Happy BirthdayS!!

See her?

That's Rory.

She turns 1 year old today. We get to celebrate with her this weekend.

ROCK STAR style.

Happy Birthday little Toucan!!

See her?

That's Foof.

I like her a lot.

See that?

That's a lie.

Now She's a Mama!!!!

See that?

That's Kale Bryant.

Born December 30, 2009

Can't wait to meet the little bundle in February.

Love you Foof!!!!!!

Sick Days

Mike and I have come down with some sort of stomach bug. I am praying we get well and the kids STAY well this week so we can go down to NC for sweet Rory's birthday party as planned.

My sick day:
-sleep in (aka 20 minutes later than the rest of the people in this house).
-give Thea a bath while trying to pretend that I must have eaten too much the night before, taking deep breaths between stomach-gripping cramps.
- take a shower in hopes that it will make me feel better, all the while convincing myself that I need to drink more water and get back to working out. Surely, that is the problem.

All this before 10 am.

- Mike takes the kids to church.

- While they are away I sit in front of the TV...to fold laundry. On commercial breaks, (I was watching a wonderfully cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie. I just CANNOT get enough of those) I clean our master bathroom, including mopping and changing the shower curtain liner.

- All along the way, doing more laundry; washing the bedding in preparation for guests that are to arrive in the afternoon..

- vacuum the house

- Mike and the kids arrive home, he gives them lunch and puts them down for naps. He heads off to the grocery store and I am finally able to lie down since the guest will be delayed due to Richmond traffic.

- guests arrive and I am feeling much better. We go out to dinner and I mistakenly EAT. Not a good idea. Mike heads off with the guests to the Cowboys-v-Redskins game and I head home with the kids. My head is pounding and my stomach is twisting. Must be a migraine, I tell myself.

-straighten up the house.

- make up the beds.

- finish the laundry.

- get the kids ready for bed.

- hunker down for a movie with the kids.....with a whopping headache.

- finish movie.

- put kids down.

- SLEEP...glorious sleep........

... answer the untimely ringing phone...... it's Mike. They are heading home early. He doesn't feel well.

It's a VIRUS??????

- Switch beds, as Mike will need to be closer to the bathroom. I think it was around midnight. Place night lights around the house, so the guests can find their way.

- Spray the joint down with LYSOL.

- SLEEP.....glorious sleep.....with stomach cramps.

- Mike returns. I'll spare you the details of the various times I was woken as he, heh hem, was sick.

- which brings us to today. Woke up bright and early. Got things situated for the guests. Coffee. Cereal rather than the planned pancake breakfast a la Mike. Towels. Shower items. Sad that the visit didn't turn out as planned.

- spend today surviving. Doing the bare minimum. Kids, once again, watch a lot of TV, as I have little energy.

- Lots more LYSOL sprays.

- Pray...... a lot.

Mike's sick day;

- lay on couch in secluded basement room resting and watching movies!!!!!

Revolution

Please.

I beg you.

Read this.

Tell me what you think.

I am reading it, and re-reading it. Pondering it. Chewing on it and I think I just maight be falling in love. I feel this idea of "free-range parenting" is where my heart is and that I have allowed myself to fall victim to the fear-induced society in which I am raising my caged children. There have been COUNTLESS times where I felt "what's the big deal? Just let them play. Let them climb." Or even the forbidden "let them duke it out." But I lacked the confidence to make that stand for fear that I would be labled a bad parent. How lame. Heaven knows how I dreaded to know what my friends (moms of girls) thought of me that I let Sammy play with guns and swords. I painfully LONG to allow my children to have the free, imaginative,
------------skinned-knee-filled childhood that I had. You've all seen that email that talks about our childhoods. The one about eating dirt and climbing trees and playing throughout the neighborhood until the street lights came on. That was me. That was MY childhood. The very same childhood that ruined my Communion pictures- no make that cancelled my Communion pictures because I fell off the handlebars of my friends bike and got a huge egg on my head the day before the appointment. Boy, was my mom mad.
The very same childhood that presented endless adventures, and endless choices between right and wrong. For example, I grew up at the end of a circular road that had what we called a "sump" at the end of it. The sump was this piece of land that served as a water drainage area as well as a barrier between our neighborhood and a busy parkway. Needless to say, though my parents were about as "free-range" as they came, the sump was prohibited. Though the opportunity to disobey presented itself daily. An opportunity which I took quite often might I add. But isn't that part of growing up? I think that as we hover as parents these days...as I do way too often, one of the hazards we create is the absence of choice. As we hover, there is hardly any chance to CHOOSE right or wrong because we (and by we I mean I) jump in too soon. I've done this primarily in ignorance but now that I am feeling a bit more, shall we say, free...who knows what the future will hold for me and my newly liberated prisone... I mean children.
Oh I can go on and on and I haven't even scratched the surface of all that is racing through this hormonally diminished brain of mine, but I must go wash the bedding that I have stripped off all the beds as I let my kids play BY THEMSELVES. GASP!!!!!!!

