Our newest addition

Because we don't have nearly enough chaos we thought it would be fun to get a puppy.  One day we went to see our babysitter in her high school drama play.  On our way home there was a family with some puppies they were giving away...and so because we are all suckers for puppies we stopped.  They said the mother was a pure bred chocolate lab and no clue what the father was.  We think probably some kind of deerhound.

Well, we decided that it is as good a time as any to get a new puppy.  One of the biggest reasons is because Ellie is getting older and we wanted the puppy to learn her good traits, like staying in the yard without having to be tied up for one thing.  I noticed that the puppies that looked more like labs were much more active and more likely to be jumping up on the kids.  And so we picked the puppy that they said was generally the quietest. Hubby was sold when he picked her up and she licked his face.  I was hoping for easy to train, we shall see ...meet Lucy! 

This is actually Ellie's crate, but for now it will do because she is smaller than Ellie - but not for long!

So I am sure you are wondering how the first week went.  Biggest lesson learned is - do not get a new puppy the day before your hubby goes away for a week!  The worst part was that I ended up being quite sick that week which is not a good thing to be when you are trying to house train a 2 month old puppy.  A puppy that was quite sick for the first couple days - probably due to the stress of being away from her littermates and the change of dogfood on her delicate little tummy.  Oh and did I mention the chewing - good grief!  We got through the first week...phew!

too funny - twins

Carlee & I had this conversation today.  It started when she excitedly asked if she could do her schoolwork.  Once she got settled...

Carlee - Ben sure doesn't like school.

Me - Nope, he sure doesn't.  How do you think we could get Ben to like school more?

Carlee - When Ben is bigger he will like school.

Me - Oh, well how about now?  How can we get Ben to do his schoolwork today?

Carlee - (shrugs) How would I know?

Me (trying not to laugh) Well you have known him longer than anyone!

Carlee - HUH?

Me - You two were in my tummy together so you have known him longer than anyone else.

Carlee - God put me & Ben in your tummy at the same time?

Me - Yes

Carlee - So that's why we are twins?

Me - Yes

Carlee - (smiles) that was nice of Him to do that!

Me - Sure was

Carlee (suddenly serious and thinking very hard) So was Sam in Daddy's tummy?

Now in August

Trying to make progress with my backdated updates!  I have zoomed all the way into August.  Aren't you amazed at my speediness...

too funny - just wanted to talk

Ok, so a little background info is needed for this story.  Last week Ben was pretty sick, fever for 4 days and has, well let's say tummy problems, for the last several days.  So when he is in the bathroom and calls for me I go pretty quick.  Here is the latest conversation...

Ben (yelling from the bathroom) MAMA, I NEEEED YOU

ME Ok, I'm coming (when I get to the bathroom I start unravelling some toilet paper)

Ben No Mama, I don't need you to wipe my butt.

ME Oh, Ok, why did you call me then?

Ben Ummmm, because I wanted you to talk to me (then he grins)

ME (trying not to laugh) Ok, what do you want to talk about?

Ben Ummmmm, Ummmmm, Ummmm (meanwhile one of the cats walks by the bathroom) Why do Cats have whiskers?

ME hmmm I don't know, we will have to ask Daddy

Ben Oh Ok

ME Ok (I turn to leave)

Ben Hey Mama...

ME Yeah?

Ben ummmm ummmm Why doesn't Ellie have whiskers? (Ellie is the dog)

ME She does have whiskers.

Ben Can you call her in here so I can see them.

ME (laughing) No Ben, when you are done we will do look at them.  Anything else?

Ben ummmmm ummmmm, yeah you can wipe my butt now.

Me (laughing) Ok Ben

too funny - louder

Well after three days spent on the couch and in bed, Ben is finally feeling much better today and acting more like himself.  You would think that with two kids the noise level would double and with three kids it should triple - right?  Seems logical doesn't it?   Nope, not even close - the noise level is way-way up today.  I even had to plug my ears and cringe when the boys started playing fire trucks!!!

Carlee, meanwhile, is quietly working on her school work and said to the boys "Hey guys! Why don't you be louder so they can hear you in the city!"  Hahaha!!! She came up with that one all on her own, but I am so using it next time they are too loud for my liking! 

Well, guess what, the boys listened to her - I wish they would listen that well when I speak.  Then Carlee turned to me and said "Hey Mama, do you gots a headache yet?" Yes, actually I think I feel one coming on...sigh...

Gratituesday - Ben

Anyone who knows us or has followed this blog knows that of our three kids, Ben is the challenge.  He is the one that most often gets into trouble, and if he is quiet for more than a couple minutes I am looking to see what he is getting into.

