No, She's Still Julia Julia Julia the Destroyer......

A couple of nights ago, Julia was having an especially hard time going to sleep and staying in bed. (The emphasis would be on especially, since almost every night is a struggle with her.) She got up several times needing to tell me "just one thing". I put an end to it (ha) and finished some work on the computer and relaxed for a while longer. It got late, I was tired, and I knew I had a couple of loads of towels to fold sitting on my bed. I opened my bedroom door (where Joshua was already sleeping in his bed) to find :

One little girl spread out across my bed - which, in case you were wondering, was most certainly made before she got in it and messed it up.

Four crayons neatly broken in half and placed on the bathroom counter.

Fifty-four beads arranged in Julia's next new necklace design.

Five library books out of their basket and two loads of clean laundry spread across my floor and the bed.

You can imagine my excitement, I'm sure. Without a doubt, her little behind would have had some action if she had been awake.

Extrememe Makeover

How could I forget to mention that my precious little angels gave me a makeover tonight??? Story time was over and they were giving me my hugs and kisses when they suddenly decided they wanted to give me a "monster makeover". Let's face it, it was after 10:00 at night and I only got 5 hours of sleep last night, so I was already looking "monsterish" without their help.....but hey, it's all about the kids so I let them have their fun. I really should have taken a picture of the new look but like I already mentioned, I was TIRED. They gave me bows and jewelry and a new hairdo and a sword and perfume. Quite the little ensemble. They were giggling their little bobos off. It was so stinkin' cute! (Them, not me.)

Summer Plans, Swimming Suit Blues, Roller Skatin' Fool

Today we were finally able to have a summer kind of day. I've had at least one sick kid constantly since school has been out until today! Bleh. Julia had a fever of almost 104 last week, poor baby.

You'd think with all that staying at home and not going anywhere because of being contagious, I would have at least been thinking up a plan of fun things to do once everyone was well. But alas, I am not that smart. So tonight I have been quite disappointed to find that many of the really cool summer programs for John David are full. I want to take the kids swimming a lot, but that's going to be kind of hard unless I can find a pool that has a kiddie area. The pools that I've found so far don't have that and they also don't allow any kind of floaties - just life jackets. That's no good for us. PLUS, you can't take in your own food and drinks!

And of course, there's the swimsuit dilemma. As in, I don't have one. If there's any one thing I deplore shopping for, it would have to be a bathing suit. Do I a) go for the skirted one that covers up more of me but ages me 15 or 20 years? Or do I b) get a really cool looking, more modern suit that may will most definitely show just how badly I need to go on a diet? OR c) Just wear an extra large long black tee shirt over whatever old swimming suit I can find on the clearance rack? I'm sure I'll figure something out.

Some things we want to do here in town this summer:

• train museum
• butterfly conservatory
• pick blackberries at the farm and/or go to the farmer's market
• castaway cove water park
• Kell House Museum (an old house - think plantation style - that's still furnished and in tact)
• picnic at the park
• swim swim swim
• ride the trolley around town

Now I just have to figure out how to add these things in to the normal everyday things like cooking, shopping, cleaning, bathing (ok, I admit it, bathing is not an everyday thing here. there's just not always time! we have lots of washcloth baths before bedtime.).

Tonight I cooked mickey mouse spaghetti (mickey shaped pasta!) and we ate outside. Then we played for a long time. John David got some roller skates today so he was rolling around on those while the girls played with the riding toys. That boy wore his skates all afternoon and night until I made him take them off for bedtime. He was so cute! He's really gotten pretty good at it too. It's just amazing how many things he's learning in such a short period of time. I should also mention that he's now playing the piano. He seems to really enjoy sitting down and practicing his songs. I'll put a video up soon.........

Joshua Clay at Four Months Old

Dirty Little Secret

I was in the kitchen today and turned just in time to see John David chugging juice from the jug. As the jug was on his mouth he turned and saw me looking at him. He knew he was busted! He put the juice down and said, "Aw man! You finally found out my little secret!" He thought it was so funny and was really giggling as he told me he'd been doing it all week without getting caught. I might have thought it was a little more funny if he hadn't just had a contagious virus on Monday!

If You're Happy

Aulora's favorite song right now is "If You're Happy and You Know It". She LOVES when I sing that to her and she just dances and does all the motions. We were sitting in the living room tonight and, although she hardly even talks yet, she was laying on the floor singing it to herself. I wish my camera had been handy - it was too cute!

Important Things

After dinner tonight (ahem, a dinner of homemade chicken fried steak, gravy, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, rolls, and chocolate pie.....made by.....ME!) John, Matt, John David and one of the dogs went on a walk to check on the progress they're making on the golf course we live next to. They had been gone a while and Julia asked where they were. Gran told her where they had gone and then said, in a somewhat sarcastic tone, that she needed to learn the important things in life. Julia interrupted and said, "I already know all of the important things in life - houses, cars, and golf clubs!"

Oh, brother. I know I didn't teach her that! =)

What a Hottie

I was in the twilight zone last night. Julia didn't feel good after church - she didn't want anything to eat, didn't want pajamas, didn't want to make a mess anywhere, nothing. She just wanted to go to bed. When we got home, she went upstairs and put herself in bed and was asleep within moments. Wow. I should have known better though. Before I went to sleep myself, I went in to check on her and the other kids. She was burning up with a fever over 103. We finally got it down with some tylenol and cool cloths. She's better this morning, but sadly she's missing her last day of school. (Sad for her and for me! I was going to get a lot done today! hahaha) She's now entertaining Aulora by playing Dora games on the computer.

In other news, John David locked himself outside for a good while this morning. He went out to see the dogs on the deck and the door locked behind him. I still thought he was just down at the table playing with his toys since I couldn't hear him knocking while up in our room with the fan on taking care of Joshua. I finally heard the door bell ringing over and over. He'd gone around to the front after a while. Poor guy. Now he smells like dog and stinky outside smell. Maybe I'll put him back outside.......

A Moment of Horror

I was soooo tired today, so when it was time to feed Joshua and Aulora was still finishing her nap, I laid down on my bed. If you're a mom then you know how it's possible to half sleep and half watch your children. Granted, you're not doing either one of those things very well but whatever.

I was aware that Julia was in my bathroom and I woke up enough to tell her to get out of my make-up. She stopped so I was satisfied. The next time I woke up a little I looked over to see the toilet lid open. That can spell trouble so I immediately got up and went in the bathroom. Julia's pants and panties were on the floor, the potty is clogged, and there was no Julia. This is good news and bad news. The pants aren't wet and the potty is used so there's no mess for me to clean up somewhere. However, it's bad news that Julia is not around. That can mean a multitude of things, especially since she's probably naked from the waist down.

I set out to find her. I only got to the bedroom door when I see her coming across the balcony with a big black plunger in her hands. She was holding it down by the actual plunging part! EWWWWW! (This would be the moment of horror to which the title refers in case you weren't sure.) And then she put it between her naked legs and started galloping and saying yee-haw like she was riding on a horse. I almost passed out right then and there. Have you seen the new Indiana Jones movie yet? You know the part where they're scrubbing him down after the bomb? Or maybe you've seen Monsters Inc. where a child's sock is discovered on one of the monsters and it's sheer panic as the detox team rushes in?

Yeah.

You've Got a Friend in Me (Toy Story, Anyone?)

