Check out Levi's bathrobe

I think we mentioned Levi's tiny robe the other day and my camera just now quit acting weird and let me upload the pictures. It was so funny that he asked me to take his picture for my blog. Isn't it funny how things are SO different for our kids as they were for us? What's a blog? How is it that you can see your pictures as you take them? Weeeeird! Times are changing!

Here he is showing me my blog, and telling me where I need to put his picture! He is such a poser...

This is how lovely fell asleep yesterday..doesn't this look painful?? There is just something about having her face buried...she is so opposite of me in this respect!

The kids all had teeth cleanings yesterday morning..we got to spend 2 hours waiting, if not more...this is where we took this pic...it's so nice to have kids that want to help out with the little ones and that actually enjoy doing so! Molly was Ethan's mini-me yesterday...her face was as round as his!

I love Fridays! It's cleaning day! yah! My kids are so excited! It's 10:30 almost and we still aren't getting anything done for the day though...so it looks like I'm going to have to get out my whistle, get my big stick out and get things moving around here! I never knew that being a mom meant that you had to constantly stay on your kids to get ANYTHING done. Sorry for all those years of not listening to you, Mom and Dad.

Looks like we are in store for a quiet weekend. That will be nice! David is in Missouri so we won't have anything to do. Beck, if you can, spend the night tonight....that will be fun! Maybe we could do pizza, ay? lemme know. Time to go light a fire under the troops' bottoms. Have a blessed weekend! Enjoy the warmer weather!

Happy Birthday, Beantzy!

This is lovely Becky, her senior year end of the school year banquet....David, the two boys and I were in N. Dakota at this point, so I missed getting to photograph this event!!

Here are my parents' four offspring...I was prego with Melanie here, Andy and Tom were up from Florida for the holidays, where they were going to Bible College and Becky had obviously been tanning. :) it's not a bad idea right about now...hmm.

This may seem disrespectful but if you knew my Gram. Taylor at all, she would have thought this was funny. On one of our trips up to MI, we stopped by the cemetery to see Gram's new headstone...Beck, being very similar to her grandmother, thought it would be "fun" to get in the picture. don't hate.

I think this was 1996, when she was crowned homecoming queen. She was and still is a beauty! Love you, girl!! (she is pictured with her friend, Ryan, who was the King)

I think these pics speak for themselves but really, Becky, we are so thankful for you and the joy and fun that you bring to all of our lives. I love that we have a slew of movie lines we use on each other, that we can go together, into the deep of night to get our hair done at Michelle's, that you've been with me for each of my deliveries and that I've gotten to be with you for each of yours, that we can vent to each other, that we find the exact things funny.

I could go on but we are running late to be out of the house...so Happy Birthday, Young Lady. Hope your birthday MONTH has been memorable. I thought of what I am going to get you...by the way.

Have a great day, to all of you bloggin' buddies...I still have to do my fridge meme but Sherry over at Sherry's Zoo and Garden is going to show me how to get the tag over here.

I'll be back with my fridge meme

Hi guys...I have been tagged by my dear friend, Sherry, for a fridge meme. What is this, you ask?
One is to take a pic of their fridge and put it on their blog...so I will be back later on with my pix and my choices for my tags!
But for now, I am heading out to take Mel to piano and visit with dear friend, fellow blogger, and next door neighbor to piano teacher, Little Everyday Miracles. Then off to run errands, come home, straighten house and kids on their school work, leave for dinner out with David and kids, hair appt. at 10 pm with the lovely Michelle and my precious kid sister, who, in case you forgot, is turning 30 tomorrow! whoa.
gotta go!! o yeah, before I leave, stop by and visit my sister-in-law Natalie's brand spanking new blog...she's the Melanie look-alike I've told some of you about!! Drop her a comment! :) chow

How y'all doin?

taken 10 minutes before top heavy baby toppled out of toy shopping cart. nice.
um, I dropped my comb, can someone get me my comb? I need to work on my hairpiece.
check out my very round cherubic face....lovin' the jowls!
working on the US of A puzzle and I'm wondering who dressed E. today? good thing he
didn't leave our house today. Merry Christmas in your green and red garb.
check out Levi's Lego creation in the background...

Punks.

What it be like?

