Americana

As Independence Day approaches and I start seeing all the red, white, and blue being displayed, I remember how grateful that I am that I was born in America.




America is the place where you can be anything you want to be;

Where you can walk the streets of your town with pride;

Where men and women are treated equal;

Where people of all races are embraced and loved for who they are;

Where you can go to the store and purchase anything you want;

Where you have the freedom to live your life the way you desire;

Where you can speak your mind and no one can stop you;

Where you have rights just because;

Where you can take pride in the fact that despite all its flaws, our government is succeeding;

Where you can be optimistic, have hopes and dreams, and successes.


I am so thankful God put me in this country. When I hear the stories of other places and cultures and how awful they are to their people and sometimes especially the women I say a short prayer thanking God for putting me where he did. I appreciate our freedoms and love the country I call home. The good ole USA.

Tagged again, this time 2 new ones...

What 5 Things do you miss about your childhood? (Tagged by BAV)

1. Playing, just having the free time to play.

2. Sitting in my room alone and thinking. I still like to do this but my chances are much fewer and far between.

3. No responsiblities. I loved that I could come and go and do WHATEVER WHENEVER!

4. Spending time with my siblings, something that almost never happens now.

5. Having friends. It came so easy as a child, and now it seems making friends is harder than moving the sun.

Threes~ (Tagged by Chris)
Three nicknames~Jod, Jo, Rebecca of Sunnybrook farm (my dad used to call me that, rebecca is my middle name)
Three things I like about myself~ I am a good mom, I am a very assertive person, I love to learn
Three things that scare me~Spiders, being home alone at night, losing the internet ;)
Three everyday essentials~toothpaste/toothbrush, clothes, blogging time
Three things I'm wearing right now~sweatshirt, jeans, socks
Three fave bands growing up~Poison, Def Leppard, Paula Abdul
2 truths and a lie~I have never colored my hair, I have a bachelor's degree, I love to watch movies
Three things I can't do without~Money, my kids, heat
Three things I can certainly live without~bills, whiny kids, stinky feet
Three places I want to go on vacation~Hawaii, Disneyland, New York
Three things I want to do before I die~Have grandkids, Go on a cruise, See all my kids graduate high school

Don't start with me...

It is definitely a frying pan day...., week....., life.....

I haven't seen hubby since Sunday on our flop of an anniversary. Monday he worked late. Tuesday he was at Bob's house again, yesterday at a "work" picnic that the kids and I weren't invited to because (as the invitation read: we would be bored). Whatever!

I feel disconnected from my husband. When he came home at 10 on Tuesday I tried to talk to him but he just gets this defensive pissy attitude and won't listen. It is very hard to communicate when one of the two won't cooperate ya know? It probably didn't help that I was taking a bath when he arrived home. I am sure he walked into the bathroom thinking, "Oooooo S-E-X and all he got was "I don't like it when...."

Men! Really why did God invent them again?

Good bye Hello!

I just noticed Blogger finally got a program for inserting pics into our blogs. So now that little pic icon in the toolbar is functional? I must test this out.



How cool is this?! You can take pics from the net or from your own computer. I am liking this!


I have been using the Hello program for the last year or so. I guess I no longer need it! Good bye! :)

What?

I need intelligent adult conversation! The kind where we talk about life, stress, goals, politics, morals, etc. The kind where the other person understands several sentences at once. Where they understand run-on sentences and even an entire paragraph of thought. The kind of conversation that evokes thoughts, creates opinions, and requires further ponder.


The kind of conversation that doesn't start with me saying, Go. to. time-out! NOW!

Computer Geeks

It is official, my 3 year old can operate the computer!

About a week ago we bought the new Tarzan II movie and it came with a Tarzan computer game. We put it in for the girls to play and once he realized the girls had left the computer with the game still on he ran over and started messing with the computer. After about 10 minutes he knew how to make the mouse do what he wanted. I installed Maisy, a preschool game for him then. Since then he has been navigating his way around the game no problem. He even knows how to change the level to make the games harder or easier.

Weekend, FULL

Well I survived the weekend even though I didn't get online once. Can you believe it?! Neither can I! :)

My sister left her daughter with us on Friday and Shanna fell asleep on the way home so we just transferred her to her bed. On Saturday morning she woke up and looked at us like, "WHO are you and WHAT did you do with my mommy?!" Reason 4985 why I never leave my kids with other people: I can't stand the guilt!

