Our trees are dying!!

The other day I picked up MooMoo from school. I asked my normal questions, "How was your day at school, Buddy? Do you have homework??"

He replied, "I have lots of homework!!! Do you know that homework is killing our trees?"

LOL!!! I giggled, and replied, "They are? How so?"

MooMoo replied, "When my teacher gives homework she's giving us a lot of papers. Papers come from trees, which have to be killed. If we don't have the trees, we can't get oxygen. We need the oxygen to breathe. Can you talk to my teacher about the homework, mom?"

LOL...Sure thing babe! I'll get right on it!!!

NO Pain...NO GAIN

This week my daughter turned 10, double digits. For over a year now she has been asking if she too can get her eyebrows waxed. I told her, "You aren't even double digits. I think we should wait until you are at LEAST 10." So as her bday was coming up this week. She gently reminded me of our trip to the nail shop, they do waxing there too.

MooMoo went with us, as his older brothers were at football and unable to watch him. He sat quietly in the chair as his sister and I got our pedicures. When girlfriend was done, the woman asked if she could take her into the room to wax her eyebrows. I agreed. MooMoo JUMPED out of his seat. He said, "MOM...I'm gonna go stand by the door to listen to Airnana (that's how he says her name) scream!!! Ok mom???" The women in the shop were laughing and telling the woman waxing Girlfriend that her brother wanted to go in and watch, so she opened the door and let her in.

I laid my head back imagining how my sweet lil daughter would look when she came out. Then I heard a little voice scream, "OUCH!" MooMoo came running out of the room over to me. He was covering his mouth while belting out a laugh!!! He snickered, "Mom her body jumped up!" I was a little concerned that my daughter was going to come storming out and demand that she was done! Then what would we do with one eyebrow waxed?? MooMoo ran back into the room. Then I heard another scream, "OUCH!!!!" This time MooMoo was REALLY LAUGHING!! I couldn't help but giggle.

Girlfriend came out of the room and crawled up on my lap. She was being brave but I could tell she was still a little stunned from the waxing. She did look so pretty though! Not that she didn't look pretty before, but it was EVEN MORE defined. I asked, "are you ok?"

She replied, "It hurt mommy...but it was SO worth it! Do you like it?"

I smiled, "Yes love...you look BEAUTIFUL".

She has been so excited and telling everyone for her birthday she got her eyebrows waxed, then she adds, "NO PAIN.....NO GAIN". :)

Mother of the Year.....NOT

Every year as school starts for the kids, I have a running joke with my BFF, that I am going to be the "Mom of the Year". My kids are going to get to school on time, they are going to do all their homework, and they will never call me at lunch time to tell me I forgot to bring them a lunch(when I was too lazy to get up in the morning and make them one in the first place).

I was at Michaels the other day perusing the $1 section and found these cute lil love notes that you put in your kids lunches. I picked up a couple packets and threw them in my purse. (I wanted it to be a secret for the kids, as I was working on "Mom of the Year") So...as many things go forgotten at the bottom of my purse, this did too.

This last Monday I was making my daughter's lunch. I saw her come in and I was horrified to see girlfriend putting a love note in her own lunch! I asked her, "Where did you get those?"

She replied, "At the bottom of your purse. I've been putting these in my lunches everyday. I tell the kids its from you!!! Don't worry mom, I bring them home so we can reuse them. That's recycling you know," and she winks at me!

So much for "Mother of the Year"......

A New "Family" Recipe

With football season in full gear, I rarely have time to cook. Each night we have some type of activity that forces us to eat on the road.

MooMoo has been asking if he can cook our family dinner. He's only 8yrs old so I was quite curious to see what he wanted to cook. Monday morning before school he said, "Mom...can you go to the grocery store? I left a list on the counter of what I need to cook us dinner." Upon asking him what he was going to cook for us, he told me it was a surprise, but he had the recipe.

LOL. "Sure."

After I walked him to school, I checked the grocery list. It read: Hotdog bread, bananas. OK.....I'm lost. BUT...I went to the store that day and got him his desired items. When he got home I told him that I got the stuff on his list and he could make dinner Friday, as that would be the next night that we could eat at home!

Today, which is Friday, upon picking him up from school I reminded MooMoo that he's making us dinner. He asked me what time he should start. I told him about 6pm. At 6pm, I went up stairs, and MooMoo went into the kitchen to make our dinner. It was delicious!!! The picture is posted above. It was good, but I would say its more of an after-school snack. We all ate the banana, in the hotdog bun, smeared with PB&J! And told him how much we LOVED it!!!

Tourists in Hollywood

A couple weeks ago our summmer vacation was coming to an end. I told the kids one Sunday afternoon, "Tonight we are going to go to Hollywood....dressed as tourists". I can't believe how excited they were! I told them to be ready at about 7:30.

At 7pm I yelled down the stairs that we were leaving in a half hour, and to be ready. I could hear them giggling at each other as they were getting ready.

Coy walked into the room to introduce me to my tourists.

Dane had a pair of hawaiian swim shorts on with a plaid shirt and a fishing hat. He had black socks on and white tennis shoes.

