It’s an Easter Miracle!

You better sit down for this one.

Remember a few months back when Buster went missing?  He was Reid’s beloved raggedy bunny that he has LURVED on since birth.  Every night before bed we would have to go hunting for him because he was always carried all over creation during the day and you just never knew where he might be.  Well, one night we couldn’t find him.  Then, the next day, same thing.  Soon we were facing the sad reality that Buster was gone.

Fast forward to a couple of days ago.  The fam was hanging out respectively and not really doing anything of significance, but OH MY was that about to change.  G came downstairs and nonchalantly said, “Hey!  I found Buster.”

I was only half listening and sort of nodded, ”That’s nice honey…hmmm.”

HOLD THE PHONE.

When my brain actually woke up and figured out what was going on, I have to say, there was MUCH rejoicing in this house.  We were literally shouting, dancing, whooping, giggling and positively giddy.  A grin like no other broke out over R’s face.  Next, he took him upstairs to meet Boomer, the long lost rabbit cousin that Santa had delivered in hopes of softening the blow.   I think they hit it off too.

So, we have our own little Easter miracle here.  A long lost bunny was reunited with his true love and our faith in overly dramatic relationships with stuffed animals has been restored.

Oh, and he was under the guest bed the entire time.  Stinker.

Wahooooo!

Hubby got an offer today!  Whoo hoo!  We are beyond excited.  This is going to be a great step for us and help us out tremendously.  God is good!

We have lots going on between us with travel and training for work and all the daily routine around here, so things are about to get a bit busier.  Of course, that will carry right on into next school year when I go back to teaching.  I got a taste of that this week as I subbed for the first grade class at the kids’ school.

Ok, sorry for another quick post, but the laundry is taking over the house.  Must. resist. the. urge. to. ignore. it. 

Did I tell you…

that we got a new cat?  Maybe I should say a ‘new to us’ cat.  She’s a stray that we have taken in and her sibling showed up right after the word got out.  We can’t get him to come within 10 feet of us, but we leave food out andit seems to disappear.  It’s like a cat soup kitchen around here.  Oh, and we don’t know if it’s really a boy, but we have named him Brother because we are VERY creative in the name department.  Her name is Sassy.  I guess I should have posted pics, but like I said before, this blog is a little rusty.

And another thing, my hubby may be getting a new job!  Cross your fingers that it works out.  He had his final interview and will know by Friday.  It’s in the same basic industry and we wouldn’t have to move (whew) and seems to be a step up, so it’s all good.

Also, I’m going back to work next fall!  WHOA Nelly!  I know.  In order to afford the kids’ tuition, it’s a must and since I am a former teacher, it’s a natural fit.  I’m going to be teaching at their school and we will all be there together!  G will be in 1st grade, the twins in K-5 and R will be in the K-4 program.  I’m excited and nervous. I have NO idea how I will manage to get anything done at home.  I’m thinking of calling Richie Rich and asking him if I can borrow Irona.  She was the best.

I think those are the biggest updates and I will be filling you in on some other minor, yet interesting ones like:

the super bendy woman in my yoga class

my daily laundry battle

my love/hate relationship with food

and last but not least, my crazy kiddos.

Just testing the waters…

I’m gonna stick one tiny toe in here and see how this blogging pond feels.  It’s been a tad too cold for my blood, so I’ve just been ignoring and waiting for something inspiring…

Not quite there yet, but hopefully I will be soon!

You know they are watching too much TV when…

R has been in the habit of preparing his own breakfast these days.  He pops the Eggos in the toaster, microwaves his own oatmeal, pours his own milk.  Keep in mind he is three.  NOT an ideal situation really.  He’s just so darn sneaky.

Today I was reminding everyone that a grown up needs to be present for all appliance operations and explained about the dangers of electric shock or even fire.  They all nodded vehemently and G piped up with, “Yeah, it could start a fire and then he would need a Life Alert bracelet”. 

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Just the other day, A came to tell me that she had a stain on her shirt and that I should buy Oxy Clean to get it out.  “Mom, it REALLY works!”

