Reality Summer

Can I just say, I hate all the reality tv shows that are on this summer. We don't have cable (too cheap, just too many channels) so if I want to watch tv reality is al there is it seems. It reminds me of living in Italy watching AFRTS where there was only one channel. So you either watch what was on, or find something else to do. (I never thought I would actually LIKE "MacGyver".)

So how do you diferentiate between all these making of a Roack Star shows and who lives in what house and is deceiving or kissing whom. Yuck...it's all a bunch of horse puckey...and yet we all keep watching. Because at the end of the day there really is nothing else we can do except veg out infront of the TV. To awake to sleep, to tired to read, to brain dead for anything but sitting and zoning out.

If I had to choose, I think my favorite is "Rock Star:Supernova". Dave Navarro and Tommy Lee are just keeping it real. That's nice to see on TV. And there actually is some GOOD music - now wheter or not the contestents can actually pull it off - that is the question.

And so life goes on...and we keep on watching.

Ahhh...summer.

Conversation

My older two boys spent the night at Grandma's tonight. They went out for Ice cream then decided to freeze the rest and eat it after they went night swimming. It's almost 11PM and I just got back from their house because the boys forgot their favorite Asi and Bunny's to sleep with. G&G told me about this conversation:

Carter: Grandma when we finish our ice cream can we stay up late?

Grandma: I don't know Carter, what do you want to do?

Carter: Can we go sit in the Living Room?

Grandma: Sure, Carter...but what do you want to do in the living room?

Carter: Talk.

Grandma: (chuckling at the idea of such a "big boy" talking in the living room like a grown up.) What would you like to talk about, Carter?

Carter: We could talk about Hobbits!

End of conversation...so cute!

Memory

I was driving in my car tonight and was listening to JACK FM...I heard the song, "Stray Cat Strut" and was taken back to my North Shore youth min. days.

Here's to you Bill and to BOCCE Club and so many years of memories.

(You've got cat class and you've got cat style.)

Anything to save a Buck...

Since Tay was a baby he would scream BLOODY MURDER whenever we gave him a haircut. We could not take him to a professional because they just couldn't do their job with all the screaming. (I'm NOT kidding - we were affraid social services would wind up on our door step.) Ever since then, the younger kids have all followed Tay's example and Haircuts have become my thorn in the flesh ever since.

Today I had to cut Sophie's locks to correct her wack job during nap time yesterday. So while I was at it I thought I'd trim the other boys as well. I ALSWAYS screw up on Taylor's so I wanted to be careful. Carter had these BEAUTIFUL curly locks. And with the whitte blonde hair he looked like a gorgeous little surfer boy. Although it was getting long and hot and I thought I'd trim it some. He had a great attitude all through the cut. He even offered to go first. Well...I cut too much and kinda botched the job. Because it got a little bit shorter the curls went away. He HATES it, and has been crying, moaning, whinning and complaining and mourning the loss of his surfer hair for 2 hours now. I feel SO bad...but what can you do? I told him it would grow back...he wasn't encouraged.

Sophie's got "fixed". It's alright. Not the cutest...but I did the best I could for what I had to work with. Well...it's hair...it WILL grow back. And until then, maybe I'll buy some earplugs.

Chop Chop

Well...I knew this day would come. The boys did it, the neighbor did it, all three-year-olds do it. It was only a matter of time.

Today I laid down to take a nap while Ethan and Sophie were allegedly napping in their bedroom. Tay and Cart were playing Hobbit in my room.After naps we all went out to run errands to a couple stores. We picked up Happy Meals and went to Grandma's for dinner. It wasn't until we were almost ready to leave that I saw it...Sophie asked me to put her cardboard cut out pirate earring on her ear. As I did, I saw it...


"Baby, when did you cut your hair?"

I tried to stay calm...but then I looked at Ethan and said, "Soph, WHO cut your hair?" Apparently she did the damage herself and even trimmed a little of Ethan's.

OH MY GOSH!!! I prayed this day would not come...but it was only a matter of time.

She said she "wanted to make her hair pretty like mommy's".

Very sweet...but I'll be giving my baby bangs tomorrow.

Mm-mm-motherhood!

Pizza Church

Hmmm....today was a crappy day. Hard to process it all...Jay got frustrated blowing a whole day trying to rework the network to get me a stronger signal in the garage for school. Love his heart in trying to make things work for us...but it took all day to realize he couldn't do it. Poor Guy. But such a sweet heart to try.

Tonight we went to "Pizza Church" as the kids called it. We went to one of the "Big Box Churches" in our area for the night service. Apparently they feed the kids a pizza dinner during the service. "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do..."

It was what it was. It was nice to be someplace different...but it was way too overly packaged. It made me miss MY community. It was weird, cause it was a nice "church"...it had all the elements...it just seemed to me like one of those prepackaged church planting impact cards...I'm sure those people were totally genuine and really connecting with God...but I just wasn't feeling it. Maybe it's me.

I've been reading barna's REVOLUTION...maybe it's not me...

I just want to be HOME...but I don't know that I'll find that. I don't know if after our past two locations we will actually "fit" anywhere...

Hmmm....thoughts, thoughts, thoughts.

Maybe we've been ruined...maybe we just haven't discovered what we are meant to do...

It's time to circle the wagons and focus on our four little futures we are raising...their little hearts are what I want to guard right now. Their four little hearts have just been hurt by being strung along by daddy's career...and by mommy and daddy's stress.

