The New Kid

Introducing Precious! She is not actually staying with us like I thought she would be, but she is spending a LOT of time with us. And she fits right in.

Kylelyn Jade Underhill

turned 12 on November 26th. In this post you will find 12 pictures of her, 12 random facts about her, 12 of her favorites, and 12 things that I adore about her.



12 Random facts about Kyley:

12) She enjoys privacy more than anyone else in the family.
11) She is extremely academically gifted.
10) She loves to sing. And is good at it.
9) She collects Nutcrackers.
8) She has a fly-away pinky toe. Seriously, the space between that toe is ridiculous. She can also pinch things with her toes and pick them up.
7) She is a very light sleeper. If you open the bedroom door in the morning, she jumps right out of bed.
6) She has a passion for reading, science, and politics.
5) She enjoys videography, writing and directing short films.
4) She writes poetry.
3) She is extremely sensitive. Her passion, love, sweetness, and intelligence have come together to create a girl incredibly sensitive to her own feelings and the feelings of everyone in her life.
2) She has an overwhelming love for animals, and has been a vegetarian for 3 years.
1) She is the weirdest person I know.







12 of Kyley's favorites:

1) Favorite Color = Dark Green
2) Favorite Song = "Fall For You" by Second Hand Serenade
3) Favorite TV Channel = Sci-Fi Channel
4) Favorite School Subject = Language Arts
5) Favorite Animal = Horse
6) Favorite Season = Fall
7) Favorite Gemstone = Jade
8) Favorite Food = Sushi
9) Favorite Book = Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows
10) Favorite Movie = Phantom of the Opera
11) Favorite Career = Author
12) Favorite TV Show = Ghost Whisperer







12 Things I adore about Kyley:

12) Her intelligence. She amazes me on a regular basis with the things that her brain can process and the genious amount of knowledge she has.
11) Her good behavior. She is so good. All of the time. The worst offense she commits is if we catch her reading after "lights-out" time.
10) Her good nature. She is pleasant, and fun to be around, and rarely argues with anyone in the house.
9) Her sense of self. She never follows the crowd. She knows who she is, what she likes, what she believes in, and is not afraid to be herself. Even if it goes against the status quo.
8) Her fearlessness. She is so brave, standing up for what she believes in (see number 9.) but it goes even further. She will sing loudly in chorus, stand up on stage in talent shows, Try out for school positions, and speak up in class, asking and answering questions, even if she isn't sure of the answer.
7) Her ideals. Her sense of fairness and equality are so noble. She is the most just person I have ever met, even if that means self-sacrifice for the greater good. She would never cheat in a game to win. Things have to be fair for Kyley and the people around her. And she gets very upset if the're not.
6) Her passion. She carries her passion for the things she feels strongly about to the highest level. If it's within her power to do it, it will be done.
5) Her compassion. And empathy. She truly feels and thinks about others. I don't know how she holds it all in that amazing heart of hers. It must hurt with the amount of sorrow and love she feels for other people and animals.
4) Her curiosity. She wants to know about everything. There is not a topic that she finds boring. She is much more entertained by the history, and discovery channels than VH1 or Disney, which is what people her age watch.
3) Her beauty. Yes people, unlike Kyley I am a little bit superficial. And oh my god, my daughter is gorgeous. Looking at her sometimes brings tears to my eyes because I can't even believe that I helped create this perfect creature.
2) Her sense of humor. Her keen intelligence enables her to be so incredibly funny, coming out with these witty remarks that just crack us up. She has a sarcasm that anybody can adore, and a comeback for every comment. You know how you think of things after-the-fact, and have this "Oh I should have said that" moment? Well she actually SAYS it, on the spot. She is just so funny.
1) Her extreme weirdness. Face it, we are all weird. But Kyley is not afraid to be herself. She is just so silly and fun. I adore her.







Happy Birthday Kyley. I thank God for you everyday. A lot of people would say that eighteen is too young to have a child, but it worked for us baby. You were the beginning of my life. I can't even imagine where I would be if it weren't for you. Because of you, I am who I am. Everything I have ever done good in my life is for you and because of you. We have been through a lot you and I, and I owe my life to you. You saved me. I became what you needed, and to this day, as your needs change, I become a stronger, better woman as I try to fill them. Trying to be the person that you need me to be has created me, formed me, and I am so grateful to you. Thank-you Kyley.

