Welcome to the family Emeli

That's Emeli with an I/eye.  :)  ha ha ha ha

This is not....I repeat NOT my dermoid cyst.
I had this baby announcement made up to give my doctor, who has yet to get a redheaded dermoid, after surgery.    Can you even stand it.
I think she has my smile.
I'm now off to recover from major surgery.  
Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.   I hope to sleep through the New Year.  :)

He works hard for his body

and he counts and does his sit ups like his mama.
I love how Sadie stands over him.  My kids do the same thing to me :)

Wordless Wednesday

The Count Down !

12 days.
I know that it's 11 days to Christmas.   but it's 12 days until my u-trus is coming out.
THAT is going to be the best Christmas present ever.

J has been buying presents since the day after Thanksgiving.    She's purchased several of the same item, extra items she thought she might be able to sell and make a buck.   She buys the toy the kids will say they are asking Santa for one day and then when they change their minds she then buys the other thing.
Can I just tell you how hard it is to enforce the Read, Want, Wear, Need routine when the one buying the presents is only 23% on board.
Last night I came into the office and witnessed Mommy J coercing our 4th born into a toy that was already purchased....a toy he will indeed love, much more than dream light dog he's mentioned asking Santa for....the dream light that J hasn't bought because she hates it and the idea of spending 30-40.00 on something that we both know he will have no interest in 2 days following Christmas seems much too frivolous    Not that she hasn't bought every other toy on a whim the other kids have talked about asking Santa for....you know, just in case they FOR SURE decide on that toy.   Better to be prepared she always says.
Last night Nate happily climbed up on Santa's knee and when asked what he wanted, without hesitation said, "A dream light !"    I do believe the battle has been lost.  or won.  depending on who you are.

We have a new(er) shopping mall downtown.   They have this GREAT santa there and have the perfect set up.   You check in and get a pager if there is to be a wait.    Then you go shop and eat and wait for your pager to go off.    How awesome is THAT !  Last year it was 1 1/2 hr wait to see Santa.   The kids played for an hour and stood for 30 min.  which was exactly 27 minutes too long.    It was so crazy that they each barely had time to ask Santa for something.   He couldn't hear because the mall is so loud and then after a quick over priced picture it was over.  ugh.
We got to City Creek mall right after Syd got out of school yesterday and there wasn't a person in line.    We entered this closed gazebo type thing that had been turned into a personal Santa's cottage.   It was warm and quiet and WONDERFUL!   It was just my family inside too.  How cool is that.
Ryan wanted nothing to do with Santa.    Even when I walked him up to where Santa was sitting he was pushing so hard against me that I thought I might fall over.   As we were the only ones there, Santa grabbed the book "Twas the night before Christmas" they gave each child (in lieu of the candy cane) and began looking through it and pointing certain things out in it to Ryan.    Such a special, unlike any other mall Santa experience, we've ever had.   And he looked JUST like Santa.  and Mrs. Claus was handing out the books and was darling.
It really was just magical.

Ryan hesitantly agreed to sit on Syd's lap..not having to touch Santa :)   This was the only picture Ryan was actually looking towards the camera.

After the flu we all got this terrible yucky congestion cold crap.   The effects still show in their eyes and coloring.   Poor things.   Still.   Best Santa experience to date.

Thursdays Thoughts by Sydney

1- What do you hope the New Year brings ?
Fun

2- If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be ?
No homework

3- What do you want to be when you grow up ?
A school teacher

4- If you had 3 wishes....what would you wish ?
To be rich
To do whatever I want
To have any kind of pet I want

5- If you could go to dinner with 3 people....anyone....who would you go with ?
Hailey
Imani
Nia

6- If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go ?
Paris, France

7-  Do you want to have kids when you grow up ?
Maybe

8- If you had a million dollars....what's the first thing you would buy ?
A fancy fancy house

9- If you had a million dollars to give away......who would you give it to ?
Africa

10- Who loves you the most in this whole world ?
Everybody :)

Wordless Wednesday

Stuck Like Glue ?

