Jacob-isms...

(If you click on the picture with all the paci's above, you'll see the little "trick" Jacob can do...)

Being 2 years old, Jacob is always saying the cutest things, so I thought I'd share a few so I won't forget them...

When I was at the beach with the girls, Jonathan was, of course, home taking care of the kids. As with most moms, I am the "go-to" person at our house for everything. Even if Jonathan is at home and standing right next to me, all three kids are saying, "Momma, I want... Momma, she's hitting... Momma, he just kicked... Momma, watch this... Momma..." -- you get the point. Well, Daddy is not used to all that attention. So when I was gone and Jacob had said "Daddy" for the one-thousandth time, Jonathan got very frustrated and said, "Jacob, DO NOT SAY DADDY ONE MORE TIME TODAY!!!" Jacob got his feelings hurt, he looked down with a big pout on his face and after a few seconds he looked up and said, "Mr. Jonathan, I hungry. Can I have some dinner?" Cute, huh?

The other day we went to the pool with the whole family. Jacob and the girls played hard for an hour or so, and then he got out and curled up on the lounge chair. After a while, Jonathan said, "Jacob, don't you want to get back in the pool?" Jacob said, "No, Daddy, it's too watery."

A few days ago Jacob wanted cereal in the middle of the afternoon before dinner, and I told him he couldn't have any. He got really angry with me and in his best "mean" voice he said, "I don't like you anymore!" Being a mother of three with one who is now nine years old, I've become accustomed to the occasional mommy diss. It just doesn't faze me anymore, so I say, "That's OK Jacob, Mommy still loves you." To which he says, "I only like Mic-Mic. I don't like you!" So, now every time he gets mad at me for telling him "No," that's his reply. My mom is loving it!

Yesterday I was working on the computer and Jacob came out of the bathtub and was playing around my chair with no clothes on. I said, "Jacob, do you want to sit with Mommy?" And he says, "No, I too naked. I can't sit on you."

I wish I could remember them all... I just love the way 2 year olds think.

And by the way, I'm still in my pajamas.

1st week of summer...

Well, we've survived the first official week of summer and we're all still intact. I thought it would be good to add more structure into the day this summer as opposed to the last -- it was more difficult last summer because Jacob was so little. We have school time in the morning, snack times, and the girls are responsible for more chores, too. I bought math and reading workbooks for the next grade level for each of the them. I thought they could do a few pages in the morning Mon-Fri and then read aloud for 15-20 minutes. Then I decided to have art and cooking lessons afterward. The public school system is terrific here, but they don't emphasize art history, and as much as my kids love art, they just don't get enough art time in school.

So I researched for days and came up with about 20 art lessons -- studies of different well-known artists and some of their more famous paintings, different styles of painting and different techniques, sculpture activities and even some fun paper machie and tie-dye activities. The kids have really enjoyed it so far and I'm amazed at how much they already intuitively know about what an artist is trying to convey through his work. They seem to really get it -- that art is an expression of feelings and emotions and that you can actually "feel" a painting or express your own emotions in what you paint.

For the most part summer's been great, but it's so hard to stay on track with all the other fun things that being out of school brings... friends calling for the girls to spend the night or come over to play, pool time, etc. And we've had a couple of nights of spend the night company here at our house, too. And we definitely have our moments when we are all at our wit's end... there is always the issue of "attitude" with the girls, the fighting, the spills, the impossible to believe messes they make, and the "Mom, we don't want Jacob playing with us!" I will say that now, at the end of the week, I'm tired! And I can only laugh at all the complaints and stresses I'm hearing from my friends about their own summer woes. We'll all make it through -- I have faith... and for those of you on that seemingly wonder-drug for mommies called Lexapro -- you're cheating!!! And, by the way, how can the rest of us get some???

I have no room to complain because right now and for the next 30 hours, I'm CHILD-FREE!!! Jonathan just left to see his parents in Decatur, and he took the kids with him. I think he realized that after my being with Jacob every day for 3 weeks without a break, that I really needed one. So this morning my friends are all calling, a little jealous of my new-found, short-lived freedom! I have to say, I'm very happy to be in my pajamas at 11:00am and not caring AT ALL about the laundry or the fighting kids or the errands or the dishes or even about cleaning out the kids' closets. I'm going to do ONLY what I want to do and nothing that I need to do... so that means that I'm just going to sit right here on my booty and blog...

