Girls From Da 'Wood

I dragged myself from my cough medicine induced daze to go outside with the girls for a while this afternoon. It is so cute to see the baby try to keep up with the big girls. She does everything they do, only it takes her longer and she falls down a lot more. Every branch they touch, she touches. Every rock they jump off of, she jumps off it too. (Onto her tush) I can just hear her next year, "Wait for me! I wanna go too!"





The sunlight was hitting this cobweb just right this afternoon, making it look like frost. I hate it when I walk through a cobweb. It gives me the shivers. I feel like there are creepy crawlies all over me when that happens.




As for my summer sickness, it is still hanging on. Coughing still, but maybe less. Headache is still in full swing and I am very lethargic. Not a good way to be during summer vacation. The girls were very good this afternoon during a brief rain shower. The baby was asleep and they wanted to watch some TV. I suggested a craft project or using some play dough while I changed the bed sheets and they kept themselves entertained for a couple of hours making a mini puppet theater out of an empty box of wipes. Then they went outside when the rain stopped and we all went for our nature hike. Now I am getting ready to make dinner and watching the clock for my next dose of medicine.

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ill

About a week ago I started coughing, a dry cough that sounded like I have been smoking for a few years. Nothing too bad, just annoying. Two days ago it became more then annoying. It became a constant hacking cough, keeping me and Mr up all night. Last night was the worst. I downed half a bottle of the kids cough medicine - it didn't do anything. I am exhausted and my stomach muscles hurt from coughing so violently for so long. My lungs feel like there is little bits of broken glass in them and each time I cough I feel like I am getting cut in my throat. Now I have a bit of a stuffy nose, not bad, and an ache behind my eyes. I am tired. Is this a sinus infection? Am I getting the flu? All I know is I am not dragging my ass and three kids to a germy doctors office so they can say "Oh, it's just a cold, no strep and no sinus infection. Please open a vein so I can bleed you dry of any money you might have." (Yes, I have done it before.)

Wikipedia Says:

"Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and usually entertaining events or situations, and is associated with enjoyment, happiness, laughter and pleasure. Amusement may also be experienced through the recollection of events which have given rise to amusement in the past."








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Busy As A Bee

Yesterday we went to the mortician's birthday party. (Doesn't that sound morose? It wasn't, but it sounds creepy.) The kids had fun rummaging through my cousins old nick knacks and her bucket of funky hats. We went for a quick swim over to my aunt's house and everyone fell asleep on the way home.

Today we stayed home and I went on a warpath. A cleaning warpath. I started with the ceilings and I ended up with the floors. I used my swifter grab-it thingie and wiped all the ceilings and walls down. No more cobwebs there. I dusted everything, reorganized the baby's room, cleaned the top of the frig and all the counter tops got really scrubbed, I did a bit of laundry (but not a whole lot), and the kicker is, we went through a TON of toys. The kids and I pulled everything off the stuffed animal shelves and picked some to donate. They crawled way deep under their beds and pulled everything that was hiding there out. We went through the baby's toy chest and got rid of all the infant toys and best of all: We threw out the broken toys and pieces of long lost toys. I have two huge black contractor bags filled. One has garbage and one has donations. I feel pretty good about finally accomplishing something noticeable but there is still so much to do. I didn't even touch the bathroom or kitchen floors. They really need a scrubbing. I also didn't get into any closets. That job will make me cry. Who would like to help me with that? Hello? Anyone? I didn't think so.

So, now that I have bragged about my cleaning binge, don't hate me too much. By tomorrow evening the three mice will have wrecked my work and things will be crusty all over again.

Friday Night: Then & Now

Once upon a time, there was a girl and a boy. They were in love and it showed. They were hard working young people, and relished their time alone doing things that young people do. They had meaningful conversations with each other, drank wine, ate at nice restaurants, invited people to their home, went away for a random weekend to some place posh, ate dinner at 8pm then went to a movie or just hung out and listened to rock music at high decibels while dancing with their three dogs.

FLASH FORWARD TEN YEARS

Finally Mr. is home at a decent hour. He takes the three kids on a hike through the woods to visit our creek then brings them home and gives them dinner - a dinner that is served on paper plates. Meanwhile, I am driving to the grocery store so I can shop ALONE without any need to enter a public restroom, pack a diaper bag or stock up on snacks for the car ride. I do not need to say 'No' one time because no one is with me asking me for crap from the grocery store that is overpriced and made in China. I can turn off the Queen CD and listen to whatever the hell I want to. When I stop to buy gas, I don't have to unbuckle three people and carry one inside while two are holding onto my shirt, then turn around and buckle them all back in.

