Momma of 3

2010-03-19T22:13:00.002-04:00

You just have to laugh some days and this was one that cracked me up today. I stole this from someone else's site...she probably pirated it from someone else's as well. I should be doing the boat load of paperwork I have but instead I'm playing on the computer. My weeks are starting to blend together and I'm having trouble figuring out where one ends and the other begins. But as luck would have it the weekend is suppose to be gorgeous and this happens to be my first weekend off since January. Yeah!!!!! I am so looking forward to a little down time in May, but I'll settle for a week off in April. I hope to get back on here and post a few pictures of the boys from the play. They did a fabulous job last weekend and now we've moved on to soccer and golf practices. Keep checking back I should get around to it sometime this century. :-)

Wordy Friday!

2010-03-12T21:40:00.002-05:00

How is it that in two separate conversations to two different people the word "cathartic" would come into play. So I'm on a mission...should I accept it, and I DO! I plan on using this word at least once every day for the next month. We'll see if any of the peeps I hang with pick up on my new word and I may even test them on their knowledge for its meaning. What's your new word for the month?

Where have I been?

2010-03-08T08:10:00.002-05:00

I have been submerged in Nursing school and came up for a few minutes of air this weekend. They keep up busy 5 days a week with classes and clinicals and the other 2 days are used for writing papers, studying and trying to wash clothes. However I took a small vacation from school this past Friday night to go see the Mr. Irresistible contest at the high school. It's a talent show of sorts/pageant. They show off Prom's latest fashions in both formal and casual wear. This year's theme was "Timeless couples". Kyle & Courtney went as Alfalfa & Darla. During his skit he came out singing "You are so Beautiful to Me" in true Alfalfa form. They then had to select a song from the fishbowl that they were to act out and lip-sync to. They chose the Dirty Dancing theme song "I had the Time of my Life". They were flawless. I am trying to get hubby to post it on YouTube so that you can watch. Even though they were both judged separately and by different judges they both won. So here's Mr. & Miss Irresistible 2010. He also took home the title of "Mr. Charity" by collecting the most $$$ for the guys for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. SO that's where I've been. I hope to come back up for air in May. Perhaps I'll swim on over and drop a line before....who knows.

T minus 6 days

2010-01-05T21:43:00.002-05:00

There's only 6 days till I return to the college. It took me all evening to wade through last semesters paperwork and prepare my backpack for the upcoming 16 weeks. I even went through my trunk and organized the crates that I keep all of my extra books and odds and ends in. All this preparation is making me excited. Not really excited about sitting in class for hours but excited for the hands on experience of working with patients in the hospital. Although I wish I wasn't dressed from head to toe in stark white. Nothing says student nurse more than a blinding uniform. I'm sure the moment I walk in the door their blood pressure starts to raise a bit. I know mine does. This semester I should feel a bit more confident with my patient care. After all I've done this for 16 weeks already. It makes me feel like a nurse. Plus the shots don't hurt me a bit. :-)

Day 1 down!

2010-01-05T07:40:00.002-05:00

There are officially 90 more working days for me in this current school year. Yeah! Yes, I'm already looking forward to preschool graduation and relaxing in the summer sun. I love sleeping in and staying up late over summer vacation. I had a taste of it this past Christmas break and now I'm yearning for more. So yes I sat down and counted out 90 more working days. A smile came across my face...and then I looked at the time. Shoot, I still need to get ready for today...after today there's only 89. YIPPEE!

Hello 2010!

Do you hear what I hear?

2010-01-03T19:57:00.003-05:00

That's the sounds of backpacks being zipped, lunches being prepared, shoes being hunted down, laundry being folded and put away, showers being taken and teeth being brushed. Yes, its time for the boys to head back to school, and I'm all smiles. However I'm not the only one smiling. The boys are ready to get back to school and see their friends. The holiday break was good but I think were all ready to get back to business. The weather has been terrible here the past few days with 20 degree temperatures and wind gusts in excess of 50 mph. I'm already looking forward to an early Spring. Well it's off to bed and early to rise.....looking to be healthy, wealthy and wise. Happy New Year 2010!

Brrrrrr.......

2009-12-29T19:41:00.002-05:00

Holy Cow is it cold outside! The temperature has plummeted here and the wind is howling. The boys and I ventured out today to get our teeth cleaned this morning and then to Target for a few returns. We were like frozen popsicles. I would have stopped and shopped at some additional stores but it was just too dang cold. We came home and nestled in to keep warm. With weather like this I may hibernate till Spring.

Photos to follow

2009-12-27T23:34:00.002-05:00

I'm still knee deep in manuals to figure out my new camera and all of its gadgets and more importantly how to easily download the pictures into my portable hard drive. I am so not technologically advanced. So you'll have to wait patiently for new photos of my three monkeys.

I have however been able to continue to work through my rooms one by one to declutter and send more items to the Goodwill. Now I really need to start working on my closet. I have tons of clothes that could really use retiring and/or just don't fit right, or are just plain out of style. That's my goal tomorrow....camera & closet detail.

Santa's on his way!

2009-12-24T22:13:00.002-05:00

It's 10:15 Pm and Santa should be making his approach onto my quiet little street shortly. We enjoyed a nice dinner and gift exchange with my in-laws and the kids were thrilled with all of their new toys and gifts. They always want to rip right in and start building their Lego's and playing their video games. Hubby & I received a new digital camera and it came in great use right away. Our old camera was very fickle and would either take wonderful pictures or just grainy, blurry photos. There never seemed to be a gray area with it. it shall now be passed onto K who can learn to deal with it and it's fickle moments. They should be a good match for one another.

I must say that I am feeling a bit different tonight. Hubby is working all night and won't make it home till about 8 AM. This is the first Christmas Eve without him. Although I am thankful that he is home here in the states it still makes me sad to have to put out the packages alone. It could be worse and he could be stationed abroad for the holiday. However I am sincerely thankful for those men & women who are stationed abroad this holiday away from their families & friends. I pray for a very Merry Christmas for all and to all a good night.

"Baby it's cold outside"

2009-12-18T21:36:00.003-05:00

Wow what a difference a few days make. It is absolutely frigid outside and the weatherman is calling for 10-18 inches of snow starting tonight. The kids are totally excited and I do love to watch the snow fall. I however do not like to be in the snow, shovel the snow, clean up tracked in snow or drive through snow. If only I could just blissfully watch from my dining room window and never touch a snowflake I would be happy. I plan on baking multiple dozens of cookies, hanging out in my pajamas and collecting more items to go to the Goodwill before Christmas arrives.
I have absolutely no time for any snow delays this week. We are ever so busy this week with a Christmas light flight, gift exchange with family and all the festivities with Christmas Eve. I'm feeling overwhelmed just thinking about it. Perhaps I'll just continue to sit here by the fire and enjoy the beautiful lights on my tree. Yep sounds like a plan.

Fever, aches & pains....OH MY!

2009-12-12T23:39:00.002-05:00

While posting on Wednesday I noticed that I just wasn't feeling right. Determined to keep trudging on I kept on with my cleaning frenzy and then it hit me.... I'm still not really sure what it was although the base clinic is chalking it up to H1N1 swine flu. I was down for the count. I melted onto the family room couch and became a permanent fixture for the next few days. I endured body aches, high fevers and a sore throat. Thankfully my symptoms were short-lived and didn't really interrupt my weekend plans. Although I really had no nausea I'm still not really interested in eating. So this could help me from adding any extra holiday pounds. The boys helped finish decorating the house and I am looking forward to coming home from church tomorrow and doing some much needed laundry. It feels good to have no looming deadlines.... wait I still have to mail out my Christmas cards, OK almost no deadlines.

Time to Breathe & catch up

2009-12-09T14:16:00.007-05:00

I finally have a moment to take a breath and just breathe. School is off for me for 28 days....YEAH! I rushed home after the final and attended A's holiday concert and came straight home to start decorating for the fast approaching holiday. I've been in overdrive ever since. The tree is up with lights and waiting for the kids to put decorations on tonight. The patriotic tree will go up tonight and my Christmas cards are on order. I'm trying to make up for lost time, can you tell? I plan on baking some cookies tomorrow and relaxing my the fire. I do have 1 more weekend at the hospital but that's the fun part of nursing school.

Here's a pic of J with Santa a few months ago. I'm trying to print and sort out my photo albums as well.

Hubby & I attended my cousin Jeff's wedding and had a great time. I danced so much that I had terrible joint pain the next day. I 'm either getting old or just oughta shape. But I loved this dress and felt like a million dollars that evening.

Off to put up the foyer tree. Toodles!

Waterworks

2009-11-15T23:09:00.002-05:00

The waterworks have already begun. I had to sort out and find 8 pictures of K for the yearbook page we are purchasing in his honor. So I sat with a stack of photo albums taller than A and started the great hunt. After hours of sorting and hunting I finally came upon the prized 8 photos. Then I had to begin the dubious task of writing a small letter to be included with the page we had bought. This is when my eyes filled with tears and it all started to hit me. My 1st born is about to graduate and leave home. Buying the announcements and cap and gown didn't phase me but putting 17 yrs. worth of joy into paragraph form brought me to tears. Am I starting to melt?....cause I'm usually know as the "Ice Queen".

Alive & Well

2009-11-14T20:44:00.002-05:00

Hello all! As the title indicates I am alive & well. I also added the new song from Kenny Chesney as some inspiration. I personally love the part with Dave Matthews singing. But the lyrics of the song ring true. It's a blessing to be living and breathing. However I really wish I could get the hospital smell out of my nose. The soaps and hand gel at the hospital all smell the same. And as many times as I wash my hands after patient contact I seemed to have linked the smell in my brain to germs. It's even made me start to not want to eat. Just bringing my hands near my nose starts to turn my stomach. I could stand to lose some more weight though. I'm currently down ten pounds so far and working hard to hit twenty by Christmas. Will post some pictures soon of the kids. I know out of town family and friends would like to see a picture every now and then. I'm lucky to even be sitting down for a few moments to write this post. And with that I'm off to write up some patient care plans and work on my Diabetes presentation. Toodles!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T20:59:00.004-04:00

Hola Chicos & Chicas. I have been extremely busy and unable to post lately. Where did I leave off before? Oh Yes, with Sparty the Spartan. Let me catch you up to speed.

First off Hubby hit his 20yr. mark in the USAF on Oct.3rd. We celebrated with dinner out with the boys. He says it really feels good to have "options". We now control what our future is too be. The boys have kept us busy with Scouts and sports. K has been actively pursuing college applications and gearing up for his final rounds of SAT's and the ACT. Soccer is about to end for him and soon he will be prepping for the upcoming play. J & A have also been busy with Scouts and school stuff. Speaking of school stuff I have been knee deep in care plans/patho and patient care. I will attempt to post pics this week if I can catch up with my school work.

We took the boys out for some tricks or treats tonight. J was an alien & A was Indiana Jones. They made out like bandits and I'm hoping to snag a few pieces of candy(chocolate) for myself. Also, check out my new songs... I love Toby Mac song ""City on our knees". Enjoy!

"Sparty" the Spartan

2009-09-20T19:08:00.004-04:00

Look who has joined our family. Why it's Sparty the Spartan, of course! Yes, can you believe that my oldest ham chose to be the school mascot at the Pep Rallies and Football games. They are in the works of getting a new user friendly costume but until then he will wear this one. I must say the full body leotard looks quite cute. He however would not allow me to snap any shots until all the covering pieces were applied. I tried the head on myself and found it to be quite suffocating. The nostrils of Sparty is where you see out of. Its gets hot and sticky quickly.

