Everybody was kung fu fighting...

Halloween was a great success this year. Honestly, I didn't get into it much this year. It is usually one of my favorite holidays. Maybe it is the pregnancy. *shrug*

As you can see the boys were all ninjas. Chase was VERY proud of the few pieces of candy he got. He kept stopping along the way and showing everyone his "'nack" as he says. I was also surprised that Austin and Brodie were pretty satisfied after only being gone about 20-30 minutes.

Hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween.

When Will Evan Make His Debut?

By popular demand I have decided to open betting on when Evan will arrive and how much you think he will weigh. To make it fair to everyone I will give you all the information I know of that might help you:

~Due Date: November 16th (as dated by ultrasound at 7 weeks)
~At my 20 week ultrasound Evan measured one week big.
~As of Monday 10/29 I am 2 centimeters dilated and about 50% effaced.
~This was a big change since I was not dilated at all 6 days prior.
~Austin was born at 37 weeks (I was induced due to pre-eclampsia) and weighed 6lbs 14 oz.
~Brodie was born 4 days after due date weighing 7lbs 10oz.
~Chase was born 3 days after due date weighing 7lbs 13 oz.
~I am now officially waddling when I do not make a conscious effort not too...I have never waddled in past pregnancies....EVER. Through this whole pregnancy I have carried Evan high....until this week.


So, what's your guess? Leave me a comment with a date and time you think Evan will be born and give a guess as to how big you think he will be.

Two is better than none...

Well, I am 2 cm dilated. Now, I was 2 cms when I was pregnant with Chase for two weeks, BUT I never went from zero to 2 in one week.

I am very excited about this.

I have more to say, but I also have a sick toddler who is requesting Mommy.

He wins over you people.

Pumpkin patch...

Just thought I would post a picture from the pumpkin patch. We had fun even if we didn't stay too long (our clan is all getting that dang cold again). As you can see Chase did NOT want to sit still for the pictures...he was way too busy!

We need a bigger bed...

The boys all love to pile into our bed and watch TV at night. I think we might need to get a bigger bed!

Negative Nancy...

That's me! I have resisted the urge to blog lately just because I am tired of my negative attitude so I know everyone else is. On to better things...

After today I will have everything ready so that if I go into labor nothing horrible will be left behind. I bought all the stuff to have my bag packed and ready to go. This I am sure will make Jason happy since I won't be telling him he brought me the wrong lotion :-) There are still minor things to work out, but Evan could come any time now. I even have my diaper bag on the way (SOOOO freaking cute) and my baby sling. Better late than never.

Speaking of...I am officially 37 weeks today...FULL TERM BABY! However, my last two boys were a few days past due date, so I am pretty much braced for 3 more weeks. Now that the weather has turned cooler it isn't so bad. If it was still in the 90s I would be even bitchier!!! I know hard to believe.

When life gets in the way...

No I have not gone into labor (as of yesterday I am 50% effaced, but no dilation yet). I did ditch out on the blog for a few days due to sick kiddos. Brodie had to be picked up from school yesterday since he was running a fever and is home again today.

I will post more later, but I did want to hop on and mention something. I am now a contributing blogger at Larger Families. It is a website with about a dozen bloggers, all with larger than normal size families. I am really excited about it. In fact, my first post is up. Run on over and check it out!

It's Official...

I am tired of being pregnant.

Now, you all know as well as I do that in a year or two I am going to be pining for the days of pregnancy and all the good stuff that goes along with it....BUT, right now I am done.

How did I reach this point? Well, you see, when BREATHING AIR gives you heartburn you have pretty much reached your breaking point. Ever since my last stomach attack I have been pretty careful about what I eat. That seems have helped the gallbladder and/or reflux thing. However, it seems to have done nothing for the heartburn. Drinking water even seems to be a culprit.

Not to mention Evan has now found the oh so fun pastimes of bladder bongos and sciatic nerve rolling.

Big Brother in the Making...

So Chase loves his new baby doll. Here he is rocking him...right before he tossed him to the ground.

