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.