4 Days Down, 166 To Go!

Hardly Working
Originally uploaded by glycofamily.

Finally, a homeschool update. I really appreciate that some of you are anxiously awaiting this :) Others of you might not even make it through the entire post.

Sunday Night - going to bed early. Girls are excited and want to jibber-jabber. He-Man zonks out pretty easily. Henry is nervous and says, "I don't know how to do homeschool." I assure him "I don't either but we will figure it out together."

Monday morning of Day 1 (out of 170) - Henry's still nervous. He truly has no clue about this. We've been talking it up so much but not really explained exactly what would happen during a day. He wiggles and stares off at the girls' computers. He is jealous that he doesn't have his own computer and makes small comments about it. We start the day with scripture reading, writing the selected verse in index-card sized binders for memorization, then Ray prays for us. It's 8:15 and we're ready to crank it up a notch.

The girls put on their headphones and dive into their Switched On Schoolhouse programs. They were already given a small overview over the weekend and knew how to dig in by themselves. I pull out Rocky's 1st workbook - Bible. He is not impressed. There is much sighing.

The 1st grade work is just super-duper basic. Too easy for him. Too lame for him. Too boring. Stuff his baby brother could possibly do.

I prod him through it. Moving on to next book.

The same struggle ensues. Over and over. My mind races for a solution. I send him to bed because he continues to say, "I'm tired of this." Since he says he is tired, I put him in his bed to rest. He hears that he can come back to the classroom whenever he is rested and ready to work.

He comes back. He apologizes. He says he's ready. (Bed is more boring than classwork I guess.)

Journal time rolls around. He really doesn't want to do this either. He's in a bad mood at this point. I finally tell him, "Just write down 3 reasons why you hate this so much." Here's what he writes:
"Bring" (boring)
"To Esie" (too easy)
"Tiried" (tired)

I am pleased.

During all of this, the girls have numerous questions about their programs. We see, right away, how "picky" this SOS program is. One of the chief complaints anti-SOSers have about it is the strict requirements of the answers. For example, if the question is looking for the answer "vowels" then you are counted wrong for answering "vowel." Thankfully, for daily grade "lessons," I have allowed for 3 attempts at each question. Usually, by the 3rd attempt, the girls figure out what the coursework asks of them.

I must say that I find myself impressed with my ability to multi-task. As much as this makes some of you sigh, I KNOW that my increased intake of PLUS (because of the pregnancy) is helping the most. I remember times in the past that any of the singular hours of Day 1 would have nearly killed me. It's amazing how often I must jump trains of thought to help with the needs of the 4 children (yes....He-Man wanders in and out and finds that a morning poop-time is perfectly suitable for him). I am certainly not bragging on myself but I am bragging on the fact that God makes us well-suited for what He asks us to do. He more than provides. I have been amazed at the large amounts of patience and joy that are bubbling up from my soul.

Day 1 ends on a really high note. Grumpy Rocky actually gets a bright face when we start our Spanish unit. It's also by Alpha Omega and it is very well done. I guess it's newness him made it enjoyable. It isn't boring to him at all and he smiles through the whole thing.

We close in prayer a little after 1:00. It takes much longer than I expect to get this day under our belt, but it's there now and we're all happy. Even Rocky.

Henry & I talk to him before bed. We begin to understand that much of his issue is in anxiety over what to expect. After explaining some things to him and encouraging him that Day 2 will be MUCH better for him if he just gets the work done, he seems happy and really never complains to Henry. He says he likes school.

Day 2 - Amazingly, the days starts at 8AM just like it's supposed to. Rocky is a new kid. He FLIES through his work and does it VERY well. He colors his required assignments like an artist. He is diligent and successful. I praise him constantly and he soaks it up.

The girls glide through their work. They have the hang of it. They find "ah-has" that make all our little questions about the program work themselves out. We see upcoming quizzes on Wednesday so we learn how to review for them. The program is just really cool.

I get sweet little emails from the girls telling me how I am the best teacher in the world and how they love homeschooling. I write them back thanking them for encouraging me and urge them to not be disappointed when every day isn't a barrel of monkeys. We talk about realistically getting tired of all this but then we end up reminding ourselves of all the wonderful aspects of being at home.

We end the day at 11:00 this time. YES!

Day 3 - Clockwork. We know what we're doing now. Rocky decides to be a little grumpy again, though. I decide to boost him forward in his assignments in a couple of areas. He appreciates the increased difficulty and is happy to move away from some of the very basic review stuff. It is a good day for Rocky.

Day 4 - Reality check for the girls. Quizzes. NOT as easy as expected. Even with having figured out the quirks of the program, and working through those quirks, the girls realize that this coursework is NOT a walk in the park. Ray particularly struggles with some of the questions. They are NOT just repeats of questions seen earlier in the week. They are questions that require comprehension and not just rote memory. I am actually thrilled with this.

Both girls are a little discouraged at first. I write them each an email (which they love receiving) while they individually work on their "Penmanship To Praise" (handwriting curriculum) and they read it when they get back to their computers. Ray prints hers and keeps it beside her to read throughout the day. Indie hugs me. The notes basically say that I am proud of them and certainly not angry at them (they were a little fearful that I would be disappointed in their "Bs" on a couple of their quizzes) and that I am confident they will do well. You know....the pep talk kind of stuff. But I mean every word of it.

Must go to bed now. Enjoy the Flickr pics below because I'm sick and tired of messing with blogger! I just can't get it to upload my pictures! (is it just me??)

By the way, I still say, "Homeschooling is awesome!"

Homeschooling Is Awesome

But completely exhausting...at least it was for us today as we stumbled our way through it.

Therefore, I just can't squeeze out a detailed post tonight. Tomorrow should be better.

Night night :)

It's A School Night!

We'll be going to bed early so we can start our FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL early! Of course "early" is relative. For most school kids, we're going to be "lucky" to start at 8:30 or 9:00, but for ME...this is really going to be a big adjustment and discpline issue. I swear this is my biggest concern. This "getting started on time" thing is what has me questioning myself, "Can I do this?"

We'll be fine, of course.

The computers were picked up Friday and they're all loaded up and ready to go. They are very cool! We do need to get internet hooked up to them soon but that's not a huge rush. (By the way, we're looking for someone to help us drop the cable down out of the attic. Our internet providers say we have a "built-in network" and that all we have to do is split the cable in the attic and drop it down wherever we need it. We would like connections in 3 more spots - so if any of you have a clue about this, we'd be interested in speaking with you!!)

Our adventures continue...Stay tuned!

WWW things

First - UGH about myspace.

I haven't logged on in months because it often stalled out my computer. So I just stayed off and assumed that if anyone commented or messaged me that I would be notified by email.

Nope.

So when I logged in today to check out a friend who I heard was on there, I found TONS of messages and comments that had been sitting there IGNORED. Oops.

Very frustrating. And another apology to anyone I accidentally ignored.