I never said it wasn't still a work in progress...

I really need to stop...

I was once again going through some pictures today.....and well.

LOST IT! Snot running BAWLING!

This picture was taken the day Brodie was born...

Austin was so smitten with his little brother from the moment he crawled up on my bed to see him. We sometimes call Austin "little mother hen" because he is always worried about his brothers...to the point of smothering them. Though he and Brodie fight a lot, they are still best buds.

I need to go get more tissues now.

*I just saw the difference in Austin in this picture and in the one from the last post...it did not help the snot situation any*

Should have been an 80's child...

This child is obsessed with hairspray. I can not explain this as hairspray is one of the few hair and body products that I am not fond of and rarely use. I have some for emergencies. Austin has taken over control of doing his hair for school. It has to pass my inspection, but I let him do it. We have always used gel on his hair. The poor child has the most obstinate cowlick. I noticed over the last few weeks that his hair has been getting increasingly "sticky" when he is done doing his hair. I finally figured out why. He decided to use hairspray on his wet hair instead of gel. Given that he is 7 and his arms aren't exactly long you can imagine how well distributed the hairspray is. The word globs comes to mind. I have banned him from hairspray and told him he must use gel. So imagine my surprise when I hear "sprrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrshhhhhhhhhhhh" coming from my bathroom this morning.

Austin's defense of his use of hairspray: "I used gel first, Mom, but it just didn't make it shiny enough".

Yeah...

Confessions...

I would be a complete liar if I said that I wasn't nervous about adding this new baby to the mix. Not petrified nervous, but nervous nonetheless.

Most of my nerves just come from realizing that unlike when Chase was a baby I won't be able to really nap much with this baby. Chase is slowly showing signs that he is ready to move from two naps a day to one, which will only add to the challenge of finding time to rest. Not to mention that I worry about having enough time for Austin and Brodie. While I am a laid back mom and I know things will work into their own rhythm, I am just beginning to feel the nervousness of what the first few months hold. Chase is only going to be 18 months old when Evan is born. Chase has always been a pretty crazy child. You have to watch him like a hawk and he is very jealous of his Mommy's time. However, he is also a very sweet child and loves to look at babies when we are out and about. I am seriously considering buying him a baby doll so that he can take care of it while I am taking care of Evan. Just don't tell Jason.

That all being said....I can't wait!

Animal House...

(Mojo and Cloe)

Anyone who reads my blog knows that our house is crazy just due to my having three active boys and a hilarious husband. We also have four animals, two dogs and two cats. So yea, it is a little nutty around here. I took this picture last night because I am always posting pictures of my kids on the blog, but really the animals are our kids too. I have rarely come across more spoiled animals in my life...OK other than my mom's dogs. Jason and I both have to fight the urge to have more animals. We want another dog so badly we can hardly stand it. If I wasn't due with Evan in 4 1/2 weeks I guarantee you that we would get a dog in the next month. Since we don't think it would be wise to try to house train a new puppy and deal with adding another child to the mix at the same time we have been setting up our saltwater aquarium. The process for it started about a month ago. Saltwater is harder to set up than fresh water just because you have to let everything sit and get just right before you can add fish. Well, we have added fish. I will try to get a picture tomorrow, but they are still being really shy. They are our tester fishes. Hopefully they will live while Jason is gone for the next few days. I already have 7 mouths to feed on a daily basis (not including Jason), hopefully our three new fish and the new crab will not be forgotten.

Special...

Everyone say HI to Shana. She is going to kill me for posting this picture, but I thought it was so good of her (YES, Shana even if your hair is curly). The girl is always on the phone. It works!

Today Shana got together a few of our friends for a small baby shower lunch for me. It was lovely and perfect since I did not want a full blown shower this time around. And really, we need to do girl lunches a little more often anyway. Jason's favorite gift we got was a tiny little Texas Tech hat. He was so excited...thanks Amanda.

Blog Material Falls From the Monkey Bars...