She did great though and didn't seem to mind us being around. She is teething though and that tended to make her a little grumpy. She was all smiles though when her momma came back yesterday. And so was I. I forgot how demanding a 10 month old can be. I couldn't get anything else done as I was so busy chasing her to see what she had in her mouth now. Oy! Definitely no more babies for us.

Our 12th anniversary was yesterday too and it SUCKED. Did I mention it S-U-C-K-E-D!? Bob called at 9 a.m. and invited himself over (he was in his car on the way to our house, damn cell phones!) so we hurried and showered and dressed everyone. My sister was still in Soo Foo so we were still babysitting. Bob and Billy played computer games all morning and afternoon while I watched and fed all six kids. (Andrea, you seriously have to teach me your techniques for getting your hubby in line!)

After about 1 in the afternoon, I was losing it. I was starving and couldn't put Shanna down so I stuck her in the office with Billy and Bob and said, "She is yours." I ate my lunch in peace and not 2 minutes later they ended their game. Hmmmm.... not so much fun to play when you have a 10 month old hanging around eh? Vonnie showed up around 6 in the evening and offered to watch our kids so we could go but Bob was still here and showed no signs of leaving. I felt guilty leaving Vonnie with the kids anyway but she didn't need Bob "helping" (i.e. flirting) with her the whole time. So I made dinner, fed the kids, and put them to bed. I sat up talking to Vonnie until 2 a.m. and then we went to bed. Billy had gone to bed hours before. He woke up as I climbed into bed and I said, "This ranks up there as the worst anniversary ever." He nodded and rolled over and went back to sleep. Next year, I am having a party! Boo hoo!

I arose at 6 a.m. this morning so my sister could get up and out of the house on time. Can we all say "nap time?" *YAWN*

****Oh and the chicken pox, not chicken pox. Just a gazillion bug bites all over their little bodies, WE THNK. They aren't getting worse and don't seem to be getting anymore of them. Although Becca woke up with some on her tummy two days ago. The symptoms just don't jive. It is a hurry up and wait situation.*****

UNORGANIZED CHAOS

Crikey can the world spin any faster?!

Today two of my girls woke up with spots head to toe. Chicken pox? I have no idea. They have both had the shot and as far as I can remember we haven't been exposed to anyone. This should be a fun ride!

Today we have been hanging out and recovering from our last three days at the lake. We have Billy's annual company picnic tonight so we are letting the kids squeeze in a nap and then we will be off and running. I did mange to get a few loads of laundry done today so we can all wear clean underwear again. LOL

My sister is off to Soo Foo tonight so we will officially be babysitting. Shanna is such a momma's girl that I am a tad concerned but we will cross our fingers. My SIL and her family won't be coming to the party for many reasons but two big ones are she doesn't want to expose her kids if my kids do in fact have chicken pox and her sewer line backed up last night and she is waiting for the plumber to come fix it and then she has a couple inches of sewage to clean out of her basement. Ewwwwwy! So our big party has turned into just our family but that is okay. Mr. Bill just wants his presents anyway! :)

Pass it on...

I have been reading a wonderful gal's blog who has four kids, three boys and a baby girl. The other day she posted about how people always ask her rude things like, "So you finally got your girl eh?" and I commented to this because I sooooo completely and totally understand her feelings.

Here is my response:

I have four girls and a baby boy, and although we didn't suffer miscarriages as you did, we get that question just as often and I flounder for a response.
We didn't try until we had a boy. How quickly that makes each of our girls feel unvalidated. I tried to have five kids because I love them all and wanted them all, not because one came in pink and one came in blue.

Good Hubby, Good Hubby

After my recent bad mood my hubby stopped at Walmart and picked me up a dozen of the most beautiful red roses I have ever seen. He brought them home and I, of course, was all smiles. Good hubby!

We spent the day at the lake again today. The kids had a blast despite the 90 mile winds. Sheesh! I am tanner than yesterday and loving all this sun. We have a big birthday bash planned for Saturday at the lake so we will be there again. I may go tomorrow too just for the fun of it. First I have to go pick up some more sunscreen. We have gone through an entire bottle in the last week alone. Crazy!

