Which Would You Choose?

H a p p y H o l i d a y s People are getting busier everywhere, if you haven't noticed, it's Christmas time. Yes, so it's time to do Christmas cards again. Well, I had a few pictures to choose from. Out of these pictures, which do you think we used as the Christmas card picture?

I Love My LED Book Light

(not exactly like mine, but really close)


I found these book lights about a year ago. Yes, I know they have been around much longer. But last year I realized that this was one way I could still read in bed when Hubby had gone to sleep. Hubby has always gone to bed much earlier than I ever have and likes all lights off and sounds off, but this light does not bother him. Now having some "me" time and being able to relax at the end of a day with a good book has been awesome! I have been able to read so much more over the last year than I ever have before! Kudos to whoever came up with this grand invention!

Need to start up again

It's time that I update, before the new year comes.

I have been reminded this past week a few times about my love for cooking and I realized I haven't blogged any recipes or anything about cooking this whole time, at least as far as I can remember.

I do love looking through cookbooks and finding new recipes and trying them. I have also loved the amazing Internet with great search engines. I have found many recipes of things that I have tried and wanted to make. The girls are actually loving looking through cookbooks, right now Superstar wants to be a cook when she grows up.

What better way than to add a favorite that I found since we moved to Tennessee.
(I have found a microwave brownie recipe that could be made in minutes, but I thought that would make things a little harder as I was trying to stay away from chocolate, so I haven't tried that yet.)

This one was found on www.cdkitchen.com


Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits

Ingredients: (I usually double this recipe, because I make really big biscuits and everyone always wants them, it only makes 12 extremely big ones when I double it)


2 cups Bisquick. baking mix ( I googled how to make a homemade bisquick mix, because I almost never have pancake mix)
2/3 cup milk (I always have to add more milk)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese -- shredded
1/4 cup margarine or butter -- melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450. Mix baking mix, milk and cheese until soft dough forms; beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 min. or until golden brown. Mix margarine and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm. Makes 10-12 biscuits.

Shelby Forest

Hubby had a four day weekend this weekend. We planned on camping this weekend, well, our front door trumped those plans. Hubby had to fix that this weekend. So yesterday we went on a hike instead. We packed our lunches and headed out. Shelby Forest has some great trails, especially for the young ones. There was only two little parts of the trail that Bo-Bo had to be carried, the rest he was able to do himself, or with a hand being held.

We had a nice shelter area to have our lunch. We discussed veterans and sang some patriotic songs. Bo-bo loved shaking trees (the saplings), the girls loved finding the different mushrooms growing around and looking up and seeing the view looking through the tops of the trees. We missed one turn on our trail, ended up on the bike trail. Dad ended up hiking out to the truck himself while I stayed with the kids and played at a park at the end of the bike trail. The mosquitoes were relentless, we ended up hiking at least 3 miles.

Over all it was an awesome trip. We will be visiting there again!

I couldn't get all the pictures to upload, you can check out our pictures on Flickr by clicking on the picture link at the very bottom of the blog page.

All I Want For Christmas is my....

This week has been a doozy! I had a weird headache at the beginning of the week that lasted about 3 days, then got smacked down with some kind of upper respiratory nastiness. Stayed in bed for 2 days. I know it's there and it lets me know it every time I try and do a little too much. I keep thinking that I have gotten better, but then think I need to take it easier. I am still not all better, but can't wait until I am.

I'm sure some of you have had the e-mail going around about putting Vick's vapor rub on your feet and putting socks on top of that as you are going to bed. It worked pretty good. Very soothing and pretty nice on the feet too. I think I'll be doing that again tonight!


In this crazy week, we still got a great deal of school work done. So that was awesome!

The big news of the week was that Fashionista lost her two front teeth this past Sunday. She woke up to find that the tooth fairy had left her $3. A bonus $1, since she lost two teeth in one day. When she woke up hubby overheard her telling her sister, you can have one of the dollars, since the tooth fairy left me 3 and you broke part of your tooth last week. Older sister tells her---no it's your money, the tooth fairy gave it to you. They went back and forth with each other---so cute. Made the Dad real proud of his kids.

Getting Healthier

I wanted to share a great resource I found while trying to find out how many calories were in something. Yes, Hubby and I are starting calorie counting and working out. Buying better things for the house and just trying to get healthier.

