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TWO BY TWO Jackson Gabrielle Connor Brady Cooper |
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Stories November 18, 2008 I've been gearing up for Thanksgiving all week. All of a sudden I care that the house is not decorated and things are a bit unorganized. I just want to tighten up the house before everyone comes. Needless to say, this has made Brad's honey do list quite long. He's okay with it though. He wants things taken care of as much as I do. A bigie on my list is a Christmas tree. I really want it up before Tuesday. I started to look today at a few farms I saw off the road. We have really high ceilings in the formal living room where we want to put the tree. I think a 9' may look too little but of course a 14' is so expensive. Maybe we can meet in the middle somewhere. It's so much fun putting out decorations. In the past, I've not had enough shelf space for the decorative items. This year I'm searching for any little cute trinket I can find. Brad was home this morning for a quick bit so he took Jackson to school. After he came back I jumped in the car and the kids and i went to Kirkland's for a little shopping at the mall. We had a good time. That store is so packed with stuff that I could not manage the stroller farther than the front door. The sweet ladies that worked there entertained the children while I shopped at mock speed. I picked out a few cute items for my room and the kitchen. Hopefully they will work out now that i'm at home and I won't need to return anything. After the mall we headed to a new shop called Woodstock Market. It's adorable. I picked up a few more things there. I really want towork on paining some of the rooms in the house. Brad said I was going to far on that one! I just got everyone in bed for naps. I better take advantage of it and get supper started.
November 17, 2008 Happy 18th Birthday to my nephew, Chad!!!!! (Nov 14th) Happy Birthday to my friend, Lisa!!!!! (Nov 14th) Happy Birthday to GG!!!!! (Nov 15th) Friday afternoon was a blast. The kids and I met GG in Buckhead for an Estate Sale. I got a STEAL on some finishing pieces for my China collection. I purchased 7 pieces that would have retailed for over $600. Guess what I paid...... $130!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You gotta love a bargain. Memaw and Grandpa are making that part of my Christmas. Ho Ho Ho After our big find we all had lunch at Chin Chin. The best Chinese in the ATL. Then we were off to Target. GG treated all 5 kids to new pj's. They were elated. PJ's are very cool in this house. Saturday morning Brad took over kid duty and I slept in. (Thank you wonderful husband of mine!) When I got up we headed to Kennesaw to check out a dining room table we found on Craig's list. It's really pretty and I'm hoping we are able to get it. Brad's still in the "thinking about it" mode. I'm just standing back and letting him do the deciding. We headed out to Chick Fil A in Woodstock afterwards. This is a very very special Chick Fil A. It was a Dwarf House. For those of you who are not familiar it's a normal fast food joint on one side and on the other you are seated by a hostess and waited on by a server. On Saturday am's they have a breakfast buffet with grits, home fries, biscuits, sausage, french toast sticks, eggs, sausage gravy and of course chicken. The menu is extended to much more than the average Chick Fil A menu. It's AWESOME!!!! The kids ate their weight in breakfast and the four younger were FREE. Another great bargain! By the time we ate the kids were getting really tired. Brad decided we would bring them all home and let them nap. Jackson and I took off to Yong-In Martial Arts Academy. He was invited by a friend to a Ninja Party. Ya'll know this was right up his alley. They had all kinds of demonstrations and real Ninja fighters. There was a special for that day only... $5 for a uniform and 2 weeks of classes! Was this a bargain weekend or what???? I knew he'd want the uniform if nothing else so we signed up. He starts this afternoon with his first class. He has worn the uniform for 3 days straight. I'll get pictures taken today. Sooooo cute! Not long after the Ninja experience I started to feel the pain from a migrane easing it's way into my weekend. By 6:00pm I was incapacitated, popping Imitrex and Percocet laying in the bed with a black band around my eyes. I don't know that I've EVER had one that bad. I was considering going to the ER if I didn't ger relief soon. It took a couple hours and I finally got some relief from the intense pain. For almost 24 hours I hurt and was nauseated. Brad took over kid duty until last night around 5pm. He made it to church with all the kids and managed lunch out as well. He did have help from Memaw, Kim and Don. Today I feel 100%... thank you, Jesus.
