I've Been Up to Something!!!!

Well, it's official.  I stopped "talking" about starting a theatre... and started "doing" and we are now hosting our first fundraiser next Friday, November 5th.

This is the invitation that is, hopefully by now, circulating throughout Houston and surrounding areas.  We would love for everyone who has a passion for the arts, or a love for preserving history, or a giving heart and soft spot for those who are less fortunate than others (we have a strong desire to be able to give back to children who would never, in their entire lifetime, have the opportunity to attend a quality performance or be sponsored in an educational program - Richmond is home to many of these children) , or a friend (like ME) involved in this and you wanna help him/her out, please come out to support us! =)

We will accomplish ALL of these things through our theatre.  Please visit our website at www.queentheatre.org to learn more about how we will do all of this and to see how YOU can help us.  We cannot do this without YOUR support!!!

Ironed Sheets, Almost Set House on Fire, Played with Dead Snake

I just want to start this by saying, even though I like to write, being able to put commas in the right places or even stay within the same verb tense or whatever, passed me by a LONG time ago.  I struggle with it when I am writing something that I want published or let's say, made into a movie... but that's what editors are for!!!  Thank God for them! HA! So if you are a grammar or english snob... just deal with it, okay?!? =)

Yep.  That's just about how my life has been this past week or so since I've last written.  It's amazing all the small little things that are just so cute and funny and yet, forgotten when not recorded.  And I have always wanted to record them all so as to never forget!  I call my Mom every time something worth recording happens because I found out one time that she actually writes it all down!! Awesome!  Uhh... I hope she still is because I look forward to crying my eyes out to all of it one day when my babies are grown!

One of the most exciting things happening around here is the construction of our "library"!  I have always wanted one and few people know that I actually put together one in our basement when I was a kid.  I'm pretty sure I even had a card catalog.  Yes, super dork here!  But who can resist rows and rows of books?!?!?!?!?  My favorite scene from a Disney movie is when Belle gets taken to the library! WOW!  I will have one like that one day... but for now, what we are building will be awesome!  And if I get my way (which according to my husband, I do) it will look as though you've stepped into the Gryffindor Common Room (and if you don't know what that is...we're not friends anymore!!! JK=), just smaller.  Oh yeah, Mom and Dad?  Can I have a persian rug to go in there?  =)

This is what it looks like now...

Olsin stayed home sick today... complications you really don't want to know the details.  Long story short, he's been tested for salmonella poisoning, E-coli and something else I can't remember.  The Dr. asked me if he had been playing with turtles, frogs, etc. recently... uhhh... most likely!!!! Ha!  I had planned to work out today, but that didn't happen with my little friend in tow.  He managed to manipulate me into taking him to Toys R Us, little stinker, and buy him new transformers.  So, my day then consisted of me learning how to turn transformers back into their vehicle form while watching Tom and Jerry.  I gotta admit, I'm pretty darn good at it now.  Picking the girls up from school, Olsin wanted to visit the butterfly garden.  We found the one caterpillar left on the butterfly weed and it pooped on Olsin's hands as he held it.  We went straight to the school restroom to wash his hands, walked back outside and he started playing with the bird poop on the ground.  And we wonder why he's been sick?!??

Dylin has been doing so wonderfully well at school it really surprises us all!  She did bring home a B last week though.  It was a worksheet with two categories "real" and "make-believe" and they were supposed to glue the words underneath that matched.  Well, we were reviewing it and what she got wrong was "ELVES" that she had glued beneath REAL.....  hmmmm.... so I asked her why and she said, "Well, Santa has elves so elves are REAL!"  Couldn't argue there.  What are they trying to teach them in school nowadays! =)

Aedin has been taking gymnastics twice a week now in a preteam class so they are working harder on the skills she has.  They were doing beam yesterday and practicing jumping.  Well, most of the little girls got maybe a couple inches off the beam... it was scary... and Aedin's second time doing it the coach was really encouraging them to jump high and... she did!  Like a complete tuck! It scared the living crap outta me, probably why there's a nice thick glass between the parents and kids to stifle the screams... but she landed great and then did it again and again.  I don't think it got any better each time she did it... that is, for me. =)

On the way home from school yesterday, Olsin had stopped on the sidewalk to look at something.  When we finally caught up to him we saw that he had found a snake... a dead snake!  So, of course I picked it up.  So did Aedin. =) Dylin pretty much screamed the whole time, totally takes after her Daddy there!  Olsin kept telling me that he wanted a pet snake.  I kept trying to explain to him that it was dead.  But he wants it... but it's DEAD.  I really couldn't figure out how else to put it.

