Blankets Bears and Binkies OH MY!

Hiatus No More!

2012-01-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

A ton has happened in the last 404 days since I last posted. So much so I should almost change my blog title....

Homeschooling is a thing of the past. Both of my big kids are full time students at our neighborhood school and loving every moment of it. Chloe has given up binkies well hers at least but she does from time to time hide to suck on her little brothers.

Christmas Eve of 2010 we found out that we were expecting baby #4. Michael Loren was born the day after his big brothers birthday on July 10, 2011 weighting in at 4lbs 7oz and 17 inches long. Mikey was a huge surprise who decided to keep us on our toes when he decided to make his grand entrance into the world 2 months on the day before his due date. After 21 long days in the NICU learning how to eat on his own. He made his way to our crazy home that has been none stop craziness from the moment he was carried through the door.

The craziness couldnt be any more fun than it is. Its a joy and such a blessing to have 4 amazingly wonderful children to call our own. From giggles and grins, endless laundry, zero sleep and a house that always seems to look like a tornado just hit it. The last 404 days have been WONDERFUL!

I miss recording my crazy life's moments here at BBnB so I think its safe to say... That I'm back!!!

Until Next Time,
Just call me Mom

It's Safe to Say

2010-12-21T08:53:00.000-08:00

That it's possible that I have stopped blogging.

I guess I will add this to my list of things to do in the new year.

As for the reasons I do not blog anymore. Time seems to be the main reason. The other reason the moment I try to sit down to blog. My 4 year old always gets into something. Just now she opened a can of soda that she must have first dropped or shaken because now I have soda all over my floor.

This year has been crazy....

Everyone is a year older including myself and I am having a hard time with the idea that I am almost 30. We have moved way to many times but I am happy to say that it wont be happening again for a very very long time.

If there is anyone out there who still swings by from time to time to see if I have posted anything.

I am wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Until Next Time,
Just Mom

Still in Boxes

2010-09-01T11:06:00.001-07:00

( and to think we made 2 other runs on top of this one)

We are moved...

Still in boxes...

and it seems that the boxes never end.

I'm still floored that we took a 3500sf house full of stuff packed it into a 10 x 30 storage unit.

Now we have moved our things from a 10 x 30 storage unit and are trying to put all of our crap into 1200sf of a small, non storage having apartment.

I never thought in a million years that after Scott, Avery and I moved out of our first apartment. That we would ever end back up in an apartment.

While everyone is adjusting nicely for the most part anyway. I cant help but miss the space, the yard, and most of all STORAGE.

I have no idea where in the world to put our towels, extra sheets, toys, toys and more toys. I am continuing to get rid of TONS of stuff and when I say TONS I mean tons. The only thing I'm having the most trouble tossing is baby items...

1.) I have this fear that if I give it away, sell or toss it. That it will only be a matter of time before I end up with another wee one.

2.) If that does happen I don't think Mr. Montana has any idea of the cost to buy everything that would be needed.

3.) I have this little idea that if I hand onto all the girls baby clothes that I might end up getting really lucky and end up with a BOY since I would be ready for a girl, and I would be forced to buy all new things anyway.

4.) If that happens then I will toss every last item of baby girl clothes... wait not every item cause there are a few things I don't think that I could part with.

Okay so I know what your thinking...

I know my ideas aren't really sane ones, but Scott and I have been going back and forth for months about adding one more wee one to the mix. Not that I wouldn't be happy with 3 girls and a 1 boy. It sure would be nice for Aves to have a brother. So maybe if I'm lucky my idea of keeping everything because of the cost of having to buy new. Will end up in a " I told ya so". Will be the first words out of Mr. Montana's mouth if we end up with a boy.

Well I should go unpack something its the least I can do.

Until Next Time,

I would rather give BIRTH than...

2010-05-16T12:17:00.001-07:00

Get another tattoo on my foot.

I'm 110% serious! Thank GOD it's was a small tattoo and it only took about 20 minutes, but MAN it hurt like crazy.

I am thankful I had a good friend with me to share the joys of tattoohood on our poor left feet.

At the same time it's kinda like childbirth. You forget the pain after a while and enjoy the newness and love you feel once it's over. But unlike childbirth this is something that I will NEVER EVER do again.

Dear Foot,

Sorry I left you naked for so long. I hope you enjoy your new flowers that will be with you forever!!!

Love,
The Girl Who Walks Upon This Very Foot
( in TONS of pain bare foot because of the pain shoes cause )

A Soft Place to Land

2010-05-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

A Soft Place to Land
By Susan Rebecca White

Before I say anything more. There has only been a small handful of books that I have read that I would be willing to tell someone they MUST read it. Before yesterday I would have told you all to pick up a copy of "She's Come Undone" By Wally Lamb....

BUT...

Today I'm telling you to run out and pick up a copy of A Soft Place to Land by Susan Rebecca White.

So this past Friday while walking ( more like running ) through Target with my little Bother and my kiddo's trying to keep up with them young people. I told myself that I would going to refrain from buying a book today. I have way more than normal on my plate things that I should be doing, but haven't yet gotten to it. OH THE STORY OF MY LIFE RIGHT?

While speeding past all the books I noticed this amazing cover on this book. Thinking that if the book was anything like the cover than it would be worth reading. I'm a sucker for cute book covers. Anyway while standing in line at Target to pay for the book I promised myself I wouldn't buy and some arts and craft stuff for the kids. I thought well I might as well read the back to see what I will be spending 11 dollars on.

After reading thinking that at the very most it will keep my mind busy over the next few days while laying in the sun...

Well it did I couldn't put it down. I finished it yesterday heartbroken that there isn't a follow up or something to it. I'm dying to see where the two sisters are now. To the point it's driving me crazy. IT'S JUST a BOOK and IT'S NOT like Ruthie and Julia are really out there. Even though the book ended on a great and sweet note without giving anything away. BECAUSE YOU NEED TO READ IT YOU REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY DO. I long for more...

So go out get a COPY PEOPLE. Cause your going to love it. And if there are anyone out there still that hasn't read "She's Come Undone" By Wally Lamb GO GET THAT TOO!!

You Will Thank Me Later! PROMISE

Until Next Time,
T

Sunny with a Chance of Sunburn

2010-05-08T11:39:00.000-07:00

Less than 10 years ago I could spend my days sitting in the sun sipping ice tea reading the latest issue of Seventeen, listing to (gasp) the backstreet boys without a care in the world.

What I mean by without a care in the world is Sunscreen...

For all the wrong reasons. I didn't want the SPF 30 to get in the way of that perfect golden brown tan that my children now are able to reach in 2.2 seconds of being outside. For all of you freaking out thinking that I send my children out without sunblock. Don't worry because trust me I need to slather my sweet albino like children with SPF 200 with an extra side of SPF 50. Or their golden brown will never be met and I would be forced to deal with "MOM my arms are hot, it burns and I think I'm going to die." I learned my lesson with that ONCE never to be repeated again.

Truth be told it took a few times to learn that lesson. My sweet baby Bella only a few weeks at the time was sitting in her swing sleeping away in the shade at grandmas house. Little did I know that at some point the sun had moved and well half of my sweet diaper wearing Bella was swinging in the sun. I didn't notice until it was too late. She had a perfect line down her little body one side red while the other still albino.

The other lesson was learned I think last summer, but maybe the summer before to always put sunblock on the part in her hair. DID YOU KNOW THAT IT BURNS THERE TOO? I sure didn't, but I do now.

Okay back to my story...

Yesterday while watching my father build a fence and my children playing in the sand I had time to do a bit of reading and get a little sun myself. I should have known better, but it's only May and I thought to myself I'm not going to burn. I couldn't have been more wrong yet again... My arm today is a big pink thank GOD it doesn't hurt. I cant help, but be left scratching my head wondering what happened to my perfect NON burning olive skin?

While Camping last summer I fried myself so bad that I was thankful the nights were cold and while playing on the beach during the day the cold breeze was enough to cool my lobster colored body.

I'm just going to blame my children for this. Pre motherhood I would bake all day in the sun without the thought of aloe being needed by the end of the night. Now I make sure to keep a Costco size bottle in the fridge waiting for me. Because at the end of the day I'm too lazy to take less than 5 minutes to slather my body with sunblock.

Well I'm off to do it yet again. My big kids are busy playing in the yard and riding bikes the baby is sleeping with hubby. It's time to read in the sun and bake a bit more!

And to think that the amount of time I spent writing this post I could have been digging out the sunblock. Oh well it makes more sense to write about it. In my world anyway!

Until Next Time,
Burning MaMa

Some Kind of Hell

2010-05-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

This past month has been a bit hellish if I don't say so myself. If hell is anything like what we have been dealing with then point me in the direction of the closest church.

Rewind a few weeks....

1st
We lose our home. A place we were planning on buying and spending the rest of our life in. We had a few months left until we were able to obtain a loan to buy it from the builder.

2nd
I got into a bit of a finder binder. I wasn't paying close attention to the cars in front of me and rear ended some guy in this big pick up truck. Thankfully all the damage was done to my car and he only needs a new hitch!

3rd
No rentals to be found in our price range. And the ones we did like were gone before we even got a chance to see them.

4th
We were being sued by the people who now own the home we are living in. For some crazy reason they believed the builder that we weren't paying and that's why he couldn't make his payments. Funny how we were able to show proof of every payment and got them off our back and made the builder look like a total butt.

5th
Scott gets a speeding ticket less than one block away from home. Not only did he get a ticket, but he was in his work truck with our son in the car. Note to all if the sign posted says 35 go 35 not almost 20 over.

6th
Still no rental going to plan B. Looking for storage, renting a Uhall and finding family to bunk with.

7th
With less than 3 days left in our home. My mother really not wanting us to stay with her in her 500sf apartment. Not that I blame her cause that's a whole lot of people in one small space. My aunt wanting us to move in with her, but once again a whole lot of people plus animals and not much more space than at moms.

8th
The heavens open up and my dad calls!! The first good thing to happen all month.
So on Thursday April 29th we made the plan to stay with my dad, stepmom and little brother until we were able to find a place.

May 1st MOVING DAY
While we struggled to figure out what all would be needed at dads while we packed up the last boxes to move wondering if there was anything that we missed. We said goodbye to our home in Orting and set out for our new adventure moving in with my parents for the first and what I hope to be the last time since moving out almost 10 years ago.

So far so good though no complaints besides waiting for the bathroom in the mornings. Making runs out to the garage bathroom in the cold. We have a mom's apartment size room to live in. The kids can play outside all day have nerf wars with my 16 year old brother and best of all we can still do school work! There is even room for all their school books.

So the month of hell has ended until the new hell starts again. Moving our crap that is packed to the gills inside a 10x30 storage unit to our new home. Whenever that might end up being.

Until Next Time,
Country Living MAMA

Life

2010-04-28T13:37:00.001-07:00

Just when you think things couldn't get any worse....

THEY DO

God give me strength to get through the next 4 days, cause I really really really really need it.

Until Next Time,
T

Why We Homeschool

2010-04-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

If someone would have asked me 8 years ago if I was planning on homschooling my children. I would have told them they were out of their minds.

While I was pregnant with Avery I would joke about homeschooling my child. For the simple fact I couldn't even bear the idea of one day my sweet baby who I hadn't even met yet would be leaving me.

That was 8 years ago...

Today and 3 kids later things have changed.

I started toying with the idea shortly after Chloe was released from the Hospital after her first almost 2 week long stay for RSV.

Both Avery and Bella were in preschool and were always sick and now my baby who is already fighting for her life. Didn't need to worry about getting the germs the big kids were bringing home.

When Chloe was 3 weeks old. We were informed that even a simple cold could cause serious complications.

At that time our biggest fear was open heart surgery on a newborn. I had no idea that our stuffy noses could cause heart failure. In turn if meds couldn't help counter act her heart failing that would lead to a heart transplant.

After a very sickly first year, along with weekly weigh ins and monthly meetings with Chloe's AMAZING Heart Doctor... Dr. Stamm.

Our minds were made up...

We were told that if we could make it to year 2 without any major heart problems Chloe's VSD ( Ventricular Septal Defect )would require repair at age 2.

Avery would be mid way through his school year. With that in the back of our minds we didn't want to worry about who would be around and able to take him to school if I was at home caring for a baby who just had open heart surgery.

Knowing that if I were home with Chloe caring for her there was no reason why I wouldn't be able to teach my son.

Then started the quest for the perfect homeshool curriculum. Sonlight was one of the first I found and after looking at what seems like thousands, but more like a hundred different ones. We went with Sonlight!

We are almost 2 full years into Homeschool and I couldn't be any more happy with the choice that our family has made. I get to spend my days with my children watching and helping them learn and grow.

After 2 very long years of prayer Miss Chloe walked into Dr. Stamm's office and was given a clean bill of health. While her heart defects remain they have gotten smaller. She doesn't have to go back to see him until she is 4. While the worry is gone for the most part, the memory still remains of what could have happened.

With all that being said I want to THANK YOU all for everything! The prayers over the years and the positive encouragement during our journey of life and parenthood and everything in between. We couldn't have done it without you!

Hugs and Loves,
Taylor

Clearing up Confusion

2010-04-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Good Morning and Welcome to Blankets Bears and Binkies!

I'm sure a few of you are here for the first time due to my mass email that was sent out telling you to click on this link and read what I have written about homeschool and our family.

It was made known a few weeks ago that most of you feel as though you are out of the loop. I Taylor and Mr. Montana ( Scott ) have decided that Homeschooling is what is best for our family. No this doesn't mean we will be doing it forever nor does it mean that we wont. I take everyday day by day followed by taking it year by year.

For you wonderful blog followers that I have. If there are any of you out there. Bear with me while I walk you all family, friends, and blog junkies through a day in the life at our house.

Before I get to that I would like to say that please weather you are family, friends or bloggers if you ever and I mean EVER have a question about what we do before jumping to all sorts of crazy out of this world conclusions PLEASE just ask me.

Welcome to a day at A.I.C Academy!

A typical day here starts at 7am. Avery, Bella and Chloe are given 2 hours before we start our school day. This two hours is for waking up, eating breakfast, morning chores and getting ready for the day. At 8:45 they are given their 15 minute call until school starts. At this point teeth are brushed and hair is combed. All of this should and will be done by 9am.

Monday - Thursday School Day

9am - Morning Prayer lead by either Avery or Bella. Chloe followers their prayer with one of her own. We bless our school day each and everyday.

9:05am - Calendar

9:10am - Bible
Thanks to Sonlight my children are reading one of the most amazing books I have ever owned. Leading little ones to God. At the end of the lesson we are given a bible verse to look up and read that corresponds with the lesson.

9:45 am - Memory Verse
Over the course of 6 weeks Avery and Bella are learning Psalms 1: 1-6
at the end of the 6 weeks they get to pick and help cook that night. After dinner both of the kiddo's get to recite what they have learned.

10 am - Copywork (handwriting)

10:30am - Reading ( Avery reads to us ) and Phonics

11am - Spelling ( Spelling Tests are on Thursday, if there are any missed words they write them each 4 times and then I retest them on those words on Friday )

11:15 am - Math
Avery is working on Horizons 3rd grade and Bella is working on Horizons K
(Math Tests are given every 10 lessons for Avery)

Noon - Lunch time
During lunch I read aloud to the kids while they eat. At the moment we are reading Charlotts Web.

After the kids are done with Lunch Avery has free time until 1 while I get the Chloe down for a nap.

1pm - History

1:45pm - Creative writing

2pm - Local News - Avery and Bella get to pick a story from the local news they want to tell us about. Then they write a small paper and either draw a picture or we will print a picture from that story. The last thing they wrote and told us about was the Volcano in Ice Land. It's been an on going story they have been working on for the last few weeks.

2:30pm - Clean up from our school day. If there is any unfinished school work that hasn't been finished from the day ie. Copywork, handwriting or reading this is when it is done.

Our School day is always done by 3pm. If we have had a good school day, no tears, fighting to get work finished and things like that. They tend to go out to play or the Wii can be played for a while.

Friday School Day

Before Noon the day is the same

1pm - Science

2pm - Art

We have found that saving Science and Art for Fridays works best.

A.I.C Academy is in session year round. This allows for us to take days off here and there or for times when we have family in town and they get to take a week off to visit!

Both Avery and Bella are testing at grade level and above in many subjects. At times when they have struggled with something it has been addressed and taken care of. I feel they are blessed for this reason. Where they struggle they are given more one on one time to help overcome the struggle. Where they excel they are able to work at higher grade level. All of this wouldn't be possible if they were in either public or private school.

Both Scott and Myself have taken the required classes and courses to be able to homeschool our children in the state of Washington.

Scott and I feel very lucky to be able to home teach our children. Along with that we are very thankful to have found such a WONDERFUL curriculum to use. If it wasn't for Sonlight I'm not sure where we would be or what our children would be doing.

I consider myself lucky and thank God each and everyday for giving me the strength to teach my children at home. He has given our family so much in the last years and continues to show us that we have made the right choice for our family.

For this season in my life I'm a stay at home, homeschooling mama. Do I know what next year will bring? I don't, but I do know that God will let us know what he wants us to do!

I will continue to do weekly blog updates on our homeschooling journey. This way NON of you will be left in the dark and left to question what and how we do things around here.

As always I'm an email or phone call away to answer any questions you might have about OUR choice to homeschool OUR children.

Please feel free to check out the Sonlight curriculum we use at http://www.sonlight.com/
Also you can check out Washington Homeschool Organization at http://washhomeschool.org
and read over the Washington homeschool laws at http://washhomschool.org/homeschooling/law.html

I hope this blog finds everyone happy, healthy and well.

Hugs, loves, Blessings and Best Wishes!
Scott, Taylor, Avery, Bella, and Chloe

PS. All questions can be sent to either my main email or at AIC.Academy@yahoo.com

Dont Blame Me

2010-03-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

I voted for the other guy...

Sitting here just thinking about how our world is changing before my very eyes is heartbreaking.
I'm not so much worried for myself, but more so worried about the future of our world for my children.

I have spent the last few days away from my computer, TV and radio. For the simple fact that I just cant bear the idea of what is happening.

Yesterday ( Monday ) I had to make a phone call to our family Doctor to check in with them after Miss Chloe's ER visit last Tuesday ( that's a whole different story ). Our poor doctor was running around like a chicken with his head cut off worried about the future of his practice.

Once that phone call was over I myself was headed over to see my Doctor for my yearly 2 years late. I know how bad am I? Anyway I'm at high risk for breast cancer I figured that yesterday I was going to be planning on making an appointment for my first mammogram.

