How embarassing

I got our monthly phone bill today (home phone and wireless phones). It was about $40 more then usual. Naturally, I assumed it Jason's fault as he recently added the ability to get emails on his crackberry. I opened up the e-bill so I could tease him when he got home about how much he was costing us.

Open mouth and insert foot...it wasn't Jason...it was ME who added so much to our wireless bill!!! And it wasn't because I was talking on the phone too much. It was me TEXTING!!! Am I 14 again?? I sent almost 550 text messages in a 30-day period. That's an average of 18 messages a day. Of course, the bulk of my texts go to Jason and my mom (Coco, you better check your text message allotment too!!). Needless to say, we upped my text limit from 200 to 1,500 a month. I feel like a teenager who got caught by her parents texting too much.

But really, this IS all Jason's fault -- he's the one who got me a crackberry in the first place:-) I wouldn't be sending so many texts if it wasn't so easy to do.

It's snowing!!!!

It's so beautiful to see those little white flakes falling this cold Wednesday morning. Too bad they are melting when they hit the ground. Snow is so peaceful and relaxing. That's easy for me to say as I sit in my warm cozy house with Charlie and Carter still snoozing (Jason is taking Grif to school). Of course, Griffin wanted to know if he still had to go to school since it was snowing:-)

24 days and counting....

and I don't have one stinking Christmas present bought yet!!! Oh, I have lots of ideas, but no time to act on them. Plus, for some reason I have no desire to drag out the tree this year. Okay, let's be honest, I have no desire to watch Jason drag out the tree and meticulously put all the lights on it. My job is putting on the ornaments, which I let the boys do last year. Perhaps this weekend I'll get in the mood.

Jason, the overachiever, put up the outside lights this weekend. We got new ones this year, and they look awesome!! And we've only burned up one timer so far with them -- he he he. Once it quits raining, I'll post a photo of the lights.

Ta ta for tonight:-)

Charlie has found his feet!!!

Charlie has discovered his lower extremities, and does he ever love his feet!! I harassed the boys with my camera this morning to get these photos. We had to bribe Carter with a new Lego magazine to get him to smile...he kept telling us how dumb photos were:-)

Thanksgiving Week recap

Thanksgiving week was a busy one around here. I got to be home with boys starting on Wednesday. My kids can smell a holiday for miles, so where were we on Wednesday morning you ask? The doctor's office of course, nipping Carter's sinus infection in the rear before it got out of hand.

On Thursday, we spent the entire morning cleaning up the house and yard (I've said before I live with piggies!!) I even begged my dad to be late getting over here so I could get a shower, and he politely obliged. My brother and sweet sister-in-law were here for the week, so they came with my parents, grandmother and great aunt for the day. The big boys played outside all afternoon. Once it got dark, Carter, Papa and Josh practiced kicking the football in the gameroom. Carter is natural athlete.

Charlie was getting plenty of attention too. It was so nice having Aunt Lala here...she jumped every time Charlie made a noise. I got a mini vacation:-) My kids love their aunts and uncles (my bro and wife and Jason's sis and hubby) so much. We blessed to have such a close knit family.

I didn't take as many photos as I'd planned to, but here are a few from Thanksgiving Day:

Papa and Griffin playing on the couch

Charlie, Griffin and Gigi (my grandmother who is 89 years old). Charlie is named after her husband (my mom's father) -- my grandfather who we all called Bebo.

Charlie and sweet Aunt Lala

Uncle Josh holding Charlie

Note to Coco and Jason -- we got the short end of the photos since we were doing all the cooking!!!

On Friday, Josh and Lala came back out to spend the afternoon with us. It was so nice to have Lala to myself...we had such a relaxing visit. That evening, we went to Razoo's for dinner with my parents, Josh and Lala. Griffin loved the gator tail, but to our surprise, Carter thought everything was too spicy. Charlie enjoyed looking at all the colorful decor (and people).

One year ago...

We found out Charlie was on his way to join our family. Of course, we didn't tell anyone until after the first of the year (I know, I'm a weirdo) about him. It was our special secret for several weeks. Life has been turned upside down from what it was with two kids in November 2008, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

4-month checkup for Charlie/Hello Oh Canada!!

Charlie had his 4-month checkup this week. He is doing great...well, except for being lactose-intolerant, fruit/raw veggie intolerant and "allergic" to naps. No, really he is doing well. He rolls ALL THE TIME now both ways, and can hold his head up for long stretches. His doc was very impressed with how active he is now. He smiles a lot, and other then his occasional bouts with gas and his dislike for naps, he is a great baby.