This site is awesome, it is like a digital food diary---and it automatically adds up your food. It will grade you too. Yesterday, I stayed right under my suggested calories, but I scored a C+ with the food choices. (Okay---I had a bad day to start, cookies for breakfast and sausage with supper.) So I am trying to get a better daily score. It also lets you track your exercise and your weight. I am so excited!!!!



http://caloriecount.about.com/

Hope this is able to help someone else too!

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

Early to Bed, Early to Rise
Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

I keep trying to make this work for me---except I interpret the early to bed as early in the morning and the same for early to rise. So I am going to bed early in the morning and waking up early in the morning too.

There might be some wealthy tired people, but the not too many healthy and wise sleep deprived people roam the earth--(I believe Martha Stewart might be the exception to this, but it's still questionable whether or not she should be considered "people".)

I guess I need to start working on getting to bed earlier in the evening. A little more sleep might help.

Catching Up!

I know I haven't had much up over the last little while. We've had a lot go on that I haven't taken the chance to write about. My brother came up two weekends ago with his kids and girlfriend. The kids had a blast and everything went pretty great! I was actually a bit surprised. Mike made souvlakia for us all and in the process of making the tzatziki he started a bit of a cucumber fight---flinging shredded cucumber peel and juice at each other. Sky celebrated his birthday while he was here and all the kids had a great time playing on his skateboard and actually on his DS too. Mike also picked up the Jone's Soda Halloween flavored soda. Wow!! Some pretty interesting flavors. Candy corn was the worst for me. The sour lemon was definitely the most different for a soda, Sky puckered and had a body shudder when he tried it and the rest of the flavors were pretty good.

Oh, yeah, Bo-bo is pouting below, because he wasn't getting a turn on the skateboard.







This past weekend we had a trunk or treat at the church. I was pretty grouchy by the time we got there, but was doing great by the time we left. The kids had fun and of course that is why I do so many things. Superstar pushed Bo-bo around in the stroller from trunk to trunk, by the time they made it back to me, I realized Bo-bo had been digging into his candy without bothering to take of the wrapper. Just digging right in. Cracked me up. This picture he really looks like a chocoholic in training.





The kids had fun in their costumes. We went very economical this year. Superstar was a bride. Fashionista was a contestant from Dancing With the Stars (which she loves Sabrina and Mel--it's the only show I let them watch.) Bo-bo was a lion that a friend loaned me.

We have been having our fall break this week. We have been doing activities throughout the week. Monday we went on a great nature hike in Collierville. Today we went to a corn maze with our home schooling group. We picked a pumpkin from the patch next to it afterwards. That was the first time I actually went to a pumpkin patch to pick a pumpkin. It was a great time. Oh, yeah, I uploaded some new pictures too, if you want to check them out, hit the button on the bottom of the pictures.

Date Night!

Well, we made it out for a full "date night". No kids broke teeth or tried choking on anything, so our time away went well. We actually had someone e-mail us about our need for a front door this afternoon. (Our front door has some rot on the bottom, or I should say where the bottom used to be---very much in need of new door.) So we went door shopping and came home with a great door and a mattress. Then we ran to Circle K and Hubby had a coffee and I had a flavored hot chocolate (yumm!), that was followed by a trip to the library!

The lady that e-mailed me was one of the nicest ladies I have met and so resourceful. She helped us get a door from her large collection of stuff and mattresses for the girl's bedroom! (The kids are all 3 sleeping on the futon bed right now.) She helped us out very much on our extremely tight budget and I am so excited that we didn't have to charge anything (we might make it out of debt one day yet!!!). She has horses too and invited us out to come and see them---Superstar won' t know what to do with herself when I tell her this.

It's always great to meet great people! I have been very lucky moving here with the great people that I have met. Actually, I have been lucky to meet great people everywhere I have been able to live. Here we seem to be meeting them a bit faster.

Date Ideas

We have actually had a great chances to swap for kid watching so we can go out on dates since we moved here. Just looking for some great ideas for very cheap dates---for those of you who have been dating more recently.

Looking forward to some great ideas!

Scroll on down---I have added some new pictures to blog on side and bottom. Still trying to tweaking it all. Also added a link for some picture slide show. Hope this all works.

