2 is my LIMIT...I just happen to have 3

A Cut Above…

2009-11-13T13:31:00.001-06:00

Zman has been needing a haircut for about 3 weeks now. Within the last week, it became a desperate plea. But Fadre and I have been busy, so when S (the girlfriend) show up earlier this week, I put her to good use.

Now the only story I’ve heard about involving S and a pair of clippers involved a dog, no guard on the clippers, pink skin, and the dog running away. BUT! It’s not my hair and I figure she’s got a vested interest in what he looks like, so we let her loose.

Just look at her customer service skills when Zman gets hair in his eye. Yeah, she’s a natural…..

Race for the Cure

2009-11-05T20:46:00.001-06:00

Every year the Race for the Cure runs down our street, right in front of our house. Eleven years ago we were taken about by what sounded like a gaggle of geese coming down the street early one Saturday morning. Imagine my surprise when I opened the door and watched about 10,000 people walk by! Every year since, we’ve been up and out on the front porch to watch and encourage the runners and walkers. The year Zman was 5, he stood at Fadre’s side of the bed and begged him to hurry up. As Fadre opened the front door he discovered Zman was all ready for the race, complete with Pop Tarts for both of them.

A couple of years ago Fadre and I took Bean and Bug on the route, in their strollers. We discovered we enjoyed watching more than we enjoyed running, but it sure was nice to run into the house, grab a drink, and use your own restroom along the race route!

The girls have continued to love this tradition. Last year we tried passing out pink bubble gum to the race participants. It was a huge hit! We managed to coerce a couple of other neighborhood kids to join in.

This year ALL of the kids started hounding me about a month before the race about buying pink bubble gum.

Good fun for a good cause!

The Winner!

The first woman.

This photographer searched for our house. He said he remembered the girls passing out bubble gum last year and wanted to get some pictures of it again this year.

It’s time to get to business!

And they’re off!

And then the competition to pass out the gum got a little heated and they started to separate and get to the runner “first”.

They went from splitting up to crossing the street.

It disappeared quickly.

Even Dash got out and enjoyed the show.

Some of kids were so dedicated about passing out the gum, they sacrificed their clean clothes.

We saw quite a few people we know. Look – here’s Ms. Betty…

The military group that runs every year is so impressive and sounds great!

We can’t wait for next year!

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-31T16:25:00.001-05:00

This year we invited some friends over for a spaghetti dinner followed by some fantastic pumpkin carving. Just take a look…

It was messy.

We even convinced Zman and his girlfriend S to join in the fun.

Just look at that concentration…

It took a little parental involvement.

Happy Halloween!

Snorty

2009-09-11T11:25:00.001-05:00

Bug: Momma, I had to go to the tissue box at school today. I was kinda snorty.

Oh dear!

First, Third, Fourth, and Tenth…

2009-09-09T19:45:00.001-05:00

These are my obligatory mom, first day of school photos. The kids don’t really enjoy them. They have bigger things on their minds. But when I whip out the ‘I gave life to you’ card, the children oblige. Here a couple of years ago, Zman refused to have his picture made outside, which was actually fine with me. You see, at 6:15 a.m. I’m out in my robe with my hair standing on end. Frankly, I can’t blame the kid for his embarrassment.

First day of 10th grade. (Somebody should tell this child’s mother he needs a haircut.)

First day of 4th grade. (Shouldn’t someone tell this child to smile?)

First day of 3rd grade.

Excuses, Excuses

2009-09-09T19:44:00.001-05:00

I’ve been out of pocket lately. Something about kids going back to school, lots of work, needing to get things done at home…So let me catch you up.

These girls are getting ready to back to school.

School supplies? Check.

Spirit day shirts? Check.

School hat and hair bob? Check.

Broke mom? Check.

Tweetsie

2009-08-05T13:17:00.001-05:00

If you only have one vacation day without rain, this is definitely where you should spend it.

It’s full of history.

It’s got a real, operational steam engine train.

Don’t forget the horse rides.

Or the happy family.

But watch what you do. The law is serious ‘round these parts.

**Cough, cough, hack, hack*** It’s great!

If you’re too lazy to climb to the top, there’s a chair lift for you.

Do not miss the Tweetsie Twister. It’s a smashing good time. Literally.

There’s lots of animals to feed.

If you’re a good mother, you’ll point out all the rules.

Then let your children break them…

Eeewwww! Deer slobber.

Do goats really require a porch swing?

Hey!

What is Bug doing?

Well, every little girl needs a fairy mask, doesn’t she?

Or at least a dragon…

Don’t forget to mine for precious gems.

Whatcha got there Zman?

Oh, the rides. If you’re afraid of heights, maybe you should just take some photos of your children, who do not appear to have the slightest worry about where they are.

Do not let your underage children drive.

But in case you forget, your whiplash will remind you the next morning.

Most importantly catch a ride on the Tweetsie Railroad. The sheriff and his posse will keep you safe.

You can’t outsmart the sheriff.

And we’re off!

Yikes!

There’s trouble a brewin’

It’s alright, the Marshall has things under control.

Oh no!

And we arrive back at Main Street, safe and sound.

I let my baby go on this ride.

She’s height-legal by a hair.

Hey! What’s it doing?

Aaahhh! Stop that!

Why are my babies smiling?

This one doesn’t look too bad.

Um, hello? Where’s the ground?

Yay! We made it!

Fadre – why don’t you take the next one?

You mustn’t miss this!

It was the perfect ending to a perfect day!

It’s Not Me, So it Must be You

2009-08-05T12:30:00.001-05:00

Bean: I can’t float as good today. They must’ve gotten new water for the pool.

Yes, that must be it.

Fashion Foul

2009-08-05T12:22:00.001-05:00

This is what you look like after you sit in the hammock after a rain.

And for our next trick…

2009-08-05T12:16:00.001-05:00

Bean: Mom, can you move your computer off the kitchen table?

Me: Why?

Bean: I’ve taught Dash a new trick and I want to show you.

Me: What trick?

Bean: I’ve taught him how to jump on things and I want to show you how I’ve taught him to jump on the kitchen table.

Um, no.

No, I cannot move my computer.

Sorry.

Blowing Rock

2009-07-27T12:43:00.001-05:00

My boss has a house in the mountains. It is beautiful. He offered us the house for Spring Break 2006. My children thought it was the best vacation we’ve ever had.

When he offered the house to us again this year, we jumped at the chance.

My first morning looked like this from the back deck. The sun made its entrance around 6:30 in the morning.

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The perfect view to go with my cup of coffee.

And how’s this for company? She just showed up out of nowhere.

It didn’t take long for the girls to find their favorite spot!

We spent most of our afternoon playing games.

First, LCR…

Then Zman read us the rules for Scrabble Apple.

It was some quick and easy spaghetti for dinner.

We had a nice dinner out on the back deck. For two reasons:

We had beautiful weather.
My boss has white carpet in his house and his children are full grown. Not a good combination - red spaghetti sauce plus small children…..

We moved on to the puzzle after dinner.

In a mere 1,450 more pieces, it should look something like this….

We might need another week of vacation to finish it.

Vacation!!!

2009-07-27T00:42:00.001-05:00

We left Thursday morning for our summer family vacation. Our goal was to leave about 7 a.m. True to form, we didn’t leave until 10 a.m. Oh well, vacation is vacation no matter what time you leave.

Packing was a little different this time around. Fadre packed up his motorcycle for a special event later this week.

The girls were excited to be heading out.

Fadre found a killer hotel for us to stay at.

Those are WATER SLIDES! At the hotel. And a lazy river!

It started off being a working vacation for me. Well, vacation for the family. Work for me. While I was out in the field all day Friday, the kids enjoyed the hotel.

Bean

Zman

Bug

Things that go bump in the night

2009-06-09T10:20:00.001-05:00

Not long after Fadre and I moved into together, he woke me up in the middle of the night. I mean, he nudged me awake in the wee hours of the morning and said:

“Do you see all the kittens?” He was quite alarmed and I shot up straight in the bed to look around. I couldn’t see them so I asked where.

Fadre: They’re everywhere!

Me: I don’t see them!

And Fadre look me dead in the eye and says, “No, you can’t have one”.

(You see, I wanted a kitten at the time.)

I was, to say the least, a bit perplexed. I did not ask for one at that moment. The more I asked Fadre about the kittens, the more evasive he got, until he finally said, “Just forget it”. And he rolled back over and WENT TO SLEEP! After I took a last look around to look for the kittens (which were nowhere to be found), I finally went back to sleep.

It was that night I learned that Fadre has some severe nightmares. (Do people really have nightmares about kittens?)

We have been through many similar situations over the years. His most recurring nightmare involves spiders/bugs. Sometimes they run across the bed, sometimes they come from behind the pictures on the wall.

When it happens, I talk to Fadre and tell him there is no spider/bug on the bed. I argue with him a couple of times about yes there is/no there isn’t! Eventually he wakes up, gets embarrassed, rolls over, and goes back to sleep.

One time he woke me up for the spider discussion. He made me lift my head off the pillow and look for it. The VERY NEXT NIGHT he had the same dream, but this time he got up and turned on the light to look for it.

FOR THE THIRD NIGHT IN A ROW!!!!! he woke me up, turned on the light, made me get out of the bed so he could move it and look for that spider. UUUGGGHHH!!!! You know, frankly after someone has told you they saw a spider running across your pillow, it’s a little hard to fall back asleep because what if this time they were right?

Saturday night it happened. Fadre bolted out of the bed like it was on fire! He ran to the end of the bed and then to the bathroom doorway. He was just about to turn on the light when I asked what he was doing.

At that moment he woke up.

He said, “I am NOT waking you up to look for a spider” and he crawled back in bed without another word.

When I asked him about it on Sunday he said I have conditioned him to not wake me up. Apparently at this point, he’s only concerned about himself and will happily sacrifice me to the spider!

Oh What a Week!

2009-05-30T14:01:00.001-05:00

I am, self admittedly, not the best traveler. I mean, I don’t cling to the airplane seat or have a death grip on the person sitting next to me. But I don’t enjoy flying.

On Tuesday morning I left home and headed to Hilton Head Island for a business conference. Now you may be thinking along the same lines as Fadre….

