Soooooo it's September

Yeah yeah, time has flown.

I have no pics at this time, sorry, I'll see what I can do about that later.

Updates on us all...

Jen and Nate are finally married! YAY! Sept 5th was the big day. Her colors were Red and Orange and Black and Silver. Halloween colors!!! Yeah...I'll get some pics of that up. Katelyn was a tired bug after that day, she and I laid down and watched Spongebob for 2 hours before the reception. I tried to get her to nap, but I think Nana got more sleep than she did.

Audrey was here for a week. She went down to see Mandy and my new baby nephew Rylan for most of it, and then spent the weekend with us.

Jess and Forrest - nothing much to report there. Jack Jack is growing fast and talking. He loves to come over and torture my poor dog Shay. She sees him coming and just flinches, but she's so gentle and loving. I can just hear her saying, "OK, I'm ready Jack Jack...poke me in the eye, I'm ready!" He gives her hugs then, after he pokes her in the eye.

Keegan - Working for Greene's construction as a concrete person. He needs a hair cut...

Jaylan - Started 7th grade. Yeah, his mom was freaking out about that. I still haven't met one person that said that 7th grade was the best year ever! Everyone has told Jay, "7th Grade SUCKS!" He has told me he doesn't know why since he's having fun. So good so far!

Jefferson - 5th Grade, still the oldest in his class and still the shortest. He's too smart for his own good. He is the bored kid, which can lead to trouble if he isn't involved in something. His teacher is good about that though, and keeps him busy.

Sami - Braces and glasses. I told her, "oh no!! You'll look like a nerd!" But she's a cute nerd. She had 2 teeth pulled and braces on her upper teeth only. They said she'll only need them for 5 months. I thought that was amazing...remembering how my friends had them for years! She only uses her glasses for reading, which is a plus as well. She's a 5th grader as well this year.

Oriahna - 4th grade drama queen. She finally got the point that she has to earn her long hair. If she doesn't brush it...off it comes! (what a mean mom) She had lots of fun with her aunt Audrey and was really really sad when she left. Hopefully she and I can scrape our pennies together and go with Grammy to see Audrey in D.C. in Feb - (shameless plug for donations :))

Dell and I are just working and trying to get the house done to sell it. It's been over 1 year now and the bathroom still isn't finished with it's remodel. But the less said on that the better...or I'll go crazy.

Scottish Festival

Sorry for the lack of posting - a month - I'm a slacker.

We've been working on our bathroom, I got a new job, and kids are out of school.

Then Dell decided to have his arm swell up like a balloon, he's spent the past 3 days on IV antibiotics so that's been fun.

We went to the Scottish Festival a couple of weekends ago where we all had a blast! They had clan tents, (although our clan was missing :( ) booths, food, (yes, there was haggis), the best rootbeer I've had in a loooooong time - brewed is the only way to go, facepainting, bagpipes, kilts, and a really fun concert that night with some fun groups. The kid's favorite band was the Wicked Tinkers... http://www.wickedtinkers.com/ I didn't know they had didgerydoos in Scotland, but it works!!! They were awesome! They had a little mosh pit up in front and all the kids went up and danced and danced with them and everyone else, they made sure that no one squished the kids. I hightly recommend them, especially the song, "Wallop the Cat".

Anyway, here are some pics, you can see the kids liked the facepainting. Jefferson took most of the pictures.

If you tilt your head and squint, they kinda look like the extra's from Braveheart.

Remember, many have been kilt for calling it a skirt...

This is when all the bands assembled. It was so awesome to see and hear.

Back to the grind

Well, we had a fabulous week! Despite the fact that I got my usual seat on the airplane, you know, the one with the little kid that kicks you for the entire 3 and a half hours...Everything else was perfect.

We had a 3 hour layover in Chicago and so I got to eat a Superdawg! So yummy with the dyed neon green relish! I recommend it! We went to Midway instead of O'Hare airport. They have a nice memorial in the Airport about the Battle of Midway, which is where the airport gets its name.

Miami was hot and humid...saw no gators on this trip. The Sheriff's department guards the ship while you are in port, so Dell and I watched him run up and down the harbor chasing people off. When you take off though, the Coast Guard gets to escort you out of the channel, driving a little boat with a big gun.

Key West was beautiful - Hot and humid again, I kept sweating off my sunscreen. We had breakfast with the chickens and the cats at the Blue Heaven Restaurant which I HIGHLY recommed, very very yummy. We went to the top of the Lighthouse and took pictures from all around the island. We also went to the Southernmost Point of the Continental US - well, the southern most point that you can publicly get to. It is not a big island...Dell and I walked across it in 30 minutes. They have used every square inch of that place, and walking or biking is the best way to get around. There is noooooo place to park. We went down to the Marina and saw all the cool boats, and some rather large fish that spend their lives at the "fish cleaning station" where they can get all the freebies.

Cozumel was pretty, and busy in San Miguel. To all you nice Mexican people that tried to sell me everything, I would have gladly bought it all but I don't have that much money! We did buy our liquor at the grocery store of all places, no one else had Controy. Go figure! Amy Jo, you're bottle is in the mail! It was funny, when you get back on the boat the first thing they do is confiscate your liquor until your last night of the cruise. If you are going to drink booze, you are going to drink THEIR booze. Even non-drinkers like Dell and I had to hand it over.

The cruise was great, we saw dophins and flying fish in the water as we zoomed along. The food was fantastic, (Sushi bar from 5 to 8 every night!) They even had a Jamacian style pulled pork that made Dell sweat...so you know it was good. 24 hour pizzaria, midnight mexican buffet, and the yummy yummy cheese!

