The Gilmore's

boys will be boys

2009-11-09T13:59:00.005-06:00

We get to play with this character when we come to PA.

He's quite a hamball.

He's hilarious to watch.

Oh, and his name is Carter.

But he goes by Gus.

It's his wrestling name, I'm convinced.

He's requesting that Charlie, my 2 year old, change his diaper.

This must be how he ropes his next victim in...

watch.

Charlie figured out what was going on and ran the opposite direction, out the door and down the street.

Carter was upset that his mommy had to change his diaper instead and decided to take it out on my sweet innocent son.

Just kidding.

A wrestling match ignited and there was no stopping it.

Chelsea (Carter's mom) and myself stood at the two corners of the wrestling match and protected our wrestlers from any harm a couch corner or desk could bring.

Oh, and we laughed. A lot.

Did I mention Chelsea has another boy growing in her belly?

This should add even more fun in the years to come when these guys decide to duke it out on the floor at the drop of a hat.

Believe it or not, there were no tears shed during this wrestling match.

Chelsea and I were counting down, just waiting to rush in and console our babies, then throw them back in the ring.

It never came.

And might I add that this little guy, Carter, the youngest of the group, was one tough cookie.

He must wrestle with his dad, I thought.

I fear this would be my plight IF, big IF, I were to go and get myself impregnated, yet again.

'Cause you know it would be a boy....as my husband says, "We Gilmore's don't make girls..."

blah.

My life would be one big wrestling match.

Things were starting to migrate into the next room.

These two have each other in a head lock.

Then a thought crossed their minds that it could be naptime.

"What's that mom? You said nap?"

Charlie: "HECK no! I gotta beat this little dude. He's waaaay smaller than me. I gotta make my daddy proud."

Carter: "I own you."

.....to be continued.

Indian Summer

2009-11-08T19:59:00.004-06:00

We are in PA for the week! Inevitably it's warm today [70 degrees today].
We headed to Blue Spruce park to soak up some sunshine.
I'd rather it be snowing....but oh well.
It was a beautiful day!

Seems we brought some southern weather with us...

Jeffrey and Mom. Jeffrey decided to take a big dump once in the hands of his "Grandma"

Holly lucked out on that one!

Holly and Jeffrey.

James, Beau and Steve decided to enjoy the weather too and went golfing for the afternoon.

This kid loves to swing. He was kicking and screaming when i finally had to remove him from the swing...

Cutie-pa-tootie :)

We had to take turns rotating pushing Charlie. He did not want to get off the swing!

Jackson quickly made friends with this teeniney puppy.

It was so cute!

Good to see her smiling :)

We are looking forward to a week here.

And I love blogging on my mom's computer because it is super fast and high-tech,

very much unlike my laptop at home...

hmmmm.....maybe I know what I want for Christmas now!

More to come :)

"Adorable"

2009-11-05T17:06:00.002-06:00

oh my word. I am laughing so hard right now.
A huge helicopter just flew over our house and Jackson came running into the office and said with fists pumping the air, "That was ADORABLE!"

HUH?

To that I replied, "What was adorable?"

Jackson: "That helicopter was so loud, it was adorable."

Me: "Umm, [snicker, bite lip, snicker], adorable means something is cute."

Jackson: "huh, huh, oh".

Me: "Did you mean to say AWESOME?"

Jackson: "Yes! That helicopter was awesome."

Four year olds are hilarious.

The End.

Halloween and a Race

2009-11-02T13:49:00.005-06:00

The boys got to go trick-or-treating twice this year! Jackson picked out his costume, black Spiderman, and poor Charlie was Lightening McQueen--which he was super excited about, but it was Jackson's costume from last year. Oh well, such is being a second child!

We went to my cousin's neighborhood in Madisonville and the kids went on a hayride to each house. Jackson and James decided to ride their four wheeler behind us girls in the truck.

It wasn't redneck at all....:)

This house passed out bags of chips! What a great idea!

Last Sunday night our church held a "Trunk or Treat" for all the kids.

We each decorated the trunks of our cars and had fun games for the kids at each "trunk."

There was tons of food, cookie decorating and...

A Pinata!

Charlie did pretty good considering the stick was longer than he was!

Look at that face! Determination! He took a couple of good swings and let the next kid have a turn.

His daddy was proud. Look at that baseball stance!

Next up, black Spiderman.

It was so funny watching these kids try to swing and hit the pinata. You know James was on the other end of that rope pulling it all kinds of directions. Especially for the older kids!

