Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Memorial Day with the VA boys


Yesterday, the H took our boys into D.C. for some Memorial Day observances. They picked up H's cousin John, then went to visit Grandpa's burial site in Arlington National Cemetery. Grandpa was in the Navy for 20 years. He survived the attack at Pearl Harbor and also fought in the Korean War. We are a very proud of his service to our country. At 'N's request, they also stopped by the Marine War Memorial which depicts the conquering of Mount Serabachi in Iwo Jima. Our family is inspired by the men and women who serve our country - past and present. God Bless America, and especially those who serve.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Girl

Today is my oldest child's birthday.  She hit a landmark this morning - turning double digits - the big one-o.   (Which means that I also hit a landmark - one decade of being a Mom!)  How I love this girl!  She is truly a top notch, quality individual, whom I am lucky to have in my life.  She is an honest, respectful, kind, helpful, obedient, hard working, sweet natured, goal oriented girl who is an example of what is right to everyone around her.  I am so fortunate to have been blessed with such a child.  She is growing up - too fast -  but I can't wait to see what great things she will accomplish as this process continues!  
Happy Birthday 'A'!  

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Mother's Day Memories
















With the H out of town the kids did a bang up job of making me feel special today.  A made a sign out of cardboard, hung it up on the glass window and set the table with all of the kids cards and gifts.  By gifts I mean the fabulous things that had been made for me at school, as well as a few items from Target that I gave the kids $$ for purchasing.  
From A: a handmade picture frame embellished with gold jewels holding a picture of her beautiful face and a mini wallet.  
From N: a paper bouquet, a bouquet made out of Hershey kisses, and peppermint foot lotion.  
From Z: A card with removable paper flowers and hot pink nail polish.  

A few notable experts from my cards - 
From Z: (in a fill in the blank card) - My mother is 42 years old (wow, I nearly lost a decade on that one).  My mother's favorite thing to do is clean the dishes(ummmm....right).  I love it when my Mother cooks me meat (and I love to cook it for him).
From N: (fill in the blank chore coupons) This coupon is good for a big hug.  This coupon is good for a good hug.  This coupon is good for a great hug.  (An accurate display of his dislike for work).  
From A: (a poem)
If Mom were in charge of the world,
She'd make everyone obey her, she'd want everyone to be helpful, and she would not want to be "angry mom".
If Mom was in charge of the world,
She'd make everyone complete his or her chore chart, make us help others with everything, and she'd get a bigger kitchen.
She would get free haircuts
OR
Make us not ask for ANYTHING at the store.
If Mom were in charge of the world, her favorite treat would be a vegetable.
And when she calls me ALLISON!
And I get in trouble
She would still be allowed to be
THE GREATEST MOM EVER!!!
In charge of the world.
(When did this child start taking so many notes on my parenting?) 

I had a GREAT day with three GREAT kids!  They are truly fantastic individuals who do their best in everything.  I can't believe how lucky I am to have them!  

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Melodrama and Son

I was shopping the sale rack at Kohl's today, with my 4 year old tag-a-long when my phone rang.  It was one of my best friends so I talked to her for a while.  I did my best to multi-task while balancing a pile of sale items, herding a small boy (who was not thrilled about shopping), and keeping up the phone conversation.  After talking to my friend I dropped my phone, supposedly into my purse, got in line to pay for my purchases, and left the store.  After making sure that the kiddo (who was overly grateful to leave the store) was buckled up, I took off.  Suddenly, I remember that I needed to get some information to one of my sisters.  So I stopped the car before leaving the parking lot and went to grab my phone.  It was gone! Slightly frantic, I hurried back to the store.  And here was my inner thought process:

*A year ago some degenerate smashed my husbands car window to snatch his cell phone which was laying on the console so surely my phone was gone for good!  
*My i-phone is my calendar, my i-pod, my calculator, my grocery lists, my phone numbers...................and it is in a pretty pink case!  
*What a find for the dishonest person who would surely pick it up from the floor.  The JERK!  
*I would probably find the pink case discarded on the floor by the jerk who stole it!
*I would defiantly have to down grade now - since I can not be trusted with such an expensive phone!
*Now for mother's day I will have to get a new phone, instead of something else that I actually could use.....
*I will have to go back to a paper calendar - I HATE paper calendars......
*I can't believe how dishonest some people are!
*I know some people in law enforcement and when I find my pink case, I can maybe get them to finger print it so see if the criminal who swiped my phone is in the system.....

Z was not happy about getting dragged, at a rapid pace, back through the store.  As I re-traced my steps, eyeballing with suspicion every person that walked past me, this was his monologue:

*Your phone is lost now because you are not responsible.  
*If you would be more careful your things will not get lost.
*We will never find the phone and we will be looking all day, and all night.  We will get locked in here and have to sleep in the store.  And I don't know if they have night-lights here but they definitely do not have my blankie.  
*No one will meet N and A after school and they will be scared and we will be stuck in a store.
*We will be stuck in a store for three days!  And we will die if we don't have food or water for three days you know!

And then, after searching in vain for the pink case on the floor, sure that I would never see my beloved phone again, and repeatedly assuring Z that we were not going to starve to death in Kohl's, I went to the customer service desk, as a last ditch effort.  I was sure at that point that my fears had been realized.  Some jerk had stolen my phone. 

And there is was, lying on the back counter, behind the customer service representative, still in it's pink case.  

So, thank you to the honest person who turned my phone into customer service.  Thank you for reminding me that good a decent people are all around us.

And how in the world did my 4 year old pick up the little tidbit about human starvation?

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Just To Even The Score

Before I get too generous with the bestowal of points for Virginia (see previous post) I must take into account a phenomenon that we have never before experienced. ALLERGIES. Everyone in the family is suffering in one way or another, due to record high pollen levels.  It is not unusual for me to find my car coated in a fine but visible layer of pollen when it has been parked outside.  I figure that if we can actually see the air born pollens, what we are breathing must be bad. This is Z (who has been effected the most).  He has a chapped face, gets bloody noses, has swollen/oozing eyes/itchy eyes.......and that is after he has taken Zyrtec for a week. We are off to the doc for a prescription!