What an airhead!!

I just have to tell a funny story on myself. It's just too good to not share, so that a few of you can remind me of it for the rest of my life, like "where's the van?". I won't go into that one right now, maybe another time. (but probably not!) Anyway, I can be such an airhead sometimes. I blame it on the kids. I think I lost most of my brain cells giving birth. It's frustrating to me, because I'm not that stupid, but I just have these moments that I completely lose my mind. At least there's a funny story to share, and everyone can have a good laugh at my expense!! :)

The kids and I went to Walmart one day to get some helium balloons. We were celebrating Keith coming home at a normal time instead of going to guard after work to work some more. We were very excited to have him home, so we wanted it to feel like a party when he came home. Anyway, an employee directed me to the back, and told me to just touch the screen (next to the register) and someone would be with me shortly. We went back there, and next to the pin pad thingy was a cardboard sign with a picture of the pin pad that said to touch it for service. So, smart woman that I am, I touched the cardboard picture, that was just sitting there, not attached to anything. Avery walks over and informs me that you're actually supposed to touch the pin pad, not the cardboard picture. A light went on in my head, one that apparently has a short in it, and I realized how silly I must have looked touching the cardboard. Avery's face was priceless. I think he thought that I had finally lost it. I'm sure it's not the last time I'll see that look!! We had a good laugh about it, but it was funnier when we told Keith. I'm still shaking my head at myself, and can't believe what an airhead I am sometimes. :)

Hope everyone has a good weekend!! Even if you have an airhead moment!

Identity crisis, or something

Chloe is going to kindergarten this fall. Do I really need to say more?! I have to admit that I'm struggling with it, more than I anticipated. It seems harder this time around then with the boys. It's not that I'll miss her more, or that I love her more. I guess it's just the fact that she's a girl. And it could be that I've been less than thrilled with the elementary school. (one bad apple really can spoil the whole bunch!!) It could also be that I've stayed at home with at least one of the kids for the past 12.5 years. It could be a lot of things.
I still can't believe that I'm that close to having all three kids in school. Everyone keeps asking me what I'm going to do when they're all in school. I have no idea, although, one time I answered and said, "sleep." That might happen from time to time, but even that would get old. I've never been really interested in having a career, not since high school anyway, but there are many things that I would love to learn. I also don't think that just because my kids are in school, that my job is done. In many ways, it's only beginning. I remember when I was in school, and there were many times that it was comforting to me that Mom was available, even in high school.
So, where does all that leave me? I do not know. I guess I'll figure it out when the time comes.

Happy Monday Y'all!

Here's a little something to make your Monday just a little brighter. Chloe went to a birthday party last week, and had a blast! This wasn't her first time on the slide, more like her tenth. She loved it so much, that she did it over and over. The funniest part was at the end of the slide, when she just kept sliding right onto the floor!
Be sure to click on the picture to see her face!

Friday Favorites

Here are some of my favorite things about summer...

• i don't have to make any more school lunches! ( i know i still have to feed the kids, but there's just something about having to make lunches every day that drives me batty.)
• we get to sleep late(r)!
• no homework
• less of a routine (in reality, i only like this for part of the summer. by the end, i'm actually craving the routine!)
• my kids fighting (i might as well like this, because it's going to happen more since they'll be together more!)
• the kids having more time to just be kids
• the week that the kids spend with Granny and Pops!! (i'm just being honest!)

That's all that I can come up with right now. What are some things you like about summer?

Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day, I'm going to mention a few things that we've been doing to be better to our planet, and a few things I really want to do. I've been wanting to write about recycling for a while now, but I just keep putting it off. Now seems like the time to do it. We've been recycling for a few years, and we've done it off and on since we got married. In Alaska, we could have just put it all in a tub they provided, and set it out by the road once a week, but we didn't. Drove my mom crazy!! We like to wait until we have to do the hauling, apparently. :) When we moved to the 'Boro, we tried to be consistent with recycling, but we weren't too great at it. Plus, our local dump only took a few things, and then I was left with the rest to just throw away. It really started to bother me that we were throwing all that cardboard away,(and aluminum cans and something else I can't remember). So, finally I decided that I would take over, and take them to Sam's, which has bins for everything. It's not close or super convenient, but it makes me feel better. And it's teaching the kids, because they're learning not to throw away something that can be recycled. It also helps with our trash... A LOT. I love looking at all the trash cans in our neighborhood, and noticing that ours is one of the few that isn't overflowing. (we usually have two or three bags of trash for the week.) Then I think about all the stuff in their cans that could be recycled, and wonder if I should offer to take their recycling too! (i'm not to that point yet, but i've seriously considered how much i could fit in the van!) Anyway, it's been good for us, and good for our environment. And it's super easy to do. I know it takes a little time, but it's so worth it.