November 11, 2008 Slacker, that's me! I've been really busy and just have not made the time to update the website. I have about 5 minutes so I'll try to sum up the last few days. We took Jackson to school this morning and came home for breakfast. Poor JR, he gets a poptart or cereal bar in the mornings and then the rest of the kids get real breakfast. I can't seem to get it together that early. Actually, Jackson wouldn't eat a big breakfast that early anyway. He has been doing SO good at school. He's getting "stars" everyday! When I pick him up in the afternoons he says, "Close your eyes. I have something to show you!" Then he flips open his folder to show me his daily progress report. Getting a star has been huge incentive for his behavior. Last week his incentive was seeing Madagascar at the movies with his buddy Nathan and his Mom. He got stars all week and on Thursday an extra note that said, "Jackson is trying SO hard." I'm so glad to see improvment. Another big incentive for him to be good was taking t.v. away and making him go to bed early. Those 2 are huge for him. Now if I could just figure out the right tactics for Gabrielle and Connor I'd be right on track. That girl... she's a pistol. Rebel is her new middle name. She wants to push the limits (and beyond) with everything. Unlike Jackson, there isn't any one thing they love and would be motivated to be good for. I'd love suggestions. Memaw's sisters, Aunt Sis and Aunt Pat, have been in town for the past couple of days. They came to visit yesterday at our house. They have a unique gift for decorating. I know what I like but putting it all together is difficult. I had lots of what they called "treasures" in my cabinets and closets that I didn't know how to display. They had a field day with everything and I loved it. My kitchen looks more cozy and lived in. Before the countertops were empty and it looked a bit sterile. We all went out to dinner last night to Williamson Bros BBQ. We love it. I was planning on cooking but decided that it was just too much work. I wanted to enjoy everyone and not be stuck in the kitchen doing dishes the whole time. My surgery is back on for Dec 3rd. That's right around the corner. I'm not really nervous about the procedure. I'm more concerned about getting the kids out and about to grandparents... that's the hard part. I'd really like to recover at home. We are trying to work all that out. Please pray for us in that area. You'll be very proud to hear that I have kept up with my laundry all week. As soon as I wash and dry I fold and put it away. I hope I can keep it up! Brady and Cooper want to walk sooooo bad. They are getting frustrated with crawling and frankly I'm over it, too. I give them a couple more weeks and the waiting is over. I think I mentioned previously we are having Thanksgiving at our house this year. Our head count is up to 21 adults and 6 kids!!!! I'm so excited. We are having it on Wednesday this year. That's actually Gabrielle and Connor's birthday. They are turkey babies. I went into labor about 8 hours after a big turkey dinner given by Traci Kalish. I can't believe Sissy and Connor Man are going to be 3 years old! Where has time gone? I'm not going to give a big party this year. For one, they really don't have many friends! LOL We do have Susan's kids and Kim and Don's kids. Brad and I decided that we'd have a cake for them Wednesday and then take them to do something special on the weekend. I have to enjoy these joint parties while I can. It won't be long both sets of twins will want their "OWN" party! Help me, Lord.
November 5, 2008 I have been fighting a headache for 3 days. I was telling my friend Kim about it and she said, "Are you stressed about something?" We both laughed. I think the obvious answer to that question is Yes. I'm stressed over 5 little people. I have been ignoring a huge pile of clean laundry that needed to be folded for over a week. (yes a week) I've admitted before that laundry is my downfall. I wash it. I just don't fold and put away like I should. Last night after the kids were put to bed I told Brad I would go work on laundry if he'd take kitchen duty. He agreed and I started on the pile. I had a headache again last night so being in my bedroom with no noise was just what I needed. Somewhere around 11:30pm Brad came in our room to find me face down on the carpet sound asleep. He put me in bed, tucked me in and said something about Obama being President. (I had hoped that part was a bad dream.) Today Gabrielle and I took care of putting everything away in it's proper place. I'm going to try sooooo hard to make sure I don't get that behind again. Wishful thinking. Brad called this am and said his lunch meeting had canceled. I told him, "Good. Now you can take US out instead." We picked up Jackson from school and met Brad at Zaxby's. We had a great lunch and it was fun to see Brad during the middle of the day. While I was getting our drinks, Jackson told me one of his teachers was there, too. When we were walking back to our table Jackson stopped me dead in my tracks at this stanger's table. He said, "Moooom. I want you to meet Ms Sally. She's my music teacher." It struck me so funny. He introduced me in such a grown up way. He did it just like his Daddy does. It was sweet. The kids were watching Bob the Builder tonight before bed. Jackson said, "Mom. Maybe one day when I get big you and Daddy will watch me on a stage and I'll be on t.v." He is really stuck on this "being a star" thing. Connor spoke up and said, "I get big I wide a BIG tack-tor!" (When I get big I'll ride a big tractor) Sissy said, "I'll ride a tractor, too but Daddy will have to help me." So sweet. My surgery is scheduled for December 3rd. But, there is a good possiblity that I may have to wait until Jan/Feb to have it done. Insurance is a pain, isn't it? I'm sad my party didn't win last nights election. I really did think that we'd squeak a victory. I'll be praying for President Obama during the next 4 years just like I would if McCain had won. I told Jackson this morning that McCain had lost and he said, "NOOOOOOOO!" He almost started to cry. I told him just like I told Brad, "We did what we could with prayer and our vote. The rest is up to God. He knows what's happening and He is in control. He's still our President and let's see what he does. Worrying won't do any good."
