Yeah, I've been tagged. Jealous?

So my friend, Janna (http://www.blondiesbits.blogspot.com/), tagged me today. What is tagged, you ask? I have no freakin clue. Apparently, you are tagged and you list 6 random things about yourself, then you tag someone else to do the same. Here are the supposed rules:


1. Link to the person who tagged you. (Great. I have no idea how to link someone.)
2. Post the rules on your blog. (You're reading them!)
3. Write six random things about yourself. (Look below)
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them. (I don't even know six bloggers. I cyber stalk a lot of people. None of them know I exist. So I can't very well tag them now can I? The few people I would tag, my friend that tagged me, already tagged. So there you have it...).
5. Let each person (or just the one person. You know, whatever.) know they've been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

So here are my random facts:

1. My heart aches for a little girl from China. Brad says no. He thinks I only want to do adopt because some of my friends have adopted. That isn't so. I want to adopt because I want to give a little girl a chance that otherwise wouldn't have one. I want to adopt because my Jesus adopted me, and I feel I should "pay it forward". I don't want a perfect baby girl. I want a little girl that is over looked. One that isn't perfect (in other people's eyes, not mine.) I want a little girl that sits in the orphanage day after day and wonders when it will be her turn as all the babies leave. I want a little girl that longs for a mommy and a daddy and brothers and sisters.

2. One of my favorite smells is the swamp. Charleston has this distinctive smell when you go near the rivers and swamp that I love. It smells like home and I miss it. I wish Yankee Candle made a candle called "Charleston Swamp". I would buy it.

3. If it weren't for family, I would want to move to California. It is my all time favorite place to be. I love it there. Brad says I just love Beverly Hills. While I do love 90210 (the real zip code), I love the whole state too. From the top to the bottom. Brad loves it too. The only reason we haven't moved there is because of our parents. It would devastate them.

4. I love to eat raw potatoes, peeled with vinegar and salt on them. I also like salt on my oranges.

5. I wish I was cooler.

6. I wish I had of finished nursing school. I just feel like a failure because I didn't. I feel bad that I let my parents down. I know it wouldn't really make a difference to my life now, but I would like knowing it was something I accomplished.

OK, I am done. And I will tag....
1. Karen (http://no-greater-joy.blogspot.com/)

That was harder than I thought. There aren't many "random" facts about me. Turns out, I am an open book that can't keep my mouth shut. So some of my facts aren't random at all. But whatever.

What a Craptacular Week.

Sigh. What a crappy, crappy week. Probably the worst of my life, honestly. The only other time that compares, is the week that Jamey was in NICU - and even then, my heart was broken, but I knew everything was ok. Now I am just not sure. There are moments when I feel such peace, but there is this constant little black cloud hanging over me all the time. I know I will be ok. I know that Jesus will take care of me, but it is just so scary.

More than fear though, I feel grateful. I am so very grateful that it has all panned out the way it has. Grateful for the headaches (which are totally gone by the way), grateful for my friend that said I should go to the doctor, grateful for the doctor who insisted on the MRI. At least now we can treat it and move on.

I am actually grateful for something else - I am grateful for the malformation. Because of it, I have fallen on my knees - I was long overdue. Because of it, I have had the opportunity to share my absolute faith in Jesus with people than may not believe. I have been allowed to experience such a pure, sweet peace that can only come from one Place. I only hope to glorify Jesus through my experience. I hope that I can be a witness to others who are going through tough times. What I keep reminding myself is the God that calmed the sea the night Jesus walked on water, is the very same God that calms the storm that is raging inside of my heart (and head!). So I draw my strength from Him. I hope that if you are reading this and you are going through dark times, you look to the Light. Draw your strength from Him too. Look to Him for peace, it truly is a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Ok, I Talked Myself Off the Ledge

Ok, so last night I was having a minor (major) freak out moment. I feel better tonight though. I took Anna to the doctor, and her "foot cancer" is indeed a plantars wart. Whew. I literally felt like I was going to puke last night, haha. I was worried to DEATH about a wart. A wart. hahahahhahahaha. I also talked to my doctor's office (aka my mom) today about the treatment plan for the kidney stones. The doctor isn't worried. He left the treatment up to me. He said that it most likely would just sit there for a longggg time. If I wanted to, he could do a procedure to break it up or I could just wait it out. He sent me a prescription for some major pain meds, just in case. So I will just hang out for a while. I have passed a few big ones before, I will survive again.

I am still worried about the MRI tomorrow, but I am confident that my Jesus will take care of me. He is the Great Physician, and I am in His hands. I will rest in that.

Thank you to my peeps that emailed or commented to me - you guys rock! Love you!

My Heart Can't Take Much More.

Ever just feel so incredibly overwhelmed that all you want to do it cry? Hello. That is where I am. I keep passing kidney stones, so I had an ultrasound on Wednesday. I have several small stones in the right kidney and one big one in the left. Oh joy. This coming Tuesday I have to have an MRI of my head to check for aneurysms due to the constant head aches and the strong family history brain aneurysms. Oh goody. Then tonight, as I was putting Anna to bed, I found a small lump on the bottom of her foot. Convinced that is was foot cancer, I googled it and found nothing. The more I think about it, the more I think it may be a plantars wart. I am still worried to death about it.

I just feel like I can't process all of the what ifs. I feel so overwhelmed by all the health issues. I just want to go back to my neat little world where everyone is happy, healthy, and annoying the crap out of each other.

I've been so impressed with Jackson

Jackson has really surprised me this month talking about the election - John McCain versus Arack Obama. He really seemed to understand a lot of it. I was so proud of him. So today, Brad takes the kids to Sonic, after homeschool PE, to get a treat. When they got home, Jackson was sitting at his table, eating his Sonic blast, and he told me about this guy they saw while they were getting their treats. He said, "Mom! I saw a guy at Sonic that was like the president." I asked him to repeat himself, because I was confused. So he said, "I saw a guy that was like the president of the United States of America. Except he wasn't the president. It think he must of been the president of somewhere else." So I asked Brad to explain to me what Jackson was trying to say. Gosh, I can't even type this without laughing. Brad said, "Oh. Yeah, he was black." hahahahhahaha. That was it. My child saw a black guy at Sonic and thought he must be a president somewhere because our new president is black. Good lord I need to get my children out of this town.

Hmmm strange things ARE afoot!

Maybe I am watching too much Ghost Hunters, Ghost Whisperer, A Haunting, etc... because I am seriously off my rocker right now. Today, I was walking through my kitchen and a magnet flew off the refrigerator. I am not kidding. Not only did it fly off, it landed s few feet away. Weird right? So I called Brad, Mr. I Don't Believe in Ghosts, and told him the story. His explanation? He said that the change in the weather, you know, the pressure, made the magnet fall to the floor. Then, it bounced three feet. Hmmm... really? A MAGNET fell off the refrigerator? A MAGNET? How can that be? How can a magnet hurl itself off of a fridge? Ok, so whatever. I called my mom next and told her the story. Her explanation? She reminded me that a previous owner of my house had a 2 year old little boy drown in the pool in the back yard. Maybe it was the boy that threw it off the fridge? Maybe he was trying to get MY kids to play with him? ACKKKKKKKKKKK. I said a very ugly word and hung up on her. I like Brad's explanation way better.

So can you enlighten me? And if your answer involves something I can't not SEE, I will come to where you live and beat you up.

Praise Jesus!

