Oh the things that a 4 year old says...

This little monkey informed me that a certain "little boy part" wiggles when he coughs.

Birthday Monkey

It's amazing what 4 years can do to a boy!

Happy Birthday Micah!

Pica-Nica Day

Since today was absolutely amazing and I was a little down hearted, I decided to take the kids to the park for a pic-nic. I packed drinks, chips, cookies and made pb&j's. We grabbed a blanket threw on our shorts and headed out the door.

We arrived at the park at 1:30 and laid our pic-nic out. The kids ran off to the water immediately but left Tucker to nap on the blanket. I let the kids play for about 10-15 minutes and then called them over to eat. They all sat and enjoyed their sandwich; anymore a sandwich in our house is a BIG deal. So I enjoyed it too.

Tucker on the other hand slept through the whole thing.

After scarfing down their lunch, the kids ran back to the water to play some more and collect the little shells that are at the edge of the creek. We still haven't figured them out. They look like tiny little clams but nothing is in them if you crack them open. Weird.

Anyway, Tucker finally woke up and decided to eat a little bit of his sandwich. At which time a very cute little brown puppy decided that he wanted to have some of our pic-nic too. I do not like to touch dogs (they stink...even when they are clean) but decided to be nice and pet this cute little dog. Apparently he decided at the same time that he wanted to know what the inside of my mouth tasted like. Um, french kissed by a dog. Not my ideal date.

After convulsing on the ground from disgust and wiping my mouth about a gazillion times, Tuck and I decided to join the kids at the water. The puppy followed, I must have made a lasting impression. We collected shells for a bit and then went to the "walk across bridge" Not really sure who named it but that is what it is called.

The kids waded in the water a bit before deciding to play on the actual playground. After running around like chickens with their heads cut off at the playground, the kids wanted to go back to the water.

Back to the water we go and sploosh in the water we play. Cold and wet. Did I say cold? I would know because I put my feet in it for about 2 seconds. Um, yeah. COLD. By the time we left at 4:30, the girls were soaked from the waist down and the boys were soaked from head to toe. Fun times. Yeah, Tucker rode home completely naked...and liked it.

All in all, the park was the best thing we could have done today.

Read on little ones...read on

One of my most favorite things to see is my boys looking at books. I want them to love reading so much more than I do. It's always been a chore for me, no matter what the book. My girls, unfortunately were not "trained" to love books so they don't. Basically they just read what they have to read for school and that is it. My boys however are really into books right now and I really hope to develop that love even deeper.

I try and read books to them for bed and if I can't make it then one of the girls is usually glad to step in and read to them. Reading is the boys favorite part of the bedtime routine. They get so into the books we are reading, it makes me feel very bad for not pushing it for the girls too...one of those life long mother guilt issues.

Sigh.

Call me Uncle Brett...

I stand amazed at the things my children think and do. The magnificence of their minds amaze me. The way they put things together and the way they think it amazes me and yet amuses me even more.

As I am standing washing dishes all of the kids are playing out back. I love my house because I can see the back yard from any room at the back of the house. So I am washing away and the kids are playing away. Running in and out. Grabbing GF muffins. Chasing the cat back into the house. You know, doing all of the things that kids do.

So Micah walks in the back door into the kitchen and says "hi mom." Apparently I am "mom" now and now momma or mommy. Saddens me but not the point. I reply "hi babe." Micah grabs a muffin and heads back out the door. Stops at the door and turns around and says "mom, you can call me Uncle Brett if you want."

Now we all know that "babe" is Aunt Timmie's term of endearment for Uncle Brett and this became quite the argument after our month long stay at their house this past summer. I would call Micah babe and he would say "I'm not babe. I'm Micah."

So, now as he is walking back out of door, I call out to him in confusion. "You want me to call you Uncle Brett?" He then stops ever so nonchalantly turns around and says. "You can call me Uncle Brett if you want to." I reword my question. "You want me to call you babe?" His reply "No, you can call me Uncle Brett if you want to"

To which I smiled and amuzingly said "Hey! Uncle Brett." Micah says "what?" I say "Guess what?" To which he replys "I can't tell you." and runs out the door. (because he knows "I love you" is coming next. So I just called after him "I love you Uncle Brett".

Tell me there's not a little boy in this world who adores his Uncle Brett.

Easter Egg Hunt

Today was the annual Easter egg hunt at Peggy's house. Way out in the country. It was terribly fun and relaxing. I get no cell service out there so there were NO interuptions from anyone but especially from people that I do not feel like speaking with. The kids had a great time. All four of my kids were there but all total there were 17 kids.

