My Week Of W's

WHY~In a house of four cats do I find this hi-lar-i-ous! Why doesn't everyone seem to think it is as funny as I do?

WOO-HOO~ This weekend was our date with Summer to see Dora Live! She had a great time and loved it. Apparently though there was a rule that you couldn't take pictures in theater (Dora was a bit a snob about this) and I was told quickly to put away my camera and TO DELETE THIS PICTURE! Umm.. no. I paid $150 to sit here, and this is just a picture of my kid! But I did quickly put my camera away, because I didn't want them to confiscate it.

So during intermission I tried to get her picture by the sign. Summer wasn't in the mood..then! Oh well!

I will have to settle for these cute shots on the streets of downtown in her Daddy's arms;)

WEAKNESS~ Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch- Yum!!

WISH (THAT CAME TRUE)~Mike's coffee corner makes me NUTS! It always has bags from Starbucks of beans, and grounds, and spoons and sugar, and espresso. (He is very addicted..I mean passionate about his coffee).

So I came across these cute canisters and these adorable signs, and they really cleaned the corner up! I am loving it;)

WEIRD~For Father's day, sweet Matthew had made Mike eggs all on his own. He also burned his arm on the skillet. I put aloe Vera on it, and now I am realizing that was not enough! It has gotten quite a bad infection, and after all the sickness last week with the kids..it was BACK to the doctor's again! Poor guy has a serious infected burn and they said it will scar for life. He is on twice daily oral antibiotics and an ointment. I feel absolutely TERRIBLE!

WEDDINGS (to be!)~ We just got this email from Mike's sister Renie. All it said was "notice something!" Congrats girl! We are so happy for you!!!

The Biggest Frog In The World

I am posting a more family friendly post, in hopes of redeeming myself from my last post;)

The other day we had BIG rain storms come through over night, and it just POURED! Across the street from us is our neighborhood pond, which is full of frogs. I guess with all the wetness this little guy..err big guy got to far away from the water. By the time we found him, in was hot and humid and 90 degrees again, and he was quickly fading. He had tried to find shade under Mike's car.
Luckily, Mike saw him as he back out of the driveway.

Each of the kids had to give a pet before he was released back into the water.

He wasted no time, and in a flash was relieved to be back in his pond!

Foulness I should not know about

I am sorry.



I know things.



Things I don't think I should, and I have to get them off my chest.



Please to my Mom, the faint of heart, or easily offended... Please skip this post. (don't say I didn't warn you)



Apparently the world has a whole slew of nasties that I was blissfully unaware of, but felt the need to be called to my attention. I alone cannot sit on this information without spreading the word. That is not in my nature.



Numeral one: The term Jerk Sock:
While watching our newest passion, the complete series of "Weeds", this topic rears it's ugly head. The people in the show are having plumbing issues, and the plumber diagnoses the problem as the toilet having to have tube socks snaked out of it. It ends up this widowed mom is going to have to face a sensitive topic with her coming of age son, who is using his socks to hide this issue, and then flushing them.
I look in horror over at Mike, and as my mind races in a panic a) first of all that boys DO do that (Not necessary the flushing the sock thing but what is IN the sock thing) b) that we have TWO boys and one of such nearing that delicate age ...and c) that it is our job to be the ones to talk to him about such matters!
So now I am horrified, grossed out, nervous, and panicked.

Oh the joys of motherhood. These surprises just get better and better.





Numeral two: Where Ice Cream Truck Workers use the bathrooms:
I personally avoid The Ice Cream Truck like the plague to begin with, but for no other fact than it is ridiculously priced, my kids think that just because he comes down the road with his music on that it is a given that they get ice cream, and undoubtedly it ruins their dinner. It seems quite literally that I am about dishing it on to their plates when I start to hear that "How much is that doggy in the window?" in the background. But I guess I never thought much further on their job detail.
This week at the baseball park I got a little more information than I wanted. While I was in the parking lot, the Ice Cream Truck pulled up, and illegally double parked right in front of the smelly port o potty's they provide for the park. Out hopped our fine Ice Cream Lady who went into the port o potty and in a flash came back out with her shirt half tucked into her elastic jean shorts. Back she hopped into her truck, and was shoving lunch into her mouth as she drove away. Now given at a port a potty there is no where to wash your hands...no sinks and soap. But she had no hand sanitizer either...and was off the sell ICE CREAM to CHILDREN!
Could she not stop at a gas station at least and use a bathroom with a sink, or carry disinfectant in her truck? Do they not let her go in to other business establishments I wonder?? All I know is that we are NOT buying ice cream from the truck at all. I can buy a box of 24 Popsicles for the the price of one gumball Sponge bob anyways.

Numeral Three: And this one I have to laugh at, and I put on here in admiration.
A family member was short on gas money for his young family, and decided to take bets from the guys at work to make some extra cash (doing ridiculous stuff!)
One example was for $20 to eat a stink bug.

