Stop! Potty Time!

uhoh! look who's getting potty trained!
He asked if he could peepee, and did it! He got to wear "big boy underwear" (pullups) and was so proud! He kept giving me "five" and potatoes. LOL Ever since then, he's been telling me when he needs to go. Sometimes we make it in time, sometimes we don't, but this is a big step! Go Peapie!

We went to the park on Friday afternoon and had the best time! It was overcast, so it was bearable. It's been close to 100 for the last week! Carson and Reed played baseball while Trevor and I went walking, then we all hung out on the playground.

Punk Rocker!

Carson got a new haircut tonight. It will be interesting to see how it is received, but he LOVES it. He looked in the mirror and said "I look just like a bird!" LMAO! He's been patting it all night. We just thought it would be funny, but it really looks cute. I had half intentions of shaving the rest off if it looked hideous, but since he's happy, I'm happy. Plus, he does look pretty freaking cool....

It's a MOHAWK!














Pre-punk phase, Carson got a doctor's kit for his bday and has been healing us all. Here's Trevor getting his shots (because he has boogers, Mom, and needs a shot to fix that).












And, Aah! Look what we can do! We can climb up on the counter and give mom a coronary! This counter is connected to all the others, and nothing is safe any longer. Such little monkeys...

Stinky Blogger

Wouldn't let me add anything new to that last post, or even add a new post for a few days. Something to do with cookies. I am woefully inexperienced when it comes to computers, most of what I know I have tinkered with until I figured it out, and that's not much. I can't even change the background on my myspace because it all looks like Greek to me! Anyway, here are a few more pictures. We have friends from my class coming to dinner tonight, so I haven't much time.
Lots of things going on in life right now, not all of them good, but we're holding. We've dealt with worse, and come out mostly unscathed, so we just keep truckin'. After this week, I've seen so much worse, it's hard to feel pity about yourself...

watermelon painted to look like a pineapple! LOL








party buddies!


Here he is, the four year old. That sounds so foreign to me. I have a hard time saying I have a four year old. It seems like another lifetime in some aspects, and in reality it is. Living in Florida, before cancer, before Trevor, before school, working at the bridal shop...Everything has changed since he was born, except for the important bits: two completely in love people who are head over heels for a beautiful little boy with huge blue eyes that take everything in and a huge, quick smile for everyone he meets. My life may have changed in just about every way possible since he came into the world, but my love for him has not. I'm learning new things about him every day, as he changes. I'm filled with wonder at how quickly he learns (he's so smart!) My heart trips when he calls me Mama and tells me he loves me ("too much, Mama!") and on the rare occassion he'll let me cuddle him I feel blessed. Thanks, Carson. And Happy Birthday.

Four times the fun!

Friday was Carson's fourth birthday. He had a really awesome weekend. My best friend from junior high (and beyond) Carrie and her little girl Summer came up from Charlotte to spend the weekend. She helped me do so much for this party! I couldn't have done it without her! Carson really loves Summer, she's like a big sister to him. We all had a great time. The party was today, Sunday, and it was a hit! The theme was Bikini Bottom, and we had everything Sponge-y.
The kids were very cute, and the weather held out JUST long enough for the party to wrap. I am exhausted. But I think Carrie and I may have found our calling--we should plan parties professionally. We had such a blast. We joked that we could tell we were mothers now, since we were up on a Saturday night at 11 pm painting Bikini Bottom on a plastic tablecloth!










This was our jellyfishing game. I made a pole out of a dowel and a plastic balloon weight. Paper jellyfish had velcro backs on them and the "hook" was the velcro front attached to the balloon weight. The sea was a blue plastic tablecloth, with a few paper flowers and seaweed!

Blog no more?

Friends and fellow bloggers...how would you feel if we were no longer able to access one another's blogs, read about our friends, get inspiration from their projects, ooh and ahhh over their children?? That's what some people want. This website tells more in detail, but basically big internet providers like Verizon, AT&T, etc are busy throwing money at Congress right now to get the previously unregulated "Net Neutrality" act passed into law...only giving THEM the say so in what we can access, what videos we can download, tacking on fees to "help" our computers download sites quicker (if we don't pay, they may not load at all!). Right now, any person with a computer can set up a site and dream big. If these big companies get their wish, only those with enough capital to buy a spot among these big dogs will be able to accomplish anything. Think about a 'net without Ebay (which started small)...think about your own selling ventures online-do you want to compete pricing against AT&T? And why should we? Please, visit the site link and sign the petition. Let's keep the internet the way it is.

