*blush*...

I had to jump online quickly before taking the boys to school and tell you all thank you. I often check my email in the mornings while the boys eat breakfast and I was overwhelmed by the amount of email I had this morning. Yes, it is my birthday today. Though it feels as though it has been going on for a few days. When cards started arriving in the mail on Wednesday, Brodie and Austin figured it out and immediately started drawing my cards and pictures and sneaking around the house "wrapping" trinkets for me. IT was beyond sweet. The loverly Aunt Kree took me out to lunch yesterday and then treated me to a MUCH needed pedicure (can you say caveman feet?). Jason gave me my present early and since he knew how badly I wanted it (a Chi flat iron....heaven on Earth). I also got a beautiful new necklace and earrings from my in laws. I am all pregnant and emotional so each of the well wishes has made me tear up. So thank you....

I will now be taking my place as Diva for the day.

How is that different from any other day? I don't know.

*no time to proof read or spellcheck...pardon*

Say It Ain't So...

Austin came home from school today and in a very shy voice (yes, Austin, shy voice) told me that he has a girlfriend. It took every bit of my Mommy training to keep me from screaming, "LIKE HELL YOU DO!!!!" I just sat there and said, "Oh really? What is her name?"

The lowdown: Her name is Toby. They share a locker. He told her he liked her and they decided to be boyfriend and girlfriend.

I, of course, did what any seasoned Mom would do...I called my mom. During my freak out she said these words that brought me back down from the edge...

"At least he didn't announce he has a boyfriend."

Holy Crap...

I did the math today (Yes, Jason in my head)...

There will come a time in the future that I will have children in high school, middle school AND elementary school all at once. That freaks me out almost as much as thinking about how big our grocery bill will be.

Two Down...

Today was the first day of school. I wrote last year about how sending Austin to first grade was harder than Kindergarten for me. Well, Brodie starting school was HARD! Not for him, he practically ran in. It was hard for me. I was proud of myself though...I didn't cry until I walked back home.

Generic Update...

*28 weeks preggo*

We have gone to the doctor a lot this week for checkups so I thought I would give a generic update now. I know you are sitting on the edge of your seat.

I had an OB appointment on Wednesday. Everything is still looking fine. She again confirmed that my weight is fine and on target despite my imagining my ass exploding at any moment. OK, not really. I know I haven't gained THAT much, but I am gaining it in an unattractive manner. Oh well. Not much I can do about it. Just more work for after baby. Speaking of baby, we still don't have a name. This child may just be known as "D". I go back to the doctor in 3 weeks then I start going every 2 weeks. I can't believe I am already 28 weeks.

Brodie had his 5 year checkup on Thursday. Everything looked great and he was even happier about the fact he didn't need shots. I have suspected for a while that Brodie might turn out to be bigger than Austin when they get older, well looks like I might be right. Austin, by the time he was5, was pretty much right in the middle of the pack height and weight wise. Brodie is in the 75th percentile for both. I guess my threats to Austin that one day when Brodie is bigger than him he is going to thump the crap out of him for picking on him might not be threats after all.

Chase also went in on Thursday. Can you believe he is 15 months old? He was not so lucky in the shot department, he had to have two. He is also looking great and getting tall. He is in the 80th percentile for height, but he hasn't gained any weight in quite sometime so he is only 50th for weight. Our doctor isn't too concerned about it yet since he is such an active kid. Seriously, he never sits still. Even in his sleep. Ask Jason...he got poked in the nose at 3 am the other morning and bled all over the bed.

Well, that is all for my generic update. You may all go back to your lives now.

Attention all parents...*Updated*

All parents must go to this ebay auction and read the description. It is so funny I literally had to run to the restroom afterwards. I will be back later today to breakdown why it is so funny to me.


OK, so was that not the funniest thing ever? The reason that I find it so funny is that with three boys my grocery trips go so freaking similarly that it is scary. Brodie has an obsession with poking any kind of plastic packaging, be it at the meat counter or the water bottles that are cellophaned together. I dread the day he pokes his finger in the meat packages and then licks his finger...I know it is coming. Austin once dismantled and entire produce section looking for the perfect limes while Mommy was busy getting onions. I very regularly find myself holding out my hand for Chase to spit various things in and he pretty much thinks the shopping cart is a chew toy. Not to mention that my kids are the kings of the "can we have"'s.

