Back to Basics

Basically,  summer is over and we're back to school. Back to soccer. Ben started his first soccer season. I'm basically running back and forth between both of their practices, to support Matthew and watch tmy competetive youngest child as he yells at his teammates. When I can't take any longer, I'll run a few laps around the park to maintain some sort of sanity and health. Basically,  we're back to our basic life.  Thought I'd write a quick post because time flies and I don't want to forget these basic days with my babies. Reminding myself that the days are looooong, but the years are short.  #dontblink

Yesterday's gifts

  God has gifts waiting for you throughout the day. Look for them. Make it a point to praise him for these gifts. Yesterday, my day was full of precious little gifts. Enjoying good hearty conversations with old friends, taking in the vastness and grandeur of the big wide ocean which constantly reminded me of how small we are in  comparison, observing my children connect and enjoy the company of old neighborhood friends, watching my daughter's curly hair blow wild about their faces when the afternoon wind picked up.... the waves were strong and the existence of danger was ever present, but despite the strength and mightiness of the tide, it brought me peace knowing God is even stronger. And He continued to bless me as the day went on, ending the day with a good shopping trip and having a meaningful conversation about faith with my oldest during the long drive home. The sound of laughter echoing throughout the house at 3AM was painful yet beautiful. It reminded me to seize the moment because this will only last a short time.  I'm most thankful for waking up with the peace that came from an answered prayer. Knowing my place is just to be obedient to God and continue to trust Him. Knowing that I will continue to do what is possible and leave the impossible up to Him. Thank you Lord for your sovereignty. These are all the things I praise you for yesterday. What gifts did you find in your day? I urge you to look for Him as you go about today.

He Changed Mine

This one is for my mom....and my dad. My mom misses my blogging. I think its her way of feeling connected with the grandkids and I. My blogs are something she looked forward to and counted on for either a good laugh (at my expense...like the story of hiding in the coat closet eating a Snickers Ice Cream Bar) and/or a good cry. Aunti Lynn has also been asking for some more blogs. So Lynn, here you go....sorry to keep you waiting so long and thank you for being so understanding and patient.

What I really want to blog/share with you is a short story about my father. My daddy is the smartest, most caring, passionate, active, interesting, employed, and reliable man that I know. He is NOT perfect, but pretty darn close to it. He lacks the patience that Nana has when dealing with all six kids at one time, but not many people can do her job anyway! Anyhow, I don't know what I would ever do without my father. I'm tearing up as I write this because it brings to mind a very vivid memory I have of a conversation we shared when I was a young girl. I do not recall my exact age, but if I had to guess, I'd say about 7 or 8. I'm quite positive he will NOT remember this day or moment that I'm about to share with you. We all know how the most insignificant, minute comments or simple chats can hold dear to some and yet others may have no recolletion of it. Not to mention, I was a child and be that as it may...CHILDREN REMEMBER EVERYTHING!!!! I'm also certain he will not recall it because he was in the middle of doing something really important at the time. It had to do with encouraging a friend or acquaintence during a dark time. That's my dad...always helping someone in a time of great need, saving lives; that's just what my daddy does.

On a quiet culdesac sat a humble sized home. Located in the back of that home was the "office" adjacent to our family room or "den" as some call it. When people ask where I grew up, this is the home that comes to my mind. Immediately, when I close my eyes, I've traveled into the past and I'm standing in this home, in his office all over again. I can picture it in great detail down to the wood paneled walls. This room later became Grandma Lo-Lo's bedroom, a safe place I'd go to hide and cry when I was in trouble with mom. Grandma had all the good candy hidden in secret places within the room and she shared them with me whenever I visited her during my 'time-outs.' I digress, in my father's office sat a big 'ol chunky desk with a big 'ol chunky ancient computer atop of it. I, being a normal kid, was in the den watching cartoons. I can still hear my father's fingers hitting the keyboard as he typed away. Who knows where my brothers were at the time but they weren't entertaining me and I was bored. I walked into the office to see what dad was doing. Instead of ignoring me, as I often do when the kids want to talk while I'm blogging, he stopped and turned to me. Did you read that correctly? I'll write it again, just in case you didn't get it-- HE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT HE WAS DOING!!! He acknowledged my presence and asked me how my day was. Even his body language mirrored his words. He was genuinely interested in me. Perhaps, at that exact moment, it was a much needed break from his letter. I'll never know and it doesn't really matter because it meant a great deal to me. I asked him what he was doing and he replied with something similar to "I'm writing a letter to a friend."