I don't know.

What do you think?

P.S. if you people don't start leaving more comments, I may quit blogging. If I wrote just to hear? myself talk I would have a journal. And now that I have quit FB, I need interaction. That is what I will miss about FB, so please make the transition easier on me by leaving comments, even if you were unimpressed with my entry. K? Thanks!

October- The Finale

We traveled to NC for Halloween this year. Not sure why my text is underlined and have no idea how to fix it. Good times.

This is my beautiful niece Rory.

Cousins.

Totally thought Sammy was in this picture. Oh there he is...his hand....on the right....see it?

We all got together for trick-or-treating and a fun party.

Jenny the witch and Rory the Toucan.

Traveling for Halloween added a bit of a challenge to the packing, so I didn't have time or energy to put together a costume for myself. Luckily
Aunt Laura had an extra to loan me. Mike's came out of dare I presented. I dared him to wear one of his mother's dresses and he was reluctant and she said she didn't really have any anyway. She left for church and returned with that blue beauty. It was kinda frightening, but very funny.

Big and Little Vader.

On Grandma's stoop before the party. Vader, hairdresser and kangaroo complete with joey in the pouch.

Part of the gang. The Burger King guy really freaks me out,what with the ridiculously huge head and all, but Adam made the head smaller, so I was OK with it.

This is Mike's cousin who had gotten laid off the week prior. I thought it was great that he could have a sense of humor about it. He has since found a new job. Praise the Lord.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and his son Darth Vader.

Mark is a huge Star Wars fan. His wife was dressed as Princess Laia and they have a dog named Vader. His truck is named after something Star Wars-ish too. Sammy loved battling Obi-Wan all night. I even heard him tell someone that he needed to go kill Mark. At first I was disturbed by this but quickly realized he was just very committed to staying in character.

Uncle Don and Aunt Linda. Mad Scientists. They looked AMAZING!!!!!!

The WHOOOOOOLLLEEE Gang.

Just chillin at Grandma's.

We had a great time. The family has grown by leaps and bounds and it makes for very exciting times. There are 9 little ones "running" around now and we've only just begun.

October in Review Part 2

And then these guys came........

My sister and kids and 2 of my aunts came to visit Colombus Day weekend. I am so thankful that they take the time to come see us and it is always a great time filled with lots of laughter. I love seeing my kids get some family lovin'. On Sunday we went to the local farm that we affectionately call the Sunflower Farm. The sunflowers are breathtaking. We have been going there for a few years now and it just keeps getting better and better. It was so fun watching the kids enjoy it with their cousins. Sammy and Thea love them some Gianna and Jofus.

My stud of a man! No but really the pumpkins this year seemed to be on steroids.


Trying to get a photo without getting stung by the swarms of bees that seemed to be taking over the farm this year.

Seriously? Just love these people. And see what I mean about the GInormous pumpkins?

Yay for Sadie!!!

I remember our photo shoot at this farm last year included instructing the kids NOT to say cheese because it would make Sadie cry. How far we've come. I can hardly remember "crying Sadie". She is such a happy girl now who LOOOVES to make people laugh.

The farm has a scavenger hunt set up and this was the first year the kids could do it. Not only because they are a year older, but because Gianna can read. I ran around the whole hunt with them. I had a blast. This was at the end of the hunt. They were so proud.

The gang headed to the next clue.

Uh Oh! Someone needed some help up the hill. Gina to the rescue!!

The aunts! Love them!

LOVE!!

LOVE!!!

LOVE!!!

:)

JOFUS - TEETH = PRECIOUS

BEAUTY

My little pumpkin.

Beautiful Fall day + people I love + sunflowers = Great memories.

