Tuesday, November 4, 2008

How Appropriate...and WW pics

I just realized we had a mini monkey theme in our halloween costumes this year...*snicker* How appropriate, eh? SpiderMonkey and MonkeyDo were...monkeys (duh!), and MonkeySee was a banana.


Playing at Nana's, pre- TOT

Taking a break while Trick-or-Treating


The car ride home...sockless and sticky with pop tarts...mmmm.


And CuriousGeorge and MonkeyButt were obviously not into the whole monkey theme this year. For Trick-or-Treating and parties, they were Yoda and Darth Vader...and for the Cub Scout pack meeting, they were Thing 1 and Thing 2 as book characters.

Cellular Phone Commercials, much?

KingKong had the older two boys outside kicking the soccer ball around. CuriousGeorge was blindsided by a groin shot from his dad. He was not impressed. CuriousGeorge to KingKong...

"That's it. You are SO outta my Top 5."

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Grilling Goodness (?s, not food)

I was catching up with UTMomof5's posts and decided to take part in Grilling Goodness... a weekly meme of random ?s created by Tina at Golden Goodness. If you decide to participate, she has a Mr. Linky up! What's better than someone else coming up with some material for you on a weekly basis? Chocolate, obviously...but this is good, too!!

1. The World Series has begun...do you watch it? (and do you care who wins?)
No, I don't watch it. I have in the past, when the Red Sox played, but usually only the final game of the series...just like I only watch the Super Bowl. That's the one that really matters, right?!

2. Is the inside of your car clean or 'garbage dump filthy'?
Ha. The inside of my car is more like 'garbage disposal' filthy...cuz most of it is petrified french fries food in small pieces.

3. Who is the next person in your family to have a birthday?
MonkeyBoy and MonkeyButt both have January birthdays...birthday "season" is Summer around here.

4. Do you wear glasses or contacts? (how old were you when it became necessary?)
Neither, although I prolly should.

5. What is your major form of exercise?
I recently signed up for a gym membership. *sigh* If only signing up and paying monthy took off the lbs! I try to go M, W, and F after KingKong gets home and the littles are in bed... emphasis on try.

6. What is something you could do to make your spouse's day easier today?
Eh, hem, let's just call it "stress relief," m'kay?

7. How much is gas where you are?
We hi-fived at $2.59 the other day. Although one of the stations south of here had it at $1.99 for a few hours as a promotion...too bad the news told us about it the day AFTER.

8. What the furthest away from home that you've ever traveled?
My dad was a truckdriver and when I was younger, I would pack up my homework and go on the road with him. I <3 San Antonio, TX.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

(Not So) WW--I'm Working On It!!

I think I might be purposely subconsciously avoiding blogging lately, because I have quite a task ahead of me. KingKong purchased a new laptop for me, as the other was literally hanging by a thread...the wire that goes from the screen to the processor was the only part attached (oops).

Anyhow, before I can visit your blogs...ALL your blogs...I have to enter them each by url and save them to my favorites list on my new computer. I promise to start soon tomorrow Thursday by the weekend, definitely!

Here you all are
And here...


I can't wait to catch up!!

Monday, September 29, 2008

Why Is It...

...every time I try to sit down and blog, someone spills something or needs a nap or is about to get up from a nap or requires a diaper change? I have some posts floating around in the abyss that is my brain...but naptime's almost over and I've got to find and wash soccer jerseys and matching socks, because we wouldn't want to be uncool playing soccer in one white sock and one black one, now would we? Noooooooooooooo. *sigh*

I'll do this one real quick...

