Life in Alabamba

Shakespeare

2012-02-14T14:46:00.002-08:00

Today will also be short and sweet because Tuesday's are almost as bad as Monday's in this house. Bear will be performing a Shakespeare play Thursday in which he will be dressed in tights. I think he looks great be he, of course, thinks he is being tortured. I am so excited to see him perform. If you would have told me five years ago he would be performing in front of a live audience in what is essentially girlie gear I would have thought you had gone crazy. He has come such a long way from the kid who wouldn't even sing in a kindergarten Cinco de Mayo program. I am so proud and relieved that our HARD work has paid off and then some.

To Jamboree or Not to Jamboree

2012-02-13T19:11:00.002-08:00

This post will be short and sweet since it is Monday and Monday's are a busy nightmare in this house. Bear had Scouts tonight and decided he wants to go to National Jamboree. I wish I had a camera when he raised his hand when asked who wanted to go. Then dropped his hand and jaw when he learned the price tag was $1500. That's right folks, one thousand five hundred dollars! They are nice enough to break that down into a payment plan but when all is said and done it is still two house payments. So the big thought for today is: Should we spend two house payments on one child for a wonderful (to put it mildly)experience?

3 Months Ago

2012-02-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

I love looking at other people's blog's, especially my sisters. I love to see what they are doing, what ideas they are having, and I especially love to see pictures of my wonderful niece and nephews. So, I was on my youngest sisters blog when what do I see, the counter that says I have not posted for THREE MONTHS! That is way too long and I have no excuse. I know I probably have lost my three followers by now but I am determind to post everyday for a while. These posts will probably not come with pictures but if you are still out there you will get to listen to my thoughts. (You are lucky and you know it.)
Creek and I were grooming the dog when I noticed my pajama pants had multiple holes in them. I told him these pants are going to have to go and he said so were his. That's when I noticed he was wearing pajama pants that were essentially hand-me-downs from his best friends dad. When Neal died Creek went to the funeral and came home with some "treasures" and these pants were one of them. They have been in sad shape for a long time and he has not thrown them away because they were Neal's. So my thoughts for today is this: What would the world be like if people could see the treasure in an old pair of inheritance pajamas instead of $3o,ooo cars. What if people spent as much time building meaniful relationships with people as they did with their ipads? What if people no longer cared what other people thought of them (I am the busiest, I travel the most, my house is the nicest, etc.) and instead cared for others?

Smurfs

2011-11-03T17:21:00.000-07:00

I know it has been awhile since I posted and I won't make any false promises about posting more but this was too funny not to share.

Nator: "I wish I was a bird so I could fly everywhere." (Me thinking the apple doesn't fall from from this particular tree.) "Can birds die of age?"

Me: "Yes."

Nator: "How come birds can die of age and smurfs can't?"

Hmmm. Good question.

Social Butterfly

2011-08-27T05:22:00.000-07:00

My Monster is a social butterfly. He just can't help but talk, laugh, and play with his neighbors. (At school and everywhere else now that I think about it.) I have been trying to get him to sit still, pay attention, and be quiet during class for two years. I have been largely unsuccessful. Bribes don't work, punishment only works on a very temporary basis if at all. So, unsurprisingly he had to turn his card several times this week. When you turn a card you do not get a prize from the treasure chest. However, yesterday he came home with a prize. When I asked how he got a prize he said," Well, I wasn't supposed to get one because I wasn't on purple all week. But Breshaun dropped his tray at lunch and I helped him clean it up. My teacher gave me a prize for that." I know this is sappy but I am so proud of him. None of the other classmates helped, Monster was the only one to see someone in need and help him. Sometimes I am afraid that Monster will succumb to peer pressure in the future because he LOVES the social scene but yesterday he showed me that he can go against the tide when it is important. I know there are many years ahead of me and I will never stop worrying for his future but I am very proud of my not so little Monster.

Summer

2011-08-17T06:07:00.000-07:00

Once again I am playing catch-up. This summer was good, bad , and busy all rolled into one. I have already posted some of the bad so this post will be the good. My mom came for a visit! Sadly, she came alone but we still had fun. My pictures are still on my camera but we went to Landmark Park and roasted our bums off. We went and saw Kung Fu Panda at the summer movies. We played a ton of Uno, and did a puzzle. It doesn't seem like a lot on paper but we loved having her here.

P.S. The first day she got here she informed me that Bear is taller than me. I still thought he was my same height but she was right, my eleven year old is taller than me.

Aunt Lizard

2011-08-13T08:31:00.000-07:00

As my two readers know, my amazing Aunt Liz died almost two weeks ago. This picture shows what kind of person she was. She was full of life and a blast to be around. She was always the cool aunt who stashed candy in her purse and NEVER tried to tell me what to do or reprimand me for anything. She left that dirty task to my wonderful mom. As a result I learned a lot from her just by how she lived her life. She was always aware of special events that went on in my life and never left them unnoticed. She never judged or talked bad about anyone. She always put others first and herself last. A couple of years ago she made a special trip to Mississippi, just because I asked her to. She has and always will hold a special place in my heart. We will not be the same without her.

Intuition

2011-06-04T15:18:00.001-07:00

Well, as I said in my last post, nothing was final with that offer and it has already fallen through. The joys of real estate. Anyway, I guess I should have trusted my intution because I still believe the house will rent and we will have it when we retire. That is not necessarily a bad thing, just a little more stressful.

An Offer?

2011-06-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

You know my house I was going to rent? The one I worked on for two straight weeks getting it ready for renters? The one that we couldn't give away last year? Well, Creek and I decided to list it for sale as well. (For 6,000 MORE than last year.) Can't hurt right? Well, we recieved an offer on it today. I never thought that would happen. I thought it would rent right away and we would probably have the house until retirement. Guess I was wrong. Nothing is final yet but it looks like I will be back down to one house in no time.

That Old House

2011-05-31T16:43:00.001-07:00

Well, we (London and I) are FINALLY done with the old house. We literally put blood and sweat into that house and now its beautiful. (We thought about putting tears into the house but thankfully only laughter came out.) London did 99.9 % of the painting but "we" gave the kitchen, two bedrooms, and hallway a new paint job. All the touch-ups to the ceiling are done. (We had an A/C condensation leak that caused some unpleasant looking ceilings.) The house is sparkly clean from head to toe, and all the yard work is done. Let me just say when you have 1/2 an acre that's a lot of yard work. To celebrate our success we are off to the beach and a fabulous lunch tomorrow with no kids!

Eleven days until family comes and one house down, one to go. I will keep you posted.

Two Weeks

2011-05-28T05:28:00.000-07:00

My mom, sister, niece and nephew were supposed to come to my house July 29. My mom has decided it will be better for her to come in two weeks. TWO WEEKS! She wants to go to Europe since my other sister is there and get a tour around Italy. While I don't blame her, I won't be ready. As both of you know (and one of you is the sister coming), I have just moved. I did not sell my old house I am renting it. Silly me has worked on the old house trying to make it appeal to renters. I have unpacked the basics at the new house but that's about it. So, the goal is to get two houses ready in two weeks. Oh, I forgot to mention my kids are still in school so I have to maintain their schedule as well. I am going to try and post my progress everyday. I am always excited for family to come and I still am of course. Hopefully I can get it all done.

Sidenote: Bear is ungrounded, it is amazing what a little electronic depravation can accomplish.

Nator Saying of the Day

2011-05-22T05:18:00.000-07:00

" I am part vampire because remember I had that blood snow cone at the rattlesnake rodeo." (It was tigers blood flavor.)

Grounded

2011-05-22T05:07:00.000-07:00

Bear is grounded. He brought home an F in conduct. That's right an F. He got sent to the principals office because I was not signing his homework folder. I HATE this folder. He is in the fifth grade for crying out loud and I have to sign his folder everynight to review his homework and conduct. (Isn't that what report cards and progress reports are for?) So, he wasn't in trouble for that trip. I told him to be extra good because that trip would bring his grade down. In his eleven year old mind be extra good meant ignore the P.E. teachers and play fake games with my friends so I get sent to the principals office for the second time in a week. Well, that fantastic move got him grounded from t.v. until his grade is up. I will not even get a progress report until Wednesday. (He got grounded last Wednesday night.) As a result he follows me around the house talking my ear off. I know this sounds annoying but it really isn't. He is such a funny kid and can talk about the same subject for an hour I swear. He hates being grounded but I kind of like it.

Unplugged (Sort of)

2011-05-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

As both my readers know I decided to unplug from facebook today. I joined facebook thinking it would be a wonderful way to stay in touch with family. Well, I have noticed that many people put things on facebook that I DO NOT need to know. Ignorance truly is bliss. So, starting today I am going to breathe life back into my blog since the oversharers (Yes, I know that's not a word) don't come here. Stay tuned for the blissful and hickish southern life.

Storms

2011-04-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

So here in the south we get storms. Lots and lots of storms. These storms usually have lots of lightening to go with them. Back in February we had a storm knock out our electricity. We heard a crash of thunder, saw a bright flash, and hear a loud boom as a our power went off. The kids were not done with their homework so they finished Amish style. The loved it and we are going to play Amish more often.

Nator 5th Birthday

2011-04-05T16:18:00.000-07:00

Well, as you all know my little Nator is not so little anymore. He is five, as in going to kindergarten, five. He is very excited and I just want to cry. I am trying to remind myself that it will be fun to have the house to myself, go to lunch with London childless, and have alone time with Creek. Having said that here are the party pictures. We had a great time with friends and can't wait until next time.

This is the family party with an Optimus Prime cake.

The birthday haul.

Here is the friend party. London painted faces for those who wanted it. Nator wanted the Scottish flag even though he had a pirate party.

Making a wish.

Pinata candy.

Beating the pinata after it fell to the ground and survived.

Bear making the death hit. (Or so we thought.)

My kids love pin the something games.