Stop and Think

I watched a video today that I just HAD to share. So, if you have 15 minutes, yes I said 15 minutes, take a look. "Who has 15 minutes to spare?" you ask. I know, I know. But ironically, that's kinda the point of the video. It is called "Stop and Think". In this busy world of rush here hurry there, get this done before (insert your pressure point here), when I actually take the time to stop and think, I am constantly reminded of how majestic God is and this morning was just another example of it.

Take this blog, for example. I have joked that FaceBook is a blog thief, but I have finally figured out why. It is soooo much easier and quicker to just update my status and get my point across, than to sit here and really search my heart and mind for what is really going on. I was reading back at some old posts and I thought "how precious". I was reading posts around the time of Sadie's birth and the months following and I was just so glad that I had recorded those thoughts and memories. That I TOOK THE TIME to do it.

To stop and think.

I feel so privileged that He calls me His daughter and that I can walk through each day KNOWING that He loves me, even-no ESPECIALLY on days that I feel so UNlovable. I am grateful today for that long ago day in Billy Fluney's kitchen, sitting and crying with my Mom, when God Himself asked me to accept His Son, and all I had to do was say....I do. He took over from there, although I have certainly given Him a run for His money. Its not about me, its ALL about God and His goodness, kindness and love. What comfort I find in that. He has been so patient with me and will continue to be. I depend on that, because He is not finished with me yet. I cling to that.

http://www.crazylovebook.com/ click on videos, stop and think.

October in Review Part 1

It all started with Sammy's Transformer Birthday Celebration. Since we were cruising on his actual birthday, we celebrated a little late. He asked for a Transformer party.

I love how bright the color of the icing turned out!!


Sammy also requested "mud" at his party. Otherwise known as chocolate pudding. My littlest one decided to decorate me with some, but I will spare you those pictures. I knwo you would prefer to see this cutie model it instead.


We played pin the mask on the Transformer? Something like that. It involved Decepticons and Autobots.


Birthday boy pinning his sticker.

Aaaaaaand the winner is?!?!?!?!?!? There was some irony to this little one winning. Since I was not prepared with a prize for the winner, I announced that the winner would get a cupcake. Get it? And since that was the "birthday cake" it really wasn't anything special. Well, wouldn't you know, the winner cannot have gluten. She was THE ONLY one there that could not eat cupcakes. Thankfully she lives right above us and her dad ran and got her this popsicle. She really was thrilled to be the winner. Can't you tell?

Sammy's other party request was that he have a #5 candle on top of the cupcakes. So there it is.

We doled out the cupcakes and sent the kids outside. Most of the parents lingered before heading out to assess the damage caused by such brighly colored cupcakes. We found the kids all congregated like this. I thought it was precious.

BLACK.

RED.

BLUE.

PRESENTS!!!!!!!!

I do love throwing a bash. I am still adjusting to the fact that I have a 5 year old.

I am thankful that so far my kids' party requests have been somewhat attainable. I DID have to stretch a bit 2 years ago to insure Old MacDonald's attendance. And Thea's next party is gonna be a tough one since she is expecting "this princess and this princess and this princess" to be there. So, girlfriends if you catch me gazing at you with a strange look on my face over the next 6 months, WATCH OUT, I may be nominating you as the perfect "this princess".

A Preview.....................

To hold you over...............................

The Cruise

Ahhh the cruise.

Inquiring minds want to know.

Well, we came, we saw, we conquered.

We decided to take this adventure as an experiment; to determine whether or not we are a "cruise family" as Mike put it. You see, his side of the family are cruise-aholics. On any given month of the year, there is likely a member or two of the family on one cruise or another. We have been invited to cruise along, but have always declined. One reason being we cannot afford the cruises they go on and the other reason (actually 3 reasons) being, well you can probably guess. So, we (and by "we" I mean Mike and then eventually a reluctant me) decided to find an affordable family friendly cruise to try it out. Well, we succeeded in the affordable category, but the family-friendly...not so much. This particular cruise was more of a party boat. But we made lots of great memories, experienced lots of firsts and enjoyed both excursions immensely.

The beginning of the journey. The kids did GREAT on the flight down. Sammy got a new Leapster for his birthday, so that kept him occupied. Lucky coincidence or genius planning of an anxious mother?? Hmmmmmmm.

We also bit the bullet and "invested" in a portable DVD player just before the trip, so they enjoyed a movie for part of the ride.

Sadie was a bit high maintenance, but that is to be expected from a non-stop toddler being restrained for 2.5 hours. We were hoping she would sleep SOME of the time, but no such luck. Needless to say, she enjoyed many snacks between Baltimore and Miami.

