More WEBCAM MADNESS

Night Out on The Town

The boy is at yet another sleep over - I am starting to think he has some sort of Goldilocks Syndrome. This time he is spending the night at an old high school friend's house.

The Hubby took the girls out to dinner and we had a great evening.It was a nice seafood place and they even had a playground outside.
It's amazing how much sand you can load into a dress.....

Blogging Absence Reason #4

Mother's Day!A Peaceful Breakfast in BedFollowed by a BBQ at home and a B-day celebration all in one.

The kids had a blast - as always.
He can be weird, but I love him.

My Girl

The 3rd reason for my Blogging absence was the Mother's Day Tea at my daughter's little day school.

She was soooo tiny in what seemed like yesterday.She is still tiny, but now she can clearly say "I Lub You!"

It's Our Life.

This may seem totally silly, but I am truly bothered by the whole John and Kate plus Eight insanity. I admit it - I myself have enjoyed their company in my home. Some people may say "She is so annoying", but you know what, I think most Moms can see a little of their selves in Kate, whether they want to admit it or not. We all look so happy and well-balanced in our PTA meetings, but I know that sometimes I am low on patience when it all starts to build-up. I am so frustrated that they have become way too self-focused and have let the fact that there are 8 blessings to be accountable for in the end. I know there are instances when people truly need to get out of relationships, but most of us just take the easy way out when things get tough. How can we be proud of being part of a generation span where 50% of marriages end in divorce?

One of my friends said that "There is only one way out of this marriage - feet first in a box". There are things in life that deserve your "Old College Try" and that is family.... be it your spouse or your blood relatives.

I was brought to tears when my cousin read these words at our wedding:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

John and Kate say it in much more plain language and I think of this often: "Life gets pretty hectic.... although the stress doesn't bring out the best of us, we're a family and we're in this together - it might be a crazy life, but it's our life.

I Love You Sweetie!

P.S. What are you willing to fight to the bitter end for today?

Stinky Old Gym Shoes

I found this on the Nike website - I have way too many gym worn shoes and now I know what to do with them all!

Concerned about the environment and committed to making a difference? Talking trash just won’t cut it – you need to take action. Recycling your athletic shoes with Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe is a simple way to start.

How should you get involved? Sometimes the most important changes are the small ones – like bringing your athletic shoes – no matter what brand – to your nearest drop-off location, looking for recycled and sustainable materials in the products you buy and helping us spread the word about shoe recycling.

Where can you recycle your shoes? All Nike retail stores in the U.S.

No matter how you get involved, you’ll be helping the world reduce its footprint – one step at a time.

Gavin, Bella and a webcam, take 2

Get out of Jail Free

My dear son was invited to his first official sleep over this Saturday. Official meaning not at his cousin's house, but someone from school. I asked him if he was going to be O.k. if I wasn't there and he said "yes", I told him that he could call if he wanted to come home and he gleefully cheered "I'm going to sleep on the couch!" - (glad they worked all that out in school today). Nothing, no timid little boy here clinging to his Mom - when did this happen? This is the boy who was too shy to even talk to the librarian without cowering behind my legs.

I told my dear friend of too many years about the sleep over and she even said "Isn't that a bit young?" I truly second guessed my ability to parent when this was coming from a woman who admittedly likes children in small doses and preferably quiet. Hmmmmm

So, I asked my Husband as he was drifting off to sleep last night.... "Is he too young, what is with the obsession with sleep overs at this age?" He said something interesting for a man who wakes up before the crack of dawn every day and this was now almost 11 on a Thursday - "Kids don't have the freedom like we did when we were little." I think he fell asleep then, but that made me start to think. He's right, I am on top of the kids every moment of the day, paranoid about anything: choking, falls, kidnappers, rabid animals, whatever! I remember as a kid probably around little guy's age rowing around in my inflatable canoe in this gigantic puddle... I was not in my fenced in yard, my Mom was not there and I was invincible....

Do we wrap our kids in bubble wrap too much??? Do we live in too much fear of everything? Is this day and age sculpting our kids to be paranoid, non-adventurous adults?

Happy Birthday Mr. President... I mean Dear Old Hubby!

This is the other event that kept me from Blogging - Daddy/Hubby's B-day!

First we bought him a really BIG card and hid while he came in the door.

Then we yelled "Surprise!" and there was spontaneous moments of jumping!This is Hubby's moment of spontaneous joy!

Happy 80th Uncle Jimmy!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

This is the other thing that has taken up all my time, but those misty eyes when he saw it made it all worth it in the end! What a beautiful life and what a family we are blessed to have. Love you all!

Got My Hand Stuck in the Door....

Gosh we have been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to Blog in what seems like forever. Life has totally taken over and the documentation has fallen to side. Although, I guess it means were having lots of fun if you miss me here for a while.

Well, last week we took the kids to their first professional baseball game. First we rode the Metro and the kids were having a blast.

The fun all stopped when..... my dear hubby asked "Did you leave anything?" as we were exiting the Metro car. I turned my head for one second and at that moment Bella rested her hand on the opening door and then her whole arm was pulled in between the door and the side of the Metro. Her poor hand was pretty scratched up and boy was she scared along with Mommy and Daddy.

In fact, she sat in Mommy's lap and sobbed for the first hour of the game. Not even ice cream would do the trick.

It was all good once the fear subsided and the suckers came out.

It's been a little over a week and she still gets choked up when she looks at her Boo Boo. She even has created a song and it goes like this "Got my hand stuck in the dooooor - Chorus- Mommy pulled it out, Mommy pulled it out. Got My hand stuck in the dooooor - Chorus- Mommy pulled it out Mommy pulled it out". If you see her please be gentle and expect a little sob if you ask her about it.