November 4, 2008 It's a big day...VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE! Happy Birthday to my best friend, Susan!!!!!!! Can't wait until Thursday for a little GNO action. Yesterday was really busy. I have a sweet lady that comes ever so often to help me with the house. Her name is Connie. Now, Connie doesn't speak English very well and I don't speak Spanish at all. Intrestingly enough, we seem to have no problems communicating. The kids think she is amazing. Gabrielle follows her around the house and just talks talks talks. Neither one of them care that they can't understand each other. It's a sweet relationship. Connie is very patient with her and teaches her words en Espanol. I'm very thankful that we found each other. She makes my life much easier. Gabrielle, Connor and I worked all morning yesterday on cleaning out the Suburban. It was a mess. There was food under the car seats that was beyond recognition. Gross! It's nice and clean... for now. Everytime I clean it out I promise myself that we are going to keep it that way knowing it's a joke and will never happen. Last night I abandoned my family. We were in the middle of dinner and it was chaos. Total chaos!!! It's not often when all H breaks loose but this was one of those moments. The babies were tired and the older ones were hungry. I couldn't get anything for them the way they wanted. They all had something to complain about. In the midst of all that, Brad decides that he needs to quiz me about what deer stand to hunt and if I thought the bucks were in rut. Ahhhhhhh! I jumped up and said, "I can't take it anymore... I'm leaving!" Brad said, "Where are you going and are you coming back?" I said, "Please say you understand? I need a couple hours." He said he understood and I was out the door. I went to Dress Barn and did some shopping for Memaw. She has asked me to pick her up some casual clothes. I also dropped into Hallmark. I think that's going to be my new stress relief place to go. There was pretty music playing and the whole place smelled like Yankee Candles. There were lots of beautiful things to look at, too. It was peaceful. Wonder how long I could stay in the store before they would call the police on me? Thanks Jaclyn for your post on my guestbook. That is another way to think about the IVF comments. I do tend to forget what's "normal" to me is so intresting to others. Glad you enjoy the website!
November 2, 2008 Well, we missed trick or treating but Jackson is finally feeling better. Poor thing. He was so sick he didn't even care that he was missing out on the action. He threw up for 2 days straight and held a temp of 103 for 48 hours. His little eyes were so dark. It just broke my heart to see him feeling so terrible. I rented him a couple of movies and kept him hydrated with Sprite. He just laid on the couch and hardly moved. He is back to his crazy and imaginative self today. Brad took Gabrielle and Connor back to South Georgia to hunt over the weekend. Memaw went, too. They had a great time. Memaw played with the kids while Brad did some hunting. He didn't get "The Big One" but he did see a lot of deer. That made the trip worth while. They all came back today dirty and tired. Why in the world he thinks the kids don't need a bath when they are with him is beyond me! They all looked like little hoodlums... including Brad! Since Jackson was feeling good today we went to church this morning. Grandpa was the guest speaker at Roswell Baptist Church. I got all 3 kids ready and we were out the door by 8:30am. I kept Jackson in big church with me... just in case. Brady and Cooper had a great time in the nursery. They love playing with other kids their age. There were a group of singers there from Liberty University. Oh my goodness... they were amazing! What a blessing to hear them sing. Jackson said, "Mom, they are awesome. One day I'm going to sing on a stage like that!" After a great sermon (brownie points?) Grandpa treated us to lunch at Dave and Buster's. They have a great menu and restraunt on one side of the building and on the other it's games and arcades. All through lunch we promised Jackson he could play some games IF he ate good and minded well. He kept his end of the bargain. Grandpa handed me a couple of dollars to purchase tokens. Come to find tokens are "out of style" I guess you would say. You had to purchase a card for a $2 activation fee then put money on the card to play games. Each time you play a game you swipe the card and it debits it from your account. It was a big waste of money for a 4 year old that wants to play a couple of games. I figured he didn't really know the difference between paying for a game and just sitting at the steering wheel of a game. Turns out, he didn't! He "played" several of the games and was just as happy. It was a win win for all of us. Brady and Cooper are on the brink of walking. They are testing their balance. They'll pull up on the furniture and then let go. They can only stand for about 10 seconds but to them it's like an hour. They are so proud of themselves. We make a big deal out of it, of course. Won't be long now they will be running AND I CAN'T WAIT!!!!! This is such a difficult phase for me with twins. The interim of crawling and walking is hard on my back and arms. They are too heavy to carry at once for any length of time. Yet they get tired of crawling and want to be held all the time. It really wears me out. I remember feeling the same way with Gab and Con. Walking is much much better in my opinion. I love when I can grab their hands and walk into the store then put them in a buggy. Now, I have to take the stroller everywhere. I took Jackson to a birthday party this afternoon. A neighbor we recently met invited us to their house for a low key 6th birthday party for their daughter. Jackson had a good time and the babies loved to watch all the kids play. There was one woman there whom I spoke with for a while. She seemed nice and I really think she had good intentions but as the conversation progressed it turned into an interrogation. "Did you want all these kids? Were you really sad when you found out about twins again? Did you have them through InVitro?" Please, please, please... this is a public service annoucement: Do not ask someone who has twins if they were natural or IVF. It's rude. Do you ask a stranger you meet at the grocery if thier single son or daughter was IVF or natural? It so happens my twins were natural but if they were not would it make them any less twins? Well, that's my soap box. I just heard Cooper crying and I better go check on him. He's been in bed for over an hour so something must be wrong... PLEASE DON'T BE SICK!!!!
October 31, 2008 Happy Halloween! Jackson went to bed last night with a 103 fever. He woke up at 5:00am vomiting. Wonder who of the remaining 4 is next?
