I Think It's Time To Lock Her In Her Room !

"All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth !"

They are BOTH gone now! She lost the other one at church tonight. The tooth-fairy is going to be confused when Lindsay is done showing off her newly lost teeth and decides to put them under her pillow. . . The last two teeth she lost got swallowed before she realized they had fallen out. (Apparently the tooth-fairy accepts "artist renditions" in those instances!)

Meet Leon

This week Garrett's teacher told the students that they were going to be giving away the pets they have been caring for since the start of school. The initial shock and disappointment quickly turned to excited jitters as the kids learned that they would have the opportunity to take one of the Chameleons home. Of course, their parents would have to send in a note saying it was okay for them to have one and then the interested student’s names would be put into a jar and drawn randomly.

Garrett didn’t even make it through the door after school that day before he started pleading his case. After an hour or so of talking (and a little begging!) I agreed to write the note. Then came the waiting.

The kids were told about the “chameleon exit plan” on Monday, but the drawing wasn’t until Friday. What torture! Over the course of those four days Garrett prepared a home for his prospective new friend. He cleaned out one of the gallon size pickle jars and lined the bottom with dirt, grass, leaves and twigs. He had Dad help him poke air holes in the lid. He even decided where in his room the jar should sit for maximum safety.

This morning when he left for school he was totally psyched. He was SURE he would be bringing home his buddy the chameleon. I, on the other hand, was thinking about the pickle jar and how sad he would be if it remained empty after the drawing.

No need to worry though. There were enough little lizards for all the students whose parents were brave enough to write the note, so Garrett proudly carried his new friend through the front door grinning ear-to-ear.

Here he is . . . Meet Leon.

What's Missing ?

Lindsay lost something at dinner tonight. Can you tell what it is ? ? ? ? ? ?

What do you mean you had SNACKS on the van!

Summertime Fun

Now THAT'S Scary ! Is it Halloween already?????

These two have the scary face down pat!

These three girls enjoyed the swing. Jeff, however, nearly had a heart-attack when they decided to push each other on it and almost flipped the whole thing over.



Kimberly was "one-of-the-boys". I think she really enjoyed getting tackled!

Food, Friends (and some other stuff too!)

These pics are actually from the 16th. . .


Happy Birthday to you. . . Happy Birthday to you. . . HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR CHRISSY, Happy Birthday to you. . .


Chissy's face was bright red when the Youth made her stand on a chair while they sang to her!

Nick played with "Crocodile Dentist". His expressions were hilarious. Everytime the crocodile "bit" him he would jump and Cynthia would crack-up. Austin tried to be cool and stay out of the childish game, but he couldn't resist and soon they were all laughing!



Little Will was so exhausted. He didn't want to take a nap with all the commotion around him, but eventually he gave up and slept for about 15 minutes in my arms. It was good to get my "baby fix".

FOOTSIES

While riding home from our usual Tuesday night dining spot (Mark’s of course, and Yes. We pet the pig!) my family engaged in a rather odd conversation. It all started with Cynthia reminding me that I owe her a foot-rub. I told her that I would stick to my end of the bargain (I lost the bet!) BUT she had to wash those stinky things first. There was no way I was getting anywhere close to those stinky things after 4 hours of being confined to soccer cleats!

Anyway. The conversation quickly changed to an all out family war (of words) with everyone having something to say about someone else’s feet! It soon became apparent that our family has foot issues. Let me elaborate. . .

I have an addiction to polish on my toes. I can’t remember the last time I had naked toes except for the time it takes to change polish. Even in the winter when no one sees my toes. They are ALWAYS polished.

Robby on the other hand, does everything humanly possible to keep people from seeing his feet. He thinks they’re ugly. Sandal shopping for him is ridiculous! He won’t wear anything that shows his toes. And walking around barefoot (like at the pool) –you would think he was buck-naked. It makes him so uncomfortable.

Now Cynthia. She likes to BITE her own TOENAILS! Yes. I know it’s disgusting, but she has improved. She used to EAT them TOO! I wonder how long it’ll be before she gets another kiss?!?!?!? She assures me that she has outgrown this unique habit, but I’m not too sure. . .

Kimberly isn’t far behind. She recently decided that it was fun to BITE OTHER PEOPLE’S FEET! You take your shoes and socks off and next thing you know she’s gnawing on your heel! It does tickle unrelentingly, but who puts someone else’s dirty, stinky, sweaty feet in their mouth?? That’d be my daughter.

Garrett has his own little problem. His feet smell like something dead and rotten. It’s so bad that he has been accused of passing gas when he walks by WITH his shoes ON! I don’t have to worry about girls chasing him anytime soon (at least not any that have a sense of smell!)

And last, but not least, there’s little Lindsay. If you are barefoot around her be prepared for an interesting experience. She has an overwhelming desire to pick toe jam. It doesn’t matter whose toes the little fuzzies have made a home between—she will pick them out. She usually doesn’t give any warning either.


So, if you want your toes polished, hidden, bitten or picked you know where to come. Just remember. Weirdness is contagious!

