Life at the Verostics....

Let's put it all in a Nutshell....

2008-08-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

Ok... It's been a while. I know. I feel like my last 3 weeks have been an outer-body experience. Things have been nuts. Not crazy nuts... I mean, we're all healthy, nothing ending in a ER visit, but just non-freakin' stop. I have an awful lot to catch up on, but for now let's stick to the basic Verostic weekend fiasco, that happens to happen EVERY weekend.
For example, last Friday night, we had a horrible storm pass through. A typical summer thunderstorm which lasted maybe 30 minutes but resulted in a mini tornado that touched the roof of our children's school and lightening stuck a tree in our back yard which missed our house by approximately 1 inch. No lie... 1 inch! So our Saturday that was suppose to be spent at the beach was spent cutting down a tree and in the meantime, I decided to power wash the porch. (BTW-That was a way bigger task than I though it would be). When I finally sat down from that, JR decided to go to the junk yard to find a mirror for my car. (I broke that off 6 months ago and we needed to get it replaced considering my car was due for inspection almost 2 months ago. We have not replaced the mirror or had the car inspected because things like this keep happening) Back to the story... As JR is getting ready to leave, Hayden calls to my attention something moving in the flowerbed. "It's a worm." I shout back. When Abby says it looks like a little baby, that's when I decided it's time to investigate. Come to find out it a baby squirrel that must had fallen from it's nest in the storm. After bantering back and forth with JR what was more important, my side mirror at the junkyard OR rescuing a infant squirrel, we came to the decision that both were equally important. SO he took the van for the mirror while I packed 3 kids into his '96 baby blue Nissan Sentra with no A/C to drive 45 minutes in the middle of naptime to the wildlife rehabilitation center. No rest for the weary, because that night we had to go to an engagement party for one of my closest friends. (We ended up being and hour late to the party and walked in during the blessing - it was slightly embarrassing.)
This weekend, has not been much better. After nearly $1500 to repair a leak in our upstairs bathroom this past spring, the damn thing has returned. I literally felt sick this morning when I noticed it. The plumber is suppose to stop by tomorrow after noon to check it out, but in the meantime we can not use the shower/tub. Super.
I'm just complaining. It's a Saturday night, my husband is watching football, and I've had 3 rum & cokes and felt like venting a bit.
That's all folks.

J.R. is super excited to use a chainsaw for the first time. I was just waiting for him to rush in and tell me he only had 9 fingers.

Hayden clearing the limbs as he cut them down

The clean porch & siding. Sparkling.

To keep Abby & Sam away from the chainsaw in the back and the hose in the front, I told them to hold a tea party with the porch furniture. They thought it was great!

The newborn squirrel. The nurse at the wildlife rehab said it was less than 24 hours old.

On a different note, My parents got a new dog that is adorable. Winston is the newest member of the family

Vacation, Vacation

2008-08-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

So we have returned from our vacation with my in-laws and sister-in-law and her family. We had a great time. The majority of our days were spent boating around on a lake in 90 degree weather, just to jump off the side of the boat and go swimming or tubing for hours on end. It was very nice and relaxing. I must admit, I did get stressed. I mean I was stressed numerous times. Taking three children away from home from nearly 8 days, for me.. is stressful, for them it's like a 21 year old on a free trip to Las Vegas. They had a blast. They got to stay up late in a big house not their own with their cousin, grandparents, aunt & uncle all living under the same roof. They thought it was a huge party 24/7. And after day 2, I didn't know how we were going to make it 5 more days. My biggest challenge was Sam. We all know Sam. But he took vacation and ran with it. Nothing major or law breaking... just ran with it.
A few evenings we went on nature walks and actually saw a family of deer run right in front of us. It was amazing. All the kids saw it. Then we saw a group of men unload a John Deere tractor on the side of a field. Everyone stopped in amazement to watch a real tractor. Then my poor husband came down sick. He went to the Urgent Care to be diagnosed with Swimmers Ear. This was on Thursday, come Saturday when were were suppose to leave he was no better, if not worse. I drove home 7 hours, which was suppose to be a 5 hour drive. Traffic was horrible. (I ended up taking him to the Urgent Care near our house for him to have a double ear infection. He is much better now)
All in all, it was a fun trip, I know the kids LOVED every minute of it, especially Hayden. He's at the age that these memories will last a lifetime.

