We bought the boys adult digital cameras and are strongly encouragng them to express themselves through photography. They have done really well. We want more for them than video games, the computer and movies/tv. We started teaching them to edit on photoshop as well. Samuel edits all his pictures by himself. He asked me to teach him a new tool everyday. We are working on it. We are only up to 4 or 5. I feel like this might be a good back up plan for their future. I lay and try and think of ways to possibly better their lives later when it matters even more. I thought teaching them photography might do that a little, who knows.



sraymondphotography.blogspot.com

sawyerjamesphotography.blogspot.com

We have a bunch of weekends booked for Great Wolf Lodge and I am excited about that.

I am so excited to have a day off a month. It has gone so well. I have spent so much more time in Samuel's class and I came to a big conclusion. I love that school!!!!! It took me actually being there to know it. I love the parents, the kids, the teachers...I love it. I cannot tell you how much I am sure that is where we are supposed to be. I know next year he will have a new teacher but I am hoping that we like her. I couldn't stand his teacher this year at first and the feeling was mutual. Well, on the field trip, she said in front of 3 other mothers that she wished I could just stay with her because I was so much help. WHOO WEE!! I felt awesome. I was so glad that we saw each other for what we really were/are.

I think of my homeschooling stint now and I wanna be sick. In hind sight, it was the worst move for me. I just had no idea!! There are days that I still feel like I do homeschool since I listen to or read 10 books plus a week to Samuel for school. We are talking seriously long books too. We also make him go over everything he missed on worksheets and tests from school. We review things every night. I think I might do as much as I did when I homeschooled. The best part is that he gets to go during the day and feel like he is doing things on his own. There is no doubt that, for me, homeschool hurt my son in some areas. He learned a ton, don't get me wrong, but he just needed to be social, to have a teacher and to be himself more. He just flourishes there.

Last year or the year before, I went to the public school that Samuel would have gone to. You guys probably remember. I went for a carnival. Well, for the most part I was horrified at the behavior of a lot of parents and even of the kids. I can honestly say that it is SOOOO different at St. Joes. I would say that if anything the parents appear too perfect, too put together for reality. But, I love that they are very professional around the kids. I love the kids too. There are 3-5 in Samuel's class that are outright bad. But, they are dealt with in such a professional way. I found a couple of them hard to deal with at the field trip. I was a little ill prepared for how bad this one girl could be. I was trying to deal with her when I felt something on my shoulder. It was a gorgeous momma in fancy shoes pulling me back to set that little girl straight. I laughed out loud. She has obviously had experience with this little blessing.

I love that St. Joes has only one class per grade so the children will grow up together. Samuel has made very nice friends. He was able to invite 3 to a special weekend at Great Wolf and he had a hard time picking just 3. I love the way the parents speak to the children like they know them so well. They do know them so well. It is like the parents all have such interest in all the kids.

Samuel loves that the kids love me. I am not sure why they are so into me at this point. I think it is the newness. We had to decide that I would sit alone in the bus because so many wanted to sit with me. They are so cute. It was all girls of course. They are obsessed with my breasts and ask me how I got them so big, what kind of bra holds them up that good and why my bra strap shows so much...ha. I was cracking up at them. Most of them have teeny tiny moms!!

We had considered having Samuel go in to the 4th grade next year instead of 3rd but there is no way I would now. I want him to stay with these kids. I also know that he will be challenged no matter where he is in that school. They have a woman who is in charge of that. She kinda gets on my nerves though. I asked her this simple question at open house. I said "How do you decide when a child needs to come out of their classroom during reading?" She said and no I am not kidding, "You would be surprised how many moms think their kids are the smartest alive. You might be surprised to see that a lot of St. Joes students are also smart". I swear I must have had question marks shooting out of my ears, mouth..every where. Our tour guide (also the dad of one of Smauel's friends) stepped right in and said that he didn't think I was suggesting any of that. When we walked away, he laughed and apologized for her. So, now when I see her, I always say to Samuel that I don't like her. He laughs and says that she is very nice.

I have so many things i wanna tell you but I have so little time. Remind me to tell you about 31...I can't wait.

This weekend, my bestest buddy on the planet is coming to see me. She wrote a few weeks ago that she needed to see me soon that she was getting stressed. So, we are putting her family up at the Great Wolf Lodge this weekend. We will be going there to see her tomorrow. I am so excited! Because she is a pastor, they are leaving Saturday night to drive home.