The other day John David made the mistake of finding me to tell me he was bored. When I was growing up, that was just something you did not want to do because Momma was going to find you something to do so you wouldn't be bored.

I'm pretty sure John David won't be telling me that anymore since he got to sweep all the floors. He wasn't too thrilled about it either. His grandma walked in and said, "John David, you're sweeping the floors - how nice!" He responded, "Well, it wasn't in my mind to do it so it's not pleasant!"

Tonight, as we were laying on a blanket at the park having dinner, he asked Daddy, "Why do movies always have to end with people kissing?" John answered, "Well, they always try to have happy endings." John David said, "I wish they wouldn't do that - it embarrasses me when I'm with my family." He went on to say that it's ok if he's with his friends though. We told him that was silly - we were the ones who sees him naked and all kinds of stuff. He shouldn't be embarrassed around us!

He is just getting so old! He's 7 1/2 so I'm used to the growing fast stuff, but this is new. This maturing and getting wise. Am I ready for this?!? I love how he's fun to be around and have conversations with. He really helps with the younger kids and is such a little man. A funny little man, I should say. He can really make me laugh. Who else swims with goggles in the bath tub? Who else drops their drawers all the way to the ground every time just to stand in front of the toilet to pee? Who walks around squeezing bellies and peeps saying, "Belly belly belly, peep peep!"? (You have to see that one.)

And do you know that he has learned to swim, ride a bike, snap, dribble a basketball, whistle, and say all 66 books of the Bible?

And do you know that I had my very first kiss when I was his age??? I sneaked into the manger prop at our church and kissed another little boy my age. I don't know why - he wasn't even cute. But that's not the point. The point is - I was John David's age!

Anyway, tonight, on that picnic blanket, I was happily envisioning many years of friendship and laughter between us and our children. It thrills me to know that just as my parents were people I enjoyed being around and had lots of fun with (and still do), our children will have that same experience with us. It's sad to think of how fast time is going by, but I really can't wait for all the fun times still to come. I love you, John David!!!

Excuse me, you're HOW old???

Last week Julia came into the kitchen with something black on her eyes. When we asked her what it was she kept covering her face up and saying, "Don't look! Don't look at me!" Obviously, I had to know what it was at that point so I pulled her hand away to discover mascara on her eye. What?!? She said she was just trying out my eye brush.

Then yesterday she kept holding the inside of her thighs and rubbing them as she walked around. I asked if she needed to go potty. No. I asked her if her legs were itchy. No. What's wrong with you???

"I just wanted to try your scraper."

"My what?"

"Your scraper!"

I looked at her legs and then it dawned on me. "You mean my razor???"

"Yeah!"

So now my four year old baby has razor cuts up both her legs. Scary! I should have known I needed to hide my razor from her!

All I know is she better not walk downstairs wearing a push-up bra.......

Field Day

John David had field day at school last Wednesday. I took the kids up to see him in action. I think he was quite pleased to have us there watching. Excuse his mismatched clothes in the pictures please - they made him change his plain white shirt to a red uniform shirt since it wasn't a spirit tee shirt. Oh well. =) It was a fun day.....

Stinky Breath

The kids are close by in the living room and I overheard this conversation that was making me laugh:

JD: Julia, get away from me! You have stinky breath!

Julia: How do you know I have stinky breath?

JD: Because I can feel it! Now get your head away!

Julia:But why do I have stinky breath?

JD: I don't know - you just do. Now get your stinky breath away!

Being silly in our jammies.....

Picking Strawberries

Last weekend we went to an orchard just outside of town to pick strawberries. It was such a great experience! It made me want to live on the farm and have a big garden. =) I think we all enjoyed ourselves, but Aulora had the most fun. She LOVED eating strawberries - leaves and all! Daddy was worried she was going to have quite the stomach ache but she did fine. Funny thing is, she never wanted to eat a strawberry before that day and she hasn't touched one since. I guess it was just a lot of fun to eat something off the ground! We also got to eat lots of pecans. Daddy sat under a shade tree with Joshua and shelled them for us and we would trade him good strawberries when we found them so everyone was happy. John David was multi-tasking since he was hunting both strawberries and a "weta beetle". I think that's what it's called. He saw a picture of one at school and has been obsessed. It's a beetle the size of your hand - so gross! I'm glad he only found strawberries. =)

We ate at Cracker Barrel after the orchard and that night we grilled chicken at home along with John's parents and made homemade strawberry ice cream. Soooo good!!!

Next month blackberries will be ready for picking. I wonder if I can talk anyone into taking me again.......

He's Done!

My boy's done with the first grade! He got all A's and was even commended for his high SAT scores in the award ceremony along with a few other kids in the school. He did not receive the conduct award (hahaha) but we'll try again next year for that one! He is super duper excited to now be a second grader. Second grade. SECOND. Oh my........

Julia's First Ballet Recital

Julia's first ballet recital was on Sunday, May 18th in the Wichita Theater downtown. Her teacher's name is Ms. April and she has lessons once a week on Tuesday evenings. She started her lessons the beginning of this year and she has really enjoyed it. I was a little worried that she would not want to perform at the last minute because of some things she had been saying, but she did great.

The video is of Julia's second song which I had a much better seat for and she was a lot more comfortable on. The first song was a bunny song and they all had on bunny ears - so cute! The sound system cut out in the middle of that song though so they all just stood there for a few moments not knowing what to do. It's a pretty old theater so I guess that shouldn't have been a big surprise.

My parents flew in from Colorado to go to the recital and John's mom left the house for the first time since her fall to go. This was a very special day! All the grandparents, Mimi (Julia's great grandma), Uncle Maka and Aunt Kara, Mommy, Daddy, John David, Aulora and Joshua were there. After the performance we all went to The Jalapeño Tree and ate dinner in the party room. It was a wonderful day!

Scary Night

I was nursing Joshua to sleep tonight and had the girls in their room watching a video to keep them occupied and quiet. Just as I got him to sleep, there was a horrible crash. I ran to their room and found Aulora under the chest and Julia under the big tv. I put Joshua on the floor and quickly tried to get them out. John's dad was there within a few more moments and he helped move the tv. It was VERY heavy. The girls were both crying so hard and I thought for sure they were going to be hurt badly. They both ended up with knots on their heads and Julia has a smashed nose and cheek too. Maybe a black eye or two also. We'll see in the morning. I'm so incredibly thankful that's all that happened though. They could have been killed! Angels were watching them, I know.

Apparently, Aulora was climbing on the drawers and that's what caused the crash. I never thought those wall anchors were necessary, but I bet you can guess what I'll be buying this week. Please, please, please make sure your kids are safe too. Don't wait for an accident to happen. =(

Afterwards, as I was holding both of them on the floor and rocking back and forth, Julia was still crying and kept saying to me, "You should have been there! You should have been watching us!" It was breaking my heart. I told her that I couldn't always be right beside her to watch over her and that was why I always ask Jesus to watch her and send angels to protect her too. I know there are going to be so many times in their sweet lives that I can't protect them the way I want to. How wonderful to know that even when Mommy or Daddy aren't there, Jesus is.

Oh yeah.....my cell phone story.....

