What's been up, you ask? Let me tell ya....

Ok, you know the last post about the defective washer? Well, later that same day, we found out that the plastic pan that was under our washer (for those of you who don't have their washers in their house, the plastic pan is put there to protect your home against washer mishap, it is to hold the water and there is a drain at the bottom to pipe to let the water out...good idea right?) was not actually properly connected to the drain so when the water tried to drain, it went everywhere and drained into the exhaust fan of my downstairs powder room and posed an electricution hazard along with a mess all over. We had to turn off power to most of our downstairs for several hours while it dried out and had to take out the washer and my dh had to connect the pan to the drain properly and seal it to prevent leaking in the future. Apparently this is a disaster that has been waiting to happen for 14 years (when my house was originally built), In the process, my OCD tendencies kicked in and I had to thoroughly clean and convinced my dh to paint the laundry closet since everything was out of it. Man, it is amazing the dirt and crud that builds up in a laundry closet. I cleaned it somewhat before the new washer and dryer came but since he had the pan out and I had clear area to work, I really nailed it good. So, at the end of the day, we had it all reconnected and waiting for the second new washer of the week. Oh and I did threw a bit of a fit over the fact that I had to wait til Wednesday but since they said they had no more in stock and had to have it brought in, I couldn't do much about it.

Are you ready for this........

Okay, I know you have been wondering where I have been. I have been very lax in the posting department lately but let me tell you my story. On Wednesday while doing some laundry, my dryer just completely and suddenly died. It was still heating but not turning. This particular dryer is 20 plus years old (our old one died several years ago and we bought a new one that did not work well and my in-laws bought a new set but this one was still working well so we replaced our new one with this old one that worked much better). Our washer has been acting up for a couple of years now so we decided to buy a new set. I talked to my MIL and asked if they liked their new (4 years old now) set and what brand was it. They had a Kenmore Elite series and really liked it. She also said that my SIL and BIL both had the same brand and they were happy. So we went to Sears with the intention of buying a Kenmore super capacity washer and matching dryer. While there we decided on a top loading HE (High Efficiency) Kenmore Elite Oasis and the dryer to match...$1800 later we walked away with plans for it to arrive on Friday (yesterday). We were a bit in sticker shock as the last washer and dryer was about $800 for both. Anyway, the washer and dryer came yesterday and let me say, they are lovely. They have all the bells and whistles but unfortunately after one load of laundry, we notice that the washer is leaking out of the side and into the drain pan. My DH called the repair number and they say that they will come out next Thursday....I was through the roof! $1000 for a washing machine that leaks with the first load and I have to wait a week for a REPAIR! NO WAY!
I called the store and was told my appliance manager to call delivery back and tell them that they delivered a defective machine and I wanted a new one delivered. I did this and now we are getting a new machine next WEDNESDAY! What a mess!
Oh and btw, our trip to BG was an experience in itself that just can't even be described on this blog but if you are interested, I will be glad to share the experience on the phone.....

Thoughts on being a single mom....It STINKS!!!

Now don't go spreading any rumors that my DH and I have split....He did, I didn't. Just kidding. He left Monday for a week long conference in the New England area. The kiddos and I normally pack up and join him but I was not feeling a 13 hour (plus?) road trip to an area that didn't appear to have much to entertain two little balls of pure energy. So hence, this week I became a single mom (temporarily, THANK GOD!!!) and let me just say it stinks!
First of all, imagine this....Me, a not so petite flower, my 6 year old (tall for her age) daughter and my three year son all in a queen bed....my daughter was on my husbands side, my boy in the middle (so that he doesn't fall off) and me in my spot. My daughter, decides that she has to scooch over so that she won't be too close to the edge because something may reach out and grab her, which causes her brother to move closer to me which makes me have my ample heinie hanging of the bed. They both begin complaining that its too dark in my room so we turn the touch lamp on in my headboard on its lowest setting with the understanding that momma can't sleep with lights on so it will be going off when they fall asleep....a fall which apparently comes to a screeching halt when the light gets turned off. I finally get the light off when my almost 40 year old bladder starts calling (oh, and for those of you who don't already know this, bladders apparently only have a 40 year shelf life and don't bother checking that lifetime warranty you thought you had it does NOT cover a replacement). So I make a potty run and when I return, my little 12 inch niche that I had carved on MY bed....ITS GONE!! So I grab my pillow and find a way to wrap my almost 6 foot frame across the foot of the bed....which worked ok until my son wakes up and decides to join me....which only lasts a short time because even he realizes that the spot he left was MUCH better. My daughter somehow found a way to sleep spreadeagled and moved further down on the bed so I kept having to fight with her legs in my sleep....It has been a lovely three nights.....And for those of you wondering why I did not make them go back to their bed? Well, I'm a wuss! I don't sleep well without my hubby beside me and I keep thinking about hearing noises and worrying how I can get my kids and get out, so with them in the bed with and the door locked and my cell phone next to the bed and a huge walking stick by the bed and ....... well you get the idea....I feel a little safer. I tell myself that I would not sleep very well anyway so I might as well let them stay. So anyway, to say the least I am a little tired this week.