Something's Fishy

While trying to come up with something “fast and good” to eat for lunch this past Saturday Robby mentioned fish. Now, I don’t particularly care for seafood and never really have (When I was young my Dad used to take us to “Dead Lobster” --AKA Red Lobster—and I would order a plate of hushpuppies!) But Robby wasn’t talking about just any old fish. He was talking about the fish fry held by the Masonic Lodge on Saturdays. I absolutely LOVE their fish.

We began discussing what else we would need to go with our fish. I was on my way out to the grocery store, so I was to pick up a loaf of German rye bread and the tartar sauce along with the numerous other items already on my list. When I had completed my shopping I would call Robby and he would head down the Parkway to get the fish.

About that time I noticed Lindsay was standing close, listening intently to our conversation. I assumed she was trying to decide whether she wanted to stay home and help Dad or go with me to the store. WRONG!

Lindsay looked up at me and said “Mom. What KIND of fish are we having for lunch???” I wasn’t really sure what she wanted to know. We have had this fish several times in the past and she has always enjoyed it. So I said, “You know. The kind with the breading on it—kinda like chicken fingers—it’s fried fish.” She continued to look at me and tilted her head a little to the side. “But MOM. . . . What KIND of fish IS IT?????????” I could hear the frustration in her little six-year-old voice, but I still wasn’t sure what was behind it all. “Well honey. I’m not really sure what kind it is. It’s the kind we always eat. You like it, remember. It’s kinda brownish on the outside and the inside is white. We dip it in tartar sauce, you know, the white stuff. You usually go with Dad to get it and it comes in the brown bag like the lunch bags you use for fieldtrips.” There I thought. I have covered everything. No questions left.

My answer obviously appeased Lindsay because her expression changed from concern to relief. She smiled and giggled as she said “OOHHHHH. THAT kind of fish. Thank goodness. I thought you were talking about the ANIMALS!!!”

*****************G O C A R D S !*******************

OK. I'm MAD

OK. So Garrett came home from school today talking about this thing he had to do called "Tap Into Fitness". This program is very similar to the fitness assessment I completed Wednesday. As Garrett was explaining what he had to do the little booger looked at me and smiled this obnoxious smile and said "Guess how many push-ups I can do?"

That little snot did 20 push-ups.

He too has to complete his assessment again at a later time. I guess I have someone to challenge. Too bad he's only 10. (ok. Almost 10!)

Atleast I didn't have to do the pinch test for body fat analysis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Robby Married a Sissy

I am SO out of shape! Yesterday I had to do a “fitness assessment” for my Healthy Lifestyles class. I wasn’t really excited about the whole thing to begin with since I am well aware of how out of shape I am and do not need someone to evaluate me for that information. Anyway. We had to walk a mile (and take our pulse afterwards to see how efficient our heart is), do a reach test to determine our flexibility, do as many crunches as we could in 1 minute, and do as many push-ups as we could without breaking form.

I was feeling pretty good after the walk test. My results were “average” which was better than I expected. Next we did the reach test and reality started to set in. I could only reach 2 inches past my feet (with my feet 1ft apart). This put me in the low part of the “average” range. On the crunches I did 63 in 1 minute (still “average”). And lastly, I did 20 push-ups before I collapsed on the concrete sidewalk. Yes. Only 20.

I was pretty disappointed to be “poor” in the push-up category after the strong start to the assessment, but the worst was yet to come.

When I woke up this morning I felt like I had stood on my hands all night! My arms, my chest and my back were SO SORE! 20 push-ups and I couldn’t stand to lift a plate from the dishwasher to the cupboard! Laundry was excruciating. Making the bed made me moan in agony. 20 PUSH-UPS!

I guess I will be working on some strength training for the next couple of months. We have to do this assessment again at the end of the semester. . .

I Need Your Opinion

OK. Robby has decided that he wants to grow facial hair. Never mind the fact that he has NEVER been able to grow a decent beard. Who cares if it takes him 3 days to get a five o’clock shadow. He wants to grow facial hair!

He has been growing this “thing” for over 3 weeks now with only some minor trimming. While most men would look more like Grizzly Adams by now, Robby might need some Miracle Grow or something.

So. What do you think? Should he keep it or shave it off?

Maybe this is the backlash from March’s head shaving???

218, 220, 233, 222, 224, 226 Where Am I ?

This evening I had the wonderful experience of returning to high school. It was such a pleasure to walk the locker-lined halls in search of the room number that held an overenthusiastic teacher waiting patiently to share his/her “words of wisdom” for high school freshman. What a joy to sit in a hard wooden desk and watch the clock until the bell signaled our 5 minutes of freedom. Then to roam the packed hallways and use the half-door stalls in the restroom before getting lost looking for the next classroom on the schedule.

YES. I am being obnoxious!

I did return to high school, although only for 2 hours. Tonight was Cynthia’s open house at Butler. Now, I am absolutely concerned with how my children are doing in school and totally interested in seeing their work, but open house on a Monday night from 7-9pm did not spark my enthusiasm. With half of our family feeling a little under –the-weather (and the other half soon to follow, no doubt!), soccer practices, church events, homework and housework; the last thing I wanted to do with my evening was to sit in a high school classroom. I did it ONLY because Cynthia asked me to.