I am excited about Carrie having her baby. I am doing her infant shoot at the hospital so hopefully she will post the pics from that. Baby Stella, we are excited to meet you and kiss your little head!!!

I can't go to her shower because i have a college reunion day planned. My husband hasn't said a word yet but he has to be sick of my social life lately. Bewteen school events, HS friends getting together, college reunions, church girlfriends and photo shoots I am here less and less. I love it though. I am so happy and so thankful for my incredible life.

Well I hope this makes a certain woman happy. It is a blog post with substance isn't it???

I had a newborn shoot on Saturday and I was so excited. Steve and I shot the wedding of this couple so it was cool that we also shot their first baby pics. Both shoots, the wedding and the hospital shoots, were booked by the new mom's parents. At the wedding the bride seemed angry to have us there. We got beautiful shots but very few of her as the bride. It became a joke with the two of us that she hated me. She would barely giggle and say "nah I love your pictures". She is just not a smiley, happy person it appears.

So, when I got the call to do the hospital shoot, I asked her mom to call and ask Andrea specifically if she wanted me there. I didn't want to go if this was just for her parents. She called me back and said that Andrea wanted us there and we could go at 5.

Steve and I went in armed with my infant setup..fluffy blankets, a basket, a few lens. She hardly said a word. I asked her if I should just take the baby (his daddy had him) and she shook her head yes. So I did (and wanted to kiss him) and started shooting. I tried to stay very quiet yet be friendly. I asked if the outfit had a special meaning. She said no but that they call him MonkeyButt and the outfit had a monkey on his butt. That was a lot of personality for her. So, I took straight on shots, normal ones..everyday boring shots. Then I asked if she wanted to hold the baby, hold his hand, kiss him, hold him up for me etc. She just shrugged her shoulders! I was like ...ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? So, I went on taking the same poses being very thankful that he was awake most of the time. I left feeling unartistic, uncreative. I had such plans.

I decided right then that I won't do another one until I speak to the mom and see what she wants. I assumed many times during the shoot that she wouldn't want me to to lift him, turn him, prop him safely etc. but I really didn't know that.

Overall, the pictures were fine. I just wish I could have done all my blurry techniques etc. Oh well!

After her wedding and after the Chinese couple's wedding, both where the brides hated having their pics taken, I added a whole section to our wedding contract about it. The last couple I interviewed with laughed at the section and couldn't imagine paying all that money to refuse to smile. So, I learn more everyday about it. They signed several months ago and their wedding is May 22. So, we shall see!!

This is the class picture from Samuel's Jesus Retreat. I had 25 of them printed for the class. I can't wait to send them in. The other is a picture of Samuel with Mr. Hicks, his principal and Mrs. Baden, his teacher. This was after First Communion. I have grown to really love his teacher. It is odd how close you feel to a woman who spends so much time with your baby.

Posty Post Butty Heads

This could be 14 days long!! I have a lot going on.

So, I made a huge decision for my center and I am not sure if I posted about it or not. Anyway, I decided that even though I am always "there" for my kids, I was so disconnected to Samuel's school and I hated it. He made a few comments about me being the only mom that had not gone on a field trip etc. So, a change had to be made! I considered quitting my job..over and over again. It was pretty certain I would when Steve found a job. Then, I realized that I make very good money and that I would have to work very hard at photography to make that kind of money. This job and the money are already here.

So, I wrote the families (5) a letter explaining that I would be taking one day off every single month. Every month without fail. I would NOT charge them for this day and it would not be the same day every month. I promised a 2 week notice and more if I could. I waited to see what they would say...knowing at least one would not take it well. Oh and I also told them that on Sept 1, I would be raising my prices by $5 a week..to $130 a week. I gave them plenty of notice in case that would not work for any of them.

Most took it well. I had one mom so mad that she barely spoke to me the next morning. She was livid about the day off. So, I took a day of her silent treatment and then put in the daily report to everyone that if anyone had a problem with the change, they needed to give notice. I was spending time with my kids and I would not apologize for this move. I reminded them that I have a waiting list and would go to it if anyone could not handle the change.

