Someone Had A Birthday!

Someone had a birthday yesterday. She only had one wish.

She wished for "macaroni and a cheese!"
I thought she was nuts, but after asking a few more questions, we came up with a plan for an actual gift...a new big girl bike and for supper we made her true wish come to fruition! We had whole grain macaroni and a cheese and organic ground turkey for supper! She was perfectly content with her "birthday meal!" ha! She even got to pick her bike out yesterday. She and her brother have birthdays within 2 days of each other, so there was no party, yet, but I wanted her to have her gift, because she is old enough to know what "it's your birthday" means, but not yet old enough to understand what waiting til later to have a party means! We have enough ANNOYING meltdowns each day, as it is!

Happy Birthday, Meeeeema!

...

Hey, I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I still have a million things to do and more crochet work to complete, so I figured saying this now was more important than forgetting until all of the festivities were over! :)

It's a BOY!

Just so you know...

Just so none of you worry, I am alive and well! I am just swamped under a great big pile of Christmas orders! I am doing my best to dig my way out, while taking on as many orders as I can, because they are helping me make money for Christmas! Some of you know and I am sure the rest of you can just imagine buying gifts for 7 kids for Christmas! Birthdays are hard enough and they usually come one or two at a time! (We have 2 born on the same day, a few years apart and 2 that were born 2 days shy of 5 years apart!) Ugh!

Anyway, I hope you are all doing well and feeling great!

Jamie

Happy Birthday, Mom! Wish you were here! You would have been 50 today! Wow! 50!

Happy...

Well, it is Thanksgiving again, even though it hardly seems possible! I have been so busy that the entire year flew by, I guess??? Jeez, that's a thought, isn't it? Anyway, each time I turn around another day, week, or month is gone. For instance, I found out MONTHS ago that we are expecting again...seems like yesterday, although that could still be shock speaking! ha!

I try to be thankful every day. I try to thank God in good times and bad. I try to support others. I try to be a decent parent. I try a lot of things, but life is hard and moves so fast! I am really thankful that there is ONE DAY a year where we are forced to slow down and be thankful for what we have, who we have and what we can still do.

Life could be much worse. Things could be and have been a lot harder. Loved ones die. Families fall apart. If we are still standing at the end of something like that, we owe ourselves a small pat on the back, as if to say that we made it through the hard times and are going to come out ok. Ok can be just enough some times. I appreciate being ok some days. Hell, these days, I take ok and give it a big fat kiss!

Embrace who you are! Don't worry about what other think, but do worry about how others feel! Enjoy this life. The proverbial "THEY" are not kidding, when they say we get just one go around! Let's make it a good one!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Love,

Jamie

Whole Pile of New Listings!

Special order Bears colors scarf!

Possible special order hat!

One for my Etsy and/or my sale!

Another one for my Etsy and/or my sale!

One for my 10 year old (no, this isn't the 10 year old), but I listed it, because it is so easy to recreate!

Well, even though I feel like I have gotten a lot done, I still have two more special order stockings, a Frankenstein bucket, a panda bear hat and 1 flip top mitten to finish! ha! Yes, just one mitten! I made 2 left mittens and had to make a right for the first pair, so now I have a lonely left to make a mate for! And, I have to sew the velcro onto one more flip top mitten for one of my sons! I don't feel as overwhelmed now, but this should tell you why I have been absent on here lately! Although, this list of stuff, minus one of the hats, was all made up in the last 3 or 4 days. I have been feeling BUSY! I could be busier, but I am not sure how! I am VERY thankful for all of the work though! I have been hiding it away for Christmas!

Must Be Growing?

I don't know what is going on, but I must be growing, because I was getting ready to get into the shower this morning and Mesa looked at me for a minute and then spouted off, "Mommy, why is you bewly button so fat!" Great! FABulous! Like I need another reminder that I am getting bigger by the minute! Honestly, by now (I was 14 weeks Sunday) with all of the others I was out of my regular clothes. I am still wearing my jeans, but probably only because they are low cut. I have a feeling that I won't be wearing them too terribly much longer, but I still have them on for now!

If there were to be a moral to this story, it would be...

NEVER let a 2 year old see you naked!

I tried telling her it is the baby growing in my belly. She did not seem to buy it! She said something else that made my day..."You awr giant!" Well, thanks, princess! Dear God! I didn't want to have more children, but I REALLY didn't want to gain weight...I was LOSING it! UGH!

Anyway, I hope you are all doing well!

Problem...

I have a problem....

I don't know what to do about it...

It is kind of driving me crazy...

Wanna know what it is???
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I am hungry ALL THE TIME!!!

I hope you are all doing well! I appreciate you listening to my lunacy! I would write even if no one was listening, but having a little input helps!