He did it!

I heard it did NOT sit well for the next several hours!

R U Ready for the Pool Scene??

Big brother's skull hat...check

obnoxious flower suit...check

purple polka dotted sandals..check

Stylin for Summer..priceless!

Michael Jackson

The media is going to tear this apart and piece by piece beat it to death. But all it really is, is some one's friend, father, son, and brother journey here on earth is over. Love him or hate him he is gone, and I wish his creative, unique soul a peaceful passing. He definitely left his mark;)

And to a girl who's family is black and white, this song has always seemed pretty cool.

Today

Today was spent mainly in my car and Doctor's office's, lol. With all the laundry and housework/office work piling up it would make sense that my car should never leave the driveway, but that was not the way the day went it seems. Not a lick of housework seemed to have gotten done;(
Tatum had an appointment this morning with another sports medicine doctor about her knees. After years of competitive gymnastics, specialists, MRI's, diagnoses of fluid on the knees and overuse, taking time off, more specialist, diagnoses of needing physical therapy, doing months of physical therapy (actually made it WORSE!), seeing new sports med Doc, being diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter's, having to quit gymnastics, being out of gymnastics now for one full year and her knees as bad as ever, gaining weight (cause she's not in gymnastics anymore!), throw that into the mix of her age, body changes, blah, blah, blah, blah, we got pointed in a new direction and tried. Actually the appointment went pretty well. They took xrays and said she had a pretty severe case of Osgood-Schlatter's (especially in her left knee). That all her pain really was not a case of fluid or overuse(anymore), and that Osgood-Schlatter's is something that you OUTGROW (can I hear an AMEN!) And that her bones look like she is about 6 months away from being full grown! (again...AMEN!) So technically all her pain and trouble is something she will be done with, within the next year! Until then the Doctor told us of a supplement we can order that has shown really good results for kids with this, and anti informatory patches to wear. Also new orthodics for her very flat feet which aggravate the problem....whew!

Next kid, next problem. Jake has had a cough that just won't go away. He had a fever for a few days about 10 days ago, but the cough sticks. And now just gets deeper. Cough med doesn't faze it. Last night I laid awake with that mom feeling deep in the pit of your stomach. I just knew it was wrong. He swears he is fine.
I took him to the pediatrician. Awesome Doctor. Wears multi colored converse;)

Pneumonia.

Yup.

Went to the drug store and got his prescription for zithromax filled.

Tatum had a driving lesson. (OMG~don't ask) It's Garbage Night. Got 2 loads of laundry done. Matty had a baseball game. It was our snack. (good thing I had ice packed in the cooler with the kids drink...one of our little guys got a ball in the face, and I think broke his nose!) (and diapers in my purse...they were all we had for all the blood;( Dropped of kids at the skating rink, picked up pizzas.

It has been a busy day, and this place looks like a train drove through it!

Nothing a good jog with a great friend, and Mike and I snuggling down to watch "Weeds" (our newest nightly tv passion) won't cure~

Tomorrow I will tackle that laundry...

My Week Of W's

WOO-HOO!!~ Tatum went today for her temps and got them!!
In Ohio, you just have to be 15 and a half to do the written part of the test, and she passed with flying colors! The computer actually ended her test early, because she had so many correct that it didn't matter if she finished the last questions right or not...she had had enough correct to pass!
Now the visual exam, I could have kicked her! All I'm saying is we are going to practice her right and left..lol!


WOW~ This is our first year trying to grow broccoli and it has been so fun! I had no idea where or how the broccoli stalk would grow or come out of, so it was neat to watch. It started off as just a bunch of leaves, but then one day I noticed little parsley like hairs starting in the middle! Now it is blooming into a great big broccoli stalk, just like what you see in the grocery store. Too stinking cool...
WORK-OUT~ Now that my workout partner and I are back in town from vacations, we can take advantage of these warm summer nights. We have actually jogged some of the time (trying to catch up on those missed calories;) and walked the rest. Neither of us have trips for awhile, so we are going to buckle down! (You hear that Mal??)

WISDOM~ Galatians 6:3 If you think you are too important to help someone in need, you are only fooling yourself. You are really a nobody.

No one is any better than anyone else. We are all sinners~saved by God's grace. You should never get so confident in yourself that you think you are too good to help someone out.


Weird~ I failed miserably this year at Father's Day. We had just gotten back from vacation the day before, and my father is not here on earth, and I don't know...I just wasn't feeling it. I didn't get Mike's gift until a day later, which by then it sure wasn't a big production (sorry Mike:( ) I did get him a pretty cool blower thingy so sweeping up grass after mowing wasn't such a pain:) But since I am the one that usually does that job, I'm starting to feel a little sheepish again;(
WHIMSICAL~ This weekend "DORA LIVE" is coming to our city and Mike and I got tickets to take Summer. She LOVES "Doorah", and is going to be thrilled to see Swiper the fox and Dora in real life!



