Things That Made Me Smile Today

1. No School! That means I got to sleep in an extra......well I shouldnt say. Who knows who could be reading this. :) Let's just say I didn't have to get up at 5'ish like I usually do.
2. Luke being off work with the kids today! I love it---even though I am actually really jealous.

3. When I answer my phone at work and it's Tubbs. His little sweet voice wasn't that sweet when he told me I lied to him. Trying not to chuckle I asked what the problem was and he said I didn't make my banana chocolate chip muffins that I promised to make him yesterday. Luke said when he woke up this morning the first thing he came looking for was the muffins.

So... I promised I would come home at lunch and make them...and I did. Such a nice treat to come home at lunch and see their faces!

4. My husband calling me at work this morning to tell me he was pulling up with a large Diet Dr. Pepper for me from Carl's Jr. It was just what I needed to get through the morning. (Isn't that pathetic?!) But it was deee-licious!

5. For Tubbs' prayers at bedtime. Let's see...I think tonight he prayed for:

• The "thing on mommy's lip to get better (my cold sore)
• For Petunia to be a cute little girl who listens
• For Bubba to do well on his AR (Accelerated Reader) test tomorrow
• For Bubba not to be rude and mean to other kids
• For Bubba not to lick his lip so it won't be chapped
• For Daddy to make lots of money at work

Yes---his list for Bubba seems to get a little longer each night. But I love how he prays so sincerely every night. He used to accuse me of having "long prayers" but even when he blesses the food now it takes at least a minute.

6. The sun shining through my window at work.Even though it made me long to be outside I knew that meant Luke would be taking the kids to the park down the street. Or like Bubba calls it, the "pok." (Yes--he has the Brooklyn accent)

7. The pictures my husband took on his phone while he was at Target and the "pok." He e-mailed them to me and I have to say, its my favorite kind of e-mail to get at work--especially after a long afternoon meeting! :) Makes me so happy that I get to come home to all of these people everyday!

My Baller

Bubba has found a team sport (YMCA basketball) he is interested in and I couldn't be more excited.
Yes--he is only seven but I am hoping this will blossom into a love for the game. He has the height...and luckily at this point he hasn't had to use it too much. At last week's game he got to jump for the ball at the beginning of the game. The other kid jumped to reach for the ball and all Bubba did was put his arms over his head...and he grabbed the ball. Maybe white boys can't jump.

Kidding.

Bubba scored on basket last game and he was very excited. I think I cheered so loud you would of thought he won the lottery.

There are 10-12 kids on the team so they play in 5 minute increments. While waiting to go back on th court its EASY for him to be distracted by his brother and buddies.

My Name is Russell!

Name that movie.........
My Bubba is almost eight years and that means he will be joining Cub Scouts this month. He is very excited....can you tell? Here he is giving me the Cub Scout salute.

Monday was a holiday from school so Luke took the boys down to the Boy Scouts of America office to get Bubba everything he'll need...plus more. He bought some badge sticky stuff and even got all of his stuff on his shirt before I got home from work! Amazing! He was very sweet and took care of Bubba and I. He made a second trip down Monday afternoon to pick up a Cub Leader manual I need. Yes---I am the Cub Master for Bubba's "pack." I know NOTHING about Cub Scouts...and since my husband was kicked out of Cubs-- we got nuthin'! :)

But I am trying my best. Hopefully once Bubba gets into the swing of things it will start to come more natural to me.

Here's Russell....from the movie "Up."

Four Reasons to Eat Chocolate on Your Diet

Even if this was complete bologna, I love it! :)
Chocolate is healthier than you think. Here, four new reasons to indulge in the sweet stuff. (Like you need 'em!)


To kick a cough.
Theobromine, a chemical in chocolate, is as effective at soothing coughs as codeine, a key ingredient in many prescription meds.


To fight cavities.
Theobromine may also strengthen teeth better than fluoride, according to Tulane University researchers.


To tame tummy trouble.
Cocoa contains potent antioxidants that bind to and inhibit a protein in the intestines that causes diarrhea, say scientists at the Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland in California. No wonder it has been used as a remedy since the 16th century.


To save face.
British scientists found that less than an ounce of flavanol-rich chocolate a day may help protect your skin from the harmful effects of UV rays. (Sunscreen is still a must.)



http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/nutrition/four-reasons-to-eat-chocolate-on-a-diet/?sssdmh=dm17.430387&esrc=nwffood33_10&email=194219186

I may weigh 300 pounds but I have great teeth, no cough, great skin and no tummy ache! Score!

