Another Weird School Project...

Okay.

I'm just going to come out and say it.  Are you ready?  Here goes...

I have discovered that when you send your children to school, the teachers have a lot of fun making up sadistic projects for you to do with them at home that are impossible to transport back to school.

There.  I said it.  You other mothers with school aged children know exactly what I'm talking about.  This only gets worse the older they get.  It starts with the egg project in pre-school (we had to get an egg to school in a special container that we designed - then they dropped it ala humpty dumpty, to see it it survived the fall).  Then, it moves on to other things like the monthly - decorate a (insert whatever fits into the holiday/season at the time a leaf, christmas tree, snowflake, apple, etc.).  In Kindergarten, Emma had to actually do a report that taught the other kids about something...Guess who did all the work on that one?  Third grade, we had to make a working volcano - labels, etc. and get it back to the school...that was fun, time consuming - and MY project...

Tonight - I had 3 projects that needed completed.  Two decorate-a-leaf projects for the twins...easy peasy - we've been doing those for years...and the masterpiece thus far of my school project career...

THE EDIBLE CELL PROJECT

This was just plain weird.  We actually had to make a model of a cell out of only edible items - and label everything, etc.  But, who thinks this stuff up?  It actually looks pretty cool - but incredibly disgusting...

Just in case you want to recreate this in your spare time:

I took a tortilla and baked it over a bowl to create the cell wall.  We used cooked spaghetti noodles for the cell membrane.  The cytoplasm was jelly.  The nucleus was a cracker.  The vacuoles were peanuts.  The chloroplasts (this was a plant cell) were pea pods.  The mitochondria were grape nerds.

I had to make it a special little nest in its shoe box so that it wouldn't shift around - I also cheated and glue gunned the sucker to the nest!

Oh - do you want to see the masterpiece that I have been discussing?  I'm sure that you can't wait to view this beautiful creation...

I am not a taco salad!

Gross, huh?  Kind of like a taco salad gone wrong...

Oh, and for those of you that still have no kids in public school yet...you just wait...your time is coming!

Well, At Least He Didn't Say I Have My Hands Full...

As the mother of five children, I have heard the phrase "You've got your hands full" way too many times in the past few years.  I feel that most of the time, I have things under control...There are days when yes, my hoodlums are a little bit unruly, but it isn't that bad all of the time!

So, today - (Day 4 of Fall Break, no less) I decided to take the kids to lunch at Taco Bell after I worked out at the YMCA.  We really haven't gone anywhere all week, so this was a special treat for them.  I made sure that we went to the Taco Bell where the worker likes us and gives us a few extra drinks sometimes for free ('cause he feels  bad for me, I guess!)

Anyway...they were being good.  Reeeeaaaalllyyyy good.

We were waiting for our food and a nicely dressed older gentleman came up to me.

"Excuse me, ma'am...I just wanted to tell you that your children are the most well behaved children that I have ever seen."

Okay, this is not a compliment that we receive very often - but in this instance, I will admit - we really deserved it...and it was soooo nice not to hear - "You've got your hands full!"  I almost wiped a tear from my eye...


I answered..."Thank you, but that can change at any moment!"

And - just as I said that....Alyssa threw up.

I think I've got my hands full.

Our Trek to Visit Mickey and Co...Part 1

Disclaimer:  This may be boring, but since this blog is basically my sad excuse for a journal, I am documenting what I remember...it will get better, I promise!

At the beginning of 2010, I heard about a special volunteer program that Disney was sponsoring this year.  If anyone over the age of 6 volunteered (for specially approved assignments), they would receive one day ticket to Disneyland or World.  This was until they had one million volunteers.  I was instantly intrigued.  For years, I have been dying to take our kids to visit "The Mouse", but it has always been too expensive.  I signed us up and we were given an assignment to pass out some fliers to some businesses in Franklin, TN.  This enabled us to get 5 tickets - one for each of us that would cost money to get into Disney World.

We were able to use the price that the tickets would have been to upgrade for a few more days in the parks - this was important, because with 5 children (a few with special needs) it would have been impossible to see much in just one day - especially considering when we were actually on the trip, two of our afternoons were spent at urgent care clinics in the area (we will get into that later).  Then, we rented a condo for a week - much more affordable than actually staying in a hotel, and we were so much more comfortable.  It was also a lot cheaper to be able to prepare our own meals.

