just for the love of pete...

For whatever reason my internet connection is out of the stone age tonight. *sigh*
I'll try to share a few photos from this weekend. We got out of the house, while we did not go to London as planned...we still had a good time. Who even knows for certain why we did not go, but we did not. More than anything...simply b/c we are not from here and have no other way of knowing, how much fun would London REALLY be for a 2 and 4 year old? I mean...REALLY? They won't give much of a damn about anything we'd think was cool.
So...instead we hopped on a train and rode up to some dinky place called Sheperth which had a little zoo type thing. More than anything...the train was the point of the day, the animals were just icing on the cake. Just a short, albeit overpriced, whiz through the animals and back on the train. It was still exciting the second time around. Even with steam or horn blowing, they thought it was pretty cool nonetheless!
Thomas days, or something of the like should be coming up soon, we'll be certain to hit that!
This marked the end of an era too I believe. No kid leashes, no stroller...just loose kids. Maybe that is the real reason I chose to do this instead of London. Going somewhere so large and crowded nearly makes me hyperventilate. I could go into a frenzy thinking of the 783,990,586 ways something could happen to my kids. I hate large crowded places anyway...add in my kids and it's just hell for me. Plain and simple. Hell for me, means hell for them too, so at this point, why bother? We needed to let THEM blow off some steam.
On with it. It is late. I am tired.
So...I shall leave you with what photos will load. I have not gone through all of them yet, so there aren't a lot from the animal park I suppose regardless, photos are photos and I'm sounding less enthusiastic with each sentence I know. It really is late...

In absolutely no particular order...in other words, pretty much backwards:

some cute little mini's at the wildlife center. it makes me smile that my boys love horses so much (and i love my boots 8o)
daddy and the pony boys

a giddy moment. very important lesson from me to my big boy

Other than the face they sort of remind me of ferrets (which are simply gross) I fell head over HEELS in love with these little guys (or girls or each???). They knew it was dinner time and they were letting EVERYONE that came near them know about it. Running frantically to each visitor squeaking for food. Very cute little otters indeed. :)

Kamikaze Kade, back in action...

In this ENORMOUS sport field, my boy picked out ONE flower. One tiny little flower for ME. He kept asking me for awhile after if I still had it. I do. I always will. :)

He is now at the age, where the differences in males and females is very important (in the way they are to a 4 year old that is). So EVERYTHING that is flowers or pink or princess is for ME. Although that's not ME at all, he is certain it is b/c I am the GIRL of the house. It's pretty cute if you ask me. :) I always think he'll find it humorous when he's older and I tell him about it.

My guys... the chocolate milk mustaches are the perfect touch

Modeling debut. No one else was in the mood to appease me during the hour wait for the train.

Well, he let me get ONE and it was only b/c I was really fast and yeah, he's half way gone in this one as it is.

my what a tall shadow you have co...

that lasted all of....3.2 seconds. Hey, again, I was fast enough to snap a shot before he chunked it on the ground.

Ely Cathedral. I'll obviously, have to go back sometime for some better shots. Small village ENORMOUS GIGANTIC COLOSSAL cathedral.

Happy first time on a train face.

HIS happy first time on a train (FINALLY) face

Me n' Him on the train

Co and Daddy cruisin on the train. That's as good as Co was going to give here. Turd.

Patiently waitin for our ride to arrive @ Cambridge Station

Cody was so excited, it seemed he was floating on air...or was he???

Alright. That's all folks....

big dope

omg these 1st two just crack me up...

still the best of buds

what every rescue pooch needs...just a lil' love

The boys are primping up...

Yep, it's almost mating season for the lads around the village. They've been busy growing these gorgeous feathers back in for the past few months, the time is nearly upon us. Oh I better be able to sleep through this. I hear peacocks like to do things way early in the morning...
Glad they are getting their flair back, these boys were looking pretty pathetic once it all fell out. They can be rather annoying, but I do love having them around.

