Funnies...

Just some everyday funnies around here ~

BEFORE COFFEE:

AFTER COFFEE:

FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE DYING GOLDFISH LEAGUE:Charlie is now anticipating the camera flash -

TAKE ONE:

TAKE TWO:

TAKE THREE: Gotchya!!

Sophia is often caught - doing her own thing - with her eyes crossed. She's posing here though!

Ummm...that's not Joseph's beer....

Can You Tell We Haven't Started School Yet?

Because in between school planning at the computer, regular household chores and "kid moments" - I've been taking some breaks and coming across things [usually YouTube!] by simply hopping from one blog to the next [let's call this blopping...BLOG HOPPING!] - and it would seem to the untrained eye that I have too much time on my hands! I know my sister's out there somewhere saying, "Yeah, would you stop emailing me all this stupid stuff!! - I've got a life, Sister! - you know? I'm out there working the hospital scene picking up power cords from this dept to that dept!".

Okay. Here's my latest find. And yes, it's from my new favorite blog! This is simply beautiful...okay, beautiful is probably not what pops into your mind when you first see this. But it did mine. I had tears in my eyes and it wasn't from laughing. Which I did. A lot. But I saw the beauty in this moment. Well, you'll just have to look for yourself and see what I mean!

See?

So it's Not Just YouTube...

...that'll make someone famous. You've got to check this out: [warning: do not drink while reading this link!] http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130144061675&ru=http%25

And when you're done cracking up, check out *MY* favorite new blog:
www.mom2my6pack.blogspot.com
Now, it's almost 1am - I couldn't stop reading her *stuff* - really a gifted and captivating writer...to say the least! - so, Good Night!!

YouTube Makes People Popular-a!

Thanks to my friend, Jen, at Aquanis Academy, I saw this hysterical video of two guys and their tribute to Braves player, Mark Teixeira! Apparently, the Braves organization caught wind of this duos' talent and invited them to come play at the stadium!! How cool it that!!?? Anyway...here's the link [beware...it's a catchy tune...hence my title!!]:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDHjGrbXiD4

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

For our 17th anniversary, Paul really surprised me!

Besides getting my diamond bracelet repaired and cleaned, he bought me a beautiful watch along with some roses. But the REAL surprise was tickets to the Braves game! I was so surprised! I love baseball and the Braves are my team!

We had dinner at the 755 Club which overlooks the ballfield and we sat 6 rows behind the opposing team's dugout - which happened to be the first-place Diamondbacks. Since we sat right there at third base, we have many shots of Chipper:
We had such a WONDERFUL time - even though the Bravos lost to Arizona [4-0]. Truly a memorable gift! Thank you, Paul :o)

Some Things that I Learned Last Night...

• When you have an important announcement to make you're: paraphrasing
• When you say "Christ's Birthday" it could mean: Easter
• The thing that makes your car go in a certain direction: could be the stick shift or gas pedal

In the Beginning...

Since seeing my friend's post about the chance meeting of her husband, coupled with the fact that today is our anniversary - I feel compelled to share our "how we met" story.

I'm a sucker for dimples. I could end the story there, but I won't. Some of you may be pleading that I don't go on - sorry, you'll just have to suffer through it! This will be the condensed version...for my sake and yours.

It all began in 1988...[envision Wayne's World "doodleoo doodleoo doodleoo" dream-visual]...we had moved from Georgia back up to Cleveland so my dad could start his own business - not that he couldn't have done it here, in the ATL, but he grew up there and knew lots of people. So we left - kicking and screaming. I don't think any of us really wanted to go. I know for me - being 20 at the time - I decided to go 2 days before my parents were actually leaving. [around this time...as I was deciding what to do...I prayed and trusted in God and *knew* I was going with my parents to meet my husband! Not a lot of Catholics in Georgia at that time and I knew I would only marry someone who was. So that was my "leap of faith"]

I got a job at a grocery store and made fast friends. Then I got an additional job at a bank. For a while I juggled both jobs in addition to going out with my friends and co-workers to enjoy the "night life" in Painesville, Ohio!

There was this 80's dance club called Spanky's that we went to frequently. Thursday was "Ladies Night". It was on one of these "Ladies Nights" that my life changed.

