McGowan Moments

"Mom, I Don't Feel Good"

2012-01-26T11:23:00.000-06:00

Words that all mothers dread hearing, especially at 12:30 in the morning. Ashton was hovering over my bed and complaining that his stomach was hurting and then it was straight to the bathroom and let the good times roll. Poor kid, he threw up all night and felt miserable. Thankfully he has not thrown up since about 4 a.m. and I am hoping that it has subsided. He is also running a fever and the one thing that has him the most upset is that he Bo have tickets to a college game tonight and he is determined to go. We shall see. He has only had a few sips since last night and is sleeping off his Phenergan right now. I am just hoping that no one else has the pleasure of sharing in his misery.

Little Miss drifted off to sleep on the couch Sunday afternoon. Notice that she is wearing her sweat band. She also had on underwear and socks. Thank goodness because you just never know with her.

Ashton and his teammates. They are having a great season.

If you will notice, there is a little girl right in the middle of all these teenagers getting ready to cheer on the boys as they come in to the gym.

Oh yea, she thinks she is all that.

Emma and Cubby. They have become very good friends this year. Last year, not so much.

Notice also if you will a little girl sitting with the teenagers watching the dance team. She has no clue that she is only 4 years old. Her favorite person is "Aprie". April is Ashton's girlfriend and Emma worships her. She is the one on the right.

Part of her basketball attire. She wears it EVERY GAME.

Just Catching Up

2012-01-24T15:27:00.000-06:00

Emma spends a lot of time with her various backpacks on. She thinks that we are going to a ballgame and that she needs to pack all of her belongings. That includes her extra shorts, sweat towel (personalized thanks to Dede), various toys, a hairbrush (just like Ashton), and whatever other hodge podge of items that she chooses. I looked up one day last week and she was sleeping with her backpack on.

Just looking out the door.

Notice what section of the paper she chose. This child loves basketball and thinks that every paper that has anything about basketball in it is about Ashton. She is his biggest fan.

Christmas morning. I don't know why I even attempt to take their pictures together.

Emma got the next best thing to a real pony from Giggee and Pop for Christmas. She wasn't sure about it at first but once she figured it out she was thrilled.

Some of Emma's latest antics include, but are not limited to:

requiring that all of her shirts be tucked in. This is driving me NUTS.
wanting to wear button up shirts. She owns none but was determined that she wanted one while at Target last week. I won out. It was a boys outfit that she wanted, including vest and bow tie.
wearing only summer pajamas....tucked in.
Lo Mien from the local Chinese restaurant after gymnastics every Monday night. She starts talking about noodles the minute we get to the gym. The lady that works there loves her.
anything Mickey Mouse. Constantly singing the Club House song and Hot Dog.
Requiring that all clothing, including underwear, be removed before she poops in the potty. Drives me NUTS.
Constantly saying "Oh MAN" and calling for me to "come here mama".
Every morning, without fail, asking about "Ashton's basketball". Poor kid is going to be heartbroken when the season is over.
Finding every lady bug that winds up in the house. Dead or alive and telling me "lady bug bite you".

A Few More Christmas Pictures

2012-01-07T16:44:00.000-06:00

I can hardly believe that my boys are this big. Brady will be 18 in February and Ashton thinks he is 21. He loves being taller than his brother.

The boys had a good Christmas. I am glad that everyone is back in school and at work so that life can get back to normal....whatever that is. We are working on all the college applications and FAFSA paperwork for Brady who is on track to graduate in May...please Dear Lord.

Emma will kiss you for a dollar. Is that something we should be worried about or take pride in? I mean really, what a little scam she has going on. She conned Uncle Jimmy into a dollar without any problem.

Look at that happy face. She loves her money.

She also loves her Uncle Johnny. Emma was very excited about the farm set and the donkeys that she received for Christmas from her Uncle. This girl has no idea that she is indeed a girl. She thinks she is a teenage boy most of the time. Constantly "playing" basketball and being in the band. I love to watch her pretending.

This will be the next member of our family. Ashley and Ben (not pictured) got engaged a few months ago and are on track to marry in September. I think my brother is happy about his next daughter-in-law.

Bob and Sarah were able to be here for Christmas and it's hard to believe that they have already been married a year. The laugh of the night was hearing about Sarah making cornbread. Apparently using ONLY 3 tablespoons of corn meal just doesn't cut it. Kuddos for trying!

Emma sporting some stockings.

A follow up on my medical scare from a few weeks ago. I had surgery on December 16 and the tumor they fournd was a fibroid but large enough and entangled enough that my doctor chose to leave it alone. She said it would cause me more problems at this point to remove it and that we will leave it alone and deal with it if I begin having problems. That would mean a Hysterectomy and I am in no hurry for that. It was an answer to prayer and I am thankful for the good news. I enjoyed the pain medications for a few days and then it was back to work!

School Christmas Party

2011-12-30T10:15:00.000-06:00

Emma had her party at school and this is her best friend in the world Gracie Belle. She talks about her all the time and describes her hair as "round round hair" because it is so curly. They were so sweet together.

Emma decided to be a Policeman or a member of the Village People, I'm not sure which.

The children made the sweetest shirts with reindeer antlers. My girl's was the most unique and that makes me proud.

And for entertainment, the kids got a container of Flarp, noise putty. Needless to say, my girl and her brothers loved it. What is it about bodily function noises that just makes you giggle?

Guess What Emma Got For Christmas?

2011-12-30T09:53:00.001-06:00

Catching Up

2011-12-13T15:33:00.000-06:00

Well of course we have been crazy busy and finding time to blog has been hard.

The kids are good. Ashton is busy with basketball and scored 13 points in his JV game last night. He is still not getting to play much Varsity but hopefully in time.

Brady has his final Christmas concert tonight for his Senior year. I can't believe it. He retook his ACT this weekend and is shooting for even higher scores. YES PLEASE.

Emma. Well, she is busy changing clothes multiple times each day and pretending that she is Mickey Mouse by pulling her shorts up to her chest and wearing gloves while singing the Hot Dog song.....repeatedly. Oh this girl of mine.

I may not be able to find the perfect pair of boots, but Zappos boxes makes great playhouses.

I have also been busy with a medical issue. After thinking that all of my problems were related to a faulty gallbladder (and I am still not convinced), I had an ultrasound about a month ago. To my surprise my gallbladder apparently is fine, but they found a pelvic mass that was a complete shock. Over the last 2 weeks I have had a CAT scan and an MRI and they believe that baseball sized mass is benign and is only a fibroid tumor. I am having surgery on Friday to remove it and hopefully be good as new. As a nurse you forget sometimes just what a pain it can be to have numerous medical tests, etc. I guess it's good for me to be on the other side of the stretcher.

So, that about wraps it up. I am hoping for a speedy recovery and the ability to get my Christmas shopping and wrapping all "wrapped:" up.

This may be the year that no Christmas cards are sent. I can't seem to get all 3 of the kids together at the same time and my schedule is getting tight. I hate it!

Out of the Mouths of His Children

2011-12-06T08:43:00.006-06:00

Get a box of tissues and watch this little girl give her testimony. What are you doing to help orphans? http://elliourgiftfromgod.blogspot.com/ and click on Xiaoyun speaks.

Can You Give $10

2011-11-28T16:49:00.003-06:00

If 46 people gave $10, this little girl could have her heart surgery.

Love Without Boundaries is a great organization that helps kiddos with so many things. It is a worthy charity that could use your help. I would encourage you to check out their website and see what you can do to help.

Sponsorship - Love Without Boundaries Foundation: Name:Unity Fund: YueGender:Female
Province:Shaanxi
Total Amount Needed:$910.00
Remaining Amount Needed:$460.00

Donate

About Unity Fund: Yue

Yue is a precious six month old whose family needs help providing her with vital medical care. She arrived at the hospital with serious pneumonia which needed to be treated before she could have her heart repaired. Yue has a ventricular septal defect along with pulmonary hypertension. As soon as her pneumonia was better, the doctor moved ahead with the heart surgery and she is now recovering, though still on the respirator. The family has applied to our Unity Fund to help with her surgery expenses. Your donation in any amount will help this family cover their child's medical expenses. Thank you!

Basketball..That's My Boy

2011-11-22T16:29:00.005-06:00

Ashton had another ballgame last night and I am proud to say that he scored 13 points in the JV game and 2 in the Varsity game. JV won and Varsity couldn't pull it out. If you know him at all, you can see that he is smiling in this picture.
Action down the court.

Another free throw. Luckily he made it.

Yet another free throw.

This was the boy he was up against. Needless to say, the kid had a little weight on Ashton.

Extra weight or not, my boy wouldn't back off. Where does he get this determination?

Our schedule remains busy for another day or 2 and then we get to enjoy Thanksgiving with Bo's sister and parents.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Enjoy!

An Early Christmas Present

2011-11-18T15:37:00.002-06:00

As we all know, Emma LOVES her scrubs. She wears her green pair everyday at some point. I can't even get them clean before she wants them back on.

I ordered her a new pair of scrubs and a lab coat for Christmas, but when I took them out of the package yesterday I knew that I couldn't wait to give them to her. Aside from sleeping in pajamas last night, she has had them on. I am certain that she will be something in the medical profession.

Getting a spoonful of butter for her morning treat. Look at that face!

In other news....

Basketball season has started and I am proud to say that my boy had a couple of minutes in the first game and scored 4 points. The look on his face was priceless and if I were a good mother I would have had my camera. Our next game is Monday night and I am afraid it might not go as well.

My work schedule has been crazy and if I don't check my calendar everyday I will seriously miss a shift that I am supposed to be at. I am thankful for the extra time and money but my house and sanity may be suffering. As only a mother can, my mother came in yesterday morning to take the kids to school for me and politely informed me that she wanted me to contact my friend and former housecleaner to come over and "help me" before my annual Italian Christmas that is coming up in a couple of weeks. That was her way of saying..."Your house is a disaster and you need help!" I love my mother and she can certainly get away with saying these things.

No big weekend plans for us. I have to make food for church on Sunday and finish getting our Shoeboxes ready. That means a little shopping is ahead sometime this weekend and I am not looking forward to it. I have decided that when you can order anything you need or could possibly want online, why in the world would you venture out to the mall. I may be getting old.

Have a great weekend.

Our Princess....

2011-11-06T07:03:00.005-06:00

Emma was the Jr. Princess for her preschool class and yesterday was her day to shine. Thank goodness it was short and sweet because she did much better than I expected her to do. She and her "prince", Landon, walked out, behaved, and smiled and that was the extent of that.
Are they not adorable?

This may be Emma's favorite person in the entire world. Amy is one of her teachers and she loves her so much. The feeling is obviously mutual. To make me feel even older than I do, I knew Amy when she was Emma's size!

Twirling and looking adorable.

Oh yes, she is sticking her tongue out and making a spitting sound at me as I attempt to take her picture. I know she needs a beating.....

Running away from me while I try to take her picture....

This man may just have his hands full with HIS daughter.

Yesterday was CRAZY busy around our house. Most of them are but yesterday was really nuts.

Brady had his last band competition at 9:30 a.m. and I rushed home from work and changed clothes and we took off for an hour drive to get to his competition. After that was over, we managed to grab some lunch and head home for Emma's fall festival. I managed to lay down for an hour and thankfully she took a brief nap in the car. Apparently that was all it took and she was refreshed and ready to shine. I on the other hand....

I managed to get her dressed in her "Rella" dress and shoes, attempt to curl her hair while constantly cleaning her nose which is running nonstop!

I would like to give a special shout out to my friend Dede, the only person that I know who will say to you, "I have some silver fabric and we can do this...." and my friend Kathy who helped Dede with Emma's shoes. As you know, Emma has those very unique feet and shoes are a major PROBLEM. I ordered 8 pair of shoes from Zappos because it is easier than trying to actually shop for them and of those 8 pair, one was a maybe and it only worked because Dede and Kathy were able to sew in the extra fabric and cover Emma's short foot. The shoes worked and I was thrilled. Thank you Dede and Kathy!

Emma had a lot of fun at the fall festival and we cut it short and had dinner with Pop and Gig and headed home. I was so ready for bed and may I say that although I was glad to "fall back" and get an extra hour of sleep, Emma didn't "fall" for anything and was up at her usual time....EARLY. I think the whole time change thing is for the birds.

So band season is over, soccer is finished and now basketball starts. Ashton had games yesterday that we missed because of everything else going on and of course he scored 14 points. I'm not feeling too guilty over it though because I know what the next few months will be like and it will be nonstop basketball and I am looking forward to that.

Today is church, eating lunch at mother's, laundry and grocery shopping. I also have to get all the glitter off the floor from the "rella" dress. Oh yes, my hardwood floor is sparkling from it. I have a feeling this just might be a sign of things to come in my life with a GIRL.

My Baby Boy is Growing Up

2011-11-06T06:41:00.004-06:00

My baby boy is a Senior and that means it is a year full of "last things". Yesterday was his last band competition and I have to admit that I shed a tear or 2. He enjoys band so much and it has been so good for him and helped him to build confidence and self esteem and I have to admit he is really good at it. I am so proud of him and will miss those competitions.

Brady and his best friend Corey.

The Sycamore War Eagles Marching Band.

The Seniors. This is our future "greatest generation" folks.....

Brady had apparently made some comments about his Band Director's tie. Thank goodness Mr. G doesn't take Brady very seriously.

The more "formal" picture of the band.

Brady was leading the drum line out after their performance.

I just happen to think my boy is so cute, even with a Big Bird feather on his head.

Halloween Pictures

2011-11-01T12:43:00.002-05:00

Emma has a mind of her own. Go figure...

She started out the day dressed in her Renaissance Princess costume but refused to wear it last night when she went out. Imagine what she wanted to wear?

You guessed it.
Is there a Doctor in the house?

Who knew that vampire teeth were so much fun?

Senior Night and Soccer Tournaments

2011-10-25T11:48:00.005-05:00

Friday night was Brady's last football game and the last time he will play on the Sycamore field. He was a little less nostalgic than I was but he is a guy.

Very poor quailty photo due to the lights, etc. but Bo and I had the honor of walking out with our Senior. This kid has his issues (mainly school work...or the lack of), but I have to say, he makes this mom and dad very proud.

