My Family

Again, a long time....

2009-11-08T23:21:00.011-05:00

I know I've been pretty sucky about keeping up with this blog - with Dan and I both having Facebook accounts, that has taken precedence over this blog...but I guess I should update it. About a month or so after my last post (see below) regarding the loss of a very close friend of ours - my dear grandmother, Meme, passed away quietly in her hospital bed. It was a blow to all of us, but especially to our poor little Andrew. He was very close to her. She is missed by all of us so much...and especially to my mother who has been taking care of her in her (Mom's) home for the past few years since my grandfather's death. About two weeks prior to Meme's hospitalization and her death, my mother (seen in the picture with Meme) wanted me to come over and take some pictures of her, me, and the kids with Meme. Mom's timing was impeccable - as we would've never had another chance to take those pics again...

On other matters - I'm only working at Duke in the Pediatric Oncology clinics one 12 hour shift per week - yet again. The rest of the week is spent shuttling kids to school and preschool, as well as working as a medical transcriptionist from home. The upside - I'm home for the kids and Dan more - the downside - trying to listen to a doctor mumbling at light speed while I try to type word for word what he's saying, while also listening to Nathanael ask me for a movie, snack, or juice - or even better yet, tell me what the dog is doing - yea, you tell me how much work you would get done from home...it can make for a challenging day at times....

Nathan is in preschool three half days per week, Cody is in 5th grade and has been nominated to be in the AG (academically gifted) classes in his school, Andrew is in kindergarten and having a much better time with it this year.

They had a great time for Halloween. Cody was Storm Shadow from GI JOE, Nathan was Wolverine from X-Men, and Andrew was Iron Man. My in-laws were gracious enough to let us go to their large neighborhood to do our damage...and the kids definitely did damage in the candy collecting department. For every house they collected a piece of candy from though, they gave a present...a piece of paper with a scripture from the Bible - so we went "tract or treating" instead of complete "trick or treating." The kids enjoyed the experience and a few of the houses' occupants seemed to take to it well...others, well....were still handing out the candy...

Cody is growing up so fast and looks more and more like my clone, Andrew has always been Dan's clone, and Nathanael appears to be a mix of Dan and I both (see above close up of kids pics). Each kiddo has their own personality, as all kids do...

Cody is our scientific loving kid - but hates math (go figure). He would rather study biology (his fav program on tv was "House" until we stopped him from watching it b/c it can get raunchy at times) and how things work, but not care HOW they work. He's our doer in that aspect. He will build stuff with instructions, but he loves learning about human/animal bodies and how they work (again, go figure, Mommy is a nurse). Him and I have sat and had discussions about different disease processes and treatments, and I almost feel like I'm talking to a peer a week or more later. He retains it. He has learned an appreciation for reading as well, (much like his mother - just not as fast reading as Mommy yet), but he prefers visualizations. I frequently work with sickle cell kids at work and I brought home slides to show him the cells that are different and then had to have a science lesson with him in my living room on a white erase board b/c he wanted to truly know what the cells did....talk about challenging Mommy's knowledge.... He is also our smart alec in the family...see the pic...he built the figure....he is quick witted and has begun to pick up on things a lot quicker in the terms of going, "Huh? What did you mean by that?" Or...worse yet, he comes with quick witted comments to things that we say around him....we gotta watch him.

Andrew is the "heart," as he has much of it. He loves everyone and doesn't know a stranger. You know of the tv program "Everyone Loves Raymond?" Well, in our lives, the tv show of our family life would be "Everyone Loves Andrew" - well except for his brothers at times, so it seems. When we went to NJ in August, he laid with Aunty Pinky and they ended up falling asleep together(sorry, Aunt Pinky if you don't think its a flattering pic of you - I thought it was cute)...although, he DID wake up for the picture -barely. He can be tempermental, and he's so hard to shop for during birthdays and Christmas - He wants to be a big boy and have big boy stuff like Cody for Christmas, but he also likes the stuff that Nathan gets....makes Christmas this year tough. He hasn't developed his own likings...he just follows the crowd - always wanting to please and put his heart into everything and everyone that he meets.

Nathanael - he has become our challenge. He is defiant at times, argumentative, whiny when he doesn't get his way, and questioning EVERYTHING...but he also knows that he's cute and adored because he is the baby of the family and Cody dotes on him hand and foot...and so have we at times. He thinks he can get away with "murder." Dan and I have recently been trying to correct this attitude and are finding that it's better to raise kids(so all you to be parents know this) the same way (to some extent b/c each child is different). Wow, it took us to get to number three child to realize this???

Dan is doing well. He lost his job just as my hours cut down at work(which was our choice about how much time I worked outside the home). He had the opportunity immediately after losing his job to work for a family owned business that he had actually worked for a year before - this boss(the one he works for now) wanted him back. So we are blessed that Dan is in a good place with his job mentally. And regardless of what everyone says - "If Mommy ain't happy, no one is..." I lengthen this statement.... "If Mommy ain't happy, no one is... If Daddy ain't happy, no one is, BUT if they are both happy...then everyone is."

For more pics and such, you can look Dan and I up on Facebook. I will try to be better and update here at least once per month...

Thank you family and friends for loving us, even though we don't always stay in touch....

In Memory of Ty

2009-06-28T16:10:00.001-04:00

I write this now - b/c I'm not sure I could get up and speak it at a eulogy, and I'm hurting, but happy and going through all these emotions....

Saturday morning, we, family, and friends lost an incredible man, and heaven gained one of the most talented men I've ever met in my life. Ty Grant (see below for those of you who don't know mine and Dan's relationship with him) died in a motorcycle accident. No specifics yet. He was wearing a helmet and he was an experienced rider.

I met Ty Grant and his wife, Jen 6 years ago when I started playing in the praise and worship team at our church. They were an incredible couple, and God used Ty in so many ways in my life and my husband's life, and the lives of my children. He pushed me to play to the best of my ability for God. He admonished me like his daughter, and loved my husband and my children. He was their surrogate grandfather. He would always call me out when I was wrong, and help me realize what was right. He was a loving father, a good husband who loved his wife and worked hard. He never accepted a "thank you" or a hug, but by his smile and his eyes, you could always tell that he accepted those things.

I will never forget him bopping his head back and forth...getting into the music. Or how many times I teased him about getting an afro on that bald head of his...or how I playfully teased him about turning off the lights and only seeing his teeth glow in the dark. He loved chocolate cake, but he was allergic to chocolate as well.

He will be missed by all - he touched so many lives...and even as we grieve, heartbroken and unbelieving that this could happen....we know, that he beat us to the punch...as he always did with me....he's with his Daddy. And for that....a part of me can still play, can still sing the songs in my heart to God that I want to sooo badly.

Ty - while you never acknowledged how much you were loved by so many people - I hope that you did really know...how loved by us here on Earth that you were. Goodbye T-Dogg. Lucky Dogg....you met Him before we did.

We will miss you so much...

Sorry, dead link

2009-06-27T09:18:00.001-04:00

Sorry about the link to the wedding pictures from the last post. This one should work better:

http://renewalceremony.shutterfly.com/

Enjoy!!!

2009-06-25T17:20:00.005-04:00

Wow, didn't realize it had been so long since I posted last...

Our 10 Year Anniversary Renewal of our vows went well. Needless to say, I think we surprised more than a few people when we came out sword fighting down the aisle. We had a good time with our family and friends though. To see more pics of the ceremony go here (cut and copy in your browser): http://www.shutterfly.com/lightbox/view.sfly?fid=720374a20a4e16432f762628e38c6d8e

As always, things have remained busy here. However, Dan and I recently decided that it would be better for our family if I went back down to one day a week at work again. It just seemed pointless for me to work four days a week, and bring home the same amount of money as I would if I was only doing one day a week (we wouldn't have to pay childcare or as much gas money). So despite some disagreeances within our outside family members, we choose our children over my working. I'll make the same amount of money and spend more time at home with our kids. Seems reasonable for now.

Looking at the last post....Nathan potty trained in just a few days and he's been doing well with that...although, we do have issues with the "every bathroom needs to be explored" idea. If I go to three different stores in an hour, he has to visit every restroom. And granted, he does go in every bathroom that he visits - but it does get a bit old after awhile. He's developing his own little personality lately and has been known to argue his point quite vehemently. Hence, reason number one that either Dan or I need to stay home to correct our children.

Cody passed fourth grade and will be starting 5th grade in late August. He was so proud of himself - and rightly so. And yes, the picture with Andrew and Nathan does show Cody's ability to tie up his brothers. He's been a tremendous help over the summer - although he does egg the other two on at times. Hence, reason number two for one of us finding a way to stay at home and raise our children.