They ran around the house gathering eggs as quick as they could. Of course the bigger kids were collecting as many as they could but my children were especially fun and made me proud. Tucker (2) collected 5 eggs and that was with mommy's help. Micah (3) ran around collecting as fast as he could but stopped when his bucket was filled. Both boys sat down on the porch step to find out what was in their eggs. They were proud and very happy. Grace (11) was late so she was the last one to hunt but still managed to get a bucket full. Ryane (12) who I am the MOST proud of, gave up her right to hunt for eggs and helped another little girl (2) hunt for eggs. Ryane just really made her mom proud today. Each one of the kids found at least one surprise egg and the surprise turned out to be a $3.00 gift certificate to DQ. On the way home I told Ryane that I was so proud of her and that I was going to take her to DQ for what she did helping the little girl. She was pretty pleased about that.

We were the last family to leave and I almost had to force myself to leave. It was so calm and peaceful out there. Just a quiet, relaxing day in the country. When we were finally trying to get to the car I had my arms full of different things that Peggy had sent home with me. Her grandson, Zach, laughed at me and said "You came with one arm load and you are leaving with a bunch more." I turned around and smiled at him and quoted "Give and it shall be given unto you..." That in itself was great to be able to do but as I got in the car I really thought about it. I went to Peggy's with a tray of 1 dozen deviled eggs. I came home with 3 1/2 dozen fresh farm eggs. I went with 1 bag of candy filled eggs. I came home with 1 bag of candy, 1 bucket full of candy filled eggs, cookies and cupcakes, that Ryane took to her friends house, a bowl of fresh cooked collard greens, a big bag of plastic eggs for next year and a heart filled with the love of good friends.

God truly is good to me.

Grace's 11th Birthday Party

Grace's birthday was Wednesday so on Thursday she had a sleepover. To my surprise all of the girls were asleep by 1am. Most of them dropped off by 11:30. Surprised yes but glad because I was able to get a little sleep.


She got money, makeup, minutes for her phone and a toy that Tucker used to wound his nose with. :) Oh and everything was neon green, her fav. color.


Things of course were a little rushed because this was the same day that my mom totalled her van. Where I was supposed to come home from my lunch date and get the party together I went from my lunch date to the e.r. where I stayed until I knew mom was ok and the girls got home from school. Unfortunately mom had to stay till 5 but I left at 3.

Grace had invited about 9 girls over for her sleepover, and had 6 show up. Yeesh! Six was plenty!!! The little blonde that Grace is hugging...loud enough to be 3 girls. Looks like a mouse but roars like a lion. All in all they had a great time. Blessed on all counts this day!

JePardy

My son watches entirely too much wrestling. Only those who actually watch it will understand this picture. Oh, and JePardy really means Jeff Hardy.

This pic is on here just because it made me laugh out loud.

Happy 11th Birthday Baby!!!

A Kiss for a Kiss

Micah has just gotten home from school and is seated on the couch watching t.v. I walk over to him and squat down in front of him. As he is pulling off his shoe, I say "Hey Micah, if you give me a kiss, I will give you a kiss."

My dear sweet son pulls his other shoe off and leans down and kisses me. I smile at him and pull a hershey kiss from behind my back and hand it to him. His eyes get really big and his smile even bigger.

I then say "Hey Micah, if you give me another kiss, I will give you another kiss." Innocently enough, Micah leans down and gives me another kiss. So, in turn I pull another hershey kiss from behind my back and hand it to him. He takes the second kiss and says "Thank you."

He then lowers his head very sheepishly and looks at me with a huge smile and says "Mom, I think you kinda tricked me."

Oh, how I do love my son.

The World's Best Paw-Paw

It's official, my kids have the greatest paw-paw, EVER. Hands down. Not only does their paw-paw pick up Micah for school every day but he also takes Tucker to breakfast every day. It's their special time together. But that is not what makes him the bestest paw-paw ever. He also bends over backwards whenever one of his grandaughters call for a piece of fuzz that they MAY have left in China last week. He goes to China to look for it. But what makes him the most special of all is in the following pictures.

Lovin the Sunset

The Front of the house, obviously

The back of the house

The kitchen, filled with dirty dishes and such.

My bedroom, the smallest of course. Oh the sacrifices of a mother.

The living room, beautiful windows!!!

Seating

The dining room, MORE beautiful windows!!!!!

Gracie's half of the girls room

Ryane's half of the room

The boys room

Welcome to our new house...come and visit us soon.

Goodbye Jekyll hello O.R.

