For The Birds.......

NO" means "NO"...right? But in Smack's world it means NON STOP asking!! Everyday, I want to get a PARAKEET!!! Our answer has been NO! That doesn't set well with Smack. Phone calls, text messages (thank goodness we have unlimited texting)....it is driving me to the point of NUTS!!!

I have shared this saga with my CUBBY at work. Friday late morning, I stepped away from my cubby desk and when I returned a few minutes later, this is WHAT I FOUND!!!

Yes!! My cubby space was invaded by PARAKEETS!!! And on top of that, my cubby buddy thought it would be just HILARIOUS to have my work-friends email HELPFUL tips on PARAKEETS!! From how to train "the bird" to slam dunk a bird basketball to teaching it naughty words, "YOU HAVE NEW MAIL" was continuous!!

Our answer is still NO!! And I am holding my ground for now!!! HAHA!

Halloween 2008!!

Ghosts and Goblins, candy and fun.....they all make for a "spook"tacular time!!! Our intake of sugar has increased so much these days. So its more salads and apples to offset the gain!! Consistent reminders to put the chocolate up as three dogs would LOVE to feast on the loot!! But from what the VET says, "CHOCOLATE BAD for dogs no matter what!" That leaves more for us and I can't complain. Chocolate is mommy's favorite treat to eat!! She only wishes it wouldn't go to her hips. If mommy finds another wrapper left on the ground, she will take what is left to work and share and say that the Halloween Witch came and claimed the loot! She left you a new toothbrush and some great tasting floss.....your 6 month dentist visit is in a couple weeks...you better be brushing both morning and night!!!

5+5=10

Picture this....10 years ago (10/25/98), a mommy, her 4 year old twin boys and 3 month old boy, head out to the nearby park. It is a beautiful FALL day in northern OHIO. Camera in hand, go figure, she is trigger happy. What a great photo for a CHRISTMAS card!! Snap!!

Five years later (10/25/2003), on another beautiful FALL day in northeast GEORGIA, three little boys spend their Saturday morning, playfully raking leaves!! Dad says to mom, "Take a picture like the one on the fridge from OHIO." Mom grabs the picture and her camera and heads out to the backyard. On her way down the deck stairs, she looks at the OHIO picture and realizes that it is EXACTLY to the date that the OHIO picture was snapped. She is giddy!! She has the little guys line up like they were FIVE years earlier!! Snap!!

Add FIVE years (10/25/2008) and picture an 80 degree FALL day in TEXAS and you have this minus the leaves as there are only about 15 leaves total in the yard.......SNAP!!!

Just Call Me Shutterbug!!!

I just can't help it!!! I LOVE my PURPLE CONE FLOWERS. This past weekend, I couldn't resist not capturing a little visitor that was also enjoying the PCFs!!!

The Bean

I am such a slacker.....The BEAN has grown!!! I transplanted it this weekend into a bigger pot and added a trellis to climb on. Will post that shot soon!!

My BFF Karen!!

The OTHER Kiddos!!!

I Am IT!!! I have been tagged!!!

Sara has started a mean game of tag. The rules are to list 7 interesting, bizarre, wacky facts or things about yourself. I feel 7 doesn't quite cover my corkiness but I will play by the rules....maybe.

1) I am an 80s FREAK!!! Some of you know this but I CAN'T get enough of it. The boys roll their eyes when I crank the tunes in the van. They have finally caught on to bring their IPODs with earphones along for the ride.

2) I love Diet Coke with LIME!!! Coffee, no way!! There is nothing like cracking an ice cold Diet Coke with LIME in the morning!!! AAHHH.....gulp, gulp!!!

3) I hate cats!! Sorry, cat lovers but I am allergic for one thing. And second, I have this reoccurring dream that they are biting at my hands and feet. I know this means something and I am sure someone out there has a book that can define what THAT is.

4) I am from North Dakota-dontcha know!!! And I DO NOT like the cold or the snow. I know, WHAT?!! come on!!! I guess living in GA and now TX has changed my threshold for the stuff. Yes, the snow is pretty and white. Yes, my perfect Christmas Eve dream is seeing ginormous snow flakes lightly falling to the ground, family arriving with gifts in hand, Christmas music playing in the background, kids laughing and playing (no fighting at ALL), gingerbread cookies waiting to be decorated and a feast to fill our tummies!! But I do not miss having to get the orange extension cord out and hoping that it is long enough to reach the outdoor outlet so that I can connect to the heater block so that in the morning, the car will start. And I do not miss having to bundle up still in my jammies to go out in the AM and with fingers crossed, to start the car 30 minutes before leaving, to crank the defrost and heat!!!

5) My favorite time on the weekend is NAP TIME!!! There is nothing like crawling into my bed, shades drawn, white noise playing and cuddling up!!

