Jalen and Kendrick

I got Jalen and Kendrick these matching shirts at Children's Place for $1.99 each. I knew they would think that was neat. They are real buds. Kendrick wants to come to "Jay Jay's" house all of the time and watch "Clue Clue"(Blues Clues). My kids are spoiling him rotten! Kind of fun to spoil someone elses kid huh?

INSOMNIA

Just wanted to bellyache about the fact that it is only 9:09 P.M. and I feel like it is midnight! Ever have major insomnia?????????? I could not for the life of me go to sleep last night. I finally moved to the couch at 3:00A.M. only to be terrorized by the cat who never sleeps at night and my POISON IVY??? Yes, did I mention that I onced again have poison ivy??? All I did was weed my flower bed at our house next door. Good grief I guess I need to learn what the stuff looks like---smart idea huh? Maybe I'm like pulling it up with my bare hands, I have no clue. My arms are pretty covered and it is showing up on my legs as well! HELP!!!!! Back to the insomnia---I literally felt like I was awake allllll night long! I managed to stay awake all day somehow and am planning on an early retirment tonight!

Bat update

Just wanted you all to know that the bat that disappeared, reappeared in Jaida's room on Thurs. night. She calmly went and got Jeff(thankfully he was home this time)and told him it was in her room on the door way. It was kind of funny the day before when I told him about the bat and he was kind of laughing saying that men kind of "take care" of those sorts of things acting really not chalant(sp?) about it but deep down inside he is really creeped out too!haha He said he HATES the stupid things. Anyhoo, he got a paper sack and we all watched at the doorway. He attempted to scoop the thing into the bag and it flew away---Jaida, Jalen, and I all screamed and ran!hehe(that would have been a great video). He said he caught it midair in the sack. They took it outside and let it go---it will probably be back with my luck when Jeff is gone again!!

Good Day

OK people it is absolutely gorgeous out today! 66 degrees with a nice breeze and the sun shining! I have windows open and am loving it! It would be a great day to do some fall cleaing but........... who wants to do something like that?

Heebie Geebies!!!

Jeff picked a fine time to be on a business trip to Minnesota!!! It was about 12:30 A.M. I had just dozed off when I was awakened by Skittles(the cat)who was sleeping at the end of the bed. She was jumping up in the air. I thought oh brother is there a fly in here because she loves catching flying things. Then all of a sudden I see a shadow that is much bigger than a fly. We have had problems with bats alot lately so I flipped on the lamp-------eeewwwwwww--------there flying and swooping all over my room was a BAT!!!!! I about had a heart attack! The cat was still trying her best to catch it. The bat swooped again and was headed in my direction---I pulled the covers over my head hoping it wasn't really going to fly into me. Then I was afraid to come out from under the covers. I finally got the courage and looked around, I didn't see it so I ran downstairs and got Jordan!hahaha He was soo cute trying to be brave but not really being any more brave than me! The bat landed at the top of the chimney(I have an attic bedroom with a neat old chimney in the middle of the room). It was too tall for him to reach with a broom and we were both freaked out pretty much. Sooo, Jordan slept on his futon and I got his bed!ha We left the window open and I haven't seen the bat today but I will be soooo paranoid tonight!!!! Jeff is supposed to be home late tonight but they were talking about making him stay one more day---just my luck!!!!!!! I don't think there is anything that gives me the creeps anymore than bats,(because they are huge and then when they land they look like an evil mouse)slugs, and maggots!

Neighborhood campout

Jordan and Janae started having a neighborhood campout in our back yard out a few years ago and it has become a tradition. They ended up with 10 kids this year. They roasted hot dogs, made smores, played football in the dark, and played hide and go seek. They had alot of fun. The next morning I caught the boys roasting the smoked sausage that had sat out all night----hope no one got sick!

Neighbor boys and some other friends

Jalen chillin by the fire.

Jordan and his friends putting up their tent.

Janae setting up her "tent" She roughed it and made her own tent.

Jordan being consumed by fire! Kind of weird---he was standing in front of the fire.