I am so out of it lately...I feel like I'm a whirling dervish (that was for you, B), trying to keep ahead of the storm and failing. miserably. so there ya go. it's out. :) hangin' on by a thread. but it's all good. it's just life and I wanna grab it all. and it freaks me out when I can't.


Got some good pix of the childrens today. (no, that is not a typo...I watched Nacho Libre a couple of days ago and they put s' on lots of things)...Will's voice is (ahhhh) changing...his facial hair is becoming noticeably more um, noticeable. He is taller than me and I just can't get over that. W. is an incredible young man. Ethan is trying so hard and succeeding at being less disagreeable. He is making some good strides in his school work, doing really well in his handwriting and excited to be working on his second installment of their much loved superhero, "Super Dude"...(check out their blog, they posted some of that tonight). Melanie loves blogging, just like her momma! I'm trying really hard to get her trained on doing some dishes, to help out with that load. She is an AMAZING little momma and smart girl! Levi. the things that come out of that boy's head. Today, on the stairs, Will referred to something as being stupid (yeah, I know, that could be a baaaad word)..and Levi became quite agitated and yelled, in a voice I've not heard from him, that "I'm noooooooot STOOOOOPID, don't call me STOOOOOPID"! He holds his own, I will give him that. He is so darn cute and lovin' his legos! He is so very imaginative and I love to watch him play with the Legos and to see the big folks in his life (all of us pretty much) carve a chunk out of their day to accomodate him! Tonight, I was getting him ready for beddy and we found a cute li'l bathrobe that some friends had passed onto us (Thanks J family and please, please get well). We put it on, he looks so cute and he asked me specifically to put that on "your blog, mom??" Molly is something else. I love that she has an audience at all times. I wish I knew how to post some video on here. She loves to clap, loves to be sung to, clapped at, smack her chubby little hand down on things, i.e. the table, the floor, our heads, her high chair tray and she loves to hear the little squeaky noise that her sweaty little hands make when she drags them across the tray (thanks for letting us borrow your h. chair, B....please let me know when you want it back, k????) Molly is simply adorable. She is eating lots of organic baby foods, and I introduced some formula to her for the very first time in her 7.5 month old life. She does OK with it and I think she is naturally just weaning herself! She is a peach.
Ok, well that's the news on this front...there is more...but I will post again tomorrow!
Beck, enjoy your very LAST day as a 20-something. I'm boo hooing for you! Mom & Dad will no longer have any kids in their twenties. put that in your pipe and smoke it! peace out! sorry for the blabbin'.

Was she really all that surprised?

Happy Birthday Week, Rebecca!! Enjoy your last two days in your twenties.

Beck's sis-in-law, Mel, created a lovely slideshow for our viewing pleasure...Great Job MC.

Ha ha!! We gotcha!



Yes, you thought you were going on a hot date with your hubby, no kids, and you ended up with Nora on your arm all evening...she was quite mopey with out you! lookit that little round head! It was Tom's idea to put this less than flattering picture of you up, or so you thought, but I don't think it's really a bad picture.

The Boyden's Cake...mmmm mmmm good.

I didn't get too many shots of the guests...I was trying hard to stay cool...

an awesome shot of Levi and his Grandpa! they are inseparable! Thanks for looking out for him, Dad!

I dunno. We had a surprise birthday party for loving sissy last night...I almost spilled the beans on a couple of different occasions, seeing that I usually tell B. everything. So I was quite relieved when I saw her walking into the party room...whew! It was over...I could blab. It was a nice party...the room was too hot and about an hour before it ended, my mom remembered that we had access to the a/c...sweet relief.

A lot of B's friends came, but with it being cold/flu season, a lot weren't able to make it and we missed you(hope you are feeling better HJ), if you are reading this. Thanks to all of you that were able to make it!

I will post more later. Molly is fussing and it's time for bed. Happy Monday. Lots of love! L

Eclipses and gripe-y kids

These three big kids of mine are going to be the death of me. It has been one of "those" weeks. Ethan and Melanie, especially...just nagging at each other, nasty tones of voices, rolling eyes, scratching, putting snow down their sister's back, tattling...ahhhhhhhhhh. You'd think we could get past this at their ages.