Happy Birthday Rain

My dearest Rainia,

This post is coming a little late, because after your birthday, we all immediately got sick, and have been in bed until today. By all of us, I mean everyone except for Rick, Brooke, and Andrew.



My sweet, sweet girl,

You turned 10 years old this year. TEN!!! I cannot believe how the time has flown. You had a growth-sput this year, and are no longer the shortest kid in your class. (You are the 2nd shortest) You take a girl's sz. 8 in clothes, and you LOVE to wear dresses and skirts. Every year you have asked me to cut your hair short (somewhere in between your chin and ears) except for this year. You asked that it grow-out until the wedding. You like for me to curl your hair, and were so excited when I recently put subtle highlights in it. At 10 years old, you love HighSchool Musical. Your favorite character is Corbin Bleu's character. You have poster's of him in your room:



Your room is also plastered with posters of Chris Brown and the Jonas Brothers:





You love to play internet games on your computer, and also love your myspace page. You are extremely creative, you love drawing, painting, crafting, and making amazing things out of nothing with Brittney. As an example, the two of you recently made a new outfit for every Bratz doll you own out of toilet paper. But your favorite toys at 10 years old, are your Bratz, and your Baby Alive dolls:




Your favorite food is spagetti, and you say that you don't like cheese, although you love to dump it on your spagetti in the form of parmesan. You also don't like mashed potatos (What is wrong with you girl?) Your favorite color is, and has been for as long as I can remember, red. You love your cheerleading lessons with Brooke, and you love music and dancing. Your favorite song is "Say Goodbye" by Chris Brown. You love your cat, Pheonix.



You do well in school, not just academically, but you are also helpful. So much so that you were recently awarded the "citizen of the month" award.




You don't really enjoy reading though, you would much rather watch Disney Channel. Your best friend is Jazmynn, and she has been since you were both in kindergarten. You have a sleep-over with her at her house or ours almost every weekend. Your true soulmate though, is Brooke, and the two of you often disappear together. You can be found on the trampoline, not jumping, but laying together looking up at the clouds talking for hours. Or in our woods, taking pictures of each other, and building forts.





You are such a bubbly, energetic, happy, loving member of this household. When you get in trouble, it is for telling people what to do. Your nickname is Lil Mama, because you just can't help yourself, you HAVE to put your 2 cents into everything. You need to tell everyone what they should be doing, including Rick and Myself. If we take too long at the store, or if we need to go somewhere for the business, etc. We know that you will be the only one calling us from your Grandma's house to find out what we are doing, when we will be home, and do not forget (insert what we should not forget here.) You love to keep track of everything on the family calendar, which is filled with your handwriting, writing down everone's appointments. Yes, those are your X's and hanwriting all over that thing.



You are so energetic, that when you talk, you bounce up and down, and my head follows your movement, so I am constantly nodding my head up and down while you are talking to me. (This must look hysterical.) You are always being told to sit down at the dinner table, because even while eating, you have so much energy that you would rather be standing. And then, after dinner, you spin, or practice your handstands in the living room. It is a normal occurance for me to tell you that I am getting dizzy watching you when we are in the same room. When we go to the store together, I hold your hand, and spin you around while we walk, because this is the best way to keep you entertained and keep you to stay with me. Internal dialogue: As I am writing this, I am realizing that this girl needs to be tested for ADHD. I have often thought this before, but it does not interfere at school or with her bahavior.



You are beautiful, and so sweet, and your smile and laughter brighten the hearts of anyone who meets you. I adore you RainGirl, and cannot believe that you are already 10.








Happy Birthday Baby! We love you more than words can say!

Guest Post by Rick

I thought I would write this guest blog post tonight because my darling fiance is under the weather, along with 5 of our children. (Help me make it through the night)

I may be a little bit biased but I think I have an incredible woman, not only is she beautiful and intelligent, she can handle a household of 9 people, find time to write her blogs, and help me in the office. She can also make time for her friends whether it be giving them advice on their relationship problems or helping them plan their wedding. I think I am a lucky man, and can't wait for this woman to be my wife.

Thank-you StatCounter

Dear StatCounter,

Thank-you so much. I needed the good laugh that you gave me this morning. Yes indeed, I needed it very much. When you told me that someone had found my site by googling "teacher or nurse boobs", I laughed out loud. The dog got scared, as my hackling laughter filled the room, but oh how I needed that good laugh. Imagine the surprise of that special person who was looking to fulfill their fantasies about the lovely bosom of teachers and nurses, when google sent them here.

