DON'T ROLL OVER!!!

Check out where Care Bear fell asleep tonight. Not the safest place for snoozin!

Yes, she is sound asleep and yes, that is the top stair.

Call me CRAZY!

I am sucker for a cute face, especially one with blue eyes. Last night La-La discovered a batch of kittens at a neighbors house. These neighbors are trying to get rid of the kittens and I guess you could say we fell prey to their plans. They have been searching for a shelter or someplace to leave them but all the shelters are full or require a fee, so they said. La-La loves animals and we just didn't have the heart to say no as she had her face buried in this kitties soft fur. So now we have a 4 month puppy and an 8 week old kitty. What am I thinking! Princess Aurora is so cute and loves to be held which is exactly what La-La wants. The mom cat is all black and they are not sure who the daddy is but as you can see, it looks like Aurora has some siamese in her with the dark ears, tail, feet and my favorite, the blue eyes. Justin just keeps shaking his head and asking why. I guess I have my parents to thank for instilling a love of animals in me. I just can't say no!

Life with a dog!

My sweet puppy snoozin on Daddy's shoe.

Life with Cody is great! He is proving to be a very good puppy and is still adored by all. He has pretty much mastered the potty training and will even let himself out the doggy door to take care of business. The chewing is getting better as he is learning what he can and can't chew on. A couple shirts were ruined in the beginning but every time he starts chewing on something wrong, we take it away and give him one of his own toys. He has his own toy basket and digs through it just like a kid to find his favorite toy. One of my favorite things about Cody is he is not a yappy dog. He hardly ever barks and when he does it is at silly things like Care Bear's bike helmet or as you can see, a toilet brush. In the mornings and at bedtime, we have to put him outside because the kids just can't settle down to do what they need to do with Cody around. If he is in the house at these times, our home turns into a tug-of-war tag arena with Jaco being the ring leader. Cody loves people and dogs and is a huge hit with complete strangers every where we take him. We hear comments all the time about how he acts much older than he is and how he is such a good puppy! I think the lady who bred him can take credit for that. She really loved him and all his siblings and it shows!

This shirt was at the Target $ spot so I had to get it! Cody does not like it. His whole personality changes when we put it on him. He gets very calm and won't make eye contact. It is like he is humiliated to be seen in it. It makes me laugh!

Snuggling with his buddy.

Cody's favorite place to sleep is under our computer desk. It is probably because that is the only place on the main floor that is carpeted. Everything else is wood or tile and we keep a gate up to prevent him from going on the carpet upstairs. At night he sleeps in his crate.

I didn't realize how much like a cat a puppy can be. Cody chases anything that moves and he loves this yellow broom. Not too much cleaning happens when Cody is around. It just turns into playtime!

Cody has discovered that when he hears the dishwasher being loaded he might get a tasty lick.

Does this look like trouble?

Cody discovered the AC vents feel wonderful on a hot day.

Cody loves to snuggle and La-La has no problem snuggling back.

This picture might look like Care Bear is afraid but she was really having a great time laughing and giggling until she hit her head on the book shelf right as I took a picture.This clip is of Cody barking at the toilet brush. I know it is gross but I had been cleaning the half bath on the main floor and Care Bear grabbed the brush when I wasn't looking. Like I said Cody rarely barks and I thought it was so funny that he chose this brush of all things to bark at!

Why?

That is what I hear ALL day now! My darling Care Bear has entered the dreaded "why" stage. Jaco and La-La never really did it and Care Bear seems to making up for them!
WHY?
WHY?
WHY?

Tagged

One of my sisters tagged me and she thought it was easy to do but I have to say I must be boring because I had a hard time coming up with six things to share. That is why it has taken me awhile to respond. I have had a paper next to my computer to jot down ideas as I think about what to share! So here goes.

1. I have to have some sort of background noise on all day. Either I have my playlist going or the t.v. is on.

2. My biggest dream come true would be to sing a duet with Josh Groban.

3. I love to clip nails. I take great satisfaction in getting all 20 nails on each of my kids just perfect! I especially love baby's nails. I have even clipped friend's baby's nails.

4. I LOVE to read. On average I read 2-3 books a week. With kids it can be hard but I read at breakfast, lunch, potty breaks, and before bed. It is my way to escape for a few minutes!

5. When I unload the dishwasher, the kid's colored plastic plates have to be arranged in rainbow color order. Pink, red, yellow, green, blue.

