Birthday Review

Well, we had a GREAT Weekend! We didn't do much but it was nice just the same.

It was my birthday on Saturday and Rich and the boys let me sleep in! Best birthday present EVER!

When I woke up, they'd already been to the grocery store to get stuff for breakfast, a balloon and flowers for me!

They were so sweet! Of course we HAD to open presents as soon as I got up! Really -- the boys wanted to, not me! I had to stop Sam from opening them with out me.

I got a book I'd wanted, "Shopaholic and Baby," two DVD's -- Enchanted and Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Although they were actually for the kids.

I got some chocolate (yummy Lindt truffles, my favorite!),

And a new iPod Shuffle in blue!

It looks like this:

I love it because it clips on to my clothes. I have an old style shuffle too - but when I ran I had to hide it in my bra. I used this when I ran this morning (for the first time in 2 months) and it was great!

The rest of the day we just lazed about and did stuff together. The weather wasn't great so we didn't get outside like we'd hoped. In the evening we ordered Thai food (yum) and had that when the kids were in bed. We opened some nice wine we'd been saving and watched a movie.

Birthday's when you turn 41 and have 2 little kids at home are much different to birthdays when you're younger and in college. But you know what, I loved it! It was the perfect way to spend my day!

In other news....

The tooth fairy is going to be broke soon! Josh lost yet another tooth last week. That's 3 teeth in as many weeks!

And he has another one that is about to fall out!

I tell ya. He's rich and we're poor!

He did do something so sweet today. His school is having a "sticker relay" to raise money for some cancer fund raiser. They are having a contest between the classes to see who can raise the most money by buying stickers -- they are 25 cents each. I told him I'd give him a dollar and he asked if he could bring more than that.

When I asked him if he wanted to contribute a dollar from his own money, he offered the $2 the tooth fairy left him!

Awww....

So then I told him I would match his contribution and give $2 too.

Do you know what he did? He contributed $3! Of his own money! I think that is just about the sweetest thing ever!

He makes me so proud!

Hey, That's Catchy....

When Sam and I are in the car, we usually listen to music.

Lately, we've been listening to one of the local radio stations here. Every once in a while, Sam will hear something and ask questions about it.

The other day, a song by Snow Patrol came on.

Sam asked me, "How do you make snow Mommy?"

I tried to explain how snow is frozen raindrops that come down from the clouds.

"Yes, but how do you MAKE snow?"

I guess science is lost on a three year old.

I did what every Christian mother who doesn't know the answer does, "Well Sam, I don't make snow. God does."

Sam: "Oh! God makes snow! Why didn't you just say so?"

A few days ago we were, again, listening to the radio.

Sam: "Mommy, I can't roll!"

Me: "What?"

Sam, getting upset: "I can't ROLL!"

Me: "You can't roll? What are you talking about?"

Sam: "Like they said on there [the radio]. Look, [demonstrating] I can Rock, but I can't Roll!"

Wordless Wednesday: Swinging?

Toothless Tuesday

Actually, it fell out yesterday. He woke up and it was hanging out of his mouth. He looked so funny -- when he closed his mouth, his little tooth stuck out.

He looks like a "real" boy now -- broken arm and 2 front teeth missing!

Last Minute Camping Trip

On Thursday night, Rich and I were sitting around watching T.V. and Rich suggested we go camping this weekend.

The weather was going to be beautiful (and it was) and we thought it would be fun to get out and do something different for a change.

We booked up a campsite at F. D. Roosevelt State Park -- about an hour (haha) south of Atlanta -- for 2 nights.



Of course we had very limited camping gear so this meant a trip to the store on Friday to get a tent big enough for all four of us, sleeping bags for the kids and other camping necessities.

Our plan was to get all our gear while Sam was at school, get Sam, come home pack up the car and go as soon as we picked Josh up from school (about 2:30) and get to the campsite by about 3:30-4:00 ish.