Damn Interesting

It really is...see for yourself. A friend posted this link and I've been engrossed ever since. Okay, alot of the topics are something I'd never think to ask about, but that's part of the fun, isn't it?

I'm back in school, and taking a CNA class. It's definitely interesting...the people in it, not the class. It's a diverse bunch. An IT guy, a few graduates, a woman with a MSW...? Call me crazy, but if I get a master's in something, I think I'll try to make that stick...not go for a license that will pay me 9 bucks an hour. Seriously. Now that CNA licensing is a requirement for all nursing students before they can take the NCLEX, there's a mad dash for classes. I had to stand in line FOUR HOURS to get into this one, and I'm told that the following classes are booked solid through November. Maybe I need to get a certification to teach the CNA classes instead....Nah. I'm glad to be back in school, but the schedule is kicking my butt.

My kids are pretty wild these days. Carson is reading short words, yes READING. It's amazing. Trevor is talking more every day and making sentences and saying babble that we understand because even though it's "Trevorese", it seems to have nouns and verbs, which added to his expressions make it really coherent. It's crazy. Tonight he told Carson off...and Carson definitely understood! "Cha cha (carson)...you NO NO nagee ball dib me toe" Which means..."Carson, don't bounce that ball on my toe again, or I will turn you upside down and give you a wedgie"

He got the point.

We got a piano, thanks to the help of Clayton's muscles, Brandy's adorable hubby, and the kids love it. I can't wait to teach them the keys, and I'm thinking I can use grease pencil to write the letters on the keys without hurting it. It's too early yet for them to read music...right? But both boys are definitely musical and Carson sings with good pitch, so I think he's going to have a good ear. I've been awkwardly practising, with my broken finger, but it's all flooding back. I even have my old primers and notes to start with!

At long last

I've typed several new entries here over the last week but none have gone through. I've got my fingers crossed this time!

My big, beautiful baby boy is growing up so darn fast! He had his 4 year old pictures made on Sunday, even though his birthday isn't till next month.

Busy Girl!

We've been busy, busy here lately and I feel like I can't catch up. We're thinking of running off to the beach a few days with the kiddos, let them stick their toes in the sand and such...and at the end of the month we have Kris and Mandy's wedding in Gatlinburg! They're finally doing it! Congrats, guys! My mom is keeping the boys for us since it's also our anniversary weekend and we'll just stay a few days and relax. We love to shop the outlets, see a show (this place was our favorite, although this ad looks cheesy as crap!) We're looking forward to it.

We are finally looking in to buying a new place. We need a flatter yard so the kids can play without schlepping to the park...I love trees but it's ridiculous to wash your car every day due to the copious amounts of sap that falls on it and makes it almost too sticky to open...and I'm ready for something new. All good reasons, don't ya think? Plus we need to move a bit closer to Asheville for a few reasons. My school will be that way next year, my clinicals will mostly be in Asheville, and one of Reed's dealerships will be in downtown. whew. Wish us luck. I hate house hunting because it seems like you have to look forever. I just want it DONE.

I'm making Carson's birthday party invitations because he wants a "Bikini Bottom" party...not spongebob, but Bikini Bottom. No such invite at the card store. They're coming out pretty cute, although they are time consuming. He keeps adding friends to his list. We started with 5 and now we're up to 14 I think. Ay yi yi...14 four year olds!

this is what we do when we are bored! I love sidewalk chalk. And I've decided that it's the reason carson can read small words already!

Tangled indeed

seems the inter web is a small place indeed. I've just run into another old friend by way of pesky blogs, whom I haven't seen since 9th grade and now lives in Cali. Hello, C!

As a lifelong "good girl" (no laughing!), I have to admit an unyielding curiosity to some things that I will never be personally privy to. Enter a girl known as Diablo Cody. I met her long ago on a site, and have read her blog as faithfully as I know how for some time now. She tickles me to no end, mainly because I know no one else like her, and her way with words is, well, nothing short of shockingly funny. You may have seen her on David Letterman recently, since she's just published her first book, Candy Girl. She's also written a screenplay, and doing interviews and book signings right and left. Congrats, Brook! You've told me more than I ever could have asked, made me laugh and blush, and you rock!