Second - the internet is just about the coolest thing though, isn't it? I mean without it, I probably would have never seen THIS PICTURE (yes, I got it to upload! WHOO HOO!)

Roll Tide Elliot!

Dang Short People Maternity Shirts

***edit note***

I am sick and tired of the problems I have with posting pictures to my blog. Is anyone else having trouble? I have often resorted to pointing to an "img src=" somewhere else on the web because I couldn't upload my pictures to blogger. Anyway, I end up writing the entry and hope to try editing the post/adding the picture later. Now I am having more trouble than ever.

Any ideas??

So, the post below is obviously missing a picture. Grr.

***end of edit note***

This is NOT a picture of me (I don't know if I'll be posting ANY belly pictures but I'm definitely not going to do it yet) but it gives a pretty good image of what I'd like to tell you about.

Remember me grumbling about maternity shirts being too small for me? Because I'm so doggone tall? Well, today was a problem. I wore a cute little pair of capris that have this kind of elastic waistband (you know, the oh-so-sexy kind!). For a top I wore one of those Motherhood Maternity shirts that I said I'd probably only be able to wear for a short while. Well, I realized today that the "short while" might have already come and gone. My doggone shirt just wouldn't cover the elastic in the back. It was fine when I got dressed and rushed out the door but as I moved about and definitely when I sat down, the back would rise up and expose the hideous nature of the stretchy maternity pant. Blech.

I think I might be pulling the shirt a little forward in the front now, too. I'm not really a huge belly yet but I am definitely getting round. I noticed some people at church casting their gaze at my midriff and pondering, "Is she or isn't she??" I know the blossom is about to REALLY burst forth.

I had a doctor's appointment today. It took the OB a painfully long time to find the heartbeat with the doppler (Hey Ryan...is this tool anything like the Doppler you use??) Doc was holding the transmitter part in his left hand and the wand thingy in his right. He prodded and pushed and rolled that thing around but couldn't find the sound we were both longing to hear. He finally put down the boxy part and used his left hand to pull and stretch on my abdomen until, at long last, that "swooshy swooshy" heartbeat was heard. Whew. I really wanted to remain calm but those seconds seemed mighty l o n g. It was a relief to finally hear that washing machine action, for sure.

And I have saved the best news for last. OK, it's not really "good news" like hearing a heartbeat is "good news" but it was something that really made me smile. My weight gain has now totaled ZERO POUNDS! The couple of pounds I had gained over the last couple of months have now been lost and I'm back to a level playing field! I think I probably sweat and walked those pounds away at White Water last week but whatever it is, I am happy about it. I know that the baby is doing good and that if I do right with my diet and nutrients and exercise, I could actually expend some of my FAT to energize the growth of a new baby!

And to anyone who might be concerned...I ASSURE you, I am making very smart decisions about eating and am not in ANY way obsessed with my weight. I promise I am eating PLENTY of food and am most certainly going to be gaining plenty of weight.

Not Today

Homeschooling didn't start today. We learned we'd have to postpone when the computer place we're working with told us we wouldn't have our new stuff in time. HOPEFULLY we will have it so that we can start next Monday.

Part of it was a procrastination issue. We waited and waited and then decided that since we'd waited so long that we might as well wait for the tax holiday weekend. Well THAT didn't work out because the only thing tax exempt were products under $750. And you couldn't break down the pieces for separate invoices (i.e. You couldn't get a monitor without getting the rest of the computer with it). So, we missed out on that little special.

It has turned out to be a fine thing. We were able to do some things today that we would not have done if today was a school day. One thing in particular was that we visited a family who is wanting to find a new home for their 4.5 year old female boxer. Yes, as in 'dog.'

I don't know if we'll get her or not but she really is a cool dog. I bonded with her immediately. You see, she's had 3 litters of puppies and....well...her teats make that pretty obvious. I told her I could totally relate.

Anyway, we've really got to think about it and be rational about it. Do I REALLY want a dog right now? Yes I do. But are we ready for the expense and responsibility? I'm not sure. I love the breed and am very drawn to the idea of her being an adult dog (and past all that puppy nonsense.)

Isn't she cute?



I'm open to comments about getting a dog while pregnant and starting to homeschool. Feel free to call me a complete lunatic for even considering it :)

Those Sad Commercials

I REALLY dislike watching those "Christian Children's Fund" commercials that come on numerous times every day. I don't know exactly what it is about them that frustrate me but I have to turn it away every time. I think it's because the children seem like actors...one little boy even looks like he's going to smile just before the camera cuts away. I just picture the director of the commercial coaching them on their sad-faces. It seems too orchestrated or something.

BUT, since I don't want to bad-mouth a charity without looking into it first, I did a search for them at Charity Navigator. I was pleased to find out that "Christian Children's Fund" is actually a 3-star charity (4-star being highest ranked). That made me feel better. At least the charity is legit and doing good with its money. So, even though I still choose a different (and 4-star) charity to give my money to, I will provide a link to this CCF one in effort to make-up for the disgust I've had over their commercials.

I highly recommend checking Charity Navigator for EVERY charity you wish to support.

Oh My Achin'

Everything.

Sometimes I am just too confident in my abilities.

You know, I've been very blessed with great pregnancies and this one is no different. I feel good, I have a decent amount of energy, and I want to be able to take part in all things normal. It is a disgusting idea to think that I have to be "delicate" in any way because I'm pregnant.

So, when Donnie & I scheduled the day that we would fulfill our promises to the big kids, I was 100% sure I could handle the load with only minimal tiredness.

The promise we made? Back when the big kids' birthdays rolled around in May and June, we asked them if we could forego the big birthday bashes (since we were in the middle of a crazy ball season) and just take them to Six Flags or White Water instead. They agreed and we've all looked forward to doing this before school started. So when we realized our time was running short, we scheduled the trip for this past Thursday.

Obviously, the pregnancy DOES prevent me from a really rewarding trip to Six Flags and since David isn't quite tall enough to ride all the thrill rides, he agreed with me that it would be best for us to do White Water while Donnie and the girls went to SF (Hudson stayed with my sister's family for the day). It was a great arrangement and we were all excited about it. I knew I should be able to ride the tame slides without any problem and if exhaustion began to set in, the lazy river wasn't far away.

So we started our day when the park opened. IT WAS A HOT, HOT DAY of course but once we were inside the turnstiles the shade trees and sound of running water helped us forget about the true scorcher that it was. David was SO excited and as soon as our stuff was packed away in a locker, we rushed over to the first of our innertube rides.

Oops. Stairs. I KNEW there would be stairs, of course....but in my mind we would walk up them slowly, while standing in a terribly long line and taking a teeny one-step-at-a-time climb. Uhhh, no. The crowd was small and we basically walked STRAIGHT UP TO THE TOP of the attraction without pause.

