Baby it's COLD outside!!!

Wow! I forgot how cold it can actually get! It's been a long time since we've had temperatures this low around these here parts...I about froze my buns off today playing out there with the kids! It's in the teens right now...and it's not supposed to get above freezing for the next few days...so our roads are going to be treacherous! I know you'll roll your eyes when I say this...but I HAVE to get out by Saturday and get to town so my $10 Kohl's cash doesn't expire! Ha Ha...but seriously...that will BUG the heck out of me if I let that go to waste! If your friends with my friend, Amos, you will know why I am publicly apologizing to her for letting myself succumb to the "frantic-ness" of all the weathermen around here. I realize that compared to Michigan, this is nothing...but for us sissies from the South...this is BIG! My poor hubby (who works for the electric company here-out in the cold ALL day) said he had icicles in his beard! And after only about half an hour out playing in it today, Brooklyn's bangs had frozen! She was probably somewhat damp with sweat when we went out since it took probably 20 minutes just to get us all bundled up...and I did her first..so by the time we actually made it out...she was burning up! Anyway, it was pretty funny...it was snowing so hard when we were out...we were covered in it from head to toes! My mom bought us a sled a few years ago and we were really able to make use of it today since our drive way is angled, not at all steep but just the right amount of tilt to make for the perfect sledding slope! The kids were having a blast despite the freezing temperature and I admit, I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to. I figured since I missed aerobics today...I'd run down to my parents house in the snow pulling them both in the sled. Wow! What an interesting way to get a good work out! I was hot when I finally got there (except for my face and lips which were numb from the cold)--guess I was huffing and puffing while I was running.
So anyway...I know it's been a while since I've written but nothing too exciting has been happening. I'd love to babble on...but my parents are coming over to watch a movie with us here in just a minute so I think I'll go pop some popcorn and sip some hot cocoa. We're watching 'Lake House' so I'll give you my review of it tomorrow. Good Night and stay warm!

Baby it's COLD outside! It snowed today...so the kids just HAD to go out and play in it! Our driveway worked perfectly as a sled-slope! What fun! Sam was enjoying the snow too! 

Boys in the Hood. This is his "what up dog?" look.  

My sweeties watching TV together. They looked SO cute like this I had to catch a picture of them from behind! 

Hugh Hefner? Ha ha...terrible analogy, I know...but that's all I could think of when I saw this picture! 

I took this picture of Matt's little brother Cale's little boy, Jaxon and our little guy, Grant because we kept getting them confused because (we thought) they looked so much alike. However, after seeing the picture...they really don't look too much alike--I guess it was just the hair and red-striped shirts! ha ha...Cute cousins! 

Coco and Brooklyn........How CUTE! 

'Stick It'

I thought since I mentioned in my last post that Matt and I were about to watch a movie ('Stick It')...that I'd give you my little review. It was really a pleasant surprise. I didn't know what to expect...but we both really enjoyed it (which was proven by the fact that we actually stayed awake for the whole thing AND watched all the bonus features--bloopers and deleted scenes). It's about gymnastics mostly..but the story is good too. It wasn't one of my FAVORITE movies EVER or anything...but definitely worth watching if you're looking for something. Since Brooklyn is in gymnastics, it was even more interesting to us. The only major actor in it is Jeff Bridges but the girl who plays Haley Graham (the star of the movie) is SO cute and has the neatest personality.