With the boys in kindergarten I've noticed some separation happening.   First they were separated from sitting at the same table because they wouldn't stop talking :)

Spencer has always been my "friend maker"   He is extremely social and will talk to anyone of smaller stature.    "lets play" can be heard at playgrounds in parks and at fast food joints.
Cameron is friendly but is more reserved and follows on the heels of his brother in social situations.  Or he's fine to stay by himself.

There was a birthday party invitation that came home prior to Halloween.   The birthday boy isn't in their kindergarten class but was in their preschool class and I often see him playing with Spencer during recess and before school.
It wasn't addressed to one or both of the boys but Spencer assured me it was just for him.   The invitation was given to Cameron.  but according to Spencer he gave it to Cam to give to Spencer.
I asked the boys mother at the Halloween parade just to make sure and she let me know that both boys were invited.....however I'll never know if my asking didn't push her into inviting them both.

Since then Spencer has come home from school and has been begging me to set up a play date with a new boy from his class.   It's Axl this and Axl that.    mom can Axl come over....can I play at Axl's house ?
I sent a note with Spencer to give to Axl.   It had his phone number on it and said that Spencer wanted to set up a time to play.
I got a call last night and it was quickly arranged that Spencer would go home with Axl after school today.
I put a note in Spencer's backpack for his teacher advising her that he would be going home with them and then told Cam that I would still be there to pick him up.
Cam quickly told me that he would go with Spencer to Axl's house.    :-(
I'm sure that it would be fine if he did.   I don't think Axl would care but when I asked Spencer if it would be ok he quietly said, "no....I just want to play with Axl"

They've always been considered a "pair"    And them splitting up is fine with me. I think it's good for both of them.  But Cam has always relied on Spencer to set it up.....and his sweet little voice wanting to go today just about broke my heart.
I'm hoping that this will force Cam to make his own friends and play dates.

I'm still waiting for the day that the one brings home a real date and the date leaves with the other one :)

**UPDATED**
I picked up a single child from kindergarten today.   He had Spencer's backpack in hand.   He climbed in the car happily enough and reminded me that Spencer went in Axl's car.   I didn't say anything.   As we pulled out of the school parking lot Cam said sweetly, "I hope Spencer has a good time"  
My heart was so full that the breaking part just hurt even more.   SUCH a great brother.

Repeat Thursday

Only with real throw up this time.

Cam is my last to fall.   and we all know he will fall.
I just can't imagine that he could come out of this unscathed.

I need everyone to be feeling better tomorrow....we have a Christmas Party to go to.   There will be great food, entertainment and presents.   oh and the best part...there will be no puking kids there. :)

Wordless Wednesday

P.P.P.S

Early morning the day after Thanksgiving Syd did "the cry".   You know.  The one where the child knows what's coming up and the overwhelming fear of not having any control over it exiting their body sends them into shrieks of sobbing and announcing that they don't want to throw up, like that will stop it all.

You know when someone has the flu and you are either by them or taking care of them and you get that lump/feeling in your throat....when your subconscious screws with you.....maybe it's the smell....maybe it's the idea of what just happened....but you start questioning whether or not you are coming down with whatever seems to be punching the crap out of the other person.

Shortly after arriving home from putting up Christmas decorations at my grandma's house, the fever and aches started.   Yip.  Mom down,  need a light.
To add insult to injury I started my period.  
Now this is what I call multi tasking at it's finest.    There was some form of liquid exiting every single one of my orifices at almost the same time. T.M.I ?  No,  P.P.P.S   I had the puke, poop, period sickness.

24 hrs after Syd started showing symptoms she was up and bouncing.   32 hrs after my symptoms started showing, J gave me more tylenol for the fever I still had and some tums for the heartburn I was sporting.
I brain shouted, will it not end?, like that will stop it all.

Last night at 10:37 pm.   Ryan did "the cry".   A throw blanket, due to quick thinking and the fast hands of J and a bucket full at 2 am later he's up and playing and seems none the worse.

Ryan playing.  for now. 

Getting ready for school Spencer said his stomach hurt.   he says that a lot.   gas, hunger pains, poop pains.  he feels them all at much higher levels than the rest of us.  I think it's because his internal organs are closer to the surface than most...you know, because he's so skinny.
I still don't know if he's the next victim....but he's curled up in my bed watching Polar Express.
Why take the chance.

