Tell me it ain't so...

...that my daughter is "in love" with a rock star!

We're watching the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds 3D Concert on TV tonight. I'm shocked that she knows the words to EVERY song and is singing at the top of her voice. It's cute. Even if you can't really tell it's 3D with the cheap-o glasses she got free at Wally-Mart tonight with her Daddy.

Then (and this is where the world stands still) the JONAS BROTHERS come out!!! I think I've lost a little bit of my hearing what with her screaming unintelligable sounds of glee. Anyway, she's singing right along with them too, getting EVERY word...she doesn't have any of their music, so how she is able to accomplish this I have no idea. So, she's extremely happy and every so often gives little screams of delight. Then she and Marshall...who also has lost a little bit of his hearing...have this conversation:

Mad: There's Nick...I LOVE HIM!!

Mars: How can you love him? He's like 16.

Mad: He's only like 13.

Mars: Yeah, and you're what, 9?

Mad: So? That's only 4 years older. Daddy's 4 years older than Mommy and they love each other.

Mars: Yeah, but he doesn't know you.

Mad: Well that's a problem. I LOVE HIM!!! He's soooooo cute!!

Mars: (pauses for a moment) And to think you used to love Barney!

She's 9 going on 19...help me! Oh, and did I mention that ANY time she sees him on TV or any picture of him she wants me to confirm that he is TOTALLY CUTE AND ADORABLE?!

Kittens, kittens everywhere!!

I'm horrible at this blogging thing. I just can't seem to keep it going. It's not for lack of things to blog about. With 5 children I have WAY too much to blog about. I think maybe I'm intimidated by my blogger friends who seem to be able to effortlessly blog each and every day...some more than once a day...you know who you are Karen!! ;-)

Anyway, our cat had 5 kittens a few weeks ago and they are the most adorable things!! They are sweet and playful and I could eat up each and every one of them! They're still too little to leave their mama, but 2 are going next door to live (which makes Madison very happy that she can see them whenever she wants!!) and we are keeping 1. That leaves 2 more in need of a home. I've talked to some people and John even tried to give one as a 1st birthday present to Baby Kate. Her mommy...you know who you are Karen!!...said no.

Oh, and here's something almost unbelievable. There are alot of cats in the world, yes? Well, then why is it that 95% of the people I have talked to about getting a kitten say they are allergic? I find that statistically impossible. Some have even said "deathly allergic". I think they'd already be dead if they were truly deathly allergic. Cats are everywhere. And some of these "allergic people" have been in my house and (*gasp*!) touched our cats. Yet they continue to live. And those who didn't say deathly allergic didn't even sniffle or have their eyes water.

Things I Didn't Know Before I Was A Mom

*I didn't know I could "do my business" with the door open...every time.

*I didn't know I could survive on 30 minutes of sleep a night.

*I didn't know I could do 10 loads of laundry a day every day.

*I didn't know poop could be so colorful or a topic of conversation at dinner.

*I didn't know that kids could sleep on top of Hot Wheels and not feel them.

*I didn't know I would never again be able to take a shower in peace.

*I didn't know kids would eat anything if it's covered in either ketchup or ranch dressing.

*I didn't know that a 3 year old child could take up 99% of the room on a king size bed.

*I didn't know a child could produce so much snot in one blow.

*I didn't know a child could hold so much vomit.

*I didn't know a child could hold so much poop.

*I didn't know I could make the 5 mile trip to the hospital in 1 1/2 minutes at 2am.

*I didn't know how good a hug could feel.

*I didn't know I could love 5 little people so much.

Emma's Song

I overheard Emma in her room singing this little song...enjoy!


God loves me.
God loves me.
Even when I'm bad,
God loves me.
When I get dirty and mommy has to cut my fingernails to get the dirt out,
God loves me.
When I forget to pee and I pee in my pants,
God loves me.
I love God.
God loves me.
We are in love,
Oh, yes, we are in love.
I love God.
God loves me.
God, God, God.
Loves, loves, loves,
Me, me, me!

I'm figuring this out!!

Don't know how I'm doing it, but I've figured out how to put a whole bunch of stuff on my blog. As Madison would say, "Yea me!!"

I've been able to link to places I go, I added the little map thingy, and a counter at the bottom. I'm rockin' this tonight! Now if I could just figure out the picture thing, I'd be dangerous!

Good-night. I'm tired after all of this computer stuff.

Soooo, it's been a while!

Well, let's see. It's not that it's been boring around here, because it never is. I just haven't been feeling creative...sigh!

