My girls

This is my Peanut posing for a pictures after her birthday party!





This is my GlamorGirl a year younger than Peanut but giving me the same pose!

Father/Daughter weekend!

Every once in awhile my dad likes to spend some one on one time with his grown kids. I want to do this with my kids one day too. We had been talking about getting together for awhile but birthdays came up for my kids and their day with grandma and grandpa came before my dad/daughter date. Well my cousin, really she is my dad's cousin, got married this weekend. I call her my cousin because she is a year younger than me and we grew up playing together in the summer so she was really more like my cousin then my dad's. Anyway, my dad and I decided that we would make her wedding our time together. We left on Saturday morning for the wedding that was at 2pm. We got to town around noon and had lunch with some family members. Then we went to the wedding. Oh my this was the most interesting wedding ceremony I have ever been to. The priest was talking about 911 and a couple holding hands jumping to their death and then likening my cousin and her husband to the twin towers. It was in horrible taste. The ceremony was redeemed when the couple read their own personal wedding vows to which they both cried, so sweet. After the wedding we had about 3 hours to kill before the reception. My dad had gotten wind of my cousin's sons football game at 3:30 so we decided to head over there and watch the game before going to the reception. It was a beautiful sunny day and more family members where there. My dad's family is big, he is one of 7 kids and there are something like 24 cousins. The reception was beautiful. We ate, danced, laughed and talked...good times. Then comes the funny part well funny now but not then. We went back to the hotel at 10:30pm. I got ready for bed and went to sleep. My dad turned on the tv and watched some sport updates. At about 2:15 I woke to a noise that sounded like a train was coming right through our room. It freaked me out until I realized it was my dad snoring! I walked over and shook him and told him to stop snoring. He replied, "I don't snore." I went and got some tissue and stuffed it in my ears and then held a pillow over my ears to help drowned out the snoring. It didn't help so I shook him 2 more times before I had enough. At 3:30am I grabbed a pillow and blanket and went to my car and slept in there. Finally I was able to fall back to sleep though it was a tight squeeze sleeping in the back seat. I went back inside around 8:30am when I woke up. I'm so glad I choose to go outside and sleep because I would of been so tired the rest of the day today. After we checked out we headed back home. We got back around lunch time so we went to the Mall and ate at Cheesecake Factory, YUMMY. Then we went shopping. I got two new pairs of jeans!!! Now I am home alone and thought I'd update the good ole blog before I go do all the things that need to be done before tomorrow morning like unpacking and making tomorrow's dinner, I am working tomorrow during the day. 

My baby turns 4!!!

This girl is something else. She certainly has kept me on my toes. I love her something fierce but no one can get me as mad as fast as she can. Wow that girl is a lot like me. She is strong willed to the core and I am really hoping that that will help her in life one day. She is my little me, heaven help me! Today was a day that I worked so yesterday we went on a field trip to celebrate her last day as a 3 year old. We went to the zoo. I got two free passes from the library...love that place. Then my wonderful friend who has a membership had a few free tickets for the dolphin show, stingray bay and the motor safari. On a typical visit we would of just walked around and looked at the animals that were free to look at but since I had these tickets for myself the child tickets were cheaper I bought them. I am so glad I did. It was really cool to see the dolphin show, though we did get wet and that is what Peanut tells everyone about that show! I didn't think I was going to get her out of the stingray bay. That girl LOVED petting the stingray. I must admit that was pretty cool. They were an interesting feeling that's for sure. Then we got to take a ride on the tram and see animals and have them explained while resting. It was nice and it made my feet not hurt so much at the end of the day. We left just in time to pick the other kids up from school, score. Today I had Bible study at my friend's house. She has 4 boys. I told her she was going to watch a movie while we did Bible study but I warned her there weren't going to be any princess movies because they didn't have any girls. Her response, "I bet they DO have princess movies. If they have a princess movie you have to give me a kiss. And if they don't have a princess movie I have to give you a kiss." Sounds like a good deal to me!!! She says some of the funniest things, and where did she learn this betting thing?!?! After Bible study we came home and put on warmer clothes it didn't get as warm as predicted and did school work. Then we met Jeff for lunch and she opened her cards and present from us, a Tangled dress up dress. Now she can be Rapunzel :) After lunch we headed over to my nanny job. I let the girls play instead of fighting them to take a nap because we had to pick the kids up from school at 3:35. Then it was off to church for Awana and Children's Choir. I now have 3 kids in the choir. Can't wait for them all to be in it! I know that my little princess felt loved today. She got phone calls, facebook messages and in person Happy Birthdays with hugs. Oh I almost forgot when she woke up this morning and saw her door decorate she says, "I'm the birthday girl. I can't believe I'm the birthday girl." She was just so excited for it to be HER birthday today. I just love her so much.

