I Could STILL Use That Starbucks!

It may be 6:30 p.m., but I still wish I had me a White Chocolate Mocha -- non-fat -- with whip from Starbucks. I had wanted to stop on my way into work this morning, but I ran out of time (the story of my life!) My sweet Sarah had a nasty bug that hit her about 1:30 this morning (just as Charles and I were getting in bed after working on some house stuff. The couple buying our house was coming back for a final walk-thru Sunday), and she and I were up til almost 4. I had to get up at 7 to get ready for work so....well...you do the math. I have wracked my brain and for the life of me, I have no idea where she could have gotten it. All I know is she was one sick, pitiful little girl ~ but such a trooper! Unfortunately, when she got sick the first time, she happened to include Ava in her "shower of blessings", so Ava woke up crying and upset that "Sissy frew up on me!" Charles got busy cleaning them off and I changed the sheets. After everyone was clean, Sarah and I moved to the couch and daddy calmed Ava back to sleep. As I was getting Sarah a change of clothes, Charles asked if I wanted to put her in bed with me and he could lay down with Ava in her bed. I told him no, that it was easier for me to keep her on the couch with a wastebasket nearby. I went back into the bathroom and Sarah had the most forlorn look on her face and asked "But who's gonna take care of me?" I asked her what she meant and she said, "If you are in your bed and Daddy is with Ava, who is going to take care of me?" Well - if that doesn't cut you at the knees, then you my friend, do not have a soul! Once I told her I was taking care of her - that we were sleeping on the couch together - she perked right back up. That poor angel! It breaks my heart that she even thought - if only for a few seconds - no one was going to take care of her!

So, by 4 her little body finally gave up and she feel asleep and we spent the rest of the night on the couch. When she got up, she was all bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to start her day ~ for which I am thankful. Considering Charles was just as exhausted as I was, I know he was glad she felt better. It is one thing to be dog-tired, but to be dog-tired and have a sick child...that is a totally different story!

So -- we are ready start our week ... looking forward to the move (well - not actually moving, but the end result!), hopefully the boys will find out what is going to happen with karate (Prairie Life closed and their instructor has to find a new place to practice), maybe my car will be fixed so I can get it out of the shop (transmission issues - but covered under warranty!) and maybe I can actually see Josh play baseball! His game Saturday was rained out, so I have yet to see him play a game!

We are only a couple of weeks away from June my friends...summer is fast approaching! :-)

I Hate Titles!

I do...coming up with a title is worse than writing the blog! I looked at the date I last blogged and could not believe how long since it has been since I wrote anything. Goodness knows I could use some writing therapy! Maybe this will make my eye stop twitching...ha! No really, my left eye has been twitching for about 2 weeks. I actually googled it and causes can be tiredness or stress. So either way I lose! The change in my work schedule means I am always tired, and just the thought of the impending move makes me want to reach for a little brown bag to breathe in.

Yes, since my last blog, we put our house up for sale..sold it in 4 days...then found an AH-MAZING house for ourselves. Seriously...Charles and I had decided if we did not get this house, we would probably move into an apartment and consider buying a lot and building. But that was not to be! This one is so perfect for us. Strange thing is, the only reason we even looked at it was just to kill time while someone else looked at our house. I had seen the pics on the internet, but wasn't really "wowed" by them. When we walked thru it though, Charles and I both had "that feeling"...you know...it had the "it" factor. We couldn't put our finger on it...we just knew this was "our" house. It's kind of like when you know you have met "the one"...the one you are meant to spend the rest of your life with. It's beautiful...and will take many many years to decorate the way we want. That's okay tho...we have the time..I just don't have the patience (or the $$..ha!!) It's only a couple of minutes (literally) from where we are now, so the move should be easy. I just dread the packing...and the unpacking. I was hoping to be able to slip into some sort of coma for a few days and wake up and it all be done...yeah...right......where is that little brown bag again?

So that's what's going on for us. The kids are sooooo excited! The boys are looking forward to having their own room...I'm looking forward to the big kitchen and reclaiming an actual master bath...and the closet space! Charles is pumped about having a 3rd car garage...and we are all looking forward to the new friends to be made! I hear the cove is full of kiddos, so lots of playmates for everyone!

