So it's only been 3 months......right?!!!

I truly enjoy reading other people's blogs and they all sound like they lead such exciting lives. So many things happening to them and their families. Plus, they all seem to be able to put their lives into writing that sounds coherant, funny and fascinating. I do NOT have this talent. Unfortunately, I write like I speak, but I don't know how to put the right inflections in the right places to actually make you read it like I would have said it........................(obviously, just from reading what I just wrote, you might get a little of what I mean :) This is not an excuse for not keeping this more updated, but, well, maybe it is a little bit. :)
Our lives right now actually are very full, but where to start. Let's start with football, that's always a good subject. Cody and I are doing a Fantacy Football team this year. Our League is of course Bronco Fanz (NOT Denver, mind you..............that was for any WI folks who might not know the Mabbott's Boise State Obsession, we LOVE our Broncos!!!!). Cody and I named our team the Tiger Sharks. Our defesive group is of course the Packers (although they've done pretty crappy for me the last couple weeks, minus the interception). Anyway, our team isn't doing too bad. It's kinda fun each week to watch the numbers. On another football note, Cody is playing on a flag-football team. It is so much fun, he has practices Mon and Fri evenings and then games every Sat. morning. This goes clear through to the second Sat. of Nov. I'm sure by then it will be freezing and we will be glad it's done for the year. He already had one game two weeks ago and then had to miss last week because we were in Glendive to see Jason's parents and his grandparents who were over from WI. At Cody's first game he played offense and did a great job blocking for his little friend (who scored 3 touchdowns for us). When Cod came to the sideline I said "Nice blocking Babe!!!" and his comment was "Yeah, I was holding on one of them though, good thing I didn't get a penalty!" We all laughed pretty hard (I'm pretty sure the highschool ref isn't going to call ANY penalties in flag football, too cute though).
Tyler is currently in the living room watching Tom & Jerry, lying on the couch yelling for me to get him some "moo-juice" (aka milk for the rest of us)........just got off the phone with Geri, I of course forgot a jacket in Glendive, I'm a little surprised that's all that was left so far. But they'll be coming out sometime soon to watch one of Cody's games, so anything we left will be able to be brought with them! :) I think my parents are coming not this weekend but next to watch a game. I am actually impressed with the boys, they're running plays and learning the rules, etc. We had such a joke of a coach for soccer that I was a little worried about football (not that I stepped up to coach, so I better not complain too loud). Cody and his friends are a little upset it isn't "full-contact", but us parents are of course glad that little-guy football is still a couple years down the road. :)
I've started working more hours again. Not really what we wanted, but these stinky gas/grocery prices are really not giving us much of a choice. I'm also taking a little more of a back-burner approach to PTA this year. I think I give more of my time directly to Cody's teacher and also my kids this year. I still go to meetings and end up being on committee's, but just not as many (I think :).
I need to download my camera pictures and then I will post some. The new picture on the header was the first day of school this year. Neither of them would give me a good smile, so that is what I got, I guess.......stinkers, just like their dad................. :)

Last Day of School Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Cody's last day of school, it's a half day. Yesterday the school had their "Awards Assembly". Cody was given his Student of the Month certificate and then he also got the "Citizens Certificate" for his class. Each teacher picked a boy and a girl from their class that showed enthusiasm for learning, good friendship and overall good citizenship. We're very proud of him! Tonight we're going to go to Home Depot or Lowe's and pick out either a plant or some flowers for Cody's teacher. Cody's comment at the beginning of the week was "remember the good-ol-days when it was the beginning of the school year?" Most kids can't wait for summer, not Cody, he's like me, he really enjoys school and wouldn't mind if it was all year round with breaks every once in a while. Although, I'm sure once the heat hits, he'll be glad to be out of school and outside playing. Cody's class also did "Frog and Toad" plays yesterday. Here are some pictures:

Where does the time go?