I am… avoiding doing the laundry.
I want… a maid to do it...and she can bring her twin sister that is a chef/dishwasher
I wish… I hadn't deleted the PCHWinningWays email without reading it, they could be on the way to give me my big check and I have nothing to wear.
I hate… that money makes the world go 'round and I never seem to have enough.
I miss… my dad. We need to plan a trip soon!
I fear… something bad happening to loved ones.
I feel… hungry.
I hear… Tigger on TV and SpiderMonkey counting the change that was in my pocket.
I smell… white grape/raspberry juice that he just plopped on my chest and asked me to pour.
I crave…Chinese food, Baaaaad! Hmmm, maybe I'll bring some home after the gym tonight...nah, I'll just skip lunch and engorge myself on the way to the gym. Noone has to know, but me, right?
I really...can't wait to get back to the gym tonight, it's been a few days.
I search…for friends on Myspace...I'm kind of a stalker...it's an addiction!
I wonder…if Chuck is on tonight, and if my DVR is set to record it.
I regret…not going to the gym Thursday, but KingKong was feeling a little neglected.
I love…my husband and all our awesome children.
I care…too much about what others think of me, sometimes.
I ache…nowhere, which means I haven't been to the gym recently. I get it! I'm going! Enough already! Stop hounding me!
I dance…in public only when I'm suuuuuper smashed. In private, I dance with SpiderMonkey, MonkeySee, and MonkeyDo often.
I sing…pretty well, but I'm no American Idol!
I cry…EVERY time I watch "A Baby Story" on TLC. Every.Damn.Time.
I don’t always…do the dishes after every meal.
I fight…the urge to eat chocolate for for lunch everyday.
I write…on my blog and no one knows...just YOU!
I never…want to fail my children.
I listen…to my ipod while I'm tanning.
I need…to figure out why my cd burner isn't working ever since I downloaded itunes.
I am happy…my family is healthy (with the exception of a few too many runny noses)
:o)

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Dinner Ideas Please! :o)

I'm watching the Emmys and trying to menu-plan right now, but its just making me H.U.N.G.R.Y.!!! I think KingKong bought Twinkies today. How about I go eat those and you tell me your family's fav dinners? I'm sick of spaghetti!! <3

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Wordless Wednesday

1st day of school 2008.
I said put your arm around him and atleast act like you like each other. Hmpf.

1st Day of School Pics, 3 weeks later :o)

It's the 3rd week of school here and all I can say is Amen for the teachers who take our kids off our hands all day so we may read our blogs in peace who educate the youth of this wonderful country. And the busdrivers who wrangle them pick them up and transport them to and from school. The first year MonkeyButt was in Kindergarten a couple years ago (my first of the five to go to school), he wanted me to bring him to/from school and I didn't mind because I didn't want my TINY 65 pound 5.5 yr old going on that big yellow deathtrap.

Then, the 2nd week of school came that year, and he decided he wanted to ride with the big boys. Ummm, ooooookay. So, I set it up. I told his teacher what bus to put him on and to please make sure he gets a reminder, as they'd be outside at recess when the bus is called to line up. And then, at 3:25pm, I parked in my car near the playground and watched.

I watched him play happily in the sandbox, I watched his bus pull up, I watched as the other kids who live on our road ran to line up when the bell rang, and I watched him continue to play with the children who didn't need to line up yet, as they're bus is the last to leave. I watched our neighbors get on the bus and watched the bus drive away. THEN, I saw the duty teacher telling MonkeyButt that his worst fear had been realized...he missed the bus and was stranded at school. I saw my little boy cry, and I fought back my own tears as I raced around the building and met him in the office to rescue him take him home, after paying a little visit to his teacher. (Grrrr.) MonkeyButt swore never to ride the bus again and I was sentenced to transport his behind to and from school forever.

Well, that lasted all of a week. But this time, I asked one of the sweet little neighbor girls to make sure he got on with her, and I repeatedly stalked him at afternoon recess and followed the bus home for the next few days, because I'm THAT cool. ;op

Last year, MonkeyButt moved onto 1st grade and CuriousGeorge joined the Kindergarteners. They rode the bus from day one, which I thought was great, because they were one of the last ones on in the morning and one of the first ones off in the afternoon. About a month into school last year, though, they changed the bus route. My boys had to get on it at 7:45 instead of 8:40 and had to ride almost an hour in the morning before going to the school 4 miles away. I told them no more bus in the morning, but they insisted. We all got up earlier and I gave them their first breakfast of the day (they were starved by the time they arrived at school after riding so long...the school has a free breakfast program for all students).

