Random pictures

Last night after I had put Nick to bed I went to take my bath. When I had finished I came out in the living to find Nick and Mike cozy on the couch watching the movie, "Curious George." What could I possibly say? Instead I joined them. I got cozy with Jay and together the four of us watched that sweet movie.

This isn't the best picture of Jay but even at almost age 9 he still loves Curious George. When we talk/think about Curious George we always think of Aunt Mimi - Curious George rocked her world growing up, that along with "The Berenstain Bears."

If you look closely you can actually see Nick - amongst all of his penguins and giraffes and look in the back, he ventured out and got a reindeer for Christmas. This is his typical "arranagement" at bedtime. He hardly leaves enough room for himself. I have to put up his bed gate so he doesn't fall out. Ha.

The after Christmas reality check

I have been fortunate enough to take some time off work and spend it at home. It's been lovely and the time is never enough. I don't mean to complain because I am thankful but I'm not ready to head back to work tomorrow and since I'm not a teacher or government worker I face all of January, February, March, April and most of May with no time off! Ugh. It's kind of daunting, if you think about it. The alarm goes off at 5am in the dead of winter and it can be a long couple of months. But that's not what this blog is about - sorry I was sounding a little negative there. Ha! I have spent my vacation inhaling whatever food I could get in my mouth and never stepping foot on a treadmill! If I eat more one of those peanut butter cookies with hershey kisses I think I'll turn into a giant hershey kiss. My fridge is packed full of left overs, sweets, wine, you name it, we probably have it! I've spent my evenings reading in front of the fire with a bowl of peppermint ice cream and those darn peanut butter/hershey kiss cookies. I kept telling myself it was okay because I NEVER get to just sit and relax which is true but stuffing food into my mouth is unfortunately one of my favorite past times, along with a good glass of wine which doesn't help my waist line either. I wouldn't dream of getting on a scale right now and I'm sure when I stuff myself into my work pants tomorrow I'll feel and look like a sausage. Needless to say I plan on becoming really good friends with my gym and actually getting good use out of my membership - at least that's my hope. I'm more of a "good enough" kind of person. I hope to lose about 15 lbs but I may lose 5 and say, "Good enough!" In any case the peanut butter/hershey kiss cookies are going to be served to Jay and his buddies today and if there are any left they are hitting the trash tonight!

Christmas festivities

On Dec. 23 the Ausili's came out! Through the years I've gotten a lot of pictures of the four of them. I love doing it because it documents how old they are getting. Of course we had to "bribe" them for this picture with peppermint ice cream but hey, whatever works.

Jenny and I enjoying a good glass of wine - our favorite past time.

Jay unwrapping gifts. He was really hard to buy for this year but somehow we all figured out what he would like and came through for him. He had some favorites: The remote control car my mom got him, the remote controlled helicoptor Santa got him and his huge lego sets from his dad and I.

My mom came through and got Nick "Stinky," the talking garbage truck. It toots and excuses itself and also says about 90 different other things. Yes, it's one of "those" toys. Ha.

Love this pictures. This could be the first picture of the three kids on Christmas where we actually got a good picture. It helps that Lauren is 3 now and Nick is 4. Next year we'll have little Lukie to add to the mix!

Oops where is Jay, hiding under Lauren's dress! This is one of those pictures he won't appreciate in his later years.

We really had a nice Christmas and have so much to be thankful for: our health, the fact that Mike and I are both employed in these hard economic times, and our family. God is good and we are so thankful.

And finally - To all a good night.

Christmas Eve

Here it is Christmas Eve! As usual the month of December flew by. I love Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and by Dec. 26 I'm a little depressed, it's such a let down after Christmas. This was truly a nice Christmas Eve. Some highlights:
*We ended up missing church due to the weather (one of the highlights). Mom, Kim and I can only remember 2 other times (tonight makes 3 times) we have ever missed Christmas eve church. The first time was the year my mom was married to Thom and we went to Springfield to spend it with his family. The second time was the year Lauren was in the hospital and the third time was tonight. The church service we were going to go to got cancelled and the snow was coming down in buckets.
*As I'm writing this at 9:15 p.m., we have gotten 5 inches of snow and it's still snowing.
*The minute we walked in the door tonight Jay started writing a letter. Mike and I were busy bringing in packages from Nana's house. When we had a moment to catch our breath, we read the note. It said, "Santa, I always wanted a dog." It was the note Jay left for Santa. He was too cute tonight. He put out the cookies, poured some milk and left his note with the cookies and milk. I wondered if Jay still believed this Christmas and clearly he still does.
I'll post pictures over the weekend. Merry Christmas everyone.

Mrs. Ramage & velvet cake

When I was little we had a neighbor named Mrs. Ramage. She was very old, nearly blind and had no family but still managed to live on her own. Every Christmas Eve my mom made us a really nice dinner and she would make a warm plate for Mrs. Ramage. My sister and I would walk the warm meal across the street and present it to Mrs. Ramage every Dec. 24. She was always very appreciative!
In November I was reading a story out of "Guideposts," wherein a woman wrote a story about her great grandmother and her Christmas cakes. This grandmother could not afford to give her children presents at Christmas so every January she would start collecting and saving as much "baking" items as she could, sugar, cinnamon, etc....On Christmas eve when all her children were asleep she would start baking cakes. Every Christmas morning she presented her children with seven cakes and they were allowed to eat one cake for the next seven days, now that would be exciting to my kids!!! The story included a recipe for a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. I was inspired and went to the cake decorating store in my town and start baking them for my friends and neighbors. I made six cakes and I loved it! I hope to bake some kind of cake every Christmas season as a way to say Merry Christmas! If you want the recipe, here it is!
Red Velvet Cake:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1-ounce bottle red food coloring
Preheat oven to 350 and grease two 9-inch cake pans. In medium bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In large bowl mix together sugar, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vinegar. Add dry mixture to wet. Beat on medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and food coloring. Bake about 25-30 minutes.
Cream cheese icing:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 pound confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Ms Barb