Then, when you told me that someone else was sent to my site when they googled "bare-assed boys", I really lost it. I love you Stat-Counter. And google for that matter. I need to thank google as well. For indeed, I did write about bare-assed boys here. Not exactly what that strange person had in mind, but yes, I have boys, and oh how they love to be bare-assed.

So thank-you StatCounter, keep up the good work. Your entertainment value is priceless. I love you.

So Frustrated Part Deuce

So I just went and had yet another conversation with Kyley about Mr Science teacher.

I have serious concerns about reporting Mr. Science teacher, because we live in such a very, very conservative, religious, republican area. I am almost positive that if I did contact Mrs. Principal about this, I would be the first and only parent to ever do so. Therefore, I am sure that nothing would come of it. Doesn't Mr. Science teacher need more than one complaint in his 70 years of teaching to change his ways? So this makes me feel like there would be ramifications on my kid. She already had a couple of rough days at school involving politics. The first was the day the students had their "mock" elections, which of course afterward they discussed who they mock-voted for, and she discovered that ALL of her friends thought she was crazy and stupid for voting Obama. The worst day though, was the day after the real election, where she bravely wore her Obama t-shirt, and was chastized, and had complete strangers angry at her for wearing it.

And it's not just Kyley. Poor Brooke got in a raging yelling match at school, 3 against 1, when she mentioned her views on being pro-choice. It went as far as her being called a baby-killer. It was carried on at home, when we found out that her own twin sister was one of the 3 kids yelling at her. Thank-God that my kids are so self-assured. After this happened, Brooke turned the whole thing into an essay for an assignment, on something that she was passionate about. The whole essay was about being pro-choice, and thankfully the teacher saw her passion and (even if she didn't agree) gave her the "A" she deserved.

Anyway, living in a more rural area, in the South, is hard for a girl from Vermont. And I would love for my kids to be able to hear all viewpoints on politics, to be exposed to many different cultures, and religions, and to make their own choices as adults. And these past couple of months really woke me up, because from the start I didn't think I was very political, didn't think that I was doing a good job trying to teach my kids my views. I even wrote it on this very blog somewhere that I am not very politically minded. But obviously I have done something, because in this sea of conservatism, where my kids are getting religious teachings in public schools, where my kids are being told regularly that everything I believe is wrong, they are listening to me. They are forming their own beliefs. A couple of them very strongly are forming beliefs and standing firm in them. All of them voted Obama in their mock-elections, even the kindergarten ones. And they don't all agree with me or each other about everything, but at least they are talking and thinking about the shit.

And that day that Britney had been in the group of kids yelling at Brooke? We discussed it, and we discussed the reasons they both felt the way they did. And then I naturally did what I do, and argued my pro-choice position, and I used the best debates for my opinion that I could think of. And just when I got Britney switched over to my side, I realized what I had done, and how it went against the big picture of what I am trying to accomplish with these kids, and I quickly switched it up. I told Rick I felt bad, and I called her back into the kitchen, and debated to the very best of my ability all the reasons why she should be pro-LIFE. And that night, I knew in my heart that that 13 year old girl new more about the issues surrounding pro-choice/pro-life than many adults. And she had heard both sides, until she was holding her hands over her ears saying "I can't take anymore!" and could now make her own informed decision.

So this is my goal. Not for my kids to be clones of my beliefs, but to be educated, and have their own beliefs. And I am SO blessed to be able to have a conversation with my 11 yr. old kid about her teacher, and for her to first of all realize and vocalize her opposition of having to hear his political views in the classroom. Then on top of it, I know that the reason it bothers her so much is because she has strong political views OF HER OWN, which are the opposite of his. I am just so blessed to be able to deal with this as a parent. It makes me cry the happy tears. I can only hope and pray that in the future I get to have to make more of these hard decisions. Decisions that make it so clear to me that my kids are turning out fucking incredible, and that no matter how stressful it feels in our daily life and how monotonous the days seem, and how they just seem to run into each other with all of our running around, there are some seriously awesome things happening in my household.

My kids are turning out exactly how I hoped and prayed that they would. So do I wish I was raising them in VT, where everyone thinks the same way I do? Yes, on most days I do. Do I sometimes feel like I am doing them a disservice by raising them here, where they have to deal with this shit? Absolutely. But my god, I cannot even express how successful I feel as a parent right now.