Hayden is super excited that Abby & Sam finally decided to take a nap.

The hunt for deer & tractors is on..

Watching the men unload the tractor was amazing to them. They looked like statutes.

The highlight of Sam's trip, actually the highlight of Sam's life.

My little lake babies..

He's fishing and he's happy!

Yes folks, that is my husband there to save the day. No need to worry... the kids are in safe hands.

Boating around the lake.

Aunt Gibet & Hayden getting ready to do some tubin'!

Getting ready to go on the boat! Life-vests are on and ready to go!

Wordless Wednesday...

2008-07-30T04:43:00.001-07:00

(We are back from vacation...I'm still trying to recover from being away from the comforts of home with 3 children for nearly 8 days. I will post more pics soon!)

"Mommy.... Please make it come out again...PLEASEEEEEE!!!!"

2008-07-17T12:10:00.001-07:00

On Wednesdays, the pool is closed for cleaning. Normally we would head to the beach but Sam & Hayden's room was still a mess from finishing painting and I really wanted to finish that so they were no longer sleeping in my room. As we were picking up and trying to put stuff away, I kept running into this cuckoo clock my mom gave me. Someone had given it to her and she's never taken it out of the box. I thought it would be pretty cool to have. I mean what a better way to tell time then to hear a bird and count how many times it whistles. So the kids & I opened the box, put it together (which was very easy by the way) and managed to hung it up. Not only is it beautiful but every hour we are uplifted by the Cuckoo bird like a band of angels singing then follows 4 little dancers spinning around. We love it. JR has a different opinion. He says it looks like it belongs in some back woods hunting cabin. It does have birds, nuts and berries carved into it. But I like the rustic look, especially the pine cones that dangle down. It adds a special feel to the house that I enjoy.

Wordless Wednesday....

2008-07-16T11:47:00.001-07:00

When the kids are away, the parents will play!

2008-07-15T05:16:00.000-07:00

There they go. Driving off with my Mother in Law... See you in 48 hours kiddies...

So I think I have finally fully recovered from my weekend minus children. And what a busy, crazy, hectic one it was! After I shipped out the youngin's I showered and dressed for a night downtown with one of my dearest friends Nicki. It was her 30th birthday and we were ready to celebrate. I have known Nicki for nearly 15 years and love her. She is probably one of the funniest people I've ever come in contact with and we have fun every time we're together. It's great!

Saturday morning we proceeded with the yard sale as planned. Let me state one fact. I have never and will never meet as many friendly, unusual and probably unstable people in my life. It was the most entertaining day ever! We had people asking for movies, books, musical instruments, Indian art, even Renaissance swords. J.R. and I had a blast commenting on everyone that walked up to us. It was amazing.

Saturday evening we went to a friend from church's 40th surprise party. We had a great time especially Sara's husband and my own. All I have to say is it was open bar at a country club and by the end of the night JR was doing air guitar on top of a chair in the center of the dinning room and Matt was playing DJ with sunglasses on at 11pm. Thank goodness were out of town for the next two Saturdays and we won't have to face the remaining Holy Trinity parishoners who witnessed the Guns N Roses reenactment.

Sunday I was working the yard sale again and J.R. was sweating out 17 Heineken's and painting Hayden & Sam's room.

At the end of it all, I had an extra $250 bucks, vast knowledge of the Salvation Army (from a yard sale customer) and another memory or two made. Fun times.

The Birthday Girl!

After Dinner downtown...

After a Martini and 2 Mohito's .....don't ask....

After a Martini, 2 Mohitos and a shot of something!

Making Money Honey!!

On our way to the party, slightly smoosched in the back of Sara's minivan..

We're happy about it though...

Yuck.

2008-07-11T05:11:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I've been thinking of this all morning since I turned on my computer. One of the top headlines on Yahoo this morning was a possible meat recall. I am totally baffled by this. Are you serious? Last week they thought the salmonella was from peppers, before that it was from tomatoes. Really? Now -I don't know much about much, but what the hell is going on? I feel the Food & Drug Admin is really dropping the ball. And as a mother of small children I'm getting PISSED OFF having the rethink everything my kids have ate in the past week every time a new recall is posted. Thank heavens we don't eat red meat. I mean we eat it occasionally. I haven't cooked ground red meat in over 7 years. (correction: I haven't cooked ground meat in over 13 years..I was a vegetarian for 6 years before the 7 stated above.)We have bacon every 2-3 months, and that is even turkey bacon. (We do eat hamburgers/hotdogs at a cookout, I mean, who can pass that up.) I even started going to Trader Joe's every two weeks.
The point being, after reading that this morning, I can't help to feel slightly annoyed. Just thought I'd express it a bit.
I'm still having a good weekend though!! :-)

Could it be true??