I get home and all the bags are brought inside. There is just enough time for three baths before the inevitable meltdown because it is too late and the tiny people are overtired.

Now it is 9:30 and I get to look at my husband, whom I have barely laid eyes on since our Disney trip. We exchange the necessary information for a smooth (ish) household to operate and he is zonked so he goes to bed. It is 10:15pm. Half an hour later I make it to bed and remember how things were a decade ago. Much, much quieter. Less grocery shopping. A gallon of milk would have expired in the frig before it was consumed. I had enough money in the bank to shop every weekend for nonsense items I probably don't even own any more. I knew each nuance of my husbands day and he knew mine. The most crucial information we exchanged was whether the dogs pooped before we locked up the house for the night.

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I love my life. It is crazy and boring and mundane and it is mine. I look at my husband over three tiny heads and their loud chatter and we both smile, remembering the way things were and knowing how much was missing.

And we never even knew.

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Interview With A Seven Year Old

Hi.

Hi.

What grade are you going into this year?

Second.

What is your favorite thing to do in school?

Ummm, work on math papers.

What is your favorite thing to do during summer vacation?

Listen to Queen songs. Go swimming too.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Lots of things. A singer and A princess.

(who doesn't, kid)

How much money will you earn doing that?

6 dollars a day.

How many kids do you want when you grow up?

Triplets.

What will you name them?

Susie, Sparkle and Twinkle.

(sound like hookers)

What is your favorite TV show?

Sponge Bob

What is your favorite book?

Magic Tree House series.

How tall do you think I am?

Five feet.

How much do I weigh?

10 pounds.

(she is my favorite child)

What are you doing tonight?

Going to the creek with daddy.

(Yes, he made it home during daylight hours.)

Zucchini Out The Booty

Our vegetable garden hasn't produced too many zucchini, but Mr. received a whole bunch from someone at work. I will be making zucchini bread -the kids love it- but I have toomuch for just that. Tonight I made stuffed peppers, but differently then my normal way. It was more of a vegetable mixture then the predominantly meat mixture I usually use.

Above is the zucchini from Mr., squash from our garden, a bit of onion and tomatoes that are probably laden with salmonella, but I'm hoping the heat of cooking kills all that. While I sauteed this, I boiled two green peppers and browned some meat. Then I added the veggies, some white rice and the meat mixture to the peppers and topped with cheese. It came out pretty good, I didn't have any sauce or tomato soup to pour on so it was a bit dry.

(blurrrrry)

*******************************************************************

Next I made some zucchini patties that loosely resemble a recipe I read on the pioneer woman. Miss kept calling them crabby patties ala Sponge Bob. These things are awesome!

YOU MUST MAKE THESE!!! I will be making these all through zucchini season, they are addicting. I hope there are some left when Mr. gets home at midnight. Chances are not good.

First I shred some zucchini (maybe a bit more then a cup and a half? didn't measure), then Italian breadcrumbs, 2 eggs,a bit of garlic, Parmesan cheese (didn't measure, but maybe 1/2 cup?) and a few shakes of cayenne pepper. I got the oil real hot and plopped them in and waiting a mere 4 minutes and flipped.

SOOOO good. I want to have a dinner party just so I can make these and show off. I didn't have ranch dressing to dip them in, but I had creamy Italian and it was just fine.

(disclosure)

(Although I wanted to shove these in my face as fast as I could, I did not use two forks to shovel them in. I use two forks to flip things when I am cooking in oil. Just wanted to clarify.)

(Also, I want to have a dinner party but that means I would have to really clean the house. Did I mention my vacuum broke on Monday? Yeah, not good. And since I can't vacuum, why dust? Why mop the floor? Why bother with anything? - Nice attitude, right? What the fuck is wrong with me, please someone tell.)

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Yes!

I figured out how to add my Flickr badge! I'm so proud of myself. Julie told me how to add the link, but I wanted to have the actual badge constantly viewed, and I did it! I know it is a simple thing, but I have next to zero computer skillz, and it is a big deal for me, OK? If I had any wine in the house I would have a glass right now.

