Brrrr

Happy Birthday and Snow Day, Little Guy. I remember feeling like I was 6 for a long long time. I hope he stays six for a long time too so we can really enjoy it. He whispered early this morning in my ear "I really like all my birthday presents except for the DS game." Yesterday was his birthday and we got to miss school because of all the ice on the roads. I think all the pile ups of cars on the roads scared everyone. Basketball was canceled early this morning too so it was like having two more days of Christmas vacation. We are going to wear the PJs out.

Look cute and feel good about it

I haven't blogged a lot lately, but don't worry...it hasn't been so long that Baby Girl grew hair. I borrowed this picture from Flitterbugs. I was thinking this outfit would be perfect for me (M for Mama) but maybe it would be cuter on my Baby Girl? Check out this website for some cute clothes and help them fund an adoption from Ethiopia.

I learned in the past week of two people I know with 2-3 children that have been burdened by the orphan crisis in Africa and have decided to adopt from that country. These are just regular families that you wouldn't expect this from and pretty amazing that they would follow their hearts and open their homes to more children.

On a similar note, the Little Guy (25 minutes ago) went into a room by himself and prayed to God to put a girl and boy baby in my belly. I tried to stop him. He came out and said "it is too late now. It is done and they are in there." The worst part is that he wants to name the girl baby the same name as Baby Girl and the boy after his cousin. My Hubby told him to go pray to God to send a big bag of money with the babies (we are going to need it).

Frosty the Follower

That is Frosty the snowman on top of the Waffle House we pass every morning. It isn't windy on this day but Frosty's permanent position for one week before Christmas. One day I said that Frosty looked like he might be ready for a nap and the Big Guy said "He is praising the Lord." That explains it. I just love the idea of a blow up Frosty on top of a Waffle House lifting his snow hands up to God. [They should market that.] I love that my child would even think of that. I could say it is a result of his Christian school education but he is just like that. I like the way he thinks!

Happy New Year 2010

I can't get used to this 2010 or 010 or'10 thing yet.

Yesterday marked 5 years that my Dad has been living in Heaven with Jesus. I pulled out his big platter for dinner. I can remember special occasions or just weekend afternoons when he would fill up the sections with chips, cheeses, pickles, dip and things I thought were just heavenly at the time. I must have been about the Little Guy's age and I remember it vividly. I did the same thing before dinner yesterday for kids with cheese (the real stuff - cut with my knife), little baby dill pickles (2 kids licked and turned down), raw veggies with Ranch dressing in the middle. My boys proclaimed this as "The Best Dinner EVER!". I don't hear that very often. I know that was from the Ranch dressing part (I did make some other real food too). **note about my picture...I think my kids had not seen this platter before and when they did the Big Guy said "is it St. Patrick's day? I never noticed it looking so much like a clover. Also, it looks much better in this picture than it does in real life. It is starting to show it's 30+ years of age. I hope there is not lead or something they have now deemed hazardous in it.

Anyway, it got me to wondering what my kids will remember so vividly about their childhood and their lives at home with us. I have lots and lots of memories but my husband does not remember stuff like I do. I hope they carry lots of good things from us through life. I hope the Big Guy remembers the moment he realized Santa really did leave a Wii at his house after all. I know I won't ever forget his reaction when he found the note to check for one thing in our basement.

Happy New Year. I hope it is a lovely decade for us all.

Merry Edward

Only a good friend would go to the trouble to send me a chocolate creme-filled Edward for Christmas.

The packaging is much more enjoyable than a Cadbury creme-filled egg.

Merry Christmas!

Greetings and Merry Christmas from Atlanta. It is minutes from Christmas and I am thinking of something clever Santa might say in a note to my boys to direct them to the basement. I don't know how Santa could do all he does and have a printer to print a message to them. Hubs says he is high-tech like the rental car guys that can print out something on the spot. Not that my boys have ever rented a car and will know this.