October 30, 2008 I had just about completed tonight's blog when Connor decided to turn off the computer. LOST IT ALL!!! So, you are now going to get the very short, condensed and not so funny blog because I'm so sleepy my head feels like it weighs 200 lbs. DISCLAIMER: If words like uterus bother you... skip this part. I had to go back to the doctor again today. This was a follow up from a annual GYN visit I had last week. I mentioned to my doctor some female problems and pressure issues I was having and what the cause could be. He performed a complete pelvic exam and then the conversation went like this. Dr. L: There is something on the back of your uterus. ME: What do you mean something? Like a tumor or a cyst or a little egg hanging on for dear life? Dr L: It's a tumor. Probably benign and probably a fibroid. ME: Probably? Dr L: More than likely a fibroid tumor. ME: Okay, I think. So what do we do? Dr L: Let's get an ultrasound next week and find out what it is. ME: I don't like the words something and it. Can we call it something else? Dr L: We'll just do the ultrasound and go from there. ME: Should I worry? Dr L: No. See you next week. Needless to say I left the office with a lot of questions running through my mind. First of all the medical terms really threw me for a loop. I don't get all that lingo stuff. So, I call Brad to clear up all these negative thoughts in my head. Brad: What do you mean something? What is it? ME: That's what I asked? Those seem to be the words of the hour and I hate them. Whoever came up with those two words has no imagination at all. Are you coming to the ultrasound with me? Brad: I'll do everything I can to make it. I'll be there. So, all week I've been putting these thoughts together in my mind. Chasing away the negative ones that Satan really wanted me to dwell on and welcoming the words of Christ into my heart and soul that gave me solace. I felt 95% sure everything was okay. But it was that 5% that I really had to beat over and over again. I wasn't going to let 5% take me down without a fight. Today was the big day. My ultrasound was at 2:30pm. Of course the ultrasoundographer person wouldn't tell me anything.... nothing... notta. We were then taken to an exam room where we waited and waited and waited. It was at this point I started to let that 5% take over my soul. I started to panic inside. I couldn't speak without the very real possibilities of losing my lunch. My stomach was turning in ways that Cirque De Soleil would have been proud of. My eyes started to fill up with tears. I was holding them in as hard as I could. I told Brad that I was about to lose it at that moment and even though I thought everything was fine this whole time maybe I was wrong. Maybe this is cancer. Maybe this is going to be horrible news. Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe... Then the door opens. Dr. L walks in and meets Brad for the first time. They have small talk. I thought I was going to throw up on both of them right then and there! Hello guys.... can we talk about my uterus now please???? He turns to us and says, "We know what the problem is. The ultrasound shows that your uterus has multiple fibroids. Lots and lots of fibroids around the lining of your uterus. And I feel very certain they are BENIGN. Secondly, you have a tilted uterus (which I knew) and it has dropped significantly since the last set of twins. It's basicly sitting on top of your rectum. Along with all the fibroids and the tilted uterus that's where your pressure is coming from." It seems that uterine fibroids are a fairly common problem after pregnancy and usually don't show anything other than mild symptoms. However, since I've had one single pregnancy and two twin pregnancies the symptoms are a bit more severe. Dr. L discussed all the options and in my situation a Laparoscopic Hysterectomy would be the best treatment plan. That way, I keep my ovaries and cervix, but my uterus will be removed. I should only be hospitalized for 24/48 hours. It's a 2 week recovery period. And as an added bonus no monthly guests ...EVER EVER AGAIN! I should hear back from the office next week and get a surgery date scheduled.
October 29, 2008 As Halloween draws near I thought I'd change the front page to match the festivities of the week. Tomorrow is Jackson's fall festival at school. This year all the children can come to school dressed as a Farmer. He's got a flannel shirt, jeans and a ball cap to wear. I'll add some freckles made of eye liner for authenticity! He is thrilled and has looked forward to this day all month. I'll take Gabrielle and Connor, too. Hopefully tomorrow will be some really cute pictures. Papa is in town. I took today to run errands. After dropping Jackson off at school I went to the doctor. I knew I needed to get established with a primary care physcian. I asked him questions about all my aches and pains. He did some blood work and also sent me for a x-ray of my knee. Remember when I fell down the stairs 1 year ago with Brady and Cooper in my arms????? My knee has never been the same since. Now, I just wait for those results and my cholesterol screening, etc. Getting old is the pits. After the doctor, lab and x-ray I stopped for a quick lunch. I was about 45 minutes early picking JR up from school so I decided to surprise him and come inside. He was thrilled that I was there. He kept saying to his friends, "This is MY Mommy. She came to see me." It filled my soul to see HIM proud of ME. When we left school we headed to WalMart for diapers, socks and a pumpkin. We picked out the best pumpkin ever and came home to butcher him up. Jackson wanted to paint his face. I insisted we were doing the old fashion way... with a butcher knife! We did and he's the cutest/scary pumpkin ever. I'll post all those pics tomorrow. After pumpkin carving it was cupcake time. We made chocolate cupcakes. Jackson managed to drop the mixing bowl FULL of batter on the floor. We just hoped the floors had some minor dirt and bacteria on it and kept on going. Hey, I was cooking with a 4 year old. I'm sure your local steakhouse has done worse. We used orange and black food color to make our icing. The cupcakes turned out cool and the kids loved them. After cupcakes I made two chocolate pies. One for Papa and one for Brad. They were elated that neither had to share with the other.... yes, I'm serious. These men mean business when it comes to my chocolate pies. They are yummmyyyy!!! After pies it was time to fix the kids some dinner. They wanted biscuits with jelly, scrambled cheese eggs and sausage. And of course a cupcake for dessert. I had put a couple sweet potates in the oven for the babies. They love them! That and a biscuit was their dinner. At this point Brad has made it home from work. He reminds me that we have 30 minutes to be out the door for a business dinner date. I rush to the bathroom, slap some makeup on top of yesterday's makeup, jump into jeans a sweater and clogs.... add a touch of red lipstick and I was ready. We made it back from dinner at 8:15pm. The kids were in the bed and I had a huge mess to clean up from all the cooking... when will it end???? NOW! Good night. I can't wait to get up and start it all over again tomorrow.
