It is finished

I actually feel kind sad that baseball season has finished!!!!!

So here's a few re-caps.

Camden on the A's: CAN YOU TELL WHICH ONE IS HIM?!?!?!

He's the one w/ the short baseball pants. Brooks HATES the new style of giving full length baseball pants because "you can't even see the socks", "they look silly all the way down", "they don't look like real baseball player pants", etc etc. So we (meaning Brooks) made him wear the shorter "real" baseball pants.

Emerson in t-ball 

(Is it just me or is t-ball a joke?!!? It is BRUTAL to watch sometimes w/ everyone-batting-no-outs-no-score-keeping!!!! Glad he's moving up to coach pitch next year!)

I WILL say though, when he would smile and wave at me, it made it all worth it and melted my heart.

THEN the playoffs started......double elimination 

( tball didn't have playoffs though......THANK GOODNESS!!!)

We take playoffs VERY seriously around here and get all decked out in team colors whether it embarrasses the child or not. (thankfully, my kids liked it) 

And a team mom on Camden's team got serious and ordered us all pins.......Camden came up with his name himself. :)

 The A's got down to the game RIGHT before the semi-finals. Camden played great though and had a few homers.

I don't think I could love this picture any more!!!!! All ready for one of Bronson's games decked out in orange and blue. Go Mets! (and the girls INSISTED on wearing pink/purple shoes, even though they clashed and were NOT team colors......*sigh* You win some, you lose some)

 It was an orange and blue explosion. Brooks was able to sneak out and made the last part of the game and just laughed at all of us. But it was US that should've been laughing. All the other moms were wearing a blue or an orange shirt too. Playoffs are intense.

They made it to the championship game (as they should, they were ranked #1!!!) So here are some pics from last Saturday's championship game:

Bronson looked at the above shirt and liked the colors. Then looked again and said, "Mom, that looks like a boy's shirt." I smiled and said, "IT IS!!!! I found it at a thrift shop for a few bucks in the boy's section, AND YOU LOVE IT!!!!"  I wasn't going to pass up a shirt like that with the EXACT colors!!! Who cares if it was a little tight on my non-existing-biceps?!?!

 Kellyn w/ Bronson in the back playing 1st. (her blue and orange was dirty. Darn)

He's #12 and just is so stinking handsome w/ the cutest body!!!

 He bats first so here he was RIGHT in front of me just ASKIN' to take a picture!!! ;)

(he gets embarrassed if he sees me taking pictures)

Aaaaaaaaaaand, they lost. It was INSANE. The score was 0-1. 

They have NEVER gone w/o any scores and no one was batting their best. 

Darn, tough loss for them for SURE!

Even w/ baseball season done it does NOT terminate the complete DOWNING of boiled peanuts around here though, so my withdrawls from baseball won't be THAT bad.

(yes, that is the jumbo can. Eat your heart out R.A.!!!)

IT HAPPENED!!!!!

THIS. CUTE. BOY.

Just had his dreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeam come true. 

If you know Emerson at ALL you will know that he's been devastated that he hasn't lost any teeth.

He's the ONLY kid in his 1st grade class (in both morning AND afternoon) that hasn't lost one yet.

Last week we went to the dentist and the dentist said she felt his bottom tooth a little "wiggly". I felt the darn thing after and it didn't move a little bit unless Emerson's head moved with it. But just hearing that bit of good news gave him hope. Emerson then went to work on making it fall out. He must've worked like CRAZY on it because it started really getting close to coming out. 

Saturday he came to us and asked me to pull it out. I wouldn't. Then he said I could use dental floss but because I had a HORRIBLE experience w/ that as a child with my dad (think doorknob, floss, standing across the room, blood dripping.....you get the idea) I wouldn't do it. Plus it wasn't THAT close to coming out.

Then Sunday night he asked Brooks to grab it. He tried and made Emerson cry. So we stopped. (I say "we" because I sat and watched the whole thing)

Then he came down after a hour and it was significantly more loose (who KNOWS what he did to make it that way.......I don't ask some things for a reason....) Brooks grabbed a flossing pick and wedged the pointy side under the tooth.

I walked around to get another picture of it happening and I didn't make it in time. It popped out on the first "wedge" from that flossing pick.

To say he was excited was really beyond an understatement.

In the kitchen I said, "Emerson, are you SOOOOO excited?!?!"

