The Sweetest Man I've Ever Known

I 'borrowed' this picture off of my grandmother's ancestry.com site. I just saw this picture for the first time yesterday and it got me thinking. It got me thinking a lot about my grandpa. I wanted to jot down a few memories that I have of him.



I remember laughing the hardest I ever have in my life when I was a little girl and he would tell me 'he just wants to count my ribs'.



I remember his smell. I remember he always smelled so clean and fresh. I have no idea whether it was his aftershave or cologne or what, but I know that I will never forget it.



I remember that he always carried a comb in his back pocket and he would let me comb what little hair he had left in the back.



I remember that he always wanted me to give him 'sugar'.

I remember studying his wedding ring and feeling like it was too tight. I asked him if he thought he could get it off. He said, "I've never tried, because I haven't needed to."



Mostly, I remember that he was the sweetest man I've ever known.



Jackson was born a month before my grandpa died. I was very happy to have been able to take Jackson to see him before he passed away. It makes me very sad to think that my girls will not have the chance to have their 'ribs counted'. I love my grandpa very much and still feel him with me sometimes.

Billy Burke Ryan, Sr.
June 20, 1925 - August 25, 2004

Chicken Rollups

Chicken Rollups are a staple at my house. My mom wants me to say that the recipe has been passed down in our family for generations. It hasn't really, though. I think she found this recipe sometime after my sister and I moved out because I don't remember it from our childhood. I remember A LOT of chicken, but not cooked this way. Anyway, I was cooking it tonight for dinner and I thought I would go ahead and share it. Here we go.

First you need about 6 chicken breasts. Then you need this guy.


I take one giant piece of saran wrap and put it on the counter. Then I lay the breasts on the saran wrap. Then I cover the chicken up with another giant piece of saran wrap. I saw this technique on a show once and I love it. This way you don't get gooey chicken germs all over the place.

Now, go ahead and take out all of your frustration on your poor little chicken breasts.



While your beating the breasts there should be a pot of water boiling for your asparagus. You will only need to cook the asparagus for a couple of minutes. Please use fresh asparagus for this recipe. Canned asparagus disappears in the cooking process.

Also, you should saute one chopped onion in one stick of butter until it becomes translucent.



Here's what you're rolling up in the chicken with the asparagus. If you live in the states you should use these exact products. They have been the best I have found. If you buy thin ham then it won't really hold up. Same with the cheese. Also, this ham is cut into just the right shape for the breast.



Back to the beat up breasts. Now, you layer your previously cooked asparagus, cheese and ham just so. See what I mean about the perfect shape of the ham?



Now, you just take the bottom of the chicken and roll it up to the top. Roll them and place them in a 9x13 baking dish.


The sauce that goes over them is just that butter and onion with one sleeve of crushed up ritz crackers. Just mix that up and scoop it out over the breasts.



Yes, Madi is back there sucking her thumb. This started about a week ago. The humanity.

Now that you have your topping all gooped on make sure your oven is preheated to 350 degrees and cook for about 45 min to an hour.

And Voila!


This is what's left for Josh when he gets home.

I hope you all enjoy this as much as we do!

Blogger Shamelessly Plugs Son's Popcorn

I don't know if you can see that very well. But why don't you click it and look it over. If you see anything you would be interested in ordering, feel free to let me know. Unfortunately, this is only available for my US friends, right now. Maybe one day the scouts will go international, until then you will have to rely on TESCO for your popcorn needs. (I'm so proud of that reference right now, I can barely stand myself) If you are someone who doesn't usually comment but is interested in helping my sweet little scout, just comment this one time. It won't hurt, I promise.

Jonathon's goal was to sell $1000 in popcorn. If he sells $1000 he and one member of his family get to go to Universal Studios for a day. Any $500 he gets over that an additional family member gets to go. He has reached $1000. And he has picked his dad to go with him. I would love to be able to go with them...

It's up to you, friends. Send me to Universal.