Competition

Soon after I put up the video for Superstar, Fashionista asked me to do a video of her. After I got the video together, I heard them in their room and I could hear Fashionista telling Superstar---- "My video is better than your video.!"

Can you say competition?

I have tried many days to get this video up. It stinks that I have been stuck on getting this video up, that I haven't blogged anything else. Maybe I will figure it out soon.

Superstar was playing at a friend's house this past weekend (yes, hubby and I were off to have a date). Superstar, with all her grace, fell face first on some metal rungs of a ladder on a swing set and broke her tooth soon after we dropped her off. At first we thought we might have to go to the ER to fix it, but she did okay and was able to wait until Monday to get it fixed. She had broke off at least a 1/4, but not quite 1/2 of the front permanent tooth. The dentist did a great job fixing it. I forgot to take a picture of the broken tooth---now you couldn't guess which tooth had been broken.

She has a great heart---she felt bad, because of her Mommy and Daddy didn't get to go on their date. That made my heart melt.

Bo-Bo has been trying to make us remember what tantrums are all about. I'm not sure if hasn't felt well, or if he is just trying to let the reputation of the Terrible Twos live on.

Fashionista just having fun overall.

My brother and his kids are coming over for the weekend. I'm sure there will be more stories to tell about this!

Families

I am a wimp to the cold. The high today is supposed to be 69. It's 63 right now outside, more like 72 in the house and the girls and I are freezing. I think I might have to drag out the winter clothes early! Thank goodness we didn't move any further north than we did, or we would be in trouble.

The girls had an assignment today to finish this thought:

Families are important because...

Families are important because...
They help you when your sad,
Then help you when your mad.
They help you share,
They help you care.
They help you when you don't feel good.
They help you do your homework.
They sometimes bring you somewhere new
For you to have some fun things to do.
They help you learn.
Then help you feel better,
They'll make you a big sweater.
This is why families are important!
by Superstar

Families are important because...
We play the Wii.
They help me with my homework.
They help me when I am sad.
They help me when I am mad.
Because we have fun.
I am thankful for my family
by Fashionista

Love Yourself!

I was getting ready to wind down my day today and I first started thinking of all the things I didn't get to do. All the things that I probably should have done. Telling myself that I will get better, that I will do better tomorrow, in a way kind of beating myself up for everything I didn't do. Then at the same time I kind of realized how much that negative attitude hurts my productivity and kind of snowballs into a bigger mess of feeling sorry and actually doing less, instead of doing more.

I know as a woman it's pretty easy to guilt trip oneself and also not feel good enough. I also think that we don't really love ourselves enough.

Then it hit me again (this is not the first time I have realized this, but this time was even stronger than times before) I am loved just the way I am. I need to love myself for who I am and who I am right now. I should focus more on all I do. This positive outlook is one that many more things can be accomplished.

I know that God loves each of us. I know he looks on us and sees good in everyone. He knows us better than we know ourselves and loves us. He also wants joy in our lives.

My goal is to try and remember this==love and feel the joy in all I do. Even something as doing the dishes blesses lives around my home and if I remember this, I can find joy in doing the dishes and every other thing in my life.

As I said I know God loves us. He wants us to be who we are and be great as who we are. Not saying that I don't need to continue in improving my life and take a step at a time as I try and live my life more like Christ. (Obviously I am pretty good at wallowing in how far off I am.)

Love yourself. Love yourself right now. Love what makes you you. Love your strengths and weaknesses.

You are wonderful and you are loved!

We should each say to ourselves----I am wonderful and I am loved.

Paint Colors

I am having the hardest time coming up with the colors I want to paint with. We have the trim to paint inside and one room downstairs and the kitchen and bathroom downstairs. (Well, that's for starters.) I have picked and picked and picked color samples and nothing is jumping out at me. So I guess I am open to how others have come up with good ideas, or of any good decorating websites or another place to get good ideas.

I am really getting excited to paint. I was hoping to tape off the trim this week and start next weekend, but I really need to make a decision in the next week.

Thanks for your opinions and help.

Who Are You Voting For?

Well, I haven't thought too much about this question. I know I need to go learn a little more about candidates soon before primaries---oh yeah, and register, seeing I haven't done that after the move. I used to love being up on politics, but life has kept me a little busy lately and politicians---what a nasty subject. I have become extremely pessimistic about our system and mostly our politicians lately.