Which still leaves me with this bitter-sweet parenting decision. Do I report Mr. Science teacher to Mrs Principal, knowing that 90% (at least) of our area believes exactly like Mr. Science teaher? Do I risk the repurcussions on my kid as even if I do it anonymously the kid with the Obama shirt would be the one suspected? It is wrong. I know it is. I also know it is illegal. But it is also the way of life here. But, (smiling) not in this house.

So Frustrated

Dear Science Teacher,

Please stop telling my kid how much the country is in trouble now the Obama is president. Also don't tell her again how sick and disgusting gay marriage is. Also, Please stop telling her that the government has bigger things to worry about than the environment, and that it is stupid to be concerned with such ridiculousness. Also, you are a SCIENCE teacher. Did you have to tell her that evolution isn't true, and is just a ridiculous theory? I am getting ready to e-mail the principal.

We are the McFockers

Addressing Mama's comment on the previous "McSisters" post:

Tell Rick I like McBitches better!

Well, I did tell Rick, and he agrees. He says McBitches has a better ring to it. So I just need to say that this goes both ways. So what do you think his new name should be: McAsshole, McBastard, or my personal favorite, Rick McPrick?

McSisters

Which reminds me-

In our much younger days, while discussing our futures, Miss Kelly (Harley Bride) had mentioned to me more than once how she would want a "Mc" name when she gets married. Weird how things turn out. She is now Mrs. McElroy, and I will soon be Mrs. McQueen. We are McSisters. This is the most related we will ever be, as I will not be marrying her brother, nor will she be marrying mine (which of course, we have discussed in our much younger days.)

When I very excitedly told Rick about this amazing turn of events, and how we will soon be McSisters, he replied in true Rick fashion "More like McWhores". I love that man.

More Wizard of Oz Wedding

I tried to include lots of pictures that I am in, because I am self-centered like that.

For your entertainment:

















First things first, Rick cuts my dress as soon as we get to the reception:

Something exciting!

Something exciting may be happening very soon! As soon as Thursday! And I can't say any details yet, because I am not sure it is positively happening, but it involves a NEW KID!!! Yes people, you read that right! OMG I am so excited that I actually dusted! And by dusted, I mean washed the trophies, and the picture frames, and the fireplace, and the shelves, everything. And for me to actually clean something, I mean REALLY clean, I am excited.

BTW- No, I am not preggers, I can no longer get preggers, to my own disgust every single time I smell a baby.

In My Free Time

Tonight

Tonight is the night I've dreamed about my whole life. We got home at 9:00pm. Which is bed time for the younger ones, and reading time for the older ones. After our impromtu date, which NEVER happens, In which I ate at my FAVORITE restaurant. We arrived at exactly the right moment to have to rush around getting bedtime done. The first thing I noticed when I walked in the door was that sound. The sound of the dishwasher running. YES!!! The next thing I noticed was the other sound. The sound besides the dishwasher. The sound of nothingness, silence. What is this strange sound? This strange, beautiful sound. I quickly ran to find my kids, wondering why my Mom hadn't called me when they were kidnapped. (I only wondered that silly question for a quick-second though. I mean seriously, if she had to chose between calling to tell me that they were kidnapped, or just enjoying the silence as long as she could, who would blame her? And she's only next door in case of emergency. The older ones are actually in-charge while we are out)

Then I saw him. Josh was asleep on the couch, his beautiful, normally very loud mouth completely shut. I ran into the boys room. Nothing. I peeped through to Kyley's room. She was reading. I asked her if her homework was done. "Yes." Oh beautiful, beautiful sounds tonight. I then entered the girls' room where OH MY!!! BEHOLD!! WHAT IS THIS I SEE? They too were reading. Without being told. Well, Rainia and Brittney anyway. Brooke was already asleep on her top bunk. "Where is Jakey?" I ask, almost afraid to know the answer, The noisiest, trouble-starting, terror of the house. The girls giggle. "Well, where is he?" I ask. Brittney points up, to Brooke's top bunk. I slowly walk over, and to my amazement, there he is! Beautifully, quietly asleep. curled up on the inside, closest to the wall.

DAMN!!!! I will have to finish this post later. Jake just walked in to inform me that he woke up. SHIT!

I love you Nanci!

So I recently discovered that someone very dear to me has been reading this blog. So I need to give a shout-out to Nanci. You mean so very much to me and I love you and miss you terribly. My second Mom. Who is my only Ma. I love you.

Definition of accident

An actual conversation that happened tonight at the dinner table:

Jake: Ooooh!!! These new cups are cute.

Rainia: Are these glass or plastic?