WEAKNESS~ Oh man..vacation week. You've got me good this time! Does everything under the sun count???

Let's see, I would say Heath bars. Toffee. Chocolate. Ate like 5 whole ones myself.

Nough said.

V~A~C~A~T~I~O~N !

***(warning extremely long with lots of pictures)***


We just got back from our HUGE (super fun) but mini (short in time) vacation to the Cherokee Mountains in North Carolina, where we met up with my cousins. We packed so much into two and half little days (especially for a traveling bunch of 6), but did great!

When we got there we were greeted by Nat, Karen, and their 3 dogs...



Camden Louise...

Catcher Marie...

and Wriglee Jo...

The kids loved having the dogs there, which made it extra fun for them.

Now in my last post, some of you thought I was going camping, camping.

Um...no! Although, some people did stay in Indian tents like this one below. There was room in there for a fire and sleeping bags.

But I need running water, and electricity, and beds!

We stayed in an adorable little two room cabin with a porch overlooking the creek that ran into the river.

Now, believe it or not...Mike got all Wilderness Joe on me and drug his mattress and sleeping bag out onto the porch 2 of the nights and slept outside!! He said he loved the sound of the creek and to lay and watch the stars. I did star gaze with him one night (which was beautiful!)...but then went right in and snuggled up in bed with Summer to sleep..lol! He said the last morning he woke up to fishermen right outside our deck peering over at him!

This was our porch that connected to Nat and Karens.

Believe me..I felt like I was roughing it enough;) The cabin made me think of Little House on the Prairie. With just the main room and Ma and Pa's room.

and pegs to hang your clothes on.

The first day we threw our water shoes on and explored some creeks and grilled out. Nat and Karen had wonderful, galore of presents waiting for the kids. They got the boys a slingshot (goodness help me!) and a container full of beans to shoot. Needless to say there were beans EVERYWHERE! I had beans in the shower with me, and beans in my pockets. I bet people that stay in that cabin will find beans for weeks to come! lol! They got them glowsticks and sparklers, and waterballons. They went all out to be sweet, and I thank them so much for making my kids feel special!

Summer loved playing ball with the dogs. She was finally in charge (so she thought) of someone;)

Tatum got to sleep in Nat and Karen's cabin. I think she loved this secular attention, and ate it up.

We filled our days with hiking,

and exploring...

and just plumb being together...

There was retaining wall that they showed us where they had taken old car bodies and used them to hold up the river wall. I had never seen anything like it before! Not exactly beautiful, but definitly unique and recyclable!

Pictures as to why they call them the "Smokie Mountains".

at one point my button popped right off my pants, and Karen bless her heart sewed it right back on the spot! (Look at Nat, being embarrassed of the photoshoot...she just doesn't get us bloggers;)

anyways, I thought it was really sweet how much they tried to make our trip fun and special.

They had a little cart that they would take the dogs on bike rides in, and Summer had THE BEST TIME, having Karen taking her around in it!Look at that smile!

And the best part of the trip voted unanimously was the tubing! We would walk them up to the end to the campground, and ride them down the river to our cabin. We rented the tubes for the day and we did it over and over again.I even took Summer on my lap one time, but during the rapids, she would say repeatedly "all done! all done!" So maybe next year she'll be more adventurous. Tatum was the one who got chosen as the "sweet one" by the bugs and got ate up! We had to take a picture of this bug bite because it was shaped just like a heart! lol!Every night was a campfire, and smores, and ghost stories. Summer even made her very own hot dog on a stick one night. She was so proud;) We got the dog's Smokie Mountain ball caps (much to their dismay) I don't think the dog's liked them too much, but Natalee asure's me that they'll get used to them...Camden pouting...
Finally...group shot~~~!

AND NOW!!! The moment you all have been waiting for I am sure. Two posts ago I showed you a ligit picture of my cousin pinning me to the ground. (because she is mean) Well now I am older, and she is just old. And I am stronger, and I was hoping to have the chance to finally defeat her in a wreastle match.

Well my friends. Let the picture do the talking.

She is still mean as a snake, and could whip my ass with her eyes closed. But being my cousin and all, she allowed me to start the wreastle match with her pinned and me on top.

Yup. In about two seconds she can still snap me if she wants to. So we just took the picture and called it a day.

She promises that when she is 100 and I am 89, I can probably take her then.

Now this below, is just documentation. Documentation of what said mean snake does, when one mean snake decides to flip their cousin's raft in shallow water, and then ditch her. (I'm not bitter)

Because Family...That is what it is all about. (Love you~!)

(and now that I am safely in Ohio, Nat, I am starting to feel like maybe I really could take you if I really tried)

Oh..! And Mom said she was very dissappointed in your actions...so naahhh!!)