I came across this wonder. If you don't know who you want to vote for, you just put in how you feel about the issues and they have a calculator and it will tell you who to vote for. (Man, they need these in the booths.) It will align your answers to the candidates "beliefs".

http://www.vajoe.com/candidate_calculator.html

My hubby will be very pleased, I came out with about a 91% in agreement with Fred Thompson.

Song #1

About two weeks ago the kids had some friends over for the evening. Superstar walks downstairs and tells me she just wrote a song while all the other kids wasted their time playing. At first I just thought it was funny that a kid thought playing was wasting time. Then I was very surprised when she sang the song.

When I Dream a Melody

Hope you enjoy!

Gotta say, after hearing her, I was a beaming, proud Mom.


Update on Dad---his epidural block actually seems to have helped so far. His back where they put the block in hurts just a little bit, but the pain he had before is definitely a ton less.

Blessings and Gratitude

While I was off not blogging for the week(and some), there was a moment that things seemed to get quite bleak for me. It was right after I realized I was further behind in my training for the 1/2 marathon and just other things with the move and all. I got kind of down and then of course things became more overwhelming. Well, I have been trying to take hints from www.flylady.net to help get and keep my house in shape too. Well, some of the people there keep a Gratitude or Blessing Journal. The first few times I had heard of this, my first thought was, well I give thanks in prayer, so I was already doing that in a way. Well, while I was feeling blah, I decided I would give this written journal a try.

It has seemed to make a ton of difference in my days and outlook. I write at least 10 things from the day that I was thankful for and blessed with. Having it in written form has helped a ton.


Thessalonians 5:18

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Have a great day!

WOW! Time Flies

It's amazing how quickly time flies while you are trying to get everything done. I didn't realize it had been that long since I had written last. For those that don't want to check back everyday wondering whether we have had an update or not, you can sign up on the side for automatic e-mail that will tell you that there is a new post.


Well, the other day I was vacuuming and Bo-Bo noticed that he actually had some time to get into something---so here is the evidence. (I don't know how much he learned what he did was wrong as I ran to get the camera and then took pictures.) Doesn't take but a second to find something to get into.

I am definitely going to be doing the 5K in December and then working towards the half marathon in March. I'll go back to GA for that one. My hip is doing much better, but it set me back so much. That was hard for me to swallow, I was really looking forward to doing the half marathon this December.

"Dad" had an MRI last week and found out his hip pain he has had for months on end was being caused by his L-5 disc--something wrong with it. He went in today to have an epidural block and he has been doing okay since. We hope this is what helps, because his other options are to have surgery on his spine, where they fuse stuff together and possibility of being paralyzed or living with the pain--which can stop him for days.

Low on Blogging

The last few times I went to blog, nothing would come to my mind. Always when I was away from the computer something would come to mind, but never when I was in front of it.

Well, I got the go ahead to start working out again from the Dr. I also found out that what I thought was a cyst on my thumb is actually a tumor. Don't know much except it's a tumor.

I started walking the day after the Dr. gave me the go ahead and it actually looks like I walk faster than I run. Yes, you read that right. I walk faster than I run. So I think I am going to work at speeding my walk and possibly walk the 1/2 marathon. Now I need to start my training again like I really mean business.

Dad got a MRI for his hip. We are still just waiting to find out his results.

Finding a good pediatrician is hard. We took Bo-bo and Superstar in to Dr. for their annual check up. I was in the office for 3 1/2 hours. How miserable with 3 kids. Then the doctor did tests on Bo-Bo that I told him I wasn't concerned about. Bo-bo had a bit of the runs, but I wasn't concerned. The Dr. drew blood despite me saying I wasn't worried about the runs. He's two, probably teething and it had just started. So that's probably another test that I have to pay for.

Fashionista got 3 shots---poor girl, plus a TB test. She is still hurting today from it all. To top that all off, they didn't even give me her updated shot record that I need to turn in for homeschool. So frustrated! The doctor was nice, very old, but just not right. So now I am on another search for a pediatrician.

You are at the right place!

Hey, I decided to change the feel of the blog a little as I am learning more and more about it all. Hope you like! Sign up to get automatic reminders when I update the post on the right.