Well, yesterday after lunch he crawled up on the couch and fell asleep.  Not entirely unusual, he still naps occasionally.  But when he was still sleeping at 4:00 we checked on him and found he had a pretty high fever.  We gave him some Tylenol and it wasn't long before the fever broke. We knew he was feeling better when he was tormenting Boots, the cat.  Well in his mind he was trying to help Boots.  Something was on his back and he was just trying to wipe it off - with a Clorox wipe!  Hahaha so even though he was getting into trouble I was grateful he was feeling much better.

This post is linked up with Heavenly Homemakers Gratituesday

Pray with me

I know that because I pretty much dropped off the face of the bloggy-world for most of last year that there are very few who follow this blog.  But if you are still here please join me in praying for Joanne.





I know Joanne only through her blog The Simple Wife. A couple years ago I found her blog and immediately loved her blog and her writing.  But the most meaningful part of her blog to me was that she introduced me to her Memory Monday.

I was not very faithful with Memory Monday, but the tool has really stuck with me (even if I have not been doing it faithfully).  In fact, when I finally got back to blogging and reading other blogs one of the first blogs I checked in on was Joanne's.  That was on the 12th.  On Jan 11th she suffered a major stroke and I have been praying for her ever since.  I also learned that she is the same age as me and for some reason that hits even closer to home.  Please join me in praying for her and her precious family -  but also join me in Memory Monday - which I will be posting on my Bible Study blog

too funny - Story telling

We love to tell stories.  On this day we recorded them...

too funny - gonna marry

Sam  - I'm gonna marry Bootsie (Bootsie is the cat)

Carlee - You can't marry Bootsie, he's a boy.  You have to marry a girl.

Sam  - Then I'm gonna marry Ellie (Ellie is the dog)

Carlee - (very disgusted) YOU CAN'T!!!  She is JUST a stinkin pet AAANNND she can't even dance!!!

Hooray for May

I am done with April and am now moving on to posts for May!  Please leave a comment to let me know you were here :)

So May was easy, apparently I did not take many pictures or videos, and after a quick look it seems June will not take too long either...

too funny - enjoy

Quite often when one of us goes to run errands we will take one of the kids with us.  Recently I had taken Carlee, then the next time was Ben's turn and finally on this day it was Sam's turn.

When I told Sam to get ready to go, Carlee had a meltdown because she wanted to go too.  Here is the conversation...

Me   Today is Sam's turn to go with Mama and don't you remember when you really enjoyed your day with Mama?  And yesterday Ben enjoyed his day with Mama.

Carlee (sniffling) yes

Me Well today is Sam's turn to enjoy his day with Mama.

Sam WWWWEELLL, I really don't know if I'm gonna enjoy it, and you don't know if I am gonna enjoy it because you're not me.




LOL perfect 5 year old logic!

Updating April

In an effort to get back into this blog and to not leaving a big gaping hole of time I am just letting you know that  I am working on some April-2010 posts with pictures and videos.  You know just in case anyone happens to check in here.  and if you do please leave a comment so I know that you were here :)

too funny - FB posts

Okay so last year was not a great blogging year.  I barely posted anything at all and the posts with pictures and videos are all backdated to the date that I took them.  So in the next month or so make sure you look back into previous months (like back to March...uggg why did I get so far behind) to catch any picture and video posts I will be posting...

Anyway, perhaps this year will be better?  We can all hope...

Let's start with an easy copy and paste.  Here are the posts I have made on Facebook in the last several months...yes several months, the last time I did this was the beginning of June.  Yikes I can't believe I have not blogged for so long! Ok complained enough... here are some of the funny things the kids have said and done that I posted on FB since last June.


big dog vs tiny kitten = very traumitized babysitter!!
But she handled it beautifully and I love her even more!!!! At least it wasn't all bad, I think she was entertained by my silly crew. I now know that we have been watching too much TV because Sam told her "Sarah, you're sponsored by Huggies" LOL



All three kids went grocery shopping with Arlan today. In the checkout Ben makes a loud funny noise by blowing on his hand. Carlee says very loudly "Daddy did that come from your butt" LOL


 
 
Carlee was helping me with alundry and the dryer had just quit so the clothes were still pretty warm, so she said "Mama, I need a work glub" haha then she went and put one on to take the clothes out LOL

 
took the kids to get haircuts today - they call it the haircut store. Then Carlee in her most serious voice says "Miss Kay, our Daddy has none hair." LOL


 
here is an interesting conversation I just overheard my kids having...

