My pup

Good news is, I am feeling much better....the past couple of days with nice relaxation, good family time and no work have been very therapeutic!! :) I even got out this morning and did my annual Black Friday shopping...oh, how I love the fun & excitement of this shopping day.....call me crazy--- maybe I am!! :)
BAD news- I came home this evening to one of my dogs (Eddie), very lethargic, breathing very fast/labored, awake--but non responsive, wouldn't get up, couldn't get him to eat anything....and it s-c-a-r-e-d me!! So, I took him to the ER vet (yes, I had to carry that 55lb dog) and after a bunch of tests and alot of money, we find out that he has pancreatitis. I dont know what has caused it, but he is staying there overnight being treated with IV fluids, antibiotics and pain meds and then will be transported to his regular vet in the morning; and then we will know a better prognosis!! Gosh, I hate this crap...it's so hard with an animal because they can't speak...but I could tell by his eyes that he was not well.

:( That sums it up........

This is normally my day to "Tell it Like it Tiz", thanks to Diva Ma..... But, today I am really at a loss of words. I am going through some really crappy things right now!! I wish I could tell you everything, I wish I could just spill my guts and get it all off my chest, because I am hurting so bad right now!! Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers... I am sure that soon enough, I will be able to confide in all of my bloggy friends, as I will surely need the friendship and support!!
Until then, I wll try to come here everyday, with my chin up and try to make you all smile!!

Not Me, I did NOT do that on Ethan's Birthday!!

It's Monday....but that's ok, because this is a short work week...and who doesn't love a short work week :)!! Oh and of course, Monday means "Not Me Monday" at MckMama's!! This week, I'm going to tell you about all of the things I did not do at Ethan's birthday celebration!!



I did not make everyone (hostess, waitress, manager, other patrons etc..) at Red "Lobster" refer to it as Red "Chicken" because Angie does not like Red "Lobster"



I did not stop the "fun" from beginning until I got a good picture of all of us together... And that picture was not taken by the waitress who had other tables to tend to, and it was not taken a few times until I got just the right one (if it was, I probably would've gotten frustrated because i couldn't get all the kids to look in the right direction at the right time)



I did not make Angie sing her cute little songs over and over again to anyone and everyone who came to the table making a stink about how cute she was!! (if I did do that, she would've eaten up every bit of it)

I did not have to take...uhhh....drag Joseph to the bathroom and give him a pinch on his rear because he simulated a head-butt at me while I was scolding him. If I would've done that it would've been because after I first tried to spank him, he looked at me and laughed because he had thick jeans on.

I did not pretend like I didn't see him try to play the sympathy card for the rest of dinner, giving me the puppy dog eyes and saying that he could barely walk because he was in so much pain (honestly you guys, I barely "did not" pinch him....)

I did not enjoy the movie "BOLT" just as much (if not more) as the kids...and I did not get teary-eyed at some of the "sad/lonely dog" scenes in the movie.

I did not let Ethan stay up until 1:30am trying to put together his new Lego toy....

I did not get frustrated trying to put together the new art easel that Ethan got from Gamps & Grama. I did not think to myself, why would they design this so difficult to piece together--it's an easel, for goodness sake!!!

There you have it....all of the things I did not do during Ethan's night out!! Actually you all, we really did have a good time... Ethan ate the dinner he wanted, saw the movie he was sooo excited to see and got all the gifts that he wanted; and it makes me happy to see him happy!!

Photo Story Friday - My Ethan!!!

On the last two posts I've talked about Ethan's birth story and his bout with colic....and today, I will just talk about HIM!! And since today is Photo Story Friday, I will share some photos of him as well!!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

