Wednesday, December 24, 2008

What Christmas means to me....

First of all, I would like to apologize to my 3 faithful readers for going so long between postings. I was hoping that when I started this blog that I would be able to come up with something to write about at least once a week. Well, with 4 kids and a husband there is usually some funny story floating around but to be honest with you it is TIME that has been my downfall lately! With Christmas coming the day after Thanksgiving this year I have been on the go constantly! So with all of the political crap that goes with the "Holiday" season, I would like to take this time to tell you what Christmas means to me!
If I were to give a child's account of Christmas using my adult mind it would be something like this...Christmas is like have S_X for the first time with a new boyfriend/girlfriend....(not that I would know now, I have been HAPPILY married for the last 10 years.....maybe the rules have changed!) You wait...anticipate...wonder...by the time the actual time for "opening presents" is upon you, you can hardly stand it! Then you rip and tear your way to the peak of your excitement and then amongst the rabble you wonder to yourself, "That's it? That's all I get?" It doesn't really matter because 10 minutes later you forget the whole thing anyways!
Now that I am an adult Christmas means something different to me. I love the lights and the music and the food and the family gatherings, but I could care less for presents. When I was a kid there were 5 kids and not a lot of money. We had a beautiful tree and plenty to eat every year. Our gifts were usually a hat and pair of mittens or a cool pair of jeans with our initials sewn on the pockets in our favorite color....MADE BY OUR MOM!! We usually didn't get store bought gifts unless we spent Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa. There are 2 Christmases that always come to mind....One was when I was 5 or so we spent Christmas at my grandparents house. I got a baby doll (which I played with until everything fell off) and I remember sitting outside trying to see Santa's sleigh and trying EXTREMELY hard to stay up and catch a glimpse of the big guy himself! I still swear to this day that I saw him in their hallway!!!! My other favorite one was when I got an awesome pair of pajamas from a family friend for tutoring her son and I got a barbie doll in a yellow dress from Santa. That same Christmas my sister got a "Pretty in Pink" barbie doll from Santa and I am pretty sure that we played with them until their arms and legs fell off!
I sometimes wish that Christmas was more simple like in the "olden days". You put up lights, have dinner with family and friends, you have a great time at the yearly Christmas program (Santa always came and gave away candy when I went to country school), you have a blast playing in the snow during Christmas Vacation, you bake or make gifts from the heart, and you are TRULY THANKFUL for everything that receive!!!!
I want to take this time to wish you and yours a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! May God bless you and I hope all of your dreams come true in 2009!!!!

Friday, November 14, 2008

Milestones for the new generation....

This ain't Dr. Spock's milestones! My kids have reached all of the normal marks....crawling, walking, running, talking. As far as height and weight go, they have always had the odds stacked against them. You see, I was a chubby child and my husband's family is notorious for "their lack of height." (they are not short....they just aren't tall)
The new milestones I am talking about are the ones that most parents DON'T want to talk about. At least not outside the realm of other parents. Gabriel and Rollie have learned how to use everything imaginable as a gun! Everyone would like to consider themselves a perfect parent who does all the right things, but it can be a little embarrassing when your little angel picks up a (insert any inanimate object here) and pretends to shoot (insert the name of anyone they encounter) and proceeds to tell them that they are going to shoot their face off! That is just AWESOME! My girls were never like that so this has been an interesting avenue for us. I also love how they love to take things apart without the knowledge of putting it back together! Gabriel's new favorite thing is to turn everything into a chainsaw! That is all well and good until he tries to saw little brother in half without his permission! Which brings me to my next milestone....fighting! My sweet, cuddly, angelic little baby boy has turned a corner....he is now training to become a World Wrestling Federation wrestler! I guess after being sawed in half one too many times for your liking you have to learn how to defend yourself! He was always the sweet innocent one but has now become the one who is constantly being tattled on for being mean. He has become quite good at the hair pulling and the all-too-uncomfortable punch to the back. (that is big brother's favorite) For the past couple of days the 2 boys have developed a new favorite game....spread out blankets (for what I am guessing is a wrestling mat) and go to town walloping one another. I guess they need to get that energy out somehow (and I don't see either one of them becoming a concert pianist or a world famous painter) so I usually let it go until the crying starts. Now if I could just get them to learn how to refold all of the blankets and put them away.....(hey a mother can dream)
Other than being caught and explaining the whole S-E-X thing to your kids, (which is a whole other story entirely) my absolute favorite milestone that a child can reach is when they learn how to cuss! Oh, the memories! Gabriel's favorite new word is the F-word....and I am not talking farfignugen! He will be playing away and he will call little brother an F'er! NICE! My husband and I were talking one day and he said it and we both stopped in our tracks. When I asked him, "what did you say?" He said it again with perfect annunciation....I guess we all need to be good at something -- Gabriel's is the art of language! It is even better when they say these words in public....in front of people....who hear them -- good times!!
I know that there are more great milestones to come....I have 2 brothers and I was witness to many acts of "brotherly love" (which usually involved the big brother pounding the little brother) and I have heard some great stories of "brotherly love" shared between my husband and his little brother -- I truly cannot wait! (I also have 2 sisters with whom I shared a little "sisterly love" from time to time....just ask my little sister) I think all brothers and sisters share this loving bond...."That which love makes the bones grow stronger" -- the new credo for all siblings everywhere! Until next time....

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Christmas already??

You may have noticed the new background...(yes I know it is Christmas-y) but it could have been worse. I could have chosen the one with Santa Claus on it (which was pretty cute) or the reindeer but I chose to go conservative and picked the wreaths because I figured that if you REALLY stretched your imagination that maybe, just maybe, Thanksgiving could fall under this page too! (Isn't a wreath good for any occasion??)

I am a girl that loves the holidays...Christmas and Halloween being the top 2. I wasn't on the ball to put up a Halloween page and there is just no time to do a Thanksgiving one. As for Christmas, that holiday seems to be getting longer and longer every year! I am pretty sure that I saw a few Christmas displays in July!!!! If only I was one of those super organized people that can shop for gifts a whole year in advance....imagine the money I could save and the lack of stress. I am sure if I did that I would end up like Clark Griswold....always hiding the gifts and then finding gifts from previous years! I could just start stocking up a vast array of gifts when everything goes for 99% off the day after Christmas, wrap them and then just pull out a gift when needed. That way it will truly be a surprise for all! Although, Grandma might not enjoy getting the size 6 boys underwear and I doubt Grandpa would enjoy a pair of toddler snow boots. Maybe I will just start giving away beautifully wrapped empty cardboard boxes. Haven't you ever heard people say, "Little kids end up liking the boxes better than the toys that come in them anyways!" Imagine all of the $$ of I could have saved if I had thought of this sooner! It could also be a great character builder....teach your children early that they don't always get what they want and how to make lemonade out of lemons! LOL!!!! Or I could just give a one year memberships to the Jelly of The Month Club....that is the gift that keeps on giving the whole year!

