BAD tooth....

Im sorry for the delay about my trip. There is so much to write and share but I have a broken back tooth and I think it's trying to kill me! I am hoping to get it fixed tomorrow and I will write more soon I promise!

home again...

Im home! We had a WONDERFUL time. We drove 3700 miles in ten days, we saw too many family members to name and I'm thankful that we have friends and family to visit. more tomorrow....

vacationing

We're loving life, driving long, visiting family and dear friends.....

I have to say that if you haven't seen the sun rise in the desert well you simply haven't lived! 

The highlight of my trip? Bat Girl of course, and the long hours in the car with my family... now THATS living!

Happy Thanksgiving friends!

Christmas pictures 08'

Today I took the kids out to take their annual Christmas picture and I LOVE IT! I usually take about 100 pictures and sort through them at home but this year it was FREEZING, we took 8 and called it good! A few came out great this is not the one I'm using for cards but it's close. Are they so cute or what? None of them were very happy with any of the pictures- you know how teenagers are!

I can't believe it's almost Christmas! I love the Holidays!

Broken Promises and skinned knees

My Sweet Kid3 takes Kid4 to the park every day. When he gets home from school she has her jeans on and is ready to head out. He is so sweet to take her and I’m not sure that every 12 year old would take a 4 year old to the park EVERY single day- but he does.

I love to watch them digging in the sand, swinging from the trees- just kidding- they swing on the swings! I love to watch them chase each other around and up and down the very big slide. It’s a fantastic feeling to see your kids happy with each other and having fun together.

Kid4 often comes home with funny stories about the park and the kids there. Yesterday she came inside for a minute and told me that “the new kids at the park are running away from home because their Mom LIED to them, she said they could have a pony but they DON’T have one! Little Bill wanted to run away and then he did not and he took a nap” I laughed because I saw that episode of Little Bill- we love Little Bill by the way and I also saw her listening intently to the “new kids” at the park and wondered what they were saying… now I know. Apparently their Mother is an Ogre… I mean who doesn’t let their kid have a pony? MEAN MEAN MEAN!

Kid3 and 4 headed out for a trip to the park this afternoon and she insisted on wearing a skirt so off they went. She was dancing around and running and they were chasing each other having the time of their lives. Kid3 came inside to go to the bathroom really quick and she stayed outside with our neighbor friend, I was also watching her from the window. All of a sudden the second I looked away I heard a big scream and being the overprotective parents of the baby that we are we all ran outside (All= me, Mr. B. and Kid2). She had fallen while our poor neighbor was walking her home and she was apparently stomping and telling him that she was “an adult” and “could stay at the park alone”… he was trying to coheres her home and she was not taking it well, slipped on the curb and fell on her knees!

Poor little girl, she has experienced running away, a lying Mom and skinned knees- does childhood get any better than this?

brothers

Brothers and boys have a different relationship than sisters and girls. They do love each other and have a similar need to tell each other things and communicate but they are not as verbal as girls- thank goodness! My first real understanding of the special relationship between boys was my brother and his friend in high school, they would do anything for each other and my brother named his first born after him. They didn't need to talk, one just knew what the other needed.

Later on in life when I had boys I could see that they are special in a different way. They do communicate, you just may have to listen harder or different.

So often boys get the short end of the stick, often adults treat boys as if they are always up to trouble and that may not be true. Boys get into things, they hop fences, go fast and get dirty but they aren't necesarily misbehaving- they are just being boys.

Brothers are amazing, through time when friends fail you brothers are forever.

I love pictures of brothers, and boys together having fun. Boys get into things, make messes, get dirty and seize every moment possible... I love brothers! These are pictures of a few of my favorite boys!

ode to my silly goosey

The tiniest blessing near or far.
What a wiggly silly goose you are.
Beautiful girl full of grace.
Those charming green eyes, oh’ what a face!
Brown bouncy curls dance and swirl about.
Amazingly innocent without a doubt.
As you grow we'll watch and see
What a miracle you will truly be.

for my Mom

Here's what I made today. The picture is not a great one because it's from my cell phone but I think you get the idea.

It's a WELCOME banner for my Mom who is having family over for Thanksgiving. It was fairly easy to make and I love it so much I am making me and Bat Girl one too!

Father-daughter time

My husband took Kid2 on a much deserved trip with him. They enjoy each others company and she is old enough to stay in a hotel by herself while he working. They have been going out for breakfast, she is on her own for lunch and they meet up again for dinner... The above picture is what they ate last night? HOW GROSS! I'm glad I'm not sharing in the gross-ness!

Kid2 is spending all day reading, taking long baths and doing manicures and pedicures.... she is loving the alone time. She is probably the only one who wouldn't be bored all day by herself, she loves to be alone.

It's nice to have father/daughter alone time- another day, another blog I'll tell you about the best trip I ever had with my Dad, just he and I alone.

We miss you Kid2 and Mr. B, but take your time because these are the memories neither of you will ever forget!

Waiting on Daddy

Mr. B. is out of town for a few days this week and Kid4 is devastated! She does NOT like her Daddy to leave- ever! She likes him to be near her at all times.

Poor little Kid4 cried and cried last night while Kid2 packed to go with Mr. B. He took Kid2 with him so they could have a father daughter trip while he was travelling on business. It’s the perfect thing for Kid2, she will enjoy spending time alone in the hotel during the day and adore having his full attention at night. This evening they had fun sending me pictures of them eating gross things…. It must be a Dad thing.

Kid4 cried and cried last night and I told her that her and I could not be apart that I would be too sad hoping that she would feel better knowing that I needed her company. She smartly replied that I would have two boys and Daddy would have two girls and that is the fair thing. She did not feel like it was fair for Daddy to only have one girl for a father daughter trip- I agree with her!

All day today and tonight before she fell asleep she wanted me to reassure her that it was “only 2 days” without Daddy- It’s really 3 but hey she probably won’t know!

Tonight she put his hat on the bed post with stickers of a mouth and sunglasses and said that we could pretend that this was Daddy until he comes home. I’m not sure that this is an acceptable stand in but it will have to do!

So Daddy if you’re out there reading this Bella wants you to COME HOME QUICK, she just can’t live without you- and Sister too she says.

**here is her “pretend Daddy” and her sleeping soundly waiting for daddy.