It's a secret entrance!

We are replacing the air conditioner  right now.

Jonathan just opened the crawl space where a floor furnace used to be.

Owen yelled, "There's a secret entrance!"

Alex yelled, "It's a secret passage way!"

I think I need to confiscate the Scooby-Doo DVD's.

Going down in a BLAZE of glory. Literally.

Sunday evening it was a little warm in our house.  I asked JR if he would rather I turn on the attic fan and open some windows or turn on the a/c and suck out some humidity.  He was cuddling CAR, so I wanted him to be comfy (she's a sweaty baby).  We haven't run our a/c much so far this year and JR said to turn on the a/c for a few minutes.

2 minutes after turning it on Jackson said, "Hey Mom!  The air conditioner is on fire."  I look and the fan is spinning and flames are coming out of the top.  I ran and turned off the thermostat.  JR and I ran out and got the water hose and dowsed the unit.  It didn't blow the fuses either.  I don't know how.  Needless to say I went and disconnected the fuses in the box while JR continued to run the water hose.

Hey at least my ducts didn't catch on fire.  Also for the record the central heat and air unit is older than I am (over 31 years old).  I should be thankful it has worked the last 5 years.

One friend asked me why weird things always happen to me.  I'm not sure that they do, I think things sounds funnier coming from my kids.

inconsistancy

This year...

...March didn't come in like a lion and go out like a lamb.

...April showers were rare and my May flowers came from watering my yard.

The one thing that is true and needs a rhyme is that May temperature fluctuations bring tornadoes, but I haven't been able to make it work yet.

Monday I received a text asking if my family was okay.  A tornado hit the edge of Norman.  My family is all great and no one was near it.  It just served as a reminder that the first 2 weeks in May are usually tornado weather.

My camera is charged and I'm ready to watch the sky (and then duck and cover).

6 months

This happened 6 month ago today.  Wow.

I have a new brother now!

Not biologically.  My oldest sister eloped yesterday, while in Texas for business.  No, she didn't just meet her husband in Texas.  They've been dating for 2-3 years.  I'm not really sure how long, but for a while.

I asked if I could call him bro since we had no brothers.  Steve said I could call him whatever I wanted...that's pretty loaded.  Hahaha!

CONGRATS MICHELLE AND STEVE!

Also, eloping...smart...very smart.

Check it out and pass it on.

She's officially for sale.

If this page isn't visible, just scroll to the right.  It works right in Google Chrome, but you have to scroll in internet explorer.

So is the parts car and all extra parts.

Repierced

I had my ears pierced when I was 13.  I sat at the kitchen table with ice on my ear and my mother stabbed my ear with a needle.

When I was 18 I added a 2nd, 3rd and 4th (cartilage) hole to my right ear and a 2nd on my left.  Those were done with a piercing gun and against my mothers wishes.  I paid for it with my own money and I managed to keep my ears covered for 2 months.

I let the 2nd and 3rd holes close.  The 4th never did.  

Over the years I've stopped wearing earring, except on Sundays or on the rare occasion that I get really "ready".  Then my 1st holes closed.  Yesterday I repierced them at home.  

V doesn't have her ears pierced and I told her that when she was ready to take care of them she could, but that she had to take responsibility for cleaning and care.

She found it a little freaky that I just stabbed myself.

I'm debating taking her to get them done or going the kitchen chair route when she's ready.  They both hurt equally (not that bad).  Do you have an opinion?

Have I mentioned...

...I like coffee.

Yep, sure do.

More info on baby wearing

As I stated in the Baby Bluetooth post, Jennifer made me a wonderful wrap sling.  She attended a class on baby wearing and passed great information on, gave me a sling as a gift and taught me how to wear it.  Having someone to show you really helps.

She attended her class in the OKC area and classes can be found at http://babywearingdoula.com/.

I did find a location in Tulsa that taught classes, but they have discontinued them.

These links were given to me by Jennifer in an e-mail on wrapping methods and making your own wraps.

http://www.mobywrap.com/

http://www.wrapyourbaby.com/index.htm

http://www.wearyourbaby.com/

I am in agreement with her that the basic is the best for small babies who need more support.  

