Sorry...

I know... I've done a crappy job of writing on my blog this summer. In my defense, I have kept myself really busy with the kids and when I wasn't busy with them, I have been reading. This is really the second summer I have fallen in love with books again. I get so excited about reading and I can't put them down until I finish them. It's like I am just starved for them! So everytime I have a spare minute, I find myself picking up a book insteads of my computer. Sorry.

So, let's hit the higlights of the past week or so. The major headline: Bye-Bye Bobby!!! It would seem as though Lily has given up her pacifier habit. Her fourth birthday was this past Tuesday (22nd). The night before her birthday, Brad jokingly said that this would be the last night she could suck her bobby because she would be turning four the next day. Later that night when he put her to bed, she said she wasn't going to suck her bobby for at least three days. And that very night she went to sleep without it. Miraculous!!! Then all day on her birthday she never mentioned it. The night of her birthday she went to bed without it again. She asked me Wednesday morning what I had done with all of her bobbies. I said I hadn't done anything, what did she think we should do with them? She said to bury them in the yard so the dogs could dig them up and play with them. A couple of times she has seemed surprised not to have it in her mouth and she mentions it, but the change is nothing short of a miracle. I don't want to get too excited, just incase, but it would seem as though bobby is history! Hooray!

While Lily has been a real angel and has made me proud in so many ways this summer, I have been extremely worried by Sam's behavior. He has completely changed this summer. He has always been so sweet and loving but for the past month, he has been giving me a fit. He has been talking back, being hateful to myself and his sister, hitting at me, blatantly disobeying me, etc. I really don't know what the cause of it is. The only thing I can think of is that he is competing for my attention, which Lily does seem to get so much of. I have tried to entertain him and keep him busy but he refuses to take an interest in anything, with the exception of Spongebob and fishing. He would go fishing 24/7. He says everything is boring. I just am praying that this is just a phase and that when school starts back he will go back to the same sweet boy he used to be. I am not sure that he, or I, can take much more of this.

I had a few of my buddies from school over to the house today for lunch while grandmomma kept the kids. (Thursdays are mommy days this summer.) We ate taco salads and razzleberry pie and talked for hours. It was a good relaxing adult time. I am so thankful for my good friends and for those occasional times when I can revert back to "adult mode". It surely helps my sanity!

My husband and I are continuing to enjoy what I consider to be a very turning point in our relationship. We have totally reconnected this summer and we've become best friends again! It has been so refreshing! I love him, love him, love him! He is so good to me and good FOR me. We definitely have characteristics that complement each other. I am actually dreading the time when I have to go back to work because I feel like we are on a sort of honeymoon. It has been so nice!

Well, I have chicken in the over that I need to check on and I have a book beside me that is "calling my name". :) Ta-Ta for now.

We're baaaack....

Well, the mini-vacation to Pigeon Forge was a success. We went to Dollywood on Thursday and it rained (but this was a good thing...). There were no lines and the temperature stayed around 75 so it was really comfortable all day. We saw Veggie Tales and the Kratt brothers from Zoboomafoo on PBS. Friday we went to Splash Country water park. It was MUCH hotter so we really enjoyed the water. Lily and I hung out at the Kiddie pool (the kitty cat pool, as she called it) and the wave pool. Brad and Sam hit the big water slides that I don't like and Lily is too little to ride. Worked out for everyone. Saturday, we checked out of the room and we spent the day shopping at the outlet stores. Sam and I found lots of school clothes for him at Old Navy. Brad dropped me off at the scrapbook store and let me spend some time there while he took the kids. We got home about 7 or so on Saturday evening. We unpacked, started some laundry and relaxed until bedtime. We slept in on Sunday morning and puttered around the house Sunday while recovering from our trip. I have had a hard time because I didn't sleep while we were gone. Two or three hours each night, tops. I am such a light sleeper and the noise from outside and the kids being in the same room with Brad and I kept me up late. Since we got back I've been super sleepy and the kids have really been on my nerves. I need a break from them. Its getting to that point... you all know what I mean.

Not much else to say right now... Lea is over and the kids are upstairs with her right now, probably tearing Sam's room apart. And so it goes.

Vacation...

Well, the day has arrived for us to leave for Pigeon Forge. It is 8:50am and we are leaving right after lunch and I cannot seem to get motivated to pack. I did get up and get my shower already. I know that once I start packing it won't take long, but I hate it. Not for the kids... easy to pack for them... but for me. I turn into somewhat of a slob over the summer and I wear clothes that are comparable to pajamas all day long. You know, those sweatpant type capris, junky shorts that have paint on them, etc. and whatever t-shirt happens to be on top of the laundry stack. So when I need to go somewhere and I actually need to wear "real" clothes, it is like running into a brick wall. Oh crap! What do I wear? Anyone else do that? I also refrain from makeup and hairspray in the summer. I always look like I just woke up. As a matter of fact, I went to the dentist on Monday and that was the first time in a while that I had actually used the hairdryer. Usually I just air dry.

