I thought I'd let you know that the couch stayed in time out over night and when we woke up this morning (due to a wet bed) I was asked if I could move it back. It has stayed in it's original place all day with zero fights breaking out. I think I might be using this method more often.

I also had some funnies I thought I'd share with you. I was talking to my mom on the phone yesterday afternoon and she told me that she just couldn't seem to get that Lady Gaga song out of her head. WHAT??? She went in a store and it was playing one of her songs and now it was stuck in her head. I froze and then laughed b/c my mom just mentioned Lady Gaga and I couldn't tell you a single song she sings other than the one that sounds like it's saying her name over and over again. She had watched Glee the other night and that's how she knew it was LG singing. Now if you know my mom you know just how hilarious this comment is.

Later in the conversation she was telling me about the funeral that she and my dad had gone to for a very dear family friend of ours that passed away over the weekend. She was 90 years old and her husband passed away several years ago. I was able to go back for his, but couldn't make it They were an incredible couple (he was my dad's first partner when he began practicing) and if you ever had the pleasure of meeting them you most likely never forgot them. She raised 5 boys and was Italian and Catholic. Maybe that helps give you an idea of just how great she was. Anyway, this is a funny story b/c everyone was waiting at the graveside, but nothing was happening. Nobody was talking, the casket never came out, nothing. Finally, everyone realized that the keys were locked inside the hearse... with the casket still in it! They had to wait for someone to bring an extra set of keys so they could get her out. One of her boys came over and told my parents, "It's just like her to not want to get out for her own funeral." They all laughed. She was loved by so many people and such a sweet and happy and kind woman. She was just having too much fun to go home. I hope I'm like that.

Ok, I did something I don't think has ever been done before in the history of the world. (Besides your dentist retiring and you don't find out until a year later b/c you hate going.) I put the couch in time out. I'm serious. They both want to sit on the same side of the love seat every time they sit down and I'm tired of hearing about it so this was my solution.

I'd had enough when they made me get out of the shower this evening b/c Sophie was screaming so bad I was sure that her arm was caught in something or there was blood involved. The only thing that kept me from panicking was that Christopher didn't coming running to get me to help her. At first I figured they were just fighting and I'm trying to let them duke it out between themselves more. The crying got louder so I stuck my head out and yelled to Christopher to tell me what was wrong. I couldn't understand him and the cries got louder so I grabbed a towel and went running into the den (a room surrounded by windows mind you) to find them fighting over who was going to sit on the right side of the couch.

SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?

I told them to stop fighting and went back to shave the other leg. They were still fighting when I got out and so I gave them the following options: one of them moves to the other side of the couch or I was going to move the couch to where nobody could sit on it.

You guessed it, nobody moved. They just stared at me daring me to move a couch in just a towel with the whole neighborhood to see. They are both more stubborn than I thought b/c I got to 5, nobody moved so I pulled them off the couch and shoved the couch to the other side of the room. They were NOT happy about this, but I didn't care. They interrupted my shower.

Now, about an hour and half later they have teamed up and are racing down the hall and diving onto Christopher's PBK chair. Christopher is yelling, "Bring the heat girl! Bring it on down" before she runs down the hall and I am sitting on the couch looking like I've gone mad b/c I am clueless as to what is going through their little heads. They move into his room to play trains and getting along perfectly. Christopher comes to tell me that Sophie has pooped and asks her to come to me so I can change her. He even checks her diaper to make sure his nose was working correctly. He says sweet things to her while I'm changing her and now they are playing with stacking blocks and making houses and being very sweet to each other.

SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!

Thank you God for giving me a great ending to what has been a crazy day!

Today I was going to use my "kid-free" time to get a whole lot of stuff done. I made my list yesterday b/c it was so much stuff there was no way I'd remember it all. I get side tracked easily on Mondays b/c I don't have any kids for several hours.