To my surprise...

Guess what that is no longer an option for me until I am 50.

Funny thing that my grandmother was diagnosed long before she turned 50. So I guess that I'm just a sitting duck waiting until I'm 50 like a ticking time bomb for breast cancer. To top it off if I happen to come across a lump before I turn 50. I will have to see not only my normal doc, but then she will send me to another doc to check out the same thing followed by one more doc and they all have to have decide that a mammogram is the best thing for me before I can get one.

WHAT THE HECK...

Second thing that worries me just a bit. I have a small child who was born with 3 congenital heart defects who is one of the lucky one who gets to have one of the worlds best heart doctors in our back yard willing and wanting to see us anytime we even have a question about her heart.

She has 9 months to go before she needs to be seen by him again.

I have been told that if I want her checked out by him one last time I need to get on it. Because we will end up loosing him as our doctor too.

WHAT THE HECK...

So I'm going to spend the next I don't know how long running around getting everyone seen by the doctors we love and trust before our health care becomes a total mess.

The other thing both Scott and I are thinking about is baby #4.

We have always talked about one more, but the other thing we really want is that my obgyn be the one who all my children. So it turns out that we might be embarking on a new chapter in our lives sooner than later of becoming a family of 6. Lets just hope that we will only be a family of six, but I will need to come to terms with the fact that my body doesn't want to allow me to have babies on my own anymore. So we will be entering a new chapter in our lives.

With the meds that I will need to start to be able to have another child could possibly lead to twins. And the odds double for me because well twins run in my family.

On a funny note Mr. Montana and I spent the day talking about what happens if we mix our babies up and ways to make sure it doesn't happen. For whatever reason he loves the idea of twins, but he isn't one to get up in the middle of the night nor is he the one who would have to share his body with them for 9 months nor does he have to give birth to them either.

Well that's my rant for today...

Until Next Time,
MOM

Christmas Crazy Nightmarish People, Feeling Thankful I don't work Retail

2009-12-22T08:25:00.000-08:00

Scratching my head while in line at Toys R Us wondering what people think it's going to be like shopping only 4 days before Christmas. I always repair myself knowing fully well that a line is going to be the place I spend most my time while Christmas Shopping.

With a smile on my face I ask the person at check out how their day is going. 90% of the time I end up apologizing for the stupid person who just happened to be in front of us for yelling or being rude to them. Remind them that the Holidays are almost over and people will go back to their normal rudeness in just a matter of days.

Then you have the wonderful, kind hearted and just plain sweet people you meet while trying to find that perfect barbie. You know the kind of people you wish that you could just shrink, stuff in your pocket to take home. I like to call these people GRANDPARENTS. I'm not saying that all of them are sweet, easy going and bring along their patients. But for the most part they are having a fun time finding last minute gifts for their lovable grand babies.

With only 3 sleeps left until Christmas I do have to say that I am way a head of the game as far as shopping goes. I'm just about done... last minute stalking stuffer's and the normal socks and undies to pick up for the kiddo's. This is the first year in I don't know how long that My mother and I were the only ones from this house out shopping. Last year Chloe in her PJ's joined us for the madness knowing that she wouldn't remember the things we picked up for her.

I'm beyond thankful I was able to walk out the door last night leaving my stuffed up, temper tantrum throwing children at home. You would think that yesterday wouldn't have been as bad as it was. Seeing that my children cant seem to stop worrying about if they made it onto Santa's nice list.

It's been weeks and weeks of threats from the big kids to each other about calling 1-800-Santa to let him know that they have been naughty. It was so bad the other night that I was forced to let them know that I was about to call Santa myself so he could put them both on the "LIST".

On a serious note for my readers....
There is a list that I would love for you to put our family on if you wouldn't mind.
Our family received some not so great news last week. While I'm not going to go into detail on here because of the sensitivity of the issue. Please keep our family in your prayers over the next few months. My aunt went in a few weeks ago to have something very simple and routine taking care of that ended up being much more serious than that. So if you wouldn't mind keeping her, and her family in your prayers that would be wonderful.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Dear Jim Bob, Michelle and Family

2009-12-12T10:50:00.000-08:00

Your family is in our Prayers and thoughts.

We love you even though we don't really know you, but we feel as though we do.

Our family just wish you all the very best and hope for the very best for you all.

While I know that there are many more families out there like us feeling the same way we do right now.

From many many many miles away we are giving each and every one of you a GREAT BIG HUG.

If there was any other way right now that we could help you other than prayer we would be there with BELLS on.

Just know that we are praying for you and loving you all from way over here in Washington. May all your prayers be answered and the love that we all have for you guys be felt.

Blessings,
Scott, Taylor, Avery, Isabella, and Chloe

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Cheating Tiger, Hidden Mistress

2009-12-12T10:09:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time I dreamed of being the wife of the great Tiger Woods. Mistress
Every detail of our wedding covered by Oprah in a week long special.
A picture of us together after he won the PGA tour.
Us together holding my baby bump on the cover of people.

Many Many Years ago this was a dream of mine. I'm just glad that I some how managed to pull my head out of the clouds. Then I met Mr. Montana!

While I don't see meeting Oprah in my near future or making it on the cover of people anytime soon. I am SO thankful that my dream of being Mrs. Wood never came true.

A part of me feels bad for him and his wife. I know he did it to himself, but I'm sure that his wife doesn't like the fact that their life's issues is making it on the cover of every magazine and having a TMZ report every night.

Dear Mr. Woods,

While I'm thankful that our lives only cross paths in the check out line at my local shopping establishment. I do hope that for your child's sake you pull yourself together.

I do have to say that I don't blame your wife for anything said or done. If it were me I would be taking MY Taylor Made to your.... Well I would be taking it to anything I could find.

~Your once Future Wife

Dear Mrs. Woods,

What are you doing? RUN RUN RUN milk him for everything he has and get the heck out of there. Is it really worth it?

~Taylor Made

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Foto Finish Friday

2009-11-27T11:12:00.000-08:00

Wedding of the Year!

2030

This is my 3 year old Chloe' with her Husband Andre' who is also 3.

This picture was taken 6 days after our wedding on a trip to get pizza.

With our wedding still fresh in their little minds.

Both Andre' and Chloe' went on to tell me about their wedding, Children and What their lives together was going to be like.

They are going to have a small wedding with just family. Sounds nice right?

Well with just family it would be anything, but small.

So you have an idea...

Andre' (Chloe's Husband ) is my nephew. His mother is my best friend of 15 years. I think of her children as my own. My best friend is like the sister I never had.

Now that I have pointed that out.

Really any close friends are family to both of us. So more than likely YOU ( yes you )

are going to be invited to this small, just family wedding. I'm sure you will fall into the category of aunt, uncle, brother, sister, mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, or really any other family name you can think of.

Okay moving on to set the tone of the wedding.

Andre' will be wearing his suit. The one he still has yet to take off from my wedding. Chloe' will be wearing her wedding dress from the wedding. I wonder if they have figured out that a size 2T isn't going to fit in 20 years?

There will be tons of flowers put together by Grandma Faith, Uncle Mike and Uncle Darren.

Grandma Faith is family by blood. Uncle Mike and Uncle Darren are her best friends.

Do you have any idea how BIG this SMALL wedding is going to be?

They are going to be married by Andre's Daddy. Both Andra and I have yet to be given a job at this point. I'm guessing they will just ask for our credit cards. Candid Carrie and all the Foto Finish Friday Fans will be reporting on the Wedding of the Year.

Bookmark it, Stick this in your fave cause your going to need it. You know in 20 years!

http://candidcarrie.com/

Now that we have a billion and one of our closest family members at the wedding. Andre' and Chloe' will now freak out everyone who is there because Andre' just knows that both Chloe' and He will have matching GUNS.

Needless to say he was a bit excited about the new gun he had just picked up from the fair. And like every other 3 year old in the world. You must include your favorite toys in your wedding!

Your invited to the wedding of the year in 2030

Details coming soon!

Until Next Time,

Just the Mother of the Bride

Who is Ready?

2009-11-25T07:52:00.000-08:00

To risk your life to save some money this holiday season?

Here I sit on Thanksgiving EVE thinking about how many people out there are going to be taking a nap, or maybe just going to bed early. To wake up in time to stand in line to take advantage of those great black Friday sales?

Last year a few people died either by being stomped to death or being shot by a crazed black Friday shopper.

For me it's simple I'll wait like I always do and shop just days before Christmas. For one because I'm just not that organized for two that's how I like to roll. For the most part I'm easy going and I don't get all worked up over little things. I mean I have had my moments, but it's fun to watch people in their crazy Christmas freak outs. I almost live for it...

By the time we are done standing in lines at Toys R Us, Target and where ever else we ended up needing to shop that day. I promise myself every year that I will NEVER EVER wait until the last minute.

As always here I am again not even really thinking about what Santa will be bringing. For me it's simple the kids tell me what they want and I try to make it happen. If I cant find everything they want whatever ends up being under the tree always seems to make them happy. Well all but one year all Avery wanted was a crane truck. I spent MONTHS searching for one and it turns out that not a single store had them, people weren't making them. That was 3 years ago and NOW that he no longer is into cars and trucks they are all over the place.

Figures....

So whats your plan for Black Friday? Our family spends the Friday after Thanksgiving cutting down our Christmas Tree and decorating for Santa.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

GIVE AWAY!!!!!

2009-11-24T13:21:00.000-08:00

GIVE AWAY

In the spirit of the Holidays

with the thought of where most of us spend our time this time of year.

NO NOT AT THE MALL

The other place

In the Kitchen!

And what does one need while cooking in the kitchen?

I'll wait why you think.

YES!!

An Apron!

style and colors may vary

Made by yours truly!
Now if you are anything like me you already have an apron that you love and cant stand not having on while cooking.

So it isn't for you!

It's for a special little one in your life!

So here's the way it's going to work.

With the ending of Jon & Kate plus 8

I have a little idea...

To enter you need to leave a comment.

Then return to your blog and write an entry about....

Drum ROLL PLEASE!

The day in the life of your own reality show!

You need to name your show

and please in great fun detail write about a single day with you staring in your own show!

What would you be doing?

What fun would you be having?

Anything CRAZY that would be going on...

Somewhere in your post you must mention my blog and somehow tie me into your reality show. Remember to post my blog link as well.

If you don't happen to have a blog no worries. Email it to me.

Blanketsbearsandbinkies@yahoo.com

One last thing Don't FORGET to become a follower!

The best entry WINS. Not only will I be reading them all, but I will have my mother help me choose the best.

Start Date is TODAY November 24th and the contest will end Tuesday December 1st at Midnight. The winner will be announced by Friday December 4th.

So what are you waiting for!

GET TO WRITING!

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

Where Did They Get That From?

2009-11-24T08:09:00.000-08:00

I have been a bit surprised by the words that have been coming out of my children's mouths as of late. I mean all children have cute sweet things to say all the time. Then you are thrown a curve ball.

A few weeks ago...
Mr. Montana gets home from the store.
Bella decided to go into the kitchen to see what goodies we didn't need, but he got anyway.

"What in the Hell were you doing at the store Dad"

I'm laughing to the point of not even being able to say anything to this wonderful comment.
I get the death look from Scott who is busy trying to pick his jaw up from the ground.

"First Bella I went to the store to pick up a few things, Second we do not say Hell "

I'm still laughing uncontrollably and still getting the look of death from Scott who informs me that my laughing doesn't help when he is trying to tell our 5 year old that Hell isn't a word we say.

"Okay Dad, but what in the HELL where you doing at the store"

I was forced to get up and walk away laughing so hard I knew a trip to the ladies room was in order.

So I have a now 3 year old who has been a bit late with talking we have been trying really hard to get her to say new words.

Spoon would be a "poon"
Fork sounds like the F BOMB
and then the newest we have been working on is her last name.
Once again it sounds just like the F BOMB with an ER on the end.

My Sweet Baby boy who at 7 knows for the most part right from wrong and things he should say, and the things he really shouldn't say.
While frustrated with Chloe for pulling apart his fort he worked so hard on. Really I'm the one who put it together, but for some reason he feels like he did it all himself.

"Dammit MOM Chloe pulled my fort apart"
followed by
"I mean, MOM Chloe pulled apart my damn fort"
then corrected before I had a chance to say anything
"MOM can you please come fix my fort Chloe took it down again"

I have longed for the day my son was able to read. For a long time I never and I mean NEVER thought that day would come. I questioned us homeschooling thinking I had screwed him up FOREVER. Anyway my baby boy is reading like a crazy man... Well as long as he can sound it out.
Anyway....

I was on the phone the other day with a friend who's son we had to stop spelling around a LONG time ago. I felt I was safe to spell because her son couldn't hear me. RIGHT... WRONG so WRONG.

"I'm going to sell the new puppy. He S-H-I-T in the house again"

Avery was sitting next to me watching a movie, but yet he must have been listening to everything I was saying.

" SH made the SSHH sound, IT spells it "

I tell my friend to hang on and listen for a second as this point I just know my spelling days are over.

"SSHH IT.... Sh i T.... SHIT! BELLA MOM JUST SPELLED A BAD WORD!"

Great so not only does my son know a curse word he can now spell one too.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

I have a Confession ( Give Away info inside )

2009-11-23T18:07:00.000-08:00

While I have spent months away from blogging. Something that I still hold so close to my heart.
I was always a myspace girl, I couldn't even think about checking out facebook. I'm not sure why or what the real reason was. Until one day someone told me about the facebook applications.

So I did what every other normal person would do. I was forced to check them out, I couldn't handle not knowing what I was missing.

I signed up and it was down hill from there.

I would find myself waking up in the middle of the night to harvest crops on my farm. Run to the computer moments before I knew my food was about to spoil just to be able to serve food to my fellow cafe world people. So I could make more coins and expand my cafe. But the true problem really is Farm Town. I cant STOP... I buy land, I plant crops , I hire people to harvest the crops.

Why you ask?

To make more coins to buy more land and pant more crops.

So here today I'm saying it for the first time.

I Taylor am a Farmaholic.

I know I know... I need help. If any of you out there know of a place I can get the help that is needed please please I need to know.

Now if I could only figure out how to keep real plants alive maybe one day I could think about having a real farm. A place to plant real crops, a place to hire real people to harvest for me.

Wishful thinking I know.

Moving onto something a bit more fun.

I will be giving something away. I'm open to idea's as to what, but I have a good idea how I will be picking the special winner.

Come back Saturday to find out what will be given away and to find out how YOU can be the winner!

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Thinking about a Give Away

2009-11-23T09:20:00.000-08:00

Since I was MIA for some time. I'm about 99.9% sure I lost most if not all of my readers that aren't family.

So I'm thinking about doing a give away to get things going again.

What do you think?
Any ideas of a good give away?

So if there are any of you left out there that would like to see something FUN and WONDERFUL given away please leave me a comment!

Until Next Time,
Just THINKING

Seriously

2009-11-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

I'm going to play a little game I like to call seriously.

So you walk into a smoke shop and you try to buy a "tobacco pipe". When the clerk asks you for ID. You pull out your High School ASB card? Then wonder why she wont sell it to you.

Seriously you don't look a day over 15 and if you were really old enough you would have known that your ASB card wasn't going to work.

Your in the super market along with your young children. I'm guessing this is your big shopping day. Since you were there FOREVER.

Your youngest child is screaming at the top of her lungs and having the biggest temper tantrum I have ever seen a child have. You continue Shopping and your child continues freaking out.

How on earth did I end up in line next to you? Seriously couldn't you have just left and came back in the store once the fit was over?

Listening to your child isn't the way I wanted to spend my Friday night at the store.

While hunting down a dress for my maid of honor to wear to the wedding. Our first stop was with only with 4 out of 6 children. We weren't being helped then once we found something and told them we were going to be right back after we picked up the other two kiddo's from school.

We got a look of death, followed by "OH GREAT, and your going to have ALL the children when you come back"

And you seriously wonder why we decided to shop else where?

Jon and Kate series finally is on tonight. Who seriously cares to listen to them carry on about where life has taken them and listen to then talk so poorly about each other?

Seriously it should have ended a LONG time ago.

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

Done, Check and Almost There

2009-11-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

Wedding is done and over with!
Thank goodness cause it was starting to make me crazy.
I'm a planner and when planning was out of my hands in placed in the loving hands of someone else. I thought about taking up drinking.

Now that we are at the End of November we have a good bit of school work for the year under our belts. While my children have no idea that in "Real School" kids get to take days and weeks at a time off for Holidays and other countless things. That is something we will not be doing... NO I'm not going to force my children to get their school work done on Thanksgiving or make them finishes all their Math before they can open whatever Santa decides to bring them for Christmas.
Even though we do our school work almost daily. I'm still searching for a better system than we are using now. I feel like every morning I run around like a Chicken with it's head cut off. Getting everyone set up for morning School work. Then just as I get them set up turn around to get things together for the next lesson they are done before I have even had a chance to take a sip of my coffee.

Oh how I envy in Duggars for having a smooth rolling homeschooling experience. Maybe by the time Avery is 10 or so we will have a good system in place.

"Hair Pulling"

If I could only get everyone moving today. That includes myself...
Our List of things to do today:
School Work
Clean
Shop for Chloe's 3rd Birthday Party
Clean some more
Get ready for Chloe's Party
Clean
Laundry
School Work
More Laundry
School Work
Shower's for everyone
Make Dinner
Eat Lunch as some point
Buy Ear plugs ( My kids are far to loud today )
Give the pups a bath

and really the list could go on forever.

So this weekend I need to get together a list for Thanksgiving and we are hosting like we do every year.
Get the house ready or at least ready enough so I don't want to die when I have a house full of people tomorrow.

I wish I could just hire a team of people to do all of this for me!
If that were only possible.

Don't even get me started on Christmas. Every year I promise myself I will be done with all my shopping by the end of October. Well it's the end of November and I haven't even thought about it yet.

"More Hair Pulling"

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Foto Finish Friday!

2009-11-20T08:19:00.000-08:00

Dancing to I Do is the only way to go.

Who wants to be serious?

This is what happens when you get a group of people together & mix with beer, wine, and hard liquor!
I think this picture speaks for it self

I think my Husband is one happy guy that this day is NOW over.

I'm Back!

&
Married

Giving you my word I'll be blogging daily!

PROMISE!

Don't forget to visit Candid Carrie for other great Foto Finsh Friday participants!

http://candidcarrie.com/2009/11/fridays-foto-finish-fiesta-2009-11-20/

Until Next Time

Just MOM

Busy Busy Busy

2009-08-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

So it's been Months since I posted last. Things have been crazy around here.

