Cantini #3

Remember me?

2007-01-17T16:19:00.000-05:00

Ok, so it's been a while. I had a hard time remembering my password. It was good to take a break for a while. My son's new published book has inspired me to write again. They had reading night at his school. We were able to see his book that he wrote and illustrated all by himself. It is quite a masterpiece, I must say. You may ask.... what was his book about? Was it about trucks, the police, dogs, his family maybe??? Oh, no..... it was about his girlfriend, Abbye. It really is sweet. Here is how it goes.

Abbye is seven years old.

Abbye kissed me. I liked it.

She gave me candy and popsicles.

She calls Parker "darling." He goes in her stroller.

She's going to marry me. I hope we have a girl child. I won't have to spank her. Girls are good.

The End.

Ok...now the candy and stroller parts are from when we were over at the family's house and they played "house" very innocently. Parker was the baby.

Anyway, he really does like Abbye and so do we. Wouldn't it be funny if one day we could look back at this and Abbye and Aubrey are sitting in our living room with their little girl??????? That would be fine with us......we love the in-laws!!!!!!

fall retreat

2006-10-16T20:04:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I went with some friends to Mobile, AL to visit Karen. Me, Julie, Jennifer and Renee drove down while Lynne flew in from Frisco, TX. We arrived in Mobile at Karen's house to a beautiful house and a nicely prepared meal. Karen's sister Linda stayed and helped and we enjoyed visiting with her. Karen is a triplet and boy do they look and sound alike too. They even have the same mannerisms. I think we found ourselves staring at times. Well, we stayed up until about 1:00 pm catching up and laughing (some were even falling asleep, imagine that!).

On Saturday, Karen fixed us a wonderful breakfast and off we went to Fair Hope to shop. It's a little like Mayberry. Very nice. We had a great time. Then, Karen had arranged with one of her friends to give us a boat ride to the restaurant that we were to eat at that night. That was awesome....and a bit chilly on the way back. But, it was great.

Sunday was church day at Dauphin Way. Jennifer, Lynne and Renee sang in the choir with Karen. Julie and I sat out......for different reasons. Julie has Menear's disease which makes steep, open places not so much fun for her sense of balance and this choir loft would have killed her. She enjoyed sitting out and worshipping. As for me.... I don' t read music and couldn't just pop in the choir and sing.....plus, Julie needed the company, right?????? I did it for her....... and me. After church, yes, we ate again. Yummy food at Felix's.

Then, we all had to say our goodbyes. We tried to make it quick. Karen was the best hostess and made our time together so special. I love these special girls and thank God for their friendship.

This one is called "I'd rather die."

rescue 911

2006-10-07T20:18:00.000-05:00

We had a good day today. While on our way to Target today, we passed Home Depot. In the parking lot were rescue vehicles..... a fire truck and ambulance. They were open for the public to view and tour. Needless to say, we all stopped in after our Target run. We had to get birthday presents. It was so cool. They kids loved it. They were able to get up in the vehicles and talk to the fire fighters and EMTs. They all were so nice to the kids... and to us "taxpayers" as well. Anyway... enjoy the pictures.

first tooth

2006-10-07T08:10:00.000-05:00

Aubrey lost his first tooth Friday night. We were over at our friend's house and we were sitting on the couch talking about ways to get Aubrey's tooth out.....when all of the sudden, Aubrey and Lindsay come running down the stairs shouting "The tooth is out, the tooth is out." Well, we solved that one. Apparently Lindsay helped Aubrey get his tooth out. I told Kim that we would be coming over from now on every time he has a loose tooth!!!! It was quite an event and quite memorable as well. Now the tooth beside it is loose too. This is the first of many firsts in his little life......it has only begun!!!!!

GONE!!!!

Thanks, Lindz!

Kim & Baby Luke

i ain't much on casanova ....

2006-10-02T18:28:00.000-05:00

me and Romeo ain't never been friends.
Can't you see how much I really love you?
Gonna sing it to you time and time again.

Got the tune in your head???? Remember that song by Levert in the 80's??? Aubrey's new name at school is Casanova. He has at least 4 girlfriends at school and 3 at church. Bessie! The one's at school are as follows: the Director of the Learning Center and her 2 daughters, and one of his teacher's daughters. Nice choice Aubrey. He told the director, Miss Amie, that he was going to take her to dinner. Yeah, McDonalds I guess. At church, he loves Carleigh, Abbye and Julia. He likes the older women. A chip off the old block, as I am 3 months older than Red Ranger! Ok, so not so much older, but older none the less.

He is totally cracking me up with this. I guess we should be grateful that he likes girls, right? I told him that he is going to be a busy guy on Valentine's Day. He was like... "What????" Bless his little heart.

sisterhood of the traveling purse

2006-10-01T13:55:00.000-05:00

It's my turn....with the purse, that is. You may have seen the movie "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." Well, we have a purse. Try and find a pair of jeans that really fit everyone.....yeah, right! In recent years, some of our friends have moved to locations other than Atlanta, imagine that! Moving this purse around from person to person kind of keeps us connected. Sure, we email and talk on the phone, but this is different. Traveling with the purse is a journal. In it we are to write about what has happened to us while we have the purse. We are to include something that God has taught us, something that made us laugh and something that made us cry. It's neat to see where God has taken each one of us and what has been going on in our lives. Plus the purse is kind of cute. Ok, so most people don't think that I would carry such a cute purse. Especially since I tend to carry the Target special. But I kind of enjoy it. It makes me think of my friends and how much they mean to me.

Whether it's this group of friends or other great friends that I have, don't we all carry a part of our friends around with us? True, you don't have to have a purse to be reminded of your friends daily. It could be a phone call while driving down the road, or a song on the radio that reminds me of all the great friendships that God has given to me. And it is just that...... God gave these friendships to me. It's nothing that I have done. I don't deserve friends any more than the next person. But I am so grateful for the friends that God has brought into my life. I even have a couple of relatives that are friends..... a sister and an aunt-in-law. Anyway, I'm just thankful to God for the people that God has placed in my life.

move over tiger woods

2006-09-29T21:09:00.000-05:00

Red Ranger can play some putt putt. He smoked us all. It was very hard to take..... Actually I came in 3rd. I'm working through the grief.

It all started at Red Lobster. We met our friends Richard and Beth, Carleigh and Abbye. Carleigh is Parker's girlfriend and Abbye and Aubrey are seeing each other. Parker actually called Carleigh "Girlfriend" all night. Red Lobster did not have 8 seats together so the kiddies sat at a booth across from us. My first thought was "no way", but Red Ranger was like "loosen up", "relax, they will be fine." So, we did it. Are we crazy???? It actually was not that bad. We are moving on to new stages with the kids. Of course, it helps to have 2 older women with them at the table to help. I would love to know what the conversation was like!

Then it was on to putt putt and go-karts. We had a blast!!!!! Tommy didn't want to play at first, then he really got into it. He even had 2 hole-in-ones. Go Red Ranger! Go-karts were fun too. Tommy's had warp drive on his or something. He took off and never looked back. Richard & Abbye were behind me and Parker. He tried to pass me once..... but I would not have that. Passed him right back!!!!!!! It was fun.

It was nice to be out with another family and all the kids and actually get to have adult conversation. It's nice to be with people that you can just be yourself with and your kids can be themselves too. Thanks guys!

Enjoy the pictures.

why, why, why?

2006-09-26T16:26:00.000-05:00

First....thanks Tracey for getting the title of my previous blog.

Second, there are several things that I do know how to explain. On the way home from school today, it was Q & A time with Mommy. Here are a few examples:

What are the clouds made of?
Why are they white?
Why do they turn dark?
How does God make a rainbow?
How many rainbows have you seen?
Where do they start and end?
How do clouds hold the rain?
Why does the sun follow us everywhere?

These are just a few. Try explaining condensation to a 5 year old. Not as easy as you think. I actually have no idea what clouds are made of..... that is what the internet is for! So tonight, we are going to try and find the answers to all these questions.