Andrew made leaps and bounds in kindergarten this year...but not enough to pass him. His math is good for his grade, but his reading is behind. Right now, he is on track to repeat kindergarten. However, he will be reassessed on the first day of school and we'll see from there. We've accepted that he will probably repeat kindergarten next year. He is still having articulation issues with his speech as well, but together with the speech therapist at school - hopefully his speech will continue to improve. Hence, reason number three.

Dan is still working at the same shop about 15 minutes from our house. Business is slow with the economy the way it is, but he's doing as much as is available...and some occasional side work here and there.

My grandmother has been in and out of the hospital over the past month and a half. She is in a weakened state and mom is trying to get her to eat right. However, she is used to eating the way she is used to eating and its been a battle between her and mom to get her to eat properly.

Mom has been diagnosed with having scleroderma antibodies. It's a rare disorder where her immune system will attack her organs and/or joints.

My brother Joe is now on a trip across the country with a few of his guy friends. They don't know where they are going or what they'll see. They have very little money and they are depending on the kindness of strangers along the way...should be an interesting trip....

Of milking cows and other things

2009-02-16T16:20:00.009-05:00

So the potty training thing is slow going. He almost makes it to the bathroom, or he makes it and then goes after I pull his pants up. Fun. The highlight of our first day was after 5 hours of Nathan not peeing, Cody comes up with a brilliant, very joking idea.
"If he's holding it in, why don't we just milk him like a cow to get the pee to come out?"

Needless to say, I was ready to pee myself because I was laughing so hard...and Cody, while thinking it was funny, really didn't realize why it was so much more funny to me. All I could do was to simply look at him through teary eyes and say, "One day you will understand why that is even funnier to me than you." Didn't realize that bodily functions would ever be so funny.

Experiments:
In my quest to find dinners that are cheaper, easier to heat up in the micro (as I do all my cooking for the week in one day and then heat stuff up during the week), and, well, cheaper. Hello, three growing boys and another one that eats like he's still growing... ???!!!???

So, tuna fish is cheap right? Okay, so I took some tuna fish, frozen peas, a can of cream of mushroom soup that I had in my cubbard that hadn't expired(I usually abhor using that b/c its sooooo processed), goat milk, some salt and peppter, bisquick, and an egg - mix it all together and put it in the oven. It looked gross, but taste wise not so bad. I'm thinking, this could be a doable option for a casserole for our family once every few weeks. Easy to make, cheap, and made some rice pilaf to go with it. Cody says, "It smells good, but the aesthetic value is lacking." What is that about? I mean his vocabulary...
However "aesthetically" unpleasing as it looked (see pic), the kids ate it up with very few comments - "yum, snort, scarf, scarf, and a few mumbled mmm this is good." So I guess after 13 years of cooking, I can finally put a meal together by doing some research on what flavors go together and just making it up as I go. Praise God in Heaven for that, as well as for the internet to do the research.

Another lazy day...

2009-02-15T19:23:00.006-05:00

So tomorrow I will officially be starting "Potty Training Bootcamp" with Nathanael. He's three years old and refuses to potty train, but tomorrow I will be taking his beloved diapers and his pants. If he pees on my floor, he's going to be in a lot of trouble. I did have to do the same thing with Andrew when he was this age as well, but Andrew was a little more willing. So, please say a prayer for me...I'm going to need it.

I absolutely had to include this picture of him lapping his water from the fountain...I've never seen anyone drink water from a water fountain quite this way before...I don't think he actually got an water to drink out of this, but his tongue definitely wasn't dry after this drink.

Andrew has been his usual self, well, maybe a little more difficult than usual. He tattles wreaks havoc with his younger brother, and totally pesters his older brother. Hmmm, I guess that makes him fit the perfect description of the "middle child." He's so loving though when he wants to be, just not to his brothers. His school skills are improving, but he's still not quite up to par yet.

Cody is in full swing in his basketball season this year. He enjoys it, but still doesn't have the skills as some of his team mates. This is his 5th year playing through the church - Upwards - program. He's made some good shots, but is still having a lot of problems with dribbling the ball and paying attention to what his team is doing around him. However, he's having fun and enjoying doing something out of the house that doesn't involve his tagalong brothers.

As for plans for the future I'll give you a looksie at my newest project - it's called "The Great Sequin Race." Yes, sequins...those things that you thought had died with the disco age have made their way back into our home in this day and age. I guess that requires some more explaining. First let me elaborate that we have discovered that sequins are a lot like glitter. They get everywhere and even though you vacuum and think you got them all, you don't. You find one of the little boogers hiding from you between couch cushions or in your child's cereal bowl.

Needless to say, our plans for our 10 Year Wedding Anniversary will be revealed in this picture:
Now, you can't tell, but there are sequins in every nook and cranny on this dress, which is discouraging, because I'm not really a sequiney kind of gal. This dress, the way its cut and such was the dress I wanted to originally marry Dan in 10 years ago (minus the sequins), but with us just starting out in life, couldn't afford. My dear husband, knowing his wife so well, while looking for some clothes for our kids not long ago found this dress and suggested I go have a look because I could use parts of it for the dress I was going to make for the ceremony. Nope, I picked it up for $50 bucks, brought it home, tried it on and realized that not only was it a perfect fit, but there would be no way I was going to tear it up just to use parts. There is that sequin thing tho...so Dan and I sit and watch tv at night with the dress draped between us - seeing who can get the most sequins off the thing. Thus, you know that show, "The Amazing Race" - we have our own little amazing race going on...

So yes, plans are in the works for our 10 Year Anniversary Gala - a ceremony which we will renew our vows to each other, and have a bit of fun with it as well...tee-hee....just you wait. Details will be forth coming...

Didn't realize it had been sooooo loooonnngg...

2009-01-20T13:51:00.009-05:00

I honestly didn't realize that it had been so long since I posted - so now, being snowed into my house and not being able to go to work - I thought it would be an appropriate time to update...so here goes....
Yes, I did say the "s" word - "snow." We finally got some of the white stuff, which successfully made for quite a situation around here... I took the four wheel drive out this morning to see if I could safely navigate the roads to work...however, after going a mile down the road - I realized how unsafe a 45 minute drive to work would be. Not to mention, that upon stopping at the local gas station nearby - snow is a major event here - it's almost like having a movie star show up in front of your house. Inside the warmth of the gas station, the locals were sitting near windows watching and laughing each time a car slipped and slided down the highway. Talk about having a past-time - it went something like this in my mind:

"So, Bubba Jay, what did you do today?"
"Well, we watched that there idiot try to correct for that turn, and oooppsss...there he gone into the ditch."

Yea, okay...did I mention I've become bored sitting here....

Cody celebrated his 10th birthday in December - I can't believe he's been in our lives for that long. Of course, he thinks that makes him a teenager. Dan and I decided that he could stay alone in the house for a 10 to 20 minute period of time in the house while I ran to the store or whatever. When I first told him that I had a surprise for him, he wasn't quite sure what to think. He was in awe of the situation, but also a bit scared until I told him that while I was gone with Andrew and Nathan he could play the Wii. He jumped at the chance and since then he has had no hesitancy in staying at home for a short amount of time all by himself. Of course, the good news for Dan and I - as long as he sits in front of that Nintendo Wii - we know he won't be getting into anything else around the house....its the best hypnotic trick I've learned so far. It's like that commercial about Fixodent, "Fix it and forget it" - instead it's more like "Wii it and forget it."

The boys had a great time for Christmas...although, you can see from Andrew and Nathan's faces...they weren't too sure about getting their picture taken in front of the Christmas tree - or maybe they were just egging each other on because Nathan thought he looked better in his shirt than Andrew and Andrew disagreed...who knows. They might even be doing their best pirate impressions - "Aargh, Matey."We did make a winter trip to the beach this year. It's a long story, but needless to say, one of the families that I had previously cared for at work - well, we became pretty close. They had a large house (see pic) donated to them over the month of December to live at and invited our entire family to come enjoy some time with them while they celebrated Justin's end of chemotherapy. The house came complete with three stories, an elevator, and decks on each level of the house. It was very impressive, everyone was very nice, and we had a blast.
Andrew even got a chance to practice his name in the sand...while I got to practice my photography of the sunrise...

Cody has been doing fairly well in school - although his math is somewhat lacking - which we knew would be the case. Andrew is still having some articulation problems with his speech and has been recommended for more speech therapy through the school. His skills are improving, but he is still struggling with his numbers and letters (moreso numbers).

I continue to work the new job, and am loving it. Still working with most of the same patients I worked with inpatient in the hospital, but in a daytime only setting. Dan continues to work at Colony Tire about 10 minutes from the house and is doing fairly well there.

