No Pictures, Just Chatter

These past couple of weeks have been something else! I will post pictures of the car accident in a couple of days. Yes, the kids were with me! Fortunately, we are all still walking and talking.

I will share with you an email I recently sent to my sister....

My old cell was fried by lightning and I don't have any of the numbers that were in it. Would you please send me your number, mom's number, dad's numbers, Heath's number, etc..... Anyone else you can think of. I have the same phone number, it is just that all the numbers I had in my phone were completely obliterated.

And yes, the phone was struck by lightning while only 4 inches from my hand.... well, not quite.

Actually there wasn't even lightning. As a matter of fact, it could better be described as a mother carrying too many things out the door as she was getting all the kids off to school when she put all the items for recycling in the same hand as her phone and she put them all in the recycling bin and left home. Then, when she came back an hour and a half later, the recycling truck had already came and emptied the recycling bin. Yeah, that describes it a little more acurately.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

It has been raining cats and dogs for what seems like a week now. I love the rain. However, I am getting sick of this little song my children sing..... If the "old man is snoring" that means you need to be quiet so he can finish his nap!

This was last week - look at that gorgeous sunshine! This is Divon in one of his famous "I'm gonna' get you" poses. The instructor, Gabrielle, is making sure they don't go flying through the glass window - such a responsible girl!

Now, here is Zephan - wooping up on a girl - or is it the other way around? Zephan and Divon both have this automatic response to jump like the little mexican jumping beans that they look like when ever their instructors say the word 'spar'. And you can see that the girl is grounded, but Zephan is jumping - defending himself - but still jumping. Both of them can't wait to graduate to the next class where they get to wear the sparring gear and throw kicks and punches. Needless to say, we are really working on controlling where our kicks and punches land. One of our most fruitful methods has been to have mom (ME) hold out my feet and each of them gets to throw jabs at it. It is about the right height for another person their height AND I get a great foot massage. It's great- as long as I like a little pain. They pack some pretty hard little jabs!

Finally - here is a picture of DD from last Friday when we were in downtown Fayetteville. This was the outfit she wore to meet her teacher for the first time. We shared a cheese, pita, fruit and yogurt plate at Blue Moon before running off to see her classroom and meet her teacher. Dazjah loves going downtown - what can I say - the girl has class. She is an old spirit - she loves to drink good coffee, have her steak pink, seafood, and a couple sips of good wine. Many people tell me that I am going to have to "watch out with her," but honestly - she is in karate and ballet - she only like girls - and as long as I can keep those factors a priority - I think I have a fighting chance. Also, it is going to take quite a guy to impress her with her tastes!

The Universe is Shifting!!!

Help!! Or, in the words of Sting, "I'm sending out an S.O.S. to the world."

The universe in a paradoxical downfall - my children have started a habit of getting up somewhere between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m. What is going on???? Ever since we started this walking until the sun comes up - they now think that as long as it is dark - it is time to get up! AAAAHHHHHHH.

Even Dazjah - my "don't touch me until I am good and ready to wake up (after 8 a.m.) child" is rising between 5:30 and 6 a.m. consistently. I guess this is my Grandpa Morris' genes shining through - telling me that I am being a lazy bum, not wanting to be up everyday before 6-6:30.

What is a mom to do???? Send coffee, please!

Happy Birthday, Joel and Jessica!

Today is my dad's and my sister's birthday!

About Dad: My dad is a tried and true guy. He is honest, has a great laugh, and is the smartest man I know! One of the things I remember about growing up was his collection of Coke bottles from around the world. He had a HUGE bottle - it had to hold about 5 gallons of Coke (at least it looked that way to me as a child)- that, if I remember correctly, was from Turkey. He had another one from somewhere else, China maybe, that had a skeleton of a bat in it. I also remember taking soybeans or corn to the scales with him when I was a child. He would always grab a Coke from the old-style vending machines. That is, the glass bottle vending machines. The drink just seemed cooler in that glass bottle.

Also, my dad was - and still is - the BEST pancake maker in the world! He even suffered through me making french toast - first putting butter in the batter instead of the skillet - and through a second batch of a tablespoon or two of salt instead of a teaspoon - and finally praised my accomplishing an edible product on the third batch - all while laughing. I remember tasting the second batch and being sure that he was going to be furious about me wasting so many eggs. But not my dad - he just tossed it, rinsed the bowl, and told me to try again.