We have also been busy with Adventure Days at our church. What in the world is this? It is 3 days of craziness and mess with 80 plus 4-8 year olds. Tuesday was Wacky Water day. They had water balloon fights, played other silly water games and ate watermelon for a snack. I volunteered to help out so I did a water craft with them. FUN!! Weds. was Wacky Races day. They played a version of the Amazing Race. They were in 8 teams that ran through about 15 different areas and performed tasks/games to win a clue. I manned the Whipped Cream pie event. I filled little pie tins with whipped cream so that they could eat it out to find the tin with something written in it. Let me just say, it was a breezy day and pie pans with whipped cream don't have much weight.....you figure it out. Today is going to be Chocolate Wars....we are skipping to day...we made, I mean had other plans. But for those of you wondering what they were going to do? They were having a chocolate tug of war and doing human ice cream sundaes.....I just couldn't do it.....

So today we are off to the local amusement park with the cousins. So I need to go get a shower and wake the bed hogs.....Have a great day!!!

Back to Snoozerville for this girl....

After two and 1/2 weeks of full out running, we have returned to the comfort of home and Snoozerville. For the last 3 days, we have not left our own backyard. We have spent plenty of time watching movies, playing video games, playing board games and just plan veggin' out. It has been nice but I think we are done. I have cleaned, caught up on a lot of laundry and answered the 6 million questions per day that my daughter dishes out. My DH and I have seen a few good movies too. We have had "Vantage Point" and "The Bucket List" in the last week or so and they were both very good.
So, just in case you were wondering if I dropped off the face of the earth, the answer is no, I've just been to slack to blog.....

Jane, Stop this crazy thing!!!!

Is that a blast from the past for you? Do you remember the Jetson's? We still get to see them through the miracle of Boomerang network but for some of you this is just a memory. Anyway, that is how I feel after the last 15 days. We have run like crazy during that time. Yesterday was another day at the water park with some of the peeps. We had a blast. My boy has officially decided that he loves Hubba Hubba Highway. He floated with his life jacket on and did not want me to hold onto him at all. Last year this was his least favorite and I think this year it is his fave. We went around at least 5 times yesterday and he was still not ready to get off. I was not as vigilant with the sunblock as I should have been though so this week I had a bit of a burn and my kids had a bit of pink.
Today, we are going to hang at home and veg out. I don't want to go anywhere. My kids are already asking where we are going today and when I told them we are staying home, they starting trying to think of places to go. They just don't get it. Anyone want to take them somewhere fun? Anyone.........

Busy, busy, busy....

We have been running like crazy now for almost two weeks with no end in sight. The kids are loving it though. Yesterday we spent the day at the water park with our friends and they just had a blast. Today's big plan is to go for my annual ob/gyn visit. OH JOY!!! The fun I will have!....NOT! I have tried to find a reason to cancel but can not. I may not get around to posting again til the weekend so I just wanted to stop by and say HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!

VBS wrap-up, WALL-E, and my little gift from the babies....

Hi all!
Just stopping by to give you an update. VBS was great. I think the final count for the week was actually 1027 in attendance (which was probably about 800 kids and the rest workers). Overall, it was a great week with the babies. They were so sweet that they gave me a parting gift...a stinkin' Cold/Virus! I woke up with a scratchy throat yesterday and by the time I was done with VBS at 12:30, I had a full fledge cold kicking in. Its a doosy too! I have been miserable since yesterday afternoon. I think out of a class of 10-12 babies, at least 6 of them had runny noses all week so I have no idea which one's snot was the culprit, LOL.
We rushed right out of VBS and met some of our peeps and peepettes at the local AMC theater to be some of the first people to see the new Disney/Pixar movie, "Wall-E". It was a good movie. Not my favorite Pixar movie but good. It had some pretty heavy subject matter for the kiddos and definitely had a environmentalist/green feel to it and to be honest, I was a little creeped out by the pet cockroach....UGH!!
Afterwards the kids and I ran to the Optometrist office to pick up my new glasses and then home where I crashed hard with this cold. I am going to taking to my bed for the day since we have big plans for tomorrow. I am just hoping my babies don't get it too.
Have a great Saturday!!!

Farewell to Sammy....

Little Sammy got picked up this afternoon by his "parents". They were happy to be reunited and I was happy to send him home. My son on the other hand was very upset. Now this is the boy who wanted nothing to do with this little furball of energy. He ran from Sammy and climbed in my lap anytime he was near, but somehow he had gotten use to the idea of Sammy's presence in our home. He got mad at all of us whenever we locked Sammy in his crate for doing something wrong. My daughter was also upset but she understood from the beginning that Sammy was going home today and took it a lot better than my son.

Day 2 of VBS went well. We only had 9 babies today. Tomorrow we are supposed to have a full house which is 12. It is a very busy 4 hours. The kids had fun and came home with a pile of crafts and stuff that they had done. By the end of the week, we will have enough crafts and artwork to open a gallery. VBS at our church is a real event each year. We start off the week with about 400 kids and by the end of the week it has grown to about 600. Its a great ministry to the community. Tomorrow, the church will have a VBS Leadership Appreciation cookout for all the people that have volunteered and their children directly after at the church picnic area/playground and the kids are looking forward to playing some more with their friends. They have definitely not been bored this week.

Hope you are having a great week too.

I

Day 1 of VBS.....

