Happy Birthday to You

Happy birthday to Baileigh, Uncle Ed and Chloe on the 28, 29 and 30 respectively, cold winter days make for fall babies :) I hope they all had memorable days. Baileigh had her last single digit birthday, Ed had his last 20 something birthday (you know what that means) and Chloe celebrates her first birthday today.

Jim and I had a date night on Friday. Can't remember the last one we had. Let's just say I got a quick lesson in how quickly things have changed since I made $2.00 an hour babysitting. I had to call my friend to see what she paid her babysitter and do some research on the internet after the woman I work with said that the babysitting course suggested they charge $10 per hour per kid. If that is the going rate I think a lot of us are in the wrong business. I hope we will make an effort to try to do it more often. I think we need it for us and the kids. They had a great time with the babysitter (the daughter of a co-worker) and told her which game to bring 'next time'. So I guess they want a next time too.

Desperate Housewives started this week. Not sure what I think of it yet. So different. ER is back, so sad...John and Kate and Little People Big World all starting soon. Tonight is Dancing with the Stars, any favorites yet???

Better off not knowing...

I have heard many times about people feeling fine and then when they find out they are sick the symptons become apparent. That is why some people don't want to get tested for things because they don't really want to know. My friend Karin always 'knew' she probably had allergies but lived without the confirmation. Now that she got tested, she has confirmed she is allergic to all the good food sources in life, what fun is that. I believe my dad had cancer for some time before he was actually diagnosed. He was in pain, but once he got the diagnosis, down hill fast (@ a month and half).................Not to make like of any of these, but now it is my cat. Before he went to the vet he was fine. Since he went, he is throwing up!!!!! Remind me again why I went with a cream rug upstairs. That thing has seen it's share of human and cat throw up in its short few years.

Happy Birthday Jefffrey (Sept. 23)

It is a busy few months for birthdays for us. Joshua started it off at the beginning of August, followed up by Auntie and Christian at the end of the month, Jacob started off September, now it's Jeffrey's turn and Baileigh and Chloe are coming up soon.

Jeffrey turns the big 16. Not so sweet when you're a teenage boy. But are teenage girls really sweet at 16 either? Here are some pictures of his past birthdays. I can't post all 16. For one: (People who know me well know I am THE for one and for two girl) 16 is a lot of pictures, and for two, we didn't get to see him for many of his later birthdays.

He arrives.

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Skip ahead a few years....14

Happy Birthday Jeffrey!!

Making Use of the Dirt

The hill is gone. Of course the machine killed my grass. Who cares if it was crab grass...it was green.

The dirt was turned into some new jumps...you know the things that will put me into an early grave.

Jim rented a machine today to try to get rid of the mountain of dirt he made oh probably about 2 years ago when he built the garage. No mishaps, thank goodness. Hopefully tomorrow I will get a good after picture.

Jacob loves George. He likes to watch it on TV and listen to stories about him. He also loves candy. For his birthday Auntie bought him the Curious George book about the candy shop. At the end there is a recipe that Jacob wanted to try. I volunteered Auntie for this one. Peanut butter, fluff, sticky, messy fun.

It was a bit hard to stir the peanut butter, fluff and chow mein noodles.

Auntie wasn't messing around. She got her hands right in it.

Jacob added the 'eggs' to his 'nests' and did a great job counting out 5 for each one. He had fun, but not a recipe we'll use again. We'll stick to the chocolate chip, butterscotch chip and chow mein noodles. Yum-o!

No news is good news?

Nothing really to report, but figured I better make it worth coming to visit. This weekend was low key which really was welcomed. This working thing makes a girl tired. We were going to go riding on Sunday but it appeared as though it was going to be a rainout. It cleared up mid-day so Jim and the boys went riding at a local spot we had heard about but never could find. Turns out it probably won't be worth going back. It is a shared trail system, bikers, walkers and ATV's. You can imagine the four wheelers aren't too welcomed. I on the other hand got a little quiet rest time. It was nice, especially since this really was a weekend that Jim and I could have used a babysitter to get away for a dinner. I also redarkend and highlighted my hair since the previous color had washed out or faded in the sun.

Yesterday Jacob woke up and came to my bedside, "Mommy, what can we do today?" Did I mention he used to ask his babysitter this daily? "You get to go to school today Jacob." "Yeah!!" Gotta love it. I got to sleep in til 7 as I had a workshop. This year it is 6 normally, which is a killer. I want a 9-2 job. Anyone know one where I can work those hours and still make the same money??? Don't all shout out at once.

Today Joshua had a friend over, tomorrow night is open house at the boys' school, Thursday is picture day (which I discover really is a waste of money as I only gave one picture out last year) and the day I bring Brady to the vet, and next Tuesday Jeffrey turns 16. Any suggestions for a 16 year old boy....no cars thank you.

Half full, Half empty?

When Jeffrey was younger he sold his perfectly fine dirt bike for a four wheeler. Today he traded his perfectly fine four wheeler for a dirt bike. I often ask myself if we are teaching our kids that what they have isn't good enough or always to want better for themselves. I, probably being the pessimist, see it as not believing what they have is good enough, Jim, perhaps being the optimist, sees it as always wanting to improve and have better. That is probably why I still drive a 1999- rusting more each day- minivan and he traded a perfectly fine F-150 for a 2500 Dodge Ram :) I wonder where the kids get it from?

Busy Busy

Man you get busy and before you know it, time has gone by!!! And you are tired....just in time for the kids to say "what are we doing on the weekend?" I of course am thinking sleep and rest sound good.