2008-07-11T04:39:00.000-07:00

Not that I don't love being around my kids. I mean, I spend every waking minute with mine. Literally. I'm no joking. BUT ........ (drumroll, please) ............ALL THREE ARE GOING TO MY IN-LAWS FOR THE WEEKEND!! Ahhhhhhhh.... As much as I try to, I can't wipe the small grin off my face. The only other time they were there without me was for a day or two when the kitchen ceiling decided to cave in on Easter Morning. It was freezing outside and we were too busy dealing with plumbers and cleaning water to enjoy it. The yard sale, (I finally put together), will be Sat & Sun, 8-2. That is going to be work, for sure. But what the hell am I going to do with myself at 4? What about 6? Dinner? I could eat at 8pm if I wanted! AHHHH HAH HAH AH AH

I am extremely grateful that my in-laws are up for the job. It's work and a bit chaotic, but nothing they can't handle. Hayden's thrilled, Sam could care less, and Abby is scared of the office they sleep in. I'm sure they'll live. Until then ............ Later kids....... Love ya ....... See you Sunday!!!!! !

The clock is ticking....

2008-07-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

Ok.. I've just looked at my calender and noticed the summer is almost half way over. Slightly depressing. It's been wonderful. I mean what more can you ask for alternating back and forth from the pool and the beach with my very best girlfriends. On rainy days we head to the mall. It's been rough. Just joking. The depressing part is I need to start putting forth a tiny bit of effort looking for a J. O. B. and getting things done around this house before the craziness of school and work are in play. Some day soon I will write about the J. O. B. , but for now let's not talk about it.
So here is my Top 10 things to do before the summer ends.....

10. Have a frackin' yard sale.
~ there is more baby crap in this house - I shouldn't look for a J. O. B. , but open a daycare. I have it all right here.

9. Paint the kitchen
~ We had a humongous leak 5 months ago that got repaired 2 months ago and we have yet to paint the plaster on the ceiling, and the new ceiling fan we bought is still in the box in the office.

8. Buy frames, Print pictures and hang artwork.
~ Self explanatory

7. Paint Hayden & Sam's room
~ They have a decent size room with a huge bunk bed in the shape of a pirate ship in it. They have been begging to paint it blue and blue waves on the walls. It is currently this horrible white with brown trim. Ugg. This is going to be a huge task to take on, even huger (is huge-er a word?) is the fact they'll be sleeping in my room on account of the fumes. I can see it now...Me , J.R., Hayden, Sam, Nijel & Lloyd in my bed. I'll take the couch.

6. Enjoy our vacation
~ In two weeks were going on vacation with my in-laws to a lake house.

5. Yard work
~ I think some days I can hear my backyard yelling for help. It's a dirt pit with a enormous trampoline in it. "The Tramp"is like the island surrounded by dog poop. We never go back there.

4. Hayden's 7th birthday
~ I have a thing for birthdays. I love them. Like LOVE them. Especially for my own children. (This may reflect back to the my OCD - only child disorder - but I can't help it.) Now my baby's going to be 7, what are we going to do....

3. Paint the porch
~ The paint on our huge, beautiful front porch is peeling really bad. It looks constantly dirty. This is daddy's job, so when it will get done, I can not say. Hopefully by the end of summer.

2. BEACH, POOL, BEACH, POOL, BEACH, POOL.....
~ My children are at a wonderful age. I'm still on top of them like flies on shit, but they are their happiest at the pool and the beach. I love it. And they love it more.

1. J. O. B. - find one
~ At this time, I don't feel like discussing this. I know it has to be done. It will be done.

Wordless Wednesday.....

2008-07-02T04:24:00.000-07:00

All I Want For Christmas Is......

2008-06-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

My Two Front Teeth, My Two Front Teeth, My Two Front Teeth...