A had to have a crack at it of course. His head was about all tall as his body below. We chuckled to see him run circles.

I have been quite busy with teaching school, attending school and helping keep the boys on track with their own school work. I am pooped! How about you?

Betcha'

2009-09-03T12:35:00.014-04:00

Betcha' didn't think I was ever going to blog again, huh? Well I'm back after a month long hiatus. We were pretty busy during the final few weeks of summer vacation. From hitting the beach, eating crabs, swimming, school shopping and a few trips back and forth to Maryland. We also celebrated K's 17th birthday. He returned home after working at summer camp just 3 days before his birthday. With him he brought home a friend and we took them to Rehoboth for some fun in the sun. The little guys were happy to have him back home. He was happy to have a car just waiting to be driven. He has made several trips to scouts, the mall and soccer practice.

Here's a few pictures from his Birthday.

With his sweetie!

Playtime was over.... just after coming home he was knee deep in finalizing and many preparations for his Eagle project. Here he orchestrated 16 boys and 10 adults to dig out an existing playground mulch pit. He then had the dirt excavated with a piece of equipment and dug out a 1 foot deep hole. We then refilled the hole with mulch to bring the playground up to state safety codes. Talk about manual labor. I about died of heat exhaustion when I came home. But the job is done and he is well on his way to Eagle.

This pic shows the new mulch bed being laid.

Just about to completion.

Sorry these are not is order. This was the very beginning. We need to move out all of the mulch that could be reused from the top and save on tarps.

Looking tired!

First Day of School.

I can't believe he smiled for me. :-)

Driving to school.

J was looking so serious. As always Dexter is checking out the goings on from the door.
I can't believe that J is a 4th grader. He is growing up so fast.

A was excited about his first day of first grade.

They look just like their Dad.

Well that's a wrap for the past month. I promise to post more often.

All things Fun

2009-07-25T10:18:00.014-04:00

We ventured out on Thursday to the Delaware State Fair. The boys were excited and I had my happy face on. I'm really not that smitten with the fair. The over-priced food & rides, heat, crowds and sales vendors really turn me off. However this year the weather was in my favor. It was a rather pleasant night with a cool breeze blowing. The boys loved seeing the pigs & goats. They were also able to ride ponies and play cowboy games during the rodeo pre-show.

Here's a few pics on A riding "Pepsi".

They then were taught how to lasso by a "real" cowboy. My boys must have seem sheltered to the men because they were in awe at the "real" cowboys.

Poor A had to be the girl in this photo op.

Hubby & I joined in on the fun.

Then we were off to the Demolition Derby. The boys enjoyed watching these old cars run into each other and get all smashed up. Afterwards we ended back up at the Rodeo show and were able to catch the Bull riding event which is the highlight of the show. By the end of the night I was able to mark two things off my Bucket List: Demolition Derby (check), Rodeo (check).

Friday morning brought more excitement to the boys. We went and spent a day at a friend's home. The boys played so nicely together. It's funny how the dynamics change when you add additional children. They played outside, video games and swam in the pool. After lunch they did it all over again. They were pooped on the way home. Thanks to Ms. Joanne for the fun play date.

All smiles!

Hubby's working this weekend so we will be looking for things to get into. I think we'll hit the base movies and perhaps the pool.
Sounds like a plan.

Playing catch up

2009-07-22T21:44:00.013-04:00

Sorry for the delay in blogging. I've been a bit busy. As you can see by the photos I have been busy for several reasons. The boys came home from "Camp Happy Grammy" on Thursday and I quickly had to shuttle them to Grandma's the next morning due to a minor surgery scheduled. The photo below is courtesy of hubby. He snapped a shot shortly after I came out of recovery. I wasn't allowed to wear makeup and my hair is quite another story (I am totally over my letting it grow out phase....Amanda here I come for an all over cut & style...Good-bye mangled mess!). Afterwards I recovered quite nicely and was ready to hit the beach by Wednesday. There's no rest for the weary.

A enjoyed the beach. He dug in the sand for hours. He also enjoyed jumping the waves. J working on his sand sculpture.

Here's a pic of A & Dad about to brave the waves. This was right before a wave took out hubby and took his sunglasses with it. Shout out to Marva in Spain..... if they wash up on your coast could you mail them back?

J & Dad with their F-16 sand sculpture.

We had to hit Funland next for some rides & games.

I love the silly hat stores.

Who doesn't want a chicken hat?

Not sure what this hat was suppose to be....but he liked it!

I will attempt to be better at blogging here in the near future. We are off to the state fair tomorrow night and to witness our first Demolition Derby. I'll take pics and post soon.

*** After people watching all day at the beach here is my public service announcement. Not all...I repeat... Not all body types should wear a bikini. Just sayin'.

Boy gets wheels!

2009-07-15T22:02:00.003-04:00

This young man is a very lucky young man. He received a car from his Grammy & Grandpa and couldn't be happier. This shiny blue beauty will transport him daily to and from school and from all his extracurricular activities. Yeah! I have been running this busy kid around for years. Now that he's been blessed with wheels of his own it will totally free up hubby & I when it comes to after school transportation.

He was happier than a pig in mud driving it back home. However after we got home it dawned on me that we had let him drive through 2 states and over 2 hours on busy streets. This would be no real cause for concern except for the fact that since he has been working at camp he has not driven a vehicle in over a month. He made it safely home though. :-) So thanks to the G-Parents for giving our oldest a set of wheels all his own. He'll be happy Senior!

Quite the little showmen

2009-07-10T13:10:00.003-04:00

Not only can his tongue touch his nose but he can balance things on it too!

And he looks darn cute in a hat! He'll totally break hearts!

Change of tunes

2009-07-10T13:03:00.001-04:00

You can't be a child of the late 70's & 80's and not be a fan of Michael Jackson's music. I loved his music then & I love it now. So if your a fan turn it up....if not well there's always the pause button. Enjoy!

Tidbits & Trash

2009-07-10T12:19:00.002-04:00

Where is all of my time going? I was able to write more frequently when I was working and attending college classes. Now that I'm doing neither I seem to have lost my free time. Go figure! I've been running kids to 4-H camp, going to Dr. appointments and trying to put together my newly finished basement.

However, I was preoccupied this morning with stalking the trash men. The trash guys like to leave me nasty grams concerning my trash violations. Apparently they will not pick up bags off the curb. All bags must be placed in a trash can and you can't have more than 3 or 4 cans. The bags of trash I had from the basement were too big to place inside the trash cans so I merely placed them on top. I also had a bag of trash with no can left over. So instead of waiting until next week to get rid of the bag I waited for the trash men. I was perched on my front stoop just waiting. Once they were near I walked the extra bag down and kindly asked if I could throw it in the back of the truck. And guess what they said........... with a smile they said "YES". Unbelievable! If I would have left the bag on the street it would have stayed there and a pink violation notice would be hanging out of my trash can. But I suppose they couldn't argue since I asked nicely. Mission accomplished!

Now I need to get my fanny in gear and work my way through the garage. There are a sea of boxes, camping equipment and furniture that needs to be moved to the basement all over what once was a clean garage. But, the little guys are off to Camp Happy Grammy and I will have plenty of time to rummage through the garage without stopping to watch them ride bikes, fix lunch or sit at the pool. I may even squeeze in time to organize my photos and post a few. Check back and see if I have accomplished anything!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T15:02:00.002-04:00

These weeks of summer are flying by. The boys have been hosting play dates this past week. They each had friend over and were ecstatic to spend the day with a friend. We have also been able to visit the base pool. Now that both boys are great swimmers it is hard to keep them in the same part of the pool. One always wants to be in the deep end diving off the diving board while the other heads for the slide. My one pair of eyes have a hard time keeping up with them. Good thing hubby was with me.

We are staying home this weekend so that we can final up some loose ends on the basement. Hopefully the carpet will be installed either Tuesday or Wednesday. I can't wait to get the room set up and everything in it's rightful place. The garage is a zoo right now as well as the storage area in the basement. I hate it when things are disorganized. I come by it naturally.***Thanks, Bruce :-)

A week in review

2009-06-26T14:30:00.008-04:00

Here are a few pictures from the Air Show. The guys were resting in the troop seats until we were able to head to the cockpit of the C-130.
The guys pose for me in front of a C-17 that is stationed here at Dover. The crew of the C-17 put on a great show with all of their tactical maneuvers.

Supporting the Air Force the boys pose with the USAF Recruiting SUV.
We also were able to see the USAF Thunderbirds perform. They put on an amazing show. Those guys are extremely talented and courageous to do some of the stunts that they do.

Hubby showed the boys all the particulars on this F-15 Strike Eagle. He flew in one in Denmark when he won Maintaince Professional of the Year for the USAFE. He was in all his glory telling the boys all about his experience.

The next morning we were off to drop J off at camp. This was his first time staying overnight for an entire week. He was totally excited. We were able to snap just a few shots before he ran off to make new friends. This is a picture of J in his cabin. He chose the top bunk.

This is one of his camp counselors Chris.
We wished him good luck with wrangling up 8 boys each week.

Final pose outside of the cabin. This year he was in Kingfisher. All the cabins are named after birds. He has previously stayed in Paradise & Robin. He was so excited to be in a brand new cabin. We were able to get this final shot and just like that he ran off and we were literally trying to figure out if he went left or right. Hubby and I walked back to the car and off in the distance J shouted a final goodbye. We will pick him up Saturday morning. A has really missed him. He even saved his bag of chips and cookies for J for the long car ride home.

We have tried to keep A busy this week though. Our church had it's Vacation Bible School(VBS) this week during the day and I helped teach the 2nd grade class. Then we were off to the VBS that the Base Chapel was offering at night. I typically work both but since they both landed on the same week I chose to work only at our home church. This gave me time in the evenings to run errands, shop, get a haircut and go on a peaceful dinner with hubby. Life is good! :-)

*** Here's a peek at a wicked storm that blew through on Monday. You could actually see the rain coming down from the clouds.

Conversations from the backseat

2009-06-18T17:33:00.002-04:00

Here are two conversations I overheard today between the boys

A: Hey J I know something. The more you drink means the more you have to pee, and the more you eat like me means the more you poop.

J: Where did you learn that?

A: I just thought it up in my head...and it makes sense.

Later that day again in the car:

J: Hey Mom, so if a girl asks me out next year what am I suppose to say?
(before I can answer A pipes in)

A: J you just smile at them and tell them funny jokes. That's how you make a girl wanna go out with you. That's what I do.

Mom: Um, there will be no "going out" with anyone till your 16...got it?

I am so much trouble when A gets bigger. He's already a bit of a Casanova.

Fun Summer Days

2009-06-17T19:11:00.011-04:00

Here's a picture of my baby brother sitting pretty and checking out my family's latest addition(gerbils). Once they drew his attention he was mesmerized by them. He even danced around on his hind legs to get a better look.

We took the little guys to the base's Children's Mobility Line today. Here they went through and collected items to keep and tried on various "real-life" gear. They each were given an Air Force backpack and filled them with loads of other free give-aways.

Here are my two Beetle Bailey's!

J decked out in a flak jacket and Kevlar helmet.

A showing off some chemical gear

J on an USAF ATV. He totally wishes he had one of these at home.