Miraculously, she got over it. I was sick at first about losing $150 for one day off but I can't think of it like that. I had to think of it as a wonderful opportunity to be in the classroom, actually take my kids to their dentist's appointments, and to spend an entire week day with my children. Now, I have a hard time picking only one day.

My first day off was last week. I chose it because Samuel's class was doing an all day Jesus Retreat..kinda like VBS. We had stations all over the gym and the children came to each station. I was in charge of the bread making station because of my skills in the baking department...SM. Another mom was actually in charge, I just helped! This mom asked me to go to breakfast with her that morning because we were early. That was nice.

Halfway through the retreat, my bread making partner and breakfast buddy collapsed on the floor. Yep! So I ran over and called for help. Everyone ran over and we thought she was fine at first. They walked away and she was talking crazy while she was still on the floor. I told her I wanted to put her on her chair. I lifted her to her chair. The next day, I was in serious pain. It was intense pain from lifting her and she was a small lady. Anyway, after hearing her say things that made no sense, I asked another mom to help me. They ended up calling an ambulance and they kept her at the hospital the rest of the retreat until her blood sugar was normal. She is diabetic and has MS apparently! I saw her Friday night and Sunday at Mass and she was fine. I wanted to ask her so bad if a monkey really had stale cheese under her bed but I didn't think it was appropriate.

Last week was a huge week for the 2nd graders of SJCS..they were celebrating their first Communion. Thurs was the retreat, Friday was bread making at the teacher's house and Sunday was Communion. It was sooooooooo busy for all of us. We had to send in stuff everyday, sign permission slips...etc.etc. NUTS!!! Samuel obviously did not take first Communion but we went to support his class and take video and pics. He also had a solo.

Just going that one day has made all the kids know me. Samuel loves that they love me. He thinks that is just wonderful. The other moms are quite fashionable and mostly gorgeous. They mostly have money and mostly attended the same school when they were little. In fact, one boy is a 4th generation SJCS student. The school is 100 years old. I feel pretty comfortable. I find myself very unimpressed with fancy bags and shoes. I like women who wear them but I just do not find it impressive. At Mass, they were all wearing at least a shade of the lime green that is so popular. I decided that I was much less cool than I even thought. I was so proud and happy to have on an outfit that fit and had zero stains. I decided one day I would look up the "color" of the season and wear it just for the fun of it!! I might throw in a fancy bag too.

So, on my first day off, I spent it at school ruining bread, my back and any chance to walk the runway and then I was able to take Samuel home with me. We left with his friend Emari and went straight out to my in laws to pick Sawyer up. I spent the rest of the day playing with my boys (Emari included since he is here A LOT) and then I went to bed such a happy mommy. The money lost never crossed my mind that day.

My May day off is the 7th because Samuel has a trip to the IMAGO center. I looked it up and I think it is an environmental place. RIGHT UP MY ALLEY...just like the bread. But, I am happy to be there again. For June, my plan is to take off Samuel's last day of school so I can take them straight to Great Wolf afterwards for the weekend. I still do not know if I can get GWL that weekend though.

Steve's job is fantastic!~ Thanks for the prayers.

My dad is home again. I spoke to him a few minutes ago but he was out of it from being sleepy.

Photography is BOOMING and I am letting go of a lot this year. I am just too busy. I have every weekend booked with something through June.

I am very blessed and very happy. Have a great rest of the week.

i am perfect, totally perfect
things are perfect
i look perfect
i smell perfect
i eat perfect things
I sleep on a perfect bed
I talk on the perfect phone
and i write a perfect blog

THERE'S YOUR POST stinkers

Short Shortie

I have a summer helper so that is good.

We said no to the gorgeous, perfect space we looked at for Covert Creations Plus.

Steve hasn't found a job.

I decided not to go certified in my home center. I made all my big decisions Monday and wrote the 3 letters to the families that were affected. Two took it well, one, not so well.

We went ot Great Wolf again and I loved it. I wanna go again soon.

ey yi yi...how do you even spell that? Eye Yie Yie??

Goodness me...things are a bit crazy here. I wanna put it all on here except I have so little time.

Steve has found nothing lately in terms of a job. He had a good lead but so far he hasn't heard anything. It is getting harder for him to be here everyday. I loved the extra help at first with taking Samuel to school. But, now it is hard to be OVERLY busy and he is not.

