Picture(s) of the day

Look at what Boy2 has accomplished!!! I am so proud of him! Looks like that new bike he's getting for Christmas was a good thing (he has a little bike now that is just that....too little). Goooo big stuff, Gooo! Seriously the kid is getting too big!

(and I am supposed to add that that shirt makes THE man look big....it's not really a fat suit *giggle*) And Daddy is very cute running beside him the whole time too!

Boy2 is very much that...a boy. We had lunch with my mom today...he leans over to her and tell her he needs to tell her a secret...and BURPS in her ear! Um at 4 you aren't supposed to know that crude stuff right? Lately his hand has been permantly in his pants which is uh...so NOT ok with me, so the threats of time out and grounding have begun if he doesn't stop doing it in front of me all the time. On the way home from lunch I keep hearing burping so I tell him to stop that I will NOT sit and listen to that...and then glance back and see his hand is again...in.his.pants. So then I find myself saying stop burping and get your hand out of your pants! Oy vey! He is gosh darn sweet though, constantly telling me I am beautiful and a princess...and that he loves me about 30 times a day. Sweet sweet boy he is! I am so proud of him for his newest accomplishment!

Seriously...

Do you realize that we have less than 3 weeks until Christmas!? Holy Guacamole!? My friend and I hit up Toys R Us this morning...wowzers was that place a mad house. We swung by the drive thru and ate in the car watching people and it struck me that while Christmas is supposed to be this fun happy holiday instead it's this spending, buy this and that, stressed out holiday. People are stressed trying to figure out how in the world they are going to buy gifts for everyone on their list or stressed because they can't find that perfect toy that little Johnny is asking for....and I am not sure when it happened but that is what it's become. So to me it's just down right sad....we are ok this year, we can actually afford to swing gifts for people AND pay our bills...and it's sad that in past times it was buy for so and so...or....pay the house bill...it's sad because we aren't the only ones. I get that it's the "season for giving" but um yeah I think it's been marketed to death and it's just nuts. Don't get me wrong I LOVE, LOVE giving gifts to people, LOVE it....but it just gets excessive. There are people who can't even afford to buy food or pay for a place to LIVE yet we run around make sure we buy the ride on dinosaur or pony that little prince(ss) wanted...I mean come on. Am I the only one that finds it disheartening? I guess I do a lot of talk and little do to make me feel better about the situations around us...in fact I just get sucked right in and buy, buy (I did not and would NOT get a flippin' ride on dinosaur...) like the rest of America. But I do try to be aware and am really working on being better. I just can't help but think of all those that can't...and how 50 years ago it just wasn't like this--at least not to this extreme. ....ugh and as I sit here typing this I am listening to all of the commercials sucking my 2 in with their promise of grandeur toys....

Now that was just dumb...

One of the reasons I don't read more often is that I have this afflication I like to call...undisciplinedness....it's quite horrible if you have it too and I am terribly sorry. Symptoms are as such: inability to not eat bad for you foods...
inability to control impulsive decisions (this varies in severity)
ability for read for hours and hours and HOURS past when you know you should
put the book down
inability to exercise or do anythings you say you are going to do....
Yes, this *thing* I have has caused me some discomfort today...in fact it resulted in a quite sleepess evening while I stayed up until FOUR am reading a gosh darn book...so yes I am going on 2 hours of sleep all day. Which just doesn't cut it for me and I feel sick. I have a session I need to get loaded and then I am Going.To.Bed.
One thing I have learned is that this problem seems to be quite prevelant among peers however that provides me with little comfort...one day I will get a better grip on myself....maybe.....

Tsk, Tsk...