And in perfect form J leaves out of town this week.    Which means that I need the last 3 people to get sick today.    What ?   I can handle it.   I'm a multi-tasker remember. :)

The thing that makes me smile through all of this. albeit a more humble smile.  Who can say that they lost weight after Thanksgiving ?  
You want me to send you a dirty napkin ?  a licked cup ?
I wonder what elements need to be in place to keep a virus like this alive and well.   I could use it after Christmas and New years too.  ;-)
Anybody have a body of questionable water near their house that you could maybe send a small flask full to me ?   I am CERTAIN that if I could get that tape worm business up and going I'd be living in the lap of luxury.  

Indoor soccer is way better than outdoor soccer

The big boys started indoor soccer.   It's like a whole new game.   With outdoor soccer it felt like every 5 seconds the ball was kicked out of bounds.  The game came to a stop.  The ball was retrieved and given to the ref.  The player would pass it in and sometimes immediately the ball was kicked out of bounds again.
Indoor you play off of the walls.  or in our case the pads.
Very fun.
This is where I throw in all casual like, that in our first game Spencer scored 3 goals.  Cameron 2.   The teams total score was 10 so that tells you how well they played.  you know in my non chalant way to make it not seem all  braggy at how well they did. :)
Fact is....we were just as surprised at how well they did.
(pshaw)
They loved it.   Sydney is sure she wants to play.  and we couldn't get the littles off of the artificial lawn.
Still. only the big boys will be playing indoor soccer this year.   :)

Spencer running SUPER fast.  Cam right beside him.

My 5

My comedians

Guess what Santa is bringing Cameron for Christmas :) I love that our loss of front teeth and Christmas always coincide. I also love that my big boys will, without wrestling and fighting for space, still climb up on my lap to cuddle.
This was a cuddling moment but then turned into a tickling match to get Cam to show his missing front teeth.
oooooh I Love Them.

Tuesdays big tips

Carpet Stain #572

If a child spills red punch.   Or V-8 berry blast which is basically vegetables with kool-aid coloring.
First swear.   Think about crying.  and then continue to let it set overnight because it's too late to clean up before bed and the child being in his bed is what's keeping him alive.   At that point getting the steam cleaner out and ready and turned on and cleaned up will take much longer than even your patience can handle.   I mean.  it was just red punch.  the same color as my face at that point.  in the middle of the floor.
I do understand why they tell you not to cry over spilled milk.   Save the crying for the red punch.

The next day the steam cleaner didn't TOUCH the now set in and dried red stain.   Neither did the spot cleaner, borax, tide or MR CLEAN (which is when I gasped and blood filled my head so fast I lost all sense of hearing)   Mr. Clean takes sharpie marker out of white carpet for the love of all that's holy..how did it not touch this red stain.
They need to make a Mrs. Clean magic erasers.  She would take the color out of the carpet she'd clean it so good.   She would probably complain the whole time too.  hmm.  maybe that's why she never made it passed the first production prototype.

What you need to do is this.   Poor water on the stain at hand.   Get a rag/towel.  It will need to be pretty big or you might need to use several.   Lay the towel over the stain.   Take a hot iron.   I put it on the highest cotton setting.   Set iron on towel.   let it steam and steam all of that water out.   Remove and notice the red circle that formed on the towel and the slight fading on the stain on the carpet.  smile really big and giggle realizing that the heat isn't setting the stain like you'd thought and that all is not lost.   Repeat moving towel to a clean part.  Don't forget to add more water.   I didn't use as much water in the beginning and it definitely slowed the process down.  repeat repeat repeat repeat.

I did this for close to an hour and it nearly removed all but a little hint of the stain that only I notice now.   I had to stop because I was running into my parent teacher conference times.  I'm sure that had I stuck to the wet/towel/iron routine....it would have come completely out with not even a sign of the stain.