RattleSnake Rodeo

2011-04-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

OK, so I know my two readers probably assumed I died or something, but truth be told my life has been overly exciting lately. I just haven't taken the time to share any of it, so to make it up to you, I am going to try to post everyday until I am caught up. It will be not be in order so here it goes: Here in the lovely south there is an annual rattlesnake rodeo. It is not named this for fun it is an actual rodeo with actual snakes. (I can hear my grandma turning in her grave as I type. She hated snakes so bad that if she went to a movie that had a snake in it she would demand a refund. To be fair she did ask before she bought the tickets if the movie would have any snakes in it.) There were giant aquarium type boxes on the ground that held the snakes. When snake races were not going on you could watch them here. They had two races during the day and here is how that worked. They put all the snakes in a trash can, then dumped them out in the middle of a circle on the ground. The first snake to make it out of the circle won. Some people were VERY in to this, complete with frantic shouting. If you are a beauty queen you get the awesome privilege of having you picture taken with a snake draped around your shoulders. There is a snake handler in the picture to hold the head so you don't have to be rushed to the emergency room. (I am sure medical staff would not blink twice at hearing the reason you were there if you had to go.) There was also the regular food and souvenier vendors. I got roasted corn and my kids got snow cones. There were not so regular food vendors there as well. You could chose from a fried snake plate or fried alligator on a stick. Sadly, we did not take pictures but I think we will go back next year with the camera. I am also going to run the 5k so I can get a shirt that says rattlesnake rodeo on it. I almost forgot. Creek got a snake hat band and Bear got a snake belt buckle. We are stylin' now!

Amazing Kids

2011-01-09T16:16:00.000-08:00

Today all the kids and I went to Bear's scout meeting. We played outside for half an hour, despite the fact that it was 30 degrees outside. (I may live to regret that decision. We will see if the come down with pneumonia.) Anyway at the church they have those animals on springs that kids can ride. (Two side by side.) Monster sat on the head of one of the animals and told Nator he was the pilot and did Nator want to be his passenger. Nator said yes and got in the seat but Monster was kind of squishing him. Nator gets off the animal and informs Monster that this arrangement was not comfortable so he was going to sit on the other animal and pretend he was in the back of Monster's plane. They then proceeded to grab a hold of their fake parachutes and "float" to the ground. It was so adorable to watch them play, not fight, and use their imaginations. (Bear was scouting during this time which is why he is not mentioned.)

December Doings

2011-01-03T07:21:00.000-08:00

We had a very busy holiday season. Monster turned seven and had a party with friends, mickey cake and games. Bear was in the school play. Monster and Nator kept changing what they wanted for Christmas. This lead to Monster asking Santa for Wii sports resort which Aunt A had already got them. Well, Monster ended up getting his original request from Santa and was a little confused Christams morning. However, Aunt A's present was the first to be opened and we let Monster do the honors, he was very excited. They have been playing it so much they might actually have withdrawls tomorrow when they go back to school. During the break we drove through the Christmas village, went to Old Alabama Town, and the Pioneer Museum. We had a wonderful Christmas. We welcomed in the New Year at A's house complete with fireworks.

Bear's play. I personally love the guitars and violins. (The are wood cut outs)

Monster opening presents, under supervision of course.

Pin the nose on Mickey. (Courtesy of M)

The family haul.

Opening presents.

The birthday boy with his Mickey cake.

My beautiful desk given to me by mom and made by C/M. Thanks to all three of you!

Opening Presents.

Bear doing a Christmas, I got a bass, dance.

The excited kids coming to see what Santa brought. (Nator was the caboose in this particular train o' kids.)

The Santa haul.

Merry Christmas!

Post Santa silly glasses picture.

Sending in the requests.

Our view while wating in the Santa line. We were debating if the purple guy was a Christmas pirate or what.

Bear in the outhouse. (Lucky for you he's not using it.)

The old classroom where there were Nator-sized desks.

The mobile jail.

Pioneer Museum Scenery

Donkey pictures at Old Alabama town. (Bear was waaaaay too cool to have his picture taken.)

The shirt that made me a little homesick.

Monthly Update

2010-11-15T08:41:00.001-08:00

I know all of you are shocked to see that I am once again behind and trying to catch up. Below are some pictures from the last month. (Beware: there are alot!)

Halloween fun. The pumpkin on the left is a cat eye. Bear carved this one and wanted it to be different. As usual Nator wanted the samllest pumpkin he could find.

Pumpkin patch fun.

Blue Angel Homecoming. I did these pictures backward and so the pictures of the kids are at the bottom. But here are the highlights from the show. (If you have been to the Thunderbird homecoming some of my comments might be redundant. If you haven't I highly reccomend all you westerner's go.)

This picture has the historic Pensacola Lighthouse in it.

I was amazed to see how close they can get to each other.

Fat Albert

You can see the jet stream coming off the wing and the rocket blast in this picture.

Look closely, this guy is upside down.

Here is a picture of the jet making a cloud around itself. This makes the jet look like it is shimmering in the sky.

This flag has the names of all the victims of 9/11 written in the stripes.

These guys also upside down.

A funnel cake might cost six bucks at the airshow but the looks on their faces are truly priceless.

Nator playing in a climbing thing.

Monster face planting inside his bubble/beachball

Here are my kids and Bears scout group with some of the Blue Angel's crew.

The kids in a Blue Angel jet.

Scottish Festival

2010-10-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to the Stone Mountain Highland Games. Creek and I have been going to scottish festivals since before the kids were born. We LOVE them. Luckily, our kids inherited the love of all things Scottish. You will notice there is only one picture of Bear. This is because he is way too big for his kilt, as it were, and spent most of the festival with his dad. Also, because his kilt is so big, he didn't do any of the fun things the little boys did. We all had a blast and can't wait for next year.

Nator with his face painted like the Scottish flag. However, he picked this design because he thought it was an Avatar design.

Monster with the cutest look ever on his face, with a sword painting. (As you can see he touched it before it was dry.)

This is monster doing the kids kaber toss. Nator did not do this one because some BRATTY kid pushed him and there were tears.

Setting up gor the throw.

Monster doing the sheaf toss.

Nator doing the sheaf toss.

Nator getting ready to duel.

Monster dueling.

Here are the looks you get when you say, "smile".

Monster doing the stone throw.

Nator doing the stone throw

Nator hearding sheep.

Bear in his scottish attire.

Nator doing the obstacle course.

Monster hearding sheep.

Up, Up, and Away

2010-09-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow my kids and I are headed for the wild, wild, west. My brother K is getting married so we will be traveling roughly 2000 miles for his event. (Or to stay up really late playing rook, eat Cafe R and as much bad but delicious food we can get our hands on, and play with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. However you want to look at it.) My kids are very excited. Nator has been counting down with amazing accuracy since last week. I am almost done packing, while realizing I am probably going to have to take more than one suitcase after all :(
So, for all you crazies, I will see you tomorrow or thursday!

Happy Birthday!

2010-08-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

Today is my sister K's birthday. She has joined both her older sisters in the 30's club. Or as she says, "On her way to death." She is a wonderful, fun, silly sister.
She was born on my 4th birthday and I was NOT happy. I remember sitting at home on a telephone book thinking how much I was not going to like this new baby. (I had not seen her yet.) Then my parents brought her home and asked me if I wanted to see her. Reluctantly, I went over and looked. It took me about 5 whole seconds to decide she wasn't that bad and I really liked her after all.
Thirty years later, I can't imagine life without her. She is almost always my partner in crime:) We have had birthday parties together, exercised together, decided to go to Blanding and back in two days with four kids ages 5-1 , (Not the best plan we ever had.) shared parenting tips, and much, much more.
When we were little we used to pretend that we were twins, she just had a growing problem. As it turns out I was the one who must have had the growing problem, since she is more than 6 inches taller than me. We have had more adventures that I can post about and they have all been fantastic.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! THE THIRTIES REALLY AREN'T THAT BAD:)

Sisterly Torture

2010-06-24T05:14:00.001-07:00

As you all know, my mom is in town! Yay! So, I have decided to post all the fun and exciting things we are doing. Partly because we LOVE having Grandma S in town and partly to tortue my sisters. (My brothers do not read my blog.) I figure since I only get to see her once a year I should get to have some torture fun, right?

Tuesday- We picked mom up from the airport. She thought we would wait for her outside and pick her up at the curb. (We had to do that two years ago because there was no parking, our airport is small.) Instead we got there early and went inside. Bear ran at her from the side and scared her. He is so big now that she thought he was a strange man coming after her. We came home and headed straight for the town with Ro$$ and went shopping. The kids were so hyper in the store because they had been in the car for six hours, that we got quite the looks from strangers. (We couldn't stop for our usual beach fun because of the oil. Sniff, Sniff.) We headed to a different store that has a $tarbuck$ and sometimes I get my kids an organic milk or shake. I told my kids no this time and they went around the store saying milkie and faking tired until Grandma S bought them drinks. My kids are so excited to see Grandma that they wanted her all to themselves and told me my 30 minute trip to return the rent a car was not long enough. Nothing like feeling loved right?

Wedneday- We went to storytime at the bookstore. Then we headed to Olive Garden for soup and salad. We then went to Cold Stone. And last but not least we headed to the evil empire where we hid from each other in the store and got more weird looks from strangers. (At one point we were playing marco, polo.) My kids got more alone time with Grandma while Creek and I went on a hot date. The first one in two years!

That's all the fun for now. There will be more torture tomorrow. Vaawaahaaha!

May Happenings

2010-06-09T18:46:00.001-07:00

As usual it has been way too long since my last post. So here is what we have been doing for the last two months.(Pictures will have to come later.)

My oldest is now a double digit number. (sniff, sniff)He went to the doctor last month for a physical for camp and we found out that he is 5' 2". He has less than two inches to go before he is taller than me. He also ate bugs at school in his Adventures Beyond the Classroom class. He thought this was GREAT and convinced Monster and Nator to try a bug. Monster spit his in the garbage and Nator actually ate his AND said it was good but did not want another one. Bear also wants to log how many hours we spend in the pool this summer so I am going to ask my sister to do a pool log.

Monster performed in a spring concert and was so dang cute it nearly brought tears to my eyes. He can swim in the deep end with no help, this includes jumping off the diving board and going down the slide. I can't believe he is going to be a first grader.

Nator can swim from one side of the pool to the other with no help. (side to side not shallow to deep) He can also dive in the shallow end and touch the bottom with his hands. He calls Mythbusters, Miskbusters and when he sings his ABC's LMNOP IS emaleno...p.

