much for keeping them still. I got up, turned on the t.v., gave them some chocolate milk, and went back to bed. They did not get breakfast until 8:15. Stinkers!
There were about a million other things that happened this day that I was going to blog about, but it's been 24 hours and I have, thankfully, forgotten the rest of the chaos that happened. There will be more to come...you can be sure of it.

2008-12-07T17:47:00.002-06:00

Let it be known that anyone (ie. grandparents, friends, family, anyone breathing) who loads my child (ren) up with sugar will be forced to keep them until they have finished detox.

Wisdom from the Wild Side

2008-12-06T09:43:00.004-06:00

1. Never wax your eyebrows with children within 500 feet. If I happen to see you out, it's okay to pretend you don't know me. I'll understand.

2. Pick up the phone and signals are sent to children's brains telling them it's time to act like monsters.

3. Two year old boys are capable of anything they put their little minds to...and they must prove it.

4. Don't buy anything new because it instantly moves to the top priority on the "Must be Destroyed" list.

5. Get hugs and kisses everyday, because soon they probably won't even acknowledge your presence.

Water, Water Everywhere!

2008-12-01T20:10:00.003-06:00

"I'm the one!"

Well, I'm a bit behind on my blogging. Here's the follow-up to the last entry.

I had company coming, the house had been hit by three little tornadoes full of testosterone, and I was supposed to be out of town the next day. The phone rang and it was Eric who was on the road. All of the boys were watching Elmo. Maybe I could talk to my hubby for a few minutes?? Nah. Big E escaped upstairs without me even noticing. After I hung up the phone, I heard it raining again. It had been raining all morning. However, this time the rain seemed a bit more, shall I say, "in the same room?" I thought maybe one of the boys had opened the front door to watch it. As I left the living room, I noticed it was raining in our dining room. How lovely! In the blink of an eye, I was up the stairs and turning off the over-flowing sink faucet in the kid's bathroom upstairs. What is it with Big E and water? There had better be a swimming scholarship in that kid's future! And with his ADD issues, he might just be the next Michael Phelps...or Joe the plumber.

It wasn't as deep as the last episode. This time it did involve two rooms and a ceiling. Hopefully, we'll get this latest project completed soon. Eric and I are becoming quite the home improvement guru's. We might even have our own show someday.

And yes, the door now has a child-proof lock on it. We'll find out if it's Big E proof...

Oh the Insanity!! Why???

2008-11-28T21:21:00.004-06:00

If there wasn't already a blog named "Getting Through Life, One Xanax at a Time," I would have replaced my title with it today.

Our week began with Thanksgiving parties at the kid's schools. It's an annual tradition and we look forward to them every year. However, on Tuesday evening, my sweet great-grandmother passed away. She was 102 and it was a blessing for her sake. We miss her greatly. I'm sure I'll tell you more about her at another time. Wednesday we headed down for the funeral and then returned later in the evening. Thursday, we headed over to my brother's house for deep-fried turkey. It was yummy! The kids had a great time together. We journeyed back home that evening. The kids were pretty tired, so I put them straight to bed. I had begged my sister to come up and spend the night so I could run out and get a few "Black Friday Specials" before the kids woke up. She reluctantly came, but did manage to act like she was excited to be here. This is where it gets exciting...

The alarm goes off at 4:45 am. I'm lying in bed thinking how insane I must be to even consider getting up at this awful time to go to Walmart of all places. I DESPISE going to Walmart. I really despise getting up early...and the thought of getting up to go to Walmart was just dreadful! My sister had come all the way up here, so I had to go. When I got there, the whole parking lot was completely full. I had to park in a nearby strip shopping center. I have never seen the whole parking lot full. I knew it was going to be even better once I got inside. Ugh!

I guess I should explain why I was even at Walmart at 5:00 am. I got this bright idea that the kids would love a trampoline. Walmart happened to have them really cheap. They also had DVD's for $2, sweats for $4, etc. My main reason for showing up was for that trampoline.

