Summer, Summer, Summer Time... What to-do!

Well, I survived my mom's birthday...  I felt pretty (actually VERY) blah all day, but thank God for my children who always brighten my days.....well, except for when they are all fighting with each other or whining at me for something or "ignoring" me when it's time for chores...... (just kidding... or maybe not!)
Anyway, I really am having a hard time with this birthday; she would've been 60 years old yesterday and that's one of those "big deal" birthdays.  I have memories in my head of how she used to look and how she looked as the cancer took over her body and it's weird for me to imagine what she would look like at 60....  and that make me sad!!

Sorry for the blah-ness....  I'll now move on to a happier "subject" (subject being MamaKat of course)...



10 Things TO-DO in June

1) Get through the "last days of school"... Locker/desk clean-outs mean big messes at home, class parties and buying teacher gifts!! This feels like a big move-up for my kids this time... In a few short months CJ will be a junior (yikes), Ethan will be a freshman (double yikes), Joseph in 5th grade (wowzers) and my baby girl Angie in 2nd grade (WOWZEEE).  WHERE.DOES.THE.TIME.GO?

2) Summer Cleaning... always, the first few days of summer vacation consistent of "summer cleaning" (mom of the year, huh?).  The kids have to clean out their closets of too small clothes/shoes, under their beds etc...

3) Get Ethan to the dentist for his pre-braces work... and then to orthodontist for braces.... yay, starting freshman year with braces (again... mom of the year?)

4) Get Winnie's sutures removed... she had cysts removed from both sides on the back of her hips.  In a couple days she'll get the sutures removed and she can finally get a bath!  Thank goodness, because she S-T-I-N-K-S!

5) Get cabinets, counter tops, new tub, tiles etc... ordered for our kids' bathroom RE-MODEL.  FUN.... seriously!

6) Get bathroom ready for re-model... everything cleared out and move what isn't being demolished etc... NOT fun!

7) Spend a few days at the resort with the kids...  we love to do this!!  Even though we won't be far from home, it still feels like a get-away vacation!!

8) Celebrate CJ's 16th birthday... yes, on June 21st, my first born baby will be of legal driving age! OH MM GEE....

9) Beach, beach beach...  whenever, wherever and with whoever... we love the beach and we love the water!!  'nuff said!

10) Spend the last week doing all I can with the boys, as they will be gone with their Dad through the entire month of July.... This is one of my least favorite times of the year, (aside from when they're away from me on one of the holidys).  Even though it's MUCH quieter, things just are NOT the same without them home!!

Thanks for sticking around...

Happy 60th Birthday in Heaven!!!

WORDFUL WEDNESDAY!!

 

 

I'm not sure how "wordful" or "wordless" this post will be....  Today I feel BLAH..  today is rainy and cloudy and I feel BLAH...  Today is my Mom's birthday and she's not here (physically) to celebrate with and that makes me SAD!!!!!!!  She would've been 60 today... we would've had a BIG PARTY for her...  it would've been GREAT!!!

 

It's crazy that she has been gone SEVEN years...

 

She fought SO HARD and SO LONG against that terrible, horrible, no-good, VERY BAD disease called cancer!!! 

 

It's been SEVEN years and I swear it still hurts as if it were yesterday!!  Sometimes it hurts so much that it hurts (you get it, right?)

 

Writer's Workshop: Spring Means.......

BIRTHDAY SEASON in our family!!!!

Joseph's 10th birthday (TODAY!!!)

Well, technically, it's Spring AND Summer, but it all starts early, early on in Spring!!

I love birthdays... I love planning dinners and parties and decorating.  And of course I love MY birthday.  So this time of year is one of my favorites.
We have a tradition in our house where we all decorate the kitchen/bar area for the birthday person so they can wake up to it ....  The kids love it, I love it and I think it's something great for the kids to carry on as they get older.

So, back to the BIRTHDAY SEASON....  We've got:
March:    Gamps (my Dad)
April:       Me, Angie and Joe's sister
May:        Joseph
June:        CJ
July:         Joe
Then I get a bit of a break until October/November...


Head over to MamaKat's WW....

WW: Birthday Party Jumping!!

YAY....It' Wednesday again....  only TWO more days until our mini vacation (well, a vacation is a vacation --- mini or not, right!! )!!  I can already feel the wind in my hair while riding in the boat and feel the sun beat down on my "tan needed" body.

YAY... It's Wednesday again... time for Wordful Wednesday!!

 

Angie's 7th birthday was one month ago and Joseph's 10th birthday is tomorrow so I decided to do their parties together.... especially since they both wanted to go to Airheads and it would've been PRETTY PRICEY to pay for two different parties (I'm thinking thrifty people ;-) ).

 

They brought 2 friends each, along with their older brothers and a couple family friends.  They got their helmets and jump shoes on and they JUMPED and JUMPED and JUMPED and ran up the walls (which are also trampolines) and did flips and chased each other and threw balls at each other.  It was great and they had a BLAST!!!!

Ethan doing tricks

Angie

Angie and friends

Joseph and friends

After they wore themselves out, it was time for the sugar rush.... cake.... made my mommy (their favorite type)...

Happy Birthday to the "littles" (as their older brothers call them)!  I love you both VERY MUCH!!!

Now, go on over and check out the other WW at Seven Clown Circus....  (and you'll get to see her awesome, make-you-jealous pictures of their mexican vacation)

I Met a Boy and I liked It......

