Ballet Recital: Check! Micah's Birthday: Check! Camping Trip: Check!

So far, I made it through a few things on last week's to-do list........alive & well. The first thing being Abi's ballet recital. She was the cutest mermaid on the stage!

The second thing checked off the "to-do" list: Micah's birthday. (And I didn't "DO" much as Auntie Ra-ra made his cake & Grandma let us party at her house & not mine.) Micah John is the smartest, sweetest, most thoughtful & loving 9 year old boy that I know!!! I am so proud of him. He is ever the peace maker of the house, always ready to giggle hysterically & always thinking of others before himself. And I have to brag a little. He scored ADVANCED on ALL of his state testing this semester. He is in the 99th percentile in math!!! He is just a genius. I'd like to take the credit for his success, but I had to google the spelling of the word "genius".....so....you know.......it has a little something to do with his RIDICULOUSLY SMART BRAIN. He says he wants to be a doctor when he grows up. I believe he will be.

                 We had a small family party for him at Grandma's house.

He got some lego-type stuff............and a Red Ryder BB gun!!! As you can tell, he was pleased.

                         A very fierce dragon was conquered by some brave knights & ladies.

                                           
 I just wanted to share this adorable picture of my adorable mama-in-law & her adorable babies............who are both twice her size.

                                                                  

                                 I must admit: I am a little "Girl-Crazy" too.

                                   

                                        Beware: the Mighty Dragon Conqueror!!!!!

The third thing I made it through (alive & well) is our camping trip. It was very fun, very wet & we came home early, which is why I have some time to blog & relax a little. I was disappointed & relieved at the same time. I think I'm going to be OK after all. ;) I'll post about our camping trip in the next couple of days. Right now, I have a SweetTart gig to get ready for!!!

Family Time at the Park

We took some time to go to the park on Thursday. It was a beautiful, perfect, fun, happy, relaxing day.

 I got to sit on the big girl swing & swing with my baby, with the warm breeze & sunshine on our faces.

                                    Pushin' my babies.....but not tooooo high!!!

                             Micah relaxing in his own, unique way.

                                    Sethy & Daddy "snuggling".

                                 Titus is a tree hugger AND a tree kisser.

       All my "little" boys playing & getting dirty together & warming my heart.

                                      The big boss man.

                                     How Gideon "smiles for Mommy".

 My little OCD-boy has come SO FAR!!! It makes a mama proud! *sniff sniff*

          


 I didn't like it & I didn't inhale.

Oh. Here is that picture of Chris, our other SweetTart & very talented electric guitar player. 

Hopefully I'll see lots of ya at the SweetTarts' gig!!!

You Know Your Toddler is Ready to Potty Train When.........

You know your toddler is ready to potty train when :

1. He takes off his diaper, says, "I naked, Mommy" and then proceeds show you how talented he is at peeing on the kitchen rug.

2. When you tell his big brother, Jarod, to put a diaper back on him & that big brother has to wrestle the toddler to the floor because said toddler is kicking & screaming, "You DOOPID, Darod!!!" (translation: "you're stupid, Jarod"). Um. He might not want a diaper on.

3. When you are in the store & said toddler is throwing a fit, for all to hear (because he missed his nap that day) & then suddenly realizes that he has peed in his diaper & starts wailing all the louder, "MOOOOOMMM, I PEEEEE!!!!!!!!! MOOOOOMMMM, I PEEEEE!!!!!!!"

4. When he gets so excited about his potty seat that he uses it for a hat. And then Daddy has to get it UN-stuck from his head.



5. When he is sitting on the potty, and you are sitting in front of him to cheer him on......and then suddenly realize that he doesn't quite understand about "pointing it down", as a nice warm stream hits you in your mid-section.

 6. When you have to keep a large supply of Diego underpants because nothing else will do.

                                                     The "END"

Presenting: the SweetTarts

I've mentioned, on occasion, the 80's/90's cover band that I am part of. Here we are!


Here is a snapshot of me & my "fellow" SweetTarts.

Left to right:

Shayne: bassist

Carrie: drummer
Michelle: lead singer
Me: keys & background vocals
Chris: (missing from this photo) electric guitarist & background vocalist 

Stay tuned for more details.

Playing IN the Dirt (& Mad Dog Disease)

I blame Justin. He told the boys they could plant a garden in the side yard yesterday. They were  being so quiet  having so much fun back there that I didn't want to disturb them until it started getting dark. I went to the side of the house & found THIS:

They were planting little brothers.

Can you tell my camera flash is bright?

No matter how very, very hard they tried.......

............they just couldn't quite make it.............

............to China.