Isn't he handsome?

His "friend" was at the game too. They make a rather cute couple.

Emma is not happy unless she is "helping". She loves to do the dishes and even though I have to actually do the dishes when she gets finished, it's fun to see her so excited about helping.

Making a cake with momma. John Deere hats are a must when baking a cake.

The second season of the Purple Crush has come to an end. Everyone say Amen.

Our first game was at 8:30 on Saturday morning and it was cold and foggy. They lost the first game and played again at 10. They won that one (against Rory) and then had to play at 1:00. By that time I was wasted. I had worked the night before and was unable to function so Bo took over for the last game. They lost and the rest is history.

Emma sporting her trophy.

She just looks so cute in this picture.

This is pretty much the scene in every game. He just puts her where he wants her. Coach Ray is a great guy and we are so happy to have him as our coach.

Homecoming Parade

2011-10-16T17:09:00.001-05:00

Candy is a hot comodity at these parades and Emma did very well in that area. Check out the last picture and pray that she forgives me someday.

This totally "cracks" me up.....

Trying to Catch Up....

2011-10-16T07:25:00.002-05:00

When you live in a small town, football homecoming is a big deal. I even remember those days and I have celebrated a birthday since my last post.....

Ashton escorted his girlfriend April who was the Art Club sweetheart. Bo had the joy of driving the BMW....I on the other hand NEVER even got to sit in it. I have to say, I think my son looks so handsome. Granted, the pictures are not that great.
Lots of candy for Emma.

Brady attends another High School and he was in the parade the day before. His LAST homecoming parade since he is a Senior. I'd rather not think about it.

And yes, he is my son, but I just happen to think he is so handsome and what a sweet smile he had for his sister who kept calling "Brodder"..

Ashton enjoyed dressing up for Hillbilly day in his overalls and John Deere hat. Emma couldn't understand why she didn't have any overalls. I guess that means a trip to TSC.

Ashton and his Nanny. She has a hard time thinking that he is taller than her.

I promise to post more soon. Life has just gotten in the way of blogging:)

Another Busy Weekend

2011-09-27T05:16:00.003-05:00

Another busy weekend as evidenced by these pictures from Sunday afternoon when my sweet hubby and our sweet daughter had just about had all the fun they could stand!

Falling asleep in a rolling desk chair has the potential to be dangerous.

After our first win of the season, we celebrated by playing on the playground. I am in love with that smile on her face.

And this one too.

Waiting patiently with her friends Lily and Lily (aka Boo).

A winning team. Coach Ray couldn't be happier.

Emma had her first real open field kick on Saturday. She even gave a girl at really mean look. It was hilarious to watch.

"I need a Starbucks."

Last Thursday we celebrated Grandparents Day at preschool. I managed to get a picture with Giggee but that was it. Pop and Nanny also made an appearance.

Munching on bacon while wearing her Blues Clues costume that is way too short for her very long legs.

It seems that we are constanly busy. The hazards of having 3 kids I suppose. After reading my friend Becky's blog this morning I realized that instead of complaining or stressing over it, I should be thankful for each day. It's hard sometimes. I feel like I am never "caught up". The house is always a mess, the laundry is always there taunting me. Errands never get finished, my desk is always a mess, I have numerous appointments that I need to make. Bo and I never have any time together (although I am excited to say that we are going to see Wicked in a few weeks for our anniversary). I always have projects on the back burner that seem to never get done. I am always thinking of things that I would like to do for others that seem to never get done either. Man......life can be crazy. But I need to stop and take the time to thank God for this crazy life that He has blessed me with. I'm betting that I'm not the only one.

I did manage to get a great laugh in early this morning. One of my morning rituals is to read the Big Mama blog because basically she cracks me up and I love to see what is going on in the fashion world. I have no idea why because I live in jeans and a t-shirt. She wrote about going to the post office yesterday and her comment was "Man this place is really efficient. I'd like for these government folks to be in charge of my health care." That line just cracked me up!

Have a great day.

Soccer and a Trip to the Zoo

2011-09-18T17:02:00.005-05:00

The end of a very busy day with her new zookeeper hat on.
Emma wasn't too sure about the camels. I wasn't so sure about the guy who wouldn't get out of my pictures. Hello...He just kept brushing the camels while I was attempting to take a picture.

Look at me! I have decided that we need to get rid of our dogs and get some goats. Emma would never get this close to the dogs.

You can only brush a goat with your tongue out.

Emma was enjoying the big goat when the little goat came up and surprised her.

Brady enjoyed a day at the zoo with us. Ashton was too busy hanging out with his female friend and her family.

Reptiles. That is all I have to say about that.

A future attraction at the zoo. E wasn't so sure.

Soccer game number 3. Loss number 3. Emma is trying to help coach with the details.

"Okay Coach, I get it. I will step it up a notch, I promise, but I can't keep carrying the whole load man."

Whether it's brushing goats or playing soccer, your tongue has to be out.

What's New With Us

2011-09-14T11:28:00.006-05:00

Why yes, it has been 100 years since I posted anything. We have had computer issues for the last couple of weeks and I am hoping that it has been resolved thanks to my very smart computer friend Joe.

Emma had a soccer game Sunday afternoon and of course her favorite part is pouring water over Coach's head.

Or it might be running through the tunnel.

I can assure you it's not actually playing the game, although she and Lily look like they are discussing strategy.

Warning...if you see these 2 guys, they only think that they are Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. They are imposters, but they look really cute. Brady has decided that Frank's music is the bomb and he and Cory dressed the part on Friday.

No smoking or drinking allowed.

I'm hoping they kept their womanizing to a minimum.

Emma enjoyed helping me make cupcakes last week. I heard her upstairs in her closet and when she came downstairs she had her cowboy hat and her snow boots to go along with her scrubs. This girl is such a diva.

We celebrated GotchaDay with the family and Emma got a new American Girl doll. Actually, she got 2 because I ordered the Bitty Twins and they are adorable. I also included the chef's hat and apron and that was a hit.

However, it was not as big a hit as the monster truck she got from Uncle Johnny and Aunt Sue. This girl loves trucks and cars.

I realize that she is wearing a cheerleader outfit to celebrate Gotcha Day. It's also much too small might I add but it was her fashion statement of the day.

And an apron as well.

Brady had his first band competition Saturday and I'm proud to report that the percussion section came in first in their division and the band as a whole came in 3rd. They sounded great and I am so proud of them.

While we were at the band competition, my other soon, daredevil boy, decided to break a few rules and ended up getting into an accident on his 4 wheeler. After being busted by his grandmother (her rapper name is snoop granny), he was found to have multiple abrasions and has been sporting bandages all week. Let me just say.....if I survive that boy......or he survives me......WELL.....

So between working, soccer practices, basketball conditioning, changing my sons multiple bandages, attempting to do housework and laundry, band competitions, gymnasitics, I have pretty much been doing nothing.

How was your weekend?

2011-09-01T06:40:00.000-05:00

Feeling Nostalgic

2011-09-01T06:11:00.003-05:00

3 years ago in a flurry of activity and a lot of stress, a lady in China handed this little girl to me. I can't even begin to explain how I felt at that moment and I can only imagine how this little girl must have felt. In a way it seems like only yesterday. Time really does pass too quickly.

The following days were filled with a lot of paperwork, attempting to bond, crying (me), crying (Emma), wondering what in the world we had done, praying, calling my mom and mother in law and trying really hard not to fall apart. But sometime during those days, we began to pull it together and Emma and I started to bond. It was harder than I had thought it would be, but worth the wait.

Fast forward to today and I just heard Emma come down the steps and straight to my lap for a hug. Now she sits at her table, watching Mickey's Clubhouse (her new favorite) with her mouse ears on telling me all about Donald Duck. She is busy, bossy, funny, adorable, silly, determined/hard headed, helpful, bossy (I think I already mentioned that:), and most of all, she is ours.

I am thankful to be one of the most blessed women in all of the world.

Soccer Season Has Begun

2011-08-31T16:31:00.004-05:00

Ok, so these pictures are only slightly out of order. Starting with Emma and the team having cupcakes to celebrate a birthday...after the game. Maybe they should have eaten these first and the outcome might have been better. We lost......BAD. But they had fun and all the parents got to enjoy a chuckle or 2.
I think she may be praying over her cupcake.

This picture of her on the bench just totally cracks me up. Shoulders slumped, pouty face. I love it.

Serious soccer action with the tongue out.

"Ok Coach, I'll just follow you."

Or maybe Kyle.

Just put me wherever you need me Coach.

So the strategy is to look cute, right.

As hard as it is for me to believe, 3 years ago we were in China waiting to get Emma. WOW! What a difference 3 years can make. This girl has changed so much and has filled our lives with so much joy. I never could have known just how much I could love her when she was placed in my arms. I am thankful that God knew and that he chose this girl to be ours.

It Takes One to Know One

2011-08-23T16:10:00.001-05:00

Our new friend has decided that he or she really likes hanging out on the porch and Emma took advantage of it to take a few pictures. She kept telling the squirrel "cheese". He kept looking at her and she kept looking at him. It was pretty funny to watch.

No Acorns? Dog Chow Will Do

2011-08-18T17:50:00.000-05:00

mamamamamamamamamamama

2011-08-17T14:29:00.002-05:00

Yes, that is what I have heard for the last couple of days. She has changed the way she calls for me and has started running it all together Without Taking a Breath!! If it were not so annoying, it might be cute!

Today was her first day back at school and on top of the nonstop mamamamamama, I have also heard "school, backpack, school, backpack". Needless to say she was very excited to go to school, but was confused when some of the kids from last year were not there.

She said backpack so many times yesterday that I finally had to sssshhh her and then she proceeded to whisper the word backpack to me.

Pooping on the potty is going well. She is very proud of herself and tells me "poo poo potty" when she needs to do it and then about 5 gazillion times after that.

Okay, so let's talk about Brady. My dear, sweet eldest child who I fear may live in our basement for all of eternity, God Bless him. (Remember, in the south you can say anything you want to about some as long as you God Bless them). He and I had a rather heated exchange the first morning back to school. Not to bore you with the details, but I was attempting to get his lunch together and apparently I was not quick enough and so I had to explain to him in a very ugly way that he could fix his on lunch. I think the veil was lifted, because he changed his tune the next morning. Of course, he forgot his lunchbox after fixing his lunch. Do you see a trend here? The lunchbox that he forgot was an old one that is about too small for his middle of the day feast and therefore I had bought him a new lunchbox a few weeks ago before band camp. After band camp, I have not seen the lunch box and apparently neither had he which really made me made because I spend $12 on that stupid thing and then he lost it.

I came home yesterday after soccer practice and Brady's truck was parked close to the house with the tailgate down and the aforementioned lunch box laying on it, open. Never a good sign. As I approached it I was certain that he had killed someone and the body was in the bed of the truck because the smell was bad. I have been a nurse for 20 years and I know bad smells, trust me on this. I came into the house and he came to tell me the story behind the stinky lunchbox. Apparently, in an effort to teach Brady a lesson about being so forgetful, his drum teacher hid the lunchbox (after Brady had left it at school) in the instrument trailer and it has been there for the last 2 weeks. It had contained a bowl that had salad and chicken in it, along with dressing. Are you holding your nose?

When I asked Brady if he had learned his lesson he told me "apparently not, I forgot my backpack this afternoon and left it at school." Do you see why I am concerned about this kid going to college? I suspect it might be the best thing that ever happens to him, but Lord help him.

Along the same lines, Brady asked me to help him send a letter last night. No problem. Then he tells me that he tried to send it 3 times already but his friend in Basic training has not gotten it. Then he asks me if a letter needs to have a stamp on it. When I tell him, why yes it does, he figures out why the letters have not been received. Dear Lord, again I say, help this child. When I asked him how he got to be a Senior and not know how to send a letter, because I remember us studying that and taking a walking tour of the post office, he told me "Mom, we don't send letters anymore, we just text." That is the soceity that we are living in my friends.

So when I finally fell into a slumber last night, I thanked God for my kids and all their antics. I also determined that I will not throw away the stinky lunchbox and will somehome figure out how to get the dead body stinch out it before the cops show up at my house.

Emma and Her Tummy Ache

2011-08-15T13:19:00.004-05:00

Emma had a tummy ache yesterday afternoon and kept pointing to her left side and whining. I asked her "does your tummy hurt" and she quickly went to get the flashlight and wanted me to check her mouth. I'm sure she was thinking that I should be able to figure it out if I could just look in her mouth. It was a very cute moment.

The tummy ache quickly subsided and she was back to her wild self pretty soon.

Doing her Madagascar Dance

2011-08-15T08:53:00.000-05:00

Another Milestone....Let's All Say Praise The Lord

2011-08-11T06:00:00.002-05:00

It is with great delight and relief that I can finally say, Emma POOPED IN THE POTTY! Can I get a Hallelujah and an Amen.

I decided a few days ago to start getting her up during the night and letting her use the potty so that we can get up dry in the mornings and get rid of Pullups. So I have set my alarm and gotten up with her every couple of hours and let her pee and go right back to bed. She has done amazing, except it really messes with her poop schedule, which is waiting until she goes to bed at night and using a Pullup. Let's just say, you can only hold it for so long, espescially when Miralax is involved, so I knew she would have to go sometime. That sometime was yesterday evening when I was cooking dinner and she gave me that sad look and told me she needed a diaper to poo poo. I told her no and off to the potty we went. WARNING....this may be to graphic for some readers..unless you are a mom and nothing bothers you.

She managed to poop just a little bit and told me she was all done. Obviously she wasn't. After screaming, crying, begging and pleading to get off the potty (her..not me), I convinced her that all she had to do was relax and it would happen. TOUCHDOWN! She finally managed to have the poops of all poops and was very proud of herself but quick to flush the potty. She had to call daddy right away and tell him the news and for that she was rewarded with M&M's and a ride on the 4-wheeler.

So today is a new day and we will see where we are headed. I will have to say that it is a pain getting up with her during the night, but she is so sweet in that sleepy state of mind when she always tells me she loves me and has to give me a kiss. Those moments are the ones that melt my heart and make me thank God for sending this girl into our lives.

