1st Snow of the Year 12/5/09

When I woke up Saturday and it was raining, I did not think we would get the snow they called for, but it came and stayed all day. The kiddos played in it for a good part of the day and even made a small snowman. There favorite thing to do was make snowballs. Here are some pictures from the day.....









Heading down the hill

Not Me Monday

I did not forget that it was Monday therefore forget to do a NMM post.

But, she didn't forget! And neither did she! Join the NMM fun at MckMama's blog.

Keeping It Real...Getting It Dry

Lately, when Noah is done with his bath he likes to dry himself off with his towel and then let me help him get dressed. I remember a time not too long ago that I would scoop him up out of the tub in the same towel and get to dry him off and help him get dressed. So is the life of a Momma whose youngest is growing from my baby into a boy. Sigh.

So, tonight he is drying himself off and he drops his towel to survey his body to see which parts were still wet and in need of more drying off. He reaches down and gives himself* a good squeeze and declares his boy parts still wet. He then proceeds to shimmy and shake himself and his boy parts, checking one more time and declaring himself dry.

Sigh. He is growing up and now not in need of his Momma to dry him after his bath and not afraid to grab himself in front of her.

Missing Entries

Last night I was looking at some of the photos on Rick's phone that we have taken over the last few days (remember the lost camera after the circus incident? Never recovered it) and I found some pictures from Kari's aquarium trip in October.

That totally reminded me that we used disposable cameras for Noah and Kari's field trips in October and never got them developed. Which means I never blogged about them. When we pick up our photo cards I am going to drop off the disposable cameras and try to get CDs for them so I can post them here and blog about their trips. Because as wonderful as my NMM posts are, I know not all of you come to read those. Some of you actually come to read about the kiddos =)

Rick and I have been sick this week, so I am glad that we got the Christmas tree and other decorations up last weekend. It was neat to see the kiddos looking at the different ornaments and commenting about them. Especially the family ones we try to get every year. It is always fun to watch them take their personal ornament boxes and trim the tree with them first. It was a bit bittersweet to have Devin here decorating this year, but not have her put her ornaments on the tree. She tucked them away for next year when she will use them to decorate her own tree, probably in her dorm room or an apartment she shares with a roommate.

Someone said they are calling for some snow this weekend, (a 30% chance, I think) which would be nice since TX got their first snowfall before us again this year. I hope if we get some it stays around a bit longer than theirs did. I do not enjoy going out in it as much as Rick and the kiddos, but I am all about the hot chocolate and mac 'n cheese afterward.

I can definitely use the snow as an excuse for hot chocolate and mac 'n cheese.

Not Me Monday DSS Office Edition

I did not overhear the following things in the DSS office....

"I told him just to put a bullet in her. Just shot her and be done with it" Man did not say to mother. Mother did not reply to son "Now that is just silly. It is not like we live anywhere where he can just go out in the woods and bury her!"

Mother did not suggest to son that he should get a public defender after she was horrified to find out that he might be put in jail on his birthday, "Don't they know it is your birthday?? That is just wrong, I tell ya!" To which he did not reply, "S#!t, I don't need no public defender! I can represent myself better than one of them public defenders! They're stupid." (I bet he forgot they weren't the ones getting ready to spend their birthday in jail)

Man on the phone did not say, "Well, I am not trying to go there around those types of people! What? You think I want to get the wise flu? I ain't gonna get the wise flu!"

Couple to each other, "What you gonna do? Hit me with your cane? I will f*@#ng hit you with something." (Man with cane mumbles something) "Well, you can curse at your children and your woman but you ain't gonna curse at me you s%$t!" "Leave my woman out of this!" (As this loud exchange is going on those of us in the room did not start to giggle....okay, so we did not start laughing to which she says...) "Well, I ain't sure what they're laughing at, we gots freedom to speech, freedom to speak whatever we want!" (To which the gentleman afraid of catching the "wise" flu did not reply) "And we gots the freedom to laugh at you!"

The couple then did not gather their things and huff toward the door passing the man afraid of the wise flu and the woman did not say, "Trash!" to which he did not replay, "Trash? She did not just call me trash, did she?" To which the man did not say, "Yes, she did and we....we are...going outside!".

The room did not erupt with laughter again at this or the woman who said, "Oh, okay, man with a cane threatens that he is going outside! Keep on walking!"

Catch more NMM posts over at MckMama's blog! And visit my friend, GG over at her blog, too.

Not Me Monday After A HellaWeek Edition

I did not drink Diet Coke directly from the 2 liter bottle in front of my husband because that would drive him insane.

I did not agree to the 14 year old staying home from school for no other reason than tiredness. I was not tempted to make up some out of the world excuse for his absentee note because "Please excuse C from school as he was tired" sounded kind of lame.

