Yes... It's been INsanely Busy

And right now I blog this from our hotel room in Atlanta.  I am dog-tired, but missing my kiddos has helped me overcome my exhaustion & minor jet lag, to brag a little on them.

I got a pedicure last night.  Finally used a gift certificate from my BIRTHDAY (august!!).  I went w/ a totally different color palette...well that's exactly what it is.  It's called chiclets & each toe is a different (neon) color.  When I walked in the door & called for Flynn to check them out, Gabe came running too.

Within seconds he analyzed my new look, "COLORFUL!" he declared.

Speaking of the little wordsmith, he & Daddy went to Lowe's last week.  It was rainy & the bottom of his crocs were soaked.  When he started taking steps on the dry part of the pavement, he left shoe prints.  Of course, when he saw them, he announced, "Wook Dad!  PAW prints!!"

Flynn has been counting down the days until we left for this trip.  "How many more days til you go to 'George'a'?"

This morning, she followed me into the bathroom where I was weighing myself.  "Ooh Mom, make sure you take a camera...I want to see what Georgia looks like!"

My eyes are burning...itching.... and our conference starts in 9 hours.  

Good night.

PS I miss my kids.

This Piano Ain't Got No Action Baby

You Gotta Feel It Right There (clickety-click to bust an Israel groove)...

When He's Not With Us

It's soccer season. That means Daddy is gone a good 12 hours a day. Or more than that on game days.
I was so excited this morning when I logged onto Facebook & saw these pics that a high school student had uploaded.
This pic, I'm guessing that Hot Hubs was showing off his new tennies (Just kidding Jeff, I know you were probably explaining some skill!).

And here, he looks very disappointed. I'm guessing that they were getting a very serious coachy talk. (by the way, they won, so it must've paid off)
This is one of Jeff's fav players, Taylor.
Not that I'm counting them down or anything, but the games are 1/2 way over!

Easter Day

Gabe checking out his Easter loot:

Sleepy Flynn checking out hers:
Our handsome kids, stopping for a pose:

The fam posing:

Gabe & his almost-twin, Ryan, at church:

Church Egg Hunt, Flynn the blur:

The Fab Six (the cousins):

Gabe, post hayride, at Aunt Wendy's farm:

Easter Eve

I Have Questions

I spent a good portion of my day today at the mall with the biggest shoppers I know...
my sis & her girls.

My sister was the inspiration behind the term, 'Shop 'Til You Drop' & a quick run to the mall to them means hours of non-stop, hard-core, back-aching buying.

But today, it was me who was all business about the deals. My human leg-warmers weren't tagging along, so that meant no potty stops, no can't resist givings ins (& going to the mall "park"), & no wearing anyone out but myself.

And so, after a trip to the place that looked like Christmas Eve last minute shopping on speed, I have a few questions...

1. What the heck happened at Forever 21? Not only did they change their name, their logo, & their store sign... but what used to be a somewhat normal store, with some cute trendy & affordable clothes, is now ladies night.
Music so loud you couldn't hear the millions of cell phones ringing, girls EVERYWHERE, & a line from the register that resembled a ladies bathroom line found anywhere girls are.
I'm thinking a guy would be smart to stop in. Not only a smart move, but a sure outnumbered favor.

2. Whoever decided there needed to be escalators? Clearly the people shopping can walk... they're already walking around the mall. At what point did someone say, "that's enough exercise, let's get these shoppers a break" ?

3. Why did I blow perfectly good "Bear Cash", at Build-A-Bear, on 2 outfits that required less material than a scarf on Heidi's head? $24 would've hurt coming out of my wallet, had that bear cash not been there. Seriously tho, Build A Bear underwear? Really?!

4. The Hollister naked models. Put on some clothes boys, put on some clothes.

5. The solicitors. Should I really have to tell you no that I don't want to try some lotion? I would like to roll ALL the kiosks down Old Lemay Ferry. And watch them crash at the bottom. Remember when FOUNTAINS lined the center of the walkways of the malls? Not some lady wanting to rub lotion on my hands, in an accent I can't quite put my finger on.

6. Who in their right mind pays for a massage that a large population of people get to snicker at while walking by??
And besides,
icky.

7. Why is it that every trip to Victoria's Secret makes me feel like a 13-year old girl with an eating disorder?

8. Why is it okay for AE to put a display table out, donned with stacks of shirts. With a sign that says, "Shirts, $6.95". And all the shirts on this table ARE THE SAME, except for their color. And I grab a white one because, well, who can't use a cheap white undershirt? Except after my transaction, I look at my receipt & see that my shirt cost me $12. In confusion, I walk back to said table & see in MICROSCOPIC letters 'select styles'. But unsquinting my eyes, think to myself, 'they're all THE SAME style'.
And sadly grab a GRAY shirt to exchange for the WHITE one I purchased.
I like white, but not for $5.

9. Which bathroom, in the long line of stalls, is the germiest? And why hasn't 20/20 or Dateline done a swab test? Really, I tend to think the closest stall is probably the dirtiest & most visited.

So I always go to the last one.

We're Supposed to Remember

I'm a perfect example of shoving that nasty stuff, that you don't want to remember, way back in the dusty corners of my mind. Negative stuff hurts my psyche. So, I just try to think about it.

But Good Friday. It's a day we're supposed to remember that bad stuff. The horrible, sad, & gruesome stuff. That our Savior went through for us.

Because if we forget, then we might not remember what a price it was for all of our sin. The sin that was washed away by His sacrifice.

At this point in my life... a mother, particularly of a son, those are the thoughts that strike me so personally. Thinking of Mary, looking at her son... hurting so badly, but knowing that He was brought to earth to do that very thing.

I also think of the last supper... communing with His disciples. Praying in the garden & crying & pleading with God, His Father...is there any other way?

Jesus, may Your message never get old. May we never be desensitized to the details. May it always grip our hearts. Every Easter, break our hearts all over again... and remind us of Your sacrifice.

In a Different Life

I was a lumberjack

Because It's What Every Home Needs

Flynn saw a commercial, one of those MADE-FOR-TV ones. They were advertising under-the-bed storage things to hold something like 18 pairs of shoes.
She was insistent about us getting it.

"Mom, do we have $10?"

"Not sure. Why?"

"We really need that."

"But you already have a thing that rolls under your bed for your shoes."

"Yes, but that one keeps them all separated."

Better Than a Good-Bye Kiss

Yesterday (because Murphy's Law rules my life), Gabe was up at 6 am or so. And after getting up & telling Jeff good bye & have a good day (who am I trying to kid, I had to lay a big wet juicy kiss on him), I ska'daddled back to my bed to 'nuggle with my handsome baby boy.

The offer must've sounded appealing to Jeff who decided to go tell his boy goodbye. When Gabe saw Jeff darken the doorway, a wide grin spread across his face.
He quickly "scooched" toward the middle of the bed, turned towards Daddy's empty pillow & patted it,
"Here you go Daddy."

Some days are harder to leave for work than others.

Tales of a Tenth Grade Nothing

Remember when I talked about re-connecting with old friends via facebook? Well, these pictures have come to haunt me.

A photo of me (on the right) with a fellow-pommie, Heather. Heather is married to her HS sweetheart (thank God I didn't marry mine!) & is a teacher too. That purse to the left, yah, that's mine. I had neat stuff like that back then. PS The person on the right?: wig or hat??

This would be the Homecoming Dance my sophomore year. (I'm on the left, next to the supplier of these photos, my Pommies "Big Sis", Jenni). And Mom, did you approve that dress? (wish someone hadn't approved that hair!)

A Really Good Allergy Clip

For my new readers, my girl has a severe allergy to milk. She can have at best, a skin reaction to eating or touch any food or substance with dairy ingredients...at worst, an anaphylactic reaction.

It's hard many times, to explain the severity of her allergy. My biggest pet peave is when I go to tell someone of Flynn's allergy & they respond with, "Oh, I'm lactose intolerant too."
IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING THE SAME.

And then others think that's cool if the milk is cooked or if they use the same spoon, etc.

My fellow mom allergy & blogger, milk allergy mom, posted this food allergy video on her blog that I wanted to share.

It's not long. You should watch. It gives a teeny peek into our world. Only we "only" have ONE food allergy to be really worried about.

No Foolin'

Seven years ago, a handsome 27-yr old looker & I went to check on the progress of our house that was being built. We had plans to marry, obviously as we were building a home together, but nothing was 'official',no dates were set, & no ring was upon my finger.

I noticed my heart throb was fidgety, acting nervous, & had (by a small miracle) not only suggested bringing the camera, but had remembered (a huge miracle) to bring it.

And when we climbed the mound of dirt, soon to be the Perry homestead, Jeff clasped my hands in his...
looked in my eyes...
his palms were sweaty...
he looked excited...
and....

HONK-HONK
It was our real-estate agent. She pulled her car through the circle & yelled from her window, "I have some papers for you to sign - DID I INTERRUPT SOMETHING?"
She knew it.
I knew it.

So, we descended from the cloud of romance to come down & talk business.

And as she drove away, there on the road in front of Jeff's Jetta, he got down on one knee & put the most beautiful & perfect-for-me ring, I'd ever seen.
"Amy Julane, will you marry me?"

...and I think you know the rest.

Something I learned that day:

Moments aren't what make magic....the person you are with -- that's what makes it magical.

Jeff, I love you so much. Thank you for asking me that question seven years ago. Life has gotten sweeter & sweeter since that day.
No foolin'.