Everyday after Pre-K Nick gets on a bus to head to Anna's (his daycare provider) for the remainder of the afternoon. His bus driver is a sweet woman named, Ms Barb. I have personally never met Ms Barb but I love her just the same. Ms. Barb has given us a lot of laughs in the evenings when we all come together to discuss our day. At least once a week Nick comes home with something that Ms Barb has given him - his favorite are the silly bands. He brings home candy from her, pencils, etc..... I always say to Nick, "Boy, Nick, that Ms. Barb is sure good to you," and he always responds with, "Yes, I know." Ha. Yesterday Nick came home with a goodie bag from Ms. Barb which included hot chocolate, candy and the mug you see Nick holding in the picture above. He's been obsessed with that mug and has insisted on drinking his milk out of it for every meal! Thanks Ms. Barb for bringing so many smiles to Nick and our family!

The Christmas Program

Since the first of November Nick has been practicing for our Christmas program at church. It has required me to get to church an hour earlier each Sunday and keep a close eye on him, in other words, keep him on task and focused. Jay didn't want to particpate. Christmas programs and music have never been his "thing" and it doesn't help that there are only girls (his own age) and no boys. So, today was the Christmas program and I wish I could say it was all worth it! Mike pointed out that at least Nick did it and he's right, that is all that really matters but when am I going to get it through my thick head that my kids don't really like "performing," especially when it comes to music. Nick usually likes being the center of attention but not today. He didn't sing and once during the performance I caught him playing with his you know what. At one point I had to break out my mad mom face at him because he was frantically beating his slipper (the kids wore their PJ's) into his hand, distracting not only the audience but the other kids. When it came time for Nick to perform his one and only line, he wouldn't do it! Ugh! I'm more of a glass is half full kind of girl, I always try to see the positive so Yes, Nick did get up and perform, pathetic it may have been but regardless I'm sure God was gracious and smiling this morning,, even if Nick's performance was less than to be desired.

I also forgot my camera so I have no pictures to post with this blog. It was a stressful morning.

And Happy Birthday to Mike! The big 3-8!

My dad, a cell phone and the nursing home

It's been a year since my dad went to live in the nursing home. He adjusted to his new home rather quickly - which is a really good thing. The biggest adjustment for me personally was not being able to call him or vice versa. Because I work full time and I have a commute to and from work, days would go by and I wouldn't make it to the nursing home. It really bugged me and I felt really guilty about it. Recently, I thought it would be a great idea to get my dad a cell phone., that way I could talk to him everyday, even if I couldn't see him. The night I presented it to him he simply couldn't get the hang of it. He'd go to pick up his phone and accidentally hang up on the caller so getting him to try and figure out how to call me seemed like an impossible task. I came home that night feeling defeated, I had such good intentions and it appeared my dad wasn't going to figure out how to use his phone, despite my best efforts to get him a "user friendly" phone. Just the other night I went to visit dad and spent some extra time with him, really showing him how to use his phone. I was pleased to see he was carrying his phone around in his pocket. By the time I left I had a little more confidence that perhaps he had a better handle on how to use it. Any doubts I had were ended today. While I was at work he called me 4 times!!!! The fourth time he called me I choose not to answer it - I was at work, after all - and he left me a voicemail! All four of the calls came within about a 30 minute time frame. Needless to say dad has figured out how to use his phone!

Santa Claus

This weekend I took Nick to see Santa. Jay has asked several questions and has even said his friends say that parents are "Santa Claus," but you can tell he wants to believe Santa is real. We've told him Santa is always real, if you choose to believe in your heart. In any case he did decide he was too old to sit on Santa's lap which is completely understandable. Nick, on the other hand, loves Santa. He jumped right up on his lap and told him he wanted a talking garbage truck for Christmas! Notice Nick's new hat. My sister found him a penguin hat. Doesn't it fit his personality? Even Mike likes it! Have a great week everyone.

Jay's Apparatus

About a month ago we found out that Jay needed some orthodontic work - Yes, he's only 8! Apparently he has a severe crossbite and we were told it would medically harm him if we waited to do anything so as a parent, what do you do - you dive in head first watching all the money you're spending swirling around you. Yesterday was the first phase in this year long "adventure." Jay got this apparatus glued into his mouth. It is glued into his top back teeth and positions itself right on the roof of his mouth. The goal is to shift his jaw so not only does it impair his speech, make it difficult for him to eat but it's also somewhat painful. I feel so bad for him and I remember quite well what it was like to have those apparatus's in your mouth. My parents were told I needed orthodontic work to help my breathing, aka snoring - Yeah, a lot of good that did! Mike says I can wake up half the neighbor on a good night. Anyway, back to Jay......as I mentioned, his speech is a little impaired by this device and I was dreading him going to school today as I knew someone would probably make fun of him and sure enough, someone did. Jay said kids on the bus made fun of him when they heard him talk and called him dumb! I just cringe when I hear things like this. Instead I put on my serious mom face and acknowledged how Jay felt and told him to ignore those punks (yes, I said punks). So, even though it's freezing cold here, we may just have to make an ice cream run tomorrow and Jay can get whatever size or flavor he wants.

