Are You Sick of Them Yet?

The only monkey that is NOT sick of me taking her picture.

Although, as you can see, we had to bribe with food, and we

had to resort to the fact that she has no clothes on, but a onesie,

and the hair is a "Tessa Creation".

A big belly laugh for your wintery, dreary afternoon! Hand

on the belly and all.

Just A Few Of The Clan

I'll Let You Be The Judge....

We took the kids sledding today.....I'll let you decide if they

had fun.



Elli pretending she is crying, since everyone else was.

Thys cheered up once his face was so numb from getting snow sprayed up

on it, that he couldn't feel a thing anymore. We should have just given

him a face-wash right off the bat to get him numb quicker.

Blast From The Past

Can someone please tell me what in the world I was thinking!! I swear my hair and earrings weighed more than I did. The kids found this glorious picture down in the basement yesterday. Senior pics--love em. Obviously this picture has been buried somewhere for a LONG time. It's funny, I can take myself back to that exact day and I remember the whole experience. It had been blistering hot, and I was so concerned that my hair would "fall" with the humidity. At the time, I owned a 1985 Cavalier, which did not have air-conditioning--I don't even think all the windows would open anymore, and the stench of the gas leak through the back seat was enough to make anyone feel a little "flighty". I begged my mom to let me drive their car to the appointment, so that I could use the air and my hair would stay as LARGE as I wanted it. On the way to the appointment, it started to drizzle and I could feel the anxiety rising as I got closer and closer to the studio. I would be devastated if after spending SO much time on my hair, we would have to reschedule the appointment. Well, the drizzle did continue, but the photographer felt that we could still take the pictures. As he laid me down in the semi-wet grass, we snapped away and walla--your finished product stands before you!!

Don't Ask.....

Would someone please tell her that it is 8 degrees outside, not 80. Her clothing of choice ALL DAY yesterday--a battle I wasn't willing to fight. At least she won't drown in all the pools and lakes we have in our house---weird (and I would think slightly uncomfortable)!

New Bag?

Are you in the market for a new bag / purse / beach bag / wallet / key ring/ diaper bag?? If so, then you MUST visit Dani Bags Boutique. I had the privilege to take a few pictures for her new website that she is launching. I couldn't decide which one was my favorite--I wanted them all. Here are just a FEW of my favs. And, they are such good quality and awesome designs. She is extremely talented. Take a peek--you'll be hooked.

Infatuation

Elli: "Mom, can I have some tape?"
Mom: "Ummm, what are you going to do with tape?"

I say this, b/c a time not so long ago, her asking for tape ended up in Thys' mouth and eyes being taped shut, and a very distraught mommy trying to rip tape off of Thys' eyebrows and eyelashes.

Elli: "I just NEED it....PLEASE!!!"
Mom: "You aren't going to tape any one's mouth or eyes again, are you?"
Elli: "No, I am not going to do anything naughty with it...I PROMISE!!"

Reluctantly, I gave in....wondering who's eyebrows or lashes were going to get ripped of this day.

Minutes later, I go upstairs sure that I am going to find some sort of act of defiance being performed...instead, I find a little girl gazing into the eyes of Troy, and the other High School Musical cast. Sitting on her top bunk, she had taped this poster to her wall right by her pillow. I had to take a picture, b/c of my own "Teen Beat" and "Tiger Beat" memories. Although, I think I was more like 13, not 5. Maybe it is the hormones in milk now a days, that are making our kids mature earlier.....

Choose Life

More than three million unintended pregnancies occur every year in the United States.

Since 1973, there have been over 42,000,000 abortions in the United States - on average, that's 1,400,000 babies every year, 27,000 babies every week, 3,800 babies every day, 160 babies every hour, 3 babies every minute, 1 baby every 20 seconds.

Abortion is the #1 cause of death annually in the United States - more than heart disease and cancer deaths combined. More than stroke, lung disease, accidents, pneumonia, suicide, diabetes, kidney disease, and HIV combined. More than 88 times the number of homicides.

Each year, almost 1 million teenage women become pregnant

Nearly 4 in 10 teen pregnancies end in abortion

49% of pregnancies in America are unintended; half of those are terminated by abortion

24.5% of conceived children are aborted.

The majority of abortions are women between the ages of 20 and 24

80% of the women having abortions are single

Most abortions are performed in the first eights weeks of the pregnancy

More than half of all abortions are Caucasian women

This being Right To Life Sunday, lets remember all of God's precious "masterpieces", that have never gotten to show this world what God had planned for them.