This year, I was VERY happy to see the original schedule was posted in the Superintendent's mailing that came out in August, the schedule was printed that they were first on and last off. We didn't HAVE to be up until 8:00am, not 7:00am and I felt better knowing they wouldn't be on any of the loopy roads this winter...well, at 7:45am on the first day of school this year, as CuriousGeorge stood in the bathroom with his socks pulled up to his knees, undies, and toothpaste foaming from his mouth and MonkeyButt was outside feeding the puppies, I saw the bus go by our driveway!

I was looking out the window at that time thinking to myself, I wonder if they ever changed the schedule to reflect the new run. NOPE. So, I did what any kindhearted mother would do...I screamed and yelled like a crazed banchee and threw CuriousGeorge out the door with pants in hand. Juuuust kidding. I said, "No problem, children...Never fear, Supermom is here...and I'll just bring you to school today."

WELL, guess what Supermom did the previous day??!? Washed three car seats and two boosters, all of who's cloth materials were still in the dryer and who's belts, buckles, straps, etc. were sitting in a heap on my counter. Shit.

So I served breakfast, got the Twinkeys set up in their high chairs, bribed SpiderMonkey away from the puppies with a breakfast sandwich (which he probably just fed to them anyway) and set out to get the car seats put back together. The first bell rings at 8:40am, I started the seats at 7:50am, and had them put together (no manual needed...I rock! jk) and buckled into the car by 8:23am, had everyone strapped in by 8:32am and dropped the bigs off at the school with 2 minutes to spare...and it's a good thing they had that couple minutes, too, because you know I was THAT mom who dropped them off in my bathrobe and had parked as far from the door as possible! :o)

Here are some pics from them getting OFF the bus on the first day of school 2008, because they certainly didn't get ON one that morning, unless you count my car. heh.

Yes, that's a cowboy hat on the busdriver...guess he thinks he lives in the deep south,
not New England...lmao

CuriousGeorge, age 6, my big 1st Grader

MonkeyButt, age 7, he skipped up to 3rd grade this year
(but that's another post, I've kept you long enough today!)

I have one more picture, but I'm going to wait and use it for tomorrow's WW. See ya then!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Look WHAT I Found! >:o(

You see it too, don't you? DON'T YOU??!? The glistening silver gray line between my ear and my camera. Mmhmm. *sigh* I haven't died my hair since I was 16 and the 'ole L'oreal Ash Blonde turned me Kraft Macaroni 'n Cheese Yellow-Orange! I had told King Kong that I'd probably start dying my hair again when I'm 30...but since that's still a few years away, I'm seriously reconsidering that statement!! For now, I'll just leave it where it is and hope it scares the others away. That's not really how it works though, is it. heh.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Wordless Wednesday

While you're here...please help me name them!!!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

I Need Help With Names Please!!

No, we're not having another set of twins...sorry if you just spit your drink on your computer screen. Heh. Take a minute and wipe it off, and when you're done...help me name these puppies, please!

They're 3 weeks old and no, we're not keeping them. We're finding them loving homes. They are Jack Russell Terriers. The last litter we named after spices...Cinnamon, Clover, Sugar, Pepper, Chili, and Dill. I think it would be cute to choose a theme for the group. What do you think??!? FYI...There are 5 females n 1 male (he's pictured last).

Ideas for names please!!?!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Monday, August 4, 2008

What a Difference a Year Makes!

July 27, 2007 the Twinkeys were one week old. These are the pics I took of them, as they rested peacefully in a shared crib, sleeping 18+ hours/day, and drifted back to dreamland with tummies full of formula...
Those peaceful Twinkeys turned ONE YEAR OLD on July 20th. We held their party July 27th, 2008. They're still phenomenal sleepers, 12 hours at night plus a couple naps during the day. Their tastes (and looks) however have definitely changed...