Been There, Done That

Well, now I can say I've "been there, done that" about the day-after-Thanksgiving shopping. It was a once in a lifetime experience! ---Meaning I don't plan to do it again. It really was fun though. Let's see...this is how it went...I set my alarm for 4:26 a.m. (because that's Matt's birth month and day---I know I am a goofball). Anyway, so I jumped up and got ready and we were off by 5:15. We made it to the Target/Kohl's parking lot at about 5:45 and already there were probably 200+ people lined up outside of Target waiting for the doors to open! So, we decided to hit Kohl's first instead since they had opened at 5:00 and the rush would surely have died down by then. NOT!!! The lines to check out wrapped ALL the way around the store and I actually heard someone say it was about a 2-hour wait!!! So, we picked out all our stuff and then shoved it behind some slacks on a table and left, figuring we'd hit a couple of the little shops in that strip mall and then come back in an hour or so and check out then. Well, long story short...we went back to Kohl's FOUR times before we finally just got in the mile-long line and waited. We barely made it in time to get the "early-morning" sales (they ended at 1 pm) but the wait really wasn't THAT bad and that is where I got my best bargains. None of the other places we went really had lines too terribly long. At one point we did drive all the way to the mall just so I could go to one single store for which I had a coupon for $15 off of any purchase. It was only good until noon and it was 11:48 when we pulled into the mall parking lot. We jogged in (from our parking space at the VERY end of the parking lot) and then Tara got in line for me while I looked REAL quick for something for about $15. I found some cute pajama pants for $16.50 and got in line. When I checked out, we only had 2 minutes until the sale was over! Whew! I made it. It was fun though and hey...I got a cute Christmas present and only had to pay $1.63!!! We also went to Panera Bread for "brunch" and I found a new LOVE! I had a baked egg, spinach and bacon souffle (sp?) and an Iced Green Tea. YUMMMM!!!!!! The tea was good...but the souffle was unbelievable! I am hooked! I don't even want to know how many calories are in it though. I'm sure it's bad. All I know is if I am going to "splurge" on my calories...at least I'll be eating something extraordinarily yummy!
Anyway, all in all, the day was a blast and hanging out with Matt's little sis was a lot of fun. Neither of us could really spend a whole lot...which was a big bummer...but we still had lots of fun people watching! Oh, BTW, when we first walked into Kohl's (at 5:45 am) there was a lady passed out in the floor!!! Kinda freaky! Oh and at the mall..there were police riding all around on horses!! That was certainly a sight! Anyone who lives in this town or has ever lived here knows...that intersection is CRAZY anyway..but couple that with lunch time AND the day-after-Thanksgiving and it's CHAOS! I told Tara those must be the tamest horses on the planet to be able to handle all that noise and people and vehicles!
I was going to take a picture of all my "goodies" and show you what I got...but then it dawned on me that some of the people who read this would be seeing their Christmas present...so I decided I better not.
Well...I could babble on and on..but Matt's waiting on me to come watch a movie with him ('Stick It'---hopefully it will be good)....so I'll write more later! Good Night!

Coco, Jax and Brooklyn having a sleepover in the floor. What fun! 

Here's a picture of Brookyn during the Thanksgiving Feast at her school. I was proud of her for trying almost all the different foods. 

Me and Tara at 5 am this morning....pre-shopping. 

The proof is in the blogging....

Okay, here it is....proof that I was up during the 4 o'clock hour to do some crazy, insane shopping on the day-after-Thanksgiving...or Black Friday as I have heard it referred to. And...I'm already showered and dressed!!! Woohoo! I better find some good deals!
I am calling this "The proof is in the blogging" because if you got up to go shopping today and didn't post about it before you left...well...then I am just never going to believe you. You should have posted! Hee hee
Anyway, it's going to be a fun day (I get to hang out with Matt's cool little sis, Tara all day!) and then later his little brother and his wife and kids are coming to visit! Yay! (BTW, yesterday was a blast! I kept my "cool" about all the cooking and cleaning and just relaxed and had fun...which is an achievement for me.) Anyway, obviously I have very important things to be doing this morning...so I better go! I'll tell you all about my goodies when I get home! Happy Day to you!
Oh and another thing...I guess I am feeling risque' today...because I gOt On ThE sCaLe this morning....and the numbers were GOOD! Wow! Of course, I am sure the calories from that dessert I ate at 10:30 last night haven't actually "hit" yet...but still, that's a nice way to start the day. Okay...really...I have to go! I have to live up to my status as (self-professed) professional shopper, right? :o)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, let's see. It's the morning of Thanksgiving and I was up at 6:08 thanks to my 2 year old son who thinks the minute the sun peaks its head out it is "time to get up." I guess I should be thankful since he's been getting up during the 5 o'clock hour for most of the past week...so in some weird way, I kinda got to sleep in. HA! Anyway, I decided since I was awake, I'd come in here and get a head start on the huge load of work I have to do this weekend. I guess I should be thankful that I am blessed with such an awesome job...that I can wear my SpongeBob jammies and Christmas tree slippers to work and can do my work at any hour of the day from now until Monday morning...just so long as it's turned in by 9 am Monday...but sometimes having such flexibility is not so great for me...because as you can see...I am NOT working right now like I had planned...I am blogging. And...it's actually 7:03 am right now because I have been reading the blogs of my friends for the past hour. I guess I should be thankful though that I have so many great blogger-friends and they write such interesting things that I can't pull myself away so I can do my work! (Logzi..!!)
I should probably get up from the computer now and start my B-I-G day. I only have about 15 things to cook. I know I should be thankful though because that means I have lots of friends and family coming to MY house today! Yay! I should also probably get showered before I do anything else since there will be a total of 7 people bathing at my house today and I'm not crazy about cold showers. Hee hee. I am SO thankful though to have my terrific husband home with me today so I don't have to be totally in charge of the kids while I try to cook 10 different things at once and plus, he's pretty fun to look at too! hee hee
When we have company, the kids think that is a license to get out every toy they've ever owned and show them to our company so keeping on top of the house-cleaning is going to be a challenge this weekend...especially since we have different people arriving at different times for the next 3 days. I am EXTRA thankful though that I have two of the most beautiful, funny, sweet, unique and precious children in the world to call my very own. They are a handful...there's no question about it...but I'm glad they're MY handful!
Well....off to cook and clean and eat, eat, eat! Love you all and really, I am so thankful you read my blog and are my friend!

