Stupid Girl

I walked into the uniform store to pick up the baseball team's uniforms. I was suddenly in a different world. Normally at 3pm on a weekday you see mostly women in a retail store, but not at the uniform store. I wasn't only a minority; I was the ONLY woman in the place. I walked up to the counter and asked the manager for the Devil Rays uniforms. That got every guy in the place's attention; "It's just the 'Rays'" they said in unison. Okay, I knew that, but that is not what our roster says. So, I got the shirts and hats and started to look at pants. One guy offered that I should get gray pants because it would look better with the green shirt. That may be, but you can bleach white pants and we are talking 5 and 6 year olds! But, since this guy was such a baseball fashion expert I asked about what color belt and socks we should get. He said, "Green of course, you always match your shirt and hat". But, my hat was blue. When I told my fashion consultant of the discrepancy he told me that probably wasn't right. I looked closer at my hat and declared to the store full of men that already thought I was a stupid girl "I must have the wrong hats, our shirts are green, the hats are blue, we are the RAYS and the hat says 'TB'...that doesn't make sense." Again, in unison I was corrected, "TB stands for Tampa Bay, you're fine". "Okay, I need to go now."

BMWs Are Best

Overheard in the car today...

Ben: Look, BMW!
Jack: That isn't a BMW, it's a Honda.
Ben: Why?
Jack: I guess not everyone likes BMWs.
Ben: Why?
Jack: I don't know, BMWs are the best!

Do you think Travis has brainwashed my boys?

Summer School Survey

So I got word today from our local school district that Ben and Lauren can go to summer school as long as they are potty trained. The only problem, they aren't potty trained yet. But, summer school is three months away. Surely, I will have them trained by then, right? I really think they would enjoy it and all three kids would go from 9am to 2pm...Can you say mini-vacation for mommy? I am struggling with whether I should sign them up or not...

Tummy Time

Lauren: What's this?
Me: Mommy's eye.
Lauren: What's this?
Me: Mommy's nose.
Lauren: What's this?
Me: Mommy's tummy.
Lauren: You have a big tummy.
Me: Thanks a lot.
Lauren: I have a little tummy.
Me: Yep.
Lauren: Grandpa has the biggest tummy.

From Superwoman To Spiderman

Jack: Mom, was it the real Spiderman at my birthday party.
Me: Of course.
Jack: But, the Spiderman at my party was wearing blue socks and the real Spiderman wears red socks in the movies.
Me: I bet he has different color socks, just like you.
Jack: Oh, I bet you are right; I am going to tell Jayden he was wrong.
Me: Did Jayden say he wasn't real?
Jack: Yep, but I knew he was real because I saw his wedding ring because he is married to Mary Jane.

I Am Not Superwoman

I started off the morning calling a friend whose mother died two weeks ago. I am a crappy friend and haven't talked to her since I saw her at her mother's visitation. It isn't that I haven't been thinking of her, I just don't know what to say. I would be totally devastated if my mother had died so early. I am sure I was totally lame, but at least I let her know I was thinking of her. Then I got a call from a friend that is experiencing symptoms that seem to point towards MS. She is going through all of the fears and negative thoughts I did 7 years ago. I feel so terrible for her because I understand her pain. I feel like I was a much better friend to her because I have been there. I just can't imagine losing my mom, so I am having trouble knowing what to say to my other friend. Talking to my friend who is going through her medical tests reminded me of what I wanted to do with my life before we had kids. You see, I didn't think I was a stay-at-home mom; I thought I was a working mom until I actually had Jack. When I was diagnosed with MS, I had an appointment with a really crappy neurologist who had no regard for my feelings. My friend had a similar experience today. When I found my nurse practitioner I thought that was the career for me. She was the "personal" side of medicine. I loved talking to my friend this afternoon, not because she is going through this pain, but because I think I helped. I told Travis about my renewed desire to become a nurse practitioner. Travis wasn't exactly supportive and told me I was too old. By the time I get through school I will never make the money we would spend on school back. Not easy to hear, but probably true. Travis did suggest that I explore volunteering at the MS Society in the public speaking or counseling aspect. I think I will do that! Shortly after I got off the phone with that friend I got an email from another friend who was 11 weeks pregnant with twins. She went to the doctor today and both babies are dead. The doctor couldn't find either heartbeat. She will have to wait for the babies to pass and if they don't she will have to have a D&C. She is devastated. Again, I felt like I could relate to this loss so I called her and spent quite a long time on the phone with her.