OK, that was fine the first.....hmmmmm....five times. But it wasn't long before I was out of breath and my calves felt like fire. I much preferred the rides where the raft was waiting for you at the top, as opposed to the one where you had to lug it up by yourself. Those nearly killed me. In fact, on the double-tube (an 8-shaped innertube that allowed David & I to ride down together) I did not enjoy the ride at all because I was so busy calming down the ache in my lungs.

Thankfully, David got pretty exhausted, too. He ENJOYED the lazy river so we drifted many laps around in it. But he wanted to re-do all his favorites after lunch and....who I am (SuperMom) to deny him??

So we go at it again. Goodness.

Kiddie area you ask? Yeah, I tried but my little 6-year-old took one look at it (from an aeriel view at the top of his favoritee "Runaway-River") and said, "No, Mom. That's pitiful."

So we survive it and actually had a really great time. I didn't think about the heat even once (the park really is nicely shaded except for a few spots where you are in the water) and my determination to DO THIS for David gave me the strength to get us back to Donnie & the girls.

But once we were with them, I became a whiny baby. I needed my bed. And I needed the assurance that I would be allowed to be as lazy as I desired on Friday.

Thankfully, Donnie was off work so we all slept late (I don't think anyone made a peep until about 9:30am.) But it didn't take me long to realize that Friday was "recovery" day for me. My legs HURT. And I mean REALLY HURT. My back was aching. My arms reminded me air-filled innertubes are NOT as light as one might think. Oh my. I barely moved but when I did, there were sounds to let everyone in the house know that I was not enjoying it.

Thankfully there is a wonderful invention called "Sport" and by taking it every few hours, all my pain was gone by evening, except for my legs. Oh my poor legs.

And today is Saturday. They still hurt. But I'm hoping that with continued Sport, I will be pain-free by nightfall.

Moral of the story? Waterparks are possible but should be taken in small doses.

What Would You Think?

Two totally unrelated questions for you, my dear readers.

1st - If one of these retractable pens were lying on the table just as it is in the picture, and I asked you to point to the "top of the pen", which end would you point to? The left side or the right side? (And "no" SMART ALECS, I'm not trying to turn this into a brainteaser where you would answer something like, "the top of the pen is the edge with the clip.")

The reason I am asking is because Donnie and I disagree about the answer. I'm curious what YOU think and will explain the situation after I've heard from some of you.

2nd - If you saw somebody at the mall that you thought was dead, would you stop them to tell them?

I actually did this today. Let me explain.

A few years back when I was helping plan our 10 year class reunion, I was talking with a fellow classmate about the LARGE number of people we had lost to death over the years. This guy I was speaking with asked me, "Have you heard anything about KH?"

I had not so I asked him what happened. He told me he didn't know but that he thinks he heard on the news that she had died.

Ack!

Well, even though I didn't spread this news because he wasn't sure and because I hadn't heard anything else about it, I still kinda thought...."Crap, that's ANOTHER friend who has died!"

Well, like I said, I saw this girl at the mall today and as she walked a foot away from me, walking the opposite direction, I called her name.

I hugged her and laughed and said, "My goodness! I hate to say this but...I actually heard from someone that you might possibly be dead and I am just so happy to see that you're not!"

She smiled and amazingly, had a story behind the reason I thought she had died.

Turns out that her fiancee' was killed in an auto accident about 6 years ago. KH was "sort of" missing during that time, too (mostly a misunderstanding) and her mother reported it to the news and they posted pictures of her and even used the words "feared dead."

Thankfully, that news story was cleared up almost instantly as communications became clearer. It was mainly just a worried Mom desperately wanting to talk with her daughter after hearing of the fiancee's tragic situation.

So, I'm just wondering, would the rest of you have stopped to talk with her about it all?

(And yes, for those of you that went to school with me and are curious about who KH is, email me privately and I'll share her name.)

Bloggin' Mommas @ Chick-Fil-A (where else??)

Look at this REALLY AWESOME (and gorgeous!) group of ladies! All bloggers, too!

We got together for a great time at one of the local CFAs and gabbed about blogs and online stuff like you wouldn't believe. Yes, we even talked about some of YOU who are reading this (but I'll never tell WHO!)

From left to right you have (not counting my David's eyeball) ME, Jen & her boy Luke, Cindy and son Jack, and Lisa with "unnamed Son." :)

Gals, I had a BLAST and wish the occasion wasn't so rare! I know our chillin' (that's CHILDREN to non-Southerners - which we have learned describes Lisa now!) had a good time!

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HOMESCHOOLING starts on the 7th! We are getting sooooooo excited. Things are shaping up nicely and I can't wait to tell y'all all about it! But it will have to wait for now because Donnie is wanting me to cut his hair before church tomorrow.

TTFN!

2 More Dreams & Pregnancy Things

I know that hearing about other people's dreams isn't the most exciting entertainment in the world but I really want to jot this down before I forget about it. Pregnancy dreams are very strange and can be easily forgotten. I know they don't necessarily mean anything but I wanted to make note of them anyway.

A couple of nights ago I dreamed I "met" two of the little Israeli girls that I taught during an education internship. One of the little girls was the inspiration for Shayne's name. Her name was "Chen" but was prounounced in a very Hebrew and throaty sort of way (let's see if I can spell this phonetically -- "Hchkren"). She was one of my favorite students and learned a decent amount of English from me. She spoke almost no English when she arrived and was very shy. Her Mother told me (because I was probably slaughtering her daughter's name) that it would be fine for me to use the English translation of her name which was "Shayne." She told me, "her name means 'beautiful.'" Well, I loved it...and got pregnant that quarter...and the rest is history.

Chen's best friend was actually my FAVORITE of the little Israeli students. Her name was Nir. She was very outgoing and even though she spoke very little English at first, she picked it up VERY quickly. Because she was so friendly, she was able to have lots of help from all the adults and even other small children (around 3-5 years of age). Nir was awesome and I have often wondered how she is doing today.

So, now that you have the background, I'll follow up on the dream. I was walking down a sidewalk and there was an outdoor cafe where an Israeli family was drinking coffee. Instantly I knew the two teenage girls were Nir and Chen! I began speaking with them and asking if they remembered me. I could tell they couldn't remember me specifically but they definitely remembered the time when we were all together in their preschool years. Nir was still the outgoing one and did most of the talking (although I have no idea what we talked about) and Chen quietly smiled and sipped coffee. I told her about naming my first born "Shayne" and she found it a little strange and embarrassing.

I guess I dreamed this because of all the turmoil with Israel now. I really have always wondered how things were going with these families. All the Israeli families were in our area for military training (and were all pretty high-ranking) and I'm sure they've been involved in this situation in some way. Wouldn't it be cool if I really could see them in real life someday?