My sister is here visiting for the day and then I am babysitting her daughter (10 months old) for the weekend. It will be strange having a little one running around again. It is sure nice having my sister here though. The kids love her (it helps that she spoils them rotten!) and just maul her the minute she gets up in the morning. Nothing like family! :)

Baking!

Oooooo! I just spent the last four hours at the beach baking in the sun! My kids had a blast running amuk and I loved watching. I am four shades darker now too. Gotta love a good summer tan!

Tomorrow we go back!

Tagged again

Andrea so tried to mess with my already deteriorated mind, but I won this round. I have been tagged twice for this game so here are my answers again.

Total volume of music files on my computer:I might have one or two that I have downloaded for a specific purpose many months ago. I don't listen to music on my puter and I don't have an ipod.

The last CD I bought was:Shania Twain (I bought it for Megan, who worships Shania's voice)

Song playing right now:Does the theme song to a Maisy computer game count? ;)

Five songs I listen to a lot or that mean a lot to me:
1. I Hope You Dance~Lee Ann Womack (For my kids who I so hope love life and aren't afraid to take risks.)
2. Forever and For Always~Shania Twain
3. Chapel of Love~ I can't remember who sings this but I wore the tape out when I was a kid.
4. Right Here Waiting~Richard Marx (Hubby and my "song" when we were dating)
5. Pour Some Sugar On Me~Def Leppard (Can you say 80's crush!? That song gets my blood pumping everytime!)

Now I tag.....
Chris
Kristi

Happy Birthday Mr. Bill

37 weeks preggo!
On June 21, 2002 I awoke to the sound of Billy's alarm clock going off. It was 5:45 a.m. I nudged him and rolled over. As I rolled I felt a small gushing feeling but nothing wet. I had been having an unusual amount of discharge the last few days so I thought that is what was going on. As I lay in bed it happened several more times. I got up thinking maybe I had to pee. I went to the bathroom and got back into bed. As soon as I layed down I felt it again. I got up and headed down the hall to the bathroom when I felt something wet running down my legs. I ran to the bathroom and stood on a towel. My water then broke all over the towel. Yea! This was it This baby was finally coming!
I yelled to Billy, "My water is breaking!" He said, "Okay" and that was it! I said, "Billy!" and he came into the bathroom. I jumped in the shower. Billy called the neighbor to come watch our kids. As I emerged from the shower, our neighbor and Billy were talking. I asked him to call the hospital to let them know we were coming in. I still wasn't having any contractions at the time. We headed out the door at about 7 a.m. We arrived in Brookings at the hosptial at 7:30. The nurse got us upstairs and hooked up to the monitor. I was 5 cm dilated and about 80% effaced. I wasn't having any contractions so they let me get up and walk around. We alternated between walking and getting monitored for the next several hours. I only dilated to a 5-6 by 12:00pm. I was having contractions off and on but nothing strong or consistent. During one of the many checks the nurse had the doc put an internal monitor on the baby's head as we were having trouble keeping track of his heart beat and he had an arythmia (irregular heart beat) Finally the nurse suggested we try the pitocin drip. I heartily agreed. I was tired and wanted the baby out. We got the pitocin at 1:00 pm and the contractions really started in full force. By 2:30 I felt like pushing so the doc came in and got ready. I had two really good pushes and then the baby's head seemed to have gotten stuck right on my tailbone. I was in extreme pain and couldn't do anything but scream.
I pushed one more time and my precious little Billy was born. It was 2:42 p.m. He weighed 7lbs 13oz and 19.5 inches long. His head was 14 inches!


Mr. Bill brand new

No wonder it hurt so much. Billy came out rather purple as he came out too fast they said. His face was bruised for the first week but quickly cleared up. Billy was circumsized the same day he was born. He didn't even cry and seemed quite content afterwards. Billy was the first baby that I got to nurse right away after he was born. It was an amazing experience. He also hummed to himself for the first day. The doctors were a little worried but he stopped by the first night.
I am sooo in love with my little man. I cannot believe I have him. I didn't think having a boy would be so much different than having girls but it sure is. I laugh at myself sometimes as I change his diaper. When he is clothed it is easy to forget he is a boy, even with all the blue stuff! I thank God that he is a healthy baby and that God has given him to me to take care of. Being a parent is the best job in the world. I love my babies so much.