______________________________________________________

Saturday morning the kids and I loaded up bright and early and went downtown to watch Lana race in her second half marathon (13 miles total).

This one was getting mad at me because I wouldn't let him splash in the huge pothole in the street that was filled with water. Mean mommy!

And this one was perfectly content sitting in the stroller watching the competitors zoom by.

These two are like night and day, I tell ya.

Allow me to introduce my speedracer, I mean sister.

She's a runner. I couldn't do this. I would have peed myself by mile 5 and the shin splints would have kicked in around mile 5.1

She was dedicated to her training though and we were so proud to watch her cross the finish line.

Her goal is to run a marathon someday, and I know she'll do it...

and I'll WATCH her do it :)

1 hour 49 minutes

Beat her goal of 2 hours!

Bloody feet=bloody socks

ouch.

Micah, Hern and Lana

They all did a fantastic job!

Aunt Lana and Charlie

Poor guy, I cut his hair myself.

He almost accosted the lady at the hair salon last week.

I had to take matters into my own hands.

Even if that meant a "bowl cut"

that I still won't let my own mother live down for doing to me.

Sorry Charlie.

Congrats Lana...we love you!

Wishful Thinking and A Bug

2009-10-21T11:13:00.002-05:00

Aunt Lana brought these cool Diego undies home recently and Charlie was super excited. I bought him a Thomas the Train seat for the potty, but he's SO not interested in potty training, and honestly, I'm so not interested either. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to pocket the $20+ a week I spend on diapers, but he's scared of the potty.
He watches Jackson go potty, but if I try to set him on it, he goes nuts on me!

His little bum is so stinking cute in these undies. Give him 2 minutes TOPS and he's peed in them already. Little booger.

Nice try, Aunt Lana....maybe by spring? I don't know....

The last 72 hours have been pretty yucky around here. Charlie woke up Sunday morning covered in his own vomit, niiiiiiice, I know. It was not a pleasant sight, first thing in the morning. I didn't really think anything of it, because the day before he had swiped a pack of gum and sneakily consumed 7 pieces of gum before I discovered him. So I blamed the puke on that....Guess I was wrong. Then when James and I came down with it [we were both really sick all night Monday night] I knew it was some evil bug that was circulating around our household. And last night Jackson started complaining that his stomach hurt, so we prepared for what we knew was to come. He started throwing up at 7 pm and stopped around 2 am this morning...he woke up a new kid this morning. At least it doesn't last long! He should be back to school tomorrow.

I think I'd much rather have a 24 hour sickness than something that lasts for days...If I'm going to be sick, I'd just rather get it over with!

Boys=Mud

2009-10-12T16:11:00.003-05:00

When it rains, Jackson gets to play in the mud. He spends hours in the backyard in his sort-of man-made mud hole.

The rain falls off the roof at a corner and comes pouring down creating this little water hole in the grass. The trucks help the mud along just a little bit.

I watch him out there [all I have to do is turn around from my cozy seat on the couch, during a foodtv commercial break, no less, and he's right outside the backdoor] stirring up some mud.

I'm not lying, this lasted for 2 1/2 hours this afternoon. Charlie was napping. I got dinner made AND had time to lounge on the couch for Giada and Ina...that's what I call my kind of afternoon :)

He went straight to the shower when I heard the door open. He was covered in mud...and he had the BEST time.

On a sidenote: I've been searching high and low for a "black Spiderman" costume. I didn't know such thing existed, but evidently they do. We went to the costume store last week and they were sold out. Much disappointment ensued, but I told him I would find one for him, somewhere. I couldn't believe it when I breezed through the costume aisle at the Walmarts and lo and behold, it was there! And in his size! I was so proud of me self. And Jackson was sooooo excited when he got home from school :)

Wooden Boat Festival

2009-10-10T15:40:00.003-05:00

This morning we loaded up and went to the gym then headed to the Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival. We've lived here over 6 years now and this is the first year we decided to go.
It was nasty and rainy out but the boys loved seeing all the wooden boats in the water and getting to design and build their own boat.

Jackson opted for lots of guns on his boat....no surprise there.

We ate a few bowls of jambalaya and headed home. By the way, Charlie LOVES jambalaya. And it was spicy too!

Testing out their boats to make sure they don't sink. We got home and Jackson insisted on filling up my big bathtub and floating his boat.

Now it's naptime and we're just waiting for the LSU/FL game to come on...Geaux Tigers!