We are all moved and settled in for the most part. Avery has turned 7 and thinks hes an Adult now. My sweet sweet Bella is now 5 and well she was born thinking she was older and way more sophisticated than us all.

I survived 3 days in the wilderness well if you count camping at a camp ground with hot showers and indoor bathroom's the wilderness. I know I do....

Chloe is busy being 2 getting into everything and causing as much trouble as she can.

Between the endless laundry and mounds of school work our family has some really, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, really... BIG NEWS.

After almost 8 years and 3 babies later. MR. MONTANA and I TAYLOR ARE GETTING MARRIED!!!!!!

October 17th, 2009

We will be getting married here at our home in Orting with our close family and friends by our sides.

Well I'm off to the store....

Until Next Time,
Bridezilla

June 1, 2009

2009-06-01T08:53:00.001-07:00

Today our family officially became squatters. Who would have thought that would ever happen?

Today I will be meeting with our agent and will be viewing god knows how many more homes. The goal is to be out of here within the next 2 weeks, lets just hope it happens. I don't think I would be very good at being homeless... A good friend did tell me if you stack two fridge boxes it becomes a two story home. Lets just hope that we can set up camp next to someone who is offering free WiFi.

On a different note today marks 16 days until my sweet baby girl turns 5, and 39 days until I'm the mother of a 7 year old.

I'm not sure where the years have gone....

I promise once life gets back to normal I will regain my addiction to blogging. Until then just hang in there please don't forget about us. I promise we wont be gone forever!

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

10 days and NO House

2009-05-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

So the home I posted about we lost.

I haven't been blogging because we have been busy house hunting.

We have 10 days left in this home with no place to go.

I will be back to blogging once things have gotten back to normal around here.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

It's Official!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-14T08:25:00.001-07:00

We are HOMEOWNERS!!!!!

We spent hours yesterday signing all our papers and I am happy to say that Scott and I are the proud owners of our very first HOUSE!!!!

Avery picked his room and just had the have the one with the two extra windows and the girls picked the room right across the hall from us. They spent the evening talking about what color they wanted their rooms painted.

Last night was the first night I truly slept since our housing nightmare started.

WE ARE HOMEOWNERS!!!!!

Now I get to start packing......
At least this is the last time for a really really really long time!

Until Next Time,
Rockin' HOMEOWNER

Doing Everything BUT....

2009-04-13T07:24:00.000-07:00

Packing like I should be.

So I sent my weekend doing just about everything, but packing. If you know me you shouldn't surprised... Really!

Saturday was spent net surfing , napping and a bit of egg coloring

Sunday we went to church, came home put our ham in the oven then ran over to see the new house! Then we came home and decided to give our sweet pup a full mani and pedi complete with hot pink nail polish!

Needless to say Daisy isn't all that happy with me, but her nails have never looked better!

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

Foto Finish Friday

2009-04-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

So the number one reason for my lack of posting for the last month or so. Is because we have been shopping....

House Shopping that is!!! So check out the new writing place for Blankets!

For some reason I couldn't post the picture of the living room. So here it is!

4 Bedroom 2.50 bath 3 car Garage HUGE back yard 2000SF of Swecker Family living!

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

PS.. Dont forget to skip right over to Candid Carrie for other Foto Finish Friday Fun and hey while your at it play along!

Http://Carriestuckmann.blogspot.com/

Crap...

2009-04-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what happened, but it's been over a month since I last posted.

We have been crazy busy over here and even though I think about blogging almost everyday it just never seems to happen. There has been a ton going on in my life the past month, that truly having a free minute to write has well not be an option.

The kids have been keeping me busy with school work and the YMCA. Scott and I have been running around like Chickens with our heads cut off trying to find a new home to live in. I love my job and I'm so lucky to be able to care for two of the sweetest little boys ever!

I promise that I will somehow regain my addiction to blogging and I wont stay away as long. Life will soon be back to normal once we move until then if you are a frequent Blanket visitor please bear with me. Don't leave please check back I will be back into full blogging mode again very very soon.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Foto Finish Friday

2009-03-06T07:47:00.000-08:00

For the last few months anytime I ask Chloe to smile for a picture this is what I get.

Bad Hair Day? Nope this is just normal after going down the slide!

Ever Wonder what to do with the box that is always in your way when your eating at Red Robin?

Step 1: Open it

Step 2: Place it on your head!

Don't forget to check out Candid Carrie to play along in Foto Finish Friday

http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com/

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

Busy as a Bee

2009-03-05T06:56:00.000-08:00

Gosh I cant believe that it's been 8 long days since I posted last.

I remember a time when blogging was like coffee I had to have every morning. Truth be told I have not lost my urge to blog, but teaching my sweet babies has been at the top of the list this week.

We are swimming in a sea of Wonderful Sonlight books and are knee deep into the first part of The Boxcar Children.
Yesterday I had every intention of blogging after reading Chapter 2 of the book thinking that the big kids would need a break before starting on the next part of our lesson. More than 2 hours later we were just starting on Handwriting. We finished Chapter 2 and I started to close the book to start asking them some questions. I never got a chance to open my mouth...

"What are you doing! Can we read a little bit more? Please, Please, Please"

And that is just what we did we are now almost half way through the book. More than two weeks ahead and my children are remembering EVERYTHING we have read.

Yesterday was a great day in Homeschooling! My children spent all day in their School Informs and couldn't help, but want more. This is when I knew our family had made the right choice to teach our children at home. I couldn't imagine not being around to witness their excitement when they love something they are learning!

I promise tomorrow I'll post for Foto Finish Friday (amy) just for you.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

PS. For those who are wondering what our Schools uniform is PJ's all day!!!!

Sick x 4

2009-02-25T18:08:00.001-08:00

Everyone here in the BB&B house have been super super sick for the past going on almost 2 weeks. That would be the main reason for my lack of blogging . I wonder if I can use that for the reasons why I haven't done much of anything for the past two weeks.

While I was hoping to have something fun to blog about today other than being sick. The sound of my son running and jumping around my bedroom after asking him I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY DIFFERENT times to STOP. Has well taken every ounce of creativeness out of my body for the day.

I'm thinking he might be on eBay by the end of the day today. Either that or my TV and Wii will be on eBay. This boy of mine was up at 2 am playing the Wii.... So I thought that he was full of it when he told us that he has been getting up in the middle of the night to play the Wii. I guess not!

Mr.Montana was up at 4am today to get ready for work. Avery was on the couch bag of chips in hand playing Video Games. Mr. Montana decided to check how old he had been on the darn thing thinking he just got up when he heard him in the shower.... HECK NO NOT MY SON at 4am he had already been on the Wii for 2 hours and 11 minutes. Needless to say he is crazy tired today and hasn't been allowed to play the Wii at all since then.

Should I let you tell him that our new shipment of Sonlight will be here on Saturday or do I have too? He is not going to be a happy guy when he will have school work to do before he even gets to say the word Wii.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

PS.... Okay not everyone has been sick here. Bella out of all of us is the only one who didnt get the two different spells of the flu and this great cold we all have at the moment.

Our World

2009-02-17T11:47:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I just don't get the world we live in.

Our health care system SUCKS.

After reading and listening to everything that has been going on with the octuplet mom and everything our family has been through with Chloe. From trying to get Chloe health Care coverage and watching someone being handed some without question is killing me. This woman knew the risks with having more than one child there were health risks. So why does that not count for something?

I'm young our family has ZERO history of health problems nor did we have any idea that Heart Problems would be in our Child's future. So why was Chloe turned down for Medical?

I have decided to write a letter.... The list of who I'm sending it to keeps growing by the minute. Until I get a response back I will be sending it daily to not only our President, but also to Olympia because I'm sorry things need to change and FAST.

At this point I'm not asking for help for us.... But for the health help of other children born to parents and families like ours who had no idea. Families who have worked hard, every day of their adult lives to provide for their families without the aid of government help to maybe get a little help when it comes to babies and children who truly need it.

Until Next Time,
Just the Rant of this MOM

Yesterday

2009-02-16T12:19:00.001-08:00

While I was getting ready to sit down and write a lovely post on how it has been 366days since Chloe was last in the Hospital.

Ever since the birth of Chloe our youngest Valentine's day has gone from flowers, Chocolate, and sweet cards to....

Glue like boogers, Flem filled coughs and the art of throwing up all over mom being mastered without getting an ounce on herself.

While this is the first year we have all been together for Valentines day since Chloe was born. I cant say that this is the first year that she hasn't been sick for it. Her very first V-day was spent at Children's Hospital with RSV. It was a very long 6 days of booger sucking and never sleeping because nurses were in and out all night long. Forget any romantic gestures of any kind I was lucky to spend more than 10 minutes on the phone with Mr. Montana before my sweet baby was being bothered for the nine hundredth time that day.

Her Second V-day was spent at Children's yet again this time for 8 long days with Phenomia. It felt a bit like a deja vu' we had all the same nurses and doctors. We were in the same room where I wasn't even allowed to leave. Everyone dressed up as if Chloe was infected with some rare disease. I thought we were moments away from being sealed into a room where things were passed through a little room where they could be decontaminated before entering or exiting the room. Mr. Montana did stop by with a normal meal for both Chloe and myself on V-day, but we were lucky we even got that. He had to hurry before the big kids were out of School.

This year was the first year spent at home in the last 2 years, but last night while at Dinner Chloe was sitting so sweetly, giving me lovin's and could care less about the candy she had just got from Grandma. I guess this should have been my first clue that there was something wrong. Moments later I was covered in my sweet baby girls Chocolate Milk and popcorn that she had eaten early in the day. I felt so bad for everyone sitting around us trying to have a nice dinner. The poor guy that was waiting on us wasn't sure what to say or do. I don't think I have ever said "Sorry" so many times in my life.

Who knows maybe next year we will all be healthy!!!!

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

CHD Awareness Week Feb-7-14 ( Foto Finish Friday)

2009-02-13T11:20:00.000-08:00

Chloe's first Picture 11/22/2006

Chloe Today 02/13/2009

So today for my Foto Finish Friday it isn't going to be my traditional post. This is something that is very important to our family as well as friends. Something that will touch every American in the United States at some point in time in your life.

I can promise you that at some point you have stood in line next to someone at the bank, or the mall. Really anywhere for that matter that has a Congenital Heart Defect.

Our special Children with even more special hearts are born every day. They come from all backgrounds in all shapes, sizes and colors.

Today is the second to the last day of Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week. Tomorrow is Valentines Days a day that is celebrated by all. Our house we celebrate the fact that our baby who was born with a very special heart. She is one of the lucky ones who to this day has not had any problems who's heart remains special and full of holes. So many lives are lost each and every day babies just like Chloe with Special hearts.

Take a moment and pray for all our special babies and their special hearts today and tomorrow on this national heart day.

Don't forget to check out Candid Carrie for other Foto Finish Friday participants!

http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com/

Until Next Time,

Heart MOM

PS. Here is an article I found on CHD Awareness please check it out!

(Philadelphia, PA) - Valentine's Day and hearts are eternally linked. A group of dedicated parents, patients, family members and friends, along with doctors, nurses and social workers are hoping an annual "heart" holiday will help them raise awareness about the most common birth defect in the United States–congenital heart defects.
State and local government officials will proclaim Feb. 7-14, 2009 as "Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week."
Jeanne Imperati of Connecticut, herself the mother of a child with a congenital heart defect, in 1999 conceived the idea for an annual awareness day to reduce childhood deaths, and increase funding to support congenital heart defect related causes and cures.
An estimated one in every 100 children born in the United States each year have a malformed heart, making it the most common birth defect. "Few people realize more babies are born with congenital heart defects – approximately 40,000 – than with Spina Bifida, Down's syndrome and hearing loss. Yet, heart defects are sometimes overlooked and not routinely diagnosed in newborns."
"An untold number of children and young adults are put at risk each year due to a lack of early screening for heart defects and childhood onset heart disease," said Mona Barmash of Philadelphia, Penn., the founder of the Congenital Heart Information Network (CHIN), which sponsors the national awareness day.
C.H.I.N. (tchin.org) was launched in 1996 as an international non-profit organization that provides reliable information, support services and resources to families of children with congenital and acquired heart disease, adults with congenital heart defects, and the professionals who work with them. The all-volunteer member-supported organization publishes http://www.tchin.org/, which receives thousands of visitors from throughout the world every day.
"Valentine's Day is the perfect time to bring families, health professionals, and local organizations together, and to draw attention to the needs of the congenital heart community," said Barmash, who is the mother of a young adult with complex CHD. "For parents and families of kids and adults with heart defects, February 14th means hope and remembrance.
Local coordinators nationwide are planning activities in recognition of Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week 2009. For more information on what's happening visit http://tchin.org/aware/index.htm, or call (215) 627-4034.

Busy, but not Forever

2009-02-12T06:50:00.001-08:00

Okay I know I have been neglecting BB & B the past few weeks. I feel as though I should be put on restriction or something for not blogging daily. While my mind has been full and well when that happens normally I blog, but with the addition of two other children lets face it.....

I don't have time....

I have been dying to blog about the Nadya Suleman Family since the moment I heard about it. I do have to say that once I heard about them my first reply was WOW.

Now that has changed 110%.

Who am I to say who should or shouldn't have children, or about the amount of Children one should have. I can tell you this now if it were up to me and if my check book could handle it I would have a million children. Lets face it having children is expensive! I have 3 and it isn't easy. If I added even one more to the mix it would kill us and Mr. Montana works his butt off for us and it isn't easy. With the thought of adding 11 more to our little family would break the bank and I would need to be committed.

Okay Okay.... You will need to wait for my Blog about Nadya and her 14 children. My two extra kids will be here any minute and I think a Lego BOMB just went off in Avery's room and I'm starving and I only have a single cup of coffee in me.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

PS I will post later either tonight or first thing tomorrow!

Oops

2009-02-09T10:47:00.001-08:00

Last night while I was laying in bed and for some reason it hit me.

It's Sunday two days ago it was Friday and I forgot to post my Foto Finish Friday.

I'm not sure why it took that long for me to remember. It's not like we did anything on Friday.....

Oh wait that's right we spent the evening with friends of ours who just got a PIG. YES A REAL LIVE PIG!!!!

I guess it doesn't really give me a huge reason not to have posted anything Friday. Since we didn't leave the house until after 4.

Saturday was spent in bed with Miss Chloe who was running a super high temp. I was lucky that she passed out for a good chunk of time at about 2 so I could shower. I was worried that by telling someone that it doesn't look like Chloe is going to be spending her 3rd V-day in the Hospital. Funny how the next day she ended up sick.

She is back to her normal Chloe self so I'm thinking its safe to say that Chloe will be spending her 3rd but 1st V-day at home!!!!!!

Even though Children's makes every "holiday" fun. There is nothing better than being at home and being healthy!!!!

So from now until Feb. 15th I will be placing my child in a bubble and chanting "She will not get sick! She will not get sick" Over and over again.

I think it just might work.... Sorry to all the wonderful nurses and staff at Seattle Children's Hospital while we miss you like mad we will not be making any trips for extended "spa" treatments in 2009.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

1-800-ABC-DEFG

2009-02-04T09:34:00.000-08:00

Hooked on Phonics Worked for ME!

So when I was younger I always made fun of the Hooked on Phonics commercials. Why I'm not too sure maybe because deep down I'm sure it would have offered a bit of help to my horrid spelling and the reasons why I hated to read aloud in class.

I'm not saying that I couldn't read, but I lacked the confidence that's for sure. In 4th grade I remember reading Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. Still do this day would have to be one of my favorite books ever. Everyone was given a copy of this wonderful book along with a list of who was reading aloud and when. OMG I wish every teacher would have done this. My last name starts with an R and since the list was in alphabetical order by last name I knew I had a few days before I needed to fake being sick so I wouldn't have to read.

To bad this plan backfired on me big time. When my day to read rolled around I did stay home with flu like symptoms that were gone by dinner time that evening. I went to school the next day thinking that I had just pulled off the greatest plan in the whole world. Our days always started with Journal writing then it was time for reading. Everyone helped move desks and we settled in for at least an hour of reading one of the best books ever. Me being me I never fully listen to anyone or anything so when I looked up from my book wondering when they were going to start reading when....

Yes everyone was looking at me! Mrs. 4th grade Teacher looks at me and replies with Taylor please take it from the top of page 56, yes I even remember the page number. So here I am freaked out because everyone was looking at me and waiting on ME! My plan really did SUCK and I guess I missed her talking about the fact that if you miss a day no worries you will be able to read when your back!

How could I have missed that I'm guessing that I wasn't listening then either. I did in fact read, I'm sure I lost everyone after about two words. I hated reading aloud, I felt like everyone was always laughing inside. I would have to ask what words were and would even have trouble saying them. I had to even sound things out and WOW that day I wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

After my pages were read I really felt sick. That was the day that I forced myself to start reading more and truly work on reading aloud. Still to this day it isn't my most fav thing to do, but I am able to do it without a problem.

I love reading and everything that has to do with books. Maybe its one of the reasons Mr. Montana and I decided on using Sonlight Curriculum nothing like having a literature based curriculum for a book junkie mom to teach.

So that brings me to today. Avery has always had a hard time with learning his letters and well that makes it hard to learn and know the sounds they make. So I googled Hooked on Phonics and well I just HOPE it works for him. If it doesn't man I'm at a loss... I'm sure I will pull something else out of my homeschooling mom hat, but for now that is all I have.

Number the Stars is one of the greatest books ever. I think it's one that everyone should read, no matter how old you are. It is no longer on Public School's reading lists because it has to do with religion. In a way that is another reason why we as a family have decided to homeschool our children. The idea of being able to teach what we truly believe our children should learn about. There are so many things that today's children are missing out on. So much History that they will never know about, things that have made us who we are today.

Okay so that is Taylor's tip for the day... Head on down to your local bookstore or Library and pick up a copy of Number the Stars by Lois Lowry today! I recommend buying a copy because I can promise you that you will want to read it over and over again.

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

Lookout Duggar Family Cause Here I Come!

2009-02-03T20:16:00.000-08:00

So I'm not even close to having 18 children, but I did manage 5 Children today. Nor do I ever think that I could be able to pull my stuff together to run a house of 20 people. You wouldn't need to force me into that padded room. I would have no problem checking myself in.

I got up before my alarm even went off today. Kissed Mr. Montana goodbye had a cup of coffee and showered before my kiddo's were even up!

Starting at 7am I had a 5 week old, a 2 year old, a 3 year old, a 4 year old and a 6 year old. Everyone ate breakfast before 8am, we even got School work done today before lunch time.

