Sunday
That kid is an ANIMAL!
The boys have started Spring Soccer. They both played in the fall and considering they had never played soccer before, they both picked it up pretty quickly. Joey and I got a crash course in the rules and "terms" of soccer (both of us secretly think that "dribbling" only belongs in basketball, but, anyway.) Both the boys had their first games on Saturday, but I'm going to devote this blog to Brek.
Brek has the attention span much like a gnat. He flits from one thing to the next, never truly focusing on any one thing for very long. (Hmmmm, I wonder which parent he gets that from???) At soccer practice on Tuesday, he played really well. But, after the break of each play, he'd show off some karate moves or just dance around in a circle. The kid's got energy to burn!!
Brek dancing with the ball.
On Saturday, as soon as he stepped on the soccer field, he was focused intently on the job at hand. He had one thing on his mind, one job to do, . . . let's just say. . .he came to PLAY.
He ended up scoring SEVEN goals in all. (I know, we're not supposed to keep score, oh well.) After he scored, he would dance around singing, "Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, I scored ______ goals!" (fill in the blank: one, two, three, etc.) After the game was over, he did compose himself in time to shake hands with the other team.
As we were heading over to Bae's game, a parent from the other team stopped me and said, "What is his name?" I said, "Brek". He said, "Man, that kid is an ANIMAL." Brek seemed very pleased with this statement, and did a little celebratory wiggle right there. Later that day, I was on the phone with my mom and we were laughing about what the guy had said. Brek interrupted me and said, "Mama, I AM an animal. .. .I'm a TIGER!
Brek has the attention span much like a gnat. He flits from one thing to the next, never truly focusing on any one thing for very long. (Hmmmm, I wonder which parent he gets that from???) At soccer practice on Tuesday, he played really well. But, after the break of each play, he'd show off some karate moves or just dance around in a circle. The kid's got energy to burn!!
Brek dancing with the ball.
On Saturday, as soon as he stepped on the soccer field, he was focused intently on the job at hand. He had one thing on his mind, one job to do, . . . let's just say. . .he came to PLAY.
He ended up scoring SEVEN goals in all. (I know, we're not supposed to keep score, oh well.) After he scored, he would dance around singing, "Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, I scored ______ goals!" (fill in the blank: one, two, three, etc.) After the game was over, he did compose himself in time to shake hands with the other team.
As we were heading over to Bae's game, a parent from the other team stopped me and said, "What is his name?" I said, "Brek". He said, "Man, that kid is an ANIMAL." Brek seemed very pleased with this statement, and did a little celebratory wiggle right there. Later that day, I was on the phone with my mom and we were laughing about what the guy had said. Brek interrupted me and said, "Mama, I AM an animal. .. .I'm a TIGER!
Thursday
Good Dog??????
So, all of you guys already know about Joey's love affair with his new "pretty girl", Shelby. Well, there's a guy at the park who has a black lab named Rex and he told Joey about a book that he used to train Rex. So, on our last "parents night out" (Thanks YMCA), we bought the book, The Complete Idiot's guide to Laborador Retrievers. (Ok, I also need to say how much it cracks me up that it's not just "the idiot's guide", but "the COMPLETE idiot's guide".) Let me also say, that I've seen Rex in action at the park and the dog is just unbelievable. Not just the tricks that he can do (sit, down, fetch, etc.) but that his owner can tell him to stay and totally walk away like the length of a football field to chat with Joey and Rex just sits there looking at him. AMAZING!!
Anyway, I digress. That's not the funny part. Joey has been reading this book and using the techniques in it. He also takes every opportunity to tell me how Shelby is "brilliant" and "so intelligent", and Wally is "completely untrainable". So, yesterday while Joey was sleeping and the boys and I were "at school", I heard a rustling in the kitchen. I walked in and took this (below) from Shelby.
Yes, Joey's highly intelligent, brilliant, completely TRAINABLE "pretty girl" had apparently had enough of the training and was taking it out at the source.
CLASSIC.
