Take a moment and laugh hysterically.

Lately I feel like I've been living in a mad house and I'm not sure if I'm a patient or an orderly. We had a wonderful reprieve for a few days with some very dear friends in Virginia and I wished I could stay a month. It was relaxing and peaceful. Watching the kids play with eachother and, hopefully, build friendships was wonderful. Listening to my son scream "uh oh/" as he threw his toys at people in church was less relaxing but equally entertaining. Then we began our return trip and it went about the way things seem to always go for me lately. The GPS decided to take us to Lancaster, probably a hint that we should go there sometime, after driving 45 min. out of the way we realized that we were not going where we wanted to be. So we turned around. Then the rains came down and the children poured milk all over themselves and my husbands car, we were almost rear ended and that was only a small part of the excitement. Once we got home the kids were put to bed and the bags packed for the cardiologist in the morning. I drove an hour each way and it was well worth it. We found out nothing was wrong! "YEAY!" Then I got lost on the way home, then I was thrown up upon and it rained again and the grass was not mowed. We got home about 3:00. We left the next morning for a Dr. appt for me and discover I have a "suspicious" mole that needed to be removed. I told the Dr. that the mole didn't want to come because it was suspicious something like this would happen. I was given antibiotics for an infection and sent on my way to Franklin. In Franklin we decided to get Pizza but our GPS was not up to date and took us somewhere else. Fine, we were right next door to my husbands favorite place to eat! They were closed. Something about vacation. So we went on to the next place and everyone was fed and we were off to the grocery store by 1:30. Grocereies purchased and home by 5:00. Wed was going to go a lot better.

Wednesday rolled around bright and clear. It was even cool. This would be a great day! I mowed the lawn, the lawnmower quit and had to have a small surgery. Hailey is a very good assistant. Next I trimmed the shrubs until the handle broke off of the clippers. At this  point I probably would have danced around chucking the clippers but Hailey was up from her nap. Keeping my temper in check I got the wagon out and we started loading it with sticks. Randy and I planned an all night painting party so I got some things around and cleaned the house. Then it was time to leave again for the library, the pharmacy, and Go group. We had a fiasco. See Teachable moment. We finally made it home, hurt my back getting the new freezer in the basement ( new to us! only 100. and we were able to get it before the blueberry season ended!!!) got some food and a bath for the kids. I was feeling frustereated because it was 9:45, the kids were not in bed, and we weren't ready to paint. Then it happened. Hailey went to take a sip of milk and the lid came off and she screamed, " I'm wet. " I looked at Daddy and nearly died laughing. He looked like someone had broken his piggy bank, stole his dog and wrecked his car.  I laughed all the way up stairs to get the map and all the way back down. I kept laughing as I mopped the floor and cleaned up the kids. As I think about it this morning I still have to laugh. I don't know what's coming next, I don't know if our series of small disasters is over ( they started before vacation with the freezer dying, the car tire going flat every other day, and the dryer not working) but after a good laugh I think I'm ready for whatever comes up next. A merry heart really is good like medicine. Proverbs 17:22

Teachable moment

Poor Hailey. Mommy and Hailey both wanted to cry when Piggy died in the Walmart parking lot. There is a long back story to this tragedy. Hailey had a piggy bank that she loved... she literally loved it to death. One day she took the piggy to bed with her and it fell out and shattered. She was very sad and wanted a new piggy. Mommy said she would have to wait and see if she got a piggy or enough money for one on her birthday. GG pulled through and gave her enough. She was very excited when we finally remembered her money and bought a new piggy! Sadly this poor piggy would not even live to see Hailey's room.
Mommy made a mistake. She put the piggy in the car and let Hailey put her money it is but mommy forgot to close the door. Piggy fell out. She fell, accompanied by cries of sadness from her new owner, down, down, down, to the parking lot and broke into many pieces. Hailey wanted a new one very badly. Mommy wanted to get her a new one but was torn. Mommy wanted Hailey to learn a few things. Mommy said they would take the pieces home and think about what to do. Hailey didn't have enough money for a new one. When they got home it was very late and Hailey was distracted by another small accident. Mommy came up with a plan. She glued the piggy together. Some pieces were missing but piggy was mostly in one piece. Then mommy put Hailey's money back in the piggy. Hailey and mommy were able to talk about, without it being too sad, how its important to be careful with things like piggy banks and brothers. How money is the way we buy things and we can't always get a new one when something breaks, and how we can fix things. Sometimes we don't just throw things away when they break. Now piggy is extra special because now we have a memory attached to her.

Mommy learned a lesson too. Sometimes a little heartbreak is ok, when we get that heart back together won't be the same, it might be little easier to break next time, but it will have a special kind of beauty that only experience and memories can give. Ecclesiastes 3:9-11

The Shower...part 2

My husband occasionally travels. These travels give me small insights into the struggles of single parenting, as I mentioned in the Shower, it is much harder to shower with toddlers around than when they were infants. Hailey has reached the point where I can get into the shower and she will take it in stride, but as a precaution I lock the doors, give her a drink, turn on Curious George, and crack the bathroom door so she can use the potty if necessary. When Blake was an infant I would nestle him into a bed of pillows on the bathroom floor. This was cautionary, Hailey often tried to love him to death when I wasn't looking. These days if I try to pee with the door closed I hear hysterical little boy giggles and I know, I KNOW, that he is halfway up the stairs. The boy loves to live on the edge... literally.  This is the reason that I endevour to never shower when he is not safely encased behind his blue and green prison bars.