Dares Noah!

Strange title? Well, that is what Grant says when he sees a picture of "Santa Claus" anywhere. "Dares Noah!" Ha Ha. I told Matt...we must be doing something right when our 2 year old sees a picture of Santa and thinks it is a Bible character! He doesn't even have a clue who Santa is. Brooklyn on the other hand....is so analytical....there's no way she'd ever believe in him. She always has to know exactly how things work and why and the reasons behind it...JUST like her mama! That is why I can't STAND sci-fi or horror movies or anything unrealistic. If I can't reason it out...I will drive myself nuts trying to. Anyway, I spent a couple of hours tonight wrapping Christmas gifts and I couldn't believe how close to being done wtih my shopping that I am! I guess I've accumulated a lot more over the past couple of months than I'd realized. I've actually accidently double-bought for a few people...which is fine because I just re-arranged things and ended up having almost everyone bought for! We haven't gotten the kids much but I don't think I am going to either. They don't NEED anything...and we just spent a fortune building them that playroom upstairs...so I think I am going to go really light on their presents this year. I've spent about $30 on each of them so far...and I'll probably leave it at that unless I see something really special. They get so many gifts from our family anyway...they won't even notice.
Anyway, in other "news"...I found out from my brother in law last night that my sister divorced him last month! Yes, you read that correctly. My sister left her husband and moved to a different state and didn't tell a single member of our family. I found out b/c I called to invite them to our house for Thanksgiving. Her (wonderful) husband, well ex now I guess, told me that he came home one day and she was gone and had left the divorce papers on his desk for him to sign! That is JUST crazy! What's even CRAZIER is the fact that she has a 19 year old daughter there who is 2 weeks away from having a baby..and she just left. INSANE! Obviously I don't know all the details or reasons behind everything...but again, I am trying to analyze this out and make sense of it all and it just DOESN'T! Meanwhile, Brooklyn overheard the whole conversation so I got to get into a long discussion about what happened and why we may never see her Uncle Steve again. She's still pretty confused about what divorce means and why it happens to some people and not to others. I just tried to really reassure her that nothing like that will ever happen with her daddy and I because we have Jesus in our lives, holding us together. What an uncomfortable subject though. Of course, then she wanted to know if my sister, her aunt, is a devil-person. (everyone to her is either a Jesus-person or a devil-person)---and really she's right...but that's such a "blunt" way to put it, I guess. I tried to tell her that some people don't follow after Jesus even though they know it's the right thing to do. It doesn't make them a "devil-person" but it does keep them from having God's best for their life when they aren't diligently seeking after Jesus. Whew! How do you explain all that to a 5-year-old?
Anyway, the whole situation is very sad and it makes me despise divorce even more than ever! I know marriage isn't easy, and we've certainly had our share of times where we've wondered if we "missed it" when we married each other...but one thing Matt and I agreed on before we even got married was that divorce would NEVER be an option for us....that the very word would never be uttered in our home. We've 'slipped up' a few times in the middle of a giant argument...but in our hearts, we feel the same...it will NOT happen to us. We even have a sign above our bed that says "Forever, For Always, No Matter What."
Okay, well, those were some deep subjects.......don't know how I got off on all that...but anyway, this will be an extra busy week so I probably won't be posting much. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and take a moment to really be thankful. Love you!

What's in it for me?

