tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14951775617018610542024-02-19T18:47:55.981-05:00I Speak Whine-FluentlyMama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-62141696370365345882012-07-19T09:02:00.000-04:002012-07-19T11:12:57.361-04:00Summer to Remember<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The house is silent this morning. Matt is at work, and the kids are with my sister-n-law. Instead of sleeping late, I made the choice to wake up and enjoy this little peace of heaven that was bestowed upon me this A.M. The silence is like a mind massage, and I'm loving every minute of it. I'm also loving my summer vacation. The kids have adjusted quickly to the lazy day routine, but I still haven't adjusted to their forever urgent need to eat 24/7. We decided to skip a big family vacation this summer so that we could save a little cash. Instead we spent the cash. Faced with the boredom of long, hot summer days, the romantic idea of saving money was quickly replaced with romantic ideas of trips to Target and Walmart. Although we will not have a vacation to remember this summer by, we will have something even more unforgettable. On August 7th I am giving my sister my left kidney. She has polycystic kidney disease and is in need of a kidney transplant. I am a perfect match! We did run into one snag; the CT scan revealed that I have a small angiomyolipoma (benign tumor) growing on my left kidney. The plan is to biopsy the tumor during the operation and transplant the kidney as they normally would. The chance of this kind of tumor being malignant is extremely rare, but this has been somewhat concerning. My sister is having both of her existing kidneys removed which makes for a much more complicated and time consuming surgery. Doctors say that I may only be in the hospital 2-3 days and out of work for 4-6 weeks. Luckily the surgery is taking place during the summer, so I may only need to miss the first 2 weeks of school. I pray that this surgery is successful and that my sister can begin to feel like the healthy person she deserves to be. It is sad that people with this disease are forced to get so sick before something like dialysis or transplant can be considered. Transplantation of the kidney is not a treatment, it is a cure for polycystic kidney disease. I strongly encourage everyone to become an organ donor.Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-46031801156785167342012-05-06T23:31:00.002-04:002012-05-06T23:32:19.892-04:00This and ThatThe other night I had a dream that I was a vampire. Blah, blah, blah, skip to the good part. And when I bit into the back of her neck, a brown liquid began oozing out. The woman turned her head to face me and laughed, "It's chocolate!" <br />
Someone please tell me what in the name of crazy does this dream mean? Please note- I was premenstrual when I had this dream, and I had just come off a 5 week low carb-diet. Never mind, dream decoders, I think I just figured this one out.<br />
This weekend we celebrated Josie's 8th birthday with a tea party. It was ever so lovely. The girls had a splendid time sipping tea, pinkies up, and I had an even more splendid time listening to their giggles and conversations. <br />
Today, I made Hayden get in my lap and let me rock him like a baby. At first it was awkward because he is so big, and it had been so long, but man did it feel good. I'm pretty sure he would tell you the same. <br />
Lucas made my heart melt today when he told me I was his one true love. I could tell by his expression that he so meant it, and I also knew in that moment that he will undoubtedly grow up to be a heart-breaker. Watch out ladies!<br />
Matt and I have planned a nice little family camping trip for Mother's Day weekend. Hopefully it will involve some canoeing and hiking and of course, hot dogs!<br />
<br />Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-62352844109435776112012-04-16T21:46:00.000-04:002012-04-16T22:03:47.569-04:0032I turned 32 on Sunday, but I'm okay with it because two weeks ago I did a front walk-over. It wasn't pretty and it hurt like hell, but after several attempts I landed it. This feat means one thing and one thing only- I am not old. My body is still capable of doing things that I was sure a decade of birthing children had destroyed. I feel reinvigorated! I want to go buy a gymnastics mat and practice in the yard. Maybe I'll even buy a leotard. Leopard print? <br />
When I turned 22, I remember thinking about how I could divide my life perfectly in half- 11 years pre period and 11 years post period. On this birthday, I realized I could divide my life in half too- 16 years pre drivers license and 16 years post drivers license. When I turn forty, I will divide my life into 20 years pre marriage and 20 years post marriage. I don't know why I think this way. It doesn't make a bit of difference. Let's move on.<br />
I heard a woman laugh the other day. It was a contagious, hearty laugh that I instantly envied. I've considered trying to transition to a similar laugh, but I'm not sure how accepted it would be. It might be similar to me suddenly walking pigeon-toed because I think it looks cute. People at work would stare and ponder whether I had always walked that way or was I wearing shoes two sizes too small. I don't like it when people stare, so I better not try the laugh thing. <br />
Matt and I took the kids to Gold Head State Park over Easter weekend. The weather was perfect! The kids got to spend some quality time with their cousins and the adults got to hang out and relax. One morning I wandered into the woods behind the camper, and came upon a deer. We engaged in a 5 minute stare down contest. It was the most magical nature moment I have yet to experience. It honestly felt like I was staring into the eyes of an alien, but not in a scary "Fire in the Sky" kind of way. I felt like the deer was looking inside me- reading me. I felt like at any moment we would start communicating with only the use of our minds. I know this all sounds so trippy, but I promise I was completely sober. On the last morning we were there, I walked into the woods to see if the deer would magically appear once more. And it did. This time our silent exchange was shorter but just as majestic. Our camping trip confirmed something I believe I already knew- nature is wondrous and worthy of being explored.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDY6tC05lDmJGIVJAjL8IeAt9eIFLMpSNKQK92vpFd2sAj9BmDmhzQTQ_94aie_v997umlDpAXcw1oEwqxcEy793njb7HknIkZXFWBYEF4M73OL-0SXilK1lUK5nZG8h6s9tYXa-CNajk/s1600/DSCF9651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDY6tC05lDmJGIVJAjL8IeAt9eIFLMpSNKQK92vpFd2sAj9BmDmhzQTQ_94aie_v997umlDpAXcw1oEwqxcEy793njb7HknIkZXFWBYEF4M73OL-0SXilK1lUK5nZG8h6s9tYXa-CNajk/s320/DSCF9651.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-83048727072957454132012-04-10T23:01:00.000-04:002012-04-10T23:01:40.890-04:00I'm Back! Maybe?I can't believe it has been four months since I last posted. Seems that time just has a way of passing too quickly these days. Two thousand twelve has been kind to the Bergens thus far. No hospitalizations or incarcerations, so that is a plus. The Bergens have officially joined the RV club. Matt spent months in a drooling coma while online window shopping RVs. I couldn't take it, so I caved and granted him permission to purchase. I have that kind of power you know. <br />
