Arlington at Christmas...

For 13 years, the media didn't tell this story.


Arlington National Cemetery



Rest easy, sleep well my brothers.



Know the line has held, your job is done.



Rest easy, sleep well.



Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.



Peace, peace, and farewell...



Readers may be interested to know that these wreaths -- some 5,000 -- are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine. The owner, Morrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. Isn't he a wonderful guy? Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. What makes this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one the poorest parts of the state.

Please share this with everyone. You hear too much about the bad things people do. Everyone should hear about this.

In 1995, the world finally learned of the selflessness of this wonderful man...
read his profile here.

Happy Birthday Gabe...

my miracle baby turned two yesterday. I am continually in awe of this little boy. He is smart and funny and wild and he adores his big brothers. He brings so much joy into our lives and I would go through it all again if I knew he was waiting for us at the end of our journey.

Hey Diane...

come visit us at the cross stitch board...Cross Stitch Crazy. If you see the gorgeous work the ladies do there, you will never get bored with stitching again.

My coffee make went to the great coffee house in the sky...

I had no trouble making coffee yesterday but today it won't do anything. Its not heating...not moving the water from the reservoir...what am I going to do without my coffee today? Thank God I microwaved what was left in the post from yesterday. It isn't nearly as good as fresh coffee but its better than nothing.

Today is World Diabetes Day...

You can find a lot of info about the day and the disease through The World Diabetes Day web page. This is a cause near and dear to my heart. My mom, my mil, and my hubby all have type 2 diabetes. Please take time to educate yourself about this disease and to help the search for a cure.

Shiver me timbers...

My pirate name is:

Mad Bess Rackham

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

What nourishes you?

What nourishes you? What soothes your soul? What expands your mind? What are the one or two things that are such an essential part of your being that you can't imagine life without them? I'm not talking about family or religion. I'm talking about activities or things you do for yourself.

I love to read. I love to read blogs, books of every genre, magazines. I can't imagine life without reading. I read to educate myself. I read to escape. I read for fun. although I definitely lean towards the conservative end of the spectrum, I do not limit myself to reading pieces from people with similar ideologies. How can I in good conscience espouse a belief and teach my kids about it if I do not at least attempt to understand both sides of the argument? Reading gives me the knowledge to teach my kids what I want them to learn. I read books that friends have recommended and when I'm lucky I find one that speaks to me. One book I read recently that I really connected with is "The Time Traveler's Wife". Not only is it a highly original, gripping story but it dealt with infertility and loss in a way that really touched me. I found this wonderful book through an infertility blog I read (she has a great review of it). Go get the book...read it... it is wonderful. I also read purely for escapism and fun. Recently I stumbled across a series that is perfect for this...the Undead series by MaryJanice Davidson. Its silly, a lot of fun, and feeds the shoe obsession I can no longer afford to feed since I have kids. When you are really, really lucky, you pick up a book for the fun escapism of reading and find a book that makes you think. For any of you who like Harry Potter, I highly recommend the Young Wizard series by Diane Duane. The books are fun and quite addictive and Ms. Duane's take on Wizardry is rooted in religion and creation. They make you think and that is always a good thing.

The best thing about loving to read is passing that love on to the next generation...your kids, your nieces and nephews, your friends' kids. Nothing is better than watching a child get excited about a book. Hehehe...we were out running errands yesterday and, as we drove past the library, Gabe started yelling "Book Book!" How cool is it that he already recognizes the library and he isn't even 2 yrs old?

Another thing that is integral to who I am is my love of crafts. I particularly love to cross stitch and crochet. My time spent cross stitching or crocheting soothes me. I can be tense and uptight and as I sit down to stitch I feel all that just fall away. I love to create. I love to design. I love to express myself through my art.

What do you love to do? What makes you who you are?

Two words...just two words...

PUBERTY SUCKS!

Yup, my oldest, not even 11 yrs old is in the midst of puberty and it sucks! He gets moody, irritable, and tends to go into a complete meltdown when he is stressing or tired. I think all kids should be put in some sort of suspended animation until there body matures past this stage. Then, my sanity might stay intact (bwahahahaha).