Playing in Poop!

Oh today was a trial. Warning---if you are queasy----this might be too much for you!

The girls didn't want to do their work with as much zeal as they have had on other days. I think the nice weather was just tempting them to go outside. I woke up not feeling great---so that doesn't set the tone well for the day. Bo-bo had been playing outside in some mud while the girls finished their work. So I clean him up enough for lunch then pop in the tub while I grab a quick bite. By the time I finished I hear Bo-bo fussing in the bathroom---I assumed it was because I had his towel downstairs.

NOPE!!!

I open the door and the whole bathroom is covered with poop and toothpaste. What a disgusting smell. Minty Poop! The tub, the entire carpet area, the tile area, the toilet, the linen closet door, the door, the wall---all with a smell that makes you want to faint and puke at the same time.

Okay, I know I might have gotten a little graphic for some. Well, we had company coming over in a couple hours and I still had to clean up the kitchen and pick up downstairs! And I was worried that the smell would not leave. (I think it finally left after I steam cleaned the floor.)

I have no clue what is up with the poop smearing, but he is slowly getting out of this stage. I can not wait until it is all gone. This is one of the areas he regressed to with the move. He was almost all out of this stage before we left Albany. Then he went back to doing it every day after we moved. He hadn't done it in over a week, until today.

Okay, I had to vent. It's so disgusting. This is one area of parenthood I did not think of before having kids. There is a bit of a funny side to all the poop though. While Cullen and I were dating I worked as a CNA in a nursing home and worked on an Alzheimer's wing. So there was actually a poop smearer on that wing, and just the nature of the job---poop was involved. So poor Cullen had to listen to all my disgusting Poop stories from work. Now we have come around full circle again---I still have to tell him about my disgusting poop stories from my day.

Barefoot in the Woods

Yes! There is a little patch of woods next to us and yesterday the girls came back from their walk in the woods barefoot! I was so upset.

Where are your shoes?

We lost them?

How did you lose your shoes?

Superstar had stepped in a little stream, or path from our recent rain water that came up to her knee and when she lifted her leg to take another step, her shoe was left behind. So she decided to leave her other shoe next to the water and since Superstar was going shoeless, Fashionista took off her shoes and left them there too.

In the end, Superstar finally found her shoes and they both came back with shoes.

The girls have been loving running through the woods and playing out there. Of course I want them to on one hand, but I still have a bit of paranoia in me too. Worry about snakes and them hurting themselves and of course this patch of woods is next to our neighborhood, so I worry about someone else being out there too. (yes, Moms just worry.) I was thinking about getting walkie talkies for them to take with them so I could holler at them through the walkie talkie, but if they can't keep up with their shoes while they are out there, I don't know how great that would work.

I found the neatest website to go along with their nature findings:

http://www.enature.com/home/

They have come back and identified a salamander they found out there. I am going to continue with them and hopefully we will learn some trees and birds too.

Bowling Advice

Well, today was our bowling day again. The longest day of bowling ever! Two games took just right over two hours. All three children bowled. Bo-Bo and Fashionista bowled with bumpers. Superstar wasn't allowed to have bumpers(bowling alley rules), but her second game was quite awesome. She bowled an 89. Now a lot of that was from setting the ball down and pushing it just so. She actually got 3 strikes and 2 spares that were all pins (she wanted them to be strikes so bad!) a few frames with nothing and a couple pins here and there. Well, she wants to work at getting better at her game and I am the last person to give anyone bowling advice. (89 is an awesome score for me, I rarely ever break 100). So if anyone would like to pass along some advice---she would love it.

Remember today is September 11th.

Quitting Time

I guess this was the quitting week. Bo-Bo has quit potty training. Mostly because from the afternoon on he didn't make many of his trips all the way to the potty. Which turns out to make lots of messes and with home schooling I just couldn't commit myself both ways. So back to my philosophy on potty training that both the Mom and the kid have to be ready. Bo-Bo might be ready, but after two weeks of cleaning tons of messes, I wasn't ready to continue. He will have to wait for another time.