Isn't it ridiculous how little it takes to make a mom of three happy??? Just a little peace and quiet and all is well with the world...

(OK, I know the picture is a stretch... it's not exactly the best and most accurate representation of me sitting here in my pajamas blogging... but a girl can dream, right?)

Last Week of School...

Wow, what a week... Jacob's at home full-time. The girls have had something going on just about every day -- it's that "gottapackeverythinginandmakeitfun" week at school! Fun for them, chaotic for their mommy. Dress rehearsals, recitals and parties, too. And what did I decide to do this week??? Start "Body for Life" again in addition to everything else. I'm a glutton for punishment, I guess. Working out everyday and eating 6 healthy meals a day -- that's tough. But I feel great and I'm motivated once again to get into the shape of my life. Wish me luck -- the kids are now at home each and every minute of the day!!!

We all got together in the cul-de-sac last night for an impromptu block party. It still amazes me that when we get together it's just like junior high again. Boys on one side... girls on the other. I guess some things never change. Except now we have about a hundred million kids to watch over, too. It was a great way to kick-off summer... here are a few photos from the week.

Madison and Mrs. Richburg

Macy and Mrs. White

Rock is Back!!!!

You know, things usually do work out the way they're supposed to. I have to say, last night when Ryan announced the winner on AI, I had already resigned myself that my David just might not pull through. The judges reviews were sooooo biased toward Disneyworld Dave... but then, right there at the end, he says, "David.........Cook!" I'll admit it -- this wave of pure bliss came over my body -- I was so happy for him! I jumped up and danced! My kids thought I had lost it.

Crazy, I know, I'm not even much of a TV watcher, and the show is really cheesy. But isn't it great to know that there is talent out there that would have never been discovered if it weren't for the amazing minds (and very fat wallets) behind Idol. DC was a bartender for heaven's sake! Everybody loves a contest -- and what could be better than for us, the viewers, to determine the outcome. Brilliant.

I have been faithful to David from the beginning. He just really struck something in me. His voice is so emotional and powerful... passionate. Did you play the You Tube video above? Are you listening to it now? "Always Be My Baby"... Mariah Carrey for goodness sake... and listen to what he does with it! The way he can alter even the most dated song and make it modern -- "Billie Jean" was unbelievable. His CD couldn't come out soon enough -- IWANTITRIGHTNOW!!!

And thanks to all of my friends who dialed 1-800-IDOLS-01. I was trying single-handedly to vote enough times to put him over the top, but by about 11:30pm, lying in bed (in the dark), I was still hitting redial... and can you believe this? My husband got so angry with me for dialing past bedtime he told me to hang up the (mother bleeping!!) phone! The man obviously doesn't understand my passion.

So, Imagineers... get that float ready -- Baby Dave will be there soon... singing ballads at the castle. Just make sure he's not driving the float -- you know he always has his eyes closed when he sings! And more importantly, let's get those hair people in ASAP -- Rocker David's going to be getting a lot of press in the next few weeks and he's seriously follicly challenged.

Hellllooooo Gorgeous!!

My favorite 2-year-old trick right now...

Jacob always seems to make us all laugh. Ever since seeing the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks he's been saying, "Helllllooooo Gorgeous!" to everyone. It cracks us all up. So this morning I finally got him to do it on camera (with a bribe of a sucker -- of course!). And he's always saying, "Break it, break it, break it down word," so I got that on video, too.

I'm trying to learn how to upload video onto my blog, so it here it goes... my first try.... (sorry, the volume's too low -- I'll work on it...) Just scroll down to the bottom of the blog page and hit the stop button on the music player -- then you can hear.

Hip Hop til You Drop

Tuesday night was Madison's hip hop recital. Her team did soooo great! I was extremely proud of her!!! She got on that stage and put it all out there! Like her teacher told her, she danced "large" -- she had the whole routine down and she smiled through the entire dance. I don't think she could have done better! Her dad and I looked at each other after the performance and said, "WOW!"

Elizabeth and I laughed when we saw that some of the mom's had been taking dance classes themselves and they were in the recital, too. We thought it would be quite comical for us to put together our own little hip-hop routine... we could practice at Thirsty Thursdays and then surprise all our husbands at the next block party! Can't you just see it... "Hey, Julee, crank up the music"... we would all take our places in the middle of the cul-de-sac and the performance would be a knockout! Our husbands would be on the floor laughing... or maybe just weak from complete embarrassment!! Elizabeth even suggested we make lemonade and charge admission... you know, to raise money for Carly & Benny (we do that just about everyday anyway... why not just add to the fund -- it is for a good cause). Our kids would be like, "Hey, that's our job to set up the shows, charge admission and raise money for Carly & Benny -- what's up with this? Maybe our mom's are right -- we really have driven them completely insane!!!"

