Rise and Shine

This morning, I woke up to Caleb jumping on his bed and Georgia Kate crying out for attention.

I rolled over and started to climb out of bed when I heard Caleb open his door and sneak down the hall.

"Good Morning, Kate" he said as he flipped on her light.

She laughed with joy.

He handed her some toys as he gathered the ones he wanted to play with.  

I laid back down.

In the next few minutes they played quietly... laughing...being best friends.

I just listened.

They make my heart happy.

Fashion Flub Friday!

In my construction overload last week, I completely forgot to post Fashion Flub Friday!

I know you were all heartbroken.
Please accept my sincerest apologies and enjoy!

For some reason, Georgia Kate just can't get enough of this hat.

She wears it everywhere!

Caleb prefers this hat although he wears his inside out to be rebellious

(he was mad becaue I took his picture)

While we were at the circus, we got to enjoy some of the props...

Mom sprouted a few tails while we were there!

Notice anything strange about this picture?

Let me make it a little more clear

Caleb dressed himself and insisted on wearing he pants backwards as well as only putting his belt through the first three loops!

Then, after we put him to bed last night he came running back to us like this....

Both legs through one leg of a pull up

He gets his fashion sense from his daddy!

 

How Could You Not Love Him?

I am really trying to cut back on the amount of sugar and caffine I consume.

Since I love sweet tea, this has not been easy.

I reduced the sugar I put into it, as well as added more water to each pitcher.

Needless to say, it doesn't taste quite as good as it used to.

Even Adam is noticing the difference.

The following conversation took place in our kitchen last night.

Adam: Is there anything to drink?

Me: There is tea in the fridge.

Adam: Does it have more sugar?

Me: It is the same one I made this morning.

Adam: That's why it's still there.

Me: Just drink it. The lack of sugar will start to grow on you.

Adam: Yeah. Like herpes.

Yes, this is why I love him.

Circus, Circus

I loved the circus as a child.

It was always so much fun!

We decided that Caleb would really be into seeing all the animals so we gave it a shot.

The excitement was high when we left the house!

It quickly  faded

Honestly, it was quite disappointing.

They didn't do a lot to keep the kids' interest.

The only animals they had were Elephants, Tigers and dogs.

(Can you consider it s a circus without horses?)

I even found myself dazed several times.

A lot of families were getting up and leaving before the show was even close to being over.

Hopefully Barnum and Bailey will get the hint and go back to the three ring format and bring back the excitemet!

You Are Best Suited For a Job in the Field Of...

Adam is interviewing for a new job today.

This isn't just any job, it the job!
His dream job!

In honor of this momentous occasion, I thought I would share a little story with you.

When I was pregnant with Caleb, Adam was still in college.

During my last trimester, he moved back home and did online courses to complete his

political science degree.

Some nights he would come home from work, start his homework and still come to bed incredibly late only to get up and do it again the next day.

I was so proud of his determination.

One night, he got an assignment that required him to take an online apptitude test.

It was a long.

He spent a lot of time concentrating on the questions trying to get an answer that would boost his self-esteem.

You are best suited for a job in the field of:

Fast Food Management

Construction

Carpet Weaving

I laughed uncontrollably.

Adam did not find it nearly as entertaining.
Once I gathered myself, we rarely spoke of the horrid results.

Last week as he laid the flooring in the laundry room, he was meticulous.

When he looked to me for my final approval I couldn't help it.

I blurted out, "As good as you are at laying floor, I am sure you would have been an excellent carpet weaver."

Days Like This...

I am having a day.

I need something.

Maybe it's something filled with cheese...

No, make it chinese food....

Scratch that, honey, bring home some chocolate :)

You see, as I snuggled into bed around midnight last night, Georgia Kate woke up.

She was furious and nothing calmed her.

Teething sucks!

We ended up snuggled in the gigantic recliner, asleep.

I am fairly sure I went to sleep with one child in my arms.

When I woke up at 4 this morning, I had a child snuggled firmly under each arm and a black eye.

How did I get the black eye, you ask?

I wish I had some awesome story that involved something even a little exciting, but honestly...

 I have no idea.

You would think if one of them hit me hard enough to black my eye I would wake up.

Nope, I slept right through it.

Under Construction- Finale

Because we have had so many problems with this house, we put off finishing the laundry room.

We were worried that if we fixed it, something else would go wrong and we would be disappointed again.

It was time to take the risk.

How it has looked for about 6 months

After We Ripped Out The Drywall

Drywall is done and the floor is down!

(Need a drywall done? I've got the guy for the job!)

Adam rewired the water heater!

A fresh coat of paint

And the laundry room is finally done!