My good friend Brandy is going to Denver today to the fertility clinic for screening to be a surrogate mother. Good luck Brandy!

Evian Turd Flu

That's what I'm calling it. Evian as in "can't drink or look at water or I'll yak" and...well, you understand the rest.

The boys have it again. They just love to share! Normally I'd be proud of that fact. There's nothing quite as precious as two adorable blond boys puking and stinking up a house. 426 loads of laundry later, and I think we've beat it. At least, I hope so. The only thing more adorable than the two blond boys would be 165 pounds of man baby puking as well. Let's hope and pray he doesn't catch it either.

There's hope, seeing as how he was gone most of the week at a finance conference at this place. He had a great time, and I even joined him one night. It was sweet heaven. 4.5 star resort, room service, meals and drinks free (well, paid for), no kids...I took a nap and then made use of the indoor pool, gym and sauna. I was probably one of the few people there under 40 (the other two being hubby and his boss), but it was still fun. I'm thinking that you don't really go to Greensboro for any other reason than to go to a conference. The hotel was mainly conference rooms, huge ones. Oh, and shop for furniture. But the golf course was beautiful and the spa...awesome. I got treated to a facial and hung out for a bit talking to my facialist about FL. Turns out she lived 2 miles past Hurlburt Field, and we used to live 3. Go figure! Regardless of where she was from, she gave a hell of a facial. I still have movie star skin. Reed and I ate and were glamorous and fabulous the whole time. LOL

I got my report card and...drumroll please...I've a 4.0. I've always been a smart ass. Gotta say though, getting good grades with kiddos around is hard work (say that with the George Bush voice..."Hard Work"). Huge kudos to anyone trying it while actually working as well. I get tired just thinking of that.

Good Times

had to post this pic in order to upload it elsewhere, so you guys are subjected to yet another pic of me and man boy. sorry.

Pure Determination...Yep, that's him.

I've done a few more layouts lately, and I'm getting in a rut. I like the simpler styles, but sometimes that means repeating what I've already done. and again. I need to look for new ideas. Anyway, here are a few...

this was the first time I got crazy with a picture, although you can't really tell from the photo. I bent it up and scratched it on the edges and then inked it. I just wanted to. I also inked the edges of the letters and cardstock with the same mocha color. It was fun.

do you see my rut? horizontal strips across the bottom, top, or middle. That's all. Ugh. I guess I'm a plain jane.

My last post was too long. It was hard to read! I got over zealous, I suppose.
Not much time today, I just wanted to congratulate my sister in law, Alisa for a job well done! Woohoo! I hope you feel better soon!

Randomness...

What happens when you have children in daycare, even a "good" one? 453 colds a season, that's what. We're professional cold experts at this point. Both boys automatically open their mouth when I approach with a syringe and lean back when I grab a Kleenex. I think I may be on some DEA list due to the copious amounts of Sudafed I've bought the past few months. I bought some expensive immune system vitamins at Feelin' Great for babies...here's to hope!

There's a 62 year old retired schoolteacher in NY who says her cable was pirated and has supposedly ordered almost $1,000 worth of porn from her cable provider. I suppose schoolteachers probably get crazy just like anyone, but I seriously doubt she actually did this, mainly because she said the only other person in the house is her 81 year old mother. Nobody would order that much porn with Mom around. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1904517