We all fall short of our goals sometimes and today was the day that Blake got up at 5:30, Hailey needed to be given breakfast and a story during his nap, I had a night out with some ladies ( which I have not had in over 2 months ) and said little fellow only remained asleep for 15 minutes. I was just about to climb into the shower, when a wail irrupted from the youngest child's cell. He was ready to be released into the world, prepared to climb great heights, drop cell phones into the potty, and empty all the cupboards.  You can see why he is incarcerated when supervision is not readily available. I felt, as an experienced warden, I had a way to keep my unruly prisoner safe from himself and the rest of us from his pilfering ways. I locked him in the bathroom with me. In retrospect this was foolish desperation but at the time I was over confident and diluted myself into thinking that snacks, a bottle, and three cupboards ( normally empty but I cleverly placed interesting toys inside to be discovered when our young criminal entered to steal and empty whatever containers he could find) would be enough to distract even a highly dedicated break in artist. I was wrong.

After a few moments of quiet munching the little maniac realized the warden had let her guard down. He then commenced to attempt to tear the shower curtains rod from the wall with glee. The warden, after only a second of consideration, whipped the curtain inside the tub. This limited the prisoners access to the curtain and ruined his fun. The warden smiles and confident smile and begins shampooing her hair, unaware that the small prisoner is preparing his newest trick. Giggles erupt from the other side of the curtain, the warden's confidence is shaken, she pears around the corner. Her heart skips a beat, there is no baby on the floor anywhere, the warden stumbles from the shower oblivious to the water pouring onto the floor. She stops. There is a baby sitting on top of the toilet bowl. The warden sighs. Direct supervision is required. The prisoner is stripped and given bath toys.

Wanted for excessive cuteness.

Master training her companion.

Baby Blake's Turn

 My son does not get a lot of press. His sister is VERBAL! She comes up with bizarre, hilarious, and adorable things to say all the time. She tells me how she is turning into a three, and next year  in June she'll turn into the next number. She's full of it. Poor Blake doesn't talk but I'm finding he is equally hilarious and equally stubborn. Blake loves to wrestle. He'll crawl up to Hailey and attack her. They love to wrestle and tickle. He likes to sneak up behind her and make a pinching motion at her behind. She runs away every time and he crawls after her giggling hysterically.

 He has developed a fascination with cupboard. Narnia exists and it is located inside my corner cupboard! It must considering all the time he spends in there investigating. He'll even close the door sometimes. He's a funny boy. 

When caught he does his best to look innocent.

He loved the beach, his favorite activity didn't get photographed because we went without Daddy. He loves being swung around in the water. He does NOT like his floaty. That's ok. Haily still loves the thing. He's a busy boy. Constantly on the move. Constantly hunting for food. He says " um um" which I am choosing to believe means yum yum, whenever he sees me with food. He says Muma and Dada pretty clearly now. I think he may become verbal like his sister any day now. I can't wait to hear what they have to say to each other!

Birthday parties and outings!

A pirate ship... This ship is not completed but i didn't get a picture of it finished

Hailey named the parrot Larry

A princess pirate set up!

The princess pirate and her pirate pals

These two had a blast

walking the plank

playing with her pirate loot

Birthday, anniversary, and graduation! O my!

Hello again! It's me, the crazy lady. This month has been absolutely jammed packed with celebrations and activities! I'll just have to list them off chronologically.  First there was, what is perhaps my favorite thing to celebrate, Randy's birthday. I love celebrating his birthday. He hate's celebrating his birthday. The one things he likes about his birthday is every year I make him a special cake. He doesn't like cake so he gets a fruit pie, ice cream cake, whatever is new and interesting. This year it was banana split cake. He loved the cake and even invited our neighbors down to partake. It was a good day. Then there is our anniversary. This year we had to celebrate it on the road because we traveled.

Cake!!!?!!

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H enjoying a little treat

You may have noticed that I have an addiction. It isn't to sweets, I like a good dessert as much as the next person but I really just want a taste and I'm satisfied. I don't want a lot of anything so I don't bake often. I'd have to eat the stuff more than I want to and I'd be really fat. I worked hard to get skinny! I'm addicted to baking. Not just baking but experimental baking. I love it when people invite me over and ask me to bring dessert. This give me a chance to break out my blender, my coffee pot, the nutella and maybe a recipe for guidance. ( I didn't say I was a mad scientist! ) Today I made a cake that will probably kill us! One slice might just send us to heaven! I made my favorite chocolate cake ( wacky cake!) and created a monster. I got creative with peanut butter ( well chocolate NEEDS peanut butter!) Nutella and cream cheese. Then I made some whipped cream, but I thought who wants plain whipped cream? So I made some hazelnut coffee icing. Then I thought this just isn't right. What is missing? Chocolate whipped cream! YES! I didn't have a frosting Bag so I made one and this is what came out of the kitchen. Frankenstein Monster! Like I said this cake might just kill us, but what a way to go! AND I'm super excited! If  my one piece of cake doesn't kill me then I can make a chocolate cake with raspberry filling for my friend on a vegan diet. I'm going to die of happiness because I don't have to figure out what to do with the cakes later. As you can see, I don't have to figure out what to do with the whipped cream left in the bowl.