I am the 4th of 5 kids. As I was growing up (back in the stone age) I don't remember there being ad after ad after ad for all of the crap that they are trying to sell these days. I also don't remember watching that much T.V. when I was a kid. As a mother I have learned how to listen politely and smile while they ramble on about the bajillion things that they want for Christmas and try to filter out the one or two things that they ask about all year. So far their lists are short but I am sure that once the T.V. ads hit full stride I will have to put on my game smile (and ears) and get ready for battle.

Don't even get me started on the decorating. I used to live in a fairly good sized house with ample wall space for my MANY (did I mention many?) decorations. Now I live in a slightly smaller house (more like cracker box--but we love it) and have tried, for the past 2 years, to fit said decorations (or as my husband calls it....crap) into it! Ask him sometime how much he LOVES to put up the outside lights!!! I am sure that he could just gush about it for hours! I know that he can't wait to do it again this year because he has already mentioned it for the past 3 weekends..... or it could just be that he would rather hang them with a slight breeze blowing (yes 70 MPH is considered slight around here) instead of in a blizzard with gale force winds! Either way he knows that I will make him do it so he might as well make it easy on himself! It could be worse....we could still live in the other house -- here is a picture of it so you understand what I mean! (now imagine what the inside looked like :-) Until next time....

Sunday, November 2, 2008

A Tribute To My Uncle...



Monday, October 27th, 2008 was a very sad day for our family. We lost my Uncle Darrel to cancer. As you know, I usually try to fill my posts with humor and even in sadness there is humor to be found. I would like to dedicate this post to everyone everywhere that was ever touched by Darrel in some way and especially his family.



You know the part of the funeral when the pastor asks if there is anyone who would like to say a few words? Well, like everyone else there, I sat there staring at my hands wishing that someone would say something but mostly wishing that I had the courage to say something. Had I gotten the courage this is what I would have said.....

"This body lying here before us is not Darrel. This is only his earthly vessel that transported his soul through his journey here on earth. His earthly vessel, like all good vehicles, eventually broke down and could not be repaired. He became so tired that even his love for his family wasn't enough to keep him with us. It was the love that he felt from the ones who passed on before him that finally allowed him to relent and let go. Even though his physical self is not here for us to touch that does not mean that he is not here spiritually. Have you ever found a penny on the sidewalk or somewhere random and thought, "I wonder why no one else has picked this up?" The reason they haven't is because it was put there for you. It is a fun way for a loved one to let you know that they are with you. The day of the funeral we had to stop and put gas in the car. When I got out, there on the ground was a penny. I picked it up and knew in my heart that it was from Darrel. For those of you that attended the funeral, you heard Dawn's touching story about knowing the exact minute that her dad had passed. When she told that story all I could do was sit there in amazement. Afterwards, I told her how much that story hit home. At the same time that she was jolted awake by her dad's passing I was having a dream about him and his dad. (my grandpa) I dreamt that I went to visit him in the hospital and they were in the same room separated by a curtain. I felt it to be more urgent to talk to Darrel first so I went to his side. As we sat and talked his frail body transformed back into the Darrel that I have always known. I then got up and went to talk to Grandpa and all he did was smile and wink at me and then I woke up. I knew right then that he was safe and surrounded by love."
When I was young, Darrel, to me, was always the uncle that looked just like my dad and seemed to love to wear slacks. He was the uncle that lived in Buffalo, WY, was married to Aunt Janice and was the dad to Brett, Dawn and Craig. We almost always stayed at their house on the way to visit in South Dakota. When I was older, he used to come to our house almost every Tuesday to visit with mom and dad. (he was always in town that day for his work) I will be the first to admit that my younger sister and I always made sure that we were busy on those nights because they would sit around and "reminisce the old days" and, as teenagers, we really didn't understand or care at the time. Until you are older and/or have kids of your own, you don't really understand a lot of things. I find that the older I get the more important family is to me. When I was younger I never really thought about death. I just figured that everyone close to me would be alive forever. In realization, no one does live forever in the physical world but be assured that we will all see each other again someday.
I did say that even in sadness there is humor to be found, so I would like to share one of my funniest memories of him. This was a story that I heard him tell a long time ago so if you know details that I don't, please forgive me if it is not exact. He said that one night he and Janice were in bed sleeping. He had heard a noise so he got up to check it out. It turns out it was a cat that they had. He came back to bed and turned out the light. Not long after that he heard another ruckus and the next thing he knew that cat came tearing up the bed and running right across his face. He started cussing and turned the light on. He felt something on his face and he soon discovered that the cat had a touch of diarrhea and had drug his tail right across his face! I'm sure Janice had a good laugh that night! As I said, some of the details may not be the same but this is a story that makes me laugh EVERY time I tell it or think about it!!!!


I, for one, TRULY believe that there is life after death and that our loved ones are always communicating with us. As I sit here writing this, my oldest daughter Emily came up to talk to me. I had been thinking about Darrel and Janice's house in Buffalo and I happened to look down at Emily's shirt and noticed the name Buffalo on it! This is a shirt that she wears often (which means I wash it often) and I had never noticed that before! There are always signs.....just be open to seeing them and you will.


Rest in Peace Darrel Dean LaVoy. Keep sending me signs until we meet again....

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Can you understand what I am saying?

My last post inspired me to write a tribute to all of you who are able to speak and, more importantly, understand the wonderful language of cartoon/movie lingo! You all know who you are or if you are just beginning to realize your new God given talent....welcome to the club! As I said in my last post I have a knack for memorizing movies, TV shows, cartoons, songs....you name it! Lucky for me my younger sister and one of my older brothers can too....it makes for really fun conversations! I find it funny when people think we are speaking "in code" and all I can say is, "are you serious Clark?" (one of my favorites!) Just last week we were at an anniversary party (an oldies dance) and my sister had her 5 month old with her. In true movie lingo fashion my sister-in-law (truly a queen of this game in her own right) walked up to my sister and said, "Look at you. You have a baby....in a bar!" CLASSIC!! Kudos to you A.D.! (I hope you pick up on the initials A.D. and if you don't -- are you serious Clark?)
At work we put the wrapped meat into trays with our customers names on them. Last week we had one customer, Martha, who had a lot of meat so we came across her name often. Every time I saw it I couldn't help but say Martha Focker. By the end of the day I even had my sister and niece saying it....too funny. I was also in the freezer a lot that day and, (for those of you that don't know -- eyeglasses tend to frost over when exposed to warm air after being exposed to extreme cold), I came out one time and my sister asked me if I could see. All I could think of was, "She'll see it later Dear. Her eyes are frozen!"
So to all my loyal fans....remember to check your shitters and don't go falling in love my R.V. cuz I'm taking it with me when I leave next month! Until next time....
P.S...Be on the lookout -- future posts will more than likely contain more of my favorite lingo!

YO! GABBA! GABBA!