This is a view of downtown Atlanta taken a few days ago from a live cam. It is actually raining right now. I know this by the water running in the house from the leak over our front door. This shot shows the Coca-Cola museum. We took the Big Guy there for his 8th birthday. My Little Guy wants to go there for his 6th birthday as well because he does whatever Big Guy does and also he wants "to get a Coke." I told him there were many other places that I could buy him a Coke but he still wants to go. He told me on my birthday I should go to the Diet Coke Museum. I think that is a great idea.

And to all a good night...

You didn't ask me about Halloween did you?

If you think I have neglected my blog for a long time, you should take a look at the pictures I download from my camera. I only download from the little one about once every 6 months. I find some nice surprises there.

So on to Halloween because that is what I am currently downloading...

I just wanted you all to know what might happen if you leave the room to change someone's diaper and your brand new pumpkin is left sitting on the kitchen counter.

Your 5 year old might get a butter knife and fork and carve it himself. He might put the evidence back in the silverware drawer and act like he doesn't know that anything is wrong.

And, you might just throw that whole thing right in the trash can and not even have a pumpkin that year.

Croc Change #2

Next Croc change coming up (it doesn't matter if it is her shoe or not).

Croc change #1

It is 9AM! First Croc change of the day!

Big Guy is 8

The Big Guy is 8 today. I can't believe it. We have had fun celebrating but because I don't download pictures for 6 months at a time, I am posting this hospital picture of him. Haha...first-time-Mom-me. I guess by the humongous size of me I assumed he would be gigantic and his clothes ended up being too big. Could we not afford a cuter hat? Did they not sell cute baby hats way back in 2001? He actually had a beautiful little head but I think the scary nurses wouldn't let me take one off of him EVER. I couldn't wait to get home away from those nurses so I could do what I wanted to do. He was as red as he looked here and was jaundiced by the time we got home. That is a whole 'nother story. Don't mention Billi Bed around me if you can help it.

Happy Birthday BIG guy. Eight is great.

[Very] Happy Meal Toy

This toy keeps showing up in my house. I didn't see that movie and was quite disturbed to find it in my toddler's Happy Meal bag. You should see how it spins and vibrates. I did, however, like the way my friend spit her Coke out when I held it up to show it to her.

The Agony of Sharing a Room

For whom you might ask? I think me but today is another story.

Big Guy - almost 8; Little Guy - almost 6; Baby Girl 2, Hubs - 45

(Back-story: Big Guy and Little Guy have been sharing a very large room for about 3 years now. Big Guy on the top Bunk and Little Guy below. Until the last year every night was a huge up-all-night-party. Now it is mostly a lot of fighting and throwing.)

Tonight's conversation with me and the Big Guy before bed was about how it would be "cool" if he had a neat desk and some other things in his room. I pointed out all the holes in the wall and furniture. I also mentioned the missing pictures around the room before I told him I wouldn't spend any more money on that room because everything gets trashed. I forgot to bring up the marker on the wall right where he sleeps on the top bunk. He asked for a trash can and I told him that he had one a few months ago and it was sat on and thrown around until it was crushed. He said "I bet if this was only my room I could have a trash can." I like the way he didn't mention the Little Guy even though that is who he was referring to. He proceeded to find a plastic sack and hang it on the drawer pull of his dresser as his trash can. He showed it to his brother and said the following:

BG: Little Guy, do you see this bag? This is the new trash can. If you mess it up at all you are in big trouble. I will move out if you do. Do you know what that means? To move out?

LG: Yes, you will move out of this room.

BG: That is right. I will be out of here.

LG: Where will you sleep?

BG: Probably with Mommy and Daddy in the Master Bedroom. I will move in there.

LG: The MASTER bedroom? (evil laughter) Why do they call it that?

BG: Because it is the biggest bedroom in the house and it will be big enough for me too.

Mr. First Born cleaned up the whole room (why he needed the trash bag) and when he was done the Little Guy only had to take a few clothes to the laundry room. Wouldn't you know that kid whined and tried to negotiate only taking half of them?

The end of this story is that those clothes are still there on the floor and we will continue this tomorrow. I would bet a ton of money that the trash bag will be ripped apart in the morning. Also, there is poop rubbed on the carpet. Will it never end?