Then..... Parker asks if I'm going to have a baby...... ok, no! He said that because I'm a girl, I should have a baby.... ok, no! Then he says that he is going to have a baby. There goes the girl theory, right?

Aubrey has is first loose tooth. Not the silver ones. He should totally get a lot of $$ from the tooth fairy on that one, right? He then had more questions about the tooth fairy:

Where does the tooth fairy live?
What happens if a wake up when she is putting the money under my pillow.
What does she look like?
Where does she get the money from?

I tried to come up with some creative answers: The tooth fairy lives in a house in a secret place. I don't know what she looks like because she only comes out when you are asleep. If you wake up, she leaves. She trades in your teeth for the money. That is where he came up with the idea of getting a lot of money for his silver teeth. Very bright child.

laugh at these, you will

2006-09-22T11:19:00.000-05:00

My sister sent me these photos. I thought they might make someone laugh. I sepecially like Yoda.

er

2006-09-21T22:22:00.000-05:00

Just about the only show on TV that makes me cry is ER. I really don't like to cry for any reason, really. I never have. Don't know why. Maybe it makes me seem too open or something. I don't mind crying when I'm by myself, but I hate it when it's around other people. I've always been like that. I do cry more since I've had kids, that's the truth.

Back to my story. ER can make me cry like a baby. Usually it's some mom in trouble with her baby or something. That's what it was tonight. Abby went into labor prematurly and then it went down hill from there. Luca (the dad) was even crying. I guess the acting is pretty good on that show! It's a great show and I'm glad it's still on.

Ok, if you watched "The Office" for the first time tonight, may I please say that I am sorry. Not a good season premeire......not so much. It usually is just quirky about some strange topic, nothing like it was tonight. I was a bit dissapointed by it. Hope it gets better.

I've had a long week at the office so far. My printer has been down for 1 1/2 weeks now. Hard to believe, huh? The tech came out and then didn't come back for 3 business days and then when he did come back, you guessed it, not fixed. Wrong part. You know you're in trouble when your tech guy is on the phone with another tech guy..... not a good sign. So, tech guy #2 was out today and again, still broken. Not so happy with the tech support here! Now I have like a million print jobs lined up. I'm thinking they just need to send a whole new printer. Sounds like a plan to me!

The Clay Aiken thing......yea, it was nothing. They bait you and then......nothing. Like he would really admit that he's gay or something on national TV. He's got a great voice.

It's 11:35pm and I've got to pack a small overnight bag. The ladies in my office are having a staff retreat Friday and Saturday. I'm really looking forward to it too. I'll post some pics if the ladies will let me!

Most importantly tonight, my friend Tracey has been on my heart and mind. Her Dad is not doing well at all. They received bad news from the Dr. They have some very tough decisions to make soon. This is nothing that you are ever prepared for, I must assume. But God is always good, this we do know and trust.

mexican, of course

2006-09-18T19:00:00.000-05:00

Went out to eat after church Sunday night. We went with Jules.....guess where???? Mexican, of course. Ok, I love it too. It's my favorite as well. We had a nice time. The kids are getting so much better at eating out. For a while we had a moratorium on eating out with groups because the kids would be good for about 30 minutes, then they were ready to go. Now that they are 4 and almost 6, it is getting easier. Aubrey was pretty funny. Saying that Julie and Jennifer were his girlfriends. He's a little flirt. He also counted to 100 by 10's. So did Parker. What talent. My friends are so great to listen and compliment them on their accomplishments. Robby and John also accompanied us, so the guys actually outnumbered the girls! It was fun.

Now that I can upload pictures super-fast, I may post more than 2. Have I mentioned that everyone needs to switch to the BETA blogger????? It's good people.

Clay Aiken is going to be on GoodMorning America tomorrow am and Wednesday am. Dianne Sawyer is supposed to "have the interview that all of America is talking about." At least that is what the commercial said. I'll be interested to watch.....

Until next time.

touchdown

2006-09-17T14:07:00.000-05:00

BETA is like a touchdown with a 2 point conversion! Fast upload with the pictures and publishing...everyone must switch! P.S. Chris Simms is doing better.

can you hear me now??

2006-09-17T13:39:00.000-05:00

My turn......I thought I would make the switch to BETA also. Mostly because I have so much trouble posting pictures. I usually can get up maybe two and then....nothing......so we shall see. I may post a few random pictures and see how we do. Right now I am sitting on the couch watching the Falcons kick the Buccanner's tail. Poor Phil Simm's son, Chris....he's the q-back for the Bucs. He's not doing too well. His dad was the q-back for the NY Giants forever and was a great player. He needs to have a talk with his son. He just needs some confidence. Anyway...

Friday night we went to a get-together at Julie's for Jen and Joe. Joe is home from the war effort for a couple of weeks and then he goes back until December. Fun was had by all. We grilled out and just hung out and talked. It was very nice. I forgot to break out the camera...sorry. Beth and Richard had to miss....something about the kids and Disneyworld??? Don't understand that one.....who would choose Disney over a party???? Hmmmmm....... I would!

Saturday, Parker woke up sick to his tummy. First time for that. He didn't really feel good all day, but only ran a fever for about 2 hours. Matt came over and Red Ranger helped him tile. It looks great. RR just has to do some finishing things like the grout and base boards and put in a new potty. Yea.

Now, all the boys are napping in our bed and I get to have alone time with football and the laptop. This is really relaxing for me, trust me. I've got a cup of coffee...what else could be better? We were going to go to Red Lobster for lunch, but decided to go home after getting there. We're standing there by the lobster tank and Parker is falling asleep on my shoulder. Staying would have been a BAD idea and no fun at all. So we opted for Micky D's (yuck) and a nap at home......much smarter.

Well, let me post some random pictures and see how this new BETA thing works. Later

what to blog about????

2006-09-13T21:32:00.000-05:00

I don't know...just been real busy lately. We've had something every night this week so far. I've got laundry piled up just sitting there saying "wash me." Plenty of work to do at the church. Just life happening. I guess I should be thankful that there is nothing to report. Nothing bad going on. There's always something to be thankful for.

On a lighter note.... Dancing with the stars is back. Red Ranger and I became addicted to it last year when Drew Lachey won. It was just so darn entertaining! We enjoyed watching and guessing who was gone the next week. My favorite this year has to be Emmett Smith, former Dallas Cowboy running back. He did much better than we thought he would. But the best was probably Joey Lawrence and Mario "Saved By the Bell" Lopez. Mario will probably will win. He's the best right now.

What else ........ hmmmmmmmm. We went to the kid's open house at school. We got to see what they are learning. We really are very happy with our choice of schools. The teachers are GREAT and they fit the kids great too. Aubrey's teacher is so creative and fun! She really makes learning a fun activity for all the kids. Parker's teacher is fun too. Her class is called the "loving hearts class"..... isn't that cute? They are learning and having a great time too.

We are currently watching Meredith Veria's debut on the Today show. Love that TiVo. She actually did a pretty good job. She and Matt have some good chemistry. I'm a Good Morning America gal myself. Love Dianne Sawyer and Robin Roberts. Katie Couric never really worked for me..... anyway.... blah, blah, blah.....

Life is good. God is good.

response

2006-09-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, I must respond to the "helmet thing". Everyone is right....you should wear a helmet when riding a bike, I do agree and thanks for being concerned for me and the kiddies. But, so that everyone will feel better, we were going about 3 mph, not above 2nd gear. There also was not a helmet to fit the little ones. I guarantee you that I would not put my children's lives in danger by flying around the backyard on the motorbike....I promise. Red Ranger was fine with it to as long as I went REALLY slow......Hey, at least you care!!!!!!

i'm back

2006-09-08T13:39:00.000-05:00

Well kids, it's been a while. Sorry, I've been a little busy. Here's what's been going on. First of all, last Friday, Red Ranger took me to a Falcons game. YEA. It was great. We had a good time just hanging out together. We went to Atlantic Station first and ate at the Fox Sports Grill. Yummers. It had a great atmosphere to it. There were screens everywhere with every kind of sport on them. And the food was awesome too. I had this BBQ nachos. Very good. Back to the game. They were supposed to have played the starters, but did they? Nope. Got to see the scrubs. But DJ Shockley did play about 3 quarters. It was great to go and I am so thankful to my hubby for getting us great tickets (thanks T.C). It was a great date night.

