Catching up

I figured the easiest way to get a bunch of pictures uploaded was to use the slide show thingy. That way you can preview all the photos at one time on one page. In the Boy Scout slide show, Cole and his pack worked on a special badge this year called God and Me. They had to do extra classes on religion at each of their meetings to earn this patch. We also baked a camping themed cake for the cake bake off. It's a fundraiser for the pack and cakes were sold for as much as $80! My Betty Crock.er cake mix was definitely NOT worth $80 but it was all for a good cause. Cole and I fought and fought with tooth picks, a tortilla, twisty ties and pretzel logs in order to make a teepee for his camping-theme cake. I eventually triumphed. The stupid picture on the internet made it look easier than it was getting 3 pretzel logs to form a tripod. Next year, I will have to do a test cake before the real deal goes on the auction block. The next big event was the Pinewood Derby. This is where the kids....er....dads really get to shine. The pack was able to purchase an electronic track that would register the winner crossing the finish line. It made it much easier to determine the winner for the close calls. Cole went with an Indiana State Po.lice inspired design for his car and it was pretty fast. The running joke at the Derby was, 'you can't outrun the law!' Pretty funny. He didn't win overall, but he stayed in the race for a long time.

The next set of pictures are from Cole's birthday. We went out bowling with some friends and everyone had a great time. Can't believe he's 9 already.

The next set are from Easter. It was a crappy, rainy, muddy day. I am pleased with the pictures I had taken of the kids for Easter in their dress-up clothes. We went to a professional place and had them taken, but I took a few before we went. Cole gets a little tense in pictures and it was hard to get a smile without him blinking at the professional place. But, he was very relaxed at home and I think I got some better ones that the professionals did. Oh well. At least I didn't spend a lot! Allison loved her dress and just acted like the Princess she thinks she is while wearing it. I had a hard time getting it off of her when it was time to change for the Easter egg hunt. She would much rather have left it on despite it being cold, wet and muddy outside. Glad I didn't because our graceful daughter fell in the mud as soon as she got outside. It's amazing how she can run in dress up heels, but she will fall walking flat footed.

That should catch me up on picture postings for now. Enjoy!

Check out my Slide Show!

Check out my Slide Show!

Check out my Slide Show!

Spring Cleaning

I am finally sitting in front of the computer working on the ol' blog. I've been meaning to do it for weeks, but just never find enough time in the day or energy to stay up and play. If you notice, I have made a few changes around here. First, the blog title. I never did like Princesses and choo-choo trains. Dumb. But I lacked a better idea and since the phrase, "I'm just Peachy" is a favorite of mine, I figured I'll try it out for awhile. Truth be told, I stole it from hubby and anyone who knows me really well understands that when I respond with, "I'm just peachy", it usually means the opposite. Now, that doesn't mean it's going to be all blah and negative around here. It just sounded like a catchy blog title like all the other bloggers have. I needed to do some Spring Cleaning and it just sounded like fun.

I added a few new pictures on the side bars too. I read quite a few other blogs and have been wanting to change my looks for quite some time. I just needed some time to sit and figure a few things out.

I intend to blog more often now too. Not just about the kids, everything. I expect more comments too. I'll do my part if you do yours!

With that said, sit back and stay awhile. I will be adding more pictures and posts soon!

BUSTED!

It's too quiet. And, in this crazy house, when it's quiet, something is wrong. Most of the time, Allison is happily running from one of the house to the other with Dingo chasing her. Actually, the dog doesn't need to chase anyone or anything to run---he's still a puppy. He picks up whatever he thinks is chewable and runs with it. It's a game. He thinks up things in his little puppy brain that he knows is going to elicit a game of chase. Nothing on the floor is safe from being chewed on or dragged under our bed to his treasure trove. Not shoes, Barbie dolls, socks, hair brushes, plastic food, plastic dishes, phones, cell phones, remotes, pencils, balls, baseballs, golf balls, baseball bats, kleenix, toilet paper, Army men, cars, trucks, legos, Crocs, purses, books, my bras, stuffed animals, almost empty peanut butter jars, the vacuum cleaner cord, the vacuum hose, various vacuum attachments, flashlights, plastic water bottles, pop cans... you know, stuff like that. As soon as I see him pick up something he's not suppose to have I yell, "DING--GO!!" and the chase is on---usually a couple laps around the dining room and kitchen and right under our bed. It's kind of comical now because he's a little bigger and can't zoom under the bed as quickly as he used to. He has to scoot, but he's still fast. Little sh!t.

So, it's quiet and I start to wonder where everyone is. Cole is safe--on the computer. Allison is safe--taking a nap. But what do I see on the bed! Dingo!! Busted!! He's not suppose to be on the bed or our couches, but he is intent on charming his way up. Now, I'm all about having your furry friend snuggle up with you while taking a nap. I've been known to let our big dogs (when they were alive) up on the couch for a little R & R with me. But, in the picture above, Dingo is in MY spot of the bed and as you can see--I'm not there snuggling with him. He must have taken it upon himself to warm up my spot for me. Yeah, that's what it is.

Things are a little blue around here...

Yes, so I have some catching up to do. So shoot me. It's not like I hear from many of you screaming for more pics of the kiddos or some of my literary fodder. HINT, HINT!

January has brought about some interesting challenges in our family, namely from Allison. One minute, our darling diva is twirling about in her assortment of princess dresses and dress-up shoes, the next she has developed some odd sort of skin disorder. As seasoned parents of an older ADHD child, I thought we had already survived and conquered most of the hair-raising events we should experience. Mistake #989. Never underestimate the abilities of your three-year-old.

Here's the scene. I arrive home (home sweet hell) to a dark and cavernous living room. Hubby is comfortably seated in MY favorite rocking chair in front of the TV galliantly trying to defeat whatever internet geek (other Xbox 360 online enthusiast) he's hooked up with on Halo 3. I immediately sense something is awry when I am only greeted at the door by one excited puppy. Usually, my entrance at home is welcomed by shrieks of "Mommy!!! What did you bring us from the store?" Oh--and the dog is only trying to get back into my good graces after shredding the garbage and re-decorating the living room with it from earlier that morning.

Hubby speaks to me in between his mission assignments. "Go see what your daughter did." Uh-oh. Could it be that she spilled nail polish on the ceramic tile floor in the bathroom again forever staining the light colored grout bright purple? Surely not again. Could it be that she has emptied the contents of my jewelry armoire again and strewn them from one end of the house to the other? Surely not again. Or maybe, our little Picasso has drawn me a new mural on her bedroom wall. Nope, it couldn't be that. It's even better.

She decides she wants to see what she'd look like as a Smurf. Or maybe it's the latest rage in Goth make-up--blue instead of black. I don't know. I'm not very fond of the look myself. But, I'm sure this won't be the last time I go tell her to wipe that crap off her face or she's not leaving the house looking like that!

There's more! Upon further inspection, she had drawn all over her arms. It wasn't until bath time later that I discovered she has also drawn on her knees--they were completely blue!
Thank goodness they were washable and not permanent markers!