Where did all these kids come from???

I'm going to hold my breath....

2011-09-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for awhile. Not because nothing has been going on, but it seems that my ideas for blog posts come at the most inconvenient times. In the shower, late at night when I should be sleeping, at the grocery store... you get the idea.

I've got a lot on my mind, and in my heart so please excuse the randomness of this post.

Do you ever get the feeling that there is nothing else that can go wrong, yet you walk around holding your breath just waiting for that very wrong thing to happen? That's how I feel lately. School is back in session and I am trying frantically to mold my students into a cohesive community, get my own kids to go to bed on time, and then wake up and get moving in the morning, coupled with my complete lack of domestic goddessness makes for a rough September.

In addition, my grandmother (Granny) is sick. Really sick. She has cancer, pretty much everywhere. I sat with her awhile today and marveled at all the memories that went swirling through my head. Making myself up with her Avon samples in her lighted vanity, sleep overs with my cousins at her house, trips to the lake. I've decided that I will cherish the time we have left, and rather selfishly I visit her on my own. That way we can just sit, and talk if she wants to, or just enjoy the comfortable quiet company of one who has played such a major role in your life. She has always worn an emerald ring that I've coveted since childhood. She's always told me that she would leave it to me when she died, which at the time I thought was very morbid, don't we all live forever? Recently on one of my visits, she gave it to me. I wept like a child realizing the full implication of her gift. I need to get it sized, (my fingers are much larger than her dainty hands) but once I do, it will not leave my hand. Someday, I will tell my May born granddaughter (hint hint children of mine) the story of how I acquired it, and make her the same promise. She tried to give me her tea set today. My girls like to have tea parties with her. I couldn't bring myself to take it. I told her we would have to have at least one more tea at her house with the girls, and then I would bring it home.

My father in law had surgery this week. A quintuple bypass to be exact. I never even knew there was such a thing. Thankfully he is doing well, although his road to recovery will be long. A cardiac care unit is truly a place that I never cared to be again. Both Brian and I have been struggling with the imagery of chest tubes, IVs, alarms, and pumps that bring memories of Briona flooding back at an alarming and overwhelming pace. Brian has been visiting Rick in the evenings. Much like I enjoy my solitary time with my grandma, he enjoys his alone time with the only father he's ever known.

I joined a new church. It's my Grandma Lucy's church, a place where she found comfort and friendship. When I first started going there it was hard not to visualize her funeral which was not long ago. Now however I find comfort knowing that she is looking down on me and nodding her head in approval, proud that I am representing her well and establishing myself in her faith community. Today the deacon gave the homily. He is on the pastoral care team at U of M. He was with Briona a lot in her three short months. He ministered to me in some of my most hysterical moments and laid his hands on my daughter in prayer more times than I could ever count. I don't think he would remember us, it's been a long time, but as he spoke I could see him in a video like montage of moments in the hospital. Needless to say I lost it. However, God had arranged that I had no children in church with me, and ironically, my dear friend Cathy had no children with her either, so when she hugged me, and sobbed with me (despite our lack of tissue) I felt His hand touch my heart and tell me that I was loved.

Life keeps moving, and I am trying to focus on the good in it. I have six beautiful children all unique and amazing individuals. I have a husband who loves me, grocery shops and does laundry (albeit all in hot water and dried on high). I have some of the most incredible friends in my life, truly I am blessed and humbled by their support, friendship, and the ability to find humor in almost any situation. I have a job that I love (well most days) and a roof over my head. In listing all of these, I realize that I can finally exhale, and wait to see what life has in store for me.

God is good. All the time.

Random rantings of a greedy teacher....

2011-01-23T14:42:00.001-08:00

So today I was reading online about the proposed charter high school opening near my district. Of course following the article the community is allowed to comment. While there were a few pro public school comments, the rest were as usual pointing their self righteous fingers at the "greedy teachers", who do noting but drink coffee and hide behind the union.

I teach kindergarten in a high poverty district. I live in a high poverty community. Our middle class children have almost vanished to the charter schools that have popped up in my neighborhoods. Admittedly, on first glance, our test scores are sad, but there is more to a district than test scores. Achievement doesn't always show up on the state tests, but they show up in the classroom. In my own room, I recently gave another measurement test that had been given in the fall. Every child had made a considerable amount of growth, some children tripled or even quadrupled their original scores. The problem is, the test raised the bar, so even though they started so very far behind, and they have worked their five year old tails off, they are still "failing". It breaks my heart.

Being in a public school allows children to see that people come from a variety of backgrounds, different socio-economic backgrounds, and different religions, different challenges, different values.

The current state of the economy has made our jobs as teachers, and our children's job as learners even harder than usual. It is hard to learn when you are hungry, or worried, or tired. It's equally hard to parent when you don't know how you are going to keep a roof over your head, where your next meal is going to come from, or if your children will be safe when you tuck them into bed at night.

It's difficult to interest a child who listens to Ke$ha or Insane Clown Pose at home in singing nursery rhymes. If you have watched The Bride of Chuckie, my video on "Groak Gets Along with His Friends" seems decidedly uninteresting. So we as teachers adapt. While developing a classroom routine is critical to make the children feel safe, we also have to keep them on their toes with our method of delivery. We feed their minds, and their tummies. We provide comfort and safety, and hugs, and acceptance.

We provide these things to EVERY child who walks through our doors, especially those dozen or so that we get every year AFTER the state count who get told by the charter schools in our neighborhood that their needs might be "better served" by the public school system. Yes it happens. Every year. Like clockwork.

So while the charter schools may have prettier test scores than my district, I can hold my head high and know that I pour my heart and soul into every child that walks through my classroom door. I give them my best, every day, no matter how perfect, how needy, how disruptive, dirty, hungry, sad, or scared they are. I make it my goal to teach them that they can reach the stars, to dream big, and to be nice to one another, because really isn't that what it's all about?

It hurts my heart (my sister would call me a crybaby here) to pick up the paper and read that my community thinks that I and my colleagues are just greedy insurance grubbers who live for summer vacation and snow days. (Although I will cop to coveting snow days, I blame it on wanting to stay connected with my childhood, not my greed.) I live to make a difference to each child who enters my classroom. To be the best teacher I can be, to instill a passion for learning, and a sense of pride in their accomplishments. There is nothing better than seeing the pride on a child's face when they know they have given you their best effort, and they are ready for more.

I could go on and on but I won't. As titled, these are just some random ramblings.

God is good. All the time.

Things they don't teach you in college...

2010-11-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

Being a kindergarten teacher is hard. I know that many think it's all sunshine, rainbows, and playtime, but truly it is a mentally and physically exhausting job! Most of my little ones have little or no school before coming to my room. There is so much to teach them before you can even get to the actual academics! Don't get me wrong I LOVE my job. I can't think of anything else I would rather do... except maybe be a nurse, but there is that pesky "ewww blood" reaction I have which prevented me from following that dream.

Often I hear myself say things that I never ever imagined myself having to say. I have begun to compile a list of thing of things I have said in just the last week. I am thinking that maybe when I retire I might just teach a class at Eastern called "Things You Might Have to Say, so Be Prepared" I am writing them down for the first time here, but I am pretty sure I'll be adding to it in the future.

1. Please do not eat the legos.
2. We do not lick our friends.
3. Please get your hands out of your pants.
4. I am sure the nurse can find you some underwear.
5. Who bit the glue sticks?
6. Puzzle pieces do not go in noses.
7. We do not lick our boogies, we use tissue.
8. Please do not use my sleeve to wipe your nose.
9. Helping hands do not push, even if it is to prevent someone from cutting.
10 Everybody toots. It is okay.

Happy Friday Everybody!

God is good. All the time.

Eight Years...

2010-10-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

You would think that after eight years I would be better at this day. Eight years ago today, my sweet Briona Hope was born. Tiny, feisty, and beautiful. If you could ignore the tubes and machines, and nurses hovering about you would never have known that she was born with only half a heart.

Eight years ago I sat glued to her basinet in Holden NICU thanking God that she was not hooked up to that terrible ECMO thing that the baby across the way was on. To her left was a preemie, born at just 26 weeks. She looked like a giant next to him. I remember thinking how lucky I was to have such a strong looking little girl. I was full of hope, and optimism, and looking forward to the future. Our future. I was planning her homecoming, her baptism, her first birthday party, and getting her a puppy.

I was so busy planning our future, I managed to keep my mind off the impending surgeries coming up. I had the best of care lined up. The best nurses, the best anesthesiologists, the best surgeons. I loved her ferociously, fiercely, completely. I likely drove the nurses half crazy with my questions, and hovering. It was during these days that my husband started calling me Mama Bear.

Three long, but too short months later my hopes and dreams for her came crashing down on that cold January night when she left my arms to be with God. I still see her in my dreams, feel her soft weight in my arms, and know in my heart that she is with me, and watching over all of us.

It doesn't make it easy though, these days when I should be bringing cupcakes to school, cooking birthday dinners, and planning birthday parties. These anniversary days are the hardest, when I wonder what I could have or should have done differently. I hope she knows how hard I tried to keep her here with me.

My sweet Briona, I will love you forever, and for always... because you are my dear one.

God is good. All the time.

The Kindness of Strangers....

2010-09-25T19:06:00.000-07:00

Noah loves baseball. Anyone who knows Noah, knows that when Noah loves something, he OBSESSES about it. He memorizes facts and tidbits, and could give you the batting average of any pro player you can think of from Babe Ruth on. He dreams of becoming a pro baseball player. He loves the Tigers best, and dreams of playing with them when he gets drafted out of high school. (His idea.)

We went to a Tigers game this summer, it was perhaps the happiest I had seen him in a long while. He is at that awkward age of 12, and I'm never sure what he is thinking, or how he is feeling. His conversations are often limited to a concise answer to the question asked. He hangs out in what we refer to as the "Bat Cave" and watches baseball, or Sports Center. While we were at the game, Brandon Inge got his 100oth hit. Noah was so excited for him. You would have thought Noah was the one with 1000 career hits.

Brandon Inge was in town today at a Children's Expo signing autographs. A couple of years ago he came to our little league opening day and signed autographs, he donates a lot of money to the hospital, and visits sick kids. He really is the kind of sports hero you can feel good about your kid looking up to. And Noah really thinks he is the greatest.

So after some hmmming and hawwwing, I decided to surprise the kids and take them to get autographs. We arrived and were pleasantly surprised to find that the place was not mobbed.

There were lots of vendors offering give aways, and free consultations, and Brandon Inge and Mark Price were at the back signing autographs.

By this time I had told the kids what we were doing, and they eagerly got in line to get autographs. As we neared the front, I noticed a table selling tickets, and asked what they were for. A man explained that in order to get an autograph it was necessary to make a minimum donation of ten dollars PER autograph to Jack's Place for Autism. My heart dropped as I looked at my five excited kids, and Noah holding his beloved baseball glove he was hoping to have signed. I didn't have fifty dollars for autographs! I had all of twenty dollars in my purse! I sadly told the kids to get out of line, and Noah attempted to be stoic as I watched his face fall. Just then, a lady behind me said, "I'll get him his autograph. My son is autistic." I looked up in disbelief as she handed ten dollars to Noah. I thanked her profusely and explained that he too is on the ASD spectrum, and that baseball is his current obsession. She smiled and said, "Well then that means I gave ten dollars to the right kid. He deserves it."

Noah walked up in awe and got his autograph. He shook Brandon's hand, and slid his glove forward. He's worried now that if he plays in the rain the autograph could get marred, but it's there, and he knows it, and that makes him smile. I asked him later what he said when he got his glove signed. He smiled and said, "I think all I could think to say was hi." :)

I donated my last twenty dollars to Jack's Place and Ricky and Matthew got their autographs too. The girls were happy with free face painting.

God is good. All the time.

Hi... My Name is Clara, and my dog eats cat poop...

2010-09-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been a terrible blogger as of late. It's not that I don't want to blog, or that I have nothing to blog about, it just seems as if my ideas for posting come at awkward times. Like when I am in the shower, or on the way out the door, or about to go to bed...

We had a great summer. In an effort to keep the neighbors from getting a restraining order put into effect on the kids, we got a pool for the backyard. The kids loved it. It wasn't too big, it wasn't too fancy, but they loved it and spent many many many hours swimming in debris filled water. I really tried to keep up, but the teeny filter was not meant to keep up with five Boyers and half the neighbors. It's funny how popular a pool in the backyard can make you! But I digress...

Summer has come and gone, and so has Ricky's birthday. Traditionally I post the top however many years worth of things that I love about the birthday child on their birthday. But I missed the boat, and so let's just say I love Ricky 999 ways, but the best thing about Ricky is that he still holds my hand in public. :) You gotta love a mama's boy.

So if you've managed to read this far you are probably wondering what these random thoughts have to do with the title, and if you hang with me for just a moment... (or maybe two, I've been know to ramble...) I will get there.

The kids are ALL in school. Clara and Ruby started kindergarten this year! They go all day every day, and to be honest, Clara was less than thrilled. In fact she was SO less than thrilled that right before school started SHE stopped pooping and I thought she had appendicitis. Twice.

As you can probably guess, Ruby LOVES school. Like skips through the hall and giggles and glows, and could care less if I were in the building or not kind of loves school.

Clara has been a little more timid in her approach. She is not doing the crying, wailing, drooling that she did last year, but her response to the first day was, "It's not too bad."

The other day in the hallway, I noticed the paraprofessional who works in her room looking at me a little strangely. Later, she told me I no longer have any family secrets. Frantically I began to relive the last few weeks of my life trying to think of WHAT incidents I would have to try to explain to the now all knowledgeable coworker of mine. I tried to keep the panic out of my voice as I asked, "So... what did she tell you?" She laughed and said she mostly talked about her brothers, and I began to relax. I then smiled and agreed that they can be quite annoying. It was in that moment she let the cat poop out of the bag. She smiled and said, "She also says her dog Pepper is her best friend. Even though he likes to eat cat poop."

Out of the mouths of babes... (I guess we should be thankful it's not out of dogs....)

God is good. All the time.

My Guy...

2010-06-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

This summer was going to be the start of Clara's twirling career. There was a problem though. Clara went to camp, and did not like it. At all. In all honesty, this didn't really surprise me too much. Clara is NOT a show girl. She is often heard complaining that she doesn't want people to "look at her", and essentially twirling is a sport where the whole point is, well, people looking at you!

So when I picked her up on Monday, she told me she did not want to do it anymore. That's when Matthew pipped up. "Can I have her spot at camp? I'll twirl!" One look at his hopeful little face was all it took for me to say okay, even before consulting with his dad.

So Tuesday morning arrived, and Matthew was up with the birds dressed in his "Work Zone" gear, and ready to go. He had spent a considerable amount of time scrubbing Clara's name off of the baton, and had written his own name on it. His teeth were brushed, his shoes were on. This boy was ready to go! So I dropped him off to the welcoming coaches, and said a little prayer as I left.

I picked him up at noon. My son was BEAMING! The kind of grin a child has when they get a new puppy, or a trampoline, or a new bike. His little head was drenched in sweat, and he couldn't wait to tell me all he had learned that morning. The older girls came over and told me he was "Freaky good", and "So cute", I didn't know it was possible for his grin to get any wider, but it did.

We came home, and he practiced his baton all afternoon. When Brian got home, and Matthew proceeded to show him all the tricks he had learned, I was prepared to go to bat for him, and argue his cause. I was ready to explain that Matthew should be allowed to do things that he loved. I was shocked when Brian said, "Sheesh, you sure do love twirling that thing, don't you?" Matthew nodded. Brian asked, "Are you the only boy?" Again, a nod with a smirk from Matthew, who then explained to Brian that he IS the only boy who gets to hang out with all those girls, and some of them, (he blushed) are BEAUTY QUEENS!

So begins the twirling career of my six year old son, who also enjoys baseball and wrestling. Yesterday, a former Saline Twirler came to meet up with him and give him some tips. Nathan is the feature twirler at U of M. Matthew has a new idol I think. :)

I've been pleasantly surprised by the support I have gotten from my friends. I told Matthew that he some people are going to tell him that twirling is just for girls. His reply? "Well then they are stupid. Twirling is really fun."

God is good. All the time.

Busy Busy Busy

2010-06-23T07:48:00.000-07:00

I have a plaque that hangs on my wall that reads "Little League is the the Reason Mom is on the Run". Add twirling, pageants, dance recitals, and end of the year school events and you will soon see why I have not posted in awhile!

We have had a great last couple of months. ALL of the kids are playing baseball. Clara and Ruby play tee ball, although to be honest it's more like Clara plays tee ball, and Ruby flirts with the boys on her team and schedules play dates. (Tee ball is NOT a passion for Ruby!)

See what I mean?Of course the boys are playing too, Matthew is in coach pitch this year. He is on a team with his best buddies. They have so much fun together, and I am grateful that he has such and awesome group of kids to be friends with. If I squint my eyes and use my imagination I can see these same guys hanging out together ten years down the road. Ricky originally didn't WANT to play baseball, because he thought he wouldn't be good enough. I told him to give it a try, since he had always LOVED baseball. Look at my boy now!

Ricky is pitching for his team and loving it. It has been great watching his confidence grow with each game. He now dreams of being a pro baseball player. A far cry from, "I won't be good enough!"

This is Noah's last year playing in the Major division, and it is bittersweet. I am so proud of him for all of his hard work. He comes to every game ready to play, with a great attitude, and gives it his all at EVERY game. His skills have improved every year, but he has never made it to "All Star" status, and each year he gets his hopes up only to be disappointed. Last year his coach had said if he were coaching he would have Noah on his all star team because he is such a coachable kid, and he likes having him around. Sadly HE was not the one in charge of picking the players. Noah was so disappointed as most of his team IS on the all star team. he still goes in with a smile each game though, and gives it his all.

Sometimes I wish I could BRIBE someone to put him on the team, just to let him be a part of it. He would be so excited. In my heart he will always be an A team all star. I am SO proud of my boy for so many different reasons.

God is good. All the time.

Our Secret...

2010-03-30T19:49:00.001-07:00

I've been accused (and frequently as of late) of doing LOTS of things with Ruby, and not much with Clara. Ruby is a starlet. There is no denying this. It's a part of who she is, and it's hard NOT to get sucked into the fun of it all. Doesn't every mom dream of having a girly girl who loves sparkles, and sequins and being in the limelight? After three boys, it is THIS mom's dream come true. On the other hand, I have this serious, intelligent, thoughtful daughter who is a blessing to me. Clara is my snuggle bug, my insightful, cautious, shy, and wonder filled daughter. I love her more than words can say, but with the rash of accusations lately, I started to second guess myself.

