catch up time

it's been far too long since i blogged last... tonight, i'm procrastinating a pretty lengthy to-do list, and thought i'd take a look at an online interview that i answered a few months ago (facebook, of course!)... so, considering it's been so long, and everyone is probably feeling painfully detached from me (ha!), i thought i'd share it here...

BOO!
who!?
What was your favorite high school subject?
art
what is the best part of high school?
musicals
Is your name Kelera?
LOL
Do you spend too much time on facebook?
uh huh.
If you had to make a movie about your life what would it be called?
"how can i keep from singing?"
if you fell off a cliff what would be you last thought?
rodney and my kids...pretty sure about that one...
Describe your evil twin.
she says what she thinks instead of holding it in.
If you could make any junk food super-nutritious, which one would you pick?
oreos
Do you like to go online everyday?
have you met me!?
What is your favorite kind of cheese?
any kind.
What do you want?
more hours in the day
where were you born?
morehead city, nc. but went home to harkers island for the next 17 years.
Last film seen
some kids' flick about a hamster (or guinnea pig?) that saves the day. carter gave me a work out that day.
What was your SAT score?
1170... i think. i'm not really the best at remembering numbers.
What is your ideal pizza?
"garbage." or "trash" like my kids call it.
Look to your left: What do you see?
my bedroom. where i should be sleeping.
Apple juice or orange juice?
oj
Have you ever been anywhere outside of U.S.?
i wish.
Ice Cream or Sherbet?
marble slab. does that answer your quesion?
Two sports I played in middle school?
softball, volleyball
Do you have a college deree? If so what?
not yet.
What musical instrument do you play?
piano, french horn
Favorite NFL team?
Pittsburgh Steelers
Family or friends?
seriously? have you met me?!
Why do you go on facebook?
because i'm an addict, that's why.
Do you drink coffee?
negative
Do you like to bake/cook?
yes
Do you believe in ghosts?
kinda
Winter or summer?
summer
Do you have any piercings/tatoos?
one piercing in each ear. boring always did work for me. :)
What kind of car do you drive?
minivan, baby.
What are your "comfy clothes"?
anything that doesn't require high heels.
if you were one of the seven dwarfs, who would you be?
happy
Do you believe in heaven and hell?
si.
Is this boring?
somewhat.
What colour are your eyes?
Colour? mkay. They're blue. :)
What sort of character would you play in a comic book (hero, humorous sidekick, villian, that abrasive newspaper guy, etc.)
The girl that falls for them all...
Coke or Pepsi?
Coke
If you were on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition; what kind of room would you ask for?
Outdoor living space. 20x20 screened in back porch with a shabby chic theme would be pretty cool. :)
If you were one word, what word would you be?
Simple.
If you could time travel, what would be your first stop?
1986. Summer night. Harkers Island. In grandma's yard. 30+ family members just hanging out .
What is your natural hair color?
dirty blonde
How many people are in your family?
5 in my house now, 8 in my house growing up
Favorite Rapper
2pac - there was this one song i loved of his in highschool... can't think of it right now, though! LOL!
Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt?
brad pitt. tom cruise is crazy
Whats the First Thing You Notice In A Boy/Girl?
well, in new friends/acquaintances - i notice their countenance and general attitude - are they friendly? rude? charming? thoughtful? lazy? obnoxious?
What language would you like to speak fluently?
italian
Desktop or Laptop?
laptop
Whats your favorite sport?
to play: volleyball ...... to watch: football
How many kids (or any at all) would you want to have?
3 is just right for us!
Chocolate or other candy?
all sweets are my friends. 'specially when paired with salty.
Sour or sweet candy?
sweet. seriously can't stand when my jaws lock from sour!
City or the suburbs?
suburbia!
Performing Arts, Fine Arts, or Sports?
multi - already told you that!
Riding horses or riding dolphins?
horses
Do you believe a good life is attainable? or is it something that is out of our control ie subject to luck etc.
attainable
What is your favorite color?
sage green
left handed or right handed?
lefty
Why are you taking this interview?
to procrastinate preparing supper
who do you count on when feeling down
rodney
do you plan in advance
usually