Everyone told us we were nuts to go over the week of the 4th of July because of the humidity in Florida, the terrible heat, yadda, yadda, yadda....not much we could do about the fact that Clay's vacation was scheduled at the end of 2009, before we even planned the trip and the kids were off of school...so July it was!

After several months of getting tips and tricks from the internet, budgeting, couponing, hoarding anything I could find that was Disney related (to save tons of money on souvies), we set out for our trip at about 10 pm the Friday before the 4th of July.  The plan was to drive as far as possible - we made it past Atlanta, crashed at a hotel for a few hours - then get in the car and drive some more.  It was great - except my kids outlasted my co-pilot!  Poor Clay was so tired from working (he gets up at 2 am) that he slept the whole 5 hours that we drove the first night!  We crammed into a 2 double bed hotel room and slept at about 3 am.  Um...they also might have thought that we only had 3 kids...don't know where they got that idea???

Here are a few pics of us in our 4th of July finery at our condo...

We finally made it to Orlando about 5 pm on Saturday afternoon...Yes folks, we took our time!  Between potty stops and a lot of rain, it slowed us down a bit...We relaxed that evening and also on Sunday (4th of July).  The kids thought the condo was great - we were just happy they had their own rooms!

To be continued...

A Cinderella Birthday

Ever since we went to Disney World this summer, (Yes, I know that I haven't blogged about that yet - it is coming, I promise), Alyssa has been obsessed with Cinderella...actually, anything involving the princesses, fairies, castles...you get the picture. So, when we asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she replied, "A Cinderella Birthday". She also only answers to the name "Cinderella", so that really isn't a stretch of the imagination. We didn't make her birthday all about Cinderella - that would have been boring...for us...but she did get a pretty Cindy doll from her Aunt Kristen. I made her a flower shaped birthday cake (fun to do, but the dang thing fell apart very easily) with Tink and Co. perched on the top...looking quite pleased with themselves, might I add! She got a huge assortment of dress up items from Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Karen and Uncle Adam...who were only too happy to indulge her fantastic dress-up imagination! We decided that we don't have enough noisy toys that need batteries, so we found her a pink keyboard with a carrying handle that is just her size. She was pretty cute about the whole thing - when we gave her the piece of cake, she decided to put all the fairy dolls back on - there is a picture of her cake just covered in fairies! Alyssa is my headstrong child - she has a quick temper and a loud scream...but when you ask her for a kiss or hug, even when she is mad, she will melt and give you the sweetest loves. She loves anything girly, but also will romp and tumble with the boys outside...in her Sunday shoes... We love our Alyssa Claire (AKA Cinderella) very much and are really enjoying watching her grow into a little girl...

Wheelchair Incident

Yesterday morning, Emma had a cough and didn't want to go to school. Mean ol' Mom sent her anyway (we can't afford to lose any excused absences without a fever or vomit because she is sick so much). Anyway, I sent her and told her that if she was really sick, the school would call me and I would pick her up.

Fast forward to 9:15 am...

The phone rang. I look at the caller ID (because I always look) and see the school's phone number...Great...Guess I'd better get ready to go and get Emma...

"Mrs. Turner? This is the school nurse." I replied, "You must be calling about Emma."

"Well, no - actually, I am calling about Reagan. You see, he was run over by a wheelchair in his classroom this morning."

"What? Is he okay?"

She said, "Yes, he is walking on it and not complaining - I don't think it is broken, just red. The teacher just wanted you to know."

By far, probably one of the weirdest phone calls from the school (and there have been a few weird ones, believe me)...

Last night, I made up a song to send back to Reagan's teacher. For your viewing pleasure...

"Reagan's Song"
To the tune of "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer"

Reagan got run over by a wheelchair.
It was just too fast for him, you see.
You may think it was no Manic Monday.
As for me and Mrs. Chesnutt, we believe.

It was just another morning.
Class was quiet, the pledge was done.
Then there was a flash of lightning,
And our poor little Reagan couldn't run.

Reagan got run over by a wheelchair.
It was just too fast for him, you see.
You may think it was no Manic Monday.
As for me and Mrs. Chesnutt, we believe.

He went down to see the school nurse.
Shoe was off and ice applied.
He got on the school computer.
Pain was all forgotten, tears were dried.