On this day, eleven years ago....well, actually it was at 9:49pm on this day, (but who's counting right??) my sweet Ethan was born. Wow-- I can't believe it has been eleven years; where does time go??
Anyway, Ethan was a very good baby. Once we got past the colic, he was like a dream baby/toddler... he ate good, slept great and played so well with his brother. He was (and still is) very independent... I could sit him down with some toys and he would play for hours, all by himself; keeping himself entertained with his imagination. He had an imaginary friend named Amy. And whenever I told him no or he didn't get what he wanted, he would say- "But, Amy says it's ok".
When he was 2, he had a TV on his dresser; one evening we heard a loud crash and thunk so I ran into his room....my heart beating right up into my throat. He had opened the drawers and was trying to climb up the dresser and he pulled the whole thing down on top of him....You all, the TV was about 6" from his head...yikes!! So, we took him to the ER to make sure that he didn't have any internal damage from the dresser falling on top of him...which he didn't...but would you believe that while we were at the ER he was trying to climb the bookshelf in the waiting room. From that moment on, I always thought...no, I knew he would be the one to get broken bones (which by the way he did when he fell off the monkey bars last year).
He is a very sweet boy and is the people pleaser of my bunch.... he gets very upset and disappointed if he makes a mistake or feels like he's let me down. He is very obedient and loyal... I really don't think I will have to worry about peer pressure with him. I mean he follows every instruction to the T and will not budge if he doesn't want to do something or knows he's not supposed to. He is very timid, shy and soft-spoken. Actually, most of the time when talking to him, I have to ask him to "speak louder and repeat yourself, please". Funny thing is that even though is he is so shy, he still makes friends anywhere he goes..... Like I said, he is a people-pleaser. Most of the time he does things to make others happy and to help others out. The only "flaw" (and how can I even say "flaw" when it comes to one of MY children??) is that he is very indecisive, which I believe comes from being a people pleaser. He is so concerned with making others satisfied, that he will often times, put them first...which I have been trying to help him get past. When I ask him something like "What do you want from....?" or "What movie do you want to see?" he will respond with "What do you want me to do?? So, I end up having the talk with him about learning to make decisions for HIMSELF too.
He is very, very smart.... is in all gifted classes and reads/learns at a much higher grade level. He scores off the charts (in a good way) on his FCAT tests and sometimes gets bored with what they're teaching him in school. Oh, but my sweet, smart, obedient Ethan is NOT very organized...his backpack, his desk at school, his bedroom...everything is pretty cluttered. And his dis-organization causes him to lose and forget things, which doesn't go over well with the teachers when his homework doesn't get turned in.
He has Tourette's Syndrome...luckily it is not real bad, but he does have his twitches and sounds that come out, especially if he is nervous, stressed, worried or too excited about something. But we have always been very honest about it and talk about it like it's a normal thing. As a matter of fact we call them "his noises". I've never wanted him to feel like it is a bad, tabu, thing.... I've never tried to hide the "diagnosis". I believe that if he feels that it is ok and doesn't feel like he has to hide it, then it is less stress on him.
He has blessed my life in so many ways and I look forward to watching him continue to grow into a young man!! I love you, son....Happy Birthday!!

Please Make Him Stop Crying!!!

I woke up this morning feeling y-u-c-k-y... Achy, chills, queasy!!! What is up with that.... I can't be sick!! Oh well, as long as I'm well enough for my Writer’s Workshop assignment!! Don’t worry, MamaKat…the dog did not eat my homework!!
In our house, whenever somebody has a birthday, we start celebrating a week ahead of time…. We call it “--------‘s birthday week” and they get the special treatment all week. I love to do it for everybody else because…….well, because I want it done for me!! He-he.... So, in keeping with that theme, I will do my post today (my writing assignment) about Ethan again.
I remember when Ethan had colic…. Yikes!! Yes, I was ‘blessed’ with a newborn baby with colic. And for those of you who have also been “blessed” with a colicky baby, you will know where this story is going. It started when he was six weeks old....and I remember thinking why is he still crying; I've fed him, changed him, I'm holding him...arrggghhhh!!! This went on every day, although luckily it wasn't all day long (as I have heard of colicky babies that cry all day). It was the same times every day, always around lunchtime and always around 6:30pm. It was crazy-- he would cry so loud and so long and his little body would stiffen up and straigten out and I just didn't know what to do..... actually I usually ended up crying too; out of frustration & helplessness. This may sound awful, but there were a few times where I would just lay him in his crib, walk out and close the door just so I could gather myself (no, i didn't leave him in there long---just enough to breathe a minute). I tried everything-- different routines, changed his formula, Star of Anais tea, swaddling & shhhing (remember the 5 S's)....you name it, I tried it. But then somebody mentioned to me about Chamomile tea with a tiny bit of sugar in it. Why hadn't I thought of that yet?? After all that time, it just stopped...I don't know if it was from the chamomile tea or if he just grew out it, but it was a dream come true!! I stuck with that tea...every night after dinner he got a bottle of Chamomile tea and it always relaxed him. Oh, I remember that... remember it like it was yesterday!!

Wordful Wednesday - Eleven Years Ago

It’s Wordful Wednesday over at Seven Clown Circus……Like I’ve said before and like most of you know already, I.am.wordful. So, thanks Angie for giving me a good excuse for gabbing!! In honor of Ethan’s birthday (this Friday), I am going to be wordy about his birth story.