Our easy going and very productive morning ended with Lunch at noon. Followed by all 5 children taking naps. OMG I Taylor got Chloe to sleep within minutes along with a newborn and 3 other children! Shouldn't there be someone handing out gold star stickers to a certain someone who ROCKS today?

Okay so in a perfect world all children would have slept in their beds. In this house that never happens, so this shouldn't be a shock to anyone. My afternoon break consisted of me holding a baby and my baby for 2 hours while they slept.

Not to bad for a first day, but that is only half of my day really.

Somehow between everyone getting up from naps and the writing of this blog. I managed to cook dinner from scratch, give all 3 of my children a bath, clean the kitchen and have time to blog. My house looks like it did before the day even started....

How that even happened I have no idea with kids running around playing all day long somehow it remained picked up. And yes I have looked on the second floor and no it doesn't look like the notorious Swecker Family Bomb has gone off.

I do have to say while it is very nice to have a new baby in the house and tons of kids running around. I must say at the end of the day my 3 kiddo's are just the right amount of noise in this house. Plus I'm getting my baby fix only two days a week, I'm getting paid for it, I get to send the baby home at the end of the day, plus I get to sleep all night long!!!!

Until Next Time,
One Rockin MOM

A Long List of Things

2009-02-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

that needed to get done today and so far I can only check 3 things off that list of mine.

* Hole Punch all Answer Keys - DONE

* Label all answer key subjects and nicely organize them in folder - They are all placed in the folder but who needs to organize anyway?

*Wash every one's sheets - I'll get to it tomorrow

*Do a few loads of laundry - I'll do it later

*Wash the baby carrier in preparation for tomorrow - DONE

*Clean Kitchen - DONE

*Finish Making Felt board -

*Have the Kids clean their rooms - Wishful Thinking I know!

*Try to get Chloe to nap in her big girl bed! - I'm living in a dream world.

* Blog 3 times in one day so I have a reason for not getting anything finished on my list - DONE

Sweet by finishing this blog I have done 4 things!!!! Man I rock....

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

P.S. OMG I'm starting a new job tomorrow, I'm kinda starting to freak out. At least I'm not being forced to leave the house to work. Don't worry I'm sure I'll blog tomorrow.

Sisterly Lessons

2009-02-02T11:28:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel like you spend all day just repeating yourself?

Second runner up to the word "No" would have to be "Monkey See, Monkey Do"

Chloe is into EVERYTHING and feels that she should be able to do everything that the big kids do. She doesn't understand that just because they can do things, that it is either unsafe or just something that a 2 year old really shouldn't be doing in the first place.

Avery and Bella get their own cups if they need a drink of water or something of that sort. They are able to climb onto the counter not that I'm happy about it, but 99.9% of the time they do this when I'm not in the room. Chloe being little anyway and plus onto of that she is just a tiny two year old as well. She has become very resourceful in figuring out ways to do everything they do.

Pushing random pieces of furniture into the kitchen to be able to climb onto the counter. I remind the kids of the "Monkey see, Monkey do" far to often. All I ask is that they do something that Chloe shouldn't even think of doing to make sure she isn't in the room.

Bella took things into her own hands today and decided to teach Chloe a thing or two.

I walked in on this conversation that my 4 year old was having with my 2 year old.

" Chloe just because you see Brother and I doing something, doesn't really mean you need to do it. We cant always make sure you are out of the room when we want to do something. Sometimes a girl just needs a drink of water."

Chloe replies with "K" and then starts to get up.

"Chloe, we are not finished talking yet. Please sit down so we can talk about this."

She sits again....

"Now Chloe we are going to learn something new today. It is called Monkey See, Monkey DON'T do. This means that you will not try to do everything that Brother and I do. You can watch, but you are not allowed to copy us. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"Yes BaBa" Chloe replies

"Good you can do play now, but remember Monkey see, Monkey DON'T do"

Chloe gets up goes over to the table and starts pushing a chair into the kitchen and then attempts to climb onto the counter.

"Chloe you just don't listen do you? We just got done talking about this. Then you just go and do it again. What are we going to do with you? Do you need a timeout?

Chloe removes herself from the chair pushes back to the table. Looks at Bella and blows her a kiss and then asks for a hug.

"Good girl Chloe! You listened to your big sister! Good thing too because one day I'll be a grown up before you and I wouldn't want to take your toys away for not listening to me"

Miss Bella never once did remove her hands from her hips nor did she ever stop tapping her toe while they had their little talk.

I wonder who is going to wear the pants in her family? Until she has one of her own I guess Mr. Montana and I will try to be the ones wearing them here. I'll let you know if it works....

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

I Like Trouble!

2009-02-02T08:48:00.001-08:00

So I should have seen it coming....

After Bella decided to flip me the bird at only a few weeks old that she and I would be having this conversation.

"Look MOM! I have a bag of baby fish"

I turn around to see what she is talking about. Bella had taken the little bag her chips were in and poured water in it. The fish were the crumbs.

While I thought that it was very inventive and loved how she uses her imagination. We were in the car driving from Everett back home to Puyallup. All I could think about was the mess that was going to be in the backseat and how I just washed her car seat and I was going to be forced to do it again.

The next thing I hear is the sound of her squishing the bag.

"Bella please don't do that to the bag, your going to pop the bag and your going to make a HUGE mess"

"Okay Mom"

Just Moments later I hear it again.

"Bella do it again your going to be in Trouble"

Bella replies with

" I like Trouble! Can I be in Trouble now?"

Both Mr. Montana and I are trying to keep a poker face while we ask her to put down the bag of fish before it gets everywhere. We both were forced to silence our laughs and hide our faces.

Where do kids get this stuff?

I think Miss Bella's new name is Trouble.

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

My Biggest Fear

2009-01-31T19:11:00.001-08:00

For some reason I worry that one day one of my children will be on a date, or even worse meeting their future In-laws sitting down for a nice meal....

When it happens.....

Chewing with their mouth open, and deciding that whatever they want to talk about cant wait until they swallow.

I guess I don't have to worry about them making it to meet the In-Laws if they have sat down to dinner with the boyfriend or girlfriend before hand. I sure as heck wouldn't have taken a boy home that couldn't chew with his mouth closed or wait to talk until the food he just shoved into his mouth was gone.

I know for a fact that my children will never do this. I think from the moment they were born I have been reminding them to chew with their mouth closed and telling them that whatever they need to say can wait until they are done chewing.

Last night after deciding that cooking wasn't in the future for the evening. We decided to go out for dinner. Not that we were eating at some 5 star restaurant or anything, but still there is nothing worse than what I'm about to tell you.

The restaurant was filled with older people who looked at us like we were crazy for bring our children in. My kids were laughing and having fun. I'm sure they were a bit excited to be out of the house for the first time in a few days.

The people who were sitting at the table that I just happened to be facing left. Sweet one table down only 9 billion more to go until we have cleared a place out with our children who are just having way to much fun.

So here comes a family of 4.... Two adult and two children, and by children I mean the youngest had to have been around 11 or so and then a teenage boy. We had just ordered, when I felt like I was being watched. This is something I hate more than anything... I really cant stand it when we are out to eat and people watch me eat. That's when I always seem to spill something down my shirt or do something just as lame and embarrassing.

The family of 4 were handed their plates just moments after we got ours. I had just sat down after getting the kids settled and their food cut. When my entire meal was a total loss....

The teenage boy sat right across from me. There was no way to avoid looking at their table. There was this huge space between my husband and my daughter I couldn't help but look. As I took a bite of my pancakes when....

He took a bite of his salad, chewed it up while having his mouth open the whole time. Just when I thought that he was going to swallow and go in for the next bite he SPIT THE WHOLE BITE OUT THAT WAS IN HIS MOUTH ONTO THE SAME PLATE HE WAS EATING OUT OF.
HIS MOTHER SAW THE WHOLE THING AND SAID NOTHING, NOT A DARN THING.
He did this with the whole salad, fries and his Burger.

I have to say that I don't remember the last time I was so grossed out over something. If it would have been my kid doing that. They would have been asked to leave the table and told they could wait in the car until we were done. What is wrong with people?

I wanted to walk over to the mother and fill her in on a little secret. If she doesn't teach her child some manners he will live at home FOREVER.

Well it would never get to that point with my children because even at 6,4 and 2 they wouldn't do it now.

I couldn't help, but share this lovely dinner outing with all of you. I really wish I would have cooked last night....

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Foto Finish Friday

2009-01-30T09:39:00.000-08:00

I took this picture of my sweet Bella, who was only a few weeks old at the time. I had placed her in Avery's Chair so she could watch us while we were playing in his room.

When I picked the pictures up from Costco the man who handed me the pictures. Laughed and said what a great photo of your daughter. I replied with Thank You so much. While I sat there flipping through the photo's I noticed what he was talking about.

Here I thought that I was taking this super sweet photo of my baby girl sitting in her big brothers chair. I cant believe I never noticed her finger.

Bella is now 4 years old. I cant get over how fast they grow up. Lets just hope she doesn't repeat what she is doing in this picture ever!

Don't forget to head on over to Candid Carrie for more Foto Finish Friday Fun!

http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com/

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

I Still Love Them

2009-01-29T08:32:00.000-08:00

My post the other day about Jon and Kate well I was jealous.

Not that I would care to have a home that big, but with 8 kids you would need too.

I love the fact that they are raising the kiddo's together. I love the fact that we are able to watch the kids grown.

I have no idea how she does it. When my oldest was born I labeled everything, I was beyond organized then our family of 3 became a family of 4 and it all went right out the window.
Now that there are 5 of us I'm lucky if I get to shower and everyone gets dressed everyday.

I'm dying to know how she was able to get her children to eat veggies this is a daily struggle of mine. Miss Chloe loves peas and everyone will eat carrots with ranch, but that is when it stops.

To tell you the truth I couldn't put up with camera's in my face all the time along with that raising 8 children and running a house. Not sure I would even be willing to sign up for that.

I love Jon and Kate I love the kids who not only do I know by name, but so do my kids. Mady, Cara, Hannah, Lex, Leah, Aaden, Joel, and Collen are a part of normal conversation in this house. My children often pretend that they are the Gosselin bunch.

Sorry people for my moment of temporary insanity. And Thank you Gosselins for allowing us into your homes and allows us to feel as if we are a part of your family. Watching your 8 wonderful children grow.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Paper Problems

2009-01-27T15:54:00.001-08:00

I'm not talking about Newspaper, or Construction paper, Notebook paper or even Printer Paper.

I'm talking about Toilet Paper...

Now I know I'm not the only one with children who is faced with this problem. For as long as my children have been able to move on their own. The paper in the bathroom has been something they have always headed for.

I have two children who are potty trained and one who is not. The two who use the potty seem to have two very different problems when it comes to TP.

Here are a few of my daily conversations with them. Yes they take place daily so I am able to recite them in my sleep.

"Bella why have you changed your clothes again?"

" Well mom my pants got wet, and since I had to change my pants the shirt I had on didn't match anymore. So I had to change it too."

"How did your pants get wet?"

"I'm not sure, but I think I might have forgotten to wipe after I went potty"

"AGAIN!"

"I was just really really busy mom and I just forgot. It's okay mom really it is. I don't like to wipe so I didn't really forget. Sorry MOM"

So I kindly remind her to wipe that everyone wipes and so should she. Bella agrees the next time she uses the potty she will "TRY" to remember.

Now moving on to the second paper problem we have. While I have one child who feels there is no need to use TP. I have one who likes to use a whole roll per bathroom visit.

Now I know you think I'm kidding, but I'm not. I feel like a plumber, who is always dealing with a clogged toilet. This happens at least once a day, its never in the same bathroom so I feel like a chicken running around with its head cut off when this next thing happens.

Now I never know about the clogged potty until....

Bella without fail always finds the potty that is now without TP on the roll since its all in the toilet.

"MOM I'm DONE"

Once I track the yelling, screaming child down and walk into the room. I am greeted with "MOM there isn't any TP"

Once the paper is found and I flush the potty.... 9 times out of 10 this is when I am alerted to the clogged toilet. You would think that I would learn that an empty TP roll = huge bathroom mess in 2.2 seconds.

OH NO I don't think I will ever learn that one...

Normally I say something like "Why does he need to use so much paper?" when Miss Bella is always close enough to hear replies with "Everyone should wipe right? So does that mean you cant use as much as you need?"

I walk away hoping not to repeat the same thing tomorrow and well it always happens.

I wonder what it is going to be like when all 3 are using the potty. Time to stalk up on TP,Plungers, and gloves.

Now if I could only get her to stop changing her clothes every 5 minutes even when they arent wet it would sure save me time on laundry.

Until Next Time,

Plumber MOM

PS. I wish I could get my hands on this! Then all my TP problems would be solved!

Why....

2009-01-27T09:15:00.000-08:00

I have always been a fan of Jon and Kate Plus 8.

Until last night...

I know that this will only last a day or two, maybe a week at the most.

I'm not sure how I didn't see it before or figure it out for that matter. I have been known to be a bit slow when it comes to catching onto things. This time it didn't take a few minutes it took a few years.

I started to Question when they spent time in Hawaii. The BIG question being....

How much does TLC pay them?

I never see Jon leaving for work anymore, and Kate is a stay at home mom. You would have to be with 8 kids, but how can they live without Jon working.

They spent what two weeks in N.C. in a huge beach house where there was a private pool and they had a full time nanny to help with the kids. All the kids had private swimming lessons daily, and well my list could go on.

Now I knew that they were looking for a new house. I had no idea how much HOUSE they were looking for.

Jon and Kate's new bedroom is the size of my whole first floor. And I have a little feeling that my entire house could fit into their first floor. They have their own pool and TONS and I mean TONS of acreage.

I would give my teeth to have the acreage, but having a huge house like that means a ton of cleaning. Well you know my views on that....

I guess my issue is how does someone afford at least a million dollar home? When you have a stay at home mom and a dad who is never seen working anymore. I'm sorry, but JON is always always home and 10 people to feed.

My plan for this year is to get knocked up with 6 babies and get my own TV show. My plan for next year is to buy a huge house and pay people to clean it for me!

I'm dying to know how much they are getting from TLC. Plus what happens when people stop watching them, and the show is canceled?

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

Foto Finish Friday

2009-01-23T09:13:00.000-08:00

Chloe Elizabeth Taking Over Mom's Job!

Dont forget to check out Candid Carrie's Foto Finish Friday!

http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com/

Until Next Time,

Just Chloe

"Future Blogger in the Making"

Indescribable Feeling

2009-01-23T08:23:00.001-08:00

Last night the kiddo's and I went to the store to get a few items for dinner.
After we were done shopping we returned to the car I loaded the kids in first.
Then I unloaded our shopping cart, closed the door then walked not even 5 feet over to the cart return.

I opened my car door and started to sit when my son....

"MOM those People just took Chloe"

It took less than a second for me to turn my head to see that she was in the car.

The feelings that I had the very second Avery said what he had are Indescribable. My heart sank into to my toes, I felt sick and ready to cry.

For that split second I felt so many feelings at once I cant even put it into words.

I don't think my son has ever been in so much trouble. We have had problems with what he likes to call " just teasing" his teasing had turned from simple little things to just out right lying.

I don't know if it is just a six year old thing or what. I have some work ahead of me that's for sure.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Tears to one's eye

2009-01-22T10:26:00.000-08:00

By JENNA and BARBARA BUSH

Sasha and Malia, we were seven when our beloved grandfather was sworn in as the 41st President of the United States. We stood proudly on the platform, our tiny hands icicles, as we lived history. We listened intently to the words spoken on Inauguration Day service, duty, honor. But being seven, we didn't quite understand the gravity of the position our Grandfather was committing to. We watched as the bands marched by -- the red, white, and blue streamers welcoming us to a new role: the family members of a President.

We also first saw the White House through the innocent, optimistic eyes of children. We stood on the North Lawn gazing with wonder at her grand portico. The White House was alive with devoted and loving people, many of whom had worked in her halls for decades. Three of the White House ushers, Buddy, Ramsey, and "Smiley", greeted us when we stepped into her intimidating hallway. Their laughter and embraces made us feel welcome right away. Sasha and Malia, here is some advice to you from two sisters who have stood where you will stand and who have lived where you will live:

-- Surround yourself with loyal friends. They'll protect and calm you and join in on some of the fun, and appreciate the history.

-- If you're traveling with your parents over Halloween, don't let it stop you from doing what you would normally do. Dress up in some imaginative, elaborate costume (if you are like us a pack of Juicy Fruit and a Vampiress) and trick-or-treat down the plane aisle.

-- If you ever need a hug, go find Ramsey. If you want to talk football, look for Buddy. And, if you just need a smile, look for "Smiley."

-- And, a note on White House puppies--our sweet puppy Spot was nursed on the lawn of the White House. And then of course, there's Barney, who most recently bit a reporter. Cherish your animals because sometimes you'll need the quiet comfort that only animals can provide.

-- Slide down the banister of the solarium, go to T-ball games, have swimming parties, and play Sardines on the White House lawn. Have fun and enjoy your childhood in such a magical place to live and play.

-- When your dad throws out the first pitch for the Yankees, go to the game.

-- In fact, go to anything and everything you possibly can: the Kennedy Center for theater, State Dinners, Christmas parties (the White House staff party is our favorite!), museum openings, arrival ceremonies, and walks around the monuments. Just go. Four years goes by so fast, so absorb it all, enjoy it all!

For four years, we spent our childhood holidays and vacations in the historic house. We could almost feel the presence of all the great men and women who had lived here before us. When we played house, we sat behind the East sitting room's massive curtains as the light poured in illuminating her yellow walls. Our seven-year-old imaginations soared as we played in the enormous, beautiful rooms; our dreams, our games, as romantic as her surroundings. At night, the house sang us quiet songs through the chimneys as we fell asleep.

In late December, when snow blanketed the front lawn, all of our cousins overtook the White House. Thirteen children between the ages of two and 12 ran throughout her halls, energized by the crispness in the air and the spirit of the season. Every room smelled of pine; the entire house was adorned with thistle; garlands wound around every banister. We sat on her grand staircase and spied on the holiday dancing below. Hours were spent playing hide-and-go-seek. We used a stage in the grand ballroom to produce a play about Santa and his reindeer. We watched as the National Christmas Tree was lit and admired the chef as he put the final icing on the gingerbread house.

When it was time, we left the White House. We said our goodbyes to her and to Washington. We weren't sure if we would spend time among her historical walls again, or ever walk the National Mall, admiring the cherry blossoms that resembled puffs of cotton candy. But we did return. This time we were 18. The White House welcomed us back and there is no doubt that it is a magical place at any age.