That's right...The tooth fairy is making her way to our house again this evening. How exciting. During the summer, Hayden gets to say awake until 8:30, other than his brother and sister who go to bed at 7:45pm. When J.R. walked Hayden up to bed tonight, Sam was still awake. J.R. told him he needs to go to sleep, that it's way past his bedtime, he responded with ..."Daddy... I wanna see the toof faireeee..." When J.R. came downstairs and told me this, one thing popped in my mind. This is going to be our child who stays up ALL night to see Santa and ALL night for the Easter Bunny and starting tonight, ALL night to see the tooth fairy for a tooth that's not even his own.

Goodnight Sweetheart, Goodnight

2008-06-22T18:13:00.001-07:00

My typical day is pretty hectic. It's not going to be the last time you heard my say that. Three kids ages 6 and under usually puts me on the brink of insanity by the end of the day. After naps is the hardest. Their rested and ready for action and that's when my timer is about to ding. So I usually find something to keep them somewhat occupied while try to put forth effort into cooking dinner for five. Then eating dinner has become more of the game called "Keep the Food in Your Mouths, Off the Floor, Away From the Dog... No.. Your Not Finished" game. Then I usually do the dishes and pick everything off the floor while the spouse spends quality time with the trio. And then on to baths, which I have no problem with except the large amount of water we use, but I can't really control that. Then books and finally bed. My favorite part of the day. Not because my job is done, not at all. Every night, since they all were young, bedtime has been so sacred to me. It's rarely a battle. Everyone gets in their beds, J.R. goes downstairs and I lie with them and simply talk. In the dark, alone. Just us. During the average day it's a fight between the three to get my attention without someone else chiming in. At night, they each get their own time, even if it's just a few minutes. I adore the whispers we share back and forth. Abby always wants me to sing her songs, Sam always asks me the most ridiculous questions (the other night he asked me if Go-Go's tail was short because he poops a lot?) and Hayden usually wants me to explain a part of a book he's reading or help him find something in the treasures he's accumulated on his bed (since it's summer he's allowed to go downstairs w/daddy and watch the latest sporting news on ESPN.) Either way, I cherish that time. They are so innocent and pure and maybe I want to hold on to those last minutes because I know it's the last time I'll see them for 11 hours when our next day begins.

Are you serious??

2008-06-19T14:12:00.001-07:00

Hayden's "End of the Season" Baseball party was last Saturday. It was a fun time. It was a family beach party on the beach, some families brought pizza, others brought sides, others drinks. One mom brought 40 cupcakes frosted as baseballs. The weather was hot, but on the beach, the breeze felt nice. Hayden had so much fun with his teammates. It's great to see, since most of the time he hangs out with his 3 year old brother & sister. We don't really socialize with the other parents too much. We are by far the youngest parents and we don't have a Confederate flag bumper sticker so I don't think we fit in as well as the others. Nonetheless, we really enjoyed ourselves. After a few hours, Hayden coach, Coach Rusty, stood up to make the speeches and pass out the trophies. I had the camera ready and was so excited until I caught a glimpse of the it. I was to busy staring and trying to figure out what the hell was in Hayden's hand I forgot to take the picture. Here are a few of the trophy now with Hayden's others. WOW is all I have to say.

A cartoon figure with a lime green Mohawk is a very suitable trophy for a 6 year old little league team. I would find it more suitable if they had all just got out of Juvenile Detention....

It adds just the right touch to Hayden's trophy collection...don't you think??

"Yes, she's coming ... I promise!"

2008-06-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight after everyone was out of the shower, I noticed Hayden wiggling his front tooth again. I was getting Abby & Sam dressed and told him to lie down on Abby's bed so I can check it out. Of course he is very reluctant to let me touch it, but I can tell it is hanging on by a sting. Now this tooth has been loose for months. We all know how cautious Hayden is and if it were up to him that tooth would stay in there forever. He could careless about the tooth fairy and her money. He'd rather have his teeth safe and sound in his mouth. So I asked if Abby & Sam could wiggle it very gently and he agreed. (I know this is slightly unsanitary, but whatever works.) So..there we are, the 4 of us lying on Abby's bed taking turns wiggling his front tooth. I realized nothing much was happening so I told him to go downstairs and show daddy his how loose it was. Within seconds, I heard an "Ouch!" and then footsteps back upstairs. J.R. was first holding the tooth and Hayden followed with a look of panic on his face and holding a napkin to his mouth. He is perfectly fine now, in his bed, dreaming about how the tooth fairy is going to get in his room.

