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Friday, June 22, 2007
WHY, OH WHY...
...Did I let Justin get this @ WalMart yesterday when we went to buy groceries??????

(click to enlarge)

Let me describe it for you so you can get the full effect, lol! It's a Nerf Air Blasters gun. It shoots the foam bullets~it has a bullet chamber that holds 6 of the long, foam bullets. I know that "boys will be boys" but OH.MY.GOSH, I'm SOOOO tired of hearing this thing. Since we got home from the grocery store (WalMart) yesterday around 7:30 PM, it's been all I've heard. It doesn't make any noises per say, but just the sound of the bullets being shot out is VERY annoying! He's been shooting them @ Kendall & I too, trying to be silly, & I told him a few minutes ago, if he does it again, I'm taking it away from him. He's been shooting the bullets on the TV, mirrors, the glass on our front door, the glass on the door going out to our back deck, & the glass on the door going out to our garage. The bullets have a long foam part but on the end there's a plastic suction piece. IT'S DRIVING ME NUTS!!!!!!!!!


Here's a few more other pics I snapped of the annoying new toy~~~~


Justin was being silly & licked the end of the bullets where the suction piece is so they'd stick to his face! It was kinda neat though, as I was snapping this pic, one of the bullets came loose & had begun falling & I caught it falling in mid air in the pic! Pretty neat I thought ;)

In this one, he put one of his wrestlers on the floor & stood him up & then was using the wrestler as "target practice" to see if he could shoot him down. As you can tell in the pic, he has pretty good aim if I do say so myself (if he could have this good aim at the toilet, I'd have it made, lol!!!!).

Isn't this the funniest thing ever?!?!? While in WalMart yesterday, Justin had to go to the bathroom & we were toward the back of the store so I took him to the bathrooms @ the back instead of walking all the way back up to the front. To get to the ones @ the back, you have to walk by the shoe department & when we did, Justin grab one of the stockings for people that try on the shoes. This morning, Justin was being silly (yet again) & was putting the stocking on his head & then put it on Kendall. He wouldn't let me take one of it on him but I was able to snap one of it on Kendall. Hey, it's all in fun :)

Well, I'm off to cook Manwich & homeade french fries~I know it's not the healthiest of meals but I need something really quick because it's been a LONG day & I've got a couple baskets of clean clothes to fold & put up before I have to give Kendall a bath around 8:30. Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend :)

 
posted by Connie at 5:49 PM |
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Catch up & Prayer request
Gosh, I hate it when it's this long in between posts but ever since school ended for Justin, it seems like ALL my days are hectic. I'm NOT complaining because I'm enjoying this extra time that I get to spend w/him & w/Kendall but I just don't seem to have the time for blogging that I used to.

And, I may be going back to work soon~on Sat. (6/16) the owner of the convenience store where Bobby works part time, talked to all the employees & told them that he was giving his stores (he owns like 9-10 throughout the county) 2 more months & if they didn't start making more money, he was selling them (apparently they're not making enough money but that's odd to me because every time we go there, the parking lots are FULL!). So, I've applied online in a county next to us about 10-15 minutes away, for a paraprofessional (teacher's asst. basically) @ their employee daycare. The pay's not great but it would suffice til I can do better. I've been meaning to post about this before now, but I realized a month or so ago when I was thinking about what I'd like to do once Kendall begins school~~I want to go back to school to become an Ultrasound Technologist! We can't have any more children because Bobby had "the "V" operation" after we had Kendall so I thought this would be the next best thing & I would enjoy it :) I know it wouldn't always be ultrasounds of babies, unless I could get a job @ a OB/GYN office, which I might try to do because I just love seeing babies in the womb. AND, I'd love to be able to tell women/couples that their babies are doing well :)

Condensed version of our weekend & week so far:

Sat.~Bobby had to work @ his part-time job so the boys & I went to my dad's for Father's day. My sister, her husband, & my nephew came & my 2 younger sisters were there as well. My Daddy had suggested to come Sat. so that Bobby & my BIL could enjoy Father's Day @ home~~what a Dad :) Anyway, we cooked burgers & dogs on the grill & made homeade vanilla ice cream. Then Justin & my nephew swam in Daddy's pool. We got my Daddy a movie & a blow up ball for his pool. We got him the movie "The Green Mile" w/Tom Hanks (LOVE him!)~has anyone ever seen that movie~~it's awesome! I was going to take pics but my camera's batteries were charging :(

Sun.~I got up & cooked breakfast (bacon, eggs, grits, biscuits-canned, & gravy) & after we ate, the boys & I gave Bobby his F Day cards. In the card from the boys, I put $50. After Kendall's nap, we went to see Bobby's dad & visited w/him for about 45 minutes~we gave him a shirt. Then after we got home, Bobby said that he'd like to have a steak but didn't really feel like cooking it himself (he had the throat stuff that the boys & I had). So, he called a couple of restaurants & both said that they don't do steak plate to go orders anymore~what the crap?!? So, he got frustrated & said he'd just go buy some & cook on the grill. He & Justin went to the grocery store & got steaks, potatoes, salad stuff, & 3 2-liter drinks. I've always told Bobby that I'd much rather have his steaks than ANY restaurants~he cooks the BEST steaks! It was YUMMY!!!!

