Electricity & Caffeine

I just found a note that I had jotted down weeks ago with another funny conversation...Jackson was trying to come inside from the hot outdoors, where he and Brady had been playing, of course... Too bad I needed a few minutes of no interruption (while Carter finished his nap) for cleaing the Living Room and Kitchen or something...

It went a little something like this:

Mommy: Stay outside and play!
Jackson: I wanna come inside!
Mommy: No. Your options are - pool, or you may sit on the couch with a book and stay quiet.
Jackson: Can I play on the internet?
Me: No. Your options are ...yadda yadda (of course I didn't really say yadda yadda. I'll teach him that in a few years.)
Jackson: Can I play the wii?
Me: No. I need you to either a... or b...
Jackson: WHY DO YOU NOT WANT ME TO USE ELECTRICITY!?! i REALLY WANT TO USE ELECTRICITY!!!

What's funny is - It reminded me then and there of the story Mama & Pa love to tell about Aly and how she LOVED drinking their drinks - And how she must've heard a certain excuse one too many times when she started demanding, "MAMA, I WANT TOO MUCH CAFFEINE! TOO MUCH CAFFEINE MAMA!!!"

SYTYCD Predictions, Week 3

To my girls who watched SYTYCD with me at mi casa last night - HOLLA!!!!

That was SOOO fun - the agreeing about who rocked - the disagreeing about personalities we love and love to hate - totally can't wait for next week. :)

We 5 (I think it was all 5 of us anyway) agreed about who should be in the bottom this week -vote wise. Let's see how we do. :)

Chelsea & Thayne



Comfort & Chris



Jessica & Will


We shall see!

And finally - My favorite from last night - Chelsie & Mark performed a Hip-Hop routine to one of the biggest song in Pop Music, "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis. It was choreographed by Tabitha & Napoleon. They (T&N) have definitely landed on Season 3 of SYTYCD with a bang, have they not?!) So, in my best Cat Deely voice, "Take a look."

Little Wonders

So today over lunch, we sat there, (*we few, we happy few*) and ate our lunch - in a way we usually do - listening to a playlist... Well today, it was the Steelboy playlist (which you can now find on my sidebar). The Steelboy playlist is a plethora of songs that my little guys love to listen to - so much so - there are even times when you can find them not only dancing and giggling to them, but sometimes, they'll even sing along. Those moments make me happy. :)

Well, just as we were really getting into our lunch - the soundtrack that I'll never forget got started. Mind you, the playlist had been set on random, but I've now put our two special songs at the top - "Little Wonders" and "Live like you were Dying." I know it sounds so cliche - but I think about it often - what would I do if I knew this was my last day here on Earth?!

Lord knows my memory is not the best - but I truly hope to never forget these little moments from our oh-so-sweet lunch break today. :) So, if you don't mind, I'd like to share just a little from our little piece of Heaven, right here on Shady Willow Lane.


~Carrying Carter on my (*right*) hip while I prepared our lunch - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Raisins, Cut up bologna slices, and V-8 Splash. Check out the proof that two hands work better than one. Look closely to see the spray butter that didn't make it on the bread where it was intended to land. ;)








~Jackson's bologna & raisin sandwich creations (which Brady, of course, decided were a great idea!)
~Jackson's question as he sat with half a sandwich in his hands - "Mama - do you know how to get the most cheese at one time?" *pause* "SQUEEZE IT!"
~Brady & Jackson asking "May I be excused please?" just as they usually do - Unfortunately for them, I was just taking in the moment, and made them stay put an extra 5 minutes to just "chat."
~Playing with Carter's warm, bare, ticklish feet as he sat right next to me in his high chair. Li'l man put a hurtin' on those raisins and bits of grilled cheese sandwich.
~The V-8 (Tropical Orange) juice that all three boys so willingly drank. haha! I know now for a fact they DO get at least one serving of vegetables every day. ;)
~The images. Picture this ------> but with me nestled just right in that chair at the head of the table. ;)

"Our lives are made
In these small hours
These little wonders,
These twists & turns of fate
Time falls away,
But these small hours,
These small hours still remain
All of my regret
Will wash away somehow
But I can not forget
The way I feel right now"
~"Little Wonders"

For your viewing pleasure

A wee-little preface, I feel, is necessary...
Jackson and (especially --->)Brady are "feelin" the potty words these days. I'm on the verge of starting tobasco sauce, frankly... But this was too funny to NOT share. Hope you agree...

