HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Quinlynne turned the big 4 so you know it was time to PAR-TAY!!

AND I just happened to take a picture or two!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!!

Isaiah turned four a week ago today and he shared a birthday party with his two cousins, Nehemiah and Noah. We had it at the park where we always have his birthday. There was confusion on the cake and at the VERY last minute Shan offered to make a train cake. WE LOVE HER! In honor of the train cake and Isaiah excitement, he decided he needed to wear his "train man" costume to the party.

How cute is he!!The park has a splash pad; however, we did NOT have swimwear with us because we were told the water would DEFINITELY NOT be ON that weekend!

Little did that idiot lady who made our reservation know b/c the water was on and apparently the 50 some people there had advanced warning. NICE! So I called as many people as I could at the last minute to tell them to bring swimsuits.

NOW where in the world were my children ~ in the creek!

Heaven forbid they join the masses of kids in the clean water on the splash pad......NO.....that would mean they would have to pass up a chance for tadpoles, frogs, crawdads, fish and other nature things like DIRT!!!

Later Zay went to the splash pad but I think he was just trying to steal a birthday kiss from Quinlynne!! (Yes Shan I stole a pic or two!!)

THE CAKE

ISN'T IT COOL!!!

WE LOVED IT!

It was really really good too!

THANK YOU SHAN ~ WE LOVE YOU!!

My Mom had been giving bad weather forecasts all week.

Wednesday she said, "You know there is a 30% chance of rain Saturday?!?"

Thursday she said, "You know there is a 40% chance of rain Saturday?!?"

Friday she said, "You know there is a 50% chance of rain tomorrow?!?!"

I said, "Ok negative Nelly that is it I am calling everyone to say if it is raining they are to come to your house...keep it up!!"

So the party started, the kids played while the adults talked then at 4 o'clock an hour into the party I notice the sky is turning black. I rounded up the kids to do cake and presents before the rain came. It got chilly, windy and started to rain. The cake was a hit!

The other birthday boys

my nephews Nehemiah and Noah

The presents were opened so quickly that I didn't even know what he got until after we were home but THANK YOU everyone!!

Apparently in a hurry to make her awesome cake, Shan was unable to go buy a birthday bag.......

Too funny!!

Now what do kids at a birthday party do in the rain?

They play in it!

At first we tried to stop them but gave up and let them play!!

My niece Majesty

We went home and made birthday pizza!

What is that you ask.....


.....homemade pizza with candles that wouldn't stay put!!

THE FIRST DANCE

We have officially attended our very first dance recital. A couple of weeks ago we went to Quinlynne's dance recital. Somehow Shan conveniently left out the fact that Mayfest was on the same street as the PAC.

NO PARKING!

I had ONE DOLLAR in cash and short of walking miles with two little boys I needed to pay to park. Luckily a lady parked near the PAC was leaving and I inserted my ONE dollar into the FIVE dollar slot hoping they had not emptied her money yet and praying I would NOT get towed. Due to the parking dilemma we were late and couldn't find Shan and the rest of Q's fan club. It was so dark in the theatre and the ushers were rude and worthless. I could go on and on about the ushers; however, I will save you from that rant. The good news is parents left after their children performed so after moving from the nose bleed section then three more times we ended up on the VERY front row when Q performed her little heart out! She was so darn cute!! I happened to take just a few pics (imagine that right!!) even though the lighting was horrible (like all theaters) for photography BUT you all know I edited and tried to make them better.

She is just so cute!

I am not biased of my future daughter-in-law at all I tell you!!

Afterwards we tried to take of pic of IQ and Elijah but just like every other attempt I got:

I think it is impossible for the three of them to...

hold still.....

smile.....

hold still.....

look at the camera......

hold still......

UGH!

Still cute though!

Then with some magical editing I came up with this little diddy that I love

Aren't they the cutest!!!

Shan we are going to have some beautiful grand babies to torture these two!!!

FRIDAY HIGH FIVE

Time for Friday High Five!

Come join in the fun....please!

Make a list of 5 things ~ ANY five things you want! 5 favorite things, Top 5 Vacation spots, 5 most embarrassing moments, 5 favorite pics, 5 reasons to not pick your nose......A LIST OF ANYTHING YOU WANT IT TO BE!

To see my Friday High Five posts for examples, click here!

Post about it, linking back to me then sign Mr. Linky! Please use the Friday High Five URL post in Mr. Linky's URL section instead of your blog URL and here is how: write the post, publish the post, go to edit posts, VIEW the High Five post, copy the URL in the address portion at the top of the screen then paste it in the URL section of Mr.Linky!! Sounds complicated but it isn't too bad!

If you need help, let me know in the comment section!

Go view all the other High Five posts (IF anyone joins!) and comment away!

Have fun!

TOP 5 REASONS TO USE AMBIEN WITH CAUTION

5. If used more than the recommended 7 - 10 days, you can become dependent aka addicted to Ambien. This will make it even harder to fall asleep when you stop taking it. Some people take it for a week and their sleeping issues are over then there is me who has had sleeping issues since childhood. Instead of insomniac I like the more positive "Night Owl" ~ lol

4. You are not supposed to take Ambien unless you can devote a FULL 7 to 8 hours to sleep before being active again! If you don't devote that time, then you are left in a stooper when you "wake up". HELLO manufacturer ~ I am a busy Mom and I am lucky in fact EXTREMELY lucky if I get 5 to 6 hours but 7 to 8 is almost unheard of around here! Does this mean I should only take it about one a month because that is how rare 8 hours of sleep is for me? I have to be active first thing in the morning to get the kids up, ready and off to school so lets make one just to help me FALL asleep not stay asleep and in a drug induced state half of the following day!

3. Ambien caused me to talk in my sleep. I don't know what I say. For the most part, no one else does either. Apparently, I was hard to understand until I started yelling at people for not understanding me! Who knows what top secret information I revealed? For this reason, I am unable to work for the FBI! I can take torture but give me a sleeping aid and all secrets are revealed!

2. I sleepwalk while taking Ambien and never remember a thing. Actually, I did MANY MANY CRAZY things (or so I am told since I never remembered any of them!) when I would take an Ambien but it was the ONLY time in my life I have walked around while sleeping. This is one of the main reasons I haven't taken an Ambien since 1997! No telling what Hubs would think if he ever saw me under Ambien's influence!

#1

You find out who your friends really are and you may not want to know!! My friend Chaitra has trouble sleeping ~ not to the extent of my insomnia but still sometimes she takes an Ambien. We both joke about Ambien side effects we've experienced. I will no longer take Ambien but Chai stills takes it when she needs to. SO Chaitra calls with the schedule for the girls the next morning. At the end of the conversation she says chuckling, "If I show up beating on your door naked in the middle of the night, then just remember I took an Ambien." My reply, "If I slam the door in your face, then it is because you are naked while beating on my door in the middle of the night as a side effect of Ambien BUT remember it was for your own good so you aren't embarrassed in the morning when you wake up naked on my couch!" See I am a good friend.....right?! Bwahahaha!!

NOW it is your turn!!

A MAN FOR SHAN!

Last year when we took the boys to see the Harlem Globetrotters I found a man for my friend Shandolynne.

His name was Big Easy!

Perfect!

Shandolynne, this post is especially for you! A few weeks ago Martez and I went to see the Harlem Globetrotters with my parents and I wanted you to know that your man is still with the team! I thought he wasn't but he just switched his number....phew! He is number 52 now!

Pretty nice view huh Shan!

Girl look at him! Nice looking, tall, athletic, personality plus, good with kids, funny and then of course there is the whole "Big Easy" part!

Am I a good friend or what?!?!

Love you!

GET THE QUARTER BACK!

My dear friend whom I believe thinks I am crazy for putting up with the football thing sent me this email and I thought it was really funny so I needed to share!! Although I am for the most part clueless when it comes to football, I am NOT this clueless but it is funny nonetheless. I must say although I am unsure if I understand the game any better then before the season started I do know I at least enjoy watching the boys play now! Anyhow it is:

A guy took his blonde girlfriend to her first football game. They had great seats right behind their team's bench. After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience.

'Oh, I really liked it,' she replied, 'especially the tight pants and all the big muscles, but I just couldn't understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents!"

Dumbfounded, her date asked, 'What do you mean?'

'Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was: 'Get the quarter back! Get the quarter back!' I'm like...Helloooooooooooooo? It's only 25 cents'

FRIDAY HIGH FIVE

TOP FIVE REASONS NOT TO GIVE IN TO MY "URGE"

1. If I gave into the "urge" AND IF I had a baby girl, we would be bankrupt!! Seriously folks have you seen how many more girls clothes are in stores compared to boy clothes! I could buy pink, purple, dolls and all the necessary frills that I don't get to buy now! If you've seen me shop for my friends' daughters, then you should know that is only the beginning and about twice a year for a child that is NOT mine, so just imagine if it were!!
2. My husband would have to reverse his vasectomy. Although he is more than willing to do so, I feel guilty since I swore I did not want anymore kids.
3. With all the time going into a reversal, the waiting period, the trying (no matter how enjoyable!) then the nine months (Why don't they just be honest and say 10 months?) of pregnancy, I would probably have all the boys in school and just be starting over!?!!?
4. One husband, three boys, two male dogs, one male rat......need I say more!! I'm outnumbered and chances are it would be another boy! Although my boys are my world, I can't say I WANT more fighting, wrestling, football, soccer, basketball and blue..............enough said!! I want pink, purple, mary janes, dresses, tights, dolls, tea parties, hair bows, dress up high heels and pearls! I think I made clear the fact that I would love to have a little girl in our house! Thank God Shan is going to nursing school soon so I can have Q around more! Uh-oh, please don't let my boys turn her into a tomboy her Mom might hurt me!!
5. C-section #3!! My 1st c-section was painful but tolerable enough to go for the 2nd and at the time I thought a 3rd. I searched forever with baby #2 for a doctor who would allow me to "have" him after having a c-section with #1....obviously I had NO luck with that search!! My 2nd c-section was extremely difficult for me in fact I ended up back in the hospital after being home for only 2 days!! I am not sure I ever want to do that again for fear history would repeat itself!!

Well thanks for listening and I think I talked myself out of it......not really!