I've tried to sign Clara up for things. Dance class was a fiasco (all three times), twirling was a no go (despite her obvious talent when she thinks nobody is watching), and she has chosen to play baseball, and soccer, and basketball, which she refers to as "that game with the orange bouncy ball". We went out last night and got her new cleats, and she's getting her own bat and helmet for Easter. I am trying to be just as excited and supportive of all the things that she enjoys as well.

So this morning as we were waking up (she sneaks into my bed every night) I asked her if she thought I loved her. She immediately answered "yes". Feeling brave, and a little bit scared, I asked if she thought I loved her and Ruby the same. She thought for a minute, and answered, "Well, not exactly." My heart dropped and my eyes began to water and in my head I started adding up the cost of years of therapy sure to be ahead. Despite this I asked, "What do you mean sweetie?"

Clara looked at me as if I were insane and said "Well, I know you love me a little bit more, but don't worry mom. I won't tell Ruby."

God is good. All the time.

Matthew's Getting Married!

2010-03-08T16:24:00.001-08:00

These spring like days have awakened the love bug in my Matthew. He may be short in stature, but he is big in personality! Besides, who could resist a boy with blue hair? My sweet boy very nonchalantly told me this evening, "Mom, I finally figured out who I am going to marry."

To say the least I was a little shocked, as I had no idea his six year old brain had been pondering such grown up ideas! I tried to act cool, and asked "Oh yeah, well who is the lucky lady?" His response, "Maggie. I love her, and she loves me too!" Then he continued on, "I can't believe I was brave enough to give her the ring." While nervously inventorying in my brain any jewelry he may have borrowed, I calmly asked, "What ring?" He blushed, and proudly held up his left hand revealing a "gold" wedding band. He calmly said, "The one just like this mom. I got them at Big Boy when I had my Grandma's day. She let me get two from the machine, and they are both gold, and I gave one to Maggie." Savoring this sweet moment, I asked what she said. Matthew answered, "She smiled and said thank you, and put it on, then during calendar time she rubbed my back two times." "And" he continued, "when I had choice time, it was my computer day, but instead of playing a game, I did the writing thing and wrote words on the computer that said Matthew loves Maggie, and she loves me!"

It's moments like these that make me realize how very lucky I am. I am so very blessed in so many ways! Sometimes, it takes the innocence of a six year old to remind me.

And as a side note, I happen to know that Maggie is the daughter of two teachers, so in addition to stealing my son's heart with her kindergarten cuteness, I imagine she must be an intelligent, and compassionate little soul. :) (With good parents of course!!)

God is good. All the time.

Daddy's Girl...

2010-02-13T15:14:00.001-08:00

Clara and her daddy are at the daddy daughter dance tonight. It was something that Clara really wanted to do. She saw the advertising for it at the rec center and decided that she wanted to go. I was a little surprised. Clara does not usually volunteer to do much of anything! She is very shy, unlike her sister...

So I wanted to make her night really special. I took her to our favorite second hand store to pick out a dress, knowing that they always have a plethora of party dresses for under ten dollars. So surrounded by choices of velvet, tulle, and lace, this is what she chose...

She liked it because it looks like it is a "vest dress". I tried and tried to convince her to get something a little more daddy/daughter dance like, but she was determined that this was the one. As we were getting her ready she confided that she liked this dress because her teacher at school likes to wear vests, and she thought that Ms. Debra would think this was a good dress since it's like a vest. Knowing Ms. Debra, I think she would approve of Clara's choice. :) I actually think she looks quite nice! Not what I was thinking, but very Clara.

I also got Brian a corsage to give to her. She was in awe of it. She is quite fascinated with roses right now, so I had her a tiny wrist corsage made up. She was very proud. Of course Brian gets the credit for giving her the flowers, but that is really what moms are for isn't it? Working the behind the scenes magic to ensure dreams come true. When I snapped this picture she was still looking at Brian as she couldn't quite believe that she had her own roses!

Here is the happy couple on their way out the door. Clara wanted Brian to wear his "getting married" clothes, but seeing as we had no tux in the house she had to settle for khakis and a sweater. I am hoping they have lots of fun!

And in case you are wondering, Ruby was invited but politely declined, stating "I am a mommy's girl!"

God is good. All the time.

The Little Things...

2010-02-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

All is well. Crazy, but well. I miss having my husband around. It's hard doing 90% of things by myself. He is doing very well in school and at work, but it's been 20 years since he has been a student, and school is HARD for him. I'm proud of him, but it's still really hard. It is going to be a long 5 years. However, I am thankful that Brian has a job, and the opportunity to learn a new trade and earn a college degree.

Despite my current stress level, I am thankful for the little things. Like Grandma Janice taking Clara to piano lessons on Tuesdays, and watching the girls on Fridays. I'm thankful that Noah gets to hang out with his buddy sometimes for the whole weekend. I'm also thankful that Leslie takes Matthew (and sometimes even Ruby) to church on Wednesdays. I'm thankful for Tuesday night twirling, which gives me a chance to chat with my sister, and other moms while watching Ruby do something that she loves.

I'm thankful for half time team because it's fun, and all the kids LIKE to go. Okay, it's mostly for the concession stands, but they do have fun. I'm thankful that Ricky shovels the next door neighbor's driveway, which gives him somewhere to focus his energy. I wish it would snow more! I am thankful that he has a new friend, and is saving up his money for a snake.

I'm thankful that I work with wonderful people, who allow me to rant and like me anyway. I'm thankful for little league, and the hopes of someday really having a YNLLLNO.

Most importantly, I'm thankful that I am able to remember how blessed I am, even when the going gets tough. Sometimes I just need to remind myself!

God is good. All the time.

Seven years....

2010-01-14T17:47:00.001-08:00

Life is such a gift, and I am so thankful for all I have, yet every year this date sends me reeling. Missing a little girl that I barely got a chance to know. It's especially hard not to wonder what she would be like at seven. I'm afraid the truth is that she would be very fragile, and spend a lot of time in hospitals, and in pain, and I would be in constant fear of losing her.

I often feel guilty about all the things I put her through in order to try to keep her here with me. I also feel guilty about letting her go when I did. Today is Alyssa's birthday, and my mom's birthday, so while I try to summon up birthday wishes, they are tinged with sorrow, and I am sorry that I didn't keep her on life support for another day, or a week so that their special days didn't have to be tied to my deepest sorrow.

At the time dates were not even in my conscious thought. Briona's short three months were a blur of joy, surgery, hope, pain, anxiety, hope, surgery, fear, anguish, desperation and sorrow. It was not until after she had passed in our arms that the date registered. To Alyssa and my mom, I am forever sorry. I just knew she couldn't hold on anymore. And neither could I.

Rest in peace Briona Hope. Mommy loves you.

God is good. All the time.

A picture is worth 1000 words....

2010-01-10T18:38:00.000-08:00

I know I have been a bad blogger. Even my mom is complaining. We've just been so busy, and I've been really LAZY, and have spent way too much time tending my imaginary farm on Facebook. So let's see.... since Matthew's birthday, Ruby had her first Twirlettes Recital. She was adorable, and LOVED every minute!

She was THRILLED that the REAL Santa made an appearance. Clara confirmed that it was indeed the real Santa, because he, "Had him's sack." :)

The kids had the annual Jingle Bell walk at school. This is my favorite event at school. Of course they were adorable.
Here's Squish with one of his loves.

Alyssa came to town, and Christmas happenings came with her. She was in town for a week and it was a really nice visit. Here's Ricky with his "Handerwear" in his underwear on Christmas morning. (Won't he love me for posting this years from now?)Here's the kids at Grandma Janice's house.
And here is just what I think is a really cute picture of Clara! She got the sweater for Christmas and wants it to be her kindergarten sweater! I am thankful that she has finally adjusted to school and is looking forward to next year!
Alyssa somehow manages to avoid my camera. Here's a group shot, but you can't really see her face! And last, but certainly not least, Noah turned 12!! He chose money over a party, and has happily bought himself video games. I can't believe he is 12 already! Here's the birthday boy. (Thankfully NOT in his birthday suit!!)Here are my top 12 things I love about Noah...

1. He loves his mommy!

2. He is so very smart!

3. He has a great sense of humor!

4. His lack of fashion sense. Makes buying him clothes MUCH easier!!

5. His love of baseball.

6. His ability to talk to anyone, anywhere!

7. His loyalty to those he considers his friends.

8. His respect for his teachers.

9. He is not trying to grow up too fast.

10. The way he thanks me for even the little things.

11. His ability to laugh at himself.

12. The knowledge that Noah will be able to be whatever he wants to be when he puts his mind to it.

I am so lucky to have such a wonderful son.

God is good. All the time.

A Savior is Born!

2009-12-13T17:16:00.001-08:00

My baby boy is six years old. "A Savior is born" was his line in the Christmas play. A more appropriate line has never been given to a child. Matthew will proudly tell anyone who asks that he made his mom happy again. It's funny that he was supposed to be named "Brian", but when he was born, the first words Brian said were, "He looks like a Matthew" to which I quickly agreed before even seeing him! It wasn't until after I brought him home that I looked up the meaning of the name Matthew in a baby name book. Matthew: Gift from God.

I think I've blogged that story before, but I can't help myself. I can still see myself in my room thumbing through the baby name book and feeling touched by God at that very moment.

So in addition to turning six, my little man lost his first tooth. We knew it was coming. He had been wiggling, and tugging, and twisting, and pushing on the poor tooth for a week. Ms. Debra managed to pluck it out for him. He was proud as could be! He ran through the school to show off his new smile to the secretary, the custodian, the school nurse, a random parent in the hallway... and so on!

Matthew chose to get money, (lots of it) instead of having a birthday party with friends. He requested the money be all in ones so that he could have a big pile of it! He says he is going to go shopping with me on "Black Friday", so he could get good deals. He looked a little disappointed when I told him that was a year away. (Not to mention that is when I do a lot of my Christmas shopping!) So he decided he is going to wait until AFTER Christmas to spend it. Here's the happy birthday boy!Here are the top six things I love about Matthew!!

1. His smile.

2. His giggle.

3. His snuggles.

4. His compassion.

5. His Faith.

6. His ability to charm almost anyone.

Happy Birthday Little Man

I love you to the moon and back!

God is good. All the time.

Happy Birthday Girls!!

2009-11-18T18:56:00.001-08:00

Happy 4th Birthday my Loves!!!

Here is my Ruby, waiting for her birthday celebration at school.

Here is my Clara!!!

I spent the morning in Clara's preschool class this morning. She was really excited to have me come to class with her. The picture above is the face she made the whole time the class sang the happy birthday song. Can you say black mail?? :)

The girls had their party at Build a Bear this weekend. It was lots of fun, for the kids. We had 14 altogether, which seems like a lot, but is really only 6 each. Too bad Clara only wanted to invite Emery and Charlie! Ruby had no problem filling the rest of the slots, and did a great job of picking kids both of the girls enjoy playing with. Charlie is Noah's friend, and Clara claims she is going to marry him when she gets "big". Charlie is a GREAT kid, and I do approve. His mom brought him to the party for a minute! I owe him big! Clara was in awe. :)

Here's a group shot of the kiddos at their party...

I've now officially survived four years of being a twin mom. I've heard it gets easier once twins turn four. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

God is good. All the time.

Whoopie! It's Halloween!!!

2009-10-31T18:24:00.001-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2009

Sorry, I just couldn't resist! Here is my big ol' boy as a whoopie cushion. Truth be told, he is a rather gassy child and didn't NEED the costume, but I've been told it's a boy thing! We just got back from Trick or Treating in the neighborhood. Brian and I passed out candy for a bit, then went together to take the kids out for goodies. We got an unexpected treat ourselves... Ricky, Clara, Matthew, and Ruby all decided to spend the night at Grandma Janice's house! So I guess I should say, "WHOOPIE" again!

Here are pictures of the rest of the gang. Clara was a "poodle girl". The outfit couldn't have been any more perfect for her. She loves it, especially the glasses! I know it's hard to tell she loves it since she is not smiling, but the fact that she is wearing it speaks volumes. Those of you that know Clara know what I mean!

Here's Ruby in all her Rah Rah glory... her teacher has even better pictures of her at school. I need to remember to get copies of those. In case you are wondering, Clara refused to wear her costume to school. (Surprise!)Here is Matthew as his current favorite super hero. A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle! He was crushed when a little old lady thought he was Franklin. Poor kid! We decided to Trick or Treat without the mask because he kept running into things in the house with it on, despite his protests that he could see, "just perfect".And this year, my worst nightmare came true. My Ricky wanted to be Elvis. I thought this was a GREAT idea, then he went to school, and came home one day and insisted on being this.Not really the image a mom wants to see when she thinks of her son. Look at these blue eyes... do they really say psychopath? I hope not! Happy Halloween 2009 from our house to yours.

God is good. All the time.

Happy Birthday in Heaven....

2009-10-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

My baby would have been 7 today. It's hard to believe that it has been so long since we lost her. As I watch my other children grow up, I wonder what Briona would have been like. Would she have been silly and carefree like Ruby, serious and stubborn like Clara, angelic like Matthew, driven like Ricky, or in their own world like Noah? Would she dream of being a nurse like Alyssa? Love dogs? Be a daddy's girl? Get lost in books? Carry a blanket? The questions that swirl in my mind at times like these are endless, and I find myself picking at a wound that people say time will heal. Apparently seven years is not enough. So I will place my trust in God, and rejoice in the knowledge that she is at peace, and with us always. Loving Briona has forever shaped who I am today, and who I will be tomorrow.

As a reminder to myself to remember how great an impact her short life had in ours, I am posting her eulogy that I wrote for her funeral. I'll warn you, it's long, but I cannot think of a better place for it to be than in my blog tucked in with family memories where it belongs.

My life has been blessed in so many ways. I have a wonderful, loving husband. Alyssa my honor roll student, Noah, my very imaginative five year old, and Ricky, a very active and luckily for him, very adorable baby.

Briona was our little surprise. I knew from the beginning of my pregnancy that something was different. I just had no idea of what really was to be in store for us. Everyone would ask me as they found out I was pregnant again, "I bet you are hoping for a girl this time!" To which I could quite truthfully answer, "Not really, I just would like a healthy baby, and a boy would be much easier with them being so close in age."

We found out at 20 weeks gestation that Briona had Hypo Plastic Left Heart Syndrome, a very serious and very rare congenital heart disease. We were worried, and scared, but determined to give our little girl every chance possible.

Briona was supposed to be a "straightforward" hypoplast. Even before she was born, her surgeon predicted that she would be home within two to three weeks after her first surgery. The day she was born, the doctors actually let me hold her for several minutes before taking her to the neonatal unit. For her father and I it was love at first sight. One look at her and we were hooked. We both agreed that as long as she had fight left in her, we would do everything we could to help her win her battle. There was a quality about her that had an affect on everyone who met her. Her beautiful spirit shone through. Her wonder at the world around her amazed people. There's not really much for a baby to look at in a pediatric cardio thoracic unit, so Briona quickly became fascinated with her "bug butt" mobile. Many days my hand got tired from winding it up over and over again, but to see her smile even with a breathing tube in made it all worth it.

One of Briona's doctors once said that Briona had more lives than a whole litter of kittens. She endured three open heart surgeries in less than four weeks, and was on ECMO life support twice. She had a fungus infection in her bladder, a bacterial infection in her blood, her lungs even collapsed once, but she bounced back every time. Her will to live was amazing. More than once we told that she probably wouldn't make it through the night, and until January 14th, she proved the doctors every time. She would wake up in the morning, look up for her mobile, and wave her hands around until someone wound it up for her. She loved to be touched, which can be unusual for a baby in the ICU. We could stroke her beautiful, but untamed hair, and she would roll her eyes back and sigh as if to say, "That feels so good!" She loved to suck on pink sponges and to be rocked on the few occasions that we were allowed to hold her. She loved to hear her bedtime stories, Goodnight Moon, Mama Do You Love Me, and her daddy's favorite, Guess How Much I Love You. She tolerated all of the silly hair dos that the nurses and I had so much fun creating. She even let us play dress up one day. I had such big hopes and dreams for her. I miss her so much already.

On the morning of January 14th, I knew that Briona didn't have any fight left in her. I looked at her poor little body, stroked her head, and whispered to her that it was okay to stop fighting. I promised her that we would never forget her, and that we would love her forever. I also told her to look out for her friends in the ICU, many of them as sick as she was. Then I asked the doctors to let us hold her so that she could die with dignity in our arms. She died snuggled between her father and I. We knew that she was ready.

People always wonder WHY do things like this happen? I've asked that question many times myself, and I don't really expect an answer. All I do know is that Briona taught me more in 12 weeks than I had learned in a lifetime. I saw miracles happen at the hospital every day. I learned to appreciate my family more, and to take the time to thank God for even the little miracles that happen every day. I received random acts of kindness from strangers, whether it was a hug, a piece of candy, or even a basket of flowers from our veterinarian. It's too bad that it takes a tragedy to bring out the best in people. I know I will try much harder to appreciate life, and to live it to it's fullest.

If you learn anything from my daughter's short life, take away the fact that life is meant to be lived. There is no promise of tomorrow for any of us. Even though she never left the hospital, Briona live her life the best she could. She truly made the best of her situation, and her family and the wonderful people who cared for her are all the better because of her. Robert Frost wrote a poem that reads..

Nature's first green is gold

Her hardest hue to hold

Her early leaf's a flower

But only so an hour

Then leaf subsides to leaf

So Eden sank to grief

So dawn subsides to day

Nothing gold can stay.

Our daughter was golden.

Happy Birthday in Heaven my darling.

God is good. All the time.

Marching in the Rain...

2009-10-10T20:19:00.000-07:00

Ruby has joined the Twirlettes. She takes her twirling very seriously. She has had two lessons now. She thinks she is ready for the twirling olympics! This Friday was very rainy. (I should know, I took my class to the apple orchard!) The rain was NOT letting up. Ruby however was dressed and ready to go to her first parade. I personally was hoping it would be cancelled (I know... bad mom, but I had to march in the rain too!!)

Ruby is the smallest Twirlette, but perhaps has the biggest heart! That little girl of mine marched her heart out, in the POURING rain, and grinned the whole time! The little ones just linked batons and marched, the big girls were doing a routine up front. Every time they tossed their batons into the air and caught them Ruby would exclaim, "MOM! Did you see that? That is sooooo AWESOME! I am gonna do that when I get big!"