Yes, Madre. It is a hard life. Don’t forget to knock the sand off your laptop when you leave the beach!

But Ha! I didn’t even see the beach, let alone touch some sand. My view from the meeting room was a nice, asphalt paved parking lot. But I must say, the palm tree landscaping was beautiful.

But this is how my trip went:

Get to the airport 1 hour before the flight leaves. I am so proud of myself for packing for a 4 day trip, with my work, all in 1 backpack. ONE backpack!!!!
Wait for plane to arrive at the gate - 30 minutes on late.
Circle the Atlanta area for 15-20 minutes due to back up of air traffic from bad weather.
MISS my connecting flight to Hilton Head. Fine! When is the next flight – 8 pm? That will have to do. What do you mean it’s booked and the following flight doesn’t leave until 8:25 am?????
Savannah will have to work, I guess.
$86 for transportation from Savannah Airport to HHI.
Finally I check into the hotel at 10 pm. Get my 2 room keys and head upstairs.
Neither key works!
Back down to get two new keys. At least this time the Front Desk Clerk came with me to make sure they worked.
Work in the hotel room until the wee hours of the morning.
Conference, work in hotel room, conference, work in hotel room. Rinse, repeat.
Leave the hotel at noon for the airport to see if I can catch a flight before 6pm.
Arrive at airport at 12:45. Last flight left at 12:25. Next flight? 6 pm!
Work, work, work. Pro: the airport is pretty. Con: the only food available are those items found in the vending machines.
At 5:15 pm – a storm comes in. Not kidding!
The flight leaves about 40 minutes late.

It’s a small plane. Single seats on the left side of the plane, two seats on the right. Across the aisle was a father travelling with his 3 year old daughter. She was cute as a button. I was a little tired, so I took a cat nap. I awoke to this conversation across the way:

Dad: Can you hold it for a few minutes? The man is coming down the aisle with the beverage cart.

(I didn’t hear the girl’s response, but they didn’t get up.)

About 5 minutes later I heard:

Dad: Did you wet your pants?

Girl: Yes, just a little.

Dad: Are you finished? I’m not going to change your panties until you’re finished because I only have one change of clothes for you.

Girl: No.

About five minutes later, when the beverage cart was finished, Dad got up and got a handful of paper towels from the bathroom. He did not take his daughter. He came back, put the towels in the seat and continually asked if she was finished yet. He was waiting for her to finish IN HER SEAT!!!! And when she had, he changed her pants there in their seats and went about the rest of the flight as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

IN HER SEAT?!?!?!?

Gross.

So while I am trying to ignore the conversation from across the way, I pulled out the camera to take some pictures for Bean and Bug. Bean has never been on an airplane. Bug has made 2 trips, but was only 14 months old for her last trip.

It was a beautiful flight. I just love to look out and see all those white, puffy clouds.

We are starting our descent.

Engine still there? Check.

Propeller working? Check.

Closer.

Yes! We made it.

And even though we were running late, I still managed to catch my flight home.

Although I started my journey started at 12:45 pm, I didn’t get home until just after 11:00 pm. But I’m home, safe and sound, and glad to see the family.

DUDE!

2009-05-08T12:54:00.001-05:00

This is one of my favorite photos. It shows every ounce of love Bug has for her aunt.

And…a nice view of someone’s elbow?!?

This is my baby sister. I was 17 when she was born. It was a little like having a real-life baby doll. It was FUN to get up in the middle of the night and feed her a bottle back then. But of course, that’s because her mother was there as a back up in case I didn’t want to get up or didn’t hear her. With Zman, Bean, and Bug it was totally different. Something about if I didn’t get up they just starved because there were no bottles at our house.

Anyway…I called her Dude. What can I say? It was the 80’s.

My father hated it. She’s not a boy, he would say. Fine…..DUDETTE! I would reply. And then I would continue to call her Dude behind his back.

Dude was about 18 months old when Fadre and I began dating. She was his first introduction to “babies”. She taught him:

Small children will mimic you. She wore a baseball hat from the time she was about 4 until she was 12, just like him.
You CAN train a toddler to go get her own diaper and wipes when it’s time to be changed.
“If you don’t behave, you’ll have to come home and spend the night with us” is not a THREAT to a young child, but rather an INVITATION! He learned that one quickly and never made that mistake again!

She’s tough. She’s played Tball/softball since she was four. The bruises and battering she’s suffered over the years would leave me on the floor, writhing in pain, begging for the Lord to come quickly and save me from my suffering.

She’s cool, relaxed, has a good sense of humor, and does not suffer from lack of self-esteem!

She loves all of her nieces and nephews and has a very different relationship will all of them. In fact, Zman is closer in age to Dude, than iNik is to Dude, or iNik is to me!

This August she’ll graduate from college. A couple of weeks ago it was Senior Day for the softball team. There were roses and a plaque.

My parents are so proud!

Here’s the whole gang.

And a cookie cake in her honor!

And even though it was a big weekend for her, Dude and her dude took time after the game to fly kites with Bean and Bug.

One of the coolest things that happened that weekend? While in line at Wendy’s for lunch, Bean, Bug, and Almost Mine yelled out – Look! It’s Dude! And sure enough. There was Dude – on a university poster – in the restaurant! Four athletes on the poster and she’s one of them!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUDE!

This is NOT my child!

2009-04-27T22:34:00.001-05:00

This is my sweet, innocent baby. What does she want to do on her vacation?

Why, she wants to rock climb.

Are you sure?

Yes, Mom.

Really??

UUUGGHHH! YES MOM!!!

There she goes!

Up!

Okay, at this point, I could barely snap the pictures, because I was feeling lightheaded. How did this happen? How did I create a human being without a fear of heights? Obviously, I have enough fear for the both of us.

And she rings the bell!

For making it to the top, she gets to go again free if she wants. Here he is asking if she wants to go again. She politely declined. Apparently, once is enough. But that’s one more than me!

Victory is SWEET!

On Top of the World

2009-04-27T22:10:00.001-05:00

Or at least as close as I ever want to be! From the top of Rock City you can see seven states. Bean seemed a little confused as to where the black dotted lines were showing the state boundaries.

Oh, the view. Well, that’s what others brag about. I was busy trying to take a decent shot while NOT looking at the subject.

Those other folks in my group? They wanted a CLOSER look!

I have got to quit heading to high spots for vacation. My idea of vacation is not becoming BFF with a queasy stomach.

What you can’t see here? Me, grabbing onto one of Fadre’s belt loops and holding on for my dear life! Quick take the picture Zman, before I faint!

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

2009-04-27T21:32:00.001-05:00

This is how we spent the last day of our vacation in Chattanooga.

See how Zman is enjoying our family time?

I don’t care how old you are, these are always fun!

One of the many stone bridges.

Fairyland Caverns was one of the coolest things we saw.

Several fairytale scenes are painted with glow-in-the-dark paint and displayed under black lights. Diamond Corridor was the first stop.

The wall was full of *sparkly* rocks. Bean loved it!

Down, down, we go.

Here are a few of the scenes.

Jack and Jill.

A ferris wheel.

More and more.

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Up, Up, and Away!

2009-04-27T21:02:00.001-05:00

While at Rock City, we took in a show…A bird show.

As this guy came around, he got a little excited. Then he was suppose to fly between the trainers. Instead he went from one trainer to the top of a tree.

After the buzzard’s trial flight with an audience member, he flew from one trainer to another – right over our HEADS. His wings scraped my and Bug’s head. Very cool!

This poor guy lost his wing to a gunshot wound. Very sad. He was still magnificent.

Zman, Bug, and Bean got to pet the littlest owl.

The park is having guests build an eagle’s nest. I think my kids would fit in it!

The Fab Five

2009-04-24T13:35:00.001-05:00

BQ gave me this card for my birthday. It is such a true representation of us.

Good to the last drop

2009-04-24T13:11:00.001-05:00

I found this in the laundry last week.

Let me give you a little perspective….

Something more quantitative?

Apparently Bean is taking WASTE NOT, WANT NOT very seriously. How she gets it sharpened, I’ll never know…

A Diamond is a Girl’s Best Friend but an Amethyst Makes a Good Buddy Too!

2009-04-21T09:04:00.001-05:00

After you’ve journeyed to the center of the earth and back, you can play on this lovely playground full of sunshine. Bug gave the monkey bars her all.

And here’s Zman, in his natural state…texting his girlfriend. It’s almost as if she joined us on the trip.

You could buy bags of sand and sift them like the old time gold diggers, and look for precious gems. I could not have imagined a more appropriate activity for Bean! It is right up her alley.

Even Zman couldn’t miss out on this opportunity.

First you pour your bag of sand into the sifter. I don’t know if that’s the technical name for it, but let’s just go with that for now.

And then you put your sifter in the water and wash away the sand.

After you do this a couple of times, your “gems” start to show themselves.

And you keep working at it until the sand is all gone.

And your left with your prized possessions.

If I keep doing this, surely I can find enough diamonds for us to retire.

It even peaks Fadre’s interest.

You carefully pick out your gemstones and put them in a bag.

Bean’s found something REALLY good.

Zman plays good big brother and helps Bug pick out her stones.

I think that’s a garnet, maybe an amethyst…It’s hard to tell from here.

You are given a card so you can match up your stones.

Nothing makes a girl with a touch of OCD happier than to match something up!

Look at our bounty…or is it booty? Please don’t look at my booty…It isn’t pretty.

We’re all sorted.

Sorted = happy.

After Bean sorted once. She sorted again before putting her rocks away.

Then she folded up her card and put it in her bag so she could sort again later.

Some Fear with a View

2009-04-21T09:01:00.001-05:00

Isn’t this a beautiful view? This is the view from the top of the Ruby Falls building. It’s breathtaking. At least it is for me. I’m deathly afraid of heights. This was more of a hold the camera out and take the picture as opposed to focusing on the view and purposely taking a landscape photograph.

It doesn’t seem to phase the rest of my crew.

When I see one of my offspring look out over the edge like this, it makes me sick to my stomach and weak in the knees. Seriously. What has not been captured is that 3 seconds after this picture, I grabbed her jacket and held it tight as if she were trying to run into a burning building. I know it sounds extreme, but seriously, that’s how it plays out.