**I feel like I can't post this without saying one little thing. Who do you think made the cookies for him to take as a gift with purchase? Who has taken him and all of the other kids all around town to sell to everyone we know? We even sold to Christy and Carol at Zeig's. Don't dads have it so easy? They are always the super coolest parent, ever, aren't they?**

It All Started With the Molluscum Contagiosum

About 6 months ago Madi started to get this rash under her arm that had little tiny bumps in it. Josh wanted me to take her to the doctor and have it checked out. I thought that if we just gave it some time it would just go away on it's own.

(Here's where I inject a little pre-marital advice. If you are not married it is a good idea to talk about your views on medication and doctors before you get married because when you have kids you will want to do it your way and it will be hard to compromise on something like this. Second only to money, this has been one of our biggest arguements.)

I refused to take her to the doctor. He was okay with that. He did, however, want to pop the little tiny bumps. Which I let him do. (If you have ever heard of molluscum contagiosum then you know that it is spread when the bump bursts and the fluid leaks onto other parts of the skin.) A few days later the rash was much worse. We finally took her to the doctor and he prescribed some acne medication that would dry the bumps up but other than that there is no cure for molluscum contagiosum. We began putting the acne medication on the bumps and after a month or so, I really felt like it was just burning up her skin so I made another appointment with the doctor to show him how bad it was getting. When he saw her, he immediately told me to stop putting anything on it and just leave it alone. It would go away in time.

Just leave it alone.

Don't do anything.

Yes, it looks red and rashy and really painful, but do NOTHING to it.

Well, then I found the miracle cure for molluscum contagiosum. So what if he said leave it alone. Sure my cure wasn't found on any home remedy website, but they just didn't know yet, because I had just found it. Cortizone 10. Wow, did this stuff work. Man, it was great. It cleared all the rash right up and made her itching stop. Hallelujah.

For two months we put this on her twice a day. Then just last week everything hit the fan. She got Impentigo and a Urinary Tract Infection. I thought, 'why is this just happening to Madi, why does she seem to be the one catching everything?' At the doctor's office after he had told me what she now had, I gave him the good news that I had found the cure for molluscum contagiosum. I told him how I had been putting Cortizone on her for months and it was working like a charm. (I look back now, knowing how naive I sounded. To think that I was going to tell a man with a medical education of some sort, that I,with my GAP/bank teller education,had found a cure for some disease. Whatever. Hindsight and 20/20, okay) Anywho, I could tell by the look on his face that I was about to be put in my place. (I wish you could hear his accent as I tell you this) "ooohh, no, no, this is a steriod and I would only prescribe steriod for her age for at most 5 days. It weakens the immune system and makes them very suseptible to anything that's out there..." To which I say, "I guess that would explain why she's now got these other ailments..." Needless to say, she is now on a couple of other medications and no more Cortizone. He made it clear to leave the bumps alone. Again.

Lesson learned. Fine.

But what's most important about all of this? Who's to blame. Who's fault is it that Madi's case got so bad? As my readers I am really glad to see that you all feel the same way as me. I totally agree with you.

It is totally Josh's fault since he popped those silly bumps in the first place.

Happy Birthday, Bethany!

Last night was a rough night. Everyone in the house was sick and laying on the floor in our room. Everyone is feeling much better now, but we have to miss a very special birthday party in hopes of not spreading this horrible virus to anyone else. We love our cousin Bethany and hope that she has a fabulous time at her party, even though we won't be able to be there.

Name that Tune

Or maybe it's not really like 'Name that Tune' at all. I don't know because I never officially watched that show. Anywho, I saw this fun game on Reluctant's blog and thought it was a lot of fun. I really stunk at guessing her music. Let's see how y'all do at guessing mine. If you stink at mine, then just click up there and maybe you'll know all of hers.

