Love and Laughter

2010...Already?

2010-05-04T14:50:00.004-04:00

I have taken a VERY long blog break and think I'm ready to return. Funny, it's 1year and 1 day ago that I last posted. Even funnier, my girls just got back from girl scout camp! It is like I pressed pause on my blog and have just returned a year later. I'd love to give a great reason for my absence, but I've got nothing! No new baby, illness or jet setting career... just lack of motivation.

I made a decision to slow down and learn to say "no" once in a while. (Mostly to myself!:)) For the first time in 12 years, I didn't even send out Christmas cards. It was SO relaxing not having to capture the perfect shot of my girls. Ironically, I took a million good ones that would have been perfect.

I've enjoyed just reading my favorite blogs without pressure to post my own. I did not think I would miss blogging as much as I have. Now, I'm excited to jump back in and hopefully have some great stories to share! We've had a wonderful and busy year. And for my friend at 40 pink Piggies (who needs to add her little prince to her side bar) I will have lots of photos, too!

Camp Occoneechee

2009-05-03T15:51:00.002-04:00

We had a great weekend at Girl Scout camp!

I'm exhausted, in need of a LONG shower and some serious DVR time!

I'm glad that I went to help chaperon and now remember why I haven't gone camping since middle school!

I hope to post a few pictures soon.

Three Ladies and a Gentleman

2009-04-27T22:04:00.007-04:00

Rob had the pleasure of taking these 3 lovely ladies to the Daddy-Daughter Dance

Friday, April 24, 2009

This year I co-chaired the planning of the dance. It was a ton of work, but turned out great thanks to many volunteers, including my wonderful sister! Thanks Kitty, I could not have pulled it off without you!!! She gets an extra pat on the back considering she doesn't even have a child at the school.

The theme was The stars come out......

We had a blast constructing balloon arches. They were very to easy to use and very addicting. My girls will now have arches at birthday parties. Wish I was kidding :)

This star archway turned out great. Boy was it work to blow up over 500 balloons (with hand pumps) to construct this large star and 2 smaller ones. I was very pleased with how it turned out. The girls loved it!

I wish I could say I created this beauty. We have a parent who is a wonderful pastry chef and she donates her services for the dance. It was awesome as usual!

My girls loved date night with Daddy! I'm just glad it's over and was a success. Now maybe I will have time to blog and catch up on my reading!

Ops I did it again.....

2009-03-19T22:56:00.011-04:00

Drop the blog ball that is.

It's been a crazy few weeks.

Like our weather, my life has been so unpredictable.

Between sick kids, laundry, car pool, girl scouts, art, dance, HW, potty training, planning a Daddy daughter dance at the girls school, and added pressure caused by our great economy, I've had very little "me" time to read blogs or even post.

The times when I can hardly slow down long enough to catch my breath, help me to see what I'm most thankful for. It's easy to over look all the great things we have when times are tuff. I have been blessed with 4 beautiful, happy, healthy daughters, have tremendous family support, live in a free country and 11 years ago I married the man of my dreams.

March 7, 1998

There are so many things I would love to tell that young couple. For starters, don't blink, the years really fly by! Oh and being in your 30s is not as old as you think.

I'm looking forward to the next 50 :)

Puppy Love

2009-02-24T01:19:00.010-05:00

This weekend, Rob took the big girls to play with Cookie's new brothers and sister. Cookie is our 1 year old Shih-Tzu. Her parents have a new litter and since the puppies are all being adopted next week they wanted to get some puppy love. Emerson and I stayed home for a much needed nap and took care of the other cookies taking up our time. Girl scout cookies. I now know the real reason they only sell them once a year! : )

A little pile of sweetness!

Connor loved having this little one sleep on her lap. Thank goodness they're all spoken for!

Olivia with her two favorites.

It was hard to get these away from Landon. Look at those sweet faces. All 3 :)

Cookie (on the right) and her mommy enjoying the sunshine. The girls said they mostly stayed together . How sweet. I'm just shocked that she sat still long enough for Rob to get that shot. I'm convinced she's a lab trapped in a Shih-Tzu body. The only time she's still at home is when she's sleeping!

Wonderful Wednesday!

2009-02-04T22:56:00.007-05:00

Tuesday night's homework was to write about and draw a hero. I smiled when Olivia handed me her notebook to check her work and said, "I'm done...that was so easy."

It's the little things that catch you off guard and put things into perspective.

God is a hero.

And boy did he answer my prayers.

I stayed up way too late looking at a million photographs on iheartfaces. I'm so out of control :) With our Mr. Sunshine (aka daddy) out of town, I knew it would a rough Wed morning. I drifted off to sleep, praying for a pause button so I could catch up on my sleep.

Well...brace yourself...we got a no-snow-snow-day!

Yep, I did not have to wake and dress 3 sleepy ladies for school. We all slept until 9:45. To make it even sweeter, Connor came into the kitchen and saw the 1/16 of an inch of snow,she turned and squealed, "yeah, God gave us snow again!" When I asked her to repeat what she said, (this mommy tries not to talk in the morning) she giggled and said, "God gave us more snow...just like I asked for in my prayers." Too sweet!

Oh, and the snow was all gone before lunch. I spent the rest of the day making Valentine crafts with my loves.

Photo Contest:"The Eyes Have It"

2009-02-02T12:26:00.006-05:00

I love this picture of baby Emerson. I think it makes her eyes look beautiful. Wish I had those lashes!
This is a great blog I just found. Check it out!!!I love taking pictures and and looking at all the great pictures other people take.

Pitch a Tent

2009-01-30T13:48:00.006-05:00

This is as close to camping as we get!

Well with S'mores, haha :)

Emerson loves to play in these tiny tents that my sister gave the girls. They are small enough to fit American Girl dolls. It's so funny to see her and Cookie in their tents side by side.

Eme is always eating something! Cookie wants to know, "where's my treat?" When I asked to join the club she promptly told me," No, Mam-Sir, maybe later." LOL She studies at the-universal-use-of-manners-school. It saves time trying to decide if Mam or Sir fits.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-28T17:18:00.002-05:00

One little monkey jumping on the bed.....

2009-01-27T23:03:00.004-05:00

Emerson is a hand full!!!

Now that she is in a big girl bed she roams.