After the parade, the director complimented Ruby on her "toughness", and told her she was very proud. Mom was very proud too. Even Brian has to admit that perhaps Ruby has found her "thing" already. She sleeps with her baton!

Today Ruby woke up and asked, "Mom, when are we going to the parade?" She was ready for another one! When anyone asks her how the parade went, she says, "It was good, but my hair was sooooo soaked!"

We'll have to see how she feels about marching in the snow in December! I'll be sure to keep you posted.

God is good. All the time.

The Light At the End of the Tunnel....

2009-09-19T18:49:00.001-07:00

Nope, I am not dying... but thanks to my handy dandy sitter and friend, (or should I say friend and sitter?) I have these images to share...

My babies are going to school!!! Clara and Ruby are now in preschool. Ruby LOVES it... Clara is a little unsure about things. She is fine once she gets there (minus the hour long temper tantrum on her second day) but thus far, school is not her favorite place. Clara does not like changes. In the last two weeks she's had to adjust to Daddy working, daycare, school buses, kids on the playground...more buses, and more daycare. On the upside, she has invited her teacher to her birthday party, so perhaps a change is coming.

In fact, just today she told me today she is not going to cry on "that other day" when she goes back to school. (Monday) I actually think she is hitting me up for more Build a Bear clothes for her bears, but if they will stop the morning tantrums, it will be money well spent!

Matthew, is LOVING kindergarten. He is in the Montessori program at our school and is really excited about the animals, the hands on activities, and his teachers. He also still gives me kisses in the hallway when he sees me. But not without a quick glance at his teacher to make sure she's not going to catch him out of line! I know I have to savor these stolen kisses, as soon he will be too big, and too cool to kiss his mommy in public. He still looks so tiny. I am hoping that he outgrows some clothes this year, or the endocrinologists figure out what is going on. Here's my handsome man on his first day...

Here are my "Man boys" who are now too cool to look excited for school, Noah is in 7th grade this year. This picture pretty much sums up his excitement. He pretty much leaps out of the minivan prior to it coming to a complete stop in the morning lest I say something embarrassing like "Love you bubby" for his friends to overhear!

Ricky was apprehensive about starting school. His best friend is in a different 3rd grade class, and his other best friend is now going to a private school. Despite his worries, he Dylan told Dylan's dad that they did not need him to walk them to school on the first day, because they were "MEN"!

He is now on a mission to earn lunch with his teacher. To do this he has to keep his name on the "golden board" all marking period. Something tells me he will do it!

Brian and I are adjusting to the new schedule. He is out of the house by 6:00 most mornings, and seems really excited by the prospect of learning all the tricks of the pipe fitting trade. My class is off to a good start. They seem super sweet, and well behaved! I feel very lucky! I spent a good part of today in my classroom, looking for my dongle, which I seem to have misplaced. (Dang it!) Guess I'll have to go to the mall.......

God is good. All the time.

Because a promise is a promise....

2009-09-13T18:52:00.001-07:00

I am updating my blog. But only so that you will no longer have to read about my gang sign flashing kindergartner. In the craziness that only a kindergarten teacher would understand, I managed to leave my charger at school for my laptop. I guess we are supposed to have two, so maybe I left BOTH of them at school... (problem being I have no idea where one of them may be...) I could not edit or upload my pictures, play on Facebook, or browse wistfully on the Gymboree website. I couldn't even list Matthew's motorcycle power wheels on Craigs List! (He said we could sell it if he could get a Build a Bear Wolf, and a Batman costume for it to wear...)

What did I do before that laptop??

I am updating now from the dinosaur we call a desktop. It is old, and slow, and annoying...

Problem is, I PROMISED a friend I would update my blog this weekend, and a promise is a promise, so consider this blog updated!

Will post more with pictures and fun later this week! (Maybe....)

God is good. All the time.

The Boyers Visit a Dairy Farm... or, Why is Matthew Flashing Gang Signs?

2009-08-18T21:20:00.001-07:00

So today we went to a dairy farm. A centennial farm. If you look closely, you will see Matthew is throwing gang signs underneath the historical sign. I did not notice this when I snapped the picture. I should have. I think it was a warning from above. My kids are CITY kids. In case you don't believe it, here is the proof...

My children quickly found their favorite farm animal...

They were satisfied with this and were ready to go home and eat. However Meems had other plans in store! Like chasing chickens! People say chickens are dumb. These chickens are hiding from Ricky...(look close they are under the bush) seems pretty smart to me!

Here is Clara getting kissed by a cow. She likes it!

Don't forget the bunny petting!

We also saw quail, sheep, big cows, giant tractors, ducks, turkeys, and cows pooping (Ricky's favorite part aside from the smell), and giant sunflower fields,

Where Matthew felt compelled to flash more gang signs.

Back to the city tomorrow.

God is good. All the time.

Toad Lessons

2009-08-17T11:27:00.001-07:00

We are "up north" as my kids would say, visiting my bff Meems and her gang. They were at our house last week, just in time to get exposed to pertussis. Thankfully their mommy called the doctor and got them on preventative antibiotics and the only coughing here is from my kiddos. Have I mentioned that the coughing symptoms can last THREE MONTHS?? But I digress.

The picture above is "Baby" holding a toad she found in the yard. My kids were impressed with her boldness and all wanted to hold the toad. Problem being... they all looked like this...

In case you don't speak Clara facial expressionesse she is saying "Are you kidding me? I am not touching that thing!!" They all tried and tried, and the poor toad got dropped and dropped. My kids could NOT keep from flinching every time they touched the toad. Finally Noah stepped forward and said, "I want to hold it." Now those of you that know Noah, know that he is not known for his bravery or willingness to try new things! He kept saying, "Wait, wait, I gotta get my mind set." Then what do you know....Noah! Holding a toad! It seems like a very strange proud mommy moment, but it was one! I proclaimed him the toad holding winner of the city mice! Of course then Matthew wanted to try again....Poor Ricky just couldn't bring himself to hold the toad without a napkin. I told him I was NOT getting him a napkin! So he looked like this..

We have a few more days here... maybe "Baby" can teach him some toad holding tricks yet.

God is good. All the time.

What are the odds.....

2009-08-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

We have pertussis in our house. Nope, I am not kidding. Even my pediatrician said "Only you, Krista" and I have to agree. What are the odds of contracting a disease that is supposed to be for the most part obliterated by vaccines? To add insult to injury, what are the odds that only one of my five immunized children had any protection from it (at least so far...). Needless to say, we are ALL taking antibiotics and in 24 hours we will no longer be contagious. I am looking forward to that.

In the mean time, we have had friends from out of town over (sorry Meems!), went to Build a Bear in the Mall, Chuck E . Cheese, Olgas Kitchen, and many many Midwest Sliders games, and oh yeah, I donated blood for the first time. I hope they check blood for pertussis. (?!) I donated over two weeks ago, so I am hoping that I didn't unknowingly pass along an illness to someone who was already ill. Good grief. The guilt would kill me.

School is starting soon. We are going to visit a dear friend (who I may or may not have infected with pertussis) this weekend, and are looking forward to the Heritage Festival one of Ricky's all time favorite ways to spend money. We missed it last year because we were in Disney World. He is still a little bitter about that. He is a weird weird kid! I'll have to post about his birthday when I am not coughing all over the place....

I guess it could be worse, but looking at the odds of so many of us getting pertussis in the first place, I think I am going to start playing the lotto. My luck has got to change in my favor one of these days!

God is good. All the time.

The Wonder Years....

2009-08-04T17:21:00.001-07:00

It's a rather odd habit I have, but sometimes as I watch things unfold in the lives of my children I hear the beginning line of a story being told in my head. Like the man voice in the wonder years. So here are a few pics that the voice in my head has been begging me to share...

" It seemed like a strange welcome to our family, but then I remembered that Hell had great ice cream."

"I frantically rehearsed the lines in my head, what if I forgot the words? In front of all those people? And then she appeared, and her smile sent a sense of calm through my five year old body"

"I knew my mom would comment about my handwriting so I quickly grabbed my solar oven and stood in front of the display, hoping to divert her attention"

"I would never have thought that splashing on the banks of Hell Creek would feel a little bit like Heaven"

"I always knew I was going to be a dancer. I just had to figure out how to get to people to notice me"

"I loved being in the dug out with the players. Listening to the coaches yell, the players swear, and the crowd cheer. When I scooped up the bat, I liked to imagine they were cheering for me."

Summer as all good things do, is passing by much too quickly.

God is good. All the time.

You Can't Really Dress a Guinea Pig

2009-07-26T19:39:00.001-07:00

Clara is an animal lover. She especially likes dogs. Small dogs. Specifically chihuahuas. She wants one. BAD. She obsesses over what she will do with her little white chihuahua when she gets it. It will be a girl, and she will name her Chloe. (Sound familiar? Blame Disney and Beverly Hills Chihuahua her favorite movie...) When she gets her chihuahua she will carry it in her purse or her princess backpack, and she will paint its fingernails and its toenails pink, and it will wear pink clothes and shoes, and be "so cute". After she gets her little white dog she is going to let her dad get a big black and brown dog and "he can name he Delgado and him will be Chloe's best friend". If you ask her why she wants a chihuahua she will tell you because they are "small but mighty". In her head it is all perfectly planned out.

Problem is, she will likely never get a chihuahua. They really are not kid friendly dogs. In addition, Brian seems to think he has to trade in his penis if he ever gets a dog small enough to carry in a purse. Most rescues will not adopt chihuahuas to families with small children (we've got lots of those) and I don't really want to risk divorce by buying a dog for my daughter from an ad in the paper. Brian wants a big dog when we get another dog. So, I don't think my little one will get her little dog anytime soon. I've told her this time and time again, but she remains certain that she will have one someday. I guess it's good to think positive.

Tonight the family went to see G-Force, a movie about secret agent Guinea Pigs. (Again, thanks Disney!) The kids all want a guinea pig now, Matthew has wanted one before, and the movie has just fanned the flames all over again. As Ruby was plotting and planning all the things she would do and say to her new pet guinea pig, I reminded her that guinea pigs don't really talk. Clara calmly chimed in, "Yea, and you can't really dress a guinea pig, but you can dress a chihuahua!"

God is good. All the time.

These Kids Belong in a Zoo...

2009-07-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes things in my life are going fairly smoothly, so I get goofy and decide to do things like take my kids to the zoo! Today I met up with a childhood friend at the Toledo Zoo. I'd been telling the kids we would go all summer, and much to my dismay summer is slipping quickly by!

All went well except for when I very briefly lost Clara. Well I didn't actually lose her, it was more that she ran away because she didn't like the aquarium exhibit. Between the dark aquarium, and the damn bird aviary I was really freaked out. Luckily as I was growing frantic and screaming "CLARA!! ANSWER MOMMY!!" a woman said "Is she a little blond girl in a dress? I think she just ran out the exit." I of course raced out the exit, and there she was standing there calm as could be. When I asked her WHY she would run out of the aquarium, she calmly said "I didn't like the dark." Oh. Well Clara Jean, Mommy doesn't like to have heart attacks either!!!

Speaking of heart attacks... notice Ruby the camera hog is NOT in this picture? Perhaps you are wondering why? Well Ruby was standing on a ledge happily watching the polar bears in the exhibit. Suddenly a polar bear came out of nowhere and leaped out of the water and up onto the glass. Poor Ruby was so scared she couldn't even scream. She just raced back to the wagon and for the most part stayed put the rest of the trip! (Very unusual for Ruby! She is usually the one up to something!) Good thing I guess. I don't think I could handle two heart attacks in one day!

Here is my Ruby with my friend's son Max. We had to take the picture.... It's Max and Ruby!

All in all a a very nice day...heart attacks and all.

God is good. All the time.

Lessons Learned....

2009-07-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

So today was not the best day ever. I took the girls to the dentist and found out they need a LOT of work done. I mean... A LOT! I am thinking of just having all their teeth pulled and getting them teeny tiny dentures. I am pretty sure that it would be a lot cheaper.

Story # 1

I tried to take them to the dentist earlier but was told they were too young... I tried to go to an in network dentist to save a few bucks... lessons learned?? 1) Going to the dentist is expensive. It doesn't matter where you go. 2) Nurse Helene is a valuable resource when you need to find ways to get things done and 3) If I invent mini dentures for kids with "weak enamel" like mine have I could save a lot of folks a lot of money... and get rich all at the same time. Oh yes... 4) My dental insurance blows monkey butts....

Story #2

The kids want a dog. They keep telling me this. I tell them talk to their father as he is the one who is prohibiting the dog getting! He wants a big dog (WHEN he decides we can have one) and the kids want a little dog. In the car tonight they were asking "why don't we have a dog" "why don't we have a dog" "how come dad gets to be the boss" "we want to get a little dog" "we want to name the dog Delgado" blah blah blah. I finally told them that they were talking to the wrong person. If it were up to me I would have a dog (or two) but it's not! So Matthew asked"Why IS dad the boss?" to which I had no real answer. I will have to ponder this more... perhaps in therapy. The kids came up with a great idea though for changing his mind. Ruby piped up "We should whip he" Clara said "Yea, then you should say Who's the Boss Now Daddy and whip he some more" and Matthew said "And when he gives up and says okay you are the boss, you can go get a dog mommy!" It creates a rather amusing mental picture doesn't it? Lessons learned?? 1) Therapy is good... 2) My kids may need therapy in the future...

Story #3

I am a self defined vacation bible school whore. I will send my kids to any vacation bible school willing to take them for free, the ones that come and get them are even better. Needless to say, the kids are going to bible school this week, and so far have loved it. Clara didn't want to go tonight because she was "too tired". Matthew told her she needed to go so that she could learn about God. (Go Matthew!!) Clara calmly replied that she already knows about God, so she was going to stay home with her Stinky Corner (blanket). I asked Clara, "What do you know about God?" Her answer? "God made us. God watches us. And God doesn't want us to be scared." I was very impressed! I made her go to bible school anyhow. :)

Lessons learned: 1) Free bible school rocks! 2) Kids say it best.

Hoping for a better tomorrow....

God is good. All the time.

Take me out to the Ball Game....

2009-07-10T21:46:00.001-07:00

The boys have a new favorite pastime. Surprise! It's baseball. However, it is not playing baseball, but watching baseball. Our little old town is hosting the Midwest Sliders, a frontier league team for the summer. Noah and Ricky went to a baseball clinic they hosted and were given free tickets, and so the addiction began! We've spent the last three nights at the ballpark. Ricky enjoys collecting foul balls and autographs, as does Matthew. The players are great with the kids. It must be pretty cool to have so many little kids look up to you!

The boys have really enjoyed watching the games, and tonight Ricky and Noah got to serve as batboys. Here's a shot of my handsome little devils. They were so excited to be in the dugout with the players.
It was a great way to spend the evening. Ricky even brought home a broken bat. You would have thought he won the lotto

On a side note, I even got to get into the fun and play Let's Make a Deal after the 4th inning. I won a pack of 12 undated tickets to upcoming games. Guess what we'll be doing the rest of the summer!

God is good. All the time.

Lucky...

2009-07-06T19:02:00.000-07:00

Ruby and Her Great Grandma Lucy...

I often say I think my grandmother is part cat. There has been more than one occasion in which we've been told "Not much longer..." but apparently being hard of hearing comes in handy, as nobody told her that, so before long she is back at home wondering when she is going to be able to mow her lawn again.

Grandma has been sick more often lately, and has had to spend quite a bit of time in the hospital and recuperating in nursing homes. She is 90, and looks it. The boys are clearly uncomfortable going to visit her, and to be honest she is not really up to all of the chaos caused by a troop of visitors in a small room.

The girls however, whenever asked what they want to do usually pipe up "Let's go visit Grandma Lucy!" This may have a little to do with their penchant for vending machine goodies, but I like to think that there is more to it than that. Clara often says "Grandma is so sick" and Ruby will often pipe up "Hers got hoses in hers nose" Yesterday we found ourselves just us girls, and decided to go pay Grandma a visit. We took the DVD of Ruby's dance recital so Grandma could watch it. She seemed to enjoy it very much.

I was happy to have my camera with me, and got the chance to snap these pictures. It was a nice visit, and I am so glad the girls have a chance to spend time with their great grandma.

Clara and Her Great Grandma Lucy

God is good. All the time.

Summertime...

2009-07-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

Greetings from our house to yours....

Brian has a job interview tomorrow. I've kind of put a whole lot of eggs... okay, all of them into one basket as far as this goes. I am so hoping he gets it, but I guess today it hit me that there are likely a whole lot of other wives out there thinking the same thing. So whether you are a finger crosser, or a person of prayer, keeping us in your thoughts would be nice.

In the meantime, summer seems to be flying by. We had planned a big camping trip, but Brian's work schedule would not allow for him to be able to travel with us. Call me crazy, but the thought of five kids in a tent and no husband became less and less appealing as the date approached. So I cancelled. I know... I can hear some of you clucking as I type. I am a chicken. Pauwk Pauwk...

Thankfully a friend took Noah (who was heartbroken to not be going), so I'm sure we'll hear all about the fun we missed!

Seriously, look at these three. Would you want to be stuck in a tent with them for three days?

Last night we went to the carnival. We were hesitant at first. I am not very fond of carnivals. They just don't seem very safe, but the kids were begging, and pleading, and even "cleaned up" the house. The kids had a blast. When they found a ride they liked they rode it over and over and over again, making us grateful for the wristbands we shelled out big bucks for. Here are a few pics from the day...

Here's Ricky...

And Clara smiled more last night than I have ever seen. Only problem was every time I tried to snap a picture she would dart off to the next ride. She LOVED the carnival!!!

Ruby and Matthew... I've got tons of pics of these two! (As usual) But I thought this one was extra sweet. :)

God is good. All the time.

Summer Fun!

2009-06-27T12:54:00.001-07:00

Ruby as the little Mermaid

We have no big plans for the summer. Even a camping trip that I had proposed has had to be cancelled, however instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, we are just going to enjoy the little things we can do.

If you look closely you will see that Clara is actually kind of smiling, and ALMOST looking at the camera!

We've all been staying up late, and sleeping in.... and for whatever reason (God's blessing or perhaps therapy) I am not nearly as fed up as I usually am with the kids! We've had lots of busy days, Wednesday lunches with the moms, strawberry picking, swimming at the community pool, and lots of not so busy days, and for the most part we are enjoying our togetherness.

