tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43160128398791483722012-02-17T11:44:41.634-05:00Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.comBlogger6731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-84140728052092333142012-01-30T20:24:00.020-05:002012-01-30T20:24:00.679-05:00

So, Friday morning Ben and I went to Sams to procure all of the makings for my freezer meals.  That part of the mission was definitely accomplished.  I went to lunch with some amazing friends, and then did some school work Friday afternoon. So, I finally started working on actual cooking about 4 PM. Here's how it went down. I had found some potatoes in the pantry, so I washed them up and stuck

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-15413022265845092032012-01-29T20:22:00.001-05:002012-01-29T20:23:14.156-05:00

If I've learned anything in life, it's that if you can't laugh at yourself, you will be miserable, and if you happen to have a fiasco, it's all OK if you think of it in terms of having a good story to tell. I had this idea.  Well, I can't take the credit for all of the idea, because I first saw it on Pinterest.  The thought was to take giant foam panels (designed for insulation, purchased at

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-88406985491131484212012-01-28T08:55:00.002-05:002012-01-28T08:55:00.294-05:00

I think it's clear that my kids are creative and smart. It's clear to me anyway. Maybe I'm just biased. Who knows! Sometimes these huge ideas they have make me nervous. I don't want to steer them away from being creative, but when they want to build things in the garage using real tools and stuff, I tend to get skittish. We do let them do stuff like this under supervision. Sometimes they forego

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-66002242839656835162012-01-27T23:00:00.001-05:002012-01-27T23:00:02.503-05:00

My grocery list is surprisingly simple because I already have a lot of the seasonings/ bread crumbs/ condiment items on hand.  As much as I'd love to sit down and make a comprehensive grocery list, I simply do not have time right now. I will try to save my instructions (that I make up as I go) and maybe a few pictures. We'll see how the actual cooking goes though. As much as I want to do this I

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-38241663299422620212012-01-26T23:09:00.016-05:002012-01-26T23:09:00.077-05:00

Breakfasts- Breakfast Burritos - You can adapt these to your taste and the ingredients you have on hand, but breakfast burritos are a favorite in this house. How easy to have some in the freezer for the rushed mornings - you know you have them too! Lunch - Chicken Nuggets - Do you know how many times I ask Ben what he wants for lunch and he says chicken nuggets?  And I pop some Tyson frozen

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-33869284201943040642012-01-25T23:05:00.002-05:002012-01-25T23:05:00.090-05:00

Mark told me the other day he wants to write a book.  I told him I would also like to write a book someday. We talked about it and decided we could write a children's book together. I told him an idea I had several years ago, and just never acted on. We've brainstormed it together and have some good ideas brewing! I think it is so fun that he is creative and interested in this little project.

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-35474912809789046512012-01-24T23:01:00.001-05:002012-01-24T23:13:19.085-05:00

So far 2012 has brought us an amazing vacation, 4 cases of strep (boys), one case of hives (Eric) and one case of pneumonia (Kevin.)  Please, don't let the illness negate the wonderful nature of the vacation. It was awesome and pictures are on face book.  I will attempt to add them here in a later post.  I'm also very busy with 7 hours this semester. A & P (and lab) and Nutrition. So far things

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-77278925123970041182011-12-15T08:44:00.000-05:002011-12-15T08:44:29.279-05:00

Holy Blog Neglect!! Somebody alert the authorities! Life has been busy and wonderful, and I thought once my semester ended I would have all of this time on my hands.  Someday I'll learn it doesn't really work that way.  Now that I've told you how busy I am, I'm going to tell you about my new favorite time waster, Pinterest. Have you seen it?  At first I didn't really get it, and it took me some

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-91486176954556297872011-11-07T20:20:00.000-05:002011-11-07T20:20:50.656-05:00

Tonight as I tucked my sweet guys in, I asked them what they wanted to make sure we had for Thanksgiving. Ben wasn't sure. I think because he wasn't sure what I was talking about. So I asked him a list of traditional Thanksgiving Menu items and he decided his must have was pumpkin pie.  Eric, immediately said he really just absolutely had to have sweet potatoes WITH marshmallows.  Zachary

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-78960180489432829552011-11-02T10:54:00.000-04:002011-11-02T10:54:09.022-04:00

The game is called "Let's see how many times I can go to the boys' school in one day."  I need to work on that title, because it's a mouthful.  This is how it goes.  It seems like I am spending a ton of time at the kids' school. Which is awesome, actually because I am so happy there! I love our school, and the boys' teachers, administration, curriculum... every single detail puts me in a happy

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-24269073961437835212011-10-24T08:22:00.000-04:002011-10-24T08:22:18.643-04:00

Last week was one of those weeks where everything happened at once.  I had volunteered to chaperone Mark's field trip, and the book fair came up so I signed up for two shifts of that. Not really a big deal, even when I realized they were both in the same week. Then, I suddenly realized that I also had a test on Thursday, and a paper to finish. Whew! Oh! And when I checked my Psychology syllabus I

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-984029746756825772011-10-20T08:34:00.000-04:002011-10-20T08:34:22.849-04:00

Yesterday, Mark's class went to see Jigsaw Jones at the Wesley Chapel Performing Arts Center, and I got to tag along. It was super fun! I did come to an understanding that school buses are LOUD places.  Even well behaved children all talking at the same time can cause quite a ruckus. School bus drivers should be nominated for sainthood, because there is no way on earth I could drive under those

