Me and My Boys

30 day challenge - day 5

2011-07-08T12:34:00.001-07:00

Day 5 - from a high angle
I took this shot of my kids in their "bag of water" from the window of my bedroom.

30 day challenge - day 4

2011-07-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

Today's challenge is GREEN.

30 day challenge - day 3

2011-07-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

Today's challenge is clouds. I usually do my challenge pictures first thing in the morning. Today's I did at 1:00 in the afternoon. Not the best time to take a picture, but I am pretty happy with this quick shot I got.

Now to you it might just be a pretty cloud with a blue sky. To me it's all about Carolina. See, I am a true blue Carolina girl. I was born and raised here. I have lived in Florida two different times of my life, but Carolina is where I belong.

And knowing that I am a Carolina girl you might be able to guess that I love the Tarheels. My claim to fame is that I graduated from the same high school as Roy Williams. (TC Roberson. Look it up if you don't believe me! LOL) And so when I see this picture all I see is the Tarheel blue sky. It also reminds me of the beautiful state that I am lucky enough to call home.

30 day challenge - day 2

2011-07-05T07:22:00.000-07:00

As I said yesterday, I am doing the 30 day photography challenge. Today is #2 - what I wore today.

My outfit is pretty much the same thing every day in the summer - jean shorts & a tee shirt. I didn't photograph the flip flops. lol

30 day Photography Challenge

2011-07-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

I found this fun 30 day photography challenge on Pinterest. I decided to do it, but just for fun. The only place I am going to post these pictures are here on my blog. You know, the blog with a whopping 7 subscribers. lol

The first challenge was a self portrait. Now I am like every other person and can take a million self portraits with my iPhone. But with my regular camera? Uh, no thanks. But I did it. And here it is...

Alone...

2011-06-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

My husband and 4 boys just walked out the door to see Green Lantern. I am not joking when I say this, but it's the first time I have been alone in my house for almost 8 years. Seriously, the last time I was pregnant with Alex & Austin had just started kindergarten.

Most Mom's would work on their crafts, rent a movie, read a book. Me? I sit here thinking about how much I am going to miss Maddox when he starts pre-k in the fall. I don't down the mom's who need "me time", but I am not one of those mom's. Yes, I am the crazy mom who's world revolves around my kids 24/7. So in a few weeks the question remains... what will I do with my self?

Steppin' it up

2011-06-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

Well that Kristie did it to me again. She pushed me to do C25K, and now it Jillian Michaels 6 weeks to a 6 pack. (6W6P). OMG! I don't know who I hate more, Kristie or Jillian. Seriously, this DVD is no joke. I thought I was in shape. I mean I have been running for 10 weeks now. (YES! 10 weeks!) I run 2.5 miles, and walk .5. I am not a wimp any more.

HA HA HA! I am such a freaking wimp. It's an ab workout so my abs hurt. What I didn't expect was that my butt, neck, legs, back and under my ribs would hurt. Jillian is a lemon. (Do you watch SpongeBob? Every Villain Is Lemmons.) Seriously, the woman is EVIL! But I am doing it. I have done it 2 days in a row. And today I did my run before I did it. So in case you didn't know, yes, I rock! lol

My favorite thing is that Andrew, my 15 yr old, is working out with me. And yes, he thinks Jillian is evil also. I am proud of him for working out. He's NEVER worked out before. I don't think he worked out this hard in pe. And it's super nice having a workout buddy!

Back in the game

2011-06-09T04:28:00.000-07:00

School has been out for 2 weeks now. But what a crazy 2 weeks it has been. Well let me say that Andrew still had school last week. He failed one of his eoc (end of course) exams and had to take remediation classes & re-take the exam. Thankfully he passed the 2nd time. Oy! So we had 3 days of school for Andrew. Grocery shopping. Dentist for Alex (twice!). Allergy shots for Austin. Blood work for Andrew. Ear infection for Maddox (what's new?). Taking Andrew & Austin to see the Hangover 2 (OMG so funny!) Getting new social security cards for Andrew & Austin (theirs were lost a million years ago). Studying for drivers ed. Me finishing up my couch 2 5k program. Library time. Carowinds. All of that and more in 2 weeks. So yes, we have been busy busy busy.

My dieting is still going well. The pounds haven't been coming off like I would have liked, but that is ok. The running has REALLY gotten my legs into shape. Seriously, I think my legs look the best now than they have in years. I have always hated my uper thighs. Now I am really seeing an improvement and able to tolerate them. I might have to say they are becoming my favorite body part. Not because they look amazing or anything, but because I can see so much improvement in them. Now if I could just put the same effort into my abs. Tomorrow is my last day of doing the couch to 5k (c25k) program. Maybe I will get up the nerve to add something more to my routine then.