This afternoon during school, Jackson and I were talking about the Shang Dynasty in China. He asked what a Dynasty was, and I told him what it was and to think of it like we think of our president. He said, "You mean Arack Obama?" (hehe). So I told him yeah, like that, even though BArack Obama wouldn't be our president until January. As we were finishing up, I told him that maybe we would get to visit China one day. He said he did not want to go to China. When I asked him why he said because of the traffic! hahaha! Anyway, he also told me that he did not want to adopt a new sister from there either. I asked him if he understood why I had a passion for children in China (all foreign countries really). He understood because the children didn't have mommies and daddies. I explained to him that, yes, that was apart of it, but not the only reason. I shared with him that children in China (specifically China because it was a part of our lesson) didn't have anyone to tell them about Jesus. I told him that China, as a country, worships a "god" named Buddha. I went on to tell him that Buddha was just a man that taught a lot of good lessons, but he was just that - a man. We, however, worship the one TRUE God, the only One on the thrown. He said, "We praise Jesus". I said that is right! I said a lot of people worship men who they think is god, but those men are all dead. Our God, is not dead. Our God is the only God who overcame death. I also explained the Word teaches us that Hell is a real place and that people that don't accept Jesus into their heart go to hell when they die. It may seem harsh to tell a five year old that, but he is a very mature five year old. I believe he needs to understand the truth. So I explained all of that to him. He looked up at me with the biggest tears in his eyes and said, "Mommy I want Jesus in my heart." I offered to pray with him, but told him he would have to pray the prayer to Jesus himself. He said ok, and he prayed that precious prayer right then and there. It was obvious that he truly meant those words, and he prayed the sweetest prayer right there in our school room. When he got done, I hugged him and told him that by praying that prayer, he was expected to live the life of a Christian now. So we talked a bit more, and then we came upstairs to call his daddy!

I am so very proud of my little guy. He is truly a sweet, thoughtful little fellow. He is so kind hearted. I am so proud of him it almost hurts! But more important than all of that, I am so happy that I get to spend eternity with my son in heaven!

The Lesson for Today Kids...

Is don't put a feathered boa on a lamp shade. I'll tell you why - it will catch fire. It will make you think your whole house is about to explode. It will make you call 911. Here's the story: Today I cleaned Anna's room really well. I purged and it looks so nice. Well, when I got done I had this feathered boa that didn't have a home. So, I thought to myself, "Self, put it on the lamp! It will look so pretty when the light shines through it." So I did just that. Well, tonight I told Anna to go get her jammies on and get ready for bed. When I went in to tuck her in, I smelled something burning. It was not a faint smell either. It was slap you in the face and make you freak out smell. So I ran though the house like a mad woman smelling every room. It was definitely just her room. So I called Brad to come home. I was really getting scared. I did not want to put my kids to bed if my house was about to explode. Brad got here and started to investigate. I was literally seconds away from calling 911. Just as I was about to call, he found the source. The feathers on the lamp. When Julianna went in to get jammies, she turned on her lamp. When I went into say goodnight, she turned it off. So I never expected the lamp. The boa's feathers were totally burnt. So thankfully she turned the lamp off when she did. I don't know if it would have really caught fire if she left it on. It was only on for a few minutes. Skeery!

Brad so sweetly reminded me of the time I really did catch our apartment in Raleigh on fire by putting ashes from the fireplace in a plastic bucket on the balcony. The fire department actually had to come that time. There were actual flames! The fireman said if it had not of snowed that night, the building would have been gone! The moisture kept it from spreading. My bad.

So, I am hoping that I get more than three strikes before I am out. OMG! I am not kidding this commerical on tv just this very second is some guy singing "I don't want to set the world on fireeeeee!" Ack! Is it a sign???

Two Posts in One Day.

Wanna hear how badly I need a break? It is a sad, sad story. On Thursday while I was running a couple of errands, I kept thinking how uncomfortable my right shoe was. I couldn't wait to get home and take them off. So, on Friday morning I had an appointment an hour away to get my van door fixed. When I put my shoes on, I made sure I loosened the laces on the right shoe, remembering how uncomfortable it was the day before. Anyway, I get over half way to my appointment and my shoe started to annoy me again. So I look down at my feet (yes I was driving) and I discovered the problem. I had on two completely different shoes. Yes, two different shoes. I was way too far from home to change, so I just wore them. They were both sneakers, but clearly two different sneakers. As if wearing them two days in a row wasn't enough, when I got home I went to my closet and I realized that I had put up the matching (or mismatching as it were) pair a couple of weeks ago when I cleaned up. So apparently, I have been wearing the mismatched ones for at least that long. Niccccceee.

I am so freakin cool, I can hardly stand myself.

Googly Eyes Are Not Your Friend.

This morning when I picked Julianna up from Sunday school, she come running out proudly showing off her little cow that she made in class. It was pretty cute and it even had these little googly eyes glued on. So later, while our guest speaker was giving the message, she leaned over to me and whispered that she pulled off one of the little googly eyes and wanted to know if I would glue back on when we got home. I took the little eye from her, put it in my bag and went back to listening to the message. Well, I would say 10 minutes passed, and all of a sudden, my sweet angel of a child, yells "I swallowed my cows EYEEEEEE!" all while clutching her throat like she was choking on a chicken bone. So I scoop her up and run out of the Reach Center with her. She is crying hysterically and I can't seem to calm her down. I knew the eye wasn't big enough to hurt her, but it sure scared her. The funny part was how dramatic she was over the whole thing. Seeing her clutch her throat as if she was dying was too much. So I finally get her to calm down enough to go back in. Every time I looked over at her, she would grab her throat and whimper. So after church, she looked up at me and said "Mom, guess what? The cows eye in my tummy is MOOOOOOing!"

That child is too much. Never a dull moment in my family!

I just need to say...

That I love Donnie Wahlberg and Mark Wahlberg. But, I love Donnie more. Yeah, I know he is almost 40 and he still dances with other guys in perfectly synchronized movements. I don't care, I love him. Thats all.

Mad Pumpkin Carving Skills.

I didn't know that I rock when it comes to carving pumpkins. But I do. I totally rock. So I was thinking over the past 29 years, and I honestly don't think I have ever carved a pumpkin. Ever. I had no idea what to expect. We got our pumpkins and I told Thing One and Thing Two that we would carve them tonight. I bought these little kits to use. Thing One chose Star Wars and Thing Two chose princesses (such creatures of habit they are). So we got started, right after we made our own candy apples (yeah, I am a domestic goddess, I know). I created carved pumpkin perfection. I present you with exhibit A:


See? I told you I rock. Anyone want to contract me out to carve their pumpkins?

Napping

I never take naps. I would like to, but I feel like when the tots are napping I should use my "free" time wisely. Plus a 45 minute nap just pisses off. I need 2 hours. However yesterday, I *had* to nap. I was working on web design for the business my MIL is starting and I just couldn't hold my eyes open any longer. It was quiet in my house, I was sitting on the couch and the nap was calling my name. So I got all comfy and was out cold in I don't know, 2 seconds? Well, then I got cold. You know how it is when you are asleep on the sofa and you get chilly and you just can NOT get up to get a blanket. I mean it is physically impossible to get up. So I covered up with the pillows on the couch. And you know what? It worked. It felt so very good. As a matter of fact, it was about this same time yesterday. And I am in the same place, doing the same thing. Hm... I think I am going to go get a blanket now. While the pillows worked fine in a pinch, I would rather have a blanket. My eye lids are getting heavy again. I see a new trend in the works!

Mourning and the Foreign List

We are officially not on vacation anymore and I am mourning like my childhood pet died. I hate, absolutely loathe, when our Orlando trips come to an end. I just love it there. I love it so much I want to marry it. Marry it and have little Orlando’s.
For your information, I have compiled a new list of theme park don’ts. I’ll call this one, the foreign version. While it is not a holiday for Americans, apparently the rest of the free world IS on vacation and they are all in Orlando. So here goes, The Foreign List of Don’ts:

1. Teeth. Need I say more?

2. I said this in the previous list, but it needs repeating. For the love of all that is holy, cover up. Wear clothes people. Clearly, this is a universal problem. It isn’t just Americans that feel that they can show off their lovely lady humps, it is everyone. I saw more skin this week than I ever care too. And it wasn’t pretty.

