Hosmerville

Today's Greatness

2011-08-16T00:31:00.002-04:00

~*~ clean laundry ~*~
~*~ walk on the beach and pier at Grand Haven ~*~
~*~ Austin holding a gorgeous macaw on his arm ~*~
~*~ boursin mushroom pizza and blackberry basil lemonade at Kirby's K2 ~*~
~*~ watching my little merpeople in the hotel pool~*~
~*~ time to blog ~*~

2011-07-28T18:47:00.003-04:00

The godly are showered with blessings.

~Proverbs 10:6

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Live your life while you have it. Life is a splendid gift~

there is nothing small about it.

~Florence Nightingale

2011-07-21T01:35:00.002-04:00

You bless the godly,

O LORD; You surround them

with your shield of love.

Psalm 5:12

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions~ the little, soon forgotten charities of a kiss or a smile, a kind look or heartfelt compliment.

~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Just Like A Fairy Tale

2011-06-30T19:55:00.002-04:00

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Micah and Lindsey Moss

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Wow! That Was Some Good Stuff!

2011-02-07T09:36:00.002-05:00

This is old news, but I came across this note I had scribbled down back in October to blog, so I thought~ better late than never. The kids all had dentist appointments back at the end of September and the hygienist found 3 cavities in Lexi's teeth. Say what!?! My kids have always had perfect checkups and now my baby had not 1 but 3 cavities! I almost cried as they told me. The whole dental experience has always been a good one for the kids and I didn't want this to ruin everything. I didn't even tell the kids and when I had my own 2 cavities filled a week later I nonchalantly brushed off the whole experience (even though my mouth was numb for hours afterwards and when I did start to regain feeling my whole chin tingled with an itch that couldn't be scratched~ ugh!)

Anyways, the morning of the big day I dropped Austin and Audrey off at school and then told Lexi that we were going to see Dr. K who was going to make her smile nice and pretty. I was SO nervous. She got weighed (to determine how much meds she could handled) and then they dosed her while she was picking out a toy (pom poms to go with her cheerleader outfit). They told me to take her potty and then read to her in the waiting room while the medicine took effect. I knew that she would get loopy but when she started going rubbery and slurring her speech, it was everything I could do to not panic.

At one point, she looked up at me and slurred, "you have 'dis many eyes" and held up 3 fingers. I giggled (nervously). Then she informed me I had 2 noses. She was completely gone. My arms were aching from holding up her limp little body when they finally called us back. I got her settled in the chair and they dismissed me back to the waiting room. She came thru with flying colors but the drive home was rough.

I put her seat back because she was still somewhat incoherent and I didn't want her flopping forward as I was driving. She was coming down from her "high" and this totally irritated her. She somehow managed to get her seat back up but then it was too far forward. And that irritated her. I stopped alongside the road and got her resettled. She hadn't been allowed to eat before her procedure so I had planned to get her a yogurt parfait from McD's as a special treat. She wanted chicken nuggets. I explained you can't get nuggets at 9:30 in the morning. That irritated her. She finally decided on pancakes. We drove thru and took them home.

I had gotten her a new DVD to keep her laying low and she wanted to eat her pancakes in the living room. I told her only if I could feed them to her (sticky syrup + micro suede couch + loopy girl don't mix very well). She wanted to do it herself. I told her no. That irritated her. The smell of maple finally made her relent. She settled in against her pillows like a princess. I fork fed her.

Next time, mommy is asking for meds, too.

Like, Mooom, I'm, Like, Sooooo Embarrassed

2011-01-30T20:30:00.003-05:00

....says my ~~fifteen~~ 5 year old (or at least her tone says it all). It's not like it hasn't snowed every day for the past month (slight exaggeration) but really, there's snow... and lots of it! And as I was turning the corner to pick up Austin at school the other day, the back end of my mom van swung sideways and we slip~slided 15 feet or so. As I regained control, I waved to a mom friend passing the other way. Audrey caught my wave and asked who it was that I was waving to. I told her T's mom (T just happens to be THE BOY that Audrey has had her eye on since the first day of preschool last year. She has told me several times very matter of factly that she is going to marry him someday.) "Mom!" she exclaims, "you shouldn't be driving like that!" and in her best valley girl impersonation she continues, "she's (T's mom) gonna think you, like, don't know how to driiii~ve!"

Tooth Fairy Time

2011-01-25T17:02:00.003-05:00

Ha! So I Am Important!!! (Here's Proof)

2010-12-18T10:07:00.003-05:00

I was enjoying my first Saturday morning off in months and sleeping in this morning. I heard Tom tell the kids that we were planning on going to get our Christmas tree today. (So I wasn't actually sleeping but still enjoying being snuggly under the flannels.) Audrey asks, "Is mommy going?" (Because all too often I miss out on family stuff because I'm working the weekends.) Austin exclaims, "Of course she's going! She's the main part!" It feels so good to be wanted and loved;)

This Week In Numbers

2010-12-10T21:55:00.002-05:00

7 days of sickness
6 completely messy, trashed out rooms
5 changes of bedsheets
4 houses cleaned & 4 shifts at Mei~jer
3 basketball games
2 boxes of kleenex
....and a partridge in a pear tree

My 3 Best Friends

2010-12-06T17:22:00.002-05:00

I don't mean to play favorites, really, I don't. But after feeling like I've been ran over by a Mack truck and left for dead, I sure am grateful for these small comforts:

Tazo Calm tea with honey
Puffs plus with Vicks and lotion
my favorite pillow

Dr's Orders

2010-11-18T10:23:00.002-05:00

Well, I was in for a 9 month check up with my endocrinologist today. My heart rate and blood pressure was up, temperature was up, too. I think it's all from lack of sleep and waaay too much caffeine. He thinks I might be anemic. I got a big lecture on how my heart is like a horse and if I keep whipping it (like I'm doing) eventually it will just stop. Yeah, scared the crap out of me. But, what's a girl to do? Win the lottery or head to La~La Land, I guess. I can't just stop working or really cut anything else out of life right now. I've completely over~prioritized everything in life. Hoping it doesn't have to be this way for much longer, but still no light at the end of the tunnel yet. My bad behavior earned me another round of blood tests. Maybe I am anemic and the solution will be as simple as popping a little pill. Carry on, Maria, carry on.

Sleep Is Over~rated

2010-11-12T11:04:00.003-05:00

It's been really hard working these full 3rd shifts 2 nites/ week. Especially when I'm getting Austin and Audrey ready for Friday on Thursday nite and Lexi asks, "what do I get to do tomorrow?" and I reply, "you get to be with mommy" {while mommy sleeps on the couch} and she runs down the hall singing, "yay!!!!" because she thinks we're going to color and do play doh and play dolls and go to Tim Horton's. I miss my special "just~mommy~and~Lexi" times when the older 2 kids are in school. And it kills me to think that we don't get that any more because the times it is just us is Friday mornings after I've been up for almost 24 hours (minus a quick nap). But I have to sleep sometime. Grrr.... what's a momma to do?

Back To Bloggin'

2010-11-11T12:29:00.003-05:00

I can't believe I missed out on the WHOLE month of October!!! I have got to get back to blogging. The kids say something cute, we have a really amazing family moment, I'm on my soapbox about something... again. I've got to start recording this stuff. But life is super busy, so I think I'll start blogging Facebook style. Just short snippets here and there. We'll see how this goes.

Just A Hunch

2010-09-28T13:08:00.002-04:00

I just knew that the lady behind the counter, the one dubbed "krazy paint lady" thought maybe she wasn't the crazy one when I told her that I wanted a "small" can of paint. For the moment, the term "quart" escaped my mind and all I could think of was "pint". Except I wasn't at the bar, I was at Home Depot. And the fact that I was completely clueless as to what finish I wanted (just something "really shiny") and not being able to decide on whether or not I wanted primer based paint... yeah, that pretty much sealed her assumption.

I just knew that the friendly Home Depot man regretted his offer of assistance the moment this high~heeled boot wearing mama clomped past him looking for beadboard. Hands full of paint and supplies, it was obvious I was on a mission. A mission I felt come to a screeching halt as I stood before the beadboard because it was in sheets of (maybe) 6'X4' and I only needed 2 sections of 42 1/2" X 7 1/2' and 2 sections of 10" X 7 1/2" (or something like that). So FHDM (friendly Home Depot man) offered to cut it down to size (apparently a service they provide... who knew?) if I purchased the entire sheet.

I just knew that FHDM was thinking, "lady, take your boots and your fake Prada handbag and go back to where you came from" when I whipped out my measurements and told him, "these probably aren't exact but this is what I think I need".

I just knew that FHDM was slightly glad he was dealing with a nut case when the one board came out a teensy bit longer than what was supposed to be and upon his offer to do re~cut, I shrugged him off with a "naw, I'll probably have to pound these in with my hammer anyways... I mean little rubber mallet thingy".

I just knew that the FHDM was thinking this blonde must dye her hair brunette as he watched me tip tap away in my heels, all the ingredients for a perfect minor turned major home project disaster balanced precariously on some sort of wheelie cart thingy I was pushing toward checkout.

But, I just know that the white with lattice in~lay coffee table type piece of furniture in my basement in going to look great as a black with beadboard in~lay coffee table type piece of furniture in my living room.

I just know.

Big Spending

2010-09-11T12:02:00.002-04:00

You know you've spent way too much money on a stupid pair of Twinkle Toes that your daughter just has to have because you've heard daily reports from her on exactly who was wearing the sparkling flashing sneakers in school, when you look at the tag and think "I could buy 3 pairs of shoes at Target for this much money".

You know you can chalk one up to "mom insecurities" when despite the breathtaking price tag you allow her to pick out the MOST EXPENSIVE style during back~to~school shopping. (You couldn't possibly do this because you're remembering when everyone else in the whole school {slight exaggeration} had Reebok Pumps.... except you. And you don't want your daughter to be "you".)

But what really confirms that you've lost your ever loving mind is when you go to return said sneakers (because after 6 mornings on the kindergarten playground the inside sole is falling apart and now your daughter won't wear them because it "bodders" her and you didn't spend this much money to have these shoes just sit there and not twinkle) and the (male) sales associate looks at the receipt and says, "are you sure you have the right receipt because this is for $46 dollars?" and I say, "and they were on sale!" And he says, "I wouldn't even spend this much money on shoes for myself!" And I say, "You would if everybody else was wearing them!" And all of the other moms around instantly know that I'm talking about Twinkle Toes because their daughters have daily reported to them that everybody has them so can I please, please, please have them, too!?!

Any other moms lost their minds, too?

The Li'l Kid's 1st Day

2010-09-03T11:07:00.008-04:00

The Big Kids' 1st Day

2010-08-30T13:05:00.003-04:00

Not thrilled for the morning but only because her "Twinkle Toes" were boddering her, (which, of course, made her brother all that more thrilled).

After all the tears, she struck this pose in front of her classroom door. (This is her classic silly face. My camera is never quick enough to catch it completely but she crosses both eyes and gives me a big smile.) I think her and Mrs. F. WILL have lots of fun together:)

Austin is at the exact opposite end of the school than his sisters. He's thrilled that his locker buddies are boys on both sides.

Whew, we made it thru the first day.

I'll Try Harder Next Time (sigh)

2010-08-26T15:45:00.002-04:00

Lexi got these really cool Crayola sidewalk crayons for her birthday. Bold, bright, vibrant colors. I couldn't wait to try them out. We doodled a birthday message on the sidewalk to greet her party guests Monday nite. On Tuesday, a friend called over and asked both Audrey and Austin to stay the nite (in addition to her 5. Ummmm, ok, whatever... if you want 7 kids, 7 and under for 24 hours... oookay. Seriously though, Teresa is a cool mom, totally laid back and chill. My kids had a blast at her house!) Anyways, that left me and Lexi alone and in the driveway with the new chalks Tuesday afternoon. I became quite engrossed in my art project and created a beautiful rainbow, which I announced with a "ta~da!!!" Lexi, barely glancing up from her own masterpiece says (in a very grown~up, bored voice), "I am not impressed." Well, excuse me then. Next time I'll keep my brilliance to myself.

Happy Birthday, Lexi J!!!

2010-08-22T16:29:00.002-04:00

Today, this little lady turns 4. Not so much my baby anymore, totally ready to be a big girl. Happy birthday, my beautiful Bearsie Boo!

S'more Fun, Please!

2010-08-19T11:56:00.006-04:00

Andy and Rona took the girls awhile back and Austin hosted Anna for the evening. We did a complete hot dog roast and had smores for dessert.

Ha, Ha!!! I love this picture of me. I think "Kate" of John & Kate plus 8 when I see my expression. I honestly wasn't freaking out. I think Austin's marshmallow was on fire and I was trying to get him to blow it out before making his smore.

We couldn't leave Ed out of the smore'y goodness. He ate all of the rejects (i.e., burnt marshmallows:)

Binder Park 2010, part 1

2010-08-18T16:30:00.004-04:00

Last year, Austin's 1st grade class worked toward an end~of~year zoo trip. They did nacho and treat sales, even worked at Encore one morning to make money to cover the trip's expenses. Finally, On June 2nd they boarded the train to Battle Creek and spent the day at Binder Park. Tom took the train with Austin and I drove separately to meet up with everyone at the zoo.

Mrs. L made the kids personalized t~shirts and put together great little travel bags for each of the kids: snacks, card games, a trip journal, and sunglasses:

Austin's class waiting to depart the station:

All Aboard!!!!

Headed out to Wild Africa:

Each of the kids also got $20 in spending money. Austin bought a spider monkey (among other things). Posing with his new friend:

Feeding the goats:

Audrey's Pre~school Picnic

2010-08-03T12:17:00.011-04:00

Well, since the kids start school in less than 2 weeks now, it seems appropriate to post pictures from Audrey's year~end preschool picnic. One of these days I'll get caught up on my pictures and posts. Maybe in 2 weeks when I'll have ALL 3 KIDS in school! (can't believe my baby is already old enough to leave the nest;) anyways, back to the pics: the picnic was held at Ella Sharp Park and the pinata was part of the end~of~year celebration.

I didn't get a good shot of Audrey but after the preschoolers all had a turn, the little sibs were invited to take a swing:

then the teachers,

and finally, the parents. When even the big, strong daddies couldn't bust thru,

Mrs. Williams ripped the dang thing open. I *love* Audrey's expression as she's running toward the loot (far right):

Somehow, Lexi ended up with a bunch of skittles (*love* her curls:)

So sweet: Julia, Lexi, Zoe, and Jenna

What A Charmer!!!