Life on the home front has been somewhat chaotic as of late. Countless times I have sat at the computer ready to type, only to be side-tracked by the mounds of trinkets and tiddlywinks that are scattered all around me. I stack a pile, move a pile, toss a pile, and curse a pile, but the trinkets and tiddlywinks multiply like gremlins. I need some feng shui in my life, and on Saturdays for about 3 hours after I complete my cleaning routine, I have it. Then sometime between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM, it gets un-feng shuied. My new addiction to Pinterest is helping me come up with all kinds of ideas to organize my living space. I haven't put any of the ideas into practice yet, but I intend to, maybe, probably, probably not. I do love Pinterest though, even if I won't complete, make, or buy a fourth of the things I pin. It's fun. It's good, clean, harmless fun, and that is not easy to come by. I'm hoping that this post will be the first of many for 2012, so stay tuned for more rants, raves, and adventures from the Bergens. <br />Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-70979272644488528912011-12-30T17:16:00.002-05:002011-12-30T17:16:59.548-05:00twenty twelveI think the family has a mild case of after Christmas funk. It happens to <em>me </em>every year. It is the same feeling I get when I watch a movie that ends with no real resolution. This was a very Merry Christmas for the Bergen family, but when all is said and done, well, it is said and done... The decorations are packed neatly away in Rubbermaid containers waiting to be escorted out to the garage. There is a slight echo in our empty living room, but the space feels good.<br />
Matt has perfected his sushi roll making ability, and I am loving it. I think we will ring in the New Year with a few sushi rolls, hot crab dip, and some stuffed mini sweet peppers. I've never made the stuffed peppers before, but the recipe sounds so easy and so delicious. <br />
15-20 mini sweet peppers<br />
1/2 cup cream cheese<br />
1/4 cup goat cheese (my favorite)<br />
1 clove garlic minced<br />
1 1/2 tbsp. chopped basil<br />
1 1/2 tbsp. diced sun dried tomatoes<br />
salt and pepper<br />
Cut the tops off the peppers and clean out any seeds. Mix the other ingredients and spoon into the peppers. Yummy!<br />
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Happy New Year's! <br />
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Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-62916345969879683112011-12-12T22:00:00.003-05:002011-12-12T22:00:46.395-05:00Christmas Favorites<em>Is it even possible that Christmas is 13 days away? I am so not prepared. We have bags of presents stuffed here and there. At this point I don't even know what we've bought. Nothing is wrapped. Not a Christmas cookie made. Greeting Cards-no way. I feel like such a slacker, but a surprisingly merry slacker. This will be the first time in two years that we will be home the entire two week Christmas break. Don't get me wrong. I loooovvveee our vacations, but I do miss my home time. Mindlessly staring at the lights on the Christmas tree is by far my favorite (home time) activity, which gets me to thinking- what are my other holiday favorites?</em><br />
<strong> Favorite Christmas Foods</strong><br />
1.) Snowballs (shortbread cookie, pecans, powdered sugar)<br />
2.) Hot Crab Dip (Paula Deen recipe)<br />
3.) Meatballs (chili sauce and jelly)<br />
4.) Pigs in a blanket (crescent rolls and little sausages)<br />
5.) Mom's homemade sugar cookies<br />
<strong>Favorite Christmas Movies</strong><br />
1.) The Santa Claus (all of them)<br />
2.) Home Alone<br />
3.) How the Grinch Stole Christmas<br />
4.) Love Actually<br />
5.) The Holiday<br />
6.) BTW-The Hallmark Channel is the bomb this time of year <br />
<strong>Favorite Christmas Music</strong><br />
1.) The Carpenter's Christmas<br />
2.) All I Want for Christmas Is You (who doesn't like that song?)<br />
3.) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas<br />
4.) It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas<br />
5.) White Christmas<br />
<strong>Favorite Christmas Activities</strong><br />
1.) Taking rides at night to look at the lights<br />
2.) Watching movies with the kids<br />
3.) Shopping <br />
4.) Baking yummy treats<br />
5.) Spending time with the ones I love<br />
6.) Staring at the lights on the tree!<br />
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<em>I love Christmas, and even though I'm not prepared for it, I am ready for it. I will let the Christmas spirit wrap her arms around me and carry me into the new year. Joy is in the air! Inhale.</em>Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-80801053725396270512011-10-24T21:48:00.001-04:002011-10-24T21:48:58.590-04:00you've always been the caretakerAll work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.<br />
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All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.<br />
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All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. <br />
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All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. <br />
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All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.<br />
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All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. <br />
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All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.<br />
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All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. <br />
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All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.<br />
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All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. <br />
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All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.<br />
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All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. <br />
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All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. <br />
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All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. <br />
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All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl. All work no play makes Katy a dull girl.Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-79961693192125396852011-07-28T16:32:00.001-04:002011-07-29T09:03:49.326-04:00If there was no you<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-dzHps7Uc5ExvaUPvEQeZUdNvx_otsAD3AOzcWouYoq5LfoxZorAlxAeCSGQqACLGotRSwKGGN2WxYT5fspiA0soKNyqMeT9-5lJqDfXIQQRzqhIPu5wMCnJZ_5cqNVdweFtsmLfBJI/s1600/DSCF8355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-dzHps7Uc5ExvaUPvEQeZUdNvx_otsAD3AOzcWouYoq5LfoxZorAlxAeCSGQqACLGotRSwKGGN2WxYT5fspiA0soKNyqMeT9-5lJqDfXIQQRzqhIPu5wMCnJZ_5cqNVdweFtsmLfBJI/s320/DSCF8355.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>Happy 11th Anniversary Matt! <br />
Last year I wrote a post about the story of our love <a href="http://ispeakwhine-fluently.blogspot.com/2010/07/love-story.html">http://ispeakwhine-fluently.blogspot.com/2010/07/love-story.html</a>. How Katy and Matt came to be. I liked it a lot and I don't think I can top it, so for this post I thought I would just recap some of the highlights of our marriage from the past year. <br />
1. We have not changed a single diaper in one full year. That is worth celebrating!<br />
2. Savannah<br />
3.. Family trip to North Georgia. Lots and Lots of snow!<br />
4. Family trip to Sea World.<br />
5. Family trip to Alabama. Gotta love that lake!<br />
6. After dinner car rides.<br />
7. Brewing Beer. Lots and Lots of beer!<br />
8. Converty Friends<br />
9. Front porch steps<br />
10. Saturday mornings spent listening to itunes and sipping coffee<br />
11. Scary movie nights<br />
12. Cabin camping at Gold Head<br />