3. Just because you are outside, it does not mean that your cigarette smoke isn’t giving me lung cancer. There are designated areas for your kind. Go there.

4. Wash. Rinse, repeat.

5. Speedos. Oh I curse the day speedos were ever invented. If you must wear speedos, wear them under shorts or a proper bathing suit. I don’t want to see the lovely lady humps, NOR do I want to see the lovely manly humps. Ew. Just ew. And little boy speedos? Jeez, wrong on so many levels.

6. Strapless shirts are not proper theme park attire. I saw strapless shirts on women of all ages, from the teens to the 70’s. Guess what you don’t want to see? A 70year old woman with a strapless shirt, no bra. Unfortunately, no one asked me what I wanted, therefore I had to endure it. Over and over.

Again, I could go on and on, but it is late, and I want to end my trip thinking good thoughts of my beloved Orlando. Oh how I love it so.

To go or not to go?

Most of you know that I am in Orlando on vacation. We are having a blast. Well, Universal Studios has this Halloween thing called Halloween Horror Nights and I think I want to go. It looks pretty intense and honestly, I am skeered. I was feeling pretty balls-y until I got down here and started seeing the commercials. This years theme is Bloody Mary. The commercial on tv is a girl getting dressed at a vanity - she looks zombie-ish and she is putting blood on her lips. In her mirror is a normal looking guy looking into his mirror saying, "Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary" when all of a sudden zombie girl breaks through his mirror screaming.

Why would I even entertain the thought of going to this? I am a scaredy cat for real. Have I lost my mind? My sister in law is coming down here for a few days and she actually agreed to go with me. Are we crazy? It looks so scarey! The entire Universal Studios theme park is transformed into multiple haunted houses and scare zones. Imagine a movie studio setting up a haunted house - how real it might seem. Now think of that times 6. Thats how many haunted houses they will have. Not to mention how scarey the scare zones will be.

I think I will end up wimping out. If only I could talk my man into going, so he could protect me (hahahahahaha). If you want to check it out, here ya go. Tell me what you think... http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/orlando/index.html?ref

A delicious little boy!

Look at this picture. Just stare at it for a moment. How flippin cute is he? I mean really. They don't get much cuter than this. I could just eat this little guy with a spoon. All he needs is a halo, little wings and a little harp - don't you think?

I am a horrible mother.

Jackson has been growing his hair out for a little while now. It really has gotten pretty long. His bangs were about to his lip, but not quite long enough to tuck behind his ears. Well, I have been trying to teach him how to take care of it, and it has NOT gone well. All I wanted was for him to comb it, just comb it. He whined that he couldn't do it every time I reminded him . Well, today I had enough. It looked terrible, so I cut it. It actually looks really nice now. I did an awesome job (especially considering I went to nursing school, not cosmetology school). When I was finished he went in the bathroom to check it out. This would be when it, and you know what I mean by it, hit the fan. He *freaked* out. He was crying and carrying on like I scalped him. He didn't it want it that short, he wanted it long. He hollars, "I can't take it!", like I was torturing him somehow. He even told me he was going to pray to Jesus to help him. I sure hope he isn't expecting Jesus to replace it by morning. Anyway, it was quite dramatic here for a while. Remember that old show, Sanford and Son? He had one of those moments, "ELIZABETH, I am coming to join you ELIZABETH!" all while clutching his chest. Picture it, will ya? Anyway, he eventually calmed down. He said he wasn't mad at me (thank GOODNESS!). I gotta tell ya, if I had of known that was how he was going to act, I would have let him grow it to his toes before I cut it. Here is the before:


And here is the horrible, help me Jesus, haircut:


Oh, how I mistreat him. Please don't call Child Protective Services! I promise to never cut is hair again!

Out of the mouths of babes.

So my not even 18 month old said "Holla" today. Ok, that makes me laugh out loud just typing it. Holla. He can't say daddy, but he can bust out, HOLLA! Oh lord, that is funny. My little girl says it too. I overheard her tell Jackson today, "I have more paint that you, HOLLA!" What have I done to them? Clearly it is my fault.

The other day Julianna and I were going somewhere and she told me to shut the freakin door. I gasped! Apparently they hear everything. I guess it is time for me to watch what I say. It is terrible that my three year old has a potty mouth already. She has never said an actual curse word, so that is good, I suppose. Although, at this rate, it wont be long. If she keeps it up, I am going to have to wash her mouth out with soap. Guess how many times I heard that as a kid? Lots, I tell you, lots. I don't think my mom actually ever followed through. Though it seems she should have. Holla!

I realized something today...

I am a friend of a friend. I am no one's original friend. I am always the acquaintance, never the true friend. I wonder why that is? Sure I have close friends of my own, but it seems most of the people I know, are friends only because of other people. I swear it is just like high school. Between facebook and myspace, it is like a freakin reunion. Somehow, it is like history repeats itself. So and so are great friends, and I know them both, so we are "friends" on facebook or myspace. However, honestly, they wouldn't notice if I deleted them.

You know, now that I think about it, I am not the original friend with my close friends either. I am the “friend”, never the best friend, or the first choice friend. I am the person that people seem to like being around, but I am not the person they tell their secrets too. Or the person they exchange Christmas gifts with.

Another example is blogs I follow - I read a ton of other people’s blogs, but I am fairly certain those people don't read mine. Everyone’s blog has a list of other blogs they follow – I am never on that list.

I am not saying all of this because it makes me sad, or whatever. I just think it is interesting that all of the people I stalk on the internet, they have no clue who I am, and even if they do know who I am, I am certain they don't care. For what it’s worth, I am totally ok with the role I play in other people’s lives.

Maybe I should start my own clique, make my own friends. Maybe I should try harder to be THE friend. The glue, if you will. The trunk of the tree instead of a leaf (yeah, I am currently not even a branch). A cool new clique that everyone wants to be a part of, that is what I will do. Maybe I could make fliers to hand out at the grocery store, or staple them to a telephone pole. Maybe I could hold auditions? The possibilities are endless. I am going to post an update to this post in two months. And for the three people that read this, if you are super nice to me, I might let you in my cool new group.

Why We Homeschool...

I recently read an article that inspired me to blog about homeschooling. So many people we have encountered lately want to know *WHY* we homeschool. Like why on earth would we even have a desire to homeschool. So I thought I would blog about it, and maybe it would answer some questions. Of course, that would mean people would actually have to read this, and I doubt this site gets much traffic. Just in case though - here goes.

First and foremost we do it because we love being with our children. We actually enjoy their company. For some reason, that is shocking to a lot of people. It seems in today's world, people are constantly looking for an excuse to pawn their kids off on other people. At church, on the weekends, during the week. We are not those people. I don't have to tell most of you that we don't use babysitters, we don't leave our children in the nursery at church, and we don't send them to school. We actually want to BE with our kids. All of the time.

Another reason we have chosen to homeschool is because we want to make our religious convictions a central part of our curriculum. We integrate biblical history into our history lessons, we learn Christian character traits, and we learn how to live to please Jesus.

Also, we believe that the education our children would receive in public school would be far inferior to the education we can provide at this point in their lives. We can cater to their needs. We can teach them in ways that fit their individual learning styles. They aren't just a number at home. We have a genuine interest in their education and we are doing what we feel is best for that.

One more reason - our kids LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. They are so proud of the fact that they are homeschooled. Anytime someone asks what grade they are in, they say, "We're homeschooled!!!" Its awesome!

A lot of people wonder about socialization. It is a non issue, honestly. We participate in homeschool PE once a week, Jackson plays soccer, we are a part of a local homeschool group with 75 families, and we are very active at our church. So our kids are constantly around other children and adults.

There you have it. The reasons why WE homeschool. We love it and honestly can not FATHOM any other way!

Hello 1990, I have missed you.

Somehow, someway, I have stepped back in time - 18 years (gasp!). So I am sitting on the couch watching 90210 on TV, and trying to plan a trip to see New Kids on the Block in concert. I am dead serious. Completely dead serious.

What is wrong with me? Am I 15 again? No, not 15. 33. Thirty freakin three. Watching the remake of 90210 is making me realize how old, how old and fat I am. Praise God girls didn't look like that when I was in high school. At least Jennie Garth is back on, and she is older than me. Of course, she looks fabulous, and skinny. And fabulous. And young. But still older. Well big difference between now and 18 years ago, is they can say "puss" on air now. And I don't mean they are referring to a cat.

I am seriously trying to plan a trip to Charlotte to see New Kids on the Block in concert too. I am getting my tight rolled jeans, big (and I mean way big) bangs, and red lipstick ready. Yeah, I am hangin tough. Jealous?

Major SCORE!

I recently joined houseparty.com (shout out to my peep Haley for the hook up). For those of you that have never heard of it, here is a brief description. It is a site that sends you different products to try out. The idea is to invite friends over and share the said product with them. The products range from food to toys, to a new kitchen! Well, I signed up for the Fisher Price party and they chose me to be a host! Here is what came today -

All of it - for free. It even came with batteries. Some of the little gifts in the front are for us to share with the friends that come to the party. My kids woke up from their nap and thought it was Christmas morning! Holla! So who wants to come to the party? Saturday 4p!

He is listening more than I think...

This story is why we homeschool. My heart would literally break in two if I missed this. We are focusing on the letter "J" this week. The curriculum we use ties the letter, a science, and a bible study into one. So since the letter is "J", we are studying "jewels" and how valuable they are. To bring our bible study in we are talking about jewels are very valuable, but there is one thing that is more valuable than that - Jesus. I often wonder how much Jackson is actually taking in and retaining. I know he does well in math, but with the kindergarten curriculum, there are no test or anything to see his progress. So today when we were doing our studies, he blew me away (as his mom more than his teacher). I asked him, "how do we know that Jesus is more valuable than jewels?" Here is his response, word for word:

Because he is God. And because he died on the cross. He died to forgive us for his sins, so we can go to heaven. And because he is nice. And he made our bodies. And that's all I got. And an angel helped him out of the tomb. I just membered that.

He really is listening. If he doesn't listen to anything else, he is listening to whats important. I am so proud of him.

Really he is surprising me this year, in just the 4 weeks since school has started back. He is really doing well. He is learning so much. Julianna is really picking up a lot too! It is so very rewarding to be home with them. To see them doing so well, and really enjoying our time together is just the icing on the cake.

An old post from April

I know without a doubt these are the best years of my life. Every single day I try to soak up my babies and their sweetness because I know that they are growing so incrediably fast.

We just got back from Disney. We had a great time. It was crowded and hot, but it was really nice being together with everyone. Jackson really enjoyed riding the big boy rides - I can't believe he is tall enough ride them. Julianna is almost there herself. It blows my mind.

Tonight I was in the kitchen and I heard Jackson say, "put both legs on me Anna. Yeah, that's better." So I go in to peak on them, and Julianna is lying on the couch with her legs over Jackson's legs and his hand is on her. It was about the sweetest thing EVER. I love how they love each other. It makes me melt.

I love having three babies. I have finally found my place in life, doing what I am suppose to be doing.

A Sweet Lesson

This weekend Brad's family came up for a visit. His mom and dad brought his "older than dirt" (quoting Julianna here) grandparents - Granny and Gramps. They are so sweet, and we all enjoyed their visit so much.

Granny and Gramps gave the children $10 each. They were very excited and couldn't wait to go to WalMart to spend it. Well, on Sunday morning I decided I would ask them if they would like to tithe 10% of their money in church. I explained to them that the bible teaches us to give 10%, in their case $1.00, to the church. I tell them how when we are obedient to God, he blesses our lives. I really thought they were going to give me a hard time, and I wasn't going to make them give. But much to my surprise, they both completely willingly said yes, they would give. So we took a dollar each and put it in their pockets for church. I told them that Jesus, and mommy and daddy were very proud of them for obeying God. We got to church and they, without question once again, put their money in the offering plate. It was the sweetest thing ever. I told them again that God blesses those that are obedient.

So this morning, after we all get dressed for the day I asked them if they wanted to go to Walmart. Of course they did, so we got ready to go. As we were leaving, I slipped my hand in my pants pocket and found $3.00. I said to Jackson, "Jack, remember yesterday when mommy asked you if you would like to tithe $1.00 of your money? And you said yes, and mommy told you that God blesses those who obey him?" He said he remembered. I showed him what I found in my pocket. I said, "look, because you were obedient to Him, he blessed us with finding $3.00! Now you and Anna actually have $0.50 more than what you started with!" He was so excited. I really think he got it.

So I was thinking about it all tonight and I always had the intention of making up that dollar at Walmart. Of course, they didn't know that when they made the decision to tithe. I wonder how often that is the case with us? How often is God ready and willing to bless us if we just obey and follow is word? How many times do we mess it up by doing what WE think is best? What can we do to have the faith that Jackson and Julianna had yesterday morning? To obey God without question? What blessings are we missing?

Babysitter of the year!

I am nominating myself for that award. I deserve it! Unfortunately, I do NOT deserve the mommy and housewife of the year award. Today, in a desperate attempt to avoid laundry, I decided to curl Salem's hair with the curling iron. I have a tiny barrel one that would work great in her hair. So I sit her down and curl her whole head. Now keep in mind that Salem is 16 months old. She has quite a bit of hair that is stick straight. I knew her mom would be picking her up soon, so I thought it would be nice to doll her up. She sat completely still the entire time, a girl after my own heart. Well, I was so wrapped up with playing beauty shop, I forgot that I have a 16 month old little BOY who does not sit still. Ever. When I got done with Salem, I thought, hmmm... I haven't seen Jamey in a while. I get up to go looking for him. I saw that the gate to downstairs was wide open. Rut ro. I got down there in like a tenth of a second. Too late. He was in the laundry room packing his cheeks for winter with cat food. EW. I fished the fish flavored food out of his mouth and took him to wash his hands. I am so completely repulsed as I rush him up the stairs. It occurs to me that inches from the cat food is the litter box. Oh. My. GAWWWDDDDD. That was a close call. Thank the lord for small favors, right? Suddenly, the fish flavored cat food seemed like an awesome snack. haha!!

I am a rockin mom. Jealous?

You're FIRED

So my gorgeous little girl turned into Donald Trump today. It was hysterical. I tried so hard to get her to say, "You're fired!" but she just wouldn't. I bribed her with everything possible. She still refused. Gosh it was funny!

My big, big (sniff) boy!

My baby (my last baby, waaaaaa) Jamey is a full blown walker. He has been able to walk for a while, but he had no interest. Over the weekend, something clicked and he has decided he really wants to walk everywhere now. He falls, and where ever he is, he just gets back up and walks again. It is so very cute. And so very bittersweet at the same time. Here is a little video of him. Look how cute he is!!

I am typing this post with my nose.

Seriously, I can barely move my arms. We got a Wii!!! I have been playing non stop since. I am not kidding. This thing ROCKS! I am so sore. I am using muscles I didn't know exsisted. I have created a little Mii that looks just like me! I even created a "Brad", complete with long hair and a goatee. I rock at bowling. Once in real life, I bowled a three. Yes, a THREE. So I was stoked that on the Wii, I actually can bowl like 160. I really feel like I am awesome at bowling now. I also rock at tennis. Well, when I play alone. I did play Jackson today and he whipped my butt. But still - I am excited. Now I need to go buy Wii Fit, so I might actually exercise. Ok, that was funny just typing it out. That is just extreme. I am having fun though!

A rookie mistake

Well, you would think after 5+ years of parenting, I would know better. I do know better. Here is the story. I took Julianna, looking OH SO CUTE, into the living room today to take her picture. As I was walking out of the kitchen, I looked back over my shoulder to make sure that Jameson was ok. He was sitting on the floor with a giant box of goldfish. He had his hand so far in the box that you couldn't see his arm. My thought was, oh good. He is entertained for a minute. So I go take Juli's picture.



So, in the meantime, my friend came to get her little girl that I am watching. I am talking to her for a second and I glance into the kitchen. Here is what I saw:



Yikes! Why did I think it would be ok to leave him with the entire box of goldfish? WHY? Jackson thought it was the funniest thing he had seen in a long time. Penny was pretty excited too.

So my next thought as a parent was, should I try to keep them? Sure, they are fine off the floor right? I mean it is my house, and I did just sweep. And it was an entire box ($7.99) of crackers. It is ok right? NO! It is not ok. I can't in good conscience give my kids goldfish off the floor. I sure did think about it though.

A Miracle on Raven Green St

Well whaddya know - my kid ate a vegetable. Not just any vegetable, no no. It was broccoli. Yes, you read that right, BROCCOLI. This is the same kid that just yesterday freaked out about eating a hamburger. Who doesn't like hamburgers?

Here is how it went down. I was making Jameson some broccoli for dinner. Jackson walked in and asked to taste some. He actually asked. I didn't have to hold him down and throw it down his throat. I didn't have to threatened his life. I didn't have to shame him into eating it by saying that his baby brother is eating it. He just ate it. And he liked it. He liked it. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. Of course tonight, he may spend the whole night on the toilet, with his little body in shock. But he ate it.

I have a difficult decision to make.

My sweet little Jameson is almost 14 months. Up until we went on vacation, he nursed five times a day. Well, for the last few weeks, he has dropped down to two. Then since Sunday he has only nursed when I have offered. Today it was only once. If I offer 10 times a day, he will, but I have to offer.

So here is my dilemma - do I stop offering or do I continue? There is a part of me that wants it to be done. I have been pregnant and/or nursing for 4 years. I am ready for a break. Then the other part of me thinks NO WAY! He is still a baby. My LAST baby. How can I stop? The thought of not having that time with him makes me so very sad.

Actually I think I may have just answered my own question. I am going to keep offering. I think he is just so distracted by all the things going on, he forgets that breastmilk is available. I want to give him at least the amount of time I gave Julianna, if not more. So for now I am going to keep going. Besides the AAP recommends until 2, and that was (is?) my original goal. So... thank you blog. Thank you for allowing me to clear my head enough to make a decision that is right for me and my boy!

The best $65 I have EVER spent!

So most of you know that on Sunday, I somehow deleted all of my pictures and videos off of my computer. I could not recover them - they were gone. I am not kidding, I seriously wept. I nearly puked. I said really bad words. Then, I wept some more. Brad knows someone that is a computer genius, so he called him - at 11:30 at night. So he worked on it all night, and couldn't recover anything. He graciously took it to a computer place for me, where it has been since Monday. I have been biting my nails for the last 48+ hours hoping and praying that they were able to recover something off of my hard drive. I called on Monday afternoon, it wasn't ready. I called twice on Tuesday, it wasn't ready. I called this morning, and you guessed it, it wasn't ready. But low and behold, it was ready 30 minutes to closing this afternoon! And you all will be happy to know that 99% of the pictures and videos have been restored! It is for real a miracle! When I picked it up, I just about french kissed the guy who did it. I paused for a moment and looked at his wife beater t-shirt, his tattoos and weird piercings, and his obvious lack of a recent bath, and decided a "THANK YOU" would do.

So I am back! I love you laptop. You are my best friend!

Jackson's "almost" sleepover...

On Wednesday night last week, this kid came up to me and asked if Jackson could spend the night with him. I chuckled and told him oooohhhh no, my boy doesn't spend the night away from his moma. I then said (lesson learned here, btw), "maybe you can spend the night with us one night instead." He got so excited and asked his mom if he could spend the night this Friday night, as in two days away. His mom said, "sure honey, if Michele doesn't mind." GAH. So what do I say here? "Crap no kid. I wasn't serious." No, I can't say that, so I agreed. Well, we went to the playground to play for a while. The whole time he (the kid) wanted to know when we were leaving or what we were having for dinner. So after about an hour, I had enough and we left. We got home and all was good. Being the rockin mom that I am, I had sodas, chips, candy and popcorn for them. I also set up the tent in the den for them to sleep in. I know, I know - it sounds like a jacktacular sleepover right? They really were having a good time. Jackson was in heaven! Well, bedtime rolls around and this kid starts about he is homesick. Big shock there. So he calls his dad to come and get him.

Of course Jackson is traumatized. Why did he want to leave? What happened? Is he mad at me? Poor little guy.

Oh no she didn't!

So little Miss Priss comes into the kitchen this morning to ask for more fruit loops. I told her no, we would have lunch soon. She decided it was a good idea to demand more, "I WANT MORE FRUIT LOOPS!" I looked at her like she had lost her mind and told her she was not allowed to speak to me that way. She then threw the bowl on the floor and kicked it across the kitchen. GASP! I think my eyes about popped out of my head. I told her to pick the bowl up, put it away and go to her room. She sat down on the kitchen floor. After I threatened to beat her, she got up, put the bowl away, and stomped off (with flip flops on which made it even more dramatic, like it needed help). She went to her room, where I can still hear her yelling, "mommmmmmmmmaaaaa". Sigh. It is only 10am.

***Edited to add*** She comes out of her room, I kid you not, with a rosary on and talking about Jesus. Maybe He appeared to her while she was in there and told her if she kept acting like that, her mommy may send her to live with Him.

Ah..Spring is in the air!

What a glorious weekend we have had! The weather has been great! My kids are behaving (don't they always??) and things are good! Brad and I worked out in the yard ALL day Friday and most of the day Saturday. We planted tons plants, we pimped up our pool area, and we cleaned up.

I know you might never guess this about me, but I think I have a green thumb. I planted lantana (lavender and yellow), a hydrangea, calladiums, carolina jasmine (on my new trellis, might I add), lobelia, and replanted some azalea. I also planted some tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini in my new topsy turvy planters. I am stoked! I can't to see the fruits of my labor, literally!

My kiddies had the best time outside with us too. I have finally found a place that will keep Jameson still. Turns out, he doesn't really like grass. He will sit wherever I put him for a while. Jackson and Julianna loved playing outside on the swing set and in the sand box. They even planted their own flowers in hand painted (by them!) planters. I wonder how long it will take their little sunflowers to grow from seeds to big full bloom flowers? Forever I am sure. It doesn't help that Jackson has checked on it about eleventy bajillion times wondering why it isn't growing.

So if any of you come to visit us in a month or so, I am sure you will see all of our nice flowers.

Another thing to report on. Over Easter weekend Jackson met this little boy at Burger King. His name is Jaden. He was born in January 2003 just like Jack. Anyway, they really hit it off and we have been meeting him weekly for play dates. I really like his mom and Brad really likes his dad. It is awesome for Jack to FINALLY have a friend here. Another blessing with them is they homeschool too! We are totally excited to have met them! They actually have a little girl that is 2, but Julianna is a full year older than her, so they haven't really hit it off yet. However, Julianna is having a great time with the boys. And they are including her with their games. So good times are had by all!

Well, that is my update for now.

This little light of mine...