At long last, school is about to start back. Can I get another Amen! The boys go back tomorrow and Emma goes back next week. She is so excited and has been talking about "Miss Nay" on a regular basis. I think that I may let her stay for nap/rest time this year. She really wanted to last year and I just couldn't do it. I'm not sure that I can now either. I'm just not ready to let her be gone that long, even though it's really only another hour. It just seems too soon. She has grown up too fast and I'm not ready.

Speaking of....Brady being a Senior is another weird emotional thing for me. Granted, there have been occasions when I didn't think I would live to see this day get here and we are not out of the woods yet. A Senior....Didn't I just give birth to him and sit in the floor for hours and play dinosaurs and watch Barney? How did this happen? You can see why I might have a hard time letting Emma stay all day at school. I am on an emotional roller coaster here!

These pictures are not that great. Number one, they were taken with my point and shoot and number 2, taking any picture of Emma is not an easy task.

Look at her crazy hair. We are about to cut a couple of inches off..I think.
Waiting on gymnastics to start and looking rather sassy I might say.

Just hanging with her brother at another basketball tournament.

Well, today we are headed to speech, or the beach as Emma likes to tell me. The boys are going to tag along and we are planning on having lunch and running a few last minute errands before heading back to school tomorrow morning. So it's back to the grind here. I must say that I might be ready for that. Just looking ahead to the next few weeks, football games start and Brady will be marching, Ashton will start basketball soon (did he ever get a break), Emma is having soccer practice twice a week and starting her games soon....Then it will be Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas.......Where does time go?

On that light note, I will say have a good day.

Tuesday

2011-08-02T15:39:00.002-05:00

Just when AAU basketball is almost over, soccer is starting back up.

Emma has her first practice this evening (in the 98 degree weather) and she is so excited. She wore her uniform at naptime and woke up saying "soccer".

She also managed to get a rather large knot on her forehead today after jumping in her bed and hitting the head board. Poor thing.

We have started going to another speech therapist and Emma is proving to be very "determined". But I think she has met her match with Miss Sara who is also determined and isn't falling for Emma's charm:) If there has every been a stubborn girl, this girl of ours is one.

Brady is surviving a very hot week of band camp. He is putting in some long days, starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 8 p.m. I know that athletes put in a lot of time training, but these band kids work equally hard if not harder.

So, I am off to get ready for work and soccer practice. I am hoping that she actually kicks the ball this season!

What We've Been Up To

2011-07-25T16:24:00.002-05:00

Well, to pick up where we left off......Emma did go to the doctor and didn't wear her soccer uniform. However, she kicked and screamed like she was playing soccer when the doctor attempted to examine her ears. Poor kid. She is TERRIFIED of an otoscope and considering that our new ENT looked like he might weigh 115 pounds soaking wet, I was afraid she might actually hurt him.

Everyone lived and since then she has had a sedated CT scan of her head to examine her temporal bones and attempt to determine if her hearing loss will worsen or if it is what it is. She also had several genetic tests taken after she was sedated but it will be a few months before we get all the results back.

She was scheduled for a sedated CT because, well, she is a terror and there was no way she would cooperate for the test. When we arrived for the test, the nurse was quick to point out that the CT itself only took 30 seconds and if I could convince her to be still we could avoid the sedation. Then she tried to weigh her and get her blood pressure. The tables turned quickly and she understood why Emma required sedation. I think the nurses would have liked to have been sedated after attempting to start her IV and take her vital signs.

Last week Brady went for his Senior pictures. HELLO! That was a bittersweet moment for me. Oh yes, I will be thrilled for him to graduate but it's so hard to believe that he has grown up so fast.

Brady and I were talking about college and starting to pick up some things along the way that he will need next year when he leaves home when he said to me, "I'm not sure if I am going to live in the dorm or get an apartment." After I stopped laughing, I explained that he didn't have any decision to make, he would most certainly be living in the dorm his first year. I think he got the picture.

Ashton has been busy with AAU and I am hoping that we are finished. There is one more tournament but we are not planning on going because, well, it's an 8 hour drive. I'm all about him playing ball, but 8 hours is a bit much. So I am very hopeful that our AAU season is coming to an end. Just in time for school to start back!

I went upstairs to check on Emma at naptime and found her sleeping with her hat on and her hammer by her side. You never know when there might be trouble during naptime.
These pictures were taken on July 4 in front of the creek that runs in front of the house that my mother grew up in.

Oh My, It's One of Those Days

2011-07-12T11:29:00.002-05:00

As I type this post my daughter is dressed in her soccer uniform, complete with shin guards. Why? Because she is convinced that she is about to go play soccer and not go to the DOCTOR! Her speech delay involves expressive speech, not receptive! She completely understands that she is going to the doctor but refuses to believe it. I simply don't care if she wears her soccer uniform to the doctor's office today.

Today I have had to rescue her from falling when she stood up in a chair to reach behind her computer to get something and the chair slid back and she went down. Luckily I was there to prevent her from breaking her neck. I thought she had learned her lesson but I was wrong. I then found her pulling up a chair in her room and stacking a stool on top of it to get her backpack down out of the closet. Can you say accident waiting to happen?

I then found her downstairs with a mouth so full of butter that it reminded me of some old person with chewing tobacco in their mouth. She had once again gotten the butter out of the refrigerator and has eaten another portion of the bowl. We had a nice discussion about time out and what was about to happen. I'm sure that I made a lasting impression on her......

So today is one of those days that if I were attacked by wild dogs or a crazed monkey, I might stand a chance of survival, but attempting to reason with a 4 year old is about to kill me. I might not survive this child! I don't remember the boys ever getting in to this much stuff but I have probably blocked that from my memory. I'm convinced that is why people have more children...you forget what the first ones did.

We are off to the doctor....or soccer....or to find me a cow and churn so that I can keep this girl in her supply of butter.

This Girl of Ours

2011-07-11T12:26:00.001-05:00

So apparently wearing your chef's hat and apron, carrying a fly swatter (unused), and sitting in a laundry basket can bring you loads of fun.

I may have to try this myself.

What We've Been Up To

2011-07-06T14:49:00.003-05:00

After enjoying a week of vacation, we came home to a whirlwind of work, family reunion, and ball practice. Feels like we never left home.....

Our beach trip was very nice this year. We didn't have WiFi in our condo and that was fine with me. No computer or XBox for a week. We were practically the Ingalls family.

The weather was great while we were gone. It rained one day and we spent that day shopping. We managed to catch a movie while we were gone. Bo and I took Emma to see Cars 2...total waste of time. The boys saw Transformers 3 and loved it. Emma would have to I'm sure. The girl is all about weapons.

Emma has been completely off schedule and her eating habits have been way off as well. She has not eaten much at all lately. She did like tartar sauce and managed to eat a small bowl of it while were out one night. She also loves butter. Bo hates it, but I give her a spoon of butter on occasion. Last night was one of those occasions. She was so happy. While I let her watch a movie and I collapsed on the couch after working all night, she kept coming in and smiling at me. She had butter smeared around her mouth and just looked adorable. After the third time it hit me that I had only given her a small spoon full of butter and she was up to something.

I found the butter bowl half empty and little pinky marks all through it. She had butter all over her face, hands, and in her hair. She had gotten the bowl out of the refrigerator and just had a feast. Note to self...butter has to go on the highest shelf.

Here are a few more pictures of our week away.

Brady's mug shot.
Waiting on our crab claws, oysters, and clam strips. This boy can lay away some clam strips!

Silly momma and Emma pictures.

Such serious faces.

Okay, he is just plain handsome.

This one is too. Amazing that they look nothing alike.

Emma made a friend who just happened to have a fish in his bucket. The little boy kept putting a plastic spoon down in the water and then putting it in his mouth. Needless to say his mother was going crazy.

Just a Few More Beach Pics

2011-07-04T11:16:00.003-05:00

Brady and Emma writing in the sand.
Okay, she is just plain cute.

My little beach bunny.

My handsome boys. They were having way to much fun getting their pictures taken.

Brady...aka...Thor.

I love this picture of my goofy boys.

I love this one too.

It's just like those pictures of the movie stars in US Magazine emerging from the water with their 6 pack abs.

You can't catch me daddy!

Sun,Surf, Seafood, and Sanity...

2011-07-03T15:30:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to say that we have not fallen off the side of the world.

We just took a few days to get away and enjoy some beach time. For anyone who has followed along over the last few years, you may recall that Emma HATED the beach 2 years ago.

Fear Not.

She loves it and I think that I have a beach bum on my hands. That is my kind of girl.

Striking her crane pose.

I will post more pictures when I have time. We drove home yesterday and then I headed straight to work and experienced 12 hours of wondering why I ever came home:)

Nothing says fun like working in an Emergency Department on a holiday weekend.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-23T08:19:00.002-05:00

Yes, we do have 3 kids. But as a parent of teenagers, let me tell you it's hard to get everyone together for any sort of pictures and Emma NEVER wants to cooperate!

Happy Belated Father's Day to my sweet husband.

My Little Groucho

2011-06-17T08:21:00.002-05:00

Yesterday amid a clean and purge session in Ashton's room, Emma became the proud owner of some new glasses. She has literally worn them ever since.

3 Years Ago.....

2011-06-14T09:40:00.002-05:00

I am a day late with this, but yesterday marked 3 years since we got "the call" about Emma. I remember it so vividly. It was one of those really crazy days and it fell on a Friday so that made it a really crazy weekend.

3 years later, our girl has come so far and so have we. Our lives have been forever changed for the better. God knew she was our girl.

Emma loves aprons. She wears them all the time. She has one on as I type this post. Giggee found her the cutest apron and hat while she was recently out of town. Of course Emma doesn't like to cooperate when I am attempting to take her picture so this is the best I could get. The apron says "Princess of the Kitchen". It should say "Princess of EVERYTHING".

The poor child and her mother spent Friday and yesterday at basketball tournaments. We lucked out today and another mother was able to be the designated driver. Of course, today will be the day that Ashton scores a gazillion points and makes history and I will have to hear all about it later:)

Should I Stay or Should I Go

2011-06-06T15:30:00.002-05:00

Emma had a very busy morning playing with Rory. They "swam", caught a wayward butterfly, and played with Play-Doh. Oh to be 4 again.....All I have heard for the last few days is "Rorrrry play, Rorrrry play"

After Melissa picked Rory up and Emma ate lunch, it was nap time. Mom's favorite time of the day:) I had already been up to the room once to check on her and she was playing with her toys that she had politely decided to move to her bed. The next time I went up this is how I found her. Sound asleep and snoring. Suffice it to say she had a busy morning.

The last week was busy with ball camps and church camp, although I had to pick Brady up early because he wasn't feeling well. Emma also had a 3 hour speech evaluation. It was a beneficial visit I think and I am anxious to hear back from them. I think we are going to make a change over the summer and start our speech therapy somewhere else.

The hearing aids are going well. She isn't too fond of me inserting them but she has gone and gotten them out of the container herself and wants her "beep beeps" in. She is beginning to copy a lot more of what we say. I'm not so sure that is a good thing.

Emma has been so busy the last few days. It must be Christmas in June because she has decided that her new favorite thing to do is wear her Christmas stocking hat and apron and watch "The Polar Express" while saying "Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas". She is also very fond of riding in her baby doll stroller right now. She insists on strapping herself in and then when she can't undo the strap she just stands up and walks with the stroller attached to her backside. She has also become a huge fan of horses and rides her rocking horse all over the house an inch at a time.

Can You Hear What I Hear!!!

2011-05-27T14:12:00.002-05:00

We are finally able to HEAR! What an awesome answer to prayer.

Emma got her hearing aids on Wednesday and the immediate reaction was remarkable. The look on her face said it all. You could tell that she had never heard these sounds before and she was amazed. I was amazed at how easily it went. She wasn't happy about them messing with her ears at first, but overall it went so well. Her eyes lit up when she began to hear the sounds around her.

As we were leaving the clinic I did a quick hearing test of my own. We were standing in front of the elevators and I was turned where she couldn't see me and I said "I love you Emma" in a very normal tone and she immediately responded "I love you." Talk about melting my heart. All the way home she was listening to the sounds she had obviously never really heard before. She kept looking out the window of the car and "hearing". Her reward was ice cream, a hot dog, and some fries from Sonic. Ice cream first!
The hearing aids themselves are not that noticeable but we have them attached with a little clip so that we won't lose them. That makes them a bit more noticeable. The only issue we have had since getting them is putting them in. They are a bit tight and she doesn't like me putting them in. I am sure that will get better once we both have a little more experience with them.

In other news.........

I worked a few hours on Wednesday night and those few hours turned in to my being unable to get home. We had some serious storming going on when I left work at 11 p.m. I made it all the way to the road that we live on and was praising God that I was able to get home when all of a sudden there was a tree and electric lines down and I was not able to get around it. Our phones were out and Bo had no idea where I was. Apparently he wasn't that concerned because he didn't reach me until around 6:30 the next morning! I ended up going to my mom's house to spend the night. It was one of those crazy moments in life. The electric company finally got the lines back up yesterday morning and I was able to make it around the tree and get home.

Our weekend plans include me working tonight of course, a soccer party on Sunday, Church, and Brady going to church camp. No AAU tournaments this weekend but plenty more around the bend.

Have a great weekend.

What Getting Up at 4:15 a.m. Looks Like

2011-05-24T15:03:00.002-05:00

Emma woke up at 4 this morning and NEVER went back to sleep. Ths is how I found her later on in the morning. I probably would have done the same thing if given the chance.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-05-23T08:48:00.005-05:00

The last week has been busier that usual, if that is possible. The school year is winding down, the soccer season ended this weekend, and AAU has started up. So here is our week in review with pictures.

Ashton had an AAU tournament this weekend. He and Bo were gone all day Saturday for that and we all spent the day yesterday watching a gazillion basketball games. The highlight was the fact that our team won the tournament in their age group. Ashton played very well and has been sporting his "medal" since coming home. The low point - Emma drank from a stranger's McDonald's cup and I didn't realize it until after the fact. For those of you who don't know me, I am a bit uptight about drinking after people, so for my kid to drink out of a total stranger's cup - well the thought of it just about makes me want to call the CDC. Total Yuck.....
We were at a university recreation center for the games and Emma was very intrigued by the rock wall.

Brady had his band banquet on Saturday night and I have to say he looked rather handsome.

Even in a suit and tennis shoes.....

Just playing around.

Saturday was our soccer tournament. Unfortunately we didn't win our game and we were out of the tournament. Well, unfortunately is a relative term.......Emma was very excited about her trophy.

Coach Ray has been a very patient coach. Trying to keep 10 4 year old kids in line is not something I would want to do. He has been great and we are already signed up for fall soccer and he will be our coach.

Emma's favorite part of the whole soccer game is pouring water on Coach's head.

Friday was our last day of preschool until fall. They had a party that morning and the kids were, in the words of Rory, WOUND UP! They were wild. Running and playing and jumping. Typical end of school activity.

Emma had a great "school year" and I can look back over the last few months and see just how much she has blossomed. I am so proud of her and so happy that she has had the opportunity.

Saying goodbye to Paizley.

This is her favorite boy in the world. She loves Kolton. He will be moving up to Kindergarten and Emma will be heartbroken.

Not surprisingly, Emma won the "Most Helpful" award. This could translate into, I want to do everything for everybody and I want to be in charge......

I feel like I am missing out on documenting some of Emma's antics right now. This blog will serve as a reminder so that someday I can catch up on scrap booking. So here are a few funny Emma Antics...

She has started moving things off of my desk and making life a bit more difficult for me. I turned the house upside down looking for something that I had to get in the mail on Friday and finally found it under her movie in the living room.

I found one of her movies in the refrigerator.

I found her sneaking back into her bed on Friday, while she was supposed to be napping. She had on her pink Mickey Mouse ears and was carrying a book. She gave me that look that said "Yes, you caught me."

One of her favorite things to watch right now is "The Cricket on the Hearth", a Christmas Dickens classic. She gets a magazine and holds it while she sings carols. It's pretty adorable.

Her other favorite thing to do is wear her Christmas apron and take orders. She has been watching Rataouille and suddenly she has become the chef.

Her imagination is really growing. Watching her play is so enjoyable and I am always wondering what she thinks she is doing. I wish she could tell me.

We get our hearing aids on Wednesday. That should prove to be interesting....

I had one of those momma bear moments on Saturday morning at the playground. We had finished our soccer game and she wanted to play for a few minutes. I was busy getting all of our stuff together and when I looked up I saw a group of little kids gathered around Emma and they were staring and some of them were pointing. Needless to say, I was not happy. I went over to check on her and after calming down a bit I told the kids what her name was and asked if they had any questions. One of the little girls said "We are just wondering what happened to her fingers?" I told her that Emma was born that way and left it at that. In my defense, I was exhausted. I had worked Friday night and part of a shift Thursday night and had not gotten very much sleep. Of course Emma had no idea what they were doing, but at some point she will and I won't always be there for her. Our goal is to help Emma have great self esteem and be able to deal with situations like this that will always crop up. However, parents need to teach their kids that pointing and staring are inappropriate no matter what. I have become so much more acutely aware of that since Emma came along.

I realize that this will be an ongoing thing for us and at some point it won't bother me as much. Well, maybe.

Happy Birthday Ashton

2011-05-16T07:32:00.002-05:00

I am a horrible mother.

My sweet boy turned 15 on Friday. He has not gotten a present. He didn't get a real birthday card, although I did write him a 2 page birthday letter which I think is better.

His father ate the Oreo's that were going to be used in the Oreo Truffles that I planned on making him. Then his father ate a really large piece of his birthday cake before Ashton even came home from school.

Middle child. Issues. Therapy.

In my defense, the reason he doesn't have a birthday present is because he can't decide for sure what he wants. He has picked out at least 3 pairs of shoes because the child is the male version of Imelda Marcos. He still can't decide. Then he thought he might want a PS3 and of course, when you already have 3 game systems, why wouldn't you want another one. He was less undecided about that when I explained that as much as we love him we are not dropping that much money for another game system. Back to the drawing board.

He did manage to have friends over for his birthday on Friday night. How many? I really am not sure because they were like zombies appearing from the grave as they came up the steps on Saturday morning to eat 3 pounds of bacon, 2 dozen doughnuts, and a pan full of biscuits. Not to mention all the orange juice and milk in the house. This is what you get when you have teenage boys! Oh to have their metabolism. I believe that our final head count may have been 10 but I still am not sure.

So after working all night Friday night and coming home to the House of the Living Dead (and Hungry), we headed out to Emma's soccer GAMES. Let me say, the first one was at 9:45 and these kids were on fire. Well, one girl was. I think she scored all of the 8 points. Thank God she is on our team. Emma got to kick the ball each time for the kick off. Is that what it's even called? I don't really know a lot about soccer. She also did a lot of running and continues to come over to me after each play to give me five. After the first game I had planned on going home to catch a nap, but being the dedicated soccer mom that I am......I stayed for the second game at 11:15. The 45 minute intermission spent on the playground coupled with the rain showers didn't help our players much in the second game. As a matter of fact, it was a total wash. There were kids rolling on the ground wrestling (our players), crying, picking clovers, eating Nachos on the sideline (my daughter). It was hilarious. Except for the parents that take it all seriously and didn't see the humor in it. Those were probably the parents that had slept all night and had not been up for 24 hours. I thought it was a blast. You can't pay good money to watch that type of entertainment.

After the loss, we headed home for an approximate 2 hour break before heading to dinner with Bo's family to celebrate Ashton's big day. Emma managed to avoid a nap altogether except for the 20 minutes in the car. We still managed to have a great dinner and she ate like a starved little creature. We ate at Kobe's and she enjoyed the show and kept saying "Hot". She ate rice, zucchini, steak, and ice cream. Of course she had to use her chop sticks. Well, not for the ice cream.

Back home, finally to bed!! Aside from the Tuberculin cough, I slept soundly until sweet Emma was awake at 5 a.m. and ended up in our bed. I wish I could say she was a sweet angel, but it was like having a donkey in bed with us. Kick, Kick, Stomp, Stomp. My Lord this girl is a brute.

Sunday was spent going to church and having Ashton's "girlfriend" over for the afternoon. That involves numerous trips up and down the steps to keep a watch on things. Of course you pretend you need things out of the freezer and you are doing laundry and whatever else you can think of. I wouldn't want them to think we were checking up on them......

So my baby boy is 15. No picture on the blog, No present. No truffles. Partially eaten cake. No real birthday card. Poor kid. I think he isn't too upset with me. As stoic as he is, I even got a smile out of him yesterday after he read his birthday letter. As with most 15 year olds, those smiles are hard to come by sometimes. Of course, he was probably just trying to manipulate the situation so that he could get 2 pairs of shoes to add to his collection.

My Kiddos

2011-05-09T09:19:00.002-05:00

It is almost impossible to get a decent picture of my family together. Emma refuses to cooperate, the boys are trying to help her and all opportunities are lost. This was about the best we could manage yesterday.
My daughter gave me the most unique mother's day card that anyone could ask for. Suffice it to say Hallmark can't match it! I will treasure it always.

My girl and her special features. I consider myself one of the luckiest moms in the world.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T04:04:00.004-05:00

Thanks to effects of cold medicine, I am having a lot of trouble sleeping tonight. Emma also woke up around 2:30 and was apparently having a bad dream that required me to rock and sooth her. I think she was dreaming about riding something, because she kept moving her legs like she was paddling her tractor or her tricycle and saying "ride, ride." We moved on to the rocking chair and had a little momma time and she fell right back to sleep. Her little snoring is so adorable and when I look at her face reflected in the glow of the nightlight, I just melt.

Looking at her and being UNABLE to sleep, I couldn't help but think about Mother's Day and many of things that go along with it.

I am one of the lucky ones. I have a great mother. She is a Christian first and foremost. She lives her faith and you don't have to be around her long to know that she has something that everyone should want, FAITH. Even when the times are hard and she is taking care of her husband who isn't the man she married 16 years ago after my father died. He is a man who everyday is becoming more forgetful hindered by the effects of a horrible disease. Yet my mother continues to try to look for the good things and takes such good care of him. She is an inspiration to me and others and I love her so much.

I am also lucky to have a Godly mother-in-law who raised a son that became my husband and the father of my kids. She did a great job helping to shape the man he has become and I hope that someday my daughter-in-laws will think the same thing about me. We'll see......

But while I have been laying in the bed unable to sleep, I began thinking about mothers and I couldn't help but think about Emma's birth mother as well as other birth mothers. God brought to my mind the mother of Moses, his Hebrew birth mother, Jochebed. I kept thinking about the sacrifice that she made to protect him from the curse of death placed on the Hebrew boys. She was able to keep him for 3 months without him being found and killed, but in those 3 months I am sure that she worried everyday that he would be discovered and put to death. I believe that when she couldn't keep him in a longer, she made the ultimate sacrifice and placed him in a little "ark" that she made and covered with pitch to keep him safe and she let him go.

I think about Emma's birth mother and how I may never know the real story behind her decisions to let Emma go. I have my theories and whether they are right or wrong, I don't know and really don't care. I choose to believe that she had a mother's heart and did what she had to do for her baby. I believe many, if not most, birth mothers make that decision. I am thankful that it's not a decision that I have ever had to make. I am also thankful that I have been blessed by the decision that she made. Because of her sacrifice, I have the opportunity to raise a little girl to grow up to become the best she can be. Yes, her birth mother could have probably done the same thing and even done it better in her own culture, but that wasn't allowed to happen. So now I have the duty and obligation to raise this child to be the best she can be. I owe that to a woman that I will most likely never meet.

So Moses goes on to be one of the greatest men in the Bible. He was sacrificed by his birth mother and then adopted by Pharaoh's daughter. The "irony" of it all is that his birth mother was selected to be his nursemaid and was able to nurse him and love him that much longer. It's believed that he could have been nursed for up to 4-5 years (WOW - way to go Hebrew women). I think that in that time she must have been teaching him and molding him to become the man he became. I also want to believe that even though Pharaoh's daughter might not have been living the life she should have been, she became one of the first adoptive mothers and an example to all women. She took a child that wasn't hers biologically and was able to love him and nurture him. That isn't easy for a lot of people. That is one of the most frequently used excuses for not adopting. "I don't think I can love him/her like I would my own." Well, let me just say, THAT IS NOT THE CASE! Yes, I had a few issues during the first days, but those were mainly related to the environment that we were in and the stress we were under, but God allowed my heart to be completely filled up with love for a little girl that my womb never knew. And that is the sum of adoption. A baby doesn't have to grow inside of you to be yours. I don't know exactly how God does that, but He does. It never ceases to amaze me.

Well, between the cold medicine and the late night with my girl who I didn't mention is the one who gave me the cold, I have written a post that is a all over the place. However, it's what is in my heart and mind and this is my blog, so I guess it doesn't really matter.

For all those moms out there, the ones who will have their children near today and the ones who won't. For the ones that have sacrificed to allow their children to have a better life, for the ones who have lost their children to the curse of death, I say thank you. Thank you for the sacrifices that you make and the love that you share. Thank you for those moments that you don't beat the children even when they might deserve it:) Thank you for loving them even when you don't get a lot in return (think teenage years). Thank you for going through the fire and coming out burned at times. I believe that God will have a special place in Heaven dedicated to mothers.

I believe that place will be a spa or a least a bathroom that doesn't allow little ones to interrupt.

Moving on Up

2011-05-06T12:16:00.002-05:00

Our girl has decided that climbing the steps does not require any assistance from her parents, regardless of how many times we tell her it does. I found her sitting on the steps yesterday singing and laughing with her sword in her shirt. She is always ready for a battle!

Thankful Thursday

2011-05-05T08:29:00.004-05:00

Emma and Rory enjoyed their day together yesterday. Melissa had her first chemo treatment yesterday and Rory spent the day playing here. Let me say, GIRLS are too funny. Having had boys first, it never ceases to amaze me the difference in the two.

Some of the funny things I heard said yesterday:

"Emma is wound up". Yes little mother, she was wound up.

"Are you a mouse catcher?"

Rory telling Emma "Say chip Emma, say chip."

Rory telling Emma "Say yes mam Emma, say yes mam"

"Miss Mayme, I love you." I heard that one several times and it NEVER gets old.

I love this picture because it looks like Rory has Mickey ears.

Sliding down the slide. Emma refused to cooperate so there is no picture of her.

The mouse catcher question came after I set a mouse trap upon discovering a little visitor in my pantry floor. Can I just say, nothing makes me freak out anymore than mice. Well, maybe spiders. Can I also say, that attempting to bash a mouse's head in with a ball bat while it hides behind Kroger bags doesn't always work. Can I also say, that YouTube and Google are lifesavers because when someone doesn't know how to set a mousetrap, step by step instructions are there to guide.

So I set the trap and put in the cabinet under my sink because I was suspicious that after the ball bat incident that is where the little rodent had disappeared to. It was later in the day that I heard the snap and with great pride opened the cabinet to find it had eluded capture. I reset the trap again and hours later I checked to find it had once again outsmarted me. Not to be outdone, the third time was charmed! It almost reminded me of Osama, but without the conspiracy theories. The little rodent also had a water "burial" and there will be no photos released.

So the moral to the story is that after 43 years, I can finally set a mouse trap and patience is indeed a virtue.

Say a prayer for Melissa and her family. She has her second treatment today and from all that she has been told, it will be particularly brutal. Pray that she won't be so sick, that she will not have pain, tand hat she will not be as exhausted as expected. She is a remarkable human being.

Spending the Day with Rory

2011-05-04T14:15:00.001-05:00

Thelma and Louise......Barbie Jeep Style

2011-05-04T14:14:00.000-05:00

My Marathon Man

2011-05-02T09:19:00.002-05:00

I just have to give praise where it's due! My sweet husband and his sister ran the 1/2 Marathon this weekend and lived to tell about it! I am very proud of them! Bo finished in 2 hours and 41 minutes. Most importantly, HE FINISHED!

BOYS......