I really should try and make it a point to post on here more often. I really enjoy reading others, but usually by the time I'm done reading other's I either am tired of being in front of the computer, I need to go pick up Cody from school, or I realized my life just isn't as interesting as the rest of ya'lls. :)
It is 1:40 in the morning right now and I am at work sitting in a 1:1 trying to stay awake by surfing the web. I was scheduled to work until 11p last night and then come back in the morning at 6:30a for a 12 hour shift. So, rather than go home and sleep for only a few hours, I decided to stay and make money instead. Most times, it is much easier for me to just not sleep at all then get a small amount of sleep. Anyway...
The boys are doing great! Cody is growing like a weed, both physically and otherwise. It's fun seeing how his personality has developed over this past school year. He's made some great friendships. Today was "crazy hair day" at school. This is the one time (so far) it would have been easier to have a girl (or not to have cut Cody's hair the previous week). All the girls at school just did funky/lots of pony tails, some had colored their had, but not a lot. Boy's really only have a few options. Spray color it, or wear a wig. Cody wanted spray color. He chose blue and white (school colors). So before school this morning we sprayed his head, half blue, half white. He really looked quite cute with his hair colored. With his blonde hair it really showed up well too! We got to school and his teacher was the one who was out walking with the kids and she had on this "wig" that was a black spiked mohawk with red tips and bald sides. It was a riot, and what a good sport! Have I mentioned before just how fabulous she is, I can't even tell you how much I'm going to miss her next year!!!!!! I just realized I didn't get a picture of Cody with his colored hair. I'll just have to do it again! He'll love that!!
Tyler is, well, a three-year-old. That boy is into EVERYTHING!!!! He can't keep his hands off of stuff. And he wanders, twice now my neighbor has had to bring him back to the house while I am frantically looking for him, now I know just to look there first (and both times she had been taking a nap, she's in her second tri-mester with her 3rd baby, she just found out yeserday she's having a boy, she currently has two girls!! :)) Whenever I hear a crash (which is often) I yell out "Tyler, what are you doing?" and he ALWAYS replies "Nothing Mama" (he's recently started calling me "mama"?) and when I go to investigate it certainly isn't "nothing"!!! He definately keeps me on my toes and my eggs safely tucked away in their hiding places.
Jason has started another project. The boy doesn't know how to do things on a small scale. He decided we needed a "shed" and a new steel roof. So we decided to refinance (which we needed to do anyway) and use the difference on the new roof. Very exciting, kinda....... so I go get all the paperwork started on that, of course. The "shed" he designed and maped out is 16'x16', complete with a garage door, another regular door and a doggy door leading to another doghouse (enclosed within the "shed"). The cements been pored, the walls are all built, the materials are all bought (except for siding), the trusses delivered and tomorrow is the big barn raising party and yes, I work. That is also one of the reasons I decided to work through the night, then hopefully I won't have to stay for the full 12 hour shift tomorrow. Anyway, I really think he's building a "man-fort". I give it less than two years before he has a big screen, a lazy boy and a small frigde out there!!! :) More power to 'im. I just expect the same in return! Yeah right, he'd tell me to build my own. And me being the industrious type that I am, I'd go down to Home Depot and buy a kit! :)
I decided to pull my app. for PTA Pres. Some things during Teacher Appreciation Week that happened opened my eyes as to what I could possibly be facing and having to put up with the following year and I just wasn't willing to put me nor my family through that, so I'm looking for some online courses to take instead!
Since I'm at work I don't have access to my pictures, so no posts of them this early a.m., but soon, I promise!

Seriously....

So, after having two kids I know I've mentioned on here before that I am definately a cold weather gal anymore. That being said, I am anxious for Spring and my garden and all the projects Jas and I have planned for our yard and house this Spring/Summer. And low and behold today it is snowing. Quite heavily in fact. That big, huge, wet flakey variety. Which will green up the lawn nicely (and I'm sure Jas was wishing he'd a fertilized the lawn yesterday), but seriously......... I have to go pick up Cody in an hour and I do NOT feel like walking in snow. We live less than two blocks from the school and I am sadly debating driving to go get him. I'll walk, of course, but I'm going to grumble about it all the same! This is a picture out the window of the game room.






















I'm not sure why I can't turn this picture, so you'll just have to turn your head sideways in order to look at it right...... Tyler's being a monkey in the picture on the left.
Well, Tyler wants chicken noodle soup before we have to go pick up Cody. Ostah