We have so many big decisions to make. We are considering so many options right now. It is hard to figure out what we should do, ya know? Part of me believes that he lost his job so we could make our big move..like starting a business or whatever. I also feel like now is the worst time for that. We throw ideas around constantly and we are always listening to any ideas people have for us. Steve and I both agree that if the right business idea found us, we would sink half our savings into making it happen.

We have a few good ideas....based on our location (which is a great one by the way for a small business) and based on the people we have close to us that we can trust etc. My friend Kim who I talk to everyday, lives 6 blocks from us and she would help us if we needed her. She is at a point as well where she wants change. I would trust my life with her and people like that are hard to come by.

Covert Creations is still doing very well and has gotten a huge jolt since people saw spring right around the corner. If we do a brick and mortar business, it would at least be in part with photography.

Here are a few loose ideas for places near our house that we could lease:

MY FAVORITE!!! Covert Creations Photography and Creative Services:

I changed "images at the end to services". This would be a place for creativity. We would have a medium room for a photography studio, an office to meet photography clients and to organize all photography jobs. The main part would be a classroom/store. We will sell everything we could that encourages creativity...especially when it comes to children. We would sell kids craft kits...where the mom literally pulls out the supplies and helps the kids make the crafts. Those would be in just plastic bags. We would sell paint, paper, all kinds of glues. The biggest portion of the business, though would be classes, classes, classes. We would have day classes, night classes, Saturday classes. We would have birthday parties there with art classes for kids. We would do photography classes for kids, stamping classes for kids. We would do photo shop classes for adults. Whatever is popular at the time would be what we would teach. I thought a kids scrap booking class was a great idea too. We would also have all night scrap parties for adults with door prizes and demos. Classes usually cost around 10-15 dollars a person and most places book 10-12 people a class. So, that would be around $120 for an hour and a half or so. That is if we booked every class. We would also have all day photo shoots in the studio. We would do Easter Pictures with a live bunny, Santa pictures at Christmas etc.
I thought one of the things we would have is a package called something like Birthday Diva where young girls dress up for a photo shoot with different outfits etc. We could even offer a package where they bring all their girlfriends. They would get the experience and the CD with all their pictures to remember the day. We would never have to worry about having a studio space again.

The other Big idea is a doggie daycare/grooming/portrait business. We would run a doggie daycare but have services for grooming and pet portraits as well. Kim would be our expert on that since she worked in the vet field for so long. She also has great connections to vets in the area and animal services that might be a help in advertising.

But, who quits, who works? I am currently making 30K a year staying home with my kids. It is all just so much to think about. If Steve got a great job, it would work for me to do this. WHO KNOWS!!!

Another thing on my mind....

Then I have issues with not having enough space to accommodate new babies being born into my center. A family in my center wants me to take their baby being born in April but I am full. We are considering going certified and then being able to take 12 kids...with an assistant. Steve might do it but doesn't want to. I am not sure I wanna have 12 kids in my house even with a helper. If I pay someone full time, I end up making the same as now with 6 kids. UGH!!!

So, we have so much going on. My latest thing is needing a helper this summer one day a week. I called a certain blogger to ask her about it but she was NOT HOME or answering her cell. I want to offer it to moms with one child. They would come to my house every Wed (or another day we set up) and go with me to a field trip to the zoo or museum every week. She could bring her child but would need to help me totally while we were out. She also would need to drive a couple kids in her car. Then, after we got home, she would leave. It would be around 5-6 hours every Wed. I would pay her $60 for it but that would also need to go towards their gas. I would pay for parking if we had it. So, that is on my mind too. I have extra kids coming this summer and need to be able to go on field trips as promised. I also need to be able to trust the person. I am certain I can find a mom who is home for the summer who would love to make a little extra money.

Well, thanks for letting me vent all that. It is so poorly written but I don't have time to change it.
CHOW COW!

Things are going well. I just talked to my dad which always makes me feel good. I have the hardest time tracking him down since he needs to sleep a lot with being sick. He also stays with Cheryl sometimes and goes home sometimes. Thank you for all the prayers for him. Facebook has been a blessing for many reasons and during my dad's illnesses, it really has. I have people telling me everyday that they are praying for him by writing on my wall etc.

I took Samuel and his friend from school to the movies last night and to eat. They were cute. The little boy was soooo quiet. I had no idea if he had fun. I am not used to quiet children.

We had gotten a new lens on our camera and it was awesome BUT...my husband bought a fancy filter for it. He had read that it would make portraits softer and nicer. Well, it looked odd through the lens when I tried it but I got used to the look. I took all of Jamie's pics with it and all of Samuel's baptism pics with it. WELLLLLLL, it is not good. Jamie's pictures mostly seemed blurry to me. I was devastated because she finally gets her baby home and over here and her pics are slightly blurry. The good news with hers is that they are still good pictures. They are just not as clear as I am used to. The bad thing is that this filter is terrible for anything but portraits. Samuel's baptisms pics are pretty much garbage. Luckily, we videotaped it too.

So, the filter is off the new lens and things are looking much better. I questioned it when I stood there getting ready to take Jamie's pictures but I should have figured it out right then. I am just glad they still look okay and I didn't do it to 10 customers.

My lil man is getting new pajamas in the mail any day. Sullivan, I mean. He gets so cold so I ordered him full jammies. I will post pictures of him in them.

Sawyer and Sullivan spent the day with grandma yesterday. He peed in her house which surprised me so much as he is house broken here. I guess it was different surroundings.

Samuel and school are so fantastic. Who knew that all that boy needed was flippin frackin school??? I had no idea. Academically speaking, he did as well at home, probably better. But, he just loves school so much. He really likes his teacher now and I do too. She totally respects me now, you can tell. I also respect her much more than ever. She really cares for Samuel. She asked him to bring in Baptism pics so the whole class could see em. I sent them via email and she asked him to tell the class about it. He gets so mad when he has a day off school.

I do a lot of teaching at home like I promised myself. It was the only way I felt comfortable sending him. When we find out a concept they are either working on or starting, we work really hard at home on it. We worked on his cursive writing this weekend and started multiplication flash cards. It seems like a lot extra until I see him coming home happy that he knew it right away and didn't struggle. It beats fighting with him all day, everyday and seeing him so unhappy. He is the happiest I have ever seen him. His school though is so small and so intimate.

We have decided, as long as Steve finds another job, that we will send Samuel to St. Joes next year. As of now, I plan on homeschooling Sawyer through 2nd grade to make sure he gets the best start. My goal is to have him be a solid reader before sending him. I will also work much much harder on handwriting as Samuel is always in trouble over handwriting. He actually got a B in handwriting along with all his A's. I called Lura to warn her not to make the same mistake in Home schooling. It is easy to do. You get so excited that they are learning that the size and shape of their letters seem minor. But, if they ever go to school, it is a constant struggle. The only spelling tests where Samuel ever got anything less than 100 percent was when his h's or n's looked like the other. She doesn't mess around. She puts "neater please" on every paper he writes. Ugh, it is hard to re-teach him that.

I have another school thing we are struggling with but I will save it for another time. I was hoping for advice on it.

I was supposed to be at Jody's for the weekend and then to Lura's today. The snow stopped me...BLAH! So, I am going in 2 weeks instead. I can't wait. I miss my Jo and my Whites'. I love those White boys and can't wait to play with them. They are always so excited to do my craft or whatever I bring for them.

Have a great week everyone!

Hello All.

Things are going well with Steve out of work. He looks everyday and puts in his resume everywhere. If one has accidentally landed at your house I apologize...ha. He is trying to cover all his bases.

We had Family Game Night last night and that was fun. The boys love that simple stuff almost more than the bigger activities.

We have a new baby in our house. His name is Sullivan and I am in total and complete love with him. I feel like he is finally the dog I have always looked for. The other day someone said something HORRIBLY rude to us about our dog. Although my first instinct was to lash out and defend our actions, my husband told me to let it go. I had zero intentions of letting it go but the next day, I decided it was okay to do just that. But, with that said, I do want to explain about our dog in case other people wonder about why we would get a dog.

I am not a animal lover. I do not wish any harm on any animals and it does break my heart to hear of any animal abuse. I do not have a "heart" for animals that are on the side of the road wanting to rescue them etc. like my friend Kim does (she was a vet tech. for years). Animals just aren't my thing for the most part. We had dogs growing up and I always loved my dogs. I know my sister had a different relationship with them than I did but I did love them. My family cried for hours when one would die and I would feel very sad but got over it easier.

I always wanted a cocker spaniel so we got our dog Chesney 11 years ago. We got her from a breeder. For the first 8 years of her life Chesney got every shot she was supposed to get, she continues to be licensed every year, and she has never slept outside. She does go out early in the morning to our fenced in yard and she comes back in to go to bed at night. When it is very cold or very hot, we get her in the middle of the day or sooner out of the yard. She HATES to come in. She wants to be outside. We have to chase her to get her in if we try to do it mid day. This dog loves to be outside, to run in her yard. She is perfectly house broken and is not mean spirited or anything but is still as wild as the days when she was a puppy. The boys play with her almost everyday in the yard when it is nice out. She just chases them around the yard. She is terrible with other dogs and growls and lunges at them. She is not well behaved when it comes to staying with us, being around other dogs or sitting nicely as we watch TV. I was always disappointed that she was so wild and so unwilling to sit in my lap and let me just pet her. She loves us but is so independent and would rather play in her yard. If you say "you wanna go in your yard?"..she goes bananas. That is where she wants to be. She is groomed every summer due to getting matted easily. She is still taken to the vet if she has any medical issues. We do the heartworm and flea treatments. She has had very few problems since we have not allowed her to eat anything but her one kind of food after being warned of cocker's high chances of getting sick on food and getting fat and having health problems.

I would have loved to take Chesny places with us, take her to dog parks, put her on our Christmas card, let her run the house etc. but SHE wasn't that kind of dog. That is not my fault. We didn't buy Chesney and then put her on the streets or let her rot. She sleeps in our room every single night and has never slept anywhere else other than a trip to Steve's parent's house once. She is still very healthy as far as we know.

People have heard me say, many many times that I would never get another dog. I really believed I wouldn't ever go down that road again. Chesney's just not loving enough for me. I wanted a lap dog and she is not. She still chews every single thing in sight. So, I had no interest in getting another dog. I would say all the time that when she died, we would not replace her. All the dog lovers gasped at the fact I would speak of her death. I joked about it which I guess gave the indication that I disliked my dog. That is just not the case. Chesney got out a few months ago and I took 6 kids around the block in a stroller looking for her in tears. I want no harm to her. I groom her every year at least once and I kiss her everyday when I let her out. We have in no way mistreated this dog, let alone not take care of her.

So, I have been struggling lately with my kids getting bigger. Sawyer is my only little guy left and he is now 4. He is held way too much and told he is our baby all the time. I started thinking that it would be so great for him to have a puppy to raise. Samuel is at school but he could take the dog out on a leash everyday etc. He has always been so into Cheryl's dogs. He lights up when he plays with them. I started thinking that if we ever got him a dog, it would have to be a dog that I loved since we all know who ultimately takes care of the dog..mommy. I decided that if the dog was small and stayed small, she (we wanted a girl) would be easier to care for with our lives. I wanted to buy the dog purse and dress her up in doggie dresses. She would be my new baby. I knew I wanted to do things better this time. I wanted to socialize her, take her to dog parks and take her to training or train her ourselves. She would be a total part of our family.

I was willing to spend my Christmas money from my in laws on the right dog. We researched for about 9 days before buying him. We wanted a designer breed puppy which simply means that they are bred to be small, usually non-shedding, great with children and hypoallergenic. There is usually poodle in them because apparently poodles are amazing dogs. People just aren't crazy about their look. Although we do not have allergies of any kind, I do run a daycare so I had to think of that. I had no intentions of having the new dog around the children just as Cheney is not either. We wanted a yorkie poo but had trouble finding the right one. I am not a fan of an all black dog and the ones we saw for sale were all black. I wanted to make sure it was as close as possible to what I wanted in a dog so that I would be as attached as the boys. I was hoping the loss of my babies being needy babies could be transferred to a needy puppy.

We started at shelters to make sure we couldn't find a great dog there. There were great dogs but they were all very large. We will most likely be getting a golden retriever once Sullivan is older, Chesney has died (gasp) and I am done doing home daycare. We have always loved Cheryl's dogs especially Kelsey who died a few years back. She is still my favorite dog of all time. I loved laying with her and she loved me. Our yard is perfect for a big dog.