For those of you that have children, I am sure that you have heard these words before. For those of you who have not....let me enlighten you. Yo Gabba Gabba is a weird cartoon that comes on Nickelodeon ever day. It starts off with a guy coming out in a very fashionable orange jumpsuit thingy with a furry hat to match. (where can I get me one of those?) He is also carrying a big boom box which leads me to believe that he is some sort of DJ. He opens up the boom box and it is filled with his puppet friends. When he talks to them they come to life and they proceed to role play various child related situations, e.g. sharing, personal space, personal hygiene etc. I get the feeling that they are supposed to resemble space creatures because I have never seen any such creatures on this earth. Even though I find the whole show mildly disturbing my kids seem to love it...I will admit that once I hear it I usually have the Yo Gabba Gabba stuck in my head for the day! (It makes me wonder if we played the show backwards what kind of subliminal messages we would hear :-) I guess it could be worse....they could bring back the Teletubbies! They were popular when my second oldest was a baby....if you know what I am talking about, need I say more? I sometimes think that I see/hear too much of this channel....I don't encounter too many other adults that go around singing, "I'm the map, I'm the map, I'm the map, "I'm the map, I"M THE MAP!" I guess the thing that really bugs me about that cartoon is how it is her show but she never really seems to know where she is going.....she constantly has to ask my kids for help! It is hard to explain to a little toddler why Dora can't hear them through the T.V. Another good "stick to your brain" cartoon is the Backyardigans! I am pretty sure that I have had dreams about those weird kids....and you can't close the subject without mentioning the "king" of them all -- SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS! I must admit that the first time I saw this one I thought, "What the H-E-double hockey sticks is this?" But after hearing it in the background all the time I got used to it and eventually started watching it. Now I watch it even if the kids aren't around. I know that my co-workers think I am crazy because they don't seem to understand when I speak "spongebob" to them :-) Kid movies are not any better! I have a great knack for memorizing an entire movie (which will happen when you are forced to watch something at least a 100 times a day -- "can we say Barney?") and then recite it every time I watch it! My kids LOVE when I do this! Funny how they can hear me reciting a movie but they can't hear me ask them to clean their room or brush their teeth! Until next time....
P.S. I almost forgot my other favorite "wad of cartoon gum" that sticks to my brain...."WOW! WOW! Wubbzy! Wubbzy! Wubbzy! WOW! WOW! The kids really love it when I say that OUTLOUD -- ALL THE TIME!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

I found something better.....

I never thought I would say this but........something better than being trapped in the house with kids is................all four of them yelling and fighting with each other! That means that everyone is back to normal! As I sit here writing this, the two middle ones are crying and yelling because the oldest one ran off next door to their cousins house without them. Can you say "nap"? Baby brother is just wandering around quietly trying to get big brother's helmet on. I have to be honest, my 2nd oldest darling is quite notorious for her "sometimes unpleasant to be around" attitude. As I said before, I have been home all week with her and her illness. It may sound mean but I guess I was hoping a little that her high fever would possibly melt away a little bit of her "not so nice" side. Well I think that her siblings will attest to the fact that said miracle indeed DID NOT happen. Thus, as I said, everything is back to normal! I hate to cut this short but I just saw my 3 year old jump the fence to catch up to the big kids and I suppose I better go get him! Or maybe I will wait 5 minutes to see if they bring him back.....I think I will pick door #2 and enjoy my 5 minutes of peace and quiet! Until next time....

P.S. Here is a picture of my three year old in his usual every day attire! Talk about casual! The helmet is a new addition for the day (maybe to protect himself from darling #2) and check out that salute! I think the neighbors (and anyone who has driven by my house) enjoy watching my children play and enjoy it even more when they realize that they are my children and not theirs :-) -- especially when my 3 year old drops trow and sprinkles a little art work around the yard any time the mood strikes! I guess when you gotta go, you gotta go! I can't wait until he teaches that one to his little brother....Yeah! Memories! Even with all of the fighting I wouldn't trade my kids for anything......What's that? A free trip to Hawaii? Hmmmmm....Let me think about it!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

What could be better??

Our little family was scheduled to travel to western Montana this morning to watch my two stepsons play football. On Monday my middle darling came home at lunch time because she had a headache. I thought for sure that she would be fine after a day or two....not so and she ended up at the doctor yesterday. Of course the usual happened.....she was sick enough for me to want to take her to the doctor and while we were there I am sure the doc wondered what we were doing there. Normal temperature and everything else, just like all my trips to the doc. (but then crashed again after we got home) I usually don't get too ruffled when my kids get sick but when I took her temp once it said 105!! "Surely that cannot be right!!!" I thought! I took it a few more times and it was finally consistent after the 10th time of taking it! (I am sure she wouldn't have minded had she known where/how they used to take a temp) Lucky for me she only vomited one time during this whole ordeal and it was on the linoleum so at least there is that! As for my question...What could be better?? What could be better than being trapped at home with a sick (but on the mend) child and two other little ones who are just waiting to get it? I say trapped because the doc says it would be better to keep everyone inside. What makes that so hard is that the weather is actually nice and snow free! (I still have my suspicions that playing in the snow last weekend might have had a helping hand in our demise!) My husband and oldest darling went on to the game without us....at least someone gets to go outside! Hope they have fun! To all moms that experience similar situations this fall/winter....I feel your pain! (This may be the first illness of the season but I fear it won't be our last) Until next time....

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Ever get one of "those" emails?

You know the ones....they ask a million questions about your personal life so they can "get to know you" when, in fact, they are usually sent to you by someone you have known all your life. Don't get me wrong, I have been just as guilty about sending such emails out as anyone and I usually fill out the ones I receive and send them on, but instead of sending out another email I will just write it here so you all can get to know me......pay close attention for I am very complex.

1.) Are you a boy or girl? I am a girl. 2.) How old are you? I am older than 25 but younger than 40 and will be for a few more years. 3.) Are you married? I am married to a guy.....how many times? A lady never tells -- or at least I am not going to. 4.) How many kids do you have? I have given birth to 4 delightful (hehehe) children....if you believe this statement you have not had the privilege to spend a great deal of time with said children. People say, "you must really love children to have such a big family now a days!" Nope, the husband and I just couldn't quite figure out what kept causing it! 5.) Do you have a job? For the past 4 years I have had the good fortune to be a stay at home mom. (for those of you familiar with this job you know that it requires more than the supplied space here to write a more accurate description) But I have recently started working a few days a week at a local meat locker.....interesting place to work if you are wanting get rid of any enemies....that is another story! 6.) Do you have any hobbies? I love to cook....when I am in the mood, otherwise frozen pizza is always good in a pinch. 7.) Do you have any interesting habits? People think I am a neat freak....freak maybe but they need to come by after both boys have been home and bored all day. 8.) Do you dye your hair? My answer would be...I'm sorry, have we met? 9.) Do you love pets? As long as they don't belong to any of my children, thus meaning that yours truly is responsible for them. We have tried owning several pets (mostly dogs) and luckily we have found loving homes for all of them! We do have one pet left that has been with us for 9 years, our cat Blackie, although some days I wonder if she was someone who had done wrong in a past life and was reincarnated as our cat as punishment! 10.) Do you like diamonds or pearls? No one I hang out with can afford either and if they can then they have been holding out on me! 11.) Are you funny? I like to think that I am, although I am sure that there are a few people that would disagree! 12) Have you ever eaten roadkill? Ummmm....no I don't think so. 13.) What is your favorite color? I like them all man.....these mushrooms in my spaghetti taste funny! 14.) What is your favorite number? With my shrinking brain I am just glad that I can count to 10 (sometimes higher on a good day) 15.) Hugs or kisses? Both as long as they are not a surprise from the weird guy that lingers around the bus stop. Well I could go on forever but if I reveal all of inner secrets then I won't have any answers left for when I get the next one of "those" emails! Until next time....