5 Month Pictures of Petunia

Julie Mulkay has taken Tooney's one month and five month pictures for us. I love them so much its too hard to decide which ones I actually love the most. I LOVE them all!
Check her out---she's fabulous! www.juliemulkayphotography.com
Tell her large Marge sent ya....:)
(Ok--that was a joke...that at least I know my Pee-Wee loving siblings will enjoy!)

Don't Shoot Your Eye Out...

I had visions of "Ralphie" when the boys opened their Christmas gift from Grandpa Baer.

The boys were stunned...and couldn't believe they were actually getting BB guns.
Luke was giddy because like most guys, it gave him an excuse to destroy something.
Their first target: a Diet Dr. Pepper can.
Interesting story:
Luke accidentally shot a Finch out of the tree in the backyard.
The boys were stunned.
Luke was a little less stunned. He was aiming at it, but didn't think he would hit it. I have to admit after watching ALL THREE boys miss the soda can after numerous attempts I can see why Luke was surprised.(Sorry honey)
BUT for the record---We are not using birds for target practice. (If I was aiming at something with a heartbeat, it would be that stupid cat from across the street who keeps pooping in my front yard!)

Tubbs didn't seem too concerned for the dead bird on the lawn ...probably because there is a high probability he'll be president of the NRA one day.
Bubba on the other hand is my bleeding heart liberal and future member of PETA.
I have to admit--I didn't think it was very "nice." Luke didn't know what to do. So, when the boys ran inside the house to walk Grandma Hogue to her car, Luke threw the bird over the fence----then told the boys it flew away.


---Poor bird!!

 

Sniper Training

New Beanies

Just like shoes, a girl can never have too many beanies!
Two more handmade creations were added to Petunia's collection---courtesy of Aunt Jenny. I adore them...and I am so glad its chilly outside so she can enjoy them!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/twogirlslaughingkids

Dancing Bug

This little guy has been shaking his rump shaker as long as I can remember. I found this video from early 2006 and can't stop watching it. On the other hand, I have Bubba...doing what he does best: taking stuff from his little brother.
They grow up too fast.
I guess the addage is true:
"The days are long, but the years are quick."

Its official...

I have a diva in the house....
But I only have myself to blame.
I think she walks on water.
She can do no wrong.
To those of you who think she is the happiest baby they have ever seen, please abort and exit this blog immediately
.
Otherwise----scroll down to witness....the tantrum.

This little girl has it down!

This is Petunia two seconds after I put her in her activity center this afternoon:

This all happened in a matter of 5-7 seconds.

Bipolar?

Maybe.

Absolute perfection?

Of course!

I think its her eyelashes that make me want to giggle when they get wet from her tears. She looks like a little doll.

This little girl seems to be living out my fantasy: Never wearing the same outfit twice.

Yes--this girl has outfits she has never worn in her closet and she might outgrow before she has a chance to wear them.

Blasphemy!

I feel so bad getting rid of adorable outfits/dresses that were washed and hung up months ago...and never saw daylight. So sad.

Petunia wants hair so badly.

One of my favorite things to do now is to keep her onesie on her head and swing it back and forth on her like hair.

I just cannot picture this little bug with hair!

Its definitely not going to get as dark as my hair is.

But its lighter than the boys' hair ever was.

And with all the blond fuzz on her head...I think I am going to have a "toe-head" with chia pet hair like her oldest brother.

We shall see.

"Tooney" just turned five months a few days ago...and we just LOVE LOVE LOVE her to pieces. (yes--as you can tell I have lots of nicknames for her)

She likes to try and "coo" along with me when I sing to her. My new favorite is "Single Ladies" by Beyonce. When I change her diaper or get her dressed I sing and dance and she just tries to sing along. FINALLY a dancing/karaoke partner is in my future. Of course Tubbs will humor me sometimes and dance a jig for me.

Nevermind the post-Botox look Tubbs has going on. He has a band-aid on his lower lip to keep him from biting it.

Hey--whatever works!

Never a dull moment in our house!

The good thing about having bugs is we don't have to leave the house for entertainment.

The White Stuff

Of all days we decided it would be fun to head to the snow bright and early on New Year's Day. Shirley Meadows was the destination.
(We assumed we would be the only sober ones there so early since we conked out WAY BEFORE midnight the night before).
The boys got to try out the snow pants I snagged up from Target last month before they could put out their BIKINIS. (Don't get me started on this topic!)
Anywho--the pants were great...and cheap.

Next year I am going to be ambitious and buy them snow jackets too. This year they had to settle for the sweatshirts they wear to school.

