 |
TWO BY TWO Jackson Gabrielle Connor Brady Cooper |
 |
| Home Pictures Stories Favorite Recipes Guestbook |
 |
Stories August 5, 2009 Well, I have done fairly well this week since school has started. I have not lost any tears since Monday. I do catch myself throughout the day wondering what he's up to. I wish I could be a fly on the wall. When I pick him up each day and ask the inevitable "How was your day?" I get the same response... "Well, I was really really good and I did NOT have to go to the Principal's office!" He's still terrified of the principal. No matter what I say to him to change his mind it's a lost cause. I think I should make an appointment with her so they can meet. When I picked up Jackson today and asked how his day went he said, "Well, today I had to sit in the time out room because I was talking during rest time." Ooops! Not even one week into school and he's been in time out. Is that bad? I've been thinking about my Indy friends a lot lately. I miss my friends! I talked to Brad and have worked out a weekend to go and visit my girls! I'm thinking of flying out there in October for the weekend. Brad seems all for it (at least he acts like he is... Good Boy!). All that's left is to get someone to watch the kids on Friday until Brad comes home from work. I don't see that as being a problem. Hey friends... here I come! Marci came to watch the kids today. Papa is still in town so he and I headed out on the town. We had lunch at the BBQ place and then went shopping at Tuesday Morning, Dollar Store, Dollar General, Goodwill and WalMart. Big spenders, huh? It was great to have some Father/Daughter time. No matter how old I am I'll always be Daddy's Little Girl. Cooper and Brady are starting to talk up a storm. Cooper's favorite phrases are "Oh, Man!" and "Mone" (Come On). Brady walks around saying "Sorry" and hugging my legs or laying his head on one of his siblings. Brady is such a monkey. He will climb up anything he can latch onto. Twice this week we've caught him outside alone. Yesterday he walked out the door and was roaming around the lawn. Our neighbor, Larry, said he saw him walk out and realized that we probably didn't know so he made sure we got him back safely. I was cutting Connor's hair and all the kids were with me. I guess Brady slipped away while my head was turned. Papa started looking for him and we were all in a panic. Who would have thought to look outside? It scares me to death to think about what could have happened if Larry hadn't seen him outside alone. Sneak Sneaky Sneaky! I have a birthday next month. I've been hinting around to Brad that I want a designer hand bag. Okay, so I have not been hinting I've been telling! I think I want a Dooney and Bourke. I've never spent more than $40 on a purse. Well, I take that back I did spend $70 one time and it fell apart. Any suggestions on what I should ask for? I want something that will go with most everything.
August 3, 2009 I've dreaded today like the plague. Jackson had his first day of Kindergarten. I wasn't really prepared for the day. I didn't go to the grocery store until 9pm last night. I had to get his nap mat and things to make his lunch. By the time I got home, put up groceries, made lunch, ironed clothes and set everything out it was almost midnight. I went to bed and laid there while my mind absolutely ran wild with thoughts. What if Jackson accidently took the bus home? What if he went to the potty and decided he wanted to roam the halls? What if he stuck a pencil in his eye? LOL At 2am I was still wide awake. Gabrielle was in our bed since Papa was in her bed. She was kicking and moaning... driving me crazy. I took my pillow and a blanket throwing myself on the couch. The last time I looked at the clock it was 4:30am! My alarm went off at 6:30am but I guess I ignored it. The next thing I know Jackson is standing over my head saying, "Mommy... is it time for school?" I jumped out of my skin when I realized the clock said 7:20am!!!! That's the exact time I planned on leaving the house. Jackson jumped in his clothes while I threw some clothes on, swept his teeth with the toothbrush, grabbed a ceral bar and milk and flew like a mad woman out of the neighborhood. I was crying because I couldn't believe I made him late his FIRST day of school. Jackson walked up to me and wrapped his arm around me while saying, "It's okay Mom. Everyone makes mistakes." Bless him! I held it together while we walked into the school. It was when I told him bye and to have a good day when I lost it. The teacher caught a glimpse of my tears as I bolted out the door. She put her arm around me and said, "I promise I will take good care of your baby." Well, that just made it worse! I was a mess for the next hour. I walked in the door and Papa sent me straight to bed. I slept until 12:30pm and felt like I was in a fog the rest of the afternoon. I was so very thankful that Papa was here to help. It would have made for a terrible day had I not been able to catch up on my sleep. I picked Jackson and Paige up from school begging for information about his day. He just said it was okay and he liked his teacher but not his assistant teacher. He said she looked at him mean... LOL. I told him I'm sure she is very sweet and he should give her a chance. With day one behind us I feel better about tomorrow. Hopefully we'll make it on time. Yesterday morning was church. I took the first shift which is feeding and changing diapers. Brad took the 2nd shift which is cleaning hands/faces and dressing while I get ready. I followed up with 3rd shift which is loading the car and getting the diaper bag together while Brad gets ready. I told the kids to "Load up!" and they all flew to the car. I jumped in ready to buckle the babies only to find Brady sitting in the front seat wearing nothing but a smile! Brad had changed his diaper and forgot to dress him. Brady decided to take his diaper off on his own and head out to the car butt naked. I took him back inside got him dressed and we were off to church. After church we stopped for a drive-thru lunch. When we got home I left and headed to pickup Uncle Aaron. There was some Smith & Hawken outdoor furniture I found on Craig's List for a really good price. I needed the truck to pick it up but didn't want to go alone. Uncle Aaron was my bodyguard! The furniture was great and I got a steal. It looks beautiful on my outdoor living area. I took what was already back there and put it on my front porch. Tomorrow is a new day!
July 31, 2009 Yesterday was exhausting. Jackson had his open house for Kindergarten at 9am. My friend, Amy, came over to watch the kids. Memaw was here also. I cried the whole way to the school, walking in the parking lot and entering the school. It was all I could do to keep back the boo-hoo's. My lip trembled and my eyes stung with the pain of sending my first born to school. School starts on Monday. I'll be glad to get the first week behind me. His teacher is Mrs. Spier and her aid is Mrs. Simmons. They seemed very eager to start and the classroom was well organized. It's hard for me to believe that I am of mother of 5 children, 34 years old and a member of the PTA. How did that happen? Jackson seemed neutral about the whole thing. He held my hand for a very long time while we walked through the halls which was not the norm. His biggest complaint is having to wake up so early. Jackson spent the night with Memaw and Grandpa last night. We are meeting up with them and Uncle Ernie for dinner tonight at Bucca. Gabrielle and Connor are so sweet to each other when Jackson isn't here. They spent the whole day together hooked at the hip. They were sitting close together all "cozy up" as they say. Brad was cutting the grass while Gabrielle and Connor sat on a tree stump talking about who knows what. It was a precious sight. They slept together last night in Sissy's bed. We listened to them giggle for about 15 minutes before we told them to go to sleep. Cooper started to walk yesterday. I was so thrilled. I gave him a little grocery buggy and he held onto it limping all around the driveway. He was so very proud of himself. Today he's been walking on his own. I can't get him to keep the walking shoe on so he slips on the hardwood floors. I should put some kind of gripper on the bottom of the cast. Hey, that's not a bad idea! Brad should be home in just a little bit. He works half days on Friday. I love that! I have a hair appointment at 3pm. I think I may take Sissy with me. She'll think it's fun. Maybe I'll let her have her hair braided. We got our window treatments installed this week for the breakfast room. I'll take some pictures soon. They look really good. The house is starting to come together nicely. The only thing we lack in the kitchen/keeping room area is bar stools and a few items to go on top of the cabinets. My next project is Gabrielle's room. I want to do some rasberry pink curtain panels, a large wall hanging, paint her bathroom, have a few custom throw pillows made, put her monogram on the wall over her bed and hang a crystal chandellier. It's going to be beautiful. I want something she can grow into and love even when she's 10. I'm sure when she's 15 we'll have to do something I'll hate that she'll love! Brad and I have a date night planned tomorrow night. I am looking forward to some time alone with him. Have a wonderful weekend!
July 29, 2009 I had to lay the law down today, Sista! These kids were wild and crazy after a few days with GG. Of course, GG says in her sweetest southern dixie girl voice "Why, when they were with me they were just angels." HA is what I say HA HA HA! Don't think these little darlins' are as innocent as they look. They tested me and pushed every button I had yesterday. If they didn't have anything to fight over they found something. If they wanted something they screamed and hollared for it. If they pinched a finger they acted like they had cut off a toe. They tore up both downstairs beds. I mean stripped them down to a bare sheet and I found them jumping and laughing their heads off about it. It was like some scary movie. I thought for a moment one of their heads would start spinning and projectile green vomit!!! My head hurt like the dikens by the time 8pm was here. They were fighting over a bag of goldfish. Each one of them had a corner of the bag and I grabbed it just as the bag split and fish swam for their life all over my floor. That had been the straw that broke the camels back. I lit into them and they scattered like wildfire. They went straight to bed. I went to the drawing board and made up a schedule. I took out so much "free play" and increased structure. We are by no means on a full routine but we're working on it. I don't want the house to be a tight ship. I want the kids to have some free reign but not run wild. It actually turned out a little bit better today. The kids spent a lot of time in the corners and in their rooms. I think my biggest problem is staying consistent and making too many threats. I stopped doing that and I've seen results.
July 28, 2009 We're Baaaack! We had a wonderful time in Palm Beach, FL. Jackson was a good boy and had a great time, too. Although I did sometimes think, "Why did we bring him?" LOL The flight was great. He watched his DVD player the entire time. Thank goodness for electronics! We stayed at The Breakers Resort. www.thebreakers.com When we pulled into the entrance of this hotel words can't express our thoughts. It was grand, majestic and beautiful. There was nothing plain about the entire hotel. It's like walking into the Sistine Chapel. It's really that beautiful. The ceilings are full of murals, beautiful tapestries hanging and fine art on the walls. I spent a lot of time just walking around and admiring all the furniture. There were tons of pools and activites. Saturday it rained most the whole day. We did some shopping and went to a movie. Sunday was sunny and beautiful so we spent our time by the pool and the beach. Jackson got a snorkle. That kept him busy the entire trip. He did really well learning how to use it. He has such a strong gag reflex that it took him a while to put it in his mouth without gagging. On our way home yesterday we had a litttle bit of excitment. We were taking Marta to the North Springs station where Memaw was going to pick us up. We got on the right train but didn't realize that we had to change trains. So we missed our stop and had to turn around and backtrack another 30 mins. When we got on the right train we felt like were still going in the wrong direction. The train stopped and the director said, "We have taken the wrong track and have to turn around." I'm just thankful that we didn't collide into another train! Long story short we ended up being on MARTA over an hour and a half!!! We didn't get home until 9pm. We were all exhausted. GG and Larry did great with the kids. Marci came yesterday morning to releave GG. I am so thankful to have family who sacrafices so much time and energy. I'll post pictures this afternoon. Right now I have to get these kids in check!!!!
July 23, 2009 Yesterday was "Mommy time" day. Miss Marci came over and watched the kids. I met my friend, Heather, for lunch at the mexican place. After lunch we went to Kirklands and Target. Two of my favorite stores, eva'! I got a couple things for the house and a air freshener for my car. Evidently someone left a cup of milk in the hot car allowing it to turn into mayo! Ughhhh, once I finally found it tucked into the back pocket of a seat the smell is slowly going away. There is no way I would drive a new vehicle right now. My kids would blow it up! After shopping I came home to grab the Trio. They had dentist appointments. They all got a clean bill of health. They did super well, too. Jackson did pitch quite a fit when it came time for x-rays. He has such a bad gag reflex. It was pretty hard on him but he made it. Today I had to get up at 6:15am in order to have Cooper, Brady and myself out the door by 7:45am. Connor had his Pediatric Orthopedic appointment at 9am all the way across town. Memaw spent the night with us so she could watch the older kids. Suprisingly enough the boys woke up really well and seemed excited to be heading off somewhere with Mommy. The x-rays showed Cooper still needs 3 weeks in his cast. Bummer. I was hoping for less than 2 weeks but oh well... what can you do? They did take his original cast off and replace it with a below the knee cast. Hopefully over the next few days he'll start to gain confidence in walking. Poor thing! We leave tomorrow for West Palm Beach, FL. Brad, Jackson and myself are leaving the rest of the family. GG, Larry and Memaw will have the pleasure of caring for the other 4 kids. I was so scared to tell Gabrielle and Connor about us leaving. I knew she wouldn't understand why she couldn't go, too. I explained that going to Kindgergarten is a big deal and Jackson needs special time with Daddy and I. I also told her that when she and Connor start Kindergarten we will take ONLY them on a special trip somewhere. Guess we've started a tradition, huh? That comment along with promises of a trip to Chick Fil A and the Bounce house with GG and Larry seemed to do the trick. I've been working most the day on packing. I can't wait!!!!! Gabrielle is going to get carried away by mosquitos this summer. Poor thing comes in every evening with at least 10 bites. They absolutley adore her skin. We put bug spray on her but it doesn't seem to help a lot. Any suggestions besides just staying indoors? She has been praying that God would "please take those skeeters away from me!"
July 21, 2009 The Lord had mercy on our family today. Cooper was in a wonderful mood from the time he woke until the time he said "Nite Nite!" He was in such good spirits. He transported himself around all day by crawling. He played with the other children and even played alone. He now knows all the words to "The Wheels on the Bus" song. He makes the sweetest little hand gestures. He and Brady both love to identify all their body parts. They are really coming along on speech. I'm impressed with how much they understand. I woke this morning to Jackson nudging me and whispering in my ear "Mommy.. wake up... Cooper's crying... Mommy Cooper's awake." I jumped out of my skin thinking something was wrong. I looked at the clock and it said 8:14am. Oh how wonderful! I had the monitor on I was just sleeping through his sounds. Thank Goodness they were cheerful sounds and not cries. Everyone had a good breakfast of eggs, sausage and biscuits. Later in the morning we ran errands which included going to Jackson's elementary school. He was very excited to tell the kids it was HIS school. Gabrielle asked if she would have to see the "Prince-Pull" (i.e. the Principal). Jackson is terrified of the Principal. We only had to visit the front office to drop off a copy of his birth certificate. Open House is on the July 30th. He starts school August 3rd. I've picked him up some new Nike's, polos and shorts for back to school clothes. He also got a hair cut yesterday. All he needs now is a pack of socks and I guess he's set. Yesterday Gabrielle and Connor were playing in my room while I folding laundry. Sissy was talking about getting married. She said she wanted to marry Connor when she gets big. But Connor was saying "Nooooo. I don't want her to marry me!" I told Connor to be nice and yes Sissy could marry him if she wanted. He said, "oooookay." Gabrielle asked me how do you get married. I told her that "the preacher has to say I present this man and woman as husband and wife and you can now kiss the bride." For the next 5 minutes they ran around the room hugging. kissing and giggling! It was precious. Usually she says she's going to marry Mommy. Jackson says he's never getting married and he's always living with Mommy and Daddy. The other day we had to go to the bank. I actually HAD to go inside the bank so I parked the car and started unloading. I put the babies in the double stroller while Gabrielle and Connor hold on to each side of me. Jackson walks close behind. When we walked inside I told the Trio to go sit on the couch and wait for me. When I looked close I realized that Jackson had walked in the BANK with a toy MACHINE GUN!!! I thought I would die. I told the teller I was so sorry and I didn't even know he had it in the car much less the bank. They laughed it off but it could have turned into a terrible mess! Our next stop was also a bank. We had to go inside so we did the whole thing over again. This time when we were walking inside I asked Jackson did he have a gun and he said no. We are all standing in line for a teller when Connor hands me something and says, "Here Mommy I not want to pay with 'dis now." He had handed me his toy pistol!!!! I stuffed it in my purse and felt like an idiot hoping noone saw something innocent and feared it was dangerous. We had a long talk about how the toy guns and weapons have to stay in the house and can't leave our yard.
July 20, 2009 We had a wonderful weekend. Noone fell down the stairs... that's a plus! Cooper is doing well with his cast. He's just very very very (did I say very) whiny. He wants to be carried every single minute and nothing satisfies him. I hope we only have 2 more weeks. We go to the pediatric orthopedic this week to find out how he's healing. Anna was here all weekend. We had so much fun. Friday night we went to the Japanese steak house for Grandpa's birthday. Saturday I packed us a cooler with sandwiches, snacks and drinks. We spent the entire day at the pool. It felt so good. We've had record breaking cool temps all weekend. Saturday night I cooked a terrible meal. I wanted to try grilling salmon and shrimp. The fish ended up mushy and just gross. It was wayyyyy too much effort for a meal. Next time I want fish I'll head to LongHorn. After the mess was cleaned up Anna and I did a little shopping and went to a movie. Sunday was church and lunch at Olive Garden. Last night Brad and I went to the Braves game with our friends Tyler and Heather. It was really fun. Brad's parents babysat. Our sitter had to cancel at the last minute. Memaw and Grandpa came to the rescue. Thanks so much! We leave on Friday for Palm Beach. I am soooo excited!!! Brad and I are taking Jackson with us. GG and Memaw are watching the kids until we get back Monday. I've been looking forward to this vacation for months. I don't care if it rains the whole weekend. I'll be thrilled just to look at the beach! Off to get started on the weekend laundry.
July 16, 2009 Happy Birthday, Grandpa! (It was actually on the 14th) We love and appreciate you. I didn't realize it had been so long since I had updated my website. What's new? Cooper has really began to crawl around. That's helping to take the load off a bit. GG came to town on her white horse (or black BMW in this case) and rescued me with a set of extra arms. Cooper needs a lot of attention and I was just before losing my mind. With GG here I could take a breath and know I had help. She also let me sleep in and would send me out of the house to take a break. I've seen two movies in one week! When she left yesterday she said, "Cooper said he wants to go home with me!" Cooper was waving bye bye and pointing at the door. I had Cooper's bag packed so quick it would make your head spin. I told GG "Okay, his bag is packed. It's been real!" I love him... ya'll know I love these kids... but a woman can only take so much before her brain begins to spontaneously combust. When I woke up this morning I felt like the world had been lifted off my shoulders knowing Cooper would get the one on one he required and I could function as a mom for the rest of the kids, too. I was soaking in the bathtub last night, almost unconcious, when Brad asked if I was okay. I said, "Yeah, I think so. I just really really really need to get away and not the kind of getaway like going to a movie. I need a little time to myself for a couple (or 5) days. I almost feel a little depressed." He said he knew I was exhausted and gave me a very sympathetic ear as I babbled and cried. I've been honest on my website about my feelings of motherhood. I love it. I am fullfilled by rasing my children and caring for my husband. This is what I truly want to do. However, that does not mean that I can't "burn out." One of the reasons I do this website is for Gabrielle. I want her to look back on my writings when she has her own children and know that the feelings she has are normal and it doesn't mean we don't love our job or our family. If you were to walk into any grocery store across America right this very moment you would find more than one mother close to tears with her children screaming and fighting while she rushes up and down the aisles in a panic gathering groceries for tonights chicken dinner. Don't doubt that those Mom's are not thinking the same things "I need a break, how can I keep doing this?" We are all SuperMom's but even superheros take their masks off every once in a while and blend into the crowd. A week from tomorrow Brad, Jackson and myself leave for Palm Beach, FL. I can't wait. It's a last hoorah for Jackson before he starts Kindergarten. I can't wait to have a long weekend with just the 3 of us. We all need a break. Brad has business in Palm Beach. Jackson and I are tagging along. We are not taking a family vacation until September. I don't think I could hold out that long before losing all my hair. GG and Memaw are going to watch the other 4 kids while we are gone. Poor things! My cousin, Anna, is coming to visit from NC tomorrow. I can't wait to see her. We are all going out Friday night to a Japanese Steak House for Grandpa's birthday. The rest of the weekend will be pretty laid back. Maybe some pool time and a little shopping.
July 13, 2009 Cooper seems to be doing a bit better today. He has started to crawl a little. He manages really well by crawling but is seriously frustrated that he can't stand up and walk. He mostly just cries and waits for me to figure out where he wants to go. I brought a push toy inside from the garage and it's been my makeshift wheelchair. It's a car that has a handle I can push. He just sits in it and I make the kids take the car wherever they go. All day when they switch rooms I've yelled... "Don't forget Coopie!" While we were outside playing I told Jackson to push Cooper around for a while. He said, "Mom this is the worst job ever!" Very funny. Marci wasn't able to come on Wednesday so we had today scheduled. I almost canceled but decided that even if I were to get an hour away it would be better than nothing. By the time she got there all she had to do was feed the kids and lay the babies down for naps. So I decided to go to lunch and a matinee. I ate at Zaxby's and read my book waiting for the movie to start and then I went to see The Proposal. It was a really cute movie. Sandra Bullock is hilarious! I would recommend seeing it. Last night I was tucking Connor and Jackson in for bed. I was laying with Jackson and he said, "Why can't we buy expensive toys. I want a Knight costume and GG said it cost too much." I told him that we have to be careful how we spend money. God tells us to really think about what we do with our money and be wise on how we spend it. I asked him, "Jackson, what would happen if we spent all our money and didn't have any left? How would we eat?" He said, "We would just eat at home." I said, "How would we make a sandwich if we didn't have money to buy bread?" Then he said the cutest thing... "I know what you do if you run out of money! You go to the DOLLAR store and get more!!!" If it were only that easy. I think we have a thief in the house. Yesterday I was taking clothes out of the hamper and putting them in the washer. I found buried in the middle of the stack a empty juice box. I thought it was random but probable that I picked it up with laundry. Then yesterday I found an empty coke can under my bar stool. Hmmmm, what??? Tonight I found a Pibb Zero can on my dresser behind a couple vases. My suspect is probably about 45 pounds, blonde hair, brown eyes and super sneaky. Tomorrow I'm going to catch him in the act! Can't wait.... Don was meeting with a client to start a credit card machine for their business today. Turns out his client lives in our neighborhood actually in the house behind ours. Don asked if she knew us and she said no. However, she did say to Don, "I think they are running some sort of day care out of their house. All the kids are the same age!" He explained that they were all ours and there is noone in this world that would pay me for doing it. LOL I had an idea and wanted to run it across ya'll to see what you think. My college friend, Arica, mentioned one time she would like to have some of my recipes for the foods I list on my website. Usually it's what we had for dinner or a new cake or something else like that. Would ya'll like to see me replace the "FAMILY" page with a "RECIPES" page??? That page is never really used so I was trying to think of something new. Any other ideas on what to use that page for? I would LOVE to hear what you think.
July 11, 2009 Our weekend started out with a bang. Brad took over morning duties so I could sleep in. About 10 minutes later Jackson barged in the room and said, "Mommy hurry, it's an emergency. Daddy needs you!" I jumped out of bed to find Brad and Cooper sitting on the couch. Brad's eyes were filled with tears and Cooper was crying. Brad said that he was coming down the stairs with Cooper in his eyes when Brad fell down the stairs. Brad said Cooper cried more than normal and he thought something might be wrong with his leg. I put Cooper on the floor and hoped he would run to me. Instead he collapsed when putting pressure on his foot. I said, "Put on your clothes. His leg is broke and we are heading to the ER." Don came and watched the kids until Papa could get here to releave him. We went to Scottish Rite Children's Hospital and got right in without a wait. Sure enough... he broke his tibia. It's a clean break and should heal well. He has a cast all the way to his hip. He's frustrated that he can't get up and go. He doesn't understand why he can't stand up or crawl. He's got some pain medicine and it seems to be doing the trick. Brad feels very guilty no matter how hard I try to tell him it wasn't his fault. Brad is sore but not injured. If you remember I fell down the steps holding both Cooper and Brady when they were just months old. Cooper took the hardest part of the fall. We took him to the ER at that time, too. Poor Cooper. He's going to be terrified of stairs!
July 10, 2009 Yesterday morning I was guilted into taking the kids to the Y so they could swim. They have been asking me everyday several times a day if they could go to the pool. I've come up with some excuse each time. Finally yesterday I said "Okay, let's go." They had a great time. When we got to the Y I ran into a friend from high school, Jennifer Pratt Harrison. It was so awesome to see her. I love when you see a friend unexpected. She just had her 3rd child. We talked about the whole motherhood thing and caught up for a bit. We ended up having a great day and I'm glad did it. We rushed home, had lunch, laid the babies down and I tooka quick shower. At 1:30 my friend Heather came over with her two boys, Walker and Mason. I shouldn't have taken the kids to the pool on the day we had friends coming over. They were kind of sluggish and tired. We had a good time however, and it was great to chat with another adult. Heather and I are going to try and hang out Monday while leaving the kids with a sitter. I'd love to sit at the pool and go to lunch. This morning I fixed sausage and biscuits for the kids. Gabrielle was sitting at the table eating. I could see her out of the corner of my eye sort of watching me. She said, "Mom... I want to be a Mommy some day." I thought my heart would melt. What a great compliment coming from my 3 year old. I asked her how many kids Mommy had and she counted 5. I then asked her how many she wanted to have. She said, "Ummm, maybe 16." Oh Lord... could I babysit that many? We're talking her own TV show! LOL
July 10, 2009 Yesterday morning I was guilted into taking the kids to the Y so they could swim. They have been asking me everyday several times a day if they could go to the pool. I've come up with some excuse each time. Finally yesterday I said "Okay, let's go." They had a great time. When we got to the Y I ran into a friend from high school, Jennifer Pratt Harrison. It was so awesome to see her. I love when you see a friend unexpected. She just had her 3rd child. We talked about the whole motherhood thing and caught up for a bit. We ended up having a great day and I'm glad did it. We rushed home, had lunch, laid the babies down and I tooka quick shower. At 1:30 my friend Heather came over with her two boys, Walker and Mason. I shouldn't have taken the kids to the pool on the day we had friends coming over. They were kind of sluggish and tired. We had a good time however, and it was great to chat with another adult. Heather and I are going to try and hang out Monday while leaving the kids with a sitter. I'd love to sit at the pool and go to lunch. This morning I fixed sausage and biscuits for the kids. Gabrielle was sitting at the table eating. I could see her out of the corner of my eye sort of watching me. She said, "Mom... I want to be a Mommy some day." I thought my heart would melt. What a great compliment coming from my 3 year old. I asked her how many kids Mommy had and she counted 5. I then asked her how many she wanted to have. She said, "Ummm, maybe 16." Oh Lord... could I babysit that many? We're talking her own TV show! LOL
June 9, 2009 GG came to visit Monday night. She just got in from the beach for a week and she's off again tomorrow headed to Gulf Shores. She's a traveling machine. I keep giving her a hard time saying it's such a rough life. I'm glad she is able to travel and spend time with us. She brought the boys T-shirts, Gabrielle a dress and bracelet. She also threw in a little surprise... hermit crabs! Brad told her, "Great! On top of everything else we have going on now we have crabs!" LOL Jackson named them Dory and Nemo. They are kind of fun. We let them crawl around a little bit but I have to be real careful or else the kids throw them like rocks. If they live a week I'll be surprised. Yesterday afternoon GG sent me out of the house. She insisited I go get a pedicure. I was really upset but I followed her instructions! HaHa It was wonderful. I now have baby soft feet and pink toes. What a wonderful day. GG has a small garden in her back yard. She brought me some yellow squash, tomaotes, jalapeno pepper and green beans. I oven fried chicken, stewed the squash and made a mandrian orange fruit salad. It was a great dinner. When Brad came home I had my clothes on and purse over my shoulder. I was so ready to get out of this house. I had a headache to beat all headaches and felt so irritable. I realized a few minutes after I left why I had been feeling so bad. I had not had hardly any caffeine in two days. I don't know how that happened. I've been really watching what I'm eating and drinking water. I just wasn't thinking about my coffee and coke zero. Once I downed a diet pepsi I felt much better. I went to the movies to see My Sister's Keeper. It was such a good movie. The whole theater was sucking snot and crying through the entire thing. Marci is on vacation this week so I didn't have my Wednesday off. I miss her and am soooo ready for her to come back to my rescue!
July 6, 2009 Brad has been off work for the holiday and I've really gotten behind on my website. I've missed updating! Jackson's lymph node as of yesterday seems to be getting smaller, thank you Jesus! I have een trying my best not to worry and really truly gave the worry over to God. I couldn't take the stress on my own. I felt positive that it was nothing BUT there is always that part of a Mommy that wonders... could it be this or that? The area is still very sensitive and sore but the actual knot seems to have gone down. He is so precious. Everyday he seems to grow a little more mature. He's become very protective even more so than he usually is of his brothers and sister. Yesterday at church Connor told us that a boy pushed Sissy. Jackson yelled out, "Oh no he didn't! If someone pushes my Sissy I'll just KILL HIM!" Well, we explained that you don't want to kill him but please do make sure they remember not to ever push her again! LOL The past couple days he's been waking up and coming down the stairs with a big smile. He's been making up his own bed. He told me, "Mommy, you have enough to do so I'll start making my bed. I am a big boy, ya know." The other day we were driving past a trailer that we see each day. It's really run down, no air, the roof is falling apart... etc. The kids are always fascinated by the appearance. Jackson said to me, "Why is that house so broken?" I told him that they didn't have the money to fix it and that's how some people have to live. He said, "Oh... that's SO terribly sad!" Another day this week we drove by the new shopping center and Jackson said he was so excited about the new stores opening. I told him Subway had also opened and he yelled, "YES... Let's go to Subway Eat Fresh!" I guess he's watched a few too many commercials this summer. He was also telling me about a toothpaste dispenser and if you buy one right now on tv you get another one free! LOL I took him to see Ice Age 3 the other day. It was so cute. A very funny movie. Friday night Uncle Ernie and Memaw babysat the kids while Brad and I went out. We went with another couple that I just loved! Tyler is one of Brad's referrals and his wife is Heather. We hit it off really well. We ate at Hal's again... I can't get enough of that place! Our 4th of July celebration was pretty laid back. We took the kids to Brad's parents and cooked out. I still don't take for granted being able to run over to see the family. I missed that so much in Indiana. Daily I think of how much our lives have changed since Indy. The kids and I didn't see Brad for days at a time. I look back now and wonder how in the world did I do it with 5 kids, 4 in diapers and a preschooler???? Without God I would have lost my mind. In fact, there are a few ladies in Indy who will attest to the fact I did lose it a few times. Brady had a fever over the weekend. That same virus is running its course through the entire house. I hope he's the last one to have it. He's been pretty pitiful. In a way I kind of like when he's sick. Not that I like him to suffer but it's so sweet when he feels bad. He just wants us to hold him and he lays his little head on our shoulder. He only wants to be loved. I could hold him for hours. Cooper wants to talk. I mean really wants to talk. He jibbers all the time. He's so sure that he's talking and when we don't understand he gets frustrated. He really thinks he's a 4 yr old. He has no clue that he's smaller or younger. If they do it than he certainly can, too. Yesterday at church when I picked up Gabrielle and Connor their teacher told me the cutest thing. She commented to Gabrielle about how quiet she was. She said Connor spoke up and said, "Sometimes she's just shy!" Imagine... Connor speaking for Gabrielle????
July 1, 2009 I took Jackson to the ENT yesterday. The doctor said Jackson has a Reactive Lymph Node. It basicly means the lymph node is reacting or working to fight some sort of infection. What infection it's reacting to? I don't know and neither does the ENT. He said it's fairly common for children and we shouldn't do anything about it. It should just go away. We'll just keep our eye on it and see what happens.
June 30, 2009 We had a wonderful weekend. Larry and Nancy were so good to us. It was great to see them again after all these years. They have built a beautiful lake house that resembles a farm cottage. I loved the house! It's a perfect lake house... white with a red door. Brad and Larry went fishing right when we got there. I took the kids out to the pool. We had spaghetti and pound cake that night. The kids were running all over the place. After the 3 hour drive they were ready to rid some energy. Poor Coopie was not feeling well and had diarrhea on the way there. By Saturday am he was hot with fever and just felt terrible. There is nothing around where they live so I had to go to the convenient store and pay out the ying yang for medicine. I was in such a hurry at 6am I didn't even put on my shoes. I looked like a true "Alabamian." Saturday am Larry and Brad were fishing by 5am. The kids and I were straight out at the pool after breakfast. Brad was home by late morning. Nancy and I went into the town of Scottsboro and did some shopping. We hit a couple thrift stores and just messed around. Saturday night we grilled burgers and had homemade peach ice cream. Yummy! We left Sunday around 10am. By the end of our trip Jackson was jumping off the diving board (with swimmies of course) and swimming the entire pool. He thought he was big stuff. Gabrielle would put her head under water and Connor would go under up to his nose. That's a big deal for him! Yesterday Papa came to visit. We had Memaw, Grandpa and Uncle Ernie over for dinner, too. I made a taco casserole topped with jalapenos, sour cream and salsa. I also made a tossed salad, garlic bread and chips with cheese dip. The ice cream was so good Saturday night we decided to make it again last night. Half way through churning the ice cream maker broke and I had to rush to Target to get another. It was worth it though. The ice cream was great. During our trip to AL Jackson got some type of bug bite on his forehead. It was super swollen and full of puss. It would drain then fill back up. Last night he started to complain about his jaw hurting. He said it hurt to touch it and that it felt like his brain was growing and would come out his ear????? Hmmmmm, Brad started probing around and realized Jackson's parotid glad was hard as a rock. The glad is located on the jaw level with the ear lobe. We have an appointment with the ENT today at 2pm. I'm very anxious to know what's going on. Hopefully, it's nothing.
June 25, 2009 Today was the last day of VBS. The kids had a great time. I began to dread it every morning. We've all been sleeping until 8am so it's been a huge rush to get everyone fed and out the door by 8:40am. Not to mention the program was extremely disorganized. The kids were in a different room everyday and parents had no idea where to pick them up. Parents were roaming the halls looking for their kids. I was thankful for the volunteers but hope next year they are able to plan a little better. I asked Gabrielle and Connor's teacher if they played with each other only or if they played with other kids. She said they did a lot of observing. She said Gabrielle would participate in the games but Connor wanted nothing to do with it. I think preschool in the Fall will be really good for them. I've considered putting them in seperate classes. Connor needs to get out from under Gabrielle's wing and branch out a bit. Brady and Cooper are still at each others throats. I hope this is not a sign of things to come. I put the pack n play in my bedroom to use for timeout. They spent lots of time in there today. They fought over toys, food, me... anything you can think of they aruged over. Brady bit the fire out of Cooper's back. I don't know what to do with them. I hope it's a phase and they'll learn to play with each other soon. I've got the spend the day getting ready for our weekend. We are headed to Lake Guntersville, AL. We have some friends that live on the lake with a pool. Larry and Nancy Bonner are a very special couple. We first met them when we lived in Augusta, GA during dental school. We attended church together at Warren Baptist. Nancy and I taught 1st grade GA's together. They took us under their wing as our "Augusta" parents. Larry and Brad love fishing so they'll do a lot of it this weekend. We've been friends for 6 years and have not seen each other in 4 1/2 years. Larry and Brad keep in touch with weekly phone calls. We respect them and are looking forward to our time together. The kids are so excited! They keep saying, "When are we going to the friend's pool?" So cute. I told them that their names were Larry and Nancy. Gabrielle asked me if Nancy could walk? Memaw's name is Nancy so I guess she thinks that anyone whos name is Nancy can't walk. Memaw is doing well with her MS. Her medication seems to have stopped the progression of her MS. However, it will not improve her current state. The trio is resting in the den while the babies take a nap. The great thing about VBS is how tired they are when they goet home. We've pretty much cut naps out this summer. When they take naps they don't want to go to bed until 9:30 and they keep getting up over and over. It's exhausting. When I stopped naps they started going to bed at 8pm and sleeping until 8am. They do take a couple hours a day to rest and read books or watch t.v. Boy cartoons are so dumb. I can't stand all the Batman, Superman, Bakugan, etc. I wish he would still watch Diego and Mickey. Gabrielle loves all the boy cartoons. I frankly thing they are disturbing. Everyone have a good weekend. I'll be back on Monday to give you my thoughts on our weekend. Should be entertaining traveling with all 5 and staying overnight away from home.
