Another birthday for Joshua

Yep - he should be 8 years old now if we were counting birthday parties. He partied on his birthday, July 12th.  He partied July 13th in Knoxville. He partied today at Catch Air in Johns Creek.   I was late getting over to mom's - just for the "fun" of being yelled at for things out of my control.                I worked feverishly to get the cake frosted. Mom had baked it the night before which was a huge help.  When it was finished - again with a lot of help from mom - it looked like Lightening Mc Queen. I will update more later when I am not using this #*(* smartphone.

Bought Layne a Bed

I know - she didn't NEED it.  But she oh so wanted this and this is still from her Christmas from 2010.

I hope she likes it - she didn't get to see it before we bought it.

I hope it is what she was wanting.

She a picture on line and said she liked it.  Jacob really liked it.  Of course, Jacob is always wanting. (I am having a hard time with that right now)

Now I need to get everyone motivated to keep moving on the house.

We NEED carpet.

Feeling overwhelmed a bit right now.  Lots of things to get done.  Utilizing the Layne worry gene to it's maximum power right now.

Can't wait to see my family tomorrow!

Quiet Thursday

I did speak with Layne and Joshua last night after their dinner.
They went to a Japanese Steakhouse - Wasabi's - for dinner.  Joshua told me about the chef juggling eggs and one landing in the chef's hat and one landing in the chef's pocket.  He also told me about the volcano and the train the chef made on the grill.  I guess shrimp have gotten a little expensive - they all had a shot to catch some rice in their mouths.
Layne proudly told me she was the only one who caught the food in her mouth.  Is there a way to capitalize on that skill?  Must think on this.....
Layne also told me that at that restaurant "everyone" int he restaurant sings Happy Birthday - even the people eating dinner.
Joshua said they came out and "beat a drum" when they sang Happy Birthday.
Grandma says the restaurant took a Polaroid picture that she will bring home.

Aunt Melanie made a yellow cake with chocolate frosting that sounds like it was perfect!

Matthew sent a couple text messages today.  He and Jacob are pretty hot out in the heat and humidity.  He and Jacob both ended up with a headache this day. It must have been pretty bad for Jacob as he actually swallowed a pill.  One text said they saw a wild rattlesnake.  Not sure if there are any "tame" rattlesnakes - but either way I am sure I would not want to see one.

I was very non-productive today.  Had my first migraine in a while.  Pretty wiped out and hoping my headache is all gone by tomorrow.

I miss my family right now.  It is very quiet. 

I know I probably shouldn't post this picture on the Internet (Layne is in her underwear).  But I love that the kids come and wave good-bye when I leave for work or have to leave without them.  I love that the last thing I see before I leave home is my kids.  Of course, most of the time it is Layne and Joshua, Jacob really likes his sleep.

Happy Birthday Joshua!

I can't believe he is 5 years old already!

I think he had a good day.  He got lot of Cars The Movie toys.  He go the Batman Cake he wanted to get Grandma for her birthday (and I wouldn't let him - so Grandma got the Transformers cake - that was another post earlier).  He remember "the cake that got away".  So that was today's cake.

We went to Ippolito's for dinner.  He got yummy, garlicy, cheesy, buttery rolls and spaghetti with tomato sauce.

It is hot - we are all melting.  I don't think anything anywhere inside is cooler than 80 degrees.  The heat index was 110 degrees outside today.  We are dripping.  Even Matthew is miserable and he is usually good no matter what.

Got to get to bed.

Layne and Joshua will go with Grandma tomorrow to Knoxville.  Joshua gets another party at the Sardonia's tomorrow.  He is very excited.

Matthew and Jacob are going to spend 3 nights and 4 days in the wonderful outdoors camping with the Boy Scouts.  Hopefully the mosquitoes won't carry them away.  I also hope they don't literally melt in the heat.

Happy Birthday Joshua!

 

I think this face says "I got real money".  But then I realized he thought it was "police contraband".

 Here he is wearing the money clip like a Police Badge.  That kids marches to his own drummer.

