Monday, January 24, 2011

Park Fun after the Winter Thaw Out

My happy, playful, good time girl...


she makes me smile

everytime I look at her

the 4 cherubs of my world

These 2 have gotten so close since our move to Ga, W lost many culdesac buddies and has spent more time playing inside and hanging out with his sister. He will play dolls, trains, wii, kitchen, playdoh or anything else she so desires...yeah, she's spoiled.


Check out the hawk we found just sitting there in the tree while we were looking for some hidden treasures.
C found our first family Geo Cache treasure. It was fun looking for it and we'll have to do it more. J&I went on a hunt for one in Beij*ng on our first night with our traveling pediatrician. We found it and certainly had a good time doing it, but naturally we both felt like it was probably a bad idea running around the dark alley streets of Beij*ng on the first night in the city with lots of money strapped to us... but we did have a good time interacting with the people of China.

the same creek that runs through my backyard


Sunday, January 23, 2011

EG's first haircut

before during
after
I took EG for her first trim yesterday.
She was a rock star, we waited 45 minutes for a trim that lasted 3 minutes.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

NYE Promises to me & other Rambles

I have several posts floating around in my head because I like to use this place as a place to dump my thoughts, but time is so limited that I forget and move on. Thursday's is usually my only night to post when the DH is at poker and I have all the kids in bed. Tonight though, I blog while we watch Amer*can Id0l. Gotta say, I like the new judges and I really didn't think I would, because I LOVED Sim0n. So let's consider this a rambling pile of nothingness full of life as I know it to be...or at least currently...
Here are my New Year's Goals:
1. learn more about the game of c0uponing. Even though I've already accomplished much, I want the stockpile of t0ilet paper that I've seen on Extreme C0uponing. With 6 butts to wipe, that fascinates me. (more on that in the next paragraph)
2. Say bye bye to drama ridden people. I need no drama and won't tolerate it being in my life.
3. To run a 10k and 1/2 marathon this year. (& both I've already signed up for=0)
4. More family game nights.
*I made a challenge with my friend to be the queen of c0upons last year. I watched her excel and save tons of money, while I kept saying I would eventually start using them. Like all challenges, I am harder on myself than anyone else would ever be so I got down and dirty about 4 months ago and started figuring out the *c0upon game*...& now, I'm totally addicted. I have cut our grocery bill in half. It is a game to me and I find it thrilling to know that every time I check out, I have saved more money than what I actually spent. I should do another whole post on this and take pictures of my triple stocked pantry, which even amazes me.
***These photos were casually snapped while we were waiting for another family and every time I look at them, I can't believe how big my boys are. We've been struggling as a family lately. Struggling for time. For peace. For more connection.
G really flubbed up his first semester of high sch00l and spends every night working double time where he has seen tremendous improvement. He has never had to study before and this year he had to learn how to study at home, a first for him. He has extremely difficult classes and has to test off campus for his c0llege accredited c0urses.
C is struggling in school, as always. He does not think inside the box and that just creates friction among several of his teachers. He has since learned to buckle down every.single.night. The schools here are stupid difficult. I keep hearing how the kids go to college and find the first 2 years of college easy compared to what this school zone is pushing, which I now believe. So with all that being said, they are learning the ways of the world...life isn't always about
island t*me. (damn it)
But I adore these boys like no other. I literally had a melting point on a date night with my new neighbors when I suddenly realized that my son only has 3 years left with me. & you see that, I'm already crying just typing it....poor kid has no idea what's going to happen when it's time to leave...& neither do I, I can't imagine my daily life without G in it. He's mine, he always has been. If there was ever a Mama's b0y, he's it. I LOVE hanging out with him. I can't wait to hear about his day and share mine with him. He hugs me at least twice before bed and twice every morning, he tells me he loves me all the time....I hope he always knows how much I love him... ok, enough on my pathetic'ness...

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Happy birthday in heaven Dad.....
There are really no words for how much I miss you.
Cancer Sucks

"If I could get another chance, another walk, another dance with him,
I’d play a song that would never, ever end.
How I’d love, love, love
To dance with my father again."
~Luther Vandross

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Liam & Shelby

Wherever you lay your sweet head tonight, just know that I am thinking of you on your birthday. I have loved you for 12 years and I will love you the rest of my life.


