An Offiical Announcement

Well


After 2 years of trying


After 2 years of hoping


After 2 years of praying


After a couple of "uncomfortable" visits to specialists


After rubbing Monica's cute baby bump for luck


After one REALLY LUCKY rub of Jennifer's baby bump


After ALMOST coming to terms with the fact it was not going to happen

We got this:

Yep!

It's official

The pee stick (magic genie) granted our wish

the rabbit has died

we are Pregnant

Preggo

Preggers

Knocked Up

Expecting

In the family way

There is a bun in the oven

We slipped one past the goalie (not that we used a goalie-it's just a clever saying.)

Baby Smith #3 is due in early March

Before I sign off,

A couple of apologies:

#1 yes, I really did rub Monica and Jennifer's baby bump for luck

I am a little embarassed by this now.

Thank you both for putting up with me and letting me treat you like my own Primary Buddah

#2 I did not mean to imply that Jennifer's baby bump was luckier. I am sure that I had all of this luck stored up and that last one just pushed the odds in our favor!

# 3 to those of you with mild sensibilites, I apologize for displaying my pee stick. I did crop off the urine soaked part!

Last Week of Freedom

well it's august.
TV commercials are advertising Back to School Sales
Walmart has all the notebooks, crayons and backpacks out.
And I got the dreaded welcome back letter from my principal.
Guess there is no escaping it.
I'm going back next week...

Each year I have this internal struggle with going back
I am excited-new ideas, new students, a new start
I am not
I look forward to getting back into our routine
I will miss watching morning TV and not showering until 10am
My kids are driving me crazy
But I will miss them
My own kids drive me crazy
Now I am going to go and let OTHER peoples kids drive me crazy

This summer has been a quiet one around here.
I didn't accomplish ANY of my summer goals.
I looked at the list I wrote in May,
Nothing was crossed off.
I do have a week to try and finish some things on my list
but that would probably interfere with morning TV
and I would have to shower before 10am.

Happy 5th Birthday!

Brinley's Birthday was yesterday. I can not believe she is 5 and ready to start Kindergarten in a few weeks. Brinley is definately our more SPICE than sugar girl. Aunt Stephanie says she is crabby and Gagam says she just has LOTS of personality.
No matter how you describe her, she is FUNNY. Here are some of our funny/crabby/spicy stories from the last few weeks.

*she told daddy, "dad, I decided I love you almost as much as I love mommy"

*she wants to be a cheerleader in high school so "she can kiss in the hall"

*at the grocery store the other day, I went to hold her hand in the parking lot. Brinley puts up both hands and says, "mom, I got this". When I asked her "what?" She proceded to tell me that she is a big girl and knows how to look for cars and does not need to hold my hand. Once we get in the store she wants to ride in the shopping carts that have the car attatched. I point out that big girls do not ride in shopping carts, especially enormous ones shaped like a car. Brin thinks for a second and says, "maybe inside the store I can be little and outside I'll be big".

*Practicing letters one day, I write C A T. We sound it out and say cat. Then I change the first letter (mat, rat, bat, etc...) I go back to C A T, I point and say "what does this one say?" She looks at me and says "MEOW"

*at the dinner table, asks why babies don't just climb out of mommies mouths when they are born. Trying not to laugh I ask "why don't YOU think they come out of mommies mouths?" Brin thinks for a minute and says, "because then the mommy would choke"

*at the library I ask if she wants a book about what babies do while they are in their mommies tummy. she throws up her hands and says, "no way! that is disgusting! I don't want to see all that blood!" (it did NOT have actual photos, it was cartoonish and cute)

*when she doesn't like something-her new phrase is "it's creepin' me out." Brin uses this to describe an outfit she doesn't like, the underwear that gave her a wedgey, a polly pocket dress, a barbie with messy hair, and a casserole I made for dinner last week!

Crabby or Spicy she keeps us all laughing!
Happy Brithday Barney!

Cabin 2010

Our view at sunset.

We had a great trip to the cabin. It took a whole week for me to recover, I was exhausted!

Probably the first comment I should let everyone know: There were no rodents in the cabin! Yeah! No bats dive bombing me in the wee hours of the morning and no rustling of mice. I actually even slept (for the most part). I did still jump at most noises and listened for the flapping of wings and had to get up and pee 4 or 5 times, but still got more sleep than usual!

However, NO trip the cabin is complete with out some catastrophe. This year it was a broken water pipe. When we got to the cabin Brad turned on the electricity and then went outside to turn on the water. I was in the kitchen waiting for the water to come on, it did for a few seconds and then sputtered off. Brad tried the water in the bathroom..nothing. We couldn't figure what was wrong. Brad went outside and said a very bad word. Water was coming up from under the walk way, which meant a pipe leading to the cabin had burst. He quickly turned off the water and called his mom, so she could call the handy man. The handy man came(the next morning) and he and Brad had the water fixed by 10am. Crisis averted.

Stephanie and Jef came up Thrusday with the boat we all rented. The plan was to spend all day Friday and Saturday on the lake. I however, got really "boat sick" on Friday and spent the afternoon at the cabin with the little girls. Saturday was better and I was able to spend the day at the lake.

Something must be wrong with me...I only took 7 pictures the entire week we were there.

7 pictures! I can't even believe it.

I just didn't even think about bringing my camera.