My Girl Likes To Potty All The Time

Anytime she enters the bathroom she grabs herself and says "Pee Pee, Pee Pee, Pee Pee" over and over. I broke out the potty seat and she loves sitting on it. She would probably sit there for an hour if I let her. She sits and talks to herself, sings and picks the paper off the sink cabinet. She has a grand ole time. Miss was trained at around 22 months, Middle was 27 months and this one will probably be five years old. I'm up to my seventh year as a mother and potty training was the most stressful for me -not the kid- so far. I would worry they would have an accident in their carseat, while wearing a snowsuit, have to poop in a public restroom and all the worst scenarios possible would go through my head. One time Miss had to go in between my house and my grandmothers so I held her while she went on the side of the road. Well, just about every time we passed that area she would have to go. She loved peeing outside the car. It was a super fun game to her. It will be nice to be out of the diaper stage, but Baby is only 20 months old, so I know I've got some time before it's all over and done with. At least she likes sitting up there, I have heard of some kids not even trying to use the potty, so that part isn't going to be an issue.

HI

Not a very original title, but I got nuthin'. No news. Husband still at work. Kids still in swimming classes. No new pictures, but will have something tomorrow.
PS
Who has a good prank gift idea I can give an undertaker for his birthday? Yes, I know an undertaker, he dates my adorable cousin, and she is throwing him a birthday bash on Sunday. I need something really wicked or outrageous. Put your thinking caps on...

Nothing

I have not much to say tonight. Just another day of me and the kids. Mr. got home at their bedtime last night, so they actually got to see him for a few minutes. He was gone again at 6am and he just called to say he would be home around 11pm and gone again at 5 or 6 in the am tomorrow. I really don't know how long his body can continue like this. He is working nonstop, climbing 5 stories all day long, usually carrying rolls of wire or lighting and that isn't easy to do, let alone do for 16 hours a day. Lunch breaks? What are those? He is visibly thinner and just worn the fuck out, you can see it. I feel helpless, and mad. The owner shows up around 7pm and works with them until 10, but where the hell is he the rest of the day? NOT working in the office like you would assume. He has no problem blaming the guys for not accomplishing enough, yet he can't seem to get their material to them on time, or even the correct material when it shows up a week late. He infuriates me. When Eric worked in Arkansas his uncle had no problem pitching in and working as hard and as much as his men did even though he has a huge company and no reason to. He could have called in any number of people to help, but he would just stay and dig them out of a jam. I think that is one reason his company is so successful, his own sweat and hard work got it there. The guy Eric works for now likes to give the impression that he is too important to get dirty and he can't relate to most of his workers, he has an arrogant attitude. Oh well, I can only sit here and fume that my husband is working like a slave and getting no overtime because he is on a salary. Just a sucky situation, all around.

Anyway, if I can ever figure out how to have a permanent link to my Flickr account, it will be on the left side of the blog. Of course, I spent over an hour one night trying to accomplish that and never could. I hope this link will bring you to it though. It has some of our Disney pictures there and I will upload future pictures there as well.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/miceonthemountain/



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I Have Fat Toes

That is about how deep my thoughts are today. My husband is averaging 85 hour work weeks since we have been home, not counting driving time.
I usually feel like I do everything around here, but now that I am actually responsible for doing everything, I realize that no, I don't typically do it all on my own. He might not do much, but whatever it is he does, I wish he were he to do it.

If Only.

If only I had a 6foot by 4foot space to put a bed in, I would, just so he could come home with me and stay forever. Alas, I have not one spare foot in my cramped home, so there will be visits only.





My youngest nephew is, and always has been so yummy it is hard not to grab him by the cheeks and smother him in kisses. And believe me, when he was an itty bitty boy I did that to him. Shh, don't let him know that though. He is now 12 and too cool to be smothered in kisses from his aunt anymore.
He came up with my parents this weekend, and I gave him a mohawk. My kids love it when I give people a mohawk. Usually it is a fauxhawk though, because my dad and grandmother refuse them for some unknown reason, so I just smush their hair together so the girls get the idea of what their great grandmother would look like if she were a 79 year old punk rocker.