After all of my phone calls I decided I still needed to be productive. I cleaned the kids' rooms, picked up downstairs, did a little work on our rental property venture, picked up Jack from school, went to the cleaners, the bank, the post office and topped it all off with a trip to Walmart. I was hurrying in attempts to make it to my gym class on time. All the while I was thinking about my friends. As I was leaving Walmart, I was feeling pretty good about myself. I had done my best to be a good friend, gotten most of my chores done, taken care of the kids...I was superwoman. Then, I realized I didn't have my car keys. I spent several minutes rummaging around in my completely unorganized purse with no luck. All the while Jack was nagging the hell out of me. "What are you doing mommy?" "What are we waiting for?" "What are you looking for?" "Did you loose your keys?" "How are we going to get home?" "Are we going to be late for the gym?" "Do you need to call daddy?" "How about we call Ms. Trisha?" Meanwhile, Ben and Lauren are running amuck and my milk is becoming lukewarm in the 80-degree heat. I walked to the car dreading that I had locked my keys in the car. Great news! The keys were in the car, it wasn't locked and nobody stole my car! I loaded our groceries, loaded the kids and drove home with a renewed superwoman feeling. When we arrived home, I opened the garage door to realize that one of the children had left the door from the house to the garage wide open and I hadn't noticed. That settles it I am not superwoman. I can't do it all. I did however manage to get dinner ready for the oven and get to my gym class in time. I am not so bad after all!

Bi-Polar Benny

Can babies be bi-polar? I love this kid with all my heart, but that doesn't help me to understand him. One minute he is skipping through the house chanting "happy, happy, happy". In attempts to get a piece of the happiness I asked "Are you happy?” His response? "NO!" One minute I know he loves me with all of his heart as he is running toward me with open arms. The next minute he is ignoring me, he won't even look me when I talk to him. He is the best kid if things are going his way. He is so charming, lovable and cuddly. If things aren't going his way he is prickly, stubborn and demanding. I feel for him. When his behavior gets out of control I put him on the steps for a time out. He will sit there and kick, cry and scream. Eventually he will get a hold of himself and calmly come to me to say, "I am done crying now." I know he doesn't like to act that way. Does he need a baby shrink or time to grow out of the terrible twos?

Shit Happens

I don't swear a lot...well, I usually use words that replace the swear word like "eff", "mother of pearl", "biznatch", "Judas Priest", "cheese and rice" you get the idea. The one word that I haven't found a replacement for is shit. I don't know why but that one always slips out. For some reason anytime something bad happens that is the first thing out of my mouth. I usually say it under my breath, but I will admit it is said. And I guess the kids are hearing it. Jack knows that shit is an adult word, but Ben and Lauren haven't quite mastered that concept. They were trying it out on each other this morning. I don't want to make a huge deal out of it for fear that they will use it for shock value, but at the same time I can't have them trying to impress their classmates on the first day of preschool this fall. As I was going over my parenting strategy in my head this morning I received the following email:

THE MOST FUNCTIONAL ENGLISH WORD

Well, it's shit. That’s right, shit!
Shit may just be the most functional word in the English language.
You can smoke shit, buy shit, sell shit, lose shit, find shit, forget shit, and tell others to eat shit.
Some people know their shit, while others can't tell the difference between shit and shineola.
There are lucky shits, dumb shits, and crazy shits. There is bullshit, horseshit, and chicken shit.
You can throw shit, sling shit, catch shit, shoot the shit, or duck when the shit hits the fan.
You can give a shit or serve shit on a shingle.
You can find yourself in deep shit or be happier than a pig in shit.
Some days are colder than shit, some days are hotter than shit, and some days are just plain shitty.
Some music sounds like shit, things can look like shit, and there are times when you feel like shit.
You can have too much shit, not enough shit, the right shit, the wrong shit or a lot of weird shit.
You can carry shit, have a mountain of shit, or find yourself up shit creek without a paddle.
Sometimes everything you touch turns to shit and other times you fall in a bucket of shit and come out smelling like a rose.
When you stop to consider all the facts, it's the basic building block of the English language.
And remember, once you know your shit, you don't need to know anything else!!
You could pass this along, if you give a shit; or not do so if you don't give a shit!
Well, Shit, it's time for me to go. Just wanted you to know that I do give a shit and hope you had a nice day, without a bunch of shit. But, if you happened to catch a load of shit from some shit-head...
Well, Shit Happens!!!