Ricky at the sprinkler park

Baseball is officially over now, and that has freed up some time although we miss being at the ballpark. (Weird isn't it?) The only HAVE tos right now are Ruby's dance class, and that's only once a week!

Ricky in the dugout...

Matthew grinning at the prospect of playing coach pitch next year

We had a GREAT visit with Alyssa, and are looking forward to the next one which hopefully will be soon now that she has her new wheels.

Noah, as usual has managed to avoid the camera. I did however get a picture of him pitching at a baseball game. Perhaps I can figure out how to scan it and get it on here....

God is good. All the time.

One Down, Five to Go!

2009-06-08T14:39:00.000-07:00

Class of 2009

Alyssa graduated yesterday. It's official, on top of being 18, she is now a high school graduate. Brian, the kids, Grandma and I made the trek to Ohio to be there for her special day. We were all very proud. After the ceremony we went to Alyssa's house for her graduation party, then piled back into the car for the long drive home. It doesn't seem possible that Alyssa could be grown up so fast. It seems like just yesterday she was skipping around my front yard telling me to marry her dad... our little girl has grown up into a young lady. She plans on going to a community college in Ohio (boo) in order to be a nurse.

I realized yesterday that we only have six years until Noah graduates. I know six years sounds like a long time, but time goes by so quickly! It seems as if the girls were just born, and now they are off to preschool. Ricky is going into 3rd grade, Matthew to kindergarten... sometimes I just want to yell "STOP GROWING UP!" Our life is so busy that it's hard to appreciate all the little things that make having a family so special. I want to savor each and every minute of my children's childhood, and they won't hold still long enough for me to do it! That's it... they are all rounded. :)

Here are a few more pics of the day, it's really hard to get all the kids in a picture looking the same way at the same time, so these are the best I can do! (Ha! Upon further inspection of the pictures I see that we NEVER have everyone facing in the same direction!!)

Alyssa Marie, I love you so very much and wish you a life full of love, hapiness, and wonder. May all your dreams come true!

God is good. All the time.

Everybody loves a Parade. Especially when Noah is in it!!

2009-05-25T07:52:00.001-07:00

Here is my Noah in his first parade. He is one of only two sixth graders who were asked to march with the seventh and eighth graders. You will have to look very closely to see him. He is carrying a big bass drum, and is next to a very tall kid! Go Noah!!! Who Rocks the House?? Noah Rocks the House!! Mom is very proud of you buddy!!!!

Happy Memorial Day. May God bless and protect the troops past and present who serve to defend our country and our freedom. May He welcome with open arms our fallen heroes, and provide comfort and peace to their families.

God is good. All the time.

Dancing Queen....

2009-05-14T17:35:00.001-07:00

Could it really get much cuter than this? I have posted this to death on Facebook, but I hope to someday print out my complete blog so my kids can see what I was thinking as we bumbled through life together, so I feel compelled to post in honor of Ruby's dance recital.

They were adorable! Much to my amazement, Ruby seemed to suddenly remember her dance during the recital, however her classmates did not, so poor Ruby just had to shake her pom pons in frustration at the others as they stood there looking at one another.

My favorite part of the evening.... when the curtain opened, and the whole audience gave an audible "AWWWWWWWWWWW" as they saw the six tiny dancers on the stage. My Ruby being the tiniest of them all. :) (Yes I know there are only five here, this was dress rehearsal!)

Ruby had a huge audience, Grandpa Tim, Granny, Nana, Grandma Janice, Bubba, Michelle, Dad, Noah, Ricky, Matthew, Clara, and of course her adoring mommy. I think I spent more on tickets than I did for the second semester of dance class. :) It was worth every penny. Ruby was so excited and proud when she saw all those people who came to watch her. Here's Ruby with her Nana.

And Ruby with her Grandpa Tim and Great Granny....

And best of all, Ruby with her very proud Mommy....

Ruby is already looking forward to her dance show next year. She's discovered "Dem zoos dat make dat clicky sound!" (Tap shoes!!!)

God is good. All the time.

Daddy is a Prince?!

2009-05-07T19:06:00.001-07:00

The girls have taken to looking at pictures around the house and asking who is who. For the most part I am pretty confident in my answers. The boys seem to all look rather similar in their photos. I guess there is no denying they are brothers.

Today Clara found our wedding picture hanging on the hall wall. She asked me to take it down so she could look at it. Her first response was "Ohhhhh mommy.... you yook yike a pincess". Ruby quickly agreed and after a moment of looking at each other quizzically, Clara said "Daddy is a prince?"

I fought off the urge to laugh, as it at times seems just as unbelievable to me, but I then answered with love in my heart, and hopefully in my voice as well and said, "Yes girls. Daddy is my prince, and I love him very much."

Yes girls, fairy tales are real, and someday your prince will come, and we'll all live happily ever after.

God is good. All the time.

God Loves Baseball

2009-04-26T10:27:00.001-07:00

YNLL Opening Day 2009

Take me out to the ball park... Opening day 2009 went off without a hitch yesterday! Ypsilanti National Little League is officially underway! Noah was not unhappy, but attempting to hold his stomach in for the picture. :) All three boys played great. Noah did very well. He still plays outfield, but there are lots of balls that go to the outfield in the Major League! He's graduated from right to left field and was really great about backing up his third baseman. I was really proud watching him play. He got a really nice hit, and was walked a couple of times. He still really enjoys stealing bases. I think it's his favorite part of the game. His team won 6-1.

Ricky played third base. His team "won" also, although there are no official standings in coach pitch. I was coaching during his game, so I wasn't actually able to watch him. He got hits both times he was up. I think he is learning his lesson by choosing to play coach pitch. The games do not have the intensity that the minors would have, and he is playing with a lot of kids that have never played before. I am afraid he won't gain much skill wise, as he is never going to be challenged. Next year they are changing the minor leagues to be 8, 9, and 10 year olds. Had I known that I would have MADE him play minors. Playing with 10 year olds after playing with kindergartners is going to be difficult.

I am coaching Matthew's team this year. People have asked me if Brian is boycotting baseball, and truth be told I don't really know what he is doing. I am trying to do the best I can, and I hope my children realize that. Here is my darling boy, and his adorable buddy, and then my oh so cute team....

Have you ever seen anything so cute? Kerrie and I decided that if nothing else, we would have the cutest kids on the fields. We have last names on the backs of shirts, and first names on their little hats. So cute!!!! The kids really surprised us though and played great, so they are cute AND talented!

They day was long and exhausting, but very fun. We narrowly avoided a HUGE storm, and games went on all day as planned. (Told ya God loves baseball!)

It's a beautiful day, and I should be outside enjoying the sunshine instead of blogging, but I wanted to preserve the memories.

God is good. All the time.

Pwees Weport Yitto Yeege

2009-04-18T18:39:00.001-07:00

We are counting down the days until opening day around here! Today our tee ball teams canvased the town and solicited donations to help keep our little league running. I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures. We send the tee ball players out to beg for money while the "big kids" clean the fields. Our little guys (and gals) managed to raise close to $1000.00 today!

It's days like today that make me very glad that I live in a town like Ypsilanti. People from all walks of life took a minute to not only donate money to the kids, but to ask them about their team. The little league here is a source of pride, and many of the donors took a minute to tell the boys about when THEIR kids played ball for YNLL. The generosity of a small town with a bad reputation warms my heart. There are so many good people here, and I'm glad my kids can be a part of that.

These poor folks got stopped going in, and coming out...notice the woman has MORE money in her hands! Where is the newspaper when things like this are happening?!

I realize that in other towns, a generous donor could just write their little league a check for $1000.00, but there was such a sense of community today. Sharing little bits and pieces of themselves with one another. Every donor had a little league story....

All in all, a very pleasant way to spend a sunny Saturday.

God is good. All the time.

How I spent my Spring Break... Sigh...

2009-04-12T07:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter To All!
I am amazed by how quickly something you long for can pass so quickly by. I was counting the days until spring break, and now it is almost over! We didn't really do anything "exciting" in the traditional sense. Alyssa visited us BEFORE our spring break, and since we were so busy with the regular life, that went by WAY to quickly.

Alyssa and the kids at Chuck E. Cheese...

Poor girl spent her break volunteering in preschool classrooms, going on field trips, and attending sixth grade band concerts. She endured well, and all of us were very sad to see her go back "home". The highlight for me was taking her prom dress shopping. We found the store she wanted to go to (DEBS in case you are wondering) and she tried on almost every dress in the store. Including the ones on the mannequins! We finally found her perfect dress, and I was happy to buy it for her. That was fun, but the best part was on the way home when she told me "I could have gone prom dress shopping at home, but I wanted to do it with you." Getting teary eyed now just thinking about it. I will be anxiously awaiting her pictures. Prom is next Saturday. I'm a little tempted to drive myself down there (what's four hours there and four hours back to see you daughter off to prom?) and back just so I can see with my own eyes. Not sure what DH will think of my idea....

So the highlight of MY spring break, was going to a much anticipated trip to the Parlour in Jackson. It's a super yummy ice cream place with gigantic proportions! It was kind of a celebration of our weight loss competition, although I should have invited more people.... (sorry Ilene!) Here are a few highlights from that day...

Ricky showing his fruit smoothie finishing prowess.... where did this kid come from? A FRUIT smoothie at an ice cream parlour? At least it wasn't a corn dog... :)

Ruby enjoying her ice cream, and Haley enjoying Ruby...
Dear friends, and their son. (Am I allowed to use your names on MY blog?)
Haley, Ruby, and Spiderman...
Today is Easter, we are going to the Brewsters house. I still wish my extended family was able to figure out how to get together all in one place for the holidays, but I guess I should have thought of that before having so many children! Girls are exited to have new bikes, Matthew got a new Power Ranger gun/sword (I know...not very Eastery) Ricky got some Bakugan, and Noah got a Snuggie and a video game. Everyone seems happy for the moment!

I finally figured out how to upload pictures to my laptop (I know...I am a technology moron) so hopefully I will be able to blog more frequently. Although that being said, baseball is gearing up to be in full swing in the next two weeks. Right now it's just practices that have me running all over! So maybe I won't be blogging more. We'll see.... Ruby's recital is in May. I'll definitely be blogging about that.Hope your day is filled with peace, love, and family memories...

God is good. All the time.

Waiting on Ellen...

2009-03-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

So last Friday, I got a call from one of Ellen's screeners! I was so excited I could hardly talk. Brian got a little annoyed because he said I was more excited about a phone call than I was when he proposed. I told him there was really no comparison. (This did nothing to sooth his ruffled feathers, in fact looking back I think it may have made it worse!!)

The Ellen show was calling to pre-interview me after I sent in an email to participate in Ellen's Gold Digger contest. Basically, Ellen is sending around a giant money blowing machine to people all over the country and letting them grab all the cash they can in 30 seconds. It would be a dream come true! Talking to ELLEN, extra cash??? Need I go on? Problem is, they said it is NOT a guarantee, just a screening call. ****sigh sigh sigh**** I may not have made myself out poor enough to benefit from her generosity. When the screener asked how the economy had affected us, I just said since I was the only one working, there was never enough money to go around, and I was always trying to figure out how to stretch what I had until the next pay day. I forgot to mention that I have been unable to pay my student loans in I don't even know how long! I make a payment here and there, and then put them back in forbearance. At the rate I am going, I think I'll need to invest in more life insurance so my kids can pay off my loans when I die!

On the bright side, I got the girls registered for full day preschool in the fall, and Matthew registered for kindergarten. I also got a little (really little after they added it onto my paycheck and taxed the fun out of it) extra money for being over by a student so I splurged on new skirts for the girls. Ruby wanted a "mermaid" one, and here's a picture of the skirt! Watch out Perry! She picked the colors herself. Clara's isn't done yet, as she picked five colors for her skirt! I can't wait to see how cute they look ON!!

God is good. All the time.

We're Back! Or...Ilene's Post Vol. 2

2009-02-16T17:16:00.000-08:00

Doesn't this look like fun?

The kids and I went up north to visit my BFF Missy and her gang this weekend. Her husband had to take her son, Jedi to a hockey tournament, so we were left with her two at home, and my five. Ages 3, 3, 4, 7, 10, and 11. Jedi is 6 and joined us on Sunday. :)

Farm Girl (as Missy likes to call her) and Noah had a great time playing Wii together. They are so comfortable with each other! It is just the cutest. I harbor a not so secret fantasy that they will grow up, fall madly in love, and give me lots of grand babies. I can't help myself. Noah would love his MIL, I would love my daughter in law....we could spend all the holidays together! Ahhhh... I can always dream. :) My husband says I am a nut, I say that with 8 kids between us, the likelihood of someone getting married is pretty good! :)

Missy has a new dog. My girls LOVE him. He does not love them nearly as much, but was a real trooper about all the loving. It was especially good to see Ruby willing to get so close to a dog. She wanted to take him home! Clara smiled a lot this weekend, but I was unable to catch it on camera except for here! :) Matthew actually took this picture! (Much more appropriate than pictures in the past!)

There is no story to this picture, I just thought it was too cute not to share. :) I suppose I could share that Ruby wandered off into the woods on Missy's property (without any of the kids noticing) while looking for her mitten thus giving me a heart attack, stroke, and strong desire to start drinking heavily, or jump off of a bridge, but that would be kind of a downer to such a great weekend. This was the picture that you would have seen on the news as the missing child picture had Missy not found her before I put out an Amber Alert! I tend to go worse case scenario when I am in a panic about the safety of one of my children!!

Aside from that, we had a great weekend. Missy made adorable princess outfits for the three little girls. We kept meaning to take a picture of them together, but with the whirlwind of activity somehow I kept forgetting!

I consider myself very lucky to have Missy in my life. We are so opposite, and the distance keeps us from getting together as much as we'd like but both she and I, and our kids always pick right back up where we left off as if there had never been any time spent apart. My husband often accuses us of "sitting around and staring at each other", but aren't the best friendships the ones that can withstand, or even enjoy comfortable silence, ramble on about nothing, and share a good laugh, or a heart wrenching cry?

God is good. All the time.

Check Mate!

2009-02-08T16:24:00.000-08:00

The big boys and I went up to Lansing this weekend for the Chess Tournament at MSU. It is a very fun, but stressful adventure every year. Ricky did great! I was very proud.

He lost his first match, but after lots of tears, a few threats from me, him threatening to not play the rest of the day, and the bribe of a dinner out with just mom we got him back in chess playing order.

My little man is a perfectionist, and does not like to lose. He strives to be the best at everything, which will take him far some day, but makes for a very uptight seven year old at other times! After losing his first match, his heart was pounding a mile a minute. I hate to see him get so upset, but when the opposing team sat down, I knew we were going to be out played. It was painful to watch. All four of our players were picked off like flies!

To take the edge off, we went for a latte between matches. He and I both got some heavenly creation called a Teddy Bear. White Chocolate Caramel latte. I decided to un-diet this weekend! Good thing I can't afford to buy fancy coffee all the time, or I would be the biggest gainer! The coffee helped calm his nerves, (kind of like a Ritalin without the prescription) and he played with dignity and grace the rest of the day. He did lose again, but there were no tears, which to me was a victory. The two children that he did lose to were playing at the top table (meaning highest ranked kids) during the last round. His ending stats...2 wins 1 tie and 2 losses.

The rest of the weekend was spent at the hotel. There is an indoor pool and the kids swim until their eyeballs can't take it anymore. In addition, they just enjoy hanging out and DS'ing together. Us parents enjoy chatting, playing cards, and sharing stories. Squishy and the "weleeted picture" was a story that I was forced by others to repeat many times this weekend!

To finish off the weekend, we went to The Parlor in Jackson. Ricky didn't go because he had a birthday party to attend, but he only went after I PROMISED him a trip to The Parlor over spring break. Here are Noah and the girls with their BABY Dare to be Great sundae.... I've included a before and after picture. They were still smiling at the end, but even with four they didn't actually manage to finish it all!

God is good. All the time.

Found the Camera, lost the cord thingie...

2009-01-29T18:32:00.000-08:00

Today I am typing from my handy dandy school issued laptop. I have located my camera, but cannot upload pictures today since I cannot find the cord that I am supposed to plug into my camera to load pictures.

It would not be a stretch to call me severely technology impaired. Of course, aside from blogging, sending email, and surfing facebook, I have very little use for it, so am sadly not all that inspired to learn more. To be honest, I cannot even figure out how to make my blog look fancy, or how to list my favorite blogs on the side. Sigh.....

Ricky has another chess tournament next weekend. If you've never been to a chess tournament, you have no idea how stressful they are! (For us parents!!) He is actually a pretty good chess player and has been put on his "A" team, as the second chair. This doesn't bode well for him winning a medal, which is his sole purpose in life (collecting medals and trophies...not just chess medals) Poor Noah had the same problem...he was usually A-1, and would hold his own, but not win enough to get a trophy. I always kind of hoped that they would get selected to be like B-3, and then they might have a fighting chance at getting a medal. I guess I should just try thinking positively!!

The best part of the weekend will be going to The Parlor! A super yummy ice cream parlor with gigantic portions! I will be throwing my weight watching out the window for the weekend. You only live once, and I only go to The Parlor once a year, so if I end up having to "pay in" to the Biggest Loser pot, so be it! It will be a dollar well spent. :)

I'm a little worried about hubby who can't blink his left eye, has pain in his jaw, a swollen tongue, and an ear ache. I tried to talk him into going to the emergency room to no avail. He made a doctor's appointment for tomorrow, which means even he must be worried. Web MD said seek medical attention for a painful jaw...he says he did since he is going to the doctor tomorrow. I'm not sure that is what Web MD meant. No use arguing with him...he is always right. It's a good thing I love him so... he is really a lot of work. :)

God is good. All the time.

Someone has taken my camera....

2009-01-18T13:05:00.000-08:00

Never fear, we are did NOT have any more babies, this is just an old picture that was on my hard drive. A post just doesn't feel like a post without a picture or two!

Lest I be chastised by my dear friend Salt, I better update my blog despite not knowing where my camera is. The three littlest all have their own digital cameras, but mine takes better pictures, so it often disappears.

The last time it disappeared, my dear youngest son "found" it, but before he did, he wanted to know how to "we-leet" pictures. I said I would gladly show him once I had my camera. He "found" it in his closet, and gave it to me while looking rather guilty.

Upon perusing the pictures of shoes, hands, toys, and several of our cat I came across a picture of his private parts! (Taken by him, as evidenced by his hand trying to hold "it" up to the camera!) He looked guiltily at me, trying to gauge how much trouble he was in, and stalled for time.

I, trying to wear my best serious face, asked him..."What the is this a picture of?" The look of relief/shock/confusion on his face made me wish I could have taken a picture of his face at the time! He quickly blushed, and said "Um...I fink I accidentally taked a pick-sur of my wiener." I then calmly explained that it was not appropriate to take pictures of private parts, even if they are your own, especially with Mommy's camera.

Dear Husband happened into the room during "the talk" and asked what we were talking about, so I showed him the camera. It was one of his finer daddy moments! He managed to cover up the urge to burst out laughing, looked at the camera, and cast a confused look on his face, then said "What IS that?" I couldn't have planned it better! He then gave the dad version of the speech poor Squish had just heard, and we happily "we-leeted" the picture!

These are the things books and magazines forget to write about! I just read Parents magazine. I picked it up because it had an article entitled "Why Your Child Wants to be Naked" I am no more informed than I was before reading it. It was just a bunch of fluff about letting your child choose his or her own clothes. Then at the end, they had a recipe on how to make black olives into penguins, using carrots and cream cheese. It involved poking eye holes with a toothpick and filling them with cream cheese. I think I shall never read this magazine again. This is why...

My kids would grab a handful of aforementioned black olive penguins, shove them in their mouths, and chew with their mouths open while arguing over who lost the DS charger. All the while they would not be noticing the black olives were lovingly shaped into penguins! These same kids could then dress themselves and take those same clothes off ten minutes later. My older boys would leave on their underwear...the younger three...NOTHING! Except of course their glitter boots, or cowboy boots (depending on the child) and then proceed to sing Christmas Carols in the living room. Explain that Parents magazine!

Perhaps I should give up and start writing my own articles for parents of WalMart clearance rack clothed, non-vegan, (there was an article about Vegan babies too...) disposable diaper wearing, snot stuck in their hair providing they didn't cut it all off, only eats cheese puffs and Oreos with chocolate milk for breakfast children that I must continue to believe exist less I completely lose my mind.....

I digress...

Interesting things that have happened lately....

1) Noah turned 11. We had a party at Zap Zone. Everyone gave him money. He is very happy.

2) Alyssa turned 18. We sent her some money. We haven't heard anything from her lately. I can only assume she is happily buying lottery tickets in Ohio.

3.) My mom turned 60 (sorry Mom!) Her significant other planned a surprise dinner for her. It was very enjoyable, and just made me all the more determined that we must all spend at least one of the holidays together all in the same room...even if it is the basement of Banfields.

4.) We had a too cold for school day on Friday, making this a four day weekend. Woo hoo!

5) I've started walking with friend almost every day after school. It's great to exercise after work the health benefits, but more importantly the friendly conversation, (even if it's mostly me talking) gives me something to look forward to at the end of the day.

Another completely random picture....just be glad we "we-leeted" the other one!

God is good. All the time.

Losing Hope....

2009-01-13T19:26:00.001-08:00

"You know that place between asleep and awake, where you still remember dreaming? That's where I will always think of you."

-Tinker Bell

In loving memory of

Briona Hope Boyer

11/18/02 - 1/14/03

When I first found out we were going to have a girl, and before I knew how really sick she was to be, I wanted to name my baby "Hope". A nurse friend told us that names like "Hope" and "Angel" gave the surgeons the heebie jeebies, and that perhaps I should choose another name. So Brian, in his ever vigilant quest to name all things in our house after himself came up with Briona. Briona Hope. Brian, and the feminine Briona means "strength, and perseverance" according to the baby books. It seemed like a good fit.

Six years ago tonight I was at the hospital. I was bathing my sweet baby and getting her ready for her big tv debut with Lila Lazarus from channel 4 news the following morning. I was watching Law and Order, chatting with her nurse, eating Good and Plenty, and drinking Diet Coke, and most importantly stroking her hair. It was often the only "safe" place I could touch her. So many tubes and wires. Despite all of this, she was alert, and happy, despite the ventilator and the drain they had to put in her belly to drain fluid. I would have never left if I had known that night would have been her last.

Briona, my Hope died in our arms in the early morning hours of January 14th. Not a day goes by that I don't miss her, and wonder what if...

If I learned anything from our three month descent into the surreal world of pediatric cardio thoracic surgeries, and ECMO and transplants, and traches, and code blues, and miracles...it was that life is meant to be treasured, and enjoyed, and lived to the best of our abilities every day. If an infant with an open chest and on a ventilator can find joy in this world, who am I to feel sorry for myself? I have to remind myself of this, especially lately when I've felt as if things aren't fair. Briona taught me...life is not fair, make the best of it.

I am blessed to have happy healthy children at home, a husband who loves me, and many incredible friends who keep me going, make me laugh, (often at myself), and help me appreciate all the little things in life. They bring me great joy. (Even if they don't know just how much a box of Good and Plentys would mean...especially today.) Thank you!!!

God is good. All the time.

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-28T14:39:00.000-08:00

The holidays did not get off in quite the way I had hoped. First a snow day (woo hoo) and then an unfortunately long bout of the stomach flu took over at our house! As of this posting, we have been officially barf free for going on 36 hours. I have knocked on wood, sprayed Lysol, and had my fingers and toes crossed in hopes of finally bidding farewell to this nasty little bug!

Needless to say, I feel tired, bored, restless, and a little ripped off! No fancy dinners or family gatherings for the majority of us. We were too sick to venture out, and too germy to risk sickening the rest of our family members. Our holidays were spent at home in our PJ's. The kids didn't seem to mind, in fact it actually gave them more time to play with all their new goodies.

No, we didn't get two dinosaurs, but Clara has pretty much taken over the care of Kota for Matthew. For the most part he doesn't mind, as long as he gets to keep it in his room and tell everyone that it belongs to him!

I am still trying to figure out the art of buying for twin girls. Last year I got two of everything, which left some things opened and unreturnable, but for the most part ignored, so this year I tried to get them gifts that were more suited toward their individual personalities, meaning different things for different girls. BIG MISTAKE!! They have spent the last three days arguing over what belongs to who, (whom?) and crying that the one has something that the other one wants. The biggest hit was the matching shopping carts, the $5.00 bathtub Barbies, (one Sleeping Beauty, one Mermaid) and the hooded towels from the clearance rack at K-Mart. Mental note for next year....keep it simple!

The boys of course are easy, as you shop for them you can ask yourself "Is this a game for DS or Wii?" and if the answer is yes, you know you have a winner! Ricky is a BIT tougher, as he is a little more picky about his DS games, and does not like playing Wii, so when shopping for him you must think like a teenage boy, which is weird when shopping for a 7 year old. He loves weird lights (lava lamps, volcano lights, etc.) Ax "cologne", and music.

All in all, I think everyone had an enjoyable holiday, and found what they wished for the most under the tree!

Hope you and yours have a happy, healthy, and relaxing holiday season, and a prosperous 2009!

God is good. All the time.

Ilene's Post....

2008-12-14T16:24:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been way too long since I have posted anything. Somehow the year is getting away from me way too fast, although it's not June yet, so "too fast" depends on the day. Most days, my life looks like this... Since the pumpkin patch, we've had the following exciting events... Pumpkin Carving...

Trick or Treating... (No pictures of Clara, she was in "a mood" as we like to say!)

The girls turned three and had a princess party...
Alyssa came home and we had Thanksgiving with the Brewsters and played football... Squish and his Sissy...

Ricky and Grandpa Rick

Alyssa and Ruby...`

The family football game. It was a tie. Rick gave out medals to all the boys. :)

The motley crew that I like to call "family". :)

And last, but not least, Matthew turned five. We had cake and ice cream and he got to go shopping and pick whatever he wanted. He chose a couple of DS games and a light saber.

I haven't transferred any pictures to the computer yet. I'll get to it one of these days!

Noah had his first band concert and played a solo, I couldn't get any pictures because my camera wouldn't zoom in close enough..., but he did awesome. I was very proud! I'm looking forward to Ricky's performance tomorrow night at Pease auditorium, the Jingle Bell walk at Perry, and having two weeks off!

Wishing you and yours a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

God is good. All the time.

Fall Fun Anyone?

2008-10-26T18:15:00.001-07:00

Please Daddy??? Can't we get a big big big pumpkin??? (And no...he couldn't resist...but we just got ONE big one, and several "normal sized" pumpkins!

Football season still has us hustling and bustling. Busy busy busy seems to be the key phrase in our life! Briona's sixth birthday came and went, and as usual I was in a bit of a funk for the weekend, but have faith that someday I will be reunited with my baby. Ricky's football season is over. They don't have playoffs in his league, thank goodness, or else we'd have two boys in the playoffs! Noah's team has done really well, and Noah is now playing nose guard. He continues to amaze me with his perseverance. He just keeps getting better and better. The last four games he's gotten his name announced as either assisting with, or making tackles! He's also doing great in school. I'm so proud of my oldest boy. He's in this picture...#4.

Matthew has adjusted well to the full day school schedule. He loves preschool in the morning with Mrs. Bowen and Mrs. Eyeball (okay...it's Arbaugh, but try and convince Matthew of that!) he thinks he's pulling one over on them because he comes home every day and tells us "We didn't even have to do any work!" but truth be told, he is used to Ms. Debra and doing LOTS of work! He of course still worships the ground Ms. Debra walks on, and is a little worried about going to kindergarten and NOT being in her class anymore. He's decided he wants to be in the Montessori room next year. Mostly because of the rats! They have four pet rats, and the teacher lets Matthew come in every day and feed them. She's also been giving him lessons, so he's been getting into their materials as well, and loving it. It will be a far cry from what we're used to, but I think Matthew is driven to succeed, and will do well.Ricky continues to be the Ricky that you all know and love! Full of spunk, individuality, and a bit of sass. Good thing he's such a mama's boy! It saves him many a day! It's hard to get mad when he turns on those big blues and starts to explain himself. Sometimes it's hard not to just laugh. His most recent stunt involves large "gold" jewelery with a dollar sign on it, (bling he calls it) and his school picture. To his credit, he asked if he could wear it, and my answer was "We are going to give these pictures out to Grandma Lucy and in Christmas cards...is that what you want everyone to see?" I guess his answer was yes. I haven't gotten his pictures yet, but I'll post them as soon as they come. :) The girls are quickly coming up to their 3rd birthday. Still as different as night and day. Clara has become a dance class drop out, but Ruby continues to LOVE LOVE LOVE dance class. We took the littles to the pumpkin patch today, and had a nice family day, sans the big boys. They, for the second year in a row ditched us! Actually they were at a birthday party, so we just had fun picking out pumpkins for them!

Above is a rare picture of Clara smiling. She spotted a cow, and said "Cows my favorite!"

And here perhaps is one of the only photos I ever appear in with my kids!

I'll post Halloween pictures this weekend.

God is good. All the time.

Better than Saturday Night Live....

2008-10-04T18:48:00.000-07:00

This video makes me laugh. I had to share. Matthew thinks it's the greatest.

We're still in the midst of football, and now it's getting cold. I blame myself. Last week I said to another football mom "I thought you said we would freeze during football...I keep getting sunburned!" Fast forward to now...my butt cheeks frozen to metal bleachers... I know...it's not a pretty picture, even in your imagination!

The girls didn't have dance class this week, so it remains to be seen if Clara will decide to cooperate. She says she will, but I'll believe it when I see it!

Hope all is well in the lives of my few (but loyal) readers. :)

God is good. All the time.

Ballerina Girl....and her sister!

2008-09-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

The girls had their first dance class today. Parents are not allowed to watch, so at the end of class when all the girls came marching out. Ruby exclaimed "Dat was AWESOME! I yuv dance class!" Her teacher said she was "Fabulous!" It was a very proud mommy moment.

Clara on the other hand, came slinking out of the room after a couple of minutes had passed and she was sure she wouldn't have to go back in the room. She couldn't wait to get her Crocs back on and get the heck out of Dodge. She says it was too loud, and she is too little, and she did not like it. At least she was in the room...two other little girls just cried in the hallway for 45 minutes as their mothers begged and pleaded for them to go in and join the class!
Hopefully she will get tired of sitting in the corner and doing nothing, and join in the fun in the next couple of weeks. Worse case scenario, I pay money for her to sit in the corner for a year. At least she'll get a cute costume out of the deal.

We have football tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to snap a few pictures of the boys in action. My camera is so slow to actually take the picture, I've only managed to get their cleats and butts. Not something I care to post on a public blog.

God is good. All the time.

Who Rocks the House??

2008-09-11T19:29:00.000-07:00

The Braves Rock the House!!

Football season is officially under way!

So far both of the boy's teams are 1-1. Ricky and Noah got their first taste of playing this last week, and are both looking forward to the next game. Noah plays defensive end, and Ricky is playing center. I can't believe how much fun I am having watching them play!!

I promise to take better pictures of them at the next game. I was just too excited about how cute Matthew and Ruby looked in their fan wear. :) Clara has a cheerleader uniform too, but she refused to wear it and wore (surprise) her light up pink princess clothes instead.

God is good. All the time.

We're back!! Now when do I get a vacation???

2008-08-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

Disney World was according to my children "awesome", which means I have done my job well. :) Brian and I on the other hand are exhausted. So I am now wondering....when do I get a vacation???? I know, I know, when I retire....right?? Even if I'm wrong, let me live in ignorance for the next 22 odd years until I get there. :)

Pictures speak a thousand words, and if I haven't made it clear already, I am tired...so here in a picture fest is our vacation... :)

Ricky showing how happy he is to be at Disney World...

Help! A shark ate my boys!!

Matthew staring as Sleeping Beauty's prince!! (What a cute couple!)Noah preparing for Driver's Ed...(according to him, he is an excellent driver)

Light Weights!!! (Ha!)

Quality Dad time...except for Ricky...too busy trying to catch lizards..... Mama's boys...yes I am aware that I have several chins...did I mention I'm thinking of starting weight watchers soon??

The whole family (minus the girls)....at Hollywood Studios....

My girls....at home...not at Disney World....

Don't you just love hand me down clothes? My girls were soooo happy to get a bag full from cousin Bella! Ruby couldn't wait to put on some new duds, and ALL of the baggy full of "pretties" in her hair!

That's all for now, I'll post more Disney pics as I unwind and get the time.

God is good. All the time.

And the Winner is...!!!

2008-08-07T13:57:00.000-07:00

I guess in blogland I would be considered a blog loser. I do not have people begging me to post helpful hints, or bits of witticism. I'm thinking it may this way since I have no helpful hints, and am not nearly as witty as I would like to think. My blog is basically just bits and pieces of my crazy life, and the occasional rant. Even my enticing offer of a Webkinz could not convince a very long list of comment leavers. However, to be true to my word...we had a drawing here!

First we wrote down the names of the lucky comment leavers....
Then we folded them and threw them into a bowl... Next I asked Matthew to put the bowl on his head...

Matthew was confused...so Ricky filled inAnd pulled out the lucky winner of a new white mouse lil' kinz!!!

Yea Heather! I'll get that little white mouse out to you at our next 1/2 friend/sisterly sis convention!

Thank you for your lovely comments!!!

God is good. All the time.

Happy Birthday Ricky!

2008-08-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe the my once tiny ten pound eight ounce baby boy is now a baseball slingin' football playing, grown up steak eatin' seven year old. We had a Chuck E. Cheese party for friends on Sunday, and today we went to the sprinkler park in Canton, and out to dinner. Ricky picked Lone Star...and insisted on ordering a "grown up" steak. He ate it ALL and his salad, and his potato...maybe football isn't such a good idea after all!

In honor of his birthday, here are the top seven things I love about Ricky...

1. His beautiful blue eyes.

2. His tender heart.

3. His laugh.

4. His ability to make friends wherever he goes.

5. He is so very smart!

6. The way he still plays with his hair when he's tired.

7. The fact that he is still my snuggle bug...as long as his friends aren't looking!

I could go on and on, but the fact of the matter is that I think that I am one of the luckiest moms in the world to be blessed with such a wonderful son.

Happy birthday kiddo!!

Beware of Barbers that wear Clip On Ties with Tank Tops...

2008-07-31T15:18:00.000-07:00

He may look innocent enough...and the price may be right, but he tends to take off waaaayyyyy too much hair in the front. Just ask his latest client...

It's not all his fault that Ruby is sporting a new chin length bob with bangs (if you look really closely at the few hairs left in that general vicinity) Matthew found Ruby trying to cut her own hair...so he helped her so she wouldn't "mess it up and look weird".

Thank goodness for Cookie Cutters salon.

We're adjusting.

God is good. All the time.

No We're Not Starting a Nudist Colony...and the 50th post!!

2008-07-30T16:15:00.001-07:00

Well...here we are, the 50th post! Any commenters will be entered into a drawing for a WEBKINZ! I'm not sure which one, I'll have to check my stash, but it will be new, with unused tags!

I wanted to dedicate this post to my Noah since he is usually absent from the photos, but we've been doing so much I feel the need to talk about everyone...but here is my "football star" as he calls himself!

Look out Notre Dame....Noah started football practice this week! Much to his very over protective worry wart mother's chagrin, HE LOVES IT! He is working out like a champion, trying to eat a healthier, more sport oriented diet, and even more importantly, bonding with his dad. Brian is VERY proud of how well Noah is doing. I am also very proud of my son. I can't believe the amount of running and exercising the boys have been doing. The coaches are like drill sergeants complete with "yes sir" after every question, and Noah is taking it all in stride. He is not very naturally athletically talented, but his heart is in the right place! I never thought I would see him doing the things he has done this week. I will never again underestimate that kid!!

Ricky also started football this week, although his first practice was today. I had to leave early as he was crying and begging me to take him with me. That boy who IS very athletically inclined does not like to do anything that isn't easy for him. He's also a little tender hearted, although when he's tearing through the house a mile a minute it's easy to forget that fact. Football will be good for him in other ways, and it's nice to give Noah the upper hand for once. He is usually in his brother's shadow in sports. This time, Noah is the one who's got it together. Yea Noah!

I've succeeded in potty training the girls for the most part. They wear underwear now, but the problem being, they prefer being naked. Thus the title! Here's Clara at the beach! And Ruby in the front yard... My neighbor asked me the other day if we had joined a Nudist Colony. (He was teasing!) I told him that we hadn't yet, as if we did, I would be naked too, and it's tough to sell houses in this neighborhood right now! I also told the poor guy that this was what he had to look forward to! He's a new daddy himself!