I honestly can not believe that I am almost done with the c25k program. I have started it a few times but never ever completed it. And to be honest, I would have given up this time if it wasn't for my bestie, Kristie Havyer. She would text me every morning "so, you running today?" And just when I was having feelings of "I don't have to do this. No one will really know if I didn't" I told her to stop asking me. I was a bitch. But in all honesty I am glad she asked. I am glad she held me accountable. If it wasn't for her asking I wouldn't like my thighs. I wouldn't be proud of myself. I would have probably quit my diet. Also, if it wasn't for her being a few days behind me on the program I would have quit. I know that for sure. Because you see, I am a competitive person. And if I fell behind her and let her pass me up then I would have failed. Thankfully she doesn't give a shit that I will finish before her. She does the program better than I do. She is faster & does more miles than I. But for some reason I don't care about that. I just want to be a day or two ahead of her. Don't ask. I can't figure out how my head works either. lol Anyway, back to the point. Thank you Kristie Lee my love! I wouldn't be a "runner" if it wasn't for you! And like I say now, who ever would have thunk you and I would go from drinking McDonald's yummy sweet tea and eating 2 dozen cookies a day, to talking about RUNNING! I love you and couldn't have done it without you. You are a true inspiration to so many people. I really do think you should look into becoming a certified trainer. Love you!

Well this post didn't start out as a love letter to my bestie, but there you have it folks. My intention is to keep this blog updated more. So here's hoping I can & will do it!

2011-03-16T07:08:00.000-07:00

Today is such a better day than yesterday was. So much better in fact that I took down yesterdays blog post. Sorry! lol

This is going to sound so strange, but I think my shoes make the difference in my day. Flylady always says to wear your shoes, laced up & tied, all day. I have started to notice that when I wear my tennis shoes all day I get SO much more done. And when I get SO much done I feel better about myself. I think this might inspire me to through away my nasty looking crocs. Yeah right, I am not that good yet! lol

I just got done doing my workout. I did the best I have done in sometime. I walked for 44 minutes, raising my incline through the whole thing. My calories burned were 575. I was able to get my incline up to 8. (For those that don't know, it goes up to 10.) And then I ran for 6 minutes. That made my distance .5 mile. Some people think half a mile - big deal. Me, I think it's a HUGE deal for an overweight person (how do I know I am overweight? My Wii tells me so!) who hasn't done much activity for the past 25 years. Seriously, I know that sounds crazy, but the last time I was really active on a daily basis was when I was on the swim team in the 8th grade. I honestly would NOT be pushing myself like this if it wasn't for my bestie Kristie Havyer. Words can not express how thankful I am to have her in my life. She's the Grey to my Yang.

I have been doing really good keeping my calories under 12oo a day as well. The sad thing that I really need to work on is 300 of those calories a day are the 100 Nutty Bars from Little Debbie. I need to find better, not prepackaged, snacks. I have been cooking more healthy meals lately. I have made 2 recipes from Hungry Girl. The Crock Pot BBQ Chicken was wonderful. My older kids and husband said that it was better than the other BBQ Chicken I normally make. My younger 2 kids opinions don't count because they don't like anything! lol

Well I should wrap this up. I have TONS of things to do today. For example, I need to go buy stuff for my St. Patrick's day meal tomorrow.

P.S. Speaking of tomorrow. Maddox has his ENT appointment. Please say a prayer that things go well. <3

Inspiration...

2011-03-12T07:24:00.000-08:00

I have fallen back into the slacker blogger world.

But here is the good news - I have been inspired. I have been reading some awesome blogs lately, and they have me inspired. So here is to hoping that I will post more on here. A LOT more!

And another thing that has been inspiring me lately is Pinterest. I have found SO many crafts and ideas for my kids. I seriously suggest you check it out.

Another day...

2011-02-04T07:32:00.000-08:00

another sleeping picture of Maddox. lol

And here is my Alex. He is home sick again from school. He was home Monday & Tuesday, but today he sounds so much worse. After I finish this post we are heading to the doctors.

I love this picture of Alex. He is wearing his dragon hat with the hulk costume. Why? Because they go together - duh! lol Fire Breathing Dragon is Alex's superhero and this is the costume for it.

All caught up

2011-02-03T11:56:00.001-08:00

I think with this post I will be all caught up. :)

The first picture was what I had intended for my picture of the day. It was my sweet Maddox sleeping so perfectly in my bed. I shouldn't admit this - but I love M in my bed. And with him going to pre-k next year I am not sure he will ever leave my bed.

But then I took Macy girl to the vet for her yearly checkup and a good grooming. Holy cow what a difference that made in my sweet girl. She looks SO different. I love it!

Doesn't she look so cute?!?!

The little brothers

2011-02-03T11:50:00.001-08:00

Yesterdays post (sh! We all know it was today lol) was about the jokes my big boys play on their little brothers. Today is all about the love my little boys have for each other.

Alex got a dinosaur book at school. While we were in the car line waiting on Austin to get out of school Alex started reading to Maddox. Maddox was so into every word Alex was saying. It was the sweetest thing ever.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A day behind...

2011-02-03T11:36:00.001-08:00

or two. But who's counting. lol

I am an only child. I never had that brother/sister bond. I never had that brother/sister fighting. I think that's why this picture cracks me up.
Austin got a hold of Andrew's iPod. Not only did he get it, but he changed the background. And if that wasn't enough, Austin put a password on Andrews iPod! ah boys. :-) lol

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:A day late...

2011-01-31T16:15:00.001-08:00

I had a wonderful day out with my family today. Mike stayed home from work & the 3 older boys stayed home from school. We went to Winston Salem and enjoyed our family time. Andrew, the oldest, got a cell phone today. He loves it. He kept thanking us all day. Mike got a new cell phone too. Then we went to the mall & the "littles" got a lot of new clothes. Seriously, Crazy 8 is my new fav! And just so you know Austin wasn't left out he got a video game.