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Good thing I am not a vegetarian....(or work for PETA)

Because if I was I don't think I would last very long at my new job. Yes, I said J-O-B! I decided that being a stay at home mom wasn't challenging enough so I decided to take a stab at working at a nifty little meat locker called Pioneer Meats. Did I mention that I have been out of the work force for about 4 years? Lucky for me I didn't have to deal with "being the new guy" jitters since I, once again, work with one of my sisters and my mom when she isn't watching my 2 youngest. Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I had a job that I didn't work with at least one of my immediate family! Gotta love that small town life!! Anyways, for those of you that have never actually been to a meat locker it usually has a distinct odor like no other. I used to say that I didn't think that there was any way that I could ever work in a place like that but, huh, go figure! Amazingly enough, once you are in the environment you don't really notice any weird smell except for the occasional "overly exposed to the elements" wild game!!!! HOLY GUACAMOLE BATMAN!!!!.....that is one smell that I think could be used on death row -- who needs lethal injection?!?!?! I spend most of my days in a little corner by myself wrapping meat. When I am not there you can find me in the freezer trying to find orders that are usually way in the back at the bottom of the most inconvenient stack!!!! Not a good place to be with 2o lbs of steel in your ears!....maybe I should invest in a set of ear muffs or one of those cool furry hats that you would imagine every person in Russia owning! (for those of you who don't understand....I have 7 steel earrings in each ear!) All in all it is a pretty cool job and I get along with all who I work with. Hopefully I will still be able to keep my Tuesdays free for "coffee" with the girls!! Until next time....

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Another wedding in the books.....


No...not mine -- 2 is enough for me! LOL If you ever find yourself not feeling your age and would like to feel A LOT older, I suggest you attend a wedding of someone you remember meeting when they were in the 4th grade. (I felt a little old even then) We attended my niece's wedding and, to quote Autumndaesy, "Man was it cold!" We went to the rehearsal the night before and let me just say......man was it cold! Three of our four lovely chitlins were in the wedding party. Unfortunately our little boy developed a horrible cold the day before and wasn't really down with being 1 of 3 ring bearers....I believe he missed out on the pictures but he did make it down the aisle -- right to where I was sitting :-) I was very thankful that the ceremony was short because it is not fun trying to get 2 little boys (and 1big one...the husband) to sit still and keep quiet. Lucky for the big boy it was an outdoor wedding where, apparently, drinking a can of beer during the ceremony is acceptable. (only in Montana!) Mother Nature thought it would be funny to wait until the guests were seated and then rain on us for a good 10 minutes....(thank God cousin Sandra went and got her umbrella -- she had said that she just knew that if she went and got it that it would stop raining! I just can't figure out why she didn't go and get it sooner!) Luckily Mother Nature relented....she sent down sunshine for Angie to walk down the aisle and held off the rain throughout the ceremony....and then it just got colder from there. Don't get me wrong, I love a good outdoor wedding as much as the next guy....I just hope that by the time my girls are old enough to marry that some geek somewhere will have figured out a way to control the weather! (Why not? They figured out everything else!) Congratulations to the newlyweds Angie & Jon Weatherman! Until next time....

Monday, September 8, 2008

What a difference a day will make....

I am happy to report that my little boy decided that he likes school after all! He was a little nervous when we go there but after we stepped inside and bee-lined for the bathroom......while in the loo we had a little chat and he decided that he was going to be OK. I left my little darling behind with his new friends with a new sense of assurance. I never got "the call" this time and when I got there to pick him up he and all his new friends were playing in the sandbox. The teacher was excited to tell me that he drank his milk at snack time and even went potty for her! YEAH!!! (that is quite a feat in itself considering that he won't even go for his own dad :-) When it was time to leave, though, he again threw a fit -- only this time it was because he DID NOT want to leave school! LOL! I finally got him out of there kicking and screaming....let's hope tomorrow holds a better departure....The cutest thing is that when you ask him his name he says "6" and when you ask him who his best friend his he says "sandbox"! I love my special little boy :-) Until next time....

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

I found yet another who DOES NOT like school...

My second middle darling! As stated in a previous blog, he was extremely excited to start school and totally bummed when he found out that it was not at the same location as his sisters. Today was his first day at "Linda's". He was pretty excited until, on the way there, I told him that he would be there by himself without brother and me. He started to get a little worried but was still excited to see what was on the other side of the door. When we got inside his "static cling" problem got worse....he was more clingy than one of those annoying dryer sheets someone else finds stuck to the back of your shirt. We made a short trip to the bathroom and then settled in at a tiny table with microscopic chairs for a little "getting to know the place" time. After a few minutes he was comfortable enough for brother and I to leave and my last mental picture of his was a happy one. School runs from 8:30 to 11:00am. I was feeling pretty good about it all and was just saying so to one of the husband's sisters when I got "the call". Hello Mrs. Myrstol....your son had an accident (number 1, thank goodness!) can you bring some dry clothes? "I am on my way"! I then ask myself, "You knew this would happen...you should have just put the extra clothes in the backpack like you planned!" ( I knew this would happen because he as stubborn as a mule not because he likes to pee his pants!) When I got there he was a sad little sight. He was sitting on the step stool in the bathroom looking lost and he started to cry when he saw me. While I was getting him changed, he kept crying over and over, "I don't like school, I don't like school!" All I could think was, "Kid, you've got a long road ahead of you if you dislike school this much this early!" My plan of "you need to go to school or we will have to take your bike back to the store" totally backfired on me when he wanted to hold open the car door so I could load up his bike! Please wish us luck for we are going to try it one more time this Thursday. Lucky for him they are all just little little kids so I doubt they will dub him as "the kid who peed his pants his very first day of school!" Let's just hope he get over his dislike for school and this episode doesn't repeat itself when he get to kindergarten and little kids' memories seem to be somewhat keener! Until next time....

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Who doesn't love the first day of school?

