"Cool Cat"

OK, so this child never fails to give me amusing things to blog about. It's his gift. If you read the last post, I kid you not. Ten minutes after I posted that post, I was doing the dishes, and he was still watching TV. The Space Bag commercial came on. He said mommy, look, you need that. The bag is really big, but then it gets really small so you can put it in a drawer! I asked him, "What channel are you watching?" It was the Disney channel. Seriously? Seriously!

So, we were at the zoo again. We had finished feeding the giraffes crackers, and we were walking along. We came along three zookeepers. They were feeding giraffes crackers. So, they asked Collin if he wanted to give him one. So, he took the cracker, and commenced to try to play "keep the cracker away" from the giraffe. Well, the zookeepers didn't think it was funny. They said, "please give him the cracker, don't tease him." I of course was snapping pictures. But, of course, I said, Collin, give him the cracker! They looked at me like, "get your child to behave!" I was busy snapping pictures!

So, here he is looking like "cool cat" after he was trying to keep the cracker from the giraffe. Seriously, look at the giraffe's mouth. He seriously looks like he is mad! Like he's about to lecture my son. Seriously, it wouldn't hurt him to get a good lecture though!

$450 is lower than $1,000!

Me: upstairs getting ready for work

Collin: Comes running upstairs

Collin: Mommy, there's this commercial on TV where you can only pay $450. You have to come see it.

Me: OK.

We go to the upstairs landing where we can see the TV down below
It's one of those loan commercials where you can consolidate your bills.

Collin: See mommy? You used to have to pay $1,000, but they say if you call, you can pay $450. See mommy? $1,000 is a lot. $450 is low. Do you want to call mommy? We should. $450 is low!

Me: No, baby, I don't think I'll call today, but you are very smart. $450 is a lot lower than $1,000.

Collin: Next time I see the commercial, I'll come get you. You should call. That's the best commercial ever!

Water Pond Pictures

Where to start?

Wow, D's parents left this morning. They were here for 10 days. We had such a great time with them. The boys are upset. Not much to look forward to left this summer. Everyone who was going to visit us has visited. They do have "rocket camp" in a few weeks. But then school starts, and they're upset about that.

Anyhoo, we did such fun things with D's parents. Ya'll, you gotta believe me when I tell you, they are good sports. We dragged those poor grandparents to the Renaissance Festival. Well, they said they'd go, and they even dressed up!

But look at this stud!

Rodrick can't hold a candle to you, honey. But, just to be sure, let's let the ladies see another picture of him...

I crack myself up.

But, although both those studdly Renaissance men are quite handsome, nobody can hold a candle to this one...

Pure joy of being in his daddy's hat!

So, alright, that's enough of those. You've already seen pictures of the Ren Fest. This week, I'm going to go backwards with my posts in a sense. I'm going to go back to when we went to the waterfall, and our 4th of July pictures, cause we did some pretty interesting things.

But...today I have to blog about something great that happened yesterday. My brother came to visit. Not my brother Brent, Angie's husband, but my middle brother. Yes, my friends, I have three brothers. I grew up with three brothers, and now I'm raising three brothers. Weird.

Anyway, the boys had never met him! He had seen Shane and Theron when they were little, but they obviously don't remember that. They had an absolute ball with him. Theron, my older, more introverted boy was just climbing the walls. They obviously really enjoyed the visit. It was short, but it was fun.

The boys were riveted to the guitar. Collin is even pressing his ear up against it here.

Shane really hit it off with his uncle. But, that's because they're a lot alike. That frightens me. Shane will be a teenager soon...I'll have to keep an eye on him!

Just kidding...OK, so they kept jumping on him, which I'm sure was not too much fun for him. Seeing as he's really old! Ha Ha.

So, I know Susie will appreciate this. My brother wanted to go somewhere with local beer. So, of course we went to Rock Bottom, which was oh so delicious.

When he was leaving, Shane chased him down the street at 13 mph. Collin was so sad his uncle was leaving, he ran up to his room, and took a rock out of his rock collection and gave it to his uncle. It was so cute. So, thank you to my brother for taking the time to visit our little corner of the world! It was fun!

The Party was Today!

Well, with Grandma and Grandpa here, we had the birthday party for little peanut today at Chuck E. Cheese's, you know, where a kid can be a kid!

Here is Collin watching daddy make his birthday cake.Yes, D not only makes swords, he makes cakes ladies. Yes, and he even sews. Weird. Anyway, here's a picture of the finished cake. He really does make amazing cakes.

So, that was the one he made. Here's the one I made for the actual day of his birthday. See a difference anybody?

Here's the king for the day blowing out his candles!

Here's Collin and his friend saying, "please mommy, can we play a little bit longer?" Cute, huh?