Well, my sister is the one who can really recall the stories from our childhood. She has this insane memory. I swear - there are times when she tells a story - everything is exactly right - but I am thinking to myself, "How do you remember all that? Are you a spybot or something? No one has a memory like that." She remembers every one of the fights between me and my brother (just good sibling rivalry, right?), all the issues around the phone, the tv remote, and the losers I dated. No, I did not think they were losers - well, most of them.

The only semblance of a story that comes immediately to mind is about Furbees and Munchkins. My sister loved her Furbee and Monchichi- I think she still has them to this day - although I am sure she will respond and comment on some elaborate story of how one or both were dismembered, killed in a hunting accident, or Griff has restuffed it in a more realistic way with all his taxidermy skills. She was probably about three when Jane was over to babysit while our parents were out bowling. We were playing some stupid kid game - I think we called it "Alligator." - We took all the cushions off the couch, each kid had one to stand on, if you got some obscure trivia question right you were rewarded with jumping to another couch cushion, if not you got tossed into the alligator pit. Again, I am sure Jess will respond with the official rules and scenario. Well, the question was an easy one - "What is a munchkin?" Jess said she knew and jumped to the next cushion. Me and Heath, my brother, did not think she really knew what a munchkin was - so we challenged her. Her response, after much hesitation, was that a munchkin was a squirrel. Heath and I laughed so hard. Jess and her furbee were thrown in the alligator pit. I think she confused the Monchichi with a munchkin - just looking at it I can understand why. Sorry Jess - I know that is not a wonderful story for you - but it is the only one I remember!

Cherubs, Cherubs, everywhere... Some are here, some are there!

For all of my family and friends who know me sooooooo well.... here are pictures of some children that are near and dear to my heart.

First we have Chelsea with the cat and Jasmine being "pretty in pink."

Now, who do you think is the biggest fan of these two girls? She keeps their pictures on her dresser so that she can talk to them after I tell her it is time to go to bed!

That's right - Little Mama, herself - DD!

Of course I can't leave my little men hanging -

so here are some pictures of them so that you can compare and contrast all 5 of them!

Spider-Pig

Well, Dazjah is still coming to work with me until she starts 'school' on the 25th. So, every day after lunch she usually goes upstairs to lay down, maybe watch a movie - maybe get a nap in, depending on how much running around she has done.

A couple of days ago, after a big lunch, I took her upstairs. I asked her if she just wanted to lay down or if she wanted me to put a movie in. She was still very wide awake and asked for a movie. Well, Dazjah asks for "the spider-pig movie."

Now, most of you may be familiar with the term "spider-pig" because of the Simpson movie. I know that whenever I hear the term I start singing, "Spider-pig, Spider-pig, does whatever a spider-pig does." As do my children, even though we have not seen the movie. (It was great marketing on the advertisers part, just not great follow-through on my non-movie theatre going family!)

I am about to say that we don't have that movie - much less on VHS (it is an old tv that is up in this room!) when another movie catches my eye. I suddenly know exactly which movie she is talking about. Can you guess what movie it is?

She wanted to watch - Charlotte's Web! ("duh")

A Few Wack-a-doodle Ideas I Didn't Know About

First off, the term "wack-a-doodle" is a term that was introduced to me by my best I-got-deployed-to-Iraq buddy - Dana. She was with me the first three months of my tour in Iraq and then she came back to the states to become a war statistic - that's right - she got pregnant within the first 3 minutes of being back on her home turf!

So here are a few items I didn't know existed, and they rate right up there with "the gentleman's ball scratcher in polished silver."

1) Can-ouflage - Initially, I thought this would be camouflage for hunters beer cans. I was partially right. Bottom line, Jess and Griff - you are still the only people I would by these for. Maybe I would buy the one that is a play on Mountain Dew - Mountain Spew - for my brother since he is adicted to "doin' the dew."

2) Recycled Windshield Glass Stemless Wine Glasses - I just find this an interesting marketing view. Considering how much glass is recylced and all the different products it is used for. I guess I am suppose to be comforted by the thought of a big, juicy grasshopper giving his life so that I could enjoy my environmentaly friendly drink.