As you may have read on RR and JLU X2's blogs, the fam went out of town to visit Red Ranger's sister and family. We had a great time and the long 8 hr road trip was not that bad. Of course, the portable DVD player in the car helped quite a bit. We went to the Louisville Slugger factory and ate a lot of great food that his sister cooked. We also got to ride Tommy's nephew's motorcycle. Actually they have two. That was sooooo much fun. Now, don't anyone panic, but I did ride the boys around for a short time. I did not get out of 2nd gear, so I went pretty slow. But it was their first time and they enjoyed it...... and I did too. It was a good weekend.

But, it's good to be home and try and get back into the routine of everyday life. The laundry, the dishes, school and work. It's tough being out of work, because you have so much to catch up on when you get back. I was out Friday - Tuesday and I paid for it! I had a lot to get done Wed - Fri. Mostly stuff that had to be done for Sunday.

Red Ranger and I have a double date tonight. Looking forward to that....should have plenty of laughs! Until next time..... this is Cantini #3 signing off. Maybe that's how Katie Couric should sign off of the CBS news?????

I have more pictures to post....but, as usual, I can get about 2 up and then, no more.......

party like it's your birthday

2006-08-31T07:57:00.000-05:00

Happy 40th to Tracey! WOW.....you made it. I knew you would! You are no longer teetering on the edge, girl .....you are over it now. But, how great for you, right? You are at a great place in your life with your child, husband, everything! So much to be thankful for. So many great new blogging friends too. Who would have thought?

For those who do not know, Tracey and I go waaaay back. Her brother and I were in the same class all through school, her other brother was my youth pastor, I played volleyball with her sister, her mom was my discipleship leader for many years and I've just always known her dad. So, we have quite a connection. I also was her Mom's favorite growing up, right?

Anyway, she helped me get the job here at the church and we became fast friends from that point. When you saw one of us, you always saw the other one. Never fail. We had the best times laughing, crying, singing in the car, washing our cars, going to Disneyworld, sharing our secrets and dreams. It was a very special time in my life and she is a very special person in my life too. Although we do not see each other like we used to, we can pick right back up from where we started. Which usually involves her laughing so much that she gets that "tear thing" going on in her eye.

Trac - here's to you and your birthday! Thanks for all of the great times that we have shared and I am so glad that God has kept us connected and found another way of doing so. You are a very special person to me and will always have a very special place in my heart!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND I LOVE YA, SISTAH!

i'm tired

2006-08-29T21:26:00.000-05:00

I'm just tired tonight. I worked all day...then came home and did Mommy stuff. Then Tommy and I worked on his new lap top. He did most of the work. Got the kids ready for bed and did some laundry, then...back to the computer for more work. I do some side work for extra $$$ and also work for my Dad's business, so some nights I'm working instead of relaxing. I am glad for the extra work for the extra $$$ that God is providing. But sometimes I just wish I could lounge around at night! So, I'm just tired and can't really think of much to blog about. I guess I'm just glad to be here and glad to have my family and friends. That's enough, right????

That's all for tonight..... good night.....

happy birthday...the easy way

2006-08-26T15:33:00.000-05:00

We had Parker's 4th birthday party today. His birthday was actually last week, bu this was the party day. Actually it was his first party. We did it the easy way. At a local park, ordered pizza and had cake. Very simple. The kids had a great time. The playground euqipment is great and the kids has fun just playing around. We had no organized games or anything. But we did have the ceremonial "thanks for coming to my party gift bag"...who started that anyway? Whoever it was I say "thanks for nothing"...Now we have to get party favors for the attendees.....it sure wasn't that way when I was a kid!

We weren't really sure how Parker was going to be today. Last night his ear was bothering him. We gave him some Motrin and he slept ok. When he got up he said that his ear did not hurt. Yea! Then at the party, he fell on his face and hurt his teeth. Nothing chipped or broken...just hurt. So we had to work through that. A few times he just wanted to be by himself. My Dad asked why he was sitting by himself and he said "There are just too many people." Well, bless his little heart. I do think he gets a little overwhelmed at times with big groups . He didn't even want to blow out his own candles. He finally came around and had a great time. Tommy and I actually enjoyed ourselves too.

We are so thankful for Parker and so glad that God brought him into our lives. For a little guy, he has SO much personality. I have no idea where he gets that from! He can be so loving and so mean too. He is an extreme kind of guy. It's either black or white, very happy or very sad. He says thank you for everything, and I mean everything. Like "Thank you for picking me up from school today." You want to say, "You're welcome, I had no choice or DEFACS would have called." We just love our little Paker... our little red head. I still find myself staring at his hair sometimes. It is so fitting for him too.

I'll get Red Ranger to blog tonight and fill you in on his week......until then....

best blog ever

2006-08-25T15:24:00.000-05:00

Ok people.....I had just typed the best blog ever and what happened????? Unexpected error. Thanks a lot, blogger. Appreciate that ministry! Just trying to save a draft and then what???? NOTHING.....all gone.......I'll try to get inspired again..... in the mean time, enjoy some pics.

who cares ? I do!

2006-08-21T17:21:00.000-05:00

I am going to blog about something that most readers will not care about...but that's ok. I LOVE NFL football. I always have. When I was about 7 or 8 I joined the NFL Pro Club for Kids. I subscribed to the NFL digest and read it cover to cover. As part of the NFL Pro club, I got a chart for my wall that I could keep track of the standings for each division. I loved the Steelers, Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, Franco Harris and the Iron Curtain. I still love football. Peyton Manning is the best quarterback of all time (in my opinion) and I think he is the smartest player ever. Ok....I guess you get the point. On September 10, Peyton's Colts will play his brother Eli's team, the NY Giants and I CAN'T WAIT. Eli is not as good of a player as his brother, but it will be a good match up.

Well, this year the referees got new uniforms and I think they look pretty good. They needed to be updated. Most of the pro teams have updated during recent years and they deserve it too.

Enjoy the pictures. See, there is fashion in Football!

Old and New

psi

2006-08-16T21:13:00.000-05:00

Pounds per Square Inch...for those who may not know. Also, for those who may not know......it's a good idea to check your tires every now and then. Or you can have your friend/mechanic check them for you when you let her drive your car. So you get what happened, right??? My good friend Julie lets me drive her very cool 2006 Red Mustang convertible. I live vicariously through her. Me, Julie and Gini left for lunch at Gina's Fine Foods...yummy. I get out of the car and look at the front driver's tire and it is almost completely flat. I'm like, "Julie, have you noticed your tire has been low on air?" She then just looks at me and laughs like "You must be kidding, right?" I tell her that we will stop and put some air in the tire immediately after we eat. We have to have our priorities in order..... food then tires. So after eating lunch, where we ran into the Red Ranger, it was off to the gas station. Ok....her psi was at about 15 to 20 and it needs to be between 40 & 44. Yikes! I get down to look at the tire and see the dreaded nail. I told her it could be a slow leak and take a while to go down again.....or then again, maybe not. It would be better to go get it patched and not worry about it anymore. So off we go to Buddy's Tires and get it patched. But we looked so cool getting there....driving with the top down and air in the tires. Anyway, Buddy's gets her tire fixed after locating her tire lock and we were set to go. But we had a good time laughing about it all. Sorry, JPV, no Krystals for us!!!!!!!

