It's Florida day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep. It is. Today we embark upon our journey for our much awaited vacation. Know how I can tell it's official? Sam's got a fever, Allyson is on antibiotics and my throat is swollen. There is just no way to try and get this many people out of town healthy. I just hope it is short lived and we can travel comfortably.

Speaking of our trip. Dan has limited me to one suitcase. Not one for me, one for ALL of us. ONE. Can you imagine. But somehow we have done it. We have one pack and play (we're short a bed in our condo so Sam gets to sleep in a pin), one HUGE suitcase (I can play his game), one small bag for our overnight stay tonight, one beach bag, one cooler and one bin of beach toys. In addition we have one box of snacks and such and each kid has a bag of toys. Dan's job will be to fit all of that into the van. Good luck.

We're almost packed. Just a couple more hours and we'll be good to go. I have some tidying left to do to our home, of course a couple loads of laundry left to fold (a never ending cycle), a dishwasher to unload, trash to gather and then we are out of here. OUT OF HERE. I can't wait.

Have a great week.

Lew Lew the Wonder Dog

Sam is running around the house like a crazy man saying "Where are you lew lew the wonder dog?" Mind you- the dog is not missing- I think he's just in the back yard doing his business.

"I fink he heard a call and now hes fwying with his magic wonderdog powers" See that dog- when pigs fly I tell ya.

Then low and behold, Sam spotted Lewis in fact in the front yard. Damn magic dog somehow escaped our yard. Fortunatly, he's too overweight to run far, he was just sitting in the neighbors yard staring at our house. Two small kids and one beggin strip and he came right home.

Super powers? Maybe. Or possibly just an open gate. I guess I'll have to drag my lazy self outside to see. Have a happy day.

It's Spring!

After a long waited arrival, it appears that Spring is coming. We got to spend a few hours outside this week- and needless to say the kids were thrilled. And already hunting new 'pets'.

In just a matter of a few hours, they were able to fill this bucket with more worms, grubs and nightcrawlers than I care to think about. And dig a gigantic hole that I'm sure will become just another bare spot in the lawn. Whatever. They had fun seeing who could fit in the hole. Should I worry?

Things you might not know..................

Today I feel like sharing some various items about myself. Why? Who knows.

1. I have lawn furniture in my living room (don't ask)

2. Chipmunks have eaten my experiement of March tulip bulbs. It would have worked, I bet. Dag gone chipmunks. So cute, yet such little devils. I want to choke the ever loving life right out of their cute little heads (but I won't, because I could never actually do that. I will just threaten it)

3. I wash laundry every.single.day. And still can't get it under any kind of control.

4. I almost always let banannas rot on my counter. What's up with that?

5. I got to take a whole shower today. Not just hair, not just body, but the whole thing. (this is an accomplishment)

6. I am told 'I am not your friend' by a gorgeous 3 year old each and every day. Sometimes he tells me he loves me too- so that balances things out.

7. There is a whole the size of a tractor in my back yard- put there courtesy of my 3 youngins.

8. McDonalds sweet tea makes everything (almost) right in my world. That and a venti white chocolate peppermint mocho from starbucks. But the tea is more affordable.

9. I will be in Florida this time next week (eat your heart out). Same life, laundry, bickering, cooking, cleaning, tidying and family- just in Florida. That will make it all better.

10. Even my dog is overweight. He is on doggie weight watchers, and failing miserably I might add. I would take his appetite suppresents myself had the vet not warned me about doing so.

So that's it. 10 things that you might not have known about me. I am a nut case on any given day- but that you knew : )

Chaos

The chaos in this house is UNBEARABLE. Somehow, for some reason, Allyson and Sam were up at 6am. And not up in a fog trying to relax and wake the day- no way- they were rearing to go 'we're up'. I was not. I was more of the fog one.

And since that moment, it has gotten worse. I feel completely out of sorts and confused as to what I am supposed to be doing. I can't handle all of this chaos today. Questions are being thrown at me like hand grenades (what's the candy for, what's 48 X 2, what's a 6 look like, how many keys are on a piano- and those are just the questions they fired at me while typing this). I tell you what, I am more exhausted today than in a long long long time. And I quit. DO YOU HEAR ME WORLD, I quit!

Tomorrow- everyone up and at the dentist at 8am. Joy. That aught to go smoothly- NOT!

The dreaded words..............

Years ago, the words I hated the most are far far far different from what spooks me these days.

Ally: "Mooooooommmmm, there's some kind of a weird dead thing out here"
Me: (in my head- oh please no, no no no, please don't make me come out there and examine it, I can't, I won't, please no) "Really- let's go see"
Ally: "See, what is that?"
Me: "Oh that's just half a mouse darling, nature at it's best. One of the cats probably got it, or a bird. It's how nature works" (in my head- oooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh! Gross, gross, gross, oh no, poor mouse, poor little half a mouse, gross gross gross. Damn cat)
Ally: "That's cool"
Me: "What?"
Ally: " I said that's cruel"
Me: (in my head- Thank God, I thought she was a freak)
Me: "Daddy will take care of it when he get's home honey"
Me: "Dan- get home now- there's half of a weird dead thing in the front yard that is clearly more important than your career"

I hate it when the kids find strange little dead things in the yard. Baby birds, dead momma birds, half of furry creatures- ick. I spared you the pictures- you're welcome.

Girls, Girls, Girls

So as I mentioned, this weekend was girls weekend. 8 of us crazies from church ran away from our families and booked hotel rooms, still technically in the city, for the night. I personally based my entire existence upon this retreat for the past month, and it was well worth the wait!

I am sad to admit that dang near all the hours of chit chat seemed to focus around our children, husbands and households- there were some interesting stories from years past as well as, well, poop (which actually involved fancy phones and Internet searching- apparently we all need to consume more brown rice- forget I said that).

Thanks to nice hotel rooms with adjoining doors- I will introduce my roommates:

Elaine

Shelley

And Vicky- wearing her daughters sweater.

With only one chair- seating was limited (just kidding- my sad attempt to get my camera to work- thank goodness Vicky was able to beat the crap out of the batteries to make the first picture possible : )

There was an omelet boy, whom we all visited. He made our morning bright as we snarfed down as much breakfast as humanly possible. I loved the omelet boy.

We shopped, ate, shopped, consumed adult beverages (yeah!) and chit chatted. It was wonderful. And I had a hard time returning home to my dirty dishes, laundry, arguing children and unattended lawn. But such is life, my life, and I wouldn't trade it. Except for a world filled with adjustable beds and cooked to order breakfast once a year. Thanks ladies!

Flyin............

Time has just flown this week. At super sonic speed.

I have nothing to report. Nothing exciting. Nothing breathtaking. Nothing earth shattering. But if I had walked everywhere I have driven this week, well, let's just say I'd be one skinny woman. But I didn't, I drove, so I'm still fat and sassy.

It's been one crazy week. Between work, appointments, allyson's social life, whew- I'm just on the go.go.go all the time.time.time it feels like.

Today after school we get to have a little playdate with one of emily's classmates. As long as Sam behaves his hands, it should be fun.

And tonight, yet another playdate with one of ally's friends. That part will be a blast as I plan to sneak the girls over there after Sam hits the sack. Just a bunch of us girlscout moms and their kids hanging out. Sounds like fun to me.

And then tomorrow, after ally's final basketball game, it's girls night. A bunch of us girls from church have rented fabulous hotel rooms and we are going to experience a full 24 hours (more hopefully) without children, laundry, dishes and squabbles while eating wonderful restaurant food, drinking wine (I personally have 2 bottles ready to go) and chit chat. I can not wait.

Might I just take a moment to say how blessed I feel. I have some wonderful friends, the best in the world, and the fact that in the next two days I get time with them all is just a blessing. And if I don't get a moment away from my chitlins (disclosure: whom I do love with all my heart but they are making me CRAZY) I think I would loose my ever loving mind. I plan to come home on Sunday, late Sunday, refreshed and ready for another 'grab ahold of your hats' kind of run your pants off crazy week. Ughh. But then, just two more weeks until we leave for Florida. That's something to hang onto.

Speaking of that, last night we drove for 1/2 hour to drop off ally's girlscout cookie money. The kids fought the entire time. All I could think was that it was a 12 hour drive to Florida. Gonna be a long 12 hours I'm afraid.

Does anyone have the time?

What freakin' time is it anyway? Have I droned on too long in past posts about how much I HATE the time change? If so, oh well. Turn away now. I must jump onto my soapbox.

Why on earth do we have to do this whole time thing? Couldn't we just fall back every time? That part I like. I like getting a bonus hour- even though it throws all of my children's internal clocks into chaos. But springing forward? Really? That just screws with all of us.