This poor darling was just too enamored of her favorite writer. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=1899496&page=1
"Author Kaavya Viswanathan, a Harvard University sophomore, had acknowledged that numerous passages in "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life" were lifted from another writer. Viswanathan, 19, has apologized repeatedly for lifting material from Megan McCafferty, whose books include "Sloppy Firsts" and "Second Helpings," saying she had read McCafferty's books voraciously in high school and unintentionally mimicked them."
I can sorta see how that happens. You read someone long enough, repeatedly, and you sort of see things through their eyes. You admire their style of writing and you sometimes put events in your own life in "their" terms. Especially if you have a writers soul...only most people don't actually WRITE a book and then also not notice the similarities. Of course, her publisher could have caught it before press, so she's not solely to blame. I think it's their responsibility to know what is out there and, especially in books of the same genre, be able to see if works are plagiarized. Oh well.
*****************************************************************
What a tangled web it is....the interweb, I mean. You think it's a big giant world out there, but the internet certainly shortens the gap considerably.
I was hanging out in Sandy's Scrapbook Corner one day a few months ago, and Sandy was talking to a woman named Joanna with two really adorable kids. She seemed vaguely familiar, but it's a small town. Everyone is familiar. After she left, Sandy began singing this woman's praises, telling me how great she was at scrapping and how she'd been published...and finally I knew. She was Joanna, my good friend Brandy's neighbor that she talked about extensively, and whose blog I'd been reading! How strange to meet someone from the 'net in real life! I only wish now I wouldn't have been so slow and had been able to talk to her more then!
Then, my cousin Missy linked from my blog to my friend Brandy's blog on to Joanna's blog and even emailed her about her pictures. She mentioned this to me, so of course, Nosy Nelly that I am, had to check out Joanna's latest pictures. When I clicked to comment, I almost fell out of my chair. There was a comment from a long lost friend from high school, Kimber-Leigh! It even had her picture on it so I was sure it was her. I babbled like an idiot to Reed about it, who thinks I'm a giant dork as it is for hanging on blogs so much, but look what happened! I really hope she emails me and we can catch up a bit. It was one of those weird things that, while we spent a ton of time together senior year and made wonderful plans to keep in touch, life just got in the way. I'd often wondered what happened to my sweet friend and how she was doing, particularly when I moved back up to NC. Right after Reed and I married our old friend Ty (whom I'd just re-met) showed me a marriage announcement for Kimber-Leigh, so I knew she was married. I figured she'd be teaching English or writing, so it looks like I was right there. I'm so excited to learn more!
Kimber-Leigh, Hello! A picture from the past...
You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes. ~Winnie the pooh

Today was a good day. Reed and I putzed around, cruised Asheville Mall a bit and got some errands done. Our neighbor Mark came over for awhile and we sat on the porch and watched Trevor and Carson play in a mud puddle. Yep, hold us back! We're just full of excitement! There's no telling what we might do next!

I had to watch The Notebook the other day while doing laundry and was melancholy the rest of the day. I don't know why movies affect me so. I swear I'm not usually a blubbering fool at Hollywood productions...really.

I don't have a whole lot of wisdom tonight. It's been a long week...school, tests, scrapping in free time, running around with the boys...my mind is like mental jello. I'm so ready for the weekend. Bring it on...

One more little bit for the day: Janet Fish she is really one of my favorite female contemporary artists. I just love her stuff. It makes me feel happy. I'm doing a reproduction of her glass plates pieces and I'm loving those too. I was on a Georgia O'Keeffe kick, and I still really dig her but I think I might be moving on. Just thought I'd introduce a bit o' culture to your day.

Phone manners!

The person this is really directed at will never read this, but I'm still angry enough to tell y'all about it.
If you dare to call someone's home with demands that they take care of their stepdaughter at the last minute for 6 days (without even asking, mind you!) and I dare to regretfully say we cannot...do NOT hang up the phone on me! I was offering a partial solution to the person in question in order to accomodate her orders as much as I could, and CLICK! the nerve of some people...

word of the day: enthalpy. it's my chem vocab, and I just plain like the way it sounds.

and in case you haven't seen it yet...link of the day Post Secret. You should have seen it, because it was on my links previously, but I'm taking pity on you and linking it again. it's good stuff.

Baby Got Back...
Okay, so I should have warned you about the gratuitous nudity, but I figure you're fine with it.
Since everyone has been so nice about all the braggy kid shots, I figure I'm going to start putting a bit more on my blog of greater interest to, well, more than just me. How's that for a change?

I just love his eyes! they're a super crystal clear blue, but even without color they seem to sparkle. I'm working on lowlights in my pics and am almost there. 

I took a bunch of black and whites of the boys last week on the porch. I am really starting to like black and whites more than colors. They seem more...pure or something. Anyway, a few turned out really cute. I'm going to do a wall of B&W pics and am going to blow some of these up a bit. If you have any tips, pass them on! I'd love to learn more so that I get more good ones! 