Oh~and let's not forget the most important event coming up.....the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! Seriously, I don't know who is looking forward to it more, me or the boys! No schedules, no tests, no forms to fill out, no lunches to make, no backpacks, no uniforms....aaah! I've been looking forward to this since spring break....2 months of bliss (well -- for the most part -- until the fighting begins! :-)

Frazzled!

Ha! Yeah -- that pretty much describes my life on an erveryday basis, but you know, I am pretty used to it by now. I was just looking at my blog and realized here it is, almost the middle of April, and I have not blogged even once this month. Goodness knows, I should have...that would relieve plenty of stress! Let me just throw out a few things to catch up on the last few weeks...



- Josh has started baseball. He loves it, and appears to be pretty good at it! He has practice on Mondays and then Charles has to get him to karate. Makes for a stressful afternoon for Charles..poor guy! Add to that the Mondays when I am working, and then it s even more stressful for him. :-( Sometimes I think there are more disadvantages than advantages to my schedule, but what do you do? At least I have a job...



- Allergies....'nuf said! I need to invest in an antihistamine company!



- Because of said allergies, Sarah has been BACK to the dr. for her recurrent croup -- got a cxr (which was normal) - and still tends to "bark" periodically. I am taking it upon myself to diagnose her croup due to allergies. She's okay though -- I am blessed to have healthy kids! I'm not going to stress over some sniffs and drips!



- We had a visitor at our house a couple of weeks ago....a little bird got in thru the back door going into the garage! Fortunately, Josh was not home at the time or we would have had to do CPR on him...he would have totally freaked! My poor mom was trying to heard the girls out so she could take them to her house to meet an inspector. Thank goodness she managed to get him out with no incident (like pooping!)



- Same day -- while the girls were at my mom's -- Ava somehow figured out how to call 911. At least they called back before they sent the calvary out to her house!



- Finally, we now have a "For Sale" sign in our yard! I'm still in shock! It would be great if it sold quickly. People think we are crazy for selling our house. Umm, have you counted how many people actually live there? We do like our house -- it isn't personal -- we just need more room! The boys are busting out of their room, and quite frankly - they each need their own. They are the epitome of "The Odd Couple", and have now reached the age where I think they would like each other more if they each had their own space. On the other hand, I plan on keeping the girls together as long as they want to share a room. They love to giggle and play, and when it comes to sleeping, they sleep like puppies -- all over each other! I NEED a master bath -- a retreat -- a room for me where I can lock the door! Yes - I admit I am being selfish, but I don't think that is much to ask. Six people require S-P-A-C-E ! Oh well - time will tell! I'm so very proud of my husband for working so hard to get the house ready!

I guess hat sums it up -- for now! Stayed tuned for more excitement! :-)

What Was I Just Thinking About?

I am getting so old....or my kids have sucked every functioning brain cell out of my head! I had a great topic to blog about and for the life of me I have forgotten what it was! Whatever it was had pushed its way all the way past the other potential blog topics into the number 1 spot...and now I can't even remember what it was! AAAAAGGHHH! That is so frustrating....I've tried to re-trace my thoughts but that hasn't helped either. I'm telling you -- it's those lovely children of mine! Let's see....I do remember reading an awesome blog on marriage by "MckMama" (see the blog list on the right!).....it was so amazing I was just going to post the link and let you read it yourself...then I am sure one of my kids did something to deserve an entry. I'm just a total blank!

Well, I guess if I'm here, I might as well blog about something. It's going to be stream of randomness, so just bear with me! Let's see.....we have "sort of" started potty training with Ava. She is just not getting it. I need to have everyone else move out of the house for a couple of days so it can just be me and her, but that isn't going to happen. My work schedule is so crazy that I don't have enough days off in a row where we can just stay home and focus on this (and my job? -- that deserves another post -- but can't do it here -- those thoughts are best kept to myself, so just pray that an amazing miracle happens to rectify that situation!) Like Sarah, it will "click" for her eventually....and I cannot wait! Then we will be diaper-free! Woohoo! Yea for small victories! (Small victories that add up to big $$$!)