I did not start to sweat and have a mini panic attack while reading someone else's NMM post when she wrote about getting stuck in traffic in a tunnel.

I did not Twitter that I was in the Top 5 McLinky posts on MckMama's NMM Monday post because I was giddy about making the Top 5 last week.

I did not cry more in the last week than I have in the last 7 years.

I did not comment "I am more comfortable dancing with a pole in the room" when some young men from church and Rick were discussing why I was not dancing more at the Leadership Banquet.

I did not almost consider not posting NMM posts anymore because of one person's opinion of NMM posts. I did not want to tell the opinionated person to just stop reading my blog if they didn't care for my NMM posts. I did not refrain from saying what I really wanted to say because aforementioned person is family and I did not want to deal with any backlash from stating my opinion.

Check out MckMama's post and link your NMM entry to hers so you can share the NMM Love!

Stay Tuned

I am sure you all wait with baited breath for my next riveting blog entry, so I wanted you to know I have a few entries up my sleeve. One of which involves a declaration of freedoms and a man with the fear of getting the "wise flu".

And I have report card information to share as well.

But, alas, it is naptime now and my bed beckons me.

Spread the Cheer!!

One of the blogs I read is hosting a giveaway....The Chris Tomlin Christmas Stocking GIVEAWAY!!!

Go and check it out right now!

Not Me Monday 2 For 1 Edition

So, I missed NMM last week, because I was unplugged from blogging, Facebook and Twitter for a week. But, never fear, I posted things today from last week and this past week, so you really didn't miss much.

And she's back from Boston with her miracle baby, the NMM originator herself. Check out her blog and my other lovely friends to see what they didn't do last week, too.

11/09/09

I did not stay up until 3 AM on Saturday while at the Ladies Lock In and have to take a nap and go to bed early on Saturday and take a nap on Sunday to try and recover.

I did not eat buffalo chicken dip for breakfast and lunch several days in a row.

I did not tell my husband I was praying for the 14 year old's team to lose their playoff game on Saturday so there would be no more practices for him to attend. They did not then win their game 27-0.

I did not eat cantaloupe on Saturday morning while at breakfast with the LHC ladies because I wanted to prove to a friend that my fruit cup could counteract the Grand Slamwich calories I was partaking of even though I HATE cantaloupe.

I did not tell another friend that I could take above mentioned friend when she asked if I was still going to order the Slamwich even though the above mentioned friend had advised against it.

11/16/09

I did not stay in bed on Tuesday until the kiddos came home at 3:30 PM from school.

I did not blast my husband after he did not clean up from dinner on Sunday night after he had cleaned the house the day before with the kiddos while I was at a Ladies' activity.

I did not not wash my clothes with the 14 year old's because his football gear was in that particular load and it smelled awful!

I did not tell the 5 year old that I would throw his McDonald's toy out the window if he didn't stop whining about wanting to switch it. I was not the one who told him the night before that we would switch it.

I did not flip the plate I was holding with pie on it out of my hand immediately after a young man next to me flipped his cup out of his hand and spilled apple cider on himself.

I did not get ready to ask the 14 year old to take something back to the cleaning supply closet at church because I was too lazy to do it myself. I did not then let my friend, V take it back for me instead.

And finally, I did not tell my husband that he drives me crazy when he tries to help me while I am on the computer and then ask him to leave the room to then call him back into the room to help me do something on the computer.

ETA: I can NOT believe that I am in the top five McLinky posts at MckMama's blog!!!

Not Me Monday Croup/Halloween Edition

Not sure if MckMama will be posting this week with sweet Stellan still in the hospital, nor am I sure if my LHC friends with be posting, but I am. It was a week and a half!

I did not drive the 14 year old to school without my license and without wearing a bra.

I did not pick up the 5 and 7 year old from school in my PJ bottoms, tank top and a cardigan.

I did not laugh hysterically when my mom tripped and spilled meatball sauce into the 18 year old girl's shoes.

I did not continue to eat and overeat to myself sick, so I would be able to poop. It did not not work.

I did not drop off the 5 year old's prescription, then go get Mickey D's for lunch and then head back to the pharmacy and sit in the parking lot until his meds were ready.

I did not let the 5 year old nap all three days he was home sick from school, knowing that it would mess up his schedule and kick his butt once he went back to school on Monday.

I did not let the 5 year old attend a party and go trick or treating on Saturday and then not go to church on Sunday because he was sick. I also did not let him attend movie night at church Sunday night.

I did not cry when I opened a card from a friend this week that had a grocery store gift card in it.

I did not enjoy being able to stay home and hand out candy on Halloween while Rick walked the 5 and 7 year old around the neighborhood.

I did not slice off a piece of the dog's ear I was carving for the 5 year old in his pumpkin. Rick did not fix it with a toothpick or two.