See how she’s happy as a lark? She has no fear. It’s because she doesn’t have children yet. Once a child scoots down your birth canal, you develop some extreme fears. Like, after I have strapped the girls into their carseats and realize I left my coffee on the kitchen counter I wage a 5 minute war with myself about running back into the house to pick it up. I don’t want to unstrap them. It takes a lot of work to strap them in. It takes longer to strap them in than it does to run in and get the coffee. Should I lock the car and run in quickly to get it? But what if someone spilled water on the tile floor and I didn’t know it and I slip and fall, and knock myself unconscious and the girls are trapped in a hot locked car!!!!!!! See, I was worry-free until I birthed those life-suckers….

No children = no fear

Fadre is not scared of heights. He doesn’t worry about slipping on the wet tile either. UGGHH! I carry all of the irrational burdens for this family.

Do you know what a teenage boy does while on vacation, in the mountains with his family? Why, he texts his girlfriend of course. I bet this weekend has helped him break his record of 12,000+ text messages in one month!

Do You Know How Long It Takes to Find a Hole in the Ground?

2009-04-19T22:35:00.001-05:00

After I finished with my work Friday morning, we opted to visit Ruby Falls.

You can see my Garmin on the window. We call her Emily. Emily usually does a fantastic job, but occasionally, we disagree on the amount of notice she needs to give before we have to make a turn. See that red arrow? That says Ruby Falls, turn left. Emily, unfortunately, can’t read and didn’t tell us it was time to turn until we had passed the road. So we circled the mountain and tried again.

We finally made it. Those are my teeny, tiny peeps.

The building is magnificent.

And we buy our tickets and head down 260 feet into the earth. This is the third set of caves we’ve visited with the kids. They love it! Just look at them, they are a bundle of nervous energy waiting for the tour to start….

Seriously, we all enjoy it. Lots of cool things to see.

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The pièce de résistance? Why Ruby Falls, of course. It was beautiful! We were able to walk around the waterfall.

And then we make our way back out of the cave.

The girls each took their cameras. Bean was like a ninja photographer. She’d whip that camera out, take a picture, and put it back down before you could say cheese.

Bug became an avid picture-taker quickly.

We were all wearing jackets because of the cooler temperature down in the cave. I think the only thing they could do to improve on the experience would be to install a Starbuck’s about halfway through the tour. That’s just my opinion. Or maybe offer the tour on a tram – with cupholders for the coffee!

Road Trip!!!

2009-04-19T21:38:00.001-05:00

We left Thursday night for a family weekend in Chattanooga. It was also a work trip for me, but I was much more focused on the vacation portion of the trip.

And we’re OFF!

Do you see how the DVD player is already in action? That house you see out the window…that is the house across the street from ours. WE HAVEN’T EVEN LEFT OUR STREET YET!!!!!

Fadre is looking cool with his shades. But he can’t pose for me. Something about keeping his eyes on road, keeping the family safe, OH FINE!

We made it a whopping 2-3 miles down the road before we stopped for dinner. Sonic – I am forever grateful to you for offering heavily colorized drinks that my children beg for. I spent the next two hours keeping tabs on my children’s drinks. Oh, and Zman – he ordered a chili, cheese dog. Now I see why people take their dogs on vacation. It’s to clean up after their kids.

They were still raring to go at 10:30 pm. At this point we were 1 pit stop and 2 movies down. Two and a half hours to go.

Changing the Color of My Skin With My Mother’s Permission.....a/k/a Dyeing Easter Eggs

2009-04-14T09:07:00.002-05:00

Every year the neighbor graciously hosts the Easter egg dyeing on Good Friday. This year she had some friends in town and we about doubled the size of the party.

You have to make sure you get your initials on them. You sure would hate to take home someone else’s eggs.

We started off with some sponge painting.

And did some tie-dyeing.

More sponge painting.

Some plain old dye.

K started like this.

She looked like this after her first two eggs.

Frankly, she couldn’t stand to work with the egg holder any longer. Fingers do a much better job.

See???????

Her mother was thrilled!

Bug had a hard time reaching the table.

We were left with some very cool looking eggs.

Quite obviously, it was a ton of fun.

Recognize those blue fingers?

I just loved this egg. It reminded me of a globe.

Hoppy Easter!

2009-04-12T22:33:00.002-05:00

Phew! It has been a whirlwind of a weekend for us. For the past two weeks Bean, Bug, Almost Mine, and our neighbors M & K have been stuffing Easter eggs for our church’s annual East Egg Hunt. Those 5 children stuffed 851 eggs! Eight-hundred fifty-one EGGS! My entire living room was full of eggs and their fingers were sore. But those 5 little ones were able to make 158 children very happy.

The morning started with a visit from a local farm with a train, a pony, and a fantastic petting zoo.

The girls enjoyed the petting zoo more than anything else. First Bean found the colored chicks. Orange was her pick.

Then Bug found the colored ducklings. Ah, a nice lovely teal shade.

Zman was the pony leader. He walked that pony back and forth and back and forth for a solid hour and made many a children’s day.

Bean was enamored with those colored chicks. She and her buddy, M, picked color coordinating chicks. You know, a girl’s got to make sure she coordinates her accessories.

I could not resist Bug and K, with their faces painted like bunnies while they loved on some real, live, furry bunnies.

Bean eventually made her way around to the bunnies.

The girls spent their entire hour switching back and forth between chicks, ducklings, and bunnies.

Then it was time for the egg hunt. See that girl in the red pants? She was wasting no time.

And she’s off!

Bug was a little more laid back, but still managed to have a fantastic time!

And the kids came home hyped up on candy, cookies, juice, and adrenaline. Oh, and they smelled phenomenal as well!

Good Report Cards = TCBY

2009-04-06T22:10:00.001-05:00

Bean and Bug have both made honor roll this past 9 weeks. Bug asked if we could look into getting some ice cream as a reward. I hope she is easily pleased when she’s 16 as well!

We had a mass of children Saturday night. There were the neighbors, M & K, Bean, Bug, and Almost Mine. Since everyone had done pretty well on their report cards, it became a group outing.

Do you know how long it takes for 5 children to decide what they want?

Do you know how many funny looks you get when you walk into a store with 5 children that span a 3 year age difference?

Fadre and I realized the only child out of the 5 that didn’t look like it belonged? Bean. Everybody else has pretty much the same hair color – but hers is much darker. When you see her face though, you know she is Fadre’s child. At least that’s what people tell me. I see a child who constantly looks at life through a prism. But that’s another story…

It turned out to be a worthy reward.

And we were all happy. Did I mention I had a strawberry parfait? You know, I’ve been working hard too.

And my willpower was not strong enough to just watch them eat it.

And then Bug asked if these could spend the night:

And I said yes.

Because I had forgotten they were energized by this:

Oh, and the last one was still awake after 11 o’clock that night.

Giving Back

2009-04-06T22:09:00.002-05:00

We have gotten a couple of really good coupons for cat food lately. So I took them to the store and bought some food (either free, or darn near close to it). After confusing Zman thoroughly (Are we getting a cat? No.), Bug and I drove to the local animal shelter to make our donation.

That’s a whole lot of cat food for a family that doesn’t have any cats!

Look at that grin. She was SO excited!

After making our donation, they let us visit the cats. Bug seemed a little disappointed that there were only 5 or 6 cats in the shelter that day. I reminded her that was a good thing, meaning all the other cats had found homes. She agreed, but was still a little disappointed. And then she said, “It smells in here.” And her love affair with the cats was over.

I hope she gets over boys as quickly!

Bean’s Birthday Dinner

2009-03-30T12:18:00.001-05:00

On the girls’ birthdays I pick up their requested lunch, a birthday treat to share with their friends, and I have lunch with them. Zman wanted to know why I don’t have lunch with him. So I offered to pick up lunch for his upcoming birthday. He was all excited until I reminded him that I’d be joining him for lunch. Funny, all of a sudden Chik-Fil-A was not so appetizing….

Anyway, Bean requested a McDonald’s cheeseburger – plain.

She is not big on cupcakes, so we searched for an alternative.

Twinkies make everyone smile! And they have a 3 to 4 year shelf life. What more could you ask for?

Look how good they make you feel!

As I have said before, in our family, on your birthday you pick the dinner. Bean ALWAYS picks Macaroni Grill.

I picked up Mamaw after work and Fadre picked up the kids. And we all met a Macaroni Grill. Here’s a video of Bean’s excursion from her friend’s house to the truck to head off to dinner. A little dramamine anyone?

You have to wait a few minutes when you ask for a table for 13. Let’s see how we spent our time…

Bean and Bug were given this digital camera by my boss about a month ago. It hardly ever leaves Bean’s hands. (hence the above video)

Clockwise from bottom left: Nana, Mamaw, Fadre, iNik, Jocelyn, Paul, Zman, Carson, Almost Mine, Bug, Bean, Papa.

Bug’s a little tired.

iNik in her natural habitat – on her phone.

What’s in the bag? What’s in the bag?

It’s her own camera so she doesn’t have to share. She was elated!

And then this lovely lady sang “Happy Birthday” in Italian. Complete with a piece of chocolate cake.

WHAT??????

Oh, sorry Mom!

A Close Call

2009-03-28T22:01:00.001-05:00

About a month ago Fadre got the bright idea that we could save some money on haircuts. He and Zman were ready to switch to clipper cuts and he was sure I was more than capable.

Um, I can’t cut paper in a straight line, let alone hair. So we did our homework. And by homework, I mean we turned to YouTube. Oh there are instructional videos on there galore! Of course, there were several “oops” videos, which made Zman feel a little nervous. Fadre was first. No pictures for my benefit – you know, just in case it didn’t turn out. But we survived and it looked pretty good (my unbiased opinion).

I was feeling more confident by Zman’s turn, so his best bud C played photographer.

Before. See the need for the haircut? It is so unruly!

Do you just want a little taken off the top?

Frankly, I thought it would be easier than it was. A buzz, buzz here, a buzz, buzz there, here a buzz, there a buzz, everywhere a buzz, buzz. But I was plagued by a curl here, a cowlick there, and by the time he was done, I was tired.

But this. This is so much better than this.