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Friday, January 7, 2011

my unexpected return

On Christmas evening, we were invited over to my friend's home for cocktails. Her twin boys and my 2 older boys have become very good friends over the summer and we have really enjoyed getting to know them. Even though they go to a different high school, they have remained best buds through the school year. We were happy for the invite and enjoyed the evening sitting by the fireplace and chatting and this is where the offer to go to back to para*dise was presented to me. Recently I posted about the drama from our past neighborhood and had said just one week before that I have no desire to go back. In fact my words were, "I have no idea when I will go back or even IF I would." I am so hurt by what has taken place that I let it
spoil my 17 kickass years in para*dise.
Needless to say, the offer was presented to take the kids down and stay in her adorable beach bungalow on an island about 40 minutes south of my old home, just us Moms and 6 kids. The house was a purchase they had made a year or so ago & she had never been and was curious as to what she was the proud owner of. So the next day we packed up and left before I could even fill up the gas tank...cause that's just how we roll.
We arrived to the most adorable bungalow I've ever seen.
It was spectacularly private, to the point where I had no idea this place existed and neither did my 'born bread and buttered' para*dise peeps.
On the way down, I had decided to claim the items that belonged to our company. It wasn't items of any value, but it came down to principle for me. Since I was going to be there before New Years, I had full access to my item before Jan 1 and I thought I'd go ahead and take back what was rightfully mine. Not because I wanted it, but because I didn't want the people suing us to have them. Period.
My DH made a few phone calls and the time was set for me to swoop into my old neighborhood, meet with the president and a witness and remove the items before anyone could say BOO.
I went to my neighbors home and was greeted by the old neighbors that I loved and the kids had a blast playing outside together. W has really missed his old cul-de-sac buds and he ended up staying all night with them, which was a really good pick-me-upper for his recent sad mood.
So under the cover of cocktails and good friends, I met at the clubhouse where I gathered my
items and immediately passed them out to my old neighborhood peeps, because again, it wasn't because I wanted them, I just didn't want the "others" to have them.
I had my moment of tears with the President and his 'witness' which happened to be the older widow in my old cul-de-sac that loves my family. She was crying and very saddened as to all the ugly that went down and the President hugged me and that was that. I left in tears and shortly after the Presidents wife came looking for me at my old neighbors home and had told me of the threats they were living with, even fearing someone in the neighborhood was going to set their house on fire. These people are bat shit crazy and we have officially closed the door on that past, except for this stupid ass lawsuit that needs to be addressed.
While I was down there, the DH had his phone mediation with the court and the trial has been set for Feb. Of all days of the year, it'll be on my birthday. I just can't stand the excitement. I'm so done. Stick a fork in me done. Clearly, I'm more hurt by the people I once shared so much with and why they've chosen this route is beyond any understanding of life as I know it.
It was a trip filled with much emotions for me as I traveled back to my old stomping grounds and dealt with the BOD issues. Hanging out in my old cul-de-sac with so many of my old peeps was good therapy for my hurting heart. I was reminded all over again as to why I love para*dise.
W loved seeing his old buddies. He has really
missed them.
The old ah la cul-de-sac of heaven kids, including Ms. Mali....gosh I love these kids and can't believe how much they've grown since we've been gone

Mali & W
They are still just as adorable together as the day they met some 4+ years ago.



My lovely new neighbor and me on her perfect island para*dise.




This picture just cracks me up.
After we spent time in my old cul-de-sac, we hopped over to my sweet friends house for dinner so the big kids could hang with their best buds and we Mama's could catch up.
If you are a long time blog follower, then you know that these are 'the boating island buds'...
My gosh, they've all hit puberty! Lots of teenagers now....sigh...
I love these kids. Good good kids.
G with his best buds. They really enjoyed reconnecting again and the gags just continued as if they'd never been apart. They do keep in touch through F*B and x-b0x live, but it's cool to see them make that friendship work from afar and then pick it up as if G never left. It means the world to me, considering G is a para*dise born baby and will probably always consider that his 'home', though he loves Georgia life.
My bestest Princess A*nn & Mrs. Ta-Ta...yeah, we renamed her years ago, she's good with that.
The next day, the gals all had to come check out the perfectly hidden island para*dise, because again, they had no idea it existed. When I say island, I mean island. You are water taxied to the island where there are only a handful of homes and your vehicle stays on land. I LOVE it!
We ate, we drank, we laughed, we cried & we gabbed while our children played.
I have so missed my Princess A*nn, she is someone the world should know, just sayin'...
The last time we popped back into para*dise was for her 50th birthday bash, she is my good time girl for sure!
The kids played Head*banz & spoons.
Spoons is a vicious game with this gang!

