What?

Funniest thing ever...I'm still laughing.

I volunteer in Garretts class daily. I'm there at the start of class.

Today they talked about the President.

The first question was, "do you know who the President is?"

They answered, "OBAMA!"

Then one of my favorite kindergartners (besides Gilly) said, "Yeah, he's the guy that keeps taking money from my mom and dad!"

Even for an Obama lover that was funny.

FOUND:

My camera was in my purse.

Now I just need to locate that battery charger.....

Overheard at Macaroni Grill....

My mom: "Garrett, you love me don't you?"

Garrett: "No, I just love your pasta"

I think we may be written out of the will

no more pictures

So I can't update with pictures. I have misplaced my camera. Again. I have looked in all the usual places and the only thing I can come up with is that I am terribly disorganized and my kids have probably lost it. In the process of looking for it I have been made to go through all the baby clothes and toys that were being saved for the grandkids. We made a charitable contribution of 8 garbage bags (not kitchen bags, the big black ones) to the DI. It was a little traumatic but new shelves were built (thank you Jeff) and now I can go out and buy new stuff to put on them....hahaha. Just kidding because my new budget doesn't allow that.

In other new:

Garrett is had a terrible ashtma attack last night and I thought he'd be put in the hospital (turns out it was secondary to a virus so now he is on steroids) and it really wasn't that bad of an attack but it happened between the hours of 10pm and 4am and I am never lucid during those hours.

Abby got her math homework done in less than 45 minutes tonight (thats a record)

and Emily wants to go to a cheerleading class so she can perform at halftime

if any of you have seen Emily dance you will know why I fear for her.

Jeff and Jodi + 7

Best news ever....my new nephew, Oliver was hatched. I, however am living in a circus house because I'm watching her 3 children plus the birth moms 2 year old.

I will post some pictures later of the fun and games.

I don't know how people with large families do this.

If it weren't for Monica, Jeff, and my sweet mother I'd be institutionalized.

If my tubes weren't tied already I'd be having surgery next week.

Garrett Benjamin Jones is 6!

Okay, I'm a little late on posting this...cut me some slack, I've had Christmas and I was sooo busy trying to please every person so my house and my emotions were a'shambles. Sigh. Welcome to Martyrdom.... So, on with the post!!!

This is Garretts fabulous classroom celebrating him. Some may know that he's not a real big candy guy so when I asked him what he wanted to bring for a treat he said....pizza. They loved it!

And this is his party day. We decided to go see Santa vs. the Snowman at the Clark Planetarium. Now, any sane mother would know that with this many kids you'd need someone really good with them...so we invited Ms. Patten to go (actually it was her suggestion, she LOVES my gilly boy). I also figured that it would be a great party favor to have them party with their teacher (most of the kids were from Gillys class). Let me just say one thing about Jacqui Patten: she is an angel from heaven. I couldn't have done it without her. The most handsome 6 year old. I love this kid! There is no other like him, he opens doors for me, he tells me that I'm beautiful, he says he likes my cooking second best after my mothers and Jeff's moms potatoes and rolls (which would make me third favorite but, hey, he was 5 at the time), and he squishes my heart. His Birthday cake

(have you ever tried to find a dinosaur cake 5 days before Christmas and your rushing around because you forgot to order one? I don't recommend it. But I found one. At Smiths, or was it Target? Anyway, it had a Dino looking thing on it so that works).Our gift came on Sunday, his actual Birthday. Friday was his class party, Saturday was his friend party. Monday I was seeking tranquilizers. (just kidding)

Jeff showing him how to hold the clubs fit for a midget.
(we bought these before the Tiger scandal, not that it would have made a difference in getting them but I maybe could have got a discount).

You should see him carrying them around...they have these backpack straps on them so he can carry them when they go to the country club.

Please stop growing up Gill.

I love you, no matter what.

Emily and Strep

So we are on day 17 of Strep.

