Really??

Seriously, what is wrong with today's youth? How have we allowed children to become tyrants? Bullies? Disrespectful? Seems to me that our kids need MORE instruction and discipline, not more mindless entertainment, entertainment that often includes violence, foul language, graphic images, lack of respect for authority, etc. If I am concerned about the community I live in now, goodness, where will we be in 20, 40, 60years?

Perhaps what our children lack is our time...time where we, the adults, set the tone, the pace, the EXAMPLE... I know plenty of kids who are polite, caring, respectful people. I am beginning to know more kids however who are not. Kids who will lash out and harm those around them at the drop of a hat or even for sport. Kids today, adults tomorrow...what will their future bring them and, in the end, us?

Another Christmas...

The boys woke just after 7:30 and promptly ran around gathering the SnowmanPoop (mini marshmallows) for DS #1 to eat...blech! The morning was bright and shiny and the gifts overflowed from under the tree.

DS #1 received a MP3 Player, a comforter for his bed, apporximately 77 packs of gum (from many different people) to feed his gum chewing habit, chocolate mint cookies, two new shirts (spiffy polos), NOW26, Starbucks Peppermint Frappuchinos, and a bunch of gift cards!

DS#2 received an electric kids guitar which has already stopped working, two dance mats for his dance parties, Kidz Bop 12 CD, High School Musical CD, a new CD player, a Racheal Ray kids cookbook, a new shirt, a Bionicle, and some new books.

DS #3 received an orange fleece, an orange hat, and an orange backpack (have I mentioned orange is his favorite color?), a much anticipated Nintendo DS, a Spiderman 5 in 1 Web Blaster, some new books, a Bionicle, and some Spiderman games.

DS #4 received a magnetic monthly claendar board, a giraffe blanket, a giraffe book, a giraffe toy, and a jungle set (including three giraffes (did I mention he is completely smittten with giraffes?), a new yellow backpack and a yellow shirt (oh, he is also in love with the color yellow), a bunch of Hot Wheels and wooden cars (addicted to cars as well), and Lego Mosaics.

DS #5 received a Nintendo DS, a Bionicles building set, Legos Creator Dinosaur set and Racers, a red backpack, Lego building boards, some gift cards, and a game.

DH wanted work shirts (he got three), new socks and underwear (exciting I know, but practicality is his middle name), some snacks for the office (Odwalla bars, Luna bars, Cliff bras, nuts, etc.), some travel sized things for his suitcase, and a seriously cool cookbook he mentioned seeing. It's culturally relevant-it is written in English and has subtitles in Cantonese. Tradtional recipes...cant wait for him to get cooking!

Me? I got not so much...well, he told me late Christmas Eve that he really didn't have much for me. So he wound up wrapping a few things I had recently purchased (two shirts and a couple of scarves and a new book) to give me, but independently I received two pairs of socks (granted cool Smartwool ones I had asked for), some chocolate (have I mentioned I have lost 25 pounds in the last four months? Please don't tempt me...), and a Mountain Mudd gift card (coffee shop with a drive thru). So, yup...no diamond pendant (asked for over the last threeyears and no MP3 player or similar, also asked for), but hey, me feet will be toasty and I'll have some chocolate with my Chai Tea Lattes!

Hope your holiday was merry and bright...

Wrapping Rap Up!

This year I fairly freaked at the thought of the 10+ hours it would take for me to wrap everything.... so, I tried something new! I ordered online and had it shipped directly to them ("head's up, gift ain't wrapped, leave it in the shipping package until Christmas morn!)

Then I did what any rational woman of five would do. I bought a TON of short boxes, other boxes, and gift bags at the local Dollar Tree. Yup, stuff, open, flatten, reuse next year. I say I am going green, but really, I am tired of slaving over corners and getting tape stuck to my fingers.

Yup...going green!

My baby is 9!!

So, tell me, why do the boys keep growing older? Last week we celebrated DS #2's 9th birthday. Seriously, it was just yesterday that he was born. He should be playing with Fisher Price Little People still right? Nope, we had a Dance Party! Strung up lights, got a CD player and real CD's -- High School Musical, The Naked Brothers, The Jonas Bros, Kidz Bop....music thumped through the house. The floors shook, the kids (boys & girls) giggled and boogied (old, aren't I) their way through the night.

Bachelorette Party!!!

I have to tell you about the Bachelorette Party at CiCi's Pizza (all you can eat marginally acceptable pizza, salad, and dessert buffet place)!!!

The whole group of ladies in blue shirts....shirts that say "Bride", "Mother of the Bride", "Bridesmaid", "Friend of Bride", etc.

Bride to be wearing a TIARA and a pink sash that says "BRIDE TO BE" across it.

They are standing there asking the CiCi's staff if they can bring wine in...um...ok.....NOT. "Um, we don't have a liquor license ma'am." Replies the young clerk with a puzzled expression...

So, one of the "Bridesmaids" leaves and comes back a few minutes later with Sparkling Cider and Dixie Cups....sneaking it in, under her arm....like contraband. All that was missing was the brown paper bag!

