Pictures and An Announcement

A few photos to catch up on--hang on 'til the end it gets good! We took Alex to Cody's work a few weeks ago so he could swim AND so Cody's 'psycho' mom could get tons and tons of pictures of her little lifeguard boy:

He loves it, look at the smile!

He's been working tons of hours to keep up with the maintenance of his new truck--I just realized I haven't even posted photos of that yet. Sheesh, I'm falling so far behind.

Niki and Cody last month, I love this photo:

And part of what's been keeping me away from the blog is the Amazing DigiScrapping Race....it's been zapping all my extra time with two layouts a week. In addition to life and digi store uploads, it's been difficult BUT fun fun fun. I have a partner, Kelly, and we've had a blast together....this is the layout I did for Challenge Five, I believe:

Yay! So at this time, it's Isabella Renee. Renee was Jamee's middle name, and is also Molly's (Antoinette's daughter ((my little sister)) ). I think Jamee would be pleased with her beautiful namesakes. Baby is doing fine, due May 14. Niki is doing fine as well. More later in the week but for now, need to get off the computer.

Let The Second Half Commence!

First--thank you for your encouragement...an old high school friend of mine told me tonight to just look up and praise God. How right he is!

Well today marked a few first--Cody's first day of his second semester of his 11th year in high school. Niki's first day of NOT going to high school. And, of course, Alex's first day back at his little school I affectionately like to call 'get down to the kitchen NOW!'. You know, I do believe it's time for school pictures:

Math this year is on the computer--Fifth Grade Math whips me:

Aww Alex, you poor guy--you shouldn't even HAVE to go to school!

But.......if you're going to go, might as well feign joy!

On a side note:

This little guy in these photos, my Alex the Baby, got new shoes this weekend. Seems he shot out of his size 4 shoes he started summer with and is now a perfect...........SIZE 9???!!!

One half size less than his 17 year old brother and his daddy. He's shot up so much in the past few months that all his jeans we bought for Fall are now pedal pushers. Which is fine, keeps in line with the whole 'homeschool' look and all. But size 9? I REFUSE to give him a piggy back ride across the 'long bridge' to Africa at the zoo. He should be hauling ME back and forth. Well maybe not, he's grown so quickly his little legs look like flamingo legs, they're so skinny. Might break 'em....sigh. Okay I'll give him a haul, but I will NOT do the boing boing boing across the bridge game anymore!

Cody, a Letter Jacket, a Class Ring and a Bird

Four weeks late, the letter jacket finally arrives...(click the pics to see it better):

'Cody, can you put your coat on and let me take pictures?'

'Yes, I'm serious! And you don't go to Rebecca's until you do. Okay, stand in front of the fireplace...Cody, move from the laundry basket, do you want that in the picture? Cody. Cody, move over there. How about move from the laundry basket or you don't go to Rebecca's...can you please look a little excited?'

'Can you close your mouth? I don't want to see your gum in the pictures, Cody...'

'Okay, turn around, let me get the back. Cody...I heard that and you might not go to Rebecca's if you keep it up.'

'Awww I think you like your jacket...you're going to smiiiiiiiiiiiiile...yes, yes, I see a smile....you're smiling, you can't stop smiling....'

'Okay...now show me your class ring, I want to see them both together....'

'COdy! Yeah I know that's the finger it was on, but you...you...okay, you know what? Go to Rebecca's...'

The Day The Circus Came To Town

I've been around--just a ton of stuff going on with my digi, mostly. I've released three items this week, here are the previews:



I'm finally seeing a fairly large breakthrough with sales--I think my name is getting a little more known in the digi world, lol. I'm hoping all this hard work is finally about to pay off--knock on pressboard.

Cody had an invitational meet Friday in Parkville--he sucked eggs the first round. But he was fortunate enough to make the final two cuts and THEN he decided to make clean entries. He came in the final round at 12th and made his way up to 6th. What a cool ending it would have been had he started that last round with more points! Ahh well, he got a medal. It's all about the medal, right?

I've been keeping up with most of you in reader of by email, I haven't forgotten you. Balancing homeschooling, digi designing and parenting hasn't been easy on me...I honestly need a vacation! But, sigh, I don't see one in my near future.

What Does A First Place Diver Look Like?

A lot like my boy Cody! Wait! It is Cody! Click it.


(I think if he could string his Xbox up somehow and control with his foot, he'd have that in this picture, too.)
And of course, it's that time of year, here is a little dive clip for ya. Completely optional.

And of course, Louie. He has nothing to do with Cody winning first today at the Liberty meet, but it's Louie getting all excited when he heard. He was happy, even if Scat the cat was nudging in on his territory.