June 23, 2009 On Monday morning I woke up early and went outside to fertilize my shrubs. Around 9:20am I realized that I had missed the first day of Vacation Bible School. After about 5 minutes of beating myself up I decided to scoop everyone up and take them anyway. Better to get there at 10am than miss the whole day. Brady was still in the bed and the other kids still had their pj's on. I threw clothes on each of them and grabbed Brady out of bed, threw a cereal bar in his mouth, and headed out. Gabrielle and Connor were really really excited. Jackson wasn't as thrilled. He wanted to stay home and watch cartoons. After I dropped off the trio I thought "Oh Brady and Cooper will have so much fun playing and I'll get so much done." Boy, was I wrong. Those two don't know how to play without the trio. They fought, bit and hit until they were both screaming and driving me crazy. I did not get a single thing done because I was pulling them off of each other every 5 minutes. When we picked up the trio the babies were so excited to see them. It was very very sweet. Papa came to visit yesterday. Yeahhhhh! We were sitting outside with the kids watching them ride their scooters and bikes. Papa and I were laughing at Jackson because his training wheels were worn down to the metal. Papa said we should take them off. Next thing I know the training wheels are off and I'm walking beside Jackson teaching him how to ride a bike. Jackson kept saying, "Are you sure this is a good idea?" I wasn't so sure because we were not very successful. Papa said to just leave him alone and let him try by himself. I didn't think it would work but as soon as I stepped aside things began to fall into place. Jackson started off with his feet up and coasting down a small hill. He balanced beautifully. I was shocked. Next he started trying to pedal. I told him to put one foot on the wheel and push off just like he does with his scooter. That's all it took and he was off! In minutes he was doing circles all over the driveway. Papa and I were hooping and hollaring. I picked Jackson up and threw him around in the air yelling, "Jack-son, Jack-son!" He was so proud of himself. I just couldn't believe that he taught himself to ride a bike in a matter of seconds. My baby is growing up! Today I sure didn't forget about VBS. We were at church when the doors opened. Papa was at home with the babies so I went out and about to run errands and just mess around. It was wonderful. I hit Target and had some lunch at Taco Mac. I love when Papa comes to visit. Once I got the kids home I laid the babies down for a nap and took the trio to the neighboorhood pool. Jackson was telling me something in the car when Gabrielle interupted him. Jackson turned to me and raised his voice just a little and said, "AS I WAS SAYING... I want to take big, I mean monumental big, snacks to the pool today!" He talks so big. We played and chatted with other mom's for almost 3 hours. I didn't realize we were out there so long. I got sunburned. Most of ya'll know I had skin cancer at a really young age (21yrs old). I really try to keep sunscreen on my face every day... winter, spring, summer and fall. The kids are always covered. Today I slacked off a little. Jackson and I both got burned. I felt so guilty over Jackson. After we got back from the pool I started fixing supper. Papa wanted a meatloaf meal for Father's Day. I started cooking and quickly realized why I don't cook big meals anymore. It was chaos. The kids love to stand up on the stool and help cook. I hate to make them get down so I just grin and bare it. I started off by making a scratch red velvet cake. I have a convection microwave oven and love it! It's so handy. I put the cake in the oven and still had my big oven for the meatloaf. I also made mashed potatoes, english peas and a cake of cornbread. Ohhhh, the cornbread was sooooo good. I could have made a meal out of just out of the cornbread. I fed Brady while Brad fed Cooper. Those boys ate like their was no tomorrow. I stripped them down at the table and took them straight to the bath. We had an assembly line to get them all bathed. I feel so sorry for the last child to get bathed. They get the bad end of the deal. The water is getting dingy and it has a little chill. The wash cloth has been run over everyones body. It's pitiful but you just gotta keep the line going! LOL As long as there soap and water they are in good shape. LOL (Aunt Helen, I know you are beside yourself right now.) LOL Once the kids were bathed they went outside to play a little bit. Memaw came over for dinner, too. They were so excited to see her. Papa and I hit the kitchen while Brad and Memaw watched the kids. The kitchen looked like a hog trough. There was cornbread and meatloaf covering the hardwood floors. I had flour and butter stuck to the backsplash and ingredients everywhere. Oh what a mess. We finally got it all tackled. Tomorrow night it's tuna salad!!!!
|
|
 Contact This Site's Owner
|