For the past two days we've had 8 children in our house. Some of our close friends were given the opportunity to go to Hawaii for 10 days, basically for free due to a timeshare that was paid for and frequent flyer miles they were able to use! We graciously agreed to help out with their kids while they are gone. I couldn't very well say no, they had helped watch ours while we went to NRB in Nashville, and it's HAWAII PEOPLE!!

It's been a lot of fun, although very hectic this morning as I was letting John sleep in...cause that's just how nice I am...and I was getting them all fed, dressed, shoes on, teeth brushed, and hair bows in 5 heads. By the time I got to Sunday School I was exhausted and hungry seeing as I had forgotten to eat myself...duh!

We went to the park this afternoon at Tribble Mill and had a fun time. I'm counting down the minutes until I can put the last four of them to bed...there's 3 minutes left of a Lego Star Wars video game for Marshall and Hogan and getting American Girl dolls into pj's for Madison and Gabby.

I'm tired.

My house is a WRECK.

Laundry has quadrupled.

There is standing water on the bathroom floor...I'm going to assume it's water.

I'd post some pictures, but I don't remember how and John's not here. He's at Starbucks...again, that's just how nice I am!!

Childhood dreams...poof

So my "tween"...a child between the ages of 8 and 12 for those of you too young to have a "tween"...Madison has believed in Santa since she was little. Now, I know there are a lot of people out there who don't want their kids believing in Santa. John was one of them. I however love, no really love, no really, really, really LOVE Christmas!! And that means everything that goes with it, including Santa. Not, however, to the exclusion of Christ. He is the center of our Christmas. Always has been and always will be. But I wanted the kids to experience the fantasy that is Santa. So we have been a Santa family from the beginning. (With Santa only filling the stockings so John could get credit for the big presents...men!)

Now Madison will be 9 in March and I knew her fantasy would be ending soon, if not from the influence of older friends, from her own intellect. It happened today. Darn-it. This morning she was asking me if Santa was real. I averted her question by saying I was concentrating on my email and we'd talk later. I ran upstairs to call John almost in tears. He of course calmed me down as he always does and reasoned with me. I sighed and hung up. Then she asked nothing all day. I was so happy. Until just about 10 minutes ago. In front of Marshall. Thankfully I could honestly tell him to get to bed while Maddy and I had a "girl talk".

She said she could kind of believe that Santa was real but found it silly (her word) that reindeer could fly. Why she thought an elderly chubby man could get to almost every house in the world in one night but reindeer couldn't fly is beyond me, but there you go. So I had to tell her the truth. I couldn't lie to her. And I had never lied to her before about it either. She just never asked the right question before tonight.

She said she was a little disappointed but that it did make sense to her. She promised she would not tell the little ones. She will act her part when she opens her stocking on Christmas morning. Then she realized it was John and I who had been eating the cookies all these years and cried foul!! Of all things to make her upset. That and the reindeer food that gets kicked off the porch instead of being eaten by reindeer. She's some kid that Maddy of mine!

Will update sooner or later...

Well, it's been kinda crazy around here. I haven't been around to blog too much lately. We were on vacation and while on vacation I received the news that my maternal grandfather had passed away. It wasn't a shock, he had been in hospice care for about 6 weeks, but it's still hard none the less. Harder still was the fact that my parents were on a mission trip in Mexico and I was tasked with getting a hold of them and passing the news on to my Mom...very sad. Then I had to call others in my family as well. I actually made John make most of the calls...I'm very weepy with that stuff.

Even harder than that is I'm not sure he was saved. He never showed evidence of it in his life, nor showed the desire for Christ. My parents and I would try and talk to both my grandparents when we would see them on vacations and such, but they never wanted to talk about it. Now I wished I had tied him to a chair and made him listen...but then it's not my job to save, it's God's, and He has a plan bigger than mine thankfully. His funeral was quite sad in that I think their pastor is not saved either...at least there was no evidence in the "message" he gave.

So anyway, I haven't felt much like blogging lately...although much has happened in our little world so I should. And I will. I just need to get back to my little home school world and our schedule.

So, until then...

New invention please!!

I really need someone to invent something for me. Would someone kindly invent disposable clothes? I mean, someone came up with disposable diapers...thank you very much Mr. Man whoever you are! Can't we apply the same principle to clothes? It wouldn't be as difficult as disposable diapers cause you don't have the need for absorbency. Well, maybe in the pits area.

