I'm Here...

I have just been super busy lately. I apologize to anyone who is still following my blog. It has been insane around here lately, and now I have health issues that are making it hard to keep up with everything I've set myself up to do. LOL

I'm trying to get caught back up, so bear with me if you're still around.

Aside from my health stuff, everyone is doing well. The boys are getting bigger and life is still as interesting as ever. The baby is one year old now, and it's just so amazing how different each child can be one from the other. The older boys are all growing like weeds and I can hardly keep them clothed before they grow out of everything. They're eating me out of house and home... and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Gah, I have no idea how to get caught up, but I'll try over the next few weeks to do just that. I know, I know, I stink at this... hopefully I'll get better. :-D

Thursday Thirteen ~ Interesting Things I've Learned...

13 Interesting Things I've Learned as the Mother of BOYS!!!

They are in no particular order, only as they came to me. Enjoy!

1. I. Can't. Have. Nice. Things. ~ That's right, nice things can NOT survive in my house for more than several days at a time.

2. A 9-year-old pretending to surf can completely wreck a metal bunkbed. Yes, a METAL bunkbed. Destroyed... no fixing it.

3. It's okay for them to laugh and joke about farts, burps and other bodily functions... but I am not allowed to tell my dance students to smell their toes in order to show how they need to stretch. "Eww, Mommy! That's GROSS!" Go figure.

4. Sour milk or apple juice will not kill them. It does however upset MY stomach when I figure out that they drank it.

5. Even toy power tools can drill a hole in my wall. Apparently, all the child needs is determination... and a mother dealing with a younger sibling.

6. Even kiddie craft scissors can give a child a reverse mohawk.

7. A sugar spoon found in the sugar tub (for cooking) was NOT used to sprinkle sugar over the morning cereal... it was used to eat the sugar directly from the source.

8. Even FOAM pirate swords can break skin if swung hard enough.

9. Yo-yos work much better as a weapon than a toy (You ever seen someone swing one around their head until it clobbers another person? NO? Come to my house, just remember to duck).

10. A laptop is surprisingly resilient when faced with a curious 7-1/2 year-old holding a screwdriver. And in the same vein... I can literally blow steam from my ears.

11. A determined barefoot child can shimmy up a doorjamb with nothing but his fingers and toes to propel him... and THEN proceed to hang from the top of the doorjamb until someone else walks into the room.

12. A two year old can hogtie himself with nothing more than a necklace of beads.

13. A tiny little bouncy-ball can wreak an amazing amount of havoc if bounced hard enough.

So, that is my very first TT, hope y'all enjoyed it.

Yeah, yeah ... It's been a long time...

Okay, I know it's been a really long time since I posted here, but life has been busy. I thought I'd show y'all something that I had great fun doing. Enjoy!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I figure this is the only way I'm gonna get all my boys to dance. I may get one of them to do it, but this was so much fun. As least I'll have video of it.....

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

IT looks so real! It makes me laugh, tell me it doesn't make y'all laugh! Okay, last one... maybe! *snicker*

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I hope everyone is having a safe and happy holiday season. Good will to all and to all a good night... that Santa sure knows what he's talking about. LOL

~Chris

Strangers... Stranger than fiction...

Thought I'd start with a picture from the reunion. This was taken from the back porch of DH's uncle's home.

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Okay, Marianne requested the hitting on strangers story... so here goes.

While at the beach up in Idaho (while my DH rode around in his brother's boat) I had the task of keeping track of three children, participating in the family activities and making sure my children didn't wander or drown. I thought I was doing pretty good until the cousin I was talking to said, "Hey, where'd (3) go?"

PANIC... okay, I could handle this. I stood up, asked the cousin if she could continue to keep an eye on 0 and 6 and stood to look up and down the beach. I let everyone else in the group know he had wandered off and to BOLO then started walking up the beach. I saw a flash of his life jacket ahead of me and started to trot in that direction. As I got a bit closer and saw what he was doing, I broke into a full-out run. 3 had picked up some random water noodle and proceeded to beat some poor guy about the head and shoulders with it (No, I'm not kidding!). By the time I got there, the guy was confused but... amused. He was holding onto one end of the noodle while 3 dancing around on the other end of the noodle like it was a great game...

"(3), you put that down right now!" 3 turned around and just started babbling about how this guy was letting him do it and it was fun. I look at the guy and about swallow my tongue. HOTTIE!!

"I am SOO sorry," I gasp, grabbing 3s arm embarassed as all get out, and then the guy turns to face me fully... WHEW, I told you he was HAWT right? Well, he was built too.. he had that perfect triangle... yum. So, here I am embarassed, and the guy turns to me and grins. He's grinning at me!

