Family

Well, I don't know if it's me or just a general feeling of well being due to my current medication, but things are going very well. :) We are all having tons of fun. The Boys are in love with their Uncle and Grandpa. It's quite cute to watch them all play.

Uncle De (as he is being called) has quite the basketball hands. He's teaching Sweet Center some great tricks and ball handling moves. Sir Toots is just in awe of someone over the age of 10 that is paying him some quality attention.

As for me, I'm enjoying the time with my father-in-law. Since it's a relaxed atmosphere, it's much different. We are all enjoying laughs and some really good food!!

Hubba Hubba is just enjoying it all.

The British are coming! The British are coming!!

Not really....but....See? Now you're as worked up as I am about the imminent arrival of my father-in-law. He's always made me a bit nervous. And now he's coming to our new house in Texas. Well, yes we have been here 2 1/2 years, but it's his first visit and I can't help but be a little bit nervous. Hims cultured and stuff. And he'll be here almost an entire week with our little simpleton family.

I love Hubba Hubba's family. The rest of them are really nice normal people and I really enjoy seeing them, but his dad has this thing with a pipe and a slow cadence that makes my little heart stop. Not in a smooth way, just in a totallly intimidated way that makes me feel that whatever I was going to say would be inappropriate. After 12 years you'd really think I would be over it. But, I'm not. I think it has to do with the fact that we got married so young and please, dear God, let this man think that his son chose well in picking me to be his bride.

The carpets are (relatively) clean and the rooms are as organized as they are going to be at this point. Nothin' else I can do but pick him up at the airport this afternoon and hope for the best. I'm still trying to figure out what to do him and Hubba-Hubba's little brother over the next few days. I'm sure we'll have fun. I just need to keep my mouth shut and not say anything too shocking or out of the realm of acceptance. Think The Boys can do that? Ya, me neither.

I am looking forward to a stress free visit in 2 weeks with Grammy and Auntie Courtney. That will definitely be fun. :)

Think good thoughts for me today!

Celebration

I woke up this morning and remembered that I had a blog. That all 3 of you read. and I have been ever so neglectful in updating you on what's happening our in happy little household. Please accept my humble apologies. I shall whip myself with old noodles in the pantry later today as punishment. :)

The other night I was able to convince Sweet Center to shear his hair. All of it. He looks so adorable (and clean!) now that I just can't stop telling him. So:

Sweet Center: Mom, it's getting a little annoying that you tell me 20 times a day that I'm cute and that you love me.
Me: Well, I know you're getting big and stuff. I can't kiss you in front of your friends now. Do you want me to stop telling you how wonderful I think you are?
Sweet Center: Well.....no. How about just 10 times a day instead of 20. I think I can handle hearing it like 10 times a day.

It's been a wonderful week for him. On Monday he received word that he made "Commended" on the state mandated testing. AND! he gets a gold medal to show off. This is the neat part for him. The gold medal is super cool. And the rest of the week has been super check + for him all week. If everything holds steady and he finishes all his assignments on time today then I promised that we would go buy the movie "Eragon" and have the grandest movie night on the block.

Keep your fingers crossed for the boy. He's so lovely, cute and wonderful that I want to just celebrate him. But only like 10 times today. After the super week he's had he certainly doesn't deserve a mother who annoys him.

Random Thoughts

today is a hodge podge of stuff. I've been working and shuttling Sweet Center to basketball camp all the while making sure that everyone has clean underwear. A mother's work is never done, I tell ya! :)

I've been meaning to put this up for a bit:
4 Things:
A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Cashier at Chuck E Cheese (high school)
2. Unit clerk in a NICU (neonatal ICU) (college)
3. Corporate Trainer (1st semi real job)
4. Pharmaceutical Rep

B) Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. The Mummy
2. The Mummy II
3. Princess Bride
4. any Christian Slater movie (preferably the early years before he went all crazy on drugs and what not)

C) Four places I have lived:
1. Frisco, TX
2. Indianapolis, IN
3. Lubbock, TX
4. Fond du Lac, WI

D) Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Any basketball that's on
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Scrubs (it's Hubba Hubba's favorite)
4. Eureka (SciFi Channel)

E) Four places I have been on vacation
1. Galveston, TX
2. Cabo San Lucas
3. San Antonio, TX
4. Damn, we need to get out more.....

F) Four of my favorite foods:
1. Crab
2. lasagna (my mom's version)
3. chocolate chip cookies
4. Taco Beuno bean burrito

H) Four places I would like to be right now:
1. Shopping for hardwood floors
2. on the beach in Mexico
3. San Antonio (with Hubba Hubba)
4. Disney World (with all my boys)

And. The dogs are doing good. Harvey and Pep have begun to play together. Super cute.
I'm still car shopping....I so wanted a Mini Cooper, but then we test drove one with The Boys in the backseat and it just didn't seem right to cram them into a car everytime we needed to head out for a loaf of bread. I didn't think I could handle the 'pop' sound that would ensue everytime I had to wedge out Sweet Center's legs from the backseat.