I did not make the 5 year old make a caramel apple at the Fall festival at church because I wanted the apple.

Halloween 2009

Halloween festivities started early this year. On October 23, the kiddos went to the HES Fall Festival with Amberly and Jonathan. They had a lot of fun playing different games and getting prizes. The only thing they didn't like was the haunted house. Kari never wanted to go from the beginning and Noah backed out when he saw the bloody hand. Vicki was a trooper, waiting in line with Noah, Amberly and Jonathan, for them all to change their minds. Here are a few pictures.....

Playing Games





Decorating treat bags





Boo-tiful Butterflies


Mario meet Franken-baby


Kari, her teacher, Mrs. Page and her daughter, Sophie


As we were leaving, Noah found a toad on the sidewalk.....


Next, the school hosted a costume parade and classroom parties on October 30. Noah was sick, but his teacher sent home a gift bag and Kari brought him some extra treats. Unfortunately, there are no pictures since I was home with Noah.

Then at 1 PM on Halloween, LHC hosted a Harvest Party. The kiddos got to carve pumpkins, make caramel apples, eat yummy treats and make crafts, including peanut butter and bird seed pine cone bird feeders, scarecrow cups and construction paper strip pumpkins. Here are a few pictures from the party.....













Listening to a story





After dinner and putting some finishing touches on the pumpkins, Rick took Kari and Noah trick or treating. When they had gone a few blocks and dumped their candy bags twice, they were ready to come home. Here are some after shots....





The pumpkins.....



This post linked over at 5 Minutes for Mom....

No School Until Monday

Noah stayed home from school yesterday since he had a bit of a fever. It was above 100, but he had no other symptoms. Since Kari had the same thing a few weeks ago, I assumed he was getting a virus, too.

His fever spiked to 102.7 around 5 PM, but went down after a dose of Tylenol and a cool bath. He hadn't eaten much during the day, but ate dinner. He sounded a bit congested, but still no other symptoms besides the fever.

He woke up this morning, burning up and saying he had to go to the bathroom. As he walked to the bathroom he stopped to cough an awful seal sounding cough, almost like he couldn't catch his breath. When he got to the bathroom, he continued to cough and vomit up a lot of yellow mucus.

An appointment to the doctor confirmed croup and he was tested for the flu - regular and H1N1. Thankfully, the flu tests came back negative. The doctor gave him a prescription for a steroid and a note to return to school on Monday.

I just hope he feels well enough on Saturday to attend the fall party and go trick or treating. I feel bad for him since he will have to miss his costume parade and party tomorrow at school.

I am just very thankful that it is not anything more serious.

Not Me Monday Crazy Week/Weekend Edition

I did not burn my tongue in hot caramel after I told my kiddos to be careful.

I did not repeatedly scrape caramel off the plate the caramel apples were cooling on nor did I scrape the caramel off my DH's apple, eat the caramel and then throw the apple in the trash.

I did not laugh out loud while watching Monsters VS. Aliens with the kiddos. I did not find B.O.B. hilarious.

I did not cry while watching Brothers and Sisters on hulu.com. I did not check Facebook during the Kevin and Scotty parts because I am a bit uncomfortable with men kissing other men.

I have not let the 7 year old wear orange and black Halloween themed ponytail holders with all of her outfits even though they do not match because I have been dying for her to let me put ponytails in her hair for 3+ years!

I did not contemplate, even for a minute, encouraging my DH take a web design job to design and maintain a porn site with live feed of nude girls because he has been out of work for 5 months and we could really use the money.

I did not use the phrase "Satan's a punk!" more times this weekend than my signature phrase "Seriously??"

I did not indulge in a alcoholic beverage on Saturday to feel like a grown up to only have it make me feel like an elderly person who eats dinner at 4 PM and falls asleep before finishing the meal.

I did not eat chicken fried steak for breakfast and lunch on Sunday.

I did not feed the 18 year old girl's breakfast to the dog on Saturday when she slept in instead of eating with the family.

I did not start keeping a journal for my NMM posts so I would not forget to post first thing in the morning, to forget to post until after lunchtime.

Check out MckMama's post since she is the original NMM poster. Also, you can check out his, her and her post even though they have not posted yet today.

Pass me the Paddle

While doing after dinner devotions last night, Rick asked the kiddos if they knew what fellowship was. Noah said, "Yes, it is when you are hanging out with your friends...in a ship". LOL Well, he was half right =)

Not Me Monday Rainy Days Edition

I did not let, much to Rick's chagrin, the 18 year old girl sleep in our bed when she couldn't sleep after watching a scary movie.

I did not contemplate hiding in the bathtub to scare the 18 year old girl after she watched a scary movie.