Now, last night's dream. It was really odd. There was a shirt and tie on a hanger that I just "had" to get back to its rightful owner. I couldn't remember who it was but knew that this shirt & tie (with tags attached but on a hanger and not in a package) had something to do with a birth I had doula-ed in a local hospital. I was inspecting the shirt for clues and found two cell phones in the shirt pocket. One had a dead battery and the other was charged but a phone I had never seen before. I wanted to scroll through the recently dialed numbers to see if I could figure out who the owner was. I tried looking through the address book but the functions on the phone were bizarre and I couldn't make sense of any of the commands or buttons. I eventually found my OWN number in there but it was listed with my maiden name and old telephone number (from over 13 years ago).

Somehow I concluded the shirt belonged to an OB and I started panicking that he was going to be furious because of the length of time I had kept his shirt and phones. But then I started rationalizing that he must not have really cared because no one had called me about it nor had anyone called the cell phone in days.

That's really all I remember. Not a lot of entertainment for you but makes me glad to know that I have documented this as part of the oddities of pregnancy.


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And to update you on the pregnancy -- all is well. I believe I am beginning to feel my uterus buldge forward a little bit. I am still ABLE to wear my jeans but have only worn them out of "need" and not comfort. They come off the minute I am back home. I have been wearing a couple of maternity tees from Motherhood and have been reminded that this is NOT the store for me. The clothes are cute enough but these XL maternity shirts fit me almost like most people wear their non-mat shirts. I mean that the length on them hits me at about the same place most non-preggos have their tee shirts hit them. The store is SO NOT for tall people. The shirts will do fine for a short while but as soon as my belly REALLY buldges, these will have to be passed on to someone else.

I pulled out a pair of maternity Levis I had saved from Hudson's pregnancy and they are not going to work. The style (only a little while back -- he's 3 ya know) when I wore them allowed for much fuller and longer shirts. Therefore the panel on the front of these jeans was always covered by the top. I am learning that the NEW styles of shirts are much shorter and tighter and would NEVER cover this ugly black panel. So, I guess I won't be wearing these after all (unless the winter styles bring some bigger, longer cuts of shirts). I also kept a pair of my FAVORITE black pants but I haven't found them yet. I know they are somewhere.

I dread shopping for maternity clothes. You think shopping for REGULAR tall-girl clothes is difficult? Multiply that times 20 and you'll get close to the difficulty level I face very soon.

Ugh.


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First let me tell you about the "Archie Bunker" type-man at church who boldly asked me (before we were announcing the pregnancy,) "Are you putting on weight?"

Of course I told him he was terribly rude to ask such a thing but it didn't seem to bother him. (This is the same old man who once asked me if I was having my period since I had blemishes!) This guy drives me nuts but I think I'm the only person who actually converses with him. I guess I'll continue putting up with his callous remarks in hopes I can show him some better manners along the way.

This past Sunday brought an opposite situation. I actually had one of the college girls come up to me and ask, "Are you losing weight?" I laughed and told her my current status. She seemed truly shocked. I'm hoping she really did think I was looking trimmer and not just being nosey in a weird way.

Last night helped me accept her question, though. Another gal, who knew I was pregnant said, "You're looking thinner. How is that?"

SO I'm guessing that my improved nutrition and increase in Mannatech products during pregnancy has given me SOME SORT of positive appearance change. Of course, I've always just loved pregnancy so maybe it's all thanks to that "glow" people talk about? Whatever it is, I'm very thankful to the kind ladies who made my day. I know I'm on the verge of whaling out so I'll cling to these comments for as long as I can!

Even The Kids Get Excited

Simple pleasures.

Rain.

We're getting some right now and it has brought such a joyful mood to the house. It's amazing how "absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Rain, Shayne's "Survivor Nachos" & "The Last Crusade" go together so well.

Hope you're getting some of the wet stuff at your house, too!

Cancer-Fightin' Protocol

Traditional protocols are struggling so new ones are being developed. This one explains an approach that uses a mushroom containing natural glyconutrients.

I'm so thankful that our family is taking advantage of glycos every day. We're getting ours from the company that was and is such a pioneer in Glycosciences that they are actually credited with coining the term "glyconutrients."

For Your Enjoyment On This Hot Day

Edited - Now I'm Just Talking About Myself

*THE FOLLOWING HAS BEEN EDITED* I originally griped about someone being annoying and then realized I was not being very patient with that person. I allowed my hormonal sensitivity to get me grumpy about something that should totally just roll off my back. Therefore, I've come back into this post and have snipped out the parts talking about someone else and have left just the part that gives evidence to my oddities. I've also expounded on some of what I was trying to say.

Edited post starts now:

There's not a huge similarity between the post I read at Jen's and my post but reading hers DID spark my memory and prompted me to write.

I have name-dropping issues of my own. Here's the temptations I had to fight just this week.

First, on a local broadcaster's blog (JD -- not THIS JD but some of you locals might know which "Madness" blog I'm talking about) I commented that I hope his daughter's All-Star team makes it all the way to the World Series! I then mentioned that my daughter was on the team that played (& defeated! although I didn't post that!) their team during 2 practice games. I wanted him to know we were rooting for them. And of course we REALLY are. Partly because there's a special pride that comes from knowing we were able to beat a team that is doing so well. But mainly, between me and Donnie, we know all of the coaches on their team and therefore, several of the players. Anyway, all is fine with the fact that I posted on the comments section of his blog but THEN...the next day...J's DAUGHTER comes to my class at VBS! It took EVERYTHING I had to not say something to her like, "Hey, I read your Dad's blog and commented on it just last night!" I'm sure it would have creeped her out.

I know. I'm warped. But I was able to control myself and even kept it quiet that the little girl had a well-known Dad. As far as I know, I was the only person who knew, other than the family that brought her. (Oh, and they didn't tell me who she was. I sadly recognized her instantly. I promise, I am NOT A STALKER! LOL)

THEN, today at lunch I saw SP from the same TV station. We're standing in line together at the ChickFA and some nearby kids started talking to her about her celebritism. Soon, those same children then recognized me from VBS and the little girl started hugging on me and kinda getting as excited about seeing ME as she was about seeing the TV personality. She then kinda opened the situation by saying, "Did you see HER!?" and pointed to sweet SP.

So WHAT GOES THROUGH MY CRAZY MIND? I start thinking, "Should I introduce myself to this gal and let her know that I'm one of the ones she interviewed (and DID NOT AIR..hmph) at the Taylor Hicks Governor's Mansion Visit?" And THEN I think I could tell her, "Yeah, I'm one of Ryan's LINKS on his BLOG! I'm SURE you know OF me, right?"

I have totally lost it, haven't I?

Oh and then there's the fact that I told my parents to "say hey" to another fellow blogger that I read and have linked (but I won't say WHO since "the hey" didn't work out). I thought they might bump into him when they went to an event at this guy's church. Can you imagine my Mom saying, "Hi! We're Stacy's parents. You know, the Stacy that reads and comments on your blog?" CUCKOO!

Does the bloggin' community seem as tight to you as it does to me? I mean, I almost weirded out a couple of people this week because of the friendships that have developed through blogging. Please tell me I'm not TOO weird.

