I got worked and other stuff...

We had the greatest time up north hanging out with cousins for my son's birthday. I loved that he would rather have a birthday party with family than one with friends... is that weird of me? I didn't make him choose that, he wanted it... ftr.

But one thing, we had his birthday at this place where there is a bunch of trampoline's. It's called Jump on It. It's a crazy fun place for kids. Only thing is, they nickle and dime you, like any thing else.

Except I hate falling for it, and fall for it I DID. We had family coming in from an hour and a half away to spend about that same amount of time with us for DCar's birthday (which we were SOOOO appreciative). I thought I could do his party cheaper if I paid per person rather than rent the party room and get their package deal. So the original plan was to go eat after we jumped at the place... ya know, like grab $5.00 pizza at Little Caesars. Only, the nearest pizza place wasn't so near and I didn't want to make those family that had come a distance, travel any more. I found out that we couldn't BRING IN outside food (of course), but that they DID have a pizza place they ordered through and we could get pizza that way--(how kind of them right? *rolls eyes*).

It was $14.00 per pizza. I ordered three. I figured at 14.00 dollars these pizza's were going to be pretty awesome and from a pretty classy place right?

Wrong, as we see the 5 BUCK PIZZA guy walk in with my three pizza's he was delivering.

Yea, so I got worked. But that was the only downer of the whole weekend... and my boy is worth it... I think ;)

I jumped right back into work and have been editing like a mad lady for my latest photo shoot... here's a preview--I've taken this girl before when she was just barely walking, I love REPEAT customers, and whom I consider friends. It's soooo good to see how these children grow up! I know, cliche, but oh so true! :)

What did you guys do this weekend? And would you have said something to the Owners of the Jump On It about the pizza... like... Where's my 9 bucks per pizza you pretty much stole from me?

See Mom Smile shows me the way... if you want to help...

I was reading in my reader and found THIS POST by See Mom Smile... who I have met in person btw... and I thought that I'd pass on her awesome message, although, you should read her post because it's better and way more informative.

But basically, I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I pay my tithing and this is where some of it goes to. I love that because I know no matter the disaster, in some way, I have been a part of helping it.

You, however, don't have to be Mormon, or LDS, or pay your tithing to donate to the LDS Charities who is a major part of ANY disaster and in a lot of the cases, first to respond with help.

Here's the LINK again. It's a charity you know your money WILL be put to helping those areas greatest hit by the Japan Disaster and any other disaster that comes along... which is inevitable.

Hope you all have a good weekend!

It's my son's 9th birthday and so I have to go party with him right now... I'll leave you with a little treat he and his sister did for St. Patty's Day yesterday...

Your. Welcome.  And YES my kids are super rad!

Nothing defines me besides...

For some reason we have had a month free of STARZ on our TV programming. Amongst the waste of movies I've been watching Confessions of a Shopaholic came on. I only got to catch the end of it, but I think it says one of the truest things as far as one liners go.

It's the part at the end where she has hit rock bottom, the man she loves has dumped her, her best friend hates her, and she has been publicly humiliated on National Television for being majorly in debt. Her parents pull up to her New York apartment in their RV, something that they had saved up for and bought, something they both had wanted.

They take her to a place to sit and think and talk. Her Father comes down to the waters edge to talk with her while her mother remains in the RV. As she quietly cried her dad speaks up and says, "Your mom and I think, if the American economy can be billions in debt and still survive, so can you. - The RV's worth about 13..."

She looks at him shocked "- No. Dad."

He says, "We want to."


She responds adamantly, "I will kill you if you sell it. It completely defines you. Completely."

He looks at her and fervently states, "Nothing defines me, except you and your mother."

I just love that. I think it rings so true. We often get caught up where we believe that THINGS define us... but what really defines us, or should define us, is those people lucky enough we choose to love and they choose to love us back. Our families, our close friends who are like our families, relationships define us.

As a parent myself, my children and husband most definitely define me, and I'm so proud of that. If they are successful as humans with good character and are good people, I am successful. It's scary and sweetly awesome all wrapped up into one.