I would say most kids everywhere but it is a different story when you ask most parents :-)Yesterday was the first day of school for my two oldest. All summer long they talked about how much they hated school but also how bored they were! When we went school shopping they got pretty excited but it faded quickly! The night before the first day of school they, again, thought that school was dumb....mostly because it was the start of their early to bed schedule but come the next morning (after they finally woke up) they got pretty excited again! They couldn't wait to get there so we could inspect the class room and see where their desks were -- hoping that it was right next to their best friend! Well my oldest was happy with everything but my second oldest was already worried that school would be hard and and she might not make it through....and this was after only 10 minutes! She may have had a premonition of a bad day.....during her first recess of the year she got smacked in the eye by a runaway tether ball and she wound up with her first black eye! What a way to start the first day!!!!!
My third child gets to start preschool next Tuesday! He seemed to understand this yesterday but this morning he threw a full on fit when I dropped the 2 oldest off because he thought he was going too....bless his heart! I only hope that he has the same enthusiasm next week when he realizes for the first time that mommy doesn't get to go to school with you!!!! Hopefully the coming year will be smooth sailing for all!! Until next time.....

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

How not to race a car....101







I say "how not to race a car" because I am pretty sure you can't get too far on your roof! Lol. The car in the photo is my brother's race car. He lives in Ree Heights, SD and races in Miller, SD just about every Friday night from Apr/May to Sept. This is where the last leg of our vacation took place a few weeks ago. The night we were there he just missed out on the trophy by about a 1/2 a car length but did end up with the infamous watermelon. On this night, I was told, he was again vying for the trophy when he encounter a little "car trouble". I was bummed when they said that the season might be over but was happy when we got the news that it was "game on!" Even if first impression tells you that the season is over an avid racer will find a way to come back!!!! Way to go Team LaVoy!!!! I used to live in Winner, SD and attend the races every weekend. I didn't realize how much I missed racing until I went to Miller Speedway!!!! As I said before....It may have been our first time there but I highly doubt it will be our last!!!! I send a BIG "GOOD LUCK" out to 4 LaVoy's Racing and I look forward to seeing a pic of you holding the trophy this weekend! (even if you get the watermelon it means that you stayed on your wheels :-)






Until next time....(P.S. these other pics are of the car in the daylight)

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N........

That spells vacation! My family and I recently went on an 8 day excursion called vacation. This trip was the longest time away from AND the most time we have spent together so closely as a family....I think ever. We all had our growly - don't poke the bear - moments but all in all I think it went well! We had to go invest in a dual screen DVD player for the car as the husband and I feared for all of our sanity. Unfortunately, our first leg of the trip was through Yellowstone Park and the DVD player was still new so most of the sight-seeing was done by the husband and myself. After spending the night in Cody we ventured over to Thermopolis to test out the "largest thermal hot springs in the world." We took the kids to a place called Star Plunge. For those of you who haven't been there......it was interesting. The inside pool seemed like it was over 100 years old but it was hard to tell because the minerals cause all that build up. The husband DID NOT care for the indoor pool because of the pleasantly unpleasant odor of bad eggs...aka...sulpher. Unfortunately for us that is where we spent a majority of the time since that was where the baby pool was. We did swim some outside and we rode the slides with the kids and we watched our oldest jump off the high dive (pretty good considering she claims to be afraid of heights) I know the kids would go back in a heartbeat but I don't think their dad shares the same delight. Our next leg of the trip took us to Rapid City, SD. We mostly chilled and swam at the hotel (correction-MOTEL......Motel 6 to be exact -- but at least it had a pool which is all the kids cared about) We played a quick round of mini golf at a great place called the Pirates Cove. Fun yes, but I am sure it would have been more fun if the kids attention spans could have been longer and our sweat wouldn't have been sweating! (Holy humidity Batman!!!!!) The next day we arose refreshed and ready for the day! After a quick breakfast we were off to be super tourists!! We started out by driving out to the Crazy Horse Memorial. Truly a great place, but again not too fun with short attention spans. The kids were mad that we didn't stop at Mt. Rushmore on the way back but if have picked up on my theme then you know why! My husband the antagonizer got a kick out of making them take a picture of the dead presidents out the window while we drove by!! LOL! We then ventured down to Keystone, SD.....Oh what a wonderful world! (If you own a tourist shop!!) It was all good though, since we went with the full intentions of being the best tourists we could be! We started at the Presidential Wax Museum -- a cool place, but again the attention spans. We also went to the Keystone School which is now a museum with an interesting display about Carrie Ingalls. Our oldest child liked it because she is reading those books and the littlest one liked it because he found some old chalk to eat in one of the class rooms. We also got to ride a tram (looks like a ski lift) up a hill and the baby and rode it back down while all the others got to ride down a huge slide. We tried to take a train ride....after we finally convinced the kids it would be fun to do we found out it was sold out!! Maybe next time!! After a much needed night's sleep we were off to a little town called Winner. (My family and I lived there for a year when I was a freshman in high school) My Uncle Wayne (he was married to my dad's sister) and cousins live there. My uncle and his wife took us out to dinner and we got to share our children's impeccable table manners with the other patrons.....you know I'm kidding, right?!?! LOL! After some visiting and touring of Winner, we headed over to Chamberlain and little town called Pukwana. Puk is a place where my dad's family lived. I liked visiting there when we were kids. By the way, if you ever hear of a place called Puk U......(dad used to tell us it was a school) there is indeed a place bearing that name. I am sure that you probably guessed that it was a bar! LOL! We left there and headed up to my brother and his wife's place in Ree Heights. We just hung out and visited the first day. The next day (after some needed sleeping in) we hung out with Andi (my brother's wife) and Jesse and Kaiti (their kids). We went to their AWESOME town pool (did I mention how awesome it was) and swam for a few hours before going to the races. (to watch my brother) We had a blast at the races and Doug did good. He won his heat and got 2nd in the feature.....by the way Doug, thanks again for the watermelon!! (it was pretty good) We decided to stay one extra day so we could go out and watch our nephew Jesse race go karts. It was pretty fun to watch!! Then we got up the next day at the butt crack of dawn and drove straight home....it was nice, the kids slept most of the trip! I think we all had a pretty good time and, for the most part, we all still like each other! LOL! We may just make the trip to SD a yearly thing.....I will have to settle for vacation because I don't think I can convince the husband to move there!!!! Hope your summer is going well!! Until next time....

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

BOOOAAAT FLOOOAAAT!!!