If its this bad with a boy, I have much pity for those of you who will have to go through it with a girl.

It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood,

A beautiful day for a neighbor.
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won't you be my neighbor?

Over at Cross Stitch Crazy, we are just starting a neighborhood round robin. For those of you who stitch, thats all the explanation needed. For those of you who don't stitch, this is what a round robin involves...

A group of stitcher's (usually between 4 and 6 people) pick a theme. For us, we are stitching neighborhoods. Mine is a winter/Christmas neighborhood. The other ladies have chosen Halloween, Victorian, International Houses, and a Fairy neighborhood. We each stitch a house on our piece and then it gets sent to the other ladies so they can stitch their contribution. I just finished my house for my neighborhood...and it is designed to resemble my real house.

Here is a picture of my real house...




And here is my round robin house...



I can't wait to have the finished product in my hands.

Out of the mouth of babes...

Thanks to his older brothers, Gabe has learned to say some choice words...burp, fart, poop, etc. Last night, Gabers was climbing up into my chair when he farted. He grinned, pointed at his butt, and said "BURP." Lemme tell you, I was laughing so hard I was crying. Too funny.



How could you get upset when a face this cute says something like that?

Who am I?

I got this from Monnie...

Accent – southern if I've been drinking (and I haven't really done that in 10+ yrs)

Drink – love margaritas but can't remember the last time I had one

Chore I Hate – dusting...I hate it with a passion and wish I could afford to have someone do it for me.

Pets – Jolie...our border collie pound puppy, Jack otherwise known as Jackleg...half husky/half golden retriever, and Snoopy...our cat

Essential Electronic – my computer, my Olympus C-5000 camera, my internet based phone

Perfume/Cologne - Obsession

Gold or silver – usually gold

Insomnia – only when Vic is on night shifts...then its very, very hard for me to make myself go to bed

Job Title – Vic's wife, mother to my kids, cub scout den leader, cross stitch board admin...take your pick

Most Admired Trait – faithfulness

Kids – 3 wonderful hellions...LOL, not really...they are good kids

Religion – Lutheran...my faith is what got me through the hell of secondary infertility with my sanity (bwahahahaha) relatively intact

Siblings – 2 sisters

Time I wake up – 7:00 am to get the kids ready for school...if it was up to me, I could easily sleep until 10

Unusual talent/skill – artistic skills that cross into many mediums (cross stitch design, crochet design, painting, etc)

Vegetable I refuse to eat – lima beans (if I make them myself from dried beans, they are ok)

Worst habit - I'm messy and don't pick up after myself.

X-rays – if I need them, I get them...and I've had far more than I care to admit

My favorite meal – don't have a favorite meal

Leeetttt's get ready to RUMBLE!

In the right corner, its a 2000 Plymouth Grand Voyager. In the left corner, its a 2000(ish) Nissan Pathfinder. The contestants come out swinging and sliding and the Grand Voyager emerges battered, bruised, but victorious.

Yes, yesterday evening, I got into a wreck on the way home from Marty's chiropractor appointment. And, yes, all 3 kids were in the van with me. Thank God for car seats and seatbelts. It was raining and I was doing everything I was suppose to do. When I saw the brake lights of the car in front of me go on, I hit my brakes, It wasn't slowing down so I really stomped on the brakes hoping that the anti-lock brakes would do their job. However, my van had started to hydroplane so the anti-lock brakes couldn't do crap...my wheels were locked in position anyway. It was a 3 vehicle accident but the first car was barely scratched. My van is damaged but drivable. It doesn't appear to have any leaks or even too much damaged. At first I was worried about damage versus blue book value but, once I checked my van's value, I think it will be ok. However, the middle vehicle, the Nissan Pathfinder, was killed. Its frame was bent behind the c post (the post behind the back door). How that damage was done without totally crunching my van is beyond me.

How can the same thing make me happy and make me want to cry?