Thanks,

Jamie

Unusual

Unusual gloom and doom, or hormones running rampant? Who knows, but it is driving me nuts and upon the advice of a friend, I am going to try the out let of blogging more. I am sure it will help, but sometimes I don't feel like trying to explain things, because if you were to look inside my brain...jumbled mess!

Anyway...

Yesterday was my first REAL OB appointment, which means I had all the creep stuff checked! Looooove it! UGH! Beyond that, I like my new dr., whom I have only met once before. She is really NORMAL, so you don't feel like you are under a microscope, but she is also INTELLIGENT, so you end up feeling like you will be taken care of. Some drs. are too much for me.

Moving on...

She asked about concerns and as odd as it sounds, I was only concerned that this being my 5th actual pregnancy, I thought I would be bigger. I don't mean my fat places should be bigger...my actual lower abdomen should be bigger. I am still wearing regular clothes, which has NEVER happened past 10 weeks. I rationalize that jeans are cut lower than they used to be, mine are anyway. I rationalize that I don't eat red meat, or milk with hormones any more, which could have something to do with it, but I only made it to 10 weeks with my first...the 5th...

She checked for a uterus measurement and could not find one. She checked for a heartbeat and could not find one. She and I talked briefly and then she decided that I should have a sonogram...right now! I didn't panic externally. I did a little inside. It made me very sad and sick to think about carrying around someone who had ceased to exist, somewhere along the lines.

I had to drink a TON of water, or so it seemed! I had to be registered for the sonogram. And, then, I had to wait, until the lady was ready for me. A short wait feels like a long wait, sometimes. A few minutes later a familiar face walked in to get me! She was the lady who did my sonograms with my last child. Her husband is actually one of my son's football coaches! That made me feel a little better.

The X-Ray tech got me all set up and got started on the baby looking. She asked what I was doing there and I told her that the dr. checking to be sure it was still alive, pretty much. She confirmed. She started giggling! I didn't say much. She flipped the screen my way and I was able to see this little baby hopping all over the place! He/she was/is very much alive and all hopped up on something! Jeez!

I started to cry! I hate feeling like I have been slammed into saying I want something that I, for all possible reasons did not want. I feel like God slaps me around sometimes! Like he says, "do you, or don't you?" and I am forced to claim ownership of something I did not intend to own. Amazing!

I was so relieved.

I was so drained.

I had already walked myself through everything that would happen next, if the baby had not be alive. I was completely saddened at the mere thought of all of the feelings so many women face. Some even face these feelings often. I feel for all of them. I can't imagine, although now I have.

I went to be just after 7 last night. My husband did not understand why. He seemed aggravated with me. I could not stay awake any longer. Life is overwhelming sometimes. Being pregnant, stressed, having a million kids and a serious scare just wiped the floor with me!

Thanks for listening!

Jamie

Life

Life is really getting overwhelming. I am not interested in much of anything, but I feel like I need something. No, I am not really depressed. I would tell you if I was. TRUST ME! I am stressed out though! I feel like I am getting lost in everything that is going on. I feel like I don't matter much and that is driving me nuts! I hate winter and I know it is coming...could be part of the problem. I love fall though, so I am trying not to let my dislike for the cold and short daylight hours eat up all that I love about fall! It isn't that easy though. I kinda feel like I am losing it, which is just awesome! I feel lonely. I miss my mom. I think all of these dumb hormones are pushing me closer to the edge! UGH! Like I need help getting to the edge! REALLY!?

Also, I have a brother in prison. I miss him. He is 5 hours south of me. I NEVER get to see him. We have a million kids and it is not easy to just up and leave for 12 hours, in one day. And, overnight is even less of an option. I wouldn't really want to be gone over night unless the kids could come with us anyway! Although, a St. Louis trip with just my husband and I would probably be priceless! Anyway, back to the brother...ready to choke him ! I write him. I am probably the only person who does, without fail, yet he is not writing back. I would love to know what makes him think I will take some excuse about how busy he is, as a reason why he can't write me back, when I have all these kids, in all these sports, with all the laundry, meals, showers, fingernail clipping, hair brushing, teeth brushing crap that goes with them...I am not listening to any crap about how busy he, or anyone else is! I KNOW what busy is! One letter a month would NOT be asking too much! REALLY!

And, I go to the dr. today. The dr. is in a nearby city. The city is where the mother of our two adopted kids lives. I don't want to run into her. I don't want reasons to have to avoid her. I just want to keep my distance. That will be rather tough to do, since she lives there and in an uptown apartment just down the block. This makes me kind of sick. I just want her to stay away. I want the kids to have a shot at growing up, without drama. Extra drama anyway! Our house has plenty of drama...KIDS, not me, of course! ha!

Sorry for venting. I can't keep all the dumb stuff tucked in any longer though. It is not my style. I should be writing, but the indifferent feelings have been keeping me from doing a lot of the me things that I do. I did, however, just write him a letter...my brother, so he knows I am tired of being pushed off. Don't worry, that was only in the first paragraph. I wrote nice "stuff" after that.