Back inside, it was mass chaos. I do believe the maximum occupancy was way surpassed. None of the specials were in the usual location. For instance, printers were in the food aisles. So no one knew where they were going. People were trying to maneuver through crowds with 72 in. flat screens in a cart. I finally found my trampoline in the back of the store. There were four! A man was standing guard waiting for another guy to come and help him load it in his cart. It took two guys to load this thing in my cart. I started to weasel my way back up to the mile long check out line. Insanity! About 15 minutes into the wait the large man in front of me let 'er rip. I almost died right there. Just my luck to die in Walmart. Ugh! Well, I survived and we slowly inched our way forward. I was third in line when all of a sudden, the monsoon came in to town. Lovely! After checking out, I managed to man-handle my cart to the front of the store, all the while hoping an employee would be there to help me load this thing into my car. Nice thought. Well, maybe if I just get it to my car, I can just dump it into the trunk. I headed off into the rain across two parking lots with an uncontrollable cart only to arrive at my car and realize I had left tricycles in the trunk. Ugh! Idea #2. Put the trampoline across the car seats in the middle row. Great idea if only I had been able to lift the silly thing! I stood in the rain for five minutes trying to get mad enough to build up enough adrenaline to push this thing. I couldn't budge it! I ran toward the first guy I saw and begged for help. He was so kind! He managed to push the trampoline over the seats and save my day! After a quick thank you, it was off to Tractor Supply.

If you're going to shop on Black Friday, I highly recommend going to Tractor Supply. No lines, no crowds, and good deals! Their ad had the cutest little pedal tractor. I just knew my boys would love it! I was in and out in five minutes. Of course, there was no place in the car to put it. I had to rearrange the tricycles to make space for the box. As I was putting the box in the trunk, the end came open and I had tractor parts going everywhere in the dark parking lot while it was still raining. I think I found them all. We may have a lop-sided tractor. I had to hurry, because Mardel was opening in five minutes!

Mardel is another great place to be on this wretched day! I picked up a few video's and t-shirts for $5. I was pretty drenched at this point and I knew the kids would be waking up aunt Laura any minute. I had promised her a Starbuck's for coming up, so I ran by there and got her mocha. As I was leaving, my battery light came on making me wonder if I was going to get home or just stay wet all day. I had already removed a sock and shoe because my feet were so wet and cold. I arrived back at the abode right after the kids had escaped from their rooms. Breakfast was served, diapers changed, and everyone was happy. This was all before 7:30. There's much more to come, but you'll have to come back tomorrow. My fingers are about to fall off. Don't forget! It gets so much better!

TGIF

2008-11-21T09:58:00.003-06:00

I'm beginning to think that Dad being home more is not a good thing. Last month, he was away maybe five nights. The kids have adjusted to having two authority figures to keep them in line. Now, when dad is away, they transform into little creatures with horns and tails. I'm having to refocus their attention away from disaster and back to the wooden spoon with a hole in the middle of it.

It doesn't help that I'm still trying to get over this crud that's been going around lately. For two weeks, I have coughed my lungs up every night. It only bothers me at night for some reason. More about this later...

After a day filled with moaning and whining, we were sitting down to dinner. I say "we," but I really only mean the kids. I dare not eat until everyone is in bed, so I can try to enjoy a moment of peace and quiet. Back to my point. Frijole Man somehow managed to spill a whole container of yogurt all over his booster chair, the big chair, and himself. The only way to really remove it and the other crud that had been growing on the chair for who knows how long is to get ammonia and SCRUB. I shined his chair up and made it so clean and went on to put the used ammonia-soaked paper towels in the trash. I proceeded to bathe the kiddo's not giving the cleaning anymore thought. Everyone went to bed and I came back downstairs to clean up the rest of the day that was still lying around. I noticed the paper towels had been removed from the trash and chewed on by our furry little friends. It was going to be a fun night. :(

Around 9:00 pm, Frijole Man woke up crying. He's been going through this whole "don't close the door" phase. That would be fine except that he shares a room with his brother who would escape in the middle of the night and would probably bring the whole house down. We repeated this scenario at 9:30pm. I had already decided I wasn't going to watch my TV addiction, choosing to have a quiet evening instead. Nice thought.

