10.

a proper Coley birthday post next...
(it was fun)
(we had chocolate cake and fondue)
(and a scavenger hunt)
(I really can't believe he's 10)

this week we...

celebrated a certain 10 year old boy's birthday...
played monopoly, life, catan, scrabble, and cards...
watched mission impossible, national treasure, and narnia...
napped...
taught the momma how to play boom blox on the wii...
played do over no less than 150 times....
practiced guitars...
ate cake for breakfast....
read...
did laundry...
broke up fights...
and
wrestling matches...
listened to a ton of classic rock (the only station we could get)...
learned that Jared now "kinda" likes pink floyd (another brick in the wall)...
and
that john mellencamp's jack & diane will make Jack blush....
listened to the news on the radio...
went to bed early...
did more laundry...
reset the clocks...
multiple times...
with each little power outage...
listened to Colin scraping the car windows in the morning before work (from bed)...
watched everything we had dvr'd...
slept in...
listened to Coley stress about the idea of not having cable by Superbowl sunday....
took photos...
did more laudry...how in the world do we have so much laundry?!?
laughed...
colored...
listened to Jack cough...poor Jack...
played piano...
and
put off doing homework...
do you remember when you were so little your hands couldn't hold all the cards?

the boys didn't miss the cable quite as much as they missed being outside.
boys need to run around outside. trust me.

ice ice baby....

I have had internet for approximately 10minutes now...
it's pretty exciting.
we haven't had internet/cable since tuesday night.
the boys haven't been to school since monday.
we were extremely lucky...
most didn't and still do not have power.
and it's been cold. really really cold.
3000 poles down...in my county alone.
they say some in our state won't have power for weeks.
yes. weeks.
please say a prayer that power will be restored soon.

I made dinner.
but Colin just got home and offered to take us out...
we will not pass up that offer...
I haven't left the house since sunday.
sunday. I am not kidding.
dinner can go in the fridge...
for tomorrow.
maybe I'll even have a better blog post then as well....

Inky

Esther dear...

You mentioned on Friday that Preston (15) desperately wants a tattoo.
I was amused by this.

I would like to bring to your attention a conversation had Friday evening during dinner.

Me - (finding it oh so amusing) "so Pres wants a tattoo. Es is not so much liking this idea."
Jack - "OH... I want chains"
Me - "wait...what?"
Jack - "yeah, umm...chains around my wrists"
Me - (amusment factor gone) "you want tattoos of chains around your wrists? uh, no"
Jack - "ok, then on my head"
Me - "really no"
Colten - "I'm getting barbed wire on my bicep"
Jack - "Oh, I will get that....on my wrists"
Colten - "and a cross, on my other arm"
Colten - "and I'm getting a 23...maybe on the inside of my arm"
Jack - "me too! on my forehead"

So. please note two things.
1. my not quite ten year old already has clearly had his tattoos planned out for awhile.
and
2. my seven year should never ever get inked. ever ever ever.

does that story make you feel any better?
because it made me a wee bit nervous...

The ones that entertain, and the ones that observe...

random friday 10 (sarah style)-
#1-first off. this one. Jack Banana... since we moved here he has taken to saying "shut-up"
incessantly.
I'm not a fan. I don't expect to be told to shut up by anyone,
much less a seven year old in my own home.
Colin and I have both tried to get it to stop.
lots of time outs. lots.
finally this week the big threat came after he told me to shut up yet again.
(it may have been because I said I would see him at the awards assembly at school later...and that I'd bring my pom poms? I'm not sure...shut-up I know I'm a horrible mom.)
I explained that from now on that phrase would result in being unplugged on the weekend.
(big threat because the boys are only allowed video games on the weekend)
oh the drama.
so all week he's done a pretty good job of catching himself.
lots of "shhhhu..."s.
then came the
"what if I say shut the door and close up? does that count?"
"can I say ...."
"what about...."
"does shud up count?"
"how about..."
yes Jack. they all count.

#2- neighbor drama. I am not accustomed to it.....and am ill equipped as to how to handle it.
ignore it? I'm not sure. grown ups acting like children. interesting.

#3- I love my new cookbook. LOVE it. Katie Lee Joel's the Comfort Table. delish.