I don't know... it's just a idea...

Jacob's pictures...

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Picture day

Yesterday Elizabeth and I decided it would be our last chance to get to Montgomery to take pictures of the little kids before the big kids get out of school this Friday (yikes!!!) We took them to an old Episcopal church that has the most gorgeous grounds. I wanted some really great photos... the boys had other things in mind. It was like a playground to them with all the bricks and ponds and walls to climb on. They loved it! I, however, had a little trouble getting them to focus on the task at hand. Taking pictures of kids is never easy... I know exactly why I've never turned this little hobby of mine into an all out career... kids are absolutely unpredictable. But they had a great time exploring and the pictures actually turned out pretty good. Here's just a few...

Wheeler's pictures...

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Bye Caroline! We'll miss you!

Well, that day has come. Caroline is leaving. We have been so fortunate to find such a great girl to come into our family and give mommy & daddy some much needed time to ourselves. We have spent more time alone together since she's been in our lives than we ever have. That's a real blessing and we will miss her dearly. We are so proud of you Caroline. And don't worry that you don't know exactly what you want to do with your life. Sometimes I still wonder that myself...

Thank you for taking such good care of the kids, and we wish you the best and all of God's grace and guidance for your future. Have a great time in Europe, and please keep in touch. You know where we live.

David -- I just knew you could do it!!!

Just because I was sick last week does not mean I missed AI. Even if I were vomiting I'd still watch. I do have my DVR, you know. I'm just late in blogging about it.

My prediction from the very first Hollywood show is very, very close to coming true!! David Cook -- you rock! I have had faith in you from the beginning, and with the small exception of that one horrible song choice -- you know what I'm talking about... DuranDuran... (what were you thinking???) Anyway, it's forgiven -- and I was still in your corner even when you had your momentary lapse of reason.

Here it goes, the lowdown... Roberta Flacks' "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was a great pick, Simon. And I agree, first round goes to Cook & Cowell. The problem with Idol is that the songs are so short. I'm always left wanting more from Mr. Cook -- give me more, David! Second song -- Switchfoot's "Dare You to Move" -- another great song -- somewhat disappointing though. A little pitchy, as they say... I think you're just a little run down. Get some rest. I won't hold it against you though. Third song -- "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing." Fantastic. The violins were a great touch. I swear you could sing the fine print in a real estate contract and you'd have me calling you a genius. If you can make me like "Billie Jean", you can do just about anything.

So, David, now it's time to bring it on -- show them all whose boss... send little, baby David back to Disney World where he belongs. He can sing wonderful, heartfelt ballads for all the up and coming Disney blockbusters -- maybe they'll even let him ride a float in a parade -- with a costume! You, my dear, however, will be making rockin' cd's, burning up the radio waves and making me turn up the volume even louder to drive my kids insane! Just wait and see. Let's just make sure you check in with some stylists and hair people before you hit the big time. That hair has got to go... Voice, good. Hair, bad.

So, buh-bye Syesha. I wish it were buh-bye little David, but with all the teens in the world and their collective army of cell phones, there's just no way. So it's David C. vs. baby David. Get your fingers ready everyone... Tuesday night... dial... repeat... dial... repeat. Let's win this one for the over 30 crowd. We'll show everyone once and for all that teens don't rule the world! Hannah Montana, the Jonas Brothers and all the rest of that crap that my kids go ga-ga over... BE GONE! Rock is back.

(Sidenote: My 9 year old is now standing beside me and very angry with me for dissing baby David. She wants you all to know that she really does love him -- really -- like crazy, she says... oh, yeah, and that he's not a baby.)

Back to Destin...

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It's Contagious!!!

I confess. It's been a very long time since my last blog. All Haides broke loose in our house last week, and I just haven't had the time.

First, as you know from my last post, Jonathan had what we thought was food poisoning last weekend. But, oh no, it couldn't just be food poisoning -- we couldn't possibly be that lucky. It turns out it was the DREADED stomach virus! I got sick Monday night... then Madison woke up at about 5:00am the next morning and climbed in bed with me saying she was about to throw up. And that's how the day began. Next came Jacob after school. Projectile vomit everywhere. There's only one thing worse than having a stomach virus -- being a mom with a stomach virus and having to clean up after all your kids who also have stomach viruses! So, we spent the next few days out of school, feeling awful, and not getting ready for our trip to the beach.

