HaPpY BiRtHdAy SaM SaM!!

It seems like this was just yesterday! I can't believe 5 years has gone by! Here is my Sammy just a few hours old, getting his first bath in the hospital.

Here is my little guy when he was about 18 months old, what a cutie patootie!
My crazy boy when he was 3 at his little preschool graduation. He is always such a happy goofy smiley guy!
Sammy is so much fun! I'm so glad he came to our family & I am grateful everyday for his fun loving usually looney spirit!
I'm so happy to be your Mommy Sam! Happy 5th Birthday buddy!!

WoRdLeSs WeDnEsDaY!

Just needed some Happy Pictures! These are some favorites!!

Cancer Sucks!!

I think when we become Moms we develop a "Take Care of Everything" gene...

We learn to fix "favorite, can't nap without" toys with super or hot glue. We repair works of crayoned art with the all powerful Scotch tape. We learn just how to bounce & sway & soothe as we walk the floor with our babies in the middle of the night. We learn to check fevers with our cheeks, where to buy the best tasting medicine & how to get them to take it. We learn just how to apply the vapo-rub to help our stuffed up babies get to sleep. Us Moms develop "magic" kisses that mend tender feelings & in general fix it all! If we're lucky, we even learn how to make giggles when we wipe away tears. We know just the right kind of character band-aids to apply to any & all Boo Boos.

The gene even comes out in the wife in us & takes over when our husbands are unhappy. Much of the talents we develop with our babies are the same when caring for our husbands. We know just what medicine they need when they have colds & claim they don't need medicine. We know just what blanket they like when we tuck them into bed when they are sick, & their stack of favorite movies to put near the DVD player to "mend" their flu bug. We even get them their towels when they are already in the shower & know full well they are physically capable of getting them, themselves. (I'm not sure what that fixes, but we do it anyway.) We listen to bad day at work stories & make favorite dinners & desserts to fix their bad day.

The "take care of everything" gene doesn't just apply to our families either. We listen to our friends & sisters & sister in laws troubles with all the same concern & desire to "help resolve" them. Sometimes again, if we're lucky, we can even get the giggle when we try to wipe away their tears. We schedule Girls Nights Out when we know they need a break. We try to make them laugh until Diet Coke comes out their nose & they forget why they needed the break in the first place. We let them "vent" to us, knowing they gladly return the favor. When they are sick we make the "trusty 'ol casserole" for them & their family. I'm not quite sure what that fixes either, but we do it just the same.
Even if we aren't really helping, we WANT to. With the development of the gene comes the true desire to fix everything. I'm not saying it's selfless, I know most Moms wouldn't mind applying the Scotch tape to themselves every now & then. (at least I do!)
Then...
In the middle of our Mom-hood we are thrown a curve ball. OUR Mom gets sick. Cancer comes to town & our newly mastered "Mom-ness" can't fix it. There is NO "magic" kiss to the forehead with Breast Cancer. We can go to the first terrifying appointments with them. We can go to the hospital & wait in the waiting room while they get a partial mastectomy. We can rush them to the ER in the middle of the night when their incision re-opens. We can hold their hand during treatments & turn our diaper bags into "Cancer Goodie" bags by packing them with cups of ice chips, bags of pretzels, magazines, books, & smelly lotion to mask the nasty antiseptic smell applied to their "ports". We can tell lame stories to try to get a laugh when they are all hooked up & feeling & looking miserable. When their taste buds collapse & their beloved Diet Coke makes them sick we can run around & find them Fresca instead. We take over the "trusty 'ol casserole" knowing they can't keep any food down, no matter how much anti-nausea medicine they take. We can get bossy & remind them to take their meds, & force them to lay down & rest. We can try to help them find the "good" in things, even when we're not sure there is any. We can help them pick out a wig for work, knowing that they will be bald for Christmas & that is driving them crazy. When their heads are so tender that the remaining hair is bringing tears to their eyes as it comes out, we can go to their house & have a Head Shaving Party. We can give them a journal & scrapbook & tell them that even though it doesn't seem like it now they will want it documented when they are all better. We can hope & pray that they will get all better. We can reassure them that they have a lovely & perfectly round head & actually look cute bald, even as they tell us to shut up. We can buy every Pink Ribbon product we see in the store. We can simply be there for them. We can listen to them vent about getting sick in front of their 3rd period class of stinky High School kids. We can wipe those tears knowing there isn't a giggle anywhere. We can take them to their blood transfusions, & watch them shiver because they can't seem to get warm. We can even cover them up with an extra blanket. We can try to laugh thru it all...
But, none of that fixes anything!! There is no hot glue gun that can put them back together. No grape flavored Tylenol or character band aid to make it all better.
We watch the Chemo almost kill them to cure them, and there is nothing in the Mom bag of tricks to FIX it! The gene is screaming inside of us & we can't make the Boo Boo go away!

Cancer Sucks!!

TTA: Love List...

I love the idea of this Tuesday Tell All, I just have to think about. I'm not quite sure where to start...

I love...

Scott & our 4 Stinky Kids,
Self Adhesive Stamps,
babies who like binkis,
Sparkling Cider,
giving birth & the first look at your baby,
not being pregnant,
Hostess Cupcakes,
Tetris on Nintendo 64, & my DVR,
Running thru the Sprinklers with my kids,
the smell of Lemon Pine Sol, & waking up to a clean house,
no dishes in the sink, & a place for everything & everything in it's place,
Peanut Butter M&M's,
Baby blankets right from the dryer & smelling of Fabric Softener,
Happy Kids & their crazy Laughs,
Baking, Cooking, & Looking thru new Cookbooks,
Decorating my house, & painting rooms fun colors,
Watching Seinfeld reruns,
Watching my kids run to the car after school,
Watching Savannah Dance, AveryLyn "create", & Sammy play Power Rangers,
Lauging with Scott the Pot, & making Brookie smile,
my Treadmill & going to my favorite class at the Gym (even tho it's been a while),
Taking Pictures of my kids & thinking about scrapbooking (& then not),
a clean refridgerator, & the smelly little air freshener "trees" for the car,
Looking at Real Estate, & finding houses for people, (just for fun)
my slippers (I wear them all the time!),
Smell Good Candles,
Lip Gloss, & Pedicures,
Picture frames, & cool quotes,
Most anything that smells good from Bath & Body works...