We've made other little changes that help us to be more eco-friendly as well. Things like changing our old light bulbs to the new ones that are supposed to be better, longer lasting and save on energy costs. I don't recommend getting cheap ones though, because those haven't lasted very long at all. We'll end up spending more to replace them with good ones, that will actually last longer.

We've always tried to be aware of turning lights off, not leaving water running while you're brushing your teeth, and other simple stuff like that.

Some stuff that I would really like to do is learn more about composting. We also would love to have a garden. A rain barrel is something I've been thinking about as well. I could go on, but you get the idea.

I know there are many other ways to go 'green'. Any suggestions?

Baseball drama

I didn't expect so much drama in baseball this year. I don't know why I think sports are drama free, but I do. And I'm wrong. There always seems to be drama, no matter what the sport, or age of the kids playing it. It happens because adults are involved. I guess I forget that from season to season. This year is no different. Except that we're on the team everyone loves to hate, apparently. (i'm exaggerating slightly. maybe.) Brady has played baseball for several years now. So long that I've lost count. We've had some good coaches and some not so good coaches. Some have had great attitudes, but not a lot of knowledge. Others should really not have been coaching at all. This year we have great coaches. They're teaching the kids fundamentals. Things that they'll remember and use for years. They also have a great attitude, and talk to the kids about being a good sport. And we're winning. A lot. And not by just a little. That's why we're the problem. We have five travel team players on our team. Travel ball is just another level of talent and competition. Other parents feel that's not fair to their kids. I'm not going to argue that point, because we've been on the other team, and know how it feels. While I understand their point of view, I'm happy that Brady is finely on a team that wins. I guess it's selfish, but no one likes to lose all the time. But it's not just that his team wins most (not all) of their games. Brady has learned more this year, then all the other years combined. He's also had the chance to pitch in a game. That's something that other coaches never do. They don't give anyone else a chance other than their own kid. On most teams, if you don't already know how to play a position, then you have no chance of actually playing it. This year is different. So, I guess we'll just put up with the drama, and do our best to ignore it. After all, this is about our kids playing a game. So, I hope parents on both sides just shut-up and let the kids play.

I am not a morning person!

(no comments Keith!)

Anyway, I'm really NOT a morning person. That's my excuse for not blogging this week. I have things to say, just not the energy to put my thoughts together into something that makes sense. So, it's all Keith's fault really. We've been getting up at 5:30 to workout. He's been doing P90x forever it seems like, and I join him from time to time. I was getting up with him every morning, until I hurt my shoulder. Now I just do the cardio.

So there's my excuse. Think whatever you want of me, but I'll never be a morning person. Getting up that early just wipes me out. So one day soon, I might be able to put together a thought that might actually interest someone. We'll see...

Friday Favorites

So, I really wanted to remember Friday Favorites two weeks in a row again, but I'm really struggling to come up with something today.
Here's a list of a few favorites right now...

• watching my boys play sports, even if it does make for a crazy life sometimes
• my backyard, and the shade provided by our trees
• seeing the first hummingbird (of the year)

That's it for today, I guess. Maybe I'll have something more interesting next week. Also, I have more funny pictures of the kids. We've had a blast playing with the giant magnifying glass. I think we have pictures of Granny and Pops playing with it as well, although they might not want those on the blog!! :)

getting up at five thirty +
my boys acting like toddlers+
a double header at the ball field(four hours!)=
one tired and grouchy mama

I'm just sayin'...

Cheddar Chicken

I made this recipe(found in Real Simple magazine) recently, and it was an instant hit! We eat a lot of chicken around here, so finding a new and super easy way to fix it is wonderful.