Happy Easter

Easter was lame. It should be a really joyous religious holiday spent with your family. The problem? Both of our families were just in town last week for Jack's birthday. My sister hangs with her in-laws. Our church has broken the last straw with us and we haven't found a new one so we didn't even go sing 'Christ The Lord Is Risen Today!’ Nothing is open so we just hung out at home. I have plenty of housework that I could have done, I just wasn't in the mood. I was a lump. I hid Easter eggs for the kids and I think they had a good time, but this certainly isn't going to be one of those holidays they remember forever.

Our biggest excitement today was bath time. We had nothing to do so we let the kids play for a long time. They had tons of fun pouring water on each other. There was water everywhere, but they had a good time! It won't be long before they don't all fit in the tub together.

Tinklebelle Isn't Very Lady-Like

Lauren: MOMMY! I tinklebelled in my princess panties!

Didn't I just take you to the potty with no results five minutes ago? Is this some kind of joke? I keep waiting for Ashton to come out and tell me I am being punked!

You've Been Replaced

Travis, consider this your notice, you have been replaced. My sister gave Jack another birthday gift.

I explained to Jack that he could "play catch" with this toy. He throws the ball and the toy will catch it. As soon as he got it, he said "I guess I don't need daddy anymore!” I didn't think anymore of it until Jack brought it up again on the way home.

Jack: Mom, can I use my new catcher in the backyard when I get home?
Me: Sure!
Jack: I can practice my baseball without daddy.
Me: Yep.
Jack: I don't need daddy anymore!
Me: Daddy is still fun to play with, right?
Jack: Yeah, but my new catcher won't be disappointed in me.

I had to cover my mouth so he wouldn't see me giggle. Travis is coaching Jack's T-ball team and last night was the first practice. Travis came home pretty happy with the team, but disappointed in Jack's effort, not his performance. He told me that he told Jack that it doesn't matter if he is the best or the worst, it only matters if he tries hard. Apparently, Travis told the boys to run and Jack did a quick walk as all the other boys passed him. As Travis puts it, he has seen Jack run faster in the house! I think Jack has a new respect for hustle and next practice will be better.

Grandpa Withdrawl

Lauren is just like me; she is grandpa's girl. Growing up, my grandpa and I had a really close relationship, now I see the same type of relationship developing between Lauren and my dad. We were lucky enough to have my parents here for 6 days. Lauren really got used to waking up and getting hugs from her "grrrr-am-pa". This morning when I got Ben and Lauren up we had the following conversation.

Me: Good morning guys.
Lauren: I am going to need my grrrr-am-pa.
Me: Grandpa is in Omaha.
Lauren: Why?
Me: That is where he lives.
Lauren: I need my grrrr-am-pa.
Me: What do you need?
Lauren: Hugs!
Me: I can give you hugs.
Lauren: I want grrr-am-pa hugs.

While my dad was here he made a special point to sit on the floor with the kids every chance he got. As my mom and I sat around the kitchen table and drank wine my dad started a new game. He sat on the floor with his legs outstretched in a 'V' shape. The kids sat between his legs and pretended they were in a boat. My dad played along and told them to row faster.

Tonight while I was cooking dinner Lauren sat on the kitchen floor with her dolls between her legs and barked, "row faster kids!” She is really missing her grandpa. Me too...and Grammy.

Benny Craig

We normally don't have ice cream in the house because Travis and I have a little willpower problem. But, we have some left over from the birthday extravaganza so we have been using it as a bribe. Jack and Lauren will eat green beans without much of a fight, but anything else and I get a chorus of "me don't like these", "I don't care for...” "do I have to eat...?", etc. Jack will eat his veggies, but under duress. Ben and Lauren on the other hand won't touch them with a ten-foot pole. However, the ice cream bribe has been working on Lauren. Jack and Lauren have been eating all of their veggies for a sweet little scoop of vanilla with chocolate sauce. Poor Benny wants ice cream so badly, but he refuses to eat the veggies.

Ben: Me want ice cream.
Me: Okay.
Ben: Thank you mommy!
Me: You just have to eat your veggies.
Ben: No!
Me: Then you don't get any ice cream.

The poor kid is so darn cute and charming. If it weren't for the other kids that already took the bribe and ate their veggies I would probably cave. But, instead Benny will be giving Jenny Craig a run for her dieting money.

Five-teen

I was downstairs scurrying around trying to get ready for the cleaning lady when I over heard yelling from upstairs.