The moral of the story.....it's good to have friends that sing and friends that check your psi.

homework

2006-08-14T16:44:00.000-05:00

Ok, check it out. Parker's K-4 homework. How cute is this? Actually, he has come a long way from last week. He did NOT want to sit down and do anything at the table. This week is a different story. His teacher told us that he did not like to participate during circle time when they would do their "work." He would just sit there with his arms crossed and a frown on his face. We would get home and sit down to do their homework and Parker did it very fast and didn't really care. Well, today on the way home, Parker volunteered to me that that he did his work during circle time and he even got a sucker when it was quite time. All the kids who were quiet got a sucker. Way to go Parker. When we got home, he sat down and actually took his time and did the best he could at writing the letter A and coloring his pictures. All I did was write his name in the colors that he chose! Way to go Parker!!!!!!! I'm so proud. It's nice to see progress!

Parker said that the astronaut was him...so he colored his hair red.....bessie!
I've seen blue apples, haven't you???????

the value of a dollar

2006-08-13T21:08:00.000-05:00

My friend Shannon down the street, taught her son Gage a very valuable lesson that I thought was very cool. And very old fashioned. It was through his very own lemonade stand. Remember those? He wanted to buy a certain toy that cost $8.00. I don't know about your kids, but mine thinks that money grows on trees. Actually they think that money is in my ATM card. They say "Just go to that machine." If they only knew that you had to have money in the bank to get it out of the machine. Anyway, back to the story. So, Shannon told Gage that he would have to earn the money. She told him some ways that he could do it and he picked the lemonade stand. He made the lemonade himself. He made the sign all by himself. He did it all. Scooped the ice, poured the lemonade and took your .50 too. All with a smile. He made out with $15.00. Not too bad, maybe I should start doing that on the side. He made $7.50 an hour (minus the cost of the lemonade of course.)

I just read terriblespellers' blog about #1 wanting to buy some legos. He seemed to have learned a lesson too. My kids want to stop at Micky D's almost everyday on the way home from school. They know that we only stop on Wednesdays because we have church and don't have a lot of time at school. We haven't started the whole allowance thing, but really need to look into it and figure out the best way to use it as a teaching tool. They will of course have to give some off the top back to Jesus. Aubrey asked me just the other how Jesus got the money from the church. But then he also asked me how he got out of my tummy........ummmmmm, let me answer the Jesus/money question first......."no, Mommy, did I come out of your mouth?"....... "I wish!"

misc blog

2006-08-10T19:31:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting here in a very quite house wondering how it got so quite. Tommy is at the church with the choir doing a recording. Since I don't really sing all that loud (or on the right note) I opted to stay at home with the kids. The recording times go from 6pm - 10 pm tonight and tomorrow. We ate dinner, went to Kroger where the check-out girl told me that they were the most well behaved children she had seen all day. Of course, she didn't know that an ice cream sandwich was being held over their head for good behavior at the store! Score one for Mommy! Then home for a bath, story time and bed time. Went pretty smoothly too. That's always nice.

I thought, wow, I haven't blogged in about a week so I have a few different things to talk about. As you might know, I went to the Braves game on Monday night with Single Wifery a.k.a. JPV and Jatha. We had a great time. It was a little hot, but not too bad really. The seats were sooooo close. 2nd row on the 3rd base side. Thanks, Jen! Fun was had by all.

Then on Wednesday we met my friend Juliee for a birthday celebration at Frontera Mexican Grill. Yummy. Great salsa. (that you eat with your hands) Anyway, they come sing and bring a desert and a really cute hat too. Juliee used to work at the church, but found greener pastures staying at home and being head of the flag team, flag corps, flag people...whatever you call them, at her daughter's school. She works hard at it too. Way to go, Juliee!!!!!!

We finished week one at school and everyone still wants to go back! Yea.

Tommy had his esophagus stretched today successfully and is at the recording tonite...go Red Ranger.....what a guy!!! Now that's dedication!!!!

I'm going to watch some shows that I have TiVo'd and relax for a few minutes. Cool. Later.

I'm sorry....is that a Phllies shirt??????

Now there's a nice shirt...go Braves!

Happy Birthday Juliee!!!!

first day

2006-08-07T13:54:00.000-05:00

I wonder how many "first day" blogs there are out there in blog world? Plenty I am sure. Well, here is my submission to the list. Aubrey started Kindergarten and Parker K-4. Aubrey was so excited. It took him no time to get out of bed and eat breakfast. Parker took a little longer and was not in the best mood. Car ride was good. Aubrey went right into his classroom with a kiss and a hug. Parker...not so much. A kiss and a hug and a clinging to my leg for dear life was more like it! Bless his heart..... so they pried him off of my leg and I left swiftly as he cried. I have to do it this way, or it is just harder for each of us. He always gets ok in about 1 minute. He had stopped crying by the time I got to the end of the hall. But he was probably standing there pouting. When I got to the car, I cried. Not because my little Aubrey was starting K-5, but because I left my little Parker in a room where he knew no one. Made me a little sad. I know that he will have made friends by the end of the day, but it still made me sad. I would be sad too, if I were him. As outgoing as I am, I still do not like not knowing anyone in a room. I'll let you know how the first day went.

OK....just got home. We all had a great first day and everyone wants to go back tomorrow. That's a good sign, right??? Aubrey said that his teacher taught him everything in the world today. Wow...that's a lot for one day!! He probably felt that way. Parker has some pretty tough homework. He has a sheet of paper with animals on it, and he has to color all the ones with 4 legs! Good luck son. Now this is the kind of stuff that I can help him with!!!!!!!

Dad's Birthday

2006-08-05T15:00:00.000-05:00

The pictures tell it all. We went to the Spaghetti Factory downtown for my Dad's 60th Birthday. It's his favorite place. Here are some pictures of the "event." I love my Dad, he's the best. Couldn't have asked for a better one. We actually are a lot alike, so that did mean some very good "discussions" growing up. He's the kind of Dad that you can look up to and admire, yet talk to him about anything at all. He's just great. Always has great advice....and always thinks that he is right...what's so wrong with that????? He usually is. He is a Godly man that helps at his church so much that he should be on the payroll, but he's not. He loves my Mom with all his heart and don't even get me started on the grandkids. You can imagine. The kids really love and respect him. My sister and I are blessed to have a Dad like him.

first sleep-over

2006-08-03T15:02:00.000-05:00

This has been a week of firsts at the Griffin household. I guess they were actually at the PaskVan household. Aubrey's first kiss....and now Parker's first sleep-over. Jennifer picked the kids up after choir on Wednesday night and took everyone home for the night. (She volunteered for this, BTW.) Anyhoo.....Parker turns 4 on the 18th of this month and has only slept away at the grandparents houses. He did GREAT! I think that Aubrey did something to bother him around midnight and he went up to Jennifer's room....but after that...nothing. I'm so proud that he didn't need me. I know that might sound strange, but it's nice to know that he felt so comfortable that he wasn't scared or anything. I'm sure that it helped that his big brother was there too.

This has been a great summer for the kids. First at Mrs. Lori's house playing with Matt and Brandon and ALL their Star Wars toys. They loved it. Then with Tom's parents for 2 weeks going to the swimming pool and loving it. Then the week at the PaskVan's house. I think they loved have 4 older siblings to play with. Like I have always said, God always takes care of my kids. I wanted them to have a "real" summer of paying outside, going to the movies and just having fun! God worked everything out better than I could have. He usually does!

Now it is time for school to start on Monday. Aubrey will start Kindergarten and Parker in K-4. WOW. I can't believe that Aubrey will learn how to read and write. No more spelling words back and forth between Tommy and me! How sad. I am excited about their school and can't wait to see what God has planned for them (and us) this year.

first kiss

2006-07-31T16:37:00.000-05:00

This week the boys are at the PaskVan household. What's 2 more kids, huh????? They had a BLAST on their 1st day. When I came to pick them up, Aubrey asked if I could go home and come back later. He wanted to play more. Thanks a lot, son. Glad to see you too. Actually, you want it that way, right? You don't want them begging to go home, you want them to have a great time.