Five Things You Should Know During Construction

1)You should not look at your ceiling if any of the work being done involves sanding. You will see massive amounts cobb webs that have been hiding for who knows how long!

2)You should not look at the ceiling if you happen to be painting it. It splashes.

3)You should not leave your hair down while painting. You will end up with gigantic globs of paint in it.

4)You should not trust your husband to tell you about afore mentioned giant globs.

5) You can expect the person waiting behind you at the circus to point out the globs and the rest of your family will then chime in with, "You didn't know? We could see it from THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LOBBY!"

A Woman's Issue

I had my annual gynocology appointment yesterday.

The problem is my gynocologist is HOT.

Seriously, the man is gorgeous!

The first time I met him, I was pregnant with Caleb.

Adam and I were waiting and as soon as he walked through the door, Adam looked at me with that, "I know what you are thinking" face.

I always take forever to get ready before going to see him.

I spend time picking out a decent outfit, I fix my hair, I put on my makeup meticulously.

After all, there is nothing sexier than a woman in a paper gown.

Once, when I was pregnant with Georgia Kate, morning sickness hit in the middle of my shower.

I managed to shave one leg before I got out and curled up on the floor.

When I got over the queasiness, I forgot to go back and shave the other leg.

I didn't realize this until I set my leg in the stirrups.

He just laughed.

I was instantly in love...

Since we didn't get the hot water tank in the night before, I had to go to my parents to shower and get ready.

(I didn't want to repeat the prickly leg appointment, after all)

I gathered all of my necessities and waited on my Mom, who was coming to watch the kids.

She was a little later than I was expecting her.

I grabbed my things and took off so I could avoid being late.

I showered in peace.

It was heavenly.

 I was feeling great until I realized I had forgotten to pick up a bra.

I had been wearing a brightly colored sports bra and you could see it through the only shirt I took with me.

I ran to my old room, hoping that maybe I had left an old one stuffed somewhere.

No such luck.

I did manage to find an old tank top so I threw on the sports bra the tank top and my sweater.

I looked like the most flat chested person in the world.

Perfect.

When I got to the office I was almost immediately taken to my room.

I patiently waited for Dr. Gorgeous.

I was all decked out in the best looking paper gown in the office.

 He talked to me all the way through the appointment.

 I barely noticed the freezing cold clamps and q-tips stuck in unholy places.

He asked a lot of questions and left me to get dressed.

After some blood work, he sent me on my way.

Good news is everything looks great (I love it when he says that!)...

Bad news is I will have to wait another year to see him again :(

Under Construction- Day 2

Do you know what you shouldn't do when any part of your home is under construction?

You absolutely should not try to cut back on caffine.

It has not been pretty.

You should also not to home improvements when you live with someone with severe OCD.

I think I am losing my mind!

Who knew that not doing laundry for three days would absolutely drive me nuts?

I certainly never would have believed it.

Last night, we planned on putting down the linoleum.

The concrete was uneven and there was a gap between the outside wall and the foundation.

We went ahead and fixed those issues.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Since the concrete took WAY longer to set than it was supposed to, our water heater is still sitting in the hallway...

Every time I stub my toe I just remind myself to breathe

(and remember that at least I am not pregnant this time around).

Sometimes He Forgets....

Lets face it... Men forget things...

I am fortunate enough to have a son that was born the day after my birthday... There will be no forgetting.

Our anniversary falls on an odd date and very close to the anniversary of our first date so that even I tend to confuse.

But tonight, he forgot something very important.

He forgot that I am an absolute genius.

Okay, stop laughing.

(Seriously, Mom I know you are still chuckling...)

We are having our laundry room fixed...for good.

Today, someone is coming in to do the drywall.

Since we had to tear out the existing parts of the wall in preparation, we figured we would attempt to unclog the drain that had been slow for a couple of weeks now.

Adam struggled to get the pipes disconnected because it is a SUPER small space.

When he took a minute to run to Home Depot, I got to work.

I was able to disassemble the pipes and get all the drywall down before he got home.

I'm telling you I'm a genius!

So proud of my accomplishments, I stood back and admired my work.

Do you know what I saw?

The screwdriver that Adam accused me of losing.

We had to buy a whole new set to replace ONE screwdriver.

ONE screwdriver that he left on the stud behind the drywall that he put up!

Now, my laundry room looks like this...

But, at least it no longer looks like this....

(See Honey, I am being positive just for you!)

My Snow Angels

I have to admit when Mom bought Caleb this snow suit, I laughed.

We haven't had a snow that stuck in years!

I had stuffed it in the back of the closet and forgot about it until today!