Here's how you play:

1. Pull up your playlist (iTunes, MP3 player, whatev) and put it on random.

2. Take lyrics from the 1st 20 songs.

3. Make your readers guess what the songs are.

4. No googling

(Here is the dealio, though, I did not follow the rules persactly. I didn't load the songs on my ipod so I picked the first few songs that I would have loaded, had I been the one that loaded them. Does that make sense? And I couldn't make it to 20. Turns out this game is a lot of work.)

Good luck and Echo, you better wait till everyone else has guessed since you are the sweet, wonderful person who loaded my ipod. (Thanks for doing that by the way, you're the best PIC a girl could ever hope for)

1.

Hooo oa
Uhhhh
A yeah
I had it all
But I let it slip away
Couldn't see I treated you wrong
Now I wander around
Feeling down and cold
Trying to believe that you're gone



2.

You may look at me and think

that I'm just a young girl

but I'm not just a young girl

baby this is what I'm lookin for.

I want a sexy, independent, I ain't wit

so you already know. I'm not bein too dramatic

that's the way I've gotta have it.



3.

When I talk to my friends so quietly

'who he think he is?' look at what you did to me

tennis shoes, don't even need to buy a new dress,

if you ain't there, ain't nobody else to impress.

the way that you know what I thought I knew

It's the beat that my heart skips when I'm with you

But I still don't understand, how the love your doing no one else can.



4.

Spare a little candle

save some light for me

figures up ahead moving in the trees

white skin in linen

perfume on my wrist

and the full moon that hangs over

these dreams in the mist.



5.

Can you hear me calling

out your name?

you know that I'm falling and

I don't know what to say

I'll speak a little louder,

I'll even shout,

you know that I'm proud and

I can't get the words out.



6.

Maybe I didn't treat you

quite as good as I should have

Maybe I didn't love you

quite as often as I could have

Little things I should have said and done

I just never took the time



7.

So tired of broken hearts and losing at this game

before I start this dance

I take a chance at telling you

I want more than just romance

You are my destiny, I can't let go

Baby can't you see

Cupid, please take your aim at me.



8.

Some days it don't come easy

Some days it don't come hard

Some days it don't come at all, and these are the days that never end

Some nights you're breathing fire

Some nights you're carved in ice

Some nights you're like nothing I've ever seen before or will again
Maybe I'm crazy, but it's crazy and it's true

I know you can save me, no-one else can save me now but you
As long as the planets are turning

As long as the stars are burning

As long dreams are coming true

You'd better believe it, that I would do



9.

Lalalalalala...

Now that I've lost everything to you

You say you wanna start something new

And it's breakin' my heart you're leavin'

Baby, I'm grievin'

But if you wanna leave, take good care

Hope you have a lot of nice things to wear

But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there

10.

Think what that money could bringI'd buy everything

Clean out Vivienne WestwoodIn my Galliano gown

No, wouldn't just have one hoodA Hollywood mansion if I could

Please book me first class to my fancy house in London town

11.

I don't want to go another day

So I'm telling you exactly what is on my mind

Seems like everybody is breaking upThrowing their love away

I know I got a good thing right here

That's why I say (Hey)

12.

The waves keep on crashing on me for some reason

But your love keeps on coming like a thunderbolt

Come here a little closer'

Cause I wanna see you, baby, real close up

(Get over here)

13.

I was once I was strolling one very hot summer's day

When I thought laid myself down to restIn a big field of tall grass

I laid there in the sun and felt it carressing my face

As i fell asleep and dreamed

I dreamed i was in a hollywood movie

And that i was the star of the movieThis really blew my mind

The fact that me an overfed long haired leaping nome

Should be the star of a hollywood movie, hmmm

14.

This bloody road remains a mystery

This sudden darkness fills the air

What are we waiting for? Wont anybody help us?

What are we waiting for? We cant afford to be innocent

Stand up and face the enemy

Its a do or die situation

15.