A parenting message

The boys and I went to church today and the message was centered around the commandment, "Honor thy mother and father." Before I go into my story, I should probably give you a brief run-down my older son's attitude! He fights with me every Sunday about going to church. I waste a lot of energy being very frustrated about this but after today, I have decided I'm going to keep on doing what I'm doing and give the rest to the Lord. So, both boys go up for children's time with the minister and when he tells them he wants to talk about the "honor thy mother and father" commandment, Jay rolls his eyes but then makes eye contact with me and gives off one of his best grins - gets me everytime. But as I was looking around at the other children I noticed many of them were listening intently, partipating in the discussion and seemed happy to be there. It annoyed me and I thought to myself, how is it that my kid is the only one up there that looks ticked off? After children's time, the minster delivers a sermon about parenting which I really needed to hear. He said no one is perfect and no one is raising the perfect child - they all do things we don't want them to do, they don't always listen to us and we wonder how or if we'll ever get them raised - then he asked us, are we honorable parents? He said there are 4 things all parents need to tell their children: 1 - that they love them, 2 - that they are proud of them - 3 - that they are good at......(fill in the blank) & 4 - that they are sorry. I tell the boys each day that I love them and I try to tell them the two others frequently & ask anyone, when I'm wrong I have no problem saying I'm sorry. I have apologized to both boys several times. The bottom line is I'm doing the best I can. There is no sense in comparing my life or my children to other's because each of us have our own "fingerprints," if you will. God has different things planned for each of us and I keep thinking that he entrusted me with these two boys - he must have thought I was up for the challenge and the great rewards that come from being their mother.

Nick's dreams

Nick has really been battling bad dreams lately. Last night when I went in to check on him this is how I found him, all snuggled up with his penguins and Topper, the giraffe! Ignore all the "grease" on his face. He is battling some serious chapped lips right now. When he falls asleep I load his face and mouth with Aquafor - something I'm sure he'll appreciate one day when he sees this picture, ha.

Mary

If you read my blog you probably know my good friend, Mary. Mary was my college roommate and I love her dearly. About a year ago she sent an email out to her friends asking us to use three words to describe her. My curiousity was peeked but I didn't hesitate in my response. I told her I would use the words, genuine, god fearing and I couldn't quite put this into one word but she has this presence about her, people LOVE her, she is nice to everyone. She treats everyone with kindness. I've gotten into a taxi with her before in Chicago and she's got this gorgeous smile. She'll get into the taxi, greet the taxi cab driver with her stunning smile, ask him how he is doing and tell him where we're going. No matter what kind of a person it is or what kind of mood they are in, Mary always gets them to smile and share some part of their day with us. It's amazing. Mary has never been married and through the years many of her friends have gotten married and had babies (myself included). Mary was always excited for each and every one of us. She knew God had a plan for her and she demonstrated the art of patience. Fast forward to early winter 2010, I remember vividly getting a call from Mary. I was driving the boys to school and I could hear it in her voice, she had found "the one." I kept up with her as winter turned into spring and finally in August I told Mike we had to get to Chicago and meet this John! I had a hunch this was the guy God had meant for Mary. On a warm summer night in August the four of us went out for dinner. I was in the bathroom with Mary and tears filled both of our eyes, it was so obvious, this was the man she was going to marry. This past Friday I visited Mary again. As I walked in the door she announced to me her and John were indeed getting married. Through our tears I listened as she excitedly shared with me that John had proposed in August and they kept the secret to themselves, just the two of them until they announced it to their friends and family over Thanksgiving. They are flying to Maui in a few weeks and getting married. No one is going, it's something special for them. She excitedly told me that with the money they are saving from not having a "big wedding" they are flying first class - How cool is that? So if you read my blog, please pray for their marriage and a safe trip to and from Maui!! Congrats Mary, lots of love to you and John.

My weekend consisted of.......

Celebrating my niece's 3rd birthday. I especially like this picture because she is scared of almost everything, fire included. She so wanted to blow out her candle but was a little hesitant due to the small flame. She came through right about the time when Nick said he would blow it out for her. Ha!

Baking cookies with Nick and Lauren. They loved it! Jay decided he was too old, except when they were decorated. At that point he decided he wasn't too old to eat them!

Thanksgiving with my grandparents and their 7 (the 8th one wasn't there) great grandchildren. Notice how all the children are sitting and smiling and notice my two. As usual my boys are acting like the crazy boys they are!

My weekend also consisted of eating way too much and spending way too much. I wouldn't dare get on the scale tomorrow but I had to no choice but to balance my checkbook tonight and I realized I cut myself a little short. Yikes! I had so much fun on-line shopping this weekend that I will be hurting until pay-day - Needless to say my lunch box and I will need to get reaquainted which will also help me in the weight department too.

Mike spent his weekend fixing things. On Saturday afternoon, after he put the tree up, that he had to fix, I asked him why he was so cranky. He testily said, "All I've done this weekend is fix all the stuff you guys have broken." I wanted to argue with him about that but then I realized it was true. I calmly patted his back and told him to keep up the good work!

I'm thankful for............

Two boys who make me laugh everday. The picture above is of Jay in my pink robe!! He was cold one morning and recently grew out of his own robe so he was desperate. Ha.

Here's Nick, doesn't he look like a Johnny Cash in the making? We did have a very nice Thanksgiving. My mom's extended family came. It's hard to believe that all my cousins have kids now! And in March Kim will have my grandparent's 8th great grandchild, how exciting!!! I'll post more pictures from Thanksgiving later.

Jay's Angler Fish

Jay has a project due tomorrow wherein he had to write a detailed report on an angler fish and produce a model of the same. I was really proud of him. He wrote his report at school and I could tell he had researched it and put a lot of time into it. He brought the report home so I could type it up with him. Today he worked on making the model of the fish and it turned out great - Don't you agree? Mike helped guide him along but Jay did the work - It does help that Mike has a work-shop!

Nick's dreams

There are so many things with Nick right now that I wish I could just capture and keep forever. I've asked him several times if he could be age 4 for about 2-3 years, instead of just a year! He always shakes his head YES! But I know that isn't going to happen - come April 30, he'll be 5 and he'll be headed to kindergarten next fall. It hardly seems possible.
Nick has been struggling with bad dreams lately. There are so many times I wish I had blogged when Jay was little because I vaguely remember him having bad dreams at age 4 or 5. Last night when I put Nick to bed he cried a little (which isn't like him) because he was scared to fall asleep in fear of having another bad dream. Nick sleeps with a dozen or so animals so I put all his animals around him and assured him his animals would keep him safe. About 30 minutes later I went in to check on him and he was almost asleep but he opened his eyes and said in his little 4 year old voice, "Mom, I'm trying to have good thoughts. I'm thinking of the giraffes at the Peoria Zoo." What a sweet and innocent statement. If we adults could only get to our "giraffe happy spot" when we are stressed, what a world of difference it would make! Love you, Nick.