Would you 'say hey' to a blogger that you read if you happened to bump into them in real life or would you keep it quiet and maintain an online-only relationship?

Ryan, was it weird for you the day I introduced myself when we met in person?

America's Got Talent?

Anyone watching this?

I really want to know opinions on this because I've not quite put all mine to words yet. It's definitely been entertaining (although I missed a few acts here and there) but I just don't know if I REALLY like it.

First, I enjoyed the Miller Brothers and the harmonica BUT I already sense this red-headed kid is a soon-to-be Danny Bonaducci. He's just way too big for his britches. And are we really sure he's an AWESOME harmonica player?? I think he's definitely good for his age but....I don't know... I just have some hesitance in being a real big fan yet.

Second, are "we", the American public, choosing a winner that is basically just the best at an ultimate talent show?? Or are we choosing someone that we hope to catapult into future opportunities to watch/hear them? For example...the little yodeling girl. She DOES amaze me (she learned how to yodel from a doggone INSTRUCTION VIDEO!) but I'm betting, and I don't know for sure of course, but I'm betting there are other girls her age who can yodel BETTER than her. Not many, but I'm betting some little girl out there is thinking, "Dang, I wish I had gone to that audition."

But back to the point of the contest. Are we voting for somone we'd like to see/hear again and again? Well if THAT is the case, it is NOT little Taylor, the yodeler. Good for now, and maybe good enough to win a talent contest but she is NOT Taylor Hicks. I would not go to a concert of hers, nor would I buy a CD or video of her.

She's cute as a button, though and I wish her well. I don't want anyone to think I dislike HER. I just don't think I can vote for her.

I did vote for the hunky clogging guys that were in the top 2 with her. I'd enjoy watching/hearing them again and again (and hearing their taps is a very big part of the enjoyment -- they're cute but not cute enough to get my vote if they sounded bad.) I was able to get in my maximum 10 votes within just a couple of minutes. Very different from voting on AI. Definitely less callers out there.

Any other watchers with comments?

Today's Ultrasound

Well...

It's just one baby :)

He/she is BEAUTIFUL! Measured at 9 weeks instead of 8 but I'm sticking with 8.

This picture is, of course, not OUR child but a neat view of what an 8 week old baby looks like.

I still get waves of "WOW....there's another baby inside of me!"

Let's Get One Thing Straight

Anyone see the story on the Today Show last week called, "Three Is The New Two?"

I can't find the link on the TS website either. Sorry.

Anyway, it basically said that as young couples are doing better off financially that the trend for a "complete" family has begun to shift from 2 children to 3. It also went on to say that children were becoming the new "must-have" for affluent families to show off how well they were doing. In the same breath, it was said that more children meant nannies and housekeepers.

HA!!!!!!

I just want to get one thing straight with y'all. Anyone who thinks our 5th child is a way for us to show off some bling has a serious misunderstanding of where we come from.

Please note that although we have a house that is a pretty decent size does NOT mean that we are upper-anything. It just means that we bust out of the seams in anything smaller and that God provided an incredible deal for us when we were house-hunting.

I recently spoke with a girl who lives in our neighborhood and when she found out we were having another baby she said, "You know, if we could afford more children, I'd probably have at least one more."

So, even though she didn't SAY it, the implication was that WE could afford more children than her. Again, I say HA. I know that this particular family's (two-parent) income is probably a good deal more than ours and that they definitely have more play-pretties and fun things than we do (we see them whizzing by on their golf carts in the evenings.) Now, this is a very sweet family and I don't mean anything negative in any way...it's just that obviously the perception is that children are something you pay extra for AFTER you get all the fun stuff you want first.

Well, that's not the case with us. We live TIGHT budgets and our big house is filled with hand-me-down furniture and gifts and the rare cash-only clearance decorative items. We have items on the wall that were purchased at yard sales and all other walls are bare. Even our nice portraits were bartered with website design services. Our vacations are minimal and when they do occur, are heavily financed by grandparents and much saving. Our shopping is for necessities and rarely nice-ities (sp?). Our out-to-eat extravagances are at the Mexican restaurant on "kids-eat-free" night.

So PLEASE don't be one that mistakes us for Hollywood-styled family growth. Our children are not our jewelry. They are a gift from the LORD and we will continue to trust God to provide for them and us.

Psalm 127 (NLT)
1
Unless the LORD builds a house,
the work of the builders is useless.
Unless the LORD protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.
2
It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones.

3
Children are a gift from the LORD;
they are a reward from him.

4
Children born to a young man
are like sharp arrows in a warrior's hands.

5
How happy is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

So Long, So Long, So Long...and THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH

Summer Tip: Do not rent, borrow, or steal Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

I thought I could be relatively tolerant of and possibly even enjoy something that apparently odd-ball, intellectual types have enjoyed in book series and on BBC. I'm thinking it might be a little Monty Python-ish or something. Well, it is soooooo not that. The rare chuckles were not worth the time we spent gathered around the boob tube.

Highlights: Yarn doll puking string and catchy Dolphin Song (I titled this entry with the chorus of that song.)

Anyone else out there seen this horrid film?

PT & Cow Juice

I know I am due for an update but there's not much to tell. I went to the OB this week and am definitely pregnant :) I calculated my due date correctly (Feb 17) and I'm going back in a couple of weeks for an ultrasound. The good doc likes to do 8-10 week ultrasounds. It will be fine with me because I'd like the reassurance that there is only 1 baby there. If there's 2, do you think y'all could help us get some media publicity for a free church van or...better yet... a Toyota Sequoia?? Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to ride in the same car together!

Heartburn is gone and gurgly "bubbleguts" feeling (thanks for that terminology Jen) is ALMOST non-existant. I figured out that my peanut sensitivity has been the biggest culprit and now that I've made that dietary adjustment, I'm doing mucho better. I'll soon be bringing almond butter back into the house. I wish it wasn't so darn expensive!

Allrighty, I'm off for a bedtime snack. It's not a good-for-me-snack but it's soooo yummy nonetheless. Chocolate Poptarts (sometimes the real-deal and sometimes Good Value Toaster Pastries - both are equally dee-lish right now) and organic cow's milk.

I hope I don't pay for the milk with too high a price when baby gets here. I believe part of David's colic issue was possibly triggered by my large milk consumption during his pregnancy (the biggest part was a massive yeast overgrowth I passed on to him but I believe milk played a small part, too). Milk & peanuts are both major colic triggers and often go hand-in-hand. Since I already have a peanut sensitivity, it's likely I could generate this sensitivity in the baby, too. I'm going to try being careful about it. Also, I'm not a big pro-cow's-milk person anyway BUT I actually crave it when I'm pregnant.

Thanks for being interested in the updates. I see how many of y'all are checking in every day! It makes me happy to know that so many of you are lurking in :)

(hint: If you don't comment from time to time, I might call you out...I see who is visiting!! Remember, you don't have to have a blogger account to comment. Just click the "anonymous" button and then sign your name at the end.)