So remember that wii fit? Hmmhmm yes that's the one...the one I raved about and oh how great it is and I am going to use it everyday blah blah blah. Would you believe that I haven't used it in uh about let's see...2 months? Not even turned the thing on...surprised? Yeah I bet not. And to top it off I ate food out not once...but THREE times today. Starbucks for "breakfast", Moe's for lunch (yes I love that place), and *coughKrystalscough* for dinner. Seriously something has to give...and it's going to be the seems on my pants...I am not kidding.
It doesn't help that there are signs for food everywhere...and I am serious when I think they put some kind of "addicting" something in the food so that when I am sitting here at my house with my kitchen full of food that I bought because it after all is what *I* like I long for nothing other than Chicken tenders and fries from Zaxby's or Skillet Queso from Chilli's...or worse still Chilli Cheese pups from Krystals. I think I am being drugged, really that has to be it. I mean just typing those food choices out make me want to rush to the porcelain throne...really why would I choose to eat such. No wonder "america is fat". Turn on the TV for 5 minutes during meal time and you are blasted with food commercials. We are marketed to every single time we turn around. Now don't me wrong I get suckered just like every other Tom, Dick, and Harry...I just can't help it. Those sweaters, shoes, toys, cool drink holders...I mean I DO have to get them all. I do however hate it. Not because I can't buy it all (although I can't)...but because I find myself wanting these stupid trinkets...and for what reason? I can manage to stifle off some idiotic purchases like THIS or well the other hundred stupid creations people have come up with. Now see if I had thought this out before I dived into this rant I could pull out link after link of dumb items that people think are just great...but alas as are all my posts, I am again unprepared. So the peepee teepee is all I got---cus I have thought it was stupid forever...I mean come on can we say LAZY. Anyway stupid commercials and marketing...buy, buy, buy is the moto huh?
Right.... so....anyway I need to get back on that Wii fit....

The Countdown

That's where we're at...t-31days....nope not until Christmas, until we are finding ourselves wrapping up the 2008 year. Holy cow!? Um seriously I think we skipped month or two somewhere along the line here. Wow. I found myself quite reminiscent today...my "work" computer was/is on the fritz earlier so while I was restarting it umpteen times before I finally was able to do a restore and get the bad boy up and functional again. In the meantime I was on our back-up/kids computer/Robert's work desktop...which was my old computer and has all of the old pictures files all the way back to January 2006. First off omg has Boy2 slimmed up from a year ago. I couldn't do much on the computer so I decided to upload some of the old images to shutterfly to be printed...I was doing Sept/Oct/Nov of last year (2007) and going thru some of them to narrow it down from 343535 pictures for those 3 months to at least 30093. And Boy2's face looked a lot rounder than then it does now. Boy1 as well has slimmed down on that baby fat quite a bit as well and just looks older overall. Boy2 has, I thought, maintained that "baby face" look but after looking at those pictures I see how much he has and is changing and growing up on me. Boy3 looks about the same really...well not really but he doesn't have as much of a change that I see, I bet next year will be huge though! Secondly I am SOO SO incredibly thankful for my picture taking obsession and the abilities to do so...because there are so many moments that I seriously have just forgotten about completely until I look at the photo. Things the kids did or habits they have/had that I capture on camera that I would have otherwise forgotten. I tend to get a bit nuts with the number of photos I take of the kids...but I just can't help it. It's my way of remembering.
So here's some snapshots...of past memories....

Here we are in...let's see September 2006--on a timer with the trusty p&s-Boy1 was 4, Boy2 is 2 and Boy3 is a mere 4 1/2 months.
Here they are a year or so later (November 2007)....wow huh? This is at Fall Creek FallsNow for some real "old school" look at my baby--can you tell who this one is? Now this is seriously one of my all time fav pic of...Boy1. He is 8 1/2 months old and A-dorable...this is right before we chopped off his "comb over" and I pulled it all down to show how long it was.And look at him now...big ole...6 1/2 year old himself...in the above picture he was just getting his top teeth and in this one he is just loosing those same teeth...and now I am all teary eyed because I just realized this! This is yesterday...And for our next "moment in history" my chunky monkey...this is Boy2 at 2 months old...and this also is one of my fav baby photos. I just love that chunky smiley face! April 2004And for that adorable smiling face now....he's cheesing it up here as well and is doing a mighty dang good job...and check out his new doo! Courtesy of barber Mommy... And now for the baaabbyyy boy....Boy3, this is another "one of my favs" of him as a baby..really just because it's so darn sweet. I did the "sepia" thing with it way back when so excuse the quality of it all....I just love his sweet little smirk.and uh yeah...how can you not love this....notice the bald under the hat... and check out the sweet boy now...that's just the sweetest little face isn't? This is from this past weekend one of his "sweet faces"....But this is the boy3...we REALLY know...while I do get that sweet face from above from time to time...this is a bit more typical...hehe. I sure do miss those babies....but I sure do love the big boys they are and continue to become...