As for those of you wondering what is going on here/or has gone on here....let's just say, things took a turn for the worse, and as all stories go, there is always a turn for the worse before the story gets better. We are at the tail end of the worst and moving onto that "happy ending" it seems. As Dan and I approach our 10 year wedding anniversary this May, and we will celebrate in a way that is not unique, but will include some of our closest friends and family. We would love to invite all of you, but there is only so much we can do...keep posted for more details will surely follow - but think - May 9th........

Many happenings....and the summer time past...

2008-08-30T13:08:00.013-04:00

This summer, we have spent so much time in pools....I'm still not sporting a great tan, but at least I'm not a snowman. The kids have had a great summer with the excitement of starting school lingering in their minds. We spent some time at our friends' (also honorary grandparents to the kids, and my band task master) pool and the kids had a blast.

Ty and Jen had been on us for awhile to use the pool and we finally took them up on the offer. Cody took the time to practice his cannonballs, while Nathan and I swam around and smiled for the camera.

We also took the opportunity to take the first family vacation we've had in many years to NJ.
The kids had a blast and even got a chance to pilot my uncle's pontoon boat. We had a fun and relaxing time up north...but then it was time to come home...and the real fun began.

Cody and Andrew have started public school this year. Cody started 4th grade on August 25th and has already had a spelling test, which are proud to announce he made a 105% on (he got the bonus spelling word correct too). Andrew starts kindergarten on September 2nd. Poor Nathanael, he wants to start school so badly...but for now, he gets to watch his brothers go. They were very excited to start - and if I could have bottled up Andrew's excitement and sold it - we'd be millionaires right now.

I'm currently still working three days a week at Duke, in the same department, but that may change soon. We're still uncertain if I have the new job - it's still at Duke, but instead of inpatient (hospital) I'd be doing outpatient (clinic) - still in pediatrics. Be praying...my boss at the hospital cut my hours (and many of the other casual employees), so timing of possibly getting the new position will be tight.

Dan is working at Colony Tire in Wake Forest - yet again. He worked there a few years ago and left thinking that the new job would be better - it wasn't, and now he's back in the swing of things - and a little closer to home to boot.

We also got a chance to see my mother's brother's oldest son (my first cousin on my mother's side), his wife, and kids. We hadn't seen them in over 15 years and had never met his wife or kids. We all had a great time at my mother's house catching up...and upon my mother's request, we did the family picture thing...

The band...well, while all the members of my band, Pre-existing Condition also play for the church band, 21 Days, it is Pre-existing Condition who will be gigging out and recording the new CDs. 21 Days just released our third CD - "Where is the Rain?" - and I must say, it totally rocks - listen to some of it on www.myspace.com/21daysatfbc

In the meantime, Pre-existing Condition (seen in the pic), will be performing at several neat venues this year and next.

See this site for one of our biggest events this year with a write up on us: http://www.piedmontinterstatefair.com/grandstandstageevents.html

All in all...its been a busy year...swimming, fairs, working, school, playing...it never ends...but we keep on ticking...

That time of the year....

2008-06-18T16:50:00.008-04:00

North Carolina summers are HOT! No, did I say, "HOT?" I meant HTH....aka "hotter than Hades." However, with us just beginning the summer, we have our up and down days of temperatures. Today was a warm day, but nice and breezy. So, after playing baseball and a few other outdoor games this afternoon, it was time to take those pictures that I'm so fond of and will look back on for the rest of my life - the closeups. You have all heard, I'm sure, how a Dalmation puppy isn't born with spots, neither are my children...thus, Cody has freckles on his nose, as does Andrew, but Nathanael's are still on the up and coming list. I love doing these closeups of my kids and try to do them often. I also got them to sit long enough together to snap off a few pics of them together....Wow! Granted, they weren't entirely happy about it, but they humored their mother and posed for the pic. I guess I can't expect total perfection ; ) At least they aren't punching each other in the picture...

We caught our first wild life critter today, alive. Last week we called Animal Control regarding a certain masked creature...yep, a raccoon. We set up a live trap two days ago and finally, last night, we caught him/her. It wasn't too happy with me this morning when I went to walk the dog and discovered its presence. I felt badly for the poor dear, who, every time I walked past it, would curl up in a corner of its small imprisonment. However, I can't afford to feed it, the outdoor cat, Dusty, and all the possible little 'coons that will eventually come. Animal Control came fairly quickly in the morning (before 11am) to come get it.

Yes...it's been awhile.

2008-06-12T15:58:00.008-04:00

Between working full time again (three days a week at Duke) and the kids...things have been busy. The kids have had several opportunities to go to the in-laws pool, and the summer is just beginning! Andrew is comfortable putting his face in the water - as long as he's got those huge goggles on.... Cody, on the other hand has been jumping off the edge of the pool and the diving board into nine feet of water! They are both so proud of themselves for these most recent accomplishments. Nathan enjoys the water as well...although, as fair as his skin is - he needs lots of sunscreen. It took three tries, but we finally found a sitter that we really like. Dawn comes over and watches the kids two days a week (Mondays and Fridays) and Dan watches them one day a week when he has his day off. I'm trying to come up with enough summer activities on my days off to keep the kids busy. Andrew and Cody will both start in the school system this coming August. Andrew will be in kindergarten and Cody will start 4th grade. His Iowa tests from this year came back and he's at least on grade level or higher. We are waiting to hear if the county decides to make all the kids wear uniforms or not. The vote should go through soon, so I'll know whether I need to buy uniforms or regular school clothes.

They are both excited by the prospect of going to a "real school." We'll try it for a year and see how it works.

Speaking of clothes...my wardrobe has changed a little. I'm putting aside the look of simple fitted t-shirts and jeans and moving onto more "adult" stuff to some extent. I still show my creative side through what I wear...

I'm still going to the gym as much as I can - which usually ends up being three days a week now. Three miles on the elliptical trainer and then 30 minutes of weight training. The kids go with me and love the childcare that is provided at the gym.

Andrew's birthday is around the corner - July 2nd. I can't believe he's going to be five years old already. He wants a monster truck themed birthday party...so just you wait to see the cake I'm planning for this one. I'm not sure what is harder to believe - him turning 5 or Cody turning 10 in December! Two milestone birthdays in one year - I'm not sure how I'll handle it!

New pics....

2008-03-27T17:24:00.006-04:00

I try to get pics done of the kids and/or me at least once a year. The ones posted around here were taken today. These are Mommy and her three boys - her three little men. They are the world to me. And from the looks of these pics, they think the same of me.

My cousins from NJ came down for a few days. It was so nice to have my cous here. I missed talking to her so much - we've both been so busy that we haven't really had time to talk. The kids had a total blast and I had time to talk to my cousin and her hubby, which has always been a complete pleasure. I love them all so much and am sooooooo grateful that we found each other after so many years (long story that I won't go into here).

We're doing great! There have been a few large bumps in the road, but we're bouncing back and working it out.

Life as we know it....

2008-03-12T10:33:00.006-04:00

You would think that we don't let Cody get any sleep around here....he actually said he was tired and I didn't believe him until I saw for myself.....the best sleeping place in the house is that couch in front of the front windows after lunch when the sun comes through....

Life as we know it around here is going to change a lot this year. From Cody (and possibly) Andrew starting in public school, to me possibly going back to work full-time, to....everything else (that I'm not privy to write about right now)...Crazy. Amongst craziness though, there is some form of sanity, I promise. A few days ago, I was at the stove making yogurt. I had just given Nathan and Andrew pieces of apple to keep them occupied (hello, snack time usually means that they aren't acting up too badly so I can get something done).

They were sitting at the table, I had my back turned away from them, when I heard Nathanael burst out into that great two year old laughter. If he hadn't been wearing a diaper, he would've peed his pants - that's how hard he was laughing. Now, I'm trying to do the yogurt and can't turn around to find out what he's laughing about, and hey, if he's laughing, nothing can be that bad. He gets quiet for a minute, and then bursts out laughing again. By this time, I'm curious as to what is making him laugh so hard.

As I slowly turn around, he's laughing again and I see why. Below his chair, sits the dog. He has an apple piece in his hand. He takes a bite from the piece, which he is quiet for and then puts the apple piece down to the dog where she licks it and takes a bite - much to Nathan's glee - which makes him laugh hysterically. Then, he takes a bite. Ewwwwww. Now if he had been my first and only child, I would've been washing his mouth out with Listerine or something. However, I've become more laid back as a parent with three boys...there's not much that grosses me out anymore.

He has finally given up the pacifier as well...when we were visiting at my dad's house this past weekend, he threw his "pappy" at Andrew and lost it. We didn't have a spare, and I refuse to buy any more since I think at 2 years and some change, he really doesn't need them anymore.

So, Nathan has found the batman mask - and since his nickname is "Bug" (see a previous post) - that would make him -------- BATBUG!!!! Tee-hee.

Then he decided to try his hand at the harmonica....no handed....he must have his mother and grandfather's musical abilities....