Not cousin mouse though, nope, he was game for a mohawk. I gave him a mohawk (or mo-hog as Middle says) when he was six, and we also applied green gel to it and covered him in temporary tattoos. Guess what happened that evening? Yep, trip to the ER when a branch wedged itself halfway up his calf. (totally gross, but the ER staff thought he was the bomb.) He has the attitude to wear any kind of funky or outrageous clothes, shoes or even haircut. You know when people say, "They have IT."? Nobody can explain what it is, but it's just that certain inner something that makes others want to be around them and they grow up to be leaders, not followers. Well, this boys got it.

He has no younger siblings, yet he is a natural with throwing my kids around and keeping them in their place. He gets down and dirty with them, praises them, makes them crack up in hysterical laughter and he shares with them. That last thing might seem petty, but it is a great lesson to teach three fairly close in age sisters. Sharing doesn't have to be painful and can actually be fun. They wouldn't let him out of their sight and he never seemed to mind.



The baby loved jumping on him and would stand in a chair with her arms up and just fall, knowing he would catch her. He always did. I wish he lived closer. I wish the kids could see him more. After a few minutes they seemed like siblings, not cousins. We all swam out to the sandbar near my grandmas beach. They all made a huge water tunnel in the sand. They bugged grandpa. They listened to crazy music and shared their crazy dance steps. They didn't spend any money on entertainment this weekend, and the kind of joy the four of them had could never have been bought anyway. That's what the best memories are made of.

Interview With A Four Year Old

Hi.

(silence)

What is your favorite color?

Red.

How old are you?

Four.

What is your favorite thing to do?

Play.

Play what?

Play-swimming.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Umm,I want to be a rock star.

What will you do when you're a rock star?

I will play guitar, and sing.

How old is Grandma?

Seventy. (she is 79)

What does love mean?

You care for somebody. (Aww, perfect answer)

What does honest mean?

That you don't tell a lie.

What does bad mean?

You do something naughty.

What is your favorite show?

Pound Puppies.

Who is your favorite person?

Miss.

What is your favorite food?

Ice cream.

Thank you.

Umm, trampoline.(!?)

Ummm, belly dancing, getting my arm chopped off.....

That's enough, good night.

TMI

OK, if you get grossed out easily, leave now please.

I will wait.

Anyone left?

So the thing is, Miss is not too athletic. It is not a bad thing, I am absolutely not athletic. She can run like the wind and is doing super with her swimming lessons and I think she could excel at any sport if she really buckled down and tried. The other thing is, she is just now, this summer, learning how to ride her bike without training wheels. Two summers ago I was pregnant and did not push the issue. Last year she had a bad spill and would not try anymore. She would tear up at the mention of it. So, this year I got out this old rusty monkey wrench and took the training wheels off myself. I even figured out how to fill the tires with air. She is doing EXCELLENT! I am very proud and she is very, very proud of herself. Yay, Miss.
Another thing she hasn't mastered yet is jump rope. I know she can do it, it's just the act of learning. So this afternoon they were tying each other up with a jump rope, and I got her to bring it to me and we went to the sidewalk for a lesson. I took the jump rope and started jumping saying, "See? You swing it around sloooowly and do a little half jump in between the swing. See?" As I'm jumping -
**again, stop reading if grossed out easily**
-I feel a warm sensation. Hmmm, feels like I'm peeing my pants, how funny, I think to myself. With each landing, I feel the sensation spreading. Hmmm, it couldn't possibly be me pissing my pants... could it?!
"OK, practice while I use the bathroom Miss."
Inside I go and low and behold... I peed my pants! Yes people, if you have had three kids and never did any Kegel exercises, DO NOT JUMP ROPE. Your bladder is a weak, stretched out bag, and any disturbance to it will result in a embarrassing telltale stain.

I'm just glad I was home.
You are all my friends and won't laugh, right?
Right?
It was sorta funny though.

Mental note, start Kegels tomorrow...


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One More...

My sister and I on the last night of our Disney vacation. My oldest nephew used my camera for this picture, and her husband used her camera for the same one. We don't really have pictures of us together in our adult years without one or more of our spawn included. This vacation was as much for us as for the grand kids. My dad told me this was the vacation we never had as kids, and how happy he was to finally go with not just us, but his grand kids too.

It is really hard for me not to cry or even well up when my dad gets sentimental. When he says something, he means it wholeheartedly. I have never known him to talk for the sake of talking. His feelings are true and you can feel the meaning when he shares them, what a great dad we have.

