Anyone Still With Me??

WOW!!!  It's been a while.  Hello again!

We just got back from yet ANOTHER fun weekend at the lake with friends!!!  We're trying to make the most of the last few days of our summer!!!!!  Two more days until school starts!!!

This weekend was filled with several "firsts" at the lake.

Well, not with Rhodesie baby...he was GREAT all weekend long!

We  hooked up both tubes behind the boat...and TUBED THE KIDS TO DEATH!

I think they all have battle wounds to prove it too!  Either from holding on so tight, or the tube rubbing them!  But they were all smiles (most of the time) out there on the water!

Rhodes taking his morning nap on the boat - under the towel.

Lillian thinking she's sneaking sips of my Diet Dr. Pepper!

We even broke out some bubbles!!!  Robert tested it for everyone. :-)

One thing the kids have been begging to do at the lake is stop at this little island in the middle of the lake - Sand Island - and take a dip!  We put it off as long as we could but it may be a regular stop from now on.

And then for the big one.......

I let my babies jump off of Chimney Rock.

This.Is.Huge.

Robert was proud I loosened up a bit.  But I just can't help it.  I've heard so many stories of people dying or becoming paralyzed from jumping from the rocks.  Of course, they're jumping off the 40+ foot rock.  Which I have done, but will do everything in my power to keep my own kiddos from doing the same stupid thing I did.  Even though I loved it.  :-)


Here's Olivia doing the "extra small" rock.  (btw, there are 4 sizes: xs, s, m, l)

Then I decided to go off the "small rock".  Wasn't quite thrilling enough.  ;-)  Fun though.

Like my form?!?

Then Olivia jumped off the "small rock" and that's as high as she'll ever go!

The other mom, Mrs. Liz, and I floated in the water with all 6 kids (less Rhodes) and watched the kids jump!  They loved it!  You had to pull yourself up with a rope and climb up the rocks!  I think the kids were pretty proud of themselves!

And I have a feeling Chimney Rock will be a regular stop for us now too...as long as there aren't too many boats floating around, I'm all for make memories jumping off (small) rocks at the lake.  That's what it's all about!  :-)


Like I said earlier, school starts WEDNESDAY!!!  Yikes!  So we're taking the week to get back on track!

I have to say, summer wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.  But I think I got that "dread" in my head from listening to other people dreading the end of the school year.  I have to say, we had a blast!  And the part I was most anxious about at the beginning of summer - keeping my house up and going grocery shopping with 4 kids in tow - wasn't so bad.  I actually DID IT and didn't lose my mind.  Well, not all of it at least.

What was most comical were the constant comments I had about having them all with me out and about.  And the kids are catching on.  Today leaving the gym a lady yelled out to me, "Girl...you got FOUR!?"  I smiled and said yes.  And Landon said in a fed up tone, "They're always saying something about us!"

Then last week, I had a man pull past me in the parking lot and say, "Are these all yours?!"  Me: "Yes sir!"

I think he was so baffled (why I don't know), that he said, "Well, congratulations!"

Thanks....I think!?!

They Said What?!?

I'm thinking about having random posts of "They Said What!?!" on the crazy things people say or do. Half the things I think are hysterical. Others....well, it's just plain crazy what people say!

A few thing happened the past week or so that made me say in my head, "She said what!?!"

1) We were at the park playing. I had all the kids...must have been Veterans day. I'm chasing Lillian while keeping an eye on the other two from a small distance. But I was close enough to Olivia when someone said the craziest thing to her. This woman was clearly foreign. She was speaking to her kids and friend in what sounded like russian or something to me. I'm guessing (I wasn't close enough at this point) that Olivia asked them why they were speaking funny, or what language she was talking and they proceeded to have an innocent conversation about it.

Well, this woman asking Olivia if she spoke spanish! And kept asking her to count or say something in spanish!!! hahahahaha I mean, I know people have asked me if she was adopted (amongst many other things), but this one was new! So she's a little senorita now, huh!?!