Now only about 13 more to go.

Wordless Wednesday....

2008-06-11T06:05:00.000-07:00

Con't. Single Moms...

2008-06-10T12:31:00.000-07:00

One of my dearest friends Lauren, once said that when her husband is out of town with work she feels like a single mom. During my last 3 days I couldn't agree with her more. J.R. went out of town for work on Sunday and it's been me and the crew ever since. My mom still works full time so she isn't much help. My dad is retired, but at times it's like I've added a 4th child when he's here so I'm better off without him. I really don't know how single moms do it. AND I DON"T WORK!! I am already breaking up fights, getting breakfast, lunch and dinner, playing, doing laundry, playing, doing laundry, playing, putting someone in time-out, laundry, bath, books, bed. Usually I'm running back up the stairs two or three times because someone has to go to the bathroom, get a sip of water, or just wants to tell me something they forgot to tell me at 2 in the afternoon. What if I worked all day and then came home to that and NO HUSBAND to help. Good lord. Granted this has been a rough few days, but I know J.R. will be home soon enough. Next time I meet a single mom, she will for sure be getting a solid pat on the back from me. For Sure.
As far as J.R. is concerned. He is out of town for work in Richmond, which just so happens to be where is parents live and he is staying there with them. SO he's getting wonderfully cooked meals, clean sheets, laundry folded at the edge of his bed, quiet showers, probably even fruity drinks with pink umbrellas in them. I am happy for him, slightly jealous, but happy. He works hard and deserves to be waited on and babied. Because we all know reality will set in Monday morning at 5:45 am when Sam walks in to our room with his latest outfit on and I say "Sorry...but we are all out of pink umbrellas."

WCUSA!!!

2008-06-09T04:39:00.000-07:00

Ready for more....

There out there somewhere with Daddy

WET!!

On Saturday, we took the gang to Water Country USA. I have to say I was a slightly nervous. We have never been to a large park without my in-laws to help corral the kids. I knew it was going to be a lot of work, but we were prepared and ready for it. Much to my surprise it wasn't much stress at all. WC passes out free life vest for kids, so I was much more relaxed knowing A&S were going under anytime soon. They wore the life vests with no problem and drove in. J.R. and Hayden had even more fun. They went from ride to ride. They wouldn't sit still. The best part of all is we only spent $10. For real. The in-laws (aka the Verostics) gave us the fabulous season passes for Easter. They're good for Busch Gardens and Water Country. So getting in was free. We packed a huge cooler full of water, juice boxes, sandwiches and snacks. The $10 was for parking. We will totally do it again and it was fun just being the five of us.

Sam's Historical Figure of The Day....

2008-06-09T04:08:00.000-07:00

The other morning Sam woke up around 5:45am, his usual time. While J.R. and I stumble down the stairs to get that first pot of coffee, we can hear Sam scuffling around in the box of dress up clothes. As we are sitting in the kitchen pealing our eyes open, in walks Sam. Now we both looked puzzled because we couldn't tell if he was trying to portray a pirate or Napoleon. At first I didn't recognize the hat, but it went to a pirate costume Hayden had and the skull and crossbones must have came off that were attached on the front. No matter, Sam enjoyed wearing the hat and did all morning. I think he becomes quite proud of himself and his different outfits. It makes mornings very interesting.

Happy as can be...

It would make a fine Napoleon costume for Halloween. All I need is a blue jacket, white tights and make him keep his right arm tucked inside. (And a few basic french words, of cours!)

Sweet as pie...

2008-06-03T17:10:00.001-07:00

The other night Abby had a very mild case of diaper rash. She is quite dramatic so of course she brought on the tears and sucked it up for as much attention as possible. As I tucked her in bed and told her she'd feel much better in the morning, Sam came over to her bed and began holding her hand and rubbing her back. It was so sweet and I feel those moments are few and far between. I know Abby & Sam adore one another and would be lost with out the other - it's hard to see that most of the time. Being 3 and having your sibling attached next to you since birth, actually since conception, has to be frustrating. They can bicker about spoons, chairs, who gets in the shower first, who gets the last bite of ice cream - even who's mommy I am. But when I saw rough, tough Sammy rubbing Abby and giving her a kiss goodnight, I just melted and realized they wouldn't fight forever.

Sweet little hands...

Two peas in a pod

Our Memorial Day...