Swimming Lessons

The girls started their swimming lessons today and did great. The baby really wanted to get into the pool instead of walking around it four times. Also, since her face has been cleared up for a few days, she fell on it again. She is the most fallingest (real word) down baby I've ever had. And she always has to fall on cement, concrete, gravel or a floor of glass shards. Not really on the glass shards bit, but you get the pic.




At the end of Miss's lesson, her group got to go down the covered slide into thirteen feet deep water. Ask her. She will emphasize greatly the thirteen feet factor. She rocked.

Middle was in the level one group. She should probably be in level two. She was going under, making her instructor nervous, splashing around, making the other kids upset, and kicking her feet while holding on to the wall, making me laugh. She rocked too.

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Chore Charts

I am slowly losing my mind. Just thought you might want to know. It has nothing to do with this post, it's just something I am sure of, and thought I should share.
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Also something totally unrelated, my youngest daughter is a liar. We can all smell shit, I ask her in that annoyingly high pitched mommy voice, "Did you poopy? You stinky!" She answers with a firm "NO!" and also swats her hand in my direction. Me again: "Did you need a new diaper?" Her: "Dop! No! WAAAAAAAAAA!" After wrestling her down to change her she is back to her sweet self. Never believe a 20 month old when it comes to potty matters.
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Now, on to my new 'thing'. I have always enlisted the 'help' of the kids when there is something they can handle and not a safety issue. They feel so proud to accomplish something 'big'. At a little age like Baby, its throwing things in the garbage for mommy. At the preschool age like Middle, its putting things on the table for dinner or putting her dirty clothes in the hamper. For a young child like seven year old Miss, it gets a little more in depth. Not necessarily nitty gritty chores, but doing the things correctly and neatly like making her bed and putting away the silverware when it comes out of the dishwasher. I firmly believe that children should have responsibilities that are age appropriate. I had (have) a neatnik mother that expected a surprisingly minimal amount of household tasks done by me and my sister. The outcome of that was when I moved out on my own, hundreds of miles away from her, I was at a loss. I didn't know how to iron or even start a washing machine properly. I learned from trial and error, but boy I could have saved a lot of time and saved a lot of clothes from the dumpster with some basic knowledge. I knew how to heat up soup, make toast and boil water. That is it.
The point I'm trying to make here is, I believe it is my duty as a mother to teach my kids how to someday cope out on their own. Even if they move next door to me, they need to know which end is up on a mop. In case you're wondering, if I had all boys I would be doing the same thing. This is not a gender issue.
This summer I have made it more official by creating chore charts for Miss and Middle. Each day they pick chores along with a few that are mandatory daily. Example: Miss is seven so she has seven chores to complete a day for a weekly reward. The standard daily are making her bed, reading at least fifteen minutes, putting her clothes in the hamper and her dirty dishes in the sink. The reading is hardly a chore since it is something she enjoys, but because school is so strict on the kids reading each day, I made it something to follow during the summer. That is four chores daily, so she picks three others to make seven. What she can choose from is: getting the mail, putting the silverware away, feeding and letting the dog in/out, dusting in her room (also something that is 'fun' for her), sweeping the front walk or watering the plants.
At the age they are right now, chores are fun. It is exciting to check a box on their chart. There are daily talks on what the reward could be. They want to help at this age. My goal is to make the chores and the help be such a staple that it won't feel like torture when they are older and have better things to do. Just as fastening a seatbelt is a ingrained habit, I want their chores to be. As they get older I will teach them how to sort the laundry, load the dishwasher, vacuum and all the millions of things it takes to keep a household in order. When they venture out on their own I hope nothing will come as a burden or a shock to them.
P.S.
The reward they opted for this week? Sleeping on the air mattress in the living room. They thought of it themselves and they earned it. Next week appears to be a trip to the arcade. But things change around here....

My Assistant

I guess my kids are picky eaters, not too many vegetables, no highly flavored food, pasta without sauce and no potatoes. And if the moon isn't in in line with Venus in the third quarter, not even French fries. Only one likes the ever kid friendly condiment ketchup. Honestly though, I was way worse. I mean, do you have any idea how much food I used to drown in ketchup to try and hide the actual flavor? I liked French fries, but absolutely no potatoes, not too many meats and rice would gag me. Now I'm fine, although I really don't eat fish or seafood. The baby is extremely picky and getting worse each day. Anyway, I guess comparatively speaking they aren't so picky.
One of Miss's favorites is pasta salad. I very rarely buy it because it always comes with onions which she hates, but I make it for her every once in a while. Mostly in the spring/summer months. While her sisters napped today, she helped me by cutting up the pepperoni and salami and mixing all the ingredients.