I did not skip aerobics on Monday due to my monthly visitor and on Thursday due to being tuckered out from lack of sleep (see first "I did not") and taking care of a sick 7 year old.

I did not tell the 7 year old that we'd just check her temperature to see if she needed to stay home from school Thursday to have it top out at 103!?!

I did not ignore the 5 year old when he told me climbed in bed with me, exclaiming, "It's 8 o'clock! Time to wake up!" and "It's 8:30! Time to wake up!" and "It's 9 o'clock! Time to wake up!" etc., so I could get more sleep to have the 7 year old wake us all up at 11 AM declaring, "I'm fever free!!"

I did not enjoy not having to go anywhere for the 4 days that it was cold and rainy.

I did not threaten to send the 5 year old out in the rain several times during the four days we were stuck inside since he waswell and not complying with my 'be quiet and just rest!' request.

What didn't YOU do??

Check out MckMama to find out how NMM got started and see if my friends remembered to post this week!

Rainy Saturday

Kari is finally fever free, but we are staying in today since it is still cold and rainy here.

And since we are tired of Disney and Nick Jr marathons we decided to make some caramel apples....




I only burned my tongue a little bit.

Sick and Tired

So, between Devin having to sleep in our bed because she watched a scary movie and Kari not feeling well, no one has been sleeping very much in the Hall household for the last week.

Devin ended up in our bed early Wednesday morning, not allowing Noah to sneakily climb in our bed, so he and I ended up sleeping on the couch. My neck is still not happy with me. Rick was awaken every 10 minutes or so by Devin saying, "Dad, roll over, please! Dad, you're snoring!" I went to bed at 9 PM Wednesday night.

Then Kari ended up in our bed early Thursday morning because she wasn't feeling well and Devin had fallen asleep on the couch while watching a movie because she didn't want to sleep upstairs. She just stayed up until she couldn't stay awake any longer. Noah was already in our bed when Kari climbed in so he started screeching about being squished and repeatedly poked Rick in the ribs. I ended up on the couch again, albeit alone this time, and Kari woke up a few hours later with a fever.

No other symptoms, just the fever. It has spiked and then decreased several times in the last 24 hours. The kiddos have off of school today and she was hoping to have a friend spend the night, but she may not even be able to do anything this weekend if her fever sticks around.

Noah is a bit congested, but no fever and I have some sinus gunk that showed up this morning, along with a 6:30 AM wake up call and a migraine.

Thankfully, it is rainy and cold, so the kiddos are not too upset to be stuck inside watching non-stop Disney.

I am going to start a bubble bath and slice one of the brownies Rick baked last night.

Maybe I will send Rick to Walgreen's with the disposable cameras from the kiddos' field trips to get some photo CDs made. We never did find my parents' camera and have not been able to replace it. Waiting for the leads Rick has out there for jobs to come to fruition.

I will be so thankful when he gets a job and is able to keep it for more than 6-8 months. I know God has a plan, but it is hard to see it sometimes. Especially, when I am overtired and dealing with sick kiddos.

Not Me Monday Field Trip Edition

I did not get my period the night before the field trip.

I did not have trouble getting out of bed the morning of the field trip and then overslept trying to get just a few extra minutes of sleep.

I did not refuse Rick's offer to get me coffee because I did not want to have to go to the bathroom while on the bus en route to the farm.

I did not have a panic attack when I couldn't find my shoes and I was already late for the mandatory movie I had to watch before being allowed to go on the field trip.

I did not want to punch the secretary at the school when she told me I had to get in the very long line of parents to get a visitor's sticker before I could walk Noah the last two feet to his classroom.

I did not say rather loudly in line waiting for my sticker "This day could not get any worse!". I did not also want to stomp my feet for emphasis.

I did not laugh out loud when I got my list of kiddos in my group and one of the boys was named Michael Scott. I did not then text Rick and tell him Michael Scott was in my group.

I did not do a last minute restroom run before getting on the bus.

I did not lose one of the boys in my group after only being off the bus for a few minutes. I did not only have three boys in my group.

I did not feel bad about texting Rick on the hayride, especially when I saw Noah's teacher talking on her cell phone.

I did not thank God when the boy that fell in the water and got mud all over him was not Noah.

I did not let the boys in my group pee in the corn field before getting on the bus because we did not have time to go to the bathroom and I was not risking letting 3 5 year olds that said they HAD TO GO get on the bus for 45 minutes without going to the restroom.

I did not have a great time on Noah's first field trip and bus ride...oh, wait, yes I DID!!

What didn't you do??

Visit MckMama's blog for the original NMM and check out some of my other friends, too!

Staying on Green

I can not believe that it is October already, but here it is, ushering in Fall and summoning Thanksgiving and Christmas before I am ready for them to be here.

The kiddos are in the second month of school and doing pretty well.