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Grandma S, Aunt A, and cousin D. Cousin D is 7 months old and Bear wants to give him horseback rides and sit him on the piano bench next to him so D can listen to him play. (It has been a long time since we have had a baby in the house) Well, that is all for now.

Muscle Man

2010-04-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

Nator just came over to me and said," Mom want to see how big my muscles are?" I, of course said yes so he flexed while making a grunting noise. I told him his muscles were very big and asked if we should start calling him muscle man. He then informed me that he got his muscles yesterday while playing catch the rope with Monster. (This is a made up game.) I thought this was super adorable and wanted to share.

Remember Me?

2010-04-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

I know it has been way too long since my last post so here is one ridiculously long post to cover the last couple months. Since my last post there have been big changes in our household. We decided we needed a bigger house so our house in now for sale. This meant that we put new siding on the house and also painted it a different color. We took down the wall paper in the living room and painted that a different color. We took down the wallpaper in the kids bathroom. We have packed everything we don't use on a daily basis. Now we are waiting for someone to buy our house. We also had a situation at Bear and Monster's school which caused me to switch them to a different school. I had been having doubts and this incident just broke the camels back. We all love the new school and everyone adjusted way faster than I thought they would.

Here is Monster dressed for Dr. Seuss week.

Here are the monkeys at Nator's family birthday party.

Nator opening presents. And yes, some of those presents are wrapped in Christmas paper.

Nator wanted a Spiderman cake. I have made this one before but this was Nators first Spidey cake.

A present from Grandma S.

Bears Blue and Gold banquet.

Bear recieving his rank and awards.

Bears den of four.

Bears den did a skit and since he was one of the bigger kids in the den he got to be a robber.

Bears Valentine cheek.

Monsters Valentine hat. (Notice the mom in the heart... so sweet)Bears pinewood derby car. He built it to look like Grandpa S.'s truck. We weighed it down with money, so he had a treasure truck.

Night at the Science Center

2010-01-26T06:17:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Science Center in Birhmingham. It was a camp-in so we got to spend the night. It was so fun. The kids got to stay up until midnight and run around the museum like it was Disney. My oldest didn't want to go. It was too far away, it would be stupid, what was so great about sleeping in a museum anyway? Needless to say he quickly ate his words amd wants to go back next year.
They have a lightening show that we were able to see. All the kids thought it was interesting and Bear was able to answer a lot of the questions correctly. It was fun to see him come out of his shell a little and shout out questions. We were also able to watch a movie about molecules on an imax screen. My kids had never done that before and they were very entertained. They also had a really cold stuff show where they put saltines in liquid nitrogen and let the kids eat them. While they are chewing on the crackers smoke comes out of there mouths. It was soooo funny. We will going back for sure.

This is a wind tunnel tube. As you can see the wind was 78.7 miles an hour in there. Nator was the only one who wasn't too sure about this.

This is a grate on the wall that is part of the building but not a museum exhibit. Monster thought it was so cool and demanded a picture in front of it.

Nator on a fake tire. He was getting tired but quickly jumped off the tire and ran around so he wouldn't fall asleep.

Monster working on a fake car. My younger kids loved this exhibit. You could take the tires on and off which is why there are no tires in this picture.

There was an ocean level and here the kids are holding different kinds of coral.

This is the shark and stingray tank. Everyone got to pet both.

One tank of gas....$35.00, an air matress to sleep on...$15.00, the chance to take a picture of your son with this expression on his face.........priceless.

Nator informed me that this is not a red salamander (like the sign says) it is a red lizard with black dots.

Meeting Curous George

A bed of nails.

A giant Lite Brite.

Humilation Day and A Commercial

2010-01-13T04:55:00.000-08:00

Well, it's the day I have been dreading since my last post. Mostly because I have not exatly eaten the way a person who wants to lose 2 lbs. a week should. Having said that, I lost 3.3 lbs!!!!!! How did I do this, you might be asking yourself. (Here is where the commercial comes in.) From a game called the B!gge$t L@ser W!!. If you have ever watched that show you have seen contestants cry(and I don't me a little gracious tear, we are talking sobbing snot bubble crying), collapse, scream, and sometimes have to be rushed to the hospital. Now I know why. It is a KILLER and obviously effective. I would recommend this game to anyone who has a W!!. This week I am going to try to eat healthier and see if I can get even better results.

Humilation Wednesday (Sister-Style)

2010-01-06T07:14:00.000-08:00

I am going to copy my sister K and due Humilation Wednesdays. (Although she is calling it weight loss wednesday.) The idea is that if you go public with your fitness and diet goals you will stick to it better. I am sure that is true. I am equally sure it will be humiliating. But it's nothing compared to going on national t.v. and doing it, which I still want to do but can't find a partner. So here it goes.
I would like to lose at least two pounds a week which means by the time Halloween is upon us I (in theory) can go as a slutty bar maid if I want. (Probably won't but at least I can.)
Below are pictures of me in tight clothes that I would never be caught dead in outside my home so you can (hopefully) see the results of my blood, sweat, an undoubtedly tears over the next 10 months.

I will post new pictures of myself in my new awesome, slutty Halloween costume. (Unless I get to my goal faster.)

Christmas Bliss

2009-12-29T05:24:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of that magical morning that only comes once a year. Bear was so excited he did not sleep at all. He woke me up at 4:oo. 5:00, 5:30 and I finally gave up at 6:00. (I later found out from my sister A that I deserve all the sleep interuptions because I was the cause of early morning Christmases at our house. I do not remember that. I know we got up early but I thought it was a mutual kid effort. I guess I was wrong. ) Needles to say, they were thrilled with the stuff they got and we all ate way too much chocolate.

Playing Catch Up Again

2009-12-23T05:45:00.000-08:00

Once again I am playing catch up. However, this super long post will catch me up to yesterday,so be warned this post is never ending.

Bear gettting his fitness and forestry pins.

Bear with his raingutter regatta boat.

Bear did not win this race but it was a good chance for him to practice good sportsmanship. (He needs all the practice he can get in this area.)

All the boys at the farm/pumpkin patch.

Bear in the corn maze. Last year we could see over the corn. We were surprised at how much taller the corn was this year.

Nator with his perfect pumpkin.

Monster with the littlest pumpkin he could find.

After what seemed like an eternity Bear chose his perfect pumpkin. Unlike his brother he was looking for a big one.

We also get sunflowers with our pumpkins.

Monster never attempted to carve his pumpkin. He wanted me to do it. Nator gave it a try and decided Monster had a good thing going so I ended up carving both their pumpkins.

Bear, on the other hand, carved his with painstaking precision.

My little indian.

Too cute for words.

A little frosting makes for a disturbing kiss-like picture.

The present he had been waiting for since May.

From grandma S.

It's starting to look a lot like Christmas.

Bear is now to old to tell Santa what he wants, but humored me for this picture. Yay!

He'll eat haggis but complains about my tacos?

2009-10-23T07:22:00.001-07:00

I know some of you thought I forgot how to blog but rest assured I finally remembered how and am ready to bombard you with new posts for the next couple of days. Last weekend we went to a scottish festival and to the High Museum of Art to see the Da Vinci exhibit. We completely lucked out on this trip. We were given free breakfast for two days from the Hilton. (This saved us at least $50.00 on breakfast food.) To top that Target was having a free day at the museum so we got in for free. (This saved us at least $50.00 more on admission costs.) As if that weren't good enough Target also had fun activies for the kids. They got to decorate backpacks, recieved coloring books, and got their pictures taken with the Target dog. (Bear did not do any of these activites as he thinks he is waaaaay to old for that.)

Here is monster getting ready to make a lock ness monster sock puppet.

Here is Bear making a sporan.

The finished product.

This is Bear flirting with the 12 year olds that were manning the booth. I was told by the parent in charge that they were flirting with him as well. When I told her he was 9 she said she was positive they had no idea he was that young.

Monster's sword and sheild he decorated.

Nator's sword and sheild he decorated.

Nator making a sporan.

Nator finished sporan and be-jeweled sword.

Monster decorating a banner.

The following picture are of Monster and Nator doing the obstacle course. Again, Bear was waaaay to old. He was also to old to do the sword, sheild, and sock puppet that his brothers did.

I do not have any pictures of the actual games because it rained all day and was freezing. Needless to say we left early, but not before Bear was able to sample some haggis and decided he loved it. He even convinced Creek to buy a nine dollar can of it for me to make at a later date. All I have to say is... he'll eat haggis but complains about my tacos, really?

Funny Kids

2009-09-15T08:48:00.001-07:00

Here are some funny things my kids have said and done lately:

Bear- put pliers on his nose and pinched his nose. He did not tell me he did this nor did he complain that it hurt. I knew because he had two symmetrical lines on his nose.

Monster- I picked monster up from school and asked him if he watched T.V. today. He said yes he "watched a movie about trains and it was not a cartoon. His teacher knows they are kids and kids like cartoons." He was highly put out by the non-cartoon train movie.

Nator- heard police sirens and when I told him someone may have been in an accident he said, "maybe someone said some bad words, some police bad words." He also has an indiana jones action figure that has a briefcase. Nator calls the briefcase "Indy's purse." I am sure Harrison Ford would love to know he was looking for treasure with a purse.

That is it for now.

Farewell Sugar!

2009-08-28T16:35:00.000-07:00

As my three readers know I LOVE food. All food not just some of it. I love red meat,white meat, seafood, fruit, vegatables, pasta, all dairy, bread, all the breakfast foods, and most of all SUGAR. I am talking chocolate, brownies, cookies(any kind), regular cake, cheesecake, pie, swedish fish, caramel popcorn, ice cream and so much more. The problem is I seem to have hit a plateau with my weight loss and I am pretty sure sugar is the culprit. So, with tearfilled eyes I am saying good-bye to my close personal friend. (For all you super-health nuts out there this does not include natural sugars.) Hopefully, this decision will help make a healthier probably not happier me.

Utah Vacation and First Day of School

2009-08-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

As all three of my readers know I went to Utah on vacation for almost four weeks. We did things a little differntly this time and decided to travel around the state while we were there. While this was very fun it was also exhausting. We had a great time and are very glad to be back home doing our normal stuff. Here are some picture of our travels. (I will warn you this post is very long .)