At 10:30 pm, Big E wanted to have his turn in this little game. Finally, I got to go to bed. Here's where the coughing comes into play. I have to be really still in order to stop coughing. Any time I move it starts up and I cough my lungs up for at least a half hour. At 11:45, I wake to this obnoxious beeping noise. I followed it upstairs to Pod's room. She had set her alarm clock again. It's also a CD player, which is what she really uses it for. I fumbled around and tried to turn it off. Then, I went to make sure she was covered up, only to realize she wasn't in her bed. I found her snuggled up in my bed. Next came the coughing episode only to be followed by the alarm going off again with some happy Spanish tunes playing. This time I made sure it wouldn't happen again. More coughing.

When I had finally fallen back to sleep, it was Sydney's turn. There was (well, still is) a laundry basket full of dirty clothes that never made it to the wash the day before, sitting next to my bed. Sydney loves to sleep in the dirty clothes. At 2 am, she began to have a seizure. She has these a couple of times a month and we have had her checked. Ugh! I knew this was a reaction to eating the ammonia-soaked paper towels. I took her outside and she fumbled around for awhile. She stood by the backdoor and we went in and out literally fifteen more times. This is terrible, but I wasn't about to call poison control for animals, because they charge $75 just to talk to you and it was 2:45 am. So, I gave her some water and snuggled her back into the laundry basket. More coughing.

The next thing I remember is seeing Bubbie's bubbly face at 7am. Let's hope for a better day! :)

Practical Phonics

2008-11-19T20:26:00.002-06:00

Miss pods was upset with me for telling her to clean up her room. I found her door shut and this note attached to it.

"Don't Come In"

by Pods

I'm so glad that all of our phonic practice has paid off.

Big Trouble Comes in Tiny Packages

2008-11-19T20:02:00.006-06:00

I'm going to let Eric tell it tonight. His day was a bit more exciting than mine...for once. Mom had taken Pods to a birthday party. Dad was home with his three sons. At approximately 4:00 p.m., Dad was working on a puzzle with Bubbie. He knew the twins were awake, but decided to delay releasing them from their room. Mistake #1. Upon entering the room, he noticed both boys were jumping on the top bunk. No big deal until Dad noticed a tiny hiney was jumping around. (You can guess where this is going). Frijole Man was removed from the top bunk. Big E was next. Big E was naked from the waist down with little clumps of chocolate on his back. Dad picked him up and took him downstairs on the tile in front of the fireplace. Why not straight to the bathtub across the hall from his room you ask? So did I. Mistake #2 . Big E was expect to stay on the tile while Dad went back upstairs to clean up the mess...like that's going to happen. Meanwhile, Dad went searching for a new diaper and wipes. Big E thought it would be fun to stop, drop, and roll onto the carpet. Now there's another mess. Dad yelled at Big E to return himself to the tile. As dad looked to see if Big E had complied, he saw what he described as the"golden arch" coming from Big E. Mistake #3. Never leave a boy without a diaper. AAhh, I love laughing at these stories when I'm not involved in them!

2008-11-19T19:29:00.000-06:00

Mr. Potato Head

by Pods

Look What I Found in the Compost Pile

2008-11-18T20:48:00.005-06:00

I've had a million "I've got to blog about that" moments over the last several days. I'm going to try to get what's left of my brain to cooperate and get as many of them down before I fall asleep.

Every night, as a "delay-going-to-bed" tactic, Pods draws us cute pictures and brings them to us. One of our favorites is of her and her daddy holding hands with a heart above them. She came downstairs with a serious look on her face. In her hands, were two pictures. One was for Mrs. Wilson, her beloved co-op teacher. We opened the other and Eric said, "Oh, thank you, Pods. I love this picture of us!" Pods looked at him and said, "That's not us dad. That's me and John." Eric was dumb-founded. So we inquired a little deeper, trying not embarrass our 5 year old. She went on to tell us all about him. You know, the important stuff like where he sits, what he eats for lunch, what he plays on the playground. I tried to relieve Eric's fears by telling him, it's just a little crush, no worries. The next day she comes home from school telling us about another kid who kept noticing (and telling her) that she loves John. She said she does love him. We'll see where this goes from here. I'm just glad she's excited to go to school....