Tie-Breaker

We have 2 girls & 2 boys. The tie-breaker is now on his or her way!!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen. I am now 6 weeks pregnant! Baby #5 should make an appearance somewhere in mid-February. The 17th is the official self-calculation but I will be seeing my OB on Wednesday. His guesstimate will probably be about the same. Of course, all "EDD" (estimated due date) are guesses anyway. We try not to rely on them too much.

By the way, all of this (OK not A L L of this) is because of Harris Anne. She had asked us for a baby sister a little while back. We chuckled and said, "You better pray and ask God about that one."

So yes, we're kinda thinking this one might be a girl.

Sorry it took so long for me to write a real entry about it all. I honestly was just waiting for Jen to get back from vacation. I was waiting for her to see my previous post before I started talking about it all too much. WELCOME HOME, Jen :)

I'm pooped, which hit me like a ton of bricks. You might remember it wasn't too long ago that I was loving my new-found energy. I'm now knowing that was before implantation. Ever since baby has burrowed into the lining of my uterus, I've been pretty slow. Not disabled by tiredness or anything but a little slow nonetheless.

Other fun signs of pregnancy:
opting for stretchy pants
occasional, yet major, prego-brain-fog. I HATE that. I apologize now for any zany thought-patterns and typos that occur from this day forward.
burping (although not as severe now as it was early on. Heartburn & burps were actually my first indication of something going on. One week before my period was even due I was like, "Hey....this is heartburn...Hmmm...there's only been 4 other times in my life that I've had heartburn...)

I haven't been following the Brewer Diet like I should but hopefully I can get better soon. We've been All-Starring these last few weeks and eating on the go too much. I am soooo ready for a calming down of the schedule. BUT, tired or not, I'll be pulling for our "Darlins" to make it to the District Tourney anyway. We're fighting through the losers' bracket right now (double-elimination) but won pretty strongly tonight. Harris Anne had no idea what all this "All-Star" stuff meant when she made the team but I don't think this is anything she'll ever forget now!

Happy Father's Day, Donnie!

Now, I'm just waiting for comments...

Another VIP I Know

My kids ask me, "Are you famous Mom?" whenever I show them people I know who have made it to the big times.

It is pretty amazing that I'm not....yet! LOL

Here's a guy that I'm VERY HONORED to know and to have some association with. He and I were both voted by our senior class as "Most Congenial." (see yearbook picture above)

Eric's always been one cool dude! This article just impresses me to pieces...and from the Washington Post no less!

Go Eric!

New Frogger On The Side - and a multitude of in-post links

(how y'all liking all my posts, today?? -- it's this walking in the AM & new Accelerator 3 that's giving me beaucoups of energy! I'm actually also getting lots of things done in between posts, too! WHOO HOO! Go FlyLady, Go FlyLady!)

I've added a new Trent (the tallest dude in the picture) to the sidebar in "Blogs I Read". Y'all might have thought the original "Trent" over there was THIS Trent but it actually was not. NOW, I have two Trents -- Trent A. being the one you probably know and Trent S. being the ever-so-on-top-of-it-and-sharing-the-truth-with-us one.

Hope you'll check them both out!

Gratuitous Hud-Dawg

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Kids Watching Online Videos

This is the video they were watching...



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when I made THIS video:



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In Case You Missed The Episode

I did but someone linked it to me. I thought I'd do the same for youse-guys.

Routine Epidural Turns Deadly

13 Years Ago Right Now

If you counted back 13 years ago, down to the hour and give or take a few minutes, you will be at the time this photo was made.

It was a hot, hot day.

Happy Anniversary to the VERY BEST HUSBAND AND FATHER IN THE WHOLE WORLD! And that's not just me saying what I'm supposed to say. I'm sure this truth could be proven in a court of law.

I Know It's Past My Bedtime But...

(it's difficult to follow my own self-imposed schedule EVERY night)

I just wanted to throw out this request real quick before I hit the sack.

If any of you locals (or even far-offs who trust me enough to do the shipping thing) have some Boxed Sets of series that you'd let us borrow this summer, we'd be ever so grateful. We're hoping to catch up on some series that we've only recently decided to jump into. We know there are also other series out there we might be interested in checking out.

We're truly open to all options (and would be thankful for any awesome motion pictures that you highly recommend) but these are some we are REALLY wanting to see:
24 Season 3
Little House On The Prairie Season 1
Arrested Development Season 2

Any other suggestions are 100% welcome. We're just as thankful as we can be to anyone who might be able to help us save money & effort (video stores) this summer.

Don't Mess With Texas-Based MTEX

Imitation might be the sincerest form of flattery but when it comes to patent-infringement, that imitation just isn't going to fly.

"Back In My Day"

Spoke with an older gentleman this afternoon whose wife had told him about glyconutrients. He wanted more information so I ran some by his house. I showed him the 5 month cellular restoration plan and he said, "Nah, I'm not dedicated enough to do that." I said, "Really?? Are you dedicated to your medications?" He answered, "Oh yeah." I asked, "Did they promise you they would make you better??" (I asked that because he had made reference earlier that he'd be all over the glyconutrients if they were guaranteed to work.) He said, "Oh no...they told me I was DYING." I said, "So you're willing to be dedicated to the men who tell you that you're dying but not willing to be dedicated to something for 5 months that won't hurt you and might improve your quality of life and possibly extend your life?"

He said, "Nah."

This gentleman is an Uncle by the way. That's why I was more bold with him than I might be with another older gentleman.

Too bad people don't realize the reality that is brought out in this week's Business Week article. Interesting and scary stuff.

Again, I'll stick with the nutrition that God designed for us to have. It just makes sense and all the growing amounts of science behind it is just overwhelming validation.

No Promises

I can't promise that I will quit burning the candle at both ends but I am going to make an earnest effort to enjoy the flames :) My kids are growing up soooo quickly and I am desperately wanting to spend some more time with them while they are still (sorta) little.

We've got lots of stuff going on and I'm really ready to get started on the transition to a homeschooling schedule. It's funny. One of the things I am looking most forward to about homeschooling is not having to follow anyone ELSE'S schedule but I know, KNOW, K N O W that we have GOT to come up with some sort of routine to make sure this thing works.

So, we're going to start working on it ASAP. I'm sure we'll tweak it a hundred times before it's truly settled on but I figure it's best to get started tweaking now than when we're also learning how to do the scholastic part of it.

All of that said, I'm going to be working with a more scheduled computer time. This will probably lead to less blogging time for a little while, but hopefully I will be very focused during the times I'm able to be logged on. I hope that with this more stringent self-discipline that I can get on here and really enjoy the words that are always rolling around in my brain.

So IF this leads to less blogging, you now know why. I'm hoping it won't be a drastic starvation diet for me, but a healthy moderation instead. I'm hoping it will be a more efficient effort in a limited timeframe. Without a limit on myself I'm really tempted to wander and surf and spend aimless moments clicking from link to link. Now, maybe things will be more streamlined.