This was taken on June 5th, and I've just gotten a chance to take a look at it tonight. I've laughed. A little. Then some more. (While Rodney has played Wii with his friends in the Living room.) Nice picture, huh? ;)

Don't forget to turn off my playlist on the left...
You're gonna wanna hear this. ;)

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

SYTYCD Predictions

Let's hope I do a little better this week... The problem is - I'm starting to feel attached to the dancers already, so hopefully, that won't get in the way of these guesses!

So again, like last week - my voting key is this:
"The ones with a 10 are they who I feel stand NO chance of being eliminated tonight. The 5ers are those who did "fine" in my book, so I wouldn't mind terribly if they got sent home or if they stayed. The ones with 1 are the ones I'm already ready to say buh-bye to."

Chelsea T(5) & Thayne(5) - Jazz - Mandy Moore.
Untouched - The Veronicas

Chelsie H(10) & Mark(10) - Argentine Tango - Alex DaSilvaMi
Confesion - Gotan Project

Jessica(5)& Will(10) - HipHop - Cicely & Olisa
Whatever U Like - Nicole Scherzinge

Kourtni(5) & Matt(10) - Foxtrot - Jean Marc Genereaux
A Foggy Day (In London Town) - Michael Buble

Courtney(5) & Gev(5) - Contemporary - Mandy Moore
Lost - Anouk

Katee(10) & Joshua(10) - Broadway - Tyce Diorio
All For The Best - Godspell (2001 Revival Broadway Cast)

Susie(1) & Marquis(5) - Salsa - Alex DaSilva
Aquanile - Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe

Kherington(10) & Twitch(10) - V. Waltz - Jean Marc Genereaux
New Day Has Come - Celine Dion

Comfort(1) & Chris(1) - Krump - Lil C
Come and Get Me - Timbaland feat 50 Cent & Tony Yayo

...
K, and I've got a few minutes to make a few observations...


*~*~*~SUSIE~*~*~*~
GIRL! Were you really that surprised when you heard Alex DaSilva call you a street dancer?!!! Come on. I'm surprised (FLOORED, even) that you're in the top 20. You do absolutely NOTHING for me. Go home, already!!!!!











*~*~*~Courtney G.~*~*~*~ Settle down. And consider opening your mouth a little less when you talk. Please.














*~*~*~Katee~*~*~*~ It is a GOOD DARN THING you can dance as well as you can. I was a hata' when you did that little "I don't think I could come back next year" episode/thing/pout/whatever it was... But, you are now officially redeemed. Two good weeks in a row of dancing can work wonders regarding your place in my fragile heart. ;)









*~*~*~Mia M.*~*~*~*
Have you ever considered being a professional "make someone feel like poopy just for looking at you the wrong way?!" I don't like mean people. You are. How about judging the dance, and not JUST your philosophical reasoning behind how they are not a real person. Come on.








Anyhoo - If I had to guess, purely on performance last night (not what their solos may or may not do) ... The girl going home is: SUSIE!!!! (*PLEASE GOD!*) And the guy going home is: CHRIS. We shall see! I should consider voting... Having an opinion and all. ;)

Nobody saw that, right?

Oh it was nothing.
Just about 13.26 pounds of watermelon splashed all over my kitchen floor. That's all. And if you DID see it, no your eyes were not deceiving you if it looked like it had previously been sliced and diced into cute-sie little 10 oz. cuts, perfect for the 312 times per day I crave watermelon this time of year.

I'm still eating it.
Out of the same bowl that happened to slip out of my hands only 6 minutes ago.
I dare you to tell me I shouldn't.

My dad

Did y'all know that my dad is cited in Wikipedia? Yep. He is. TWO times, in fact. Once for some ECU report from '89 and then of course, for his book, "Strengthened by the Storm." Just search for "Harkers Island" and he is one of the sources. THAT is one of the 5,420 reason's my Dad is the best!

In the Children's Hymnal, we find a song called "Fathers." The first verse reads:


The Father of our home leads our family
With wisdom's light in all that's right
My Father's good to me
Father's are so special with a very special love
They watch us and protect us
They guide us and direct us
Back to our home above



And THAT is another reason. Ya know. I've realized something as I've gotten older. I really do have the best daddy ever. Not only has he always provided for the temporal needs for our family, but far beyond that, the love and faith he has for Heavenly Father stands at the forefront of his being. When I was very little, I remember him leaving for church early. Then, getting home late. Of course it was not to socialize or to intentionally be away from his family. It was to be about his Father's business. From Bishop to Second Counselor in the Stake Presidency to Stake President, the last 25 years have been quite the smorgasbord of service. I respect him so very much for that. Furthermore, he still did find time to do the more ordinary fatherly duties, like coaching ball teams and instilling in us the values that we all hold dear today. I remember one night, in particular, that he taught me about football. It was the night of my D.A.R.E. graduation (in 5th grade), and as we sat across from one another in the cafeteria, enjoying our refreshments, he scribbled on a napkin what the lines of defense and offense looked like. Not only did I not "get" a single word he said, but I could probably not even picture what a football uniform looked like. Even so, those little moments to teach and to share with me a passion of his make me look back on my childhood with so much fondness.

