HUGE!!

I used to think Sweet E was a big baby tipping the scales at 9 pounds 14.5 ounces. However, this baby puts her to shame!! This baby boy was 19 pounds 2 ounces!! That is one HUGE baby. The baby was born in Indonesia. However, he is not the heaviest baby ever born in the world, the heaviest surviving baby was 22 pounds 8 ounces!!! Sweet E as a baby would have looked like a preemie next to those two chunkers! What I want to know is did the mom survive??? Seriously, could you even imagine carrying around such a HUGE baby for 9 months?? C-R-A-Z-Y!!

Finally

HIP-HIP-HOORAY!!! After nearly 15 years my parents FINALLY have their building permit! You would have thought that there would have been a camera to capture the shock (or horror) on my Dad's face! Oh well! So now the builder is saying it will be about 6 months...and their new home will be complete! It looks like Uncle J may get to sleep in the new home at least once before he leaves on his mission!! It is still a little hard to believe it is really happening....but there should be some movement on the land starting next week!! EXCITING!!

Job Ideas

This is a conversation I had with Mr.C when he saw his Daddy's new guitar case that he got for his birthday.

Mr.C- Hey Mommy look!
Me- What am I looking at?
Mr.C- Daddy got a new guitar thing. Now he can play his guitar and sing for people and make some more money! That is a good idea, huh?
Me-(laughing to myself) Yep, that is an idea for sure, we will have to tell Daddy!

So if you see Big B sitting on the street corner, make sure you stop and put a penny in his case!!

Bright Side of Life

This last week Big B and I went to see Spamalot with his mom and one of her friends. Big B had gotten the tickets from his parents for his birthday. It was a funny musical. We had some good laughs. We used to go to more "cultural events" before we had kids, and when we had "more" income. Anyway, it has been a few years since we had been to a off Broadway show. It is always fun to go out and go to the theater. We were lucky that Poppy (Big B's dad) was willing to watch the kiddos so that we did not have to worry about a babysitter. He was even able to get the kids in bed, which was something we worried about.

Anyway, like I said before the show was more of a comedy then anything else. However, there was one song that was called, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" that kind of made me think. The main character, King Arthur, is down in the dumps feeling like everything is hopeless when his trusty side kick starts to sing the song. King Arthur pipes in at one point and says, "Always look on the bright side of death." Anyway, the play goes on and at the end when everything has worked out and is grand the whole cast sings "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" again, and this time King Arthur sings the correct words.

Anyway, the song hit a little too close to home. Sometimes, especially lately, I have felt like King Arthur....a little glum, wondering if ANYTHING would/will EVER work out for us. But then something usually happens that reminds me that I need to focus my attention on all the things that are going positively. Sure the negatives are still there, but they are not the main focus. What is in focus are all of the blessings that I DO have. And many of those blessings include people who read this silly excuse for a blog, my family. I know without a doubt in my mind that I would not have gotten through some of the trials that my family and I have had to face without the love and support they have offered us. So to all of my family, thanks for being the "bright side of life" for me and my little family. WE LOVE YOU and APPRECIATE YOU more than words could ever express!

Could Today Be the Day??

So last weekend we went to my parent's property and had the official groundbreaking ceremony. My parents bought the land when I was in elementary school. It was always the plan to build on the property. Heck we even buried our first dog on the back of the lot when I was in college! Anyway, we all know the saying "slow and steady wins the race." And finally things are moving. Today is the day that they were told that they should get all of their final permits from county....meaning that they will be officially cleared to start moving some dirt. I still am having a hard time thinking that it is going to FINALLY happen. But it will be nice to have more room for family events. And who can beat a sunset like that!!! Good luck Mimi and Pops!! We are excited for you!!

PS. If you want to see more pictures, or a mock up of what the house will look like you can visit their blog at www.thelarimores.blogspot.com

Dance Class Today??

Today is FINALLY dance class. Sweet E asks every morning, "go to dance class today?" She gets so sad when I tell her no. She LOVES to dance and she really LOVES to go to dance class!! She loves to practice all of the new dance moves she has learned in class. It is fun to watch her practice. Whenever she can get an audience she will turn on music and perform. I can already tell that her balance and coordination are improving. Sweet E goes to dance class while Mr.C is at school. Mr. C cracks me up because on the days Sweet E has gone to dance class he comes home from school and asks Sweet E what she learned, and if she can teach him. Someday I will have to put up a video of my two yahoos dancing....Mr. C has some wicked foot work, and it is hilarious watching Sweet E create some type of interpretive dance mixed with some copy-cat movements she has picked up from her brother. There is never a dull moment around our house....that is for sure!!