Thanks for listening.

Jamie

So, I had this dream...

So, I had this dream and woke up in a panic around 3:30 this morning. I dreamed that Bake's and Boog's mom had been sneaking into our house. (Remember, these are the two that are adopted and their mom has been in and out and now really out of the lives, over the last few years.) She was looking for something, among my papers, but I could not figure out what. All I know is that my husband and I were headed back from a dr. appt. and found pics of our youngest son, Bucko, strung all over a country road. I was baffled, but picked them up and went home to find that she had been there, sneaking through my papers. The next thing I know, she and her friends are driving through our alley and go out of their way to hit one of our cars, which was parked back there. (Dreams are odd! We don't park back there at all.) I called the police and balled them out for letting her out of jail, in the first place. (She really was just in there for 5 or 6 different charges and was not prosecuted on the one that should have blown her parole...little bitter, I guess.) They said they could not do anything, because there would be no proof that it was her. Of course!

The next thing I know, she is calling me at work. I flip out, when I figure out it is her. I told her to stay out of my house and out of our lives. I am DONE with the garbage. I get home from work and she has been in my house again! And, the best part is that I find a baby in Ponch's bedroom! I couldn't believe it! I had to wonder how long the poor thing had been there! It was a newborn. I thought it was a boy, from the way it was dressed. It was soaked in pee, so I changed it. Strangely, I bought my first bag of newborn diapers a few weeks ago, in real life, and in my dream it was right there, under my bed, so I pulled that out and changed the baby, only to find out it was a girl. Funny?! It was a sweet, tiny baby. I didn't know what I was supposed to do with it, but I knew someone had to take care of it. All I could think is that I would not let it go, but I was also going to be having a baby before this one would be very old! UGH!

To the rescue...Like it was the way it was supposed to be, my mom showed up. (She died 3 years ago, in Sept.) She found something to feed the baby. She was playing with it, so I could get something done. I walked out of the room and could hear the baby giggling, at all of about 2 or 3 days old! She always said that when a new baby smiles it is because an angel is talking to them. Anyway, I called Bake's and Boog's mom and freaked out on her again! I was really ready to choke her, for dropping another child in my lap, since she has never had to be responsible for anyone and now I would be doing the 2 by 2 baby raising, yet again! She told me it was her dad's baby. (Her dad died when she was 4, or something like that.) I accepted the lie and let it go. I woke up wondering who I would have to go through to explain how I got this baby and what would happen to it, when I did call someone. (Isn't it funny how quickly we fall in love with something so small!)

Well, Now...

Well, now, I am no longer absent, but I am PISSED! I have had it! The justice system does NOT bring justice and I have had enough of it. Of course, it is not fair to just say that and walk away, although I would kind of like to, because the can of worms is a little larger than I care to deal with right now, but since my mind is on overload and I want to be able to sleep tonight, I should just say it, right?

The bio mom of the two kids we adopted has been in legal trouble, starting just a few weeks after getting out of prison, in the first place. She has gotten a DUI, driving without a license, a speeding ticket and something else, all in one night. After that, she got a domestic battery charge and a felony charge for theft, a few weeks after that.

Today was court. Court should have been a fair process, but she would have definitely gotten in serious trouble, because she is still on parole.

Anyway, I was able to look it up and she got probation and a hefty fine, for the DUI, but the felony just got pushed off and so did almost everything else! I don't understand! I really don't! How can you do thing after thing after BIG thing wrong and get almost nothing out of it?

Forgive me, but she runs around breaking the law, she didn't do what she needed to keep her kids and it is ALL driving me CRAZY!

I CAN NOT understand how some people can get by with doing NONE of what they are supposed to do.

Maybe I will sleep tonight and maybe I won't, but thanks for letting me freak out! You probably can't even make heads or tails of the crazed ramblings, but I feel a little better, I think!

Absent!

Well, I just wanted to tell you all that I am going to be absent for most of the next week. Some of you may think I am absent now, but I assure you, this is normal me and next week will be crazy busy me who has no time to think! I just thought you should know up front, so you don't wonder.

First off, Sunday marks the 3 year anniversary of mom's death. STINKS! That's all I have on that!

Next weekend is the homecoming parade and some of the kids are in it, so we HAVE TO be there. That is next Thursday. Friday is the homecoming game. We will be taking the kids to that.

Saturday and Sunday my sister and I will be setting up at a really cool art, wine and music festival! I can't wait! It is an hour away and we have to be there early, so that we are set up on time. I am sure it will be fun, FABulous and exhausting!

IF you want to google it, it is the Salt Fork River Art Festival, Oakwood, IL!

Have a great week everyone!
If you miss me on here, I am probably missing you too!

