Peanut Pics

We can hear the babies...

2008-05-07T14:29:00.001-05:00

This nest has been going up inside my covered patio for ages now, and we've seen the adult birds come and go...but now, we hear the babies beep-beep-beeping away. :)

Choir concert...

2008-05-06T12:16:00.002-05:00

With the little boy in the front row's head in the way, this was the best I could do getting a picture of Julie...but she was fantastic. ;)

Rainy day...

2008-05-05T21:07:00.001-05:00

We had just enough of a Spring rain to make everything glisten, and smell like heaven.

My navigator...

2008-05-04T10:21:00.001-05:00

To and from, Lydia sat up front with our MapQuest printouts, making sure I didn't get lost.

Its t-t-too c-c-cold to s-s-swin...

2008-05-03T10:18:00.001-05:00

The hotel we stayed at for our weekend getaway boasted about its indoor pool that was open year round...

...if only it had been HEATED.

The mulberry tree

2008-05-02T10:14:00.002-05:00

I love the shade this tree gives us, just past our patio...but these little berries are the devil. Eventually they will turn red, and start falling onto the ground by the hundreds...flies will buzz, the patio will smell like old fruit, and there are so many(and they are so small) you can never EVER pick them all up.

THIS IS THE BACK OF THE GRILL

2008-05-01T12:05:00.001-05:00

No WONDER I was having so much trouble opening the lid! Sheeesh!

(Noticed this, and it made me laugh...sorry.)

Few things in life bring as much joy...

2008-04-30T12:38:00.001-05:00

...as fresh sand poured into a kid's sandbox.

Spencer the monkey...

2008-04-29T12:36:00.001-05:00

...in perpetual need of a hair cut. (sigh)

Lydie's favorite pastime...

2008-04-28T12:34:00.002-05:00

Reading, reading, reading....at least she can still do that with a broken foot. ;)

In a Sunday kinda-mood...

2008-04-27T12:31:00.002-05:00

This St. Christopher's medal hangs on the rear view of the van...I think it was my grandmother's, then my mom's...I dunno, always reminds me of my family.

When chocolate meets apple...

2008-04-26T12:29:00.002-05:00

..it is always love at first..umm....bite?

Wheelin' it home...

2008-04-25T12:27:00.003-05:00

Julie's the only kid on the street walking home with wheels on her backpack AND on her shoes.

Umm. Eww.

2008-04-24T12:24:00.003-05:00

When I take out the trash and recycling bins the night before trash day, I always find more egg sacs...bblleeaahh...

(Sorry for some of these pictures. I misplaced my camera cable, and am trying to figure out which ones I took on which day...I am only posting ones I am certain were taken on the right day. LOL)

A fake bird?

2008-04-23T12:22:00.001-05:00

Is this some kind of sick joke?

Hello Mama Cardinal

2008-04-22T12:20:00.002-05:00

I don't know who enjoys watching the birds at the feeder most...me, the kids, or the cats.

Tired boys: Part two

2008-04-21T22:17:00.004-05:00

Last night Sawyer, tonight...Spencer. Spencer may not to be able to sleep anywhere like his brother, but he knows how to get himself comfy: Grab something warm(like mommy's coat), and find a chair to lounge on.

Time to outline the kid in chalk...

2008-04-20T22:11:00.002-05:00

When Sawyer's body decides it is time to sleep, he sleeps: Right then, RIGHT there...where ever he is, in the middle of whatever he is doing, wearing whatever he is wearing. This isn't entirely a bad thing, except for those few times I haven't quite gotten him into bed in time.

New shoes...

2008-04-19T18:08:00.000-05:00

...always make a girl smile.

:)

Stupid, stupid critter, go away...

2008-04-18T18:05:00.000-05:00

Toby chased this nasty opossum out of our yard today.

GROSS!

A peaceful pond...

2008-04-17T18:02:00.002-05:00

Looks calm...serene, right? A nice little pond to relax by.

Of course...this is my driveway...(sigh)

A girl and her cat...

2008-04-16T18:00:00.001-05:00

...of course this cat looks sweet when cuddled next to her 'mommy'....but if anyone else dares touch her, there will be blood.

Julia's feeling better...

2008-04-15T10:09:00.001-05:00

...and is back to finding bugs she wants photographed.

Poor Julie...

2008-04-14T10:28:00.001-05:00

Julie was home sick today(strep has been making its rounds for the past week), and while she was stuck in bed I tried to get her into my old Nancy Drew collection...I'm not sure if the book was very boring, or if the high fever just made her too tired to read. ;)

Even my weeds are pretty...

2008-04-13T10:24:00.002-05:00

My yard was mowed yesterday, but this little flower hid along the fence line and avoided being chopped down. I didn't mind, because its kinda pretty.

Going straight...

2008-04-12T10:20:00.002-05:00

Lydia's friend got a new straightening iron and gave Lydie her old one...the kid is thrilled.

(P.S. My counter's are not fifthly. There are weird swirls of brown built into the counter for decorative purposes...of course, all it does is ALWAYS make the counter look REALLY dirty. I didn't build the house, so don't blame me. LOL)

A very cool padlock...

2008-04-11T15:36:00.003-05:00

I have never been known for my great memory. If there is a key to be lost, or a combination to forget and you trust it to remain safe in my brain, it is as good as gone. So, this lock is perfect for me. When it is open, and you twist the silver piece backwards you can set the combination to whatever code will be easy for you to remember. Then you put the lock where you want it, turn it into place, snap it closed, and twirl the dials to new numbers it is all locked up, ready to be reopened with the code you, yourself set. Ideal.

Of course, a lock like this is considerably less useful when you leave it open on the fence while you go to get the mail, and your 6 year old twin boys decide to "play" with it....locking it to the fence, and accidentally setting it with a combination NObody knows. Then instead of being a very cool padlock, it becomes a decorative reminder that you really need to watch your children more closely.

Trying to clean up the patio after last night's storm...

2008-04-10T11:05:00.001-05:00

...with two sick kids at home was...umm...entertaining.

"Ble-eckk...."

2008-04-09T13:03:00.001-05:00

"What did I step in....ugh..."

Making a wish...

2008-04-08T22:01:00.001-05:00

Sawyer was sent home today with a fever and a sore throat...poor dude.

You can make me sit here for a picture...

2008-04-07T18:07:00.002-05:00

...but you can't make me smile, woman.

The battle of the bone...

2008-04-06T20:04:00.002-05:00

Mabel and Toby have been fighting over this rawhide chew ALL DAY. First one will bury it...then the other will dig it up and re-bury it....then the other will dig it up and...well, you get the idea.

Did I mention we *just* bathed the two idiot dogs? (sigh)

First bloom...

2008-04-05T20:03:00.000-05:00

. ..didn't have much to take pictures of today, so here is a shot of our first flower in the garden.

This is what Spence looks like..

2008-04-04T20:01:00.001-05:00

When he is trying to talk his way out of a jam.

This place is for the birds...

2008-04-03T19:58:00.004-05:00

We got a bird house for the little dudes that have been hanging out on the patio...I wonder if anyone will move in.

Today's picture by Julia...

2008-04-02T09:21:00.000-05:00

What can I say, the kid loves bugs....but I thought this one she took was kinda pretty.

This is getting old...

2008-04-01T09:15:00.003-05:00

So, pretty much every school day this is who I drive behind...Lydia's school bus. And yet, Lydia is sitting beside me when I am following the bus to the middle school, because I drive her every day. Why? Oh...because the transportation department of the district will not allow her on the bus while in her boot or on crutches because they fear they would be help liable, should she fall on the bus because of her crutches. The only way around it is for me to sign some notarized waver of liability. Yea, I could just sign it...but I am refusing because the wording they want does not include "should she fall because of her crutches", it would just be "should she be injured on the bus", and to me..that seams WRONG. Call me crazy, but I do not feel right signing something that could release them from responsibility should they injure my child. Its not all bad...it gives of some time to chat without the younger three around. ;)

"Mommy, what's this?"

2008-03-31T20:38:00.003-05:00

Its a tape(kinda like a CD, only older) but I like to call it a "stay out of my boxes in the garage".

She'll kill me for this...

2008-03-30T20:36:00.000-05:00

..but the pictures Lydia took of herself were far more amusing than anything I snapped.
(Yea, that is a spatula she is singing into.)

Got some haircuts today...

2008-03-29T20:35:00.000-05:00

Yet they are still fairly shaggy....weird. At least you can see their eyes now. ;)

Pizza night!

2008-03-28T20:33:00.000-05:00

Don't worry, the Pepsi was for the kids.

Treasure chest jackpot...

2008-03-27T17:44:00.003-05:00

Julia loves little oddly shaped pencil sharpeners, and has been starting her own little collection. Today she earned a trip to her teacher's treasure chest and scored this cool blue plane...she was beside herself.

SHAZAM!

2008-03-26T16:16:00.000-05:00

I would do anything if I could just have a fraction of the energy that Sawyer seams to have in endless supply.

Freckles

2008-03-25T18:14:00.002-05:00

Julie always has had the cutest little speckled nose.

Windy?

2008-03-24T19:42:00.002-05:00

We did a little lake walking, on our last day before the kids go back to school and I forgot about the wind off the lake...so all my pictures of the kids have my hair in them. Lydia took this one...at least my hair is blowing around my OWN face in this shot. LOL

Feh...Chocolate bunnies are for kids...

2008-03-23T10:53:00.000-05:00

All the COOL teens this year are eating CROSSES.

(heavy breathing noises) Luke....LUKE....

2008-03-22T16:51:00.000-05:00

I am your Easter egg....

(Sorry...The Star Wars Easter egg kit seams to have gone to my head.)

Next stop- FRESH PEACHES!

2008-03-21T11:46:00.000-05:00

I love everything about peaches...the warm color, the gentle fragrance, the sweet taste, the fuzzy texture, and of course...the vibrant blossoms announcing Spring's arrival. :)

New coffee pot...

2008-03-20T09:44:00.002-05:00

This is how coffee is supposed to be brewed, my friends. Praise the clearance isle!!!

This is NOT my happy face.

2008-03-19T13:06:00.002-05:00

Just wait. You have to sleep sometime...

Rain, rain, go away...

2008-03-18T13:04:00.001-05:00

Come again some other....wait. No, DON'T come back...unless it is to tell us where you hid our sidewalks.

Happy St. Pat's!

2008-03-17T13:02:00.001-05:00

No pinching!

Bang drop it! Trow it!

2008-03-16T17:03:00.003-05:00

...but whatever you do, DO NOT sell it singly!

A day at the flea market...

2008-03-15T20:33:00.003-05:00

...believe it or not, they were having fun.

(I completely forgot to take pictures, so I had to make due with the one or two random ones I snapped...lol)

Kitty porn...

2008-03-14T11:36:00.000-05:00

Kittens under 4 months not admitted without parent.

Ladies' man...

2008-03-13T16:24:00.002-05:00

This is the 4th little girl this school year to be sending Spencer love letters in class. Lord have mercy!

Run, little guy!

2008-03-12T11:36:00.000-05:00

If Julia sees you, you will be in her wooden critter cage faster than your little head can turn!

A foggy day...

2008-03-11T17:05:00.001-05:00

...makes you just want to stay in bed, doesn't it?

Yo, Camera Lady...

2008-03-10T17:03:00.001-05:00

Ain't so funny now, huh?

I had many happy pictures today.

2008-03-09T21:08:00.006-05:00

Pictures of gardening, plating seeds. Pictures of playing in the sandbox, zooming by on scooters, and races up and down the sidewalk. Pictures of cooking out, and eating on the patio in the sun...but now, as Lydia lays in my bed with her swollen ankle elevated and under an ice pack I felt this picture was doomed to be my picture of the day . (I had put an LOL after this, but Ankle-Girl made me delete it.)

Ankle-Girl is now making me feel the need to come back and edit this, with an explanation. I do not normally take photos of my kids as they injure themselves...the few second lag in the camera made it so when I aimed for a cute shot of 'siblings racing' I ended up capturing 'clumsy children eat dirt'. :)

When mommy is not looking...

2008-03-08T21:04:00.000-06:00

...is the best time to bury your brother in weeds. I had a migraine and spent most of the day inside, hiding from the light, while Lydia entertained the boys and Julie...I found this picture on my camera and had to go ask WTH was going on. ;)

Spencer's first taste...

2008-03-07T09:34:00.002-06:00

...of real, live snow since he was 2 years old. All four peanuts were highly impressed with last night's dusting.
:)

A blah photo...

2008-03-06T20:33:00.002-06:00

...for a blah day.

Hey little guy!

2008-03-05T17:41:00.000-06:00

I was working in the garden today, and a handful of my little birds were peeking down at me. Every Spring they nest up in the metal roof over my patio, and they are officially hanging out up there...Spring must be a-comin'!

There was a BLIZZARD!!!

2008-03-04T09:45:00.002-06:00

Texas-style, of course. This is what our news people called a 'Winter Blast', and coverage took up at least half of every local news broadcast.
(Yankees, you are allowed to laugh at us, now.)

Sick day...

2008-03-03T09:44:00.000-06:00

Julie was stuck at home with a fever, and decided to start rereading her favorite book series.

Even though the rest of the scientific community called her things like "Mad" and "a Hack"...

2008-03-02T09:40:00.000-06:00

Professor Emily thought her new genetically altered cross-bred species was a breakthrough that would finally bridge the gap between all the cat people and dog people of the world.

Another day, another dance...

2008-03-01T22:18:00.002-06:00

Lydia getting ready to go to a school dance.

This is what its like...

2008-02-29T19:32:00.001-06:00

...trying to shop with 4 goofballs.

Roxanne...

2008-02-28T18:50:00.001-06:00

Since there is nothing worthwhile on my camera today, here is a random picture of a pet that I almost never photograph, which is weird because I have had her longer than I have had any of those furry boogers.

Car rides...

2008-02-27T20:49:00.004-06:00

The drive to the middle school to get Lydia is just long enough for the typical "car ride" reactions from the boys: Spencer building with legos he smuggled into the car, and Sawyer sleeping with his mouth hanging open.

Behold. the Amazing Emily...

2008-02-26T18:00:00.004-06:00

...and her gravity defying cane!

OK, so I took this yesterday at Starbucks...but I had already posted a picture when I did this....I mean...its SO COOL....do you KNOW how hard it is to perfectly balance a cane like this?!

(Oh, shut up. The barista was impressed with my greatness.)

My old man...

2008-02-25T16:33:00.004-06:00

Believe it or not, Toby's face used to be solid brown, without even a trace of white on his snout. I have puppy pictures to prove it.

Fun times...

2008-02-24T17:23:00.005-06:00

This picture wins the prize of being today's picture, simply because it made me laugh at how thrilled I look.

Julie took this while I was cleaning out the van...after Spencer had, shall we say, a 'stomach issue' in the back seat. High point of my day, lemme tell you.

(Sad thing is we *just* got it back after being repaired and it was all tidy, vacuumed and it even smelled nice inside...of course Spencer couldn't have that happening, huh? LOL)

Flower child

2008-02-23T17:21:00.002-06:00

Julie loves our little patch of weeds in the backyard...she'll be heartbroken when we mow.
;)

Pretty smelly?

2008-02-22T17:15:00.003-06:00

Mabel was getting pretty shaggy and fairly stinky...so we gave her a bath and a haircut, so now we have a beautiful girl, and a house that reeks of wet dog. (shrug) Sadly, she smelled so bad it was a fair trade...

Help me out here...

2008-02-21T17:42:00.003-06:00

...because sometimes Spencer is un-caption-able.

The best I can do...

2008-02-20T21:27:00.003-06:00

The clouds have ruined our chances of catching a good shot of the lunar eclipse(Julie seams to be taking it the hardest). This is one we caught early, when our clouds still have a few peep holes...but without some type of miracle this is as good as it gets.

Us

2008-02-19T20:10:00.005-06:00

(Taken yesterday on a walk when I was playing with the auto-timer on my camera)

Having computer issues, so email, posting, commenting, etc are a little hard. But I'll get back with it ASAP.

Teacher work day means mommy work day...

2008-02-18T14:31:00.002-06:00

...but at least I can get them to help in in the kitchen...and by "help" I obviously mean 'eat all the ingredients' while I prepare lunch.

The Big D...

2008-02-17T18:32:00.003-06:00

...doesn't look so big from here.

And after a long, prosperous career...

2008-02-16T12:40:00.003-06:00

...the Toilet-paper Bandit's secret identity is revealed when the infamous rascal was struck with the need for an ill-timed cat nap.

Sock hoppin'

2008-02-15T20:01:00.002-06:00

The elementary school had a 50s dance...and it was almost as much fun as trying to whip up these costumes.

Who needs romance?

2008-02-14T20:22:00.003-06:00

Love, I've got...

Fly, Julie, fly...

2008-02-13T18:38:00.002-06:00

No holding her back.

No, Cloe, calm down! Nobody said you are fat...

2008-02-12T20:21:00.001-06:00

We just said maybe you shouldn't sit in that exact position...you know, for pictures....

As my cheer gal says,

2008-02-11T20:13:00.000-06:00

"We are like totally BFFs."
The last basketball game of the year was tonight. I think I will actually miss them. ;)

When I die...

2008-02-10T20:12:00.001-06:00

...I imagine heaven will look something like this.

Out to lunch...

2008-02-09T18:00:00.001-06:00

Went out to eat for lunch at Chili's. YUM!

They all look the same in the dark...

2008-02-08T10:12:00.000-06:00

Hey! I was talking about my socks...what did you think I was talking about? (Yea, I'm talking to you. Pervert.)

So it was kinda early this morning when I got dressed and I had a kid in my bed so I couldn't turn on the light. Oops. At least my jeans covered up my little....mistake.

Downtown backwards...

2008-02-07T17:57:00.000-06:00

OK, so this picture is no where near as interesting to look at as my last picture of downtown, but the interesting part of this view is the story. If you are downtown on Main Street getting a burger, like I was again(yum), and you walk around to the back of our cute, picturesque downtown you will find our old downtown. This. The road in front of me in the photo used to be Main Street and on one side is 'downtown' and on the other side is the railroad tracks(and if you look way down the road you'll see our old cotton gin). When the highway came through(and has since moved) downtown did an about face. The backs of the buildings all became the fronts, the old Catholic church was rotated, and the original storefronts became the rear of the buildings.

So...I guess you can say, I truly come from a backwards town.

Riding with the Saw-man

2008-02-06T21:37:00.001-06:00

Sawyer was home today sick, after being sent home yesterday...so he rode along in the back of his aunt's car with us while we ran some errands.

I may thart blogging with a lithp.

2008-02-05T10:12:00.002-06:00

Thupid piece of thit computer. What am I thuppothed to do now?

Doh!

2008-02-04T23:59:00.000-06:00

OK, so I flaked yesterday and didn't take a picture...but the kids were playing with my camera, so here is one Lydia took yesterday(shut up, it was either this or a shot Julie took of my beagle's butt). I guess since I am posting this I should explain.

I *hate* this light switch plate(yes, as strong of a word it is I am using H*A*T*E). This is the light switch in my bedroom, right next to my bed, that operates the light inside my closet and apparently whoever lived here before me had the master bedroom painted this atrocious color of blue. I am assuming that when my room was repainted back to a less offensive 'kinda white' they were rather lazy. It drives me crazy, and every day it is one of the first and last things I look at...but, as you can see, I have yet to actually do something about it. That is what you call LAZY. LOL

(Now I will cheat and mark this as being posted yeterday...)

You're invited to our Super Bowl party!

2008-02-03T17:09:00.000-06:00

Be warned though, it's BYOAHS.

(Bring Your Own Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer.)

Julie's night light...

2008-02-02T21:03:00.000-06:00

Julia has one of those lightning bolt light things that she uses as her night light...and she thought this picture was really cool and told me to use it. LOL

(She told me exactly how she wanted the picture to look, she turned out the room lights, and that is her hand at the top drawing the little lightning bolts up....so pretty much she did everything but hold the camera and push the button...so all credit goes to her. LOL)

And the flu goes on...

2008-02-01T23:01:00.000-06:00

Poor Spence is casualty number two in The Great Peanut Flu Massacre.
(His siblings hoped to heal him with mass quantities of stuffed animals.)

See monkeys?

2008-01-31T17:50:00.001-06:00

I only see one monkey...and a bunch of tiny brine shrimp.
OK, seriously though...Lydia bought a friend some Sea Monkeys for her birthday, and Julia was so facinated by the idea that she had to have her own...and today they HATCHED!

Reading buddies

2008-01-30T16:19:00.001-06:00

Who needs a peer tutor at school when you live with one?

Queasy and breezy...

2008-01-29T13:42:00.000-06:00

And no, the title is not talking about dwarfs, they are my TWO pictures for today. I couldn't decide which most represented today for me...so...

Here is Lydia at the pediatrician's office. She looks like she feels great, huh? Turns out she has the flu...so she'll just keep on feeling rotton for a while, poor kid.

And on the way home from the doctor, we realized it was a tad windy today. Look at that lake! Yikes.