I forgot to tell my amazing cell phone story! I just got my new phone and only had it a few days when it got left in my jean pocket and put in the washing machine. We have front loading machines so even though I realized what I had done before the cycle was over, I couldn't open the washer. I had to just stand there and watch it swirl around. =( Afterwards, I took it out and watched the water jiggle around in the screen. Double =(. I let it dry for a few days - it's so not fun to not have a cell phone when you're used to having it all the time. I finally plugged it in and do you know that it works??? Isn't that amazing? So now I have a working phone and it's clean and good smelling too!

What a great weekend.....

My parents left to go back home this afternoon. We had a great time! We were able to do so much in the short time they were here. There was McDonald's, swimming, tea at the tea room for the girls, donut breakfast, strawberry picking at the farm, playing outside, church, ballet recital, eating out and Chuck E. Cheese's! The kids are sleeping like rocks right now. =) I have tons of pictures and videos but I'm ready to go sleep like a rock myself.

John David only has 3 1/2 days of school left. That's just so crazy!!! I'm sure the summer will go by super fast and then he's going to be in the second grade. Wow. I remember soooo much about second grade. I hope he has really great memories one day like I do.

Just wait until you see pictures from the ballet recital. Oh my goodness. I know Julia is my daughter and all, but I'm telling you - she was adorably gorgeous. I will never forget that special day for the rest of my life.

I had a nursery meeting today at 5:00. I'm not in charge of the nursery here, but I'm one of the "team captains". There's a team captain for each week of the month. It felt kind of good to be back in the saddle for ministry things. It will be interesting to see how I can handle this though. It's usually all I can do to just be at church with all my kids, much less do something at church! And most days when I'm working, John will also be working in the preschool department so it's not like I can just dump the kids on him. I'm sure we can manage.

Sandy is doing better. She went to the specialist today and found out that her shoulder is broken into three parts. She doesn't have to have surgery though so that's good news. In a couple of months she should be back to mostly normal. In the meantime, she can't really drive or do much else with her right arm/hand. So again, this will be interesting.

A Big Fall

John's mom fell and broke her arm and shoulder too (I think) this evening. It was just me and the kids home with her and she landed flat on her back. It was a scary thing! I called John's dad and had him come home right away and he took her to the ER. She's home now until she can get in for surgery. Silly lady - all she could think about as she was laying on that floor was all the things she needed to get done. It's her right arm too. =( We're going to have some tough weeks ahead, I'm sure. Don't expect too much blogging!

BTW, while she was having her x-rays done, we were home eating steaks from the grill. Isn't that horrible sounding? But we couldn't be at the ER with the kids, I had already cooked dinner, and we needed to eat. I felt kind of bad though. Fast food would have felt more appropriate, don't you think?

Blog Sloth

No, I haven't been dog paddling in the depths of icky sick stuff all week. I haven't been on vacation. I haven't even had an incredibly busy few days. I've just been a blog sloth. Sorry. I apologize. Let me see if I can get out of my slump......

• Mother's Day was great. Went to church, had a nice lunch here at home that my sister-in-law and brother-in-law headed up, and then went to a Mom's night at church with the kids. We played games, made a craft, did a 3 legged race (although we actually had 4 legs because I raced with John David and Julia both), and bounced in the bounce house. What a sight. Pictures and video will be posted another day. My kids got me handmade cards and flowers and sooooo much love. It was super sweet. My husband got me a new perfume set. I like Mother's Day. =)
• John David has learned (finally) to ride his bike without training wheels! Again, videos will be posted later. [read: I'm not totally out of blog sloth mode yet.]
• Julia had her last ballet lesson before her recital this coming Sunday. For two lessons in a row they have allowed parents to come in the dance room to watch their performance. I seriously don't think I ever smiled as big as I did when I watched her that first week. I absolutely CAN NOT WAIT until Sunday afternoon! Especially now that she has her recital costume - it's just as girly as can be!
• My parents are flying in late tonight and get to stay a few days!
  
• David Cook needs to win AI. I LOVE that guy! He's been my favorite for awhile now. Sorry, David A.
• Remind me to tell you a funny story about my cell phone. (No, this is not slothful procrastinating. My baby is crying and needs me now.)

More later..........................

You Know What's Great About A Seven Year Old?

They can make it to the bathroom in time when they have to throw-up. At 6:00 in the morning, that's a super duper bonus.....

Progress Report

Today was sooooo much better. Obviously, if you read my blog, you know that my day wasn't filled with roses and bubble baths. BUT, I was determined to keep a good attitude and be loving towards my children at ALL times. What a difference it made. Even when they were whiny or disobedient, I was able to stay very calm and handle it well. Julia did MUCH better today as a result. I'm too tired to go into any specifics now. It just feels so good to know that I can do this.

Btw, John David is all better now. Thank the Good Lord above. =)

Laid or Layed? Either way, that's what our best plans were.....

This morning was a Mom's Breakfast at John David's school from 7:30-9:00. It was a come and go thing so we decided to leave at 8:15. I got up at 6 something to get ready. Then I fed and readied Joshua. Julia was next and lastly John David. (Aulora was and is still sleeping.) While Julia was eating breakfast I was helping John David get ready. From the start he was hunched over in pain saying his stomach hurt. In an effort to determine whether it was real or just "I want to go back to bed" kind of pain, I told him that it was ok if he was sick and we had to miss the breakfast, but if he wanted to go he needed to get ready. I came back in a couple of minutes to find him on the potty with, ahem, the "squirties". (Should this post have a disclaimer? Sorry.) He's only experienced this one other time in his life so he was pretty impressed with the whole thing. (I'll spare more details at this point.) I helped him clean up and get dressed, but before we could go downstairs he had to go again. So we undressed and repeated the whole process. Clock is ticking and it's now 8:35.

Finally, he was dressed and ready again, with spare underoos in his backpack. We were halfway down the stairs when he stopped and his eyes got really big. "What's wrong, Buddy?" (I was dreading the answer.) "I just pooped in my pants! For the first time ever I just pooped in my pants! Aw man!" You would think this would be accompanied by some sense of "Ew gross!" but no, it was more of a "Whoa cool!" kind of attitude.

Back to the bathroom we went - me walking and him kind of waddling with his newfound coolness in tow. Again, I suffered through his impressed comments, his bad sense of timing, and general grossness that only a mom is expected to put up with.

We left the house at 8:45 to drive the 3 minutes to the school. We rushed into the gym to enjoy our 12 short minutes of Mommy Breakfast time, only to find they had already put it all away and wiped down the tables and counter. Now he was crying because he really wanted donuts. (So the truth comes out - it had nothing to do with mommy at all. It was all about the donuts.) I told him we would find a donut place and go on our own. I had to go back home to get money and then we were off.

We walked in the donut place and realized it was owned by the family John tutors for. As I was about to pay, John David said, "My daddy tutors your kids!" I introduced ourselves and the lady was so happy to meet us that she gave us our breakfast for free. (That's always nice!) Our Mommy Breakfast was back on track now and we were enjoying our time.

It was short lived though. John David was about halfway through when he looked up at me and said, "Oh no. I just did it again. Ehhhhhh....." At least he was now displaying the proper sense of disgust. I had nothing to clean him up with so I told him I would take him back home to clean up and change. It must have been one heck of a donut though because he continued sitting there eating it until it was all gone.

We got home, he waddled up the stairs and into the bathroom. I stripped him down and cleaned him up. I made the decision that he should probably stay home for now and so he is currently sitting naked on a towel in the bathroom reading a Star Wars book. I guess all's well that ends well......