Mr. Bill

Here it is 3 years later! I cannot believe how much I love my little guy and how awesome it is being a mom! I love getting his early morning grins and his hugs and kisses. I love being able to comfort him when he is hurt or sad. I love that he loves me more than anything. My little guy has hit every milestone and done them well. I am still in awe that we produced such a beautiful baby boy, who is now a BIG BOY! :)

Funk

I am not in a good mood today and it started yesterday. I have no explanation for it (PMS just ended last week) but I can't seem to shake it either. I guess I will go about my day and hope something good comes along.

We spent the weekend playing and working. Saturday we spent the entire day at the lake playing with our kids. We also hit some rummage sales on Saturday morning. A lady at one rummage sale gave each of our girls an old purse. Becca started stuffing hers with her rummage sale goodies once we got in the van and discovered 80.00 cash in the pockets. She was flabbergasted to say the least.

Sunday Billy and Bob worked on our entry way. No it is not done yet! Billy decided since we had the ceiling open we might as well rewire (duh woman!) and so they spent 9 hours yesterday rewiring 5 light switches, 3 outlets, and 3 light fixtures. At least most of the wiring is done now and we can move on to something else. I really want to get at least the drywall up before Wednesday as my sister is coming with her 10 month old and I don't think she needs to be sticking her hands in the walls.

Part of my bad mood is because of something that happened yesterday. We had planned to work on the entry way all weekend so on Sunday morning I got up and said to Billy, "Are you ready to get to work?" and he says "Why is Bob here already?" So exactly WHEN did I become useless? Hmmmmm..... Every other project in this house we have done together so why am I suddenly in the way rather than someone who can help. I hate that people have this mentality about woman. Up here where I live, almost EVERY guy has this perspective. It always floors me how the neighbors will come over to talk when Billy gets home from work, even though I have been in the yard all day. And Billy is NOT talkative. Also when we run into guys in town they talk to my husband and virtually ignore me. Most of the time they don't even say hello and when I try to add to the conversation they look at me like I am stupid. Maybe I am oversensitive, or maybe I am just human and like to be included. Urrrrrrr!

Okay, ladies make me laugh today. God knows I need it. I have five kids waiting for me to be a good momma today.

Practice makes perfect!

Here is Megan's Cake from last year and this year. I also made one when she was 4, I believe, but that picture was not taken with a digital camera. I will have to dig it out.

Last year is was so flippin hot on her birthday that the frosting kept melting, even with the air conditioning on, that I had to keep refrosting her and hiding her in the fridge. That is why she is so lacking in the accessory department. ;) I also had issues with the cake (it didn't like being upside down and it kept getting shorter and shorter) so by the time I got her to stay decorated and snapped a picture she looked rather odd.
This year heat wasn't too much of a problem so Barbie got a much prettier dress. I still had issues with the cake. The bottom kept caving outward causing a nasty tilt in the whole thing. I figure after about three more years of this, I will have this cake perfected! Can't wait to see what next year brings.

Happy Birthday Megan! 

Happy 8th Birthday to Megan! 

Prepare to be amazed...

or something!

Today is Megan's Birthday. We started the morning with her fighting and screaming at her sisters. Hmmmm, are we having fun yet?

Then I go to get breakfast and she informs me she doesn't like any of the choices I have given her and she is NOT eating! Hmmmm, are we having fun now?

Then I tell her we need to get dressed and I get a huge meltdown that would rival a volcano. Hmmmm, are we having fun NOW?

Where did my sweet little baby go? And who put this ornery child in its place?

Let's hope the day gets better.

I have to go make a barbie cake with chocolate cake and chocolate frosting now. I hope Barbie looks good in brown. :) Pics are sure to come soon!

I am here, I am here, I am here!

Sorry I was MIA yesterday. We had an appointment in Soo Foo once again and so we ran out the door by 10 a.m. and didn't return home until 11 p.m. Yikes! We spent most of the day park hopping and the kids had a blast.

We also checked out another furniture store, this time we were pleasantly surprised. No one even talked to us until we had been in the store for a good 30 minutes. Then the guy just asked us if we needed help and then walked away. He didn't follow us around or anything. This is definetly where we will be shopping in the future. Not to mention they had 90% of the furniture currently on my "wish-list"! It was amazing!