It's been a bad day.

When will I feel HOME?

Can I just say...

It's been a long time since I've heard as much WHINNING as I heard today.

Lord have MERCY! I hope tomorrow is better.

(By the way...our birdhouse is black - how cheery!)

Never seen a Morning like this...

I woke up this morning to find all four kids huddled around Daddy on my computer playing the video game "The Hobbit". Jay's been "helping" the boys advance to the next level and kill the evil spirits of the Necromacer. Anyway, it's been so cute to see J, coming down...resting...playing and re-creating. Beautiful. What joy can be found by father and son and a little vieo game. I don't know who's enjoying it more!

What a great life it is...so much freedom we have gained lately. So much life.

I think we are gonna paint our bird house today.

Ahhhhh...summer!

Playing with Knives

So today I caught two of my boys playing with knives - yes, knives...BIG kitchen knives! They were scaring their other sibling. But I found out that it was the 4-year-old who convinced the 8-year-old to scare the 6-year-old...

Ah Parenthood!

(I do not touch mommy's things. I do not touch mommy's things. I do NOT touch mommy's things. I DO NOT TOUCH mommy's things. I DO NOT TOUCH MOMMY'S THINGS!!!!!)

Knives KILL people...go to your room...and wile you are there, clean it!

It might be a long day!...this is the reason we don't keep guns in the house.

Mmmmm...living at our home is a good form of birth control! And if you make it though adn still want kids, than GOD BLESS YA!

Summer Lovin'

You just gotta see my cuties after some time on the Slip-n-slide. They were being SO SWEET!!! Running on the slide then taking breaks for hugs and "towel time".

And right before they came in they enjoyed a few runs of "Nakey Slip-N-Slide!"

So hilarious!

...so that's how it is in your family. :)

Catching Up

So I just went back and FINALLY caught up on the rest of my blog posts from my vacation....so go back and enjoy.

And don't worry, there aren't any deep seeded messages buried in the text

SO RELAX!

Superman Returns

So today unbeknownst to us, the present we ordered Ethan for his birthday arrived via UPS three days early. Normally I would be excited to get a package early...but not today. We apparently weren't home, so to "hide" the package, the package guy put it over near our patio set which neither me nor Johnny saw it.

So today, we were working in the garage and Ethan comes in and says, "There IS a Superman bicycle!" "WHAT????" we said! He said, "I'll show you!"

He then took us outside to see the bike.

BUSTED!

So we did what any good parent would do...we lied to our kid and said it was someone else's. (I'm sorry, we can't afford to give him the bike today and then have to go get ANOTHER birthday gift.)

So apparently we had back-up and our live-in guests affirmed that the gift was for their baby. (Who doesn't exist.) So after some back and forth banter, the kids bought it and went off to watch a video.

The bike is now hiding under my bed until August 6th.

Happy birthday, Beefy. Love you little guy.

Gerenic Post

To quote Melissa Etheridge:

"I'm all right, I'm all right...it only hurts when I breath."

I think tomorrow I will wake up, take a shower and wash myself clean.

Amen and goodnight.

Go Dodgers!

It is SO good to be home. We had a blast today to go to see the Dodgers play.

And the fireworks were just as amazing as the ones we used to go see at the National Mall in DC. Great food, great family, great fun!

Day Thirteen: Homeward Bound

We had to wake up at what was 1:15am California time. We tried to carry the kids to the van without waking them. We then drove 1 1/2 hours to Raleigh. At the airport we had donuts and waited for the plane. After we got on the flight at what was 4:50AM Cali-tme we proceeded to drug our kids with Nyquil. (Only a half-dose) and it worked magically. The kids knocked off for 2-3 1/2 hours. We had a pretty instant connection in Salt Lake City. I was glad not to have to spend more time in the airport. We had a quite ride home. Ethan & Sophie slept again. It was soooo good to see our Dawson Van and Grandpa at LAX. We were so glad to get HOME. We were bombarded by cousins and dogs. It was good to hang out and spend the afternoon with our new house guests.

All in all it was an amazing trip and came at THE perfect time. It was so good to rest...

...now life starts all over again.

Day Twelve: Fishy Fishy

Today we had to get ready for the trip. It took half a day to find, sort, clean up and pack all the toys. I think each kid got like 4-5 new batman toys (and each toy come with so many small accessories!) So it took a good long while to pack all our stuff and all the new stuff we bought. (Like a $320 suit for $80!!!)

BUT!!!! We did take a little trip in the morning to Mallard Lake to let pop pop teach the kids to fish! It was so much fun and so SWEET to see! Sophie kept her practice fish on...but the boys moved up to actual hooks! So sweet!

Go to bed early! We gotta wake up at 1:30 AM California time.

Day Eleven: Superman Returns to Me

Tonight we did an old fashioned Southern Dinner with Fried Chicken and the whole nine yards. today Grammy took Sophie on a date to the mall to ride the carosel, shop at the toy store and buy a swimsuit at the Princess Store.

We took the boys to go see Superman. It was a fun time with the family. (And for certain readers - I want you to know there were only a few bad words and I think the movie should've been rated PG..so as parents we did view it first and decide the movie would be ok for our boys.)

After that we went to Old Salem and looked around the town and played in the well, ate at the bakery and visited the shoppe.

Fun day.