Look closely at Brodie's shirt. Do you see the sticker? Sometimes blog material just comes to you. I got a call yesterday just before noon from Brodie's school saying he bumped his head. Due to schools being crazy afraid of being sued by crazy people they call if they even THINK a kid bumped his head. They iced it, he was fine. Not even a bump really.

When he walked out of school wearing that sticker I laughed so hard. I think I actually said out loud, "BLOG MATERIAL!"

So how did it happen? Anyone who knows Brodie knows that he isn't always the most graceful child. He is the king of running into things. Well, at recess he was hanging upside down on the monkey bars and when he tried to reach up to get off he slipped and fell. While that image alone in my head makes me laugh, as he is telling me about it he had to act it out. Made my day. (Does it make me a bad mom that I laugh about stuff like this?)

Who knew that monkey bars could provide parents so much entertainment?

She's doing the "ugly cry"...

I was cleaning out one of my photo accounts online and found this picture. This was taken on Austin's first day of Kindergarten. DO YOU SEE HOW LITTLE THEY ARE?!?!?!

It is a cry-fest over here now.

LaShawn day...not a total bust.

So, today was supposed to be LaShawn Day. Turns out only part of it was. I woke up this morning completely out of it due to being up all night coughing. After taking the boys to school I came home did some emailing and went back to bed. I watched the news from bed a bit and talked to Jason on his way to yet another airport and then decided I needed a good nap.

Skip to when I woke up at 11:00. By the time I got up and got awake my day was half over. I took a shower and again got sucked into computer related things. I didn't leave the house until after 1:00. So I stopped and ate a sandwich and then went to the bookstore. The bookstore was lovely. I love bookstores and can spend an insane amount of time walking through them if I am alone. I grabbed some Starbucks on my way out. I had about 45 minutes once done there before I had to get the boys. Not enough time for my planned pedicure so I ran to Walmart to get some things for supper. Now, grocery shopping should not be allowed on LaShawn Day, but oh well. Then I got the boys.

SOOOOO...LaShawn Day is extended into tomorrow. In the morning Aunt Kree and I are going to go get pedicures. And since I am feeling lovey towards myself I am going to throw in a manicure too.


*I couldn't help but do a Halloween header*

I declare a LaShawn Day...

Tomorrow, Ocotber 10th, is officially LaShawn Day around here.

Jason is out of town...Chase is out of town...the boys are in school. Why am I not doing something nice for myself?

At first, my plans for tomorrow were to clean house a bit and work on the kids rooms. Then I realized...I need to do something nice for JUST ME. I originally said I was going to have a "Mommy" Day. But the thing is that is what I am going to be rebelling against. I am always being MOMMY. Tomorrow, from the hours of 8am until 3pm I am going to be LaShawn. I am going to go to the bookstore and I might even get a pedicure. I am going to sit outside Starbucks and read the paper.

The point being...I am going to spend the day with myself and I am not going to once feel guilty that I have laundry sitting at home.

Not exactly the Smurfs...

Jason and I took Austin and Brodie to see The Blue Man Group last night. We had so much fun. The show was especially good because it has obvious kid appeal...music, lights, drums, silly guys painted blue...BUT it also has great jokes and social commentary that are fun for the adults. The boys kept telling Jason thank you for getting the tickets. It was a really fun "big boy" night. **Just as a side note...Mike Relm, who opened for the group was amazing and fun to watch...check out his MySpace here**

This week is going to be an odd one. Chase is gone to Lubbock to visit for a week and half and Jason is out of town for work until late Thursday night. It is just the big boys and mom this week. Since the boys were out of school today we did some shopping and hanging out. I am trying to think of things to do this week that they normally don't get to do because of little brother. I think later in the week or early next week we are going to go to this cool pottery painting place. FUN STUFF!

It starts today...

Much like a diet today starts a challenge. Shana and I have been talking about how we are not good bloggers lately. So starting today for the REST OF OCTOBER (did you hear that Shana?) I will be posting everyday and I also will have a new picture everyday. We did this back in November and it was good. So.....