We also hit Toys R Us since we have two birthdays coming up, Megan turns 8 TOMORROW and Mr. Bill will be three on Tuesday! Who planned these kids birthdays anyway?! LOL

Anyhoo, while at the toy store we took the kids through every aisle (except the baby ones, which are still my favorite to browse in) and at one particular boy aisle Mr. Bill spotted some swords. While we were at their cousin's house last weekend he got to play swords with my nephew who is 10. He had a blast and kept telling us that he needed one too. We told him, "For your birthday." So he sees these swords and just starts drooling! I swear it was like a man in a strip club! He couldn't take his eyes off the swords. I hand him one to look at and he would not take his eyes off the thing. Usually I allow him to look at something while we walk around the store and then we put it back when it is time to go. As we walked we all tried to show him other toys but he just kept staring at the sword and saying, "No, I don't need that. I have this sword!" I couldn't stop laughing. I found one other birthday present for him so I had Billy take the kids in one cart and I took the stuff in the other but I had to take his sword to go pay for it. I calmly told him I had to pay for his sword (I didn't have the heart to take it away from him) and I needed to take it with me. After several reassurances that he could have it back in the van, he let me have it. He watched me the whole way to the check out until his daddy turned the cart so he couldn't see what else I bought. After we got home last night, the sword went to bed with him and I woke up to find him sitting in bed playing with his sword. Can we say obsessive!? LOL

On a different note, we bought the kids a trampoline for Christmas and just recently set it up only to discover that it has a small hole in the mat. I contacted the company and they emailed me back with instructions on how to deal with it. Everytime they send me an email they sign off with ...and have a lovely day.... I always feel like they are saying STICK IT UP YOUR A**! when they say that. It just sounds so sarcastic. LOL

Redecorating is my specialty!

Today I spent the day rearranging the upstairs. First Marea moved into Cassie's room and Cassie moved into Marea's room. Then Becca and Megan decided they wanted their room rearranged so we split the bunkbeds and moved the dressers.

It took about three hours from start to finish. My feet hurt and my shoulder is killing me. Why? Cause dear hubby is at his friends house helping him remodel his house for the millionth Tuesday this year. So I moved dressers, beds, and miscellaneous heavy furniture by myself. Yes, it could have waited until tomorrow when he would be home, but when the redecorating bug bites, I jump! :)

The frying pan is armed!

Growing too fast

We took Becca to get new sandals yesterday because hers from last year are too small. She decides she wants flip flops so we start checking out the girls sizes. She is not overly impressed with any of them and I am not impressed with the prices. I spot a bin of women's flip flops for 2.99 a pair. Becca also sees them and says, "Oooo I want those!" I say, "Those are women's sizes. They are not going to fit you." She grabs a pair and tries them anyway. They were just a little too big! I yelp, "What size are those?" She looks the tag and says, "9." Whaaaaaaaaat! So I hand her an 8 and they are still a tad big. She grabs a 7 and you know what? THEY FIT! My not-quite-10-year-old-daughter is wearing the same shoe size as me! What-the?

So then Megan decides she wants a pair of these too. I tell her to try a 5 since they are the smallest size they have. I figure there is no way they are going to fit. Wrong! They fit perfectly! Crikey! Now I have a nearly-8-year-old and an almost-10-year-old wearing womens shoes. When did they stop being my babies?

Fight Fair you Oxymoron!

When Billy and I first started dating we fought, and we fought dirty. We were only 14 and 16 so immaturaty played a huge role in it I am sure, but even as we got older we still fought. There was a lot of name calling, yelling, screaming, threats of divorce and just general being mean instead of addressing the issue at hand.

After six years of this kind of fighting, during one particularly emotional fight, I told Billy I was leaving. He started yelling again and told me to stop acting like my parents (who divorced). A light bulb came on for me that day. I realized that somewhere along the line, I decided that the best way to fix a problem was to get divorced, afterall that is how my parents "fixed" their problems. I don't know why I came to that conclusion but from that day forth I made it my goal to fix the problem that started the fight or compromise to end the fight and not make divorce a part of our lives. Once I made that commitment to myself and my husband, our fights got a little less dramatic and a little less strained. And my whole idea of marriage changed as well.

It wasn't until 5 years later that I happened to be watching Dr. Phil and he had a show about fair fighting. I thought to myself, "That is an oxymoron if I ever heard one. How can you fight fair?" Boy was I stupid! I watched the show and he talked with a couple who had blow out, screaming, disrespectful fights much like mine and Billy's. After we finished watching the couple on video during one of their fights Dr. Phil turned to the wife and asked her, "What do you get out of that?" She replied, "Nothing. He doesn't listen." Dr. Phil cut her off and said, "No you are getting something out of it or you wouldn't keep doing it!"