3) iCarta iPod Stereo Dock and Bath Tissue Holder - ( I found 2 used ones on Amazon!) Personally I think it should have been named the 'iCrappa iPod Dock and Toilet Paper Dispenser.' Who comes up with these items. Honestly - something that close to toilet? Something just screams "Honey, I'm not feeling so good - it must have been something I ate." about this product. To which I would reply, "I told you to use the hand sanatizer before changing your 'dropping-the-kids-off-at-the-pool' music."

Of course, I let my kids have input on one item they thought should be on this list. Here is the boys top choice:

4) The "What you need to survive a zombie attack" kit. Again, we found this on Amazon and they are asking for it for their birthday. I am not reminding any of you when there birthday is if you think I am signing up to have two 7 year-old boys with machetes, maglites, and crowbars running around the house at 2 a.m. or the neighborhood before dawn.


DD on the otherhand just thinks everyone should own a tutu and high-heels. She says that "Yes, even boys should have them so they can give them to the girls." Hard logic to argue with!

Quiet (Riot) Time

Over the past couple of weeks I have been getting up early to go for a walk. It gets my blood flowing and with the humidity as high as it is I usually have a nice sweat session as well. I usually leave the house around 5:30 in the morning and return just as the sun is coming up.

Well, this morning I awoke at about 5:20. The house was dark. Everything was still and quiet. I slipped out of bed leaving Dazjah (the midnight space-invader) and John slumbering. I grabbed a pair of socks and walking shorts and headed to the living room to put them on in silence and darkness.

I made it to the kitchen, grabbed my shoes and heard little pitter-patter footsteps on the carpet in the hall. I stopped dead in my tracks. In 2 seconds, around the corner came a little boy with nothing but his white and red Hot Wheels underwear on. "Good morning, Mommy."

"Good morning, Zephan."

"What are you doing, Mommy?"

"I'm getting ready to go on my walk." More pitter-patter in the hall. "Good morning, Divon. Would you two like me to turn on some cartoons while I go on my walk?"

Although looking very forlorn in the face, they said they wanted to watch one show while I went for my walk. I turn on the TV and closed the hall door. I sat down to put on my shoes and here comes DD.

Now, DD is not a morning person. She is usually the last one awake and the biggest handful to get ready and moving.

"Mommy, what are you doing?"

"Good morning, Dazjah. I am getting ready to go on my walk. Do you want to watch one show with brothers?"

"AWWWWWW." (lip sticking out, big blue puppy dog eyes appear) "I wanted to go running with you. Why can't I go running with you?"

"If you can get dressed quick you can come."

In record time she had a shirt and pink sweatpants on and was slipping on shoes. The boys, seeing all of this went to get dressed and decide that if DD can go, so can they.

Out the door we all headed. I know this is not going to be a fast paced walk, but maybe we will get in a science lesson or two. So, off we go. At first the kids are quiet - we can hear the crickets and are noticing how many little branches and leaves our mini-thunderstorm blew down the night before. Then Divon says, "Mommy, all the cars are still asleep. And all the people, too."

We all chuckle at the thought of cars getting up, brushing their teeth, making breakfast, etc. Well, that started it all. The rest of the next 45 minutes was spent noticing wildlife, talking about the sun, the sky and how and why the sky changed colors and WAKING UP EVERY DOG AND NEIGHBOR. The kids would get so loud "talking" that I would tell them to tone it down becuase they were shouting. I love going out early in the morning for the peace and quiet. We did meet our neighborhood watch president. His comment was that there was no way he could get his grandkids out of bed this early. It was still before 6 a.m. when we ran into him. He was astonished - to say the least.

By 6:30 I am sure that most of our neighborhood was up due to a different type of morning alarm, but we had seen a rabbit out munching on a lawn, a HUGE cat sleeping on the state trooper's car hood, and many birds. It was a good morning, but definately not a quiet one.

Dazjah's Hello

Dazjah is saying, "Good Morning To Everyone!" She also wants to know why you all won't meet her at Chucky Cheese. (Beside the fact that even I do not like Chucky's house of greasy pizza.) Here is her beautiful outfit for today. She says that tomorrow she is going to wear her tap costume. You will love it because is it is black and white and pink. Those are all her favorite colors and it is one of the costumes she wore in her first recital a couple of months back.