We just got back from a lovely kid filled visit with my bff Missy. The kids had a GREAT time and really didn't want to leave. Missy and I pretty much just hung out and enjoyed each other's company. Meems also whipped up a couple of dressed for the girls which they LOVE. Haven't been able to get them out of them since we got home! I did manage to wash them last night, but they put them right back on again this morning! Here are some pictures from my "vacation

Ricky's birthday party is this Sunday. Hard to believe he is turning seven already. After that, we'll be getting ready for our "real" vacation, which the boys still believe is to New Jersey. Tee hee!

Little voices are calling from upstairs (I'm pretty sure they're not in my head!)

Don't forget to leave a comment to win yourself a Webkinz!!

God is good. All the time.

Getting Close to 50....

2008-07-10T16:07:00.001-07:00

I am getting dangerously close to my 50th post, which I guess in blog land means you are supposed to have some type of drawing and lovely hand made prize for a lucky commenter. I am not near so craftily talented as my friends, so I am quite thankful that most times the only person who comments is my sister. I can exclude her from winning since she is related to me. As for the rest of my commenters (few as they are) I don't think any of them are in need of anything produced by my hands! Besides...I need a new needle in my sewing machine.

Maybe I'll do a drawing for a Webkinz...who knows???

We had a lovely 4th, spending the afternoon and evening with dear friends and family. The boys were really disappointed about the cancellation of the Ford Lake fireworks, so Brian tried to make it up to them by buying as many fireworks as he could at Walmart. Truth be told, I think the dads had more fun with the fireworks than the kids...what do you think??

Here are Maurice, Brian and Donny trying to light as many fireworks as possible simultaneously in order to put on a big show for "the kids".

My sister let Bella attempt to spend the night. She had a blast (even though she didn't officially sleep over) and fit right in with our wild children.
Here's another shot of the gang
Although it may appear that Bella is in the process of being ignited, I can assure you dear sister that she was safely on the lawn...she was going back to her assigned spot as I snapped this picture!

Bella rejoined us on the 5th (bright and early I might add) for some swimming fun with the cousins. Yes, I know her swimsuit is on backwards, and so did she, but she thought it was "just fine". Who am I to argue?? My kids are usually naked!
Here's Clara in her new "cheese" pose. If I tell her to say "cheese" she holds her hands out like that. I'm hoping it's just a phase. Although to look on the bright side, at least she's holding still! Here's Ruby...or trouble as she should have been named. (Notice the hose in her hand!!) You know what they say about the baby of the family...

I've started to worry about the absence of Noah in my pictures. Being the oldest, he is always doing his own thing...I think I may have to dedicate my 50th post to just him. :)

Check back soon for more pics and the details of Bella's birthday party.

God is good. All the time.

Summer Lovin'....

2008-06-29T11:11:00.000-07:00

Not like the kind of lovin' from Grease...I mean we are lovin' summer, but that title may not have had the same type of power to make you want to read more. (Always the teacher...)

We are enjoying summer! I have been professionally developed, and now am a certifiable advanced CFG coach. If you don't know what that means, don't feel bad...I'm not always completely certain either! :) I do know I spent a couple of days networking with colleagues in other buildings discussing ways to raise student achievement, which is of course a passion of mine.

I am also being allowed to sleep in until 7:30ish, with some good snuggle time after the peeling open of eyelids. I am usually awakened by a small voice asking "Do I dot skoo doday" or..."Do I dot baseball doday?"(Matthew) or "Mama...what doin?" (Ruby) or a much louder, bossier voice saying "Wate up Mama!" followed by an ear piercing repeat of "Wate up!!!!!" I'll have to leave you to guess who wakes me up in that fashion. :)

Of course summer means staying up late, which means I feel no more refreshed than usual, but the relaxed pace of summer makes things so much more bearable.

Our favorite summer thing to do is to get ice cream! (Thus explaining my waist line....) Here's Clara being told, "Find your shoes, so we can go get some ice cream"

Here's the crew enjoying ice cream...

And perhaps my favorite picture so far this summer....my Ruby showing us all that life is meant to be enjoyed. (Notice she has not one but TWO ice cream cones in her hands!) Either that or she is teaching us the life lesson of "Don't set your ice cream cone down if you don't want your sister to eat it..." Either way, I still love this picture!

God is good. All the time.

Feeling Blue....

2008-06-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

I was looking forward to a visit from my bff....and so were my kids...but now she's not coming down state. Well, she is, but not to MY house for a few nights like she was going to. My kids are totally bummed, and I have to admit that I've been pretty crabby as well.

Here is the MIA BFF....and her dd10

Don't they just look fun????

If Noah says "Sure is a bummer that Mimi's not coming....sigh sigh, I sure was looking forward to seeing dd10" I think I may scream! He continued on..."I got mail from dd10, but it's not as fun as a visit." Ricky asked if Mimi was mad at me...to which I answered..."I don't THINK so" but now I'm paranoid. Matthew just cried and suggested that we get in the van and go get her. Ahhh kids...nothing like rubbing a little salt into a raw wound!

I took them to the zoo to cheer them up, but they just wanted me to buy them stuff. Which I did, but they forgot is was supposed to help them get over their Mimi sadness and still grumped later in the evening... which made me even grumpier!

I did tell my hubby that I would still be going out on Saturday night with my dear sister for a margarita...no need to waste a perfectly good offer on my hubby's part to stay with my kids for an evening! Who knows...maybe I'll even have two!

God is good. All the time... (Even when your bff isn't coming to town.)

Happy Birthday to You! An Ode to My Sister....

2008-06-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

I would scan a picture but I can't figure out how to make the stupid scanner work. Sorry....

My sister is a sassy gal

the kind that makes you think

she's always quick to help you out

she'll be there in a wink

She has a twinkle in her eye

that makes you stop and wonder

what she's up to or what she'll say...

or what she'll turn up under

She's loads of fun and skinny too

my sister is the best

I love her very much you see

she's withstood every test

She buys my kids

all sorts of crap, the stuff we can't afford

when my kids go to Bubba's house

they certainly are never bored

So even though we sometimes fight

okay, well maybe we brawl

I love my quality sister sis

she's tops amongst them all!

Happy birthday to my Sister Sis. I love you....

xoxo

Quality and Kids

Happy Father's Day...An ode to my hubby....

2008-06-15T12:40:00.001-07:00

Sometimes he drives me crazy

because he's such a grump...

and I'll never be in a magazine

with this kind of baby "bump"

He's rough around the edges

but his heart is made of gold

I never feel as safe as when

I'm in his bear hug hold

So on this Hallmark holiday

(that would be his favorite phrase)

I hope he knows how much he's loved

on this and every day!

Happy Father's Day to my Knight in Dirty Carharts....I love you!!!!

Where's Grandpa Tim When You Need Him?

2008-06-13T20:25:00.000-07:00

We have a pair of crazy ducks that roam our neighborhood. They drive poor Puppy Cakes crazy, but much to the delight of my children, they graced us with their presence in our front yard the other day! Be warned...my video-ing could turn your stomach...and for the record, the half naked guy walking down the driveway is my NEIGHBOR...not my husband!!

Okay, I just watched the video again and felt compelled to add the following information. The kids are throwing bread, not rocks at the ducks, and the other blonde child is not mine (but might as well be for as often as he is at our house!)

I had a wonderful time tonight. I went to a party with friends, no children, (or husbands!!) and I was able to actually hold a conversation without anyone climbing into my lap or stealing food from my plate! Good friends, good food, a truly lovely evening!! What a great start to the summer!

Ruby is still up, (speaking of climbing into laps...) so I'll cut this short. I'll also try to not be a blog slacker. :0) Look for more posts soon!

God is good. All the time.

This place is a zoo!! And other random things we've been doing....

2008-06-12T20:12:00.001-07:00

Well, school has finally finished (okay, it was last Friday!) and as you can see by the video above, Matthew's last few days were more fun than I ever remember school being! Matthew had such a fun time at his water party, that it was all he talked about for days. The conversation usually started with "Oh man...it was so fun...you should have been there!" Brian heard so much about it that he told Matthew he'd do his best to be at the next water party next year. Matthew told him he needs to ask Ms. Debra when it is so he can put it on the calendar. :) Matthew was so busy having fun, that I was able to shoot some candid film of him before he noticed I was there!

This time of year also brings the end of baseball season. Ricky's team had their last game on Saturday, Noah had his last night (a 10-3 victory!!) and Matthew has his last game this Saturday! We'll all be breathing a collective sigh of relief, for as much as we love the hustle and bustle, the absence of baseball will allow us to do things like cook dinner, (my kids have been living on sunflower seeds and hot dogs) mow the lawn, read the paper, clean the house...(oh wait...there must be summer baseball somewhere!!) etc. Noah actually starts a double elimination tournament tomorrow, but seeing as they are in 4th place with only five teams, I'm thinking we'll be out of this thing pretty quick! I'll post some pics of him in action at the tournament. I think he's getting a Mohawk tomorrow. Several boys on his team got them, and they got good hits...he's thinking it might work for him!

Ricky and Dylan Ham it up at the last game....

Ms. Debra made it to a game! Lucky Matthew 3 of his 4 teachers came to cheer him on!!

Alyssa blew into town, and is staying with us until the 17th. The kids really enjoy having her around, and spend most of their time trying to make up for lost pester your sister time. Poor Alyssa! I don't think Tuesday can come soon enough for her!

We had family day today and went to the zoo. It was quite fun aside from the kids arguing and Brian and I threatening to leave "right now" if (insert any Boyer child name here) didn't straighten up! Thankfully they all in turn heeded our warnings, and everyone left happy and with a zoo souvenir (or two) in hand! Here's a few of my favorite pictures...

My boys on the train...
Clara taking it all in... Alyssa trying to convince Ruby to RIDE in the wagon...not pull it! (Didn't work...) Ricky and the Elephant...he liked this exhibit the best because of the "gigantic poop", which thankfully was not in the eye of the camera!!

I have more pics, but I will spare you dear reader until the next post, which I plan on calling "Where is Grandpa Tim When you Need Him?!" Why you wonder???? You'll just have to check back soon to see!

God is good. All the time.

Why You Should Never....

2008-05-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

Leave "Foo Foo in Targe" (That means Leave Matthew in Charge in Clara-ese) He may be cute...

But look what he did to poor Ruby Rose!!!

Clara was trying to tell us that she had it coming....

Either that, or she was trying to convince us that she had nothing to do with the merry dirt throwing. (We're not real sure what she was talking about...but she was excited...and covered in dirt...hmmmmmmm)

Thankfully, Ruby seems to be none the worse for the wear!

Noah and Ricky are counting down the days until school is out. Here's a pic of them this morning...my morning boy, and my grump. See if you can guess who is who!

Have I ever mentioned my husband being an ogre? Here's the proof....

Actually he has been quite sweet lately, but I can't let Missy be the only one who gets to post humiliating pictures of her husband online!

Like Father, Like Son....

It's late, and we've got baseball ALL day tomorrow. I wouldn't be crushed if the 9:30 game got cancelled.

God is good. All the time.

Cute pictures to make up for yesterday!

2008-05-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

Today started out WORSE than yesterday, but is much better now. To celebrate, I'm posting a few recent pics.

This first one is called "Farmer John Came to Perry School, and Matthew Touched a Pig" (Sing it to the tune of Old McDonald....) Matthew was actually was holding the pig, but before I could snap the picture (I hate my camera...) it started squirming and he handed it back!

This collection is entitled... Why God Gave me a couple of Girls....

To help me make pancakes of course! Ruby was having so much stirring, that she got REALLY upset when I had to actually put the batter on the griddle!! Notice their pretty bracelets and pink fingernails! I can't take any credit for the fingernail polish though...kudos to Michelle for managing to get them to sit still long enough!

Speaking of kudos, my sister deserves some major ones...she took three of my kids today AND got the girls to take a nap. I am eternally grateful, although they slept so long, that as I type at 11:37, they are still up giggling in their room. I can always hope that they sleep in tomorrow.

Thanks to my sister I actually got a few moments to myself today, (which I needed DESPERATELY) and was able to enjoy Noah's and Ricky's baseball games. Both boys played well. I'm so proud of them.

Here is Matthew and his fiance "Baby".

I'm thinking of putting this picture in the paper to announce their engagement...but Matthew has his eye on a six year old! He actually blushes when he talks about her...which is almost constantly. He says he has a "trush" on her. :)

The girls are finally quiet, so they are either asleep, or drawing on the walls. I guess I better go check.

God is good. All the time.

Nobody Wants to see a Picture of a Crabby Mommy....

2008-05-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

I have no cute pics to post today. Well, actually I might have cute pics, but I am not in a cute picture mood. Feeling a bit crabby today, so I'm looking forward to the weekend.

Here is a short list of things that may or may not have contributed to my foul mood...

1. Dog poop on the bottom of toddler sized Crocs.
2. Ice cream socials... with five kids and no husband.
3. Children who don't turn their assignments in and then try to play DS because it's Friday.
4. Whining. (From kids...not myself!)
5. Not winning any special post blog contests. I'm thinking they are RIGGED!
6. Accidentally killing chickens in utero (egg?) due to improper humidity.
7. And a few other things too, but I've complained enough about those....!

I think I need a bubble bath and a margarita...or at least a good night's sleep!

Now that I've vented, here is a list of NICE things that happened today....

1. My kids were GREAT at the spring sing today! (I'm so proud!)
2. Got an invite to a party! I know the date now...just have to figure out the theme. Hoping I don't have to come in costume. (Where can I get an alligator costume???)
3. My dad left me comments on my Myspace page.
4. Val had chocolate at work, and I know where she hides it!
5. Nice lady at the aforementioned ice cream social kept giving the girls free stuff.
6. (This one is awesome...) Getting Leslie in my room next year!!
7. Sharing the "poop" story with Debra
8. My nephew's adorable videos on my sissy's blog.

Maybe my day wasn't so bad after all. :)

Still looking forward to a margarita...

God is good. All the time.

The Lastest Trends in Boyerville....

2008-05-09T18:39:00.000-07:00

It's a crazy busy time of year so I haven't been posting as often as I'd like, but I have been snapping pics left and right.

Here are a few of my favs....

I call this one "Why Everyone Needs a Doodle"

Here Puppy Cakes is supervising the night time bath. I told you all she was a great dog! We went to the vet yesterday. She weighs 23 pounds and is only 13 weeks old. I'm thinkin' we are going to have a great big Doodle!!

This next pic is called "What Happens If You Don't Give Clara Her Way"

Poor Ruby. Clara wanted the bike, and Ruby wouldn't get off of it, so if you know my Clara, you know why Ruby is crying. We've yet to break her of biting. Grrrr... just when I think we've nipped it in the bud (pardon my pun) she chomps down on her poor sister. I was outside snapping other pics when this happened. I documented it to make Clara feel guilty when she is older. :)

And here is my final pic of the night...I call it "We Don't Want to Go to Bed, So We'll Show You!"

Ruby and Clara never want to go to bed. Their new plot is to protest by refusing to sleep IN their actual beds. They've been found sleeping on the floor, in their closet, and as seen here, in the hallway! This is a battle I choose to ignore. If they want to sleep on the floor, so be it. I won't be the one with a sore back in the morning!

I hope everyone has a happy, restful, and relaxing Mother's Day.

God is good. All the time.

Take Me Out to the Ball Park....

2008-04-27T06:16:00.001-07:00

For all the complaining I do about the hustle and bustle of having three boys playing ball at the same time, I have to admit that there is nothing quite as fun as opening day at the ball park. The weather report was awful, but just to prove he loves baseball, God blessed us with a beautiful sunny day to start the season.

Here are some pics from the day....

Matthew spent the day grinning from ear to ear. He was chosen to present an award from to the president and vice president of the league during opening ceremonies, so in front of a couple hundred ball players, and several hundred proud parents and grandparents, my boy got to trot across the field holding an award almost as big as he is and present it. Needless to say there was an audible "Awwwwwwwww....." as soon as he started out. His game was GREAT. Ms. Nancy from school came to cheer him on, and his grin got even bigger. I didn't think that was possible. If you are ever feeling crabby...just go watch tee ball. I haven't seen that many adults smiling at the same time in awhile. Here's my boy "in action"

Ricky had a great day as well. Here Ricky and his best bud Dylan laugh it up...
Ricky came ready to play yesterday! I was super proud, as was coach Dad. His team got creamed, but not for Ricky's lack of effort. We played our least favorite team...but it was nice to get them out of the way. Our kids did great and had fun...which is really what it is all about! Here's my Rickster looking like a pro... My sweet Noah had to move up to the majors this year, which was stressful for ME! I was so worried that he would not be able to hang with the "big dogs". I am beginning to see that maybe it is me that is just a worry wart, and he is just fine. Does he look out of place here?
Or here??? That's Noah looking to his base coach for the sign to steal...which is his favorite thing to do. If he gets on base (which he did two out of three times yesterday!!!) he will steal every base he can. Noah continues to amaze me every day. His team won 7-6. Go Mets!!!

We were at the ball park from 8:00 am to 8:00 p.m. Thankfully Paula volunteered to come watch the girls for the first part of the day, and then she came out to the park later to watch Noah play for a bit. I'm thinking of pitching a tent at the ball park and just living there until June...we'll be there five or six days a week!

God is good. All the time.

The Party's Over....

2008-04-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

Uggghhhh....back to work tomorrow. After a week of "sleeping in"(ha!)...and not HAVING to do anything, I am in the dreading work mode.

Break has been good. Puppy Cakes is no where near being house trained. She enjoys pooping in Noah's room. I don't blame her, it is a pig sty...I've now nicknamed his room "poo poo palooza". He's remembering to shut his door more often. :)

Here is my list of things that I will never ever do again over spring break...

1. Let your husband promise to buy your son a new Power Wheels motorcycle if he will just let his sisters ride his motorcycle without crying.

That Matthew has a mind like a steel trap when it comes to getting things he wants. My husband had thought that Matthew forgot about it, and was quite pleased with his problem solving, until Matthew was at Toys R Us with him. Upon spotting the new sporty red Harley Davidson Power Wheels Matthew jumped on it and told Brian "You can get me dis one dad...just yike you pwomised..." What was Brian going to do? Luckily the manager was willing to sell him the floor model. It saved a few bucks...

2. Take all five children to get hair cuts at the same time. No explanation needed.

3. Put away the winter clothes.

4. Get hair highlighted and cut at Fantastic Sams. (I was wanting to get pretty, but feeling rather broke after Power Wheels and paying for hair cut for all the kids...)