MIA

2009-10-09T19:55:00.004-05:00

Since when did I have a kid named "Jason"?
Jackson handed this to me straight out of Sunday school and I asked, "Who's Jason?
He looked puzzled and studied his work....
"oooops" he said.
hahaha. So funny.

I can't believe I haven't blogged in SO long...

Honestly, my camera hasn't even been out of it's bag since Charlie's birthday..which would make that the whole month of September that I failed to photograph my children.

But not much has changed.

Jackson is getting smarter by the day.

Charlie is behaving more and more like a two year old. [sigh]

I've started working one day a week at my old job. [and I really like it].

I worked at Brenchley when Jackson was about 1 year old and Lana kept him for me.

I quit working there when I got preggers with Charlie.

The owner called me several times and asked if I'd be interested in coming back just one day a week.

I decided it would be fun to get dressed up and have a day to myself...

Lana so graciously offered to keep the kids, so it worked out great!

I'm anxiously waiting for Fall to arrive....and am convinced it is NEVER going to get here.
I have boots in my closet screaming my name.

A Visit to the Cupcakery!

2009-09-17T13:13:00.003-05:00

There's a new cupcake store in town and Charlie and I insisted on trying it out. It's called BabyCakes Cupcakery! Let's just say we WEREN'T disappointed! It was excellent! (I'm glad this store was not in existence when I was pregnant....it's only 2 minutes from my house.)

Charlie went with the Vanilla Vanilla cupcake with sprinkles.

I had the Chocolate Chip cupcake with Buttercream Frosting and Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting....yum.

Can I just tell you how much I enjoy this kid? I hate to brag, but um, I'm going to :)

He is SO SO good. He is the happiest, most talkative, NEVER cries, laid back kid I've ever met. And he's mine :)

I have so much fun with him. We went for a cupcake on our way to pick up Jackson from school. Just him and me.

His cars had to come with him....(reminds me of Isaac again, Mel)

There was hardly any clean up. He licked his face clean! You should have seen his little water bottle that we brought. It certainly didn't look like water after he was done with it. It was cloudy, vanilla cupcake water to be honest. I was gagging. The guy behind the counter was laughing. And he chugged it. I watched chunks of vanilla cupcake and water be gulped down. ewwwww. Backwash.

We didn't divulge where we had been to Jackson. I was licking the corners of my mouth to make sure there were no remnants of where we had been :)

A Week in PA

2009-09-08T17:06:00.002-05:00

You don't know how excited I am that there is still sweet corn at the farm!
The boys and I flew to PA on Sunday morning to spend a week with my mom.
I haven't had the farm's sweet corn in TWO whole, painstakingly long years.
It danced in my mouth.
I jumped for joy.
Let's just say, it was gooooooooooood.

The boys are getting so much easier to travel with. Yes, I still have to tow a carseat and stroller, but they are much less needy and can easily be entertained with electronics. Jackson was watching The Heffalump Movie on my iPod. I didn't hear a peep from him on the two hour flight from New Orleans to Cleveland. Heavenly. I didn't bring reading material either, and I should have, because I could have totally read something without distraction.

Layover in Cleveland. Sorry the lighting is so bad...took a pic with my phone.

This dude is chillin'. And we're all enjoying our week in PA at Nonna's house. The weather is in the 60's and off and on raining. Doesn't bother me much. We went to TJMaxx and More today in Johnstown with my cousin, Chelsea and Carter. You'd think with three adults and three kids, we could keep everything under control. I'd say we definitely lost control. But we did find some cool stuff, even if it was loud and crazy :) That's what three boys do, right?

Charlie is 2!

2009-08-31T15:46:00.010-05:00

My baby turned 2 on Sunday.....

We had a house full of guests this weekend for his birthday party. James' mom, brother, sister, and his brother's girfriend and little boy and my dad all came down on Friday! It was chaos...but lots of fun!

Lana and Lenzy pulled through for me once again on the cake!

We had a FOAM party! 34 people were in attendance! It was a crazy party!

Bananas, Monkeys....you get it ;)

Once the foam started falling, all heck broke loose! The kids went nuts! It was like a giant bathtub....sans bathtub and water!

We thought we were going to lose someone under all those bubbles.

He loved them the most :) He ran the whole afternoon. Let's just say he slept REAL well that night!

I secretly wanted to dive right in....but refrained. boo.

who knew water coming out of a cup could be so exciting!?

This lasted for a solid hour. It was fun to watch. Kinda made me wish I was a kid again, myself.

Running....

Time for cake and ice cream!

Charlie managed to stick his hand in his cake prior to his party.

