Spring Break and Tangents

I am so excited. 

This afternoon my bebe’s will officially be on SPRING BREAK.  I am thrilled that they will be home with me….and have a BREAK!  They need it.  I need it….we need it.  We don’t have any big plans – we’ve never been one to make Spring Break plans – and we like it like this.

Ok, I like it like this.

There is NO school.  No alarm clocks (sorry hubby, you still have to go to work) No HOMEWORK – I dare just one damn teacher to send one snip-it of something home for my kids do have to read, complete, fill in, answer, look up or think about.  I triple dog dare you.

Yeah, I went there that fast.

So, while I’m getting some spring projects done around the house, my bebe’s are going to be vegging out, sleeping in and staying up late, watching movies and asking to have friends over.

The boys actually have off from soccer practice too!  Which means that I do not have to do the carpool hokey pokey for one solid week!!  YEEEEEHAAAWWWWW! 

Which sends me off on a tangent….REALLY Gas Companies…REALLY?  We get it, your big, your bad, you controls the prices, but come on…..don’t you think you are missing something?  LOWER the prices again, make gas affordable and people will buy gas and go more places, thereby buying more gas!  Don’t give me the song and dance about supply…we know you are hoarding like some deranged squirrel with nuts….it’s there…sell it to us at a price we can afford and we can do more and go more…you’ll come out better too.

Dumbassgascompanies.  And dumbasspoliticians.  Why don’t ya’ll worry about that a little bit and stop telling me I can’t eat a Big Mac?

Ok – back on the spring break track.

I’m happy for the break….my kids need it.

Maybe I do too?

Everybody’s working for the weekend…

Do you remember that song?  Loverboy, 1986. 

Everyone's watchin' to see what you will do
Everyone's lookin' at you, Oh
Everyone's wonderin' will you come out tonight
Everyone's tryin' to get it right, get it right
Everybody's workin' for the weekend
Everybody wants a new romance
Everybody's goin' off the deep end
Everybody needs a second chance, Oh
You want a piece of my heart
you better start from the start
you wanna be in the show
c'mon baby let's go
Everyone's lookin' to see if it was you
Everyone wants you to come through
Everyone's hopin' it'll all work out
Everyone's waiting to hold you out
Everybody's workin' for the weekend
Everybody wants a new romance, hey yeah
Everybody's goin' off the deep end
Everybody needs a second chance, Oh
You want a piece of my heart
you better start from the start
you wanna be in the show
c'mon baby let's go
Hey
You want a piece of my heart
you better start from the start
you wanna be in the show
c'mon baby let's go (electric guitar solo)
You want a piece of my heart
you better start from the start
you wanna be in the show
c'mon baby let's go

Not that it’s uber deep and makes you think amazing deep thoughts or anything – but it is a PRETTY good song….brings back A LOT of GREAT memories for me.  One being my friend, Bear, (Sharon) and us being at Julie’s house for yet ANOTHER sleep over that we convinced our parents we HAD to have.  Anyway, this song came on the JAMBOX and Bear started dancing around lip syncing with a candle or something.  She was a maniac totally channeling Loverboy’s lead singer….ah the memories that a song can trigger.  I also recall several of us had convinced a couple of boys to let us have their Carmel Junior High football jerseys for the weekend….or at school that day or something.  I’m pretty sure we had one from Lance and one from Jamie and maybe Tom?  We’d stay up all night at watch scary movies….or go see FOOTLOOSE again….that was the thing…to have slumber parties.  Lots of singing and dancing…Julie even channeled Tina Turner one night…

Anyway – I heard the song this morning and a couple of things happened.  One, as I always do, I thought of my friends from long ago and that one sleepover night and dancing like crazy girls…then I kind of tickled myself because I then thought….now, I want the weekends to be with my kids and hubby.  I LOVE it when we’re all here, everyone doing their own thing, but EVERYONE HOME.  That’s what we had this weekend, even with two extra kids (two of Pootie’s best buds spent the night – funny thing is they stayed here and played ping pong in the garage until some ridiculous time in the morning…but they were here…) Lola snuck off with my mother in law for a little bit, but we were HERE. 

I love the time with my family and I cannot wait for my kids to be on Spring Break….and then yes, after that I’ll be saying that I cannot wait for SUMMER BREAK.  I like with when they are around…..so right now….I’m just working for the weekends..

Have a great week…hope the song stays stuck in your head. 

Bang Bang Bang!

The roofers are putting a new roof on our house RIGHT <<bang bang bang>> now.  It’s been going on for almost 3 hours.  As soon as daylight hit this house all the COUSINS were in my front yard “Rea-ta-go”.  <<bang bang bang>> 

Did ya see the movie MONEY PIT, old movie with Shelley Long and Tom Hanks?  Well, I don’t think my house is a money pit, but I do feel like they did, looking out the windows and people looking back at me.  Little weird. 

<<bang bang bang>>

All my pictures are whoppy-cocked on the walls too. 

Oh well….Bubba is LOVING it.  He’s running from window to window checking things out….he looked out into the backyard and said “OH MY GOSH, what a mess!”

<<bang bang bang>>

Other news and happenings round here…

I’ve got a new preemie mom friend, Candace.   Our boys have the same PT, Christie, and she connected us.  I just love connecting and talking with other moms, and reading their stories.  And let me tell ya, Candace’s story about going into pre-term labor COMPLETELY rattled me.  It was great to briefly chat with her the other day.  And I’m really thrilled because I was able to connect Candace with my preemie mom friend Lindsay, Baby Pierce’s momma.  Candace and Lindsay have already chatted and I just love that!!!  Yeah for new friends. 