Although he didn't care for the snow yesterday, today it really excited him!

His very first snow angel!

Throwing a snowball really thrilled him!... especially when he got to throw it at Mommy!

Unfourtunately, Georgia Kate didn't find any thrill in the snow...

Snow and The World's Best Potato Soup!

It's Snowing!

I thought I would go all winter without seeing snow, but I was wrong!

And, we all know that cold, snowy days call for potato soup!

Let me just say that this is the BEST potato soup I have ever had!

(Yes, even better than O'Charley's!)

Potato Cheddar Soup

*recipe courtesy Imperfections*

4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 stalks of celery ( I left it out because I HATE celery)

1/2 onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups of chicken broth (or enough to cover the veggies)

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper ( I will definately cut back a little on this next time!)

2 tsp flour

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Throw poatoes, celery, onion, broth, parsley, salt and pepper in large pot and simmer until the vegetables are tender. (I added about a 1/4 tsp of garlic powder!)

In a seperate bowl, mix together cream, milk, and flour then add to soup mixture and cook until soup becomes thick (this can take a while). Stir in cheese and serve once melted! I browned some bacon and added it, also.

Adam was impressed and he really isn't a potato soup person.

He even said it was nice and hearty!

It was so good that I ate three bowls yesterday!

When I make it again, I will definately double the recipe!

We only had enough left for one more bowl!

I also made it with CopyKat recipes version of Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits

2 cups of Bisquick

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 stick of butter, melted

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Mix bisquick, milk and cheese until well blended.

Roll into balls and bake at 450 for 8- 10 minutes.

I usually get 9 out of one batch :)

Mix butter and garlic powder and pour over biscuits. Let Cool!

Tears and Doughnut Holes

We went over to Jack and Phyllis's for a visit yesterday.

After lunch, the children found a box of doughnut holes.

Although they didn't eat a particularly good lunch their sweet little faces forced us to give in.

As Caleb reached into the box for his second doughnut hole, we told him he couldn't have the ones covered in powdered sugar.

He reached for it anyway.

"No, eat this one," Adam said as he handed him one covered in cinnamon.

Caleb's head fell, his sweet little face looked up at his Daddy and started pouting.

Not a normal, every day pout, but one of the most pitiful pouts I have ever seen.

His bottom lip flipped out and quivered.

Tears immediately filled his eyes and rolled down his cheeks.

It was truly heartbreaking.

And a very happy little boy, got his powdered sugar doughnut!

Please, Mommy, Please!!!!

I decided to take full advantage of nap time...

I should have done the laundry, but I didn't

I should have finished the dishes, but I didn't

I should have figured out what we were going to have for dinner, but I didn't

I got in some Guitar Hero practice!

When Caleb woke up, he begged for my guitar.

"Please Mommy, Please?!?!?! I ROCK!"

Yes son, you definately ROCK!

We Have A Problem

I blissfully slept in while Adam got up this morning.

I was really enjoying my peaceful warmth until I heard the laundry room open and Adam telling Caleb,

"We have a problem."

We have clean towels, I thought as I rolled out from under the comforter and wandered into the hallway.

"I don't like 'We have a problem'" what is the matter?"

What do you mean the water heater is frozen?... Wait, why is the washing machine still flashing... Oh! Yeah I had it on yesterday before we went to the doctor's office... Oops! I'm sorry I forgot about it honey... NO HOT WATER? It's only supposed to be 23 today! It isn't going to thaw out...

No, I don't mind going without a shower until you get home, find the frozen blockage and become my knight in shining armor... Now you have a good day at work while I sit here, not doing laundry or the dishes... 


*****Update*****

We have hot water! It honestly sounded like someone was breaking into our house through the roof and the poof the water started running! WOOHOO! A flip of the water heater breaker and tada!

Fashion Flub Friday!

Two steps forward, one step back...

Georgia Kate puts on the safety glasses, closes her eyes, jerks them off and says, "BOO!"

Aren't we cute?

(Ignore the trash bags... they are full of clothes were are getting ready to donate...)

Who Needs the Circus? My House is a ZOO!

I had just settled in to order the super cheap circus tickets this morning.

Super cheap circus tickets that I am super excited about!

Caleb decided he was thirsty.

He grabbed a cup and ran to the fridge to grab the milk.

About the time I hit the button to purchase the super cheap circus tickets, he bounced the milk up onto the edge of the chair.

It of course bounces itself right off into the floor.

*KA-THUD*

GlunkGlunkGlunkGlunkGlunk

I threw my laptop and jerked up the milk jug that I am sure he has busted the lid off of.

Milk is pouring all over the place and the lid is still quite secure.