Grandma and Charlie

A small fight broke out during gift time...no worries though, no one was injured and Lightening McQueen took a time out.

but only for a minute. Melanie, I thought of Isaac when we got this!

bowling ball set...

another ball pit.

and a fun lawnmower that blows bubbles

And a cool new Diego tricycle!

My Charlie is a sweet little boy.

He loves his jee jees (blankets) and he loves to sleep.

He's been an amazing sleeper ever since he was born.

He babbles NONSTOP.

Ask anyone who's around him!

He says tons of words but one we still haven't figured out yet is, "Gheela"....this word is repeated throughout his day and he even throws in a "McGheela" sometimes.

Anyone?

We've given up and now say it along with him!

He likes to chase birds and lizards...hasn't caught one yet, but come very close.

He loves Diego and Dora and Cars...in that order I would say.

He isn't a very picky eater.

He loves red raspberries and all types of fruit basically.

He could live off of fruit!

He gets his feelings hurt easily :(

My nickname for him is "Wubbsie"

He calls himself that...except it's "bubbsie"...so cute.

His hair bounces when he runs, and he is always running.

I love his hair and don't see myself cutting it anytime soon ;)

He still sucks on his two middle fingers, but only when he's got a jee jee in his arms.

It's usually an instantaneous movement....grab jee jee, insert fingers into mouth.

He's still in his crib and hasn't tried to escape its confines yet....I'll keep him in there as long as I possibly can :)

I love my wubbsie and wish I could keep him small forever.

He is so fun.

Insomnia

2009-08-28T02:33:00.004-05:00

It's 2:30 in the morning and I can't sleep.

I have a Mercy Me song stuck in my head.
I am singing only a part of it over and over again because I don't know the rest of the words.
While I sing that part of that song, it's God With Us, in case you were wondering, [love it]
I am making a mental list of all the things that I [think] I must get done this weekend.

Charlie's birthday party is this weekend and we're having a house full of guests. Looking forward to it....just seem to have a lot to do. I'm making him a Monkey Cake. Future posts shall show if it was successful or not :)

Tonight, or last night I guess, we began our Ladies Bible Study. We're doing the Beth Moore study on the book of Daniel. I love that woman. I wish we could be BBF. She is such an amazing woman and I am really looking forward to burying my nose in some Daniel for the next 11 weeks!
I'm a nerd and came home with my fresh, new handbook all excited, showing my hubby. "I get homework! I shall buy a new pen and highlighter tomorrow!" See, nerd.

Why do our minds run rampant with unimportant ideas, thoughts, etc. Especially at 2 in the morning? I guess this is when some of the best ideas come to fruition. At least for me...
[Still singing Mercy Me]

The dog has serious snoring issues.

I'd really like to wake James up and have him sit and talk to me until I'm sleepy. That's selfish, isn't it? I did do that one time, when we were first married. Of course he was like, "oh sure, honey....here, let me rub your arm while we chat the night away. Who cares that I have to get up in 3 hours for a long day of work." Now he'd snort and turn the other direction. Ha. So would I, so I can't blame him.

It probably doesn't help that I'm staring wide eyed into a blaring white computer screen.

I remember as a kid, my mom would have the same problem. Sometimes I would wake in the middle of the night and she'd be in the kitchen on her hands and knees scrubbing the floors. In the wee hours of the night! I always thought this was a strange sight. But now I get it. I could totally go scrub me some floors right now, but I did all of them already today, I mean, yesterday.
I think back to watching her do that, and wonder what was going on in her world. Was she really just not sleepy? I'd venture to say no. She probably had a million things running through her mind, a million stresses of being a single mom, and I had no clue [at the time] what was going through her mind, what challenges the next day was going to bring her. And I sit here and stress over such trivial little things. Shame on me.

I think I'll try the sleep thing again. But not before I pray. Does anyone else ever fall asleep praying? Anybody? I used to feel so guilty for doing that...now I kind of see it as a blessing. What better way to fall asleep than to praying to our God? Sweet dreams.

Now you go pray for me that I am nice to my kids in the morning, when I'm not wanting to get out of the bed because I'm tired......

Destin 09

2009-08-24T15:26:00.021-05:00

I'm unfortunately not writing to tell you that we've picked up and relocated to Destin, much to my dismay. I don't understand why we can't move here. It is the perfect place. I keep telling James that they grow trees and grass in Destin too. He says, "You'd get tired of the beach." To that I say, "Oh contraire, mon frere." He's not buying it....and I'm not giving up just yet.