6. I can't scratch other people's bare skin. Justin loves to have his back scratched but I will only do it through a shirt. All I think about is all those dead skin cells under my fingernails. I think it started when I worked in a nursing home and the elderly had scaly dry skin.

Now I tag Sydney, Debbie, Patty, Selina, Kristyn B, and Kristin T.
The Rules:

1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write 6 random things about yourself.
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let the person know you tagged them on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when you've posted.

Quote of the Day.

I have been trying harder to bake more things from scratch instead of taking the easy way out by using things that only require water and eggs. Tonight I made Apple Crisp which I must say turned out quite tasty. I told La-La that I was proud of myself for trying and succeeding. She responded with "Maybe when you grow up, you can be a fesh!" (chef)

Bubbles GALORE!

This is what happens when 3 kids get a hold of a bottle of shampoo and take a bath in a jetted tub while I clean up from dinner. They are all squeaky clean including Cody!

Me A BIG Girl!!

Those were the first words out of Care Bear's mouth this morning. Why was she so excited to say this? Because she finally said goodbye to her binky's!!! A couple of days ago she asked me if we could call Santa so she could ask for some slip slops (Flip Flop sandals). I told her Santa was too busy making toys but we could call the Binky Fairy and ask her to take away Care Bear's binky's and leave flip flops. She was so excited! I talked to her about it for a day or two to make sure she understood what she was about to do. She never wavered and told me she would not get her binky at bedtime anymore so I knew she got it. Last night we called the Binky Fairy (thanks Mom Jemmett!) put the binkys in a baggie with a note and tucked everything under Care Bear's pillow. At this point she wasn't so sure and kept sneaking a binky out to suck on. She actually fell asleep with one so I wasn't sure if I should follow through. But the kid is 3 and it has to happen some time so I did it. She woke up a couple times crying for her binky and I had to lay with her for awhile but it was all worth it to hear how proud she was as she proclaimed "Me a big girl!"

Here she is still excited to say goodbye !One final look! Putting them under her pillow. New light up slip slops! Can I tell you how many stores I had to go to to find flip flops in her size in September? These are a little big but atleast she should be able to wear them next summer because how long will she be able to wear them this year before her toes freeze?!She also requested a princess so this is one of those new mini barbies that she can wear in a necklace around her neck.

I hope we survive the next few days. When Daddy left this morning she was sad and immediately wanted her binky back so I am sure plenty of tears will be shed before this is really behind us. Oh well, like I said, this has to happen sometime and now is as good as anytime!

Care Bear In The Act

Justin saw this picture nailed to a tree while he was in Germany. He suggested that we should alter it to show what Care Bear looks like. I am not great at photo editing so just humor me with this one! I am happy to report that we have not had anymore doglike behavior. I followed my sisters advice and offered Care Bear dog food since she was acting like a dog. She insisted she was a person and should have people food. So far it is working!

HELP!

Don't let this sweet face fool you!

I need some advice. I have a 3 year old who thinks she is a dog who goes potty outside. She has peed several times and pooped three times! Today I walked outside just in time to see her coming out of a squat and pulling her dress back down. The other two times it was close to our house so not very many people could have seen. Today she took care of business at the front of our lawn near the street so anyone could have seen! I was MORTIFIED!! I would blame this on Cody our dog but she started doing it before he came to live with us. I do not know what to do to get her to stop. Today she got a spanking and I made her clean up the mess. The only thing I can think of is not allowing her outside but that would be more of a punishment to me! Any advice? This is yet one more reason why she could be our last! LOL

Off to School!

My sweet La-La is at school. Her year of waiting is over and she stepped on the bus full of confidence and excitement. Her birthday is September 1st and in our previous area you had to be 5 by August 31st. She missed the cut off by 7 hours and 45 minutes. We debated about testing her to allow her to start but the test was expensive and even if she passed she could have been pulled out after 6 weeks if the teacher didn't feel it was working. Finally after months of not knowing what to do, I asked La-La what she wanted and she said she wanted to wait so that is what we did! It worked out perfect because she was able to go to a wonderful preschool and made a friend for life, Lyla.