Here is a picture of my crazy mad-man at Chili's. A funny little story is the host looks just like Artie from Glee. Maddox was so excited that he was working today. I said something to our waitress and she said the host is a huge Glee fan. Hopefully he didn't mind my little 4 year old staring at him. lol

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

2011-01-30T14:55:00.001-08:00

I got a pink case for my iPad thinking it would keep the 4 boys in my house off of it. Obviously I was wrong. And now that I think about it I am wondering why the 4 boys never ask to use their dads iPad. Hmmmm....
But on this particular Sunday I really didn't mind sharing with my Alex. My poor guy has a pretty yucky cold. So if my iPad brings him some happiness then it's all worth it.

And please ignore this picture. I was totally not in the mood to pull out my dslr. But I did and still ended up with a crappy picture. lol

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Date morning???

2011-01-29T11:07:00.001-08:00

This morning I had a date with my favorite 7 year old. I had a really bad week because of something that happened at his school. So this date was just what I needed. All we did was go to Wal-Mart to get a toy & doughnuts. It's simple, but so loved. :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Good citizen

2011-01-29T11:00:00.001-08:00

Austin is a member of the BETA club in his middle school. Yesterday was their first service project, a blood drive. So being the good mom that I am I went to donate. The big thing is it was my first time. I was pretty nervous, but it wasn't bad at all. Honestly, there were only 3 parts I didn't care for. 1. They COLD room. 2. The long wait (but that's a good thing because they had a good turn out) 3. The finger prick. That hurt worse than the big blood draw.

I'm glad that I went yesterday. I'm sure it won't be my last time.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

B.E.E. book

2011-01-27T14:51:00.001-08:00

Today's blog is all about Alex's B.E.E. book.
B.E.E. book stands for Bring Everything Everyday. The pictures are pretty self explanatory. lol

Alex with his book

The inside of his book. On the left is quick notes sent home from the teacher & his math and spelling fact books. On the right is just a letter explaining the B.E.E. book.

On the left side is a pencil case. It contains a little notebook & pencil for notes to the teacher. It's also the place to put any money or payments. On the right is Alex's behavior chart. (Always smiles:))

Turn the behavior chart and you can see the back of the behavior chart and a place for homework.

Here is a close-up of the behavior chart.

The next section is where work that I get to keep comes home on Friday's. Then on the right is the divider for the monthly newsletter.

Up-close view of the news letter.

Next is the divider for spelling words.

This week's words. New words come home every Friday.

And last is the divider for the reading log.

And here is the up close picture of Alex's reading log.

Reading time

2011-01-26T14:53:00.000-08:00

Today the kids got out of school at 10:30 because of snow & sleet. I honestly didn't mind. I have had a really bad week and I needed my kids at home. I think it did the trick because I am in a bit of a better mood. Well to be honest I think it was a combination of having my boys here and talking to my bff. She always makes my day better. :-)

Anyway... on to the picture. Every day Alex brings home a book to read. He has become quite the reader and I am SO proud of him. This one was called To New York. As you can kind of see in the picture little brother Maddox was standing near by listening to Alex read away.

Dentist

2011-01-25T13:40:00.001-08:00

Maddox had his first visit to the dentist today. I was pretty nervous that he wouldn't be good, but he did o.k. That's right o.k., not great. lol I had a very hard time getting him to let the assistant brush his teeth. The funny part was Maddox was more scared of the big light than anything.

A little before school lovin'

2011-01-24T08:12:00.000-08:00

A few pictures of my loves this morning before school. Alex was on the iPod watching Hulk videos. Austin won't leave his blankets side until the second before we walk out the door. And check out M in his PJ's. He doesn't get dressed until after we take his big brothers to school.

And where is Andrew - the all knowing teen - in these pictures? He was still in bed sleeping. High schoolers who passed their exams didn't have school today. That's right. My all knowing teen passed his math exam. Not only did he pass, but he got the highest grade in the class! To say I am proud is an understatement!

My Austin

2011-01-23T13:57:00.000-08:00

Words cannot describe my Austin. He is my 2nd son, and my right hand man. I sometimes feel like I put too much pressure on him, but honestly, the help that he gives me is his own doing. I seriously do not know how I would make it through the day without him. I jokingly refer to Austin as my second husband. He tucks his little brothers into bed at night. He helps Alex with his homework. He reminds me of things I have forgotten. He is the one that I go to when I need help thinking of what to get everyone for Christmas.

Thank you Austin for all you do for me. I am not sure if I say it enough, but I couldn't do it without you. You ROCK!

Love,
Mom

PS - Ignore the walls. They are going to be painted this spring! lol

Thanks Mike

2011-01-22T15:51:00.000-08:00

My wonderful husband, Mike, took our family out to dinner tonight. We live in a small town, but Mike took us to Chili's in Winston. It's about an hours drive. It was the best time we have all had together in forever. We got to see everything Austin keeps in his jacket (a dictionary is just one item), Andrew & I got in trouble for kicking each other under the table, Maddox & Alex were just their normal adorable selves. I was the luckiest woman to be there with 5 amazing men. :-)

Come back soon to see pictures. I'm doing this from my phone on my way back home. lol

You hurt my feelings!

