While the cat is away the mice will play

My daughters... This is what they did when I wasn't home. :) That's our dining room table that Sariah is dancing on... I'm so glad Emily documented it all.

Mom's Overture

I've enjoyed this video a few times. I think I could have written this song if I wasn't so tired from being a mom...

Do Toddlers Really Need Beds?

NO! Just kidding... But, they would rather fall asleep in my arms and they crawl into my bed in the morning, so why bother with their own beds?!? Toddlers need their own beds so they can be taught how to make their bed on a small scale before they move up to a twin size mattress. That's my theory, not scientific, but I have to take some relevant pictures before I can share my "scientific" theories.

Can Bears Paint?

Yes! But, can they paint well? This is Maggie the painting bear. She loves to paint. I have purchased two of her works of art. She is very abstract and likes bright colors. I would like to see some of her larger works, but they must sell pretty fast. I'll have to frequent the zoo more often.

Wow! People are really reading this!

I'm completely shocked and amazed that some of my friends and family are really reading this. I thought, sure, maybe they will look at the pictures and get a laugh, but you really are taking the time to read all my rambling thoughts! :) Well, my New Year's Resolution will have to be: Write about some interesting and entertaining things. Since so many of my friends and family members are sooooooo brilliant, I think I will share some of my scientific theories so you can disprove them. I'm trying the video feature again here, some days it works, most days it doesn't.

Watch This!

Here is my favorite video of 2007! :) Merry Christmas!

World's Worst Family Christmas Photo

Yep, after scouring through all of our 2007 downloaded photos, this was the best I could do. We had just finished trudging through about 90% of Carlsbad Caverns when a lady asked us if we would like her to take a photo of our family. After about 10 tries and backing up the constant flow of people meandering through the caverns, her grandson finally took this one. This is the only photo of 2007 that has a piece of everyone in it. I think Adrian was even trying to hold up Sariah. How sad... I'll try to do better next year. :) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! I'm still trying to add more videos. Some days it works and most days it doesn't...

Cooking Lessons

Emily has been taking cooking and sewing as her elective for this semester. On Saturdays, she likes to have "Emily School." She teaches her siblings how to cook something and then gives them an art lesson. I like to take a nap during "Emily School." My favorite day was when she taught them how to make fruit salad and then colored a bunch of pictures their favorite fruits and did leaf rubbings. I didn't have to supervise any oven or stove stuff and it was a good long art lesson. :) We have been baking cookies just about everyday this week and should start delivering tomorrow. I have one package ready to mail and should finish the rest tomorrow. I hope they make it to California before Christmas. I'm sure the post office won't be as crazy here as it could be in some cities. I've never waited in line here! As much as I have praised the video feature, I just can't get it to work every time! Arghh! I'll keep trying...

You Know Dasher and Flasher...

Adrian has officially entered the age of messing up songs with comical lyrics... His teacher has also been teaching the proper terms to be used when refering to bodily functions. So far we have heard that his armpit can release gas and when he spit while saying something, we were quickly told that he didn't spit, it was saliva. It's raining like crazy today. Luckily I made the kids pick up pecans and gather firewood yesterday. I had a nice fire going most of the day today, ahhhh!

I'm thankful for this video feature!

SNOW!!!

Somehow, from this group of pecan crackers, a meal was made...

All the good dishes are in Arizona, but we certainly have color in our plastic ware.

A close-up of our yummy pies. Emily made the lattice work on the apple pie and the boys cracked the pecans for the pumpkin pie!

Okay, so Sariah skipped the part about getting out of her wet clothes!

We woke up to a white Thanksgiving! There wasn't a whole lot of snow, but it was enough to have some fun. We stuck a cardboard box in a trash bag and gave the kids rides down the only incline we had in our yard. That's how the day started. While Terry and the kids braved the great outdoors, I came in and built a fire in the fireplace. Everyone came in and once they got out of their wet clothes and warmed up, they had some ice cream! We had all the traditional grub today: Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and pie. I didn't make any vegetables since we had pumpkin in one pie and butternut squash in the muffins I made for breakfast. ;) I also forgot to make rolls and put out olives! I'm a failure! (Just Kidding!) I put caramelized pecans on top of the pumpkin pie and it was delicious. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Enjoy the video, but don't watch it too many times, after about twenty viewings your stomach will start to hurt from laughing so hard...