Creek and the kids with his parents and grandma.

Bear with his newest cousin. (He loved babies as long as they are not crying.)
Creek with his brothers and sisters.

Nator playing grandma's piano. (Hmm...I wonder if Mozart practiced in a towel)

This is a dating picture. Nator is in his cousins pink lacey shorts. (I know he will hate me for this later but I couldn't resist.)

Everyone except Bear sleeping at Aunt K's house.

Kafra is painting Nator's fingernails. (Yes, I let my boys have dolls, put on makeup, and paint their finger and toenails. They eventually outgrow this stage and think it is weird. My oldest is living proof of this.)

All of us getting ready to hike Emerald Pools. These next few pictures are of the Emerald Pool hike so I am not going to label them all. We went to the Upper Pool and it was beautiful. I am afraid of heights and was quite wimpy going up and down (so my sister pointed out) but I am glad I made it to the top.

Monster was convinved that some these rocks were fish fossils or dinosaur footprints.

My dad playing sorry with Monster and Nator.

Monster enjoying his smore on Beaver Mountain.

Dad and Bear stuffing their faces with smores as well.

More stuffing.

Dad, Bear and Monster enjoying the fire pit. (Nator didn't really like it so he was inside.)

My kids in the giant rocking chair in Beaver. They loved this chair and wanted to play in it way longer than I let them.Aunt K, her kids, and Nator in a wierd piece of cloth.

Outside Zion they have a place where you can feed buffalo and elk. My kids were really interested in the buffalo and elk until they spotted a cat. She was the main attraction the rest of the time.

Aunt A threw a little birthday bash for all the kids. They all got cupcakes and presents, much to their delight.My kids with my grandparents at Uncle C's wedding. The next few pictures are at the wedding and reception.

My mom and all of her grandkidsThe bride and groom with all their niece and nephews.

My dad with all his grandkids.

Monster chillin' after pictures were done.

Nator sans dress shirt after pictures.

Mom and Nator

My kids at Bubba's birthday party.

We went to a bounce house place and the kids had a blast. I should probably mention that I had a blast as well. Kafra talked me into sliding down the slides with her and it was super fun.

My boys were dying to hike the sugarloaf so here are some pictures from that.

Nator helping Aunt A put up our tent for the reunion.

Kafra and Monster playing in the sand.

Me and Nator hanging out.

Aunt A and Uncle N with the kids.

Aunt L with the kids.

Our campsite. We were in a tent not a cabin which worked out to be the better deal. (Luckily, my kids refused to stay in a cabin. I guess you're not really camping unless it is in a tent.)

My kids with their cousins at hole n the rock. This bull was made out of tools.

The kids checking out all the tools.

The boys checking out the golfer made out of golf clubs.

All the kids.

My dad with two of his daughters and all of his grandkids.

My kids loved this rabbit at the airport.

The next few pictures are of Bear and Monster's first day of school. There is a slight difference in attitude that is hard to spot with the naked eye, so look very carefully and you might, just might, be able to tell who was excited for school and who wasn't.

This second picture was a failed attempt to get one of him smiling.

Bear is smiling in this one because it was taken after school.

2009-07-15T16:47:00.000-07:00

I read this on Valinda's blog and decided to do it myself...

1. Your ex is on the side of the road, on fire. What do you do?

I would help in what is sure to be a very spaztic display of me-ness. (I no longer have any bad feelings about exes. It was ages ago and I can't remeber a lot of it anyway.)

2. Your best friend tells you she is pregnant. What is your reaction?

How did that happen?

3. When is the last time you wanted to punch someone in the face?

I don't remember.

4. What is the last thing you spent money on?

McDonalds. (I chose not to cook the night before vacation.)

5. Do you think you gained or lost weight this past month?

Lost but only a little bit :(

6. Crunchy or Puffy Cheetos?Crunchy.

8. Congratulations! You just had a son. What's his name?

Nicholas Dwight

9. Congratulations! You just had a daughter. What's her name?

Sierra Marie

10. What are you craving right now?

Nothing, I just ate.

11. What was the last thing you cried about?

I don't know.

12. When you buy something and your change is 2 cents, do you keep it or tell the cashier to keep it?

Tell the cashier to keep it.

13. What color is your tissue box?

I don't have a tissue box.

14. Do you have a ceiling fan in your bedroom, and if so, is there dust on that fan?

Yes and Yes

15. What was the last voicemail you received about?

My mom wanting a baby picture of Monster.

16. Have you ever blocked someone on Facebook?

No.

17. Scariest thing you've experienced in the last year?

Flying to Utah. (I hate to fly.)

18. Do you wear a name tag at work?

I don't work.

19. What kind of car do you want?

Anything with air conditioning.

20. What do you order when you go to Taco Bell?

A crunchy supreme taco.

21. Have you ever had a garage sale?

Yes.

22. What color is your iPod?

I don't have one.

23. What is the last alcoholic beverage you had?
Nyquil.
24. Are you happy right now?
Tired and happy.
25. Who came over to your house last?
London
26. Do you drink beer?
No.
27. Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted?
No
28. What is your favorite key on your key chain?
I don't have one.
29. What was the last movie you watched at home?
I can't remember.
30. What is in your pocket?
Nothing
31. Who introduced you to your significant other?
Joanna :)
32. Where do you hurt?Nowhere.
33. Has someone ever made you a build a bear?
No.
34. What's something fun you did today?
Went shopping with London and swimming with my kids. (and London, Texas, and their kids)
35. What is your favorite aisle at Wal-Mart?
None. I avoid Wal-Mart as much as possible.
36. When is your birthday?
August 20 the same day as my sister's and Natalle.
37. Is there anything hanging from your rear view mirror?
Nope
38. How many states in the US have you been to?
21?
39. What kind of milk do you drink?
2%
40. What are you going to do after this?
Load my luggage into the car.
41. Who was the last person you went shopping with?
London
42. What is something you need to go shopping for?
Nothing
43. Do you have the same first name as one of your relatives?
No
44. What kind of cars do your parents drive?
No clue
45. Are you rich?
Yeah right!
46. What color is your couch?
Brown
48. What famous person do you look like?
none
49. Does someone like you right now?
I hope so.
50. Say you were given a pregnancy test right now. Would you pass or fail?
Fail.
51. Favorite pop-tart flavor?
The fruit ones
52. Do you know anyone in jail/prison?
No
53. What are your plans for the weekend?
Be on vacation.
54. Do you like the color green?
Yes.
55. Who was the last person you sent an instant message to?
I have no idea
56. Last restaurant you went to?
Logans
57. How many hours did you sleep for last night?
6
58. Do you swear at your parents?
No
59. Do you think someone is thinking about you right now?
No
60. Have you ever changed your clothes while in a vehicle?
Yes
61. What is your ringtone?
Dpends on who' calling.
62. What were you doing at midnight last night?Climbing into bed.

Grab Bag Surprise

2009-07-13T09:27:00.001-07:00

Here's how it normally works. The first 5 people to comment on this post will get something homemade from me. However this offer has some rules and limitations so please read carefully. Since I only have three readers I would be shocked if 5 people commented so I will keep it at 5 people but you can't win twice, sorry.
1. This will be an item homemade by me especially for you however it is a surprise. It might be something sewn, baked or any other kind of craft. I cannot give you a hint or guarantee that you will like it.
2. You will receive your item some time this year (probably when I am at your house or at the reunion)
3. I must be able to contact you via email. So make sure I can find your email address, if you're not sure, just put in your comment.
4. You must respond back to me with your mailing address after I send you an email confirming that you are one of the lucky 5!
5. In return you must post this giveaway on your blog and make 5 things for first 5 people to comment. (If you have recently done this giveaway on your blog I will count it!) This step is the most important! I will check your blog for YOUR giveaway before I send you an email.

Funny Kids

2009-06-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some things my kids have said and done that I thought was hillarious. Nator got a new little bike that has a kick stand and he informed me that this bike has a stander. Also I caught Monster pretneding to hit Nator. Nator was standing there very calmly. Monster sees me walking up to them and says, "We are playing Kung Fu Panda".
I say "Are you the panda?"
Monster, "No."
Me, "Then why are you hitting Nator?"
Monster, I am just pretending."
Nator,"I am the puching bag, the paaaaanda one." It was sooooooo funny.
Lastly, this mornning Nator asked me if I could turn his cartoon upper. "Actually mom, can you turn it upper." were his exact words. I thought it was so cute.

Beach Days

2009-05-30T08:37:00.001-07:00

We decided to kick off summer vacation by going to the beach. Yes we are all wearing shirts. This is because Thursday we spent two hours swimming and we were all a little sun-kissed (despite the use of sunblock) so I thought keeping shirts on would make it easier not to fry ourselves half to death, and it worked.

Monster spent most of his time digging up sand and either throwing it back into the ocean or on one of us.

Bear making a sand castle. (Although I never did see the castle)

Nator and his surrogate twin playing in the sand. He loved the waves but would get cold easily so he spent a lot of time on the beach instead of in it. You can also see Monster catching a wave in the background.

The reason I want to get a boat. In this picture it is hard to tell but that blue-green area is a sand bar that you either swim out to or drive your boat to and play. It is not deep so the kids would easily be able to reach the bottom. We did not swim out there for obvious reasons.

Me, Bear, and Monster catching some waves. The ocean was really active so I held Moster so he would not go under every wave that came in.

Bear and friend checking out a clam before throwing it back. You can also see that Monster has used Nator's back as a sand throwing area.

The beautiful Gulf of Mexico.

Nator trying to warm up on the beach.

Side Note

2009-05-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

Monster was having a hard time grasping summer vacation and asked if Bear had to go to school tomorrow. I then told him no the next time Bear went to school Monster would also go. Weird!

Summer Vacation!!!

2009-05-28T15:07:00.001-07:00

Summer vacation is finally here!!! Unlike most normal school districts our last day was today not last friday. (I have no idea why they do it this way but it drives me CRAZY!!!!!!) We have a lot of fun things planned this summer so I know it is going to fly by, but I guess that's the point right?

Bear showing his excitement that he gets to go 75 days in a row with no school.

Bear and his fabulous teacher Mrs. H.

Bear recieving certificates for being on the honor roll and being in the student government.