And of course, this page wouldn't be complete without my poor middle child...Andrew. Actually, no one can ever feel sorry for him. He makes himself known in every crowd, and loves and talks to everyone. He has proven to be somewhat devious at times, but is most of the time easily corrected. His speech is so much improved, and he has started working on letter recognition and writing his name. He is quite proud of himself, as he well should be.

Nathan's new word...

2008-02-26T22:13:00.003-05:00

Nathanael, our quiet and observant child in the bunch...is developing his personality. We aren't sure where he got his new word from, but we do know that he is now using it as a formal part of his vocabulary.

Nathan has added a new word to his vocabulary... "actually."

I was cutting potatoes the other day to go with our dinner. Nathanael got so excited about it. "Look, apples." I told him, "No, they're potatoes." The conversation continued:

"No, Mommy, actually they're apples." Nathan was quite insistent.
"No, Nathan, they are actually potatoes."
"Actually," he said with a devious smile, "they're apples."

This went on for quite some time. Until finally he got bored and walked off to sit on, or I mean sit with the dog.

Happenings....

2008-02-11T17:31:00.001-05:00

There is plenty of news...

Having kids puts some interesting experiences into your path. Perfect example - the song "Row, row, row your boat" was never really amusing until the four year old and two year old are sitting in the second row of the van - singing it at the top of their lungs. Each has their own tempo, and Nathan wasn't quite singing the correct words - it came out as "Row, row, row your butt, row it down the sheep."

Now...I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean, but needless to say I got a tremendous laugh out it, as did Cody, well, at least for the first few minutes. As the volume increased, my two little Placido Domingos became more insistent in their wording, until finally, all you heard from them both was "Row, Row...."

My two little hooligans.

Meanwhile, we finally setup a drum kit that was given to us, for Cody. We'll see what he does with it. Right now, he's got half an hour to play after the little ones wake from naptime to bang away...which he does. And he has also discovered, interestingly enough, that his bass drum, when struck hard enough, will knock items off of this shelves. Go figure that???!!!???

I have joined the gym recently and have been working out for an hour pretty much everyday except on Tuesdays (when I'm at work at Duke) and Sundays. Usually, 1/2 hour on the elliptical trainer and then 1/2 hour weight lifting - particularly working on upper strength. Mondays are usually our busiest days around here - and today was no exception. By noon, I had taught Cody his harder subjects, worked out at the gym, ground flour, made bread, made tortillas, washed three load of clothes, cleaned my dresser, and made everyone lunch. I was tired....

Speaking of tired....yes, Padme continues to grow. Right now, she's about 18 lbs. She was 2 lbs. when we first got her. Her training is going a lot better now - her attention span is just better in general, but she LOVES new people in her environment. Between the excited dog routine and the outdoor "racing a bullet" routine - the terrier in her really shines. She is mostly patient with the boys, and I often find her underneath one of them, ummm wrapped in a blanket. I don't know what they are trying to do to her, but Cody and I are usually pretty quick to save her from Nathan and Andrew's devious plans.

Of Sports and things...

2008-01-26T15:54:00.000-05:00

This is Cody's fourth year playing basketball at church. This is, however, the first year that he's really getting into it. He had pictures done today (you'll see those when I get them back from the photographer) and played a great game. His only big weakness is dribbling the ball...he can make some points, he's great at defense (he's one of the tallest kids on the team)...but he has trouble dribbling.

And then there's my other two goofballs before the game....

Andrew's speech therapy has been going well enough that we have now been able to do biweekly sessions with the speech therapist instead of weekly. His speech has improved remarkably over the past year!!! Now, it's time to continue the work at home and in daily conversation.

I've finally done it!! I joined the gym. I'm looking forward to getting back in shape. Eating healthy has been one way to get my body in better shape/weight, now it's time to add some exercise!!

Dan is in the process of moving our shed from my mother's place where we used to live to our current residence. Should be an interesting experience. I'm just looking forward to having storage space again!!!

Goodness....and patience....

2008-01-21T17:54:00.000-05:00

So as I sit here typing, I'm listening to my youngest wind down from his first true temper tantrum...yea, that may sound mean, but they are purely crocodile tears.

It started out as me telling the middle one, Andrew to eat his dinner (he had been sitting there for an hour looking at it like it was going to metamorphisize into some weird bad guy from Power Rangers - hello its merely honey ham, broccoli and noodles!). Well, Nathan, the youngest, decided to engage Andrew, at this point in time, in a conversation about playing hide-and-go-seek. OK...this is my 2 year old having a conversation of this type with my 4 year old...

Needless to say, I told Nathan to leave Andrew alone so he could eat his dinner. Nathan stood up as straight as he could (he's only 4 inches and two years behind Andrew, keep in mind - he's tall) and crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. Now, I'm talking about full blown "bass mouth" as my grandfather used to call it. He stomped his foot and looked at me defiantly. I told him if he did it again I would have to spank him for disobeying. So what do you think he did???? Yep, he went after Andrew and not only bothered Andrew, but pushed him out of his chair.

So yes, I had to pop his bottom for it. His response - he literally threw himself on the floor (the floor of our cozy doublewide shuddered), started kicking the floor (I think the foundation itself was rattling at that point), and started crying for Daddy....like HE was going to save his this fate. Not so much, babe.

So....here's the news around this household.... Here's a pic of Aunt Theresa and Nathan. He wasn't too sure of her at first, even though they've met several times since he's been born...but he warmed up to her quickly when he discovered that I would take a picture of him with her. My youngest son...shades of his photogenic mother...always willing to pose nice for the camera!!! But as you can see from the other pic...she did have to chase him a little bit....while Padme sat there to see how much she could pilfer off of her plate.

Alas, homeschooling....I agree with it. I would love to say that I could do it forever. I don't know that I can. Not with Cody. He needs more structure which has been hard to provide here at times - especially with the two little ones running around, and Andrew needing so much help with his learning style and speech... We're trying to get him into a charter school (they're free, but the kids that get accepted are picked via a lottery system) that's local. He would have the same math program and testing that he was used to in a homeschool setting, but....his chances of getting in are only going to be by God...please pray. We do have a new elementary school that is being built and will be ready by his fourth grade school year - it's about a mild up the road from us. Dan and I feel comfortable enough with where Cody's morals are at this point to send him out there "into the world." The school systems are getting better out here where we live, in this part of the county. Even if he just goes for a few years and then wants to come back home, I think it will do more good in the long run, than harm.

Wintry weather?

2008-01-17T15:27:00.000-05:00

Winter weather warning? Puh-lease...not one snowflake. What we did get were some pics of the kids - being kids(duh what else would they be??)
Cody decided to take a break from school to squint - I mean smile at the camera (anything to take away from his school work).

Meanwhile, Andrew tortured, I mean played with the puppy. I look at these pictures and can't believe how much of a spitting image Andrew is to his father!!!! Cody is my exact likeness...and Nathan is our mutt - I mean mix. The mutt has her own picture in her new dog bed. Yes, I bought her her own bed for her crate. She LOVES it...and is quite content to sleep in it as much as possible.

And Nathan was just content to watch everything and pose for the camera as much as he could...

Hmmmm...busy morning. It was one of those rainy, cold days that make you want to stay in bed all day and do nothing...so it was basically a day in which we were all trapped in the house and had to get things done (school, made cream cheese, played...).

My brother-in-law just got married to his gal recently - no ceremony...they lived it up. They went to Vegas and had a blast for their nupitals. You go guys!!! I'm so happy for them! We love you guys so much!!!!

What I see, I eat?

2008-01-09T13:12:00.000-05:00

No...the above title really isn't adequate I suppose. I'm on Day 9 of a "yeast cleanse." I'm cutting out all sugar, high starchy foods, taking lots of acidophilus and just watching what I'm eating. Actually, I'm watching what everyone else is eating and wanting it badly...but that's besides the point. I'm more energized, lost 7 pounds so far and don't feel hungry at all. I really don't miss the sugar part, but I do miss some of my homemade bread with butter. Oh, my bread, very soon I will be able to eat you!!! Actually, this "yeast cleanse" should only last another week or two...

Things have settled down after the holidays - I think. Although, the dog looks like she's broken....she's constantly laying funny. She's getting bigger and more stubborn - I guess it's true what they say about a pet being like their owner. ; ) She's still working on housetraining though. She can't be trusted out and about in the house yet. I don't know whether she just doesn't get it, or she's just trying to irritate us....

So far, Dan's job continues. There was a bit of a scare with his job security again recently...but God is gracious and the bills are getting paid and he's still at his job - for now.

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

2007-12-28T13:55:00.001-05:00

Well, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to 2008!!! As you can see - Padme is looking forward to it....her ears are perked up to ring in the New Year!