I got your back

Jay and Nick are typical brothers - They fight and because they are boys they physically fight. I remember fighting with and picking on my sister BAD (sorry Kim, I love you) when we were kids but we didn't physically attack each other. Boys are a whole new ball game when it comes to sibling rivalry. Jay loves to pick and pick at Nick until he explodes like a volcano! He turns bright red, grunts (like the kind of grunt women give in the last stages of labor, it's lovely hearing it from a 4 year old) and he curls his hands into fists and charges at his brother. Sadly, as angry as he gets, Jay usually defeats Nick within seconds. I've said in my blogs that there is no one meaner to Nick than Jay except when someone else does something to Nick! It's that old saying that you can talk "smack" about your family as much as you want but nobody better do it.
Recently, there was an incident where another child intentionally threw a football directly at Nick and it got him right in the face - Nick cried. This kid's biggest mistake was he didn't realize Nick's much older brother had witnessed the event and he struck back. He took the football and WHAM - Let's just say the kid got a taste of his own medicine. No more tears were shed, the kid was just shocked that Jay had seen what he had done and that was the end of that! So even though Jay LOVES to terrorize his brother, he always has his back - which is the only way brothers should be.

Oh, the things kids say

This morning as I was helping Nick get his shoes on, out of the blue he announces to me, "Mom, I do not say the words poop, penis, turd or butt crack at school." I patted him on the head and told him to keep aiming high! What else can you say to that?
The past 8 days have been crazy (hence why I have not kept up on my blog). First off, I've been sick and finally went to the doctor only to find out I have bronchitis. Then, remember Jay's eczema last week? I'm happy to report that is 10 times better. Nick has been sounding just like, me, however. He's hoarse and has a wet, lingering cough. I took him to the doctor and sure enough, bronchitis so we are two peas in a pod. But as we were waiting in the waiting room a heavier set woman came in and checked in at the front desk. Nick loudly says to me, "Look Mom, that lady is having a baby!" I wanted to die. The moment I had always dreaded just happened, not that I was surprised it was Nick. To be fair to Nick, he's only 4 and he truly thought this woman was having a baby. And so it goes until next time.

Jay's Box Car

Third grade has brought many changes but one big change is chapter books. My mom bought Jay his first chapter book this summer (Shiloh) and ever since then, there's been no turning back. I've really enjoyed reading subjects that don't pertain to trucks, tractors or nascars. Currently, I am reading Jay the first book in "The Boxcar Children" series and he loves it! I love it when I finish a chapter and he begs me to keep reading. Switching gears though, tonight I got a 31 party delivery so I had a rather large box left over. Jay took the box to his room and said he was going to use it for his gerbils. After I put Jay to bed, I later went in to check on him, without my glasses or contacts mind you, and discovered he was sleeping in a box on his bed! For those of you who haven't had the "pleasure" iof seeing Jay sleep, it's something to see. He still sleeps in the fetal position and is about the most flexible kid I've ever seen. He's like those clowns in the circus who can fit themselves into those small suitcases. That is how he looked in that darn box. When I discovered Jay all folded into the box, he cheerfully announced, "Mom, it's my own boxcar!" I had to point out to him that although I admired his creativity and imagination, he is not an orphan (like the boxcar children) and doesn't need to sleep in a box.
On an unrelated matter, Jay got diagnosed with eczema today. His skin is a mess. I spent $75 on oral meds and ointments for him. And what a growth spurt he's had. When he was last at the doctor's in June he weighed 64 lbs. Today, he weighed 72.5 lbs! Wow! Mike stressed that he'd weigh too much by next football season which means he wouldn't be able to carry the ball - this is just something I never thought I'd see Mike stressed about, considering he didn't know the difference between a football and a baseball until his son started playing football!

Demands

There is no doubt that as a parent there are a lot of demands placed on you. There are a lot of times, however, when I wonder if I possibly could have two of the most demanding children this side of the Mississippi! Tonight my children seemed to crank their demands up a notch and most of their demands were placed on their dad. It all started when Mike picked the boys up this afternoon. As is always the case, the first demand of the afternoon is homework, snacks, etc....Mike then had to get dinner started and mow the grass. When I got home from work the taco meat was simmering on the stove and he was mowing the lawn, Way to go, Mike! I set out fruit cups for the boys to go with their tacos, Nick demanded an asian pear instead. I gave the boys milk for dinner - when Jay finished his he demanded 7up. Don't get me wrong, when I use the word demand, the boys aren't disrespectful or rude when they ask for these things, they just need something or change their minds (especially Nick) constantly! After dinner was over, Mike discovered our breakfast bar chair had a scratch on it and a bad one at that. Then Jay has some skin disease that has gotten so bad I think it will require a trip to the doctor. Mike spent a good 20 minutes applying neosporin on him and clipping his finger nails to prevent him from itching. After all that, per Jay's demand, a.k.a. request, I made the boys strawberry smoothies. Mid-way through Nick's smoothie he started complaining that his straw didn't work. So it was back to finding a new straw for Nick. The boys are in bed now and Mike is researching the internet for a part for Jay's 4 wheeler which is broke down, again! My whole point to this is there is just a never ending to-do list of demands when it comes to parenting but when I put Nick to bed and he insists on sleeping with all his animals or when Jay asks me to read "just one more chapter, mom," in his favorite book I tend to forget my never ending t0-do list and I'm reminded of the reasons why the rewards of parentings outweigh the demands.