Reagan got run over by a wheelchair.
It was just too fast for him, you see.
You may think it was no Manic Monday.
As for me and Mrs. Chesnutt, we believe.

Now, if you have this tune stuck in your head all day - you have me to thank for your early Christmas spirit!

1st Day of School...AKA Independence Day!

The kiddos started school yesterday. The summer has actually gone by pretty quickly, but they (and we) were ready for them to return. Is it just me, or don't they look cute all ready to go on the first day? There is an extra bit of excitement in the air that disappears after the first week or so.

I had my day all planned out - 4 days in advance.

I worked out at the YMCA first thing in the morning. Then, I took Ashleigh to her follow up ear appt. The annual "celebratory lunch" (this year at Chuy's) followed. After that, I ran a few errands, leisurely (yeah, right - still had 2 little ones with me - but still better than five!).

All in all, it was a good day - they raced in the door and clamored to tell us all about their days.

It feels like it is going to be a good year!

Sir, Yes Sir!

Soooo....what happens when your mom (now known as the drill sergeant) is cutting your hair the night before school starts and you cover your eyes with your hands and shake your head back and forth while the clippers are very close to your scalp???

Do you know???

You end up with a number 2 on the top, a number 1 on the sides and instead of 1st grade, you will now be starting boot camp in the morning....Yup. That is what happens.

Anyone want to venture a guess as to how I know this information???

Oh well...it's only hair - it'll grow back, right?

Sergeant Mom, Over and Out.

Little Miss Ashleigh Turns One...

July 15th was our sweet Ashleigh's first birthday...we went light on it this year - in anticipation of a big family party (to be shared with a few cousins in a few weeks)...

We went blueberry picking on the morning of her birthday - it was very hot and humid...but we managed to have a great time and pick 5 lbs in less than an hour. Pizza and brownies made the night festive, even if it was a Thursday!

Ashleigh has absolutely no teeth - and not one in sight either, but she downed that pizza! And was totally in heaven with her brownie...

A fisher price farm finished her birthday off with a bang!

Today (July 21st) Ashleigh had her biggest birthday present from the ENT...a brand new set of tubes. This is a good thing for many reasons -- no more co-pays and prescriptions for neverending ear infections...she will not shake her head all the time because of the fluid in her ears...she will hear better and hopefully be talking like crazy soon!

Ashleigh is the sweetest baby ever - and I am so excited to hear what she has to say in a few months! We love her very much and cannot believe that a whole year has passed since she was born.

She is a little short (who in our family isn't?) and weighs about 18 1/2 pounds right now...not big enough yet for a forward facing carseat - but that will happen soon, I'm sure! I am also pretty sure that she wishes she was forward facing - it gets boring looking at the back of the seat when your siblings are all watching a movie!

Happy Birthday Ashleigh Kate! You bring so much sunshine into our lives!!!

Sometimes Life is Like a Peanut Butter Sandwich...

Have you ever been really, really, hungry and made yourself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Then, you pour yourself a big glass of ice cold milk. You take the first bite, and you wonder why you don't have peanut butter sandwiches for lunch every day, it just tastes so good? Next, you might think about the simplicity of a peanut butter sandwich as opposed to say, a club sandwich or leftover lasagna...

Sometimes, my life is like a peanut butter sandwich.

There are days that (too many, I'm afraid) where I try to cram every possible thing into the day...Like a few weeks ago, when Reagan had a doctor's appointment at Vanderbilt. I didn't want to drive up there again, so I crammed another appointment in within an hour of the other one. While it did pay off, I was completely stressed out trying to get from home to Nashville by 8:30 and to the two different appointments...Was it worth it? Probably, in terms of gas mileage and time - but it was a crazy, busy day.

There are other days (like today) when I am forced to slow down my pace of life. It is my birthday today - as I told Emma (every time she asks how old I am) I am old. I had planned on cramming so many little tidbits into today, so that I didn't think about how old I am getting - how my pants will never fit the way I want them to, and how much it is going to cost to maintain my current hair color.

I hope I am not alone.

Anyway, I was planning on getting up - kids off to school by 7:30, leave straight for the YMCA to workout (still trying to get into the smaller pants), exercise for an hour, shower, get the two little girls from daycare, go to Hobby Lobby, go to JCPenney, go to Ross, go to lunch....

You get the picture.