Our week so far has been pretty much low-key~we haven't done much of anything (the boys & I). A funny though~last nite I decided that I wanted Justin & I to make chocolate oatmeal cookies after I got Kendall in bed (not that I didn't want Kendall involved but it had been a LONG day & I was ready for quiet!) & then I had the idea of submitting the recipe to my blogger friend Amber's recipe blog . After the cookies were done, I took a pic of them to send to Amber so she could include it w/the recipe. I showed Justin the pic that I had sent in the email & he said (no kidding) "It looks like throw-up on a plate"! Gee thanks, son!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, if you'd like the recipe, head on over to Amber's recipe blog~she posted it last nite~plus, I don't feel like typing it again here ;) Oh, here's a pic of the cookies~I don't think it looks like "throw up on a plate", do you?!?

(click to enlarge)


Lastly before I go, I wanted to ask a favor. I wanted to ask a prayer request of everyone. Last Monday, my Daddy was injured on his job~not life threatening, but injured nontheless. He works for a company that builds motors for Ford vehicles & John Deer tractors & lawn mowers. I'll describe the injury as best as I can. He said he in his particular job he has to use a press. He had the press in position (which is way over his head) & had it locked & was getting a part ready to be pressed. Well, the press unlocked somehow & landed on his right index (pointer) finger. He was in some terrible pain~there was nerve damage & he ended up having to have surgery last Thurs. (6/14). Then on Monday (6/18), he had to have knee surgery (it had been planned for a couple months). This makes his THIRD knee surgery. His dr. said if this surgery doesn't help he'll have to have a partial or full knee replacement surgery. I just wanted to ask everyone to keep my Daddy in your prayers :) He's VERY limited on his activities~I'll be going 2-3 times per week to do things for him. Daddy's in his mid 50's but is VERY fit & healthy for his age & doesn't like being limited in his activities!!!! In fact, we're all going this Sun. & I'm going to cut his grass for him & Bobby's going to swim in the pool w/the boys~I LOVE cutting grass! Then after I'm done cutting the grass, I'm going to get in the pool! Here's a pic of my Daddy's finger~I got my youngest sister to take a pic of it & email it to him because I wasn't able to go to his house to see it. This is a collage of his finger~the 1st one is the front of the finger on the nail & the 2cd one is the back of the finger. If everyone could say a prayer for my Daddy, it'd be much appreciated :)


(click to enlarge)



Well, that's it for today~Kendall just woke up from his nap & I need to get him & then fold some laundry & get it put up! Happy mid-week everyone :)
 
posted by Connie at 4:09 PM |
Saturday, June 16, 2007
AWESOME!
One of my aunts sent this to me today in an email & it's just awesome~~that's all I can really say, it's just awesome! Please watch it if you have time~it's about 9:08 minutes long but SO worth the watch~especially if you're a believer :) Hope everyone enjoys!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M4_IlbaZHA

 
posted by Connie at 2:47 PM |
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Last 2 weekend picture update
Wow, I haven't had alot of time to post lately~~Summer = "Busy"ness!!!! I'm really enjoying this time w/Justin & Kendall though :)

Last weekend, we didn't really do anything special~just kinda "chilled" here @ home. I took some pics of Bobby & the boys outside. Bobby's part time job is @ a convenience store that's literally 5 minutes from our house & one of the owners had an oversized golf club that he was going to throw away & Bobby asked could he have it~he told him he was going to use it w/the boys to hit golf balls in the yard. The owner said sure & he brought it home about a month ago. Last weekend, Bobby got it out & was hitting golf balls w/the boys. There's also a couple pics thrown in of Bobby & Justin when they were throwing the football, one of Kendall playing w/one of their trucks in the driveway, one of Kendall playing baseball, & some of our dog, Happy.


This past Sat. (6/9), the boys & I went to my dad's house to swim in his pool~he has an above ground pool that's about 3-ft deep. It was alot of fun & we had a blast. I took some pics, of course. I took some of Justin swimming, some of Justin w/my dad (there's a COOL one of Justin standing & my dad had just went under & was swimming underwater!), & some of Kendall on Daddy's deck (I couldn't get any of Kendall in the water because he didn't want anyone else to hold him but me & one of my sisters was on a float in the pool & couldn't take pics & my other sister was in the shower). I got a pic of Kendall sitting on Daddy's swing holding his beloved Little Bear~did anyone ever watch this show~it used to come on Nickelodeon~Justin used to watch it when he was Kendall's age & LOVED it so we bought him the bear for Christmas one year~now Kendall LOVES Little Bear. If you look closely @ the pic of Kendall holding Little Bear, you'll notice one of his eyes are missing, lol!!!! Kendall was playing w/him one day & it came out (there was actually 2 pieces, the actual eye & then there is a piece that's the eyelid). I saved the 2 parts & was going to somehow put them back but just haven't had time. Well, last nite, I performed "surgery" on Little Bear & used my glue gun & put the eye back on. Kendall did a double take when I gave Little Bear back to him, lol! Anyway, when my youngest sister got out of the shower she came out on the deck to visit w/us & I was able to snap a pic of her w/Kendall! We really had a lot of fun & we went @ the perfect time~we didn't get there til 5 PM & it was still warm out but not like in the middle of the day & the water felt sooooo good!

A family in Daddy's subdivision had a yard sale recently & Daddy went to see what they had & he got 2 lawn chairs (the ones that Kendall's poking his face thru in the picture above, lol!) & a set of wind chimes~all for $7!!!! He got a good deal! We hadn't seen the chairs or the windchimes & when we went swimming on Sat., Kendall was mesmerized by the wind chimes~they had a hummingbird hanging in the middle of the chimes. We have some wind chimes here @ home that we got after we built our house & he's always been fascinated w/those so I guess that's why. We also have a hummingbird feeder hanging on the front porch (around the ferns that I bought about a month ago) & he's fascinated w/the hummingbirds too (I am too~they're just beautiful!!!!)! I took a pic of the wind chimes @ Daddy's & kept showing it to Kendall @ Daddy's & he would "oohhh" & "aahhh" when we'd show it to him~TOO FUNNY!!!!