Carlee- I miss the little kitty
Sam- it's ok Carlee, the kitty is in heaven
Ben- God is in heaven
Sam- God is my most favorite guy
Carlee- When we die and go to heaven we will see God and the little kitten! But when I get upset stay away from me so I don't bite you


my darling children figured out all on their own that bum and dumb rhyme. Apparently this is incredibly hilarous...


 
kids are eating lunch and Ben yells at Sam "DO YOU HEAR ME??!! AM I TALKING TO THE WALL??!!" hmmm wonder where he has heard that before


 
I ask Ben "Why are you wearing sweat pants, its 105 degrees?" Ben says "cuz I'm sweatin" hmmm that is actually quite logical


 
I catch Ben standing on the remote control for the TV, so of course I say "Ben, what are you doing?" He says "surf channeling" HAHAHA


 
kitchen table and chairs transformed into a jail. Bad guys Carlee & Ben put into jail by police officer Sam...can you guess who came up with a plan to escape?


 
yesterday at the airport Ben saw a toy helicopter he really wanted. This morning he said to Susy "SuSu can we take you back to the airport with money to buy that helicopter I love and then we can pick you up again?" LOL LOL LOL


 
Got a speeding ticket yesterday, grrr...but Sam put it in perspective when he said "Well Mama, it is a good thing he didn't throw you in jail!" Yep, good thing because I had forgotten my wallet and driver's license at home!!!


 
Ben says to Carlee about his Jelly Beans "you can taste one as long as you promise not to eat it" LOL


 
...Seems I was not on FB much for awhile.  I guess I was rather distracted with other things in Aug (flood in the house), Sept (making a quilt for my brothers wedding), Oct (going to Canada for my brothers wedding) and did not post anything funny that they said.  Although I know that they did, they crack me up all the time!! By the end of Oct I was posting funnies again...
 
 
The fight of the day is not over toys, nope, my children are fighting over an old cardboard box.


 
Ben unexpectedly shared one of his treats with Sam, then Sam said "awww Ben that was so nice, Thank You! You are the brother I have always wanted!!"


 
 
They picked their own Halloween costumes from the dressup boxes...Snow white, Fireman Sam, and "I am NOT dressed up, but Kitty is, see he is wearing this geetar" LOL why is it always Ben!


 
was wondering why the kids didn't complain about being hungry this afternoon. Then at bedtime they were munching away on their cache of cereal they had stashed. Daddy is so proud of their emerging survival instincts LOL


 
I said to the kids "go outside and play!" which they did. Five minutes later Sam came in and said "Ok I played outside" to which I replied "Are you serious?" and he so cutely said "Oh yeah Mama, I am serious, I really did play outside" LOL I then said "well, go play some more!" then he said "Ok Mama, Bye I love you...!"



Satellite TV is history at our house. Day 2 results - no complaints and creativity is flourishing, they created an entire city in my kitchen from cardboard boxes!


 
Asked at lunch on thanksgiving day - What are you thankful for? Ben said "my entire family and toys" Carlee said "mama, daddy, the critters and FOOD!" Sam said "I am thankful for God who gave us our family and our food!" I am thankful for my amazing kids!


 
Sam - I'm 5.

Sallie - That's great! I'd like to be 5. I'm almost 39.
Sam - WOW!
Sallie - Do you know anyone who is 39?
Sam - Noooo.... I can't even count to that number.

 
This morning Sam was snuggling with me and he said very quietly "Mama, I love you buuuut you are hurting my arm." LOL he is so sweet


 
Carlee just asked me for a piece of paper. I asked what for, she said so that she could count how many bullets we have. I laughed and gave her the paper. Later I asked Arlan if was doing an ammo inventory. Nope, she came up with that all on her own! Daddy is so proud!


 
We had been talking about things you do when you are grown up - like going away to college, getting married, having kids, etc etc. Then Carlee says to me very quietly and very seriously, like she was expecting me to to say no but hoping I would say yes..."Mama someday when I am grown up will you come visit me?"


 
I was hoping for a few more years before I heard "I don't love you Mama" in the middle of a fit...sigh...I can hardly wait for the middle of the night when he comes to snuggle. I hope I am still "the goodest snuggler"

Fun to Read

The Charlatan’s Boy by Jonathan Rogers

This was a captivating and interesting read and certainly suitable for all readers - both young and old. It was quite a departure from anything I would normally read, but it was just about the most fun I have ever had reading a book. Basically the story is about a two person travelling show, the “barker” and the orphan boy who usually plays the part of the “side show freak”. They are constantly travelling and working their many scams until they develop the ultimate hoax.

It is written as the young orphan’s narrative and the author writes in a delightful manner that will make you smile often and even laugh out loud. You can easily hear the southern drawl as you are reading. This makes the story much more interesting as if he were right there telling you his story. If I can ever get the accent I will use this as a read aloud chapter book with my preschoolers.



The story takes many twists and turns and just when you think you have it all figured out the plot changes, then changes again and again. I hope they make it into a movie!


Disclosure: WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BloggingForBooks.org book review program.