Back on Track

Wow! This week has flown by. I think the kids are getting in the groove of school again. Although it's hard to let the summertime fun go, it is sooo much better for us to get back on a schedule. By the time summer is over we are sooo out of control it seems. I had forgotten that 6:30 comes two times a day!ha I am getting alot more done because I actually have a morning. Can't say that I have necessarily wanted to get up but I feel much better.
Every year when they all go back to school I get the "cleaning out" bug. I think we must trash everything all summer or something. I got Jaida's room cleaned out before school started. I feel like I'm kind of picky about their rooms so I'm always shocked when I come up with a whole trash bag of stuff to throw out. I have to sneak around a little to do it!ha Yesterday I started tackling Jalen's room. It has been on my nerves soooo bad lately. Just needed scrubbed down and cleaned out. Once again I have almost 2 bags of trash out of there. It's just impossible to keep up with! I'm sure all you mom's out there know what I mean. He had a little basket with junk in it that I was throwing away. He noticed and said----what did you just do with all that stuff???? I should've gotten it done before he got home from school. So, that trash will have to go later when he has forgotten about it!ha
I guess I'm going to be doing a craft with the kids on Thurs. afternoon again this year. Might have gotten out of it but Jaida informed her teacher that I come in and do art with them. Of course Mrs. Coleman was all for that. I'm usually frantically searching the internet the night before so if anyone has any great ideas let me know. I am not going to be volunteering the whole day on Thurs. so maybe I can be a little more organized about it. I enjoy doing it.
Well, I need to get up and get busy. Even though kids are in school somehow the work doesn't seem to stop! Kind of amazing huh? The laundry still needs to be done and the house is still dirty and the bills still need paid.

Rental Property!!!!!!

I'm convinced that you haven't really lived unless you've owned rental property! Sometimes I think the people who rent really have it made. You can move from place to place as often as you like, in fact if you move every 6 mos. or so you don't even have to clean your apt. Just move when it gets really dirty! You really don't even have to have garage sales or anything to get rid of junk---you just leave everything you don't need when you move. Do I sound bitter you might ask???? YES!!!! I just spent MOST of my day yesterday cleaning out and cleaning up our apt. next door!!! The people just wouldn't keep up to date on rent so we kept warning them. It is kind of bad for people who don't pay well since we live next door. Jeff told them to pay or be out last weekend. We were surprised they moved soo willingly. Problem was they just got out the big stuff and I guess necessities. Then they just didn't call or anything for a week. So, I go over yesterday morning and start bagging up stuff(wearing gloves I might add). It is an upstairs apt. and I am very sore today. I made what seemed like hundreds of trips down those steps, then I crawled around on my hands and knees cleaning gross woodwork, emptied out an even grosser(is that a word?) refridgerator, and cleaned a more grosser bathroom. After working all day I came home and noticed a message on the machine---lo and behold it's the renter---"um, sorry we haven't called you, but we will have all our stuff out by Fri. and I will clean the apt. and make payment arrangements to pay off the rent we owe"------yea, right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've heard that a million times before---and besides I've already cleaned out the crazy apt and srubbed it down! What a day!

Butterflies

It's hard for me to enjoy butterflies now that my kids constantly remind me that most of them only live for 8 hrs.(i think that's right). I feel bad for all the poor butterflies that I used to catch and put in jars! I wasted their whole life!

Waggoner Kids

Waggoner kid #1(only by 1 min.---technically she was Baby A)

Waggoner kid #2(technically Baby B)

Waggoner kid #3

Waggoner kid #4

I finally got everyone together! The big ones aren't very fond of picture taking. I always tell them when they are old they will want to see what they looked like!

Sprite Comes for a visit

Sprit came for a visit(actually to be dog sat by Janae) she caused quite an uproar and I wanted Carrie to see these pictures. When Skittles and Angel saw her on the porch they were quite intrigued. When sprite barked at Skittles she was upstairs in about 1 sec. and there was a window between them! It was hilarious.

Tower comes down

Just had to share a little something funny. I ran to the bank today and while I was gone Dad called and told Jalen they were taking down the water tower over by the old tomato factory.(thanks Dad) So, of course Jalen wanted to go watch. Jalen, Jaida, and I got in the van and raced across town for the excitement. I think you know you live in a small town when it looks like 500 people show up for an event like this!ha There were cars parked in rows in an empty lot and people standing around watching. Jalen said it reminded him of the 4th of July(it really wasn't that crowded). Anyway, we sat there for quite awhile and I was threatening to leave because nothing was happening. The kids turned on a Brady Bunch DVD and laid back their seats. I was gawking around and all of the sudden Jalen goes-----oh, man we missed it!!!!! I looked up and voila the tower was on the ground!! All of that time waisted for absolutely nothing!!! I about cracked up! Probably won't be anything that exciting in Frankfort for a loooong time!hehe

Back to School

The day has arrived! Tomorrow they all start school. I literally feel like I just got all of their trash thrown away from the last day of school last yr. Where does the time go??? Everyone is excited and I think we are going to have a great school year. I have 2 10th graders, a 5th grader, and a 2nd grader. I asked Janae the other day if it seemed like they were just in 5th grade(it does to me)and she said---actually no.ha! I guess I'm not the one actually doing the school work---although it seems like it at times. Well, I'm off to get everyone tucked into bed for their big day tomorrow~

