JORDIBELL CREWPER

Climb in your damn self!

2012-01-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

Mike and I were discussing the other night how we cannot wait until our kids can feed themselves, dress themselves, clean up after themselves (yes, the eldest one included), and last but not least, climb in the car and buckle themselves in! We are tired of it! A ride to the nearest grocery store which is a whole three minutes away, takes about 15 to 20 minutes! We spend ten minutes buckling everyone in and five minutes to drive there (five as opposed to three because we try and drive super slow when the brood is onboard). This is ridiculous! You ask, "why not just leave the kids home, and one of you run to the store?" Well the answer is not that simple. We normally run to the store and then figure since we're all already in the car, we might as well run some much needed errands that would otherwise have been put off. Yes, we are that lazy! That, and the fact that my hubby just cannot stand going anywhere without me (or me leaving him home with the kids)...isn't he sweet? So needless to say, we are counting down the days until they are out of their car seats/booster seats, and can just jump in the car and buckle up. Heck, we just assume they drive themselves around while they're at it! Oh wait, we technically have a child old enough to do that...damn reverse psychology!!

2011-11-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

Cooper as Spider-Man

Crew as Mickey Mouse

Bella as a 'Lil' Devil

Jorden as Nacho Libre

Jorden and Jacque all ready for Homecoming!

Just bragging...

2011-11-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

I truly have THE best kids on this planet! I have been so stressed out these past few months between planning Jorden's Sweet 16 festivities (and trying to keep them secret), the boys turning four, planning our family vacay to Disneyland, trying to finish up the last of my graduate classes, and everything in-between! When I wake up every morning and get my "morning kisses" from my kids and look into their sweet faces, it makes life all the more worth living! Some people are stressed because of their kids (which does happen), but I must say, I relieve stress with my kids! They are my babies and I refuse to believe that Bella started Kindergarten and the boys are four...WOW! To top that, Jordie turning 16 AND dating!!?? Why???

I was blessed with four healthy children and I couldn't have asked for more sweet, loving, kind-spirited, honest, and BEAUTIFUL human beings! They are the joys of my life and as long as I have them to interact with each and every day, I can handle anything!! (oh yah, and my hubby ;)

P.S. Floyd turned seven on Halloween...even the dog's getting older! :(

Post-holiday accomplishments

2011-05-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

Fun, loving Valentine's Day: check
Our awesome 6th year Anniversary overnighter: check
Uneventful St. Patrick's Day: check
Family trip to Sedona and Out of Africa (with two other families): check
Way too many Easter activities: check
Disney on Ice-Princess Classics with three small children: check
Shelly finished last Statistics class: check
Shelly completed first Assessment class: check
Jorden made Varsity cheer: check
Spring has come to a close: check

Summer activities/accomplishments to come....

MEN SUCK!

2011-03-31T12:20:00.000-07:00

**Warning: Contains man bashing content**

Complaint #1: Why does it take men three times as long to do something than it does women? I can feed my children three meals plus snacks in-between (including preparing dinner), keep the house clean, fold laundry, and get myself ready for school...all in ONE DAY! I leave for school (3 1/2 hrs) and when I get home, the entire day's efforts have been trashed! Can he not learn to multi-task while watching "In The Wild"?

Complaint #2: This may be backwards in my family, but why is it every time my husband goes to the grocery store he comes back with useless junk for the kids? (i.e. water paint, bubbles, mylar balloons). The other day he came home with a Justin Bieber poster for Jorden, as if her wall isn't covered enough in posters! Last night he brings home water paint and bubbles! Really? Isn't Easter right around the corner? And guess who has to listen to the fighting all day over this useless junk? Better yet, who has to clean up the messes that this useless junk makes? Yep, THE WOMEN!

Complaint #3: What are "honey to do" lists really for anyway? I've been staring at the same list for over a year. One thing at a time gets done...at a snail's pace. If I had a weekend to myself, I could knock it all out (with the help of a few experienced people). But seriously, why must it take so long to do something? I guess women's brains are just wired to handle more than one thing at a time. Or is this just an excuse men use? After all, they are able to chew gum while throwing a baseball, right? Don't they drive AND listen to Sports Talk radio? They are able to pee and fart at the same time, right? Need I say more?

Complaint #4: Why do men get to be the "good guys" and women always look like the "bad guys" because we want a certain order to things? Again, maybe this is a little backwards in my house. Women need to have things planned, organized, and clean! So I always find myself yelling at the kids to keep things 'in order' and he just lets them do whatever they want because HE doesn't have to clean up the messes...and yet again, daddy = good guy. There you have it!

On a positive note, I will say that my husband does NOT leave the toilet seat up. He also does NOT leave his clothes on the floor, he actually puts them in the hamper and his shoes in the closet. He DOES work 60hrs a week to provide for his family and I am grateful, despite what this blog may sound like! ;) But don't the stay-at-home moms also work? This is the age old question! Even those moms who are employed, don't they really have two jobs? So if I am a stay-at-home mom who is also a full-time student, doesn't that also count as two jobs? Just sayin'...

Holidays, Family, and a Funeral

2011-01-03T15:18:00.000-08:00

Well, the New Year has come once again and we are geared up and ready to begin 2011. The end of 2010 was bitter sweet. Holidays were enjoyable this year, not too much hustle and bustle. Thanksgiving was interesting, to say the least. Bella Rose (see side bar 'About Me' notes) earned the turkey day memento this year by breaking her arm. She managed a supracondylar fracture of the humerus within the first five minutes of us arriving at the in-law's house. We spent the rest of the afternoon in the Pediatric Urgent Care so we didn't make it out to my mom's this year. Me, Mike, and the kids celebrated the next weekend with a deep fried turkey and it was delish! We topped the night off at Zoolights.

Christmas festivities started the first week of December which included tamale making, bread and cookie baking, Andreas Xmas party, me, my mom and my sis took kids to Zoolights (again) and headed to Red Devil pizza afterward (tradition we started years ago). We went light-seeing all over town which is always fun for the little ones. Last but not least, I made grape leaves with my mother-in-law Xmas Eve in the A.M. Xmas Eve P.M. was spent with my mom and siblings, and included my grandparents and some out-of-town family members to make it complete! We had lots of fun, but we are definitely missing one family member this year. I have faith that he will pull himself out of the rut he has been in for a while and emerge next year a whole new person. We threw carrots on the roof for the reindeer and left cookies and a note for Santa. The little kids really got into it this year which was so cute! And Jorden helped "Santa" wrap presents until 2:30am, so "he" was very thankful for that! Mike spent that time putting in my new dishwasher and it has been pure bliss ever since!

Christmas morning was a blast and the kids were so excited. I made my traditional cinnamon rolls and they were yummy as always. Kids ripped through their gifts and started playing with them almost immediately. I snapped pics and Mike ran the video camera as usual. Can't wait to view all of those memories later on down the line. Kids are growing WAY too fast! *sniff sniff* After getting all cleaned up, we headed over the the Spiro's to celebrate with Mike's family and wish mom/grandma Spiro a Happy Birthday! Kids put together a gingerbread house and spent the rest of the night shooting each other with the Nerf guns Santa brought them (huge hit). I've really enjoyed my 3 1/2 week winter break from school, but that is coming to an end this week. This next year will be super duper crazy busy, but I am ready to go at it full force and get this darn graduate degree finished!! I always love the last two weeks of the year because the kids are out of school and Mike actually takes quite a few half days to get shopping done with me, etc. I will miss that as well.

We ended the year with more family celebrations, including a celebration of life for someone we lost. Very heart-breaking and many prayers have taken place for this family. He was loved and will always be in our hearts and memories. So as we close the chapter on 2010, let us all be thankful for our families, our health, and our happiness. "As we get we must continue to give, and as we learn we must continue to teach." God Bless and here's to a wonderful and prosperous 2011! Oh yah, and no more broken bones! :)

And it's official...

