cat house

Not sure if this is the new cat house, or Jack's new jungle gym. This was Pita's house (Bob/Diane's cat) but she didn't use it that much and we took it over. Brought it home last night and the cat's loved it. Jack loves it as well. lol

demolition man

Santa brought Jack blocks. He loves them IF he can take them apart or demolish something we made. He has no desire to put them together, only take them apart. Such a boy.

Merry Christmas

Cam and Ri are THRILLED with their new laptops. Whatever will we do without the constant bickering on computer time? I am sure they will find something. lol

Griffin is busy playing with his Nitendo gameboy DS lite. Grandma Diane/Papa Bob got him a Leapster laptop so he didn't feel left out. He loves that as well! We will probably look for additional games for it with his Toys R Us gc he got. {additional games, game boy accessories, transformers, alarm clock, etc round out the loot}

Jack, well, you can see here what he got from Santa. Jumbo lego blocks, clothes, new scooby doo bedding, playground balls, Backyardigans DVD (thank goodness as I was so sick of the one we listen to each and every day!), dump truck and a gc to TRU too.

Gotta say Southern FL doesn't seem like Christmas whatsoever. Even LV has more of a Xmas spirit than here. lol Hope your day is wonderful and don't eat too many cookies and get sick! xoxoxo Love and kisses!

Riley the photographer

Riley was taking pictures of his brothers on Sunday. Thought I might share.

first break

Well, the time has come for Grif to break a bone. It happened during a scrimmage soccer game on a Wednesday. He refused to let me take him to the ER that night. We iced it all night. He even went to school the next day. When we picked him up it was still tender so we took him to the family doc. They xrayed it and it was indeed broken. He got a cast last Friday. A water proof one. Not sure why he got a turg lt blue. He has ALWAYS been my black and red boy. Strange. Soccer is on the back burner til we get back from Disney. (that is during MLK weekend in Jan) The cast is waterproof so it takes most of the inconvience out of this.

National Allstars

Ri's team won! Woo Hoo! He played about a 1/4 of the game. I think of Ri as huge but he looks so small against some of the other players who are nearing 300 pounds! I just don't understand how anyone under 15 can be so big. Ri is freaking out if he goes past 155! {um, will someone tell him he is 25 pounds underweight for 6'+ } Anyways, wanted to share a picture of him in his jersy with a picture of his trophy he got. His number wasn't avaiable (42) and last years number was an XL, and that was entirely too big (he is wearing a small here). Football is over for 2007, thank goodness, I need a break.

Miss Fancy Pants

Grif had a create-a-bug project to do this month. It was assigned the day he was home sick from school. I completely forgot about it til Sun at 3am! True it wasn't due until this Friday the 16th but between soccer practice that started this week and Football Allstar practice, regular homework, dinner and everything else, there is no time! I got a marker out, wrote on my hand BUG and went back to bed. Yesterday we worked on it for several hours. Thank goodness these were to be inventive make believe bugs. They needed to be based in reality however. We were told as parents to add whatever we had onhand to decorate. We had a handout of the normal parts. (compound eyes, throax-3 body segments, 6 legs, 2-4 antenae, wings) The rest we were to decorate. Let me introduce Miss Fancy Pants. I bought no supplies for this. I had everything. We were given a few toothpicks, 3 pipe cleaners and 3 white syrofoam balls. We turned it in early as the cats will destroy anything with feathers. (Guess the bird has been teasing them lately)

first fever

Jack has his first fever. I suppose I should be extremely thankful he has been such a healthy baby. He will be 17 months on Friday. He doesn't have many other symptoms. He went to bed early & got up early, very-very warm. Gave him motrin. He was fine until it wore off. I gave him more and he seems to be back to normal. Strange. I am sure it came from either Grif's bug last weekend or perhaps something from the docs offices. He is cutting teeth but he would have gotton fevers before if it had to do with that.

sheet head

My littlest monster has a LOVE of pillows. He will take any pillow he can get his hands on. We even bought 2 different size "travel" pillows so he could have a Jack-sized pillow for his bed. He stole my pillow last night and it's case was on it's last legs anyways. It ripped in 2. He put the torn fabric on his head and a few twists and "presto-chango", you have a beautiful turban!

beach combing

Last Friday BEFORE Grif got sick, Chris, Jack and I headed to the beach to see what kind of damage the storm had made. (less sand, but it is still there) Here are a few pictures of our outing.