It may be a lame list, but there are some of the things I love. Happy Tuesday Tell All!

I NEED HELP!!

Okay kids, I need some serious help! I am in such a huge menu RUT! I have been making the same few things this whole winter & it's getting OLD!! I need your ideas! It doesn't even have to be in recipe form, I'll even just take ideas. For example, we like Parmesan Tacos. There is nothing crazy about these. You just prepare like regular tacos, with all the regular fixins. Do corn tortillas, that you fry in oil. (I prefer white corn) When you take them out of the oil, put them on a plate covered in paper towels & sprinkle with good ol' grated parmesan that you would put on your spaghetti. Then set the cheesy shells aside, & build like normal tacos! So so yummy & a little twist on taco night. Obviously NOT a Weight Watchers kind of a meal... But yummy!
Now I'm ready for your ideas! I'll post your recipes & ideas on the recipe blog! So, email me or leave them in the comments!!!
I posted our Family Favorite Meal on the recipe blog, find it here! Enjoy!!!
Can't wait to hear all your ideas & recipes!

Crazy Fun Family

Our Crazy Little Family!

I know you're all probably sick of the collages of my family. I've just had so much fun playing with them! I found this cute thing by Erma Bombeck, I used to have it printed & up on my fridge so I would see it everyday. I still don't agree with some of the things, maybe I'm just not old enough yet. But, I still love it as a daily reminder...

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER

Erma Bombeck

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the "good" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching tv and more while watching life.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for a day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away 9 months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment realizing that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go wash up for dinner."

There would have been more "I Love You's"... but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it...live it... and never give it back!

Wordless Wednesday...

Okay, not so "wordless"... Sammy took a picture of "The Mommy" having a going crazy moment! At least the week is 1/2 over! Come on Friday, Woo Hoo!!

Savannah & Avery

Miss Savannah!! Here is our tender heart girl. She is such a sweetie & so much fun! She is always up for some fun. We just love her tons & tons!! She makes me laugh, she is a goof ball & it's just scary how fast she is growing up!!
Avery Avery Avery! She is our artist! She is tons of fun when she's happy & she can be a bit looney! She loves her baby sister & likes things to be "just right". (I don't know where she gets that!) Love that Avery girl! Her favorite person is her Grandpa Norm!!


**I posted Carries Breakfast Cake on the recipe blog. Go & check it out, it looks yummy!!

Sammy!

Here is our crazy fun Sammy boy! We just love him, he is a complete LOON, in a 100% little boy kind of way! He has the best smile & LOVES to tease, & fight & play Power Rangers. (which of course means FIGHT! ) He is so much fun in a nutty sort of way!!


**I got some fun awards today! I got the "Kind Blogger Award" from GirlyMom & an "E for Excellent" award from Shellie at Little But Loud! Thanks girls you're great!

Brookie

Here is my Brookie! From birth thru 8 month. Cecily got me hooked on this program & playing with pictures! I just couldn't resist posting my sweet baby girl collage! Love her!!

Enjoy pictures of my baby Brookie!

Poor Baby!!

So, we finally get her over being sick & she decides to get TEETH!!! That just isn't fair! The poor baby is so sad. Just look at how sweet she is, doesn't she just LOOK miserable? Teething sucks!! Here is her crazy brother Sammy trying to "Nuggle" her & she is NOT impressed! The worst part, ya know for me is that she has stopped sleeping!!! Arggghhh! I need her to sleep. Especially since she's pretty cranky when she's awake. Sad girl, tired mom, not a great combo!

We had parent teacher conferences the past two days & I am happy to report (not that you really care) that my kids are all geniuses!! They all had fabulous reports! Yay!

So, that is all I have for you. That is all we've been doing this week hanging out with an onery teething baby girl & fighting the crowds at teacher conference. Wow, we are so extremely boring!

Still Snowing....

This was Super Bowl Sunday! Scott went out to tunnel out of the driveway so if our family could make the trip to our house for the game, they would have some place to park. So, the kids decided to go out & "help" Daddy. The picture above is Sammy on Daddys Car!

We had so much snow piled on the side of the driveway the kids & the Dad got busy & made a snow cave. They had so much fun out there! It's Tuesday now, & it's still snowing. It's not as bad as some places North of us (sorry Cecily & Tami), we can at least get to our mailbox. I just can't believe that it won't stop!!
My sister in law Kim & her family braved the storm & came to our house to watch the Super Bowl. Her husband Red is a HUGE Patriots fan, so it became a tense night. We had so fabulous food, including the Chocolate fountain that we dipped treats in! Yum!! I am so bad to remember to take pictures when everyone is here, but don't worry I have a great shot of the cascading fountain of fun! The kids played in the basement & Kim & I made cards while the boys watched the game. It was a fun night, until the Patriots lost, that is.
Here is Red (he's going to be so happy that I posted this pic) he was so tense that he dozed off during the half time show. He's so funny! Don't worry 5 minutes after this picture, he was pacing around the room again! We love you Red, sorry your night ended badly!!