Another light bulb went on for me. Those fights were like a huge emotional release of everything I had been storing up over the weeks. It was like sitting down and having a good cry only it was screaming and yelling and I was hurting my husband and my marriage in the process. Dr. Phil never mentioned how to stop this behavior but for me knowledge was POWER! From that day since I have tried very hard to mention my irriation when it happens or to decide to ignore/deal with the behavior on my own rather than allowing myself that emotional release. I also take more "me" time so I can unwind and discharge that energy in other, safer ways. I also exercise which tends to use up plenty of my extra energy. In short, I watch my tongue and take better care of myself so I have a way to vent without blowing up.

Knowledge is power. If you feel like your marriage is not going the way you want it to, CHANGE YOU! You cannot change your spouse but you can change you. Do something to make them smile (I guarantee it will improve their mood and then they will want to do the same for you), do something nice for them, be happy yourself (even if you have to fake it), eventually you will stop looking at the negative and start seeing the positive. You have the power to be an awesome you, so do it!

Who would have thought this.... 

would turn into this? 

Forever and For Always...

This time of year, 12 years ago, I was finishing up the plans for my wedding which was only 14 days away. I remember being all scatterbrained as I found out the photographer had decided to quit the business, leaving us with no photographer. I called my dad and cried to him on the phone. He volunteered to bring his camera (this was pre-digital folks) and take the pictures. We were busy arranging who would bring the chairs since it was an outdoor wedding, making reservations for the reception area, buying the final touches, and just getting everything wrapped up. I remember how full I was with love and how much I adored Billy. I remember the way my heart would swell each time he would walk in the room. I remember the giddy feeling I had at the thought of becoming Mrs. Jodi Sides. The world was at my feet and I was ready to eat it up. It was a glorious warm spring that year and the hills were alive. I will never forget those feelings as I planned the first day of the rest of my life.


12 years and counting

PayDay

Paying bills is fun....



WHEN YOU HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY THEM!

The one thing I can always buy and my hubby never asks, "Do we really need more of those?" I could buy them by the ton! But then what would I do with them all? Has Hildi tried sticking tampons on the wall yet. Red paint would be quite the accent! LOL 

All of us... at the park! 

Summertime fun! 

TEEEEEEEE!

Absolutely NO FAIR turning off the comments! Since I can't comment on your blog I will have my say here, read it if you like! :)

Men are men, and as much as we would like them not to be, they are. I have been married for almost 12 years and I still am shocked as some of the dumb inconsiderate things my husband can pull. I guarantee you your husband, when asking what you were thinking about, was waiting for you to answer something like, "Oh honey, I was imagining us having wild sex on the beach with no kids around and the sun shining on our backs. TAKE ME NOW!" When that was not your answer he got peeved. Remember he is a guy, sex is all guys think about, something like 50 times a day? Sheesh!

You are a wonderful person, mother and wife. Don't let this get to you. Take the kids somewhere free (the park, go for a walk, go to McDonalds and let the kids play, etc) so you can get out and get a fresh view of everything. My motto in life is "THIS TOO SHALL PASS!" Just keep your chin up and soon you will wonder what you were stressing over. (((Big Hugs)))) too!

NOW TURN THE COMMENTS BACK ON! ROFLOL

Mobile Mouse

My little mouse is on the move.

Last night as I sat here typing and playing on the computer my shoulder started getting shooting pains clear down to my hand. My underarm (cause women don't have armpits!) even was in pain. I decided a lot of my pain has to be from the postiton or location of my computer mouse. I realized the pain in my shoulder started about the time we purchased this new desk. I think it is too high and is possibly the cause of my pain.

So today my mouse is now a lefty. It is on the other side of the keyboard. I can't tell you how many times in the last 10 minutes I have reached for the mouse with my right hand only to grab a bunch of keyboard buttons. LOL Change is good right!?

It's what's for breakfast and lunch and maybe dinner...

Raspberry Chocolate Coffee Cake-Yum!

Patience is a virtue...

Patience is not a quality I would have said I possessed, that is until I had kids.