As older girls, we were constantly inspired by the amazing people we met, politicians and great philosophers like Vaclav Havel. We dined with royalty, heads of states, authors, and activists. We even met the Queen of England and managed to see the Texas Longhorns after they won the National Championship. We traveled with our parents to foreign lands and were deeply moved by what we saw. Trips to Africa inspired and motivated us to begin working with HIV/AIDS and the rights of women and children all over the world.

Now, the White House ballrooms were filled with energy and music as we danced. The East sitting room became a peaceful place to read and study. We ran on the track in the front lawn, and squared off in sisterly bowling duels down in the basement alley.

This Christmas, with the enchanting smell of the holidays encompassing her halls, we will again be saying our good-byes to the White House. Sasha and Malia, it is your turn now to fill the White House with laughter.

And finally, although it's an honor and full of so many extraordinary opportunities, it isn't always easy being a member of the club you are about to join. Our dad, like yours, is a man of great integrity and love; a man who always put us first. We still see him now as we did when we were seven: as our loving daddy. Our Dad, who read to us nightly, taught us how to score tedious baseball games. He is our father, not the sketch in a paper or part of a skit on TV. Many people will think they know him, but they have no idea how he felt the day you were born, the pride he felt on your first day of school, or how much you both love being his daughters. So here is our most important piece of advice: remember who your dad really is.

Jenna Bush is a writer and educator, the author of the book 'Ana's Story' and the co-author, with her mother Laura Bush, of the picture book 'Read All About It.'

Barbara Bush works for a public health-focused non-profit, Global Health Corps, and previously worked for The Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.

Hi My Name is Taylor

2009-01-22T09:20:00.001-08:00

and I'm addicted to....

Caffeine in any form, Shoes, Handbags, Chocolate, Sewing, Shopping, and playing the Wii.

I have been sober for.... Okay never.

I have had my Caffeine addiction for a good 10 years. Shoes for as long as I can remember. The handbag addiction started when I was 5 sitting in the mall having a nice temper tantrum when I pulled my two bottom teeth out. Blood pouring everywhere I was still screaming people were looking at my mother as if she was beating me.

All of this over darn Valentine cards.

Chocolate is my weakness always has been and I'm sure always will be. I have worked in a Chocolate Shop and I'm thinking I should own one. Maybe that isn't a good idea I wouldn't have a chance to sell any because I would be eating the product. I would end up being the size of a house and would never be able to leave.

Sewing is one of the newer addictions and well I don't think it will be stopping anytime soon.

Shopping well I'm a girl who loves to accessorize. This also feeds the handbag and shoe addiction.

The Wii is the devil and whoever decided that we needed to have one should be placed in a padded room for thinking it was okay for us to have one in the house.

While non of my addictions have stopped I do have to say I have been able to alter them a bit to allow time and money for other addictions.

I feed my caffeine addiction at home no longer paying almost 5 bucks a cup at Starbucks. This allows for me to buy fabric to feed the sewing addiction. As for the Handbag and Shoe problem I only buy knock offs you know the good ones so I am able to have more and not feel guilty when only paying $50-$100 each when the alternative would require me to take out a nice size bank loan. Right now I'm sporting a $10 super cute old navy bag while wearing my mom clogs that only cost me okay $150. They allow me to appear taller without being forced to risk breaking an ankle in heels.

Since leaving the Chocolate shop it has been sold, ran into the ground and is no longer in business. So I have had to depend on Peanut Butter cups and KitKats over the years. My pallet missing Fremont Gold Cups that had the most perfect balance of White Chocolate and Peanut Butter that I have attempted many times to recreate.

As for the Wii it's still too new for me to be able to find an alternate option.

I should be shipped off, placed in a padded room subject to hours of shock therapy.

Or...

I could get a JOB.

I like the first option better!

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Donald R Capstick

2009-01-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

Class of 1930 Horseshoe Altoona High School. Donald R Capstick pictured bottom left.

On October 21, 1910 you became a Son and a Brother.

Shortly after High School you met your one and only love. And you waited...

Once Margie turned 18 you became a Husband and a Father to Donald Capstick Jr.

You survived World War II and became a Hero.

You retired from the United States Army as a Lieutenant Colonel.

On December 28, 1959 you became a Grandfather for the first time to Faith Wynn Capstick. Less than 2 years later you welcomed your second Granddaughter Robin Amy Capstick on November 2, 1961. They spent Summers with you filled with swimming trips and great vacation stories.

September 14, 1983 you became my Hero!

This was the day you became a Great Grandfather my Great Grandfather.

The 12 short years that we spent together were some of the best years. Great memories were created some that I will never forget.

I remember it like it was yesterday. Mom and I would come to visit you in Spokane from Seattle arriving many hours past my bedtime. You would greet us at the door with the smell of coffee for mom. While she unloaded the car you treated me to a maple bar and a root beer float.

Before going to bed I checked out the fridge that was always filled with my favorite foods that you had picked up just for me. You always took a trip to the commissary the morning before we arrived.

Mornings were filled with shredded wheat cereal with a sliced banana sprinkled with a bit of sugar. We played Go Fish for hours and for some reason you always knew I would need the calculator with a fresh roll of paper.

On one trip to your house you gave Mom and Amy brand new cars. You were worried I would feel left out so you took an early morning trip to the PX and picked me up a pink and white bike with a super cool banana seat. You always knew just what I wanted as if I had picked it out myself. You watched for hours as I rode my new bike in your driveway.

I loved visits to your house during the spring. Snap Dragon's lined your house I couldn't help, but pick them. We watched the birds eat from the front window of your house you always had fresh bread crumbs for them. On one of our Spring visits you took me out to the PX with you. I feel in love with a jacket I didn't even have to ask. You pulled it off the rack and we took it home. The next morning I woke up to the same Jacket in every color they had. You had snuck back out to the PX before we woke up.

Don't get me wrong it wasn't the things you would buy for me it was always the thought behind it. Like the time I had this one pair of shoes you found the same ones on base and knowing how much I loved them. You figured that I needed them in the next two sizes.

You always held the car door open for me anywhere we went. You talked of my black eyes that looked just like Margie's. One day while watching cartoons you walked into the room to catch me twirling my hair just like she did. You always told me that I reminded you of her and how much she would have loved me.

Mom, Amy and Myself moved you closer to us in Seattle. Figured that you needed to be closer to family. I was so grateful of the years I got to spend countless days with you. Not just weekends here and there. Go Fish was still played almost daily you always had maple bars and you showed me how to make the perfect root beer float.

You spent 84 years on this earth. Your passing was sudden and not expected, you waited for us girls to say goodbye. I held your hand and told you how much I loved you. I cried and kissed you one last time. You passed away on September 24, 1994 you were laid to rest next to your one and only love. You gave me one of the greatest gifts ever. I will never forget our trip to Washington DC. A city so beautiful and filled with so much history. I know I complained the day of your funeral. I'm sure you understand dresses were never my thing. Plus it was the hottest September in years I was wearing heels without tights and feet hurt. I jumped every time the guns went off during your 21 gun salute. My heart felt as though it was torn into pieces when I was handed the flag. Until that moment it didn't seem real....

You were the most amazing man I had ever met...

I often wish that you could have lived to meet my babies. They would have loved you. You would have loved them. I tell them stories about their Great Great Grandfather and show them photos. They don't really understand, but one day I hope they will tell their children about you.

I live for the day we can venture back to Washington DC show them the sights and bring them to your resting place at Arlington National Cemetery. Don't worry we will all wear pants and good waking shoes.

Thank You for the wonderful years we spent together, the memories created, and the stories you shared.

I love you and miss you, but I know you are watching over us.

With All My Love,

Taylor

Politics Set Aside for a Moment

2009-01-19T09:22:00.000-08:00

If you are a democrat or Republican it doesn't matter....

How Super Cool would it be to live in the White House?

I would be like a kid in a candy store.

Washington DC is one of the coolest places I have ever been.

My oldest cant wait for tomorrow "Hey Mom, did you know that tomorrow the new President starts his new job?"
While pouring a cup of coffee "I know Aves"
"Mom wouldn't it be cool if it was your job to run the whole country?"

Then before I could answer he went back to playing the Wii.

I guess Mr. Aves has been listening to everything we have been talking about!

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Once Upon a Time

2009-01-17T09:57:00.000-08:00

I wanted to go on a Cruise. Now I don't think there is enough money in the world to pay me to step foot on one.

I don't want to end up in the headlines. Mom of 3 missing from Cruise Ship last seen....

Then it will be left up to Mr. Montana to find a picture of me so the FBI and whom ever else can post it all over the new,web and papers. No thank you I will be staying on dry land.

Maybe I will sit down with everyone and point out what pictures would be okay to use if I were to ever go missing. The last thing I want is to have some horrid photo of me all over the news. I'm sure people wouldn't think twice about trying to find me. If I was some crazy messed up haired lady with no make up on giving one of my hurry up, and take the darn photo smiles.

Now as far as flying to a Vacation destination anytime soon. I think I will take a rain check as well.

If flying the first day planes were up in the air after September 11 dealing with everything I dealt with that day. Nothing like having an FBI agent wish you a Happy 18Th Birthday. I guess I should have known before asking the question I did. " How did you know it was my birthday?" he followed with " Miss Rucker we know everything about everyone on this flight." It was at that point I proceeded to freak out and think if going all the way to LA for a tattoo on my 18Th birthday was really worth it. We were grounded for many hours and yes I was one of the few people who got back on the plane. It's not like I had another option... I guess I could have walked all the way to LA from San Jose Airport.

Stinks that it was my 18Th birthday and not the big 21. It was free Happy Hour for the rest of that flight. I don't think they would have checked my ID, but I wasn't taking any chances after hearing "Miss Rucker we know everything about everyone on this flight" NO THANK YOU.
Before arriving at LAX airport I was put through the torture of having everyone sing Happy Birthday to me over the intercom on the flight, was given a barf bag filled with fun goodies that I have saved to this day minus the peanuts those were gone in 2.2 seconds.

If that didn't stop me from flying the recent crash landing in the Hudson sure did. Even though everyone is okay I'm not taking any chances.

I'm not sure how I got onto this tangent today. From Cruise Ships to Flying....
Maybe its time to get my day started?

Stay tuned who knows maybe one day I will go into detail on my wonderful September 14th 2001 flight from H E double hockey sticks.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Foto Finish Friday

2009-01-16T08:39:00.000-08:00

I had big plans for this weeks Foto Finish Friday. As always life got busy and well yesterday turned out to be a bit lame.

Alright so yesterday's plan turned into me taking a almost 4 hour nap with the kids. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to drink coffee at almost 9 at night before Greys started. If I wasn't awake enough after the nap the coffee sure did it's job. The job I wish it would do in the morning.

After walking for over an hour with Daisy the Amazing pup and Angel I tossed and turned all night long. I should have rolled myself out of bed and worked on the blog that I was planning on posting today, but every time I thought about getting up. I figured it would only be moments before I drifted off to la la land.

So you will have to wait another week for the super cool plan of the blog I was brewing in my head. Here are a few of my favorite photos from over the years. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them!

All of the photos were taken while we were on Vacation in Mr. Montana's Hometown of Bozeman.

The first picture is of Bella and Avery. Avery was having a blast dressing up and well as you can tell Bella had no desire to play along. I won Mom of the year forcing her to wear the outfit anyway and snapping a photo of her screaming.

Above: My sweet baby boy on his first horseback riding adventure. Below: Bella petting a Donkey
Here are the photos from Avery very first Motorcycle ride with Grandpa.

Bella beating up her brother while waiting for old faithful. Don't you love how everyone is looking at the kids.
"Look Mom I caught a Fish"
Avery on Grandpa's Excavator
Miss Chloe eating Yogurt. Miss Chloe spent a ton of time in the high chair eating over the two weeks we were there. I think the main reason being that Nanna's bird always had to share with her. Chloe was amazed by the talking bird who ate everything she did.

Miss Bella petting a cow.

Bella's first time riding a horse.
This is my all time FAVORITE photo I have ever taken! This was the last photo I took while at Yellowstone. I wish I could tell you where we were, but by the end of that day everything was a blur.

I hope you enjoyed our families vacation photos. See ya next week for Foto Finish Friday.

If you want to see more blogger's Favorite photos head on over to Candid Carrie and Check them out! http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com/

Thanks for Stopping by!

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

The Plan

2009-01-15T11:20:00.000-08:00

Mop Floors

Vacuum

Clean Kitchen

Eat Lunch

Force All Children to NAP ( so I can play the Wii )

Blog at some point

Do Laundry all day (Cause I'm just that Cool)

Maybe attack Clothes Mountain

Go for a walk 12 hours from now in the cold while suffering from hypothermia for the second night in a row!

So that's my plan!
Anyone care to join me in my cleaning adventure?

It's already 11:30 I'm sure I'm not going to get everything done but at least its a plan right?

OMG I ROCK!!!

2009-01-14T20:40:00.000-08:00

I gave the shower a good scrub down today. I showered myself then I went into a cleaning rampage! Maybe cleaning the shower really does sets the tone for the day...

After the shower I moved onto sweeping the bathroom floors with every intention of moping the floors. I never did get to that, but I cleaned my room. That included making the bed, sweeping the floors and forcing my children to remove every single last toy they had in our room. I even washed Daisy's dog bed's.

Then I told the big kids that if they helped me pick up the family room and put all their toys away we could hit the park after naps. I only had to threaten with tossing toys in the trash a few times!

OMG I cleaned almost the whole first floor of my house. If only there were a few more hours in my day I would have been able to get to the kids rooms, playroom and my sewing room.

The sewing room was clean until the moment I was in the shower cleaning it. When Bella and Chloe decided to do a little sewing. In other words there is fabric tossed all over the place.

Who knows maybe one day I will get my whole house cleaned at once.

Mr. Montana was surprised on how much I got done today. To think its almost 9pm now and I'm not even close to being ready for bed. I think there might be some Wii playing in my future tonight!!!!

Until Next Time,
One Rockin' MOM

Why?

2009-01-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

I had a lap in judgment yesterday, maybe it was because I thought that Mr. Montana was going to be home at some point in time last night. Figured that since he is the first one up that it wasn't something I would have to worry about.

Yesterday I decided to give our ultra stinky dog a bath. I truly cant stand giving my sweet 100 pound baby a bath. Daisy is worlds best dog who turns into a living statue as soon as she hears the word bath.

Our shower was in need of a bath as well so I figured before I gave it the scrub down that I should scrub the dog. Minutes ago I went up pulled a towel out of Clothes Mountain along with a pair of pants and a shirt for myself. Walked into my bathroom then I remembered.

I never got around to scrubbing my shower yesterday after giving Daisy a bath.

I'm guessing that Mr. Montana's reply for this would be... Maybe you should have cleaned the bathroom last night after the kids were in bed instead of playing the Wii into the Wee Hours.

I'm not sure if the whole forgetting that I needed to do it will work. Since I do need to walk past the shower to get to the closet to put on my Pj's. Really I did forget! It slipped my mind it really truly did.

Why do I do this to myself? Now I get to spend the next I don't know how long cleaning a shower before I can clean myself. For a person who feels that Cleaning is overrated what a way to start a morning. Maybe cleaning a shower will set the tone for the day. You know like when you make your bed it supposedly set the tone. Maybe I will end up cleaning like a crazy person and Mr. Montana will be forced to walk back outside after he gets home to check if he is at the right house.

A girl can dream right?

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

I'm Torn

2009-01-13T19:44:00.001-08:00

Okay first off I would like to start this by saying I was a true fan of Sex in the City. After watching countless re-runs On Demand I was forced to find something else to entertain myself during the late evening hours once the kiddo's were in bed.

At first I got hooked on Big Love and well I couldn't get enough. It even sent me into a bit of research on the whole plural marriage thing too. Not because Mr. Montana will be looking for a second wife anytime soon, but because I really had no clue how many families live like that.... I'm still speechless on that subject.

Then I moved onto Tell Me You Love Me also on HBO On Demand. I loved the show, but I guess I was the only one. It was canceled after the first season....I'm still dying to know if Hugo and Jamie ended up getting married. I want to know if Katie and David were able to connect again on a "Husband & Wife" level. I really hope that Carolyn and Palek were able to save their marriage.

Moving on....

Then Mr. Montana and I got into Weeds a few seasons late, but were able to catch up with everything Thanks to HBO On Demand. No there are no future plans for owning a maternity shop with a tunnel running to Mexico yet. Then one day I was checking out a few of the other series on Showtime when I came across The L Word....

If you haven't heard of Google it! It's the best show ever and I'm tellin' ya for a woman who is married to a man and has 3 children. Shane is HOT!!!!
Now this is why I am torn... I am 110% in love with both Big Love and The L Word. Big Love makes its season premiere Sunday on HBO at 9pm. While at the very same time, but on Showtime The L Word premiers its finial season AT THE SAME TIME.

This is when I wish I had a DVR or a Tivo.

Maybe I will just go out and buy a new pair of shoes and the shoes will help me decide what show to watch.

Oh I hope they will be On demand. I might be forced to go to bed and not watch either so then I'm not turning my back on one while watching the other.

I think HBO and Showtime HATE ME... Its a big conspiracy against ME Taylor Frickin Frances!

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

HELP!!!!

2009-01-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

OMG I have spent the last, Oh I have no idea how long trying to make my blog Cute.

I have no idea what I am doing nor do I have any idea how to do what I want. I feel like pulling my hair out and screaming at the top of my lungs.

Now that my little tantrum is over I'm going to do something productive like wash a load of clothes. So I can at least say I did that much today before I tell Mr. Montana that I need to attend some sort of blog layout 101 class just to make my blog feel special.

Then Mr. Montana will look at me like I have lost my mind. I will insist that it is not me who has blog envy, but truly it's Blanket Bears and Binkies who is truly unhappy with her appearance.

Please note that if you visit here and I haven't posted anything in days, weeks, months or years. Its because I have been officially committed for the above comment.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

PS. If you know anyone who can help me with making this blog cute. Please leave a comment. Don't worry I'm not really crazy I just feel like it sometimes.

Q & A

2009-01-12T09:58:00.000-08:00

Since I'm super bad at getting back to people when they ask questions. I figured that I would have a little Q & A.

*The First one is from Candid Carrie http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com/

She is dying to know what happened to Oscar's Tail.
Mr. Oscar was born without a tail. The funny part about it is that my mother took one of Oscar's litter mates. Who looks just like Oscar, but who I feel has an extra long tail so I'm sticking with the story that my Mother's cat stole Oscars at some point during the 65 days the mother cat was pregnant.