2008-06-02T16:50:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the hiatus folks, it's been a VERY busy week. We went to JR's parents for Memorial day weekend. The kids love seeing their "Gams" and "Pap-Pap". We don't get to see them very often since they live almost 2 hours away, but the kids really enjoy it. I would normally enjoy it as well, but traveling anywhere with 3 children 6 and under is comparable to riding a Greyhound bus for 2 hours. We have a portable DVD player that I never let them take in the car, except on road trips over an hour. So I thought - Perfect! The kids will quietly watch a movie in the back, while JR & I talk, catch up on our weeks, listen to a little music, and maybe even hold hands. That was quickly shot down with the trio arguing over what movie they wanted to watch. Hayden wanted "The Sandlot", which would be way over A&S's head, Abby was screaming for "The Little Mermaid" which is the ONLY movie she ever wants to watch, and Sam holding "101 Dalmatians". Hayden's yelling no to 101, because Cruella Deville gives him the "creepies" and then Sam ends up throwing "Little Mermaid" behind the couch and Abby's wailing. This is happening while I'm just just starting to pack the whole medicine cabinet. I really do. Tylenol, Motrin, thermometer, Vicks, alcohol swabs, Alburtol & inhaler and Benadryl. (When Hayden was 2 he broke out in huge hives from head to toe while we were away. It was at night, so I called the after hours number of our doctors office and she said to give Benadryl immediately. It only happened once, but for this reason - I take it everywhere.) None the less, after everything is packed loaded ready to go and JR & I can't talk because if we do the passengers in the back can't hear "Ice Age". That also is why there is no music. Sam goes back and forth saying he's sweaty and "Are we there yet?". Yes, he did say it repeatedly. Finally, 2 hours later and (we didn't have to stop once) we made it to the in-laws. We unpacked, went to bed, spent a fun day at the park and at a cook out, went back to bed, repacked, and drove back home this time arguing over "Narnia" "Cars" and of course "The Little Mermaid".

We did make it back home Sunday afternoon, so Monday we were free and headed to the beach. What an amazing day to be our first beach day of the year. Some of our closest friends met us their and the kids had a fantastic time. It was a great way to end our long weekend and to kick off the summer. Here are some pics of weekend.

My family getting blinded by the sun.

Getting started to climb his first tree. Hayden, being as cautious as he is,has never climbed a tree. This tree in my in-laws front yard it the perfect "tree climbing tree". I hoisted Hayden up and told him to start climbing. I know this wasn't the time of his life, but I did catch a smile. Below is Sam looking at Hayden with a twinkle in his eye admiring his big brother because I had already told him 3 times to stop climbing the tree, he's too small.

The crew in the tree.

Trying to fly a kite with Abby. All she would say is "Faster Mommy, Faster"

The gang at the beach. So much fun!

Neglection..

2008-05-22T18:14:00.000-07:00

My day begins with another morning without my car. Day 3 to be exact since it's been in the shop. No worries - my parents have been out of town and I've been sporting around in an 2007 Jeep Commander. It's NIICCE.. and clean! It's nice for once in the last 6 years to get in a car free of smashed goldfish and cheerios. Anyway, Hayden goes to school, 30 minutes later I drop Abs & Sam off, and I run some errands pimping the Jeep for and hour or so. As I'm doing this I start realizing I need to start paying attention to me just a little. If there is any neglect in this house (other than Nigels usual) than it's me. Half the time I skip breakfast or lunch due to not having enough time, Excercising is nonexistent., I never drink water... EVER, and I ALWAYS forget to take my vitamins. Just like I ALWAYS forgot to take my birth control pills. No comments please. The reason I thought of this is because I have been feeling like a slug recently. Tired... bloated... constipated. Ugg. So tomorrow I'm turning over a new leaf. 3 meals a day, vitamins with my breakfast and lots of water everywhere I go. Exercising if capable, but doubtful.

B as in BONKERS

2008-05-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

Nigel just officially lost his mind. I was unloading stuff from Costco when Nigel was going crazy in the house. (You know - when sometimes he starts running circles like he transformed into a greyhound) Anyway, I let him run around the front yard for a hot minute while I got everything out of the car. Well, he ran a few super fast laps around the yard and disappeared.... Where is he I thought??? Come to find him - He was next door in Jeff & Joanne's yard......POOPING!!! YES, taking a shit in the dead center of their front yard. I had to run all the kids & Nigel in the house and grab a walmart bag and pick up crap.

