so much stuff to do....

...so little time...

*edit*
...so little time when i'm actually motivated to get it done.

I think I must be crazy.

Facebook and Little House

What is new? What is new?
Hmmm.

I'm always on facebook - find me there....

I love being a mommy. I may have to switch jobs (but I'm thankful in this economy I have one) next school year. It would be stressful, but I would have to manage. I'm getting ready for the Easter drama at church. So much preparation! If I didn't have an assistant for it, I could NOT do it. Chad has a new job which keeps him out working til usually after 8 each night. It stinks, but he likes the job, and in the long run, it will probably be financially better for us if we can get through this economic crisis. Obama is horrible, but we all knew that. Well, at least those who didn't are finding it out now. (Seriously? Paying for abortions overseas? Potentially forcing physicians to perform abortions regardless of their religious beliefs? Stimulus package schmimulus package. Stimulus my butt.) Gabriel is finding his silly. Drew and Evan read better and better each day. Luke is finding his place to fit and an amazing big brother. Bo (the dog) is ridiculous. I'm over it. If you know someone who wants an enormous chocolate lab, send them my name. Yahoo spam is out of control. I love the smell but not the taste of pickles. I'm NOT pregnant. Should never be again. At the risk of sounding just like every other female in America, I read the entire Twilight series in about 10 days I think. The books are amazing, and I hate that there aren't about 5 more books. I want to see the movie. I finally found a really cool friend at work (not that I didn't have any - just that we're really clicking these days) and I potentially (probably/more than likely) will be moving back to the high school/middle school position next year, and I will miss her. I'm excited about teaching SINGING again. I miss it. I miss connecting with those kids. I miss everything about it but the hours. So in that respect, I am apprehensive, but I really and truly am excited if I am honest with myself. I just have to put my family before the job. I wasn't really good at that before. But I had only 60% of the children that I do now, too....I got the Blackberry Storm for Christmas, and I love the idea of it. I even really enjoy the features. But it freezes. It freezes MORE than it doesn't. I don't like that. Imagine the audacity I have to own a cell phone and expect to be able to use it! I doubt Verizon would be any help....maybe when I get 5 extra hours I'll go wait in line to be told that they can't do anything for me. Um, let's see. That would be a week from next never. The kids were on the computer because I laid my arm in something sticky. Ew. Now papers are sticking to my arm, but I'm typing so fast I can't imagine stopping this creative flow and genius.

I am back. My arm is not sticky.

I have discovered that a week away every 2 weeks to get my nails done is absolutely necessary or I will cry. I need the me time, and it's really not that costly. I take my lunch every day now to compensate that cost. Call me crazy, but I'm considering growing my hair out to get a perm. Think how much time I would save in the morning without the morning routine of wash/dry forever because I got mom's thick THICK hair/straight iron/spray/straight iron/give up cause the baby is crying or gabe can't find shoes so i gotta go anyway. It may not be the "in" thing, but I'm considering it.

I also have just moved my keyboard to my lap. It has been so long since I actually got on the PC because of the internet access on my BB Storm, that I almost forgot how to type.

Soooo, I have a story. One that involves Luke and Drew. After baths tonight, Luke came running in with his tattle face on. Normally I ignore all tattling, but I can't ignore bad words...when Luke said Drew had said a really bad one, I was a little surprised when he wouldn't tell me which of the really bad ones he had said. (They think "shut up" is a bad word...) Luke wouldn't spell it. He said it started with a "b." I asked if it rhymed with itch. No. With mustard? No. I was stumped. At a loss. What other bad words? Chad started making up words. Bit. Bang. Bam. There were some others, but I'll spare you. Anyway, I told Luke to go get Drew. He was more than eager. Drew walked in a few seconds later with his head hanging down and a guilty finger in his mouth. I asked Drew if he had said a bad word. He stared at the floor. I asked what word he had said. I saw the lips part. I heard it, but I couldn't believe he said it. THIS was what Luke made a big deal about? So I asked Drew to repeat himself. A quiet and shameful "Boob" escaped his lips this time just loud enough for me to make it out. Chad burst in to laughter. Drew's shame evaporated, and Chad began.

"Drew, boob isn't a bad word. Tit is a bad word."
(Drew and Luke giggle)
"On Drake and Josh, the evil sister [evil is Drew's new word - he can even spell it] calls them boob all the time," Drew answered in his own defense.
"You can say boob. You can call your brother a big boob if you want," Chad encouraged.
I protested. I told Drew that it was inappropriate and he had better not say it at school. Chad said I should be glad this is what he wanted to say....there are a lot worse...yadda yadda yadda.
Then it really began. Chad began giving him the scenarios (say it when you see your brother in the hallway at school - if you get caught say you didn't say boob at all - YOU said bub. better yet! call him a booby and say you meant to say bubby!). It was not good.

I guess part of me says to lighten up. Chad's right, there are MANY MANY worse names - many of which Chad coined himself after Drew was out of earshot, thank goodness. But what's wrong with wanting to live in innocence for a little while longer?

I'm not ashamed. We watch "Little House On the Prairie" - I have the DVR set. The twins especially love this show. Luke has grown to like it, and Gabriel will watch whatever. They think it's funny. I think it is wholesome. I'm not ashamed! We all need a little dose of Half Pint!


This was random. That's what I get for not posting forever.

Anyway, check out pictures of the kids on fb if you want.
:) Have a great week!

New Years Party and Christmas with the Monizes

We had some friends over for New Years and it got pretty fun when we broke out the Rock Band!! Enjoy the pictures! Greg and Chantel, Shane and Jess, and all the kids had a good time.








Here are some fun pics from tonight's last Christmas get together. The whip cream provided a lot of entertainment.

