Happy Halloween

Jacob took off trick-or-treating with a friend before I could get his picture but he was batman with an afro. I guess that makes him batfro. (ba-da-bum) Jared is the hairy guy on the left and Gabe dressed as a ninja. We covered a lot of ground. The picture below is proof that trick-or-treating is hard work. They're all in bed now, so I'll start rummaging through their candy. If they're lucky, they'll still have some chocolate in the morning.

Can You Name That Tune

Yes, I had a moment of weakness. We were in the store, I was in a hurry and I said yes to the recorder just to get out of the store. It wasn't until we were in the car on the way home that I remembered the sheer torture of the recorder. This is just a snippet of the enjoyment it's sure to bring. The worst part is I know better. Every year in fifth grade the music teacher distributes recorders to her students and every time Jacob and Jared brought them home we questioned...What did we ever do to Mrs. Terhune?...Why does Mrs. Terhune dislike us? I guess it isn't Mrs. Terhune's or the recorder's fault that our children aren't more musically inclined.

Carving Pumpkins

Every year we have the pumpkin debate in our house. Is it better to carve your pumpkin with the cool new stencils that are readily available in any area store or is it better to carve your pumpkin the old fashioned way by drawing a face on the pumpkin and then carving. Of course the correct answer depends on your personal preference, your patience level and your desire for perfection. This year we used both the old school and the "new and improved" techniques--see what you think.

Eat Like an Egyptian

How do you like my...er, ah...I mean Jared's pyramid made out of cake? Jared told me this morning, "Hey mom, I'm supposed to bake a cake to take to school for social studies tomorrow. It needs to be in the shape of a pyramid." Don't you just love those projects that magically pop up at the last minute? So two cake mixes, three cans of icing and two trips to Kroger later we managed to make a somewhat leaning pyramid with cake crumbles in the icing. I hope I get an A!

**Continuation--

The real issue came Monday morning...how in the world do we take a masterpiece like this on the school bus? The answer is, you don't. Luckily Scott was able to drive the boys to school to protect our amazing delectable creation. Jared walked into class and his teacher says, "Wow, that's a big one!". (good sign--she's impressed) Jared said his pyramid tasted the best. I believe his exact words were, "One girl ate 4 pieces and she's skinny!"--like only fat people can eat a lot of cake....anyway.....WE GOT AN A!

Jacob's First Deer

Well they definitely came home with a whopper of a story. Jacob got his first deer yesterday. It's a 3 pointer weighing in at about 130 pounds. I got a call at 5:15pm. "Hello"....no answer, "Hello"....in a whisper I hear "Mom, I got a deer--we're still in the woods". Very exciting!

Happy Birthday Scott!

Scott started his birthday bright and early at 5:00am this morning. He took Jacob and Jared on their first deer hunt. They arrived home full of laughter and stories. Let's see...one of them can't sit still, one of them stepped in a hole right after it was pointed out, one of them ran smack into the back of Scott after he stopped--was it because it was dark or because he wasn't paying attention-who knows. The stories get bigger and more elaborate each time they're told but it sure is fun to hear about their adventure. Oh yeah, in case you're wondering, they had a very large doe only 30 feet from them. Jacob couldn't get a clear shot through the brush but he experienced his first deer hunting adrenaline rush nevertheless.

The boys insisted that Scott open his presents this morning. Among other things, he opened a 100lb heavy bag (shown in the picture). They spent about an hour beating on the bag and deciding where it needs to be hung. Right now they've returned to the woods for deer hunting adventure number two. I can't wait to hear all about it!

Scott has requested Famous Dave's for his birthday dinner. Yummy! Is it my birthday too? After Famous Dave's we're headed to The Hermitage for our annual Halloween hayride courtesy of Raymond. Thanks uncle Raymond! Though it isn't the same without David jumping out and scaring the bajeebers out of us, it's still a tradition we look forward to every year.

Thanks For a Great Visit Grandma & Grandpa

Mom and Jack headed home today. They arrived last Saturday and spoiled us all week. Mom picked Gabe up after school everyday. (I may never get him back on the bus again.) I came home from work on Monday and mom had done the laundry, made beds (oh, not that we don't make our beds first thing when we get up), and cleaned the house. I now know what it must be like to have a wife. I may never let her leave. The wonderful friends I work with encouraged me to take a day off while she was here and we spent the day shopping. We even did a little buying. As always, it was just great spending time together!