Yes, she is standing on the "bonka-bed" trying to wake up her sister.

She should be scared, but no, she's just proud that she made it. She said, "Hi, mommy...I'm climbing." She is giving me grey hair. No kidding. REAL grey hair.

Speaking of hair, I was going to post about her sweet new hair cut, but Rob has my camera in Auburn. No husband 4 days a week is bad enough, but now no camera...I might go mad. Only 3 more days until he comes home. I'm counting down the days!

SCORE!!!

2009-01-20T22:59:00.002-05:00

We got a TON of snow. I'm going to say 4 inches maybe 5. Hey, it's the south. Last year we only got a glorified sleet day.

According to the girls, how the miracle came to be is still up for review. Olivia and Connor think they brought the snow by wearing their pajamas inside out, but Landon thinks flushing ice cubes and a putting a wooden spoon under her pillow did the trick. And yes, we started the day with a heated discussion of who really made it snow. The fights all end the same...a tie between baby Jesus and God.

It was a wonderful snow day!!!

Let it snow, Let it snow , Let it snow....PLEASE

2009-01-19T16:59:00.003-05:00

The local weather man is calling for SNOW. Which means we aren't getting any, but it's still exciting to hear. My girls heard that flushing ice cubes is sure to bring snow, so we are giving it a shot. Soon we will be all out of ice I really LOVE snow days. A snow day after a National Holiday would be even sweeter!

Cookies and Santa

2009-01-15T15:40:00.004-05:00

Landon is selling Girl Scout Cookies and she's thrilled!!!

I never let her join a troop until this year. According to her, she wasn't allowed to be a girl scout because, "she has too many sisters for her mom to get out of the car in order to walk me into the meetings." She makes a valid point. Unloading and reloading 4 kids more than twice a day does make me cranky. (Well, unless Target's having a sale.) The truth is there was just NO WAY I would have ever let her go to sleep away camp until this year. Going to camp is a big part of scouts and I knew she would want to go and I would be a mess. I think I might be able to let her go this summer. Key word being, might. However, being a chaperone could be part of the plan. Funny I know, but I'm not kidding.

Support your local girl scouts and buy some yummy cookies!!!

This is the only Santa that Emerson would have anything to do with this year!

Fun Times!

2009-01-14T10:30:00.005-05:00

I have been busy trying to convince Emerson to use this: She does not want to potty in "her" potty. She just likes to sit in on it and read. Good thing it folds down to be a step stool.

It's not a total loss. She is doing OK on the real potty. Hey, it's one less thing I have to clean :)

All Aboard!

2009-01-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

My older girls were all potty trained way before their 2ND birthday. Emerson was 2 in November. Oops! I was stalling hoping to keep her in a baby bed until after Christmas, but gave in over the break. She is sleeping in a big bed and doing great! The big girls are now really looking forward to teaching Emerson to potty like a big girl. Santa gave her the cutest little pink princess potty and Connor said, "wow mommy now we can put her on the potty train!" They even made choo-choo sounds when they told Emerson she was getting on the potty train. Too funny!!!

Now the fun begins. Having to remember to ask and run to the potty 5 million times a day and no less than 2 visits to the potty in every store and restaurant. The first visit is to check out the soap situation and the second to actually use the potty since they were too distracted the first time. I carry what I refer to as the potty bag. It holds, antibacterial wipes and spray, hand sanitizer, a portable potty, plastic bags, paper towels, and a complete change of clothes including socks and shoes. Everything one would need to disinfect the nasty public potty for use and then to clean the potty seat afterward. Oh, I can't wait! Maybe next week...

2009 Already!

2009-01-06T01:24:00.005-05:00

We had a wonderful holiday break. It was nice to see family and friends. We were very busy, but blessed. We did a lot of traveling and even more eating. Yummy for my tummy, but not very kind to my behind! I took a break from the blog and the treadmill. At least catching up on missed blogs will be fun.
It was sad to see the girls walk into school today, but I'm not going to lie, I was excited to get home and play Landon's Super Mario Bros...uninterrupted! No girls or husband to share with. I felt 9 again. I loved to rush home from school and play the Nintendo with my sisters! Rob and I have been playing the new DS games when the girls go to sleep. My hand even hurts a little. No shame!
Well, now it's back to juggling our busy schedules. Rob will be back to traveling for work and I will become the slave to laundry, lunches and homework. What I'm going to miss most is hearing the girls giggle and whisper while looking at Christmas lights . I just love the lights! Next to getting Christmas cards it's the highlight of my day during December. I'm looking forward to what 2009 brings! Happy New year!

2008-12-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-17T01:44:00.002-05:00

Slack Blogger Award

2008-12-15T13:19:00.003-05:00

Guess I'm not really back. My girls are taking turns getting sick. If they all got sick at the same time who would feel special?! Even Daddy's sick. There aren't enough hours in the day to care for a sick man and still blog. He actually created my Christmas Elf show, since my computer is trying to die. I seem to have too many cookies and not Java.

Thanks, Honey. Hope you feel better!

My Christmas Elves!

2008-12-15T13:17:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I'm Back!

2008-12-04T01:10:00.004-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. We spent Thanksgiving Day in town with my family and then headed to VA to spend the rest of the weekend with the in laws. It was Delicious to say the least. I ate way more than I should. (Or any grown man should for that matter.)

The girls spend many hours working on these:

Olivia made the pink one. Landon made the multi-colored one. Connor wanted traditional Christmas colors of red and green. I added the pom-pons. They had a blast. Guess what they want to make everyone for Christmas?

* Thanks for all the comments about my talented girls. They have many wonderful talents, but patience to sit and knit isn't one of them. They used a Singer Knitting Machine. It's a toy for ages 8 and up. Very simple to use, but by no means produces a perfect finished product. Great for kids projects. I'd wear a scarf made by my girls, imperfections and all.

Tutu Sweet!

2008-11-23T01:31:00.010-05:00

I made my sweet 2year old this adorable tutu for her birthday. She loved it. When she saw herself in the mirror she twirled around. It was precious. We will be celebrating with extended family over Thanksgiving, but still wanted to do something on her actual birthday. The big girls decorated mini bunt cakes and I made Emerson a giant cupcake and even put a tutu on it as well.