What attracts you most?
smile
Do you feel comfortable showing PDA in pubic?
nope
Do you say "I love you" in the relationship?
you betcha
Aliens have landed and selected you to visit their home planet. Do you go with them?
hizell to the naw. i'm a scaredy cat like that
If you could be successful at any job in the world, what would that job be?
too hard to answer - changes every day - one day it's art & design, the next day it's photography... one day it's music, the next day it's cooking... i'm multifacted
If you could be someone else for a day, who would it be?
Mack Wilberg, the conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir - oh to get in his head!!!
If you have friends coming for supper what would you cook?
steaks, potatoes, greens & watermelon.
What is your favourite word?
fabulous
What makes you cry?
lots of stuff. singing the national anthem. singing "god be with you till we meet again." witnessing reunions. talent. poverty.
What makes you laugh?
not practical jokes. those make me sorry. i really prefer g-rated humor.
If you were an animal in the wild, what would you be?
not really wild like that. seriously - i can't even think of one. a lioness?
If you won the lottery, how would you spend your millions?
1st - buy beach house in carteret county... 2nd - a private jet ... the rest is all trivial
If you could travel back in time, what mistake(s) would you want to correct?
i would have deeper friendships with girlfriends, and not waste my time with boys.
Do you believe that the cup is half empty or half full?
always half full... if i ever turn into a half empty kind of person, somebody slap me!
Who was your hero as a child?
my momma
What do you do for fun?
play the piano, sing, go to the movies, create
Are you an outdoor or an indoor person
that's a hard one - i love the comforts of the indoors, but the freedom of the outdoors (especially with little ones)
If you had only six months to live, what would you do first?
see more, sing more, laugh more, travel more, dance more, hug & kiss more
Where do you see yourself in five years?
on this day (august 5th) in 5 years - how about having a summer vacation with my family - at disney!
What are you most proud of in your life?
oh, where to start!?! .... kidding! definitely my family - close and extended
Do you own any pets, and if so what do you have?
none right now
Do you have any tattoos, and if so what and where?
nope
When do you plan on getting married?
btdt. :) december 16, 2000 to be exact.
Get the number or give the number?
both - what if one of us loses it!?!
How do you feel?
inspired
What size shoes do you wear?
9.5
What size shoes do you wear?
9.5
Water or 100% Juice?
neither. crystal lite.
Would you rather be hot or cold?
hot. any day.
Would you rather lose an arm or a leg?
right arm. need that left one.
Opera, Musical, Concert, Play, Performance, or Other?
Musical
What is your favorite clothing brand?
Whatever's on the sale rack at Target
If you had to pick one car, which would it be?
Jaguar S-Type
What was your last thought?
mommy needs a nap
Juice and crackers or milk and cookies?
milk and cookies (especially oreos)
Favorite fruit?
watermelon, by a mile!
Are you a cat or a dog person?
dog
Are you a cat or a dog person?
dog
Would you rather be blind or deaf?
really hard one... probably deaf
Define yourself in 3 words...
kind, low maintenance
Do you eat cold cereal at night?
abso-freakin-lutely!
What is your favorite TV show?
so you think you can dance (but alias was, back in the day!)
Kill the spider or let it out?
another one that depends - on my mood. :) if i kill it - i absolutey tell it "sorry dude," as i do when i kill any bug.
Do you shower every single day?
i wish.
Walking past a beggar, spare change or ignore?
depends - i probably share with the beggar more times than not
Where do you want to travel next?
besides the trip coming up in sept. to SLC, maybe a cruise!
What would you do if Michael Jackson asked you out
not likely :(
What is your favorite food?
thanksgiving spread - with lots of gravy
Do you read harry potter books?
no - only vampire books
If you could have one super human power what would you choose?
time travel
Have you had a beer in the last week?
no
Vitamin Water or Gatorade?
gatorate
Flip flops or tennis shoes?
flip flops
What do you do on fridays?
nothing exceptional - just look at the clock more
What is your favorite song of all time?
"the first time ever i saw your face" sung by celine dion
Do you like bananas?
yes