To Be Two

I wonder quite often what goes thru the little ones heads, Boy1 is 6 and honestly I remember quite a bit of being 6 and the things I thought about and what not so I would imagine it's things that are similar as far as his understanding of things around him....
But under that age is a blur of people and confusion of the world. Boy2 can be down right growdy at times...I won't even share with you the latest of his nastiness just trust me it's enough to make ya do some hard core gaggin. But what I don't get is why he thinks it's ok...what part of his mind says oh now THIS is a good idea!? He comes up with funny things that he says and you sit there laughing but going huh?
Boy3 has been the funny one today and hence the post...pondering the thoughts of the rugrats. He took an exceptionally long nap today and thus has been full of energy. We ventured out this evening with just Boy2 and Boy3 in tow (Boy1 was at a friends house)....we were feeling a bit stir crazy and decided to go to dinner and to hit up Target for the $15 Leapster games...so we decided upon Carraba's (yum!) and Boy3 is trying to watching the fire pit in the kitchen and apparently someone was in his way cus I hear him saying "Move ya dumby head!" seriously he's 2....the kid is a tiny terror. He got mad at me at Target, because Boy2 had to go to the bathroom and instead of waiting for THE man and Boy2 in the store Boy3 & I went to the car....so he starts yelling at me "Youdon't pushmeouthere!" He has a tendency to run all his words together esp if he's mad so you have to decipher it all out, but the kid talks very well.
On the way home he decides to pelt his brother in the eye with his dough from Carraba's (if you ask for it they give the kids dough to play with) but what he didn't consider was if he chucked it to the back seat that it would be gone...so he starts saying "I am mad" and tells me "ugh now wehavuh gobacktuhrabasget me moredough" I tell him uh no we aren't going back so all I get "ugh I am MAD" .
He is a BIG time daddy's boy as of late, like doesn't even want to sit by me and will tell me so as he is scooting away or pushing me. I am not the softy with him that THE man is, but we are working on that as I told him I am not always going to be the bad "guy" with them so he's trying to uh...get some balls with his kids. Just now from the bathroom as they are getting in the tub I hear this conversation...
Boy2: "Im gonna go get more toys to play wif..."
THE man: No you aren't going to get anymore, you don't need them
Boy2: But I wanna get just a couple more...
THE man: no you don't need them you are just going to be in the bath for a few minutes
Boy2: begins whimpering and starting to cry
THE man: ok fine just go get 1 or 2 more and that's it...

Me: *chuckling and rolling my eyes* uh did you just hear what happened there? (retell THE Man the conversation)
THE man: well I uh...swatted his rear as he ran by
Me: uh huh right....just proving my point....

Anyway Boy3 the 2 year old has THE man right were he wants him....suckered by his cuteness. I am not so fooled despite that adorable little voice...afterall he backhanded me in the eye yesterday, he can't play me hehe. But seriously what is the kid thinking, I would love to be in his mind for an hour....maybe it would help us out over here.

Thankful Thursday!

