Oreo

Do you think he enjoyed his cookie?

In Hock

Well, we finally did it! I got a new washer and dryer today. I think we went into hock for these two, but we did it. (we aren't really in hock...)

This is the Dryer...

And the washer.
Between the price and everything else...this is what we decided was best for us. I'm still a little nervous about the whole thing though. Money, will it work, will it smell, leak, will I save money, will it really help save me time, how come it doesn't also fold the clothes and put them away? I guess only time will tell...I hate spending money and not knowing for sure...guess that's life.

Anyway, have a good night/day!

Goals and Achievments

So it's been awhile...I know. But I've been busy and that's just the way it is anymore. Baseball has started up which means practice and games for Ian and Lee. The games for Lee are no big deal but the games for Ian...man oh man! I had no idea they would take so long! Why I didn't, I don't know but at his first game we were there for over 2 hours!!! Apparently they go 6 innings...I think next time we'll just take turns taking Ian to his games, that's just nuts taking all the kids out in iffy weather like we are having now.



Last weekend Frank had the weekend off and I was able to go to a...well I'm not quite sure what you would call it but it was a webcast of a big bible study meeting I guess you would say. The speaker was Beth Moore and it was about her newest book, So Long Insecurities. I have never heard of her until actually a month or two ago and then a friend took me to this webcast. It was moving and brought me to tears (close to sobs at times) and convicted me in a lot of places. I'm still processing it all and I haven't decided if I'll blog about it or not. It's still a work in progress. But she was a great speaker and I would like to look more into her studies and see what there is to see



Frank and I also got to go out on a date! YIPPEE! Since we had some movie tickets we went and saw a movie. We saw Clash of The Titans....it was alright. If you saw the old one and then saw this one...well they changed the story and added a few more people in there. It was OK, I think I'm a bit partial to the old one, not sure why though. Could be that I grew up watching it, who knows though. The fun thing was though we went out on a date which doesn't happen as often and he and I would like it too. I think we figured the last movie we saw in the theaters together (and we could be wrong) was the last Indiana Jones movie that came out...which was what over 2 years ago? We really want to see the Robin Hood movie that's coming out with Russel Crowe...I think that's the one we'll have to hit Oma and Grandpa up for some childcare while we go to dinner and a movie.



The other day a story was told to me that made me smile. I love all my nieces and nephews and my ultimate goal is to be their favorite Auntie...EVER! Well, with at least one of them I have achieved my goal. One of my nephews was talking to his momma the other day and he was telling her that when she got old...like really old, like his Manu (that's what he calls his grandma) that lives in the forest (they live in a semi-wooded area) that his momma would need to send him to live with his Auntie. Well she had to ask which Auntie cause he has 3 or 4 others besides me. And he said well Auntie Anita. I have MADE it folks! I am at the highest level I can get...he wants to come live with me when his mom gets really old like Manu that lives in the forest! I don't know how I did it but I did (it might have been the M&M tookies I baked)! So that's one nephew down and 5 more nieces and nephews to go!

I hope all of you are have a decent week so far. I'm hoping the weather gets a bit nicer for some baseball games and just to be nicer in general. Take care!

Jamboree Day

On Saturday it was the Baseball Jamboree where the boys had their first games. Both were terribly excited about the whole day! They did great and the day wasn't as crazy as I had envisioned it would be with 2 children having ball games.

This is Lee in action. He's an all position player...he ran after the ball all the time. He cracked me up. He had the parents on the other team talking about him...can't really tell if it was good or bad...but it was funny they were talking about him. Dru was not impressed to be there all day. He was at first but when the 'fun' wore off he was bored to death and a little upset he wasn't getting to do anything. Poor kid! But don't feel too sorry for him, his grandma came through for him and all the other grandkids and gave them a dollar to spend however they chose at the concession stand...licorice ropes can solve everything. Up until it's all gone and he's trying to eat his little brothers.

Here's Lee getting ready for some action. I also love the white ankle socks he insisted on wearing...

Ian in his uniform...they are the Cobra's! They also voted to be the T-Rex's and a few other things. Lee's token picture...love that kid! His team is called the Purple Rain/Reign. We aren't sure and if it's Rain...I'm not all that impressed with the name for a kids team. But since the kids didn't get to vote and the coach picked it, it's a bit out of my hands.

Here is Ian up to bat. He did good...he got a...I don't know what it's called, but he hit the darn ball and got to 2 bases. You figure it out. :)

I took this picture and I really like it! Go! Lee Go!

After Ian's game we went to watch Lee play and of course there was a concession stand and what's a ball game with out sunflower seeds? Ian has a mouthful, but I'm sure he could have fit a few more in his mouth. Don't you?

Today's weather was just wonderful. I have to admit though I didn't spend much time outside but I loved that I could have all my windows open to air my house out of the winter funk that sets in. I'm getting that bug for doing some more spring cleaning...I have cleaned the fridge out and moved it and cleaned it. I have also washed some walls with bleach water...now I need to finish the walls and sweep the cobwebs from the house. Oh how I hate cobwebs!

I do hope I have a productive day tomorrow!