They do loooove them some chocolate! I have NO idea where they inherited that from...*clears throat*

And though things around here are a little (okay, A LOT) less peaceful, I love my Twinkeys and cannot believe they are ONE YEAR OLD!
Chocolate-covered babies...my favorite kind! :o)

Hello Old(ish) Friend

It's great to see you all. And it's been waaaaay too long. No, I haven't been sick, no one in my fam is dying (that we know of! Please hold while I go knock on wood!), we didn't take a luxurious vacation to a tropical island (which we all know I TOTALLY deserve...hehe), or even a short trip cross-country. Lightning didn't strike our cable lines, and I've been paying the bill (I swear!). I've just been sorta busy living life.

...and cleaning up after monkeys, and feeding them, and changing them, and refereeing their battles over toys, and applying sunscreen. :o)

I'm new to this blogging thang. I started 3/14/08 and have *sigh* only published 54 posts. I've met and kept in *comment* contact with some phenomenally great mothers. Or, at least, I did...before I went on leave. Heh. Many of you have popped in to check on me the past couple of months, and I was grateful to see there was someone thinking of me. I was feeling kind of lost, I guess...for lack of a better word. I just didn't want to be THAT blogging mom who griped about not feeling appreciated or like she wasn't doing enough. Ugh. Even now, I feel sorry for you having to read that last line. I'm okay. Sincerely great, actually. I have come to peace with my role as Mom of Many and am coming back to blogging with a renewed outlook and attitude.

I cannot wait to catch up and share some adventures with you all!! Thanks for having me back.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Wordless Wednesday

My Lil' SpiderMonkey...putting the moves on before age 2!
Notice she didn't have a chance of getting away...he was stepping on her toe!

He must've learned that from his Daddy! :o)

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Happy Mother's Day

We spent the morning at the park and the monkeys helped KingKong do dishes and vacuum as I was being lazy on the couch otherwise occupied.

MonkeyButt has decided he'd like to have a Nintendo DS. Sometime today, while I was snoring busy, he and KingKong decided to discuss setting up an allowance system. Heh. CuriousGeorge was on board. Those monkeys did NOT lift a finger today without checking first to see if it was "going toward our allowance money?"

So, this afternoon, as I was testing my new hammock mowing the lawn, the monkeys decided to finish up some dishes and another round (because there are several in a day) of picking up the living room.

I came inside to a bunch of puffy-chested proud boys (KingKong included) proclaiming their love for me with sudsy hands.

MonkeyButt: See the living room, Mommy? I picked up and
vacuumed.

CuriousGeorge: And I helped him and I did the dishes.

MonkeyButt: Yeah Mommy, we did it alllllllllll for YOU!

CuriousGeorge: ...And the MONEY...

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Wordless Wednesday

Innocent pic, huh? ...'Til you zoom out!...


For more WW, visit here

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

6,828

That's how many pictures are saved on my Adobe Photoshop. 6,828. I'd like to tell you that's since MonkeyButt was born 7.5 years ago, but it's not. The 6,828 photos have been uploaded since the day the Twinkeys were born in July. Whoa.

I just uploaded a couple one minute videos of the Twinkeys and a warning came up that said low disk space. 86.1 MB available on a 55 GB hard drive. I don't think that's very much. Heh.

I'm off to hit delete!!

Hopefully I'll post a couple hundred favorites soon. But I could be deleting 'til dawn! Good thing KingKong's working late tonight!! Ooh, and Idol's on tonight. Hmmm, maybe I'll get through the first couple thousand by then. Pssh.

PS. I added an updating blogroll to my sidebar. I only made it through half of my favorites before stopping to video the Twinkeys and all that jazz, so don't be offended if you're not on there yet...that's next on my to-do list. (Oh, and if you are offended, just let me know and I'll add you right now!) ;op

Monday, May 5, 2008

Greedy Little MonkeyButt

After T-ball the other night, we took the Monkeys to Arby's cause we wanted fast food, but we wanted something a little different (read: less nugget-shaped). $28.46 later, our bellies were full. *sigh*

Until, KingKong remembered the sign on the window for Chocolate Turnovers. He took SpiderMonkey to the car while CuriousGeorge, MonkeyButt and I ordered four. One for me, one for KingKong, one for CuriousGeorge, and one for MonkeyButt. It was late and the kiddos fell asleep in the car, so we decided that instead of chocolate marshmallowy cereal for breakfast, they might as well just have the chocolate turnovers.