And he giggled/squealed and said, "YES! Now I get to put my name on the tooth poster in my classroom. My name is the ONLY one not on it!!!!"

It was THEN that I understood the urgency of wiggling it before the school year ended next week. Such a funny kid.

And to PROVE he lost it, he took it to school (as if the big gap in his mouth didn't already give it away).

Getting to the bottom of these

Lately on Facebook I've seen a TON of "recipes" people have posted and recipe tips for around the house. I decided to once and for all try a 4 of them and here's what I discovered.

#1How To Make Fairies In A Jar

(this was the picture promised)

 

This is something everyone will love! Just imagine the look on your childs face when they see this. 

FAIRIES IN A JAR DIRECTIONS: 
1. Cut a glow stick and shake the contents into a jar.
2. Add diamond glitter
3. Seal the top
4. Shake hard

My opinion:  It did NOT look like the picture. It just looks like a glowing jar w/ glitter plastered

on the side. Aleeya, Iris and Royce loved them, but they also didn't know what the picture looked like at the beginning.

We got some glowstick on our hands too. We had a little too much fun.

All in all, you could probably just use a glowstick and get the same effect. Unless you're trying to take up time. 

I would give it 2 out of 4 stars

(just because my kids like it)

#2- Foot Soak

(picture posted w/ instructions)

Listerine: the BEST way to get your feet ready for summer. Sounds crazy but it works! Mix 1/4c Listerine (CLEAR), 1/4c vinegar and 1/2c of warm water. Soak feet for 10 minutes and when you take them out the dead skin will practically wipe off

My opinion: First of all, I had to double the recipe to even come UP to my dry heels. Secondly, it didn't work. Yes, my feet were moistened but not anymore then after a bath. HOWEVER, the Listerine smell did make it tingle a tad and had a nice minty smell for a while. Not sure if that's where I WANT a minty smell, but oh well.

1 out of 4 stars

#3-HOMEMADE MOSQUITO TRAP:

Items needed:
1 cup of water 
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 gram of yeast
1 2-liter bottle

HOW:
1. Cut the plastic bottle in half.
2. Mix brown sugar with hot water. Let cool. When cold, pour in the bottom half of the bottle.
3. Add the yeast. No need to mix. It creates carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitoes.
4. Place the funnel part, upside down, into the other half of the bottle, taping them together if desired.
5. Wrap the bottle with something black, leaving the top uncovered, and place it outside in an area away from your normal gathering area. (Mosquitoes are also drawn to the color black.)

Opinion: I was REALLY excited about this because we have a TON of mosquitos!!! I made 3 of them to put around the front yard. Let me FIRST start by saying only use one GRAM of yeast, not one OUNCE like I did......because if you do, you'll have on overflowing bread smelling front yard that attracts a LOT of ants.

I dumped them out and made them how they were supposed to be though and STILL nothing. They didn't attract ONE mosquito in it......just earwigs, slugs and ants. Lovely. 

I give it 0 out of 4 stars

#4 Homemade Ring Cleaner

1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon dish detergent (like Casade)
1 cup water
1 piece aluminum foil

Heat water in the microwave for 1 or 2 minutes.
Cut a piece of aluminum foil that roughly covers the bottom of a small bowl (like a cereal bowl).
Pour hot water into bowl. Place salt, soda, and dishwashing liquid into bowl. Place jewelry on top of foil and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse jewelry in cool water and dry jewelry completely with soft cloth. Discard solution after use and make a new batch next time.

Opinion: I was SHOCKED this worked so well. I haven't seen my ring sparkle like that for a while.

And I grabbed an old toothbrush and brushed it after w/ the solution to get into the grooves and it FINALLY got things out that were in there forever!

I'll give THAT one 4 out of 4 stars.

I kinda feel like a scientist trying out all these things................speaking of Camden just came

home from school w/ the "Mad Scientist" award in his class. Guess it runs in the family....

It has come

It's that moment when you walk into your baby's room after a nap and see this.....

your baby's cute little face staring back at you while they're STANDING UP!

It's always such a shock because you've never seen them like that.....but they LOOK at you like, "What's the big deal? I've been practicing this for months while you THOUGHT I was sleeping."

And now there's no stopping her! Everywhere she crawls, she finds something to stand up on.

(and she hasn't figured out how to get back DOWN yet so she just waits and waits there. It's pretty funny)

And I'm NOT a fan of this!

We go to a LOT of baseball games and here's just one shot of her w/ another mom on Camden's team. Kellyn is SUCH a sweetie.