I think Gabe has nursed for the last time. Lately, when he would nurse before bedtime, he would finish and then snuggle in with me until he fell asleep. Last night, as he was nursing, I was talking to him and said, "You know, you are getting to be a bigger boy and big boys don't need to nurse. You can nurse if you want but, if you don't want to nurse, mommy will hold you and snuggle you until you go to sleep." I really didn't expect anything to come of it but, a few minutes later, he decided to be done. He snuggled in and went to sleep. The one time he woke up last night, he didn't nurse. He didn't want to nurse this morning and he didn't want to nurse before nap time either.

Yeah, I know he is 21 months old...but he is still my baby. And, my baby isn't nursing anymore. The freedom of that makes me soooo happy but I'm going to miss him doing that.

My little boy is growing up.

I've been tagged...

I've been tagged by my dear friend Jen.

The rules:
You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name.
If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag.
Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

My middle name is Andrea.

A is for artistic. I am always creating, designing or doing something crafty and artistic.
N is for nut job (courtesy of my dh). I have a whacked out sense of humor and love sharing it.
D is for Duke University...my alma mater and the best damned college basketball team in the universe
R is for redhead. My hair is red now and was red when I was born. Then it was natural and now it comes from a bottle.
E is for egghead. I graduated from high school 6th in my class and have an undergraduate degree from Duke University.
A is for my Aunt Kathy who shares my middle name.

These are the six people I am going to tag.
Jen got off too lightly because her middle name only has 3 letters...so she gets to do this again.
Christa has been tagged by Jen but has been avoiding it. If I tag her again, maybe it will get done. Love you my sister.
Carolyn my friend...tag, you're it!
Renee my friend...can't wait to read your contribution.
Velda is getting tagged too. Are you going to use your real middle name or the one you wish you had?
Tina my southern sister, I love you, I love your humor, join the fun!

Life is good...

My hubby got the new job. He is now the 911 communications supervisor in Apex, NC. For the first time since his knee injury ended his firefighting career (in Sept '01), he is back at a job he truly loves. Its also nice that he is back at a job that is paying him close to what he is worth. Finances are settling down and a LOT of the money stresses are disappearing.

Over the summer, Marty and Joey both mastered swimming. Marty got good enough that he swam the whole length of the pool. Joey is not quite so far along but he is swimming short distances and is quite proud of himself.

Marty and Joey have started back to school. After a not so great year last year, Marty is enjoying school again. He is actually looking forward to school each day. The poor kiddo had a lot of trouble being the new kid last year. And, the little jerk who decided Marty would be his verbal whipping post didn't make it any easier. Since we got that brat out of Marty's class, life is a lot better. Marty also made me very proud because he stepped forward and made a real effort to great the new girl in his class and make her feel welcome. I'm glad he made the effort to give her a better start to her school year than he had last year.

Joey seems to like his teacher and also seems to be taking school more seriously than he did last year. He even told me he didn't want to be disrespectful like he was (talking a lot and not listening) last year. Joey also just tested for and got his next belt in TKD. Way to go kiddo!

Gabeycakes has grown into my wild child. His vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds. Thanks to Joey, Gabe's favorite body part to point to is his "butt butt" and he also likes to yell quite loudly about pee pee. Gabe grew to love the pol this summer and would kamikaze off the side to whomever was close enough to catch him. Gabe also never really believed me when I told him he couldn't go in the deep areas alone. Its nice that he isn't scared but it does make it a bit challenging.

I am going to be quite busy this year. Marty never quite clicked with the scout pack we joined here. So, I am helping to restart the cub scout pack affiliated with our church and Marty and Joey will be members. I will be co-leading the Tiger cub pack. And, for the next few months, we will have Tae Kwon Do an average of 3 times a week. Marty is very close to being able to test for his Deputy Black Belt and one of the requirements is attending class 3 times a week. In between all that, I will attempt to keep up with my stitching, play with Gabe, occasionally do house work, and maybe remember to breathe.

I'm sorry I've been gone so long...