Froggy, Froggy, Froggy!!!

A friend asked me to make a Halloween costume, from her pattern, so I could take pics of the girls in it, for her Etsy listing. When I got the costume done, she suggested that I make a bucket to go with it. It is all reaaaaaaaaaaally cute! I might be a tad biased! What do you think?

Coming Out!

Well, I came out the other day, on the issue of my pregnancy, in a round about way...tried hiding it in my text. I really didn't want to talk about it, but I did, if that makes sense.

Anyway, today, I will tell you, for those who are not on my FB, what I found out at my first actual OB visit. Honestly, I only met with the OB nurse today. She was great. I also had an ultrasound done. Internal, or transvaginal, as I believe they call it! YUCK! Loved that! Blah!

I am 6 weeks 4 days.

There is only 1!

I am due May 1st.

I had my routine bloodwork done too. That really nearly killed me, but not because of the pain, more so because of the fear of needles! UGH! I am reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally afraid of needles! It makes me shudder just thinking about it.

So, in conclusion, I am pregnant and will be for a really long time. I already feel bigger, which is NOT GREAT! I have been feeling sick for a good part of the late mornings, to early afternoons. (The nurse told me to take b6 for nausea. I will give that a try.) And, there is only 1 to worry about squeezing into this tiny house of ours. Oh, last bit of pertinent info...made a urology appt. for the husband! That's right...snip, snip, clip, clip! Better not wimp out this time, or he will be a dead man!

Have a great day!

I AM A WHINER!!!!

My back hurts, makes me NOT HAPPY!

I feel sick A LOT, makes me not happier!

I don't like being pregnant, never have! Sorry for those of you who love being pregnant, but I am being honest here and a whiner, remember?! JEEZ!

Has blood work and an internal sono in the morning...lucky me! I bet you really wish you were me now, right?! UGH!

I may be a whiner, but a sonogram means I can be sure there is only ONE in there! I am about worried sick! I don't want there to be TWO, because there are already SO MANY in our house now and we would be in SERIOUS trouble, if in fact there were TWO in there! ha!

God give me the strength to put up with myself through this pregnancy!

My sister's anniversary!

Today is my sister's 1 year wedding anniversary!

Go bug her, if you wanna! haha! I think she would love to hear how you spent your first anniversary!


http://browneyedgirl1489.blogspot.com/

The Rest Of The Story...

Melinda asked what the items in my last blog post mean, which is probably a good question, since they are strange items to be given and I feel so strongly about them, so I guess I will spill my guts now, although, I am not sure I am ready to.

Let me start with a little background, so this might make more sense to all of you, since some of you have not been reading my blog for all that long.

In 2007 I found out I was expecting my 4 bio child and 7 total child. We had 6, counting the 2 we adopted and my husband's oldest, but I had only given birth to 3 of those. Anyway, I was devastated. Really!!! I did not want to have more children, which is why it was ok for me to take on the 6th child. She was a baby in need of a home and I wasn't going to have more babies, so it would be fine. Until, 6 months later, when I found out I was going to have our #7. I went, on the day of my sisters Sr. Prom, to tell my mom. I was standing in her driveway with a pee on a stick device and I was ready to die! She laughed at me.

Flash foward...Mom died Sept. 19th, 2007, of her second bout with cancer. I was pregnant with a child I was not happy about and no longer had my mom. Great!

Flash forward to Monday of this week...My body was not running the way I thought it should be, so I made my husband bring home another pee on a stick device...guess who is freaking pregnant? Well, it sure as hell isn't him! I wasn't going to do this again the last time! Apparently, baby makes 8, or 9, if God is feeling funny and decides I need twins, time will tell.

Anyway, I got a text from my sister yesterday saying that she left something in my car. It was a red gift bag. I looked at all of the items, while I stood in the door of my car (suburban, you know we can't just drive a car with so blasted many kids!) The items were cute, but the card explained it all!

Kylie said,

This care package is to make you smile, when you are ready to smile. I know you've got to be missing mom like crazy right now, so I got you the Jack-O-Lantern to remind you she is always around. Doesn't its crazy smile remind you of that devilish look mom could have? The candle is to bring Fall to your house and make you happy. (I love Fall!) The mug is for the extra chai you will be consuming and to remind you your smile lights up my world, (This had me bawling!) and finally the nail polish is for your toes...I promise to paint them when you can't see them anymore(My toenails get painted, no matter how big I am! I don't do anything else girlie, really, but the toenails!). I'm here when you want to talk, scream or cry. Oh! And the pen is because it is probably time to start writing again! :)(I write in a certain notebook, when I am stressed, or missing mom terribly.)

Pretty sweet, huh?!

These Things...

These things...

These things were in my car?

These things are from my sister.

These things all have a special meaning.

These things don't look like they would be very special.

These things brought me to tears today, when I read the card explaining them.