Thanks for sharing your vacation with us!

Jared came home from school yesterday and told me that he learned how to hack into a computer at school. Scary? Yes! However, upon further investigation I realized that he didn't learn how to break into a computer only how to log onto the internet using someone elses wireless connection. Should I somehow be preparing him for life in the penitentiary? Gotta go--I have to start reading up on how to bake a cake with a file in it.

Foxy Lady!

Here's Colleen during Homecoming Week. She's dressed up for 70's disco day armed with 70's catch phrases that Karen printed off the internet.

Does anyone else just think she looks pretty? I can't believe our little girl is 15! I'm less afraid of her 70's look and more afraid that Romayne had that shirt in her closet. Sorry my most favorite mother-in-law! Actually, it is kind-of pretty. Colleen, you look groovy...a true Charlie's Angel!

I Noticed That You're Gangsta, I'm Pretty Gangsta Myself

It's Homecoming Week at school. Some things never change, that includes homecoming dress up days. Today was music day (rap, rock, disco, or country). Jacob and Jared gave all kinds of pointers which had me wearing Scott's jeans and sagging, wearing a sleeve, rolling one pant leg up among other suggestions. They had fun dressing me up but I took one look in the mirror and said...Yikes, we need to tone this down a notch. This is what we agreed was appropriate yet stylin'.

Old Man 2, Young 'n 1

Jacob has been working hard, practicing basketball everyday for 2+ hours. He is eating everything that isn't nailed down, then returning to the kitchen with a hearty, "I'm starving". He's losing weight, putting on muscle and growing inches overnight. With all these changes, he's gaining confidence which sometimes turns into cockiness. The cockiness is what led to the Old Man vs Young 'n basketball competition. It seems that dad had to put son back in his place and prove that 'ol dad can "hang". Secretly, Scott said he may never play him again--at least not without training first. He won but not without using his advantages--intimidation and size.

Jared's New Shoes

Happy Friday everyone! What a fun day at work! For those of you who don't already know, I work in the library at the high school. And no, contrary to popular belief, librarians don't go around shushing people all day. Anyway, our football team is 7-0 and is playing another undefeated team tonight. Needless to say, the whole school is very excited. The student body was released from class to stand in the halls while the football team paraded through the halls where they were met with cheers and well wishes from fellow students. (keep in mind that we have 1600 students) As they left the building, the the band played and the cheerleaders cheered. Gabe and I were standing outside as they boarded the bus. Gabe waved and the players smiled and waved back. I have to say that I got a little choked up. I've always been such a sap for this kind of stuff. You should see how emotional I get at a pep rally. It's really embarrassing!

As we arrive home, we spot a box on our front porch. YEA....just like Christmas!!! Doncha just love the UPS man? Today he came bearing Jared's new shoes. Jared was so excited. He took them out of the box and let out an enthusiastic "YES!, and can you believe they were only $50.00?". I think he's inherited my love of a great deal. By the way, check out http://www.eastbay.com/ for name brand athletic shoes at really good prices.

Right now we're waiting for my favorite brother to arrive (don't tell him he's my only brother). I told you it was a great day!

Gabe's Book

Let me start by saying that I think Gabe has a crush on his librarian at school. She is fresh out of school, very bubbly, and really cute--no wonder Scott wants to know when parent/teacher conferences are (Just kidding). Gabe visited the library at school and brought home a book. We went through the whole bedtime routine...shower, brush teeth, tucked him in bed, etc. and prepared to read the book he brought home. I read the title and he panics..."Stop, we have to wash our hands before we read my book." Evidently, Ms. Boggess had given them the lecture about keeping their library books nice and clean. So a few weeks pass and we're out on fall break and he decides that he wants to write a book for Ms. Boggess' library (see above). I don't know if it's a full out crush but Ms. Boggess has definitely made an impression on our little Gabe.

I realize the pictures above of his book are very hard to see, so I'll translate. The first page of his book is the really dark picture.

page 1 My big brother Jacob broke a plate.
page 2 Jacob cried.
page 3 Jacob got a new plate.
page 4 He dropped it.
page 5 It is ok. It is a paper plate.

Not bad for a five year old (says his mother). Anyway, he took his book to present to Ms. Boggess today, and his teacher intercepted it and read it to the class. It was a hit, but he was mad at his teacher this afternoon because she didn't let him take it to the library. Drama!

