Friend time

This afternoon I met up with my friend Val at Panaera Bread to work on our digital scrapbooks, but honestly we didn't get a lot done over all the talking we were doing. But it's always just good to have some girl chat time.

Sean and I were going out for his birthday tonight and then our friends Tiffanie and Preston invited us to go out with them so we did a double date instead. We had a fun dinner at Cheesecake factory and then came back to our house for a game of Hand and Foot. Always good to initiate new people into the Hand and Foot world! And even better when the girls beat the boys! It a night full of laughter and lot of fun!

Breakfast and a movie kind of day

This morning started out great. I got to go with my parents to meet my Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Knute for breakfast at Cracker Barrell. Dallas and Asher did great at the table (I think Wednesday nights are really teaching the fine art of sitting at a table for longer than 15 minutes)

But the day got a little hairy with the kids. Dallas was acting up, Asher was crying and very needy most the day and when Boston came home he brought an attitude with him. By the time Sean got home I was in desperate need of a break. So I just got in the car and decided I was going to a movie, by myself if I had to. But I was lucky enough that my girlfriend Tiffanie joined me (and then my mom too!) and we saw Bride Wars. Very funny movie and just what I needed to take the days stresses away and escape into someone else's story for a little while.

I LOVE girls nights out!!!!!

Happy Birthday Sean

Today Sean turns 30 years old! Happy Birthday babe! The boys were really excited to give him the gifts they had bought him weeks ago. Boston got him a Ghostbusters shirt and Dallas shirt that reads "Mr Happy" with a smily face on it.

Teacher Conference

Today I had a conference with Boston's teacher. Since Boston missed 1 week in December because of the broken arm (he had to stay home with it elevated for a week) and then he was back 1 week and then off for 2 weeks for Christmas vacation he's having a hard time getting back into things. She said he's having a hard time blending the sounds of the letters to form words. And he's also having a hard time focusing. So we discussed things I can do at home to help him out and I'm looking forward it. Hopefully we can have him back on track soon. She said he had no problems at all before the accident.

New Boat

My parents got a new boat so after church today we headed out to take a ride. What a nice ride it is! The boys went crazy, as well as the dog. We enjoyed a nice ride around, the boys played on the beach for a while and then we all went to a new restaurant in Tavares. (I accidently deleted most of the picturs from the monster trucks and today so these were all I had left)


Boston, Asher and I
Dallas really driving the boat with Papa Dillard enjoying herself

Asher taking a rest on Daddy Boston - lover of boat rides since he was born

Monster Trucks!

Tonight we went to the Monster Truck show with the boys, my parents and Wes and Suzanne. it was at the Citrus Bowl and the boys were so excited about going in to this big place. Our seats were way up at the top, which was nice because you could see everything. It was REALLY loud at first but the boys finally got used to it. They LOVED watching all the big trucks race around, and especially loved it when they flipped. We got to see The Intimitator, the monster truck we saw last year parked out from Advanced Auto Parks. They got to explore it and then the driver came out and signed autographs and talked to us for a while.

Of course both of their favorite is The Grave Digger (nice name right?) My mom bought them two big Grave Digger trucks a long time ago (not noticing the name or knowing it was an actual truck) The boys love those trucks and when they saw the Grave Digger come out they were so excited. We were going to leave a little early to beat the crowd but Boston quickly told me that we can't leave because the Grave Digger is going to race last!!! He was very passionate about seeing him race.

What a fun night it was!!

Boston loves to pose with this new move, like he's some tough gangsta guy.Wes and Suzanne (picture by Dallas)

Dallas and my parents Dallas' picture of me

Sean's Surprise 30th Birthday Party

I threw a surprise party for Sean tonight. Oh my, me trying to plan this party in the midst of everything else in my life was a little confusing. The day of the party I remembered so many people I just totally forgot to invite (so if you are reading this post and weren't invited just know it was nothing personal...seriously...my brain isn't working at full capability!) Sean had seen something on the computer that I had left open that was about the surprise party so he actually knew it was coming (I didn't know he knew though). But he truely was surprised because he thought for some reason it was going to be next Saturday! He was hanging out with Wes and my parents had them come over to help with something and.....SURPRISE! This is the cake I made him. He loves to play pool and was playing on a league for about a year. They are cupcakes with icing and then decorated with colored sugar.Have your cake and eat it too!

Guests Asher enjoyed his cake too

"Happy Birthday to you!"

Extra cupcakes with 30 on them

Friends enjoying time (without kids)

Everyone had a great time and it went off well. The kids spent the night at my parents house and I crashed!