He went back to writing his letter as I took a seat on the north wall of the room. I'm sure all 50lbs of me got lost in that big, beige chair. I remember watching him type for a few minutes. Above that desk hung a white USA Olympics flag. As I sat there staring at the flag and the colors of the rings, he turned again and looked at me; then, he asked me for my help with his letter. He was including me in something kinda important. He said his 'friend' was going through a rough time and was looking for advice. He pulled me close to him and asked me if I thought one person could change the world or if I thought the task would prove to be too much for one person alone to conquer. Obviously, with the life experience and mindset of an 8 yr old... I replied with a big, confident YES....one person could indeed change the world. My daddy listened to me and then smiled in response. He then explained to me that even if a person couldn't make a significant change, quite possibly, he or she could at least make a small dent in it. I never forgot those words.

Here's where you think my story ends. You're wrong.

My daddy went back to his letter. He read aloud the paragraph he was working on. In it, he had written something to the point of it being impossible and too much of an expectation on a single individual. Then, he stopped midsentence and then deleted what he had already typed. I distinctly remember him starting his next sentence with, ...."I have a beautiful, confident, 8 year old daughter who is absolutely positive that one person can undoubtedly make a change....".

 Not only did my daddy acknowledge my presence while in the midst of his busy schedule that morning, not only did he initiate a conversation with his little girl that morning, but he included my innocent, naive thoughts into his friend's much needed boost of confidence and comfort. I cannot begin to describe how important my father made me feel on that insignificant, yet momentous, early morning.

I only hope I can evoke similar feelings of importance in my children. I am determined to let them know how precious and loved they are. Thank you daddy for being so important to me and for making me feel the same. You have not a clue how much you affected me on that day. You are the best daddy any daughter could ask for and I love you more than this big, wide, sometimes ugly, world.

My daddy makes dents in peoples' lives everyday. I stand by what I had proclaimed that morning because my father is an example of one person changing the world. He changed mine.

Can't think of a good title right now....

I got a headache/toothache. And I'm in the middle of cooking dinner, and perusing Pinterest, and watching 19 Kids and Counting with Elizabeth and Emily, and yelling at other kids, but I still wanted to share the happenings around here with you, so....

One Smart Kitten

Don't forget to click on the post under this for more pics of the nursery.


I'm so embarrassed to even blog about this but it had to be documented!!!! I am sometimes blonde. I sometimes do corny things. I behave like an airhead, sometimes.

Quotes of the Week & the Case of the Missing Tooth

I just wanted to post something real quick before I go off to bed. It's late and I have to work tomorrow so the rest of the nursery pics will have to wait. For now... I just wanted to share with you the latest and most frequent quotes from each family member this week. It seems that they change as often as our underwear does so I want to blog it before I forget it. With that said, this week, I think I heard at least a kabillion times... (is that even a number?) 

Stop Drop and Roll

I haven't blogged in awhile. I mean like 'really' blogged. I'm sure you've noticed. Lately, my posting is short and to the point. While they usually do have pics, they are lacking in other areas... like content. The kinda content that puts you in my shoes and gives you a real good dose of my reality and what it's like to be Mom to Many Mejias. I can blame it on my lack of time and my busy chaotic schedule, but the truth of the matter is, I am a horrible time management person. There you have it. I have finally admitted it, Miguel!!!! Enjoy it, breathe it in baby. Yes, you heard me right! I suck at managing my time efficiently! There. Now don't EVA expect to hear me admit it again. NEVA! On the other hand, I am good at sticking to a routine which is vital to raising half a dozen short people.

I'm Thankful for...

I've had curly hair my whole life and around the age of 12 I started HATING it. I've done everything imaginable to get it to look 'pin straight'...flat ironing, blow-drying, and even chemically straightening it! Now, I'm suffering the consequences of all those years of abuse. My hair is so brittle and every day I lose more and more, haha. But still,  for some reason, curly, frizzy hair is just not as cute on a 30 year old mommy as it is on a little girl!

Mejia Updates

Brianna had her first Jr. High Dance on Friday night. What a moment that was for me. She went with a group of girlfriends but it was still hard for me to swallow that she was 'old enough' for something like this. It was right after school and only lasted about an hour but it was still a DANCE nonetheless.

