Ode To My Boys!

I'm doing it again I'm interrupting my usual Wednesday post about our weekends to do a special post. We're getting close to Thanksgiving and it makes me reflect and think of what I'm thankful for. I know most of us what to be a better version of our parents we saw things they did and want to either do the same or tweek a little.

When my dad remarried to the person I know as my mom we went from lot's of camping and outings to a new world. It was a great world they did a lot of their things and I became very independent & one that is happy by myself just reading a book. Would explain why I wasn't into sports and did not do very well when I tried them. I love my parents and how they raised me has made me the person I am today. Today I want to just think of the future and what I want to put forward and a promise to my kids. I find if I put it out there then I have the personality that makes me want to strive for it :).

To my boys as you grow up I want to make some things I will strive for :)

I hope to always be there with no judgement and love you no matter what thick or thin. You may have another cookie I promise not to comment. We'll just go run around more ;).

I strive to have that fun house that your friends will always be welcome at and hope to find our house at the house they all want to hang out at. There will always be plenty of food and treats, lot's of laughs and of course many hugs to go around.

You are always welcome home when you move out. Stop by anytime you, your friends are always welcome. No calls needed just come on by, sit down and hang out!

Sports we must at least try these I think sports help with playing with others along with just being well adjusted.

Family dinners I want to make sure to keep this a tradition. Good food and lot's of laughs and questions. I hope that we will continue these for years and years.

Family night this is something I'm going to keep pressing on, keeps us close and we have open communication.

Grandkids .... WAY down the road I mean 20 years please .... are welcome to come play and hang out I will love to let them come hang out and parents you go have some of your time!

I can't promise the house will always be spotless, and dusted but it's full of love and some day I promise to get my house tip top shape. Maybe when I'm retired ... hehe

I love you guys and can't wait to watch you grow and learn and can't wait for us to have many laughs with I'm sure many tears (on mom's side)

Always looking for ways to improve and look at where I am at. I say take what you have learned and always improve.

Weekend Wrap Wednesday ~ Did you miss me?

Well I missed you! Phew that was one heck of a whirlwind. Now I love giveaways and of course because I get to show off pictures and stories of the family with out sounding .... ummm how do I say it ... in your face. Oh what you know I'm crazy like that!

Ok so here it is I promise never to do a week long of giveaways again (fingers crossed, I don't plan on it but you never know). But man that was a lot of work, and I really missed talking about myself ... oh wait I mean my boys ... yup that's what I meant. I'm feeling a little spunky can you tell? Really I've missed my loyal commenter's come back, I love ya .. LOL :)

So yes I know you're on your edge of your seat wanting to know what I've been up to. I know my world is so riveting! So here it is (insert minuteman voice here):

The previous weekend we had a birthday party each day! One was for my best friend since elementary school (her 3 year old) it was a pooh party. So you know me and my themes, really I'm crazy about them. I think it's the OCD in me, I will do a theme down to the color and what the item is in the bag. So I told the Cole grab everything with pooh, I think we walked out with 30 items. All fun education things like puzzles, books etc. Oh don't think I've found that money tree, it was the dollar store but boy they had some great items there. Yes that is here with the massive pyle of pooh stuff!

The next party was for my cousins 1st birthday party for her son! It was a super relaxing BBQ with just a few friends and family. Cole discovered he could ride a bike, yes he's 5 and no I haven't bought him. Yes it's on the list (craigslist here I come, that or a garage sale). Caden so wanted to be with the big kids and tried very hard but just got frustrated and in the way. It was a lot of fun and a great Sunday. It was very sweet seeing my grandmother with my cousins baby. Being a step child we kind of didn't have that same bond, yes a story will come later on that.

Fast forward to this past weekend. We had Friday off with the holiday landing on a Saturday so it was a great day to hang out with my parents let the kids run around and just relax. Saturday the 4th my dad had Rick help him with the waterfront again so yup me and the boys again. I had big plans for the weekend! I wanted a pedicure and my girlfriend and I had it all set up! Then no Rick, so we had this wonderful idea to let her daughters watch the boys. So you know it was super relaxing getting our toes done, only one call and that was how to turn on DVD. Yup I thought we were home free. Then we get home! Oh boy I almost cried ... you know I'm crazy about the house. Now I'm far from the cleanest person but I do usually have some guidelines. NOTE to self go over rules before leaving home!!

Things we found (yes I'm laughing now) plus I've learned girls haven't changed since I was little TV is a powerful thing. When it's on we sometimes don't see what is going on around us. Case and Point:

1. Pizza on the carpet (yes sauce side down)
2. Toys everywhere
3. Lollipop in the carpet
4. Mystery stuff all over my suede ottoman (thinking it's pizza sauce)
5. Pop cans everywhere (1 we were gone only 75 minutes, and 2 I don't allow kids pop in my house)
6. Pop all over my computer and computer desk
7. Pop all over the floor
8. Permanent Marker on the Wall
9. Permanent Marker on my disk reader
10. Gum on the wall and carpet and oh yeah all over Cole

Did I mention we were gone 75 minutes! LOL yes I'm laughing now but man oh man I was going to cry then. Thankfully it was the 4th and I could go visit my parents and just relax. Fun day we waterfront hoped between my parents lot and my BFF (since elementary school) and saw lots of friends I have seen in years and even an old boyfriends sisters. Man I wish I would have done my hair and oh yeah lost all this stupid baby weight ... LOL. Fireworks were fun and guess what my camera has a firework button. I know cool! Sad note though Gais Bread owns a summer home across the lake from my parents and every year they put on a HUGE fireworks show. The first time in like over 20 years no show! Man times really are tough :(.