2010-07-28T20:26:00.010-04:00

Austin's 1st Grade circus

May 2010

There was a ringleader to keep the action going...

There were silly clowns....

& muscle men (check out the hairy 'pits)...

but my favorite was a certain snake charmer....

and I think his sisters would agree with me

Ummm...

2010-07-20T12:04:00.002-04:00

It's been so long since I've done a "real" post, I don't really remember how. Hopefully it's like riding a bike. But I'll ease myself back into it and do this bullet style. It makes me sad that I've been so busy that I haven't taken the time or energy to record anything. We've been having such a great summer and I hate to think that these memories will slip away and be forgotten. In the last week:

Austin attended basketball camp at Spring Arbor University. He played hard every day and swam in the pool after camp on Monday and Tuesday. He was so tired, he fell asleep in the van on Monday nite. He came home on Thursday as "Camp Champ" in the small boys college division (his age group) for the free throw and lightning competitions. He was also runner up in the jump shot contest and his team was runner up in the camp tournament. For the amount of money we paid for him to go, these ribbons ought to be stamped in real gold;)
As the wife of a auto service center owner, I never quite know what cars will be parked in my drive at nite. Last week, I drove 3 different vehicles (because Tom "loaned" our van out) but I finally have my van back. I wasn't the only one who missed it. The kids kept asking when we were getting our "blue van" back.
While Austin was busy at camp, the girls and I headed out to Michigan Center and helped decorate the church for VBS, which is this week. The girls had fun driving the Little Tykes cars around the empty halls while I hung up lots and lots of footprints to go with the mystery/investigation theme.
I took up an invitation to head over to a friend's parents' house to do some raspberry picking. Mmmmm! Fresh raspberries! In a scene similar to Blueberries for Sal, the girls ate the berries as fast as they could pick 'em. Audrey kept exclaiming, "These are just so good!"
When my Friday became completely unscheduled we spur~of~the~moment decided to head to Battle Creek and meet Lindsey for an afternoon at Binder Park Zoo. We had a fabulous time feeding giraffes, giggling at the monkeys, and playing in the misting sprinkler thingies. We even saw a peacock trying to get the attention of a lady friend.
Yesterday we spent the afternoon at my mom's friend's fabulous pool. Austin swam in the deep end all by himself (ok, with the help of a life jacket) but he's getting the hang of it!!! The girls also did swimmingly well.

Squeezin' One In

2010-06-30T09:39:00.002-04:00

I keep thinking to myself, "baaad blogger, bad, bad blogger" and every time I do it's to the tune of Sandra Boynton's song "Bad Babies".... I think I may need to turn off the kiddie music for awhile;) But, I snuck a post in for the month of June. (I wouldn't want June 2010 missing from my archives, after all.) And some day (hopefully soon) I'll actually sit down and do a real post.

Not Me Monday: Pantyless In Church

2010-05-24T08:25:00.002-04:00

No, NOT me, because I wouldn't do that... really! And neither would my youngest daughter, just to be a little defiant. She was definitely not fighting with me about wearing a dress one Sunday not long ago. Definitely NOT fighting to the point where I finally said (after struggling to get said dress over head and arms, buttoned up, and tied in back), "You stay dressed or else you'll have some time out." Well, my sweet Lexi would have absolutely not thrown her shoe at daddy's precious big screen, earning her that spot in time out she was hoping to avoid. And while in time out my 3 year old couldn't have actually outsmarted mom and taken off the only piece of clothing unseen, which would have made her slightly undressed and, in turn, winning the battle with mom.

I would not have been so busy trying to get the rest of the crew ready that I would have thought to stop and do a pantie check on the way out the door for church. So it would not have been till we were sitting in the very front row and after singing several songs that I would finally realize the child I was holding on my hip was not going commando under her dress. I did not actually have to whisper (very loudly to be heard over the singing), "Lexi, where are your panties!?!" and she did not reply very simply, "I took them off in my bedroom. (ha, I won!)" Ugh!!!

Now, before you go thinking we're stellar church goers, sitting in the front row, and all... don't! Because we weren't possibly in the very front row because it was AWANA's award Sunday and my youngest commando was about to get up on stage in front of the whole church to accept her Cubbie award. Nope, I definitely did not spend the rest of the service sweating that she would trip and go sprawling spread eagle on her way up, or that once up there with her group Miss Maggie would make them sit "criss cross applesauce".

And after all of this, you would have thought I'd be a little more thorough in my pre~departure checks. Purse? Check! Bibles? Check! Panties? Check! Nope, it wasn't the same little girl who told me as I was buckling her into her car seat just yesterday that she didn't have panties on. Again.

And since it's been awhile since I've 'fessed up, let me tell what else my little lovelies have NOT said or done over the past month or so.

Austin has not become quite aware of the female's upper anatomical features lately. No, my sweet innocent little boy did not ask me awhile back if I "have boobs this huge?" with hand gestures to emphasize his point. While I was momentarily left speachless (and trying desperately to think of something "cool" to say), he wouldn't have possibly shot back with, "you don't... I can't even see the bumps from them." (In a very matter~of~factly, hate~to~be~the~one~to~break~it~to~you~mom tone.)

Since I am not the model of female loveliness I would never have caught Austin peeking up the shirt of a female mannequin at kohl's the other nite. Apparently he needed to find out what a real woman looks like. This curiosity absolutely could not have come from his father (who, according to rumor, was NOT caught {24 years ago} passing around the JC Penney lingerie ad on the kindergarten playground. Nope! Not my husband!)

And Audrey, (you didn't think I could possibly get thru this without mentioning her, did you?:)Audrey has not been somewhat fascinated by the male anatomy as of late. (*Just a side note~ we do not go parading around naked in our house~ HONESTLY! Austin doesn't see me undressed and Tom is so private, well... I can't even remember the last time I saw him naked.) But apparently Audrey has her assumptions or maybe she caught a glimpse when Tom was using the bathroom. Who knows. But what I do know is that when Audrey gave Tom one of those huge dill pickles from the pickle barrel at Prime Cuts she did not tell him, "here's your pickle... it's as big as your wiener!"

And being the discreet, modest people we are, our dinner table convo the other nite did not turn into this:

Audrey~ I saw daddy's (well, you know! Do I really have to type it?)

me~ oh really? (the picture of perfect nonchalance)

Audrey~ yeah! And it was this chubby! (to emphasize, she holds up her hands in circle large enough to make an elephant jealous)

me~ (eyes get really BIG. Trying to remain casual as we finish up our conversation. Really, REALLY hoping this doesn't come up as a topic at preschool's show~and~share.)

So there you go, now that I've confessed about what my kids didn't do, I'm gonna get back to keeping private what should be private... until the next "not me Monday".

Deep Thoughts

2010-05-17T09:35:00.002-04:00

The wheels in Audrey's head were turning this morning. Right away she started talking about God and how Jesus is His son, but mommies have babies. I can see where this is going and it's not quite 9am and I haven't had my coffee yet. I'm not ready to use my brain. But she's been thinking. And I find it amazing that someone so young intrinsically knows that God's perfect plan for her life includes babies after marriage. (Because even though the kids know how babies are born, they still don't know how babies are made. {Whew!} And because they don't know how babies are made they don't understand why it's best that mommies and daddies should be married before having children. Or should be married before even practicing;) So Audrey isn't thinking like an adult, she's thinking like a 5 year old and she knows that something is a little off or missing. So she finally just says, "Is there a Mrs. God?"

And so began our discussion of the Trinity... Is the coffee made yet?

Not Young, Not Old, Just...

2010-04-23T13:04:00.002-04:00

30! Yup, I celebrated my 30th yesterday and it was probably one of the best birthday celebrations ever! Growing up, birthdays were always so special for me. When else do you have your very own special day? But the last couple of years, I've been feeling very "grown~up" as my birthday has seemed like just another ordinary day. But yesterday was different. I woke up and inspected my reflection in the mirror. Whew! No gray hairs magically appeared at the stroke of midnite and all of my wrinkles were the same familiar ones from age 29;)

Tom woke me sometime after midnight to tell me happy birthday and to remind me that I was 30 now. Gee, thanks! But if there was ever a time I needed beauty sleep it's now! With old age rapidly approaching, it's crucial I get a full 4 or 5 hours!:)

Several hours later, Austin presented me with my birthday present (which was lovingly wrapped in homemade wrapping paper~ complete with a rainbow, a "30", and "mama" on the front. Inside was New Moon.... sweet! (Can't wait to watch it tonite when the kids are asleep.) Although, Austin (or the girls) have never watched the movies, they all know about mommy's slight obsession and he and Tom had gone birthday shopping the nite before when I was in Camden Frontier with the girls for a track meet.

Tom called around noon to tell me to have the kids at his parents by quarter to six that evening. Hmmm, since I had already had a ~~expensive~~ fabulous birthday/scrapbooking weekend, I wasn't planning on anything else special. But I was turning 30, after all, so I didn't protest to the evening's plans.

After meeting Tom we headed out of town toward Ann Arbor. I was secretly wondering if he was going to take me to the Melting Pot but when we parked in a parking garage and headed toward Mongolian BBQ I started thinking stir fry. It wasn't till he paused on the street corner across from Mongolian's and started looking up and down the street that I realized he had different plans. And sure enough, he confessed that we were headed to the Melting Pot for 7 o'clock reservations. Yum!!!!

We had a super private little booth in the back of the restaurant and enjoyed 4 courses. Our waiter prepared everything table side. We started with a cheddar cheese fondue. It had a beer base and he added minced garlic and fresh crushed peppercorn to the shredded cheddar cheese. That course was served with assorted bread chunks, granny smith apple pieces, and raw veggies. This was super yummy and I would definitely get it again!

Next came the salads, which were included as part of the dinner we chose, but next time I would skip this course and save room for everything else. Tom had the house salad and I had the California salad, which was okay but I ended up picking all of the Gorgonzola cheese off (a little too pungent for my tastes).

For the main course, our waiter brought out some sort of broth base and added garlic and cilantro and then squeezed the juice of an orange and a lime in (this was the mojo style for those of you taking notes;) Yummy! All of our meat and vegetables were raw so we received a quick cooking course on times and techniques then we were left to experiment. Our platter included teryaki (sp?) sirloin (Tom's fave), kiwi lime shrimp (my fave), lobster tail, sushi grade tuna, chicken, pork, and vegetable dumplings (weird). We also had red potatoes, broccoli, and mushroom caps~ all really good with the fondue base!

And finally.... dessert (the BEST part:) We picked the turtle explosion (or something like that). It had a milk chocolate base and Mr. Waiter added in caramel and chopped pecans before flambeing it with Bacardi 151. The dipping platter had rice crispy treats, a piece of cheesecake, chocolate covered cherries, brownie and pound cake bites, marshmallows rolled in oreo and graham cracker crumbs, and strawberry and banana slices. By this time, I thought I was going to explode, I was so full. It was an amazing dining experience and we were there for almost 3 hours.

We hadn't planned on being out so late and I ended up having to call in late for work (yes, I am such a responsible adult that I didn't take my birthday nite off;) I got to work 45 minutes late and I'll probably get written up for it (kinda like when I got my one {and only} detention on my 13th birthday). So I ended my day filling candy bins but feeling pretty special and loved (and very full!) What more could a birthday girl want!?!

So This Is Nirvana

2010-04-18T14:20:00.002-04:00

Scrapbook heaven, scrapbook paradise... call it what you want but one thing is for sure, this weekend was absolutely amazing! Lindsey (I'd link her blog but she hasn't updated in forever, ahem;) and I and 10 other ladies met up at Sunset Scrapbook Cottage for a weekend of scrapping madness. The cottage (all 3000 square feet of it) was incredible! We quickly claimed our tables by the floor~to~ceiling windows overlooking the back deck/hot tub/pool area and the beautiful Lake Michigan view and got busy. I was able to finish Audrey's book up thru her recent 5th birthday before heading to bed ~~Friday night~~ Saturday morning.

After an awesome breakfast prepared by our personal chef Laura (who, seriously, came solely to do meals for us crazy ladies), I started in on Austin's book. I had some work to do since I was slightly behind. Later in the evening, Lindsey and I headed down to the private beach with Laura to watch the gorgeous sunset over the water. The stairs, all 150 of 'em, weren't so bad on the way down, but going back up was a different story. (Not that I couldn't have managed but I did have to "conveniently" empty my shoes of sand halfway up;) Lindsey and I stayed up waaay too late giggling about the poor misfortunes of one particular raccoon family and other miscellaneous hilarities before turning in slightly before the first group of ladies awoke to start their Sunday. I was somewhat concerned when I finally shut my eyes to sleep and all I could see was the paper and dies rolling thru the Big Shot machine (kinda like when you've been on a boat all day and you still feel like you're rocking hours later.)

Now there's just quiet. All of the other ladies have headed for home but Lindsey and I are determined to enjoy this till the end. I did 36 12X12 pages, catching both Austin and Audrey up. I've written thank you notes from the kids' birthdays a couple of months ago, I'm blogging, and then we'll probably head to the beach and maybe even enjoy the hot tub before calling it one of the best weekend's ever.

This was my (upcoming) 30th birthday present from Tom and the kids and I couldn't think of a better way to kick off my 30's!

Audrey's Birthday Celebration

2010-04-12T18:44:00.004-04:00

Audrey chose the Rainforest Cafe for her 5th birthday family dinner. These pics are from when we went a couple of weeks ago. Since I'm always behind on pics I thought I might as well share them;)

I *love* this picture of big sister holding up little sister to feel the mist rising from the stone wall.

Audrey's "birthday cake". It was presented with a glowing sparkler on top. (But, truthfully, it looked a lot better than it tasted. Oh well, we paid for the experience;)

Audrey and her favorite fish: the "unicorn fish".

Heading home. Birthday girl is pouting (and refusing to be in the picture) because I wouldn't shell out big bucks for some stupid trinket. No, I'm not that mean (*gasp*). Really, I'm not. But I am quite cheap;) She was given a budget to work within, besides the fact that she had already opened up numerous presents at home. We got lost on the way to Auburn Hills. Birthday girl turned into diva girl. I got sick on the way home. But all~in~all, a fun family experience!

You Can Have Your Cake...

2010-04-06T16:54:00.002-04:00

... and eat it, too. For the latest culinary projects in Hosmerville head over here.