I let Pods wear a shirt that had a little belt and jaguar print to school. As she was getting ready, she was telling me how much she loved the shirt. She said it looked like something Hannah Montana would wear. (Yippy, but I don't know how she would know this) I told her she looked pretty in her shirt. Her response was, "Yeah, I even look normal!" How many more years of this?

Bubbie has been Bubbie...need I say more.

Frijole Man has been cracking us up as usual. He's decided my name is going to be "Maw." Lovely southern ring to it, huh? He gets really excited when he does something good and starts clapping and smiling at himself. Oh, here's a funny story...this morning I was getting him ready for school. He's starting to want to "do-it-himself." He had his pj pants all the way down to his ankle, but couldn't get it over his foot. Being the drama king that he is, He starts straining and adding all the necessary sound effects needed to show he was exerting effort. He strains really big and out comes this little toot. He just turned red and burst into laughter. It was hilarious. That's the kind of humor four men in a house create.

Big E was promoted to the lower bunk this week. Frijole was moved up top. They seem to be fine with it. Big E is learning that speaking will get him what he wants. He's starting to copy sounds more often and try to get words out. Big improvement! Yeah, Big E!

Other news...the speedometer on my mini went out. It's a mixed blessing. If the speed limit's 60, Eric will go 59. Makes an ADHA person like me want to jump out of the window! So, at least for now, he has to go with the flow of traffic!

Can't think of anything else and my Nancy Grace show is on....I'm becoming addicted again!

Later Gator!

Play-Dough, Dog Treats, & Flames

2008-11-17T09:49:00.003-06:00

I thought I had 5 minutes in which it would be safe to reply to my friend, Anita's email and to the PTA president who had emailed me two weeks ago. I was wrong, as usual. Pod's is was at school and Bubbie in front of the t.v. The twins have just finally got to discover the joy and mess of play-dough. I left them at the table, thinking they would be entertained for at least five minutes.

While typing away, I heard some questionable noises coming from the kitchen. So, I went to investigate. I found both boys up on the counter next to the stove. Frijole was eating treats out of the dog's treat jar. Ethan had turned on the stove (low) and put the small pan that I use to boil passey's on the burner. Passey's were in the pan, but no water. That would have created a nice odor and small flames in a matter of minutes.

Uncle Pat, don't bother buying us the collector's edition with every color of play-dough this year. I would prefer shock collars instead.

Turkeys for Tosha

2008-11-12T12:50:00.003-06:00

I know you're sad that you don't have a class to make my favorite turkeys with this year! I want you to know that my class made some. We have to keep the tradition alive! :)

Every November, I would make these adorable turkeys with my students. Then, we'd hang them from the classroom ceiling. We had turkeys everywhere! When I started my new job as a mom, Tosha thought it was hilarious when she came over and saw that Pods and I had made these turkeys. We've done it every year. This year we added the corn cobs, which are the kid's feet and thumbprints.

I love you, Tosha. And so do my turkeys! :)

On another note, we got so bored today that Eric drug out the air compressor and started blowing it at the kids. He said he was teaching them about air pressure. We have got to get a hobby!

No Mom, No Rules

2008-11-07T09:29:00.005-06:00

Pods had found a displayed picture of Eric, Grandma Susie, Uncle Norman, and his Grandma Sibyl. She identified her dad and grandma, but was unsure of who the other two were. I explained to her that Uncle Norman is her grandma's brother and Grandma Sibyl was Grandma Susie's mother. I went on to explain that Grandma Sybil had passed away and gone on to Heaven were she would meet her someday. Pods asked, "So, Grandma Susie doesn't have a mother?" I replied that she does have a mother, but she's not with us on earth anymore. Pods got a very inquisitive look on her face and thought for a moment. Then she asked, "So, Grandma Susie can do whatever she wants to now?" Makes me think she's counting the days until I kick the bucket.

I also had to share this picture of the Big E. Our kids don't get dessert unless they eat all of their dinner, which is a rare occurrence for most of them. For the past few nights, Big E had watched Eric and I savor our chocolate pudding. He would sit in my lap and stick his tongue out hoping to catch anything that might fall off my spoon. It was hilarious. He finally ate all of his dinner and got his pudding. He was as happy as a pig in a mud puddle!