Most of all...I have sat staring into the fridge trying to figure out how to make a gourmet meal out of pickles, onions and cheese. Anything to avoid the store.

Save this child...

I know it isn't his fault, but there is a strong possibility that this precious child will need to be rescued for his own safety in the coming days. OK not really, it has just been a long few days.

Chase has four teeth (two of which are molars) all trying to come through at the same time and needless to say, that is enough to make ANYONE cranky. Poor baby is not sleeping well and is just a bear at the moment. Of course, if I was sprouting that many teeth I think someone would need to put me down.

Give me a C...

I have thought a lot lately about materialism. I mean, let's face it, we live in a material driven society. Society associates the amount of "things" we have with our success and/or wealth. This is total crap of course, because I see "things" for a lot of people equaling mounting credit card debt and heartache. However, I do enjoy the fact that Jason and I have come to a place that even with baby #4 on the way we can buy ourselves nice things on occasion without that overwhelming feeling of, "Should we really have bought that?".

There are three schools of thought on the Coach craze that seems to be everywhere right now (as I see it anyway). School #1: It is a waste of money. School #2: They are nice, but I would never spend that much on a purse. School #3: GIMME GIMME GIMME!

I can say that I have been a proud member of each of the three schools of thought at some point or another. When I first noticed the Coach phenomena I was a single mom of two boys. This was when I was in the first school of thought. For me at the time I saw it as a waste of money. And really at that point it would have been. I also thought that it was just at status symbol and it was just ridiculous to spend that much money on a purse when Target had been supplying me with wonderful purses (that I got a lot of compliments on).

I then moved on to School of Though #2. I wanted one, they were cute, I saw the appeal of them, but no way would I spend that much money on a purse. They couldn't really be THAT much better anyway.

Finally right before Chase was born I joined The third school of thought. I had started to really WANT WANT WANT a Coach purse. Jason decided to get me one for Mother's day and I couldn't have been happier. Let me first say, that there is quality there. I have been carrying that same Coach almost constantly since early May of 2006 and mine still looks brand new. This is with me having three kids and nothing I have looks brand new. Is it a status symbol? Of course, but I don't see it as that big a deal. Everyone has one so they aren't really that special anymore. I still can't explain what it is about those little C's that makes me so happy. Jason just got me a pair of Coach sunglasses too and I love them as much.

Call me a hypocrite, call me sell out, call me Betty for all I care. Just give me a C!

They're BAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK....

All my boys are home. Austin and Brodie got home on Saturday. Last night we did Brodie's birthday with us (he had a party while gone too). Every year he wants to go to Chuck E Cheese. So that is what we did. Afterwards we came home and had birthday cake. I took Brodie to the store Saturday night to pick out what kind of cake he wanted to make. He saw this cake sitting over in the bakery and just had to have it. It looks like a hamburger, complete with sesame seeds.

This is the last week before schools starts. I have to admit, I am dreading it. I have gotten used to Austin being in school (he will be in the 2nd grad), but this year Brodie starts kindergarten and it is FREAKING KILLING ME. OK, now that is out of the way.

There are more birthday pictures here.

The Big F-I-V-E

Today Brodie turned five years old. Yes, five. It is funny, but even though Brodie is the #2 child I still see him as the baby when I talk about him. He was the baby for 3 1/2 years after all. It has been a bittersweet birthday for me. This is the first birthday I have missed of any of my kids. Austin and Brodie are on vacation with their bio dad (having a wonderful time I am sure). We will do his birthday with us when he gets home, but well, I think I am entitled to be a little sad about missing it.

So to my Brodie: I love you my baby with all my heart. I can not believe that you are already five years old and that in less than two weeks you will be off for your first day of school. It is too much for your mommy to take. You are so very funny and I love that you still like to sit in my lap and snuggle in the mornings. You are the most awesome big AND little brother. We are so lucky to have you in our lives. Mommy and Jason love you!!!!!

