Bubble Blast

All kids love bubbles, right? Well, how about when the bubbles are as big as said kids? My in-laws bought my kids this bubble machine and it blows the biggest bubbles ever! It's so cool! The kids love chasing after them and of course popping them when caught. Thing is--- the bubbles are so huge that the kids are COVERED in bubble solution by the time their done! It's okay though, because that means they get a bubble bath that night! Everyone wins!

The Pink Throne

So, I finally forced myself to potty train little miss Sydnie. She has been showing "the signs" for a while now, but I was completely unmotivated to undertake that particularly unpleasant part of parenthood. But when the kid is ready, you just buckle down and DO IT (as my good friend and fellow Mom has been telling me for months now!) I know, I know! So, we bought a billion pairs of underwear, knowing from experience that I am just as likely to throw out a pair as to wash them (I KNOW, I KNOW! My grandmother would be appalled...) and warmed up my singing voice for my future performances of the classic potty song--- "Pee pee in the Potty! Pee pee in the Potty!" So, day one was pretty usual other that the child insisted on "going" every three minutes! Cordel, my official potty training consultant, and I spent HOURS in the bathroom with her with limited success, so I decided she needed a potty chair, so she can go every three minutes with a bit less supervision from me. Thus, The Pink Potty has taken up residence in our bathroom. The good news? We got it home, put it together, set it up, and she immediately peed in it! And has done so with 99% success since! Later that day, she ran into the kitchen buck naked and said, "Mama! I poop-poo in the potty!" I thought, "Yeah, right." And expecting a huge mess, ventured into the bathroom the find she did indeed poop in the potty. Without direction, prompting, cajoling, or bribery! Smart Princess and her Pink Throne!

Comic Relief and a Thanks Mom!

So, my bestest buddy in THE WHOLE WORLD is having a baby-- #4 and unplanned, as these things sometimes go, but after the initial shock and a general freak-out period, they are now happy and excited. However, my friend, who we will call JANE, has been fretting about how to tell her mother, whose reaction will be at best non-excited and at worst totally non supportive. This assumption is based primarily on her mothers reactions to previous "baby news" experiences, all of which were a disappointment Jane. So, we were e-mail chatting the other day and I had asked if she'd spilled the beans yet and she said they( she and her husband, uh, "John") had come up with a plan. On an upcoming visit, she and John planned to leave the sonogram of the new baby hanging on the fridge and when her Mom asks "Whose baby is that?" Jane is gonna say, "It's John's baby, but he refuses to tell my who the mother is!" LOL! This cracked me up and I just had to share. I love you, "Jane"! Thanks for being such a beeb! For those of you reading who are not Jane, yes--that is an inside word...and no, you don't know what it means.

My other thought relating to this post is to say how truly and completely lucky I am to have THE MOST AWESOME MOM EVER! I could not do what I do every day without her love and support, and I know from personal experience that there are people who don't have that blessing in their lives. If you don't believe me, refer to the story above.
I love you, Mom! Thanks for being who you are.

The Uh-oh Song

So, at our house when a child is misbehaving, we sing. Yep, we sing the "uh-oh" song and it goes something like this: "Uh-oh, a little bit of bedroom time comin' up here! This is so sad. Feel free to have a nice little fit! See you when you are sweet!" and the child stays in his/her bedroom until they are choosing to be nice again. This is a Love and Logic method and we love it! It works great. So, the other day, Cordel had to have a little bedroom time and he cries and carries on for a few minutes and then he's quiet so I let him hang out for a few more minutes. When I go to check on him, this is what I find:



He was FULLY dressed when I put him in there. Some how and for reasons beyond my adult imagination, he felt the urge to put on P.J.'s and complete his ensemble with a hat and gloves. His cute little face was perfectly priceless when I opened that door, and I just had to take a picture!

Lagoon with eight kids!!

My sister, my mom, and I took eight of ten grandkids down to Lagoon this year. It was the first time Cordel has ever been there. I was worried he would not like the rides--he's a bit peculiar that way, but he absolutely LOVED it!! We had such a great time!

Lets go for a drive!! A Ford? For shame...


Mitch, Isabel, and Cordel's first ride of the day! What is that thing anyway? Some sort of flying transformer?


The classic Bulgy the Whale




Dinosaur Drop--the ONLY ride Cordel cried on! POOR!


My mommy and sister on the train.

Cordel, Hannah, Mitch, Isabel and me on the train.


This is the one and only picture I have of the older boys and they are really hard to see, but on the 3rd row back it's C.J., Tyllan, Jacob, then some ladies head, and then Dakota.


Round and round we go!


Fly High, baby!



This was Cordel's favorite--Lagoon-a-Beach! He loves the water!


Everybody say cheese!


I'm leaving on a jet plane...


The girl is completely photogenic, huh?


And who got totally drenched on Rattlesnake rapids? Me, of course!! We rode at about 3pm and when I got home that night at 9pm, I was still wet in some very uncomfortable places!! LOL!


Another of Cordel's favorite...he rode em 3 times!


Awww, ain't he the cutest?


And so it was late in the day and Cordel and I were walkin back to meet up with everybody and he's lookin at our shadows while were walkin and says, "Mom, we look like a two-headed monster, huh?" Yep, he's always that precious.