A few minutes later....from across the restaurant, you can hear the faint sound of "Chug, chug, chug!" The faint sound gradually increases to a crescendo of bar level antics..."CHUG, CHUG, CHUG!" The entire bridal party is cheering on the Bride as she chugs her sparkling cider.

People in the restaurant were casting glances, rolling eyes, and laughing their butts off! Seriously, the humor of the Bachelorette party in a cheesy (pun intended), while chugging sparkling cider wearing matching shirts and a tiara was just too much!

Meanwhile, the restaurant is full of families, lots of kids milling around. It was Spirit Night for one of the local elementary schools. "Chug, chug, chug......"

Oh, I should mention, Red Ribbon Week (drug awareness and prevention) was just the week before.

Yup, it doesn't get much better than this! Life in my small town...lower your expectations.

Chug, chug, chug!

Outer Banks Thanksgiving

So, we've been hanging out on the Outer Banks for the last week in an awesome oceanfront house with a bunch of family! Thanksgiving yesterday was fabulous, a true group effort that resulted in a delicious meal and a wonderful family time. We had turkey, southern style dressing (think cornbread with boiled eggs), green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, ligonberries, cranberry sauce, olives, pickles, and rolls, and pumpkin pie!

The weather has been perfect here all week. At home we had been wearing coats, here shorts and tees have been in order. We've been playing in the sunshine, digging in the sand and playing in the crashing waves! So much fun that I actually got a sunburn! Seriously!

Earlier in the week we drove south to Cape Hatteras and took the ferry over to Ocracoke Island to vist the lighthouse and the pirate museum We had a great time learning about Blackbeard and saying "Arrrgh!" On today's agenda, the aquarium on Roanoke Island. We had a lovely storm here last night and the weather is now stormy and C.O.L.D. a perfect day to stay inside!

It's our last full day here and we are sad to be at this point of our vacation. We love it here so much that we hate to go home. So, in the midst of the days activities, we also need to pack up and load as much of the car as possible to make tomorrow smoother. I'm going to run a couple of loads of laundry through too so we arrive home with CLEAN laundry! What a concept!

Tomorrow we are off to Williamsburg for the rest of the weekend before heading home!

What do I do now??

I feel torn. My good friend Christine pointed out recently how much she saved shopping at the new Super WalMart over our regular chain grocery store. Curious, yet not really believing it would be THAT much cheaper, DH and I headed out for SWM the other day to do some shopping (so many choices here in the middle of nowhere) and while there we checked the grocery options.

WOW.....seriously, WOW. Over and over again we discovered the prices of regularly purchased items to be lower. Much lower in some cases... Sigh, there is a dilema brewing for me. While, I like everyone else, want to shop wisely and save my family money, there is a part of me that rallies against the big box mentality that drives out the smaller, locally owned family businesses. I feel like if I leave the small, locally owned store to save 10% on a regular basis that I am selling out somehow, giving up and the very small, locally owned business that is one of the charms of small town living. On the other hand, saving my family money is important to me as well...

So, what to do...

We're home!!!

Okay, well, we've been home for two days, but I was buried under a mountain of mail, laundry, papers, school stuff, and general clutter of life! Just now emerging! LOL

DS #1 and I got home late Friday night from our stay at the Spinal Cord Rehab. We stopped on our way home to do a bit of shopping! Have to start for Christmas sometime and the shopping opportunities are WAY better in town! We went to dinner at a Chinese Buffet on our way back too...yummy!

So, Saturday I mostly cleaned my way through the day, sorting, washing, purging, uncovering, etc. I sent DS #1 off to a friends house for the afternoon/evening and DH and I found our favorite sitter available so he came and stayed with the younger ones while we went out to dinner and did some more Christmas shopping! We went to a favorite Mexican restaurant and shared fajitas! YUMMY!

Sunday, we lazed around for the early morning, then did some more chores, chatted with friends, and off I went for the afternoon of yet more shopping! Okay, yes, three days in a row of shopping, but you know what? I {hate} shopping around the holidays. People are crazy weird. I know what I want and I can just get it know and be done with it. No craziness, no getting something, anything to give someone. Nope, I choose well and shop early! I just can't stand to be in the stores much after Thanksgiving!

Today, well, we started preparing for our beach trip. Joining a bunch of family for the Thanksgiving week. So, today we decided to deep clean the cars (yes, both of them!) and the laundry room. You know what I found in the laundry room? A box with a few presents intended for LAST year! LOL With the exception of one gift ( afavorite character no longer favored) I can use them all this year! So, in a sense, I went shopping again today-for free!!

So, tomorrow is another day...first day back to work in a month...seriously! I was out for two weeks when DS #2 and I had pneumonia and then I headed up to the Spinal Rehab with DS #1 right after that. So, I haven't been a work in a month. How weird will tomorrow be??? I haven't even wrapped my head around having to prepare for it, much less DO IT!! Yikes...

NFL football players, cookie baking, and therapy!