2011-04-30T07:40:00.001-05:00

Prom Night and Let's Go to the Zoo

2011-04-29T18:57:00.004-05:00

I just happen to think that my son and his friend look lovely. Don't you? Prom night and his first time to drive in the city by himself......SCARY.....

Field trip to the zoo today with Emma's class. Little did we know that everyone within a 100 mile radius also thought it was a good day for a field trip. Being the good mom that I am, I also let Brady blow off school today and go on a field trip with us. I think he had fun.

Look at that face. RASCAL she is!

Checking out the giraffes.

Easter Weekend

2011-04-25T08:33:00.005-05:00

Well, despite the fact that he had to travel through the monsoons that have decided to hit our area, the Easter Bunny made his way to our house yesterday. I will say that the Easter Bunny spent less time on his basket preparation this year and aside from gummies and gum, very little candy was to be had. Apparently he spent more time on basket prep at Giggee's house.

We made it to church with umbrellas and raincoats and unfortunately there was no egg hunt due to the weather. The kids didn't mind because they were handed bags of eggs and it really cut out the middle man.

Following church, it was off to Giggee's and Pop's house to have lunch and spend some time together. Emma managed to con Pop into a ride on the Gator (or whatever those things are) and she was thrilled. That would probably be the highlight of her Easter.

Emma and Giggee.

A girl has to have a drink.

I love this picture. I think this could be the best picture of Emma ever!

I also love the look on Brady's face.

This was a big hit from Giggee and Pop. Emma had to fan everyone.

Finally, some chocolate!

Emma's favorite flavor of all.

How in the world did my little boys suddenly get hair on their faces?

Attempting to get a picture of Emma in her Easter dress! This child will not cooperate!

Taking a picture of me while I attempt to take a picture of her. Why yes, she is in her Christmas pajamas.

Emma continues to love this monkey blanket that Aunt Jamie gave her for Christmas.

Heavily armed. Emma has been watching a lot of Peter Pan and The Black Cauldron. She has decided to keep her sword handy. You never know when you might need it.

Bo is back at work this week. The kids are out of school today and our plans include working around the house. Well, that is my plan. Their plans probably include watching their movies that the Easter bunny brought them.

Our week is ahead is considerably busy (imagine that). Emma has a postponed egg hunt, a field trip to the zoo, speech and school. Brady is going to the prom on Friday night! Oh my. Ashton has tennis tournaments and I am working tomorrow night. I'm tired already.

Happy Monday!

Friday -Catchy Title

2011-04-22T10:06:00.004-05:00

While at my aunt's house Emma rode the 33 year old horse and LOVED it. I realize she is topless, but this girl has decided she doesn't like a shirt on right now.
My 80 year old aunt rode the horse as well.

Emma had an Easter egg hunt at school yesterday and although she was a bit clingy at first, she finally decided to get involved.

Emma and Mrs. Jackie.

The other huge news from this week is that Emma has finally moved into a BIG GIRL bed. Yes, I realize that she is 4 and has been in a crib way too long. She was so excited when she went into her room and saw her bed. She immediately looked at me and said "cheese". Of course I didn't have my camera handy and if I would have she wouldn't have cooperated with me.

She has slept in it for 2 nights now and has gotten up at 4 both nights. She has not napped in it because this new found freedom is just too much for her and she has been found playing instead of napping. There was a reason that I let her stay in a crib this long!

Our Wild and Crazy Life

2011-04-20T07:38:00.004-05:00

This week has been incredibly crazy. I have worked 2 extra night shifts and anytime that I do, things get just wild around here. It's like our home loses all control. Adding to the stress was an unplanned doctor's appointment because Emma was complaining about her ear hurting. Dr. H saw her yesterday and since there was no sign of infection, he thinks it all stems from the different procedures she has been through the last 2 weeks. The poor kid acted like a we were killing her when he examined her ears and it took all the strength that I could muster to hold her down. Luckily (not for him), Bo was with me and was able to help with the torture. He likes to be the good guy so it was a great opportunity for him to witness what I have been going through during all of our ear appointments.

While I am on the subject of my sweet, precious daughter.......we are entering into a phase that is not fun. She has suddenly become very difficult. This child is under the impression that she rules the world. We have had some major battles over the last few days. It's time to bring out the time out chair and get down to some serious discipline. I have to say that girls are more difficult than boys. My friends told me this, but it is so true. It's constant DRAMA with her. Everything is a meltdown! Oh how I look forward to the teen years with her:) So say a prayer that we can maintain our sanity while teaching her that the world really doesn't revolve around her.

The rest of our week consists of dinner tonight with my aunt (yummy), soccer practice, Easter egg hunts, an IEP meeting with Emma's teachers and therapists, working another shift, attempting to gain control of my laundry, more tennis for Ashton, and so on and so on and so on!

You Are Putting WHAT in My EARS

2011-04-13T15:53:00.002-05:00

Several years ago there was a little old lady who wrote about all the "social gatherings" in our area. Granted, it's a small town so she made do with what she had. I always recall that she ended a lot of those social reviews with "A Good Time Was Had By All." Let me just say that today, a good time WAS NOT had by all. That includes Emma, 2 Audiologists, and me. NONE of us had a good time. Honestly, it might be a toss up deciding who had the worst time. Emma has been fitted for her hearing aids and now we are waiting the money game. Luckily our insurance actually pays some on the hearing aids which is unusual. The Audiology Department recommended that we attempt to apply for a grant and see if it might cover some of the expense. I decided that might not be a bad idea and if it's available we can take advantage of it. If not, at least we tried. After leaving the hospital, Emma and I made a dash through the McDonald's drive thru and got her some fries to snack on while I attempted to make a quick Publix run. She was extremely tired and I wasn't so sure it was a good idea. Luckily the Mac Truck shopping carts were available and she was able to drive and yell a lot. They were happy yells, but yells nonetheless. Everything was going fine until we checked out and headed to the car. A sweet little man was returning the carts and he waited patiently for mine. Emma did not want to give it up. She had the meltdown of all meltdowns and I finally got her in the car seat without her hurting herself and got the heck out of Dodge. Oh Dear Lord, the drama is killing me! She slept all the way home and is now relaxing while watching a movie. She has decided that she likes laying on the couch with several blankets on her, tucked in tight. She even called for me this morning to come to her and when I did all she wanted was for me to hand her her drink that was RIGHT BESIDE HER on the table. A Diva you might say......

Can You Hear Me NOW

2011-04-11T07:40:00.006-05:00

Let me start off with the cute pictures from Saturday's soccer game. Unfortunately the Purple Crush lost. We had 2 goals and one of those was scored by the opposing team. We are not a proud people so it was okay to accept their gift. There was a whole lot of this type of activity. I totally love the look on Lily's face. It just cracks me up.

These two were talking strategy I'm sure. Kyle was so sure of our chances of winning I heard him talking smack to the other team. I believe he told them "You can't beat us." Little did he know we were already down by at least 8 goals. I guess it's good that he doesn't really understand math yet.

The coach had just asked which way are we kicking. Notice that 2 out of the 3 got it right.

An honest goal was made!

There was also a whole lot of this going on.

And quite a bit of this.

Boo (also named Lily) had made a friend and she was distracted by his charm for the entire game.

I'm not sure but I think that Emma was giving Kyle some advice.

This look says it all.

After only 2 games Emma has figured out that there is a tunnel at the end and she is all about it. Notice she is leading off the parade. Poor thing, she just about got run over.

Another happy day.

So last week was just like most weeks at our house.....a blurr. I have been working a lot of extra which always makes life more complicated but unfortunately my last name isn't Trump and I have to do what I have to do.

Emma had her sedative ABR on Friday. Let's just say this girl doesn't handle her liquor well. She was drunk for quite a while after her procedure. The good news is that she is not as severely hearing impaired as we had feared. The bad news is that she is hearing impaired enough to require hearing aids. So the next round of fun activity for our girl is to be fitted for those and see how it goes. We are also going to reevaluate her speech therapy and see if there needs to be some changes.

She did very well with the process. She was not too sure about leaving us but they had cleverly let her drive "The Big Red Car" and she was going to the garage to have it worked on. That's when we made our getaway and I suspect there was a lot of screaming after that but that is part of it. When she woke up we were right by her side and she didn't have any problems other than just being dopey. I will say that I have a lot of respect for those nurses and doctors that work with pediatrics all the time. It is not a field that I would want to be in on a daily basis.

So this week starts out with no air conditioning in our downstairs. Why is it when it turns 90 degrees outside you find out that your air conditioning doesn't want to be a team player.......I am hoping it is nothing major. I'm also concerned about our refrigerator that doesn't seem to be as cool as is should. After working for several hours yesterday I came home and decided that it was a good time to clean the refrigerator out. Why yes, it was 90 degrees in the house, but for some reason it just seemed like the right thing to do. I tore that thing apart and cleaned it like never before. I think that may have sent it into a state of confusion and now it doesn't seem as cool inside. I guess had I left the sticky, yucky stuff inside it things would have been okay. What is the saying - Leave well enough alone......

Today's activities include, but are not limited to, school, gymnastics, housecleaning, dental appointment for Bo (who is off today), working outside, going to work tonight, and praying for a miracle for our appliances.

Soccer Star

2011-04-02T19:19:00.007-05:00

Emma was a vital part of the team:) See how she is watching the action. It's cold and that girl looks like she is having fun kicking the ball.

The wind blown look.

Okay, she is just so darn cute.

Emma is praying before the game.

Touchdown!

I didn't sign up to play with these dirty balls.

No Kyle, seriously, I only wear a size 8.

A much needed water break.

Put me in coach, I'm ready to play....

No seriously coach, put me in.

Strategy.

Well, that was a bust.

It's okay buddy, we'll get them the next time.

Where is everybody?

In the end, it's all about being friends.

Life - A Funny Thing

2011-03-31T15:26:00.004-05:00

I believe "Life, a Funny Thing" is a quote from Leon Spinks. Either that or I am making that up. I want to believe that I have great faith. I know there is a GOD and believe that He is in control of all things and He has a purpose for all things. I know this in my head. This is a week that I am having a hard time with it in my heart. There, I said it. I am human and I am confused. My friend Melissa was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer yesterday. Is she any different than anyone else? No, not really. She is my friend, she is a Christian, she is a mother, she is a wife, she is a daughter, she is a sister, she is a daughter in law, she is a woman. So no, I guess that she really isn't different than any other women who face this. She just happens to be the person that I know that has it and therefore it has become more real. I can't help but think that life just goes along and then one day your are faced with a tragic situation. A disease, a death, a life altering moment that changes you forever. I have been blessed that I have not faced that many things in my life. The sudden death of my father has been the most difficult thing I have faced. But when you see your friend, (10 years younger than me) who is such a good person suddenly faced with this it humbles you and makes you realize that is could just as easily be me or you for that matter. There are no guarantees. Like Leon said "life, a funny thing." So over the last few days I have questioned myself. It's the classic why do bad things happen to good people scenario. I don't understand and I am not sure that I ever will. But I have to believe that good will come from this and that people will be touched. I have to believe that Melissa will be healed and that her faith will affect others. It has me. Do I still question why this is happening? You bet. Do I still think it is totally unfair? You bet. But life isn't fair and bad things do happen to good people. But God is good. He has a plan and He will be glorified by this. I have to believe that because I don't want to believe anything else. I just need my head to tell my heart and let's all get on board. When you pray, please lift Melissa and her family up in your prayers. They are great people and are going through so much right now. I know they would appreciate your prayers.

Every Child-Tony Nolan Version

2011-03-30T10:55:00.002-05:00

For lots of reasons, today is just one of those days that my heart is heavy and I can't keep the tears away. Please watch this video and pray for every child that does deserve a home. What about your home?

Change of Plans

2011-03-29T14:55:00.001-05:00

Well, we have moved our ABR up to next week due to a cancellation. That makes me very happy. I am ready to get this behind us!

Let's Go To The Doctor..

2011-03-29T13:34:00.004-05:00

I am not complaining because I am so thankful for doctors and hospitals and insurance....but I am so over spending the last 2 days going to doctor's offices. Emma had her 4 year old check up yesterday, albeit a little late. She did great until they had to prick her finger for blood and until Dr. H looked in her ears. It all went south then. I want to say that we have the best pediatrician that you could ask for. He has a gift of kindness and his love for all things international adoption is such a benefit to us. Needless to say, Emma is an interesting case and he is always mesmerized by her. The funniest thing he asked yesterday was "What are you doing about shoes?" I politely told him that shoes are a pain in the rear and he agreed. Tennis shoes and boots, no problems. Sandals and church shoes...problem. It's trial and error. When we find a shoe that works, we stock up. His biggest concern is Emma's speech delay and he agreed that we are doing just about everything we can to address that. After asking how many doctors are involved in her care, 5 total, he just wanted to know how he could help me personally. I just thought that was a sweet question to ask and I know that he really means it. Now he didn't offer to babysit or anything, so I'm not saying he is perfect, but he is a great guy. Emma was 36 pounds and 40 3/4" tall. Luckily she didn't require any shots, only a little blood work. Everything looked okay and we addressed this whole pooping problem. He reassured me that she is normal and to introduce a little Miralax into her routine and help her to understand that she has to poop in the bathroom even if she has on her diaper. That will be a hit. Today we had our FOURTH hearing exam and it was finally determined that indeed she does need to have a sedative ABR and that was scheduled. OH JOY. She actually did well during the first part of her exam but when the Audiologist broke out the otoscope things quickly turned ugly. We finally finished up with that portion and then had to head over to the surgery center to have a quick "physical"....right....and get our arrangements made. Unfortunately they couldn't get her scheduled until May. So that is our next big hurdle and I'm sure that it will go well. Luckily nothing was said about having to have any lab work done and I was very happy about that. I had already decided to decline it because it's not necessary. I was glad we didn't have to cross that bridge. The most annoying part of our appointment this morning was the continuous text messages that I was receiving from Ashton who wanted me to bring him lunch today because they were only serving sack lunches today due to ACT testing. This kid is so annoying and only thinks about food and girls. So while I was holding my sweet screaming girl my not so sweet boy was in constant text mode. Granted, I was 45 minutes away from him and somehow he just thought I could magically make his lunch request appear. My desire to strangle him had never been stronger...... The highlight of Emma's day was "riding da bus please". She was watching the shuttle outside of the window and was thrilled when we got to ride it from one facility to another. She is crazy about buses and thought she was such a big girl when she got to ride one today. The driver played the Caddyshack song while we were on there and Emma was wide eyed and so excited.

