Boy Stuff

So if finally happened this morning. You know those shows where you see the mom pulling all kinds of weird stuff out of the pocket of their sons pants before they do laundry and you think, where did it all come from? Well, I don't know where it all came from, but my son had a bunch in his pocket!

He had 2 nickels (now those I do know where they came from...I give Madison and Marshall a nickel each time they buckle up the twins), a Bud Lite beer cap (gross, don't even want to think about it), a piece of his binky (it's his blanket that he used to sleep with but is now in little, tiny, miniscule threads), a blue wire, part of a sticky thing that "walks" down the wall when you throw it at the wall (you moms know what it is!), a lego, a Playmobile pirate sword, and an army man's arm.

He's my little collector. I used to get so grossed out when my nephews would pick up stuff off the ground and pocket it...I still think it's gross, but Marshall does it now and I kind of get it. They're boys, and it's what boys do!

I love my little Marshall! Just this morning, before the whole shorts thing, he says to me as I'm brushing my teeth, "How about I get a little kiss from my favorite Mommy?" Right after that he says, "Mommy, can I stay home from school today? I just want to be with you!" The little charmer!! (And yes...he's staying home today...just to be with me!)

Twins...gotta love 'em!

Emma was just looking in the mirror and turned to me and said, "Mommy, I look like Halle!" (Just in case you didn't know, Halle and Emma are identical twins...and they're 3, not 12, so the whole looking like your twin thing is just dawning on them!)

Cleaning

I'm in the kitchen mopping. Madison comes in to watch...she's fascinated by mopping and is always begging to use the Swiffer Wet Jet. We have a conversation which goes like this:

Madison: "Is Jillian coming over?" (That's our babysitter)

Me: "No."

Madison: "Is Grandpa and Grandma coming over?"

Me: "No."

Madison: "Are you having Bible study today?"

Me: "No."

Madison: "Then why are you cleaning?"

It's then that I realize the only time the kids ever see me really clean cleaning is when we are having company. I do pick up, straighten up, and neaten up. But it's pretty sad that if I'm deep down cleaning it means, to the kids at least, that someone's coming over. Now lest you think we are walling in filth, I do deep down clean when the kids are at school, playing outside, watching a movie, or some other activity that distracts them from what I am doing. It's just hard to do with them running all around!!

I am cleaning the kids bathroom when it occurs to me that each child (with the exception of Cooper, he only has one toothbrush and shares someones toothpaste) has 2 toothbrushes and their own toothpaste. That's 8 toothbrushes and 4 tubes of toothpaste. When did this craziness occur and where was I?

I better get back upstairs and finish deep down cleaning...who knows when the urge will strike again?

Oh, and John is sitting on the back porch enjoying the sunshine. Well, that's not fair, he is working on work stuff, but he's still outside!

We're back!!

So, when we went on vacation, I thought it was for 6 days. Almost 2 1/2 weeks later we got home...well, we've been home since last Sunday night, but it has been crazy around here. John's family in Jacksonville basically kidnapped me and the kids. When they found out that the kids had Spring Break the week after our vacation (I'm still not sure when we didn't go down ON their Spring Break, but who cares?), they told John to come back to Atlanta and to come back the next weekend to get us...that's what we did!

We first went to the beach with his family. It was FREAKIN' FREEZIN'!! I am not kidding. It was in the 30's at night and only in the 50's in the day. Now for up here, okay. But this is the beach. It's supposed to be warm. But the kids did brave getting in their suits and dipping their toes in each day for about 10 minutes. And we did hit the beach after Disney when we were kidnapped and it was warm and sunny.

The kids had a blast at Disney (HUGE thanks to my Grandpa and Dorothy for getting us all in for free, "renting" two double strollers for free, and discounts on food, etc.). We were there from the time it opened until ther fireworks were exploding in the air!! It was sooo much fun! Their favorite thing was meeting all the characters. We actually met quite a few this time. I just love to see the excitement on their faces and the joy in their voices when they say, "Donald Duck hugged me!"

After Disney we were just going to stop back by to see his family and spend the night. That's when they conjured up this plan of theirs. I'm so glad we stayed. The kids don't get to see their cousins as much as we'd like, so it was nice. And to relax and just chill with each day being blank with no plans what-so-ever was huge!