Petunia was more than toasty in the leopard snow outfit Grandpa Hogue bought her in September. Apparently he got a GREAT deal on it from Sports Chalet in September. (I will be keeping my eyes peeled for more deals this year!)

A rare North American Snugglebug is spotted out of her habitat! :)

Luke, Bubba and his buddy give it a thumbs up.

Part of the snow crew. I think they all got bored before their two hours of tubing was up. They all were caught throwing snowballs (made of old, icy, dirty snow) at each other near the parking lot.

A few tears were shed.

Good times!

Tubbs made a snow/dirt angel near the parking lot. Much more fun than tubing apparently.

We packed a lunch...and I am glad we did. Tubbs takes eating Cheetos VERY seriously!

Our entertainment at lunch was watching the guy in the car parked next to us smoke his "joint" of marijuana on the tailgate of his vehicle. He was so blatant about it, I was wishing at that moment I was an officer of thee law. It was irritating. Right in front of a 9-10 year old kid that was with him....and he was the driver. He even passed us on the way up the mountain.

(Stupidity should hurt)

This lady had on the snow outfit I was planning on wearing. Thank goodness I changed my mind at the last minute.

:)

Me and my boys.....cold, dirty and tired.

Time to hit the road.

Carpet

When we moved into the house five years ago our house was 80% carpet. 18 months after we settled in we went ahead and put wood flooring in EVERY room of the house EXCEPT the living room and the boy's bedroom.
I don't really know what color the carpet was/is but we FINALLY decided to get rid of it.
I didn't hate the carpet but it started giving Luke dirty looks and he couldnt take it anymore.
We went through Lowe's to purchase the carpet and I have to say, our experience was GREAT.
The installers showed up at 7:30am and were packing up to leave at 9:30am.
They even helped Luke move our entertainment center which took four guys to move.
When I tried to help Luke move a dresser, they insisted on moving me out of the way to help.
Delicioso!
So friendly and the finished product looks fabulous!

Our couch on the front porch at 6:30am

Love it!

Sigh!

I'm so far behind I don't know where my behind is!
In the blogging world that is.
I haven't really blogged as faithfully as I would have liked over the past month. I really have no excuse....except for the fact that I was trying to cherish every single waking moment I had left before returning to work this week.
Yes---after five months off from work I returned back to the grind.

Sigh!

It was hard.

Really hard.

Not so much returning to work, as it was to be away from Petunia.

I really tried not to think too much about it....like I thought the day would really not ever arrive.

Like my husband would rush in from work one day, sweep me off my feet and tell me he won the lottery or something.
But that never happened.

(Probably because we don't play the lottery. Gotta play to win right!? :))

Nevertheless, I have cherished Petunia's partnership over the past four and a half months. Hard to believe she has been here with our family this long!

Sigh!

Like everyone else in the world, December was a BUSY month for us. I can't say I am glad its over because I LOVE Christmas (for obvious reasons) but I love how the holiday season makes me feel. In the words of President Henry B. Eyring: "...At Christmas time we become more sensitive to the Savior's example." Its easy to feel all warm and fuzzy. Its my goal to try and keep this all year long.
We'll see how that goes!
Happy New Year's to you and yours...and we hope this year is even more fabulous than last year and that you are blessed beyond measure!
I count my blessings daily---one by one.
XOXOXO

Everyone had to take a turn with the mask. Funny how they all look so different!

Jiggs and Mama on my birthday!

Jiggs sent me flowers on my first day back to work. I knew she was brilliant...but who knew she could figure out the credit card "thing" online. (Oh yeah---she's my daughter!)

Jiggs and her new pet...Scout. She didn't seem to be offended that they shared the same name...or that the dog is green.

My nosy little girl....with the same expression her father gives me. But I love it!

Relaxing in the tub after a successful week at the babysitter's. Its a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Tubbs...giving me one of his many interesting expressions. I have decided that he is my only hope for "retiring" by the time I'm 35! This boy has more personality in his pinky than our entire family combined.

Get this boy an agent!

Bubba making cookies in his classroom. Heaven knows how many toppings he put on it before he devoured it. My sweet Bubba---I can always count on him to help me finish off any treat in the house! He may not look like his mama...but he has my sweet tooth.

Call Her Chiquita!

We have Petunia a spoon to play with during dinner and she started putting it in her mouth. I had some baby food waiting in the wings for a day like today. So---we pulled out the best one we had...bananas. I gave her a bite and she was in love! I think she ate half the container! Mmmmmm~