Last week MY cat, Jekyll went to live on my friend Peggy's farm. I was sad because I miss Jekyll's beautiful face. That lasted about 5 minutes. I was very happy because now she is not pee-ing on my laundry (clean laundry that is).

Now the girls want to get a dog, but that ain't gonna happen. So Micah and Tucker and I went out today and got a beta fish. A dog he is not but a new pet just the same. An easy pet at that.

So, welcome our newest addition: O.R.

Don't ask me what O.R. stands for because it doesn't stand for anything. Micah, my 3, soon to be 4 year old named him. His official name is O.R. O.E.R. (O.R. being the first name and O.E.R. being the last name.) Micah likes it. :)

Micah got his wig split

Ok all you haters, I cut off his little boy curls.
Now he is officially a big boy. My heart if breaking.
















Micah's idea of a good picture.
















Mommy's idea of a good picture.

Memory Lane

As we were finishing up our lunch of spagetti and cheese bread, I noticed Grace playing with her food. The cheese bread was little rolls and Grace hollowed one out and was filling it with rotini noodles. I couldn't help but sit back and giggle at one of my favorite memories as a child...

Our family always ate dinner at the table, and "brown and serve" rolls were a staple in my teenage years. One day as we were eating dinner, I took a roll and hollowed it out, filled it with PEAS and plugged the hole back up. I then offered it to my younger sister, Kimberly. Without knowing what I had done to the roll, she gladly accepted my generous offer and proceeded to take a huge bite out of it. The reaction(hers) and the laughter(mine) that followed that bite is by far one of my best childhood memories.

Ah, good times. Hey, Kim...you wanna roll?

Goodbye Lowell...Hello Sunset

It is official. We are on Sunset now, with cable and internet. Yay! Through much grunting and lifting and the occasional uh-oh, we are moved. And only a couple of things got broken in the process. Mind you I still have plenty of boxes to unpack but we are in and set up. I will try and post pics of the new house soon...gotta have a working camera for that to happen though. :)

Argument of the day

Micah (3) and Tucker (2) are sitting here having a serious argument over whether Aunt Timmie has a baby in her belly or a ball under her shirt. :)

Uni-boob.?!

STOP right here if you are at all easily offended or basically a man who doesn't like to hear about bras.

As if shopping for clothes in general is not nerve wracking enough...we have to shop for bras as well. Now I don't know about every woman out there but if you are so lucky that you can just run down to the store, pick up any bra in your size and dash through the checkout lane, then count your blessings.

Let me just say...breasts are not all that they are cracked up to be! Aside from the back aches, you have to deal with the "how many hooks do you need" and the "shirts that fit everywhere but gap in the front".

I am so sick of spending countless HOURS, not minutes, HOURS trying on 13,492 bras only to find that none of them fit. You go shopping and this is what you find.

You have the spiller. The bra that you put on and suddenly you have so much breast that they are spilling out of the top.

You have the escapee. The bra that seems to fit but when you lift up your arms, your breasts are trying to escape out the bottom of the bra.

You have the granny. The bra that actually fits but covers you from your neck to your navel.

You have the Marylinn Monroe. The bra with the cup that is so pointed that you could cut glass.

You have the coconut. The bra that looks like someone cut a coconut in half and taped it to your chest.

You have the pillow. The bra that has so much padding that you have to go up 2 sizes just to fit all you have into the bra.

You have the tissue. The bra that is so thin you would get more support out of a used tissue.

Then my personal favorite...

You have the Uni-boob. The bra where you start out with two breasts and when you put on the bra, you only have one.

The truth of the matter is, in the seventies when the women burned their bras, it wasn't because they were protesting and fighting for feminine rights. I'm convinced they just wanted a bra that fit.

I'm considering moving to Africa.

Micah's Imagination

I have to say that Micah has one of the best imaginations that I have ever seen on a kid. He could sit and play for hours with a stick if that is all he had. We were on our way to church tonight and we drive up a small hill then go back down it right before we get to church. The sun was going down as we went up the hill so the sky was several different colors but the clouds looked blue. Micah spoke up from the back seat and said "Mom! You are driving to close to the clouds." I assume he thought that we would drive right into it. As I was giggling about that, he told me that the blue cloud in front of us looked like an elephant. And the funny thing is, it really did. I love the fact that he REALLY looks at things.

I'd like to say that I passed that artistic eye down to him. Well, that's about all I passed on to him, the only part of him that doesn't look like his father is his gimpy ear. I LOVE that ear though. It's my favorite part of his little 3 year old body. He's my lil man!

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO MYSELF

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEEE!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!!