The Chili Supper

I was recruited to help with this year's Boy Scout Chili Supper. I was happy to do it but let me tell you, I have a whole new appreciation for the people who run/organize this event every year. This year was a little different because the woman who normally ran the event turned it over to a friend of mine and myself so it was just the two of us this year. We got the day started by running to Sam's to buy all the food. Then we went back to the school, set up 5 roasters in the teacher's lounge and started dumping can after can of diced tomatoes, beans, chili powder, etc. into these 5 roasters. We were running about 1.5 hours behind. I called Mike to touch base with him mid-day through the day and said we were very busy and it was a huge under-taking and he had the gall to say, "What's the big deal, it's a chili supper?" REALLY!! Yeah, a chili supper for hundreds of people.
The day progressed and we somehow got everything done and prepared by 5 p.m.. We were a little nervous about the chili itself as it was a little spicy but we still got lots of compliments on it. By the time I crawled into bed at 9:30 (after being on my feet preparing chili for 13.5 hours) I was exhausted! It was all worth it though. A lot of money was raised and it was a good experience for me to actually see the event un-fold from start to finish.

Family photos

Recently we got family photos in the backyard. However, I have spent quite a lot of time trying to download the pictures on my blog and I keep getting an error. I think my computer is "sick" or something. This was the only picture I was successful or rather had the patience to download.

Can I possibly get any hotter?

Don't let the title of my blog deceive you. I'm being totally sarcastic!! You see, over the weekend I got sick - one horrendous cold. I stayed home sick from work on Monday. I went back to work today but let me tell you I am blowing, sneezing and hacking. My co-workers are having a hay-day spraying Lysol and using clorox wipes on whatever I touch. But picture this, last night when I went to bed, I first put on my pink fleece jammies, then I proceeded to wipe Vicks under my nose to help me breath, then last week I found out my corneas are scratched so I have to use this goop on my eyes every night before I go to bed. I applied my goop to my eyes which made me look like a deranged racoon and I smelled like a Vicks factory and I got into bed and according to Mike proceeded to snore so loud he claims he never got a minutes rest. I mean, really, can I get any hotter than I was last night? Highly doubtful.

Happy Halloween

Nick and one of his Pre-K teachers! Living in a small town you kind of end up trick or treating at everyone's house.

We had one of the nicest Halloween's. I thought Jay's costume was awesome. He used his Grandpa Siebert's old army hat and his Grandpa Brad's old Air Force jacket. He made a great Army guy. And I was crazy about Nick's giraffe costume. I decided not to sport my giraffe costume during trick or treating tonight. We trick or treated with two other families and quite frankly, it would have been a little embarassing to walk around my small town in my big giraffe head. Plus, Jay would have been mortified. Nick was a little disappointed but he quickly got over it. Mike and I were keeping count as to how many Reeses Peanut Butter Cups the boys scored. We just love those things!

Football ended for Jay yesterday. The boys won, 19-0! It was a great way to end the season. Football was a really positive outlet for Jay and I'm already looking forward to next year's season.

My failing grade

Ta-da my friends, I have found I do have about 10 minutes to devote to my blog and it's only Tuesday. This week we had parent-teacher conferences. I've been well aware of Jay's struggles in school since first grade but third grade is a whole new ball-game as letter grades are given out. I think I've finally moved past my "poor Jay" attitude. You know what, he is learning disabled and so was I and so was his dad - We made it through and so will Jay. That is the attitude we've tried to convey to Jay over and over but it's easier said than done. I am so aware that he's a boy and I know it bothers him way more than it ever bothered me growing up. Personally, I remember liking the extra help, Jay, on the other hand, not so much. Jay recently told me he was upset that he scored a "C" on a math test because everyone else had scored an "A," which I highly doubt . It's a such a balance because I try to acknowledge how Jay feels but I don't want him to be disappointed over a "C" either. My mom likes to remind me of the time I scored a "C" on a test in high school. I was upset over it and my mom pointed out to me that a "C" was an average grade and there was nothing wrong with that. I shot back at her that I didn't want to be average! I shared a story with Jay tonight from my college years. I can never tell how much he is processing the information but I hope the point of the story got through to him. When I was in college I had to take one math course in order to get my degree. That math course hung over my head like a dark cloud. But I knew if I didn't pass that class, there would be no college diploma. I faithfully went to that math class and studied HARD but I struggled. I remember thinking how in the world is this stuff coming to easy to others and so hard for me? It was tough. On the day the professor posted the grades I was first in line to see if I had passed the class and there in black and white was my big letter "D." I was thrilled. I had passed the course. I ran into my professor immediately after I learned I had passed the class. She told me that in fact I had failed the course but because I had showed up everyday for class, worked hard and came to her with questions, she took mercy on me and gave me a passing grade. Most people would think this is a terrible story to share with a third grader and maybe it is but I felt it was a story Jay needed to hear. I'm not proud I got a "D" in my only math course I was required to take in college but it was a story with a good lesson learned, a lesson Mike and I are constantly trying to drill into Jay - work hard, make good decisions and it will all pay off in the end.

Columbus day adventures

I'm way behind in my blogging. It was a crazy week last week and I'm going into another crazy week so this may be my only blog for this week. A couple of weeks ago the boys were off school for Columbus day so I took the day off too. Because my mom and sister are teacher's, they didn't have to work. We had a really fun day and it was an added bonus that the weather was so nice. We started the morning off at the park - if you look really close at the first picture, you'll see Lauren hidden behind Jay. I then took the boys to Funks Grove. I LOVE Funks Grove because it's free (ha) and it's a little boy's heaven! The boys and I walked a trail, they played in the dirt (hence the last picture of Jay's pants) and we just enjoyed ourselves. I love those kind of days and with our busy schedule they seem to have less frequently.

Have a great week everyone...........