I've started training the dog...if I can just get her housetrained, we'll be much happier with her. However, she does have a cute trick that she does. I'm teaching her come and sit. She has combined the two, especially in the house - kind of. She gets a running start in the living room, slides across the kitchen floor, bumps into my feet, slides herself backwards and then sits at my feet, and anxiously awaits her treat. I'm just trying to figure out if she's abusing the system....considering that she has to sit down anyway after clearing the fuzz from her brain because she just slid into my leg....I would sit too.

The boys had a great Christmas! Cody ripped into his gifts, Andrew tore into his as well...meantime, Nathan was determined to tear off one small 2x2 piece of paper at a time from each gift. Yes, Mr. Careful himself thought it would be wise to just tear little pieces from the present at a time...afterall, we all needed more wrapping paper to clean up after.

And so what do the holidays have for everyone??? - a common issue for all of us around this time of the year???? Yes, folks, you guessed it...weight gain. I've gained a few pounds over the past two weeks...but that's okay....my New Year's resolution is to finally cleanse my body of all the ichy stuff. So while my friend Amie has lost poundage prior to Christmas...I'm going on a full body cleanse after Christmas. It will not only help with holiday weight loss, and the last few pounds I had to lose prior to the holidays, but it will clean my system of 30 so years of toxic trash (high fructose corn syrup, nicotine, etc...). It will start January 1st with a mild cleanse and then a more severe "Master Cleanse" after that. Should be interesting...or painful...or reinvigorating...we'll see. Pray for my family while I do this b/c it's bound to test my every emotional nerve....

What happened here?

2007-12-19T07:01:00.000-05:00

We've been enjoying our new dog immensely, however, I think we broke her (see pic) - either that or she's learned how to play dead on her own! Not sure....you be the judge (she's actually sleeping in this picture).

Cody had his 9th (le' sigh) birthday recently. Instead of doing a family affair and a separate party for just him and his friends, Dan and a friend of ours took Cody and four other of his friends roller skating. They came back to the house for cake, ice cream, and present opening. Fun was had by all...and Dan and Tim had their hands full of boys (there were 5 total, so I guess that wasn't too bad.) Cody's theme was Dragons. He got a lot of great gifts.
We wish all our friends and family a very
Happy and Blessed Christmas!

Nicknames....

2007-12-15T13:23:00.000-05:00

Ok people, don't get the wrong idea about the heading at all. I thought this was interesting as I thought about it today, so...here we go.
When our children are born, we frequently give them nicknames. Many times, it's quite deserving, other times they only deserved the humiliation of that nickname once in their lives...but they have to put up with being called that the rest of their lives....let's take a look:

1- "Bug" - Nathan - we have called him our little bug from the start. He was the smallest of our three (only by a fraction of an ounce as compared to Andrew's birth weight) and he was our last born child. He's the baby - as he says, "Yup, Mommy's baby!" So Bug it is. Now, it has come to my attention that bugs are not cute, and I tend to think Nathan is just the most beautiful two year old out there (sorry other mommys). The idea of Nathan actually looking like a bug is disconcerting to me - but for now, he's the tiniest of the three - although he is catching up to Andrew's size VERY quickly. (the above pic of Nathan...we were yelling at him frequently for sitting on the couch like that - however, one day I asked him what he was doing - he said "motorcycle, vroom, vroom" and then picked up his play cell phone and proceeded to "call Daddy" to tell him about his new ride).

2- "Monkey" - Andrew - as you can well imagine, Andrew earned his nickname from a young age when he decided to climb - EVERYTHING. And if he couldn't find a way to climb something, he would start moving furniture around so he could climb to where he wanted to go. He is also the craziest and wildest of our brood...and would bounce off the walls if he was made from rubber.

That leaves poor, poor Cody.....who absolutely abhors his nickname...he didn't really earn it, nor does it describe him, I suppose, but it's been his since birth....

3 - "Booger" - Cody -----ummm....enough said.

Ha-Ha

2007-12-06T13:51:00.000-05:00

Ha-Ha. I'm posting, yea, I'm posting. Yea, who's posting? - me!

Ok - sorry - got a little carried away there. I'm giving you some new pics of the newest Woolverton - Padme' (uh-hum- pronounced "pad -may - as Cody tells people). She is now 8 weeks old. No closer to being housetrained, but definitely closer to being more comfortable around us and being totally, ummmmm, totally spoiled - there I said the "s" word (hello - she sleeps in my lap while I'm typing on the computer and watching tv). She has also started to bark occasionally - and tee-hee...low and behold - she yips. She's a little yippy dog. It's funny, but not as funny as her percolating. Yes, the dog sounds like she's purring at times or percolating like a coffee maker at times. It is absolutely hilarious!!! You would think it's a cat purring...and if that weren't funny enough, Nathanael imitates her perfectly. As a matter of fact - we can't tell if it's the dog or the child making the noise at times!

Needless to say, we're enjoying the newest member of our family. She's been sleeping through the night mostly - waking up around 3 am to go pee...which Cody gets up and takes her. Ahhhh....I love, absolutely love, having an older child!! Now he can take on some of the responsibilities of having a pet!

So.....again, my fault...

2007-12-02T22:54:00.000-05:00

I guess it's really a good thing that I don't have that many readers on here, b/c I certainly don't post enough anymore to keep people interested. Things have been....better and worse...and are seemingly getting better again. As Christmas time rolls around again, this time of the year brings forth so much - ummm busyness. Finally got all the kids' presents taken care of...now, the impossible task of buying for the husband.

So what exactly is it that makes it so hard for us women to buy for our men? Let's see....I've been with the same man for 12 years and he still won't just come out and give me a list, even though I practically beg him for one EVERY year. What do you want? "I dunno." Is often the only answer I get. This year, I've finally had it - I gave him an ultimatum that many women in our church would've cringed at.

"Either you give me a list, or you are not getting anything at all."

I have enough stress in my life without worrying or trying to think on my own as to what it is he could possibly like to get as a gift. I just can't - le' sigh - take it any more. We'll see....he's thinking of ideas and he knows that "D-Day" (also known as the roam the mall until you find some for Dan day) is coming up soon.

And.....now introducing the newest member of our family ------ Padme (pronounced "pad-may") - Cody named her after one of the characters in Star Wars. She is currently only about 7 weeks old and has become quite the lap dog. Currently, she only weighs about 2 lbs. and shouldn't get over 20 lbs. or so...we're hoping.

And as for my friend Amie - who is so determined to lose 6 more lbs. on her chocolate diet...oooo...did I say that? I support you whole heartedly in your endeavor and will encourage you as much as possible! And if it works - I want to know what you're doing so I can lose those last few lbs. too.

Happenings....

2007-11-04T19:08:00.001-05:00

So....once again, it's been awhile. Things have been crazy...emotions crazy...and trying to put some things back together that needed mending. We're all a long way from perfect, and God is working slowly, but working nonetheless.

The kids are doing great. Andrew is still trying our every bit of patience, proving that God is working on that personality flaw of all of ours...His speech is slowly improving with weekly speech therapy. He still LOVES music, but now he's starting with his older brother's past passions of action figures - in particular - Transformers, Ninja Turtles, Spiderman, and of course, anything from the Disney movie "Cars." He has begun, once again to have his major temperamental breakdowns . I'm not sure what's up...but he gets set off so quickly and it so quickly escalates that he can't be calmed down at all. I'm going to talk to his speech therapist, who also does other work with kids with apraxia and see what she thinks. Is the apraxia all there is to this? Or is there something else that we have to start looking out for? Or is he just a "drama king?" He also still loves his music and is very happy to listen to his favorite artist, Toby Mac (a Christian musician).

Cody is continuing to excel with his Math and English, but his other subjects become lacking some days. We're trying to get a full "standard" school day done, but some days are just harder than others. Somehow, he still learns incredible animal facts and catches on so quickly to the things that he loves to do or learn about. He's very, very much into drawing and has been for the past year...so this Christmas I'm thinking lots of drawing pads, some professional drawing chalk (he already has expensive colored pencils), and some other art supplies. This is his passion. He is getting pretty good at it, and spending more and more time with attention to detail and coloring/shading.