This is me 11 years ago (actually I was about 18 weeks along—but you get the idea)


Wow, I can’t believe it has been that long….. Eleven years ago, my ex-husband and I had just recently bought our first home and had a toddler that we were chasing around. Eleven years ago I was sitting at my desk and got up to go to lunch. As I stood up my water broke…which was kind of scary because I was only 35 weeks and I knew he was probably still pretty small. I checked into the hospital and we waited to see if I would go into labor on my own. After a few hours they started pitocin and the fun began!! With CJ, I got an epidural right away, as soon as I started hurting I had them hook me up...but this time...well, this time I thought I'd tough it out and do natural. hmmmm, why did I want to do that?? Anyway, I have been blessed with very fast labors, so after about 2 1/2 hours, I was 7-8cm, but I could NOT take the pain anymore!! No way-- I wanted the epidural and wanted it right then. Luckily for me, my mom was an L&D nurse (and nurse manager) there for 20 years and was getting her midwifery degree at the time, so she knew everyone there really well...... so, she was able to get the anesthesiologist fast and give me some relief. Although being that far into labor and in that much pain, the epidural just took the edge off. Within 10 minutes of getting it, I was ready to push. I know what you're thinking---why didn't I just wait it out...I could've made it 10 more minutes, right...? Well, let me tell you this little fact about me: I don't have a high threshold for pain. And I feel like if the medicine is there to fix that pain, then why not use it (and I am NOT knocking anyone who does it med-free; more power to you, that's awesome!! But, not for me!!). Ok, so after 2 0r 3 pushes, my little braniac was born... 5 lbs 2 oz, 19". I had some very personal things going on in my life at the time (that's for another post), so this was a very emotional experience-- happy, sad, mad, hurt.... on a day that should have been ALL happy!! Oh well, I got my beautiful little boy out of it, and he has been a blessing ever since!!

Gosh, when I look at these newborn pictures of him, it really brings me back!! I love, love, love it when they're this little; I love how good it feels to hold a baby that small and listen to all their noises. And NO- I do not want anymore children (actually, I can't..but that's besides the point)... I am perfectly fine just looking at old pictures and reminiscing, or holding sombody else's baby that I can give back!! :)

Joseph developed a bit of jaundice; more than the doctor was comfortable with, but not enough to have to bring him back to the hospital. So, we had the home care people come out and bring us the "Suitcase". He had to lay under the lights all the time....he had to be in there with only his diaper and with his head behind the curtain to shade them from the light. Fortunately, this only lasted a couple of days and he has been great ever since!!

Stay tuned for Friday (his actual birthday--which he just pointed out), where my "Photo Story Friday" will be about watching him grow and all the fun experiences we've had.

Name this Picture and Recipe/Tradition Sharing

So, I don't have any fancy give-away or any fancy prize, but I would love for you to help me name this picture!! It was taken a couple of weeks ago and Joseph's t-ball game. He had just run in to home plate and ran over to the "dugout" where I was waiting for him. I was telling him what a good job he did and he was looking up at me so proud of himself and so excited that I was proud of him (of course I always am)!!.

I would like to use this picture on a "T-ball Fall Season" poster and am looking for a good title....and since I'm not very creative, I thought I'd enlist the help of my blog friends!! Like I said, I don't have any fancy prize, but I will splatter your blog name and link it all over the place (hey, that's worth it, right??) as a BIG thank you!!

One of my favorite blogs, The scattered mind of a tatooed minivan mom (if you think the name is wild--just go check out her and all her wild stories; it's great!!), is hosting Pimp My Thanksgiving!! This is where you write a post with your favorite Thanksgiving recipe or family tradition, then go to her place and sign Mr. Linky!! Oh and make sure to read others and comment, comment, comment--the more you read and comment, the more that will read yours and comment!! I have alot of really good dishes that I make at Thanksgiving, but I am a "not from a recipe" type cook. I know what I am going to make and how to make it; and honestly it varies everytime I do it..... therefore, I really can't share a recipe!! But I will share with you a cute family craft tradition we do every year!!

I am a big craft person; I love all the cute crafts the kids do at school and I save every.single.one.of.them. Obviously at holiday times, they come home with more than usual and I always end up with an overload of turkeys, pilgrims, indians etc... Because of that, I can only pick a few to go up on the cabinets since space does not allow for all of them. And since I don't have "favorites", I just stick my hand in the craft box and randomly pick the ones to hang up. After I get them hung, all the kids gather around and we play "guess the craft". They all try to guess which craft was made by who.... And whomever gets the most correct, gets to have a sleepover with just me and them. We make a nest on the floor, make and eat fun snacks, make another craft (yes, that one gets included in the next years group to pick from), watch movies and stay up late!! This may not seem like a BIG deal to you, but the kids love it; because with 4 of them, it's hard to get full one-on-one time...and they sooo look forward to it every year!! Now it's your turn....I can't wait to read what yummy recipe or fun family tradition or even a cute craft idea for Thanksgiving that you have to share!!

