Garrett's 5th Birthday Sleepover...

After all we've been through as a family recently, I am just not up to a "friend" (big, expensive, time-consuming) party this year.  So, we invited cousins Tyler and Jacob to Chuck E. Cheese instead.  We all had a great time! Braden seriously cleaned up on tickets at the Sponge Bob game!  Afterwards, we took the kids to Great American Cookie (silly parents).  Four little boys in the noisy, echoing halls of the mall...wow...really LOUD!  Tyler came for a sleepover, so the boys ate their cookies before moving into the guest room for an all-night movie marathon (yeah, right).

This is what they really looked like...sugar coma!

This is what they morphed into when I forced them to "smile..."

This is what I found at 6:45 this morning...Tyler was in the playroom scouting for more toys to bring to the top bunk.  Somewhere between all of this, I had to search out Garrett's allergy meds for Tyler snort because he was completely clogged up and upset, then Tyler and Garrett abandoned the movie idea and left Braden in the room alone to go play Transformers in the boys' bedroom.  Braden came to tattle on them some time around 10:30, so I put the two monkeys in bed and took Braden to my room...he instantly fell asleep.  I have no clue when Tyler and Garrett passed out, but at 4 this morning, Garrett came to tell me that he couldn't sleep with Tyler who smelled bad (Garrett thinks everyone and everything smells bad...he's so sensitive).  So, I put Garrett on the bottom bunk with Braden (who I moved when Garrett came to complain about Tyler) and tucked all 3 sleepy, cranky boys in...praying for them to sleep late.  WHATEVER!  Eric got them donuts for breakfast and now everyone is playing happily!  I'd call it a success, considering it's the very first sleepover any of them have had! Good times, folks...good times!

Braden's Education...

I opened Braden's school notebook to check out what cool things he'd been writing about...look what I found!  Ahem...let me translate: "I love Lily.  Lily is hot, hot, hot.  Lily is a princess."  WOW!  On the other hand, check out the capital letters, correct spelling of most words, noun/verb agreement, and proper punctuation!  WOW!  AND, Lily has green hair...my favorite color...awesome!

Nanny's Birthday Luncheon...

Who loves his Nanny???

My future staring right back at me...two beautiful ladies.

Garrett Jake...ever the ham!

                                       Brad and Garrett...an unexpected friendship!

Back To The Old Grind...

Well, Garrett starts back to Pre-K tomorrow in the pirate classroom...he's very excited...ARGH!  The total bill, though, for his school supplies was $54!  Good thing they provide a tax deduction sheet...can't say the same for the massive amount of supplies I had to purchase for Braden's public school forray into first grade.  FOUR boxes of crayons????  Are you kidding me????  I have a sneeking suspicion that I'm providing someone else's kid with crayons...and who knows what else?

While Braden is babysitter bound until school starts on Thursday, I'll be working to be professionally developed...whoopee.  You know, I was just thinking, "I need developing, possibly in my profession, this week.  Yep, development is the key."  Really, I'd rather just get to it with the students.  I am pumped, have lots of good ideas, and can't wait to get started!!!

Still feeling well with the pregnancy...no sickness.  Although, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to digest just about everything I eat.  It tends to stick with me for HOURS.  But, when I do get hungry, I feel like I could eat the rear end out of a rhino...as Eric so eloquently puts it!  I am not gaining any weight (perhaps it's too early for that), but I am absolute best pals with my treadmill.  Should probably still be doing the Slim in Six workouts, but I can't read while I do that.  On the treadmill, I'm going through the books like crazy...and I don't want to stop, even when I'm tired, because I'm always at a really good part...so I just keep walking! :0)

We Are Fam-i-ly...

Freak Storm Destroys Trampoline...

A very strange and strong-winded storm just blew over the house at about 4:20 this afternoon.  I was standing at the sink preparing a mess of peaches for the deep freeze when I happened to look out and see the pouring rain.  After running to close the garage, which was taking on some serious water (and on my new desk, I might add), Eric and I stood by the back door marvelling at this sudden display of weather.  That's when we also got an eye full of flying trampoline!

It flew across the backyard, becoming lodged on the neighbor's bridge across the creek.  The boys were "napping," so they ran in to see what all of our commotion was about.  I just said, "You boys might as well come over and look at this."  Poor guys...

We retreived it a bit ago, unfolding it from it's mangled position in the creek. As I headed back up to the house with the boys, Braden said "At least Santa has plenty of time to make another one!"  How perfectly eloquent...

Cashews...

'Nuff said...