Love

Jackson has started telling me at bedtime, "I love you more." Oh, that's the good stuff... Just tonight, as I was exclaiming, "No WAY," he said, "If I could wrap my arms around the whole Earth, that would be how much I love you... Oh, I mean all the universes stuck together... That's how much!"

DNA

I'd like to say I could do a "Wordless Wednesday," for once. BUT, there's one minor problem. I wanna talk about this picture. So that, I will.

When I was blessed with one little boy, I thought (but secretly knew otherwise) that there was no way I could love another the way I loved him, my Jackson. To say he rocked my world is the understatement of the century. For reals. He looked like me. He looked like Rodney. His hair was dark. His skin was pale, yet slightly olive. His eyes were darker than both of ours, and I couldn't help but to marvel at how our DNA combined to create the most wonderful little creature this woman could have ever imagined...

Then there were two. Brady's arrival thrilled us just as we'd been thrilled before... He was perfect, TOO! There's never been a skinnier little newborn. His gave new meaning to "chicken legs." His face was an awful lot like Jackson's, as was his coloring. His eyes were deep and dark, and oh, so almond shaped. His widow's peak and head full of black hair made me laugh. He was the perfect baby boy, sleeping many more hours than we'd been used to with our baby number 1. All was right in the world.

Then there were three. I was sure all along that it was another baby boy, long before the 20-wk ultrasound. When my doctor informed us that it was a "he" in there, Jackson excitedly shouted, "I was right!" right there in the exam room. Carter (or God, you choose) likes delivering surprises; first, he decided to meet us a few weeks early, which I am eternally grateful for. Not only that, he came with such a different little "look." Talk about Scandinavian!!!

No doubt, they have their similarities. But their differences are...so obvious. Ya think?

Just some photos and captions

...that are blorthy enough for me. :)

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Poor Carter. He looks like such an un-loved, pitiful, messy child sitting there in his Pop's old-timey rockin' chair, holding a guitar, and wearing who-knows-what! So yeah, this picture makes me laugh. And what's even better is - not only was he posed like this on this particular day, but he LOVES to grab the guitar and go sit like this almost every day... while he watches TV, of course. His favorites right now are The Backyardigans, Hi-5, and most recently, any cartoon with a superhero theme. He calls them all "Bat-Mat!"


*****************

What a sad world this would be (in Brady's eyes) if there were no outdoor creatures. On this particular day, about two weeks ago, he managed to catch at least one frog, at least one lizard, and who knows how many other roley-poleys, and other creepy crawly thingys. If he could, he would not only carry them in his pocket 24/7, but I also heard him tell Jackson yesterday that he had kissed a frog. Maybe he wants to marry it. When I asked him why he did such a thing, his reply was the obvious, "because I wuved it." His eyes said "duh" to me.


*****************

This picture tells me how Jackson is such a big boy. Doesn't he look old? Down to his picked/bitten fingernails, I know and love every inch of him in a way that only a mommy understands. We were at Rodney's annual work carnival down at the fair grounds, and had taken a quick break from all the outdoor fun to chow down on some catered fried chicken, barbecued ribs, hush puppies, slaw, and baked beans. Not to mention some of the best lemonade I've ever had! Back to Jackson - He lost his second tooth today - 5/27/09 - and get this - it was WHILE he was at school - and EVEN BETTER - it was while he was eating lunch!!! As he shared this great news with me before he even got buckled into his seat, he shared how cool it was that not only his whole class was there, but also A TON more kids. The tooth came home in a cute little tooth-shaped carrying case, and all three boys have been fighting over it non stop since we got home. Ah. Life is good.


*****************

On May 19th, Brady's preschool class had designated snack time to celebrating Brady's birthday (since it was coming up in a few days, and we were just one day away from being all done with preschool for the summer). I came with Carter to celebrate - we had sugar cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, and goldfish. You can give me my pat on the back later, saith the mom who got it all at the grocery store just hours earlier. Just before the festivities began, Carter got to enjoy playtime outside with Brady's class. Look how he was obeying the rules of Brady's teacher! Later, inside, he also sat still for prayer time (over the snack food), and held his hand out just like the others when the teacher passed out squirts of hand sanitizer. SO freakin' cute!


*****************

Lastly, I wanna give a shout out to my good friends, Lindsay and Erin - for helping to make my birthday so special. On Friday, they came by with a plate full of my favorite sweet treat in the whole wide world (chocolate crinkle cookies) , a beautiful pair of dangley earrings, a delicious smelling candle, and a sweet card. :) Thanks so much girls! I look like ... you know ... in this picture, but I can attest that I did have a shower that morning, and was still miles away from putting my face on. That just doesn't usually happen before 6:00 pm - and only on days that we leave the house for something other than school and preschool.


The. End.
For. Now.

Brady's Birfday!

