THIS IS WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU "BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES"

We've been couped up for two days, and I must say I definetly welcomed it! Other than the storms, power ottages, trees down on neighbors cars, junk everywhere, being homebound because of the "Winter Storm" was fine by me! We have had a busy year and I am really enjoying this little time off!! The weather was MUCH better today but we still chose to stay home and hang out!!! So what did we do you ask?? Played lots of games...at least a few that we could find that hadn't yet been unpacked!!!

Apples to Apples...the funnest family game!!! Scattergories....which I am terrible at!
And, lots of video games!!! My kids were in heaven...
How sweet are they?!?!?!

JOSHY'S VERSION OF THE SOULJA BOY DANCE

And, if you watch it thru to the end, you will catch a glimpse of the new "Waiter Dance" as created by Joshy! At one point, he even looks like one of the Riverdance/Lord of the Dance dancers!! He really is our free entertainment! Well, it might be free now, but years down the road when he needs therapy we'll be paying!!!

JOSHY'S A "LITTLE DRIBBLER"

Everyone, Joshy's on a team! He is so excited to FINALLY be on his own team...and a Basketball team at that! JOshy is officially a "little Dribbler". THe boys, in preschool and Kindergarten, have been practicing hard and can't wait for their first game on Jaunary 12th! It's going to be so cute! We invite everyone to go watch a game at the YMCA in W-Town!

SUNNY BEAR!

It's always so much fun for the kids when they get to bring home their class mascot...well, at least Jake & Josh! Last week was Joshy's week with "Sunny Bear". It's so cute watching him take such good care of him...dressing him, feeding him, playing with him, making Bear toast and reading his favortie book to him!!! Joshy was a good friend to Sunny all week! (If only the boys were as nice to each other!!)

MY LITTLE MONKEY

Joshy took a break from helping Daddy in the yard to climb the tree and have his snack...It's so nice to have mature trees and plants!!

SEPTEMBER 19th..

Joshy's Birthday...Spongebob Cookies on a Stick to share with his preschool friends....
We then met some friends of ours (whose two boys play football with Jake & Justin) at Chevy's to celebrate both Josh & Meagan's (2nd) Birthdays! After dinner we went over to their house for a little cake! Thanks Sheri & Darrel for the cake! It was fun! Meagan at Chevy's...how darn cute is she!!!
And Joshy...I think this is why my kids like to go to Chevy's...so they can get the sombrero!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BABY!

Today Joshy is staying 4 NOT turning 5! He has decided he wants to stay 4 forever. At first it was because he didn't know how to back up a car, now he just wants to stay my baby forever!! How precious!! Actually, I think he doesn't want to give up sippy cups! Anyways, I hope my baby forever has a great day today and has fun with all the special things he will be doing today!

JOSHY'S FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL

YEAH!! The day finally arrived! Joshy was so excited to start Preschool today! With the exception of two new kids in his class, and one of those being his buddy Ethan, all the same kids are back for year #2. They were all so excited to see each other and really just seemed to all pickup where they left off at the end of the last school year!!

The traditional forst day of school shot....he's looking so grown up!! Table time!
Look what I'm doing Mom!! Now, you can leave!

RANDOM JOSHY

This is what happens when you do what your brothers tell you to do...can you tell it's the end of summer vacation, my kids are bored and they are resorting to dressing up their little brother?!?!? Joshy's new haircut....not my fave look...but he just wanted to "look like his brudders"

NOTHING SAYS RELAXING...

...like a little BBQ on a Friday night, a nice glass of Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin...voted BEST red wine at Steph's Wine Tasting Party by the way.....like a four year old swallowing a FREAKIN MAGNETIX BALL!!! Yeah, that would be Joshy! Just finished dinner, poured a 2nd glass for myself to sit and watch the kids play Big Brain Academy on Wii when the freakout happened!!! It was the weirdest moment....Joshy had this freaked out panicked look on his face and was hysterical crying.....the ball obviously had gone down but he was freaking out that the Dr. would have to "cut his throat with a knife and he was going to die". Thanks goodness for Justin for getting him to calm down while I was on the phone with the Advice Nurse & Poison Control. And, bless Jake's heart he was trying to console Joshy but was more concerned with "how this would affect our trip to Lake Almanor" Oh brotherly love! Anyways, Posion Control said it should pass in 2-4 days, so lucky us, we get to play with poop while on vacation! Fun stuff I tell ya! So, as long as he doesn't have any stomach pains or throwing up he should be fine and it will just pass...thru poop....ick! Those who know Josh though know how OCD he is and I must say how pathetically sad it is hearing him ask me every 2 seconds "I'm not going to die, rigbt, Mommy"?? Poor little buddy!! Hopefully he will learn from this because JOshy is ALWAYS putting things in his mouth....

Stay tuned for all the details of the passing....