Well, you know things never work according to plan. When we got home the tent storage bag had a hole in it. So we had to return it to the shop and swap it out for a new one on the way. Then we hit Atlanta Traffic!

It took a little over 2 hours to get to the camp ground. We seriously had about an hour of daylight left -- all of which was taken up getting the tent up! I took the boys to the little shop in the town for some food -- and ordered a pizza for dinner -- while Rich stayed behind and got the cots up and the fire going and the rest of the gear sorted.



It was nearly 8:30 and dark by the time we got back to the campsite with the pizza. Rich had the tent up -- and I noticed one of the cots was in the screened in porch area in the front.

Apparently, our 6 person tent only fit 3 of the cots we bought. It was crowded with them in there!

Luckily, we brought our other tent (a 3-person). So, after Pizza, Rich put up the little tent for him to sleep in.



By the time we were all settled, eaten and ready for bed, it was 11:00. Sam's bed time is 6:30! He was FRIED! And he was not very happy with his new sleeping bag! Luckily, he was so tired the crying only lasted five minutes and he was out like a light!

My sleeping bag was not so good. I was FREE.ZING. All night! I managed to put my coat and a heavy sweatshirt under my sleeping bag and that helped keep the cold away, but it was still very cold! So cold that we decided we could not stay another night (it was going to be in the 30's on Saturday night).

So, we spent the day at the park and came home late that afternoon. But we had lots of fun on Saturday before we left.

We took a walk down to the lake.





It was so beautiful!

After lunch it really warmed up quite a bit. We played outside for several hours.







Even though we were just about 2 hours south of our house, signs of spring were much more evident down at the state park.

The dogwoods were in bloom...



And the yellow pine pollen was everywhere!




We had a GREAT time and are already planning our next "last minute" camping trip.

Even Curious George had fun!



We got home on Saturday evening just in time to put the kids to bed. They were tired and happy! And excited for Easter and the Easter Bunny in the morning.

I am going to leave you with this last picture of a mushroom I found.

How fitting is this for Easter weekend?

Back in the Land of the Living

I finally seem to be on the mend!

I tell you, it's no fun being a Mom and being sick.

I came to the conclusion that the reason women go through 12 weeks of morning sickness while pregnant is to prepare us for when we are sick-mommies. We still have to function even though all we want to do is crawl into bed! I tell you what, I'm glad that's over! And I hope the others in the house escape it (although Sam was up all night with a stuffy nose).

We had an appointment at the orthopedists yesterday for Josh's arm. They took the x-ray right through the cast! Josh was very impressed with that. And relieved that he got to keep his cast with all his cool artwork and signatures!

Luckily everything looks good -- there was no slippage. He gets the cast off in 2 weeks and then 2 weeks after the cast comes off, the P.A. said he should be "good as new."

In "other Josh News" he's about ready to make the toothfairy go broke. He lost a tooth earlier this month and has 2 others that are teetering on the edge! He had a dentist appointment on Tuesday and one tooth is so loose, I'm a bit annoyed they didn't just pull it!

It's funny to watch him eat. His teeth are either loose or out so he's eating out of one side of his mouth.

Sam just amazes me these days. He's developing so rapidly right now. It seems just yesterday he would just scribble on paper, now he's making an effort to color properly. He still goes all over the page, but he's making the effort. And he "writes" now. It's just small lines and circles, but you can see he's trying to make the letters.

He's always been very independent. Everyday he seems to do more and more by himself. Yesterday he actually put the toothpaste on the toothbrush -- without painting the sink like Josh still does -- and brush his teeth all by himself. I was so impressed!

The other day, I must not have been paying enough attention to him have been too busy scrubbing the bathroom with a toothbrush. I looked up and saw...




He'd pulled a chair across the kitchen so he could get into the fridge and reach the last Go-gurt!



(a screw fell out of his glasses earlier that day that's why he doesn't have them on.... and we took them in the next day to be fixed. The usual optician was not there so an "assistant" helped and in the process scratched a lens! He can still wear them, but they have to order a new lens now! Typical to the way the week had been going!)