My son is evolving into this incredibly young man. He's sweet, and tough, and smart, and good and most of what he tries, and if he's not? He works at it. He plays sports and yet, wanted to be in the show choir because of a girl and his best guy friend :), and when he was four I signed him up for Hip Hop taught by a guy.


I thought to myself, I don't want him to be one of those guys in middle school and high school that keep the wall up because he's afraid to dance or look "stupid" because he doesn't know how. And it's been something he's enjoyed, so much, that he's on a competition team made up of girls and boys ranging from ages 8-12. Their first performance was last month and I'm going to say it, I was a proud Mama... plus, I really really love the song.



So to wrap this all up... I'm so glad DCar defines me.

So? Tell me what you think? Do you think it rings true? Your loved ones define you? What defines you?

Bloggy Boot Camp, My New Crush, and Super Girl and Nerd Boy!

I've been majorly slacking around here. I've been so busy with my other job that I just really haven't had time to update you guys on everything I need to update you on!!!

First of all, there is going to be a Bloggy Boot Camp in St. George, UT and anyone that lives close is encouraged to go! It will be awesome. It is sponsored by the SITS girls, who anyone that is ANYONE... knows that they are awesome. Check out their website and more about the event which is this Saturday, November 13, 2010, HERE.

On top of that, I am helping my wonderful awesomest friend T from You Asked For It and April to host a GNO the night before for all those attending the event! CLICK HERE for more info on the event... but I need people who would like an opportunity to promote themselves! If you'd like to donate your talents of creating incredible things to the GNO then we will hand out your card and promote the heck out of your stuff as well as giveaway what you donated with a promise from the blogger to Post about it on their blog to all their followers! SO email me at blokthoughts@gmail.com.

In greater or greatest news, my sister whose son passed away a year and a half ago from a heart condition, had her 2nd baby boy almost a week ago! He is healthy and beautiful! You guys judge for yourself. I'm partial because I've been munching on his gorgeously fat cheeks for the last few days!

I've never been a part of such an easy, happy, more beautiful natural birthing experience.  I mean, she was flawless.  Not one complaint.  In fact, she was happy go lucky up to the time she pushed, and she was only not up beat at that time because she was focused on her goal.  Maybe a hand full of pushes later and her 9 lb 5 oz baby boy came out.  I think Heavenly Father was definitely watching over her, her husband, and their sweet new baby boy.  I definitely have a new crush.  His parents are having a hard time keeping me away from him... I'm a bit obsessive! :)

Last but not least.  My kids' Halloween Costumes this year.  Gotta love last minute creativity!

Super Girl and a NERD!

A little closer look For Nerd Boy.

A little closer for Super Girl...

An even CLOSER look at Nerd boy!  Your Welcome.

And of Course we have to have an even closer look for Super Girl!  And don't judge me, it's the one day she can wear make up I humored her!  And yes, those ARE her natural and real eyelashes.  I hate her too.

Okay... so I threw a lot at you!  Please though, if you know of anyone that would like to Donate a giveaway gift for our girls night out... let me know!

Love,

Creepy Story and Scare them Video!

As much as I said in one post that I don't believe in Ghost or Paranormal activity... I actually do. The reason?

I've had stuff happen.

Creepy stuff.

Like, awhile back I fell asleep on the couch in our family room watching T.V. My husband woke me up I'm sure to come to bed and then went into the bedroom and proceeded to fall asleep, where I drop dead as soon as he left the room.

So about two in the morning I get woken up by what I THOUGHT was my daughter. A girl off by the door to the hallway that went to the rooms was just standing there staring at me. Since it was dark I tried to rub my sleep heavy eyes to see her, again what I thought was my daughter, more clearly. I said, "What, PeePs? What do you need honey?" And then the figure just faded away.

It was creepy... and I jumped up off the couch and ran into my room and woke my husband up as I shoved myself next to his warmth and said, "I just saw a girl standing in the family room and it freaked me out. Please hold me!"

