See you all soon...and again after Monday!

So, with no husband in sight...and a 14 hour road trip with my 3 kids...I, needless to say, have 1,000,000 (spoken like Dr. Evil) things to do.

Google reader has 1,000,000 (same accent) things for me to read but I'm pretty sure the tiny town we're headed to doesn't have the internet.

I have 1,000,000 (L.O.V.E Mike Meyers) things to blog about but alas they wait until next week!

Can't wait to see you all on Monday and then it's off in the the wild blue yonder!

Catch you all next week! Hope it's a great one for you!

This is my LIFE!

The Bird's a bitter!

pay attention to Charlie's face!

Carl's Jr. ...Junior

CornDog

Fries

And a Shake

Don't bother me...I'm eating!

It's here again! And I can't wait

I find myself looking so forward to Wednesdays and Thursdays this summer. I sleep deprive my kids to they'll go to bed around 7 so I can vote! I neglect all things that can't be done in front of the tube! And we're down to the top 12!

I'd like to make my top three couple predictions

In no particular order...

my final six people are...

Chelsie and Mark

Kherington and Twitch

Katee and Josh

I also can't wait to see what Mia Michaels comes up with tonight!

So...what do you think?

We have a new little MONSTER!

So Saturday night we were sitting around doing nothing and talking about Sprout...

next thing we knew...

Here we were!

And He was looking up at us with These eyes...

Now...Meet MONSTER!

He likes the neighbors (when they are on their side of the fence)

He's our third dog from the pound. Not surprisingly he looks like a combo of the other two and he's equally as good. Really he's been too good to be true! House broken and all! I'm so glad to have a dog around again!

AND, He likes Legos!

The Fourth!

I love the traditions of the Fourth! Hope yours was as good as ours!

Have a good weekend!

Memories...From the corners of your mind!

Salvador Dali, "The Persistence of Memory," 1931

I've seen this one out there all over the place. It's been so fun to read and to think fondly about those that are playing!!

What you do is...

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments!

Please let those Star Wars...Staaaayyyy!

The party...We had a great time!

We wore Padawan costumes, got light sabers and met Darth.

We ate light saber cupcakes, sipped on sludge from the swamps of Dagobah (sherbet in Sprite) and used the force to put out 'trick' candles!

We ran, jumped and smashed!

They went home sticky, tired and smiling...Mission Accomplished!

Some names we came up with for Poor Dave in the Black costume on a 96 degree day...

Darth Daver

Summer Darth (short sleeves)

Sweaty Vader

Darth Sweaty

He did a great job and lost 4 pounds of water weight in about 20 minutes!

Today's Funnies

Two funny things happened today...well maybe just to me!

My sweet husband did SO much today...really - he was a HUGE help! It all ended with him doing dinner! (Which he NEVER does! Really so nice!)
He ran to the grocery store and then, when it was ready, he called us all to the table. He had fixed steaks, hot dogs and tilapia. So we had steak with a side of hot dog and fish...or Surf, Turf and Turf as we called it! Such a masculine meal!

Then after tubs, Thatcher had had too much birthday and was bouncing off the walls. I pulled him aside and said "You're starting to get on my nerves" to which he replied "Nerds...Yum!" We laughed all the way to bed. I'm so glad that he has the patience with me to remind me of his age.

All in all...A Great, carnivorous day!

Awwww, the party's over

So, I've been busy for the last couple of weeks planning a Star Wars party for both my boys and it's over...Aaaawwwww!
This is what I envisioned for the party...

But

It turned out more like this!

Fortunately 4 and 6 year olds enjoy a good cupcake enough to forget the rest!
Thanks Mom and Dad for all your help!
I'll post some pictures later

Tag? Wait, that's my son's name!

I wrote Tag's name inside his jacket for kindergarten and one of his classmates asked the teacher why she labeled the tag? We had a good chuckle...just one of many jokes - with that name, I'm sure! Good thing he's tough (and so's his brother...two against one! HE HE)


So, the Tag (thanks Arianne!) The rules are... Post these rules on your blog: List 3 Joys, 3 Fears, 3 Goals, 3 Current Obsessions/Collections, and 3 Random surprises about yourself. Tag five people at the end of your post by leaving their names.


Joys
1-Night time
2-silence
3-Good Music!


Fears
1- Never feeling comfortable in my own skin
2- my children's safety
3- disappointing my children


Goals
1- To raise courteous, aware Men
2- to raise a Strong, independent Daughter
3- to one day have my pre-baby body back


Current Collections/obsessions
1- Kaleidoscopes, kaleidoscopes and more kaleidoscopes
2- Trying to slow down my life...time is a flyin'!
3- So You Think You Can Dance -- -- --LOVE IT!!!


Random Surprises
1- I am completely average...height, weight, level of school finished, amount of kids, years married, hair color, average, average, average - SURPRISE!?!?!?!
2- I still wear my retainer at nights.
3- I've had nearly EVERY job under the sun!


There you go...More than you ever wanted to know about me. Now, I'd like to hear from Lisa, Andrea, Anne, Debbie (Mom) and Shauna.

The Cutest Baby EVER!

So you've heard by now that He's Here!!! And Well, we

Can't. Take. Our. Eyes. Off. Him.

I'm sure you can all see why! Welcome Aiden...to the world!

They love him so much because he loves them so much!

Here's Dave and his 4...oops, I mean 3 babies!

We Love you so much!

Happy Father's Day!

There's no one like him in the world!

Happy Father's Day Bapa-Tee!

Flips and Flops for Friday

Friday again...Argh, the first week of summer has FLOWN!

Flips...

This week was Tag's birthday! He's such a sweet kid, I'm lucky everyday that he's mine! He is the greatest oldest brother!

We played our heads off this week!

It was our first cousin's activity and it was so nice! Great weather, great food and the BEST company around!

We just saw Kung Fu Panda and LOVED IT! Such a cute movie!

Mia Michaels routine on SoYouThinkYouCanDance! It lingered! It was amazing, as was the whole show! Couldn't find a link to this routine...but It'll go up just as soon as I do!

Me and my boys are starting to read the Chronicles of Narnia on Monday! (there are so many great summer reading programs out there this year!)

It's Father's Day weekend! I'm so lucky to have my dad and to watch Dave grow as a Dad! He's a great Dad and he'll BE IN TOWN for it this year...WAHOO!

Flops...

Due to the birthday...my house has been SHOWERED in Lego's! WHOA!

I have to wait a WHOLE week until SoYouThinkYouCanDance is on again!

There is a Mountain of laundry sittin' here next to me just screaming my name!

Awww, Summer! My favorite time to... learn?!

It's officially time to put school behind us and focus on what our kids really need to learn. I don't mean the stuff we have to teach them...
when to use 911
about strangers
how to treat people of all ages
how to treat our planet
or sharing

I mean the GOOD STUFF...the things every kid should know.

Like...

How to whistle
How to make a paper airplane (Great Link on my sidebar!)
Skipping a rock
how to use a pocket knife
tree climbing
a proper cannon ball!
how to arm wrestle
how to identify poison ivy (by getting it, of course)
How to build the perfect couch cushion fort
spit wads, or not- on that one
how to tell good ghost stories


So let's get out there and 'educate' our kids!

Do you believe in Karma?

I'm a fair-weather of Karma, she doesn't always deliver when I think she should. (I'm also not very good at looking at the big picture.) Anyway, I found this great article and it made me smile, so I thought I'd share!

I sure hope you all get what's coming to you...after all, I know that you all have 'Somebody' for a middle name!

Flip and Flops for Friday

So, I'm totally stealing this great post idea! (I did ask prolly my Awesomest {-k- just stole that too} cousin permission)

Anyway, here we go for this week...

Flips...

Yesterday was our last day of school!!!

It's SUMMER!

I'm stayin' in my jammies ALL day today!

Lost two pounds to stress

Finished Taggy's birthday shoppin'

Workin' on a killer Star Wars party for the boys

House is totally cleaned, sanitized and aired out!

Have loved all the Rain this week!

It's almost time to meet HIM! WAHOO!

Flops...

Tag puked his brains out all week and missed the last day of kindergarten

4 seizures (So thought we were over this!!!)

$60 in co-pays

Both boys got blood drawn...NOT FUN! They kept calling it a blood-shot.

We're Tired...but the flips will take care of that!!!

Hope you all had more flips than flops this past week! Thanks, Ann, for the great idea!

What a Day!

So Tired
Really want to read all your blogs
Eyes closing
thank you for being my friends
Good night!

It's Finally HERE!

Plans are made...

Tickets are Purchased...

Theatres will be filling...

But with who?

I want those of you seeing this movie this weekend to count the MEN in your theatres and report back!

I'd also like to know which Character you think YOU are! I'm know I'm Carrie but my sisters say that I'm Miranda...WHATEVER!

Top Ten...

REASONS I LOVE BEING A BOY MOM!

10 - No matter how much you wipe...their faces are always sticky sweet!

9 - Wormies, wormies and more wormies...okay...not really a favorite thing, but I'm glad to know my lawn in healthy!

8 - The dress ups are WAY cooler!

7 - When we fly all the way to the ocean...they'd much rather play in the huge dirt hill

6 - More owies...more kisses better

5 - They have made me love being outside

4 - They can find a rock ANYWHERE...even at the grocery store

3 - Their strong little bodies and hearts

2 - In any restaurant they can tell me who the 'Bad Guys' are...and then how they'll keep me safe

1 - They are the softest, sweet-smellin'est, snugglers...EVER!

TONIGHT!!!

As if Thursday nights aren't already the best nights for the old BOOB-TUBE!, you can now go ahead and add my favorite show of all time!! Fortunately all the other shows are in reruns, so sit back and enjoy some seriously amazing dancing!

I'm so going to see them on tour when they hit the Great Salt Lake! AAAKKK, I can't wait!


Here's just a taste! Thanks Tiburon.

What a weekend!

Saturday

7am....hit the pavement with Edie...Thanks Edie!

8:30...Garage sale where I bought THE CUTEST BEACH CRUISER BIKE for a 10 year old girl...too bad I don't have one of those!

12 noon... Preschool wrap-up picnic at Washington Park. If you haven't been up there in a while, you ought to - it's a great park complete with 3 inch deep creek that has magnetic powers on little boys! We over stayed over played and got over sunned...it felt SO GOOD!

4pm...pedi's with my sisters! Then the Atom hatched open and we had dinner with my nuclear family. We all piled into my mom's car and cruised the two houses we lived in while growing up! It was so much fun! I LOVE MY PEOPLE!

Sunday

A wild hair and my crazy friend Misty convinced us to join them at the Dugway Geode Beds. We thought it was a 90 minute drive and then got there 3 1/2 hours later had a great hour of play and then drove the 3 1/2 hour ride home! Longest day of my life...7 hours in the car with 5 kids (our friends came with us, that was the day's saving grace!) We brought home a box full of whole and pieces of fantastic geodes!

We ran to my Mom's for Sunday dinner and now I'm SO glad to be home! What a Weekend!

WE. CAN'T. WAIT. FOR. SUMMER!

There's nothing like the FLU to make you crave getting out and get some sun! I just couldn't keep this monkey in any longer!

Wii had a great Mother's Day

Some times, as a woman, you have to take matters into your own hands. You have to make executive decisions that effect your family. You, on occasion, HAVE TO BUY YOUR OWN MOTHER'S DAY GIFT!

And what a time we're having with it!!! Thanks to the ever so Naughty Tiburon, I am completely addicted to kickin' my kiddos bottoms (we don't say butt) with toilet plungers!

So to explain my lack of posts completely it all comes down to the plunger! Between the Wii and a nasty stomach flu bug that cut my week's grocery bill down to nothing...I am all plungered out.

PS ~ Lisa, which works better...Lysol wipes or the Clorox ones?

We Love You....the Queen of EUROPE!

My old friend Ashely and I were in my mom's car on the way to school when we passed an apple tree with two colors of blossoms. My mom dove into a story about her uncle who had graphed a green apple branch onto a red apple tree and it grew beautifully right there on the wrong tree.

We rolled our eyes, that's what you do when your Thirteen! After school, we found ourselves in the same car going down the same street and passing the same two-toned apple tree. My crazy little Mom dove right into the Same story and it has been a running joke ever since.

We recently received news that Ashley's Mom is having some serious health issues and I feel paralyzed by that information. She's been my Mom's best friend as long as I've known her. Our families were raised together, we've traveled together, 90% of all the sleepovers I've ever had were at her house. We are that tree, different branches, one trunk.

Worried doesn't do justice to how I feel...helplessness, fear and a longing for more information tip the ice berg. I can only imagine how their family is feeling!

So on this Mother's Day, I want my Mom to know how much I love her and Kathy to know what an influence she has had on my life. She raised one of the best friends I've ever known and always been so kind to me and my family!

We are praying for the Queen of Europe everyday and are here to help however we can!

We love you D-Family!

So True

Thank you, Mom, for all the EVERYTHING!


The Lanyard

The other day as I was ricocheting slowly
off the pale blue walls of this room,
bouncing from typewriter to piano,
from bookshelf to an envelope lying on the floor,
I found myself in the L section of the dictionary
where my eyes fell upon the word lanyard.

No cookie nibbled by a French novelist
could send one more suddenly into the past --
a past where I sat at a workbench at a camp
by a deep Adirondack lake
learning how to braid thin plastic strips
into a lanyard, a gift for my mother.

I had never seen anyone use a lanyard
or wear one, if that’s what you did with them,
but that did not keep me from crossing
strand over strand again and again
until I had made a boxy
red and white lanyard for my mother.

She gave me life and milk from her breasts,
and I gave her a lanyard.
She nursed me in many a sickroom,
lifted teaspoons of medicine to my lips,
set cold face-cloths on my forehead,
and then led me out into the airy light
and taught me to walk and swim,
and I, in turn, presented her with a lanyard.

Here are thousands of meals, she said,
and here is clothing and a good education.
And here is your lanyard, I replied,
which I made with a little help from a counselor.

Here is a breathing body and a beating heart,
strong legs, bones and teeth,
and two clear eyes to read the world, she whispered,
and here, I said, is the lanyard I made at camp.

And here, I wish to say to her now,
is a smaller gift--not the archaic truth
that you can never repay your mother,
but the rueful admission that when she took
the two-tone lanyard from my hands,
I was as sure as a boy could be
that this useless, worthless thing I wove
out of boredom would be enough to make us even.

- Billy Collins

oh, you'll play and you'll like every minute...because I SAID SO!

My little Birdie loves the piano...I can't wait to show her this when she's begging me to not make her practice!

I need some a them!

Thanks BB Blog for the chuckle!!

My Little Bro!

I'm so proud of my little brother today. He is graduating from the U of U with his Masters in Psychology! He enrolled in the program with some reluctance and I hope he is as proud of himself as I am!

Way to go T-Bob!