OK... I'm gonna get up now and just do it. I'll write when we get back.

Couldn't sleep...

Well, it is 6:45 and I am wide awake and I have been since about 3:00 this morning. I laid there for about an hour before I decided to give it up and do something productive with my time. So I got up around 4 and I went to the room over the garage so my noise wouldn't wake anyone up. First, I arranged my furniture in my dollhouse back to the way it was (the kids have been messing in it) and I moved it to the top of the entertainment center in the playroom. That freed up some room in my office so I started cleaning it up. I am on a bit of a rampage...more about that later. I picked up lots of stuff out of the floor where Lily was "scrapbooking" one day with me. Then I organized my scrapbook table and went through my 12 X 12 paper and reorganized it by color (I know, I know...). The tummy was growling so I came down for a yogurt and noticed the sun was up. I decided it had been a while since I posted on here and that was about the only other thing I could do without waking everyone up. I mean, I need to hang a picture in the living room, but... you understand.

More about the rampage I've been on... I have so much junk in my house. So much stuff that NEVER gets used, NEVER gets played with, NEVER gets worn, etc. I had cleaned up the kids rooms last week and I had tried to go through some of their toys and throw away things that were broken or whatever. I went through Lily's closet and took out a bunch of clothes for my friend Olivia. I went through Sam's closet and got some clothes for Carmen. I cleaned out a drawer in Lily's room that had nothing but crib sheets and baby blankets in it. She hasn't had a crib in her room for well over two years. I started a pile of stuff for my sister-in-law, Mary, because she and Jeff are expecting a girl in October. She is coming later today to go through it. I mean I have a crib sheets, bibs, baby clothes, etc. Then last night, I got it in my head that I needed to clean out the playroom. I started throwing stuff out and although I feel guilty, I don't think I got rid of anything the kids will miss. I have a vanload of stuff to make "disappear" today. Brad even came upstairs and helped. I think he was amazed at what a mess it becomes after while. The good news is that I found two bobbys and three pairs of Lily's shoes. She is a packrat. She fills all her purses and boxes with whatever will fit and that is where I found the bobbys. So when the playroom was clean, I got Brad to help me get in the attic and get out some more baby stuff for Mary and carry it down. She's gonna kill me for sending all this to her house, but it really is good stuff and she will need most of it.

Are the Olympics going on right now? I just saw something on the news. I had no idea. I hate the Olympics.

Yesterday was fun. We played hookey from church and went to Katie and Greg's family house at Lake Norman. Becky and Daniel came and brought baby Eli. We swam and laid around in the sun until it started to storm around 1:30. We came on home, did some stuff around here and went to Challenger III to play putt-putt and ride the go-karts. We had Taco Bell for supper and Brad and I watched The Bucket List after the kids went to bed. It was good.

Wednesday we are leaving for our mini-vacation to Pigeon Forge. We're going to Dollywood and Splash Country water park. We are coming back on Saturday. Should be fun to get away, even if only for a few days. I'll fill everyone in one how that goes when we get back.

Ha! The Today Show is on and they just said that they are having a segment later about when to throw common household items out (like pillows, vitamins, etc.). Pillows are supposed to be thrown out every year. I guess my pillows are filthy because we've had them forever. I am sure my huggy pillow is gross. I drool and sweat all over it every night and you can't wash it because it's that foamy bead stuff. It actually is starting to stink (gross, I know) but I can't sleep without it. I guess I should at least start looking for a new huggy pillow.

I won't ramble for too much longer... Brad has continued to be the perfect husband this week. He put another storm door up on the front of the house and he replaced the screen door on the back proch too. The screen door had actually fallen apart and was hanging in two pieces on the hinges. We got one that has a pet door so the kitty cat can get on the proch whenever he wants. The he sent me shopping Saturday. I really need some clothes (getting fatter, sigh...) and he told me to go buy some thing for myself. I went to Hickory and I found a few shirts and believe it or not, a bathing suit. The GAP was having a sale (25% off their clearance stuff) and I got Sam some muscle shirts for $2.99. I love a good bargain! Anyway, Brad watched the kids and asked if there was anything I needed him to do while I was gone. I asked him to wipe down the ceiling over the shower. Some moldy stuff had started to grow and I can't reach it. I went to daddy's to flip burgers and when I got home Brad had surprised me by cleaning the entire bathroom. I mean he washed the rugs, scrubbed the floor, and everything! I am so spoiled.

Well, I guess I have carried on for long enough now. I suppose it will hit me in a little while that I've only had around two hours of sleep. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now!