Anyway, I digress. That's not the funny part. Joey has been reading this book and using the techniques in it. He also takes every opportunity to tell me how Shelby is "brilliant" and "so intelligent", and Wally is "completely untrainable". So, yesterday while Joey was sleeping and the boys and I were "at school", I heard a rustling in the kitchen. I walked in and took this (below) from Shelby.
Yes, Joey's highly intelligent, brilliant, completely TRAINABLE "pretty girl" had apparently had enough of the training and was taking it out at the source.
CLASSIC.
Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Also, to let you all know, I totally stole the "Wordless Wednesday" idea from Monica! Thanks for the great idea! :)
Tuesday
Day Trippin'
This past weekend, we decided to get out of the house. . . .(Ok, the apartment). The weather was nice (which in WV language, means above 55 degrees), so off we went.
We started out the weekend at Pikeville, KY's Annual Hillbilly Days. We weren't really sure what we should expect, but it wasn't long after we arrived that we encountered our first hillbillies.
We enjoyed watching the "outhouse races".
We also admired the many, many hillbilly limos. Can you say classy? (I couldn't either after looking at these!)
Before we headed home, we got a send off by another real live hillbilly. She presented us with gifts (a can of potted possum for me and "hillbilly hairplugs" for Joey). She then asked the boys if they'd ever seen a hairless dog. They, of course, hadn't, so she leaned down and showed them the one she was holding in a cardboard "doghouse" (it was a hot dog with a little hat and a face). Of course, they laughed hysterically to which she replied, "I told him not to wear that hat, people have been laughing at him all day."
By Saturday, I was starting to feel a little under the weather. (For those of you fellow facebookers, you already know that, yes, I had previously bragged about my strong immune system) Well, my immune system tricked me and I was starting to feel yucky, but still, we were on a family mission for some adventure.
Saturday morning we got up bright and early and headed to Ansted, WV to the Mystery Hole. Some of you may have heard of places like this. It was fascinating. We saw water run upstream, a ball roll uphill and a man sat in a chair suspended on the wall. Bizarre and (as far as the boys were concerned) the coolest thing ever!!
On the way home, we stopped at a country store on Route 60. They had the cutest crafts and West Virginia memorabilia. They also sold gourmet coffee ('cause everyone in the hills of WV drinks gourmet coffee, right?!) and the owner let the boys grind some coffee beans.
As we were driving back to Huntington, we couldn't resist stopping at one of many waterfalls for a photo op.
Once we got back to Huntington, the boys (with Shelby) headed to the park for a few hours and Wally and I got some much needed rest. Beautiful trip with the family. Looking forward to our next weekend of day trippin'.
(Joey took this one. He's quite the photographer!)
We started out the weekend at Pikeville, KY's Annual Hillbilly Days. We weren't really sure what we should expect, but it wasn't long after we arrived that we encountered our first hillbillies.
We enjoyed watching the "outhouse races".
We also admired the many, many hillbilly limos. Can you say classy? (I couldn't either after looking at these!)
Before we headed home, we got a send off by another real live hillbilly. She presented us with gifts (a can of potted possum for me and "hillbilly hairplugs" for Joey). She then asked the boys if they'd ever seen a hairless dog. They, of course, hadn't, so she leaned down and showed them the one she was holding in a cardboard "doghouse" (it was a hot dog with a little hat and a face). Of course, they laughed hysterically to which she replied, "I told him not to wear that hat, people have been laughing at him all day."
By Saturday, I was starting to feel a little under the weather. (For those of you fellow facebookers, you already know that, yes, I had previously bragged about my strong immune system) Well, my immune system tricked me and I was starting to feel yucky, but still, we were on a family mission for some adventure.
Saturday morning we got up bright and early and headed to Ansted, WV to the Mystery Hole. Some of you may have heard of places like this. It was fascinating. We saw water run upstream, a ball roll uphill and a man sat in a chair suspended on the wall. Bizarre and (as far as the boys were concerned) the coolest thing ever!!
On the way home, we stopped at a country store on Route 60. They had the cutest crafts and West Virginia memorabilia. They also sold gourmet coffee ('cause everyone in the hills of WV drinks gourmet coffee, right?!) and the owner let the boys grind some coffee beans.
