Here are the goblins from the 2008 Sanity Seeking Halloween...
We've got Jake starring as ... Dr. Kill Joy (Pap, the bed pan was a BIG HIT! People loved it!)
Then we have Kris starring as ... A Clone Trooper (mmmuwwwhahahahahahaha)
And last, but not least, Juliana as ... Grumpy, I mean, Tender Heart Bear
Juliana was scared to death of the 'scary' costume's ... poor baby. 
Even the ones her size she was scared of...
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
To tide you over until I get pics of my scary crew, we will start with the "Dancing Queen" ... May I present to you...my niece, Eliana, 1st prize costume winner!
"You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen
Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen..."
FINALLY after 3 years, could this be the year we have been waiting for?
Could this be the year that Jakob finally is a 'good' student? Could this be the year that Jakob finally has a teacher that connects with him? Could this be the year that his father and I don't have to meet w/the principal and a team of specialists?
Please say it is true ~ this interim report that I am reading.
Reading B
English B
Spelling B
Social Studies B
Math B
Science B
Homework B
B's ... do you see that? ALL B's ... INCLUDING reading?!?!
But wait, I saved the best for last:
Behavior
OMG
Wait for it
SATISFACTORY! An S! NOT A NEEDS IMPROVEMENT!
(comment by teacher: sometimes talkative, silly)
I can handle silly!
OMG I think I want to cry!
and BooBoo shall remain his name even longer...
Kris was riding his scooter with a Darth Vader mask on. He ended up doing a face plant. He now has 2 deep scratches on his nose, kinda like he was wearing glasses. Frank cleaned him up while I was trying hard not to laugh.
I wonder what the cars thought driving by? "Dude, there's Darth on a scooter."
Poor BooBoo.
Here's a picture from yesterday, you can see the 1 scratch ...
that would be me.
I just read through the Walgreens ad and they have Aquafina Alive and Sobe Life Water on sale for 2 / $2 ... use their Easy Saver coupon (in the October Easy Saver books by their ads in the store) and it makes it 2/$1 -- 50 cents each is a great deal in itself,
BUT
combine it with a coupon for $1 off of 2 and it makes it FREE! Limit is 2 bottles per transaction.
I couldn't stand it...I had to go...Walgreens is 30 seconds up the road. So, at 7:59pm, 1 minute until Juliana's bedtime, I grabbed her, and the boys, and we went. J was wearing the one piece pj's w/the feet, the boys were still dressed, and myself, I had no bra on, and my pj pants on...so I put on a pair of jeans and flip flops and a jacket and off we went...LOL
BUT I got 6 bottles for 36cents!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH ME!!
This is a big deal for me, since the boys (frank included) drink me out of the house!!
...those are the words spoken by Juliana tonight while I held Baby George. Then, she wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with Baby G.
Kris so kindly set out drinks for everyone on the kitchen table, knowing we were having company. He put out a juice box for Baby G and Juliana told him she didn't want that. He told her "That's not yours, that's for baby George"
Last night Jake and Kris were playing with their Magnetix Toys and Jake decided stupidly to put one of the balls in his mouth. (He said it was his snake food) Well, he swallowed it.
He came and told me what had happened...I looked at him in kind of shock, I mean he IS 9 years old, I shouldn't have to watch him play, he KNOWS better! Even knowing better, it happens and it did happen to Jake.
He was breathing fine, not choking and said it went down real easy. I called Frank, and he advised me to just watch him closely. He said it should pass sooner or later. I also decided to call Jake's pediatrician...she advised me to take him into the ER for an Xray, they need to make sure it is not stuck, if stuck, he'll need surgery to remove the ball.
I then started Googling (that word needs to be in the dictionary) and was shocked at this website I found. WARNING MAGNETIX. I can NOT believe the kids that have died from these same toys! The ones that swallowed 2 or more pieces had to have surgery, some have died...the ones, like Jake, 9 x's out of 10, passed the balls anywhere from 2 days to a month.
Jake was under my care when this happened ~ I feel like a terrible mom for letting the boys even have this toy. I told them time and time again to pick them up, put them away, so that their sister couldn't get them, as she would choke on them. Here, it happened to my 9 year old.