If you have children, I'm sure you've heard your child ask what they're going to get if they do some certain thing you've asked them to do. It's only natural...it's the kind of society we live in. We work = we get paid. They do chores = they get an allowance and so on. Well, this thought occured to me the other day when Brooklyn was wanting to know what kind of reward she would get if she cleaned her room like she was being told to do. I was exasperated with her and with the fact that she thought she deserved some kind of treat for doing what she was told to do. I have been over and over the whole "you get to live in this house and eat our food and have nice clothes so it won't hurt you to help out a little" routine and it wasn't phasing her. BUT...this particular day I told her that we will have our rewards in heaven. I explained to her that God see's when we are obedient and it pleases Him and that is what should matter to us more than what kind of little trinket or peice of candy we can get. Amazingly...it impacted her and she has been very satisfied to do what she's told just for the satisfaction of knowing that she will reap her rewards in heaven! Wow! Anyway, just thought I'd share that real quick. Now I'm off to go cook some supper........

Our Family. By Brooklyn Kate age: 5 & 10/12ths.  

Please don't get the wrong idea...!!

While grocery shopping today, I looked at my son and realized, "Wow! The kid looks like he's been beat!!" The big goose-egg that he got on his head the other day from falling off the slide has turned into a nasty looking bruise and it now has a scab on it where the little blood blister busted...so that's one thing. But then yesterday while I was outside putting Christmas lights on the house (more about that later) Brooklyn was playing softball and swung (a metal bat) to hit the ball and didn't realize Grant was standing right behind her...and yep, you guessed it, whacked him right in the eye. So...now he's got a big bruise under his eye too! I just thought, boy I hope no one turns me in for abuse! He also has a bruise about the size of a half-dollar on his hip, and I am guessing that is from the slide-fall too, but I really don't know. Isn't that horrible? At this age, I think they should be required to wear a helmet! ha ha. Anyway, like I said, I put up Christmas lights on my house yesterday. I also put up our Christmas tree and two smaller Christmas trees AND all of our holiday decor!! I worked on it from about 2 yesterday afternoon till 9:30 last night! Whew! It looks great though and I feel "cheery" already. Brooklyn keeps telling me we haven't even had Thanksgiving yet...and that it's way too early for all this...but I know she likes it too! Now I just need to get busy with my shopping (a.k.a. bargain hunting). Our finances are more limited than usual this year so I am going to have to be very creative and resourceful with my gift-giving. That's okay though, I like any kind of challenge that involves shopping! (hee hee)
Oh by the way, I wanted to mention that Matt and I went and saw Flicka this weekend at the movies and it was SO GOOD!!! It's defintely something you'll want to see...and good for the whole family.
Well, I wish I could rattle on and on (I'm in that kind of mood) BUT, I have 2 hours worth of work to do AND 20 parents to call to organize the Thanksgiving Feast for Brooklyn's kindergarten class. I knew this homeroom mom stuff was going to get busy sooner or later. This month I am doing a party for Brooklyn's class on Monday the 21st and for Grant's class on Tuesday the 22nd. Then I am hosting Thanksgiving at my house on Thursday! Fun, Fun, Fun!!! :o)

C O L O R S

Well, I've known for a few weeks now that I needed to get my hair colored so when I finally got around to calling my hair girl...she'd left the salon she was at and her cell phone had been turned off....SO.....in an impulsive moment, I decided to just go to a random place in my little town and get it done. This is the result. I am not sure if I like it or not. I know it's darker than I wanted...but the lady told me it will lighten up and in about 2-3 weeks, I'll probably love it. I hope so. Matt hasn't seen it yet...and I really don't think he'll like it, but we'll see. The red is much redder than I was expecting and there is not as much blonde as I am used to...but change is always good.

Apology accepted???

Note: This post is not the result of anything currently happening in my life...just had some time to think the other day (while we were at the park) and it stirred these thoughts up.