J checking out the scope on this firearm.

Good old McGruff was there for photo ops.

A with his chance on the ATV.

A was a super cute fireman on & off the engine.

All in all we had a great day. It was a bit chilly.... but fun. We are looking forward to more summer surprises. We took in a juggling act last night at the local library and ice cream cones for the trip home. We are just hoping to be able to hit the base pool soon. It is summer after all!

Graduations

2009-06-12T16:43:00.005-04:00

Here's a pic of my little guy doing the "Boot Scoot Boogie" line dance. He was all smiles while dancing and singing. His Kindergarten celebration was a cowboy theme. All of the kids had matching t-shirt, sheriff badges, bandannas & cowboy hats. They sang songs like "Long Tall Texan", "Yellow Rose of Texas" & "Grand Old Flag". They were then each individually called down to receive a Memory book and promotion certificate. Yes we sat through all 118 graduates. To boot hubby was sick. Once we made it home he threw up and was in bed for the rest of the day. Yuck!

Today was "J's" graduation day. They hosted a Hawaiian theme and received awards of all kinds. He was voted the "Most Artistic" from his classmates. He received an award for the highest average in spelling ( 100% average). He also received an award for the "Most Improved" and he was on Honor Roll again. Yeah for "J"! J & A will not be in the same school again till "J" is a Senior and "A" will be a freshman.

This was a picture taken during the award ceremony by "A's" request. The boy has a super long tongue. Watch out Gene Simmons!

Finally, "K" was promoted with High Honors. His was able to manage a pretty tough set of classes this year. His schedule is even busier next year. He's prepping himself for college soon. I can't believe I'm a momma to a high school Senior. Yikes!

The Game of Life

2009-06-07T10:36:00.002-04:00

This picture accurately describes my life. 1 minivan (I want a white Honda Odyssey), a Hubby & 3 boys. Take notice that I'm in the driver's seat. Hubby scares me with his erratic driving skills. Anyways, like the game of "Life" I have had many peaks and pitfalls. However last night I had to show some young whipper snappers how to play the game and be successful at winning. I choose to go to college first instead of starting a career. I then married and purchased a moderately priced home. I snuck through the game with no stock purchases and no children. I retired in Millionaire Estates and was proclaimed the winner with a cash value of 1.4 million. While money isn't everything, I could easily become extra happy with assets like that.

I can see clearly now the rain is gone.....

2009-06-06T15:54:00.007-04:00

"J" had a class trip yesterday to Rehoboth Beach. It was pouring down rain and aside from the arcade there was really nothing to do. We did briefly braved the elements and went on the beach in search of sea shells. That was short lived due to the 2 inches of rain we received yesterday. We were all soaked to the bone. We then went for a treat at the TCBY at the outlets. Combined with this ice cream shoppe was a "Pretzel Time". The lady making the pretzels was phenomenal. She gave each boy a piece of dough and taught them to twist their own pretzels. They had more fun there than at the beach.

This morning brought "K" and I to the optometrist office for our yearly visit. Here's a picture of "K" monkeying around.

When I came home hubby was hard at work getting my garden started. We have been a little behind schedule due to hubby's job change and the weather here. The rest of our activities are also about to end. School ends Friday and soccer ends Saturday. I'm looking forward to a bit of a break in our schedule.

Last but not least.... a picture of "A" scooping poop (not literally, it's mushroom soil w/poop :-)

Where did I leave off?

2009-06-04T15:38:00.003-04:00

Well, we were spared from the wicked storms that blew through our area last night. I could hear them coming in a distance and we received loads of rain but no damaging winds, lightening strikes or hail. I was glad because I really wasn't ready for bed and a power outage would have forced me to bed early. I did however get my bedroom cleaned up and the rest of my clothes washed from my trip.

I am supposed to go on a field trip with "J" tomorrow to the beach. They're only calling for a 90% chance of rain/thunderstorms and it's a rain or shine event. YEAH! I'm so looking forward to chaperoning 4-5 kids in the pouring rain at the beach. Why couldn't we have gone somewhere fun like the Franklin Institute or something. I shouldn't complain. He really wanted me to go on this trip and I know that there will come a day soon when I will be the last person he will want chaperoning a class trip.

Our school days are winding down and all 3 boys will be out for summer break come the 12th. I am looking forward to sleeping in and relaxing by the pool. It just needs to warm up a bit here. The weather has been a bit off here this past Spring season. We have warm days coupled with cold rainy days. There seems to be no consistency. Story of my life. :-)

Fun times

2009-06-03T22:06:00.002-04:00

I made it home in one piece. Ladies LYFE (Living your Faith Everyday) was phenomenal. They had great food, entertainment and amazing workshops. The campus was beautiful and of course I forgot my charger and my camera was on it's last few drops of juice. I was able to squeeze in a picture of me and Sarah at the Friday night dinner banquet. It was a tropical island theme with 3 yummy entrees : Hawaiian chicken kabobs, teriyaki beef & tilapia with a mango sauce. I hurried home Saturday night due to the Nascar race being Sunday. I didn't want to get caught up in a traffic.

This week is full of field trips for the little guys. Here's a pic of "A" loving up an otter statue. They were one of his favorite animals at the zoo. I will write more tomorrow due to a huge storm coming my way.

I'm off!

2009-05-28T07:39:00.002-04:00

I'm off to "Ladies Life" a retreat for Christian women. I am going to travel to McGuire AFB which is about 2 hours away and then Sarah and I will travel the additional hours to the Baptist Bible College in Clarks Summit, PA. This is the first time I have ever left hubby & the kids for more than an over-nighter. Perhaps when I return Sunday he will have a new appreciation for all that goes on around here when he's at work. Good luck hubby!

It's a wrap!

2009-05-26T10:27:00.008-04:00

This is a group shot of me and the great group of gals that I work with at the Preschool. We were all smiles Thursday night as we graduated a class of 27 4-5 yr. olds off to Kindergarten. This was also our last work day. YEAH! That's me in the hot pink in the back on the right. I placed "A" right in front of me to hide my extra baggage. Perfect placement! I then rushed home and started to pack for our Memorial Day camping trip. We loaded up the RV and headed to a state park just south of us. We camped with 11 families. Others must have heard of our previous fun times as it was originally just 8 families. Plus additional families joined us for the pig roast we had on Saturday. The boys love camping. We fished, hiked, biked, power kited, learned a new adult version of pinewood derby (this one included shot glasses super glued to matchbox cars). We had a great time. Below is a picture of the RV we rented from the base. It had a full bathroom, stove, oven, microwave and frig w/freezer. All the amenities of home. "K" tent camped it. He's true outdoors man.

"J" and "A" loved to hang out in the two hammocks. They look comfy don't they?

Here's a shot of the little guys enjoying pudding cups.

"A" attempting to climb a tree like a crab.

Dexter was pooped after a 2.7 mile walk around the pond.

We ate plenty of marshmallows. Smores a'plenty!

Our next camp out will be in July. We are renting the same RV and heading to a RC airplane show. The boys are gearing up for summer. "J" will be attending Black Rock Christian camp for a full week this year and both "J" & "A" will be attending Cub Scout camp in August. In addition they will be attending Camp Happy Grammy for two 1 week sessions. Coupled with a frequent flyer program to the base pool and a few VBS sessions our summer is becoming quite packed. It will be September before we know it.

Circus

2009-05-19T22:05:00.003-04:00

Hubby's parents took the kids this past Friday to see the Cole Brothers Circus. They had a great time eating hot dogs, riding elephants and playing with their light sabers. I love the look on "A's" face here. I guess he was afraid to take his eyes off of the clown. "J" seemed to be in total control of the popcorn.

Both boys had a fabulous time and Grandma was also pleased with the shows performance. They came home with bellies full and totally entertained.

Swine flu

2009-05-19T21:48:00.002-04:00

I have tried not to buy into the frenzy of the "swine flu" but that has all changed. A note came home with both little guys yesterday that a student within the school was confirmed with the "swine flu" and that up to 3 students were pending confirmation results. Apparently the confirmed case was in a Kindergarten class. Great "A" is a kindergartner. I was in a bit of a panic but was calmed by hubby that I was just overreacting. Then a friend called today to say that she had received a phone call home today indicating that her son's 3rd grade class was exposed to yet another confirmed "swine flu" student. What? "J"is in the 3rd grade and just right across the hall from this class. The walls are closing in on me. I'm half tempted to collect their school work and home school for the remainder of the year. Especially since I will be off for the summer as of Thursday. YEAH! Anyways....I was hoping that once more confirmed cases came in that they would shut the school down to slow the spread. A girl can hope can't she?

2009-05-17T08:54:00.002-04:00

"K"'s friends J & T wanted me to add their picture to my blog for all to see. They have been best friends with "K" since freshman year. J's cute...he sent this to my e-mail address after he saw the other picture of "K's" buds on my blog. Not to be left out he e-mailed me and requested that I post his prom pic to my blog and I obliged. Now if this cookie monster would leave me just one cookie after I bake a few dozen we'd be good.

Chaos & Peace

2009-05-17T08:20:00.002-04:00

Friday night kicked off with loading my van full of yard sale stuff. I could barely put my overnight bag & purse between the seats it was so full. I was then off to The Texas Roadhouse to have dinner with this wonderful group of ladies. We were all gathered together to bid farewell to our good friend Tracey who is about to start a new adventure in Alaska (she's the Blondie in the back). We are all Air Force wives and know the trials and tribulations of moving. I can't wait to hear about all the great things they get to see & do on their way to their new home. I would love to see the northern Midwest and Canada some day, but I just don't know if I could live there. Y'all know I hate the snow and I'm sure I would not be a happy camper to see snow flying in September. However I have been told that "it's all about what you make it" at any base. Some people hate it here. Not sure why since we are centrally located between NYC and DC, but to each their own opinion.

After dinner I went home picked up "K" and we were off to my Mom's. After a short delay on Rt.1 we arrived at her house shortly before 11pm. I headed for bed because we needed to be up and ready to start unloading at 5am. We had a ton of stuff to sell. Mine seemed like nothing compared to theirs. They had furniture of all types, lawnmower equipment and just general stuff to get rid of. Who knew we could accumulate such crap. After what started like a bleak morning our sales picked up in the late morning. We ended up selling a ton of stuff. We then loaded the unsold stuff back into my van (including Mom's unsellables) and will try again here in June. What doesn't sell then will get loaded up and sent straight to Goodwill.

"K" and I started home at about 4pm so that we could go to Tracey's kids going away party at the base. Fun was had by all with tons of great food and water games for the kids. The boys ran around like wild Indians and loved coming back for a nibble and running off again. We finished out the day next door with a brief visit while they hosted a birthday party for their daughter. The kids jumped on the jousting bounce ring and we then threw them in the shower and off to bed. This Sunday morning I am spending some time cleaning my house, doing laundry and attempting to get things back in order here. Chaos leads to peace.

Baby you can drive my car!