2011-01-21T08:09:00.000-08:00

Look at my poor pitiful baby boy.
Isn't he just sad looking. Want to know why? It's because I yelled at him. That's right. Me, the meanest mom in the world, yelled at this poor baby. Why? Because I needed to clip his fingernails and he wouldn't sit still. So when I was done cutting his nails he started crying that I hurt his feelings. I bet you will never guess in a million years what I did next. I laughed my ass off. That's right. Meanest mom ever!

PS - See the dirty face? I wonder what will happen when I wash that! LOL

The All Knowing Teen

2011-01-20T10:47:00.000-08:00

This shaggy headed boys is my teenage son. (And before you ask, I am sure with that hair he IS a boy and no, I am not old enough to have a teenager.) He is 15 and thinks he knows everything and I know nothing. Here are a few things I have learned from this teen who was such a sweet easy going baby. And now, well, not so much.

~I know nothing. And if I question the all knowing teen I am an idiot. Not that he's ever called me an idiot, but he has given me the look. Now that I think about it I get that look a lot. :-\
~All knowing teenager should be allowed to be on the computer from sun up till sun up the next day.
~All knowing teenager has parents who are loaded with money. So loaded that he doesn't have to ask for it. He can DEMAND it. Yeah, I wish those parents would come back and claim teenager from his poor parents. ;-)
~ All knowing teenager can goof off during school all year, but pass his final exam so he can pass the class for the year. All knowing teenager doesn't worry about passing classes & exams, but his mom is going to have a heart attack worrying about it.
~All knowing teenager doesn't remember ANYTHING. Deodorant, homework (see above), to make his bed, tutoring, directions, etc.
~All knowing teenager is my life. I would do anything for him. He is my first born. He is the reason I wanted to have a million children. (His teen years are also the reason I stopped at 4) I love him more than life its self. And all I want is for his health, safety, and happiness.

I love you my all knowing teenager.

Speech Therapy

2011-01-19T13:59:00.000-08:00

Today I took my baby boy in for his last day of testing to see if he qualifies for speech therapy. I was told that he does and the next step is a lot of paper work. He will start reciving services next month, and then have the summer off. When school starts back he will then have the services during pre-k.

This picture is in the waiting room of the school board offices. That is where Maddox is seen until school starts.

One happy sweet boy!

2011-01-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

Today my older 3 kids got to go back to school after over a week off because of ice. The thing about today was they had a 3 hour delay (it snowed last night) and they are adding an hour to the end of the day. I am NOT happy with that. Alex won't get out of school until 4 pm, and Andrew & Austin won't get out until 4:30 pm.

Here is a picture of my sweet little Maddox from this morning. We had to take Mike to work and Maddox fell a sleep on the chair as soon we got back home. :-)

These pictures are from the kids new video game Little Big Planet 2. Obsessed is an understatement when it comes to my kids & the first version. Today the 2nd version game out and they are beyond excited to play it. The benefit of being the "baby" and still at home with Mommy is you get to test all of the games out before the brothers get home!

Maddox playing with the sackboy stuffed animal that came with it.

Back in the saddle again...

2011-01-17T14:02:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so maybe I have an addiction. Maybe this addiction consist of creating new blogs at the begining of every year. Or maybe this addiction consist of copying whatever my bff does. I don't know what this addiction is about, but here is the start of yet ANOTHER blog.

Today my baby (7 year olds are still baby's right?) got a much needed haircut. You might not think it's a big deal, but YOU didn't see the before pictures. lol

Happy Fall!

2010-09-29T07:36:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day I can feel fall, and I LOVE IT!
Fall means cool days & crisp nights. It also means that Thanksgiving & Christmas are right around the corner.

A wonderful maternity shoot

2010-09-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

I did a wonderful maternity shoot with Kim & Heath. They are the sweetest, funniest couple. They are going to be wonderful parents to little baby Van.

Playing with Photoshop

2010-08-20T08:58:00.001-07:00

When I was editing this picture of Alex I decided to play around a little more than usual in Photoshop. I think it came out kind of cute. What do you think?

20 questions

2010-08-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

I totally stole this off of http://theohanamama.com/ It comes at a perfect time. I was using my blog pretty much for pictures only, but I think I want to add a little more about me. Here is the perfect way to start.

20 Questions…This or that

1. Morning or night person? Morning. I have to get up most mornings by 5:45 to take my husband to work. We only have 1 car, so I drop him off and he catches a shuttle bus to his work 1.5 hours away. By the time I get home I am pretty awake and get things going around the house.

2. Lefty or righty? righty

3. Bikini or one piece? This MUST be a joke, right?! I have 4 kids - one piece

4. Beach or Mountain? Well since the mountains are right out my front door I will pick beach

5. Lipstick or lip gloss? Neither - but I do love my Burt's Bee's Chapstick.

6. Real Housewives of Orange County or New York? I have watched the New York show, but I just can't really seem to get into it.

7. Sweet or salty? Both! Seriously, I love them together. Yum!

8. Disneyland or Disney World? I have been to Disney World what seems like a million times. I would love to visit Disneyland at some point and time though. I love Disney.