Runnin', Runnin', Runnin'

Well, fall break is officially over and we're off and running. Work until 3:00pm, hop on what I've lovingly named the MJ Autoban (the stretch of interstate situated between my school and the middle school), stop by home so Jared can eat and change into his practice clothes, pick Jacob up from practice, drop Jared off at practice, feed Jacob, drop Jacob off at home, pick up Jared, go home and go to bed. Whew, I'm tired! I'm not complaining (just a little) but just explaining why I haven't blogged the last two days.

Is it Ours?

Gabe runs in the house very excited, "Mom, mom there's a cat outside", I reply with an, "Okay, son leave it alone it isn't ours." Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't get very excited over furry creatures, domesticated or otherwise. So Gabe goes back outside to play and returns about 10 minutes later to tell me, "Mom, I named the kitty Angel. She really likes Lightnings dog food." I reiterate that the cat is not ours and tried to explain that the cat belongs to someone else and whoever that family is will miss her. Judging by the picture above, he doesn't really care. What do you think?

What a beautiful Saturday! They don't come any prettier. Jared, Gabe, & I spent a few hours shopping and let me tell you, if you haven't been in the stores for a while...get out there! It's clearance shopping at it's best...little red tags EVERYWHERE!

After returning home, my four lumberjacks hit the woods. Gabe was so happy. There isn't anything he loves more than working alongside his dad. Before retiring to the couch to watch the Vanderbilt football game, Gabe and I hung ghosts in our trees. They look a little goofy but Gabe had so much fun climbing the trees to hang them.

Jared is heading out with a friend and his family to his first haunted house. I tried to prepare him for how scary it's going to be. I'm probably not the best person to give haunted house advice because I'm not a big fan. In fact, when we were kids, Dad & Martha would take Mark and I to the JC Haunted House. Dad and I would sit in the car while Mark and Martha would go "get scared". They would get back in the car with flushed cheeks and a thousand stories to tell. Like the time Martha lost her pager in the haunted house and they had to turn on all the lights and the monsters helped them search for it. I was perfectly happy living vicariously through them. I can't wait to hear a Jared's haunted house story!

Friday Night Fire

Last night was the perfect evening for a fire, so we decided we would have a good old fashioned weenie roast for dinner complete with hot dogs, roasted marshmallows and smores. We ran out of wood at one point in the evening so Scott and the boys went into the woods to gather more firewood. Unbeknownst to the rest of the group, Jacob went into the woods armed with a scary mask (see below). I think his timing was a little off but the sweet sentiment of scary the daylights out of his family was there anyway. They decided around the fire last night that they needed to cut some wood to have on hand for future campfires. Having a great memory and the penchant to beat a dead horse, Gabe woke Scott up this morning asking him if he was ready to get his chainsaw. Scott answered with a half grumble, half laugh. Let's see if a hearty breakfast of jalapeno sausage balls and scrambled eggs will bring out their inner lumberjack.

A Well Loved Candy Dish

Some midnight snackers must have been prowling last night. They evidently found the candy dish but forgot to remove their evidence. Should I fingerprint them all? ;)

Crazy Boys

Okay, I'm cooking dinner (junk food night in case you're wondering--i.e. potato skins, fried shrimp, mozarella cheese sticks, chicken tenders, jalapeno poppers and rotel cheese dip & chips--guaranteed to glog at least one artery maybe two) anyway, the boys walk in dressed all in black. The obvious question is...."What are you guys doing?" and the um obvious? response is "Going out to play bloody murder." Sounds a little scary to me but okay. I was just glad they didn't say--going out to rob a bank or some other illegal activity.

**No, Michael was not smoking. He's eating a cracker stick.

Afternoon at the Movies

Took the boys and some friends to see The Game Plan this afternoon. The new Disney movie featuring the Rock--oops, sorry...it's Dwayne something or other now that he's a serious actor. Anyway...A big thank you to Colleen, who went with me to help balance out the testosterone. Picking out movies isn't an easy task in our home because we have to appeal to the thirteen-ish age group while also being appropriate for a five year-old. This movie was perfect for all. A good story line for the older boys, lots of action and humor for the younger guy, and a handsome leading man with lots of muscles for Colleen and I (that is if you can get past the weird eyebrow thing). Anyway, I say two thumbs up!

