What Do They Say About Paybacks?

Walking to school one day when I was about 8 or 9, just about Anna's age, I heard my mother's voice screaming down the street and around the corner, "JENNIFER KAYE!! GET BACK HERE AND BRUSH YOUR TEETH!!" Running back home, I remember thinking, "How does she know I didn't brush my teeth?" (And now I'm thinking why didn't I just brush them!!) This was the question I asked as soon as I reached home and her response was, "I felt your toothbrush and it's not even wet!"

Fast forward give or take about 10 years. My brother, Aaron, went on a camping trip. My mom packed helped him get his bag and neatly rolled his toothbrush into a pair of clean underwear. He had a great week of camping. Once he was home, my mom helped him unpack. What did she find? His toothbrush still rolled neatly into his clean underwear. I don't know which is worse. That he didn't brush his teeth the whole time or that he didn't change his underwear. 

Continue pressing forward until today. I've done all a mother can do to encourage my kids to brush their teeth well and several times a day. Once in the morning. Another time before taking naps or after lunch. Lastly at bedtime. In our bathroom at any given moment you can find toothpastes displaying Hannah Montana, Princess, Spongebob, Cars, Super Star Sparkly, and many more. The number of toothbrushes that have passed through our bathrooms have been unreal too. There's been Thomas the Train who actually plays the theme song, The Cheetah Girls singing one of their phenomenal hits, brushes that light up, spin and many more. Currently the kids are on these crayon designed toothbrushes that light up when you smack them on to the counter top. So Miss Anna spent the night Saturday with her friend. I usually don't stand over the kids when they're brushing their teeth, so I think it was about Tuesday that I went in during the brushing of teeth. Anna said, "I can't find my toothbrush?" I asked her where she put it last time she used it and she didn't know. I asked her if it could possibly be in her overnight bag from her friend's house and she ran to check. Sure enough, there was her toothbrush. Before you get too shocked thinking she didn't brush at since Saturday night, my children don't have any qualms about using any toothbrush that they find in grabbing distance. Her teeth had been brushed at least a few times, just not with her own toothbrush.

For The Love of Mothers Contest

Surfing the blog world one day I ran across this blog called Bags That Scream Me. This woman designs and makes these bags and gives them away, along with many other things she does. She appears to be quite an extraordinary woman...take a look at her blog some time. There was a contest for Mother's Day. You were supposed to comment on her post leaving your entry. The topic was to write about someone you think is a great mother. Although I was not feeling terribly confident, not in sense I don't know any good mothers because I do, but due to my writing skills and my inability to express my feelings easily. I went ahead and entered anyway...and who did I write about...my mom of course.

Sunday evening, while I was checking on my blog, I read a comment on my last post. It was from the talented maker of the bags letting me know that I had won. Quickly, I checked out her blog and this what I saw...http://bagsthatscreamme.blogspot.com/2009/04/because-she-loves-her-mother.html

How great is that? Not only does my mom get a bag made personally for her because she's a great mom, but I get one too! For those of you who know me, you know I'm jumping up and down on the inside.

Then today it gets even better...http://bagsthatscreamme.blogspot.com/

My purse is ready and I can't wait to see my mom's.

Although I tried to keep it quiet, I ended up letting the cat out of the bag. I told Mom that we had won something and then told her not to go snooping around on my blog. Well, we know all about good mothers, don't we? Sometimes, they just can't help themselves!

Beach Girls & Boy

The Greenes needed to get out of the house and enjoy the beach.

Anna was amazed by the rats she saw on the jetties and Ella enjoyed posing for my pictures. I had a difficult time getting a picture of Anna without her net and critter box. All three of them loved getting in the water. I kept having to call Ella back closer to the shore.

Brennan got this "Awesome!" Buzz Lightyear Flex Wing Flyer and he tried it out.

Greene Visit April 09

Faithie & Charlie, my in laws, can down for a visit last week. The kids and I always enjoy their visit. Unfortunately, I did not get a lot of photos from the visit (maybe Faithie will send me some of her pictures!!) Lola, the little chihuahua, LOVES both of my in laws. She gets a lot of lap time while they are here. Oh! And he's sitting on my new love seat! While they were here, they helped me around the house and the yard, took the kids to the Sea Center and Chuck E. Cheese, sang some karaoke, visited and had dinner at my mom's house, had dinner with my Uncle Dan and enjoyed lots of visiting. Thanks Grandma & Grandpa for the great visit! Get ready for our crew to head that way in June!!

Time for a New Couch

Finally, I could take it no longer! Jon and I bought a sleeper sofa and a love seat from Dillards way back when. From the beginning, we disliked it intensely (Mom still doesn't like me to say hate). It was nice to look at it, but EVERYTHING made a stain and nothing would clean it off. I haven't been wanting to spend the money on a new couch and love seat so I've just been dealing with it.

Then came the Easter Bunny. The Easter Bunny was a very bad bunny. He hid the eggs my kids dyed in several places on my couch. When the kids found all the eggs, they noticed that the eggs stained my couches and a spot on my fireplace!!

Monday, just after Easter Sunday I went shopping for a new couch and loveseat and wanted something immediately. My in laws were coming in to town on Wednesday afternoon and I could wait no more for a new couch. I knew what I wanted so finding it wasn't difficult, but getting it delivered was another story. So Tuesday after work I went to my favorite local furniture store, J-Macs, and they hooked me up! Delivery would be Wednesday between 10 and 11:30. Yipee!

My mom graciously agreed to hang out at my house until the delivery was made. I also asked her to check to make sure the sheets had been taken off the sleeper sofa bed. They weren't so I'm glad I asked her. Around 9:30 or so I got a frantic phone call from my mom and she was whispering. It made me a little nervous until she asked me, "Where's your camera? I have a Kodak moment?" I told her and she quickly hung up...no emergency so that much was good!!

I've included Nana's Kodak moment pictures...new couch pictures will have to come later...

Easter Hunt At Nana's

After church on Easter Sunday, we went over to my mom's house (AKA Nana). My sister, Chelle, and her family made a surprise appearance, my sister, Melissa and her girls came too and my Uncle Dan (AKA Mr. Bokukuhead). Food was great, company was fabulous and the Easter bunny had done a good job hiding lots of Easter eggs for the kids. The hammock was used by the older kids as they gave the younger ones 30 seconds or so before finding their next eggs. Aren't they sweet?

How Many Clicks Does It Take?

All I wanted was one decent picture of the kids dressed up for
Easter...is that too much for a mother to ask?






This is the best one I got and we had a great Easter so I guess that's what's important!!