This morning

Gabriel has this thing where out of the blue he will say things like, "I love you bigger than a chicken." or "I love you bigger than a house." This morning, he jumped up on my bed while I went back to gather my laundry. He gave me one of his famous lines, so I started bantering with him. Here's how it went.

Gabe: Mommy, I love you bigger than a crocodile.
Me: You do? Well, I love YOU bigger than an alligator.
Gabe: I love you bigger than a hippo!
Me: I love you bigger than a cow!
Gabe: I love you bigger than a chicken.
Me: Well, I love you bigger than a mongoose.
(pause)
Gabe: What is that?
Me: I don't know!

Then I began tickling him and his laughter filled the back of the half.

Me: I love you bigger than a house.
Gabe: I love you bigger than a bigger house.
Me: I love you bigger than a train.
Gabe: I love you bigger than a bigger train.
Me: I love you bigger than a chocolate cake!
(pause)
Gabe: That doesn't even make sense.

We both burst in to laughter. Funny, the was the ONE statement that actually DID make sense to me!

I love his laugh.

Germs and giggles

For those of you who don't know, Maya was put in to the hospital this past week with RSV. It was a four day stay that totally messed up her days and nights since they kept waking her up while she was sleeping at night. BEFORE the hospital, she was sleeping in about 5 or 6 hour segments through the night - which I was VERY HAPPY with. Friday and Saturday, she slept all day despite our attempts to rouse her and she was awake and screaming all night. Today seems to be a little better, although she still has slept more than normal. I'm not sure how much of that is that she's getting over RSV and you sleep more when you are tired and how much of it is that she's still mixing up her days and nights. Either way, I'm sure it won't be long with the loud family get togethers and the jostling of who will hold her next before she is back to sleeping well through the night. The RSV is sounding good. The doctor was very pleased with her progress at her follow up appointment on Friday.

Through this whole ordeal, she has started really coo-ing, giggling, and SMILING!! I managed to get a few of the smiles captured by camera. So, for those of you jonesing for some Maya pics, enjoy this post! Love to all! Merry CHRISTmas!!

THIS is what RSV looks like! HA! Poor girl....when she wasn't sleeping, this is what we saw for a few days.


Maya 12-21-08 with Luke. I am not sure who adores who more. Luke or Maya.


This is Maya in her Christmas dress this morning.






I l-o-v-e this picture for some reason. Maybe it's who is IN the picture.... :)


One of her first smiles on camera...from a hospital bed, no less!


Heard of the Linus project? They made her this blanket. Great idea!


The bunny is also from the people with Linus.


At church this morning.


What a great smile!! How could I not be in love!?!?!


Luke playing his XBox...had to pause for the pic!


Evan pretending to be the villian, Venom, from Spiderman


Drew being Drew.


Gabe and Maya tonight after baths


Mommy and Maya



Gabriel and Maya tonight

A day in the life...

Ok. If I could fast forward through one day, today would be a good candidate.

Within 15 minutes all of this happened today:
We were finishing up lunch, and Gabriel did the traditional "How many bites do I have to eat to get up?" My answer was 5. The baby started crying, so I went to get her when I heard this noise from the kitchen. I didn't place it at first probably because it was muffled by the infant cries in my ear. Then it hit me. Gabriel was throwing up. He had put the five bites in his mouth one after another without chewing and without swallowing. There was simply no room, so he was gagging and throwing it up. I was trying to get him to the trash can while holding Maya. We made it but not before half of it was on the floor. I managed to avoid getting splatterred...but he didn't. So I instructed him to change his clothes while I changed Maya. The odor coming from her diaper, I had gathered through all of this, was the reason for her dismay.

Satisfied that he was done gagging and knew what to do, I handed him a paper towel to wipe off his face and proceeded to the changing table in Maya's room. As I walked through the house, with her in my arms, I couldn't see the floor. I stepped in something cold and slimy. I looked down to see the cat had been sick...and it was squished between my toes and up my pants leg. Ok. Take a deep breath. Hop (with Maya in your arms) on one foot to her room to set her down so you can use baby wipes to get the worst off your feet before you boil them in hot water to get that off!!!! I managed to get her sat down, and I wiped my feet off, rolled up my pants so that if there was any on the cuff, it wouldn't smear on to the carpet. I changed my daughter, and she was poopy. Got her cleaned up, put her in her seat in the living room, changed my clothes, and got the carpet cleaner.

I finished cleaning up the carpet, and by that time, Maya was fussing again, so I picked her up and sat down in the recliner. I held her up in front of me...and she spit up all over my shirt! At least it wasn't all over her.

So I THOUGHT the worst was behind me, but when the boys got home from school, the fun began! They were so wound up that I finally banned them from talking until their chores were done. This was great for about 15 minutes. Next thing I know, Luke is running up to me with his lips pinched shut, since he was not allowed to speak per my decree, and he's pointing hysterically while MMM MMM MMMMMM-ing to avoid talking and get me some kind of message. From his urgency, I knew he had to talk, so I said he could. He frantically started to tell me that someone (NOT HIM, of course) had been in the bathroom and put tooooooo much toilet paper in it, and there was water on the floor. I ran in there to find about an inch of water all over the floor and the toilet still overflowing. He was right. Gabriel had put an entire box of kleenex in the toilet for some reason. Gabriel went running to his room yelling repeatedly, "I'm sorry!!!" I started giving directions for towels. My attempts to turn off the valve were not working, so I lifted the lid to see the mess in the toilet bowl. I knew there was only one thing I could do. I had Evan go get me some Walmart bags. He came running back, and I dove in with my hands to get the mess out. As soon as I did, the water went right down. The boys started mopping up with towels...and I had to change my entire outfit (AGAIN) because my pants were wet around the ankles and my sleeves were wet up to the elbows.

I love being a mommy!