James had a triathlon this past weekend and so we made a 5 day vacation out of it. I didn't want to leave and whined and stomped my feet a lot. But had to give in eventually.

We were up and at the beach by 6 am Saturday morning. The weater was beautiful. There were rain clouds all around, but stayed away all day.

Charlie just had to bring his jee jee to the beach and drag it all through the sand.

Just prior to the start of the race. Oh, by the way, there are ALOT of pictures in this post. :)

Jackson and his friend, Micah.

Getting ready to go...this was James' first triathlon where he had to swim in the ocean. He was a little nervous about the jellyfish factor, but we didn't hear of ANYONE getting stung by one!

Daddy's biggest fan with his "ironman" shirt on.

Micah, James, Brandt

Coming out of the water with a thumbs up...that's a good sign. This looks like a baywatch picture...ha.

Taking off for his 20 mile bike.

We were making fun of him for wearing these shorts. He usually wears his spandex, but I think someone was feeling a little self concious this morning. Did I mention he took those shorts out of the "lost and found" box at our gym? He said they had been there for months...that's my husband. Oh, and it's not the first time that this has happened.....

James and Corey, our friend from the gym, finishing up together. James finished in 1:53.

That clock starts when the race actually begins. James was in the last wave, so his time starts when he enters the water...didn't want you to think I was lying or anything :)

Hern, Corey, Micah & James...all Franco's guys from Mandeville.

James usually makes a beeline for the food tent postrace. A big plate of "free" food makes for a happy James.

Charlie chugging a juice.

So we went out for dinner one night and Jackson insisted on wearing his new jeans. Actually he picked out this whole outfit and spiked his own hair. He sauntered around with his hands in his pockets all evening saying he looks "cool." I am in trouble.

He asked for a piece of gum, stating, "It's cool to chew gum."

Charlie could care less what he looks like.....

Gilmore Family Pic. Notice Jackson's hands....too cool for school.

This is Baby Evie! She is squishy and soft and all smiles. She belongs to Micah and Sara. I want to steal her and make her mine.

Charlie was laying the kisses on her big time!

Precious!

Riding a bear at the Orvis store.

We all met for ice cream at the best ice cream shop in Destin.

Charlie went with Mint Chocolate Chip. My personal fav!

Not sure what he had...but look at those big brown eyes. I told him he was a cutie and he quickly retorted with, "No Mom! I'm cool." sigh.

Breakfast then beaching it all day!

Sunday morning we took the boys to Destin Commons where they have a cool splash pad and play area.

Just call him "Fluff"

This one was just hanging around until Bass Pro Shop opened its doors...then he was out!

I want out of the boat!

There was lots of this going on.

Charlie got bored and started chasing birds. And he got pretty darn close to catching one too.

Lookin' kinda special here. He was running...

After the fountains, we headed here for some church on the beach. Good stuff.

Tim with his double glasses on...preachin' the Word.

Didn't have to worry about the kids being too loud in church!

Charlie managed to get his paws on some communion juice...and chugged it.

Jackson told me he loved God....but just a little. Ok, we'll have to work on that.

Our ocean vessel. This was a great idea.

Doesn't it look like we're in the Caribbean on some remote tropical island? The water was amazing. See why I want to make this my permanent home? I think I'd get some visitors then!

I turn my head and this ocean creature is swimming (for lack of a better term), towards me.

That's better :) Those are Jackson's ginormous goggles too.

My hot little sis and me...She's available, ya know???

He really did catch this little fishy. It also came back to the condo with us. He said it was coming home with us too...hmmmm, where did that little fishy go?

Me and my Charlie.

Splashin' in the water

I love the ocean. Not only for the obvious reasons, but man, do my kids (and myself) sleep so well at the beach. We all napped every afternoon. It was the best.

Looks like we're in a pool doesn't it? I love Destin!!!

Ready to call it a night.

Driving home yesterday. boo. I wasn't about to let the world see my face. I was bumming it yesterday.

This is how Charlie gives a "thumbs up." We do this often in our house. And Charlie has watched all of us do it. But being Charlie, he has his own version. So I guess he gives the beach a "thumbs up."

oh wait, that'd be a "two thumbs up" Can't wait to do it again.

show and tell

2009-08-19T11:41:00.005-05:00

Let me start by saying that Jackson trotted into school this morning with this elephant hat on his head and he couldn't have been happier. I, on the other hand, almost peed my pants in secret laughter. I smiled and waved as he hopped out of the car and skipped into school, while his teachers and other passersby stared and I sped off. I can imagine the thoughts running through their heads.