Pretty girl!

 

Relaxing on the porch...

 

 

Granny comes to visit...

 

Reed Smith, Action Hero

Does anyone remember the Chuck Norris action show? There are action figures of the characters, and apparently there was a "Reed Smith" character. (this was before my time ;) Reed got his doll, which actually is blond and looks quite similar to him, and he still. has. it.
It cracks me up. I used it as a prop at our 80's party and people thought it was hysterical. My girlfriends love it, and have made this my avatar on a message board. Dorky, I know. But, who wouldn't want a hubby who came complete with karate chop action and their own numchucks? (sp?) He can save my day anytime...

Can you believe this?

Someone stumbled across my old website not too long ago, and apparently had uploaded a pic of a room sign I had done and saved it. They just ordered one for their daughter! It figures, I finally take the site down and get business. Anyway, the sign is this one "Kirby". Very Girly.





Reed wants me to do this one again for sale. I did this for Bon Bebe, but they didn't pay diddly. He refused to let me sell it. He doesn't realise that this is absolutely the easiest thing to do, ever. It requires no thinking. Well, very little. But at least he is looking out for me. The picture doesn't do it justice because the colors are much better in person, and it's pretty big, 11 X 14. Carson likes it, and that's who I had in mind in the first place.

Sick AGAIN?

it's just neverending around here. I thought we were finally back on track, the kids went to school on Monday, but lo and behold, daycare called while I was in class (they must have my cell number on speed dial!), the boys both had fevers. ENOUGH! I went to a new doc, and they were diagnosed with bronchitis and a sinus infection for Trevor. SHEW. But we finally got a diagnosis I like and good meds, and I really think this is the end. *praying the power of positive thought extends to toddlers health*

School is still going really well, despite the fact that I'm getting a bit behind because of all the missed days. We had to do a presentation for Art today, and the teacher seemed to like it. He asked me to join a group of students who are doing a mural this summer. You get some class credit, which I'm not sure I need, but if I need to stay full time that will help me get basic hours without killing my homework schedule for the other classes, so I may do it. I know I would enjoy it. I was pleased because I know my art is generally good for a total amateur, but it was nice to get some feedback from someone who knows what they are talking about. He gave me some constructive criticism as well, which I was badly in need of. I will post my pieces in a bit.
We just watched Lord of War with Nicholas Cage, and it was disturbing. You're meant to sympathise in some places with his character, who is a drug runner. I found that hard to do despite the fact that I really like Nic Cage. I think choosing him for the part was pretty deliberate, as he's generally liked in his movies but has that dark side that helped you believe it. What it did was make me pissed off and feeling impotent...which I guess is pretty powerful for a 2 hour Hollywood creation. Watch it, you'll see. The message at the end is also pretty bleak in that "This is how it is, everyone does it, you can't change it". I'm not so sure, but it would take a lot. And people would lose money, which they are loathe to do. It all comes down to weighing your soul against your wallet, which leaves me glad I'm just a little peon who doesn't have to use those scales.
I'm reading Trinity by Leon Uris right now, on reccomendation from Reed's Uncle Lou, in his blog. It's just mentioned as a great book, and so far it is. It took awhile to get deep into it, and there is a lot of history that would bore some, but Ireland has always fascinated me. It started with Gone with the Wind, was compounded in Scarlett (girly, I know!), and took off from there. Reed and I would really like to visit there as our next "big" trip. I've been all over Europe but never made it past Scotland. Anyway, it's a really great read and the librarian at school almost cried when she told me about reading it, which I assume means it really moved her, rather than something negative.

Fun Time at Harrah's

"We're going to win big money! Uh, how do you play craps again?"