He flipped me over to my other side, cuddled up next to me, wrapped his arm around me and said, "I'm sorry baby," as he sleepily drifted off into a snoring slumber.

So I believe.

And as I've told you before, I scare super easy. I rarely scare people back, because I hate the feeling of getting scared myself. But for a game I did in blogland I was suppose to scare someone as part of the competition. So in true Halloween spirit and pranks... I bring back ME scaring my Mom and Son. No wonder people love to do it so much!



Hope you all have a Happy, creepy, scary Halloween!!!

Serious Sunday-DCAR is a member!

"We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost." Articles of Faith #4

Yesterday for me was an incredible day.

My oldest and only boy made the decision to be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.



We decided that we would ask our kids. We would give them lessons to prepare them, but then we would ask them if they wanted to be baptized.

My son didn't even hesitate when we asked him... it was a "YES!".

But then I wasn't very surprised. When one of us feels sick and the rest of us decide that we should all stay home to take care of the sick person, DCAR was the only one who still wanted to go to church, and would go. If we decided that we needed to leave church early because of this or that (usually family who were visiting deciding they were going to head home after sacrament), DCAR wanted to stay--so we would let him stay and pick him up after.

And I mean he was like this since we can remember.

Ask him a question about something spiritual, and he will answer, and what he knows amazes us.

He's amazing and incredible.

After he was confirmed a member of the church he came walking back to his seat and he looked at me with a HUGE smile on his face and said, "That was cool".

I can't express in words my feelings yesterday precisely but the closest I can get is I was proud and humbled and so happy.

"Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, by one having authority, is a true principle, because Christ taught it; Christ obeyed it, and would not fail, for anything, to fulfill it—not that He was sinful and needed to be baptized for the remission of sins, but He only needed to do it to fulfill all righteousness, that is, to fulfil the law." Joseph F. Smith

Hope your guys' weekend was as "cool" as ours.

Love,

What is MY song???

As much as I like to jump on the bandwagon and do what everyone else is doing... I just can't bring myself to write resolutions or give you a low down about my blog for the year!!!

I sniff failure in the air and those of you that have gotten to know me know THIS... I fail a lot... so WHY would I set myself up to fail again when I can prevent it???

Plus who has time to think of crap like that? Besides all of you that have written them?
Let's talk about more important things like... my kid DCar, has decided he has "a song".

Yes. He announced on our drive down to our annual BreakFast in a city south of us, that he has made THIS song HIS. It is HIS, if any of you try and steal it and make it YOURS or YOUR kids' I may have to slap you on the wrist with one of those SLAP ON WRIST bracelets I use to covet but my parents could never afford. (When I turned old enough to make my own money and buy my own stuff I owned now less than 5 slap on bracelets... and they were totally out of style, but I rocked them.)

Here is HIS song:

Now his Dad, MountainSport Man, is an avid fan of Red Hot Chili Peppers... thinks they are a band that is pretty much infinite and eternal so no surprise that whenever they needed to run to the store he would play his Red Hot Chili Peppers CD's.

One snag... my son is like me in so many ways. He sings the songs at the top of his lungs but doesn't ALWAYS get the words write. So when the song says, "FINALLY" he thought it was saying, "FAMILY". And even after we corrected him he says he likes it better the way HE sings it. (I wonder if RHCP will redo the song for my son... since it is HIS song? What do you think?)

My daughter has vowed that this song(DCar's song) is also hers... even though not the day before she said this was HER song and made me play it no more than 999,989 times while she shook her booty better than Shakira ever has and I pounded my head against my desk. But now I like it and find myself listening to it when she isn't even around???

The reason I mention this?

Cause I feel now the need to find my OWN song.

Maybe in lue of you guys, my friends, I should make THIS my song?

Well I'll leave you with that today. And my goal for this week is to find MY song. But I'm all talk usually so we will see...

ANybody have suggestions on what you guys think would be MY song??? If you come up with a good one and I choose it then you will be RICH for the rest of your LIVES!!!

