Hooray for Friday!

Man I had a bad week so far. No motivation, too much to do, kids growing up! My house is a disaster, I'm still in the "organization" process and laundry is not just piled up, but overtaking the house. Work is stressfull right now, too much work, not enough time and some scarry changes that deeply affect me on the horizon. I'm at shut down point, where all I want to do is veg out and just sleep or lay around or buy stuff I don't need.

On a good note, the boys graduated Pre-School and I am so proud of them. They were great and afterwards we went out for burgers and chocolate shakes at MooMoo's downtown. That was great. Nick, Adamo, Ralene, Viva, Charlie and Dee joined Mike and I in the audience. We just about filled up pew in the little Community Church to watch the ceremony. We gave them so much praise that they were feeling so proud of themselves. The shot above was after graduation. They were so thrilled and excited they would do anything I asked. This is what happens when I tell them to show some love and hug each other. Mmmmmmm! I wish I was smack in the middle of them.

Anyway, It's Friday and things are looking better. Plus it's a long weekend. Load #2 is in the wash. The dishes are put away either in the cupboards or the dishwasher. The boys are at home, just where I like them. The trains are all sorted out. I'm showered and dressed. Yummy breakfast in our tummies. Mike gets off early and will be working on backyard sprinklers all weekend. Hopefully that means no more goat-heads this year. I sent the pictures off to Jenni Bowlin (check out JenniBowlin.com for some eye candy) and that was a difficult task, just picking a couple pictures. And I'm just about ready to start cleaning bathrooms. Mike put together my shelves for the back room earlier this week, so today I will begin conquering that room. Work you ask? Well, that will be later. I'll get it in there somewhere. Right now, I have to strike where the motivation hits, and that's cleaning!

Some recent happy thoughts

Some recent things that made me feel all happy and proud inside.

#1 on the list: My Thrasher boys. Check them out. Hunter looks like he's slamming in the mud. Austin can't even get the whole ride thing down on the board, but check out the moves he can do. Makes me proud.

#2: Austin can ride a bike with no training wheels. This is major. He was not motivated to do it, but was always in awe of the kids who could. He also kept nagging for a skateboard. Mike said he couldn't have a skate board until he could ride a bike with no training wheels. So he goes outside and said for us to go with him. He jumped on the 2 wheel bike and said I want no one to help me. There he went. Within 2 minutes he was peddling down the drive. He was struggling with the starting the bike going once he was stopped. I gave him some verbal pointers, but that wasn't enough. He said "Mom, tell me if I do it, you'll give me $3.00". "Austin, if you do it I'll give you $3.00". That was it. Since then he needs no help, coaxing, nothing. So Mother's Day he got his board.

#3: Hunter is learning the way of the Jedi. Yes, he is turning in to a Star Wars addict. He sneaks away and watches the DVD's in his room. So far Episode 2, Attack of the Clones and Episode 5, the Empire Strikes Back seem to be his faves. He has a rebel force transformer fighter ship. He sleeps with it at night. He knows the character names and forwards the movies to all his favorite scenes. I love that. Hunter, may be the force be with you.

#4: Mike is getting so much done around the house as far as landscaping. He planted 17 trees within the past couple weeks and his planning the back yard sprinkler system. No new goat heads this year. We're still battling the old dry ones from last year, but nothing like it was. I'm so excited with all the home improvements we've made. This house was our home, but now it's also homey.

#5: Lucky me, I won a layout to be done by Jenni Bowlin. Love her work. I donated to Karen Russell's ( http://karenrussell.typepad.com/ ) fundraiser for Woman for Woman International ( http://www.womenforwomen.org/ ) and was a lucky winner. Just check out http://www.JenniBowlin.com for some peeks at her work. She is amazing and I've been admiring her work in magazines for a while. My recent favorite was the Brothers layout in the latest CK, but all her stuff rocks. Lucky me she has boys, too, so it won't be a strectch for her to work with my photos. Lucky her, my boys are beautiful, so it won't be difficult to fall in love with the job. LOL!

#6: Finally feeling like scrapping again. I was in a dry spell where nothing inspired me. He's the link to a little something I did for the May Kitspirations kit. http://www.kitspirations.com/Gallery/showphoto.php?photo=660

So? What's rocking your boat?

Coming to you from the land of...

Eenie Meenie Miny Moe, Butt Cracks and Evil Masters. I live alone on an island of nasty little creatures that I've heard are derived from the male species. There are bug guts, dirt and frog slime embedded deeply under the nails of my little men. Yes, and Austin still sneeks in a little thumb sucking here and there.

I've been a bad blogger, but I have been doing exactly what my resolution was for the year. I've been cleaning out closets and pantry and drawers, and every nook and cranny of all the STUFF I don't need. Garage sale this weekend, and what doesn't sell, goes to GoodWill. Tomorrow I conquer the kitchen cabinets. The rough part is, I have a family of sick men. Both boys and Mike have been fevered, and the little guys are pukey. Yuck! I wonder who will take care of me when it is my turn?

It seems like not a decision can't be made in this house without eenie, meenie, miny or a moe joining in on the decision process. Would you like waffles or pancakes? Hmmm? Will it be Eenie or Meenie? Do you want to wear Sponge Bob or Scooby underwear? Wait, here comes Miny and Moe. No split second reactions in this home. It takes 20 minutes to Eenie Meenie it until the one they really want gets the final finger. By then, I could have popped some Eggos in, buttered, syruped, cut, eaten and cleaned the plates. Eggos? Oh yes. I've been told I'm not allowed to make pancakes pancakes or waffles for the boys, as I royally destroy them. Who was I told by? Hmmm, I don't recall which little guy. Let me see.. Eenie, meenie, minie, moe, I think Hunter has big tiger toes.

On to a delicious butt crack story. Yes, the boys love a good butt crack. They love to run around with their tooshes touching something I would rather it not be touching. Mom, my butt crack is on your bed. Mom, my butt crack is touching the couch. Mom, my butt crack is on your back. Not so pleasant, butt (yes butt) the smile and giggles that acompany are worth it. So as I'm fighting them to get dressed, and they run rampant through the house touching butt cracks to everything, I just laugh and Eenie Meenie which one will get a slap on a bare butt cheeck, which they love entirely too much. As, I'm attempting to pin a naked butt down and force underwear and shorts on, a little sing song voice behind us says.. "Hunter, you know that pillow you sleep on every night?" "Yes?" " You know, the one you love?" "Yes?" "My butt crack is on it." "Eww, get off!" "I will once I make it breathe bad breath on it." Mom's turn: "WHAT?" "Yes, I'm going to fart on it!" Now the shocked comes when H-man doesn't freak out, he just laughs and tells me, all matter of factly: "Mom, Austin's butt has dragon breath". Moments that make a mother proud.

So, as I reminisce, on the stories of this past week, I sit and chuckle to myself. This is obviously a cue for Austin, my game maniac, to come and entice me into a game of Sorry or Scrabble. "Yes, little man, I'll play with you, but only 1 game of Sorry." "Alright, Mom, but I want to be the evil masters. I like Evil, it's fun and funny." Yes, pray for me.