The Cake That Makes The World Go Round

Almost a week later, sorry friends. I've over-committed myself with a few digi contests as well as taking care of what seems to be a never ending trail of mouth surgeries! Alex is healing nicely, these are pictures from this past week, what a difference a week makes! Cody had his wisdom tooth removed Tuesday--that was a ton of fun.

Alex and John last Sunday --you can hardly see a thing!

Louie!

John had to grill his own birthday meal, lol.Here's the cake recipe:

preheat oven to 350 and prepare 3 round cake pans.

Mix:

• 2 c sugar
• 1 stick butter (I use margarine)
• 1/2 c oil
• 5 egg yolks (keep those whites! don't do what I did the first time and throw them out)

Mix and add to first mixture:

• 2 c flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 c buttermilk (I never have this, I do the old TBS of lemon juice to the cup of milk, it works)
• 2 tsp vanilla

Mix and add to all the above:

• 5 egg whites, stiff (be sure your beaters are clean, don't do what I sometimes do and not clean them, you'll only have to restart)
• 2 c coconut
• 1 c nuts (I always use pecans)

Bake in 3 9" cake rounds for about 25 minutes--you'll know.

When I frost this cake, I always add between the layers extra nuts and extra coconut, then I top it with the same.

Frosting:

• 1- 8-oz cream cheese (lowfat works well)
• 1/2 c butter (again, margarine for me)
• 3 1/2 c powdered sugar
• vanilla--that's what it said--I use about a tsp or 2, it's whatever

If you bake this cake and put it in the fridge, it's one of those even better the next day kind of cakes. Or as my girlfriend Pam said 'I wanted to just sleep in it!'. It's that good.

I might be reemed for this but I really wanted to share this...I won't make you watch the first movie, it's pretty lengthy (but stinkin hilarious)...but the second one is funny too. It's Cody after surgery. He'd been telling me over and over how much fun it was...then he was trying to explain e=mc2 to me. And I, being a good mom, tried to trip him up, but even in a stupor he can out-think me. And all good moms of course record the conversation. For later. Because it's funny!

Like A Record Baby....

Okay there's GOOD reason I've been AOL, here and there, hit or miss. I'm coming back. Just not today so much...sorry. Tomorrow, though! I feel out of the loop, it's terrible. It's all over at the Digi, please please go see and then forgive me. I'm so tired, I never thought three to five hours would be my standard. I think after today, it'll be better. I'll be up terribly late typing to make deadline, but the weekend looks better. Yay!

It's been getting so crazy around here, even Cody decided on his own to do those dishes! He was clearly hip to me taking a photo of him doing it, too. See?! I love that boy...he asked me last night on the way back from church where I'd like to eat for Mother's Day. He said all these years he'd always felt badly he couldn't do anything on his own and now that he has a job (lifeguard) he's excited to take me out. Under $100 he said. Uh huh, hmmm...this boy, he's lived with us all his life. Buffalo Wild Wings is about as upscale as it's ever gotten! I think I'll ask him for the change when we're done. Is that wrong?

So I Have This Middle Child.....

Cody. It's Cody.

A few weeks ago the youth group put on a fantastic presentation, each group having a specific social message/cause they were supporting. Cody's partner ended up going out of town. His adult leader got sick. That left Cody to speak on his own.

I'd tell you my Cody shrugged it off and said "whatev, no big deal." Mmmhmm, I would....

So anyway, after push, pulling and dragging him by his hair he hopped into his car and drove out there to do his thing. Now... would it be too puke proud mom to say he was AMAZING? That his voice was confident and loud and he knew his stuff, worked the audience and should be a speaker all the time--no---should be a speaker every night, maybe on the radio..no wait, on television...prime time, wait! prime time tv slash radio slash public speaking events because he was THAT dang good!?

Yeah, you're probably right, that'd be kind of weird. A little Texas Cheerleader Mom-ish. So....I'll tell you he did okay. I guess. Eh...sort of. (he rocked)

The red head in the foreground is my other boy, Baby Alex. I can still lift him, so he's the baby.

The information table after the presentations. This is his "My mom is the best mom in the whole wide world look". You see it, too, don't you.

That same week, he started that new job I mentioned. Here he is in his little lifeguard outfit. He likes the job. Probably even better when he finally gets his first check. I'm sure he'll buy me stuff then. Lots of stuff. Okay, maybe he's not that dedicated. But he can buy his own gas and insurance now! It's the same thing in the end--I'm making my shopping list in my head as I write this.

I think he likes that I pose him up against that wall for pictures whenever he does something exciting.

