Anyone out there???

Last night Jim and I watched Wipeout... it seriously brought us to tears with laughter.... DUDE.... I love this new show!!!!! Tuesday Nights at 8pm on channel 7. The commentary alone is awesome.... BUT I MUST SAY.... if you do not like watching people make idiots of themselves and hear others crack jokes at their expense... this isnt a show for you to watch.

(I am serious... I know a few people that get bothered by it. I am ok with it because these people went on this show knowing they were totally going to be laughed at so I am only giving what these people wanted.)

64 and sensational

Helen turned 64 yesterday. I had a fever and was at home sick, so I gave my back up camera to Haley and had her in charge of getting pictures for me. I knew she would remember to take pictures where as if I gave the camera to Jim, he would most likely forget to bring the camera out.... here are the BEST four pcitures Haley got for me :). Hey, at least I have pictures right?

She told me, "mom, the lady who brings us the food took the camera and took our picture... I hope that was ok."

The birthday girl.... Happy birthday Helen!!! Or as Hunt says, Daddy's mom.

Finally we get the kids swim lessons

Yes Haley is going into the first grade and doesnt know how to swim.... I am a horrible mom... but I would like to explain a few reasons why she is just now learning.... She has really bad ecxima. All her life really (all 5 1/2 years long). Her dermatologist told us that she should stay out of chlorine as much as possible.... so we have....

Well we are getting her skin better :) hopefully... and she NEEDS to learn to swim. So finally we are doing it.... You could keep her skin in your prayers.... so far she is having some reaction to the water.... it has only been two days too!

If you know my children you would think that Hunter would be ALL into the swim lessons and would be so excited to get in there and swim.... and you would think Haley would be timid and reserved and cry... (she is my fearful one - payback).... REALLY Haley wasn't as fearful as I thought she would be.... I think it is because I am not the one doing the swim lessons. Hunter clung to Coleen.... at one point I believe she said, "Hunter I cant breathe" because he was holding on so tight.

Coleen is great with the kids so encouraging and sweet. They are 100% better in the water with her then me. I tried to work with them today after lessons - HA.... Haley cried and whined the whole time and Hunter, well, he did good with me.
I asked Coleen what she expects my kids to be able to do after swim lessons.... she said that it differs from each kid.... I want to hear from you parents.... How long do you recommend me have them in swim lessons and when did your kids start swimming confidently????

Anyone need a swim teacher let me know.... I will gladly promote Coleen... she rocks :)

Jenny and I visit Tara

jenny's before pictures.... She has BEAUTIFUL thick hair dude!!!

Tara chopped Jenny's hair off and added highlights to mine. Yes, I know I just spent 7 months with dark hair after trying to get rid of my highlights.... I am not the sharpest tool in the shed...

it kinda looks blonder in person.

Didn't Jenny's hair turn out cute? I look tan next to Jenny... I will have to hang out with her more :)

Allergy test ...Part two..

Ok so I thought the first test sucked.... think again.... part two was WORSE! When we walked in, there were people who were there last week and remembered us :). So we got a lot of ..... "ahhhhhh is she ok?" "poor girl!" and whispers, "that was the girl who screamed last week..."

Once we got into our room.... the nurse goes to wipe Hay's back with some clear fluid of some kind and Hay SCREAMS and then cries.... what ever it was, burned her ecxima out break on her back.... Not a good way to start. The nurse then says.... "I may not be able to do the whole test today, she may have to come back to finish." OH NO.... we are not putting her threw THREE tests....

Well, as you can see in the picture, she got the test, all of it. It took a half hour to convince her that she needed to lay down for the test. She fought it... she refused to lay down and cooperate. I gave her three choices.... (which I said very nicely because I knew I couldnt get mad at her for not wanting to be poked.)

1. I will lay on you holding you down and you will have this test and afterwards you get NO ice cream.

2. YOU lay down on your tummy, you squeeze my hand as hard as you want, you can scream as loud as you want and after wards you get ice cream.

3. You get a shot test out of your arm where they take your blood.

She choose #2. And yes, she screamed....

Afterwards, the nurse came in with sample pokey things and let haley poke me with it so I could see how it felt.... Hay JAMMED that thing into my arm... it felt GOOD.

We dont know the results yet... I do know she isnt allergic to any food. :) (at least any food they tested for)

Dads ROCK

Jim with his kiddos.... that look just like him, I know I know!!!

My dad with his kids (and his only granddaughter who snuck in at the last minute)

Jenny stole my camera and got some BEAUTIFUL pictures.... here is only ONE of them.

Pictures with Jim's dad are coming... :) Jim and his brother Len are taking their dad out for lunch on Saturday... something they have done now for a few years.... Jimmy loves it!

Yard work... child labor :)

My dad came over and helped me take out my stumps. THANKS DAD!!!

Nana watched the kids :)

Break time!

Hunter eating and digging.... yummmmm.

Haley...

Haley has been in Daisy Scouts this year... She just had her last meeting. She has really enjoyed it!

part one of the skin test...