Kids have this amazing way of bringing out a person inside of you that you had no idea exsisted. I was reading another mommy blog about her son and how sick he was. It reminded me of how easy it is for me to slip into that loving, patient mommy role when one of my own kids is sick.

When they look at you with those glassy tear-filled eyes and whine, "Mommeeeeee I don't feel so good." that patient mommy steps up and gives hugs and kisses and listens to all the whining without one single comment like, "If you whine at me again, I AM GOING TO DUCT TAPE YOUR MOUTH SHUT!" She is a loving person who serves popscicle after popscicle, cleans the puke bucket out, washes forty loads of poo covered underwear, hugs the child who just hurled down her back without one regard for her shirt or own cleanliness. Yes she is a goddess.

She has this inate ability to sense what is coming, or maybe it is the flushed red cheeks or the panicked look the child just gave her, either way she knows she needs to find the puke bucket, NOW! She also has the ability to comfort even the most uncomfortable child. She is patient, kind, loving, supportive, and everything else we want our mommy's to be when we don't feel good. There is nothing like a hug from this awesome mommy to help make a tummy feel better, an ear not ache so badly, or a throat feel a little less swollen.

She is also an amazing mommy who disappears once the child has been doctored, filled with medicine, and begins leaping from the couch to the loveseat yelling, "To infinity and beyond!"

Watching paint dry

Yesterday was insanely busy. The girls had a dentist appointment in SooFoo which is about 80 miles south of us. They are about the only dentist we could find in South Dakota that had openings. It is insane trying to get to the dentist here. And forget it entirely if you don't already have a dentist and you get a cavity! OY! Anyhoo, I digress. We left home at about 9:30 and headed to the dentist. We arrived at 10:40, just in time for the 11 a.m. appointment. The girls all got their teeth cleaned (no cavitites!) and we headed to the mall. We enjoyed lunch in the insanity of rush-hour in a big city. Don't people in these cities have day jobs? There were sooooo many moms with kids there. It makes me wonder what their husbands do for a living so they can be SAHM's and lunch at the mall? Someone tell me the secret!

After we cruised the mall we decided to hit the park as it was now 90F! Wooohhooooo SUMMER! We got to a park and Mr. Bill had crashed already (It was 2 hours past naptime!) so I just layed him in the stroller. Billy and I parked ourselves under a tree and sat and watched the girls "play". All four of them either sat by us or went and hid under the slides in the shade. LOL We decided after ten minutes of sitting that perhaps we should go find something else to do.

We loaded everyone back into the van and headed out. Our next stop was the fabric store. We (or I should say I) am in the process of redecorating our living room. It is looking really bare and quite pathetic. I rearranged the furniture on Monday and decided that it is time to buy some real curtains (when we bought our house it came with vinyl shades and that is all). I also decided it is time to recover a chair my grandma left me. It is falling apart thanks to the kids pulling on the trim. So we stopped to look for fabric for window treatments only to discover Billy and I have a hard time deciding on something we both liked. After an hour of kids whining and us shaking our heads we departed the fabric store. I think we both decided we would pick from the premade choices at Walmart. LOL

We made one final stop in SooFoo to look at a furniture discount store. As we walked in the door, a salesman immediately approached us and asked if he could help us. We said we were just browsing. He did the usual schpeel about how if we need anything he would be nearby. Well not only was he nearby, he followed us around the store. When you have five kids, I guess you are a threat to the furniture? I don't know, but as we headed for the elevator to view the upstairs furniture the salesman got on the elevator with us and followed us around upstairs too. It was very uneasy. Billy and I both hurried the kids through the store and left, with the salesman still behind us. He thanked the kids for being good and then stood in the door and waved. The store had some awesome prices on their furniture so I would like to go back but I don't like salesmen who follow me around like I am going to break something. Blah!

We finally arrived home at 8 p.m. after a very full day. The kids were wiped out and grouchy so we just ate dinner and got p.j.'s on. I did manage to find a fake tree at Walmart on our way home so it is now resting in my living room. I just need to find fabric to recover my chair, a side table for the chair, a few accesories, and some curtains and this room will be complete. I love redecorating!

Elefun!