We went to Harrah's Casino last weekend and had a pretty good time. At least we didn't lose too much. It was so smoky, though! It was really disgusting. I'm not really a smoke nazi (okay, I am) but this was ridiculous. As soon as you walked in, your eyes were clouded by the haze of Marlboros. Slot machines are fairly close together, so you inevitably had to sit next to a chain smoker who held their Lucky Strike 4 inches from your face and then blew in your direction at every spin. No fun for the rest of us! They had a tiny No Smoking room, but unfortunately, it was dull city. The games in there weren't as fun, the few games they had were mostly occupied, and we were just tired (and bleary eyed) by the time we found it. Reed ended up snoring so loud because of the smoke accumulation, he kept the rest of us up all night long. Every 10 minutes I'd hear Bret yell "REED!!!!", who would partially awake and stop snoring for about 10 minutes. At one point he yelled "Reed, the room's on fire!!!" which made no sense but I definitely didn't dream because Hayley heard it too. LOL We were all exhausted.
"Uncle Bret" and Hayley
Trevor is finally on the road to recovery. It was a long week. He had the Super Titanic Strength Bubonic Flu, which means we were all miserable. He lost 3 pounds in as many weeks, which is freaky for a baby that size. But I know he'll chunk back up, especially given the way he's been eating the past 2 days.
this was the face I saw every day the past few weeks. Poor thing was miserable! It's kind of a funny face, though.

To keep Marie from being bored...

I figured I had a few minutes and could add something so she has something to do, besides actually work. :)~ If you're bored with the NY Times crossword, or just a masochist, check out this site Sodoku Online. You can do these math puzzles online or print them out. My mother in law loves 'em.

And here is your daily dose of cute...Carson and Trevor and I painted finger paintings the other day, and well, more paint ended up on them than on the paper.

Oh what a weekend!

Thank goodness it's over. Trevor had the beginnings of strep (from kissing girls at day care, I'm sure) and went to the doctor on Friday with a 104 fever. As I was leaving the doctor, daycare called and said Carson had a fever of 103. UGH. I raced over and got him, got them some medicines, and we spent the rest of the day in hibernation. Savannah was with us since last wednesday while her mom was out of state, and was also in a mood. We've never had many problems with her but this weekend was just one after the other. I don't know how non custodial parents do it! You can't change too many ingrained habits because you have them for such a short time before they go home, but you can't allow bad behavior to go on in front of your other children for fear they will learn from them. It's just exasperating. Maybe there are some books out there that have some ideas on how to deal with this--if anyone knows any, let me know!
My boys are going to my dad and Jaime's this weekend so I can take a class, and Reed and I plan to go to Cherokee on Saturday night. I think it will be really fun. We need a bit of a break. Bret and Hayley are going with us, and I think we'll get a room.
School is going really well, despite my stress. I've so far got perfect A's in each one. :) I really have to have perfect grades since I have no nursing work experience. We get points for each thing we do that's related, and the more points you have, the higher you are ranked. So the better my grades are...the higher my rank.
I'm in love with this stuff right now. Naked Juice it sounds really naughty and it is! it's sinfully good. It feels like eating ice cream. Well, okay, yogurt from TCBY, but that's pretty good itself, right? I have it for breakfast now instead of bad carbs like bread. The promo is this: "Naked Juice is a line of delicious, all-natural 100% juices, 100% juice smoothies and protein smoothies made from the best bare-naked fruits. Naked Juice never adds sugar, preservatives, artificial colors or flavors." and the truth is that it's just plain yummy, and keeps me away from McD's in the morning. And I've lost a pound or two by doing so. ;)

New Job for Reed!

This week Reed accepted a position at a new/old dealership, Hunter Chevrolet. I say old because he worked there briefly just before we moved to Florida. They liked him and when the Finance Manager position opened up, they contacted him, and he started right away! His old company was happy he had the opportunity and everyone is happy. He's already very busy at work, and very tired when he comes home because he's still learning the ropes, but he's excited about this opportunity and is happy with his choice to accept it. We are so proud of him!

Because of his new position, he can no longer be available to help watch the kids during my classes, so sadly...the boys are starting day care. I am the only sad one about it though. The boys went today to check things out and did not want to leave! The director is Miss Amanda, who was the director of the Morning Preschool in Charlotte that Carson attended, and he was "her boy", so they have a bond. And she'll be his teacher! Trevor actually cried when we left. I can see that I won't be missed. I'm only a little bittersweet, I know this will be better for everyone, and they will learn alot and get to interact more with other kids. It will take a huge load off Reed and I, also, and I can spend more time on schoolwork instead of rushing through things at night when they are in bed. Wish us luck!