Easter Egg Hunts, Skiing and Pink Eye

So we all know that pink eye is highly contagious. Not really that harmful, just very contagious and needs antibiotic eyedrops to clear it up (which I truly and honestly think should now be an over-the-counter medication!!!!!!!!). So this being the case, how does Cody end up being the only kid in his class to get it and better yet, where the hell did he get it?!!! So of course we didn't know about it before he plays with the neighbor gal (Gabby) and of course this said playing is wrestle soccer. After we took Cody to the doc and got a prescription he starts on the drops and is a very good patient when it comes to eyedrops (and after the gianormous (not a real word, but I really like it) struggle with getting him to take his oral/liquid antibiotics for his ear infection, this was a nice change), in fact he giggled each time I did the drops. So the last day of his drops, the neighbor stops by on her way to the doctor to let us know she would be a little late for egg dying because she had to take Gabby in to get drops for HER pink eye now. I told her not to bother that she could have the drops after Cody's last dose that day. I give Cody the drops a little later and then had him run them over to the neighbors. As soon as I do this I notice Tyler's eyes, ARGH! Of course, green-gooppy crap in his eye! So, I call the doc up and ask for a refill, brother has it now. After a little struggle with the pharm. we get a new dropper of eyedrops........Tyler is NOT such the good patient that Cody is. Understandable, he is 4 years younger, but.............what a pain! Tyler gets his last set of drops tonight and we are pink eye free for the time being! Since this past weekend was Easter and the Mullendore's were up, I have an envelope ready to ship the drops to Glendive if needed :) I think Jenna was checking her eyes in the mirror every half hour :) Until we told her the more she touched her eyes, the more likely she'd get it. Good handwashing is all that is needed, but trying to get young children to practice good handwashing is not an easy task.

As already stated, the Mullendore's came up for Easter weekend. It was super fun! Filled with egg-dying, egg-hunting, skiing, good basketball watching and shopping. Geri has most of the pictures from the egg-dying and hunting, but I'll post the pictures I have of skiing and Easter baskets.

Jenna and Cody had an instructor to themselves (we made it for half a day skiing and the afternoon lessons didn't have as many people). The instructor said Cody and Jenna basically got three lessons in the hour and a half lesson. Both did fantastic and are athletic enough to have caught on quickly. Neither of them are even sore today! The gal in the red coat by Cody was their instructor. Jenna had to go on the lift by herself and never fell once getting off. After their lesson was done Don took them on "Miami Beach" two more times and I guess one of the times was a train wreck from the start. Cody lost a ski immediately after getting on the lift, so they had to stop it and get the ski back on and then he fell while getting off and lost the same ski. I suppose that wasn't a "train wreck" per say, but Don said he could tell that Cody was getting tired, he fell a lot while coming down the run, he didn't want to lean forward anymore and hence fell a lot. But they all had a lot of fun. Tyler and I hung out around the lodge, we got french fries and I had a "hot toddie"(sp) for an afternoon pick-me-up it was very potent!! Wow. Cody really wants me to take him skiing again before Red Lodge closes, but he'd have to talk his Dad into going because I just don't ski, I'm terrible at it.

Last, but certainly not least, my eldest sister Bree (not that she is qualified as an "elder" hehe) got a hole-in-one while golfing in Boise this past Easter weekend!!! What a stud! Seriously, how many people can boast about that?! She got a hat that said "Hole In One Club" and her name in the paper with my cousin, sister and bro-in-law as wittnesses! She sent me a picture on my phone with the song "Ode to Joy" playing!

So, what's new......

Cody's finally off the antibiotics. The last dose of oral augmentin was Friday night and his last eardrops were last night. He is greatly releived!!! He didn't mind the ear drops but the liquid oral stuff was excrutiating! Every single time he took it he gagged and choked, but he only once didn't manage to get it down. He didn't throw up he just spit it back out in his cereal bowl and since Tyler was sitting there watching Tyler decided that he would throw up for him.....all over Mom, the table and floor. And of course, this was two minutes before the neighbor's usually show up to walk to school with. ARGH!!! Of course, I was not happy with either of them, Cody for not taking his medicine and Tyler for having a weak stomach.....I am seriously the most ogerish mom ever!!! Tyler kept saying "my apologize mom." I was finally able to see the funniness in the whole situation a little while later.
It must be baby season again. There are so many people around me either pregnant or just having had a baby. My neighbor just found out she is pregnant, another mom we walk with at school is due any minute, my cousin and his wife just had a baby, Jas' cousin is pregnant, a gal I work with just had twins and there is more but I won't bore you with the details. I was pretty sure two was plenty for me, but now I'm thinking maybe one more. And then Tyler starts being his beautiful threesome self and I wonder what wire isn't connected up there in my brain to make me think of another one!! :) I actually am looking into this new program our College of Technology just started. It is a 2 year RN program (with pre-reqs of course) and I have all the pre-reqs. Because it is new, there is a pretty good sized waiting list, but the earliest I would want to start would be the fall of 2009 anyway. That way I'd only be putting Tyler in one year of preschool and not having to do daycare, in fact, I wouldn't do it if I had to put Tyler in daycare, it wouldn't be worth it to either of us. Anyway, my only dilemma is how old my credits are. After 2009 they will be 10 years old, which some places make you redo them after 10 years. (man I'm getting old...:) Which I think is a bunch of crap, Jason's degree is over 10 years old, does that mean he needs to go back and get it again....NO, so why should my credits expire? I could see if they were over 20-30 years old maybe that could be a factor, but..... I just don't want to have to take over what I've already taken, so I'm just griping! Oh well, we'll see. I emailed them to get more info and an appt with an advisor to see where I stand. So if I ended up doing this program, maybe we'd think of another one after I was done. I'd be able to work the same hours I do now, I'd just make more money. There'd be a big age difference between the kids, but that's not a big deal. Although, by then the boys will be old enough to start taking on fun vacations, do I really want to start all over with another new one.......oh the dilemma :)