We Paid for That???

Last night Joe and I went to the Black Crowes concert in St. Augustine.  It was at an awesome venue--an outside amphitheater with tons of regular seating and then a "Pit" which is really just standing room right up in front of the stage (for whatever reason, those seats where more expensive). Being in "The Pit" gave you access to a lower level bar & bathroom so it wasn't so crowded; which was nice because all the regular bars & bathrooms were jammed up with long lines---and you know how it is after you've had a few "drinks" and you HAVE to get in the bathroom!!  I guess I am talking up the venue so good because the concert was...well.....average!!  I've seen the Black Crowes a few times and I must say that this was my least favorite show.  The last one we went to was just a Greatest Hits type show because they didn't have a new record to promote...so they played all the oldies-but-goodies (which, you know is always cool).  But they have a new record now and last night they played most of those songs and a couple older songs and then their Encore was a quick snippet of "Shake your Money Maker"...not even the whole song!!  During the concert the whole band just looked bored--they really looked like they didn't want to be there.  They played with little enthusiasm and I feel like they didn't play their Hits because honestly they don't really like those songs and are just tired of playing them (Shake Your Money Maker was their album with the most hits--the one that really pushed them into the "scene"..but it is also the record they.did.not.want.to.make).  Don't get me wrong, I know that they have new stuff to promote and I can't always expect to hear all of my favorites, but come on-- they could've at least played one or two for the crowd...I mean, we paid for it!! Without everyone paying for it, then they wouldn't be there!!

I really do like The Black Crowes, but I was so disappointed in the show last night...I mean, come on--we paid good money to see a good show and if they don't really want to be out there...then why do it???

Am I being irrational?  Am I whining for no reason...and maybe just got spoiled in the past??

PSF - My "Babies"

This week has moved unusually slow for some reason. We had alot of fun and did alot of baking, but it feels like Friday should've come days ago... :) WARNING: This is gross, so stop reading now if you get grossed out by things easily!! Yesterday I had to take my dogs to the vet for baths, annual exams and grooming. Daisy (my older dog) does not travel well; she gets very nervous and usually shakes so hard that she can't stand....and on occasion, she gets so nervous that she poops. To be prepared for that, I laid a big towel down and tucked it into to the back of the seat (but the back rest was still visible). So, I got them in the car and we went about our way.......Eddie did fine, just drooled alot (i think he gets car sick); but Daisy, well let's just say it wasn't pretty. About halfway there I started to smell something........... that's right, she had a big poop, that luckily made it on the towel. Unfortunately, she still had it all over her butt, so when she sat against the back rest it smooshed all into my nice leather seats. Oh wait-- it gets "better". When we got to the vet and I had to get them out without making more of mess, they both stepped right.in.the.pile. Y-U-C-K!!! Needles to say, I had a nasty mess to clean up and had to leave all my windows open all day to make sure there was no leftover stinky smell. I swear, if it's not one mess, it's another that I am cleaning up!! (Are you still there....?)

Onto a much lighter and "cleaner" subject :); it's Photostory Friday. You should go over and check out all the stories...and even do one yourself!!!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

These are my babies....and I really can call them my babies because well, Joseph is my youngest (baby) boy and Angie is my youngest (baby) child. So there---they can't make me stop calling them that!! They are so close and love each other sooo much. Angie copies everything Joseph says or does....and I mean everything. She follows him everywhere, plays with his toys, plays the same games he does and says all the things he says (or tries to anyway). Sometimes, if I'm trying to get her to do something, I just ask Joseph to come do it or to tell her how "good" it would be and then she'll come do it!! Of course, these sweet angels to have their moments, but for the most part they are so good to each other.

Last night, I was baking muffins and they both started calling for me, "Mommy, come here quick...look at this...get your camera". I turned around to see them cuddled up (the picture above), loving on each other!! Oh and BTW, that is pizza all over the faces..I promise, they aren;t normally that "messy".

Happy Friday.... I'm going to see The Black Crowes tonight....yippeee!!

The First Time I.......

**UPDATED WITH PICTURES**

We’ve got the stomach flu making its way through our house this week...yuck!! So far, it hasn’t been a terrible, lay-you-out, can’t hold a thing down bug; but it’s been enough to where two of the kids had to stay home from school. And now I’m starting to feel bad….I can feel my stomach getting uneasy, I have a BAD headache and I can feel the fever coming on!! But you know what…it can’t keep me from blogging, especially on my Thursday post!!