And there you have it.    Tuesdays tips for removing stains that will keep your children safe.  :)

Here's a number......call me maybe

22  - was the hours we had away from the kids this weekend.   Friday night was our annual wrap party.   Saturday we were invited to a wedding and reception.   It was my big fat Greek wedding without the hair and stone pillars.   But also included the non supportive father because the bride didn't marry a Greek man.
55 - was the amount of money we spent on a babysitter.  My mom watched the kids overnight WOO HOOOOOO
12 - were the inches of snow we got this weekend whildst away from the children.
20 - is the number of minutes it takes me to put hats, coats, gloves, socks, boots and snow pants on 5 little people.   That does not account for the time it took to reapply the clothes that were torn off in a fit of rage because the socks were too short for the boots and because someones gloves weren't tucked into their coat good enough.
80 - is the number of minutes that they stayed outside the first time.
33 - is the maximum number of minutes they stayed outside after that first 80 minutes.
12 - is the number of times they've been bundled up to go out since the first time
35 - is the number of coats gloves boots and hats that get tossed on the floor after playing outside
10,000 - is the number of times I've told them to take their wet clothes off in the garage before coming in the house.  and also....hang up your coats.
100 - is the number of fingers and toes that froze and needed to be warmed up in a bath or on a heating vent after playing in the snow all 12 times.

Wrap Party 

The view from the hotel window. Let it snow let it snow let it snow.

No, we didn't get the trampoline put away in time.

Our mud room apparently.
2 sets of bunk beds in one room.  Explanation coming soon.

Something I'm sure to love and remember.
Probably when they can dress and undress themselves :)

This was to be a hat hair picture...he wouldn't cooperate.
which turned out to be very cute any ways :)

Halloween

Hey,  it's not Thanksgiving yet...so technically I'm not, why even post, late.  I'm just, where the hell have you been, late.   And that's ok !

I have absolutely no pictures of the school parade.   My big boys very first, kindergarten, school parade.   I have no one to blame but myself neighbor. (ha ha)  I was carrying a laundry basket full of 21 gift bags for the boys class party that I was helping with, I also had both little boys to get ready and we all had to be on time to get a seat in the gym and I forgot my camera....I asked my friend to take some for me with her i phone.   she claims to have tried but they were so blurry you couldn't tell if Spencer was a ninja guy or a black licorice jelly bean.  Which I personally think would have been a super cute and a really delicious costume.   but alas...he was a ninja, Cam was an army sergeant, Syd was a Vampiress (I'm still not sure if that's a word) and the littles were both Iron Man.  Or would it be Iron men.  any who.
Here are a few of the fun things we did this year.

We were lucky enough to get our pumpkins carved just a few days before Halloween.  I never put candles in them....which was ok because the kids went to bed before it got dark enough to enjoy them.  :)

Syd was the only one who cleaned her own pumpkin out.  
Such a brave girl.

Janice was happy that one of the pumpkin carving package came with power tools.  

and since I made her do all of the carving.....I was totally good with that fact too.
Ryan's pumpkin.  The least detailed of them all.   

I found the little boys outside.   I asked them what they were doing and they were quick to inform me that they were busy babysitting a fly.

He was a very much alive fly too.

Nate was super excited with all of the hard work "we" did.
This is him mimicking the pumpkins face.

 We also went to a Halloween party at our friends house.    It was super fun.  She goes all out and has her family help man the games.    There was a guessing game, no hands doughnut eating, bean bag toss, pin the tail on the cat, necklace making, face painting, mug painting, cup decorating, fish tank and food.   aaaaaah.  It was so nice to go to a Halloween party this year instead of putting one together !
Of course the only pictures I took were of the doughnut eating game...because that was funny.   Oh and there was that one picture of the boys standing in line for the bean bag toss :)  (I'm sorry....I was busy visiting)

I have an Aunt and Uncle (my dads brother and wife) who by some people's definition would be considered a little on the eccentric side.   Which I feel is their outward way of expressing their unique and creative intelligence.   And I like that they express themselves at Halloween time for SURE.
They decorate their home from head to toe with Halloween. or would that be roof to sub floor.  I'm talking.....put everything else away....take pictures off of the walls, move furniture, decorate.
They've even been featured on the news in the past.    They allow kids to walk through and then after you've tried to take it all in...they offer you a treat and thank you for coming.
I hope they never stop this tradition.
Almost everything moved or talked or screamed at you.   My Aunt claims that she gives stuff away...and this year she didn't even put a few things out to display.    My gracious she's got a lot of stuff.  Here is just some of it.