Funny Bear Things

2009-05-15T05:15:00.000-07:00

So Bear has been really entertaining this week. On Wednesday I caught him talking to himself and asked him what he was mumbling about. He said he was naming the reasons he is the luckiest kid in the world. Here are the three reasons:
1. He survived a hernia until he was six.
2. He has never broken a bone.
3. He only been burnt once in his life.

Yesterday I found out that he did not do his spelling homework. When I asked why he said, "because my stupid teacher thinks she has the authority to pile on a whole bunch of work and I couldn't finish it all." (He loves his teacher so this was purely attitude at being caught) I informed him that not only did she have the authority but she actaully got paid for it. Needless, to say he wasn't happy with my response.

These are things I will be sure to tell him when he announces he is going to be a dad. (Especially the last one)

The Biggest Loser

2009-05-12T06:54:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know that I want/need to go on the Biggest Loser. Well I have waited, and waited, and waited, for casting and now they are finally casting and are only taking pairs. As luck would have it my friends and family do not qualify for the show. (You have to need to lose 100 lbs.) I do know some acquaintances that would qualify but how do you bring that up? Say, I notice that you could stand to lose 100 lbs do you want to go on the Biggest Loser with me? So if my three readers know anyone that it open about needing to lose 100 lbs and might want to go on the show with me please let me know. Otherwise, I have to wait until they are taking indiviuals. :(

Bear's Birthday!

2009-04-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

As you all know yesterday was Bear's birthday. This is his last year to be a one digit age. When I told him this he looked at me like I had lost my mind. (Little does he know I lost it years ago.)
He asked for a plain rectangle cake with the Harley logo drawn on so that it what he got. It's not exactly the best cake we've ever done but hey he picked it out and thought it was cool. We opened presents, had cake, recieved birthday calls and then headed for our local Japanese Steak House. (He picked this over Chuck E. Cheese, to the delight of all the adults.) At dinner I ever-so casually mentioned that it was Bear's birhtday:) so they sang and he got a pineapple boat. He was mortified at first but ended up living through the humiliation so all is good. I only posted a few opening presents pics because it gets redundant after a while. However, his haul included a flying helicopter (Thanks Grandma S!), bakugan (the square ones), remote control car, books, games, and money. The pictures from dinner would not post but here is everything else.

Easter/Spring Break

2009-04-18T06:05:00.000-07:00

I know that these Easter pictures are coming late (as usual) but they come with bonus scout camp pictures.

The boys with their loot from the local hunt.

Nator with an egg from London's hunt.

Monster with an egg from London's hunt.

Bear with an egg from London's hunt.

Monster with his bunny loot.

Nator with his bunny loot.

Bear with his bunny loot.

Scout camp skit/song audience.

Bear and his group singing their song.

Nasa Flight Surgeon

2009-03-29T16:40:00.001-07:00

Bear's pack got to meet a Nasa Flight Surgeon today. He showed them pictures and videos of space flight. It was very educational and just plain cool. He told the scouts that Nasa is planning a return trip to the moon in 2020 and a trip to Mars in 2035. I asked Bear if he wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up and he said yes but he wants to go to Mars and not the Moon. It was pretty funny. He wants to be the first person on Mars and since people have already been to the Moon he doesn't want to go.

They made a banner for another Flight Surgeon who is in space right now and are e-mailing this group picture to space. (This is the picture I took so this might not be the exact picture that goes to space.) Bear has his hand up in this picture because they had just asked who wanted to be an astronaut when they grew up and of course Bear wants to.

Bear and the Flight Surgeon.

Shameless Advertisement

2009-03-29T16:34:00.000-07:00

I signed up to be a Stampin Up Demonstrator. This is solely due to the fact that I have been scrapbooking like crazy and stickers cost a small fortune. So I decided stamps that I can use more than once would be more cost effective. However, I did set up a website in case anybody (i.e. my three readers:) is in need of stamps. It is http://shayni.stampinup.net . That is the end of this shameless advertisement.

A Spring Day and A Hoe-Down

2009-03-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

Bears school had a hoe-down to kick off SAT testing next week. Here is his teacher being a hip hop queen as part of the show.Here is his teacher hoe-downing it up also a part of the show. (She is the one on the left.)

Here is a picture from a day at landmark park. My boys playing on the mule fence.

Bear getting blacksmithing lessons.

The blacksmith house.

Events of the Week

2009-03-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

On friday Bears school had a dress up as your favorite Dr. Suess character day. Can you tell what he was?

Monday we went to the Harlem Globe Trotters. It was a blast! I took more picture than this but the did not want to post and I don't want to do it over. These are the players that answered questions before the game. The one on the left is 7' 3". Bear was amazed.

Here are pictures with two of the players. I know you can't see Bears head very well but I was able to get another picture. I just didn't post it.

The game was awesome and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has the chance to go.

Nator Party and......Snow?

2009-03-03T15:09:00.001-08:00

This Sunday we had Nators birthday party. It was at Chuck E. Cheese of course and he thought he was in heaven.

Nator blowing out his candles.

The party boys.

Nator's armor set.

Train accesories for his train table.

Nator unwrapping presents.

Nator's trains.

More unwrapping.

Sunday morning I woke up and decided to do yard work. While I was out there it started snowing. It was the first time in 7 years. It did not stick so my kids have still not played in snow since we left Virginia.

My garden boxes before the snow. (On Saturday ot was 70 degrees outside so silly me I thought it was safe to plant my garden.)

Happy Birthday Nator!

2009-02-22T17:17:00.000-08:00

Today is Nator's third birthday! Sadly his brothers have been flu ridden since Monday. This meant a family-only party. We have rescheduled his friend party for next week.
Here is a funny sidenote. Nator remembered that Monster recieved his presents with a Christmas tree so he asked if he was getting presents, then where was his tree. We thought it was hysterical. He also got up first thing this morning and woke up the remaining sleeping members of the family to tell them he is now three.

Here are some pictures from the family only party.

Nator blowing out his candles.

Nator's train cake.

Bear studying Nator's present from Grandma S.

Nator's farm animals.

Nator loves anything with wheels so we got him this huge semi truck full of cars.

Nator also loves animals and always plays with this particular toy when we are at a friends house so we decided he should have one of his own.

Nator unwrapping present from Grandma S.

Nator unwrapping first present of the day.

The three boys on Nator's big day.

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T08:26:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Bear had a party at school yesterday that I was able to go to. It was really fun to see him with all his friends. He also has a girlfriend in his class and several kids came to me to let me know. It was really funny. I think they expected me to get mad and didn't know how to react when I just smiled and said that it was o.k.

Here are pictures from our Valentine morning.

The kids holding up chocolates they got from Grandma S. She sent them a box full of stuff but we decided to only hold up one item per care package. As you can see by the stuff they are not holding up they made a killing this year. Grandma S also sent them nerf rockets, light up balls, pencils, erasers, and gum.

These are the cards Grandma W sent them. They love getting letters in the mail.

These are the books T and Grandpa C sent them. These also came in a box along with cards, cars, and candy.
Here is a chocolate fish I got for the kids. It came in the packaging below.

Creek took one look at this and said,"Only in the South". He then wanted me to take a picture and share the joy with all of you.

The kids with their fish.

The kids with all their loot.

2009-02-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

Here is something cute that my sister K had on her blog. (this sentence is on the off chance I have more than two readers) Anyone besides my two known readers should do it, its funny.

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Samantha Durango
2. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR'S NAME: ("The" + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”) The Scrapbooking Rainbow Tour.
3. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)Reeses Chocolate Chip Butterscotch
4. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) S-Wat
5. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Purple Orca
6. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Monticello (I don't have a middle name)
7. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) Wat-Sh.
8. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The" + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink) The Black Water
9. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Melvin Bruce
10. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy) Charlie Turtles
11. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Lou Bruce
12. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) Percy Pensacola
13. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) Autumn Orchid
14. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) Mango Pantsy
15. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Waffle Cherry

Disney Week

2009-02-01T05:49:00.000-08:00

As you all know we took a family vacation to Disney World. We decided to do all four parks this year. Our car decided it needed a new break job so we spent an extra day there while that was being done. Car problems aside we had a blast. The kids were in heaven and did not want to come home. Bear spent the whole ride home singing the pirate song. As you will see he bought a Jack Sparrow hat, and got to be a part of the Jack Sparrow tutorial. What's not in the pictures is the fact that we went on the Pirates ride three times.

This is at Hollywood Studios. It was a show and the kids got to fight Darth Vader if they wanted to. My kids did not want to they were too shy.

Monster with the lightsaber he built.

Bear with the lightsaber he built.

Nator with the lightsaber he built.

Mickey picture. (You will notice that Bear is pouting in a good portion of the pictures. This is because he thought picture taking was unnecessary and taking time away from rides. I was getting the "aw come on mom" response almost every time I wanted to take a picture.

My kids saw someone else taking this picture and of course wanted to play on the dragon too. The dragon was just a part of a shop.

Here is a close up of the tree of life. There are over 100 animals in the trunk.

Magic Kingdom

Pluto

Even though Disney workers take picture all day long they apparantly don't ever get very good at it. Monster is in the picture he is just mostly covered up by Bear.

Bear got to drive the Jungle Cruise. I did not get to see this because after we had waited in line for about 5 minutes Nator and Monster decided they had to go to the bathroom. (Nator did not make it. After this I learned to take potty breaks every two hours on the dot. )

The first time we waited in line for the pirates ride.

Waiting for the Country Bear Jamboree.

Meeting Buzz.

Oh no! A Shark's eating my children.

Another shark at the end of the Nemo ride at Epcot.

Marlin, Nemo and Dory.

The space ride that only Bear was tall enough to go on.

Creek in front of the Norweigan Pavillion. They have a boat ride that was really fun.

A makaw at Animal Kingdom.

A kangaroo.

The tree of life.

A rhino.

Crocodiles we saw on our safari ride.

Safari animals.

Baby giraffe.

Mommy giraffe.

More safari animals.

and more animals.

Elephant.

Rhinos.

You can't see them very well. But this is a picture of a lion and lioness.

A gazelle.

Huge Gorilla.

My kids with the huge gorilla in the background.

The petting zoo.
More animals on the tree of life trunk.