October 28, 2008 Now, I know some of you just don't understand the sport of hunting. I can respect that. However, it is something that my family and I love. I don't understand bull riding or boxing but I respect that others enjoy it. I hope nobody is offended with my views and comments and if you are, I'm sorry. Here's my story: We are back in town from our long weekend in Millen. We got home around 7pm last night. I started to update last night but I was just too tired (Okay, Melanie?) Little inside joke, sorry. Anyway... we had a blast! It was so much fun. I had forgotten just how much I really really love hunting. We didn't get there until midnight on Friday. Saturday morning Brad, Doc and I were up at 5:30am. Actually, I had been awake since 5am waiting for everyone else to get up. Yes, I was that excited! The three of us along with the landowner (George) and two other guys (Dick and Will) met us at the house and off we went. We rode electric golf carts and slipped through the woods. I was the first to be let off at my deer stand. I hunted in a gun house. It's like a small shack with 4 walls and a roof. It has an opening like a window all the way around so you can see out all directions. There I sat in my stand at 6:00am in complete darkness in the middle of the woods. You talk about feeling close to God, that's a moment when all you can do is talk to Jesus. I had the most amazing quiet time I've ever experienced in my life. God seems so real when I am in the midst of His creation. It's unexplainable. When dawn just started to break I could see an image of a deer just 15 yards away. It was a young 4 point buck. AMAZING... he didn't even know I was there. I watched him feed for probably 15 minutes. About an hour later here came 2 does. They were just having breakfast and enjoying the morning. Around 9am out of nowhere came a bunch of hogs. Hogs are a nucense on the land so that was my opportunity to take my first hog. I posted pictures so check it out. Sorry for those of you who are squeamish! Brad's Dad got a trophy 9 point buck that morning, too. I was holding out for a 8 point or better since I've already taken a smaller buck years ago. We usually come back to the lodge and have lunch along with a nap then we head back to the woods around 3:30pm and stay until dark. That was the ritual every single day. On Sunday, we hunted, went to church and then back to the woods. Since Doc had his buck early in the trip he stayed back to babysit the older kids the rest of the time. Brad saw plenty of deer, too. We all saw deer. Brad is waiting on a 10 point. He saw one but he slipped into the woods too quick. On Monday afternoon I finally saw the buck I wanted. He was crossing the road very quick. I steadied my gun, took a breath and shot. I MISSED!!! I was so disappointed. I am sure that I just rushed my shot and got a little bit of "buck fever." Next time, he won't be so lucky. I did take a doe that morning. George wanted one to get jerky made out of. George also got a nice buck and so did Dick. Everytime we went out we saw deer, turkey, racoons or hogs. It was beautiful. We will go back again in two weeks. I can't wait. GG kept the babies while we were gone. She said she loved every second of it and really got to enjoy some one on two time with them. LOL She and Larry took great care of my babies and we were all so ready to get a hold of them. The older kids couldn't wait to see their brothers. Jackson said, "Momma, they are so cute I can't stand it!" Ahhhh...
October 24, 2008 Cooper and Jackson woke up around 7:30am. It's rainy, windy and cold here this morning. I flipped on the fireplace, fixed a bottle for Coop and settled in the couch. Cooper sat in my lap, legs curled up enjoying every ounce of warm milk. Jackson sat snuggled up next to me. The t.v. was off and nobody else was stirring around. Jackson looks up at me and says, "You'll always be my Baby." My heart melted as I thanked Jesus for so many undeserved blessings. Have a great weekend, everyone!