& then...we climbed aboard the boat to where my friends DH played captain for
the day. He schlept my cold keyster out to my favorite island, my peace of serenity, my tranquil healing island so I could waller in the sand and plant another peace of my soul.
Cold or not in SWFL, my ass was heading towards island time. Though I hadn't
driven a boat in years, because well...why would I take on that 'responsible' job and not just
take on the job of sipping & sitting? Really.

My friends were supposed to meet us there on their boat, I'm guessing he was scared of my
gulf water abilities and decided to captain me out instead. I'm sure I could have
done it if left to my own abilities, but it was so nice that he humored me and drove my butt to the coast of s0mewhere beautiful.


This trip was therapeutic for me in so many different ways.
It healed a few wounds for me.
It showed me the beauty of the dear friends that didn't go
off the deep end of sanity.
It helped my kids know that home is only a road trip away.
It reminded me that my heart still belongs to para*dise and my soul will forever remain on island time.
I am thankful to have shared such a lovely week with my new neighbor here and my old friends there.
She has a home there, where she's never been
& I have a life there, where I've always lived.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Christmas 2010

We had a fun first Christmas in Ge0rgia and believe it or not, Ge0rgia had it's first white Christmas in over 100 years! It was fabulous and later in the day, the kids had a blast in the snow and sledding down a hill!

There were a few times when we felt a little lost in h0liday tradition because we weren't in our normal surroundings of paradise and therefore, we need to make new traditions. It was the first time in all my life I didn't attend a candlelight service and it was of nobody's fault but my own. I just couldn't get it all together and failed on that tradition.
So here's to making new traditions in our new location~


Christmas Eve

Our elf's final resting spot before going back to the north pole.

Overstuffed stocking from Santa!

Christmas Morning

We had picked C up this instrument while in China.

He figured out how to make music within seconds of being the proud new owner of an instrument full of history.


W received lots of gifts with lots of pieces

He seems to be the one struggling a bit with the transition because he lost a ton of cul-de-sac friends that were always outside playing. So we decided to busy his little mind and hands this winter with lots of things to put together.

Daddy Santa lost his fizzle at 2:00AM and decided to finish putting the boys big gifts together the next day, so we made them piece together the words of their gifts which were sitting 1/2 together in the basement.

They received a ping pong table and a foosball table for all their friends to enjoy as well.

No pictures, because I suck like that.


M0mmy was SUPER excited for EG's dollhouse gift!
Daddy putting it together =0)

EG & W already getting busy inside that lil' mansion.

Matching Camilla beads from Gra*ms for our Pand0ra bracelet.

This year she got us a snowflake and it couldn't have been more fitting considering it was our first white Christmas!

Cooking up a storm in her new kitchen set that Ms. Claus scored on!

EG got her first kitchen set last year & if you've been following along, then you know that
it turned out to be a big POC. (Piece of Crap) All the doors are broken off and it's even managed to give me a nice black eye for a week. The POC now resides in the basement and will eventually find it's way to the dump. So Mommy has a neighbor who was selling this lovely set for $250, including the PBKids ironing board and iron...brand spanking new. I was so excited for EG and I can't wait to play with it when the boys go back to school! =0)


EG's new Lee Middlet0n doll. She asked Santa for a doll baby and Santa delivered ;0)

Christmas morning mim0sas in our jammies with my fabulous new neighbors!

she tries hard... ;0)


We were invited over to our friends house for Christmas evening cocktails. Our boys have become best friends and we parents have enjoyed getting to know each other.
What started as an evening of cocktails, ended up being an invite for a trip back to paradise for the week.

I will post more on this emotional trip back for me in the next post, but I wanted to get Christmas 2o10 up before doing so.
Hope your Christmas and New Years was magical!
"Celebrate endings ~ for they precede new beginnings."
 
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