Soccer Studs Pt 2

JJ at his first game Saturday. Hot, sweaty, and manly. They fought the good fight, but eventually ended up losing. There is a long story about Troy and me trying to remain cordial, but ending up at opposite end sof the field (not my fault!) but I will save that for another post.
More playing...
...and more playing...
...and Baby G!!!
And the Terrible Trio getting ready to walk to school, looking particularly cute. Enjoy!

Best Friends

Baby G and some friends in her room. These friends are all actually JE's age and, come to think of it, like to chase JE around. From left to right, they are Adrienne, Cameron, Baby G, and Michelle. The day this was taken JE received his very first kiss from Adrienne (who is as serious as Justin is smiley! Opposites attract!) Ah, puppy love! Today, she bit him. WTF?
And here is JJ and his best bud, Kyle, with JE behind them. These two are quite the pair, completely obnoxious (as you can probably tell.) Yes, Jon got his glasses back today, and I will skin him alive if I see them off his face while he is awake.
More craziness. Lord, deliver me!

Il Fait Chaud!

Yes, folks, it's FARKING HOT! I hate summer- heat and I just don't 'hang'. I know it's good for corn, soybeans, and tomatoes- the first two being our cash crops around here- but it's not good for living, breathing, working, or doing hair. And not having air in the front of my van is making traveling anywhere unbearable. I got seriously pukey on my way home today, even though I'd drunk tons of water. Come one, Dad- it's a $20 part! I NEED MY AIR!

If Steve wants to move back to South Dakota, I would be gone in a heart beat.

Soccer Studs and the First day of Sophomore Year

High School resumed today, and here is JA getting ready to go to the bus stop. Looks enthusiastic, doesn't he? After he got to school, he found out that his driver's ed has been pushed back to January (yay!) and that his entire schedule for the year must now be re-arranged to accommodate all his required classes as well as those classes he must make up after goofing off last year. He swears he will make nothing below a 'B' this year; I'll hold him to it!
Pele... David Beckham... Christiano Ronaldo... JE??? Here is JE (with his dad behind him) looking hot, sweaty, and manly after soccer practice. Troy is coaching (and knows nothing about soccer- brave man) and he has JA as his assistant. God have mercy on their team.
JJ's team, on the other hand, practiced for a full hour and a half, and I do mean FULL. Notice the sleeves rolled up- just like big brother JA. I guess that signifies he means business.
Go, JJ! Runs like a cheetah...

First Day of School Follies!! Pt 2

Baby G in front of the school. Happy and smiling!
Daddy and Baby G (again)
BBaby G at her new desk.
JE sitting at his desk with his friends.
JJ and his best friend, Kyle, hamming for the camera.

Thank God school's in!!

First Day of School Follies! Pt 1

JJ- on the first day of fourth grade. Doesn't he look enthusiastic? (Notice the lack of GLASSES on his face!) He also forgot his required 2-boxes-Kleenex and will have to take them tomorrow.
Here is Baby G on the first day of Kindergarten. All smiles, dressed in her hand-picked outfit, back pack stuffed to capacity.
And JE. JE, where is your back pack??!! I'm surprised I got a smile out of him; he was ryally honked about having to tear himself away from the Power Rangers to get ready this morning.
The Terrible Trio and their Dad. Troy gave me weird looks when I said I wanted to take his picture, but these are his children and I promised to share. He was very grim and quiet this morning- what's new?- but he is going to have to get over it. We are going to be family for the rest of our lives!
JJ and JE at the school door.

Grandma and Grandpa Visit Baby G

Here is my dad holding Baby G. Baby G is loved by all!
And here is Baby G with my step-mom. They spoil her rotten, but can you blame them?

Chaotic Bliss

!@#$% Blogger! These pix were supposed to come AFTER the text, but I'm not sure how to change it, soooo...... this pic of Baby G is especially for Aunt Kara. She insisted I take it and post it for her because she has heard through the grapevine how her Auntie likes her new hair. Vain child! Such a girl...
Do you know what these are? Yes- baby bunnies! More importantly, they are baby bunnies who live in my side yard. The boys found them yesterday and have decided to take care of them. I told them not to touch them or get too attached to them- they are, after all, wild animals- but the fascination of having real, live pets on your property is just too much for JJ & JE. I have had to chase them away from the nest a million time in the past 24 hours!

One bunny dead when they first happened upon the nest- I don't know if a cat got it or what- and the kids burried it next to the house and gave it a popsickle stick head stone. They named the poor, deceased creature 'Charles Aaron Davis' and said prayers for its soul before covering it up. It is really cute how gentle they are- especially JJ- and how concerned they are that the mother bunny come back so the babies won't die. There is love in the universe!

And do you know what these are? That's right- JJ's glasses. JJ's BROKEN glasses. He was in tears when he brought them to me today- he knows his dad is going to nail his hide to the wall tomorrow when he finds out!

***

The title of this post comes from my 'chere aime,' Steve. He came over for dinner last night, and in the process got a true dose of what life is like at my house (except that JA was spending the night with my mom in T-ton.) At the end of the evening, after dinner was over, the dishes were washed, the kids were bathed and put to bed, I asked him what he thought about my crazy life. He just laughed and called it 'chaotic bliss,' reminding me that my family craziness is NOTHING compared to the hell he lived while enduring his previous marriage. (Remind me to fill in all the juicy details in a later post. For now, let's just say I think the man unwittingly went slumming and ended up living an episode of Jerry Springer. Can you say, "White Trash"? Very good, children!) God, I love that man! He accepts me, my kids, and everything that comes with us at face value, and loves us anyway.