Sadie

2009-03-09T20:32:00.001-05:00

The other morning the girls were going crazy because there was a “puppy” outside. A Scottie. I didn’t have the heart to tell them she wasn’t a puppy, but that in reality she was a normal-sized, full-grown Scottie and that Nana just happens to be raising gargantuan dogs. Well, Jack is just big and Jill, WHOA!, that chick is a pot-bellied pig disguised as a Scottie.

Anyway, this “puppy” was a ball of energy on the loose. So I held her until the school bus had come and gone, then Fadre called the number on her tag and slowly, but surely, we were able to leave a message on the owner’s voicemail.

Sadie was her name (the dog, not the owner). And while we waited for her owner to call, we let Sadie and Dash play.

Oh, she’s fast…very fast…which is why this is a picture of her less appealing end. (Don’t mind the mess. Please, really, just ignore it. Pretend like you don’t even see it. Thank you.)

Then Sadie’s owner called and picked her up. I think Dash was a little sad after she left.

Cookie Sales

2009-03-09T20:31:00.001-05:00

Saturday was time for Troop 306 to get busy and sell some cookies. Each girl signed up for a 1 hour time slot to sell in front of the grocery store. I’m not big on selling cookies door to door and I refuse to take the cookie sheet to work because I don’t want my co-workers to buy out of obligation. But I REALLY enjoy the cookie booth. It never ceases to amaze me the number of former girl scouts we attract and how they are willing to share their cookie sale stories with us. This year we had one lady tell us that cookies were only $0.25 per box back when she sold them. That’s a far cry from the $3.50 per box current pricing.

Fadre and I always stay with Bean and her group during our time slot. And every year Fadre buys a box of cookies to snack on while we sell and uses the excuse of “it’s so we have a sample to offer”.

Bean and her selling partner, M.

What do we have to sell? Everything you could want…

Troop #306 ROCKS!

I am always amazed at the number of people who don’t want to buy any cookies but want to support these girls, so they make a donation. This year the girls decided every time they had enough of a donation to purchase a box of cookies, they would and then donate the cookies to a nearby group home for the mentally challenged. One of our church members lives at the home and her family is thrilled with it. It’s kind of cool that the girls’ charity choice impacts someone we know. One of the girls’ uncle lives there as well. In just the hour we were there, the girls had enough in donations to purchase at least 7 boxes of cookies.

It’s my understanding that the troop was able to fill the donation box by the time the sale was over.

Girl Scouts (or Brownies in this case) can do anything!

Snow Day

2009-03-04T23:22:00.001-06:00

Remember that snow I posted about a few weeks ago? About 2 p.m. or so last Saturday it started to snow. And it kept going! By Sunday morning the news said we got about 5-6 inches. Within 10 minutes of hearing church had been cancelled, Bean and Bug headed out to play. Fifteen minutes later Bean came in and took a nap. By the time she woke up she had tears in her eyes and complained she didn’t feel well. Thanks to one dose of Motrin, two cups of chicken noodle soup, two handfuls of crackers, and several naps, she was all better by Monday morning.

Family Breakfast Day

2009-03-04T23:11:00.001-06:00

Bean and Bug offer breakfast at school once a year as a fundraiser. So this morning we all get up early. Okay, the girls got up same as always because they are usually downstairs, ready for school and eating breakfast by 7 am. I am usually thinking about getting in the shower at that time. But I did it and we were ready to leave the house by 7. Since the neighbor kids’ mom had to work early this morning and their dad has to leave for work pretty early, we took their girls with us. After sitting down another neighbor and his daughter joined our table. It was just like a regular Block Party.

Almost Mine’s Birthday Dinner

2009-03-04T23:07:00.001-06:00

Almost Mine picked Chili’s as his birthday dinner restaurant. Zman and his girl K had plans for later that evening, so we invited her to join us. I got this appetizer for free with a coupon. Mmmm.

Bean, Bug, Almost Mine

Fadre, Poppa, iNik, Nana

Zman and K (he loves for me to take his picture)

Almost Mine got a cool backpack for his Nintendo DS.

Me, iNik, Nana

I ate me some of this.

While Fadre had this.

The girls you ask? They went all the way to a restaurant to get the same mac ‘n’ cheese I make at home.

Bug was a little tired and in a sour mood.

I tried to sympathize with her.

I shared this with Fadre and it was good!

A perfect end to a fantastic night.

Zman is a Deacon!

2009-03-04T22:57:00.001-06:00

I was so proud last fall when the Nominating Committee asked Zman to be a Deacon. I’ve had the honor of serving twice as a Deacon in the church and there is nothing as humbling as offering a fellow Christian the most fulfilling meal.

He didn’t laugh, he didn’t drop anything. All of a sudden he was grown up and respectful. The elder women of the church love him and are happy to remind me that they’ve known him since he was 5 and they are mighty proud of the man he’s becoming. And I am proud to be his mom.

Dinner at Nana’s

2009-03-04T22:24:00.001-06:00

For as long as I can remember, our birthday tradition has been to either go out to dinner to celebrate, or have Nana cook your favorite dinner. For years my birthday dinner request was stir fry. But eventually I learned to make it myself and I don’t want to be wasting my birthday dinner on a meal I can cook. My new favorite is a Weight Watchers chicken dish that probably doesn’t conform to Weight Watchers rules any more because it contains full fat cheese and other goodies. My best description is chicken stuffed with sautéed celery and carrots. Then the chicken is smothered in tomato sauce, covered in mozzarella cheese and served over rice. It is incredible!! But it takes a lot of work. Something about beating the chicken ‘til it’s really thin and using a cuisinart (which I do not own). So I just wait until my birthday, or if my mom ever asks for dinner suggestions.

This year my youngest sister came back from college for the weekend to help celebrate.

Sidebar – her knee is healing up nicely…

The kids were not that into the chicken dish, so mom fixed them pizza. And somebody ate Easy Mac, yuck!

C and Bug watched a little TV.

Bean and Almost Mine played a few video games.

And then Bean….

I don’t know what she’s doing. Don’t ask.

Thanks for a great birthday dinner Nana!!!

Parlez-Vous Francais

2009-03-03T22:33:00.001-06:00

Part of my job is to make property inspections. Today I was going to inspect 24 apartment units. My inspection started as normal as any other and the property manager accompanied me. About halfway through, we headed back to the leasing office to re-load on the unit keys. Then the manager introduced me to the maintenance man who would be my tour guide for the rest of my inspection. This is within the norm.

Then she says, “He speaks a little English.” Oh.

“His name is Fernando*.” I guess he won’t be impressed by my four years of high school French then.

And he has laryngitis. Peachy.

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Almost Mine

2009-02-27T09:24:00.001-06:00

I call him Almost Mine because, well, he’s like one of my children. ‘Cept for that whole – he didn’t come out of my birth canal thing….

I can remember the call vividly from iNik to tell me about him. I was there in the ultrasound room when we learned it was a boy. (Which was really good news because Lordy, if you had only seen the size of his feet then!) I was there when he took his first breath. And it was I who cut the cord and freed him from his mother. Someday he’ll thank me for that because, I mean, how embarrassing to have to drag your mother with you everywhere.

I’ve held him, I’ve nursed him (desperate times call for desperate measures), I’ve kissed his boo-boos, I’ve rocked him to sleep, I’ve watched him hit his milestones, I’ve watched him grow up, and I’ve loved him every minute of his life like he was mine.

2002 – he made an appearance at his own baby shower! Early bird catches the worm.

2003 – Almost Mine and Bug are 5 months apart. They are like a set of twins.

2004 – Halloween. Who are those girls, and doesn’t their mother ever brush their hair??????

2005 – Ground Hog Day party

2006 – Mountain View, AR vacation

2007 – Easter Egg Hunt

2008 – Almost Mine adores Zman so when Zman got his mohawk, so did he.

Today he turns 7. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Almost Mine!

Presidential Address to Congress

2009-02-24T20:23:00.001-06:00

The girls walked into my bedroom tonight just as President Obama began his address to Congress.

Bean: Is the President going to fix the economy?

Me: I hope so.

Bean: Good.

Bug: What’s the ecomony?

Bean: I don’t know, but it’s bad….

Very Funny Friday

2009-02-20T02:45:00.001-06:00

Sue is running a blog carnival called Very Funny Friday over at navel gazing at its finest. I realized after I’d written my post that she asked the stories be kept clean…my bad. Well, at least it ended up sorta clean.

Nothing amuses me more than my children. One afternoon Bug and Bean and their neighborhood friends were discussing how God had given everyone a special gift. H had been given the gift of being able to make it rain, since she’d done a rain dance out in the driveway two days in a row and IT RAINED two days in a row. That could never be construed as a coincidence! It came out that Bean’s special gift from God was healing. Apparently, H had a cut on her foot and Bean licked the wound and Voila!, H’s sore was healed. Um, YUCK! I mean, thanks God for helping Bean to recognize the gift you have bestowed upon her, but would it have been to much to ask that you give her healing hands rather than a healing tongue?

Who says public education isn’t good?

2009-02-18T10:45:00.001-06:00

At the dinner table last night Bean was talking and used “in a moment or two” during her conversation. At that point Fadre stopped, looked at me, and said, “What 8 year old kid uses the word ‘moment’?” At which point Bean replied, “I find that offensive.”

Since when do 3rd graders use these types of phrases? When I was in the 3rd grade my focus was to stay away from boys with cooties. I was not the least bit concerned about about my grammar.

Bug and Bean were none too thrilled about their public education this morning when I realized that they were still asleep at 7:27 this morning and that they had to be at the bus stop by 7:32. Clean teeth are overrated anyway….