I also would like to note that earlier in the afternoon/evening (when the hole was a little smaller), there was a brief period when the boys were NOT quiet. I was happily facebooking, Justin was reading, Seth was studying, Isaac was watching Diego online & the 4 middle boys were out back doing the above "gardening". Everything was delightfully peaceful. Suddenly, from the FRONT yard, came terrified shrieks, screaming, hysterical, panicked, high-pitched crying & pounding on the front door. At first I thought there must a massive group of neighbor kids being chased by some horrible monster. Then I realized that there was something a bit familiar about the agonized voices screaming for mommy & daddy. Heart pounding, I rushed to open the door. Jarod, Micah, Gideon & Titus practically FELL into the house. Our yellow lab, Toby, had broken out of the back yard & was very excitedly frolicking with another very excited yellow lab (whom we had never seen before), who happened to be drooling a little bit. The boys had rushed after Toby, from the back yard to the front........screaming something about the  other dog foaming at the mouth & rabies. The two yellow dogs continued romping in the front yard. The boys continued screaming that the evil dog with rabies was going to kill Toby........that the dog with "rabies" was "attacking" Toby!! They were also in fear for their own lives. The diseased animal had also jumped up on them a bit too.....horror of horrors!!! Toby was having a good ole time. I was yelling at Toby to come in the house. Seth was yelling at Toby to come in the house. Our neighbor was in the street laughing & yelling at the other dog to go home. Justin was trying to calm the boys down. In the chaos, I couldn't get Toby to obey, nor could I convince the boys that we weren't going to have to lock Toby in a barn to shoot him. Nothing was being accomplished at all, so I shoved Seth, Justin & everyone back into the house, closed the door behind me & got Toby under control. Our nice neighbor took the other dog back to the back yard it had broken out of. Justin did damage control IN the house & reassuring them that Toby did NOT, indeed, have hydrophobia, or any other deadly, infectious, brain-eating disease. Toby & his friend were just very, very, very.......happy, albeit.......a little thirsty. Not frothing. The boys finally calmed down & went back to work on their "garden". All I can say is, "Old Yeller" might be a good, clean, family movie............but it's not necessarily the one you want your kids to watch. As it turns out.

ER Visit Number: 12,382

I was just thinking the other day, "Oh my, how I miss the ER. I haven't been there in over a month. I wonder how the doctors & nurses there are doing. I bet they miss seeing my kids' sweet faces. We should stop by soon for a visit. After all, the kids haven't had a fun AND educational homeschool outing in quite a while. Well, my "wish" for an ER adventure was granted last night when Isaac fell off the bottom rung of the ladder for the boys' bunk bed & gashed his eyebrow open on an open dresser drawer. (Actually, I left all his brothers at home with Justin this time, so only Isaac benefited from our fun field trip.) OK. So I'm just being the tiniest bit sarcastic. About wishing to go to the ER again, that is. Isaac really did gash his eyebrow open. It was kind of grizzly, actually. The best gash we've had in a while. I normally just try to avoid the ER for stitches. I'm pretty handy with a butterfly bandage, if I do say so myself. But even I had to admit, this one needed an actual doctor. *Sigh* I've decided that, for the sake of those who do not have 6 boys & who are not used to seeing the inside of a child's forehead, I would leave out the pictures of the actual injury.

                        Obviously, it didn't dampen his mood much...................

                                 ..........nor did it stop him from taking care of business.

                We waited for 2 hours. It was very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very boring. (I think my writing improves & becomes more exciting with each ER visit I blog about, don't you?)

The doctor & nurse FINALLY came in & tortured Isaac for a bit. He wasn't so happy anymore. He cried for Mommy (who had to help restrain him, while singing Jesus Loves Me, The Veggie Tales' theme song & Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to try to soothe him...........much to the vast enjoyment of all listening, I'm sure), he cried for Daddy & he cried for Diego. (He has a new obsession with the show "Go Diego Go", of late. Darn Netflicks.) Then, 7 stitches later, it was over. They gave him a Veggie Tale guy, because they didn't have any Diegos. For. crying. out. loud. What is the world coming to? But it did make him happy again. We went home & went to bed. Snuggling a vegetable.

                             The End 

The World Record Paper Air Plane Book

  The boys' Nanny & Papa send them the neatest little treats. When we get a package from them, the boys are always so excited. They know it will be good. Last week, they got this book in the mail. It's awesome. They've been having the best time assembling the planes & flying them.

                                         Getting ready to race!!!

                                        Getting some height!

  I now have the coolest dining room on the block! Thanks, Nanny & Papa!                       

Some of my Favorite Mommy Memories (*warning* excessive snuggling is involved*) Include the Follwing :

            Snuggling my babies, including the one in my tummy (no, I'm not pregnant again: old pics).

 Snuggling my babies & the sweet smell of a newborn. This is the day I brought Gideon home from the hospital & that's Micah hugging his new brother. I know I look totally wiped out. Cuz I was. But I wouldn't change a thing.

More snuggling..........babies in my bed. That little spot between Isaac & Titus was my spot. Some mornings still look like that, although they're all a bit bigger now..........and I'm more squished.

Feeling a baby growing inside of me.

                                                                             
                                                                                 To be honest, I don't miss this part so much.

                                                   Making boo-boos all better.

                                                        Snuggling my babies............

                                                     Playing with my kids.................

...........watching them express themselves............

                                        Sharing motherhood with my sisters.........

                                        Not THIS so much.............



                                       Watching my kids love each other.................

                                     Watching my kids play together.................

                  

                                     Watching the love of my life play with our children..............

                                       Watching my kids snuggle...................

                                      Watching Justin snuggle my kids............

                              Camping with my kids..............and snuggling.........

                                      Seth has especially always loved the snuggling part.


                                             Getting dirty with my kids...........

                                Bringing new ones home from the hospital: Titus' first bath.

                                                                        

                                        My mama-in-law, who has always been there for me & my family, in so many ways. She has always been on my side & supported me.....through good times & especially the bad. I definitely don't recommend giving birth without someone like her to help. Mom, I love you forever.

And last, but most certainly not least..............snuggling my own mama, who changed my diapers, wiped my boogies, stroked my forehead when I was sick, talked with me endless hours about boys, love & life & put up with my bratty teenager ways. Mom, I'm glad God made you my mommy. I love you forever.

          Another favorite mommy memory: yesterday, when all my boys & hubby made me feel so special. Hope all you terrific moms had as sweet of a Mother's Day as I did!!!