He's Still Working On Me

I'm making a renewed effort tonight to:

• spend more quality time with my kids (especially Julia)
• not raise my voice at them in an unnecessary way (especially Julia)
  
• focus on their good qualities rather than constantly get frustrated over their failings
• put them before me
• teach them the Word

This comes from a deep disappointment in myself in the way I've handled them lately. I think I've done a decent job for having so many children, but I don't want to give them any less as a parent because there are 4 of them and not just 1 or 2 or 3. They still deserve the best. I'm not beating myself up over anything because I know I'm still learning to be a good parent. I have not arrived. No one has asked me to teach the parenting Sunday School class yet. =) Like the song my MaMa always sang to me said,

"He's still working on me...to make me what I ought to be."

I have four beautiful, wonderful, unique blessings who will be gone long before I'm ready. I do not want their numbered days with us filled with yelling, griping, and busyness. I want to be a "sweet fragrance" in their lives that they will remember long after I'm gone.

Why didn't the weatherman warn me?

Are we the only ones who have a tornado whip through their house every Saturday? Seriously, I have not even been lazy today and I still hardly got a thing done. Is this what summer is going to be like? I'm scared.......

Friday Night

Last night we had a big birthday party for John's brother, Matt (aka Maka). I was a little too busy trying to keep up with all my kids to take pictures but Sandy took this one. Aulora thought she was such a big girl sitting at the table with the other kids!

We had about 10 very scary minutes when we couldn't find Julia anywhere. And I do mean anywhere. There were LOTS of people looking inside and outside for her and she was nowhere to be found. I kept seeing that pond right across from the house and having horrible thoughts. And then I was imagining that some person drove by and grabbed her quietly. My mind was racing, compiling a description of her and wondering how long it would take to get an Amber Alert up and going. My feet could not go fast enough and my voice could not holler loud enough to find her. I didn't know what had happened and it was a terrible, awful thing.

Finally I heard someone holler out that they had found her. I wanted to see her for myself. By the time I got back to the driveway, John had already taken her upstairs to talk to her. She had gone off behind the neighbor's house with the neighbor's granddaughter and she hadn't told anyone. The grandpa thought Julia had permission to be with them.

There is nothing like losing your child to make you want to hold them and love them. I was so emotionally stressed out after that - it took me a very long time to get to sleep last night. That's why I'm tired today. But at least I have my little girl......

A New Blog

Lolligirls Jewelry Blog

After almost five years of making jewelry for my own little girls, I've decided to finally start trying to sell some of it. I thought I would start with a blog for now. As I have time, I'll be adding more designs to it. It's just a matter of getting pictures of what I can make. There's no pressure on anyone to order stuff, but I've been asked for pictures or a website so many times so here it is. Feel free to pass it along if you know of someone else who might be interested. =) Also, any helpful critique is always good. (Remember that I'm a "fragile flower" though so be nice!)

Finally Started

Oh boy......I've finally begun the process of listing outgrown clothes on Ebay. I had already taken pictures for the first batch the other day but hadn't listed anything yet. I was waiting for Thursday night which has historically been a pretty decent night for an auction to end. (I don't know why though. Ebay is usually the last thing I'm doing when Lost is on!) Seph inspired me to get going so now the first small batch is done. There's so much more to do which would be depressing except that it will bring in money. =)

I've always been really picky in the past and spent so much time (and money) to have super nice looking auctions. I just can't do that anymore which will probably end up costing me some in the end because great looking auctions just do better. Oh well. It's the best I can do right now.

Go here to check them out.....

(hopefully they will all show up - for some reason not all auctions are coming up yet. I think they just need some time.)

My AI Dream

I guess American Idol was on my mind last night since I watched it so close to going to bed. I'm not one to share about dreams (because that's usually not an interesting thing to hear people talk about), but I was laughing when I woke up from this one.

Apparently, in my dream world I have enough singing talent to be on AI. (No, this is NOT why I was laughing when I woke up.) Two things happened that I thought were amusing. First, when Syesha was singing I was near the stage and I caught her eye and made funny faces at her and stuck out my tongue. It messed her up really bad and she couldn't remember any more words to her song. You know that was funny to watch as she stood there stuttering, no longer able to be Miss Perfect. (Although, I will admit that I don't dislike her near as much as some of you do. She has an amazing voice and I love to hear her sing slower type songs.) The second thing that happened was that Kablot was also on AI. After she sang, she went off the stage and out to some tables where people were eating. I went to talk to her and found her on the floor under the table. She had passed out due to all the stress of performing. Now you definitely know it was funny to see Kablot all laid out on the floor. The weird thing is, she didn't fall this time. Not too realistic, huh? =)

I'm so proud!

I've made little people jewelry for a long time but I've never done something for myself before. (Well, that's not entirely true. I made a bracelet once with tiny beads I bought for Julia so it looked like a big baby bracelet. I only wore it once before I realized how weird it looked.) Anyway, I made a gorgeous bracelet and earrings for myself! I've never done earrings before and they look so great! I used all big chunky brown beads - did you expect any other color from me? I love brown as much as I love chocolate. (That's a stinkin' lot, in case you were wondering.)

Now I'm sad that I'm wearing a gray shirt and I can't wear my new bling to church tonight. =( Boo. On another note, I think my husband is going to be so happy when he finds out how much I might be inclined to spend on beads.......

When my camera battery is charged maybe I'll post a picture of my creation.....

F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-E-D!

Aulora had her first dentist appointment scheduled for this afternoon at 1:30. It's not like we're rich or anything so we use a clinic here in town which is in a bad area but is surprisingly nice inside. We've used this place for Julia already and it was great. So at 1:15 I loaded the girls up and drove across town to get there. I filled out gobs of paperwork. I entertained children (horsey rides, reading books, playing Dora and My Little Pony, played high five, peekaboo, and who knows what else), wiped snotty noses, tried to stay awake, played with my phone, blah, blah, blah. You get the picture. We were waiting a LONG time.

Finally, at about 3:00 I went up to the counter to see about how much longer the wait would be since I needed to pick up my son soon. There had been a dental emergency and I guess they thought they didn't need to inform anyone that the wait would be lasting all of eternity. By the time the dentist was going to be available school would be out so we had to leave. Two whole hours of my day completely wasted. Grrrrrrrrr. I had to fight a foul mood all the way back across town. I also had to fight from making a mental list of ALL the things I could have done instead of sitting in a crowed waiting room with two little girls all afternoon. (Like take a nap.) Oh well. I should be thankful that my kids have teeth. Chomp chomp chomp.

Best New Dessert

My mother-in-law loves to watch "The Biggest Loser". She recently went to the website and found some recipes. We tried one for dinner tonight - some kind of grilled chicken that had a delicious marinade on it. Very tasty. But the best of all so far is dessert. You just sandwich cool whip (regular or chocolate) in between 2 graham crackers and then freeze them. It's like eating an ice cream sandwich! Very low in calories, fat and sugar! You just can't beat it - try it!

What to do, what to do.......

Well, I don't know what to do. Kablot is a big mean bully so now I'm afraid to share the dirt. It's not like it's a HUGE deal but she might come beat me up if I say. Although, I can't for the life of me think of anything she's got on me that she could possible use for revenge.......

Maybe she should just share on her own blog - that's what I told her from the beginning. Come on Kablot, it'll be fun!

I've Got Dirt....