Whew!!! What a day. We left home this morning at 8 am to be at church at 8:30 for VBS and got home at 2 pm (after a quick stop at McD's for some french fries to tide the kids over until we could eat something a little healthier for lunch). I was tired and the kids were full of more energy than you could imagine. Both the kids said that they had fun and that's what counts.
Sammy was excited to have us home. He and the kids had a great time playing while I just vegged on the couch since I could not convince them it was a good time for a nap. I have a feeling he is going to miss having the kids around all the time when he goes back to his home tomorrow and they will miss him. Me? NOT SO MUCH!!! I have officially gotten over the baby bug AND the puppy bug in one fell swoop. Between 4 hours a day for 5 days with 10 babies and 5 days with a puppy, I am completely content with my two children and one guinea pig.
Well, that is all the updating I have for today. I have an appointment with my pillow, blanket and fan (I know those two are contradictory but I like the cool air and noise from the fan but still need the blanket...) Have a great day tomorrow!

ALOHA!!!! We are off to Outrigger's Island.....

Tomorrow morning bright and early, the kids and I are off to the tropics for a week long adventure at Outrigger's Island. Every morning this week we will be rolling out of bed, rushing around like nuts, and hitting the road to our church at 8 am for Vacation Bible School. Today, my girl and I went back after church to decorate my room for the festivities. I will be taking care of the Crawlers (I think that is pretty self explanatory but just in case, those are the babies between the age of 6 mos to whenever they decide to start walking...) of the other VBS workers. VBS is technically only for children from age 4 to 10 (or the year they complete 5th grade) but we also have the nursery through age 3 for the children who's parents are volunteering to work for the week. My girl had a blast at VBS last year but my son, who is very attached to his momma, was not so happy to be away from me for 4 hours every day for a week. By Weds. last summer, I pretty much had to force him to get in the van in the mornings. I am hoping that he has more fun this year since he is older and can do more. My kids are disappointed that their cousins will not be able to attend this year because they have prior commitments.

Oh, and if you are wondering if we made it out of Snoozerville yesterday, (Saturday) we did! Or I think we did. We crashed my BIL's condo pool and also it was the day of their annual condo pool social so we crashed that too. Me, the kiddos, my partner in crime (my SIL) and her kids just up and crashed it! We had fun too. This kiddos played for about 2 hours in the pool, we got a free lunch and then crashed my BIL's home for showers before allowing him to buy us dinner at the local pizzeria and bring it to my house. We have this GREAT little family pizza shop in our little town that makes the MOST AWESOME Chicken Alfredo pizza with mushrooms. It is SO good! It has ruined us for any of that crappy Dominoes or Pizza Hut junk (well except my daughter, she is really disappointed that we don't get Dominoes cinnamon sticks anymore, they are her SECOND favor sweet snack. Her first one is a warm Churro (described in a previous post) from the local water park.) We were such Rebels yesterday! My DH and her DH (The MEAN one!) were busy helping my other BIL move some of his stuff out of his place to his future bride's place near our home and said pizzeria. The kids really enjoyed another prolonged visit with their cousins.
We had a big moment of drama later in the evening as we had just finished dinner. My youngest nephew started crying and it was obvious he had gotten hurt as he fell off or got hit by the recliner (not sure exactly what happened). The adults ran to check on him and the next thing I know, they are screaming for him to breath and his mom is getting really upset because it appeared he was turning blue and no sound was coming out. My DH and their brother were trying to calm her down and I grabbed my nephew and flipped him upside down over my arm and hit him in the back. He then started crying and it was obvious that he had regained his breath but it was VERY scary for a few moments there. We never did completely understand what happened. He was not choking but apparently somehow forgot to breath in his shock? That is the best we can figure. Anyway, God is good and he is fine and was soon running around like nothing had happened. His mom, aunt and uncles were very shaken by the experience. There is nothing worse than having a child that you love to be turning blue and going limp in your arms and feeling like there was nothing you could do. Thankfully, God gave us the wisdom to get through it!
Well, that was our weekend!!! Hope you had a great one!

Snoozerville Update....

Ok, I haven't been out stumbling upon rattlesnakes or traveling (reference Welcome to My World blog of my peep D) or getting "INKed" at the local Tattoo parlor (reference to my peep L's blog) so my blog has probably been a bit tame by comparison. Here in Snoozerville, we have been living boring, average lives. Its so tame here that we have been watching Care Bear marathons and watching the tomatoes and cucumbers grow in the back yard.....Our biggest concern of the day is whether to turn on the sprinkler or hope for rain.....
The kids are even getting bored with the humdrum life. Today, we have to go looking for adventure.....I don't know where that will take us, but I'll let you know if we make it out of Snoozerville.
Oh, and for the worrying parents who called 3 TIMES their first day away from their furrbaby!...He's FINE! He is getting more attention than he can stand. He DID get in trouble last night. He decided to harrass Brownzilla by barking at him and chasing him around his cage (Sammy was on the OUTSIDE, Brownie was on the INSIDE but he was chasing him nonetheless) He got warned several times that if he kept sticking his nose in the cage, it might get bit but being six months old and not too well versed on the subtleties of the English language, he refused to heed the warnings. We finally resorted to placing him in his cage for the evening.
It was funny, my husband placed him in the cage and said, now you are locked up too, that'll teach you.. I think I heard Brownzilla say "Nah, nah, nahnahnah.....