Boston's first Magic Game

Tonight we took Boston to his first Orlando Magic game. They were playing the Boston Celtics so what an exciting game to take him to. He was amazed as we were driving up at all the traffic and the blimp that circled overhead. The area was gigantic in his eyes and he couldn't believe we were getting to go there. He eyes beamed as he took his first peek inside the area and saw the players warming up on the court. We were very lucky to have amazing seats, about 8 rows up, center court! Sean's parents had some connections that had the coach for the Magics guest seats available. Gini and Dale came and brought Luke. Boston didn't like the fireworks, noise and darkness of the beginning but soon got over that and enjoyed watching the game and Stuff. Stuff came right were we were sitting and was jumping up and down the seats (truly amazing what that guy does in that costume!) Boston also enjoyed seeing his name on all the jerseys of the Celtics team. And it got a little confusing for him at times when the announcer kept saying "BOSTON" over and over again. LOL Boston had on a Magic shirt but I wonder if he will ultimately be a Celtics fan with them being from Boston?

When we were leaving Boston said, "We've got to bring Dallas here next time. He would love it. Except for the fireworks part, so we'll just have to come after that. I just can't remember all the great stuff that they had there to tell him!" I thought that was such a sweet thing to want his brother to be able to experience the Magic game himself. When we got home Boston was talking a mile a minute telling my mom about all the great things he got to see there. He told her all about Stuff and how he has party favors that shoot out of his nose (if you've ever seen him he has these things that really do look like a party favor unraveling out of his nose - genius of my son to describe it that way!) And he told her there was this man there but he looked like a little kid but he really wasn't a kid (he was in actuality a midget-but I thought it was so cute how he described him) They had a midget pretend to be the mascot for the Celtics (Lucky or something like that). And he told her how he kept cheating when competing against Stuff so then Stuff just put him in a trash can!!

For sure the most fun I have ever had at a Magic game!!! To see it all through a child's eyes makes everything so much better!!

ACTS classes

So glad ACTS classes have started back at church. They offer classes for the adults to take and the kids have their own classes. Boston is old enough now that he has choir the first hour and they do fun stuff the second hour. He LOVES it. And Dallas and Asher enjoy their classes too and getting to go out on the playground.

We sometimes eat dinner their before hand, but I usually wouldn't go unless I have help. (Imagine me with three kids and a stroller going through the line to get food, carry it to the table and pay.) I met my friend Tiffanie their and it was great company and nice to be able to enjoy a meal there (and not cook and clean up.)

The class I'm taking is called Masterlife for Women. What a great journey in my walk with Christ this class is going to be. I'm so excited about the year long, 4 book journey God has me on this year!!

Swiming at the Boardwalk

No school today so I took the boys this afternoon to play with their cousins at the Boardwalk again. They have an amazing pool with an even more amazing slide (that none of my kids decided to brave.) Dallas wanted me to get in the pool so bad so I braved the cold to get in what seemed to be a heated pool. It sure was not warm enough for this Floridian's blood. I only lasted a little bit and Dallas got out soon after me. Boston really enjoyed it and swam all around. They all had a great time on the playground as well. Here's a shot of all the kids (although you can't see Ty in the pic.) Asher loved saying "cheeeese!" and posing for the pic.

Visting Dale and Gini at Boardwalk

Today we met up with Sean's brother Dale, his wife Gini and their 3 kids, along with Grandma and Grandpa and his younger brother Chad (who flew in from New York City). They are staying at Boardwalk so we met them there and had pizza on the boardwalk.

Chad bought all his nephews and niece a lollipop

(Boston, Luke, Chad, Ty, Lea and Asher)


Chad, Sean and Dale-the 3 brothers (youngest to oldest)

Cousins having pizza

Boys being boys

My boys are boys all the way. If they see dirt, they gravitate towards it. Today they needed a change of scenery from playing at our house to I took them over to my parents. First they played in the front yard in their bushes calling it the "jungle." Then we went to the back yard and all three of them got dirty head to toe. Even Asher's new Stride Rite WHITE shoes. Oh well.... boys will be boys and that's a good thing!

Princess Party

I got to be a princess today, at least for a few hours. My girlfriend Carrie was a having a birthday party for her little girl Abby and I got invited to go (without my boys!). It was at a tea room in Baldwin park and it was so much fun. All the mommies were at one table and the little girls at another. Everyone had to dress up as a princess. Since I don't have any girls of my own, we don't own any play tiaras. I had to go and get my tiara I wore for our wedding (so mine literally sparkled the most :-) For sure the most fun kids party I've gone to (probably because I wasn't chasing mine around too!)

Boston loses his 2nd tooth!

As we were driving home from Target Boston started screaming and I couldn't imagine what was wrong! I soon figured out he had lost his 2nd tooth. Its been loose and hanging on by a thread for sometime now. The big tooth is already half way grown in behind it! He was screaming because there was blood coming out and he was worried. Nothing a quick paper towel couldn't solve. Then he realized the Tooth Fairy would be visiting tonight and he got REALLY excited!!!