A couple of weeks ago in school, we talked about ways we could show others Jesus' light shining in us. We discussed how we, as Christians, could show other others that Jesus lives in our hearts. Jackson said by being kind to your brother and sister, obeying mommy and daddy, being nice to your friends, you know that sort of thing. I really wanted to show him ways that would require him to take a leap of faith. I suggested we bake cookies and deliver them to our neighbors. He thought that this was a great idea and proceeded to ask me everyday when we were taking our neighbors the cookies.

I want to add that we moved into this neighborhood last August. We have never met any of our neighbors. I have to be honest, after our last "pee off the deck" neighbors, I was (am?) perfectly content on keeping to myself and them doing the same. So by doing this little exercise not only are my children learning a huge lesson, but their teacher is as well.

Well, life got busy, we went to Florida and we never baked the cookies. So, I decided that today was the day. So we baked our cookies and got them all ready to deliver. Brad ended up taking them. They were both so very excited to be doing this. So they went to the house across the street and to the house directly next door. brad said both neighbors were so kind and were so appreciative. Turns out actually, the family next door have a little boy that is seven. They are not normally home during the day, but the little boy had his tonsils removed yesterday. So they were home.

I just want to say how proud I am of my babies. I just think about how they had no hang ups about taking food to people they didn't know and telling them about Jesus' light shining. They were glad to do it. They wanted to do it - they begged to do it. Oh how I wish I could have the faith of a child. I learned something from my kids today - I learned that it is ok to face the unknown and trust that Jesus' will take care of everything. I learned that I can be excited to meet new people and anxious to tell them about Jesus'.

I hope our small gesture blessed our neighbors somehow. I hope that we broke the ice to new friendships. I hope that we opened the door to telling them more about our Savior. Who knows, maybe we planted a seed today that might not otherwise have been planted. Only He knows if what we did had any kind of impact, but we did what we thought was right. We acted on faith.



PS - you know I had to document it on film!!!

Sigh.

Well, our vacation is over. It was hot. It was crowded. It was a blast. We really had a great time. We did 7 straight days of theme parks. My kids were troopers! They loved every minute of it. All three of them!

I gotta tell ya though, I saw some major train wrecks. I was tempted to take pictures of all the idiots and share them with you all. I saw some doosies. I decided to spare you from the torment that I had to experience. I have however, compile some very important info for those of you planning a trip:

1. It is never acceptible to wear a bathing suit to a theme park. You can wear bathing suits to water parks, but not theme parks.

2. I understand that it is hot, we are all hot. However, you must wear a bra. Yes, the girls will sweat, and I am sorry. There is no reason to punish everyone else there by making them see your girls flopping in the wind. Boobs were made to be contained.

3. What I originally wrote was too mean for even me, so here is a nicer version. If you are overweight, please do not dress inappropriately. If you MUST dress like you are a supermodel that weighs 90 pounds, please tan the rolls first. There is nothing worse than white exposed fat. We all could afford to shed some pounds, that isn't the issue. The issue is forcing the free world to look at the pounds you need to lose with out clothes covering them. Even worse than that is forcing the free world to look at the pounds that have never seen the sun.

4. Get out of the way. Unless you are a celebrity, you do not get to have the park to yourself. MOVE. Do not stop in the middle of the walkway to take care of whatever you are taking care of. Make your way out of the path of others. If you don't you will get run over by strollers, wheelchairs and people walking. If you do get run over, do not catch an attitude with the person who ran you over. It is your own stupid fault.

5. If you are a teenager, try to be less annoying please. You really aren't as cool or as cute as you think you are. The rest of the world thinks you are an idiot.

6. For the love of all that is holy WALK. Do not walk like you are dead, do not drag your feet, just WALK for gosh shakes. While you may not have any kind of agenda, the rest of us do.

7. If you are a grown up without little kids, do not ride the kiddie rides. Because you feel the need to experience the "big thrill" that the rides offer, you make the actual little kids wait in line 30 minutes for a 60 second ride. If you had little kids you would realize this is not fun. There are big kid rides, ride those.

Ok, I could go on, but those are my most important tips. Consider yourself armed with very valuable information.

This time tomorrow, I will officially be on vacation!

WOO HOO!! I am so excited. A little mouse, a little swimming, a little superheros, and a whole lotta family! A perfect vacation in my eyes.

Honestly, do you know what I am looking forward to the most??? My husband and my babies. I am so excited to be with them 24 hours a day for 9 days! I don't often get to just BE with them. I really can't wait. I can't wait to put Jameson in the sling and just hold him for as long as he will let me. I can't wait to ride eleventy bajillion rides with my Jackson and see his face when he looks up and sees Spiderman! I can't wait to be at the Magic Kingdom with MY little princess and try on crowns with her and have breakfast with her and Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, Snow White, Belle and Jasmine. I can't wait to go on a date with my husband (while my inlaws babysit) and get to do grown up things at the parks like hold hands instead of a stroller while we walk.

So that is what I am most excited about. That is why I love going to Disney so much -because we are together having fun. And just being together is my absolute FAVORITE thing! So see ya when I get back!

How would you like your eggs?

Lately I have been entertaining the thought of donating (selling!) my eggs. No, not my Eggland's Best, my actual, personal eggs. I did a little research and I found that they pay like $7000, for an egg donation. WHAT? $7000? Count me in! I mean come on, you guys have seen my children. Who wouldn't want my eggs? Ya know? Anyway, so I did some research - the process isn't that bad. It takes like three months, self injections, and then the sedated retrieval. I can do that. Well, I researched a little more - turns out I am too old. TOO. FREAKIN. OLD. And apparently not smart enough. They like for people to have a college education. Duh, obviously that makes your eggs smarter. Can't you just see the little eggies in the ovary listening to lectures in World Lit? With their little pencils and paper taking notes? Seriously, why the crap does it matter if you have a degree? Whatever, apparently my eggs are fried anyway, or at the very least scrambled. I bet if I submitted pictures of my children they would make an exception. Really.

A little Jackson brag!

I have such a smart boy! I am researching curricula for next year. He is currently doing a kindergarten curriculum, although technically he wouldn't be in kindergarten until this coming fall. Well, he is really doing well. He is reading some short vowel words (like sun, dad, nut, etc...) and is really enjoying the science that we do. The math however is boring him to tears. So I decided to test him and see where he is in math. There is a pretty advanced math out called Singapore Math. It is harder than the other math curricula normally recommended. I used Singapore's placement test for first grade math and Jackson flew through it. He did very well. It wasn't even a real challenge for him. Some of the concepts were new to him, so I explained it once, and he got it right after that. I was pretty amazed that he is testing 2 years above his current age level. I did not give him the 2nd grade test, but now I am curious to see how he would do on that!

Anyway, just had to tell you all (the three of you that actually read this) what a genius my boy is. Must be the McElroy in him.

What a craptacular day.

Absolutely craptacular.

On a lighter note, I lost 2 pounds. That scale better be glad. I seriously was going to throw it out the bathroom window otherwise. Operation Muffin Top, Day 2 was a success. I ate less today than I did yesterday. I didn't get to walk on the elliptical *yet* and I wont be doing it with my 22 pound weight on my back - he's gone to bed. I am, seriously I mean it, going to walk though.

A sweet story for you. We *think* spring is here (even if it is briefly)and my tots played outside for the majority of the day. So I fixed them lunch and took it out to them on the deck. If you know my children, you know that I have to put one on one side of the table and one on the other. So I did that, and came inside for a minute. I went back out there and Jackson had moved his plate and was sitting right beside Julianna.

So I asked him why he moved and all he said was because he wanted to. I asked him if it was to sit by Julianna and he said yea! Then she just laied her head over on him. I could have melted right there! Ah.. moments like these make me think I don't need my prozac anymore.