Furry babysitting....

Ok, you know how I wanted a dog? That desire has now left....My furry nephew came for a visit while his parents are on a trip. My girl has been counting the days for three months now for this visit. He always seemed so calm when he visited before but I have found out that this was because he was intimidated by the new place. Once he got comfortable with his surroundings last night and the kids were in bed....Sammy decided to show is true spazzed out, hyper puppy personality. He was all over my husband and I trying to entice us to play with him. He was yapping and doing everything in his power for some serious playtime. This morning he is back to his normal self, I think the kids overwhelm him so he stays pretty calm but when its just the adults, he decides that its his time to play. I have now lost the urge for a puppy. Its kind of like when you finally get your kids past the point of infancy and when you hold a baby, you want another one but then you actually babysit for a while and realize, its nice to send them home.....It the same way with puppysitting. Anyway, I think I will be ready for my sis and BIL to come and get him on Tuesday.

Did I mention that next week is a busy one for us? We have Vacation Bible School at church all week, we have swim practice at night on Tues and Thurs, we have Sammy until Tuesday, we are trying to squeeze in a Water park visit with the peeps and we have a birthday party for my nephew on Saturday and another commitment on Sunday....Busy Busy!!! It will be fun for the kiddos though, THEY like running all over the place all week long. I am sure I will be dragging by the weekend. I am planning on a slow, quiet weekend this week to build my strength for the upcoming week. Hope you have a great one!!!

Fun in the sun....

My kids have been wanting to go to the local water park for a while now so I shot out an email to the Peeps to see if anyone would join us. My so called "Peeps" all bailed on me, they had other plans or tattoos to keep covered up or some such nonsense....My SIL and the cousins don't have passes this year (and she has injured her back, keep her in your prayers please...) so we ventured forth alone.....We actually had a great time. The kids set the pace for the day and it was a beautiful day and the park was not very crowded. We discovered that one area of the park had been redone and at first the kids were disappointed but soon discovered that the changes were much more fun!
They took out some of the slides that I considered too dangerous and replaced them with some new ones that my daughter tried out and loved! They also revamped this obstacle course feature that was way too difficult for her and made it more kid friendly. We got our obligatory Churro (a long stick type thing of crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside fried dough dipped in cinnamon and sugar, just in case you did not know) on the way out and got home before the traffic got to bad. All in all, a fun time. We missed having the peeps or cousins but we still had a great time. And this pasty girl (LOL, inside joke, sorry) only got slightly scorched.

Today, is going to be catchup day on the laundry (a waterpark visit ALWAYS creates tons of it), cleaning and stuff. Tomorrow, my nephew (the furry one) Sammy is coming for a stay while his parents are on a trip. My daughter has been counting down the days for months now and is so excited that it is finally here tomorrow. She just can't wait to have a dog for four whole days!
Hopefully Sammy will survive, missing his mom and dad for the week. They have spoiled him shamelessly for months now.
Have a great day!!!

Notice to book club peeps....

Girls, I finished the book! I am going to the library today to see if they have some of her other books since I am too cheap to buy another right now. We have a library trip planned for today anyway. The kids are excited about going.

I have no amusing anecdotes or stories for today's post. We went to church yesterday and out to lunch at my daughter and husband's favorite restaurant...Texas Roadhouse. Not my favorite though. The food is good but I have real issues with the peanut shells on the floor. Anyone who knows me, knows that it is almost painful for me to see that mess and not clean it up. I found myself (as we waited for 45 mins!), using my feet to clean the spot around the area that we were sitting....I would have paid for a shop-vac to start cleaning the mess.....It is sad to be this sick....
Anyway, they enjoyed it and then we went to the pet store for a visit. I say a visit because we did not need to buy anything, my kids just wanted to look at the animals....I think my son thinks its a miniature zoo.....And then we went to see Papa and Nana for Father's day. We took Papa his favorite, peanuts from Texas Roadhouse and a card with the real gift inside. The kiddos had fun exploring the Nana and Papa Nature Preserve....Apparently all the grandkids think that is what their backyard is. My niece and nephews and kids explore it with the thoroughness of scientists. They have collected seeds, bugs and have observed nature at its best in Nana and Papa's backyard. Yesterday my two had a blast looking at spider webs, birds nests and checking out the garden. They also got into Papa's trailer and collected a variety of nuts, bolts and washers. You would have thought they were finding gold. Finally we went home for some icecream and then off to bed. It was a full day. I later discover the unexpected gift of nature all over my legs, arms and the knuckles of my toes.....What on Earth is she talking about, you say?
Mosquito bites. I spent the entire evening itching and there is no worse spot to get a mosquito bite than on the knuckle of your toes or finger.
So, that is our weekend in a nutshell...Hope you had a wonderful Father's Day!

Blind as a bat.....or maybe its a mole......