Cody seems to be doing alright in school, although he still seems to be have a hard time with math and English. He likes his math teacher enough to stay after school and stay on top of his grades, but he is not very fond of his English teacher. He would rather be failing a class than stay for help.

He is playing football for a community team and enjoyed a win this weekend. The team is currently 1-2. He was starting quarterback for the first two games, but played linebacker on Sunday. He really enjoyed playing linebacker and was glad his team won. I think he will be ready to play on the HS school next year, if he chooses to try out again.

Kari loves school. She was Student of the Month for September and has not moved from "green" since the first day of school. Being on green means listening to the teacher, doing schoolwork and being a good student and friend. She even made the newsletter for S of the M.

She is getting ready to sign up for Upward Cheerleading. She will be cheering with her best friend, Amberly. They will be cheering for Upward basketball teams and we tried to get Noah to agree to sign up, but he is not interesting in playing basketball. Kari is already practicing cheers she makes up on her own and can't wait to have pom pons.

Noah is doing well in Kindergarten and loves his teacher. Although, he gives me a hard time several mornings a week when it is time to get ready to go to school. Once he gets to the school, though, he goes into the classroom with nary a glance back at me or Rick. He folds Blankie up every day and puts him in his backpack, but doesn't take him out at all during the school day.

It is so neat to see him writing letters, spelling and reading sight words and doing simple math concepts. He loves writing the books we read in the evenings on his reading chart. He has also been on "green" every day but once in September. Seems he likes to talk as much as his father and is very chatty in school.

Devin is back in MD and starting a new job on Monday. Things didn't work out in CO, so she decided to come home. We are glad she is back and know that she is going to do great things here. She will be starting college in the spring and working with the teens at LHC in a few weeks. She is also very busy with local Christian bands and a few college aged Bible studies.

Josh is preparing for a few life changes that I will share soon, but want to make sure things are in place before I do.

As for all of the children, prayers for them and our family is always appreciated.

I wish I had some pictures to add to this post, but you may remember that I broke our camera last 4th of July. We were borrowing my parents' camera when it was available and borrowed it for the circus we attended on Labor Day. But, somehow it is now missing and has been since that evening. We have looked everywhere, except at the circus since it was a traveling tent circus and had already packed up and moved on when we realized it was missing. I was sure I brought it home, even remember deleting and editing pictures in the van on the way home, but it is no one in the house or the van or anywhere. So frustrating since we have not be able to replace it for my parents yet.

Anyway, on that note, I will go get the kiddos' their bedtime snack and get them into bed soon. Bedtimes are much easier now that school is in session - the kiddos are pretty tired out from all the education they are receiving.

Next update I will fill you in on what's going on with Rick and me. One of us is living one of their dreams and one of us is ending a chapter of their lives that was pretty hot.

Check back soon.....

Not Me Monday Satan's a Punk Edition

I did not start to cry when, as I was standing at the 40 Days for Life vigil, a young man rode by and gave me the finger.

I did not start freaking out when I saw Kari's broken bike outside the fence and the back gate open.

I did not then start really freaking out when I realized that her operable bike was gone from the front porch.

I did not curse a little when I realized that someone had taken/stolen not one but two of the bikes from our yard.

I did not continue to curse when the coffee machine I wanted to get coffee from at Royal Farms was out of order.

I did not exclaim "Satan's a Punk!" when I then realized that I didn't have enough change for the iced coffee at RF.

I did not then drive to 7-11 in hopes of getting some sort of coffee beverage to have to settle for an iced coffee.

I did not have all of the above happen before I was able to be on my way to a prayer meeting on Saturday morning.

I did not share all of this with the gals I was praying with, exclaiming once again that "Satan is Punk!".

I did not text D while I was driving to let her know that the bikes were found and returned.

I did not then exclaim, "Eat that, Satan!".

Yeah, so what did you not do?

Check out the original NMM poster, MckMama and some of my friends who have been bitten by the NMM bug.

Not Me Monday Again on Tuesday Edition

I did not laugh hysterically when my mom took a drink from the mug she had just poured grease from the browned ground beef into, thinking it was her cup of coffee.

I did not clean my house on Friday to only have my DH and kiddos undo all my hard work in less than 7 hours on Saturday. I am not a little bit bitter about this.

I did not find a travel coffee mug in husband's multi-media space at church that had been there for several weeks with coffee in it and proceed to wash it. I did not have to dump the contents into the toilet and let it sit with hot water in it for several days before I could completely wash it out. I did not gag the whole time.

I did not forget about NMMonday yesterday even though I read several blogs that had NMMonday posts.

I did not want to punch several people this week because of their incompetency and lack of ability to accept responsibility.

I did not want to drop kick a little old lady in our church when she looked at my wedding pictures and then at me and "Well, you have really let yourself go, huh?".