Cheddar Chicken

16 buttery crackers (i used ritz), crushed (about 3/4 cup)
6 oz sharp cheddar, grated
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
salt and pepper
4 -6oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

(they had it paired with wild rice pilaf and steamed green beans)

Heat oven to 350. In a bowl, combine the crackers, cheese, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Dip the chicken in the butter, then in the cracker mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle any remaining cracker mixture on the chicken and drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 25-30 minutes. Serve with the pilaf and green beans, if using.

See? That was so easy, and so yummy!

Easter pics...a little late!

I meant to get these pictures on here last week, but well, it just didn't happen.

I love how Chuck's expression changes in the first two pictures!!

KB decided to start the hunt early, as we were trying to hide the eggs!

Look at those little arms!! So cute!

The best $10 I ever spent!!

Chloe and I were walking around Walmart today while we were getting the oil changed. ( i still hate walmart, but convenience overcame that today!) I let Chloe walk up and down the toy isles and look at everything she wanted to. We were on the Barbie isle for quite a while, but she had so much fun. It was fun to watch her, and it was one of those 'feel like a kid again' moments. We checked out all the baby dolls, and pushed all their buttons. I learned a few things too. There are babies that poop, pee, cry real tears, crawl, breathe, just cry, say mama, wiggle, suck on a pacifier, laugh, and then there are those that just sit there. I told Chloe about baby alive, that poops and pees, and her face was priceless. She just looked at me and said, "Really?" I tried to explain it, and told her that it wasn't real poop and pee, and that seemed to help. It was the best time I've had in walmart in...well, ever. But the real fun was when we found this giant magnifying glass. We got it down and were playing with it. It was hilarious! I mean pee in your pants funny!! (not really, but you get what i'm saying!!) I snapped a picture and sent it to Keith, and here it is. I've taken a couple more at home, but this is the best. Just ignore the glare on her face.

Conversations with Chloe

Happy Monday everyone! I thought I would start the week off right by sharing some recent conversations with Chloe. Enjoy!!


Here are some random sayings from Chloe...

"let's see how far this baby will go."

"i have snot on my arm."

"mommy doesn't share food."

"we need a looking better car."

"i should be in a circus."

"you know what my favorite letters are? a b c r s p"

"mommy, you can't just sit there and text all day."

"i can't believe i have a mole! that's my first mole!"

"just like you had babies, dogs have babies."

"you know, the other day i saw a plug (cord) right here (on the back of the chair in the living room), and it bothered me real bad."

"does Craig rhyme with egg?"
me- yes
"then i'm going to call him egg. no, uncle egg."

"i need to change pants. these pants are not likin' me right now!"

me- Chloe, is that snot making you tired?
"no, but i'm tired of the snot."

Things heard from the bathroom...

"buckle up buttercup!" followed by, "mommy, pretend you didn't hear that."

"mommy, my bottom just said thank you and hello!"

"oh, that's too much toilet paper."


These need a little more explanation.

Chloe tells me on an almost daily basis that she wishes she was my mom. Sometimes I've just told her no about something, but sometimes it's out of the blue. The other day she said, "I'll be a better mommy than you." She also mentioned once while we were hiking, that if she was the mom, she would let the boys do what they wanted. I think it boils down to wanting to have more control. :)

Almost every time Chloe needs to wash her hands, she asks to use hand cleaner. I keep telling her it's not for at home where we have soap. She replied, " then why do we have it?"

We were in the car one day, and I was trying to convince Chloe that my kisses are magic because I'm a mommy. I told her that they have power. She said, "The only things that have power are things that you plug in. I can't believe that I'm a kid, and you're a grownup, and I had to tell you that. You should have known."
(since then, i've convinced her that they are magic! i kissed a booboo that stopped hurting!)

Hope everyone has a great week!!

Friday Favorites

Hmmm...it's Friday, so I guess I should come up with a favorite something or other. Let me think...it's not mornings, that's for sure.
Brady's having a few friends over for his birthday sleepover, (we had to reschedule from last week because of an early baseball game on Sat, that ended up getting canceled). I can't honestly say that sleepovers are my favorite, but I'm still glad that he gets to have friends over.
I'm really struggling with this today. Honestly, anytime you ask me my favorite anything, I'm not going to have an easy time. It's hard for me to come up with stuff, and pick just one thing. So, now I'm wondering why I even started this!!
Ok, enough rambling!
I think I'm going to have to go with....Spring! (in the fall, i'll say fall. you'll just have to accept that!)
I love watching things bloom, seeing the leaves come back on our trees, and the pollen that covers everything! Oh wait, maybe not the last one, but I still love spring. I've always loved winter, but the older I get, and the older my kids get, I realize how nice it is to be about to get outside and soak up the sunshine. Maybe it's because I have two boys, or maybe it's all kids, but winter can be very long sometimes! They really NEED to get outside and burn some energy. :) Every time the seasons change(not just spring), it reminds me that I'm not in control, and how thankful I am about that!!
I'm lovin' the sunshine today! I hope everyone has a beautiful weekend!! Enjoy Spring!

It's baseball time!

Last night was Brady's first baseball game of the season. He has some really good coaches this year, and he's learning a lot from them. They're competitive, but they have fun too. And get this, they actually coach them! Brady has had some so-so coaches before, and it made for a long season. I don't care how many games they win, as long as they have fun and hopefully come out of it knowing more than they did when the season began.
He played first most of the game, and he did really well. He's played that position for a couple years, so he's pretty comfortable with it. Then, in the last inning, the coach sent him to the mound. I heard him say it to Brady, and I looked at him. He looked over at us, and gave us this excited 'I can't believe I'm about to pitch' look. It was so cute! I wish I had a picture of it. He's had the chance to practice pitching, but he's never actually pitched to anyone. He has only ever thrown to one of the coaches. The coach later said he wasn't going to stick him in that early in the season, but we were up 11-0, so he just did it. I love that Brady just went out there and did it. Of course he was nervous, but he tried. (He must get that from his dad, because it's certainly not from me!!) He did a great job too! He struck out a few players, and a couple of them hit it. It was fun to watch, but it made me even more nervous than I normally am! Keith couldn't even sit still!
Keith said when Brady came off the mound, he let out a big breath, like he had been holding it the whole time! If he never pitches again, I think he's always going to remember getting the chance. But something tells me that this wasn't his last time!


I'm pretty sure Brady went to bed smiling still!

Easter

Here are a couple of pics from yesterday. The bottom one is before church, and the other is after. We went to my aunt and uncle's house for our annual get together/egg hunt. It's one of our favorite get-togethers all year! We had a wonderful time as usual! We always enjoy getting to see everyone. The weather was beautiful, which makes it so much nicer for the kids(and the adults). As the kids get older, it gets harder to have them trapped inside because of bad weather. You never really know what kind of weather we'll have in the spring.
I hope everyone else had a Happy Easter as well!

Friday Favorites...and a bunch of other stuff

It's been a couple of weeks since I did Friday Favorites, and you know what a big tradition it was before that. I mean, I did it for two whole weeks...in a row. I know it's crazy! Anyway, life has been a little busier than normal around here lately.
Keith has been working basically two full time jobs this month. He had the opportunity to work guard this month. He still went to MTSU most of the day, but then he went from there directly to guard(four days a week). He(we) volunteered to do it, but that doesn't mean it was always easy. Most of the month was fairly easy for me. I know it was harder on Keith and the kids, because he didn't always get to see them. (keith did all of this without complaint) I was usually still up when he got home. (ok, i was always up! i would stay up half the night if i didn't have someone telling me i need to go to bed!) Anyway, the time change in the middle of the month messed us up a little more than usual. That made his nights later, and he didn't get to see the kids at all at night. Then to add to the craziness, Avery is playing soccer right now, so he had practices and games. Brady's baseball practices started as well, and sometimes they overlapped. It made for a few crazy nights when I wondered how in the world we would find time to eat supper, but we made it. The kids have been really great this month. They've stepped up in a lot of ways. I definitely had to rely on Avery to help with Chloe more than usual, and he was great about it.

So, to make a short story long, my Friday Favorite today is my husband and kiddos! They've been awesome, and I love them more than they'll ever know!!