Midnight Masquerade

That's the prom theme this year. Zack went with Cassie again this year and they both looked so awesome! A big group of kids got together for pictures and to have dinner....thanks to Karen (Brittney's mom) for providing such a lovely home and dinner for the kids! I'm sure they're having a grand time!~ Here are many pictures not all in the proper order but you get the gist....

Cassie pinning Zack's boutonnière on

Cassie's mom pinning Zack's boutonnière on.

Zack and Cassie (I love this one!)

Zack and Cassie

Zack in our backyard

I love this one!....love the look on his face!

Love this one too...he looks so handsome!

Zack and Adam getting each other ready for their picture....lol!

Zack and Adam

Zack and Brittney

Zack and Grace

Zack and Jesse

Jessie, Zack and Jodie

Zack and Lexi

The cute couple...they look gorgeous!

Happy Prom 2010!

*A very special thanks to Grandad! Love you!!!

Conversations with a four year old.

Me: Did you wash your face?

Hannah: I just licked it and that's how I cleaned it.

the world we live in

Today, Hannah was brushing her teeth. While she was rinsing I left the water running while I went to check on Joe. Hannah was yelling "Turn it off!! It's going to run out of batteries!"

It's not funny....oh but it so is!!

Yesterday after church Josh and Matthew were in the backyard playing catch. It's one of those moments all mothers love..when your kids are getting along and you just watch thinking "this is the best moment ever." I was standing in the kitchen watching when Zack decided to go out and join in. Now, if you know Zack, you know he's not a baseball player...at all. So, it was so funny when he decided to try hitting the ball with the bat after watching Josh throw up the ball and try to hit it several times. Josh throws the ball and Zack hits it!! Three times in a row. I was laughing, because it was funny...truly funny to watch how he was hitting it...maybe you just had to be there. Then they traded places and Zack was throwing the ball to Josh to hit with the bat and Josh missed it...then he missed it again....and missed it again! The fourth time he HIT IT!....right into Zack's privates! Oh my....I know it shouldn't of been funny...but it was! I peed my pants....really, I had to change. You'll be glad to know that after crawling into the house and lying on the sofa for a while he has fully recovered.

Love

When Joe was born I was the happiest mom ever, I think. After three miscarriages....he was just such a wanted baby. How fun it was to have a baby around again. All the kids adored him and he brought joy to our home. He had so many helping hands...especially Josh. Josh changed diapers, even poopy ones and gave him baths and taught him his colors and read to him and many other things. I always knew he was kind of a high strung guy.....but this never seemed to be too much of a problem, in fact sometimes it was kinda funny. He loved to jump and run around from the time he took his first steps. He loves super heroes and many a time that boy has "become" the Hulk by ripping his shirt off (this was especially uncomfortable at Church). I'll never forget the look on his Dr's face the time he stood up on the examining table and leaped 3 feet into the Dr's arms, I have never seen any one look so shocked. Joe was so excited to start school. We went to orientation and I told his teacher he would give her a run for her money. Boy, if I only knew what was in store....what a heart wrenching few months this has been. I have felt every emotion, I think. Joe is so smart and is learning so much so fast. He is also having the hardest time of his short life and so am I (though my life is not as short :) ). I spend so much time wondering what I've done wrong. I think and think...am I too mean to him. Do I let him watch too many super hero movies? He struggles so much and it breaks my heart. He gets in trouble for hitting and for threatening to hit. He yells out in class all the time. He has trouble making and keeping friends. He is so impulsive and so so hyper. His moods are up and down and all over the place with no warning he can just get unbelievably mad and violent. He says mean and hurtful things. There is another side to him...so loving and so sweet. I love this boy with all my heart and I will never give up on him.....I will continue to work with him and try and teach him...I will continue to pray with him and for him. I will be there for him and do everything I can to help him learn how to cope with his emotions and impulses. He is my son.

Do you believe in Ghosts?