If you are from Montana surely you have heard of the Boat Float! The husband and I, along with step-son, sister-in-law and 2 brothers-in-law floated the river from Big Timber to Reed Point last Saturday. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not really a drinker so I think it was a little bit of a shock to everyone when I cracked my first beer at 10:30 A.M.!!! Alcohol seems to take on a very different effect on the river. You can sit and drink all day and never really feel anything.....BUT when you stand up to get out of the boat -- LOOK OUT!!!! LOL!! I really wasn't having that much trouble getting out of the boat but getting back in....the sister-in-law and I (the only girls on the boat) always seemed to be on the end of the boat that required the most amount of work at any given time. I am a tough girl and don't want to complain but all the rotten boys at the other end of the boat weren't much help!! LOL!! Anyone who has heard of boat float knows that most guys (and I suppose some girls) go on it with the high hopes of seeing a boob or two......it's really just a bunch a boobs looking for a bunch of boobs! LOL!! I am sorry to report that the only boobs I saw were a a drunk chick at the street dance with an ill-fitting dress......(In all fairness the river was a little higher than normal this year so most everyone had a life jacket on so it makes it a little difficult to flash people when you are all bound up -- it somehow loses it's allure....kind of like a stripper falling off the pole in the middle of the dance!! LOL!) I did, however, see more than my fair share of good ol' man crack.......I think these guys should do the sit down test before they leave the house!!!! Anyways, all in all I think we all had a pretty good time and I am sure that we will attend again.....Hope your summer is going well!!!! Until next time....

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

10 fingers and 10 toes.....

Well we managed to put another successful 4th of July in the books.....by successful I mean that we all have our important body parts still intact! LOL! As for our hosting duties....mission accomplished....we may even make it a permanent gig. Mother Nature couldn't resist having a little fun of her own, though. She waited until the minute we wanted to eat and let loose a big cloud burst! Where do people go when it is raining? Answer: inside. Ever see those potential Guinness record breakers that try to see how many idiots they can stuff into a little car? I am by NO MEANS calling my party guests idiots, but lets just say that my trailer house looked like one of those tiny cars! LOL! I will say that the brief rain made great weather for eating but it didn't take long before it got HOT & MUGGY! So much so that even the die-hard horseshoe players were having a hard time. Imagine my dad sitting behind a tiny tree for shade (when it wasn't his turn) and just when you would be getting ready to take your turn he peeks out from behind one of the three branches on the tree! OMG for the love of laughter--it was too funny!! Even with all of the pants peeing fun had by all, I am glad that there aren't any more holidays for a while. Unless you count the start of school but I think that is a holiday that only parents keep in their calendar! LOL! Here's to still having all 10 fingers all 10 toes! Until next time....
P.S...I got the staining done on the deck before the party--it only took 4 hours in the middle of the hottest part of the day--I think my husband was a little surprised! I will post a pic soon!

Monday, June 30, 2008

4th of July ALREADY?!?!?!?!


Is it just me or does it seem almost impossible that it is the 4th of July already?! I used to think summer went too fast as a kid but I find that as I get older it goes by like that super fast train in Europe! (sorry I don't know the name --hehe--probably going to fast to read the name on the side anyway!) My mom is usally the one who throws the big 4th bash but since she has moved to a smaller house I get to do it this year. The funny thing is that I live in a small trailer house on the outskirts of town (probably about the same size as hers) but I have a fenced in yard (to protect any little ones from the occasional rouge horseshoe) and a new big deck -- the 9th wonder of the world, as stated in a previous blog. We are very proud of our deck but, alas, it still is not quite finished. My husband keeps reminding me that the unfinished part is the "finishing" (staining) part which was agreed in the beginning to be my part. So, I guess I better wrap this up so I can mow the yard, do the laundry, clean the house, take care of the kids, clean out the abyss we call our van, make dinner and plan for the 4th of July party so that I can do my part and get the staining done! HOPE EVERYONE HAS A HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!! Until next time....

Monday, June 23, 2008

Wonder what 2nd place looks like?


2nd place looks pretty darn good if you ask me or any other parent of the girls on our softball team!! Our team went into the tournaments with a bye because we were in first place but we lost our first game which meant we had to claw our way back up to play for 1st and 2nd. Then we had to play 3 games on Saturday and come back early Sunday for another! I know she won't decide until the very last minute (like everything else) if she wants to play next year and I will be fine with whatever she decides, but I sort of hope that she will continue with her softball career. I think she saw things differently towards the end of the season, especially during the 3rd game of the day when we had a tie score and she slid into home for the win! Not too bad for a girl that was always too afraid to slide before!! Now that softball is over the girls are pretty excited to get down to real summer business -- swimming and sleepovers! It is hard to believe that a month ago they hated school and in a month they will be asking when it will start again!! My second oldest darling had to endure tournaments on her birthday so we are having her party tonight. Which reminds me....I better go get her cake baked for the party!! Until next time....

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Is is June or December?

My oldest darling and I travelled to Livingston last night for one of her softball games. All day long I waited and waited for my phone to ring saying that it had been cancelled. I had good reason -- we had already suffered through a miserably rainy game IN Livingston the night before. Honestly, I would have taken the rain again over last night!!!! I am pretty sure that I saw snow on the way there. When we got there I waited in the car with a friend until the game started (or so we thought) and we decided that since neither of us had any of our other children with us that we would just sit in the bleachers this time -- the cold, hard, metal, small (barely big enough for a 6 year old butt to fit on) EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE ones!! I kept wishing I had brought my comfortable chair to sit on but it was all the way back at the car and the car was about 20 miles away. (Our girls get the great privilege of playing in the back forty)
I was dressed for June with a sweatshirt when really I should have been dressed for December in my winter clothes! Silly me....I never thought to bring my snowsuit! The game finally got going and after a while the sun did come out for a bit....long enough to thaw my nose out. I even had to do the one thing that I always get after my kids for doing.....pulling my sweatshirt down over my knees! (I hate the shirts stretching out) That almost turned into a trip to the emergency room for me when my foot slipped and I fell forward. Had I not caught myself I would have smashed my faced right into the lower bleacher! After my friend stopped laughing she said that had that really happened she would have at least waited until she got to the car before she laughed at me! Now that is a TRUE friend! LOL. By the time we got ready to go, nothing on my body worked. Except, of course, my nose which wouldn't stop running! I had started shivering uncontrollably and all of my extremities were numb. It was an interesting walk back to the car. Despite all of that the game actually turned out to be a good one....we won and everyone played well. I can't wait for the next game...anyone want to go with me?? Until next time....

Monday, June 9, 2008

Is that sunshine I see?

I woke up this morning and was pleasantly surprised to see an actual blue sky with no clouds and a ball of sun in it. Until I looked out the other side of the house and found the clouds! All in all it is still, by far, the best start to a day we have had in a while. They say (and by they I mean the people who seem to think they know how to predict the weather) that it is suppose to be nice without rain this weekend (I will believe it when I see it) so hopefully we will be getting the deck done! (I will post a pic of the 9th wonder of the world when it is finished!)
Besides the deck, we have another new addition to the household....my teenage bottomless pit -I mean step son - has come to live with us for the summer. I have 2 boys of my own, but they are still little and they aren't capable of consuming A LOT of whatever they eat....YET!!! I guess it is good practice for when they get older!! I guess, in a way, my 15 month old is practicing for the future -- you can open anything with a wrapper a good mile away and he will be at your side begging in nothing flat!! He really doesn't care what it is either....however, I don't think he will be begging for those jalapeno chip again anytime soon!! I better go.....something just crashed to the floor -- gotta see what it was and survey the damage -- I am guessing that the "invisible kid" named "NOT ME" did it!! Hopefully one of these days I will catch that darn kid in the act!! Until next time....