Suckin on chilli dogs outside the tastee freeze

Diane sittin on jackies lap

Hes got his hands between her knees

Jackie say, hey diane lets run offBehind a shady tree

Dribble off those bobby brooks

Let me do what I please

16.

I dont mind you comin here

And wastin all my time

cause when youre standin oh so near

I kinda lose my mind

Its not the perfume that you wear

Its not the ribbons in your hair

I dont mind you comin here

And wastin all my time

17. (this one isk not technically on my ipod, but had I loaded my ipod it would definately be on there. it is by one of my fav bands of all time.)

In the howlin' wind

Comes a stingin' rain

See it drivin' nails

Into the souls on the tree of pain.

From the firefly

A red orange glow

See the face of fear

Runnin' scared in the valley below.


I think it is possible that my dance moves were put into question in the comments section of my last post. I believe that my good friend (recently downgraded to 'good' from 'best' because of a girl trip she and a couple of other friends went on that I'm obviously extremely jealous of and still having issues with) was being sarcastic when she said,

"They are so precious and I am excited. I am sure that she is going to have all the moves just like her mother."

I think she was challenging my dancing ability. That's fine. That's why I have a camera that has a movie switch. I think I proved my point.

Dance Fever

There's my girl. In her cute little dance outfit. How sweet is she? We started dance today and we were counting the minutes until it was time to go. She has been ultra excited. Another reason she has been really excited has something to do with that sweet little girl in the next picture.

Has everyone met Shelby? I can't remember if I have posted about Madi's best friend that goes to her little school and is now in her same little dance class. That picture would have been so cute if Madi had just looked up. Oh well, I feel like Shelby's cute little face expresses enough joy for the both of them.

Before they could go in, they had a quick stop at the water fountain. I think they must have been prepping those cute little bodies for all the work that a 45 min 3 year old dance class is going to entail. Wish I had more pics of the actual practice but the door was shut the whole time, so this was it.

I will say that this really cute little girl who appeared to be about 9 or 10 told me how cute and thin Madi was. I said, "Yep, she is, but look at you. You're like a little tiny rail." At this point she grabbed what was not even a quarter of an inch of what I'm sure was totally muscle on her little belly and said, "No, I'm not I wish I was that skinny." To which I couldn't say anything. All I could do was fill up with total and complete concern for the world that I'm sending my little girl into... But that's another blog for another day.

Today my girl started DANCE!!!

The Best Cookies Ever

That is a whole bunch of Hershey's cocoa. My MIL ordered a 25 lb box of it when our church did a large order direct from the company. Since she was sweet enough to share with me I have been searching for something to use all of this cocoa in. ( There are about 6 more commercial size cans of this stuff in my laundry room) Then I decided that since Hershey's makes the stuff that they must have some great recipes, here.

That recipe that I just sent you to was for these.

As a matter of fact, moments after taking this picture they vanished. These cookies are a big hit wherever I take them. Right now, I am using them as a gift with purchase for the popcorn that Jonathon has to sell for scouts. That is how they came to be on this post today. As I was shamelessly trying to get my good friend Gigi to buy some popcorn, I gave her a couple of cookies as a gift. She called me a little while later and told me to blog them so that she could have the recipe. Now it will be immortalized here on my blog for all of our posterity. Love ya, Gigi!! Thanks for buying all that popcorn and if anyone else is interested in buying any, please feel free to call me. Day or night. As long as it's before 8:30 pm.

I did the ones with the white chocolate chips. I'm sure they are all fabulous, though.

Design Your Own Chocolate Cookie Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:1. Heat oven to 375 F.2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs; beat well.3. Stir together flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 5 dozen cookies.
VARIATIONS:
CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES: Add 2 cups (one 12 or 11.5-pkg.) HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK, Semi-Sweet, Mini Chips or Milk Chocolate Chips to basic chocolate batter.

MINI KISSES CHOCOLATE COOKIES: Add 1-3/4 cups (10-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S MINI KISSES Milk Chocolates to basic chocolate batter.

MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES: Add 1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Mint Chocolate Chips to basic chocolate batter.

CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH WHITE CHIPS: Add 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Premier White Chips to basic chocolate batter.

CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH PEANUT BUTTER CHIPS: Add 1-2/3 cups( 10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips to basic chocolate batter.

CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH TOFFEE: Add 1 to 1-1/4 cups HEATH BITS 'O BRICKLE Toffee Bits or HEATH Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits to basic chocolate batter. Lightly grease or paper-line cookie sheets.

Out of the Crib

The time has come for Emma Mae to make the big move. She is about 18 months and it's time to move out of the crib and into the bed. I realize that 18 months may seem a little young but she and Madi share a pretty small room and since we got the bunk beds there is just no room for the crib anymore. Madi was forced out of the crib at 19 months when Emma Mae was born and Jackson moved out of his crib when he was about a year because he was climbing out of it. Jonathon (in case you just started reading this blog) slept with us until he was 3 so he never even saw the inside of his crib.

Well, this has been one trying week. (Please ignore my sad busted up rail on the side there that has been through 3 toddlers at my house and was previously used by my MIL.) You can see that the rail doesn't go all the way down to the end so there is a little unprotected spot at the end. Also, if you'll notice in the above picture that there are pillows in the crack by the wall so she won't fall into the hole. We have tried this a couple of different ways. Without Madi in the bed.

And with Madi in the bed. You can't see her? She's over there under the blue animal.

There you go. I moved the animal. Both of the girls seem to have done better with each other in the bed. Except when it's time to go to bed and they want to sit up and talk and play. There are pros and cons to moving her to the bed.

Pros

She's outgrowing the crib.

More space in the room for the girls to play.

Cons

She can get out of the bed anytime and she pats on the door until I come get her.

She has, unfortunately, fallen off the bed.

She and Madi keep each other awake.


Oh well. There are a more cons it seems. But Josh took the crib down and I don't think it's coming back. Although, in the middle of the night the other night, he said, 'We never should have taken that crib down.'

She's been doing much better and I only slightly feel like an abuser because of this post. I'm a little hesitant to even post it. But really the fall (or maybe falls, if I'm honest) aren't very far and I promise she won't have any permanant damage. Madi fell a few times, too and she seems fine. Oh, my gosh. I'm a horrible mom.


P.S. I would like to thank those of you who have made an effort to make me feel like I am a good mom. It means the world to me. I feel like I live in a world that is judging everything I do to and for my kids. I mean at the grocery store when the kids act up I get looks like 'that kid needs a spankin' and then if I do give them a spanking, I get looks like 'that woman is totally abusing her kids'. Why are people so hard on moms? I realize that there are moms that do abuse their kids but the majority of us are just trying to discipline our children while trying to guide them through life. Being a mom is a tough job. I think no matter whether you are a spanker or not, whether you breastfed or not or whether you stay at home or not, if you are there for your kids and you have their best interests at heart you're doing a great job and you should keep it up!! Good for you, moms out there!! I've got nothing but love for you all!

First Day Official Pics

Off to school. Jonathon started the 2nd grade and Jackson started PreK. Everybody was very excited but when it came down to it, Jackson seemed really nervous. He didn't really say much and kept that same look on his face while I walked him in.

I asked Jonathon if he wanted us to all walk down to drop of Jackson and then walk him back to his class or if he wanted us to all walk to his class first. He said, 'I'm just gonna walk to my class by myself' and I snapped this picture as he was hurrying off. Can you see how happy he was to turn around and let me get a picture?

I had to quickly wipe away the tears and pain of being uninvited to walk Jonathon to class and get Jackson to his class.

See, still with that look. That's his teacher Ms. Chapman. She seems really nice and very organized. Which will be great for Jackson, just what he needs. I had to ask for his lunchroom pin number because I didn't take care of it on Sunday like I should have and she looked at me like a deer in headlights. I can see that she is not a go with the flow kind of gal like I am. Like I said, though, that kind of structure will be great for Jackson.