One of those moments

I blog because it's my way of documenting what is going on with my family. Living this life each and every day I think I'll never forget but I will and I have. Mike likes to make fun of my blogging but I tease him that one day when we're old and gray, he'll be glad I did this. I've tried to reflect the good, the bad and the ugly in my blog. My life is far from perfect and I am raising two challenging boys. But something happened the other day that really made me smile. Jay had a sleep over with a friend recently. This friend is a kid he's had some challenges with in the past but they seem to have turned a corner in their relationship. When I dropped Jay off for the sleep over I was nervous - the group of boys weren't Jay's usual crowd. When I picked him up the next morning Jay's friend told me that they had a good time and he thought Jay had gotten to know these other boys better - always a good thing. The boy's mother asked me into the kitchen for some coffee. I joined her and she told me her son was insistent on inviting Jay to his sleep over because there had been kids who had been mean to him at school and Jay had stuck up for him. I was so proud of both of those boys. I was proud of the other boy for overlooking the challenges they had faced in the past - by inviting him to his sleep over he not only deepened the friendship between the two of them but introduced my son to another group of friends - friends that Jay always liked but hadn't gotten to know very well. I don't think there are any words to describe the pride I felt when I heard my son had stuck up for another. Keep it up, Jay, you are turning into one outstanding young man.

Halloween Party

Here we are in all our glory - Baby and Momma Giraffe! Nick loved it and I as much as I hate to admit, I was a hit at the party. Ha.

Nick with two of his favorite people, Garrett & Holly!

I wasn't able to get a lot of pictures of Jay because it's impossible to get him off his four wheeler! But I thought this picture of Lauren and Jay was too cute!

Momma Bunny and baby bunny! I love this picture of Lauren and Kim.

My friend, Laura and I. We host the party! We had a lot of fun and the kids LOVE it.

The mummy wrap with Nick!

Priceless

If I could make my own visa/mastercard commercial tonight it would go like this: Four-wheeler for 8 year old boy, couple hundred dollars, Momma giraffe costume, $80.....two over the top happy boys. PRICELESS! To follow up from my last blog, I wrongly accused my niece. Either that or Jay really has her back. Ha. We presented him with his four wheeler tonight and he said he had no idea. Honestly, it was the most enthusiast reaction I've ever seen from Jay. He jumped up and down screaming, "AWESOME!" He drove it around the yard for 15 minutes and then it died. But never fear......Mike fixed it and he zipped around the yard another 30 minutes or so. It felt good to give Jay something that he really wanted (and we could afford) and tell him we were giving it to him because he's shown us time and time again recently what good choices he's making and how hard he's working in school. Even when his four wheeler broke down tonight he never once complained, he was only concerned with helping Mike getting it fixed. You know that song by George Strait, "The Best Day." It's about a little boy who sings about the best days of his life. It starts with spending the day with his dad, to driving, to getting married. In Jay's "Best Day" song, this could very well be the start of his song.

The $80 I spent on my large and obnoxious giraffe costume was worth every penny for so many reasons. There is nothing like hearing my entire family in gales of laughter and that is exactly what kind of entertainment this giraffe costume has provided. It has made my 4 year old smile and giggle in a way I can only hope I remember when I'm old and gray - thank goodness for my blog, huh? As soon as the package arrived, the two of us put our costumes on and Nick cuddled right up to his momma giraffe. He was quick to point out what a glorous tail I have too. But what also made it so great was Jay and Mike's reaction. They were in stitches over it. Jay couldn't believe I was actually going to wear it. I told him if he made fun of me too much then I would put the costume on and drive him to school tomorrow. I made a mental note that that will be a great way to threaten him from here on out......"Watch it, Jay, or I'll show up at school in my giraffe costume."

The evening ended with Nick and I sitting at the breakfast bar discussing our costumes and he told me, "Mom, we are going to be the cutest giraffe's ever!" I couldn't agree more, Nick.

Who let the cat out of the bag?

Anyone who knows Jay knows he's been dreaming of having his own 4 wheeler for about a year now. He draws pictures of them, he researching them on the internet, he loves viewing YouTube footage of 4 wheelers. Bottom line, that boy has 4 wheelers on the brain! Jay is also a pretty good kid. He's made some good choices and is working hard in school. Mike and I finally found a used 4 wheeler (for a kid) for a price we were comfortable with. We just got it yesterday but Jay won't find out about it until later this week - because Mike is on a business trip. Last night, Lauren (my niece) spent the night with us. Jay was with my mom and Nick was with Aunt MiMi so it was just Lauren. When we got home, Lauren and I took a spin on Jay's new 4 wheeler. I never thought anything about it - She is 2 but almost 3. She is also exceptionally bright. Me, my mom and sister and the 3 kids met up for breakfast this morning and the kids played together at the park - in other words there was a lot of time when the kids were out of ear shot. In passing today Jay mentioned we had a 4 wheeler and it was in the shed. I must have looked like a deer caught in headlights! I didn't question Jay too much b/c I didn't want to give anything away but I was stunned. Could Lauren have told him? I basically let the subject drop and so did Jay and it's not like he's asking to go out to the shed - probably b/c he's relying on the word of a 2 year old and thinks, what does my 2 year old cousin know anyway? I immediately called my sister and according to Lauren she did tell Jay but again, we're taking the word of a 2 year old! So, all I can do now is wait until Jay gets his 4 wheeler and at that time I'll ask him about his comment today and if indeed his 2 year old cousin let the cat out of the bag? Stay tuned...........

My boy of fall

Jay played flag football last year but now that's he's 8, he can play tackle football! Jay loves the contact that football provides. I thought he would be best at carrying the ball but he's really an excellent tackler - even though most of the games he plays a lot of offense. I've watched Jay's team work as a team and as a result they have really improved. The boys have lost 3 games and won 2 and today's game.....they won 21-0! But honestly, to Jay, it's not about winning and losing, he's really gained a lot from the sport. He's established some good/solid friends and has excellent coaches that he's looks to for leadership. Football has given Jay something to really feel good about. It's been an all around positive experience. Way to go Olympia Spartans!!