2009-05-12T20:58:00.002-04:00

I dared try to teach "K" to drive a stick shift on Mother's Day night. Hubby had finally made it home from work and I felt that this was perfect timing to teach the young lad. We hopped in the car and took off. He had driven it once before a few weeks ago with his dad. So we took it easy through the community and then I finally persuaded him to venture out onto the real roads. He panicked once when a car was behind us at a stop sign on a slight hill, but he managed to not roll too far back. We then headed deep into the country on some winding, twisting roads. We ended up coming upon a main road and since he was doing so well I suggested we take it and circle back. Then out of no where a deer appeared. "K" was smart and slowed down...all while the deer ran along side us and then cut diagonally in front of us. I'm already a skiddish passenger no matter whom is driving. But for some unknown reason I went straight for the door handle. I must be crazy. For a split second I really thought I could jump from the car and help stop it with my feet. Where are my brains? So what did I do today, I went joyriding with "K" again. He did really well tonight and I didn't reach for the door handle once.

The weekend!

2009-05-09T15:46:00.003-04:00

This past Friday was Military Spouse Appreciation Day. I had all great intentions of spending the evening with other military spouses at a Bunko/Ice Cream Social. Instead I was stuck at home. See the military had other plans for my hubby and kept him at work till past 7. So to say the least I was a bit bummed. Friday night wasn't a total bust as we hosted a party for my oldest cherub and about 10 of his friends. Then hubby came home with the real whammy. Hubby now has to work all day on Mother's Day. I shouldn't sound like such a whiner....but I will! Just when you think you have things planned old Uncle Sam throws you a curve ball. Perhaps I will drag my three cherubs to the outlets. After all it is MY day isn't it?

Today was Hell

2009-05-07T18:23:00.002-04:00

I totally stole this off of some one's blog....because I almost peed my pants when I saw it. This is the way I see Satan...old Beelzebub himself.

Woohoo....Wednesday!

2009-05-06T17:28:00.003-04:00

Holy cow it's already Wednesday. My days are starting to run together with all the cloudiness and rain we have been having here. To boot hubby took leave(for you civilians that's vacation) to do some stuff around the house and decompress from a stressful inspection at work. We are calling it his "Me" week. Especially since I am still working and the kids are in school. He has all morning and afternoon to tinker around and run to Lowe's at least a half dozen times. I kid you not since Friday May 1st I bet he has been to Lowe's a minimum of 10 times. I suppose it could be worse... right? I am looking forward to Monday when he returns to work. Then it will be my "Me" time. I can once again enjoy chatting on the phone with my girlfriends without the rolling eyes and random comments he makes when he's home. I can come home and clean the house without constantly picking up random tools from projects and other items he leaves behind. He's like a snail....he leaves a trail!

PROM!!!!

2009-05-02T20:08:00.013-04:00

Here's a few pictures that I promised to my parents and a few friends. See I delivered!!!! Here's my stud posing for a cute pic before we got ready to go to his date's house.

Family pic

Pinning on the flowers

Close up...say cheese!

Friends!

They laughed a lot!

More friends!

Two studs

This was a picture I took during the Grand March at the Ballroom.

K's best friend and his date.

I will post more info later.....I'm off to watch a movie with my little guys.

Award Winner!!!!!

2009-04-30T17:28:00.002-04:00

Today I had my first experience in a Wing Quarterly Award ceremony! We knew that hubby had won at the Group level but he was then in competition with 6 other folks for the Wing Award. Yep, my hubby won the Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Quarter Award. YEAH!!! He didn't think he was going to win, but he did! I was so proud. He dedicates oodles of hours to his job and always makes sure his Airman are well taken care of. Kudos to hubby....A job well done!

One week

2009-04-28T19:23:00.008-04:00

"J" & "A" pose for a photo! Both boys are in soccer and enjoy kicking the ball around on the field. "A's" coach calls him a little pit bull. He is one of the most aggressive (in a good way) on the team as far as stealing the ball and kicking it towards the goal. "A" and his friend pose for a photo for me before the 1st game. These are two cuties!

This week was a bit of a whirlwind. The drama teacher had it right when she referred to this week as hell week. "K" had dress rehearsal each day after school till about 11:30pm. I was whipped by Wednesday. Thursday was the first performance. "K" did so well as Schroeder. He is a true thespian. Friday night hubby took the kids to see the show while I held a Pampered Chef show. Saturday morning my parents arrived and we went out for some yard sales and shopping. We also caught the last half of "J's" soccer game. Later on hubby then took the boys to the Cub Scout crossover. J is now a Webelos and A is a tiger cub.

I took my parents Saturday night to see the play. Saturday's are prank night and different little things are done in the show. The cast and crew did a phenomenal job with this years production of "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown".

Grandpa and "Schroeder aka. K." He looks a bit different with make-up on, huh?

Mom had to have a picture too!

He and a friend then snuck his piano from the stage and placed it in the backseat of my mini-van. Yes, he cut off the legs and hung it on his wall. I'm just glad he wasn't Snoopy. I'm not sure what we would have done with an extra large doghouse.

Sunday morning brought sickness back into my hacienda. A woke up with a 104 fever and continued to run a fever until this afternoon. K has been fighting a cold since Thursday and stayed home from school for a doctor's appointment. They are treating him for pneumonia. Hopefully the antibiotics will work for him soon. I will try and be better about posting. My college classes end Monday......WOOHOO!

I really should read first......

2009-04-19T16:44:00.002-04:00

I am now an official lobster. I sat outside for a short period of time yesterday at the boys soccer games and a birthday party. I came home fried. It really wasn't the amount of time I was exposed to the sun that caused me to burn. My mother brought to my attention that the meds I was on probably caused the burn. Yep, that's what the drug literature says. Beware: Avoid sunlight. "Photo sensitivity". I really should read the precautions before I just take a new pill. I am now burned all over and swollen. I'm not really sure what caused the edema but rest assured I will read the med literature a little closer in the future.

Yours truly,

Lenny the Lobster

TGIF

2009-04-17T12:57:00.002-04:00

I'm really not looking forward to waking up early and going back to work , but I am looking forward to the boys going back to school. I need to prepare myself for summer in small doses. I can see that the two little guys will need to be kept active in separate arenas. They love to play together, but they also love to get into fights. Not fist fights just small temper tantrums with each other. However, they also both love to torment each other. Good thing "J" is going to a few camps this summer. That should give me a small break. The family dynamics always change when someone is missing from the equation. I am looking most forward to both "Camp Happy Grammy" and when hubby takes both boys to scout camp this year. I can see it now. Chick flicks, take out food, cleaning, organizing, getting rid of hubby's junk when he's not looking. Yeah! Only 4 weeks and 4 days till my summer "vacay" begins.

Just a quick in & out

2009-04-15T21:27:00.002-04:00

Of all days for the dog to run out of food it happened today while its still pouring buckets here. So off I went to Wal-mart. What was suppose to be a quick in and out was anything but. You know those types of days when you just aren't looking your best. The kinda day where you hope you don't see anybody you know( Just a side note**** I never have a good hair day when it's raining). Trying to be inconspicuous I ran up and down the aisles looking for the Tylenol hubby needed and the dog food for the pooch. I run smack into one of my girlfriend's husband. I exchange the pleasantries... hi, how are ya? Their family is so sweet and he kindly informs me that they are gonna have their 7th child in October. Yeah! Congrats Jen & family!!! You guys make me wanna procreate. :-) Then I run into one of hubby's friends. Apparently he's separating from his wife and moving out. Yikes!! Just when I thought I was about to escape seeing anyone else with my flat hair and no make-up I run into one of my preschoolers and their family. Yes...I looked horrible. Last but not least I ran into a friend of mine by the checkouts. We shared a tear while she told me her son had just been sworn in yesterday into the Air Force Reserve. He is her only son and will be graduating this year. She's a proud momma, and with that I escaped and ran for the hills before anyone else caught me out and about. Hopefully I start feeling better tomorrow after my doctors appointment. My right ear has been bothering me for days and I finally got a appointment at the clinic. It's a wonder I heard anything anyone has had to say to me. I feel like I have had earplugs in for days. What's that you say.....I look swell ...or was that like hell?

Rain

2009-04-15T10:48:00.002-04:00

Our spring break has been rather wet here so far. However with all the rain I was able to finish my paper and project for my Child Development/Psychology course. That's one thing down. Now I need to kick it into high gear and start doing my Med. Term homework and studying for the 2 exams I have on Monday. All that coupled with the itch to Spring clean. I have been able to tear apart my dining room and living room so far in between my breaks from writing. I can't wait till my yard sale. I really need to unload a bunch of junk. Plus the rain is keeping me from shopping and adding to the collection of crap. I have been better though. I've really been thinking about things before I purchase them. Is it a need or a want? With the $$$ I'm saving I suppose I'll treat the boys and their friends to pizza for lunch. YUM!

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T20:00:00.012-04:00

Here are the little guys on "Good Friday" about to enjoy the 3-D movie! Do they look excited or what?

We headed to Maryland on Saturday to celebrate Easter with my parents. I took their photo...but YIKES! I will need to do another photo shoot when they come to visit for the play. If I posted the 2 shots I had they may never speak to me again. That night we came home and dyed Easter eggs. "K" felt like he was too old to dye eggs and chose to work on his Eagle project instead.

"A" dropped his egg. See the dent!

Here's a shot. These strawberries were apparently raised on super Miracle-Gro. They were the size of small apples, but YUMMY!

Here's a classic shot of my father-in-law on any given day. How he sleeps through the chaos is a mystery to me.

Of course Monopoly needed to be played. "K" was ruthless as ever.

"J" was totally trying to concentrate and make the right move. "A" took these Monopoly pics. He may be a photographer in the future.

Last but not least here is a pic of one of our new pets. This would be Remmy our gerbil. "J's" Art teacher raises gerbils and gave us 2 for free. They look like mini rats to me. They have a mouse body with a thick long tail. They love to shred toilet paper tubes and dig holes in their bedding. Jerri was hiding in this photo...see her tail hanging out of the tube?

Hope all of you had an awesome Easter weekend. May the spirit of Hope be upon us!

Movie goers

2009-04-10T08:34:00.002-04:00

It's my first day of Spring Break. What better way to celebrate a "No School" day then to head to the movies. While my first born will be taking in "The Fast & the Furious" the little guys and I will be viewing "Monsters vs. Aliens". I'm sure the theatre will be full...but being the momma of 3 boys we will not be in a humungo line for Hannah Montana (there are days that I'm thankful for not having girls).

Marathons

2009-04-07T21:52:00.003-04:00

Since 6:00 this morning I have been moving non-stop. From the quick shower to the preparations of pancakes. Then it was brushing the hair, teeth and fixing bed head on the two little guys. We were then off to the bus stop. Next it was Wal-mart for all my Easter goodies. When my cart "overfloweth" I was off to work. From work to Chick-fil-A, then off to fax a document. Back home I went and once there I began my laundry list of chores:
1. wash, dry & iron clothes
2. scrub bathrooms
3. vacuum entire house
4. chat with 2 BFF's and mom all while making numerous beds and picking up misplaced items.
5. pay bills
6. read e-mails and blogs...I gotta have a little fun!
7. complain about cleaning blinds
8. hand over car keys to oldest...and pray for safe return
Then it was back to the bus stop and the real fun begins. First there's the tons of homework, closely followed with woofing down dinner and then it's back into the car for an hour and a half soccer practice. WOW it was COLD here today. But I was the good Mom who did not hide from the cold in my car...nope I braved the cold so that I could praise my little man for his goalie practice and dribbling techniques. Once we were frozen to the core it was back in the car to race home, get in PJ's and read a bedtime book. Then my next marathon started..... My "Brother's Sister's' marathon of course. I have DVRed this show for weeks and I'm just now catching up. I do love my DVR. What a handy tool for busy marathon running moms.