Jack: Babies, get out of my room!
Ben: NO!
Jack: Leave me alone!
Lauren: I want to play.
Jack: I need privacy
Ben: NO!
Jack: I'm telling...

Then, I heard the pitter patter of five year old feet followed by the pitter patter of two sets of smaller feet running down the stairs.

Jack: Mom, I want some alone time in my room and the babies won't get out!
Lauren: Jack won't play with me.
Me: Ben and Lauren, you need to play in your own room so Jack can be alone.
Ben: NO!

I can't believe how grown up Jack is becoming. I am too young to have a kid that wants to be alone! I didn't think that kids start wanting to be alone until they are teenagers.

Yesterday, I was helping Jack put his new birthday toys away in his room. I suggested he give a few of his old things to Ben and Lauren to make room. He got so excited getting rid of all of the "baby things" in his room. I really thought I was going to have to pressure him to let things go. He ended up getting rid of 50% of his old toys, I couldn't believe it. He was so proud of himself for being "generous" and had a great time showing Ben and Lauren how all of their new toys worked.

Birthday Bash V

Jack's birthday party was a huge success. The bounce house was great; it kept the kids occupied for the entire time! Our good friend dressed up as Spiderman and posed for pictures with the kids. I was glad that I didn't pay a Spiderman to come because the kids lost interest in him pretty quickly and went back to bouncing. Jack got another ton of plastic crap and was completely thrilled with it! The cake was fantastic thanks to Trisha! I must give credit where credit is due, these pictures were taken by my friend Anne because I haven't had time to go through mine yet. Enjoy!

Please Don't Call CPS

Friday Travis and I took the kids, his mom and her boyfriend to Six Flags. We had so much fun. The weather was absolutely perfect in the mid 80s and the park was virtually empty. Ben and Lauren were able to ride several rides this year and enjoyed most of them. The only ride that didn't go over very well was the big Viking ship, Ben had the most terrified look on his face. He kept yelling "Me don't like this one, me don't like this one!". Jack had a blast again. He loved everything about it. We didn't have to stand in any lines and actually stayed on several rides for seconds. I had been promising Jack for weeks that I would go on a "get wet" ride with him. Travis and his mom took Ben and Lauren on the antique cars while Jack and I headed off to the "get wet" ride. Jack was really excited about our adventure and was walking at nearly a run. I was doing my best to keep up without breaking into a jog. The walkway had decorative 2x4s set into the concrete that were slightly raised. My foot dropped at the most inopportune time. It felt like slow motion. I felt myself tripping and saw myself falling towards Jack. I scooped up Jack in attempts to save him from peril. Instead I managed to completely fall on top of him. I scrapped up both hands and smashed my knee. I have been limping around on my softball sized knee for the last three days. When I scooped up Jack my shirt must have gone up because I scrapped my tummy too. Just imagine what would have happened if Jack hadn't broken my fall. Poor Jack didn't even know what hit him. He scrapped up his elbow and his nose and his poor little eye is a little bruised. Jack started to cry. I kept saying "we're okay, we're okay", more trying to convince myself than him. Jack must have believed me because through his tears he said "I want to get wet" so we headed off to the ride. Jack had to slow his pace so I could limp behind him. To make matters worse, it wasn't the "get wet" ride it was a ride similar to the Small World ride at Disney, but instead of the annoying "It's A Small World After All" song with multicultural dolls it was Looney Tunes characters. Jack kept asking throughout the ride when it was going to get fun. We would turn a corner and he would tell me "hold on mom, we are about to get wet", but no such luck. When my mom saw him they had the following conversation:

Grammy: Jack, what happened to your face?
Jack: I fell at Six Flags.
Grammy: How did that happen?
Jack: My mom pushed me.

Three Funnies

My parents have been in town so I haven't made time for blogging. I love having them around and don't want to waste a minute with them, so sorry the blogging had to wait!

We took the kids to the park the other day. There were two 'big boys' playing tag. I have to admit that when I saw them I was already on the defense thinking 'keep your distance from my babies, you are running too fast, you are too big, you are going to hurt someone and if it is one of my kids I am going to hurt you!’ Jack is so outgoing that he started playing tag with them. These were some great kids. They let Jack play and even allowed him to get away when they clearly could have caught him. I was still being pretty cautious and trying to over hear every conversation Jack had with them. This is what I heard.

Big Boy: What grade are you in?
Jack: First
Big Boy: Wow, you are pretty fast for your grade!

As we were leaving the park I waited until we were out of earshot of Jack's new friends.