She looked so proud sitting on the table with her cupcake.
Blowing out the candles was her favorite part. Daddy re lit them no less than 10 times. She was surprised every time she blew them out. She cheered, clapped and said "one more, Daddy"

She would smile a huge grin and say "I did it!" "Do again, peeease."

She really enjoyed eating it.

Especially, once the tutu came off and she was in her highchair!
Her new favorite word is cupcake.

She's 2!

2008-11-21T12:11:00.007-05:00

Happy Birthday Emerson! Today our baby daughter is turning 2. It's hard to imagine we ever spent a day without her, yet it seems like only yesterday we were debating names while waiting for her to be born. Emerson is quite the handful and is always getting into everything. She definitely keeps us on our toes! We are so thankful for her abundant smiles and the adorable way she places her hands on her daddy's cheeks when she gives him a kiss. It melts our hearts to hear the sweet sound of her voice as she sings to her dolls and giggles with her sisters. She is truly a blessing. We love you, doodlebug!

Wordless Wednesday!

2008-11-19T10:25:00.003-05:00

Agony

2008-11-18T07:45:00.004-05:00

While reading a bedtime story, my 8 year old daughter leaned over and gently patted my hand and asked me, "Mama, one day will my face be in agony, too?" I was puzzled and said, "I guess if you're upset about something." She smiled a confused little smile and replied, "Oh, I thought you just got agony when you become a teenager."

Yes, friends she was actually referring to the gigantic zit on my chin. While I'm thankful to have had clear glowing teenage skin, I do feel cheated to now be dealing with pimples in my 30s. So, in answer to Landon's question, I stopped laughing and simply replied, "when your face gets bumps on it its called Acne, but I assure you it's agony as well!"

I am actually feeling 16 again. Twilight comes out on Friday and I confess I'm a little more excited than I would want to admit. The book was very entertaining and I can't wait to see if the big screen portrays Bella and Edward the way I've imagined. I'm sure to be surrounded by 14 year olds with "agony" and will fit in perfectly.

Emerson Montgomery

2008-11-17T13:30:00.003-05:00

This sweet little angel is turning 2 on Friday.

She was only 6 months in this picture, but it feels like yesterday!

Maybe an indoor wedding is a good idea....

2008-11-06T23:57:00.005-05:00

Cheryl, my sister-in-law, is looking for the perfect wedding location.Outdoors is one thing, but it's safe to say, marking water off the list might be a no brainer after seeing how well it turned out for this bride. I saw this on Tickled Pink and Green and I'm still laughing. I feel so bad for her, yet still I laugh. Since I'm almost 11 years past the will-OUR-day-be-perfect-fear it's safe to laugh. (and it helps it was more than perfect!)

Candy, candy and more candy!

2008-11-02T23:17:00.013-05:00

This is what we did with our candy!

We had SO much fun!

The front with a cute green walkway. Landon even carved faces on the candy pumpkins.

Olivia gave the back pizzaz with a purple, orange, green M&M pattern.
Connor was in charge of roof design and the pumpkin patches contained in adorable candy corn picket fences.

Landon added more details then I ever imagined.

Notice the bat and spider web.....She is so creative!

My 4 sweet girls

I asked them to smile and don't touch! 3 out of 4...not bad.

Taking turns pretending to get a bite...

After dinner they ate all they wanted and then Emerson knocked the platter off the table.

Yes, it broke :( At least it had a great finish.

This is my new favorite Pumpkin. Such a cute little polka dot lady. It is georgous (the photo does not do it any justice). It was easy to make (drill various sized holes) and is sparkley and fun!

Happy Halloweeen!!!

2008-11-01T12:07:00.003-04:00

Emerson made a sweet Auburn Cheerleader. GO AUBURN!!! Yes, she ran all over the neighborhood saying, " more tick-teet." Even today she told the key man at Home Depot tick-teet and held out her hand. Two weekends in a row of dressing up and getting candy really made an impression.

Connor was half angel-half devil. Very fitting...90%sweet & 10% mischievous!

Olivia as a cute fall witch She was going to dress as a 50s sock hop girl but changed her mind when she realized the "poodle in a skirt" was not a real puppy to carry around with her.
It explaines why she was so excited I said she could "keep" her costume after halloween.

Landon was a Pumpkin fairy

I was very proud of the way her pumpkin hair turned out. She was just adorable!

Happy Birthday!

2008-10-29T14:24:00.011-04:00

On Saturday we had a birthday party for Olivia with all of her cousins. They dressed up, we had cake, opened gifts and we went to a fall festival in town. Olivia dressed like a lady bug.
Blowing out her candles and wishing for lip gloss and office supplies.

Our adorable 7 year old

Cute cousins

Face painting, hay rides and fun games.

The weather was beautiful and we had a great time!

This was the low part of the day. I never thought a Jack in the box could top my clown fear!

My girls didn't think it was scary (at all) and even gathered around when I snapped the photo. I stayed way back and zoomed...No way I was getting too close. Hello, I got chills even loading the photo on the computer.

10-26-01

2008-10-26T13:47:00.006-04:00

Olivia Ryan October 26, 2001

Today our sweet Olivia turns 7

7 things we love about Livie...

Her sweet cheeks. The kind you just have to kiss
Her big heart. She loves to make others happy.
Her laugh. The way she always giggles.
Her cuddles. Asking for mommy/daddy time to snuggle and read a million books
Her new toothless grin. She was so proud she lost both top teeth and how she hid her tooth and said she did not need money just fairy dust and the tooth fairy's real name.
Her big brown eyes. At least 1 got my dominant gene.
Her hugs and kisses. She always needs just one more.

Happy Birthday Olivia!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-24T09:57:00.014-04:00

Picking Pumpkins!

Last weekend we went to the pumpkin patch to pick pumpkins.

Not actually "picking" just picking out of a pile. Everyone gets to choose a small pumpkin to take home after they go on a hay hide to the barn and feed animals. They scatter the small pumpkins out in one area to make it easier to "pick". As soon as Emerson saw them she shouted,"KICK BALL" and took off running. She was so excited. She was a little Beckham out there. In her defense they were the perfect size. Sorry if you were there after us and got a bruised pumpkin.