9. Cat or Dog? If you have seen my blog before you know about my dog - Macy. We did have a cat when Alex was little, but after he scratched him in the face that was the end of that.

10. Justin Beiber or Justin Timberlake? Look at that - another trick question. Justin Timberlake of course. I mean he did bring sexy back after all!

11. Lady Gaga or Madonna? I love, love, love old school Madonna. Dress you up is my favorite song of hers by far. I do listen to Lady Gaga, but nothing beats Madonna's 80's hits.

12. Minivan or SUV? Minivan

13. People Magazine or Newsweek? People - yes, I love my celebrity gossip. But so you don't think I am that shallow I will let you know that I love watching CNN as well.

14. Red or white wine? Neither. I am so not a wine drinker

15. Coke or Pepsi? Again - neither. If it's soda I drink Sunkist, but 99% of the time I am drinking sweet tea.

16. Mac or PC? PC. My husband and I go back and forth all of the time about getting a Mac, but for now it's PC. But I have given Steve Jobs tons of money with all the iPod's and iPhones we have in the house. LOL

17. Blog or vlog? Blog. I can't even imagine letting you all see video of me. LOL

18. Blogher or Type-A? Well I have only heard of Blogher, so that answers that. LOL

19. Blogger or Wordpress? Blogger. I had Wordpress before, but I feel more comfortable with Blogger.

20. Facebook or Twitter? Facebook. I am starting to get more into Twitter lately though. It is where I get all of my Glee info. LOL

My creative little man!

2010-07-23T14:19:00.001-07:00

This is what my little 6 (almost 7 year old) does almost all day long. He loves to color more than anything in the world.

Just a quick one

2010-07-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, I just posted this same image on FB. But I wanted to add it here as well so I can copy it to my iPod. I am going to try to edit the rest of the pictures later on today. I am AWFUL at editing. LOL

My new little friend :0)

2010-07-14T05:18:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, but even though I live in the country we don't see many bunny's or squirrels at our house. It might be because we had cats - 6 years ago. Or maybe, just maybe, the 4 BOYS that I have scare them away. LOL
Anyway, for 2 days this week I have seen this little bunny in our front yard. Today when I took Macy out for her walk there was Miss (or Mr???) Bunny. She stayed in the yard the whole time Macy and I were out there. I figured as soon as I went back in to get my camera she would take off. But nope, she was still out there. She stayed sitting there cleaning herself for about 5 minutes while I took pictures before she finally ran off. I hope that she decides to come back soon.

Here I have included a picture of the view from my front door. It is so beautiful out this morning. This picture doesn't even do it justice. Who would have known we had tornado's here less than 12 hours before this picture was taken?!?!

Just a couple

2010-07-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

Today I took my boys to the creek for a picnic and some play time. I just love having them home for summer vacation! Here are a couple of pictures I got of my little ones.

Those Summer Nights...

2010-06-22T05:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am a BIG Grease fan. LOL

Anyway... what do you do on hot summer nights? Why have popsicles of course! Maddox had been begging for popsicles "without a stick". LOL

One tired pup

2010-06-02T06:39:00.000-07:00

I can not believe that I am posting this picture on here for the world to see.
We just got back from a walk and Macy was WORN out. I had to document it. This is the first time I think I have ever seen Macy without energy. So I grabbed my camera and used it on FULL auto. That means flash and all. And then there is my dirty kitchen floor. We won't even go there!

Oh, and I won't even try to explain why I haven't blogged since I said I would. Why? Because we all know it's just a bunch of excuses and I am a lazy blogger! LOL

On the farm...

2010-05-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

Today Alex's kindergarten class went to the farm on a field trip. I will post more pictures later, but I have a 3 year old in the middle of a melt down right now. :(

So here is a quick little (well, not really little) chicken.

It's finally here!

2010-05-13T06:01:00.000-07:00

My family moved to this town 8 years ago. When we first moved here every time we saw something being built I would say "I wonder what that's going to be. Maybe it will be a Chick-Fil-A."

7 years ago we moved into the house we currently live in. We have a big hay (not hey) field next to our house. The boys and I would fantisize about a Chick-Fil-A being built in that field. Our obsession got so bad that we (you know what we really means right? It means I) emailed Chick-Fil-A a list of reasons they should come to our county.

And now today our dreams have come true! No more driving 1 hour for Chick-Fil-A. We have one in our very own town.

This picture was taken with my phone if you can't tell. LOL

It's the simple things...

2010-05-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

like a brand new bottle of dish soap to brighten up a SAHM's day.
What do you think Kristie?

D is for Duck

2010-04-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

So blogging isn't the only thing I have been slack with. We have kind of backed off of our letter of the week letters.

Today Maddox & I made D - Duck. I think it's one of the cutest ones yet! And I have noticed that Maddox is getting so much better with his fine motor skills. Love that!

Again, this idea came from No Time For Flash Cards.

Then after we made our duck we did some Do-A-Dot D's. I got the worksheet from Confessions of a Homeschooler. She also some some wonderful ideas and letter crafts.

My not-so-little peanut

2010-04-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I said I was going to post more. Guess I lied. LOL
Things around here have gotten quite hectic. Today has by far been one of the worst, and I am only home with 1 child. So I decided to give myself a time-out and play with some pictures I took this morning. :0)
Hopefully I will get back into the swing of blogging soon!

Here is my guy drinking out of his "big boy cup". This is a big deal in our house. Alex was totally addicted to his sippy cup. In fact, he had it until he was over 5 years old. Maddox loves his big boy cup and everything about being a big boy. Mom on the other hand isn't so thrilled about the sometimes accidents she gets to clean, or that her baby insist on growing so fast.

Haircut

2010-04-07T15:44:00.001-07:00

Hello blog world! I didn't realize how much I missed blogging until Easter day. That is the day I realized all of the pictures I have missed because I have been lazy and not blogging. So I am back. My little boys got their summer haircuts today. Alex wanted his, Maddox needed his. His hair is so thick and gets so nasty in the summer. I love how they turned out. Alex's fits him so well, and Maddox makes him look so much younger.

Then I decided to play around and take some pictures of my drink. I got this great Frappe maker. I think these drinks are what's going to save me during the summer. Anyway, I was taking pictures of my drink some little thief came up and STOLE my drink.

Marshmallow Easter Egg

2010-03-31T10:52:00.000-07:00

Yep, another idea from No Time for Flash Cards. :0)

Maddox & I made an Easter Egg out of marshmallow's this morning.

It's official...

2010-03-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

I am one of THOSE mom's!

Alex needed to make an Easter basket for kindergarten out of a milk jug, and I was determined that it was going to be the best one ever! I googled how to make one, asked my mom what to do, I even went to bed thinking about this. Finally it dawned on me, ask my talented facebook friends what I should do. Thankfully my friend Jen posted a link to a basket that seemed doable. After gathering my supplies I sat in my kitchen for 2 hours, while Alex was in school, making the perfect Easter bunny milk jug basket. Never mind that this was a project for my 6 year old son. I told you - I am now one of THOSE mom's!

PS - If you are reading this and know my son's teacher PLEASE don't tell her that he didn't help at all in the making of his basket. Thanks!

Shave and a hair cut

2010-03-29T13:51:00.000-07:00

Well sort of. LOL

Today Macy went to the groomer. Doesn't she look adorable with her little bandanna?!?!

Easter Bunny

2010-03-28T14:01:00.000-07:00

I took the past couple of blogging days off, but I am back now. :0)

Friday I took 3 of the 4 boys to Winston. (Andrew is in major school trouble and wasn't allowed to come on the fun trip.) I totally forgot that the Easter Bunny was going to be there. I had high hopes that Maddox would sit on his lap since he sat on Santa's this past year, but he was terrified of him. That is OK though. Alex loved him and even ran back to give him a hug when we were done.

It's the strangest thing

2010-03-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

My beloved BFF Kristie Havyer and I have the strangest thing that happens to us at least once a week. When we talk about something it comes true. Don't believe us, that's fine, but it's true. For example one day we were on the phone (shock!) and I went to check the mail. She said be careful it might be a letter from Andrew's school saying that he did something bad. I told her she was crazy that there wouldn't be a letter like that until report card time. To my suprise there was a letter from Andrew's school saying he is at risk for failing. Or there are the 5 million times she has asked if I was on my period (hmmm... maybe I need to be nicer to her!) and I end up starting it that day.
Well today we were talking about things we have to do. And we she was saying that her Dad has a saying about all you have to do is die and pay bills. I said my Dad has a saying like that, but it's die and pay taxes. Later I went to pick dinner up and this was on the church sign down the street from my house.

I am totally freaked out now!

Austin

2010-03-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

This "little" boy of mine has the weight of the world on his shoulders. I wish he could just settle his mind down and enjoy being a kid.

Macy

2010-03-23T08:27:00.001-07:00

Letter C

2010-03-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

Today Maddox made a Caterpillar C. Once again this idea came from No Time for Flash Cards. Can you tell how much I love that blog? I didn't make our C the exact same as she did, but you get the point.

First, Maddox used Do-a-Dot Art on a letter C. This was his first time using Do-a-Dot Art and he loved it! I can't wait to get him more colors.

Then he added sequins and a googly eye to the C.

And here is the finished C!

Our Sunday Tradition

2010-03-21T13:48:00.001-07:00

First of all, don't judge my blog today. It's a rainy yucky day here in North Carolina. This was the best I could do! Our Sunday tradition is NASCAR. Yes, I admit it, we are rednecks. But that is OK, because we aren't white trash rednecks. LOL Every Sunday our TV turns to NASCAR at 10:00 am, and stays there until about 6:00 pm. There was a big health care vote today in Washington DC. But don't ask our family what the outcome was. Unless Fox or Speed break in for it we are totally lost about the "real world". LOL

Happy Spring!

2010-03-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

Nothing like "flowers" picked from your favorite 6 year old!

A day late...

2010-03-20T07:07:00.001-07:00

I am a day late on my blog, but at least I am here.

Yesterday I brought up our play kitchen from the basement. As you can see Maddox had a blast with all of the food. He even told me "Mommy, you made me so happy today."

Terrific Kid

2010-03-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

Today was Alex's terrific kid award ceremony. Mike & I were such proud parents. Each teacher wrote down why they chose the student they did. Alex's teacher said "Alex is a very bright little boy, who is eager to learn new things. He listens and follows directions very well. Alex always respects his teachers and classmates. His charming personality and joyful demeanor make him well-liked by his classmates. This is why I chose Alex to be a Terrific Kid."

And let me add to this - taking pictures in the school cafeteria stinks!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

I will be honest. Maddox only wore this shirt for the picture. Why you ask? Because Batman wasn't on it. Boys LOL!

Chicken Soup for the Soul: NASCAR

2010-03-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

You can enter to win Chicken Soup for the Soul: NASCAR at http://www.myorganizedchaos.net

My grandnut

2010-03-16T15:11:00.001-07:00

Meet my grandnut, Kirk. Austin game home with him from his 6th grade health class today. Isn't he just the cutest?!?!

And please excuse my pictures. Mike is on my PC that has photoshop on it.

Shamrocks

2010-03-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

Today Mr. Maddox & I made shamrocks out of his hand prints. Of course it was another idea from No Time for Flashcards.

Painting his hand prints with a roller brush.

Just being cute!
Painting gold glitter paint on the hands. The finished product!

Yummy!

2010-03-14T14:46:00.001-07:00

After being together for 15 years I am thinking my husband might love me. He came home this morning with a dozen doughnuts and a Mr Coffee Cafe Frappe maker. My favorite coffee shop isn't open on Sunday's, so now I can make my own drinks.

:(

2010-03-13T16:10:00.000-08:00

I woke up with a headache today. I have been blessed enough to keep this headache all day long. So todays blog is about me not blogging.

Ringo

2010-03-12T11:21:00.001-08:00

I honestly can't believe how imaginative Alex (6 years old) is. I have been told by others that are not related to me that he's the most imaginative child they have ever met. This just proves that it isn't just a Mommy thing!

Alex's latest obsession is the Beatles. Yep, those guys, John, Paul, George & Ringo. He wakes up talking about the Beatles, and goes to sleep talking about the Beatles. Every morning when the teachers at school get him out of the car they ask him which Beatle he is. He knows who sings what song. He knows who plays which instrument. He knows what kind of drums, guitars, and bass are used. He watches video's non stop on YouTube of the Beatles. He has given us all Beatle names. (I am Linda McCartney for those dying to know!)

The problem with this obsession is his big brothers don't always want to be a Beatle. So what do you do when they are trying to crush your dreams? Well you get creative and make a Beatle of your own. So here for your viewing pleasure is Ringo (aka Spongebob Pinata). I think my favorite part might be the big nose he taped on his face. LOL

Where has all of the time gone?

2010-03-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday it dawned on me that next school year Andrew will be a freshman in high school. I guess my brain always knew that he was going to high school, but my heart just caught on. Oh my goodness! Wasn't it just last month that I was pregnant with him? Wasn't it just last week when he was playing with dinosaurs? Wasn't it just yesterday that he started kindergarten? Everyone always said that time with your children goes by so fast. I never believed them. That is until now. Seriously Moms, cherish this time with your kids. I know how many times I have wished my kids would sleep all night in their own beds, or learn how to tie their own shoes. In reality, it's only a few years out of a life time that they will truly NEED their Mommy.

I love you Andrew!

2 days old

4 months old
5 months old

1 year old

14 years 6 months

Letter B

2010-03-10T09:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Maddox made a letter B bumble bee. He loved, loved, loved the painting.

And the finished product...

Jumping on the band wagon

2010-03-09T15:17:00.001-08:00

When I was a kid it was Cabbage Patch Kids. When I had Andrew it was Tickle Me Elmo. Now a days it's Zhu Zhu Pets. Alex & Maddox got their first Zhu Zhu's over the weekend. And to be honest, I think I like them more than they do. LOL

Haircut

2010-03-08T07:03:00.001-08:00

First, let me say, I have done this blog for 8 days in a row! A new record for me. LOL

My littlest man, Maddox, got a haircut over the weekend. He is awful with haircuts. So awful in fact that no one in town will cut his hair. So that leaves all of the fun to me, Mom.

And along with the haircut his new fear is shampoo. Not that it will get in his eyes or anything. See, he and his brother use watermelon shampoo and it's the color red. So my little Ringo wanna be is afraid that the shampoo is going to give him red hair, and not brown like Ringo's. LOL

The Beatles

2010-03-07T14:49:00.001-08:00

My two youngest boys, Alex & Maddox, are obsessed with the Beatles. Well, to be honest, Alex is obsessed. Maddox just loves whatever his big brother loves. :0)

The two of them listen to nothing but the Beatles.They each have their own Beatles shirts. Every picture that they draw is of the Beatles. Of course we have Beatles Rock Band. They even make Beatles mask for themselves to wear. And in the picture below they are watching old school Beatles cartoons on youtube.

Teens and pre-teens

2010-03-06T07:17:00.000-08:00

I love my older children. Honestly, I do. But you won't see many pictures of them on this blog. Why? Well see if you can figure it out.

And for all of my work this is the best picture I could get.