Brotherly Love

2010-03-22T14:06:00.002-04:00

My daughter is 5 going on 15. She's into all things "grown~up". For example, Audrey bought a "priracy journal" (privacy journal, i.e., diary) with some of her Christmas money. It's very "grown~up" with a pen light and lock and key. My mom has written little love notes to her and she occasionally asks me to narrate her drawings but perhaps she ought to keep it locked and hidden away more often, as the other day I was cleaning up and found several pages ripped out and discarded on the carpet. I glanced at them to see why she would deliberately tear out pages in her precious book and this is what I found:

Entry #1:

Audrey

serelle

cheek your

panse I think

you problly

bumed you smell

Mom's translation:

Audrey

seriously

check your

pants I think

you probably

boomed you smell

("boomed" in case you were wondering is another word for "pooped" around Hosmerville, don't ask...)

The second entry was very similar to the first, but in slightly different sloppy handwriting. So I knew there must be at least 2 co~conspirators involved:

Entry#2:

Audrey you

smell like a

rutin egg

sereasly.

cheel your

panse. I think

you bumde.

I work with my son every nite doing homework and I know his writing, so I had a suspicion as to whom the author of entry #1 was. As a mother who knows who her sons "hangs" with (and also because entry #2 had capitalization and punctuation~ a dead giveaway this came from an older, more knowledgeable scholar) it wasn't too difficult to figure out his partner in crime. Sure enough, when confronted about the anonymous entries later, Austin immediately threw his cousin under the bus. And after some coaxing and prodding, eventually admitted to the other half of the "crime" himself. I actually thought the whole thing brilliant, (imagining the authors giggling to themselves as they wrote and Audrey's look of indignation as she discovered their work) but did my best to remain calm and serious as I tried to explain why that possibly wasn't the nicest thing to do. As for getting these siblings to get along and appreciate and love each other, I am at a loss. "This is all part of a normal brother/sister relationship", is what I keep telling myself. Right?

Audrey Is 5!!!

2010-03-19T12:14:00.003-04:00

We were so busy celebrating yesterday that I didn't get a chance to send out birthday wishes to my beautiful princess. Happy birthday, Audrey Catherine Grace!!!! You truly are a real handful now;) I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOOOOOVE YOOOOUUUUU~OH! (sang Buddy the Elf style.)

Excuses, Excuses

2010-03-16T12:46:00.002-04:00

Can it already be the middle of March and I am just now doing my first post for the month!?! My main ~~excuse~~ reason for not blogging is because a couple of weeks ago our wireless router decided to conk out on us. Tom called tech support and, of course, got a foreigner he could barely understand (does anyone else always get some non~English speaking person when you're making technical calls or is it just us?) After a couple of minutes into the unproductive phone call Mr. Foreign Guy tells Tom he can no longer help him without charging him for the call because our router is out of warranty. GRRR!!! So, because we are too cheap to buy another router at this point our laptop is now a desktop downstairs in the basement, plugged in at the wireless source. Not quite so easy to bang out a quick post. But today I found a way around the system. I logged into blogger and went to the posting page before unplugging the laptop and bringing it upstairs. (*except I just realized that without being connected I can't do spell check)The girls are watching Toy Story and I have a quick chance to catch up a bit. Let's do bullets for some random bits of going ons:

Austin started his spring b~ball at the Y. Last week in his first game he shot 100% for 14 points and loved every bit of playing time.
I started track. Yesterday. With all 3 kids in tow. No babysitter this year, so I have dubbed them my junior assistants. I have "hired" my own track assistant who will be available to get practices started (while I'm doing afternoon carpool) and hopefully help keep things organized and running smoothly. (Running smoothly... because it is a track team... aww, nevermind.)
I am waaay behind on laundry. No surprise there, really.
We are really enjoying the bright, sunshiny spring weather.
Audrey turns 5 on Thursday. She wants pink cupcakes with flower sprinkles for her classroom birthday treat. I will be baking Thursday morning.
Audrey has also requested to go to Rainforest Cafe for her birthday dinner. Not sure when we're gonna squeeze that in as the nearest Cafe is 2 hours away, Thursday is a school nite (duh) and...
Tom and his brother will be out of town this weekend for some sort of auto conference. I'll be single~parenting it, with the help of my MIL.
Tom will have his own turn at single parenting in April when I head to West Michigan for an entire weekend of scrapbooking with friends. I am so psyched! We have reserved a house overlooking Lake Michigan. It's been set up for scrapbooking getaways. With a sauna and hot tub on the deck and DirecTV, I may not get a whole lot of scrapping done. But I am definitely looking forward to getting away!

I'm hoping that when I reconnect to the internet this will all post or else this session has been all for naught ( and I thought I was being sneaky.) We shall see. Actually, if you can see this, then it has been a successful post. If you're in Michigan, enjoy the good weather this week. I heard the "s" word may be in the forecast for this weekend.

First Comes Love, Then Comes...

2010-02-28T23:21:00.003-05:00

...Marriage!!!! He did it! After eons of dating (ok, slight exaggeration), my brother FINALLY asked his girlfriend Lindsey to marry him. And she said, "YES!!!" Can you tell I'm just a little bit excited!?! Ok,... a LOT bit! After searching thru my pics to add some visual aid to this post, I have realized that we really don't have very many pictures of Miss Lindsey. Even though she's half hidden in these 2 photos, they will have to do for now; but trust me, she is beautiful on the inside and out! Here in Hosmerville, she has always felt like one of the fam and now it's official. Welcome to the family, Lindsey!

(oh, and can I just add that I clearly recall this {paraphrased}convo with little bro several years ago...

Me: Micah, Tom and I have been wondering, why don't you date Lindsey?

Micah: oh, she's a great girl and I love her to death and all, but it'd never work...

Flash forward to the present. They're engaged. He~llo!!! Just one more proof positive that big sis always knows best;) Man, I wish I was a betting woman. I could've made money off this deal.)

Congrats Micah and Lindsey!!! (And now that you've put a ring on it, Austin has put in 1 small request. He wants a boy cousin. Seriously.)

The Long Haul

2010-02-26T14:01:00.003-05:00

It's official... we are credit card debt free! Thank you, federal tax return!!! I just scheduled our online payment and to hit the "pay account balance" option was, for me, a monumental moment I've been waiting 6 whole years to do. It almost hasn't sunk in... no more credit card debt... no more monthly statements... no more wasted money on interest and finance charges. Whew!

It was never meant to be this way. How many times did we hear "don't put more on your card than you can afford to pay", or "always pay your balance every month". And we were always so good about our finances. But then life crept in. A new/old house to remodel, an air conditioner on the fritz, closing costs for a home refinance, ~~romantic dinners out~~ fast food runs, and stuff we just HAD TO HAVE NOW! We bought into the instant gratification mind set, never intending to accumulate so much debt, always intending to pay the balance off in full after only a year (that was 5 years ago). And then, well, I lost my job (twice), the economy took a downturn, the cost of living increased, we had 2 more kids... etc., etc., etc. and the balance grew and grew.

So, what have I learned from all of this? My plans are sometimes not God's plans. And perhaps if I had been a better steward of the money and resources He had entrusted to me in the first place, He may not have needed to take these last 6 years to teach me such a valuable lesson. But through it all, no matter what the circumstance or need, He has always been faithful in His blessings and provisions. Not once has He failed us (and He tells me He never will;)

That's not to say that in a month or two some major life expense won't pop up and throw us back into debt. It just means that for now, we've purposed to live within our means so that our financial situation doesn't dictate what we can and can't enjoy. It's simply another step toward complete financial freedom that we're working towards.

I think we'll celebrate with dinner out;)

You'd Think He's Being Tortured

2010-02-24T12:43:00.005-05:00

It started at breakfast when I oh~so~casually mentioned to Austin that I would be picking him up early from b~ball practice yesterday. I would have preferred to leave it at that but he persisted and asked why. So I dropped the bomb. His 7 year check up was that afternoon. The panic was instant. The last thing I wanted to deal with during our crazy morning routine. But I didn't want to completely ambush him in front of his team when I arrived to pick him up.

I arrived at 3:45 for him and the whining and negotiations started immediately. He knew he was getting a finger poke first thing so he suggested that the nurse could just get his newly formed scab (from roller skating that am) wet and get blood that way. He also claimed that he "didn't need them to tell me I'm healthy because I already know".

The task of peeing into a cup distracted him momentarily. (I almost got a smile out of him as he took aim.) And nurse Sally was so quick with the finger poke by the time he saw it coming it was over. Whew. He topped the scales at a whopping 48 lbs. and measured in at 49 3/4 inches. His weight was my biggest concern going into the appointment. To put this all into perspective I had Audrey jump on the scale while we were waiting. She is exactly 25 months younger than Austin and weighs 44 lbs. Hmm... See exhibit A for my case in point (this kid is skin and bones!)

exhibit A

Meal time is a battle every day. He fights me on everything I serve. Well, almost everything. There are usually no objections if he's pounding down a foot long from Subway or a double cheeseburger from McD's but healthy diets do not consist of only meat, cheese, and mayo. The biggest fight is getting him to eat his veggies. His favorites... pickles and tomatoes served in ketchup or sauce form ONLY.

As it turns out, he's just tall and skinny like his dad. He's in the 40th percentile for weight and the 75th for height. Dr. Rao did pause slightly before finally saying in his wonderful accent, "well, he won't be a fat boy." So if the doc isn't concerned, then I shouldn't be either. But still, I don't want the public judging me when I'm out with my pale, anorexic~looking child. So we'll work on it.

Finally, nurse Sally sweeps in with gum and stickers and (dum, dum, DUM) a shot! She tells him to squeeze my hand really hard (to which I jokingly protest) and blow out like there are birthday candles in front of him. Again, she's so fast there's barely time for objection. Done and over just like that and I didn't even break a sweat. Double whew.

On the way out he guilt trips me into a cross town trip to Maggie Moo's and since ice cream is sounding pretty darn good, I relent. (Plus, all those extra calories will be good for us the kids.) As we eat our treats (cheesecake and fresh banana ice cream mixed with caramel for me, so yum! and blue cotton candy with mini gummy bears for the kids, so clothes staining!) Austin can't help but suddenly mention to Audrey that she'll be going back for her 5 year check up soon. To which the panic immediately sets in. Ahh, kids! Gotta love 'em. I'm sure there will be more Maggie Moo's involved. And you gotta love that, too!

Little Forgotten Treasures

2010-02-20T00:10:00.002-05:00

I've spent the last 1/2 hour or so "cleaning house". Going thru an inbox that hadn't been really cleaned out for over a year. Deleting old emails, moving others to various folders, and in the process stumbling across a bunch of delicious forgotten memories. Little snapshots of my life.

The emails between 5 best friends, each so desperately wanting/needing a GNO, and everyone doing their best to clear their schedules for a bit of girl time. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not.

The emails from my SIL, usually coordinating a playdate or family dinner or sharing photos from our latest get together.

The ridiculously hilarious emails that 2 certain friends are known to forward. You know the ones: the email from said friend who is selling bed throws for Christmas and then you scroll down to see a sample and are greeted not by a picture of a knitted afghan but instead of a (seemingly) naked man sprawled across a bed. The email that lists the 40 mistakes men make during sex (that leaves you contemplating forwarding it to your own husband with a footnote urging him to please take note of #'s 4, 10, & 18.) Yes, dear friend, you are laughing as you read this because you know who you are;)

Taking pause to consider those "stop & think" emails. Loving one that starts with: "so true..." and ends with: "don't worry about the world coming to an end today, it's already tomorrow in Australia."

Thanks for the mail and thanks for the memories!

To My Favorite Little Man

2010-02-18T09:54:00.005-05:00

our basement ~*~ 2005

SAU field house ~*~ 2009

You're 7 years old today and over the years, one thing hasn't changed... your love for basketball! You were a baller almost from the start, crawling over to your little tykes b~ball hoop and pulling yourself up for a slam dunk! Now, you can easily shoot a men's sized basketball into the 10 foot hoops. Happy birthday, Austin Jamers!!!!

Sunshine!?! In Michigan!?!

2010-02-08T15:54:00.002-05:00

Impossible, but today was actually sunny. Today was a good day. A chance to get caught up on lots of projects I simply haven't had the time or energy to tackle. This is my 30th winter in Michigan and every year as I trudge thru the snow, slip on the ice, shiver uncontrollably, freeze my freakin' nibblets off.... I question my sanity. It's a good thing family is so important to me or I would've been long gone;) Anyways, back to today, I:

put away the last of my ~~Christmas~~ winter decorations
I reclaimed the girls' room from the ever growing mess that threatens to consume it entirely
put together a bag of ~~junk~~ goodies for the 1st graders' upcoming sale at Encore. (I have found that the best time to purge is when I am totally, completely ticked at all of the crap that accumulates. It's alot easier to get rid of things when I'm not being sentimental or indecisive.)
cleaned up the remnants of last nite's Super Bowl party (just Tom and the kids). But don't let "remnants" fool you. Super Bowl XLIV chewed and swallowed my living room, dining room, and kitchen and then regurgitated it all over itself. (I am taking a momentary break because, well, I've been working all day and I deserve it.)
took back a car load of recycles
visited new bank to get some checks to pay bills tonite
visited old bank to make a deposit
dropped off dry cleaning
washed 3 loads of laundry
peeled 3 oranges for snack time
and the list goes on and on

Yes, today was a good day. Thank you, God, for sunshine in Michigan in February!

Taylor Swift And Vampires

2010-02-04T10:08:00.003-05:00

My daughters have 2 obsessions... Taylor Swift's song "You Belong With Me" and Miley Cyrus' "Party In The USA". We're constantly searching for them playing on the radio when we're running back and forth in the van. I went to playlist.com to find the songs and add them to the bottom of my playlist for future reference. Our laptop's sound in on the fritz and you can only hear sound thru the headphones but you should see my girls rock out. Lexi especially puts on a great show singing and Audrey has the "movin' my hips, like, yeah" part from "...USA" down very well;)

Anyways, the whole reason I mention vampires is because while searching for Taylor's song I came across "You Belong With Me" (Jacob Black's version). Anyone who has a ~~neurotic~~ slight obsession the Twilight Saga will find this amusing. Not real sure how to do it any differently so I just added the song to the top of my playlist so it will start automatically.