Hi there! Yesterday was the day of our big, exciting optometrist appointment. It was SO much fun! My girl did great. She was very co-operative and it did not hurt that the Dr was young, very cute and very nice AND had his doggy at work with him in his office (we found this out because we had to walk past it on the way to the restroom). It was a sweet old bassett hound (Scrappy D, i thought of you!) named Eiserman (get it EYE zer man....) he had droopy eyes and droopy ears and was just as cute as can be. I think my girl realized that any guy who was too kindhearted to leave his doggy at home alone on a Saturday morning, had to be a nice guy. He was probably about 30 years old and was wearing jeans and a tight polo which showed how built he was and was just gorgeous. You could almost imagine the six pack under there.....I am sure his life partner was just so proud....yes, my GAY-dar was set off....he was just too nice and too stylishly dressed and well.....'nuff said 'bout that! Anyway, my girl did great. She is slightly far sighted and may have to get glasses in the future but he said that he did not want to saddle her with them since she was so beautiful (YES. he said that!) and it was not affecting her reading but that we would keep an eye on it.

I actually went first but when I told him that I had been having pink eye symptoms off and on all Spring and that I thought maybe it was allergies, he said he would take a look. He put a variety of eye drops in my eyes ( I felt like he was making a witch's brew in my eye sockets, there were so many) and then I had to wait until they took effect/affect (not sure of the proper word there..). So after he was done with my girl, it was my turn again. I had an eye infection in both eyes AND the eye doctor I saw last year had totally messed up my prescription. He said that he normally would never say anything negative about another doctor but this guy had really messed up.....NICE HUH? Anywho, he gave me a prescription for some more drops and changed my glass prescription. I left the exam room...blind as a bat. I could not see very well at all and I was expected to pick out frames??? oh and drive home??? So I called my DH and told him my predicament and then went to pick out frames....I was truly at the mercy of this 20 something girl...I mean "Optician" who basically picked them for me and then I picked out frames for new sunglasses...now these I could see a little better since they had tinted lenses which blocked out the glaring light in my uber-dilated eyes...So $417 later (thats two pair of glasses and two eye exams AFTER insurance) which was pretty good since every set of frames in the office were marked Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce & Gabanna, Anne Klein, Prada.....I am not sure which one I got...I think the cheapest designer there was probably Guess and Fossil.....Anyway, when you see my in my new glasses (which will be here in about 2 weeks), you may say, WOW that is one cutting edge FASHIONISTA.....or you may say, WHAT ON EARTH WAS THAT ALMOST 40 YEAR OLD THINKING? And I will only have to say....I was blind at the time.......

Another weekend is here....

Its Friday again and the weekend is here. We are expecting the cousins any minute for a playdate and dinner. The kids are looking out the window every couple of minutes to see if they are here yet. I am sure the kids will have a late night tonight with their buddies here. Both of them were up at 4 stinkin' 30 this morning. I put my foot down around 12:30 and said that in order to see their cousins, they HAD to take a nap or I was going to have some ornery kids. Piece of advice...Never take your kids to a playdate knowing that they are time bombs ready to go off....There will be lots of tears, yelling and temper tantrums and your kids will probably act up too.....
My girl and I have appointments tomorrow for eye exams. Her first one and my 20th or so. I am seriously looking forward to getting new glasses. This pair has not been my fave. I am also planning on getting prescription sunglasses and contacts.....not a cheap day, I am sure. We have spent a lot lately on stuff like tires, school supplies, stuff for the wedding and all. It is turning out to be an expensive year. Well, that is all the updating I have for now. Have a great weekend!

Air Quality advisories.....

Don't you remember back in the good old days when we stayed in all summer because there were Air Quality advisories or Ozone alerts.....NO? Me either! Will I have stay in with my asthmatic child also summer huddling in the corner hoping to protect her from breathing in the toxic air?
We went to my SIL's on Tuesday to spend the day in their pool (yes, I did venture in even with the memory of my waterfall experience from the day before!). We put on sunblock to protect us from sunburn and UV rays, the little guys put on life jackets so they would not drown, we watched them carefully afterwards to make sure they weren't going to "Dry Drown" (a real term, look it up! My SIL saw a lady on a news show whose son had died hours after swimming from dry drowning, scary stuff!) and then on the way home, my daughter starts experiencing a pretty bad asthma attack brought on by the bad air quality from the forest fires in the area (and yes that was fires plural). For the last few days, they have been issuing advisories for the elderly and those with breathing problems to stay inside due to the smoke in the air. We had to skip a planned trip to the water park the next day with our friends because she just wasn't back up to snuff yet. When does it stop? We want to wrap our kids in cotton to protect them and then find out that cotton is toxic or it was made in China and has been made with asbestos instead of cotton.....I know this is an exageration but it seems that raising kids in today's world is a mine field. You try to avoid one problem only to get blown up by another one.
The book my peeps and I are reading now has also brought this subject to the forefront of my mind. I will not go into it any more than that since many of my peeps read this and have not yet started the book, but if you get a chance and are looking for a good summer read, buy "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodie Picoult. It is the first book I have read by her but it is very good so far.

Oh, and for those of you wondering....we have not made any progress with our stubborn little man in the potty training department. He is still wetting and then saying he need to go potty.
I have not given up hope yet.....

Picture this.....please don't laugh too hard...