Scratch the Fish Food

I haven't forgotten to post a pic of our haunted graveyard. It's just been very, very hectic around here lately. I'm recovering from the flu and the worst ear infection known to mankind. My ear even drained some yellowish goop but I'll spare you the details. I had bodyaches and fever that lasted a long, tormenting two days.  But I'm feeling a lot better until this morning that is... when I was awakened by Emily who was desperately trying to save her bed sheets from being sprayed on by Megan who decided 5:30 am was the perfect time to wake up and barf all over her bed. I bet Emily was surprised to find how easy it was to wake me because I had just fallen back to sleep from being awakened by Ben thirty minutes prior because he had decided at 5:00 am that he wanted to watch cartoons and eat "so-we-all (cereal)."

I climbed into a trash can tonight

because I accidentally threw away my cell phone while I was cleaning out the car.

Is This A Dream Come True?

 Maybe she's been watching too many fairytales lately, but this is exactly what Megan asked me the other day. As usual, this girl keeps me on my toes with her random comments and questions. Yesterday, she tattle-tailed about a dozen times on her siblings telling me that they "breaked her heart" and they were "hurting her feelwings". Can she be any more precious?

We went to the annual pre-4th of July carnival in our town last weekend. At the end of the night they had about a twenty minute firework display. As beautiful as it was,

When Life Gives You Lemons

When life gives you lemons, do not throw them in your neighbor's face!

We just got a treadmill. I used to have one then I sold it. I quickly regretted it and just bought another one. Now if I can only locate some motivation to get my butt on it. I know it's there somewhere. I just gotta find it.

Megan had a dr. appt yesterday. The day before her appt. Matthew kept teasing her about getting shots and of course she freaked out until she was distracted with whatever was going on in the room at the time. The next day we arrived at the dr. Just her and I. It was a scheduled annual check-up and I really didn't expect any shots to be given. That is until the nurse reminded us that we were behind 4 immunizations!!!  Oh yeah, I seemed to have forgotten that I was one of those wacko delayed immunization believers. At least I am when I forget to schedule shots, haha. Anyhow, this upset me because I had just got done telling her she didn't need shots. I don't want my child to lose her trust in me thinking I lied to her. We made the best of it and I promised her an ice cream cone afterwards which she gladly ate up. Her personality has blossomed lately. Some of the stuff that comes out of her mouth leaves me in disbelief. You'd swear she was a ten year old, not three.

Anyhow. during our visit the nurse asked if she was allergic to any medications. Out of habit, I instinctly said "no". But then I immediately remembered she was, I corrected myself. The funny part was, it initiated a conversation about her medical ID bracelet. This is how it went:

On Strike!

I'm soooo tired of laundry and cleaning house. Sometimes, I do 5 loads a day and the mountains of laundry look like they've barely been touched. And making beds? Psshhh. Forget about it.  I gave that up a very, long time ago. It makes no sense to make a bed (especially when you have as many kids as I do) only to get back into it the same day! Really-- think about it? That's a waste of a very valuable 10 minutes I can use somewhere else in my day like hiding from the kids in a coat closet or on better days maybe even reading to my children because we all know how important that is.  And the dirty dishes are killing me!!!!  There's always a mess somewhere. When I'm busy cleaning up one mess, I turn around to find my sweet Ben or another one of my children has made another! Why do I even try? I'm officially going on strike! As of right now!

This morning, I came across a quote by a woman I have grown to idolize, Erma Bombeck:

"Housework, if you do it right, will kill you. No one ever died from sleeping in an unmade bed. I have known mothers who remake the bed after their children do it because there is wrinkle in the spread or the blanket is on crooked. This is sick. There’s something wrong with a mother who washes out a measuring cup with soap and water after she’s only measured water in it."

My response to her:

"AMEN SISTA!!!"

So I'm about 3 weeks behind in posting...

But this one post is very important to me so although it's late, it still holds its value.
 Happy Birthday, Papa Bear.

Without you, the Great Big Mejia Family wouldn't have been possible :p

Without you, I would have never learned the important lesson that the world will still continue to turn even if a child falls asleep without brushing his teeth, with sticky hands, a dirty face, and/or mismatched clothes. 

Without you, I would never know what true love is.

Without you, I'd be walking through this hectic, chaotic life all alone.

Without you, I'd have nobody to build me the many things on my Honey Do List. Things like this new project!!!!

I couldn't have found a better partner!

Happy Birthday, Papa Bear!

A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip. ~
Author Unknown

Can I vent for a minute?

No, you say?

Too bad. Here goes...

