Only Silas...

Last night we were all in the van, Silas and Ella are in their car seats with their drink cups.
Silas says "I've got boogies on my cup"
"Gross!" Ella and I both yell.
"Did you get it off?" I ask him.
"No" - and I notice he's about to take a drink.
"STOP!" I tell him as I hand him a tissue.
Upon closer inspection I realize that the "boogies" are really just pulp from the lemonade that he's drinking (Thank God) but the fact that HE thinks it's boogies and is still going to take a drink...GROSS!

And last night he was also running around saying "Knock Knock, it's party o'clock!" Something that (I swear!) Justin and I don't go around saying... not even on Fridays. No clue where he heard this.

Hocking Hills - 2009

Another great trip to Hocking Hills has come and gone...

We had a great "couples weekend". The weather didn't cooperate on Saturday so we didn't get to do our pontoon boat as we had planned. Instead, we went to Wal-mart and bought 2 movies to watch. Two VERY different movies. The first was Fireproof with Kirk Cameron. The acting was terrible but the ending was mushy enough that we (the girls) were all bawling. A couple of the guys would walk through to the kitchen, see us sniffling and quickly get what he needed and get out. So afterwards, the boys were gutting a fish outside and the girls, with blotchy, puffy red eyes went outside and asked why we never spend time as a couple if this is a "couples weekend"?
"WHAT? Now you want to talk and cuddle??!" was their answer - so we kept harping on them during the night as we'd see them. (Thanks Tim :-)

The 2nd movie was The 40-year Old Virgin. It was a bit of a shock to go from movie #1 to movie #2 - yikes!

Even though we didn't get to do much outdoors, it was still a fun, relaxing weekend - tons of great food and beverages, the boys fished, the ladies read and napped (well, me and Beth anyway).


Thanks to Mom, Margie and Sarah for keeping the kids over the weekend!

Butterfly Girls

Dad and Margie took the kids to the fair yesterday - Ella and Jaden got face paintings - so cute! I really hated to wash Ella's off last night!

First the Ears...

and 10 years from now, she'll probably ask to get her belly button, nose or eyebrow pierced...but hopefully not all three!

Sunday we took the kids to the mall so that Ella could get her ears pierced! We went to Claire's. They did both ears at the same time. Ella was a VERY brave girl. I could tell that it hurt and that she was trying very hard not to cry.



We had to wait for a little bit, so Silas had to amuse himself...does he look more like Dexter from Dexter's Lab or Drew Carey?

I think a little more like Drew...

Ella has been doing a great job of reminding me that we need to clean her ears 3 times a day and then she turns her earrings. She is taking the responsibility very seriously.




Silas, on the other hand, is taking his responsibility to be ROTTEN very seriously. I know that he's gotten his hiney spanked at least 10 times in the last week. He's totally not listening, doing the opposite of what we say and wants to do everything "by myself!". But man, he's cute and cuddly....

Headboard

Last winter Justin got a old 100+ year old door while he was working on a house - we've talked for YEARS about making a headboard for our kind sized bed and when he saw the door, he thought it'd be perfect.


Doing what he does best, he spent some hours in the garage last week cleaning it, a little bit of sanding, 2 stain colors and varnish...and here is the final result.




I love it! It turned out great and it makes such an impact when you walk into our bedroom. It is a perfect fit for our bed - it was worth the wait!

And Happy Birthday to Tim - who's not quite 100 yet!

ANOTHER Happy...

Birthday to Grandpa J!

And Happy Anniversary to Tara and Steve
(I need an updated picture of you two!!)


July sure is a busy month!!

HAPPY...

ANNIVERSARY TO MOM AND DAD!!! I believe this is 56 years!

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TYLER!
LOVE YOU!

The 4th Weekend

We had a great, fun filled 4th of July weekend. Grandpa J and Aunt Amanda made the drive in from New York and were able to celebrate Mason's 14th birthday with us.


We had a nice "little" fire and roasted marshmallows...after the cake. Yes, the kids were WIRED!!
Mason got some good presents. Season 2 of That 70's Show, the new Green day CD and a new digital camera (one that I really like...and I'm trying to keep my hands off of it!)


On the 4th, we went to the parade. We always park at mom and dad's and then walk over. We see tons of old neighbors and friends. Our local parade is really just one big LONG display of 200 kid baseball teams with a few fire trucks and a marching band thrown in...but the kids enjoy the 32 pounds of candy that they walk away with...

JP and Si - 10am was too early for Silas
after a late night!

Jaden and Ella being cutie bugs!

A majority of the grandkids after the parade.
Brooklyn, Si, Mason, Tyler, Skyler, Hunter, Ella, Jaden and Brayden

Ella and Jaden at the parade...dig the boots - little miss Punky Brewster!

After a great cookout at the James' - we ended the evening back in the neighborhood
watching the fireworks.

I hate to see July 4th having come and gone. The summer always seems to fly by from this point on!!

Happy Birthday Mason!!

14 years ago today - this rotten little thing (well, he's bigger than me now...) was born.
Since that day, I've wiped a thousand noses, faces, hands...butts...I've coddled, cuddled, soothed. I've read Dr. Suess, Dr. Spock, Dr. Doo Little, even Dr. Phil. The Cat in the Hat, Where the Wild Things Are, Good Night Moon and thousands more.
I've bribed, spanked and guilt-tripped for good behavior.
I've loved and feared more than one would think is humanly possible.

I've become a professional mom - or at least a very serious amateur.
But I remember vividly that feeling of the doctor handing me this bundle saying Congratulations MOM! and me thinking...Holy Hell, now what??

Last year's birthday post still says it best...in the blink of an eye...another year has come and gone.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MASON - WE LOVE YOU (even as a rotten teenager! :-)

Words to Remember

Some recent Si and Ella words....

Silas:
"Mama...the ducky bathroom toilet is plogged again!"

"Can I help you water the pasta?" (he means Hosta plants...)

Ella:
Silas asks - "Can I drive when I'm this big (holding his hands out)?
Ella responds - "You have to be 16 to drive and 18 to get kicked out of the house!"

Today at the zoo when we're looking at the new baby elephant...
Ella: "Wow, how big are elephant eggs???"