DISCLAIMER: The above picture is for visual stimulation to put you into the right frame of mind for the following story and is not a photo of the actual event....Thankyou
It was a beautiful, hot day. My neighbor has one of those quickset pools with the blown-up ring and the soft sides that has a pump. Its a pretty large pool and she had told me that we were welcome anytime to play in said pool while she was at work. Yesterday, I thought it would be a wonderful treat to take the munchkins next door for an hour or so of sun and fun. It started off nice enough. My DD was swimming, my DS was playing with some pool toys and I was floating on a floating lounger.....It was great. I was seriously considering telling my husband that regardless of what he thought of the damage it would do to the grass and the pain of the upkeep, we were getting one! That's when IT happened. I had gotten off the lounger and was playing with my kids when my son fell back against me and in the process of catching him I slipped too. The side of the pool collapsed and he and I rode the wave into the yard on my backside. We were in shock. We didn't know what hit us. I am thankful that I rode out on a wave because this old body dropping 3 feet to the ground may have left me in traction for a month but the water cushioned the fall. I hopped off the ground as quickly as possible and immediately tried to lift the side of the pool so that hundreds of gallons of water would STOP flowing out of it. I felt terrible! We had broken my neighbors pool!. I did get the side back up and then started adding more water back fully intending to explain what happened to my neighbor. My son kept saying , "I want to ride the waterfall again!!!!" He thought it was on purpose! He loved this new ride!

My neighbors daughter came home and came outside. The first thing out of her mouth when she saw that the hose was in the pool "Did the pool collapse again?" I was so relieved. We did not break their pool. Apparently it had happened the day before too and that it was not set on completely flat ground which made it more likely to collapse. When she got home, we helped my neighbor move it to another part of the yard and reset it. After our adventure down the waterfall, I decided to skip the quick set pool in our backyard.......

An amazing video.....Please watch....

Beautiful Bird

Whew, its hot!

Man oh Man, did Summer hit with a bang this weekend. The temps were over 100 degrees. We were very busy with the Richmond Children's Museum and the home school convention. It was very productive though. I purchased almost all of my girls curriculum for first grade and got to look at even more. It is amazing the number of options there are to educate you child at home. My husband and kids were really into this one stall that featured Science related stuff. It had a ton of fun science projects to teach things like electricity and...well all kinds of stuff. We went to dinner afterwards with a good friend but my kids were disappointed that she left her munchkins at home.
We got home about 10 pm and got the kids to bed, yes they were still awake even after their busy day.
Sunday was church and a picnic afterwards. But it was way too hot. The church's playground set is in the sand out in the sun. The slide and swings were too hot and all of the kids take off their shoes to play usually (because nothing is more uncomfortable than a shoe full of sand), but the sand was so hot that it would blister your feet. We stayed for a while but the adults were pretty uncomfortable in church clothes in 100 plus degree temperatures. Then it was home into the A/C for the rest of the day. Yesterday was definitely one of those days that I wish we would join a pool for the summer. But they are so expensive. The one in our neighbor is $400 for the summer and that is just us and the kids. Since my brother is an adult and not our child, he would have to have a separate membership. That just stinks! Its the same way at the YMCA. You pay $65 per month and then we would have to pay another $40 for him. It seems no one wants to give a break the mentally handicapped. Like he has an extra $40 per month out of his $400 per month government check? How many people do you know that can live on $400 per month? If he did not live with us, he could not make it. Now if you go into an institutional home, they get thousands of dollars a month to take care of you but if you live with your family, you get a tenth of that. Makes tons of sense right? Sorry, I got off on a rant about the way our state treats the mentally handicapped.....

Anyway, now its Monday. We have one more session of school testing to do and then the day is wide open.....can't wait til the peepettes get out of school!!! Then we can get together with them and go to the local water park. Hope your day is a good one and keep cool!!!

Day 3 of potty training.....

Still a no go with the boy. He just does want to get with the program. But we are still trying....

The weekend is upon us. We have plans for a change. Tomorrow is the Home school conference and resource fair. We are going to look at the different curriculum that are available. We also plan to take the kids to the Children's Museum while we are there. Sunday is church and a picnic afterwards. Busy weekend but hopefully lots of fun for the kiddos.

Better get going. We are doing our testing yesterday and today and I need to get my girl started.
Have a great day and weekend!

The Timer, The Spiderman and The Bathroom.....Day 2 of the Chronicles of Pottyville

Well, today is day 2 of potty training.....Day one? a big fat bust! We went through 8 pair of undies and I have more wet spots on my carpet than if we had a whole litter of puppies in residence. I set the timer but we NEVER made it to the alarm before he was either wet or worse....I have never seen any child "go" as often as my boy! We NEVER once got a drop in the actual potty! Of course he drinks like a fish but still..... He did come to me every single time to let me know. He would say, I got to go potty! but he had already gone. The timer was set for 30 mins yesterday....maybe 10 or 15 would be better and we can move up as we go.....I don't know but in case you wondered what I am doing today? Laundry, Laundry and more Laundry.....I am spot cleaning the carpet until the weekend and then will haul out the shampooer. If this timer thing doesn't start showing some results, I will have to sit him on the potty and make him sit all day.....Yeah! THAT will happen. Anyway, that is the update on the potty front....

Time to put away the oars and put up the sails.....