I am so tired of laundry. I do like a trillion loads (and yes, it is a trillion cause I've counted as I've done them) and then 2 days later (and yes, it is 2 days later) there's another trillion loads waiting to be done. I'm staring at the stinkin' stuff right now. Ew. Don't want to. Wish the kids were old enough to. At least I've got them folding and putting away the clean clothes. That's a huge help. And no, the clothes are not folded perfect but I really don't care if I go around wrinkled. The fact that I can find A) clothes that fit B) clothes that are clean and C) clothes that match is HUGE in my book!!

Maybe I should just have the kids run around naked and only get dressed when we go somewhere. Hmmm. That's a thought I'll have to give serious consideration to. Although then there'd be all these naked butts on my couch. Ew. Gross.

So, I'm back to asking someone to invent disposable clothes. Seriously. Please.

That's my Marsh-Man!

Conversation Marshall and I just had...

Marshall: Mommy, see my ears?

Me: Yeah.

Marshall: Did you see them move?

Me: (looking closely)Yes, I guess they did move.

Marshall: Yeah, I'm like a dog. A dog can move it's tail. I can move my ears! But I can't move my butt cheeks. I've tried. But I just can't. And my penis. I can't control my penis.

Me: (Laughing my butt cheeks off!!)Well, yeah, I can tell that from the bathroom!

Success!

Couch cushion covers clean.

No shrinking, shredding, or shriveling.

Lots of sweat getting them back on!!

Children given speech about no eating or drinking on couch anymore.

Will give hubby same speech later.

I rock!

(Okay, I know y'all are probably thinking, "what's the big deal? I've washed my couch cushion covers a million times"...well, I didn't know you could. There I've said it. I know they have zippers on them, but I just thought that was to get them on in the first place. I didn't know you could wash them. I'm glad that's off my chest. I feel much better.)

Let's Pray...

...that I haven't ruined our couch.

It's been getting pretty dirty what with five messy, sticky, drippy children running around. Not to mention the dog and 3 cats.

I decided that I should try and wash the covers of the cushions. They are in the washer about to be put in the dryer and I am praying they don't shrink, shrivel, or shred. If they do come out as they were before...although clean of course...pray my children don't hear any words come out of my mouth that shouldn't as I'm trying to squeeze the cushions back into the covers. They make those suckers tighter than a frogs water-proof behind!!

Anyway, I'll let you know how it turns out. My hubby won't be too happy if I tell him we need new couches!!

All is quiet

That's right. It is quiet around here. Well, there is still the yelling, running, laughing, fighting, whining, loud talking, wrestling, and what-not-nonsense that has always been around. But the crinkle is gone.

Almost as quickly as Marshall...see previous post...Cooper has conquered the toilet. No more diapers except at night. He refuses to wear one anymore. Not even in the car when I'm sure he's going to let it flow, let it flow, let it flow. But he doesn't. He just lets us know when he has to go, and does. Sometimes he just brings us his underwear and lets us know he's just gone...see previous post.

Just wanted to let the world know that after 8 1/2 continuous years of changing wet, stinky, sometimes downright nasty pants (and sometimes other body parts as well, depending on how nasty the pants were), it's over. Sad. Happy. I don't know which one to choose.

Whoever said...

that potty training girls was easier than boys is full of...well, full of what goes in the potty!!

I've been delaying potty training Cooper just because...well, I don't know, laziness? Knowing he's my last baby? Thinking this is the last little tushy to make that cute crinkling sound as he runs around in a diaper? Everyone telling me to "he's a boy, wait until he's at least 3!"?

Well, whatever the reason, I just decided that I should at least try. I mean, Marshall (and I am NOT exagerating at all people) potty trained himself. He said he wanted to use the potty one day at church...before he was 3...I rolled my eyes and said, sure honey. He went and that was all she wrote. No accidents. None. Not one. Ever. Used the potty from that day on. Don't know why he chose that day. Don't know how he did it. Don't really care. It was over before it began in my book! So much easier than Madison had been since she pooped her panties til she was 3 1/2.

So with the Coop, on Monday I put him in his big boy underware. Told him what to do. He sat there. Did it and he got his candy that I promised. I have to say, I was slightly shocked that at the first try he accomplished his goal. 45 minutes goes by. Same story. It has been 4 days, and he has had about 5 accidents, but in my mind, that's pretty darn good. And he's been going when I'm not even in the bathroom with him. I'll be in the basement and he calls to me and says he did it. I go check, and yes, the evidence is there that he has indeed relieved himself by hinself.