Little Miss Sassy Pants

2011-03-25T08:05:00.005-05:00

My sweet little girl has copped a 4 year old attitude. I had seen it coming but it has now arrived in full force.

On Monday I considered beating her while at gymnastics because she refused to participate. Bo's explanation was that perhaps she didn't understand the instructions.....She understood the instructions and has been in the class longer than anyone else. She didn't want to follow the instructions because she, well, because she didn't want to.

On Tuesday my face hurt from laughing at her and the other kids while at soccer. Most of the kids are paying a little attention to the coach. Emma however discovered that she has a shadow and it follows her everywhere she goes and if she prisses and twists her bottom, that really cracks her up. I told the coach she might need to practice in the dark if he wants to get anything out of her. At least she didn't pull her pants down to go potty like one of the boys on the team. Do you understand why my cheeks were hurting?

On Wednesday she had to sit in time out at school for telling the teacher no. I didn't get the full story because my mother picked her up for me that day, but suffice it to say, my girl is getting a little on the sassy side. I know it's hard to believe when you look at that sweet little face.......

Just a sweet picture of my dogs enjoying each other's company.

The weather has been really nice for the last few days and we have enjoyed getting outside to play. It has again turned colder, but at least spring is almost here.

We have our first soccer game tomorrow. It should be interesting. I hope it's cloudy and Emma's shadow lays low.

Thoughts at 3:00 a.m.

2011-03-16T10:40:00.002-05:00

Emma has a cough and stuffy nose thing going on right now and was up at 3 for a little momma time. It's amazing how your mind works sometimes and the thoughts that just randomly enter your head. While rocking Emma and then when I made it back to bed, my thoughts were just all over the place. These included, but were not limited to.....

I wonder who my kids will marry someday and at that moment I said several prayers that my kids would find a Christian mate that loved God first and them second. As Brady approaches 18 in the next year, this thought enters my head more often.
I really need to study for ACLS. My class is next week.
I thought a lot about the Japanese and how they seem to be handling a disaster with such a sense of calm and how that compares with the United States.
I wish we had new carpet in the bedrooms.
I wonder if Emma's birth parents have the same type of personality that Emma has or is it just environmental.
Did I put orange juice on the grocery list?
I sure would like new counter tops and a new kitchen sink.
Will I ever learn to do digital scrap booking?
What will Brady make on the ACT?
Should I take Emma to the doctor or is this just a cold?
Are most insects necessary?

So as you can see, I suffer from flight of ideas.

My stepfather works puzzles all the time. I uploaded some pics for my mom yesterday and I loved this one. Emma may or may not have taken a few pieces of pap's puzzle......I'm just saying.

Spring Break

2011-03-14T16:50:00.002-05:00

The first day of spring break and I have already had to tie Emma to the cabinet:)

Not really. She has been a "dog" all afternoon and wanted me to put her leash on and walk her around the house and then tie her to the cabinet. Don't worry, the "leash" is tied to her strap and not her neck! I save that for the boys.

Ok, I admit it. I have finally consented and decided to hire a housekeeper. Why yes, I do work part time and I realize I should be able to get it all done, but I CAN'T! I admit it. I met with with her this morning and I think it is going to be a great relationship! She even commented that my ceiling fans were not that dirty:) That is probably the only thing.

It is a great feeling to think that at least once every 2 weeks my house is going to be clean. It is a huge load off of my mind. Now I may have to sell some of the kids things to keep paying for her, but they really have too much stuff anyway:)

We have no big plans for spring break and that's okay. Everyone has various appointments, Ashton has tennis, I have a class, Bo has to work, so it's just another week but without school.

Hope your Monday has been a good one!

My Life...My Children...My Goodness.....

2011-03-12T14:46:00.004-06:00

3 kids. That is what God has blessed us with. 2 the old fashioned way and 1 through the miracle of adoption.

I love my 3 kids. They are all unique. Totally Different. Their personalities, their physical traits, the whole package.

Ashton. My athlete. My kid who wants to fit in and be popular. My kid who doesn't reveal his feelings as well but will come into my room at night and lay down next to me and pretend like nothing is bothering him. After a few minutes his shield begins to come down a little and I can usually find out what is going on in that head/heart of his.

He doesn't show his feelings very well and heaven forbid that he ever tells you he is sorry for something. He will stand there and give me that look that says "OK, I will say it, but only because you are making me." Of all my kids, he is the most like me. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Well, he ain't ugly. He's actually a very handsome boy. I knew when he was born and the nurse pointed out those dimples right away that I would have trouble.

He is on top of his game most of the time. He wants to do well and make good grades. He has very little patience (another trait of mine). He is tender hearted in a lot of ways and last year after church camp when he mentioned that $20 will buy food, shelter, water, and school supplies for children in India and he had tears in his eyes, I had one of those moments that my heart was bursting with pride. He had donated his money and didn't have any for food on the trip home. For this boy to sacrifice food says a lot about him. He is a good boy and I love him so much.

That is not to say that he drives me nuts every morning when I am trying to get him out of the bed. He is also very demanding at times.

BRADY. Oh dear Brady.....Words are hard to find.

This kid is one of a kind. Thank GOD.

In all fairness, he is my firstborn and I made a lot of mistakes with him. It's really not fair to be the firstborn. No matter how many books you read and people you talk with, their is no real preparation for that first kid. Trial and error.

Brady is a sensitive soul. He is very loving and never hesitates to hug and kiss me no matter where we are or who he is with. He frequently tells us what good parents we are and I think he realizes that not all kids have parents that support them and encourage them as much as we do. It breaks my heart to hear him talk about some of the kids at school and the relationships they have with their parents. I have always tried to be very open with him and tried not to show too much alarm when he tells me things. Granted, that may involve a quick turn of the head or quick trip to the bathroom to collect my thoughts before I say something I shouldn't.

Brady is a left brain person. I am right brain. We don't have much in common, other than our love of politics and a dry sense of humor. He drives me crazy. He is messy, unkept, unorganized, laid back, etc. You can add as many adjectives to that as you can think of. His room is a disaster and he will spend all day "working" on it and never get finished. Easily distracted. He reminds me of a dog chasing his tail. Never catches it, tires out, lays down.

Musically talented. Loves anything that involves music, especially drums. I have NO musical ability.

Brady can debate with the best of them. He has an argument for everything and it drives me NUTS. He has not learned to accept responsibility well yet. He is always of the mindset that it's someone else's fault. That remains a work in progress and I suspect he will eventually figure this out. Amazing how life teaches you that.

Brady is amazingly smart. Unfortunately, his inability to stay organized works against that. He is the king of lost homework assignments. He has been wearing that crown since the fifth grade. I really wish he could have passed that crown to someone else, but it never happened. He will be a Senior this fall. I hope. I can honestly say that I am looking forward to him graduating. It will be a load off my shoulders. I know that their will be other stresses to follow, but at least that one will be over.

Yes, he is unique. I love him and am so proud of him. Other than a few mishaps, he has given us very little trouble. He is very comfortable in his skin and doesn't care if he fits in or not. He is band nerd and he will be the first one to say that. I wish that I could have really been as comfortable with myself when I was 17. That is a gift and I know that it will serve him well.

If only he can make it out of high school without me killing him.

One of the other things that I absolutely love about my boys is how much they love their sister. She adores them and they her. It's fun to watch. Brady's pet name for Emma is "punk". He calls her that all the time and it's so cute. Ashton is always loving on her or aggravating her. That is just his way.

I was busy one night this week and didn't know where she was. She had gone down the steps to the man cave and was sitting in the recliner with Ashton playing XBOX. She has the headphones on and was "talking" to Ashton's opponent. I'm sure Ashton was using this distraction as some form of stategy, but it was hilarious to see her doing it. Ashton told me they were just "chilling".

Yes, this girl scored big with her 2 big brothers. I feel sorry for any boy who has to answer to them someday.

Emma. She is work in progress and I love seeing her personality shine through. She is so funny. Trying at times, yes. I think a lot of that will get better as her speech emerges. I look so forward to the day that she can speak clearly. I know it's frustrating for her and there are days when it is very frustrating for me as well.

I realize this post was all over the place. That's okay, it was for me. It has been an especially stressful week and I just needed some reminders why I love these kiddos so much.

I didn't have to think too hard.

Watch Out Mia....This Girl is A Natural

2011-03-04T07:55:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was our first soccer practice and let me just say, 4 year olds have the attention span of a flea. They were hilarious and adorable to watch. They are the "Purple Crush" and I can't wait to see these crushers in action.

After driving all over town and finally finding cleats, shin guards, a ball, shorts and socks, we are officially ready to start the season.

Flower Child

2011-03-01T16:06:00.003-06:00

My absolute favorite flower is a Daffodil (better known in the county as Buttercups:). It's a sure sign of spring.

Emma's soccer coach called today to introduce himself. Let me just say, this may prove to be very interesting. I almost didn't tell him about Emma and her uniqueness, but I didn't really want to surprise him either. He immediately began with the usual response of how sad it was. I was quick to explain to him there will be no pity or special treatment. This girl doesn't need any. I think he understood and if he didn't, he will......

What We've Been Up To

2011-02-23T08:59:00.002-06:00

First of all, yes Emma had her ear appointment last week. UNSUCCESSFUL. Our first attempt was just a regular hearing exam but she wouldn't cooperate and the audiologist determined that maybe we should have a different type of exam that was offered at another office. Sooooooo, we left there and had lunch at the park until our next appointment. This test required that Emma sit still for approximately 10 minutes with foam ear plug type things in her ears while connected to the machine that recorded her response to sound waves (something like that). This too didn't go so well and the results that we got were not good. If in fact it was accurate, Emma is certainly not hearing like she should. HELLO...that's what I have been saying all along. So now we are waiting to hear from yet another hospital and we are going to have a sedated ABR test. As much as I don't like having my girl sedated, if we can get to the bottom of this, I am all in. I will keep you posted.

Might I add, that after surviving that day, I found myself driving the wrong way on a one way street and luckily was not stopped by a cop or hit head on. It was a very stressful day and the irony of being headed in the wrong direction was not lost on me.

What else is happening around here:

Emma has started calling Bo....Bo. She yells his name all the time and he keeps saying "it's daddy to you". Pretty funny.
Emma got a kindness award last week at school for getting a Kleenex and offering to wipe her friend's nose while on the playground. Luckily the teacher intervened and did the actual wiping.
Emma ate sour cream straight from the bowl last night. Not only does she love butter, she now has discovered sour cream.
Her new favorite thing to watch is Tom and Jerry. Classic.
I was yelling for Ashton to come to dinner last night and she proceeded to stand at the top of the stairs and yell "Now Boy"
We continue to struggle with pooping. She will not go on the potty. While I was rocking her last night she was a total gas bag and when I suggested we go on the potty she quickly told me "No". We normally have a routine of reading, rocking, getting into bed and dancing, kissing and giving fives. She wanted nothing to do with that last night and was anxious to get in bed and told me "goodnight" and wanted me to leave so she could do her business in private. When I returned to change her diaper, she was peeking over the railing of her bed and grinning at me to let me know she was done and needed to be cleaned up. I refuse to worry with it right now and will wait until Summer to really pressure her into using the potty. She has some type of hang up and I don't want to make it worse.
I have found a way to get Ashton out of the house and to the bus stop on time! I am letting him drive to the bus stop and he thinks he is all that and a pack of crackers. Why didn't I think of that sooner.
Basketball in over and tennis has started.
Brady informed me that he thinks we should adopt again. He wasn't really sure why, but he just thought we should. Of course he presented this suggestion on a day that mothering was not my favorite thing to be doing and he had found himself grounded and I had found myself checking one way flight plans to parts unknown. I explained to him that I would take his suggestion under advisement but it wasn't about to happen. These sweet little ones grow up to become teenagers and cause parents to ponder the reasons why some animals eat their young.

So that about wraps it up. Have a great day!

Happy Birthday Brady

2011-02-20T06:32:00.002-06:00

My baby boy turned 17 yesterday and I was a bit teary all day. Where did 17 years go? And next year.....he will be 18 and I can't even think about it. The pictures at the bottom seem like only yesterday. I apologize for the poor quality, but Bo is responsible. Check out my hair after being in labor for 12 hours.

We spent the day at home and had his favorite foods for dinner. Bo grilled steak and salmon and I made him a cheesecake. I think he had a nice day and after having a particularly trying week, I was hoping he would. It's hard being a teenager and it's really hard being a teenager's mother. As Beth Moore says "you are only as happy as your saddest child".

His birthday present was tickets to a concert with his dad. Dad does rock concert duty, unless it just happens to be someone I like. They are going to see RUSH in April.

I realized that I had no candles after the fact, so we improvised with what we did have. He chose 4o4.
My other son Cory.

What We've Been Doing

2011-02-17T08:48:00.002-06:00

We attended the Chinese New Year festivities on Saturday night and had a great time. The different performances were great. We especially loved the drummers.
The Lion Dance

Emma HATED this guy. HATED.

Just hanging out watching television and eating bacon.

This is the face I see every day that is cold. She thinks she is a house dog. She climbs up in the rocking chair and begs at the window. Why yes, that would be a hole in the screen. Thanks Gypsy. She forgets that I am the one who loves her most and I am having to listen to a certain someone complain about that hole......

Say a prayer. Today is the day we head back to the ENT office and try AGAIN for a hearing test. Please, Please, Please make it a successful day.

Happy Valentines Day

2011-02-14T08:39:00.002-06:00

I am not a flower person. I think it is a complete waste of money and that it is ridiculous for florists to up the ante during the Valentine season. BUT.....my husband is a sweet romantic who just thinks I am the best wife ever and I deserve to be spoiled with roses on Valentines. Who am I to argue?
My Ashton has the sweetest look on his face. He loves his sister and he is a great big brother....most of the time.

