Make the switch

I believe in full honesty for the blog so with that in mind I must tell you that Jeff is forcing me to move the baby out of the crib. So what that he can stand up and play with the mobile, so what that he is able to put his Bubba to bed all by himself, so what that he is now trying to climb out of the crib. If you ask me he still has a decade or two left before he needs to make the switch.

Before each kid makes the move I make them a blanket for their bed. Timbo is laying on the top part of the quilt that I am nearly done with. I'm having a good time with it. I'll post the finished product when I'm all done. You will have to ignore all the tear stains that will be spread over the blanket.

You can't turn your back for a moment

She tried to warn me. She came several times but said it wasn't an emergance and in our defense Jeff and I were watching a trailer for a scary movie and didn't want her to see. But she did try to warn me.

The little booger got the one plant I have kept alive and dug it out. Not only did he dig it out he threw dirt at his brother and sister.

Jeffrey made him pick the dirt up and put it back.

One a side note I feel it neccisary to tell you that his diaper isn't as wet as it looks. We buy the cheap ones and they look bulgy as soon as you put it on.

Jeffrey asked him what he was doing and Timbo said "toy". After Jeff made him apologize he went and got his toy vacuum to clean it all up.

Jeff sent him to time-out and clearly that didn't go over well.

I'm a sucker for this face. But don't feel too sorry for him,

he can turn it off in an instant.

My girl, she is growing like a weed. She amazes me all the time during school. She has picked up reading so quickly and math is moving along more smoothly now. And you couldn't ask for a better sister. Just the other night while driving home she gave up her blanket to cover up Timbo. It's a good thing she did too, I was certain he might get frostbite in the all that seventy degree weather. But sometime the age gap between her and the baby is just to much for one big girl to bare.

"Mooom, Timothy spitting on me and he won't stop"

Timothy continues to spray her....

"You think you're cool but you're not"

Babies, they're so childish

So a horse walks into a bar

I received an e-mail in reference to my post about the ranch and thought I would share it with you all......

Stacy,

I am so proud of you; you have made significant improvement in moving out of the city girl mode and becoming a insert our last name(tr. "hick, redneck, hillbilly. cowboy.") Your recent blog is a good example. You gave a pretty good definition of a 'ranch' and were aware that we don't really live on one. Yet, you were very sensitive to feelings, apparently understanding my desire to live on a real ranch.

However, we don't have gay cows. Actually, we don't have cows at all, although cowboys do sometimes lump the whole species into that general category. They were boys (bulls), we adjusted their sexual orientation to zero (steers.) But they never were gay; they just missed their Momma. Just for your further education.

Daddy



In my defense, I did hear Momma say that she was "tired of looking at those gay cows" and would Daddy and Jason please put up a fence to separate them.

My Dad, he cracks me up. I just love getting e-mails from him. Or talking to him. Or listening to him talk to other people. Or...well I could go on forever...I'm pretty much saying if it involves Daddy I'm gonna love it.

Weigh in Wednesday

Bike rides
Thursday 30 minutes
Friday 43 minutes
Saturday 0
Sunday 20
Monday 30
Tuesday 30
Wednesday 30

Weight 159, weight loss of four pounds.
I didn't believe it, I had to get on the scale again. I'm back in the 50's!

It seems like every time my friend Erica and I get together we always talk about losing weight and our love of food. But Monday she told me about something she had heard and I have been putting it into practice and will keep it up. She was saying that the best time to workout is first thing in the morning so that your body is burning up your reserves and not something you just ate. It makes sense to me so I am going to keep at it. The four pounds is incentive enough. I'm not getting to excited though, next week I may be back to gaining.
The hardest part is telling myself no when I want a quick snack because it's never something healthy.

I can't remember if I posted my goal...
Goal weight 125 - 135, (I don't really know what's realistic)
or to not cringe when I look in the mirror.