I think I need to back up here. I was born in Painesville, OH - had moved to Georgia in 7th grade, and was back in Ohio where my story takes place. So I had "history" there ;o)

I was sitting down at a table with my group and saw this guy on the dance floor. He looked so very familiar to me. [I was always recognizing people I had gone to school with at St. Mary's before I moved to GA] I approached him and asked if he was "Karl [last name]". "No," he said, "but I'm Paul [last name]!" [his brother was a year ahead of us in school, hence the mix-up!]. So he asked me to dance. I accepted. And when we got on to the dance floor and he "busted a move" I wished I had declined! [To this day he knows that he dances like Fred Flintstone!] I don't remember the song or anything else - except how I couldn't wait for the song to end! Thank God it did end and we sat down at a table to talk. It was then that I noticed his smile - I tried not to look at him on the dance floor...I was too embarrassed for him, and for me!! His smile melted my heart.

We went out the very next night and the rest, as they say, is history! Getting to know him opened my eyes to such a sensitive, caring and very loving person. So it was very funny as we laid in bed this morning trying to figure out what we're going to do tonight, when Paul said, "I don't know, but we'll do something. Probably dinner....and dancing."!!!

I love you, Paul! You never cease to amaze me as I grow up. How God has blessed me. Happy 17th Anniversary, Honey!

An added note: You know that commercial where the guy comes out onto his patio - where there's a bbq going on - in nothing but his speedos and his wife stops talking to her circle of friends and just looks at him...shaking her head as if to say "uuuuuuhhhh...not a good idea"? Well, I had to do this to Paul a couple weekends ago when he decided he was going to show the neighbors at the block party how well he can dance. "uuuuuuhhhh...not a good idea"!

All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed...

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

~Holy Day of Obligation~
August 15th

"All generations shall call me blessed..." Luke 1:48

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!

Treasures...

Yesterday, the 13th - was my birthday. Funny how 40 isn't *old* anymore!! And no, I'm not 40...Yet!! These are my gifts from Sophia and Dani. Dani made me the earrings...Fia made the necklace and bracelet.

Sophia and Therese worked on this bracelet today for me...cute, isn't it? Charlie thought so too. So much so, that he yanked it off and pulled the elastic string so hard that the beads all came off. So John Paul and I put it back together again! Shhhhhh...don't tell Paul ;)

Priest Hero of a Death Camp...

Feast of St. Maximilian

Born: Jan. 8, 1894 in Poland

Ordained: April 28, 1918 in Rome

Died: as prisoner #16770 - Aug. 14, 1941 in Auschwitz

Canonized: Oct. 10, 1982 - by John Paul the Great

St. Maximilian is best known for switching places with a prisoner who was ordered to be executed. The prisoner yelled out, "Oh, my poor wife. My poor children. I shall never see them again!" - to which the priest did the unthinkable.

St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe...Pray For Us!

Bye Bye, Polly...

...she's on her way to that big landfill in the sky! Paul just heard the latest on his way to work on the Mattel recalls. Polly Pocket happens to be included. So, here she is - her exodus: Poor Sophia. We'll have to find something to replace her "Lolly Pockets".

It's All Greek to Me!

This is the math program I've decided on for the kiddos this year. What's nice is that it comes with a DVD - where the teacher/developer teaches the kids a new concept. Plus, he's much nicer ;o)

While visiting the website I happened upon the blog where I found this video teaching the Greek alphabet in 10 minutes. Try it - it is really creative. For adults and kids alike!

And We Haven't Even Begun!!

Today is my first sigh of relief for the new school year....and the only thing I did was order their curriculum! It was more difficult organizing all that ordering than I figured it would be!

I only had to order for 3 of the kids this year, but it really was and *had* to be well thought out and orchestrated. I still need to go down to the dreaded "basement" and find all the books we already have - to avoid duplicating!

I pulled our books this school year from Seton, Catholic Heritage Curriculum and Emmanuel Books. Now the only thing I have yet to do is clean out the school room and...well, start!! Can you tell I'm not ready to start school this year?! Mindset, mindset, mindset!

My Very Own St. Joseph!!

Well, okay, Paul's no saint but he's as handy as St. Joseph was to Mary, I'm sure! This is the shelf he built me for my desk in our kitchen. He started a couple weeks ago and worked on it a little here and there. This week he finished it up - built the drawers, primed it, painted it, sanded it, and painted it again. And viola! Here it is:

The drawer pulls really make this piece. I told him it has a Pottery Barn look to it! !