So, Jennifer told me that Aubrey and Julia kissed. OK....let's step back for a moment. What type of kiss here.....are they dating now, going steady or are they free to see other people? LOL I asked Aubrey about the kiss. He said, "Yep, I kissed Julia on the cheek. She was a princess and she asked me to kiss her, so I did. I didn't want to make her sad." How very thoughtful of my son. He didn't want to make her sad. This was totally cracking me up. I think he is in love. He wanted her to come home with us and bring her back with us tomorrow. How sweet....that's my boy. Takes after his Dad......

i was cool...if only for a moment...

2006-07-28T21:16:00.000-05:00

One can dream, right??? Well, I was dreaming for about 10 minutes today when I got to drive a brand new 2007 Chevy Corvette Convertible , Monterey Red Metallic with tan convertible top. This guy I know just bought one. He is single with no children. He says that this is his child. I said, "no crying, no whining and no college tuition." Anyway, I LOVE cars.....all kinds of cars. Mustangs are probably my favorite, but this would do in a pinch. I couldn't believe that he asked me if I wanted to drive it, but I was sure glad. It hugged the road with it's 450 hp engine and tight steering. I was in heaven for a few minutes at least. I thought to myself....this is the coolest that I have ever been in my life!!!!! It sure felt that way.

Then I got in my Ford Windstar mini-van to leave to pick up the kiddies. Back to reality. I found myself listening to the kids CD that they got at a friend's birthday party. It was her favorite "party-mix" of songs. OK....I was listening to Avril LaVigne's Sk8er Boi song and just singing along....then I thought to myself (who was just the coolest person on the face of the earth about 20 minutes ago).....what in the world????? You are loving the same music as a 7 year old girl! What is wrong with this picture???? You are 36 years old and should be listening to.......to what????? I don't know????? I've always enjoyed all kinds of music...mostly loud I guess. I remember one of my fondest "car music" moments was a long drive to Conyers in a mini-van singing Prince's "Let's Go Crazy"........it was a beautiful day and the windows were down and for a moment.....we were the 2 coolest people in the world!!!!!! I really wish there was audio on these blogs, because I tell this much more entertaining that you might be reading it. Unless you can just close your eyes and think of me telling this pointless, yet hopefully amusing story......of the day that I was cool for 10 minutes.

More Zoo Pictures

2006-07-25T19:25:00.000-05:00

a great day

2006-07-24T17:14:00.000-05:00

Today was not just a good day......it was a great day. I had the kiddies today and decided to make it a fun one. We slept in, Aubrey didn't wake up until 9:45 am. Good for him! I had a little bit of house work to do....some dusting, cleaned the bathroom and did the dishes. Then, off we went. First we had to get Parker's hair cut. He did great. Then fill the tank up with one million dollars worth of gas. Then to Chick-fil-A where I had coupons. See what a great day so far? I had to stop by the kids new school to drop off some forms and got to see Mrs. Kay. She is one of their teachers from last year who is at their new school. We then stopped by my Mom's work to use the restroom. They were good and did not embarrass either myself or my Mom. Great day still. Then too the Zoo. We have a membership. No, that doesn't mean that I can drop off the kids in the monkey cages. While in the car, I didn't not have to raise my voice (yell) the 500 times as usual. A great day.

While at the zoo, we had a blast. Most of the animals were out, which isn't the norm since we've been going. The panda was especially neat to see. He was all laid back and munchin' down on some bamboo leaves. The kids didn't run off or cry when it was time to go to the next thing. Or when one wanted to do one thing and the other something else....they compromised. A great day. We rode the train and merry-go-round. It even started to sprinkle a little and we still went to the playgound there. We had it all to ourselves. The sprinkles weren't too bad, it actually cooled things off a bit. But who cares if we got wet? We were having a blast!

Upon leaving the zoo, Aubrey looks up and says "Mom, I love spending time with you and Parker and Dad, even thought Dad isn't here." On the way home, Parker in his cute little high-pitched voice, would say "I love you Mom". I wish you could all hear his voice. I will be sad the day he grows out of it.

It's nice to have these days to look back on. Especially when you have those days where you have to call them down a million times and they don't get along and you feel like you shouldn't have ever left the house. I thank God for giving me and the boys a day like today. A day where we can all enjoy each other and just laugh and have fun. It makes me think that I take things to seriously sometimes and should "stop and smell the roses" with the kids more often. I get sooooo concerned about how they behave, what type of adults are they going to be in 15 years. Not that all that is not very important....because it is.....just we lose site of today and what today might mean to them. A good friend at work told me this one.... "Nothing is more important than today." That does not mean live it up today because you could die tomorrow. But focus on what God has given you today....it does say in the Bible in Matthew 6:34 " Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Guess what verse comes right before that??? Verse 33 is "Seek ye first the kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you......Verse 34 " therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." Cool huh????

Thank you God for my children and for TODAY!

Good Morning

2006-07-22T08:08:00.000-05:00

This is just a short morning blog while I sip my yummy coffee with hazelnut creamer...I love it that my kids love to watch cartoons with NO talking. Yes, Pink Panther and Tom and Jerry. How cool is that??? It is neat to me that they like to watch some of the same programs that me and Tommy used to watch. Tom and Jerry was his favorite growing up. He called it Tom and the Jelly...cute, huh? As you know, they love Star Wars too....just like me. We went to Target yesterday to buy a birthday present for a little girl and I let the boys both pick out a $5.00 toy also. Thought I would be nice for no reason (they did have a good week at Grandma & Poppy's) Anyway...we stand there for 20 minutes looking at Star Wars toys. I was in heaven. Aubrey picked out General Grievous. I found about 15 things I want to get him for his birthday. This is why God gave me boys....thank you , Jesus! Parker picked out a NASCAR 18-wheeler (like that Gary?) Had a hard time on the "girl" aisle. All that pink....all those Barbies....I kept looking for middle aged, 2 kids, in debt Barbie.....but I think she just go re-married to Ken's rich brother! Seriously...I love my boys!

my hair

2006-07-20T15:51:00.000-05:00

I love it...I just hope I can fix it.......you know how that is, right? The next morning, you get up, you wash it and BAM......nothing like it looked the day before. I told this to my hair stylist, and she said that she would have a "training clinic" if I needed one. We shall see tomorrow AM. Tommy likes it too. I'm looking at the pictures right now...and it's not looking so difficult. I can do this...no problem. But it's supposed to have the "not so fixed" look...which takes some fixing. You know what I mean??????

Laughter is the best medicine...

2006-07-18T22:42:00.000-05:00

Laughter was the theme tonight. Julie and I met up with our friends from "out of town." Our good friend Lynne was in town from Texas and we got together with our other good friend Renee who now lives in Gainsville. We met up at Bahama Breeze in Duluth. It was so good to just sit down and catch up with everything going on. Our lives stay so busy and now that we are all in different locations, the everyday things that happen go unsaid. We keep up with the major things...but it sometimes is the little things that make you laugh so much. So we had a great time just being together and laughing. I love my friends and miss them dearly!

Renee & Julie

Chelle & Lynne

i did it....and i'm sorry

2006-07-17T15:38:00.000-05:00

The masses have spoken. I must respond. I ate the last piece of my husband's favorite cake in the entire world. I will admit that about half way through the delicious red velvet cake...I thought about it. But it was too late....my palate had already been tempted too far to turn back. I could not resist finishing it off. I promise to make you a new one... Duncan Hines style! I think instead of training for that 5K in a couple of months, I'm training for the Oscar Mayer Hot Dog eating contest. I need to get my trainig in order. I must resist.