As we were driving back to Huntington, we couldn't resist stopping at one of many waterfalls for a photo op.
Once we got back to Huntington, the boys (with Shelby) headed to the park for a few hours and Wally and I got some much needed rest. Beautiful trip with the family. Looking forward to our next weekend of day trippin'.
(Joey took this one. He's quite the photographer!)
Sunday
Playin'
So, here's another post from our trip home. We went to my parents' house and my niece, Calli came to play with the boys.
They really enjoyed digging in the dirt. The boys were thrilled since I don't particularly like them to get really dirty very often. I know, I know, they're boys and boys need to get dirty (for reasons I don't understand). Although, I must say, for a girl, Callista liked it pretty good too!
Also, I might add that we hadn't seen Calli since Christmas. She would come over fairly frequently when we were at the farm and I've really missed her coming over to play. So, to celebrate me having her for the first time in months, what does she do? . . . .She eats two big handfuls full of dirt. I mean, I literally turned my back for one second to get the camera and I turned back to find her with a mouthful of dirt and more in her hand. Before I could even get her name out of my mouth, she had crammed the other handful in. Great aunt skills, I know.
Bae with the stick he was using to "measure" how much further he needed to dig in order to reach China.
Brek, needing some attention, yelling, "Hey mama, do I have dirt on my butt?" Yes, Brek, as if you didn't already know the answer to that question.
Checkin' on the horses. Admiring the mama and new baby.
Bae was bossing Brek & Calli around (so Brek said), so they left the hole digging up to him. Apparently, as Bae explained to me, there is a very specific way one must dig a hole. One must not go about doing it haphazardly.
Brek & Calli didn't seem to mind. This is Brek telling Calli that they were going to go on an "adventure". He said, "just follow me, Baby Calli." She squealed right after I snapped this and ran the other way, apparently thinking chase was a better game.
They really enjoyed digging in the dirt. The boys were thrilled since I don't particularly like them to get really dirty very often. I know, I know, they're boys and boys need to get dirty (for reasons I don't understand). Although, I must say, for a girl, Callista liked it pretty good too!
Also, I might add that we hadn't seen Calli since Christmas. She would come over fairly frequently when we were at the farm and I've really missed her coming over to play. So, to celebrate me having her for the first time in months, what does she do? . . . .She eats two big handfuls full of dirt. I mean, I literally turned my back for one second to get the camera and I turned back to find her with a mouthful of dirt and more in her hand. Before I could even get her name out of my mouth, she had crammed the other handful in. Great aunt skills, I know.
Bae with the stick he was using to "measure" how much further he needed to dig in order to reach China.
Brek, needing some attention, yelling, "Hey mama, do I have dirt on my butt?" Yes, Brek, as if you didn't already know the answer to that question.
Checkin' on the horses. Admiring the mama and new baby.
Bae was bossing Brek & Calli around (so Brek said), so they left the hole digging up to him. Apparently, as Bae explained to me, there is a very specific way one must dig a hole. One must not go about doing it haphazardly.
Brek & Calli didn't seem to mind. This is Brek telling Calli that they were going to go on an "adventure". He said, "just follow me, Baby Calli." She squealed right after I snapped this and ran the other way, apparently thinking chase was a better game.
Thursday
Universal Studios
For the boys birthdays this year, Joey's parents got them tickets to Universal Studios. We went on a Tuesday with their cousin, Taygen (Joey's brother's little girl). Stacy (Joey's sis), Roger, and London & Gannon were already in Orlando for Spring Break. It worked out really good for riding rides to have built in "riding buddies". So, bright and early Tuesday morning, me, Kathy, Bae, Brek, & Taygen loaded up in my car and set out for Orlando. Joey stayed behind with Chad to go visit his daddy and pick up his beloved, Shelby.
Tuesday turned out to be extremely cold, luckily I had brought jackets for the boys, but I had to duck into the nearest shop and purchase an over-priced sweatshirt. Gotta love Disney!