So i have no pictures of Emily (or anyone else) on the tube.

I have no pictures of the "biggest" sandcastle Brin, Brad and Ashlynne made.

I have no pictures of the gorgeous scenery you can only see on a boat.

Nothing. Nada. Zip..

SEVEN lousy pictures, I quickly took while leaving.

How will all of the people who read this know what a happy time we had...I have no picture evidence of our fabulous family moments!

Something must be wrong with me ;)

Oh wait Brad took 5 or 6 with his i-phone.

so we have about 13 pictures total.

Speaking of the i-phone...

Brad has one, Stephanie has one, and Jef has one

apparently...

I am not cool/important enough to have one

this year they all got service on their cool/important i-phones

and friday night, I looked around the cabin

the three of them are on their cool/important i-phones

the three kids are on their leapsters, dsi's, and i-pods

and I...

I am reading a book

Like a freaking peasant!

Which begs me to ask the question.

How would Grandpa Reece like the i-phone? The man was against installing a rotary phone in the 70's. and here is his legacy, staring at a screen like some kind of techno zombie!

I'm just saying.

Who Needs A Pool Anyway?

Usually our pool provides us with hours of entertainment.


It is a great way for the kids (and Brad) to splash, swim and play marco polo and other annoying water games.


This summer it has been nothing but a headache! Between leaks and actual holes I was ready to slash the thing with a knife! Then it seemed that all of the problems had been fixed. We enjoyed it for about 2 weeks and I even kept the water really clean and chemically balanced! Then one side started to sink, which made the other side pop up. I could see some kid getting stuck in our pool as it slowly folded in like a burrito! So we drained it.... again.


I was done with the darn thing. Brad wants to try again...maybe...Me, I am done. We will try again next year.
And while I feel bad that it limits the kids activities, it turns out that with a little imagination; Brinley (with some help from Mia) can turn our drive way into a pool! (rumor has it that Mia has skinny dipped in our "pool" once before)







Our driveway has a crack and is sinking, water pools there when it rains or snow melts. Brinley and Mia filled the puddle up and went for a dip!

They can practice the back float!

And their strong swimmer kicks!

And let's not forget, the great fun of standing still while someone runs around in circles!

Great fun...doesn't really last for more than 30 minutes, but little kids never stay in the big pool for more than that anyways. And its a lot cheaper than replacing the other one.

This picture has nothing to do with the post. But it was way cute! Brinley and Mia's apaptation of Princess and the Frog. Now known as "Princess and the Bumble Bee"

Thoughts on staying at home

I realize I am not an expert.
I can only be considered a stay at home mom 3 months out of the year.
But seriously you guys...
How does a stay at home mom EVER go to the bathroom with out interuption!
I am in there for like 20 seconds, and I hear FRANTIC yelling, "mom, mom, where are you!"
They act like abandonment is a real issue in our home and so they have to know of my where-abouts every second. And worse the majority of the interuption comes from my 11 year old. The last time she was FRANTIC in discovering my location, my tush had barely hit the seat. I was so bugged I wanted to yell down, "Can't I even take a *#@*( )".
Don't worry, I didn't....I just thought about it.

At work I never have this problem. I go and no one even notices I am gone. Its very pee-ceful. (pee-ceful...that was funny!)

But I guess it is nicer to be so loved...and so worried about that i can't even *#@*() with out interuption

If this is family programming we are in serious doodoo!

Last night Brad and I watched one of the Harry Potter movies on ABC Family.
Yes-we have seen each HP movie ump-teen times.
But-we have 178 channels and it was the only thing on.
Yes-we do have a Netflix movie we could have watched-but then one of us would have had to go upstairs to find it, then we would have discussed who put this piece of crap on the cue, and then we would have had to find the remote to change the TV's input..
Trust me-it was easier to watch HP
Plus-it is a HP Weekend and every so often they would show clips from the new movie that comes out in November!

yes-we are nerds
even worse-we will be at the midnight showing in November
Brad, at this point out, would probably like me to point out the difference between a nerd and a dork.

A nerd-goes to the midnight showing
A dork-dresses up (like Harry or Ron or Snape) at the midnight showing

We fall into the nerd category and insist that's were we will stay.
We won't dress up...
although it will be November
and it's cold in November
so we have an excuse to wear our matching Gryffindor scarves

Hey! I see you pointing and making fun!!
Do me a favor and take off your Team Edward hoody before you jugde me!
Oh and get the vinyl off the back of your mini-van...
no, not the one of your stick family...
the one that says "Love at first bite"
cuz, you my friend ARE A DORK!

Anyways...I digress

So while watching HP Weekend
I saw the series that they put on this trashy channel.
Seriously, Who is the focus group that ABC Family uses?!
First we have a show about teens that get pregnant...not just one...but lots of teens end up prego.
Then there is a show about a group of girls who are somehow responsible for a friends disappearance...its even called "Dirty girls Dirty Lies" (or something like this)
Then there is a show about gymnasts-who might make it to the Olympics, if they ever stop canoodling with their boyfriends.
In every commercial the teens are shown fornicating or drinking (hey. when teens are holding red dixie cups-at a party-I can pretty much guarantee they are not drinking pumpkin juice!)
This is FAMILY programming?!
Worse ABC is owned by Disney!

I am thinking of starting a petition...