Right now all the boys have 1 bicycle along with two carefully placed bicycle ramps positioned in the yard. Two of the four boys are perched on top of the mailbox (press box, I'm guessing?) and one has a stopwatch and yells "GO". From what I can gather, they've created an obstacle course...down the hill, over the first ramp, through the dip in the yard, over the second ramp, zig-zag through the trees, and past the mailbox where their official time is clocked. I'm expecting a fight to break out any minute regarding who was first and who cheated, not because they're argumentative or mean kids but because they're boys and that's what they do. I guess it's part of the fun. I've found it best to stay out of it, pretending not to hear, and they work it out themselves.

Fall Has Arrived

Wow, what a difference a day makes. Yesterday we were outside in shorts and today we awoke to a chili Tennessee morning of 52 degrees. Break out the jeans...brrrr. I'm beginning to realize that this blogging stuff is kind of like keeping a diary cleaned up for public consumption. Kind of refreshing to have a record of my days without all the complaining (hush Scott, I can hear you chuckling from here), nagging, poor me, record of my weight. etc. Oh, don't worry I'm sure I'll tend to include a little angst now and then but I'll try to keep my entries positive. That's right, nothing but sunshine, rainbows and fluffy bunnies in my blog.

Busy day planned today. Gotta run and pick Jacob and 2 others up from basketball practice and think of something wonderful and fabulous to entertain everyone. I'm thinking movie...hmmmm...we'll see what the day holds.

My Little Action Star

Caution the quality of this video is horrendous, however, Gabe decided that he wanted to make an action video today. I think he may have a future in acting. For those of you that don't speak Southern, the dialogue at the end of the video is, "Now that's action right there."

I think it's a good thing he has a birthday coming up because he looks like a Shriner riding that little bicycle.

My New Exercise Equipment

See my new piece of exercise equipment. I step on, step off several times in a row and repeat throughout the day. Certainly I can count that as exercise. Can't I?

Scott, Jacob & Jared Go to School

Finally the schedule allowed for activities other than baseball, basketball and football. After a two day online preparation test Scott, Jacob, and Jared went to Hunter Safety School. Jacob rushed through portions of the online course and tested lower than Scott and Jared but still high enough to qualify for the school--just barely. You can imagine the trash talking. Like everything else in our house, it was a competition. They left the house at the crack of dawn with their number two pencils and nerves. After eight hours of school, they returned full of laughter, ribbing, and camaraderie.

By the way, Scott finished his test first. He left the boys, went to lunch and they still weren't finished. Jacob finished second and Jared last. The results were in and Scott made a 95, Jared made a 92 and after all the grief Scott and Jared gave Jacob about his online score, Jacob swept them both with an official Hunter Safety School score of 97. Scott maintains that he missed a few on purpose to make the boys feel good but I think he was preoccupied with the thought of lunch.

An Afternoon in the Yard

I spent the afternoon mowing the yard. We've had very little rain this season, it was a bit like mowing in the desert--very dusty. I remembered how much I enjoy yard work. It's very, very quiet on the mower. It's just me, my tunes and my thoughts which range from what to make for dinner to the lyrics of my favorite song. Life is good!

Gabe Loses His Two Front Teeth

Gabe lost his first tooth. Losing the first tooth coincided with coming down with strep throat. Needless to say, he wasn't feeling well. He was acting very un-Gabe-like. (i.e. sad, quiet, mopey) I asked what was bothering him and he responded with, "I miss my tooth. It was my favorite." Since then, he's quit mourning the loss of his first tooth and has gone on to lose his second favorite tooth.

Braces Make Jacob Shy For the Camera

I've come to the conclusion that Jacob is definitely a teenager. It wasn't turning thirteen that did it. Something about getting braces made it official. He's been a real trooper. He says all his teeth feel loose and it's difficult to eat. I'm sure given a little time, he'll be chewing bubblegum and eating popcorn and other "forbidden" foods. By spring of his freshman year of high school he'll be done with braces and have a perfect smile.

The Blog is up and Running!

Okay--here it goes. I officially have a blog. It seems that everyone around me is blogging these days and we all know how I hate to be left out. Blogs seem like a really great way to keep everyone updated on the happenings in your life and face it, I'm pretty lousy at keeping in touch. Hopefully this will be a really great tool.