The Animal Kingdom had a cool bird show. For it's finale they brought out Creeks favorite bird.

Komoto Dragon.

Kids with the Komoto dragon. (Nator was asleep)

These are pictures from our resort.

Nator thought this big wheel was the coolest thing he had ever seen.

This is from the Buzz ride at Magic Kingdom. Yes it rained the whole day.

Stitch.

Captain Hook and Mr. Smead.

Bear being sworn in as a pirate. (Monster did not want to do it)

The making Grandma S jealous picture.

Monster just had to have a picture in Dumbo but the sun was in their eyes so they are all squinting.

So there you have it the Disney Magic documentation. We had so much fun I think we are all going to need a vacation from our vacation.

Very Late

2009-01-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

I realize this post is EXTREMELY late. So here it goes.

All the boys playing with their new light sabers (or savers as they are called by Monster and Nator)

Monster and Nators new light sabers and Bear eating a sugar cookie for breakfast. Yes I do allow that once a year.

Monsters light saber.

Nator showing a bike he got.

Nator wearing a t-shirt Grandma S gave him. He couldn't wait until after bathtime to put it on.

Christmas Chaos.

This picture is for Aunt K. This is a bakugan.

Monster with his Disco Wubsy.

Bear tearing open his bakugan that I had led him to believe the stores were sold out of.

Nator with his train table.

Monster's Birthday Parties

2008-12-16T06:27:00.001-08:00

As you all know Monster is not yet in school so he doesn't have friends his own age. He loves to play with Bear's friend A who is nine. He also plays with friends from our neighborhood who are seven and two. Because of this I decided to do his party at Chuck E. Cheese. However, Chuck E. Cheese does not allow pinatas. (I am sure you are all shocked.) Bear had a pinata so Monster was dying for one. So we decided on his actual birthday to have friends over for Chili, cake and a pinata. We then went to Chuck E. Cheese two days later for his "real" party. Here are pictures of both events. (I know I only have one picture of Bear but I was trying not to post other people's children. Since Bear and A were unseperable I only have one of him. )

Nator taking a whack at Darth Vader and Creek trying to save his face from harm.

Bear gearing up for a shot at the pinata.

The money shot. I can't beleive I was able to get this shot but there it is.

Monster's Mickey cake.

Nator being unsure of a ride at Chuck E. Cheese.

The birthday boy.

Monster loving the ride Nator was not crazy about.

Monster with Chuck E.

The weekend was super busy but a ton of fun.

Thanksgiving And Stuff

2008-11-29T12:56:00.001-08:00

Bear was very curious about the Thanksgiving process this year. So he was my helper. Needless to say when you get one helper more will follow. We had a great Thanksgiving and as usual ate way too much.

O.K. so these pictures are out of order and I can never figure out how to get them in order so just pretend they are in order.

My pilgrims.

My cheddar bay biscuit helpers.

My Uncle M's stuffing helpers.(Monster was still asleep at this point)

Tagged

2008-11-19T16:16:00.000-08:00

I got tagged from redheads mom so here it goes….

*8 Shows I watch regularly
I watch very little t.v. but here are my eight favorite shows

Fraiser
Friends
Gilmore Girls
Desperate Housewives
C.S.I.
House
Grey’s Anatomy
Crossing Jordan

*8 Things that happened yesterday

I volunteered at Bears book fair.
I received a collections call that wasn’t mine, but was a relatives
I cleaned my designated two rooms
I practiced violin with Bear
I went grocery shopping
I helped Bear with homework
I read all my children bedtime stories
I made a chore chart.

*8 Favorite places to eat

Miyori
Logans
Olive Garden
Red Lobster
Café Rio
Chilis
Pizza Hut
Applebees

*8 Things I am looking forward to

Being able to date my husband again
Christmas
Thanksgiving
Creeks Birthday
Visitors
Summer Vacation
An add on to my house
Sunday shopping day with London

*8 Things on my wish list
1. House add on
2. Disney Cruise
3. D.C. Vacation with husband only
4. Two dressers for my kids’ rooms
5. Bookcase for playroom, soon to be Bears room
6. Closets Organized
7. Pantry
8. New Stove

Halloween

2008-11-08T09:25:00.000-08:00

Halloween is our family's favorite holiday. Between going to the pumpkin patch (twice), halloween carnivals, dressing up, carving pumpkins, and going trick-or-treating we had a blast this October.

The Star Wars bunch.

Creek's floating head costume.

Here is Yoda with some of our pumpkin patch loot.

The jack-o-lanterns

Monster and Nator getting ready to carve.

Bear working hard on his gigantic pumpkin

The pumpkin patch loot

Battlefields and Pumpkin Patches

2008-10-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to a Civil War re-enactment. The re-enactment was the Battle of Newton. Newton happens to be about ten minutes away. The kids loved it. The shot of cannons and shot blackpowder rifles. Needles to say they thought it was heaven. We also went to the pumpkin patch with some friends. They walked through a corn maze, took a hay ride, picked out a pumpkin and picked a sunflower. There was also a petting zoo and chickens that you could feed. The pictures are out of order and Nator has been telling me that we already went there. Referring to the pictures. How cute is that?

Monster and Nator with a friend entering the corn maze.

Monster and Nator with the chickens.

Monster thinking really hard about his pumpkin choice.

Nator with his pumpkin.

Bear looking for a worhty pumpkin.

You are not experiencing deja vu, I could get this duplicate off.

Ditto

Bear with his gigantic sunflower.

Still looking for that worthy pumpkin.

Another deja vu I couldn't get rid of.

All the guys plus one with the civil war cannon.

The battle begins. Shots are fired.

Shots are fired back.

A battle wouldn't be complete without a casualty.

Bear in the corn maze.

Scout Camp Out

2008-10-15T08:58:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we went to a scout camp-out. The kids had a great time. All the boys got to play games, do crafts and fish. Luckily all three boys caught a fish. Yes even Nator. Bear got to shoot a bb gun and do archery. He won first place for bb shooting. He was very excited about that.

Here are the owl rings the boys made.

The fish Bear caught.

Nator fishing.

Here is the fish Nator caught.

The fish Monster caught.

Bear chillin and eating by the tent.

Nator getting a lift. (Camp Alaflo is over 100 acres so Nator got a few lifts that day)

Bear playing a gigantic version of ring toss.

Monster and Nator getting ready to play.

All my guys playing a teamwork game.

Tagged Again.

2008-09-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

Here is another tag for you all to read. I am sure you are dying to know more about me because I am so mysterious and all. Okay, here goes:

Twenty years ago:
1. I was a seventh grader trying to come to terms with ninth graders that had worse mouths than sailors. (I had a very sheltered childhood.)
2. I went to my first school dance.

Fifteen years ago:
1. I was a Senior in high school. During this year of school my parents would get divorced and I would start dating my husband. (Against my parents wishes.)

Ten years ago:

1. I was working at Quality Park and finishing my Associates. (Yes it took me longer than normal. Working 40 plus hours a week while going to school will do that to ya.)

Five years ago:

1. I was pregnant with my second child. (Yay!)

Three years ago:

1. I was pregnant with my third child. (Yay!)
2. I was in the process of selling my home in Utah so that I could move to Virginia where Creek was currently working.
3. Bear had just started kindergarten.

One year ago:

1. I had a second grader who was adjusting well to his fourth school. We no longer lived in Virginia but had moved to Alabama.

One month ago:

I finally found someone to go walking with and to scrapbook with. I decided to stop looking for houses in Enterprise and add on to the one I've got.

One week ago:1.

Doing the same old mommy duties. (i.e. helping with homework, driving Bear to violin lessons, cooking, cleaning, reading bedtime stories etc.)

One day ago:

I went walking with London. Opened the scout hut for the tigers and made sure they were ready for the Raingutter Reggatta on Sat. Practiced violin with Bear. Cleaned the house.

Tomorrow:

I will go to Bears school and have lunch with him. I will hang out with London and scrapbook. I might decide to go to see The Women with London. That's probably it.

Next year:

Hang on to your hats because I can't believe what I am about to write. I will have a fourth grader and a kindergartener. I will have only one child not in school and he will be 3 and a half. I hope to be caught up on scrapbooking and have my house completely organized. I also hope to have added 1200 square feet to my house. If the add on is done I will also have new siding and a concrete retaining wall. Yay!

That's it. Thanks for viewing.

Other Alabama News

2008-09-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

Bear had two of his friends sleep over last night. That was a first. One of the boys was a handful but all in all I think everyone had a good time. We pitched a tent in the living room and let the boys sleep there. They had pizza, crazy bread, and watched a movie. They also played the wii a little. That is all for our family excitement.

The Results

2008-09-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

I don't consider myself an adventurous person but I guess other people do. The answer was #3 I have never sniffed scotch guard. I was with my cousin and I will remain silent on whether she did or not. I know I lived very close to the Atlantic ocean but Creek was ALWAYS at work and I was not about to brave taking my three kids 6 and under (one was a newborn) to the beach by myself. So I have still never been. I don't have a favorite color. I don't know why. I am just not attached to a specific color.

Give It Your Best Shot

2008-09-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

My sister K tagged me with this challenge: List 10 things about you, nine true, and one lie. Then my family and friends get to decide which one is the lie. Some will be obvious to some of you, but hopefully I have enough that nobody will automatically know. This was HARD! I am pretty open about most things in my life so anyone who knows me knows tons of stuff about me. Here you go:

1. I don't have a favorite color.

2. I have never been to the Atlantic Ocean.

3. I sniffed scotchguard with my cousin.

4. I have had my ears pierced twice.

5. I am afraid to sleep with my bedroom door shut.

6. I used to think I was adopted.

7. I want to teach theology someday.

8. I have eaten frog legs.

9. I have been repelling.

10. I think going to college is a scam.

A Week In The Life Of The Not Soccer Mom

2008-09-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

As all of you know I am technically not a soccer mom. Bear has zero desire to play soccer. However, I am beginning to notice that despite this fact I am still running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Bear is in Tae Kwon Do twice a week. He has recently decided to take up violin lessons. That is once a week. Last week he decided to run for office in the student government. This means campaign posters and buttons need to be made by Monday. Yes that is in two days. Also he has to write a speech for his campaign which I will be no doubtedly be helping him with. This next week I will have scout meetings Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday do to the fact that I am part of the Scout Committee and we have the popcorn fundraiser going on and a brand new Tiger den that I need to guide. I am also volunteering in Bear school for most of the day Monday. (It only took a year but they finally took me up on my offer to volunteer.) The moral to this post is: For all you moms who "don't have a job" you do. You just don't get monetary payment twice a month. (This is something my very wise sister has told me more than once since I have been a stay at home mom.)