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-37635546134290492492011-10-14T08:39:00.000-04:002011-10-14T08:39:05.497-04:00

Our school is in the middle of a super fun fundraiser.  Instead of spending too much money on stuff we don't want so the school can get a dollar off of ever ten (I don't know if that is the right math, but you know how I feel about this stuff,) we are doing a Flamingo Fundraiser. It's simple. You pay ten bucks to put flamingos in your friend's yard, and if the flock shows up in your yard, you pay

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-26593383387410291432011-10-12T08:30:00.000-04:002011-10-12T08:30:25.835-04:00

I understand that kids sometimes have trouble matching.  It's no big deal. It's kind of cute when you can totally tell a little guy or gal has completely chosen their own outfit. To a large degree, if it's clean and it fits, it's all good.  Except I have this little issue that I like to portray myself as having it all together (I don't - in fact if you are one of my friends, you probably just

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-42902488437777141582011-10-04T11:20:00.001-04:002011-10-04T11:22:10.615-04:00

I tried to play it cool. After all, I only confessed to a few close friends (and anyone who might still read this poor, neglected blog) that I was feeling more than a little anxious about Kevin's trip to North Carolina.  First things first, 5 days all on my own with the boys had me worried.  They've been a little extra crazy lately, and while I can totally handle it, it's always nice at the end

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-6673244210214262582011-09-28T09:09:00.000-04:002011-09-28T09:09:54.954-04:00

I'm finding myself feeling unsettled and anxious.  Kevin leaves today for North Carolina.  He and his friend are participating in a 100 mile expedition style race on his boat. I have been supportive of this from day one. It's a great hobby, good for his stress level, and... well it's just kind of cool... but all of a sudden I am anxious that something will happen... I have been assured that

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-35306856997381794512011-08-31T10:48:00.000-04:002011-08-31T10:48:48.257-04:00

I keep saying that I'll blog more. When school is out, I'll blog more. Yet, when school was out, we went to the pool, and the beach and the library, and skating, and bowling, and vacation... and...and...and.  It was super fun and amazing and special, but I didn't blog. When school starts, I'll blog more. Yet, when school started, I went back too. And there were lunches with friends, and

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-39620054743065609412011-08-15T11:13:00.001-04:002011-08-15T11:13:22.625-04:00

I am trying to stay on my Monday routine of cleaning up the horrific messes that occur on the weekend, and the boys were being pretty crazy. They had already finished their chores (which tells me they need more chores) and it was getting louder and louder. So we had a little meeting. Me: You have two choices.  You can play or read quietly, and get along, or you can be my slave. Mark: Well, I

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-38196839981926201922011-08-13T17:27:00.000-04:002011-08-13T17:27:23.605-04:00

A funny thing just happened. The boys were playing hide and seek, and not fighting, which is a miracle, but not the funny thing... Kevin helped Ben find a really great hiding place, and the boys had a super hard time finding him. So they stopped looking for Ben, and started looking for a musical birthday card Kevin got yesterday. It took us a minute to piece together why they switched gears

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-42120314723671599622011-08-05T23:35:00.000-04:002011-08-05T23:35:46.821-04:00

On the topic of my kids are entirely too big: Today, Eric and Mark made a "pile of stupid creatures" that they deemed ridiculous for us to still own and told me they needed to be sent to charity.  Ben then proceeded to vehemently disagree with this decree, by removing all of the stuffed animals from the bags in which they were enclosed.  So much for purging. I have to admit the thought of less

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-36063798190254795792011-08-04T21:00:00.000-04:002011-08-04T21:00:54.409-04:00

Realizing, that I never posted about the second half of our vacation... the part where we went to Oklahoma and visited the fam... I have to move on.  Even though there is so much else I've meant to sit down and write about, the current situation dictates I bypass it all and tell you what is happening right this very moment. With a well meaning, but probably not very likely promise I'll get to all

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-4668415969024656972011-07-11T10:35:00.000-04:002011-07-11T10:35:48.550-04:00

This year our vacation was extra special because for the first time Kevin's brother and family came out to see us the week before and we did all sorts of amazing things and then went on to Oklahoma together. As always, there is way to much to tell in one blog post, however I shall try in a very abbreviated manner to accomplish exactly that.  Day One:  Brian, Sarah, Alex, Sydney, and Lauren

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-69720781332030139862011-06-24T14:34:00.000-04:002011-06-24T14:34:00.721-04:00

I just read a few of my earlier blog posts... going years back some of them and it seems high time for a stroll down memory lane.  First, for Shanna... do you remember this trip?  Our kids were so little!!  It makes me miss you guys!  (Not that I don't already miss you! Thank goodness for blogging and facebook!) 24 Things to do on a campout. Next are a few that had me shocked... shocked I tell

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-73520941633376195552011-06-23T09:13:00.000-04:002011-06-23T09:15:48.906-04:00

The other day at the library, Mark found a treasure trove of cookbooks. "How to Cook the xxx Way," he picked Russian, Italian, Spanish, Indian, Korean, Spanish, and French.  I've been in a bit of a dinner rut, so we picked a recipe we had all of the ingredients for, and ended up making Chicken Kiev, and Honey Cake out of the Russian book. Mark chopped almonds for the honey cake (under close

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-86994807287967837222011-06-22T08:05:00.000-04:002011-06-22T08:05:02.329-04:00

