A Bat Omen

"Mommy, there is a loud cricket in my room and I can't sleep." Oh the sweet voice of Ms. I waking me up. Annoyed? Yesss!! I like my sleep! I make room for her and go investigate.
Sure enough, there IS a loud cricket in her room. It is the loudest cricket I have ever heard (not to mention it sounds like a sick, loud cricket). I hear it chirping from the radiator and know I won't be able to get to it there. Besides the cats have gathered around it--they'll get it--eventually.
I return to my room, shut the door, and go back to sleep. Sometime later another little creature crawls into my bed. Ms. G. But she leaves the door open and I can still hear that cricket in their room. I try to sleep but it is so loud! Then I hear the cats bolt out of their room and the chirping is now outside of the kids' room.
Still not being able to sleep, though the chirping has subsided for a moment, I get out of bed to use the loo. I poke my head down the stairs--to see if I can see anything. Nope, the cats must have gone downstairs. I then head toward the bathroom.
The first thing I notice: The cats are in the bathroom.
"Great!" I think. "The loud cricket is now in the bathroom." I turn on the light and look at the ground. No cricket. I look at the cats. They are looking up. Why would they be looking up?
What is that on the blind? A cloth? Why would someone put a cloth on the blinds? IT MOVED! A moth? No, look carefully. It's a...BAT. ~Chirp~...only it isn't a sick cricket chirping...it's a bat, screeching. ~screech~ My heart starts racing but I slowly shut the door.
I fight with an internal struggle--wondering if I should wake up Poppy. I think if Nana comes in the bathroom in the middle of the night--she might have a heart attack. I creep into their room and gently shake Poppy's shoulder. He startles awake.
"Um," I say. "There is a bat in the bathroom."
"Seriously?"
"Mm-hm." He gets up and takes a look in the bathroom. Things are very quiet. He exits and informs me the cats are having a bit of fun with it. He goes downstairs to get a bowl and goes back into the bathroom.
The screeches intensify and I swear I hear flapping wings! Poppy calls my name and I panic! What if he wants me to help catch it? I don't know if I can go in there. "Could you open the door?" He asks. Phew! He has already caught it.
He then releases it outside. But, his wing has been broken. Poor bat. I thank Poppy for being my hero and we go to bed. Boy, when I told Ms. I that it wasn't a cricket she about flipped out. It was quite an adventure!



Did you know? Bats are the ONLY flying mammal!

Great Grandpa

Most Likely To...

Everyone who has ever been to high school remembers a section in the yearbook that headlines: Most Likely To... Commonly we see most likely to be rich, most likely to become famous, most likely to run for president, most likely to fall asleep in class, most likely to work at a 7/11, class clowns, prettiest eyes , prettiest smile, best looking, etc., etc., etc.

These past few days I have been thinking about a few labels I have not seen in any year book one is: most likely to live the longest. A year or so ago my grandpa went to grandma's sixty-second class reunion. There were only a handful of people there. I don’t know about you, but I think this is something worth being celebrated.

If the section most likely to live the longest was in my grandpa’s senior yearbook do you think he would have been chosen? Probably not. Why, do I surmise this? My grandpa had a heart attack at 47. The doctor said he had possibly a year to live. That is the worst words to hear from a doctor. My grandpa, being the stubborn man that he is, has definitely proven that doctor wrong. Last night, over 33 years past his expected death date, my grandfather passed away.

Though it was not unexpected it still breaks my heart. He is the best grandpa. We frequently spent the night at “the woods” (as we called Grandma and Grandpa’s house) and I remember one time waking up to grandpa placing a baby deer in my bed. My grandma and grandpa are deer farmers, you see. In the summer they live in Ohio—at their deer farm. In winter they live in Florida—right on the Gulf coast. I have fond memories of both places and both are very special to me.

I love you, Grandpa. I will see you again.

Most Likely To: Be Married the Longest. My grandpa and grandma have been married 61years. This is an award they deserve. Rare, is it, to find a relationship like my grandma and grandpas. One filled with fidelity, commitment, and selflessness. My heart goes out to my grandma who will no longer wake up to the man she has been married to these long years.

I love you too, Grandma.

Umm..sorry?