.....on Kablot, that is. hehehehe. I know the real story behind her "innocent" injury. I wonder if anyone is interested in hearing about it......Hmmmmm.......

Stupid Papa Murphey's

For dinner tonight we had pizza from Papa Murphey's Pizza. It's a place where you bring your pizza home and cook it yourself. I made the horrible awful mistake of also bringing home a dessert pizza. It's kind of like the little cinnamon and powdered sugar desserts from Cici's but these are sooooooooooooo way better. They come freshly baked out of your oven and you can dip them in the special icing that comes with it. Absolutely sinful. If I was Catholic I would have already gone to confession. You know that 5 pounds I lost in the last week? Well, I'm pretty sure I just found it. =( Crud.

Needed: One New Sunday Afternoon Restaurant.....Pronto

We ate at our favorite Sunday hangout again today. I thought I would try just having Aulora in a booth instead of a high chair this time, but that turned out to be a mistake. She was quite the handful and kept trying to get down and run away. While we were waiting on our food, John got up to go wash his hands. Usually, there are plenty of grandmas or an aunt or uncle close by to help but not so much today. I asked him to please not leave me by myself but he said he would be right back.

He was only gone for a few seconds when Aulora decided to hop down and make a run for it. I was feeding Joshua so I couldn't run as fast as she could which was quite a problem as she rounded the corner and headed behind the serving counter and on towards the grill and fryers. I was wearing heels and, like I already mentioned, feeding a baby so I was certainly not able to race towards her in an Olympic style fashion of any sort. (Although I think what I was having to do should definitely be added to the list of events to compete in. I could win a gold medal!) She appeared to be deaf as she continued running forward with no thought to her mommy calling her in a frantic voice. I let out an "infamous" (according to my husband who was at this moment coming out of the bathroom) "STOP!" in a shrieky kind of voice and finally managed to grab her right before she got to the cook.

I'm sure it was a sight to behold. If the restaurant people didn't know us already, they certainly do now. I wonder if they'll decide to follow Chickfila's lead and be closed on Sundays from now on? =)

John David's Super Rough Day

Sleeping while he's supposed to be studying

Modeling his new goggles

Enjoying an underwater excursion in the bathtub

Saturday Morning Pancake Stickiness

I think the mess was much worse than the pictures convey. What's up with that?

Ill-Gotten Gain

Julia sneaked into the garage freezer and got herself a push-pop. Then she found a nice comfy spot in the front yard to enjoy her sneaky treat. When I finally found her I wanted to be mad but it was just too cute. Maybe that's the problem - I always just whip out the camera instead of the paddle. =)

(In all fairness, she does get her fair share of discipline!)

My Happy Boy

Poor Baby....or Maybe Poor Parents

Someone wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box. Does this kid even stand a chance?

Will I Ever Learn?

What was I thinking? We went to Chuck E. Cheese's last night and we had a boatload of tickets. Over 1200! So I stood at the prize counter trying to help the kids figure out what to get. I should have distracted Julia with some other cheapo stupo toy but NOOOOOO, I have no brain. I let her get a little purse filled with make-up and nail polish. If you frequent my blog you have already seen that the latest entry on Julia's side-bar has to do with nail polish and lipstick. I thought it was all over. It was not.

Julia was on the computer chair with me, sitting behind me. I thought she was looking at some pictures with me but instead she was putting on lipstick. I turned around to find her pouting because Aulora's germs were on her lipstick and it was ruined. I had to inform her that her sister's germs were the least of her lipstick worries.....

Sunday Afternoon with the Sullivans

We've found "our place" for Sunday afternoons. We had been going there every single Sunday but John finally declared that we have to have two places so we can at least alternate. This little restaurant has BBQ and chicken strips and steak and a lot more. The kid meals are big enough for an adult and they only cost $2.99! They make these little fried biscuits to dip in honey that come with every meal. Yummy! There's a whole back room that we take up because we're usually with a large group. There's an old school arcade game for John David and a candy crane game for Julia and Aulora. Even Daddy gets a big tv with a remote to watch sports. What more could you want? What's that? You want Blue Bell? Well, this place has a Blue Bell ice cream case too! The kids always want a scoop of ice cream and on this particular day they got their wish.

Here's the dessert crazy mob going after the chocolate chip ice cream. One dish and three spoons. Look at poor Julia's face. She's having a hard time competing with the big pigs.

Oops! We're busted! Mommy has the camera.

We'll stop pigging out long enough for one cheesy picture. Are you done yet? The ice cream is melting and Julia is sneaking bites. Hurry!

Aulora hasn't tasted the goodness of ice cream yet so she doesn't really know what she's missing. That's good though because I don't think her cute little pot belly needs any help. =) (Like I should be talking.)

I absolutely love it that I have two little girls. I just know they're going to be the best of friends! Julia has taken to calling Aulora "B" which I think is short for baby, which she also calls her sometimes. What's up with Julia's hair in this picture? She has wings sprouting! Poor baby - she inherited my wingish prone hair.

My Beautiful Friend

This is Jessamy, my kindred spirit. I'm so excited that she's finally an old married woman like me. =)

Please, no comments about my whiteness. I already know.....

Barbie Girl

Julia and Aulora both love to play with their Barbies. Most all of it is actually mine from when I was little. I still very vividly remember playing with the same little things. It's just so cute to listen to them chatter and have little conversations when they're playing. Maybe one day I'll catch it on video....

Arghhhh!!!

A couple of weeks ago was our church's spring children's musical. This one was pirate themed and it was so cute! The video is of one song that both John David and Julia were in.

Warning: this song is hard to get out of your head!

Family Time

Two weeks ago I got to make an overnight trip to Dallas. I stayed at my cousin Mei's house, visited my MaMa and Aunt Edee and Uncle Mike, and ate at Cracker Barrel with my Aunt Donna and other cousin Mindee. It's sad that I don't live closer to my beautiful cousins because we really get along well.



MaMa has Alzheimer's so she doesn't always recognize us. It's very clear that her mind is not well but I can tell you that her spirit is. She's spent many years serving the Lord and He still uses her despite her physical decline. We were about to leave and for a few brief moments she knew who I was. She pulled me down close to her face and whispered a very much needed word from the Lord. I miss MaMa but I'm so glad to know that Jesus is still using her.

Pink Mansion Anyone?

Earlier today I had Julia in my lap for a long discussion. I don't remember exactly how the flow of conversation went but we got on the topic of having Jesus in our hearts. I told her that Jesus was in my heart and I was going to go to heaven one day. Then I asked her if Jesus was in her heart - had she ever asked Him to come live there? Her eyes were big and she shook her head no. I asked her if she wanted to ask Him to live in her heart so she could go to heaven one day too. She immediately teared up and wrapped her arms tightly around me. I was so touched thinking we were about to have such a sweet moment together.

"I don't want to go to heaven!" she wailed. "And I don't want you to go either!" Very loud boohooboohoos followed.

"Why not, Baby? Heaven is a wonderful place! Jesus is getting it all ready for us. Don't you want to go there?"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Please don't go! Don't leave me! I just want to live here in WF!!!!!!!!!!"

I sat there trying to think how to explain things to a 4 year old who is still very much affected by our recent move.

"It's ok, Julia. We aren't going there right now. The Bible says that one day Jesus is going to come and get us and take us to live with Him there. He's building our mansions right now! What color mansion do you want? Pink? Heaven is going to be so wonderful - you'll never get hurt or sick! And Granny and Papaw will be there!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I don't want to go to heaven! Please don't leave me! I don't want you to go to heaven!"