I've noticed that certain circumstances cause me anxiety. One of these situations is when I have to drive while pulling a trailer.  I've done it exactly twice.  Once when we brought our wood flooring home to install, and then again on Monday when I had to go pick up a new mattress for Mark's room (and to double as a guest bed.)  I thought I'd be fine this second time, since I'd done it before and

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-70113196841919757402011-06-18T08:20:00.001-04:002011-06-18T21:35:03.708-04:00

We have achieved a few new milestones around here. 1. Our last little guy is out of night time pullups.  For the first time in 9 years I no longer have to buy any kind of diaper. 2.  All of my kids can swim. I still have to watch like a hawk, but it is so much more relaxing to know they all have that ability. 3.  I can actually take a shower while the kids are up without worrying that anyone

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-8778719095370060232011-06-17T08:14:00.000-04:002011-06-17T08:14:33.624-04:00

I meant to mention this yesterday, but my brain is failing me regularly these days, that I have the utmost respect... even awe... for homeschooling moms.  Especially those teaching different age levels, and doing a full curriculum. We are doing an hour a day. Thirty minutes of reading.  My three older boys can all read independently. Zack needs  help because he constantly is picking books that

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-24812120333615069022011-06-16T09:15:00.000-04:002011-06-16T09:15:09.335-04:00

For the first time in the history of summer break, I am successfully implementing some "school time" into our day.  Also, the boys are willingly helping with housework.  Probably because I'm insisting that we work before we play.  I can't really call it a "School Day" because it's only an hour.  Thirty minutes of reading, and thirty minutes of something else.  Either writing, math, or whatever

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-71769152429680579882011-06-10T07:52:00.000-04:002011-06-10T07:52:06.668-04:00

The funniest thing that happened yesterday was when I was checking out at Publix. We had a rough-ish shopping trip.  It could have been worse, I admit, but I was frazzled.  I hate being frazzled in public places.  I prefer the facade that I have it allllllll under control.  So, as we are paying the bill, the cashier looks at me and says, "Do all five of these guys belong to you."  I said "yes,

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-49571983930215798952011-06-09T13:05:00.000-04:002011-06-09T13:05:47.364-04:00

Hello?  Remember me? I'm the one with all of the boys?  No?  Maybe that's because it's been awhile... one month and three days to be precise... since I've blogged.  That's a long time in blog land, and while not a first, I can't remember the last time I've been that far behind.  There is no catching up.  Because, frankly, it's all a blur.  I can catch up from the end of school until now, however,

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-89214324533130983552011-05-06T18:37:00.000-04:002011-05-06T18:37:19.529-04:00

...waking up at 5 AM wide awake, thinking briefly about going on a run, and then opting not too despite being WIDE awake with no prospects of going back to sleep because you got your hair cut the previous day and knowing it would still look pretty awesome even after sleeping, not wanting to mess it up by sweating, thus having to wash and blow dry it.  Oh the horror! (And that sentence is a

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-9109503398628780422011-05-04T07:00:00.000-04:002011-05-04T07:00:12.321-04:00

For Christmas, Ben got a set of lacing beads. I was going for toys to build fine motor skills since two of my four have struggled in that area. Zack made me a necklace with them and was so proud I graciously put it in my room to collect dust accepted it. Several times I've tried to slip it into the "take upstairs and put away" pile, but each time my boy removes it and reminds me that he made it

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-33105951306299681982011-05-03T14:38:00.000-04:002011-05-03T14:38:20.674-04:00

Every now and then I just get the urge to paint something whether it really needs it or not.  This wall was really perfectly fine.  I just decided I wanted it to be...                                                                               red. 

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-18476266344136912982011-04-15T09:10:00.000-04:002011-04-15T09:10:09.675-04:00

We watch a lot of Food Network around here.  Now there is also the Cooking Channel, and we can't forget the travesty of a food show on the Travel Network.  Kevin enjoys them, I love most of them, and the kids have really enjoyed watching "cooking shows" since they were quite small.  However, sometimes I think it might be getting a bit out of hand. Recently at dinner, we were having hamburgers,

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-18527708897714607042011-04-13T14:20:00.000-04:002011-04-13T14:20:47.260-04:00

When you notice your hands are dirty, please wash them.  When you go to the bathroom, wash your hands.  When you come in from playing outside wash your hands. If for any reason your mother calls out "Hey guys, everyone wash your hands!"  it is a clue that you should go wash your hands. Other times include before you eat, after you eat, and pretty much any other time you feel it necessary to wipe

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-27805155528698583202011-03-24T15:06:00.001-04:002011-03-24T16:16:40.503-04:00

Yesterday, I got caught in one of those cycles where I click through my blog reading random posts and laughing and remembering why I waste spend time typing out mundane and everyday things.  Because my family is awesome and stuff deserves to be remembered and I have the memory of a gnat and sometimes I read these things and think "Wow! I would never have thought about that again if I hadn't

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-51179828134967020032011-03-19T20:16:00.000-04:002011-03-19T20:16:58.985-04:00

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-69798163727873533962011-03-09T12:55:00.000-05:002011-03-09T12:55:03.369-05:00

Saturday was the Spring Sprint for Autism and it was held literally 1 mile from my house. It was sponsored by the kids' school along with USF and a local running store.  I was excited to go run and support the cause.  My lack of speed remains frustrating for me, and I knew starting out that I wasn't running as quickly as I usually do (which is pretty slow to begin with.) I tried not to worry