There has been a lot going on and, when I get swamped and stressed, I think I tend to retreat.

Gabe's burn has healed well enough that there is barely any mark visible at all. My munchkin in 18 months old and is discovering new things every day. His latest obsessions are Blues Clues and Max and Ruby...those shows will always stop him dead in his tracks. Its kind of nice when I really need to get something done. It was also really handy when we took our family trip to Connecticut. He would do great for about 2 hours in the car and then we would break out the portable dvd player. That would soothe the savage beast for a bit more driving. Everyday I turn around and Gabe has learned another word or is doing something different. He is at such a cool stage.

Joey and Marty will be out of school for the summer starting tomorrow. Joey has had a wonderful year but, as the year went on and he got more comfortable, Joey got more and more chatty during class. This caused issues a few times but he still did really well and learned so much. Joey love to read and now he can do it mostly by himself. This morning, Joey officially lost his first tooth. His bottom left tooth had been loose for a while and the adult tooth had started to come in behind it (which meant it hadn't pushed the baby tooth out). His baby tooth was sooooooo loose but the little part that was still attached was making it hurt. I actually got him to let me tie a string around it and pop it out. I hope this one tooth coming in wonky isn't an indication of things to come and doesn't mean braces in his future.

Marty has had a good year educationally but had one little boy in his class who was a royal pain in his ass. I have made it crystal clear to the school that the little idiot WILL NOT be in Marty's class next year (and luckily they agreed without a fight). Marty is also getting very close to the point when he will get to test for his Deputy black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I can't believe my boy is finishing 4th grade. He has gotten so tall. In a few years, I think he will be taller than me.

My hubby has applied for a new job and we are really hoping he gets it. Vic has been happy at his current job but the new position would be such a great improvement. He would work much closer to home (major bucks saved in travel expenses), he would be back in a supervisory position, and there would be a pay raise...WoooHooo. Vic is up against so good competition but I really think he has a lot to offer them. Keep your fingers crossed for him.

And, now for your viewing pleasure, a whole lotta pictures...

Poor Gabeycakes really HURT himself...

on Sunday. He was really tired because he had a bad night's sleep on Saturday. So, he was demanding I hold him while I was getting the older boys' dinner ready. He was on my left hip...angled as far away from the counter as I could get him...but that didn't stop him. In about two seconds flat, he let go of me, leaned out far, and grabbed the ladle out of the nearly boiling pot of soup. As he pulled, it splattered everywhere and he started screaming. I immediately stripped his clothes of and there was a large patch (about the size of the palm of my hand) of red skin on his left abdomen (about an inch below the nipple line). It immediately blistered, popped, and pealed. We have a large, fully stocked first aid kit but we had almost ran out of medical tape and didn't realize it. I had also run out of children's motrin (used Saturday night because of the teething. Luckily, my dear neighbors had both. So, Gabeycakes has a good sized second degree (but not huge and very shallow) burn. Since I use to be a paramedic and have the proper medical stuff to treat it, I have taken care of it. He is not in pain today (THANK GOD) and I am keeping a close eye on it so we avoid any infection. During the majority of the day, he acted like NOTHING was wrong...but, he made up for that when I change his bandage. Poor munchkin...I feel like such a piece of crap for making my baby boy cry like that :(

Let me tell you, even with medical training, it really freaks you out to look at your baby's tummy and see peeling skin. I am so thankful he is ok. I also suspect it will be a really long time before he tries to grab anything out of a pot again.

I'm still here...really I am.

It has been a crazy month. Marty missed a full week of school when he was sick with the flu. We had to (unexpectedly) put new tires on Vic's car. And Vic's diabetes is proving very, very difficult to control.

Marty is healthy now...so that is good.

However, tires are expensive and that has made money gawd awful tight. We had everything caught up. We had a teensy bit of breathing room (HAH) and then we had to pay for tires. It really, really sucks when something that little wreaks havoc with your budget. *But, when you live on a government employee's salary, that happens.