Why is it so hard for men to say "I'm Sorry"? It's like they think they can just start being nice again...and all is forgotten. I'm not really talking about arguments as much as I am moods. My guy has days where he's really "into" me and is lovey-dovey towards me all day...and then other times...he's kind of stand-offish. I guess we probably all go through that to some degree, but I don't think there is ever a time I don't wish he was feeling "into" me. Anyway, on those days when I am feeling kind of shafted...sometimes I will tell him about it, and he'll agree that he hasn't been being very affectionate towards me. But instead of saying I'm sorry, we just go on and then all of a sudden...he switches back over to the "sweet" mode. I wish I would/could just go along with it and be grateful...but instead I am usually thinking, "you can't push me away for 2 days and then try to get all cuddly again just whenever you feel like it." That's dumb, I know...but I guess I just wish he'd say "sorry I acted like that" sometimes. Anyway, I know he'll be reading this at some point...so honey, I hope you don't mind that I am talking about this to the whole world! It's not just my hubby that does this, I'm sure. I think it's just men in general. (the vast majority of them anyway) Maybe its a pride thing? I mean, really, who LIKES to ever have to say "I'm sorry"?? It'd be nice if we could do everything right for everyone all the time, but so far, I haven't seen it happen.
Talking about this makes me think about all the marriage seminars and classes I've been in where they talk about this "circle of love" thing. It goes like this=The man gets what he wants from the woman (sex) = The woman gets what she wants from the man (affection, thoughtfulness) = man gets his needs met and is then willing to meet womans needs, and so on. My problem with that whole circle thing is this...It has to start with the man. If the man will give the woman a day of affection and thoughtfulness, she will be glad to give him what he wants and then the wonderful little circle starts rolling. However, if the woman is the first to start the circle and she gives the man what he wants without having her needs met first...the man rolls over and goes to sleep and the woman is left wanting. (and I am not talking about wanting in the sexual way...I mean the affectionate, thoughtfulness way). I mean really, how many men do you know, who having just had their needs met...get up and wash the dishes and do a load or two of lanundry? Come on!
Of course, they never say this at those seminars or classes (but then, it's ususlly a MAN teaching it!) ha ha

Ps. Just for the record: I LOVE LOVE LOVE my hubby and woudn't trade him for anyone! He's not perfect...but he's no farther away from it than I am!

Drama and Trauma

Today, since it is in the 80's in NOVEMBER!!!, I thought I'd take the kids to the park to play. As soon as we got there and got all unloaded, Brooklyn had to go to the bathroom, so we loaded back up and ran down the street to the Health Department to use the bathroom (it was the only place close by). When we got back, we all played for a while and then I settled in a nice spot at a picnic table to look through a magazine while I watched them play. All was well until super-mommy showed up. You know her too, I'm sure. She's the mom at the park who joins her kids in playing the WHOLE time and acts like she is 4 just like them. All of the kids are drawn to her because WHAT FUN...a giant kid. Okay, I know I am being super-crital...but this is my standpoint: I played with my kids for about half an hour...(before she got there) and then I had planned to let them play by theirselves for the next half hour so I could get some me-time in as well. There's nothing wrong with that is there? However, this is where the problem comes in. Since she's right there playing right along with both her kids and now my kids...every time one of my kids needs anything...they ask her. Meanwhile, I am feeling guilty as heck sitting over there just drinking my Crystal Light and looking through a magazine. If she weren't there, I wouldn't have gotten up unless my kids really needed me. (they were having her "catch" them at the bottom of the slide or push them in the swing or push them on the merry-go-round thing.) I would have just told them to play by theirselves for a bit. However, since she was there doing it all, I felt obligated to get up and do all these things for my kids. BTW, I did tell them to stop asking her to do things...but that went in one ear and out the other. Anyway, I feel like a big crybaby saying all this...but really, I was SO bugged by it. What's ya'lls opinion?
Now...onto Part 2 of this story. Eventually super-mommy left the park and things were just like I had wanted them for about 5 minutes. Then one of Brooklyn's friends from school showed up (which was great) and so I decided we'd stay a little longer. Well...there are 3 slides at this particular park. One is really small and short (for little-bitty's), one is medium sized and then there is a really tall metal one. Well, I had told my kids I didn't want them to play on that one without me being right there with them because it is too tall for Grant to go up by himself--so they'd just left that one alone. But now, Brooklyn's friend wanted to play on that one and of course, then so did my kids...so I just decided to put my magazine away and go over and let them play on it for a bit before we left. So...I am standing right there at the bottom of the stairs watching Grant go up and when he got to the very top (probably 10 feet from the ground) he turned around to wave at me, lost his balance and toppled head over heels down to the ground banging his head/face against the metal stairs. I was right there so I caught him before he actually hit the ground...but I was SO scared to look at him. MIRACULOUSLY, he only had a chipped tooth and a knot on his head. I honestly expected him to be covered in blood. I kept checking him over and over to be sure...but that was it. Still, the knot on his head was growing at an alarming rate and turning purple! Long story short, I ended up just calling the dr. office and they told me not to worry too much unless it started sinking inward, which it hasn't. They told me not to let him go to sleep for 2 hours, so he's just now down for his nap, but other than that...all is well. Phew! What an afternoon! I just thank God that he wasn't hurt badly! Well, time to go cook some supper! I'm making another new recipe tonight...so if it's good, I'll post it on the recipe diva site. BTW, if you don't know what I am talking about...you need to go to http://recipedivas.blogspot.com and check it out!