Brady Boo had such a wonderful day! He began by walking out of his room, standing on the top stair, and exclaiming in the sweetest little 4-year-old voice you ever did hear, "It's my Birfday!"

Later during the morning, he periodically reminded Jackson that "you can't be mean to me, I'm the birfday boy!"

As the clock turned 9, 9:15, 9:41, 10:17, etc., he asked if it was 1:00 yet? He'd even return to the front door from time to time just to see if any "birfday friends" were here yet.

The party was all he had hoped for, as far as I could tell. His guests were Jarod R., Connor R., Owen K., Alan S., Danny S., Payson C., Riley C. and Avery C. Good burgers, pasta salad, vanilla wafers were had, and our trusty crystal lite was there to wash it down. There was trampoline jumping, airplane riding, water hose squirting, slipping and a-sliding, and bug finding and vacuuming. My little video camera ran out of battery while he opened his presents, so I didn't catch the blowing out of the candles on video, but thank goodness, Stephanie the prepared was "to the rescue" with hers. Last year, we had a little incident during Brady's birthday song, (only that Jackson blew out his candles for him - seen here), so I was really hoping that this year was without a hitch. I'm so pleased to report that it was just that.

Here are a few pictures from the sweet time that was had by all. :)

Oh Say Can You Say GOOD TV!?!?!

I'm so excited about all the good (trash?!) TV I'll be wasting my time with this week!

Monday:

The Bachelorette!!!


AND Dancing With the Stars!!!


Tuesday:

More Dancing With the Stars... AND

American IDOL!!!!!!! (Totally deserves all 7 Exclamation Points!)


followed by the new Musical comedy-drama about the misfits who make up a high-school glee club and the teacher who leads them, a one-time glee-club star himself. Created by Ryan Murphy ('Nip/Tuck'). I am really excited about this premiere. :) It's called "GLEE" and it comes on right after Idol on FOX.



Wednesday, more American Idol!!!!!!!

AND THURSDAY!!!! SYTYCD!!!!!!!! oh, I love Cat Deeley!


I guess I'll just come off my high on Friday in time to enjoy a birthday weekend for Brady & me. :) Can't believe it, but it's been 4 years since he was born. And I'll be turning the big 2-9. Seems like just yesterday I was marching down the hall in a mad pout about not being able to drive (even though I was only about 12... or 10. Something like that).

Garden

What an exciting weekend! Rodney & Granny Carol spent last Thursday & Friday constructing our new 8' x 10' garden while the boys and I finished up our little stay at Harkers Island. So Saturday was an awesome day to go get three truck loads of soil and a bunch of starter plants at Lowes, and look what we have here! Our plants include:

2 tomato
1 cherry tomato
1 red bell pepper
3 green bell pepper
3 banana pepper
2 cantaloupe
3 squash
3 zuchinni
1 arugula (salad green)
4 lima bean (starting with seed, so time will tell)
4 pole bean (seed again)
3 cucumber

and a nice variety of herbs:
1 rosemary
2 basil
2 cilantro
1 oregano
1 sage

I can't wait to see how this summer crop works out! You guys have no idea how excited I am to be able to share this thrill with the boys and with Rodney, and especially share some (a lot) with friends and family. :)

Here are the pictures to document the very young plants... Hopefully the "after" picture in the next few months will be a totally different garden. :) Don't forget to look for our handy little gate that lets us in and out. Precious, I tell ya. :)

Jackson loves me

This past week, Jackson has developed a fondness for drawing birds. Just this morning, he drew a lovely "pair" of birds - a male and female. I complimented him on the "pretty" one, and told him that because it looked so beautiful, I could tell it was a girl (that, and she was a little bit smaller!). :) He immediately made sure I knew that the male was better looking, and helped clear up that confusion.

This afternoon, he drew a bird that had a talking bubble coming out of its beak - it said, "I *heart* U" (The heard was a drawing). Overjoyed, I thanked him for loving me, and told him how much I love him. As my dad does, I then asked him, "Do you love me a little bit or a whole lot?" He paused, and told me he'd be right back, after he wrote the answer on the piece of paper in his oh-so-big-boy code. If he came back with an "L" written by the bird, it meant he loves me a little bit. If he came back with an "H" written by the bird, it meant he loves me a whole lot. Lucky me, he came back -with an "H."

I Heart Him. With a capital H.