I tried a little more but I could see that we weren't getting anywhere so I just told her I wouldn't leave her. She acts like she's got abandonment issues. All I know is I hope they don't start teaching about heaven in her preschool class at church - she might have a serious meltdown!

I Bet She Learned Her Lesson

Julia has been begging to make cookies since Saturday and today I finally gave in. I love baking but 1)I don't have a lot of extra time for it these days and 2)baking does not exactly help me in my quest for thinness - I know, it's a mystery to me too.

Anyway, she was thrilled to finally be a chef and happily did whatever I asked of her. She always loves to taste the batter and was having a hard time waiting for that moment. I told her that we had to wait until we had mixed everything in, but apparently she didn't want to take my word for it. I turned to put an ingredient away and heard the distinct (and if you're a mother, horrible) sound of gagging. I turned back around to see the poor child trying to scrape flour, baking powder, salt and other powdery type things out of her mouth. It was hard not to feel sorry for her but hey, maybe one day she'll learn to listen.......

What are the odds today is that day?

I can wish, can't I???

The Cop Who Saw a Bird

Once a week, John David's teacher requires them to write a story using the words from their weekly spelling list. I thought I would share the story he wrote this week:

The Cop Who Saw a Bird

"Once there was a cop who saw a bird singing. It sang and sang. And the next day the mother came and said back off, you Big Flea Bag. The next day the mother bird got hurt and the baby bird was sad. Then the cop took care of it."

First of all, I never said he was a brilliant writer. Second of all, NO, John and I do NOT call each other Big Flea Bags. I don't know where he learned that nor why he chose to use it. I told him not to write things like that again. He thought it was incredibly funny though and simply could not understand why using such terminology isn't a good idea. I admit, I had a really hard time not laughing as I read this out loud in front of him. Boys.........

Not to brag or anything.....

but Joshua went to bed (his own bed) at 9:00 last night. He slept soundly until 5:30 this morning when I got him and put him in bed with me. He nursed (while I slept) and didn't wake back up until almost 9:00 this morning. Lest you think I got a full night's rest because of this wonderful little sleeping boy, you should know that I did not. I was too worried that something was wrong with him! I kept getting up checking on him. I can tell you though, if he does it again tonight I'll sleep just fine. =)

Call Me Cheap All You Want.....I think I'm Smart

This past weekend we stayed at the beautiful Marriott by the Galleria in Dallas. (No, I did not pay their going rate. Remember, I'm smart. Priceline, baby.) After we paid for our room online I went to the hotel website for directions and noticed that you have to pay to park in their parking lot. We were paying guests and yet we were expected to pay to park our car in their precious little lot. $10 for self parking or $15 for valet. I don't think so, Marriott.

I had my 2 hour drive to contemplate my options. John was already in Dallas so he left his truck at a friend's house and got dropped off. Good job, Johnny. That's $10 we kept in our pocket. (Realistically, $15 plus a tip, because we all know Johnny would have gone for the valet parking. )

When I arrived I scoped the place out. I smiled at the valet guys who were, I'm sure, hoping for a nice mid-afternoon tip, and went on my way. I gleefully drove right next door to the Comp USA parking lot where you could actually park for free. I got out the double stroller and, voila, I had my own little luggage cart. I strolled past the valet guys again, who were by now pretty sure they weren't getting any parking money or tip money from me. I smiled even bigger this time. They just had no idea how much pleasure I derived in avoiding their little parking fee scam.

I think I'll tip myself.......

Thanks Dad.......

Today has been a hard day. Sometimes being a mommy seems like no big deal, but other days (like today) it's just uphill all the way. I hadn't talked to my dad since Friday night but he called me tonight and told me to make sure I checked his blog. So as soon as I got the kids all in bed I went to my computer and went to his blog. It was just what I needed and yes, I cried. =) I bet some other mommies need it too. Read it yourself on my dad's blog.

I love you, Davus!

This embarrassing moment is brought to you by.......

Thursday night at the hotel I had an armload of stuff on my way up to the hotel room. I was on my own because it was pouring rain and John was parking the car. I was disheveled and wet so I was surprised that anyone would look once at me, much less twice. When I got on the elevator the two gentlemen that were already there were extremely kind and attentive and very talkative. I figured I must have looked nicer than I felt. The doors opened on my floor and I got out and went my way. Halfway down the hall I looked down and noticed what everyone else must have already seen - my shirt wide open because a very strategically located button was undone. Oh well, I guess I made their night. hahahahaha Just kidding. They were probably rolling on the elevator floor as soon as I got out. =) Either way, I'm glad I'll never see them again.

A Special Weekend

The wedding is over and everything was wonderful and beautiful. Most weddings are nice but there's something so special about a wedding for two people who are living for God and have waited for his perfect timing. These two friends make the most beautiful couple - not just outwardly, but you can just see Jesus all over them. What an amazing testimony they have. It was so great to be around old friends and back at my home church. It made me homesick. =( My friend was soooo beautiful and as soon as I get pictures off my camera I'll put one up.

I got sick on Thursday and by Thursday night after the rehearsal I was pretty miserable. It was a bummer since we had a nice hotel in downtown Dallas and I was too sick to even enjoy it. On Friday I wasn't feeling good but I was ok enough to make it. It was a long day and ended with a 2 hour drive home. That wasn't fun but it felt so good to be back in our own bed again.

I'm still sick now but we went to church this morning and had life group here at the house tonight anyway. I think I must look like a certain famous reindeer by now with all the nose blowing that's been going on. The good news is that I lost 5 pounds over the last couple of days because of a lack of appetite. We went to Pappasito's and I couldn't taste anything! How sad is that??? I ate one little fajita that could have been from Taco Bell for all I knew. Poor little (err, big) me. Although, like I said, I'm at least 5 pounds less big now. And I think I'm about to start that diet for idiots that Bacamamma is on. We already bought it and it looks very doable. Maybe I'll blow away soon. Wouldn't that be nice.......

I have to brag about our Daddy. He took care of Joshua during the rehearsal and most of the day on Friday too. Feedings, diapers, rocking and all. Isn't he a great Daddy? A trophy Daddy for sure. =)

This is just funny. Who would do this???

This is one milestone that should NOT be happening yet......

This afternoon, one of John David's friends came over to play after church. This little boy is very nice and he plays well with John David and Julia both. I was working in the kitchen and the three of them were playing outside on the deck. I looked out at one point and noticed Julia standing up and this little boy was kneeling on one knee in front of her. I chuckled to myself and thought it looked like he was proposing! I opened the door and asked them what they were doing. They immediately all looked sheepish and John David said, "Seth just told Julia he loves her and he's going to marry her and then he kissed her hand and her cheek!" They all started giggling and I started stuttering. All I managed to get out was, "I don't think so. No more kissing out here. That's not allowed." (Or some other lame thing along those lines.)

I pulled Julia aside later and reminded her that she's only allowed to get kisses from Daddy or her brothers or grandpas and uncles. NOT other boys. She wasn't very convinced. She REALLY wants to marry Seth.

When Daddy found out she was talked to again. And then her big brother got a warning. Guess who gets a spanking if he lets one of his friends kiss his sister again? =)

You better watch out, Seth. This Daddy's not playing around. When he says no kisses, he means NO KISSES!