So, to my hubby....I'm sorry. Punish me however you wish. I can take it.........OR, you could show grace and mercy to your loving, humble, extremely sorry and caught in the act wife. Hey, remember that time that I gave birth to your children???? Boy, did that hurt....but I did it for you.......because I love you so much...and because the kids can't stay in longer than 9 months! It's in your hands now.....forgiveness......it's yours to give.

Sunday afternoon

2006-07-16T14:30:00.000-05:00

Well, Red Ranger and Parker are napping.....Aubrey is having a "Full House" marathon while playing with his Star Wars toys (I hear him doing his Chewbacca noise every now and then) and I'm watching the E! True Hollywood story of J. Lo and the Baltimore Ravens Spring Training Camp behind the scenes. I think I like the football best. I can't wait until it's football season again...I love it! Aubrey is obsessed with Full House. You all remember that show, right??? Uncle Jesse, DJ, Stephanie and Michelle (like me and my sister). I have them TiVoed but have to delete the ones where DJ is starting to date. Gets a little racy for Aubrey. He tried to kiss me like DJ and her boyfriend were kissing....that is just not right.

I'm getting my hair cut again this week. I've not really been happy with my hair. Not how it was cut, Dee did her job, I just can't do mine. I've gone back to styling it like before...why do we do that?????? So, I think I may go a little shorter, a little thinner and a little more.......unkept (if that makes sense). I want that tussled look....like..."she did her hair, right?" Wish me luck. Dee again may do what she is supposed to, but I may go right back into my hair rut........I'll let you know what happens. I hope everyone has a great week.

You're Welcome

2006-07-15T19:27:00.000-05:00

This is a big fat "You're Welcome" to all that I have sucked into the world of blogging. This time consuming "thing" that we are all addicted to, is so much fun. Actually we all have terrible speller to thank for it all. I became addicted to her blog a while ago and decided that I would like to do it too. It was like "Hello, my name is Michelle and I'm addicted to reading blogs". I'm almost finished with my 12 steps. It felt a bit voyeuristic at first. Peering into other peoples daily lives. But then to became comforting. Comforting to see others with the same struggles and victories, like kids eating certain foods and things like that......Getting the pool home in one piece. I also thought...what could I have to write about???? Doesn't matter, does it? You keep coming back for more. It's like Seinfeld...a show about nothing but everyday life. So, to all my friends who read this, I love you all so much....you each are special to me. And if this is just another way that we can stay in touch better, then that is awesome. I've got to say that the award for most UNlikely to have a blog would be a tie between Tommy and Julie. Jules....never thought you would have one......I don't know why either, you write great. You are just such a busy little girl, #2. But you do have some great things to share, I know, trust me...I know!

Well, check out Red Rangers blog to read about our great day today at very hot Stone Mountain. We had a great family day! I'm so glad that Tommy had Saturdays off now. Thank you, Jesus!

Summer Fun

2006-07-14T20:01:00.000-05:00

Today after picking up the kiddies from Mom and Dad's house, we drove up to my friend, Shannon's house. She has an 18 month old son named Alex.....cute as a button (how cute are buttons, by the way). We had a great time talking about kid stuff and just hanging out at the pool. The kids had fun too. Parker was so thrilled to not be the youngest. At first he was like "I don't want to play with that baby." and "That baby is following me around." "I don't want to share my toys with that baby" He finally warmed up, but never really showed his sweet side. Aubrey really felt like a "big boy" too. Luckily they didn't embarrass me too bad, they were actually pretty good. I didn't leave her house all frazzled and uptight. We had a great time. It was good to visit with Shannon too...we don't see each other as often as we should. Parker was so tired, that when we got home he asked if could go on to bed. He didn't even finish his dinner!

I am also including before and after shots of "the playroom".....AKA "the disaster zone". Took some hard work yesterday, but we got it done!!!!! I hate cleaning.

Check it out...

2006-07-13T19:30:00.000-05:00

Tommy has a blog.....we both started one at the same time and he is just now "catching the fever." So, please go check it out and add it to your favorites and make a comment too, so that he will know that people love him......

http://redranger1.blogspot.com/

The coolest thing ever

2006-07-11T16:26:00.000-05:00

Ok....the coolest thing to me right now is seeing my friends.....friends who don't even know each other......writing back and forth to each other words of encouragement and God's Word as well. We've always been told that we are brothers and sisters in Christ and I am seeing that first hand watching the comments on everyone's blogs. God is so awesome. We will have to have a "blog" get-together sometime. We are all not that far away from each other. God definitely binds our hearts together. It is encouraging to know that new friends are praying for each other!!!!!! Did I mention that God is SO awesome????????

I also wanted to give you a dentist update. I LOVE THE NEW DENTIST! Turns out that with his 3 remaining teeth that need work, he only needs one of those with a crown.....not all 3 like the other place said! There you go......God definitely led me to this guy. We sat and talked forever. He is like a Mayberry Children's Dentist. Thanks to Julie for giving me the "heads up" on this one. I just wish I hadn't gotten the one crown done....the new Dentist said that he couldn't really tell if he needed that one or not...but we won't have to worry about that tooth, right? So he will only have 2 bling blings in his mouth instead of 4. It wasn't about the money, but it doesn't hurt that this guy is cheaper, right??? He doesn't even charge for the laughing gas like the other place......thanks!!!!!!!

Today is Tommy's 36th birthday and we are going with his parents to Red Lobster....yummers! I plan on getting the Pan Seared Sea Scallops. The kids love the popcorn shrimp. Tommy is a great husband and daddy and I hope that his day is good. He loves me inspite of my faults, of which I have plenty. I have a little trouble listening sometimes, that is so hard to believe, isn't it???? He's still working with me. We have grown so much since.....since......what....8th grade when I first started liking him????? Or since college when he first started liking me?????? Or since when we married 11 1/2 years ago???? The stories that we have to tell.......anyway, I love him and wish him the best birthday ever!!!!!!!

A picture is worth a thousand words

2006-07-10T21:53:00.000-05:00

I now pronouce you....

2006-07-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend we went to Rick and Rosemary Stone's daughter's wedding (Rachel & Lance). Tim & Jan and Carla rode with us and Katye, Jordan and Cory watched the kiddies. Fun was had by all. I think that Kayte is more ready to be a parent than we are...she handled the kids awesome. I think we might need lessons from her! The wedding was worshipful & musical, as you might imagine with the Stone family. Rick sang, The Stone Brothers sang and Rick's other two children sang a duet. The wedding began with congregational singing....Holy Ground, How Great Thou Art. It was fantastic. Rick performed the ceremony and teared up a few times and Rosemary had on the prettiest "mother of the bride" dress that I have ever seen. She looked beautiful!!! There probably were about 50 FBCJ choir/church members there. We also had a lot of fun riding to and from in the van....laughing mostly. I even tried not to tell Tommy how to drive since there were others present in the car! I'm REALLY bad about telling him about a car that might be stopped up ahead, or a car that might pull out, or that our turn is coming up in a quarter of a mile and he might want to get over before we miss our turn or exit....you know, stuff like that. He just needs my help! (I have pictures, but they WILL NOT upload. I have never had this problem before!!!!)

Dentist Update.....Aubrey has an appointment with the dentist that I found online. He is in Fayetteville and has been in practice for a long time. I am so anxious to see what he has to say. I'm not going to tell him about what "Dentistry for Children" recommended until after he tells me what he thinks. I'll let you all know what happens.

As I sit here eating just one cookie.....I have to tell you that I have been challenged to do a 5K run in 2 months. My good buddy Jan ran the Peachtree Road Race in just 77 minutes! WOW...and you thought all she could do was sing and be a nurse. mom and wife.....nope...she's a runner now too! So...there is a 3 mile race in September and we are going to run it together. I would like to try and do the Peachtree next year too. But, we have to start somewhere. (Side note: Parker just ran in here with nothing on.....naked....bare bottom....that's my boy). Anyway, I started last night on the treadmill. I ran 1 mile and walked about half a mile. I really would like to make this goal. If I don't, yall will know it...now that I am posting my life on the world wide web. That's accountability, right?????? God is going to have to help me do this one. I hate to run, unless someone is chasing me. I've never really enjoyed running....but it seems like a good challenge and I need one right now. I am very competitive and need something like this to get me going.....we shall see. Pray for me if you think about it.....I need those prayers. I really want to get a t-shirt that says something other than Old Navy 2006. Ya know?