And, poor Vic, before being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, he had lost 70 pounds. He worked so very hard at it and was rightfully proud of his achievement. Then, he was diagnosed with diabetes. Unfortunately, he seems to get every side effect that goes with the meds that are suppose to control the diabetes. One of the more sucky side effects of the meds is that they can cause a person to gain weight. Does that seem wrong to anyone else?...a disease that is aggravated by weight gain and the the meds to control it can cause you to gain weight. How f***** up is that? Vic's docs have been having trouble finding the right combo of meds to control his diabetes since the very beginning but, as the weight has come back on, it has gotten harder to control. He can eat the same thing two days in a row and one day his blood sugar is great and the next it can be through the roof. **Hell, the other day, it spiked to over 300 for no apparent reason at all. Vic's doc has told him if this combo of meds doesn't control it, the only other option is insulin shots...ugh. Vic is thinking seriously about lap band surgery because, without weight control, the diabetes could have dire effects.

With all this going on, I have found it very hard to be positive about things. I guess thats why I avoided posting...I didn't want to see it all in black and white.

On the positive side of things, Gabe is growing and achieving new things on a daily basis. He is such a miracle and I am awed by him every day. Joey is reading like a champ now and is proving himself to be as smart as his big brother. And, Marty is doing great in school and is really close to being able to test for his black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I really am trying to focus on those things and not the negative.



* For those of you who don't know, my hubby use to be a full time firefighter until he suffered a career ending knee injury in 2001. Between a lawyer who royally screwed up our workman's comp case and having to leave employment with the city to get the miniscule settlement, my very hardworking hubby ended up with a salary cut of 33%. That is hard as hell to recover from.

** I am sure there was some reason but none that we could conceivably isolate.

I'm afraid to jinx it...

but Gabe slept 10 hours straight last night. Woohoo

My current projects...

Here is the quilt top and matching pillow I am working on for my oldest son's birthday...


there isn't really a white spot there...it was just a weird flash effect.



and, here is the quilt I made for Joey for his last birthday...

Who is your God?

Tell me what you believe God is like. I believe in a merciful, forgiving God. Yes, God can be a god of hellfire and damnation (look at the old testament) but that isn't all there is to him. I also believe God has a sense of humor. He has to have one (Monnie, I'm letting my SIP loose)...after all, look how we reproduce.

I know some of you must be wondering where I'm going with this. Well, I had to explain this so I could tell you a story. My sister found her way back to faith after years of falling away from religion. Like many people who are newly returned to faith, she takes it oh so seriously. While it is ok to take faith seriously...in fact, it can be imperative to take faith seriously when you truly believe, my sister takes every expression of religion seriously. She can see no humor in even a simple turn of phrase if it contains a reference to God. A few years back, we all had gathered at my parents' house near Easter. Friends and family were all having a wonderful time. I was talking to an old friend and, when we realized we had known each other for more than 16 years, I said "Holy shit!" I didn't mean anything by it. It was just an expression. But, my sister looked at me like I had committed a heinous sin. My sister said, (in a very indignant voice) "Kristin, shit is NOT holy!" This was one of those times that the perfect retort flowed off my tongue without me missing a beat. My SIP was loose. I looked at her and said, "God's shit is." I think I was the object of her prayers for salvation for quite some time.

So, can you see the humor in that? Or, would you be offended too? Please tell me. I really want to know.

So, who are you?

You are a Black Coffee

At your best, you are: low maintenance, friendly, and adaptable At your worst, you are: cheap and angsty You drink coffee when: you can get your hands on it Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

You Are Sunrise

You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary. You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward. Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts. All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be.

What Time Of Day Are You?

Happy Valentine's Day y'all!

We are all finally well over here and our DSL is back in working order after being down for about a week.

Gabe and Joey both ended up on antibiotics after their cooties morphed into ear infections. Luckily, Joey is old enough to take meds without an issue and my weirdo baby boy actually likes the taste of amoxicillin.

I am trying to catch up with all my blogs that I read and all the posts on Cross Stitch Crazy. In between all that, I am trying to finish a quilt for Marty's 10th birthday and I'm stitching "You are my sunshine" by La D Da. I have been informed that I must stitch it 3 times...once for each of the boys.