This Sunday (6/10), we took Justin & Kendall to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch~it was a celebration for Justin~he made his pass @ school & will begin MIDDLE SCHOOL next year~~sniff, sniff! We wanted to reward Justin for his hard work during the year & for making his pass! Anyway, that was alot of fun~other than Kendall getting scared by Chuck E. Cheese again :( I took a few pics of that as well! The 1st one was Justin on a driving game that he was playing, the 2cd one is Kendall on the Chuck E. Cheese ride that takes your picture (this doesn't scare him & we can't figure out why~go figure!), the 3rd one is of Bobby & Justin playing a basketball game shooting hoops, & the last one is "A tired-out Kendall" on the way home! It was past time for his nap so he couldn't wait! We hated to do it around his nap time but we wanted to go & get back before there was too much of a crowd!

Lastly, I wanted to post a few pics of the ferns that I got a month or so ago & some flowers that were coming up (they're dying now because of the heat :( ). You can't see it in the pic but in the one of the door, there's one on each side of the door. I have 6 ferns total but you can't tell it in the pic!


Here's one of the flowers in the flower bed in front of the front porch~I think they're called Asian Lillies~can't remember the correct name of them but they're very pretty anyways :) The 1st 2 pics are in normal range & the last 2 I did close up shots! Aren't they pretty?!?

Well, that's about it for now! I think I'm caught up! Well, I have 6-7 pics from Chuck E. Cheese where they "sketch" the picture & we had some done but this post is already long enough so I'll scan those & post those later this week! I'm off now to play w/the boys a little while & then cook some dinner!
 
posted by Connie at 3:38 PM |
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Blog review
A while back, Lisanne posted about having your blog reviewed/critiqued by Billy Mac on his blog. All you have to do is go to his blog, grab his email address (he has a link that says submit your blog~click on it & it has his email) & email him a request (w/your blog address included) to have your blog reviewed/critiqued. He has one request though; to put a link to his blog on your blog. I sent him an email a couple months ago to have my blog reviewed/critiqued & he did so on Monday (6/4/07). Head on over (if you're interested) to see what he had to say about my blog~it's about 1/2 way down the page (he puts a link to each blog he reviews at the beginning of the review). It's kinda nice to see how others rate your blog. Give it a try :)

**Here's a link to the review he did of my blog if you don't have time to head on over to his blog just yet: http://www.critiquemyblog.com/2007/06/mondays-blog-critiques.html
 
posted by Connie at 6:44 PM |
Monday, June 04, 2007
Contest
Very quickly~~I just wanted to let you all know about a contest I just came across. I stopped by the Love-Me-Knots blog that's on my blogroll & they have a contest going on @ Mums The Wurd. If you enter your name on the Linky, you have 2 chances to win a set of FIVE of their bows that they make personally. That's five bows folks~~I know most of my blogger friends have daughters so this is a GREAT chance to win FREE bows for your daughters :) Head on over & enter for your chance to win~better hurry, the contest ends this Wed. 6/6/07 :)

**When you get to the Mums The Wurd blog, the linky for the contest is the 5th entry on the page :)
 
posted by Connie at 7:38 PM |
Saturday, June 02, 2007
We're still alive :)
First of all, I just wanted to thank everyone who commented on my last post~I haven't had time to respond to each one individually like I usually do, but I wanted you all to know I did see your comments & I appreciate them SOOO much :)

Justin & I are better but I have pink eye now (Kendall had it a week & a half ago) & now Kendall's getting what Justin & I had & Bobby thinks he's getting it. Kendall Boo's been running a high fever the last 2 days~101 degrees :( Poor baby!! Then Bobby told me this afternoon before he left @ 2 to go to his part time job that his throat is very sore :( Justin went to a friend's house last nite to spend the nite & is still there & I've tried calling him a couple times this morning & afternoon but didn't get an answer. I said if I didn't hear from him soon, I was going to call his friend's mom's cell. Well, she just called me about 10 minutes ago & said she took them swimming @ a pool! I hope this doesn't make Justin have a relapse~he was just getting better yesterday! I truthfully wished she or Justin would've called me 1st to make sure it was ok~she knew he'd been sick & I sent prescription cough med. w/him last nite just in case he needed it~~DING DONG, does that give any hints, LOL!!!! Oh well, maybe he'll be fine :)

Kendall's taking a nap right now so I thought I'd have some "me" time since I haven't been blogging in a few days. Well, I've actually visited blogs but just haven't felt much like commenting & especially updating my own until today. Quite a few of the blogs that I visit have done a cute, fun, interesting quiz & I thought I'd join in. I'll post it @ the end.

I must go now & get a couple loads of laundry done & get dinner started. Kendall will be waking up soon I'm sure & Justin will be home soon. I hope everyone's having a wonderful weekend!

Here's the quiz (it's about me, don't forget that when you begin answering)~Have fun!
All About Me...



Take my quiz!

Take This Quiz See Scores Make Own Quiz
 
posted by Connie at 4:20 PM |
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Quick update
Just wanted to do a quick update~that's all I have the energy for~so that noone thinks I've vanished from the Earth, lol!

We're all sick here, except for Bobby, so that's why I haven't posted in a while. A couple weeks ago I had to take Justin to the dr. & his dr. said he had a viral throat illness~he was pitiful, it caused ulcers to develop under his tongue. It got better after 3-4 days but has re-occured~I had to take both boys to the dr. yesterday~Justin has the same throat illness & Kendall has an ear infection & the dr. said his left ear tube has already come out~BOO :( I asked him if I needed to contact the ENT about that & he said we'd wait & see & if he begins to have alot more ear infections, they he'll suggest that I contact the ENT.

