"This day is so fun, it's like a vacation!"

This was Laney's summary of our day on Saturday...

Our St. Patrick's Day parade was rained out on Friday, and we were really sad. We decided to go on some St. Patty's day fun on Saturday to make up for Friday.

Our first stop was Target, where I got my first new pair of glasses in 7 years! My other pair is 10 years old!! Zane has broken one pair and the other pair is being held together by a small screw. I'm hoping they make it through the week. I got contacts too, which makes Allen very happy!!! He says he likes to see me without glasses some times! I got my eyes dilated, so I had to wear my sunglasses all day. I looked really silly, but I was really not able to see anything. Allen said it was a taste of what I was going to be like when I am old! I got two really cute pair of glasses, and I can't wait to get them on Saturday. I love having contacts too. I can wear sunglasses!!! Woo hoo!!!

After Target, we headed to eat. We saw the Mellow Mushroom, and got REALLY excited! We love that place but never get to go. It was so yummy and delicious. They have the best pita break and hummus dip you will ever have. YUM!

Then we headed to the Clover Walk in Homewood. There were green stations everywhere, and it was a green awareness/St. Patrick's celebration. Right up our alley. We were even able to recycle the huge bag of batteries we've been collecting for years. (Fyi - You CANNOT throw away batteries, ever. Now back to your regularly scheduled program...)



Our first stop was to Fretted. The kids wanted to see Sugar, and to say "hi" to Mr. Herb. They love going to Daddy's work and seeing all the guitars. They love Sugar the most. This is Laney saying she'd eaten too much sugar. Not the dog. The real kind. Hayes got us addicted to Nerds jelly beans. We'd gotten those at Target and eaten them already along with the Shamrock cookies. (Jennifer is shuddering right now...)

We got clover cookies from Savage's Bakery. My favorite. *sigh* I love their cookies so much. I'm not the only one too, let me tell you...

Laney slid down a huge slide for a bit, and Jude and I even went once. That was enough for Jude! I was proud that he went once, though.

Then we headed to Vulcan. The last time we were there was when I was pregnant with Laney and he was disassembled. It was so neat and the kids loved it. It was SUPER windy and just so cool up there. Whew. We were tired, but having the best day!

Jude went down the stairs walking only on one color stone. I love it when my kids do things just like I would have done when I was a kid!

Jude found a rainbow. He said, "Mom, look! There's violet!!!" Pure homeschooling moment. We studied rainbows and colors not that long ago.

Looking straight down to the bottom of Vulcan. Vertigo, man!!!

Allen and the kids at the kids' station.



We topped the day off with a huge trip to Costco, which is impossible without Daddy. We came home, ate dinner, bathed and tried to sleep. Yes. Tried. But I'm tired of talking about that.

So that was our vacation at home day!

THE END!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We absolutely love St. Patrick's Day. Maybe it's my Irish heritage or just the fact that I love holidays. Or maybe it's the cool story about Patrick running the snakes out of Ireland. For what ever reason, we really love it, and hope you have the luck 'o the Irish on your St. Patrick's Day!!!

(what kind of geek am I???) :):):)

MORE SNOW!!!

Imagine the squeals of delight when we woke up Saturday morning to a light dusting of snow.

The kids threw on some clothes and headed outside.

It was a great surprise and a sweet blessing. Twice in a winter. I am so happy for the kids. They love snow!!!

A day in the life

Our days are pretty hilarious. There is always something going on. Mostly it's good, but sometimes it does get crazy. I try to remember that these days aren't going to last. I think

that's why I take lots of pictures. There are times when I see pictures of Laney or Jude, and think, "I have NO recollection of that AT ALL." Kinda scary.

So here is a photographic series titled, "A Day in the Life..." :D

Zane plays in the pots and pans while I cook. I love how he lines things up. Please tell me that means he's going to be an engineer and makes lots of money!!!

Zane finally likes to swing. He wouldn't for the longest time, so it's fun to see him finally liking something that the other two loved so much. Jude loves to push him. Not so fun is when Zane goes out the door and starts screaming for someone to put him in the swing... lol.

School is going so incredibly well. They are both learning so much and doing so well. This was a lesson on reading a recipe, measuring and colors. The kids loved it. Thanks for the food coloring!

Laney told me one day she needed go get some exercise! We found a show on the FIT channel, and all three of them did their exercises. Hilarious!

Zane had his first play date when we kept our friend Molly. He shared his booster chair with her, shared his toys, and read a book to her. We did school with two babies!!! It was sweet and fun.

Laney is reading like a champ. She's flying through her first grade readers. She loves to go to the library and choose books to read for school. I'm amazed at how well she's doing. Sorry. It's a shameless brag!

MOVE!!!!!

The kids have been spending so much more time outside, as have the grownups too. We spend last Sunday afternoon outside, cleaning our cars. I vacuumed up at least a pound of crushed up Goldfish, and decided that we aren't going to eat in our van anymore. Zane loves to play in the van. As you can tell.

I think Laney about sums this picture up...(Zane kept honking the horn-LOUDLY)

This is the trash bag flying day. They had the very best time that you could ever imagine.

With the weather so beautiful outside, the kids have played out side all day, every day. Laney does come in to do school, but I almost feel sorry for her. She does school, but we've done the bare minimum so she can get back out there. After a long winter, I hate to make her sit inside one second longer than she has to. We definitely have Spring Fever!!!