She'll snuggle anyone. A family will just call "dibbs" on her for a game. She's already been "called for" for the game tonight. We were at the ballpark last night from 4-10pm. I fed her at 5 and that was the last time during the games. She is SUCH a trooper.

And when she smiles her WHOLE face lights up.....eyes disappear and all\

And just because there isn't a sound I love MORE then this...  

(link)

(and you can also hear Royce in the background......I'll always want to remember his lack-of-speaking stage because he's so endearing)

Duo-Life

Royce has a great life. But it's kinda a double life..........

He's at home w/ girls ALL DAY.....

I do NOT dress up the girls (or Royce), they do it themselves. The girls BEGGED for me to find the Barbie, 12 Dancing Princesses song for theme to dance to and next thing I know....... well...... 

LINK

He really DOES have pretty hair though, so he can ROCK a headband.
Since he can't talk, he'll come make his usual noises and start twerling around and take off his shorts. That's the sign that he wants me to put on his tu-tu. I seriously play sherades around here ALL. DAY. LONG.

Here he is before we went to a friend's house.....

Then the boys come home and he's ALL boy......sneakin up on the girls at a baseball game

He is SUCH a gentleman always wanting to take the trash and recycle bin to the road for me. Here he is 

LO-OSING it in the window because I didn't let him come with me. (I thought he wouldn't notice because he REALLY isn't THAT helpful, to be quite honest)

Last Sunday here are two short clips of what the boys were doing before church . The second one STILL makes Royce bust up laughing when he watches it. This boy has a KILLER kick on him (and swing and throw....), now if we could JUST get him to talk.......

LINK   and    LINK

And now after I cut his hair yesterday he looks even OLDER!!!

My double-lifed little boy. But to his credit, he does them BOTH so well.

Vacito

When you're nursing, sometimes (eh-hem, ALL THE TIME) you feel like a cow or a "vaca". 

The little girls have always tried imitating me and I assumed because they will be little mommies one day. Apparently there's ANOTHER wanna-be vaca around here........

I walked in and found him the the pump turned on, all the cords/tubes set up PERFECTLY and the pump flat against his belly/chest. This kid is a pro.

I laughed and grabbed my camera because I thought it was so funny.

Then he turned off the pump, took it off him and looked in the bottle.........

it was like he couldn't BELIEVE there wasn't any milk in there! He just sat there staring at it in disbelief.

hahahaha

Teacher Appreciation

The teachers of our children deserve the moon and deserve to be spoiled on Teacher Appreciation week (and other times, obviously).

But I don't always have the funds to go overboard, so throughout the year I'll always look for deals to at least get them something thoughtful or personalized. For example, it would be personalized notepads/post-its (artscow many times will have good deals), or personalized hand sanitizer w/ her name on it for the classroom. (the teachers here LOVED those this year and kept raving about them. Funny thing is, it costs one dollar and you can make them WAY in advance so it's not stressful around Christmas) 

But this year I didn't think ahead for Teacher Appreciation Week. So I emailed my mother-in-law (who is an elementary school teacher) and asked what her favorite things to get are, and she said school supplies, gluesticks, Clorox wipes..........ya know, things that they have to fork out their own money to  buy anyway.

I knew what I would give them would be little, and I felt bad, so I had to think of something original, so they at LEAST knew I thought enough of them to put some time into it. I'm sure most people have seen this idea, but for some reason it never gets old to me. 

Here's an original post I saw a few years back that turns out better then mine!

I bought glue sticks, post-its, stickers and chocolate. Emptied the fruit, washed out cans and took off the BOTTOM of the can.

Then you stuff tissue paper in the bottom (so the glue won't stick to the treats).

Yes, I kept out all the Reese's PB cups because they're Brooks' favorite.....but ended up eating my fair share too!

I have looked for a safety can opener (so you don't have nasty glue look around the whole bottom) but each time I've looked they've been out. Oh well, it looks bad, but most people don't go lookin' on the bottom of the can, right?

Then we glued a teacher saying thing and I had the kids write a note on it. Bronson's made me laugh because he told his teacher to "keep up the good work".

There's just something so fun about pulling a tab and not knowing what's in there. Part of you thinks juuuuuuuust for a minute, "did she really give me canned fruit?", but then surprise kicks in when you open it. I guess the teachers here had never seen that before and kept wondering how I did it. (until they looked at the nasty bottom I'm sure.) 