I wonder if MamaKat knows how much I love Thursdays and I wonder if she knows it’s because I love Writer’s Workshop!! Again, I really wanted to try one of the harder ones, but I just could not figure out how to write a fun, cool, catchy Haiku…boo!! And who wants to read a boring, unorganized mess of one---not me, so I’m certainly not going to write one!! Maybe next week, MamaKat…don’t give up on me, yet!!

The first time I heard the words “We’re sorry, but there is nothing more we can do for her”, my.heart.just.broke. You see, she had been battling cancer on and off for 7 years. Each year bringing a newly formed tumor which she would treat with chemo and/or radiation; and each year seeing the cancer get “beat”. But in August 2004, after the latest tumor did not respond to any treatments and was aggressively growing, they said “we’re so sorry, but there is nothing more we can do for her”. This tumor laid right up against her sciatica which caused her so much pain and weakness. Because of that, she had to be on many different pain medicines; which in turn, slowly kept her from doing the things she loved!!! She fought on, she never gave up…never gave up her will to live. Her last Thanksgiving with us, she was so frail.... she had to have help to walk and couldn’t eat more than a few bites. But still, she fought on, never gave up. Her last Christmas with us we ate McDonald's cheeseburgers with her because, out of any food in the entire universe, that was the only thing she could even think of eating. And yet still, she fought on, not giving up her strong will to live. She spent her last "New Years Eve" in the hospital, with all of us around her bed, watching as she was in a morphine induced, heavy sleep. Her breathing so labored, her body twitching and at that moment I knew she couldn't fight anymore; and it wasn't fair for me to "want" her to keep fighting. On January 7, 2005 I lost my mommy, my best friend!!
You know I'd like to have asked why "there was nothing more they could do"...?? You mean with all those millions of dollars donated every year (every month I'm sure), that there is not some kind of medical breakthrough to help heal those with cancer?? Oh wait, I forgot: too many doctors, insurance companies, hospitals,pharmacies, drug companies, executives etc... make way to much money off cancer patients (and alzheimer's diabetes AIDS etc...) to ever "find a cure". I know I speak of my mom's death alot, but she was (still is) such a BIG part of my life and this is very therapeutic for me.....so, thanks for the ears!! :)

Some pictures of me and my mommy (from my childhood):

1 month old

5 Years Old

High School Graduation

Bahama Mama

WORDFUL WEDNESDAY.... another opportunity for me to share a picture and yap, yap, yap about it(two of my favorite things)!! Make sure to check out Angie's Seven Clown Circus to get your earful today!! :)

A couple of years ago, my two close friends and I went to the Bahamas.... we were treated, by our awesome men, to a girls weekend trip to beautiful Nassau. We flew in early afternoon on Friday, checked in at the Atlantis, did all the fun "touristy" (is that even a word) stuff, had nice dinners, gambled, sunbathed, drank many adult beverages, met lots of new people, partied and then went home Sunday afternoon!! This picture was taken on Saturday; we woke up feeling not too good (if you know what I mean), but got our tired little butts up and out and headed to the beautiful beach. I swear the water in the Bahamas is just beautiful--bright blue and crystal clear. We laid out there all day, with sunscreen of course, baking in the sun, sipping on our drinks, sticking our toes in the soft sand....wake-up, I was just daydreaming for a minute that I was back in that spot...awwww!! Anyway, in the background of the picture, you can see someone parasailing.....well, I.was.supposed.to.do.that. I bought my pass, signed the consent & did my "safety briefing"; but we met a bunch of people on the beach and ended up talking and drinking way too long and before I knew it I didn't feel comfortable going out to do it (i can't believe had any common sense after the amount of "drinks" I'd had). So, I was told I could bring my pass back the next day and do it before we left to go home!! Guess what-- when we got up Sunday morning and walked our tired butts out to the beach, there was a "Red Flag Warning" up (meaning the wind was too high and seas were too rough for anyone to be out in the water). BOO...I've always wanted to parasail!! Of course that did not ruin the trip; although it would've been so much fun to do it (i'm a BIG adrenaline junkie)!!
Anyone been to the Bahamas? If so, did you happen to eat at the Greycliff? And even better, did you get to parasail??

That's All I Have to Say About That....

