Ten on Tuesday

1. Will's favorite color is orinch not to be confused with orange. He loves to wear orange as often as possible and you can usually spot him from across the room - or parking lot - the shirts are so bright. His shoes are also "orinch" if I haven't mentioned that before.

2. In the morning, after prayer meeting he gets two skittles from his Mrs. Laura. Every day he gets orange and on the really great days he says gets excited and says "Hey they match my shirt. Or hey they match my shoes." I love that Mrs Laura knows that my boy will ask for two orange skittles every day.

3. The point of the orange shirts.. One of his shirts has a very large Phoenix on it and a a bunch of stars. I didn't go for design, I went strictly for color. Will and Jason have had many discussions apparently about this bird and Will can tell you that it's a Phoenix on his shirt. Last Wednesday, he told my mother in his most serious voice: This bird on my shirt is very angry. This is a mean bird on my shirt. I seriously almost cried laughing.

4. It was a beautiful weekend here. Sunny and 85..everyone in the neighborhood was mowing their yards to include Will. Everyone else was swinging and sliding and Will was mowing.

5. Drew woke up in the middle of the night last night hysterically crying. The kid could not be calmed down and screamed for 45 minutes. We offered him water, tried to get him to go back to sleep, pulled out all our best tricks. Finally, desperate Jason set him down to see what he actually wanted and he ran into the kitchen for one specific sippy cup. I'm telling you this kid is stubborn.

6. I realized yesterday fall break and spring break have both been spent on my couch. My next break better be somewhere with a better view and ocean waves and not a pitstop at the hospital.

7. This was my morning conversation with Bella yesterday. Names changed to protect the innocent.."Mama, did you know Sally and Suzie are BFF? They are BFF. And Frank broke up with Jane because she was too flashy. Frank doesn't like girls that show off."

8. The girls are coming to Nashville in just under a month. I am seriously beyond excited as I haven't seen them in over a year now. These were my best friends for years. We went everywhere together every single weekend and most days through the week. I know that laughing will be done until we cry and I can't wait.

9. Amelia was sitting on the deck eating her popsicle when the crazy cat lurked into our backyard. Amelia doesn't trust nor does she like the crazy cat. It jumps on our deck and poops on her toys. She's out there minding her own business and at this point so is the cat. She opens the door and says "that cat is bothering me". We really aren't animal lovers here. I don't know why that cat doesn't understand he's not welcome.

10. We are now a gate free household. We decided there wasn't really a point to having the gate up when Drew was climbing over them to get to what he wants. Or the girls were lifting him over them. This boys is growing up and it's making me sad.

Soccer

We began spring soccer three weeks ago. Our first game was rained out and the second week we were closed for field maintence so this week was actually our first game. Both girls are playing and have been beside themselves with excitement. Jason and I love soccer and so we're excited that this is the sport they've chosen to play. It was 82 degrees here for the first game and absolutely beautiful. I am trying to stay off my feet as much as possible and knew I would not be able to sit through two back to back games in the heat. I sent Jason with the camera and told him to take a lot of pictures. Y'all have heard me say before how important pictures are right? Especially of Amelia's very first soccer game ever? Well here is day captured in the eyes of Isabella.

two boys

I took a few pictures when it was just the boys a few weeks ago. More pictures than I have time to take when it is two boys and two girls. Life with two boys is a piece of cake..even when they are my boys. I mean it seriously felt like I was on vacation that week with just two kids. The boys probably thought they were on vacation too except Will missed the girls (yes, that's really what he calls them) tremendously.

Will got to make an entire breakfast by himself. Now, if I was a better mother and most importantly a better cook, I would make said breakfast from scratch rather than a plastic bag. I would be making groundhog pancakes from scratch for crying out loud. My kids accept my kitchen abilities for what they are. As long as I buy the cinnamon rolls that come with the white in the bag and not the kind that come in the paper tube and they get to put them on the tray, they are pretty happy.



Will took his brother out for neighborhood drive. Take note of the two crazies standing up in the vehicle, yes those would be mine. Will insists on wearing a helmet every time he drives. He's concerned about his safety I guess.