My mom sent a care package to the boys yesterday and there were four different animal hats in the box. Jackson took to this one quickly. Charlie is scared of them. Go figure. I was a frog for the most part of the day, not by choice.

So, Jackson has a letter of the week at his new school. They are supposed to bring in a show and tell that starts with that letter. The letter this week is "M". Yesterday he brought in a magnet of a picture of his dog, Champ.

This morning he announced he would be wearing his elephant hat. I told him his item had to be "M" related, not "E" related. He argued that it was "M-M-Mine!"

I rest my case.

Jackson's "Post"

2009-08-15T13:03:00.005-05:00

So I let Jackson take my camera for the night. James took him to a Saints preseason football game. I had a ticket, (but gladly forfeited it), so it could be a "guys" night. James took his friend, Matt and Jackson. I desired only to go home and get comfy in my jammies and put Charlie to bed and waste one hour of my life on Facebook.

So, this is what I get to look at on my camera when the boys get home from the game:

Daddy driving in the car...

Jackson's shadow of himself taking a picture in the car...

He was excited! But wondered why he couldn't wear his Steelers jersey. I should have just let him. He doesn't own anything Saints related. And I intend for it to stay that way, thank you very much!

There were lots of pictures like this. And I thought I'd spare my viewers many, many pictures like this. So I immediately deleted all but two of the field pictures. You're welcome.

He was super excited he got popcorn! Please excuse that massive bicep that is my husband's....It's bigger than Jackson's head.

Last one, I promise :)

And yes, he STILL had my camera this morning. Snapping away at the pictures.

The bed that I was still sleeping in at 7 am this fine Saturday morning. So exciting!

Me, (looking slightly scary), telling Jackson to have fun at the football game last night!

And he did have fun. But he would have had more fun had it been a Steelers game. Thank you. The End.

First Day of School!

2009-08-10T13:55:00.005-05:00

Today was Jackson's first day of school. He was so excited. This year is different for him because he is going 5 days a week from 9-1pm. I only hope his excitment for school sticks with him through the years. He couldn't believe, when I told him, that he gets to go everyday!

We switched preschools this year because his old school didn't offer a 5 day-a-week program. It is a Montessori school, which I had no idea what that was, until my friend filled me in. But you can read here to inform yourselves if you see the need. Or perhaps you already knew all that, and I'm the only one who was clueless :)

Poor Charlie was sad to see that Jackson got to get out of the car this morning and he didn't. He was stuck with his Mamma. Honestly, I wanted to put Charlie in a 2 day program, but it was just too stinkin' expensive for both of them! Next year, Charlie! I promise. In the meantime, he has to get dragged to the gym and Wal-Mart and boring errands with me, no choice.

Last night Jackson busted his chin open on the kitchen floor. He and his Daddy were wrestling around and Jackson ran away from James and ended up tripping himself and landing on his chin. I thought we were going to have to make a trip to the ER for some stitches, but James didn't think that was necessary..... "Put a band-aid on it, he'll be fine" were his exact words, I believe. Spoken like a true man...

I look at this picture and think, "they're getting so big." Kinda sad to me. Makes me think I want another baby in the picture. But, I'm just not sure....life is easy right now. I am taking advantage of that.

My sweet boy is tired. He should sleep good tonight. Lots of learning and playing and making new friends will do that :)

Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean

2009-07-29T13:49:00.007-05:00

Someday, my daughters-in-law are going to thank me.

Right now though, I am thanking myself.

For buying this.

I am most likely going to have to purchase another one.

Because lots of fights break out and I have to step in and lay down some law.

It's just their size. It's just my size too, because the handle slides out and becomes a big person vacuum.

It also becomes a "dust buster" when the wheel attachment pops off!

It's great for sucking up the outrageous amounts of dog hair that accumulate there every single day.

Cause let me tell you, when one of them drops their banana on the floor and then goes to pick it up,

it usually looks like a black, hairy banana.

And that always results in tears and wasted bananas.

Just trying to keep the peace.

Run up to your local Wal-Marts and get yourself (or your kid) one. They're only $20 and well worth it, I promise! Oh, it's called a Eureka 4 in 1.

sigh

2009-07-22T14:29:00.009-05:00

I really thought I had done a good job of hiding the playdough bin.....until Jackson trotted into the kitchen with it in his arms saying, "Let's play playdough!!...Come on, Charlie!"

I cringed.

But being the awesome Mommy that I am, I set them up at their table in the kitchen, hoping it would all stay there(wishful thinking)...and let them go to town!