Happy Thanksgiving ya'll!! We are going to the Inlaw's for dinner....er lunch...er well whatever meal is served at 2pm. THE man and I griped about this yesterday as we cannot stand meals served at the "in between" time....seriously it's a PITA LOL. Anyway today I am supposed to be thankful so no bitching....so my thankful things :)
1. Obviously top on the list is my awesome fabulous wonderful "little" family. I really think I am like the luckiest person around, I know I know everyone says that but just listen...first I have a spectacular hubs--seriously he IS THAT great. He puts up with me and the kids and still manages to smile about it and says he loves us all. He's caring and understanding, funny AND laughs at me, talks me down when I need to be and I am able to do the same for him....we compliment each other very well. Secondly I have the best 3 little boys I could hope for...Boy1--is oh so grand, he really is. He's well behaved 95% of the time and is considerate (for the most part) and caring, he's loving and sweet. He cares deeply for other people and has his daddy's compassion and wants people to be happy. Boy2--is my my little softy, as my mom says he wears his emotions on his sleeve. He's just as caring and sweet as Boy1, he is always telling me I am a princess and that I am "so SO pretty". We laugh that he's Mr. Cassanova. He's got my stubborn streak and has a smile that lights up the room. Boy3--how to describe Boy3--wow, he's down right adorable. He has the sweetest little voice and is so darn smart. He's sweet and tender (when he wants to be). He loves his big brothers so much. My favorite is when Boy1 or Boy2 walk in from being gone and he runs up so excited to them yelling "I MISS YOU!!" and gives them a giant hug. Seriously it's the sweetest. Each one of them give me so much to be thanful for every single moment of every day.
2. Outside of "our little" family I am sure that I have the most amazing parents and grandparents around....I am not kidding. They have been there for me every step of my life, supporting me...helping me...cushioning me when I fall. They adore Robert---in fact my grandmother even wrote a letter to his parents about how great he was (I know serious gag fest right?) They are just wonderful and I know that I, *we* would not be where we are without them (aside from the obvious)

3. I am also thankful for the awesome, fabulous friends I have "aquired" over the years. Friends that have been there thru thick and thru thin, that have supported me and stuck by me...who also put up with me and understand me. Those that lend an ear or a shoulder, even if it's to vent about my stain on my shirt...Friends I can laugh with and know I can always call....and who I know think and feel the same about me.

4. I am thankful for my house and that I can even sit and type out this list...I could go on and on with all the little things I am thankful for all day long...so suffice it to say I am Thankful on this Thanksgiving....BUT I am always thankful, I am thankful every single day that I wake up, thankful that this is real and that it's not a dream.


AND Thanks to Kate Crafton for the above family shot!

ETA~ That I am also thankful that I reread my posts because this one got accidently posted on my "biz" blog...oops!

I am stumped for a title tonight....actually I have been stumped for much conversation on this here blog for a bit now. I think of things randomly here and there but I sit here open it up ready to get started and BLANK. Lovely. Not that I am getting graded or am I real sure who reads and how often but for some reason I feel the need to get those "creative" juices flowing and to come up with some wordy bunch of nothing really to be happy with my post. Tonight however that's just not happening. I am completely distracted with the bazillion things I need to do...my own christmas cards and pictures (although I have a few to choose from already if I need to use them), a invitation card, sessions to get caught up on (one that I am working on now which is fabulous--super cute peeps!), other photog items I need to do and/or learn to do--it's a constant learning process really....THE man is sick, my mom is getting remarried on Wednesday, Thanksgiving, family gatherings to prepare for, cleaning to do etc etc etc....as I am sure many peoples lists are.
I am super stoked to play around with some new equipment I finally have gotten though...I bought some of the pieces a while back but got overwhelmed with it and said heck with it at the time but have decided to get back with it and am just waiting on one more item to get here and then it's time to play!
And um....not sure who or if anyone is into the Killer's or not but lala I am now. I heard them a while back on SNL and loved them...and their new CD came out today and I got it on itunes yesterday and am not listening to it...ahhh. Me likey, yes. They are coming in January and I am scoping out ticks for THE man and I. I have a difficult time dropping bucks like that on a concert but damnit we NEVER do stuff like that so I may splurge...although it will be painful for me...really it will.
Boy1 started KaraTAY today--I am still unsure about this decision as it's so flippin' expensive AND time consuming....let's just say THE man and I could hit up 13 concerts a year with how much it is costing us. And it's 2 days a week for an hour each time...UGh, UGH...he liked it today so that's good but dang it's a bit much however you look at it.
Okie dokes now it's switch to the ONE linkin park I despise...bleh. It's screaming "Put me out of my miserrrrryryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy" like the flippin' omg shut up screaming...I think that might show my aging self a bit but god I hate that crap.