These things remind me of my mom's style of gifting.

These things made my day!

Thanks, Snot Face!!!

These things show me how much you love me, even though I don't need these things, at all, to know how much you love me! :)

Yarn A Pa Looza!!!

Well, a facebook friend sent me a message the other day saying she was no longer in the neeeed for all of the yarn that she had holed up at her house! She also asked me if I wanted it. I am pretty quick to bite, where yarn is concerned, so I asked what she wanted for it. She responded that she wanted me to make winter hats for her two granddaughters! I knew I could make good on that! Actually, I already have the hats finished. Later she said she would take a frog bag, if I could make one up. I will be working on that a little later, because I ran out of the green I was using. Aaaaaaaaanyway, look at the stash I scored!


Thanks again, Alice!!! You really are the best!

A Puppy Fit For A Princess?

Boog loves to wear little girlie heels and carry a purse, but when I asked what she wanted to be for Halloween, she said she wanted me to make her a puppy costume. Since I had just crocheted up a lady bug costume for her sister, I had a pretty good idea of how to alter that into a puppy, so I told her I would try. The following pictures are what I came up with.

This is a picture from behind, of both girls modeling their costumes!

Lookie, lookie!

I am really NOT full of myself, but I am soooooooooooooo in love with my latest creation, that I just have to share it! I think it is sooooo, so cute! I think I will celebrate with another cup of chai!

Whaddaya think?

This is the unfinished product! It is intended for this model, but she got bored with me putting it on and taking it off, so I had to use my other model for the result pics!

TaDa! Lady Bug!

It will have a shirt underneath, but it was just too warm today and I don't have the air on, so she went sans undershirt!

two little girls

Taylor Swift has a song out and some of the lyrics go like this...

She wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts.

She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers.


Boog and Meeeeema were having a conversation just a minute ago, or so Meeeeema thought. Boog was just singing the song and Meeeeema thought Boog was talking about her, so here goes.

Boog, "You weah high hewls, I weah t-tiwrts!"

Meeeeema, "No, I weah pip pops!"

???

Do you ever feel like you are searching for something, but don't know quite with something is? I am spinning my wheels today! I feel out of sorts! I guess maybe it is just because the kids went back to school yesterday and I don't really know what to do without them.

Please,


please,


please,


don't tell them I said that!


For this brief moment of clarity, I believe I might need some chai! ;)

Working With A New Medium

Last week, a FB friend approached me about crocheting something with jute twine. I thought it might be pretty hard to do, but I told her I would try it anyway. I am usually up for a challenge and it was definitely something I would never have thought of on my own, so I told her I would TRY.

After finding what I needed, I got right to work. At first, the jute twine was making my fingers rather raw. I guess my hands, sort of, toughened up, because after a few times of working with it, I wasn't bothered so much by it.

I made a set of bowls. I was pretty proud of them, but the twine I got from one store was a slightly different color than the twine from the other store, so I have a little color variation. I was not exactly crazy about that, but when the friend looked at the pics I posted on FB, she said it was good to have options. That made me feel better about it! She used to be an art teacher, so she knows her stuff! ;)

Anyway, you wanna see some pics, right?!

Happy viewing! ha!

See the lighter color of the outside bowl?

I tried my hand at some stars too! Yep, she suggested that too!

Momma B

Momma B...has a headache!

MommaB...is trying to kill the headache with a 20oz bottle of Pepsi!

MommaB...is getting ready for a craft show this weekend!

MommaB...wonders why her husband is working tonight, since that makes everything crazier!

MommaB...has been yelling at the kids a lot today, even though it is not their fault she is insane!

MommaB...thinks maybe it is their fault, a little bit anyway, that she is insane!

MommaB...thinks it is not polite to blame "the children" for her shortcomings!

MommaB...can not help but blame them!

MommaB...might really be losing it here!

MommaB...has been arguing with herself a LOT tonight!

MommaB...hopes you all are having a wonderful evening and an even better weekend!

This is MommaB, signing off!

Little Green Men Have Arrived

Little green men have arrived and they are all over my house! Ok, so maybe it is just one little green man and he is sitting on my printer, but who's counting! ;)

Bring on Fall and Halloween! I loooove it all! The kids will dress up as something fun and we will hopefully enjoy a night of walking the town, with all of the other kids in town!

One Of The Cutest Things I Have Ever Seen!

The other night, Meeeeema went to bed, when her daddy did and this is what I found, when I went in to go to bed!

Breakfast Any One?

Two Girls

Two little girls asked for a flower, on an evening walk through town, like they always did. The mommy told the girls that there were no flowers, only weeds. The two little girls did not mind being given a simple weed, instead of a flower. They proudly held them over the course of the walk and even took them into the house, when they got home.

The next morning...