#4- Coley's 10th birthday is next week, officially I will have two in double digits. crazy.
all he has been talking about is going to see Valkyrie. I have no idea if this is even appropriate for him? right up his alley though...he's a huge history/war buff. not sure why he didn't pick Bride Wars? I'm not a huge Tom fan. Katie Kate yes, Tom, not so much.
in true Colten form when asked if he'd like to have a party, he said "no those tend to get out of hand".... ahh, my little old soul.

#5- if you're trying to lose weight, do not make chocolate crock pot cake to see "if it's any good".
it's good.

#6- I had to buy "zit cream stuff" last week for the first time in my life. which makes me wonder...should one be happy they never had zits as a teenager. or should it make one question why they have a zit now in their 30s?!#7- oh, this kind of goes with 4 I guess. but it's my list. I bought coley a "10" shirt to give him on his birthday morning. and am debating if he'll be excited and wear it? or horrified and not. it's appaman... (I love appaman) but I can see how this may not be well received....

#8- Jack is playing Upwards basketball right now. great Christian concept, very feel good, everyone is a winner kind of thing... totally makes my older boys cringe. Colten was completely floored by the "no score" concept. "I'll just keep score for Jack myself then"....
AND an 8:30am game tomorrow morning. what is that about? clearly there will be no sleeping in this weekend...

#9- I loved Jon and Kate plus 8 for a long stretch, but now....I'm annoyed by it. they seem far less ....what is the word I'm looking for.....humble maybe? the kids are still darling, but I'm disenchanted...

#10- the Settlers of Catan. whoa. while I fully realize it makes me sound like a dork. (err....a bigger dork than normal) it's a fun game. the littles are getting pretty good at it. it's kind of a strategy type game. anyway. we like it. a lot.

I fell asleep during LOST on wednesday... sometimes it just confuses/frustrates me so much I give up. so I'm going to go work out to LOST now and try and get caught up.
happy weekend!

I'm not going to lie...

I really can not grasp the concept of "tech decks"...
skateboards for your fingers?!? what?
the littles love them....
I am however
enjoying the ramps they create...

hold the umbrella please....

Daddy had to be at work early this morning
so Jack and momma had to walk
(the most unfortunate part of having one car)
across the always muddy field in the cold.
we were excited though
because we had new rain boots
to keep our feet dry and mud free...
the field this morning?
dry.
completely dry
(it's never been dry)
uh-oh.
we felt kind of dorky in our rain boots...
the ditch?
dry.
our feet
also dry and oh so cute.

Ballet Arms

so like half the US. I made the cliche new years resolution involving weight loss.
you know the one...
actually I vowed it to be about getting healthy.
about being around a long long time to torment my children,
and my grandchildren.
so I started after Christmas break (2 weeks ago)
actually I started the Tuesday after break, because the boys went to school Monday and then they sent them home after a few hours for fear of rain of the freezing type and that gave me one last excuse to postpone the inevitable.
I mean, come on...15 years wasn't long enough...clearly.
so tuesday was treadmill and tracy anderson's mat routine. wednesday was treadmill and tracy anderson's mat routine.
and me pleading with my arms and butt to please stop hurting. lifting my arms was useless....
and my butt.
oh. dear. my. butt.
but I continued. 2 weeks have gone by.
I can now lift my arms without crying.
I don't however look like gwen yet, which is kind of annoying.
but.
my knees feel great.
which is a small miracle.
(if I lose no weight, this alone would make the workout worth it, for my 3-surgery, no cartilage knee to not ache)

things I now know to be fact:
1. I hate exercise. I will always hate it.
there will never come a time where I will be one of those people that enjoys it.
ever.
but.
I like how it makes me feel ...
I just need to constantly remind myself of that.
(like continually, non-stop reminding)

2. I will never be a gym girl.
not since I was young and capable of wearing a spandex unitard* will I find that an environment I will feel comfortable in.
(if there were several friends involved, then possibly...sans the spandex)

and.
3. dieting is dumb.
eat less. move more.

here. in my comfy home. I can wear whatever I want.
sweats.
check.
random mismatched t.
check.
tracy not being obnoxious by counting and yelling....
but.
telling me I'll have tiny little ballet arms.
check.

this I think I can do.
now. on to week 3....

anyone else working out? eating better? want to join me?!? it's always more fun when you have someone else pushing along with you...

*it was the late 80s. I weighed 100lbs. let's not dwell. no there are no photos. suffice it to say it was hot. I had ballet arms back then....