Day 17? you say.

Yes, day 17.

17 days ago Emily was diagnosed with Strep.

After a few doses of abx (thats antibiotics for my non medical peeps) she felt much better but we finished her meds.

After 5 days in Idaho she returned, went to her riding lesson, and claimed a sore throat.

I thought she was faking to get out of church.

(hmmmm.....she must get that from Jeff)

Nope, not faking...its Strep again which means....a tonsillectomy is in her future! (please don't tell her that, we won't mention that until she's on the operating table getting pumped full of drugs)

On a side note....she hasn't showered since she LEFT for Idaho so I had to get her into the bathtub. It wasn't working out so well so I told her she could take Peanut in with her. That worked but I kinda feel bad for that hamster. I don't know, maybe he'll get pneumonia.

Poor guy.

Might find a spot next to the dead mouse I found next to the garbage can this morning.

Not the garbage can outside either.

Please, Lawd, take these varmints away!

The last of our pictures in California

Our favorite ride...we actually purchased a different picture but you have to come over to see it. Jeff is....well...being Jeff and I can't post it here. So come over and I'll give you a warm cup of hot chocolate and you'll see why.

Our second favorite ride...

(we love to fake Emily out every time we are on an elevator now which is going to result in some adulthood therapy I'm sure.)

You know, it was so crowded and I loathe people blocking the pathway to take pictures that you can pull from the internet and with a little photoshopping you can recreate your memories. Thats why I didn't take many. Too bad I don't have photoshop. Well, here they are in front of the rodent we all think is magical.

Back at the Marriott this was our lovely view.
sigh...it hurts to look at it because I need me some sun right now.

and thanks to Grandma we had a great Thanksgiving day craft.

So thats it folks.

In other news...My Christmas tree is dead and crumbling.

Garretts Birthday is coming up next week.

We are proving Christmas for a little 8 year old and all he asked for on his wish list is:

"a shirt, pants, and underwears"

so that means mama heartstrings have been pulled resulting in me wanting to foot the bill for everything including his Harvard education. Jeff is making me tone it down though.

ahhhh...the beach

Since I'm watching the snow fall and freezing my jibblets I decided to post about Sunny California. Our trip was fantastic. Jeff and the kids came home with tan lines (not so much for me, I had 3 books to read. Now do you see why I'm not the fun parent?)

So here we are at Newport Beach. Its on Emily and Gilly's top places to go. I happen to love it too because I get a huge kick out of them finding creatures and begging me to let them keep them. Some things include:

three dead lobsters

numerous hermit crabs

sea cucumbers

sea anemones

sea snails

tons of seashells

(its a state park so you can't take anything out which is why we sneak them in our pockets)

Abby here wouldn't touch anything at first. She didn't want to get her feet wet..

That apple didn't fall far from the tree

I finally convinced her that its okay to get her feet wet and explore

but she still wouldn't touch the dead lobster.

This was probably the coolest thing I've seen so far...Its a sea anemone eating a lobster tail.

Also notice the little hermit crabs. I love tide pools.

And here is Emily holding up some of her goods.

She actually found a midsize conch shell.

She named it chonchy and takes it everywhere she goes.

ahhhh well, I guess I'll go shovel some snow now.

sigh

My Man

I don't talk about Jeff as much as I should on here. I guess the reason why is I can't find the words to translate his humor. To me he is everything. To my kids he is everything. Without sounding sappy I hope I die first because I get a rash thinking about not having him.

Look at Gil checking him out, trying to mimic every move. I have never seen anger or rage in him and that reason alone is enough for me. There is always a laugh to be had, even in the smallest events. Even when he isn't home I'll be cracking up as I watch something on TV because I know what his response would be.

and the strangest thing to me...he wakes up happy. Every. Day.
Can't say the same for me!

Yeah, i guess you could say...He is the favorite.

Conversations with Emily

Me: Em, lets talk about Christmas...what kind of things would you like this year?