I do promise pictures are to come.

*I guess I should add this.  You need to be aware of you child when placing them in a wrap or sling.  Their breathing should not be obstructed and you should be paying attention to them.  This seems like a duh, but I've had a lot of people tell me that ALL slings have been recalled.  This is totally inaccurate, not all slings have and greater care should be taken with children under 4 weeks of age.

I'm not the most thrifty...

...in the visiting thrift store sense.

First I dislike shopping with every fiber of my being.  I don't like hunting and not finding what I want in a department store, let alone a thrift store.  I'm also a cheapskate.  I'm okay with that too.

By chance we ended up at a Goodwill with JR's sis and mom, earlier this month.  I still have 16 lbs to lose and my kids have plenty of clothes, so I started looking for clothes for Jonathan.  I've been wanting to buy him a sport coat (with elbow patches), but they are ridiculous expensive.  By chance I found 2 his size (without elbow patches).  We bought both, one for $13 and one for $6.50.  One was from Bachrach.  Both were wool and silk.

JR really needed a new pair of chocolate colored slacks and I knew they would look good with one coat.  I picked up a pair on sale at JCPenney online and while I was at it I bought him a total impulse purchase.  A fedora that was also on sale.

I'm such a geek.  I was totally born at the wrong time.

Of course...

...it might rain...I've taken a shower and am in my pj's (thankfully yoga pants and a tank top)...and I forgot to have the kids get their clothes and shoes out of the backyard...and it's pitch black with no light in our backyard...I'm off to find shoes and a flashlight.

Muffin

When you hear someone use profanity, insert the word "muffin" or some such silly word in it's place and it will make you giggle.  I do so enjoy laughing at other people.  This just makes it easier.

My 6th child

No, I'm not pregnant, nor am I speaking of my husband (I find that mean).

I'm speaking of my neighbors son.  Matt is 14 and loves to come play with my kids.  He's a good one who would have done well with siblings, but his mother went through in vitro twice to get him.

We met Matt and 2 of his friends the day we moved in.  They were 9 and bored.  They offered to help us unload our truck.  They were fast.  We couldn't keep up.  We gave them $30 to split ( they had plans to go to a water park that afternoon).  After the truck was unloaded they went out front with a "boom box" (that word dates me) and started playing music.  My initial thought was not good about boys playing loud music.  Then we realized it was DC Talk's Jesus Freak.  Not my favorite song, but definitely acceptable.  For all I knew we were about to get Tupac.

Over the past (almost) 5 years, Matt has come over a lot.  He plays with the kids (and sometimes brings friends), camps out with our kids or his friends on our trampoline, plays flashlight tag in our back yard with his cousins, hangs out if he forgets his key on rainy days and so on.  He's a welcome friend and fun sudo addition to our family.

He's had one recent very funny affect on my boys that I must share.  Matt is still a skinny 14 year old, but he likes to rough house on the trampoline with his shirt off.  Now all of my boys think that if they are in the back yard they should be shirtless.

JR took V and Jack to the farm today, so it is just CAR and the twins and I.  I opened the back door to let the boys run in and out and even though it is a little cloudy and windy, making it chilly Owen and Xander took off their shirts an played in the back yard.  You can tell they look up to Matt.

Tagging

I'm beginning tagging my posts.  This may take a while.

The Baby Bluetooth

I'm not a total tech geek.  I would like to be but milk, eggs, electricity and shoes are more important for a family of 7.  ;D

I own no cell phone headset, but I do have the equivalent of a Bluetooth for Caroline (seriously it's hands free).  How I lived without my baby Bluetooth with my other kids I have no idea.  If it weren't for my baby Bluetooth the twins would have run out in traffic and died many months ago.  Dinner would have been much later if not for my baby Bluetooth many times over.

Some may be wondering what the heck I'm talking about...it's called baby wearing.  I couldn't go to Wal-Mart without a sling.  She sleeps until we get to the check out.  I never use a car seat carrier and I've even put the old carrier car seat in the attic and pulled the better, bigger, more stable car seat down.