I absolutely love it! And I absolutely love my handy hubby! Thank you, Paul!

Boogie Nights!

All three boys came down with colds on Tuesday. Tuesday night...not a good night.

It started out just fine. I made dinner for the family and they ate while I got ready for MNO [mothers night out]. Around 7:40 I was out the door.

Fast forward to 10:30pm. Everyone's in bed...well, except for Dani who is trying to get Charlie to sleep :) I take Charlie from her and head back downstairs to try and get him to sleep [which I believe will take all but 10mins - ha!] Paul and I go to Adoration for an hour at midnight on Tuesday nights [technically Wed. morning] - Paul is sometimes out of town in which case I go by myself. Well, this night Paul asked me to go without him because he had to get up early to drive to the airport. Let's just say that Charlie was NOT cooperating with our plan! The poor dear wasn't feeling well and couldn't breathe as he tried to nurse to sleep. Needless to say - Paul ended up going to Adoration...alone ;)

Charlie slept in bed with us that night...well, for some of the night anyways! John Paul and Joseph, who share a room, were up and down about 4 times all night. Joseph must have been having some awful dreams, 'cause he was screaming in terror. So, he screams...John Paul is crying - scared - because...well, who wouldn't be if someone was screaming bloody murder in your room!! This is just ONE of the times they both woke up. Charlie is downstairs in our bed with Paul who may or not be sleeping [both of 'em]. Finally, for the last time with the 2 bedroom sharin' boys, I go back to bed.

But, I don't go to sleep! Charlie's nose was so yucky and he was so tired but couldn't sleep. So here I am at 4:30 in the morning trying to find the "snot sucker" to clear his nose and can't find it anywhere!! I mean, we only have 18 of those things around the house!!

Charlie was babbling, crying, playing, crying - all the while being so very tired. He'd try and nurse to sleep and couldn't. This was the cycle for a couple hours. And I am very aware how much sleep Paul isn't getting who has to "get up" at 6am. So, he gets out of bed around the time his alarm went off [which was hysterical...it went off and Charlie sits up and looks over at Paul as if to say: DO YOU MIND!? SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP AROUND HERE!!] - and went out to the kitchen. "I changed my flight," he said as he climbed back into bed.

We - Charlie and I - finally caught some Z's...can't speak for Paul - whose flight ended up being delayed! So he just canceled his trip to Jersey all together!

Oh! and I did end up finding the bulb aspirator [ie. snot sucker]...it was in a box in our room which was covered up. Thank you, St. Anthony!

It's been a while since Paul and I have had a night like this one. I only pray it'll be a long while before the next one!

A Visit with Oma & Opa...

We went down to central Florida on Thursday, 7/19, to visit Paul's parents. After much delay [*much* delay...tire shops, traffic, construction, dinner, potty ;)] we finally arrived a bit before midnight - when they're only about 7hrs away.

Friday we went to Sea World - where Kathy and Dick [aka Oma and Opa] work part-time this summer. Kathy works in ticketing, while Dick drives the parking tram. They had tickets for all of us to go. At $65/adults and $55/children 3+, we probably would not have gone any time soon - though going when 2 of yours are younger than 3yrs old, thus not needing a ticket, is probably a plus! So much thanks to them for such a gift!

We saw three spectacular shows - the dolphin/whale show, the seal/otter show and the Shamu show...jam packed with Orkas. It really amazed all of us how they train these creatures of the sea to do all these tricks. I have to admit I had chills for all of the shows. The music that accompanied the shows probably had a lot to do with that - very impacting! Something which I did not know is that Sea World is an Anheuser-Busch park [like Busch Gardens] - so they have in the park a restaurant which serves *free* cups of beer. Paul liked this show best of all ;) They also have outside the restaurant the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales...*but* in the stable, what took the cake, was the donkey from that famous Super Bowl commercial. He was the sweetest-faced prettiest donkey hands down.On our way out of the park we saw the water roller coaster and decided to take advantage of it...our last hoorah. John Paul and Sophia were tall enough to ride so we just left Joseph [who threw a tantrum the whole time we were gone...sorry Oma] and Charlie with Oma and Opa while the seven of us road in one "boat". I wish now that we would've bought the picture they take as you're going down a rollercoaster, because NOTHING was funnier than the faces on those kids! John Paul and Sophia, first-timers, had NO clue what they were in for - and after that first hill Sophia was ready to climb out of the boat! - so when the next and last hill came upon us they were petrified...well, I *know* Sophia was, Paul and I think John Paul liked the ride, but could've done without the water! [thanks, Opa ;)]

On Saturday we really just vegged out and enjoyed visiting. The little ones played in the sprinkler, Dani and I played frisbee [we got pretty good after a while!], movies were watched, books were read, and Hess trucks were abused. We went to Mass so we could leave Sunday morning. I had to add this picture of Charlie to show that he does indeed smile, and does so *all* the time, but none of the pictures I've posted here reflect that. He usually looks so....serious. So here is Charlie - amused by Dani.


