'tis the season...

...  to view one of the best videos ever made.

you are welcome.

xoxo

http://chrisandjaynefamily.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2011-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&updated-max=2012-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&max-results=50

one flew away...

...this august.



she packed her bags and moved to utah.

because we (chris and i) are what they call "helicopter parents," we packed our own bags and went with her.

to utah.

but, we did what good helicopter parents do.  we came home.

with  broken hearts. that may sound a bit dramatic, but it's a weird, sad feeling letting go of the baby you held, and smelled, and fed from your body, and tickled, and laughed with, and braided their baby hairs, and taught them to say MOM and DAD, and held their tiny hands SO many times. 18 years is a long time to nurture and love.  so when that baby isn't tiny anymore, and wants to leave more than stay, it sort of rips your heart into pieces.

even when that baby sometimes would make me want to kick her to the moon!
just for a visit.
i never wanted her to stay on the moon forever.

and i guess that's what makes it easier.  she's coming back!!  she wants to pack some bags and come back home for a visit.

she misses us.

and when she is here, i'll be the best helicopter parent ever!

i'll make breakfast for her. (but only if she gets out of bed before noon.)

i'll drive her wherever she needs to go. (but only if she makes her bed.)

i'll do her laundry at least once.  (if she asks me nicely.)

i'll even braid her hair over and over again.

but most of all,  i do hope she will take my hand in hers for a moment as she remembers me taking hers.

halloween 2013

The House

A SCARY STORY

By Noah Thomas

Well, in my neighborhood, there is this old creepy house.  It looks like an old log cabin.  They say that there is a legend that goes a little like this…

One Friday a group of neighborhood kids wanted to have a sleepover.  They wanted to sleep at the abandoned house.  This was the house that in one window you could see a doll looking out. The oldest kid was a big jerk and the bully of the neighborhood.  The youngest was pushed around and just wanted to be cool and accepted by all the bigger kids. They all confirmed with their parents, telling each parent they would be at a different house. 

When they got to the house, they opened the door- CCCCRRREEEKKK!!!  As they walked in, the doll wasn’t in the window.  That made them a little nervous, but no one said anything. Every step they took, they heard CCCCRRRREEEKKK, CCCCRRREEEEKKK, CCCRRREEEEEEEEEKKKK.  Everyone went upstairs and got ready to go to bed, but not without scary stories, of course.

They fell asleep, one, by one.  Later, every boy was woken up by a big crack of thunder. 

“What was that?!” they all said. 

Then all of a sudden they all heard a voice in the dark.

“Come little children.  Come one and all.  Come little children, I shall take you all,” followed by an evil laugh. 

Every one screamed like little girls!  The bully of the group forced the youngest to go check it out.  The youngest boy went downstairs.  One minute later…

“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!” was all everyone else could hear.  Then after the scream, they heard that squeaky voice again saying, “That’s one. Four more,” followed by the same evil laugh.

“I’ll go check it out,” said the bully. He went over to the railing of the staircase, looked over and saw a creepy doll with a bloody knife, standing over a bloody head.

Then three of the younger boys went downstairs, but not the bully.  He was too scared.  Three minutes later there was another scream.  “AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“That’s four.  One more.  Here I come.  I’m gonna get you.  I’m gonna get you.  I’m gonna get you,” said the scary doll.  “The bully thinks he’s gonna survive.  Not today.  Not ever.”

The bully grabbed a baseball bat that he had used for the scary story he told at bedtime.  He was whacking, and crying and kicking, and screaming like crazy as the scary doll attacked him.

“Please don’t hurt me!” the bully cried.

“Too bad!  So sad!” said the doll as she cut his head off.  “Now I have five more heads to add to my collection of 896,154,851,111,976,543,128.”

THE END

or is it?

here's lana's scary story

had a dog...

...for 5 days.  it was perfect until thursday night.  that's when the dog went pet cemetary on us.
it really was the perfect pet for 4 days.  no barking.  sweet.  mild.  loved kids.  went for walks.
let us bathe her.  let us cut her hair.  let us hold her. i actually, for maybe two or three seconds thought maybe we could handle a dog.

but then, thursday night, lana asked if she could sleep with her in her room.  we said yes.  i was giving her away the next day.  it would be fun for lana.

about 11:00pm, chris and i went up to bed.  i saw the light from under lana's door.  so, being the great mom that i am, i quietly opened her door to turn out the lights, and that's when the dog went CRAZY!!!!

SHE STARTED SNARLING AND BARKING AND JUMPED OFF LANA'S BED AND CHARGED AT ME.  chris was behind me and got all alpha dog and was saying in a very stern voice, "stop it. you be quiet."  the dog didn't listen to him.  she just charged at my ankle.  i sort of bent over to see if she would calm down and didn't.  chased us out of the room.

so, because we are great parents, we left the dog with lana, shut her door, and went to bed.  i did say a prayer that the dog wouldn't attack lana's face during the night.

morning came.  lana got up when chris knocked on her door to wake her for school.  he opened the door and the dog charged again.  lana got up quickly and raced after the dog, stepping on the treat the dog left for her right in front of her door.  the dog ran from the room, barking and snarling and chasing the poor cat.

the dog was taken to the garage, where she waited for the crazy lady, twinkie b, to come take her and sell her to a puppy mill.

the 4 days we housed the dog, those days were bliss.

the 5th day reminded me why i don't ever want a dog.  never. ever.

but she was super cute.

Last night...