Looks bad...but it's actually SO much better than I expected after I saw him fall! 

This is what happens when you leave a 2-year-old to amuse himself! He found his sister's stamp set and created a masterpiece on his arms! ha ha 

House of Styrofoam

"Why do we buy nice things???" Matt and I have asked ourselves that a lot lately. It seems like EVERY SINGLE DAY our kids break or ruin something! I don't know if that is something that is unique to my family...or if the rest of you all experience times like this too, but it's about to drive me batty! I thank God for the person who created Mr. Clean Magic Erasers because without them my walls and doors would be a MESS! (NO thanks to the dork who decided to paint all new homes with FLAT paint!) Anyway, as I sit here typing, I can't help but notice the black permanent marker scribbled all over the wall next to my desk, or the fact that every time one of my kids colors with a pen, marker or crayon, they just throw it down on the carpet when they're done (without a lid of course)! I know they are just kids, but really, this is getting ridiculous! Almost every picture in my house has had the glass broken out of it. I decided to just wait until they are semi-grown to replace the glass in them. I also have numerous picture frames sitting in the closet waiting for a rainy-day so I can glue them back together. Last night, Grant threw a football into the kitchen and knocked my big Yankee Candle off the island and it shattered. A couple of days ago, Brooklyn was standing on a little chair in her room trying to reach a teddy bear on a HIGH shelf in her bedroom and pulled the whole shelf down. Everything on it crashed to the ground. About a week ago, while playing chase in the house, Grant ran past a little wrought iron shelf I have in the hallway and grabbed it...pulling it down. There went another couple of picture frames and one of my most favorite vases of flowers. UGH! I mean, am I being unrealistic? It also frustrates me that over the weekend Grant threw up on almost every carpeted or upholstered surface in our home, pooped IN our bed when I sat him there for JUST a second after he took a bath so I could go get his clothes and our dog had some kind of vomiting/diarrhea episodes all over our new wood floors upstairs! I know it's not their fault (Grant's or the dog's) but still....our 10 month old house seems filthy to me. I even shampooed the carpet yesterday but if a stranger walked in, he'd never know this was a brand new house. It's too late for us now...but we've figured out that those of you who haven't gotten rid of all the stuff people give you when you first get married, should just keep it until your kids are grown. There is no sense in buying nice, new stuff just so it can get demolished by the cute little people that run your house. :o)

This is of the whole preschool group while they were singing. The pictures didn't come out very well...but Grant's pretty easy to see...right in the middle in the white. 

Grant before his "performance." Pretty handsome, I think. 

update...

Well, Grant's last vomiting episode was at 5:30 a.m. today...since then, he's been doing great! PTL! We were up almost every hour though the night though, which wasn't any fun (and probably much worse for Grant than it was for me). Tonight he will be participating in his first ever on-stage performance at his preschool. They are serving the families dinner and then during their church service, they are having the preschool kids go up and sing some songs. I hope he feels up to it and isn't too scared to go up on stage in front of all the people. I know he knows the songs and the actions and it will be SO cute to see him up there!
In other news...My dad is coming home!! HOORAY! It's kind of bitter-sweet. He actually got laid-off from the job he was working at in California so that's not good...but now he gets to come home for a little bit...so that's great. The kids can't WAIT to see their grandpa! Today is his birthday and it would have been awesome if he could have made it home in time to celebrate his b-day and to see Grant's performance...but oh well. Brooklyn and I are going to bake him a cake and make some signs that say "Welcome Home Grandpa". She LOVES to have any kind of party...so this will be super-exicting for her.
Another tid-bit of news, Brooklyn is going to be a cheerleader for the Kindergarten boys basketball team! I am not sure what I think about it. First of all...they seem SO YOUNG to be playing team sports OR doing cheers...but it is through the First Baptist Church here (which is where Grant goes to preschool too) and it is not competetion based at all. It's kind of pricey to participate...but Brooklyn has been saying for a couple of years now that she can't WAIT to be a cheerleader and that is what she dressed up for Halloween as. When they sent the flyer home to sign up....I knew she was going to want to do it. Matt was okay with it...so we're going ahead with it. I am so glad that she's been in gymnastics for 2 years so she'll at least know a little bit. We are actually switching her from the gymnastics class she is in right now to a tumbling class. Right now they mainly focus on bars and beams...and in tumbling, they learn how to do all the flips and stuff (which is what she is most interested in--it seems). As soon as she gets her uniform and pom-poms...I will take a picture so you can see! I just hope I can keep her focused on what is really important as she grows up. I wasn't a cheerleader in school...and I always wanted to be...but I also always hated how they acted--like they were better than everyone else. I will not put up with that from her---and I don't think it will be an issue as she is very social and friendly and accepting of others. She actually tends to reach out to the "less priveledged" kids in her classes it seems, and that makes me proud. Just what Jesus would do. If she sees someone without friends or who is being picked on...she always befriends them.
Anyway, this post was going to be a quick update on Grant's status...and it ended up being really long. Hope you all had a great weekend. I will post pictures of tonights performance later!