The night we got home I told John my throat was a little scratchy. I woke up the next morning to full blown sore throat, crouppy cough (I still get croup as an adult y'all...strange), no voice, and gross green phlegm. Nice. It took me three days to realize it was all this lovely Atlanta pollen. I am still coughing a bit and still have a hoarse voice, but after almost a week on Claritan, I'm much better.

Now I'm going to go upstairs and plop down in the middle of the toys, folded clothes, unfolded clothes, and sippy cups, I'm going to grab Madison's Power Puff girl pillow and ABC blanket I saw and take a nap right on the floor. I don't think I can make it much further than that!

Just FYI

We are getting ready to go on vacation this coming Friday!! Yippee! We are going to the beach for a few days with John's family...his sister is a size zero people. No, really and literally she wears a size zero. I have given up even trying to lose a few pounds. I mean honestly, what difference is it going to make when I'm next to her? I'd have to lose half of me just to sqeeze one thigh into her jeans. And I have given birth to 5 children. Anyone who expects me to look good in a bathing suit is really funny and should give serious thought to a career in comedy. Anyway, then we (just our family...all 7 of us) are going to visit my Grandpa and go to Disney World!! Can't wait to go!

So, the reason I am writing this is to inform you of why I probably will not be blogging much this week, and not at all next week. I am determined to leave my house in spic and span, spotless, smelling free of poo condition. (Especially that last part.) I really am. I started this weekend and I am going to reach my goal. However, this does not leave much time for blogging...darnit. Right now I am waiting for a load of clothes to dry so I can lickety split fold it, get it packed or put away.

Precious

My heart melted when I overhead Halle talking to Emma in the car.
She said "Emma, Dod made ew pesal."
Translation: "Emma, God made you special."

Too fast

My little Madison is growing up too fast. Well, all the kids are growing up too fast. Madison's birthday is next week and I can't believe she's going to be 7. We're going to Disney World to celebrate instead of having a party for her. Now, before you think, wow, that's alot more money than having a party, my grandpa works at Disney and can get all of us in for free!! So, why not go to Disney for her birthday? And I REALLY need a vacation. I just need to get away from the everyday stuff of life...dishes, laundry, vacuuming, dusting (what's that?), cleaning the bathrooms, etc., etc., etc..

I can't wait to see the kids at Disney. We actually went last year when Cooper was just 7 weeks old (we're crazy like that) and the kids had a blast. But this year the twins will get to experience it rather than just sleeping through half of it (they were not quite 2). They are at such a great age! All of them are. And they're so dang cute! I really believe God gave all of them a double dose of cute!!

Didn't do too much today. Just played with the kids. Oh, I did take all my "stuff" over to the consigment sale. I had to take the entire back seat of the van out to fit everything in. And even then it was a tight fit. I actually just got back from working the "pre-sale". The toddler bed and mattress was the first thing to sell...yee-haw! Looking forward to being there to work the sale on Saturday. I don't know why I enjoy it so much. But I have literally been looking forward to this since the sale in the fall. I guess I'm just weird. Or it could be the fact that I'm around a bunch of women and can actually hold a conversation without having to get a sippy cup for anyone!

Love my kids. Love my husband. Love my Lord. (Not in that order!!)

It's been a while...

All right, I haven't written anything in a while. It's been kinda crazy around here. Well, it's always kinda crazy with 5 kids, a dog, a cat, a gerbil, 3 fish, a mom, and a dad.

An update on the laundry for those of you who are wondering. I did not trash the socks, though I was sooo tempted. I actually matched and put them back in their respective drawers! Yeah for me...now there's another pile waiting. But I'm kind of on this laundry kick where I just have to get it done, folded, and put away. I think my perfectionism is coming back in stages. (It's hard to be a perfectionist with all the kids...so I just gave up for a few years!!) First it was the dishes...I have to keep my counters clear of dirty dishes or it drives me up the wall. Now the same thing is happening with the laundry...I have to get it done or I lose my mind. I'm taking this as a good sign. Hopefully by the end of the year, all areas of mess in my home will have found a spot in my crazy mind that has to be spotless.