Friday, June 6, 2008

Rain, Rain are you gonna go away?

Don't get me wrong, I know we need the rain and I personally like the rain but couldn't Mother Nature be kind and spread it out a little? I would be happy to endure a few 100 degree days if it meant actually getting some rain in July and August. Really the only inconvenience it poses to me is baseball. We are suppose to end the season toward the end of June but we will be lucky to finish by the time school starts after we makeup all of the games that got rained out!!!! LOL We are supposed to have a game tonight but we won't know for sure until this afternoon....hmmmm! All the "unseasonably cool" weather does not deter my kids from the pool, though!! The only day they haven't gone so far is one when it rained all day! Trust me, they would have gone if they could have. My oldest lovely asked the other day if she could go to the pool and I said I didn't think it was nice enough. She told me, "Mom, they don't close the pool for wind just thunder!" It's a good thing they don't or our pool would never be open! You can certainly pick out the pint size swimmers in the community......you know the ones - they have chlorine green or bleached out hair and, what I call, swimmers' face -- the shiny red eyes and the burnt skin from the chlorine. My kids hate the fact that I make them wear sunscreen all the time but I am trying to save them from repeating mistakes I made as a kid and I am still big enough to tell them what to do!! LOL Well, my lovelies will be up soon and I need to go find them something to do so that there will be at 10 minutes without fighting today -- that is another bad side effect of rain...."the trapped children in the house that like to pick on each other for fun until mom can't take it anymore and then we get into trouble" syndrome!! Oh sweet sunshine, where have you gone and will you ever come back? I want to use my swamp cooler!!!! Until next time....

Monday, June 2, 2008

Ever wonder what stress looks like??





In case any of you haven't experienced extreme stress in a while, you should try building a wedding cake! Even when I have a good feeling in the beginning that all will go well, I am usually frazzled by the end of the day. (as is my husband -- he puts in just as much work as I do!) My last endeavor (this past weekend) was none the different. I had my cakes baked ahead of time and had all the things that I needed to get it done. I thought I was going right on time and then I had a fight with the frosting. I had one cake once where I had gotten so upset that I ended up throwing it and the frosting across the room. (it was one my first attempts before I knew a few trade secrets) Luckily, this time wasn't quite that drastic!! The funny thing is that every time I agree to do a wedding cake I swear that it will be my last......until next time. The other funny thing is that I am always thinking how great it would be to own a cake shop -- you would think that 4 kids and husband would be stressful enough, but I guess a girl can dream!! Also every time I do one I think that I haven't really done that many but then I always pull out the pictures and reminisce and realize that I have done my fair share. I know that the artist is always the most critical of their work (THAT WOULD BE ME) but I guess I must not do to bad of a job or people would stop asking me, right?! LOL! I guess it is a good sign that they still ask -- when they stop asking I will know that it is time to hang up the apron!
I have to say, I feel a little guilty about my son's third birthday -- it was actually on the day of the wedding so we celebrated his birthday a day later. I feel guilty because I have always made all of my kids' birthday cakes and I was not super-mom enough to do it this year. I just so happened to kill two birds with one stone by asking Miss Dairy Queen to fill in for me......."cake" and ice cream all in one -- ingenious!!!! Luckily for me he is only 3 and a boy so I think I may have been more effected by it than he. LOL!! Anyways, hope you enjoy the pictures (the one on the left is the one I did this weekend -- the one on the right is just one that I thought turned out pretty good!) Until next time....

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Where did she go?


In case you (all 2 or 3 of you) were wondering where I have been....I will tell you! On the 20th of May my sister had a new baby! He is such a dolly! As his favorite aunt I have been doing my share of spoiling him and helping out his mom. We have also been trying to get the deck done, the kids have their last day of school this Friday, I had 3 graduation cakes to make last weekend, we have had baseball (when they weren't cancelled by rain) and I have a wedding cake to make for Saturday! So I bet you are asking yourself -- that's it?? That's all she's been doing?? Oh wait -- that is what my husband would say.....sorry I got confused for a second! Actually, my husband is a great help when I need it and he even worked on the deck last weekend IN THE RAIN and I didn't even have to send him down guilt trip lane. After the big wedding cake on Saturday I have my son's 3rd birthday on Sunday. (his birthday is really on Saturday but I don't get paid to make his birthday cake -- LOL) We have had a couple of baseball games cancelled due to rain so I am sure we will be playing until August to make them all up!! LOL Anyways, I have rambled long enough....I guess I will get back to baking more cake! If it turns out ok maybe I will post a picture of it when I am finished!! Until next time....

Monday, May 12, 2008

Happy Mother's Day!

I know this is a day late but I was busy being a mom/wife/carpenter etc....on the actual day! Yes I said carpenter. The husband and I had decided to build a deck sometime last year (or maybe it was 2 years ago -- I've lost track!) and I figured now was as good a time as any to start. Once we got going on it things went pretty fast. We are hoping to finish it this weekend. I can definately say that I am glad that I am the mom and he is the builder.....with my kid-induced brain shrinkage I am not sure that my math skills are capable of holding down such a job. Although, in my kids defense, I don't think I had the math skills before.....if I did then my math teachers from school must have mixed my grades up with someone else. I would like to safely tell my teachers that I have chosen a profession that does not not require the geometry that I almost flunked. Unless you you count the figuring I have to do when I rearrange my furniture!!!
Anyway, I would like to wish all of the mother's out there a very special Mother's Day!!!!
Until next time....

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Here comes summer....that means baseball!!

Our oldest little darling has been playing baseball/softball for about the last 4 years. When I say playing I mean chasing butterflies on the field or finding really pretty rocks for her collection. She was also more worried about what the "snack kid" brought for snacks than whether she got a hit or not. In the rookie league each kid gets about 100 attempts to hit the ball before their turn is over and then they usually forget where first base is. The whole point is to try and teach the kids good sportsmanship so they don't even keep score. (At least the adults don't...there is always at least one kid per side that keeps score!) My little lovely has finally moved up to the minor league. Her first game is tonight and she is TERRIFIED! She is scared because this is her first year with "fast-pitch" and she is afraid of getting hurt. (I have seen some of these girls pitch and I would be a little afraid myself!) She told me that she hopes she gets to play somewhere in the outfield where she doesn't have to do much....I told her that I don't think there is a position of play on the OTHER side of the fence. I am sure that if there was a position for "hot dog getter from the concession stand" she would be first in line. I'm not too sure but I think that the other 3 fourth graders on her team might feel the same way. I tried to tell her that after she gets through her first game she will get the feel for it and do better. She is already asking if she HAS to do this next year! We will see how she feels next year but she WILL finish this year....I already paid for everything! I will try to keep you updated on her season -- she has tournaments to finish out the season in July so I am sure there will be a few blurbs about it here and there. Lets hope that she stays safe, can maybe learn something and (you never know) she may even find a new special butterfly or rock!! Until next time....