Hmmm....what else is going on...there is always something! Life is just it's normal crazy self at our house...karate....baseball...we go in different directions most days - and the girls have not even started any extra sports or activities yet!

I STILL can't think of what it was I wanted to blog about...maybe about my dislike for change...how frustrating life can be sometimes...how much I love my kiddos and how fast they are growing up...I don't know. If it comes back to me, I'll let you know! Enjoy this beautiful Saturday!

Over Already?

Man -- spring break came and went faster than I could blink! Where did the time go? it ws sooo nice to not have to make lunches or worry about homework or backpacks...summer just can't come fast enough! We did plenty of stuff...but not like REALLY fun stuff. The two days the weather was nice, I had to work..but the kiddos played outside, so they were still happy. We had dentist appointments (still no cavities..woohoo!), ate at Perkins TWICE (the boys could eat there every meal I think!), and they had play practice every night from 6-9. Tonight (Tuesday), is their first night at home in I don't know how long...they just don't know what to do! They were bummed after Sunday's performance because they won't see their new friends on a regular basis. :-( That's okay...we got phone numbers, so we can keep in touch! At Sunday's performance, they presented Josh with what you see here....

Josh was the "Featured Artist" for "Dear Edwina"...meaning his artwork was used for all posters, tickets, flyers, etc. Leanne (the president of New Day Theatre), had a flyer and ticket framed and had all the cast sign...isn't it precious? They had such a good time...and most importantly, made some new friends along the way. Josh is really excited because this summer they are doing two sessions of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" workshops. He just looooves that series! The movie can't come out fast enough!

So -- that was our week in a nutshell...hope you guys have/had a great spring break!

My Josh

So -- this is my Josh. Hard to believe he is 8 1/2 now. Seems like only yesterday he looked like this.....

I don't know about you, but I see a whole lot of Ava in that picture! He was 4..playing soccer for the first time. Everyone else would be running down the field after the ball, and he was in his own little world...just jogging behind...waving as he went by! He really is so cute - even if he is mine!

Sometimes I think Josh gets the short end of the stick...he isn't the oldest....isn't the youngest...isn't the first girl...you get the idea. He's a special little guy. (I forgot - he isn't so little anymore!) Of course, all my kids are - but each in their own way. Josh loves video games...and candy...and video games...and candy...and video games...and candy. Well, he does like other stuff too - like reading, playing baseball and basketball (a newfound interest), drawing cartoons, watching movies, and aggravating his siblings. He makes me laugh, and on occasion, he makes me want to pull my hair out. He is a blue belt in karate. His drawing won as the poster for the play he and Zachary are going to be in in a couple of weeks. (The play is "Dear Edwina" at Harrell Theatre March 12-15....shameless plug!) He is a scatterbrain (how many times has he lost his wallet?) He can go to sleep at night with the blanket and sheet covering him, and by the next morning the sheet is shoved all the way down to the foot of the bed and he is wrapped up in the comforter like a sausage. He loves jokes, has an INTENSE fear of storms (no exaggerating there!), and an equally intense imagination. He has a fierce temper, and an amazing ability to feel deeply. He has a sensitive little spirit that makes him cry if you look at him wrong. He most definitely wears his heart on his sleeve. His glass is always half-full. We learned quickly that grounding him or taking things away from him does not work as an effective form of punishment because he would just say, "Oh well, that's okay. I'll just (insert new interest of choice here) instead." He is such a joy to hang out with one-on-one.....not that that happens very much, but I treasure it when it does. I sure do love him...he's my favorite Josh!

Get Out Your Hard Hats!

Yeah - just a quick blurb to let you know I have been playing around with the layout and background of my blog and after over a YEAR I have FINALLY figured out what I have been doing wrong. It was simply a matter of changing my original template. I know that info just made your day, but in the meantime I want to apololgize to my friend Jen because we now have the same background, but I promise to change mine ASAP. I was doodling around with this at work, then got busy, and now it is time to go home -- which takes priority over blog changes. I'm excited about what I can now do...woo hoo! This site is now under construction! :-)