roflmao

Omygod, I haven't laughed that hard in quite some time. Chris has been getting off work about the time I wake up. I was brushing my teeth getting ready to wake the boys this morning when he walked it. He was pale and aggitated. I asked what was wrong. I was nervous as he rode his motorcycle home from work. Nope, no problem til he walked up the stairs. When he got to the door he was face to face with what he thought was a Jamacian afro. (at 5:45 am ) It took him awhile to realize I had hung a wreath at the door at eye level. True it is a pretty floppy wreath made with emu feathers. All the lights on the 3rd floor landing have burnt out. I have complained 3 times. He will be going down to the office today to demand they change them.
I said "you had your helmet on, you were protected".
He said, "what was I gonna do, head butt him?"
I bust up laughing telling the boys the story. I probably laughed for 45 minutes straight. He was so serious, and to think I wasn't trying to scare him. The wreath was hanging on the door yesterday when he left, he is just oblivious!

ALL STARS

Riley made the All Stars team. They practice the 12-16th. Game is the 17th. One of the coaches will be one of Ri's asst coaches so he at least knows someone, other than the 3 other guys from his team. The end of the season BBQ is the 18th. I will be bombarded with pleas to let him play in the community league one more year vs playing for high school. I suppose I should let Ri decide but I am not sure he is thinking clearly, he hates letting anyone down. Wish you could all come and watch him play.

hospital

Well, I guess I this is home now. We have spent time in the ER and had a hospital addmission. Grif has had his first asthma attack in 2 years this weekend. He has the starting of pnomonia as well. We went in early early Saturday aftyer a long Friday night debating on whether it was a cold/virus or it was asthma. Finally after numberous medicines/breathing treatments/xrays he was released Sunday at 6pm. Daddy stayed with him the entire time. (which I do believe that was easier than the football with baby, costco ect) He is staying home from school today. He is much too hyper from all these meds. No teacher should have to deal with that!

10-2

Ri's football team ended it's season in the 2nd round semifinals. They had a great season however. 10-2 is nothing to be ashamed of. This is the best season any "unlimited" team in the Chargers history. There is a chance he could play all-stars on the 17th. I am just thankful no more practices, no more lost Saturdays. No more trying to keep Jack occupied for hours and hours. Give me a few weeks and I will be complaining about Grif's soccer. :)

Panthers

We took the boys to their first pro hockey game. Um, first ice hockey game period. Cam was working, nor would he have wanted to go anyways. The Panthers practice ice is a 1/4" mile from our house. (where Ri goes every Friday night to skate) They play at the Bank Atlantic Stadium, 10 minutes by the expressway. (Does everyone else feel the naming places by who sponcers the stadium as annoying as I do?) They had trick or treating at the stadium. A lot dryer than outside. No wind and not a fraction as crowded as the mall was. It made for cool audience photo shots with every one dressed up too. They had nose bleed tickets for 17$ a piece last night. Someone gave us a bogo free coupon. 38$ for a pro game, not bad for 5 of us! (Jack is still free) Jack was suppose to be a dragon, but he HATED the dragon head portion of the costume. We dug out a too big for him bumble bee jacket to keep him warm and he was as happy as can bee! They all asked when we could go again. I am sure we will be back very soon. I will say sitting in a ice stadium makes you feel like it is fall. We ended up having to buy Jack a pair of pants before hand as we realized he outgrew everything he owned. lol Sure glad I brought a jacket. Brrrrrr

It's a start

Jack took 4 steps for Chris and I yesterday afternoon. Woo Hoo! Progress. We KNOW he is capable but he is so stubborn. I am having a TERRIBLE time keeping him off the kitchen table, the computer desk, my dressers. If it possible to climb it, he will attempt it. No fear what so ever.

The storm Noel is bringing us some wind. Time will tell if we get our first hurricane. I am not stressed out. We will get a ton of rain no matter what. I hope we don't get a rained out football game Saturday. Chris actually is gonna be able to catch this game.

bad monkey

playoffs, round 2

We made the playoffs in football. We also won the first round! It was a very wet, wet game last night. Umbrellas didn't help one bit. Drenched to the bone. 22 to 12. We play PPO next week and if we survive that, onto the superbowl! Okay, when we survive that. lol The week after the superbowl is the all-star game. Ri has been nominated for the team. They won't announce the players until the superbowl is over though. The players vote here. And to think, I thought the football season was almost over. Okay, 3 more weeks left no matter what. Then we try and convince Ri to play high school ball next year. He is young enough to continue playing in the league but he can play for JV. I figure taxes pay for high school ball. Less expences. Plus they provide transportation. It gets him practice for playing varsity, learn the game better and know the coaches. If he plays prep another year, he would probably sit on the bench his sophmore year. AND practices are after school, not after dinner. No delays in game time either.