Chocolate.HEAVEN. For real. You HAVE to go get some!!

KingKong forgot them in the car (which thankfully the night temps are the temps of the inside of the refridgerator anyway), so before the monkeys got up the next morning, I ran out and got them. And I ate one. Okay, two. Y.U.M!

The next day, when we were out running errands...

MonkeyButt: Mom, we should go to Arby's and get more of those
Choc-ohhhhhh-late Turn-ohhhh-vers (with crazy
I-wanna-be-eating-sugar-lots-n-lots-of-sugar eyes)

LadyKong: Oh, really? (I could just picture the chocolate
handprints the three of them would be placing on my car seats and
windows)

MonkeyButt: Ya, we should get four... one for me, one for
CuriousGeorge, one for SpiderMonkey, and... another one for ME!

LadyKong: *gasp* What about me??!?

I'm Not A Pray-er

Or should I have typed Person Who Prays. It's just not something I do on an every day, every week, or even every month basis. Maybe I should be, I don't know. There's probably a lot of things I should do. Like go to church. Oooh, or clean my house more and swear less. But, I don't.

I cannot claim to be any one particular religion, although people ask us all the time if we're Catholic or Mormon. I honestly don't know what either of those entail, besides my sister had to "become" Catholic and her wedding was loooooong and full 'o Latin. My wedding was on my porch. I think my parents were married in a Methodist church. My sister was baptised, but my brother and myself weren't. I went to Vacation Bible School when I was a kid, but now, I don't remember if I wanted to, or if my mom just needed a sitter. Heh.

I have prayed when the kids were in the hospital. I just think that if I am bothering someone up above, I should make sure it's super important and that I really need help that I cannot provide for myself or others. And, really, I don't know if you'd call what I do praying. There must be some kind of format to that, like starting with "Dear God..." or holding your hands together with closed eyes. I think what I did was just some silent begging for the health of my children, and probably some empty bartering also.

I swear, I started this post as a one word sentence. It was this: "Today, if I prayed, I would probably pray for my period to start." (Believe me, I now know how totally wrong that sounds!!)

And I'm only two days beyond. The feelings I was having--besides the extreme panic--was utter selfishness. Not because I would mind being pregnant, but because other people would mind if I was.

My kids would be happy (MonkeyGirl would be over the moon if I could dress one of her siblings in pink). And KingKong talks about an addition fairly frequently. It's the rest of my family who judges. My mom and my sister in particular.

My sister is experiencing problems conceiving with her husband and has been for many months, including a miscarriage at 9 weeks. They've been trying with the help of a fertility specialist. How can I expect her to be happy for me celebrating my 6th (our 8th together) child when she can't even conceive one??!?

The Twinkeys will be 10 months old May 20. I've been on the pill for 8 1/2 months. But between KingKong's Sperm'o'steel and my Jumbo size eggs, it might be inevitable.

Through writing this out, I was able to take a moment to figure out how I really feel. MonkeyButt and CuriousGeorge were 19 months apart and it.was.perfect. The Twinkeys would be as old as SpiderMonkey is right now, 19 months. I've always known I was not done having children. KingKong says I'm happiest while pregnant. And my deliveries were not hard. I had just reasoned to myself that I'd like to get the Twinkeys into Head Start (age 3)before adding another, just to have an easier time of it...and really, I think, to give myself the opportunity to become satisfied with all I have been fortunate to receive.

I've always heard that you "know" when you are done. You have that feeling. And I can not count how many times I've heard people regret getting "fixed." I've never felt my family is complete. I think we make a beautiful one. But, I have this feeling sometimes that someone is missing.

