A Public Service Announcement...

This is for my friends that read the comments on my blog and asked suspiciously, "So, Who is Jack?" Well, the comments made to this blogspot under the name Jack McKinley are actually being made by Jack's wife, Jaime. So, please accept the following Public Service Announcement: I am not having an Internet affair with Jack McKinley...I am having an Internet affair with his wife, Jaime....er.....Oh, for pity sake, people...you know what I meant! Also, I am not having an inappropriate Internet relationship with my brother-in-law, Jon Clay...the comment made under the name "jdubyk" was made by my sister, Stephanie...Jon Clay's wife. So...stop making me feel like some sort of blogging floozy, people!


Here we see the wonderful Jaime and Jack. See...nothing inappropriate here...these are church going people...They even went to church in Paris, when they were on a trip for their 10 year anniversary!

I Almost Missed It...

This past Monday when Mike got home from work he came into the house and exclaimed in his best Irish accent, " I thought the pot of Gold was under me house!" ( You haven't lived until you've heard my adorable husband speak in his Irish accent....but, I digress...) I looked at him with a puzzled expression...and he asked, "Did you see the rainbow?"

I must pause for a break in the story and tell the readers of this blog about the hours of 3:00p.m. until about 6:00p.m. at my house. I have a friend, named Jaime, that calls these hours the "Witching Hours". I like the title "Witching Hours" better than what I usually call them: "The I Want To Run Screaming Into the Night Hours" or parenthetically titled, (If I Run Screaming Into the Night, Will My Poor Kids Have Abandonment Issues? Hours)

As all mothers know...the hours between the time the kids get home from school and Daddy gets home from work are often stressful and "action packed" to say the very least. Between homework, ravenous children begging for snacks, breaking up fights, trying to find uniforms and footwear for sports, ~ I have lost all ability to see the beauty in life. I am always so happy to see Mike at the end of the day...because I love him, dearly, and because I am frothing at the mouth by 4:45p.m.

So, now I resume the story I started before....Mike asked me, "Did you see the rainbow?" I was aware that it had been raining...(Yes, folks! You read it here first...it finally rained here last Monday after months of drought-like conditions)...I told him I hadn't seen a rainbow and he led me outside to see the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. I really need to slow down and try to enjoy life a little more.

A Rainbow Over Rainbow Street

We Hope You Had a Wonderful Thanksgiving!

We have been out of town for the last few days visiting my parents for Thanksgiving. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, and ate way too much! (I reserve the right to grant myself clemency from dieting, in any form, over the Thanksgiving holiday.) Having said that , I must confess that I think I am still in a Turkey coma, so this blog may sound a little scatter-brained and random.

Firstly, "The Huntress" (see the earlier post) is pleased to give the following status report of the mice situation. All traps were empty upon our return home. The exterminator is still coming, because, I know that those little buggers are just lying in wait...taunting me...

My kids made me laugh a lot over the Thanksgiving holiday. Brian kept telling everyone that it was "Sanksgiving". Then he would ask me "Is it Sanksgiving, or Christmas, Mom?" I would remind him it is Thanksgiving and he would say "Oh, yeah...it's Sanksgiving..." Then, as we were driving around he would see all of the Christmas decorations and he would ask me again if it was Christmas or Thanksgiving. I understand why it could be confusing to the poor little guy. Brian, honey...Mommy will explain all of the ins and outs of commercialism when you are a little older. Maybe, one day, you will even find beauty in finding great deals on Black Friday.

Or

???

Evan kept pointing out how big Brian's muscles are to everyone. Each time he did, Brian would pull up his sleeves to show his impressive biceps. It was not done by Evan mean-spiritedly...seeing Brian flex was very entertaining. Grandma, could be heard saying in response to Brian striking body-building like poses "Ohhhh, my! Look at those muscles!"

Adam showed some mad skills while playing board games! He proved himself to be a formidable opponent in both Set, and Pictionary Junior. If Adam had a question about one of the words he was supposed to draw, he would charge up the steps and ask Grandad to explain it to him. At one point, I was in my office, (a.k.a. the bathroom) and I heard Adam ask Grandad what the word "umpire" meant. My Dad began to explain saying "You know when you are watching a baseball game and the man that...." Before Grandad could finish I heard Adam call out, as he was running out the door..."Oh, yeah! I know who you mean!" I was talking with my Dad later, and he said how much he enjoyed helping Adam, and how funny it was to see the "light bulb click on" in his eyes when he realized what he wanted to draw. I witnessed him running back to the game several times. You could see the proverbial "wheels turning" in his mind as he formulated how he was going to draw his clues.

Of course, watching the Virginia Tech Hokies beat the University of Virginia Cavaliers was a highlight of the Thanksgiving holiday. Go Hokies! Mike's cousin Nick even got some camera time, as he plays an offensive guard position for Tech.