Kyley: They have to be plastic. I highly doubt that they would buy glass to replace all of the glasses we have been breaking.

Josh: Maybe I will accidentally drop one when I get up to put it in the sink, and then we will know if it's glass or plastic.

Rick: (joking people) Maybe I will accidentally bring you in the kitchen and accidentally spank your butt.

Me: Yeah, Josh, if you plan out dropping the cup, it wouldn't be an accident, it would be on purpose.

Josh: NO! I PROMISE it will be an accident!

Hhhhmmmm...Here I thought I was doing a good job by never disciplining an accident. Like the time Jake broke one of Rick's special Japanese Saki cups. Or the time Josh dropped Andrew's laptop...Is there a definition of accident that I didn't know about?

Tagged

So Iv'e been tagged by Alissa to share 6 random things about myself. I will try to get creative here and name things that most of you don't know.

1. I went to Spain for a month when I was 14. It was where I experienced my first (and last, though I'm not opposed) trip to a nude beach.

2. I am WAY too lazy to wash my face every night. I use the Walmart brand facial cleanser wipes.

3. I have been smoking for 17 years. I tried to quit when I was 29. My plan was to save the money I spent for cigarettes to go toward a boob job for my 30th birthday. I am now 31, and still no boobs.

4. I love, love, love MoTown music. It is definately my favorite Genre. Though I love lots of every kind of music.

5. I blame my uummm...lack of house-keeping skills on creativity.

6. My little brother was acquited of murder in the 1st degree. It was the hardest thing I've ever been through. The trial only lasted 4 days, but the 20 months leading up to the trial, and the trial itself have given me a case of PTSD. (Self-diagnosed)

Hhhhmmm...Most people I know in the blogosphere have been tagged. I hereby tag Kristine

How to piss me off

How to piss me off:

Tell a dwarf this morning that she can have a friend sleep-over tonight, when you heard me tell her last night that I didn't want her to have anyone over, as well as heard me list off 5 or 6 reasons why it wasn't a good night. Knowing that you would be going to work, and I would be the one home for whatever holiday tomorrow is.

When? (A Haiku)

Waiting for the day
The boys take the time to aim
Bathroom floor stays clean

One-Liners

Things I have heard in my house lately:

Part of Josh's speech deficit is that all sounds with a G, K, or hard C, sound exactly alike. They all sound like a K sound. So for him, the words got and caught would sound exactly alike. They both come out like "Kot" So just imagine for me, if you would, all G's in the following sentence sounding like a K. And yes, we are VERY sick parents to have found this so funny.

Josh: "I got gum! I got gum!" "Why awe you yaffin? I yuv gum!"


Jake: I need a spoon.
Rick: Well go get yourself one. This isn't a restaurant!
Jake: (takes Rick's hand and drags him into the kitchen, and then points to the wall) "Look!"
Me: (laughing hysterically) OMG! He got you honey! Don't underestimate Jake.

Rick: Boy, that sign says Rest-Stop, not Restaurant! You better get your own stinkin' spoon!


After we saw this:

All the kids thought it was so cool. Then a classic Brooke moment

Brooke: But how did he get his hair to come out the top like that?

All the kids had to laugh, and then all of them tried to explain to her how it was a helmet. That it was made like that.

During a precious moment where Rick and I were alone in the car.
Me: Stop confusing me Bitch!
Rick: Will you stop calling my navigation system that? I LOVE her!
Me: Sorry honey, but what the hell is her name then? You are going to have to name her or I am going to keep calling her bitch.

And the best thing I have heard recently around this house is the word "Mom", spoken many times recently, by Andrew, describing me!!!

Uuummm...No

Quick Note-

Rainia Did not win student-council secretary, which was a sad day because she came home and actually asked me "Why didn't I win Mommy?"

But in retrospect, it's probably better this way, because when she was running, my brother asked her what the duties of the secretary were, and she answered "The secretary stays in the office and answers the phone." Hhhmmmm...Baby girl, you are right, the ACTUAL secretary does stay in the office and answer the phone. But uuummmm...No, no matter how close you get to Mrs. Principal, you would not be staying out of class to answer your school's telephone.

Don't make me get all Yankee on you!

OMG People!!! Remember this paragraph from earlier?

Brittney is next, can someone say Proud Parents? Honor Roll! 3 A's, 4 B's. Then her math teacher jumps on her because she has the potential for an A, and received a B. Internal dialogue: Woman, you have about 2 seconds to shut-up. You are chastising my kid, who is on HONOR ROLL. Leave her alone.