I don't understand it either. I assumed it was my desire to mother a child who doesn't pee standing up. But I'm completely happy with the revelation that my next (and with high probability, my final) child would be a boy.

I'm not naive. I even know that having had so many pregnancies, we're playing with some serious odds here. We already pushed the multiple pregnancy numbers.

So, in the 56 minutes it's taken me to think these thoughts as I've typed them, I've gone from "Please come period!" to "Eh, it's okay if you want another vacation."

Holy crap. I'm crazy.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Playing Catch-up

Let's face it, I'm never going to be a woman who has time enough in the day to do scrapbooking. MAYBE I could handle a little time each day once the Twinkeys (and any potential future siblings) graduate high school. And that's a BIG maybe, because I could just be in a padded room by then, and probably won't be allowed near sharp objects, like scissors.

So, for now, this is my scrapbook. I think there are four or so posts below that I completed this morning (sure is faster than the cut n paste of scrapbooking...and last mess!).

Our Walks

I've been picking up the big Monkeys after school and we've been strolling around town. It's our new thing. They've really enjoyed it. Although, I keep reminding them that the further we get from the car, we still have to walk ALL the way back. They've done great! The Twinkeys even fall asleep in the stroller eventually, which is something SpiderMonkey has never done...still doesn't. *sigh*

I love, love, loooove my new stroller...for outdoor walks anyway. It rolls and turns so easy! I've not attempted a Walmart trip with it, though, and honestly don't see that happening. The aisles just aren't wide enough for this sucker!


My View
Posers
Those little specks on the bench are the big Monkeys. I couldn't get over how tall the trees were back there!

That trail is the only one in town that has a gravel path wide and smooth enough for bikes and strollers. All 1/2 a mile of it. Woohoo! It's a cute, short walk and then we come out on the sidewalk and go up through town, after I scare the bejesus out of them gently remind them that we are very near moving traffic. I like to wear my superstar shades so I can people watch.

The big Monkeys refused to move 'til I took their pics on this.


Hams. The sign behind CuriousGeorge says Triplet Park. There are three little gazebos with benches back there (more below).

8+ years ago January, a large white farmhouse with a big wraparound porch was on this property. A couple lived there with their one year old daughter and triplet autistic sons. I believe they were six-years old at the time. KingKong grew up with the parents. The father was away trucking. A fire started in the old house and the mom was only able to get out with the daughter. She attempted to go back in for the boys, but was met at the door with the fast-moving flames and smoke. Neighbors tried to get in as well, but no one could. The triplets died in the fire. It is believed that each of their remains was found in their favorite hiding spots in the house.
My childhood best friend's dad was fire chief at the time. He was down the road that day, at the fire pond, trying to free up the frozen water hydrant and had a massive heartattack.
It was a sad and tragic day for both families and the town. The grandparents and town have since raised the Triplet Park. One of the footpaths end there. MonkeyButt was born a year later, just a day shy of the one-year anniversary of the fire. The triplets mom was in the waiting area and left a guardian angel pin for us.
I told the big Monkeys about the Triplets that day, because they asked what the sign was for when we walked through and took a break there. I'm thinking as I type this that we're in need of a followup conversation, though, because the grandparents are our landlords and while we have reminisced about the triplets with them on a few occasions, I wouldn't want the boys to bring it up rudely.

Sorry for the downer. I wasn't expecting this post to go there.
I think I might finally be caught up with these picture posts. Almost. Just thought of another one. ;o)

MonkeyDo's First Haircut 4/14/08

Megan posted her Peanut's first haircut and I was reminded of these pics I took of MonkeyDo's first haircut at 8 months. He was getting pretty shaggy!



BEFORE


"If I could just. reach. those. clippers."




"Mommy, why are those things buzzing and coming at my head?"

AFTER


"Can't do much without this now, can ya?"



"Okay, I think we've all had enough pictures for one day. Hand over the camera, please."

"Seriously, Mom, this is getting a little out of hand. Put the camera down sloooowly. "


See, not everything with twins comes in pairs, MonkeySee is not going to be needing a haircut for a looooooooooong time...