So we are back, safe and sound, the kids missed us, and loved their presents we got them. I found a luchador mask for Jefferson, you should have seen his face...

Fun cruise, I recommend it!

Busy Saturday

Well, here it is, 8 pm on Saturday night, gotta get up at 5 am to catch our plane. Am I packed? Oh, yeah right, that's hilarious. I have clothes in the washing machine, Dell's out getting TSA approved locks, and my children are somewhere scattered through the neighborhood. It'll all come together, it always does.

Today was a divide and conquer day. The kids had testing for Tae Kwan Do, Jaylan had his performance of "The Little Mermaid's Adventure with the Pirates of the Carribean" - of course testing was at 11:30 and the play was at 12:30. OH! And Sami's here too!

So Dell took Oriahna and Jefferson to testing, while Jaylan and Sami and I went to the play where we all finally met together. Then it was a race around the valley to get everything for our trip, ending with a trip to the Rec center to go swimming with Mandy and Kadee and Grandma and Grandpa. So here's some pictures to tide everyone over until I can get back from vacation. As well as a little video of Sami being a goofball with the camera....

Jaylan as Jack Sparrow with his treasure chest.

Oriahna doing a kick.

Jefferson really takes it seriously!

And Sami being, well, Sami.

And the four of them acting like the weirdos they are...

Unlucky with puppies...and Rum!

So my Jaylan is starting a trend of having bad luck with dogs. Almost two years ago he was bit by a dog that required stitches. He and his brother and sister saw the neighbor with their dog, a really cute Jack Russell terrier, and they asked if they could pet it, (if I have done nothing else in teaching my kids, they have had it POUNDED into their brains that they always ask permission before petting someone else's dog). She said, "Oh yes, he loves kids." Well I think it was the fact that she was holding him and that 3 weird little kids were all reaching out to touch him, he freaked out and bit Jaylan on the eye. So I get a phone call at work from the neighbor apologizing, asking to take him to the hospital...etc. I said, "No, let me take him in." I get there and Jaylan is sitting on the floor holding a paper towel to his eye and petting the dog that bit him, "Hi Mom! This is PJ!" Now he goes and visits PJ every Friday. Just a freak thing, and he made friends out of it...go figure.

Then yesterday, again, he was bit by a neighbor's dog on the leg. Nothing serious this time, just a pinch. Of course he was wearing his nice new suit and I, being the great mother, asked first "Did it tear your suit?!?!" No, it didn't. But he's starting to get a complex. "I don't know what is wrong with me, Mom! Why do dogs keep biting me?" But I thought this one was funny too. Jaylan was out collecting fast offerings and the man said, "I don't have any money." THEN, after Jaylan got bit he all of a sudden was willing to open his wallet....made me laugh.

Countdown to the cruise - 6 more days!!!! The closer it gets, the more requests I have for people to bring back rum...I'm going to have to take an extra suitcase for all the rum! I should start charging and make a tidy haul for rum running, I don't drink a drop. Hey, It's in my blood, grandad was a bootlegger and great-grandad made moonshine. LOL!

Loves to you all!

pics

OK, here's Jen and Nate. Now you can see what he looks like...Ta da!

As for the rest of us...OK so does anyone else feel like this is the winter that would not end? ACK! Enough of that! No more dwelling on the weather!

Bathroom update - yes we've been remodeling the bathroom, which started last SEPTEMBER. The dry walling is all done...FINALLY! Which means I can sand and paint and then install crap and get the kids OUT OF MY BATHROOM! Ok done with that rant, which is not aimed at my children, BTW, just at their father.

No regrets

OK, so I'm looking around at all my friend's blogs and sites. Many of their posts have pictures of their little babies and toddlers and talking about nap time (hooray for naptime!) and watching Elmo and the silly things their kids do.

I enjoy everyone's babies and want to reach out and pinch their cheeks and spoil them rotten and give them everything that their parents won't let them have. They are all so cute and funny and perfect!

Would I want to do it all over again? Nope.

Granted, I started my family young. Really really young. And I had them really fast and really close together. Was it the smartest thing to do? Dunno. All I know is that while everyone else is having babies now, my baby is 8, and I really really like it that way.

I don't have to change diapers. I don't have to feed and dress them. No more hassling with car seats. I can tell them to go outside and play and know that they will look both ways before crossing the street. They don't fight with me at bedtime. They bathe and shower themselves. They even occasionally ask questions that spark an interesting conversation, "Mom, what's Socialism?"

They like scary movies, they like to help me garden and cook, they play video games with me - and win most of the time. I am having so much more fun with them now that I ever did when they were little.

I look at Jaylan now, who is 12, and I realize, "I've only got 6 years left with him. I've got a lot of playing to fit in the next 6 years."

Anyways, what is my point? Hold on to your babies, and let me hold them too, because I love them, (But I love handing them off to their Mom's when they are stinky too!) Enjoy you're time with them now, and when they are 8, and 10, and 12. I have no regrets at all for playing with them when they were babies, or enjoying them now that they are older.

I look back at my house growing up. It wasn't always the cleanest or the nicest. Nowadays my mom's house is really nice and clean and she has nice things. I look at my house now and the state of total chaos that it seems to remain in...but I remember a poem that Mom had on her wall growing up.

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,

For children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs.

Dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

-Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Someday I'll have a nice clean house with nice things in it. But I'm not looking forward to it that much.