The kids waiting for the luggage. They were just too cute. I so enjoyed the time leading up to this trip; all the anticipatory questions and speculation. Asking if "that" was "our" plane each time they saw one in the air. Last trip to NY, we were driving on the Belt Parkway, just as we went over the Verrazano, and they saw a barge out in the water. They asked "is that our boat?" And each step of the journey brought wide eyes and gleeful giggles and expressions. I am so grateful for the memories this adventure provided. Coming from a family that took vacation for what? 4 hours each Summer to drive to the Montauk lighthouse and back, this was truly a treasure for me as a mom.

Sitting on Thea's pull-out loft bed. I bet you all are wondering how in the world a family of 5 fit in a cruise cabin. Let me tell you, it was NOT easy. There was a giNORMous bed taking up most of the floor space, 2 pull down loft beds for the kids and a crib for Sadie. The crib was a bit of a waste since I figure she spent all of 12 hours sleeping in it. The rest of the time she enjoyed slumbering with us in the afore mentioned giant bed. I actually enjoyed sleeping all together. Since I am a self-proclaimed sleep nazi, I was quite anxious about this element of the trip and relieved that it turned out to be fun.

Sooooo, I KNOW what I am about to write is going to sound ludicrous to some of you. No more ludicrous than it sounded to me when I first heard the idea of it.

I thought WHO would do THAT????

Mike Rohrer and his wife. That's who!! Like I said, I thought it was CRAZY, however Mike immediately expressed interest. OK, here it is. WeleftthekidsontheboatinchildcarewhileweenjoyedadayinKeyWest.

There.

I said it.

It sounds much crazier than it is. We considered how the day would go if we toured Key West as a family and we both agreed that ALL would be miserable. It was a very hot and humid day and there is NOTHING for kids in Key West. At least not in the time period we had in Key West. So the kids enjoyed an air conditioned 2.5 hours making crafts, watching movies and playing with other kids while we rented a scooter and saw the sights. It was WONDERFUL. It is one of many times that I was grateful that Mike and I look at situations differently.

We stopped to get Starbucks just before going into Margharitaville. The coffee on the ship was horrendous. Oh, we also got a parking ticket while we were inside. Good times!!! What a way to say "Welcome to Key West!"

On the trolley on our way back to the ship. We liked the atmosphere of Key West. I would definitely go back for a long weekend some time.

My awesome kids. This picture just makes me smile for SO MANY reasons. This is at the base of the water slides that Thea was too short to go on. Not cool. Sammy made up for her loss by going down about 472 million times. He didn't want to leave the ship.

Formal night in the dining hall.

Every night while we were at dinner the housekeeping crew would come to our room to tidy and cozy it up. Upon returning each night, there to greet us, was a "towel animal", dimmed lights, turned down beds, candies and an itinerary of the next days events (none of which were suitable for our family). But that's another post. This was one of my favorite aspects of the cruise. I loved having the cabin "cleaned" twice a day. And I loved coming back to such an inviting room each night.

Sadie kept herself occupied by hiding and playing in the closets.

Peek-A-Boo!!!

Cozumel. Creepy statue guy.

Thea by a mexican fountain. Doesn't it just sound so much more exciting when it has Mexican in front of it? It was just a fountain that she HAAAD to sit on because she was tired of standing in line. We were waiting for the bus to take us to the beach club excursion in Cozumel. We booked an all-inclusive excursion to Plya Mia Beach Club. Our price included and air-conditioned bus ride, buffet lunch (which was available the whole 6 hours), KID-FRIENDLY pool, beach chairs, umbrellas, various water activities, ice cream and drinks. Mike was beside himself eating the authentic Mexican tacos and rice. I enjoyed my only soda of the trip.

The weather was perfect and the environment was family friendly which was quite refreshing.

Mexican pinata. No Stick. Mexican tradition or poor event planning?
The kids just had to beat the stuffing out of it with their hands. Interesting.

LOVE this little booger!!

Random guy with an iguana. Fearless Sadie.

The awesomely refreshing pool.

Sammy relaxing after a hard day of play.

Thea had just about had it by this point so there was no more striking of poses for her.

Sammy was still a willing model.

Me and my boy.
Me and my FIVE year old boy. Geeeesh.

The last morning on the ship.

Killing time until they called our number to disembark. That is Miami in the background.

So there you have it. Our cruise experiment.