Operation Muffin Top, Day 1

So I turned over a new leaf, right after I polished off the rest of the Amish bread. I am GOING to lose weight. So I got up this morning and had a bowl of Special K for breakfast. It was quite tasty actually. I did have my ONE soda for the day already too. Then for lunch I had steamed veggies with soy sauce and water to drink (gah). Right before lunch however I walked on the elliptical for 10 minutes (which I know is not an incredibly long time, but come on, I could have walked for 2 minutes and it would have been a work out for me). Did I mention that I walked with my 22 pound baby strapped to my back? That has to count for something right?

I am going to be MAD if I get up in the morning and the scales still say the same thing.

And may I recommend something to anyone trying to lose weight - do not exercise while watching Paula Deen. I tried that today and it did NOT go well.

Oh and one more thing - I decided to "treat" myself with a Special K bar. So I go and get it, open it up, salivating along the way and it is like a midget Special K bar. I thought no way are they this small! So I get another one out to measure it to the midget one, and they aren't that small. My midget one is like 2 inches shorter than the rest. While this may not be a big deal to some, it is a huge big deal to someone who is  treating herself with a SPECIAL K BAR! I want the whole thing dang it. I am SO writing the company.

I need an intervention!

Seriously. I can't stop eating and drinking soda. My weight is creaping up and up. I am bigger now than I have ever been. I weigh 20 pounds more than I did when I got married.

What can I do? I am dead serious. I have got to stop it. Pretty soon I am going to start mooing. Ugh. I am so distraught over not being able to get it under control. I gotta go. I need a piece of Amish Friendship bread and a big fat Mt. Dew to console me. Yeah, shut up.

Jameson's Birthday Letter...

Jameson,
Sweet baby Jameson. Just writing that brings a flood of emotions. It seems like yesterday that I found out I was pregnant with you. Somehow a year has passed right before my eyes. Now I have this beautiful blonde haired, blue eyed angel in my life that I never thought I would have. Your start in life was a little rocky. You had to go to the hospital in Winston Salem when you were about 12 hours old. We all went too, because we couldn’t stand the thought of our baby being there alone. I discharged myself out of the hospital so I could go with you. Leaving you in the intensive care was the hardest thing I have ever done. You pulled through and got to come home nine days later. You were so tiny and so sweet. My heart literally ached for you. I was so paranoid for so long after we were home because I was worried that you weren’t ok. Seeing you now and thinking about you then – boy what a difference! You are celebrating your first birthday and you are doing so well! No one would ever guess you were five weeks early. You are so smart and so strong. I look into your eyes and I literally melt. You are the best surprise I have ever got.
You are really the easiest baby. You sleep well, and you play for a long time right by yourself. You love to watch Jack and Juju and you think they are hysterical. You laugh all the time. And you wear a constant smile. You are on the go 100% of the time. You are starting to “talk” more adding new sounds every day. You say baba, dada, gaga among other sounds. Of course, I am waiting so patiently for mama but it hasn’t come yet. You love patty cake and peek a boo. I have noticed the last few weeks that separation anxiety is in full swing. You only want mommy and you cry if I am not tending to you. I have to be honest, I love it. I love it that you only want me. You can be playing, totally happy and if I say, “Jameson, do you want booboos?” You start whining and crawl to me as fast as you can! I look forward to our second year of nursing! It melts my heart to know that you are a mommy’s boy. For now at least. I am sure it will be no time and you will have daddy wrapped around your finger just like Jackson. It will be superheroes and sports and you wont have time for mommy anymore. So I am going to soak up every kiss and hug and snuggle while I can!
Jameson you are such a blessing to us all. We love you so very much and it is hard to imagine our lives without you. I hope that as you grow older, you and Jackson will become best friends and you will build a bond together that no one can tear apart. I hope that all three of you grow up best friends, but I pray that you and your big brother will always have that special bond. Jackson really looks out for you now, and I pray that continues.
Well, big boy, I hope you have the best first birthday. I look so forward to your second year of life – you will be so much fun. Seeing you learn to walk and talk, I can hardly wait. And if you want to remain a mommy’s boy for now, mommy won’t complain a bit!
I love you my sweetest pea. Happy FIRST Birthday!
mommy

Little annoying phrases

Ok, can someone, anyone, explain the phase "cool beans" to me? I think that has to be the absolute stupidest thing to say. Ever. I mean really, cool beans? Cool beans! It is just dumb. How can beans be cool?

I also hate the word "style" as in, country style, southern style. That is why I can not eat at Cook Out. Their whole menu is like that - a chicken sandwich, cheese style. ACKKK. I could not bring myself to order if I had to use that word.

Fixins. Fixins? Shudder.

I've got a whole list of them. I wont ruin any more words for you though. And by you, I mean Tonya. The only person who actually reads my blog. God love her. Thats what sisters are for I guess. I guess really I could just email her these things...

Science...

We have been talking about science this week in school. Jackson seems to be really enjoying it. We went to the science museum yesterday. We didn't stay long, but I think Jackson could have stayed all day. We will definitely plan to go again soon. It is a little bit of a drive, but totally worth it. Then today in school we talked about the ear, nose, eyes and the tongue. We sat at the computer and looked at pictures of these things. He really showed an interest. He has been talking about wanting to become a policeman, but that maybe he will discover science instead! Julianna has been talking about being a "doctor girl" when she grows up. At the museum she flocked to the health section, so maybe that will be what she is interested in. Should be fairly easy to teach her that considering that is what I am interested in.

They are too funny. Jackson said he was going to put Juju in jail and she said she was going to give Jackson a "shock" (shot). I don't care what they grow up to be as long as they live within 5 miles of me, if not with me! haha!

Well, that is it for now.

Sometimes you feel a little pink...

I have been toying with the idea to put pink chunks in my hair. Well, I got a wild hair (pun intended)this week and decided to do it. I went and bought the stuff and I officially have pink chunks. I have gotten a lot of different responses - most people think I am crazy, and I suppose they are right. I think the most comical remark was from my sweet Ol'mother, and I quote, "Grow up." Nice huh? Apparently dying your hair is something only those young heathens do. What next? Maybe I will really rebel and start listening to Elvis, that will show her. Jeez, it is 2008. Who the frick cares what you do with your hair? As long as I don't pull a Britney, I think I am in good shape. Besides, my kids think I am cool and they are who I really care about.

Another thing, I couldn't let Brad get all the attention by growing his hair out. Haha! Anyway, pink today. Tomorrow? Who knows? Maybe I will really annoy people and go with rainbow.

I just don't get it.

Does someone care to explain to me the fascination of Girl Scout cookies? For the last month all I have heard from a ton of different people was how great Girl Scout cookies are. Up until this week, I honestly don't think I have ever had any. After all the talk about them, I decided I had to have some. I got three different kind, being unsure which ones would be my favorite. I tried Samoas, Peanut Butter Patties and Lemonades. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I seriously don't get it. I mean they were ok, but come on, Lofthouse Sugar cookies (you know the ones with the thick icing and sprinkles) are WAY better. The Samoas were just nasty. Is the allure that they can only be bought once a year? You know we always want what we can't have? Do you all seriously think these cookies taste good? Maybe I am just weird. My husband on the other hand just finished off the Peanut Butter Patties. We have had them for 24 hours. I am pretty sure that is what he had for dinner. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

Such a sweet girl...

