sugar buzz

It's been crazy at this house the last few weeks. I now have a SIX YEAR OLD. feels strange. Tristen had a bowling birthday party with all his buddies. 3 hours of kayos filled with pizza presents and bowling balls. ohh and his teacher showed up. He loves Miss. Prout, all the kids do- you can tell when she walked up and they all attacked her for a hug. The kids were great and Tristen said it was his favorite party so far. We had the party on Sunday and Monday was his birthday so we did the cake thing (again) and took him to the R.O. animal shelter and he pick out a white cat named Crystal. He really loves her and she's great with the monster, I mean Tanner.

He is next in line. The day before Tristens party Tanner decided to climb over the couch and landed on the coffee table. HOLY CRAP, huge cut on his nose. Thank Buddha that we have a nurse down the street. She said to clean it, butterfly it up and watch it. Watch it, you cant help but to stare at it the poor baby. He is Rudolph the red nose toddler. It is healing good but it looks bad. So needless to say we pushed back family pictures till further notice. thanks Liz for understanding!

Then on Thursday morning my friend Jenny called me and her Mom, Sue Howard passed away that night after being sick for a few years. That was hard. Jenny moved back home and took care of her in the last couple months but I really didn't expect it to happen so soon. I was just over there last week and she was in great spirits. She new the time was coming but it didn't seem like it was that soon. She said some things to me that day that still cracks me up. She had a great sense of humor, just like Jenny does. I cant express how proud I am of Jen. She really stepped up and did everything and anything to make Sue comfortable and so loved. I cant imagine how hard it was but she did it flawless, without blinking, and made the best of the moment. I'll always look up to her for that.
I was in NY for work stuff on Thursday and came home on Saturday so I wasn't able to make the funeral. Sucks that I wasn't there for Jen on that day- I couldn't reschedule it though. Like I said, it sucks.
NY did go good, I am glad for that. My biggest customer is out there who I love and I only get to see them a few times a year. The drive through PA was beautiful, great colors and sweet hills. It made me want to stick my head out the window and yell out ~~~~The hills are alive, with the sound of muuuusic.~~~~~~ ahhh ahhh ahhhh ahhhhhh............ kiddin........ maybe. It snowed in NY- enough to stick and give me little taste what is to come. damn it. But the trip was good and Thomas had his hands full for a few days with the boys. Thomas is so good with them. I think they like there boys weekends sometimes. Tristen said to me ~Dad let ME have rootbeer when you were gone.~ and the Halloween candy is gone.
Can you say SUGAR BUZZ????!!!

Harmony and daisey's

To tell you what my Mom has done for me will never do justice to any words I can write in a blog.
I'm gonna try.

She is the reason I stay proud and hold my chin up high when times become rough. She gave me the wisdom to take care of my family. She taught me to find myself before I could give it away to someone else. She taught me to stand up for myself in a world that will eat you up inside if you dont stand strong. She keeps me humble and lifts me up when I feel like I could fall. She taught me how important it is to give back in your own way and not to expect anything in return but the feeling that your doing something good.

She has taught me to enjoy the little things that really count. To hold my kids hands for no reason and let them splash in the tub. To take walks in the leaves and play with them on the ground. She looks at my babies as if they are her own and she pretty much the only one that can yell at them without me budding in. She takes time to to all the extras that Grandma's usually do. But she does things for those boys that I cherish daily. Like going to every soccer game, even when it's at 10 am, in the rain, on her day off. Or making both boys hug and kiss her as SOON as they see her. and see her hold them as if they are Joshua or I.

She put her life on hold and worked 2 jobs to make ends meet and still spoiled us rotten at Christmas. I cant remember anything she missed and we were in a ton of things. Her world revolved around us and she is the most selfless person I've ever known.
She taught me about Karma and creativity. She gave me confidence to do new things and always work hard at anything I do. She is the kindest, most genuine woman I could ever have as a role model. I will always look up to her, my mom, my best friend.




She is my harmony and she is my daisy.

Stinky Dad Smell

Some Cider Mill pictures of us a couple weeks ago-
I love my little moneys hangin from a branch. Tristen did it first and as soon as Tanner saw that, he had to do it too!
Julie, Jenny, Jacob and Hayden the boys and I had a great time. Fed some sheep- one head butted Tanner- after we figured out if he was ok- it became funny. where is the video camera when I need it most, AMV baby.
Today at work there was a fire across the street and tons of cops and firefighters everywhere. Everyone was ok, we think and hope. There was a ton of smoke but not sure about how much damage it really did. But anyway, there is a certain smell that fire fighters have and that smell sticks on everything for days. My Dad was a firemen and my Mom used to make him strip his uniform off on the porch before he came in the house to take a much needed shower. I remember waking up knowing that there was a fire the that night and he was ok because he's home and it smells. So I walked outside at work today with complete craziness going on- smoke pounding out of a building - lights flashing everywhere - people running around like mad freaks and I have perma grin cuz I can smell that smell. My stinky dad smell. It's such a gross smell to most but it's so great to me. It hits home- and instantly makes me smile inside and out. then I get in my car to pick Tristen up from school and You gotta friend is on the radio. If there is 1 song ever made that reminds me of my dad its that song and most James Taylor for that matter. I can hear any song from JT and I get that lump in my throat and feel like my Dad is right ther making this better as he always does for me.
Weird, smells and songs do this to me...
I love that stuff. So today for me was think about Dad day. I tried to call him tonight to tell him that I dedicated a day to him- v/m. I'll call again tomorrow.