Question # 253 why haven't we got rid of him yet??

Hot Nigel is a hot mess!

hockey, bikes and babies....

2008-05-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend was packed full of excitement! Last week, my grandmother, who we all call Nana, got a wild hair and went out and bought Abby and Sam "big boy" bikes. I'm still not sure why... but I do know Toys R Us was having a big sale on bikes and Nana can never pass up a good sale. I told her prior to this NOT to get Hayden a bike because JR and I had planned on getting him one when school gets out for "Getting honor roll all year" gift. Anyway, Nana and I went and bought them last Wednesday and they have been in our garage since. Every afternoon Abby & Sam walk in the garage and stare at the boxes like it's glowing. Especially Abby. By the look on her face you'd thought the Barbie on the box was actually talking to her. So you can imagine the look when Saturday morning JR finally dragged the boxes from the garage in the driveway and started putting them together. Abby's bike was not only a beautiful Barbie bike dipped in Barbie pink, but it also came with a Barbie helmet, Barbie knee pads and elbow pads. You could see her shaking with excitement. Sam was just as excited to see his painted blue and NOT covered with Barbie. Finally after about an hour and a half and a few swear words, JR had both bikes together and they were off. Sam hopped right on, never fell once and took off. He's a natural cyclist and loved it! Abby, on the other hand.... thank goodness hers came with the elbow & knee pad. They were used a few times.
Sunday was my last field hockey game for this season. We placed third out of seven teams. I honestly have to say I enjoyed it deep down inside. Practices were difficult. I NEVER had a sitter and taking Abby & Sam with me was a little hectic. Thursdays were nuts with practice until 5 and Hayden had to be at baseball practice from 5:30-6:30. Homework wouldn't get done until 7:30 (after dinner and shower). It was starting to become a small nightmare. BUT ... at the end of the game yesterday I realized I will miss the 9 twelve year olds I see every Thursday and Friday afternoon...but......
Finally there was a birth at our house over the weekend. The mother dove that decided to make a home in my hanging basket on our porch, her babies were born. She hasn't left that basket in over 3 weeks (which is really annoying considering I've been wanting to plant my new geraniums.) and I noticed 2 little bald creatures sticking their heads up Sunday afternoon. I was so happy for her. Hopefully she can sneak out to grab something to eat and maybe even think about moving the family so I an plant my flowers. But for now I hope everyone is settling in nicely.

Abby ready to GOOOOOOOOO!!

Helping daddy with his "big boy" bike.

If this doesn't look like a winning team, then I don't know what does!

The new mother bird regurgitating in her babies mouths... How adorable!

Yummmm......honey balls

2008-05-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

What's better than a donut smothered in honey and cinnamon with a few random sesame seeds? Nothing much because it's a little slice of heaven... Actually a little slice of Greece. My grandmother dropped of a huge box of Loukoumades (honey balls) from the annual Greek Festival and I can't stop eating them. JR made us a huge dinner and I was stuffed..... BUT the minute I walked down stairs from putting the kids to bed I lunged for the box. I can't stop myself... I've had three since I've been typing. They are so darn delicious. Yummm.... I love them.

Did you hear that??

2008-05-17T04:02:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 3:12am last night because I heard something. Of course, I lie there for 5 minutes waiting to hear it again. Nothing. So like a normal person I should go back to sleep. 5 more minutes pass. Still awake. "Get up J.R. - I heard something." I tell him while I elbow his back. He's motionless. Then I think to myself - Should I go down there? What could it be? Nijel's in bed with us, Lloyd's up near my extra mountain of pillows. I'm sure it's a gang of burglars, with masks on, just waiting for me to walk downstairs to grab me and do God knows what. Should I check on the kids? Are all the windows locked? Hit J.R. again.
"J.R. GET UP!!" He finally makes it downstairs to patrol the area. Less than a minute later he's back telling me he didn't see anything.
My thought is... I'm sure he didn't see anything because he walked to the bottom of the stairs, stood there for 30 seconds with his eyes closed - to make me happy and walked right back up.
Next time I'll risk my own life and check myself.