i suppose it's about time

oh i could type up a lot. as if there's been a ton going on. however. i'm injured. yep. my typing has taken a blow. for whatever reason, all doors here have a friggin spring on them, a chain so they will not stay open. our house has all solid wood doors as well. that means they are HEAVY.
now.
put 2 & 2 together. heavy spring loaded wooden door + me = it was just bound to happen.
idiot puts finger in the way and 1 ton door slams SHUT on it. index finger no less. i did not vomit. not even when i had to re-OPEN the door to free my finger. i did curse. A LOT.
however. i still have nothing to complain about.
it was and is just an annoyance.
nothing real.
i promised photos. it took 2 days of staying up till 2am to get some, random as they may be...photos no less. in more than one post at that.
of the boys? not necessarily. sorry. lol
they're coming. i find i need to dress them more, duct tape cody anyway. kade loves clothes most of the time. i might just have cody dipped in something. likely as close as we'll ever get to keeping him clothed indoors.
i can already see him when he's 60, having his naked room, like terry bradshaw on failure to launch. poor wife of his... hehe.

anyway.
to top it off, first and foremost of utmost importance before my finger explodes here.
i'd like to ask for thoughs, prayers or whatever else you may have. one of my very best friends - one i've had longer than just about any - was in a bad car accident in Abilene the other night. while she's "fine" she is going to have a long, long way to go to get better. another example of -- you just never know what will happen in the next insant.
prayers and thoughts for her and her family, and those of the folks in the other car as the end result for them...was tragic to say the least. i am beyond sorry for them, but so thankful to still be able to hear my dear friend's voice on the other end of the line, no matter how doped up she was, obviously some good stuff mind you, in the hospital.
so please, keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers please. wear your seatbelts, keep your eyes open and just be damn careful. never go a moment without telling your loved ones how special they are.

it's a bitch being here and not being able to be there for her to cuss at or order around...or to wipe her drool etc... i'd do it. knowing how much anything like that makes me dry heave, i'd so do it if i could. (as i say that from 4500 miles away). i do mean it though, really.
i was by her side in high school, when she had that awful accident and i'd be there now if i could.

so.
yeah.
BE CAREFUL!!!!!

case in point. loser #1 from the parking lot accident. well, she's off to salvage later today and we finally found a new used up car last night. FINALLY. mikey finally got somewhat what he was wanting. thanks to my fantabulous bargain shopping. bye-bye RENN-OOOO hellooooo beamer! (well it's really old and used and they are a dime a dozen here so don't get all huffy). lol

i love backlight on him. chubby cheeks. a borrowed sweatshirt from school, which was donation but for some reason, it freaks me out to see him wearing that. i've only got 6.5 months till he really does start school!!! yikes!!!!!!

happy belated valentines day. commercialized overpriced flower and chocolate day that i could really give a rat's ass about. this day is 100% completely and truly JUST about the kids for me. b/c truly, i really dont' give a DAMN about it. i think it's a total waste of money. unless i WANT something really bad and need an excuse (which doesn't really happen we either have the money or we don't) then i woudl want somthing. otherwise, save the money and buy me a ton of chocolate the day after. hehehehe.

thank you so much grandma. really. for whatever reason. i can picture my grandmother with little evil horns and an even more evil laugh as she packed up harmonica's to send to my boys. so far though, it's not been too bad and honestly, hearing it just takes me back to MY childhood. my dad was a mean harmonica player and kade seems to have a good knack for it as well. he was rockin out hard here. as hard as you can rock a harmonica that is.

mis⋅chief 
noun
1.
conduct or activity that playfully causes petty annoyance.
2.
a tendency or disposition to tease, vex, or annoy.
3.
a vexatious or annoying action.
4.
harm or trouble, esp. as a result of an agent or cause.
5.
an injury or evil caused by a person or other agent or cause.
6.
a cause or source of harm, evil, or annoyance.
7.
the devil.


just in case you were wondering....

i went out and did a mini-session for our neighbors senior on a snowy day. they just happened to be off school so off we went. i was really really wishing i'd not have been fooled by the 4x2 is SO much better on mpg than the 4x4. whatev. i could've used it, i feel like a weenie not being able to bound through anywhere i please.

this is in a nearby village. gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!

why was i so shocked there was swampy land here? duh.

more to come...but time has run out for me now.

enjoy!

Is It Summer YET????

