oh my....it's been a while...

It's been so long since I've been on here! wow.

I don't know that I'll be better. I'm so busy.

Between family, school, church, baseball, baseball treasurer/meetings, and working out (which I need to get to today), it's a whirlwind for me.

Life has been a bit of a roller coaster lately. Just really trying to survive.

Blogger, I will attempt to be better --- but not promises.

I LOVE MY KIDS

My kids and everyone seem to be doing pretty great. We're settling in to our school year routine - which is going pretty well considering all the changes this year. Luke is in 3rd grade and loving his class. Many of his friends are in his home room. Barring a trip to the principal's office for fighting, he's doing ok. He'll be doing dishes until August 4, 2010, but he's fine. :) Drew and Evan are together in Mrs. Willis' class in the 1st grade. They look like jack-o-lanterns. I don't know how they eat with so few teeth! They continue to be the ladies' men! We'll have to watch that...Gabriel is ornery and cute as always. He is going to preschool 3 days a week now, which is new from last year. He seems to getting things better this year, so that is a relief. He likes his time with my grandma on those days. It will be sad when they go to Florida in November. He enjoys being the "only" one getting the attention at her house. Maya is goofy, cuddly, energetic, demanding, busy, and all-around-awesome all the time. I can't imagine the void I would have always felt without her. I love her so much. I love them all, but I can honestly say now that I feel done. I feel like my family is complete with her. We're well-rounded now....something....I don't know how to quite explain it. All I know is that I'm loving the blessings I've been given. And they are such good kids. I know I'm bragging. Oh well....

Luke is playing football this year. He's on the 4th grade tackle team as a 3rd grade student, and he is playing REALLY well. I can't be more proud. Drew and Evan are on flag football again this year, and they are running backs, which makes them happy. And they're so fast, I imagine it will work out well for them. Gabriel isn't playing yet, but it won't be long.

I'm not good at blogging anymore - darn facebook...! :) HA HA! Come find me there!

Have a fantastic fall!

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.