This activity went on for a solid 30 minutes. No one tried to eat it, but colors were mixed together, lots of colors.

"Pasghetti" was created by Jackson.

This method didn't seem to work too well...

...but this one did!
oh the playdough crumbs!

A Master "Pasghetti" Maker

And I thought I'd give my viewers a glimpse of what a typical evening is like in the Gilmore household... [insert cry for help]

everyone in the backyard.

James shooting his bow.

Jackson in his Halloween costume and "yardfishing".

Charlie running around naked.

This picture should speak for itself.
There's a lot going on here....

Ha.

Mr. Beckett likes to rip his diaper off at any given chance and run around naked. I can't keep the boy clothed.

Notice the gradual tan lines going up his legs to that white booty.

Love. It.

Off he goes, trucking through the yard....

Where he stops, no one knows.

(Good thing our backyard is fenced...our neighbors would get an eyeful every evening!)

Thanks for another fun day today Nikki! ;)

Cheap Thrills

2009-07-15T18:56:00.009-05:00

I took the boys to the pool today for the first time since Jackson's surgery. We stayed an extra long time because everyone was having an extra lot of fun....

A little boy had some boats that Jackson was eyeing up....the little boy's mother told me she bought them at the dollar store. Jackson asked me extra nicely if he could get some boats like that.

Since it was the dollar store and, uh, they only cost a dollar..I said "yes".

They didn't have the exact same boats that the little boy at the pool had, but according to Jackson, these were "way better".

These boats were battery operated!

And these two litte boys spent the ENTIRE afternoon, (after Charlie's nap), racing their boats around the big bathtub.

They were yelling and clapping and cheering for their boat to win.

Jackson kept asking me if he could take his bath "right now".

It was the best $2 I think I've ever spent on cheap toys. And no, they aren't broken yet!

They really do love each other :)

Slacker

2009-07-11T10:33:00.002-05:00

I have been a real slacker blogger lately. I don't have any new pics of the kids, maybe because my camera hasn't been used in a while. Sorry...I've been slacking.

This past weekend was an unexpected trip and I've still been keeping Jackson indoors from his surgery. This coming Thursday marks the "2 week" mark and we'll be able to go back to the pool and playing outside. I admit I've been walking around the house aimlessly, twiddling my thumbs, looking for something to do. There's only so many games of Chutes and Ladders and Memory that one mom can take. I actually broke out the iron and ironing board this morning and went through some clothes in our closets to find something to iron....btw, I hate ironing. Desperate, people. Desperate for something to do.

Last night James and I went to an Air Supply concert at the Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi. It was good times. Those dudes are old, but they still got it.

I tried my luck at some slot machines but came up empty-handed. boo.

I'll leave you with the one pic that I have taken in the past couple of weeks, and a promise to do better.

My Charlie. He was ready to go for a bike ride, splash in a puddle and go swimming all at once. He was mad because Lana had brought him inside and he obviously wasn't ready to come in.

He has also gotten a haircut since this picture. I realized, after looking at this pic, how stinkin' hot he must be in this Louisiana weather with that mop on his head. So I did him a favor and butchered his hair myself. James stepped in a few days later and corrected my, um, work.

surgery

2009-06-25T17:05:00.002-05:00

Hi blog readers. Some of you questioned me as to the type of surgery Jackson is having....I probably should have clarified that before posting his "surgery" in my calendar section.

He's having his tonsils and adenoids removed next Thursday (the 2nd). He's been experiencing some hearing loss over the last couple of months. I took him to an ENT doc and he put him on two seperate rounds of antibioitics to clear up the fluid on his ears. That helped, but he's still got pressure on his eardrum, not to mention his tonsils are the size of Texas....so, the doc thought this would be the best thing for him.

I'll keep everyone updated :)

Summer Days

2009-06-24T13:49:00.007-05:00

...anything can be entertaining. Especially to a water dog and 2 boys.

Rainboots, check.

No shorts, check.

water faucet, check.

Commence water.
The fun is about to start.

Charlie's looking back at me to make sure this is "all ok with me."

Champ has destroyed 2 sprinklers so far, otherwise, I'd let the boys run through the sprinkler.

Champ has way too much fun in the sprinkler. He gets out of control with it.

If I feel that he (the dog) is being way too lazy, I'd shove him out in the yard while I was watering it. That would give him a good work out.

He's a water hog.

Charlie is glad his feet are staying dry.