13. Goodwill shopping. Lots and Lots of Goodwill!<br />
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To Matt<br />
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When I see myself <br />
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I'm seeing you too <br />
as long as I remember <br />
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and I'm feeling like I knew <br />
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that my jokes aren't funny <br />
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the truth isn't true <br />
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if there was no you <br />
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If you were my boat in the deep blue sea <br />
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I probably sink you down <br />
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I know I should have thanked you for carrying me <br />
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but for you I will happily drown <br />
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All along your way <br />
<br />
the darkest night the longest day <br />
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I know what to say to make you laugh <br />
<br />
and nothing you could do <br />
<br />
could make me turn my back on you <br />
<br />
when you're looking for a fight <br />
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I'm your man <br />
<br />
when you need a friend <br />
<br />
you got my hand <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
And what I really mean <br />
<br />
what I'm trying hard to say <br />
<br />
is that I'm counting on you <br />
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and you got me too <br />
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my secrets aren't safe <br />
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I'm singing out of tune <br />
<br />
if there was no you <br />
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if there was no you <br />
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<br />
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All along your way<br />
<br />
the darkest night the longest day <br />
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I know what to say to make you laugh <br />
<br />
and nothing you could do <br />
<br />
could make me turn my back on you <br />
<br />
when you're looking for a fight <br />
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I'm your man <br />
<br />
when you need a friend <br />
<br />
you got my hand <br />
<br />
when you need a friend <br />
<br />
you got my hand <br />
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you got my handMama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-73556169453986890522011-07-06T22:30:00.000-04:002011-07-06T22:30:54.651-04:00Fun StuffMatt and I took the kids on a little family vacation to Alabama. We rented a lake house on Lewis Smith Lake and boy was it beautiful. I had never been to Alabama, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Come to find out it looks a lot like Georgia but without all the billboards. <br />
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My parents came over on July 4th to eat ribs and hang out. The kids rode bikes and drew pictures with sidewalk chalk. The boys even did a little bit of boxing with the new gloves Matt bought for them. Now tell me, what's more American than that? After dinner we strolled downtown to watch the fireworks. The blind mosquitoes were out in full force. I was afraid to speak for fear that I might inhale a few of them. One or two dive bombed my eyeballs, but I survived another riverfront fireworks display and so the tradition continues. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_aDXJruiEEEe9PxaHQkJkt0Vlk0ALWjnvEuXR0wETF9GRsO17cVT75aQ5S-XqWLF7fOuiZhGZPD12Dy8AogE0kR-BbhjhZY5reR03VbO6VsfI7Ef1DU-gg1cAlitxtkscXKNsjPitYA/s1600/DSCN2127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_aDXJruiEEEe9PxaHQkJkt0Vlk0ALWjnvEuXR0wETF9GRsO17cVT75aQ5S-XqWLF7fOuiZhGZPD12Dy8AogE0kR-BbhjhZY5reR03VbO6VsfI7Ef1DU-gg1cAlitxtkscXKNsjPitYA/s320/DSCN2127.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-72379280382876054362011-06-20T08:11:00.002-04:002011-06-20T08:17:56.364-04:00summer pics<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzS9IVe7JAd0aVbYw5mdScbB9bK4h0_BXmCTPq-JlKimfoi3qiDWlwoEIIaT0_VDVZBMsfRgUmqGJwuP3s7XovLgSQG4hsQozUgyV8Ck_-OBJ2Qlx4B9Y8ElK0fPC6cUqlkBZB09Wxz0E/s1600/DSCF8164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzS9IVe7JAd0aVbYw5mdScbB9bK4h0_BXmCTPq-JlKimfoi3qiDWlwoEIIaT0_VDVZBMsfRgUmqGJwuP3s7XovLgSQG4hsQozUgyV8Ck_-OBJ2Qlx4B9Y8ElK0fPC6cUqlkBZB09Wxz0E/s320/DSCF8164.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hayden drew a picture of our new kitty, Ruby. Later in the evening I found her sitting by it on the table-SMILING!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidW_esu2qFsBDRyreA6ayji1oQVV26N3fH_bwc7U27D6EZhYqCPMlCh-rBYb2tO6a7acnLc6ulyvaoyhMkpokNukQXt4flhk2O3ohPHjq7JuR6bIs7M4sZ_SqWDe01NgAol6JLBfppg8/s1600/DSCF8194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidW_esu2qFsBDRyreA6ayji1oQVV26N3fH_bwc7U27D6EZhYqCPMlCh-rBYb2tO6a7acnLc6ulyvaoyhMkpokNukQXt4flhk2O3ohPHjq7JuR6bIs7M4sZ_SqWDe01NgAol6JLBfppg8/s200/DSCF8194.JPG" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've been giving Lucas daily lessons on chillin' and I think he is finally getting the hang of it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1y7hbb1gVgkVTr_wOsMZNAcxj2h5p9H9QXbc-ndMdfuvxdTr94q4njSS238TQ_imC_3A8EPB_lo07QNUVHiW05T703ks_JhpICg_M3ps0VqRL3ULsu8p2iaA1j6rtOW69ANB4nm1jFJQ/s1600/DSCF8205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1y7hbb1gVgkVTr_wOsMZNAcxj2h5p9H9QXbc-ndMdfuvxdTr94q4njSS238TQ_imC_3A8EPB_lo07QNUVHiW05T703ks_JhpICg_M3ps0VqRL3ULsu8p2iaA1j6rtOW69ANB4nm1jFJQ/s200/DSCF8205.JPG" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imagination at work.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqbqjY7VvuTVKMzorGqFq0JhiXdvqYpGSlPF0ipmbv5uu-W0nEMm6C1RReXePYsyrdW4UsyGEOG7NGW9sBayFs1M_Th2-8PQolkHIJTsm8kFNkxH-BYe5GIBbCUN94J-CZxMO_ATG15w/s1600/DSCF8291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqbqjY7VvuTVKMzorGqFq0JhiXdvqYpGSlPF0ipmbv5uu-W0nEMm6C1RReXePYsyrdW4UsyGEOG7NGW9sBayFs1M_Th2-8PQolkHIJTsm8kFNkxH-BYe5GIBbCUN94J-CZxMO_ATG15w/s200/DSCF8291.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A friend from work gave Josie this horse. My life span shortens by a minute each time I see it. Something about it is totally creepy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQe7hJGar0uGQde_Dk72fj2QCBOJV_t-9AwIrptlEerUyukOCviVSWNQfGuLNmsdJW_lwURIug1Y5clqGq2RN2m6pLSzFqVbMRgWGtQfwN3NCcp7TuuiaGOgpU7IIIg7goABRUQUGFp38/s1600/DSCF8235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQe7hJGar0uGQde_Dk72fj2QCBOJV_t-9AwIrptlEerUyukOCviVSWNQfGuLNmsdJW_lwURIug1Y5clqGq2RN2m6pLSzFqVbMRgWGtQfwN3NCcp7TuuiaGOgpU7IIIg7goABRUQUGFp38/s200/DSCF8235.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No. That is not Spiderman. That is a Power Ranger. I know. Kinda hard to tell. I made the same mistake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00DZUgJTS2_X12_QcHGleK_zDPxtWD2MEIA-eDvTa-XevUpog4gzgQjSfpKEAITYqQ0HWGWimK-u6AKy1MF3uH21pCS3AbILBKkEN-D0ZDSiryZ_WFgHOlL3yOCo8okZjKaEmv0eWoVg/s1600/DSCF8250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00DZUgJTS2_X12_QcHGleK_zDPxtWD2MEIA-eDvTa-XevUpog4gzgQjSfpKEAITYqQ0HWGWimK-u6AKy1MF3uH21pCS3AbILBKkEN-D0ZDSiryZ_WFgHOlL3yOCo8okZjKaEmv0eWoVg/s200/DSCF8250.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitty Fights!!!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOysGGCoJoYHMIaHlR4ZF-7XuZFzC27CfYHL5pGA6xCltB5u5rnFfqKMbBEp27V52VeKwjd-7rpUpSLcJLLfN3N0BDpVbhx4Y0ry0AxAOVXmK5fsnkK6Rol8JHlZVCgzXEDREEEYMui3c/s1600/DSCF8257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOysGGCoJoYHMIaHlR4ZF-7XuZFzC27CfYHL5pGA6xCltB5u5rnFfqKMbBEp27V52VeKwjd-7rpUpSLcJLLfN3N0BDpVbhx4Y0ry0AxAOVXmK5fsnkK6Rol8JHlZVCgzXEDREEEYMui3c/s200/DSCF8257.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hayden-the Master of Chillin'</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Eventually I will label these long summer days as boring but for now they are heaven sent. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-72604139846994907872011-06-17T08:07:00.000-04:002011-06-17T08:07:46.764-04:00Summer Update<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Well, HHHEEEELLLOOOOO summer! You have been missed. The end of school year stress that I was feeling just weeks ago has been replaced with sweet relaxation. Coffee till noon. Wine till dusk. No worries. No hurries. What's not to love? Mosquitoes, smoke, suffocating heat- yeah that stuff sucks but not enough to make me feel anything less than elated that my vacation is in full swing.<br />
