The Happiest Place on Earth

We leave for Disney World tomorrow! Posts will be 'nil' while we are gone. I will have a lot of catch up to do when we get home. Please be patient!

New wheels

Out with the old.......................

And in with the new!

Daddy's truck is gone! Yeah for him! I'm sad cuz we now have a car payment again. I was enjoying no car payment. Oh well. This new little car (2004 Pontiac Grad Prix GT for those who care) was a good deal and they gave us a good trade amount on the truck. Daddy is happy because it has AC and a CD player. I'm sad cuz I can't hear him coming in the neighborhood when he comes home (yes his truck was that loud). He said he's glad because now he can hear himself think (maybe he said the radio).

C can be funny

After I blogged about K's funnies the other day, C did something funny. So I had to share. As Daddy says, "C's humor is accidental." So true.

C was reading to me the other day for school. There were rows of words and each row had something in common. For example: gulls, shell, clam, fish--all have the ocean in common (he said the pond) Another example: clean, dust, shine, mops --what Mommy does every Friday (he said "Well you don't mop; you use that swiffer thing. Thank you Mr. Literal)

Here is the row that cracked me up: cuts, paste, sheet, glue--all have art time in common.

Here is our conversation.
Me: what do these have in common.
C: Well, cuts--like you have cuts on your arm; paste--like toothpaste; sheet---like what you cover up with at night......................

By this time I am laughing so hard cuz he is so NOT going in the direction that I thought he would--the direction that I thought the words led. I was laughing so hard that he never told me anything about the last word or what they all had in common. Cuts on your arm, toothpaste, and a bed sheet? Not sure what the connection would have been.

So yes he was funny; but yes Daddy, it was by accident.

K isms--again

My poor C. He is kinda past the age of saying something so wrong that it's funny. He did say something the other day at the dinner table and for the life of me, I can't remember what it is! Poor guy.

Now K is another story. She is constantly saying something funny. I think she's always going to be like that. She is going to have her father's sense of humor.

#1: Sunday afternoon after her (and mine) afternoon nap, she was sitting on my lap. She turned to me and said "Mommy, your breeze stinks." Later that night at church, she told her class worker that her breath smelled funny. Oh dear.

#2: K and one of my babysitting kids were looking at color books (not coloring, just looking). One of the books had stickers on some of the pages. K pulled one off and stuck it on her leg. When the friend asked her why, K said "I need this on me. Cuz I made in Mexico." The then gave the sticker to her friend and said "I not made in Mexico anymore." Still makes me laugh.

#3: K earned her Cubbies vest the other night. (She is doing so good; much better than I anticipated). She then wanted to know when she will be getting tattoos. Took me a few minutes to realize she meant the patches on her vest. Too funny.

Hope these have made you smile!

Garage sale finds

I am not usually a garage sale-er. I don't mind going, but I usually forget or we are doing something Saturday mornings. Since Daddy was going to be gone this Saturday morning (his 5k race), I decided to go to some garage sales with the kids. I looked up where some would be that weren't too far away. Friday I had to run to Wal Mart and on the way home we actually stopped at a few. There was one at a little tiny church not too far down the road from me that we stopped at. That was my best one of all the ones on both days! I got a grocery bag full of kids clothes for $1!

Saturday there was a much larger church (huge actually) that has a kids resale twice a year. It is a big deal. People actually line up at 6:30 the morning of the sale! I was not that desperate or crazy. We got there about 8:20, didn't have to wait in line, and there was still plenty of stuff to look through.

This sale is held in a gym with tables galore! And each is piled high with clothes! They are all separated by size and gender, which makes it very nice. As you walk in, they hand you a garbage bag to put all your finds in. They have an entire separate room of just toys and then outside in a courtyard they have large ticket items like strollers, swings, yard toys, etc. Everything is being sold by 200 "vendors" mostly people trying to get rid of their kids old stuff. But I have heard that some companies/stores sell their excess here too. I found 11 things and only paid $11.25. I was pretty pleased with my success. I was very impressed with this sale too. It is organized extremely well (I'll go again next time) and most stuff was priced pretty fairly. And most everything was in really good condition too. Can you tell I'm a little excited!