Another trip to "the ranch"

I use the term ranch loosely. By definition a ranch is a large farm, usually in the western United States to raise cattle, horse or sheep and since the land has only one goat, that thinks its a dog, and two gay cows technically we should call it something else but the kids like to call it "the ranch" so I go with it.

It had been a while since we had gone down so last week the kids and I loaded up in the car and headed out. Truly I wasn't sure if Bear was going to make it if we hadn't gone. The boy wakes each morning only in the hopes that we might be going there.
Grandma and Timbo playing patty cake in the hammock. I think we need five more of these, it seems to be every bodies favorite spot. I know it's one of my favorite spots, I love to lay there and read in the peace and quite while the kids do things like

play in the trash can.

It's okay mom, it didn't really have trash in it just, cars for the kids.

It gets hot out there so it's important to have your water with you to ensure you don't become dehydrated.

After seeing this face I think you might need to carry a defibrillator around too but that wouldn't be very convenient.

Now I want you all to meet Sarah the new dog, I mean goat. Not only does she think she needs constant companionship she is also trying to make us all think she has asthma of some sort. She like to break out in dramatic wheezing coughs when you try to herd her in the cow pen. Personally I think she just doesn't want to associate with the sinful calfs. Of course that may not be it at all. She also broke out in coughs after Bears ride. Those coughs may have been from hearing him yell "I'm a cowboy, I'm a cowboy!", most cowboys don't play Barbies but I believe you buddy.

This had to be my favorite moment of the trip. I sat next to them for a while pretending to read my book but then I couldn't help myself and had to capture the moment.

We are glad to have Jared home, even if only for a little while.

I walked into the Puggles room for more juice and Timothy walked right out. I tried to talk him into going back in but he wasn't having it.

He is the last and I am a sucker for those big brown eyes so I gave in and he became an honorary Cubbie for the night. He did so well. He sat at the table with the big kids and he hung out during game time. And really you should have seen his little eyes light up when Ms. Nancy came by to ask who was on track. All of my kids hands waved in the air to proclaim how well they have done and Timbo was right there to get a ring pop too.

Brendon repeatedly asked where his ring pop was while Timothy ran around the room with his package dangling from his mouth.

At last AWANA's is over and the boys are ready to get in the car for the candy. As I gather all our many belonging I ask Kati if she was on track, knowing she would say yes and tell what prize she got.

Her head dropped, her eyes becoming overcast with tears.

"What happened?"

"They said I wasn't on track"

I told her I knew she was doing a good job and it was alright. After she was distracted I found her club secretary. I knew that she had to be on track because she has almost finished her book and AWANA isn't over until mid-May. There was no way she couldn't be on track. Ms. Pam let me know that the child has to complete six verses in a month, which is fine even though I don't agree with it, but no one told me as a parent. No note was ever sent home. Nothing was announced in any meetings.

I made the decision that I wasn't going to allow Kati to be punished for something that wasn't ever made clear. We walked back to the nursery where I knew Ms. Lisa had some candy and I got a piece down for Kati, "Mommy knows that you are working really hard on your verses. I'm sorry that I didn't know you had to say that many in a month. Daddy and I are really proud of you. You are doing a great job."

Now I know some people would disagree with giving her a reward anyway. Rules are rules, blah blah, but if she is further along in her book than a lot of the kids, and will finish early, why shouldn't be rewarded just because this month she didn't meet a quota. It was unfair and as her mommy I had to fix it.

There is going to come a time when I see her head hanging again, tears spilling down her cheeks and I am going to be able to do nothing about it. Some boy is going to break her heart without reason. She may study hard for a test and fail. Possibly get turned down from a dream job that she was qualified for. And on those days I am going to hug her but it isn't going to be enough. My comforting words will count but not mend her heart. I won't always be able to take away her pain but on this night I could. Something unfair and hurtful happened in her world and she is still at the age where I could swoop in and save the day, so I did. At this point in her small world I was able to right the wrong. These days won't last long so I am going to take advantage of every chance I get.

Oh, Thanks for the candy Lisa, I knew you wouldn't mind.