I wish I could say we had a fun and exciting weekend but we did not. Mother nature poured on us all weekend so any outdoor activities were squashed. I had finally had all I could take on Sunday so I took the kids to the mall. We visited Claire's (the accessory store) and I think we spent two hours or so in there. The girls each came out with a pair of earrings (the loooong dangling type, that I usually say nay to.) and a big grin. Becca said, "We are spoiled." I grinned and nodded. Yes they are. I even splurged and bought myself a purple necklace and earring set that were 50% off.

We also stopped at Target and I let them get Elefun, the game. It is a blue elephant that blows "butterflies" out of his trunk and the kids have to catch them in their nets. Mr. Bill can't stop laughing at the girls as they dance around trying to catch the flying butterflies. Too funny! Since there are only four nets and I have five kids Billy handed Mr. Bill his hat to use as a net. He thinks he is sooo privileged. LOL

I am off to manage this chaos! What did you all do this weekend?

Friday Again?

Yikes, can the week fly any faster!? I cannot believe it is Friday again already!

Yesterday was another uneventful day for us. The rain hasn't stopped pouring for the last three days and if it stops even briefly the wind kicks up so we haven't been outside for days. I am beginning to go stircrazy. Today I am taking the kids to Walmart to get out of the house and to pick up some kitty food. I found the baby kitty trying to eat dog food this morning and when I checked her dish I realized it was empty and so was the bag. Oops!

Marea is not doing well with school being out, either that or her meds really aren't working. Either way it is getting on my nerves. I hate when I have to be on top of her all day. This morning (4 a.m.) she got up to go to the bathroom and started playing in the bathroom. This is usually a good indicator that her brain is unable to calm down enough to sleep which means her meds aren't working. We just upped it two weeks ago so I am thinking we are going to have to try something else entirely. Blah! I also think her allergy to corn is adding to the problem. It is the equivalent of giving a kid 4lbs of sugar to eat. Corn makes Marea hyper and jumpy, more than she is usually. She has been eating a lot of junk lately and Hawaiian punch too. Check the ingredients on the stuff~ HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP #1! I started putting her on a corn free diet today. Lets hope that helps. If not I may be checking myself in before the summer is over!

Today is my last day of my break from exercise. I took a week off after school but I will begin again on Monday. I just feel so much better when I am up exercised and showered before the kids all get up. I NEED some mommy time. :)

Tagged by Tee

Total volume of music files on my computer:
I might have one or two that I have downloaded for a specific purpose many months ago. I don't listen to music on my puter and I don't have an ipod.

The last CD I bought was:
Shania Twain (I bought it for Megan, who worships Shania's voice)

Song playing right now:
I have the sirius satellite 80's channel on my dish going right now.

Five songs I listen to a lot or that mean a lot to me:
1. I Hope You Dance~Lee Ann Womack (For my kids who I so hope love life and aren't afraid to take risks.)
2. Forever and For Always~Shania Twain
3. Chapel of Love~ I can't remember who sings this but I wore the tape out when I was a kid.
4. Right Here Waiting~Richard Marx (Hubby and my "song" when we were dating)
5. Pour Some Sugar On Me~Def Leppard (Can you say 80's crush!? That song gets my blood pumping everytime!)

Can you keep a secret?

I finally decided what to get my hubby for father's day. It is a BIG secret though so you can't tell. And don't worry cause he never reads my blog.

Here is what I got him:


He has been a Taz lover for as long as I can remember. He has so many little figurines of Taz that most of them are now stored in the attic. He is also a fan of leather and this jacket is all leather. He better like it! Just don't ask how much it cost. I am still reeling at the price tag.

Finding our Groove

What is this now? Day 715 of summer vacation? Oy! I have been away from my kids too long, or rather, they from me. When they were babies it didn't matter if it was summer, winter, spring or fall. We played and we played lots. Now I seem to be unable to get 4 kids entertained for more than 10 minutes. I think it is time to hit the library and get some new books. Today I broke out the playdough only to discover it is all one ugly shade of brown. New playdough is in order. Mr. Bill is as unsure as I am of these 4 new playmates running around the house ALL day. He still tends to head towards me to play as he is unsure what these girls are for. We will have it all figured out soon enough.

Becca had her first ever softball game last night. She was up to bat three times and hit the ball all three times. The first and last time they got her out before she got to first but the second time, she eventually made it home and scored. Their team lost despite some good playing by all the players. I will be excited to see the difference in them at the end of the summer. Megan refused to play, nerves, I am sure. I told her she can always try again next game.