Today was huge because he hadn't yet pooed in the toilet. But I was again in the basement and hear his little voice calling to me saying he had done his business. I go upstairs and find (faint of heart should stop reading here...seriously...last chance) a huge stinking poo bomb. I didn't know he could do such a large doo-doo. I'd never seen anything that big in his diapers before. But there it was. I made such a racket over it oohing and ahhing that the other kids came running...my other four and the three friends we had over...that's 9 people all crowded into a teeniny little bathroom. Cooper starts high-fiving everyone out of joy and pride.

My baby is growing up. And I'm ready to be done with diapers...I think!

I'm Ba-ack!

This is really just a test to see if I remembered how to do this...I didn't. It took me forever. Well, and the fact that the whole system had changed, and I had to create a new account or something like that. I'm not sure what I did exactly. I'm computer illiterate. I don't know what I'm doing most of the time.

Well, it's late and as I said, I just wanted to do this test. I don't think anybody even reads my blog...maybe a few did at one time here and there, but really, how long could I expect those few to continue checking after a few months has gone by.

And Karen, if you are reading this, please excuse all of the mistakes I've made in grammar, punctuation, etc...it's REALLY late for me and I'm not all that good at that stuff when I'm not tired!!

OH NO!!

What does not make for a happy mommy?

White laundry, red crayon, dryer.

Oh yeah.

That's what happened to me today.

I almost died right there on the basemement floor.

I'm in the midst of doing laundry and packing for our trip to Florida that we leave on tomorrow. Everthing is going great. The house is reasonably clean, I've wrapped all the presents, have all ingriedients for the cookies I'm going to make later in the day, kids are happily playing together, lending a hand to me when needed. I go to get the white load out of the dryer so I can get the last few items to pack (mostly socks and panties for the girls, although there are also some white turtlenecks they need too) and I am met with a sight foreign to me.

At first, it doesn't register. I'm confused. I thought it was some trick of the dim light over the laundry area. But confusion turns to shock and then utter disbelief as I pull out item after item and it is smeared with red streaks. AHHHHH!!! is all I think. Okay, I actually did let out a small, quiet scream...can you blame me?

I IM my husband at work thinking he'll rush home to help me in my hour of need. Nope. Just offers sympathy and a computer hug. Thanks. Just what I need. (I didn't really think he'd come home, I didn't even ask, but I guess I was hoping he'd just offer?!)

I quickly google how to remove crayon stains from laundry. I love google. I mean I LOVE GOOGLE. I was able to find information on how to remove the nasty stains using 4 different laundry soaps, bleaches, stain removers, etc., none of which I have in my home. I'm desperate so I throw clothes at the kids (yes, we were all still in jammies), we all jump in the car, run through the rain to Publix, buy the stuff, run home, do what I was told on google and HOLY COW...IT WORKED!!! Well, not perfect. But honestly, I don't care about the socks (except the lacey ones I just bought the twins) or the panties. But the stuff I scrubbed and worked on, it's spotless...SPOTLESS!!!!!!!

So, if this ever happens to you. Just email me, or google it. Did I mention I LOVE GOOGLE!!! And this stain remover called "Zout"! I love Zout!

I love fall!

It's official! My favorite time of the year is fall.

We went to the "Apple Pickin' Jubilee" in Ellijay this past weekend with some friends from church and had a blast! The kids had such a good time with all the activities. There were pig races, pedal cars, tractor trikes, hay ride (okay, there's no hay, but that's what they call it!), zip line, playground with massive in-hill slide, petting farm (with the cutest puppies, kittens, chicks, lambs, goats, and even a calf you've ever seen!), you can milk a real cow, a bee demonstration, cloggers, singers, and of course apple picking.

And really, is there anything more delicious than hot apple cider donuts with cold apple cider to wash them down? YUMMY!!

We picked a huge amount of apples. So far we've had apple slices (obviously the easiest to manage!), made homemade apple sauce (which John declared was the best part of Monday's dinner), and apple bread (which all the kids except Halle declared they did not like. Oh well, more for me and Halle!). I'm going to attempt to make apple butter and apple jam. I just have to get the neccessary tools for such an undertaking.

It has been wonderful smelling the cinnamon in our house for the past few days. That plus having the windows open has sealed in my mind that the best season is, and forever will be, fall.

Nasty Camel Crickets...

...or any bugs for that matter.

Madison has this intense love for anything creepy and crawly, or cute and cuddly. It doesn't matter. She just loves animals and bugs. Go figure that I would have a daughter that loves nasty little creepy crawly things. (Well, I do love animals too, just not the bug thing!)