Yes, unfortunately there is something else that has been put on the back burner. I was running (run/walking) pretty religiously, well I hurt my hip mighty bad on Thursday. I have been using ibuprofens and ice and rest. I know it takes time. While I am down and out I have been wondering if I am going to really be able to run this 1/2 marathon. So I am thinking maybe I will start my training with speed walking, which I know I really like, but I would have to step that up quite a bit too, seeing the race is still December 1st. I know power walking is much kinder on joints. I am at a loss. Any advice out there I would love to here.

Dad has also quit his free time, seeing he has picked up a second job. He has joined the ranks of Dominos.

Keeping a Caterpillar

The first two days of school have been going just fine, despite my worries.

We are moving slowly into the new year.

The first day of school the girls caught a caterpillar while they were outside. We are doing our best at keeping it alive---this is new for us. So if any of you know anything about keeping a caterpillar go ahead and leave a comment. (By the way any of you can leave a comment if you want.)

The girls went to bowl with the home schooling group on their first day. They had a blast!

Today they had a park day with other home schoolers.

I found the love of home schooling again today while the girls were doing their work, relaxed and eating their fruit. Enjoying the day while they were doing their work. Thought I would share.

School Starting Too Soon!

I know it's time for school to "start", the kids have been doing things through the summer. On to what I am getting at, is I have not had a lot of time here to devote to "getting ready" for this new year. I feel a little crazed. I am sure things will go fine, but I am definitely jumping in this year a little less like I had hoped too. I guess that would be no different than life---things constantly happening differently than I see them happening.

I'm sure moving cross a few states recently didn't have anything with it. Just needed to get this out. Or just opening the boxes with school stuff in them just a couple days ago then avoiding them since.

Just wanted to share the craziness of the beginning of our year!

I'm sure you'll hear some better responses here about the home school in the future.

Okay, in public school the kids don't do everything in their first week of school. This will come along.

Five Miles (UGH!!!!)

Well, Saturday was the day for my "long" run. This week was five miles, I did it in 79 minutes. Yes, my mile per minutes were just a wee bit slower, but it's coming along slowly. Now it's time to up my training so I can get a bit better. I was hurting pretty bad after the run,(yes I know I am getting old) but I am doing much better today. December 1st is the big date for the 1/2 marathon!


















(You should be able to click on the pictures to see a bigger picture!)














Friday we went to the sprinkler park again. Dad had the day off from work, since he has to go to DC for the week for work. (waaa! I want somebody to send me away to a "Mommy convention" for a week, I don't even think I would care where they sent me!)

The kids had a blast! I love the park there, but it is a bit of a drive away. I am interested in finding some things that are a little closer.

Tuesday the kids start school. No, I am not all the way ready--I think I have unboxed everything school oriented. The "extra" room with all the stuff, is pretty much piled with all the stuff. So you can guess that tonight and tomorrow are crunch time for getting the school in order.

I found a great new idea for scripture memorization and thought I would try to share it. http://atime4everythingblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/scripture-memory-system.html

Check out videos

I know I said I would post my boxes each day, then suddenly no counts.
Here's the week so far
Sunday - 0
Monday - 0
Tuesday - 12
Wed - 0
Thurs - 4 (so far)

I will not have a garage to put a vehicle in for a long time at this rate.

Fascination with O.

Bo-Bo has a fascination with circles, but to him they are all O's. His favorite O right now seems to be a rubber band.

Here is my try at some videos. I would like to know if this worked for those who have dial up, or if you had to go to a place that had high speed to watch. Sorry about the side views---I guess you just have to turn your head to the side a bit.

Things Are Coming Along

I got through quite a few boxes yesterday. I work best with motivation. My motivation is I haven't found all the kids school stuff. So I am still on the search. The next part will be getting that all together---oh yeah, and I am starting to feel like I am running low on time.

Today I hasn't been as great with the boxes.

This is going to be just a quick note.

I went to a great home school Mom's dinner last night. Met a lot of great women. Had a great time. Very excited about things that will be going on in the area with that group. Glad not to feel so alone here too.

Bo-Bo is slowly improving on the potty training. He is dying to go to Starfall right now--he is crawling over me, trying to get me to get off. (as I said this will be quick).

The girls have been playing together better than ever. Shockingly Superstar has been playing Polly Pockets the last two days---and I don't think that girl has really ever played with a doll before.

Just another day!

Enjoy the older pictures.





