Good Intentions...

2008-11-02T17:27:00.005-06:00

The road to Hadis is paved with good intentions. Those are my words of wisdom for today.

Let me begin by saying that I really DO NOT like this time change. This is the time of year that I begin to feel like a mother bear locked in a cave with four hyper baby bears. If it weren't for the threat of Santa not dropping by, I would be in real trouble. The only thing positive about this change is the fact that there is a .0001% possibility that I might get one extra hour of sleep. Hey, there's still a chance. ;)

I'd had the kids all day yesterday and we'd done pretty well together. We went outside and played and then I mowed while they continued to play. During nap time, I organized the attic. I did accomplish something, finally. We had friends drop by and visit, which was such a nice refresher! Dinner time went well. All of the boys had taken a bath by 6:45. I just had to keep them up for two more hours. Fun! While Kathryn was taking her bath, the little guys decided that we'd missed a few spots and took it upon themselves to jump right on back in the tub. Jammies and diapers included. They had to be totally changed. Big E had run straight to his bed when he realized he was in trouble, so his sheets were wet. Of course I did what every good mother would do and just moved his pillow to the other end and undid the sheet. Good thing he's still short! Finally the little ones were dreaming of sheep, or cookies in Bubbie's case.

I decided I would take advantage of this wonderful hour of extra sleep. I would go to bed early and wake up early before the kids, looking and feeling all refreshed! I was in bed at 9:30. Just when I was about to drift off, I heard Frijole Man crying. I went up to check on him only to realize he had a very snotty nose, fever, and shallow breathing. I gave him Motrin and an inhaler treatment. As soon as I returned to bed, he started up again. Upstairs again I go. After about fifteen minutes of rubbing his head and trying to relax him, I snuck out and returned to bed. Twenty minutes later, I'm back upstairs trying to get him out of the room before he wakes everyone else up with his barking cough. We went downstairs and did a breathing treatment. He got the privilege of sleeping in my bed. We did breathing treatments every hour for the rest of the night. Around 3:45 am, he finally relaxed and fell asleep in my arms. Finally some sleep was in my future. Would you believe as soon as I closed my eyes I heard Big E sliding down the stairs? UGH!!! I had to remove myself from Frijole and return Big E to his trundle. This, of course, just started Frijole's whole coughing and wheezing right back up. More treatments. At 6:00 am on the dot, I was attacked by Bubbie and Big E. I tried to lay there and close my eyes, but it was useless. Reluctantly (that's not a strong enough word), I got up and got breakfast ready, chocolate milk's ready, diapers changed, cleaned up Bubbie's spilled milk, Motrin and breathing treatments administered. Once everyone had their belly full, I decided to put in a movie for the kids and go lie back down. Why bother? At least one kid was annoying me at all times. I don't like to shut my door because they tend to get into things they shouldn't when they know mom is occupied. My bedroom is right next to the living room, so I can observe them without being in the same room. One was opening and shutting the door. The other was throwing diapers around the room. It was all I could do to not get that magnetic paint out, paint a wall, and hang them up by their overalls. I just wanted fifteen minutes!! I thought it must be close to 10:00 am, so I might as well just get up and plan to rest at nap time. I looked at the darn clock and it was only 8:15!!! I thought I was going to die.

Anyways, I did manage to rest for fifteen minutes at nap time. After which, Frijole woke up with wheezing/breathing issues. My dear sister came and watched the other three so I could take him to the doctor. He's on 'roids now and that always opens him up. This kid ought to look like Arnold when he gets older as much as he's been on steroids.

We're hoping for a good night tonight. You can probably tell that four years of sleep deprivation have not had a positive affect on me. I get really possessive of my sleep time. I do, however, love my children more. :) Nighty, Night!

Not All Dogs Go To Heaven

2008-10-30T11:44:00.001-05:00

If dogs go to Heaven, there might be two more heading for the pearly gates today. Then again, they may not be allowed in. I'm just going to say there is a foul odor coming from under my bed and it has to do with a diaper. Ugghhh!!!!