Do your in-laws get involved with raising your kids? Read how Sage's do over at Real World today! :)

OH! and this kinda sorta ROCKS like BIG time if you have time to view it! CLICK HERE!

Mark this day on your calendars...

I want every one to mark this day on their calendars because I WON something with out having to pay somebody to draw my name or without whining about it!!!

I WON I WON I WON!!!

I am not the type of person to flaunt other people's losses in their face...but it feels so GOOD to win! No wonder people do that!

See over at Hot Dads (where I'm an official Hot MOM-but I did pay someone to do that so it doesn't count like me winning) they had this FANTASTIC giveaway.

They had a bunch of stuff but what I really wanted was this HARD DRIVE that SeaGate was letting the Hot Dads giveaway and this is why:

For those of you who don't know I do photography on the side.

I take a lot of pictures and my hard drives on my computers fill up fast because I'm afraid to throw anything away. So what I have been doing is burning them on a DVD and storing them in a CD case...but the process takes a long time to burn for those of us who have A.D.D. (not clinically proven that I do...but it's self proclaimed) so I rarely find the time to burn the DVD and then my pictures slow down my computer.

So I was at the store a while back and saw this nifty external hard drive that you could fit into a purse! See the other external hard drive's I have bought to store my pictures were big and bulky and a big PAIN IN THE REAR!!!

When I saw that nifty small one I realized I had to have it...but because of Dave Ramsey I couldn't buy it on credit right then, I had to save for it. So I was going to buy it for Christmas as my Christmas gift from the money we had saved for Christmas!!!

So when I saw that Hot Dads was giving one away...I entered, with no thought of actually winning, but I entered and crossed my fingers and hoped and all that other stuff.

So imagine my happy dance when HotDads main guy TentCamper told me I had won! HERE is the proof!

Let's just say I jumped up and down and almost re-broke my clavicle!!!

AND I've already got my hard drive. SeaGate must have sent it right when I emailed TentCamper my address because I got it a couple of days later!

Here is my new baby:

(That's PeePs' hand. She's four. Technically I could fit HER in my purse, but even if you had a small purse you could fit this hard drive into it!)

I'm absolutely, positively in love...and it holds all of my pictures on it! My computers are happy and working faster than ever!

So even though you guys aren't as cool as me and have won one of these adorable babies...you should go out and get one if you are in need of somewhere to store extra stuff to relieve your computers hard drive! Just sayin :)

Now...enjoy my son DCAR singing to me in the car--



Now feel free to leave in comments how totally cool I am for winning this...

Love,

So I got a new lens...

I got a new lens this last week and so I HAD to take it out and use it right when the mail guy dropped it off because I'm mature like that.

Give me a break... you already know I have zero patience so don't act so surprised!

But go ahead and be surprised at this... when I asked my begrudgingly loyal subjects (DCar and PeePs) to go outside with me so that I could experiment with my new lens they BOTH asked me, "How long Mom? We are watching TV!" and "Do we HAVE to?" and "Why me?"

PPPPPFFFFTTTTT! Can you BELIEVE that? Who doesn't want to get their picture taken? I mean people DREAM about becoming famous and having paparazzi camera's all up in their faces, right?

I mean, that's why I would want to become famous... it would make wearing my big baggy sweats around the house a little trickier and I would DEFINITELY have to pay for a new stomach before I went out of the house with my bathing suit on... but I can't BELIEVE my kids don't want to drop what they are doing so that I can take pictures of them???

So I compromised and said, "How long? Well NOW for the rest of the day! You can RECORD the dang TV... and as long as you live under MY roof the 'Do we have to?' question is a moot point because you're kids and so the answer is always 'YES, YOU HAVE TO' try and remember that... and YOU are the lucky and chosen ones... that is WHY YOU! Now let's go before I decide to dress you up!"

My kids didn't get a lot of features from me to identify that they are mine... my husband has NO DOUBT that they are his because they look so much like him! If I didn't birth my second one, I would wonder, because she looks almost identical to her dad's side of the family.

So SUE me if I like to take pictures of the one thing that stamps them as mine... their EYES--well, more like their eye color, but whose being technical...