Milestones

Yesterday, I came out to the living room and Jonathon said, 'Look mom, Spiderwick Chronicles is on tv.' Now, Jonathon has just started wanting to rent movies, so I have been paying attention to which kid movies are coming out and when. I'm thinking that movie just came out on video a couple of months ago, how could it already be on tv? I grab the remote and start checking to see what channel it is, because I am starting to get the sneaking suspicion that he has ordered a movie from pay per view. Yep, that's exactly what has happened. I explain to him that he has ordered a movie on the tv that we have to pay for. That it costs money to watch that movie. He is sitting back with a look on his face that tells me that he had a funny feeling about what he was doing when he did it, but he's realizing that he made the wrong choice. So, I sit down and start watching the movie with him. Hey, we've already gotten it, why not enjoy it? A few minutes later he says, "I didn't have to pay anybody anything..." Then I have to explain that I will have to pay when the bill comes and that it is much less expensive to run to our little movie store up the street. After a while I get up to do my load of laundry and am really over the whole thing because, between you and me, him ordering a pay per view movie ain't the worst thing I'm going to have to deal with all day, if you know what I'm sayin. A few minutes later as I'm bringing more laundry into the living room he says, "Momma, I'm really sorry." It caught me a little off gaurd. He's a good kid so he's apologized many times (mostly when prompted) but this was the first time that he has genuinely shown remorse on his own. Remember, I was already over it, so, I said, "Oh, honey, it's okay, you just can't ever do it again and it looks like we've bought a whole day of seeing this movie, so be prepared to watch it, all day." Which we did. They layed out their blankets on the floor in front of the tv when it was time for bed and watched it one last time.

The point to this whole story is that my baby is growing up. He may not look like a baby, but he is my baby. He's the baby that slept with me until he was three, the only one of my babies that slept in a bassinet in my room, the baby that I held 24 hrs a day because I didn't know we could lay them down on something besides a lap, my very first baby. And he is not a baby anymore. And I'm okay with that. As babies grow older, they learn to do more and more things that show you their own individual personalities. The first time your baby can say, 'I love you' or 'I'm sorry' makes it all okay.

He'll be starting 2nd grade today and although it's a little bittersweet to see my baby being a little boy, getting to watch this boy become a man will be one of the highlights of my life.

What's for Dinner?

Chicken, that's what. And doesn't it look tastey. I could feed an army with what is usually left on my oldest kids' plates. But not Emma Mae. It seems that my girls are going to be the eaters in the family. What is in Emma Mae's hand is in our family very lovingly refered to as a 'bone'. Whenever we go to a fast food establishment that serves chicken my kids always say, 'I want the bone, momma'.

Can you tell how good it is? Josh bbq'd a bunch of chicken legs and the kids ate them up.

I think Jackson had 4. He loves 'bones' the most of any of the kids.

Two peas in a pod. And isn't it a good thing that I don't get really upset over messes?

New York, Here We Come!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's what you've all been waiting for. I have finally made my arrangements for the trip to New York in October!! We are leaving Brunswick on Friday morning and will arrive in New York on Friday afternoon. We will be staying here...

If you have stayed there and it was the worst experience of your life and bugs crawled all over you all night, please do not mention it to me because it has already been paid for and cannot be changed. If it was really horrible just lie to me and tell me it was the nicest, cleanest place you have ever stayed. I am not too worried about it because I don't plan on hanging out there very much. I've got some New York fun to have!! I've got to see it all. The statue of Liberty, the Empire State building, that big toy store from 'Big', and most importantly, maybe Jill and Meg will be on a walk. Then on Sunday we have tickets to this...

Have you got it figured out? Oh, you need a little more help. Okay, here you go.