* Here are a few question's from Bevy

No my life does not lack entertainment that's for sure. It's non stop from the moment everyone gets up until we go to bed.

This year our Christmas Tree was huge! This was our first Christmas in our very first home and I set out wanting to have the most prefect Christmas tree to fill the space I have had planned for it since the day we first came out to see the house. We have cathedral ceilings in the great room, so it had to be Huge or at least that is what was stuck in my head. It didn't end up being as tall as I had planned, but where it lacked in height it made up for in fullness. It was just under 8 feet tall and weighed in at 130 pounds.

Now to answer your baby questions... Avery was born a month early and was still big. I ended up finding another Doctor when I was pregnant with my second and when I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes with Bella my doctor came to the conclusion that I must have developed it after I was tested for it when I was pregnant with my first. Miss Bella was delivered 2 weeks early due to her size I cant even think about how much bigger she would have been if I would have gone another 2 weeks. My 10 pounder might have been more like an 11 pounder or more!

I think we are done having Children unless we loose our minds for a minute and think that one more would be fun. Our youngest Miss Chloe was born with 3 congenital Heart Defects we try to keep this in mind every time we even "think" about adding just one more to the mix. There is an 80% chance of having another child with heart problems. Chloe was very lucky in the fact that if you were to choose what heart problems to have she picked them just right. After watching her struggle for over a year I'm not sure we could one put another child through that nor do I think we could stand watching it again.

* Congenital Heart Defects FACTS

For those of you who know me personally I have made you sit through this countless amounts of times. For those of you who have stumbled on my blog I am now going to put you through the same thing. Only because before Chloe was born I had no idea that Congenital Heart Defects affect more children than Childhood Cancer. In fact if you don't know anyone right now that has either had a child born with a CHD or know someone who knows someone you WILL.

*How many babies are born with CHD?
Approximately 40,000 babies are born each year in the United States with a CHD. That equates to 1 out of 125 babies born with a heart defect.
It is the #1 birth defect with more occurrences than Spinal Bifida, Down syndrome or hearing loss yet many are not aware of this condition.

*How many kinds of CHD are there?
There are approximately 35 different types of congenital heart defects.
- Chloe was born with a Ventricular Septal Defect, Patent Ductus Arteriosus, and one unknown defect.

*How are congenital heart defects treated?
Today, most heart defects can be corrected or helped with surgery, medicine, or devices, such as artificial valves and pacemakers. In the last 25 years, advances in treatment of heart defects have enabled half a million U.S. children with significant heart defects to survive into adulthood.

*Is there a prenatal test for CHD?
An echocardiagram can accurately detect many heart defects. This test needs to be performed by a specialized doctor and not an obstetrician. Some heart defects can be detected through routine ultrasound.

*What causes congenital heart defect?
In most cases, scientists do not know the cause but feel both environmental and genetic factors appear to play a role.A few of the environmental factors that increase the risk are drinking alcohol and cocaine usage. Some maternal medical conditions increase the risk of fetal CHD. The most common is diabetes but not all forms will increase the risk. Women with PKU are also at risk are recommended to follow a special diet prior to pregnancy. Some studies suggest that not enough of B vitamin folic acid is taking before and during pregnancy. Some medications if taken during pregnancy increase the risk of CHD in the baby. These include isotretinoin, lithium and some anti-seizure medication. Source: March of Dimes.
Anyone with one of the risk factors mentioned above should discuss this with your OB and request a fetal echocardiogram to screen for a heart defect in the baby.If you know of someone with the above risk factors planning to have a baby, please share this information with them.

*A Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)- is a hole in the ventricular septum - the muscular wall that separates the right and left ventricles, or main pumping chambers, of the heart.This opening allows the movement, or "shunting," of blood between the ventricles. Most commonly, oxygenated blood from the left ventricle enters the right ventricle because there is greater pressure in the left ventricle and the resistance in the lungs is significantly lower than in the body tissues. This is known as a "left to right shunt."Ventricular septal defects are the most common forms of congenital heart disease, accounting for 21% of all cases. They may be single or multiple and may occur in different parts of the ventricular septum.Small holes usually close spontaneously in the first year or two of life. Large holes almost always require surgical closure in the first year of life. VSDs may be present with other heart defects (For example, Tetralogy of Fallot.)

A Ductus Arteriosus- is a minor vessel, sometimes persisting from the fetal structure of the heart in a newborn baby, which connects the aorta to the pulmonary artery (PA in diagram).It is termed a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) when it is open, allowing blood to flow from the aorta into the pulmonary artery. After the PDA closes, the resulting fiber-like structure is known as a ligamentum arteriosum.

Since Chloe was born I have met Countless people who either have CHD's or Children with CHD's. I even met 2 other mom's where Bella danced who's Children were born with a CHD. Those are only out of the 2 classes who's parents I saw every week. One of my Dearest friends her youngest Daughter was born with a Ventricular Septal Defect and a Atrail Septal Defect. When I met Tracy she was pregnant with her youngest and she had never heard of CHD's before she met us.

If you would like more information or have any questions about Congenital Heart Defects please feel free to either leave me a comment or send me an email. I am more than Happy to either point you in the right direction for info or to answer your questions myself.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Foto Finish Friday

2009-01-09T10:03:00.000-08:00

I have been dying to share this photo since before Christmas. So its a bit late for a Christmas photo, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Yes this is our Kitten Oscar at the top of our Christmas Tree where he spent most of December. I am happy to report he only managed to break 3 ornaments! He would start at the bottom of the tree and work his way up and around the tree. Treating it like a spiral staircase.

Before I tell you this next thing I will should let you in on a little secret. I'm crazy and well I don't get out much these days. So I'm guessing this is why I couldn't wait.

To see what Mr. Oscar was going to do once the tree entered our House the day after Thanksgiving. I remember when my Childhood cat and his first Christmas with us. My Mother and I came home from School and work I believe that I was about 5 years old. We found that our Christmas Tree had fallen and to our surprise our Kitten was sitting in the middle of the tree looking at us with the look of "Look What I Did!" He seemed to be so proud of himself.

Since the day our sweet Oscar became a part of our family. First off he looks just like the Cat I had growing up minus the tail, only because Mr. Oscar doesn't have one. I really truly couldn't wait for Christmas to see what he would think of the Tree.

I should make a point of getting out more often. I'm thinking most people would be upset about the fact their kitten spent a whole month climbing their Christmas Tree, but oh no not me I loved watching almost every minute of it!

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

PS. Dont Forget to Stroll on over to Candid Carrie She is by Far one of my Favorite Blogs to Read! http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com/

At Least I Can Laugh About It Now

2009-01-08T09:11:00.000-08:00

Weeks before she was born I spent hours with Mr. Montana painting her room the perfect shade of pale green. That matched the green that was in her bedding. I washed all of her clothes and placed them in her dresser and hung all of her dresses in her closet.

Funny this is most of what we had for her she would never get the chance to wear. My oldest was born almost a month early weighing 8 pounds 1 ounce. This should have been a clue.

The night before Miss Isabella was born I packed our bag for the Hospital I remember that I was really worried that her oh so very cute going home outfit wasn't going to fit. I thought that it was going to be too big.

I couldn't have been more wrong. Miss Isabella joined us on June 16, 2004 shortly after 1pm weighing in at 10 pounds 2 ounces. Everyone who had been in the room including my Doctor waited for her to be weighed. Once the results were in Dr. Russell replied with I knew you could do it. Thank Goodness she wasn't any bigger than that or we would have had a huge problem.

Bella only got stuck for a second when I had 3 nurses pushing on my belly from all sides. Once Bella was here they searched for size 1 diapers and a bigger shirt for her to wear.

Everyone who came into the room couldn't stop commenting on her size. She didn't even fit in the sink for her first bath it was more of a wash and hold under the running water to rinse. Here I thought she was so small. I couldn't have been more wrong.

By the time we were ready to leave the next day I was tired of the "Oh My I need both hands to pick her up" and the "How much did she weigh comments" I was more than ready to go home. It took Mr. Montana and I a few minutes before Bella got her picture taken to make sure her outfit looked like it fit. I wasn't able to snap the crotch of her shirt and the pants we were forced to make low riders to cover her legs.

We had to make one stop before we could take our new baby home. We needed Diapers...

Yes I did have a huge supply of newborn diapers, but there was no way we were going to be able to use them.

While in babies r us making our way to diapers. I'm in Baby Heaven when I asked a woman how old her baby was. 3 months was the reply this baby was so small and little. Then she asked me how old Bella was. When I replied with almost 24 hours old, the look I got from this woman was priceless. I wish I could have taken a picture for all to see....

Bella was HUGE I know this now thank GOD she isn't anymore. You wouldn't know by looking at her now.

That was the day I took my new baby who was the Size of a 6 month old home. A day I have a feeling I will never ever forget.

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

Blog Envy

2009-01-08T08:45:00.000-08:00

I am still somewhat new to the whole world of blogging, but there are a few blogs that I do follow on a somewhat regular basis. All I have to say is that today I am suffering from Blog Envy....

Its been years since I was this envious of people. Shortly after my sweet Bella was born I started suffering from Stroller envy. While I was pushing around the stroller that was top of the line the BMW of strollers when my son was born. Well it was no longer that BMW of Strollers, but was now the ford focus of strollers. The plan was to save money and the stroller did it's job so there was no need for a new one. I couldn't help, but drool when someone with the newest and greatest stroller walked by. I was lucky enough to be able to upgrade when Chloe was born only because the other one had been used and I had a feeling if I placed my sweet baby in it that the darn thing would just fall apart...

So I got a bit side tracked there for a minute. Oh yeah Blog envy......

Yes I have a myspace and I have managed to make it cute and fun I have added tunes and well I am able to check my mail without a problem. Now as for my blog I'm lucky I was able to make everything Pink and Black without totally messing things up.

I'm jealous 125% jealous of every ones super cute blogs. Everyone has great graphics and fun colors and well I'm feeling like mine doesn't belong. I have no idea how to make it fun or cute nor can I pay some of these people who are asking an arm and a leg to do so. Sorry cute blog makers I am not able to sell you my first born. While there are days its all I can do not to sell him and the other children on EBay.

I guess I will be suffering from Blog envy until I get up the guts to try to make it cute myself. I guess you will know if I have attempted because one day you will come to check out the blog and well there wont be one here. I can almost promise you that if I do it myself I will end up deleting EVERYTHING.

I know I'm just that Good!

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

I GOT IT!

2009-01-07T08:57:00.001-08:00

So tell me do you have the answer to this question....

1.) How do you get 3 hunks of man meat to pull in front of your house in a HUGE truck?

2.) Do you know how to get all 3 of them to listen to every word you are saying?

3.) How about getting them to move as fast as they can doing whatever it takes to get the job done?

4.)Last do you know how to get at least one of them to climb into your window?

Any ideas?

*
*
*
*
*

1.) You dial 911 and they send the fire department.

2.)Because they are trying to keep you calm. So these men do what every man should do... LISTEN!

3.) You have food in the oven on 400 and a pan on the stove on high.

4.) Your locked out of your house with a 2 year old and a newborn inside food on the stove and in the oven and its been over an hour that you have been talking to your 2 year old and trying to get them to unlock the door.

That was my day yesterday... Thank goodness this didn't happen to me. This is by far one of my biggest fears.

Maybe if I would have used something else besides sporks to dig that tunnel from my house to Angels we would have had a way in. I haven't for some reason been able to get past the hardwood floors with the darn sporks. In fact at the first attempt to dig the darn thing keeps breaking not even making a dint in the floor.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

denim dilemma

2009-01-02T18:28:00.000-08:00

I have a huge problem a Denim Dilemma.

You would think that I would be more than happy to report that the weight I have lost in the past months. Maybe I be more than happy to say that I am now able to wear all the lovely clothes I have been dying to wear for years now.

Not So Much

So now I get to spend the next few weeks dealing with pants that are far to huge to avoid a constant case of butt crack. When before I just had to make sure that the shirt I had on didn't accent the oh so lovely Muffin top.

A few weeks ago I attempted to fold myself into my pre-baby super cute pants I wore in High School that I wasn't ever able to get rid of. Knowing that one day I would be sporting a super hot body again. Tonight I decided to try to force my hips and back end into them again. I am happy to say that I was able to get them on and wear them for a few minutes away before the pain started. Now I wish that I wouldn't have been so anti stretch jeans pre-children or I'm sure they would have fit.

While I was putting the kids clothes away I had another idea. Why cant they just put adjustable waste bands in Adults pants then my super fat jeans would still fit. I know I know I could just wear a belt, but I have never been a belt girl. The idea of a belt just makes me think about how much harder it would be to make a quick bathroom trip a few minutes longer. Right now I'm lucky if while out in public I get a chance to get into the stall unbutton my pants go to the bathroom and have a chance to pull my pants up before Bella or Chloe open the door. A belt would cause HUGE problems I'm sure. My Children would be running all over the bathroom touching EVERYTHING all the while I'm trying to tighten a belt.

So for now I will deal with wearing sweat pants that need to be rolled down a billion times just so they will stay up while I try to do a few things around the house. If I am forced to leave I will put on a pair of my huge pants along with a warning sign on my back letting people know....

DO NOT LOOK DOWN POSSIBLE CRACK SHOWING.

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

The Lost Taylor

2008-12-30T21:34:00.000-08:00

First off No I have not died from any sewing related injuries (Yet)

Things have been crazy busy as always in the life of Taylor. The kids keep me super busy and not only that this whole new June Cleaver mom thing has thrown me into overdrive.

After weeks of sewing and cleaning and keeping up with 3 kids the snow hit. We live in the greater Puget sound area it doesn't snow here. So thanks to mother nature my Christmas shopping was a total mess. Mr. Montana was out of town the week before Christmas while my lovely mom mobile was stuck in the driveway. Even if I could have backed out of my driveway I wouldn't have gone anywhere anyway. You couldn't have paid me to drive in the snow. Its not that I don't trust myself its everyone else out there its not like everyone else out there on the road cares about my precious cargo.

Dear anyone who knew we wanted to get a Wii for Avery (Mr.Montana) for Christmas. Um HELLO why didn't you people bother to tell me that this was going to be a hard to find item. EVERYONE was SOLD OUT. I guess it was kinda my fault too it didn't process in my lovely mom brain that while looking at stores they never seemed to have any. So its not all your fault, but come on if you know me you should know that sometimes its imperative that you point things out.

Mr. Montana and my Mother who I'm thinking about starting to refer to her as the crazy cat lady started and finished Christmas Shopping on Christmas Eve just moments before Toys R US Closed. And to my surprise Avery said nothing Christmas morning about the Wii. It wasn't until the next day he started asking about it.

I am happy to say that we are now the proud owners of a Wii and I have lost my 6 year old and my man child to it. New Years eve Mr. Montana even came home early from work to play. I figured I would give it a few days before I go into mom mode and lay down the law and set some rules for playing and the amount of time spent on the darn thing. As for now I will let them have some fun and who knows maybe I will get to spend some time in my NEW SEWING ROOM!!!!

I was told it was my Christmas present that I Taylor would get my very own Sewing room a place to call my own. Then I was told I get to be the one to clean it out of all the kid crap that had been collecting in there. Lucky ME!!!! Not even 24 hours later the catch all room/former bedroom of Chloe's was all MINE. Now I cant say that I have been able to sew yet. Just the idea of having a room that I get to toss all my crap all over the place and not have to figure out where my family is going to eat their next meal is just PRICELESS!!!

With all the time I spent sewing in December and dealing with Snow. I found out how much I hate COMCAST. So for all of you who have wondered where in the heck I have been or if you have been trying to call us. I have two words for ya COMCAST SUCKS. They will be out Monday to replace our phone box and we will be given a new number. So for all of those who were waiting for my Merry Christmas Phone call.... I'm sorry I was planning on calling I really was I wasn't being lame and I didn't forget about you. It was COMCAST and they SUCK. Oh and I no longer have the email address I had before I will talk to them at some point and pray that there is some reason they can give me the same one again. Just in case they wont or cant I will spend the next few days trying to come up with something fun and new for my possible new email address.

Thank Goodness I have the net back it was as if I was cut off from all of the world. I could live without a phone, but no net is like dying a slow and painful death. Maybe I should let COMCAST know they almost killed me.

Any who for those who missed this....
Merry Christmas EVE EVE
Merry Christmas EVE
Merry Christmas
Happy New Year

Oh yeah and I know I have always been good about sending out Christmas Cards with Updates on the kiddo's with some super mom cute picture that only a mother could truly love. I didn't forget. I will at some point in 2009 get out Happy New Year cards with a 2008 review so don't worry you didn't miss my boring updates. You will be forced to read them soon.... And for those who don't read them I will find out.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

I knew this day would come

2008-12-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

I have always known that one day my children would be spending endless amounts of time with their friends and would never want to be home. I just figured it wouldn't be this soon.

I'm not talking about my 6 year old or my 4 year old, but my 2 year old has a BFF.

Miss Chloe wakes up wanting to spend every waking moment next door. They don't have a typical friendship well who really knows this could be a normal 2 year old BFF relationship. They hit and push, take toys from each other. Then after they spend 2 minutes in timeout they are hugging and kissing each other. At least for a moment or two until the whole pushing and hitting thing starts over again.

The other night after going to the local RW with the little girls for more apron fabric and getting the best workout that I have had in years running all over the store chasing two 2 year olds we decided to drive around and look at Christmas lights.

I'm sorry, but when it comes to little kids who are just learning how to talk and the wonderful things they say it makes my heart melt. Chloe had passed out by the time we got into our neighborhood, but Miss NANA was enjoying all the lights.

We saw countless snowmen along with tons of Cocaine's.....

No matter how many times we said Candy Canes they are now Cocaine's.

Well I'm off I need to start digging a tunnel from our house to next door. This way I wont have to freeze while I pass my child next door. Plus it will make for easy transport of sewing machines. I gotta go find my plastic spork and start a digging!

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

I'm Back!!!

2008-12-08T09:43:00.000-08:00

At least for now...

The last 3 weeks have been spent looking at countless fabrics and sewing until my fingers bleed. So they didn't really bleed, but they sure felt as though they should be.

This past Friday Angel and I pulled an all nighter getting ready for this STUPID BAZAAR. I haven't stayed "awake" that long since High School and I'm not really sure I could ever do it again. After the bazaar I came home and passed out my Honey is now referring to it as my "Longest Sleep Record" of 18.5 hours.