We are loaded up and on our way to church for MDO. I'm really looking forward to the time b/c the kids seem to be fighting constantly these days. (You know, the whole, "he hit me!, she hit me first!, he kicked me first!, she's on my side!," etc.) I grab my cell phone and my ear piece, put it in my ear and realize it's the broken one. Throw it in the car door still on so it can just die out and put the new one in. Call the place that cuts my hair and get no ringing or dial tone or anything. I keep calling. Can't figure out what's going on. Realize it's b/c the "broken" one is working again and I'm the idiot. My phone rings and it's the hair place laughing and asking me if I'm having phone problems. I laugh and tell her more than just phone ones. I try to make an appt. with the girl who has cut my hair for the last two years only to find out that she moved to Oregon...... in February. I knew it'd been a while since I'd had it cut, just didn't realize how long. It was definitely before Christmas b/c I have had zero time since December 1st hit. My appt. is at noon and so I drop the kids off, run to Target, then to Walmart, then Old Navy (just for fun) and then head back to get my hair cut. Go next door to grab lunch then off to a nail place for a teacher gift and then to the Dollar Tree before going back to the church.

I'd crossed off my errand portion of the list, but the other half was phone calls I needed to make for VBS and doctor/dentist appts. I park the car, pull out my list, cell phone and start dialing. I get the VBS helpers taken care of. (Hopefully! I had to leave messages with them.)

Then I pull out the card we got in the mail from the dentist reminding Christopher and I we need to make our next appt. The date to make it in was.... July 2009. Yup, we got it in the mail over a year ago. We have seriously been so busy (and I hate going to the dentist) that I haven't had time (or motivation) to make the call. It's a tiny office and not enough room for a stroller or three people to be in one room and Sophie would have to come with us.

I call the number and get a message that tells me that our doctor has retired and all of his patients have been moved to a doctor in Destin. Seriously? Who knows when he retired!! I'm not going out to Destin for a teeth cleaning, so I guess we'll have to find a new one. (Joia, I heard yours was great, so I need to get his name.)

I go in and get the kids, we whine all the way home b/c I didn't have a snack, I offer to stop at Dairy Queen and am denied. (Seriously??? Who turns that down???) We drive by the pool to see if we can swim yet (they have strange hours) and finally the three of us are excited about the same thing at the same time. We rush home (at 35 mph) and grab our suits and life jackets and head to the pool. We swam for 2 hours and I had to make them get out and come home. They are exhausted and so am I, but it was so much fun! Finally the majority of the day was really good.

I'm going to reheat my leftovers for supper and look forward to an early bed time with my new book I got myself at Target. I picked up a cute dress that was on sale that I could wear to the graduation banquet we are going to in a few weeks, but I put it back b/c I found one of my favorite chick authors had a "new" book out. Priorities baby! I need a funny, mindless read more than a new dress.

Ok, Brandon is gone, as you all know, and last night we had a little something happen at the house with Sophie (nothing bloody, don't worry) and I had to call my neighbor to help me out. It was 9:30 and I know they don't stay up late, but I also knew the husband does not have a fear of critters, he actually kind of likes them. (W- can I say that?) Anyway, she wrote about it on her blog and I'm going to let you read what she wrote instead of posting it myself b/c her story is WAY funnier than mine! Click here to read it.

I hate it.

It sucks you in and before you know it you have completely wasted time you could have spent doing something else. Anything else. Like watching a movie or reading a book or going to sleep.

I hate it b/c I feel like the whole world can read every conversation I have with someone. Not that I say anything important or private, but I feel like it has gone even farther away from the "personal touch" than ever before. Now, you are probably thinking, well, you blog and you email and you have some sort of iPod don't you? The answer is yes to all of those. BUT the blog is how I scrapbook and keep family and friends up to date on what is happening in our lives. Email is how I keep from calling you at 2 a.m. b/c I just remembered what I wanted to ask/tell you at 2 p.m., but forgot. And my kids play with the iPod, not me. It keeps them quiet, unless they are fighting over who is playing with it.