Sunday I had the brilliant idea to go visit my girlfriend in the hospital that just had a baby. On a side note I'm SUPER excited, this is one of my favorite friends we kind of drifted for about a year which made me really sad. So it was great to find her again and get a chance to catch up. Side note 2 kids in a hospital room, no lunch ... NOT such a good idea! Yes I wanted to pull my hair out and put the boys in a wall (not really ... but I was thinking it ... I say it some don't). So that was fun, NOT. Sadly my visit was cut short, but I did bring her a super cute diaper cake!

So there it is wow 2 weeks shoved into one post ... LOL. Missed you all hope all my loyal commenter come back. Miss ya! Plus I have a few giveaways to post the winners, but I've been crazy busy today I promise soon! Muah loves!

I think they're all against me ...

And you thought yesterday couldn't get anymore hair pulling, well then you would be wrong. After work I picked up the 4 kids, met a lady at Freddie's to sell her the Skunk costume (I love Craigslist only one costume left) and then I had the bright idea to stop by the grocery store. Really I think I have a relapse every time of what the last time was like, it's like having a baby you only think of the cute little bundle of joy not the pain that went with that! Yup I did just compare grocery shopping with 4 kids to child birth, deal with it!

So our short ride to the grocery store should have been a warning to turn back and go home, but no I really need bananas and half and half. During our drive Khari keeps pulling the babies hand which makes him cry and Cole yell at Khair to knock it off and Roy just sits there looking annoyed. I want to turn to him and go you're annoyed, really try being me for a day! We get to the grocery store where I put the two little ones in the cart and let the older 2 walk. Which of course lead to Cole running around like a madman, me raising my voice and using his full name several times. Really moms why do we use the full name, I know it's something our parents did but is it the magic words or just the tone of our voice or maybe it just makes us feel better ... I'll go with that! By this time I'm speed walking thru the grocery store just wanting to get out of there. I'm on the last isle when I look down at Khari in the cart. This is when I see that she has taken the bag of cocktail wieners and biten the WHOLE bag, she's done this to me before with a block of cheese. At this point I almost lost my cookies and of course I was one of those bad people that switched out the bag for a new one since that one was ruined. Ok stop sighing at me I know it really wasn't the right thing to do but I really might have screamed at the top of my lungs or started crying. Next shopping trip (I know I'm crazy like that) with all the kids I'm going to center Khari with can goods nothing she can bite threw.

I finally check out and get to the car where Roy opens the door and hops right in, sure no problem a little help is not needed. I load the 3 kids in the car and then put the bags in the car and walk the cart back. We head home and by this time I'm ready to put everyone in the corner for their behavior. We pull in the driveway and Roy bolts for the door. Not so fast young man your part of my family and you're going to help! So I ask him to help me with the bags, I turn around to grab one. I turn back around to pass a bag and to my surprise he's gone, I look up and he's at the door. Ugh ... please for once give me a break! I call him back over to the car to help, I pass him the one bag and ask him to wait and I'll give him another. Yup that was pushing it, by the time I turn around the 2nd time he's gone. I call for him to come back and help but no luck he literally dropped the bag on the kitchen table and went into his room and shut the door! Fine no worries I'll just load the kids in, the groceries, prepare YOUR dinner and then oh yeah clean YOUR dishes also! Yup I so got this handled!

I get in the cupboard to find I only have 1 CAN of sloppy joe mix (nice to know since I was JUST AT THE GROCERY STORE), ok I'm about to loose it. About this time the speed race called Cole and Khari start after threatening to throw them both in the corner they slow down for a total of 2 minutes. Cole must have ate a TON of sugar since he was bouncing off the walls and keeps getting sent to the corner, if I could enforce it Khari and Caden would be there too. By this time Tarra shows up with hamburger and get this Banana's (yup could have skipped the store since they were out of half and half and the banana's looked horrible). I quick switch of plans and it's hamburgers tonight which made Roy happy since he let me know that he really didn't like the menu I had planned earlier. He asks everyday what is on the menu, to be honest kid I don't know until I get there and open the cupboard sorry I'm not the school and have a schedule printed up!

During our time in the kitchen we tired to enforce the no kids in the kitchen which was fine with the 2 older ones, now the younger ones where the challenge. I kept chasing Caden back out, while Tarra tired to keep Khari on the chair (I think we're both trying to get the ringing from the screams out of our ears) ... oh house rules how dare us parents be so mean! I know we'll be the topic of therapy years to come! Thankfully dinner was quiet for the most part and Rick showed up and took the two older ones to the mall for Roy to get some new "Non-Skull" hoodies that he can wear at school. Finally peace and quiet, well as much as you can get with two toddlers cranky and needing sleep. I so know you want to Wife Swap with me, don't deny it!