This morning - Emma woke up and didn't look so good. She announced - "I feel like I have to throw up".

Then she did.

I was completely undone. What in the world was I going to do to salvage my birthday? Clay hasn't been around much lately, because he is working 13 hour days due to the flood in Nashville. I have been virtually a single parent this week. Was it too much to ask to be able to spend MY BIRTHDAY the way I had planned?

Then, I started thinking again. I put on my workout clothes and the baby in the playpen. Used my elliptical machine that has been gathering dust upstairs (for those who are wondering, it is very difficult for me to workout at home due to Alyssa's crazy escape artist antics, hence the YMCA membership - which also gives me a few hours to myself each day). The baby gurgled and waved at me happily from the playpen. She thought it was great watching me sweat!

Next, I did the dishes, cleaned the bathroom, and sent a few Mother's Day cards...all of this with no stress involved...no running around, no moving kids in and out of the car...they played happily (well, I will be honest, Alyssa did scream all morning - in between playing)...

The dog was happy that I stayed home and he was allowed to run around instead of stay in his laundry room den.

I took a shower in my own bathroom - well, Ashleigh did play on the floor outside the shower - but she was happy anyway, and I am used to peeping toms by this point of my parental career.

I painted my toenails - when was the last time I had the time to actually do that?

Then, I went to a nice birthday lunch with my mom and Kristen....and 5 kids. Yes, we were totally outnumbered, but the kids did quite well - and Emma even ate a little bit.

After this, my mom took Alyssa for a few hours and Clay took Emma home - and Ashleigh and I shopped alone leisurely. I actually enjoyed myself.

The day that I had today - even though there was no birthday dinner (they had corn dogs) and no cake (cause Clay was too tired to think about it) was simple....and it worked.

Tonight, I bit into my peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I ate at 8 o'clock (because of a feverish Emma, screaming Alyssa, work issues, etc.) and I thought to myself what a great thing that a simple peanut butter sandwich is...

I think I am ready for another bite tomorrow....Oh, who am I kidding? I will probably also have a piece of cake on the side...

One little, two little, three little weirdos...

We are the type of people, unfortunately, who are like magnets for weirdos. When we are in public, it is no exception. People just seem to gravitate to us and make strange remarks that make us feel like our clothes are on inside out, or that we are just standing there in our underwear.

I am dedicating this post to all of the above mentioned oddballs who made it possible...

Incident #1: Last week, Clay and I were uber sick. Rather than lay down and die, we got ourselves and all five of our spawn to the walk-in clinic on Saturday morning. We split the kids up semi-fairly (he got the boys, I got the girls)...Anyway, Clay was waiting for the check-in girl to finish and Super Nosy Nana walked in. Typical older woman...tennis shoes with her stretched out slacks...gray/black hair all around her face...glasses. You get the picture. Emma was standing next to Clay at the window.

Super Nosy Nana says, "Well, ain't you a scraaawwwny thang?" I forgot to mention that her voice was like nails on a chalkboard.

Emma, extremely confused, because most of the time people are telling her how adorable she is (even when she isn't) looked up at Clay. "Dad, what does scrawny mean?" "Well, it means you aren't very big..." She was not impressed at all with this.

Incident #2: Same day. Five minutes later. Super Nosy Nana again. Yes, a real piece of work, that one. Alyssa was in the front of the twin stroller and kept throwing a magazine down onto the floor. First of all, I felt like (this is a family blog, so insert your own expletive here). Anyway, after the 3rd time, I stopped picking it up. My kid, my prerogative. Enter Super Nosy Nana, to the rescue.

"Oh, I'll help you - poor little thang...nobody picking that up for you? Here you go."

Honestly, if I wasn't 3/4 of the way dead, I would have strangled the woman. I gritted my teeth..."It is just a game...she has thrown it 3 times already."

SNN says, in an extremely annoying voice..."Well, sometimes she has to win, doesn't she? And that's what Grandma's are for."

I refrained from getting in her face - since her Grandma wouldn't have picked it up either. But I swear, if I had been feeling better...

Incident #3: I like to call this...Way to make us feel like a freak show. Yes, we have 5 kids. I know people with more. I see people on T.V. with almost 4 times as many...Our kids are relatively well-behaved (some of the time)...the real freak show is the family that have 2 kids (you know, one for each parent) and the kids are completely out of control. We have it pretty well covered, I think.

Anyway, on the same day as the other 2 incidents - in the same doctor's office, mind you...yup, you guessed it - the nurse and doctor were shocked at the number of kids we brought with us. Well, what were we supposed to do? Neither of us was about to let the other one leave them at home with all of them, and come home with the coveted antibiotic.

It wasn't too horrible - but we did get the obligatory "Wow, you got your hands full." "Bless your hearts." And the young doctor exclaimed when he walked into my room..."How many all together? You've got three in here and he has three in there?" I corrected, "No, he has only two." His answer? "Are they all yours?" Here's your sign buddy...who in their right mind would bring 5 children to a doctor's appointment if they didn't have to?

Incident #4: Marathon Man. One Saturday, we were in Sam's Club after working out at the Y. We were standing in line, minding our own business, when the man in front of us started talking to me. "So, I saw you at the Y. I was the one running." Oh, okay...not sure how to answer that, but...okaaaaayyyy. "You were just walking." I finally answered, "Yes, I was Cooling Down."

He tried again..."Well, I took a shower before I came here - you guys are still all sweaty. I don't like to do my errands all sweaty."

Zing. Ouch. Where do we find these people?

Incident #5: I am going to close with this incident for tonight, because I think that it deserves mention. Most of you know that Zach is adopted. He is half hispanic and half caucasian, so well....he doesn't really look much like us. In California, nobody really seemed to notice. Here in the South, everyone notices.

We were in Wendy's, eating lunch a few years ago...minding our own business. A woman came up to us and said. "You have the cutest kids, but that one - he doesn't look like you."

Wow.

Way to make a kid feel like he doesn't belong. Let's just play the Sesame Street game "One of these things is not like the other" while we are at it, shall we?

We replied (as politely as possible). Yes, he is our son. We adopted him.

"Really? I was just thinking how he looks so much like my ex-boyfriend...I mean, just like him."

Ummmm...do you think he is the father or something? Why say that, honestly? And more importantly, how do we answer that?

I swear, if some people had brains, they would just take them out and play with them.

Zach's 1st Badge...

Okay, so I stink at blogging. My life is super busy, filled with all sorts of things that keep me from updating on a regular basis...

A recent example of this is Zach's first badge in Cub Scouts. He got it over a month ago...

Just so you don't think I am that terrible of a mother - I did take pictures...

Isn't he cute? Don't you just want to pinch his little warrior cheeks?

We are now the proud owners of a Bobcat badge...with many more to come, I'm sure! ;)

Sometimes even a Velociraptor needs a little TLC...

Remember my last post? About my little dinosaur, Alyssa? Remember how I wished that she would turn into an angel?

Be careful what you wish for.

This week, Alyssa caught a bad stomach bug. Really bad. Like a few baths a night and several changes of sheets bad.

It started on Tuesday night...high fever, vomiting, the runs....

And went on through Wednesday. Then Wednesday night. Wednesday night was so bad, I slept next to her on the couch and had to give her Motrin and Tylenol two hours apart just to get her fever to leave the 104 range. We were just a few steps from the ER.

Then Thursday. Then Thursday night.

Through all of this, my little soldier trudged on. She tried to go play outside when it was sunny - she is an independent little cuss. She tried to eat her favorite things when her tummy let her...only to throw them up again a few hours later. She still fought with her brothers and sisters, but in a more pathetic way. But, she also turned sweet. Sweet for Alyssa is an indication that all is not right. She is usually a little spitfire - blazing her own trails.

We knew she was in trouble on Thursday afternoon when she slept and slept. We were really hoping that it meant she was breaking the fever and sleeping off the sickness. Not so.

Friday morning, she was lethargic, hadn't eaten anything in 24 hours, and looked terrible.

I knew it was time. I also knew that she would probably not come home with us after she saw the doctor (we have past experience with extremely wimpy kids and dehydration).

The doctor (bless him) took one look at her and knew. Then he smelled her breath (the sickening sweet smell of ketosis). She was burning her fat now. He did the blood tests as a formality, then off we went to the hospital for some IV's.

Here is the kicker. This all happened on my busiest workday of the month. The day that I can't take off. We also happen to have four other children. Don't know about you, but I have not yet mastered the art of being in two places at once...but when I can...watch out!

Grandpa to the rescue...he has done it before, he will probably do it again. My dad is great for sitting with the kids when they are in the hospital. He stayed with her and Clay was with the kids at home. He also held her down while they inserted an IV in her FOOT because she was too dehydrated to get it into her hand.

I went to work.

Grandpa has a soft spot for our little Velociraptor. He brought her at least 10.00 worth of coloring books. She really loves him. Not just cause of the coloring books. She held his hand and chattered at him while she colored in her beloved books.

Last night, Clay spent the night with Alyssa at the hospital and I was at home with the others. She was released at 3 o'clock this afternoon...I won't lie to you, she is not as good as new. She is still looking and feeling pretty rough. We are hoping she does okay tonight. She is a lot better than she was when she went in, though. We have to be vigilant so that she does not get this way again.

One thing that I have learned from all of this...Alyssa can stay a Velociraptor for a little longer, if it means that she is healthy. I don't want her to be an angel if it means she is sick.

Because I really do love her.

My Velociraptor

Do you remember the movie, Jurassic Park? And the dinosaurs that were prominently featured, the Velociraptors?

Well, if you remember - the Velociraptors were mean, angry dinosaurs. They were bipedal (travel on 2 feet) and primarily meat eaters, they also jumped on top of anything and everything and were very, very destructive.

I have a dirty little secret.

There is a Velociraptor that lives at my house.


No, they are not completely extinct yet...though, I am hoping that soon (very soon) this little blond dinosaur will be replaced with a sweet little angel.

One can only hope, right?

The funny thing is, you wouldn't know she was such a terror by looking at her.

She is Fearless.

The main reason why I Hate Cats...

Look Mom! I made a friend...Ashleigh meeting the kitty (AKA Weeza)...







This is Ashleigh, after the Kitty made her "mark"...My poor, sweet baby. Mean 'ol Weeza.

Adventures in Cake Decorating...

I have been wanting to learn (really learn) to decorate cakes for a while now...It doesn't help that all of the cool cake shows are on TV all the time (Ace of Cakes, Cake Boss, Ultimate Cake Off, etc.).

I just love to watch them create something beautiful out of thin air (and a little eggs, sugar, milk, etc.) These guys are truly artists in what they do...don't worry, I don't have any false hopes that I will ever be up to their caliber, but I want to be able to make birthday cakes myself, that actually taste better than crisco and sawdust, for much cheaper than what you can buy at the store.

Soooo....this month, was our RS birthday dinner and Sis. Warrick offered to show some of us a few tips on decorating cakes...My brunette sis and I showed up and learned a few tricks of the trade that we had never heard of before...

Then....I FOUND AN AWESOME COUPON....I know, I know, big shock....I am right up there with the Queens of finding AWESOME COUPONS (it has to be capitalized for effect). Anyway, 50 percent off of anything at Michaels...I hurried my little (sort of) self down there to check out the supplies.

I found a great starter kit and got it for so much cheaper than it would have cost for all of the stuff separately. It even has a great little book on techniques.

Kristen and I each made a cake for the RS birthday dinner. It took us much longer than it would have if we hadn't had two 2 year olds, an 18 month old, and an 8 month old to watch while we did it, but we survived...

I am pretty happy with the results of my first attempt to really make something semi-professional looking...My cake was lemon flavored with raspberry filling....yummy buttercream icing topped it all off.

The only problem with this new hobby is that it is murder on the diet. So, I joined the Y yesterday...
YUM!!!

What do racism, filth, and baby goats have in common?

Apparently, I am a common denominator in all of these things.

Wow. There some places that I visit that inspire me to come home and clean my own house. And BOIL myself. And my briefcase. And my eyeballs. When I put my papers down and BUGS run across them, that is not a good sign. This one ranked right up there with the people that let baby goats live in the house for the winter. That one was pretty bad, too. Nuff said. Wow.It was also an interesting thing that when I said "Hello" to the husband, he ignored me. When the wife told him to acknowledge me, he said that he didn't talk to "them white people", didn't like them either...

WOW.

There aren't many people out there who are whiter (or shorter for that matter) than little 'ol ME.

I think it may be time to replace my expired pepper spray.

I find it very interesting as well that my instincts told me in advance that I DID NOT want to go to this home. I tried everything, even waiting at Wal-Mart for her to show up, but apparently her car wouldn't start.