All my kids love candles... and they try to sneak them into their rooms too, sometimes successfully.  But, I explain how dangerous that is and always try to be such a good example to my kids with fire so that they too will be safe.  We have fire escape ladders in every room upstairs!  We are safe!  And they all know how to use them, apparently before I taught them, but that's a story for another time.  Well, last week before my contractor was to show up to start work on the library, I had to clear out the room.  I kept putting it off, as many times as Terry offered to help me with it, yet insisted that it wasn't that much stuff, no big deal.  OH MY GOSH.  There was so much crap in there it took me an hour longer to get it all out than I thought.... thank goodness the carpenter was late!  We always joke about lighting a match and just looking the other way... cause it gets so overwhelming... ha.  Well, I had on my brand new headphones, those big ones that block out all other sound, that Terry had just gotten me for my birthday, while cleaning out the room.  When my contractor (Terri) showed up I took them off and threw them and my iPod onto "the black thing" (that's what we call it because we are not classy enough to know what the darn thing is called... Annemarie, what do you call yours???) and started talking logistics.

About an hour later we are still talking and the carpenter's helper showed up and I heard him saying something like, "en fuego?"  It was then I could smell it.  I rounded the corner to find 18" flames coming out of the candle on "the black thing" dancing along the frame of the picture I have hanging above it.  Apparently, when I tossed aside my headphones I didn't exactly look where I threw them.  WOW.  How irresponsible of me!  I would've never known! Thank God those guys were there to pick up on my stupidity!!!!

The damage... doesn't look near as bad as it did with flames shooting out of it.  Should've taken a picture then, actually contemplated it, but thought saving the house might be more important.

I called Terry to say that I ruined the birthday present he'd given me.  He immediately thought I was talking about the car.  But, he did show up the next night with a new pair.  What a sweetheart. <3

As for ironing sheets... I really cannot believe I have turned into this person... but it just really irritates me if they are wrinkled!!!!  I used to make so much fun of my roommate Candice in college for ironing her sheets, I mean, really?!?, but here I am.... =)

Here are some pictures of our little movie stars.... we had a blast.  The rain ruined much of the shooting schedule but both Aedin and Colin got into ONE good scene.  So we're very happy about it! =)

Outside Kerby Lane... one of my favorite diners!

Breakfast for dinner!  Yeah!

Turns out the kids really liked it too!

I have had to take down several photos because we could potentially get in "trouble" for having them up on a blog.  The costumes they were wearing in the photos were NOT used because they never got the chance to shoot an additional scene, but they were on location, NOT on set... but just wanna we safe here. =)

Never a Dull Moment

MONDAY

You know, we always say that about our family but last night I realized I hadn't written anything on the blog all week.  I refuse to just ramble so I assumed that nothing worth reporting had happened this week and then all the memories started flooding back in...

Aedin and I went to Target Monday night after Dylin and Olsin were in bed (Daddy was home=) to find a new gymnastics leotard for her, as she is now in a pre-team class.  Eighty bucks later we didn't have a leotard but a bunch of stuff we apparently needed.  We did, however, settle on a tank top and shorts.  We got a matching set for Dylin too.  When I was pulling out of the Target parking lot something pinched my neck.  I figured it was the chunky necklace I was wearing so I reached to adjust it... when I noticed that what I felt DID NOT FEEL LIKE MY NECKLACE!!!!!

I slammed on the brakes, grabbed whatever was on my neck and threw it down into the console area of Terry's car. (Why I was driving Terry's car is another story.... another time=)  I jumped out of the car screaming and dancing around the parking lot because surely there was something ELSE on me.  I always feel that way anyway, once I find one bug on me.  Aedin at this point is screaming at the top of her lungs in the back of the car, unsure of what's going on.

I finally stopped my dancing around like a fool to rationalize with myself that at some point I WAS going to have to get back into the car.... and find out WHAT was in the console.  Turns out it was a cricket.   And normally I am not at all averse to the idea of picking up or catching a cricket for Olsin to play with... but there's just something about having to pick up something that was just ON me... and on my NECK!

Rationalizing again... going to have to stop blocking entrance/exit to Target and go home at some point.  Ugh.

Grabbed said cricket and threw very far away.  Spent rest of car ride home scratching and jumping all over... so ridiculous I know.

Aedin eventually recovered from my psychotic display.  I'm surprised my children haven't told me that I embarrass them... yet.....

Sidenote:  had to take Terry's car to pick up bikes from school because it was raining after school and we couldn't ride home.  Guess who rode home anyway, ditching his sister doing so as she was going to ride with him so he wasn't alone.  As I'm driving down the street trying to catch up to where they would be to make sure they wouldn't be hit by a car... I see Dylin walking with my neighbor... huh?

Apparently, she was very upset because Olsin had left her and she didn't want to ride by herself and now she was freaking out because I had left her too.  Well, we finally caught up to Olsin who was more than happy to ride home all by himself... and upon arriving at home (after listening to Dylin freak out the whole way because she was so worried Olsin was going to get hit by a car - such a good heart, that one!) Olsin announced that HE WON! because he beat us there.  Try explaining to a 5 year old that it doesn't count when you leave someone behind... but I WON! yeah, we are still working on that one.  =)

TUESDAY

Dylin had dance class and it was Teacher Night at Chick Fil A so we dropped Dylin at dance and headed out to Chick Fil A only to realize that it was actually Thursday night, not Tuesday night.  Did we stay to eat anyway?  Nope.  Walked right out despite the confused looks on several employees' faces.  Ha.

WEDNESDAY

Dylin got a color change because she was talking while the teacher was at the restroom.  So it was another kid who "ratted" her out when the teacher got back.  =)  She claims she wasn't talking to anyone but just mouthing words to herself.  Funny thing is... that's totally believable.  I'm surprised the child can read... her brain doesn't slow down for anything; she's in a constant "Dylin" imaginary world that no one else can break into.

THURSDAY

Hung out in Dylin's room with the kids; they were putting on a show for me.  I really gotta start videoing this stuff.  Aedin played an accordian and did some gymnastics.  Dylin was the "pronouncer" as she called it and Olsin got out there to play some accordian and decided a few seconds in that it just wasn't for him and switched into air guitar mode and thrashed around.  He then switched into breakdancing and threw out a few handstands and rolled around on the floor in a totally awesome way, I gotta say.

Found out that Spy Kids 4 was looking for kid extras ages 9-11.  Submitted Aedin and Colin adding that they are literally months away from their criteria.  Sent info onto a friend whose son likes to act also.

FRIDAY

Olsin cut his hair at school, then he cut his sleeves and then he cut a big hole through the front of his shirt.  Each time being redirected by the teacher to not cut anything other than paper... and to do his work.  He managed to make it the whole week with green dots... and got a yellow one today.

My friend called to say her son got chosen to be an extra in Spy Kids 4.  We still hadn't gotten a call.  I panicked thinking maybe the files I sent were too large and I needed to resend them smaller... so I did.  Literally moments later, I received the call that Colin and Aedin had been chosen as extras.  I was very calm on the phone, hung up and started screaming up to Aedin that she was going to get to be in the movie.  She then screamed for a few minutes.  All is very exciting right now... we will find out more information in the next couple days.  What I know now is that Aedin and Colin won't be feeling well on Tuesday and will not be able to make it to school. =)



There is certainly MUCH MORE that I have missed... and I will add it as I remember. =)

Olsin's Yellow Dot

At school the kids have color sticks that tell what their behavior has been like for the day.  They all start on green and if they are good the whole day, they stay on green.  If they have to be reminded many times for something then they have a "color change".

Olsin has been so proud of his two green dots he got the first two days of school!!! He insisted on showing me the second I saw him, not waiting until we got home.  Yesterday, he jumped right on his bike and started to ride off without showing me his folder; that should've been my first clue. =)

When we got home and I did see his folder, he was upset about his yellow dot!!!  I told him that I was still proud of him but he needed to listen to his teacher.  He insisted that I was not proud of him. =(

This morning, he didn't want to go to school.  I couldn't figure out what was going on and then he admitted he was afraid to get another yellow dot.  I am so glad that he cares and that he is going to try harder today to make sure he brings home a green dot!!!

I really hope so!  I can't stand to see that little boy's sad face, especially when he's disappointed in himself!

Seriously

I swear we cannot go anywhere without making spectacles of ourselves; as if having 5 kids in tow isn't enough!!!!

Colin chose Cheesecake Factory for his birthday dinner last night... so we arrived around 7 with several VERY tired kiddos (one who just started Kindergarten - who, by the way, doesn't even need me to walk him into school) hoping to get a quick dinner and head to Barnes & Noble for Colin to choose some books as part of his birthday presents.  I mean, the food is good, but not 1 and 1/2 hours good.. on a school night when Gavin and Colin have to get back to their mom's house and other kids need to get into bed!!!!  Geez!!!

However, I enjoyed very much getting to talk to Gavin about 8th grade; he's such a cutie and FAR smarter than he gives himself credit for... We talked about how I went to three different Junior Highs and how 8th grade was when I moved to Texas... and about how horrible it was!  We talked about being nice to the new kids because it can be very hard for them... and he told me all about a new kid from Atlanta that he's becoming friends with.  Awesome. =)

Colin was at the WAY other end of the table slurping down Strawberry Lemonade.  I did hear him belting out some low notes that he was learning in GT Choir.  Apparently, it's much harder than regular Choir???  OK... =)  Terry will have to fill me in on the rest of his first couple days of 6th grade!

Then Aedin was in the restroom not feeling well.  She wanted me to climb over the stall wall to come be with her and it reminded me of a silly story of how my best friend and I in 7th grade locked the doors and then climbed over the walls in the bathroom stalls so that all the bathrooms would be locked for people who would want to use the restroom.  Aedin then shared with me... that oh, she did that in first grade, but they went under the stalls instead of over... WHAT?!?!?  I'm in for a long ride here.  HAHAHAHA....

And to add to that, Aedin was upset because I wouldn't let her get the $27 Beef Ribs for dinner... REALLY CHILD????  Geez... Then, Dylin managed to almost bite off her finger eating (at least she sure made it sound like she'd lost a finger), and Olsin spent most of the time stealing all the silverware and banging it on the table and tracing outlines on the wall.  At one point I think something flew across the restaurant; I took it all away then!  He finished off the meal choking and throwing up all over the place.  It was awesome. Then he tried to eat some french fries because he was hungry.  ugh....

So, I think Colin had a good birthday overall... well, we have this weekend to try again! ha!

AUGUST 24th

Not only is today my second day of freedom, which despite the lack of knowing whether or not an alarm clock was going to go off this morning (I'll explain more), but it has been a very successful day so far... AND it's Colin's 12th birthday!!!!  Just last week we reminisced about his "FIRD" birthday party, which was a swimming party at my parents' house.  We've come a LONG way since then!

Well, yesterday about 5:19 I started receiving the "Severe Thunderstorm Warning" texts on my phone.  It sure was a nice break from the 50 "Heat Advisory" texts I receive each and EVERY day.  But these thunderstorm warnings are so often that I just shrug them off despite receiving about 20.

SIDENOTE: I only subscribe to receive the weather texts just to receive the heads up if there's tornado type weather... imagine trying to collect 3-5 kids and 5 animals (bc I know the kids would not rest easy if all the animals weren't safe too) once you've got the "train" headed straight towards your house.  Just wouldn't happen.  So, I suffer through the enormous numbers of monotonous texts telling me the same things I already know... just to be safe when we really need to be.

So, when the storm hit yesterday it was actually quite surprising because it was quite a STORM!  The trees were scratching the roof of the garage and for those of you who know how tall our trees are in the back yard... know just how shocking this is!  I actually felt the need to keep the kiddos away from the windows in the house, which can be hard to do with all our windows!  It really felt as though Ike was ripping through our neighborhood again (and the amount of debris on the ground made it look like it too!) but there was no tornado, despite many people believing there was.  I would be really mad if there was because if there was one that close to me and I didn't get pictures of it.. well, I'd be really upset! =)
If I wasn't a MOM, I'd definitely be a STORMCHASER!!!!!  =)

Well, the storm left just as quickly as it came (taking our power with it - for 8 HOURS!  It wasn't even out that long with Ike!) leaving us with a double rainbow. The girls just had to see it... right after their shower!  ahhaha!!!

Aedin in her towel with the rainbows!

Dylin in her towel with the rainbows!!

So with the power out, and my phone dead, I had no way of setting an alarm clock for this morning.  Fortunately, Terry had a battery powered alarm clock for us to use.  Otherwise, we'd probably be crawling out of bed right now, hoping that school had been cancelled because they didn't have power too.  Oh, wishful thinking.  HA!

Off to figure out with to do for the preteen's birthday tonight!!!

First Day of School... My first day HOME ALONE!!!!!

Muahahahhaahaa!!!! I start a new chapter in my life RIGHT NOW.  I wasn't sure what to do with all my free time so I decided to start a blog!  Let's see how long this lasts...

Well, today is the first day of school.  Traditionally, Terry stays home to take the kiddos to school with me and to help ensure everything runs smoothly.  Well, after dragging myself out of bed at 6 a.m., I started steaming all the kids clothes.  About 6:20 when it was about time to wake up the kids (we usually do that together, especially for the first day of kindergarten)... I realized that Terry had already gone to work!  (Mucho for him to do there!!!) And then I realized that I had forgotten to finish filling out Olsin's paperwork.  Ugh... That started my panic mode.  All the things I was going to do, I couldn't do because it was just me now.  No more home-made breakfast; cereal it was... and kids needed to wake up NOW!

Aedin made her way to the sofa in the middle of the night....

Dylin all snuggled up...

Olsin in his "baseball" bed. =)

Dylin Cooperating. =)

Dylin woke up right away making sure to point out to me that she was the only one cooperating. hahaha.

Olsin just rolled over and Aedin pulled the "I am awake."  I replied with the "It doesn't count if you're awake and not moving!!!"  So she started rolling around so I could see that she was moving.  Oh, third graders...

Olsin didn't like his outfit, wouldn't put it on.  Then decided that it was okay as long as he wore the blue camo boxer briefs (instead of the green ones) to match the blue clothes he was going to wear... so we changed.

Then, Aedin realized... after having tried on all the new clothes this weekend (and already ripping off all the tags) that the pants were too small for "sitting"... standing she was fine.  So, I had to find another pair of pants.

Olsin is very particular with his shoes and really needed his "gold" shoes for school  Those are the ones he can take off and on himself so I wanted those too.  But, found them in the laundry pile soaking wet.  Totally forgot that he was wearing them yesterday when he decided to go swimming in the fountain at town square fishing for money.  He got about 15cents too.  I managed to convince him to wear the "skater sneakers" he just got this summer.  whew.

Olsin climbing out of fountain...

with $$ in hand... so proud of himself! (Notice wet shoes!)

Dylin was making sure that I could see she was sitting to eat breakfast.

Finally, everyone was sitting to eat breakfast and I was frantically trying to find the brown paper bags (because the lunch boxes just weren't going to work anymore) to put lunch in... and Olsin puts his head down on the table, says, "I'm tired" and throws his shoes off and starts ripping off all his clothes.

NOOOOO!!!!!!!  We have to leave in 10 minutes!!! You have to put your clothes back on!!!!

Aedin helping Olsin put his shoes back on!

Well, we made it out the door 4 minutes late to ride bikes to school.

Yes, I'm taking pics while riding a bike.  =)

Dylin had one almost fall that cost us precious seconds but when we went through the tunnel Olsin's pants got caught on his bike and that made him mad.

So, he picked up his bike and threw it across the sidewalk screaming, "stupid bike!"  I politely smiled at all the people passing walking their kids to school... joking, "Well, I can tell Kindergarten's going to be fabulous today!"  Hhahahah...

Got him back on the bike and had lots of trouble because of all the people on the sidewalk... couldn't ride through the grass, so he kept falling.... and getting mad again and again.  =)

I dropped my bike and just walked with him the rest of the way to the bike rack.  Aedin and Dylin were patiently waiting for us.

As we were walking into school the gym teacher said she was excited to have the "little Waldorf" this year... Olsin liked this.  We got into the building with 5 minutes to spare.

Dylin walked her way to class while Aedin and I walked Olsin to class.  Walking down the hallway I actually started to get teary eyed... but he was so excited it didn't last.  In his classroom, there was so much chaos with kids crying, parents crying and fretting... that I sent Aedin off to her class; I was afraid that she'd be late.  I showed Olsin his desk, gave him a kiss and left... hoping he'd figure out what to do with his lunch and snack at some point during the day.

Ready to go!!! 

Ran to Aedin's class... couldn't find it, I was in the wrong hallway... found it, rushed in and gave my poor scared baby who didn't know what to do with her lunch a kiss....

not sure what to do with her lunch. =(

and ran to get to Dylin before the bell rang.  Bell rang and teacher let me in anyway.  =)  Got a kiss and a picture and went along my way.

Dylin in FIRST grade!

Stopped at the Boo Hoo coffee and didn't cry a drop!!!  Talked to some other Mommas, and saw Dylin walking down the hall to the front office... such a big girl!!!

I promise this story is WAY more interesting if you get to hear it straight from me... I am FAR more animated than words on a page... but it had to be written anyway.  =)

Cute pic from yesterday's Back to School Ice Cream... =)

Daddy and his babies. =)

Olsin's Science Experiment

So, Olsin decided one day to fill his dinosaur cubby with water.  He wanted to freeze it so that he could "excavate" them later, like real dinosaur scientists.  (starts with a p?=) So we did.  And here he is... freeing them.

Taking it out of freezer...

Starting to hammer it...

He's really hitting hard here!

the "fossils"

And now even harder!

Examining the damage... 

One of his favorite dinosaurs lost his head during the excavation.  Olsin was very sad about this.  I later overheard him saying, "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."  SO CUTE!!!! =)