We celebrated an early Valentines Day with pap and Sophie a couple of weeks ago. Let's just say, trying to take pictures of Emma that day was a challenge and one that I did not win.

Happy Birthday Emma

2011-02-13T17:44:00.002-06:00

Today our girl turns 4. She is amazing and feisty and silly and fun and precious. Most of all, she is ours and we are so thankful.

I AM "SNOW" OVER IT

2011-02-10T14:55:00.002-06:00

Why yes, I do realize that is a lame title, but what can I say? I am about tired of snow and cold and more importantly, SNOW DAYS. These kids need to be in school already!!

So today marks the last official snow day for our school system. Now it's time to get serious and start taking away spring break days. As I said, enough already.

Well, it's been a week and you would think that I had some major Earth shattering news to talk about, but considering my life......nothing too Earth shattering here.

Emma has started singing - a lot. Her favorite songs are "Hinkle Hinkle" (better known as Twinkle, Twinkle" and "Round Bus". You guessed it, "The Wheels on the Bus". She is so funny and animated and just loves to sing at the top of her lungs. I love it.

Other News:

she touched Gypsy (our Bassett Hound). As most of you know, she is terrified of dogs and screams when they look at her. She actually sat down next to me and rubbed Gypsy's ears and touched her nose and then proceeded to tell me "Dirty - wash it" and got up and washed her hands. Germ freak - but progress nonetheless.
Upon being disciplined by her father for throwing her cup in the floor and refusing to pick it up and demanding that he do it, she screamed and cried and immediately came to me to tell on Daddy for disciplining her. She was out of luck as her cold hearted mom didn't fall for her scam, I mean tears.
Ashton found cotton candy underneath his old bed that was approximately 2 years old and could have been used to hammer with. Just thought I would throw that one in so you get an idea of how tidy my children are. Refer back to the mice and year old Christmas candy if you have any doubts.
We signed Emma up to play soccer. Yes, our girl is going to be the new queen of the soccer field. Just wait. And there are some of the cutest pink shin guards at Target. Did I mention she is going to be queen?
After much review and consideration, I just ordered a new car seat for our girl. I realize that isn't exactly Earth shattering news, but considering it means she is getting too big for her old one and I can't believe how tall she is getting, I knew everyone would want to know that.
I drove to work last night in the snow and ice and didn't have any problems. Of course I was driving my mother's 4WD truck and felt like such a redneck renegade. Loved it.
Emma has a birthday this weekend and we are attending a CNY celebration Saturday night. We are looking so forward to it and enjoy seeing those adorable girls and boys running around and having fun.
check out the Markmiller blog on my list of favorites. Her latest post is so precious and I can relate to it so well.
The End

Pre Birthday Festivities

2011-02-05T13:32:00.002-06:00

Our girl saw the doctor on Thursday and he removed the left ear tube which was covered in blood and yuck. I'm actually surprised that you did not hear the screaming......We were still unable to do the hearing test and have rescheduled it AGAIN. Lord help us.

So here are a few pictures from our pre birthday festivities at Giggee and Pop's house.
I'm getting Brady a haircut for his birthday.

Isn't this a face that you can just eat up?

Fall Back and Punt

2011-02-01T09:37:00.002-06:00

Change of plans. They decided to reschedule Emma's hearing test until Thursday due to our little bleeding episode. GREAT. They want her to see the ENT first and then have the hearing test. Can you say "this ain't no happy child". I'm afraid she will be too upset to make it through the hearing test after having the doc mess with her ears. We shall see..........

Can You Hear Me?

2011-02-01T08:22:00.002-06:00

So yesterday was one of those days and today isn't starting out a lot better.

I had a meeting at work and while I was there I got a call (or 2) about Emma having some blood coming from her ear at preschool. I went to get her and sure enough, she had some bleeding from her left ear. That is the ear that still has a tube in it so I gave the doctor a call and got an appointment to check it out. Of course we had to see a different doc, but she was great and Emma did well. The doctor seemed to think that Emma may have put something in her ear and scratched it. I'm not so sure what happened, but the doc didn't think it was infected and gave us some drops to use. Hopefully that will do the trick. Emma doesn't act like it hurts at all, but is very fascinated with the whole bloody ear and cotton ball thing.

We have an appointment today (scheduled weeks ago) to have her hearing checked - AGAIN. I am very hopeful that this will be the time that it actually works out. I have 2 bags of chocolate Kisses ready and waiting for her treat. Please say a prayer that today will be successful. Obviously her speech is directly related to her hearing and I so hope we can determine for sure if she is hearing like she should.

Be Very Quiet.....I'm Hunting Wabbitts....

2011-01-31T09:43:00.003-06:00

Emma found these old guns that belonged to the boys when they were little and she is having a blast playing with them.

Nothing like getting ready for church and then playing with pretend firearms.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-26T08:40:00.000-06:00

Wouldn't You Just Know It?

2011-01-24T14:33:00.003-06:00

I read a survey last week that said the average family does 7 loads of laundry in a week. At last, I AM ABOVE AVERAGE and I MEAN WAY ABOVE! I want to meet these people named Average and learn their secret...

Today started at 4 a.m. with little Miss Priss waking up with a wet bed and requiring new p.j.s and sheets. We quickly changed our p.j.s and before she could be put back in bed, she leaned in to me and held up that little finger and told me "Shhhh, night night" and headed straight for our bed. What's a woman to do? I'll tell you, you lay in bed next to the little rat and remind her that she needs to be sleeping and not talking and kicking and slobbering because it would be nice to get another hour of sleep. Needless to say, we were up at 5 with daddy and that was that. She started her morning off with Winnie the Pooh and a sausage biscuit and juice. Does it get any better?

You would think that a little girl would be extremely tired when she was picked up at school but she managed to go strong all the way home and then some. She was especially funny when I went around a curve and apparently her car seat is a little loose and she leaned heavily to the left. Her eyes got huge and she cracked up laughing. Me, not so much.

It is finally quiet and I know it won't last long. Brady will be home soon and Ashton will have to be picked up from practice and Emma has gymnastics and there's dinner to make and clothes to fold and the list goes on and on. I refer to it as domestic bliss and I know that in the not so far off future, I will miss it all.

After doing laundry all day, it's a chance I might just be willing to take:)

Another Snow Day.....

2011-01-21T11:24:00.003-06:00

Yet another snow day......Even though I am about over snow days, I will say this particular snow is beautiful. It was very wet and just covered the trees so beautifully. Unfortunately, I had to drive to work in it last night. My 15 minute commute took 1 hour and 40 minutes. Life lesson...never drink a cup of coffee before you take off and get stuck on the road. My bladder was screaming when I finally made it to work. I also managed to drive back home in it this morning at 1 a.m. and I was very proud of myself. When I got home the snow was just amazing. It looked like diamonds all over our yard. A very nice God moment indeed.

Just a few pics of the kiddos. I cannot for the life of me get a good picture of Ashton playing ball.

This little rascal was looking so cute peering into the oven while dinner was cooking and when I attempted to get her picture, she had to run get her camera. Needless to say I didn't get the shot I wanted but I did manage to snap a few cute ones. Cheer leading uniform, apron, and cowboy boots. What can I say...

Our Little Monkey Girl

2011-01-19T17:51:00.003-06:00

This has become Emma's new favorite thing. Aunt Jamie gave it to her for Christmas and it's basically a wrap with a money tail, head, and hands. She insists on having it tied around her for nap time and now for bedtime. (Look at her little fat belly sticking out of it.) It coordinates well with cowboy boots as well.

Free At Last - Almost

2011-01-17T14:17:00.005-06:00

As I sit here drinking a cup of coffee and catching up on life, I can't say how thankful I am not to have to work another shift tonight! Yes, I did steal Dr. Martin Luther King's line, but it does feel like I'm free. I have worked the last 3 nights and although Saturday night was only 7 hours, it felt like an eternity due to Flu season being upon us. Be ready folks, it's here. Wash your hands, get out your Lysol spray, don't shake hands, sneeze in your elbow, up the vitamin intake, have plenty of Tylenol on hand, because it's that time of year and why anyone in their right mind would sign up to work extra shifts during the dreaded season of crud is beyond me. Oh that's right, I'm not independently wealthy and I have children to feed. It's all coming back to me now.

So I have sort of survived the weekend and although our house looks a bit like a nuclear bomb went off and it's going to take a while to get things back in order, it does feel good to be home. I would bet that Bo would agree, having played Mr. Mom for the last 3 days. When he stormed in to our bedroom yesterday morning while I was attempting to sleep and used a certain tone to ask "I hate to wake you, but do you know where Emma's belt is?" I could hear her screaming in the background and he looked as though he had reached stroke level. Funny how a little girl can do that do you. Not that I would know anything about that......I suspect it was a good thing that he was on his way to church. I think somebody stood in need of a little prayer.

After 4 snow days and a holiday today, I am so HOPING and PRAYING that my children go back to school tomorrow and that life can get back to our crazy normal routine. After that many days at home, togetherness is all but lost. I love these kiddos but am really willing to share them with the public school system.

Thankful Thursday

2011-01-13T08:33:00.003-06:00

I am thankful for many things and will be especially thankful when school starts back......I have been in the house for 4 days now and I stand in need of some routine. We live on top of a big hill with a very long and difficult driveway. Bo has made it out, but I have not. Brady got stuck Tuesday, which was a good experience for him because he seems to think he is some amazingly capable driver. When he had to walk up the driveway he received a revelation that he is indeed not that experienced.

Back to being thankful....I am especially thankful for these goofy kids who had a lot of fun playing outside yesterday afternoon. I realize that allowing your children to be pulled on a sled behind an ATV may be a dangerous way to have fun, but we tend to live on the edge around here. That and they were afraid that mom would beat them in they got too careless.

This boy and this girl have become pretty close. She wants to be down in the man cave with them a lot now. She fell asleep on Ashton's bed with him Monday night while watching a movie. It was adorable and he was very pleased with himself when he came upstairs to tell me "your daughter is sleeping in my bed."

I personally think this guy is extremely handsome. Goofy, yes, but very sweet.

A new wardrobe discovery. The helmet weighs almost as much as she does, but she managed to wear it all evening and again this morning. I am thankful for a girl who has style.....

Snow Days and Cupcakes

2011-01-12T08:49:00.004-06:00

We have spent the last 3 days home due to the snow. Emma and I decided to make some sweet treats for the boys and their friends last night. Needless to say, she loves to cook just like her mom and had a lot of fun pouring batter into her little cups. She really liked it when she got batter on her arm and was able to lick it off. I have never let the kids eat batter off the beaters although as children it never occurred to us not to lick it off. What happened to the good ole days before we knew about the dangers of batter licking and snow cream......

I love this picture with her little hand on mine. There was nothing tender meant in this picture, she simply didn't want me to put the icing on and was telling me to stop.

This, That, and Emma Meets an Emesis Basin

2011-01-06T13:25:00.007-06:00

Catchy title isn't it?

As I sit here at my desk in my pajamas at 1 p.m. with Mulan, Belle, Ariel, and the entire cast of The Princess and the Frog sit on my desk mocking me, I am reminded that sometimes plans just don't work out.

I was,and still am, fired up about the new year and getting organized and some other top secret plans. I had my week planned and just knew that my accomplishments would be many. Oh, plans, such fickle things.

Emma went to the ENT Monday to have her hearing checked and tubes evaluated. She didn't pass the hearing exam, partly due to the fact she didn't want to pay attention. We scheduled another appointment for today complete with a "special treat" when she payed attention. This girl is loving her some Hershey's Kisses and they were packed and ready to go. Meanwhile, upon looking in her ears, Dr. C saw the right tube in the canal and removed it, not without some kicking and screaming on Emma's part. Needless to say, she was very unimpressed with the whole deal and I'm sure would have been equally unimpressed today had she made her appointment. She did however discover that when the chips are down, nothing can pick you back up like Krispy Kreme doughnuts. That was "her" treat after the visit on Monday. I may or may not have eaten 1 or 4 of them.

Home to meet the cable/Internet/phone person to work on our wireless. It was all too crazy and Emma missed her nap, I got called to come to work that night if I could, Ashton had ball practice, Brady had something.....The list goes on and on.

I did work Monday night, but only until 1 a.m. so that wasn't too bad. My wonderful husband decided that it might be in every one's best interest for him to take Tuesday off to help out and thank God he did. We ended up with 6 boys between early dismissal from school until ball practice. Emma missed her nap AGAIN after going to school, Bo had to take a bus load of boys to a game after playing Mr. Mom all day. Emma and I decided to stay home and turn in early. Good decision on our part.

Yesterday was a repeat of the day before minus the work part and I was down to only 4 boys in between early dismissal and ball practice that I was instructed by Ashton ended at 4. Apparently there is some type of conspiracy. Ashton was the only boy on the team who wasn't aware that practice ended at 5 p.m. while his mom and sister sat in the car trying not to freeze. Interestingly enough, when all of the other parents began pulling in at 5 p.m. it became clear that my sweet, dear Ashton was clueless and I had just wasted an hour. Oh that sweet boy. And don't even consider texting your mother when you get a 30 second water break......

Rushed home, made dinner, cleaned kitchen, began to attempt to relax. Bo and Emma appear upstairs and suddenly she looks a bit green around the gills and as I comment on that, she vomits all over her and me and our bed and the screaming begins. NOT ME - her. She was not impressed with this particular bodily function and the fact that it had gotten on her favorite scrubs. We made it to the bathroom and a quick bath and it was nothing but mommas lap from that point on. During that time, I introduced her to the emesis basin and she became a champ. Poor kiddo was sick a couple of times after that and then the Phenergan suppository appeared and if you think the vomiting was bad, well let me just say......She was none too impressed with that at all. Luckily the vomiting subsided and she slept in my bed all night. She slept. I was on the receiving end of all the kicking. She has not been sick today and has managed to keep some soup and very dilute juice down. I'm hoping it was just a 24 hour thing and no one else has the privilege.

Alas, we ended up canceling our hearing test for day and will have to reschedule. I have used this day to attempt to finish laundry and clean while holding her and playing. She has been a bit melancholy and doesn't want mom too far from her sight. That's not such a bad thing....