Me: What grade did you tell that big boy you were in?
Jack: (smiling from ear to ear) First
Me: Why did you tell him that?
Jack: Because I wanted him to think I was a big boy
Me: Do you think they believed you?
Jack: Of course


Funny number 2.

I bought Lauren some new nightgowns on the clearance rack at Carter's for $3.99. They were really soft and I thought Lauren would think she was a big girl. I put them on her last night.

Lauren: Where are my blue pants?
Me: What blue pants?
Lauren: (pointing at her diaper) My blue pants?
Me: You don't have any blue pants.
Lauren: (starting to cry) Yes I do!
Me: Oh, your bloomers?
Lauren: Yes!


Funny number 3.

Me: Happy birthday big boy! I am going to give you five kisses this morning because you are five years old!
Jack: When I am sixteen will you give me 16 kisses?
Me: You better believe it and I am going to remind you that you want me too!

Happy Birthday Jack

Wow, I can't believe my baby is five years old today! I still remember his birth like it was yesterday. Good thing because Jack asks me about the day he was born often. He was induced, so Travis and I were able to sleep in and arrive at the hospital around 10am. The hospital was really busy that day so they didn't get around to putting me on the Pitocin until around noon. The nurse suggested that I walk around Labor and Delivery to get things moving. Travis and I did two laps when suddenly I was feeling some contractions. I felt kind of whimpy because I told Travis I was ready to go sit back down. When I went back to the room the nurse checked me and I was already at a 4! I got my epidural and settled in to watch some TV. It was March Madness so we had the basketball games on; we ended up having all of the interns in my room 'helping' so they could watch the game. At 12:30 they broke my water, by 3pm I was at a 10. The nurse suggested I do a couple pushes before she called the doctor just to make sure the doctor didn't arrive too early. I did one push and Jack was crowning. The nurse told me "STOP, STOP". I couldn't figure out why we didn't just get him out until they explained that the doctors don't like it if they are not present for the birth because they don't get paid. Luckily my doctor's office wasn't far from the hospital so she got to my room in just a few minutes. When she arrived I pushed two more times and Jack was born at 3:33pm. This is one time where the saying "no pain, no gain" didn't hold true. I felt two contractions, pushed three times, didn't have a single stitch and ended up with a beautiful baby boy!

Jack has turned into such a great kid! I love that kid through and through. He is so funny that I often have to turn my head and laugh when he does something naughty. He has the best smile and a great twinkle in his eye, just like his daddy. He is so smart, funny, witty, thoughtful, considerate, loving. He is just the best kid in the world and I feel sorry for the rest of you who don't have a kid as great as this! :) I am so lucky to be Jack's mommy!

Texas Sized Snowmen

It is snowing again, one week before Jack's birthday, only 9 days before the outside bounce house party. We are expected to get another 2" by morning. Jack and I went out while it was still snowing this afternoon and built Texas sized snowmen. Ben and Lauren watched from inside because they were 'scared'.

BaRock Lost To Harry

Don't you hate when you are watching a football game, your team is ahead, you relax a little, fall asleep, then wake up and your team has lost. That's how I feel this morning waking up to the Obama loss. The only consolation is that 'Harry Clinton' will have to win every remaining state to receive the nomination.

My Vote Counted!

Picture it. A long line at the presidential primaries. All three kids in tow. Woman engrossed in her Blackberry in front of me. Man reading a book behind me. The kids are getting restless. They are doing their very best to remain quiet and within a 3 foot radius of me. Out of the blue using his outside voice Jack asks, "Who are we going to vote for again?” "Shh” Nervous laughter from the people in line fill the silence. "I will tell you later" I say just loud enough for Jack to hear. I figured I would have a nice talk about voting etiquette with him in the car, then remind him who I was voting for and why. Just as I thought it had all blown over Jack announces in his outside voice again "Oh, I remember! He has a rock in his name, right mom? What is that guy's name again?" Suddenly Jack had all sorts of friends in line; apparently we weren't the only Obama supporters there! I left the polling place feeling very proud, the kids and I all had on our 'My Vote Counted' stickers. A nice little old lady stopped me to tell me what a good thing I was doing by showing my kids how important it is to vote. Tonight we were listening to the polling results on the radio, when the DJ announced Barack Obama 53%, Hillary Clinton 46% my kids went wild. They were yelling "BaRock Omama!” A few minutes later Jack broke the celebration by asking, "Mom, why don't you like Harry Clinton?" Hmmm, I think I will save that one for Grandpa!

