My lost checkbook has been found!?!?!

Who taught Ellie how to fill out checks? And why does Midway Elementry get all the money?

I knew I had a check book somewhere and it wasn't time to order a new box of checks, but where that last check book was, I couldn't figure out. Tyler came in the house today with these in his hands. We laughed at first, of course, but then Tyler was a little upset that his 8 year old daughter is already learning how to write checks. I promised Tyler that I am not the one behind Ellie discovering this talent at such an early age. He should know that girls should naturally know how to spend money. Now hopefuly these are all the checks. We had a talk with her and I had to make sure that she hadn't written out any checks to any of her friends. To the mothers of Ellie's friends, if you see your child with a check similar to these above, please kindly rip them up.

Beware of the youngest!!!!!!!!!

What Lucy wants, Lucy gets!

Do not let this sweet little face fool you

So you would think that since we now have an 11 year old (well few months shy of eleven) at home, that it would be easy for Tyler and I to slip away for a quiet dinner or movie. Wrong!! Lucy absolutely falls apart when we say we are leaving, not to mention that she knows how to work dad! On friday Tyler came home from work and told the kids that he was going to take me out on a date and Philip was in charge. The minute Lucy heard this she ran to me and wrapped herself around my leg crying, "Don't go. Just stay home. Don't go! Pleeeeaaase don't go!" Well, I will guiltily admit that I was willing to put her in another room and let her cry it out while we left. Tyler, on the other hand, couldn't stand to see his little girl in such turmoil and despair. After a minute Lucy knew there was no working me over, so she laid it all on Tyler. Need I say more? Lucy came with us.

Morning Routine

I have mentioned on an earlier post about Lucy and how she sends the kids to school. Every morning she eats breakfast with them (which usually is marshmellow cereal....I know, I know not healthy) and then gets her shoes to walk out to the bus with them. She stands in line with them. She then waves to the bus driver as she opens the door for the kids and Lucy watches each child climb onto the bus. She then stands there and waves as the buss drives past her. Then she turns around and walks back into the house............what am I going to do when she starts school?

Family Time

This is Danni and her girls, Lauren, Alyssa, and Kyla

My sister, Danni and her three kids stayed with Tyler and me for a little over a month. This is a sister that I don't see much because of her living in Florida. My kids had a blast spending time with her and cousins that they don't get to see very often. Of course when you have seven kids running around, there is bound to be arguements and fits thrown, but for the most part I think the kids meshed pretty well. Ellie and Alyssa are now long lost best friend cousins. Not to mention that I think Lucy would have traded me in for Danni. Danni had to sneak out the morning she went back to Florida. When she called to check in while on the road, Lucy got on the phone and said, "I promise I won't cry again if you come back." She did some moping around the house for a few days also. My parents came to stay that weekend and Lucy went up to my dad and said, "I guess you can stay in Danni's room, Grandpa!" Lucy doesn't need to be sad much longer though, cause they are moving back this week.

Boy am I a softy

So....Ellie has a little bit of a sleeping issue. If she is not in bed by no later than 8:30 every night, school is almost impossible the next day. School has only been in for a few weeks and she has already fallen asleep on the bus TWICE coming home. The bus driver has to wake her up to tell her that they are at her stop. The past couple of days Ellie has been coughing...alot. Then last night she didn't get to bed til 10pm, which I will admit was partly my fault. I wasn't feeling well with my usual head issues so Tyler took the kids outside and had a bonfire with them and roasted hot dogs, and marshmellows. Dang it! No pictures. I'll have to check with Karol and see if she took any. Well, by the time they came in they had to shower off the campfire smell, it was already 9pm. So Ellie didn't get her homework done. We stayed up and did it. Morning came and it was like waking up the dead and she really has been coughing....alot. So.....I gave in and let her stay home from school. I really didn't want a phone call from the teacher saying she had fallen asleep in class. Her teacher last year was really good about it. She told me that as long as Ellie had her work done for the day, she would just let her sleep. I don't know how her new teacher will be. So me, Lucy, and Ellie are all home to day and I can't help but think....This is nice! With four kids it isn't always easy to spend one on one time with each kid. Today....I have that time with Ellie.

Here's to the next phase of Life!

I was just having one of "those" days. But first I have to start off be saying that I will admit I do alot of reading on other peoples blogs. Usually I love it, but the past couple of days it had me thinking. Everyone's blogs are so cute and everyone is sooo active with their little ones. I got thinking about my past few years with my kiddos and couldn't help but think that my kids were majorly missing out on stuff that I should be doing with them. Most people who are close to me know of the health issues that I have been dealing with since my last pregnancy. All my pregnancies have been tough and mainly on bedrest, but the last one with Lucy really did me in. I feel as though I have missed out on so much. Especially Lucy. Things were so tough when she was a new born. Having spinal taps every two weeks made it impossible for me to hold her and take care of her and that is when Tyler's mom had to play "mom" to my kids. I basicly missed out on her newborn months and she is my last. I guess I have always felt a little jipped on my last experience of having a baby. Anyway, due to my health, my kids have had to learn to play quietly, and that mom can't always take them out to play. Well reading these blogs, I was starting to feel like a bad mom..........

So now back to "that" day. The kids weren't in school yet, so everyone was home. I was expecting a visit from my visiting teachers. I asked Philip to please keep the kids upstairs and play quietly so I could enjoy a quiet visit. I wasn't feeling well, and my nerves were already on edge. Waking up with head aches everyday sometimes makes me more edgy then I should be. Well to make an already long story short, the kids were horrible. Sadly to say that my oldest caused the most problems. He threw a fit when I wouldn't let him play the xbox and stomped off like a three year old, while the girls yelled at each other the whole time. I kept thinking, "these are not my kids!!" I was really trying to patient. The visiting teachers left and I lost it! I called Tyler practicaly in tears and told him I couldn't handle things anymore. Which I know everyone feels this form time to time. Later that day Tyler came home with flowers and told me to go out with some friends. When I came home I went up to my bathroom and a big sign layed across the floor saying "YOU ARE THE BEST MOM EVER!" Then sitting in my jewelry box were two letters.............

Dear mom,

I'm sorry about that time today. I didn't know that you're head hearting. Now I understand. And I don't think that you are a bad mom. I love you very much.

you're dauter

Ellie Kae Edwards (I love how they spell when they are first learning)

Dear Mom,

Thank you for being the BEST MOM EVER. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.

I know that my kids have missed out on a lot and I have always wished that they had had a mom who physically could be a mom to them. I really took the hysterectomy hard because I always wanted that last chance to do it the right way. But after that night I realized.......my kids are ok! I am so lucky to have kids that try to understand things. Tyler always says to me, "It is time for our next phase of life with our kids. It is time for you to have that chance to be that kind of mom that you want to be." I feel like all I had to do was blink and those toddler years were gone. So here's to that "next phase".