I think that I have the throat illness that Justin has~on Sat. nite, I began getting sick~flu like symptoms & took some Nyquil that nite & on Sunday still felt yucky. Then on Monday, I began having a sore throat~OH MY GOSH, I've NEVER had a sore throat this bad & I have ulcers under my top lip :( My throat is so sore that it hurts to swallow. I'm continuing taking Dayquil during the day because that's the only thing that relieves my throat pain but it only lasts a couple hours & then I'm taking Nyquil @ nite. We went to WalMart today because I was out of the Dayquil & Nyquil & I had to get more & I got Justin & I some Chloraseptic throat lozenges~I took one of those about 10 minutes ago & it's helped some. When my throat 1st started getting sore, I tried taking just Tylenol because I try to take as little medicine as possible but that didn't even touch my pain~I couldn't even tell that I had taken it & I took THREE!

Anyway, that's why I haven't posted before now~& it's taking all the energy I can muster up just to do this! Justin & I slept on the couch last nite & we didn't sleep 30 minutes all nite because both our throats hurt & Justin coughed non-stop the entire nite. I've got some Children's Nyquil that has something for cough in it & we're going to try that w/him @ bedtime tonite. It may be a while before I update again because his dr. said the 1st time that Justin got this that it could take 7-10 days for this to completely go away. SO, don't give up on me, I'm still here & aliens haven't kidnapped us away from Earth ;) Hope everyone else is doing ok :)
 
posted by Connie at 6:13 PM |
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Kendall's big news & MeMe
That's right~Kendall is in the beginning stages of Potty Learning (I read in a parenting magazine that experts feel it's better to phrase it that way!) :) He's been using the potty since Thursday (5/17/07) & is getting off to a wonderful start. He's been showing signs lately of potty learning & we wanted to be completely sure 1st, because if they're not completely ready, it can cause further delay. Well, on Thursday morning, I took out his new potty that I had bought w/our income tax, & set it up. When I got Kendall up, I was changing his diaper & thought, well, I'll just try it & see. I took his diaper off & asked him did he want to use his potty & he just looked @ me & smiled @ first. I took off his diaper & took him into the boy's bathroom. I sat him on his potty & he just kinda sat there @ first & looked around. Then I asked him if he needed to tee-tee & believe it or not, he did!



I don't particularly like the way the potty itself is arranged though (Kendall didn't seem to either). The removable container that the tee-tee goes in sits even w/his privates (sorry, hope that's not TMI!!) & it went in the floor. I 1st clapped for him, hugged & kissed him, & told him "Good Job" & then cleaned it up. After I got everything cleaned up, I thought I'd try taking it apart & putting the seat part directly on the toilet & try it that way the next time! It worked like a charm! Kendall seems to like it better too :) He's used the potty SEVERAL times the last 3 days & beginning Monday, I'm going to do like I did w/Justin w/Kendall (Justin had a friend over last nite & I was busy doing things w/them & then I had to take his friend home @ 7:45 AM this morning because Justin had forgotten but the church where Bobby's dad goes had invited him to go to the mountains for a hiking trip today & he had to be @ the church @ 8:30 AM so I haven't had time today either)! When Justin was potty learning, I'd take him every 30 minutes, whether he used the potty or not, & let him sit on it & just get familar w/the process. In the beginning, some times he'd go, sometimes he wouldn't, but eventually, he began to start using it each time. Then, Bobby would take him w/him each time he went & Justin would see Bobby & he eventually "got it" :) I'm going to begin doing this w/Kendall on Monday. He's doing really well so far though, to just have been introduced to the potty on Thursday! I'm going to get a "Potty Chart" too & get LOTS of stickers ;)


So, this is how the potty is set up now & is working :) Kendall's SO proud of himself & just claps & smiles the biggest smile~& he should be proud~this is a MAJOR milestone for toddlers! We've got a little routine going that I thought was best to get established from the beginning too. He "does his business", gets down, flushes, & then we wash his hands. I said "we" wash his hands~I hold him up because he's not quite tall enough to reach the sink yet, but he does the "washing"! He's such an independent little man!



I took the potty apart, like I said, the other part folds into a stool~pretty near, huh? I thought so! It's a "Winnie-The-Pooh" potty too, which Kendall LOVES~he just LOVES Pooh! After Kendall flushes, he positions the stool "just right" in front of the sink & stands up there to wash his hands, but like I said, isn't quite tall enough yet to reach the water coming out. But, he'll get there :) We're SO proud of our little man~he's doing SO good in just the 3 short days that he's been using the potty. I know that this is just the beginning, but he's just doing so well. I realize too that it may take awhile, remember, we helped Justin potty learn ;) But, Kendall's off to a WONDERFUL start!



Now, onto other things! My great blogger friend Shanilie tagged me for a MeMe that I thought I'd participate in. What you do is say 10 things that would happen/what you would do if you didn't blog. Then tag 5 people @ the end of the post. Be sure to send a message telling those you tagged that they've been tagged.


What would happen if I didn't blog


1) My house would probably be a little more clean. I keep it clean now but it would probably be "spic & span clean" if I didn't blog.


2) It would be a little harder for me to remember certain things~my blog is a means of documentation.


3) I'd probably be better @ not letting my email get backed up.


4) I wouldn't have "met" some of my great blogger friends!


5) My laundry might stay caught up ;)


6) I wouldn't have an online support group.


7) I wouldn't have yet another way to "share" my children & family.


8) I'd be lost~on the days that Bobby has to work @ both his jobs, sometimes my blog is my only "adult conversation".


9) I'd probably make more time to exercise.


10) I'd get our master bedroom closet organized. It's neat & you CAN walk in it, but I need to work in it & get it more organized.


I'm not tagging anyone specifically (I know that's in the rules, but...) but if anyone's interested, knock yourselves out ;) If you do participate, let me know so I can read your answers!


Well, that's it for today~Justin should be arriving back @ the church any minute now & I'm going to get off of here & spend some time w/my family & get some of my never ending laundry done ;) Hope everyone's having a fantastic weekend!!!! :)
 
posted by Connie at 3:32 PM |
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Who is Who?!?!? Can you tell?!?!?
I wanted to have a little fun & see if any of my readers can guess correctly...
***Updated*** I failed to mention that they are both 2 years old in these pics!



Which is Justin & which is Kendall?!?!? If you click on the pics, you can view them larger.

Oh, Shanilie, I'm sorry I didn't get to the tag today~it's been a LONG day, I'll try my very best to get to it tomorrow, ok :)
 
posted by Connie at 11:38 PM |
Monday, May 14, 2007
Randomness
I hope that everyone had a fantastic Mother's Day! I had a wonderful one! Let me just say first off that I would've been content just spending time w/Bobby & the boys~I ended up getting gifts but I would've been completely satisfied if I hadn't & just had some quality time spent w/them ;)

We celebrated on Sat. though because Bobby had to work @ his part-time job on Sunday. He spent the 1st 1/2 of the day w/his brother plowing a garden up @ his dad's house that's 10 seconds up the road from us & then they planted some veggies & fruits (okra, corn, squash, green beans, tomatoes, & watermelons~my favorite fruit!~I can't wait til they come up!). Then, when he got home, he took Justin w/him & left while Kendall was taking a nap.

When he got back, he had bought steaks & baked potatoes to cook on the grill for me. I've ALWAYS told him I'd rather have a steak that he cooks than one from a steak house & I would~he cooks AWESOME steaks! He also got lettuce & tomatoes for salad. YUMMY!



When Bobby got the baked potatoes going on the grill, he came in & took the boys to our bedroom & stayed for about 5 minutes & called for me to close my eyes & when I opened them, Justin was holding some roses & Kendall was holding a card & they handed them to me. There were red & peach colored roses! I opened & read the card, which was very sweet btw & made me cry, & there was $50 inside! I put the roses in a vase & asked Bobby if he minded if Justin & I went to Bath & Body Works~they have a new scented product that I've been wanting to try. He said he didn't mind cause the potatoes still had a while to cook & he also still had to cook the steaks. So, off Justin & I went. We went to Bath & Body Works & I got some of the new scented stuff I've been wanting~2 containers of Shower Gel, 1 Body Spray, 1 Lotion, & 1 Anti-bacterial Hand Soap w/beads~in the Wild Honeysuckle scent & it smells awesome! I had like $13 left & we stopped @ WalMart on the way home & I gave it to Justin & let him get a wrestler that he's been wanting ;) Here's a pic of my roses & my goodies from Bath & Body Works.




When Justin & I got back home, the food was ready & we all ate. It.was.delicious!!!! It was a great Mother's Day & I am SO blessed to have such a thoughtful husband & the BEST children a Mother could ever wish for :) Like I said before, it would've been just as great a Mother's Day if I hadn't received any gifts :)

Today, I went back to Bath & Body works because my best friend's daugter's b-day is this Fri. (5/18)~she'll be 12 & I was going to get her a gift card. Bobby got paid from his part-time job this morning (OH, I forogt to mention~one of my other gifts for Mother's Day~he told me Sat. that he was off this week from his full-time job for vacation!) & he told me to go ahead & go while he had the money. I had told him when I went Sat. that the salesperson when I went told me about a sale they're having that ended today where you can get 4 for $10 on the antibacterial hand soap. So, he told me while I was there, to get me some! Isn't he sweet!!!!
The four I got were: Sweet Pea, Cherry Blossom, Sun-Ripened Raspberry, & Sparkling Peach! The 4 for $10 sale ended today but the salesperson told me today that the normal price for those are 3 for $10 so I'm going to go back before next Thursday & get Justin's teacher 3 for end of the year. Their last day is Fri. the 25th but his class is having their end of the year party on Thursday so noone will miss it because parents usually check their children out early on the last day.
OK, I've got 1 more thing to post about & then I'm heading to bed~it's been a LONG day! I've been tageed alot recently by a few people (Shanilie, Summer, & Wendy) & was just tagged yesterday by Jessica & have not had time until now to do the meme. So, I'm going to take a few minutes now & do this. Sorry to the first 3 that it took me so long to get to this~I wasn't ignoring you, just haven't had time ;)
Here are the rules: Each playerstarts w/7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their blogs about their 7 things, as well as the rules. You need to choose 7 people to tag & list their names. Then leave them a comment on their blog telling them they've been tagged & to read your blog.
7 Random Facts/Habits About Me
1) I am OCD about clean hands & teeth brushing. I keep hand sanitizer @ home @ all times & keep a small container in Kendall's small diaper bag. I also brush my teeth every time I eat something (unless I'm out) & I make my boys brush after breakfast & before bedtime.
2) I am VERY shy~sometimes I get mistaken as being "snooty/stuck up" but in reality I'm not, just VERY shy.
3) I have a severe phobia of heights.
4) I always wanted to be a Mommy when I was growing up & now I'm blessed w/2 precioius boys & I have a son (Spencer Lee) that was stillborn in 2002.
5) Bobby & I only dated 6 months before we got married & have been together ever since~~17 years!
6) I LOVED being pregnant! In fact, one of my best friends is having fertility issues due to having Lupus & I've offered several times to be a surrogate for her & her husband. They're exploring all avenues 1st & were *THIS* close to adopting a little newborn baby girl but after a month, the dad decided he didn't want to give the baby up for adoption. My friend would make a wonderful Mom & dreams of it & I'd LOVE to be able to help her achieve that dream :)
7) I love buying/collecting pens! I know it seems weird but I do. I have 2 pen/pencil containers on my desk full of pens. I have some in my kitchen drawer closest to my fridge (I have a calendar on front of my fridge held up by magnets & I have to have something to write on my calendar with ;). I also have some in my purse & in my car!
There you have it~there's my facts! I'm tagging: Becca, Chas, Hannah, Amber, Ute, Shannon, & Lisanne
 