Is Spring Almost Here?

The past couple of weeks have been busy, as always! I love busy though, that means there's things to do, people to see.
Who ever said "terrible twos" was off by a year. I will take a 2-year-old any day of the week over a 3-year-old. WOW, Tyler has been trying me lately!!! I very much remember telling people that 3's were way worse than 2's when Cody was that age, but I think Tyler may win a prize for the oneriest 3-year-old!! I worry about him: "Don't touch that pan, it's hot." Immediately he touches the pan. "Do you liked to be spanked?" "No." "Then stop doing that to your brother." or "Then stop hitting the TV." or "Then stop hitting mom." or "Then stop calling people names." (his favorite being "weirdo") or "Then quit stepping on things." (like toys that will break, his brother, his mom, food he spilled on the carpet, etc.) seriously, I could make a chapter book with just this theme. But I will not bore you with the details. Suffice it to say, I think the kid really does like to be spanked or has no feeling in his butt. So I am currently looking into different methods of punishment. Even though I am a firm believer in spanking and fervantly wish more people would do this to their kids, there would be a hell of a lot more respect from the current generation and the coming ones for authority. (but that is my soap box and I will step off of it for a bit)
Cody, as most of you know, is doing a "Read-a-Thon" (thank you to those who sponsored him) through school this month. The first week, he (me) collected sponors/pledges, then starting last Sunday he has two weeks to read as much as he can. The goal being 300 minutes or 5 hours. The kid has a competitive streak (of which I'm not sure where he got it........ :)), he has already read 310 minutes and still has over a week left. I am very proud of him, he's really doing good. His favorite books are sea creature books: sharks, dolphins, polar animals, etc. Speaking of Cody, I need to sign off and go get him from school. He stayed home this morning sick, he has a cough that he can't shake, but by lunch time he couldn't handle not being there, so I rubbed Vapor rub on his feet game him a cough lasange(sp) and took him to school. So I'm off, sorry about spelling and grammer, I don't have time to check it! :)

A Good Day to Fly to Texas!

So the weather here is similar to the game conditions at Lambeau field yesterday, suffice it to say it is cold and we have lots of snow, not the snowman making kind, but deep dry snow. And now that I mentioned Lambeau, I need to say that the game yesterday was majorly upsetting! I was really looking forward to watching the Packers play in another Superbowl and stop those cocky Patriots! (although the Patriots have reason to be cocky) Unfortunately, Tyne had to go redeem himself in overtime, what's that all about anyway!!!? Greenbay just couldn't get it together yesterday, or more to the point, Greenbay's defense couldn't get it together yesterday and seriously those refs could have tried to not be so biased against the packers!!! the only flags thrown were against them! But, my complaining will not change the outcome, so back to the point of my first sentence:
It's really cold here, which in all honesty, I really don't mind the cold. I used to be a warm weather girl, then I had kids and it's all about the cold weather & big clothes! It's probably a body image thing....sigh! :) Jas has been having to go out-of-town more for work so far this year. Last week he went to Denver for a couple days (which I thought he had gone to Minneapolis, and when he called I had asked him if he'd called his cousins and he asked why he would do that and I said, "cause your in the same town as them" and he then told me he was in Denver, much to my surprise, and then proceeds to say something to the effect of, way to pay attention to where I am, yadda yadda yadda....:)) and then this week he leaves for Dallas today thru Thurs. He'll be gone for the duration of the really cold days. I had asked him if I could go and he said "You'll never see me." and I just had to say it, couldn't help myself, "Point?" He didn't think I was so funny. :) He goes to MN for a couple days in the first week of Feb. He's racking up the frequent flier miles! :)
The boys bundled up and headed outside this morning for a little while. Cody wanted to play football in the snow. Unfortunately he didn't put his football away before the snow came, so he was out there with the snow shovel trying to find it. By the time he did find it, Tyler was cold and came inside. Poor Cody. It actually took longer to bundle Tyler up, than how long he lasted outside! :) If they head back out later, I'll have to take pictures and post them.
For now though, tata!