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About a month ago Matt bought a used conversion van. It reminds me of a Velcro sneaker. Dorky as hell but so practical and comfortable. We've gone for an evening cruise almost every night since we got it. Movie on. Headphones on. Interior lights on. Shades down. Straight pimpin'. The best part is that Matt and I can actually talk to each other in the car. The kids absolutely love it, and we do too.<br />
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Since I'm going to have a little time on my hands, I mentioned to Matt that I am thinking about learning to cook. On Monday night I heated up a Digiorno pizza and tonight I made a box of Kraft macaroni. So far, so bad:(<br />
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If you follow my blog, you know that I have issues with my dry, cracked heels. I found a product, Blue Goo Cracked Heel, that has helped my feet tremendously. I promised myself months ago that once my heels no longer resembled the Grand Canyon, I would reward myself with a pedicure. Guess what? Now I have a toe fungus. Yuck! I can't believe I'm writing this, but the truth is the truth. My big toe looks like it belongs to an 80 year old hobo. I guess my pedicure will have to wait.<br />
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The family is loving <strong>Finding Bigfoot</strong> on Animal Planet. Matt and I giggle each time they use the word <em>squatch</em> on the show. I think it could actually become a fun drinking game. We're also thinking about getting a sticker made for the car that says- Squatch Life. Yeah, we're fans. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRcRlUYT22hGjRdyVkTTyCNNwDu_uN49h6BeEorjTz-E7CWLeuvEHNWhFgrRT4LqzbmAkZbb7Zbuad0zKXCJS3-cVAl_u6HlZ8eo-N239jeyG9Y7x53yTB82QpT2GLWkJ9pdkVP_Ww_k/s1600/squatch.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRcRlUYT22hGjRdyVkTTyCNNwDu_uN49h6BeEorjTz-E7CWLeuvEHNWhFgrRT4LqzbmAkZbb7Zbuad0zKXCJS3-cVAl_u6HlZ8eo-N239jeyG9Y7x53yTB82QpT2GLWkJ9pdkVP_Ww_k/s320/squatch.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Hayden started taking Karate lessons on Monday. I was all excited that he picked an indoor sport. When I took him to class, I was shocked to find out that the studio does not have air conditioning (by choice I might add). I sat and sweat for an hour and a half watching my son kick and chop his way to near exhaustion. Incredibly, he loved it! Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-78724351558768494452011-05-27T23:06:00.004-04:002011-05-27T23:17:21.889-04:00me VS meWhen I am feeling <em>stressed </em>to the<strong> MAX,</strong> I curl up into a little ball inside my mushy brain and wait for the heart palpitations to pass. I suppose I retreat inside myself because it is not as obvious as hiding under the pile of dirty laundry in my closet. When I live in my head, I look present, but I'm not. I hear you, but I'm not listening. The light is on, but no one is home. I don't necessarily find comfort in the looping and random thoughts that pulse through my brain like a laser light show- but it's what I know. The absurd scenarios I play out in my mind only add to the stress I feel, but again- it's what I know. Maybe retreating inside myself allows me the opportunity to jump into the ring with ME and beat the mess out of myself. Then when I'm all tired out, I can crawl out of the ring- a winner no matter what because whoever wins, it will always be me. But then again, I guess there will always be a ME that loses. Needless to say, I've been in the ring. The last round was fierce, but I came out swinging. No longer am I curled up into a little ball inside my mushy brain. I am PRESENT! The mind is a terrible thing to waste, and it is also a terrible place hide.Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-48875927368975866362011-05-06T17:02:00.000-04:002011-05-06T17:02:54.264-04:00<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Daily Glass of Whine:</span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccOro-jFM7fcE6lYuUy17ZUkOVEc6VM4rDYbSaZWq3EUquF_4NvYt7Ovp8gfjlfNdP09Dh71mQwYJZe_oDRBKjg8x4wJUUTad3Chjnf8zdAF7OlhkSH9nK4ZkH9PM73TU7eWLeGvb5kI/s1600/tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccOro-jFM7fcE6lYuUy17ZUkOVEc6VM4rDYbSaZWq3EUquF_4NvYt7Ovp8gfjlfNdP09Dh71mQwYJZe_oDRBKjg8x4wJUUTad3Chjnf8zdAF7OlhkSH9nK4ZkH9PM73TU7eWLeGvb5kI/s1600/tree.jpg" /></a></div>This is not a picture of a tree from my hometown, but we have plenty of trees that look just like this. I understand the need to trim a tree that is situated near power lines, but this just looks stupid. I realize this is probably not the most earth friendly suggestion, but rather than give poor trees hack jobs, why not just cut them down? Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-68804629544122127852011-04-30T08:24:00.000-04:002011-04-30T08:24:45.307-04:00Spring BreakYesterday we had a birthday party for Josie. It was a Selena Gomez, slip n slide, trampoline, playhouse, makeup party. I hope the girls had fun. It was hard to tell because they were eerily quiet.<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDv2NeBL7CRRO8Fl1zIEJ9BTx1KAWhdGE4hy-z4et8H6TaKLfyTVpmsms271_uVlIQmXfa9Y0wNEHOCkXvHiph06uDGr6E1qyM5hTRRn-aWFIRm39LKhKJFW-F4TEvqZTJWgexwMBPmww/s1600/DSCF7931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDv2NeBL7CRRO8Fl1zIEJ9BTx1KAWhdGE4hy-z4et8H6TaKLfyTVpmsms271_uVlIQmXfa9Y0wNEHOCkXvHiph06uDGr6E1qyM5hTRRn-aWFIRm39LKhKJFW-F4TEvqZTJWgexwMBPmww/s400/DSCF7931.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyyjtZFBFsMIU69dn3ajr9qwFxlIlhCD3jCoe_FfCP_5hVvy-1SkY-CEFqCNdZP7lQwxycavsPycnc6IFDhAPh6Bx14Stv_yr5uzX_VGA4KRpe0h2e994pmY6e7muDATJelighPQJnM8/s1600/DSCF7920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyyjtZFBFsMIU69dn3ajr9qwFxlIlhCD3jCoe_FfCP_5hVvy-1SkY-CEFqCNdZP7lQwxycavsPycnc6IFDhAPh6Bx14Stv_yr5uzX_VGA4KRpe0h2e994pmY6e7muDATJelighPQJnM8/s200/DSCF7920.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTutGKZW-vuzARE0N7JKOm2fl_LeIZqa3uj5dokftem7qqoETtF33-PA5kD6vP8C4QoSm04P7q7XjJCmWeAYb06m2gHMY4kemHshW_MDeL-430ftk-u_PMh9ef9JC3ZGGYGJ_skWNKys/s1600/DSCF7917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTutGKZW-vuzARE0N7JKOm2fl_LeIZqa3uj5dokftem7qqoETtF33-PA5kD6vP8C4QoSm04P7q7XjJCmWeAYb06m2gHMY4kemHshW_MDeL-430ftk-u_PMh9ef9JC3ZGGYGJ_skWNKys/s200/DSCF7917.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SESRBlXib2QHMtiqARM3NGmgM2U6eVN5Q_2I9zb2FrRWkwBtywtGBvEXdL-KnTjvhoKybgbyg_ivmxu94iHFxhe5rtLwPBtn5nAH3trT7ZNOgWpRB4CDIaJRSSY-Dw8mdSnECwFKTUI/s1600/DSCF7918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SESRBlXib2QHMtiqARM3NGmgM2U6eVN5Q_2I9zb2FrRWkwBtywtGBvEXdL-KnTjvhoKybgbyg_ivmxu94iHFxhe5rtLwPBtn5nAH3trT7ZNOgWpRB4CDIaJRSSY-Dw8mdSnECwFKTUI/s200/DSCF7918.