The recipe for Miss Mouse's Positively Pasta Salad:
one pound pasta
cut up pepperoni
cut up Genoa salami
shredded carrots (not in todays batch)
Mozzarella cheese
black olives
Italian dressing
more Italian dressing

I would add green bell pepper and red onion if I were eating on my own, but today it was all about Miss.

I went super gourmet tonight and made burgers, and she ate two healthy servings of her salad. I NEVER would have eaten this as a kid. I would have left it right on my plate, never even sampled. My ideal meal would have been cheese pizza followed by ice cream. Looking back, a lot of my meals were just that. My mom made Chef Boyardee pizzas every Friday night, we went to my grandparents every Saturday and she made frozen pizza for lunch and every Sunday night we went to my great grandparents for dinner which was... take out pizza. My kids take vitamins so I usually don't worry about the lack of variety but I didn't take vitamins, and grew up fine. I will not make two dinners. If you don't like it, breakfast will come in the morning. They usually try most stuff, and decline to finish if they truly hate it. Those nights they don't get a snack before bed. Sometimes they amaze me in what they eat. For example: Slim Jims. Yes, their redneck father has them hooked, even the baby. Also, those giant dill kosher pickles. Lemons, straight up. Middle used to snag my cappuccinos. And the baby loves dog treats. Yes, she will forgo grilled chicken for sneaking in the dogs cabinet for her treats. That really makes me feel good!

JUMP!

You know, in all likelihood, I will post these photos again in mid February.





I will be right in the middle of my "Woe is me, this winter will never end" mood. I will look back on the summer pictures and dream of feeling the sun bake my skin.

On Monday the oldest girls start swimming lessons. Two weeks worth, every day for thirty minutes. They are really doing well this year in the water. Especially Middle. She goes under but doesn't come up sputtering or coughing like last year. Miss has really kept all the knowledge she learned last summer, even getting the baby to blow bubbles in the water.

Yeah, even though we have had some humid days, I am finding a way to appreciate them. I wish I could bottle up all the suns rays and use them throughout the dark, cold winter. I predict Mr. and I will have a condo or shack somewhere down south in about thirty years from now.

Last Disney Post

I will make this my final post about our Disney trip. I'm afraid I will bore everyone to death with my vacation stories/pictures. The castle was the big draw on our first day. Later on in the week the girls had their hair done at the Bippity Boppity Boutique located inside the castle by fairy godmothers, and let me say, that was a huge hit. They really loved sitting in the chairs and all the glitter and makeup and... the loved the whole experience. Right after their hair appointment we had made reservations for lunch with Cinderella at the royal dining room upstairs in the castle. That was great too, they were able to meet all the major princesses and got their pictures with them and also their autograph.





We also went to a (air conditioned thank you lord) show called the Country Bears. My parents saw it waaaay back and wanted to see it again. It was cute, and it was air conditioned. Did I mention that already?

Now, meeting the evil queen and stepsisters was a fluke, but a terrific find. They were hysterical! They all stayed totally in character, saying nasty things to not only each other but the kids and parents. We had to wait on a line to meet them so my dad was sitting in the audience waiting to take our picture and he was cracking up listening to them rank on everyone. They would hold an autograph book and tell the child, "Here, take this! I'm finished with you now." Just so funny. Middle was a little nervous going up, actually.

I am so glad we had the opportunity to go. My parents really gave us a great gift that we all, except the baby, will remember. The kids and I are still going over all we did, retelling the stories and remembering all the fun. Thanks Mom and Dad!

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Amen

We went to my grandmothers beach this morning to swim until it was time for the baby's nap. The following is Miss talking to me, but basically she was talking to herself because I never said a word. Actually, the inside of my cheek is raw from me biting it so I wouldn't laugh.





"This beach does not allow trespassers. If someone trespasses, we can call the police. The police will arrest anyone that trespasses here because it is not allowed. Then they will go to jail."

long pause

"They will go to jail for not going to church and asking God to forgive them their trespasses."

Tell me you didn't just laugh.