Back to Valentine's Day...do you know how hard it is when your 4th grader says he isn't taking Valentines in because "If I take them just for my friends, everyone else will get mad. And, if I take them for everyone, most people will just throw them out when I'm not looking."? I want to be able to make him realize that its those little idiots who are missing out on a friendship with a great kid but, at that age, it is too easy to take it personally. UGH...it sucks when they reach the point where a kiss doesn't make it all better.

Cooties Update...

Marty was healthy enough to go to school Friday and to go on the scheduled outing at my parents' house and my sister's house this weekend. However, the rest of us are sick. Gabe's nose is dripping like a faucet and he sounds hoarse. Joey didn't make it to school Friday and he still feels like crap. And, sadly enough, Vic and I are both are down for the count.

BE sure you disinfect the keyboard when you leave my blog.

I reject MY reality...can I substitute yours?

This has not been a fun week. Marty got sick last weekend and he is still not 100%. And, 2 nights ago, Gabe woke up and puked. He is so very congested and all that mucus upset his tummy. On Tuesday night, the only way Gabe would sleep was sprawled across my lap. I had to spend the night propped up against my headboard. It was a loooooooong night. Gabe did better last night but I am still tired. Joey isn't sick but, oh my God, has he ever been whiny today. I finally told him that if he didn't stop, he would have to write "I will not whine" 25 times. Since he is still a really slow writer (he is only 6 after all), that would take a large chunk of the day.

Today, I have all the kids home again. Its a snow day. The snow is gorgeous...thick, fluffy flakes falling down...just the kind of snow we always want. Unfortunately, we are suppose to get a layer of ice on top of it. Since my hubby works for the county Emergency Management, this means he is stuck at work until 1am tonight.

I'll try and get some good snow pics later and post them here for y'all to see!

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Lately, I feel like this quote applies to so many areas of my life. One of the main areas it seems to apply to is in the reaction to a post I guest authored for my friend Monnie's blog, Rantings of a Creole Princess. If you haven't read it, my post dealt with racism. When you write about a topic like that, you expect it to draw heated response...but dayum. I feel like all my words were twisted and interpreted b-ass-ackward. A charming individual named Nicole said "FIRST of all, why do some white people think that just because they're married to someone who is non-white, or work with non-white people they MUST be free of prejudice?"

Nicole...I never frickin said I was free from prejudice. My prejudice just doesn't have to do with people of color. It has to do with people who are dumbasses. Of course I have prejudices...I am a frickin human being. I try to be good. I try to live by the laws left to us by God...But, I AM NOT PERFECT. Never have been, never will be. I at least recognize that in myself, do you?

And then there was Roslyn...she said "Why is it that whites only get concerned about racism when they're on the receiving end?" Talk about making assumptions and judgments. What else does she know about me other than what is in my post? NOT ONE DAMNED THING! She has no clue the number of times I have spoken out against racism...no clue that the vast majority of times I was not the target. Racism fricking SUCKS...don't care who the target is.

Tell me you agree...tell me you disagree...but don't put words and sentiments in my mouth that were NEVER there.

The other part of my life that this title quote of "I reject your reality and substitute my own!" is in dealing with a specific relative. You repeatedly tell her how it works in my husband's job...you repeatedly tell her funds are limited and we can't afford for the whole family to do x, y, or z..she seems to understand but, within 2 weeks, you are having the same damned conversation again and again and again. Because what you tell her doesn't agree with her "reality", she lets it go in one ear and out the other. ARRGGHHHH

Come read my post...

over at Rantings of a Creole Princess One of my favorite bloggers invited me to guest author a post while she is recovering from surgery. My subject is a bit different from what I usually write but I hope you enjoy it.




PS...How sad is it that I now have posted more in 1 month than I did all of last year?

Did you know this is what freezing rain looks like?

On the 11 o'clock news last night, they said we would probably only have freezing rain and there would be no accumulation...guess they were wrong!