Fear This

I was awakened this morning before 7am this morning, which usually makes me very cranky, but Jack was so excited about the snow I was able to let it go. We quickly ate breakfast then got ready to head outside to build a snowman. You see, in Texas you can't just wait until after school or the snow will be gone. Luckily, we had a two hour late start today because we had a little over 2" of snow on the grass. The roads were dry! It has been so warm that the snow didn't last when it hit the concrete. Jack and I got dressed and bundled up then I moved on to Ben and Lauren who decided they were scared of the snow. Scared of snow? What? Good thing they are Texans. I guess we just need to add snow to the growing list of things they are scared of - dogs, cats, a raised voice, their shadows. When I explained that Jack and I would be going outside with or without them they decided to come along. Ben and Lauren stood on the snow-free patio while Jack and I built a snowman. The snow was a little too dry so Jack and I had to get the watering can out and wet the snow a little. In Nebraska you would just build a snowman another day, but here there won't be another day. The good news is that it is 56 degrees now so there is hope for Jack's birthday party. The bad news is that these dramatic weather swings have been hell on my MS!

It's Gotta Be The Shoes!

What is it about these shoes...

that would make a 2 1/2 year old react like this?

I couldn't figure it out either so I let her take them off and put something else on. I wasn't about to give up on these shoes especially because I had already taken the tags off so I just put them on the shoe rack. Sure enough, if it is Lauren's idea to wear them she loves the shoes. Unfortunately, she is toying with me; she only wants to wear them if they don't go with her outfit. Today she insisted on wearing them with a green dress over tights with purple butterflies on them.

Ten Phrases That Will Never Come Out Of Meme

Holleeann at Vasquez 3 has tagged me for a meme. List 10 phrases that will never come out of my mouth.

1. I won the lottery! (I would love to win big, but I am too cheap to buy a ticket)

2. I love cold weather. (Quite the opposite actually, I am cold just thinking about the snow outside!)

3. I love vomit (see previous posts "Barf-O-Rama", "Barf-O-Rama Part II" and "Ralphing Roulette".

4. I'm sorry. (Okay, I can't say never, but I can say rarely. I am horrible at saying I am sorry and admitting I am wrong. If you don't believe me, ask my husband!)

5. Fixin' to... (I have picked up 'soda' and 'ya'll' since I have lived in Texas, but I can promise you I will never say 'fixin', it just makes you sound dumb!)

6. Fire the housekeeper. (I love her and everything she does! She is coming tomorrow and I am dreading the pre-clean before she arrives, but I can't wait for the clean house tomorrow afternoon!)

7. The kids need more toys. (I have been straining my brain trying to come up with ideas for Jack's birthday. My kids have so many toys they can't possibly play with them all. You have seen the pictures of Ben and Lauren's messy room, right?)

8. Take your time. (I feel like I am always late and always rushing myself and the kids around. I also have a very low tolerance for slow service.)

9. Let's move back to Omaha. (This cold weather has reminded me how much I usually love Texas!)

10. No. (Again, this is more a 'rarely' than a never. I say no to my kids all the time, but I have a very hard time saying no to someone who asks me for help or wants me to volunteer for something.)

Winter In March?

It's snowing. It's March. It's Texas. What?

What's worse? I have a bounce house reserved and we are expecting 25 five year olds for an OUTSIDE birthday party in less than two weeks. Yikes! What do I do if we have weather like this? I need to start coming up with a plan B. Last year we had pizza in the park after Jack's birthday party at the fire station. The year before Jack had his birthday party outside with pony rides. Both years the weather was beautiful, sunny and in the mid 70s. Is it too much to expect God to give me the weather I have come to expect for Jack's birthday?

Ralphing Roulette

Round and round it goes, where it stops, nobody knows! The stomach bug has bit our little Lauren yet again. First it was Lauren, then it was Jack, I would have guessed Benny to be next but it seems that he got his mommy's stomach of steel. His twin sister on the other hand has taken after her namesake, Aunt Nicole, who is still a barfer to this day! Lauren really hasn't stopped complaining about her stomach since her last bout. She is a bit of a drama queen so I assumed she was fine when the puking subsided. When she was complaining of her stomach at dinner I should have believed her. But, instead I made her take two more bites of her cheeseburger. She seemed fine before bed, but when I went up to check on her when she started crying around 10pm I was greeted by a much too familiar smell. Why do kids always throw up in their beds? I believe that to be one of life's unanswered questions! Speaking of unanswered questions...Why me?