Catching A Breath

2010-01-13T16:25:00.002-05:00

Wow!!! Two weeks into the new year and I haven't posted once. So much for being more consistent on my blogging. I think life is always so busy and I look back and realize it wasn't (or didn't seem) nearly as busy as it does in the present. I'm really struggling with time management. So much I want to do and (what seems) so little time to do it in. Anyways, here's a quick recap on our first few weeks of the new year:

resumed the crazy~busy school routine. (I can't tell you how much I would pay to have some magic way to make our school mornings stress free!)
Austin started his basketball season. So far, just practices, but games start next week.
Audrey started gymnastics at the Y (a Christmas gift from Grandma Mossy).
dr's appointments, hair appointments, lots of running around in general.
(A HUGE praise btw, my biopsy results showed some inflammation, so I'm good to go. Probably the best possible outcome in this situation... for now.)
Jackabama's GAP is going~out~of~business. We've been there twice this week to get in on the deals. I used to shop there all the time and Austin was (if I do sat so myself;) the best dressed baby and toddler around=) But lately, the budget says Target clearance, not GAP and I've missed shopping there. It was fun to go thru the racks and stock up on some much needed school clothes for the kids.
Audrey enjoyed a special afternoon with mommy as a hard earned reward for good behavior. Her diva attitude has become quite the "issue" lately so we made a chart for her to collect stamps. Every time I "caught" her being good, she would get a stamp. When her chart was full, she could have an afternoon of one~on~one time with me. We enjoyed lunch at On The Ave in downtown, and then went shopping. It was so much fun and I hope we can do it again soon!
Tom's birthday is less than 2 weeks away and I'm trying to put something together to celebrate him turning the big 3~0! (I can write this here because he doesn't keep tabs on me;)
Looking forward to coffee dates, sleepovers, and some one~on~one time with Lexi this weekend

2009... See Ya!!!

2009-12-31T11:48:00.008-05:00

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? went on a family vacation, just the 5 of us (Tom's there, really, he's just behind the camera=)

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? well, last year I said there are lots of things I would like to accomplish in my life but no "resolutions", no time frame, just a determination to keep working on "things". I'm still working on "things", but I have had some successes;) And I even managed to set a running routine on the treadmill; now I just have to get back into it=)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Leslie had li'l miss Ruby.

4. Did anyone close to you die? nope.

5. What states/countries did you visit? Ohio, woo hoo! I went to Cedar Point with my sisters. Other than that, I think I ~~couldn't escape~~ stayed in Michigan this year.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? less stress and worry over financial matters. I've said it before but this time I think it's really true... Lord willing, the credit card and one (of the many) school loans will be paid off this year!

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Tom getting the keys to his "new" business. We checked out the facilities one Friday nite, made "decorating" plans and then went to celebrate this big new step with dinner at the Beach Bar. The kids' first day of school. A significant conversation with my dad.

8. What was your biggest achievement? Making it thru 2009. (And actually enjoying most of it.)

9. What was your biggest failure? My relationship with Tom. But sometimes you need to fail to realize that you really do want to succeed. And admitting the fact that I failed could actually be my biggest success, right?

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Austin's asthma was almost totally under control, just a few minor flare~ups. I'm still waiting for results from a cervical biopsy.

11. What was the best thing you bought? My children's education. Every time I walk into their school I am so reaffirmed in our choice to send them there. I love everything about it and it's totally worth the financial sacrifices, crazy work hours, and hectic coaching schedules to make it work.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Tom's for stepping up and accepting a wonderful business opportunity. Austin's for learning to ride his bike without training wheels (even after a mailbox jumped out and tackled him to the ground, he got back up to ride again). Audrey's for being independent and walking into preschool like she owned the place; and Lexi's for mastering writing the letters "H" and "A"! And let's not forget Bubba and Lindsey for gradgitating and landing "grown~up" jobs=)

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Everyone makes mistakes, right?

14. Where did most of your money go? (This probably won't change for a long time) the house and the kids .

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? my kids' accomplishments, Tom's successes, my days off from work, the times Tom would take the kids out of town and give me "mommy~free" weekends. (even when the kids look completely "motherless" in the vacation pictures;) Don't look too close, but when Lexi dressed herself, she got her legs mixed up in her panties and wore her leg thru the waistband, Tom knew and didn't change it for her. C'mon, Daddy, help a girl out!

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? Darius Rucker "It Won't Be Like This For Long" reminds me to enjoy every bit of my time with the kids.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:  a) happier or sadder? I'm pretty happy and content b) thinner or fatter? Let's not ask that question right after Christmas... let's say the same, give or take a few pounds=) c) richer or poorer? richer in the long run but only because we've paid off some debt. But financially, things are pretty tight right now. I don't know how many times God will have to teach me to completely trust in Him for our provisions, but He has never failed us once; He is always faithful!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Getting up early to enjoy the quiet of the morning and being ready to start my day before the kids are up.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Worrying. Obsessing about all of the "what~ifs" in life.

20. How did you spend Christmas? With our families. Hosmer family Christmas Eve morning. Hrebec family Christmas Eve. Just our family Christmas morning. With my mom later in the afternoon and with my Grandma Collins in the hospital that evening. Then Christmas nite with Tom's family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009? Every day more deeply with my kids.

22. What was your favorite TV program? Little People, Big World: John and Kate plus 8 (before John went psycho); Bill and Gulianna; Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? nope, hate makes your heart heavy and your life miserable.

24. What was the best book you read? Twilight saga. (I normally don't get into this "type" of book, but I *loved* these.) Thanks to my track girls for getting my hooked with the movie and my SIL Rona for lending me all the books.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Lexi singing. She will often just bust out in song and I love to hear her sing "I Can Only Imagine" by Mercy Me.

26. What did you want and get? my new tattoo... finally! And Tom got his, too, so it turned into a "date nite" ;) Reconciliation, it's a wonderful, peaceful thing to experience. Oh, and a new Canon=)

for my kids: Austin: blue, Audrey: pink, and Lexi: purple (biggest to littlest)

the kids' birthdays

27. What did you want and not get? The opportunity to stay at home FULL time with my kids.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? New Moon. I can't wait to buy it on DVD! I also really liked The Proposal and Marley & Me.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 29. I had a track meet in Colon. It was freezing cold and I was absolutely miserable. It was a very generic day. Not a whole lotta special, but I guess that's what happens when you become "grown~up".

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? a less chaotic lifestyle. Is there really such a thing as a "typical/normal" life?

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Clearance racks at Kohls and Target and one rockin' pair of semi~stilettos=)

32. What kept you sane? Blogging~ it can be so therapeutic. Play dates, and girls' nites out.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? eh, no one really.

34. What political issue stirred you the most? I don't "do" politics.

35. Who did you miss? No one- everyone is close by

36. Who was the best new person you met? I don't think I met anyone new.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. God is always in control, even if His plans don't match up to my type A/ control freak plans.=)

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. "My best friend gave me the best advice, he said each day's a gift and not a given right... that first step you take is the longest stride... if today was your last day, tomorrow was too late... would you live each moment like your last... if today was your last day..." Nickleback

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

2009-12-28T12:34:00.007-05:00

Well, better late than never, right? And considering that the kids have been gone all weekend, if I don't blog now in all of my free time, then there's really no excuse. (And for the record, it was Audrey that put the star up this year, so it will be Lexi's turn next year {because there's always a debate;})

Christmas Morning

2009-12-25T09:05:00.003-05:00

"I saw presents with my name on them! (big sigh of relief) I was on the nice list!" ~ Audrey

The 12 Days of Christmas... Austin's Version

2009-12-17T09:30:00.003-05:00

I was going thru Austin's reading journal for the month of December and came across this. He has learned how to read and write phonetically and now that he's learning words that don't spell like they sound he has been struggling. It's been a work in progress so when I found this I was so proud of how far he's progressed. It seems as if he has some pretty big expectations and now Santa is frantically scrambling to fill some of the order. (I'll tell you RIGHT now there is no way, Never EVER he's gonna get #1;) Unless, of course, baby Jesus wasn't the only Christmas miracle.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me twelve vikings Jrseys

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me eleven Ds i

... 10 gluv's (gloves... smart kid~ he'd have 5 sets;)

9 Christmas presint's

8 hot weels

7 gold medl (gold medals)

6 feet of snowe

5 buy cusin's (boy cousins... on the Collins side of the family it's girls, girls, girls!)

4 ice creem cons

3 cor's (cars)

2 mor webciz (2 more webkinz)

and babee brother!

My spell check is going nuts! Love this kid!=)

'Tis The Season...

2009-12-15T13:49:00.003-05:00

... to be stressed! I love, love, LOVE the Christmas season, so despite the busyness, I really still try to enjoy constant, never ending list of things to do. But this week I think I've taken on a little more than what's humanly possible:

Christmas cards in the mail
phone calls to Snapfish and Current to check on order statuses... because they're just not coming!
coffee dates with Rona and Cheri (mmm, love me some coffee and girl time!=)
a Christmas cookie exchange for the elementary teachers. As room mom, it was my job to recruit 9 or 10 moms to each bake a dozen cookies on behalf of the preschool class. I sent out a note last week and got 1 response. Somehow it is easier for me to bake to rest of the cookies myself than to take the time to call 16 moms and ~~beg/plead~~ ask for cookies.
not only baking, but packing said cookies with all of the other room moms Wednesday afternoon
last 2 jr. high b~ball games of the season
all of the end~of~season responsibilities: paperwork, collecting/returning uniforms, etc., etc.
cheerleaders' pizza party/ gift exchange at my home Wednesday before the game
Audrey's Christmas party Thursday am
the kids' Christmas open house at the school Thursday pm
Austin's Christmas party Friday am
a playdate with Austin's bestest school friend all Friday afternoon
Micah and Lindsey's graduations from WMU on Saturday morning
I asked for Saturday am off to go to the graduation ceremonies and somehow ended up with the whole day off! So while the kids are with grandma H. Tom and I will hopefully get the chance to finish up our Christmas shopping.

10 days to go! Santa is smart... he has elves! (Where can I get me one of those?)

Today's Big Questions

2009-12-10T08:42:00.002-05:00

I'm being inquisitive today. Lots of questions. Maybe not so many answers. Here's what's going thru my mind:

why do I keep finding pieces of stale, crusty eggo waffles in Austin's room when we haven't had eggos in months?
where are they coming from?
can I really send my daughter to school in too~small/short snow pants and fashion boots when there's 2 inches of snow on the ground?
does this warrant an explanatory note to the teacher?... Dear Mrs. W, Please don't judge my mothering skills. It's really not for lack of fashion and/or common sense but simply that my daughter chose to have a meltdown as I was trying to get her around to take her to Target. Instead of going shopping for new winter attire, she ended up in her room for an extended time out and I ended up on the couch ~~with some Bailey's in my coffee~~ for a little peace and quiet. (I nixed the idea of letter writing in favor of spending the time digging thru my Christmas stash to find the snow boots I had picked up for her in May at the clearance price of $9.)
Why do I live in Michigan when I am cold intolerant?
Why can't Santa be for grown~ups? I'm pretty sure I've been good this year, unless you're asking that question to my daughter from her place in time out, and I have a pretty good wish list.
why do kids always pick out the marshmallows from Lucky Charms?
why does my dog like cheese so much?
where does the morning go? Time to go pick up Audrey!

Today I'm Lovin'...

2009-12-09T12:13:00.003-05:00

sisters that play well together
peppermint chai latte
Williams~Sonoma "My Favorite Things" cd from their dinner companion series
a sparkly Christmas tree
fun surprises in the mail
an equally poor brother who has mutually agreed to fore~go exchanging Christmas presents this year;)
God's protection for my family
a dog who has figured out how to crack open nuts with his teeth, eating the meat, and leaving the shells behind
free babysitting (kids' Christmas program practice) for a quick coffee date tonite

Christmas Details~ Now You're In The Know

2009-12-02T23:14:00.005-05:00

I copied this from Kristin's blog:

Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper. I bought really nice wrapping paper from Stampin' Up a couple of years ago, even got color coordinated grosgrain ribbon to tie around the gifts (not for the kids' presents but for the "adult" gifts so they'd look pretty under the tree). Aside from that, I have never had to buy a roll of wrapping paper. My mom hits the day~after sales and stocks up for me.

Real tree or artificial? Real. Of course. The freezing cold hunt. The young children sawing a massive tree with a very sharp saw. Shelling out $40 for a tree that will end up in my FIL's burn pile in 3 weeks. The wrestling it into place. Crawling under the extremely prickly branches for the constant watering. And the smell. The smell of fresh pine. The smell of Christmas. Gotta have it.

When do you put up the tree? 4 Christmases ago, our tree was up, but undecorated until the wee hours of Christmas morning when I tiredly threw on a couple of ornaments and called it good. 3 Christmases ago, we pulled into the tree farm on December 23rd at 4:55pm (farm closes at 5pm) to get our tree. And this year we haven't gotten the tree yet, but we still have 23 days, right?

Do you like eggnog? I will have a couple of sips, but it's way too rich and creamy for me. Austin saw the penguins chug eggnog on Party with the Penguins (Madagascar's Christmas DVD) and he has been asking for eggnog ever since.

Favorite gift received as a child? The Christmas I was 8, Santa was good... very good! A cassette Walkman, a sled, a cool pink blanket. But even as I got older, I always got the "big" present I asked for~ a stereo w/ CD player, a black leather jacket...

Hardest person to buy for? My Grandpa and Grandma Hrebec. It's usually Christmas Eve, a few hours before the family get together and I'm still trying to find the "perfect" gift. Any suggestions?

Easiest person to buy for? Myself. I "help" Tom out by doing my shopping for me;)

Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, but not as many as my mom. One year, as I was using her small washroom off the kitchen I happened to count 3 or 4 nativities crammed into the tiny space. She has them EVERYWHERE so it became somewhat of a joke.

Mail or email Christmas cards? E~mail Christmas cards!?! That just seems really tacky.

Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I think it might have been an X large pink tee shirt with a ginormous pig face with the words "Piggly Wiggly". Apparently it's a Southern thing. But I'm not Southern. (And I hope I'm not X large.)

Favorite Christmas movie? Elf. Love. LOVE that movie!

When do you start shopping? I do a little thru the year. If I come across a great deal, I'll pick it up and stash it. I was in line at 3:30 this last Friday morning outside Kohl's for some Black Friday deals and I'll watch the ads to pick up the remainder of the gifts on the list thru Christmas Eve (unless inspiration for the Grandparents Hrebec gift hits early).

Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? You'll never know. I do try not to re~gift an item back to it's original giver;) Now that would be embarrassing!

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Mmmm! It's all good!

Lights on the tree? White lights

Favorite Christmas songs? I love Christmas music. There's not a whole lot of Christmas tunes I don't like.

Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home Christmas morning but travel around Jackson to all the family gatherings.

Can you name all of Santa's Reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen (Austin's current fave), Comet, Cupid (Audrey's top pick), Donder, Blitzen, and Rudolph.

Angel on the tree top, or a star? Star.

Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? The elves' bring jammies Christmas eve nite but everything else gets opened on Christmas morning.

Favorite ornament theme or color? Our tree is decorated in bright jewel tone colors. Purple, blue, lime green, and magenta. My absolute favorite ornament is one I received from Nicole a couple of years ago thru an ornament exchange. Love it!!!!

What do you want for Christmas this year? If I could really dream, I would love to remodel our upstairs bathroom, or a new stainless frig, or a table and chair set for the dining room.

Sometimes It's The Simple Things

2009-11-26T10:12:00.002-05:00

a little man who stills wants me to snuggle him (because I know this won't last forever)
my sweet little Audge who can be the best little mommy's helper
my baby girl who woke up this morning and said she dreamed about "toots" last nite (always the silly entertainer)
a husband who gets up and goes to work everyday, long before I open my sleepy eyes
a dog who wakes up to excitedly greet me even at 4 in the morning

a cup (or 2) of coffee in the morning
warm flannel sheets
reading the newspaper
a new recipe
clean laundry

I could probably sit here and add to my list for hours. Life is hard. Life is messy. Life is far from perfect. But even now, in all the struggles, God is good and there is so much to be thankful for. Sometimes it's the simple things.

I Need A Chill Pill

2009-11-16T20:20:00.003-05:00

One.Of.Those.Days.

I failed as a mother.
I failed as a wife.
I failed as a friend.
I failed as a FREAKING HUMAN BEING!!!
Enough said.

(and usually Mondays are so wonderful)

Flashback Friday

2009-11-13T09:17:00.001-05:00

My Little "Baller"

December 2004

I'm 9 - 2 Now

2009-11-11T12:13:00.003-05:00

I'm not doing so well on this once a day posting challenge. Once again, I got busy and completely forgot... until I was at work and there was nothing I could do about it. I need something quick, I need something easy, so I'm stealing ideas. This one, I found on Leslie's blog, but now I'll claim it as my own;)

3 NAMES I GO BY:

Maria
Mommy
Ria

3 JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE:

Basically Bulk

B&G at Amway

SAHM (my personal fave;)

3 PLACES I HAVE LIVED:

Jackson

Sparta

Grand Rapids

3 TV SHOWS THAT I WATCH:

Diners, Drive Ins, & Dives

Cake Boss

Little People, Big World

3 PLACES I HAVE BEEN:

Orlando

Austin

Chicago

3 PLACES I WANT TO GO:

Hawaii

Tahiti

Mediterranean

3 OF MY FAVORITE FOODS:

dessert

cheeseburgers

Mexican

3 THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO:

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Tom finishing up his degree

3 ANIMALS WHO I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS WITH:

umm, I don't get really "friendly" with animals, but Eddy is my favorite and my best

(how could you not be friendly to a face like that?)

3 THINGS I AM REALLY SCARED OF:

our finances;P

not being able to see my kids grow up

not being in control

3 FAVORITE BOOKS:

anything Nicholas Sparks

Twilight saga

Marley & Me

3 FAVORITE BANDS/SINGERS:

Nickleback

Alanis Morissette

Jars of Clay (blast from the past;)

3 FAVORITE MOVIES:

Dirty Dancing

Never Been Kissed

The Proposal (new fave)

3 FAVORITE DRINKS:

Captain Morgan and vanilla Coke or cider

Cherry Pepsi

Dr. Pepper

3 THINGS I FIND MOST ATTRACTIVE IN A GUY:

tall

dark

handsome (that describes Tom, right?;)

3 THINGS I COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT:

family

my laptop

my van

Monday Mojo

2009-11-09T08:23:00.002-05:00

Yay for Monday!!! My favorite day of the week! Most people dread Monday mornings, but since I work all weekend and Monday is my day off, it can't come soon enough. Usually, I am super ambitious in my plans to get things accomplished. All weekend long I make lists in my head of what I'm going to get done and then life ends up getting in the way and I never get done as much as I wanted to. So, today I'm keeping track of all things I manage to accomplish on my great day off:

got out of bed (hey, you gotta start somewhere;)
Austin dressed, lunch packed, homework completed, breakfast made, out the door to carpool by 8! Without a single whine or complaint (BIG accomplishment=)
budget and checkbook balanced
scheduled online van payment
started today's blog post
read thru Sunday's paper
started dishwasher load #1
cleaned out the science experiments from the refrigerator
rocked baby Ruby to sleep
made beds
packed away the Halloween decor
caught up Lexi's scrapbook to her 3rd birthday
restored order to the living room after our busy Sunday
went thru a pile of paperwork that had been sitting in my kitchen cabinet since July
picked up Austin and JoJo from school
went to the high school for team pictures
took back a van~load of recycles
put gas in the van
played P-I-G and H-O-R-S-E with Austin. (He blew me away all 3 times)
brought out a tub of Thanksgiving decor
made dinner (burritos and spanish rice)
cleaned up the kitchen & started dishwasher load #2
bathed & jammied all 3 kids
tucked 3 super~hyper kids (because Grandma showed up to do bedtime) into bed
re~tucked said hyper kids into bed multiple times after potty breaks, drinks of water, and tattle telling on offending siblings
scrapbooked 4 pages for Audrey's scrapbook

So much more could be done but now I'm preparing for my tomorrow... by going to bed! Happy Monday & good nite!!!

See? I Told Ya

2009-11-07T13:19:00.002-05:00

What did I say earlier this week? Check back and I'll probably have missed a day already with this whole NaNoMoBlo thing. And I did. It wasn't exactly intentional. I thought about it last nite, but wasn't in the mood. I was planning on doing it later and then forgot until late this morning. So, I'm out. But I'll try my best to keep up with the daily postings thru the rest of the month.

I enjoyed a quiet evening to myself because Tom took the kids for a sleepover at his parent's last nite. I've had 2 WHOLE hours to myself this afternoon between cheerleading practice and work. The house is completely picked up and I have gotten quite a bit done (yay, me!;) But, as always, I could keep myself busy for hours. So now I'm getting ready to head into work Somehow I need to come up with a recipe for Hosmer Thanksgiving that I can make tonite when I get home. Something that doesn't require a lot of energy (so no pie this time;) and something that will sit well in the car for a couple of hours (while we're in church.)

I've never had Thanksgiving weeks before Thanksgiving before, but I'm looking forward to all the yummy food! (and spending time with the family, too;)

A Little Somethin' To Share

2009-11-05T21:24:00.000-05:00

How Convenient

2009-11-04T10:28:00.003-05:00

2 special birthdays, one special day.

23 birthday wishes for Micah, aka "Bubba" in Hosmerville:

17 birthday wishes for Lori, aka "War~wee" in Hosmerville:

Why Is Trust Such A Hard Thing To Learn?

2009-11-03T17:23:00.002-05:00

Is it ever a good thing when the doctor calls and wants to discuss test results 2 weeks before your scheduled appointment to discuss said results? I just received a message from my doctor's office saying that's exactly what he wants to do. Of course, I called back and they are closed for the evening. My natural tendency to ~~worry~~ panic has me already thinking the worst possible. And yet, I can hear God whispering, "Trust me". Trust. It's such a hard thing to do. Especially for my type A, control freak personality.

Tonite is going to be hard. I'm working third. I'll be up most of the nite. It's quiet. I'm (for the most part) by myself. I'm tired. My mind starts to wander. I will try not to dwell on what I may be hearing when I call tomorrow morning. I will try to trust.

2 For 2

2009-11-02T09:10:00.002-05:00

It's only 9am and I already have my post done for the day! You can find it here: halloween trickORtreats.

It's The Thought That Counts

2009-11-02T00:31:00.003-05:00

Ok, technically I haven't failed miserably on the very first day of the NaMoBlo~thingy. You know, the thingy where you commit to writing a blog post every single day in the month of November. So even when I post this and the date reads November 2nd, technically, it's really still November 1st because I haven't gone to bed yet. And everyone knows that it's not a new day until you've been able to go to bed and wake up, right?

Ok, so I'm still in this. (Like it's some sort of competition that I'm afraid to lose;) (Like in a week I won't have been MIA from my blog for, oh, a week.) Ha ha. But for now, I'm still in the game. Right?

Just checkin'.

Supermom Has Found Her Limit

2009-10-30T08:47:00.002-04:00

8:04 am. Crap!!! That's how my day began. School starts at 8:20 and I still have 3 sleeping kids to dress and load in the van before driving Austin across town for school. How am I gonna pull this one off? Austin's getting hot lunch and he's the only one to have to actually get dressed today. Thank goodness it's Friday and Audrey doesn't go to school. We might just make it. In the past, if I have overslept, we can still manage to somehow make it. Today we didn't. 8:04 is approximately one minute too late to get out of bed and still get everyone to school on time. But my kids are getting used to their overly~tired mommy crashing into their rooms, waking them up, demanding that they get dressed NOW because we are going to be late! Audrey, my morning meltdown queen, was half comatose as I put her in her car seat. The thought that maybe I should always wait till the last minute to get her up and out the door briefly crossed my mind. Maybe sleepy minds are just too incoherent to protest. This may be the key.

Anyways, I hung out in the front drive of the school after I dropped Austin off, waiting to hear the tardy bell ring. I didn't. Which means that Austin was tardy. Dang it! Not the great start to my weekend I was looking for. So now I'm attempting to restart my day. I've got to make a trip to Onsted sometime before cheerleading practice at 3. Austin has both soccer practice and his final game tonite. There are pumpkins waiting to be carved into jack~o~lanterns and caramels and apples to make a special treat tonite. And then of course there's the usual, laundry to be done, beds to be made, a dishwasher to unload, kids' rooms to un~bury from the most recent explosion of toys. I must get going. My day is waiting for a restart.

Blah De Freakin' Blah

2009-10-22T16:51:00.002-04:00

Yeah, it's pretty much how I've felt the last couple of weeks. Like I'm in some sort of funk that I just can't snap out of. I'd drop the kids off at school, come home with Lexi and just want to sleep until it was time to pick them up again. I was getting things done but not really feeling like I had accomplished anything. It felt like there was a weight, perhaps anxiety, where I just couldn't relax and enjoy life. Maybe it was the crappy rainy, dreary weather we were having. Maybe after all the craziness of life it was just time for me to tune out for a couple of weeks. This week has been different. I have a better mindset. I have drive and ambition again. Still not a whole lot of energy, but what SAHM with 3 kids, 2 jobs, and a husband who works full time and is going to school does?

Just wanted to let everyone know I'm alive. I'm gearing up for a full month of daily posting with November being NaNoMoBla~thingy. So stay tuned. I'm back. I think.

Not Me Monday: What A Week!

2009-10-12T09:08:00.003-04:00

when a passing truck threw a stone on my windshield and made a ginormous chip in the glass, I immediately took time out of my carefree, nothing~to~do day to call the insurance company and arrange to have the chip repaired for free. So, because the chip was most definitely repaired in a timely manner, it definitely did NOT turn into an even more ginormous crack yesterday morning as a result of the heavy frost we received the nite before. This said crack will not cost anything to repair and my husband definitely understands that either of us is quite capable in picking up the phone and arranging to have the repair done, so I am definitely not solely to blame for what's transpired.
I absolutely love my bank. I do not encounter frustrations or problems almost each and every time I do business with them. Take Friday for example. I did not wait over 10 minutes in the drive thru for them to take my cash deposit that my 6 year old son had just counted out in 10 seconds. I was most definitely not the lone drive thru customer at the time. I did not have to negotiate 4 lanes of traffic to return to the bank because I always promptly check my receipt before pulling out onto the road. The teller had not given me someone else's receipt for a much smaller deposit, so I definitely did not feel the need to return to the drive thru and wait an astounding 3 MORE minutes before I was even acknowledged to confirm that my deposit had made it into the correct account. I was definitely the example of a Christian mommy when my son asked what the teller had said and I ad~libbed "I'm sorry for being so completely incompetent, I have no idea what I'm doing." Nope, I never would have said anything like that, so I definitely did not need to apologize and correct myself after I calmed down a bit.
my (nameless) daughter did NOT draw the correct anatomical feature on the prayer bear she was coloring yesterday in church. Apparently, this bear is a boy. But I wouldn't know that because she did not loudly inform me (outside of her junior church room/ in the hallway at church) that she "drew a wee~NUR" on her bear. And she most definitely did not repeat that she "drew a wee~NUR" 3 or 4 times because I was in deep conversation with another mom and not paying attention to her. I never, ever tune my children's chatter out.
upon closer inspection, I did not also notice that this bear has "boobies". Maybe some gender identity issues? They were easy to miss the first time as his arms are folded in front of him so that he's able to hold a little Bible that reads "my Bible is sweeter than honey".
I was absolutely not deemed "rude" by an overly "polite" customer on the phone the other day. I may or may not have told her that I could not hand deliver a money refund for non~organic avocados to her door. And if she really wanted her money, she would, in fact, have to come back to the store to get it herself. This was not after ~~spending~~ wasting 10 minutes of my time on the phone with her. C'mon, people, don't give me crap! Especially at work in a job that, aside from the paycheck, I could really care less about.

But today is Monday, which means I have the day "off" and I get to be a mom all day long. So I need to finish here so I can get to "work". Happy Monday, all!