After the church resale, we stopped at one neighborhood sale on the way home. Not so impressed. But I did get 2 dresses for K girl that are worth talking about. One is Old Navy brand ($1) and the other is a Ralph Lauren ($2). Very nice. They are a little big but should be perfect come spring. I might even let her wear them now. Who cares if they are a little long.

I got pretty much everything I needed for the kids for this winter. I think K girl needs a winter coat, but I couldn't find one at any of the sales we looked at. For both days, I only spent $16 and here are pictures to show everything I got. The kids each got 2 things too, but I don't have proof of that. They each got a book, K got a purse, and C got a toy.

5K=3.1 miles

My hubby is a very brave man. He ran a 5K race today. There are a few guys from his work that work out together on a consistent basis. One of them wanted them all to run in this race (funny side story: that particular guy couldn't run due to a funeral).

Here are the 4 from his work that ran the race. He finished in 32 minutes and some odd seconds. I'm very proud of him. Much more than I could ever do. I'd still be out there running!

I'm proud to be an American!

Here are the pictures that I mentioned in an earlier post. I don't think they need an explanation.

RIP

This post is for my mother in law. Patrick Swayze died Monday night. I know mom loved him :) "No one puts Baby in a corner."

Go enjoy watching your movie, mom! :)

The no cavity club

Let me start by saying: I am not part of it. But both my kiddies (and Stanley) are. The kids did very well getting their teeth cleaned. K went first and she just sat there with her mouth open like a big girl. She did kinda get skittish when the dentist came in at the end to look at her teeth. I think part of it was that she thought she was done. C had x-rays done and did so much better than last time. He said it didn't hurt as much as last time.

Then it was my turn. And Daddy wasn't there yet. I don't like starting on my teeth til he is there, but I had no choice. They kept bumping my chair and asking questions (how am I supposed to answer with my mouth full?). Finally he showed up and took them out to the lobby to wait. Then I could get my teeth cleaned in peace. They told me about the cavity that I've had since LAST visit. I guess I really need to get it taken care of, huh? I just don't have the time!

Here are some pictures of those who are in the no cavity club.

Last week

Whew! Time is flying! It's hard to believe that we leave for Disney two weeks from today. Whooohoooo!

Let me get you caught up on last week.

Monday (Labor Day): We had our annual "Fourth of July" picnic. We couldn't have it on July 4th because of this. So just for this year we moved it to Labor Day. We had a good number of people show up (14 adults and 4 kids counting us). We grilled out hot dogs, ate some yummy sides and desserts, sat and talked, and played some outdoor games. It was a good time, but I FORGOT TO TAKE PICTURES! After everyone left, we watched the FSU vs Miami game. So sad.

Tuesday: I had 5 kids on Tuesday. It was a good but busy day. No major mishaps. Daddy had a business dinner and so wasn't home until almost bed time.

Wednesday: I had a doctor's appointment in the morning so the kids went across the street to play with the neighbors while I was gone. I got a few errands done while I was out and about too. Wednesday afternoon K decided not to take a nap. Just out of the blue. So she did "quiet time" on my bed. I MISS HER NAP! Wednesday night AWANA started. This year K is in Cubbies with me. She must have come and "visited" me at least 7 times--when she wasn't supposed to. We also started a new routine for Cubbies and needless to say, it was very chaotic. I was so ready for bed that night!