Here I thought maybe I was over-reacting. Even Internal Dialogue can be an overreaction, ya know? Like my thoughts were getting carried away. But guess what? ...Now this is a second-hand story, as it is about Brittney, but told by Brooke. I am going to have to talk to Brit directly when she gets home (She is at the barn with Kyley)

Brooke says that at school today Mrs. Math teacher asked Brittney how her conversation on the ride home with her parents went, and Brittney replied that it was fine, why? According to Brooke, Mrs. Math teacher answers that she was trying her hardest to get Brittney in trouble, but apparently it didn't work. And she didn't bother trying to get Brooke in trouble, because the parents already know all of Brooke's business.

I tell Brooke that Brittney SHOULD have said "The ride home went great! My parents are sssooooo proud of me!"

What the hell, people? Does Mrs. Math teacher have something against my girls? Do I need to get all yankee on her? As it stands now, I am going to let this whole thing slide. But I really wish she could read my mind right now, because it is running a mile a minute, but is mostly shouting Don't mess with my kids!!!

Parent-teacher Conferences

Yesterday was parent-teacher conference day. Always a big deal in our house, but this year was different. Having the boys in Kindergarten means we now have 7, yes SEVEN conferences to go to. How do you attend 7 parent-teacher conferences? Let me tell ya. Bear with me, one day my kids will look back on this, and want to know. So here we go...

First of all, for some reason, which I am still trying to grasp, only three out of our 7 dwarfs were responsible enough to bring home the sign-up sheets. On the sign-up sheets, you tell the teacher what 3 times would work for you, and then they send home a note with the time of your conference. So Rainia brought home her sheet, and was scheduled accordingly. As were the Kinder boys. For the unknown reason uummm...irresponsibility, NONE of our middle-sch. students got scheduled. So Wed. I told the kids they better get me a conference time. So Andrew did. They just listen so well. That left 4 out of 7 conferences actually scheduled.

So they got out of school at noon. The kinder-boys and Rainia took the bus as usual, and I headed to pick up Andrew and Kyley. As soon as I got there, Kyley says "I got you a time! And it's RIGHT NOW!" Quick internal conflict: Brooke and Brittney are waiting on me at the other Middle School. Rick is only going to be able to work until 1:30 today. The teacher's are waiting for me in the school. Shit! OK, let me just run in here and get this one down, and that will only leave six more. So I run into the school with Kyley and Andrew, have the conference, and run out. Kyley is on honor roll, 3 A's, 2 B's. PROUD!!!

We jump in the car and quick-drive over to the other middle-school. B&B get in the van. "Did you get me a time?" Nope. "Well girls, you are not getting out of this. Get your little butts in there and get me a time." Brooke runs back out to inform me that the teacher's can do RIGHT NOW. So I head into the school to explain that Rick really wants to be there, and can we get a later time? 3:30 is agreed upon, and we head home.

I get home to find Jake in his underwear and socks OUTSIDE which he knows he is not allowed to do. I quickly get him dressed, grab Josh, and we head to pick up Rick. We get to elementary school, a couple minutes early, so hit the book-fair. After Josh chooses a book for himself and Andrew (AAWWWWW), and Jake chooses a pointer, Yes people, a pointer, we head over to Kinder-building. Jake's conference is first. He is on grade level, did not identify a rectangle for his teacher. (WTF?) He sometimes has trouble staying on task, and Occasionally has attention issues. And oh, by the way, do you know how funny your son is? Uummm, yeah.

Josh is next. He is above grade level in every area, and unfortunately, even though he obviously has a speech deficit, he is not eligible for school-speech because he is reading. He is ready to start the "AR" program (accelerated reading) They will only fund speech classes if the deficit impairs his learning. He knows what the letters are, can identify them, and can sound them out into words (even if the words don't sound right). Internal dialogue: My kid is reading? Hhhmmm, why didn't I know this? Note to self= Have Josh read you a book. Damn, have Josh read Jake a book, let him take care of the night-time story from now on. This will definitely leave more time for wine. Also, apparently Josh doesn't know how to walk. He hops in line, and has to be told on a regular basis to stop jumping, skipping, etc.