Another time that I will never forget with Pa is our winter walks around the neighborhood. Always, always, ALWAYS with our kerosene lamps. I'm sure, that as we took those walks down Diamond City Drive, Bayview Drive and finally back down Lewis Street, he taught us quite a bit, too. As a matter of fact, from my new "mommy eyes" that I have had on for the past 4 1/2 years, I see a husband who was looking out for his wife. I would imagine that mama didn't bat an eye when she knew that the six kids would be out from under her feet for just a few minutes. Heck, when Rodney wants to give the kids a bath without me being present, I feel free as a bird. That was mighty sweet, daddy. ;)

Finally, I'll go ahead and take the opportunity to tell Pa how much he means to me and my family. Pa, because of your example of patience, kindness, generosity and humor that you forever show us, we know that you love us with all your heart. You have made me the person I am today, and I will forever try to make you proud to be my daddy. I love you! Ooh, and I almost forgot. That card I bought you at Target about a week ago. Yeah, it's still on my counter. I'll mail it this week sometime, I promise. LOL! :)

Love, Lee

To Our Dad

From Jackson, Brady & Carter Man.

We love you so much. You make us happy and you make Mommy happy - so that makes you Super Cool. We want to wish you a happy Father's Day!

Here's the proof that we know you really, really, REALLY well. Mommy asked us these questions... Behold - Our Answers!

1. Where was Daddy born?
Jackson: Raleigh
Brady: Hospital

2. How old is Daddy?
Jackson: 69
Brady: 69

3. How much does Daddy weigh?
Jackson: 30 lbs.
Brady: 40 times

4. How tall is daddy?
Jackson: 69 feet
Brady: 49 feet

5. What is Daddy's bedtime?
Jackson: 8:30
Brady: At 8 o'clock

6. What is Daddy's favorite show?
Jackson: Baseball
Brady: Baseball

7. What is Daddy's favorite food?
Jackson: Hamburgers and Hot dogs
Brady: Sandwich & Cucumbers

8. What is Daddy's favorite drink?
Jackson: Special Water
Brady: I can't tell you. err. I can tell you about he likes apple juice.

9. What is Daddy's favorite sport?
Jackson: Baseball
Brady: Sport Baseball

10. What is Daddy's favorite treat?
Jackson: A kiss
Brady: Apple juice

11. What is Daddy's favorite kids show on tv?
Jackson: Ben 10 Alien Force
Brady: Restaurants. And Land Before Time

12. What is Daddy's favorite way for the kids hair to be styled?
Jackson: Flat
Brady: Uh. Pants

13. What are Daddy's chores?
Jackson: Run around the house and make up his bed and play with children
Brady: Night Night

14. What does Daddy do at work?
Jackson: Make money
Brady: Drink apple juice

15. Who is Daddy's best friend?
Jackson: Ryan Fisher (*note from Mommy: Ryan, if you're out there, please know that daddy would love to meet you. One day, my friend.)
Brady: A.J. uh Owen's Dad

16. What is Daddy's favorite color?
Jackson: Green
Brady: Green... or orange or white and blue

17. What is Daddy's favorite game to play with the kids?
Jackson: Building bionicles and crashing bionicles
Brady: Play with apple juice

18. Why do you love Daddy?
Jackson: Because he gives me drinks when I want drinks
Brady: Because I like him a lot (*Mommy: but why?) I love him a lot. (*Mommy: but why do you love him a lot?) Because I like him. A lot.



******************
I kinda like you a lot too. And love you. A lot. Why? Because I like you. A lot. Happy Father's Day, babe.
Love, Leah

The Birthday Video I Promised

...And before you watch it...
Never. Ever. Ever underestimate the value of 1 good voice to carry the tune of "Happy Birthday to you." Dude. Now I know I'm no Celine, but can at least hold my own when it comes to pitch and such - FOR HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!!!!

Problem is - I decided to hold back on the vocals because I knew I was holding the camera and I didn't want to hear only myself sing for this video. Anyhoo. My public service announcement for the night is - SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOUDLY AND CARRY IT IF NO ONE ELSE IN THE ROOM IS.

Just wish I had listened to my own advice. lol.