Ian's Baseball Practice

Ian really wanted to do baseball this year so we decided that we would sign him up. He has been having such a good time! He's walking on and off the field with a smile, which is huge, considering football was NOT like that. I think baseball might be Ian's 'thing'...or he's that much older from last fall/winter. He seems much more coordinated and not so concerned about snacks and socializing. Don't get me wrong, he's still goofing off and all but it either doesn't bother me as much or he's not doing it as much. It also helps to have a good coach, which I don't think he got from the main coach at football.
I love Ian is having such a good time with this sport...it seems to be more his speed and people are not as intense with this sport as with...well you guessed it football.

Ian is up to batting practice...Swing Batter! We swung and missed...such concentration on this boys face! Love it!

He eventually made it to first base! Way to go Ian! He actually connects the bat with the ball more times that I would ever hope to so he's an athlete in my book!

This picture just cracked me up...I just happen to see Charlie. In ever anticipation of a stray ball...the eternal optimist! Love it!

Practice that day was wonderful. The weather was nice and the rest of the boys got to play at the park that was close by for an hour! It's so nice to have some nice weather intermittent with all this rainy weather...which is fine, don't get me wrong. We gotta have the rain for all the foliage we enjoy looking at...but we do need the vitamin D time to time!

No Ham

So typically one would serve a hunk of ham for Easter...bleh! I say! Neither Frank or I are big hunk of ham eaters. Now don't get me wrong, we like our bacon and sausage and such things like that, but not ham or pork chops. If I'm hungry I've been known to eat a ham sandwich from time to time...but that's about it.



So, since we were having Easter at our house this year (YIPPEEE!!) it dawned on us we could serve just whatever the heck we wanted and it would be OK! LOVE that part of being an adult and having things at your house!

We originally wanted Prime Rib but after some searching and pricing...we went with lower grade steak...so that's what we had! Frank was the main cook of the day and he did a fantastic job! Here are our yummy steaks! We also had jello eggs from Oma and Grandpa Jolly and twice baked potatoes, salad and Oma brought a yummy cake for dessert! We ate ourselves silly! Although Frank wasn't happy with the taste of the steak or potatoes but I thought they were good. But I don't always like my own cooking either so I understand where Frank's coming from. The cool thing is we have 2 steaks leftover that we can BBQ!

Souvenirs

Check out the new duds for the boys! Their grandparents just got back from Hawaii for their 30Th wedding anniversary. They brought the boys home a t-shirt and a necklace (for the bigger boys) and a book about colors. I think there is going to be a test on how to say the colors in Hawaiian though...pretty sure you need to say each and every consonant and vowel in those words. Pretty interesting though! They also brought Frank and I a really nice wind chime...I love wind chimes and have several already. It will be nice to hear it chiming in the wind!

Here is Dru and Eli showing us their new things!
Here are Ian, Lee, and Dru all in their t-shirts and necklaces! Right now the big hype are the necklaces.

Hope all have a good day!

Charlie and the Easter Egg Hunt

Well this is late but it's now or never...kinda like those Christmas cards I meant to send out but never did and finally just bagged them until this Christmas. One of those things. Anyway, Frank and I had this great idea of having a huge, wonderful egg hunt outside while my parents were here for Easter. This was the first time we'd spent Easter together and it was going to be fun! Sadly we forgot to factor in one small, tiny brown and white thing...Charlie!

Charlie was having such a grand time finding all the plastic eggs and cracking them open with his teeth and eating the candy inside them...shiny tinfoil wrappers and all!! That had the most colorful...well you get the idea. I think it was the best Easter for Charlie yet! Note to self: Put Charlie IN the kennel before we hide the eggs and while the kids hunt the eggs...

As you can see Charlie found an egg here... Ian and Lee found an egg or two.

Eli found one in his car. He did pretty good this year all in all with the egg hunt. He picked up on the concept pretty quick. Which is a good thing cause he's got bigger competition to deal with!

Even Grandpa Jolly went on an egg hunt! He brought his own basket and everything! Kidding! He was 'helping' Eli...and Eli got distracted with his car. Someone had to continue on with the arduous job of egg hunting!

We had a good Easter this year! The Easter Bunny was good to the kids...all outdoor things and the big gift was a slip and slide!

Yoga and Other Things

Dru...doing whatever it is that he does. Yes his name really means trouble. Today, with this cousin, they filled the sandbox up with water...NAUGHTY! The two of them were soaked head to toe. Not that I didn't need to make sure one of them was fed and ready to be out the door for pre-school or anything. OH they were naughty! Now our box needs to drain or whatever and Eli can't use his new sand toys he got from his Oma and Grandpa...today would have been a good day for that. Arrggg those boys!

Dru started putting this thing on his lips and it reminded me of myself when I was a kid and had clothespins all over myself. It was a way to hold the clothes pins while I hung clothes on the line (by the way I HATED doing that and I HATE the way the clothes feel after drying on the line!) Anyway, I took a picture of him and as you can see my Wii fit board was there and he likes to occasionally work out with me. He really likes to do Yoga which cracks me up. So here's his Yoga position: Standing Tree (I think, this is all from memory)

And this one is called Half Moon...this one rolls me cause he does it for like a second and then goes Oh mom I can't hold it anymore I have to rest...uh OK Dru...you do that! Funny kid! The weather is good today and in awhile I will let Dru back outside...I hope the sandbox has dried a bit or that will be more laundry.

Our weeks have become busy and I can't keep up...what will I do when there are 4 kids in sports? I don't even want to know. Right now Ian has practice Tues. and Thurs. and as of right now Lee has it Mon. and Wed. At some point in the fall Dru will have soccer...we are crazy I think. The jury is still out on that I believe!

Have a good day everyone!

Question

OK, what does one do with the teeth that your children lose? Am I suppose to keep them or throw them away? I'd like to throw them away but I don't want to be that mom that didn't keep their kids teeth for whatever reason...illogical I know. Sign me up for Hoarding: Buried Alive!

OK, I'd have more if I could get with it more mentally but I don't feel good and I'm tired. So there's my post.

Going Bankrupt

So it wasn't enough that last Friday Ian has some teeth pulled and the Tooth Fairy came and left money for him, but tonight Lee lost yet another tooth today. He was half way out and so I asked him to if he wanted to pull it out for him. At first he said no and then after awhile when he tried eating he finally said yes. So I just yanked it out and there you have it. So you could say it's my fault but it would have been a matter of time really and I'd be back where I'm at now. Catch 22.

This is Lee's tooth for the Tooth Fairy...written by his own hand! Very important!!He lost his other bottom one, and of course due to that lost tooth there is of course yet another lost tooth. I'm telling you the tooth Fairy is going to go bankrupt! He did ask me today or was it yesterday? Either way, he asked me when it was his turn to get his teeth pulled...I love how somewhere along the line Frank and I have glamorized getting teeth pulled so that now the next big/cool thing is to get your teeth pulled! *shaking my head* Where have we gone wrongFor those of you who want the up close and personal view it's there! Blood and all, of course you can see the white of the new tooth coming in...that's one tooth...I'd like to know where the other tooth is going to come in...if it comes at all.

So here are the Toothless Wonder Boys! Hear the wind whistle through their heads? I mean their mouths! Yes that's what I meant! Silly me!

Personally I think the two of them just look like trouble all sweetened up...but that's just my take!

Update: My cousin's husband is doing well. He's awake and they have been able to take him off the ventilator and taken all tubes out. He's talking and doing well. He does have an infection right now and they are working on that...MRSA has been tossed out there but I've not heard anything definite on that yet. He's going to stay at the hospital awhile longer while they run some more tests and hopefully they'll figure out what's wrong. So thank you for your continued prayers they are much appreciated!

Toothy

On Friday Ian went to the dentist and had 3 teeth pulled! He was a CHAMP and did great! I'm so proud of him! He did cry when they did the shots, the ones they really had to get way in there. I had such a hard time not crying with him...I was good and didn't but I sure had to blink a few away quickly though. After all was said in done, after those shots we were in and out fairly quickly, amazing!

Having those teeth pulled has changed his smile a bit I think. Sure hope that Tooth Fairy comes through! Boy howdy I see some $$ for pulled teeth (well actually his dad does...lol). After this go around we will have an appointment with the Orthodontist and see what they want to do next...I'm gonna guess braces...I'm not sold on that yet...not sold yet...we'll see what they say though. No one says I have to do what they suggest...beauty of being an adult!

These are the teeth that were pulled. I was truly amazed by the eye teeth and what they looked like. I have never in my life seen anything like this and the hole those two teeth left in Ian's mouth was a sight to see. The eye teeth have the roots on them still, not like the other small one there which has no roots. That's because the incoming adult teeth wear down the roots and that's how the teeth become loose. Kids generally loose the eye teeth around the age of 12...Ian's 8. We are a few years ahead of schedule. It just looks gnarly to me and crazy! Well I hope everyone has a good day, it's suppose to be great this weekend with some better weather than what we've been having this week. YEAH!!! The kids can go outside and hopefully on Sunday I can mow the lawn!

Prayer Request

This is my cousin and her husband.

Two nights ago, her husband had a seizure and is now in the hospital sedated and with a ventilator hooked up to him. As of yet they don't know what caused this seizure. Please keep them both in your prayers...for her to keep it together for as scary as this is (she had to preform CPR on her husband) and for him to get well and the Dr's to figure out what is going on so they can start helping him. Thank you so much I appreciate it. They live in OH and are too far away for me to go and hug and be with them...

Plugging Along

Just going through some of my folders of pictures so I can get them ready for back up. These photos just stood out to me.

This was June 2009 in Ohio
October 2007

March 2007 Whibey Island at the beach

Tulip Fields 2009 Eli~ I forget the folder this was in, but I'm guessing late 2008 or early 2009

Haven't been up to much lately. This week is Spring Break and I'm already ready for school to get started up again. I have at least 2 sick kids and 1 kid that's going to have 4 teeth pulled on Friday. Things could get interesting at some point this week! Take care and just keep plugging along at life!