Randomness

My kids talk a lot!! I was in the car this morning, contemplating running the car off the road. First, I get the:
"Can we listen to kids music?"
Which to me, raises my blood pressure just hearing those words--why do all kids CD's have to be so "shrilly"?
Then, after putting on the music, I get (from a 2 year old):
"Up mommy, up!!"--said in a shrill double the octave of the music. She wants the music LOUDER!!
After the mommy turns it up to make the 2 year old happy I get the boy thinking he needs to ask me every question about the rules of the road. He thinks he knows all the rules, and ends each statement with,
"Right mommy?"
I'm not answering him, b/c as noted earlier the music is LOUD to satisfy the 2 year old, who is continuing to yell.
"Up mommy, up"--no, we have never had her hearing checked, but maybe we should.
Then the boy decides that he is going to cry, b/c he feels neglected that the mommy is not applauding his knowledge of the road rules, and bursts into a full blown crying fit, equipped with:
"You never listen to me, you only like to listen to girls!!"
I say,
"I'm sorry, I can't hear you. I am not ignoring you, I just can't hear you over the LOUD music".
All this said still over the 2 year old yelling,
"Up mommy, up."
The boy obviously didn't hear my apology, because he continues to cry and blame my deafness on the fact that I DO NOT like boys, only girls.
I turn the music down, much to the protest of the 2 year old, only to begin a conversation that was so random, it caused to me take out a receipt from my purse and write down all of the subjects my kids covered in a 10 mile stretch on the highway:
The subjects were as follows: (remember--all this in 10 minutes)

• Josie does not want to be buried when she dies, b/c then she won't be able to get out when Jesus comes again.
• Josie reminds Thys that when she was younger, she liked to pick up bugs out of the slider and eat them. (Yes, this is true)
• Thys proceeds to tell Josie that coyotes never sleep--they are awake all the time hunting their prey---random.
• Thys takes his shoes off and decides to let everyone know that there is little black "flakes" between his toes, and they are meant to be there, so that he has something to play with in the car when he gets bored.
• Thys and Josie discuss the fact that when it snows, there should not be bits of grass poking up through the snow, b/c then it means it hasn't snowed enough yet--yes, very confusing!
• Josie wonders why we have to pass big trucks all the time. (Yes, I admit that I tend to have a lead foot).
• Thys and Josie ask me why I always have to drink coffee in the car. (I didn't tell them that they are to blame for this one--I need the energy only coffee can give).
• Both ask why we need a new grocery store in Dorr. (Yes, we are finally getting a grocery store with more than 5 aisles, and it is very exciting buzz).

I stopped listening and writing after this point, b/c again the 2 year old must have gotten sick of hearing the babble of them as well, b/c from behind my head I hear:

"Up mommy, up".

Are they ever quiet?

Sneak Peek For Nicole

This post is for Nicole. I got to take pics of her beautiful clan this morning. I felt like I already knew them, even though I have never met them in person before. I frequent Nicole's blog a lot. She is very whitty, and a joy to read. Very real about "mom-life". It's funny how you never know who is lingering on your blog!!--Scary too in a way!

The fourth and final challenge. Ahhh...the challenge of potty training. Fourth time around, and it isn't any easier. Tessa constantly wants her diaper off, and I am constantly trying to put it back on her. I am not ready. She wants to sit on the potty any minute she can get--and then she just sits...and sits...and sits. She cannot sit alone. She is a girl, by the way. She needs to chat. So there we all sit... on the bathroom floor waiting for her to "finish". She wants us all to be quiet so that we can hear the potty hitting the water, and anytime we make a little noise we get the "shhhh" from her (equipt with the whole index finger over the lip and the long drawn out shussshing). All 4 of us (everyone but Tessa) has the rolling of the eyes down to a science. The bathroom is not considered a "warm and cozy" room to hang out in according to me. How does a 2 year old persuade 4 other people (one who happens to be 30-something) to sit in a bathroom for the better part of their day? I find myself lying to the other kids that "mommy hears the phone ringing, stay here with Tessa while I go grab it", just so that I can get out of this "prison". If we are not in the room I hear --"MOMMMMMMM, MOMMMMMM ". She looks so innocent and cute in this picture, but don't let her fool you--she is the bathroom nazi. It will be done soon enought, right?

2007 Mix

Baby Boom!

I love the tatoo on her daughters hand.

My friends are in a baby boom again. This time, I am not a joiner. And, I am happy to say, I can look at a pregnant belly now and not have any bit of a tinge of jealousy. Contentment--ahhh, how good it feels!! This mommy, a good friend of mine, will be joining the "4th Child" Club too. Yahoo!!