2010-11-17T22:32:00.000-08:00

WINTER IS HERE!! Or what we like to call a "winter" in these parts. Man, time is flying by this year. I have taken six grad. classes already, only twelve more to go! The boys turned three in Sept. and we celebrated in San Diego. It was an awesome family trip and I have pics to prove it! ;)

Jorden just made cheer captain for the basketball season. All of my bossy, controlling, overachieving issues have finally been passed down. Oh, she makes me proud!

Bella turned five over the wknd and we had a really fun princess party for her. She had a few of her besties over an hour early and had a little tea party complete with lemonade, cookies, and Polite As A Princess story. It was super cute. Will post pics as well for that. Bella also had a Thanksgiving Feast at preschool today. The little school programs have begun all over again for me...and I reminded Mike that we still have a ways to go with two more kids coming down the pipeline!

Excited to spend the holidays with good friends and family. Kids are super excited this year for all the festivities and traditions. This is probably my second to last post for the year. Final updates to come...

I'm old!

2010-08-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

Mommy celebrated another bday (don't ask), Jordie started tenth grade, Bella started Pre-K, and Cooper decided to jump on board with potty training. So soon enough, I'll have NO kids in diapers! Excited, yet depressing! Who am I kidding? I am stoked!! ha ha

Actually, I am facing the realization that I am old! You know the "old" we all thought our parents were when they were in their late 30's? Hilarious! But seriously, I am extra depressed because my husband will forever be 11mos. younger than me! Makes me sick, especially when he reminds me all the time! I warned him this year to sleep with one eye open! ;)

Did I ever tell you I hate the summertime???

2010-06-24T00:54:00.000-07:00

Well I do! I am an AZ native and it never seems to get any easier...or cooler! Good thing we have a cabin up north to sneak away to, or I'd probably go insane. Between my four kids, two dogs, two cats (yes, we got a new kitten), one husband, and this blistering heat, I feel like I am going to go crazy most days! Luckily, school is right around the corner for me again. I'll be able to get away two nights a week and enjoy some "adult" time for a change. Unfortunately It will be to learn which isn't fun, but I'll take it!

So Jorden is officially a Sophomore now. Wow! She is taking summer school at my 'old stomping grounds' (THS)...it sure has changed since I was there (don't worry about how many years ago that was!). She seems to like it, definitely a change of pace for her. She finished out the year strong and will be adding two "A's" to that once she completes summer school. Bella will be starting swim lessons again in the intermediate class (Eels) and possibly in dance or tumbling after that if we can swing it this summer. She dances around the house all day long, so we feel it is our duty to get her started in something before this phase slips away. Boys will do a few rounds of swimming as well (Pikes) which is an upgrade from parent/tot classes, so we are excited to be able to hand them off to the teachers to listen to the screaming this year! Mike is embarking on a new adventure (more details later) so let's just keep our fingers crossed for the time being (biting nails).

We are now a family of ten!!! We have a new kitten named Canada. For those that don't know, we have another cat named America. This only made sense, right? She also goes by Candy (Bella) or Ninja (Jorden). She is cute. I'll post pics when I upload them. Frankie loves her, Floyd can't be bothered with her, and America won't even come inside anymore. We'll have to remedy this at some point, but for now it is as peaceful as a zoo can possibly be. :)

I got accepted to Ottawa's Master of Arts in Education program which starts in one week! Man, that break didn't last long. I am waiting to hear back from the director of NAU's Education program to verify that a School Psychology program is definitely coming to the valley next Spring. If so, I will be applying there this fall in hopes of transferring. I am starting at Ottawa instead of waiting because I will already be six classes down by the time NAU gets their program up and running, and I don't want to waste any time. I just need to make sure all the courses I am taking will actually transfer over or are equivalent to, which is why I am awaiting a phone call. SOONER than later, please!! So I will either be an Ottawa graduate or a Northern Arizona graduate in 2012. Either way, I am pretty stoked.

We are planning our first "real" family trip in September, to Colorado. It will be a blast and I am so excited to see where Mike grew up. We are also going to Elitch Gardens, Denver Zoo, Butterfly Pavilion, Estes Park, and a few other places Mike wants to show us. The boys won't remember the trip (yeah for cameras!), but the girls will and I am very happy to be able to share memories like this with them.

spring pics/events

2010-05-20T12:18:00.001-07:00

Phx Children's Museum

Abigail's 6th bday

Family cabin in Overgaard

mama got a new 'do'

Bella slept in her new Xmas boots for weeks!

Shan and Hope-Ryan

time for big boy beds!

Bella just "hangin"

Jorden being Jorden
Wildlife Zoo

One Bachelor's down, one Master's to go....

2010-04-27T13:06:00.000-07:00

I am officially done with school this week...FINALLY!!!!!! This last year flew by, but I don't recommend the 20yr graduation plan! Undergrad. was a piece of cake, however, it is a little daunting to think about the Master's program I will be starting in the fall. I get the summer off to apply to a few different schools before making my choice. I am leaning toward Ottawa and NAU's distance learning program. Heard exceptional things about both. ASU's School Psych. program is only a PhD. program, so that's a 'no-go' for me. I'm stopping at a Master's, thank you very much! I always desired to have a Master's but not so much a doctorate. I need to get school over with as soon as I can so I can start working and get on with the matters of life, which include raising these kids of mine...oh yah, and being a wife!

I am both nervous and excited to start grad. school, as it is a personal goal and accomplishment for me! For those that know why, you know what I mean. For those that don't, well let's just say "no matter what unexpected things life throws at you, you will eventually push past it all and see light at the end of the tunnel." We'll leave it at that. :)

As for some updates, Jorden made the JV cheer team for next year, and is ready to be done with freshman year (I don't blame her). Yes, I still remember those days. It hasn't been THAT long...ha!! Bella remains fairly "untamed" and can drive us all crazy on her best day! Crew is as handsome as ever and is talking so much (in his own language, that is). Cooper is just the cutest kid I've ever seen! He is talking up a storm as well and gives you this scrunched up face with a smile that will melt your heart. Mike has had a few half days recently, biz is a little slow. We will be heading up north a LOT this summer to escape this absurd heat!

More status to come on Grad. schools. Wish me luck!

Family Home Evening....

2010-01-26T21:35:00.001-08:00

or the Spiro version of it anyway, took place Monday night. Jordie taught a sweet little lesson and afterward we asked Bella if Jesus loves her and she responds "yes he does." So we ask her if she loves Jesus, again responds with a "yes." We then ask her where Jesus is and she says he is in her heart, so I say "where else is he?" and she looks up. I ask if he is up in heaven and she says "no, he is way up high on top of the castle." Ummm, close enough!

Typical Sunday afternoon

2010-01-04T15:11:00.000-08:00

My cousin and I decided to do lunch and pedis yesterday. While I'm sitting in the nail salon chair I receive a text from Mike that says:

Bella just pooped in her pants and I asked her why she didn't tell me she had to go potty and she said "Daddy I didn't mean to, the poop just fell right out of my butt!"

A day in the life....

Another year gone by...

2009-12-21T16:00:00.000-08:00

While creating this year's Xmas card, Mike asks if I am doing another "update" letter (you know the annoying one I'm talking about) and to my surprise he was disappointed that I didn't write one this year. I told him to feel free to sit down and write one himself, as I was too busy with finals and research papers for the semester, to be bothered with this. He expectantly declined. Who ever said traditions have to be every year? I can start an "every-other-year update letter" tradition if I so please! He poked fun and went on his merry way. So be on the lookout next year! :)

The thing I didn't realize is that I will have to work twice as hard on the letter because I now have TWO years worth of info. to include. Not a good idea, right? I mean, I won't have to worry so much about updated sizes and all, as my kids are midgets and don't grow! However, I will have to update everyone on the cute, yet bratty things they've accomplished in not only one year, but two. I could just blog and Facebook a lot more on the 'off' years. This will allow me to leave more stuff out in the 'on' year's letter. Yah, that's what I'll do! (sounds more convincing when I write out my intentions)

This time next year I'll be sitting here wondering why I started this ridiculous tradition. Oh well, as parents we are supposed to do ridiculous things!

