Weekend Work Force!

Back in the day, loading 4 car seats every time we ventured out was a lot of work.

Getting 4 boys dressed and fed by 7:30 every morning to go to work was even more work... (just ask my husband)

BUT guess what ...

Do you know how much work my strong boys can do in a weekend???

A LOT!!!

Just ask Nana and Papa.

They're in the final stages of a BIG, HUGE, ENORMOUS remodel.

Nana's new kitchen is "almost finished"...













The cabinets just got put in this week, as well as several of the WOLF appliances that we can't wait to try out. With all the bells and whistles that are so cool... like pop-up vents and pull out warming draws... a several work stations.
But wait... who's the stud in the window?

That would be the "father" of the up and coming weekend work force!

After loading up some heavy concrete for the new driveway... they replanted some grass out front.

E
Colton has a never ending supply of enegy, and we love to put it to good use.

Of course, we took a few water breaks.

and puppy breaks...

and breaks to pose for mom... again...

Since she wasn't "part of the work force"... as she was just taking pictures... *grin

The boys were all really hot and dirty and smelly...Some of them more than others... because some of them DO more work than others...

And so I'm thinking...

If I can keep these boys well fed... in Nana's grand kitchen...

and can keep up with all these stinky clothes... (The likes of which I almost passed out from on the way home, even with the windows DOWN)

I'll have it made when it comes time to remodel my own house...

assuming I'm not broke from investing in deodorant stock... which is what I plan on doing first thing tomorrow morning!

And He Scores... again!

Today was a great day of football. Colton got 3 touchdowns and a couple of interceptions. He loves the game, almost as much as daddy and his brothers love cheering him on!

Wonder no more...

If any one's been wondering why I haven't had a chance to post...



Reason #1... (not really... but look CLOSER.... then laugh, and you get the idea!)
CAN YOU GUESS WHICH BOY IN THE FRONT ROW IS IN MY CLASS???

# 2 We've beeen working on http://aj ...





# 3 It's football season...



and being the home team takes practice...lots... and lots of practice!


Most importantly... my baby has been gone this week... and I MISS HIM almost more than I can bare.

So... of course... I decided in at the last moment to redo his room (again) for him, before he comes home -- TOMORROW!

He better love it... or his daddy is going to shoot me!

Let's Make a Plan...

I knew this would happen once school started...

My house would start to look like this...
(This DRIVES me crazy... more than anything else... I HATE it when my house is a mess)

*Maybe I should just be happy that I have a camera that can capture the dust so well???

or NOT!!

And then there's my sad roses...
I knew my beautiful roses would start to look like this once I started school... because I just don't have time to get to take care of them like I do when I'm not teaching, and homeschooling, and enjoying football and baseball 6 nights a week.

And this is how my scrapping is going...
which is to say... it isn't. And that little "gift" I've been working on for a friend... it's just killing me not to get if finished and sent!!

What I need is a plan... to get it all done.

But then I just recently discovered Facebook... AHHHHHHHHHHH...

and hooked up with my long-lost roommates from college... and one of my bridesmaids that moved across the country.

Tony told me to use my air miles to go for a visit!!! (Gosh I love him-- maybe I should get him a birthday gift after all???)

AND now I'm thinking I don't care so much about the yard and the "unfinished projects"... because I'm ALL about "planning" AJ's next field trip.

YEP... I'm thinking that's a great plan!! A trip to DC...

We'll see... but in the meantime... the plan is to clean the house; because I can't "plan" with a dirty house!

Family Fun

On the off chance that my parents ever leave town, my sister usually takes care of driving out to their house to take care of all the things that need to be done. Yesterday, she was too busy to go, so as a LAST resort, they had AJ and I drive out there to take care of the dogs.

My parents still live WAY out in the boon-docks where I grew up; and while some people view things as "being much smaller" than they used to be ... I happen to think everything seems MUCH bigger than when I was a kid (and unfortunately it's not because I am any smaller).


Look how huge those sunflowers are...
Don't let the cute face fool you; she's a hummmmdinger... as is her brother "Mr. York."

AND then, there's Ethel and Lucy... the outside 'puppies.' And they really are still puppies! Unlike the "little" ferocious dogs... they are very sweet and...

BIG!!!

AJ just HAD to go give them a bone, or 2 or 5....
They seem much bigger than the ROTs that I grew up with.

ummm... excuse me girls...

"Are you happy to see us, because we brought you a snack?"

NOOOOOOOO.... not him!!!
He's not the snack...