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-83390208804689998782011-03-08T15:12:00.000-05:002011-03-08T15:12:39.767-05:00

For the first time ever we have a deductible to go along with our health insurance.  There is no longer a no deductible option. Also, we get to pay a higher premium for it.  Woo hoo!  At any rate, it's a fairly low deductible and I still feel very fortunate to have health insurance and Kevin has a great job and all that, so I don't complain (much.) Anyway... the other day I was commenting how we

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-14516780299993009412011-02-23T22:14:00.003-05:002011-02-23T22:14:00.515-05:00

Recently I was running, and I pushed a little further than usual. I run with the Nike + Ipod device that measures my distance and calories. Occasionally, when I end the work out a certain famous athlete will tell me if I hit a milestone such as a new longest distance, or fastest time.  I've heard about my success from Lance Armstrong, and other really amazing people.  It's a pretty neat feature.

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-45279910865307150252011-02-22T11:35:00.000-05:002011-02-22T11:35:01.203-05:00

If you are ever in the Tampa area and have time for a day trip, you have to go see Stump Pass Beach. It's about two hours from our house, but with beautiful weather, and boys in need of some hiking to get their energy out, it was a lovely Saturday.  On the way, we stopped by the TECO Manatee Viewing Area, which is another favorite spot (and about an hour from us.)  The manatees are great to see

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-33962467223818626972011-02-21T09:38:00.002-05:002011-02-21T15:53:18.600-05:00

This is the first year Ben's been super excited about the days leading up to his birthday.  I can't believe my wee little baby is FOUR!  It was just yesterday we brought him home from the hospital after all! look how teeny tiny his feet were! We knew when he was born he would change our lives and complete our family, but we never knew how he would absolutely give us a run for our money every

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-7942698778726039122011-02-20T23:00:00.002-05:002011-02-21T07:31:53.998-05:00

The assignments formerly known as book reports are now apparently book "projects."  What's the difference, you may ask?  I'm not sure other than my children take great delight in correcting me when I use the term book report. "It's a book project mom."  *Insert 7/8 year old eye roll.* This particular book project was over a president (Abraham Lincoln) and was declared done. When I looked it over

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-26589944091561449952011-02-19T22:51:00.001-05:002011-02-19T22:51:00.230-05:00

For Ben's birthday (need to post on that still!) he recieved from Granny a castle!  Daddy put it together and all week the boys have asked for a sleepover in the castle. Finally the weekend came, and they were able to sleep on the floor in the family room in (and around) the magical cardboard creation...

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-31632168750954172322011-02-18T22:38:00.000-05:002011-02-18T22:38:45.198-05:00

I always wonder when I'm supposed to have certain conversations with my boys... you know the ones.  How babies are born and such.  But I don't think they are quite ready for the talks about *that word* that starts with s and ends with ex.  Maybe I'm just naive but...no. They are too small.  However, certain conversations tend to bring up these questions about babies being born.  Today, on the

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-41697383560448792322011-02-11T12:42:00.000-05:002011-02-11T12:42:48.334-05:00

On Wednesday on the way out the door, I placed Zachary's glasses on his face and the lens promptly popped out.  I picked it up, and realized quickly that the screw was missing so I sent him on to school without them. He made me promise to bring them after I got them fixed, and I agreed.  In the optometrist office, the lady told me I should bring him in after school to get them readjusted

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-45438438115252780302011-02-04T22:49:00.000-05:002011-02-04T22:49:55.033-05:00

I'm pretty sure judginess isn't a word, but hey, it's Friday night, let's play fast and loose with the dictionary shall we?  Disclaimer: I do my darndest not to judge. Truly. Because I will tell you when I do it comes back to bite me every time. EVERY time. But in this case I simply have to because I was in one of those awkward situations in which my boys where looking at me to solve a problem

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-84284858321394099172011-02-01T11:53:00.001-05:002011-02-01T11:56:42.617-05:00

Lately, I've become obsessed with making bread. One of our New Years Goals is to plan ahead better, and not rush to the store because we have forgotten something.  Mostly, this is to save money, but it helps me manage my time too, because I'm not running to the store for "a few things" almost every day. But I digress... Bread... For a lot of years I had a major fear of yeast. Mostly because I

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-56754797825295723222011-01-27T07:50:00.000-05:002011-01-27T07:50:54.274-05:00

For quite some time I have been meaning to get back into the blogging stuff.  More than a random post once a week or less. Somehow, it has been difficult getting back into that groove. I don't know.  Today begins a renewed effort. We'll see how it goes. I don't have a coherent post planned, so this will likely be some sort of mish mash stream of consciousness type of post... so it might not make

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-66236401603437180842011-01-18T11:48:00.000-05:002011-01-18T11:48:37.909-05:00

For a few weeks, our nightly sleep was interrupted multiple times by some kid or another wanting to get in bed with us.  I love snuggling with my kids, but when it comes down to one kid coming in, then another, then an argument over WHO can stay and who has to go back to bed, it was getting ridiculous.  I was totally exhausted and impatient... also... grumpy.  One night before bed Kevin gave the

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-53900158113089118842011-01-12T10:56:00.001-05:002011-01-12T10:56:56.020-05:00

It never fails that just as soon as I think I have it all together, I realize all the little things I'm missing. Take yesterday morning for example...  Everyone was ready for school.  Teeth brushed - check, shoes on - check, jackets ready - check, glasses on faces - check.  Only when we were ready to walk out the door, Zack's were no longer on his face. Hmmm.  After a quick look around they were

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-49530234703176566962010-12-28T08:39:00.001-05:002010-12-28T12:31:58.020-05:00

1. Get sick after several days of caring for sick children. 2. Become so stuffed up that you can't smell or taste food. (Last night I was making dinner & chopping cilantro, and I couldn't smell it at all, so I tasted a piece.  It tasted like nothing.  So, I checked the label and it WAS cilantro, but I made Kevin taste it because it had no flavor whatsoever. Or, rather I couldn't taste it at all.