It was very overcast and got quite chilly, notice the sweaters. No sunshine for miles. No idea why they are squinting. Emerson finally played nice and is resting with her pumpkin and big sister Connor. We searched the pumpkin piles for a Spookley, but none were found. For those that don't know the childs book, Spookley the Square Pumpkin, you should check it out. It's a really cute book with a great message about a cute square pumpkin that saves the patch.

She will put anything in her mouth. Yum....indian corn.

Harrison (cousin) and Olivia on the hay ride. They can't wait to feed the animals.

Landon on the tractor

I'm not sure if she's concerned they are in there or she is left out?

The girls feeding sheep. Thank goodness for hand sanitizer!

Harrison as pumpkin-man

Cousins (minus 3)

Harrison, Eme, Landon, Chandler, Livie and Connor

Silly Girl!

2008-10-21T10:48:00.008-04:00

It was bed time and the girls were all getting ready for bed. Emerson decided she would sleep in Cookie's kennel. She squealed "Night-night" and ran off to claim her spot. She held the door shut, so her sisters could not get in.

She would fling the door open and just laugh!

Rob and the girls could not get her out without her kicking and screaming.

They would pull her out and she would crawl right back in.

We finally got her to come out by offering her a second teeth brushing session. Yes, my girls might be the only kids that actually beg to brush their teeth. I will tell them if they don't hurry and get on their PJ's they will run out of time and won't GET to brush their teeth. Out of fear of "the sugar bugs" they move quickly. Hopefully, it will last forever!

Go Panthers!

2008-10-20T10:49:00.005-04:00

What a great Day! My sister came over after church to watch the girls so Rob and I could get out for some much needed adult time. It's always fun to go to the game, tailgate, hang out with friends and watch the Panthers. Even better when they win! The weather was perfect. Cool Fall jacket weather. Thanks Aunt Aly!

Panthers 30- Saints 7

Recipe

2008-10-16T20:40:00.007-04:00

Hello...might be nice if I gave the recipe.

I followed it exactly because that's just what I do (I blame it on my chemistry background). Next time I might step out of the box and use spinach in the ricotta filling instead of parsley. It was delicious the way it is, I just love spinach. Enjoy!

Black Bean Lasagna

No boil Lasagna noodles

2 cups reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese

Sauce:

1 med onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, chopped (I used minced from a jar)

1 cup water

2 cans(15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can(14.5 oz) whole tomatoes, with juice

2 cans(6 oz) tomato paste

Saute onions and garlic until tender. Add water, tomatoes (break up with spoon),tomato paste and beans. Simmer uncovered for 15 mins stirring occasionally.

Filling:

1 container(15 oz) fat free Ricotta

1/2 cup reduced fat Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup egg product or 4 egg whites

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional, I did use it)

Mix well.

Heat oven to 350

Layer noodles, 1/3 of sauce, 1/3 of ricotta mixture, 1/3 of Monterey Jack cheese in 9x13 baking dish.

Bake 30-35 min. Let stand 15 before serving.

What's for Dinner

2008-10-16T10:13:00.006-04:00

Black Bean Lasagna So yummy and so easy! Don't be fooled by the number of ingredients. My sister's friend, Laura gave me the recipe and I tried it out last night. Big hit! Will definitely make it again. It tasted great and is low fat and full of protein

Love Pumpkin

2008-10-14T23:42:00.015-04:00

I do love pumpkins! I love this one because my daughter Landon painted it in Kindergarten.

I just can't stop loving this one! Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is so good, but so bad! It's wrecking my diet. Well worth a longer workout on the treadmill!

Yummmm!
(and I don't normally drink coffee)

Hiding

2008-10-13T12:14:00.004-04:00

This is toddler hiding at it's best! When I called her name she said,"shhh, Mommy...I hi-ning". Maybe she's helping the cheese hide from the crackers?

Is it too much to ask that she dust the blinds while under there?

Smell the Roses

2008-10-10T18:08:00.012-04:00

I know there are a lot Martha Stewart watchers out there and I'm no exception. My head is full of projects I've seen and I'm going to do, but never get around to. I finally broke down and attempted to make the gorgeous coffee filter roses that Cassie Chappell created. It was actually very simple and even more rewarding. Tracing and cutting out the petals took the longest and was boring busy work. The first rose is the one I have pictured and it is not perfect. My outer petals are too long so they flop. But hey, roses aren't perfect in nature anyway. :)

SUPPLIES

The supplies were very affordable Less than a total of $10 to make more than I could ever want. 400 cone coffee filters from Costco for 3.75 (you need 8 for each rose) A pack 30 green wires for .88, A roll of the sticky/stretch floral tape for .88 both from Walmart. Rose colored Van Gogh water color paint for 2.75 at local craft store. The other things I had on hand include: pencil, scissors, paint brush, and bamboo skewer to roll the edges. I printed the templates from Martha (yes, we are first name:)).

It was a great project! I can't wait to try other colors ( maybe orchids). It was so much fun. My 14 year old niece, Morgan even made one. I think they will make perfect decorations for Emerson's 2nd birthday party in November. We should all take more time to stop and smell the roses, or in this case make roses!

2 min

2008-10-08T11:54:00.013-04:00

Yesterday, I went to brush my teeth before I walked out the door to head to Target. Emerson was in the kitchen playing fridge farm so I thought it was the perfect time. Emerson LOVES the fridge. The ice/water dispenser is pure magic for her and lucky for me has a lock button. I have started tying the fridge doors closed with a ribbon so she can't get in. She likes to take all the things out of the door and has even been known to climb up and sit on the shelves. Today she learned to untie. It was just a matter of time. Mustard was her choice and painting was the game! Mommy was not thrilled with her art and she can't understand why.

Crocs and pants. (good thing they are the cheap-o $3 knock offs)

Yes, that is sidewalk chalk art. (Thanks, Connor for opening the new holders before school)

She managed to paint the remote.

Her it-wasn't-me look. Hmmm my sister's are at school, this is a tricky one.

I'll blame Cookie, since she has mustard on her too! Poor puppy. Yellow mustard is a pain to clean off of white puppy fur.

She was much happier to be bathed and headed to Target. I guess sneaking off to brush my teeth for 2 minutes was just 2 minutes, too long.

HARVEST!