This is Jude, with his chocolate milk mustache and his 4 (yes, 4) shirts on.

A very bad picture of Mama, but at least I can be silly.

Zane loves to play American Idol. You should hear him with the echo effect on. Wow.

We LOVE the park.

We also love to go on walks. It's one of our favorite things to do. I love this picture of the big kids and Allen. It makes my heart hurt for some reason. I love them too much.

I love that my men vacuum!!! (Zane had an encounter with some yogurt, and I hadn't gotten him a new shirt yet.)

This about sums up our daily life. At least I'll remember the things I blog!!! Hee!

Ahhhh...

I feel like the fog has lifted, and I'm back to my old self again. I don't know why I was so unable to deal with life this week. Usually I just flow along, but not this week. I don't know. Maybe it's the start of menopause!! lol



It's been a good day. We visited with precious friends this morning, and had such a sweet time. The weather is perfect. (This would be my ideal summer) School is rolling along so easily. I'm amazed at what all Laney is learning. I am already looking for Sonlight for next year. First grade. Wow.




I even got my purse finished. Yes, I sew. Despite some haters, who, when I told a group of friends last week that I sewed, responded, "In theory." So here's my "in theory" purse! (pbbtttttt ;) )



It even has cute little pockets inside. I'm sad, because it's too short, but okay for a first-in-a-very-long-time effort. I got the fabric from Hayes. Isn't it cute? She has great taste in fabric. The purse looks like Jenn R. to me, so I told her she could have it when I rotate it out!!!



Laney was so cute. She loved it and wanted her picture taken with it. I love that girl.



Allen even brought me home a rose last night. He really felt sorry for me! Laney smelled it earlier, and said, "Oh it smells SO good!"

Jude replied, "Yeah, it smells like Mama." Okay, that makes up for the stepmother comment from yesterday.



So all is well. I'm thankful for the yucky days, really. How can you love the good days if you don't have any bad ones? And I was feeling guilty for unloading on my blog, but I was reminded yesterday that it's good to be real some times. It helps to know that you aren't the only one who struggles. It's terribly hard being a mama, and everyone struggles some days. I think it's supposed to make us long for home!!!!!

Holy Cow

I was all set to post a "sorry I was so whiny yesterday" message this morning, but this today was WORSE than yesterday.

After spending waaaay too much time dealing with tax mess first thing this morning, I finally wrangled all 3 kids into clothes, got the bank stuff together, and loaded the car with the clothes that I needed to get to the store to consign.

We get all buckled in and the van won't start.

I unload all the kids and throw them in the backyard and call Allen. I didn't like his suggestion, but I knew I had no choice.

I emptied the entire right side of our garage (which is no easy feat) and pulled Allen's truck into the garage to jump off the van. I'm terrified of so little in this life, but jumping off cars is one thing I just don't do. (maggots are the other thing, by the way)

So I'm on the phone with Allen, who is trying to teach a lesson, trying to hear over Zane who is screaming in the back yard. I'm trying not to get electrocuted (they tell you not to touch the two ends of the jumper cables together, you know) and Allen keeps telling me to calm down.

I get the things all connected and the van won't start. I get back out of the van and go look. When I FELL, trying to climb over what I didn't clean out of the garage, I pulled the whole clampy thingies off the battery. That freaked me out, and Allen had to walk me through all the process again, including how to reattach the round thingies that came off the battery.

This time it started, and I had to unattach everything, back the truck out and reload the garage and see why Zane had been screaming.



Turns out he had gotten into his car, which was full of water and was soaked all the way down to his diaper. I stripped him naked, rediapered and redressed him, and reloaded everyone back into the car.



Then the garage door wouldn't go down. I swear, the place I'm running away to won't have taxes, cars or garage doors.

Jenn swept in and saved the day like a knight in a shining Volvo.

We played and had fun celebrating Brooksie's birthday at the Chick, laughed and met a new friend.

That was good. I met a friend-of-a-friend at WalMart, and I thought things may be looking up.

Then the lady really ripped me off on my clothes at the consignment store, but seeing as I can't handle anything like Ebay right now, I took the money and ran.

Jude just had a melt down and said I was like the stepmother. From Cinderella, I'm assuming.

I'm feeding everyone frozen pizza and crawling into the bed. If tomorrow's not better... ah, who am I kidding - I have no more threats left. I still want to run away.

Alexander, from my favorite Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, always wanted to go to Australia. Laney wants to go there, because she's on a Bindi, the Jungle Girl, kick. I bet she'd go with me.

I have HAD it

It's just one of those days where I just can't do it all.

I'm still in my pj's and my bed's not even made. Not because I'm lazy, but just because I never got a chance to go put some clothes on.

I'm so tired of being tired.

I hate the government, and if they (city, state or federal) ask for one cent more of our money, I will go postal on somebody. Just because we are self employed does not mean that we have tons of money sitting around with no where to spend it. I can not pay one cent more than the $3,000 I'm about to have to write them a check for. And if you get a nice refund, please don't tell me about it, like the last 3 people have. Thank you. :)

I can't keep up with the house, the kids, the laundry, the cooking and the school. Something is always falling behind.

If I hear a child scream one more day, I may pull (his) tongue out.

My father-in-law just said he'd run away to the Caribbean with us. You know-live in a grass hut and drink pina coladas out of a pineapple shell.

I'm packing....