Heaven on Earth

Pizza for dinner. And all of his kids to snuggle with while watching the Alabama football game. Life doesn't get much better than this for Chris.

Gavin's 15 minutes!

If you recieve the Friend magazine you might want to go check out the October issue's Friends in the News section. There is a very handsome little guy that you just might recognize! Though I think I'm more excited about it than he is. ha,ha. When I showed it to him he said incrediously, "I'm in a magazine?" Though it does list him as 5 years old which just goes to show how long it has been since I sent in the submission.

The Halloween Dilemma

I have a dream...its Halloween night all three of my children are dressed in co-ordinating, cute costumes. They happily and willingly pose while I snap away with my camera taking picture after picture. Okay, I have pretty much given up on this dream. I have nothing but my memories of Halloween 2004. The year Whitney was Beauty and Gavin was the Beast. The year they held hands while trick or treating. The year Grandma Susan hand made a beautiful Belle dress for Whitney. The year even Air Force cadets were compelled to stop and say how "they loved their costumes" while we were at the annual Boo at the Zoo Night. The year people could be heard to comment, "Oh, look its Beauty and the Beast!"
Every year I make an attempt to steer the children toward my costumes of choice. Every year they thwart me. Whitney and Gavin cannot agree. Gavin wants Star Wars Whitney wants the Wizard of Oz. Last year Whitney was able to talk Gavin into being a Mummy, while she was the Egyptian goddess, Isis and Ashlyn was her cat. Beggars can't be choosers. I had to take what I could get. I don't think many people made the connection.
I will just have to console myself with Ashlyn's pumpkin costume (I'm sure next year she will be expressing definite opinions) and the fact that Gavin can't wait to be a clone trooper (from Star Wars)and that Whitney is thrilled with her thrown together cat costume. Sigh.

And the Winners Are...

I received my first blogging award. Thank you Monique! And I am supposed to pass on this distinction to 5 other bloggers. After much deliberation I have chosen these 5 lucky winners. Go check them out! You won't be sorry you did.

1. www.herewegoagain.blogspot.com. Sarah writes the funniest blogs ever!

2. www.waynsh.blogspot.com. Kaysha has the cutest blogs and also is very funny!

3. www.tylerandcarissa.blogspot.com. Because Carissa is an inspiration to women everywhere!

4. www.mybigfatnycexperience.blogspot.com. Malia covers a whole range of things from silly to thought provoking. You never know what you will get.

5. www.all6ofus.blogspot.com. I love that the kids get on and make posts and Mary's posts are awesome.

Free Kitty

If anyone would like this kitty cosutme just let me know. It is free to a good home. =) Its from The Childrens Place and is size 12-24 months. It has snaps at the crotch for easy diaper changes.

Funny

In answer to Sarah's question on my last post, no, I do not make my own granola. My husband makes it. He is mixing up a batch as I type this. This is the conversation I just overheard between Gavin and Chris.

Chris: Oops, I just made a big mess. You're Mom loves when I make messes.
Gavin: Yep, cause it gives her something to do. (Actually serious when he said this!)

Chris is a great cook but he does make quite the mess in the process! I've tried to explain the concept of cleaning while you go but doesn't seem to have sunk in yet. Who knows what I would do with all that free time, if I didn't have Chris to clean up after.

Updated Grocery List

This morning's excitement consists of a trip to the commissary. I had started a list last night at Chris's request because he won't be able to accompany me like he usually likes to. (He LOVES grocery shopping!) Heaven forbid I forget anything vital like his Cocoa Pebbles or plain non-fat yogurt. Apparently, I had missed a few essentials that Whitney was kind enough to add to the list for me. Such as:

Strawberry ice cream (large tub)
Doritios (nacho or ranch)
fruit rollups
grips (any kind) I'm not even sure what these are.
peanut butter (lots!)
CHOCOLATE SYRUP

And then I guess she really got carried away on a flight or fancy and added Deer and Blue Bird Webkinz!!! Just in case the commissary has decided to start carrying toys???

Stinker

First off, let me start out by saying Ashlyn would be more than happy to live off nothing more than cheese and chocolate milk. This morning I came downstairs to find her enjoying a block of cheese she had helped herself to. Now the block of cheese had been retangular in shape but by that point was looking more like a triangle.


Then about 20 minutes later I find her on the sofa trying to drink Nesquick powder with a straw. I don't think that worked out too well for her because by the time I came upon her she was using the straw as more of a dipstick. Honestly, I don't know what came over her! This was untypical behavior for her so we shall see if this is the beginning of a new "phase." She didn't even have the decency to act even a little contrite!

Role Reversal

Friday night we had some friends over to play games. Whitney had her friend Jessica over to spend the night. Things were getting a little too rambunctious with a rousing game of Cranium. Around 11:30 pm Whitney came in and said, "Mom do you think you could be quieter? Jessica & I are trying to sleep, but you guys are so loud we can't!" It was so ironic! Because really shouldn't it have been the other way around? LOL

The Power of Music!

Gavin hates, loathes, despises vegetables. Pretty much the only vegetable he will eat without tears and wailing is corn. Even as a baby he refused to eat any of the baby foods that weren't sweet veggies. He never would eat peas or green beans. And I kept trying! (Okay, I can't say I blame him on the peas part but I did try.) Anyways, we have tried everything to get him to eat them. He has been known to sit at the table and cry for over an hour and then fall asleep with his head on the table out of sheer angst and exhaustion. Whitney came up with the idea of playing him a song on the piano for every 3 pieces he eats. For some crazy reason this has worked wonders! Last night he was patiently waiting for her to finish her dinner so he could start the dreaded process of eating his green beans. God bless Whitney!!! That $55 we pay for lessons each month is really starting to pay off.