Been slackin' on pics...

2009-11-16T10:42:00.000-08:00

The princess on her 4th bday!

Santa Monica Pier

at the Americana in Cali.

Halloween (J was with her dad, she was Sandra Dee! I'll get her pic on here)

pumpkin patch

my newest niece Hope-Ryan

Homecoming dance (yes, she wore a cardigan over the dress!)

Varsity "cancer awareness" game

why, why, why......

2009-11-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

Bella has officially begun the "why" stage! We were eating lunch today and the conversation went something like this:

Me: "Bella, what would you like to eat for lunch?"

Bella: "Why do I have to eat lunch?"

Me: "Lunch is good for you, so you can grow big and strong!"

Bella: "No, thanks. I just want dinner."

Me: "Dinner is at nighttime, lunch is during the day."

Bella: "Why?"

Me: "'Cause that's just the way it is!"

Bella: "Why is that the way it is, mom?"

Me: "Stop asking me why and tell me what you want to eat!"

Bella: "Can we call daddy and ask him why?"

I think I almost peed my pants! :)

And then they turned two...

2009-10-01T01:03:00.001-07:00

The twins turned two on Friday and we had a little Yo Gabba Gabba celebration (how we torture ourselves for our children) with the family. Kids had a great time, mommy made the cakes herself, one blue (chocolate)and one green (lemon). I didn't have any but heard they were good, so that's a plus! Our friend hooked us up with a water slide and it was a huge hit. Much nicer weather this year since we decided on an evening party. Don't get me wrong it was still hot, but not as hot as it would've been in the middle of the afternoon! Got some overdue pics of the nieces and nephews, who are all super cute! Boys got a new Yo Gabba Gabba tent from mommy and daddy, which is not going to last long from the looks of it. We got Bella a similar tent when she was younger and it lasted up until a few mos. ago. The boys are insisting on tipping the tent over and dragging it all around the house, making the plastic poles that hold it together snap off! Not sure why they can't be happy just sitting in it like normal children!! Who wanted boys anyway? They got tons of crap as usual, even when the guest total was a third of what it was last year! We are going to do what any normal, cruel, yet smart parents would do....box them up until Christmas!! ESPECIALLY the 500 piece foam block set from Nate and Celeste!! Oh how we will seek retribution at their next birthday party! :)

Good times had by all and just a heads up, Bella's bday will be at Chuck E. Cheese's with just the grandparents! We are shooting for an all time low attendance (ha!), so we'll see how it goes.

We don't want free health care? I'm confused...

2009-09-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

Obviously emanating from the President's strapping speech last night:

Why do people that did not even vote, insist on attacking Obama? If you aren't going to exercise your right as a citizen to vote (for him or against him, I don't care) then shut up! If you didn't take advantage of mailing an early ballot or get up at 5:00am and go to the polls on election day like the rest of us, then just keep your opinions to yourself!

Now, let's tackle the issue of Socialism because people seem to be confused. I keep hearing people say he is one of the most conservative liberals. Which is it? The first clear indication that Obama is not a socialist, is the way his administration is avoiding structural changes to the financial system. This is known as Nationalism, which socialists usually do not support!

The same holds true for health care. Did anyone complain when L.B. Johnson signed off on Medicaid and Medicare? Don't people realize that these are government run programs? How many people do you know poor or elderly, that utilize these plans as means to survive? Are you crying socialism when it saves the life of someone you love? Is it fair that someone is denied chemotherapy over a "technicality" and dies? I pray every day that the ones crying out against this reform never have to experience this! It is awful and nobody, American or otherwise, should have to endure this type of maltreatment.

Onto the issue of Obama's Communist Cabinet picks. Really? So the guy didn't pay some taxes, whatever. I know a handful of people who have made mistakes when paying taxes. If there wasn't such a things as auditing, I probably wouldn't pay mine either! People make mistakes and Geithner had already paid back two years of his back taxes and had another large amount to finish paying, in which a payment plan was already established before he was appointed Treasury secretary. He has, however, admitted to avoiding Medicare and Social Security taxes while self-employed. Do you blame him? If he wasn't spending so much on individual health care, he probably could have afforded his taxes! As for the communism that so many proclaim, I could honestly care less what the guy's personal political beliefs are. He is known as the country's biggest financial genius, and if he can begin to pull us out of this mess who cares what he believes! Anyone intelligent knows that the cries of communism stopped being taken seriously decades ago. That is as ridiculous as those that STILL believe the Obama citizenship conspiracy theory!
*See jus sanguinis (right of blood) and jus soli (right of birthplace) for further clarification.

Next, if I hear one more person talk about Marxism I will gouge my own eyeballs out! What a joke! The only idea of spreading the wealth around, would be the tax plan already in place thanks to Mr. Bush. Why are the Middle-class Americans complaining anyway? They weren't complaining when they were one step from filing bankruptcy and the stimulus check saved them! They aren't complaining now, when they are taking advantage of the "Cash for Clunkers" program as the only method in getting their kids to and from school, and them to and from a job because their old car kept breaking down! If Marxism is giving the Middle-class back the tax break they once had, then I am at a loss for words (Imagine that!) In all honesty, I don't even like politics, hate to talk about them, always have. I am just tired of people buying into the "Caveat emptor" mentality about every little speculation and claim that they hear. Learn to stand on your own two feet and get a voice!

Alas (sigh of relief), for every claim I have, I'm sure there is a counterclaim and that is perfectly acceptable. Just make sure that before you believe Ben Smith's allegations of "communism", which he is infamous for, and are just as ridiculous as Palin's claims of Obama "palling around with terrorists", that you educate yourself and realize that any one person wouldn't have the energy to become President or even the desire, if they possessed all of these alter egos of which Obama is charged.

Three-day weekend ahead...

2009-09-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

Labor Day is approaching and I am very excited to get out of the heat and head up north to the cabin! I have homework due this weekend, and it's a 'race to the finish line' to get it in by Friday, so we can leave!

School is going well. I finished my last two classes strong, so I'm happy about that. Next two are a little harder, at least that's what I'm gathering by the syllabi. Two more eight week sessions and I'm outta there!

Hubby and kids are well. We're all trying to survive the heat and gearing up for many trips to the snow this winter. Boys are turning TWO in September!! I told Mike if he wanted a party he'd have to plan it (which was VERY hard for me to do). I am way too busy with school, so we'll be keeping it small this year...(yeah right!)

Summer Updates

2009-07-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

We've been enjoying any free time we get to go up north...so nice! We took the kids up for the 4th of July, they had a blast. Younger kids finished up swim lessons. Bella can tread water by herself and she loves floating on her back! The boys, not so much! We'll try again next summer :( One out of three isn't bad, I suppose.

Mike is kinda slow at work the last few mos, which usually happens in the summer, but he's been home early every night, so that's good.

Three classes down and five to go for me!! Very excited!

Jordie leaves next week for her 2nd girl's camp this summer and the following week she leaves for cheer camp....quite the busy body this year! She "flew" in cheer yesterday for the first time and said it was fun. I'm a nervous wreck over her being a flyer, espec. since cheer is considered the most dangerous high school sport these days! She likes it though, so what can I do? She is in the last phase of her braces, and should be getting them off in the next few mos. They look great thus far, so I can only imagine how they will look in 3 mos!!

Bella is very excited to have her cousins Diego and Delaney back in AZ. She asks to play with them every day!!

Crew's new word is "no!", and it has a very negative connotation to it! He also says "yes, please and thank you (dee doo)", it is super cute!

Cooper is a bully these days and likes to pull a "Bella" and drag Frankie around by his collar. He's a good dog, he knows the drill! Floyd has cost us entirely too much $ this summer for his allergies, but we love him and his ailments all the same! America loves her newly found perch, on top of our car at nighttime. We call her our 'guard' cat!

That's it for now, back to homework. More posts to come...

CRAZY summer approaching...