Thank GOD I have a great hubby who took care of the kiddo's so I could catch up on my beauty sleep.

I no longer hate Aprons nor do I feel like I wasted all this time making them for nothing. No we didn't sell a darn thing at the Bazaar, but not a single person did either. I don't think anyone came with the plan to buy anything. They came for the Dumb $3.00 breakfast and to take pictures with Santa on their Camera Phones... People were so cheap they didn't even buy Santa Photos...

We are hitting another Bazaar this weekend if they don't sell I will "Giving" away Aprons to all of my readers.

Here are some photos of what my last 3 weeks looked like. My Children have never watched so many videos nor has my house ever been this dirty. I haven't done laundry in days and my hubby was forced to wash towels the other day.

I think Scott will be happy once the house is back to "Normal" and for the day I get to bed before 2am.

Not only was I sewing until my fingers felt like they were bleeding, but while I was busy trying to keep myself "Awake" the other night I spent hours using a HOT GLUE GUN making our sign. Needless to say I no longer have finger prints blisters have taken the place of them.

Sewing Until My Fingers Bleed

2008-12-04T09:54:00.001-08:00

I have spent the last week sewing like a crazy person with minimal sleep and consuming more coffee in a day then most people do in a lifetime.

While I sit here trying to wake up enough to pull out my sewing machine and find what little ounce of creative inspiration I have left I figured that I would blog. Something I haven't done in well over a week.

I have to force myself today to sew the last of the aprons and construct a super cute little sign for our booth. I have a feeling that I will not be sleeping tonight....

Yesterday I put all my kiddo's down for a nap with the plan to sew and get as much done as I could before everyone was up. I poured myself a nice cup of coffee sat down and attempted to thread the needle. I was running on two pots of coffee and less than 4 hours of sleep when I realized that there was no way I could sew a straight line when I couldn't even see straight to put the darn thread in the needle. I figured that maybe I would try closing one eye so I was no longer crossed eyed when I gave up and headed to my room for a much needed nap.

As of 2am today we have 27 aprons done and only 23 more to go...

I should walk away from the computer sew myself some gloves with thimbles at the end of every finger and force myself to only take potty breaks every 10 hours and turn my kitchen table into a sweat shop and sew until I cant see straight. My children are lucky that we don't own another sewing machine because I would be practicing Child Slave Labor for sure.

Only 46 hours until the Holiday Bazaar Starts.... I think we might go crazy before then.

Until Next Time,
One Tired MOM

No I Didnt Forget

2008-11-24T09:34:00.000-08:00

So I haven't forgotten about my blog. Nor did I forget that I haven't finished writing about Chloe and her oh so very rough 2 years.

The truth is that I have been spending almost every free minute with Angel, who is my next door neighbor and a really great new friend!

We have spent the last 2 weeks sewing like crazy people! And I thought that Blogging and Coffee was a true addiction. I was wrong.....

Coffee is still my #1 addiction, but now sewing is right up there with Coffee.

Angel and I are going to be doing our very first ever Holiday Bazaar on December 6th. I just hope and pray that everyone loves them as much as we do! We better get some custom orders out of the deal too. I really don't want to force Bella and Chloe to wear a different apron every day just to make me feel better that I spent countless hours making them.

Today we are going to finish up what we started yesterday along with attempt to make a few boys tool belts so the little guys don't feel left. Cause boy oh boy are the aprons cute!

Alright I feel better now I have written a blog. Dinner is already made and its not even 10am yet. Thank goodness for the slow cooker because now I don't have to worry about doing anything else besides sewing until the Hubby gets home. Nothing like a little Refrigerator Soup for Dinner.

For those of you who have no idea what Refrigerator Soup is. You take a little bit of whatever you have in your fridge throw it into a pot add water and call it soup! I did plan for it and mostly picked up everything for it.

My idea of Refrigerator soup and who I got the idea from is way different. My EX- step father's mother would make this soup once a week.

One day while sitting down to dinner after spending a whole week with them while my Mother and Step Father were out of town. I looked at my spoonful of this soup and noticed something....

There was a little bit of everything from a full weeks worth of dinner. His parents lived through the depression and well like most people who did you WASTE NOTHING. I mean nothing so she would take a weeks worth of leftovers toss them in a pot and serve it as soup before any of the leftovers went bad.

I have thought about it many times with my family only because at the first sight of leftovers not only my children, but my hubby as well start looking for ANYTHING they can find to eat besides what I was planning on serving.

Well I'm off I hear Galloping Gerty in the other room calling my name. I must shower then start sewing so I feel like I got something done today.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

PS. Galloping Gerty is my sewing machine.... Before Angel helped me lube her up well the name says it all.. Doesn't it?

She Must Be Cute!

2008-11-21T16:18:00.000-08:00

OMG my Baby Chloe was picked as a finalist for baby of the week!

So if your reading this guess what you get to do......

First Check out the picture
http://warm1069.com/rwn.asp?displayOption=&contentGUID={0DC47685-AFCC-40AA-82EF-2038ACF0D664}&groupName=KRWM%20On%20Air%20Contests&siteGUID={AFEDDA3C-2BDA-4E6A-8259-8B3901703883}

She is #8

Then send an email to: warmcutestbaby@gmail.com

And Vote for Chloe!!!!

Don't forget to put Baby #8 Chloe 20 months old in the subject line
then add the same thing to the body of the email.

Please Vote once a day everyday for the next week!

Until Next Time,
ONE VERY HAPPY MOM!!!!!!

Foto Finish Friday Fiesta

2008-11-21T07:20:00.000-08:00

I know I promised that I would finish the Story of Chloe this week since tomorrow is her second birthday. My big kids have been super sick with the flu and well I have been addicted to sewing super cute aprons. I forgot today was Friday my plan was to have something super cute to share, but well that didn't happen. So I did the next best thing....

This picture was taken April of 2007. We were enjoying our day at the park when Bella took a dive head first off the swing. I had been taking pictures of the kids that day. I had no idea until I got home that I had taken a picture of her falling.

Scott's face is priceless and well now I have a picture to remember that day. Don't worry Miss Bella was fine she dusted herself off and wanted back on the swing.

I promise I will finish Chloe's story at some point today and post it either tonight or tomorrow. Now I get to rush around and get ready the kids have hair cuts in Seattle at 11:30 and well we live almost 2 hours away.

I should find someone else to cut their hair....

Don't forget to check out Candid Carrie and other great FX4
http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com/

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Life's Shoulda Coulda Woulda's

2008-11-14T10:57:00.000-08:00

Do you ever sit and wonder about all the Shoulda Coulda Woulda's?

I shoulda Finished School

I Coulda been a nurse

I would be working like a mad woman, and wouldn't be able to spend all this wonderful time with my kids. There are only little for a short time.

So my Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda's end right there.

I Love being a Mom even on days like today. When they decide to turn my pit stick into a soupy mess. So now I'm being forced to use my husbands.

I shoulda picked up new pit stick on Friday. I wouldn't have had to spend my weekend smelling like my husband.

I shoulda let the big kids make fun of Chloe when she had the flu. I know this sounds bad, but after spending all of Sunday and Monday smelling like my husband, trying to clean up after my two sick big kids who are now sick with the flu. Trying to tell my two year old to stop making fun of the big kids when they are getting sick. There were a few times that I really thought that Chloe was sick. Maybe it's time to sign her up for Acting Classes? Either way this really wasn't my idea of a great weekend or the start to my week.

I shoulda washed some clothes yesterday. Now I'm going to be forced to wear my ugly sweats and some random shirt and pray that I wont need to leave the house.

Oh the Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda's of life!

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Friday Foto Finish

2008-11-14T08:46:00.000-08:00

Since Miss Chloe is a week away from turning 2. I couldn't help but want to share some of our favorite Chloe pictures. This birthday is such a huge milestone for Chloe and our family. Not only did Chloe make it to 2! But she is also part of the 5% of Children who's heart has healed on its own!

Enjoy!

Chloe Elizabeth after her first bath

My girls after Bath Time. Isabella 2 Chloe 3 weeks old
Christmas 2006
Avery 4, Isabella 2, Chloe 4 weeks
Chloe and Auntie Melinda at the March of Dimes ( No Photos Please)
Chloe 5 months oldDress up Anyone? 5 Months oldJust another day at the Park 6 Months old4th of July Park Day with MOM
I was getting ready to go home! Chloe 14 months old

My mom wont stop giving me kissesChloe is the coolest! 20 Months old Family Movie Night

Chloe trying to get away from the girls in Pink... "Come Back Baby"

Cotton Candy is the best! Chloe at the Fair

Chloe 22 months old

Chloe looking at Ducks with Daddy 23 Months old

Dont forget to check out Candid Carrie!
http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com/

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

Boots

2008-11-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

Sweet Baby Girl your almost 2 I cant even believe it.

Two days ago was the 2 year anniversary of my goal due date. And to think we made it 13 extra days!

Thinking back on everything from the long almost 9 months you were in my tummy. I was so sick and from the very start I couldn't wait for it to be over. Until the day the doctors started to worry about you.

You were extra small and not moving much. There were so many questions being asked and yet no answers being given. Each and everyday that went by we prayed for you. At 21 weeks and 4 days we found out that you were a girl. While I was so excited to be having another girl the doctors kept measuring you over and over again to figure out why you were only measuring at 16 weeks. This doctor wasn't our normal doctor and she wasn't able to say a word about what she was finding. The famous "Hmmmm" we kept hearing for many months after. I still cringe every time someone does it.

Every test under the sun was ran that day. We were hopeful that somewhere down the line we had a history of "small" babies and prayed that genetics were playing a part for you.

This was the day your Big Brother Avery named you boots!

A few weeks later I found out that I had gestational diabetes. From that moment on I ate everything that I was supposed to and made sure my sugars were perfect. I gave up my love of pasta and bread in hopes that you would be okay.

Shortly after that I was going in three times a week so they could check up on you. Make sure you were moving like a crazy girl and growing just right. On Thursday September 21 2006 the sweet nurses at Material Fetal Medicine decided to keep monitoring me for a few more minutes while they finished some paperwork. Not even two minutes later your heart rate dropped.

I don't think I have ever been so scared in my life. Your daddy was working late that night and Your Big Brother and Sister were at a friends house. As they were searching for your heart beat and having me move a million different directions then the Marie one of sweetest nurses I have ever met ran out of the room and the on call Doctor ran back in. When she came back into the room her face was white and the smile that was always upon her face was no longer there.

She walked over to my left side and held my hand. Handed me a tissue and told me everything was going to be okay. They still hadn't found your heart beat and you weren't moving. It had been 3 long minutes. I was being transferred over to the labor and delivery floor. Nothing was being said I had no idea if you were okay.

Just before they started to wheel me out of the room. You moved! The plan was to see how you do for the next few hours and if it happened again then they September 21, 2006 would be your Birthday. You would have been way to early more than 2 months early. Over the next 15 hours you did just fine. Our wonderful doctor came in and that is when we set our plan. She even had a little heart to heart talk with you. You were to stay healthy and strong until November 9th and I was to stay pregnant until then.

We had weekly ultrasounds and we sat in that very chair that were we almost lost you 3 times a week.

I prayed every single day that we would make it to November 9th.

Grandma had a shower for us on October 14 I only had two bites of that Oh so very tasty Chocolate Cheese Cake. I was sure you wouldn't mind something non organic and sweet to eat. We all laughed and talked about everything but the worry we had for you.

I figured that if I didn't pick up your bedding or have everything ready you wouldn't come until we were. Everything stayed in bags and boxes that people gave you at the shower. We had your butterfly bedding picked out, but I wasn't going to buy it until November 8th.

November 9th we were all ready for you to come. I went to see the doctor and you looked just fine so it was now a waiting game. Were you going to come soon or would you wait until what I like to call "D" day.

On November 22, 2006 at 6am your Daddy and I walked through the empty parking lot of Evergreen Hospital knowing that in a few short hours we would be meeting you. Not only that your Big Brother I think was more excited than we were. He was going to meet his Boots!

Everyone showed up at the hospital about 30 minutes before you were born. Avery couldn't figure out why you weren't out yet. Bella was being Bella and had no clue as to what was going on.

At about 12:40 your Brother and Sister took a stroll to the gift shop to pick up their Big Brother and Big Sister T-Shirts. At 12:52pm you were born weighing 7 pounds 9 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. You were Perfect!

Even though you were small to us but normal size to Doctors. We figured you were okay now that you were here.

Your Big Brother held you minutes after you were born. He cried and told you how much he loved you and how he waited so long to meet you. Your Big Sister really wasn't too sure about you, but that didn't stop her from petting you while Avery held you.

Later that day after everyone went home. Avery decided to stay with us in the Hospital just in case you needed him. I remember looking at you next to me you were so sweet and so little. You had the most perfect little lips and those oh so kissable cheeks. You had a tiny bit of blond fuzz on your head and we were almost 99.9% sure your eyes were blue. You wouldn't keep your eyes open long enough for us to see.

Your lips kept turning blue our nurse Liz kept telling me to keep your hat on that you were just cold. I couldn't help it that blond hair was just too sweet! We had no idea that your blue lips were just the start of everything that was going to come.

I didn't get much sleep that night I couldn't take my eyes off you. We waited so long for this day Chloe a day we thought that might never come....

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Check back tomorrow for the more of the Chloe story.

Money Really Does Grow In Walls

2008-11-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

All money problems solved by knocking down walls. Then just re wall my walls ( Thanks Jessica Simpson) just to knock them down again and find more CASH!

I WISH!

A Contractor who was working on an old high school friends home. Found Depression-era currency in the bathroom wall.

Well after the contractor found it he made his first oops he told the friend. I'm sure I would have done the same. She offered him 10% he asked for 40% then it went to court. Check out the link to the sight I read the story on. I think its kinda funny. Too bad they didn't end up with much in the end.

I have been searching for my very own money tree for years. I would settle for some wall money. I wish I could count how many times I have wished there was money hanging out in the wall somewhere. Too bad my house was built a few years ago. So the chances of finding Depression-era money is unlikely.

A girl could dream right? Until I find my wall of cash I will still be searching for my Money Tree. I would even take Money Tree seeds even if it means waiting a few years before it starts producing hundred dollar bills. Heck I would even take a money tree that grew twenty dollar bills.

Off in LA LA land,

Just MOM

PS. The re walling the walls was said by Jessica Simpson on MTVS the Newlyweds. I loved the way Nick would look at her after she would say something dumb like re wall the walls. Kinda the same look Scott gives me when I say something Dumb.

Three Little Kids Jumping on the Bed

2008-11-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

One fell off and Bumped his head

Momma was forced to say "I told you so".

The girls figured I was serious when I said
"NO MORE KIDS JUMPING ON THE BED".

One Little Kid Jumping on the bed
He fell off yet again and hurt his foot

Momma Yelled and said "NO MORE"

"But Mom it really hurts"

My response was "well Avery this is why I tell you not to jump on the bed. So unless your bleeding and cant walk I'm sorry you got hurt but you need to go play somewhere else. NOW"

I'm not to sure why my children feel the need to play on my bed. It always ends the same way... They don't really care to listen EVER I get so sick and tired of having to remake my bed and to pick our pillows up off the dirty floor several times a day.

Dear Avery, Bella and Chloe

While I do have a king size bed it is not a play ground, Nor is it a place for you to sleep. The last time I checked you all have your own beds. I didn't buy a King size Bed so there would be room for EVERYONE. I like my space period end of story. And there isn't enough SPACE in that BED for all FIVE of us. So do not play on my bed and please please DO NOT COME DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO SLEEP WITH ME. It's driving me CRAZY! I no longer believe in a Family Bed I didn't really in the first place. If I could go back in time and place all three of you in your OWN beds from the moment you were born I would. Even if I was forced not to nurse any of you. If this promised me that 6 years later I would be sleeping alone I would. You all would have been formula fed and left to "Cry it Out".

LOVE,
MOM

Apparently My Baby Isnt Cute

2008-11-07T16:07:00.000-08:00

Apparently my baby isn't cute.... The other day I entered Chloe into a cutest baby contest.

You know the picture of her in her glasses with Avery's underpants on with red high heels and a pink handbag.

I know my child is cute and its not just me being a mom. I'm thinking that it really should have been called the Ugliest baby contest cause non of this weeks children are all that cute.

Okay let me rephrase that they aren't totally unfortunate looking.

I just don't understand how my baby wasn't picked. You know out of all the 9 billion other babies that entered. I cant believe they didn't pick my sweet baby.

Heart Broken,

Just MOM

PS.. How could she not have been picked? Just look at how darn cute she is!

Aprons with a side of Velveeta

2008-11-07T11:19:00.000-08:00

After posting my Foto Finish Friday blog. I figured it was time to finish my "Project" of the moment. I have spent the last day or so making a Child Size Apron along with an oven mitt and hot pad to match. All I have left to do is the pocket....

Once I decided it wasn't "Project" time in other words I'm doing what I do best and procrastinating yet again. I checked out Candid Carrie's blogs that I had yet to read this week.
Now I'm feeling the need for Cheesy Spinach and Bacon Dip. I'm starving and it sounds really good and there is no way I'm going to drag my tired self and children to the store. Oh but its made with two of my all time Favorite things Velveeta Cheese and Bacon and well everyone should love Spinach!

Who knows maybe I will since today I'm doing everything else, but what I should be doing.

To tell you the truth I will end up finishing the Apron because I would rather deal with Chloe climbing on the table and pulling the thread off my sewing machine and pushing buttons. I cant stand taking everyone to the Market not only that I cant stand food shopping in the first place. Well I'm going to wipe the drool from my face and start sewing.

Oh how I wish this could be my very first giveaway win! Man if not all that drooling for nothing...
http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com/2008/11/velveta-licious.html
Check out Candid Carrie's Giveway!

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

PS... Velveeta Cheese ROCKS! And so does Candid Carrie!

Foto Finish Friday

2008-11-07T09:19:00.000-08:00

A week or so ago I rolled out paper to cover our table so the kids could paint. I had no idea that it was going to be such a big hit! We never got around to painting....

Avery, Bella and Chloe spent hours just coloring on the table. Avery drew a picture of a house then some clouds along with three huge mountains.

Then he decided there needed to be people! He drew our family on the Mountains trying to make our way home in the storm. Then my sweet little boy decided that the man on top of the mountain was all bummed out.

Why you ask? Because there was a limo at the bottom of the mountains and the man didn't see it. So the family had spent all this time climbing the mountains trying to get home in a really bad storm and they could have just taken the limo.

I just love the way kids minds work! I couldnt help but share the pictures I took of our lovely table with such great artwork.