Tetanus shot and Dentist Appt

Jaida had a little accident last night. She was playing with a bunch of girls in a horse barn and stepped on a corsage needle. She said she thought it was just a piece of "pokey" hay so she walked on it for a min.(ouch) She told Breanna that she had something in her foot---when they looked down they saw a pin coming up through her foot and sticking out the top----(gives me the chills). It was between her little toe and the next one up so the pin just came all the way out. They got it out and she was fine. I called the Dr. today and he said she needed a tetanus shot. It was weird when I told her she acted excited about getting a shot. I said---are you nervous--she said--no, I want to get one because I don't remember what it feels like, and besides I already got a shot in my foot!ha She did great and didn't make a peep.(very weird!) The other excitment for the day was I had the priviledge of getting a BIG filling redone today! I can hardly contain myself with all this fun stuff that went on today. Funny thing was, when I got there the assistant came out and said "you do know your appt. is next Tues?" (ha)um, no, I thought it was today----I was really early--like a whole week. I still go to Dr. Lande who I used to work for and it is 45min. away. I was lucky that they had time to work me in! I was soooo mad at myself because I didn't want to go today anyway.
Oh, I also got to go buy 4 pairs of shoes for school(another ouch!) I think I need a second job around this time of year!
Anyone else have a "fun" day

Crashing

O.K. I'm about to collapse for the day. I decided to go ahead and clean by myself today. I got a new house to clean and I had 2 others to do. I came home very tired and then had to run big kids to VBS bus, run home get little kids and me ready for VBS and go help. Whew did we have a crowd tonight, I think they said there were 150 there. I was amazed at how quiet everyone was on Monday night. I forgot that as the week goes by they get really rowdy and loud! I came home to a disastrous house and I'm too tired to even care! It will have to wait until tomorrow---I hope to goodness I don't have unexpected company toight!ha Don't any of you even think about visiting tonight--I'll pretend like I'm not home.
I think I'm pretty sure what I'll be doing tomorrow.
Toodles

Catching up

Thought I would at least let everyone know that we are alive and well. We got back from Friends Camp late Sunday night, technically it was Monday morning. Jordan and Janae stayed behind and spent the night and came home with Jenny. They heard that the last night is the most fun so I let them stay. I was determined to do better about getting stuff put away etc. When we came home from Florida I had left a clean house and I didn't bring home any laundry so it should have been very easy. Since it seemed soooo easy I didn't get right on stuff and it was a week before I had everything put away. Well, this time I wasn't sure if we could go because the motor home we always borrow(Waggoner family's)was having some trouble. Needless to say I didn't start really packing until Monday afternoon and we left at 5:30 P.M. Soooo, I left a dirty house with stuff just lying around and piled up. I did laundry that day so we would have clothes so my laundry room was an unorganized chaotic mess!
Anyway, I'm almost done with my cleaning, sorting, laundrying, picking up, folding, and putting away. I now need to go finish cleaning the motor home and get all towels and sheets back in it.
We all had a great time at camp. It was even easier than last year since Jaida is 7 now she played outside all day long with her friends. Jalen and Jaida loved childrens service and really got into it. Jordan and Janae stayed in the dorms this year so that freed up some space in the motor home(those things might seem really big but when you get 5 or 6 people in them they suddenly seem very small).
We started VBS at church last night. Whew, I'm a "pod" leader and all I really had to do was watch 5 kids all night as we went from station to station. So, why was I worn out by the end????? Is it age or just tiredness from everything? I'm sticking with tiredness. I think we had around 100, not bad for the first night. A little boy that came with Rachel was sure it would be boring. After it was over she asked him and he said it was only a "little bit" boring. Then she asked if he was coming back and he said "yes"!ha I thought that was cute.
Well, since I was planning on having the kids mow it is raining and has been alllll morning. Bet they hate that since they are still snoozing away.
Jordan has another ear appt. today. He is still having problems with it and I'm a little concerned. He still can't hear out of it very well because it has fluid on it most of the time. The Dr. wanted us to get another CT scan but they are $800.00 and he knows our insurance won't cover it so we are just waiting to see what to do next.
I'm getting the itch to do some more picture taking---feel sorry for my kids. The big ones won't be pleased.ha I'v been telling them I have plenty of pictures of Jaida because she is willing but I need some of them. If I get around to taking some I'll be sure to post--I know this rambling is quite boring and pictures are sooo much better!
School starts next Fri. Cannot believe it. Even Jaida thinks this summer went fast. I thought summers seemed like eternity when I was her age. Although we didn't have to go back in the middle of August. I think it's a crime how early they have to start now and I really don't think they are any better off than we were.
I still have quite a bit to do to get ready, order some more uniforms, get school supples, shoes, etc. It can get quite expensive when you have to buy 4 pairs of tennis shoes.
Well, I really need to go finish folding laundry and I didn't mean to make a book out of this. Hope everyone has a lovely day!