I have been really thinking about this...how many times have I had a paperclip in my mouth, yes, just in my lips, but I could have inhaled that. I know someone that would suck on pennies because it supposedly took the alcohol smell off her breath, she could have inhaled those pennies. A cap to a pen, an earring or the post...just holding it in your lips while you put the other one in. So, in Jake's defense, it can happen, no matter how old you are.
I'm asking everyone that has these toys to throw them away, unless you are going to watch your child play with them, knowing they are old enough to play on their own.
We decided to not take Jake (AKA Heavy Metal) to the ER, yet. Since he is acting normal, no pain, nothing really, we'll wait a few days and see if he passes it. If nothing, then we'll go get the Xray to see if it is moving along the way it should.
1 poop down...numerous poop squishing to go. Wish us luck ...
This is Juliana and I's conversation as I was getting her ready for bed last night.
Juliana - "Excuse Me"
Me - "Did you fart"
J - "Yes" *giggle giggle*
Me - "Do you need to go poop?"
J - "My butt didn't fart Mommy, my mouth farted"
Me - "Your mouth farted?" *laughing* "You mean you burped."
J - "No way, my mouth farted"
Grandchild #14 - The baby of the family is now a father...
Congrats George & Nicole!
George Nicola
September 17, 2008
9:03pm
8lbs 6oz
21 inches long
Juliana turned 3 today. My baby is 3. *fainting*
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULIANA!
View more photo's here ... (check out the cake that Aunt Jacinta made for Juliana!)
to run into the gas station to get you a paper!
*Warning! It took me 9 years to get to this point*
It still feels as if 9/11/01 was the longest day of my life. The day was just so odd, so slow, so non-ending.
My memory of the day...
I was at work (7 mths pregnant with Kris) when we got a call from a client telling us a plane had hit one of the Trade Centers. At first we didn't believe him, he was a joker...but then Frank called me. He was at the gym and said that he saw it on the news, but thought it was some sort of a movie...
We adjusted all the radio's in the office to hear what was going on. We were not allowed to use the internet for anything other than our travel sites, so signing on to a news site was out of the question.
When the 2nd plane hit, I panicked. My parents were at the Orlando Airport flying home from visiting my sister. I tried to call them, to tell them to get the hell out of there. The phones weren't working.
I went down the list, my parents, my sister, my BIL and my gma...nobody would answer, the calls wouldn't go through.
Finally, I get a hold of my sister, and she informed me that Matt was on his way to pick them back up. I wasn't relaxed until I actually heard from my parents. They said that they were walking down the airport and had noticed people gathered around a TV and stop to see...I just couldn't imagine the feelings they felt when they finally knew what was going on, to be in an airport, not knowing who around them may attack or who around them may be part of the 'plan.' It took them 4 days to get home.
I went home that day at lunch, I was never so happy to see Frank or Jake in my life. Had the plane that went down in PA been15 mins later, it would have hit our town. The day took something from me and I just couldn't figure it out. We kept the TV on low so that Jake wasn't aware of what was going on. I just wanted to be there with them, stay home with them.
The assholes that did this changed my life. I lost my job a week after Kris was born, nobody was traveling and we were losing money because of people canceling. But what I lost is nothing compared to the loss of the families on those planes...the families in the Trade Centers. I will never forget.
This was hanging on the wall outside of Jake's classroom. His was first...*fainting*
Taking the first letter of his name and writing a sentence w/it...
Jam and peanut butt is delicioas
Apples are me fauvorite fruit
Kittis are suft and cuddly to me
Oak tree is my fauvorite tree
Bees scare me
He said butt...LMAO
Tonight I got to meet Jake's teacher, the one that I had 24 years ago...WOW, I can so remember sitting in her class and listening to her talk. Well, the mother sitting beside me actually had this same teacher 30 years ago, the first year that she taught!! Wow!
I love these 'fresh' starts...I feel so good about his teacher and about him being able to learn and do better this year. His 2nd grade year was the worst, in fact, when he ended 2nd grade, he was still at a 1st grade level. Last year, we had a rough start, but then, it got better, especially after speaking w/the teacher and the principal.
This year, I know it's only 6 days in, but so far so good. I'm actually proud of him. I helped him study the other night (did you know that cows eat 90lbs of food per day?) and was impressed! He sat down for 10 minutes to read 2 pages, the 2 pages I would be quizzing him on. And let me tell you, that boy knew the answers like that!!! I was soooooooooo proud!! I hope this is the beginning of a good thing for him! I couldn't study like that...