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">It's been a lightning fast spring break, and I definitely don't feel like I got enough chill days in. I realize summer break is right around the corner, so I'm not going to let myself get too down about it. We packed in quite a few events this week, most of which involved us being outdoors. (BTW-I hate you allergies) The highlight of our week was Seaworld. Because Hayden read all 7 of the Harry Potter books, we let him choose which theme park he wanted to visit. For sure we thought he would choose Universal Studios, but then he surprised us with Seaworld. He may have regretted his decision after the fact, but he didn't say so. Our visit to Seaworld was quick. We arrived at 9:15 and departed at 2:15. The heat and the walking were too much for Josie and Lucas, so we left with our souvenirs and sausage fingers and headed home. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCrlT3vBfOfGcgRbamWg6K5Bff7F7UQx6FgYmREZk-pxD3pN83wBiJazi5vRsrASWLUoaT8d0dhPiOHiRPlwXF_tjVCkgqjaZ45t-dLfjszD0XoopaMK3WUSqTur0wiFQ74WMblHhvOo/s1600/DSC00087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCrlT3vBfOfGcgRbamWg6K5Bff7F7UQx6FgYmREZk-pxD3pN83wBiJazi5vRsrASWLUoaT8d0dhPiOHiRPlwXF_tjVCkgqjaZ45t-dLfjszD0XoopaMK3WUSqTur0wiFQ74WMblHhvOo/s320/DSC00087.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuttJv8pGMrirhT-r6Et7rUiosMg212j88x-CsbUQKz2pUxo5NYEOao4hr6i0V3KPTzdXdwSZuYYmhyJIsbtQ_8Ve4cmyKAuLIM9wDvdCI6iGLjJkwkDZsPoQuGncw6Ezfm_CBVbFN-g/s1600/DSC00090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuttJv8pGMrirhT-r6Et7rUiosMg212j88x-CsbUQKz2pUxo5NYEOao4hr6i0V3KPTzdXdwSZuYYmhyJIsbtQ_8Ve4cmyKAuLIM9wDvdCI6iGLjJkwkDZsPoQuGncw6Ezfm_CBVbFN-g/s200/DSC00090.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-41060578204459906352011-04-28T18:01:00.001-04:002011-04-28T18:04:04.126-04:00Daily Glass of Whine:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh36aTr1_ou2XFRQuH7ETME_v4kHuUh6ZG0_UucemNOs-22KTc42Rck3wYKJnAVMJCiI6jXxUToNka5NaFeHlVnwY1VzTpWDu-BCU-mKokCVzbnZCfOaaC5ftHb2TRb6UxNRbPX0A7rDXw/s1600/DSCF7915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh36aTr1_ou2XFRQuH7ETME_v4kHuUh6ZG0_UucemNOs-22KTc42Rck3wYKJnAVMJCiI6jXxUToNka5NaFeHlVnwY1VzTpWDu-BCU-mKokCVzbnZCfOaaC5ftHb2TRb6UxNRbPX0A7rDXw/s320/DSCF7915.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The amount of water this toilet holds is RIDICULOUS!!!!! I spend more time scrubbing this toilet than I do using it.<br />
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FYI- if you are interested in brewing beer, head on over to my hubby's blog The Frugal Brewer.<br />
<a href="http://daddyhood-matt.blogspot.com/">http://daddyhood-matt.blogspot.com/</a>Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-9242285265252015202011-04-23T22:24:00.001-04:002011-04-23T22:28:42.801-04:00Rodman Campground<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9v5M0QVfUAo7wE7HM1roGpeEstSTXcqdcnyoEO76Uw8j5r-c37i7AOk8KnYTmKd_QYn4F9xWALn9xv5d4wQZhqH4e0Q3lVSqd50ZSi2WjX-EQ1-eRAf4mUOX7kwJX8uX20yn94HRrJw/s1600/DSCF7738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9v5M0QVfUAo7wE7HM1roGpeEstSTXcqdcnyoEO76Uw8j5r-c37i7AOk8KnYTmKd_QYn4F9xWALn9xv5d4wQZhqH4e0Q3lVSqd50ZSi2WjX-EQ1-eRAf4mUOX7kwJX8uX20yn94HRrJw/s320/DSCF7738.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt nearly ripped his nipple off coming down out of this tree. OUCH! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2ZIM3xfSh2MSJxmGCNrfkkvknW3dyxBgCGVkH2lHCtB3xofpk2_dAc4FnDki_WRv-cIbDCygV_TpfcTxtrTtmFwcZeqgah1R2DpLlHl5I3BeXcnboCh37CbQOkEZ31E-26b5rgDwko4/s1600/DSCF7764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2ZIM3xfSh2MSJxmGCNrfkkvknW3dyxBgCGVkH2lHCtB3xofpk2_dAc4FnDki_WRv-cIbDCygV_TpfcTxtrTtmFwcZeqgah1R2DpLlHl5I3BeXcnboCh37CbQOkEZ31E-26b5rgDwko4/s320/DSCF7764.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids enjoyed a nice little easter egg hunt</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WLKoE9OW35yV86KvNmkXHORGZ3jG_X2ndqeFNvYQACbFwxiB4jptDhfoyxa-YLm2wxSVuN_mzTiLavJr0Lzo5LicAAdh9vunI4dYoMiM7FTxH5zzkZwWxkABBGf6aQ61RitdINUki_0/s1600/DSCF7776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WLKoE9OW35yV86KvNmkXHORGZ3jG_X2ndqeFNvYQACbFwxiB4jptDhfoyxa-YLm2wxSVuN_mzTiLavJr0Lzo5LicAAdh9vunI4dYoMiM7FTxH5zzkZwWxkABBGf6aQ61RitdINUki_0/s320/DSCF7776.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josie and Brady hanging by the fire.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just might be the Jiffiest of Jiffy feet I ever did see.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hayden found Nirvana while roasting marshmallows.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIcUZECALvnpTPjQZSJKi27XJivI-tzc_BfD9-bqiy0B77LeZmbbz9pzzY25E-nU-K5LRYEMvWv21OVstabmsJ0D7il__Rgt_Ow4_Q8prgNmiU4TWe9tqUh9bIcOQLJvobwyh2Ifc5gQ/s1600/DSCF7797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIcUZECALvnpTPjQZSJKi27XJivI-tzc_BfD9-bqiy0B77LeZmbbz9pzzY25E-nU-K5LRYEMvWv21OVstabmsJ0D7il__Rgt_Ow4_Q8prgNmiU4TWe9tqUh9bIcOQLJvobwyh2Ifc5gQ/s320/DSCF7797.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josie was so exhausted from all the fun that she burst into tears as soon as we got into the car. Now that is some hard playing:) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjorM-rzp0n1s2xyPRqo8Edye22L3-6k0uCc4OCFDi_4kqjNh_fbPaweAwKTltX_CjariIOkSRddmjeW3blh1m1iMQbz1sx36Ra2D4oxbn3MPGFHjLS2Xc5dbSLzALsYRvg1JpldCiy4/s1600/DSCF7799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjorM-rzp0n1s2xyPRqo8Edye22L3-6k0uCc4OCFDi_4kqjNh_fbPaweAwKTltX_CjariIOkSRddmjeW3blh1m1iMQbz1sx36Ra2D4oxbn3MPGFHjLS2Xc5dbSLzALsYRvg1JpldCiy4/s320/DSCF7799.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor baby was so tired she didn't even know what to do with herself.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgregUIqr2zWKqF6VpvQtVj4GH5LaLlUvsG_41SHAWjltTrV4j6tgy9Fn77aiq6e9Uyh5Z5bm2ij6kK4NS894683DtKLscXZLdAc7OlA4SNhYCeBrOoioOrpwmeQ53NMA2wAs3Fnvbqcvk/s1600/DSCF7802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgregUIqr2zWKqF6VpvQtVj4GH5LaLlUvsG_41SHAWjltTrV4j6tgy9Fn77aiq6e9Uyh5Z5bm2ij6kK4NS894683DtKLscXZLdAc7OlA4SNhYCeBrOoioOrpwmeQ53NMA2wAs3Fnvbqcvk/s320/DSCF7802.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is me keeping my cool. Notice Josie's face in the background. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Weaver's invited us to come out to the Rodman Campgrounds Friday afternoon. They had a great set up- picnic table, grill, camper, boat, satellite TV. The kids had a fantastic time playing together. They rode bikes, slid down pine covered hills, climbed trees, hunted eggs, and wrestled in a dried up retention pond. By the end of it all, my fair skinned children had turned a dusty shade of gray. In my entire life, I don't believe I've ever seen them so filthy. Each time they snagged a new drink from the cooler, the dirt on their arms turned to mud. The worst was when the dirt began sticking to their marshmallow covered faces. We thought about taking them to the bath house to get rinsed off, but that just seemed like more trouble than it was worth. Instead, we loaded their sweaty, sticky, dirt covered bodies into the car. Josie was delirious from all the playing. She had a blast but was not accustomed to being out in the heat for that extent of time, so she lost her mind when we got into the car. Lucas and Hayden found her wailing to be quite comical, as did Matt and I. Thanks for the invite Weavers. We had a great time, dirt and all. My favorite part- watching the little ones try to take down Hayden. Good Times!Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-9333207353138448402011-04-17T07:16:00.000-04:002011-04-17T07:16:03.045-04:00Taco Night<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqi9dUb02mQGoPYppPBi3Z1QvnAsNp_57mC8Kia09262J23UyZTMroHgfQ5EuTqFUOnukPhgROz_G-59lGTaDuCN-hoAJg6_VuIgO1__rQ4JDRtVi1o9KpJq7NmH_lNjMX8AIZZWvmcWE/s1600/DSCF7705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqi9dUb02mQGoPYppPBi3Z1QvnAsNp_57mC8Kia09262J23UyZTMroHgfQ5EuTqFUOnukPhgROz_G-59lGTaDuCN-hoAJg6_VuIgO1__rQ4JDRtVi1o9KpJq7NmH_lNjMX8AIZZWvmcWE/s320/DSCF7705.