Super cheap, and better yet, the kids can't ruin it on the way to school!!!!

(I remember sending fancy dipped caramel apples w/ candies all over, etc. w/ the boys to school for their teachers..........dumb dumb dumb)

A Dozen

MAY 18th............

How does that even HAPPEN!?!? 

Part of it feels like we've been together FOREVER and another part doesn't feel like I'm OLD enough to be married for 12 years.

I thought it would be kinda fun to post one picture from each year of our marriage w/ the 2 of us in it.

It proved to be QUITE a task because

1) we've lost SO many pictures after computers crashing/losing stuff, etc.

2) we're NEVER in pictures together. It's either me taking of him, 

vice versa or w/ the kids or just of the kids. You get the idea....

3) Brooks is NOT a camera person. So it's not like we'll be walking along and he'll say, "Hey, can you take a picture of me and my most awesome wife"?! It doesn't happen.

Either way, I was puuuuuuuuuuushing it to find the following. Sure was fun though.

2002

(I had no idea I was pregnant w/ Bronson at the time. Our 1st anniversary trip to Nashville)

2003

(in this WHOLE year we had TWO pictures where both of us were in it, yikes!)

2004

(1st day of medical school in Johnson City, TN, Camden was born)

2005

(Dominican Republic)

2006

(only pic salvaged from that year where both of us where in it)

2007

(Utah trip. Prego w/ Aleeya. Brooks always grows out facial hair before we fly home because his dad HATES it and he does it for a rise out of his dad. He gets it too.......and for memory-sake Brooks had one of those growth things on his face when we first met. Sick, I know)

2008

(Halloween costumes.....announcing pregnancy w/ #5. I was a pregnancy stick)

2009

(D.C. temple. I believe Emerson was asleep in his peed-pants in this picture)

2010

(Ask me how mad I am that all my New York trip w/ Brooks pics are gone. Oh well. Here we are in Florida for his brother's wedding)

2011

(Outer Banks, NC)

2012

(Brazil.....can we say "I married a hottie?!?!!?")

2013

Go ahead.........LAUGH! But this is the ONLY picture we have of the 5 months this year that we are both in it. But it's a personal fav because I DID beat him in this jellybean race.

As I was going over the years of pictures I started noticing that I was either pregnant or w/ a new baby it seemed. Time passes so fast when you just try to capture one picture for the WHOLE YEAR!

So Brooks and I started thinking this morning......of the 12 years we've been married:

-lived in 8 different homes

-I've been nursing for 67 months

- been pregnant for 65 months 

(before you think that's an announcement, there's a miscarriage counted in there)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand there's about 12 months TOTAL  that I was NOT pregnant or nursing.

But it doesn't feel like that. It just feels like it's me and Brooks starting and continuing this awesome life together. I remember during our first 3 months of marriage we looked at each other and basically were thinking/saying, "WHAT WERE WE THINKING?!?!" It took a TON of work and investment and most of all the giving up of selfishness for the betterment of the other. Man, am I glad we pushed through that first part. (we always tease that we got all our problems and "issues" out in the first 3 months so we could not have any more after that). 

After 12 years, it's scary how he knows me better then I know myself (like those times he says, "Melissa, go! Go out, get out of the house, you NEED it". I'll fight back and say, "No, I'm fine" and then he knows I'm about to lose it and he kicks me out the door. Then as I'm driving away I sigh and think, "Wow, I needed this.".) And when he's gone working nights (eh-hem, like this week), I miss my best buddy, tag-team partner, confidant and grounding influence. Didn't think I would NEED someone so much to keep me glued together,    happy and complete.

Who knew I was getting ALL OF THAT when I was dating Brooks and my mom asked me:

"Why do you want to marry him?"

and the only thing I answered was, "Because he makes me laugh"

Thankfully, I was right about that one too.

Princess and the Frog......literally

Meet "Army", "Scooter" and "Shorty"

 No silly, not the KIDS but their FROGS!

(Army is the one on the left w/ the army-print)

The other afternoon I was in the kitchen and heard the girls singing "princess" songs.

I didn't think anything of it because....well.......I ALWAYS hear those songs.

But when I went out to tell them it was time to eat, I found this.........

Their princesses, I guess, found their frog princes.

Snow White thinks "Richard" makes a REALLY good dance partner!!!!

(Don't laugh, Aleeya named him that. We have a rule, You-catch-it-you-get-to-name-it)