Short And Sweet

2009-10-05T14:40:00.003-04:00

it's been awhile, thought I'd quickly try to catch up:

Austin scored his first goal in soccer, he's loving the weekly practices and games. I'm praying the weather stays nice so I don't look like the wimpy mom watching the game from the comforts of her van.
Audrey was able to spend a full day at preschool for the first time last week. The highlights of her day included lunch and nap time on the "bouncy beds".
I taught a mini science lesson to 6 different groups of young 5's, kindergartners, and 1st graders as they rotated thru learning centers on their educational field trip last week. I was one the stupid moms who didn't notice that it was a chilly 31* outside when I sent my son off with merely a hoodie and jeans. No mittens, no hat, no winter coat. He was in the second group that came to hear my lesson on frogs and ponds and he declared "this is the worst field trip EVER! Can we leave?" Lucky for us the sun eventually came out and warmed us all up.
I ~~blew~~ happened to be driving Tom's Cutty when the right rear brake blew out, and then a couple of days later, a truck passing the other way threw a stone up on my windshield (which left a ginormous chip). Not a good week to be driving with me.
Audrey spent the nite with Katy at grandpa and grandma Hosmer's. It's amazing how much easier it is with one less kid, but I missed her so much.
Austin is out of school with his first cold~induced asthma attack. I'm hoping we can treat this quickly and get him back in the classroom tomorrow.
It's Monday and I'm just trying to play catch~up from the busy weekend: laundry, dishes, paperwork, etc., etc.... Have a great week!!!

Not THEM Monday: Oh No They Didn't!!!

2009-09-21T10:25:00.003-04:00

This week, it's all about the kids:

I took the kids into Brooklyn this past week to get Austin a much needed haircut. While there, I did not look up to see Audrey performing a stage dance for all of the old ladies getting their hair done. This dance did not include lots of hip shaking and butt slapping, and I most certainly did not take credit for teaching her all of her savvy dance moves.
Speaking of my middle child, her teacher did not gently suggest that we start working on "listening and focusing on the teacher during class time". Apparently my social butterfly is more concerned about scheduling multiple playdates with all of her new friends than she is about circle time. I was not absolutely impressed that it actually took 3 full weeks of school before we had an "incident".
After repeated efforts to get the girls settled down and asleep one nite last week, I did not walk past their room yet again to see Lexi sitting up in bed playing. She did not see me look in but she must have realized that she was about to get busted. Because on my return pass, I did not glance in to see her laying flat out in bed, eyes scrunched tightly shut "sleeping" with a half smile on her face.
Audrey's first official homework assignment last week was to bring in 3 small objects that started with the letter "B". We buh~buh~buh~rainstormed several ideas including buh~buh~buh~ubbles, buh~buh~buh~ook, and buh~buh~buh~ear. Buh~buh~buh~ut it wasn't till big buh~buh~buh~rother got involved that she gathered up a buh~buh~buh~racelet, buh~buh~buh~utton, and a buh~buh~buh~one. As in a gnawed on chicken bone from dinner. I did not actually put it in a ziplock bag and let her take it in and I certainly did not consider writing Mrs. W a note explaining that big brother had helped with the project.
The kids were outside Thursday nite playing while I got dinner around. I had both the garage and front doors open so that I could keep an eye on them. At some point, I did not hear Lexi whine, "I'm telling on you!" to which I did NOT hear Austin reply, "let's pretend that just didn't happen." Apparently she "pretended" because I never got report of that particular offense. Although several minutes later I did glance out to see Austin playing dodge ball with his BASEBALL. Perhaps he beaned her and she didn't take too kindly to that?
Audrey did not walk into the bathroom where I was getting ready one morning with her shirt hiked up and her little bear firmly pressed into her chest. She did not inform me that her bear was "sucking on her booby to drink milk" and then proceed to breastfeed it for several minutes until she pronounced it "not thirsty anymore". I am still wondering where this all came from, as it's been over 2 years since I have raised my shirt to offer liquid refreshment to a baby. One thing I do know is that she is going to be a stellar mother someday!=)

Happy Monday, all!!!

Just For Fun

2009-09-14T10:18:00.018-04:00

Forget expensive rides and attractions, give my kids a hotel with bouncy beds and a pool and their vacation is MADE! These pics were from our recent vacation to Silver Lake. We were stuck inside waiting out the rainy weather but do you think the kids minded?

Monday's To Do's

2009-09-14T10:08:00.002-04:00

I usually look forward to Mondays because they're my days off, but today I'm struggling to get into my Monday Mode and get a lot accomplished. If I ever find my groove today, here's what I'd like to do:

make beds
laundry (3 loads that just need to be folded and put away, another 1 to wash)
unpack the kids and Tom from their mini vacation this past weekend
clean out the van from said vacation
plan this weekend's tailgating menu (so excited for Saturday!!!)
drop off recycling
drop off/pick up prescriptions
pay bills
pick up Austin from school
play outside with the kids
make dinner
clean up kitchen
baths for the kids

Well, looking at my list, I have to at least get it together enough to accomplish number 9, but it'd be nice if I could check off a couple more items, too. Time to get things done!

I Think We Need A Bigger Bed

2009-09-08T09:09:00.002-04:00

Tom came to bed late one nite last week only to find this:

He took the picture and then headed off to the couch for a good nite's sleep.

I Tweeked It...

2009-09-08T08:52:00.002-04:00

... and today, I did NOT lose it!!! Last week I gave the kids 15 minutes as they we waking up to watch some tv. That way they weren't having to just jump into their day. Then the tv went off and we went on to have breakfast and get dressed. Well, this morning I figured "Arthur" could help me out a little and provide some distraction as I slipped Audrey into her clothes. It worked! She was so glued to the tv she never realized that her panties just might be riding up her biscuits or her collar was possibly rubbing her neck the wrong way. Austin dressed along side her so my major concern was getting through breakfast without someone spilling sticky syrup all over his/her clothes and having to start all over again.

Of course, I couldn't breathe easy just yet as we still had to do shoes AND socks before getting out the door on time. The socks I picked out didn't meet approval from the diva so we went back to her room together to get socks that would. Of course, she would pick out red Hello Kitty Christmas socks with snowflakes on them. Of course, her outfit was brown, pink, and yellow. I took 2 seconds to mentally debate if it was worth it to tell her no on the socks because it would probably result in the meltdown we had so far successfully avoided. Hmm, no long pants to cover up the offending article of clothing, they definitely did NOT match in any possible way,,, yup, it was worth it. Meltdown or not. But my Christmas came early and no meltdown ensued. Shoes on and out the door on time! And, most importantly, we were all HAPPY!!!

I think Arthur just may be my new best friend.

I Need A (Summer) Vacation

2009-09-02T12:07:00.002-04:00

The honeymoon is over. Two days into the new school year and I'm ready for summer vacation to be here. I knew going into this year that mornings would be an issue. They were last year and I only had to get one child up and ready for school. Now I'm responsible for 2, one of which is a diva, being in school by 8:10am.

I've been thinking thru our morning routine for weeks now. Anticipating where the problem spots would be and how to avoid them before they even became an issue.

Problem spot #1: getting Audrey dressed in dress code appropriate clothing... without a battle.
Solution: reserve the bottom bar in the girls' closet for school clothes ONLY.
Problem spot #2: wearing socks/tights as opposed to going barefoot.
Solution: buy brand new "school" socks and explain that this is a non~negotiable school rule.
Problem spot #3: slow moving kids in the morning.
Solution: Allow for 15 minutes of cartoons to "wake up".

The list could go on and on. Yesterday was a good day. I chalked this up to everything being exciting and new. The anticipation of a new school year hung in the air and everything went smoothly. I ran, showered, dressed, and had my hair done before going out the door. (Quite the accomplishment in itself as that doesn't usually happen till late afternoon.) I even had time for a quick photo session with the kids before having them in their respective classrooms before the bell rang. Woo Hoo!!!

Today was a different story. I skip the morning run and shower and stay in bed till 7. I worked 3rds last nite and my body just won't run on 3 hours sleep. No biggy, I pull on a hat, apply more deodorant and call it good. Wake the kids up. Wednesday mornings are waffle mornings. Austin freaks because he wants mini pancakes. I tell myself "I am not going to lose it." Calmly explain Wednesdays = waffles. Eat them or go hungry. He eats them.

Next up, Audrey is a limp noodle who can't possibly get dressed by herself although she managed just fine yesterday. Decide it's not worth the battle and proceed to attempt to put her tights on. She freaks because they feel funny. Hmm, wonder why when she's sprawled horizontal across the chair and I'm trying to stuff her legs in? Tell myself "I Am Not Going To Lose It". Offer to try her school socks instead. Of course, the seam across the toe "bodders" her. She rips them off. Tell myself "I AM NOT GOING TO LOSE IT". I walk away. She goes for round 2 with the tights.

Austin gets his sweatshirt on over his polo. His shirt bunches up underneath. He freaks... again. Tell myself "I AM NOT GOING TO LOSE IT". I dress Lexi, Austin comes to terms with his sweatshirt and we all watch Audrey do the diva dance as she tries to get her fleece on over her dress, refusing all help, of course. I can't help but think as I stand there and watch her that someday she will be me and her daughter will be her. Smile to myself as I remember that paybacks are hell.

We all get into the van, Audrey still screaming loud enough to give the neighborhood a wake up call. Tell myself "I AM NOT GOING TO LOSE IT!!!"

I lose it.

By the time we reach school, the kids have learned that it costs a lot of money to go to their school! It is a privilege! It is a sacrifice for mommy and daddy to send them there! Daddy could be driving a new car if they didn't go to their school! We could go to Disney for a really long time and do alot of really fun things, and eat alot of really yummy food for the amount of money it costs to send them to school! Etc., etc., etc.!!! And most importantly, they have learned that mommy has really, truly lost it. But what more could they expect, really, since I'm functioning on 3 hours of sleep and haven't had my coffee yet?

Tomorrow is a new day. I will not lose it.

Things That Make You Go Oh!!!

2009-08-28T10:14:00.002-04:00

It was one of those questions that every mother knows is eventually coming, but can never quite prepare herself to hear. "Mommy, how did we get out of your tummy?" Yikes!!! Miss Audrey posed the question in the van yesterday. I cannot remember how our conversation actually led to that point, but here is how it ended:

Audrey: how did we get out of your tummy?

me: well, I pushed really hard and you came out. (evasive maneuvers)

Austin: is the hole still there? (what, you mean babies don't just magically appear outside the belly?)

me: (vaguely) it's always there.

Austin: nu~uh, you don't have a hole on your tummy.

me: (oh, man!) well, when mommies can't have their babies the regular way, the doctor cuts open her tummy and pulls the baby out. That's called a cesarean section. Then the doctor sews the hole up with stitches and when it heals, the mommy has a scar but not a hole. (biting the bullet) But I didn't have to have a c~section, I had you the regular way and pushed you out a hole and that hole is called a _____ (insert your word of choice here, but, yes, in Hosmerville we use the "real" words and they already know plenty about this word).

Austin: ooohhh! (said in wonderment like this bit of information was the missing piece to his puzzle of life and now with this revelation everything finally made sense.)

There was a big pause to the conversation in which I could only imagine Austin was busy contemplating how he, in fact, had been born. Then a big exclamation:

Austin: that's disgusting!!!

Then another big pause.... like it was almost too much for him to imagine:

Austin: that's DISGUSTING!!!

Fast forward to this morning, Audrey had stripped down naked because she had wet the bed and Austin caught a glimpse of her naked bottom.

Austin: Audrey, I can see your baby hole!

At least they haven't asked how the babies get in their mommy's tummy... YET!

Lexi's 3 Year Stats

2009-08-26T10:21:00.004-04:00

We started with tears...

We headed off to the doctor bright and early Monday morning. Lexi figured out where we were going and literally tried to grab onto anything and everything to anchor her in as I tried to pull her out of the van. Little drama queen. Things started off wonderfully with a finger poke/blood draw. The puppies on the band~aid seemed to take her mind off the hurt for awhile and she did cooperate by standing still on the scale for her weight and height. (37 1/2 inches tall and 30.5 lbs which puts her in the 60th percentile for height and 48th for weight with a BMI of 15.2) I double checked the nurse's BMI calculations against the calculations from FindMyBMI.com and that website categorizes Lexi's BMI as being in the anorexic body classification. Ha! This girl can definitely eat, although she's starting to get a little bit pickier in her old age. I guess I should start monitoring her daily treadmill workouts to make sure she isn't burning too many calories;)

She totally lucked out as she was a mere 4 days short of being ready for her next hep A vaccination. We'll catch that one later. Dr. Rao came in and the tears started all over again. She almost flew off the table when he came at her with his little rubber hammer. Hmm, brings to mind a certain other 3 year old who promised her mom to "just let me go" as she was being held down on an exam table 26 years ago. The mom bought it (sucka;) and the 3 year old went running out the door and down the hall before being dragged back in for her shot. Although this isn't a "not me monday", I will say that this certain 3 year old was definitely not me! But if it was me, then I guess you could say that this is payback time. Dr. R is always so gentle and calm with the kids and we made it out without any more drama.

... and gum and stickers made everything right with the world again

Happy Birthday Wishes

2009-08-22T23:31:00.005-04:00

Happy Birthday

to my beautiful, sweet

little Lexi!

I love you, ~~baby~~ big girl!!!

Austin's Perspective

2009-08-21T09:04:00.003-04:00

Flashback Friday: August 2006

(someone special is turning 3 tomorrow!)

Everything You Really Need To Know About Cedar Point I Learned On Monday

2009-08-19T11:14:00.002-04:00

On Monday I ventured down to Cedar Point for the first time in 11 years. Tom backed out at the last minute ~~because he was too afraid of riding the big rides and screaming like a little girl~~ citing back problems so it ended up being just me and my sisters going. I had a ton of fun (and I think Ann and Lori did,too). The trip brought back a lot of memories from past visits with the youth group and school. So I thought it might be fun to share with you the top ten most important things I learned from my day at "America's Roller Coast":

At 29, I am too old to ride the intense, fast rides.
skin is "in"~ and if you happen to have piercings and a tattoo (or four) then you get bonus points for showing them off.
the chemical reaction made when golden blonde highlites and sunscreen combine is not a desirable one. Unless, of course, you wanted orange~y streaks through your hair.
when I put "BigSexyHair" root pump spray mousse in my hair to make it big and "sexy" and then did 2 drenching water rides, a handful of roller coasters and fair rides, and went thru a downpour or 2, my hair was not Big and Sexy. Rather, it looked as if I was going for the homeless, matted dog look.
when the rain starts, EVERYONE goes to Disaster Transport.
one should not drink Starbucks coffee and then attempt to ride the Raptor 2 hours later.
even though it costs almost $45 dollars for 1 FunDay ticket, you still have to pay $10 to park. (yes, they do take Visa).
the smell of fairway food is amazing. Always has been, always will be. Someone should bottle it.
If you were to rate people's favorite rides by the intensity and the number of times they screamed then the Sky Hawk was by far my favorite ride.
I am too old to ride the intense fast rides. Something my stomach and my head tried to tell me numerous times. Apparently my brain did not get this memo.