Wednesday I did feel better but I was sooooo behind in laundry and errands and schoolwork that I had to kick it into overdrive to get us packed up and out the door Thursday. And then it rained the first two days we were there! How I ever thought it would be fun to take the kids to the beach when Daddy couldn't go with us, I'll never know... but Saturday it was absolutely gorgeous and we played on the beach all day. Well, except for the few hours we went to eat lunch... then had car trouble and had to beg a man in the parking lot to jump me off. Here I am... in a bathing suit with my 3 kids stranded -- his wife did not seem to appreciate it at all, but he did help and I will be forever grateful. I think one of the kids had left the light on in the car the night before, and the engine just wouldn't turn over at all when we were leaving the restaurant. Anyway, we made it back to the beach and stayed out until about 6:00pm. There's just no place like Destin -- I love it.

The kids really enjoyed the bunk beds in their room, and they especially loved having their own pool in the backyard. But I was very ready to get back home... And boy what a homecoming it was... Jack, would you like to share with us all about your weekend?

Tell us again exactly why you dyed your hair??? An 80's party? Really...

So you dyed it just for a party. Miami Vice... Don Johnson... really... Looked a little more like Billy Idol to me. The streaks were especially effective. You crack me up -- I'm not sure I've ever met anyone that determined to have a good time at a party! Permanently dying your hair. Well, I wish you luck at the beauty shop tomorrow. I'm sure she'll fix you up good as new!

Mother's Day

This was not quite the mother's day we had in mind. Jonathan had been on a fishing trip for 4 days and came back on Saturday afternoon to spend time with us. Not even 4 hours later he became very, very, horribly ill. I have never heard anyone that violently sick (except for maybe that time in New York when I got food poisoning when I was 7 1/2 months pregnant with Macy -- remember that babe?). Anyway, I felt awful for him, and he was up most of the night, so needless to say he wasn't up for the Mother's Day celebration. We had planned on going to church and then to the club to eat with mom and the kids, so mom & I went without him. Then she stayed over for a while and the kids played Wii and we set up the waterslide. My kids wrote me the sweetest notes -- I'll keep them forever! I scanned them in for you to see (they actually wrote 5 or so each, but these were my favorites).

Did you read that? I'm the "bom" -- that's first grade for "You're the Bomb." How sweet is that?

The second note is from Madison. You've just gotta love the "useful" part! The notes cracked me up, but it's also really humbling to know how much they really do love and appreciate me. I am so, so, so very blessed.

Here are some more pictures from the weekend. I hope you all celebrated your own relationships as mothers and daughters and sons. There is nothing I'd rather be in this world than the mother of these three children!

The Backstreet Girls went to the beach and Jodi & Holly came back with crabs!

Last Thursday the Backstreet Girls loaded up our cars and roadtripped to Destin for Mommy Break '08. We had soooo much fun!!! Julee's mom and aunt let us stay in their condos and they were absolutely beautiful. It was such a great getaway and a much-needed break from mommyhood before the big summer ahead.

Thursday night six of us went to a Mexican restaurant called Pepitos. All of us but Jodi order a margarita, and I knew on the first sip there might be some trouble ahead! They were very strong -- we went from calmly talking to dying out laughing in 30 minutes or less! Then Amy, Tamara and Christy came down and we just stayed in the condo and talked and played Taboo.

Friday we layed out on the beach all day and wished Stacy was there. She came in about 10:00pm that night and met us out. We had all gone out to dinner before and then to Zampieri's. As soon as Stacy came in we all stood up and cheered. The party had officially begun -- everybody knows it's not a party until Stacy's there! Then the whole place starts cheering -- and believe me, she didn't disappoint. Within 5 minutes of her arrival we were all laughing so hard we were crying! She is truly the funniest person I've ever met. She had the whole place roaring with laughter with all of her goofy dances and Saturday Night Live-ish comedy. It was probably the funniest night of my life. Thanks Stacy for making all of our vacations even better. And, hey, don't throw out that maternity underwear just yet -- we all could use another laugh next year!

Thank you all for calling me your friend. I am truly so blessed and lucky to have you in my life!

Mommy Break '08

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