Apple Doodles

Tuesdays evenings are rough. Big B is at the church most nights until at least 10pm. The kids have a hard time not being entertained as I clean up dinner and do all the dishes. I had been taking the kids to the park Tuesday evenings, but now that it is getting darker earlier I just don't feel that safe going to the park by myself. Especially since the parking lot at the park near out house is not anywhere close to the playground. Plus the lighting is not that great at night. Anyway, the kiddos are NOT happy about the arrangement. So tonight I decided to let them help me make some cookies. They LOVE to bake, and make messes in general. We had a LOT of apples so I looked up a recipe that would need apples....I found this one....for apple doodles...a apple snicker-doodle if you will. They were easy to make and yummy!! It was a fun little fall cookie to celebrate the first day of fall! However, I must admit Mr.C would not even try one because it did not have any chocolate chips!! He is so stubborn sometimes.....he missed out because Sweet E and I thought they were YUMMY!!

Apple Doodles

Servings-42
Prep-10 min
Cook-13-15 min

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter-flavored shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely diced peeled tart apple
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional (in our case not even optional with Big B's gag reflex to nuts)

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir half into the creamed mixture. Stir in the apple, walnut if desired and remaining flour mixture.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 3 in. apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yeild: 3-1/2 dozen.

First Game of the Season

Here is the family at the first game of the season! We were grateful no one sat behind us so that the kids could stand up and move around a little more. It looks like things are still iffy for the team....but when have they ever been great?!? As Sweet E says, "we are all WILDCATS!!" Here is to hoping that we win more games than we lose!!!

GO WILDCATS!!!

Happy B-Day Big B

Today is a big day for Big B....he is turning the big 3-0!! We wanted to make sure that we took a second to wish him a VERY happy B-day. Big B is a wonderful husband, and great daddy! He is kind, and thoughtful, and an all around good guy. He is not only my husband but he is my best friend. The kiddos look forward to him getting home each day, because daddy usually equals FUN!! The kiddos also enjoy bedtime with daddy he is a great storyteller, and when daddy tucks them in they often get a mini concert in their room. At bed time you will often find him in their room playing his guitar and sings them songs as they drift off to sleep. If you are an avid reader of the blog you know that our life is often chaotic....Big B takes everything in stride, and will often help me find the humor in a stressful situation. On this special B-day we want Big B or "Daddy" to know how much we LOVE and appreciate all that he does for us! We could not do it without him. So our B-day wish for him this year is that we hope that all of his "dreams" come true in this new year!! Heaven knows we have all been VERY PATIENT!!! :-)

WE LOVE YOU "DADDY" HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY!!!

Primary Program

This is a horrible picture of Mr. C...but the rest of the ones we took need some editing....so this will do for now. Anyway, today was Mr. C's very first primary program for church. Big B and I were TOTALLY NERVOUS!! If you know Mr. C or have heard of his personality you will know why. My family all decided to come for the show....because they were banking on it being a good laugh. Mr. C's part was "Keep the Sabbath Day Holy." It was easy enough, he had it memorized the day he got it. However, he likes to make crazy faces, and do even crazier voices, so we have been practicing using a normal voice and face. So today when the program started we were holding our breath. My stomach hurt so bad because I was so worried he was going to act like a goof and either Big B or I were going to have to go up on the stand to get him. Anyway, he went up on the stand when he was told to, so that was check one. Then the children begin to say their parts....Mr.C is still sitting still in his chair....check two. Then it comes time for the first song. The piano starts, the music director motions for the kids to stand....and Mr. C stands....check three....but wait before the singing begins he plops himself down at the organ!!! He starts pressing keys and the pedals.....THANK HEAVENS it was OFF!!! I must have turned BRIGHT RED!! He sat there the WHOLE song acting like he was playing the accompaniment!! I was dieing!! After the song was over, the old grandma organist lady went up to the organ and sat at it as to prevent him from doing it again. That was probably our saving grace as I am sure he was seconds away from figuring out how to turn the organ on!! After the little organ incident everything else went pretty smooth....he said his part, he sang or at least mouthed along to a few songs....and behaved well enough for Big B and I to be able to stay at our seats! He stopped standing for the songs by the end, but we did not really care, for Mr. C it was an AWESOME day!! So PHEW.....one Primary program down....a million more to go!!

Binkie Free

Here is Sweet E and her special present that she got for sending her binkies to Baby L! She decided that she wanted this cute little dancing bear, and when she went to name it low and behold she named it "Baby L, " after her sweet little baby cousin who just inherited her collection of binkies!! Sweet E loves the little teddy to pieces, just as she does her cousin.

For those curious Sweet E did EXTREMELY well adjusting to life without binkies. We really lucked out. Whenever she would ask for one we just reminded her that she sent them away, and she would smile and say "Oh Ok." She wakes up a little more at night....but usually you just have to hand her her doll and she is fine. So I am extremely grateful for how easy that was....Mr. C was MUCH worse!! Now I just need to muster up the courage/guts to start potty training Sweet E....she is ready....but I am not sure I am :-P