All smiles after today's 21-0 win! Jay carried the ball and made some yardage! Yeah!

Bath time "joys"

Just the other night I had about 20 minutes before I had to get the boys to bed so I decided I would take my People magazine and soak in a hot bubble bath. About 5 minutes into my "calgon take me away" moment Nick comes knocking at the door and from that point on the conversation goes like this:
Nick: "Mom, let me in, I have to poop."
Me: "Nick, we have two other bathrooms, go use another one."
Nick: "But Mom, I have to go."
Me: "Nick, too bad, go to another bathroom, I'm taking a bath and I'm naked."
Nick: "Dad, I have to use another bathroom, Mom is naked and she has her boobs out in the tub."

Lovestruck

Recently, there has been some chatter around our house about which girl likes which boy and who is passing notes or who is calling who. Jay got a very urgent phone call from one of his friend's this week. I picked up the phone and his friend immediately said, "Amy, I must talk to Jay, I have shocking news for him." I was thinking, Oh my, did he just discover they have a test tomorrow that we didn't know about? Jay proceeded to get on the phone and you must know Jay, talking to him is like talking to a mute - He doesn't say much. There were some smirks and giggles on Jay's end but that was about it. The conversation lasted an entire one minute. Jay got off the phone and said his friend liked this one particular girl but then he found out that this girl liked Jay instead! He could have cared less. He says girls are sissy - Hello Jay that's why we're girls! I'm so glad I'm blogging all this so I can remind Jay of his silly comments when he comes home lovestruck with his first girlfriend or better yet, his future wife. Poor Jay, with all these blogs, he doesn't have a prayer. Then tonight he tells us the best revelation yet. A girl he sat with at lunch today whispered in his ear that she liked him. As he is telling us this he has no expression on his face. He doesn't gush, smile or even roll his eyes. He just said it so matter of factly. Mike and I asked him if he liked her, we got a big "N-O." I had to bite my tongue to keep from telling that someday he won't be saying that. I was warned that the "who likes who" starts early and clearly it does but ready or not, here we go.

Nick and his giraffes

As I've written in my other blogs, Nick is crazy about giraffes & penguins. The great thing about giraffes is they have hair and Nick is often delighted to brush their hair. He has told me that when he grows up he wants to be a giraffe zoo keeper and get up on a ladder to brush their real hair and take care of them. I suppose he'll have to divide his time between brushing the giraffes hair and swimming with the penguins. Whenever Nick sits down to brush his giraffe's hair I'm reminded of the differences between Jay & Nick. The differences between them is what often times keeps me so entertained in this household. Ha! Jay wouldn't have been caught dead (even at age 4) brushing his stuffed giraffe's hair. I wouldn't go so far as to say Nick has a feminine side but he's more sensitive and more focused than Jay. He'll take a little more time to "smell the roses," or brush his giraffe's hair. Nick is a giraffe for Halloween this year and he's asked me to be his momma giraffe. I hesitated because the adult sized giraffe costume is expensive but my mom said I wouldn't have another opportunity like this. Nick is my baby and I'm sure neither of my children will ever ask me to dress up with them after this year - So I ordered the insanely over priced costume. We asked Jay if he wanted to be our zoo-keeper. There was a lot of eye-rolling and he turned us down cold!
Stay tuned for pictures.

Purple eyes & hair loss

Mike has taken a lot of insults lately and he's not even aware of it. Just this week Jay and I got in the car to go to football. Once we were alone in the confines of the car Jay asked me, "Mom, why does dad have those big purple things under his eyes and what are they?" I had to chuckle to myself. I told Jay those were called BAGS and daddy has them because he's exhausted - he just won't admit it. Then last night Jay decided he wanted to take a walk down "memory lane" and pull out his scrapbooks I've made him - which I was very touched by. As we were looking at the pictures of Mike holding Jay when he was a baby, Jay again said, "Wow, mom, look at all the hair dad had when I was a baby." In the past when Jay has commented to Mike on his hair loss, Mike is quick to blame the boys! Ha. He says he's losing hair from all the years of parenting he's already put in so he figures by the time Nick is 18, he will be bald.
Mike may have big bags under his eyes and the top of his head may be shinier than it was when I married him but he's still that sweet 21 year old boy who showed up at my door step on a rainy night in April 1994.

Coconuts, Asian Pears & Lobster Tails

We are officially trying to break free of the food rut we are in. It seems like I make the same thing over and over again. I can't believe I'm actually going to admit this in writing but about 4 months ago Mike took over much of the dinner time cooking and since then our taste buds have really been thankful! The boys are really into trying new things. Jay loves all those "Wild" shows on the Discovery channel - Shows that include, "Man Vs. Wild," "Man, Woman, Wild," etc....anyway he learned that coconut is a really good liquid to have if you're stuck in the middle of nowhere. Mike picked one up and for giggles, we broke it open tonight to give it a try. All four of us agreed, it was DISGUSTING!
Nick is proving to be our child with rather "snoody" tastes. Recently he decided he likes asian pears - Nick can't just settle for a regular pear, Oh No, he wants an asian pear. Then we learned that his all time favorite food (and I'm not kidding) is lobster tails. Needless to say, he costs us a fortune when we go out to dinner and he no longer eats from the kids menu.

Here is Mike getting ready to break open the coconut. He has that goofy grin because he can't figure out why I'm snapping pictures of him chopping up a coconut. Duh - Because I want to blog it!

And here's just sweet Jay and I. His eyes are kind of closed but I think it's still a good picture. He took this picture without me threatening or bribing him - mission accomplished.