We drop J&J off at home, and pick up B&B. We get to Middle Sch.#2, and they are having parent-student conferences, instead of parent-teacher conferences. We flip a coin, which makes Brooke's turn first. She reads off her grades, and the essay she has written on why her grades are what they are, and we are proud! 3 A's, 3 B's, and 1 C. Brittney is next, can someone say Proud Parents? Honor Roll! 3 A's, 4 B's. Then her math teacher jumps on her because she has the potential for an A, and received a B. Internal dialogue: Woman, you have about 2 seconds to shut-up. You are chastising my kid, who is on HONOR ROLL. Leave her alone.

We drop off B&B, and have about an hour before we need to be back at elem. for Rainia's conference. We use this time wisely of course. (We walk around the property, and decide where we will have our HUGE fantasy house built.) We then get Rainia, and head back to elementary sch. Another trip to spend $$ at the book-fair, and then on to the conference. We love Mrs. F, Kyley had her last year, and I use the time to gossip about our middle school kids. Her daughter is in Kyley and Andrew's social circle. Oh-yeah, and we spend some time talking about Rainia. 2 A's, 1 B, and 1 C. Proud!!! Oh, and she is citizen of the month this month, and will be getting an award tomorrow. Plus, she will not be taking Sierra to the bathroom anymore. Sierra is disabled and needs to use the special bathroom in the office, but Her and Rainia have been stopping to socialize with Mrs. Principal, and have been missing too much class-time. Internal=Uuummmm...who socializes with Mrs. Principal? Hhhmmm, my kids are nerds...I wonder if she gets close enough to Mrs. Principal, will she get some sort of award? Will Mrs. Principal take special interest in the boys? You go little brown-noser!!!

We get home with just enough time for the girls to quick-change into cheer-leading clothes, and to grab Andrew. YAY!!! ALMOST DONE! We drop off Brooke and Rain at Cheerleading, and head over to Middle Sch.#1. We are the last conference of the day. (It is 6:45) Andrew is doing great, but is missing his math workbook, and a library book. He has 1 A, 2 B's, and 3 C's. This is really a great report card, considering how much harder he has to work compared to the other kids. On our way out, we check his locker, and find missing workbook, and missing library book. Relief. And we are Done!!!

Until 8:00, when we have to leave again to pick up the girls at cheer. Busy, busy day. And I wouldn't have it any other way. WooHoo!!! We have amazing kids! And are SSOOOOOO Proud, of each and every one of them!

Still Celebrating!

I actually FEEL different. I have hope. For the first time, I feel like my life will change when this man takes office. How awesome for my kids.

Wizard of Oz Wedding

Plus Harley, and Halloween.

I am so pissed. Someone (one of the 7 dwarfs) dropped my camera, and the battery cover was loose, and I lost the battery. I need to special-order one on e-bay, but the timing couldn't be worse. I have no pics of halloween with the kids, and I have no pics of the WOZ wedding. DAMN!!!! I have had to rely on the couple of pics taken with the phone, and the pics taken by the Groom's sister, which she graciously uploaded to Kodak. When Kelly uploads her pics, we will have some more to share. Here we go...

Dorothy, Me, and the Wicked Witch:



The Ceremony:





Notice the Scarecrow (Kelly's Son):



Notice the Cowardly Lion (John's Son):







Kelly and her son Alex:



Right before they rode off into the sunset:



The Reception:

Harley Cake (Ride off into the Sunset):







Kelly's Dad is "The Father":




And the party starts:




Dorothy and the Groom:




Notice the Breathalizer, this will come up later:







Dorothy wasn't sure how to take a breathalizer test, so the harley bride showed her how. This was followed by the Father of the Bride exclaming "That's my girl!"





More to come as soon as I get some more pics...

Preparing for the insanity

Well, I have some pictures, but not enough. Let me recap...

My BFF eloped. She ended up getting married on vacation with the man she had been dating for about 2 months. She then lost her mind decided to have a halloween ceremony. She wanted Wizard of Oz characters, with a Harley theme for the ceremony, followed by a costume party reception. When she hatched her scheme, I was shocked. Then, I tried my damndest to convince her to drop the Wizard of Oz portion and go Harley all the way. Why? Because I can rock a black leather miniskirt, that's why. I also thought it would be too busy to combine WOZ and Harley together, and that she should stick with one or the other. But, she was set on her scheme, and being my BFF for the last 17 years, I was happy to help out as much as I could.