As I have shared before, I have a constant battle between the desire to adopt again and the desire to maintain my sanity. I have looked at the pros and cons on both sides and I try to weigh them out. I don't believe that we are supposed to adopt again but it is hard. While Emma was in my bed last night and I was stroking her little cheek, she reached up so sweetly with her little hand and rubbed my cheek as well. I couldn't help but wonder if she had ever had anyone to rub her cheek or hold her closely when she was sick. It hurts to think that she spent 19 months of her life in an orphanage with no mom and dad. I choose to put it out of my head as much as possible, but in those moments of quiet it's there.

If you want to have your heart touched, please visit my friend Stephanie's blog. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. It might make you understand just some of the reasons why I struggle with the whys and why nots of adoption.

Happy 2011

2011-01-01T15:15:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year!!

I have really been pondering the new year over the last week. It's so interesting to think that you have been given a new year with a fresh slate and more opportunity to improve in all areas of your life. I don't make resolutions because I personally think that is a waste of time, but I have my "goals" that I would love to achieve. I did put them in writing but I'm not putting a lot of pressure on myself. I think we do way too much of that.

So at the beginning of this new year I would just like to say how thankful I am for GOD giving me another year. HE continues to bless me and my family and even though I make so many mistakes and am often disappointed with myself, HE continues to love me. How incredible is that?

Okay, so enough sappy stuff.

I worked last night and it was not a particularly eventful New Years Eve and for that I'm also very thankful. I am too old for drama and craziness and love a night when I don't have to deal with it.

I did have the "opportunity" to deal with a bit of a attention seeking preteen who I'm sure would not want me as his mother. After listening to him for about as long as I could, he finally made a statement about leaving a tourniquet on too long and wouldn't that cause his arm to fall off. I told him that if I left it on too long (perhaps hours, days, weeks.....) then that could happen but I had no intention of doing that. He proceeded to inform me that if I did could I just leave it on his pinky fingers because they were useless anyway. HELLO. I had to immediately inform him that they were indeed quite useful especially when that was all you have. I told him my daughter used hers without much difficulty at all. He then asked me (in that annoying know it all voice) if she could play the piano. My reply "No, not yet but she's trying. Can you play the piano?" Uhhh. His answer would be no. I rest my case.

I had the chance to watch Extreme Couponing on TLC this week and have had some time to reflect on it. If you know me, I am a big time couponer, or at least I thought I was until I saw that show. I am apparently an amateur. I think the show attempted to portray the people as a little on the crazy side and that bothers me. However, I would probably think the same thing if I saw someone buying 1,000 boxes of cereal or causing the scanner to stop working because apparently you can't use over 1,000 coupons in one transaction.......They all seemed to thrive on having a stockpile and I think that's great. I have a much smaller version of one myself and hope to continue to get lots of free or almost free items. However, I can't imagine having that much stuff unless I was donating a lot to a food bank, shelter, etc. The person with the 1,000 boxes of cereal was doing that and that was great, the other lady....well, I'm not so sure about her. However if she lived nearby and I needed to borrow some toilet paper I would certainly know who to call.

On the coupon note, I did my year end tally yesterday and if my calculations are correct I saved $2,538 this year which was $3 less than last year. I also received $391 in rebates this year. I had imagined that I would take that money and save it for vacation, emergency fund, etc. but I didn't manage to do that. That is a goal for this year, but we shall see.

I enjoy couponing and the challenge of seeing how much I can save. I think it's crazy to toss away coupons when it's like throwing money in the dumpster. I realize that if it causes you to buy things that you wouldn't normally buy, then that is wasteful, however if those items are free or close to it then there is your deal. Yes, I have approximately 10 tubes of toothpaste right now and I have lost count of the body wash and deodorant, but I have 2 teenage boys so it's not going to waste. If you are not a couponer, then I encourage you to rethink it. It may take some time to clip them and decide where your best deals are, but in the end it's worth it.

Cory (Brady's best friend) asked me if I could teach him to coupon when he goes away to college. Apparently he was very impressed when he saw some of my loot recently and wants to learn the strategy behind it. It made me chuckle to hear a 17 year old boy talk about couponing.

So, enough already. I need to get busy. Apparently laundry and dishes don't take a New Years break.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T07:20:00.006-06:00

Alas, Christmas has come and gone. Please tell me that I'm not the only person that says "man, didn't we just put the tree up, didn't we just have Christmas last year, where does the time go"...I feel so old when I say those things, but it's so true.

We had a nice Christmas. It's always fun to watch the kids and spend time with people that you love. It did stink that I had to work and we were relatively busy and I did have to stay awake for 31 hours and after that it was all sort of a blur. Oh well. Oh, and did I mention that it snowed. We had a white Christmas! When I finally awoke from my slumber on Sunday morning, I was impressed to see that we actually got a couple of inches of snow and it was beautiful.

I apologize in advance for the pictures being a bit out of order, but did I mention that I was a bit out of sorts due to my lack of sleep?

Emma and Uncle Johnny (she calls him Uncle Lolly) opening presents.
The grandchildren. Doesn't Brady have on a festive Christmas themed shirt?

The family, minus me.

The family, minus Bo.

Johnny and his new "daughter" Sarah. Her first Christmas as a Palmore. Let's hope it ain't her last....

Ashley and Ben. We are sure she will be a Palmore at some point.

Our little angel.

Blowing out the Advent candles.

Trying to avoid blowing out the candles....

What kind of grandmother let's little kids play with fire?

Why yes, she did dress herself on Christmas morning.

My musicians.

A sleepy, yet handsome couple of boys.

Emma loves her new camera that Santa brought her.

Yes Ashton, Santa did bring you your very own soft serve maker.

Drum Corp extraordinaire.

This girl has no problem opening presents. She was very funny to watch. She would remove a small piece of paper and hand it to me and then continue on. At that pace I was afraid we would never get finished.

FINALLY, a DOG that she likes. The Fur Real Puppy was a hit, although not at first. She was a bit skeptical until she realized that it wasn't real. She has been walking it around the house and when she is tired of it, she lays it down on its side and it goes "nite nite". She also got a Baby Alive and has changed her diaper repeatedly. I have not been brave enough to actually let her feed it yet.

So Christmas has come and gone and now it's time to get the tree and all the trimmings put away for another year. I am one of those people that just can't wait to get it all cleaned up and back to normal, whatever that is.

I hope to get a little after Christmas shopping in today. I am also one of those nerdy people that love to buy my paper, bags, ribbons, etc. after Christmas. It's all about saving money!

A Christmas Wish

2010-12-24T10:06:00.002-06:00

Well, it is here again. I can not believe that it is Christmas Eve already. I think I'm almost ready. I still have packages to wrap and some baking to do, but almost ready. Unfortunately I have to work tonight, but such is life. It goes with the territory of the medical profession and I am really praying for a good night.

Emma has no clue what is going on. She doesn't get it yet and that's okay with me. I am anxious to see her when she realizes that she can finally open the packages under the tree. The boys on the other hand, well they are driving me nuts. Ashton is tempting Emma to handle the packages. I heard him say to her "Look Emma, you will get lots of presents. Everyone loves little Asian girls." Poor Caucasian teenager, he suffers so from neglect.

There is a possibility we will have a white Christmas and as long as my husband can get me home in the morning and I don't have to spend it at the hospital, that is okay with me. I know the kids would love it.

So it's off to shower and head out to the in-laws and my mothers before going to work. I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and I hope you get to spend it with the ones that you love the most.

Weekend in Review

2010-12-20T06:06:00.002-06:00

We survived our weekend......again. Work was not too bad Friday night and that was an answer to prayer. I worked a partial shift yesterday and then managed to come home and make some goodies to take to our church Christmas program/fellowship last night. My house continues to suffer the effects of lack of attention and too many boys in it. I'm hoping to remedy that at some point but I have not idea when that will be. The house, not the boys....

This was Emma's outfit of choice for Saturday morning. Bo took these pictures while I was napping. This girl has her own sense of style. Notice how long her legs are.

We had dinner at my mother's house on Saturday night with Dale's grandchildren. This adorable girl is Sophie Kay and her mother Erica. Emma was loving Sophie and Sophie, well, I'm not so sure:)

Pap and Sophie Kay.

Sophie gets a doll for Christmas. She LOVED it.

Ashton wasn't so sure about holding a baby. I used this as a teaching moment..........

Notice Emma's pink princess watch. This was a gift from Sophie and her parents. The cute thing is that her dad, Jessie, picked it out by himself and bought it. I just love that.

Not a very good picture, but I totally love the look on Emma's face.

I really love the look on Sophie's face in this one. "Would someone please help me?"

So we had a nice weekend and now another busy week ahead. All 3 of the kids have dental appointments today. This will be Emma's second one since coming home. Luckily the boys are with her during it. The last one is when Brady told me he was pretty sure that Emma may have been using Chinese profanity.

Ballgame tonight along with working the concession stand.....YUCK........

A much needed haircut for Ashton and myself tomorrow and I have got to finish my Christmas shopping and wrapping. I really planned to be finished by now and hoped to get to relax some this week but it's not looking very promising.

Happy Monday.

Just Another Day...

2010-12-17T15:55:00.003-06:00

This has been my day........

came home from work this morning at 1:30 a.m.
went to bed, had very hard time going to sleep
finally went to sleep and that dang alarm went off at 5 a.m.
Bo left and called me at 6 to make sure I was up. I was not...
got up and made Ashton breakfast and got him to bus stop at 6:40
Brady up....finally
Brady out the door after argument about his plans vs. my plans...I won
Emma up.....dressed in thermal underwear and Blues Clues costume
Emma off to my mothers
back to bed at 8, very hard to unwind
Brady text message
Ashton text message
Ashton text message
Ashton text message
Shut up Ashton and let me get some sleep. I don't care how many of your friends come home with you after school.
Called my mother to make plans
Called my mother-in-law to make plans
Ashton home with 3 friends. Very loud playing ball outside. Why do we even have early dismissal days? Pure nonsense.....
Up and making lunch for boys. Who can sleep with future NBA players right outside making so much noise.
feed hungry boys
Emma home
Emma down for nap
me back to sleep for one hour
text message from friend
Ashton comes to check on me to make sure that I'm ready to take him and guys back to school for ballgame
loaded 1/2 of the JV team in car and back to school
back home, drank coffee and then more coffee
check e-mail, banking, etc
Emma up.......Cinderella on and bacon request fulfilled for snack after getting her in her nursing scrubs
time for a shower so I can go to work
make dinner
pray for slow night in ER........
more coffee

Have a great weekend.

Wednesday

2010-12-15T13:45:00.003-06:00

I ask you, is there anything more interesting to read than the phone book? Apparently not.

Tuesday

2010-12-14T07:06:00.006-06:00

My favorite time of the day is early morning. Yes, I hate to get out of my warm bed and head down the steps at first, but once I get motivated I love it. I love the quiet. It's so seldom heard at our house that I love those first few minutes (or if I'm lucky maybe an hour) when no one is up and the house is quiet and I have my coffee and start my Laura Ingalls fire (gas logs) and start my day. I try to get a load of laundry going and empty the dishwasher while the coffee brews and then I take a seat in front of the computer and catch up with my blog friends and read my mail and my devotion and plan my day. There is just something about the morning, especially winter mornings, that I love.

I realize that I put a very similar picture on yesterday, but this one just captures my girl so perfectly. This girl just oozes personality. Doesn't that face just say "it's all about ME".
I see a photographer on our hands. She loves her camera. She doesn't know it, but Santa is bringing her a better one for Christmas.

Napping in her favorite spot. She loves her computer and all of her things on her desk. It is crazy messy, but it's all hers. Notice her cowboy boots.

These are a bit late, but pictures from Italian Christmas. This is my cousin Andy and his fiance Jamie and my Aunt Sissy. We had such a great time but unfortunately I didn't get many pictures taken.

So another snow day. The kids will begin to get a little stir crazy I'm sure. They might not be the only one. I may have to get everyone out of the house before the day is over. 3 teenage boys trapped inside a house is almost more than a human can take.

Well, my aforementioned love of mornings is about done. I am being summoned by my girl who is kicking in her bed. Translated "come get me up and let's get this party started."

Have a great day.

A Gingerbread Party

2010-12-13T14:53:00.003-06:00

Emma and all of the boys (Cory is Brady's best friend) made the gingerbread house last night. I will not even attempt to relay all of the laughter and boy jokes that I heard while they were building their creation. Emma loves the guys and just joined in the fun.

Today has been spent making Christmas cookies and sausage balls and there will be steak sandwiches for dinner tonight. The kids were out of school today and I suspect they will be out tomorrow as well. They have been a little crazy but overall seem to have had a good time together. It's been too cold to actually enjoy the snow. I don't do 12 degrees if I can avoid it.

I hope they make it back to school before actual Christmas break begins on Friday. The boys have final exams and I would love for them to get them out of the way. I also need to finish some shopping and wrapping and that is hard to do with my nosy kids around.

Just One Picture, That's All I Want......

2010-12-12T14:30:00.006-06:00

I'm a little late getting my Christmas pictures taken this year and therefore no Christmas cards have been sent from this address. REASON: my children are never home at the same time. So today I took advantage of being home after church to attempt to get a picture that is suitable. It was not an easy task and I'm not particularly happy with of my choices but the chances of me getting one that meets my criteria is slim. Here are just a few of the ones that won't make it and maybe one that will.

I found Emma and Ashton laying in the kitchen floor among an entire container's worth of Beanie Babies that belonged to the boys when they were little. They were having a blast.

Is she adorable or what?

Cousin Anna and Emma enjoying a visit.

Just last year we were sending Todd off to Iraq. Thank God he is home safe and sound.

Giving Nanny a little love.

Friday was Polar Express day at school and Emma was allowed to wear her pajamas. I see a problem with this in that she is not going to understand why she can't wear them EVERYDAY.

So it's a snowy day in the Mid south and after church we came home and I began making every one's favorite Potato soup and Chex Mix snow buddies. They have also requested steak sandwiches but that might have to wait until tomorrow. Living in the South, I can assure you there will be no school tomorrow so that means a house full of boys and more food.

My Sleeping Angel

2010-12-09T19:02:00.000-06:00