Can you tell he tried to just HURRY and do what he was suppose to so that he could be done?

Or that she wasn't so HAPPY to be there?

And don't you DARE take away my THUNDER by suggesting that the eye color could come from someone on my husband's side of the family, that it might be a RECESSIVE gene???

Cause if you don't have anything nice to say... don't say ANYTHING at all! Didn't your parents teach you anything???

Well you all did awesome at the Random Comments on Friday! Sage was standing in for Kritta and Just Jules is more random then I first thought... learn something new everyday!

But April takes the cake on receiving my new honorary COMMENT of the day...which is a new feature on my site! I laugh everyday by something ONE of you says in my comment box... so I've decided that I need to start sharing your guys' wit with everybody else!

Your.Welcome.

Love,


P.S. Sage wrote a post over on Real World Venus vs. Mars about finances... who knew rednecks had money, let alone know how to be smart about using it!!! GO Check it out!

VIDEO: Snuggie vs. Last season's Grim Reaper

WE were wandering through Kohl's on the 4th of July weekend when out pops (sitting in the middle of the aisle) about 10 boxes left of the SNUGGIE.

The REAL deal here guys, the AS SEEN ON TV, was clearly marked on the box.

I actually asked for this for Christmas... HELLO, I read, I NEEDED one--want had NOTHING to do with it.

THEY WERE ON SALE!!! Yea me!!!

I wrinkled my nose, then furrowed my brow, and thought about buying one for all the time it took to lift one box up and into my cart.

And all became right in the world.

See I have been GREEN BLUE with envy since Kristina P. started flaunting hers around on her site. She even has a SNUGGIE OF THE WEEK picture! It was like stabbing me in the heart each and every time I went to her site.

Torture of the worst degree.

But now I have my own. And my prayers have been answered. Can I get an AMEN???

So knowing now how much I love the SNUGGIE, sorry T., but I do it's pretty much genius, you will imagine my dismay when I found my kids disrespecting it!!!

That's right... first of all, my SON was calling it a dress! A DRESS!!! What the what???

And then...and then...gulp... they put it up against the grim reaper halloween costume of 'O8???

Like the two could even co-exist in the same room!

I hang my head in shame.

Here is the video evidence:



(No children, grim reapers costumes, or Snuggie's were TRULY harmed in the making of this video)

I punished them people... I did. They will NOT be allowed to see the new ICE AGE movie until MSM and I get back from our week long trip!

That will show them.

Questions for the day: Would you wear the Snuggie to work? Would you wear it to church as a dress, somewhat toga style? Would you send me money if I did either of these as a dare??? I kid I kid, I'm a wuss I couldn't do it... but would you send someone money if they actually DID and I got evidence of it? Anybody willing to do it for money?

Okay, talk amongst yourselves.

Love,

Pink IS a guy color!

I spent the weekend with my husbands family.

They came down for a family reunion.

We spent time at the lake and at the Condo pool.

When you lather yourself with sunscreen, then spend the WHOLE day out in the sun, you feel invincible...as you silently smirk at those that felt sunscreen was for wusses and you start seeing the signs of 3rd degree burns splotching their skin... then you get home and realize you missed some spots... oops, OUCH, and I HATE that.

It was a great weekend other than I couldn't sit down on my burned "missed spots" rear.

We only had one little mishap.

DCar and Peeps slept over at the CONDO with everyone while MountainSport Man and I went home to our comfortable bed.

The next day when we went to pick DCar up he was already out at the Condo pool. So we headed over there, sat and chit chatted with family, and read some Reader's Digest material.

I finally yelled at DCar to get out of the pool or he would soon grow gills. I had his flip flops ready for him to put on... so you can understand when I yelled, "DCAR!!! What the WHAT? WHO did that?"



His Aunt had painted his toe nails...PINK! (it's sad that he has prettier feet then me)

ME: I don't mind that you painted your toe nails bub, just next time, dude, pick like BLUE or something!?!

DCAR: Why?