In the rush that is my life, I got a speeding ticket this week. Even worse, it was in the school zone in the town I work in....oops. I could be like my boys and say "It's not my fault" as I do all my thinking and reminiscing when I am driving. I simply do not pay attention. Sometimes I get somewhere that I go everyday and say "I don't remember going by this or that". But I know I did because I got there. It is rather scary but I don't really smell the roses, I am always in a rush. Like now, I am trying to type my butt off before I get my haircut. Forget the laundry, forget the dishwasher...I haven't blogged in a few days. I could have told him I was a teacher in hopes that he would let me off, but I sucked it up and took my punishment since I have gotten two warnings in the last year.

I'm getting my haircut soon. I get about two a year :) I'm at least going to someone. For years I cut my own. I cut the boys and Jim's also. But I am trying to do something for me once in a while besides my nails. I really wanted to get a professional color to, but time just does not permit.

Brave Boy

Jacob got his shots today. I guess I missed the ball on that one because he was supposed to have them before he started school. Though the school missed the ball too because they never called me on it, I went to them.

I wasn't going to tell him until it was time to go, no need to stress him out for days, especially because it wasn't just one shot. Ironically, when I picked him up, I mentioned to the babysitter about where we were going and how I hadn't told Jacob yet. She said that today he was watching Pax (? a penguin) and he had to go to the doctor to get shots with special medicine in them. Perfect, my opening. So when we got into the car I asked him if he watched Pax and what it was about. "I forget." Surprise, surprise. Did he have to go to the doctor? "Oh yeah, and he had to get shots." Ah ha...I'm in.

They really whallop kids these days. They changed the polio vaccines so know they have to get another one because it has to be closer to school start. It use to be that they had all their shots by age 2 and they didn't remember it (at least at my pedi.) They also do a second chicken pox, so the poor kid had 4 shots....all on about 10 minutes notice. He said when Pax got his shots it was quick and only hurt for a second. Well Jacob was so brave, 4 shots, 2 arms, not a single tear.

The Weekend

6:30 am, both mornings. Funny thing is I know my friend Karin would love her kids to sleep in til then. That is the great thing about their ages, they come down stairs and play while we stay in bed. Not that I sleep though. Must be the sense of guilt responsibility that comes with parenting. I usually come down soon after though I think 7:30 is my minimum.

We lucked out with the rain associated with the hurricane from the south. Saturday was sunny, it rained over night, and Sunday was beautiful again. We went up to Pack Monadnock for a cookout and to look for snakes. You could see the buildings in Boston it was so clear.

"Who wants to go to Pack Monadnock to look for snakes?" asks Daddy. "OOh, OOh me Daddy. I want to go. You know I'm always bored" answers Jacob. Nice! My kid is always bored.

They really wanted to go swimming. It wasn't really that nice. They were riding bikes in jeans which is why they were so sweaty. Jeffrey is a teen who doesn't wear shorts anymore and on days when he is with us...Joshua copies his idol. When we were leaving, I suggested shorts. With swimming on their minds they put on their bathing suits. "Jacob, we're not going swimming." "I know Mommy, I like flames".
Jacob read his first book to us today. It was a color/shape book they made in class. Similar to the Brown Bear Brown Bear, What do you see? It is a repetitive book that they memorize. But he was so cute because they are being taught to use their fingers to follow the words as they read to represent that text represents words. He was so proud and so were we. 2nd week of school and already reading.

Routing for the underdog

Yeah....Britney just won a VMA!

No hate mail please :)

Saturdays and rainy days

Here we are at the end of the first week of everyone needing to be out the door by ten of seven. It went great. We were all up, no complains apparently still excited at the idea of the new routine and school clothes. I was on time for work, even a few minutes early each day. Towards the end of the week I kept saying to people, "My kids better remember what tomorrow is!". In other words, Saturday, sleep in day. Well let's just say this post is being written at 7:30 and they have been up since 6:30. I guess they didn't get the memo.... We'll have to make the best of an early, rainy Saturday.

3...3...3

Joshua arrived late on the 3rd of August. I chose for Jacob to be born on the 3rd of Sept. via planned c-section. Jeffrey was born on the 23rd of Sept. and Jim and I were married on the 3rd of Dec. (I just couldn't wait any longer even for nicer weather) So the number 3 rings a bell in our home.

Today was Jacob's day. He for the most part is a really laid back, easy-going kid which is why the poor kid has gotten jipped for most of his birthdays. It always fall right near Labor Day weekend and is at a bad time of year for kid parties. He will not know any kids in his class when his birthday comes. He has always just gone with the flow. As long as his cake had some form of candy on it, he was happy. He has always gotten a cake from the bakery cooler with a few candy adornments added. Heck if you look closely you will see that on his 3rd birthday we used Joshua's 5 candle. Man we are bad!!!

Now that he is getting older and more observant, I wanted him to have a special cake. I ordered it last night. It may look familiar from another boys 6th birthday, but they only have so many dirt bike/ four wheeler cakes....

Here are some pictures of our little punkadoo from the moment he joined us.

Joshua has really been showing his protective, caring, compassion side with Jacob since he has started school. I think he knows how hard it was for him and asks Jacob daily how school was when we pick him up. This picture was from this weekend. These are the times that warm my heart, especially when we've had a day of bickering and fighting over every toy.

Happy Birthday Jacob

In case you can't tell. My students are back to school and the beginning is always crazy and hectic for me. Sadly, I always say at this time of the year that I need a new job...unfortunately it is not the kids that stress me out, just the nightmare scheduling that comes along with a multi-grade classroom and a shortage of support personnel hours. Hence the lack of posts. Thanks to those who keep checking in and I hope to get back on track.

Today is Jacob's birthday. I hope to post later with all of his birthday pictures.