So as I'm sitting here checking my email, they find a camel cricket which is quickly named "Hoppy". They run upstairs to get a container and before you can say jump, "Hoppy" is living inside. I did make them release him outside. Madison actually cried as she said, "Farewell Hoppy. I will miss you and your jumps. Don't ever forget me. I love you."

She's so weird!! Gotta love her!

Wow!!! I actually remember how to do this!

Okay, it's been WAY too long since I've blogged. I guess I just got lazy. So, I'm back and now let's see what I can blog about. Um, oh, I know, my mattress story...

So, the other day Cooper is sleeping (yeah) and the others are playing nice and quiet in Madison's room (yeah again!!). I was so in need of some quiet "mommy time". I'm relaxing, reading, enjoying my time. After about 45 minutes I think I should just check on the kids. They're not being "uh oh, it's too quiet" quiet, it's just time to check.

I open Madison's door and am staring at 4 naked children with Madison's mattress hanging off her bed. It takes me a minute to focus. Then I notice they are wet. Hum, wierd.

Me: "Where's the water?"
Them: Silence
Me: "Where's the water guys?"
Them: Silence
Me: "Last time, where's the water guys?"
Them: (all at once) "It was Madison, it was Marshall, it was Halle, it was Emma."

'Whatever', I think as I reach over to pull her mattress back on her bed. When I do this I realize it's SOPPING WET!!!!!

They were sliding down Madison's mattress when Marshall got the idea that it would be "FASTER" and "FUNNER" if it had water on it, like a water slide. They were naked because they knew they'd get in trouble if their clothes got wet...true, but I don't understand how that concept couldn't be transfered to the mattress...kids.

Oh, and then Madison decides that's the perfect time to hand me a bucket full of pee. They were having such fun they didn't want to leave the room to go to the bathroom. Great. Nice. Thanks. I was assured that none of it was on the floor or mattress. Again, great. Nice. Thanks.

Such is my life. Oh, and did I mention we've started homeschooling these little loves?!

Only in the movies...or our house!!

Okay, so there are scenes that can only happen in movies, right? Nope. They happen at our house all the time. Like today for example. It started right after John left for work. The kids toilet was not working, John forgot to plunge it before he left. Not kidding that 5 minutes after he left, the toilet in the master bath overflowed...thankfully nothing gross in there, but it's still gross none-the-less. I know what you're thinking, why didn't you plunge it yourself? Well, I'm plunger-challenged. I can't do it to save my life. Don't know what's so hard about it, but I am incapable.

So, we're doing pretty good. The kids toilet will flush, just not everything goes down...so we use their toilet for our "business". About 3 o'clock, I hear Cooper stirring from his nap and I think I should take the dog out quick before Cooper really wakes up for good in about 2 minutes. (She's inside today because it's rainy, and I can't leave her out. She's in her crate because she's such a wild beast, she just tackles the kids...but she really does love her crate.) So I have the leash in hand opening the first lock and I hear a scream coming from my room and running. The girls were watching a video. I quickly close the lock, Dancer starts barking and pawing like mad at the cage. I run upstairs to find Emma running down the hall vomiting as she goes.

So, now I have two toilets that don't work, a vomiting child, vomit all down the hall and in my room (plus all over a library book...nice...my shoes...nice...and a bag of Christmas bows under the bed...nice again) Cooper screaming in his crib, a dog barking downstairs, and Halle standing on my bed crying and saying something, which by the way, she's not wearing pants because she for some reason refuses to poop in the potty and I refuse to let her wear pull-ups and I'm sick to death of cleaning poop out of her panties, and I'm unable to make out what she's saying (stupid twin-speak) and I think she's telling me she's just pooped in my bed! (Thankfully she was just pointing out the vomit!!)

I throw Emma in the tub after a quick hose-down and tell her to just play for a minute. I try calling my mom who had taken Madison and Marshall home from VBS. No answer. No answer on her cell phone, it's not even on, just clicks right to voicemail. I am screaming into the phone, "That's what they're for woman...turn it on!!" and realize I've just left that on her voicemail. I frantically call John because I need some serious help here. He says he can come home if I really need him. I tell him to give me 5 more minutes to try and get Mom but to be ready. After 5 minutes, no mom. I try calling him over and over and over and over...where the heck is he? After 30 minutes (I did get Cooper up finally after about 15 minutes and just put a huge box to block the hallway) I get my mom and ask her to come over right away and to bring some carpet cleaner because I'm out.

Mom comes to my rescue and I scrub the floor. I use an entire bottle of carpet cleaner. I call John and have him pick some up on his way home, cause I need to clean it again. That's what I'm going to do right now.

So that was my day. Aren't you jealous?