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dylan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCXkt6h170tduQ0v1wi_kAfq0t6NfGdSwxUVsjUu0Vj2Rh_gnv5kwI_XBwcOgkKlua_kLFrkvmZoSgEZHPqUxYbe25e4f_lVZ7ERVzztFmun5XUX7PcIP8iT1kIxHcwtmb4IIQ2yKA4U/s1600/DSCF7707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCXkt6h170tduQ0v1wi_kAfq0t6NfGdSwxUVsjUu0Vj2Rh_gnv5kwI_XBwcOgkKlua_kLFrkvmZoSgEZHPqUxYbe25e4f_lVZ7ERVzztFmun5XUX7PcIP8iT1kIxHcwtmb4IIQ2yKA4U/s320/DSCF7707.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liv and Jo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIkClngbep5Si-zp05JI5-C5yZ2GTtcrt_CcPCx8dmYcPqV58YQqxm2FiKO9WLs7jBXmdzeFpn2aTEh4QpW1vHQFQy4_PxN1NgiXdcZaN3wtRpBkEOw2aGn2jYrcXDjBuaBu_5v4ReKw/s1600/DSCF7708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIkClngbep5Si-zp05JI5-C5yZ2GTtcrt_CcPCx8dmYcPqV58YQqxm2FiKO9WLs7jBXmdzeFpn2aTEh4QpW1vHQFQy4_PxN1NgiXdcZaN3wtRpBkEOw2aGn2jYrcXDjBuaBu_5v4ReKw/s320/DSCF7708.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Priceless</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcQyFBqyThgprrQHNbQkdDinNWic95ReK0FbppvfLbFeLYYHJjMgIx2mzCbi4U-o0MkNV1Yfkf1FDbzqaA3N-AbtRl3mwCi9dFPvyl5o60fs192YgjtHxSIlmZljA1zh9JimjzsgvvLU/s1600/DSCF7711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcQyFBqyThgprrQHNbQkdDinNWic95ReK0FbppvfLbFeLYYHJjMgIx2mzCbi4U-o0MkNV1Yfkf1FDbzqaA3N-AbtRl3mwCi9dFPvyl5o60fs192YgjtHxSIlmZljA1zh9JimjzsgvvLU/s320/DSCF7711.JPG" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Princess</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7LupEydRSveDKPgOVZxNbHfpET4xZoZm7zCWbJ-a8NmZ2yBF4E3n5z0B8A5j2VGhVd0ePlvS_MWzvO0vgXNPxSpDAts0GATevxFnaN9lV-270KSrL4MmjsZuSqF9rrkgm6B_4N8J1hY/s1600/DSCF7712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7LupEydRSveDKPgOVZxNbHfpET4xZoZm7zCWbJ-a8NmZ2yBF4E3n5z0B8A5j2VGhVd0ePlvS_MWzvO0vgXNPxSpDAts0GATevxFnaN9lV-270KSrL4MmjsZuSqF9rrkgm6B_4N8J1hY/s320/DSCF7712.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luke loves hanging with the girls. I can't say that they feel the same way.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-kFWX79U-aMCQEEM1U9163fCti25vqRZIlMBy_3fcN2mhWKtu5LghXSB9q5hP-dKc-vUpXu_2n2DH55Sn3DesJZ7bzkgwDQJ8vLR9noZ3okt-gOxvfh5ZN04xLdT_2QORxWaHOgD50c/s1600/DSCF7715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-kFWX79U-aMCQEEM1U9163fCti25vqRZIlMBy_3fcN2mhWKtu5LghXSB9q5hP-dKc-vUpXu_2n2DH55Sn3DesJZ7bzkgwDQJ8vLR9noZ3okt-gOxvfh5ZN04xLdT_2QORxWaHOgD50c/s400/DSCF7715.JPG" width="170" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Divas</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>My bff, Leaa, came over yesterday and brought her two precious little girls. Alivia and Josie had a fabulous time playing dress up, and I had a fabulous time snuggling with baby Dylan. My kids are convinced that Leaa is their Aunt and Jesse is their Uncle and Alivia and Dylan are their cousins. I'm thinking we should just go with it. I grew up calling my mom's bff- Aunt Jo and I still do to this day.<br />
Aunt Leaa, we are so glad y'all were able to come enjoy taco night with the Bergs. Let's do it again soon.Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-64106708312532461512011-04-13T22:39:00.002-04:002011-04-14T07:29:47.106-04:00home sweet home <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdWyT-s9IUAbSb4u1XYDagKShidU7hBy4jiYgbTMGlRho2Awo769Obz66NclkAk3ncVFwNrwHnbulTy88jYuaV9cjjn8zHiXjgss6GCtL9pqM9G6VfiQJB3DhELQtNvclqMmsfSan8aU/s1600/DSCF7693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdWyT-s9IUAbSb4u1XYDagKShidU7hBy4jiYgbTMGlRho2Awo769Obz66NclkAk3ncVFwNrwHnbulTy88jYuaV9cjjn8zHiXjgss6GCtL9pqM9G6VfiQJB3DhELQtNvclqMmsfSan8aU/s200/DSCF7693.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luke fell off his tricycle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxUIonpGatNp6DjeoZ20mbGxmezqnGdcwiXjE0HLW_Rj84T3qwEp0lDNcbEQteYMMiA3i4fqjyZbupCLVjzv2r6-qlKOar8UX9XhswOo4tTryhXouhsGwBqM6VYQtVoVELzZ53p_07dko/s1600/DSCF7646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxUIonpGatNp6DjeoZ20mbGxmezqnGdcwiXjE0HLW_Rj84T3qwEp0lDNcbEQteYMMiA3i4fqjyZbupCLVjzv2r6-qlKOar8UX9XhswOo4tTryhXouhsGwBqM6VYQtVoVELzZ53p_07dko/s200/DSCF7646.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hayden reading- Eldest.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0OH32pqUDTLMrJW_jl4vLA17Kb7oM2dizuBcVbEh0t2S5O6LM7lJK6Bc4HTxrE8GSJOW-UZWwdwYXgorSImTK-rgautG7SdrjQjVoeIYLsaeAvuHtAF67kanuY4BXb1T9tNfXkckEyAs/s1600/DSCF7662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0OH32pqUDTLMrJW_jl4vLA17Kb7oM2dizuBcVbEh0t2S5O6LM7lJK6Bc4HTxrE8GSJOW-UZWwdwYXgorSImTK-rgautG7SdrjQjVoeIYLsaeAvuHtAF67kanuY4BXb1T9tNfXkckEyAs/s200/DSCF7662.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Here Mommy"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peeking behind the camphors.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canning. Canning. Canning.</td></tr>
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Wednesday night is my favorite night to watch television. 8:00- The Middle, 8:30- Better With You, 9:00- Modern Family. And guess what? Today is Wednesday. Ye-Haw! I'm gonna watch me some shows. Last night we had tacoless tacos and tonight we had tortillaless fajitas. I'm thinking tomorrow night we should have bunless hamburgers and maybe Friday night we can have noodleless spaghetti. I joke, but really, dinner the last two nights has been quite excellent. We had a very uneventful, yet wonderful weekend. We started off early Saturday morning by hitting a few thrift stores. Then we went to Lowe's and purchased an awesome shelving system. Matt wanted it so that he could store all his brewing gizmos, and I wanted it so that I could make the kitchen look like a display at a corner market. Home decor has always been a source of contention between Matt and I. I tend to get a little themey with the decor and Matt is definitely more eclectic, which is probably a good thing. Back in middle school I painted sunflowers all over my bedroom walls. My bedroom always had a theme. Then when Matt and I first got married, we both fell in love with Asian design. Of course we could only afford knockoff knick knacks from Big Lots, but we thought it was wonderful. I'm happy to say that our home is currently themeless. No roosters in the kitchen or small, wooden birdhouses in the living room. I realize now that I must stay away from objects that could lead to themes. It's just too tempting. No themes, just love. Home sweet home:)Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-56271776688022716052011-04-05T23:27:00.000-04:002011-04-05T23:27:20.403-04:00Craigslist-Birthday-HallelujahMatt and I are going through a major Craigslist phase. Anything that doesn't have functional or sentimental value is at risk of being sold on Craigslist. It is such an easy way to sell things. The only downside, besides the risk you take that the person you are dealing with could be a serial killer, is responding to all the inquiries from people who don't really intend on buying the item in the first place. So far though, Craigslist has been an easy way for us to make a little extra money, and that is always a good thing. Speaking of good things, I received an early birthday present today. My friend, Belinda, had a funky little mini-apron made for me. Some teachers scoff at mini-aprons, but I find them to be quite useful. I can stuff the pockets full of treats for the sweet boys and girls, or I can take Pokemon cards and cell phones from the naughty children and store them safely in my apron pockets. Matt