Sickety Sick

Poor, poor THE man is very sick....the actually has me kinda worried sick. He started not feeling well sometime on Thursday and had a fever Friday night of 101.ish still fever Saturday so I shoved him out to the "Minute Clinic" at CVS where they said he had a "severe ear infection" however...today over 24hours of his Rx later he has a fever of 103.ish. I am thinking the ear infection was secondary to something else....I was thinking flu. So good thoughts for him to feel better tomorrow! I haven't seen him this sick...ever actually.

Junkies...

It's official the kids are video.game.junkies. It's a sad day as its something I vowed to NOT let happen. But it's happened and just about overnight. Boy2 has asked today to play...the Wii (as he's coming downstairs from sleeping), Nick Jr., Hotwheels.com, Leapster, and my favorite he even resorted to THE man's blackberry. Now I really think the Wii is cool but agh...they fight, they whine, they cry, all over the stupid Wii. Come one now little people...get a grip....PLEASE. It's sad that it's a issue already at 6 and 4.....they will be in "gamers anonymous" by the 3rd grade.

Check 'em

So I added my little list of "blogs I dig" and thought I would suggest to you that you check them out when you get a moment. Some of them are quite funny...and really I have others to add but forget (shocker right). Here are my "honorable mentions"...ie my favs...Suburban Turmoil, Ashley's Closet, ClemsonGirl and the Coach, Scary Mommy....all of these funny mommy blogs. Good Stuff. And a couple photog favs...Kelley Ryden, Audrey Woulard, Whitebox, Captured By Carrie....I of course could list a bazillion more but those are the tops...Enjoy!

And Dude it's SNOWING!? Obviously it's not going to stay or stick but still!

Not diggin' it

So anyone else NOT digging Grey's this season? THE man and I have borderline ranted about it after every flippin' episode. Grey's IS my show...like it's the only show I watch religiously...like I once almost cried cause THE man didn't record it for me (once a long time ago). It's it for me. I just can't commit to more than that so because I only commit to the one..I REALLY commit. Anyway but my obsession is becoming less lately. I was NOT about the lesbo thing, was thrilled to read it was going to vanish into thin air. Don't get me wrong I am a-ok with gay/lesbian relationships--to each their own but I did NOT think it fit in there...the entire story line was random as hell. Completely.Random. Didn't like it glad it's gone. But seriously I would take that over the new one with Izzy Stephens and Denny...um no. It's just bad....a ghost? Really...we are doing the ghost love story thing? On Grey's? We have to do that now? Seriously it's bringing back "Days of our Lives" (seriously click that and scroll about 5 min in) memories that I would prefer to forget--and pretend I didn't actually WATCH that nonsense, even though in my defense that's when I swore off soap opera's for good. Right so anyway back to the current ghost. Why oh why do we have to go there...He is dead and we have already had to deal with the constant pop up's of him, now don't get me wrong I was SUPER bummed when they actually killed him off in the show--but it's done you can't bring him back...sorry not happening. I was glad to see she didn't "choose him" but damn that scene should have not even been there thank you. I hope we don't have to go all crazy and junk with it because that might alter my view and opinion of the show. I like Izzy despite her whiney-ish character and despite her lack of much participation to the actually main storylines as of late I would hate to see her go nutty and get the boot. I mean really her and Denny were an item for what like 2 weeks or something---and only in the hospital at that?! And now he's back as a GHOST, come on people I know we can do better than this. I am sure of it.

Do huh?