Today Mr. L spilt his bottle of water. I chuckled and with a smile on my face said: "You better get a towel to clean that up!" He looked at me smiling warily and I smiled in return--wondering at his strange reaction--and walked over to get a towel. As I was passing him the towel he stated: "Mommy, you weren't mean." ~shame~

I will be the first to admit I have been a "mean" mommy lately. Stressing about school loans,psychology internships, and personal book goals have created a short temper in me. I know that I have not been the best mother lately but Mr. L brought the shame to the surface. In reply: "Yes, Mr. L, today I did not get upset at you. I have not been very kind when you spill, huh?" Then I proceeded to help him clean up his water mess.

The truth is--he caught me in a good mood. If I had been in a brooding mood on the issues that cause such feelings I am sure I would have reacted in an impatient and inappropriate way. Rest assured, friends, that I am working on it.

Seriously Sick Comedy Act

Today I am stuck home with three sick children. Ms. G has been throwing up since Saturday morning. She threw up all day Saturday and then only once Sunday morning. The rest of Sunday she kept everything down--so I thought we were in the clear...but this morning she threw up again!! And Mr. L and Ms. I...HAH..it was kind of comical. Ms. I yells for us at about 11pm last night and says: "I'm gonna puke." So...she throws up on her bed...and a little on Mr. L...at which point he starts crying: "Ms. I puked on me! Ms. I puked on me!" By now Ms. I is throwing up in the bucket and Aunt J goes to clean up Mr. L. I settle Ms. I on the couch and start cleaning up the bedding. (Ms. G is still asleep) Ms. I throws up again. When she is done Frosdaddy goes to clean out the puke bucket. Mr. L is done getting cleaned and is lying on the floor--tired--waiting for his bed sheets to be changed that Ms. I puked on. Then he starts vomiting everywhere. The bucket is getting washed up and I have to just let him puke on the floor. I yell for Frodaddy to hurry and when he finally comes...I hold the bucket under Mr. L. (Ms. G wakes up by now (with a poopy diaper)) Meanwhile...I am gagging at Mr. L's vomit. I am trying to pat his back and give him comfort...but he throws up spaghetti...and it brings back a memory of when I threw up spaghetti with morning sickness....and I have to leave the room in tears...holding back my own vomit! Thankfully Frosdaddy cleaned up the vomit on the floor...while I started changing sheets and washing bedding. Aunt J changes Ms. G and we get her and Mr. L in bed they fall asleep after a while. Ms. I is on the couch and throws up two more times before she sleeps. Whew! What a time. Since it is a sick day...they stay on the couch all day and watch movies. Mr. L and Ms. I actually seem fine today. However, Mr. L does not have any appetite and Ms. I has only a little. Hopefully they will get better soon!

Kids Being Silly

Mr. L's Birthday

Mr. L turned the big FOUR this year!

Of course he is waaay into Harry Potter...so we got him a HP cake!

1st day of School

School started on August 2nd this year of 2010. Mr. L started PreK and Ms. I started 1st grade. At first they both were attending Mill Creek Elementary. But now Mr. L is going to the Statesboro High School Preschool. He has been there two days and hopefully it will be better for him than MCES!

Ms. G's Birthday

Our little G turned 2 this year!

Here is a picture of the cake I made for her second birthday:


Now, I am no cake decorator...but I do believe this is a fine cake. I hated to eat it!

Father's Day

I am not very imaginative when it comes to gift giving and such. Personally...I can't stand fathers or mothers day. Another holiday to just buy needlessly. The kids got daddy:



And I got the daddy:


I do enjoy giving gifts...even if I am not good at it.

While Aunties Away...the Kids'll Play

Aunt J was gone for a little under a month and if I ever left the door unlocked....THIS would happen:




It amazes me that if you turn your back for even a second with these children miraculous things happen!

See Ms. G!

She really does want to be a princess! :-)

Kitten Rescue

We (we being Frosdaddy, me, and our friends Lauren and Chris) were playing games and I kept hearing a "meow!" Finally I went outside (which is unusual...I don't go outside after dark...the cockroaches come out at night!) and found him stuck in our engine. We got him out and he has been with us ever since. He really is a beautiful cat...but I am not sure we can keep him! The kids love him.
Especially Gemma.