hasn't yet asked me what I want for my birthday, but I have something in mind. The No! No! Hair Removal System. I realize that I'm probably just one of those chumps that falls for the magic of infomercials, but this little piece of technology seems amazing. I don't even own it yet, but I have big plans for it. Bye, Bye underarm hair! I'm pretty sure that the No! No! Hair Removal System is out of our price range, so I have a back up gift- The Shark Floor Steamer. We have hardwood and tile throughout the majority of the house, and each time I see the infomercial for the Shark Floor Steamer, I sigh. I sigh because it looks like it works so wonderfully. No harsh chemicals. No messy mops or buckets. Just pure steam. While I'm on the topic of my birthday, let me tell you about my plan. There are a few other girls from work that have birthdays in April, so we are going to celebrate together. Four girls, out on the town, celebrating the gift of life. I've never participated in anything so movie-like. I'm thinking the four of us should use the names- Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte (from Sex and the City) when we go out on the town. I'm excited to see how it all plays out. I'm sure there will be a lot of laughing and a lot of mojitos and a lot of "Hallelujah FCAT is OVER!!!!!"Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-91285468430018618762011-04-02T08:26:00.001-04:002011-04-03T08:51:02.642-04:00Sympathy <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmPCkgNvStLtBEDyRiQr5kJI0kxkmugPAU3IZnhZKipXkAoPD-sAyJJq6YseM3jdCDAs8-mjSznCods_36zS0m2Ts6m0pkzOuR3e7v4KaTB72YVsqUYiIm2VSLVruee8DytE3srGUWus/s1600/DSCF7612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmPCkgNvStLtBEDyRiQr5kJI0kxkmugPAU3IZnhZKipXkAoPD-sAyJJq6YseM3jdCDAs8-mjSznCods_36zS0m2Ts6m0pkzOuR3e7v4KaTB72YVsqUYiIm2VSLVruee8DytE3srGUWus/s400/DSCF7612.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor Lukey had a rough night. Darn stomach bug!</td></tr>
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<div align="left">We can't seem to keep Josie well, and the majority of last weekend was spent nursing her back to health. <i> I</i> felt like <b>crapholyo</b> all week and passed out each afternoon when I got home from work. Matt put up with me, but he didn't truly show me any sympathy until Wednesday afternoon when the yuck that had been creeping up on me for days was finally evident on my face, or should I say leaking from my face. Cold medication was no match for the virus that invaded my head. I slept the majority of the day Thursday, and by Friday the head cold was gone. I now am a proud owner of a lovely dry cough, but I'll take that over a faucet face any day. So, to celebrate the sickly week coming to an end, Matt and I decided to ride to Gainesville and see what kind of trouble we could get into. Our first stop was to Hoggetown Ale Works. Matt picked up a few supplies, and then we headed to Macaroni Grill. After placing our order, we got a phone call from Grandma. Lucas was sick- pukey sick. When the food arrived, we quickly scarfed down as much as we could and boxed the rest. Even though our date was cut short, we enjoyed each other's company. The amount of words we exchanged in that 3-4 hour period far exceeded that of the previous week's words combined. Hayden and Josie are still with Grandma and Big Daddy, so the Luke man has us all to himself and I can tell he is loving the attention. Back tickles and cool wash cloths, who can blame him?</div>Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-63342015208969667932011-03-26T23:46:00.003-04:002011-03-27T07:47:39.768-04:00Just Talk<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWM-W0PQoJYfhAagkV7EnYD-xBES3dKDBfzJhcj9BFDxcCfgBsMdOEEK6qY7_7BjFDN6UGRSi4ZQx4AdkLVkCO-KoWjQJX-WIT9SeSd45CngkL1P_uExszVKGXqSpJYHZJA7R6JaWYD8/s1600/DSCF7556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWM-W0PQoJYfhAagkV7EnYD-xBES3dKDBfzJhcj9BFDxcCfgBsMdOEEK6qY7_7BjFDN6UGRSi4ZQx4AdkLVkCO-KoWjQJX-WIT9SeSd45CngkL1P_uExszVKGXqSpJYHZJA7R6JaWYD8/s320/DSCF7556.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt's homemade thing-a-ma-jig for brewing beer. Impressive</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmP2c3xgOKR3XaiSHxMOjJgg2P1FelBlYOkqjFqiTrfT3IHnQq1I6GQTePYXoE8kOZBKWX9p4rkIyuX1tjT1LDSxAXWcFEDSYlQ6zoJ-ZsDW2Yy33SlhXM-d7hQo9fTzsXC1JFa9Hm7to/s1600/DSCF7593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmP2c3xgOKR3XaiSHxMOjJgg2P1FelBlYOkqjFqiTrfT3IHnQq1I6GQTePYXoE8kOZBKWX9p4rkIyuX1tjT1LDSxAXWcFEDSYlQ6zoJ-ZsDW2Yy33SlhXM-d7hQo9fTzsXC1JFa9Hm7to/s320/DSCF7593.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt attaching a hose he ran through the kitchen window to the beer thing-a-ma-jiggy. This better be some good beer.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_yARa_nlO34klY5a40OysTdkM8KcKqxC-St-3g4oWEzo-R768BYE-AJVlTSBQWrRJzudPCXUHFPT3n1rsfGrKpZ2D-c9VHfpv3ArXmBbwSyw1XKe2IZTbTwpeZyrRri5Z67f8MbPg3MA/s1600/DSCF7569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_yARa_nlO34klY5a40OysTdkM8KcKqxC-St-3g4oWEzo-R768BYE-AJVlTSBQWrRJzudPCXUHFPT3n1rsfGrKpZ2D-c9VHfpv3ArXmBbwSyw1XKe2IZTbTwpeZyrRri5Z67f8MbPg3MA/s320/DSCF7569.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bathroom is complete- we can pee in it and everything!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5F65YhBY3To8Z8g6qOgY2kfMcuWgTd6uo7IxhIw2Zvy79OQ8PJLdOOsD6SmiSMBpqGnYKn7eh_bwcUtGrocotw4uuCJDXyzIyv30ASm7J6VV57VBMWzI18x9r7_z8GcVmeEhjNBmIYdw/s1600/DSCF7582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5F65YhBY3To8Z8g6qOgY2kfMcuWgTd6uo7IxhIw2Zvy79OQ8PJLdOOsD6SmiSMBpqGnYKn7eh_bwcUtGrocotw4uuCJDXyzIyv30ASm7J6VV57VBMWzI18x9r7_z8GcVmeEhjNBmIYdw/s320/DSCF7582.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recycling Update: As you can see, plastic and aluminum are taking over our kitchen. I truly wish they picked up recycling more than just every other Wednesday. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55Jo0Dr5GKiJUB8VvxNKjq1Z72cC07Ep6H5FWS6FRLVpK-DUDiH6OYCojEJjNVJ0Rsrhs0_eCNjJw3tRsJQWu0-CbiHG60AKr1mpfp-ADevMh9gmQ0RQ6oc9OiFhAqLwF4EuOCR7VyGU/s1600/DSCF7587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55Jo0Dr5GKiJUB8VvxNKjq1Z72cC07Ep6H5FWS6FRLVpK-DUDiH6OYCojEJjNVJ0Rsrhs0_eCNjJw3tRsJQWu0-CbiHG60AKr1mpfp-ADevMh9gmQ0RQ6oc9OiFhAqLwF4EuOCR7VyGU/s320/DSCF7587.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shave Secret- this is a product Matt began using two weeks ago, and he swears it is the best thing ever. He uses it instead of shaving cream, and it prevents razor burn. (WalMart) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPoxe27cPXQ9k3_JOGOFA9peq6VwYKRLuI0LWYhqdfA_QnG3cBHWmEDDgl7yY35alhnCRHJN0tGMZJLZLdagzEQZhzIMP3WNG_XL6zcN_rt_ZASmULByNP1mIbNRSa-6I_ishIuJXkSM/s1600/DSCF7529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPoxe27cPXQ9k3_JOGOFA9peq6VwYKRLuI0LWYhqdfA_QnG3cBHWmEDDgl7yY35alhnCRHJN0tGMZJLZLdagzEQZhzIMP3WNG_XL6zcN_rt_ZASmULByNP1mIbNRSa-6I_ishIuJXkSM/s320/DSCF7529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new nightly ritual- coffee so that I can stay up late enough to tuck my kids in bed and emu oil for my feet so that Lucas can stop pointing at the cracks in my heels and asking "How you have that boo boo, Mama?" </td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Try It-</strong> I'm not trying to push products on anyone, but when I know something works, I've got to share. Matt loves his Shave Secret, and I love my Blue Goo. <em>Try it and you might like it. If you try it, you just might like it.</em> (nods to all you Yo Gabba Gabba fans)<br />