One little girl got out of the shower and had her clothes in one hand and her FABulous find from the night before in the other hand. The little girl proclaimed that she had a "pitty, pitty powa." The other little girl looked up at her momma and said, "mommy, where's my weed?!"




Now, you may not see any reason to like the story, but Meeeema, the 2 1/2 year old, thought she had all of the world in that one "pitty powa" and Boog, the 4 year old, could only see a weed, but she still treasured it enough to wonder what had come of hers. Life may seem to hand you weeds, but you should still treasure them, because they are still yours and were picked especially for you!

A Wife For My Monsta!

This is Monsta Miss Myrtle! She is the wife of Monsta Man Manny! She is adorable, or is she? Well, you know what I mean! I am really enjoying making little Halloween creatures. Of course, with my society induced ADHD, I have changed gears again! I am going to make up a scarf, or possibly a hat and scarf set, but after I finish that, I will probably start on some new play food, or some Halloween buckets! My sister and I have a sale this month, so I have to get the ball rolling!!!

I hope you are all doing well! I hope you had a great weekend!

Meet My Monsta

Creepy face and dirty feet! ha!

She loved him so much that she did not want to let me take pics!

Up close and personal!

This is my monsta! His name is, you guessed it, Monsta Man! He is adorable! I got my inspiration from a picture that I found on google images! He is for my Etsy team, Create Crochet Team. It is a Fall challenge. Halloween is Fall. A creepy little monsta is Halloween, so I think I have my bases covered!

He has buggy eyes, that only a mother could love, as a good friend said earlier today! He has bolts on the sides of his head! And he is just adorable!!!

My Sister!!!

Two weeks ago, my family left for 6 days to visit my husband's family. Last week, my sister manically did homework for her two summer classes, so she could take the weekend off and go spend it in KY with her family. (We have different dads.) So, this means I really haven't seen her in two weeks, not really at all! UGH! Last night she sent me a text letting me know she was home. I was so thrilled that I seriously considered running down to meet her, but was all pajamafied, so I didn't. Anyway, I should get to see her today. If only for a little bit, because she and her husband move into their first house this weekend! Yay!

This Busy Life

We gave her such a hard time. First, grandma had to run and get her camera,
before Boog could open her present. Then, we were just messing with her. We kept
telling her to wait a minute and she was about to get mad, but she
kept her cool better than I would have! Yes, I know it is wrong to torture the children! ha!

She asked for play food, which meant, I would just have to create her gift,
but my husband insisted that she have a bike too! (We won't talk about that!)

She was soooo shy, when we were singing to her! Funny!

This is the adorable bikini that my sister knitted for her.
She dressed it up with the dress up set that her sister gave her!

Sometimes we look back and wonder where the time has gone. Ok, so maybe that is most of the time! Some of you know that two of our kids are adopted. One of the adopted kids happens to be Boog. Boog came to us when she was 3 days shy of 4 months old. We were her fourth home, not fourth foster home, but fourth home just the same.

We loved her. I fell in love with her immediately! She was a short, round, little screaming mess the first day she was here! I had to take her to a visitation with me, because Scott did not want any part of it! He, honestly, was mad at me for taking her on, although he never told the worker that. So, she went to the visitation of my favorite high school coach with me that night, Nov. 14, 2006. She had cried so much when she first got to our house that she slept peacefully during the entire visitation and I wasn't the only one who loved that man, so it was hours of waiting, before I got to the front of the line. Thank God she slept!

Fast forward 6 months...

I found out I was pregnant with Meeeeema! I was dying inside, because I was petrified that they would say we had too many kids for our small house and take Boog away from me. I did not talk to the worker about it right away and when I did, I was bawling! It was a good thing she already knew I was nuts! She would have thought I was unstable and just taken her for that, otherwise! MAYBE I was? Anyway, I spent my entire pregnancy not wanting another child coming into our home to ruin the relationship we had. She was my girl.

Now, she is ROTTEN! I mean, ROTTEN! She is into everything! She is in the corner often! She is always looking at me like the rules were not written with her in mind. She also found out a few months ago that she has another mom. No sooner than she got used to that other mom coming around, she lost her, because the other mom just has too many problems to be allowed to her, or her brother, any more. I can't let them hurt and wonder all of the time. I am sure that is part of her being so rotten, but...

All this to say that she turned 4 on Saturday. She was so excited! She woke up and came into my room, where Meeeeema and I were waiting for everyone to wake up, but secretly hoping they would sleep til noon! I said, "Whose birthday is it?" She grinned and laughed a little and said, "mine!" Then, she asked me if I would say happy birthday to her! Cute, right?! She was on cloud nine all day long!

Been Working On Something...So Cute!

We are leaving soon to go see my husband's mom, dad and sister (and her two kids), but I have still managed to find a little time to create something new. When I say that I found the time to make something new, what I really mean is that I am avoiding my never ending list of things that I should be doing, while I sit in the chair and watch re-runs of Roseanne, on Oxygen!

