Graduation=Family Reunion

Nights, nephews, nightmares, and nosy neighbors.

Dh is on the night shift this weekend, this means he sleeps all day gets up and goes to work around 6 pm. He arrives home the next morning shortly after 8. It is really hard on us, especially when we have to be quiet during the day so he can get the rest he needs. It has been particularly difficult on my ds this week, as he has been getting up in the morning and sitting by the patio door holding his baseball and bat anticipating daddy's return. Dad is usually really tired after nights especially 3 or 4 in a row, sometimes I wonder how he makes it all the way home. We try to go about our weekend without him, but it is so hard not to want him to participate since he is just inside the bedroom door. I try to keep the kids busy with activities and outside play, that is the nice part about this time of year. I tend to get a lot of cleaning done, except vacuuming, of course.
Yesterday my nephew turned 1 and we went to his party and made it home just minutes before dad had to leave for work. I could tell dad felt left out and I wished I would have tried to make it home a bit earlier so we could have at least sat down at the table together for a 'family', which is what my dd calls it when we all sit down for a meal together.
Last night I started coughing before I fell asleep and I got scared. Moments of the past year flashed before my eyes. The ct scan, the doctor's office, the pet scan, the surgery, the chemo, the baby's ultrasound. I immediately wondered what the future holds for me and my cancer and my family. Waiting until after the baby comes is a bit trying on my limited amount of patience. I want to be sure that chemo stopped every bit of the cancer. I don't want to have this baby and then find out I have to do chemo all over again. Can I nurse the baby on chemo? Probably not. I wish I could fast forward to November. Then again, I should be enjoying these moments with my two children before another one comes and the house becomes crowded. I know God knows what He is doing, but sometimes I wish I could trust Him more and not get so worried about things.
Today I was in a groove and I started doing some much needed spring cleaning, tossing outdated food, lotions, medications and makeup. I was really plugging along when the phone rang. I won't tell you what I said under my breath as I pried my body up and hobbled to the phone. It was the neighbor, "I am being a nosy neighbor," she began "Your kids are outside playing in the vehicles and I think your son may have started one." I don't remember if I said goodbye, I ran out the door and grabbed the keys from him. Thank God for nosy neighbors.

Eat your heart out Granola Girl...

I was standing in line at Wally World the other day to return a very impulsive buy (a peasant maternity top that focused a bit too much on theever largening tum tum) when over the loudspeaker came a manager saying fresh mozzarella was on sale from $4.48 a lb to $1.48 a lb. while supplies last. I bought the last three-quarters of a pound and spent the whole ride home dreaming of what I could make with it. When I finally got to the kitchen I added what I already had; one very ripe tomato, some french baguette bread and a generous pinch of Italian seasonings plus a drip of EVOO (Rachel Ray people...extra virgin olive oil) and VIOLA my own version of bruschetta! I broiled it at 500 degrees for almost 4 minutes and then devoured it in half that time. I should try your strawberry rhubarb jam on the rest of my bread, huh? Maybe we should have a contest to see who can make up the best recipe from anything in the fridge and one newly bought ingredient. I WIN!

VBS is F-U-N!

When I grow up I want to teach Vacation Bible School all year round. In our village, all three churches combine to make one awesome week of fun and games and Bible stories. I feel so blessed to be a part of it. There is not much that can top spending 5 days singing and learning about God. I hope the kids have as much fun as I do:)

The Baby Graduates!

Count them. One-Nine. All graduated from High School. Grandma has almost 40 years of child rearing under her belt. In fact, her favorite story to tell at family gatherings is of her 40th birthday party where she received a card that read "I'd rathar be 40 than pregnant." She was pregnant with #9 at the time. Congratulations Kelly! Now get out of the house and get a job!

Job 1:21 A Celebration of Life

Thank you, Ramblings From Life!

Look Ma, No WHEELS!

She is definately growing up too fast for me. I am a wreck. I need some stop growing pills or something. You can't even wipe that smile off her face...

God IS awesome!

My Cousins Brother-in-Law is a firefighter from Valdosta, GA.

Preschool Graduation

Celebrating with Silly String!

Class of 2020!

More Silly String...

Sliding down to get her diploma!

Saying all of the States and their Capitols

Weekend Update from ME...

All right. Here is what you get when I am too tired to update daily. A few days full of updates in one neat and tidy post.

Mother's Day! We celebrate a day early here at our house considering for the last 15 years Mother's day has always meant opening day for amateur baseball. This year I invited my mom over after Saturday night church for a bbq. I only had to boil two batches of potatoes to get them right for potato salad and BONUS, I have smashed potatoes and onion in the freezer for a fast reheat some night. My problem is I try to do everything at once. At the same time I was boiling the potatoes I was doing the dishes, sorting laundry and reading stories to the kids. I turned the burner off after about 12 minutes and then completely forgot about them while they continued to cook in the hot water for another good 20 minutes or so...speaking of which, I am frying hamburger right now?!?!!?! My brother and his wife and son were here also and we grilled and played t-ball until almost dark.