Not Me! Monday

2009-02-15T22:12:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did not over multi-task last Monday by watching Bug do gymnastics and watching Bean do homework and addressing Valentine’s cards, all while working. Certainly, not I – I give everything I do my undivided attention.
I did not look at my girls more than once this week and think to myself, “They have already worn those clothes”, knowing they have not done laundry since the washing machine was repaired. I did not then proceed to look the other way and not say anything. I mean, I ALWAYS make sure my kids have clean laundry. And if I were to catch them wearing dirty clothes, I would definitely make them go back upstairs and change.
I did not spend more of my Valentine’s Day Eve trying to help my son win the girl of his dreams than I did on a romantic date with Fadre.
It would never be me that would be just a little jealous that I never had a 14 year old boy go to the extent Zman did, just to ask me out. I do not try to make myself feel a little better by saying I am raising a great husband for some lucky girl in the future.
After putting so much time in to help Zman get his girl, I most assuredly did not spend the actual Valentine’s Day cleaning house and grocery shopping so that Zman and his buddy, C, could invite their chicks over for dinner and to watch a movie in the hot tub. After all, I already had two little girls to babysit in addition to my two. Who in their right mind would agree to cook dinner for 8 kids?
After the teens had gotten into the hot tub and started the movie, it was not me who proceeded to grab the laptop, sit on the couch that faces the window in front of the hot tub, only to blog about the boys’ romantic adventures from the night before, while keeping a constant watch on those kids.

What did you NOT do this week? Won’t you join us in the free therapy the Not Me! Monday posts provide? It’s NOT ME that needs therapy…..

Valentine’s Day Eve

2009-02-14T21:42:00.001-06:00

How did I spend the night before Valentine’s Day? Fadre and I managed to work out an excellent deal with the neighbors. They take our girls Friday evening and we keep theirs Saturday evening. Great deal, huh? In the budget conscious state we are in, I have been practicing my bartering skills. But of course, we have to plan our evening around Zman’s social schedule. We drop him off at his bud’s house and we head out for sushi. Because I bought a $25 coupon for $3. Even Valentine’s Day can be celebrated at a discount. Only, we bought more than we could eat, but hey – it’s lunch for another day. Our dinner looked something like this…well, what was left of it.

Because we felt like overstuffed sloths after dinner, we stopped by to get some of this.

White Chocolate Mocha is one of my BFFs.

Afterwards we headed home and rested until we were needed.

By Zman.

Three weeks ago Zman created his Master Plan for Valentine’s Day. All to ask out K. Fortunately, he is a good sport and let me take some photos. Okay, maybe I went back to my well-honed bartering skills…I’ll help you if I can take pictures. He really wasn’t left with much of a choice since he doesn’t have a driver’s license.

The plan started with Fadre and I picking him and his buddy C from C’s girlfriend’s house where they had gone to visit while Zman’s potential chick was there. But first, he asked that I pick up some flowers. “Red and white, Madre, red and white”, said Zman.

So…

Flowers, check.

Step 2..Pick up Zman and pretend to go home. But instead, drive around the block and pull up in front of the girls’ house, with the lights off.

I hope he used a different look while he was trying to impress her!

Step 3…The boys hide behind the truck and write their love notes.

You would not believe the amount of discussion and laughter that erupted while trying to decide which color to use…

Then there was a little bit of writer’s block….

You would think by the 9th grade, they would’ve mastered the heart shape..But it was 11:00 at night and very dark and at this point we were all laughing so hard we had tears in our eyes.

Then he gets serious…

Step 4..Finish the “love” note.

My heart “twittered” with a little pride when I saw this…the culmination of three weeks’ planning, which is equivalent to 6 months in teenager timing, SO ROMANTIC!

Step 5…Parents drive down the street so the boys can call the girls out to view their “street art”. Of course, Fadre and I turned the car around so we could at least see a little bit.

Step 6…Zman calls for us to come and pick up him and C. But of course I whip out my bartering skills and swap a pick up for a photo. They were oh so thrilled.

Don’t mind C’s girl…she’s just not use to me yet.

Note to Fadre: I do not require love notes written on the street or a bouquet of flowers. A load of laundry and a load of dishes will do me just fine. VERY ROMANTIC!!!!

Not Me! Monday

2009-02-02T22:11:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week I did not lose my patience with the Maytag customer service representative after being without a washer for 2 weeks. I was not asked to refrain from using profanity when I said the word “sucking”. I realize my college degree should provide me with a base for being able to choose more appropriate terminology, but seriously, when did “sucking” become profanity?
I did not tell Bug that we wouldn’t be able to attend Saturday’s gymnastics make-up lesson because we were running late. After all, I would readily admit the truth to my child that I couldn’t drag myself away from the computer and the coffee in a timely manner to get into the shower.
Fadre and I did not snuggle up with Bean and Bug on the couch Friday night to watch Thursday’s recorded American Idol and then proceed to fall asleep on said couch. I did not wake up at midnight to tell the girls to “Be Quiet”, then at 2 am to tell them to turn down the TV, and again at 3 am to tell them to “BE QUIET!” I would most definitely send my family to their beds to get a good night’s sleep. I would never be too lazy to get up and go get in my comfortable bed and go to sleep.
I was NOT slightly cranky Saturday morning due to a lack of sleep the night before.
I did not have to go to Nana’s house again this week to do four more loads of laundry. UUUUGGGGHHHH!
I was not a little joyous when she said she would finish up the last 2 loads.
I did not feel just a little guilty for laying down on the bed while Fadre vacuumed out my truck.
I did NOT embarrass Zman by whipping out the camera at church to take pictures of his first time serving communion as a Deacon. I am very respectful of my children’s feelings after all.

I’ve Been Tagged!

2009-02-01T16:18:00.001-06:00

I’ve been tagged by Pam list 20 random things about myself. Pam found me through MckMama’s website and as it turns out, has extended family living close to us. Her blog is Twenty Little Piggies, which is a very cute name but not one I could ever use since A) I have three children and we’d have to be 30 little piggies and B) well if you saw this post you’d remember that my girls’ piggies aren’t too cute and Zman’s piggies are growing hair (EEEWWW!), so I’ll just stick with what I’ve got.

Much like Pam, I don’t actually know 20 bloggers, but I’ll do what I can.

I have 5 tattoos.
Since meeting Fadre, I have had 3 different last names: 1st I was born with, 2nd I got when I was adopted at age 21 by my dad, 3rd I got the day I married Fadre.
I can make my eyes look in two different directions at the same time.
I was born in England.
I spent a year in Guam.
My dream job is to be a high school math teacher.
I don’t like bugs.
I am ALWAYS cold.
I was an extended and tandem nurser.
I love humor.
I like brownies but hate chocolate cake.
When asked about “hot” celebrities, people like Sean Connery, Sam Elliot, Will Smith, and Hugh Jackman come to mind. Noone under the age of 35 comes to mind.
Every clock in my house is set to a different time in an effort to help me be “timely”.
I have 11 earrings.
I don’t like oatmeal, but try it every year in the hopes that I will develop a taste for it.
My youngest sister is 17 years my junior.
Geckos are my “thing”.
I like to knit and crochet.
I hate to exercise.
It was Love at First Sight for me and Fadre. When I found out he ordered two dozens roses for me for Valentine’s Day before we ever had our first date, I knew he was the one.

I tag:

iNik at Nikki and Mason
Jocelyn at Don’t Take Fruit from a Talking Snake
Heather at Royle Family Fun
Katy at The Schrodt Family

Fadre Does the Sweetest Things for Me!

2009-01-28T22:39:00.001-06:00

Fadre took this

to here for me last night

because the weatherman mentioned

but all we got was this

and this

and up close it looked like this

but it was enough to cause this

which made the children do this.

Dinner Last Friday

2009-01-28T22:16:00.001-06:00

Last Friday night while I was doing laundry at Nana’s, she let us all make our own pizzas. Don’t they look good?

Okay, the one with the funky shaped crust is the Silly Yak pizza for Nana and iNik.

The girls liked it.

I have no idea what Almost Mine is eating…

And then it was time for a nap.

Not Me! Monday

2009-01-26T20:41:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week I did not tell the washer repairman that I do a load of laundry every single day and that I am now 6 days/loads behind. After all, I would admit that I NEED to do one load of laundry per day but that I usually don’t and end up putting it off until the weekend and spend all weekend long doing laundry.

This week I did not resort to promising Bug to take pictures of her while she was at gymnastics so she would be happier about going. Not me – I would never stoop to appealing to my young child’s ego to get her to do what I want.

When my mother called me this week to offer the use of her washer AND dinner on Friday night, I was not more excited about someone else cooking dinner for me than being able to have clean clothes. After all, I am very concerned about personal hygiene.

After finding out that my mom folded the last two loads of laundry I left at her house, I did not wish I had left the other two loads there for her to fold also.

I did not sit in church on Sunday and wonder if anyone makes heated pew seats for days below 40 degrees.

I did NOT hear Bean say this when she was asked how her day at school was:

“Well, I kinda had a nervous breakdown”.

Get in line Sister! If anyone gets to have a nervous breakdown in this house, I call dibbs!!!!!

Habitat for Humanity

2009-01-24T21:46:00.002-06:00

Last April, a group from our church volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. Now, Fadre and I do a lot of home improvements ourselves. Okay, he does a lot…I am more helpful in “spirit”. But I did climb out on the porch roof last year (being afraid of heights and all) and helped paint our new siding on the 2nd floor.

Back to my point, we don’t always attack our home improvements with the best of attitudes, it’s usually a dreaded chore. But THIS, this was very, very different. It was a privilege. It was fun.

Chris and Dr. Jason were excited to get started.

Painting was the main job for the day and Jocelyn worked hard.

Faye was such a sport and painted all day – even with arthritis. Yep, that’s me squatting. Somehow, I’m always given the low spots. Note my excellent posture in the above right photo - my mother will be so pleased.

Chris worked on the house next door too.

Bill getting ready for his assignment - climb WAAAY up there and paint.

iNik’s not big on heights, but she handled this with a smile!

Unless you had experience, you were not allowed to touch the power tools. Fadre was the only one in our group allowed. He’s such a MAN!

But Gary won the prize for being a gentleman. Here he is moving the bench for his beautiful bride, Mary. As we were getting ready to leave the site we had to hunt for them. They “claimed” to be painting a closet…

Kathy and Travis came with us. Travis does construction for a living so he made an excellent volunteer.

This is how I found Dr. Jason most of the time…talking, not painting.

Faye takes a well deserved break. I’m sure she’s enjoying the view – I know I am.

The WHOLE gang. Our homeowner (front and center) was there working on her house with us. She was excited to tell us how her boys were looking forward to having their very own rooms. This is a dream come true for her.

This is my dream come true. Nice work Fadre!

Take THIS Starbucks

2009-01-21T21:57:00.002-06:00

Fadre made this for me.