Oh my. I've NEVER been more ready for summer in my LIFE! More than likely just because I know that it will doubtfully ever get very near the 100F mark here. I loathe that in summer in Texas, but you know... in Texas, you've got a break all the time with the cold. I guess we're in that part of winter that everyone was dreading so much, they could hardly bear telling us about it. It's staying light later, so that is helpful. However, it has done nothing but rain, sleet, snow and slush for DAYS now! It's ruined plans of mine b/c I'm frankly too damn lazy to get all worked up driving around in mess when I don't HAVE to and well...I'm frozen to the bone and really wish I had a pull out sofa bed because I'd have an all night fire, the doors closed to the living room and all of us cuddled up around the fire.
I think years of growing up with that as the only heat source, it is just the only way to be warm in my mind I guess. I keep typing of this as I'm shivering. I'd probably be blogging more if I'd move my computer back downstairs or would quit messing around and get the laptop repaired. (Although I'm almost betting I could just buy us a mini laptop for about the same cost as fixing it and be just fine).

At any rate. I'm up late because I'm car shopping. Yep. We're down to one car again. Mike had a little bit of an accident the other day. His car and a parked car had a bit of a scuffle and they both came out worse for the wear. Mike was very angry at himself and you know, brooded and huffed like men do. I have to say as bitchy as I am about many things, I've never cared one bit about damage to vehicles. Why? It's just a car. Now...I will say that if I were cruising around in my pearl black 1967 ragtop Camaro and someone hit me, I'd probably be a bit put off. I doubt that would ever happen though if I did own that dream car of mine because how could anyone NOT notice that???? Now, if it were unfixable. I'd be livid. However, we're talking two cars that were drive to work and park them cars. Cheap. Nothing special.
So. I mean....we (OBVIOUSLY) have insurance. The other guy is taken care of and well, who gives a damn about anything else?
My husband was totally unharmed. It was in a parking lot. It was not on one of the dark icy mornings that he's driving in mad traffic down winding narrow pitch black deer infested roads at however many mph. My kids were safe and sound at home in bed with me. He was safe and sound, albeit really pissed at himself, at work. Who gives a damn about that CAR??????
So, of course, as with many cars such as this. It'd cost more to fix it and too much trouble when we'll just sell what's left and buy another one. So...my obsessive nature and myself are shopping for a new one. Truth be told, I wanted him to get another one. We were desperate when we got that one and I think I didn't like it as soon as we drove off with it, but too late then. He needed a different one anyway. I've been bugging him, I guess I'm more powerful than I think and am still getting what I want. A different car for Mikey. One that WARMS up faster than 2 minutes before he pulls up at work. One that we don't have to keep gluing the panel liner back on or whatever else weird quirky things it had going on. Also...now that I've seen what happened to that car coasting in a parking lot, I think we might pass on owning anymore French cars in the future as well. I was less than impressed with that.
Yes. I took a picture of it. On top of just having something to talk about. It's so damn funny...I couldn't pass it up.
For whatever reason though, this is one of those rare occasions that you can see, I mean actually KNOW that I am nice after all. Nicer, even, than a lot of folks. I just keep that in the closet. See, if it were ME that had this particular accident. I promise, I'd NEVER live it down. I'd hear about it for months on end solid, and then randomly until I could no longer hear.
Have I even made fun of him ONCE???? I don't think so. I Mean, I think I laughed when he described it to me initially, but...other than that.
I've just been nice. I can only imagine all the funny to him things that would torment me for years to come though, had it been me. I just need to document this and add it to my archives for later use. :)

Tonight upon reading a bedtime story to the boys. Kade informed me that I was like his pig and Daddy was more like a horse. Um, it was a story about a barnyard mind you.
However. Let us analyze this. Basically.
"Mom, you are a squealy fat hog and Dad is a stud."
That's what my woman ears heard in a nutshell.
He's lucky he's 4 and thought that he meant well. (It was a mama pig feeding her baby pigs, so I HOPE that is what he was getting at. I was like his pig in the book.)
He couldn't pick the cute fuzzy bunny or the goat even. Nope. I'm a sow and Daddy is a stud. Glad this particular night I did story time solo. haha

I wish I'd have had some video yet again. Kade now insists on reading US a bedtime story too. So he listens to the one he picks and the one Cody picks and then he gives us his own rendition of the one he chose. It is often pretty humorous. Tonight we read, "Guess How Much I Love You." It is nice in thought but seriously... how many times do they expect a tired stressed ready for your kids to just go to sleep already parent to say the words, "NUTBROWN HARE". Seriously. What the hell are you people thinking? Yes. I hide books that get on my nerves or are too much work to read at bedtime. Let's keep it simple okay? For real.
Kade didn't understand that Hare was the rabbit. So, him telling the story back using words he remembered me saying and the pictures, it got funnier and funnier moment by moment.