So, if you forgot like me and didn't write your post or forgot to check others' posts, go read MckMama's NMMonday post and then head over to Carlton's and Jen's blogs, too. I'd tell you to read Deidre's, too, but she is not to keen on a lot of people reading her blog =)

Not Me Monday Exhausted Edition

I did not take the 5 year old boy to the ER with vomit on his shirt. I did not let the nurse stick a sticker over the vomit spot.

I did not get two blisters on Saturday after the Walk/Run for Life because I wore the wrong socks. I am a mom, for goodness' sake! I know what socks to wear!

I did not get giddy when I realized I had texting again and text the 18 year old girl as soon as we got our cell phones turned back on.

I did not leave a piece of cake in the cake keeper for a week that should have been refrigerated. I did not almost vomit when I lifted the lid and smelled the curdled whipped topping and cream cheese layer that had become rancid.

I did not not put sheets back on my bed after I washed them from the 5 year old boy getting sick on them. I did not not put them on because I am lazy, I did not not put them on in case he got sick again. That's my story and I am sticking to it!

I did not roll my eyes when my pastor's daughter was praying with a lady from the church over the raffle baskets, to ensure that she won one. I did not then, silently pray that we would win one, too.

I did not say, "Well, I want you to be quiet" when my son was crying and saying he had a headache and wanted to go home. I did not feel absolutely horrible when as he was getting out of the car when we finally went home he vomited on the curb.

I did not have to hold on to furniture as I got out of bed yesterday because my feet and legs were so sore from the Walk/Run for Life and Community Fair Day on Saturday.

I did not tell my daughter that she needed to stop doing pelvic thrusts while practicing her dance for church by telling her that that is how Daddies and Mommies dance together, not how we dance at church.

What didn't you do??

Check out the original Not Me Monday poster, MckMama for more NMM posts. And also, visit my friend, Carlton who won third place at the Chili Cook-Off, beating the professional entry!

Oh! And now my friend, Jen is joining in on the NMM fun, too! And her post has pictures!

Not Me Monday I Lost Count How Many I Have Posted Edition

I did not have a conversation with my 5 year old son about menstruation.

I did not let that same 5 year old eat at a restaurant without shoes on.

I did not drop pieces of bacon into my camisole while eating a BLT, causing a grease stain to show through it at church to then go to the bathroom and have more bacon fall out of my capris as I pulled them down to go to the bathroom.

I did not need my husband to hook the straps on my sandals for me.

I did not (again) use the promise of sexual favors to get my husband to help me with my domestic duties. It did not (again) work like a charm ;)

I did not contemplate using hot dog rolls as a substitute for bread today, thinking about toasting them, smearing them with butter and dusting them with garlic salt to have with spaghetti.

I did not drink a Starbuck*s Double Shot when I am not supposed to have any caffeine.

I did not skip a mandatory meeting just because I did not feel like going.

I did not wait until Sunday night to ask my husband to go to the store to get things for the kiddos' lunches.

I did not mistake my father-in-law for my pastor when he called for Rick.

I did not get all excited when I saw a commercial for the new season of Heroes.

I did not take a cup of coffee and a container of yogurt into the sanctuary at church when there is a clear sign that states "Bottled Water ONLY!" on the door.

And finally I did not get all puffed up and proud when I remembered to set the coffee maker to brew at 8 AM only to wake and find that I set it to brew at 8 PM, not AM.

Check out MckMama's Not Me Monday post and Carlton's. Apparently, he even posted before me ;)

Labor Day 2009

So, we decided at 7 PM on Sunday evening to start calling through the church directory and inviting everyone over for some swimming and grilling on Monday for Labor Day. Even with the late notice, we had 44 confirmed yeses! We ended up having a little less than that (missed you, Matthews family!!), but had a full pool and tons of food. God even allowed the rain to hold off until after the festivities. We had a great time and here are some pictures that the unofficial church photographer, Vicki took.....

This is how the teens put the ice in the coolers.....


Playing by the pool


Grilling Tools


Stephanie, Jen Grimelli and baby Selah, Heather and Z-Rod




This is how the men roll


I love the looks on the kiddos' faces......(BTW - Mike Martelli is the fabulous flipper in the picture)


The Grill master and his sidekick

Not Me Monday Labor Day Edition

I did not reach into my underwear and scoop out ice that my husband dropped in there and toss it over the privacy fence.

I did not forget what it is like to have an 18 month old at the house and place Z's lunch in front of him to have him dump it onto the table and into his lap.

I did not let my kiddos climb in the TV section of the entertainment center and close the doors just so I could hear their uproarious laughter.

I did not watch the rest of the Wizards of Waverly Place Movie after the kiddos went to bed.

I did not put food in the fridge after it had been left out all night in hopes of saving it and not making my mom mad because I left it out and it was dinner she made.