Saturday night was pure entertainment as Oma displayed [in the hopes of pawning off!] her wardrobe to Kayla and Dani. We had two takers and - to Oma's dismay - only two items. Dani got her army-green short overalls [to go with all her beloved camo] and Kayla got a really nice sweater...just her style! For Paul and I it was entertainment at its finest! I will never forget that night as Oma was so cute and so funny! What a dear lady she is. We love her so much!


Thank you, Oma and Opa, for such a great time. Building memories for our children is such a treasure. God bless you!


Sunday morning we were off to Atlanta. We got back in great time and came home to a nice clean house and dinner cooking for us thanks to my sister, Karen, and my mom and dad. You are the best! Thank you so much for your generousity!

Our Little Artist...

Well, they're all artists in some form or another, but here I'm talking about Therese. She is following in the footsteps of her older sister, Kayla, with her drawing ability. Friday afternoon I downloaded "The Pagemaster" from Netflix so the kids could watch it on my computer. After the movie, Therese went upstairs to their computer while Dani put the movie on again for Joseph - who had just gotten up from his nap. Therese came downstairs a few times, watched the movie for a minute or two, then headed back upstairs. When the movie was over - Therese revealed what she had been working on:

Only if you know what these characters look like in the movie, can you truly appreciate Therese's "exact-ness" - even down to Fantasy's crooked wand! All of us were so amazed and gave much praise to our little sweetheart!

Splish Splash...

...kids were taking a bath, long about a Thursday night! At least our jetted tub gets some use! The kids really have a blast with all those bubbles. And just a little bit of bubbles go such a long way with the jets on. I was a little nervous last night after hearing this story from a lady at the pool Wednesday. So I turned off the jets when I washed their hair! At 300lbs per sq inch, I was hoping that they wouldn't lean on the drain. I don't know if the suction is that strong in the tub, but it *was* awfully powerful. Therese looked a little freaked out after I kept telling them "what ever you do, don't touch that. It'll suck your hair in and you won't be able to get it out." You could see her concern as she contemplated the risk!

Therese, the Ork

He keeps trying to convince us that he's an angel:

Thank God I'm a Country Boy!! Yee Haw!!!

I'm so excited for my brother, Chris, and his fiance, Nina. First, they recently got engaged and the wedding date is tentatively March 8, 2008. Secondly, they both just moved to Houston from Philly a few weeks ago. My brother is a pediatric cardiologist - who just finished his fellowship in catheterization [for the past year he has been doing a lot of research on pigs' hearts]. He is done with "schooling/training" at 36 yrs old and we couldn't be prouder! Nina, also a doctor, is a pediatric endocrinologist [diabetes, growth issues, etc.] They both got positions at Texas Childrens Hospital - which is part of Baylor College of Medicine. So Chris and Nina rented an apartment - with a 7 month lease - in the hopes of getting to know the area first before buying. Well *that* didn't take long. They close on their first Texan home - Aug. 23! It is a beautiful spacious pad for these two docs! Take a look. Sincerely -congratulations you two. All that blood, sweat, tears and time has really paid off. We love you!

Power of Motherhood...

This was Charlie last night after his bath. I brushed his hair so that it would dry as "muppet hair". He was having fun with this photo-shoot of 20 or so pictures!And this was Charlie when he woke up from his afternoon nap today:
Pink eye! [Newman!] My poor guy. I used a nice warm washcloth to wipe away the gunky and crusty stuff [these words are used much in motherhood...go figure!]. So I looked online to do some good 'ol research and came upon this homeopathic remedy! Who knew? Not I! So, we'll see how that works! If it does - sure beats driving to the peds, getting a prescription filled...blah, blah, blah. This is better than clipping a coupon!