2008-10-04T00:23:00.009-04:00

I got the best gift from The Preppy Engineer!

She gave me so many wonderful goodies for the Fall Swap that Preppy Mama organized.

I love everything! I hear Starbucks calling my name.

It was beautifully wrapped and adorned with grosgrain.

What a perfect start to my weekend. Thank you Preppy Engineer!

Lunch

2008-10-03T18:42:00.010-04:00

Emerson waiting for lunch time

Emerson and Olivia

Emerson and her cousin Maddi having lunch.

Connor and Emerson sharing a kiss.

Landon, Connor and Emerson

Cousin Miles with Emerson and Landon

I made a school lunch visit. Emerson and I ate with her sisters and cousins today. With 6 at the same school I thought it was best to make a day of it instead of a week. Long day from 10:45-1:45. And we missed one cousin for a nap.

Cousins

2008-10-02T09:11:00.013-04:00

Cousins Summer 2005 (9 out of 10, Emerson was not born, yet)
Spring 2007

I have 4 neices and 2 nephews.The ages are 14, 12, 12, 10, 9, 8, 8, 7, 5, and almost 2.
My 4 daughters are the youngest.

On at least 1 day a week I have all 10 at my house afterschool. Yes, 10! That's two more than Kate Gosslin. I have often thought of J&K+8 and how they frequently refer to their life with 2 sets of multiples as a challenge and I would agree it's a zoo. However, I think it's the # of kids not the fact they are multiples that is overwhelming. Once they were out of diapers she gets the avdantage of multiples. It would be much easier if on Tuesdays, I only had to keep 2 age groups entertained instead of 8 different ages. Well, and a camera crew to help watch over them when they run off!

Little Picasso

2008-10-01T14:17:00.005-04:00

When I heard Emerson singing in her bed I knew nap time was over. I just had no idea she was creating a masterpeice. I know from the photo it looks to be something far worse than brown marker. I admit that on many occasions I have been greeted by a naked poop covered toddler. Today, (thank goodness) she was naked, but poop free. I hope Crayola is still washable after a few hours since I have the feeling she had art class before nap time. Very Fall of her to choose a brown marker.

We Love Fairies!

2008-09-29T09:24:00.009-04:00

Olivia lost her 3rd tooth! For this we are very thankful since she was starting to look like Nanny Mcphee. Teeth should never be horizontal. Last night we were visited by the beloved Tooth Fairy! Livie was showered with quarters and fairy dust, (complete with a trail that kept my little fairies busy all morning)!

What a way to start the day!

B-Ball

2008-09-28T16:32:00.006-04:00

Emerson might follow in daddy's footsteps and play basketball.

She loved rolling and bouncing the ball. She even had some good moves for a 22 month old. It's a shame Coach K doesn't coach girls, we might have a future Blue Devil on our hands. Go Duke!

Spray Food

2008-09-27T11:54:00.005-04:00

I was a skeptic of the spray pancake batter, but my friends I was wrong. The Batter Blaster really delivered. Organic spray food, who knew! My girls loved it. Not that pancakes are hard to make, but it was fun and very neat. Just shake,spray and flip. They wanted tiny pancakes and it was simple. The plate is actually a salad plate and each little pancake is about the size of a quarter. Adorable! Top with whipped cream and you have the perfect spray meal.

Bones

2008-09-26T12:36:00.007-04:00

Today, Landon handed in her first project as a 3rd grader. She had to make and label a skeleton. Being a Biology nerd, I loved this assignment. I was a bit surprised that she would be memorizing bones at 8, since I never knew my kneecap was a patella until well into Middle school. The days of learning to color and cut, tying our shoes and napping on mats in Kindergarten is a thing of the past. I should have known 3rd grade advanced, too.

Landon decided to use pipe cleaners and straws to build her skeleton friend, Skelly. She quickly noticed the hands would be huge if she made each finger, so she opted to draw every tiny bone on a piece of index card and just attach it to Skelly. She needed to show every detail and spent many hours getting each one perfect. I was so proud of her. It looks great!

A Halloween themed project was perfect for Fall. Skelly will make a great addition to our decorations!

3 Down

2008-09-25T08:59:00.008-04:00

It was a very exciting weekend. After many hours working with Daddy, we now have 3 training wheel free bike riders (Or 2 wheeler riders as Connor proudly calls herself).

To get some good practice time, we went to the track to master our skills without fear of cars. No fewer than 20 laps later it is official. I now have thighs of steel (I wish) and a wonderful farmers tan to prove it.

I was very proud of the girls for riding so long. It might have had a little to do with the fuss I made while trying to fit 3 bikes, 3 helmets and a stroller in the back of the Mini, and something about this being a trial run, since these ladies can't make the 1/2 mi block ride in the neighborhood with out quitting. I think it might also help not having my helpful voice directing bike flow, like at home.

We even had fun playing with sidewalk chalk. They were very excited to know their cousins saw their art on Monday at school. Landon was sure to add her last name for clarity, in case they thought it was another Landon, Olivia, Connor and Emerson.

Olivia was the last to decide 2 wheels were better than 4.

Connor loves riding her 2-wheeler.

Landon, the old pro, enjoyed teaching her sisters tricks.

It was great to see how independent they are getting.

I'm the only thing holding Emerson back from joining her sisters in the wind. She tries to ride the "big" bikes and doesn't see reaching the peddles as factor. Until those little legs grow she is stuck in the stroller just along for the ride.

Wonderful Wednesday

2008-09-24T20:39:00.003-04:00

For almost 9 years, once a week my best friend comes over to visit, gossip, watch TV and above all, play Aunt. We met in college 15 years ago and have been wonderful friends every since.

This week we went to Mama Fu's for great food and a million balloon sculptures. My girls had a blast goofing off. We left with 2 pink poodles, 3 swords, 4 crowns, 3 hearts and a lady bug. Just a few more things to keep away from the puppy.

We love Fall

2008-09-22T16:12:00.001-04:00

Connor came home wearing this cute fall crown of leaves she made at school today.

Happy Fall!

2008-09-22T14:55:00.002-04:00

This is what we did instead of napping today (dark circles to prove it). Fabulous Fall has arrived! Emerson was very excited to see pumpkins. She wanted the whole cart full of them. We are glad for sweater weather!