As the kids walked up to have their picture made, Donkey said "Whoa, where am I? Munchkinland? Hey Shrek, look at all the little munchkins." They were all laughing when they took the pic, and as they left, he said "See ya later, munchkins!"
I have to say, the Shrek 4-d "ride" was the coolest. The chairs were shaking and we got sprayed several times when the dragon "sneezed." A little gross now that I think about it.
The boys loved the ET experience ride. Brek insisted that we call him Elliott for a week afterwards.
The kids all loved the "Fievel" play area. We could barely drag them out of there. Everything was enormous to give the effect that they were little mice. The biggest attraction to them was the water slide. They must've gone down at least 15 times apiece.
We finally pulled them away from the waterslide and headed to Woody Woodpecker's roller coaster! Yay! The wait for the ride said 15 minutes. We could totally do that, right?! So, since we had an odd number of kids, and I apparently can still pass for one myself, I was elected as the official "rider". So, I took all five kids to stand in line. Needless to say, the line moved at a snail's pace and 45 minutes later, we were finally on the home stretch to board the coaster. A lady behind me had been watching us silently the whole time; everytime I would glance at her, she would look away. Then, Bae said, "Mama, how much longer?" Her eyes opened wide and her mouth hung open. She said, "Are YOU the Mama?" I smiled and said, "Yes, ma'am." She waved her hand over my whole posse' and said, "All of them??" I said, "Oh, no, just two are mine." She looked relieved and placed her hand over Bae and Taygen's heads and said, "These two." I said, "Nope." and pointed to Bae and Brek. She said, "Oh, I thought they were all yours and these (motioning to Bae & Taygen) and these (Brek & Gannon) were twins. Then you had one older son (London). I laughed and said, "No, thank goodness. I'd be riding to the top of the roller coaster to jump off!" She laughed as we finally boarded the coaster. Which was over in less than 3 minutes. GREAT!!
We ate lunch at the diner. We stood in line for 35 minutes to order while Kathy and the kids slowly froze like popsicles on the shaded side of the restaurant.
The kids saw Scooby-Doo.
Group Shot!
Bae was more interested in watching a pigeon stalk some people eating scones and drinking coffee at an outdoor cafe.
We didn't get to ride Jaws, and had to settle for just a photo op with a lifesize look-a-like. The ride was shut down due to technical difficulties. Probably for the best. Kathy tries to scare 'em with stuff so much anyway, they probably all would've had panic attacks. You know, you can't go to the beach cause of sharks, no river cause of gators, the woods cause of snakes. . .I'm surprised we were even allowed to go to Orlando due to the freak hurricane that was sure to hit us out of season! (You know I love you, Kathy. Admit it, you're chuckling right now!)
The kids (and my) favorite by far, was the animal show. As is evident by their faces!
Gannon and London as the show was starting.
Taygen watching the parrot fly in front of the blue screen.
Bae and Brek watching the dogs run around after the pig "let the dogs out."
As we were leaving the park, I swapped that sweatshirt (yes, the one that I wore all day) for a t-shirt. The salesclerk just smiled at me as I marched in with my receipt and asked for an exchange. He nodded his head, and motioned me to grab another one. Kathy was mortified ('cause they knew what I was doing, she said) I was thrilled that I hadn't wasted $20 on something I'd never wear again. I might add that I've already worn that tshirt too!
It was a long, but fun day. The kids slept almost the whole way back home, making even the bumper to bumper rush hour traffic we got caught in almost enjoyable. There were a few lessons learned from the day, though. #1 Don't go to an amusement park on Spring Break 'cause that's when everyone goes! (a few of the rides had a 2 hour wait) #2 Always bring a jacket, even if the weather channel says it's going to be 102 degrees, cause you never know (and neither do they!) #3 Never leave to head home around 5-ish, you'll get stuck in rush hour traffic #4 Remember to bring a small fortune for souvenirs (you'll need every penny) #5 Take pictures of the kids sleeping on the way home. You'll need that memory to remind yourself of the times that they behave like angels. (usually when they're sleeping!)
Tuesday turned out to be extremely cold, luckily I had brought jackets for the boys, but I had to duck into the nearest shop and purchase an over-priced sweatshirt. Gotta love Disney!