Once again, I am going to join Diva Ma in talking sbout something that is on my mind; getting it ALL out....."Telling it like it Tiz". I broke my rule last week and discussed politics on here, but thankfully all that is over with and we can all carry on!!
I have some pretty strong feelings on the way kids are taught, now-a-days, that "everyone is a winner". I think it does a huge injustice to children, to not teach the losing process. In schools, sports teams, extra-curricular activities etc... kids participate and WIN; each and every child WINS each and every time. During Field Day, the kids all go to the same activities, they each take a turn trying it out and then move on to the next one; and at the end of the day, they all get a "Everyone is a Winner" ribbon. Geez, I remember when I was in grade school, during field day we competed in our sport/activity and then we got ribbons based on 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. We used to get so excited to see who was going to win which event. (If you must know... I was always good at the bean-bag toss) The reason I say all of this is because if you don't teach children how to lose, if they don't know that it is OK to lose...then what will they do when it finally does happen (because, inevitably they.will.lose.something.at.some.point.in.their.lives.)?? Also, if you don't teach them what it feels like to lose, how will they ever get the motivation to want to win (or succeed). I mean, seriously, this carries on into their college, professional lives and future family lives. I know that I want my children to "want" to do good; I want them to "want" to succeed...and at the same time understand that you don't/can't (and won't) always win...but that's ok!! If they do lose, I want them to know they will still be liked/loved the same...they just have to pick up and try again the next time!! But if they are never "allowed" to lose...then how will they ever learn this??
Until next Tuesday.....that's all I have to say about that!!!!

Not Me....Weekend Update.....

YAY....MckMama is back; although still very busy and very tired...you know, all the fun that come with having a newborn at home (something I sooo enjoy, but only if it is somebody else's that I can give back--- yes, I really do mean that!!) Anyway, I'm sure you've all been on the edge of your seats...waiting to hear about what I "did not" do this weekend, right?? HE-HE :) Head on over to MckMama's to check out what everyone else DID NOT do this past week!!

I did not let Angie and Ethan join in with Joseph's pre-game stretching...if I did they'd probably be the only two without a uniform on

I did not look at this picture and think that one day Joseph will be playing professional ball and all these other kids will think "wow, we knew him we he played t-ball". Not me...because I know it's all "just a game"--for fun!! (Joseph: Front row, 2nd from the left)

I did not take Angie and Joseph to the UCF game and "give in" to all their requests for "spirit stuff" (can you believe a foam hand was $8)

And at that same football game, I did not let them eat all kinds of junk food...and then they both did not have a tummy ache on our way home

At the air show yesterday, I did not make the kids get up from the plane display just so I could get in and see all the cool gadgets

I did not let the kids get ballon animals from air-men in super high stilts that even weirded me out a bit

On the ballon animal subject, I did not laugh at Joseph when this happened:

Me: wow, you got a cool monkey balloon

J: It's a boy monkey

Me: Oh yea, how do you know that?

J: (looking at the extra bit of balloon hanging down by the "tail") Because he has a private part, mommy

I did not make the kids take this picture over and over again trying to get a good, everybody smiling shot... if i did do that, can you tell that it didn't work

I did not let Angie eat almost a whole thing of cotton candy and then get it from ear to ear on her face

I did not take this picture of Joe and I and then realize that you could see my arm/hand/camera in the reflection of our sunglasses

I did not look at the "pond swoopers" and think how much fun that is and how I'd love to try it

Oh and one more: I do not wear the same Indianapolis Colts jersey every Sunday so that I can show my support!!

Photo Story Friday: Yummy in My Tummy!!

It’s Friday…… We have a busy, busy weekend ahead of us, with lots of activities planned: sleeping-in (and by that I mean laying around in bed with my pajamas on as long as I feel like),T-ball, college football, area rug buying, new kitchen knife set buying (PLEASE---any good ideas. I want sharp, sturdy & durable…I know that won’t come cheap), laundry, air show & NFL football. Whew, that wore me out just writing that!! And you know what else is so good about Friday: PhotoStory Friday… you all know that it’s one of my favorite weekly posts…..because you all know how proud I am of my family and how I love to gush, gush, gush!!! Head on over and check out some other Photo Stories!!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Can you guess what I baked last night???? I got home and realized that I had a bunch of very ripe bananas and decided instead of throwing them away (because we all know that I do not eat bananas that have even the slightest brown on them), I would bake with them.
So, I got all my supplies together:

Mashed the bananas:

I had my "helpers" add the ingredients:

Angie had to help too (yes, she is shirtless....my "girl" has to walk around shirtless like her brothers):

I got everything mixed together:

Mixture in the pans and in the oven:

The finished product.... two loaves of Banana Nut Bread-- one of my favorites (oops, I did have to cut off a small slice to "test" it)!! :)

I will have you know that between me and two of my children, we finished off that smaller loaf... and it was yummy!!!