posted by Connie at 11:03 PM |
Friday, May 11, 2007
Field Day, Justin's science project, & Mother's Day
Yesterday was Field Day for Justin's class (& the entire 5th grade) & he wanted me to go so I packed up a beach towel for him & a blanket, some Gatorade & water, sunscreen & made a day of it. I got Kendall up around 7:30 AM yesterday morning & we headed to the school. When we got to Justin's room, his teacher told me they were just going to be doing some morning work so if I wanted to, I could go ahead & head on over to the park where they were having Field Day.

I went ahead & left~it was a good idea anyway because Kendall still had not had breakfast & he loves his food (unless he's sick). After I got to the park & got a good parking spot, I gave Kendall a Strawberry Cheesecake muffin & some juice. He ate that & was good to go, lol! The 5th grade classes arrived about 20 minutes later & after finding a shady spot to put all the coolers, the day began. I put Kendall in his stroller & pulled the visor over him & he was set~everyone that saw him kept on commenting on how he had it "made in the shade", lol!



Justin really enjoyed Field Day~a few weeks ago, he told me he didn't want to go but I think now he's glad he participated! I'll share a few pics from the day.



This is a collage of Justin~In the 1st pic, I got him to stand off alone for a sec & I snapped one of him, a good pic of him in my opinion ;) The 2cd one, he was standing in line waiting to participate in an event. The 3rd one, he was participating in an event called "Carry all you can" & it's alot harder than it looks but he did remarkably well! He ran from one end of the field to the other w/out dropping anything (that was the object of the event, to try to get from one end to the other w/out dropping anything), & the 4th one is of him in action on his way back down the field :)



This is a couple shots of a girl in Justin's class that he likes! Her name is Shelby. He'd have a fit if he knew I was posting this ;)
Here's some various shots. I wanted to take more but after taking these, my camera batteries died :(

The Field Day Event was from 9 AM-1 PM & when it was over, parents were allowed to go ahead & check their child out if they wished so Justin was all for that, lol! After it was over, we came home & I fixed the boys lunch & then put Kendall down for a much.needed.nap! While Kendall was napping, Justin & I finished up his science project that was due today. It turned out really well if I do say so myself! Justin did a fantastic job (w/a LITTLE help from me). Here's some shots of his science project~it's a model of a Nitrogen Atom.









The 1st pic above is taken in segments. For the project, I used part of a diaper box~hey, it works! The 1st pic was a shot of his name, the 2cd one was facts about Nitrogen, the 3rd was the actual Nitrogen Atom Model, & the 4th is a legend that was at the bottom. Then I added just a close up of the actual Nitrogen Model. I sure hope he gets a good grade on this~his teacher said she's going to count it as TWO TEST GRADES! He really needs a good grade~he's got a 68 average in science & needs a good grade to pull that grade up for the year. Wish him luck :)



Lastly, I want to wish each of my dear blogger friends who are Mother's a wonderful Mother's Day this coming Sunday :) I wanted to leave w/an email that one of my aunts sent me this week. It's a bit lengthy but SO SO worth the read! Have a terrific, Mother's Day weekend everyone :)


Mothers

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer weiners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here."

Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purses.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And for all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And, the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.

For all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football/soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me Mom?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world", and meant it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.

This if for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the (grand) mothers who wanted to but just couldn't find the right words.

For all the mothers who go hungry so their children can eat.

For all the mothers who red "Goodnight Moon" twice a night for a year. And then read it again, "Just one more time".

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home~or even away at college.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up~RIght away.

This is for the mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

This is for all the step-mothers and grandmothers who raised another woman's child or children, and gave their time, attention, and love...sometimes totally unappreciated.

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14-year olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting.

For all the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their tv's in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

For all the mothers who have lost their children before they were ready to let them go, but understands that God is in control, and he had a bigger plan.

This if for all the mothers who comforted their teenager who is certain that life will never be the same because they have just lost that dear friend.

This is for the mothers that all of the teenagers come to and say, "Thank you for always taking care of us, watching out for us, and just being there."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son/daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time, or that deep sinking feeling, when you walk into that empty room after they have left for college? The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 AM to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby? The panic, years later, that comes again when you just want to hear their key in the door, or hear that roaring truck coming down the drive way and know they are safe again in your home? Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, or a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation...And mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.

Single mothers and married mothers.

Mothers with money, mothers without.

This is for you all.

For all of us.

Hang in there.

In the end, we can only do the best we can.

Tell them EVERY day that we love them.

And PRAY...
 
posted by Connie at 4:20 PM |
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Much needed update!
Whew, this has been a VERY busy last 2 weeks! Sorry for the long absence but I've been running like a chicken w/my head cut off for the last couple weeks!