ME: Cause it's a guy color and it balances the fact that you are painting your toe nails in the first place.

DCAR: Pink is a guy color too since I'm wearing it... DUH!

Who was I to argue with that?

Cool thing about my boy, and if you knew him you would know this to be true, he TRULY doesn't care what people think about him. He feels that if he's sportin it... it's cool!

Get's that from is Fa-JA (father). ;)

Love,

One hair cut is NOT like the others...

I want to blame my kids sense of humor... his quirky, ridiculous, need-to-make-people-laugh sense of humor on my husband.

But that TOTALLY comes from me.

DCar has had his cousins down here this week.

They are all attending a soccer camp.

(YES, for those of you who have been with me for that long... the BRITISH SOCCER CAMP... the same one I stalked last year because it was necessary for me to soak up their wonderful accents. This year I didn't stalk though... I was twittering, working a real job, and blogging... my life is HARD! :)

And so on Tuesday they come home and announce that it is CRAZY HAIR day the next day.  So my older sister gives them the brilliant idea of shaving their heads however they would like.

My son thought this was the coolest thing EVER.  She pretty much walks on water to him now.

So I told my husband he was on Crazy Hair Shaving duty and I sat and watched So You Think You Can Dance.

And then out walks my little, sweet, crazy-nut, boy... and his two cousins.

Which one is NOT like the others???

Z (on the right) wanted a lighting bolt... E. (in the middle) just a mohawk. But my guy... just wait...

wait for it...
DCar's brilliant idea:  "Dad, I want to look like an OLD MAN with a Mohawk... ooohhh yea" he says as he swings his hips around and circles his arm over his head like a cowboy!

I couldn't see through the tears I was laughing so hard!  I probably should be very afraid for the future of that kid... but I'll think about that after I stop laughing!

Join Candid Carrie this week and see who else is playing in Friday Foto Finish Fiesta!!!

Love,

P.S. Check me out THE REAL WORLD VENUS vs. MARS today also... and I DON'T want to know if your husband isn't like this, it wouldn't be nice.

The next Hip Hop Prodigy...

I knew you guys were sitting on pins and needles waiting for another DANCE video from me.  Ya know, cause I rocked the last one with PeePs.

I had another dreaded opportunity-to-clean day, and so what else would I do except clear the SMALL space in front of my computer and spend at least 45 minutes recording video of my kids dancing to nothing but the most UPLIFTING music... instead of actually doing productive house cleaning???

I want to preface this video by saying that DCar DOES take a hip hop class (which his performance is THIS weekend, which means my performance is THIS weekend... so YES this over-the-hill at 30 washed-up-dancer-who-swore-she-would-never-perform-again is going to huff it through 2-two plus minute dances because she doesn't know how to say NO), so back to DCAR... he's basically a prodigy in this kind of movement, America's Best Dance Crew material right here... our next step is actually finding him a crew...

Now this one I put on because I didn't move the vacuum behind him the first time...and so he gets hurt and the way he reacted is priceless... seriously, the best part is when he says, "I'm back"! :)



And I may be bias, but I think he has REAL potential as a professional singer?

What do you mean, 'am I being facetious?' hehe :)

He's such a dorky goof ball...

I couldn't be prouder! :)

Now my question is... should I think about putting him in a hip-hop dance off... cause he's so STREET... if it wasn't blatantly obvious what color he was I'm sure you would have confused him with Shane Sparks! (You can Google him Sage).

Love,

Shelle

I'm going to be STUCK watching a lot of baseball...

I've told you already how much of a SIDELINE mom I am.

Because what are kids for if you can't live vicariously through them?

I mean really?

I must say though...I could be a lot worse.

I asked DCAR if he could hear me screaming at helping him from the sidelines as he's playing.

He said, "Mom...I'm playing soccer...not listening!"

aaaahhhh...that explains a lot.


He listens to his coach, at least when he's not "playing"--his coach was pretty sweet actually--he was way good with the kids-yet he looks like after the game he is going to get on his Motorcycle and go muff's someone's face up (Don't let the plaid shorts and sneakers fool ya)... but nah, the guys a teddy bear.


K--we are just about to start the game.


DCar gets the ball...good, good



We are working on kicking closer to the grass :)


But he's flexible...which equals potential right?


And then this... the ball is still in PLAY mind you. And this is where my boy sits... waiting for the ball to come back UP to him?
*shakes head*


I think this game ended well. But the game before that one, we lost by quite a bit...and you know what the kids cared about? Whether or not they got treats?

Where's the PASSION??? The competitiveness?

If I don't pound the LOVE of Soccer in him now then I'm going to be stuck watching a lot of baseball... and let's be honest, WHO in their RIGHT mind likes to watch little league baseball???

Love

SHELLE

He's SEVEN...

DCar is 7 years old.

The kid is a boy...and everyday he gets closer and closer to being a *shudder* man.

My MIL always says, "Oh they are so cute when their young...then they grow up and become a (insert disgusted face here) MAN."

I would smile and nod like I knew what she was talking about...but I couldn't imagine it. Not MY little guy. Not the one that wants me when he's scraped his knee or holds my hand and looks up to me with his ENORMOUS blue eyes and says, "Mom you are SO pretty!"

No...I couldn't wrap my head around him actually growing up.

Well a few weeks ago he turned 7. S-E-V-E-N.

Remember I'm having a hard time with turning 30. He's seven guys. He might as well be doing donut holes in his old pick up truck with is hormonal teenage thrill seeking friends. He seems that old to me.

He completely gets himself off to school. He's responsible enough to come home and do his homework and make sure his room is clean so he can play. No one FORCES him to...he just does it, when I'm not there.

He has an old soul I think. He's chill, he's sensitive, and he's super funny. He throws out witty comments like he's been doing it for a career...

We threw him a party. We asked him if he would like a Mom/Dad Date this year again or a party with his friends. He chose friends...it's all beginning...soon we will be wondering when the last time we saw his face was.

This is his old girlfriend from Kindergarten!

PeePs LOVING that she could come with us! She kept the girl happy during the party! :)

My husband tends to avoid signs like these...or thinks they don't apply to him! :)

And after it was over he said, "Mom and Dad, thanks for my party, you are the GREATEST parents ever!" See how smart he is...he butters us up...he KNOWS already that words like that melt our hearts and gets him whatever he wants.

Today...for the first time since he was 2 years old I heard him SCREAM in pain! I dropped everything and ran outside because I knew from that sound something was wrong. My kid hardly EVER shows pain...he will laugh before he cries.

But today...while roughing around on the trampoline(his friends like to beat each other up, wrestle/grapple, and play WWF) he fell in the hole-with-springs-missing-that-we-need-to-repair-before-some-gets-hurts and rammed his face right into the pole bar with the missing spring and his VAMPIRE tooth speared his lip. IT is a pretty big gaping hole.

After a good cry and a few deep breaths he was calm and almost asleep with the ice pack on his lip.

When he woke up MSM and I informed him that him and his friends won't be allowed to play on the tramp because we can't afford for something like what happened to him happen to his friends...we don't want to get sued.

His eyes opened wide and he said, "My lip will grow back...I don't even feel any pain anymore."

He's definitely growing up. He doesn't even want me to hold him and purr in his ear that everything is okay...he tells ME it is all right. *sigh*

I saved you from viewing the picture...because it's gross...

DCar: I love you big guy. Sorry you got hurt today. You are happy you are older...I am happy for you. But I want you to know that I'll always remember you with your BIG adoring eyes, smiling at me while you squeeze my hand three times, silently telling me you love me. Just don't ever grow out of that!

Love,

Shelle

P.S. Turned comments off...

Say Hamburger!!!

It's funny...with my first child DCAR...it just seems that he knew how to speak well as soon as he figured out how to talk.

I've stated before how different my two children are.  They endear me each in a different way...and I can honestly say I love them differently.

I love the little personalities that make up who they are...