My SYTYCD predictions

Ok.
Here's the breakdown. I'm gonna name all the couples and their songs, and give them points. I know this is cheesy, but just gives you some insight into how my sometimes mathematical mind works. LOL! The ones with a 10 are they who I feel stand NO chance of being eliminated tonight. The 5ers are those who did "fine" in my book, so I wouldn't mind terribly if they got sent home or if they stayed. The ones with 1 are the ones I'm already ready to say buh-bye to.

Rayven (10) & Jaime (5).........."American Boy" by Estelle
Susie (1) & Marquis (10)........."Dark Waltz" by Hayley Westenra
Kourtni (10) & Matt (10)........."Tainted Love" by Soft Cell
Chelsea T (10) & Thayne (10)....."Oye Como Va" by Celia Cruz
Chelsie H (10) & Mark (10)......."Beautiful" by Me'Shell Ndegeocello
Kherington (10) & Twitch (10)....forgot to write down. will update. broadway piece.
Comfort (1) & Chris (5).........."Boom Boom" by Bighead Todd & The Monsters
Katee (5) & Joshua (10).........."No Air" by Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown
******note - Katee did great, but she lost points b/c of that elimination crizzap.
Jessica (5) & Will (10).........."Tango" by Cirque de Seleil
Courtney (5) & Gev (5)..........."Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind & Fire

GTG. :)

Three years old

My Brady Boo Hoo is Three!
His birthday was May 23rd, but the party was about a week after the fact, and here I sit, finally catching up. ;)

This is Brady at the hospital.




And these are his newborn chicken legs. He still has no meat on his bones, in case you were wondering.



See?



I mustn't forget to tell about the cake. We have a history with Costco. We buy quite a bit there, to say the least, but truly, their cakes never disappoint. In fact, since Jackson's 1st birthday party, we've gotten every birthday cake there since. :) (I think.) So, long story short. The cake got "damaged" on the way home (Before they had even left the Costco parking lot). Something about a little boy named Jackson who lost his balance in the van, and accidentally SAT on it. Oh well. These pics are to preserve that funny memory. ;)








So, at his birthday party - one of my favorite memories of his entire three years happened, right before my eyes - and LUCKY ME - I had the camera rolling.

We sang... Happy Birthday to you...
Thus begins the happy memory.

My Brady was as elated, purely elated, as I have ever seen him. It wasn't the beaming smile from ear to ear - but you could still feel the joy just oozing out of his every pore. At least I could. ;)

Here are a few of the still shots - and I promise to come back soon and update with the streaming video. I need to upload a whole video, which could take all night, so this little glimpse will have to suffice.





Then it was time to blow out the candles. Unfortunately, Jackson decided he needed to help...And blew them all out himself...


Afterwards, I had a few choice words for mister J.P. and proceeded to announce to our guests that we MUST do it again. LOL! Do take note - This time around, the birthday boy is singing along too! Oh how tickled I was. There's no way to describe it. I was just on cloud nine, right there with him...

Presenting...
Take 2!





In addition to the delish cake, we had streamers...


dinosaur masks...



pool fun...




handstamps, temporary tattoos, suckers...


and dinosaur sand creations...




Oh, and by the way, these are the unedited pics from last Sunday morning on my porch. After very little investigating, you're sure to see why I'm so thankful to be married to a photoshop whiz. ;)








Dude, that was a lot of pics. In case you couldn't tell - I've been a little trigger happy lately. :)

And lastly before I forget - I love you little Brady Boo. You 90% potty trained sweetums!!!

construction

in progress on this here blog.
please forgive the botch-up appearance.
maybe mr. computer geek will help me iron out the kinks later tonight.
oh me.

(truthfully, it's almost like i want it to be - however, the little yellowish-beigey stripe is not cooperating.)

bad words

Jackson just walked inside from the back porch, where he and Brady have been playing in the pool. This conversation followed (as I half-heartedly listened cause I was checking email)...

Jackson: I'm not going to tell you what Brady just said.
Mommy: ok.
Jackson: I don't want to tell you. I don't want to tell you anything.
Mommy: ok.
Jackson: Mommy. Brady's a good boy, though. You know that. He really is a good boy.

(This got my attention. I have now officially decided that I must know more.)

Mommy: Will you please tell me what Brady said?
Jackson: He said bad words.
Mommy: What bad words.
Jackson: hate. and stupid.
Mommy: What made him say those words?
Jackson: A poem.
Mommy: What? What poem does he know have those two ugly words in it?
Jackson: The one I taught him.

LOL!

A picture...

So this picture.
I'm so very proud of it.
Captured on Sunday morning about 5 minutes before hopping in the van for church.
I'll have to show you the unedited version(s) later.
In the mean time, enjoy.