I had an unexpected "touching moment" during our visit. My sister Stephanie called my mom to thank her for "sucking the snot out of her nose when she was a baby." Mom said she responded with a confused "Uh... well, you're welcome..." Stephanie went on to explain that her 5 month old, Jack had a terrible cold and had to have his nasal passages cleared so...as she was wrestling him and using a bulb syringe to clean out his little nose, she said to little Jack ( as he screamed his sweet little head off) "You'll thank me for this, one day!" and then it dawned on her....Jack probably won't ever thank her for irrigating his little nose. Purging nasal passages is truly,thankless work. Realizing this, she called Mom to officially thank her for, as mentioned before, "sucking the snot out of her nose when she was a baby." We got a good chuckle out of the story, but then it hit me...parenting is often thankless work,so...this goes out to my parents, and Mike's parents...This Thanksgiving we want to THANK OUR PARENTS FOR EVERYTHING! WE LOVE YOU!

Here we see my sister, Stephanie (the nasal passage sucker-outer) holding her son Jack (the nasal passage sucked-outee). Uncle Jon is holding Jack's twin brother, Alex. (Don't worry Alex...I'm sure Mommy will irrigate your nasal passages one day, too!)

Hmmm...note to self...remember to clean out Adam's ears tomorrow. Be at peace with the fact that he will not thank me for my efforts.

A Word to the Wise...

Brian was 3 years and 9 months old in this picture

If you say to certain children "Put your shirt on, please..." this is what you may end up with. I can't argue...his shirt is, in fact, on. Lately, I have had to be more specific. For example, I realize now I need to say something along the lines of..."Please, put your shirt on with your head in the head hole, not the arm hole, and put both of your arms in the arm holes...each arm hole should have 1 arm in it. It can be exhausting being specific, let me tell ya. I think he looks cute, though! I am convinced that Heavenly Father makes children adorable to their mothers...so they don't kill them

The Thanksgiving Feast and Pageant

Yesterday, I had a special treat! I got to attend Adam's 2nd Grade Thanksgiving Pageant and Feast. I know every parent in the "New World" has pictures similar to these, but I firmly feel that Adam makes a handsome native American, in his handmade headdress and vest. Be sure to notice his craftsmanship as you enjoy these photos.

He didn't know I took a picture of the back of his headdress...but, I just wanted to capture his use of multiple feathers. Adam was 7 years and 4 months old at the time of this photo shoot.

Thanks for inviting me to come, Adam. I had a great time!

Supernanny is a Hag

Occasionally, Mike and I like to watch episodes of Supernanny. Admittedly, it is to make fun of other peoples children because, even though our children's behavior could be deemed "less than perfect" at times (I know, shocking) it is fun to watch the show and think to ourselves, with an heir of arrogance, "Well, at least our children don't behave like that!"
In one episode, Supernanny explained that when you have an unruly child you need to get down on your knees and look straight into the child's eyes instead of towering over them when you are correcting their behavior. She explained at length, the merits of the child having eye to eye contact and feeling like they are able to express themselves better that way, instead of being domineered.
Enter my wonderful Brian... ( 4 years and 5 months old at the time of the incident)
Brian LOVES his Batman outfit. He would wear it until it rots off of him. One afternoon, he wanted to change back into it after pre-school but it was FILTHY! I told him it had to be washed before he could wear it again. My statement was met with all manner of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth...so...instinctively, I fell back upon my training at the feet of Supernanny. I got down on my knees...I looked deep into sweet Brian's brown eyes and explained, on his level, in a soft tone, that his Batman outfit was not just dirty, it was filthy and smelly and HAD to be washed...I even said, that I understood that he was upset...when he said flatly ..."Your teeth are YELLOW!"
May Supernanny never meet me in a dark alley. I dare say, she has never met the likes of my Brian.

I Am the Huntress...

I can't believe my first real post is going to be about our ongoing "Home Invasion". (editorial note to anyone reading this blog...it is not for the faint of heart...it deals with vermin.)
Okay, so...several weeks ago I was up really late at night (anyone who knows me, knows that being up late is a rarity for me because I really suspect that I have some form of narcolepsy that only strikes after 8:00p.m.) As I was sitting on the couch, I saw a cute, little grey mouse scurry past. Yipe! We bought traps and I jokingly told Mike and the boys that I was not only their beloved wife and mother but, I exclaimed "I am the Huntress!" Basically, knowing there was a mouse in the house gave me the willies so, my strategy in naming myself "The Huntress" was to convince myself I was in control of the situation and to strike fear in the hearts of any mice listening. I called my sister, Stephanie to lament, and she told me that she had recently learned from a friend who had just had a mouse problem that her friend's exterminator said that if you see one mouse...there are usually about 5 or 6. Fabulous. So...within the first day we caught one...I was so frightened to pick it up that I actually made Mike dispose of it when he got home...as time wore on the death toll reached 7. In the beginning of the ordeal I told my sister that I was one step shy of acting like the women in the old-fashioned Tom and Jerry cartoons in high-heels with ruffled petticoats screaming on top of a kitchen chair (does anyone remember that visual?) but, by day 3 I had become a cold blooded killer. Stephie would call me and not even say "Hello" at first but simply ask "Death Toll?" (Stephie, I want to thank you for seeing me through this vigil) I had become so callous that I had no trouble disposing of traps with, may they rest in peace, deceased mice attached. Well, I left new traps down at night, ya know, just in case, and after 2 weeks of no mice and the death toll halting at 7...last night 2 became victims of "The thought she was flippin' retired Huntress"! As mentioned before, I can't believe that this is the subject matter of my first real post...but I am crestfallen, and downright furious! I am calling the exterminator first thing this morning...the huntress needs to network.