First

2008-05-16T05:30:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to Hayden's baseball game. He did a great job and at one point was playing first base. I think he was a little nervous (he would never admit it) since he usually starts at short stop. He did good for never playing it before. I, on the other hand, was not so good. I didn't catch much of the game due to the fact of chasing Abby & Sam around the entire field. Taking Abby & Sam to a baseball game is like letting 2 mice out of their cage. We can't sit on the bleachers due to them falling threw and getting hurt (this has happened numerous times) and actually watching the game lasts all of 1/2 of an inning. What they like best is running in the open field, which is fine by me, but they tend to run in the fields of games, which is a problem. The worst thing to see is it is the bottom of the 6th, bases loaded and Sam running across right field, or looking in the dug out to find Abby swinging bats. So after 2 hours of field hockey practice, my energy level was not full force to keep up with them.
We're getting off track... Hayden did a fantastic job. I am so proud of him and admire how he puts his mind to something, he accomplishes it 110%. Always.

The Choppers, Number 6, First Base..... looking good.

And the battle continues...

2008-05-15T08:15:00.001-07:00

This morning, like every morning we got dressed. Hayden is putting on his uniform proudly. (Like any man who wears a uniform, he takes pride in putting it on every morning.) Abby is waiting for me to pick out her clothes, and Sam, as usual, is rummaging around in his drawers and closet looking for the outfit of the day. And like the days prior, looking for the tie I have hidden. As I am in Abby's room finding some thing to match, I see Sam standing in the doorway beaming with pride. "New shoes!!" he says. As I look downward to his feet, I notice he has not only found the tie, but also a pair of brand-spanking new dress shoes. He received them from my grandmother, that have only been worn once to Christmas Eve Mass. They are so shiny it's nearly blinding and if I had not know better I would have thought he'd found a pair of tap shoes.

I tell him he looks very nice, BUT they're going to get dirty on the playground, and will probably hurt his feet come the end of the day. He thinks nothing of me and happily walks downstairs asking Abby if she likes his new shoes. At this point, I'm still looking for something for Abs and forgetting I'm not upstairs alone, I say out loud to myself. "What am I going to do with him?"

And standing in the hallway, without a blink of the eye, or a smile on his face, Hayden says..

"Sell him at the yardsale." And walks downstairs.

The best dressed in his class, I'm sure.

As you can tell.. they are beautiful, black dress shoes.

One of the many sides of Samuel Joseph....

2008-05-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

This is this morning. We were getting out of the car to go into Walmart and I found my camera. Take notice of the outfit. Very over-dressed for a 75 degree day, but take exceptional notice to the tie.

This is yesterday, getting ready to go to school.

I have always said, out of 3 children, none of them are alike. Not in the least. Hayden, the mature scholar of the trio. Abby, the free-spirited beauty. And then Sam. There are not many words out there to describe Sam. What you see is what you get. He loves anything that involves high energy and is scared of nothing. For this reason, I feel the majority of my day is me saying..

"No Sam, we don't jump on the couch. No jumping on the bed.... Stop running in the house.... No Sam ....what did I just say?......one.... TWO.......You'd better stop.... SAMUEL JOSEPH....THREE!!!"

You get the point. So on Monday when Sam found an old tie in Hayden's underwear draw and wanted to wear it, I figured to let him win this one. I'm not going to control this and what the hells wrong with a little freedom of expression... even if your three. What I did not know is we are in day 3 of the "Wearing the red clip-on tie with every outfit". Our basic morning is get up, get Hayden to school, we eat breakfast and get dressed.....then Sam searches for the tie and just clips it on with a HUGE smile on his face and says ..."Just like Daddy, mommy... I just like Daddy". Let's face it... I can't argue with that.

The first day I thought nothing of it, and didn't take a picture. Yesterday & today are above.

Luke is here...

2008-05-13T04:51:00.000-07:00

4 days ago, my best friends water broke in my living room. Sara and I have been attached at the hip for the last 11 years. She knows me inside and out and we have been threw it all together. College, boyfriends, weddings, children....everything, so when amniotic fluid gushed on my floor, it was another chapter to add to our book. Growing up as an only child I have always wondered what it felt like to have a relationship with a sibling. Now I know.

5 hours later after her water broke, Luke David was born. It was truly an amazing day.

The day after....

2008-05-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

Today is the day after my 6th Mother's Day. Back to work, since my husband gave me the weekend off. He cleaned, did dishes, laundry and managed to keep our 3 kids from harming themselves. He did a fantastic job and I love him for it. It was a wonderful 2 days.