Nathanael...ever the baby...even at two years old. He continues to amaze us with his sentences and high level of intelligence and physical ability. He climbs EVERYTHING!!! It sometimes seems like he has little monkey toes, even though his nickname is "Bug" (he's our littlest buglet, while Andrew is our "monkey"), he insists upon climbing up onto every obstacle that crosses his path. He's speaking very clearly and conveying his thoughts about things very well. Nathan wore an old lion costume recently ----------------------->

It looks like I will finally be able to return back to work at least two days a week starting after the New Year. One of my very good gal pals, who has babysat for us for years, has a job opening and is willing to watch the kids at least two days a week while I work. The money will be good for her and for us...so hopefully that will work out.
I'm still doing medical transcription and enjoying it tremendously, the problem is that the kids won't leave me alone for a few hours a day to get the work done. As they get older, it should get better, but until then....I use it as extra income...recently...I needed some me time...and to spend some money on me...selfish - perhaps, but with some of the other more serious stuff going on...I needed it....so I had this done - The saxophone is on my left calf, the other, the Musketeers Cross....is between my shoulder blades..the initials and dates are in remembrance of my grandfather who died this past year...and to help me keep my focus where it needs to be. My strength has to come from God...and nowhere else.

Better Late Than Never...

2007-10-16T16:17:00.001-04:00

We had a small party for Nathanael's birthday last weekend. Family gathered together to share some cake. It went well. Since Nathan likes to play ball so much, I made him a Ball Cake. It was easy enough and he loved it!

I was so proud of him, as soon as we finished the "Happy Birthday" song, he blew out the candles without any prompting. Made me wonder if he hadn't secretly been practicing in his bedroom at night....

So now I have an almost 9-year-old (December 15th), 4-year-old, and a 2-year-old. Time flies....I can't believe how quick the kids are growing up!
Couldn't get a good pic of Cody....so that is to come.....

Our Adventures at Grandpa's

2007-10-05T13:27:00.000-04:00

Recently, me and the kids took a trip to my dad's house in Ayden, NC. The kids had a blast...as did I! They were able to play with the ponies, cats, and multiple dogs that my dad and stepmother own.
The biggest scare was Andrew getting kicked in the head and upper chest the first five minutes after our arrival. He's okay and did not sustain any permanent damage, but he has quite a story to tell now. He sustained a small cut to the corner of one eye, scrapes on his nose, a partial fat lip, larger open wound to his chin, and some scrapes on his chest. We are all just praising God that it wasn't any worse.There is a golf cart that my dad and Dee use to get around the farm with. Cody learned how to use it as an alternative for a NASCAR race car and he drove it around quite frequently while we were there.

After coming back home, Dan took a much needed day off and we went to the Durham Life and Science Museum. By the end of the day, we were all exhausted....I didn't realize the museum was sooooooooo big. They had a lot of larger outdoor exhibits, so we did a lot of walking. The kids had a good time though and everyone was way overtired by the time we left.
Our little Nathanael is now two years old. His birthday was this past week. I'm going to do a cake for him on Sunday and maybe have some family over. Nothing big. He doesn't even realize that he had a birthday and is wondering why everyone keeps sending him things to open....he'll get into the idea eventually.

Haven't in awhile....sorry

2007-09-21T16:51:00.001-04:00

I know I haven't posted on here in awhile...so sorry dear friends and family. It's been crazy around here. I have a big gig with my band, 21 Days this coming weekend at the Cumberland County Fair. Should be a great outing and I'm so psyched to be going! We have two shows with a small break in between the two.

Cody is doing well in school, but he's really been enjoying the computer - so I'm forcing him to do a typing program. I figure if he's going to use it then he needs to learn to type on it.

I'm not taking care of my friend's son anymore, for which I'm somewhat relieved. It caused some issues that I, for one, am glad don't exist anymore.

Andrew and Nathan are enjoying their time - most of the time anyways - being in a bedroom together. They moved into the bigger bedroom and Cody took the smaller room by himself. I think this has eliminated some issues between Cody and Andrew.

That's the news from around here...for now. I'll try to get some pictures on here next week...of the kids, of the fair, etc....

A New Day...

2007-08-30T07:31:00.001-04:00

So yesterday was Cody's first day of skateboarding. He had a paid half hour lesson, but I think he learned more from his friend who has gotten quite good on the skateboard. They had a blast - Cody fell a bunch, but he did get up and go for the ramps again. By the time we left, he was able to go down a few of the ramps without completely wiping out.
Even though Nathan's 2nd birthday isn't until October, we went ahead and had his pictures done. So cute....and he knows it. He has discovered that he has a voice to be heard and he has learned the word "No." He has many words, but his favorite seems to be "No." He uses it frequently, whether he truly means it or not. It can be funny at times, but for the most part, it's grating on my nerves.

"Nathan, can I have a kiss?"
"No." He laughs...
"Nathan, do you want juice?"
Tee-hee "No."
"Can we change your diaper?"
"No, no, no."

See what I mean about the grating on the nerves part????

What do homeschool parents do with their time????

2007-08-24T11:19:00.001-04:00

Tee-hee...I wasn't going to post so soon after the pics were put up...but my thoughts this morning were kind of funny...so I had to share.

So...this morning, while Cody was doing his math homework and Wesley and Andrew were playing Play-Doh, Nathanael got bored - and what did he find to amuse himself with????? No, you're not imagining things, he's playing with frozen turkey. So next time someone wonders what to get for him to play with, just go into the frozen food section of your nearest grocery store.

Now, some of you may be wondering where I was at this point in time - I was doing this: ------------------------------------------------------------------------|
v
Some of you may wonder exactly what it is we're doing over here, huh? I promise, this is not some new cocaine or anything like that. This is powdered organic Green Tea and capsule holder so I can make my Green Tea extract capsules that I take everyday. However, what really caught me as being so hilarious is this idea --------If some stranger were to walk into my house at that point in time, they would see an 8 year old doing his homework, two kids playing a normal game with Play-Doh, me playing with powder and empty capsules, AND Nathan fooling around with a frozen turkey. What a sight that would be.

New pictures...

2007-08-21T13:40:00.001-04:00

So here are the long awaited family photos....Enjoy...and yes, some of you will get more than just to look at these. Some will have them sent on in hard copy form via snail mail! Love ya!

Here ya go...

2007-08-18T07:35:00.001-04:00

So you may look at these and say, "Where are the other kids?" Well....sometimes it's really hard to get pics of them all. So you may just have to wait in between kid pics. Here's one of Nathan though...playing with his favorite school time toy - BEANS. Yes, I'm being literal. He likes to play with a bunch of dried pinto beans in a box. It's so easy to keep him amused sometimes.
There's a band retreat this weekend - well not really a going away retreat....we're just spending time together to become more of a "team." I think there's only so much you can do. We're all such "artsy, fartsy" people with all of our own radical ideas...today should be interesting though as we are able to worship together as a team. I don't know if I'm doing the all day thing....but I would at least like to participate for most of it. I consider most of these people my family and they've been there for me for so long. Granted, right now...it's early...and I just want to crawl back in bed and go to sleep. Haven't been sleeping well again......
And here's the newest pic of our little girl. She's getting big. Last night she was hopping around the house (yes, we let her out and have some free roam at least once per day). She does fairly well, but she always expects lettuce or cantaloupe to snack on. We all have been enjoying her -except for Dan, who doesn't care unless he has to take care of her. Nathan, no matter how many times we tell him that Belle is a bunny - insists that she's a cat. He even meowed at her the other day....poor confused child.
Okay, so the newest game...Nathanael likes to play doctor. Unfortunately, he was trying to listen to Cody's heart while Cody was doing his math homework. It was cute, but it took twice as long for Cody to get his math done. I guess it's all in good fun though - they have to learn to get along. We asked Nathan what he heard in Cody's chest, and he said,
"bum, bum, bum..." - maybe he'll be a doctor....??

Not quite what I intended....

2007-08-15T22:50:00.000-04:00

So, being on this healthier diet for your family thing, doesn't quite work the way I think it should...
1. I've actually gained some weight because the homecooked, all natural stuff tastes really good. Unprocessed, pure foods just taste better. Gotta watch my portions.
2. So...I used my grain mill for the first time to turn wheat into flour. Let me tell you...even Dan was excited to use this newest appliance in our home. It looks like this---------------------------->
So, we put the wheat in (I recently received my order of almost 200 lbs. of wheat and oats), turn the switch and "Wallah!" you have flour. It was pretty neat. Dan and I were both impressed. Here's the thing I didn't know. If you want to use whole grains...you need to add something to the bread to make it rise a little more fluffier. Yea, well. I was so proud, used my newly made flour in the bread maker....it cam out....very tasty, but flat. No, I don't mean just flat, I mean like maybe an inch in height. Experiment number one in baking with newly ground wheat....taste - point 1, sandwich capacity - 0. This story will be continued.
3. Everyone I know is going on this health food kick now. No steroids, no hormones, all natural, unprocessed, NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, organic, etc... I'm not complaining. The more people who do it, the more the prices might actually come down.
4. Did you know that just about everything out there has high fructose corn syrup in it? Okay...examples: graham crackers, most cereals, syrup, ice creams, sodas, vanilla wafers, Eggo waffles, oh....and that Lipton Onion soup mix that you flavor stuff with...yep...that too. Nasty, nasty stuff that replaces real sugar. We've all been taught that sugar is bad...it isn't, the stuff that they replace it with as an ingredient in most of the foods that we've grown up on - that is the evil stuff.
Okay, I'll get off my soap box for now.....This won't turn into the health food channel...I promise. I'll post more kid pics next post.
Hugs!