Thank goodness for Purell.

A History Lesson (according to Emma)...

Tonight, we were getting ready for bed and Emma was chattering, as usual.

"Hey Mom...Did you know that Henry Home Lincoln was our 1st President?"

"No, Emma - George Washington was our first president."

"Mom, but we learned at school that Henry Home Lincoln..." I interjected here..."You mean, Abraham Lincoln?"

"Yeah, Henry Home Lincoln...He was the first president. Then, they shot him in the back. Did you know that they shot him in the back, Mom?" *She said this in an outraged tone of voice.

"Yes, Emma...I know that they shot him in the back."

"Well, Mom...after they shot him in the back, did you know that they put him in a penny?"

History according to Emma...(6 years old and in kindergarten). I think I may need to have a talk with her teacher about the accuracy of the lessons that she is teaching. Either that, or I'd better go and have Emma's hearing tested...again!

You want to be a WHAT when you grow up???

Emma came into the room the other day and said, "Mommy, when I grow up, first I will be a dictionary and then I want to be a ballerina."

"A dictionary? Are you sure, Emma?"

Zach chimed in..."Emma, the word is missionary, not dictionary!" Emma disagreed with him for a few minutes until I told her that he was right.

"Emma, a dictionary is a book - a missionary is what you want to be." She thought for a minute, then said, "Okay...when I grow up, I will be a MISSIONARY and then a ballerina!"

Que Sera

"When I was just a little girl, I asked my mommy, "What shall I be? Shall I be pretty, shall I be rich?" She told me tenderly..."Que Sera, Sera. Whatever will be, will be. The futures not ours to see, Que Sera, Sera. What will be, will be.""

It has been a rough, rough week here. Snow days have been chewing up my weekdays, the days that I can actually get things done around here. My children are bored, and tired of being stuck at home. The sun has gone missing - has anyone else noticed that there has not been much sun lately? It is really difficult to love winter when there is no sun, no flowers to enjoy, no trees with their leaves, and lots of dormant brown grass.

We have been trying new meds for Reagan and he decided to wake me up at 3:50 am - bright and early. He was all set to go to school - not interested in going back to sleep...I had an Excedrin Migraine for breakfast.

Succeeded in getting the kids off to school without any mishaps.

Then, my 11 year old set of laundry utensils (aka the washer and dryer) bit the dust. Well, technically it was the dryer, but the washer is right behind. We were planning on getting a new set with our tax refund (hopefully there is one) but not quite this early. Try hauling 8-10 loads of laundry to the laundry mat to get it done...A BIG, HUGE shout out to my sister, Kristen, who let me do my laundry at her house today...a special place in heaven awaits her...We went and found a new set today at Home Depot - to be delivered next Wednesday, just in time for laundry day again! I am super excited about the prospect of being able to wash and dry ALL of our clothes in one day again! It took 2-3 hours for me to do just ONE load with our old set.

Yesterday, right after the dryer died, the baby started projectile vomiting all over me, the couch, herself, the floor...you get the picture. I fed her bananas for breakfast for the first time, apparently her system couldn't handle them. I had tons of clothes, towels and blankets that were covered in this stuff, and I couldn't wash them, because the dryer was kaput. Ironic.

In the meantime, I had two 2 year olds running around my house all day - helping me however they could see fit. Kristen went somewhere with Mom all day, and I took Kade - to keep Alyssa busy and entertained. My day went like this. Baby was throwing up...Alyssa "Oh, you frow up? She frow up. Yucky. Ew. Frow up." I asked (begged, really) them to bring me a burp rag that was on the floor in front of them so that I could get off the couch without more goo hitting the floor. Kade responded by bringing me a dog toy. Gee, Thanks. You shouldn't have! After a few minutes, Alyssa got the idea and brought me the rag - still disgusted with the mess that her baby sister made.

By evening, I was exhausted. I stepped over the childgate that led to our room (put up so the above mentioned 2 year olds couldn't raid my makeup, the toilet paper, and other fun things in our master bedroom). The gate was not put up in a stable manner, and it fell - I fell with it. My elbow is bruised, my knee, my jaw, and some other less mentionable parts. My pride was bruised a bit as well.

I fell asleep on the couch and slept like a baby until 1:30 am - when I woke myself up and toddled off to my comfortable bed.