2009-04-03T16:15:00.002-04:00

I was bestowed this award from my *real life* friend Carla at www.eightisenoughfornow.blogspot.com. Thanks Carla. It's nice to know that I'm loved. :-) I plan on adding a link to all the great blogs I read daily. Check out Carla's...she just took "Stellan"to the Alamo. Want to learn more about "Stellan"check out www.mycharmingkids.net. Talk about two amazing families.

Hubby & "K" will be busy all day tomorrow and I'm hoping to get some of my school work done. The weather is suppose to be great here this weekend. I am also hoping to squeeze in some pruning of my flower beds in prep for spring growth. However, it will need to dry up a bit as it has rained off and on here for the past few days. There's nothing I hate worse than tromping in mud and wet grass. Yuck!

Nerves of Steel

2009-03-31T21:32:00.002-04:00

Today I watched my 16 yr. old baby drive away....alone! Yes, alone. Without adult supervision. Scary, huh? It's hard to let your little one go. Then tonight at the high school was a college information night. It was a double whammy for me. Not only was I slowly cutting the cord but soon enough my boy could be living in another state and I will have to learn to cope with his and my growing pains. While graduation seems so far away it really isn't. In just 13 short months I will be the proud mommy of a high school graduate. While he hasn't really decided what he official plans are I am hoping for college. He seems to still be holding out for the Coast Guard. ROTC at a four year school sounds like a great compromise to me. Doesn't it?

It's over....already?

2009-03-30T07:56:00.006-04:00

My weekend started out with these. Hubby sent these to me at work as a surprise for our Wedding anniversary. How sweet. He then whisked me away for lunch at the Olive Garden. Afterwards we came home and waited for the little ones to come home from school. Then they were off to Grandma's so hubby and I could have some more romantic alone time. So what did we do...well we went shopping of course. That seems to be our favorite past time. Then about 9 pm we both decided we were hungry again. It was off to Lonestar for our favorite "Sweet Bourbon Salmon" better know in my house as "Slammin' Salmon". With our bellies full we proceeded home and entertained teenagers for the night.

Saturday was an eventful day as well. Hubby had invited a few new folks to our home for dinner. 11 adults and 3 kids to be exact. So all morning long I prepared the feast. I served chicken parmesan, baked ziti, sausage peppers and onions, tossed salad and rolls. No one should have left here hungry. To top it off we sang Happy Birthday to hubby and enjoyed an Oreo cake and chocolate chip cookies. YUM!

After dinner "K's" plans fell through and he was stuck at home with us. He milled around and let out a few sighs and uttered "I'm bored" a half dozen times. Then he decided we would all play Monopoly. Three hours later he had literally monopolized the board and had more than 10K in money. Even with me owning both Park Place and Boardwalk I was no match for him. He was cut throat, ruthless. He's a picture of him with his millions. Perhaps he should be a business major in college?

With that another weekend was busted. We rounded it out with dinner at Hubby's parents and again celebrated his upcoming birthday. This month alone we have eaten 6 cakes so far. Weight Watchers here I come.

Wednesdays

2009-03-24T20:57:00.002-04:00

WOO HOO Wednesday is almost here. Nothing special about this Wednesday except that it represents half of the week is over. So WOO HOO! This past weekend went by just too darn fast. We had the dance Friday night, Pinewood Derby District race all day Saturday and I went to visit my parents on Sunday. So by Monday morning I was ready to pull the covers over my head and sleep in. Of course that didn't get to happen. I am so looking forward to Spring Break. I'm planing on organizing the house...doing yard work and just hanging out with the kids. So as of today I have 12 more work days..that's 2 weeks and two days total....but who's counting? I know who is ...ME. I also only have 5 weeks and 1 day left of college for this semester. YEAH! Can you tell I'm excited. Well it's off to finish laundry. There goes my happy feeling.

The Dancing D's

2009-03-20T21:13:00.002-04:00

Tonight was a school dance at the little guys school tonight. This dance was more less a gathering of friends dancing to music while their parents chatted on the sidelines. Both boys really enjoyed themselves. Both really love to dance. This was really evident when "A" broke into a full fledged break-dance routine. Hubby & I looked at each other in amazement. Neither of us is really sure where he learned to dance like this. He was spinning on the floor and doing other floor techniques. He included the worm and a robot reenactment to boot. We were in stitches. My girlfriend hopefully got some shots on her camera. Then hubby and the boys entered the dance contest. Here they were coined "The Dancing D's". This wild routine reminded me of our wedding reception.....hubby thought he was a member of the"Village People". I know my boys come by it naturally. The apple didn't fall far from the tree!

Randomness

2009-03-17T15:27:00.003-04:00

Well I went to upload pictures of the birthday boy and for some reason the pictures cannot be found on my computer. The crazy system says that they've been downloaded but I can't seem to find them anywhere. I will have hubby try to find my MIA pictures tonight. This stinking computer drives me insane from time to time. So on that note: Change of subject

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

I hope the luck of the Irish has found you happy & healthy today. I wore my green today...did you? With that said I won't be having corned beef and cabbage tonight for dinner. I live with an Italian..we'll be feasting on Chicken Fettuccine. YUM!

The weekend here went pretty well. "A" enjoyed his birthday party. Dad came through and made him an R2D2 cake, and Mom made "Yoda Soda" which was a huge hit. We also took in the local RV show. Hubby loves to camp. So it was hard to keep him from buying a family camper. Especially when the boys kept picking out the ones that they wanted to buy. You know the one's with 2 sets of bunk beds and a TV. To them it was all about their sleeping accommodations and the boob tube. That's modern camping for you. Thankfully we left empty handed.

Prom may never be the same

2009-03-12T21:45:00.002-04:00

I almost shot orange sherbert straight out of my nose tonight. Do you know how much sherbert burns in your nasopharynx? It does. "K" at dinner announced that he and his side kick(Blue's Brother) "Jake" should go to prom as Harry & Lloyd, complete with pale blue & orange tuxedos. He even said he would go stag(what without the girlfriend??????) to pull the spoof off. Hubby & "K" love this stupid movie. So I totally lost it when they started to reenact the cane fight scene. I'm not sure he'd look good in orange!

My Baby is "6"

2009-03-12T21:28:00.008-04:00

I cannot believe my little man is six. It seems like just yesterday I pushed that 10lb. 4oz boy out and quickly packed up my household goods to move here. These past six years have flown by. We enjoyed a yummy birthday dinner at Friendly's. They even came out and sang to him. He was all smiles till they got to the part of the song where it says: " If you're good you'll get your wishes and if you're bad you'll do our dishes." He didn't seem to appreciate the humor in that.

Here's a picture of my two hams. "K" didn't have his hair done and would not allow me to post his picture. Apparently he's too cool to look like a fool on my blog.

Yikes! I really should start wearing make-up a bit more often.

Another busy weekend awaits. "A's" birthday party is Saturday and I have to allow for some study time on Sunday for a big test on Monday. No pressure...NOT!!!

Creative minds

2009-03-08T18:30:00.006-04:00

Here are a few pictures of "A"'s from Art class. He seems to really enjoy art and his projects reflect a true talent. The first two pictures are of the animals you'd find on the Savannah. His giraffe's are really cute and his antelopes below were quite creative on his part.

Here he drew a scenic picture of the marshy part of a pond. His heron is perched in the tall grass along with a turtle and frog. In the water he drew a fish along with a tadpole.

And here's Abraham Lincoln. Hubby's Mom & Dad went to D.C. recently and visited Ford's Theatre. While there they picked up a hat and beard set along with a few Civil War solider toys. The kids always enjoy new trinkets to play with.

Were now trying to wind down from a busy weekend here."J", "K" and I all visited a local school Friday night and took in a play. We saw "Man a la Mancha". "J" really enjoyed it and can't wait to see another play. Saturday we ran around town looking for supplies for "A's" upcoming birthday party. It seems that Star Wars is pretty popular and we found just a few of the items on our list. We'll have to wing the rest of it. Sunday had us missing that lost hour from the time change, but we were off to church and stopped off at Toys R' Us for "A" to give us a few ideas of what he would like for his birthday. We narrowed it down to Lego's, Lego's & Lego's. (Go figure).

In a pickle....

2009-03-05T20:04:00.002-05:00

I think I may have totally lost my marbles. Let me explain. Let's set the stage. As seen in the pictures on the side "K" has a best friend or "Blues Brother". So "K' being Elwood and his friend being "Jake". Well these two together is a slap stick comedy show. Apparently the chorus teacher has seen them in action and does not always take kindly to their antics. She phoned home and reported some misbehavior's on Elwood's part of being loud and a bit too chaotic with Jake as his trusty side kick (what 16 yr. old isn't). Anyways this lead me and big daddy to take away the ever coveted cell phone for the last two weeks. You know shake up the apple tree a bit. Here's where it gets hairy. I hid the cellphone on the bookshelf in my bedroom. While walking by one day last week I decided that it was in plain view and could be seen by Elwood. I then thought of numerous places to further hide the phone. Then I moved it....problem is I can't remember where I moved it to. I went to give it back tonight and realized I had not a clue where to start. Well I have pulled my room apart. I have left no stoned unturned in that room. Every drawer has been checked, every sweater unfolded and shaken. No phone! Where's a hypnotherapist when you need one. Anyone got a pocket watch?

Back to work

2009-03-05T15:25:00.005-05:00

Ok! So I went back to work today. Yes, that's means I have been of work for let's see 6 days. Hubby keeps reminding me of this. I can't help it the military doesn't have snow days. However he did take off Monday to help care for sick children and finish a paper for his Master's course.

I did happen to finish writing my own paper yesterday while the kiddos were gone and I was able to clean up the house without the "tiny tornadoes" destroying my work. I can't wait till the end of May when preschool is over and the boys are still in school. I have big plans those weeks...cleaning, re-organizing, painting,shopping , pedicures. I can't wait...only 11 more weeks.

Yeah!!!

2009-03-04T09:23:00.002-05:00

All children woke up this morning fever free. To boot the school systems around here are running on a 2 hour delay. YEAH! Why am I so excited...well I'll tell you. With a 2 hour delay that cancels the preschool work day. YEAH! That also means I get to sleep in and my kids were off and on the bus by 9:50. I finally have some peace and quiet here. Even though they were sick they still find time and motive to fight. "A" and "J" are usually pretty good together, but when you have non-stop days off with 24 hr. house bound seclusion they were wearing on each others nerves..and mine too! So now I'm off to take a long relaxing shower, clean up my house and relax until my afternoon college class. YEAH!

****Just a note**** Because I was so afraid of getting the illness I may have kicked the habit of nail biting. My germaphobia forced me to stop chewing off my nails. I'm actually starting to grow my very own nails. Plus I haven't been eating nearly as much. I weighed myself this morning and I have lost 7 lbs in the matter of less than 2 weeks. Double YEAH!!

Snow & sickness update

2009-03-03T19:33:00.004-05:00

It snowed all night Sunday and into Monday. We received a little over 7 inches of snow. Although it was hard to measure as it was a dry snow with high winds so some places looked bare while others had snow drifts thigh high. I managed to get the little guys out Monday, but "A" was out there for all of 3 minutes and cried to go back in. "J", "K", and I built an igloo. We were all back inside within 30 minutes because it was absolutely freezing outside.