Hmmmm...and other thoughts....

2007-08-06T17:55:00.000-04:00

So.....where to start this evening. Things are going well. Our major issue today was the sit and spin. Nathanael walked out with it this morning. Apparently, from the time he awakened he wanted to figure out how to get the thing to work. Well....it would've worked out just fine, but the other kids hadn't seen the thing in awhile, so you can well imagine that they all wanted to be on it
----all at once. This pic was taken before the major blow out. Wes and Nathanael were doing okay, and then came Hurricane Andrew. He pushed the baby and back-talked Wesley and it was all over from there. I took the sit and spin and put it on the back porch.

We recently made the yearly trip for...don't hold your breath...FAMILY PICTURES. Yes, it's that time again, folks. As soon as I get them back, they'll be on here...but until then. Let's just say, as usual it was an interesting experience. Let's see, for those mathematicians out there-------

3 children + 1 always been photogenic Mommy + 1 doesn't care what the pics look like as long as Mommy says they're okay Daddy = total chaos????

I suppose it could've been a lot worse. One always refuses to smile, so....we get what we can get and we'll laugh about it later. We can let all of ya'll judge later.

In other news...we had a bunch of trees chopped down around the house. So now, we have an acre of brush around our house - oh, and stumps. We have lots of those. It'll take awhile to get everything ready for planting season next year, but hopefully, now that all those trees are gone - it'll be a lot easier. We actually found a privately owned company who came in to cut down the trees for free. We just have to get rid of the tops, leaves and smaller branches...oh, and again, the stumps. Know of anyone who wants to come chop their own firewood....???? Send them my way!!!

New Discoveries.....

2007-07-27T07:28:00.001-04:00

So recently, we added another new member to our family....or at least during the weekdays. My friend Christine and her husband have recently become a two job family - and so I've taken on their 3 year old son, Wesley. Wow - and people looked at me with sympathy when I cart three boys around - having the four of them have really set people's sympathy for me.

Wesley is a good boy - but a boy none-the-less. My favorite thing, when he wants to know what I'm doing:

Wesley: What hers doing?
Me: I'm folding clothes.
Wesley: Why you do that?

At this point he usually smiles and just walks away. I'm pretty sure he doesn't want an answer...he just wants to make conversation.

Nathanael has a new blanket for his bed. I found the same fuzzy material that his favorite blankie is made from and made him an comforter from it. Now, his blankies are only a small square size...he was in blankie heaven yesterday when I finished sewing the blanket and made his bed. His whole bed is now his blankie!!!! What a revelation for him!!

We have been converged upon recently by motorcycles. Yes, I said motorcycles...the loud kind mostly...Dan recently checked with his accountant (hmmmm, wonder who that could be) and she gave him permission to buy another motorcycle to work on as a project bike. He also has two others that he's working on for friends. Thus, backyard now looks like this: Dan's motorcycle is parked on the left behind the motorcycle that you can see in the picture. So now, we have a biker barn... Nathan loves it. Everytime we get in the car to go somewhere, he points at them and says "mo-kycle."

Dan and I are hopefully going to try and get away by ourselves - without our crew - in September. We need the time just the two of us...first I have to pry him from his motorcycles...

Whew!

2007-07-14T08:22:00.000-04:00

So much to talk about and only so much room to put it all on here right now. . . We had a fantastic time in NJ visiting with our cousins. We all came back a little sunburned, but it was well worth it! My brother also came along and had a great time with all of our children. Here, everyone enjoyed some time in the hot tub!

All of the kids got along so well and it was wonderful to spend some time with my cousin, Danielle, Aunt and Uncle, and my cousin Andrea.

Our Belle is doing fantastic. She's adjusting to having us as her family very well. My Aunt Pinky bought us a harness and leash for her so we can train her on the leash. She's not too impressed with it, but she doesn't fight me putting it on and I think she likes the idea of running around the house. I think she looks adorable in her pink and read harness!
I'm hopefully taking Cody to see the new Harry Potter movie today. I find it interesting that many of our Christian friends won't allow their children to see these movies, but they are allowed to see Lord of the Rings (magic) or Star Wars (the Force) which both have the same elements in them as Harry Potter (magic). I'm not really sure I understand any of the reasoning behind it. It's all the same underlying theme - good versus evil. And in most cases, good always wins. If anyone has an insight on this that I'm not aware of, please feel free to share with me. Thanks!

Birthdays, bunnies and other things...

2007-07-03T13:36:00.000-04:00

So...It's been awhile. I'm sorry - for those who keep checking back to see what's up...Andrew just celebrated his 4 year old birthday. He was so excited!! The theme was Thomas. I made his cake, which I cheated on slightly in the way of getting a faceplate and other pieces so I wouldn't have to ice all those parts. It came out fairly well I thought and of course, Andrew loved it!

We have also added two new members to our family recently - a beta fish named Flare (he's a mean one too!) and a red mini-Rex baby bunny that Cody named Belle. I don't have a really good picture of her yet...but this will give you an idea... the number four on her ear just designated her so we knew which one we had picked out of the litter. My mother will be getting a male that looks just like her and next year we plan on having mini-rex babies!! Anybody want a bunny? We wanted her to get acclimated with us and the attention and noise, so she spends most of her time indoors (this wasn't planned, but when we saw how little and cute she was...). She is also not very photogenic yet.

Also...for those interested...I'm leaving my husband. Okay, so not really. Might've given some of ya'll heart attacks out there.... I'm just leaving with the kids for a few days to visit my cousins in N.J. Dan will be on his own for a few days. We are so excited to get outta here for a little while and visit with our family whom we haven't seen in so long.

Fun, Fun, Fun....

2007-06-18T14:58:00.000-04:00

I organized a surprise birthday party for my "21 Days" band leader. Since he is our illustrious keyboard player as well....I had to personally make his 40th birthday cake:
It was chocolate with chocolate with more chocolate. Everybody's favorite. We all had such a great time! Although I'm anxiously awaiting the repercussions of my actions from Ty...he specifically didn't want the praise team to do anything for his birthday - WHOOPS! I guess I didn't hear about that mandate until it was already too late!

I really have to share this. I guess this could just be considered a reflection. A few weeks ago, our Sunday school teacher (who is also our guitarist and sometimes bass player) was teaching us from the last chapter in James. I had been thinking a lot about my dear grandfather who recently passed on Good Friday and what Ken shared with us during Sunday school was really kind of cool.
James 5:13-16 says, "Anyone who is having troubles should pray. Anyone who is happy should sing praises. Anyone who is sick should call the church's elders. They should pray for and pour oil on the person in the name of the Lord. And the prayer that is said with faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will heal that person. And if the person has sinned, the sins will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so God can heal you. When a believing person prays, great things happen."
So, when my grandfather got sick, there were many people praying for his healing - his restoration. In my job, there are also many parents who pray for their children to be healed. The Bible, according to this verse, says that God will heal. But here's the thought - what can we define as healing? God healed my grandfather in the best, most awesome way He could've - He took Pop-Pop to heaven. Pop-Pop was saved by his faith and acceptance in Jesus Christ....the ultimate healing was done. He isn't in pain any more - he doesn't even need his cane or his glasses or his precious false teeth!!!! It may not have been the result that the rest of us wanted - but that lucky old sea-dog got there before the rest of us. How truly awesome is that?
(Thanks Ken for teaching Sunday school...I've been learning a lot through it).

Okay...so I just had to share that! That's enough to think on for now...more later...

My Little Bunnies

2007-06-10T19:35:00.001-04:00

So...my mother did the Relay for Life walk for breast cancer this past weekend. She brought home an interesting item that turned my three children into bunnies.....see what I mean....now I have three little bunnies instead of three little children! Very cute....I wonder if I can get extra money from Energizer though since I'm advertising their products. Hmmmm....that might be worthy of looking into.

Goings on.....again....

2007-06-06T06:57:00.000-04:00

We give a big congrats to our friends, Bill and Thea, who recently tied the knot this past weekend. We love ya both! Congrats!!!
The wedding was beautiful and we had a great time. It was the first time Dan and I had been out together in a very, very long time. Bill & Thea...thanks for the great excuse to get us out of the house....and of course, you know I had to get in on decorating the groom's car.....
We had a fantastic time!

Dan's new job is going well.
Dan gets his first paycheck this week which will be just in time to pay our bills - gotta love how it all works out with God's planning and not our own.

I'm still working on my transcription work and school....it's a long day for me some days, but will be worth it if I can quit Duke and work from home when I need to bring in some money.

