Homecoming

My sister and my daughter.
Beautiful girls.
Growing up.



Olivia also let me know yesterday that she will be able to vote in the next presidential election.
Say what?

It's been a week of birthdays...

Jim kicked it off on Monday

Grandma and Dad took the Saturday spot


And my little Bill has Sunday covered


Happy Birthday! Love you all.

Oh no she didn't

Me: Ruby, put the cat down! He is sick of you picking him up!

Ruby: You're bossy.

Me: No, I'm your mom.

Ruby: You're bossy a little bit.

Linguistics

Me: Here are the directions for your happy meal toy.

Ruby: Those aren't the directions, those are the instructions.

What's up

Things sure have changed around here, it's more of a hectic pace. School has started and it's kicking my ass. Lots of homework and studying and not much time for anything else.
Billy and Olivia started school last week. Olivia is loving high school and I think Billy loves school too, I just don't know if school loves him. I had a super short talk with his teacher in carpool line and she seemed a little exasperated. He had his autism testing done last week and we find out the results on Sept 5th. Something tells me I'm going to have to do battle with the school district. If need be I'll show them the true meaning of "no child left behind".
Our tomato plants have been supplying us with lots of tomatoes that taste the way nature intended. This winter I will have a hard time going back to those hard, white, un-ripe, injected with dye monstrosities that they pass off as tomatoes at the grocery store. I have no idea why I haven't grown my own before now, but I will tell you one thing, I will be doing it every summer from now on. Gardening is in my blood anyhow, my aunt and dad do it, my grandparents did it, my great-grandparents did it and so on and so on. One of my dream lives is to live on a farm (this farm can be no farther than an hour from a Target or an Indian restaurant) and have a garden and do canning and also be an animal rescue where people can bring stray animals. I plan on planting more than just tomatoes next year. I'm thinking some squash and zucchini, and melons would be yummy too. We'll have to see though, the sunny spots in my backyard aren't very big.
Hey, did I tell you I quit smoking? It's been three months. I love it and will never go back.
Wow, I sure have written a lot. (Did you know that a lot is two words? It is. And my 8th grade teacher Mrs. Krna made sure that fact was hammered into our brains. She did a good job because I never write those words without thinking about her.) I was going to post some pictures but since I always do pics I think I'll just leave it with words this time.
Anyway, I need to go study while the house is still quiet this morning.
See ya later blog.

Happy Birthday yaya

I remember feeling unprepared when you were born. I even had an epiphany when you were about 2 weeks old..."it's like babysitting, but the parents are never coming home!" Yeah, that was a little scary. But I think we've got our groove on with this mother-daughter thing, I'd even venture to say it's fun. Hope you feel the same. Love you baby.

The Little Prince

Did I mention our new baby? He's a little lover.

Hello Four

Three was fun. I have a feeling four will be even better. I'm already digging the fashion sense, tucked in stripes and all. We are lucky to have you♥♥♥♥

Happy Mother's Day

Thanks to my kids for reminding me that dandelions are beautiful...

All RubyAll the Time

Ready for picture day at pre-school. I bought this dress last year from Kokoleo and the time has finally come for her to wear it. I really think this is the cutest dress EVER! I guess it is Ruby week around here, hope my other kids don't mind. Maybe I'm being a bad mom, but she is the baby.

Who needs Spring...

When you have little miss sunshine.

Life goes easy on memost of the time

The kids sleeping in
Cinnamon rolls for breakfast
Nowhere to go
Windows open
Sunshine
Kids playing in the backyard
Changing my blog around
No television
Making banana bread
Afternoon snack of lemon yogurt alfresco
Music playing
Blowing bubbles
20 minute nap
Dinner of veggie burgers, sweet potato fries and corn on the cob
Rock of Love reunion (had to turn on the tv for that!)
Eating banana bread
Winding down

It was a very good day.

12 years!!!

Wow, can't believe it! One more year until teenager-dom. So until then, rock on with your 12 year old self!

Sunshine

It was good

Meet our Wii family

Olivia made these the other night. In the interest of accuracy, Billy advised her to make Jim's "fatter".
Damn, kids are cold.

Tunnel of Love

it ought to be easy ought to be simple enough
man meets woman and they fall in love
but the house is haunted and the ride gets rough
and you've got to learn to live with what you can't
rise above if you want to ride on down
down in through this tunnel of love

It's been fun baby. Happy Anniversary.

2OO7 was a good year

One of the highlights was selling the 7th street house (two weeks before the crash of the sub-prime market) Whew. Now that was a close one.



Another would be Miss Ruby becoming potty trained. No more diapers ever!!!

Big changes to look forward to in 2008...

George Bush's last year as President. He has set the bar so low that anyone who comes in after will be an improvement, except maybe Huckabee. Who, by the way, Limbaugh and Coulter hate (why?!) As the The Rude Pundit puts it ever so succinctly..."One of the best bloodsports in politics occurs when conservatives eat their own. And seeing Coulter and Rush Limbaugh attempt to tear Huckabee into bite-sized morsels is pleasurable in a way not unakin to watching that video of a Komodo dragon swallowing a wild pig. You wanna feel sorry for the wild pig, but you really can't since, chances are, given the opportunity, that hairy fucker'd turn on you and try to gnaw on your balls."

Olivia starting High School.

Billy starting Kindergarten.

Me starting nursing school.


Some resolutions I'm taking on...


Make a quilt.

Quit taking naps. Yes, I love them but they are big time wasters and I need all the time I can get.

Try something new and ignore the fear of failing.

Quit dropping the F-bomb. This one is pretty important if Ruby is going to be accepted into decent society

Out of the mouth of Ruby

I gave Ruby milk. She took a drink and said "What the fuck is this?" I guess she wanted chocolate milk.

I told her it was time for her to get off the computer, she sighs and says "Jesus Christ."

I was yelling at Olivia (I had a good reason. Really.) Ruby says to me "Mom...calm down."

Later that evening I told Jim that Ruby had been the voice of reason during one of my freak-outs. I asked Ruby, "You don't like it when mommy yells, do you." She says, "No, it gives me a headache."

Retro Ruby

and yes, she now wears glasses.

Thank"full"ness

for...
-Turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, stuffing, bourbon sweet potatoes, pecan pie and cool whip. Omg, so good.
- Not going shopping tomorrow morning. There is nothing that could get me out into that madness.
-A 78 degree Thanksgiving day.
-Playing clubs with my family.
-After dinner coffee with cream.
-To know what it's like to have enough (and more).

Happy Thanksgiving