I had a wonderful time, thanks for a great day, girls!

Double Pool Dippin'

2009-08-14T22:34:00.002-04:00

Today was one of those amazing and fantastic days. You know the kind? The ones where almost everything goes right and there's so much to look forward to you're almost giddy. Yeah, that kind of day!

I had fun emails from great people in my inbox.
I got Tim Horton's to go for myself, my kiddos, SIL, and her sweeties for a playdate in the park.
the playdate went well. We pulled into the park at exactly 10am. I felt like I deserved a mommy raise for that but settled for high fives all around. No major catastrophes on the playground, lots of Tim Bits to keep the kids' sugar high running strong.
a new razor in the shower to get my legs "pool ready".
a pool date with one of my bestest girls and her kids. Sunshine and warm water. Contraband crackers and frozen blueberries to snack on.
a second 2 hour & 45 minute swim session because my kids were sooo good. Sooo why not?
~~2 very brave kids~~ 1 brave little girl and her scaredy cat big brother (who sent brave little sister down first) conquering the big, blue slide.
my littlest mermaid continually jumping completely under water~ head and all~ only to come up gasping for air and wanting to do it again (and again, and again, ....)!
silence on the ride home as my kids devoured their McD's dinners. All plans to cook dinner at home went down the pool drain when hunger pains overrode the ability to think rationally and practically.
all 3 kids tucked in and asleep by 9:30.
best $12 (pool admission) I've spent in a long time.

Keri and Andrew's Wedding~ July 5th

2009-08-05T23:31:00.006-04:00

I've known Keri and her family since I started babysitting for them over the summer of '96. I came to meet her parents looking for a summer job to help pay for the "new" car I had just bought. Four years later, my "munchkins" arrived at my wedding decked out in their finest to serve as my ring bearer, flowers girls, and junior bridesmaid. Last month Tom and I celebrated Keri's special day with her and the family. It's crazy how fast time goes by and how grown~up these "kids" are now. Three beautiful ladies and 1 super handsome dude! ;)

Shellby, me, and Melanie

yum! cake!

This is a beautiful picture of the bride! Myself? Yeah, my dress makes me look like I'm pregnant :P

First dance: so sweet!

More Good Stuff

2009-08-02T23:24:00.004-04:00

New Pics... FINALLY!!!

2009-08-01T11:10:00.005-04:00

As promised, oh a month ago maybe, I finally have some new pictures to share. These shots are some of the first that Tom took with our new camera. These were all taken on the auto setting. Not exactly Nicole Barczak quality, but not too bad for a newbie;)

Struggling

2009-07-28T11:47:00.002-04:00

struggling to keep up on the house~ every time I accomplish 1 thing I turn around to see 2 more things that need to be done.
struggling to get thru with the landscaping project~ I've planted some perennials out front but the sides of the house that are completely overgrown and I so desperately wanted to get done remain undone. And they may just stay that way.
struggling to figure out my new camera~specifically the creative settings and getting the photos onto the computer to share thru the blog and facebook.
struggling with the thought of my baby turning 3 this next month. I'm missing the snuggly, chubby cheeked babe that has been replaced with this lanky little girl with beautiful slightly curled blonde hair.
struggling with my 4 year old's diva attitude. I actually told her today that when the police ask her why she's done something even when she knows it's wrong, she's still gonna go to jail when she replies "because I wanted to". Then we had a long discussion about what you can and can't do in jail. I think I finally got her attention when I told her you can't go shopping when you're in jail. Nothing like a bit of healthy fear to help keep her straight;)
struggling with the fact that my oldest baby will be a 1st grader this fall, gone for whole days.
struggling with the realization that it will be August at the end of the week. Only a month left of summer and not enough time or money to do everything I wanted to do with the kids.
struggling with relationships. Relationships I desperately want, desperately need. But it's alot like gardening, let 'em go too long and the weeds take over and suffocate out all the good. Can I ever get them back to where they need to be?
struggling to find the time to just be me~ to run, to scrapbook, to find a good book, to enjoy girl time.

Struggling, but moving forward.

Not Me Monday: Potty Mouth

2009-07-20T11:02:00.003-04:00

I most certainly did NOT catch myself calling the lady in the yellow Mustang who WOULD NOT LET ME OVER in traffic last Monday an a**hole. I definitely remembered my kids were in the van with me a little too late to stop myself, but you wouldn't have caught me pretend coughing/ choking to cover the swear escaping my lips.
After that slip, I was definitely not thankful that my kids are total tv rats and were completely engrossed in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" at the time.
when Tom saw Lexi smelling her finger the other nite and asked her what she was smelling, she did not reply in all complete seriousness "my ba~gina". No, she didn't!
my mouth did NOT further get me in trouble when I absentmindedly replied "stick your head in doo doo" when Audrey started singing "nana nana boo boo" at the dinner table Thursday nite. My kids totally thought that uncool and I will definitely not hear that one again!

Because I'm A Blog Slacker

2009-07-13T16:40:00.002-04:00

...and can't think of anything else to post, here's tonite's dinner menu:

pasta shells with tuna salad
tomatoes and cukes
warm italian bread
peach shortcake with whipped cream

Yum!!!=)

Stay Tuned

2009-07-05T13:26:00.003-04:00

Before my husband left town with the kids on Friday I made a quick stop at Best Buy to pick up a new camera. (Can I just say "finally"!?!) The last few months of my kids' accomplishments and activities have been completely unrecorded as our other camera was broken over spring break (cement floors~even those of the finished variety~ are not really gentle on digital cameras.) Anyways, all of that to say that my blog will once again be complete with pictures very, very soon! I have promised myself that I will actually take time to "learn" this new camera so that I can get some really nice shots and I will try my best how to figure out how to get the pics off of the camera and onto the computer without husbandly assistance. So stay tuned! Vacay pics to come!

My Top 10 Bestest...

2009-07-05T13:13:00.003-04:00

Memories From A Completely Kid and Husband~Free Weekend:

coffee and chat time with Micah and Lindsey
a real attempt to scrapbook~ no kids clamoring for sticky dots, scissors, and embellishments
a wonderful bridal shower for a wonderful, sweet bride~to~be
No "kiddie" alarm clocks at 8am
skipping the whole dreaded bedtime routine
a break from being "chef mommy"
shopping at Target~ no distractions, no time limits, no potty breaks
a clean house
a leisurely walk with Ed
the WHOLE bed to myself

Alas, every good thing must come to an end. But if I'm being really honest with myself, the house was a little too quiet, ~~too clean~~ (who am I kidding? a house can never be too clean!), and too empty. Can't wait to hug and kiss on my kiddos!!! (Not that I wouldn't welcome a break like this again!=)

Flashback Friday

2009-06-26T15:25:00.001-04:00

Grandpa's Little Helper

June 2006

The Good, The Bad, & The Expensive

2009-06-24T14:56:00.002-04:00

The Good:

splashing in the pool with the kids
Austin finally getting brave enough to jump in and go under water all by himself
hibiscus blooms
a cool(er) basement
lunch with my sisters
Captain Morgan and vanilla Coke

The Bad:

hot weather and no AC
sunburn~ 3 days later my back is still crispy
~~landscaping~~ weeds that just don't give up
neighbor's pool parties @ 1am~ the least they could do is invite me
rejection~ a total slap in the face

The Expensive:

dropping $1000+ on a 23 year old AC unit that has an unrepairable leak
the alternative~ spending $3500+ on a new unit. I do believe we are between a rock and a hard place. It's 84* in my house right now~ I am at their mercy

Wow! What A Week!

2009-06-18T18:01:00.002-04:00

And it's only Thursday. So far, we've:

put down a load of wood chips underneath the back bedroom windows.
I've taken on the project of reclaiming the landscaping from the weeds. We have not done a thing to either side of the house since moving in 5 years ago. This is going to be THE project of the summer. My plan is to tear everything out, lay down wood chips and defend it from the evil weeds. Then maybe next summer if all goes well, I'll add some perennials and stone borders.
rented the Rug Doctor and shampooed the living room, hallway, girls' room, and master bedroom. I got the upholstery attachment and did the recliner and car upholstery, floors, and mats. I am now the carpet nazi, guarding my freshly cleaned shag from grubby feet, crumby snacks, and a dog that (for whatever reason) cannot eat at his dish but instead grabs a mouthful, trots thru the dining room, and then drops it to eat off the carpet in the hallway.
taxied Austin back and forth to Columbia all week for b~ball camp. While he practiced his skillz (which come naturally from his talented mama;P) the girls and I hung with Rona, Katy, and Andrew. We used McD's coupons for free frappes (sooo yummy), laughed and caught up from last week, and generally did crowd control.
Audrey spent the nite with Katy; Anna joined us last nite for a sleepover with Austin.
Austin got a summer 'do. He wanted bald, but I don't want him looking like a cancer patient. Seriously, last summer, Tom got to him with his clippers and with him being so scrawny and all, it was almost embarrassing for me to take him in public. So we went with a very short buzz cut.

Yay, for Friday!!!

I Have A Confession

2009-06-13T11:45:00.002-04:00

I have been pressured, coerced even, to join this little online network by several friends. Perhaps you've heard of it? It's called facebook. I remained steady in my resolve that I would not ever join because I had my blog and bloggers are cooler than facebookers. Well, a few weeks ago I finally caved, the pressure just a little too great, I buckled and signed up. And you can see what that's done to my blog. Aside from a "not me Monday" post, I have been MIA. It's just too easy to share a thought or two thru facebook without having to sit and contemplate a blog post.

So I promise, I'll try to be a little more faithful to the blog. I do have my priorities after all. So while I'm trying to catch up I might as well post Austin's b~ball stats from his season this spring. I tallied up all the stats several weeks ago and the paper has been floating around in my purse waiting for me to blog about it. I figured for memory's sake I should record the action here.

Here's the run~down:

7 games

100 points~ 14.29 pts./game average

13 missed shots~ 79.4% from the floor

made 50 out of 63 attempts

12 rebounds

his team (the wolverines) won 5 (maybe 6 games) for a 5(6)-1 record

The "maybe" is because I missed that game and didn't get a final score from my sub stat taker

Austin gets in on the action again this Monday with a basketball camp at Columbia Central.

Not Me Monday: Bathroom Secrets

2009-06-01T18:44:00.004-04:00

In an effort to spare my carpet a parade of dirty, sunscreened, sand~boxy children, you would have never, EVER heard me tell them to be discreet and find a bush when they announce that they have to go potty while playing outside.
This has never backfired on me and I have not ever caught my now 4 year old daughter, stripped down naked, relieving herself out in the open front lawn.
I have absolutely not been so impressed with my offsprings, umm, bathroom successes that I have not called my husband in to get a look and/or take pictures of the, umm, accomplishments. Said accomplishments would not be so long that they would actually wrap around the toilet and leave me wondering how something so tiny could make something so big.
I wouldn't even dream of giving my son permission to relieve himself in a KFC cup while stuck in the van during an overly long, drawn out day of errands. I had not made him hold it for so long that he more than halfway filled the 20 oz. cup. He was not so duly impressed that he didn't ask to save it to show his sisters when they woke up. I absolutely did not agree, so I did not have a cup of urine sloshing around in my cup holder for the rest of the trip around town.

What about you? What have you not done this week?

Now I Really Have Issues

2009-05-26T10:22:00.002-04:00

My little laundry problem has grown slightly larger. Last Wednesday was my first full day home without track or work so I determined that this would be the day I would finally get all of my laundry done. I put the first load in and went back down later to stick it in the dryer when I realized that my machine was broken. Yup, BROKEN. It had gone through the wash cycle but I couldn't get it to drain or go through the spin cycle (no matter how many times or with how much force I turned the stupid dial.) So there I was with a washer full of water and semi~dirty clothes. The next day I fished out all of the clothes, wrung them out, and took the load into Vandercook to the laundry mat. But my washer is still full of dirty water and we're getting to near crisis mode with the laundry situation again.

Tom had most of the weekend off because of the holiday so I asked him to take a look at it. I got home Sunday nite and asked about the situation and he informed me that we could get a new washer for about $600. His rationalization~ by the time we get someone to come to the house, & parts, & service.... Yeah, that's great and all, but whose money is this anyways? Don't get me wrong, I would love one of these but when a service call will hopefully only cost a couple hundred dollars, I think that's our best bet for now. If my mechanically inclined husband couldn't fix it first. So I asked him please, please, PLEASE look at the freakin' machine. He claims he doesn't know what's wrong with it. I can't figure out if he's being for real or just dumb and uncooperative so I went ahead and scheduled a service call. Of course, they can't come out until Thursday and I shudder to think about what our clothing situation will be like at that point. Plus, I'm hoping we're not going to be paying $69 for them to come and tell me my washer is junk and not fixable. In which case, we might as well splurge and get the matching dryer, too.

Oh Yeah!!!

2009-05-22T14:28:00.002-04:00

Tim Horton's in the park with my favorite (little) girlies and my SIL with her kids
a ~~clean~~ picked up house
a leisurely bike ride with the kids on the trail
sunshine and playtime in the backyard
bath and nap to follow in hopes the kids are rested for graduation and an open house tonite

Yeah, this is my kinda day!=)

Finally!!!

2009-05-20T09:40:00.002-04:00

Track season is coming to a close and that is the first word that comes to mind... finally! I love to work with the girls and I love being at the meets (although the standing in the cold part really sucks) but I am so glad that I am almost done. There's the Selby coaches meeting tomorrow, a couple of my girls possibly running in the Selby next week and a sports awards nite where I never fail to make a fool out of myself because I stand up in front of everyone and blubber like an idiot, but I am almost done! I feel like my "real" life has been put on pause these last 12 weeks and now it's time to get back to enjoying life as to just surviving it. In the next few weeks I have to catch up on:

my kids~ Austin's last day of kindergarten is next week... already!
gardening
I may, just possibly, have some laundry issues that still need to be resolved
cleaning of the bathrooms~ ugh!
blogging
weeding out junk for the gar(b)age sale
and if I'm really ambitious, thank you notes from my daughter's birthday 2 months ago

Today is my first full day "off", no practice, no work~ yee haw!!! And the weather is gorgeous. I think the first thing I'll cross of my to~do list is the landscaping under the bedroom windows. Enjoy the sunshine!!!