Come back to me...

If you find my motivation could you send it back home??

I seriously don't know if it is the ankle or what, but I have NO motivation at all right now to do anything. ANYTHING! My mom and grandmother will be here this evening and normally that would have me doing light housecleaning (vacuuming, changing sheets etc.), but here I sit not really caring.

The good news is one of my three monkeys will be home tonight. Chase is coming back with my mom. His daddy can't wait. We get the other two back this next weekend. I can't wait to have all my boys home again...even if that means I can't go to the bookstore in peace :-)

Just call me Grace...

( Top picture: View from our deck at our cabin; Bottom picture: Taken walking up the trail from the fishing dock)

We are back. We had a very relaxing time and enjoyed just being the two of us. No kids to feed, no diapers, no whining (from kids anyway) most of all no schedule to be on. I will post more on all the details of the fun stuff. We did have a downside.

Last night we were cooking Cornish Game Hens and we both decided we wanted some corn to grill with them. I drove up to the local grocery store and grabbed a few things. When I got back to the cabin I was walking down the stairs to the front door and my foot slipped on a rock...spraining my ankle. Yea, it is totally pretty! Swollen and a little bruised. I am pretty sure it is fine though. So, until the baby is born Jason has banned me from flip flops. Um, it is 105 degrees out and I can't wear flip flops....TORTURE!!!!

Gone Fishing...

Well, I will be away for a few days. Jason and I are headed to a cabin on a lake (we are hiding from everyone so I won't tell you where) to do nothing but relax and fish.

Have a great weekend!

Over-Parenting...

While I do not agree 100% with everything in this article, I continually found myself saying, "YES" while reading it. GO READ...I'll wait!
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Good huh? Isn't it funny how we go from extreme to extreme?

Relax parents!

Incognito...

One of the drawbacks of having a large brood is that you rarely go unseen in public. Dragging three VERY handsome, many times loud, boys everywhere you go seems to draw a lot of attention. Add to it the noticeably pregnant belly and well, there is just no hiding. Everyone wants to know if they are all mine, if I am hoping for a girl this time (no) and the repetitive, "Oh you have your hands full" statements. Due to this I am enjoying the child free status in public this week. I went to the bookstore where I sat and looked through photography books for an hour and half. Not once did I have to apologize for some various offense of one of my kids, nor did I have to get anyone to quit grabbing things off the shelves. I am completely incognito.

Well, other than the belly. I was in a store yesterday looking at baby clothes and a woman walked up and started giving me opinions about certain brands of baby things. Telling me basically what I needed to buy and what she couldn't live without. Um, I didn't ask for the record. When I told her this wasn't my first child that it was actually my fourth she kept on. Her one child, that could not have been more than two months old, apparently made her an expert. Is it wrong that sometimes I just want to be left alone?? Can't people tell I am trying to be incognito?

And by the way lady, you are totally wasting your money on half that crap. Come talk to me in two years when you are broke and realize that all you needed was some diapers and onesies!!!

On to the good...

So now that we have covered the bad part of our trip I can move on to the good. As you can see my nephew, Cason got to join my insane clan of boys. We also got to visit with Jason's brother and his wife which was nice, though too short lived. It overall was a good trip.

It is funny. We miss our families, BUT every time I go back to Lubbock I am more convinced I don't want to move back there. I can't put my finger on what it is, but it just doesn't suit us. To each their own.

Back to better posting tomorrow....no, really I swear!

Downer...

Here is a picture of the downside of our Lubbock trip. After being parked outside of my grandparents' house for a grand total of an hour, we went out to find that some stupid punks had shot the back window of the Suburban with a pellet gun and the pressure from inside the car finished shattering it.

And they say we live in a dangerous city...

Home Again...

Jason and I made it home this evening. Lubbock was both good and bad. Our trip included pellet guns, insurance claims, lots of laughs and hugs from family, and was complete with a Mommy meltdown.

More to come tomorrow...