I went to work on her yellow brick road, and then tackeled my costume. I needed to be this:



I started with this dress, in Ivory, that I purchased for $15 at the thrift store. I dyed it pink with this:




The dress didn't fit, so the back went from this:



To this:



And then I added lots o' tulle on the sleeves and a broach:



Since I am a realist, and not afraid of change, I also tried to dye my hair Glinda for the part. It really didn't come out orange, but it came out like this:



We put it off until the last minute, but really needed to find Rick a costume. He vetoed almost every idea I had, and then he came up with this

Rick's Hero (Not really, but whatever):



So the lighting sucks in this pic, but OMG, this was the funniest shit EVER!!!
Yes indeed that is a grill in his mouth!



Coming next, the Wizard of Oz wedding!!!

Woo-Hoo!!!

Can't speak...tears...joy...history...nuf said.

Why I've been MIA

So I should have been letting you all in on the action lately, but I have been in a non-communication funk. I have been so busy.

My dear friend Kelly, who I absolutely adore, sent me a text message a couple of months ago while she was on vacation. The text explained that her and her boyfriend had decided to elope, and she wanted everyone to know that she was coming home a married woman. I was so excited for her. When she got home, her 17 yr-old son, and her husband's 14 yr-old son expressed their disappointment at not being able to be part of the wedding. So, Kelly and John decided to have a wedding ceremony and reception after-all. Since they were already legally married, they decided to go all out with this one.

When she first explained her idea for the wedding to me, I was shocked. She called and said that she would be having the wedding on halloween weekend, and would be having a harley theme. Then she explained that the bridesmaids and groomsmen would be in Wizard of Oz costumes (her favorite movie of all time). Then, she planned on having a halloween party afterward for her reception. Now I have known Kelly for 17 years, and I thought I was done being shocked by her. It didn't even phase me when she told me that she had eloped. But this, this wedding idea shocked me. Even for Kelly it was a long shot.

So after my shock wore off, I got to work. I volunteered, because I consider myself to be crafty, to do her aisle runner for her. She of course wanted a yellow-brick road. I made this for her for her wedding gift. It's 81ft. long, and 4ft. wide, which made for about $100 in materials, and 40 hrs. worth of work. But I adore this girl, and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Me working on the road:




I bought the cheapest material that I could find, that was wide enough. I then cut it to 4ft wide. I painted it with a regular kitchen sponge, which I used as a stamp. I loaded the craft paint on the sponge with a sponge-brush, and was able to do about 4 bricks at a time before I had to reload the paint. I was planning on hemming the sides with iron-hem, but Rick gave me the suggestion to glue yellow ribbon down the sides. This worked great. The sides couldn't unravel, and it looked better with the ribbon down the sides.

My materials:





I decided to incorporate the harley theme into the aisle runner by creating a custom monogram to paint onto the end of the runner where they would stand. I created it using power point, and blew it up at the UPS store. They have a printer that blew it up to 4ft wide, which is just what I needed. I placed it under my material, which was somewhat see-thru, and simply painted over it. I have a pic. of the monogram, but not one of the finished product, unfortunately. It came out beautifully.



When I had the brick road under control, I tackled my costume. I was Glinda the good witch. I bought an Ivory-colored wedding gown at our local thrift store for $15. It was perfect for what I needed. I then bought some rit dye, and dyed it pink. It came out the most hideous pink color I have ever seen, but I am not a big fan of pink anyway. The problem with the dress was that it didn't fit. My favorite part of this is when I was a t the thrift store with Rick, who said "Is that dress going to fit you? It looks so small." My reply?
"Of-course it will fit me. I am skinny. What are you trying to say?"
And then, when I got it home, I couldn't zip it up. Rick decided he wanted to continue living, and didn't even say "I told you so" or anything.

So I took out the zipper, and made a corset back with the same pink tulle I used to puff up the sleeves, and make it all Glindaish.
Here it is drying right after I dyed it:




Here is where I tried it on right after it dried:



And after I added the puffy sleeves:



More later on the actual wedding. Right now I need to take Josh to speech.

I am still alive

I know it has been a long time, but I am still here!!!

Today is election day. I voted, and am glad to say that in my little area, I did not need to wait in line.

The kids voted at school yesterday. All but Josh, which I don't understand, but the rest of them voted. In Brooke, Brittney, and Andrew's classes, Obama won. In Kyley, Rainia, and Jake's classes, McCain won. I was actually surprised, because we live in SUCH a republican area. So even in this area, in the elementary schools, it seems to be split.

As Rick and I were leaving, the kids were reminding us who to vote for (In case we needed help) Jake and Josh wanted to go with us, but we were afraid that there would be long lines. Turns out there were not. I am so glad that our kids are so involved and opinionated about this.