As the kids walked up to have their picture made, Donkey said "Whoa, where am I? Munchkinland? Hey Shrek, look at all the little munchkins." They were all laughing when they took the pic, and as they left, he said "See ya later, munchkins!"
I have to say, the Shrek 4-d "ride" was the coolest. The chairs were shaking and we got sprayed several times when the dragon "sneezed." A little gross now that I think about it.
The boys loved the ET experience ride. Brek insisted that we call him Elliott for a week afterwards.
The kids all loved the "Fievel" play area. We could barely drag them out of there. Everything was enormous to give the effect that they were little mice. The biggest attraction to them was the water slide. They must've gone down at least 15 times apiece.
We finally pulled them away from the waterslide and headed to Woody Woodpecker's roller coaster! Yay! The wait for the ride said 15 minutes. We could totally do that, right?! So, since we had an odd number of kids, and I apparently can still pass for one myself, I was elected as the official "rider". So, I took all five kids to stand in line. Needless to say, the line moved at a snail's pace and 45 minutes later, we were finally on the home stretch to board the coaster. A lady behind me had been watching us silently the whole time; everytime I would glance at her, she would look away. Then, Bae said, "Mama, how much longer?" Her eyes opened wide and her mouth hung open. She said, "Are YOU the Mama?" I smiled and said, "Yes, ma'am." She waved her hand over my whole posse' and said, "All of them??" I said, "Oh, no, just two are mine." She looked relieved and placed her hand over Bae and Taygen's heads and said, "These two." I said, "Nope." and pointed to Bae and Brek. She said, "Oh, I thought they were all yours and these (motioning to Bae & Taygen) and these (Brek & Gannon) were twins. Then you had one older son (London). I laughed and said, "No, thank goodness. I'd be riding to the top of the roller coaster to jump off!" She laughed as we finally boarded the coaster. Which was over in less than 3 minutes. GREAT!!
We ate lunch at the diner. We stood in line for 35 minutes to order while Kathy and the kids slowly froze like popsicles on the shaded side of the restaurant.
The kids saw Scooby-Doo.
Group Shot!
Bae was more interested in watching a pigeon stalk some people eating scones and drinking coffee at an outdoor cafe.
We didn't get to ride Jaws, and had to settle for just a photo op with a lifesize look-a-like. The ride was shut down due to technical difficulties. Probably for the best. Kathy tries to scare 'em with stuff so much anyway, they probably all would've had panic attacks. You know, you can't go to the beach cause of sharks, no river cause of gators, the woods cause of snakes. . .I'm surprised we were even allowed to go to Orlando due to the freak hurricane that was sure to hit us out of season! (You know I love you, Kathy. Admit it, you're chuckling right now!)
The kids (and my) favorite by far, was the animal show. As is evident by their faces!
Gannon and London as the show was starting.
Taygen watching the parrot fly in front of the blue screen.
Bae and Brek watching the dogs run around after the pig "let the dogs out."
As we were leaving the park, I swapped that sweatshirt (yes, the one that I wore all day) for a t-shirt. The salesclerk just smiled at me as I marched in with my receipt and asked for an exchange. He nodded his head, and motioned me to grab another one. Kathy was mortified ('cause they knew what I was doing, she said) I was thrilled that I hadn't wasted $20 on something I'd never wear again. I might add that I've already worn that tshirt too!
It was a long, but fun day. The kids slept almost the whole way back home, making even the bumper to bumper rush hour traffic we got caught in almost enjoyable. There were a few lessons learned from the day, though. #1 Don't go to an amusement park on Spring Break 'cause that's when everyone goes! (a few of the rides had a 2 hour wait) #2 Always bring a jacket, even if the weather channel says it's going to be 102 degrees, cause you never know (and neither do they!) #3 Never leave to head home around 5-ish, you'll get stuck in rush hour traffic #4 Remember to bring a small fortune for souvenirs (you'll need every penny) #5 Take pictures of the kids sleeping on the way home. You'll need that memory to remind yourself of the times that they behave like angels. (usually when they're sleeping!)
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