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When I asked the girls what they wanted for Christmas last month they BOTH immediately responded, “Space Bags!  They are small enough to store under your bed or in your garage and they keep out the water and bugs!”  So, we put it on their list, but I suppose Santa didn’t have any in stock.

Redneck Sledding

White Christmas…22 Days Late

Can you believe it?  It’s snowing here in the good ole South.  Get out and buy as much milk and bread as possible, then hunker down while we wait out this wintry mix.   Here are some very blurry pics I took just now…

If it sticks around until tomorrow, the kids will be beyond excited!  They have never experienced a real snow.

Sometime, Somewhere in this House ~ The Series

Time for another stroll down memory lane.

My oldest, G, was not quite 3 years old when baby #4 was born.  He was a very, very busy and challenging boy and keeping  up with him alone was difficult, but factor in a set of one year old twins and a newborn and you’ve got a recipe for all sorts of disasters.

Being a sleep deprived, nursing mother, I stumbled around in a fog most days.  I really had no opportunity to take naps since G no longer did and he was bound to get into trouble if I tried to doze off.  I was envious of those mothers who could turn on a movie and snooze on the couch while junior soaked it in.  Most nights I slept in fits and starts in between nursing sessions and then would pass out hard in those early morning pre dawn hours.

One such morning I heard a strange noise from downstairs.  It was about 5 AM and the house was dark except for the faint light beginning to creep in.  I had no idea what I was going to find when I got to the bottom of those steps, but I can assure you that I would never have guessed in a million years.

See, my mother has a good friend who grows blueberries on her land and allows folks to come and pick them.  Well, my parents had recently brought us several gallons of these berries and we had divided them up in freezer bags.  The kids LOVED eating frozen blueberries and it was so nice to have them on hand.

So, this fine morning, G had decided that blueberries were calling his name.  He crept down the steps, opened the freezer door and pulled out a gallon size bag of blueberries.  Yum!

Well, here I come down those steps wondering what that rhythmic sound was…almost like someone jumping…what could it be?  I stopped on the landing where I could see into the family room and the back of the sofa and there was G jumping up and down on the couch.

Silly boy.  What could he be doing at 5 AM down here?  I took the last few steps, rounded the corner and there it was.

Have you ever seen that episode of I Love Lucy?  You know, the one where she and Ethel are stomping the big vats of grapes?  Yeahhhh.  You know where I’m going with this, don’t you?

G had dumped that entire bag of blueberries onto the sofa and was jumping up and down, up and down, squashing each one with glee and squirting their juices everywhere.

I was flabbergasted.

I was overwhelmed.

I was laughing and crying and so mad I could spit.

I was the mother of one hilarious, clever and crazy three year old boy, and the owner of a newly redecorated sofa.

***This is possibly my all time favorite G story.  Mostly because I am encouraged at just how far we have come!

Stretch that $

Surely you made it to Old Navy’s winter clearance sale.  Right?  Tell me you did.  If not, you will probably be kicking yourself after I share my spoils with you.

I purchased next year’s winter coats for all of the children for…

(drum-roll please)

Ten measly dollars a piece.  Retail on each was about $50.

I also found such items as hoodies and athletic pants for $3.50, girl’s tops for less than $5, and boy’s dress shirts for $3. 

It was amazing.  My life is so rich and full.  I have no other goals to complete.  Ever.

Maybe, just maybe you aren’t too late. 

When Basketball and Chickens Come Together

Yesterday was G’s first basketball game ever.  He has been asking to play ever since he discovered that his cousin was doing it, so we signed him up.

I’m not sure that he really knows what is going on.  They have had a few practices, but when it came down to it, he seemed to follow the pack back and forth across the court without doing much else.  

Except the chicken dance.

At half time they played a lot of fun, loud music in the gym, including the ever popular wedding song, The Chicken Dance.

G looooves that song.  He was movin’ and groovin’ all through half time.

Then, the game started up again and G continued with his dancing.  Through the rest of the game.  Every time I looked at him he was flapping or shaking his tail feathers.  I think he missed the second half.

But I guess he had a good time and that is what is important.

He’s number 5 by the way.  The one in the back and in the second photo he’s bringing down the ball.  Cluck, cluck.