I'm so excited to be back to blogging....  I really truly enjoy it!!  I love to "meet" new people and I need to get my thoughts out!!!
I'm even more excited to back to Writer's Workshop!!! 



When I read the prompt "Describe where you where when you met a boy", I couldn't stop thinking about the Katy Perry song (I kissed a Girl) and have since been singing-- I met a boy and I liked it...... and now I've probably got that song stuck in your heads as well, huh?  Sorry----- or not!!  :-)

Anyway,  I'm going to tell you about where I was (and more of course, because I am a rambler) and what transpired when I met this boy:

I was just separating from my ex-husband and starting my life as a single, working mom (while we were married, I staed at home with the kids).  I had just started working at an Environmental Consulting firm and was meeting all of my new co-workers.......  and there he was---- JOE!!  He was so nice, welcoming and friendly (and handsome to boot) and I was immediately drawn to his smile!
I was going through a break-up AND he was going through a break-up , so we became fast friends.  I always thought he was cute, but NEVER would've elaborated on it because of where I was in my life....... Sooooooo, everyday I would go to work, excited to see him and talk to him; and everyday I would make sure I found a reason to involve him in my work.

As time went by, I started going out with my co-workers on the Fridays that the boys went to their dads.  I had a great time!!   Joe and I started talking on the phone more often and eventually we would go out alone... as friends!!

We had a GREAT friendship; and has the months passed we went from being "just friends" to "more than friends" (wink-wink!!)  I still remember where we were when we had our first kiss.  We had been out downtown and it was late.  Me and my girlfriend were leaving his house to go home and as she walked out the door I closed it, turned around and planted one on him (I still believe that had I not made the first move, we may not be where we are now).

And shall I say, the rest is history....

WW: Lost TWO..... but now we have a new ONE!!!

 

Since I have been so bad about blogging this past year (or two...oops!!), there are many things that I haven't chronicled on here; so I'm trying to go back and "catch up" per se.  What better DAY to start, than on "WORDFUL WEDNESDAY"..  where I do feel so guilty about using too many words!!!

Anyway, over this past year, we lost BOTH of our canine babies...  :-(  We lost Eddie in June 2011 to a brain tumor (he was 13) and Daisy in December 2011 to cancer all over her body (she was 18); and  I was with each of them as they took their final breaths and made their way to the "Rainbow Bridge".

We were devestated....  BOTH of them gone within 6 months of each other...  all that we have is their ashes and a ton of pictures!!

After they were both gone I thought I could NEVER have another dog again.  I could NEVER love another dog again and could NEVER handle the heartbreak of losing another dog again.  Well, as time went on....  months and months went by and I started to feel the tugging at my heart.  The kids wanted another dog and I finally felt ready to open my heart to another pup!!!

So, we are now..................

We decided that this time we would adopt a dog that really needed a good home.  We looked for a little bit, but once we "met" Winnie we knew she was the one!!!

She is a 3-year old Black & Tan Coonhound....  unfortunately she came from a BAD situation so she is very timid and skittish!! 

The kids just adore her and we are so happy to have a new "canine companion"!!!

I won't even try to give a GOOD Excuse!!

I miss blogging...  I really, truly do!!  But, life happens; every day I think about posting something and then one thing leads to another to another to another and then nope, no blog!!

So, what better day, to TRY and stay consistent with blogging again, than on my sweet Angie's birthday!!  SEVEN... wow!!  Seven years ago, I finally got my girl after 3 boys!! 

We have a tradition in our house where we all decorate the birthday person's "spot at the table" for them to wake up to on their birthday!!  It's a fun tradition that we all LOVE to do!!

After the excitement of their birthday decorations, they get to open ONE gift.... (usually the one sent to them from my Grandmother)

Have a great day all.... 

Give Me Your Best Shot - PSF... Ice Skating in Florida (in shorts)

Since we don't get too much cold and definitely no snow here in Florida, the kids don't get a chance to do those fun super cold/snow activities (sledding, ice skating, snow ball fights etc...).
Luckily, the local university sets up a really cool event for the whole family to do alot of that; and this year I took all of the kids to try ice skating and (faux) ice sledding.


Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

It was rainy and chilly that day, but it didn't stop Ethan and Joseph from wearing shorts.... ;-)

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They were so excited to get their skates on and get on that ice.....

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Ethan and Joseph picked it up right away....

And both got moving pretty fast....

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But CJ and Angie were a little wobbly....

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They had a GREAT time.... repeatedly telling me it was "the best day ever".... and that makes me feel good!!!

Since July.............................. YIKES!!!

WOW..... it's been since July since I've written anything here!! WOW.... I once thought this would be my daily "therapy"; somehwere to come vent and meet new people!!

And while I do still feel that way, I just can't ever find the freaking time to sit down and write something!! I do miss it.... and I believe me, I do still check in on EVERYBODY, ALL OF THE TIME (you know you can't get rid of my nosy self!!); but life just gets in the way (how dare it) and I never have time to do it anymore!!

BUT, as of today... I am going to make the time--- I need it.... I deserve it, right? These few minutes of "venting" and "chatting".... I want it!!

I'm back, my friends!!!

BTW-- Merry Christmas (as seen on our Christmas card) and Happy New Year to all of you!!

For COHEN.........

I started reading this blog a few months ago and fell in love with their sweet story and then their sweet baby Cohen...... Please go read their story, share some "support" and say a preyer for this family, who are "memorializing" their sweet, first born son today!!!