Here we go. (this post does not count as my one for the day)

34 Weeks...

I will be 34 weeks tomorrow. My how time is flying. This is a FLATTERING picture because my stomach is HUGE right now. I don't know how it is going to get bigger for 6 more weeks!!!

I am lucky...

I have a VERY wonderful husband. I feel like I have been hard on him lately, just due to being pregnant and tired. So, I am here to say, I know how very lucky I am. Jason is a WONDERFUL father and husband.

That is all...

Catch up...

My mom came this weekend and brought my nephew. It was so nice because I rarely get to see Cason, much less have him without competition from other people. There are a few photos here.

I can not believe that tomorrow is October! I am feeling more and more prepared for Evan's arrival. October, however, also brings a last minute blitz for Jason at work. He will be gone off and on for a few days at a time almost every week in October...LA, Philly, Cincinnati, Atlanta...whew! It had to get done before he took time off for Evan's arrival, so we are cramming it in. It will be odd to have him gone. Especially since we are also trying to finish up a few projects around the house. Mostly, I am looking forward to some cooler weather!

I will have more posts this week, but right now my kids are chanting, "SNACK SNACK SNACK".

Blogger love...

Now I feel bad for being negative lately. Kelli has given me this award....YAY! I will pass it on soon I promise.

Thanks Kelli!!!!

Bland and Tasteless...

I have about a million things I want to post about today, but don't have time to post them all. SOOOOOOOO...I will go with what has been going on with me. Over the weekend I had another "stomach attack". I say it like that because we really don't know what it is. It has happened about 5 times since July. The first time we blamed it on a stomach virus. We are waiting on some results from some blood work and then we will go for there. The three things that are most likely the culprit are: reflux (though my symptoms are not very consistent with it..this is what I HOPE it is cause it is the least worrisome), liver, or gallbladder. OR, it really could be coincidence and I may just be picking up random stomach bugs. OK, so that is four..I can't count.

I feel better now, but it was HORRID over the weekend. Poor Jason. I am grumpy anyway when I don't feel good, but add 32 weeks pregnant to the mix and well...it ain't pretty! My doctor has advised that I go on a very bland diet either until we figure it out OR until I deliver. Which after delivery I will be dieting anyway, so really it doesn't matter. Sandwiches are quickly becoming my go to meal.

Otherwise, the pregnancy is going great. I went in to the OB yesterday. I am now measuring right on for my due date and his heart rate sounded wonderful. My weight actually maintained from two weeks ago (mostly due to the stomach thing I am sure).

So now I must go and attempt to find my house. I know it is under all this crap somewhere. Subject of posts to come...."Moms don't get sick days" and "Why people who cause drama suck."

Take care all!

I am just boring these days...

You get random things today...just because I need to post.

* Jason and I went to the Dallas Stars game on Tuesday night. His company owns a box at the American Airlines Center. Awesome seats. Fun time. Very nice to get out for a few hours kid-free (thanks Kree and Chris).

* After an easy pregnancy I am entering the "OH MY GAWD I CAN NOT GET COMFORTABLE NO MATTER WHAT I DO" phase. Seriously. Every part of my body feels huge and yucky and it just isn't pretty.

* Chase (the monkey) can climb UP a very steep curly slide. He did this at Chick-fil-a yesterday. He thought it was HILARIOUS and refused to come back down. My friend Amanda had to climb up into the tubes and get him. Thank goodness she is the size of a 14 year old!

* Austin has had a bad week at school. He is grounded. However, I found out what is the worst punishment for him. We went to Walmart yesterday and on the way home I told him that when Jason got home from work that HE was going to tell Jason what happened at school. Austin FLIPPED OUT! Like hyperventilate almost throw up freak out. He did not want to disappoint Jason. Jason handle it really well and told him he needed to shape up and get back to doing what is expected of him. We shall see.

* 8 more weeks (give or take) until I am done being pregnant forever. Despite being uncomfortable I am a little sad about that, but very ready.