Okay, this is his.

Mine’s smaller.

And it was MMMmmm!

He’s so good to me.

Level 2 – Here we come!

2009-01-21T21:38:00.001-06:00

Bug was a little nervous about going to a make-up session of gymnastics without her bud, K. It was only after I promised to bring the camera and take pictures did she lighten up – a little.

It was a fake smile in that rearview mirror. The kind that you get only when you pull out the camera. She went back to a worried look when I put the camera away.

She was shy and quiet, but she went downstairs. She quickly found the camera lens and life was better.

Ouch! There is no padding on those hip bones to absorb the hit on the bar.

Oh my! I so do not bend like this anymore…

After class was over Bug came upstairs to get dressed and nervously told me Miss A would like to talk to me downstairs. And I thought “She was only out of my sight for 15 seconds when she walked behind the wall – how much trouble could she possibly get into in 15 seconds????”

“She’s ready for Level 2”, she said.

Phew! She had not tripped/kicked/bit anyone. She’s just movin’ on. So I thank her and act as if I’ve have known this for quite some time, and I can’t believe it took her this long to notice…

Excuse me, I have to go make room for an Olympic gold medal in my hutch, my girl is moving up to Level 2!

Wolves and Deer

2009-01-20T08:55:00.001-06:00

This post is part of "Laughter Lives! Tuesday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check our their blog to read everyone else's "Laughter Lives!" posts.

At the bus stop one morning I noticed Bug had a big red spot on her forehead. So I asked “How’d you get that red spot on your head?”

Bug: I bumped it on Bean’s mouth.

Me: How did you bump it on her mouth?

Bug: We were playing a game.

Me: What game?

Bug: Wolves and Deer.

Guess who was the wolf and who played the deer….

Silly Yak

2009-01-19T20:42:00.001-06:00

Do you know what this is???

This is a container of rice spaghetti noodles, as in - not made from wheat, but rather from rice. MMMMmmmmm! These are my sister’s and my mother’s noodles for dinner. We went to Macaroni Grill to celebrate iNik’s birthday. Because iNik suffers from Silly Yak disease, she cannot eat wheat (the spaghetti noodles the rest of the world eats). She has a gluten (wheat protein) allergy.

I’m pretty sure when she was diagnosed by the doctor, he did not say: You have Silly Yak Disease. I’m pretty sure he said Celiac Disease. But if you’re not going to be able to eat wheat for the rest of your life, shouldn’t your disease have a much better name than Celiac? Hence, the Silly Yak Disease was born.

Now, you could focus on all the things you can’t eat if you suffer from Silly Yak, but look on the bright side: iNik still eats: potato chips, chocolate, and ice cream. So it’s not like she’s REALLY suffering. And through the years she’s found better tasting food. I mean, seriously, that first loaf of bread she found, that she was soooo proud of, tasted like Styrofoam and kinda looked like it too. But now she makes mean spice cupcakes and if you didn’t know they were gluten-free, you sure wouldn’t be able to tell by the taste. She claims her bread now is really good, but after the Styrofoam bread, I just can’t bring myself to try it again.

Raising children is much, much easier if they don’t have Silly Yak disease. iNik kept Almost Mine on a gluten-free diet until he was 2. You actually have to be eating gluten to be tested for Silly Yak. He showed up in my pantry and discovered cheerios, goldfish, pretzels, cheese-its and he LOVED them. After introducing these finest of delicacies, what were we going to do if he DID have Silly Yak? I mean, how do you tell a 2 year old, thanks for playing, but you’re not a winner? Thankfully, he does not have Silly Yak and all is well with my pantry.

When iNik was first diagnosed, it was before the Atkins Diet. You would be amazed at the number of fast food employees we could baffle by ordering a cheeseburger with no bread, or a roast beef sandwich sans bread.

You mean you don’t want any bread?

Right.

No bread?

No, no bread thank you.

You just want a hunk of meat on the plate.

Yes, just a hunk of meat, with all the trimmings. Thank you, this is exactly how I envisioned my dinner – hunk of meat….

You would not believe the number of times we have received that hunk of meat – without silverware. Now, just how did they think she was going to eat that hunk of meat?

But at Macaroni Grill, aahhh, life is good with our rice noodles!

Not Me! Monday

2009-01-19T10:24:00.001-06:00

Join me at MckMama's website see what others are NOT up to this week.

I was not slightly panicked that we had to call in a repair man for the furnace because it wouldn’t stay lit and we heard from many people that it looked like we were going to have to buy a new furnace. We JUST bought a truck, we can’t afford a new furnace! The truck does have heated seats, a very good heater, and a DVD player. Maybe we could just live in it until Spring…..
I was not HUGELY relieved when the furnace repair man said he thought it was just a dirty burner that was kicking off the furnace. He cleaned it off with his “hi-tech” tool (a pocket knife) and it has worked since Thursday night!
I did not hear W calling my name with some urgency when he saw the washing machine water creep out from under the laundry room door and halfway into my kitchen.
I most certainly did not spend the next 10 minutes mopping up soapy laundry water off the kitchen floor and think – this counts as mopping the kitchen floor.
I did not search quickly for the warranty information for the 5 month old washing machine, race to the computer to register the product online so that I could call for service.
I was not more than slightly miffed when I “talked” to a computer on the telephone for 5 minutes, giving up all of my pertinent information, only to be asked by the service rep, as soon as he picked up the phone, for my name, phone, address, model #, etc.. UUUUUGGGGHHH! Why do you ask me to divulge all this information to the computer if you are only going to ask me for it again!!!!!
I did not call Zman (who was in the house) from the backyard, while in the hot tub, to come outside and turn up the patio lights (that are located on the patio, 10 feet away from the hot tub) so that we could play Uno H2O in the hot tub and actually see the cards. Nope, not me! I am a much more considerate person and would not stoop down to using child labor because it was BBRRRRR! cold outside and I did not want to get out of the hot water.
If I had asked Zman to come outside and turn up the lights for me, I most certainly would not barter with him for such deed and agree to drive him and his friends to the movie the next night. I am a much better mother than that and do not barter with my child.
I did not wait until Zman signed onto Facebook with his buddy C standing right beside him, then grab my phone and start a chat on Facebook with him. I would never embarrass my child in front of his friends.
I did not ask Zman’s friend C to be my friend on Facebook and he did not accept me as a friend. If he did, I would not consider myself a very “cool” mom. (Yes, I am a legend in my own mind)
I did not take my camera to church to take pictures of Bean, Bug, and Almost Mine receiving their certificates of appreciation for serving as acolytes. I did not then proceed to take pictures of the entire service. If I did, I most certainly did not look at said 150+ pictures last night and think I am very lucky to have this church family.

iNik

2009-01-14T06:49:00.002-06:00

iNik is my younger sister. Younger by 8 years. I don’t remember much before she was 2 years old. That’s about the time she started crawling in bed with me at night. With her, she brought her grinding teeth and a mild case of sleep apnea. After our parents divorced we shared a bedroom. When she was 6 we packed up the 2 door hatchback and she, Nana, and I headed from California to Tennessee where we would start our new life with Poppa. iNik sat in the backseat with Trouble, the cocker spaniel mutt for the days it took to get to Tennessee. Poppa had bought us a new HUGE house where iNik and myself would each have our own bedroom – at opposite ends of the house. For the next year she would still sneak into my bedroom after I was asleep.

She, self-admittedly, has her “blonde” moments. When we took her to register for the first grade in Germantown she was deathly afraid she wouldn’t be able to understand anyone because they would all speak German.

One day Wes and I headed to Nana’s house. iNik had left and locked the door behind her. Wanting to make sure we were not locked out of the house she left us a note taped to the front door: “The key is under the mat”. Thankfully, burglars apparently cannot read….

By 16 years of age she had become one of my best friends.

And she grew into a fantastic woman. She was thrilled when we announced the impending arrival of Zman. He was born just before her last summer at home before heading off to college. I stayed home with him for 6 weeks, Wes stayed home for 2 more, and then iNik kept him – all summer. It was hard for her to leave him and drive 4 hours away.

I called her at college to tell her I was pregnant with Bean. Bean was born in March with iNik as a witness and iNik came home that summer to keep her. She took pictures galore and iNik struggled, but SUCCEEDED, in convincing that nursing baby to take a bottle. Back to school she went. It was at iNik’s apartment Bean had her first slumber party.

But she graduated and moved to Georgia. So far away. It was hard on all of us. She was the first person I called when I discovered we were pregnant with Bug. She was over the moon, but a little sad that she wouldn’t be here to share the moment.

She called me several months later to tell me she was expecting Almost Mine. A tough call. She was scared, he was unexpected, and I couldn’t be there to hug her and tell her everything was going to be okay.

After Bug’s delivery our first call was to iNik.

Then she moved back home with her big belly. She let me be there during the ultrasound that told us Almost Mine was a boy. She let me be her birthing coach. She let Bug (at 5 months old) and I come to the delivery. And she gave me the honor of cutting his cord.

She loves my children as if they were her own. She constantly takes them for the day, for the night, it doesn’t matter to her. She is the aunt with abounding patience even though she works 24/7.

She is a MAJOR part of my village and it takes quite a village with my crew. She’s one of my best friends and I love her. And today is her birthday.

Happy Birthday iNik!

Love,

Your favorite sister!

Back to Normal, Well Our Version of Normal

2009-01-13T20:18:00.003-06:00

The girls are no longer infectious, so off to school they go. Whew! They were really good yesterday, and nobody felt really bad, but still, it was nice to see them get on that yellow school bus.

And yes, that is a rubber mallet. Not one of my usual kitchen utensils, but a requirement last night to dislodge one pot from another after Bean and Bug had put away the dishes. Really!?!? I don't know how they managed to get them so STUCK.

Not Me Monday

2009-01-12T15:13:00.003-06:00

I did not spend my “Free of Small Children” Saturday night cleaning my teenage son’s room with my husband. Not me – I am much more romantic than that and know how to take advantage of free babysitting when I have it.

I did not pull out a WHOLE bag of clothes from Zman’s closet that were a size 7/8 and pack them up for Almost Mine. After all, I purge my children’s closets more than once every 7 years.

