Soccer! It's what we do.

Lexi started playing soccer when she was 5. I was pregnant with Adam and she played with an indoor league at the Y by my aunt's house in Toledo. We moved to Savannah and I accidentally signed her and Jacob up to play in the fall league in Richmond Hill. Jacob was 5 when he started as well.

They loved their teams and playing soccer outdoors. I just couldn't take them away from it so I signed them up in the spring as well. This time I put them on the same team so I wasn't making 4 trips down a week, now it would only be twice a week.

This season they are again on the same team. Jacob is so much like the older kids when it comes to soccer, it's kinda scary. I love having them on the same team. At least they get along on the field. I also found a mini league for Kadie and Adam to play in together. It's for 2-4yr olds.

Kadie and Adam started yesterday and Kadie did not want to participate much at all. I think I had her on the field doing what she was supposed to be doing for about 5 minutes. Adam lasted much longer but wasn't much for doing what the coach instructed. He seemed to have a lot of fun though and I will keep taking him back as long as he can handle it.

I was not impressed with the Early Goals coach (for Kadie & Adam) as he was trying to get them to do skill drills that were way too advanced for the majority of the kids there. The kids loved the treasure hunt game they played where they had to kick the ball and pick up the teeshirts and get as many as they could. But the game where they had to try to kick their ball into the ball the coach kicked across the field was way advanced and something my older kids probably couldn't even do.

I also was not impressed with a couple of the parents that were there as well. This one dad came up and took Adam's ball because Adam wasn't paying it any attention at the moment so then when I told Adam to get his ball, it was gone and there were no more around for him to have. This dad was kicking it around showing his daughter how to do the complicated drill this "coach" thought the 2 yr olds could do. Then this mom was hoarding the teeshirts in the treasure hunt game so that her son could get the most. Adam was kicking his ball and I told him "Look, there are some teeshirts." but apparently this soccer mom had already staked claim to them as she snatched them up and thrusted them in her son's hands. That irritated me more than the dad taking my kid's ball. Talk about teaching your son that winning is everything.

All the kids were so adorable... even a friend was there with her son. He was even less interested than Kadie was, but that is all in his age. He just wants to be free. Kadie just turned 4 but she is super shy, so that is her main issue. That's ok, I just won't pay for her to play... save me some moolah.

Here are some pics for your enjoying pleasure...

We are not an EFFIN group!

Ever go into a restaurant that has stated on it's menu that groups larger than 6 or 8 are charged an 18% gratuity? We have, plenty of times and not once, not EVER has it applied to us. I'm in disbelief right now because we are not a fucking group!

Excuse my language, but seriously. We are a family of 7. A family, not a group. We were not that loud, we did not make a mess (in fact I cleaned up some before getting the bill), and we were not demanding at all. Our server barely did anything besides take our order and bring our food. She checked on us a couple times but really there was no above and beyond or any kind of nuisance from us to warrant an 18% tip.

Now before you think I'm a cheapskate, I'm really not. I usually tip very well, 20% usually (unless they suck, I don't play when it comes to tipping). She most likely would have gotten a larger tip had she not taken the liberty of charging us. That just ticked me off.

Oh but wait, there is more. She brought back my change. "There is your $6." She said. I was floored. She took her 18% tip and then took an extra 64 cents on top of that. She only brought me back bills, no change. I mean, it was kids eat free night. So maybe I'm overreacting a bit.

Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way... maybe I should be thanking her for saving me money. Yes, that's it. Thanks for not recognizing us as a family and taking what you thought was a fair tip... it saved me the trouble of adding and a couple extra dollars in tip. And I guess I did save $25 on the kids meals... but still. That was just not kosher.

Fork me!

"Fork me! Fork me! Fork me!"

This is the phrase Adam was saying OVER and OVER and OVER this morning. I was laughing my ass off at what it REALLY sounded like!

4 YEARS OLD!? How time flies!

2004 doesn't seem like that long ago... but man, 4 years already!

Kaydence BreAnne was born on Sept. 15th 2004 at 940pm. She weighed in at 6lbs 15oz (the same as her big sister). She was delivered after 12hrs of pitocin. Her name was up in the air as we considered naming her after my aunt that had recently passed away but my grandma was not sold on the idea and I did not want to upset her.

So here was our little Kadie Bug!