Well, this is another post about Julianna. We had such a big day planned today. Gus came up from GA, we had Jackson's soccer game, we had to run some errands and at 2pm some friends were coming over for a little cake and ice cream to celebrate my big girl's birthday. Well, little miss priss had other plans. She woke up hurling. So we get her cleaned up and she was fine. She puked once more in the car on the way to get her cake. Ugh. So we came home and she was fine. Totally fine. She threw down on some Bojangles, had some cake and played. Well fast forward 10 hours and she wakes up hurling again. This time all over her and her bed. Nice bright green puke. Stupid birthday cake. So she is now cleaned up and in my bed chattering away. Sigh. It is almost 11pm and she has a second wind. I guess puking will do that for you. Does she not realize that we lose a precious hour of sleep tonight? Not to mention Jackson and Jameson will be up at O Dark Thirty? Guess not, why should she care, she is a McElroy after all. She will sleep half the day way tomorrow. I on the other hand will not sleep the day away - I will want to after sleeping with a leg thrown over me or an elbow in my back all night long minus a freakin hour. It will be ok. I am just praying to the precious Lord above that she doesn't decide today is the day she wants to start sharing with her brothers (or her parents!!).

I do think it is funny that she says "puke" while my five year old still says "pluke".

Oh one more thing. Last night we went to the Passion Play, which was awesome by the way. Jackson sat with me through the performance and Julianna went to the nursery. So when it was over, I went to get Juju and then we went back into the reach center. "Jesus" was still in there in full costume chatting to people. I wish I could have taken Julianna's picture when she saw him. It was like she saw Cinderella or something. She was floored! He walked by her and said bye, I thought she was going to explode. She was so excited "Jesus" said bye to her. It was so very sweet. I would love to be able to see Him the way she did. What an awesome feeling, huh?

Oh so dainty...

Two posts in one day - how about that. Anyway, this was too funny not to share. Julianna started gymnastics with Jackson recently. She loves it. So this past weekend my mom bought her the cutest little outfit to wear there. It is a little one piece with a little tule skirt. So I put it on her today with her little footless tights. She looked so adorable. Of course, being the mother that I am, I made her go sit down so I could take her picture(s). She sits down and I am snapping away. All of a sudden I hear this loud, manly fart come out of my sweet little princess. She looks and me and wrinkles up her nose and says, "Whats that smell like????" Umm, poo Julianna, poo.

Thats my girl.

Spiritual Warfare...

Funny little story about how Satan works. Our church is putting on a Passion Play starting this Friday night. It is a huge production complete with a cruxificion. Anyway, Brad has done a lot of advertising for the play in hopes to have as many people there as possible. We have a radio ad, a billboard, among other things. Well, it is working because the first weekend is completely sold out and the second weekend is almost sold out. So anyway, the billboard is on a major road here in town and I was driving down said road today. I look up to see our sign and it is gone. Not just our particular advertisement but the whole flippin sign. The entire billboard structure is laying in the grass. We had a wind storm last night and apparently, it took this billboard out. This particular street is lined with billboards - seriously, I wish I had a nickle for everyone. How many of them were knocked down by this windstorm? Just ours. How strong were the winds? It certainly wasn't hurriance force winds or anything. So it is crazy that our billboard with Jesus' face on it, advertising such a powerful play, is now lying on the ground - advertisement side down might I add. So I drive up in my driveway (I live pretty close to that particular street) and my cute little Easter signs are still standing nice and tall in my flower beds. My little signs that cost a buck from Walmart and are so small I could break them with my two hands, are still standing. Ah... the irony.

Satan is stupid. Does he really think that knocking out our billboard is going to keep people from coming to Christ this weekend? I don't think so. Besides, his timing is all off. THIS weekend is already sold out. We have this weekend covered. It is NEXT weekend that isn't. You better believe we will have that sign fixed way before then. I guess Satan never claimed to be the sharpest tool in the shed - just the most evil.

Man I missed my calling...

So this weekend we went to Charleston to celebrate Julianna's birthday with my mom and to see Matt and Stacey and the Cordray's. Matt and Stacey recently found out they are expecting our first (and quite possibly second!) niece or nephew. Not to mention that Matt has been out to sea for some time and he had not had the priviledge of meeting Little Jamey. So we packed up and headed out.

We celebrated on Saturday with my mom by taking the tots to this park in Charleston. It was awesome! We took a picnic lunch and had a great time. Then on Saturday evening we met the Cordray's and McCants' crew at Myabi's for dinner. So that was nice.

Now, Sunday was awesome! We met everyone at the same park that we went to on Saturday. We played for a while then we went to tour Matt's ship. It was awesome! It seemed to be the VIP tour - we saw it all. Jackson and Julianna even got to sit in the Captain's chair and wear his hat! Don't tell anyone that part though, it was on the DL. I was so intriqued by the ship, and so were the kids! I kept thinking man what a fun job! Matt even took us to his room, which is about the size of my laundry room. Three guys live in there! ACK! Anyway, funny thing, I was standing there looking around his room and I see pictures of family everywhere. I see tons of pictures of my kids (what a good uncle), pictures of their dogs, pictures of his parents, his mother and father in law, brother, sister, wife, friends - but no picture of his ONLY sister in law. So clearly he just doesn't have a picture of me. I *NEED* to be on that wall. How could he not want to be reminded of my face the six months he is out to sea? Well, I will fix that.

Anyway, we are gearing up for a busy week with the Passion Play starting, soccer starting, my inlaws and some friends coming up for the weekend, eye appointments, homeschool PE, gymnastics, etc... So I will update again soon.

A little welcome...

Well, I have decided to share my blog with everyone. Not sure that anyone would be interested but people love a train wreck right? So here it is... in all its glory. Our day to day...

February 2, 2008

I am really, really going to try to journal this time. There are so many sweet things that happen every day that I will never remember if I don’t write them down. So I need to make an effort. I just celebrated my 33rd birthday. We went to Greensboro to have lunch at PF Chang’s. It was so good and we really enjoying our time together. So, we leave and as we are backing out, we realize we had a flat tire. It went down hill from there. It turned out ok, and all was well. Jack and Ju were so incrediably sweet to me. They sang to me numerous times and told me happy birthday a bunch. They were truly excited it was my birthday. It made my heart melt.
The Saturday before, Juju and I went to run errands. We went to Talia’s to pick me up a coffee and ended up sitting down. Ju got a brownie and a coke. We had such a sweet time together. She sat with me and ate while I had my coffee. We just chatted and had a great time. She is so sweet and special to me. She is such a mommy’s girl. She is never far from me. She helps me with laundry and dishes. She wants sleep with me and take a bath with me. We really have a special relationship and I am so thankful for her.
Jackson seems to have that special relationship with Brad. Clearly, he and I are close, but he loves his “best friend”. They spend a lot of time together. And he is so a sweet hearted little boy. I enjoy him being home with me everyday. I would hate it if he were in school. I love all of them being with me. I am looking forward to getting down stairs organized so we can have school down there in an organized environment.
Sweet little Jameson is so big. He is crawling everywhere. It wont be long and he will be walking. Where did this past year go? It is crazy how time flies and how different our lives are now. I love my life and I love where we are. OK, so I will try to do this again….

What a frickin day!

So I decided today to be productive. I got up, which that alone was an accomplishment, and cleaned. I cleaned bedrooms, the kitchen, living room, den, and bathroom. I fed and cleaned my children, twice. And then I headed outside to work in the yard, with my children in tow. I replanted a cypress, replanted some azaleas and raked. It looks pretty good too, might I add. Well, it was while I was digging that I realized I hadn't seen Penny in a while. Hmmm... a LONG while. So I came inside and called her, no Penny. I rang the door bell, no Penny. I was started to get worried. I called Brad. He said he wasn't certain he let her back in this morning after she went out. Ok, that was 3 hours ago. Our back yard is fenced in but with 3 hours to kill, she can figure out how to escape. And that she did. So I pile my children in the van and road down the street yelling her name. I am sure my neighbors thought I had lost my mind. Anyway, after looking for about 15 minutes, I found her down the street playing in someone's yard. Did she come when I called her? No. I had to get out and go running (a sight in and of itself) in to someone's yard and get her. Alls well that ends well, but I could have lived without all the drama today.