Well, I think I have caught you up on my life. I'm glad that some of my friends have blogs now. Who would have thought that we would ever do something like this???? Not me.....until next time....

random thoughts

2006-07-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

Well, it's July 4th....Happy Birthday to my friend Shannon whom I have known (and idolized) since 7th grade. She was the BEST athlete in our school and I wanted to be just like her. Yes, I followed her around until we became real friends. Ok....so she didn't really have a choice but to be my friend because I would not leave her alone. But how lucky for her, huh???? Seriously, we did become great friends and have remained so. We don't see or talk as often as we would like, but she is still so special to me. She and her husband have a son named Alex, what a lucky little guy. God made him for them. We have had more fun times in high school and when she got into Ga Tech (yes, she's smart too). Oh, the stories we could tell. This has been my little mini-tribute to my friend....Happy Birthday!!!!!!!

Also, I think I have found my real 2nd opinion dentist. I really prayed before doing my Google Search for pediatric dentist in the ATL area. There is one in Fayetteville who has been in practice for 44 years. If he doesn't know what Aubrey really needs, then I don't know who will. Jodi, you said to get someone who's been in practice for a while...I think this may be him. I did another Google Search on him and found out that he is a Republican too....can't be too bad, right???? HA!!!!

I have to brag on my husband too. We had our annual Celebrate America program at church on Sunday. Tommy had a great solo, "This is How it Feels to be Free". He rocked.....rocked for Jesus. I have never seen him so into a song before and so relaxed. God really used him and the song too. The program was so God centered....not just about our country, but our country's need for God. Rick Stone sang "Jesus is the Answer"....awesome too. I am so thankful to God that he allowed Tommy to find a new job at the beginning of the year so he could be back at Sunday morning church and get back in the choir. You should have seen Aubrey watching his dad sing. He sang every word with Tommy. It was cute and it was neat that Aubrey and Parker are learning songs about Jesus. They may not understand everything now, but God is etching truths on their heart...truths that will stay with them the rest of their lives. God said to "Train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." I claim that for my kids. We just have to make sure that we train them up right. Hard thing do to. How do people without God even get through one day? If it wasn't for His forgiveness and grace every single day.......anyway, enough of the sermon.....I love my husband and kids.

Update

2006-07-03T17:05:00.000-05:00

Some of you have asked about an update on Aubrey's teeth. Well...my 2nd opinion agreed with the pediatric dentist.....because he is the one that referred me....ok, so that was a little dumb of me. So, I am currently seeking a "real" 2nd opinion. I am trying to find another pediatric dentist to take his x-rays to and see what they think. I am not looking forward to all this...but, you gotta do what you gotta do.......just pray for us, that we will have wisdom in making decisions. I'll blog some more later....

Only Bad Witches Are Ugly

2006-06-28T16:49:00.000-05:00

This is my favorite movie quote. Nope, it's not "You had me at hello" or " I feel the need...the need for speed" or "I'll have what she's having." There have to be more good one liners from The Wizard of Oz than any other movie. Take for instance:

Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore - Dorothy

Only bad witches are ugly - Glenda the Good Witch of the North

Ding Dong the witch is dead - The Munchkins

I'll get you my pretty...and your little dog too - Wicked Witch of the East

Follow the Yellow Brick Road - Glenda

My ! People come and go so quickly here - Dorothy

A lot of people without brains do an awful lot of talking - Scarecrow

If I only had a brain - Scarecrow

If I only had a heart - Tin Man

Lions and Tigers and Bears, O My - Dorothy, Scarecrow and Tin Man

Put 'em up....put 'em up.... - Cowardly Lion

If I were the King of the Foreeeeest - Lion

I'm melting...melting...melting - Wicked Witch

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain - The Wizard

There's no place like home - Dorothy

As you can tell, we all just watched The Wizard of Oz..love that movie. Anyway....so what's your favorite movie line??? All of you who like to read my blog, just click the word COMMENTS (not the envelope) just below this entry and tell me your favorite line......I'd love to hear from you....thanks for reading

Grace

2006-06-27T20:23:00.000-05:00

Ok...so I haven't had the best day in the world. So my hair still isn't doing exactly what I want it to. So my kids don't always obey me the first time like they should. BUT...God is still so good to me. God shows me grace every single day. God gives me little things at the end of my day that say, "Michelle, I love you so much." So undeserving......but grateful.

To drill or not to drill

2006-06-26T16:17:00.000-05:00

I found out last night at church, that the place where we have Aubrey going for his dentistry work, may not be the best place to go. This makes me a little sad and mad too. Apparently this place has a reputation for doing much more dental work than maybe actually necessary. A very good friend of mine, who's opinion I totally respect told me about her experience. The same doctor told her that her son had 7 cavities, and her regular dentist said that he had none!!! How horrible. Then another church member said the same thing. And they know others with the same experience. So....I went and got his x-rays and treatment plan and took it to our regular dentist for his second opinion. I think that even if he agrees with the treatment plan, that I will still go somewhere else. I just don't feel comfortable about it anymore. Plus Aubrey silver tooth makes him look like "bling bling boy" (My hubby came up with that one). Imagine his mouth with 3 more silver crowns.......

Like I learned at the "Women of Faith" conference this weekend.....it's not a problem, just an inconvenience. The conference was ok this year. Something was different from last year, I'm just not sure what it was. But, I guess if I can come away with one truth to hold on to, it was worth it. Plus AVALON was there and they were AWESOME. They are so good.

Poor Parker, I guess one day I'll have to blog about him....it's all about Aubrey these days.....

Ok....I said it

2006-06-21T15:43:00.000-05:00

Yes, I never thought I would say this. I promised myself that these words would never come out of my mouth.....but today, they did. I said "If your friend told you to jump off the roof, would you?" Aubrey and I got into a discussion about his "bead up the nose" drama. He tried blaming his friend again. "But he told me to." I still don't think that it got through, we will have to see.

The kids are having a great summer. My friend Lori M. is taking care of them this summer. She has two older boys....11 and 13 (I think). Her boys are totally into Star Wars, as are mine, so they have a blast playing with all the toys at their house. Lori has taken them to the library, a movie, a magic show and the park. They really are having a real summer. I didn't want them to have to come up to the church/school everyday. I wanted them to be able to just play and have fun. I pick them up at 3:20 and will still have time to come home and play in the pool. It's amazing how God always works things out for the best. A lot of prayer goes into who cares for them while I am at work.

I'm going to the "Women of Faith" conference this weekend. I'm actually just going on Saturday. It really is a lot of fun and inspirational. I'll let you all know how it goes and post some pictures. Beginning last year, a group of girls from the office went. Of course us office girls can have fun doing anything.......but this is a special time. Stay cool everyone!

Crown Him King..or something like that

2006-06-16T15:53:00.000-05:00

Aubrey did awesome at the dentist. Thanks everyone for praying for him. Believe it or not, he has 3 more times to go! I know that this is my fault for giving him too much juice. I've already gone through the blaming myself and the feeling guilty stuff. And I'm comfortable with that....taking responsibility, that is. It's not his fault. I really do feel like a bad Mom. I've had someone tell me that some kids just don't have strong teeth and take to having cavities more than others. That sounds great, but I still want to blame myself for this. Anyway, he said that the whole thing didn't hurt and he's not hurting now and he got 2 toys from the dentist office. At least he gets toys.