Looking at pictures of years passed it is amazing how much bigger, smarter, and older looking she has gotten in such a short period of time. This picture was taken just a year and a half ago.

Just about this time last year she got her hair chopped off by her older brother. I was so incredibly mad, but she looked so darn cute!

Now look how long it is! I wonder how long it would have been had we not cut it. It's still not as long as it was right before it was cut though.

And she starts soccer TONIGHT! On her birthday! But she doesn't start school until next year. She missed the cutoff by two weeks, poor thing (or poor me, whichever way you prefer to think of it LoL)

On a lighter note...

The kids are always asking for us to buy one thing or another and I keep telling them we are broke. No, we aren't struggling but with gas at $4.39 a gallon and an uber expensive trip to Cincinnati last weekend... we have just enough to pay bills and feed us modestly until the 1st.

Anyways... as I was doing laundry yesterday and promising Jacob that I would play a game with him as soon as I was done, he found a penny on the floor. With a light in his eye he looked at me and said, "Look MOM! I found a PENNY! Now we aren't broke anymore!"

Gotta love 6 yr olds and their concept of money (or lack thereof)!

The Eye of the Hurricane

And no I am NOT talking about Hurricane Ike or any other natural disaster. Although, at this point I think teething should be put on the natural disasters list.

Sara's eye teeth are making us all miserable. She used to be such a happy go lucky baby that could be satisfied with a quick kiss and a handful of goldfish. Now she needs mommy 24/7. If she isn't eating or sleeping she is climbing in my lap or crying to be held. It makes for a overwhelmed mama when I've got a million other things to do, like peeing or attending to a sibling.

I do try and cherish the fact that my kids want me and only me just about all day, everyday but it really gets tiresome. I feel bad that I'm not one of those other moms blogging about how cute my kids are and how I'm so blessed by all their hugs and kisses. They might call me supermom, but I'm nowhere close. I feel like sometimes between the fighting and the crying and the constant attention seeking on top of the laundry and the cleaning and the potty training and what-not that I am just so spread thin I can't think straight (probably why I go through 6 names before getting the right one LoL).

I know one of these days I will look back and miss when my kids wanted me, before they hated me and thought I was the worst mother ever. But for now I just wish those damn teeth would break through and give me just the tiniest break, prettttttttyyyyyy pleaaaaaaaaase!? (Yes, I'm begging!)

My Fall Tv Line-Up

*Hey hooker! I didn't copy you, see, MINE says Line-Up, NOT schedule*

I realized last year that I have WAY WAY WAY too many shows that I like to watch. Add in the shows John likes to watch and we have a problem. The problem is that we don't have a dual show recording Tivo... nope, just a single one. WTH was I thinking?

Sunday
Desperate Housewives 9pm (MUST WATCH!)
Brother's & Sister's 10pm (LOVE this show!)

Monday
Samantha Who 930pm (I like it, it doesn't conflict with anything, what else will I do before bed?)
CSI: Miami 10pm (I'll Tivo it)

Tuesday
NCIS 8pm (another MUST)
90210 8pm (have yet to watch this, but am catching Tuesday's epi to find out "Who's the Daddy?" of Kelly's 4yr old son)
House 8pm (why must this conflict with NCIS!? NCIS definitely gets Tivo priority)
Law & Order: SVU (another to Tivo and watch later)

Wednesday
Bones 8pm (John's show, I watch but don't HAVE to)
Private Practice 9pm (Grey's spinoff... not as good but can't help my addiction LoL)
Deal or No Deal 9pm (I used to watch this all the time, probably not so much this year, the kids love it though)
CSI: NY (I'll just Tivo this and hopefully get to it before it deletes to make room for new shows)

Thursday
Ugly Betty 8pm
Grey's Anatomy 9pm (GOTTA WATCH THIS!)
ER 10pm

Friday
Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? 8pm (kids like it, but doubt we make it home in time due to soccer until the beginning of November)
Supernanny 9pm (Lexi is in LOVE with this show, I'll Tivo it just for her!)
Deal or No Deal 9pm

Saturday
College Football 8pm

*Yes, I know I have no life*

IT'S BACK!!! Fun Photo Friday!

Here are some pictures from our Cincinnati Wedding trip. I took TONS more that I will post on my MySpace probably later today if you want to check those out too. Thanks for looking, and enjoy!