And, by the way, did you know that kids HAVE died from swallowing TWO magnetix items....they attach together inside the stomach and can pinch off your intestines and blood flow. The Posion Control guy told me that after he asked me about 25 times if I was absolutely positive he did not swallow two.....maybe these should be recalled?!?!?!

RELAY FOR LIFE

It was our little towns 3rd annual Relay for Life last night and for the 2nd year in a row we went out in honor of friends and family who have lost their lives to Cancer and the Cancer Survivors. As you may remember from last year Jake tagged along with me and loved it so much that he has been looking forward to it again this year. This year Joshy wanted to go too and after trying for two hours while we were wlaking to explain what we were doing and why I gave up...as most of you can imagine....The boys did awesome and after 1 hour and 50 minutes of NO complaints from Joshy and constant walking he just so non chalantly said he was done and went and sat down! The boys did great and in the end Joshy had 18 paperclips, which translates to 18 laps around the track which equals 4 and 1/2 miles!! What a trooper! Jake & I finished off 2 more laps to make it an even 5 miles. Thanks Alisa for asking us to participate again with the Powerful Pink People! It is such an awesome experience and I love to be a part of it every year!!!

AS STEPH WOULD SAY....

....THE APPLES DON'T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE

Joshy LOVES to sleep in Daddy's work shirts (not that he wears this to work...) and of all the shirts in his closet he always wants to wear this one!!! Where the heck did this shirt come from and did someone actually pay money for it?? Papa?!?!? Then he walks around with his little 'tude over and over saying "Beer is Life, Beer is Life, Beer is Life"....strange little child!!!

SAN FRANCISCO DAYS, SAN FRANCISCO NIGHTS!

SAN FRANCISCO DAYS....

It was a beutiful day in SF, a bit chilly, but a great day overall! We decided to take a ride on the Cable Cars and check out Pier 39 & Fisherman's Wharf. It had been YEARS since we went to SF and just did the touristy thing. Joshy was not thrilled about getting on the Cable Cars, but once he did he loved it. Jake on the other hand freaked out the whole time! He was a nervous wreck, especially on our way back and I had to stand off the side of the car!!

SAN FRANCISCO NIGHTS....

All along the kids thought we were just going with Momo to "an appointment" in San Francisco. They had no idea what we were doing, and even when we got to the Airport they just thought we were picking up Momo's friend. So, after a 2 hour delayed flight and missed connection from Atlanta to Sf they kids FINALLY arrived after 12:30 at night!! My kiddos were actually very good at the Airport, and thank goodness for the AirTrain that we just kept riding around the in circles all night! By midnight they were exhausted and ready to go!

But, it was all worth it when they saw their cousins walking up the runway with Momo!! Finally, they are here to spend the summer with Papa & Momo!! I can't believe how big they have gotten!!

Josh, Justin, Brittany, Christian, Gunnar & Jake

ACCORDING TO MY KIDS...

...summer is officially here now that we have setup Banzai Falls! They have been such troopers with all my painting (see previous post) and have been waiting oh-so-patiently to have some summer fun!!

JOSHY'S PRESCHOOL PERFORMANCE

How cute is this??!! Joshy's Preschool...Sunshine Preschool....had their Ocean Performance a few weeks back. It was sooooo cute! All the kids were dressed up in their beach attire and sang four songs! (You can check out a youtube video in a post below!) I know none of you will believe this, but Joshy was SOOOOO bashful up in front of everyone! Even his teacher was surprised! Not sure why that was! You all know Joshy IS NOT shy by any means! It was actually quite cute of him!

Here is the Tuesday/Thursday class performing! I think I cut off one student on accident.... This pic is so cute of Joshy...doesn't he look so cute and sweet and innocent!! And, goofy as his brothers would say...
Blowing bubbles while the girls sang...
And, last but not least, showing "Stand in Sister" Lexi around his school. Go figure, Josh finally had something of his own for his brothers to go watch and Jake had a baseball game and Justin had a basketball game at the same time! So, Lexi to the rescue! Thanks Lexi!

A LITTLE PEEK AT JOSHY'S PRESCHOOL PERFORMANCE

RANDOM JOSH

Joshy & Lexi at one of the Track Meets. Thank goodness they have each other to entertain! And, thank goodness it's not his bedtime, huh Lexi? For some reason he thought it was so funny to wear his visor like this....

LUIS....

It's all fun and games......
Until you make Joshy maddddd.....
And have to bribe him with money to be your friend again.......

A RARE GLIMPSE OF BROTHERLY LOVE!

Imagine my surprise when all is quiet in the house and I instantly assume the boys are up to trouble...but no, I find this..... Jake teaching Josh how to read!! HOW SWEET! I didn't have the heart to tell Jake he should probably teach him his abc's first :-)))

WORKING IN THE YARD WITH HIS HOE....

Nice outfit....