I did not call my son an @ss in front of Kari's friend while she was staying at our house this weekend.

I did not lay on the floor of the bowling alley in the attempt to get a better photo.

Not sure if MckMama did a post this week, but check out her blog. And you can check out my friend, Carlton's, too although he hasn't done a NMM post in a llllooonnnggg time. Too long, my friend. You know you want to do a NMM, Houston Edition post!!

First Day of School 2009

Last Tuesday was Kari's first day of 2nd grade. She said her stomach felt a little bit excited, but she did really well. She wasn't as happy about our traditional photo op this year, though.





Walking to school






Kari in her classroom. She said I could only take a picture of her if another mom was also taking pictures. Thankfully, there was one other mom snapping photos!


Noah started kindergarten today. He has been apprehensive about school for a while now. Today he broke down when it was time to get dressed. He even said, "I do not want to be separated from you!" and tucked blankie into his backpack, just in case. He told us, "No pictures!!" at the house, so we did not get the traditional by the gate shot. He did a little better once we were there and was even kind of smiling when we left.

Lately You**.....

.....have started keeping a diary. You write in it daily, sometimes several times a day. You are very adamant about others staying out of it. It even has a lock on it. Although, sometimes you lose the keys and are sure someone has taken them so they can read your private thoughts only to realize you hid them somewhere new.

.....are becoming a young lady whether I like it or not. You want to be able to walk to school and home by yourself, assuring me that you know how to get home and can make sure Noah gets home safely, too. You are requesting more alone time and spend it writing in your diary or writing letters to your BFF, Amberly.

.....enjoy doing a lot of different things. You will dance and then want to swim, to come in to draw and then want to take a walk or ride your bike or scooter. You do not mind chilling on the computer on Webkinz or Ty.com or watching something on TV, but you would rather be doing something outside or something that gets you moving. I really hope you can start dance this year.

.....are not afraid to say exactly what you are thinking or feeling. Even if it is hurtful or disrespectful, you will say it and then have to rethink what you've said, say your sorry or say something else. You are also quick to say "I love you", even to Noah and when you compliment someone, you are very sincere. You are working on thinking before you speak, which is something I still need to work on, too.

.....starting to realize that boys aren't icky. You are currently crushing on The Jonas Brothers, Kris Allen, the Youth Director at our church, the Children's Minister at our church and a friend of Devin's at our church. (If you are a single lady in MD, reading this blog come check out our church. We have some good looking single guys =) But, your first crush is still your daddy and you are very much in love with him. You are constantly making sure he is okay when he is home and do not like it if I tease him. You are still very much his little girl.

.....are loyal to your siblings. You will fight with them, but be the first to defend them or hug them. You are so going to miss Devin, but were so brave when she left. You are so excited that Noah will be at school with you this year and you like it when Cody has late practice so he can pick you up from school. When Josh comes by to visit you love to swim with him or just hang out with him and Ashley.

.....love to help in the kitchen. If someone is cooking, you come in, wash your hands and ask how you can help. You especially love cracking eggs. It doesn't matter what I am cooking you want to be involved. You have entered several of the cooking competitions at church and even won once! You have even decided what you are making for the next one. You also like making breakfast for you and Noah and have graduated from cereal to PB&J toast.

.....are searching spiritual things in a deeper way. When you pray, it is like listening in on a conversation with you and a Close Friend. You are figuring out what your relationship is with Jesus and what it should be. After watching Amberly get baptized on Sunday you have been asking questions and working through your thoughts and feelings about taking that next step of obedience. I am so thankful that you are not just choosing to do something because your BFF did it.

.....make me so proud to be your Momma. You are a beautiful girl with a big heart. You love to be at church, not just to be with your friends, but to worship and be part of something bigger. You still love to have schedules and know what is going on, but do not mind asking to extend a bedtime or change something so you can get your way. You want things to be fair for everyone, but especially for yourself. You have a natural desire to learn and love finding new ways to do things.

You, Kari Bear, are my favorite 2nd grader. I can't wait to see what the rest of this year holds for you.

Not Me Monday Kiddos' Edition on Tuesday

My 5 year old son was not naked while he sat on the couch talking to his Papa on the phone.

My 7 year old daughter did not tell me that I could only photograph her in her classroom if another mom was taking pictures. (Thank God another mom was taking photos!)

My 14 year old son did not ask me to take him to orientation only to ditch me when he saw one of his friends. He also did not ask his dad to drive him to school on the first day only to make him stop half way there to let him out to walk with a friend.

My 7 year old daughter did not get upset with my husband, stomp off to her room and begin writing frantically in her journal about him.

My 5 year old did not ride piggy back on our youth director's back the other day in the pool only to climb out in front of him and pass gas - loud and proud!