Here's a picture of the "king of the igloo" Ol' Snowy Paws himself.

The boys didn't even ask to go out and play today. "A" has a very low grade fever while "J" is still running a good 101-102 fever. This is ending his fourth day of fever. I'm sick of illness. I'm hoping he is feeling better and is able to attend school tomorrow. During the day he acts healthy and fine. He just won't eat much and seems to want to lay around most of the afternoon. Praying for health the rest of this winter.

Sickness & Trophies

2009-03-01T17:10:00.002-05:00

Well were up to three sick bodies in this house. "J" came home from Pinewood Derby with a fever. However he did place 3rd in the race. That means were off to the District Derby again. WOOHOO!! I say that sarcastically as the District race takes literally from 7:30 a.m. to about 3 or 4 p.m. Nothing like taking up a whole Saturday. Anyways, back to sick kids. "K" is on the mend but still has a wicked cough. "A" was doing better last night but woke up this morning and thre up again and is still running a 101 fever. "J" has not yet thrown up but too is running a 101 fever. Hubby and I are still safe so far.

Snow is on its way to our area. Were suppose to get 8-12 inches of snow tonight. I'm praying for a snow day so it will give all three of them an extra day or two to recuperate. Plus hopefully they will be feeling well enough to play in the snow for awhile.

While I've been cooped up here I have had the opportunity to finish my fifth book in the Left Behind series. I do believe I finished this one in record time. I just picked it up Thursday and finished it today. They are such an easy read. These books seem to keep me captivated for along time. I read 200 pages alone in less than 24 hours.

Well it's off to fix them little guys toast for dinner. Ciao!

The infirmary

2009-02-27T15:54:00.004-05:00

Here are my two sick boys each camped out on separate couches. "K" is on the mend and "A" has been sleeping off & on today with his fever.

The Bug

2009-02-27T12:58:00.002-05:00

It seems as if my lucky streak has ended. The flu bug seems to have found me. "K" came home feeling really bad Tuesday night and went straight to bed. Early Wednesday morning I was awakened to the grizzly bear sounds of him puking in the boys bathroom down the hall. He decided to toss his cookies twice more before I left for work. I came home prepared to Lysol the entire house. While out I had stopped at Wal-mart and had stocked up on rubber disposable gloves, Lysol, Clorox, ginger ale and a chocolate bar(for me of course). The poor kid was still feeling like death warmed over and of course waited for me to return to puke again. Do I have that affect on people? Anyways, he didn't eat anything and just sipped on sweet tea the rest of the day. He was convinced that the ginger ale had made him puke. Yesterday he was no better so off he went to the walk-in clinic. There they loaded him up on fluids via an IV. He also had a wicked cough and a chest x-ray ruled out pneumonia. 1 IV bag later we were sent packing with an antibiotic for his bronchitis and phenergan for his vomiting. While I thought we were out of the woods, "A" woke up in the middle of the night crying of being hot. Yep, he had a temp. As I write this he is sacked out on the living room couch in his "nest". When any of my kids are sick I always build them a nest with extra blankets, pillows, tissues, a drink with straw, vinyl tablecloth(protect the rug from puke) and a vomit bucket. "A" has not yet puked but if he follows suit after his older brother then that symptom should be showing up by tonight. I can only keep my fingers crossed and hand sanitizer on hand and pray that I too do not fall victim to the stomach flu.

2009-02-24T17:01:00.003-05:00

Here's a pic of me and my bestest girlfrined who is stationed in New Jersey. I was dreadfully sick on Thursday night and into Friday with an inner ear infection that gave me vertigo(the spins). I was all better with loads of meds in no time and ventured North. While there I enjoyed yummy homemade bread straight from the bread maker. While visiting I registered for an annual Women's Retreat in PA this coming May. I'm totally excited and looking forward for some great fellowship.

On a side note: Those of you who know me and see me on a daily basis will notice that I'm wearing a new cardigan. I picked up this pretty number after I sprayed gasoline onto my other sweater trying to top-off my gas tank. Thankfully there was a Wal-Mart across the street. I quickly found a new sweater and proceeded to the check out. While attempting to strip off the one I was wearing the customer in front of me commented to the checkout gal that she smelled gas. "That would be me" I quickly piped in. I made my purchase and was back on the road. When I reached my final destination I sweetly told her that if she wondered what my new fragrance was.... well it's "Ode de Exxon" of course.

Small town

2009-02-24T16:34:00.003-05:00

To quote the infamous John Cougar Mellancamp "I was born in a small town, I live in a small town", and if you lived in my small town you may very well have have received a ticket from the local police in this small town(I have been lucky so far...of course hubby says I drive like a snail).
This new addition to my small town cracks me up each time I drive by it. This sign sits along a well traveled highway and is seen by thousands a day. The owner of this sign even went to the trouble to illuminate it at night. You see I believe that my small town's budget depends on the number of traffic citations written each year. In fact aside from a little property tax income I bet speeding citations is their main source of revenue. I have sat at T-ball games that are no more than 1 1/2 hours-2 hours in length and have counted 16 cars cited with speeding violations. These local police are ruthless. However I do believe they have been outsmarted. See this sign is just North of the speed trap and gives drivers enough time to slow down to the posted 45 mph. Since the sign has gone up I haven't seen one violation being written in my drive back and forth through the speed trap zone. To add insult to injury the owner of the sign is supposedly in law enforcement as well. I can't say for sure if he has received a ticket himself but apparently felt it necessary to warn others of the trap.

Hammer time

2009-02-19T20:07:00.002-05:00

Some things just hit me and I can't stop giggling. Well the case of the giggles hit me tonight and it hit me hard. In fact I almost wet my pants I was laughing so hard. The bad part is that I was sitting in the waiting area of the local hair salon waiting on "K" to get his hair cut. Let me explain:
The ladies and I went for lunch today at Saladworks at the mall to celebrate a friend's birthday. Here we all shared quite a few laughs and did some catching up. Girlfriend K was telling us that her husband had come home in exercise gear and was perturbed that "snappy"(another co-worker and good friend) was taking his picture. She went on to define the pants and others chimed in with descriptive words for said pants, ie.. balloon pants, MC hammer pants etc.. I had chimed in that I would like to get a copy of that pic and post it with a forward to his office e-mail (just jokingly) Well as I sit in the salon what song come on. Why "You can't touch this" by MCHammer of course. I just busted out laughing like there was no tomorrow. "K" turns around and stares me down. This just made me laugh more and add in a snicker snort. Thanks for the laughs gals.

Daddy saves the day

2009-02-19T08:05:00.002-05:00

Let me set the scene for you: it's cold & rainy here so what better night than to have grilled cheese sandwiches and hot tomato soup for dinner (note the word hot). All is going swimmingly with dinner prep and due to the endless amounts of homework piling up on the kitchen table we opt to eat in the dining room. I bring in all the vittles and soup is ladled from the pot into bowls. Here's where things get dicey. Yes the soup was hot...however it had sat on a burner that was not hot for the better part of at least 5 minutes cooling down. Back to the story.... I hand "A" his bowl of soup at the same time he is reaching for it and somehow it pours down the front of him and onto my hand. I scream from the burning liquid eating at my flesh then yank him to his feet and pull the clothing away from his skin as quickly as possible. So I'm screaming, he's screaming and Dad runs in and sees us freaking out. He comes to our rescue and literally rips the kids shirt off. Thus saving the day. "A" had no burns and I only had slight burns to my hand. I always promise those dining with us dinner & a show. Tonight was no exception.

Catchin' up

2009-02-16T10:25:00.008-05:00

OK! I've been a little busy and haven't quite kept up with uploading my photos or blogging as much. So here's a recap of the past few weeks goings-ons (that's hillbilly talk for what's been happening in my neck of the woods). It was that time of year again. Time for the annual "Feller's Cake Bake". Here scouts and a male partner of their choosing(in this case dad) come up with some sort of themed cake and allow the pack to auction it off to the highest bidder. "J' has been quite enamored with battleships since his overnight stay on the decommissioned USS. New Jersey. So here are a few pictures of their edible version. This was also our Blue & Gold banquet night and "J' walked away with the coveted Bear rank patch he has been working on diligently.

This was just a cute little snuggle "A" and I had while at the dinner. We also had a swim team banquet the following weekend and walked away with many ribbons and a trophy. However Mom ran out of the house that night and left the camera behind. So sorry no pictures from that event.

The boys went off to Grammy's this weekend and hubby and I were off for a weekend of fun. We jumped back into the car after our drop-off of the munchkins and headed to the church for a "Heart to Heart" dinner. On our way we ran upon this 18 wheeler. While I may not be the best proofreader I do believe I would have found this mistake right away.

Below is a picture of hubby and I after a lovely dinner and show at the church. We took pictures at the church but with it being dark and candlelight only..... well let's just say the pictures weren't that flattering so I opted for a few pictures that night at home afterwards. I must say that the blue shirt really brings out hubby's brilliant blue eyes. Valentine's Day was rather uneventful, we shopped and ate dinner at Pat's Pizzeria.*I love the grilled chicken salads there.* Sunday we went to the early contemporary service and headed out for lunch at McGlynn's. We were going to take in a movie last night but there really wasn't anything playing that I just really wanted to see. So we opted for a movie night at home. We watched "Fool's Gold" and ate popcorn, cracker jacks, cheese puffs, chocolates, soda(spiked) and enjoyed the movie. Now it's back to reality. As I write this hubby is meeting up with Grammy to retrieve the boys and I am off to my college classes this afternoon. I promise to keep up more! Are the Charlie Brown show tunes getting to you yet? I won't torture you too long. The show is planned for the middle of April. Yeah!

2009-02-10T16:44:00.002-05:00

"Your a Good Man Charlie Brown" has been chosen as the theatre production for the high school play this year, and yes "K" tried out for a role. He of course wanted the coveted role of Charlie Brown but will now have to settle for the piano tinkling Schroeder. This was his second choice so I guess "beggars can't be choosers". So for the next few months I will have the show tunes drilled into my subconscious. I had finally gotten "Les Mis" tunes finally out and now this. Even the little guys seem to already know the songs. Although I must admit that last year's performance was really well done. They have set the bar pretty high, but I'm confident that they can pull this off. Cue the music boys!

Prayers for humor

2009-02-05T20:40:00.003-05:00

This is what I was told today by a self-admitting hippie(along with power to the people). She respectfully asked that I not pray for her strength and patience, but rather humor instead. That she could look at each new road block in life and find the humor in it and anything around. I must admit that this particular woman is someone I've never spoken to before. However today I was a captive audience for the better part of 20+ minutes. She laughed, chatted and cried all within that time. I gave my co-workers hell about leaving me out there to hear her ramblings, but then drove home and realized that I may have been the only person to listen to her that day. What's 20 minutes.....

Bruce still has it!

2009-02-01T20:55:00.002-05:00

Yes.....my daddy(Bruce Luther) still has it at 55 but so does Bruce Springsteen at the ripe old age of almost 60. In fact I must say that I believe that their show was one of the best half-time shows I've seen in years. Bruce & the E. Street Band still have what it takes to get the crowd pumped and produce a great show. Although I could have lived without the crotch shot when he slid a little too far across the stage, but you can't win them all. So as you may have noticed I was pumped enough to blog and change my music. I also wanna say that I love his song "Working on a Dream". Enjoy!