I know its not a lot but it is our first snow for the winter.

Its so much easier when they are little.

Really, I promise you it is. With a little one, you can stop the fussing with a hug, a kiss, or a cookie. When you are in the midst of those sleepless nights when they are tinny, you think nothing can be harder. I know...I thought that too. But those are the easy days. Well, not easy but easier than dealing with an almost hormonal adolescent.

My oldest son is going to be 10 next month and I would swear he has already entered the early stages of puberty. He is moody...he is argumentative...and everything is about him (whether it is or not). I love him dearly but this stage may drive me nuts. This morning I told him that I loved him tons and tons. His response was "Are you sure? Are you really sure?" and, when I said yes, he said "Prove it." ARRGGHHH I told him I didn't know how to prove that. He would just have to take it on faith like his belief in God. Marty also has that teenaged tendency to be convinced people are yelling at him even when they are talking in smooth measured voices. And, he only does this when he is in a pissy mood so I know it isn't a real hearing issue. Marty has also decided I don't think his jokes are funny because I told him this morning that I didn't like his sarcasm because it could be misinterpreted. I tried to tell him I did like his jokes and I did like to play and HE ARGUED WITH ME ABOUT IT. I may not survive the teen years with him.

Whew...that feels better. Now that I've gotten all that bitching and kvetching done, I want y'all to know that Marty really is a fabulous kiddo. He adores his baby brother and is fairly tolerant of Joey...even when Joey is being a truly aggravating little brother. And, although he doesn't always like to share with Joey, Marty is generous to a fault with others. When his school was raising money to help Katrina victims last year, he insisted on donating the $32 dollars he had saved for himself. Marty usually helps willingly around the house (except when it comes to cleaning his room...LOL) and also loves to help others. He is an incredible kid and, if we can just make it through puberty, he will grow up to be an amazing young man.

Its also still National Delurking Week...

at least it is until Monday...



National Delurking Week

Friday Photo Challenge...

Its PhotoFriday and the challenge is "Peaceful"...

If I KNEW this was the prize waiting at the end...

I could do it all again. I could go through the losses, the heartbreaks, the endless shots, everything.

My kids really crack me up...

On New Year's eve, we gave Marty and Joey permission to stay up until midnight. Marty made it with no problem but, by about 9, Joey was almost falling over with exhaustion. I sent Joey to bed with the promise that we would wake him up at midnight. Well, I barely got him awake at about 10 til midnight and he pronounced himself too tired and wanted to go back to bed. Vic and I gave Joey a hug and kiss and I think he was asleep before his head hit the pillow. However, the next day, Joey had to call all his friends so he could tell them about staying up until midnight. I really had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing at him. Joey's little phone calls evolved into two 45 minute conversations (what do kids that age have to say that could take that long???), a birthday celebration /after school visit at one friend's house, and another friend coming to visit our house after school on Friday.

After Joey scheduled all his social events, Marty decided he couldn't be left out. He invited a friend over on Saturday and that evolved into a sleepover with the kid going to Sunday school and church with us this morning. This has really been a busy week.

Did you make any New Year's resolutions? Someone posted to a question to Cross Stitch Crazy about stitchy and non-stitchy goals for the new year. I wouldn't call these resolutions but these are my goals for 2007...

STITCHY GOALS:
1.Get all the old RR's (and crochet projects) I have around here in various stages of completion DONE and hopefully framed.
2.Stitch an ornie for each family member.
3.Stitch something for each of my sisters.
4.Complete at least 3 more quilts.

NON-STITCHY GOALS:
1. Get the house really organized.
2. Paint the boys rooms (thats the only thing I really miss about the old house...the wonderful paint jobs in their rooms)
3.Get rid of th fugly wallpaper in the master bathroom and paint it.
4.Clean out the flower beds and plant some new stuff.

Happy New Years Y'all...

I hope the New Year is fill with love, laughter (god knows we all need that), and hope for all of you. May you all find your heart's desires this year.

Good luck and God Bless!