Dr. Seuss for the Soul

I saw this on another blog and thought it was too creative and too much of a tearjerker not to share. Grab the tissues... you will probably need them.

"The Binch" By Rob Suggs

Every U down in Uville liked U.S. a lot,
But the Binch, who lived Far East of Uville, did not.
The Binch hated U.S! the whole U.S. way!
Now don't ask me why, for nobody can say,
It could be his turban was screwed on too tight.
Or the sun from the desert had beaten too bright
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.
But, Whatever the reason, his heart or his turban,
He stood facing Uville, the part that was urban.
"They're doing their business," he snarled from his perch.
"They're raising their families! They're going to church!
They're leading the world, and their empire is thriving,
I MUST keep the S's and U's from surviving!
"Tomorrow, he knew, all the U's and the S's,
Would put on their pants and their shirts and their dresses,
They'd go to their offices, playgrounds and schools,
And abide by their U and S values and rules,
And then they'd do something he liked least of all,
Every U down in U-ville, the tall and the small,
Would stand all united, each U and each S,
And they'd sing Uville's anthem, "God bless us! God bless!"
All around their Twin Towers of Uville, they'd stand,
and their voices would drown every sound in the land.
"I must stop that singing," Binch said with a smirk,
And he had an idea--an idea that might work!
The Binch stole some U airplanes in U morning hours,
And crashed them right into the Uville Twin Towers.
"They'll wake to disaster!" he snickered, so sour,
"And how can they sing when they can't find a tower?"
The Binch cocked his ear as they woke from their sleeping,
All set to enjoy their U-wailing and weeping,
Instead he heard something that started quite low,
And it built up quite slow, but it started to grow--
And the Binch heard the most unpredictable thing...
And he couldn't believe it--they started to sing!
He stared down at U-ville, not trusting his eyes,
What he saw was a shocking, disgusting surprise!
Every U down in U-ville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any towers at all!
He HADN'T stopped U-Ville from singing! It sung!
For down deep in the hearts of the old and the young,
Those Twin Towers were standing, called Hope and called Pride,
And you can't smash the towers we hold deep inside.
So we circle the sites where our heroes did fall,
With a hand in each hand of the tall and the small,
And we mourn for our losses while knowing we'll cope,
For we still have inside that U-Pride and U-Hope.
For America means a bit more than tall towers,
It means more than wealth or political powers,
It's more than our enemies ever could guess,
So may God bless America! Bless us! God bless!

*Rob Suggs is an author, illustrator and humorist living in Atlanta, Georgia.

Enjoy Freedom?

Everyone likes to forget, or at least pretend to forget, that these men and women are putting their lives on the line VOLUNTARILY so that you can walk down the street holding your gay lover's hand, spouting off your hatred for the current president. It is these men and women that have died for this country that have given you that freedom.

Freedom is NOT free. It comes at a price to the men and women of the armed forces and their families. So today is your chance to show your appreciation to all the men and women in uniform, and to those who stand behind them. Give yourself a pat on the back just for supporting this great nation's military. And if you don't stand behind them... feel free to stand in front of them.

Mountains, Trees & Landfills, OH MY!

On our way home from Ohio we were driving through a beautiful part of Kentucky. Mountains on either side and the trees were beautiful making the drive rather pleasant (despite the ignorant truckers, slower-than-us-left-lane-traffic and cranky kids).

John then makes a comment about a particular hill on the left...

"I think that's a landfill," he says casually.
"Where? That? No..." I say in my usual confused & skeptical tone
"Yah, I think it is. And I think that one is too."

I still wasn't buying it... but the eyes don't lie. There they were, lined up, about 4 of them. Garbage trucks! Just waiting to get into this "beautiful" landfill. The parts you could see from the Interstate were covered in grass and made it look like a small mountain. I was instantly struck with overwhelming anxiety. I now knew what it was like for all those recycling nazis like my mother in law, that recycles everything and tries to get me to do it too. I was sick to my stomach thinking about how much garbage was underneath that lush grass and all that garbage those trucks were about to dump there.