I've got children who can't figure out if they are tired or not, and are not sure when to wake up in the morning, and when they are hungry. And I personally am having the same problem. I can't figure out what the heck time it is. Mentally it's one, on my kitchen clock it's another, on my dining room clock yet a different time. I'm not really sure what clocks I changed, and which I didn't. Thank goodness for my cell phone, it auto adjusts so at least I know what time it is supposed to be after we are done leaping and falling all over the place.

Time change is not for the weak. And I am weak. It was 10:00 before these yahoos fell asleep, which was really 11 or 9- I'm not sure. Eitherway, I was so exhausted I couldn't stay awake. I'm sure the exhaustion came from living a whole hour of my day in 1 second and having to be up way to early because I didn't know what time to leave for church.

Sheesh. And not to mention the sun is not coming up until after 7am. Which is actually 6 or 8, whatever. You get the point. I can not wrap my brain around this change your clock thing and I HATE it. And my children HATE it, because I'm cranky and their are hungry and tired. If only we could go back to when the world accomodated us, those were the days.

More to come later, I think it's time for Allyson's piano lesson, but I'm not sure.

Be careful what you say...................

As a mother of small children, and a wife, I know that we must be careful what you say.

For instance, you don't say "behave yourself right now or we are leaving this grocery" because they won't behave and the only one being punished is me- as I would have to leave my groceries and still have to go back.

I also know that you don't casually shop for much with your husband, as he might misunderstand and buy you some big really expensive thing a maroo that really you were just looking at.

I know that you can't tell children made up stories about things to get them to stop asking, because they will always always always come back to haunt you.

And I know know that when the farmer behind your house asks if you mind if he trims a few branches off the tree between our properties, you say NO.

Holy moley. That stump was a giant gorgeous tree. A few branches, he must have meant ALL of them! He meant business.

A mix mash pally wash

Of all the things I could be accomplishing this morning, I decided to take strange and random pictures from around our home. You're welcome. My kitchen counter, also know as the collectall of the universe. What I found interesting is that there is a UPS truck parked in my kitchen.Next, we threw boring overboard at Long John Silvers. What exactly does that mean anyway? Also notice the valentines ring.And here is our new peanut free peanut butter. Made out of soybeans, it doesn't really taste like peanut butter, but to a peanut free home, it is heavenly (thanks mom for actually having time to shop around the grocery- that is not something I EVER get to do. We are more the 'get what you gotta get, don't pass go, don't collect $200' kind of shoppers).There is an outlet plug in my refrigerator?We bought a new van, it looks like and easter egg.And we have a new sofa that doesn't look like an easter egg. But you see our dog, he does resemble an egg.
And lastly (why on earth would I expose myself like this) here is one of my kitchen cabinets. It is in need of some major major major love. Perhaps today I can fill up one of those wine glasses with a little soured grape juice and tackle it. But rest assured, not all of my cabinets look like this, some look like this:

Eeee Gad! Yup, definantly need to focus some time in my kitchen.

A blast from the past.................

So, for Christmas Dan bought a new camera for us. And it is one gorgeous piece of equipment. The only problem is once pictures were taken with it, they were trapped inside forever. Until now. Dan figured it out, somehow, and now our pictures are free. Run free little pictures.........

So much past due, here are the photos from Emily's trip to libby lu for her birthday (in january). She got to take a friend, so this is Katy and Emily-pre makover. Who knew Emily was soooo much taller than her friends?And Allyson got in on the action too (sorry she's blurry- this new fangled camera thing, bear with me)

For those of you not familiar with libby lu, they give little girl makeovers and it is awesome. Sorry- they wen't out of business. You'll never get to go there again. Good news (rebecca) Justice offers makeovers too. So don't think you are out of the woods! (A good make over and a trip to chucke cheese and your birthday planning is over!)Afterward we came home for some celebratin'. Emily was lucky enough to pick this whistle thing at libby lu- Katy is summing our afternoon up in this photo.I love that my kids don't mind how many people help them blow their candles.

It was an awesome day, and I'm glad we got to do it with Emily before they closed. She had counted the days until she could go to Libby Lu- that's the benefit of an older sister. They can share their wisdom and experiences with the little ones. In fact, Sam really wanted a make over too and couldn't understand why his Daddy was freakin' out. Jeesh.