And coast a little.....It has been a busy couple of days. The kids and I need a day at home with no commitments, no appointments and time to relax. I have ordered my girls official end of the year grade level testing and it should come in the next day or so. We will be doing that for either one or two days depending on how long it is. In our state, you do not have to submit test results to the school superintendent until the grade they start once they are six years old (meaning they have to be six by Sept of that school year). We just want to make sure that I didn't mess her up too bad this year, lol. She did another mini skills test on her Jump Start First Grade program and tested on a third grade level on much of it but we want to make sure this was accurate. The California Achievement test is very specific on administrating the test so it takes away that natural parental compulsion to "help" them. You are instructed verbatim what to say. Now of course, if you were being dishonest and wanting to boost their scores you could but what would the point be? I know that as a home schooling parent, I want to make sure she is learning, not that I know enough to score on at least a fifth grade level. (I HOPE!, LOL)

My joints are aching today! I had my volleyball league tournament last night. My team had already won first place for the Spring season and last night we also won the tournament. So our big reward will be TWO t-shirts. That worked out though because my DH's team (they play on Thursdays) finished in 3rd place and unless they win the tournament, starting tonight, he would not get a t-shirt this season. Now, you might say, what's the big deal? Its just a stinkin' tshirt, but now that we are getting older and these joints and knees just aren't what they use to be, we may not be playing many more seasons, especially this girl. I ache all week long after playing one night. As my great granny use to say, "My Rheumatism is flairing up". That was just an oldtimers way of saying their joints were hurting. Now that more and more people are being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is much worse than the general, run of the mill arthritis, I don't think you hear it much anymore. I am thankful that I do not have that. I have a peep and an uncle that have RA and with all the meds they have to take, and the pain they have, it makes mine look like a walk in the park.

My kiddos got great checkups at the dentist yesterday. He said that my girl's teeth were well spaced and straight and she would most likely not need braces. My son's are too early to tell but they were very clean and no signs of decay. He did a great job getting them cleaned considering he just turned three. I am trying to convince him that he is a big boy now and need to use the potty. He keeps saying "No Fankyou!" I am pushing the issue since we are planning on being home for the next few days. He has on big boy undies and I am setting an alarm to take him to the potty every 30 mins. Wish me luck!
I will keep you up to date on the progress....We'll call it the Chronicles of Pottyville. Tomorrow will be the first installment.....I think I'll call it "The Timer, the Spiderman (his undies) and the Bathroom" and then next could be "Prince CasPEEan"....Or we could call it "Harry Pooper and the Porcelian Throne".......

Brownzilla update since he is the STAR!

Brownie has guinea pig fleas, or the equivalent. They say that he probably had them from the time we bought him, as most pet store piggies are infested with them and that they just became a problem recently. They looked him over, sold me a supply of Revolution (a flea controller for dogs/cats in the puppy/kitten strength) and said to completely clean his cage and sanitize it (even though I just did on Saturday) and retreat in 2 weeks. They also clipped his nails. So $110 dollars later...yeah you read it right....we walked out of the vets. Brownie's nail clipping was $19.96. He got a 20 dollar pedicure! I have never even had a pedicure and my guinea pig got a $20 one!!!! His visit was $50, his meds were $40. I would have thought they would include the nail clipping in the office visit since she spent less than 2 mins in the room. Ok, nuff whining, my grandson is worth it. Hopefully he will be itch free soon.

Well, I gotta go get ready to take the kiddos to the dentist. Cleanings all around. We'll see how well mom and dad have been brushing and if those skittles that my girl loves so much is doing any damage. Then its off to Wally world. I hate going with the munchkins but since we will be less than a mile from one and gas is so high, I will have to suck it up, put on my big girl britches and take care of the job at hand. Have a great day!!

Why shouldn't you tell jokes while ice skating?....It might CRACK UP!

This is silly but it thrilled me to hear it. My 6 year old has FINALLY learned the art of joke telling. She has been telling jokes for years now every since she hear a knock knock joke on a kids television show. She has made up thousands of jokes that make absolutely NO SENSE and she just didn't get it. We, of course, had to laugh, it IS in the Parents Handbook (page 42, number 7432--You must laugh hysterically at every joke your child tells regardless of rather it is funny or not.). Today she actually told jokes that made sense and I could actually LAUGH! Here is a sample and she nailed them....What kind of dog tells time? A WATCHdog!....What kind of animal lives on your head? A HARE!! What kind of dog loves to take a bath?....A ShamPOODLE!!!...Now, you may say these are corny but when your six year old tells them out of the blue after years of nonsense jokes, you would be impressed too!

Today we are taking Brownie to the vet. His very first visit but he has be nipping us lately when we hold him and he has a patch of hair missing and the wonderful internet tells us that he may have mites on his skin and that is making him uncomfortable. So its off to the vet for a visit.
My daughter who has been watching BINDI, the Jungle girl (a show featuring Steve Irwin's daughter), said CRIKEY! We need to get him treated immediately. She is quite impressed and a big fan of Bindi Irwin. She wants to move to Australia and help her on her show. My girl has always been a big animal lover and the fact that another little girl gets to actually live with them and help take care of them is amazing to her.

So, that's our main priority for the day. We also need to run a few other errands. Hope your day is a great one!

Saturday......YEAH!!!!