Please keep visiting the blog and to encourage me, why don't you non-commenters drop me a line from time to time. It will make my day (and you can even do it anonymously!)

Y'all are great. I truly appreciate and love the fact that y'all check in on me so often (and yes, I can "see you" even when you don't comment :) Site meters are GREAT that way!) Don't go away!

(p.s. I've added a new important link to the sidebar. FLYLADY is helping me with my baby steps.)

Happy Memorial Day??

Is "Happy" really the appropriate word for Memorial Day? I mean, YES, I want everyone to be happy and I want everyone to have a good Memorial Day...I just wonder if saying "Have a Happy Celebrate-Our-Fallen-Soldiers Day" is exactly right.

However, today I can have complete confidence in saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my lovely Harris Anne. She is 8 today!

We started our morning with a family brunch. Gjo & PePaw, MeMe & PawPaw, Donna, Nathan, and Stacey all came over for some brunch-umptious Quiche & Mashed Browns (ymmm). We then entertained the crowd with a concert & play by the children.

Several weeks back, we were "supposed" to do the piano recital thing. It coincided with (can you guess??) softball & t-ball. We also had to nix the school Talent Show because of athletics. So, we decided that we'd use this day to let the children showcase their work from this past year.

Shayne opened the program with the national anthem, which she played on her electric guitar. It was cool. The next few numbers consisted of the girls taking turns dazzling us with their instruments. Harris Anne tickled the electric keyboard "ivory" while Shayne impressed us with snippets of Aerosmith's "Dream On" and Smashmouth's "All-Star" They closed the musical acts with a duet of "Ode To Joy." This portion of the program was a hit!

After a few gymnastics moves by David, the girls were changed into their costumes for the play "Wait! What's That?" written and directed by Shayne. All 4 children were in this production and it was quite funny. It ended with "it was just a dream" a la "Dallas" or "Bob Newhart" style.

It was a good day. After the crowds were gone, we played a round of Cranium Family Fun then the kids went outside to play with the hose in the backyard.

The afternoon & evening ended up being about 90 miles of unexpected driving but we're finally home and settled down now. The driving consisted of a couple of "long stories" and weren't eventful enough for blogging.

So now I need to hit the hay. Goodnight y'all :)

A Bit of History

My Daddy shared this bit of baseball and American history (video) with me.

Still Here, Lisa

Thanks for wondering about me, though! Just busy right now. Checking some email here and there but not spending large chunks of time online.

I must apologize for sure about not getting back with a big SOUL PATROL SOUL PATROL after Wednesday night's results show. It was an excellent way to end my first Idol season.

Will be bloggin' and commenting to some comments SOON :)

Soul Patrol!!

I'm voting. Are you? (I've gotten through around 7 times so far)

1-866-IDOLS-02
1-866-IDOLS-04
1-866-IDOLS-06

So Pathetic - I DREAMED About American Idol

That's right. I woke up soon after spending some quality time with Paris. We were standing in a crowded hallway (school??) and I had to BEG her to stand with me for a picture. Well, my camera was in the car so Donnie went running out for it. Paris wanted to leave but I kept harrassing her saying, "He'll be riiight back." NO ONE around us had a camera. Ugh. Anyway, I ended up spending a great deal of time with her and met her crazy extended family. We got talking like real people and eventually (y'all......this is REALLY crazy) Paris ended up showing me a spot on her BOOB that she thought was mastitis!! As if she was one of my doula clients!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? Something must be wrong with me.

Somehow I was also on the front row for the show tonight. And everyone who came out on the stage was somebody NOT from American Idol. Oh, except for Kellie Pickler that is. She had one of her weirdo-high hairdos and....get this...was in a WHEELCHAIR!

The next guy who came out was also in a wheelchair (Christopher Reeves style) and I had NO idea who he was. Then a friend of mine who uses a wheelchair ALSO came out being pushed by his wife. I was yelling on stage, "Ross!?" --- which is weird because his first name isn't Ross. His last name is.

Anyway, another couple that came out was some fat Amish looking guy who was walking down the runway on his knees and holding the hand of a little girl.

None of them were singing.

It was all so weird.

I think that maybe I'm anxious because I will have to miss the live show again tonight. We'll be at the ballfields (where else??) I'm also anxious (very) about missing the Results show tomorrow because we'll also be...all together now..."at the ballfields." H.A.'s game will end about the time the show is ending. I am truly worried that someone will get a cell phone call and I'll hear, "REALLY??? Awesome! -- Hey, everyone, Kat won American Idol!"

Sad, ain't it?

Dream interpretations are welcome.

And Since The Topic Has Been Raised

Food for thought:

"Can Christians Use Birth Control?" - A commentary by Albert Mohler.

Another Sign That People Prefer Their Own Plans To God's

Read more here.

It's Almost Time

Almost time for a new computer. Hopefully next week! I cannot wait!

We've had this computer since Harris Anne was a new baby. It has been a GREAT machine. Very little crashes and our only teeny virus problems were corrected by Donnie without much trouble. I don't think we were ever without the computer more than 24 hours in all these years (except when we moved.)

Even though this machine has been great and has allowed us to get lots of work done, have lots of fun, stay organized, and document the lives of our sweet babies, there have been some pretty real behind-the-times issues. The biggest lately has been locking-up. Things like eBay and Google calendar cause this baby some major havoc. Adobe Acrobat is an issue sometimes, too. And I've always had trouble opening many .doc files. Realplayer has been a problem for years. We've tried correcting it numerous of times (because Mannatech uses Realplayer for their archived videos) but have never been successful. Just recently I made it conk out when I tried updating Trillian. I don't chat much at all but when I do, I have liked this program. I'm also in desperate need of updating some Mannatech business software but have been unsuccessful with my current setup.

Of course the biggest reason for needing to update our systems is because of homeschooling. We are needing to load Switched On Schoolhouse and I want to start with a clean slate. I'm also planning to add a camera & mic system so that I can do online training & informational meetings. Won't that be cool? And get this, in addition to getting a new desktop, we'll also be getting a laptop with the ability to creator Power Point! I'll be coming up with some awesome presentations soon :)

Can't wait y'all. Let's hope we are as blessed with these new machines as we have been with our current one. It's an oldie but it's been a goodie.

"Children Should Sleep With Their Parents Until They're Five"

Hmm. Wonder if US news will pick up this story.

I have always been pro-co-sleeping. However, I was more nervous about it early on and didn't do it as much with the girls asI did with the boys. I also didn't nurse the girls as long as I did the boys (hope they don't have a complex about this later!) and wasn't quite as confident in my ways then.

Now it has become obvious to me that there is a direct correlation between length of time co-sleeping and ease of transition into the big bed (which is against 'conventional' wisdom. "If you let that baby sleep in your bed, you'll never get him out." Kinda reminds me of, "If you carry that baby in that sling everywhere you go, he'll never learn to walk." Um, yeah.)