I'm in a mood. Kinda a grumpy one. I feel so stressed out lately. I feel like I have way tooo much weight on my shoulders. I hate venting. I feel silly venting. Probably because I know that I cause most of this stress myself. I take on too much. I hate saying no to people. I do. Although, I feel silly venting and I know that I probably shouldn't be complaining because I am the cause of it all, I'm still human and I'm allowed to vent. It feels good to get it all out there. I feel like if I would just learn to tell people NO then I could probably reduce my stress and responsibilites by at least 40 percent. So, that's on my list of things to do/learn. Learn to say no. I'm not Superwoman. Some may think I am, and maybe this blog is a big facade and perhaps I make it look easy. But, it's not. It's not easy at all. I have to stop doing favors for other people because it takes me away from my kids and they are my primary concern right now. It's not fun to have a mom around when she's grumpy all the time.

Plus, all the time that I spend doing things for others, I could be spending on my own house too! My bathrooms smell like a dirty men's gas station bathroom. Thanks to Matthew. He cannot aim well at all! Especially, in the middle of the night. I don't even know why I clean it because an hour later there will be pee puddles all around the toilet.

I'm going on very little sleep lately too. That's probably why I'm so irritable lately. Oh, speaking of bathroom issues.... if Megan will just make up her little mind if she's potty trained or not, that would help too! One day she goes potty all day long, the next day it's back in the diaper! Ugh!!!! And another about this girl is her makeup fetish. I have so many makeup items MIA. I have replaced 3 mascaras in the last month. I can't take it anymore! I don't even wear makeup on most days but every now and then when I'm feeling kind blah, I'd like to put on a little something to make me feel a lil feminine. But who knows where it's at! I try buying Megs her own makeup but she loses that too! Now, she's got Ben into this little habit. I found him playing with my blush twice within the last week. BEN... you are a BOY. a B-O-Y. That means NO make-up mister!!!!

My toothbrush. I swear somewhere in the deep dark abyss of this house lies a Bermuda Triangle. Maybe it's in the closet where I hide to eat my chocolate. I'm not sure, but I know when I find it, I will also find the thirty something toothbrushes that I have bought and one of thoses six kids have lost the same day! Stop using my toothbrush in your beautiful plaque filled mouths. You have your own!!!! I don't use your toothbrush and then throw down when I'm done next to the dirty toilet with pee puddles all around it! Yet, you all seem to LOVE to do it to me!!! Leave my stuff alone, pulllleasse!

My wonderful husband bought me a camera lens I have been wanting for a long time. I used it for a whole 30 minutes when Megan dropped it and broke it.

Elizabeth and her refusal to wear any kinda pants BUT skinny jeans! It's killing me! You should see our laundry baskets. It's scary. I can't keep up with all the dirty clothes these kids or husband create. That means skinny jeans will NOT be available everyday, child!

Gosh, is it too much to ask for a clean house and my clean car!  I'm tired of vaccuming the car to just find goldfish crumbs all over it seconds later. I'm tired of vaccuming the family room 3x a day. Just remember this children, next time you want a nice warm meal!


Oh, and just so you know... I complain, but I LOVE my children. All six of them. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I Just needed to vent.

And I feel much better now!

Goodnight.

P.S.   Ewok- stop eating our shoes!!!!

Ten Stitches Are Plenty. Ten Stitches Too Many.

Can you guess where DangerBoy spent last Friday morning? No, he wasn't in the street, or in a boat, not out in the heat. He wasn't in a museum, not even in an arboretum.


"What?"


"What's that? You think he was in a hospital?!"


"Silly readers, what ever would make you think that?!"


I'm embarassed to admit it, but you are right!!! And so the saga continues...


One Friday morning, while momma was at work and ahem* daddy* was in charge, DangerBoy decided that his recent battle wound was looking a little small. It just wasn't the size he wanted it to be. He wanted one much bigger and more dangerous-looking. And so he thought. And he plotted. He waited ever so patiently for the moment to make his move. Moments later, daddy started getting ready for the day. Daddy showered, changed his clothes, and began to shave his face. DangerBoy knew his moment was fast approaching. He excitedly studied his momma's bedroom for the biggest piece of furniture he could climb.


Hmmmmm..... he thought.


"What could I jump on that would bring me the most delight?"
"Daddy's dresser? No, that was too hard."
"Mama's nighstand? No, too square."
"The Big Soft Bed in the middle of the room? Yes, that would be juuuuuust right!"