Thursday: The kids and I all had dentist appointments. The kids really don't have any fear of the dentist because we know our dental hygienist very well. She's the mother of the 2 that come to my house on Tuesdays! The kids went first and had no cavities. I went last and I have one cavity. Daddy met us there and kept the kids in the lobby while I got my teeth done. Then we all went to lunch. (I have pictures of the dentist visit that will be on the next post.) Thursday night deserves a post all its own (hint: we have some new wheels)

Friday: WE STAYED HOME! and did a little bit of nothing. I did a little laundry and very little cleaning. We were dog sitting over the weekend, so the dog (not Mugsy) got dropped off that afternoon. Friday night we went shopping after dinner. We got a new carseat, Daddy got some shorts for Disney, I got some coffee for my cool coffee machine, and a few odds and ends. Then we went and got ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery. YUM! When we got home, the dog and my children were a little wound up. So I let them go out back in the dark and run around with the dog. They thought that was so cool.

Saturday: After breakfast, we went to the park. The kids have been asking to take Daddy to this one certain park--the race car park. After the park, we went to the Fair on the Square in downtown Danville. Let me tell you, it's nothing to write home about. There are booths but that's about it. We did get a good apple pie and a yummy cinnamon roll. On the way home we saw a cool patriotic display in front of the fire department. I made Daddy stop and take some pictures. It was really neat. After we got home, we cleaned out the garage-somewhat. I still have that crazy TV cabinet. Anyone want a huge TV cabinet? Besides that monstrosity, it looks pretty good. Then it was time for FOOTBALL! It was an awesome game day! There were a few upsets which made for some good games. FSU played a no-nothing team and barely pulled it off. What's up with that? The good games made for a late night.

Sunday: We had a good church day, a great nap, a good lunch, a perfect ending to a good weekend.

Stay tuned for further updates.

September 11th

It's hard to believe that it was a year ago that I typed this. I have no flag to put out this year; it's faded and I won't put out one that I'm not proud of.

I have other things to blog about, but will save them for another day. Today deserves its own post.God Bless America!

Lions and tigers and bears! Oh my!

Last Friday we went to the zoo for a "field trip." Daddy was able to take the day off work and come with us. We had such a nice time! We were able to see everything we wanted to; we weren't rushed; we got to see the dolphin show and an elephant show; we saw a lot of animals; we all got to touch a shark; we saw a purple tongued lizard; it wasn't too hot; we had a picnic lunch; and even had ice cream! It was a good time!

And here are some pictures to prove that we had a good day! Enjoy!

These pictures are in backward chronological order. For some reason, blogger won't let me move them---again!
As part of the zoo admission, we were able to get into the gardens and butterfly house that are next door. The gardens are beautiful! Daddy has actually taped 2 weddings there. The butterfly house was really cool. There were many kinds and colors of butterflies in there. Daddy tried to get a picture but its wings were too fast.

C actually took this picture. Not bad.

Isn't this cute? Wish they were always this love-y.

We took Flat Stanley with us. And we currently have company--meet Flat Grover. He belongs to the sister of a friend. We have traded "Flats." Kinda cool.

This is how tall K is in "hands." We actually measured her the other day and she is 37 inches.

Here is C's measurement in hands. He is actually 47 1/2 inches tall. He will be tall enough for most of the rides at Disney. Whew!

The kids got to touch a cockroach. Now, why in the world they had them to "pet" I'll never know. Where I used to lived, we killed them!! Now granted this was a hissing cockroach (that makes it better?!?!), but I would have no part in it. They can pet away. I stayed far away.

One of the main reasons I wanted to go before Labor Day was the special exhibit going on. They had 2 komodo dragons on loan from the Denver zoo. (A friend's 6 year old was convinced they would be gigantic and fire-breathing). C said later that he thought they would be bigger-like on TV. Reality vs TV. Hmmmm. Thought we had talked about that. For being lizards, I thought they were huge. And they looked really scaly. According to the information, they are very mean to anything, even one of their own--adult or their own off spring.

I thought they were really cool. The 2 that they have are kept separate. It they are together, they will fight to the death.

The kids got to fee the giraffe. $1 for one slice of sweet potato. Oh well. They thought it was cool.

Their tongues are really long and kinda purple in color.

C was pretending the huge snake was attacking him. Crazy boy! I think every time we go to the zoo, we take the kids picture on this snake.

This was meerkat manor. These are funny and interesting animals to watch.