I should have ran screaming when the lady whipped out one of those caps...but I didn't. I should have said "no need to trim things up" but I didn't. I should have jumped out of the chair and ran like hell as she started to just randomly lift up chunks of my hair and snip away. Instead I just sat there. Big mistake. It didn't look THAT bad at the time...or maybe I was just in survival mode... but the next morning reality sunk in.

Needless to say, my "cheap" haircut ended up costing me double and then some. I went to Tricho at the mall and had to have them fix both the cut and the color. Should have went there in the first place.

I did no sewing over break. Ricky is nagging me about making some dragon pants. At the rate I'm going, I may make him some dragon shorts. I didn't read any books, didn't get a chance to watch my soap, and didn't get any great naps in either. (Damn those toddler beds!!) My days of throwing the girls in their cribs and sneaking downstairs for a nap are over!

Things could always be worse. At least we have no house guests. Oh wait...my mil and my nephew are coming to visit next month.

On the brighter side of things...I am looking forward to winning Missy's 100th post contest, opening day for baseball, and June 7th.

God is good. All the time.

A picture is worth 1,000 words....

2008-04-07T20:38:00.000-07:00

We got our new puppy on Saturday. Despite my objections, it looks as if she will be named Puppy Cakes. Silly yes, but it kind of fits her.

To say the kids are thrilled would be an understatement. Clara has taken charge and believes the puppy is just for her. Poor Matthew has tried to make her share, but she is quite determined to do everything for this dog herself. She is like a two year old puppy sitter. That poor dog can't blink without Clara reporting it to me. "Puppy cose eyes mama" "Puppy go pee pee mama" "Puppy pay toys mama" "Puppy wake up now mama" "Puppy eat food mama" Ruby per her usual life is good self just runs around after the dog giggling. She has thanks me for the puppy every five minutes or so. Matthew enjoys playing with her as well. He wants her to live at our house forever, and follows the dog around the back yard waiting for her to poop so he can scoop it up. Ahhh...if only that would last!!

I'm not sure who is more worn out, the puppy or the kids. We've had great weather to start out our spring break. I can't believe our luck in getting such a great dog. She LOVES the kids right back, and is not at all put off by the chaos that is our life. Even the cat is tolerating her quite well. She fits right in. :) Noah spent the weekend at a friend's house, thus the lack of pictures with Noah and the new puppy.

Backyardigans Live tomorrow night with the wee ones. Grandma Peggi is going. Should be lots of fun!

God is good. All the time.

Poppy, Poopy, or Puppy Cakes....

2008-03-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

Coming soon to an already overstuffed house in Ypsilanti...the darling doodle...Poppy. (her REAL name) Poopy (as the boys like to call her) and or Puppy Cakes which is what the girls and my husband are calling her.

I can't wait for my DH to take her to a job with him and then tell "the guys" that this is his dog "Puppy Cakes". Either way, I am paying for her, so her name is Poppy! :)

I'm picking her up next weekend. This is her out in the snow yesterday. Isn't she too cute??

I'll be glad to get back to work this week. The kids have been puking or pooping or both all week. This virus has taken a toll on us all. I got Brian Guitar Hero for the Wii to cheer him up. It's worked, but I still need to upload the pictures. I'll do that later!

God is good. All the time.

Look what Matthew Brought Home!....(And the motorcycle mamas)

2008-03-18T19:17:00.001-07:00

Matthew brought home a 24 pack of playdough and accessories from school today. (Thank you Ms. Debra!!!) Good thing it was a 24 pack because the poor boy was mauled by not only the girls, but Ricky and Romeo as soon as they all realized what it was he had in that big bag! Here's a few pics of all the action! (Alas those poor playdough colors will never be the same....)

Clara was hard at work making a playdough sandwich....

Ruby was busy trying to figure out how to work all of the accessories....
And Ricky....well....Ricky found the brown playdough. Notice it is on his face. All you mothers of boys use your imagination and just guess what he may have been saying moments after I snapped this picture. If you have no boys in your family, or are not privy to elementary age school humor, I'll give you a hint.... it involves a bodily function.....

If you guessed that he said "Oh no...someone pooped on my head" you are correct! I don't know whether to congratulate or extend my condolences. Us boy moms gotta stick together. :)

I also must post my motorcycle mamas. I think Brian is going to have his work cut out for him keeping these two out of trouble...

God is good. All the time.

My 33rd Entry!!

2008-03-01T22:12:00.000-08:00

I have become quite snobby in the fabric department now. I finally dared to cut into the "nice" fabric that I had been hoarding, and now I am totally spoiled. What an amazing difference!

Here is what I made tonight....

The picture isn't that great, but I used an adorable Michael Miller Dick and Jane game board fabric. It is so cute and springy! The other set is a lovely fabric as well, it reminds me of a spring day. I don't know what kind of fabric that is...blank textiles maybe? Needless to say, it is thick, and soft, and easy to work with. I think these sets turned out pretty well. I am finally beginning to get pretty good at elastic waist bands. Well, maybe pretty good is an exaggeration...they don't reduce me to tears anymore is more like it!

I also sewed up this set for Matthew...

Yup...Nascar. Nothin' screams one generation out of the trailer park like Nascar, but my boys seem to be obsessed with Nascar lately. (The little ones, not Noah) I made Matthew a Jeff Gordon flannel set, and he wears it to school at least twice a week, so when I saw this fabric at Walmart I picked it up so we could mix it up a bit. Now, I made this set out of love for my son...my mistake was buying the fabric at Walmart. However, I've had a hard time finding Nascar fabric at the nice quilting shops that sell the "good" stuff. (Hmmmm...wonder why?????)

What a HUGE difference! I should have made a pillowcase and then stamped "made in China" on it instead of something I plan on passing off as clothes! I actually had picked up some Dora fabric there as well, but after I washed it you could see through it!!!! So I pitched it.
Matthew will be thrilled with the set, Walmart fabric and all. He isn't really very picky about his fabric. His aunt Mimi has just created a monster is all. :)

Still husbandless, and surviving. Going to church in the morning with the kids left here. Just Noah and the girls, I managed to get rid of Matthew and Ricky for the night. They like going to church with Leslie's family. They say it isn't boring like our church. I'll be praying on that....

God is good. All the time.

Why are my sea monkeys stuck together?

2008-02-25T19:13:00.001-08:00

Noah is quite proud of his sea monkeys. Thus far, he is the only one who has not only managed to hatch them, but they are each about 1/4 inch long...which in my opinion is pretty big for a sea monkey.

He truly enjoys the task of keeping them happy, always wanting to surf ebay for new and exciting things to add to their tank.

Today after school he was "airing" his sea monkeys (as he calls it...it involves squeezing a baby booger sucker into the water...it apparently works!) when a panic stricken "Mom! Mom! Come here! Quick! Something is wrong with my sea monkeys!"

Thinking they must have died, I went in with a heavy heart ready to promise a trip to Walmart to get some more. Imagine my surprise when he looked at me and said..."Look...those sea monkeys are stuck together down in the rocks...I think one got trapped and the other one was trying to help it, and now they both must be stuck there..." I was prepared to say "Yes son, they are stuck in the rocks" and get the heck out of there, when the cheeky little things decided to take a stuck together swim all over the little tank! As of this posting, they are still stuck together! I'm not sure whether I should be glad I'm NOT a sea monkey (leaning this way) or if I should be a little jealous!

Poor Noah is quite concerned. I tried to tell him that they were conjoined twin sea monkeys, but he didn't buy it. I then ran out of ideas and told him he would have to ask his dad when he got home, as I think dad knows a lot more about sea monkeys than I do. :)

Hee hee....12 more days. Not going too badly. In fact, I can blog a lot more frequently! Ricky has a RAGING ear infection, complete with goo oozing from his ear, and delirium inducing fevers. Stayed home from school to take him to the doctor today. Got an SD card when I picked up his prescription, but have not managed to actually put it into the camera.

Praying for a snow day tomorrow.

God is good. All the time.

Day 2...No Husband....

2008-02-24T18:53:00.000-08:00

Well, the good news is that I still am in possession of all five of my children. This could be due to the fact that I keep forgetting to pick up an SD card for my camera, and thus cannot post their picture in an ad that reads "Free to good home".

Actually today went well. I tried to go to church. I got everyone up, dressed, loaded into the car, etc...but then I got to church right during the time that coffee and doughnuts is NOT done from first mass, and everyone else is trying to find a parking spot for 10:30 mass. After driving around for a parking space for ten minutes (there was NO way I was going to try and cross Washtenaw with five kids in tow...) I gave up.

Since we were out anyhow, I showed the boys where I went to school when I was there age, and proved that yes indeed I did walk uphill, at least one way to school, and it was a LOT further than the walk they are subjected to each day. They asked if we could move to my old neighborhood, which I thought it was sweet until I heard them giggling in the back seat about "Then we could go to "Dicken" school...get it..."Dicken" giggle giggle guffaw guffaw"

Ricky needed new shoes, so we went to get him some. As a bribe to behave, I told them that we could go to the pet store next door if they all behaved. Got Ricky shoes, and Matthew too...I had the lady measure his foot to shut him up, and then realized that he measures a full size bigger than the shoes I had been stuffing his feet into. (Whoops!)

Went to the pet store planning on looking at fish, only to find they were having an adopt-a-thon. The place was full of cages of cats and kittens! My kids went nuts and tried to get me to get them a kitten. I actually really liked the cat that Noah liked...an all black Siamese mix lover boy with green eyes. I was tempted, but held strong. So my kids hated me for awhile. I let them play Wii when we got home. I think they are over it now. (Except for maybe Ricky...that boy can hold a grudge!)

I really don't want a cat right now, because I plan on getting a new puppy this spring or summer. Here is the one I want....

Well, it won't be him, but his mom and dad are expecting puppies in a couple of months. I want one JUST LIKE HIM!!!! I don't care what my husband says...I'm getting one. :) He didn't ask me if I wanted new windows! lol

I also did get to the grocery store all by myself. Thank goodness for teenagers that live around the corner. :)

Well...I need to set out clothes and the like. No sewing today...

God is good. All the time.

Day 1...No husband at home....

2008-02-23T22:13:00.001-08:00

Well, Brian left yesterday to take his mom back to Virginia. He will be gone two weeks, so it's just me and the kids here at home. So far...so food. Since I am hoping that this will not become a regular occurrence, I've decided to list the things I have done in his absence...

Last night I....

1) Decided to sew Matthew his "camel" outfit. This is really a camo flannel lounge set, but he has been bugging me to do this ever since he spent HIS gift card at Walmart on fabric for me to sew into clothes for him. The pants turned out alright, but Matthew won't wear the pants unless he has a matching shirt. I have now discovered that I am NOT quite the sewer that I was beginning to think I was....I had a major disaster with the shirt. Remind me not to try and applique the letter "M" or any other letter onto a shirt. Luckily it is a camo print, and Matthew is really not too picky. The "M" is looking a little ragged. Leslie (bless her heart) said she thought it was supposed to look that way, and since it was camo, it should look ragged. :)

2) I also threatened to throw all of the DS players outside and run them over if the boys didn't stop arguing about them, then after deciding that was not one of my finer moments, decided to threaten to list the boys on Ebay for $10.00 or best offer. I must have looked and or sounded serious, as after that they straightened up!

Today I....

1) Took all five kids for haircuts. Well, not all of them got haircuts. Ruby and Clara backed out of the deal, but I did manage to get Ricky, Noah, and Matthew haircuts. I was particularly concerned about getting Matthew a haircut before his bus aide started making fun of me or offering to stop off on the way home from school so he could get a trim! Noah and Ricky have spring pictures at school this week too. Didn't want them looking like ragamuffins!!

2) Went to Target with all five kids. Not sure what I was thinking here. It was quite the experience. Clara is quite the shopper and has a pair of lungs that could put most opera singers to shame. Luckily she glommed onto a Superman action hero, and a dollar bin puppy. I was going to buy a vaccuum that didn't require putting water into it (we have a rainbow) but then just couldn't part with the money...so I put it back. I was toying with the idea of taking the kids to dinner, but then Ruby decided she wanted a bike and changed my mind for me. She doesn't usually melt down, but when she does, it is pathetic. She doesn't shriek like Clara, she wails and cries and carries on complete with "peas mama...peas me bike" while people stare at me and wonder why I don't just buy the poor kid a bike. I managed to grab diapers (purpose for the trip) and my much needed Diet Coke, but forgot about the SD card I wanted to get for my camera. Needless to say, I decided on drive through and can't post any pictures today.

In case any of you are joining the throngs of strangers in Target who think me heartless, I do plan on getting Ruby a bike, but not with an impending snow storm on the way! I am hoping to get her a bike for Easter. :)

3) I sewed two lounge sets tonight with my "good" fabric. A Michael Miller print, and a Robert Kaufman print. It is much easier to sew when the kids are occupied! Ricky and Matthew went to spend the night at Leslie's house. (Again, God bless that woman!) The girls were tired after our shopping escapade, and I let Noah play Wii till he was sweaty and bleary eyed. Just as I was beginning to think I was once again a lounge set making master, my bobbin ran out, but not before getting all tangled up and wonky so that I had to tear out the seam I had started, thread bobbins, and fight the urge to list my sewing machine on Ebay!

Well, it is now the wee hours of the morning, and I am waiting for my electric blanket to heat up. I am going to attempt to take the kids to church tomorrow. I've already arranged for a sitter in the evening so that I can go to the grocery store, ALONE!

God is good. All the time.

Night and Day....

2008-02-18T14:44:00.000-08:00

I tell you...if I hadn't been present for the particularly agonizing birth of these two girls, I don't think I would know they are even related!

Ruby is currently having a major "pretties" attack. In her opinion, this means the more barettes, pony tail holders, and hair decorations in her hair, the better. First thing in the morning she wants to get dressed, and then have her hair done. She will sit on my lap all day and have me put "pretties" in her hair! If she runs and plays and gets them all messed up, or if they start to droop and fall out, it's back to the pretties basket and mommy's lap for another round of "more petties mom...more petties"

Here is Ruby in her finest Monday hair style. This is currently her favorite way to wear her hair, by far! Quite possibly a by product of livin' in our neck of the woods... :) I don't recall Bella of Saline having hair like this....

Clara on the other hand, ran screaming from me as I attempted to come near her with a comb and brush. She is in to picking out her own "clothes" too. They say a photograph is worth 1000 words. Here is my Clara.....

Yes, those are her brother's Diego underpants, and her hosptial bracelet from the emergency room a week ago. She thinks it is the best thing ever, so I guess I will let her wear it until it rots off her arm, or cuts of her circulation! I really have to choose my battles with this one. Her shriek could pierce the ears of banchees, and she bites too. Has anyone else read The Taming of the Shrew????

Here is Matthew in an outfit I sewed for him a couple of weeks ago. We lost the shirt but found it today! He's bugging me to make him a shirt for his flannel Nascar pants so he can wear those to school. He is my biggest fan.

Hoping to set up my back room as a sewing room...(not a joy filled smoke free studio...but at least a table with my machine on it) once my MIL leaves. Brian is taking her back to Virginia on Friday. He is also leaving me with our five little ones for two weeks. Pray for grace and patience....pray for grace and patience...pray for grace and patience.....

More pics and news later....

God is good. All the time.

I love my mailman....

2008-02-08T18:25:00.003-08:00

Ok, so maybe he just delivered the package, but look what I got in the mail today!

And this....

and this.....

And my most favorite....... this!!!

A yard of each...just waiting to be sewn into lounge pants and twirl sets. My pictures do not do the fabric justice, but they are thick and soft, and I'm having a good time just stroking them. It is a sickness I think....I have begun to hoard fabric. I have no sewing room...I am not a very good sewer, (I can't even dream to call myself a seamstress!!) yet I am driven to collect fabric to sew on my $90.00 machine. I don't think my machine is worthy....maybe I'll just have to stash these somewhere. Or maybe....I could use an even fancier machine! My birthday is coming up in May...Is there a 12 step program for this????? If my husband got me a newer fancier machine would he be enabling me?

In case you are wondering, the chess tournament was a bust. It was the biggest tournament ever, with just under 700 kids competing. My boys each won two of their five matches. Ricky has asked that if people ask me about how he did at the tournament, to just tell them "He doesn't want to talk about it". Noah was dissappointed, but bounced back as soon as we got back to the hotel and I let him get his DS out. I belive Ricky is still holding a grudge. Here's a pic of my little men at the tournament. I'm really proud of them.

Nothing makes one get over a dissappointment faster than a good ice cream sundae, so on our way back, we stopped at The Parlour in Jackson, for one of these....

It's called a JUNIOR Dare to be Great. I felt it was appropriate for the situation! Noah, Cameron, Ricky and Dylan seemed to be up for the challenge!

Noah wanted us to order the "real" Dare to be Great, which if eaten alone within an hour entitles you to a plaque on the wall with your name on it. Good thing I didn't fall for his pleading!!

Ricky is saying "Just say no to finishing this thing!!" (Dylan and Cameron gave up several scoops before my boys!) and Noah is trying to shovel in one last mouthful. For the record, this is his actual last bite!

Will try to blog more often. I imagine if you have read this to the end, your eyeballs may be shriveled up now!

God is good. All the time.

Check Mate!

2008-02-02T04:43:00.000-08:00

So we are here at the chess tournament in Lansing. This is just a quick post, asking for good luck thoughts to be sent our way! This is Noah's last year, and he is playing 1st board, 1st team, meaning he is up against the best players from other teams. Our team is usually pretty decent, but we are no where near the caliber of some of the other teams that meet daily and compete in tournaments all the time!

Noah is quite positive he is going to "medal" this year. I'm hoping he does too! He would be soooo thrilled! He missed a medal last year by 1/2 a point!!!!

Ricky is 2nd board 2nd team in his age bracket. He has no idea what he is in for. He thought he was at the chess tournament last night at the hotel. As we were going to bed, he asked "What did we need those shirts for if we didn't even play chess?" Hoping he doesn't have a nervous breakdown when he sees the 100's of kids he will be up against!

Thanks for the thoughts, I'll post more later!

Remind me to tell the story of Grass Hogs and Guinea Cats. :)

God is good. All the time!

The Girls in their NEW Sewn By Me Duds!! :)

2008-01-28T18:48:00.001-08:00

Okay, ignore the clutter and mess of the house...I need some new photo shop software...couldn't edit! But check out my girls' new duds! They actually got up this morning and WANTED to wear them! They took a nap and woke up and were STILL clothed! We classified this as a minor miracle, lately we have been finding them naked as a jay birds when we go to get them out of their cribs, (Hoping this is just a phase!)