You'll never believe this, but we have been saving CEC tickets for years now. We had almost 3,000. There was a remote control car there that was 4,000 tickets. The girl there said that she'd give it to us cause it was the last one, and had been there a while. It's really, really cool. They're downstairs playing with it right now, including Grandpa! I'll have to post pictures of that.

Thank you to everyone for being so sweet to my sister-in-law as she starts up her blog. She's so excited to get to know everybody. I have the best blogging friends in the world! She's so addicted already, she's waiting right now for this post!

We have done so many exciting things lately that I've taken cool pictures of. We went to a waterfall the other day, and I got amazing pictures. I'll have to post them later in the week when I have time. You'll love them.

Later everybody!

My sister-in-law Angie

Hi Guys,

Go over and see my sister-in-law's blog. She's just so totally new, and she only has one post, but if you have time to go check it out, do!

Angie is married to my brother, and they have a "wonderful life" as the blog says. They do really interesting things, and go to all kinds of exoctic places.

Check it out. She has pictures of my cute and adorable nephew and nieces. Oh, yea, and my brother. Tell me, do we look like brother and sister??

Happy Birthday, Peanut

My sweet baby boy, It was six years ago today that you graced this earth with your entrance. It was Friday the 13th, as it is today. I had sat on our swing in the backyard with a neighbor the day before, and sunburned one of my legs. Every time the nurses or doctors came in to ask how I was doing, they would pat my leg. Finally, I let loose on them. I told a nurse to not touch my leg, and to tell everyone else to leave it alone as well! She promptly went and got medicine and a guaze wrap for it! Having you was a piece of cake. It was the sunburn that hurt! I remember I felt so good afterward, daddy brought me in a Dr. Pepper to my hospital room (and I think popcorn too)!

You were so lucky that when we walked you home (we lived behind the hospital at Wright-Patt), you were not only walked home by your mom and dad, but you were walked home by two brothers who wouldn't stop hugging and kissing you! They don't always do it now, but they love you still! I know, they boss you around sometimes, but that's just how brothers are!

You were so small, we called you peanut. Your big head and little body made you look like a peanut! Now, you're affectionately called Sharktooth.

You were the one who was there with me on that terrible day back in 2001. We sat on the couch together, while you ate, and watched the news. I think you brought me hope and peace that day.

You were my last baby. I treasured every minute with you as you grew, although looking back now, it went too fast. Now you're ready to go off to 1st grade, and I'm wondering who's going to keep me company during the day. I know every day when you come home, you'll give me the "big hug" though.

You're the only one in the family who wants to follow in your father's footsteps and join the AF. I don't know if you'll ever change your mind about being a pilot. I think if you do become a pilot, I will be the proudest mommy in the world, but a very tired one, because I'll never sleep.
You have only brought me love and happiness. You are so happy, you keep me sane sometimes. I can always count on a good laugh when you're around.

Never forget that you're a child of the Father Almighty. He knew you before I did, and loves you with a perfect love that even I can't give you.

You'll always be my "sweet" baby boy.

Mommy

I Love these Guys!

I love all these guys!



U.S. soldiers pray in a circle before leaving Camp Victory for their patrol mission on the streets of Baghdad July 7, 2007. REUTERS/Nikola Solic (IRAQ)

My husband was gone for a year, but he wasn't in a combat situation like these guys. I have no idea what they go through, or their families back home. I think they're awesome. I think they're heros. I think they're corageous and brave!

This is killing me!!!

OK blogging friends, this kills me. It really does. I'm sorry. I apologize ahead of time. Really I do. You really don't want this, but I tell you...you asked for it. You asked for it, I say. And, I'm a true blogging friend, so when you ask for it, I deliver.


OK, here it is.....



Don't scream....

We went to the festival AGAIN! I don't like getting pictures taken of me well, ever since college, when I weighed a lot less. However, D said that my blogging friends wanted to see me in my full costume, so I did it. So, when you want to laugh, just remember, that I'm very tender-hearted, and cry easy. Just ask Wendy. Maybe even Susie. I know Wendy has seen me cry many - a - time. Susie might have even caught an episode once or twice as well. So, don't laugh. And, if you're not going to leave a comment like I'm the most beautiful w*nch you've ever seen, well, then just don't leave a comment. Because, I'm fragile. And, I'm doing this for you.

OK, so I'm so conservative with my costume. Most of the women really "boost" 'em up there, right out there in your face where you can see 'em! Well, I'm with my three young boys, and honestly, they just don't want to see that! Anyway, mine don't boost up anymore. It just aint happenin' anymore!

So, since that first picture scared you, here's a little something for the ladies...