My Birthday

My birthday was eons ago but I wanted to blog about what my sweet hubby did! I was expecting something but I did not know what! So...Frosdaddy tells me that he has to go help someone move that morning! (yeah right, I saw right through that one)...then I get a knock on the door! Someone wants to take my kids away. It is OK though, I know who it is. They pass me my first clue which leads me to here:
This is The Daily Grind. There I meet my friend Stephy who had the next clue. It leads me to Sugar Magnolia where I then meet:
Rachael (and Frosdaddy pre-bought some yummy delicacies!) Rachael had our next clue which leads to Lauren and here:
Now that everyone is together our next clues lead us to a fun pottery place!
Here Frosdaddy prepaid to have us each paint a $10 piece. It was fun (and my favorite part of the hunt)

The woman then gave us our next clue which led to Olive Garden.
We ate dinner there and close to the end of our meal I was wondering how we were going to get the next clue and the waitress slipped the clue on our table. (She also wanted to know if my boyfriend (aka Frosdaddy aka MY husband) had a brother) Turns out Frosdaddy was only there minutes before we arrived describing our little group. The clue led us to a friend's home...where we each got a massage on the chair... The last clue was fun! It led us home where we got pampered by our hubby's (though only one could make it)...they massaged our feet and hands...painted our toes...and we ate popcorn and watched: When in Rome!

And of course we had yummy cake...chocolate! With Mockingjay Decor. It was my Hunger Games cake! Mockingjay cake! :-)

Toddler Bed Dread

We have moved Ms. G into her toddler bed. The nights have been rough...(especially since she shares a room with her siblings). They play for hours after bed time and she is always climbing into Ms. I's(top bunk) bed. Which terrifies me!! My overactive mind is thinking: "She will climb up and fall to her death below with a broken neck!!"

The other night Ms. I fell asleep first and Mr. L soon followed suit. Ms. G was up an hour after that quietly playing by herself. When all was quiet and I was about to head to bed...I enter their room to make sure they are not too hot or they are not sleeping in a weird position.

I enter and see Ms. G's bed is empty. My first thought: "She trapped herself in the closet and fell asleep when she could not get out!" I check the closet. No Ms. G. My second thought: "Mr. L was complaining that she was getting in his bed. She probably fell asleep with him." I check Mr. L's bed. No Ms. G. Then I look in Ms. I's bed and there she is fast asleep on TOP of her sister. (Ms. G is not a light creature.)

I snapped a picture:



The next morning I showed Ms. I the pictures. She did not even know Ms. G had fallen asleep in her bed...ON TOP OF HER! It was adorable.

What Ms. G Wants!

To be a princess! AND:



A baby brother (or sister)! I know she doesn't look extremely happy in this picture but she kept pointing to the baby and cradling her arms.

Mr. L:

How Mr. L likes to sleep:




(With ALL of his cars!)

Mr. L being goofy!

Birthday Growth

I know, Ms. I's hogging the limelight! Some pictures of her birthday.






Frosdaddy wanted Ms. I to experience the idea that she could grow things with her hands and give her a little more responsibility. So we planted tomato seeds and they have sprung!

Taste of Ms. I's Art

These were her end of year gifts for her teachers.

Kindergarten, No More

Ms. I finished school for the year! As Frosdaddy, Mr. L, and I were sitting down at recognition day we were wondering if Ms. I would get any recognitions. Frosdaddy thought not but I was hopeful. The art teacher comes onto the stage. She explained that the art awards are for what she calls "Super Artists". These people take more time doing their work, color outside the lines (because sometimes that looks cool), think outside the box, and just show a natural way with art. She started with 5th grade and finally when kindergarten came 'round she calls out: "Ms. I Rackman". (yes, Rackman...something we just get used to)

I saw Ms. I's teacher motion for her to go up on stage...and finally timid Ms. I makes her way up on stage. I was so proud...not entirely surprised though. Ms. I does show remarkable skill in regards to art...it runs on both sides of the family. Poppy and GrandL are both artists.






Here she is with her teacher, Mrs. Deal(left), and paraprofessional, Mrs. Hendrix (right).



And here are a few of her classmates:



Congrats to Ms. I for finishing her kindergarten experience!