It's a Blog Welcome Party! Mom's United

Yesterday a new "Mom's" blog went live. It's called "Mommies United" and they are having a bloggy launch party!

The Mommies United contributors are:

* Kristin of An Ordinary Life

* Christine of From Dates to Diapers

* Amanda of Mommy Mandy

* Shanda of Parents With Style

Mommies United's goal is to bring Moms from all over the blogosphere together in one place! They will be hosting parties, scavenger hunts, giveaways and contests. Mommies United will also be a place where you can read and share stories about our kiddos, tips, ideas, and parenting strategies.

As part of their launch, they are having a give away too with lots of prizes!

The four prizes I'd like to win are:

1. Positive Chicks Hoodie & Tote
2. My Hip-T
3. Smart Mom Jewelery from Lemon Kisses
4. The $35 gift certificate from Alli's Originals.

They are also having a Scavenger Hunt for a chance to win more prizes!

It looks like a fun site. So go check them out when you have a chance.

Overheard in the Greeting Card Aisle

I'm still not feeling well. Bummer.

I thought I'd pass this along. My friend over heard this conversation in a greeting card aisle.

Woman: I'd like to by so-and-so an Easter card. I how about this one?

Man: Hmmm....

Woman: I want it to be Religious.

Man: Do you think that's appropriate?

While I'm sick, look at my kids artwork....

I'm sick.

I've come down with some sort of stomach virus and it's wiped me out.

Thankfully, I have an amazing husband who has helped me out this week. It's hard being the mom and being sick. They just don't go together very well. I thought I was getting better but today I feel like the back end of a cow.

So, I don't have much in the way of an update. Instead I'll let you look at some of Josh's artwork.

Isn't it beautiful?

This is on a magnet. The school is doing a Square 1 Art fund raiser and this is his "artwork" that we can order t-shirts, coffee mugs, clocks, note cards, tote bags, coasters... all sorts of stuff!

I can't decide what I want. I wish I could afford it all! I just love the picture!

I think he's got some real talent. He's been reading "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules." He loves them! And he loves the pictures in them. He's been looking at the pictures and then drawing his own versions of them.

Here's the real cover from "Rodrick Rules"

Here's Josh's version:

Seriously, I can't do that well. And he's only just turned seven!

He amazes me.

Wordless Wednesday: Breakfast?

(Yes, I gave my son a Turkey sandwich with carrots and Cheez-It's for breakfast. It's what he wanted and at least it's healthy!)

And the Cast is.....

Liverpool RED!!!



And he's even started to decorate it!



This one says, "I love you Family!"



And now for the update from the Orthopedist... Well the P. A. anyway...

They took two more x-rays because the ones from the ER yesterday didn't clearly show a break. They knew there was one there, thought because of a fluid sack around the elbow that is only really ever present when there is a break.

So we went back for two more x-rays. Josh did really well. I could tell it really hurt him, but he was ever-so brave!

Sure enough, the P.A. was able to see a break at the base of the humorous. The break goes clean through the bone, so we have to make sure the bones don't become mis-aligned. Apparently, there is a very, very small chance of that happening. They want to keep an eye on the break and how it's healing. We go back in a week for more x-rays.

He's under strict orders for no jumping, falling, monkey bars, P. E. or general rough housing. In other words, he's not supposed to act like a seven year old boy!

But, she said he'd only need the cast for 3 weeks assuming all goes well.

Now It's Josh's Turn

Last year, about this time, Sam broke his leg.

Josh was at a sleep over last night at a friend's house.

I got a call at 6:00 this morning that Josh was a bit home sick and had been crying all night so I went to pick him up. As I was walking out the door, the mom told me he'd fallen down the steps in the afternoon, but appeared to be fine.

As soon as we got in the car, Josh was complaining about how he couldn't move his arm, how it hurt so badly he couldn't sleep -- or eat his pizza for dinner!