I think it is adorable! Yep, I am probably more than a little bit biased! Oh well, right?

Sorry...

I am sorry that I have been a rude blog buddy lately, but about two weeks ago my sister called and said we had been offered a slot at a flea market/craft show and that it is this Sunday. There was just no way that I had enough stuff made to cover a show! So...I got to work...steadily...no, manically! I have been a crazed crocheting/sewing momma for the last two weeks! UGH! My fingers hurt! My forearms are sore! For real! Anyway, I just haven't had time to do much of anything on the computer! I really enjoy reading all of your entries, but I just haven't had the time.

I guess what I am saying is that...

I am not dead, just busy!

Have a great weekend!

Love ya!

Jamie

Convo with Bucko

Earlier my husband and I were having a conversation. We were kind of messing around, talking about being "soul mates" and our son Bucko was listening to us. My husband said we are soooo in love and I started goading him...saying things like, "oh ya" and "sure we are" and my husband started getting frustrated with me.

Out of nowhere, Bucko looked at me and said, "So, is dad your brother?" I nearly died! My husband was really quick to explain to him that there is NOOOOOOOOOOO way that you can marry your sister, because it is wrong, on sooooo many levels. I couldn't say anything, because I was laughing so hard!

Where does stuff like this come from? I guess I never realized just how confusing this stuff really is for kids! To say the least, I am dumbfounded, still.

Have a great night!

A New Kick? Possibly?

First off, sorry for the quality of the pics, but I was just taking them to show a lady who asked for some play food and then I thought..."what the heck? Why not send them to THE WORLD! (cue evil laughter!)" I am kind of in love with this new play food making kick that I am on!

As you can see, this is simply a "greens" salad, with radishes on top.

This little "masterpiece" is a peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich!Just another view...

As my girls would say, "It's a hay may ger!"

The girls wouldn't think to tell you that this hamburger has cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles on it too!

Value meal? If you are me, this is a veggie burger and a garden grown salad! Yay! Yep, I might be having too much fun!

I even tried making grapes, but I am not exactly impressed with them, so I didn't take any pics.

What is next on my list, you ask? Who knows! I was thinking eggs and bacon, maybe? Yep, cage free, hormone and chemical free eggs, if you are me, but eggs just the same!

Smoothie Trick

Not that this is an earth shaking, ground breaking, super fantastic idea or anything, but kinda it is, so I thought I would share! Lucky you!!!

Lately, I have been making a batch of smoothie every night of the week. This means that I have been using either fresh or frozen fruit, ice and juice to make a wonderful treat for my family. But, the smoothies are not the treat, as much as my genius idea to make a little extra and freeze it in a coffee mug, for later. I just pulled out a magical mug full of chocolate covered strawberry smoothie, from earlier this week and am enjoying it as I type! Pretty good trick, huh?

Oh, you would like a few of my simple recipes you say...I guess I could be persuaded!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie

1/2 blender of chocolate Silk
1 bag frozen strawberries

I told you it was simple! If you want, you can start with just a little liquid in the bottom of the blender, so the strawberries don't make too much of a splash and then you add the rest, as needed.

Last night we had

Peachy Lemon Smoothie

1 banana
1/2 blender of apple juice
1 lemon
1 bag frozen peaches
1 tray of ice


My Meeeeema's favorite smoothie is anything with blueberries!

1/2 bag frozen blueberries
1 lemon
2 bananas
2 trays of ice
1/2 blender of juice (we use mostly apple)

As you already know, you can use fresh, or frozen fruit. You just adjust the amount of ice you use, to get the right consistency. If you would rather have a thinner smoothie, add more juice, or less ice. It is all in what you are interested in eating! Who says you can't have your fruit and eat it too!?

What I Have Been Doing Lately...

I tried my hand at the famed pillow case dress!

I think I am in love! They are so adorable!

And, easy to make, as long as you make sure the PRINT IS FACING THE RIGHT WAY! (Yes, I'm yelling again! This is the one I messed up...click for a bigger picture and a laugh on me, as you will see all the roses pointing to the floor, rather than the sky! DUMB!)

Just so you know...

Just so you know, my sister has been out of surgery. The dr. told her husband that it went well. I went to see her and she was doing alright, but said she doesn't EVER want to be at the hospital again! ha! Thanks for thoughts and prayers for her today!

My Sister

My sister is crazy!

My sister is amazing!

My sister is 21!

My sister broke her arm!

My sister is a clutz! (she said it, not me)

My sister is having surgery!

My sister is my biggest worry today!

So, my sister was at a stock car race the other day and somehow managed to trip on a pulley system wire and fell on her arm. She thought it was just bruised and did not go to the hospital, but decided to stay for the entire race instead. After that, she went back to the garage of the racer, whom she had gone to see, and the rest of her friends. She finally decided, at 3am that she should have it looked at, because it was more painful than a bruise should be. She found out her elbow was broken.