Oh boy........the fun is only beginning..........

All My Ex's Live In Texas.....(Am I the only one who knows that song?)

I found out last weekend that the only other serious boyfriend I ever had besides John is moving back to my hometown. Not only is he moving back but he's going to be on staff at my home church. And he's going to be at the wedding. Weird. I haven't talked to him for almost 10 years but it still makes me uncomfortable. We were convinced when we were together that we were going to get married. It wasn't the best break-up (I still think my dad threatened him to break things off!) and I was in "mourning" for a long time. Obviously, I got over him and moved on with my life (quite nicely if you ask me), but I still just think it will be super weird to see him. I'm totally wishing I had worked harder to lose all the baby weight now. hahahaha. Oh well. I'll just show off my trophy husband and baby. =)

Gotta Love That Girl

This is a collection of mischievous things Julia has done. I used to keep a sidebar updated daily here on my blog. It turns out that God does love me and has finally allowed this child to grow out of her mess-making stage (mostly). For posterity, I am posting all of these in my archives. Enjoy. =)

She used a red rubber stamper she won at Chuck E. Cheese's to stamp the window sills and the pictures on the walls. So artistic.

She emptied the whole bottle of bubble bath into the tub in order to wash her stuffed toy ducky. Daddy told her no and to leave the bathroom. She was quite determined to blow dry that wet duck though so she snuck back in and used the blow dryer. Not a good choice.

She wanted Fruity Pebbles. All adults were busy. She climbed the shelves of the pantry and got the box & carried it to the table, leaving a huge trail of cereal behind her. The milk soon followed.

Put both big kids to bed tonight. Went in later to put Aulora down only to find baby dolls and toys everywhere and Julia in the crib snoring.

She decided she wanted to wash Strawberry Shortcake's hair. She put herself and her doll into the bathtub and got the doll wet. She soaped SS up in the sink and then rinsed and styled. Yea for water all over the floor, counter, and her clothes.

Well, today she was an artist. We had some glitter glue left over from a school project and I thought to myself, "Self, you better hide those from you know who." So I hid them way up in a pretty glass bowl where she would never find them. But find them she did. And today she decorated the grapes that were sitting out to snack on. Somehow, the glitter just didn't make them look more appealing.

I caught her hiding out in her bedroom wearing only her panties and going wild on a dum dum spree. She tried to cram the sucker sticks in her mouth really quick when I walked in so I wouldn't know. hahahaha. Serves her right. =)

I went in tonight to make sure she was covered up and asleep. I found white goopy stuff all over the soap bottle, the towel, in the sink and on the counter. My nose is stopped up so I couldn't really smell it to know what it was. I started looking around to find the source and finally found my tub of body butter open on the floor with big empty spots where she had scooped it out. Lovely. Absolutely lovely.

This is a gross one.....we were looking through old pictures together on the computer today. We came across one that I took solely for the purpose of one day proving to her what a horrible child she was to potty train. It was a picture of a perfect little poopoo log sitting on my bookshelf. I still have no idea how she did it, but she did. I have the picture to prove it. Anyway, a couple hours after looking at pictures I found her naked in my room. Naked+Julia=Trouble. Every time. Before I could even get an explanation I could smell it. Oh yes. "WHERE'S THE POOPOO? TELL ME NOW!" That child pooped another perfect little poopoo right on my floor beside my dresser. She tried to hide it by putting my purse and a basket in front of it. Man I was mad. She got a spanking for that one. I have no doubt that if my bookshelf wasn't in storage she would have pooped on it, just like in the picture. Gross......

Poor little Alex, the elephant webkin that lives in our house, got a bath today. He didn't want one, but he got one anyway. The bathroom looked so lovely afterwards. There were dirty footprints in the tub, water all over the floor, wet towels strewn about, and of course, the soggy wet elephant himself sitting on my bathroom counter. All because she wanted him to smell so nice and pretty. Gotta love it.

The mess of choice last night after she was supposed to be in bed was getting up and putting toothpaste on all the toothbrushes. She doesn't have very good aim though so there was toothpaste on the counter and the drawers too. A big goopey sticky blue mess I got to find the next morning. Maybe I should chain her to her bed at night. Or at least put a big cowbell around her neck.

Oh my word. All I can say is lipstick, nail polish and lip gloss. I was RIGHT there in the room and she still managed to be destructo girl. I need a nap.

She was hiding out in my closet tonight when it was bedtime. What was she doing? She had taken the bulletin board off the wall I use to hang my jewelry (yeah, I know I'm fancy) and she was playing with all of it. She "just wanted to wear a pretty pink necklace". So now there's necklaces and bracelets ALL over my closet floor. Ughhhhhh.....

She wanted some Frosted Flakes because she was "starving" and I wasn't RIGHT THERE so she took matters in her own hands. I came running when I heard a big crash. She had gone into the pantry, closed the door behind her, climbed on top of the trashcan, grabbed the cereal box and then fell off the trashcan. This caused cereal and trash to go everywhere and knocked over lots of bottles and kid cups. Arghhhh.......

Sunday morning I dressed the girls in beautiful new (to us) matching dresses that were very expensive. (Not that I myself paid lots for them. I'm a bargain shopper!) They both looked so pretty and I was a happy mommy. We got to church and I looked down to discover that Julia's beaded flower that went on the front of the dress was gone. GONE! She had taken it apart, petal by petal, and left nothing but the silver backing in its place. I still haven't found the petals. Arghhhhh.

We got out of the van a few days ago to hand the girls over to a babysitter and the babysitter's mom looked down and noticed that Julia's panties were hanging from the cuff of her blue jeans!?! That was a funny moment. They must have gotten misplaced when she went potty. =)

It never fails - when we're at Chuck E. Cheese's, as soon as I say we're leaving Julia runs and gets inside the playplace equipment. At least she's now old enough to understand when I use mommy sign language to tell her to get her booty down NOW.!

Yesterday Julia was rubbing lotion on my legs. She was having a great time while I watched tv so I wasn't paying too much attention. When it was time for me to get up she said,"hehehehe! You have sticky legs! hehehehe!" She just kept giggling like that and proudly told me that she had rubbed apple juice on my legs. "hehehehehe!"

Playdough on my bed. On my bedspread. Do I need to elaborate?

More Shots

Taking Julia to the doctor for her 4 year shots today. Whaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh. I need a huge lollipop to give her. I wonder if a dum dum will suffice?

Why? why why why why why

Why does Julia do the things she does? She baffles me. I should have a whole blog devoted solely to the humorous (and not so humorous) things she does.

It amuses me to see my kids' beds in the morning. John David's bed covers are always neat and barely disturbed. Before he leaves his bed he wants to straighten them even more. When I tuck him in, he goes bananas if the quilt is not hanging even on both sides of the bed. Mr. My-Middle-Name -Is-Obsessive-Compulsive.

And then there's Julia's bed. It always looks as if a couple of badgers thrashed around all night. And of course there's always a million toys spread about from where she kept sneaking up the night before and getting more and more. You can usually find a water bottle (if she can't find that then she'll get the spray bottle I use on their hair), her tooth brush, an assortment of dolls and babies, wadded up pajamas because she changed during the night and whatever else she managed to sneak out and grab. Sometimes it's Gran's porcelain bird bell, sometimes my make-up. You just never know. Wow, she's a wild one.