Wait a minute. . . Don’t be too impressed with her desire to introduce me to her teachers. She had an ulterior motive. EXTRA CREDIT. Yes, the teachers had promised the students extra credit if their parents attended the open house. What a way to boost attendance. How many parents can refuse a child who wants extra credit so bad that they will risk their parents embarrassing them or, better yet, finding out how many times they have already been in trouble this school year! And how could I complain about that borderline grade on the report card without feeling guilty about the missed opportunity for easy points! Yes, I had to go. There was no choice.

I only got lost twice (and had to call Cynthia once for directions—HOW EMBERASSING!), but the tardy bell never caught me in the hall. Although none of the teachers had any work to show us, it was interesting to get a feel for Cynthia’s day and overall it wasn’t a horrible experience. I do have two suggestions though. The rooms need to be re-numbered. (Hence, the title of this entry) When the teachers assigned to the hallway to “help” with directions can’t figure out the number system after 3 years there is a problem! And parking is ridiculous. It should never take 30 minutes to get out of the parking lot.

When I returned home at about 10pm the kids were all in bed (what a blessing!) but of course, nothing else was done. Dishes piled in the sink and on the counter. No school clothes picked out for the next morning. Half-finished homework papers lined the couch (and they tried to tell me they didn’t watch TV while they did it, YEAH RIGHT!). And I still had homework to get done. The best thing is- it’ll all be there in the morning! So, as I medicate myself and prepare to climb into bed I can’t help but to remind Cynthia

“YOU OWE ME, GIRL!”

Lindsay's Pet Pig

Recently we have been eating at Mark's Feed Store on Tuesday nights. Everyone likes the food (which is an accomplishment for our family anymore!) and Tuesday is "Kids eat free" day. We can feed our family of 6 for right at twenty dollars. Can't beat that with a stick!

So, if you have ever been to Mark's you surely have seen the concrete pigs that "graze" in the front of the restaurant . Lindsay, being the loving child that she is, has taken it upon herself to make the two pigs feel appreciated. The first thing she does when she gets out of the car is pet the pigs. She talks to them. She tenderly pats their back as she asks them "How are you doing today?" She scratches under their chin and waves to them when she walks away.

The ritual after dinner is some of the same, but culminates with a "pig ride". It's a good thing that poor pig is made of concrete!

Don't Wake the Garrett !

What A Cutie

Lindsay decided that she was tired of the morning tangles.

I really like her new do, and it's much easier to deal with. It's nice to not have to braid her hair before she goes to bed to avoid the "rat's nest" look. She likes it too. She spent a good 15 minutes flipping her head around and looking in the mirror after we cut it! Maybe it's just my overactive immagination, but I think it makes her look so much older!

PhoneEar disease

Cynthia in her "normal" pose.

The allure of Chuck E Cheese's is gone for this poor girl. She has the unfortunate disease that causes any telecommunication device she comes into contact with to attach itself to her ear and refuse to release for hours on end. This disorder, common among girls her age, includes such symptoms as glazed-over eyes, uncontrollable jaw movements alternating with stiffness and immobility, inability to recognize surroundings, inability to regulate voice volume, overwhelming desire to maintain a physical connection with the telecommunication device, extreme withdrawal simply from THINKING about separation, and lost capacity for any time management whatsoever. As of today, there is no known cure.

Heat and Football

It was hot and the team played on the secondary field (which isn't actually a football field at all. It is simply a large grassy area--no yard markers, no score board, no time clock. . .) There wasn't alot of seating available so the younger kids tried to entertain themselves out in the grassy area next to the "feild". I'm not sure if this was Curtis's idea or if Chrissy "confined" him to this tire jail to keep him from running off! In any case, I'm sure he was filthy when he went home!

Lindsay wasn't the least bit interested in being there. We had found a place to sit in the grass on the side of the hill that lead down to the "field" and had a pretty decent view, but there was nothing to keep the attention of a six year old girl. Robby and I had taken our shoes off to put under our legs to keep the dry, itchy grass off our skin. Lindsay decided to try Robby's on and walk around. It didn't change the fact that she was hot and bored, but at least we all got a good laugh!

The expression on her face says it all. . . I'm HOT and I want go go home!

Clothes Shopping

Women. Do you ever wonder what your husband and children do while you are in the fitting room trying to find something that you like, that looks good, that isn't too outrageously priced and actually fits?

Robby played catch with Lindsay and Garrett in the floor of JC Penney's. Between the tennis ball bouncing around and the kids crawling around on the floor and under clothing racks I'm surprised they didn't get kicked out of the store all together!!!

It's not just teenage girls that take their own picture in a mirror!

We Put Grandma to Work!

When you come to my house to visit you have to earn your keep. That goes for EVERYONE. As you can see here, we put Grandma to work sweeping the sidewalk. I guess we have to feed her dinner now!