Dont forget to check out Candid Carrie and everyone else who is taking part in Foto Finish Friday! http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com/

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

Please Tell Me I'm Not The Only One

2008-11-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

The phone rings and your children have been playing nicely for hours. Just as soon as that phone rings and you answer it. All hell breaks loose....

It never fails the fighting starts the minute I'm on the phone.

"He looked at me"

"She touched me"

"He wont let me play"

"She hurt my feelings"

Needless to say I am forced to get off the phone and deal with them. Or I kindly tell the person to hang on and I tell the kids to deal with it and I step outside so I cant hear the yelling and crying.

The other issue is when decide to shower. I have given up on ever showering alone, but even with Chloe at my feet the big kids always seem to have something that cant wait five minutes until I am out.

"MOM can I play the LEGO game?"

"MOM can you find me clothes?"

"MOM" "MOM" "MOM" and more "MOM"

It makes me not even want to shower. Please tell me how I am going to start the LEGO game for Avery and find clothes for Bella while I'm trying to shave my legs and wash my hair? Why is it that they cant wait until I am out or when I ask them if there is anything they need before I get in?

The last thing.... I think my children just know that the nights I stay up later than the norm they are up at least 2 hours before they normally get up.

I think this is some form of MOM torture...

It should be outlawed for good.

Law # 1

All children must remain silent at all times when your MOM is on the phone.

Law#2

All issues need to wait until MOM has had time to shave her legs, wash her hair and is not only out of the shower, but fully dressed.

Law#3

When MOM was up past her bedtime last night. Not only do Children need to sleep in, but when you do get up make yourself breakfast and turn cartoons on. DO NOT BOTHER MOM UNTIL SHE HAS AT LEAST A CUP OF COFFEE IN HAND.

Law#4

A MOM has the right to add additional laws as she feels at anytime.

Law#5

All Children must obey all laws or they will be punished by taking LEGO games away and Polly Pockets.

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

Dear General Mills

2008-11-05T08:33:00.000-08:00

To whom this may concern,

First off I will start by saying that our family loves your products. Honey Nut Cheerios are eaten daily for breakfast by my children and I'm sure that wont change anytime soon.

Second I know that eating a good breakfast is a great way to start the day, but when it involves fighting over a toy, a single toy you decided to place in the box. It really turns breakfast into the biggest pain in the rear.

When did you decide that it was okay to start placing toys back into the boxes of Cereal without talking to parents first? For the families that only have a single child I'm sure its not problem, but for families like mine or lets say the Duggar family who has 18 children it poses a HUGE problem. Who gets the toy? The child who can read and know that there is a toy in the box? Or the child who starts screaming because there isn't a toy for her? Then you give the toy to the screaming child, and the child who first found out there was a toy in the box is now pouting.

So tell me Mr. General Mills who do I give the toy to? I can handle the boxes of Cereal that you place those super cool little books in. At least we can read over breakfast and learn something fun. But that last thing I need to deal with before I have had my coffee is fighting over a really dumb plastic Madagascar Zebra toy. I will tell you now that by the end of the day its going to end up in the trash anyway.

Why don't you just save everyone the trouble and only include books in the boxes of cereal or make it so we have to send away for the toys. Then it's left up to us parents if we want to deal with it.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Come on People

2008-11-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

Your making me feel old. I'm not 100% sure why since I do have 3 children and I'm kinda married.

While on Myspace today I have been noticing that people left and right are having babies or are pregnant. Along with that you people are getting married. For the most part I was the first one out of everyone I know to have kids. But for whatever reason its making me feel old.

The other little issue is when I see all those cute little babies it makes me want to have another one. This by no means is a good thing. So tell your sweet little babies not to be so cute while your snapping those photos. Its causing my Fallopian tubes to flutter and I really do not need another baby anytime soon.

Maybe this feeling old thing has more to do with the fact I'm a mother of a 6 year old who is missing a mouth full of teeth, and 4 year old who thinks shes 24 and a soon to be 2 year old who is connected to my hip at all times.

So this is the only time I am going to ask you people. Stop getting married, stop having babies and if you don't stop having babies at least don't let them be so darn cute.

If you don't do you have any idea what is going to happen?

That's right I might do something crazy like get married or decide to have another baby.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Died and Gone to Taylor Heaven!

2008-11-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

So I missed the Grand Opening of Target. I know what was I thinking? They ended up opening the doors a few days early so when October 12 rolled around I said forget it. I wasn't the first one in the door nor did I get to be one of the first to be served at STARBUCKS.

YES PEOPLE THERE IS A STARBUCKS RIGHT INSIDE OF TARGET. It's not one of those lame ones that just serve Starbucks coffee, its a real green apron wearing fully loaded Starbucks that even sells espresso machine's!

I think I have died and gone to Taylor Heaven!

What more could a girl ask for? They should put Laptops on all the shopping carts then I could shop and blog while drinking a vanilla latte!

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

A Black Cloud

2008-10-31T12:09:00.000-07:00

Settles upon the Swecker Family on Halloween this year.

Besides waking up to it pouring down rain outside. Living in Seattle we expect this to happen. After letting our poor soaking wet dog inside the black cloud moves in.

No not the one in the sky, but the one in the form of a Fever and Vomiting. Poor Chloe is super sick, but yet she keeps going into my closet pointing at her butterfly costume and saying "Put On" I should have known yesterday when she was extra crabby and wouldn't eat.

Lets just hope she starts feeling better by 4pm today.

Happy Halloween,
JM

Foto Finish Friday Fiesta

2008-10-31T09:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

She is not upset because she has the buzz lightyear costume on, but because we said it was time to take it off.

Don't forget to check out Candid Carrie!

http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com/

Happy Halloween,

Just MOM

Arranged Marriage

2008-10-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

While on the phone with a good friend of mine who feels like she is dying from the bird flu. The topic of Drama came up. We all know that I might be a little dramatic, but Bella is the Drama Queen. When asked what she wants to be when she grows up all she talks about is wanting to shop for shoes. My reply is always the same "Well Bella I hope you marry well" I have a feeling she will still be living at home when shes thirty because she wont be able to move out on her Starbucks salary due to her shoe shopping addiction. Maybe she will marry an architect who will design her a house that looks just like Manolo Blahnik Mary Jane. I'm sure that would be the only thing that would get her to move out of our house. Then she can literally be the old woman who lived in her shoes.

A girl can dream right?

Then my friend who is suffering from the Bird Flu (a bad cold with a hint of Dramatic much) thought that I should arrange a marriage for Bella! Why didn't I think of that first? Since Bella is a bit on the high maintenance side already I figured why not get started now. Finding Bella a rich man to marry could take a little time and effort, but I think it could work.

If it were only possible to marry off your 4 year old. While adults fight about real things, just think about what 4 year old would fight about. Who gets the last chocolate chip cookie and what cartoon they are going to watch first. While Bella fights for the cookie and the right to watch Cinderella her "husband" is thinking because he is the MAN of the house he gets the cookie and wants to watch Power Rangers. Knowing Bella this fight would last all day long and she would end up throwing the cookie away or feeding it to the dog. Then she would solve the other problem by unplugging the TV. While her "Husband" tries to talk her into shopping on Rodeo Drive followed by Breakfast at Tiffany's. All of this for a darn cookie and Power Rangers! I'm sure with the idea of new shoes and something sparkly to wear around her neck she would give in. Maybe not Bella sure loves her Chocolate.

Even thought I'm not serious about this, it at least is a good thought right? How funny would it be could you see Bella being married to some other little 4 year old. They both have to go home before Dinner because there is no way I would allow my child to live with anyone else, but me. He can just support her shoe habit.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

Sweet Things

2008-10-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

Why is it that there are a billion movies for adults on this time of year "Halloween" and really nothing for children? Why cant the It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown be on demand? I'm sure my kids would rather watch that. Other than watching Halloween Dora and Sponge Bob Scary Pants for the nine hundredth time. Anyway while I was trying to find them something to watch I found ET!

I forgot out sweet that movie is. I love the part where Elliott is showing ET things in his room. "The fish eat the food and the shark eats the fish, but nothing eats the shark" Then there is the " This is money, the money goes into the Peanut"

I feel the need for some recess pieces. Did anyone else cry when they watched ET? I sure did I still get a bit teary when I watch it. I guess when my parents way back when went to see it in the theatre there was a little boy sitting next to them who was balling like a baby at the end.

While I'm sitting here talking about movies. I watched the movie Dan in Real Life the other day while my kiddo's were napping. Over all the movie was a bit dumb, but it really made me want to have siblings more than ever. Oh well Scott and I can be the parents who make everyone get together once a year for a week of fun. Where there will be a candy jar with endless recess pieces. I think I might need to run to the store to fix this little craving today. Just think there will be a day I'm really hoping that I'm very old when my kids decide to bring boyfriends and girlfriends home. I hope that I'm almost dead when they decide to get married and have children. Okay so my kids cant date until they are 30 so that would make me well lets see...

Avery 18+30=48
Bella 20+30=50
Chloe 23+30=53

So I wont be old enough maybe I will change their dating age to 50. Then I will be to old to even remember! There goes my whole getting together at some really cool lake cabin once a year with everyone. Lets just hope there is a wheel chair ramp on the house they can just wheel me in. And who knows maybe one of them will have children of their own and the baby and I can share baby food while all the grown ups eat. Second thought maybe I'll stay home and I'll wait for pictures to come in the mail. I'm really an indoor girl who even at 90 wouldn't enjoy a week long stint at a lake. Where there are wild animals and bugs.

Being an only child wasn't any fun. The worst part was when you were given games on Christmas or Birthdays you didn't have anyone to play them with. Pretty Pretty Princess was great only because I used everything for dress up. Who needs to play the game when you can wear all the bracelets and necklaces, top it off with a dumb plastic crown for endless dress up fun!

Is it to late to adopt some brothers and sisters? Maybe I'll just place an ad in the paper asking to join my family. I wonder how many crazy people like me are out there that would even think about replying?

I'm going to go and do something productive now. If I don't post anything tomorrow send a search party to my house. I might be lost in my garage I get to go search for the kids trick or treat bags. I have no idea where they might be I don't remember packing them when we moved and I haven't seen them since last year. If I ever move again I think I'm just going to pack my children and maybe pictures. Sell our house as is with all our crap and just buy new. It would make finding things a snap.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

PS I just love the smell of bacon in the morning! To bad it was from last night. I don't know about you, but the smell of old bacon makes me sick.

How do they come up with this stuff?

2008-10-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

Last night over dinner Avery starts talking about how far away China and Africa were.
We heard about how they talk differently than we do and how they look different. Followed by everyone is different and that is what makes us special.

Then he goes on to say how people in China and Africa don't have water and they don't have food to eat.

We have never talked about it so I'm really not sure where any of this came from.

Off Sub is anyone else ready for this darn election to be over? I live for the day that I can turn the TV and not hear someone pointing fingers at someone else. Its driving me crazy really really crazy.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

PS. My children are being extra loud today. I think its time to pull out the ear plugs.

Sick or Just Sick and Tired?

2008-10-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

Either I am just sick and tired of life or I'm just sick.

I have been feeling under the weather for the last week or so. No once again NO I'm not pregnant its not that kind of sick.

First I'm crazy tired and cant seem to get enough sleep. I'm not one to nap and I have taken one everyday the last 4 days. And I'm still tired....

Now I'm losing my voice, my nose is stuffy and it hurts to swallow.

Now the question is am I sick because of stress and my children driving me nuts? Or am I really truly sick? I'm guessing its Sick Sick...

Now I'm going to go crawl into my bed and not come out until I feel better. I'm sure my children will be okay. I'll just tell them not to answer the door, and I'm sure they would survive on Peanut Butter and Jelly for the next few days. So they might spend a few days in the same clothes and maybe not brush their teeth. I'm sure they wouldn't really mind.

Being sick really isn't any fun. I really hope that spending days in bed and allowing my children to live on PB&J's will make me feel better.... At least by Friday that is all I ask. I'm not sure I can handle hours of Trick or Treating and dealing with my ENTIRE family feeling this way.

Going to find some chicken noodle soup.

Until Next Time,
Sick MOM

Note To Self: When spending days in bed don't forget to hide all things that can cause a huge mess or start a fire.

Strange

2008-10-28T08:43:00.001-07:00

I was just sitting outside talking on the phone and having a cup of coffee.

It was raining at the end of our yard, but not were I was sitting.

How Strange!

It reminded me of that new show on Discovery Storm Chasers... I know its not really like it, but I felt like them for about a second while they watch the storms from far away and you can see the rain.

How cool would it be to Chase Tornado's? Maybe that's what I should have done. Yeah right I would chicken out in a matter of seconds.

Until Next Time,
JM

King Size Bed

2008-10-28T08:26:00.000-07:00

Why is it the minute I turn the TV off and try to go to sleep that is when Bella decides to come into our bed? Why is it that when I take her back to her bed she doesn't ever stay there?

Okay so Bella's night of coming into our bed starts every night at about 11pm. The up and down the stairs goes on until about 4am when I give up. Then Avery always makes his way into our bed at some point. I guess in his 6 years of life he has mastered the art of sneaking into our bed without us noticing. Bella likes to make herself known she likes to curl up right next to you.

Picture this...
Me trying to sleep in between a almost 2 year old who I cant seem to stop nursing and a 4 year old who likes to kick and elbow you all night long. Maybe its not that my meds aren't working, I'm starting to think that its my children in my bed. Maybe we should invest in Jail type doors for their bedrooms.

I guess I can look forward to the day they move out. At this point I feel like there is never going to be an end to them sleeping with us.

So I might have a king size bed, but it sure doesn't feel like it when you have 5 people in it.

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

PS I need a Nap

Foto Finish Friday

2008-10-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken last week on our trip to Spokane. Chloe was having a blast being an only child. This is a picture of her kissing Daddy. Chloe never gives kisses so I couldn't help, but get a picture of it.

Enjoy!

Don't forget to visit Candid Carrie
http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com/

Best News Ever!!

2008-10-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

And no I'm not Pregnant...
I don't really think that if I were it would be good news. The blog would be titled "Padded Room Please"

Yesterday was Chloe 2 year Cardiology check up! I called Tuesday in hopes to get in sometime next week and well I was told to come in the next day. To think I thought that was great news being able to take Chloe alone without the big kids.

Now are you ready for the really really really really really really good news? My sweet baby with who has holes in her heart and a temperamental bowel. Doesn't need to see Dr. Stamm again for 2 years!!!!!! Its hard to think that in 2 short years my baby will be 4.

So the Ventricular Septal Defect remains, but its small. I guess most VSD close by the time a child is 2 if its going to close. He remains hopeful that it will close by the time she is 4, but most likely it wont. She will not require it to be patched nor will she need antibiotics before going to the dentist. Chloe is still small as if we didn't know that by looking at her, but they are thinking this is because she was just born early. And not because of her heart and well being small and a girl isn't a bad thing. I'm sure we will all wish we could fit into her size zero pants when shes 15.

It's hard to look at Chloe and not remember all the hard times. Then when you watch her run around the house, coloring on walls and eating markers we are so very lucky she is her today. There was a point in time that we had no idea if we were going to be able to watch her grow up and turn into the sweet, wild and crazy soon to be 2 year old that she is.

I know we are really lucky to have had this outcome. I thank God daily for my sweet baby girl. Even though the first year was really hard and so was most of the second. I wouldn't trade it for anything. She has shown us how to love more and be thankful for what we have. Life if such a special thing and I know how truly special it really is.

Chloe wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the wonderful Doctors and Nurses at Children's Hospital and the great Nurses at Evergreen Hospital's Breastfeeding Center. We love you Dr. Thomas, Dr. Stamm, I wish I were able to list all the nurses at Children's that helped us while we were there, but I know we don't have that kind of time. Thank you Karen and Sally at Evergreen you helped Chloe so much. If it weren't for you two Chloe wouldn't be here today.

Remember 1 out of every 100 babies born will be born with a Congenital Heart Defect. If you don't know someone now you will. If you would like any information on Congenital Heart Defects or how you can help raise awareness please feel free to email me.

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Heart Defects Awareness">

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

I Guess the Coffee was Bad

2008-10-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

A woman in Fort Pierce Florida decided to go to jail rather than pay her bill at a Fort Pierce Waffle House restaurant. The total she went to jail over: $ 7.45. According to a police report. The woman ordered coffee and a sandwich a the restaurant on Saturday, but refused to pay the bill.

I guess she was asked by an officer to pay her bill or go to jail and she refused to pay the bill.

She was released Monday from the St. Lucie County Jail. She was charged with obtaining food or lodging with the intent to defraud, a second degree misdemeanor.

I figured you all would want to know just in case you decide to order and not want to pay. I will not bail you out.... Don't bother calling because my phone doesn't allow collect calls.

If convicted of a second degree misdemeanor she could face up to 60 days in jail and a fine of $500..... I'm guessing she wishes she would have paid the $7.45.

Maybe not it could have been a really bad cup of coffee and who knows maybe there was something nasty in the sandwich!

Until Next Time,

JUST MOM

Adult ADD visits again

2008-10-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some reasons why I shouldn't be allowed to get bored.

1.) Random pictures are taken

2.) I drive people crazy

3.) I do crazy things with my hair

4.) I put things in my nose and ears

All of this was done within the last hour of driving. Next time I think I will find something to keep me busy in the car.

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta

2008-10-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

I figured I would share my favorite part of Spokane with you all today! In a few short hours I will be playing on this HUGE Radio Flyer with my Children. I cant wait!!!

There is nothing better than being able to take your children somewhere you once played as a child.

Dont forget to check out Candid Carrie at http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com/

Until Next Time,

Just MOM

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2008-10-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

I WISH!!!

Tomorrow we are all loading up into my Oh so fabulous Mom Mobile and heading to Spokane. Where I will be handing my big kids over to my in-laws for an entire WEEK! My Children are going to be two states away from home without me.

At first I couldn't wait for this day to come. Now I'm sitting here missing them and they haven't even left yet.

Now I just wish that the personal Jet that comes fully staffed wasn't just a figment of my imagination. I would force my driver to drive me to my personal air port daily. So I would be able to fly to Montana so I could eat breakfast with my kids every morning. Fly home then return to tuck them into bed followed by Hugs and Kisses. To bad my "Driver" is me and well I think it's official....

I have lost my mind!

Until Next Time,
Just MOM

PS. While on my way home tonight from one of the longest days of my life. Guess What! Gas is now under 3 bucks!!!! I cant remember the last time I saw it at $2.99 per gallon!