My sister-in-law and I went to a, uhhhh, different kind of store tonight to buy a present for my friend. We laughed as we were leaving because we were picturing Julia hiding behind the couch eating this gift. Oh, my. It could totally happen. hahahaha

By the way, when I went in to check on her a few minutes ago, she was sleeping half naked. why why why........

Stupid VFTW Strikes Again

I can't believe Michael Johns is gone. I'm sure he'll get a record deal from somebody anyway, but still. It's just crazy. Unbelievable.....

Something New

If you scroll down my blog a little you'll see a list on the right hand side. It's all about Julia. It will be added to frequently, I'm afraid. She is sweet and wonderful, but my goodness, that child makes messes and gets into things like nobody's business. As you read it I'm sure you'll either a) be sympathetic because you too have a child like this, or b) be eternally grateful that you DON'T have a child like this. =) Either way, enjoy a glimpse into life with a creative, strong-willed, busy and energetic little 4 year old girl.

The way I see it, this list will serve several purposes. First of all, it is pretty entertaining to read about when you're not the one who has to clean it up. Second, when (not if) she makes a mess I'll be able to stay a little calmer because, hey, at least it's something interesting for the blog. Lastly, if I don't keep a record of these things, I don't think she'll ever believe how mischievous she was when she's grown up. I plan to put the list in post format on a monthly basis so it will be saved in the blog history. So read it or don't - it's cheap therapy for me......

You know what's annoying?

I'll tell you what's annoying - to feed your baby, burp your baby and rock your baby to sleep only to have a gigantic sneeze and cough attack before you can lay that baby down. You should have seen the look on his little face when I coughed. I suppose he was more annoyed than me. After all, he was the one who was trying to sleep. Poor little man....

If silence is made of gold, I think my life is made with those cheap little rings you get out of a machine.....

Last night, after church, our family went to Ihop for dinner. They have Horton Hears a Who pancakes, you know. During our meal, a HUGE group of women was seated next to our table. They were very loud and boisterous women and they seemed to make no attempt to control their volume. John David was not pleased with them and kept telling me how loud they were being. He finally leaned over to me and said, "I wish they had a mute button."

How ironic is all I could think. If only he knew how many times I've wished the same thing about him.....

Finally

I think I'm done. I just tried on the dress for the wedding - with the underthings, the shoes and the jewelry. It looks good. Thankfully, I don't look like I just had my fourth baby. Oh, the illusions we can pull off. =) Now, I'm not saying that I look like a skinny model for slim fast or weight watchers, but I don't think anyone will cringe at the sight of my body in a formal dress. Hopefully not, anyway. I know that having all of this done doesn't sound like a big deal, but it's been a little stressful. When I bought this dress, John and I liked everything about it except for my after baby tummy bulge. Since the wedding was a full month away and I needed to lose the bulge anyway, we decided to buy it. So for the last few weeks I've been trying to eat less and trying to faithfully use the gazelle. I haven't been successful 100% of the time, but at least I was trying.

(This would be a good place to mention John's favorite Yoda saying - "There is no try; only do.")

Anyway, now I can focus so much more on just looking forward to this wedding. Jessamy is so special to me and we've waited a long time for this day! I can't wait to see her move into this next stage of her life. She's going to be a gorgeous bride......

My , Uhm, I Mean Joshua's New Toy

Joshua just got the coolest mobile. I'm not a mobile person (None of my other kids have ever had one - can you believe that? I'm just not crazy about the way they look.) but this seemed like a necessity. This mobile spins (obviously), plays different songs, projects a light show on the ceiling, and even has a remote control so I can turn it off or on from my wonderful bed or recliner. I just finished putting it on his crib and he's now enjoying the show. I can hear his little happy sounds. Can you hear my little happy sounds? =)

Kidless Freedom

I had quite the to do list - the kind that takes days to finish with children in tow. It was one of those lists that makes you want to stay in bed and not even try.

Would you believe that I got to tackle my list with 0 children? Zero, zilch, noodle. (Veggie Tale fans will get that.) I forgot how quickly you can zoom in and out of places without kids. No big double strollers. No buckling and unbuckling car seats. No bottle/nursing breaks. No toys thrown down or messy hands to wipe (or bottoms for that matter!). It was heavenly. I was checking off those pesky to do items while my children enjoyed Chuck E Cheeses with Mimi and Daddy. Of course the littlest man stayed home with Gran.

What a great day....

She's a Chef Now

I've become keenly aware of the fact that unless Julia is sufficiently stimulated or entertained, she will find something to stimulate or entertain herself. A few days ago we found her in the dining room (the carpeted dining room I might add) stirring a big pot filled with ice cream sprinkles and water. She was about to add chocolate chips, marshmallows, raisins, and some various other ingredients. "I'm a chef!" she was happily proclaiming.

Today she got busy again. I was upstairs nursing Joshua and I thought she was playing a game downstairs. There were some suspicious noises so I called her up. She assured me that she hadn't been into anything. We went on to have issue with something else (she was going potty and when I checked on her she was sitting on the toilet eating taffy - she found it in a blue easter egg that somehow rolled behind the toilet and she was the lucky finder). Then she feel asleep for a nap and I went downstairs only to find her newest creation. There was a big colander in the corner of the kitchen with syrup and milk poured all into it. Of course it had all flowed through the holes and onto the travertine floor. Beautiful. It was also all over the table and the floor underneath. I mopped four times, I believe.

Only a year and a half before she goes to kindergarten......I can make it......I think. =)

John David the Psychologist

A few nights ago the kids had gone somewhere without me. Julia apparently had a meltdown due to being very tired (and a tiny bit strong willed). When they got home John David walked in first. "Mommy?" he hollered.

"Yes, John David?"

"Your daughter has some serious problems."

I just didn't want to forget this little gem.....

Smiling and Dancing Again!

Oh happy day! Although they aren't 100% better, my girls are soooo much better. We had an awful, torturous, never ending night but "joy comes in the morning"! They ate a small breakfast and let me comb their hair. Now they are playing with toys, sitting in a "fort", and dancing as the Dora music plays. The last couple of days are going to make our "normal" seem so easy now!

Bedtime At Last

They are all asleep. Finally. This has been a super long, non-stop, tiring day. I really, really hope that in the morning there are some happy healthy children in this house.

Joshua of course needs lots of attention whether he's sick or not. Aulora wants to be held and carried constantly when she's sick. Julia is drama queen to the max - she does feel really bad though. John David was, by far, the easiest. He just laid in his bed and watched cartoons and occasionally needed his face wiped or a drink of water.

There is one of me. Daddy is gone until tomorrow night. Grandma has been sick. Grandpa has been gone. Whah. Great Grandma came over today though and took care of Joshua for awhile. Thank you, Mimi! That was the only way I could make it with two sick girls to the doctor's office.

Now, I'm going to my room to watch American Idol. I can only hope that Ramiel (or whatever her name is) is off tonight. If not her, then PLEASE Kristy Lee Cook. That's all.........

Sick

My kids are sick. It started Monday morning. Throw up, yuck from the other end, fevers, tummy aches and head aches. Poor little babies. I think it will be gone by Friday though from what I'm seeing. The end is in sight..........

Shock

Oh my word. I don't even know what to say. I don't know how this happened and we're in complete shock. We already have FOUR kids! Two of them are still babies. This is not good......

APRIL FOOL'S!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA