BRILEY THE BUSY BEE

I've been working hard at trying to start up my new business idea since January. I'm trying this endeavour from home, which is nice; however, while working from home sounds like a FABULUOS idea to many, it's not all fun. Briley, who is five, just doesn't understand why mommy's sits at the computer all day long. She asks me about 50 times a day "Can you take a break now mommy?". I try most of the time. Here is what we did the other day during "mommy's break"....

We played trucks! She loves to play with matchbox cars, which makes me so happy that we kept Coty's collection, my 14-year-old son. She loves for me to tell her the stories of which was Coty's favorites and which one's he got for being a good boy when we went to Walmart when he was little like her.

We also went to our building on top of the hill where we keep lawn equipment, baby beds, christmas tress and the likes stored. She helped me carry some of her old rocking horses to storage that she is just too big for. When we got to the building & opened the door, she peered around with a wrinkled nose. It's well organized for the most part but its a haven for spiders, lizards, snakes (and some BIG Ones) cobwebs and such. She loudly exclaimed "GROSS! Its SO CRUNCHY in here"! I laughed and said "My sentiments exactly".

My new favorite word for gross stuff

~C R U N C H Y ~

We also made a carseat for the cherished bear that she has had since the day she was born. This teddy is like the pillar of our household...um, well, right next to the nite-nite but that's another story. So, Teddy goes EVERYWHERE with us and Briley-the Seatbelt-Policewoman decided the other day that Teddy, too, needed a carseat like her. After 2 days of thinking how I was going to fashion a carseat for this darn bear, I ran across an old shoebox and Wha-La. I made a carseat-- little bit of tape, scissors and stapler is all it took. She was the happiest little girl ever!

A little piece of Blake

Presley's middle name is Bliss. Bl for Blake, IS in ChrIStopher, and S as in Sales....a complete combination of her brother's name. I knew when I found out that I was pregnant that this baby would come around the birthdays of Blake and I, Blake's being March 12th and mine March 16th even though my due date was April 1st. Yep, she came on March 10th at 36 weeks and we celebrated Blake's birthday in my hospital room. She is the spitting image of her brother at this age as you can see from their first bath pics. It brings me such a special feeling.

Yesterday Noodle, Peanut, and I went to do a little shopping. We went to JC Penney's and then Kohl's. Next door to Kohl's is Petsmart. Noodle loves to go in there to shop for her bunny, Chuck or her hamster, Leon. She is my little animal lover wanting to save them all and rescue every stray that we come across. She has expressed many times that she wants a new dog or cat. Ferd's dog Kawliga and his cats, Rascal and Pisser, have all now passed away. Losing them was like losing a piece of Ferd all over again and I havent had the desire or room in my heart to get any others. Six days a week Petsmart has cats inside and they only have dogs on Sundays. It seems like we never get there on Sundays so when she noticed a few dogs outside yesterday, she asked if we could go in. I was tired and Peanut was grouchy and we were almost to the van, but I changed my mind and decided that we would go in to see the animals. Noodle knows that she cannot have another pet as long as we have Chuck because they wouldnt get along. However, she couldnt resist asking me for a dog anyway, but this time she asked "Can we get a CLEARANCE dog?" I always shop off the clearance racks and pride myself on being able to clothe the kids so nicely on clearance. I used to buy Ferd's whole wardrobes a season ahead of time. I'm starting to wonder if I have instilled a sense of too much thriftiness in Noodle now though???

In Our Girls Words

Our Girls

(I mean babies)

Briley-Boo-Boo & Remi-Noodle

Oct. 2005

This post will be updated on occasion as the girls use their great words. Some will also be from our boys as they grew up. These are words that they all truly think they are pronouncing correctly.

Puss in BooPs
Puss in BooTs
Remi

I piggied
I burped
Remi

Chicken Flies
Chicken Wings
Remi

Rubbit on my Tatie Head
Butter on my Baked Potato
Remi

Pock
Pocket
Blake

Car-b-que
Barbeque
Remi

Bunny Hunt
Easter
Remi

Sher-up
Sheriff
Blake

Cac-ta-pus
Cactus
Remi

Bird-a-fly

Butterfly

Briley Boo

Light-tricity

Electricity

Coty Schmoty, until he was about 5

Pik-a-pocker

Popsicle

Briley Boo

This is a word she tried so hard to say but always came this way until she was almost 4.

Stunk

Skunk

Briley Boo

Medas

Medicine

Briley Boo

Whipe

White

Remi Noodle

Bungie

Wedgie

Lilly, my friends daughter

I couldn't help but blog this one since we all now refer to wedgies as Bungies!

Flop-Flops

Flip Flops

Briley Boo

Shit-ski
Fingernail & Toenail Polish

Briley Boo

When Briley was about 2, she was always wanting me to paint her toenails. One time she had bugged me so much, her daddy looked at her jokingly and said "Tough shitski Boo-Boo" and that's all it took. She shook her head real hard, adamantly implying 'yes, that's what I want--SHIT-SKI'.

Chicken Pops

A case of the "Chicken Pops" has hit our house, a case of the PURPLE Chicken Pops, nonetheless. Briley had company over today, one of her best friends, Lilly and Lilly's little brother, Eli. After being quiet for some time I began to wonder what they might be doing. The answer came quickly when Briley popped into my office to declare that she had "CHICKEN POPS". I had to stifle a laugh and tell her not to put anymore Chicken Pops on herself. She happily said ok and went off to add a few greens ones. Guess the purple one's were lonely. This time when she, Lilly and Eli came back to show me the new greens ones, I was more stern. She sadly said but I wanted Chicken Pops like Caillou. Oh, no more Sprout channel for her. How bad is it when you have to ground your 5-year-old from the public-based, educational TV programming? OK-OK I really didn't ground her. We've actually been quite tickled with it all evening.
Briley, thanks for the non-stop laughter you provide us!
Love, Mommy (aka-Joie)

Santa Sees Everything

Today Noodle, Peanut, and I went to Boonville Walmart. As we were walking in the door, an elderly gentleman with snow white hair and a beard and plain clothes came walking in beside us.
He looked down at Noodle and told her what a pretty little girl she was and asked her if she was a good big sister. Noodle looked at me first as if to ask my permission to speak to this stranger. I told her it was ok and to tell him thank you for the nice compliment. The snow haired stranger pulled out his wallet and removed a business card and asked me "Mom, is it ok for me to give her this?" I looked over and saw that it was Santa's business card!!! SANTA!! and told him "Most certainly!" Noodle stood there in awe and Santa told her "Remember that Santa is always watching. I am taking a vacation from the North Pole right now." Noodle was dumbfounded as we walked through the produce section whispering to herself "I got the real Santa's picture" "He's really here" This kind hearted stranger tickled Noodle and even brought me excited smiles today. Thank you Santa! Now if Noodle will only remember bumping into this stranger as she takes a tone with me several times a day, including today!!

The Blake & Coty Spider Story

Joie, Blake & Coty: Coty's Birth May 1995

This is a post I put on Blake's, my nephew's memorial blog less than 2 weeks after he pasted away at the age of 16. His mom reminded me of this post and told me I should share it. It was one of the first smiles I had after Blake's passing. Of course he was the cause of it. Little did I know at the time that Blake would cause us smiles for years to come.

Happy reading,
Joie

Blake was 16 at the time and Coty was 11.

September 01, 2006
My Dearest Blake,
Coty, my son (your crazy cousin) made my morning this morning telling me the spider story again. As we walked out to wait for his bus and ran into the biggest spider ever, at least I thought, Coty reassured me it wasn't near as big as the spider you (Blake), your mom (my sister, Kristi) and he (Coty) saw on the front porch a few weeks ago. So here is Coty's version of you three finding the spider at your house.

Coty's Version of The Big Spider & Blake Story
After Coty stuck his head into the spider web and then spider was nowhere to be found, you kept telling him to check his clothes for the spider and then you got mad at him because you wanted to catch it in a jar. Your mom told me that you slept with Melissa, the cat all night thinking she was going to protect you if that spider had gotten in the house. Thanks for the laugh this morning! I really needed it.Oh, don't be surprised in a few years when you hear your mom and dad telling you it’s your fault that you brothers and sister are spoiled rotten. They are going to be showered with all the hugs, kisses and attention that you are to get. And in the process, if they turn out rotten, your mom and dad can smile and officially NOT take credit for it. They are just loving them the way you loved them and spoiling them the way you did. I think you gave Remi more presents than Santa Claus. She always saw Blake coming
through the door with a cool toy for her to play with. You and Coty turned out to be great big brothers. I know your mom and I bragged to each other on you two all the time about how you loved your sisters.I miss you so much. My heart is so heavy anymore.
Love, Aunt Joie

My Cowgirl

Mama,
Don't let your little girls grow up to love cowboys!

Just had to share this recent photo art that I did for my sister. Remington was turning 4 here. She had the best brithday party at a horse stable and all the kids got to ride horses. Of course, the girls had to "girly it up"! This is one of my favorites so far.

The cutest, the most beautiful-est

I was absorbed with cooking dinner and Peanut was in her swing. Peanut is a Mama's baby so anytime she is in her swing, I run around in circles trying to do everything at once that I cant normally get done with a baby in my arms...dishes, laundry, vacuuming, paying bills. So, when I say that I was completely absorbed in cooking dinner, I really was doing my best to get a dinner finished that was something other than frozen pizza or warmed up leftovers. Noodle was dancing around the living room jabbering away to Peanut in full conversation mode and had been for quite some time when I finally actually listened to what she was saying and it made my heart smile...."the cutest, the most beautiful-est, they call her Peanut...Presley". There is not a jealous bone in Noodle's body and I am so proud of her for being the best big sister ever! She really does think Peanut hangs the moon and when you ask her whose baby Peanut is, she proudly grins and pounds herself on the chest and says "mine".