I'm trying the video function again. This is a snake we like to visit at the Living Desert Museum and Zoo. He really didn't like Travis this day. It was pretty scary! We are all settled in here. Emily's team finished 4th in her division. Travis has earned his astronomy belt loop in cub scouts. (He happens to have the world's greatest Den Mother, Moi!) A.J. really misses James, but he was able to talk to him on the phone today. Luke really misses Budge and keeps calling him at nap time! :( Sariah is talking like crazy! She told me that she saw the moon and Saturn on Friday! Terry is loving his work here, he wants to put in for a permanent assignment if they offer him one. I love our new house. It is very spacious, we even have a forbidden room and basement. The basement is forbidden because I don't want the kids going down there, but the room is forbidden because it is clean and there is nothing in there! I'm having a Veterans' Vegetable Brunch tomorrow. My friends and I are testing out Jessica Seinfeld's recipes on our unsuspecting families. :)

Farewell Fine Friend

After kissing this frog everyday for two and a half months, Sariah has finally given the farewell kiss. I guess it's just a frog. Someday her prince will come... Emily's basketball team lost today. :( The big fight for third place is on Thursday. I'm moving my computer tonight, so I'm hoping to have everything hooked up and updated by the end of the week. We have also started harvesting pecans. Our new house has nine mature trees. We already have about 25 lbs. drying. Emily has been picking them up everyday after school. The little guys are even helping out a bit. I'm thinking about selling some to raise money for Emily's trip to Australia next summer. Any brilliant ideas on the best way to do that?

The Video Feature works!

If you go back in time to my very first post, you will see the video of Luke jumping into our ball pit. Now, I'll have to take some more videos! :) We painted and colored on pumpkins today. A.J. has decided that he doesn't want to cut his pumpkin up until I'm ready to make pumpkin pie! :) Here's a cute shot of the turkey on his birthday.

Where Did Summer go?

Wow! How did it get to be October already? I was grocery shopping today and saw Christmas displays already! Isn't this a great picture? The boys were feeding their pizza crusts to the ducks. I shot some hoops with the tweenage girls today. It was fun, I knocked Emily over with my butt and scratched her arm, all on accident of coarse! Luke and Sariah are taking gymnastics lessons once a week. They absolutely love it and have fun practicing their trampoline moves on my bed. A.J. is playing basketball too. I haven't run him into the ground yet, but Emily can take it. :) Travis seems to have hit a developmental glass ceiling. He is doing fourth grade work, but he is having a hard time acting like a fourth grader. So far this week he has spent 6 hours in his classroom and 15 hours out. He is looking forward to another day of being suspended tomorrow and Friday is a Fall holiday. :( I don't know what to do with him, but we won't give up until something works. A.J. is starting to read and says he is the only smart kid in his class. Oh, Grandpa, he is doing just fine with his scissor skills. I guess he's been getting too much practice. His teacher says he cuts anything he can get his hands on. He's only cut Sariah's hair at home, so I'm trying to give him little projects to make with paper at home to get some of the cutting out of his system. :)

Everything is Just Peachy

I finally found the cord to download pictures from my camera. I would love to sit and catch up right now, but I'm afraid it is way past my bedtime. :( So until tomorrow, enjoy Sariah's lovely, long, curly locks of hair as she reaches for a peach.

New Superhero on the Loose!

Watch out! He's mean, he's serious, he's found new and exciting ways to use his mom's mascara... It's uni brow boy! Emily did eat frog legs in France! She said they tasted like old chicken. She couldn't bring herself to eat escargot, although she did have one on her plate. She still insists that the best chefs in the world work at the Dallas Airport. Emily says crossing the street in Europe was crazy. Not only were all the cars going the wrong directions, but you had to cross one half at a time. She said it was really scary standing in the middle of the street with cars whizzing by. She also shared another scary tale. At one of the hotels in France there was creepy red writing on some one's bathroom mirror. They were telling everyone about it and when Emily went to her room, she and her roommates screamed when they discovered creepy red writing on their mirror. Apparently, several other ambassadors were scared by the writing on their bathroom mirrors and began screaming as well. Emily said everyone was silenced by one of their leaders hollering, "Get a grip, it just says to enjoy breakfast in the hotel restaurant!"

We're off to see the wizard...

Well, after a few days of waking up at 4 AM, and taking afternoon naps, I think Emily has entered back into Arizona time. But, now she's off to Kansas... Well, on stage anyway. She is a munchkin in the Lullaby League this year. Her show will run August 1,2 & 3. She is also playing a character in Oz and her voice is being used to help out many actors having trouble with the high notes. I'm not sure if she will be onstage or off for those roles. The voice teacher loves her. She was in the top five being considered for Dorothy. I'm working on posting pictures from Emily's trip, wish me luck! :) Here is Emily at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Day Fifteen!?!