I did my 4 miles today! Woohoo, it's done. I was quite slow---61 minutes, oh well there is definitely room for improvement.

Bo-Bo's potty training is coming along alright. Today I think there were more times on the floor than the toilet--or at least it seemed like it. Hopefully that improves again in the next few days.

Superstar has a great fascination with doing dishes lately. She told me she could do dishes every day for the rest of her life. (I told her--that might actually happen). We don't have a dishwasher, so she is doing them all by hand.

Fashionista went to a birthday party today and this is a weird thing about her---she likes to try on other people's shoes. So one of the first thing she told me about the party is that her friend had the same size feet. I of course asked if she tried on the shoes, she said yes, she had cute shoes. (By the way, this habit of hers drives me crazy.)

You know if clothes were as easy to get on and off, I'm sure she would be in the closet making a whole outfit.

Boxes unpacked yesterday -- 1
Boxes unpacked today -- 0 (yes, I know I will never get unpacked at this rate.)

When Mom is Down and Out

I woke up this morning with the goal to go do my run. I am in training for doing a 1/2 marathon in December. Well, I didn't feel great when I woke up, which is kind of normal. I usually want to stay in bed for at least another hour. I recently started waking up between 4:45 and 5:00 and I am not used to it. Well, I usually do 2-3 miles in the morning during the week. This morning I didn't make a mile, that was a slow walk and no running. I came home and have felt worse since. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Any energy I had went to the kids, seeing that the kids still needed to be tended to and Bo-Bo did pretty good for his 2nd day of potty training. Just a couple of accidents. Well, these are the kind of things that happen when Mom isn't doing well.

Fashionista helping Bo-Bo put on his underpants.






Superstar doing the dishes after making pancakes from scratch for everyone, by her request. (If you look real hard you can see the pancakes in the back.)







I decided to add a daily count of boxes unpacked---today 0 boxes.

Life Here So Far

We are here and slowly getting used to the place. I figured I would give blogging a try to keep everyone updated. We have taught the kids about Internet Safety. Instead of using our own names we all have our nick names for online. The nick names go down in order of age of the family and should be pretty obvious to those of you that know us. Starting with Dad (very creative), Gabbi (has been known to talk and talk and talk), Superstar (enjoys any stage), Fashionista (fashion is very important---actually last time we were at Sears I was trying on some shoes and she said, "I wouldn't wear those in public" and finally Bo-Bo (given the nick name by a friend, then after viewing a few Diego shows with the Bo-Bo brothers it fits him perfectly.)



Here is our 3rd Sunday here. No, Fashionista isn't so upset because of her hair---She actually loved having hair curlier than Superstar's.







After church our awesome neighbor took all of us with turns on his trike around the neighborhood. He made this trike by putting together part of a Volkswagen and motorcycle. We have been very lucky with great neighbors here. Dad and I even took a ride. It was quite fun.




Okay, there are so many little problems with this house, I couldn't pass up sharing some of them. You can see part of the kitchen floors here---yes I will share more on my ugly kitchen floors, but you can see the two levels of peel and stick here. Bo-Bo has wanted to be a puppy dog. Many times around the house he is all fours and going around the house panting. He has even tried to eat and drink like a dog.





Well, here are the blinds in the living room. I went to start cleaning them, yes---they were that dirty. As I started cleaning them, first I realized they needed to hit a tub, because I really thought they were beige, not white blinds when I first started cleaning. Then I realized the place were you put the stick to open and close the blinds was broken, so it became pointless--we need new blinds.



Are those Big Boy Pants? (I have corrected myself many times today---boys do not wear panties). Yes, today out of the blue Bo-Bo started asking about going potty. He went 4 times this morning without being prompted or too much praise. Then I figured it's time--he is ready. (Nobody asked me--I'm not ready!!!!) So off to Wally World we go to buy the essentials---I know I have some big boy pants somewhere in some box---oh well, it's fun for them to pick out their first packs. We had to get a stool so he could get to the potty and treats. Well, he did pretty good all day long. A few times he started, then ran to the potty. He got to the bathroom once for a poop and another was close, then about 3 more times he got the poop on the potty.

I think some of his success could be that if the girls helped him to the potty I would treat them too. So through the whole day the girls were asking him if he had to go. He had to tell them "NO!" plenty of times.