Snow Squirrel Pictures!

So, I was wrong, it wasn't a snowman, or even a snow woman! It's a snow squirrel!

Play by Play

So,

I'm inside trying to put Max (the 6 month old I babysit) to sleep. I left the window cracked so I could hear the kids in the front yard. All my kids along with 3 others are building a snowman they deem the neighborhoods biggest. Here's a play by play...

Haley---"I think I found an arm!"

Marky--"What happened to the head?"

Koby--"We have to have a head!"

Marky--"I know!"

Haley--"Oh great, a headless snowman!"

Andrew--"Mark! You we're in charge of the head!"

Marky--"I know! I KNOW!! I can't be in charge of everything!"

Shawn--"Hi.....YA!"

Haley--"Snow is yummy..."

That last one got me out of my chair and reminding the kids we don't eat yellow snow.....

I'll post pictures when my camera's charged!

Love ya!

ER

Marky's Growing Up!!

So, little Mark had his first major school report today. On Seaside, Oregon. I know, all the kids in the family picked it at one time or another. He picked it because his grandma and grandpa live there. He prepared a poster complete with pictures of the Peter Iredale, and the Lewis and Clark Statue and the shells he's collected over the years went on a board he painted like the beach. I was very impressed! He did most of it himself! His teacher was impressed by his knowledge of Lewis and Clark, we USED the encyclopedias I bought long ago and everyone makes fun of me for. But that kid loves to read and LOVES to look things up! Anywhoo I wish I had a picture! I got there with a dead camera battery!

Love,

ER

Potty Training Day 3, again....From the trenches...

I know this is the second time we've tried potty training. I had to fight with him too much the first time so we gave up. This time it's gone more smoothly. Lots of accidents on the first day, I expected as much and covered all the carpets with old blankets I could wash easily. The second day he was on top of things and only had 1 accident. Yesterday, day 3, was a little harder. He refused, I gave in on day 2 and offered food rewards, a chocolate chip when he went. Day 3, he got smart.

Demanded more...

Wouldn't go for less....

Peed on the floor while he looked at me with the..."You really want to fight this?" look...

So I gave in. Did everything my parenting books said not too. I pulled out the big guns.

The Big Marshmallows.

Now, he wants to go every 5 minutes. I guess that's good. But I'm not sure. I give up my sanity for a sugar rushing boy who has to run to the bath room every 5 minutes.

What

Have

I

Done?

ER

Finally....Okay, let me just say it for you all...You told me so.

Okay,

Finally, I've made the decision to get a facebook page. I know, I kicked, I screamed, I really didn't want one. I still don't want one! What's the difference now? NO ONE CALLS ME!!! NO ONE SENDS ME PICTURES!!!! If someone has news, I find out 3 months later then they ask..."It was on face book...didn't you see?" NO I DIDN'T....and just for the record, I still hate facebook, and all it's privacy issues. I'm just tired of not knowing how anyone is because our culture is not very user friendly anymore.

Okay, so here's the deal, I don't know how facebook works but I need a very private page so I get to decide who can see/search me. That's one of my REALLY big beefs, I don't want everyone searching me online. And I want to control the exposure my family has from the world. So, now I seek advice. How do I do this? Any advice? If your here to poke fun at me, do it over the phone. I take it so much better in person as well! I am more of a face to face person. Not a face to book, or computer, as it stands.

love you, Hate this!

ER

Rice for the world

So, this is a cliff moment.

For all you that are scratching your heads think cliff claven. Today's is a little more serious then most. I have a soft spot for donating to charitable causes.

So todays cliff moment is Freerice.com

This is a great site! You get knowledge, the people who need it get rice.

It's a website with a vocab test! I know! Totally Fun! Anyway, for every right answer, 10 grains of rice is donated, 5 correct answers, 50 grains of rice! This is legit and you don't have to fork over any money! Here's the thing.....

About FreeRice

FreeRice is a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Programme.

FreeRice has two goals:

• Provide education to everyone for free.
• Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

This is made possible by the generosity of the sponsors who advertise on this site.

Whether you are CEO of a large corporation or a street child in a poor country, improving your education can improve your life. It is a great investment in yourself.

Perhaps even greater is the investment your donated rice makes in hungry human beings, enabling them to function and be productive. Somewhere in the world, a person is eating rice that you helped provide.

So go ahead, get smarter and let others eat!

Happy 50th Mom!

Fun on the beach!

Okay, it was cold, not nearly as cold as it is in Utah!!! Around 45.....but this was a great day!

Look at these cute munchkins!

Cold couldn't keep Haley out of the ocean! We had to drag her home!!

Where's your coat crazy boy!....Whose your mother?!!

Hey cutie pants! Your adorable when your not throwing things or spitting! (he's pointing at a moving truck!)

More Christmas!

A very sad moment. Fortunatly the kids made it there the day before it burned down. No word yet on if they will rebuild. There was a nice article in the seaside signal this week about it.

Dad! You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!!!!

If this had sound you'd hear "Garbage Twuck......"

Okay, I messed up and am too lazy to fix it. Lean your head to the right!.... hehehe..

The Proud papa and his little woman, and little GIRL!!! Yeah!!! I can't wait to sew little dresses!

Christmaspalooza!

So, Christmas was amazing! I LOVED spending time with my family I NEVER get to see! The kids got WAY too much and Crazy fun gifts! Here' s the bikes!!

Jamie and Alan got bikes as well, and we're completely happy!

Jet lag shawn all partied out. Christmas Eve at the beach house, by this time we figured out the circut breaker and turned on the heat! Yeah! We didn't completely freeze as it was not that cold outside and there we're portable space heaters about. All in all a very memorable christmas!

Dad telling his christmas stories! I want to write them and have them published! Christmas Stories to Make You Cry.

Little Marky, the Jedi Shephard. He was great!

Oh Mary...How adorable you are...

My Beautiful Babies

Okay, every mama thinks her kids are the cutest. But I have to say, mine are. Hehehehe.....okay, roll your eyes now. As long as their heads are not spinning, and mostly when they're asleep. But they're good kids, at least 59% of the time! Here are some fun pictures we took at the beach. Haley helped me "touch" them up. We had a good time!

Here's Haley, in her eternal 'arn't I the cutest' pose.

This is Marky's personality--exactly.

Come on, you have to agree, they're adorable!!

Make's ya feel all warm and fuzzy eh? (heheh)

Notice Shawn...without shoes...the kid won't keep them on!! Even in the grocery store..

and the dentist...

and everywhere!

And again. With the eyes. I should take this photo and blow up haleys face.

For later.....

...

When she's a teenager...

and rolling her eyes is not nearly as cute as it was when she was 6!