2009-05-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

I started school this month, and it's kickin' my butt! I have 4 more sessions (each sess. 8wks) to finish up my Bachelor's. It only took me 17yrs to complete...ha! I'll start the Master's program next May, which will REALLY kick my butt!!

Jorden starts high school in August and has cheer practice all summer. She just got back from her 1st girl's camp (Tempe ward) and has cheer camp early July, then 2nd girl's camp (Maricopa ward) late July. Busy, busy bee!! Oh yah, she also turns 14 this summer. Holy cow!! It seems like just yesterday when I was pregnant with her (in the dead heat of the summer, I might add :) I just can't believe it!

Bella starts swim lessons June 1st, twice a week. If lessons are successful, she'll start beginner's tumbling in July.

Boys will do swim as well, but just on Saturday mornings, for four weeks. They will probably need a second round in July, but we'll play it by ear. Bitty T-ball starts for them in Sept, when they turn two. Mike and I are super excited!

Mike took Floyd to vet this morning, his annual allergies have lasted about a month longer than normal, so we figured we better take him in before he has NO skin left on his stomach! poor guy! :( So $117 later, he got a steroid shot, 2wks worth of meds and a special medicated shampoo, to use 2-3 times a week, til rash subsides. As IF I have time to add that to my plate!! Oh yah, Jorden is home for the summer...score!! J/K, Jordie!

My sister found out she's having another girl...yippee!! So my days are consumed with picking out names for her (or so I think). My older bro leaves this weekend, he's moving to Kansas. We had a going away party last weekend for him and my nephew...bittersweet. While one person leaves me, another arrives. Celeste moves back 'tentatively' late June. I am so stoked and am in "homecoming party planning" mode. I can't help it, Jordie didn't let me have a big shindig for her 8th grade graduation, so I had to settle on a small dinner party. So I'll get my fix with the homecoming party, and then start planning the boys' 2nd bday and Bella's 4th, triple holy cow!!

Never a dull moment....

2009-05-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

8:30p- kids in bed
9:00p- bella wakes up puking
9:15p- give her shower
9:30p- new pj's, put her in our bed
10:00p- bella throws up again (luckily on blanket, so didn't have to change sheets)
10:15p- clean her up again, give her crackers and water
10:30p- she finally falls asleep
2:00a- cooper wakes up puking
2:05a- wipe down crib and change sheets
2:15a- both boys get bath (crew didn't puke, but played in cooper's puke)
2:30a- cooper pukes again
2:40a- get cooper cleaned up, new pj's and give boys goldfish and water
3:30a- boys finally fall asleep
3:45a- dad falls asleep
4:00a- mom falls asleep

**don't ask me what time i got up this morning**

Sunday night scare!!

2009-05-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

Just when I was about to fall asleep on Sunday night, I hear a scream coming from down the hall. I knew it was a girlish scream so my initial thought is it's Bella...nope! I look over and Bella is in our bed, so I look at Mike just as his eyes open, wondering if he'd dreamt the noise. As soon as he saw me looking at him, he knew I'd heard it, too! So just as we get up and head to Jorden's room, she's already at the edge of our bed saying "someone just crashed my window in!" Mike doesn't even hesitate, runs to the alarm key pad and hits the panic button. This signals the police that we are in distress, without setting off the alarm, and waking the remaining sleeping children...or the neighbors!

We are grilling Jorden on exactly what happened, before the police arrive. She swears she DIDN'T dream it!! My guess at this point is she did, because #1 no crash in window, #2 dogs sound asleep on bottom bunk, and they'd certainly be going nuts if someone was in the backyard, let alone, near the window. Police show up, poke around, come up with nothing! As soon as the officer walks in, I recognize that he is the same cop that came out last year, when had our first attempted break-in, causing us to purchase the alarm!

So all was well, we thanked the officers for coming out, and Jorden kept insisting she didn't dream the noise. We reassured her that it's better to be safe than sorry, and not to worry about it. She may have heard a garbage can tipping over, or someone breaking a beer bottle next door, anything. You just never know. I gave her a future tip though **if the dogs aren't barking next time she wakes up (they sleep in her room), don't be so quick to jump off the top bunk and run for the door** most likely, there's nobody there, and it was possibly in her dream :)

Mike and I finally get back to bed around 2am. Well, Jorden and I really never got back to sleep. Mike asked her if she wanted one of us to sleep on the bottom bunk, but she said she was fine. Mike comes back in the room laughing because she lifted Frankie up on the top bunk to sleep with her...ha! She's not playing around!!

Still amazed that the younger three stayed asleep through it all...go figure!!

Otter Pops save the day

2009-04-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

So I was down for a whole week with the flu, sinus infection, you name it! Whatever's been going around for months now, back and forth between my kids and my hubby, finally got me!! I was in bed for five straight days, no food, trying my hardest just to keep down fluids. I was was so worn out and felt so unbelievably DRY! I had a fever so I was hot, and my nose was so raw from constant blowings, that my face just felt so desiccated. We always keep Otter Pops in our outside freezer, for the kids (Mike is a huge fan as well). I used to like them as a kid, but don't usually go for the occasional popsicle. So one of the nights I was laying in bed, and I yelled for Mike to bring me four Otter Pops, not one, not two, but FOUR!! I very insistently told him to mix up the flavors (as if I could taste anything) and to melt them down a bit so that I could drink the juice!! I've never felt so relieved in my life!!

My BFF came over one of the days to help with the kids, and Mike stayed home from work a few days. You know it's bad when Mike misses work! What an awesome hubby I have! AND my house was clean every morning that I was actually able to get out of bed, stumble to the kitchen and get some water!

I still can't breathe entirely well out of one side of my nose, but we're making progress and I'm starting to feel normal again. :)

P.S. Totally off the subject, Jorden made the cheer team...go J!!

I'm annoyed!

2009-04-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

The boys both have double ear infections! Well, i guess that'd be quadruple ear infections, huh? :) We took them to their well check and much to our surprise, this is what the doc told us. They didn't have any signs or symptoms, very strange! Which is a blessing in disguise, I suppose, because we would've been back in 3 days when they WERE showing signs, and by then it'd be two cranky kids and another $50 later! So they're on Amox. and ear drops for the next 10days...what a treat THAT has been!

Looking forward to a better weekend ahead. Going to bday party on Sat. and hopefully taking Bella to see Monsters vs. Aliens on Sunday, we'll see how the boys feel.

Jorden's aunt is visiting from Boston and she's at her dad's, so we probably won't see her for the next few days. :(

Mike is behind at work (which we are grateful for, I guess). So he's been working late every night and going in half day on Sat. Kind of a bummer!

Back to dishes and laundry....blah!

the thanks we get....

2009-03-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

we struggle with morning sickness, sleepless nights, labor pains, work for what they need, feed them, change them, teach them, support them, comfort them, help them any way we can...for what? so they can throw it all in your face when they turn 13!!!!

somebody shoot me now!!

more of the same old stuff!