And this time we got to use the tooth pillow I sewed for him when his 1st tooth was loose. But we didn't get to use it the 1st time because he lost his tooth when were vacationing at the mountain house. He was super thrilled to be sleeping with his tooth pillow tonight.

I cut out my own pattern for the pillow and bought some cool chenille fabric. But before I sewed it together a I took it somewhere and had it embroidered. It also has a pocket in the back for the tooth to go.

Update: The tooth fairy bought him a new Matchbox race car and $5. He woke me up jumping up and down that she had come!!!!

Update on the "sickness"

My mom came down with the "sickenss" the boys had Wednesday night. Then Pat came down with it Thursday night. I am thanking God for keeping me well. I think He knew I couldn't handle much more!!

This morning we were going to go to the pool at the hotel but with the weather in the 30's and 40's we opted out and headed home to our warm house. We played around the house most of the day and then suited up in our gloves and hats and met our neighbors at the playground for a little while before heading to Target. The boys were super excited that we found the Speedracer game for Playstation on sale and I bought it. They had it in the player before I even walked in the door! So funny!

Remote Control Airplane

We met my neighbor Theresa at a playground today to get the kids out of the house (it's been so cold lately!) There was a man there with a remote control airplane that went over 50 mph. The kids were completely amazed by it. I know if Sean would have been there it would be on the top of the list to purchase! Talking to the kids local celebrity, the airplane pilot flying the remote control airplane. Ha ha

2 year anniversary

I started blogging two years ago today. I can't believe it's been two years since I started. I didn't know anyone who blogged and I googled blogging and came across blogger.com and got started that way. I figured it would be a good way for me to keep all the family and far away friends in touch with what all was going on with us. And it would be a nice to have all our memories preserved in one place instead of me writing down things the kids said on all these different papers and traditional journaling just never worked for me. I put a ticker on the page at the end of 2007 and since I did that I've had almost 10,000 views on my page. Crazy! The other exciting thing is that I've had at least 20 other friends join in on the blogger band wagon! Now I've just got to get it together and print my books with blurb.com for 2007 and 2008! Ha ha!

Here's the first blog I ever posted:

Being a mommy is the most amazingly wonderful job I've ever done. On the other hand it's also the hardest. It's a 24 hour job where your brain never stops thinking about everything that needs to be done. I'm working on stopping to "smell the roses" more and more and I'm finding it so rewarding. I think in my mind I just thought the boys would also be my little toddlers but as Boston gets bigger and more grown up each day, I am beginning to appriciate these times more than I used to. Because raising two toddler boys while your are pregnant is no piece of cake. But I now cherish everyday that I get to play with them. It won't be long before they are in school most of the day and want to play with their friends more than they do me. But for now I'm the coolest person to play with (other than daddy that is.) I can build a train that rivals most others, make a tent out of sheets and read books inside, paint with finger paint, hit a t-ball farther than them, play hide and go seek for hours, and be the biggest monster chasing them. I think my years of theatre training is finally going to some good use. Being able to do several different voices in a story is very exciting to a toddler. "Mommy you are so funny!" And that's the greatest thing. I, the person who I thought was NEVER funny, am the best stand up comedian on earth. And that is the greatest thrill! To have your kids laugh at you is just inspiring. And to hear them say "Mommy I love you" will make the worst day smell like a rose! Having kids of your own is the greatest experience on earth. There truely is nothing like it and God has blessed me with kids that inspire, motivate and love me like none other. (1st blog, originally posted on 1/16/07)

Dale and Gini visiting

Sean's older brother Dale and his wife Gini and their three kids: Luke, Lea and Ty, all got here on Sunday but because my kids have been sick we haven't been able to see them. Tonight they had a big family get together with all the family. Thank goodness my kids were better. After I picked Boston up from school we headed out there. Unfortunately the weather has turned cold so the boys only swam for a little bit in the heated pool. They got reacquainted with their cousins they haven't seen in almost 2 years and had a blast playing around.

Boston standing on the sandcastle by the poolDallas enjoying climbing the castle

All the cousins (Asher, Boston, Lea, Ellie, Ty, Luke and Dallas in front)

They all gathered in the closet and I would open the door and they would all scream. So funny Sean with his older brother Dale

4 generations of men

Seans Dad, me, Asher and Sean's grandpa

Grandma Dorothy with all the kids

Grandpa Dale with all the kidsEllie and the boys eating on the bed watching Disney tvCelebrating Ellie's 3 birthday

Asher enjoyed laughing with Grandma Dorothy and pretending to give her some of his fruit and then saying, "mine!" and eating it. He thought it was so funny We had a nice dinner with everyone and then Sean and I and the kids stayed the night at the hotel with Sean's parents.