Ethan is a really nice kid but as I've blogged in the past, he really likes to keep me on my toes. He pushes my buttons. So after a trying day on Wednesday, they all got a good "talking to"...and when we were all done, I made them all do a hug-hug-hug...of course, they enjoyed seeing how tightly they could squeeze Melanie....ah ah ah!! but it's good every now and then, say every day or two, to just regroup, get over yourself and love the one you're with. It is so easy in this fast-paced life to put your own needs first. I really want to teach my kids to put others' needs before their own, even with their piddily little siblings. So that is my encouragement to you today, and if you are already doing this, good for you!! Do unto others as you would have done unto yourselves! The Golden Rule is such a good thing! What's funny though, is that while I'm "talking" to them, I'm talking to myself first and foremost.

These eclipse pictures were the best I could get...it was so darn cool! It was actually a bit spooky but I think I've mentioned that! it was like standing at the ocean and being in awe of God's Creation...wow, how did He do that? Scary yet awesome! How Great Thou art!

I have lots to do today, good things, fun things, but we got snow and ice. Gotta run, poopy diaper alert....thanks for letting me vent. I needed to do that badly. Have a great weekend.

GOOD MORNING, STARSHINE!!

The Earth says HELLO!
from sweet little K-Mart brown baby turties to self portraits...this cat is craaaazy!!
giving herself a mean case of static electricity w/Gma G's hairbrush...a classic pose
here we are with all of our cousins but one (Jonathon wasn't born yet)
B. is the child that needs a spanking and I have on that great mini dress w/knee socks

the day my life changed for the better...when momma brought that "new" baby girl home to take my place, er, join our family....(it's actually just a sack of potatoes...there is NO baby in that pink "bag")

You know I love you, right B? well, I do...digging through pix with you is one of my favorite things to do and finding all these treasures this evening was a true joy. except for our obnoxious kids running in circles in your house...and the fact that I left 3 of my kids in my car, thinking we could make it a "quick" trip. I have such a blast with you...even if mom has always liked you more (I still haven't figured that one out).

We were watching the 10 p.m. news and the dude mentioned the Lunar eclipse. I hope that you out there were able to see that because it was really something. And kinda freaky too...I will try to get my funky pix of it up here tomorrow but it's 2 a.m. and I'm going to go to bed. so Molly can wake up as soon as I hit that beginning sleep.

We shall be back soon...hope y'all are enjoying the kids' blogs. They are having so much fun doing them. I took pictures of all 3 of them hugging tonight...they got "a talking to" this evening and I made them all hug after some discipline...they really are good kids. they just take each other for granted...and they got that straight from me. I'm such an infidel. ok, time for bed...using words I don't know how to use but you gotta see this thing I can post on my blog...it's a spelling thing and you can find it on the link here on my blog "Boy in a Zoo"...go visit Sam and tell him HI and also take a spelling test at the bottom of his page...it's fantastic. I could sit and do it all day!

Ahhhhhhh. see ya tomorrow. hope you enjoyed my very Becky post!

Cute little nephews...that's who they are

These are my brother's sons...Duncan and Charlie. They are 6 and 4 respectively and they are so sweet!
Sad thing is, I don't know these little dudes as well as I wish I did...they came at Christmastime and that was nice to get to know them a little bit better...I tried to kidnap them but Andy wouldn't let me. jerk. (just kiddin' Duke)
It's so strange to look at these little boys and see my brother. I can do that all day long here with Beck...seeing the similarities between her and her daughters...and I'm so glad to be able to be near them. Duncan is Andy's mini-me...Charlie is even starting to fill out and take on some Andy-characteristics! I love you, little guys! I hope you know that!
That's all I have right now...maybe my kid bro will send me some more pix of these dudes. Thanks for letting me get mopey. hope your hump day is marvelous! we got snow....ugh. and you can go now winter. really. any time. spring will be such a welcome change.
off to run some errands!!

I've been tagged for a meme

Even though I really don't know what a meme is, I will partake. And while I'm at it, I'm going to tag Organized Chaos (Kara) and Velvet at Calamity Jane to go ahead and do a little meme of themselves and their weirdness! :) love ya gals! If there are any other fellow bloggers that want to join in, have at it!!

I'm supposed to tell you 6 "weird" things about me. hmmmm. I don't know if there are any unusual or weird things about me...:)

1.) I'm hugely addicted to coffee...though that isn't really weird, it's more annoying than anything. I know it's bad for me but....

2.) When I itch my ears, I grunt like a pig....you'd hafta see/hear it to completely understand.