I Am the Devil

Dinner at the Layne's house and Jacob is the only child still eating with the adults and he argues back with Jennifer about something, and Gramma comments that he would argue with the devil.  Jacob turns and faces me and says "You mean him...".  Hence I am the devil.  I wish I'd known that, I'd have been having a lot more fun over these past couple of years.

Jennifer turned on the music in lieu of the tv this afternoon, and the only kid to really enjoy was...

Little Whitey

He was rockin' the gangsta shorts, and had the moves.  I got him dressed up for the part even more, but he wouldn't really dance like he had earlier, but look how cute our little gangsta is.  The pose is all Josh, I didn't tell him how to do any of it, he crossed his arms and did the backwards lean all his own.  He's got to be waking up at 3 am and watching classic Yo MTV Raps, 'cause I don't know where he's learning this from.

Weekend Day Two

It was gonna be a short post (I'm exhausted), just gonna add some pics, but my infalible mac and the synch with the camera screwed up and all the pics are just gone.  They were there, I could see them, iphoto went to delete them from the camera and crashed.  The pics are gone, really bites, we probably had some good pics in there, might need to get a new card just in case the other is/was messing up.  Just sucks, technology is great when it works (most of the time), but when it goes wrong, man are you screwed.

So our day was fun, great breakfast at Gramma's, then the pool.  A long time at the pool, Josh got some big air off the diving board (you'll have to use your imagination, no pics remember).  Of course Josh still can't swim, so yours truly waded water and pulled him to the ladder what must have been 2500 times, well more like 30, but right now my body is telling me it was 2500.  Got back to the Layne's house and had a wonderful dinner and then decorated the bikes and scooters for tomorrow's parade through the neighborhood.  We had pics of that too, but alas they are no more (really getting mad the more I type this and realizing how much we lost).

So another big day tomorrow with the parade and fireworks, and better have a functioning camera with downloadable pics (said with teeth grinding).

Updated with pics on July 14 by Jennifer.

Not sure what happened with the camera - but the pics were downloaded.

Here is Joshua jumping off the divingboard. He was having a blast as you can tell.  It got a little scary in the afternoon as he would jump off without Matthew being there.  Thank goodness they have awesome Life Guards at this pool.

Here is Joshua with his tricked out bike ready for the parade:

Here is Layne - she really had a plan for her bike and spent a lot of time getting the items she wanted and where she wanted them (I know, really doesn't sound like her, right? LOL)

And here is Jacob on one of the scooters - he still not a fan of the bike riding thing:

Start of Independance Day Weekend

Started the day with a movie, Cars 2.  We met the Sardonias at the theater, and everyone enjoyed the movie, it was really good.  Of course during the pinnacle of the climax Joshua had to go to the bathroom, so in typical fashion I will have to wait until the DVD to see the whole scene I missed.  Of course he didn't have to go while watching Mr. Popper's Penguins...no, let's wait for the really good movie, then have to go.

Lunch at Adobo and then to the Layne's house for a leisurely day (everyone knows that's a lie).  Overall the kids were good, a few meltdowns here and there, par for the course when they all get together.  But, Layne and Joshua were in particular moods.  I've said it before, but heaven help Layne's future husband, whoa.

After dinner the adults were still sitting at the table and the kids were done and transitioning outside.  Jacob walks in doing this weird arm flapping thing asking for ice cream from the ice cream man, is told no and we chuckle at his arm waving.  As Jacob walks back out he says, "Mom you're giving me an angina."  What Jennifer heard was "Mom you're giving me a vagina."  Jennifer couldn't breathe she was laughing so hard.  I'm thinking that phrase will be around for a while, that was a good one.  We all got a really good laugh off of that one.  We later asked him what an angina was and he told us it was chest pains, which it actually is (I did not know that).  The next question was how did he know that word.  I thought for sure it was gonna be from one the gazillion books he's read, but no.  It was from that wonderful educational show iCarly.  Who knew that mindless dribble would induce one thread of information, way to go Carly.

The kids had a load of fun the rest of the day.  Layne settled in, Josh got a nap, and Jacob, thank God,  was only having angina, not a vagina.