Wait a minute! This was supposed to be a fourteen day trip! The storms in Texas kept planes grounded for the afternoon, so Emily had a deluxe stay at the Dallas Airport. She was fed a wonderful dinner and was ordering a Very Berry Waffle with whipped cream when I talked to her this morning. She says, "Texas has the best food in the world, Mom!" This is rather disappointing news after she spent a week in France. She says the beds were three feet thick and the bathroom alone was as big as the upper part of her bedroom at home. She took a lovely bath, relaxed and caught up on some sleep. This is all good, because she has no idea how much more crazy life is at home. :)

Day Fourteen

Emily flew out of Paris this morning and landed in Dallas/Ft.Worth this afternoon. She was treated to a free dinner and hotel room in Dallas by American Airlines. The rain was so bad, they had to cancel her flight. She called home and sounded disappointed, but I say it's a blessing in disguise. Now, she can get more sleep and get over a little jet lag before she gets home. :) I wonder if she ate any frog legs while she was in France...

Day Thirteen

Emily had a full day of adventure and fun at Disneyland Paris! She spent some more money on something, and that's about all I know for today. :) That is me, holding Luke at Disneyland. I'm wearing a shirt my brother bought me in Paris. This is a pretty relevant picture. :)

Day Twelve - Emily is NOT in Scotland

Wow, make that two bombs in London yesterday! Now, I saw that the car that rammed into the Glasgow Airport in Scotland may be connected to the two cars found in London yesterday! Just stay away from France you terrorists! I guess, right now, maybe I'm glad the French didn't join us in our war with Iraq. Today Emily is at the famous Musee du Louvre. She should have seen the Mona Lisa. In the heart of Paris she will be seeing the most prestigious monuments of the city, including the Notre-Dame cathedral. Here at home we are getting ready to start some repairs and renovations on our house. The first thing we are going to do is take the wood burning stove out of our playroom. Then, I'm hoping my dad will come visit because I want to knock part of a wall out. :) Emily is excited to meet her new foster sister. Today we discovered that she really likes Cinderella. She found Sariah's wig and Emily's dress and has been dressing up everyday. I can't wait for my camera to come home, and Emily too!

Day Eleven - Emily is NOT in London

It was a bit scary going to bed last night knowing that there was a bomb found in the theater district of London where Emily was last week. Thank goodness she is now in France. Emily walked through artist heaven today. She strolled around the famous artists' quarter of Montmartre. Then she saw an impressive view of Paris from Le Sacre-Coeur. In an art workshop, she created her own masterpiece to bring home. Then she went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Next, was climbing aboard un bateau, a riverboat, for an afternoon cruise along the Seine where she saw more famous sights of Paris. In the evening she took a French lesson. Here at home we are trying to get a diagnosis for our new little girl. I am convinced that she is somewhere on the autism spectrum. I hope Emily's masterpiece is more impressive than Luke's. :)

Day Ten

Today Emily explored the Chateau de Versailles, built during the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King. She walked the bejeweled Hall of Mirrors, and surely checked herself out many times. :) She got to see the private chambers of France's flamboyant Sun King and wander the vast formal gardens. From 1682 to 1789, the Chateau was the seat of the royal court. Then in 1789, the French Revolution put an end to the monarchy. Today the palace is often used for international gatherings attended by world leaders. Later, she went to Paris and saw the Arc de Triomphe on the Avenue of Champs-Elysees, the world's first "organized" roundabout and Napoleon's homage to the armies and himself. I've heard that most insurance companies won't even cover you if you drive on the roundabout! Sariah had her first ballet lesson this month. Ballet originated in France.

Day Nine

Bonjour et Bienvenue en France! Emily's exploration of France began today at Le Memorial de Caen Museum. The museum highlights the effects of D-Day, but also examines how to learn from the past to achieve a peaceful future. The Caen Museum describes the journey of Europe's descent into war, Hitler's rise to power, through the dark years of uncertainty, and finally, its emergence with a vision of peace. She took part in D-Day and join the Allied Army as it leads the liberation of France, through a visual presentation of the Allied victory. Later, she took a coach to the coast of Normandy, the actual location of the D-Day landings. Finally, she went to the American Cemetary overlooking Omaha Beach. Here are my giant babies, obviously I couldn't find a picture that had anything at all to do with this post. :) Once again, we have five kids. We have no plans to adopt and our license expires in October. We are just helping a little girl that is very sweet and in a bad situation. She needs to be with her family, so we are helping transition her to go home. :)

Day Eight

Today Emily increased her Harry Potter mania by visiting Oxford. England's oldest university was founded there in 1167. Christ Church College was used in the movie "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." She spent $3.50 somewhere at Stonehenge. She had to wait quite awhile to board the ferry to France this evening, she was dissappointed that there was only one store to shop in with all that down time. :) She said the ferry looked like a mini cruise ship. I'm hoping she slept well to the gentle current of the English Channel. Can you tell that's a Harry Potter poster on Emily's wall? See this isn't an irrelevant picture! CPS called again this morning and asked if we would take a six-year-old girl for a few weeks. Emily says "we should", I say "maybe", Terry says "No way!"

