My kids are getting so big, I stop during my day sometimes and just look t them. I have a hard time finding the tiny infants I brought home, the excited baby, the chubby face crawlers. Even my youngest is getting so independent and individual that I am starting to feel redundant. I suppose my oldest child being 6 and a half and so tall and my youngest weaning himself has made me feel a bit nostalgic.
My sister in law just had a baby boy and he is adorable. My sister is having a little boy as well, in only a handful of weeks. Every so often I call her for updates and yesterday she told me she had decided on a name for her little one. My reaction? I felt like crying. I adore babies... I like kids if they aren't too annoying, but I learned a long time ago I like MY kids, not every kid, but I really love babies. Every last one of them. It makes me proud to see the children my boys are becoming but sad to lose the beautiful round, giggling babies that need me and don't mind cuddling. I didn't realize how much I would feel the loss of the constant touching of newborn til crawling ages.. til they didn't want held anymore. Sadly, I have been holding the kittens tons more than I would have before because they let me cradle them. Pathetic, right?
Sigh. Time's unceasing march forward has been emphasized lately in the form of my grandparents as well. Dandad is barely there sometimes adn he has stopped recognizing me on the phone. I wish I could go see him more but we can't afford it and the weather tends to prohibit travel for a good half the year here.
My grandmother has been going through some hard stuff as well. So many problems, serious ones and she can't get any answers. She is reduced to not walking now, in constant pain, using a walker and a bedside commode and still the doctors can't help her. She has been so negative, talking about not wanting to keep going if this is her life from here on out.I need as much good news as I can get right now.

This is the 17th!!!

I'm so excited, today is the day we get to see Mick on TV. Watch PBS Sprout, the PicMe show. For family who don't get cable, we're recording it WILL find a way to share it with you all.
12 minutes of fame, yippee!

Kittens, kittens!

We have two new members to our household. They are as of yet still un named, but they are adored. My brother and his wife adopted a cat, Talula. She is THE sweetest natured, most loving cat I have ever known and when she was going to have kittens I begged for one. Mike allowed me two, so today I brought home a brother and sister duo. The sealpoint is a girl. She intense and energetic, but somewhat aloof and quiet. The black and white one is a boy, he's JUST like his mother in looks and personality - sweet, cuddly and loud when demanding attention. They have had free run of the house already and have stolen Mike's heart. He actually put down his laptop and the remote to come take the sleeping babies out of my arms... just so he could snuggle them. We've waited 4 years to get another cat because it was never the right time and we wanted to be fair to the feline and give it the attention and stable home it deserved.

We have exciting news!

We love the Sprout channel. I don't have to be careful what the kids see on there because it's a PBS channel for children.... nice and clean and educational.
On the show there is a website address for games and so on, www.sproutonline.com The kids love it, they all three huddle around the computer screen helping each other figure out puzzles, rooting each other on in playing games, and watching their favorite shows.
I received an email yesterday from a PR representative of Sprout, informing me that Mick had been chosen to appear on a show called PicMe. Basically, it's a child's face pictured on an animated story that lasts for about 15 minutes. Mick's story is going to be "Trains with Mick"
We're all so excited! It's airing on September 17th, set your reminders, DVR, or TiVo, Don't miss it!!

So long, summer. I'll miss you.

We live in an area that has amazingly short summers. Spring tends to start in the end of April or middle of May. We've still seen snow in June three years straight, though for the most part it's warmed enough to melt all but the shady spots.
This year was no exception but the weather stayed cool and comfy all the way through til July 20th or so. We then had about three weeks of hot weather, all the way up to 97 degrees for two of those weeks. There was a big ominous build up to thunderstorms that never appeared for days, til it finally culminated and broke in a spectacular display of giant hail, thunder, lightening, and heavy rain.
Since then, it's been cool, even cold. Usually we have til August 25th til we can't go swimming anymore but I think we reached that point already. I feel fall in the air, I can smell it in the soil and leaves. not that I mourn the loss of summer, I enjoyed it greatly while it was here, but I am eager to be snuggled in my new house this winter and actually have enough room for all three kids and our big dogs. We also haven't been able to do anything with the yard this year and I am looking forward to seeing our property covered in snow. Gorgeous and white and forgivingly covering the total lack of plants and landscaping here.

Next payday is supposed to be a good time to go visit family and I am really looking forward to seeing my grandparents and mom and sister again. With my grandparents health failing, I want to see them as much as I can while the weather is good. Once the first snow hits, we might not get to see them for as much as 6 months. My sister is having a baby soon, too, and I am planning the shower for the first weekend of September. I am so happy to give her a shower, I've attempted to every time but it has never worked out. This time will be different.

bored

Mom and Erick left. I cleaned the house. Now I have nothing to do. The kids are quietly eating a banana and watching Noggin, there is nothing requiring my attention. All I could really do is bake or wash the dogs and I hate washing the dogs. They run away. I get muddy and wet. Baking sounds better and better.