It All Catches Up With Me Eventually......

Today was a milestone for my son, Cody. He got through that lifeguard interview awhile back, passed his certification this weekend and will go pick up his suits after school tomorrow. And drop off the information his employer needs to do the direct deposit to his new checking account.

New account meant today we had to drive across town (by our old neighborhood) and empty out the old account he kept his soccer reffing earnings in. It was just a savings account, so today my boy advanced to a student checking/debit account at a bank near our home. So today..... there was no hiding it any longer, I had to come clean. If there was a way around it, I'd have taken it--if I thought he wouldn't have noticed, I wouldn't have mentioned it. But it's Cody. Cody doesn't forget things. Certainly not how much money he had in his account. So today before we headed out on our banking adventure, I made my pitch:

"Hey Code?"

"Huh?"

"Yay for you, bud! Wow. You're a lifeguard! Wow. Wow...that's very cool. Hey...how much was that certification class Dad paid for last weekend? $130 or something?"

"Yeah"

"Ohhhhhh...."

"Why?"

"Well don't worry about it, no need to pay this back."

"Ma-ah-mmmm...WHAT did you do?"

So I finally got the money monkey off my back and attempted to convince him his end was better anyway. I only blatantly stole borrowed $100 last year in the Great Checking Account Error, covered only because I have one child who doesn't take after us. He actually keeps his money. In the bank! Pshh...from under what rock did this boy crawl?

Between you and me, while he feigned disappointment, I know he expects it. Come on, it's me after all! He's probably already thinking about a separate "help support my mother who will one day be sorry she ran, didn't walk, to spend her check the second it arrived in the mail" account. Sure, he'll lecture, he'll make like he thinks I can do better, but he'll have little faith in my money-saving abilities.

What HAVE I Been Up To?

Niki has come back home, and while we're very glad to have her home, we also know it may not last. For some reason, it does feel a little better this time, so I'm praying this is final. She's making some good decisions about the people she hangs out with, and many of them on her own, so we're cautiously optimistic. More optimistic than not, though. But cautious.

We did get some bad news from the school--she won't graduate with her class this year, there have been too many absences and she can't possibly catch up so quickly. So....John and I are taking it in stride and told Niki she could go back for a semester in the Fall. She didn't like it, but she also accepts that this is a consequece of her decisions. So....if she chooses not to do that, she'll get her GED and start community college in the Fall. We told her from that point, so long as she makes good choices and keeps her grades up, she can still do just about anything she wants to do with her life. Of all the things we've been scared silly about these past three months, that really is the least of our worries--she can overcome that. She'll always regret it, but again, that's a consequence.

She's in the kitchen making cookies for Valentines Day (Happy VDay, btw), something she hasn't done in ages (baking). And she actually asked to come to church with us tonight--and I love how my true friends, the family that loves her dearly, welcomed her back again with hugs. I have a few friends who, for some reason, don't seem happy she's turning around, but I figure that's not my problem. Life probably isn't going so great for people like that and honestly, I'm just not able to care about their meanie people issues as much as I used to. One of the things I've learned through this process is that I don't have time to get worked up about things I can't change, and that's an example of that. Be devastated when your child is failing and she's your biggest cheerleader. See your child turning around and she's throwing her pom poms in the corner. But what surprised me most is that while I noted it and while I'm taking time to write this, I'm not terribly worked up about it. Now that revelation feels good, in a detached sort of way!

Anyway....tomorrow I take Alex to the movies. He doesn't want to go to school, but he wants the Valentine's party. So we decided cupcakes and a movie would be the next best thing. Niki's going to collect job applications and Cody has a job interview. He's very nervous, say a prayer for him if you think of it. He's interviewing with a regional pool management company to lifeguard the area pools. He hopes to get on at the Parks and Rec pools as well as some of the neighborhood pools, possibly ours. They'll certify him as well--but he lives in the water, that shouldn't be a problem. I'll let you know.

I've been busy in the mornings doing a strict workout program at a local spa, I'll tell you all about it in a few days. You'll probably think I'm whack. But hey, results, baby, so really do.not.care. I've lost two inches in my waist, on around my hips and one one each thigh. AND.....I'm feeling amazingly energized and I actually think I'll supplement that with a workout on my rowing machine now. It's not a lot of progress, but for two weeks, I have a little hope those old capris and shorts just might fit mid-Spring. Curious, aren't ya? No worries, I'm going to tell you, just...not....tonight! Muahahahahahaha!

PS--I love remixes of my favorite songs....it kinda gives me an excuse to be my retro self!

Courtwarming Time!