"Hosted Parties"

So I have a really hard time passing up a good deal. Back in Oct. I ended up going to a couple "Lia Sophia" parties (it's a jewelry line) and at the first one I went to, she gave me $25 off to host my own party. I couldn't pass it up. Besides, as we all know (whoever has had to go to one of these type parties, or hosted one of your own) the only way to really get a lot of stuff for a decent price is to host a party of your own. So anyway, I am going to be having one of these parties on the first of Feb. Which when I reminded Jason about it, he proceeded to go into "Why would I agree to have one of these?" etc, etc. So I reminded him that I have Christmas money I can use AND it's only a few days (12 to be exact :)) before my birthday, so if he was still wondering about what he was going to get me (seeings how he didn't do anything the previous year, I reminded him (and it was even my 30th!!!! what a stinker)) that I would be able to pick some stuff out for him! Very thoughtful of me, I thought!!! So, anyway she gave me a website to give to people if they want to go and take a look or even get any. It's pretty good jewelry and they really stand behind it and will replace/refund any damaged or broken whatever at no cost. Unfortunately it can be a little pricey! The promotion for this month(s) is buy two items, get 2 items at 1/2 off (half off the most expensive items). So anyway the website is: www.liasophia.com/blingo
The boys are onery as ever, as I sit here on the couch typing, Tyler is on the other end watching "A Pup Named Scooby Doo" laying down kicking my legs. It's not even a concious act, he is just always doing something to be a stinker! It's too fun, cause then I get to be a stinker back!
Well, Tyler and I need to go get Cody from school. So bye for now.
(p.s. yes Kelly my hair is darker. I went brunette(sp) at the end of spring last year and I chopped a lot off too. Thought I'd see how the other half lives........so far, not that differently:), but I do like the color change, it's fun. And yes Jason likes it, in fact it was his idea, he's been trying to get me to darken it for years!!?)

A month and a half later........

Wow, the past month (+) has been busy. Not an excuse for not posting news, but busy non-the-less.

We all had a fabulous Christmas. The boys were excited about everything they got (which can always be embarasing(sp) if they receive something they don't want and state that fact in front of the giver....I try to teach them to be polite about all gifts and then wine to me later if they are truly unhappy about it, but sometimes they just can't contain themselves!!! :))

We read the Christmas Story on Christmas Eve to the kids while they drank hot cocoa and wore their new pajamas (the jama pants the boys are wearing are ones I made, they have little christmas fish in each of the squares).

After we read the story Kailee and Cody were composing a letter to Santa, when we heard a boisterous "HO HO HO" from outside the window. The look on Cody's face was commical!! He dropped his crayon and with a deer-in-the-headlights look ran to the window and very "Elf the movie like" yelled "Did you hear that?" So Bree says "I'm sure Santa's waiting at the top of the mountain for you guys to go to sleep so he can come leave the presents." Immediately Kailee yells "To our beds." At which point the babies (Kyra and Tyler) sprint to the bedroom and pull the covers over their heads. Cody is still peering out the window and notices a red light in the sky and is sure it is Rudolph's nose. Dave (my bro-in-law) then puts his face up to the window from the outside gazing in at Cody. It was too funny, Cody doesn't see Dave at first, he thinks it is his own reflection in the glass (Jas was standing right by him asking if he saw him, Cody thought he was asking him if he was seeing Santa.) So Dave turns his head a quarter turn and that's when Cody gave off a shrill little cry and jumps about a foot back. It scared him pretty bad, he laughed at first but then all the emotions kinda kicked in a he needed a little hugging (to hide the crying, poor kid!!) We then looked around and realized the babies were still gone and Bree went and checked, they were still under the covers in the bedroom (wide awake of course). It was seriously too funny. So when Dave came in the house, Cody asked him if he was the one that said "HO HO HO" and Dave almost verbatum(sp) of what Bree said, said "No, I think Santa was up on the mountain just waiting to be able to come in."

We went to my parents house Christmas morning after opening the presents from Santa and opened more presents there and had a very yummy brunch! It was a wonderful holiday, it's so nice to be with family and see at least some of them.

To the WI/MN/OR folks out there, we really wish we could have seen ya over the holidays, it sounds like you all had a really good time. We're hopefully shooting for a trip back there sometime this coming summer! Anyway....Happy New Year everyone (or as Cody and Great-Grandpa Brunner like to say have a Crappy New Year.)