2009-03-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

kids are running around like mad men right now and i'm catching up on some emails (and just a bit of blogging ;) i'm babysitting my niece again today, long day ahead! jordie is at her dad's for break. my house is clean, laundry is done, dare it say it...i'm a little BORED! i'm gonna regret that, aren't i? i may give mike a call and see if he's got any tedious work for me to do, or maybe i'll catch up on some reading. eh, we'll see how the day goes. as it is right now, i can hear fighting in the other room. most likely it's cooper and bella. gotta go!! :)

better week... :)

2009-02-24T12:42:00.000-08:00

last week was horrible. the kids are feeling much better and mike caught whatever was going around, but feels better as well. mike started his softball leagues again last week, thurs and fri nights. we're aggressively working out again, and i am tremendously sore...but it's good!

the boys are sleeping through the night, completely! and bella is pooping on the potty...yeah! jorden's loving gymnastics and gearing up for cheer tryouts in march!

shannon (my sis) passed her test and is officially an RN...go shan!!

mike took jorden and her bff to lunch today. they won a subway g/c at a school auction, and they've been wanting to use it. i guess the g/c machine was down today, so mike bought them lunch AND let them keep the card...(what a schmuck) score girls!

the wedding we were supp. to attend in march, in vegas, is postponed...pending new date! bummer!

i'll stop playing favorites and add a new header pic of just the girls, soon...ha!

ok, break time over...back to cleaning!! blah! btw, wendy's mandarin chicken salad is the best thing ever!!

bummer :(

2009-02-17T11:25:00.001-08:00

kids sick again:

jorden- strep throat and ear infection (missing school)

bella- cough and runny nose (also can't poop)

crew- runny nose, diarrhea & teething (so lots of drooling)

cooper- runny nose, diarrhea & teething (drooling a little less)

FUN WEEK AHEAD!!!

clarification time

2009-02-04T22:04:00.000-08:00

so i'm trying to find a cute pic for my header and i realized that nobody got to see any pics of the boys for halloween. it was so post-halloween, but mike and i waited for a really cold night and dressed the boys in what would have been there halloween costumes, had they been able to trick-or-treat this year. i don't know if any of you remember me saying it was blistering hot that night, so my kids couldn't go out. crew is the lion, and his suit kept riding up on him, hence, the tail on his back and not his butt! cooper was a monkey and i had to cut the feet out because he couldn't walk in it. oh, the joys of catering to your kids!

i have some more cute pics of their painted faces which i'll post. they wouldn't cooperate (imagine that) and all sit down together, so this is the closest one that i could snap of them together. i thought it was pretty classic with the xmas tree in the background and all...ha! *note* no ornaments on bottom of tree, more catering to kids.

update on bella: 3 wks bottle free...yeah! no nap during day and going to bed at decent hour every night, in her own bed...double yeah! she does sneak in our room most nights around 2am, but we'll take it!

update on boys: bottle free for them as well, however, they could care less because they are actually NORMAL children! crew walks around all day yelling "bella" and cooper just carries on conversations that only the baby whisperer would understand!

update on jorden: 8 more mos. to go for braces. 3 more mos. to go for 8th grade graduation. 6 more mos. to go for high school at marcos de niza.

update on animals: america is banned from the house at the moment for clawing up bella's arms. floyd is still retarded and frankie still doesn't wipe his butt!

update on us: going to vegas this wknd and then again in march for a wedding. very excited and should be a good time. we're hoping to visit hell's kitchen while we're there.

that's it for now...

Will I ever sleep again?

2009-01-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

So Bella is completely off the bottle, which is embarrassing to even talk about, really. Mike had to go to Vegas for the weekend and mommy threw the bottles in the garbage! I should've just done this a year ago, but mommy had to let daddy (first- time parent) learn from his mistakes. Nobody's perfect, but we as parents need to do what's in the best interest of our children. We are supposed to make the right decisions on their behalves until they are able to do so. Some parents are weaker than others, i guess, which is why there is usually one disciplinarian in the family and one parent that is a little more lenient. It works well in the grand scheme of things, but certain situations muster up the opinions of each parent. This isn't always good!

Long story short...we bagged up all of her and the boys' "babas" and she threw them away. She did well the first three days. Mike returns from Vegas and she asks him that night for a bottle. He sticks to his guns and we fight with her for over and hour to go to bed. She finally does and we take her to Chuck E. Cheese's the next night to celebrate her being a BIG GIRL now! We tell Chuck E. Cheese all about how she drinks from a sippy cup only now, and he nods his head and gives her the thumbs up (obviously he doesn't talk). We proceed to Wal-Mart to let her pick out a new sippy cup that she can take to bed (containing only water, is the plan). All is well so far.

She sleeps through the night, in her own room...score! We're making strides, as this would be day five "bottle free." Hit a road block last night when she decided she wanted to wake up in the middle of the night and not drink the sippy cup. She tossed and turned, whined, etc, etc. She has to program herself to fall asleep on her own, which is something she never learned to do because she always relied on the sucking of the bottle to soothe her back to sleep. So dad gets up and sleeps on the couch, which is the best thing for him to do when she starts up because he has the weak heart when it comes to this. I on the other hand, am the "bad guy." Which doesn't bother me in the least, whatever needs to be done. So i fight with her 'til 1:30am and she finally falls asleep.

Tomorrow will mark one full week without a bottle. I don't imagine this can go on much longer. I have to remind Mike (and myself) how resilient children are and that this will all be a thing of the past before we know it...sigh!!

"Gone away is the Bluebird, here to stay is a new bird"

2009-01-02T20:29:00.000-08:00

Hello 2009! Every year I say "this year will be the best year ever!" Somehow, I really believe that this time. 2008 brought many blessings, yet also some grief. I am truly hoping to witness many triumphs this upcoming year with my family (parents, brothers and sisters) and my own family (me, hubby, kids). Mike is hoping the worst is behind us (I did say hoping) and business will pick up. He can go back to the five year plan of selling the biz and retiring. I will go back to school this fall and finish up my BA in Education. I'm not in too much of a hurry since I can't actually teach until the kids start school. So that is a relief to know I can take my time. Shouldn't take long though, because I was pretty far along and from the looks of it, pretty much all of my creds. from ASU will transfer to Ottawa. Pretty stoked about that! I will also continue to write. My book will probably never be finished, but I'll keep at in anyway...very therapeutic for me.

Jorden will graduate the eighth grade, start high school and get her braces off. ALL of which she's excited for! As for me....not so much! :(

Bella will hopefully learn a new vocabulary that consists of more than just "no", "leave me alone" and "I don't want to"...oh yah, and she'll all of the sudden LIKE her mother...ha!

Crew & Cooper will continue to grow and I will love watching them run (which they will be doing very soon) around and play. I can't wait for Bella to want to play with them and keep them occupied during the day, as I'll need my "study" time. Hopefully the never-ending feud between Bella and Cooper over any and every toy, will come to an end VERY SOON!

I am excited to look back at this and say "yeah, it WAS the best year ever!!"

few pics from up north...

2008-12-08T11:03:00.000-08:00

Life....

2008-12-05T17:05:00.000-08:00

Had a nice trip up north last wknd, wish I was still there.

Ate leftover turkey all week!

Cleaning all weekend so we can put up Xmas lights!

Kids have runny noses again...

Enjoying our new HD TV!!

All of which I am very grateful for...

Praying for Susan Turley!!!

Tom the turkey will be arriving soon...

2008-11-26T10:49:00.000-08:00

Our mini turkey should be thawing in the fridge for tmrw, but of course I haven't gone shopping yet. Actually, we were shopping yesterday, but not for us. Allstar Mailing donated two cartfuls of turkeys to Salvation Army, and a bunch of food to my cousin Chance at the Hope House. We like to take all the kids along so they can share in the "joy of giving." We explained to Bella that we were giving to the people that didn't have any food and she just gave us this naive stare and then said "I want a chocolate candy!" I think she got it! Little do our kids know, but ALL of them will be volunteering when they are older. We want to take them down to serve dinner one year. I think every child should experience that at least once in their life.

We are going to my mom's (sigh) in between the boys' naptime tmrw. We will just stay for a few hrs and then head home for our "first" Thanksgiving with just our kids. We are going to 'attempt' (and I use that word firmly) to deep fry the turkey. We'll just buy a small one in case we totally fowl (no pun intended) it up! After dinner I'll spend Thurs. night making deviled eggs, mini cheesecakes or a fruit pizza (i'm still deciding)...oh, and mashed potatoes! We are heading up north Friday and we are taking food w/us for our Thanksgiving w/the Spiros. It's supposed to snow this wknd and the roads are very icy, so our Suburban is at the shop right now getting a new set of snow tires! I'm hoping our usual 3 1/2 hr trip doesn't turn into a 5 or 6 hr trip because of the weather. Should be VERY interesting!!

Mike is playing poker tonight at Jonathan's house (temporarily in the hands of Jason)...very scary!

I still have to go shopping....blah!

Happy Turkey Day to all!

What kind of crap is that?