Day Seven

Here is a picture at Sariah's adoption hearing. Today Emily experienced the beautiful city of Bath. Bath is home to Britain's only natural hot spring, with waters flowing at a constant temperature of 115 degrees Fahrenheit. The Celtic King Bladud discovered the Royal Baths in 860 BC. He realized the spring's curative powers by imitating his pigs rolling around in the hot mud! By the 18th century, Bath was the most famous spa town in England. At the Royal Baths, you can still see Roman architecture remaining from the 1st century settlement. Emily says one of the boys in her group dropped his headset for the guided walking tour into a bath. He was able to retrieve it and turned it in soaking wet and no one even batted an eyelash. I guess it must happen all the time. :) She spent the afternoon looking for houses where famous people lived and visiting Mill on the Brue. Here on the home front, CPS has discovered that we don't have any foster kids since we adopted them all, so I keep getting calls to take another kid. I said "No, thank you." twice today.

Day Six

Emily FINALLY called home today! On our answering machine was, "How long does it take for them to hear me?" Then, she said she loved us. She got to explore the castle today. The Royal Weekend exhibit gave her a glimpse of how Victorian High Society spent their leisure time. She went punting along the River Cherwell, and drifted through the Christ Church meadows, where Lewis Carroll wrote Alice Through The Looking Glass.

Day Five

Emily spent the morning at the Natural History Museum, the UK's national museum of nature and a center of scientific excellence in taxonomy and biodiversity. This afternoon she went to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. This evening she slept in a tented medieval village on the grounds of Warwick Castle. It was around 40 degrees at night and the sleeping bags were rather thin, so she froze her little tushie off. :) Here's another great photo, I can't wait until Emily gets back from her trip, so I can actually post relevant photos. :)

Day Four

Emily met a member of Parliament today. She learned about the British Constitution, the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Monarch. She listened to tapes of discussions held in the World War II Cabinet War Rooms. These were Sir Winston Churchill's underground headquarters during the war. The rooms include living quarters and a soundproofed cabinet room, where crucial strategic decisions were made. The briefing on the "Blitz" describes severe bombing raids that devastated much of London. After all that serious business, she took a stroll down Covent Garden, with it's shops and cafes. She spent $13 at a place called "Monsoon" according to her Visa card. :) Residents and street entertainers abound. This day was capped with a ride on the London Eye, the largest Ferris wheel in the world! Terry and the boys went to see the Sidewinders play in Tucson. They are trying to see as many games as they can, since the team is moving to Reno. Sariah and I went grocery shopping and played with our neighbors dogs. :) Here is a lovely picture of my little artist.

Day Three

Emily went to Buckingham Palace today to see the Changing of the Guard. Then she went to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels. She spent $30 somewhere in the Tower of London according to her Visa account, so I don't think I'm getting a real tiara. :( Next was a cruise down the River Thames, a gourmet dinner in London, then on to the theater. She still hasn't called us, so I guess she's having a good time. Here on the home front we are still trying to get everyone potty trained.

Day Two

There were technical difficulties in downloading the video of Luke playing in the ball pit. Emily landed in London at 12:30am! They were immediately whisked away to Windsor Castle. She may have shaken the Queen's hand today. I haven't heard from her yet. She also went to Runnymede today. There she saw the JFK memorial, and the spot where King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215. I'm falling asleep typing, so I better get to bed. :)

Bon Voyage!

It's so hot, A.J. and Luke are sucking Terry's Camelback dry. Emily left today. We made it to the airport just before 10am, she flew to Chicago at 12:15, then on to London tonight. When her plane lands she will start her first day in Europe. I will try to update everyday if I can. I'll add pictures when she gets back. For now, I'm going to try and figure out this new video loader thing, we'll see if it works. I haven't figured out the video thing yet, but look up! I added a picture! :)

Summertime and The Living is...

Well, it's not easy being the mother of five. I'm forcing all my kids that can write to start keeping journals this summer. I was going to start one, but then I thought I could do better. I could actually keep in touch with my family and friends by starting a blog. I realize that anyone reading this is actually reading my diary, so ignore 90% of what I write please. :) But, feel free to comment. I would love ideas for what I should write about and requests for photos. Emily is counting down the days to her trip. Right now she is practicing living out of her suitcase to see what she is forgetting to pack. We scrubbed the pool and set it up today. It was 93 degrees at 9AM today! Ugh! Here is Luke having a great time in our ball pit: