It's sooooooo QUIET!

This morning, for the first time ever, I took Avery to a babysitter. wahhhhhhhhh!

It's really not tooo horrible, because her new "sitter" is my very good friend Trish. And Avery loooooves her Miss Trish, so I know she's having a fun time without Mommy today!

Still, it's very strange... after being a SAHM for over 6 years, it feels totally bizarre to NOT have a child here in the house with me today! (Although, I have to admit, I AM enjoying it!!).

I've been extremely busy with editing work lately... I can't force myself to turn the work down because we need the money, Lord knows. But, it's getting more and more impossible to get my work done with a child, or two, underfoot. And my stress level has been through the roof lately, as a result.

So, I asked Trish if she would be interested in keeping Avery for me two days a week.

When I woke Avery this morning, she was hesitant to wake up (because she's her mother's child! lol). But as soon as I said, "Do you wanna go see Miss Trish?" the girl literally JUMPED out of bed, all smiles.

So, now, I guess I need to get to work and try not to wonder what dear Avery is doing. Sigh.

I have a date...

on a magical evening in May, with this gorgeous specimen:

I just purchased two tickets to a Billy Currington concert. *jumping for joy!*

My husband told me he would accompany me to the concert if I want him to... but he said he doesn't want to sit around watching me drool all evening (so if that's the case, I should find a girlfriend to go with me).

Silly, silly little man.

There will undoubtedly be drooling. I can listen to his MUSIC at home. Duh.

Rocket Fun

This is what my family spent most of their Saturday doing... this also proves my theory that I have, not two, but THREE children (one of them is just very overgrown).

Nick bought this rocket kit last night and spent half of today putting it together. Then we all went out to the yard for the big launch. Here are the kids admiring the rocket:

Damon waiting anxiously to start his countdown and then "blast off!"

The rocket took off so quickly that I couldn't get a picture of it... but here is a pic that captures Avery's excitement:Here, Nick and the kids are tracking the rocket down in the field after it finally came back to earth: And, walking back with their new toy:


Fun was had by all. Even I enjoyed the afternoon's activity (but please don't tell my husband that I admitted to it!).

Some New Pics of D&A

Rewriting History

This evening, I was engaged in some thrilling imaginative playtime with my son... emphasis on the "imaginative."

We were sitting on his bed with 2 trucks, 2 dinosaurs (in the beds of the trucks), and 2 fighter jets.

Then, Damon proceeded to tell me this:

"Mom, you know what? In the desert, where the dinosaurs used to live a long, long time ago... ummm, the dinosaurs were there... and ummm, there was still an Army back then... you know, the Army in California. And, ummm, the Army flew over with their jets and their missiles and they blasted the dinosaurs, like this... and ummm, that's what happened to the dinosaurs."

Being the un-fun mom that I am, I just had to set the record straight. I told Damon that there were a few things wrong with his theory... that dinosaurs lived long before people, so there was no Army... and that people made planes and missiles, so they didn't exist in Dinosaur Days either.

Damon looked perplexed and like he was considering that theory for just a moment.

Then he said, "Well, Josh [his best friend in his Kindergarten class] told me that the Army was there, and that they shot the dinosaurs like this with their missiles."

End of discussion. I know better than to mess with anything Josh said.

Finally Some Snow!

31 isn't so bad...

I turned 31 this past Wednesday... and, as I've gotten older and especially since I've become a mother, I pretty much dread my birthdays. They're just disappointingly dull, compared with birthdays from my youth (or the young adult days when I could celebrate by irresponsibly drinking myself into oblivion and doing things that would be considered unforgiveable had it NOT been my birthday!).

So, this year I had very low expectations for my birthday, and you know what? That worked for me!!!

The day was nothing short of fabulous!! I was spoiled and pampered and showered with love and gifts and birthday wishes by everyone I know!

I was treated to lunch by my mom and Gram... then treated to dinner by my hubby and children (2 meals out in ONE day; I can't even remember the last time that happened!)... there was lots of shopping... and some fabulous gifts, including a gift card to a day spa (my mom gets credit for that one!); cool books from Amazon that I've already started reading (courtesy of my friend Angie); a gift certificate to an awesome online scrapping store (from my scrapping buds, Katie and Cherie); a gorgeous bouquet of flowers (from Christie, the one person who just might know me better than I know myself!)... and last but not least, I cannot forget the gifts that my children hand selected for me: a Disney Princess keychain, a Water Wiggler (!?!), one of those sea creatures that is only about 3 inches tall, but supposedly grows by leaps and bounds when I put him in water (ooooh! ahhhhh!), and a Yahtzee game (how did they know?? lol).

I treated myself (thanks to the birthday money I received from Gram and Dad) to some new clothes, 2 CDs, 2 books, a camera bag, and a memory card for my camera (that I've been in desperate need of! Now I can take 1500 pics at once, instead of 42... this is big stuff!).

I also received lots of birthday wishes via email and on my message boards (online friends are the best!); lots of cards via snail mail; and several Happy Birthday phone calls!

It was the best birthday I've had in a long time... Thanks to everyone who contributed to the warm fuzzies I felt all day and for a few days after!!

Here's a pic of the beautiful flowers Christie sent that I'm still enjoying today!