So DangerBoy climbed the bed. He climbed and climbed all morning long. His daddy took him down several times. But DangerBoy would get right back up on that big mountain of down comforter. It was just too tempting not to. Daddy was getting frustrated and he yelled at DangerBoy to stay off. His daddy's arms were soooo tired of taking DangerBoy off the bed that he finally just gave up altogether. That's when Dangerboy seized the opportunity to climb once more onto that big, brown bed. He climbed up all the way to the highest pillow and when he got there he took one long look at his daddy in the bathroom and flashed him the biggest smile he could. He was quite proud of himself for getting all the way up there. He was even more proud of the fact that he technically outlasted daddy and won the war to keep the baby off the bed. But that only lasted for so long because we all know Dangerboy and how quickly he gets bored. Not a minute later he decided JUMPING would be much more fun than climbing and even more fun than torturing daddy with his mischeivous grin. So Dangerboy JUMPED up. And Dangerboy JUMPED down. He giggled and giggled and tumbled and tumbled and JUMPED and JUMPED. And just when he couldn't jump anymore, his big sister climbed up and joined in on the fun. Now, there were two little monkeys siblings jumping on the bed!

Go ahead. Sing it. You know you want to!


Two Little Siblings Monkeys Jumping on the Bed...
(Come on.You know the words.)
One falls off and bumps his head.
Daddy calls the Dr. and the Dr. says...
"Three More Stiches On Ben's Head."

When daddy heard the THUD he figured it was probably just the average everyday boo-boo for Ben. What's new? It was the sight of blood dripping down Dangerboy's nose that caught daddy's attention. He cleaned up DangerBoy's face and was horrified to see that he had split open the same wound from his adventure at Knott's. Daddy rushed poor junior off to the Dr. His momma left work and met the boys there. The kind doctor worked his magic on little Dangerboy's face. He consoled the boy's parents and reminded them that 'boys will be boys.' 

The doctor's words didn't do much to make his mommy feel happy. Although her son got his wish; his daddy felt crappy. Ben's wound is now bigger than ever before. His once 7 stitches turned into 3 more! 

Ten stitches are plenty. Ten Stitches too many.

Troublesome Trashcan Trauma

We all know how bad I am about following through with my promises to post pics at a later date...(i.e.- the girls' bedroom re-do.) Trust me, I haven't forgotten about that. I know, I'm a bad blogger but I can't help it if it hasn't made it's way up to the top of my To Do List. I promise it's on the list but at the very, very, bottom of the bottomless list of CRAP to get done.

But I definitely made sure that pictures of Ben's... ooops... I mean Dangerboy's little fiasco were at the top of said list. I mean how can I not remember to do that; everytime I look at that kid I'm reminded about it! It's written all over his face! HA! (pun intended).

Sooo without further ado, let me introduce you to Destruct-O-Boy's archnemesis (AKA- the trashcan).

Please excuse the poor quality of the pics. A camera phone is no comparison to a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi. And here is DangerBoy moments after the damage was repaired. See the sleepy look in his eyes??? Yeah, that's good stuff baby!

The following morning when I went to rescue him from his crib, he had already taken off his bandage and it looked like this. I changed his diaper, walked over to the trashcan and threw it out which gave him just enough time to climb on top of the dinner table. I swear God heard my prayer for a lil boy and said to Himself, "you wanna boy, well here ya go!"

The following ones were taken about 5 minutes ago.



Daddy took some hilarious video of him just after he was sedated. I think being heavily medicated is the only way to calm this child.  Much to daddy's frustration and despite mommy's begging and pleading that damn doctor wouldn't send us home with a prescription of that stuff.

What???!!!

I don't see what the problem is?  In my book, it's very similar to an adult soothing a hectic day with an nice glass of wine to unwind. Whenever he starts acting up, all I have to do is walk over to the medicine cabinet... "Here sweet boy, open up and swallow 'Mommy's Little Helper'. This will take all of mommy's your troubles away.

A mommy can dream!

Oh, and just for kicks and giggles.... here's Ewok's face. He was watching me take pictures of Ben and apparently felt like it was his turn!  I swear he's like my 7th kid sometimes! In case you couldn't tell, that's him smiling.  

The Adventures of DangerBoy!

Okay, I got all the kids down and it's only 7:17pm! YESSSSSS-- they are DOWN. Down as in down for bed! Can you believe it? I barely can!!!  I bet you're wondering how on earth I managed to get my crew of six monkeys down before 8 o'clock. Ask me. You know you want to.

Okay, you don't have to twist my arm. I'll tell you. But, shhhh... don't tell the kids. They'll be sooo mad at me.

Promise? Pinky Promise? Cross you heart? Okay, good. You're sooo gonna love this!!!!

I set all the clocks in the whole house forward 45 minutes.

WHAT?!!!

You think that's wrong?!!