I ran to the kitchen and threw the leaking jug into the sink and searched for an empty container as the $5 milk poured down the drain.

Nope, not one there...

Maybe if I... No, that won't work either.... Is there one?....

I finally pulled clean container out of the dishwasher and managed to save the majority of it.

Seriously, have you ever seen a milk jug split like this?

P.S. I got my super cheap circus tickets anyway!

He's Got My Back!

Adam was feeling much better this morning.

As he was gathering the things he needed for work, Caleb began his goodbyes.

"I need a hug, Daddy!"

Adam picked him up and gave him a big hug, then set him back down.
"Kisses, Daddy!"

Again, Adam picked him up and gave him kisses before setting him down.

"You better give Mommy kisses."

My sweet baby boy is always watching out for me!

Delurking Day 2009!

I am declaring today Delurking Day!

My Statcounter has been steadily rising and I would love to know who has been sneaking around here!

If you are an everyday reader, a new reader, or just stopping by on your way through, please leave a comment and let me know!

A Cure For What Ails You

Comic courtesy of marriedtothesea.com

We were not given a group rate, but we were given another perscription.

I swear we NEVER had a perscription filled last year! NOT ONE!

Now, my kitchen counter looks like a pharmacy shelf.

We have expectorants, suppressants, anti-itch creams, sneezing powder, pain relievers, fever reducers, Hot Toddy ingredients and enough sleep aids to take down a horse.

Should any of you come down with the bird flu just give me a call, I'll send the cure your way :)

Ugh!

As we got up for the doctor this morning, Caleb was fine.

A very low fever.

Still a little sluggish, but playing and feeling much better.

I took him in anyway.

As he stepped on the scales I noticed a rash.

A closer look revealed HIVES!

CRAP!

Apparently there is a virus going around that includes hives as a symptom!

A dose of benadryl removed the pesky bumps and induced extreme drowsiness.

He is now crashed out on the couch.

Adam was feeling so bad this morning, he called into work.

Caleb tried to cheer him up....

but only managed to have me rolling on the floor.

We head back to the doctor again this afternoon!

I wonder if we can get a group rate?

Off To the Doctor

I was able to get Adam to a doctor yesterday...

Diagnosis: Acute tonsilitis and the beginning of an ear infection.

He got his perscription and was sent on his way.

Sleeping on a slope helped Georgia Kate tremendously, so I left the pillow under her matteress and she is now snoozing away!

Caleb is still running a fever and spent most of yesterday like this...

If he wasn't doing that, he was doing this...

or this....

So we are off to the doctor this morning!
I will update when we get back!

The Plague Has Landed

Remember last week when I thought my ears were going to explode?

I was simultaneously counting my lucky stars that my children (all three of them) managed to escape the clutches of whatever I had.

My lucky stars held out just long enough for me to feel absolutely, completely better before Adam started complaining of neck pain and a sore throat.

Getting him to go to a doctor is not an easy task. 

I have been telling him to go for days.

Now, he wants to go, and I can't get him in until the 19th!

Georgia Kate was given a perscription when we went in for her eyes, just in case.

 We filled it on Saturday.

She still can't lay flat.

Mommy shoved a pillow under her matteress in hopes that she will nap.

Caleb has been odd today.

He is just sitting.

He never just sits.

He has a fever and is only willing to eat pudding.

And you can bet that Mommy is letting him have every bit of pudding his little heart desires :)

(See the pudding around his mouth? He really like pudding !)

The Art of A Bad Pick Up

Mom and I went to the Starving Artist Sale.

One of the employees, who happened to be Ray Liotta's twin, struck up a conversation.

"This is the best part of they day. Time to pack it up and move it somewhere else."

"Oh really? Where is the next one going to be?" I said, tryig to be polite.

"I think I heard them say Murfreesboro. I used to live out there. Well, I actually lived in Nashville...with my Mother. My name is Daryll. I don't actually travel with this, but when you are divorced and the economy is this bad you do what you have to do. I just went down to the temp service and they said they had this on Sunday and I said well how hard can that be?"

His words just kept spilling out. He couldn't help himself.

He keeps stepping closer.

I keep stepping backwards.

He really wanted to shut up, but he just kept going...

"You know, I still go back and forth. I haven't decided if I really want to live here. After all, we lost 2,000 jobs this week. And I'm not really sure this is the place for me. Plus, my Mom still needs me. "

Fashion Flub Friday!!!!!!!

If you can get past the massive amount of toys, you will see that Caleb is sporting a new set of rescue car pajamas and a snazzy sweater jacket (which happens to be Georgia Kate's).

I'm just lucky I went to the store yesterday :)