3.) I've had all 5 of my kids naturally...4 of them at home, one of them in the car almost (please refer to July 9, 2007 post). No pain medication, au naturel, yup, it hurts as much as I thought it would and that is why I don't plan to do it again. ever. ouch.

4.) When I was younger (say 14, way too old to be doing this), I used to pose my stuffed animals to take pictures of them. While I think that is perfectly NORMAL, my sister told me to use this one. (please refer to "O my gosh, dork alert" post from Nov. 8, 2007)

5.) I was born with an extra bone in my knee (osteochondroma), which was removed when I was 14, leaving me with a huge scar on my right leg. I'm trying to take a picture of it but it's just not working! another physical weirdness (besides just my body in general)...is that when I was 3 or 4, my bro (Tom) slammed me in the face with the swingset teeter-totter and I have a scar in my right eyebrow to prove the abuse. :)

6.) Every time I eat anything chocolate, I put it on my teeth, making me look like a "dentally-challenged" person. David and Becky love this trait! :)

**Bonus** weird trait....I have always had a "thing" for weathermen (not sure what the p.c. term is for that profession)...when I was quite young...I met Sonny Elliot, Detroit's weather man, while dining with my Aunt Mimi in downtown Detroit...got his autograph and everything. I met Chris Wright at Sam's Club two years ago. We even talked to each other. I saw Bob Gregory at a local eatery (Shapiro's) one day a long time ago...though I didn't meet him. Then I met his son, Kevin Gregory, another local weatherman here in town when I had three kids...he was there with his kids and I asked him if he was one and the same...he talked to us and even gave me his weather predictions for that year (I think it was 1999)...then last but not least, in 2001, I entered a contest on Fox 59 for Cody Stark, their weather dude, to come and knock on our door, come and do the weather at our house and he chose us!! Ha ha...it was funny and quite nerve-wracking....It was so much fun.

Ok, so there ya have it...if you know anything else that is weird about me, that I seem to be forgetting, please let me know. I know there are things I will think of after I post this.

Ode to Becky

I love this shot...
I don't love this shot...though Gma is in it
you look so young Beck...
You look really young here as well...:)
"Hi, My name is Becky...my shirt says so!!"

Florida, brother's wedding...Becky was my right hand gal!!

There is no denying it, I loooooove my little sister. We have always been close, tight, inseparable (there were times though, right Beck, where you wished we weren't related???) and I am so thankful for the gift of my kid sis. I think we are even closer now that we are married and mothers...something about being in the trenches of real life, that just bring you closer to the ones around you! So here's to you...in this last week of your TWENTIES, Rebecca...enjoy them...for next week, it's thirtysomething and it all goes down hill after that! (hee hee) I know I have said it before but I will say it again, I am so thankful for you, Rebecca!!

Beck, I need to get by your house and go thru those pix...I gotta find that brown turtle neck picture...that WILL be on here!!

Today is a "quiet" day...piano lessons, school, exercise (looooove the elliptical), laundry, banking...blogging. The boys want to start their own blog today so if they can get their stuff in order, I may let them. :) hope you are having a magnificent day! I know I AM!!

Rest of the party...

E's DS carrying case...
he let Pipes and Levi open some of his gifts...he's so patient!
Nora eatin' her sweet taters
crisco goodness...
Mr. Teenager
Hey, blogger let me put some more pix up but it's still acting weird.
E. got some clothing, DS games, DS carrying case, Nerf gun that he will be returning since it's kinda junky...money. We ate some subs and B's homemade mac n cheese...(good carbs)...then cake!! David and the boys went up to work in Lafayette after the party so they've been gone all evening. nice and quiet. that is for sure.
Ok, well, I will post more on here later...up next, commemoration of Becky, since she will be turning 30 in less than 10 days.
Good night everyone.

ok, blogger won't cooperate...

I've been trying to post pix from E's birthday party alllllll afternoon. Blogger at least let me post these, but I have a few more pix, say, of Will, Nora, the rest of the family...and then some other ones from the weekend and all with the sheer joy of my new camera!

I love the Molly ones but my fave (if there had to be one) is where she is sucking in her top lip. She is a funny li'l thing. I will try to post the rest of the pix!

E. had a nice party...busy, busy weekend. always kinda glad for low-key Monday.

Ok, time to go...be back soon. peace.