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-34114816346675585072010-12-23T12:00:00.001-05:002010-12-23T12:00:05.335-05:00

Something I have to watch out for now is boys reading over my shoulder.  I keep the blog family friendly, but often I don't necessarily want them to read what I write about them.  Because sometimes I feel overwhelmed and spill that here, but they don't need to know that necessarily.  Anyway... they've developed a habit of reading over my shoulder. Most recently, Eric commented on the fact that I

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-50072650899251833892010-12-22T20:23:00.001-05:002010-12-23T08:56:16.491-05:00

Eric's been struggling with the asthma lately, and we've been keeping his wheezing and coughing mostly at bay with the nebulizer, but Monday night things got worse and I realized he'd probably not make it to school the next day.  I hoped, mostly for his sake, that he wouldn't get sick. It was a fun week at school, and he does NOT like missing things like candy cane walks and such.  Yet, when

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-60205402556674967982010-12-20T18:46:00.000-05:002010-12-20T18:46:23.833-05:00

...so I was all set to run the 5K. I was soooo ready for it. I was even envisioning blogging after the fact how exhilirating it was. How, I blew my last time out of the water!  How I hit the mark in 33 minutes!  I was there, I did it twice in the week leading up to it. Only, I didn't run it. I wanted to. I woke up at 4 AM the day of the race wondering if my foot could handle it.  I obsessed and

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-90006619240838434942010-12-02T20:25:00.000-05:002010-12-02T20:25:41.893-05:00

I never thought I'd say this, but I love to run.  Okay, so sometimes it's hard to make myself get started. Also, sometimes during my run, it is hard and I wonder why I am doing it.  But the feeling after... that runner's high they tell you about, it is amazing and it keeps me going back for more.  Awhile back I ran a little 5 k. It wasn't officially timed or anything, but my time was 39 minutes.

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-73520294370050275992010-11-25T19:20:00.001-05:002010-11-25T19:21:20.064-05:00

You all know how thankful I am for my little family.  Every day it hits me how big they are getting and how someday things are going to be... not easier.. but different. Less physical work, more letting go and keeping them out of trouble. I kind of break into hives thinking about it (the letting go part.)  Nonetheless, I am so fortunate to have four good kids, who love me and I adore even when

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-54294846987103237222010-11-17T12:43:00.002-05:002010-11-17T12:49:50.230-05:00

Mornings are crazy around here. Some moreso than others. This morning I was getting the boys glasses ready for school and I couldn't fine Mark's. We were running late and I told him I'd bring them if I found them. A little while after I quit looking, I spotted the case. I opened it to check if they were there. And they were, only it was Zachary's glasses in the case. Which meant... that I had

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-79859832227188778022010-11-15T20:04:00.003-05:002010-11-15T20:13:30.550-05:00

There's this girl who lives inside me. I try to deny her existence and hold her back. She wants to do it all. She jumps in too quickly to help her kids. She doesn't like messes. She is kind of a control freak. So I repress her as much as humanly possible.That girl is right now screaming to come out. Tonight, Mark wanted to make brownies and that girl tried to say no, but daddy jumped in and said

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-19686158124441259202010-11-15T07:18:00.005-05:002010-11-15T07:39:55.532-05:00

Life is so crazy busy and sadly, the blog has taken a back burner. Or maybe that's how it should be. I don't know. The importance of all this silly blathering I do boils down to I'll forget this stuff. I know I will. I've already forgotten a lot of it, and occasionally I'll click a random post and think "Wow! That's really funny. I'd totally forgotten about that. Since I'm not really a

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-24488160232484954672010-11-05T09:29:00.003-04:002010-11-05T09:30:34.952-04:00

Yesterday, I forgot the part of 3 and 3/4 that I love.The part that climbs into bed with me in the middle of the night, and wraps his little hands around my neck and says, "I love you, Mommy. You the best Mommy in the whole world," and goes back to sleep.

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-78663514634227059042010-11-04T16:28:00.004-04:002010-11-04T20:07:47.987-04:00

I'm d-o-n-e with not listening, tantrums and out and out defiance. Ben is a doll, be sure of that, but he is also full of energy of the manic sort. Into everything, completely knowing he shouldn't be.Of all of my kids, he is the most trying at this phase... unless somehow I've blocked it out.He climbs to higher heights (and jumps from them.) He runs from me and when I say "STOP" he laughs and

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-23372381797673208172010-10-27T22:27:00.005-04:002010-10-27T22:38:16.777-04:00

I think all the balls are still in the air... although I loved Shanna's comment that she likes to choose which balls fall... I'm pondering that one. Because does it really matter if one wears a hat on hat day? As a third grade friend of ours pointed out "not EVERYONE has to wear a hat!! DUH!" (LOVE that duh is still around. It's adorable... right up until one of my kids says it to me... then