He has the other 4th grade teacher as his Math teacher. In fact, both classes (yes, our school is only 2 rooms per grade) have Math w/this one teacher. (Science/Social Studies is taught by his teacher, both classes together) They are trying something new this year (every year it seems like something is new) and are have little groups. A group of 4 or 5 kids will solve a problem together, they will be teaching each other how to do that problem...I don't know about this...Jake in a group w/other kids, to goof off to, isn't a good thing...
poop in the pink potty. The poop has landed in the pink potty!
Yeah, Ana!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tonight we go to our favorite diner to eat dinner. The owner loves us (especially the kids), we don't know her other than going there, but any time we are there, she gloats all over the kids. She talks to the kids like she has known them for years, and really she has, but we only eat there about every other month.
The diner is not anything extravagant, but the food gets to you within 5 minutes, it's cheap, and it's edible. That's all that matters.
Most of you know that Juliana wants nothing to do w/the potty and the (oh so hellish) training. Tonight at the diner was no different. As we are sitting there eating our wonderful fries w/beef gravy she is sitting there in the diner's highchair and proceeds to make faces as she releases her load of fury...dookie.
Jake starts snorting through his nose, so much so, that I'm shocked food didn't go flying out of his mouth. Then the giggles start to erupt. As we are trying to tell Jake to be quiet (we were already trying to hide the fact that she had done the deed and we were eating a bit faster so that we could calmly walk out of the diner before the smell came, like nothing had happened) she screams in a panic ridden voice: "Daddy poop come out"
Frank whips her out of her chair and looks down, gets a look of disgust on his face and walks out to the bathroom with her. I look at the diner's highchair and there are now a few new racing strips to it. I take a napkin and wipe it off and shove in those convenient 'kid' paper cups, the ones with a lid, thinking it will keep the smell away. I look around and spot the busboy's cart, but notice there is no cleaner on it ... I have got to tell the waitress to bring me some disinfecting spray, she'll understand, it's wiped away, but needs a disinfectant.
As we are sitting there waiting for the waitress to come and for Frank to return, Jake starts to make faces and proceeds to talk LOUDLY about what his sister just did. I keep telling him to be quiet, but he isn't listening. By this time the couple across from us starts to look at us. Did I mention they know us? Yeah, well, they do. Their grandson is in Jake's class and has been in Jake's class since pre-school.
Finally, Frank walks out with Juliana, who is walking like she has been contaminated and as if something is up her lovely butt. Frank stops dead in his tracks, looks at the floor, then continues to walk towards me. He mumbles to me that there is a load on the floor and proceeds to tell Jake to come with him.
I turn around and look at the floor to see a softball size of dookie in the middle of the floor...not only did I look at it, but the couple (the ones that know us) looked at it at the same time.
I sit there, stunned. I can't move. After what feels like several minutes, the couple looks up at me and proceeds to make small talk with me. While talking, I get up with a napkin, grab the dookie, and shove it in the cup with the lid. I accomplished the task of talking and gagging and picking up dookie. I'm a mom, I can do numerous things at once.
I can see Jake running wildly towards me with wipes and a bag (from Frank's car) and saying loudly that it smells horrible. Let's just say that this is not the kind of attention from the diners that I wanted. I would have preferred them to look at me as if I was a glamorous mother of 3, not a tainted mother of 3 with a dookie cup.
I open the fresh smelling wipes and disinfect the highchair, throw the cup and wipes in the bag, tie it up, say good-bye to the neighboring table with the nice people we know and head to the bathroom to discard the dookie bag. There, on the way to the bathroom, is a strategically laid trail. A trail of 3 small penny size dookie's.
What do I do? I throw away the evidence, bury it deep under the paper towels, leave an extra tip, go to the register, pay, and go to the safety of my car for a fast getaway.
Lunch today, 9/2, will be: Fish Nuggets w/Mac & Cheese, Carrots, and fresh fruit.
What a welcome back! They scared Kris, that's for sure!!
Thankfully, the second choice is a hamburger, Jake is satisfied with that...
... that you see walking into the auditorium with her puppy that she is calling a kitty cat, will be in your school.
That child that you see take a big bite of that homemade cookie and then yell "Juliana can't like it, ew" ... the cookies that the PTO parents slaved over, will be in your school.
That child that is swinging her 'kitty cat' around and hitting the backs of the chairs, will be in your school.