I don't know how I'm going to do it but I'm going to take some major steps to reducing the amount of waste this house sends to the landfills every Monday. I can't guarantee that I won't be throwing away diapers that will rot for millions of years but I can start somewhere... recycling my newspaper, plastic bags and egg cartons should be easy enough. No more lunch bags... only reusable in this house. I have a few cloth diapers but not enough to get me through a day for the two still in them. I have reusable bags that I need to start using more often. Maybe if everyone thought that they could make a difference then a difference may come to be. I know I never really thought about what I did as affecting the world as a whole, but we need to be the change that we want to see. I don't litter because it affects the earth, and just looks gross, so why would I think it was any better to let that candy wrapper end up in a landfill somewhere...

Photo Funnies

Long time, no see

So I realize I haven't been keeping up with my blog like I should be. I haven't even had the time to read some of my favorite blogs like Ducktape, Starbucks & Prozac, Starbucks Junkie, Cheaper than Therapy and Cheaper by the Half Dozen (notice the similarities there LoL). If you haven't checked out any of the blogs on my blogroll, at least check these ones out. And Lia Pearson Photography too... if all goes as planned she will be doing our vow renewal photos. She is amazing.

Life has been so hectic lately with John finally home and now back to work... the kids finished up with their summer camp and had a month off before school started back last week... we had a wedding to attend in Ohio this last weekend... hurricane threats... playgroups... soccer... cheerleading... and now early goals soccer starting soon.

I haven't really had any real time for me. I get on the computer to check my groups quickly with not much time to read everything or post much at all. When did my life become one big jumble of stuff to do? I mean, I realize that it's always pretty much been hectic but I used to have time that I now don't seem to have the luxury of.

I think Sara is teething. Those damn eye teeth (for you moms with grown kids, those are the canines... I didn't learn this until recently HA!), they are coming in with a vengeance. If she isn't eating or sleeping, she is whining and wants to be held. It makes for one stressed out mama. Especially since Adam has been a mama's boy more recently too. I think he is getting jealous of the attention Sara is getting because she is cranky. I'm hoping that being home now and getting back to real life that things can calm down again.

The wedding was really nice. Got to see some family that we haven't seen since Christmas. The ceremony itself was beautiful. It was outdoors and it was nice to not be eaten alive or melt the second I walked outside. The weather was a bit rainy for the rehearsal on Friday but by Saturday the ground was dry and the sun was shining (way too bright right in my face, but I survived). I got a bit stressed out before the wedding even started because John was about to be in an argument with someone over something retarded. These two do NOT get along whatsoever and I could just see it ending badly.

I finally decided what I was wearing to the wedding about an hour before we had to leave for formal pictures HA! We went to Kmart to get socks and nail polish and I ended up buying a black skirt and some black leggings. We forgot the socks but so glad I got the leggings. I looked totally 80s but at least I was comfortable in what I was wearing and that was all that mattered. I wore my "hooker" shoes, my big hoop earrings and my hair was down. John wanted me to wear my hair half-up but I thought that would have just completed the hooker look so I decided against it.

On Sunday John took the boys and his dad and brother to the Cubs vs Reds game at The Great American Ballpark. The girls and I walked down to Newport on the Levee. I got some pictures of the river and we got to see the Purple People Bridge. We didn't get a chance to walk it though. Dinner was at Johnny Rocket's that night and OMG are they ever ridiculously overpriced. Never again will we eat there. Especially not on the Ohio River where the service sucked! That was easily the worst part of the entire trip.

We got our Bob Evan's fix, TWICE! Now we won't have to drive all the way to Jacksonville to get barbecue sauce LoL The kids were very happy to get to go to their favorite restaurant and the girls got their first taste of Big Boy. I forgot how cheap they were. And the service was AMAZING! Their food was out within 5 min. It was easily the best service we have received when travelling.

The drives to and from Ohio were rather uneventful yet LONG and BORING! The kids did fairly well. Sara cried every time she dropped her blanket or she saw food that someone else had but all in all they were very well behaved. However, we have decided all driving long distances will start around 7pm and go through the night with me driving first (even though I hate driving) and John sleeping until about midnight then driving the remainder (if he can make it that long). I just never get enough sleep in the car to drive through the night... John can sleep anywhere LoL

We got home about 930 Monday night and everyone went back to their respective "jobs" yesterday. I still have unpacking to do (and pictures to post)... but for now, I'm going to playgroup!

Cheerleading

Lexi has always wanted to do cheerleading and finally we have signed her up. She started last week and she loves it. A friend of mine signed her daughter up and they have a blast tumbling together. My baby girl makes such a cute cheerleader (and I bet she will be darn good at it too).