Yesterday was the casting appointment. It was supposed to be the normal procedure. She went in thinking she would get a pretty pink or orange, or something flashy, cast and be on her way, until 6 weeks later, when the cast would come off and her stinky flesh would be revealed! She wasn't looking forward to tying a bag around her arm, or any of the other garbage that would go along with a cast, but it would be necessary, therefore, she was planning on dealing with it.

Plans change! People aren't always ready for it, but plans certainly change! So, when she went to the Orthopedic Dr. and he said she had to have surgery, she was a little unsettled, to say the least. He told her how there would be long term ill-effects, if she did not have the procedure done. She decided that it would be for the best, in the long run, so she consented.

The surgery time was set...for today at 12:30.

I wish I could be there. I wish I could make it better, but I can't really do anything, because I have two little girls, who are not hospital friendly! They don't deserve to have to be cooped up in the hospital and the hospital does not deserve to have them there either!

I finally called her yesterday afternoon, because I could not think of anything but the surgery. It may seem like nothing, but our mom went through a lot of different procedures, having cancer and I know that hospitals don't make my sister super comfortable, because of all the memories involved. Mom died at that hospital, not because of the hospital, but in the ER, because of her cancer. It is just a lot to think about. It is a lot to deal with and I feel helpless. I don't know why it is such a big deal, other than what I just said, but it is weighing heavily on my mind.

Please pray that the surgery go well and quickly and that the recovery will be according to plan.

Thanks,

Jamie

It is late.

I am tired.

But, I am enjoying the HELL out of no one needing, wanting, peeing, crying on me! I can't seem to get myself to go to bed, because quiet moments are so far and few between around here!

How was your day?

Did you do anything fun?

Yep, it was too hot here too!

Well, there's always tomorrow, right?

Good night! Or, not?!

She Was So Real

She was so real. I was hugging and holding her. I was crying on her shoulder and she on mine. We were embracing so tightly, I can still feel her now, even though my son burst through my bedroom door and woke me up. He had forgotten to have his dad sign a school paper that has to be turned in today. I almost started bawling, when he woke me up, because I get so little time with her, in dreams, these days and I can't stand the thought of losing one moment.

In my dream, we were at some sort of field trip and it was time to leave. I had sat in a seat behind her all the way there and not thought a thing of it, but on the way home, it really hit me. I knew she would be gone again. I saw her smoking, with all of my aunts, on my dad's side, and I blew up! I told her not to smoke, because I don't want cancer. And, then I said I can't believe she is here, because it has been so long. She just looked at me and I said, "I know. I can't believe this has happened to me, unless it is because I can go anywhere now." She was always pretty up tight about her weight and people in general, it seemed. She would get pretty bad, maybe you would call it, anxiety and she would talk herself out of going places. I inherited that from her. Anyway, I don't know if she was trying to tell me she is everywhere now, or not, but it kind of feels that way.

This dream may have been intended as a comfort, but MAN did it make me sad! My heart is heavy. My brain is spinning! I could feel her! I want her to be with me all the time. I want to feel her again! I miss my mom so much!

Just A Few Clips Out Of The Last Week

This morning I caught Boog singing, "Dog is deat, beewr is dood and people are twazy!"

This was a conversation that Meeeeema and I had yesterday afternoon.

Meeeeema: her wike a elepant!

Me: who is, me?

Meeeeema: no, Sadie is. I towd her dat.

Me: what did she do?

Meeeeema: she didn't come ova to me!

(Bottom line - girls don't like being called elephants, even if the girl is the dog!)


Conversation between BakeO and I, right after he had his teeth cleaned.

Me: No cavities?

BakeO: Nope.

Me: So, you didn't need false teeth?

BakeO: No, she already did that?

Me: So, she already gave you false teeth?

BakeO: Ya, she already flossed them!

I am stealing this!

I just read this on a FaceBook ad and I am IN LOOOOVE!


Are you ready?


It is really great!


No, I promise!


It really is!


Why don't you ever believe me!?



I crochet so I don't kill people!

New Breed of Super Hero?

What do you think about the new breed of super hero that I have recently discovered?

Pretty super, right?

Pretty heroic too, if I do say so myself!

Please say hello to UPSIDE-DOWN-GLASSES-SHOES-ON-BACKWARD-GIRL! She always puts safety first, or tries to, rather, considering her safety glasses keep sliding down her nose, but she doesn't seem to worried about it! She also finds that she gets better traction, in chasing after the bad guys, if she wears her shoes on the wrong feet! I guess you have to do what you have to do, if you are gonna be a super hero! I am proud to be her mom! I only hope that she will come to my rescue some day! God knows I could use a good rescue!