I do believe that's all on our frontier....

apples

I made a deal with The Boys. If they would help me put away all their laundry then we would sit down in our jammies and watch whatever movie they chose. They were up for it and were a great help in getting all their clothes upstairs. I started cleaning some things up while they were picking out the movie.

Sweet Center calls out, "Mom, what are you doing?"

I reply, "Give me just a second. I'm trying to finish up and I'll be right there to watch Wallace and Gromit with you." I'm thinking that he's getting impatient with me and wants me to come and sit down with them like I promised. I have a slight elated feeling that it's so important to him that I come and sit with him. Isn't it so sweet the way he is pestering me so that we can have some fun time?

Sweet Center interrupts my charming thoughts by yelling out "oh, you aren't busy....get me an apple and cut it up, will ya?"

Sick Puppy

Holy Crap! Did you know that puppies can get really sick and keep you up at night? Did you? Well, evidently that thought never crossed our minds on Sunday. It didn't really occur to us that having a 3 month-adorable-as-all-get-out-puppy would have us staring at each other over the glow of the alarm clock as it slowly counted the minutes down to the start of our day. Between the mess on the carpets from coccidia's disease (don't ask- it's gross and requires medication) to the pitiful cough that rattles Harley's whole chest (which, coincidentally also requires medication) we aren't sleeping much. Currently she's swallowing down 3 pills a day and I'm getting ready to go get the 4th from the vet to suppress the cough so that she (WE!) can sleep. Hubba Hubba is such a sucker for this little girl. He brought her to bed with us and cuddled up with her until she fell into her fitful sleep around 4:30am. Safely tucked in his arms. Yes, I will admit to a bit of jealousy. That's my spot at night, gash darnnit!

We have discussed that it's like having a newborn in the house. Except I was breastfeeding the last one so it was pretty easy to bring him to bed with us (which he still thinks is where he is supposed to wake up everyday!!!) and it wasn't a big deal.

This is a big deal. Harley is losing weight, and really when you weigh 7lbs, there isn't much to lose. So, for now we're keeping her within sight at all times. Poor Pep is slowly coming around. We are giving him extra attention and The Boys play with him every chance they get now. It's cute to watch him be a little snot and stare at us and then decide that he's okay with us loving on him in the presence of this other annoyance.

Well, I'm off to buy a new comforter for our bed (don't ask- it's gross.)

Rescued

Well, the weekend started out pretty normal. And then.....well, let me introduce you to the newest member of the family:



She was christened "Harley" in the middle of the pet store when we absolutely had to have a name for her collar. Sir Toots calls her "Harley Girl". She's 3 months old and is very sweet. Since I work from home, it was assumed that I could a majority of the house training. :) But, she's really Sweet Centers puppy. She slept with him last night and he absolutely LOVED it!

We have no idea what kind of dog she really is, some Blue Heeler mixed in with a little bit of something else. Hubba Hubba loves her and thinks that since he didn't get a say on Pep that it's fair that I was ganged up on and ended up with a new puppy. I don't really mind. She's adorable, and like kids, that will get you pretty far when you make a mess in the house.

Pep isn't really crazy about her, but he'll come around eventually. He's getting his monthly grooming right now and I'm sure that he thinks he's been shipped off for the netherland. I hope he comes around soon though, because it's getting a bit ridiculous to watch him run from the room when all 7lbs of Harley shows up!

Thursday 13

2 weeks ago today my mother bought a house that is exactly .9 miles (is that mile singular?) from our house.

Today is 13 Reasons I Love Having My Mom So Close:

13) It's not a big production to have dinner with her now. She can meet us somewhere and then not feel like she's tied to us for the rest of the evening.
12) The Boys think it's a mini vacation to go to Grandma's House for a few hours.
11) Her lasagna is way better than mine.
10) I think it's a mini vacation to go to her house for a few hours.
9) She shops at Costco, so there's always extra sponges and toilet paper in her garage.
8) She doesn't care if I want a nap and The Boys just want to watch a movie when we visit.
7) There's always something for The Boys to do now that she has a backyard!
6) We can talk all we want and not be tied to the phone.
5) I have a new walking partner to keep me company early in the morning.
4) She doesn't mind if Pepper joins us for dinner. I think she actually likes him running around her house.
3) This past week she watched The Boys while Hubba Hubba and I sat at home and moaned through our sickness. That's like the greatest gift ever!
2) She can go to The Boys sporting events and not have to make a day of it. And she's always up for ice cream afterwards!
1) There's nothing like having your best friend right down the street- nothing beats having her so close!!

My mother is one of the New Generation grandma's. She has a job that she loves and a life that she enjoys but she still finds a way to balance us all. Between business trips and soccer games, she knows what matters and always finds a way to make it all work.

Her 5 grandchildren are lucky to have her as their grandmother and my sister and I are super lucky to have her as our mother and best friend.

I love you, Mom.