Change of Plans...

Well it looks like our 'night of passion' will have to be put on hold yet another day. Ever since I've been home (from shopping) my little guy has been barfing all over the place. Poor boy! I don't have any idea what's going on. He acts like he feels fine and then BOOM! out it comes. Now that he's thrown up 10 or more times (in the past 4 hours)...he is acting very weak and lifeless...but I'm sure he's exhausted and getting dehydrated. Now it's mostly dry heaves. I feel so sorry for him because he looks so confused and kind of scared---he's looking at me like "mommy, what's happening to me?" Matt and I were scheduled to teach the 3 year old class at church tomorrow...but now it looks like I'll be going solo. Brooklyn is staying the night at moms again....we're thinking if we keep them seperate maybe we can keep her from catching any sicky germs. Well, anyway...the last thing I should be doing is typing. I've already had to wash two loads of Grant's pajamas, blankets and sheets and I should go spend every minute I can with my hubby. Hope your weekend is less "exciting" than mine!

Back in Black. (Brooklyn took our picture before we went out last night on our big "date".) The night was a flop but at least we got a cute picture out of it! Good Job Brooklyn! 

X O X O 

NO DEAL!!!

Well, our car-shopping experience went just as I expected. We spent 2 hours looking at cars and finally picked one BEFORE they would assess the "value" of our van and tell us what they'd give us on it. Then we spent another 30 minutes waiting while they "worked the numbers." When the salesman finally came back to give us the "deal", our shopping-experience ended abruptly. First of all, they were going to give us FOUR thousand dollars less on our van than its worth...which meant we were going to have to tack on that extra $4,000 to the new loan which jacked our payment up WAY out of our range. In addition, they guy had the nerve to insult us by telling us we paid to much for our van in the first place. What a NERD---we bought it THERE!! Plus, we only paid $2,000 more for our van (3 1/3 years ago) than what they are going for now..and ours has an after-market 10 inch TV/DVD player in it and a built-in child seat which accounts for that extra 2 grand). UGH! It was just a total bummer of a night. Nothing worked out the way it was supposed to. We were supposed to get our dream car for the RIGHT price, have a wonderful dinner and then come home to an empty house and Get. It. On. (sorry if that's TMI).
After the icky car thing...we went to Pei Wei for dinner (which was yummy) and then came home and watched a movie (Blue Crush--which was LAME) and I fell asleep before it got over....so no hanky panky. :o(
On the flip side...my day out today with the girls was WONDERFUL! We worked out at the gym, ran to Teya's house and showered and then her and I and another girl shopped from 1:00 till 5:00. It was the first time in a long time that I didn't shop for the kids really...but mostly for myself and my mom. It was heavenly and since I came home to a hubby who is also in a great mood..I'm thinkin' maybe a little lovin' might be goin' down tonight!
And on that note...that's it for me for now...I have someone to do. (oops, I meant something....wow! Did I say that?---just look what a day out did for me!) ha ha