Symptoms

2009-01-31T21:50:00.002-05:00

Friday night I had:
red, hot painful palms &
a hoarse, scratchy throat

Saturday I had:
sore hips and legs
achy and painful feet
sore lower back

Any ideas what I might have?

I'll tell you. I have a huge case of : MOMITIS (yes that's pronounced Mom- itis)
I sat, stood and screamed from the bleachers Friday night as my oldest pinned a wrestler to the mat. I clapped so hard that yes my hands were actually painfully red and throbbing and with it comes the sore throat from all my excitement.

Saturday morning came and "J' needed to be at the pool and in the water by 7:30 for warm-ups. I worked the entire morning in concessions and popped in when it was his turn to swim. Then I was slated to time the meets from noon till the end, which happened to be close to 4pm. After being on my feet all day I had to quickly do a Superman change and prepare for "J"'s Cub Scout Blue & Gold dinner. I'm now home at 10pm with my feet elevated and a properly placed heating pad warming and soothing my lower back. Where's the "Icy Hot" when I need it? Calgon take me way!

Gotta come clean

2009-01-29T15:24:00.002-05:00

I am a bit of a reality TV. junkie. Not really sure why some days, but hey I'll admit it. When the kids go to bed you can usually find me on TLC watching Little People, Big World, Jon & Kate, 17 & Counting and the list goes on. Hubby just doesn't understand my fascination with watching other peoples families (maybe it's because it makes mine seem so much more normal) Who knows? Anyways, for the past two seasons I have been watching Celebrity Rehab. I have always enjoyed watching A&E's Intervention and this has the celebrity twist. Although I really didn't care about the first season folks I did seem to feel for this last seasons group. For example, I had true empathy for Rodney King and the trauma he incurred after his beating that spiraled him into drinking. And for some reason i really had compassion for the ex-drummer Steven Adler whom had overdosed a few times and had even had a stroke due to an overdose that left his face partially paralyzed and with slurred speech. His drug of choice was heroine. He was on the show trying to kick the habit which was admirable. I suppose I felt bad for him because he had a horrible childhood and was put on the streets at the age of 11. He had been introduced early to drugs and alcohol, had finally made something of himself and hit the big time in the music world only to lose it all to drugs. After the second season ended the folks were given the option to continue treatment in a half-way house and the new show was dubbed "Sober House". I watched last week's show and couldn't believe the way some drugs affect the body. Steven was back for continued treatment, but this time tried to sneak drugs in. He succeeded and was taped afterwards. I have no idea what makes people want to do this to themselves. He was so drugged that he was unable to find his bedroom, he would fall down, fall asleep, tremors and such. After turning off the show I just prayed to God that my children never touch an illegal drug. I can't imagine being a mother and seeing your child in that sort of state. I wish this type of footage was shown to high school students so that they see the harsh reality of what drugs does to you both in use and afterwards. Perhaps it would scare kids enough to never even try it. For anyone interested "Sober House" comes on VH1 on Thursday nights at 10pm.
On a lighter note, the kids were back at school today on time. My fridge was spared a second day of pillaging (at least until they come home from school).

Vultures

2009-01-28T18:51:00.002-05:00

My kids are vultures! They will eat anything & everything. Today was a snow day so this left them looking for goodies and vittles. They have eaten everything from pop tarts, cereal (with & without milk), chewy bars, apples, oranges, hot cocoa, marshmallows, more dry cereal, sandwiches, mini bagels, left over ham, fudge bars, cake, ice cream and finally dinner. My mother-in-law witnessed their strong appetites and was curious if they had hollow legs for food storage. Their desire to eat coupled with the mass quantities is why I try to keep junk food to a minimum here. Hubby and I cheat and hide food in various spots so that we have a fighting chance to nibble on goodies.

So what did hubby just ask the boys at 7 p.m. Do you fellows wanna help me make brownies? Do you think they said no...or that they were full. Are you kidding....they are just getting started.

SNOW!!!!

2009-01-27T17:22:00.004-05:00

Here's a few pics of the cherubs before they went to play in the snow. Unfortunately they still had school today but are hoping for a day off tomorrow. We are suppose to get a bit more snow tonight with sleet and freezing rain. Yuck! So I figured after school today would be their only chance to play in the powder.

No more fun and games here. When your the oldest in the family a lot more is expected of you. Yes, this is the line of bull I feed to him...he believes it for now. It gets my driveway clean doesn't it? It works just try it sometime! Although he wasn't too happy about having his picture taken while working. I do believe he was excited that there was no wrestling practice. Old Bruiser here had already spent the better part of the entire past weekend on the mat and probably needs to give his body a break. (after shoveling that is). :-)

Cold vs. Heart Warming

2009-01-21T20:30:00.003-05:00

I don't know about the weather in your area but it has been bitter cold here. The average is suppose to be the mid 40's, but it didn't even reach 32 here today. Coupled with the wind it was down right bitter. However I am hoping that the extreme cold stops germs from multiplying. Our preschool seems to be running rampant with stomach viruses, rashes and diarrhea. None of these are something that I want to occur with me or my family. Knock on wood we have been fairly healthy so far. Last year alone we had had the stomach flu twice before Christmas even came. I'm hoping that our immune systems are a bit stronger this year and that we are able to fight off incoming threats of illness.

Tonight was actually a great night. My bible study started up again and we are doing a Beth Moore study on "Esther". It seems like an intriguing book. Here's a bit of bible trivia...It is the only book that does not mention or use God's name within it's text. Anyone whom has ever experienced a Beth Moore study knows how incredibly smart, insightful and knowledgeable she is about the Bible. I will share tidbits with you as I study.

Speaking of studying I suppose I should run since it seems as I have about 150 prefixes, suffixes and roots to learn for my first Exam in Med. Terminology.

Also, please pray for my friend Carla's two girls as they undergo serious surgeries. Rubea had a titanium rib placed in today to help straighten her spine and Kaylea will undergo a spinal cord detethering on Friday. Both girls will spend numerous days within the PICU unit and additional days on a regular floor. Pray for the doctors, nurses and those that care for the girls as well as John & Carla and her other children during this time. You can check out her blog at www.eightisenoughfornow.blogspot.com

McHappy

2009-01-19T10:47:00.002-05:00

Hubby and I were treated to an evening alone last night. My in-laws offered to babysit the two youngest and Kyle was at his girlfriends watching the Eagles get spanked. So hubby and I were off to try the new restaurant in town "McGlynn's". It's kinda like a sports bar with class. The rooms are beautiful and we could see the partially frozen lake outside the windows. We chose this restaurant because it really wouldn't be a place my kids who enjoy or appreciate. Since it's so bloody cold here we both decided to start with the soup. Hubby had a fabulous french onion and I had clam chowder. Yum! Our dinner entrees were good but we had both decided to try something else on any future visits. The atmosphere was nice and quiet and we were able to enjoy great conversation. Then it was off to my favorite store Target. No date would be complete without shopping (That seems to be our running joke). We then went home and did what boring parents do. Hubby wrote a paper for his Master's class and I snuggled onto the couch and watched "Four Weddings and a Funeral". Kyle came home and we all slept in this morning. It's now snowing and I'm praying for a snow day tomorrow. All I need is a two hour delay and my school closes! Come on let it snow, let it snow, let in SNOW!!!!

"Artic Nuts"

2009-01-17T16:17:00.006-05:00

Here's a picture of "Big Red" and hubby setting up for cooking lunch. They eat really well when they camp, but it's still not for me. They were having grilled cheese sandwiches and soup for lunch and roast beef stew for dinner.

This is the face of a little boy who didn't want to be out in the cold. He's normal. The nuts camping are not normal. Yes, they are sleeping in those tents and seem kinda happy about it. Of course this picture was taken at 11am when it was a bit warmer. They might not feel quite the same by now.

Josh was warming himself by the fire. He's a lot like his dad...he enjoys camping.

Your doing what?

2009-01-16T14:51:00.002-05:00

Hubby and the Boy Scouts are camping this weekend. Yes I said camping. It is suppose to be absolutely frigid this weekend and my hubby and oldest will be sleeping outdoors in a tent. Thankfully this is a 3 day weekend because I think they will need Monday just to thaw out. I personally think they are borderline crazy. I won't even stay outside for 5 minutes and they plan on spending hours in the elements. It's even suppose to snow shower here tomorrow. Better them then me. I will pop down to the campsite tomorrow and take a few icy pics for all to see. Perhaps the snot flowing out of their nostrils will form icicles. We'll see!

Stitches

2009-01-15T15:37:00.003-05:00

No one one received stitches...for those family members whom read the blog. However I was in "stitches" this afternoon from a preschooler. It is way to bloody cold to play outside so we set up playtime in the fellowship hall. Well while a co-worker and I were chatting we saw one of the students walk past with plastic balls stuffed in her shirt like she had "boobs". We started laughing hysterically. She was quite the Dolly Parton being all of 3 feet tall and boobs the size of mountains rising from her chest. Well apparently they were playing Mommy and this little girl had a true imagination. Needless to say we had to ask her to remove them. Luckily Mom is really cool and laughed when we told her. All in all the day at work went great even if I did end up with glue in my hair. Serves me right for standing over a child trying to help him paste. I should really learn to bob & weave a bit more to avoid sticky white glue in my bangs. Comes with the job I suppose.

"Gloria"

2009-01-13T16:02:00.002-05:00

I've spoken before about how music seems to generate memories for me. Well today was no different. The song "Gloria" came on and fond memories of my co-worker came flooding back. I remembered how she said that at each family function that included music to include weddings and anniversaries that her dad would sing the chorus part of this song. Just really repeating the words Gloria in a chanting way. So on the way home a smile came across my face just thinking of Kathy and her matter-of-fact humor. She is truly missed at the preschool.
Shortly after the song ended I became a bit sad. The military life I lead increases my chances of meeting great people...only for them to move a million miles away. While I do love the perks of the military, the moving and loss of friends does bug me at times. Some friends you never lose contact with while others just seem to fade away. So as you ride from here to there and the tunes are on in your car remember great times from the past whether it's something that happened yesterday or 30 years ago. You never know what song may pop on have you thinking about the past, present or loved ones you know.

Manic Monday

2009-01-12T22:51:00.003-05:00

Today has just been one of those whirlwind days. I'm finally just sitting down and it's almost 11 pm. My day has summed up kinda like the Bangle's song "Manic Monday", as I too wish it were Sunday! The weekend just flew by. Saturday was a swim meet and that took up all morning and into the early afternoon. This was my first time working as a timer. I felt like I deserved the BMA (Bad Mom Award) as I missed the first two events that Josh swam in. I was so engrossed in timing and watching my lane that I lost track of his event numbers. Luckily he swam 3 more times and I was able to catch all of those. Sunday was pretty quiet and I just worked on cleaning and laundry after church.
Today was also my first day back to college. Yes, I'm back in. This time I'm taking Medical Terminology & Psychology 125 Child Development. I have finally come to the conclusion that I really do enjoy taking classes. I think it's the challenge of learning new material. I'm also really wrapped into a new book called "The Tribulation Force". This book is the second in the Left Behind series. I have really gotten into the characters and have become fascinated with what life would be like if the rapture were to happen and all those unbelievers were left here on Earth. It gives an interesting view into what this world could look like at any given moment. Definitely thought provoking. So if your looking for a good read I highly suggest reading 'Left Behind" and then catching up to me with the second book.