Quirks/habits I've established in motherhood

*Locking the door when I'm in the bathroom. The boys think nothing of just coming into the bathroom when I'm in there! I've learned to lock the door everytime or else I'll have an audience.
*Doing a load of laundry everyday
*When I'm driving I can identify construction equipment that ranges from skid steers, graders, excavators, wheel loaders, back hoes.......need I go on?
*I've learned to love and appreciate penguins and giraffes almost as much as Nick
*Licking my finger to wipe the boy's mouths - this is a quirk I hate but can't help that I do it anyway. My mom use to do this to me growing up and I hated it. I swore I would never do it - Funny how I've developed one of my mother's quirks that drove me nuts.
*I've got this odd habit of always putting Jay's football pads in wrong - everytime! It drives Jay crazy. He's usually trying to fix his pads around while we're en-route to football. I tell him to stop complaing, at least I've learned how to put his cup back in his jock strap correctly!

Chocolate chip pancakes, football & a wedding

Jay's new breakfast of choice is chocolate chip pancakes. Nick loves pancakes too but he prefers them plain. Isn't if funny how kids are so aware of what they do and don't like? One morning this week Jay begged me to make him chocolate chip pancakes - on a weekday - I set my alarm nice and early and made the pancakes. I never quite know what kind of reaction I'll get from Jay but when he got up and realized I had made him his chocolate chip pancakes he was thrilled. He thanked me profusely and told me they were delicious so it was well worth getting out of bed early. The funny thing was Nick ate a bite or two and turned up his nose, he said it was too chocolately for him. Next time I'll know to make some of the pancakes plain.

Mike and Jay attended Jay's football game on Saturday, in the RAIN! I hate to miss Jay's games but truth be told, yesterday was the game to miss. Thankfully, Nick was at his grandparent's house so he didn't have to endure the cold and rain. Mike said by the time the game was over, everyone was soaked and freezing cold and to top it off, Jay's team got beat again. Oh well, at least they are having fun. I helped my good friend, Karen (above) with her daughter's wedding yesterday. We had a lot of laughs and it was a fun-filled day. As I'm writing this, I can't believe it's Sunday afternoon - I mean, really, could the weekend have gone any faster? Have a great week everyone. I'll try to blog more this week. We've been really busy with football, school, swim lessons, etc.......

Thursday night ritual

Every Thursday night my mom picks Nick up from daycare and drives him into town for swim lessons. Meanwhile, Mike and Jay head out to football practice. I meet my mom at Nick's swim lessons, just in time to watch his entire lesson and relieve my mom. After lessons Nick and I go to Qdoba. We sit in the same place and eat the same food. After we finish dinner we go to the nursing home and visit my dad and here is where it gets to be a little like the movie, "Groundhog Day." Nick usually throws a curve ball at some point and tonight it was him having to pee four times in the course of a 2 hour period. Anyway, I digress.......the same ole, same ole part of our nursing home visit consists of us walking into dad's room and finding him the same position we left him in the Thursday night before. He is sitting in his wheelchair in his black and white pants with his shirt, shoes and socks off, waiting for a nurse to dress him so he can go to bed at 6:30!!! He always huffs around, impatient from waiting for a nurse to get him dressed. I try to remind him that it's not like he's sitting on the toliet - It's 6:30 at night, what kind of a hurry can he possibly be in to get dressed for bed but he always is. But the topper is......every Thursday night when Nick and I come in to find dad in all his "glory," Nick responds the same way by saying, "Grandpa, it really creeps me out when I see you without your shirt on." The other curve ball Nick threw tonight (in addition to having to pee every 30 minutes) was deciding that he needed to poop! He used my dad's potty. Luckily, most people in the home having a hearing problem because Nick proceeded to grunt and carry on and tell us how stinky his poo was! To top it off, on our drive home Nick asked if I could take a shower with him when we got home. I told him that No, I couldn't do that, he was too old for me to take showers with him. He responded by saying (and I quote), "Trust me, Mommy, I won't touch your boobs, trust me." I just have to shake my head over another fun-filled Thursday night.

Shiloh

This summer my mom bought Jay a chapter book, "Shiloh." It's about a little boy who acquires a dog from an owner who mistreats his dogs. It's a really sweet story. On the days my mom kept Jay she would read a chapter to him. I got the impression that some days were better than others - it all depended on what mood Jay was in - whether or not he wanted to sit and listen to his nana read to him. But my mom always said that even on days when Jay acted like he could careless about "Shiloh" he could tell my mom and me what a particular chapter was about. My mom ended up buying Jay the series in the "Shiloh" chapter books and I have picked up where she left off this summer and Jay LOVES it! Many nights I finish a chapter and Jay begs me to read more. It's been fun to see Jay so enthusiast about reading and it warms my mom's heart to know she started it. Thanks Mom!!!

A giraffe......on a bike

As most of you know Nick is crazy about penguins and giraffes. It is true that penguins were his first love but it turned out they weren't his only love. Honestly, I can't think of any two finer animals to be in love with! Since Halloween is right around the corner and since Nick was a penguin last year for Halloween he chose to be a giraffie. When I bought his costume I couldn't resist giving it to him but I knew that once I gave it to him he would want to wear it morning, noon and night and hence by the picture above, even when he bike rides. Last night I took Jay to football practice and apparently while we were gone Nick wore his costume around the house but since it's like 90 degrees out right now he wore it a short time period and decided it was too hot. Mike said the minute I pulled in the drive he tore off into the bedroom to get his costume back on so he would be in "full gear" when Jay and I came in the door and sure enough he was! This morning, instead of getting dressed in his school clothes, he came down to breaksfast in his costume (I did draw the line of him going to school in his costume because he has asked). Thankfully the costume is of a darker color because Nick will have wore it out by the time Oct. 31 comes along.

Just me and my boys

Here was my attempt, pathetic it may be, to get a picture of the three of us before church on Sunday. I think I look like a big headed giant - with big hair. Nick is kind of stuck between Jay and I and Jay has that goofy grin. So I gave up and decided the picture below was more appropriate for us! Have a great weekend everyone.