Now do you understand why you won't see much of them? LOL

Me and My Shadow

2010-03-05T06:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was one of those typical Mommy days. You know, the kind of day where your sweet adorable child won't leave your side. The kind of day where you need to get 5 million things done, but you have a 35 lb weight on your hip. Around the time where Maddox was was saying "I need you" for the 12 billionth time I realized that this is my job and I need to embrace it instead of getting letting it get on my nerves.

Snow day

2010-03-04T10:11:00.000-08:00

The weather man kept calling for "a trace of snow". Yeah, um, that trace ended up being about 3 inches. It was just enough to get the kids out of school early, and keep them home the next day.

My back yard

Macy watching me take pictures.
She is sitting in the door way of my house here.

Sick day

2010-03-03T07:37:00.001-08:00

Monday when I got home from taking Austin for his weekly allergy shots I noticed Maddox was warm. (He stayed home with Daddy) I took his temp and it was 100.7. By midnight it was up to 104. He was really out of it and more clingy than usual. Thankfully by morning the fever was gone, but my little Maddox still wasn't himself. So he got to have a sick day. It started out with watching UP. That lasted until he saw that preview for Toy Story 3. Then the Toy Story DVD went it. And of course you can't watch Toy Story without your very own Woody & Buzz. What did we watch next you ask? None other than A Hard Day's Night by the Beatles. Alex & Maddox are HUGE Beatles fans. And last, but not least, we had Horton Hears a Who. And by the time all of the movie watching & relaxing was done Maddox was 100% back to normal!

Hookie

2010-03-02T06:25:00.000-08:00

I am the worst Mom when it comes to letting my kids play hookie. It's a lot worse with Alex since he's only in kindergarten. So Alex got to stay home yesterday. OK, since I am being honest, he was home Friday too.

Here is a picture of my little cuties doing some school work. Maddox is working on the letter B and the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? So he colored a picture of a brown bear. Alex made a lower case "bubble" b and colored it to look like a bear.

But the highlight of my kids day? A new box of crayons! The best thing to them about this box? The crayon sharpener on the back. Oh to be 6 and 3 again!

Rub-a-dub-dub

2010-03-01T07:06:00.000-08:00

One cuttie pie in the tub!

Old School

2010-02-28T12:10:00.000-08:00

I don't have very many pictures from when I was a child, so I was beyond thrilled when my half sister scanned some for me. Here I am at about 4 years old I think. I made a cute little Halloween witch didn't I?!?! ;-)

Teen's

2010-02-27T06:10:00.000-08:00

Andrew is my first born. He is 14 and showing me just what the Mom of a teen has to live through. Don't get me wrong, he's not into drugs and armed robbery, but he is going through a pretty difficult time. About 10 seconds after this picture was taken Andrew started crying. Hopefully this won't last very long.

A if for...

2010-02-26T06:06:00.000-08:00

ALLIGATOR!!!

The funny thing? Mom (that would be me!) is deathly afraid of alligators. But this alligator is one that I adore! My little Mad-man made it yesterday for school. I got the idea from No Time for Flashcards. A wonderful blog that I will be getting many more craft ideas from!

Cheeseburgers in Paradise

2010-02-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

OK, don't judge me, but I am not the worlds best cook. Honestly, I am afraid to cook. I hate to try new things and have them not work out. I hate to try new foods and my kids hate them (and with 4 kids that happens about 99% of the time).

So yesterday I decided to try something new. I made Bacon Cheeseburgers. I have never made hamburgers before in my life, so when I saw this recipe on Kevin and Amanda's Blog I decided to give it a try.

I am happy to report that ALL of my kids liked it. Even my 6 year old Alex liked it. He has never ever liked hamburgers before.

Austin

2010-02-24T08:24:00.001-08:00

My not-so-little-anymore man Austin stayed home sick yesterday. He had the combination of a cold and reaction to his allergy shots.

(Home) Preschool Time

2010-02-23T06:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Maddox's first day of "offical" home preschool. We just practiced on lines. I plan on doing more and more with him as we get going. Just like I did with his big brothers!

Macy girl

2010-02-22T07:04:00.003-08:00

Remember in the 10 things about me post I said I have an adorable little puppy. Well here she is!

Macy has been in our family for about 1 1/2 months now. I couldn't be happier! She is a Yorkie Poo. She is 6 months old, so still has quite a bit of puppy in her. My kids have never really had a dog before, so they really don't know what to think when she jumps or nips at them. That is the only hard part.

2010-02-21T11:54:00.000-08:00

How many blogs can one person have??? I am working on at least 10 million. ;-)

Hi, I am Ashley! Here are 10 facts about me.
1. I am married to my best friend. we have been together for 15 years.
2. I am a SAHM of the 4 best boys in the world. They are 14, 11, 6, and 3.
3. While I didn't have "typical" infertility it did take me 5 years and 1 loss to get pregnant with our 3rd son.
4. I have the CUTEST puppy on earth. Her name is Macy & she is a Yorkie Poo.
5. I love, love, love my camera.
6. My mom is really my step-mom. She is the best mom I could ever ask for and she is the true meaning of mom.
7. My husband and I met by being set up on a blind date.
8. I am an 80's junkie. I love the VH1 series "I love the 80's" and all kinds of hairbands.
9. My older 3 boys initials go in alphabetical order - ALH, AMH, and ANH. The 4th is MDH. LOL
10. I am a geek. :-)