No, you are not dreaming. I am going to see GREASE on Broadway!!!! Can you believe it? Can you believe that big, burly, masculine, hunting, handsome and wonderful man o' mine is going to see Grease on Broadway with me? I'll tell you why. I think it's because on our anniversary the other night we went to see Mamma Mia and he had the worst time ever, (of course I loved it) so, he said as long as we don't go see that on Broadway, he doesn't care what we see. So, I picked Grease. How great is that?

The only bad news is that we will have to go home late Tuesday afternoon. It's bad news because I had hoped to spend a little more time with Sue who is coming all the way over from Austrailia (just kidding, Sue), I mean New Zealand, to celebrate with us. Oh well, I'm just very excited to meet her and hang out.

Now, on to the most important part. I'm sure there are still rooms in and around the New York area to be had. I feel pretty sure you can go online to orbitz.com and pick yourself up a little package that includes tickets to Grease, too. Who's coming? Anybody else? Do I have to name you all? If you read my blog you are invited. Except for my poor, sweet, wonderful mother in law who I would love to have come, but has a previous obligation to watch 4 wonderful, sweet kids, who I know will be well mannered and behave the whole time their parents are gone. Okay, here are some names I'm going to throw out there, Sass, you HAVE to come, Tara, you're not very far, just a little trip and you could be at Grease, too, Callie, please come it's been too long, Gigi, I know you have previous obligations, but I will miss you, Leah and Echo, how can I watch Grease on Broadway without you two, Dad and Sandy, come and have fun, it would be great, ok so there are way too many to formally invite everyone, but please if you are reading this and it sounds like fun, join us.

Last Trip of the Summer Final Chapter

I know that is a really poorly taken picture, but I thought it would help answer the poll that went with the last post. Yes, I left Emma Mae sitting on the bed and got locked out. And, yes, the kids had to take turns talking through the window to her. Before you go thinking you need to call in the child protective services, we were able to get back in fairly quickly, thank you very much.

On with the trip. We said goodbye to dad and Sandy at Blizzard Beach and I checked into Pop Century on my own. Very shortly after the 'locked out' episode, my mom showed up to the hotel. She and I had plans to do a couple more days at the water parks. When we got up the next morning, I was so worn out from everything we had already done that I just wanted to hang at the hotel. So, we went to the pool and came back to the room for a nap. That reenergized me so we headed to Downtown Disney, which is basically just a bunch of shops where you can blow all of your money. But to my surprise they did have some fun things going on down there.

Such as a little train they could ride around in circles. The younger ones really enjoyed that.

Jonathon, not so much.

I have no idea what Emma Mae was so excited about right there. I think it either had something to do with that sucker or maybe that fun train ride or it could be that she is just excited to not be locked up in a room on a bed.

I really don't think he liked that train ride at all.

There's my little princess with a princess.

Can you find all of my kids in that picture?

This little playhouse was just outside of the Lego store and I swear the kids played for at least 45 min. They loved it.
I think Jackson loved it the most, though.

While the little kids played, Jonathon put together some legos. He also bought a Star Wars starship that we have just finished putting together a week later.

I was really surprised by how fun it was there. As we were leaving there was a dance party going on that we just HAD to check out.

I guess good dance moves run in the family.

The next day we went to Typhoon Lagoon. That was tons of fun. No pictures of that, though. I was a little too busy wrangling kids that day.

After all of these fun times at the water parks, what did I come away with? Did I learn anything new on my trip? Well, not yet but I was hoping I could get some answers from all my bloggy buddies. While I was at the water parks, there were an alarmingly high number of men in speedos. While I love the self confidence that it must require to put one of those things on, I just wonder about the motivation. That's all. I just wonder if it's a comfort thing or maybe they think it will help them to go faster on the slides, not sure what it's all about. If any of you have a man in your life that prefers the speedo, please help me out. Just curious.

10 Years

I can't believe we made it past the first one. Gotta run, going out to celebrate 10 years with my man. Happy Anniversary, Sugar Bugar!!