Oldies - but Goodies

PLEASE tell me you've seen this.....I couldn't love this video more.  Literally, can't pick the best part.

BDEM:  I had a spontaneous lunch with my brothers Derek and Johnny today.  We ate Chinese buffet, while laughing louder than is acceptable in any Chinese restaurant.  Double win!  My brother, Johnny even paid for my lunch.  As I went to object, he just looked at me and said, "Don't even try.  Just face it - this is happening."  


It's the unemployment card....works on so many levels!  

Bad Wax Job

I had a good laugh this morning at the expense of others.  The good news is that those others were made of wax - so really, I'm not TOO guilty, right?  There was a link to the worst wax celebrities of all time - and my goodness, some of these are downright hilarious. Here's a little teaser before I give you the link:

Really, J-Lo? 

If you're in the mood to see a few more, click HERE. I don't think I can pick a favorite....maybe a top 5!

BDEM:  After spending five hours (yes, it was THAT unorganized) my kitchen is in tip-top shape from top to bottom.  My junk drawer is de-junked, my cabinets are rid of all excess (read: expired in 2007) food, and all of my cabinets have been wiped clean.  It's like having an all new kitchen.  WOOT!  

Opinions Appreciated

Let me start out this post with a disclaimer. Our family is not getting a dog...anytime soon.

However, I've been torn on the idea for quite some time now. I am not a dog person, I am not a cat person, I just don't really have that desire to have animals in my home. My kids, on the other hand, are obsessed. If I thought it was the obligatory, "I want a dog" phase, I wouldn't think twice about ignoring it, but I think Ella is actually more calm around animals than at any other time. She is gentle, loving, and so playful with them.

To this day I think I still have a small fear of dogs because I have spent so little time around them, but love that my kids aren't scared at all. And after the few times we have dog-sat Rob's parents' dog, I'm realizing it's not as big of a hassle as I always assumed it was. So I'm looking for dog experiences. Can a non-dog person become a dog lover? Or vice versa? I'm curious....so persuade me - either way.

BDEM: I spent the evening playing Minute to Win it with the youth from my church, and I laughed until my belly hurt. After my failed attempt at blowing cards off the top of a water bottle, my good friend, Sara, won the whole game for our team. It's amazing how quickly you can forget about your problems when you shift your focus.

Here's a good indicator that archery might not be your sport of choice:

Which is really unfortunate, because I was sure it was just one more thing I'd be awesome at.  Other things I'm awesome at include....


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......




......


huh, I just got really sad all of the sudden!!


I kid.  But seriously - not archery!


BDEM:  Telling Ella that I loved her in a really crazy, high voice.  Usually, she plays along by saying, "I love you!" in a really low, growling voice.   Instead, she looked at me - and very seriously said, "It's not night time, Mom," and walked away.

Self Portrait

Madelyn stole the camera a few days ago - and apparently had some sort of photo shoot.  When she handed it back to me this is exactly what she said, "I took some really great pictures of myself.  You're welcome."

There are about twenty more.  Good grief.

BDEM:  We spent most of the day traveling home, and only every once in a while would I remember that today was the 9/11 anniversary.  But as I sit here right now, Forrest Gump is on TBS - and as dumb as it may sound, it is one of those movies that always makes me proud of my country and my freedom. Today's BDEM is the reminder that we are still strong, and that we can survive.  God bless the U.S.A.  

Crankiness Explained

Claire, my uber chubby, super squishy, smiley little lovey-dovey, has not been herself lately. She won't sleep through the night and she spends a lot of time yelling at me from cross the room. It would help if her yells meant something...but they are usually just the sounds of a rabid dog. (Picture the thing that jumps out of Louis Tully's closet in ghostbusters - yeah, that's Claire). As of this morning there are six little white bumps poking through her bottom gums. That means that not one, but two teeth are shooting their way out - buddy system style. Poor, cute kid. I think I can forgive the growls now, but I have to say that if she keeps breathing fire after they are all the way through, I may have to get her to a pediatrician...or maybe a vet to get checked out.

When I get home, I'll post some pictures of her teeth. I hope they are chubby.

BDEM: Watching Maddie try to jump off of the diving board. Jude gets up there, walks right to the edge and jumps. Madelyn walks up and panics...every time. She tries to bounce, and ends up jumping backwards in a half skip. I can't help but laugh. Then she starts yelling and doing small screams, so she gets the attention of everyone around her as she continues to throw her arms forward, while jumping further back on the diving board. It's like nothing I have ever seen, but I could watch it all day long. Poor kid.....you have a terrible mom!!

Sicky

Remember that little bug I mentioned last night? It beat me up as I tried to sleep; fever, chills, body aches, all the fun stuff. So I ended up heading to the doctor this morning, and it's strep. Both the nurse and doctor asked if I was a teacher... because apparently normal adults don't get strep. Only those that spend a lot of time with sick kids. So I'm going to once again excuse myself from a legit blog post. I'm playing the contagious card. As in - don't lick this post.

BDEM: Talking with Rob today about the uncertainty of our future. It is open wide, and truthfully, I like all of the possibilities. I think that the best is yet to come.

Almost Missed

In the past few hours I have managed to get some sort of bug - my head hurts, my body aches, you know the drill.....just miserable. So instead of bringing you down with all my blech, I wanted to send you all over to my friend's blog. She is an amazing woman who is dealing with more hardship than us. I know her family can use all the support (financially, spiritually, and emotionally) they can get. So please go visit by clicking HERE and send some love to handsome little Cole and his wonderful parents.

BDEM: Just now, when I awoke from a dead sleep to a screaming Claire. I groggily made my way to her crib and rocked her, assuming it was about 5:30 am. Oh the joy that followed when I realized that it was only 11:30, and I still had all night to sleep. So, then, why on earth am I blogging when I should be resting? Where are my priorities?? Off to bed. Again.

A Year

All kids - first day of Kindergarten

Solo Shot

Ready for first grade

All three 2011

In the midst of all our traveling and family excitement/drama I forgot to post Maddie's first day of first grade pictures.  It's amazing what a year can do - especially for Ella!

I couldn't stop laughing on her first day - because of ALL things, Madelyn woke up with a huge zit on her forehead.  I was glad she wasn't old enough to realize how unbelievably stereotypical it was, but I sure enjoyed the irony.

She's not quite sure how she feels about school yet, and is having a difficult time adjusting to the full day schedule.  She told me the other day that her head keeps falling over because she is so tired.  She even begged to stay home today because she just didn't want to go.  I get the feeling that I'm going to get my hatred for school back in spades.

BDEM:  Jude was once again in trouble for tormenting Ella.  (I'm fairly sure it was mutual, but he being the big brother seems to get the "it's your responsibility to..." talk more often) Anyway - he was in his room and wasn't allowed to come out until he figured out a way he could stop being so mean to Ella.  Rob went in to check on him several times and each time he said he wasn't ready yet.  Then, after a good twenty minutes, he came out with this idea.  "Dad - every time that Ella is mean to me, I am going to go into my pillowcase and pretend to be a turtle.  Then we won't fight."  We are pretty sure this is the solution we've been waiting for.  I'll keep you posted.  

A Princess Story

I hear it's on the New York Bestsellers list - but honestly, I just can't help but judge the book by its cover.  I know, so cliché.  Note to self - continue to work on spelling words with Madelyn.

BDEM:  Ella's hysterical laughter as she somehow managed to (while sitting) shoot pee over the toilet seat - soaking the toilet, the ground and her underwear.  As she giggled she said, "That's a crazy pee, mom!"  It's much funnier in retrospect than it was while dodging the flying urine.  

Jude Rides

I mentioned in an earlier post that Jude decided he wanted to ride a two wheeler since Maddie finally figured it out.  And after about three minutes, he had it down.  I finally uploaded the pictures, and had to post them.

When I asked him how he felt about riding a two wheeler, he busted out this crazy dance.  I'm so sad that I only have pictures instead of videos.  The moves were unbelievable!

The kid is seriously awesome.

BDEM:  On the same learning-to-ride-a-bike note...we took a family walk after dinner tonight, and Maddie and Jude were able to ride their bikes.  For the first time in a long time, everyone enjoyed the walk.  But the best part....by far, was watching Jude suddenly make a hard left, for absolutely NO reason - sending himself straight into the neighbors flower bed.  He was absolutely fine - but his reaction afterwards was amazing.  He stood up, stared at us, and just shrugged his shoulders.  As if to say, "Leave me alone - it's my first day." 

Distracted

I just sat down at the computer - ready to blog for the evening...but truth be told, I really just want to snuggle up on the couch with my cute hubby who is watching The Princess Bride.  It just seems so much more inviting than the glare of my computer screen.  There's an ROUS (rodent of unusual size) on the TV right now, and I know that large animals of any kind give my husband nightmares.  I should probably be with him -  comforting him, and telling him that rodents of unusual size only live in Texas.

BDEM:  We spent the afternoon eating a delicious dinner at my brother Derek's house - they're always such wonderful hosts.  I really loved just sitting on their couches after dinner indulging in some great conversation.  We had a lot of laughs - mostly at my younger brother's expense.  He had to miss dinner because of his fantasy football draft.  I'm serious.  And still laughing.  

Culver Carnival Night

One of the family night activities was a little carnival - filled with games, treats, and rides.  The kids loved that everything was free, and they could go on anything they wanted as many times as they wanted.

The Velcro Wall

The bungee trampolines

Probably the coolest carney game I've ever seen - a puppet hosts a trivia game.  

Maddie getting a spray tattoo 

Naturally we broke into a game of catch

Beautiful Culver Sunsets - I swear, they get these almost nightly.  

Jumping Juders

Muscles Magoo

Smiles

Fish Face competition

BDEM:  Jude's face when he realized (after getting to our destination) that he had somehow forgotten to put on shoes.  It was regret, embarrassment, and boy do I look silly right about now - all wrapped into one.  I had to carry him all around the store - which I think he secretly loved.  As frustrated as I was, it was fun to have my little monkey boy on my back again.  

Another Date

I'm feeling a bit sleazy. I just got home from my second date in two days! It's like college all over again, minus the fact that nobody asked me out for most of my college years! I spent this evening with a handsome, charming, father of four. It was wonderful to think about nothing but having fun together. My sweet brother and sister in law offered to take the kids while we ate burgers and finally saw The final Harry Potter. (So good!)

Thanks for running around with my munchkins - Johnny and Sierra. It was a huge stress reliever. I can't even imagine how fun layoffs would be if you didn't have to worry about the financial issue.

BDEM (not in italics because I'm phone blogging) Reading the letter of recommendation that Rob's ex-boss sent him. It was beautiful. It helped remind me that sometimes things really are just business and not personal. It also reminded me about how lucky I an to be married to such a wonderful man.

A Night Apart

I went on a date tonight - without my husband.  A lovely redhead showed up around 6:30 and took me to dinner and a movie.  It's been a while since I've had to impress anyone except my husband...I was nervous, and excited all at the same time.  We went to see "The Help" and Rob was able to watch "True Grit" at home without me constantly rolling my eyes.  I think we both lucked out.  I know, I know - True Grit was supposed to be a really good movie - but I can't take Western style movies seriously.  I swear it's just a made up time in America's history.  A bunch of men got together and threw out what they thought would make a perfect world - gun slinging, dirt, shooting people, and small swinging wooden doors that open BOTH directions effortlessly.  Then someone wrote it down in books just hoping that we could one day return to such a lifestyle.  Oh - am I still talking about Westerns?  Sorry. Yuck.

Either way, I had a great time - and I really hope the redhead calls me again.  She makes me laugh - and I like that!

I'd also like to send a shout out to the second person that made my day.  You know who you are.  Thank you.




BDEM:  Realizing that I haven't cleaned my house since Rob came home.  I am a bit of a nervous cleaner, but having him here I have found myself paying more attention to my kids, and not all the things I feel I need to accomplish between the hours of 8 and 5.  I loved the moment when Jude said, "Hey Mom - will you come outside and watch me ride my bike?"  In a normal situation I probably would have told him I had more work to be done, but that I'd try to come out later.  Instead, I looked around at this mess - shrugged and went outside.  I'm so happy that I did - the kid is becoming a pro on the two wheeler.  


As a side note....please don't come over until I've decided to get my cleaning bug back!