Only my Livie!

2008-09-13T21:58:00.017-04:00

Olivia: Mom, did you know if Emma swallows a calipitter(caterpillar) she would burp a butterfly?

Me: Oh wow, let's not feed her any to find out?

Olivia: I'll try, but it would be neat to see!

She is clearly still pitching her theory of "uncontrollable" burps, to get the no-sodas-until-they-learn-control, freeze lifted. A+ for effort. If only she put this much thought into quietly burping.

Greek for a day!

2008-09-13T20:57:00.014-04:00

Almost every year for the past 25 years I have gone to the annual Greek Festival to enjoy wonderful food and rich culture. I had a childhood friend who is Greek and she influenced my love for Greek food. We would watch her little sister dance for hours dressed from head to toe while we sampled every thing in site. She could pronounce things and always had a connection to get the best food.

I'm a Scotch-Irish-German-Irish with a touch of Indian, normal American Christian girl. Product of the American melting pot to say the least. We did not have a strong ethnic ties or "pure" blood line and I really admired her tight knit Greek community. The fact they had awesome food was definitely a bonus. She did love to come over and eat my mom's southern cooking (which is a heritage all its own). I wanted to be Greek and she wanted to be a normal American. (Rent, My big Fat Greek Wedding if you need a visual. It's so true and hilarious!)

I took my girls and for one more day, pretended to be Greek and had a blast visiting old friends and sharing their rich culture and mouth watering food.

Spanakopita, Greek salads loaded with olives and feta, souvlaki, and loukoumades, the most delicious donut holes covered in honey, cinnamon and powdered sugar. It was bliss. Not for the diet, gained 3 lbs! Double time on the treadmill for the next few weeks. :(

The girls loved the "guard" because he had a real sword. They kept saying, "He's real mom not an actor, REAL!" They loved Greece and want to go back next week when Daddy gets home.

My Little Tea Pot

2008-09-13T20:43:00.004-04:00

This is Emerson singing "I'm a little tea pot" with her sisters. She is a bit confused with the "pour me out part" and "roll em up" from Pat-a-Cake. I can understand why since Connor sings it "when I get all boiled up, just tip me out." I guess she is tipped over.

Fitting that she has on her tea pot dress.

She is such a character and keeps us laughing.

Wow!

2008-09-13T20:34:00.002-04:00

I have been slammed for the last month. Getting geared up for uniforms and all that the new school year brings still makes my head ache. We started on the 25th and have been racing around ever since. I'll post first day of school pictures and labor day pictures as soon as I get a break to upload pictures.

Preppy Fall Swap

2008-08-18T16:56:00.003-04:00

I got my partner for Preppy Mama's Preppy Fall Swap today.
She has an awesome blog!
I can't wait to get started with the Harvest theme.
Fall is my favorite season and what a wonderful way to get it started.

Looking forward to "meeting" The Preppy Engineer. : )

My Feathered Friend

2008-08-18T15:46:00.010-04:00

My husband was nearly dive bombed by a beautiful hawk the other day golfing.

Hawk Schmawk...I would have passed out!

I don't do birds. And the feelings are mutual. I'm always the one they target. At Disney, 1 tiny bird flew over a huge crowd at a parade and pooped on my shirt. Nice to walk around the Happiest Place on Earth with a poop stain on your back.

Funny thing is that birds and I are not a match, but I adore a nesting bird. More so the nest and eggs. Then again I love all "babies."

Great camera phone shot!

How did they do it?

2008-08-17T23:21:00.004-04:00

Today we drove to the mall to let the girls spend their gift cards that they had saved from past holidays, because some were so old that I did not want to start losing money on fees. We have attempted to spend them before, but my girls never want to spend "their" money. If there was anything in The Disney Store that we didn't touch it would be a shock. Who were those frugal little ladies? They can't live without half of Target when Mommy is paying. It was very cute to see their minds working overtime to get best "treasures" for their money.

On the drive my girls enjoyed a DVD, since we were going to be in the car for more than the normal 10 minutes. About half way there, the funniest thing happened. Olivia started asking me to please back the movie up (you know rewind), since she missed something. I gave her a puzzled look and asked, "how did you miss something, we're in the car?" She said (in her 6 going on 16 tone), "Mom, when I leaned over to get a drink of water." I asked her what she thought she missed during the second while she reached for her water and her reply was, "how do I know I couldn't see the screen." That's hysterical since she has seen the movie 424 times.

I admit getting the mini without a DVD player was not an option, (I just wish I was the one sitting in the back watching the movie). It is beyond me how my parents took 4 girls on a road trip with out any form of "entertainment" to pass time. Bless their hearts. I love you, Mom and Dad!

15 mins of Shame

2008-08-15T23:44:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago our 3 year old plasma TV had an annoying streak running through the upper half of the screen. To our great delight it was still under warranty. We always purchase an extended warranty because my Father in law spent a zillion years as a retail manger and swears by them. Usually our warranty runs out the same week as the item breaks or the broken "part" is not covered. Not this time. Thanks Favorite Father in Law!!! I was thrilled, since a new wide screen would never be a priority and my fall TV shows would not be the same on a 26" screen.

We waited for almost 3 weeks for them to fix the TV. As it turned out it, would cost more to fix it, so we got a spankin new one. Oh yes, more features than I can list. TVs have greatly improved in 3 years.

My husband and I unpacked our new addition and began studying the features while our daughters played in the next room. A few minutes passed when I heard a little knock at the door. We paused and listened and peeked out peep hole, but saw nothing and went back to reading. Then a tiny little squeak from the storm door.

We opened the front door and to our surprise, there stood our 21 month old daughter wearing only a diaper, a ballerina necklace and a bike helmet. She gave a huge smile and said "buu-ckle stuck Da-wee!" Hello...our baby had climbed out of the play room past her sisters and over the baby gate, gone down the stairs, out to the sun porch where she put on her sister's helmet, opened the door and headed to the backyard to ride her bike. I guess she was finished and could not open the door, so being the genus she is, she came around to the front door to get Daddy's help. ALONE!!! All alone. My heart nearly stopped. Thank goodness she came to the porch instead of "going on a walk" in the neighborhood.