It's Courtwarming tonight, so between hosting our church small group last night and the dance tonight, I'm once again a loserhead-blogger! But being the photo lover that I am, thought you'd enjoy a few shots of my little boy getting ready for the dance.

He still doesn't know how to tie a tie, and this time when John went to tie it for him, he couldn't because Cody has grown so much in these past few months he was too tall to reach. So he just tied it on himself then helped Cody adjust it. I guess the boy needs to learn soon. Pay little to no attention to the clutter in the kitchen. It's almost alwaysnever like this IRL.

Proof I was helpful:

Cody picking up his date. We followed because we were going to the other boy's house to take group shots. Her mom did too, so we weren't being weird, I promise. Okay, when we came out of her house (we took photos there) and found Alex and Adam (his b/f) on top of the Explorer, pretending to surf while hollering and laughing. I'll admit, that was a little awkward. In a trailer park meets suburbia kind of way.
And here they are--the gal with the brown hair (Lisa) has been one of Cody's best friends for most of his life. Cody's date is a diver as well, so Cody's come up with excuses to go watch the girls dive lately. Imagine!
I know I'm the momma, but I think my boy is beautiful.
Here is Lisa's daddy with John. They're terribly excited to be there.
And the rents shot. Excuse my getup-- I just came in from scaring up dinner for the week. I left the shotgun out on the front porch, though. Pshh, we're classy. We are! No, really--we fit right in here. Yes huh, we do too!
So there you have it. I'll try to be more interesting next week. But I'm finding it's harder and harder--the primaries knocked me down a little. I'll recover soon. Maybe. And Angela pointed out that last post title led her to believe my hair fell out--all that 'glossy' hair. LOL, she'a a silly. Sorry for the confusing title. I have hair (although my beautiful niece Angela is cutting it for me next week--pictures to follow).

Louie's Turn

Yesterday was my day to drive the 'work carpool'; it takes nearly 2.5 hours from start to finish, mostly drive time. I left the house wearing a jacket, it was amazing weather for late January

So it was a shock to my system as I arrived home to 19 degrees and snow blowing furiously, the wind so strong that it was a challenge staying on the road. That's the Missouri I've grown over my lifetime to love. Windows open one day, furnace and fire burning the next.

By popular demand, I have some Louie photos to share. Will this make Misty happy? I think yes. Even though Jack Jack the cat is every bit the love dovey wovey baby Louie is. Don't get me wrong, I ADORE the Lou. I'll tell the story of Louie very soon, it's actually a funny little adoption story.

Louie! He's a good boy. Even if he is now deaf, digs under the muddy deck every single time he goes out, forcing me to dip his giant bear-sized paws in water before letting him in, needs out four times an hour, gets snot all over the dining room window he camps out at, and makes a louder-than-life barfing sound and nothing comes out.
He's getting old. Not too old to to chase the cats. Two nights ago we woke up and flung our bedroom door open, having heard some very noisy intruders (we were brave). No intruders, but we did find Louie. Lying at the foot of the stairs in Jack's nylon cube house thing, one short stubby leg and giant horse head through one hole, body in the middle and three legs through the other hole. See diagram below:

He'd creeped upstairs, likely to eat the cats' food (he does that) and torment poor Jack, who sleeps with Alex most nights. So when he found himself stuck, he was heading downstairs to get us and slipped and slid down the stairs. The nylon made his run quite smooth and very fast. He slid all the way down, taking out a basket of Lego's on the way, landing at the bottom of the stairs next to our bedroom door with a thud. And not a yelp from him; he didn't even look afraid. He knew the drill, we've pulled his giant head from many things over the four years we've been blessed with Louie's big giant slobbery stinky lovable self.

Alright enough Louie stories, here is where I found the older boys yesterday afternoon, both drooling oblivious to the whipping wind and snow outside (I am aware on days like this that God has blessed me greatly with shelter and warmth and I worry for the people and animals alike who are out there without):

*I'm not going to have any JenGi, Aunt Bea, Cat & Gidget photos next week. I'm afraid I had to cancel (I'm calling you today Cat, but sorry if you get this through my post). John and I feel with the ever-changing drama going on with our daughter, it's not a good time for me to leave town.

The End Of A Season

It's over--no more dive meets to torture you with. I'm gonna miss the dive season, no doubt about it. Cody placed 6th in conference tonight--I can't tell you how proud I am of this boy--all but one other boy were seniors. I think even Cody understands he's got some great years ahead of him! This is Cody, the one other diver from our school, and his amazing and patient coach. (Cody is on your right)

PS--GiGi, I know what you're going to say about the Speedos before you even say it!