Haley went to the allergist last monday for a skin test. Because her back is so small, they had to do the scratch test in two parts. After the FIRST scratch, Haley started to cry. By the fifth one she was screaming, and I do mean screaming, "I HATE THE DOCTORS!" People out in the waiting room was wondering what type of torture they were giving a poor child. The first test tested for cats, and dogs and milk and eggs and different types of trees (23 things)... Turns out she is allergic to cats, and pretty much every weed out there and Olive trees. :) THANKFULLY she is not allergic to dogs!!! Kiwi and Lucy are safe for now!

She had to lay down on her tummy for like 20 minutes.... I wish I could be FORCED to laydown for twenty minutes... :)

She is going back tomorrow for the second part of the test... anyone want to take her for me and endure the FUN of taking Haley to the doctor let me know!!!!

Haley graduates Kinder!

I can't believe I have a child who is going to be in first grade! WOW. I am so proud of her!!! She is such a great kid!

Twins! They are such great friends!

ha! oops... I guess I forgot to rotate this picture... OH WELL... this is Haley with her teacher, Mrs. Gilfry! We love Mrs. Gilfry!

Haley got a memory book of her whole year in Kinder. WOW... a lot of work went into them and I love it! Thanks Mrs. Gilfry!

Now are you ready for a sad story??? this is BOY (I am not sure I can write his name). He had NO ONE come to his graduation... NOT ONE person to represent him! At the mother day tea they did last month, he was the ONLY kid without SOMEONE there. He CRIED!!!! Guess where mom was.... AT HOME! So today Deanne, me and a few other parents adopted him for the morning and hung out with him. I went around and took pictures with him like I did with Haley. I got one with him and the teacher, him and the aid, him and friends.... One of the other dads went up to him, put his arm around BOY and said, "BOY, you know I am REALLY proud of you." This sent my mom into TEARS! I pray that he is in our class again next year. Not that Haley and BOY hang out, but we do pray for him and I would still really like to see him next year! If you think a bout it and want to lift up BOY and his SISTER in your prayers.... do!

My Crack is tanner than your crack

Saturday I worked over FIVE hours outside in my front yard. I put on sunblock and everything and enjoyed my time outside. I learned a few things...

1. When dressing for yard work, outside, in the hot sun, make sure you are wearing appropriate attire. I wore low rise, roxy shorts with a tank top that didnt quite cover my back (which I didn't find out until I went inside for the day) I am not sun burned anywhere but in my crack area.... NICE ... it hurts so sooooo sooooooooo much! It is bubbly...

2. My neighbor next door doesnt mind wearing no bra with a white shirt while working in her yard. Oh yeah, did I mention half way threw working she decided to wet herself down.... nice.

3. Working in the yard is a great workout!

that's all... have a good day!

Hunter turned four

This is Hunt at school on his birthday! Most of the day he wore the hat upside down. :)

On his birthday... his class had field day. Jim volunteered. Hunter loved having his dad there. After it was over, one of the aids in Hunt's class tripped over him causing Hunt to fall flat on his nose. There was blood everywhere. Jim brought him home early to get changed and all, and the first thing Hunter said to me when they walked in was, "I want to go back to school!"

His friend party was after school at a local park. The kids each made trains.

Hunter really had a great time!

This is the best picture I got of Hunters train cake that my mom made. I got the idea from my friend Carrie. I knew I couldnt do it with out help, so I asked my mom to help... yeah, she did 90% of it... I put on the candy drops on the cupcakes :).

Where did Jonah come from?

Ok, so at lunch this was the conversation the kids had....

"What store did you buy Jonah at?" asks Hunter.
"Jonah came out of mama's tummy." states Haley.
"No... first we bought Jonah and then they put him in mommy's tummy then he popped out, right mama?" Hunter says so confidently.

Now Jim and I are in the room, praying that the question we think will follow won't... but sure enough Haley asks, "Mama, how did Jonah get in your tummy?"

How do you answer a five and a half year old this question? Do you explain it differently to a 4 year old?

We told her God put him there.... and so far that was a good answer....

What have we been up to??

Haley is getting ready for summer. She is excited to be a first grader soon. She loves to dress up still and be silly!
Jonah is teething... He loves to chew on anything really.... beware, he will bite! He is 9 months old now and is VERY active! He loves freedom... and is getting ready to walk. Jim and I are in no hurry for him to walk, however. He is showing signs of a temper... NICE.... he HATES his diaper changed, getting dressed, being forced to sit still....

below is joe on the move!!!

This is Hunter.... he likes to "play" jenga his own way! He just turned four (I will post that later). He is still way into trains but is venturing out. Right now he is playing with Cars cars. Thanks to Jane, he now has quite a few.

This is me. I am a dork :) but yes, I am still posting myself :). The other day I got irritated with these bushes... so I went out and cut them down :). I am planing on planting Hydrangeas there. I am getting into working on our yard. I like it a lot but I dont like it when I run into bugs.... YUCK.