My boy, Crash, the almost 13 yr old, made the middle school soccer team.  We are so excited for him.  The guy that coaches the team is just a “great guy”.  I love the relationship that he and Pootie developed over the 2 years that Pootie played for him at school – I hope that Coach and Crash have the opportunity to develop a neat bond as well.  Pootie is also the assistant coach – and I think that is a new way for he and Crash to form a different sort of bond as brothers.  (hopefully that WILL NOT be bickering like brothers on the sidelines.)

Crash is also dealing with some new issues…..he has been diagnosed with Osgood Schlatter’s Diesease.  Osgood-Schlatter disease can cause a painful lump below the kneecap in children and adolescents experiencing growth spurts during puberty. Osgood-Schlatter disease occurs most often in children who participate in sports that involve running, jumping and swift changes of direction — such as soccer, basketball, figure skating and ballet.

Did ya catch that ……SOCCER.  Hello!  Some days Crash can hardly walk.  Bless his heart, he is still making a valiant effort to play soccer.  It’s very sad – some days are good days, others he can hardly walk, much less run.  There aren’t too many days that are GREAT days when you are dealing with OSD, we’ve been told….so we are happy when we get GOOD days.  We’re doing anything and everything recommended to help him thru this……voodoo, anti inflammatory, ice, heat, K-Tape, message, and a sports chiropractor.  We are “fortunate” that are super good friends have already charted this course, their son who is Pootie’s age and on Pootie’s club soccer team has been battling this for a year plus now.  I feel so far ahead of the game (pun intended) because they did so much research and stuff to help Matty.  (FYI, this is the same friend that held us together so much when Bubba was born, because their youngest had been a preemie that was super sick…)

So, with the addition of Pootie coaching and Crash playing middle school ball, our schedule has gone totally whack-a-doodle.  My posts will be few for the next couple of weeks just because we are crazy busy!

I can be seen a lot on Highway 51, sitting in the passenger seat of the blue goose, since Pootie is driving…..and so far so good. 

<<bang bang bang>> 

And PS – this is for Candace, this is back in November, when Bubba got his braces (and just to laugh – we have all 4 kids in braces, 3 in their mouths, Bubba on his feet.)  Oh and before he got his first hair cut!!! 

 

This is his LEFT brace – it only comes up above his ankle –and does not go entire length of his foot. It’s an SMO.

And this is the right brace, and AFO and it goes up the back of his leg to mid calf, and does go entire length of his foot to stop the TOE CURLING

With his shoe on, you can barely see the left brace.

The socks look like soccer socks so he was happy has a camper to get those!!!  As long as we can tie it soccer, he doesn’t fight it!!!  and yep, he wears his soccer cleats with his braces……he says his braces make him run fast!!!!!

On the day you were born

So I’ve had major issues trying to get my video to work..so here we go again.  Hopefully now it’s working.  I changed the music playing on my blog to match what was supposed to be in the video.  This also gave me chance to add a couple of things to the story

February 28, 1997     7:11 pm       8 pounds 7.5 ounces. 

On the day that you were born….Friday, February 28th, 1997.  oh goodness.  I start to cry every time I think about it.  I was so happy to FINALLY meet you…but I was totally OVER BEING pregnant!  I was so incredibly swollen – so much that I couldn’t even wear socks because they cut into my feet.  You showed up 3 days after your due date, with encouragement, of course.

Your dad and I had a doctors appointment (Dr. Mueller) that morning and they hooked me up to a bunch of machines (fetal stress test) to see if you were doing ok…..you were fine BUT Dr. M informed us that I was having really good contractions   I had NO idea, I wasn’t feeling anything!  Dad and Dr. M kept looking at the monitor saying “that one, are you feeling that contraction?”  That’s when he said “we’re going to have a baby today!”  Get your stuff and meet me at the hospital! 

Dad and I kicked into absolute panic.  I didn’t have anything ready at home – the house was an utter mess – and I really hadn’t packed everything I wanted packed.   Oh your bag was ready, but that’s it.  We raced home, threw stuff into bags and headed to the hospital.  I think by the time we got there it was 1:30 in the afternoon. 

You were born at 7:11 pm.  It was a relatively short labor considering you were the first.  You were a lot bigger than Dr. M thought you’d be.  Ninni, Poppa, Itsy and Poppa Dave were all there in the waiting room…..Uncle Chris was there for a while and my friend Suzy made it right before you showed up….Suzy says she vividly remembers that evening, especially when your Daddy said your name and you turned your head to look at him. 

You were beautiful.  I know that Ninni has told you a million times, but when you showed up we all really just sat and watched you breathe.  It was love at first sight for all of us.

You are such an incredible young man.  I cannot believe that you are 15.  You are a truly good kid.  You are very smart and have my gift of sarcasm.  You like rules and for the most part, follow them.  You are a gifted athlete.  You are a good friend to many and have a very diverse group of friends.  While you irritate the stew out of your brothers and sister, you love them and are such a watch dog over each of them. 

We know your are growing into an amazing adult…but you will always be our baby.

Jack TV

We love you.  Happy Birthday.

*This is almost a week late in getting posted – took me forever to get the video done because I had to look at the millions of pictures!