Family Ties

As time goes by so families grow. Yesterday my "clan" celebrated one of my brother's 25th wedding anniversaries. Yes I have a brother who is that old! Ha, ha... but really it is the 4th sibling to reach that milestone.
As we glanced through their wedding album, explaining to one of the newest additions who people were it had occurred to me what a legacy my parents started over 50 years ago, with the birth of my eldest brother. I can only hope that this legacy continues to grow, I know that looking down from heaven my dad is quite proud of the broad that is our family. All 50 of us and counting combine to make one hell of a party. But I think the most special aspect of my family is that even though we may not agree with one another or "like" each other from time to time, when the chips are down you know you have someone to call or count on, someone who will have your back. And to me that is the most important of all! So from our "little" family who was only 11 people when my sister and her hubby celebrated their Silver anniversary to the 50 and counting today Thank you God for allowing me to be part of such a crazy, mixed up and loving family!

Weekly Winners June 7th to June 13th

What a week!

Sista's Graduation

Last day of Kindergarten


Getting Ready for Six Flags

My tuff arse baby girl

Puppy Love
Just minutes after they got him

Sleepy Puppy!
Finding refuge

The Girls with the Princess of the night!

For more weekly winners check out http://sarcasticmom.com/ Enjoy and have a great week!

Bug is 5

5:30am Friday June 4th, 2004. Hard to believe it was 5 years ago, today my baby is 5.

The day after my scheduled OB appointment started with a BANG. Not so much a bang more like a large cramp, it was odd. Even though it was my second pregnancy, the cramps I was accustomed to. You see the older one was delivered with the help of a drug, so the cramps caught me off guard. I woke hubbers up to see if he remembered from last year (girls are 11 months apart so we did not take Lamaze again) a very tired hubby (gaming late the night before) turned over and said "no honey I don't want steak for dinner" Not an unusual comment from him since I can carry on a full conversation with him when he is sleeping, usually getting him to agree with whatever I want. So getting up(more like rolling out of the bed literally) I waddled to the phone book to get the number for the doctors. Calling before 7 meant talking with a very cranky triage nurse who could not understand why I did not know if I was in labor or not! WHATEVER lady get off your butt and tell me what to do. I am tired (did not sleep) I am cramping and to tell you the truth scared crap less! So tell me am I in labor or not! "I will check with your doctor and someone will call you back."

Check with my doctor, what the hell, tell me what to do! So 30 minutes later, and really starting to freak out, they call back. "Start timing your "cramps" and see how far apart they are." Ok, boy you can tell when someone really loves their job!

6:15am, phone call to big sis. "Hey guess what, I think I am in labor! Yep can you come get Nicki? Yep I will call Mom." What that already happened, she was dressed and waiting for big Sis to pick her up! You know it, she was ready for the past 4 days.

"Honey, you need to get up and help me get Nicki up and going. Elaine and Mom are on their way, will probably make it in record time!"

"What? What happened, when did this happen, did your water break? What is going on?

"Sweetie, just get up out of bed."

So in Mom and Sis showed up in 20 minutes (usually takes 1o minutes to get from Sis's to Mom's and 15 more minutes to get from Mom's to our house). Gushing over me and telling hubs what to do. Kisses to the little one (not yet 1) off they were....

"Cramps" continued, check into the hospital, and no water broken.

WAIT, WALK. WAIT, WALK, WAIT, WALK.....

NO WATER BROKEN.....

DOC ENTERS ROOM, SIGH OF RELIEF FROM ONE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE MAMA!!!!

WATER IS BROKEN.....

"CRAMPS" CONTINUE....

1:30pm EMILY ANN is born...

Now we all know that there is more to this story, but I will spear all the other details.

That was 5 years ago today! My baby is 5, it seems just like yesterday.

Hard to believe that even though it is not written down (except here) that I am almost for certain that I will not forget it!

Happy Birthday little Bug!

"Do the Naked Lady"

There are certain songs that are out there that one really does not know the words to, but being humans we insist on singing along with them. Aeorsmith's Dude Looks like a Lady is one that the hubby always got wrong! Instead it was Do the Naked Lady!

So what is that you find yourself singing to or should I say humming to when you realize that you are singing the wrong songs?
Be truthful!

I had a room mate in college that used to sing "Jason Waterfalls" for "Don't go chasin waterfalls"

I know that most of the songs that I sing are not the right words, but who cares, sing them loud and make fun of the person who actually cares as much to tell the right words!

I don't know (a guest post by Nicki & Emmi)

"I don't know what you want me to say mommy!" Nicki

"I want to write in your blog!"
Here is what Emmi told me to write:
"Thank you and thank you to you. That you are nice.
I want to tell a story:
Once upon a time there was a bear, and then he was mad at his-self and I am very happy now. And now I see a fairy princess looking at me. And one more question, I love you!"

Nicki:
"I am trying to think. Still trying to think.
Oh once upon a time a princess was stuck in the castle. And the prince on his horse (the prince was on his horse) and then the prince was climbing up her hair, like Dora. And then she haded a ladder then that's it"

That is about all when you get the girls to tell you what to write!

Fun Day Saturday

So yesterday started like any other Saturday with a 4:45am alarm reminding me that the night before should have been a lot shorter than what I had planned. But then again Plasma was waiting....

After 3 strikes of items going wrong with plasma, I was worried what the rest of the day would entail. Well it actually went well. Hubby and I (with kids in tow) made our way to Sam's (with a budget). Well we went over by a little only because Hubby went in search of the perfect present for the lady of the house.... A Wii Fit! Yes, I am very happy that we have it and that we have been able to use it (another post). When we got home we decided to let the girls play outside, something that they have been bugging us to do so since February. The weather was in the fifty's yesterday so off they went. After about 20 minutes outside I realized they had no socks on, yest 50 degrees is nice but not enough for no socks, so in they came gripping all the way (like mother like daughters). Fresh air is good for them right? No matter how much mud and dirt they track in the house, right? Oh well, right?

While playing outside for most of the day they were dirty, tired and stinky but they were not going down (for a nap) without a fight or a bath for that matter. (Yes they still nap at 5 &4 something that mommy insists on, on the weekends) They were not going down before they played on the Wii, after setting up their profiles they hula hooped, skied and dodged soccer balls for about 30 minutes. They were TIRED, but you could not tell them that! So we compromised, got lay down and you can watch your movie. 10 minutes into it they were out.

So since the theme of outdoors was strong among us all, the thought of camping came to mind! Yes, camping in the living room... you bet the best kind, it is warm, the bathroom is right there and no need for bug spray! So the night was great, the tent was set up, including the air mattress and "fake" out door sounds.

The kids had a blast, and since it was an early night they were up at the crack of dawn.... Oh well we had fun! Thank God it is Sunday and there is nothing to do, time to catch up on doing more nothing, you have to enjoy these kinds of weekends!

Dancing Princesses

Dancing Princesses from Carrie Calaway on Vimeo.

Our dancing princesses enjoying fun and life....

only have been working on this for the past 3 days, but finally proof that ABBA is still alive in the hearts of young girls! Enjoy