Last night Aaron came home and I was actually awake. He works nights and I'm usually asleep by the time he comes home....but I'm reading a good book right now, so I was awake, plus, the kids were tremendously hard to put to bed and I was pretty grumpy, but that's another story. So, he came home and told me some ghost stories.....which I did not appreciate. Have you met my husband, Aaron? He is about the least superstitious person I know...very grounded in the literal and doesn't let his imagination run away....unlike, me. About 2 weeks ago he was in his store, late, doing paperwork. He was alone when he suddenly saw a shadow run past him.....he went through the whole store he found nothing...he dismissed it. Then a few nights later...again in the store alone.....he was doing paperwork and suddenly something metal fell to floor....it freaked him right out and he went to investigate and again found nothing, he was completely alone. Then, two nights ago he was in the store alone....when he heard a box fall....he said his hairs (he doesn't have many...LOL) were standing on end and he had his phone ready to call 911. He found the box in the middle of an aisle...just sitting there on the floor. He decided it was high time for him to get out of there...he went to the safe to put the deposit in there....and.....he suddenly smelled a very nice perfumey smell, it was very strong. He was thoroughly freaked out.....he now believes there is a ghost haunting his store........what do you think?

Conversations

Me: What'd you have for lunch today?

Hannah: ABC and 123 spaghettios and my favorite!! RAVALOLI!!

absurdity in it's finest form

The other night I was in the kitchen doing the dishes by hand...because we do not have a dishwasher. I stupidly made a deal with my children...whoever has the kitchen for the week does not have to do the dishes when they have a school day....why I made this deal? I LOVE doing dishes...LOL! (Please try and picture how many dishes a house full of 6 kids and two adults produces) Nope...I'm a pushover that's the real reason. Anyway...that really doesn't have much to do with what I'm getting at here...I just wanted to say...I was working...I was doing the dishes. Josh was playing on the Wii. I asked him to go down and change the laundry out. He came up with an arm full of clothes and asked me what to do with them. When, so naively, I suggested he fold/hang and put them away, I was informed that he just had to put all the clothes from the washer into the dryer and there were many socks so it took him so long to do it....and he couldn't possibly find the time or the energy to do anymore. Oh, my!! That poor poor boy...he's just so over worked....

**just a side note. Josh does his own laundry...the clothes in the dryer were not his...I just wanted him to help out.

Things I hoped to never hear...

"Mom....can I take a bath....because my finger smells like tushie."

a little boasting never hurts

My older boys are way into Speech this year. Now, for those of you who never experienced Speech, like me until this year, it's a whole new world. I went to my first speech meet a couple months ago. Many of the area schools take turns hosting them on the weekends. There are many events like entertainment, poetry, and informative. It's a new lingo to learn too...Josh was coming home talking about his OID and his HI. Zack talking about his Duet and his OID. I soon learned that an HI is a humorous interpretation of prose literature...I guess HI is much easier to say. An OID is oral interpretation of drama. So, back to my first Speech meet....it was interesting. Each event takes place in a classroom. Many kids are double or even triple entered...so they perform in one classroom and hurry off to another classroom for their next event. I have never seen so many kids dressed so professionally...ties and even suits for the boys and skirts and blazers for the girls...they all look so nice. They had many speech meets before the district meet, which was last weekend. My boys are both in OIDs. Zack is in one about Amelia Earhart and Josh is in one about the Hardy Boys solving the murder of theater. Zack's is serious..a drama, and Josh's is funny. They both took their OID's to districts and they are both going on to the State competition! The first four OID's in districts move on to State. Josh's came in 3rd and Zack's in 4th. Then Zack is also in a Duet with another boy...Eric. It's very moving and they both are so good in it. It's about racism. They came in 1st in districts! A very exciting thing! So, they will be taking it to State! I was never really involved in school at all. So, the fact that they are both so involved just really tickles me. I love to watch them and am just so proud of both of them.