check up

On Tuesday I realized Jack was 16 months. I supposed I should get him in for his 15 month checkup. Imagine my surprise when I went online and the doc's office had appts avaiable right then! I got him dressed and I took him in. I was avoiding it as I didn't want to tell them he wasn't walking yet. I kept thinking, wait a week, he will be walking then. Never happened.

He is 24 lbs 7 oz. 31.25" long. He got 3 shots. He had a reaction to one of them. The site swelled to a golf ball. Hard, hot and red. My first reaction for any of the boys. It is all better this morning. He is 50% in height, weight and head circumfrence. We go back mid Decemeber to make sure he is walking by then and to get a flu shot.

He is pretty average other than the walking part. He crawled late too. He can crawl faster than most adults can run now. He climbs EVERYTHING. Silly monkey.

Jet and Raven

Okay, here are my kitties. Jet and Raven. I wanted matchy names. I also wanted something to refer to their black color. I also wanted something that were opposites. Can you see my connection? The NY Jets and Baltimore Ravens are rivals. :)

PTC

I had Griffin's second parent teacher conference on Tuesday. She had told me that he was still having meltdowns when the interim (progress reports) came home. However since that time, he is doing a lot better. Not perfect by any means. He had his first melt down in reading group 2 weeks ago. He got in trouble for wrestling in class yesterday. But that was the worst of it. She says he is sitting by himself by request. He can't seem to control the urge to talk in a group table. He isn't the only one. She has about 6 individual stations throughout. He has a lot of friends. His spelling is 100%. (should be as this is review, but he is also getting the bonus words) His math is btwn 88-100%. She says he is a doll.

The last 2 times I have had notes come home about him misbehaving it was on Wednesdays. This is ice cream day. One more Wednesday trouble session, Grif won't be getting ice cream at school any more. I took away privileges to daddy's video games for a week for this time. Oh, did I mention that he broke his lamp, well the bulb, last week and instead of telling someone, he slept with glass under his covers? What the heck is he thinking?!!! He lost one of his front teeth this week. HE has plenty of other loose teeth as well. I must remember to keep tooth fairy money in the house just in case.

Cameron goes back to the surgeon today to check the healing on his ears. I don't think the stitches would be ready to come out after 3 days but who knows?

Riley's football is in 3rd place. He may be in 2nd if they win the next 2 games. One should be a no brainer as they haven't won any all year. The last game of the season should also be a easy win, but they however have won a few. We just don't want to play the team we lost in the playoffs. We would rather play them in the Superbowl instead.

I acquired a second black cat. I know, you are all rolling your eyes. They look almost indentical. One has a tuft of what at the throat, not much, but nought to notice up close, while the other only has a few white hairs (premature graying at 6 months? lol ) . The new kitty (female has a shorter tail, thicker softer fur and golden eyes. She is a jumper. She loves being up high. Jet, my original and neutered has a very long tail and wiry silky fur. He is playful and attacks anything that moves. Very smart too. When they are running around chasing one another, you have no clue as to who is who. They both want to sleep with you and both wake you up at 4 am to be pet. I will be taking the newest one in for her spaying and shots this next week. A friend of Cameron's begged us to take her, he couldn't have her at his new apt. It has taken 2 days of hissing but I think they like one another now.

Cameron is going to Orlando this Friday for the Horror Nights at Universal Studios. Chris is going to Daytona next weekend for a motorcycle show with a co worker. Me...all I do is taxi everyone, read a few books and go to the store, football on Saturdays. I buy at least 6 gallons of milk a week, a large package of been burritos, cereal by the truck load, ramen or spagettios, some kind of muffin/brownie mix, sandwich makings and goldfish crackers. (Cam and Ri eat them like no tomorrow, and to think I got them thinking Jack might like them) We go thru body spray, sinus/allergy medicine, shampoo/conditioner at an alarming rate as well.

Jack's pumpkins

Jack won't leave my touch of fall alone.

more pictures

The jugs on top the curio cabinet are clean empties to store water in if we get a hurricane warning.