Hey there! Today is Saturday. I slept in til 8 am!!! I remember a time where sleeping in on Saturday meant I rolled out of bed at noon but now sleeping in is til 8. SAD!!! That's what motherhood does for you girls. Its not for the faint of heart, let me tell you.
In case you are wondering, my dental appointment went just dandy yesterday. I got a clean check-up. I also found out that my kiddos have an appointment for cleanings on Tuesday and I had completely forgotten about it. So next week is filling up too.
We got our new tires yesterday. It wasn't quite as bad as originally thought. ONLY $570! Apparently Michelin was offering a $60 instant rebate and the tires weren't quite as expensive as we originally thought.
The weather is looking like a great day is shaping up. Yardwork to do, errands to run, kids to entertain (grumpy, tired kids because we didn't get home from our one hour babysitting visit at the cousins until 11:30 last night, TOLD YOU SO!) Looks like summer is arriving this week. My brother said the forecast is for really warm weather all week. Our peepettes (those are the peeps kids) will be getting out of school soon so we are really looking forward to summer fun in the sun.
Ok, like my peep D says, this is a SNOOZERVILLE post. My life is not all fun and games you know. Well, better let you get back to your exciting lives! Have a great weekend.

Time to make my semi-annual pilgrimage to the dental hygenist....

I am a weirdo, I know it. I actually love getting my teeth cleaned. Don't get me wrong, I hate setting aside an hour of time to do it, I hate having to sit still in a chair for it and it can be uncomfortable, but I love the feel of clean teeth. I have also come to look forward to a hour of peace and quiet while I get to sit still not have kids asking for something.
My kiddos will be at their favorite place to visit (besides Disney or something), with their cousins.
They are banking on the fact that a one hour babysitting visit will turn into an all day event. I am sure all 5 of them are plotting and planning now on how to extend the time together.
This weekend is going to be an expensive one. We are having to buy new tires for our van. It is a real shame that after 25,000 miles, the tires are shot. That is the one downside we have found so far to our Sienna. It has been a wonderful vehicle and has not caused us a moment of grief in the two years we have owned it. My dh has already priced the tires and the new ones will be almost $700. YOUCH!!!
I remember a time when I was younger and single that $700 was a new car for me. (Not a new car but a new to me car). If I had had to buy $700 in new tires back then, I would have junked it and found another car. So, I guess you know where our tax incentive check is going. Well that and the fact that my sweet family bought me a new camcorder for Mother's day.
If you are wondering why I am not putting any videos on, well that would entail having my kids faces on the internet and that is a big NO NO for my DH. I guess I could video their feet but that would not be entertaining. My daughter is asking for a new Brownzilla episode to be filmed on it, so maybe......
Anyway, I hope you all have a great weekend!

Just a quick post....

Today's post is not going to be long cause I gots to get me a shower before my SIL gets here. We are heading out for our oh so FABU time of dress shopping, JOY!!! Actually, I enjoy anytime I spend with my SIL and my extended kiddos, my niece and nephews, but this is pushing it.
Just in case you wondered, my Wii fit age yesterday was 36, GO GIRL!!!! but todays was 51, stinkin' game! Yes I have actually used it 6 days in a row! I am really liking this yoga thing too. I feel more limber than before. One of the aerobic exercises on it is hula hooping. What a trip. I haven't moved my substantial hips that much since I was ten. But let me tell you, I can get 5 hoops going and keep them going for 3 straight minutes. Now, let me just clarify that with the fact that I seriously doubt I could actually even get one real hula hoop going but.....well, its the small victories in life at this age that bring me joy. I also have been doing a step routine with it and boxing and it has been fun. The kids like it too. Well, that is all I have for you today but I hope I have left you with the mental image of this oh so hot, 39 year old mother of two twirling 5 virtual hula hoops while standing on a small rectangular board in front of the tv.....HMMM on second thought...DELETE< DELETE< DELETE.....

Good Tuesday morning!

Hi there! I had to remind myself that this is Tuesday since it feels like Monday instead. We have a busy week planned. Today is fairly quiet except that my furry nephew may be bringing his parents over for a visit later. Tomorrow, my SIL and I are taking the girls to the local bridal shop to try on/purchase dresses for the upcoming nuptials in Oct. Oh Joy! There is nothing better than being told you need a formal dress that is 2-3 sizes larger than your normal dress size and then have to pay 4 times as much as you would normally pay for a dress and in most cases, you don't even like it. Now, don't get me wrong. My future SIL has given us some lovely choices but apparently bridesmaids/mistress of ceremonies are ONLY allowed sleeveless dresses and me? NOT such a fan of putting my turkey flap out there for public viewing. The qtpa2ts will be lovely though in their dresses, I am sure. Thursday, my ds is having his 3 year old check up and Friday, I am having a dental cleaning. Along with this, we have my dd's swim practice on today and Thursday and my DH and I have volleyball games.

Oh and BTW, my computer must have found a way to tell my Wii that I was making threats to throw it out the window because my Wii fit age yesterday was 32! Go, girl!!! I am sure it was just feeling bad for badmouthing me the day before but still....I haven't had a chance to visit the virtual exercising world yet today but hopefully it won't jump back up to the 50's. I mean there is nothing wrong with being in your 50's but let me make it there slowly like God planned.

Well, better get going before the natives get too restless. Its going to be in the 80's today and they are dying to get outside. Have a blessed day!