At the district we live in here, they have the kindergartners start the second week and she will only go 1 & 1/2 days this week. Next week she will be on her full-time schedule of Tues/Thurs all day and half day Friday.
La-La was so excited to start today. It was hard for her to see Jaco get on the bus last week and not go with him. She picked out her new outfit and has been trying to wear her new shoes everyday but I was mean and made her wait. She didn't even look back when she got on the bus. She wanted to sit by her first grade friend (who is only 3 months older) so that is what she did! Jaco was so sweet and wanted to sit by her to because he is her big brother. He was able to sit across from her but I am afraid his feelings were hurt because he wasn't next to her. Care Bear was sad to see La-La leave. She cried because she wanted to go too.
It is so strange to be here with just Care Bear and I. We are going to go to the park this morning and I am looking forward to taking a nap while Care Bear naps! My family is growing and changing and I think it is ok?!

Update on Brian

Everything is clear!!!!! No tumor or recurrence of cancer. They started him on steroids right away because whether it was an infection or tumor, steroids would be the first treatment. After just one dose his hearing was already coming back. YEAH!!!

Prayers for Brian

Please remember my sister's family in your prayers. Her son had a malignant brain tumor several years ago and has been doing well. Tuesday he came home saying he couldn't hear in his right ear and he was experiencing a lot of ringing in his ear. The Dr's think it is either caused by an infection or a tumor. They don't think it is a recurrence of his cancer but I can only imagine how my sister must be feeling to hear the words "possible tumor" used again in regards to her son. He had an MRI done tonight and we are just waiting to hear what the diagnosis is. My heart is aching tonight for my sister and her amazing family.

HOLE IN ONE!!!!!

Justin aced the 17th hole at Dutcher Creek golf course. 154 yards with a 7 iron. He says it slam dunked right in the hole. He is even going to get his name in the paper and a trophy for it. He was playing with a fellow Dr at the group so it was witnessed and he is not lying!

4th grade begins!

Jaco finally started school today! Believe me, he was as excited as I was for this day. Jaco's brain craves learning and he loves that part of school. He was a little disappointed with today because the day was full of rules and no Math! His teacher sent home this poem.
Wow, you've made it
Almost to the top.
Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd...
3rd graders you are not!
Success after success
You've learned but struggled too.
Your a 4th grader now
With new experiences ahead of you.
To us you have great value;
There's nothing you can't do!

I hope this is Jaco's best year yet. He can do anything he puts his brain to and I know he will be amazing!

The Best Birthday Ever!

Today was La-La's 6th birthday and according to her it was the best birthday ever! She has been counting down to this day for months and was often frustrated that she had to be last in our family for the year. Daddy didn't have to work due to it being Labor Day so we had an awesome family day! It started with La-La waking up to the usual Birthday Fairies decorations. We let her open her gifts first thing and she was so happy about everything but especially her new scooter, stuffed panda, and lip gloss. She didn't get a chance to play with anything because we had to hurry to get ready for a Labor Day parade in a neighboring community. We met up with our friends from across the street at the parade. I don't know if the kids even noticed the floats and marchers in the parade because they were too busy gathering tons of candy. After the parade we went to a small fair/festival and wasted money on silly games but the kids had fun so I guess it was worth it! Then we took a short drive to California and visited the Redwood National Forest. At first the kids were bored with all the driving but as soon as we got out of the van and saw how huge the trees were everyone had a ball! Care Bear loved trying to keep up with La-La who will climb anything possible. Even Jaco did pretty good and seemed to have fun! We found an empty creek bed to explore. When Care Bear heard us say it was a "bed" she wanted to get her pillow, binky, and Na-Nee so she could go to bed. It was so cute! Then we found a creek bed with water in it and of course the girls got wet. They decided it would be better to play in the water naked or almost, so that is what they did. When we got home we had meatloaf and sour cream potatos for La-La's birthday dinner and then we finished the best birthday ever with cake and ice-cream. La-La picked out this princess castle and I am quite proud of how it turned out! I tried using fondant for the first time as the "icing" and I love the way it looks. No more crumb filled icing for me! I actually made my own fondant and was surprised at how inexpensive and easy it was to make. All you use is marshmellows and pwd sugar with a little corn starch and crisco. It was a little messy but worth it. Here is the link to the recipe I used to make the fondant and if I can make it, anyone can! http://whatscookingamerica.net/PegW/Fondant.htm
We love having La-La in our family! She keeps us all sane with her loving, peacemaking personality. Happy Birthday La-La, we love you and loved sharing your best birthday ever with you!