This went on for a good 15 minutes. Until I shut this operation down. They were forming a decent sized mud puddle, and that's no good.

Summer entertainment at it's finest!

Just one reason why I need a girl...

2009-06-11T19:03:00.006-05:00

When things like this take place at my house, I usually:

a) run the other direction

b) feel left out

c) wish I had a little girl

This is way too manly (and gross) for my liking. Plus, the fish stench on a 90 degree summer day with no wind blowing is no day in the park either. Notice every boy in the house flocks to James to see what's going on, manhandle some slimy fish, or fight over who gets to hold what...

Charlie just kept pointing and screaming, "FISH!"

That one is actually bigger than Charlie.

I was summoned from my recliner by Jackson to "come outside with my camera."

So I put the nail file down and grabbed my camera.

No, we did not have fish for dinner.

I can only handle...wait, my stomach, can only handle a fish fry like once a month. Don't get my wrong, my hubby knows how to fry fish, but it's a heavy meal and one that counteracts 3 whole weeks in the gym. Worth it? Sometimes, maybe, yes.

Playing it safe with a .5 pound trout. Don't blame ya there buddy.

So there is just one reason I need a girl. I could have been inside brushing her locks or painting her toenails or teaching her how to apply eyeshadow properly.

Oh well. Such is life. I'll be content for now being the "queen" in a house full of boys :)

Gotta go. As soon as they walk in the door I've got to corral 3 boys to the showers. Pronto.

Back To Reality...

2009-06-09T16:05:00.004-05:00

James and I got to go away this past weekend to NYC to visit his friend Rob and fiance, Tara. We had a very relaxing, fun time...sans kids! We met James' mom last Wednesday and gave her the kids. We left for our trip 2 days later...it was weird being in our house with no kids running around! TOO quiet!

Unfortunately, I have no pics to share because someone forgot their camera...I know, I know, I can't believe I forgot it. I almost bought one of those disposable cameras.

Rob's cousin is supposed to be sending me a few pics from their engagement party we went to on Sunday night. It was at a great Italian restaurant called Mulino's. They have the best authentic Italian food I've EVER tasted...I've yet to visit Italy, so that opinion might change when I do get to go :)

We flew in yesterday afternoon and drove straight to Jackson, MS to meet James' mom to pick up the kids. We meet there because it's halfway for both of us and easy.

Talk about being thrown back into reality. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids and I missed them dearly while we were away! There's just not a "buffer zone" when they do return! We were tossed back into reality after 5 days of not changing diapers, preparing meals, wiping butts, wiping snotty noses, fixing toys, giving baths, breaking up fights....you get the picture. It was a bit stressful for me!

I had to go grocery shopping this morning and both kids went with me. They were actually very well behaved in the store, it was just me that was stressed, not to mention that I'm sick and didn't feel like even going in the first place. But we have not even a crumb in the pantry to eat, and I have 3 sets of eyes that look to me and only me when they're hungry. I had to rectify that situation promptly.

I consider it a true blessing when James and I are able to go away for a long weekend (or a short one) every now and then. The boys are well taken care of when we do and that always makes it easier to leave. Plus, sometimes I think they are the ones that need a break from us!

My Brother's Wedding

2009-05-26T09:48:00.014-05:00

My brother got married this past weekend to a really sweet girl. We've had a great weekend full of wedding festivites. I'll let the pictures do the talking...since there's so many of them!

These two are hilarious together. This is what a 14 month old and a 21 month old look like giving "high fives"....it took them quite a few tries. Then Carter would get all lovey and start passing out kisses.

Carter and his pregnant again mommy...Congrats Chelsea!

Lana, my mom and me

I wear my sunglasses at night...

Chelsea, Lana, Beau and James

Beau and Aunt Jo

the Beautiful wedding cake (it was funfetti cake)....yum!

They kept it clean....

There was way too much of this going on...people were clinging their knives to their glasses way too much.

Dad and Jackson

Carter and Jackson on the dance floor

Mom and Beau

Jeannie and Lana

Charlie starting to fade....

Mother/Son Dance

My Dad, Lana and Jackson's back

Mr. & Mrs. Cagle's first dance

Father/Daughter dance

Jackson with his $ for the bridal dance

Baby Carter couldn't hang...he need a power nap then he was back in business.

My cousin, Matthew, and me trying to "stay alive"...we attempted to have a reunion from Chelsea's wedding...but I don't think we can top that one!

It's weird to think that my little brother is a married man...In my eyes, he's still like 7 and pulling pranks on my sister and me...time flies too fast.