Is tricking my children into bed at such an early hour just so I can maintain my sanity have some peace and quiet all to myself wrong?  I guess it is kinda cruel. But what they don't know won't hurt them, right? It helps that it's winter right now too. There's no daylight out. It's gonna be awfully hard to keep this lie going come summer. I guess I'll just have to enjoy it while I can (insert evil laugh----muuuuahhhhhh!). But seriously, help me out here. I'm trying to make myself feel better about doing this! Besides, daddy works nights and I have all the responsibilities of homework, cheer, karate, dinner, cleanup, oh and safety too (that's a whole nuther story I'll tell you about in a bit) all on poor lil 'ol me. So the question is...why didn't I think about this sooner???!!!



The reason I needed them down so early is because I have so much CRAP to do!!!! I'm overwhelmed. Luckily, cheer practice got canceled today. As sad as I was that it was canceled (I say that sarcastically), I managed to get some really important stuff done (like laundry) that ordinarily would have been pushed back to the end of my day. I also saved some time by making them a quick dinner. Hot dogs, fries, and fruit cups. Every kid likes that which meant no complaints or long fights with a certain particular, picky child ahem* cough*Elizabeth to eat her food. I had just enough hot dogs to feed each of the six kids and myself until I remembered that I had an extra mouth to feed because Elizabeth brought a friend home from school today. I can't make that child watch us all eat in front of her. That would be wrong. Wronger than tricking your kids. So being the kind person that I am (and the fact that I remembered I had just bought some Snickers Ice Cream Bars today at Target... Did you know Target sold those?... I didn't!... But as soon as I saw them I threw a box [thought about taking 3 boxes] into the cart)...but, I digress.... Remembering those Snickers Bars in the garage freezer, I grudgingly gave up my hot dog to the poor starving friend of my dear Elizabeth.

I could hear those Snickers Bars calling my name the whole time I was serving the kids their dinner. They wouldn't stop screaming for me even while the kids were brushing their teeth. So that's when I did it... that's when the idea hit me to set the clocks forward almost a whole hour.

One hour closer to my ice cream dinner.

Then, while they were getting their PJ's on, I heard those damn Snickers yell out, "if you don't eat me right now, I'll tell the kids that I'm in here."

I called out to the Snickers, "SHUTUP! Those darn kids are gonna hear you. They don't know you're in there yet!"

But apparently, they didn't listen. The screaming got louder and louder until I just couldn't take it anymore. I caved. I yelled at the kids to get upstairs, "Go upstairs. Go NOW. And STAY UP THERE. And while you're up there, keep an eye on Ben too." I used the excuse that I had to clean the kitchen. But we both know that 'clean the kitchen' was really code for 'sneak into the garage and grab myself my long awaited dinner.' I admit it. I'm not going to lie. I ate my ice cream bar inside the downstairs closet. I hid in between all the hanging coats, the basket full of diapers, a vacuum cleaner (I think the vacuum was jealous), and five umbrellas. I made sure to keep the lights off so that I couldn't accidentally be discovered by any of those six kids. Sometimes they like to sneak downstairs even after I tell them to stay up there. So I made sure to really stay hidden until each and every last bite of that caramel goodness was gone. And I will also admit that I almost thought about grabbing myself another one. Almost.

Anyways, that's what I ate for dinner.

Now where was I before I went off on that tangent about dinner? Oh.....yes... I have sooo much CRAP to get done tonight. I really do need to clean my kitchen and that's not code for anything. I have to keep at the dent I've made in the mountains of laundry we have right now. And I have to sew some poodle skirts for the Father/Daughter Sock Hop Dance next week.

Sigh. Such is life with six kids and no daddy home. I'm not feeling sorry for myself. Really, I'm not. Okay, maybe just a little.

Anyways. Back to the chores.

Sigh!

But, blogging is sooo much more entertaining. Don't you think? Plus, it doesn't take as much energy cuz the only thing moving is my fingers. I just don't have the energy in me to move anything else right now. Besides, I got some stuff to catch you up on. The chores are there and they aren't going anywhere, right?

Still blogging.

Just blogging.

Heyyyyy... that reminds me of the part in the movie, Nemo. "Just keep swimming blogging, just keep swimming  blogging... I love that movie! Don't you remember the part where Dory says to.... okay ... I know.. I know...I watch too many kid movies... Nevermind.


Hmmmm.... what else can we talk about since I just seemed to have made up my mind to blog instead of clean, launder, or sew. That's your fault cuz I know you're reading this. I definitely would be doing chores instead of blogging if I knew this blog wasn't getting read. See... it's your fault.