K girl before the dolphin show started.

The zoo has a lot of "statues" of animals all over to take pictures with. Here are 2 cute kiddies and a walrus.

And there you have it. Our fun trip to the zoo.

Seriously?!?!

This might be a long story, but at the end I think most of you will roll your eyes and say "Seriously?"

I have a little boy (J--same age as C) that comes every day after school for one hour until one of his older sisters comes to pick him up. One day this past week, about 20 minutes after he had been here, another boy that I didn't recognize, showed up at my front door.

I went to the door and said Hi and Can I help you? "That little boy has the cap to my mechanical pencil and I need it or my eraser will fall off." I asked J if he had it. "Yes I found (important word) it on the bus and put it in my book bag." "So get it out and give it to him." He looked and looked and couldn't find it. The boy at the door said (as he was reaching for my door handle) "I'll come in and look for it" Me: "Oh no you won't." (seriously?) So I told him that if he had an issue with it that he could go to J's house later and talk with J's mom. I was not getting in the middle of this. "When does she get home? And where is his home?" I didn't tell him either. If he doesn't know where he lives, I'm not going to be responsible for giving out that information!

He finally left. After he was gone, J found the cap and put it where he could find it the next day to give to this boy.

About 20 minutes later, here comes this boy to my door again---WITH.HIS. MOTHER! Seriously? She had driven him over to my house--TO GET HIS PENCIL CAP! Again, seriously? So J gave it to the boy. And here was the mom's explanation. "I'm so glad he got it back. He has been bugging me all afternoon about this. He's never had anything stolen from him before and he felt violated." Seriously? It was a PENCIL CAP! If that would have been my kid, I would have said GET OVER IT!

As she was leaving, she said "so what's his name?" I very quickly said "He's not my little guy. I'm just the babysitter." In other words, LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS. Her answer "Oh."

One more time, SERIOUSLY?!?!?!

Elianna is here!

She was born today at 6:44 pm. Everyone is great! Details will follow later (when I get them all). Congrats Sissy and Uncle C!
UPDATE: She was 7 pounds 14 ounces. That's the only update I have right now.

But I'm not a big girl...........

Saturday night we decided to take the side off of K's crib. This then turns it into a "big girl bed." Kinda. It's still just her crib, minus one side (remember that). She's been talking about a big girl bed, so we thought she was ready. Apparently not.

Daddy and I went upstairs to take it off while the kids were downstairs playing. We called her up to see it and she was excited for about 2 minutes. Then the tears started. "But I'm not a big girl." as she held her hands out. It took me a minute to figure it out, but I think she was afraid she would fall out. "That bed is too big for me." Remember, still basically her crib. So we put a storage tub next to her bed with a blanket on it so if she did roll, she wouldn't roll onto the floor. (Later she did fall out, but only because she was goofing around on the bed. HINT: don't goof around!)

It was an evening of trying to convince her and then I gave up. "Too bad. You are sleeping in it." I did give in to her please of "stay with me" and stayed in the room with her for a few minutes after the lights were out. I don't think she likes change.

Next morning she was so proud of that bed. Now her attitude is totally different. I am to stand at the door while she gets in bed-by herself- and say goodnight there (good try girlie). She keeps saying she's the "mom" and doesn't need any help. She doesn't even want me to sing to her at night. (again, good try girlie) She now sings to me first and then I sing to her. I also am not allowed to go into her room to get her up. I am to stand at the door and tell her "you can get up now." and out she comes by herself (again, good try girlie).

She's done pretty good about staying in bed when it's nap/bedtime. Only once since then has she gotten out (she's played in bed, but she was doing that before we took the side off). The one time she got out, I caught her standing on her bed with her dress up shoes on, bracelets on each arm and her crown on. I DON'T THINK SO!

So here is my "big girl" We are planning on looking for a "real" bed once we get back from Disney. I'd like a trundle bed, but we'll see.

For some reason, blogger won't let me move my pictures to the bottom where I want them. Frustrating, but oh well.