We had an AWESOME family weekend. On Saturday John took Madison to her game because we woke up late and there was no way I could get everyone ready in time. So they had some Daddy-Daughter time together. As they are walking out the door John says, let's have some fun today...do you want to go to Marietta, some other random place, or the zoo? Duh? The zoo of course! So by the time they got back from her game (she scored 2 baskets!!!) the rest of us were ready for our adventure.

Now, I don't know if the zoo is aware of this or not, but for our family to go to the zoo for one day, it's $85.00. Alot of money for one day. But our family can get a year pass for $89.00. Does that make sense to me? No. Now, if I were in charge of ticket prices, I would either lower the cost of the daily admission or raise the cost of the yearly pass. Because basically our family will be spending ALOT of time at the zoo this coming year...with our own picinic lunch mind you.

Anyway, we had a great time at the zoo. The kids just loved running around to see all the different animals. Madison's favorite was the otter. Marshall's was the lion. Halle's was the Panda Bear. And Emma's was the elephant. And that really just about sums up their personalities now that I think about it! Maddie is always ready for fun, fun, fun. Marshall is a perfectionist and loves to take charge. Halle is a snuggle bug. And Emma takes over the room when she enters! Cooper didn't voice a favorite animal, he just loves them all, like everyone loves him!!

On Sunday John had to go to COTA for a lunch after church so the kids and I skipped and vegged at home for a while. Then I took Marshall, Halle, and Emma to my parents to play while Madison, Cooper and I went to meet John at IKEA (I totally understand all the hype now!!) to get Madison a new bed for her birthday. Of course she picked the most expensive and cutest bed. Can't wait to get it together. Can't believe she's almost 7...time flies!

I love my kids so much. They are the greatest in the world! I love watching them play together and love making memories with them!!

That's about all for now. I have a consigment sale this weekend I'm hoping to make a bunch of money at so I can go and buy clothes for the kids. If they would just stop growing I wouldn't have this problem!!

Yea Me!

I have "defeeted" the Mound 'O Socks!!

Laundry Loathing

Holy crap I hate laundry. I hate washing it (although I do love the clean smell), I hate folding it, I hate putting it away, and I especially hate matching up 50 billion socks. I'm not kidding, we have 50 billion socks in our family. Come and count them.

I'm thinking of having a clothing strike where no one is allowed to wear clothes for a week, or if they do wear clothes, they must be the same exact clothes the entire week, underwear and socks included. And I am not washing any of it.

It doesn't matter how much laundry I do there is always more. I'm so sick of looking at the dirty laundry downstairs waiting to be done (I swear it mates at night and reproduces like rabbits), the laundry upstairs waiting to be folded in multiple baskets, and the clothes that actually are folded waiting to be put away 'cause the only time I can fold clothes is when Cooper, Halle, and Emma are sleeping and can't go in their rooms to put their clothes away.

And don't even get me started on the socks. We were at a Christmas thing at our church where John was the MC. He does such a good job. Anyway, he's giving some little anticdote about life and out of no where, to my utter shock and embarrassment he says, "my socks don't even match tonight"...............AHHHHHHH!!!

I hate laundry and I'm trying to avoid going upstairs and matching the mound of socks which the kids have started using like a big leaf pile. They jump in it, throw them in the air, put them back in a pile and start over. I'm seriously considering just throwing out dirty socks and buying new ones each week. It will be warm soon and we'll be back to going sockless anyway. Drastic I know, but we really do have 50 billion of the things.

Stitches

Madison and Marshall spent the night with my parents last night and they were to spend the day at their house today just having fun with Grandpa and Grandma while I was at my house with the three little ones just having fun here.

I wake up after a restless night of sleep looking into the faces of the most beautiful twins in the world. And these twins are asking for chocolate milk and cartoons. We snuggle in bed for a while and then they request pancakes. Lazy me tries to convince them of the merits of the poptart, cereal bar, cereal in a bowl with no milk, even an Eggo. It's no use. I get up and make pancakes and am actually very happy to do it. They smelled sooo good!

The twins eat and then I sit to eat while Cooper is still sleeping peacefully in his bed at almost 9 in the morning. Emma is dressed and Halle and I decide it's a great pj day today. Ha. In my dreams. As I am finishing my last few bites and talking to my John, my parents beep in. Odd, I think to be calling so early. I decide I better answer and it's a good thing too, because my Dad informs me that Madison needs to go to the ER for some stitches. They're not sure exactly how it happened, but she hit her head on their wooden rocker and has a pretty bad cut.