Really it's 8pm already? Um yeah I am not sure what happened to my day today but around 3pm I looked up and realized that it was nearly over....and it seemed that it had just begun. Weird, but ok. We sat at McD's with a friend for hours while the kids ran wild....er I should say my kid ran wild (Boy2 has been on a wild streak lately---especially in public).
THE man is watching his show while I try to catch up on some emails and what not. He just called me down to ask me how to get the parental block off the system hehe. I think I recall doing that but didn't think it would block his shows---one of which is Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares. Which really I get why it would be blocked fuck is every other word out of the dudes mouth. Granted all 3 of the boys have heard the word and know it's not ok to use...I really don't think they need to hear it THAT often. Boy1 used it appropriatly at 3 1/2 years old...in front of a friend....AND then again in front of the mother in law. Lovely. Thank you Boy1, thank you. Of course now that IS one of my very favoritist kid cussing stories to tell EVER. A sure laugh all the way. I suppose now would be the time to share it...since we are dropping "F" bombs already and everything....huh?
Ok here goes...it's really a proud moment...not...really it kinda is...right so picture this...
Me, friend...Boy1 in his car seat, boy2 and friends kid in their car seats....cruising thru the streets...we pass a man in some snug tappered leg Levi's...friend says "Nice pants." we chuckle....Boy1 pipes up from his cute little seat in the back in his cute little 3 year old voice. "Fucking Freak"... my jaw drops...we laugh til we have tears... Mr. 3 year old Boy1 thinks it must be a funny thing to say so he repeats it over and over til I regain control of myself and tell him no no that's a nasty bad bad word and to stop saying it. He stops, only to repeat himself a few days later with the In laws. Thank god he stopped after that. Boy2's word was "damnit" and Boy3's was "oh sit"...translated to "oh shit". I swear (or don't) that we don't use such language around the kids that often. It has happened a time or 2 but dag not that much! Darn kids....not sure who I can blame for those though...at least they have seen the error in their ways, right? Or ours.

Lovely...

I have a migraine. I don't get them often and haven't been able to locate the cause...other than maybe they seem to happen more in the colder months? It's tappered down a bit now minus the nausea and I probably should go lay back down as I seemed to feel better then but darnit I don't want to. Everyone is gone so the entire house is quiet and I am stuck in bed!? Many people would relish in that opportunity but I however am not a napper or a lay-around-the-houser. I don't particularly like sleeping past 8 and I don't like taking naps during the day (unless I am dead tired or hungover). THE man would probably attest to all of this and also say that he isn't particularly fond of my go go go tendencies...because he would like to nap and lay around more. Now dont' get me wrong I am not buzzing all over managing to get everything done I should...no no in fact probably just the opposite....doing tons of things but none of the things I should--I am not really the house-wifey type with my doings of things around the house...our house is clean yes, relativley organized yes, spotless everyday no, dinner prepared by me everyday at six no. So while I am on the go I typically feel I have nothing accomplished...which reminds me I have some phone calls I need to make and some emails to respond to...and...and...

Drivin'

Another pretty chill weekend for us... THE man of course went out on Friday....I got to go kick it on Saturday and we all just hung out today. Boy2 stayed in his pj's ALL day yesterday...and slept in them last night (had I been here he would have changed but whatever). So it was a lazy day for them which is nice for them to have from time to time. I was feeling a bit antsy today and with the sun out and the cold day we decided to hit the road and for a "Sunday Drive" my mom is looking at property to buy about an hour from here so we decided to check it out. We also stopped in and checked out the cute little town we drove thru. Grabbed some grub at one of the little restaurants on their square....at which we were the only people. THE man and I talk about moving "to the country" from time to time but honestly I don't know if I could really cut it in the sticks. Apparently my idea of country life is a bit different than what it actually is....as THE man pointed out I grew up "on a farm" that was 25 minutes from Music City...sooo while we did do the farm thing we also had everything else not too far. I really doubt I could actually cut it in a town where my only shopping options are Dollar General or Walmart. Not that those places are bad but um...I need more. At least a Target near by. It sure is pretty in them parts though...

The boys were mighty cute in the BBQ Caboose and the people were mighty sweet....Boy1 has decided we need to go back for their Christmas parade they told us about (of course this is only because he heard "kids get a present"). We just might make the treck back out there just for that cause it kinda sounds fun and cute.

Boy1 also lost a tooth....er I mean had a tooth extracted by yours truly...on Friday evening. He mentioned he could feel the bottom of it with his tongue....oh realllyyyy I thought so of course I couldn't resist. Out it popped! He's cute now...but with our dental history oy vey it's going to be bad in there....so we'll snap pics now before he is crazy teeth.

They are both into the scarves right now...Not gonna discourage that esp when I have the camera out!

THE man looking quite serious...trying to ignore my camera in his face hehe.