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Am I In The Right Place?

For anyone who reads this blog (you must be pretty bored:-) you may have noticed that the looks of it has changed. I just wanted to let all my faithful readers (all 2 of them.....I am hoping for at least 3) know that I will probably do that from time to time. I guess I am a "change things around" kind of girl! If you were to come to my house once a month you would find that more often than not my furniture (in one room or another) is never in the same place. One of these days I am going to stumble out to the living room in the middle of the night (darned sleep walking disorder!!!!) and forget where my chair is and end up on the floor! Although, If you have been to my house lately you might think that the floor is not a bad alternative to the furniture as my darling youngest is starting to venture out in the food world. He now likes mobile snacks and he LOVES to smear said snacks. Maybe that is why, on the rare occasion, when company does come over they opt to sit in the kitchen....because who eats at the table anyway, right?! (Actually, I am proud to say that we do eat dinner at the table as a family it is just hard to teach a one year old to stay in the kitchen:-) Hopefully he will be more cooperative when it comes time to the potty training. I didn't think my soon-to-be 3 year old would ever learn and I had set myself up for a big fight but to my surprise he figured it out in less than a week. We did have an accident or two in the beginning but all is well now. I guess there is still that one little quirk......if I am within a 10 mile radius of him when nature calls, he would rather go in his pants than let anyone but me take him! I really hope that for the sake of his future wife this is a quirk that he will outgrow! (Although, I have met a few grown men in my day that always thought that they needed "help" because the doctor told them not to lift anything heavy.....I doubt I am the only girl that has encountered such men!...LOL) Anyways, baby is taking a nap so I think I will get the fabric cleaner out and put a shine on the furniture....he will need a clean palette for his creative outlet when he wakes up! Until next time....

Monday, April 28, 2008

Ahhh....Mondays!

To all you parents out there....Are you familiar with the "I HATE MONDAYS" child? My oldest child (yes she happens to be a girl....and quite dramatic, I might add!) is famous in our house for feeling "sick" when it comes to Mondays. No matter how great she felt over the weekend or how great the weather might be on any given Monday, when I try to get her out of bed the first words out of her mouth are, "I don't feel good!" She is an honor roll student so I didn't feel like she was missing out on too much the first few times she missed but after a while I started to feel like I was in that story The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf. (or in this case the little girl) (To be honest with you, I am surprised that she hasn't tried my old bit yet -- "do I have a fever? Why yes you do and your temperature is hotter than the sun! ....No one told me that a fever of 150 might indicate a big problem!..LOL) As a parent you feel for any child that says they don't feel good and you want to make them feel better but there IS a line to be drawn somewhere. I may have to contact the Center For Disease Control and tell them that I have discovered a new illness called "Mondayitis". (I know it's not THAT new....I think we have all suffered from it a time or two!) The symptoms are: grogginess, irritability, pretending that they can't hear you, thinking that if they don't move you will forget about them, fighting with siblings, crying, pleading AND (if they finally get their way) sheer happiness. If they don't get their way.....LOOK OUT! My little darling will start stomping around and crying and mowing down anything in her way. She then starts her tirade of how dumb school is and that she wishes a tornado would hit it or it would flood or "they" would just stop having school! Amazingly enough, though, by the end of summer they have forgotten all about how much they hate school and are actually excited to go back. Lucky for all of us that live in THIS house, school is almost over! I guess when she is older and has to get a job she will realize just how "not bad" school was.....I'm just hoping she will be able to outgrow this "disease" before the start of school next fall! Until next time....

Saturday, April 26, 2008

What is a "Headyball"?

Many people have asked me what does Headyball mean? Well, to be quite honest with you, I'm not really sure myself! Apparently it was a nickname given to me by a dear friend of the family when I was just a little tyke. I have always been curious what a Headyball is but I feel safe in betting that whatever it is there is only one. I admit that I have been dubbed with numerous nicknames over the years, (some that might not be appropriate to mention here :-) but for some strange reason this was the one that stuck. I guess it isn't all bad.....Fat Fred or Heather Bofeather could have been the keepers! (There is always something worse, right?...lol)
Just ask my daughter what she thinks of nicknames.......Joe Dirt and Creep are two of her least favorites! In all fairness though, there is a story behind Joe Dirt. One day, as I was watching over my children with my eagle eye, my precious little girl decided that her bangs were too long and she proceeded to cut them to the length that resembled a scraggly rooster tail jutting off of her forehead. (Good thing was that she used her school safety scissors -- wouldn't want her to poke an eye out!) Did I mention that it was summer and my little darling had managed to avoid the bathtub for a few days? Thanks to the combination of the rooster tail bangs and hair that looked like she had been rolling around in a pine tree, my little angel now had a beautifully crafted mullet! Ah, the mullet.......a hairdo for any occasion, really. Anyways, when her dad got home and saw the mullet plus the dirty face plus the high water bibs she was wearing he couldn't help but dub her Joe Dirt!! (For those of you that have seen the movie Joe Dirt --and honestly, who hasn't-- she greatly resembled the young version of Joe when he got left at the Grand Canyon!) So there you have it.....there is always something worse, just ask Joe! Until next time....

Friday, April 25, 2008

Since I Have Nothing ELSE To Do.....

As you read this you will probably figure out that I am new to the blogging scene. (writing them not reading them) My sister in law started one a while back and, I must say, I practically pee my pants everytime I read her posts. (because they are funny not because I have any kind of medical condition) Since I am a stay at home mom of 4 WONDERFULLY ANGELIC (I barely got that typed out before I had to stop and wipe the tears from my eyes because I was laughing so hard!) children, I thought I would start a blog that would allow me to share all of my trials and tribulations as said mom. I chose to title my first attempt "Since I have nothing ELSE to do.....because I get such a kick out of the people who don't spend much time around children....You know the ones -- They ask, "So what do you do for a living?" I reply, "I am a stay at home mom." Then, without truly understanding what they are saying they reply, "A STAY AT HOME MOM?! YOU ARE SOOOO... LUCKY!" "Really?" I ask. "Have you met my kids?" Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my children but sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve this....Oh wait, I remember now -- somewhere back in my childhood I vaguely remember hearing my mom threaten me with those famous words...."I hope that when you have kids they act exactly like you did!" Well guess what mom? You got your wish only I think God sprinkled a little extra hot sauce on mine!!!! It is pretty funny how when you are young you think that your parents know nothing but as soon as you have kids you realize just what true geniuses they really are! If only we had listened sooner!
My goal for this blog is to be able to share funny stories and anything else that comes to mind....let's just hope that it doesn't get in the way of my bon bon eating, magazine reading and soap watching time -- after all, isn't that what all stay at home mom's do? I gotta go -- Dr. Phil is on! Until next time......