October 23, 2008 Did I mention anything about our trip? GG is keeping the babies all weekend and the rest of us are going deer hunting! I am SO excited. No really, I am thrilled! For those of you who don't know... I LOVE to hunt. Brad got me started after we met and I've loved it ever since. I've killed several does and have taken a couple bucks. Not any monster bucks but I'm still proud of them anyway. I hunted up until I was about 8 months pregnant with Jackson but have not hunted since. The babies came too fast for me to have any other hobby. Plus we were in Indiana and hunting land was scarce. Now that we are back South I'm ready to hit the woods. Brad and I went to shoot our guns yesterday. I have not shot a rifle in over 4 years. I was off on the first shot because I pulled the trigger and blinked. The second shot I steadied my breathing, kept the gun steady and squeezed the trigger... BULLSEYE! We are headed to Millen, GA tomorrow. Millen is south of Augusta, GA by about 50 miles or so. We have a great friend who has let us hunt his land since 2000. We are excited to see him and his family as well as some DEER! This will be our first time introducing our kids to huntin'. We decided to leave the babies this first trip so we can see if the lodge we'll be staying in is appropriate for them. Hopefully, our next trip will be with the complete family. I had to go to Wal-Mart after we picked up Jackson today. Gabrielle and Connor decided that they wanted "to be like Mommy." Before we left the house they were waiting by the car. Gabrielle had her pink baby stroller and Connor had his grocery buggy. They insisted they needed to have them in "Mar-Mart" as Sissy calls it. So I let them take it. We picked up Jackson and headed out. I put Cooper on my chest in the BabyBjorn. It was like strapping a 23lb space heater to my chest. I had Brady in the Floppy Seat of the buggy. Gabrielle walked right behind me with her stroller and Connor filed in behind her pushing the buggy. Jackson kept us all in a bundle by running circles around us. Now, we always manage to get some stares, questions and of course the occasional gawk like "Why would anyone have a family that size?" But today was off the charts! We looked so cute... I have to admit it. I was so proud of my little family following me around and wanting to put things in their cart like Mommy. It was such a special moment for me. I couldn't help but think of the song "Be Careful Little Eyes What You See." My kids are by FAR my biggest accomplishment. Thank you, Jesus for allowing me to be their Mother. I had a doctor's appointment today. I had already made arrangements for my friend Amy and her two kids to come watch the kids. My appointment was at 3:20pm. At 3pm, Amy was nowhere to be found. My next thought was "Lord, I don't want to take all 5 kids to the GYN. But if I have to I will. It would be akward but I can make it work." I kept calling and calling Amy with no answer. Finally, I called my friend Kim and she ran over in a jiffy. During that time, Amy called me back. The conversation went something like this... Amy: Hey, you called? Dacia: Yeah, just wondering if you remembered about watching the kids. Amy: When? Dacia: Uh, now. Amy: Dacia, don't you remember I told you I had student/teacher conference today and couldn't do it? Dacia: Uh, no. Amy: Are you serious? Remember.... I sent you a text to call me. You called and said no big deal. Dacia: Okay... I remember the text but after that it's all a blur. Amy: (laughing hysterically) Dacia: Well, did I tell you what my plan of action would be? Amy: Uh, yeah. You said you were calling your Dad to come watch the kids. You didn't do that either did you? Dacia: Uh, no. Amy: I'll be there in 20 minutes to relieve Kim. Dacia: Amy, I know we've only been friends for a couple months BUT you are going to find out that this kind of behavior is very typical of me. I'm sorry and you must think I'm an idiot. Amy: No, just a busy Mom. See you when you get back. Dacia: No, I'm a idiot. Thanks so much Amy! I am going to call these types of behavior the "I forgot the cheese moments!" You know like "Senior moments" or "Blonde Moments" Ya'll remember when I forgot the cheese on my grilled cheese? I am going to bed before do any real harm. I have to go back to the doctor next week and I've already made arrangements this time for Daddy to come stay with the kids. I am NOT going to forget again.
October 21, 2008 Finally, I got new batteries for my camera. I have updated my pictures page so be sure and check it out! Memaw came to visit today. She's spending the night with us, too. She came with Halloween goodies in tow. 3 clown wigs, paint for their face, color books and colors and Halloween pumpkin iced cookies. The kids were estatic. Tonight was bath night. I dread it... always. The kids love it. We try and do baths every other day when the weather gets cold. Of course, in the summer it's an every night battle. There are two duties 1. Wash Duty 2. Dry and Dress Duty I prefer dry and dress but tonight I took on the daunting task of wash duty. I was soaked from head to toe. I had to redress by the time it was all said and done. The kids were clean and feeling frisky while I looked like a drowned stinky rat. Gabrielle is obsessed with firetrucks. I guess since Jackson had fire safety week it's on her mind. She calls the truck "fire fire fire truck." It's so cute. She's also in a habit of telling strangers, "I'm my Mommy's only g-oil." (AKA: girl) She's really playful with the babies. She talks to them in a sing song fashion and tells me all the time "They are so cute I can't stand it, Momma." It's precious seeing her Motherly instincts come out. Connor is suddenly an explosion of vocabulary. I don't know where it's coming from. He is also doing his best to dress himself. He's become very independent. So sad! Brady and Cooper are still the same. Brady is Mr. Hilarious and Cooper is Mr. Sensitive Jackson... he's just Jackson. He has an imagination bigger than his little brain can hold. He's all time pretending and making up songs. He is very dramatic when it comes to his facial expressions. He is learning new terms like "Mom, that's so totally off!" and "Dude." I don't think I can handle being called Dude. Sometimes you just have to draw the line! I'm exhausted, tired, overwhelmed, overworked and underpaid... Can anyone relate????