I did not clean out my freezer this weekend and find not one, but TWO bags of frozen vegetables with expiration dates in 2004. Nope, not me, I am not wasteful or forgetful.

When Bug came to me last night complaining of a sore throat, I most certainly did not tell her to get a drink of water and go to bed. Not me, I am a very sympathetic, compassionate, caring, and attentive mother – I would never do anything like that.

I did NOT wake up this morning; get ready for work, only to take both Bean and Bug to the doctor because they have a staph infection and strep throat, respectively!

I did not proceed to feed them cinnamon rolls with icing for breakfast. Not me, I feed my sickly children very nutritious meals to boost their immune systems.

I did not try to take a picture of my girls’ feet thinking it would be a sweet picture only to capture THIS. AAACCCKKK! Not me, my girls are dainty, delightful, poised, young women.

Click on the Not Me Monday icon to see what others are NOT up to....

7th Grade Operating Manual

2009-01-09T10:56:00.003-06:00

When Zach was in the 7th grade OUR homework assignment (yes, I said OUR - if I remember correctly, Wes and I have already passed the 7th grade - why do we have to do 7th grade homework all over again???) was:

Tell me about your child in a million words or less.

Really?!?! Wouldn't you rather just keep him for a couple of weeks and find out for yourself?

If I recall correctly, (because as most of you know I can't remember what we had for dinner the night before) I was really busy at work so Wes, my Knight in #2 Pencil Lead Armor, took on the task. This is what he had to say:

Zach—One in A Million-More or Less

Here is the operating manual for the 2006 edition of Zach…I hope you find it helpful.

Zach’s a kid with way too much talent and personality; and far too little time to accomplish anything he’s told to do. He’s liked by most everyone as far as we can tell and is a friend to kids much older than himself. He has never gotten into any serious trouble such as fighting, cheating, stealing, or any of the other really bad words, but he does tend to get into the mischievous little adventures which make you wonder what he was thinking at the time. Example: For fun he re-arraigned the landscaper’s marker flags for an underground sprinkler system that was soon to be installed!

Zach’s very smart, but too often his best work doesn’t shine through. He feels the need to race through his assignments in order to get back to his fun time. His parents are working on that, and I’m sure you can appreciate the labor involved in telling a 12 year-old to slow down, and make it look your best.

Zach’s someone who doesn’t have to struggle often with his schoolwork. Because of this, if he’s challenged or given a lengthy assignment, he will sometimes become frustrated quickly. Zach’s mom and dad have both passed the 7th grade already, so Zach’s required to do his work himself. His book reports and hallway posters may not always be the best looking works displayed, but they are always his works. He will get guidance from us, but he doesn’t have publishers, editors, and artists on staff as some appear to have. The Alexander family has had more than a few late nights sticking to the principle of this, even though we could have desktop published our way to an early night’s sleep.

Zach is the oldest of three, with 2 little sisters to help distract him in the afternoons after the school day. He’s a master of the loophole at home. If given a chore or assignment, he will try it, but if the instructions weren’t clear and in the proper order, he has the tendency to sometimes use that to his advantage and stop the process. He’s very talented at creative thinking projects, and given the right motivation, a good storyteller, comic, and writer.

Zach does have a tendency to shut down when confronted or if pressed. He will argue his case, but after the absolutes are stated, he will often glaze over and wait for a better time to express himself. He tends to be a bit on the careless side, especially with taking instructions and keeping up with them. His room’s a mess and it doesn’t bother him, so why should his backpack and assignment folder be any different. Yep, his parents are working on that too.

Wow - the 9th grade version still looks A LOT like the 7th grade version - only TALLER!

Matches Made in Heaven

2009-01-04T22:15:00.006-06:00

When we moved into our neighborhood, it was like taking a step back in time. All the way back to the '50s. As we stood in the front yard looking at the house the next door neighbor came to talk to us. "You're worried about the backyard aren't you?" he said. YES! It had a large pool that took up the entire backyard. At the time neither Zach or Wes could swim. And I envisioned my summer days would be spent under a heavy coat of zinc oxide on my nose with a whistle around my neck and a life preserver under my arm. The neighbor said not to worry - he had lived there several years with two kids (6 and 3) and their kids hadn't played once in the backyard - they all play in the street. The STREET?!?!? What kind of parent let's their kids play in the street. As I recall, that is on the top ten list of being a good parent - keep your kid out of the street.

He wasn't kidding. And I caved. And Zach ran with the pack of 10-12 kids ranging in age from 3 to 19. They yell CAR! and run into the yard when a car comes down the street. The big kids took the little kids out for games of Flashlight Tag at 10 o'clock at night during the summer. And I never regretted it.

But then came Syd two years later. And Katy 18 months after that. And there was a BIG age gap. Thankfully there were two of them and they entertained each other for years. And then the house 3 doors down sold. To a couple with 2 small girls. The oldest: same age as Syd and a tomboy. The youngest: a year younger than Katy and just as "girly" as Katy.

Two PERFECT matches:

Dinner with the WHOLE Gang

2009-01-04T21:46:00.009-06:00

Friday nights are usually our "Go Out" nights. Well they are, if we want to eat. Because I'm not cooking. And frankly, noone else in the house seems to be very interested in picking up the chore for the evening. And you know what? That seems to be a common thread running through my family. So off we go!

Hurry, hurry, hurry.

Don't be late.

Get there quickly,

So you'll have plenty of time to WAIT!

And wait...

This is how Zach waited. (Ssshhh! Don't tell him I posted it.)

There were so many of us the little kids got their own booth!

As you can see from the table, the adults were able to find something to occupy our time while we waited for the table...

I can't remember how it came about, but there was some discussion about my socks.
Aren't they cute?

Santa is a GOOD boy!

2009-01-04T21:20:00.008-06:00

That Santa - he's such a good boy. Look at all those gifts under the tree.

Katy passed out the presents this year.

Santa brought the girls Wall-E...on Blue Ray (Dad was happy too!)

A Nintendo DS was waiting for Syd.

And one for Katy too.

But the best reaction of the morning was from Syd. When she received her 3 SUBJECT NOTEBOOK!!!!! Apparently she put it on her Christmas List that she sent off to the North Pole with Ralph, the elf. You gotta love a kid that is equally thrilled with a notebook as a Nintendo DS. Aaaahhh, these days are good, but I realize they won't last forever....

You know how I know?

Because there were few pictures of Zach to be taken. Most of his gifts weighed little in ounces, but heavy in $$$$. He wouldn't let me post his pictures from that morning because...he was in his robe...his leisure wear...and he didn't want them available for public consumption. After all, I'm sure there are dozens of teen-aged girls out there reading this!

We got our MOJO back!

2008-12-17T21:19:00.003-06:00

Woohoo! That was the final score tonight for Zach's Grizzlies (home) team. Six of those 27 points were provided by Zach. The game was suppose to start at 5:30, but by 5:40 we realized we didn't have any referees. Our options were: cancel the game, or wait until the refs arrive at 6:30. CANCEL?!?!? I took off work earlier to pick up my son and have him at the gamesite by 5:10. It takes me 15-20 minutes to drive here. Don't you dare cancel that game on me and make me waste my time and gas money getting here! So we waited....Then there was a polling of the audience - can you ref? HELLLLLOOOOO... I don't know a single rule of basketball. I watch the referees and am impressed by their ability to direct traffic on the court (they look just like those NY cops). When I'm asked what just happened, what was that call, I carefully repeat the hand gestures made by the refs. Except that I look like I'm trying to steer the 747 to the gate for deboarding. And the person who has just asked me that question has no better idea of what just happened. And at that point we have both just missed the next 2 minutes of the game. I didn't know a single rule about lacrosse either, but fortunately nobody else seemed to either and we could make up our own rules and interpretations of referee calls. So while I'm grateful that you might think I have the ability to decide a team's fate, I thank you, but I must decline, because I don't know the gesture for "that way to the basket..."

All Aboooaaard!!!!!!

2008-12-16T22:33:00.006-06:00

The Tennessean restaurant is an old train that has been converted to a very nice, $$ restaurant. It’s really cool – you can eat on a train and not worry about motion sickness which is good since you just paid all that money for your dinner! Just after Thanksgiving The Tennessean converted its train restaurant to The Polar Express. So we invite Nikki and Mason and the Scott Family to join us.

First, we get there first. First! We are never first. So while we wait I take a few pictures of the girls in the Town Square.

Yes, they just LOVE each other. Best of friends. Isn’t this how you treat your BFF?

Next Nikki and Mason show up. They BEAT the Scotts! So I subjected Mason to the photo shoot as well.

Then the Scotts showed up. So while we wait to board the train, I take their picture too. Maybe it will be their Christmas picture. After all, I’m a fabulous photographer and one day when I’m famous they will be able to say – yes we know her – she has taken our family portrait. Maybe not.

So I add Carson to the photo gang.

When it’s time for our trip, the train conductor gave each child a golden ticket…

Then we board the train and the conductor punches the golden tickets.

We are the FIRST group on the train. Seriously, I should’ve played the lottery that day.

And the kids are very excited.

Here’s our “punched” golden ticket.

…And the other side.

First course – Hot Chocolate. And I’m not kidding. The first one to try it said, “Wow, that’s really hot!” Only to have the next 8 people say the exact same thing, like we didn’t believe the person before us.

Apparently Mason burned his tongue really good and had to let it cool down.

Main Course? Why chicken tenders and fries because what else would a fine dining establishment serve?

And then we were treated to a reading of The Polar Express by this gentleman. I wish I had gotten his name – he was fantastic – an actor in his spare time.

Then it was time for dessert – a warm chocolate chip cookie. Sydney can attest to the fact that it was finger lickin’ good!

At the end of our journey each child received a magical bell…

They’re magical alright – they can ring for hours on end in the hands of these children. Plus, they can “magically” appear when you decide to chance it and walk through the house barefoot. Luckily they ring when you step on them – loud enough to cover the verbiage flowing from your mouth as you hop to your bed…

A Tough Game

2008-12-10T21:18:00.002-06:00

Zach and the Grizzlies played another game tonight. They were down at halftime, but gained some momentum during the second half. Unfortunately, the Pistons got their game back during the last few minutes and managed to win the game 20 to 12. Zach did an excellent job though and there's always next week!