On May 1st, Justin had his surgery. The ENT removed the wax & his other ear tube (the one he got put in when he was 2 1/2!) & luckily said that he didn't need ear tubes put in again :) The worst part for Justin was getting the IV put in his arm. He was very brave, I was proud of him. But this was his 1st time having one & he screamed a little when they put it in. They gave him a shot 1st that's supposed to numb the skin so you don't feel the bigger IV needle but Justin said it didn't numb it. Th surgery took 15 minutes tops, no kidding! He had to stay in recovery almost an hour though. I took some before pictures of him w/his hospital gown, socks, & hat on & then some of him in the recovery room.



The 1st one is of him in his hospital gown & hat, the 2cd one is of the hospital socks (that he got to keep ;), the 3rd is of the IV in his arm, & the 4th is of him in the recovery hospital bed, just after he woke up.

Saturday May 5th we had Kendall's b-day party! His actual b-day was April 28th & I wanted to have the party then but one of Bobby's sister's couldn't make it so we had it May 5th. It was a BLAST!!!! We had 24 people & us, 28 total, & it was a great party. Kendall was beside himself!!!! When everyone arrived, we all sat & stood around & socialized for a bit & the kids were either playing in the entertainment room/outside on the swingset. We probably socialized for about 20 minutes & then I asked everyone to come into the dining room to sing Happy Birthday to Kendall & eat cake. We sang to him & when it was time to blow out the candle, he did it very softly at first, & then after demonstrations from Bobby, Justin, & I~he finally blew it out :) I also had chips & dip, peanuts, & lots of 2-Liter soft drinks to choose from. After about 30 minutes (I wanted to give everyone time to eat & socialize some more), it was time for Kendall to open his gifts. MAN, did he get alot of gifts~it was like Christmas all over again! He'd open one gift & play w/it a few minutes & then go to the next. He was mesmerized! I think more importantly though, he could've had ZERO gifts & would still have had a wonderful time because he knew that everyone that was there, loved him :) Here's some pics from the party:



The 1st one is of the cake~it was a Happy Feet themed cake & party~we had it made @ WalMart & they did an excellent job! The 2cd one is of the dining room complete w/Kendall in his highchair & balloons. The rest of the pics are of him & the cake & him eating the cake :) I'm going to post an individual one of the cake & dining room though for more detail:



Here's one of just the cake. Didn't WalMart do an excellent job?!? We were very pleased & it was priced very reasonably~$26.47! Kendall LOVES the penguin that's behind the "2" & it's a good thing~it's real, a stuffed penguin. It has a small, circular piece of velcro that attached to a clear circular piece of plastic on the cake that also had a small piece of velcro.



This is a pic of the dining room before everyone came in there. If you'll look closely, you can see Kendall in his highchair~waiting patiently :)







Here's a collage of him opening his gifts~this isn't all of the gifts (if I tried to collage them all, they might not fit onto a page, lol!). This is just some of the good shots of them. My 20 year old sister, Lydia, took pics of the whole day for me~thank you SO much, Lydia :) At the beginning, I forgot to tell her to flip up the flash, so some of them were a little blurry (guess that important info. would've helped, huh!!!).






This was Kendall's most favorite gift~it's a Diego (from Dora The Explorer) plastic tricycle/big wheel~from my best friend, her husband, & their daughter. He LOVES this! We took the boys outside to play after everyone left & he rode this non-stop the whole time we were outside! He cried when we had to come in & wanted to bring it inside so we brought it in. After his bath, he rode it until bedtime!


I've also been busy w/Justin & things going on w/school. He's got a major science project that's due this Fri. (5/11)~he has to build a model of a Nitrogen Atom! I don't remember doing anything of that magnitude until 8th/9th grade! I took him to the local library Sun. afternoon to try to find some books w/some pictures so we'd at least have a general idea of what I needed to buy for him to make it. I found ONE book that showed just a general picture of an atom~it was just an atom, not a nitrogen atom. I've also been looking online for a few days & found a better pic online.

Then, last nite, it was Parent's Nite @ the Middle School where he'll be going next year~GASP! My baby starts middle school next year! I'm excited & nervous at the same time. I'm not worried about him but there's SO much more that they're exposed to when they begin middle school. It was a nice time @ Parent's Nite though!


Today I had to take Justin to the dr. when he got home from school for a check up from when he was sick last. Then after we left there, I had to run to WalMart to get a few groceries & get all the supplies we need for him to do his science project. We're starting tomorrow when he gets home from school & are doing his project because he doesn't have any homework tomorrow or Thursday nite so we're getting his project done TOMORROW so he won't be rushing & last minute trying to get it done~he tends to do that!!

That catches me up, LOL~I'm heading to bed~I haven't felt too good the past couple days~a few days last week, I had a sore throat & was achy but it got better toward the end of the week. But yesterday, I started feeling yucky again, not a sore throat but I just felt achy & had a terrible headache & my chest was hurting really bad, like there was alot of congestion in there. So, I'm going to head to bed & get some rest! Before I leave I'm going to leave w/some pics of Kendall from birth til now:






This is Kendall shortly after he was born 4/28/05







This is Kendall @ his 1 year b-day party 4/29/06








This is Kendall on his 2cd b-day 4/28/07
 
posted by Connie at 10:27 PM |
Saturday, April 28, 2007
4:09 PM~~Never Be One
My precious Kendall Boo,

Today @ 4:09 PM, you turned 2 years old. It was very sentimental for me as I remembered everything about the day you were born. These 2 years have FLOWN by & it seems like just yesterday that you were born.