* We have chosen a first name....Evan. Got any middle name ideas?

Unprepared you say?

I am due in less than 9 weeks with this little guy and guess how much stuff I have gotten ready for him......

NONE! NOTHING! NADA!

I know you get more laid back with each kid, but I think we are taking it a bit too far.

Big Trouble...

So not only does Austin have his first official girlfriend, BUT Brodie's two best friends at school are both girls. The one in the picture is Alex. Good news about this is that Alex's mom is awesome. First mom I have gotten along with in quite awhile. We met up and let the kids see if they could break the windows of Burger King with their voices this afternoon. Brodie sure knows how to pick 'em.

I am in so much trouble.

You don't say...

Yea, so he takes after his mom. Chase's new favorite thing to do is to "talk" on the phone. He will get the cordless and laugh and cover his mouth and carry on. It is REALLY adorable. However, he won't do it if someone is actually on the other end of the line.

This post brought to you by the fact I have nothing really interesting to say right now.

#2...

Brodie is often referred to as "#2". He was the second born so it makes sense. I was just thinking though that it is fitting for another reason.

He is an opportunistic pooper.

I know there is a collective, "HUH?" going on out there right now.....let me 'splain.

Me: "Brodie, you need to go clean your room."
Brodie: "After I poop."

Me: "Brodie you guys need to hurry up and get ready for school."
Brodie: "I have to poop."

Me: "Brodie you go get your shoes on".
Me (10 mins later when there is no sign of Brodie): "BRODIE...WHERE ARE YOU?"
Brodie: "Pooping".

Me: "Brodie go brush your teeth and get ready for bed."
Brodie: "I am pooping".

Now, a lot of you a probably thinking that he doesn't need to go at all and is just playing in the bathroom. Well, if he is then he is hiding stink bombs in his pockets.

Look Ma...

The big deal about this is that he pulled it himself. That is of course after many tears when I told him that if he didn't we would. Still.

Stop being me...

Why is that the most annoying aspects of our children's personalities are the traits that are the most like ourselves? It must be karma for what we did to our parents.

Mom and Dad,

I am sorry for dawdling when it was 100 degrees outside. I am sorry for rolling my eyes when I *thought* you weren't looking. I am sorry for thinking that I knew more than you. I am sorry for talking loudly ALL THE TIME. I am sorry for guilt tripping you for needing time away from me. Most of all, I am sorry I don't have the three hours it would take to complete this list.


Oh and they aren't even in the teenage years yet.

Labor Day...

It is only fitting that we put the boys to work on Labor Day. Jason and the older two are busy painting the toy room and the boys rooms. Me? I am staying out of the way and doing laundry.

Happy Labor Day All!

He's a Cowboy Baby...

Yesterday we went to Bowie to watch my sister in law ride. As you can see the boys had a lot of fun....and Jason too. Thanks for the fried pickles Mandy :-)

*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...

Sick Bay...

Here is what I bought at Walmart this morning:

Saltine crackers
Tomato soup
Chicken noodle soup
Sprite
Lysol (two cans)
Jello
Popsicles
Pepto (both regular and kids)

From that I assume you can gather things have not all been well at our house this weekend. Saturday I came down with a nasty stomach bug, only to have Jason wake up with it Sunday morning. Austin came down with it this morning.

It has been fun times, but everyone seems to be on the mend now.

The boys and I leave for Lubbock tomorrow morning. Jason will fly in later for the weekend. Jason's brother and his wife will be in town and we have not seen them in over a year (they live up North now). Jason and I will be headed home....CHILDLESS! I am so excited. Jason is not so much. This will be the first time Chase will be away for more than a night and Daddy is having a hard time with it. Rightly so. This is his first baby and I remember when I Austin was just a little older than Chase and he went away it was rough. BUT, I need the break before the new one arrives. Jason and I are going to try to take a quicky trip somewhere, but don't know for sure yet.

Anywho...things might be quiet around here for a few days.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Blasphemy...

Everyone prepare yourselves for the news that I am about to tell you. This may be hard for you to understand, but it is the way things are.