Deal or No Deal

Matt and I are going new-car shopping tonight. It's not because we have any extra money or even that we want a new car...BUT....our van is getting up there in milage (61,000+) and is starting to need work done on it and right now we are thinking it might just be smarter to trade it in than to put more money into it. We JUST (last month) put new tires on it and now it needs some transmission work done. It has been the PERFECT vehicle for us these past 3 1/2 years and as ridiculous as it is, I know I am "attached" to it. I've even had dreams that we've traded it off and then I've gone back to the dealership and begged them to give it back to us! I always wake up from those kinds of dreams thinking "Whew! I am so glad that was only a dream!" It's crazy, really, that a thing could mean so much to us. Or am I the only one who feels like my car is an extended member of our family? I think I am just worried that our next vehicle won't have all the luxuries that our van has. The only thing our van DOESN'T have is the coolness factor. But otherwise, it is roomy, comfortable, has built-in child seats, a HUGE TV/DVD player, cd player, power everything...and so on.) It's everything I've ever wanted in a vehicle. The only time I don't LOVE it is when Matt and I are going out on a date or something and it feels like driving a van reminds us every second that we are "parents." I know that sounds horrible...it's not like we'd EVER NOT want to be parents...but sometimes it's fun to imagine we are just two young adults having a passionate love affair---and that just doesn't go along with a mini-van! ha ha! The other time I wish I didn't drive a van is when I run into old friends from high school who are either not married yet or don't have kids yet and they say, "NO WAY! You're a mini-van mom!!??" Like that is such a horrid idea!
Anyway, I've just spent the last hour cleaning it all up and it looks almost as good as new (at least that's what I hope the dealership thinks when they look at it and give us the trade-in value!)
We are looking at either a Dodge Durango or Dodge Nitro. We aren't set on anything though...except neither of us really want a van again. (I know...that doesn't make a bit of sense!) The most important thing is money...and how much they'll give us for our van. I looked up the Kelly Blue Book trade-in value on-line and that's not going to cut it...so, they'll have to really impress us for us to make a deal. (thus my title).
I kinda feel sorry for the poor salesman who gets to deal with us. I am already sure they are going to try to rip us off and confuse us into thinking we are getting a good deal! Isn't that terrible? What can I say?....it's all the retarded salesman's we've had in the past that have made me that way. This is what I can't stand the MOST: You show them your car and ask them what they'll give you for it...and they say, "Well, what car are you wanting to trade for?" and I say back to them, "What difference does it make what car I am going to buy? How does the new car change the value of my existing car?" And then they try to start feeding me a bunch of bull that sounds like "blah, blah-blah, blah, blah".
Oh boy..I better just settle down. I can already feel my blood starting to boil! hee hee We just need to agree in prayer before we go that God will direct our path and our decisions. Whew! Thank goodness for the precious Holy Spirit who reminds me to chill out and let God be in control!
Well, I'll update you all soon on what happens tonight. After car-shopping and dinner, we plan to come home and watch a movie (Blue Crush..???) and have some much needed alone time. My mom offered to keep BOTH!!! kids overnight tonight! This will be Grant's first time to sleepover anywhere...so I hope it goes well. I am really looking forward to a long, fun evening with my hunky hubby. Then tomorrow I get to go work out with a friend and we are going to the Olive Garden for lunch with a couple other girls and then shopping! WOOHOO! I feel like I am going on vacation or something! ha ha. Okay...Matt will be home any second..I better get off here and go find something to wear that will make me look less like a mommy and more like a girl he'd want to have a hot love affair with! hee hee

Here are a couple of pages I did from a sleepover Brooklyn had. 

Most of my 'decor' comes from things I cut out of parenting magazines. That top thing says, "Telling someone they're acting like a three-year-old is not a compliment. (unless of course, they're only two)." I did buy a few stickers for this page too. 

Here is a page I did called "The many faces of Brooklyn". 

You guys are so full of Scrap!

Ha ha...funny title, right? Well, what I am talking about is all you scrapbooking-obsessed women out there. Yes, that means you nobody, amos, guru and logzi. I'm sorry girls, but I just don't get it. I sat down to scrapbook (my way) yesterday afternoon and I was trying as hard as I could to imagine doing the whole "meet at the store and do it all together thing" (I can't remember what you guys call that)...but for the life of me...I don't see how you can get anything done. I had a nice clean desk to work on...only 1 kid running around driving me crazy and all my supplies nicely organized and at my fingertips and I could still only get a couple of pages done. AND...to top it all off...my scrap book pages actually look like they were made from scraps (of pictures, magazines, ticket stubs and colored paper) whereas you guys'es (I'm creating a new word here I think) look like they are ready to be framed and put on the wall or else published. I definitely don't "scrap" the way you girlies do. I'm not sure if that makes me happy or sad. I know my pages don't look nearly as beautiful or 'decorated' as you guys'es do...but they are a reflection of me, I think. I am going to include a couple of pictures of my pages so you can see what I mean...but I want to know...what is the big deal? I mean, the idea of sitting around with other women is DELIGHTFUL...but actually trying to get something done seems like it would be impossible. I either talk...or I work...but I don't do both. Just ask my kids...I can't even answer a simple question like "Mom, can I have a snack?" if I am on my computer. I have to change "pages" in my brain before I can answer that. So...I kinda want to join the scrapbooking-craze...but I can't see a benefit to it (as far as my scrapbooks go). So, what can you ladies tell me that would convert me to a true believer? I promise to try it if one of you can 'sell' the idea to me....