Cody is still so obsessed with the moon. So...I try to go out of my way to find books for bedtime that have NO PHOTOS OF THE MOON. I adore the fact that he LOVES the moon so much that he's claimed at his very own already at the age of 2. "That's MY moon Mommy! See it? Cody Moon." Well, I can hardly describe it but we'll say if there is one single shadow of something resembling a moon in a book. You cannot read it, but are not allowed to fake out, skimp through or any other nifty just get it over with bedtime story tricks some of us may try. All you will hear, is a Fantasy Island version of, "The Moon! THE MOON THE MOON THE MOON!!! MOMMY!!! WOOK! WOOK! WOOK!!! THE MOON MOMMY! SEE IT KADE??? THE MOON!"
Then you must acknowledge the fact 23 times to make sure that you DID indeed see that entire page of a moon illustration. It's so sweet but so annoying all at once.
Mean Mom.
I hide moon books.
Now, consider this. Any IDEA how many children's books don't contain ANYTHING that might otherwise be substituted for a Moon? Yeah. Well keep track from now on.

I know.
I should share some photos.
I'm not though.
I'm going to bed.
Or....I'm going to go downstairs, make a pallet on the floor and build myself another roaring fire for my short nap I'll call sleeping.


Mike said I get the kid night off tomorrow. So if I'm not off picking up my new/used exercise equipment, I can spend some time blogging some photos. :)

The Things They Say

Kade is finally - FINALLY - at that stage I've been dying for him to get to. He comes up with the cutest stories. He says the neatest stuff and with that, little brother follows suit. So while I do need to share with everyone who cares to know it, I need to document it as well because I am always so afraid of forgetting these moments.

So, just a short run of things they've said lately that pulled at my haggard old heartstrings.

Cody copies many things his brother says, as most younger siblings do. In the car the other day Mike called him a Copy Cat.
Kade pipes in, not knowing exactly who that was directed at.
"I'm not a Coffee Cat!!!"
We told him we were not talking to him.
Cody says, "I'm not a Kippy Cat!!!!!"
Little ears hear things so adorably!

Kade told me that his favorite aminal (yes I spelled that right) is a horse. That's my boy! However, when he grows up he wants to be a Dog Doctor. Not a cat doctor, not a pig doctor, JUST a Dog Doctor.

I actually do have more, but must come back as I've looked at the clock...

WOW

This is a bad sign. I've become so lame at posting. Well... maybe I'll have something to write about soon! I'm thinking on it! I will have loads of photos. I'm just having issues getting some stuff to stick on the new computer. I'm so so so NOT fond of Vista, but gosh it's just been ages since I changed OS anyway. I just don't remember it being such a switch going to XP though. Maybe windows should just stick to being windows and stop trying to be like Mac huh? haha.

Anyway, here's a shocker... there's MORE snow! Well, by now it is gone but I woke up to a white blanket of snow today and it was a surprise one too! I didn't believe Co at first b/c he usually thinks the heavy frost is snow too. I'll be damned, I looked and sure enough, SNOW!
We've got it in the forecast all weekend as well. Good things our plans for the weekend were to hang around here. NEXT weekend the weather be in tip top shape. Or ELSE.....!!!!

Anyway if all goes well, in the morning, boys will be at school and I will be able to share some pics FINALLY.

Today h as been the day from HELL HELL HELL with my boys. I tried to hide from them for a moment, but I've been found, so before tv's start smashing through windows or someone tries to climb up out the chimney or there's ketchup art on the walls, I should not be on here on the blog.
Cody's trying to call China from our US phone right now as it is....

*sigh*

BED TIME WHERE ARE YOU???!!!???!!

I love livin' in a Winter Wonderland!

They said it did not snow here anymore than back home. I guess this season is exceptionally snowy because this is several snows in now. Um, not SNOWED in and not like several compared to...Edmonton in Canada (hehe) but for this West Texas gal...plenty indeed.

Hopefully I can find all our gear in the morning for some good snowman building! I've declared it a snow day whether school is in or not. I'm too damn lazy and comfy here at home to fight with getting the kids to school for a mere 2.5 hours.

Here's what it is looking like out tonight.