Do you ever have one of those blah days? That's what I'm having today. I feel bad about the teeth thing, my house is up to the roof with laundry, dishes and dust, I am SO hungry and trying not to eat everything in the house, and it took the kids almost 45 minutes to get down for a nap. So, I called my Mom and she made everything ok. Why is it that calling your Mom can make you feel better about just about anything?? Somehow she made me feel better about my status as a Mom - even if I did attempt to lie yesterday...instead of just saying NO - thanks Ang :) Oh, I know what else is bothering me....I hate my hair. I've been letting it grow out a little longer and it's getting on my last nerve...you know, the bangs are too long, but not long enough.....getting it cut on Monday. Don't know in what style yet, but something. I've got my ball cap on right now just to keep it out of my face. I better stop writing...I'm probably making everyone reading this depressed. Sorry. I'll feel better when the kids get up from their nap and want to snuggle on the couch and watch Tom & Jerry.

What are you going to do?????

2006-06-15T22:12:00.000-05:00

It seems as of late, that most of my posts have been about my #1 son, Aubrey. He's had the most going on, I guess. Well, he had a tough day today. We found out that he has to have some extensive dental work done starting tomorrow. Crowns....yes crowns for my 5 year old. He will have these teeth until he is 12 so, we must get them fixed. Anyway....he really wanted to go to kangaroo Kids which is an indoor playground thing. I didn't really want to bother, I had rather go home, put some H2O in the kiddie pool out back and relax, but he really wanted to go. It was already 4:30 and I was tired. So I came up with this great plan. I'll tell them that it is about to close and we couldn't spend very much time there, so we will go tomorrow after his dentist visit. I was going to drive by the place on our way home and lie. Great idea, Mom!!!!! Ok...not so good. Why???? Well, Aubrey then decides to pray and ask God if the Kangaroo place could still be open because he really wants to play. Thanks a lot, Aubrey. Now I have the future of your faith in my hands, or so it felt. What's a good Mom to do at that point? Well, my little plan to lie had just unfolded. I guess that it what I get for trying to fib to the kids. I guess God possibly might have been using my child to teach me a lesson???? What do you think?????? Lesson learned...

Give me a "R"

2006-06-14T16:11:00.000-05:00

My oldest son, the one with the hidden talent, has another skill. At VBS yesterday, he decided that he needed to stick a bead up his nose. Ok, he is 5 1/2 years old....we should really be past the "thing up the nose" trick, right? Well, apparently not. So I get a call to come over to the children's area because Aubrey stuck a bead with the letter "R" up his nose. They let me know that he is fine and he can breathe, so that means that it is ok to get mad. He did this one other time at home and we got the object out, thankfully. So why would he try this again? Anyway, on my way over, Wendy J. stops me and says that they got him to blow it out and he did not need/want to see me. Good thing for him, too. I was pretty mad. I mean, he knows better. He finally told me about it later that evening. He said that one of his friends told him to do it....this was a big, fat lie, of course. I did my Mom impersonation and went over all the danger of putting things up your nose, yadda, yadda, yadda. He will probaby do it again. Parenting is never boring!

Chewy

2006-06-12T20:01:00.000-05:00

My son has a hidden talent that I did not know about. It is a talent that I wish that I had and have tried to accomplish....but sadly, cannot. He can make the Chewbacca noise. Yes, I know, he is only 5 and does not fully appreciate Chewbacca like I do. But.....he can do it. He did it today along with R2D2 and C3PO. He attempted to make the light saber noise, but not so good. I wonder if I should register him in a contest or something??? Just kidding. I will admit that last year me and my friends sat around and "tried" to make the Chewbacca noise. There we were......adult women sounding, well, silly, but having a lot of fun. None of us could do it very well, but there was one who came pretty close. (#6). Anyway, I was just proud of Aubrey and his talent. Brag when you can, right???????

Free Entertainment

2006-06-10T09:41:00.000-05:00

This is awesome....I've got free entertainment in my own backyard. My neighbor is having 2 trees cut down because our yards are so small, a lot of the action is in my backyard. I'm afraid I'll be blowing out tree mulch for the rest of my life. But the boys are GLUED to the windows. This could not get anymore exciting for a 3 and 5 year old boy. A bucket truck outside our window cutting down trees and there are limbs falling everywhere...just hopefully not on our house. The shredder is right outside our back porch (as you can see). My main concern at this moment is a limb hitting our house, or the grass getting completely messed up. But I guess that is better than the dead tree falling our house during a storm, right????? We are supposed to go see the new movie "Cars" with my sister this afternoon. I hope that is as exciting as cutting down trees.

Dear Diary.....

2006-06-08T00:42:00.000-05:00

Ok...it's 1:30 am and I had to get up in the middle of the night to get something to drink. I've been battling allergies for the past few days and my throat gets itchy at night. Now I'm wide awake and reading other people's blogs. What is it about peering into other people's lives that is so very interesting??? Not like digging into their deepest, darkest secrets or anything, just what they may have had for dinner, or what their kids did that day, or the latest I read about picking boogers. I guess it's like having a mini web-cam into their homes. It's nice knowing that other people do normal or not-so-normal things just like you do. Maybe it's like reading someone's diary and it being ok to do so?????? Whatever the case, I will continue to read and continue to write.....even when I have nothing to write about!

Just Grillin'

2006-06-05T19:34:00.000-05:00

The kids wanted to get back in the pool today when we got home....so in the pool they went. I was going to grill dinner tonight. We had pork chops, red bell peppers, zuchini, asperagus and red onion. Yummy. The kids veggies were butter beans and creamed corn. While I was grilling the kids played with their toys and had a great time. It was just nice to have a good day with nothing exciting going on. Right now the kids and Tommy are laughing their heads off a "Tom & Jerry". These are just simple moments to enjoy.

The Deep End

2006-06-04T13:42:00.000-05:00

Ok...So I promised my kids a pool for the backyard. The deluxe kind...You know, plastic and about 60" in diameter. Only the best for my kids! My husband was gone for the day and he took THE VAN....which was what I needed to transport the deluxe pool. But, we did have the Escort and I was determined to make something work. So off we went to Toys-R-Us to get the "flexible" plastic pool that would last a little bit longer than the one from Kroger only 1/2 mile away! Toys-R-Us I about 15 miles away...only the best will do! (I actually did have to go to Circuit City too). Anyhoo...we bought the pool and went out to the car to "attach" it to the top of the car. I brought some wire/rope stuff to secure it. I ran the rope through the back windows while the kids looked on and secured the pool. Off we went. Then I noticed that if I went over 35 mph, the top end was flying off. So I stopped in a nearby parking lot to secure the front and ran the rope through the front doors and windows.....only to realize that I could not open my door! Aubrey said "Mom, I'm smart and I've got a brain, and you are going to have to crawl through the window." So, "Dukes of Hazard" style, I climbed through the window and off we went again!. I could not go over 45 mph and took all the backroads. It took us 45 minutes for a normal 15 minute drive. There I was driving with my arm out the window making sure that the pool didn't fly off the top. But, here's the reward....all the way home, the kids were like, "you're the best mom ever, you're my hero, you're awesome." I must tell you that when I pulled into our driveway with the deluxe pool, I felt awesome. The kids played in the pool for almost 2 hours and we had a picnic outside....what a great day!

First Time

2006-06-02T14:25:00.000-05:00

This is my first blog posting. I'm not sure really even where to start, or if anyone will ever read what I type. I first became addicted to blogs by reading Terrible Speller's blog everyday...and I mean everyday. It was so nice to read the everyday happenings of a normal, stay-at-home mom and just read the basics. It was refreshing to see that we all struggle with the same things whether you stay at home with the kids or work outside the home like I do. Thankfully, I do not have to work a full day, and this helps tremendously with the kids and the loads of housework. Anyway, if you are reading this..then "welcome to my world." It may not be very entertaining or interesting, but if it can be the least bit inspirational, then it will be worth the effort. God is the guiding force in my family's life. I hope He is important in your life too. Life is only worth the journey if Jesus is with you.