You have changed & grown so much & are just your little person w/your own little personality. You have the sweetest, caring nature about you & are just so compassionate toward others. You're very independent & want to do EVERYTHING for yourself~which is a good thing :) You also amaze me @ how intelligent you are~you amaze me every single day! I receive monthly emails from babycenter.com & up until today, in those emails they referred to you as a toddler. WELL, I received one today & they referred to you as a (gasp) PRESCHOOLER!!!! Sniff Sniff, I need a tissue :(

We took you to a speech & lanuage pathogist on 4/19/07 because we were worried that you're not saying around 50 words like all the books & magazines say you should be. She agreed that we need to come in weekly & also suggested some things we can do here @ home to help you. For the last month or so though, I've been gradually taking your beloved paci away during the day while you're playing to see if that would help some. When I first started doing this, I'd do it in 30 minute intervals & have slowly increased the time. Now, I take it when you first wake up in the mornings & only give it to you @ naptime & bedtime. What a difference this has made~your speech is BLOSSOMING!!!! You're now saying 2 word sentences~~like this morning for instance, you pushed one of your toy trucks & said, "Good job"! :) I always say this to you when you do anything good :) And the other day, your daddy brought you in from being outside & I was in the kitchen cooking dinner & you said, "There MaMa"~meaning there's mama! :)

You can point to ALL of your body parts when I ask you & you can tell me what a dog, cat, & cow says! A couple days ago, you said "Yeah" & "Yay". I'm really just wondering if you were just focused on all of the physical milestones & are just now beginning to focus on your speech. I'm still going to continue seeing the speech & language pathologist, just in case!

Today we didn't have your birthday party, although it was MY wish to have it today, but one of your aunts (one of your dad's sisters) couldn't make it so we opted to schedule your party for next Sat.~5/5/07. I'm really excited & can't wait~we're doing it in the "Happy Feet" theme because you love the penguins!!!! Although we're not having your party til next Sat., we HAD to do a little something today. We got you up & had breakfast & then took you outside to play for a little while on your new swingset, which you LOVE :) Then we came in for lunch & after lunch, your dad & Justin went over to your uncles (his brothers) house to help him build a tire swing & monkey bars for your cousin. I got an idea from Chas to take a picture of you @ the EXACT time you were born & you were still asleep so I turned off the sound on my digital camera & came in to take a picture of you & the flash woke you up. Then you sat up & yawned, then you smiled at me, & then you stood up. But, these were taken @ exactly 4:09 PM~the time that you were born 2 years ago :)




After your nap, I got you up & I took a shower & got ready because I made an appt. to have your 2 year pictures taken. If I didn't get to have your b-day party on your actual b-day, I was going make sure I had your pictures done ;) You did wonderfully for your pictures. The lady that took them said they'd be back on May 17th but I'm going to call a week before that to see if they're in~sometimes that happens, they'll come in early. Anyway, I can't wait to get them back!

After we had your pictures done, we went to Dairy Queen & got a small ice cream cake for your birthday to have after dinner. Before dinner though, Daddy took you & Justin outside & you all wrote on the driveway w/sidewalk chalk :) I used the "2" candle that I'm going to use for your party on 5/5/07 & lit it & at first, you wouldn't try to blow out the candle. Then Daddy, Justin, & I told you to blow it out & showed you & you did it! You had ALOT of fun w/the cake :) Then after you finished your cake, we got you ready for bed. I took a pic of you & Daddy together. I was going to try to get one of you w/Daddy, one of you w/Justin, & one of you w/me & then one of ALL of us but you were too tired & ready to go to bed.

It was a great day & I hope that you had a good birthday! It's going to be alot of fun next Sat., 5/5/07 for your b-day party!
I love you my sweet, precious Kendall Boo, you enrich my life in EVERY way! You complete our family :) Happy 2cd Birthday!!
I love you Always & Forever,
Mama
**When my younger sisters were little, my dad & (then) step-mom introduced me to a song by Alabama titled, Never Be One & I played it when Justin turned 2 & I played it today in honor of you turning 2. It talks about a little girl in the song but I just change the word girl to boy! I CAN NOT listen to this song w/out crying, I just can't~it's one of those VERY sentimental songs! Here are the words to this song:
Never Be One by Alabama
Drift off and dream in your paper-doll world.
Play with the presents from the boys and the girls.
Your big day is over, the cake is all gone.
We sang you to sleep with the birthday song
Chorus:
No you'll never be one again.
The two's are tumbling on in.
Daddy's little girl is growing up in the world.
You'll never be one again.
The toy piano is quiet in the hall.
As Kermie the frog sits watching it all.
And soon your legs will grow and make the tricycle go.
And take you away from us all.
Chorus:
No you'll never be one again.
The two's are tumbling on in.
Daddy's little girl is growing up in the world.
You'll never be one again.
Goodnight, Baby (Dad's voice)
Goodnight, Daddy (child's voice)
 
posted by Connie at 11:38 PM |
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Partners In Crime


Got this from Hannah~~thanks Hannah :) Visit this site & make your own :) Have fun!


P.S. I came across this site that is a 2 woman & friend "team" that have their own business making beautiful bows for girls hair. Hop on over to their site now~they have a contest going on as we speak, their 2cd one in fact, & you "name" their bow & if they choose your name suggestion, you WIN the bow! How awesome! I thought that my readers that have daughters would especially be interested & even if you don't have daughters (like me~but I have lots of friends that have daughters that I could give it to as gifts ;) , you could give it as a gift if you won it :) The current contest ends this Sat. April 28th so hurry on over! The site is (click on picture):

 
posted by Connie at 10:01 AM |