***********************************************************************
Unfortunate incident happened about an hour after she said that. We were all playing in the water and she pulled her foot out to find a fat leech on it. Ewww! She started crying and screaming, I was totally freaked but held my own. I got a stick and pushed it off only to see about 12 tiny, itty bitty, small ones squirming around her foot/ankle. I brushed them off and they started getting on me - it was absolutely gross. She got a big chunk taken out of the top of her foot where that daddy leech was, and quite a few smaller bite marks. This has never happened that I know of at my grandmothers beach - and I've been going for thirty years now! Now they can't stop reliving it! Middle is fascinated! The blood! The older sister crying! Mommy running around frantic! Us rushing back up to the house! She keeps going over it and over it. Poor Miss. She was brave, but scared at the same time.

Ahhh...

Oh, the glorious hotel pool! How we all enjoyed it! Well, most of us. (my husband, shh) It beckoned us each time we walked to and from our rooms. It was a great way to unwind and cool off.







Even my mom, who has an inexplicable fear of getting her hair wet unless washing it, was using the pool. She even lounged out in the sun for a couple of hours on our last full day. She is usually very cautious about sun exposure, but not this week!

We all just hung out, cooled down, sipped adult drinks and watched the kids play. My oldest nephew said to me, "Aunt Rebecca, Middle told me she knew how to swim so I let her go and she SANK!" He was duped.

Ahhh, I could go for a dip right now.

Fruits Of Our Labor

I was nervous to see the garden after nine days away from it, but it seems to be doing fine. It needs weeding desperately, but everything grew noticeably while I was away. I even had two jalapeno peppers ready to be picked! Mr. will enjoy them tonight. Our squash are growing like crazy, so I will be hunting down some new recipes for them soon.

Me And My Homegirl

I was very generous on this trip. I shared my yummy strawberry martini with the big C. Eric got some kind of tequila drink, and I got this martini all for the bargain price of $23. What a deal! That is why Disney is called the most magical place on Earth - you enter the gates and POOF! all your money disappears.

**There was a guy waiting to get his picture here right after me and said, "Oh yeah? This is what she really wants." then he proceeds to grab Cindy's right bossom while his wife took his picture. It's a good thing I got her loosened up a bit first.**

The Whole Gang

I can't seem to enlarge this picture but if you click on it it should expand. This is all of us at a show/dinner we went to. From left:
My brother in law, youngest nephew, Eric behind him, Miss in front, Baby, me behind her, my dad, my mom, Middle in front of her, my oldest nephew and my sister.

We're Back!

Hello, everyone! Let me just say, the past eight days were both the most fun I've had with my family and also the most exhausting. Both the flight down and coming home were great, no major delays or lost baggage. Our trek through the Orlando airport to find the Disney shuttle to our hotel was easy and we checked in right away and got our room assignment. My parents room wasn't ready for an hour so we all ate and then we headed to our room. To put it mildly, the kids were excited to be in their first hotel room! (Oh, and Mr. was dancing too.)

On Sunday we went to the Magic Kingdom, bright and early. It was just like I've seen on TV. The castle was like a magnet pulling us towards it. It was roped off in front but we had other things to do so we went to find some rides. My parents went to Disney the first year it had opened with my sister, and they remembered a couple of rides and wanted to revisit them to see if they had changed. We went on It's A Small World for our first ride. It was one my parents remembered and looking back, it was a fitting way to start the Disney experience.

It was pretty hot in Florida, so we tended to head out early in the mornings, and go back to the hotel in the early afternoon to relax, swim and get ready for going somewhere for dinner. My kids were so good, I must admit. There was so much to do/see, and they never once put up a stink that they didn't want to leave. They had as much fun in the hotel pool as any other spot! They never whined or begged for a thing. The baby was also a surprise to me. She was content, and just went with the flow for the entire time. She would be hot and sweaty but wouldn't put down her blanket. That thing was dragged through yuck, sweatted on and she rubbed her runny nose on that thing... I can't even think about how grimy it was! It kept her happy and secure so I'm not really complaining.

On the second day, we ventured to Animal Kingdom. Here we are with Mr.'s long lost uncle behind us. Ha! This was a day we stayed about two hours too long. By the time we got on the shuttle back to our hotel, we were all wilted. We ended up getting room service that night and re energizing.

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There are so many tales and pictures to share, I couldn't possibly do it all in one post. I will share a them over the next few days and try to unpack in between. Right now I'm buried in suitcases and laundry! I missed all my internet friends while I was gone! Glad to be back and reconnected.