2008-11-19T10:37:00.000-08:00

Everyone is bugging me for Halloween pics, and I don't have any! Actually, I do have a few of the girls. Mother Nature decided it would be 90 degrees on Halloween so my poor boys couldn't even wear their suits. All of the little kids had fury animal costumes that were blistering hot. Bella was an Aristocat (white kitty for those of you who don't know) and she trick-or-treated for like 15mins and was ripping it off, she was so uncomfortable. I waited a few more hrs, to see if it would cool down any so that I could take the boys out. It came down a whopping 10 degrees or so, making it about 80!! So basically I have no pics of their 'real' first Halloween. I will be dressing them up this wknd though, now that it's pretty cold out at night. I'll snap some pics and post them. I know it's not actually the fun of being ON Halloween, but dang it, I'm gonna get use out of those costumes that I paid for (well only one, really :)

Electrician here fixing our hot tub...woo hoo!! We've only had it sitting on our porch for 2 yrs now!! Better late than never, right? (at least that's how we function...ha!)

I spoke too soon....

2008-11-18T12:31:00.000-08:00

Well ALL of my kids are sick now! Mike also had a little of it, but I've yet to get it (knock on wood). Started with Crew and Bella, then Cooper got it (inevitable), and Jordie came home from her dad's this wknd with it! Poor Bella even had it on her bday last week. Yep, she just turned 3! Man, time is bookin' around here! No pics of course. I hate my camera! Hopefully Santa will bring me a new one for Christmas. I say Santa because the guy responsible for the gifts is jolly, and does have rosy cheeks and a BIG belly!

Tata for now...babysitting my niece today so my house is a circus at the moment!

2 for 4...

2008-11-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

Cold/flu season, here we come! Two of my four kids are sick. This is going to be a fun winter season!! We decided to just have family over Sat. night, for a bday celebration for Bella. I'm hoping we don't have runny noses everywhere this wknd. So far no fever, so I think we're in the clear, however, i'm SO over runny noses and whining and crabbiness ALL day long! How many more years of this do I have???

Happy Vets Day!

I voted today!!

2008-11-04T07:41:00.000-08:00

Got up this morning at the crack of dawn to vote. Only took about an hour, and I made a new friend while waiting in line! Can't wait for the results...is an economic resurrection in sight? Hopefully so, we'll see. Go Obama!!

BTW, Jordie has softball tryouts this afternoon. Keep your fingers crossed.

We're officially ready for Halloween...

2008-10-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

Now that OUR family is ready for Halloween, it may begin! Kids have costumes and we made a trip out to the pumpkin patch Monday night. Of course I forgot my camera, so no pics. But as you all know, I never post them anyway...ha! Mike and Jorden carved pumpkins last night and we are set. We won't be here Friday night, but we are lighting up the pumpkins, leaving candy by the door and we are off to our in-laws. We've kind of made it a tradition to trick or treat in their neighborhood, and then have dinner afterward. I'm excited that it's on Friday this year, so we won't have to rush home for work in the morning. Jorden will be Hannah Montana, Bella will be "Marie" the Aristocrat (J's old costume from when she was 2, so cute!), and boys will be a lion and a monkey. Not sure which one of them will be the lion, and which one will be the monkey. Mike and Jorden want me to dress them up, so they can try and guess who's who. Funny! Anyway, should be a good time....bring on the treats (or tricks)!!

Parties, parties and more parties!

2008-10-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

So we had a surprise party for Mike's youngest brother on Saturday, who turned 30. Whatever, I hate young people! We just finished up the boys's 1st bday, planned Johnny's 30th and now are working on Bella's 3rd. It will be very small though, prob. just family at either Chuck E. Cheese's (Bella and Jorden's vote), or the Phoenix Zoo (mommy and daddy's vote). I'll let you guess who is going to win...

Jorden has parent-teacher conferences tmrw night. I'll get to meet the 8A team that I've heard so much about all year (well, the last two mos...ha!). Still waiting on her pic re-takes, to see how they turned out. She's moody like any other typical teenager, but we keep her in check. :) Braces going well, you can already see a huge difference!

Bella is wearing big girl panties now and absolutely loves them. Jordie and Ashley snagged some Mickey ones from Target that are really cute. I realized I couldn't survive with just 3 pair, so I found some more at Wal-mart the other day (My Little Pony) and she says "I want pink ponies to cover my privies (privates)", bless her heart!

Boys are just about walking and I'm searching Craigslist for TWO front-facing carseats and another Chicco feeding chair (already have one that was Bella's). They no longer want to sit in their Bumbos so feeding time is NOT fun! Cooper is actually crawling out of his chair at this very moment, as all of the food spills on the floor (dogs don't mind:)

Hubby (yes, he's still alive)...is enjoying football season and absolutely loves it when he comes home from a 12hr work day, to find out what I need him to do around here next! Oh life's little treasures...

The twins are now ONE!!

2008-10-02T21:17:00.000-07:00

Man, did that go by fast or what? House is done, party is done, now I'm going to kick my feet up and relax....for a long time! House looks amazing, I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. I'll post some pics for you all to see. Have to download those and the party ones. Didn't get much of the party, was running around like a crazy woman. Hoping to get some from those of you that took them for me (hint, hint). Was a good turnout I guess, WAY too many people, WAY too many gifts, and WAY to hot!! I would've got the water slide bouncer, had I known it was going to be so hot and disgusting outside. I should've known when I was watching the news Thurs. night and they said there was a heat advisory for the wknd, that I had to do some 'quick thinking'. If my head was on straight all week, I probably would've had a plan B, however that didn't happen. Jorden's friends bailed on her last minute, so I didn't have any other willing teenagers to run the game stations for me. Just set everything up in hopes that the parents would show their children how to play them (ha!). So we decided to do a raffle for all the prizes. Wasn't very successful either, so Jordie ended up just handing out all of the prizes to whoever would take them (no problems there). Clown was actually really fun for the kids, and took their minds off of the heat for about an hour. Food was good, so I heard.

It's over now and no more big shin-digs for the Spiro kids. From now on it's Chuck E. Cheese's with just the family! That's the way to do it. Have somebody else cook and clean up after you. Even bigger than that, COLD A/C, no matter how many people are there!!!

Happy Birthday to my baby boys! They completely devoured their entire cupcakes. There wasn't a morsel left on their trays. If anyone got pics, please send....

It's finally here!

2008-08-28T23:24:00.000-07:00

Jorden Michelle is FINALLY 13!! I kept hoping if I just ignored it, it would go away. Low and behold, Aug. 28th arrived. It was 13 LONG years ago, at 10:30am, that Jorden arrived. My first born is now a teenager, and I can deny it no longer! Man, where did the time go? I made her fave baked potato soup (thank you Guthries/Passeys). I think it actually tasted like it was supposed to this time...ha! After dinner, I took her to see Mamma Mia. We were supposed to see it a month ago, but things kept coming up. Although, I was enjoying the barrage of previews over the last few mos., as I'm a HUGE Abba fan! Have been since I was a little girl. Jorden thought it was a little cheesy. It was your typical musical, but I must say, I did like the play a lot better. I'll still buy it when it comes out, just because I love all of the songs, and I'm a big Meryl Streep fan, too. Oh yah, if you're a Pierce Brosnan fan, don't get your hopes up!

Mike picked Jorden up for lunch from school, and signed her out for the rest of the day. She was pretty stoked! My brother Shad also came over tonight with gifts from Abercrombie & Fitch, so she's really on Cloud 9 now! Plus, she has a slumber party at her dad's tmrw, so she's excited for that! I'll be trying to score her some Jonas Bros. tics in the next few wks, that's our gift to her. They have a concert in Oct. and I really hope I can find a good deal. I'm a Craigslist stalker though, so I'm not worried about it! Ask (or stalk) and you shall receive, that's my mantra!

Ok, off to bed. Quicker this day is over the better, as the depression/realization has set in!!

Wow....I'm old!!