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-22413573370014883142010-10-25T08:27:00.003-04:002010-10-25T09:09:56.249-04:00

This is one of those weeks where I am sure I'm going to drop the ball somewhere. Halloween is coming up, I'm hosting a Moms Club Brunch at my house, and oh yes, it's my turn to host playgroup. Not to mention the donations to send to the school for the Fall Festival, and Halloween Parties. Plus, there are field trip forms and permission slips (and $$**) to turn in, and we are attending the

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-57907162057933793112010-10-13T19:36:00.003-04:002010-10-13T19:51:11.917-04:00

It's really good that I can laugh at myself because, frankly, I've been laughing a lot lately. And if I weren't laughing I might be crying...This week was deemed Doctor Appointment Week for everyone except for Ben. I called in late August for well visits (horribly late for all three boys) and they couldn't get me in until now. So, typical of myself, I wrote the appointment down, threw out the

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-19339834132384799412010-10-12T08:42:00.003-04:002010-10-12T09:02:00.465-04:00

A while back we were watching this tv show. On said tv show they were making homemade Mozzarella. Kevin's eyes lit up and we decided we should totally make homemade mozzarella. So, we tracked down the ingredients (they make kits for these things) and made a not so successful attempt at Mozzarella. It was like a really smooth, creamy ricotta. So we tried again. And again... and so forth. There

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-68177347119552359432010-10-10T06:00:00.001-04:002010-10-10T06:00:01.048-04:00

I don't favor Ben, I promise! Although, if you look at my Facebook pictures lately, it might look that way. Because most of my pictures lately are of him. Because, he's the one who is with me all day. He does maddening things like shave his own head, and cute things like fall asleep on the couch in his undies with his hands folded ever so sweetly. I've never had the experience of having one

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-76895143088835990402010-10-08T20:00:00.003-04:002010-10-08T20:16:37.696-04:00

I ran into a problem with Zack's homework. Yes, I know, he's in kindergarten. But I had a question about the instructions that made it impossible for me to help him complete the last page of his homework. It was okay, though, because they turn in homework on Monday, so I caught it in time. Normally, I would write his teacher a note in his planner. Since it was a math thing, I wrote a note, put it

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-10618600372103731192010-10-04T09:50:00.003-04:002010-10-04T10:06:27.956-04:00

Responsibility - Eric made himself a to do list last night. It included: Get ready for school, straighten bedroom, play until Mommy wakes up. When I woke up I was impressed to see that he was dressed and his room was picked up. I'm super impressed and made sure he knew about that!Drama - This morning was cool, around 60 degrees. This is new and wonderful for us down here in FL after a long, hot

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-78797974728046581662010-09-29T20:19:00.002-04:002010-09-29T20:35:35.413-04:00

For some reason I find myself unable to get people to call me back. These are people who I am trying to do business with, who I've left messages for, who should want my money, and yet..nothing.Instance number one: I recieved a vague bill from our HOA for a "late charge" but it didn't say which payment was late, and I don't think I ever paid our dues or club fees late. If I did it was a matter of

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-28084304312225992252010-09-23T08:00:00.001-04:002010-09-23T08:00:11.765-04:00

Sleep is key to the life equation.The last several nights I haven't slept well. I seem to have developed a habit of waking up at 4 AM and worrying, and going over my to do list. And beating myself up over what I didn't do yesterday. All of that mental nonsense adds up to one more day of failure, and grumpiness, and exhaustion, and not getting those things done. In addition to that, no fewer than

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-25833765881264178502010-09-22T09:00:00.003-04:002010-09-22T09:00:02.987-04:00

My lunch packing in years past has been less than successful. When Eric was in Kindergarten I packed his lunch a few times and he really wanted to buy lunch from school, so we went that route.When Mark joined him at the elementary school the following year, I started out packing lunches, at which point they began to complain that they didn't like sandwiches everyday and they wanted to buy at

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-24133446650786538532010-09-21T16:14:00.002-04:002010-09-21T16:20:07.373-04:00

Ben's inability to keep clothing on. My boys' inability to play for 5 minutes without bickering or being grumpy.Zachary having complete meltdowns when a simple "Oh, I don't like that" would suffice.The fact that when I ask my children to put away the toys that they got out that they act as if I am causing them severe bodily harm. I refuse to put the stuff away though, so they will do it. (Or

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-60120984439212053952010-09-18T20:25:00.002-04:002010-09-19T20:43:34.589-04:00

Actually, it is watching popsicles melt. Eric's Science Fair Project, that is. And the little kids, they just can't understand why we would waste perfectly good popsicles for the sake of determining which melts the fastest.In fact, one of them just simply couldn't resist taking a lick of the red one, mid melting (during trial two) and knocked the top right off of it. Thus creating the need for

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-9193693710314510212010-09-16T08:40:00.003-04:002010-09-16T08:59:21.386-04:00

--No matter how much time you have to get ready for school, you will fill up the time and still be rushing to get out the door on time.--This holds true even if you are ready, say around 8:30, somehow it is still a hassle leaving by 9:15. This makes no logical sense, however it is true.--When your youngest says cute things like "Mommy, I'm making you precious" (while "fixing my hair" aka ripping

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-63616333467857013892010-09-14T12:46:00.005-04:002010-09-14T12:51:52.899-04:00