Sunday the Muckdogs won their first game, My dh pitched 5 innings and got a home run, or so he tells me I spent the afternoon enjoying the company of adults and crocheting a blanket. My kinda ballgame...

Monday was a blur, can't even remember what I did. Today, I hardly pulled into the driveway before my dd had to tell me about the baby bunnies they found when daddy was mowing the yard. Seven tiny balls of fur and some don't even have their eyes open. (Much better than a family of snakes living under my porch, right cg?) I fear the dog, Shiloh, will 'take care of them' though.

Dd's preschool graduation is tonight. I hope to take some snapshots with my almost dead camera.

Free Scoop of Haagen Daas ice cream - YUMMY!

http://www.haagen-dazs.com/newflavorday/
May 15th 4pm-8pm

FREE game for moms, watch out it's addicting...

Popcap is giving away Bejeweled for free. I've lost a few hours to this addictive game. Enjoy!

PopCap Games - Bejeweled

"Click BUY NOW on the Bejeweled game page to add it to your shopping cart, then enter this coupon code at checkout:

FREE4MOMS

Hey there,
Mother's Day is on Sunday (you didn't forget, did you?), and PopCap wants to celebrate all the moms in the world-
so we're giving away Bejeweled for FREE!

Bejeweled is the game that started it all for PopCap; so it just makes sense to share it with your mom, who certainly helped get you started in the world. So go ahead, send your mom some relaxing fun, it's FREE, with no strings attached. Or if you're a mom, keep the gift for yourself you definitely deserve it.

To all the moms out there, Happy Mother's Day!

The Mommy Test

I was out walking with my 4 year old daughter. She picked up something
off the ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away
from her and I asked her not to do that. "Why?" my daughter asked.
"Because it's been on the ground, you don't know where it's been, it's dirty
and probably has germs" I replied.

At this point, my daughter looked at me with total admiration and asked,
"Mommy, how do you know all this stuff? You are so smart." I was
thinking quickly. "All moms know this stuff. It's on the Mommy Test. You
have to know it, or they don't let you be a Mommy." We walked along in
silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently pondering this new
information.

"OH...I get it!" she beamed, "So if you don't pass the test you have to
be the daddy." "Exactly" I replied back with a big smile on my face.

Happy Mother's Day!

Kindergarten, here she comes...

Well, dd had kindergarten visitation today. We got to got and spend most of the day with her new teacher, the future first graders, and 10 soon to be kindergartners. I was exhausted before we made it through lunch. Dd disappeared into the crowd and I barely got to talk to her all afternoon. At lunch she said to me, "Mom, do you have to sit by me?" I almost choked on my bread. A bit later she said, "You can go if you want mom, I am fine." My throat tightened. I smiled and laughed. At the end of the day when the teacher said, "all the future kindergartners can go find their parents now" she took her own sweet time walking slowly from the tables full of children to me, in the back of the classroom. I believe she is ready. I just wish I was.

you know you live in a small town when...

the superintendant of the school pulls up to your husband in the garage to tell him that your three (and a half) year old son is in the front yard with his pants down...pooping.

*sigh*
I wonder if he wiped?

a little more three (and a half) year old wisdom

I was getting ready for the day in the bathroom when my son screamed from his room down the hallway..."Mom, come and wake me up!"

My husband jokingly asked my son to get the potato chips off of the top of the fridge to which the three (and a half)year old responded(while his hands were on his hips), "Dad,I can't reach them I am not as long as you..."

my little jumping bean...

When I was younger my mom would let me go to the General Store and charge a snack after school. Right by the register there was a piece of cardboard with a dozen or so little plastic boxes hanging on it. There were colored beans in the boxes and every once in a while you would hear them 'tink,tink' against the plastic wall of the box. They were Mexican jumping beans. They were pretty amazing.

Today while I was at the doctor, she was listening for the baby's heart beat. The microphone would pick up several loud wooshing sounds and then stop. After several minutes my doctor said, "well if baby ever stops kicking I could check the heartbeat for you." I got up enough nerve to tell her I thought I could feel it for several days now. I was sure she would shake her head in dismay, but she only said, "It is your third one and you know what it feels like." I do know what it feels like. It feels like a flutter and sometimes a flick. Like when I was younger and my mom would try to clean out my belly button, a pang or a spasm from my pelvis bone to my mid-belly section. My own little jumping bean. It is really amazing. I can't wait for the kids and daddy to feel it from the outside. It will be awhile before that happens.