I hate to imagine what all could have happened during those 15 minutes. The fact that my baby was outside playing without her shoes is enough to make me sick. Those sweet feet on concrete. Shame on us for not considering that she might be able to open doors and climb over the baby gate. We now keep the doors bolt locked so she can't just turn the knob. We consider ourselves very lucky and blessed that she was unharmed. We promise to do better, Sweet E!

Kids say the cutest things!

2008-08-07T00:39:00.006-04:00

With only a few weeks before school starts and Fall just around the corner, we have been busy sorting out all of last years clothes. Trying things on to see what still fits and what Emerson might have grown into. My girls love to touch all of their out of season clothes and remember the fun times they had wearing them. I dislike the entire time consuming process, since very few outfits actually end up getting handed down.

Landon found some cute little clothes she had worn and quickly dressed Emerson. She was so proud of the outfit she created and paraded her around the house for us to enjoy. She then preceded to tell me she can't believe how big Emerson is getting. She can now wear a 3tiny. We should give all of her 2tinys to Goodwill. How precious. I just couldn't tell her the "T" stands for toddler.

Lazy Days

2008-08-06T21:29:00.008-04:00

Daddy took the older girls golfing while Emerson and Mommy played at the pool. They are developing Daddy's love of golf. Although, I'm sure driving the golf cart isn't bad either.

They stopped by to say hello while making the turn.

(Don't feed the animals)

Emerson has no fear of the water and loves climbing in and out. It makes me so

nervous. The water is only 1 foot deep, but she thinks she is big like her sisters

and can just step in, instead of sitting down first. I spend the entire time

following Emme around like nut. My sisters tease me because I am

more protective of my 4th than most mom's are of their 1st.

Letting her climb out at 20 months is huge. I would have been sitting

in the baby pool holding my 1st born while she wore a life jacket and water wings, too.

She had so much fun being "alone" in the pool and having Mommy all to herself.

Making the laps. She walks the pool instead of swimming.

Floating in the big pool.

We had a very relaxing day.

Move That Bus!

2008-08-05T01:01:00.011-04:00

The Queen City was buzzing with celebrities. Extreme Makeover Home Edition has been here working all week with local builders and volunteers to build an awesome new house for a family who's children go to school with mine.

Yesterday, we went to help "Move that Bus" in support of The King Family.
They have a truly remarkable story. We are so glad they have been given this opportunity.
I took my three older girls and my niece Chandler. When we first arrived everyone was pumped up to see the family's reaction. They filmed the crowd screaming while we pretended to "move the bus" over and over and over and over. It was a very hot and very confusing to my little ones. The limo pulls up and we yelled with excitement. Nope. Still filming. After about an hour the family arrives and the bus finally moves. It was such a touching moment to see their reaction. Congrats King Family!!!

Although my girls weren't actually workers, they did look adorable in their hard hats!

There were local celebrities as well.

It was great meeting the design team and getting a little face time with Ty.

It was a wonderful day. Thanks Extreme Makeover for recognizing one of our own!

24

2008-08-01T16:07:00.004-04:00

I am quite the list maker, but tend to procrastinate. Many things on the to do list carry over from week to week. This summer in trying to get a jump on the school supply list for the fall, I have been stashing away tons of supplies based on last years list. I will have 3 in school, a kindergartner, a first grader and a third grader and wanted to avoid the rush. Today I got a letter from the girl's school. With excitement we anticipated learning "our teachers", only to discover a school supply list, stating that kindergartners will not be bringing supplies. As luck would have it the only year in 3 that I have been ready and the early bird did not get the worm.

I am a little sad to see summer come to an end. It has really been fun having free time. We have had a blast doing a lot of nothing. The girls have already started the count down game. Only 24 more days. I say left and they say to go. For me, it marks a return to schedules, endless homework, dragging sleepy girls out of bed, packing lunches, and car pool. For them, they see new teachers, new friends and new adventures. As exciting as to is to watch them grow, I wish it took longer. I've often heard the saying, the days go by so slow, but the years go by so fast. It has never seemed truer.

Not the Fold, Flip and Roll!

2008-07-31T17:16:00.005-04:00

My Sister sent me this picture.

Yes, Katie Holmes is sporting the dreaded Fold, flip and roll jean. Hopefully, she is filming a 80's movie remake.I wasted too much of my childhood "getting the perfect roll", to ever go back!

Cute Clippies!!!

2008-07-31T16:04:00.004-04:00

Here is a super cute place to get

the most adorable clippies!

And she's having her first Giveaway.

Hurry on over and check it out.

It's the last day,Contest ends tomorrow!

What A Day!

2008-07-25T00:17:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we went to the park. Finally, it has been cool enough to do something other than the pool. It was a cool 89 with very little humidity. We were able to play at the park without any complaints about the heat. Is it too early to anticipate Fall?

We took my mom, Bebah, as my girls call her, along with us. It was very relaxing, which is not always the case with 4 girls under foot. My mom is having surgery today, so she will be resting for the next couple of weeks. No lifting the little ones for a while. Her pre surgery diet was only liquids after noon. Watermelon must count as a liquid.

The big girls like the idea of watermelon, but don't really like to eat it. Rob and I love it! Every year we "try" it again. They were eager to pick out the perfect one, only after touching all 50 first. :) Emerson liked the sound it made when she played it like a drum.

The anticipation grew as we cut into the melon and could see the beautiful red peaking through. Then the disappointment flooded their faces. NO black seeds? Where are the seeds? Seedless of course....we have a toddler. Not a huge hit with the girls. First a NO bow day and then they wanted a spitting contest. What ladies!

They look excited!

So juicy!

Clearly, we have a winner!

Whatever, major loser!

2008-07-23T20:43:00.000-04:00

I admit I'm very conservative when it comes to what my girls watch on TV. For most of their lives they had very few choices. Anything that was on PBS Kids or Noggin was always fair game and they could watch some choice Disney Chanel cartoons. As they still say, "we can only watch the good shows, the kind with a G." What more could they want?

I was informed by my second grader, that all her friends get to stay up (past 7) and watch American Idol and she still watches the baby channel. Since the 7 o'clock bedtime is here to stay, I figured I needed to give her a few older shows. They have since enjoyed many cute Disney shows with real people.