2008-08-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

So for those of you who know my age, good for you! For those of you who don't, good for you! I can't believe that Jorden is approaching 13! Wow! I realize I'm probably outing my age by announcing that, but oh well. I am still in shock that my baby is now a teenager...yikes! What joys will the upcoming years bring me, I ask? Do I even want to think about it? Am I ready for the sassy, back-talking years? I don't think I am! I was talking to my mom tonight (she's leaving for Aruba on Fri, lucky dog) and she said "I hope your guns are loaded", referring to the life ahead of me. Thanks mom, I appreciate the heads up! Honestly, I'm really not worried about Jordie causing me any trouble. She's a good kid. She definitely has her moments lately, but nothing compared to what most parents go through, I'm sure. I think she KNOWS she better tow the line...or else! That much I can say I'm responsible for...ha! Now Bella on the other hand, may send me over the edge! Let's cross that bridge at a later date....WAY later!

I'll have 3 teenagers at my house this wknd, for an early bday sleepover. I think I'll ship them off to the movies (half the battle is won). Then when they return, I'll order them some pizza and send them out to the pool (score again)!

I am getting up at the crack of dawn Sat. morning for a garage sale. Out with the old, in with the new! Everything that we've been replacing during our remodel, has been sitting in our garage. Time to be rid of it ALL, even if I have to give it away! Mike claims he's getting up with me at 5am, this is yet to be seen!

P.S. Thanks for all of the prayers for my niece Abigail. She doing well on her medication and to date is seizure free. I am now babysitting her two days a week so she doesn't have to be in daycare. I couldn't stand the thought of anything happening and her waking up around strangers. Granted they are CPR certified, but so am I. I just feel much more comfortable this way. She's a sweetie. I'll have to post pics of her and Bella playing together and bossing each other around...it's hilarious!

REmodeling....REthink it!!

2008-08-13T12:22:00.000-07:00

our remodeling adventure was fun in the beginning, but has since been very frustrating and brought out the worst in us! we wanted to do it ourselves, #1 to save $ and #2 for the sake of saying we did it ourselves! don't get me wrong, i love to learn new things and i'd like to be a little 'renovation savvy' if you will, so when i really need to reference what i've learned, i will be able to w/out any problems. you never know when you'll need to fix something at the drop of a hat. WAY later on down the line, anyway! it is really nice to work hard and see the benefits, which is what we were experiencing in the beginning. now, we've seen the worst of things. it took us 3 full days (and by full i mean 16hr days), trying to put our french doors in! the "free" doors that we scored, actually cost us $200, miscellaneous parts we didn't think of. if you threw in labor, we'd be in the $1000's range! after that was squared away, we moved onto the kitchen sink/faucet. what you would think was pretty easy, right? WRONG!! we keep forgetting that our house is 22yrs old. every time we turn around, something is breaking and we have to replace it w/a newer part or something that should come off easily, even after using every tool in the book, is practically welded on because it's been in the same place for so long. no bueno! so after a long week of dealing w/a stinkin' sink, our kitchen is finally finished (minus the paint, of course)! oh yah, bought the sink from craigslist for $50 and ended up costing over $100 to put in!

so when they say "how strong is your marriage?", when you ask "how hard can it be to remodel a few things here and there"...that's what they mean!! it's been a struggle for mike and i because dealing w/everyday stress is hard enough, let alone throw in a bunch of dust, tools, drywall and paint chips EVERYWHERE, "let's do it this way, no, let's do it that way", you get the picture!!

nonetheless, we're movin' on to the bathrooms. hopefully they'll go a lot smoother...ha! keep in mind, we're still pulling for a september deadline...keep you posted.

I've seen it all....

2008-07-29T23:07:00.001-07:00

Mike and I leave the house tonight and what do we see when we enter the Suburban?...wires hanging down from the roof of our car (all that was left of the movie screen that used to sit there). We looked at each other, sat there for a moment to absorb what actually happened, looked at each other again, picked our jaws up off the ground, looked at each other again, and just shook our heads in utter disappointment. Did somebody really break into our car, look around at the MANY car seats (3 to be exact), and proceed to steal our children's DVD player? Seriously? We will have to work THAT much harder to raise our kids in this type of world, in hopes they will never have to encounter something like this! I saw on the news that car thefts are at an all-time high, due to the ever-so-fast, sinking economy (thank you George W. Bush). People are taking any and everything they can get their hands on. Desperate times call for desperate measures, apparently! Very sad!

Instead of making our planned trip to Costco, we detour to Fry's Electronics and painfully purchase another movie screen. Thank you American Express! We just couldn't bear the thought of Bella's eyes when we tell her that there is no more Care Bears Big Wish! Although I don't think Jorden would mind if she never had to watch that again!

So we'll scrape off the thick layer of "violation" that we feel and move on. As Mike said, if he (or she, I won't be sexist) needed it to feed their family or something of that nature then God Bless. Otherwise, he hopes they rot in H E double toothpicks!

Yeah for sleep!

2008-07-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

I'm off today to the Az Grand Resort (former Pointe South Mtn). My mom usually takes the older grandkids on a summer trip and this year it was gonna be San Diego. The summer got away from us and with gas prices and all, she decided she would just stay in town and do something fun with them. She chose this resort because it has a 7acre oasis water park that people have raved about. She got a great summer rate, and disounted dining, etc. She thought it'd be fun if my sister and I joined her (nice early bday gift for me). We got adjoining rooms so we can throw the kids in one room and enjoy some peace and quiet (go mom!!).

I'll take some pics to make you all jealous and post them when I get back. Aren't I nice? I am so stoked to get some sleep! I'm taking the girls and leaving the boys with my "oh so sweet" husband.

Woo hoo, vacation!! It may be short, and it may be close, but it's still a vacation....

SO BUSTED!

2008-07-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

well i got a photo radar ticket a few mos back and i was sooo mad because i was barely over the speed limit, those crooks! so i started getting in the mind frame of "i'll show those guys"...been with my husband way too long! i received 2 notices in the mail and i just let them go, contemplating whether or not i would go to traffic school, or just pay the dang thing, in hopes that my ins. co. wouldn't find out. well, as some of you may know, you have a certain time frame to respond to the mailed notices. if you don't, they hire a process server to get the notice to you (or so they think). i had it all planned out that when they come to the door, i will either not answer or if i'm feeling spiteful that day, i may answer and act like i have no clue who michelle spiro is. i was going over and over in my head how i could pull this off, since they have 45days to identify you as the driver, or dismiss the ticket. i rehearsed this daily, i had this one in the bag!

well i was watching my best friend's kids last week and she was running late one of the mornings and called me to say she was right down the street. so a few mins. later the doorbell rings and i don't even look out the window, expecting that it was her children at the door. nope, process server! he caught me off guard and said "hi, michelle spiro?" and what do i say "yes". stupid, stupid, stupid!! i was soooo mad. i'd spent all that time rehearsing how to lie about who i was, i was even gonna go to the lengths of saying "i rent this house, and have no idea who that is" (yah i know, that one was pretty slimy). so low and behold, i have to pay the ticket anyway! goes to show that i can't lie, even when it's strategically planned.

Ho Hum...

2008-07-19T14:42:00.001-07:00

so my wknds are not really MY wknds anymore. now that the boys sleep all night, i am able to sleep 'til maybe 9 on the wknds, if i'm lucky. i guess i shouldn't say that, mike usually gets up with the boys and let's me sleep. but lately i've gotten screwed. saturdays no luck, have arbonne nation call at 8am, til time changes, then will be back to 9am. i hate celeste! she doesn't have to plug in 'til 11am now, from the east coast! aside from that, i am up anyway working out or just starting my day. sundays, same thing now that we are remodeling. we are trying to do at least two or three tasks a wknd, since we can't get much done during the week. last wknd we put up our track lights in the kitchen (not by choice). our old, ugly, 80's fluorescent lights came tumbling down on jorden as she was walking thru the kitchen...not pretty! that took up the rest of our day. this wknd i'm hoping to FINALLY purchase a new flat top stove. been searching on craigslist for wks now, and haven't found the best deal yet. i am below budget though, for appliances...so stoked! found the BEST deals ever on our dishwasher and fridge. so after we p/u our new (used) stove, we'll put our new sink in and decide what style of pendant light (that we can agree on), to put above our kitchen table. guy coming for countertops hopefully this wk. that'll do it for our kitchen until we paint in august. then on to the bathrooms, have SO many ideas...can't wait!

still sticking to our deadline of sept. 1st. race is on to the finish....wish me luck!