A few weeks ago Eric got glasses. It pains me that I've passed down my horrible eye sight gene to him (and who knows who else) but at least he looks totally handsome in his glasses.Our lives are now full of the question "Eric, where are your glasses?" and chants of "On your face or in the case! On your face or in the case!" He looooves that! However, he is actually mostly pretty responsible with

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-36593374941686639602010-09-10T09:45:00.002-04:002010-09-10T09:52:53.533-04:00

I was talking to a friend yesterday and joked (kind of) that someone needs to make an obedience training class for three year olds. She said I should invent it and make some money off of it. I think I said "Yes, because I have so much success with my three year old." Sarcasm at its finest! All my dreams of Ben reverting back to my sweet little bubby once school started are dashed. He's crazy

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-35451010185438531942010-09-09T07:51:00.003-04:002010-09-09T07:58:42.906-04:00

This conversation is going on...Zack: Mommy I like babies. They are cute and sweet and precious.Me: I like babies too. They ARE precious.Mark: Mom,if you like babies you could have another baby.Zack: Yes, Mommy, I WISH you would have another baby.Me: Mommy is all done having babies, guys. I love our family just like it is. Plus, babies are a lot of work, and I already have a lot of kids to

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-69412872520649268352010-08-26T18:36:00.004-04:002010-08-26T19:58:11.551-04:00

Or, rather, a turkey burger....by Eric - devour the entire thing, with cheese, and ketchup, of course. Pickles are preferable, but mommy didn't bother to have them today. Ask for seconds and eat half of that too. Plus veggies, of course.by Mark - eat a bite... talk a lot... when reminded there is no dessert without first eating dinner, take another bite, tell another story. Rinse, repeat...

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-45738177468608298902010-08-25T08:25:00.003-04:002010-08-25T08:53:23.110-04:00

It is amazing and wonderful, but my children slept until 6:30 this morning. Should that be exciting? Well, 10 years ago I would have told you waking up at 6:30 when one didn't need to leave the house until 9:15 was ridiculous, but it is certainly better than the 5:45 they've been pulling. So maybe, school will get them so worn out, they will have no choice but to sleep until actual morning.I

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-47780967898746152312010-08-20T09:04:00.002-04:002010-08-20T09:12:13.552-04:00

As usual, they were more interested in doing silly pictures than standing still. Silly pictures were a wild success! Zack was the only one who would let me take his picture in the classroom. The other ones were too big for me to follow in with my camera. When did that happen?

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-11341137470176933422010-08-19T11:45:00.002-04:002010-08-19T11:48:36.504-04:00

The other day Mark had a notebook he was writing in and said he wanted to have a blog. I jumped up and said "Why don't we make you one!" He's piggybacking on my account because I don't love the idea of him having his own. This way I can easily access his stuff. AND he can't get on without my putting in my password. So, then Eric wanted one, but has only posted the one time. Mark, however will

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-72946145076129990692010-08-19T11:20:00.002-04:002010-08-19T11:29:35.816-04:00

Time is a funny thing. I'm really good at wasting it. I thought I'd be more focussed once school started. Get the housework caught up in a few days... then on to some fun projects, some extra organizing. Etc. However, instead I've been kind of goofing off. Catching up with friends, having conversations without a zillion interruptions. That's worthwhile though, and also very much needed.

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-59404825168584702882010-08-11T17:51:00.006-04:002010-08-11T20:38:47.682-04:00

So, in my last post I mentioned my theory that after a really bad day, usually a really good day follows. Apparently I've forgotten that any time I say something out loud (or evidently, type it) the absolute opposite will happen.Basically, my kids have been bodysnatched and replaced with ungrateful, fit throwing, demanding...I could go on, but suffice to say it hasn't been pretty.I'm all about

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-45765987828801774092010-08-10T06:34:00.003-04:002010-08-10T06:40:57.381-04:00

You know it's a rough day......when you cancel your errands after the first one due to children's behavior in favor of sending them to their rooms....when you catch "the baby" sneaking into your bedroom with the tub of margarine. (Although, admittedly it might have been a worse day if I had not caught him.)... when you find underwear with poop in it in the laundry hamper. (Again, could have been

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-89488706309671873672010-08-07T06:00:00.002-04:002010-08-07T06:00:00.419-04:00

I like to think I'm calm, collected and cool in crisis situations. Often, when the kids (ahem Ben, and lesser so Zack) do silly things like climb to the top of the piano, or the pantry, or whereever I can smile and take a picture before getting them down. I am unphaseable. So I thought.Yesterday at the playground, the Smallest Bailey Boy made me completely lose my cool. I was enjoying the park,

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-56743401162230433002010-08-06T06:00:00.000-04:002010-08-06T06:00:05.479-04:00

It clicked with me the other day, how far we've come.We no longer have sippy cups found days later to be cleaned of curdled milk... or let's be honest... thrown away. Gone are the days of daily diapers (but here are the days of daily accidents.) Goodbye to Cry It Out. I remember clearly struggling to get Ben to sleep. Wondering why by the fourth go round I wasn't any better at resisting the cry

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-69489754667360694272010-08-05T09:36:00.004-04:002010-08-05T09:49:42.069-04:00

It occurred to me last week that summer was almost over, and we hadn't been to the beach yet. Ridiculous! It's only 30 minutes away! So, on Friday we packed up and headed out that way. After a brief lunch at the picnic area that was relocated to the van due to a bee sting and tons of mosquitos, we made our way across the causeway. I love the beach!