Girlfriend had on fluorescent shorts with a "california" t-shirt on and a pair of swim googles. She decided that to be really obnoxious, she would just yell out at times, "MOM....WHEN ARE WE GOIN SWIMMIN AT THE POOL".

Coy had on short shorts and a tank top that had sunglasses all over, he also wore a headband. Don't forget the camera he wore around his neck.

MooMoo looked at me, shaking his head. He said, "Mom....I'm not dwessing like a nerd". LOL. I told him it would be funny. He pointed out that I was not dressed like a nerd, so I didn't push it with him.

When we got to Hollywoood the kids were so excited. They had their cover stories of where they were from and they all were practicing talking with accents. First we went to Mel's Diner. I wore my sunglasses just so I could discreetly look at people's reactions while watching my kids. We walked in to eat, and people were nudging their friends to point out my kids. As I said quietly, "look at the people talking about you." The boys were even more excited and became more blatant at talking with their accents and calling me "ma".

When we were done at Mel's, we walked down Hollywood Blvd. We came upon Michael Jackson's star. Coy cried out, "WHAT???? Michael Jackson died???" LOL He started crying loudly, it was so darn funny!! At one point I took my girlfriend in to use a restroom. When I came out the bigger boys were holding out a cup asking people to contribute to sending them back home to Minnesota. Yes...people were throwing in money.

This whole summer I have kept thinking to myself that since Dane is getting ready to graduate, these are the last vacation memories we were making together. He will be off working or at college next summer. This is something I've always said we should do....and was so fun doing!!!! Besides...they keep telling everyone how we dressed as tourists and went into Hollywood.

PS. I told the kids the other day that we need to dress as tourists and go into Beverly Hills, down Rodeo Drive. Can't you imagine them walking into a jewelry store asking with their accents, "Wow! Are those REAL diamonds?"

The Dog Ate my Homework?

School started on Monday. I'm excited because I get a lil bit of peace and quiet during the school hours. At the same time,I'm super busy with all their activities, plus homework, and dinner....yada yada yada....you know the drill.

Yesterday, Tuesday, I ask Moo-Moo, "Do you have homework?"
He replies, "Yes..I have a math page." I realize that I saw another math page sitting near my desk and I ask him, "Is that your math page too?" He said yes, so I told him to get up at the table and do both.

Today I got the kids off to school and was working in my office. I decided to straighten up a bit as I had to go out for a bit. There it was....sitting under the table. The 2 pages of homework. I was MORTIFIED. What the heck is the teacher going to think of my son??? He can't even get him homework in when it's done. We live across the street from the school, so I ran it over.

I walked into the office. "Hi! Yes...its the 3rd day of school and my child didn't bring his homework. Can you put this in Ms. Dobbins box?" The woman in the office is soooo unbelievably sweet. She just giggled and said sure. I told her I'd probably see her again sometime this week and left.

So tonight, I had another meeting to go to. I was trying to have kids do homework while I was making dinner. I wanted it done before I left. "Moo Moo....where's your homework?" He went to go find it. His cousin (who is staying with us this week) comes in and tells me, "He can't find his homework. I think he left it at school" OMG!!!!! Now for sure the teacher is going to think this kid is a problem!!!! I was so annoyed I told him, "Moo Moo...you get in there and write 10x, 'I will not forget my homework at school!'" I'll just attach a lil note next to his sentences letting the teacher know I'm taking proper steps, and know what is going on!

Moo Moo came out after a while with his sentences in his hand. He handed them to me. I looked at them. "Moo Moo.....did somebody help you write these?"

He replies, "Yes mom, I wrote the first half, and my cousin wrote the second half".

Ugh!!! I give up!!!

I hate goodbyes :(

This summer we got the extra special treat to have my niece and nephew here from Illinois. They've been here 3 WHOLE months. They say the funniest things, do the nerdiest things, and are so darn cute...all the while getting on everyone's nerves. We had the opportunity to get to know them better as we've only spent a week at a time every few years together.

Today was our last outing together. They go home tomorrow. We went to Raging Waters. My mom and sisters and nieces and nephews all went. The day was a blast! We got there early and hit the rides then after lunch laid around in the Lazy River. This was a good way to say goodbye as I would get in my cars with my kids and leave, and not be left to be crying at the airport. I hate goodbyes. I know we will see them again, but it's always so sad.

My niece has been crying for a few days. She keeps telling my sister, "Mommy, I don't want to go home. I was born to be here in California." She LOVES it here! She loves the beach, and the sun. She loves playing with all her cousins and bbq'ing in the summer. She is leaving California with a true sense of family. My sister lives in Illinois and they have no family there. We tell her to come back, but at this point it's her home. :(

As I was leaving today. I hugged my lil nephew. I told him, "I love you Ace. Don't forget us". He goofed around and gave us a kiss and hug.

But as I was walking away...he yelled to my son, his cousin..."Hey Maxie....I love you...and I won't ever forget you." My heart broke and I choked back the tears.

We love you too Ascelin!!!!