6) I love flowers. Any kind!! I love working the soil and reaping the rewards. It is my therapy!!

7) I have small ears!! I think they are the same size as when I was born. I don't look funny but they are small. Having long hair now, tucking my hair behind my ears is a problem. It just won't stay!!!

I will tag others tomorrow, as I need to get to bed!! Oh, and here I go not following the rules...8) I hate my alarm clock!!!!

Suz

Eileen

Karen

I'M BACK!! HAVE YOU MISSED ME?

Let's just call it slacking, book reading, taxi driving, visiting with friends, sleeping, shopping, cleaning, baseball watching (Playoffs) life these past few weeks. I have several posts to share but am waiting for the CALL from Frick and Frack that the football game is over and to come and get them. They are probably soaked to the bone since 5 minutes after dropping them off, it started to pour!! Frick called to say the game was put on hold but not called since no lightning was seen. I just hope that they found shelter under the stands at the stadium.

Smack just made me laugh!! We are watching the Sox and Rays play and he is stretched across one of the chairs, smacking on an oversized piece of Bubble Yum. He slaps his leg (CRACK!!!) and I look at him with OMG! What in the world? He looks at my puzzled and concerned face and says, "MOSQUITO!!" Where does Smack get his material??

Thanks, Scott!!

This past summer, part of our sidewalk between our neighbors, Scott and Mary, had to be replaced. The "cement guys" came and set up forms and poured the new sidewalk pad.

Frick, Frack and Smack watched as the "CG" pulled away and pointed to the freshly, smoothed cement and shook their fingers back and forth (the universal sign for WET CEMENT. DO NOT TOUCH!!) Ah...yeah RIGHT!!! Three hand prints soon were drying in the summer heat. Ten minutes later, the "CG" pulled up to check the curing pad. Out came their tools and with a couple of swipes, the three hand prints were no more.

Neighbor Scott had observed all this and made his way to the "CG" with a bag full of adult beverages. The tools were put up and a blind eye was turned as Frick, Frack and Smack repeated their "HAND-Y" work.

Journal of Twinhood-Nursery!!

Back to the to-do list!!! As I posted previously, Noah's Ark became the theme for the nursery. And with a nursery comes FURNITURE!!! It so happened that a nice Amish family owned a baby nursery furniture store in Palmyra. They were more than happy to help us especially since we weren't looking at just one crib but TWO!! And man alive, for choices!!! From mobiles to mattresses to comforter sets to stuffed animals, we knew the store inside and out.

After a few trips to the store, we finally made out decision. Two cribs, one dresser, one changing table/dresser, one blue comforter set and one green comforter set. KA-CHING!!!

Journal of Twinhood-Morning Sickness!!!!

With all the duties of moving into a new house, morning sickness moved in too!! I was about 8 weeks pregos, when I found myself running to visit the porcelain potty often. Anything would set me off....a smell, looking at food, watching people eat on TV......brushing my teeth!!! At 9 weeks, I couldn't even keep water down. A call to my OB was in order!!! My doctor wanted to see me and run some tests. He concluded that I was dehydrated and since I couldn't keep anything down, home IV intervention was scheduled.

Barry and I arrived home and upon walking into the house, the new house smell and the just newly developed line of plug-ins with country garden scent, hit me. Bear was trying to help me get my winter coat off and I was trying to get the bathroom door open cuz we both knew that the outcome was not going to be good!!! As I sat by my new best friend, porcelain potty, I cried. Gawd, I felt horrible. Made my way up to my bed and crashed. The home care team arrived that evening to get me all hooked up. I was restricted to my bed and bathroom. No going up and down the stairs with this contraption!!!

The nurses visited daily and I became very good at changing my IV bag making sure there were no air bubbles in the line. At each visit, the nurses would listen to my stomach for a heartbeat and also for bowel sounds.....I know....ick!! Finally, on night two, the nurse said, "I am getting good bowel sounds....YIPEE!!! And a faint heartbeat!!!" Really???? On the night on day three, they came and removed my IV. The first thing I asked for was a Stromboli from Brothers Pizza. I ate the whole thing. And kept it DOWN!!!

I learned quickly that sour helps reverse the gagging!! So every morning after gagging my way through brushing my teeth, a brightly, unwrapped JOLLY RANCHER waited for me. My dentist would have shook his finger at me but HEY, it worked. I always had JOLLY RANCHERS with me....they became my next, new best friend. I will admit....I still have a hard time popping one into my mouth.

Not Me!! Monday

I so enjoyed doing the NOT ME post that I have decided to add it to my BLOG. I have been following this blog and check it several times a day. I just love MckMama's story-telling and her kiddos are just so precious!!!

I did not eat a WHOLE chocolate egg with a caramel and crunchy center this afternoon!!!