Here are his stats:
Weight -- 15.9 pounds which is 50% percentile
Length -- 26.75 inches which is 95% percentile
Head -- still a pinhead:-) at 25% percentile

To compare, here are Griffin and Carter's stats at 4 months old:
Griffin -- 13.9 pounds and 25.75 inches
Carter -- 17.4 pounds and 26.25 inches

So, Charlie is the longest baby so far, but Carter Magee is the chubbiest baby.

Hello St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Charlie got to meet my dear friend, Irene, via Skype today. She lives outside Toronto with her family in a suburb that she says feels just like living in the U.S. Irene and I have been friends for 15 years. We met in December 1994 when I took the job as assistant editor of the Paint Horse Journal. We hit it off immediately and became fast friends.

I've had the pleasure of visiting her in Provence, France (her hubby is French) where they lived for several years, and in her hometown of Milwaukee where her mom still lives. She is a gem, and I just love her to death. It's always good to catch up with her. I've known her oldest daughter, Athena, since was 9 months old, and I was the hospital the day after Manon was born. Hard to believe those precious girls are so grown up now.

I found this picture of Athena and Griffin from one of Irene's visit to our house on Cliffside Dr. Athena is 8 years old in this photo, and Griffin is 5 months. My, how times flies!!




In the summer of 2006, Irene and her friend Christine came across the pond from France for the Paint Horse World Show. They joined us for dinner one evening, and we had such a good time. Irene translated for Christine and I since she didn't speak English and I don't speak French. Carter is 9 months old here. Irene is on the left in the white shirt. I love you Irene!!!

Charlie slept from 10 p.m. to 6:45 a.m. without waking us up!!!! Can you believe it? I haven't had more than four hours of straight sleep in months. What a great morning.

And then there's Carter Magee. He got up about 8 a.m. and brought a new Lego set to his daddy to put together. As they got started, Jason told him he had to clean up his room and closet because they were both atrocious. I asked him if he knew what atrocious meant. He looked at me like I was stupid and said, "Well, it means MESSY, Mommy!!" That boy never ceases to make me laugh.

Charlie is 4 months old today!!!

Where have 4 months gone already? Where have 8 years gone?!?!?!? I can't believe it's been 4 months since we were blessed with Charlie. He is rolling over, holding his head up all the time, and trying to sit up some!! He is sleeping better at night, but the days are still iffy...if you hold him he sleeps, if not, he probably won't:-(

Here are some pictures I took yesterday and today of Charlie Owen:








These next two pictures are Griffin at 4 months. Charlie favors Grif more than Carter Magee, I think.



Don't you love his big pretty eyes in that one!!



These last pictures are Carter Magee when he was 4 months old. They have the exact same chin...although Charlie doesn't have the chubby cheeks and jaw like his brother.






I just love my boys!!!!

New pics of Charlie

Hard to believe he's almost 4 months old!!! His next check up is Nov. 17. I can't wait to see how much he's grown.

Griffin pulled his own tooth

Mr. Snaggletooth has done it again -- yes, he's pulled another tooth. Griffin refuses to let Jason pull them after he and my dad held Grif down last fall to pull out a stubborn one that was getting infected:-(

The tooth fairy will have to wait until tomorrow night...Daddy went to sleep with Charlie, so he hasn't seen the new and improved smile yet. Bless his heart, he has my big horse teeth in the front...

Halloween and my Army Rangers

As usual, the boys had a blast on Halloween. Charlie was a dragon...thank you Beth for letting us borrow Zach's costume!! The big boys were Army Rangers in honor of our friend, Ryan, who is in the Middle East right now. Griffin was a little embarrassed to put "makeup" on his face, but Carter was very enthusiastic. Like we'd expect anything less from him!!!

We went to my parents' house (like we always do) because their neighborhood has a great party every year. Both boys entered the costume contest for their age group. Carter won 1st place, and Griffin won 2nd place. Yes, there were several kids in each group, and the judges had no idea they were my kids:-). Coco and Jason worked the bean bag toss game. They worked together to create the cutouts of a ghost and a pumpkin, which were pretty cute I must say.



My cousin, his sweet wife and their son Jonathan joined us for trick or treating after the party. It was so nice...the daddies and Papa took the boys out, and the ladies stayed behind to pass out candy.

Griffin ate so much candy, specifically Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (the world's most perfect candy IMHO), he was sick. Coco had to give him some Maalox to calm down the rumbly tummy. All was well the next morning -- thank goodness no urping overnight. Next year, Charlie will be old enough to trick or treat at a few houses. But, I'm in no rush. I love the boys just like they are now.