I throw some clothes at Halle, grab Cooper and quickly change his stinky poo and throw them all in the car to race to the hospital to meet my mom and do the exchange of children...I am sooo thankful even more that my parents are here to help in a crisis like this especially with John out of town. Although, come to think of it, if they didn't live here, Madison wouldn't have been at their house, and she wouldn't have fallen and hit her head and needed stitches in the first place...but that's beside the point!!

I tear up when I see my little princess with red, watery eyes holding a washcloth to her bleeding head. I look and to my horror it's not just a simple deep cut, it's a hole like a puncture wound. My baby girl has a hole in her perfectly beautiful face. I try not to vomit at the sight and we go inside to begin the waiting game.

It's not too long of a wait (note to all, any future major illnesses or injuries requiring the ER services should definately occur on a Sunday morning!). The nurse was great...I think his name was Len. The doctor was horrible. His name was Dr. Ghandy (note to all, if you are at Eastside and Dr. Ghandy shows up, request someone else).

He does nothing to help ease Madison's fears of stitches and starts poking at her holey head. He leaves and comes back a few minutes later with a needle of numbing medicine and just starts shoving it in her head as blood gushes down her cheek freeking her and me out. Then using the force of an elephant he presses and presses and presses on her head all the while tears are rolling down her face. I am whispering to her that she is being big and brave and trying to convince myself that I am big and brave too, praying that he hurries up already.

He tells her she won't feel the stitches and starts in. With the first poke of the needle she almost jumps off the table. She tells me it does hurt and I tell him. He says, and I quote, "I seriously doubt it is hurting her." I want to slap that man so bad. He does the second stitch and she nearly jumps off the table again. Then he walks out. No good-bye. No hope you feel better. No drop dead. Nothing.

Thankfully nice nurse Len comes in and wipes off her face and puts a band-aid on and makes her feel so much better. He tells her to be careful and to have a good rest of the Sunday. I like Len. He knows kids...much better than stupid Dr. Ghandy.

We go to Target to get a toy for being so good (it's become our ritual with all the stitches Marshall has gotten). I take her back to Grandma and Grandpa's for her to spend the rest of the day because that's what she wants to do. The rest of us come home and just veg all day. The house is a mess. Well, the dishes are done...big whoop. But I don't care about the mess. I've spent the day playing with my kids and having fun doing it. If anybody expects a house with 5 children all ages 6 and under to be clean, you are seriously delusional!

Madison should be home soon and I can't wait to tuck her into my bed again tonight! I love that strong-willed, firey, gentle, shy, loving little girl. With all my heart!!

Great day!

Praise the Lord I slept last night!!!!! I went to bed at 10 and woke up at 7:30!! Emma woke up to go potty at 2:30 but went straight to bed right after. I had a heart to heart with the girls before bed last night. I told them they could come in and snuggle me but they had to wait until the sun was in their window...and they did!!! I have realized that I really require 9 hours of sleep a night to feel fully awake and energized all day...I know that sounds lame, but it's true.

I actually showered uninterrupted and got make-up on to boot. Whoo-hoo it was a great morning! Madison helped me make blueberry muffins which the kids devoured like they hadn't eaten in days...I think I fed them last night, maybe not though. Madison and Marshall went to "story time" at our church (it's a new thing and they loved it!) while the rest of us went to Wal-Mart to get the supplies for the Abraham Lincoln log cabin.

We came home for nap and quiet time while Maddie and I started on her cabin...it took 4 hours and we're not done yet!!! (The thing is HUGE...we used 5 bags of pretzel logs!!!) We had sooo much fun just bonding pretzels and bonding with each other! (I don't know how to post my own pictures from my own camera because I'm a lame-o on the computer, but I'll have my love do it when he gets home on Tuesday. Can't wait.)

My Mom and Dad came over with some pizza for dinner and took Maddie and Marshall to spend the night and then the day with them tomorrow so I had some adult conversation and some relief when it came time for bed. The twins were exhaused and I didn't hear a peep out of them. Cooper is sick but he still plays like a maniac. I just put him down, no peeps from him either.