I did not go to a movie and eat a small popcorn, a bag of peanut m&m's and drink a regular diet coke. I think the diet coke canceled out the m&m's!!

I did not take any naps this weekend!!

I did not buy ANY diet coke with lime at QT and I most certainly did not inhale a custard filled chocolate frosted Krispy Kreme doughnut either!!

4 Years Today!!

Well, we have been here officially now for FOUR years!!




Ah...yes!! Needless to say, the boys were so excited to finally have their bikes and gear, that moving into a new house wouldn't be complete without finding the nearest HOSPITAL for a broken arm!!! From what I was told, see I wasn't there when it happened, Spencer and Ebo were riding their bikes while Sawyer was hitting hockey pucks at them or in their general area, when CRASH!!! Bear said you would have thought Ebo was the one with the broken arm from all his carrying on. All I can say is when I pulled up to the driveway, there sat Spencer in a lawn chair in the middle of the driveway with Bear, Sawyer and Ebo huddled around him. Three days later, Spencer and I made our way to Fort Worth to Cook's Children Hospital. Three broken arms in 10 years.......Memories.......PRICELESS!!!!
*****Sidebar****
Three days later....What kind of mom am I? I know you are thinking that. Spencer was able to move his arm. We iced it, elevated it, and took motrin. But on day two after the collison, I noticed when he was riding his bike, he wasn't using it. He just held it up to his side. So, day three, we went to the doctor. Doctor was concerned since it was in the elbow area that it may or may not be fractured somewhere, that we should treat it as broken. The doctor's office made an appointment for us at Cook's Children in FW. Great.....downtown FW....I was just beginning to know my way just around locally yet downtown FW. I googled Cook's and off we went. They xrayed his left arm and the xray showed a fracture on the area that when you turn your hand over, needed mending. A nice, red, full arm cast was applied and we were sent on our way home. Four weeks later, we made our way again down to Cook's. A nice nurse sawed thru the plastered, beat up and autographed, red cast. It revealed a very skinny, dried and smelly arm. We added the red cast to his collection of casts from previous accidents. They are each in their own ZIPLOC bag!!!

Bean Update

September 24th



September 25th


September 26th


September 27

Two favorite things.....Bon Jovi and Baseball

Positive Result!!

I am backing up here on the journey of TWINHOOD......the beginning, you know, where the little dot appears in the positive window of the home pregnancy test!!! Should have known something was up when the test turned positive way before the timer chimed. In fact, it GLOWED!!!

We were scheduled to move out of the townhouse and into our newly built home when the offical word came from Omega Labs. I had given Bear a package of "I LOVE MY DADDY" bibs, to share with him the good news, a few days earlier. "Are you sure?" he said. "Yes, here is the test and here are the instructions." POSITIVE, it is!!! He suggested, just to be really sure, to have a blood test done. It happened that the lab was right across the parking lot from where I worked. I went and visited Nancy at the lab. I knew the staff there since they participated in our Health Fair Day that the chiropractor, Penny, who I worked for, held. "We will call you with the results in a day or two."

Well, wouldn't you know it, a blizzard hit!!! Everything closed and we were packing the Uhaul to move. BBRRRR!!! Thanks to good friends, a blizzard didn't stop us. After making our final walk thru in the townhouse, we were on our way to our new dwelling.

Bear asked if I had heard from the lab. They were suppose to call with the results. Well, lets see.....blizzard, no phones, some without power.....I doubt they are open. Call and see!! So, riding in our car, I call the lab from our mounted car phone to see if anyone would answer. One ringy dingy.....two ringy dingy...."Omega Labs." "Hey, Nancy. I am calling for my results. Oh, yes, please hold." Elevator music played. "Ah, yes....your blood work came back POSITIVE. Congrats!!!"

I hung up and stared out the front window at the white carpet that blanketed the city. OMG....new house and now, new baby!! What a DAY!!!

Learning About Beans........

You guessed it!!! It's the "BEAN" chapter in Science. And I have to say, it is a good refresher for me. Now, Ebo needs to transplant it and wait for the first blooms to appear. I suggested that we need to try growing one too. He said that it would be good to take 5 beans in 5 different cups and see which one grows best with the bean in the dirt getting only a certain amount of water!!! PHEW!! Guess this weekend we will be getting some potting soil and digging through the pantry to find the bag of beans. Or maybe we should find the "Toss Across" and cut a beanbag open and use that!! WHAT? They don't use beans in "those bags" anymore.....geez...where are the good ole days?!!!

My Little Artist!!!

UPDATE*******
Can ya find the ghost in the picture?



Ebo created this drawing in school in his ART class. This will be framed and hung on my "WALL OF FAME" in my workroom. Great Job, EBO!!!