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<strong>Home-</strong> Josie's been sick. Doctor says ear infection. After 4 doses of antibiotics, she was still running a 104 degree fever this afternoon. In fact, I would say she was sicker today than she was when Matt took her to the doctor Thursday afternoon. Meanwhile, Matt spent the majority of his day getting his homemade brew going. I'm not quite sure how he did it- grains, water, hop, a hose, copper tubing. All I know is that the house now smells like sweet potatoes. Lucas and Hayden enjoyed a fun day at Grandma's and Big Daddy's. And I vacuumed baseboards and chinchilla turds. Productive. I did catch an episode of Curb Appeal the Block and Dear Genevieve, so I can't complain. Tomorrow I plan on drinking 8 cups of coffee for breakfast and watching a tearjerker of a movie, all while the kids take turns asking me for things. I'm convinced that they enjoy seeing me get up, not sure why, but that has to be it.<br />
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<strong>Work- </strong>Just as I'm convinced that my biological children enjoy seeing me get up from a sitting position, I am equally convinced that my school children enjoy seeing the veins pulse in my forehead. And that is all I have to say about that.<br />
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<strong>Dreams-</strong> Who needs em? <br />
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<strong>Food-</strong> Slow cooked Chicken Curry. Again, one more thing I must insist you try.<br />
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<strong>Music-</strong> Erykah Badu- I love her. Always have, always will. Here is one of my favorite songs.<br />
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<object height="390" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7uUlcqPqolU?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7uUlcqPqolU?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="390"></embed></object>Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-76774634187854659472011-03-24T22:15:00.003-04:002011-03-24T22:26:17.531-04:00Sleeping HabitsIt's funny. What relaxes one person, may make another person completely agitated. For example, as I sit here typing away, Matt has fallen into a deep slumber brought on by the Native American Spiritual Chants he insist on listening to each night. I've mentioned my distaste for this music several times, and I make great effort to show my displeasure by flip-flopping in bed like a fish out of water, but I don't think he gets it. He thinks I'm being overly dramatic. And to that I say "Whateva!" So, once I hear him sawing logs, I sneak and turn off the music. Nature sounds are fine. I love the sounds of waves crashing or thunderstorms, but an eerie whistling flute just doesn't do it for me. There was a time when I could sleep soundly with the television on. In fact, I preferred it, but not any more. I find that I can go to sleep with it on just fine, but then right around 2:00 AM I awake to find the volume level so incredibly high that I can't move or think fast enough to find the remote. I have this moment of panic, like maybe my eardrums might rupture or something worse- what, I'm not sure- but bad. My preferred sleeping conditions are as follows- no light, no music, no television, a ceiling fan for cooling the room, a floor fan for creating a wonderful dull hum. Our queen size bed does not lend itself for the kind of sprawling I yearn for, but I do my best. The other night Matt and I coined a new term "mooning." We often try spooning, but I get fidgety. I have a toe bending thing. Weird- I know. Anyways, one of us always ends up turning the opposite direction, leaving us bottom to bottom. This is mooning. Not nearly as intimate as spooning, but touching nonetheless. Well, all this talk of sleep has got me feeling a little drowsy. I think it is time to turn off the music and turn on the floor fan. Good night. Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite!<br />
This one's for you, Matt. Enjoy!<br />
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<object height="390" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ETvFnLg0hXU?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ETvFnLg0hXU?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="390"></embed></object>Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-58293278364109412922011-03-20T21:41:00.000-04:002011-03-20T21:41:14.563-04:00"TOO-RA-LOO-RA-LOO-RA"Thinking about my Mema tonight. Earlier this evening I watched her sleep like a baby and was reminded of the sweet lullabies she would hum as she rocked me in her velour chair. The fact that I remember her rocking me is probably evidence that I was too old to be rocked. But grandmothers don't care about things like that. Mema is in the hosipital tonight. She is sick. She won't eat. She won't drink. She won't speak. Mema has dementia, and she doesn't know who I am, but she smiled when I kissed her forehead goodbye, and I bet she would smile if she heard this song.<br />
<object height="390" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5C3UHiD29BI?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5C3UHiD29BI?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="390"></embed></object>Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-14903151255672807522011-03-19T22:00:00.001-04:002011-03-19T22:02:00.733-04:00"supermoon"<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVURThKYUaCsKXJBenGzc8YuO1cADq-X4uvP0ZI_Pmzm6KW6sKN2f_ZzKu0y47chKGTB1mmm_yKfA38RxhAsg-oCBgMlwEVuZVu-hEAYJ8Iiabu-IkomqQdqOEIT0K2r2jAoyqPRBBtKM/s1600/moon+hunting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVURThKYUaCsKXJBenGzc8YuO1cADq-X4uvP0ZI_Pmzm6KW6sKN2f_ZzKu0y47chKGTB1mmm_yKfA38RxhAsg-oCBgMlwEVuZVu-hEAYJ8Iiabu-IkomqQdqOEIT0K2r2jAoyqPRBBtKM/s320/moon+hunting.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhye4uXeRLuqDSmW3uD5ZENFDjjlRMtkkLONH8Ly8iLfD8hYLDd3s-35bTYG9t9_HHhZQvZeMHMu44gsjbqUR-t89VrTYil08erul5UYgVnPIrV0iFO9dUYpNcUIIQtqdNRvbiOC-EwfN8/s1600/moon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhye4uXeRLuqDSmW3uD5ZENFDjjlRMtkkLONH8Ly8iLfD8hYLDd3s-35bTYG9t9_HHhZQvZeMHMu44gsjbqUR-t89VrTYil08erul5UYgVnPIrV0iFO9dUYpNcUIIQtqdNRvbiOC-EwfN8/s320/moon.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">supermoon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1495177561701861054.post-22230466615273347222011-03-16T21:37:00.002-04:002011-03-16T21:46:47.619-04:00Stop Looking At Me! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8a0UOuUw2T2t7TAd-Xpsxq4ZODYezlt0ZXNk9U5sW3rh8kskBMl5-BC6KKTCT9N97JJqX3oDEnrD1thpoyYVYzPzBAtHQGvg82VaRk67JD7PAkde7EPVmQzJwJUWf-Z9DCbilidyP8I/s1600/DSCF7340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8a0UOuUw2T2t7TAd-Xpsxq4ZODYezlt0ZXNk9U5sW3rh8kskBMl5-BC6KKTCT9N97JJqX3oDEnrD1thpoyYVYzPzBAtHQGvg82VaRk67JD7PAkde7EPVmQzJwJUWf-Z9DCbilidyP8I/s400/DSCF7340.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because sometimes he has just had ENOUGH!</td></tr>
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<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sometimes, in the most unexpected of moments, Lucas will decide that he does not want me to look at him. "Stop Looking At Me!" he will shout. Luckily, I was able to capture that moment of insanity the other day. Lucas was fed up with me "looking" at him, so he placed himself in time out. He had had ENOUGH! I thought about posting the video footage I filmed right before he stomped off to the ivy covered wall. But I just couldn't. Every time I watch that video I want to reach into the computer screen and snatch him up. If you are like me though, you make excuses for your child like- he's just sleepy or he's hungry or he's got an ear infection. These excuses allow you to forgive and forget and more importantly- maintain your sanity. </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Mama Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371951285783081237noreply@blogger.com0