Be prepared for the possibility that Baby"D" may not have a D name.

*gasp*

I know. Blasphemy.

Perspective...

I went in for my normal OB visit today. Let me start by saying that over the last week I have been having a rough time with my moods. It is a total pregnancy/stress related thing, but I hate that unfortunately it comes out in not so great Mommy moments. Anyway...on with what I was saying.

The nurse in my OB's office is fabulous!!! I love her (and my doc too, they are both just amazing). Anyway, she calls me back and notices my three boys sitting in the waiting room and she just stood there and stared for a minute. I thought, "Oh great she is wondering why the chairs are all rearranged and there is what might be a fort in the making." She takes me back, we do the scale thing and the pee in the cup thing.

As she starts to take my blood pressure she says, "Remind me how old your boys are."

"Austin is 7, Brodie will be 5 next month and Chase is 14 months."

She smiled and said, "Those boys just took me back in time. My boys are now 25, 24, and 21 and I remember how hard it was when they were little, but oh oh, I would give anything for one more day of it."

The look in her eye gave me total perspective. Yes, my boys are ROWDY! Yes, my boys are sometimes not that well behaved. And yes, sometimes my boys get on every nerve in my body.

But, someday they will not be so little. Someday I will wish they were driving me up the wall again.

I don't want to blink too many times.

Two Years...

I am a day late getting this up.

I love you Jayjay.

Promised Pictures...

Here are some pictures that I stole from Shana's MySpace page from Friday night. I am still trying to figure out why I look so insane and I was the only one not drinking AT ALL!

Crap...

I should really pay more attention. I took a few pictures this week of my mother in law and her mom after they got their hair done and of the boys getting haircuts. I did not however notice that Chase had accidently changed the setting on my camera to the burst mode. So now all the pictures look like the ones above.

grrr...

Back...

Sorry about the unannounced disappearance for a few days. Jason's mom and grandmother came for a visit. We had a good time shopping and all that girly stuff. After talking about how my mom and grandmother have both been to see the girl that does both my hair and Kree's we decided (OK, I decided and they went along with it) to make them appointments. I will have to post pictures soon...they looked AWESOME! They both wanted something different and we shook it up a bit. Fun stuff.

Last night Nana and Noni took over the kiddos and Jason and I went out. Yes, out...like gone, don't know when we will be back, out. It was Ms. Shana's birthday party at City Streets in Ft. Worth. Jason and I are not big bar/club people, but it was so nice to get out and just goof off. Me and my preggo belly had to show them all how to throw down on the dance floor (Shana and I would be big in Europe). I actually got stopped three times by girls asking where I got my shirt. I loved telling them "Motherhood Maternity". I will post pictures from the night as soon as I get some from Shana. I didn't feel like carrying around my camera. Happy Birthday Shana, it was a blast.

Oh and Shana....I got my Harry Potter book before I came home :-) You knew I would!

Beached Whale...

That is the look I am apparently going to sport this pregnancy. Beached Whale! I am gaining weight like CRAZY!!! I don't know why either. Not much has changed. I want to say that it is from retaining water due to the humidity, but I don't think I can get by with that. The absolute BEST part about it is that it is all going straight to my ass!! SUPER SWEET!

I slacked off this weekend so now my to do list is about a mile long. I don't regret it of course, but still. Perhaps if I run everywhere today the aforementioned ass problem will be lessened. Times like this I am glad this is my last pregnancy.

Good Advice...

Saw a sign today on my way home from church. It made me laugh. Thought I would pass along the good advice:

"Never take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night."

Original or Extra Crispy?

I FRIED my back yesterday. Oh yes, and my chest. It is very attractive. I hear that extra crispy is all the rage in Milan.

OK, not so much.

It actually didn't rain yesterday so Kristin Kree and I took the boys to the pool/water park thing by our house. It was soooooo fun. The boys had a blast. I was so worried about slathering them up and making sure every inch of them was covered that I kinda neglected myself.

OOPS.