Snake, Children, and Scouts Oh My!

2008-08-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

Today we took a cub scout field trip to Landmark Park. It's a 100 acre park built to preserve the natural and cultural heritage of southeast Alabama's Wiregrass Region. They we having a class on threatened or endangered reptiles, namely snakes. The kids had a blast. I think we are going to go back next week for chemistry day.

This is Monster with an Eastern Indigo Snake.

These are all the wolf and bear scouts that went plus one friend and my two younger boys.

Here is Nator making friends with the eastern indigo snake.

This is the conservation guy with the eastern indigo snake.

Here is the little snake Nator was too afraid to touch even though he was practically hugging the big snake.

As you can see here Nator is anything but afraid of the big snake.

Tagged Again

2008-08-26T03:57:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by my sister K to answer these questions. I tag all the married people who read my blog. It is good to realize how good we got it girls!

1- Where did you meet? At my house. We were set up on a blind date.

2- How long did you date before you were married? One year and 5 months.

3- How long have you been married? 13 years (yeah I am old)

4- What does he do that surprises you? I am in my sister K's boat. We have known each other for over 14 years so not a lot. He has, however, got the prongs on my wedding ring checked and secretly added more diamonds to the ring. That always surprises me.

5- What's your favorite feature about him? Every year he pretends to forget my birthday and always forgets that he did it the year before. I think that is so adorable.

6 - What's your favorite quality about him? He always put our kids first.

7- Does he have a nickname for you? What is it? No.

8- What's his favorite color? Black

9- What's his favorite food? Filet Mignon and Lobster.

10-What is his favorite sport? Karate

11- Who said I love you first? I did. He was too chicken.

12- When and where was your first kiss? March 11, 1994 on our first real date.

13-Do you have kids? How many? 8, 4, 2. All boys.

14- What's a hidden talent that he has? When I am grouchy or upset I have a tendency to be irrational. He is always able to snap me out of it with humor.

15- How old is he? Nearly 36

16- What's his favorite type of music? Jazz

17- What do you admire most about him? He is a wonderful dad and is always focused on giving our kids the things we never had. (This isn't always material things either.)

18-What's his favorite past time? Riding his Harley.

19- Do you think he is going to read this? No. He's not a blogger.

You Know You're Getting Old When.....

2008-08-20T04:32:00.000-07:00

You child brings home his first homework assignment that requires an actual textbook.

You go walking with someone who never watched Friends because she still lived at home when it was on the air. And she got her drivers liscence three years after you got married.

You just celebrated your thirteenth wedding anniversary.

You spend two hours helping your child focus on his homework and still don't get done until 9:30. (My mom used to do that with my sister A 15 years ago and that seems like yesterday)

Your child asks you, "mom when ou were a kid did hey have....."

Your sister wants you to visit on her 30th birthday so she won't feel old.

And last but not least you woke up and realized you are now 32.

Happy Birthday K.

Bragging Rights

2008-08-14T14:11:00.001-07:00

So this post is me bragging about Bear. Today at school he got elected to represent his class in the Student Government Association. This means that he will be in city parades and help with school fundraisers etc. We are very excited. In other bragging news he tested for his green belt and passed. Pictures will follow after the belt ceremony.

Pictures

2008-08-12T12:20:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures with no belly itchers.

Bears first day of third grade. Compared to my sister K's school pictures mine are seriously lacking, but what can I say she is a better mom than me :)

A friends after school pool party.

First Day Of School

2008-08-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

Today was bears first day of school. (Yes, out here in podunkville we start school a week sooner than most other areas.) The really exciting part is that he did not cry!!!!!! For those of you who are not up on our previous first days of school he has cried every year. This year he was even excited about going back to school. He laid his clothes out the night before and informed me that he was planning on waking up at 2 a.m. to take a shower and get dressed. I, of course, said no way to that one. He has even agreed to eat school lunch today. That is also a first. I am also thrilled to report that it looks like he may have recieved a good teacher this year. YAY!!!! I offered to volunteer in her class and she had me put my name on preprinted room mother/father list. This means that not only is she going to take me up on my offer but was actually hoping for volunteers. (Last years teacher did not want to tell me what happened in school let alone me actually physically being in the school. Why? You may be wondering. She felt like I was taking away her power by being involved in my childs life.) So cross you fingers for us, we haven't had a good teacher since kindergarten.

Scouts

2008-08-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

Well as most of you know I am on the Scout committee and have been for a year. The committee has consisted of me and one other guy. Yesterday we had a meeting and some other parents came. YAY! Because of this I found out a lot of useful info. I had no idea that one of the tiger (now a wolf) cubs lives right down the street. Their address was misspelled on my roster so I had no idea. His mom and I are going to start walking together. YAY! (There will be a lot of yaying in this post.) I also found out that the city is planning to build a park right across the highway from my complex with a one mile hiking trail. No more driving to Enterprise for park time. YAY! (The Enterprise park is 15 miles from our house) I also found out Bears elementary school bought the chunk of land that is next to the school and is planning to build a gym and tennis courts. Can you say AWESOME! So now all we need is a city pool and I will be in hog heaven. As an added bonus I found out that they requested that their son not have Bears old teacher. I don't know if this is because of the warning I gave them or not but I like to think it is. (he he he) Who knew you could get so much info from a simple scout meeting.

I Don't Want To Be On Time Out

2008-08-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

Not much has happened since my last post. However, I do not want to be put on time out by Flo so here is a little update. Bear starts school this Thursday and is testing for his green belt on Saturday. Last Thursday we got my dog groomed. She looks soooo much better. I might be putting Monster in karate this month. Nator is now completely potty trained. I even took him out in public yesterday in underwear. As for Creek and I it is the same old stuff. I guess that is it for now.

Tom And Jerry

2008-07-29T10:53:00.001-07:00

So when we dropped off Grandma W and Uncle B we spent the night at friends house in Pensacola. They have a cat. (Which my children loved. Mostly due to the fact they know we will never get one.) Yesterday Monster tells me he wants to go back to their house and take our dog. When I ask him why he says, "So our dog will chase their cat. It will be like Tom and Jerry only different." I busted up it was so funny.

Underwear

2008-07-25T15:33:00.000-07:00

One of the things you find out when your child is in the 10th percentile for weight is that he can put his underwear on sideways. Yes I said sideways. He was wearing 4t underwear and had gotten his body in the leg hole. For those of you who don't know I am talking about Nator. Just thought I would share.

Resuming Life As......Normal?

2008-07-24T18:11:00.001-07:00

Well as most of you know I had company for 4 weeks straight. Sadly, all the visitors have left to resume their daily lives and we are trying to do the same. Bear goes back to school in exactly two weeks and I am trying to get him prepared for that. Monster and Nator are a little confused as to where all the company has gone and why can't they just come back? That has been a fun question to answer. (Not) Tommorow is a water day and we will be putting the pool up for the first time in a month. The kids should love that. Other than that life in Alabama has returned to its abbynormal state. (More or less anyway)

Tag You're It

2008-07-16T06:03:00.001-07:00

I got tagged from my sisters blog so here are the instructions. (If you want to play, which I think you should)

1: As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2: Next, repost these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.

It's actually pretty funny to see the responses.If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come leave a comment on your blog. If you don't have a blog or don't want to play the game on your blog, I'll leave my memory as a comment on my comments.So, c'mon, anything funny, strange, cool, embarrassing, or awful you remember about me?

I Hate Home Again, Home Again Jiggety Jig

2008-07-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

Well as you all have probably noticed I have not posted since the fourth. The reason. I have been having to much fun with my visitors. However, tomorrow they will leave Alabama and return home. I have to say "I AM NOT HAPPY BOB." As my sister likes to remind me I was the one who chose to move, so I should deal. The problem is I don't want to deal. Since my mom has arrived I have been to Mississippi, Lousiana, Ship Island, Florida, and Georgia. We have shopped till we dropped, ate like Sumo Wrestlers at a certain southern house, picked up C, been to a Hindu temple, gone to the beach twice, frequented Wild Bills, seen Kung Fu Panda, played cards, and went to luch with no children. Why would I ever want the fun to stop? However, being the realist that I am, I realize that at some point I will have to resume my day to day activies, namely housecleaning. (Housecleaning has come to virtual stop for the last three weeks.) So sadly, tomorrow I will have to say farewell to my mom and the missionary that are looking forward to his homecoming.

Fireworks and Stuff

2008-07-05T07:29:00.000-07:00

Here are our pictures from Ft. Rucker. The kids were able to get in the helicopter that Creek flies, they of course thought that was awesome. We bought them some glow sticks, which as you will see were very entertaining. And last but certainly not least, fireworks.

Waiting for fireworks.

These next two pictures are a case of monkey see, monkey do.

Creeks helicopter.

Future LSI Instructor Pilots.

Still waiting for fireworks.

America's Birthday

2008-07-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

Well since my mom and I have arrived home from Mississippi we have been lazy bums and done nothing but play cards. Today we are going to change that trend. Post is having a 4th of July celebrtion that we are all going to go to this year and I will put pictures of that on my blog. We also bought fireworks of our own since we are pretty sure it is allowed this year. Then tommorrow we are going to go on a shopping spree. Then Sunday my mom is going to go to church and Monday we are going to get ready to pick up my brother who does not want to be picked up. (I am going to stop there since this is a public blog) I think that about sums it up for us in the South.

The Humans

2008-07-03T16:54:00.000-07:00

It has come to my attention that I forgot the best part of the Mississippi vacation. We stopped for a bathroom break and Monster points to the womens bathroom and asks, " Is that the womens?" I say yes and he walks over to the mens bathroom and says, "Then this must be the humans." Very cute and informative since I had no idea I wasn't human.