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-5490972645877712942010-08-02T08:42:00.007-04:002010-08-02T09:52:10.345-04:00

For the last... forever... Mark has wanted a pet. The other boys too, but for sure, Mark. You'll remember the time he earned his pet fish with good behavior (they later died, but we actually now have 3 glow fish that appear to be indestructable. No, really, Ben put a bar of Irish Spring Soap in the tank - not to be discovered until the water was green and foamy- and they survived. Fish weren't

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-75616746887478252212010-07-29T15:32:00.005-04:002010-07-29T18:46:38.499-04:00

Yesterday, at the pool, Zack started swimming. This was the first year he could "touch" in the shallow end (barely) and he's been content to splash around there, or swim around in a life jacket thus far this summer. Yesterday, though... he told me he was going to swim under water to me. And much to my surprise, he did. It wasn't pretty, and I'm not confident that he's a "swimmer" yet by any

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-64374906671409114982010-07-27T19:16:00.002-04:002010-07-27T19:28:05.721-04:00

The problem with having taken the Wilton Cake Decorating class is that now I have enough knowledge to do a few things. Actually, I really felt like I had some success at making pretty cakes and didn't think it would be any big deal to whip up some dinosaur decorations for Zack's cake. I had it all planned out. It was going to be perfect. And it might have been if I'd started it on Sunday

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-74645959641773460472010-07-22T09:07:00.002-04:002010-07-22T09:29:56.641-04:00

I have to confess, I took awhile to really "get" facebook. I had my group of online friends, my blog, absolutely NO interest in MySpace, so I just wasn't sure. Plus, when I finally signed up, and tried to get into it I still didn't understand the hoopla. But, awhile later I tried again and it was magic! I think it probably coincided with several of my other friends getting into the mix and made

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-27750762200566266542010-07-16T09:53:00.003-04:002010-07-16T10:13:34.433-04:00

It seems every time I make a plan it gets derailed. I planned to keep us so busy this week that the time would fly, and boys would sleep great and Kevin would be back before I knew it. The first few days were right on track. Sunday we went on a long hike. Longer than intended actually, due to me forgetting that when boys say "noooo we aren't tired, let's keep going!" it could still be a matter

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-79909794063095859892010-07-11T12:38:00.002-04:002010-07-11T12:42:02.987-04:00

Today is the birthday of 7-11 (huh, so that's why the name. I never knew.)Anyway, I didn't know that until just now, nor did I know until just now that to celebrate they are giving away free 11 ounce birthday slushees. I know the boys and I will be making a stop there later in the day. Hopefully they will have some left.

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-69238418824623548182010-07-09T12:15:00.005-04:002010-07-10T10:42:17.984-04:00

There are a few things that happen every time I take a vacation that should be noted.1. One or more (or all) of my kids get a wierd itchy rash. Okay, Ben almost always has a few itchy spot, but yes, his exzema did have a flare over the vaca. But, from the first time we traveled back to OK even way back when we lived in GA someone has gotten a rash. It's not as bad as those first few years. I

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-41289944895462612492010-07-09T10:17:00.005-04:002010-07-09T10:57:24.001-04:00

1. I still have not run since I've been home from vacation. I want to. I set the alarm, and when it goes off I just.can't.get.up. I am blaming this on being stuck on Central Time. I was sleeping til 7 central, and now getting up at 7 Eastern is HARD. To run I have to get up and out the door by 6 (ish) and it's just not happening. Next week Kevin will be far far away on business and no running

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-78893208653201462682010-07-08T09:38:00.002-04:002010-07-08T09:58:55.620-04:00

In my efforts to get my kids to stop asking if they can play Wii, or computer games, or watch TV 87,000 times a day I'm trying to keep them busy. I mentioned that I made a somewhat loose schedule to keep us on track. So far (for 2 days haha!) so good. Sure, outwardly they scoff when I make them work on writing for half an hour (the horror!) but inwardly I know they adore it (if only.) Plus, once

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-12378106387611285112010-07-06T10:00:00.003-04:002010-07-06T10:25:14.243-04:00

Oh summer vacation is such a whirlwind of fun and exhaustion. Capped off by an insanely long drive that is enough to make us question our sanity (and resolve to never again do it in one stretch. We have committed to always stop at a hotel. Remind me that next year.)While trying to think of how to capture the essense of our trip to visit family in one blog post, I realized that it is impossible.

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-27369962604528960502010-06-16T09:04:00.003-04:002010-06-16T09:13:44.665-04:00

Sometimes, when you want to get the kids to do a job it helps if you can find a way to make it fun (ok now I'm singing Mary Poppins in my head.) Yesterday we needed to get some cleaning done and I was determined to get help. Because seriously, I just can't do it all myself. Primarily because if they are playing while I am cleaning it is just one big tornado of mess everywhere except where I just

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4316012839879148372.post-66124491690191011892010-06-15T10:12:00.002-04:002010-06-15T10:20:36.922-04:00

I posted a little about running on Deep South Moms yesterday. There I told you about how sometimes I feel like my mind has to push my body through when it wants to quit, and other times my body has to keep pushing even when my brain tells it to stop.Here I will tell you a funny story. Right after I submitted that post into queue, I went up to our community fitness center to run because it was

Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669093963153870989noreply@blogger.com1