I said No...

Wednesday night the kids were off for the holiday so D, Cousin D and Mr. E hung out at our house. We watched Wild Hogs..or atleast I tried. They were showing each other some wrestling moves in the living room. I keep saying No, No..no nO no NO... Mr. E and his non matching socks. I have never seen this kid with the same colored socks. That's just how he rolls. Emma loves the boys but she is not having any of this going on around her. Notice in the above pic Mr. E has Fruit by the Foot paper hanging out of his pants...yeah..he put it there. They finally calmed down and snuggled on the couch for about 2.5 seconds.

D and Mr. E made their way to the basement to play pool and Cousin D made up to his little spoiled princess and watched another movie. We had a good time, ate Buffalo soup, watched movies and just spent some quality time together.

Yearly Tradition

Every year we go the horse parade. Every year is different. Sometimes it's so warm it doesn't even fell like Christmas. Other times is so so cold you can't even stand it. Last year we had really bad weather but it wasn't terribly cold.. Although,  since we took 7-8 {whining} kids with us it may have been and I'm just blocking the whole night out in my mind. BUT- What I do remember is it was

so pretty with the falling snow..

 not good for the camera but it was awesome in person. It's was so dark I had to try my flash to get anything little thing to show up but the snowflakes were falling like bombs.

Here are a few pictures and for more jump over to my retired blog As the World Flops and read all about it. This years parade is coming up in a few weeks and the kids are already to go.. it's a yearly tradition.

Monochrome Monday

Welcome to my Monochrome Monday
I have been looking through
thousands
of old photos from the years past.

This photo was taken on our trip to
Gatlinburg in 2006
while driving out to
Cade's Cove.

The kids love to have a
picnic
and play in the streams to
catch critters.

For more great Black and White photos check out the The Monochrome Monday

To Trampoline or to not trampoline

That is the question.....

For years the kids have asked for a trampoline..

For years G has said NO...

He is afraid they are going to get hurt..

Hurt, smurt.. I say..

Of course you don't want your kids hurt but come on. I know there are thousands of accident with trampolines a year..along with bikes, skateboards, pets, school buses, and anything that we or our children come in contact with.. I sure somewhere there is a study saying that blogging or computer is bad for me.. We want to protect our kids but it's not like we are sending them to the moon by themselves.

I look at it this way.

D rides a very heavy, very fast ,

very bone breaking dirtbike

almost every weekend and

flies 20-30 feet in the air..

If he's going to get hurt on a trampoline then there is nothing I can do.

So with Christmas fast approaching we asked what do you want..? Reply was a

TrAMpOlIne...

G again replies NO..!! No, nO, NO!!!

for the one hundredth million time in the last 4 years.

But Why?

Cause "you" kids will be out there doing stupid stuff .

Like what?

Like dragging it over to the pool!!!!

Reply:

Wait...

Wait....

ANSWER WITH REAL SINCERE REASONING-

We will just set it up

"NEXT" to the pool

then we won't have to "DRAG" it.

We just sat there and laughed.. what are parents to do with such smart children.

So let me ask. What is your take on trampolines?

Do you own one?

Have you ever not ran out there and jump yourself? (I would) hee hee...

Do you think we should allow our children to have a trampoline this year..

I know... I know...

they could put their eye out.. lol

{I love that movie}

Love to hear from you and let the Christmas games begin..

Land Mine

I took little monster to Michaels last night to find some Christmas crafts. I didn't find what I was looking for but we did find this sequin and bead ornament kit. There were 18 styrofoam balls, 4 different colored sequins and beads with pins in this tub. We have all had fun adding a couple here and there to a ball. D even added a few this morning without force and oldest's boyfriend was even checking them out. This is my "land mine"Yeah I know..hideous....We call this the little monster's New Years ball. I have always tried to do fun crafts with the kids but lately life has just taken over so I found this kit and thought we would try it. Will they ever (all 18) get finished,,NO.. Will I find this years from now in the craft room and think to myself what was I thinking..YES.. Did we have fun for a few days.. Dang right we did. And that's all that counts. Right? Right!!!! This kit was only like $4.00 so I didn't go overboard spending a fortune getting the kids to set around the table and spend some time together.

Now, let's see how long it is before I step on a pin and have a few choice words for whoever bought this... Oh, that would be me.. I guess I will just suck it up for togetherness. Thinking of the craft room, maybe I should go down and see what other left over crafts I have waiting to be finished.. Someone come get me if ya haven't heard from me in days.

Family time

Today we took the kids to get pumpkins. The girls were excited.. D not so much. He would have rather been playing in the dirt with the boys. Cousin D called all day giving him updates on the daily progress of boy stuff.. We always get our pumpkins from Biggs. They have really big ones for a low price of 3.99 each no matter what size. The kids always have to have the biggest ones there and if we would have gone to a pumpkin patch it would have cost us a fortune. I know,, I know.. buy local. Well we don't, that's just how we roll at Halloween. They each got two. The girls are going to carve theirs with great designs but D on the other hand.. one was for his own artistic work and the other.. was to blow up. It's a boy thing. D did put some thought into his. he worked on it for a bit and in the end said he had fun.. G's job is to cut the top out with a big knife.. I take pictures (of course) and sort the seeds. Here is D's addition .. a half eaten Tootsie Roll and a Skittle. Oh, and we can't forget the motocross guy.. Fraynk the turtle even has a Jeremy McGrath figure in his tank. D says it's keeps him company.. The 899 (his bike number) Pumpkin of wonder. Okay as long as we are spending time together I guess that's all the counts. Here is Cousin D.. now earlier in the day Cousin D thought this was a stupid idea but once he got to the house he has fun adding his own VZ (Von Zipper- motocross goggles) to D's creation. Then they were off for a hour or so of boy stuff. Little monster came up with this peace sign and oldest cut out a star on hers. Simple from the past years where they tried to make those decorative pumpkins with the layout things. Then I took the guts inside to clean and sort and top with salt to bake in the oven for one of the seasonal treats the kids like. That was our day. Happy Halloween.

Ghetto studio

Okay here is how my day went.. I woke up and D said he was going to a friends down the road to work on a dirt bike track.. yes he lives dirt bikes. So I asked him if he wanted me to make or bring you them dinner... Oh, no mom I will eat before I go.. So later I call him/ NO ANSWER and then text him/ NO ANSWER... So I go out to my smoking lounge and I hear a faint sound of a pit bike off in the distance and I know I'm about to be invaded... invaded is not the word.. First comes E and Mr.C on the pit bike.. they tell me that D is on a bmx bike and others are following.. OTHERS????? In comes Cousin D, Chaz (a new one) and C... So I go into mom mode and think...

think..

come on Cathy think..

what can I throw together for 6 hungry boys that could not even give me a heads up... So I whip out the ole' credit card and order pizza.. All is well, all is happy.. they even left me one piece out of two large.. bless their little puppy dog hearts..

So while they waited for pizza they played XBOX live and pool and then I wrangled them in for a photo shoot. Ya see my SIL signed my up to help one of her friends with senior pictures. So in the last week G and I have set up a make shift ghetto photo studio in the basement. Here the boys are dragging Mr C for his turn. They all took turns and this is what I got out of my D.

A mix between Edward Cullen {Twilight} and Ethan Peck from 10 Things I hate about you.. {my new favorite show} but I don't watch TV so I will have to catch the episodes on the web one fine cold rainy day or night.... I don't really think he looks like either just maybe a face that Edward or Ethan would give.. kind of that 1/4 smile...

The oldest came in and saw this pic and even said he looked like Edward {Robert Pattinson} then she said- that's just creepy (that my brother could look like Edward) oh and then she said his hair looked greasy... I had to explain that his hair was dripping wet cause he decided he was going to strip in the kitchen to his underwear and jump in the freezing pool.. not one of his friends followed... then when I turned on the fans in the ghetto studio he wanted his picture with his hair blowing.. I don't know.. I'm just his mother. Anywho... my first senior picture photo shoot is tomorrow and I don't have the foggiest idea of what I am doing.. wish me luck.