My 7 year old daughter did not dis my husband in the hallway when she was walking with her class.

Isn't this fun?? What didn't your kiddos do? Monday is the day you are suppose to post you Not Me Monday post, but I am a day late. Head over to MckMama's blog and be ready to post yours next week.

Lately You*.....

.....are very passionate about everything. Whether you are voicing your opinion about dinner or telling us how much you love something, you do it passionately - your voice and body language are all part of the story.

.....love to draw. Markers are your choice of medium right now and you try to limit your creations to paper, but sometimes we find them on the trashcan, wall or an important piece of mail.

.....are very territorial about your space and your things. You keep your favorite stuffed animals, pictures and other treasures high on the top bunk. You only let your special friends on your bed and only let certain people play with your things. You are becoming more aware of the value of things and value your prized possessions
aggressively.

.....are anxious about starting school. You spent 20 minutes the other night sobbing about school starting in a few weeks. I hope this does not continue once school starts because I know you are going to love it once you get there. You are very happy you got Mrs. R, but wish she could teach you at home.

.....have begun to read some words and are noticing that letters have a purpose together. You constantly ask how to spell things and then "read" them back to us, so happy that you read it yourself. When you recognize a word on your own you are so proud of yourself. I am proud of you, too.

.....are leaving blankie behind more and more these days. While we were sure you would take him to college with you one day, you are now only wanting him at bedtimes and in the car when we are going somewhere. You took him into the movies the other day, but said it was only because it was going to be cold. You use him more as a cape and weapon now - you love to snap people with him - and less of a security blanket. I am glad you are needing him less, but sad that you are growing up so much.

.....love your sister very much. You enjoy playing with her and just spending time with her. You still have your squabbles, but you are quick to make up so you can play again.

.....are realizing when things are scary or not appropriate for you to watch or be exposed to something. You are not afraid to tell someone to stop a movie or book
if it is scaring you. You are sometimes afraid at night until we pray with you and remind you that those things aren't real.

.....anxious about trying new things. You will hesitate until someone assures you that something is safe or fun. You are a bit nervous about starting gymnastics, but I know you will love it once you start your lessons.

.....make me raise my voice more than your sister ever did at this age. You are stubborn and like to do things your way even if you can't or shouldn't be doing it on your own. You will spill an entire container of juice before you will ask for help. You will get stuck somewhere before you will ask for assistance. It's almost like you'd rather get a spanking than have someone help you. You are certainly feeling your independence.

.....are Momma's boy. Even though, you do not take naps anymore you will ask to cuddle with me during quiet time and will sometimes drift off to sleep. You do not mind holding my hand as we cross the parking lot or street. You regularly climb in my lap just to sit or watch TV. You still give the best hugs and kisses.

*My friend, Jenn did posts like this about her kiddos and I thought it was a great idea.

Not Me Monday Losing It Edition

I did not storm out of the house the other night and drive away in a huff.

I did not sit in my van for an hour in the parking lot of the ER to calm down.

I did not come home and tear things out of the file cabinet and then proceed to drag the cabinet to the front porch at 11 PM at night, prompting my father to wake up and come upstairs to see what was going on/all the noise was.

I did not do all of the above out of spite because my husband and I had gotten into a big screaming fight.

I did not skip church to clean because I was still stewing from our Saturday night brawl.

I did not scare my children with my behavior causing them to cry and ask my husband if we were going to stay married. The fight wasn't that bad.

Thankfully, for me, my husband and children are really that forgiving and gracious and all is well and forgotten.

Check out MckMama's blog, too. If you participate in Not Me Monday, you may win something this week =)

Lately.....

Lately, we have been spending a lot of time with friends, going to free movies, having play dates and swimming. We even used some free bowling coupons today and went bowling.

In just a few weeks, school will begin again and things will be changing.

Josh got a job at Home Depot and will be taking his GED test this fall.



Devin is moving to Colorado at the end of August and will be taking classes in the fall at PPCC.



Cody starts football next week and will be a freshman in high school.



Kari is ready for 2nd grade and will be taking dance classes soon.



Noah is a bit anxious for kindergarten, but very excited that he has Mrs. R. We are hoping that he will be able to start gymnastics in a few weeks.



Rick is busy with work and helping out at the new church building. There is still much work to be done.



I am currently watching a little boy a few days a week, but may be getting back into the field of education. My Pampered Chef business is in a bit of transition, too.



Lately, I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed with some things that I am working through a bit each day. I recently read a quote on this gal's blog....."God will not place a dream in your heart with no plan to make it come true, no matter how improbable or complicated or even insane that dream may be."

I have an insane dream that I know God put in my heart. I know He will bring it to pass. I am just not sure how I am going to get there.

Lately, I am learning to trust God more...even if just a little bit at a time.