So I'm going to go and grab a whole bunch of Valentine candy, a sappy chick flick and crawl into my lonely bed.

It was a good day and I feel blessed and content!! (But I do miss my hubby!!)

Night Two

I'm hoping I get more sleep tonight than I did last night. My sweet Emma decided that last night she didn't want to sleep between the hours of 2:30 am and 4:30 am.

She first woke up at 1:30 and I bribed her with a Whopper to get back in her own bed (I know, I know, bad mommy). It worked for an hour.

She then was up every 5 to 10 minutes for who knows what...just walking into my room. I know it would have been easier to give in and let her crawl into bed with me, but I already had one squiggly child with me, Madison. (I had promised her she could sleep in the "big bed" when Daddy went on his trip...next time more thought goes into that promise!!) Anyway, it was the principle of the thing. I had told her no and I was sticking to my exhaused guns.

At about 3:30 (and this is a.m. people) I decide, maybe she'd stay in bed with her twin. Well yeah she did. Except she woke Halle up and they were playing Barbies and Dora.........ahhhhh! Got her back in her own bed again and Halle fell asleep right away. Not Emma. That girl has the will of iron she does.

So as I'm stuffing cotton in my ears and pulling the covers over my head at 4:30 I decide I am NOT going to preschool in the morning...oh yeah, didn't you know I teach 2 year olds on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30-1:30...cause I'm just not crazy enough yet! I'm thinking I'll call the director in the morning and make up some excuse like Cooper is sick or something. I turn off the alarm and rest easy with my decision.

Marshall wakes me up at 6:30 and I start getting ready for preschool cause I just don't have the heart to call on such short notice...dang work ethic. Normally we have 10 children in our class, only 4 kids show up...and 2 of those are mine. Miss Donna (my helper) and I just let the kids play all day and we decided that it's the kids that were sick that are the messy, loud ones cause we had a great, quiet, non-messy day today.

Tried to get a nap after school but Cooper had other plans. I think he's getting sick. No. I know he's getting sick. I wiped his green snot all afternoon and he's woken up about 5 times since he's been in bed.

Please God, just let me have a good night of sleep. I don't know if I can make it through the day tomorrow if I'm deprived of more sleep. I might "accidently lose" one or more of my children...that would be bad, very, very bad!

Okay, I'm going to bed now. The kitchen is clean. The clothes are folded (and put away honey!!). The children are in bed (for now). The cat is fed and happy. The dog is in her crate whining to go out...so I better take her out or she'll bark until I do.

Oh yeah, and I have to help Madison build a replica of Abraham Lincoln's log cabin home this weekend. It's due Tuesday. This was John's job. He doesn't get home 'til Tuesday...did I mention he procrastinates?!

Good-night.

Not her actual cabin, but it gives me ideas!!

Sad and lonely

John left today for 6 days at NRB. I'm sad and already missing my hubby. He's awesome...I don't tell him that enough.

Stressin'

It's been a good day, but it's been a hectic day in and out of the car. Madison's school, Marshall's preschool, MOPS, ballet for Madison and home again with three trips up the stairs carrying sleeping children and another for all the other junk that goes along with five children. Tonight Madison has basketball practice and my sweet husband has a Sunday School curriculum meeting and won't be there. Thank the good Lord above that my parents live close by and my saint of a mother is watching the twins for me while the rest of us go to the practice.

I remember that tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Okay, the kids and I just did their respective Valentine cards and inserted the pencils that go with them (that took longer than writing all the names on them). I'll have to make the chocolate chip cookies for the teachers tonight after basketball. Do I have anything for my sweet husband...uh that would be no. Will he get anything from me? Not anything that can be mentioned on this blog.

Now on to thinking of dinner, PB&J again (can you die from too much PB&J?) I guess I should start getting that together because I only have about 45 minutes before we need to get in the car for basketball...it takes longer than you think to make PB&J for 5 kids!

Oh, and as I was coming downstairs for a little "me" time (with Cooper in tow) I see that someone(s) who shall remain nameless (but their names ryhme with Calle and Jemma) have thrown a whole bowlful of leftover breakfast Coco Puffs down the stairs...minus the milk, they eat them dry...while I was helping Madison and Marshall with the Valentine cards. In addition to that they managed to put all their toys (Polly Pocket shoes included) in the middle of their room. It's actually quite a neat little pile.