This is one of the guys who does the jousting. I think he's quite handsome. Only because I think he looks like my adorable husband when he was young, before the AF made him whack off his hair. He had long wavy hair like this when we were in college, and well, it just takes me back a few years. So, being the wonderful husband he is, since he knows I think this guy is cute, he took some pictures of him, just for me! And, being the blogging friend that I am, I wanted to share it with you!

Cute Video

OK, being the dog lover I am, my friend sent this to me a while ago, and the kids and I loved it. You may have seen it before, but I don't care, I want to learn how to embed video on my blog. Turn your volume on, cause it's the added commentary that makes it funny. I think it was on America's Funniest Home videos. The last one particularly cracks me up, the lengths the people went through to keep that dog in, including putting up their huge circa-1987 stereo speakers.

Apparently I'm the only one who didn't know that you can still call 911 with an old cell phone, so I'm feeling old and not tech-savvy!

Some useful info

D sent me this link about a little girl who kept calling 911 on a cell phone - . It's kind of funny the way they tracked her down with fast food (kind of scary also).

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,288212,00.html

But, I wanted everybody to know about it. We let Collin use one of our deactivated phones. He charges it and everything. He thinks it really works. I had no idea, but this story says that federal law mandates that deactivated cell phones still have the ability to call 911. I totally wouldn't believe it, but I didn't get it from a e-mail or anything, it's straight from foxnews.com. It was also in the Chicago Sun Times today.

So, go check it out, especially if you ever let your kids play with your old cell phones. I totally would never had believed it!

8 Random Facts Meme

Ok, this time around I have been tagged by Janice to do the 8 Random Facts Meme.

Here are the rules:- I have to post these rules before I give you the facts (check)

- Each participant posts eight random facts about themselves.
- Tagees should write a blogpost of eight random facts about themselves.
- At the end of the post, eight more bloggers are tagged (named and shamed).
- Go to their blog, leave a comment telling them they're tagged (cut and run).

So, here's my attempt. Although, I'm not sure I know 8 bloggers to tag. I'll have to look.

1. I have lived in more houses than I can count. If I go back 15 years (the amount of time I've been married) I've lived in 15 houses. I couldn't even count my entire life, because as a child, we moved every couple of years also.

2. I went to France during the summer after my junior year and wandered around Paris by myself taking pictures, reading, eating croissants, writing and watching people. I went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and it was a windy day, and it was swaying back and forth at the top!

3. My first job was at the Peanut Shack in Plano, Texas. My pay was $3.35 an hour. I baked cookies and popped popcorn. I was told I could take home all the extra popcorn at the end of my shift, so sometimes I would pop some at 8:30, and take the extra in a huge bag to my boyfriends house.

4. I believe that taking a nap on Sunday afternoon after church is not only nice, it's my God given right as a hard working mother of three.

5. I have watched the series Alias all the way through, consecutively at least 6 times. I lost count. I think it's about 6 times. I secretly believe in another life, I could have been as bad a** as Sydney Bristow.

6. I still rock out to Def Leppard and Night Ranger.

7. I have a tattoo around my right ankle that I got when I was 30 I think. It's little swirlies, and flowers. I got it with my best friend in the world, Samantha. We've been friends since 6th grade. She got the same one, only different color flowers. We're tattoo sistas! Most people get a good laugh when they find out I have tattoo, because they envision me as being uptight and conservative. Muhahahaha! I have many layers!

8. I met D at a party my roommates threw in college on January 20, 1990, and I have loved him every day since. (The reason I met him goes back to a mouse...but that's a long story)

Here's my tags...

1. Wendy
2. Stacy
3. Susie
4. Debs (friend of Susie's/new blogger)
5. Shana (because Janice said you're safe...but no one is ever safe!)
6. Megan (because even when you go private, you can get still get tagged!)
7. Lori (because I haven't heard from you in a while)
8. D (because I'm all out of people, but he won't be able to tag anybody, because he doesn't know any bloggers)

OH, and I don't usually do two posts in a day, but because I was tagged, I did. Don't forget to scroll down and see my handsome boy playing the guitar!

Juke Box Hero...

Here's my little rock star. For as long as I can remember, Shane has wanted to learn to play the guitar. We got him this guitar for Christmas 2005. Since then, of course D went oversees, and time has flown by, and to make a long story short, we've never gotten him lessons.

Walking out of church a few weeks ago, Shane said, let's go ask that guy if he can teach me to play the guitar. He was speaking about the man playing the guitar in the band at church. So, D and Shane went up and asked him. He said he'd call us, and he did. He said he's been thinking about teaching guitar, but never has. So, he wanted to do it for free, to see how it went. What a blessing! Shane couldn't wait until he got there, and he was just in heaven. I've never seen the boy smile so big in my life!

So, there my friends, a juke box hero is born. He's got stars in his eyes...(80's song)