His HAT is not the snack!!!
"MOM.... Stop taking pictures and HELP ME!"
(Note to self: we really need to work on his tone !!)

Anyway...I did help him... finally.

I frantically called them, from the other side of the fence! (I'm no dummy) That's 300+ pounds of puppy. They'd never bite anyone... but they get excited to see him and try to lick him to death.

As I'm attempting to "save" my poor son; they ran out of the yard! So then I had to chase them around to try and "drag" them back into the yard.... for over an hour! URGGGGGGGGG.

They FINALLY got thirsty enough to let me drag them back into the yard (because there was NO WAY I could get them to do anything on my own), I drove straight to see my sister at work . I reminded her that our "sisters" all like her and her kids more than me... so she needs to make sure she's available (in the unlikely event that our parents ever trust us again with their precious pets) from now on.

And being the good aunt she is... she gave him some scrap booking supplies from http://ohforthememories.com/ to make sure he went home to do some actual school WORK.

so he did...
right after he called daddy to tell him about all the scratches on his back...
while I sat down to try to put my heart back in my chest!

Legacy of Love

I'm not sure why I can't wrap my brain around the fact that my mom and dad got married 40 years ago TODAY... Look how sweet they are, and they were just BABIES!!!

They're still so young... which makes them GREAT grandparents!!!
and very much in love... (which makes them a great example of how it can be!)

My parents gave us the world...

I know I'm one of the fortunate few that was blessed to have my mom and dad for parents! Not just because they gave me unbelieveable opportunites ... like going to TMC and hearing Johnny Mac every week; so I could meet Tony (I mean, so I could get a degree and support myself)...

Not to mention all the great memories that I have of Hume lake, pink oatmeal for V-day, golfing in Hawaii, or eating "gross" speghetti in Italy (ungrateful brat that I was)...

or one of my personal favorites... riding a camel in Israel.

How many people get to ride camels to Bethlehem... (Don't mind that I'm scared spitless and this Yahoo is playing "tonsil hocky" with the camel. )

Yeah... my mom and dad ROCK!

But the greatest legacy that my parents are leaving... is not only their love for each other... but their love for their grand kids too!

They really are the best grandparent's in the world... even though they spent today out of town... away from their grandkids... on grandparents day!

Happy 40th anniversary mom and dad! I couldn't be more proud of you than I am... and we love you more than words can express!!!

ps... we're holding your grandparent's day gift hostage until you remember to "call us when you get there" like you're supposed to!!!

Chippendale

Today was our principal's last day because she got a new job for the Pentagon. I'm hoping our CA distinguished school award gets me some kind of promotion too... but I won't hold my breath.

anyway... back to Chippendale. The new "substitute" principal is a retired administrator from a large district that my husband does a lot of fiber optic work for.

So while I'm walking through the staff room this afternoon, with all the other teachers sitting around eating their lunches... thinking of the zillion things I need to do... he stops me to "chat".

"How's your husband?" he asks.

*grin*
He's great, I replied.

He says (and I kid you NOT)... with everyone listening of course:

You know, your husband's got that "Chippendale" look. I don't know if he works out or not, but whenever he comes to one of our sites, the office all of sudden fills up with women. I can't tell you how many times I've had to warn women that sexual harrassment goes both ways.

Did you know that women think he's really handsome??

um... what? hughhhh?

Yeah, well...

So I'm thinking... does he really expect me to give an answer... or is this one of those... let's see what she says, trick question deals.

My teaching partner and a few other women chime in about how wonderful he is, how he does all my paperwork for me, and all the house work, and brings my class treats, and he's the best daddy in the world because he does everything for the boys...

and of course...

They're right...

and I know I'm the luckiest woman in the world... because EVERYONE reminds every day of my life... apparently I don't appear to "appreciate how good I've got it" (could be the little things I over look... like his birthdays... hmm. I'll have to work on that)

But as far as the whole chippendale thing... when we started dating and he was 4% body fat... and people went on and on about this and that... it didn't mean a thing to me then... and it doesn't really mean too much to me know either.

But that bubble bath that he just ran for me at midnight, that I'm gonna enjoy while he's doing the laundry and cleaning the kitchen so I'm not embarrassed when my mom comes to work with AJ in the morning... now THAT stuff... that's stuff that... well- that's the good stuff. It's the fact that he loves me in spite of me...

and yeah... he can dance too.

but really... I don't need people to tell me how women think he's good looking and would "love to borrow him for the night"... because it's just ANNOYING.