My girls adore High School Musical, so I thought that the newest Disney TV movie, Camp Rock would be similar. It had the same dreamy elements of music and young romance blended together with a message of being true to yourself. Good wins over evil and even the bully is changed for the better. No HSM, but ok.

What my girls learned was a few songs and how to give the "whatever, major loser" sign on the forehead. Yes, like the "L" loser sign of our day just preceded by 3 three finger gestures of W.E.M. As if the "Loser" sign wasn't fresh enough.

Who knew all my years of restricting television viewing could be wiped out in 5 seconds by a made for TV Disney movie?

Update

2008-07-18T17:43:00.000-04:00

Twice in one day. I hope both of you feel special.

Yes, there was indeed a contest. Landon actually entered 2 different drawings. She won 1st place and 2nd place. Way to go! Not the cash she dreamed of, but plenty of goodies. Hey, it saves me a trip to the dollar store.

As for the phone number. Yes, I am a bit dyslexic when it comes to numbers. Clearly, I need to start proofing before posting (or just keep some things in my head).

Catch my Breath

2008-07-18T03:52:00.000-04:00

It has been a typical week with 4 girls. Never enough time. We have attended 2 adorable birthday parties. One was a fabulous 70's Disco sleepover. Judging by Landon's mood, more disco than sleep. The other was the cutest Fancy Nancy party, complete with necklace making, story telling and the most delicious chocolate parfaits. All the Fancies had fun.

Daddy took the girls to the pool twice this week, to give me a much deserved break. A small fraction of what this stay at home mom needs to fully regain sanity, but every little bit helps.

Landon and Olivia are both working on some fun summer things at art class. From what my excited 8 year old says, she has entered a drawing contest. She said she illustrated a bible verse that a real judge will see. They pick someone to win and give the winner prises, or maybe even money. Ah, money. Now I see. I'm sure she already has a dollar store treasure in mind.

We had a special visitor this week. The cable guy. No more busy signal! At last a working land line (well, digital wireless). I spent the day on my home phone, resetting the cable boxes and Internet, since my new modem sends a different signal. No reason the cable guy should be bothered with all that. Give me a call, 876-5309.

Punk'd?

2008-07-09T22:31:00.000-04:00

Anyone who has tried to call my home phone in the last year or so, knows that 90% of the time your greeted with the ever pleasant busy signal. Not because it's in use, just because. Because, for a reason undetectable by the phone company, it's just busy. They assure me it's nothing. I just ask that they fix the "nothing" so I can get something on the line. The problem still exists, even after many failed attempts and purchase of a new phone, since it's "not on their end".

Last month, I finally called my cable provider to look at my options for a digital phone. I already have the pricey Cadillac cable TV/DVR/HDTV/Internet package, (all more necessary than air) so they'll just throw it in for a few bucks more. Score!

7,000 questions later, after a top secret third party verification process......presto......the cable guy will be at me house promptly, in three weeks. I'm still wondering how much prep he actually needs to install (plug) it to the modem, when I already have cable. I, myself am not "qualified" to attemp the installation (plugging) on my own. Whatever, she says it's the earliest appointment available and it's dirt cheap.

This Monday is the scheduled phone day, so I was surprised when I checked my messages and heard the cable company on the line. The over friendly employee, was calling to inform me that my appointment was being moved out to Wednesday. Unfortunately, it was scheduled "sooner than is the normal practice". Everyone must complete the necessary wait time before the technician can make a house call to "install" a digital line. I laughed out loud. Ashton, is that you? I think I've been Punk'd.

HELLO, They actually have a minimum wait policy. That explains so much about their customer service and the soaring cost of cable.

I can live a fuller life knowing they created a special department to over see those very important guidelines. After all, No one likes a line jumper.

Mean Monday

2008-07-07T18:32:00.000-04:00

Surprise! Two days in a row....crazy. Let me start by saying, I feel like I have spent half of the summer with my Pediatrician. A few weeks ago we went for Emerson's 18 month check up where she got 3 shots. My older girls were totally traumatized. The 3 hugged each other while they cried and screamed in support, before the shots were given. Once the excitement was over they immediately needed to know their own shot schedule. The nurse said, "don't worry girls, no shots until your check ups". Good one, now I can add that to our, "is today the day?" list of questions. You know, Is today the party? Is today swim class? Is today my turn to sit in the special seat in the car?

Last week, we had Connor's 5 year old check up. The dreaded kindergarten one that's full of tests. (Eyesight being the one she failed, but that's for another day.) Out of fear, my oldest girls stayed in the play area to avoid even seeing the shots. However, no one was spared the screaming, which was loud enough to hear in the parking lot. I'm judging by their looks of disbelief, to see Connor return to the play area sporting a huge grin and the beloved sticker, it sounded deadly. She simply said,"it was nothing", and off we went for ice cream.

Well, Mean Monday arrived. I scheduled Landon and Olivia's 8 and 7 year checkups together to avoid yet another visit. Which translates into, bring another adult to help drag the screamers from the car, since they stick together like glue during a crisis. I eventually won the battle and made to our double appointment only 15 min late. I say won because a few minutes more and it would become a "necessary reschedule", since it's only acceptable for a patient to spend the extra 30 min wait until your "real" appointment time, in the waiting room. While we waited, Connor's advice for the older girls was, ask for "booster-seat" shots because they hurt less than the "chicken-pop" kind and just remember to think about good things and I'll hold your hands. Bless her heart. They were not amused. After a very long, sad visit, weight and height was taken and 4 eyes, 4 ears, 2 noses and 2 hearts were checked. Finally, our wonderful Doctor enter the room to announce Mean Monday was complete, without even one shot. As it turns out, none were needed after all. Go figure.

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-06T21:07:00.000-04:00

Summer did not bring all the free time I was dreaming of. Although, No homework and No schedules to keep has been a blessing. I will set my blogging goal a bit higher and aim for 2 posts a month. :) We have been having a blast. Everyone has new summer cuts and are enjoying the heat. We had a great 4th, complete festive piggies.

Hello All

2008-06-08T00:05:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'm going to give blogging a try. I enjoy reading blogs, I'm just not sure about writing one. My friend, Christen has a great one and says it's fun. I love taking pictures and can always think of something to say about my beautiful girls. If nothing else, my sisters will enjoy it.