Yes the heart was beating

My favorite this year was this Medusa.  The snakes on her head moved around.   

Yes, it's like the one in the movie Big.   

One of the kids favorites.   The electric crystal ball.

Such nice people.

Ok, I'm officially not a slacker any more.

Roaches

I've been meaning to write a post about this.....I wanted to include video footage and Lucille eating but something has gone terribly wrong with my video camera.

Remember when I posted about Sydney getting Lucille.  A very lovely reader emailed me.   She told me about her beardies (when you own a bearded dragon you get to call them super cool nicknames like beardies)  She talked to me about cages, lighting and feeding.   She mentioned to me that she breeded roaches to feed to her sons lizard and that if I was interested in doing the same to let her know and she'd help me get started.
I email-smiled politely and said no thank you, that I was going to try crickets because well, they weren't roaches.
She offered to send me some of her roaches to start my own colony. (SO nice right ?)
ANY hew.   Lucille was eating 3-4 crickets a day and we were fine.   The pet store is a few blocks away.  You can get a dozen for 1.00.    I had taught myself at this point how to handle the crickets and after only having Lucille for a couple of days that was enough.

About 5 days later Lucille acclimated to our lovely home and began eating 25-35 crickets a sitting.
That's a LOT more expensive than 3-4 and who  wants to go to the pet store every day to buy them.    I googled and researched how to breed crickets.   We tried.   It was a process and after about 5 days realized crickets weren't going to work.  (there is a process to breeding crickets)

I emailed the girl back and said..ok..what's the deal with the roaches.   She selflessly took the time to educate me on the whole deal.  She then packed and mailed them out.
When the package came I opened it and there was a large pretzel container with hundreds and hundreds of roaches.   All sizes.   adults, feeders, and even some tiny little baby ones.   I had no idea what to expect.
Quite an awesome sight to behold.

I had to handle them as they were dying off through the mailing process.     So that whole...ewww...creep me out thing with roaches was immediately eradicated.  
I'm kind of smitten with them now.   Really.  We have a relationship a bit like the roach on Wall-e.  :)

Thing to know is this.   Roaches are meatier than crickets and worms so they are better for Lucille.  They don't jump.  or fly.   They don't bite as they are vegetarians.   Crickets will bite your lizard if left with her for too long.  and crickets will kill each other.  Roaches take care of each other.   If they happen to get out of the bin I'm keeping them in....they will die.   They can't live alone outside of their colony and especially not in this dry cold climate.   or in my laundry room because that's where they are located currently.  (through the cold months any ways)
Basically they are just a really fast potato bug.   At least that's what I'm telling myself.  :)

Housing and food.
Egg crates, cheerios and carrots.  The white wad on the one lid is a wet paper towel.  That's what I give them for water....for now.

The big black ones are the females, the black ones with wings are the males.  The smaller yellow ones were the tiny babies that are growing and the black dots are either new babies or poop :)

This is a newly hatched baby since getting these guys.  :)
I named this one Newt.  

Lucille.  She's getting so big.  

I thought that I had learned, but sometimes need to be reminded...."don't knock it til you try it"

Wanna know what I can do ?
Make cheesecake.  in a spring form pan.  in a water bath.  all by myself.
and oh my gracious it was good.
You can find the recipe here.     I'm usually so critical of my own work that I can't really appreciate it as much.   This.  this turned out Perfect and tasted awesome !

I was scared to wrap it in tinfoil like she says to.  partly because my tinfoil wasn't big enough to wrap around the entire pan  and I was scared to layer it in case water leaked in.   So I used a turkey bag that fit the entire pan and just cinched it really tight up top.

My water bath :)

Just out of the fridge.   Slightly pulled away from the edges.   I did end up cooking mine almost 10 minutes longer than the recipe suggested.    

Finale.   I caramelized my pecans....SO good. 

So good that it went fast.    

This would make a nice substitute at Thanksgiving.   The taste was a bit like a pumpkin roll.   So yummy.   I can't wait for an excuse to make this again.