October 20, 2008 Saturday was a flash back from residency days for our family. Brad is on call this week and he spent the majority of the day in the OR. It actually did not bother me because I know it's never going to be as bad as residency was... ever! We had another baby sitter on Saturday evening. Her name is Marcy. She's 21 and a Early Chidhood Education major at Kennesaw State University. She sits for some friends of ours and they told us about her. She's wonderful and the kids adore her. She is going to work out very well. Brad and I left the house Saturday night around 6:30pm. We went downtown for dinner at Veni Vidi Vici in Midtown ATL. All of the partners in Brad's group were in attendance along with the wives. There were 10 of us total. There were place cards on the tables and I almost freaked out knowing I couldn't sit with Brad. When it was all said and done, I'm glad I sat with people I didn't really know and got a chance to chat. It was a lot of fun and I look forward to the next one. Sunday was church at Browns Bridge and then we rushed home to prepare lunch. GG and Larry were coming over for the day. I fixed a huge dinner complete with Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream frosting all from scratch. Needless to say, by Sunday night we fell into a coma. The weather is beautiful here in the South. The mornings are cold and the afternoons are warm. We've turned the fireplace on the past two nights. I love to sit and cozy up with a blanket. This weather makes me miss Indy. I took the kids for a walk this evening around 6:00pm. We had to hit "cardiac hell" with full force. I was singing a song as we treked up the hill that went something like the Just Keep Swimming song in Finding Nemo except my words were "Just keep trying... You can do it!" By the middle of the mountain we were climbing they were give out and almost ready to give up. It took lots of encouragment from Mommy and they made it. The reward was getting to play with some friends who live at the top of the hill and then ride their big wheels back down the hill after we were done. They were all tired and ready for bed when we got home... MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
October 17, 2008 My finger is healing very well. The stitches look good and the pain is gone. Dr. Harris did a great job. I think I will keep him. Yesterday the kids and I made a last minute trip to meet GG. Jackson and Connor's turn to spend the night was approaching. GG said she just couldn't wait another day and HAD to see some of the kids. I always decide who gets to go with GG. She just can't make the decision. If it were up to her they would all go at once. But each of the kids really enjoy the one on one time they get. So normally, I send them in twos. Gabrielle had just stayed with Memaw last week so the boys went this week. Sissy was just fine with it knowing it would be her turn next. We met at McDonald's, it's about a 60 mile drive to each other's houses so this particular McD's is a good meeting point. The boys are having a blast. Gabrielle and I decided today that it's the boys who make all the mess in the house. We were able to get all the laundry caught up and folded. We also got most of it put away. She was such a little helper. After laundry the babies, Sissy and myself went shopping. Ya'll know I hate shopping. Honestly, I do love clothes and I used to keep up with fashions, etc. Since I've had kids I don't know "what to wear" anymore. I'm afriad I'll look like a Granny or a Teenager. Where's the inbetween? So my first reason for not shopping is because I'm just plain old ignorant about the fashions now. My second excuse for hating shopping is the REAL truth.... (Drum roll....) I am the biggest I've ever been and nothing fits the way I want it to fit. In my mind I'm still about 3-4 sizes smaller. But when I try on clothes it hits me in the face like a ton of bricks saying, "Hello. Who are you? What have you done to yourself?" So, there you have it. The truth hurts doesn't it? I know I will lose the weight. It's just a matter of making myself add something else to my already full schedule. I'll find a way, I have to. If anyone has any tips on weight-loss secrets, I'd love to hear them. A dear friend of our family, Janet, came to babysit the kids tonight. Janet was Doc's administrative assistant for 13 years. She's like family. She has been offering to babysit since she found out we were moving back to GA. She doesn't live too far from us either. I gave her a call on Wednesday and she was glad to help us out. With the boys gone it was just Sissy and the babies. The babies went to bed pretty soon after we left. Sissy had a blast. She showed me all kinds of crafts Mrs Janet had done with her. They did the same puzzle at least 50 times. Gabrielle loved spending time with Janet and I believe Janet loved her company, too. Brad and I invited Don and Kim (our neighbors) to go to dinner with us at Downtown Kitchen here in Canton. We had a great meal with lots of laughs. We ate slow and really enjoyed our dinner. Except the part where Kim made me try a scallop. Ick, it was nasty. After dinner we stopped at Starbuck's for a Mocha. Yummy! Thank you, Janet. We had a wonderful evening and felt so comfortable knowing the kids were in such sweet and precious hands.
October 15, 2008 This evening started out like any other. I was just starting to cook supper around 4pm. Jackson wanted spaghetti so I began to chop an onion. That's when it all went south! I missed the onion and chopped my left ring finger instead. Brad had literally just walked in the door and said hello when it happened. I was using a chef's knife and cut through my cuticle and around the back of my finger. Our friend, Don, came and took over kid duty. Brad took me straight to his office for treatment. He had me take a percocet on the way to the office. Once we arrived he put me in the chair and his lovely assistant put a mask over my face with the most beautiful gas known to man... nitrous oxide (AKA laughing gas)! He had my finger stitched up in no time. It's throbbing like the dickens but I think I'll be able to keep my finger. LOL Thanks Honey, you did a great job!