Early to bed tonight to make up for last night's late night festivities.

God is good. All the time.

Just to prove him wrong!!

2008-01-27T20:35:00.000-08:00

I took my DH to Joann's today, which was a not so smart move on my part! He wandered the aisles and gasped at the prices, (especially when he went to check out the serger I had mentioned earlier in the day)

Everything I touched he had a comment for "What do you need that for?" "How much does that cost?" "You don't even know what to do with that stuff!" (I swear, he is a great guy...really!)

However, his most irritating quip (as I ohhhhed and ahhhhed over some adorable sundress fabric, and fantasized about making adorable sundresses) was something along the lines of "Well, at least I know this is just a phase...you never stick to anything...it's not like you have any real follow through....."

Now before any of you out there start giving me referrals for good divorce attorneys, please refer to the second paragraph and also note that I am a good Christian wife!

At that moment, I decided I would have to prove him wrong. When we got home though, he had to go help out some friends of ours who managed to short out their electrical box this afternoon, so I was left alone for the evening. (Just in time to cook and serve dinner, give much needed baths to the five kiddos, and get their school things ready, and get them into bed!)

I then dragged out all of my sewing gear, and became more determined than ever to sew something that would knock his socks off. (That will be the only piece of clothing removed in my presence at least for a day or two...I am holding a grudge!)

Anyhow, just as I settled down to sew, I realized I was out of Diet Coke so I quick ran to the store, got some caffeine, and finally at 9:07 looked nervously at my sewing machine. I think I heard it mocking me....I was quickly longing for my BF to be here to support me. I had flashes of bobbin failure, user error, and wrecked fabric...so I put my Michael Miller away. (After stroking it a bit)

Then I heard him say it again..."just a phase.....no follow through......blah blah blah"

So I got out my new pattern for twirl skirts and got to work. Here are my results....

They are really not as crooked as they appear here, I was trying to put them on a diagonal to be cute. Guess it didn't work! Oh well...my next hobby will have to be photography! Ha ha ha.... They actually turned out very cute, and I am very pleased. The second set is better, as I added even more for the seam allowance, and remembered to sew the first fold of the elastic holder. (opps....)

So...needless to say, it is waaaaayyyyy past my bedtime for a school night, but I am happy and pleased. Just one more pic....

Hmmmmm...maybe I should tell him I need a toddler sized dress dummy!

God is good. All the time.

The Birthday Girls....

2008-01-14T18:36:00.001-08:00

Happy 17th Birthday to Alyssa, and happy um......happy uh......happy 39th birthday to my mom.

Here they are on Christmas together. Yucking it up as they always manage to do. :)

Top 17 things I love about Alyssa....

1. She is ours...no matter where she lives!

2. She is a great daughter.

3. She is a good sister.

4. She goes to church without me nagging her.

5. She has a great laugh.

6. She is an excellent friend.

7. She never gets dragged down by peer pressure.

8. She is smart.

9. She is silly.

10. She is fun.

11. She is good at math....a quality I admire, especially since I am NOT!

12. She is good at science...(see above)

13. She is willing to try new things...sorry about those dance lessons in 4th grade!

14. She is getting to be a pretty good driver...ditches and all!

15. She will defend her friends, and family.

16. She is an excellent role model.

17. She is Alyssa... nothing less, a unique, amazing, adventurous, carefree, confident, silly, serious, and loving person... I love her and miss her. We all do.

Happy Birthday Sis....

I can't even begin to list all the things I love about my mom. I am glad to be my mother's daughter. I see, feel, and hear myself becoming more and more like her as the days pass, and my own life leads me to shriek "Waaaauuuugggghhhhhhh" as dogs wrap leashes around my legs, children throw up on me, someone takes off a poopy diaper and carries it across the room dropping turds on the floor, or anything else unexpected happens. It's an unusual sound, but it gets the job done. I am not as skinny as my mom though....hmmmmm maybe that will give me something to look forward to as I get closer to um....ah....39.

I hope Noah never reads this and wonders why I didn't list my top ten things about him on his birthday. To be honest, I just thought of it. (Sorry Noah....) I'll post the best 11 things about you next year. I'll dedicate a post to you my bud after the chess tournament.

God is good. All the time.

I hate today...

2008-01-13T18:56:00.000-08:00

In Loving Memory of Briona Hope Boyer

10/18/02 - 01/14/03

Every year I hate today. Actually I hate tomorrow, but today is the reminder that tomorrow is coming. It's almost worse. I torture myself wondering what I would have, could have, should have done differently. Maybe that is why we never know when our last day will be. Too many what ifs, too many regrets. It's an awful gut wrenching roller coaster.

This year seems to be especially difficult. Perhaps it's because Briona would have been in kindergarten this year, and I spend many a day wondering which of my students would be her friends...would she be in dresses or jeans, a girly girl, or a tom boy....would I have even been able to let her go to school, or would I be a basket case spraying Lysol on random strangers and enclosing my house in a giant germ free bubble.

Those of you that know me and my pathetic attempts at housekeeping, I want you to know that I can hear you snickering from here. I firmly believe that the good Lord would have given me the gift of creating a germ free environment had she gotten to come home. I would have given her my own heart if she would have been able to come home.

It's hard not to wonder who she would be today. Watching my two little girls now and seeing how my girly girl likes to wear multiple layers of mismatching clothes from her brother's closet, while pushing a stroller full of baby dolls, and my tom boy needs "pretties" in her hair before putting on her custom boutique clothes to go play in the mud with her brothers makes me wonder how Briona would fit into the mix. God is so good to have given me three more beautiful children since we lost our baby.

Although I am feeling sorry for myself today, I do fully realize how blessed I am. To have been the mother of such a beautiful, feisty, and truly angelic little girl. I still remember Dr. Bove telling me that she had the wisest eyes he had ever seen, and he thought that she was an "old soul". Perhaps that was his way of telling me that she was just mine to borrow for a little while.

I am truly a better person for having known Briona Hope. My dear friend Kacie lost her little boy Kane within days of Briona's passing. I know that those two, (and not our mutual love of Days of our Lives) have had a hand in us managing to maintain our long distance friendship. I'll be lifting her up in prayer this week...especially since she is expecting again!

God is good. All the time.

The Party's Over.......

2008-01-06T19:16:00.000-08:00

Uggggghhhhhhh!!!! Back to school in the morning! As you can see I am procrastinating, which I will likely regret in the morning. I've laid out the boy's clothes for the week to make up for the fact that I've gotten used to sleeping in until after 9:00 every day.

6:00 is going to feel awful early!! Thank goodness for coffee!

Starting the Special K diet tomorrow...eating cereal twice a day and a normal dinner (although their normal and my normal may not really jive....) seems possible. We'll see. You are supposed to be able to lose up to 6 pounds in two weeks. That would be a great way to get some weight loss started...Meems...you'll have to let me know if I look skinnier (ha!) when I come to visit over the MLK holiday.

Bought my first fabric on Ebay tonight. Sharks for my Squishy man....hoping to make some cool jeans/ lounge pants/ or an appliqued shirt or something. We'll see!

I told my husband that if he really loved me he would build me a sewing room like some super hubbies I know of....so I can sew with joy.....he's not buying it. Could be something to do with the fact that the machine is still in the box. He's such a pessimist sometimes!!!

Need to go to bed now. Only four more posts until I'm half way to 50!!!

God is good. All the time.

Let the Sewing Begin!!!

2008-01-04T20:53:00.001-08:00

Woo hoo! Santa was good to me this year! This was a total and unexpected surprise! Yes...it's only a Singer, but for someone who has NO CLUE on how to sew, I won't feel as guilty if I decide that I am sewing loser and go back to begging my dear sewing abled friends to sew cute frocks for my kids!

Yes... you are also looking at my STASH of BLANKS up on top of the as of yet unopened sewing machine! Target was having a clearance sale, and I stocked up on BLANKS (do you love my sewing lingo???) to applique! Now it's off to Joann's for some fabric and some fusible interface! MAN...I sound like a pro already!

The holidays were wonderful here! Santa was good to the whole family. We got a Wii, and the kids have enjoyed playing on it. Our current favorite family game is the Ravin Rabbids (or something like that....) it involves a lot of silly mini games like throwing toilet plungers at angry rabbits, or tossing cows....sounds terrible I know, but it is SO MUCH FUN to play, and to watch others play!

In case you are wondering....here are my New Years Resolutions.....

1. No more selling on ebay...too costly. Especially when you factor in the ebay fees with the paypal fees. I was feeling like a Ebay genius until I got 87.00 bucks sucked out of my account the day before Christmas and overdrew my checking account. (Whoops...hope DH doesn't read this post!) I can't say I won't buy...I am a sucker for boutique clothing, but I don't think I will sell. It' s much easier just to cart things off to the second hand store, and if I take store credit, I probably come out ahead!

2. No more medicine... I've been taking anti depressants for a long time. Time to get off of them, and make myself happy without depending on drugs to keep me calm. This resolution should also serve as evidence in a court trial in case I go off the deep end and hack up aforementioned DH...ha ha...just kidding....I guess this could now be used as evidence for the prosecutor....good thing that so far it is going well. :) I guess I should say again...hope DH doesn't read this post!

3. Learn to sew...I may need to depend on the skills and patience of my dear friend, but I plan to try and figure it out. :)

4. Exercise...which I believe will be good for me both physically and mentally. It would be nice if I lost some weight, but my love of food will inhibit any diet that I attempt for more than a week or two. (Who am I kidding...maybe a day or two!) I plan of joining Curves again, with a friend of mine. Hopefully we will encourage each other to go and get into some semblance of "in shape" my current "blob like" figure isn't cutting it for me. To his credit, DH doesn't seem to mind! I don't need to be a model, but something in between Pillsbury dough woman and model would be good enough for me!

5. Live for today, and enjoy the people I love...quirks and all! Life is too short too worry about tomorrow, or what others think. I am so blessed in so many ways, I plan to appreciate my blessings and not long for things that others may do, have, accomplish, etc...

It is late, and time for bed. How am I ever going to get back into the groove of getting up at 6:00 and getting off to work??!! Does anyone know how many days until June 6th???

God is good. All the time.

Jingle Bell Walk...

2007-12-21T21:22:00.000-08:00

The school that I work at always celebrates the holidays with a Jingle Bell Walk. What is the Jingle bell walk you ask? Well, allow me to explain! For the Jingle Bell walk, each child in the school is given a set of jingle bells, unless of course they don't celebrate Christmas. Those children are locked in a sound proof room and blindfolded so as not to cause any emotional damage that could be caused by participating in festivities involving a season of love, joy, and peace. Just kidding of course...an appropriate alternate activity is provided..but I digress!

Anyhow, each child is given a set of jingle bells, while Jingle Bells plays over the loudspeakers. The principal, and SANTA lead the parade of jingling jangling cutie patooties. The parade ends in the multi purpose room where all the children gather and sing Christmas songs. Here is Matthew and a couple of his buddies....

Here is my oh so adorable class..... That's all for now...Hope the holidays are full of love and blessings to all.

God is good. All the time.

Too Silly Not to Post.....

2007-12-17T06:25:00.000-08:00

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1484436314

I could only make 4 elves. I'll have to make a Ricky solo one later. :)

Got my snow day! Woo hoo!!!!

God is good. All the time.

Why I Will Always....

2007-12-14T21:49:00.000-08:00

Be a fluffy woman....no will power. I really want to do things, like diet, exercise, blog more than once a month, but the many many many many many demands of my life often leave me dazed and confused, not to mention exhausted! ( I didn't even put in a many for my husband, job, or MIL!)

So....let's see....since my last post, Matthew officially turned 4! It was actually a rather uneventful day. I'm not sure he realized that Wednesday was THE day, as he had his party the Saturday before, and his school party on Tuesday since his teacher was going to be out on his "real" birthday.

I have to say, that the cape party was a HUGE success, at home, and school! In fact two of his little school buddies actually wore their capes to school the day after the party! (Along with notes of apology from their moms, stating that they couldn't get them to take them off!) Here is one of my favorite pics from the party...

Matthew is in 7th heaven with his new cape collection. A HUGE thank you to Holly of Superfly Kidz on Etsy. She made Matthew's parties perhaps one of the most successful I've ever had. :)

Okay...here's another cute pic....

Super Matthew and Super Grayson...although Matthew was calling him "Rain Man" (lol) because his cape had lightning on the back! Do you just love Matthew's outfit that he chose to compliment his cape? His favorite (albeit too short now) lounge pants from Spring Bean, and a shirt that says "Mom". Man I love that kid!

My hubby got me a new heated, massaging, Lazy Boy recliner for our anniversary. Oh...how I love that thing! The chair.... He is sooooooo way on my great side right now. Even if he weren't I could just sit in my new chair and massage my worries away! We also treated ourselves to a new tv. The old one was older than Noah, and the color was starting to get a little funny. Brian's mom gave us a generous gift for a combo Christmas/Anniversary gift which helped make it a little easier to part with the dough....it's a 42" Plasma screen! Too bad I never have time to watch it!

This weekend I am going to a cookie exchange at my dear friend Leslie's house. So sometime between now and Sunday I have to whip up 12 dozen cookies...at least! My kids/hubby eat them twice as fast as I can bake them. I'm thinking of maybe making some fudge too....see....fluffy forever!!!

Well, I just returned from a purse party where I bought nothing, but enjoyed adult company and some karaoke. :)

Here's sending warm sewing genius vibes to my bff Missy, they likely won't do you any good, as I can't sew a button, but you'd be gorgeous in a gunny sack, and I have complete faith in your ability! Any man would be proud to have you on his arm!

God is good. All the time.

Why You Should Never...Ver 1...

2007-12-09T19:51:00.000-08:00

Ha...just kidding! I stole that from my dear friend Missy. There are all sorts of things that you should never do at my house....like eat Cheetos...Clara likes to lick them and put them back into the bag...I don't know why! I've tried to stop her, but to be honest I must choose my battles around here, and licked Cheetos are the least of my worries most days!

Speaking of which, you may have noticed that I've changed the title of my blog. I felt the road less traveled, while the name of a favorite poem, and quite fitting if you ask me, sounded a little too altruistic, and those who truly know me probably wonder...."What the ....." (fill in the blanks with your own version of that saying) so I thought and thought and this was the winner. It was a tough choice...I was originally leaning towards "Who Pooped on the Floor" but I was afraid of attracting weird fetish people, and while that is a common phrase at my house, I don't want any poo fetish people reading my blog...or looking at my children for that matter! Alas I digress....

Another thing you should never do at my house....sit on the toilet without looking first...my boys (not including my dh) are not very diligent about aim, or lifting the seat. My girls, being two, and wanting to imitate their brothers are not real neat or accurate either. Aren't you glad that I am NOT as picture happy as some of my dear blogging friends? :)

Speaking of dear friends, I do believe that someday this photo could be shown at a wedding reception slide show!

Aren't they cute? Or perhaps this one....

Here my dear son Noah is learning what happens if he doesn't come home from work cheerfully, compliment his wife, bring flowers, rub her back, remark on the tidiness of the house and children, and rave about his home cooked meal. I'm trying to do my part to make sure he does ALL of the above listed things. His future wife (if her mother and I have anything to do with it!) is responsible for covering him in snow. Thankfully she also un-buried him. He was getting a little nervous for a moment. He was so thrilled (not) when I told Abi to wait until I could take a picture!

Good grief, I can't believe there are only 16 more days until Christmas! My tree is NOT up, my house is NOT decorated, and I have not wrapped a single thing. In fact, I don't really remember what I got for who, and will likely end up wrapping everything on Christmas Eve (making for a rather groggy and grumpy mommy Christmas morning!)

Last weekend we spent a WONDERFUL and snowy weekend up at the Milne household. I love the grown up company, and I managed to escape with JUST the boys! They all played with Missy's kids and I believe I had more uninterrupted grown up conversations in a weekend than I have had in the last two years put together. It was sooooo worth the drive!!! Missy also fashioned several outfits for my kiddos. Here is Clara sporting her latest Spring Bean creation!

We had Matthew's birthday party this weekend. He had friends, capes, and fun. I will blog about that more tomorrow. I also plan on blogging about Ruby's "baby". Hope that keeps you all in suspense! If I ever want to reach 50 posts, I need to get blogging! Praying for a snow day (well ice actually!)

God is good. All the time.

Make every day count....

2007-11-27T16:52:00.001-08:00

I came home today to open the newspaper and find out that an old friend from high school had passed away suddenly. I haven't seen her for years, but when I saw her photo, years of memories came flooding back, and as if I haven't had enough reminders over the years, I realized how precious life is.

If you are reading this, hug your child, tell your parents you love them, and call that old friend whom you shared so many memories with.

I'll miss you Sarah.

God is good. All the time.

My favorite things...

2007-11-21T19:32:00.001-08:00

This post works best if read to the tune of "My favorite things" from The Sound of Music! :)

Cheesy, I know...but I need to keep up with my wonder blogger friend Missy. :) I can't take pictures like her, or sew like her, or bake like her...(I'm starting to develop a complex now...I'm not worthy!!) So I need to make up songs to the tunes of preexisting songs to make myself feel better! Tee hee...love ya Miss!

Girls in silly blue jeans with sock monkey patches...

Watching my children carve pumpkins from patches...

Birthday cakes done up with Dora and Friends....

When you live with five children the fun never ends!

Okay...stop singing now!

No more rhymes...or cheesy songs.

So....the girls are two now. Officially. I am now in the midst of terrible twos times two. We tried to get pictures done today. I am sure that there are pictures of my girls posted at photo studios stating "Beware...impossible to photograph children...send them to Walmart"

Needless to say, we got a few pics of Ruby, but Clara REFUSED to cooperate. She flat out told the photographer "stop it" and then promptly threw a stuffed animal at him and put her binky back in her mouth, and re affixed herself to my leg.

I haven't ordered any yet. My boys got a bout of bodily gas issues while attempting to wrestle one another in the studio, so I politely asked (if one can do so while attempting to not strangle children in public) to come back on Friday to order without them.

I am thankful for so many things, first and foremost being my friends, my family, and my faith. For all of you, thank you for being there for me in good times and bad. My life is so much better because of all of you!

May the spirit of the coming season fill you with the the ability to find joy in the ordinary, and appreciate every day miracles.

God is good. All the time.