Cody will be starting back to school next week. We just got the rest of his curriculum...and for those of you who think it's mean that he's starting back during the summer....he's been out on vacation since April - so it's time to start back.

So...we're in full swing around here and it only promises to get busier over the summer as I start freezing fresh fruits and veggies to last us throughout the winter....

Goings On

2007-05-28T18:00:00.000-04:00

So....Dan starts a new job tomorrow. He will be working with his best friend of the past 20 something years at a shop in Raleigh. This will provide us with health insurance in 3 months, which will be really nice and will provide Dan with a longer ride to work. I will continue to work one day a week, although it will change from every Friday to every Tuesday or Thursday. I'm also working slowly on my medical transcription classes and working as a medical transcriptionist. The pay is horrible right now until I get a hang of it. Hopefully, it'll work out.
Cody will be starting with school again in the next 2 weeks. I should be getting the rest of his curriculum next week and then it will be back to the grindstone for him. Fun, fun, fun.
I'm going to be selling some baby stuff soon. I have an adjustable Graco highchair, double stroller with carseat carrier, and a gliding rocking chair that I'll be hopefully selling. If you know of anyone with needs that could benefit from these, please let me know. I need to sell them to make a little money off of them. All type quality items!

Turn me into a country girl????

2007-05-21T11:35:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I know we're living in the middle of the woods and all...but the critters are getting a little ridiculous. I think they're just so curious about us. Today Cody went outside to take the recycling out to put it in the bin and he saw a little head and tongue sticking out at him. When I went outside, I saw the culprit, trying to get a tan...Just a little black snack who came to visit. I actually don't mind if he stays - he can eat the mice that are sure to visit us soon.
Meanwhile...inside the house. I've gotten a job as a medical transcriptionist, so I'll be working from home a lot. I have my first "meeting" this afternoon on the phone while the little ones are taking naps. Dan has another job offer out on the table with insurance and we think better pay (we find out today), but the distance is a little further away...so we'll see.
Nathanael is obviously up to no good in this picture, huh? He was so cute today - out of all three boys - he was the only one to pick up all the blocks in my living room and put them away after being told. The other two started fighting about not picking stuff up... Go figure!

Andrew has been in rare form today. He's been spanked, sent to his room and grounded from cartoons for the day. It started the moment he woke up and hasn't stopped since. He just got up on the wrong side of the bunk bed I suppose.

I've started a body detox system today. Special herbal tea, lots of water, and lots of fruit and veggies for the next few days. So far, so good....I'm really enjoying having all the organic fresh fruits around.
Oh well...time to go change a diaper and get the little ones ready for nap...

2007-05-17T17:18:00.000-04:00

Well, today went fairly well with the kiddos until this evening. As you can see from this pic shortly before dinner - everything was fairly peaceful. Then it happened...I like to call it the "call of ice cream." It starts out simple...

Cody: When I'm done eating can I have some...

Nathan (interrupting): I wan i keam! (we have non-dairy ice cream for him)

Andrew: I want ice cream too...(keep in mind he's the one with the most part of dinner still on his plate).

From there...the battle ensues. My only response - no one is getting any ice cream until you eat. Cody eats everything on his plate (an big, fresh ear of corn, a hot dog in a bun, and a loaded baked potato), Andrew tries to wheel and deal his way through...and Nathanael goes on the instant "I wan i keam" chant and dance. Oh the things my parents didn't prepare me for in life!!! It all ended fairly well though...with everyone getting dessert.

This was an actual moment when Cody was showing Andrew how to write his name. Very cute....it's nice to know that they can get along with each other every once-in-awhile.

Scary things to come...

2007-05-14T07:29:00.000-04:00

So, on a serious note, this week we find out if Dan's current job is going to be enough to support us. If not, then we have to start looking at other possibilities. I'm taking a medical transcription course online and am waiting to hear back from a woman about working from home in the medical transcription field. We'll see what happens. I'm trying to have faith in my Father, and faith in my husband's decisions for our family. The take charge part of me wants to just take over, but I have to trust and have faith that God will work things out. It's going to be a hard journey though...I know that much.

At work....wee...

2007-05-11T11:22:00.000-04:00

I think if I didn't realize it before, I do now. Since I started working full-time back in November b/c of Dan's employment status, I haven't been reading my Bible hardly at all, I haven't been enjoying my children as much, I haven't been able to enjoy the simple tasks of cooking, cleaning and loving my husband. Now, with me returning back to my job only one day a week...I'm realizing a few new things about myself. I'm good at what I do - housework, mommying, more attentive, better cooking, and definitely more looking at my "survival manual" (the Bible) a lot more. I think God has made His plans to me known - at least it seems that way...but we'll see. Just when you think you know what God's plans are...of course, they change....

INVITES

2007-05-10T17:58:00.000-04:00

BTW - I know I e-mailed many of you an e-mail looking at this blogspot earlier in the week - I'm setting permissions, so it will only allow those of you who were invited to see and comment on stuff. That's the reason why you got the notice of this blog again....I have posted again since I first sent the e-mail....so read on.... Love to all of you!!!

It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood...

2007-05-10T17:26:00.000-04:00

This morning Dan and I were discussing his hunting skills again. It would seem cheaper if he would just catch some of our own food. Plus, at least then there wouldn't be steroids and hormones artificially injected into our meats. I really like beef, ham, and chicken - and don't really like the gamey tastes of, well game meat - but it's cheap, lets Dan feel like the mighty hunter and gives us some added health benefits.

What's really interested is how we were discussing this this morning and lo and behold, what do Cody and I see??? 5 wild turkeys gobbling their way across our backyard. I tried to get a picture, but my camera really didn't like shooting through the glass.

I did get a pic of my crazy youngest children acting like the little Indians that they're capable of being. We're walking up the driveway today to take a walk through the neighborhood, looking in the woods...Cody sees something:

Cody: Mama, what do you think this is? (he's pointing at the ground)

Michelle: It's a tire track.

Cody: It's not an animal?

Michelle: No, it's from where the heavy truck tires came through when they brought the house.

Cody: Oh...

Andrew: Cody, you so crazy!!!

And these are the types of conversations that I live for everyday...those little talks about nothing, but will remain in my mind for years to come....Cody is always looking for some clue as to what's going on in nature, and Andrew is always rubbing it in when he's wrong....

Cooking up a storm

2007-05-09T12:52:00.000-04:00

So, with the aspect of trying to get healthier in what we're eating, I've been making a lot of my own foods from scratch. Last night we had homemade pizza, with homemade sauce. The boys DEVOURED it, so I will label that as a success. Today, I bought some organic hummus with red pepper and I made some home made tortillas. I have to admit, I hated hummus when my mom made it when I was younger, but this stuff is good...and so were the tortillas. However, next time instead of using unbleached white flour, I think I'll use 100% whole wheat flour and see if that works as well. Yum......

Life as we know it.....

2007-05-08T18:29:00.000-04:00

Here are all my boys...getting a pic of one at a time isn't so bad, but when I try to get them all together, problems arise.
I just have to say...I love broadband internet!!! Moving out here allowed us to get it and I love the faster connection - dial-up was horrible!!

Welcome all....

2007-05-08T15:30:00.000-04:00

Wow, so I'm trying this for the first time and we'll see how well it works. I really want to cut down on costs, so I'm looking at the possibility of getting rid of the website that we pay for every year and just having a blogspot.
We recently moved our home to our 4 acre piece of wooded earthly heaven. We've discovered that the local critters don't particularly like our home being on theirs...we have quite a few ants that I'm battling over our home with. Not too shabby though - I've actually been able to unpack almost the entire house in the course of the past few days. It definitely feels more like home again.

The above pic was taken before the deck was built on to the front....

For those of you who didn't realize, we had been living with Dan's parents for the past 2 months. And while we were most appreciative of having a place to stay while our house was being resettled - we were really wanting to be in our own space again.
Over the past year I've been looking for more natural products to use in our home, but still be cost effective. I'm trying to be as preservative free as possible and make our diets a little better. I've been using herbal remedies for just about every ailment with great success - my latest discovery was something called henna. Which did this to my hair:

So...for 3.5 hours I had something that looked like something out of Nathanael's diaper on my head covered by saran wrap. When I rinsed it out, it was that vibrant without all the harmful chemicals and the awful toxious smell. I think it came out a lot brighter than I expected, but was a pretty cool, permanent result. The vibrance has died down a little, but not by much. I look like a stop sign in the sunlight - so watch out.
Our kids are thoroughly enjoying having trees around the house. And Cody's newest thrill of the day is riding his bike down our three acre length driveway to get the mail from the mailbox. I imagine the mail run excitement will wear after awhile, but for now, I'm taking advantage of it.