...had these conversations with eddie.

i'm folding laundry.  eddie is around me, trying to find food to eat.
eddie comes behind me and says in my ear;  "mom, who do you think the funniest person in the family is?"
me:  "i already told you before, i think i'm the funniest person in the family," .
eddie:  "who's the next funniest?" 
me:  "i think dad is really funny,"
eddie:  "ok, who is your funniest kid?" 
me:  "i think you are, and ceily is really funny.  lana is funny too.  all my kids are funny."
eddie:  "come on, lana?  how is she funny?"
me:  "she's starting to say funny things."
eddie:  "ceily? come on. really, who do you think is the funniest?"
me:  "really, i think everyone is funny"
eddie:  "noah is funny?  what does noah say that's funny?"
me:  " he's still young, he'll get there."
eddie:  "well, lana and noah say i'm the funniest, so there.  i'm your funniest child."

me:  "so you're going fishing for homecomming?  who's going with you?"
eddie:  "yea, me and brady.  it will be so awesome taking a picature of us with our bass.  HOMECOMING DATES!!"
me:  "is anyone else going? going to invite any girls?"
eddie:  "well, we already have one girl that wants to go, but she's the date of another friend, so that might not be a good thing to take his date fishing."
me:  "how come you decided not to go to the dance? is (girl he likes) upset you aren't going? did she say anything?"
eddie:  "i don't know. she's kinda getting annoying.  like when i want to just relax, or not do anything, or just sit and watch netflix, she's always texting me and wants to talk.  when i said i was going to grow my hair out she got all controlling. she said it was going to stay the length it is now.  that's all the more reason to grow my hair out!!  it's going to be awesome!

AND

had this conversation with ceily. (she has a pain in her side.)

ceily:  "mom, do you think i'm having a heart attack?"
me:  "no.  you are not having a heart attack."
ceily:  "but my arm is numb.  it's starting to get numb."
me:  "that would mean a stroke, and you're not having a stroke."
ceily:  "but, what if i was?"
me:  "you're not."
ceily:  "are my rib cages cracked?  will you crack them, because it will probably feel better."
me:  "no."

fall update

october brings cool air.
pretty leaves falling with color.
and a month into school days.

noah is my forth grader.
has lana's forth grade teacher.
he's cool.  we like him.
noah's cool too.  we like him too.


he's playing lacrosse for the first time.
sort of enjoying.  hoping he has a better season next time.
signed up for basketball.  very excited.
he's HUGE!  i can't seem to keep up with his growth.
wearing eddie's clothes from last year.



this summer he conquered his fear of amusement park rides.
he's brave and can handle roller coasters now. click on the video and see how much he enjoys his ride.
he's a sweetheart.  keeps telling me lately what a great mom i am.
(maybe it's because i finally gave him his ipod back after a long time.)
love this 9 year old.

lana is almost 12.  crazy. crazy. crazy.
she's my 6th grader this year.  loves! middle school.
chris and i were very nervous she was going to have a hard time.
last year was awful.  awful year. awful teacher.


but she's laughing out loud again.  she's chatty cathy after school.
she has funny stories to tell.
she's fun to have around.
even does her homework.  alone.  i'm glad i don't have to repeat the 6th grade this year.


she's decided she wants to become a photographer.
playing soccer again.
she's a natural with little ones.  they love her.  she loves them.
beautiful.
i love her.

eddie is big man on campus.  well, at least in his eyes he is.
he's my freshman.


he decided over the summer to cut the fro.  he's regretting that decision.
but he really wanted a flat top.



only 14.  acts older most the time.
he's my comedian.
he's my gentleman.
he loves seminary and has been heard saying it's the best thing about high school.
he also loves shoes. he talks to me about shoes a lot. shows me pictures of shoes.
asks me to buy him shoes.
takes money to church to buy shoes.
he is big into lacrosse.
played travel over the summer.
playing jv this year.
it's fun to watch him play.
talks about lacrosse jackets too.
really do enjoy having him around.
he's been super kind and sweet to everyone that lives at our house too.
love him.

ceily jayne is awesome.
we always have more fun when she's around.
she likes to sleep, so we really enjoy her when she crawls from her bed covers.


she's sweet.  turns 17 in a month.
loves art. enrolled in two art classes this year.
hates to drive.

STILL waiting for her to get her drivers license.
doesn't have a desire to get her drivers license though.
she probably has realized she wont be able to take selfies anymore in the car if she's the one driving.
she's cute, and charming, and fun, and funny, and witty.  wears her heart on her sleeve.
makes me laugh.  makes me happy.  never a dull or a quiet moment when she's in the room.
beautiful inside and out.

love these kids. a lot.
they drive me completely crazy at times.  why can't they keep their rooms clean?  or at least clean them when i ask the first 10 times?  why can't they shut cupboard doors? why don't they cook me dinner every night?
i was telling someone the other day how i miss my little babies.
but there's something really good about sitting down with your older children and they talk to you and you listen and your heart swells because they are good and making good choices.
then we laugh together and i wish it would never end.

announcing a new post...

...just like JT.  (that's justin timberlake) at least i didn't wait 7 years to blog.
(my new fav song, btw.)

i don't know who it was that inspired jt to get his groove back on.
my aunt jan gave me a nudge recently.
my children too.

biggest news around here lately is we got a kitten.  that was in october.  my dad and my sister summer have commented on how lana and i have posted way too many pictures of our kitty on instagram.  my dad may have even threatened to un-follow lana if she posted one more picture.   (yep.  truth.  a grandpa un-following his granddaughter.)

so as not to go too long without a picture of our dobs-  here he is.

actually, this is a picture noah created of his 2012 halloween costume.
love.it.



this is the real dobs.
we really like him.
well i really hate that he has ruined my couch with his claws.
and that he jumps onto the kitchen counters. always.
or that he doesn't keep the litter in the litter box.
and that he wont even look at me sometimes.
and he stole a piece of chicken tonight.
all that and more...but i'm pretty sure he will appear on this blog again.

but what i really like most:

him and her.

her.

and him.

♥