Drew helps himself to whatever he wants in the pantry if the door isn't locked. If Will's around, the door usually isn't locked. Drew is smart enough and courteous enough to close the door behind him thinking it will buy him some time until he's caught.

Ten on Tuesday

1. These have not been the easiest two weeks for me - hence the lack of posts. Last Tuesday I had an unexpected colonoscopy. It was absolutely horrid and miserable.

2. Poor, sweet little Will was really worried about me and told me as I sat gagging and fighting back tears on the floor, "Just ask Daddy to get you some new juice Mama so you don't have to drink the yucky juice anymore."

3. Along with drinking the delicious gallon jug of juice, I got the added bonus of puking too. The nurse told me as I was waiting for the procedure and about to have another nervous breakdown that no one had ever thrown up before. I hadn't eaten 9 hours prior to even starting the "juice"..by the time of the actual procedure I was at 22 hours. I was sedated before I even entered the procedure room.

4. Hernia surgery was up next on Monday. It has been just about as much fun. I got sick coming out of the anesthesia and they admitted me. Apparently my insurance only pays for 24 after surgery and they discharged me at 4:53AM. You gotta love Tricare.

5. Up next in the long line of fun I'm having this week..an allergic reaction to the 14 steri-strips that are covering my stomach. I have hard, blistered welts all over.

6. Just when you think things can't get any worse, one of your best friends calls and tells you they will be moving by the end of the summer. I took the news in a medicated stupor and was just thankful I didn't start crying on the phone.

7. My friends don't move away from me. I move away from them. For me personally this is going to be miserable and I am going to miss my friend like crazy. And I will cry because I can't see her every day anymore. But deep down I am happy for her and I know that this is what they need right now.

8. Drew is enjoying his time with Nene and Granny. He is a little bossy with Granny and is always telling her "NO".

9. There is no use putting up a gate anymore, Drew climbs right over it and up the stairs.

10. Bella's reading is improving every single day. She gets off the bus most days reading her library book and still enjoys reading to her brothers and sisters.

11. Please pray that a budget is passed soon. Our family, along with countless others, livelihood depends on this.

Ten on Tuesday

1. The girls returned with a ginormous Bullseye for Will. I'm talking 2.5 feet tall for him to ride around on. Just what everyone cowboy needs.

2. Drew also thinks this Bullseye belongs to him. He yells "Mine" as he grabs Will and drags him off the horse. I guess when you're the fourth child, there isn't much you're afraid of.

3. The girls returned from Nene's house with a box of books and 13 pairs of new shoes. Yep, you read that right. Thirteen.

4. I told Nene before she took the girls not to send them back with any "junk". I guess shoes and books do not qualify as "junk" to Nene. We don't call her NeneClaus for nothing.

5. Drew woke up at 5:50 on Saturday morning. Drew. The same kid who we wake up Monday - Friday at 6:20 and rolls over in his bed giving us the skunk eye and says, No, no, NOOOOO.

6. He was less than pleasant and I was ready for him to go back to bed at 7:15AM. When he unloaded the dirty dishes in the dishwasher for the second time he bought himself an early nap at 12:20.

7. Spring Break!!! Panama City!!! is in full effect here.

8. Jason returned from class last week and told me he offered one of the college girls our guest room. She's looking for a new place to live and apparently wasn't so excited about rooming with a 20 month old..that now wakes up at 5:50.
I mean what doesn't sound appealing about that?

9. I was cursed with rolling veins. While I am aware that I'm not a nurse, these veins have been rolling around for a good twelve years. I assure you they aren't going to sit still for "the one stick wonder". I also can tell you that everytime someone tells me they are "one stick wonder" I'm assured a good three sticks just for fun. Three if I'm lucky..

10. I found out on facebook yesterday that my cousin has colon cancer. He's in his early 40s and he's pretty optimistic about it. I have huge family and we don't see them very often anymore. When I was explaining which cousin it was to Jason, his response "oh the really nice, quiet one". It kind of made me laugh because we are a lot of things but my family is not quiet except for him.
Cancer doesn't discriminate. Cancer sucks. Praying for peace and strength buddy.