The Challenge

2008-07-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

So I have been challenged by Flo to post more than her so here we go. These are random things I learned from going on vacation with my children and mom:

A two year old can cry and/or whine 3 hours of a 4 1/2 hour trip

I am not stubborn compared to certain southern/western relatives

Three children, two of which are in car seats/booster seats can fit in the back seat of a Nissan Versa.

You can be almost 32 and still scare your mother with your driving.

You can be almost 32 and squeal your tires for the first time (going around a corner that is)

Certain in-laws of a certian sister do not have the corner market on moving at a pokey pace.

Your four year old has the desire for his eyeballs to be upside down.

I think that is it for now.

Vacation with Grandma

2008-07-01T18:05:00.001-07:00

Here are the pictures from our travels.

This is Nator holding a live star fish we found on Ship Island.

Here is Bear giving Grandma some body art.

Here is bear with three star fish. (notice the necklace)

This picture is not from our vacation but is Bear getting his orange belt from karate.

My children with the Mississippi hostess with the mostess.

Monster playing in the water at Ship Island. (with grandma of course)

Nator at Ship Island.

More star fish.

Monster with a star fish.

Nator with Grandma and her 91 year old aunt.

Family reunion fun.

More fun.

Still more fun.

Nator and I with the mother of the hostess with the mostess.

Nator showing that even though he's a year older he still likes rolling around in the sand.

This sand looks delicious.

But wasn't as good as it looked.

Checking out a crab at Pensacola Beach.

You guessed it, even more reunion fun.

Cavities

2008-06-19T05:29:00.000-07:00

Well Bear had to have a cavity filled yesterday. It was a little one and was no big deal. However, Monster likes to do everything Bear does, including wearing glasses and apparently getting cavitites filled. Monster does not have any cavities (confirmed by the dentist last month) but he does have a cold. Last night while everyone was brushing their teeth Monster says, "I have a cavitiy. Do you know how I can tell? Beacuse I have a wierd smell in my nose. That means I have a cavity." He even knows Bear had to get a shot in his mouth because of the cavity and this did not deter him from wanting a cavity of his own.

The Other Mom

2008-06-17T06:03:00.001-07:00

I was talking to my sister yesterday when Nator wanted to talk to her. When I took the phone away he told me he wanted to talk to his other mom. Today I was showing him pictures from our trip to Mississippi last year trying to get him to recognize my mom. (She is coming in 8 days and counting!!!!) He saw a pictue of my sister and called her mom. I guess she really is his second mom. That is fine by me because she is one of the best mom's I know. ( A little to sappy?)
O.k. I'll move to the non-mushy segment of this post. Today is my brother C's 21st birthday. Normally I would say lets go to Vegas but since I am in Alabama and he is in Georgia serving a mission I guess that is out. Bear tested for his orange belt last Saturday. We won't find out if he passed or not for a couple of weeks. Monster has a cold. (not fun!!!) Nator is alsmot 100% potty trained. I stopped buying diapers and am only using pull-ups at night. If he would just go poop in the toilet on a regular basis we would be done. I did however, take him to the library yesterday in underwear and all went well. Creeks 5 day weekend has come to an end so he is back at work. I guess that is it for now.

More Pool Time

2008-06-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took Bear to see Kung Fu Panda. It was really cute. We also went to Mo's pool and swam for a little while. We were not there as long as my kids would have liked because it started to rain but that's life in the south. Creek is getting five days off this weekend so we are trying to decide what to do. He really wants to go to the Magic Kingdom but since I do not have money falling right out of my ........ uh pockets we are not going to be doing that.

Pool Time

2008-06-08T08:23:00.001-07:00

Well, we were able to log about two hours at the pool yesterday and will log another three today. Hah, take that Flo. j/k. I know that my meager 5 hours of pool time pales in comparision to yours. It was however, very fun and the kids had a great time. I am taking Bear to see Kung Fu Panda today. I have heard that it is good so I will let you know.

National Doughnut Day?

2008-06-06T05:37:00.001-07:00

I turn on my computer this morning and what do my wondering eyes see...... National Doughnut Day. Are you kidding me? We have to have a day for that? They are even giving away free Krispy Kremes in honor of this weird day. Luckily for me and my non-exixtent willpower the nearest Krispy Kreme is 20 miles away, one way. So at 3.76 a gallon the Krispy Kreme would exactly be free would it? Just thought I spread the doughnut joy.

Busy Weekend Over Yay!

2008-06-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

Well, thankfully our busy weekend is over. Swimming was great, the cake was a hit, Bear had fun at his party, Creek and I had fun at our party and the kids LOVED their babysitter. Bear had a dentist appointment today and has one tiny cavity so he has to go back in two weeks. I have a dentist appointment tommorrow and am hoping I am that lucky. Other than that we are just trying to gear down and enjoy our summer vacation.

Summer Break Yahoo!!!!!

2008-05-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

We are finally done with Bears wonderful (not) teacher. If you listen closely you will be able to hear me screaming with joy. This weekend is a busy one. I volunteered to make a birthday cake for a party that Bear is going to tomorrow. That needs to made today so I can frost it tomorrow. (I know I must be crazy) I am setting up a small pool and a slip n slide today. I also need my house to be white glove clean because I have a babysitter coming over tomorrow so Creek and I can go to a birthday party. We are also going to swim at Mo's house today and since he is supplying the pool I am supplying steak kabobs which still have to be marinated and kabobbed. I think that is it though, whew! I guess that is all the news for us for now.

Weight Update

2008-05-26T09:02:00.001-07:00

O.K. so here's the deal I cut candy and icecream from my diet on Friday and I now have a lower middle number. (Think I was eating to much crap?) Yahooo!!!!!!!!! I am still only at .25 running miles though. I am still working on it.

Marathon

2008-05-23T05:54:00.000-07:00

O.K. so those of you who know me know I have cried marathon before. However, I am once again going to try to run the D.C. marathon. I don't know if it will be 2009 or 2010 but I am going to do it. So I decided I will keep a marathon update on my blog. So far I can only run .25 miles. (yes there is a point in front of that 25 how sad is that?) However, I am hoping that number will go up somewhat quickly. Also I know Flo wants to know if any weight loss occurs so I will keep you posted on that as well. Other than that we are just excited for the Memorial weekend and not that excited that Bear has to back next week for 2 and 1/2 days of school. I don't know who made up the schedule but they are definately a window licker.

Catch Up and Funny Bear Things

2008-05-19T10:28:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Bear informed me he wanted a Bar Mitzvah. When I told him that because we are not Jewish he could not have one he informed he thought he still could. I then asked why he wanted to have one he told me he wanted to have a big party. And that when you have a Bar Mitzvah that means you are all grown up. (He learned this from a cartoon for those of you who are wondering.) Needless to say that was a hillarious conversation. In other Bear news he came home from school with an added S initial in his name. When I asked why he had put that on his paper he informed me that he had added his nickname to his real name. Apparently his nickname is Sabulba. Don't ask me why. In other children news Nator has successfully gone #2 in the toilet now and has not had an acccident all day. Can you say YAHOO!!!!! Now for the Monster news. About a month ago we were walking around the block when Monster spotted a toilet that had been set out for the garbage. He didn't get that it was trash and thought it was so cool that someone had a toilet outside. A month has passed with no mention of the toilet. Today he tells me "I know why they had a toilet in outside. It's so if your walking around the block and you get tired or have to go to the bathroom you can use it. Can we use it next time?"

Updates

2008-04-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

Well, as most of you know the Bear is now 8. He has not had his friends party yet but did recieve family presents. We also took him to lunch and I made a spiderman cake. (It's the same one from when he turned 5) He was tested at school and reads on a fifth grade reading level. We are very proud of him. The monster is funny as ever and is counting down the days until his grandmas and uncles come to visit. The nator is still trying to master potty training and has added a shriek to his defiant no's when he is having a fit. (I am thrilled with this new development, which visiting relatives will get to hear first hand.) On Saturday the bear had a pack meeting and he was awarded with his wolf badge and will be working on bear as soon as school is out. Creek also performed a magic show for the scouts which of course was a huge success.

Potty Training

2008-04-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

In response to Red heads mom. Yes we only made it 4 and a half hours until the poop hunt incident. However, it has been two days and I now only use diapers for travel, naps, and bedtime. So, I am very excited about my diminished diaper usage.

Potty Training

2008-04-22T08:20:00.001-07:00

Nator has gone 3 and a half hours without an accident yay!!!!!!

Red Heads Mom Tag

2008-04-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

ABC tag ...
A- Attached or single: Attached
B- Best Friend: Creek and my Girl Posse-you know who you are!
C- Cake or Pie: Cheese Cake
D- Day of Choice: Saturday.
E- Essential Item: Flip Flops
F- Favorite Color: Mauve
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: Gummi Bears
H- Hometown: St. George UT
I -Indulgence(s): Chocolate
J- January or July: July, Baby!!
K- Kids: Bear, Monster, and Nator
L- Life is incomplete without: hugs from my people!
M- Marriage Date: August 5, 1995
N- Number of Siblings: 4- A, K, K,C (I am the lucky oldest)
O- Oranges or Apples: Oranges
P- Phobias or Fears: Heights
Q- Quote(s): "There is no normal life. There is just life, so get on with it." Doc Holiday
R- Reason To Smile: This is a family website so...we'll go with...summer vacation!
S- Season: Fall
T- Tag: Anyone who views my blog! (and hasn't already done it)
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I wish I were a vegetarian
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: Opressor of Animals
W- Worst Habit: Cracking my knuckles
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: x-rays
Y- Your Favorite Food: Steak and Lobster
Z- Zodiac: Leo (Roar!)

The Bear

2008-04-22T05:17:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday was a big news day for us. Yesterday we found out that Bear passed his yellow belt test. Today he will be recieving it at a belt ceremony. A couple of weeks ago Bear took a test to see if he qualified to be in the gifted program. Yesterday we found out that not only did he qualify but he had the highest score out of his whole school. (There were seventy other kids that tested) I found this out at a meeting with the gifted teacher and his counselor. For those of you who do not remember the nightmare it was trying to get him into school last year, the counselor was one of the people that tried to get me to agree to have bear redo the first grade. Well, wasn't I in heaven when I reminded her of that. I just love those moments when you get to say, " HA!!!!!!!!!"