Mom's radar went off. We got home, told Daddy and went straight to the E.R.

Sure enough, Josh has a small fracture on a bone at the base of the elbow. It's on his "upper arm" not the forearm, so he's going to need a full arm cast -- hopefully we'll get that tomorrow.

Josh is most upset because he's going to miss his FIRST baseball game on Saturday -- and probably 3 more after that! When I said he could still go to the games and show some support for his team, he said, "But Mom! It's boring if you're not playing!"

So tomorrow watch this space for pictures of Josh's cast?

Any guesses on the color he'll choose?

Wordless Wednesday: Snaggle Tooth

Four Questions, Four Answers

Elizabeth at Table For Five tagged me for a meme with four questions and four answers each-sounds easy enough! Here goes:

4 Jobs I’ve Had:

• Bagged groceries at the Commissary on the Base I lived on when I was in High School. We worked for Tips only and made a mint!
• Staff Assistant (read "Answered Phones") for a U.S. Senator from Michigan (yuck!)
  
• Customer Service for a Large American Automotive company.
• Mom -- by far the best job EVER!
  

4 Shows on my DVR (or TIVO if that’s what you have):

• Top Gear
• The Graham Norton Show (BBC America Version)
  
• Word World
  
• Gerald McBoing Boing
  

4 Places I’ve Been:

• Australia
  
• New Zealand
• Singapore
• South Africa
  

4 Favorite Foods:

• Hot.
• Cold.
• Cooked
• Raw
  

4 People I Tag:

• I'm not going to tag anyone.
  
• If you want to do it
• Then go for it!
• Have fun!
  

Josh's Birtday Update

Thank you everyone for Josh's birthday wishes! His birthday, and the weekend was lots of fun!

On Friday we took Josh and three friends bowling after school. They had a great time. Josh even got a strike!



On Saturday, Josh's actual birthday, we opened presents in the morning, then Grandmother and Grampa took both the boys out for lunch and to buy a birthday present for Josh (and an "I was a good boy" present for Sam).



I have to tell you, this was my favorite part of the weekend! My parents took the boys and Rich and I went out and did errands. First stop, the wine store! Then we had some other things to do and errands to run, but it was so nice to get out and be with him -- just the two of us!

We came home and got ready for another party we were having for him. I'd invited the families of two of his friends over for pizza and cake. Rich and I are also friends with the parents so it worked out nicely. It was lots of fun!

So much fun that did not get one picture. Not.One.Single.Picture!

On Sunday, we went on another Scavenger Hunt at our local State Park. It was lots of fun for all of us. Sam would not let anyone write the answers down, he had to do it. It was hysterical. He'd say what he was writing down as he was "writing" it.



Josh took the whole thing quite seriously. Here he is with Grampa looking for something a deer could eat.





There are more pictures on my Flickr page. Once again, we had a great time.

After, we went to brunch at IH*P. Josh was talking to the waitress and mentioned that his birthday had been the day before. They surprised him with a HUGE hot fudge sundae! The look on his face was priceless! He was a bit surprised and embarrassed and happy all at once! It was wonderful.

And to have Ice Cream for dessert after breakfast was even better!

As you can see, it was a very successful birthday weekend for him! We're still recovering!

If Only the UN Would Operate This Way

Today is Josh's birthday! Yay! He's seven. I can't believe how fast the time has flown by!

I will post more about his birthday later, but wanted to relay the following conversation.

We were in the car yesterday on the way to bowling. Josh had a friend with him and they were talking.

Josh & Henry were both talking about Pokemon and getting very excited and loud. As you can imagine because Pokemon just is that exciting. All of a sudden...

Josh: Henry! I was talking!

Henry: No, I was.

Josh: No, me. I was!

Henry: Okay Rock Paper Scissors: Shoot do decide!

Josh: Okay! I call volcano!

Henry: No, you can't call volcano!

Josh: Okay.

Josh & Henry: Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!

Henry: Oh man! Okay, you go first!