Dear Peanut,
These last 4 years have changed my life more than you will ever know. I love your sweet little personality. Your smile lights up the room. I am so glad God gave you as my daughter to love and teach. You truly have blessed our whole family. I love you Peanut!
Love, Mommy

Update on Me...

After I wrote that post I had a good cry and then I moved on. I started researching and I think I figured out what is truly wrong. I do believe I do have acid reflux but I think it is low stomach acid that is causing my symptoms not high acid levels. I looked up natural way to "cure" reflux and came across a website that suggests several different ways to help. The most popular being 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar in 8oz of water. So I tried it and oh my word was that the NASTIEST thing I have ever tasted. Yuck. While searching online I found a self test to decide whether or not I had to much or too little acid in my stomach. You have to do it in the morning on an empty stomach. So I did it this morning and don't really feel like the results where the best since I had drank the apple cider vinegar yesterday. I am going to try it again tomorrow and see. Basically what you do is take 8 ounces of water and put 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in it and stir. Then drink it. Then you time to see how long it takes you to burp. If you burp right away you have a high level if you don't burp within 5 minutes you acid level is too low. The reason you need to figure out if you have to much or too little is because the treatment for each is completely different. I really have a feeling that I have too little. It will be interesting to find out what ends up being the case but I really hope it is my road to full health recovery!!!

Self pity party

I sit here completely and utterly discouraged. For the last week I haven't been feeling the greatest and I have been having some pain in my chest that radiates down to my stomach. I kept thinking I slept funny because it would eventually go away during the day and then return at night time. Well this morning I felt like I was going to vomit. I decided instead of taking Peanut to the zoo like I had planned I would cancel my doctor's appointment tomorrow and go today. I will take her to the zoo tomorrow. I wish I never would of went to the doctor. I feel so defeated right now. Instead of walking out of there with a virus that will run it's course (which is what I was hoping for) he said I have acid reflux disease. WHAT? Just when I get my health back on track with the whole mold and start working out. I get diagnosed with a disease. I just can't win. I think my health is going to be a struggle for me until the day I die and that truly scares me because I hate feeling sick and taking care of 4 kids, a husband and running a household. I'm really not wanting people to feel sorry for me because trust me I already feel sorry enough for myself. But I do need to be covered in prayer because I'm not sure I'm strong enough to change my diet yet again. I'm certainly not willing to take the chance on a new drug or an old one for that matter. The side effects on some of those drugs just aren't worth it. I need prayer coverage. Thanks!

Homeschooling

Not sure if I mentioned that I was homeschooling Peanut this year. I have the curriculum from school and the first few weeks we are going to go over things she learned last year in preschool. I also want to work on things like cutting, which is her FAVORITE thing to do. I save the cutting for the end after we have gone over everything else that needs to be learned for the day. I forgot to make shapes while she was doing her sheets so I did them right before I gave her the paper. While she was waiting she was just opening and closing the scissors and accidentally got some hair in the scissors. It was the funniest thing. Probably the first kid to cut their own hair without willingly trying to cut her hair. She didn't even notice until I pointed it out to her, silly kiddo :)

This is where her hair landed
Her holding the evidence...she was really sad as she is trying to grow her hair out like Rapunzel's!

First day of School

Since the kids insisted on pizza for dinner tonight I got up early and made them a big ole breakfast for their first day. We had fresh squeezed orange juice, scrambled eggs, bacon and bananas. They fly out of bed this morning to get ready. There was SO much excitement in the air for the first day of school. Look at their faces!