Not Me Monday... Laundry Edition

2009-05-11T22:38:00.003-04:00

As I have been, ummm, rather behind on the laundry lately, I thought that this "not me" post should be dedicated to airing the dirty laundry out... one Hosmerville secret at a time.

I have absolutely not done only 5 or so loads of laundry within the last month. And because of this, you can absolutely see the laundry room and both bathroom floors.
Because of said laundry issues, I have not routinely snatched worn underwear off the pile on Austin's floor for him to wear again (and again).
My husband did not, no way, have to go commando the other day at work because his underwear supply ran out. And even if he did, he most certainly did not actually enjoy his free~balling experience.
(I will definitely not be in the dog house for that last revelation.)
I did not have to resort to wearing newlywed/pre~baby thongs because my stash of more sensible mommy panties ran out. Said thongs did not leave deep red marks and cut off circulation to my lower extremities. Because after 3 babies I am still a perfect size 2.
I absolutely learned my lesson after wearing uncomfortable undergarments for several days in a row and did a load of laundry. I did not wake up Saturday morning and dig through my bathing suits to find the most underwear~ish pair of bikini bottoms to wear because I most certainly had a load of freshly laundered unmentionables.
Eddy has not been known to dig through the laundry and chew holes in the crotchal region of dirty underwear. With the help of meds, he has absolutely been able to kick this disgusting habit.
I have never loaded my son into the van, wearing only his skivvies and a shirt. And I most certainly have not ever, no never, secured his shorts in the rolled~up window of the van and allowed them to air dry at 70 mph on the way to church.

Nope, not me!!!

Feeling Pig~ish

2009-05-06T08:50:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm in the midst of a full blown cold... sore throat, swollen glands, sinus pressure, body ache, etc. Of course, the hypochondriac in me can't help but keep thinking about the swine flu. I have thus far decided to suffer quietly because:

I don't really care for my general practicing physician
I heard on the radio this morning that there are still zip, zero, zilch confirmed cases in Jackson county and, really, what's the possibility of little ol' me being the very first case in the whole county?
I haven't been vacationing in Mexico ~~lately~~ never.
and although I'm barking like a seal when I cough, I haven't started oinking.

So I think I'm going to just have to tough this one out on my own. It really is no surprise that I'm sick. Being so busy and all, my immune system was bound to be down. I'm now realizing that it's been 2 weeks since my last blog. So what have I been up to? What haven't I been up to is more the question.

Austin joined me for work on Nat'l Bring Your Child To Work Day. He totally rocked his apron and cap!
The girls' tattoo nite was a wash. We got there only to find out that they are now booking 3 weeks out. I didn't make an appointment but there have been talks about some ink for Mother's Day. We still managed to enjoy the rest of the evening. Who wouldn't when there was a showing of "Twilight" in the plans?
We celebrated my BIL's and my birthday at my in~laws. I got money which has already been spent. I was in desperate need of some new summer clothes. I picked up 3 fun necklaces, 2 pairs of flip flops, sunglasses, 7 shirts, and a pair of capris. Then I weeded some old stuff out of my closet. I think I can say that my oldest clothes now date back only to my college days. And it'll be fun getting dressed again these next couple of weeks.
The track team has been to Colon, Climax~Scotts, Concord, and tonite, Camden Frontier. See a pattern here? (the c's, people) I'm really hoping for some nice weather this evening. Standing out in the cold for hours is not my idea of fun and always has me questioning my reasons for coaching track.
Austin finished up his basketball season at the Y this past week. He made me take stats every week so I'll have to do a separate post on that later.
Lexi has been singing "I wike big butts and I can ta why... hey boss, big butts!", quoting Shark Tales several times a day. It appears her big brother has been giving her singing lessons.

I think I'm caught up on the Hosmerville highlights for now. I'm off to wash away some of the germs and try to rest up for the rest of the day.

You Say It's Your Birthday...

2009-04-22T12:09:00.003-04:00

... well, it's my birthday, too! Wasn't there a song that went something like that? So, today is the big day. My last 20's birthday. Not a whole lot of excitement or big plans, so I guess that means I'm officially a grown~up. So far, the girls and I enjoyed Tim Horton's this morning (I think I may have found the best mocha around). Audrey's been to the doctor for her 4 year old check up. 25th percentile in height and 50th percentile for weight. 1 finger poke, 1 (accidental) kick in the face to Lexi, 2 nurses + mommy to hold her down and 3 shots. Then it was all over and somewhat good again. On to the Secretary of State for license and plate renewals (my hair looking somewhat decent).

Back at home, Leslie called and let me in on the greatest shopping deal this year. The Children's Place is having a sale plus an extra 15% with a special code from babycheapskates. I got goodies for all 3 kids. Some stuff for this summer and some back~2~school stuff for next fall.

I have a meet tonite in Colon. Yeah, Colon. Hopefully the sun keeps shining. Even when there's track and field involved my idea of fun is not standing outside freezing off my niblets.

There's tentative plans for a girls' nite this Friday so the birthday celebration may continue with my favorite ladies. Double d's and triple t's (no, that's not our bra sizes, just our plans). Dinner, drinks, girl talk, tattoos, and a screening of Twilight.

So, for those of you that have ever celebrated a birthday;), what was your best gift or memory ever?

I'll Appreciate This When I'm Older

2009-04-20T13:51:00.002-04:00

high school boys hitting on me at work
getting carded when the rest of my friends don't
telemarketers calling the house and asking me if they can speak with my mom (which is the inspiration behind this post as it happened less than 10 minutes ago.)
disbelief when I tell people I'm married with 3 kids

Everyone always tells me I'm lucky to look so young, and maybe I'll feel better about hitting the big 3~0 next year looking so ummm... youthful, but for now I would like to look like the almost 29 year old I am instead of a high schooler. Anyone else ever get mistaken for the babysitter instead of the mommy?

This~N~That

2009-04-14T09:23:00.002-04:00

Boring post!!! (Just something for the kids to read and remember in a couple of years)

Wow!!! I blinked and all of a sudden it's the middle of April! Last week the real craziness began. Thursday nite my girls got their butts whipped by Vandercook and Springport. The bright spot was my high jumper's performance. What started as a team of 11 has slowly dwindled with injuries and lack of commitment to a team of 6. Short and simple... 6 girls cannot hold their own against a team of 30 or 40. I didn't want this to be a track post so I'll stop before I really get started.

Friday I worked all day. Something I haven't done on a Friday since August. Saturday Austin had a b~ball game (2pts., 3 rebounds, 1 assist) and the girls went with my MIL to an egg hunt. Audrey scored an unbelievably huge basket full of all sorts of goodies. I worked all day... again. I kept reminding myself to just get thru the day and then I had all of Sunday to enjoy. Note to shoppers: do NOT wait until the day before a holiday to do all of your shopping and then get ticked at me (who has no control over stock) when your french fried onions are gone and there's no more jelly beans. Plan ahead, people!

We celebrated Easter with breakfast at church before the services. We met up with my Hrebec side of the family for lunch at my aunt and uncle's new home. The food was good, the company was great. There is quite an age difference between me (the oldest) and the next cousin, so some of my cousins are only a few years older than my kids. My uncle took all of the "kids" out to the backyard for an exciting game of kickball. We had cupcakes for another aunt's birthday and then the kids did an egg hunt. *Sidenote~ Audrey recently found an old harmonica at my in~laws which she has since brought home and "plays" music on it. As we started to sing Happy Birthday to my aunt, my grandpa pulled out his harmonica and played along. I watched Audrey's mouth drop open in awe, her eyes never moving from his face. Now she's ready to take some serious harmonica lessons.

We dashed home long enough to put together another dish for the next party and then headed to my in~laws for dinner. The kids had one final Easter egg hunt and did baskets from grandpa and grandma. We ate again and got home way too late for a school nite.

Soooo this week, the craziness continues. Yesterday I was busy all day putting away the over abundance of Easter goodies, generally enjoying my day off. I have to work (ugh) tonite, tomorrow, a track meet in Pittsford. Friday nite Tom and I are heading to Ann Arbor to celebrate a best friend's 30th birthday with our other best friends from high school (best part of the week). We're actually getting a real babysitter and I'm contemplating outfits for this special occasion, hee, hee:) Saturday, I'm back in Pittsford for an all day invite. With only 6 girls competing I'll have plenty of time to get my tan on and hopefully finish "Eclipse". (BTW, I read both Twilight and New Moon in 4 days and then went thru a serious depression/withdrawal because I didn't have book #3. I was nearly giddy when my SIL said she had just finished Eclipse and I could take if I wanted it. If I wanted it?... like I wouldn't;) Which reminds me... I have a book I could be reading. Hmm, maybe I can sneak in a chapter while the girls are busy.

Sexy Mama 'Do

2009-04-09T10:14:00.002-04:00

I gave myself an early birthday present yesterday and headed out to the salon for a much needed visit with Allyson. This girl is amazing!!! Every time I see her, I leave feeling like a new woman! I wish I had the money to see her every day. Does anyone else have that problem? Your stylist does an amazing job and then you can never replicate it on your own at home?

I am so not talented in the hair department. The few times I have attempted to highlight my hair at home, I ended up with something along the lines of orangey~red. In seventh grade I grew my bangs out and wore my hair straight and long. Until my senior year. I had my senior pics done and then I got my hair cut. Short, straight, and tucked behind the ear. And I occasionally showed up to school with my hair uncombed and wet from the shower and in a ponytail. First hour choir was the ideal time to detangle hair and apply make~up. (I think I may have mentioned before that I am not a morning person;) It wasn't until my 10 year class reunion last year that I actually started to make an effort in the hair department. Allyson had made me "beautiful" with a new cut and highlights and I was determined to keep it looking nice. I have slowly become more adept at using a round brush and blow drying my hair. Some days are more successful than others. But my hair never EVER looks as good as it does fresh from the salon.

So yesterday, we went something a bit more bold than the usual. I went blond! Ok, so not that blond but definitely noticeably lighter. And we shortened up my cut in the back quite a bit. I was going for the I'm-going-on-29-I-need-to-look-my-age haircut. (People that don't know me are always surprised to find out how old I am and I've been told my lovely Meijer hat makes me look like a teenager.) Audrey decided that my hair looked "strange" and Austin had to pet my head several times and told me it felt "crunchy". I think overall my look was well received. Now I'm afraid to take a shower. When I wash my hair I'll wash away the "salon high". Someone should really figure out how to bottle it. I'd definitely buy a fix for my upcoming driver's license photo.

Extended Spring Break Vay~Cay

2009-04-07T09:49:00.002-04:00

We're on to our second snow day due to the late winter storm that blew thru here Sunday nite. Yesterday morning we awoke to no power and struggled to "survive". We used the time without distractions (tv, internet, cordless phone, etc.) to get the house back in order after the weekend. I kept an eye on the thermostat and when it got close to 64*, I gave in and called my grandparents.

We headed out there to shower and cook mac and cheese and later met Tom in Brooklyn. The kids ran around McDonalds for awhile to burn some energy. It was while Austin was at the top of the play structure that he stuck his head out and announced at the top of his lungs, "I like big butts and I cannot lie!" I cut into his musical solo before he could go any further but the dad sitting behind us got a kick out of his impromptu serenade. (For the record.... I do not let my kids listen to music like that. Well... most of the time;P. He picked that song up from Donkey singing at the end of Shrek.)

We dropped the kids off at my in~laws after dinner and Tom and I headed home to pick up the laptop and then go in search of somewhere with free wi~fi so Tom could log in and post for his class. When we came thru the neighborhood there was a Consumers truck working on the lines but we weren't too hopeful as there seems to be 2 circuits running thru our neighborhood. We were pleasantly surprised to find lights on when we pulled into our drive. Tom did homework; I took full advantage of our newly restored power and vacuumed.

Austin stayed up late to watch the b~ball game. He was rooting for N. Carolina (little traitor). He was prepped to not give me any attitude this morning when I woke him up for school (he is like his mommy and sooo not a morning person) but as it turned out, school was canceled again because the elementary campus is still without power.

So here we are again, another day off. At least we have power today and the house is in good shape. Sounds like it's laundry day.

Hosmerville

Today's Greatness

Just Like A Fairy Tale

Wow! That Was Some Good Stuff!

Like, Mooom, I'm, Like, Sooooo Embarrassed

Tooth Fairy Time

Ha! So I Am Important!!! (Here's Proof)

This Week In Numbers

My 3 Best Friends

Dr's Orders

Sleep Is Over~rated

Back To Bloggin'

Just A Hunch

Big Spending

The Li'l Kid's 1st Day

The Big Kids' 1st Day

I'll Try Harder Next Time (*sigh*)

Happy Birthday, Lexi J!!!

S'more Fun, Please!

Binder Park 2010, part 1

Audrey's Pre~school Picnic

What A Charmer!!!

Ummm...

Squeezin' One In

Not Me Monday: Pantyless In Church

Deep Thoughts

Not Young, Not Old, Just...

So This Is Nirvana

Audrey's Birthday Celebration

You Can Have Your Cake...

Brotherly Love

Audrey Is 5!!!

Excuses, Excuses

First Comes Love, Then Comes...

The Long Haul

You'd Think He's Being Tortured

Little Forgotten Treasures

To My Favorite Little Man

Sunshine!?! In Michigan!?!

Taylor Swift And Vampires

Catching A Breath

2009... See Ya!!!

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

Christmas Morning

The 12 Days of Christmas... Austin's Version

'Tis The Season...

Today's Big Questions

Today I'm Lovin'...

Christmas Details~ Now You're In The Know

Sometimes It's The Simple Things

I Need A Chill Pill

Flashback Friday

I'm 9 - 2 Now

Monday Mojo

See? I Told Ya

A Little Somethin' To Share

How Convenient

Why Is Trust Such A Hard Thing To Learn?

2 For 2

It's The Thought That Counts

Supermom Has Found Her Limit

Blah De Freakin' Blah

Not Me Monday: What A Week!

Short And Sweet

Not THEM Monday: Oh No They Didn't!!!

Just For Fun

Monday's To Do's

I Think We Need A Bigger Bed

I Tweeked It...

I Need A (Summer) Vacation

Things That Make You Go Oh!!!

Lexi's 3 Year Stats

Happy Birthday Wishes

Austin's Perspective

Everything You Really Need To Know About Cedar Point I Learned On Monday

Double Pool Dippin'

Keri and Andrew's Wedding~ July 5th

More Good Stuff

New Pics... FINALLY!!!

Struggling

I'll Try Harder Next Time (sigh)