I have 3 slings, 2 wraps and 1 shoulder pouch.

First I want to talk about the wraps.  You can spend too much and buy a Moby or you can make your own (15 feet long and 20 inches wide).  My first was made by Jennifer.  Her husband graduated with JR and they gave me one that she made and she taught me how to wear it.  Oh, my, it's wonderful!  When I'm cooking it is a life saver.  When I'm cold it's a generator.  I love it!  I've made another in black for a formal occasion (I wore CAR to my cousins wedding).  In the next week I'll post the site for making and wearing a baby and pictures of CAR in hers.

My other sling I like when I'm in a hurry and I just need to sit her on my hip for a little while or I'm too hot to be wrapped (that is one sweaty baby).  I ordered it from this site.  Needless to say I am going to use it as a pattern and make another.  I can even carry the twins in this one.  I carried Owen when we made an impromptu Zoo trip with no stroller.  After 4 hours he was wiped out.

I like having at least 2.  If one is dirty I always have a back up.

Call it what you want...baby wearing...baby Bluetooth...it doesn't matter I highly recommend it.

Funny things and random thoughts.

"I want to drink your blu."  -Xander

Think blood without the d.  That's his attempt at a Transylvanian accent.

"Backblerry."  -Xander

This is his attempt at saying blackberry.

I really like the word Gnarly.  I should have been a surfer so I could use it more often.  It's a little hard to surf in Oklahoma though.

I bought the cutest tennis shoes ever.

Okay, maybe the second cutest.  I didn't think the white would survive.

My Expedition will be paid off Monday.  1 year early.

"Say Vegemite!"  -Owen

Instead of telling people to say cheese when taking a picture.

"Fart!"  -Me

If you want to send my oldest (V) into a fit of giggle you just look at her and say that.  Jonathan prefers that the kids say, "Pass Gas", so it is incredibly funny to her.

We tried.

JR called at about 7:45 and said the shuttle would be passing over in about 5 minutes.  I dove out of bed (I was cuddling CAR) and got the kids semi dressed (half PJ's, half normal clothes).

We ran outside to the empty lot across the street and stood there.  Owen crying.  The kids talking over the car radio (announcing it's location).  Staring at the sky.

...and...

We didn't see it.  We heard it, but never saw it.  I'm glad we tried.

JR pulled off of the highway to look and he didn't see it either.

Our neighbor came across the street to make sure nothing had happened to the house, b/c we were standing there staring to the NW toward our house.

We did hear it, so I guess it was worth it to say we did.

Where were you?

Do you remember?

It's been 15 years and I remember most of the details of where I was during the OKC bombing and when and how I found out.

I was less about 203-30 minutes away, doing a Biology lesson outside.  I found out during the next hour of school.  I still tear up much like 9/11.

I learned a very expensive lesson yesterday.

If it feels like appendicitis, the doctor thinks it sound like "textbook" appendicitis, and you go have expensive tests run.  It may not be appendicitis.

It may be much more simple, embarrassing and stupid.  Thankfully it's easer and much cheaper to treat.

I had a CT scan for nothing.  Okay, not having surgery is something, but they didn't draw blood and check my white cell counts which is a huge indicator and much cheaper (I learned this after the scan).

I'm still not sure how this stomach issue occurred, but you live and learn (and you feel stupid).

Did I mention that I feel stupid?  Just checking.

MISSING

2 permanent lateral incisors.  If found please call.  V would like them back.

Okay, so apparently she never had them to begin with.

We went to the orthodontist this afternoon and V is missing both lateral incisors.  She comes by it naturally.  I'm missing the one on the right and one of mom's cousins and one of her aunt's were also missing one.

I have a bridge after 2 1/2 years in braces as an adult.  JR looked like a pedophile when we got married and had V.  I looked 12 even though I was 20 and older.

We go back to the orthodontist in 6 months for another check.

yippee...yes the lower case is indicative of my excitement.