I feel bad sometimes as a parent because I feel I squash some of their innocence when I expect maybe too much out of them...

But then...you realize that they learn conniving and getting around things at a young age...that even though they look completely innocent of any wrong doing...that they IN FACT do get into trouble and are SMART about it...

They are little geniuses inside small compacted bodies.

In fact, sometimes, they stump me by their sheer GENIUS of getting away with things.

Me: "DCAR why did you color all over this white rocking chair that I use for photography sessions?"

Without missing a beat the boy had concocted a WHOLE story.

Dcar:  "Well I was coloring on it and then accidentally colored off the page...tried to wipe it off...started coloring and accidentally did again..." and on and on and on.

Anyway.

I'm totally off topic here.  That is how I roll.

Tomorrow you are in a for a treat because I've decided I want to start doing a few VIDEO blog posts...so you can see my idiosyncrasies when I talk, so that when I write you might be able to see how I would actually be saying things...you picking up what I'm putting down guys?

Anybody?

hello?

Oh well.

What I was trying to say in this WHOLE post is that my daughter has funny ways she says things.  I'm not quite sure if it is bad speech...or her own accent?  But I love it...sorry, I do.

PeePs Sayin Stuff from Shelle Blok on Vimeo.

Until tomorrow, when you see me LIVE and IN PERSON!

Question:  Is it okay to go into Abercrombie and Fitch stores to look at the pictures...um...from a photographers point of view :)

Love Shelle

A mom can NEVER brag enough!

This is DCAR my oldest child.

I know its been a while since I have posted about my kids, this kid especially...but I'm going to do that now.

And I always say, "A Mom can NEVER brag enough" can they?

I'm sure there are exceptions, don't rain on my parade all right!

I am HEAD Room Mom for DCAR's class. (I was coerced people...COERCED into being the room Mom...and the fact that NOBODY else signed up for being a parent volunteer probably had something to do with it.) Anyway, that means that I am in charge of a few parties throughout the year. Well TWO to be exact. The Halloween Party and the Valentine's Party.

Back when I went to elementary school we made our very OWN mailboxes!!! I LOVED making my own mailbox.

I would tenderly wrap it in tin foil...cut out cute hearts of pinks and purples and write all sorts of fun love stuff on it...and maybe dreams...like, "Shelle is going to be the BEST dancer in the WORLD"...ya know, stuff like that!

I wanted DCARs class to have the same experience...so we decided to do a valentine exchange and have them bring their own Valentine boxes.

My son and my husband had the job of decorating the shoe box. My Husband wrapped it in these random wrapping papers we had. Then let my son have at it. Let's just say...my son wasn't AS into it as I was.

Here he is passing out his invitations. He spent more time on his Valentines. He wanted to make sure that the girls KNEW that he didn't LOVE them. So he gave neutral valentine's to them.

This was the best part for the kids...going through the LOOT!!! See that girl next to DCAR? She got a BLUE plastic looking gem in her Valentine...and was sad...so DCAR found a purple one that another kid had and asked if they would trade with her. Cute huh? I did warn you that this was a BRAGGING post right?
This is the game I had them play. For one minute they are suppose to try and stack SMARTIES...whoever stacks the most wins. We played like 10 rounds of it!

Let's just say, this isn't DCARS best game!!! :)

Okay...just to finish with the bragging post.

I went to Parent/Teacher Conference for DCAR on Monday and the teacher told me this, "DCAR is one of my BEST kids in class. Whenever I pair the kids up I always put DCAR with those kids that are more shy and reserved and alone because DCAR always makes them feel good about themselves."

Honestly guys, my eyes teared up, bad...

So I had to share...I had to brag...I'm a little proud of the kid.

SO now I would like to give ALL of you the opportunity to brag away about whatever you want in my comment box...because I'm feeling in that kind of mood today! Anything you need to brag about?

Have a great weekend!!! And go over to Candid Carrie's to see who else played this week for FRIDAY FOTO FINISH FIESTA!!!

Love,

Shelle

CONGRATS NannyBird for winning February's Don't You Hate It When contest!