October 15, 2008 This evening started out like any other. I was just starting to cook supper around 4pm. Jackson wanted spaghetti so I began to chop an onion. That's when it all went south! I missed the onion and chopped my left ring finger instead. Brad had literally just walked in the door and said hello when it happened. I was using a chef's knife and cut through my cuticle and around the back of my finger. Our friend, Don, came and took over kid duty. Brad took me straight to his office for treatment. He had me take a percocet on the way to the office. Once we arrived he put me in the chair and his lovely assistant put a mask over my face with the most beautiful gas known to man... nitrous oxide (AKA laughing gas)! He had my finger stitched up in no time. It's throbbing like the dickens but I think I'll be able to keep my finger. LOL Thanks Honey, you did a great job!
October 15, 2008 This evening started out like any other. I was just starting to cook supper around 4pm. Jackson wanted spaghetti so I began to chop an onion. That's when it all went south! I missed the onion and chopped my left ring finger instead. Brad had literally just walked in the door and said hello when it happened. I was using a chef's knife and cut through my cuticle and around the back of my finger. Our friend, Don, came and took over kid duty. Brad took me straight to his office for treatment. He had me take a percocet on the way to the office. Once we arrived he put me in the chair and his lovely assistant put a mask over my face with the most beautiful gas known to man... nitrous oxide (AKA laughing gas)! He had my finger stitched up in no time. It's throbbing like the dickens but I think I'll be able to keep my finger. LOL Thanks Honey, you did a great job!
October 14, 2008 On the way to school yesterday morning Jackson told me something I was not prepared for. We are pulling out of the drive and he says, "Momma. I need one more sister and some more brothers." I said, "Well, I'm sorry but I'm not giving you any more siblings. You already have more than most. Besides, where would we put them? Our car is full." He replied, "We could put some in Daddy's truck and some in our car." He's so funny. He said "some" like they were cattle we'd be transporting. Today is Fire Safety day at school. Jackson wants to be a fire fighter when he grows up. We made cookies last night to give the firemen. He was thrilled this morning at the thought of seeing the fire truck, firemen and the fire dog. They were also having a fire drill and crawling through a smoke house!
October 12, 2008 Jack and Kate came to visit this weekend. They arrived around 6pm Friday evening. We had an easy dinner... chili with sour cream and cheese. I also made some queso dip. Memaw had brought us Brad's favorite ice cream dessert. It's wonderful! We just hung out Friday night and did some gabbing. Saturday morning we woke early and headed to Elijay, GA. It's about a 25 minute drive north of Canton. The leaves are beginning to change and the weather is just perfect. There is some property in Elijay that Brad hunts and he wanted us to see how beautiful the land was. Jack, Kate and I were not to excited about the trip for whatever reason. But we put on our happy faces and went anyway. It ended up being the best Saturday I've spent in a long time. The developer had several Kawaski Mules. We loaded them up and went on a 2 hour tour of the moutain. We went across streams and saw some many of the most beautiful waterfalls you've ever seen in your life. It was breathtaking and I forgot my camera!!!!!! There was another guest viewing the property and she was kind enough to snap a family picture for me. I'm hoping it will be good enough for a christmas card??? We'll see. We came back from the trip exhausted. The kids and I took naps and then woke feeling ready to complete the day. We watched UGA play football. Watch out Dawgs... you're going to have a hard time against the Gators in 2 weeks. We ordered pizza for dinner and our precious friends headed back to Rome that evening. We love spending time with them. Today we went to church at Browns Bridge Community Church. It's a sattelite of North Pointe Community where Andy Stanley is the Pastor. This is our 3rd visit and we really like it. It's unlike any worship service I've ever attended. The music is rockin' and the people are so devoted to their children's programs. The kids attend Waumba Land. They love love love going and learning about Jesus. They have their own little worship service complete with praise and worship. I'm amazed at how organized the kids programs are. Checkout some of the sermons and worship music on youtube or go to the website. www.brownsbridge.org I took the babies for a walk this evening. Okay... it was torture. I thought EMS was going to have to wheel me away. We don't live in a flat area. We live in what I like to call "cardiac hell." The streets are straight up and straight down. Nevermind I was pushing 46 pounds of baby and a 30 pound stroller. Besides the fact I'm carrying a LOT of excess body weight myself. The thought of doing it again sounds miserable. However, the thought of the results sound wonderful. Maybe I'll try it again this week... I said MAYBE! After my stress test we got the kids cleaned up, fed and put to bed. I decided to tackle my closet. It's been the one room in the house that I shut one eye, get in and get out. It was a mess. Everything we didn't know where to put when we moved... we shoved in the master closet. It's now very organized. I realized something I've been ignoring for several months. I have to go clothes shopping. Brad has given me a budget for some fall clothes. I dread it like a sore throat but it must be done. I hate shopping.
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