5 Reasons The Wii Rocks

1. 
   
   It keeps the kids occupied while I sneak a piece of candy.


2. 
   
   It keeps Gary occupied while I take a nap.


3. 
   
   Lizzie likes to watch all the colors :)


4. 
   
   It has games with funny names:"Super Monkey Ball"


5. 
   
   I found something the whole family likes to play!

Happier Days :)

I am loving life again! All the family is well and healthy. Kids have gone back to school and we're back to a regular routine. I love having my down time with just 2 kiddos. Mikey and Lizzie go down for their naps 30 minutes after Jake boards the bus around 11:15am. Then I usually get about 2 hours of silence.

GOLDEN SILENCE!!!

You would think that I would be able to get things done. Nope, not yet. I'm still nursing which means that Lizzie wakes up to eat at least once during the night. So I usually nap with them or take a time out on the computer. I know I should be cleaning or paying bills or just be generally productive. I will when I can get a full uninterrupted 6 hours of sleep. I'm not greedy.

Just 6 UNINTERRUPTED hours!!!!

Virus, Virus GO AWAY!!!

One worn out Mama!

Man, I've just had it with all the viruses hitting our family, from all sides. All the kids got sick this last week. Poor Lizzie had a fever for 5 days then broke out in a full body rash. I always hated when this happened to the babies cuz they're just so miserable already :( She's a little trooper though and still smiles and talks to me after nap time.

As for the other kids they were all throwing up. I literally would be cleaning up one kid and another would start. Not all of them could make it to the bathroom either. I finally kept them all in their comforters in the living room. It was an easier cleaning process. One or two would throw up and I'd start the washer. By the time it was dried other kids would start throwing up and the whole process would repeat itself. My hubby didn't understand what I was doing. He kept telling the kids to throw up on the floor. Well then I'd have to clean it up off the floor and the blanket cuz they wouldn't make it! Needless to say I told hubbs to butt out since I was the one doing all the work. After that, I didn't have to wipe up any more puke cuz it was all contained in the blanket. Which then went to the washer and so on.

I did this for three days straight! I'm so tired and worn out. I've kept all the kids home this week and had them do school work here. I didn't want them going back to soon and catching something else!!! They are of course driving me crazy. So much energy! I have to remind them to relax and rest so that there little bodies can recover. But when your a kid and you feel better, that means play time :)

I'm happy they are all feeling better. It's good to see them smiling again and laughing. All the crying and whining was getting old, fast! I even have the girls and Preston begging to go back to school. Preston actually woke up, got dressed and put his backpack on today. It was a meltdown waiting to happen. It took him an hour to accept that he wasn't going to school and had to stay home with mommy. I did promise him I would swing with him this afternoon. He's a happy camper again :)

Did I mention I'm ready for a vacation? Somewhere without kids :)

Poor Baby :(

This pic was taken

when Jake was standing

on the front seat of the van.

He loves the sunroof!

He was helping mommy clean Lizzie's saucer. Playing outside in front of our house. He's a really happy kid when he gets what he wants...lol! Cowboy Jacob :) You probably can't tell by these pictures that Jake has been sick for almost a WEEK! Poor baby is running a fever, puking and pooping.. ewwweeeee! He is a good trooper and is resting quietly, in whatever room Mommy happens to be in. At least he has some company while sick, Mikey and Lizzie joined in today. FUN TIMES :)

Glass Half Full

Things That Suck Worse Than Pneumonia

1. Changing dirty diapers, especially toddler ones
2. Getting an ingrown hair, anywhere
3. Throwing your back out
4. Hospital food
5. Braking you littlest piggy
6. Sleep deprivation
7. Cleaning up Puke
8. Medical, Tax and Credit card bills
9. Burnt popcorn
10. A BIG FAT HEADACHE with A COUGH!!!

(Funny how we take breathing for granted)

Spring Has Sprung in the Neighborhood

What is better than...

Riding in the "car" while

teething on the steering wheel?

Getting hit in the cheek

with a soccer ball

by your big brother?

(Dirt around his mouth was

prior to incident,

he was

licking the street...NICE!)

Drawing pictures on the driveway

with sidewalk chalk?

Riding bikes and racing

to see who's the

FASTEST!!!

And of course...

getting up the courage to

grow your first tomato plant

...on the kitchen table!

(Gary was told he'd lose his

gardening privileges

if said plant stayed on said

kitchen table!

Herman was moved

promptly to the bay window.)

I LOVE SPRING

It makes me smile :)

Am I Out of My Mind?

We are sick again! This flu season has been long but not terrible. I'm so grateful that all of us have made it through fairly unscathed. I count my blessings that all the kids haven't missed much school and they seem happy even when they were sick. As for me, well I'm just tired! I don't get a lot of sleep because of all this fun. I'm looking forward to sleeping more than 2 consecutive hours in a row. How and when is any one's guess!

I would love to have a clean house again too. I get behind in laundry really quick if I don't wash a load a day. Eight people generate a lot of clothes. Even when we wear them twice in a row. I have been weeding threw the kids clothes too. Each kid has gone threw another growth spurt. The girls are now in sizes 8-10 and some size large for kids. The older boys are in the same size, 5 in kids. Mik As for Mikey he's shot threw size 2T and is now a size 3T. And Lizzie, well let's just say she's long and skinny but has never "filled out" any of her clothes! And don't get me started on shoes!!!!

Summer is fast approaching here and I'm thankful because that means swimming and flip flops, shorts and tanks. I always have a schedule throughout the summer or things get extra crazy here. Preston will be participating in a summer program for Autistic kids. I'm still looking for the money that will pay for this program...lol. Jake is going to play soccer at the YMCA in Itty Bitty Sports for his age group. Zoey has asked to go to dance with her friend Aubree. They plan to go to a hip hop class. Mikey and I are going to participate in a Mom and Me gymnastics class. I think he'll really like this when he sees all the things he CAN climb, jump and hang on. Emily is still trying to figure out what she wants to do this summer. She desperately wants to be with Zoey but I told her she needs to pick out something just for herself. We're working on her independence. She is struggling with this difficult decision. As for Gary, me and Lizzie, we plan on relaxing as much as possible!

You would think I'm crazy to do all these extra activities with each kid but I don't let the kids do any of this stuff during the school year. It's just to much driving and not enough studying or free playing. On top of all the activities for each kid, we will do our usual fun things too. Like Library time, the Zoo, swimming, crafting and vacationing. (I can't wait for Memorial Day girl's vacation to Las Vegas!) We also have a special event this summer: Emily's Baptism. We're still trying to figure out if it will be in Colorado or Arizona.

As the song states, "Welcome to My Silly Life" (by Pink) !!!!