Biopsy

2008-12-10T16:00:00.002-06:00

That title will grab your attention, won't it? On Monday I had a biopsy done. Wes and Nikki came with me to the doctor's office. Mom wanted to be there but she had jury duty (lucky dog - yeah, right!). After two sets of mammograms, an ultrasound, the actual biopsy, and 2.5 hours of my life, I walked back into the waiting room. My support system (including Mom after she had been released from jury duty) was there waiting for me. THANKS GUYS! Of course, it took so long that they were the last people in the waiting room. The clinic called this morning to say the spot was benign and I'm good to go.

I'm grateful for those moments when my prayers coincide with God's plans for me!

How do you sleep?

2008-12-08T21:52:00.004-06:00

Sydney was a little worn out Sunday afternoon. So I sent her upstairs for a quick rest. As it turns out, she decided to nap in the guest room. When I went looking for her, this is how I found her, arms tucked under her body, sound asleep. This is close to how I envision Dracula napping.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2008-12-08T21:40:00.005-06:00

Although we pulled the Christmas tree down last week, we didn't get it decorated until yesterday. Mason, my nephew helped us out. Every time I tried to take a picture of the kids, Katy would disappear behind the tree....

Finally, I just had to ask them to pose.

Dinner at Firebirds

2008-12-08T21:21:00.004-06:00

Every Christmas season Wes, Nikki, and I join my parents and their friends for dinner one night. It is my parents' Christmas present to us, for which we are extremely grateful and appreciative. Thanks Mom and Dad! This year we headed to Firebirds. The food was good, the service was good, and the company was great!

Clockwise from bottom center: Nikki, Wes, Mom (Lyn), Bonnie, Dave, Dad (Dave), Gary, Linda, Valerie, Betty, and Tommy.

Go Grizzlies!

2008-12-07T22:33:00.003-06:00

Zach is playing basketball for the youth association. His team is called the Grizzlies and his first game was last Wednesday night. He played a good bit of the game and even scored. He had a mass of cheerleaders on the sidelines: Mom, Dad, Sydney, Katy, Nana, Aunt Nikki, and Mason. A good time was had by all and it didn't hurt that we won the game!

That's my guy - Number 3!

He goes for the shot........

And he scores!

Grizzlies win!
On a side note - Zach is 2nd from the left with the red shoelaces - hairiest legs on the team.

I was tagged

2008-12-05T16:46:00.002-06:00

I've been tagged by Heather to do the following:

1. Choose the 4th picture folder on my computer

2. Choose the 4th picture

3. Explain the picture

4. Tag 4 people to do the same.

For our 14th anniversary (October 2005) Wes and I took the bike to Nashville then on to Chattanooga. We both packed for 1 week in those two saddlebags and half a backpack. When we left Memphis it was sunny and about 80 degrees. You see that black backpack on the back of the bike? That is my laptop! I had a job in Union City, so we traveled through Union City on our way to Nashville so I could inspect the property. CRAZY - I know! It was still warm when we left Nashville for Chattanooga. However, we ran into a HUGE storm on the way and the temperature dropped about 30 degrees. Wes had on a long sleeved shirt and I had on a very lightweight jean jacket. We had to stop at every rest stop along the way to use the air hand dryers on our clothes. By the time we got to the bed and breakfast we looked like drowned rats. The innkeeper was so kind to us and took our clothes and shoes (they were the only ones we packed) and put them in the dryer for us. We bought sweaters in Chattanooga to keep us warm on the way back to Nashville. In Nashville, our first stop was the leather store at Opry Mills Mall where we bought coats, gloves, and boots. This is a picture of me on the way back to Memphis. Even with all that gear on I was still cold. Wes and I joke about the old saying "It's not about the destination, it's about the journey." You know what? Sometimes it's about the destination!!!!!

I tag:

1. Nikki

2. Jocelyn

3. Katy

4. Christine

All I wanted was a new pair of glasses.....

2008-12-04T12:29:00.003-06:00

So I go to the optometrist about a month ago. He tells me my vision is changing while I'm sitting in the chair. While it can be normal, there are a few medical conditions that it can be caused by and he would like for me to have a physical before he gives me a new prescription. So I call and make an appointment for a physical and while I'm at it I remember it's time for my annual "girl" check up, so I make that appointment as well. The physical shows I have high cholesterol. The check up shows high cholesterol, low iron, low vitamin D and a small mass on my left side. So now I'm taking an iron supplement, a vitamin D supplement, have to go on a low cholesterol diet (but not until after Christmas she said, THANKFULLY!), and have a biopsy done next Monday.

GEEEEEZ! All I wanted was a new pair of glasses......

Ralph

2008-12-03T18:28:00.004-06:00

On Thanksgiving morning, Elf on the Shelf showed up at our house on the fireplace mantel. The girls have named him Ralph. Ralph leaves every night to update Santa on the kids' behavior. He returns every morning to a new spot. He has shown up in some of the craziest places!

Petri Dish

2008-12-03T18:00:00.002-06:00

Sickness ran rampant through the Alexander House over the Thanksgiving holiday. My nephew, Mason, was sick Thanksgiving morning but felt better by that night. Saturday morning Zach's stomach had started to hurt so he laid on on the couch all day Saturday and Sunday. At one point I walked in to find him with an ice pack on his stomach. Apparently, his belly was hot. Saturday night Wes and I took the girls to the hardware store and all was well. However, by 9 o'clock that night Sydney was ice cold and revisiting her dinner of Cocoa Puffs. The good news is that by 9 o'clock the next morning she was fine. By Sunday night Katy was still feeling good so we thought we'd missed the bullet with her. Unfortunately, about midnight, Monday night she got sick in the bed. Luckily she has a GREAT big sister who cleaned her up with a towel and changed her clothes before they came and got me. Thank heavens for Sydney and her big heart! Katy missed school on Tuesday, but when she asked for mac n' cheese for dinner, I knew she was all better. Here's hoping Wes and I can escape it!

Movin' on Mondays!

2008-11-24T20:24:00.000-06:00

For her 7th birthday Katy asked for and received gymnastics lessons. She goes with her good friend Kate every Monday evening. This week she focused on kartwheels on the floor beam and backwards rolls. Here's a peek at her rolls. She does an excellent job of staying on the line while tumbling.

Surprise, Surprise!

2008-11-24T12:06:00.000-06:00

Sydney discovered the camcorder function on my camera a couple of months ago on a trip to Hot Springs. I was downloading pictures a couple of weeks ago and when the thumbnails appeared on the screen I thought to myself, I don't remember taking a picture of the den floor...

Sydney had left me a little surprise. When she talks about painting, she's talking about Wes letting the girls paint the back of the house on the patio. The Red Day she's referring to is the Just Say No To Drugs campaign at school. Sydney took 1st place in her class from kindergarten through 2nd grade. This year we had our Alexander afternoon at the dentist scheduled and she wasn't there for the competition, but trust me she was red from her headband to her socks!

Chick Magnet

2008-11-24T11:11:00.000-06:00

While out shopping the other day Zach says to Wes:

"You should get a sweater vest - they're chick magnets."

Wes is taken aback for a moment and asks, why they are chick magnets. Zach explains that at the moment he (Zach) seems to be repelling the women and since he doesn't own a sweater vest, this MUST be the reason... I love Zach's humor. During the last 12 months he has really developed a good sense of humor and can crack jokes about and poke fun at himself. He has joined a youth basketball league and practices are underway. Games start 12/3 - Go GRIZZLIES! His social advancement (talking) during school is not popular with the teachers. We received an email from the Geography teacher about him putting his head down in class and napping. His grade in that class??? - 99 average. It's tough to come down on him hard with a grade like that.

The Big Muffin Pow Wow!

2008-11-20T20:37:00.000-06:00

Several nights ago at dinner, the question was asked: "What is a Pow Wow?"

Wes' response: "It's where a bunch of girls sit around together and one girl punches another girls and says 'Pow'. The girls who is hit obviously yells "Ow!"

Hence, Powow!

A busy night at the Alexander house. Sydney is participating in a Brownie Pow Wow event this coming weekend where she will learn about indian customs, habitats, and food. To get ready, she decorated an Indian vest made from a brown pillowcase. Katy couldn't stand to be left out. Good thing pillowcases are sold in pairs!

After decorating their outfits, the girls made muffins for tomorrow's breakfast - blueberry cheesecake and strawberry. YUM!!

Open House at FES!!

2008-11-19T00:51:00.000-06:00

Tonight was Open House at Farmington for Katy and Sydney. First we stopped by the cafeteria for some yummy BBQ. Mmmmm! The girls were not as excited as Wes about the menu, so when they finished pushing the meat around on their plates, Wes was happy to finish their dinners for them. Then it was off to the classrooms....

First we stopped by Sydney's class. Ms. Crockett proudly demonstrated the clickers and smartboard. We also watched a video of Sydney's speech while she was running for "Governor". She didn't win the election, but had a fantastic platform of: support for senior citizens, picking up the trash, and providing more crosswalks! We were able to bring home her diorama of a yak in its habitat and her worm habitat (yep - a couple of worms in a cup of dirt with a hole at the top). I hope the worms stay put today, as we had to leave them in the house since it was so cold this morning....Here is a picture of Sydney's desk. We couldn't believe it was so clean and organized. Then Ms. Crockett told us she made the kids clean out their desks today. Figured I'd better get a picture of this while it lasted.

Then we visited Ms. Cooper's 2nd grade class with Katy. We had to take a quiz of Katy's favorite things (color, friend, restaurant, book). Seriously, book???? This kid reads a book every three days. I can't keep up with what she's read!!! Katy will be grading our quiz tomorrow and let us know how we did when we get home. From her class we got to bring home the green-haired monster (sock filled with soil and grass seed).

After the classroom jaunts, it was time to head for the gym to the raffle and silent auction. Each girl had 25 raffle tickets. Sydney spread hers out between the music basket, girls sports basket, and the Nintendo DS drawing. Katy picked the girls sports basket, Ipod Nano, and Nintendo DS. I think the girls sports basket got maybe 3 or 4 tickets and the rest were shared between the Nano and DS boxes.

We're keeping our fingers crossed!!!!