Em: oh (short pause)...An American Quarter Horse.

Me: Same as last year Em, we can't get a horse right now...what are some other things?

Em: Well, I've been thinking mom, all I want is an old halter from Blitzen. You know, just an old one that maybe he isn't using right now.

Me: Thats all? Isn't there something that maybe they sell at Target?

Em: No, that pretty much is it.

So part of me is loving the simplicity of this child and the other part of me is wondering where she come up with these things....

oh, and another part of me is wondering how Santa will fulfill this wish.

Random

From time to time I like to go through my pictures and post random pictures that I haven't introduced to the blog. Here are a few.... Emily's goat bones. Out on the Farm of Death we have had a few (ha ha...I wish it were only a few) deaths. Two of the more recent ones were Bert and Ernie..the baby goats. I have no idea or desire to find out why they died. Also on the FoD they have a very full farm cemetary...well...I wouldn't go so far as to call it a cemetery, thats quite a stretch. Lets rephrase. Also on the Fod they have an old irrigation ditch where they throw the dead carcasses where they are up for any wild animal or disease to claim. This is where we let the kids play.

(as you can tell, I don't go there much which is why the kids are playing with carcasses.)

This is where Emily found an intact spinal column to bring home and take for show and tell.

It stays outside.

Garrett and his friend Moyes.

Garrett playing soccer. His team is the Cobras. He also thinks he's a pro.
This is what happens when Garrett finds a sharpie.

Now do you see why I sometimes have a nervous tick?

And lastly, also leastly...my broken finger. Which has mostly healed.

I got this when I swatted a fly on the ground. I missed, hit the hard tile, broke a finger, and think I heard a little buzzy laugh all at the same time.

Emily Claire Jones + Swine Flu = Crazy Mother

So a few weeks ago Emily came down with the Swine Flu. It was one week of misery for her and myself. I hate when my kids get sick, I mean who doesn't? So we set up camp in my room and she pretty much watched Animal Planet and Discovery Kids for 7 days. Let me tell you that by day 7 I'd had enough of that damn Croc Hunter.This picture above is of her bed head that just happened to be positioned like horns. This kid gets the worst bed head. This picture needs a little history. I have to have my bed made each day. Its the only OCD trait that I have. Even on days when I'm sick I get out of bed, make it, then get back in. There is just something about an unmade bed that I can't take, its like a nervous tick takes over when its not done. Unfortunately I couldn't get Em out of bed long enough to make it so I just had to make it with her in. Maybe a little cruel because her temperature was hot enough to fry her brain but at least I wasn't walking around with a tick.
Finally, her temperature is stable enough that I'm comfortable with her sleeping in her own bed. I love that she drifted off in the middle of reading.


Sidenote: Even though she was sick she insisted on entering the art contest at school. Can you guess what she drew?
A Black Fresian horse....
the surprise is that she won a trophy and gets to compete at the next level. Way to go Em! I will admit....she practices her horse drawings quite a bit.

Halloween

Yeah, I know I'm a little late

I have a killer sinus infection and the world seems a little dizzy

but here are my kids decked out in their Halloweenie garb...

The moustaches didn't stay long but at least I got a picture....

on a side note....we leave for Disneyland in 9 days. This morning I told Garrett that and he went and packed his own bag...complete with Hawaiian outfit...perhaps you don't remember that....

Does this help?

Dinner

On the menu tonight was Chicken Pot Pie. Its a great recipe made with homemade pie crust, cream of potato soup, special spices, and chicken.

Not my childrens favorite meal.

Here are the responses...

Gilly: The only pie I like is pumpkin.

Abby: Well, its better than nothing.

Emily: Mom, thanks for making us dinner, this is fantastic! (she didn't take even one bite but remains close to my heart tonight)

Gilly: Mom, I still love you.

needless to say this will be stricken from our familys favorite meals cook book.