Yes, I have a FB account and I've used it more in the last 6 weeks than I have since I started it 6 years ago, but that's b/c it was the only way to get in touch with some people I needed to talk to and right now it's the best way to stay in touch with Brandon while he's gone. But when he gets back I'm going to be going back to my old ways again. It's just too overwhelming for me. I don't know how the rest of you do it.

My next question is why? We can call each other. We can email each other. We can catch up on a blog to see how your kids are doing. Why do we need one more way to contact each other? Nobody has this much time, do you? I know I'm alone in my feelings, but if you have noticed my activity picking up on FB it's about to change. I just can't keep it up. Too exhausting! I'm stepping off my soapbox now.

Not that any stuck around to listen anyway.

But I'm ok with that.

I have a few photos left from our week at the lake, but I'm too tired to go through and put them on here. The big steps I have to tell you about are Sophie and her shrinking fear of water. She has been swimming a lot already this summer and she has gone from holding onto you with a death grip like you've never felt before to swimming across a pool all... by.... her.....self!!! Yup. I couldn't believe it myself. On Wednesday she went from holding Grammie's hand while jumping to me in the water to jumping all by herself on top of me to jumping without hands and going under. I was so proud of her! THEN, on Thursday we stopped to see my dear friends, the Websters (visiting from KS) and her parents have a pool. We all decided to swim and about halfway through our swimming Sophie decided she didn't need me to hold her life jacket anymore. She was so proud of herself that I just about had to jump in and pull her out. Her little legs were just kicking away. I think I had tears in my eyes, but wasn't about to let them show. I was speechless. And I'm not usually.

Now that I've had my bragging moment I read the funniest post I have read in a really long time. I hope she doesn't mind me linking up to it, but I thought it was so hilarious that everyone who is a mom of 2+ kids would find it just as funny as I did. Please take the time to read it b/c you will NOT regret it!!! Click here to read it.

Everyone has left and it's just the kids, myself and my parents at the lake now. We had a lot of fun the last two and a half days. Here are some photos to show you what we've been up to:

Aunt Jennifer with Anne Morgan, Drake, Sophie, Christopher and Hunter watching who knows what on tv. We actually didn't do much of this, but it was the best way of getting everyone distracted when fights were getting out of control.



We rode miles and miles on the plasma cars. Oddly enough you don't have to weigh the most to win races. Watch out for next month's issue of Hot Rod magazine. This little cutie just might make the cover.



And look for this little beauty anywhere her mommy and daddy are. She will be one in July and has been doing lots of walking lately. She is second to plasma cars on the list (the kids' list, not adults) of popular things when this family gets together.


The boys had their first crush this weekend. Mom and Dad's neighbors have two children that are so kind and love coming over to visit. Gracen (sp?) will be in the 3rd grade next year and the boys were totally smitten with her. Christopher would tell everyone she was here when she would come over to play. If you asked him where his "girlfriend" went he respond quickly without thinking twice about what you just said. Oh boy.


The boys went on an adventure to meet more neighbors. They love to make new friends and explore in the woods.


Lights that we hung up for the holiday weekend. I have a feeling they will make an appearance in several weeks when we all meet back here again.


Caroline was sweet enough (and smart enough) to help Sophie finish off Christopher's ice cream when he was full. Lots of these were eaten this weekend too!


Christopher, Hunter and Drake had more fun jumping off the dock and swimming this year. I can't wait until Sophie reaches this point, but she's a little afraid right now. There is peace in having your children comfortable around water. This is one of the things we work on at a very young age. Hopefully Sophie will be there by the end of the summer.





The boys playing in the pile of dirt next to the driveway. They love getting dirty. Then clean. Then dirty again. Then swimming. Eventually we just quit bathing them.

The kids and I are going to be around a little bit longer and are looking forward to visiting with some friends while we are here. This is my favorite place on earth and so thankful that my parents decided to live here. (Thank you to Kyle and Caroline for the photos. I never pulled my camera out the whole time.)

i appreciate those of you who appreciate my honesty. those who don't, well, you just don't understand what it's like to be us. and they probably don't read my blog very much. (or they won't after today.)