He said, "S'alright, hon!" with this REALLY nice british accent... IN IDAHO. How in the hell did he find his way to BFE Idaho? "I just wasn't sure who he belonged to."

"Yes, he belongs to me, I'm sorry! He thinks because he has older brothers who beat on him that it's okay... no matter what I say." No, I'm really not sure how I was still able to talk... but I was.

"I can relate." And that was that...

I smiled, and dragged my 3 back off down the beach to where he was supposed to be and kept a much closer eye on him the rest of the day. So, now you know, my son is shameless when it comes to "hitting" on good-looking strangers on my behalf.

Which story should I tell next? LOL

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It's been a bit insane in our house lately, what with school starting back up, and dance classes and another family trip... *sigh* I guess I can rest when I'm dead.

Today, we had a big deal happen in our little household. 0 had his first tooth break through. YAY. After about a month of fussing and a not-so-happy baby, I'm hoping we'll get a bit of a break from the screaming. Doubt it, but hope springs eternal.

That's the best I can do right now. He wasn't cooperating with me taking pictures of his tooth today. You can sort of see it there on the bottom in the front. NO, I didn't hurt him, he was actually trying to grab the camera. LOL

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9 just learned a rough lesson today. He came home from school and instead of doing what I told him to do (his homework) he ran around in his room in his own world. Now, normally we'd just call him back to task and all would be well. BUT, today was Scouts. The rule is if he doesn't do his homework before Scouts, he doesn't get to go. We went through a really rough patch last year where he almost failed. Considering how smart the kid is it was difficult to get him back on task. We worked it out, and he decided along with us that if he didn't do his homework he lost privileges... starting with Scouts. I hate being the bad guy, but he has a hard enough time focusing without letting him excuse himself from homework.

*sigh* Isn't being a parent so much fun? YES,it is... even when they don't like me very much.

Yes, I'm back...

And I have been for a bit now. I'm sorry... I SUCK at keeping up with my blogging. LOL

Our trip to Idaho went well, aside from disappearing children, hitting on good-looking strangers and 9 year old gastrointestinal showmanship... we had a pretty good time. Yes, there is a story behind each situation named above. I just really don't have time to tell them all right now, plus the post would be a mile long if I did. Let me know which one you want to know the most about and I'll tell that tale in the next posting.

Life has been rather crazy around here. We got back from our trip and the next week I started back teaching dance classes, DH started back taking his Masters courses, we had to prepare for a new school year and everything just went to fast forward. Before I knew it, it was three weeks (four?) later and I hadn't updated my blog. *sigh*

Well, now 9 and 6 are back in school, and I have a bit more time to get things done (I hope). So, here's hoping that I can actually get those things ... well... done!

Heading out the door

Yep, that's right. I am insane, I admit it.

I am currently in the process of taking a family trip. We're DRIVING, with all the boys, to my DH's family reunion in Idaho. Why is it that the one person who doesn't really want to do it is the one who has to pack everything and get everyone ready to go? As Marianne told me earlier... vacation is NOT a vacation for MOM.

So, that's where I am, and why I haven't updated. Trying to get everything caught up and keep Marianne from panicking (she doesn't want me to go either... lol). I think I'll be able to check in while away, but you never know.

As for the whole Cops incident.. thank you everyone. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who thought it was blown all kinds of out of proportion. It took two days for my stomach to unknot. Hugs to y'all for your support.

Okay, I know this is a really short post, but I don't really have time for anything longer... I shouldn't even be here now... but don't tell anyone.

COPS!!! I'm SERIOUS!

So, apparently, I am a terrible mother who doesn't deserve to have children.

That's right... the COPS were called on me!

No, really, I'm serious. The police were called to my house.

Here's the story: I stopped off at Wal-Mart after picking up my older two boys from the rec center. I had all three older boys with me, and I should have known better, but hope springs eternal. So, after going through the store and hearing, "Can we...?" and "Mommy, I want..." nonstop and having to chase down 3 and finally toss him in the cart because he REFUSED to listen... I lost it in the parking lot.

9 ignored me and proceeded to open up three very large bottles of Gatorade for him and his two brothers. 3 then proceeded to dump half of his bottle all over the back of the van, before I had even gotten around to the driver's seat. HOW DO THEY DO IT? Did I mention our van is relatively new... I get upset if stuff is spilled in it... because DH gets upset if stuff is spilled in it.