They totally stood backwards on this picture but we were running late so I just snapped it!
My 5th grader
My 4th grader
My 1st grader
My student...
They had a wonderful first day of school. Two came home with no homework and my oldest only had one subject she got done in 20 minutes!!! Ah the routine that school brings ;)

Anticipation

It is the night before school starts and these kids are bouncing off the walls. All summer we have had a pretty good time with very minimal complaining about being bored, until today. They had orientation last night where they got to drop off their school supplies, meet their teachers and see who was in their class this year. Which lends to today with them being BORED. They want to start school NOW. I knew today was going to be hard for them so I tried to have things to do. So we went to our chiropractor appointment and then took the kids to get their pictures taken, yeah not so exciting but still something to do right?! I will talk more about the pictures in a second. When we got home I decided that we should do something that the kids have been wanting to do for months. They wanted to go to the park that Jeff and I played tennis at a few years ago. We drive by it all the time but never stop. After lunch we hopped on our bikes and we took a bike ride to that park. It is about a 20 minute bike ride. I let them play for about an hour or so and then we headed home. Peanut needed to get a nap she is still napping. The kids are outside playing now too.

For the past few years I have been taking the kids to JC Penney's for school pictures because they are so much more affordable then the actual school pictures that go in the yearbooks. I got 13 sheets for 3.99 each. Well Peanut was hilarious today when getting her picture taken. She kept striking a pose. She would put her hand on her hip and just make the most spunky sassy pose ever. It was too funny. And of course, the photographer was trying to pose her, to which she said, "I'm going to do it like this." We were laughing so hard at her. That's my girl ;)

My Mom

This weekend we went to my mom's wedding. All four of my kids and myself were apart of the bridal party so that was a lot of fun. I do wish I would of bought the curlers instead of using a curling iron the day of the wedding. I think it would of been a lot less stressful for me. But I will remember that for the future. However, having the curling irons at the wedding was so helpful because my mom's hair had gone flat from the curls she had at the hair salon. The wedding went pretty smoothly just a few little volume/sound issues. I loved seeing all my brothers. I really wish I could see them more, they are so fun to hang out with. But I have to say that my little nephew Jeremiah was one of the bright spots in my day. As I was standing in line greeting everyone he gave me the biggest best hug EVER! Then at the dance reception he was busting a move. The best line of the night goes to him as well. He was dancing then he would point to my grandma (his great grandma) and say "dance" then he pointed to me and said "dance" he pointed to Jamie my brother Kory's fiance and said "dance" then the best line of the night was when he then pointed to Monkey and said "dance dude" It was great! I also got to meet my newest nephew too! Another highlight was dancing with my little Peanut to the song Brown Eyed Girl. I always tell her that is her song because she is the only brown eyed girl in our family. As we were dancing she walked up to the guy singing the song and tells him "this is my song! I've got brown eyes." I love that girl. She was so cute all day. During pictures she was not having a good time but as soon as the photographer would put the camera up and start to count she would snap on a sweet smile. It made everyone watching the pictures crack up. The kids did so great and behaved so well and it was a LONG day for them with really not a whole lot for them to do. The day started at 8am and ended for them at 10pm. Peanut did get a 30 minute nap in the van on the way to the dance reception which I think helped extremely. The next few days are going to go by so fast...tomorrow is the boat with grandma and grandpa M., Tuesday is dentist appointments and orientation at night, Wed is chiropractor appointment and school pictures at JC Penney's and then school starts Thursday. Oh my I'm not so sure I'm ready for this...

Promised

At the beginning of last week I had promised the kids that before summer was over I would take them to the children's museum. Well our sticky situation put a hold on that plan last week. I was bummed, they were bummed but there was nothing else we could of done. Well I am feeling VERY confident that those little critters are GONE so we went today. It happens to be perfect timing since we have been doing a media fast for the kids this week before school starts. It gave them something to do for 3 hours and I didn't have to hear "what can I do?" "why can't we watch tv?" or "I'm so bored since you won't let us do anything" and so on. Now we are sitting at home waiting for dad to get home so we can head out for the weekend. And guess what? They are actually playing a game together and have finally figured out what to do without any screen time. Isn't it amazing. I can hear the angels singing "Hallelujah" because they aren't fighting or being bored. I am one happy mama. I am so glad that I was able to keep that promise. Especially because this morning I wasn't feeling very good but as the day as gone on I feel much better. I just want to try my best to always keep promises I make but I do sometimes fail but I get back up and we move on.