No carbs...only protein

2009-01-08T20:57:00.002-05:00

Tonight I served another grand dinner. With hubby still working till 7 I have really slacked some nights on our dinner selection. Tonight was no different. So I opened, heated and served Spaghetti-O's. Josh & I had plain while Andy had Alphabet Meatball. After praying over my glorious meal Joshua kindly asked Andy for a meatball. Andy obliged. Josh then asked politely for a second. Again Andy fished out a meatball. However this time it had alphabet noodles attached. Joshua quickly said that he didn't want the spaghetti'o noodles on it. So Andy popped the meatball up to his mouth and sucked them off, then quickly threw the meatball into Joshua bowl. Well you would have thought that Andrew had launched a turd into the bowl from Josh's reaction. His jaw dropped and a bellowing "OH MY GOSH...I KNOW YOU DIDN'T JUST PUT YOUR SPIT ALL OVER MY MEATBALL" came blurting out. Meanwhile I was practically on the floor laughing. Joshua then plucked the meatball out of the bowl and threw it back into Andrew's and fished his another meatball out. I guess you had to be there. I told hubby when he came home and I still can't stop laughing. You gotta love kids.

Rainy Wednesday

2009-01-07T13:40:00.002-05:00

Is it raining there? It feels like it has been raining here forever. I'm looking forward to seeing the sun again. Sliding out of bed in the dark and dreariness is no fun at all. The yuck weather makes me feel slower and lazier than a turtle. I did come home from work this afternoon and try to clean up and start a load of laundry. This makes me feel like I have something accomplished. Hubby is working 12 hour shifts this week and his late come-homes are wearing on my nerves. Family dinners just aren't the same when he's not here, and a 7:30 dinner for the little guys is just out of the question. Especially since my kids are in bed at that time. So I suppose I'll grab a straw "and suck it up" (new teenager lingo I learned). Well I'm off to prepare a new dinner recipe. I'm hungry already!

First Saturday of 2009

2009-01-03T13:40:00.003-05:00

Well it's the third day into this year and I'm trying to stick to my resolutions. I haven't eaten at a fast food restaurant and I have been getting out of bed as soon as I wake up. I also have not been eating as much lately and lost 5 pounds. Yeah! Only 20 more to go. But who's counting? Hubby & Josh are off at a cub scout sleep over on the Battleship New Jersey and Andrew and I are hitting the movies. I enjoy spending one on one time with the kids. It gives me a chance to really give them complete uninterrupted attention.

Andrew is giving us cues that he's gonna be quite the little Casanova later on. Kyle's girlfriend Julie told him the other day that he was cute. He's been in love with her ever since. That night he cried over getting to sit next to her at dinner. Yes, I caved! He then proceeded to give her googly eyes and served her macaroni and cheese. He was totally hamming it up for her. He even told her he loved her. Yikes! With his adorable looks and his charming ways he is totally going to be a lady killer. Watch out Kyle & Julie in 15 years he'll be 20 and you'll only be 35. He may dig older women still at that time.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T10:27:00.002-05:00

Welcome 2009! Hubby and I had a good time last night with friends. We enjoyed great conversation, yummy food and a little edge of your seat entertainment from Vegas. The daredevils this year were awesome and kept my stomach in knots just praying that they made it out alive.

So anyways, what your New Year's resolution? I have really thought about mine and I believe I am going to crack down on eating out. This perhaps will work two-fold on my weight loss goals. In addition I plan on waking up earlier and being a bit more on top of things. I know some of you are shaking your heads at the idea of me evacuating the bed early but you'll see.

To conclude today's post please pray for a friend's husband who is traveling to Vietnam to pick up their new daughter. Pray for travel mercies, an easy transition and for physical health while there. May we all be blessed abundantly from the Lord this Happy New Year.

Hodgepodge

2008-12-29T16:03:00.007-05:00

Here's a hodgepodge of assorted pictures. First is my beautiful Christmas cactus. This beautiful flower was given to me by my friend Mary before she left for California. It totally freaked me out last year when it began to bloom. I didn't know it was a bloomin' cactus. But as you can see if develops the most beautiful blooms and brightens up my kitchen window.

Here's a Johnny Cash wanna-be. I just had to take this picture. Kyle was less than amused. He was unfortunately on his way to an acquaintances funeral. She passed away in a car accident the Saturday before Christmas and this past Saturday was the funeral. When he came walking out of his room in all black I asked him if he was the undertaker or what. I know you are suppose to wear black to as funeral but this was a bit of over kill..(no pun intended)

This here is my new little brother. Look he even does tricks. He likes to sit pretty for scooby snacks. He was quite the wild pooch before, but I'm beginning to believe he is starting to settle a bit.

Below is a picture of me Christmas morning with my prized possession in hand (the Shark steam mop). I know it's an illness to ask for cleaning products as gifts. I can't help it.

Here's a peek at the boys opening their stocking stuff. Doesn't Josh looked excited about receiving learning, educational backed games for Christmas. I told him that Santa must be wanting him to refine his multiplication facts. Not sure if he was buying it or not.

Last but not least is the "hit of the day". Why Rudolph did leave that "otter graph" after all. Josh was so excited that he could hardly contain himself. This prized possession now has a seat next to Barney the Presidential dog on his dresser. Hope he doesn't ask for Yogi Bear's autograph next year, or Manny the Mammoth off of Ice Age. I'll be in quite the pickle then.

Merry Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T13:39:00.003-05:00

They day started out great Tuesday morning. The boys had pajama day at school and wore their favorite Pj's with their red robes. They also enjoyed hot chocolate and "The Polar Express". After school we were off to my in-laws for dinner and an exchange of gifts between the boys and hubby's sister. Dexter sported his holiday sweater too!

Here's a holiday picture for Christmas 2008! Kyle was wrestling at a meet so he missed out on dinner and dessert. this pic was taken before dinner when the pants were still able to be fastened.

With Christmas Eve dinner right around the corner and the anticipation of Santa.....I wish you and your family the true Joy of Christmas! God Bless!

New Song

2008-12-21T20:09:00.003-05:00

Check out the new song I uploaded to the playlist. I love this song "How many Kings". It's one of those songs that just touches you and makes you stop and really think about what Christmas means to you. All you have to do is click on the song itself in my playlist and it will start. I have played it a million times today alone.

I haven't even made it out of my jammies today. I was snug in my bed the better part of the morning and really had no desire to go anywhere today. The boys ran around and cleaned up after our overnight guest went home. I mad a scrumptious Chinese dinner and I am contemplating making chocolate chip cookies. Yep...I'm the cookie monster here. Yum, Yum Me love cookies! :-)

Party time

2008-12-20T18:40:00.003-05:00

Last night was hubby's Christmas party. Although I really wasn't planning on going, I did have fun in the end. We won a Star Wars DVD for Joshua and after the party we hit the slots. I walked into the slots with every intention of making my $10 donation and leaving empty handed. I won for the first time. Not a lot just $40, but it was something.

Today was cold, cloudy & rainy. I stayed put inside while Kyle & his girlfriend were here and Joshua has a friend over for the night. I have accomplished many of the things on my previous to-do list. How about you? I do need to buy 1 roll of wrapping paper. I had enough left over from years past to wrap about 90% of my presents. I am trying to go through the house still and downsize. I also gave away all the pre-purchased toys I kept on a shelf in the basement that I used for last minute gifts when the boys would get invited to birthday parties. It was a good feeling to give away all of the toys to the "Toys for Tots" group. Try it sometime...it's very uplifting.

The Gift

2008-12-17T05:47:00.003-05:00

Here she is in all her beauty (Dad, pay no attention to the dirt markings on the rear tire). This is hubby's new pride & joy. He brought this puppy home the day after Thanksgiving. Hubby is lucky to have such a gracious father-in-law. My Dad bestowed upon hubby the keys to one of his finest worldly possessions and let him drive away with it for a mere $1. At first I was concerned. Why would someone give such a gift...was he sick, did he know something I didn't, but the conclusion came that he was just doing a great deed to our family. That worldly possessions mean nothing , but that seeing family happy means everything. This was a profound moment. My Dad loved this truck so much that it sat for over 10 years in the garage. "Old Blue"(yes I've named it) only has 12,000 miles on it. So for him to give it to us was a true act of kindness and love. So to Dad I send out a big THANK YOU! Love ya lots!

Christmas Chaos

2008-12-15T17:21:00.006-05:00

Here is a sneak peek into my kitchen while I was busy preparing dozens of cookies. I never even got around to making the chocolate chip cookies when it was time to leave for a Christmas party.

Below are a few pictures of the little guys from last week's school performance. They were both so cute up there on the stage. Kyle's choral performance is this week. I'll post pictures shortly after.

Here is hubby and the little guys getting ready to cut down the Christmas tree. It was freezing that day and even snowed while we were at the field.

And here's the picture I promised a few of you. During the cold snap that came last week the local funeral home apparently didn't turn off their fountain. This is how I found the fountain one morning on my way to work. It's still beautiful! Kyle couldn't believe that I actually got out of my car and took a picture in front of the funeral home. Good thing he wasn't with me...he'd have to chalk it up to another embarrassing teenage moment.

Now you see it... now you don't.

2008-12-13T09:37:00.002-05:00

See this picture! It was one of my favorites. I had all great intentions of having this picture printed out for my Christmas card, but alas I forgot the CD yet again when I went shopping this morning. And as you can plainly see there are only 12 days left till Christmas. By the time I put in my order it would be the middle of next week before I could even think about sending them. So in a short condensed version...well the snow globe e-card and this pic may be my only Christmas correspondence this year. So I will end my post on a happy note: Merry Christmas!

2 weeks

2008-12-11T16:35:00.003-05:00

YIKES! There are only two weeks till Christmas. I am totally unprepared. I am done shopping for the two little guys and my in-laws, it's everyone else that I still need to purchase for. I have yet to purchase anything for my parents or even hubby. I haven't really even purchased anything for Kyle except a Adidas bag for sports. I really need to get on the ball. There are things to do:

1. Order Christmas cards
2. Package & send Christmas cards
3. Prepare cookies
4. Make small gifts (food) for neighbors
5. Buy & wrap teacher gifts
6. Purchase Christmas Eve dinner items
7. Wrap presents
8. Put up outdoor illumination
9. Buy gifts
10. Make Christmas packages for my preschoolers
11. Finish preschoolers parent gift...hot glue, ribbon, doilies
12. Clean my house

There just seems to be an endless amount of things popping up on my to-do list. Any suggestions?

Mama Nubs

2008-12-09T21:10:00.003-05:00

This is the new nickname given to me by my oldest. Let me set the stage for you. A few weeks ago I attended a Pampered Chef show and purchased a knife. A sharp paring knife to be exact (yes I now your already ahead of me on this one). Ever since I received this new knife I have been warning both Kyle & hubby to beware of the super sharp knife. I again reminded Kyle of this as he was cutting up tomatoes and olives for tonight's dinner. Then I decided last minute to cut up one more tomato. Well you know what happened. Yes, I cut myself. This damn knife cut off the whole tip of my left thumb. I was crying in pain. Kyle couldn't believe it. I told him to throw away the tomatoes and he immediately started looking for my missing bit. It was still attached to the blade of the knife. I thought he was gonna puke. He was totally grossed out. And I was still in pain. He did show off some First Aid skills and got me all bandaged up. So buyer beware when it comes to sharp knives...you too could earn the nickname "mama nubs"