Things will get more interesting...

I haven't written much lately because I have had too much going on. Most of it is trite or sad. I won't bore you with the details. Kids abound in this house and having teenagers is stressful. Plus, until Nov 12, I was babysitting two 4 yr olds and had a 4 yr old of my own. Eden turned 5 so, now it is two 4 yr olds and her taking up all my time. I had a sleep test last week and have no results yet. I will bore you w/that update as it becomes available. Gotta run. Zach and Lanie's Mom just showed up.

I'm so far behind in everything!

I know I haven't posted in awhile, but wow, life has been busy. The only time I have to myself is at work and I can't post there(or cook, or clean or laundry....). I have given up on the spam thingy, because ever since I saved some of the emails to harvest the titles, I have been inundated with even more spam. The boys are busily playing sports and I am working mostly third shift these days. Dylan and Trey are both playing football and have undefeated teams. Tevin is in softball and has only one loss. They are all at different schools and this creates an interesting set of challenges. Carlee is playing volleyball and is a natural and adds one more school to our repertoire. We have an interesting array of school spirit items littering our laundry. Eden is full of vim, vigor and vocabulary. She keeps busy with her imaginary menagerie and her friends that come over almost everyday whilst their mother works. This is sounding annoyingly like a Holiday Letter, so I will sign off for now and post specific quotes and data later.

Originally written June 30th, 2007

I almost cried.I mean really, there were actually a tear or two. They didn't fall, but they were there. I don't cry. Eden and I went to a friend's house this morning. On the way, we stopped to get drinks. She got strawberry milk. I poured it into a cup with a straw for her and proceeded to try to buckle her in her car seat. She was doing so many antics with that cup to get it around the seat belt and into her mouth that any other day I probably would have yelled at her and told her to wait a second. But I glanced at her face and realized she was the most beautiful child ever and she was just being a KID. She was soooooooooo precious. And the look on her face when she finally got her mouth on that straw. To die for. Dylan got his driving permit on Friday. He's not excited about strawberry milk. Oh, crap now I am crying.

hodge96 F_ree Samples from Brands you Know and Trust!

Taking a shower is even an adventure in my house. First you step in the bathroom, start the water and hear a little voice outside the door saying, "Tell me when you are ready." She likes to come in and talk to people while they shower and waits until you are in the shower to come in and talk. You let her know when you are ready. She comes in.

"I was going to play with Alexandra, but I changed my mind."
You wonder what she and Alexandra were going to do because she is a fish (a real one).

"Okay."
You continue with your shower.

"I'll be right back"

Door opens and closes.

Door opens again and you hear a song you don't recognize that has the word everything repeated about 20 times.

You get goosebumps, but not from the music. You are progressively taking colder and colder showers to help out with the MS. Good news from your father is that in the winter you aren't cold when you get out of the shower. It's summer, nothing to worry about.

"Do you want the other curtain, the one with the flowers, closed?"

"No, thanks."

Continue showering and shivering. Realize that no one has said anything for a while and she did come in to talk to you.

"How's it going?"

"Fine."

You decide to leave the rest of the conversation to her, because, really, you don't feel like talking. The shower is the only place in this house you are truly alone. Finish shower quickly, because, wow, you are freezing. Hop out of the shower, get a blast of the A/C., untangle your daughter from the curtain with the flowers on it because she has tangled herself in it and can't remember how to get out and you do it the "wrong" way and you give up and dash to your room to put sweatpants and a sweatshirt on during the SUMMER!

Notes to myself to remember what to blog

Teach momma to sew.

Eden was staying at Grandma's house. Grandma had purchased some sewing cards for her to do. Grandma said she could bring them home if she wanted to do them with Momma which exasperated Eden because she would have to teach momma how to sew. Just ask Grandma exactly how she said it for a good laugh.

Who knows everything?

I was lying next to Eden in bed one morning after I got home from work and decided to stay with her so she wouldn't wake Daddy up yet. We were talking about nothing in particular when she asked me a question that I didn't know the answer to so I said she would have to ask Daddy. She replied, "Yeah, cause Daddy knows everything." I thought this would be a good teaching moment about the omniscience of the Lord so I replied, "Well, Daddy doesn't know everything. Do you know who knows everything?" She bowed her head, closed her eyes half way and looked away very very modestly and tapped herself on the chest twice.

Football.

Mentioned this in a previous post so I will not elaborate except to say that Dylan's team is still undefeated and Trey's team has only lost one game. The other night at dinner we were talking about accomplishments we were proud of ourselves for in the last month (more on those later) and Trey said, "Man, I was killin' last game on the sidelines." His coach said he could be the punter when he got a little taller. And he does play some, but good gravy davy, his team has sooooooooo (get the idea) many kids it must be hard for the "poor" coach to play them all and to even know who is good at what.

School.

This was to remind myself to blog about the beginning of the school year and to whine about how the 4 children of ours that are attending school are in 4 different schools and are all playing sports so there is a lot of dividing and conquering.

I'm the Grandma!!!!

I have not a single clue what this is about. It is something Eden said. That is all I know about it except that it must have been very funny or I would not have jotted myself a note to write about it.

Fishes and Loaves

I know. I know. The title is not spam. I am just in wonder and awe at God's provisions for those that grace my doorway. Tonight we had 11 children and 2 adults to feed for dinner. I am not even sure that is an accurate number as many of the "children" are "little adults". Ages for anyone keeping track: 15, 15, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 8, 4, 4, and 3. We had leftovers. Leftovers. The only thing new for tonight was broccoli and cauliflower salad. We had food to put away when we were done and no one went without. I know that this is boring anyone but me, but I don't want to forget this.

Tacos
Ribs
Spaghetti
Watermelon
Collard greens
Fried Chicken
Broccoli/Cauliflower salad
Rotini noodles w/pesto
Mexican rice w/cheese
Tuna melts (Ala Eric)
and something else I can't remember.

We even had dessert. Dessert? What is that? My mother had made cake/ice cream rolls while my sister was visiting that did not get eaten during her stay. We really enjoyed them, Fiffy.
Before the supper dishes were cleared away, I was called upon to help w/a 5 month old baby. So fun. (I fed her too, but she brought her own) As I was feeding her, I was having trouble juggling her, her bottle, my keyboard and mouse and was wishing there was some device or invention that would free up a hand for my extraneous activities and I realized there already was one. Boobs. I just couldn't use mine for her. I have to catch up on silly things my kids have said and done, but I am enjoying the quiet. The circus is over for the day and I want to read mindless junk on the Internet during this NEW time in my house: Silence.


It was macaroni salad that I forgot.

Wir freuen uns, Sie in Paderborn zu treffen!

I was checking my sister's blog and was looking at pictures of Mason and Nellie. Eden saw them and proudly exclaimed who they were and a whole bunch of randomthingsreallyfast. Then I got this speech.

"Mason calls me Evee not Eden. That is because he has a friend Evee. Evee and Eden rhyme but the "e's" are smooched."

I have no idea what that means, but it seemed very important and worthy of recording. The word smooched was accompanied by a hand gesture where she closed her fingers onto her thumb with great elan.

Grow Grass Anywhere

Really not too much interesting going on. The kids have been alternately staying at different relatives houses and that makes our home a little quieter. Eric's new "surrogate son" Chris has been responding very well to a positive male influence. He's 15 and walks his siblings here for us to watch in the evenings while his mom works. He just stays then, which is a good thing. He is a very polite child who has been through a lot of "stuff." He just passed his eighth grade equivalency testing which will allow him to enter high school this year making it further than his father (who is incarcerated for life) ever did. He has so much potential and I am glad my boys and husband are influencing him positively. He has a GREAT mom, so I guess he doesn't really "need" me, but for an example of a complete family structure. Anyway, enough is enough. Chris, if you ever read this I am so proud of you and thank God that he brought you and your brothers into our lives. You teach us more than we will ever teach you. Be grateful for every day and thank God for each and every blessing, they are NOT small.

Re: complaint.6770128.pdf

Oldest boy is in football conditioning in the 90 + heat. Comes home and informs me that "only 10 people threw up today." AARRGGHH!!

1000s of Ringtones at No-Charge

"Hunter doesn't woll ovah, all dogs woll ovah, why doesn't Hunter woll ovah?"

"Maybe Hunter doesn't know he is a dog."

"Hunter, YOU. are. A. DAAAWWWGG! Woll ovah. Woof, woof, woof! I speak dog, why is he still not rolling ovah?"

"He's lazy?"

"Oh, okay"

How to look hot, hodge96 at yahoo dot com

Don't let me braid your hair.

Flush up to 20 Excess Pounds out of your Colon!

All of my posts will be titled after my spam email. I get enough that I decided to have fun with it.

I will be posting here with things I wish to remember, but am sure that I won't because my mind remains focused only on things for 2 minutes before self destroying. Anyone who stumbles upon this who doesn't know me will be bored. Those who do know me will probably contact me with names of good therapists.

Enjoy at your own peril.