That child that is crawling all over the floor and under other parent's legs, will be in your school.
That child that took her mommy's keys and scratched your newly polished floors, will be in your school.
That child that thinks you are clapping for her, the one that said "Mommy, they clap for Juliana" will be in your school.
That child that walks so sweetly into the classroom and heads right for the desks, the one that grabbed the markers and attempted to write in someone's math book, will be in your school.
That child that takes your kitty cat stencil and throws it on the art table to make a loud noise, will be in your school.
That child that runs up to the chalk board, grabs the eraser and proceeds to bang it on the board, making a bit of dust, will be in your school.
That child that her mother is trying to control, the one that yells "NO" at her mom, will be in your school.
That child that is throwing a fit because she wants to get on the school bus, will be in your school.
That child will make her brothers, that are currently in your school, look like angels.
That child will be in your school in 3 years...prepare.
and she is still a teacher....she was mine and now she has Jakob, wondering if he can make her retire too. Ha!
Go on...look at them...they won't bite.
I am bringing to your attention a few wonderful (and RELIABLE) sites ... they are all listed under my "Things to Pounder" (yes, I said pounder), but just in case, here they are again:
DaisyFly Designs Mommy name bracelets, necklaces and more! All handmade and all gorgeous (just as my mom!) ... be sure to check out the one named after me!
TreeFrog Customs Invitations, Announcements, Holiday Cards (and more) custom made to your liking! These are beautiful, well made, 'cards'! Very high quality!
Yesterday to Today ~ Etsy Custom Beadwork and Re-designing Jewelry. Unique style's taken from old jewelry. Beautiful handmade craftsmanship!
And COMING SOON:
Pillow Talk ~ Etsy Must see pillows that are created by hand by using new and recycled materials, ALL original thoughts! These are something to be talked about!
Today we went to the Cape Hatteras Light House, which the boys climbed. Juliana was too small so I volunteered (hehehe) to stay behind and not climb the 257 steps to the top. I was happy with just seeing the pictures.
See them? WAY out there? They walked out there!!
Why do you need to buy a hermit crab when you can catch them? The boys caught 4 of them ... some of them had some nasty shells for their homes. Ew. Mommy released them, I felt bad for them.
HAHAHAHA! Caught them! They DO love each other!!! Kris was afraid of the seaweed, so Jake told him he'd hold his hand and walk out into the lake with him. How sweet!! (once in a lifetime, I'm sure.)
The Godfather w/his Goddaughter.
All lotioned up and ready to roll...day 2 at the beach went well. Christian set up the fishing rod, but only caught 1 (too small) ... Ana stayed far away from the water, in fact, she kept looking up at it and would say "water no get me" ... Enjoy the photo's..........
They wear you out! He says he wasn't sleeping....ha!
We are in the Outer Banks (Avon, NC) visiting Frank's brother, Christian. Day number 1 has been a success! We spent many many MANY hours at the beach.
One more photo for now...I'll have tons when I return home (I'm on Frank's laptop and laptops don't get along with me very well)
"If it looks like a SUV and it drives like a SUV it must be a SUV, don't tell anyone any different"
Ah, huh, you totally know who you are. Yes, I drive a mini-van, but after tonight's conversation (with the YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE person) I think I'll go back to my little purple Kia...and just jam them kids right into it.
Luv ya, girl...Long time no talk!
Happy #8 day!
Today is 08-08-08
Did you know:
1. The Olympics will begin today at 8pm
2. Today is the most popular wedding day of 08
3. The telephone # 8888-8888 was sold for $270.723 USD in Chengdu, China
4. The number 8 is considered lucky in the Chinese culture
5. 8 is the Atomic number of oxygen
and
Clay Aikens baby was born at 8:08am TODAY! (him a father? no comment)
Frank passed the written portion of his National Registry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats, honey! I knew you could do it!!!
1 test down, 1 more to go!
Let's just say he's lucky.
My wonderful sister-in-law offered to watch the kids tonight. I said HECK YA! So, Frank and I were to go to get a slice of pizza and then to the movies. Frank was 1 hour and 15 mins LATE.
We did make the movie.
It is now just about 11pm and I'm making Mac & Cheese ...
so you can beg, I mean pray, that Frank passes his National Exams!
July 30th is his written exam.
August 22nd is his practical.
GO Frank....Go Frank ... Go go go go Frank...