DUH!!!

2008-07-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

i'm gonna try and make a really, really long story as short as i can, so keep up....

i've been getting these random calls for some time now on my cell phone from people trying to return a call. first, it was an extended warranty ins. co. calling them, then it was the mccain campaign hotline, now it's some type of time share company. ok, it started out that i didn't know WHAT was going on and WHY i was getting all these calls. i finally had a lengthy conversation with a gal that read back the ph# to me. apparently these companies buy this open line whenever available and it's long distance (somewhere in cali.). the ph# is 213-710-8XXX, and these people just hit 'callback' on their caller id's (not realizing it's long distance), so it dials my cell ph#, which happens to be the first seven digits of this #. when i try to explain to these people that they have to dial a 1 when it's long distance, they don't seem to understand. HOW HARD IS IT??? honestly, i tried ignoring the calls, but then i was getting really nasty voice msgs from people stating that they are sick of getting harassed and for me to remove them from my call list! are you kidding me? when you hear my voice mail, you can obviously tell that it's my personal cell phone (although it does say arbonne int'l. now, but even before that).

mike thinks it's hilarious because i'm nicely trying to explain and over explain to some, what is going on. i thought about changing my ph#, but it's really more of the principal to me. not to mention, i'd have to change my biz cards, etc. more work than i want to do. turns out, it's more work explaining to these people (who i refer to as idiots on a daily basis), not very christ-like, i know. it just really amazes me! even after i give them the whole spill, i get repeat callers!!

a few wks ago an elderly woman called. she said she had a msg from the mccain campaign and was asking me who they were. i tried to explain to her who sen. john mccain was, that he resides here in az. and is running for president. she literally had NO CLUE! bless the elderly!

so anywho, the whole point of this blog is because i got yet ANOTHER call this morning from a lady who was asking for some other person and when i told her she had the wrong # she said "well you called me!" AGAIN, tried to explain to her that she needed to dial a 1 and then call back the # that called her. i also told her it was probably just a telemarketing call that i wouldn't even call it back....dead silence. i asked her if she understood what i was trying to say and her response was "well, i'm just trying to call you back because you called me." are there REALLY that many stupid people in this world?? i could've told this lady to go "surfing in nebraska", i mean COME ON!

new aunt X 2!!

2008-07-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

sorry everyone, it's been a while. as most of you know i bacame an aunt again in june....twice!! my nephew jacob marc (top) was born on june 18th and my nephew ryker s. ethan (bottom) was born on june 23rd. they are both sooo cute and i am so stoked! both mommies are doing well and lovin' those babies! more boys...yeah! crew and cooper are also very excited (they told me so). well, here are the pics i've been promising you all that i'd post for weeks now. they don't do the boys justice, as they were taken from jordie's cell phone. i'll post better ones later (no really, i will)!!

Consider us lucky!

2008-06-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

I guess you have to live in NY to get someone to come out and detain a snake!

http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/2008/06/11/20080611snake11-odd.html

New regimen

2008-06-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

After 6wks of grueling workouts, I step on the scale. To my amazement, I haven't lost much weight, so I become frustrated. Mike asks me if I want to know a more effective way to lose weight...uh yes! Well according to the statistics (and my personal trainer husband), it is 300x more effective to work out in the morning than the evening. Thanks for telling me that now! So I've been waking up at 6:30am to work out for an hour before all 50 (ok 4), of my kids wake up! Not a huge fan of waking up at the crack of dawn, but I have a goal to lose 15lbs by the boys' first birthday and dammit, I'm gonna make it happen!

Edward Scissorhands

2008-06-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

Crew and Cooper got some much needed haircuts this evening. Mike likes to cut their hair himself. Crew had his first haircut at my cousin's barber shop, but since then, they've been at home. So Cooper's turned out pretty good, not a lot of hair to work with there. Crew's...not so much! As most of you know, he has a massive amount of hair, hence the reason his first haircut was at 3mos! Dad went a little crazy with the scissors and now my poor son looks like a Chinese Indian! Not that there is anything wrong with being Asian or Native American, however, when you're French, Irish, German, Greek, Italian, Egyptian and Palestinian; to throw in two more nationalities just confuses things! I may post pics so you can all share in my anguish...

Newest member of our family...

2008-06-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

yes, we've added yet ANOTHER member to our already HUMONGOUS family! Mike was at the pet store the other day trying to by another frozen treat for our snake friend, when he decided to stop and look at the live mice. he said he fell in love with this little hopper mouse who was minutes away from being feed for one of the snakes there. so what does he do, he buys it and brings it home. as IF we need another animal!! what can i say, he's a sucker for the helpless! he says so nonchalantly "it was only a few dollars and i don't think it will live long anyway." so it's in a box at the moment until we get him a cage tmrw. all day long bella says "mousey, i wanna hold mousey", nice huh? we decided to name him Freedom, since we "freed 'em"...ha! and it goes with the whole America (name of our cat) and all. We are now a family of TEN!! what next???

Holy snake!

2008-06-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, so my hubby walked out the front door the other night and what does he see on our doorstep? A freakin' snake! Yes, a full blown, huge, hissing snake! He comes running threw the door like he's just seen a ghost (with Bella in the football hold and all). I go to check it out and I start to freak out thinking it could be a rattlesnake. Trying to avoid calling 911, I call Tempe police, who were of NO help! Then I call Tempe Fire, no help there either. They direct us to the Hemoculture hotline, which is supposed to be 24hrs. No answer so we leave a message. We then try to call the Game and Fish hotline, they are only open M-F 8-5, again...no help! We start thinking about our dogs, our cat, Bella playing out back, etc, etc. So we decide to call 911, just in case it is in fact a rattlesnake. Even they couldn't help! The operator said he would not dispatch because none of his officers are trained to catch a snake. Again, he forwards us to this Hemo hotline. So we proceed to leave ANOTHER message (at this time it's midnight). No call back so we go to bed. We get a call at 4am from the oncall snake guy who we describe the snake to. He says it's a gopher snake and not to worry, it's doing more good than harm for us. Ok great!

Next morning Mike goes to let Frankie out to go potty and guess what's on the BACK porch now? The stinkin' snake! Frankie attempts to bite it and it strikes him instead. He's ok since it's not a venomous snake, but I don't think he'll do that again! Keep in mind by this point, Mike thinks he's The Crocodile Hunter! He's grabbing dog crates, empty boxes, brooms, shovels, whatever he can find to try and catch this thing. Finally he slithers off into a hole under our fence. Mike brings home a frozen rat last night and tries to leave it by the hole. This morning it had ants all over it, and no snake in sight. Mission failed!

So the snake lives to see another day. Us on the other hand, won't rest easy until we can catch it and relocate it. The saga continues...

Carry on, carry on...

2008-06-03T00:03:00.000-07:00

Ok so Mike and I started working out about a month and a half ago. Sure enough, he hurts his knee AGAIN. So I've continued to work out all by myself for the last week or so. Speed walking or running and then boxing. He still likes to critique me from the sidelines, I guess I need it for motivation so I don't complain! He thinks he tore something. We'll see what the MRI shows, but for now I must carry on without him.

My first blog

2008-05-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

So my daughter comes home and tells me how super cute her step-mom and family's blogs are. So low and behold she begs me to create one for myself. Hey, I'm not opposed to yet ANOTHER way to communicate with the outside world, and a chance to brag about my awesome kids, vent about the joys of marriage, and complain about my uneventful life as a stay-at-home mom!