Dazjah (she insists that her name is in pink) comes to work with me now that the boys are back in school. First grade is going well and they are progressing quite nicely with their spanish vocabulary and spelling. Last week was their first spelling test. So, everyday we had a little mock test to help prepare them for it. The word they were to spell was 'tengo'. Divon had finished writing and Zephan was sitting there pondering. I looked at his paper; he had written "ten" and was looking up into the air and tapping his pencil on his chin. After another 30 seconds I finally said, "Sound it out. What do you think comes next?" He did it and sat there thinking again. A little frustrated because he was making the 'g' sound I said, "What is it, Zephan?" He said, "I know it's a 'g' that comes next but how do you say that in spanish?" I reminded him how to say the letter 'g' in spanish and was bursting with laughter inside.

Call Me 'Dog Face'

In addition to the obvious insult, here are a few other reasons you might call someone 'Dog Face.'

1) Your daughter insists on this being her picture to post on your blog.------------------------>

2) You make a dinner so scrumptious that when you come back from getting more water out of the fridge you see all your children licking their bowls.

Well, yes - both of these have happened to me within the past 24 hours.

DD dressed herself this morning and pulled it together very nicely. She added the tiarra (there is more than just the fur, it is just further back on her head) after I arrived at work. She loves this picture. I prefer some of the others that are on the flickr collage to the right. Have a great day Dog Face!

FYI

For my family and friends who do not know a lot about blogs here are some additional pointers.

1) You can see pictures of my kids when they were younger (and of me when I was in the Army and the years since) by clicking on the various years to the right of the text.

2) You can view the blog in reverse chronological order by clicking on "older posts" at the bottom of the multiple posts (text entries) on this page - and each subsequent page.

3) You can leave me a quick note by clicking on "comments" under each entry. Each entry is dated.

Thanks for visiting!

Cabin Fever - Every Afternoon!

Many of the afternoons this week have been filled with thunderstorms. Thank goodness because we need the rain. However, it causes problems with my little jumping beans. Divon and Zephan go crazy when they can't get out and play. So, this week I have heard the shrieks of "Mom, he's trying to kill me!" and, "Mawwwwwmy, why can't we GO somewhere?" The boys' t-shirts say it all: Did someone say BATTLE?

This was one afternoon earlier this week. The one good thing that has come out of this: Dazjah has discovered the love of the movie Mary Poppins. All three of the kids love when they ride the merry-go'round horses and have the fox hunt. The boys also like it when Michael gets hit by the puff of black chimney smoke when they are on the roof tops. They made me replay that one over and over. Zephan giggles just thinking and talking about it.

What's a year?

Ok - It has only been a year since I last posted. Not too shabby!

Dazjah is now 4 1/2 - she makes sure everyone knows there is an extra 6 months to her age. Like a good balsalmic - every month counts! Last month she had her first ballet and tap recital. She loved her costumes. The ballet one she has named "cotton candy." The outfit is the same color as pink, purple and blue cotton candy - so the name suits it! The other one is just her "favorite." Why is it her 'favorite' you may ask? Well it has a white tutu that has black silk ribbon on the edge, a black with white polka-dot bodice and a bright pink ribbon that ties into a bow in the front. Add the tap shoes and you have one spunky little tapper. She loved performing - many of the people she invited, her preschool teacher, Ms. Kelly from my office, and Nanny brought her flowers or gifts for after her performance. She did a great job though and has moved up to the next age group - a little early, but not yet ready for broadway!

Today all three kids had their "testing" for their next belts. Dazjah had taken 6 months off because ballet, tap, school and karate was just too much for her. But she started back after school finished and is doing great. Divon and Zephan love it. Typical boys - if you can chop, kick, bust, or 'hi-ya' it - they are all for it. On the left is a picture of crazy Divon. Yes he has a mohawk - yesterday it was a bright red mohawk. However, after running to the store yesterday evening, I came home to find my deck painted red, pink and blue - so there is no red mohawk today! (Bet you can't guess what color mohawk Zephan had, or what color pigtails Dazjah was wearing. - Hint, Zephan 'knows' pink is not a boy color!) All three are still 'Tiny Tigers,' so although the center of their white belts are red or orange - they are still white belts. They train right now for discipline, health and to learn the basics. As fall approaches Divon and Zephan will move up to the 'real' class. That is, they will train to get an all yellow belt, orange belt, green belt, etc. Right now they know simple sparring and one step forms. (They also know a couple 9-12 step forms that they have done for tournaments!) But as they move up the forms will get more technical and longer.

Today though - they broke their boards, got new belts and are very happy campers!