So yesterday, DS #1 was treated to lunch with a popular NFL player compliments of the Spinal Cord Rehab Clinic we are at. The super cool player, Bart Scott #57, of the Baltimore Ravens, brought a pizza lunch with chips, cookies, and sodas ( what every teen age boy loves) and to make the afternoon even better, he brought along a Wii game for the kids to play with him! DS #1 had a blast! He was the first kid to play and then at the end of the afternoon Bart played against him in a boxing match! At the end of the afternoon, Bart announced that he was donating the Wii game to the Play Therapy Dept of the clinic!! How cool was that. DS had Bart sign his Nikes on the swoosh and he has been showing them off to everyone! It was a great afternoon!

So, last night we had a few hours of free time so I baked a few dozen cookies for the residents at the Children's House. I also froze a few dozen for the staff to make on another afternoon. What kind you ask? Oatmeal Chocolate Chip and Eggnog Cookies. YUMMY! The eggnog ones were especially for DS as he LOVES eggnog!

Today we are at therapy. DS's usual therapist, Colleen, is out sick, so we are working with Beth. She has been great, really challenging and he is having a ton of fun even through the work. A bit ago she had him laying on roller boards and racing up and down the hallways using his arms to pull him along. He was surprisingly fast! To up the challenge we put out rings and created an obstacle course for him to go through. Funny! Good thing he isn't old enough for a driver's license yet!

Later this afternoon we have an appointment with yet another Neuro doc to try and figure out where all this atrophy is coming from. Hopefully this doc will have something to shed on the mystery of it all and give us some direction to go in...

Lots going on!

So, I have been busy, not a lot of free time. Son #1 and I have been staying up near the big hospital while he gets treatment for the muscle weakness and deterioration. We've been here a week and have one more week to go, then we can head home. Hasn't been the best week. The update from the surgeon is that the weakness and such is most likely evidence of cellular changes that are indicitive of the possibility of a new tumor beginning. If that isn't enough, the scoliosis is progressing. The curvature has worsened and there is a definite S curve now that wasn't there 6 months ago. So, we have to come back for more therapy in two months (another 2 week session) and we have an appointment to see the head of Pediatric Ortho here as well for the scoliosis. We also have to repeat the MRI's in 4-6 months to check on further growth.

We drove home to spend Halloween with the rest of the family! Long drive as we had to be back at the hospital that night, but worth it! DS #1 passed out the treats while DH and I went with the others Trick or Treating. DS #2 was a Brown Knight, DS #3 was Spiderman (again), DS #4 was a puppy, and DS #5 was a Black Knight. Friends of ours, the E's joined us as they have for the last 10 years! Always fun! Our favorite treats this year? Peppermint Patties, DOTS, Sweettarts, and anything chocolate!

Last night DH brought the younger boys to stay with us for the weekend at the hospital house. Today we took the boys to the Zoo! Beautiful, clear fall day. A crisp 60 degrees. We had a great time! The giraffe exhibit was a highlight as they have a new baby giraffe on the grounds! We were disappointed to miss the zebras...no idea where they were hiding, but we never saw them! The bat exhibit and the tree slide were great fun as well. We walked around for almost four hours and yep, they were super tired afterwards!!!

Conversations with Ethan...

As the mom of five boys, I am constantly hearing interesting convesations, but this one made me laugh out loud last night.

Sitting around the table, the boys were discussing their favorite foods. Ethan, who has been listening quietly while his brothers speak of their love for ribs, spinach salads, mashed potatoes, and the like, jumps in with this statement:

"I only like fruits and vegetables and candy - healthy stuff like that!"

Yup, good thing Skittles and M&Ms come in a rainbow of colors just like fruits and vegetables!

Just a rainy Thursday...and thoughts of pumpkins!

Listening to the sound of the rain falling makes me wish I was back at the beach with the Getaway Girls! Not that I am not happy that it has rained, but it's been three days of gloomy skies and drippy weather. I had hoped to take to boys to the Pumpkin Patch not only to get cute pumpkins but to get cute pictures. Sigh....I guess I could go and embrace the rain spotted pumpkins and drop covered leaves, but it won't be the same. They are calling for rain well into Saturday so I think I am going to have to abandon my hopes for sunny pumpkin shots this year.

Speaking of Getaway, boy are there some pictures to share and stories to tell! Since this is a family blog, I'll have to censor it, but I know many of you know the truth! What happens at Getaway.... LOL What a blast! Great ladies to hang out with, great house, great weather, awesome food (LOVE the Chx and Dumplings Tracey!), merriment, and can we all say....SONIC!?!?!? Yummy! Loved making a run in the dark with my friend Wendy to get drinks for a bunch of ladies! I was bold this trip and tried....wait for it....Strawberry Limeade and Orange Cream Slush! Both were FAB, loved the real strawberries and my, oh my, did the Orange Cream Slush taste like a Dreamsicle?!?! Fear not however, my heart remains true to my beloved Cherry Limeade!

Tap, tap, tap! Is this thing on?

So, I finally did IT! Yes, Kerry, it took me well over a YEAR to do it...but aren't good things WORTH the wait?