Updates on Charlie

We've had two milestones with Charlie this week. First, we finally figured out how to give him a bath without him SCREAMING at the top, and I mean TOP of his lungs. The key you ask? The bathroom needs to be smoking hot, so hot that I want to strip down, and the water needs to be hot tub temperature. The boy is a diva (or should I say divo since he's clearly a boy??) when it comes to his bath. Before this week, we could only work up the courage to bathe him about once a week. That's how bad the crying was. Finally, super Coco suggested we sauna-fy the bathroom, and presto, it worked!! He's had three tear-free baths already this week, including one filled with smiles just tonight.

The second milestone is good for him, but stinks for me. Two weeks ago, I stopped eating any dairy, fruit or fresh vegges because he was having so much trouble with gas. His gas really died down, so we knew the omissions were working. I decided to add some dairy back in last night in the form of Jason's super yummy homemade pizza. Was that ever a mistake!!! The gas hit him like a ton of bricks today, and of course, it had to happen while Coco was keeping him. She had to endure a screaming baby until she could get him to pass some of the gas. So, I will no longer be eating any dairy. Does anyone know if I can take calcium so I don't miss out while I'm boycotting milk products? Man, do I ever miss my nightly schooner of chocolate milk...

The Birthday Boys!!

Hard to believe, but the big boys (not to be confused with the little boys -- lucky Carter can fall into either category depending on the situation) are now 8 and 4!! We had their party at a local art studio. Each child (there were 17 kiddos!!) got to choose a piece of pottery to paint. They could also make bead necklaces, paint with watercolors, and make crowns. All the kids had a great time, and all the parents were amazed at how quiet it was with so many kids in one room. That's what happens when you keep them busy.

Griffin painted a new piggy bank with Coco. Carter painted a "fire-breathing dragon" with his daddy...well actually Daddy painted it and Carter supervised. Jason also painted me a beautiful cross for our home. We will pick all the pieces next week after they have been fired in the kiln.

When it came it to open presents, Carter was so stinking cute. With every package he opened, and I mean every one, he yelled "This is my best present. It's just what I wanted!!!" He is so precious. Griffin was a bit more subdued, but he loved all his gifts.

If you are wondering about baby Charlie, he stayed home with a very dear friend of ours, Janice. She has a precious 10-month-old grandson, so she was right at home caring for Charlie. It was so nice to be able focus on the big boys for their special day. I know they enjoyed having us to themselves for a little while.

Let's relive the party, shall we?


Griffin and his best friend and cousin, Conner.



Grif and Coco painting Ms. Piggy(bank).



Carter and Daddy paint the fire-breathing dragon.

Carter making a bead necklace.

Griffin and his crown.



Carter's super yummy cake.




Get ready to blow...



Now, blow!!



Griffin's chocolate fudge cake.





Carter loved all his presents.



Carter and all his peeps.



Griffin and his gang.

Forgot to mention...

Charlie now weighs 14.4 pounds!!! And he is wearing 6-12 months clothes because he is so LONG.

I'm a slacker, I know:-0

Yes, I realize it's been six weeks since I posted anything. My excuses, in no particular order, are:
1. 3 kids
2. working 3 days a week at GameStop
3. a baby who doesn't always like to sleep
4. 2 bouts of swine flu (Griffin and Charlie)
5. laundry and toys that multiply when I'm not home to watch them

Okay, enough whining about my life. It's really wonderful...just stressful right now. But every day things are getting better with Charlie.

So, how's Charlie you ask? He's fabulous. He smiles all the time now and makes the cutest baby sounds. He can be a real pill about sleeping during the day, so I don't get much done around the house. Charlie is almost 3 1/2 months old now (can you BELIEVE IT!!!). He just started rolling over this week, but he gets stuck on one arm, which really tees him off.







Griffin continues to love school. We got his first report card, and it was straight As as usual. He is a reading machine...he is so my child. I can remember the joy I got from buying Scholastic books at school when I was a kid.

Carter Magee has started Museum School at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. He is learning about all sorts of animals, and the class is the highlight of his week. Today, they learned about bats.

Pig party
Last weekend, we went to my cousin's house for a birthday party. Little did we know it was actually a swine flu party as three of the seven cousins who could get sick (Griffin has already had it, so he was immune) have come down with piggy fever this week!!

Here are some fun photos from the party. First we have sweet Coco and baby Charlie showing off his smile.

Here are four of my favorite men in the world (my brother is missing unfortunately, or it would be five!!) -- my hubby, my two cousins and my dad. Notice my cousin and my dad go to the same hair stylist.

Out of eight great grandchildren, there are seven boys and one girl. Sounds like me growing up -- three boys and ME!! This is my angel, Sydney, and cousin Jonathan, Carter's best buddy who is almost 4.

Are they cute or what!!

And here's the motley crew of cousins, who range from 16 years old to 3 months.

I LOVE MY FAMILY!!!!