Oh, yes I know what we can talk about! Actually, I'll do the talking (or typing, rather). Because I'd like to tell you a story. A story I named-- The Adventures of DangerBoy! Daddy likes the name-- Destruct-O-Boy better, so I'll entertain you by alternating between the two names. You pick whichever one you want, I really don't care. Just pay attention to my story, okay?

Ready? Got your popcorn? Okay, here we go....

Once upon a time, there lived an adorable *wink*  little boy who loved to climb (hmmm, bet you know exactly which kid this is about). He loved heights. He loved danger. He feared nothing. (I bet you know where this is going too...) So anyways, this boy we'll call, DangerBoy, went to an amusement park we'll call Knotts Berry Farm to enjoy the day with his family and watch his three eldest sisters compete in a State Cheer Competition which just so happened to be held at the same park. Now, while Desctruct-O-Boy's mommy went into the competition auditorium to collect his three cheer sisters and to bring them down to where DangerBoy himself, his daddy and other siblings were waiting, Destruct-O-Boy decided to see what kind of trouble he could get into. What's new, right?! Apparently, Dangerboy found some trouble lurking in a nearby trashcan. (or just maybe... there were ice cream bars in there calling his name, Beeeeennnnnnn. Okay, probably not. That only happens to me.) Where was I.... there was trouble lurking in the trash can and DangerBoy decided to see what it was all about. Daddy happened to turn his back for one quick second. DangerBoy knew this was his only chance. WHOOOOSHHH!!!! As speedy as a lightning bolt, Destruct-O-Boy darted to the can and pulled himself up with all his might.

Now, here's where the story gets good.

Are you listening????

DangerBoy didn't make it into the can as planned. Not even a little bit. Instead, the not bolted to the ground fiberglass trashcan came toppling down onto DangerBoy's beautiful untouched, unmarked face.

DUN. DUN. DUN.

Did this stop him? Well, yes... for the moment.

DangerBoy's daddy ran over to the can as fast as he possibly could to rescue the trouble seeking boy. He pulled the can off DangerBoy's body expecting a bruise or maybe just a frightened little expression on his face. But instead... Daddy was met with an ugly laceration and a large amount of blood pooling onto Dangerboy's little babyface. Unscarred he was no more. Because of that incident, DangerBoy's face will forever be evidence of his day wrestling with the big, red can.

As you can imagine, Destruct-O-Boy's mommy was quite shocked when she arrived down in the food court to see Daddy holding a cloth to DangerBoy's forehead and staring back at her with an 'OH SH*T, YOU'RE SO GONNA KILL ME FOR NOT WATCHING HIM' look on his face. Now so many thoughts were going thru DangerBoys momma's head at that very moment. And yes, she will admit, that was definitely one of them. But she was a remarkable, young woman and an honorable wife. In those few seconds of seeing her bloody son, she decided that because of this little boy's hyperactivity, surely, this was something that could have happened in her care as well. She desired to be the most enviable marriage partner and to not mention anything to Destruct-O-Boy's father about those horrible 'how could you' thoughts that entered her mind for a millisecond. Instead, she concentrated on what's more important at the moment, which was not passing out everytime his daddy moved the cloth to check the bleeding.

Both his momma and Knott's associates called 9-1-1. And very shortly after, daddy and Destruct-O-Boy were wisked via ambulance to the nearest hospital. It was there, at that very hospital, where DangerBoy woo'ed the hearts of a nurse, or two, maaaaybe even three, all the while braving his injury and being stitched up 7x.

Wow!

WHAT. A. DAY!

Sadly, Destruct-O-Boy only got to take a spin on ONE whole ride before his trashcan debacle. And Sadly, because of his rambunctiousness, the plans to spend the rest of the day after competition riding all the amusement park rides as a family never happened. Rather, the lovely three cheer girls won their trophies (1st place in cheer and 2nd for Hip Hop) and the bandaged up DangerBoy and his family went on their merry way home.

DangerBoy lived the rest of his life with the female attracting scar across his face. In fact, the very next day he was searching for the next adventure to tackle. Joyfully though, he and the rest of his family lived happily ever after.

To Be Continued...