So now let's get to the meat of this post: tomorrow is officially the last day of the kids' summer vacation. They will start school Tuesday, and quite frankly, I think they need it. God knows they're ready, and my children are the type who thrive on structure. I have worked out the coming/going details for when I start my new job, school supplies have been bought and (mostly) sorted- thanks to Troy and my dad- now all that's left is to get there and meet the new teachers. Vive la nouvelle school year!

Last Day of Y Camp, Pt 2

I don't think I have ever seen a group of kids enjoy a pinata so much! here is Baby G, giving it a whack...
And JJ...
And two pix of JE...
And I have never seen a pinata take a whole hour to break! The kids knocked it off the branch 3 times, and Josh had to re-attach it, and away they'd go again. AND they ruined three broom handles in the process! I think they got their money's worth out of that thing.

Last Day of Y Camp, Pt 1

Here are JJ and JE with some of their Y Camp friends. This is the last day of camp since school resumes next week,so they had a big party complete with games, hot dogs, and a pinata (see next post!)
Baby G on the swings- she isn't technically old enough to be a Y Camp Kid, but they let her join in, anyway, while I work. She does very well for a little kid!
JA helped out as part of Teen Reach. The Youth Director is so impressed with his work that she wants him to submit an application and get his 15-year-old work permit so he can start working for her. I told her okay, as long as his grades stay above C's. My boss, the Health and Fitness Director, wants him to get his Life Guard Class next spring to work for her, as well. What a lucky kid! No fast food work for this one!
Baby G and one of her (many) friends. Though they hate having to go with me every day, I think they will all miss camp!

Baby G's New Hair Cut

Since Baby G will be a big KINDERGARTEN GIRL next week, I took her to get her hair cut today. I think it looks adorable, will be easier to maintain, and will keep her from twisting it (which she has been doing a lot lately, just like her mother!)
Victoria Beckham has got NOTHIN' on my Baby G!

A Day in the Life

See Jon play. See Jon play games. Play, Jon, play! Justin can play. He can play games. Play, Justin, play!
See Grace play. She can play and type. Play and type and click. Play, Grace, play!
See Josh on the bed. He is on Mother's bed. He is on the phone. He can talk. He can talk to Sh'elizabeth. Talk, Josh, talk!

*With apologies to Dick and Jane books*

Job, Part 2

Today has been exhausting. I was awake before six, wrangled my children, went to work, worked my shift, taught a class, ran home, made lunch, fed children, got cleaned up, went to my interview (in 100 degree heat with no working air in the front of my van,) GOT MY JOB (yay!) dashed back to the Y, collected some fitness equipment, dashed back across town to NE School, taught another class, dashed back to the Y, worked my shift, dashed home, collected the kids from Troy's......

My ass is dragging!

BUT.... I begin my new job on 8/27! Plenty of time to collect some more professional clothing, get the van fixed, get the kids settled into school, and arrange schedules. YIPPEE! I'm gonna work a REAL job!

Bipolar Calvin

Anyone who knows me will tell you how much I love Calvin and Hobbes. I have all the books and read them regularly- sometimes because he reminds me so much of my sons (ex wouldn't let me name any of them Calvin. Butthead!) and sometimes just to make my day better. If I were ever to get a tattoo, I have a Calvin picked out. Just a warning.

Quote

"Whatever the public blames you for, cultivate it; it is yourself." -Jean Cocteau

Happy Birthday, Steen!

Well, my baby son is officially 8 years old (as of about 8:30 pm tonight!) We started the day out at work- of course- then picked up our friend Scott and headed out for some fun. I gave JE the option of either staying in D'ville and playing lazer tag/bowling/swimming, or heading west to CMI to go back to the water park. CMI won! Paid rather more than I really had budgeted, but we all had an absolute blast.
Here you see the entire crew, getting ready to feast on marble cake (as per JE's personal request.) Said cake was gone within about 5 minutes after this was taken.
Here are Je and JJ choosing a double inner tube to take down the twisting water slide. It's hillarious when they put it over their heads and carry it like a head hunters' canoe. I have always said these two work together just like the velociraptors in Jurassic Park- and they're twice as crafty when they put their heads together!
JE under splashing water- his favorite place to be!
So... I am exhausted, suffering from a killer case of PMS, and in knots about finances and the new job. Keep praying- I certainly need it!

Job

Okay. So I print out all my updated resumes, get all dolled up, and head into D'ville to start filling out applications. I go first to the hospital and use their online app process, ahnd them a resume, then head over to the courthouse. (Not saying where- security, you know.) Lori, a good friend of mine, told me a certain office was looking to hire a certain position, and though the pay was mediocre, the benefits were outstanding. (Health/life insurance, 14 paid holidays- same as the kids- 12 paid personal days, 5 vacation days after a year, 10 after two years, excellent retirement, deferred comp... the list is endless.) So I applied- and the office manager (an elected official whom I adored on sight) took an instant liking to me, personally escorted me to HR and insisted I be pre-employment tested immediately.

Long story short: I aced the typing, math, spelling, and grammar tests they gave me and he will be calling this week to set up an official interview. Can you believe it? The hours are great, too- exactly what I've been looking for. In the summers, if Troy can't trade shifts, I will seriously look into Y daycare and assistance (which I know I will qualify for) and now I will be able to meet all my bills! Is God good or what?!

My only concerns: my work outs (ugh! Early morning runs are the pits! I'll have to invest in an elliptical trainer for the house,) and keeping my two night classes a week so my Y membership is free. I guess it will all work out.