2) This is short and quick. At story time on Tuesday, a mom said to me, "I have to go tinkle do you mind watching "L" for a minute?"

Umm..yes, but NEW FLASH - I'm not a 2 year old. And you and say "I'm running to the restroom".

One more time....A GROWN WOMAN TOLD ME SHE NEEDED TO TINKLE!!!

3) Another day and different park, I was talking to some moms. Somewhere in the conversation I said, "....and if we have another baby....."

One mom boldly/seriously said, "Why would you want to do that!?!?!?!" And looked at my like I was clinically insane!

Well, let's see, they're a blessing, I actually like my kids, and is it really up to us?? I'll gladly take whatever children God wants to lend me!!! I'd love more! And maybe not even one more....bring on the babies!!!!! :-)

Have any crazy things said to you lately?

Politically Incorrect....For Toddlers??!!

We we at the library yesterday for a Bug Sing-a-long. The summer reading theme is "Catch the Reading Bug".

So, they started singing a children's song that I've been singing for forever. It starts out with cupping your hands together and singing, "I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee, Won't my mama be so proud of me..."

The second verse used to go "I'm squishing up a baby bumble bee..." (because it stings your hands) and third verse "I'm wiping off a baby bumble bee..."

Apparently, they don't sing it that way anymore. They just keeping singing the first verse over and over! And the "hand motion" they use is like swinging a baby in your arms!!! I burst out laughing and said, "They must have changed the words!!!!"

The sweet librarian sitting a few feet from me leaned over and said, "It's not politically correct to sing, 'I'm squishing up a baby bumble bee'!"


Seriously! These are little children. I loved singing it the other way.

It's sad we have to change the words to kids songs for fear of offending someone.....heaven forbid we offend a 3 year old!!!

Can't Leave Lillian Out!

The other day Landon was cleaning up the playroom and brought me a toy spatula (the one on the left)!



He said, "Here you go Mom, it's a spankin' spoon for Lillian!!"

Guess she needed a smaller one since she's the BABY!!!!

Jackpot at Walmart!

So, it's Friday night and we were supposed to go out of town. Well, things didn't work out as planned, so we stayed home. Robert still had some commitments out of town and he has now left me at home with 3 kids under 4 1/2 for the first time overnight!!!! ::jaw dropping:: So, I knew had to find something to keep the kids occupied! Well, Walmart here I come! I could walk around there for hours. And even better, my kids could walk around for even longer! What would we mom's do with out a Walmart!

Well, my favorite shopping time of the year is when the seasons change and literally all the stores have clearances. Walmart clearance aisles - here we come!! So my daughter knows that I like good deals. And she now has learned that "good deals" come with a colored price tag. For example, at Brunos's they are purple tags hanging from the clearance items and Parisians, it's yellow tags on top of the racks. Theses tags usually mean more way more than 50% off!

So we're in Walmart killing time. I've put Lillian in the baby sling around me and the other two are in the cart. And Olivia asks me, "What color are we looking for, Mommy?" I responded, "RED baby!!" I'm smiling, hoping that I am slowly training her to be good with money and recognize a SALE!!!

Well, we migrate back to the toy section and there are about 4 isles with RED tags saying CLEARANCE! Can we say, jackpot??? I think the kids thought it was Christmas. Even better, there was a man with a huge white beard, red shirt, and red pants with suspenders walking around the toy section - NO KIDDING. Well, what do you think they said OUT LOUD??

"Hey, that man looks like SANTA CLAUS!!!?" so loud that I can hear people around me chuckle!

He just turned around and smiled.


So this is what we took home! Fun things to keep them occupied while Daddy is away!





And poor Lillian - she was just hanging out on a pillow on the couch! Of course happy as can be!


Thank goodness she is such a good baby!! I think she knew life wasn't going to slow down much for her in my tummy!!!

Well, I'm off to try to get some sleep tonight - yeah, we'll see how that goes!!