The Rest are just Details

the art wall is coming along...still it's a work in progress. it's been fun going through the boy's art/school bins though.
I must say is there really anything better than preschool artwork? I say no....

I did find this gem,
which made me laugh all over again.
Colten's class was studying the presidents I believe.
and he was given a silhouette of George Washington.
they were asked to write something they had learned about the president.
my child wrote this...."I know he died"...
that's what Colten learned. in the end. he died.
just cuts right to the chase.
that's my boy.
I love it.
and thankfully, obviously the teacher did too.

still working on a word for 2009. but I'm leaning toward aspire...
love the idea of having a word to focus on for a year...that Ali Edwards has some good ideas.
now if it doesn't take me the whole year to decide on one it will be a small miracle.

that's all I've got today. I think....wait for it.....
I'm back.
whew. it feels good.
happy friday...enjoy the weekend....
monday I will tell y'all about how tracy anderson is trying to kill me. slowly.
and painfully.

Chickens they come, they go...

so...guitar lessons started.
Jared "I can play Odie Joy now"
Jack sighing..."It's Ode to Joy Jared"...

where in the world have I been?!?
I can not answer that on the grounds that it might incriminate me.
no. not really.
clearly someone, that someone being me, had a wee bit of trouble recovering after Christmas break...and returning to the "normal" routine of school and work. (and blogging)
is it Spring break yet?!?
can I have an extra week of vacation?!?
what in the world am I complaining about?!? pul-lease...I don't even work...
I know.
I'm pathetic.
pitiful really.
I have been very blah the last few weeks. I can't really put my finger on it.
other than I hate it here.
honestly,
can't work past it....
but trying to...
hate it here. I think that's it.
I can't even put into words what it is I dislike so immensely. there is nothing in particular.
add to it,
I think I'm a little lonely. A little disconnected from this place.
and I don't for a second think that this is not completely due to me. because it is me.
me.
I am to blame.
I am not out trying to solicit friends. that's just not me.
the people here are lovely.
very nice.
incredibly friendly.
but they are all from here, and perfectly content with their group of friends,
and aren't exactly looking for more...
and I'm not pushing for it.
so.
that's fine.
see. blah I tell you. blah.
not sad. just.
blah.

on to (much) more exciting news.
Coley and Col went to see the Cavs and the Grizzlies game on Tuesday.... they had a blast. good father son bonding time. and one-on-one, even better.
and more importantly the Cavs won.
I am discovering just how important it is when you're a boy that your team win.
Colten cried for hours after the Titan's loss.
Seriously. cried. tears. I asked Colin if he thought it was normal to cry over such a thing...
and he told me that "when he was Colten's age and the Dolphins lost the SuperBowl" he cried. and then Gabby told me that Mike said that "when he was Colten's age and the Bears lost the SuperBowl" he cried.
So clearly, it's a 9-10yr old boy thing.
Still I vote a little crazy...
but that sums up boys.
a little crazy, and a lot deliciously adorable.

The Roof is on Fire

Coley: "Pass that mayflower please...wait, is that what it's called?"
Jared: "That is cauliflower, the mayflower is the boat the pilgrims came over on..."

so Colten tried cauliflower for the first time, and enjoyed it.

Fun-do night, aka New Years Eve, was fabulous.
we made parmesan chicken nuggets (from my new cookbook).....
and steak, which I cut in little pieces.
all the meat was then put on a stick.
(which makes it way more fun, in case there was any question)
there were dipping sauces:
curry, mustard, and horseradish for the steak,
bbq for the chicken.
obviously, you are suppose to cook the meat in hot oil, however, I only have one fondue pot....and it had cheese fondue in it.... for dipping the bread, mayflower, broccoli, and if you were one of my boys the meat..... after dinner was chocolate fondue...strawberries, bananas, pineapple, marshmallows, and angelfood cake.....
all made just a little better dipped in chocolate....
we stuffed ourselves and talked about our resolutions for the new year...
then we moved into the living room to watch the ball drop.

following the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight....Jack waits patiently for the countdown...all the while coming dangerously close to impaling his right nostril with the grape skewer. toasting the new year with some party juice (sparkling white grape juice and raspberries)...
wishing everyone the best in 2009. I really do feel like it's going to be a great one...