Oh yeah, and John's leaving town for 6 days on Thursday. Yippee!

Sweet Kisses to Puppy Kisses...NOT the same!

Now I know what Lucy from "Peanuts" was talking about when she would declare, "AAAHHH!! Dog germs! I've been kissed by a dog and have dog germs!" For I too now have dog germs. And I did indeed screech, "AAAHHH!!"

I was scolding the dog for once again jumping over the gate that seperates the kitchen from the living room. I was holding her face to face so she could see just how upset I really was about her infraction of "the puppy rules". I was looking at her and she was looking at me with this pathetically sad puppy face and proceeds to reach forward and lick me when my mouth is wide open. Frenched by a dog. How disgusting...I have brushed my teeth several times just in case you were wondering.

(The picture is not our actual dog...but you get the idea!)

Favorite Time of the Day

My favorite time of the day is when my husband comes home. He's so incredibly handsome I can't stand it! I love the way his hair is turning gray and makes him look all the more delicious. I love the way he undoes his tie as he's walking up the stairs with a big grin on his face. I love the way the kids run to him screaming "Daddy's home!!", as if he's been gone for a year rather than a day. I love the to hear the laughter of him and the children upstairs all wrestling on the floor. I love the way he twirls them around. I love the way he can't remember the words to songs, but makes them up as he goes along and sings to the kids anyway. I love the way he has a one-sided dialogue with Cooper and makes up Cooper's answers for him! I love him. I love him. I love him...and he loves me!

(I just need to add a small PS here. As I'm writing this "love letter" about my husband, two things have happened. 1- Cooper fell down the stairs because someone, who shall remain nameless but his name rhymes with "Ron", left the gate open. 2-The dog chewed off one of beloved Hilton's ears. (Hilton is Cooper's monkey.) But I love that man, I do. I really, really do!)

Lazy

I am so lazy. While my little ones are napping and the older two are playing a video game downstairs, what do I do? Do I fold the 5 loads of laundry waiting in the baskets? Do I scrub my disgustingly dirty bathroom? Do I vacuum the carpet or mop the kitchen floor? Do I do any of the mundane things that REALLY need to be done? Absolutely not.

I instead grab a snack (only had half a bagel for lunch and I'm starving!!) and I head to the warm comfort of my own bed and turn on TLC...I'm addicted to "A Baby Story".

So now it's almost 4:30 and I have no plans for dinner, a babysitter coming at 6:30 so my hubby and I can go to our Bible study tonight, and my house is a mess. When am I going to learn to take the precious time I have to myself (which is not that much or that often) and make good use of it? Stupid comfortable bed. If only it didn't call to me so!

Sweet Kisses

We're walking in Wal-Mart the other day and something happened that has never happened before. I'm pushing Cooper in the cart and he takes one of his little hands and grabs my sweater and pulls me toward him. As we are almost nose to nose, he takes both his hands and puts them on either side of my face and squashes our noses togther. Then he opens his mouth as wide as he can and starts giggling so much his whole body shakes! It's then I realize that my little baby has just given me his first kiss! It's the best kind...all sloppy and toothy from his 7 little teeth. Wow. Being a mom is awesome!

Where have the chubby legs gone?

I wish I were talking about myself here, but alas I am not.

I am talking about my precious twins, Halle and Emma. They just turned 3 a few weeks ago and it seems like that was the magic day when the chub left their legs. I realized it tonight when they were running around in their short pj's.

Now I do give my children baths and I see their naked little legs all the time. But it was something about the shorts that made them look like little girl legs instead of baby girl legs. It made me cry.

I'm sad to see my babies growing up. I'm happy too. I know God has great plans for these cute, energetic, exciting, smart, full of life little ones. I just wish they could have chubby legs a little longer. I just love squeezing them. I love being their mom, and the mom to my other children as well.

Children truly are a gift from God. A gift that is too easily taken for granted. May I relish every moment with them...even when I want to pull my hair out. May I be reminded that youth is far too fleeting, and before I know it, they will be gone.

I love you my precious little ones. More than you can ever know.