Anyway, none of my children have trouble going to bed even though they all slept with us to some degree. Also, the boys who slept with us longest, were EASY EASY EASY making the transition to big bed. So easy. We have no problems getting Hudson to bed and to sleep, even though he was in our bed 100% of the time until earlier this year (he was born 3/03). In fact, just this week, he said, "I wanna go to bed. I'm tired." We said, "OK, give us a kiss and go get in the bed. We'll come check on you in a minute."

And that's exactly what he did. AND he went to sleep! We laughed...

Now, I will say that there are several mornings (they come in spurts) that Hudson gets in the bed with us before sunrise. It's no big deal, though. He (and all the children) are welcome in our bed if they ever need to come in. In fact, I think they are so confident in that safety-net that they never actually need it. I expect it will be too soon before I am missing those early morning cuddles.

So...here's to all of you out there who feel that instinctual desire to have your baby in the bed with you...Do it safely, but do it. It's good for them.

Children are like fruit...they only spoil if you leave them alone for too long.

Read the article and let me know what you think.

33% x 3 - WOW

I've never seen Taylor as close to puking as he was when he saw the percentages. I'm REALLY glad he saw them. And I'm REALLY glad Elliot saw them. Poor dude. I'm SO proud of him! And man....doesn't he look better now than he did at the beginning?? Thumbs up to the stylists. Hair is definitely an important thing for the El-Train.

Again, I'm glad Taylor saw the percentages. I think it knocked him back down to earth a little bit and will force him to work his hiney off for next week. I think we'll see him REALLY shine.

Ain't no way Kat is gonna win this thang.

Alabama's Soul Patrol certainly showed up for Taylor, didn't they? A big "whooo!" to the girls who are in the picture on my blog (with my kids) -- they got a massive close-up during the hometown footage. YAY FOR CAROLINE AND MADELYN! I bet they flipped their lids when they saw themselves! Very cool. :)

SOUL PATROL, SOUL PATROL!!!!

My Two Other Mother's Day Stories

Since I posted David's fill-in-the-blank Mother's Day story, I thought I should also share with you what my girls wrote. These are awesome, too!

From Harris Anne:

My Mom is special because she takes me where I need to go, cooks good food, and loves all my brothers and sisters very much!
I like it when my Mom makes me laugh, when she comes to all my softball games, and teaches me things I never knew!
My Mom can do many things! I think she's best at loving me and helping me.
My Mom has a pretty smile! I like to make her smile by obeying her, putting fake teeth in my mouth, writing things to her, and coloring pictures.
My Mom is as pretty as a beautiful angel.
My Mom is smart! She even knows how to drive, how to love me and take care of me, and most of all, she knows how to cook great and healthy food!

From Shayne:

A scripture to encourage you: Psalm 117: Praise the Lord, all nations; Laud Him all peoples! For His lovingkindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord!
Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of flesh.
My happies memory with you was: When we were at Walt Disney World on Thunder Mountain and you were encouraging me and leaning against me. I felt delighted and not afraid, so I wanted to ride again.
My funniest memory with you was: When you were watching Lost and you told me something was hilarious and the guy exploded. Thank you for letting me watch. I'm glad I didn't miss it. (note from Stacy -- I'm SO embarrassed Shayne's teacher read this!!!!!)
My saddest memory with you was: When beautiful, kind Lucy was in your arms and she slowly started closing her small eyes. Now, there is no more Lucy and no other dog can replace her.
What you taught me most about God was: That God will always forgive me and will never leave me. Also, that I can pray to God wherever I am at any time of day.
You are a great Mom because: You teach me about God. You are fun, and that's not all. You give up time of your day to do things with all four kids. Again I say and mean it, I LOVE YOU!

Don't I have the GREATEST kids!?

Lame Is The Name Of The Game

I don't think I can bear to watch CSI Miami next year. I might not even watch it next week. I'm very tired of Horatio and the melodrama. Good grief. Lame-o.

Here are pictures from Taylor Hicks' fan-devous in Alabama on Friday. I know. I'm lame. Look for us on tomorrow night's show. It's always possible we might end up in the crowd footage when they show each of the Idols as they all return to their hometowns. I wore a red www.MannaRelief.org t-shirt.


Taylor cheers for himself along with Alabama's First Lady, Patsy Riley.


We found some of Shayne's school friends had come to see Taylor, too! They made signs and EVERYTHING!


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Even though I'm not necessarily pulling for Elliot to win the big AI contest next week, I have to admit I'm happy that I wasn't shown on our local news coverage answering the question, "Who is going to be the next American Idol??" Yes, I screamed along with the crowd, "Taylor Hicks!!" I didn't think it would be proper to say, "Well....according to online chit chat, Elliot is going to walk away a winner!"

I'll truly be fine with it being either of the two guys. Just PLEASE DON'T LET IT BE KATHARINE! Go Kat Go...go home!

If Taylor wins, that's another cool notch in the Alabama talent belt. If Elliot wins, I don't think it could have gone to a nicer guy :)

Shall I cut the lameness here by sharing David's Kindergarten fill-in-the-blank story about his Mom? Yeah, I thought that'd be a good idea, too.

My Very Special Mother!

My mother is the most wonderful mother in the world! She is as pretty as a flower. Her favorite color is black. She weighs more than 60 pounds and is 6 feet tall. She has lovely brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. She loves to eat chicken all the time! I think my mother is funny when she tickles me. My mother is sweeter than my sister. My favorite thing my mother does with me is play games. I wouldn't trade my mother for anything in the world!

I Love You!
David
Happy Mother's Day

Happy Picture

David Gym Videos

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and


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David - Gold Medalist

Just wanted to share (mainly with my family) some pictures (and eventually video) from David's gymnastics exhibition yesterday.

Marching In


Ta Da!


The Start Of A Back-handspring


David Wins Gold! (not really, he was just the very best one there without a doubt) :)

I hope to add videos in next post.

My Double-Digit Darlin'

Somehow, my sweet Shayne is now 10 years old. How in the world did that happen!?

After church, we had a very-much-needed day of rest. We went out for a celebratory birthday lunch and then went home and took naps. Shayne and I cozied together, which I really loved :)

Here you will see Shayne doing something I wouldn't do -- COOK ON HER BIRTHDAY!

Isn't she growing up beautifully!?

Aw, I just love this gal.

Happy Birthday, Sweetie!


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So glad I figured out how to do this

I took my first step of learning how to add video last week when I posted the model in high heels. NOW I have FINALLY figured out how to post videos I have taken myself.

This is so great :)

Watch H.A. doing the Caterpillar (AKA Worm).
(this video is from our little digital camera and we didn't know it had sound on it until we uploaded it to the computer! I think I was cooking spaghetti and you can hear Donnie telling me the water for the noodles is boiling)

This video was taken several months ago. Be prepared to see more now that I know how to do it!

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"Tee Hee" Heels