So now I have a lobster back that hurts like hell. Good thing I sleep on my side. Come to think of it, that kinds hurts too.

Wide World of Randomness...

* I just found cat throw up containing a half digested snake. @&%)#$&% CATS!

* Chase is cutting molars and he is a TERROR!!!! He is normally not a hard baby, but damn I want to throw him in the trash right now. I know it is not his fault, but OH MY!

* My moods are out of control. This is the only thing (well maybe not the ONLY) about pregnancy that I really dislike. I can be somewhat moody WITHOUT the extra help...thanks!

* I bought a label maker people! And I am not afraid to use it.

* I want to take my kids to the water park/pool down the street, but it NEVER FREAKING STOPS RAINING HERE!!

* The above mentioned rain is not being kind to the preggo. It is hard enough being pregnant during the summer, but with 85% freaking humidity. OOO , maybe I just discovered the culprit leading to my pissy attitude.

* I slipped and fell yesterday. I did this when I was pregnant with Chase too. Same shoes even. These shoes are now in the trash. The rain was to blame as well.

* I am craving Starbucks right now. However, I already had a coke today and I don't need all the caffeine. Damn it!

* Chase has also learned to scream at his brothers in order to get his way. The kid is a tyrant.

* I took some Mommy time on Saturday and went and got my hair done. I could use a little more Mommy time at the moment.

* There was absolutely no point to this blog other than I don't want to do what I need to be doing, but I guess I will go do it anyway.

One of many...

Everyone has something in their lives that they are not real happy with. Something that they are embarrassed about. For some it is a personality trait, others a habit, or it can be something else all together. We all have things in our lives we don't feel in control of. We had things that we don't feel equipped to deal with. For those things in ours lives there is nothing better than finding out someone else struggles with the same things. There is that sigh of relief moment when you realize that you are not weird or different. You are one of many.

Sad, but IKEA makes me smile...

I am sad. A few weeks ago a friend of mine asked for my advice on a situation. I have known this person since we were in junior high and I love her dearly. The situation was one that I felt qualified to give some advice on as I have been involved in this situation, though on the flip side of it. Does that make sense? Oh well. Anyway, I found out that she chose to continue down what I see as a self destructive path. I hope I am wrong. Only she knows what is best for her, but I see disaster waiting for her. If she reads this I want her to know I love her, even if I think what she is doing is hurtful not only to herself but to those closest to her who have no choice in the matter. I am here!!

In other news...we went to IKEA after church today. I have mentioned before my deep love for all things IKEA. Today we dropped a pretty good amount of money. We are desperately trying to get renovations (the few we have decided on) done on the downstairs of our house so that we can start on the second floor. We bought new dresser for our bedroom (goodbye stuff I have had since I was five..Jason and I are picky) and a new TV unit for the front living room. We were going to buy a new dining room table as well, but can't decide between two. So we left that for another time. There is still much to do, but it is coming together. IKEA makes me happy!

Parental Theories...

I get a quote of the day thingy every day. This was one of the quotes today:

"Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children and no theories." --John Wilmot


I love this! I know this is true for me to. It is always the people without children that have the most "advice" and theories on what makes a good parent. Until you have really done the daily parent thing you have NO clue. And I do mean the DAILY...as in, the late nights, the colds, the tantrums, the broken hearts, the triumphs and all the in betweens.

The more kids I have the less I know and the happier I get as a parent!

Revokation of the Crunchiness

I think the addition of a second SUV gets all my crunchy granola points removed.

Oh well you knew it wouldn't last.

However, notice the recycling bin waiting to be picked up :-)

Cause I have enough Estrogen for us all...

The ultrasound was today and it confirmed what I have felt VERY strongly for the last 2 weeks. We are going to have ANOTHER boy. That makes 4!!! Baby D was growing well (in fact he measured one week bigger than at my ultrasound at 7 weeks) and was very active. My mom, my aunt and all the boys got to see the new one and that was exciting.

If you add my nephew to the mix we could have one kick ass basketball team.