Writer's Workshop - DO NOT do these things around me!!

It's Thursday again (wow, this week just flew by) and you know what that means.... time for MamaKat to grade my writing assignment for the week. :) You really need to go check her out....she has great stories and lots of "friends" to chat with!! Ok, so yes, I picked the easy one this week.... She had such good prompts to pick from and I had such hope that I would tackle one of the big ones this week; but, like the busy mommy that I am, I waited too late and couldn't get my creative juices flowing.....what...are you calling me a procrastinator?? I did have enough time (and sense, of course) to come up with a cute "extra credit" idea for my assignment title.....

10. Cell Phones in the movie theatre or while out to eat…. I mean seriously, what did you do when you didn’t have a cell phone??
9. On the cell phone subject--- People on speaker phone on their cell phone in a public place, with lots of people around. News flash—we don’t care what happened to your friend’s sister’s husband’s lover’s mama!!
8. When people hawk a loogey (I’m sure I spelled that wrong---but you know what I mean). I work with a guy, who constantly, and I do mean constantly, sniffs, snorts and hawks. YUCK!!
7. Arrogance…. I can’t stand when somebody thinks their crap don’t stink and they are way to good to converse with ME (geez, they should be lucky I want to talk to THEM…he-he, j/k…for real!!)
6. When drivers are at a light, waiting to turn (or go straight in heavy traffic) and pull into the intersection and then end up blocking traffic moving in the other direction once the light has turned red for them… it makes me want to get out of the car, pick up their vehicle and toss it (no—I’m not a road rage person, but that would look kind of funny if I did that)
5. On the driving subject—Drivers who don’t move for emergency vehicles or try to beat them to the light/turn… Seriously, what if it were you or your family waiting for the emergency vehicle??
4. Leaving the toilet paper or paper towel roll empty
3. Leaving an empty or very close to empty drink (or anything) container in the refrigerator/cabinets. (I actually, I have a very big 12-year old violator of this pet peeve)
2. (this is almost my biggest pet peeve) When people touch or twirl or play with my hair!! I can’t stand it…it makes my skin crawl the same way fingernails on a chalk board do!!
1. My biggest pet peeve is when people are late to meet me, come to a party, come to work, holiday functions, etc….. Please, please, please tell me, how does this happen?? How can you not plan and get ready to be there ON TIME, if not a few minutes early. I’m sorry, I missed the memo that the world totally revolves around YOU!!!

Wordful Wednesday... Super Girl and Super Daddy!!

Alot of the blogs that I stalk...umm, I mean read...participate in Wordful Wednesday over at Angie's Seven Clown Circus. And since I love her name (of course--like my little Ang) and her blog is so fun and interesting, I decided to join in the excitement!!

This is my little lady and her daddy (i know--he doesn't often smile for pictures unless I can catch him off guard.... or catch him after having a few adult drinks). On Halloween she had a class party and we went up there to hang out with her a bit!! This little lady is. daddy's. girl. And of course, she has her daddy wrapped around her little fingers!!! She kind of gets "the best of both worlds" per say. My 3 boys ("my guys" as she calls them) go with their dad every other weekend; so she gets to have fun and play with her siblings and enjoy the big family. And then every other weekend she gets the only child, some-what spoiled (by daddy of course) treatment!!

So, my question is---- He can't deny this little girl, can he?? She is his carbon copy, huh??

Have a great day!! I am sure everyone, including myself, is glad these elections are over and we don't have to endure any more political rants & campaign commercials!! YAY!!

Tell it Like it TIZ Tuesday - Election Edition!!