I lost it, I admit it, I was hollering in the parking lot. I stormed around the van, hollered at them to give me the stupid drinks, and proceeded to tell them very loudly that they were never coming to the grocery store with me again. Now, when I got into the driver seat, I noticed a woman staring at me. I gave her a "What are you looking at?" look and drove off... after gripping my head and screaming loudly, "AAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!" I then took a deep breath and drove home (which is right down the street).

When I got home I told the boys to get in the house and get towels to mop up the mess. I came in, lamented to DH that I didn't know why I kept doing this to myself and proceeded to cry while I put the groceries away. I noticed a car slowly driving around the school across the street and thought briefly that someone was lost.

20 MINUTES LATER THE COPS WERE RINGING MY DOORBELL!!!

"Could you come outside please?"

Holy crap... what is going on? "Um, okay, sure, let me put the dog in the back yard." (Harley was going nuts.)

"Were you guys just at Wal-Mart?"

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? "Yes, sir, I was, and Yes, sir, I was screaming at my kids in the parking lot, but I did not beat them no matter how much they deserved it!"

"Honestly, I don't really think you did. But, we have to investigate these calls. You understand."

"Absolutely."

"Why were you so upset with them?"

"Because, they had just dumped half a gatorade in the backseat when I told them not to open them until we got home!"

"Well, hell, I would have had the same damned reaction!" I kid you not, the nice Officer McGinnis said this!

"Yup, I was not happy with them. When we got home they got to clean it up too."

"Good!"

"But, I did not beat them.."

"Well, frankly, I'd prefer it if you did." Color me stumped! "If more people made their children own up to their actions and spanked them I wouldn't have to deal with them later on in life!"

I swear I just stood there and blinked at him... as did his rookie he was training. The boys then proceeded to trot outside wanting to meet the police officers (we like police officers, firefighters, and soldiers in our house). When asked, 9 freely admitted he had opened the bottles, but that I hadn't been very clear on when they COULD in fact open the Gatorades. (9 is on a fast-track to law school if you ask me) This brought a laugh and then a lecture from Officer McGinnis on how 9 needed to listen to his mother. 3 at first thought they were there to take him away for spilling the Gatorade (wonder where he got THAT idea... 9?) and locked us out of the house. Good thing 9 was still inside and let us in.

Basically, the officers said they had to check it out, make sure that we weren't killing our kids and they were sorry to bother us. They walked away laughing. Meanwhile, our friends in the neighborhood were driving by staring wondering what in the world had happened that the police were on our front porch. *sigh* And I am southern enough to be bothered by what my neighbors might think of me... at least for ten minutes or so. LOL

Yanno, I never once slapped my kids in that parking lot, I never pulled them out and made them walk home, I never did anything beyond scream at them and warn them of the consequences of their actions. They would never get to go to the store with me unless it was an emergency (no milk and no DH to cover me), they would be cleaning up the mess they made and... The Gatorade was confiscated to be re-released at a later date. BUT, someone felt that I went over the line... I guess they either don't have children or their children are angels because they don't "need" to yell at them or hellions because they obviously never yell at their children about the consequences of their actions at the top of their lungs. Well.. bully for them. These are my children who are ALL BOY! And there are days where my children are darned lucky I think it would scar them if I spanked them in public.

So, basically, someone had nothing better to do than to follow me down the street from the Neighborhood Wal-Mart and then drive around while she made sure she got my address right when she was talking to the police. Pretty convinced it was that lady in the parking lot staring at me. When the cops showed up on my doorstep I had no idea why they were there. I thought another one of our cars had been broken into...

Nope, apparently a nosey woman's call that I was "possibly" harming my children causes them to make haste, where as when someone breaks into our van, or bashes out a window, and they can't be bothered to come out and take a report we had to go into the station and fill it out ourselves. Grr... if I see that lady again... I'll smile sweetly and ask her if SHE would like to spend a day in the grocery store with all three of them.

Okay, I'm done. I almost want to laugh now... at the time I was quite a bit furious that some nosey ass woman had no business sticking her nose in my business. But, oh well... she'll get hers someday. Good thing the boys are charming and just "so obviously abused and neglected. Some freaking people.

The officers were very sweet and understanding so it was more a conversation about friends.

Okay, I'm tired. It's been an emtional day. No kiddie quote today. I had to give a nother rant. I'll try to post some pictures of Harley tomorrow... he's so purty now that his winter coat has been combed out.

I'm losing my ability to make sense now, so that was the most exciting stuff to happen to me today... let's see how the rest of the week to see whatelse happens.