(pics will be posted later)
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Ahhh....I hope you enjoyed this non-fictional story. Yes, this just happened this past weekend. I'd post some pictures but it's getting awfully late and..... sigh.......back to reality. Or at least my reality. It seems that just as I guessed they would, just now, four of those disobeying children seemed to have found their way out of their nice warm beds. I hear much laughter up there as they entertain themselves in the upstairs hallway, thinking that mommy is too busy or too tired to even care. HA! I'll show them! Those darn kids should be in bed sleeping, cuz it's 9:45 10:45 already! I just screamed up there, "just wait til I tell your father you're still awake." But I only heard 1 pair of feet go running. Those darn kids are getting too smart! I bet that one pair of running feet was from the youngest of the four. That child hasn't lived long enough to know that mommy doesn't usually follow thru with her little threats. So, unfortunately, I'm sorry, but you will have to excuse me now while I go spank my kids, pull out my hair, and maybe eat another Snickers Bar tuck my sweet lil angels back into their fluffy warm beds.



Goodnight. Sweet Dreams, Bloggy Readers.

Meet Hillary

I'd like you to meet someone pretty special. This is my cousin, Hillary. She's a BEAUTIFUL young college student who has overcome some pretty amazing trials sent her way. Like most typical teenagers, Hillary worried about her studies, sports and her social life. Something distracted her though. Something in addition to normal high school issues. Something got in her way of just being a 'normal' kid. At 14, she was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer. Imagine dealing with this at fourteen years old! All the while going to school and trying to keep up with tests and assignments and basketball and volleyball and friends and just every day teenager stuff. Imagine that. Really imagine how little "normalcy" she had being interrupted by doctor appointments and hospital stays. Chemotherapy and the like. Because that was her life. And despite all of the yuckiness that goes along with this disease, she didn't falter. She didn't stumble. She was so brave and she fought so long and so hard. In my book, she's famous. Google her and you will see. You will see what an extraordinary woman she has become. She can sing, play the guitar, and can speak Chinese. Hello!!!! Do you know anyone like that?!

With God's amazing grace, she won her battle with cancer and because of it has become the strong woman she is today.

I'm so very proud of her. I'm so proud to tell people that I not only know her, but (even better) we are related. Her story is truly one of hope for those who may be experiencing the same or similar circumstances. I'd like to say that she gets her brains from her father's side of the family (obviously, that's how we are related) and that smart kids just seem to run in our blood. But... (there's always a but)... but, unfortunately I think this is not the case with her. Because Hillary is different. She's just so very different. She's not your typical college kid you'd meet on the street. She is a hero of sorts. A role model for me and also for my children. She stands out in a crowd.

After her fight with cancer, she mentioned that one of the things she learned through it all was to "enjoy the time you have here and now because you never know when things will be going wrong. And the other thing is you need to give back in life. Now I want to leave the world a little better than when I came in."  Ummmm.... Hello AGAIN!!!!!......I don't know about you, but there's not many teenagers I know who have the wisdom and insight that this girl has!

What I admire most about her is that she knows what she wants in life and she goes after it, all the while jumping over the hurdles thrown her way. As a child, her dream was to grow up and become a doctor.  Something got in her way BIG TIME. And instead of easily giving up like I probably would have, she weathered the storm. ONE. DAY. AT. A. TIME. And when the storm was all over she was left weak. But weakness was piddly compared to what she had just been through. Did she take time to recoup and gain her strength back? Perhaps. I can only hope so. But when she felt better she stood up and accepted her next challenge.

So the next time I'm feeling sorry for myself or the next time I find myself acting selfish and bitter because something didn't turn out the way I planned it (case in point: my 911 call, or my bidding wars over a house), I will remember her story. I will remind myself that life is not easy. Life is full of struggles and hardships. Sometimes God throws us a curve ball. But that shouldn't stop me (or us) from fighting for our dreams. I want my children to know this too. They read this blog very often. So children- Take Note: Sometimes we fall on our own and other times we're pushed down. But when you are faced with hardship, please remember Hillary. Hillary stood up. Hillary brushed herself off. Hillary accepted the challenge sent her way and even fought through it with a "bring it on" type of attitude. My beautiful children- sometimes we'll win and other times we may lose. But when we win.... remember.... give the glory to God. Thank Him for what He has done in your life and what it has taught you. Take your experience with you and continue on your journey. Fight for your dreams. It will be worth it. And remember those who helped you along the way. Let that touch you and encourage you to pay it forward, give back to others. I pray that you, my children, will never have to experience such an ordeal as hers. But... if you do... remember, I will be there to help you every step of the way and to remind you of Hillary's bravery and determination.

I'm happy to share that Hillary was just accepted into medical school!

Hillary, congratulations. I am sooo very honored to be your cousin. You are an inconceivably amazing woman. And you deserve this more than any other person I know.