Saturday, September 27, 2008




Here are a couple of fair pics. N looks so much older than he is here. Sometimes he has this look, way beyond his years.

The other one is them experiencing thier very first carnival ride.




Do you think she loves her daddy? I do.


This is A. He LOVES to sing. Its especially fun for him when he is in the bathroom. We can hear him ALL over the house. Here he is singing at the foster parent appreciation picnic. Isnt he cute?

More camping pictures


Camping pictures





Here are some random pics of our camping trip:

Back to school pics



Here are Sasha and Nick's (fake names)back to school pics

Some pictures of our summer



Football practice



Well, N had his first football practice today. He was so excited and his attitude was awesome, he was just having fun. Unfortunately while on the playground with a couple of his team mates afterwards, Im afraid he learned some words from one of them. This kid's mouth was filthy, and he was spitting all over the place. Yay.

I look over at my daughter and shes standing off to the side with her hands on her hips SPITTING, just like this kid. Of course, we had a talk.

Im thinking about never letting them out of the house again. Anyway, here are a couple of football pictures.

Frantic

So, I have talked to my cousin and my best friend, both who live hours and hours from me and told them (yes, for the first time) about this blog. I also promised they would see some kid pictures. So, I realized I must put more on here, so here it goes. I will try to post our recent events in a day or so too. So, Karla, Jacki, if you are reading, Im posting pictures, so keep checking!

A bowl of horses



I used to have fruit in my fruit bowl in my kitchen. This is what I found in my fruit bowl the other day...

Monday, September 15, 2008

Slacking...

...once again. Im not very good at this blog thing. I cant do it everyday like Id like to. I do have excuses though, which I feel are valid. First of all, I do have a job (which Im supposed to be doing now). Im also in school.

Right now I should be turning in a paper on the foundations of psychology. The paper is done, I just havent made my way over to turn it in yet. Also, I have a learning team assignment, that I must finish. But...here I am. I dont even really have anything to say right now. Oh besides my folks are back from Hawaii and they brought back some nice gifts.

Oh, I guess I could talk about dogs. I fell in love again this weekend. We were supposed to be buying warm winter pj's for the kids, and wound up in PetCo where they were having an adoption day.

First there was Trip, a min pin cross. He was awesome, and I thought I might like to take him home, if my hub wouldnt kill me. So, I patted Trip and continued down the aisle of rescue dogs.

Then I saw her....

Her name was Patti. She is, dont laugh because I know you will want to, a bassett hound/Mastiff. Yep, you read that right. I was, and still am, in love. She comes a little past my knee, she is long like a bassett, fawn colored like Mastiffs can be, and huge and thick like a Mastiff. She has basset ears and jowls, and she has a tail that will break your nose if she wags it at your face.

Sigh. I couldnt NOT try to convince the hub, so I called him. He was at the time at a friends house with some other buddies playing cards.

ME: Hi, honey. Hear me out please.

HIM: (sighs) What is it, honey?

ME: There is a dog, her name is Patti, she is a basset/mastiff, she is soooo sweet and loves kids and youve never seen anything like her! Im serious you will love her. I am in love and I know you would be too.

HIM: OH, what color?

ME: Fawn colored like a mastiff

HIM: (sounding enthused, thus making my hopes shoot up),OH, fawn? Is she spayed?

ME: YEP! And she is housetrained...

HIM: What else?

ME: Thats it...

HIM: NO.

This is where I hear laughter in the background, his man friends thought the whole thing was funny. Oh and he hung up. Of course, I called him right back.

ME: Thats not funny (although I was smiling a little)

HIM: I know, it was for effect. Im sorry honey, but two dogs and three kids is enough for now. Maybe in a year we can get another dog for the kids.

ME: OK.

So, it was short lived, but I did love Patti. Oh, Patti, I hope you get a home....She is on Petfinder too, under Out West Pet Rescue, in Prosser WA, if anyone wants to look. Type in Bassett and she will come up. The pictures dont do her justice, she is soooo sweet.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Corrupting my mother

My parents and brother are in Hawaii,and they call every night at my insistance. I want to hear it ALL.

Apparently, they went to a coffee plantation and sampled and bought coffee. My mother doesnt drink coffee. Never has. Infact, a day or so before she left she told me I needed to "break that nasty addiction" because I hadnt had my coffee and I was quite angry about it.

At the plantation, she had coffee!! Some coconut, caramel type. As my brother was telling me this, I just couldnt believe it.

Will: Guess what she might try later?

Me: Uh, Cigarrettes? (she has never smoked either)

He repeats this to my mother, who laughs maniacally (I love this word).

Will: Some White Zinfidell that I bought.

Me: (speechless for a moment)..you're evil.

She doesnt, nor did she ever drink. What is happening to my mother? In the back ground she says something like, "I only have about ten more years to live".

Me: Tell her to shut up (I hate it when she talks about her dying)

My mother has the most rich, morbid sense of humor for such a sweet lady. She does. She says things that you do not expect her to say. Last year she said the new young Dr that was working at her doctors office was "eye candy". Ok, thats not morbid, but it is not something that you would expect from her. I guess her humor is shocking, although it can be morbid.

Ok, its against my better judgement to tell you this, but here it is. Please dont judge, she really is the nicest lady and would never make light of tragedy.

One day last summer I took her for a (very slow) ride on the sea doo. We figured the safest way for her to get on was if she got on while the machine was on the trailor. Once she got on it on the trailor we backed it into the water. While hub was backing and I was controlling the rope tied to the sea doo, and she was easing down the ramp into the water, she made a comment about Susan Smith-remember the woman who drove her van into a lake with her two boys inside? Yeah, it was shocking, but also, in a wierd way, very funny.

For one thing I didnt realize she even remembered that, let alone the woman's name.

Much to my relief, she took one sip of the wine and thought it was gross. Phew.

Its retro photo time!!!




This is in honor of my big brother, who will have a birthday in a week. He is in Hawaii, enjoying himself right now. Jerk. Just kidding, Will!!! Remember, after you put the parents to bed, go have a banana daqauri for me!

This is me with my grandpa Carl and my brother. I would try and say something amusing here, but I honestly cant think of a thing.

British Zombies on the wrong side of the road.

I was enjoying a little bit of one on one time with Adam the other day, while the other two were at school, and before he had to go to kinder. We played with his little electric train set. It has a barn, farm animals and a store with an ATM maching on the outside. There is also a man and woman and a car, among other things, like trees, and stop signs.

Anyway, I was setting up the track better and he was playing with the figures behind me. There is also a red phone booth too. Which I think is strange. Is this a train in LONDON? Has the little car been driving on the wrong side of the road all this time? We we making the little people violate traffic laws? I just dont know why they made the phone booth red unless it is an English train set, which its not.

Anyway, I digress. I had to get that off my chest, so thanks for listening. Anyway, while playing I hear Adam say:

"Please, I have to save my wife" and he has the little man in the telephone booth. So, because Im dying to know, I ask.

"What is wrong with his wife?"

"The Police were killing her"

Me: "What? They are killing her?"

Adam: "No, she is just wounded".

Me: "Oh, what happened?" (Now Im really involved and must know EVERYTHING)

Adam: "They were arresting her and she didnt even DO anything".

Me: "wow."

He brings the car and the couple around to the middle of the tracks where there are roads. I notice that just the lady is in the car, driving. I ask where her husband is. Adam points to the spot where he just laid the husband, by the store.

Adam: He is buried there.

Me: what?

Adam: He is dead. Oh, wait, now hes alive.

He puts the husband back into the car with the wife. Who, Im sure was terrified because her dead and buried husband is now sitting NEXT to her. He is also probably telling her how to drive too.

Then he puts them both into the store

Adam: Its a restaraunt. They are spending the night.

Me: Why dont they go home?

Adam: Their house is broke down. It had a fire in it.

Me: Oh no. What happened? (see why I keep asking?)

Adam: They had a kid, and he was playing with the remote and it started a fire.

Me: Where is the kid?

Adam: He is dead.

I say nothing now because all the death stuff is worrying me.

Adam: No, he is just wounded.

Me: Oh, good. Is he in the hospital?

Adam: No, he is in the restaraunt.

So, I was quite entertained for a while, but now I have to wonder where he gets this stuff? Actually, Im not so sure I want to know. I was a little relieved he was leaving the little plastic Stephen King storyland and going off to cut out shapes of squirrells, color pictures of mice and apples. Its tough being five.

You go, girl!!!

My girl is making me so proud lately. Her brother often runs at the mouth, and runs and runs. He is famous for talking for them too, and I guess that comes being the oldest in an unsafe environment and also in several unfamiliar environments. I guess its all part of the parentification which happens with an older sibling in the system.

Anyway, I made oatmeal cookies with dried cranberries instead of raisins, since dh doesnt do raisins and either does my daughter. She started picking the cranberries out, and said she doesnt like them either. This was Nicks clue to begin a discertation about whether or not she likes cranberries, because she ate them at summer day camp and said they were good.

My girl, pipes up, cutting him off and says..."Nick, I dont need you to speak for me". You go girl!!!!

Supplies..and bad service.

Im going to go back in time a little here and talk about school supply shopping. I know, I should have posted when it happened, but hey, Im BUSY, give me a break.

I took (dragged) my mother along with me. Just kidding, she loves to go with the kids and I, she likes seeing revenge unfold before her eyes. She actually giggles sometimes when Im struggling with normal behavioral crap.

Anyway, first we went to Bi M#rt, which is not evil like Wal M#rt, and had great success checking off things on the list. I had to buy supplies for THREE. It was unreal, I felt like I owned my own store or something. When I was a kid, all I had to bring was lunch and a pencil. Boy, those days are gone.

Anyway a couple hundred dollars later we had everything. First I had to ask experienced mothers in the store what certain things meant. I was confused a few times, but Im ok now. I think.

During the first part of the day, I let my mother out of the car so she could go to a weight watchers meeting. I usually go, but didnt feel like taking all three kids in and threatening them to be quiet when I knew they had a long day of shopping ahead of them. So we waited in the car and I seperated the supplies into three different bags of who needs what.

This is all very boring to read so far, Im sure, but Im sorry. Here is where it got interesting for the first time that day. When my mom got into the car she thanked us for waiting while she went to the meeting.

S said:

"Well, it wasnt MY idea". Ok.

We had lunch out and everyone was good. None of the past restaraunt behavior crept up. L didnt reach his fingers into my Mom's food this time. I dont think he will ever do that again, I may have made my point.

We had to drive into the big city for hair cuts and shoes. The hair cuts went well, and S got another new hair cut that I LOVE on her. The boys got thier same cute hair cuts.

After we went everywhere for shoes that I LIKED but werent priced ridiculously, we were hungry and it was dinner time believe it or not. We had dinner at Sh#ri's because of the free kids meals. Never again, at least not THAT Sh#ri's. The service was HORRIBLE. The manager was standing right there and didnt lift a finger as we were ignored for 20 minutes without any drinks or menus. There were only two other tables with people at them. I would have left, but I was too tired. Our food got their quickly, and so I felt better, and decided the kids were so good that they deserved desert. So, when the lady asked if we wanted desert I said "yes". She gave us desert menus and then disappeared never to be seen again. Another 20 minutes. That time I said, "lets go". I spoke my mind to the manager who didnt apologize or anything! It was awful. I went elsewhere and got the kids shakes, so they were happy.

I was livid, but Adam said something that made my mom and I bust into hysterics. Mom and I were quiet in the front seat and the kids were chatting and nothing caught our ear until we heard Adam say:

"You just ate a dead horse. Let me smell your breath". They say the darndest things, and it was right on time. We needed the laugh.

Thursday, September 4, 2008


Here is what MY dog does while S is at school and she forgets to shut her bedroom door. I told him he better not be pining for her because he is MINE and I will be mad.

School Daze

Well, it happened. School. Yay, I think. Of course the only time this really effects me is when it is Friday and a Friday when there is PM Kindergarten, apparently. On these days, I have THREE WHOLE HOURS to myself. I work all other days that they are in school so, its just like summer. If that makes any sense.

The night before school started S could hardly contain herself, she was so psyched, and I think it had everything to do with getting to wear new clothes. She got another new haircut and looks adorable.

Nick was scared and nervous about school. Ill go into that more on my next entry, so be warned. Day two was yesterday and he had a much better day than day one. It seems like he has made a few friends, and was happily recounting for me the game of two hand touch football he played at recess. I think he likes a girl too, because he mentioned she reminded him of his friend, L who he adores. He came in "second" in a math quiz, behind the girl he sits next to.

Adam is quiet about school, he says he likes it and tries to run out the door with his back pack on 15 minutes before its time to go. He cuts, colors and sings all day as far as I can tell. I wanna do that all day too. Life is not fair.