I wonder if you all get tired of hearing this statement: I found another blog that I love to read (stalk, addicted to...whatever)!! Diva Ma has such a fun blog and we share alot of the same views on alot of things!!! Anyway, she does a post on Tuesday where she picks a subject and "Tells it like it TIZ". Normally, I just go over and read her rants (most of the time agreeing with her) and comment to her; but this week she has invited us all to join in!! Head on over and Tell it Like it Tiz!!
In honor on the presidential election, I'm going to discuss something that really irritates me!! I have always strayed away from sharing my political views on here (as I have with religion as well), as I don't want to have to get in a pissing match with somebody while defending my views on things!! And even today, I am still going to stray away from sharing most of my views, although I will tell you I did vote for Obama!! What really irritates me is how irrational, how crazy people get for "their" candidate...and how they make you feel that you are sooooo wrong because you don't choose who they like or agree with their views. I mean seriuosly people, we are still going to wake up tomorrow and feed the kids breakfast, get dressed and go to work.... Now, don't get me wrong-- I am all for change and making this country a better place, but it won't happen over night (in fact I think it will take a while to see some changes) and who are these people to try to "PUSH" their way of voting on me!! I have the right to choose who I want and you have the right to choose who you want; so, don't look at me like I'm an idiot because I feel differently than you!! A couple of weeks ago, we were out and had been drinking some adult beverages and somebody brought up the election--- wooooaaaa, rule # 1: do not debate religion or politics after you've had a few to drink....especially with somebody who is on the other side of the fence!! Anyway, he ended up screaming and yelling about how wrong I was, and how could I think this and how could I think that.... Hmmmm, last time I checked I was in the good old U-S-A and I have the right to my own opinions, right??? I guess my point is, it doesn't matter who I (or you) am voting for...I am still the same person on the inside-- the same cool, fun, wild-n-crazy mommy (ok, maybe not so cool) :) . So, why do some people get so ridiculously crazy about it?
Like I said, I normally don't want to bring up politics here (i leave that to Diva Ma), but I do have a question....that I really hope does not stir up a big debate: The friends that I have/people that I know who are voting for McCain, most of them say "Wow, what a perfect pick Sarah Palin is... she was THE BEST choice he could of made". Do you really believe that or are you just trying to support your party?? Do you really think out of all the governors, senators, whoever, that she was THE BEST pick for the VP position or did he just sell-out in trying to win this thing? This is not a bash on you and your decision to vote for McCain/Palin.... it's just curiosity on my part!!
Whew, that felt pretty good.... I hope she lets me do this every week!!! And even more, I hope you will continue to come check me out even though I puked my political rants on here!!

Not Me Monday....... (without Mckmama)

**UPDATED** MckMama is up and running and has her not me Monday up now!! Head on over to congratulate her on Stellan's birth!!

That's right, it's Not Me Monday time again; but this week we are doing it without MckMama.....You wanna know why we are doing it without her?? Her miracle, baby boy has made his entrance into this world and why would she ever want to do Not Me Monday when she could be snuggling with this bundle of joy... :)

Anyway, I enjoy Not Me's so much that I will still participate, and let you all know what I did not do this past week....
I did not get super sad and lonely on Friday evening, after all was done, because I missed Joe (out of town at the Florida-Georgia game) and I missed being with my boys for Halloween.

I did not watch my boy Joseph at t-ball hit that ball way past second into the outfield everytime; and did not watch him field, stop and throw to first most of the balls that were hit ( i promise I'm not just talking him up).

I did not think that if he sticks with baseball that he will play professionally one day (i know, I know--- all moms "do not" feel like that)

I did not wear my new, high heel boots to the concert Saturday night and dance in them for 3 hours and I did not stand in the front row and have to look up at the band for 3 hours.

And then, because of those things, I did not wake up Sunday (and today) with such bad muscle/back pain that I could not move.... bring on the muscle relaxers and pain medicine!! :)

And then, because of that pain, I did not call my daddy (like a little girl) in tears, asking him to come help me and take me to the Urgent Care/Walk-In because I could not take the pain (no, I didn't end up going)!!

I did not sit at the UCF football game with an Icy hot patch on and people did not ask "eww, what's that strong smell??"

Joe and I did not watch our UCF football team once again blow a first half lead and lose AGAIN in OT.

So, do you like or hate this time change??? I'll tell you this--- I love it in the morning because I can get up soooo much easier when it is light out. But I hate it in the evening because the kids have to come in from outside so much earlier!!

Reverend Horton Heat

I am so curious to know..... is there anyone else out there who enjoys Reverend Horton Heat ??? It's not my normal type of music that I listen to daily (I'm more into alternative, hard, classic rock....although I like most everything), but I do enjoy some good ole' "Rock-a-Billy". Oh and I love going to the concerts and seeing all the groupies dressed up in their 50's/60's get-ups!! Joe actually introduced me to their music about 5 years ago and since then we go to see them every time they come to town. And tonight is that night--- I'm so excited that me and a couple friends are going out for dinner, dinks and the concert!! I'll give you all the juicy, fun crazy (you know my routine...he-he) details later.... but until then, leave me a comment and let me know who else out ther knows of and likes Reverend Horton Heat!!!

GUESS WHAT...... remember this giveaway I was trying to win....???? Well, I did it....I won!! It was a random pick and I was the lucky one (which never happens)!!! I get to proudly wear a shirt with my blog name made by Embroidery Works which is owned by a friend of Jo-Jo's!!!
Thanks Jo-Jo; I may even play the lottery tonight and see if luck sticks by me.... don't worry, if I win $15 million I will definitely share it with all of you... :)