We didn't want to buy from a pet store for all the bad reasons we all hear. Finally, we found a guy who breeds all designer pups and Shih zhus and sells them in Liberty Twp. We were able to go to his store where he takes the puppies. They all come from his ranch so there are no puppy mills. He was great about answering questions and seemed to be very knowledgeable on each breed. He also gives a 5 day money back guarantee, 10 days on some specific problems and a year guarantee on organs. So, we felt better. He was very expensive but I just wanted the right darn dog. We were there forever picking him out. We played with so many puppies. Once we held Sullivan, I was a goner. Samuel was too. The man was dead set against us buying him because he would only get to 8 pounds at the most. Since then, our vet told us, he won't get past 4 or 5 pounds probably. He is only 2.8 now. So, we put him back and decided to leave and keep looking. My eyes filled with tears and I had a hard time leaving him. I started to go but looked at Samuel and he was crying. He kept saying he was sorry but he couldn't stop. He said "Mommy, I will never see any good in any other dog". So, after an hour of this, Steve said "go get your malti-poo". We got him out again and once again, we loved him. He was super super calm and just laid with us. It never occurred to me that he could be too calm...until later.

We left and went straight to Aunt Kim's to be checked since the vets were all closed. She checked him over and thought he looked good. She wasn't thrilled with how little he was either and wanted us to get something a bit bigger. I just knew I could handle his size. I appreciated her honesty though. So, we brought him home, put him on the ground and he didn't move. He never moved unless we carried him. We took him to see Steve's parents and he just slept on whomever held him. We were getting a bit worried..was he too calm? Sick?

Saturday night, we put him into his tiny carrier for bed thinking we may have a long night. He slept that night and every night since at least 9 hours without a peep. I laid awake thinking we had gotten a sick or really lazy, boring dog.

Sunday morning, we pulled him out of the kennel and he came alive. He chased the kids and ate for the first time. We set all the rules for running around him since his bones can break easily. We all stay put while he runs. The kids can run in front of him but when he catches up they stand still. It is a hoot to watch. We took him to PetSmart to buy a sweater. It is too big but it is the smallest they make, at least there. Today, Steve found a toy breed collar and it actually fits him.

He could not be more perfect now. I still can't believe it. I love him like he is a part of my family. I do to him what I did when my kids were babies, I wake him up to hold him because I miss him.

He plays all day in an open pack-n-play right in our dining room. He doesn't get lonely in there at all because there are 6 kids running past him all day. He hasn't had a single accident in the house since Monday morning. The boys take him out, look at the ground to ignore him, he squats pees, usually poops and jumps on their feet to pick him up. It has to be too good to be true. He is FLIPPIN perfect! Well, there is one thing. We were all laying on the floor last night and he bit my face lightly (but it hurt) like 10 times. I finally swatted his butt and he stopped.

Sawyer is allowed to play with him as much as he wants during the day. He plays with him 4-5 times while the daycare kids are here. He goes in the playroom and I put up a gate. I usually say when time is up when I see Sullivan has had enough. He starts looking tired. I had a feeling this would be great for Sawyer and so far it is.

So, that is the story. I really feel I made the right choice. Chesney has no idea he is here. She comes to bed and then I put Sullivan to bed in his crate. She wouldn't be happy if she knew!

I will take any and all advice since I am not the smartest dog owner in the world. Feel free to give me any tips...especially about tiny breeds.

Now, that is a long post!!!!!!!!!!

Ok i get the point.......



I just busted a HUGE stuffed M&M and the stuffing is ALL over the house and the vaccum won't work. It is horrible..we keep breathing it in..all the kids' heads are covered in it. It is the lightest material I have ever seen....almost like puffs of white air..very odd. The porch is covered too because I tried ot fill a garbage bag with it. The parents who have picked up think I am crazy..what else is new?



Steve's last day of work is tomorrow. He DID get 6 weeks severance. We no longer have health insurance which is scary.



I have a parent in my center that is driving me crazy. I cried after she left yesterday, we were/are very good friends but she just says and does the most insensitive things. I started today so I know now why I reacted like that. I dreamt all night about her inspecting my house etc. Steve said I yelled out a lot...it was a bad night.



Boy, this is a terribly negative post....job loss, stuffing everywhere, pain in the butt parent. WOW, sorry.



I took Jamie's family's pics on Monday and they turned out great. Go to her blog and ask to see them and hopefully she will post a few. I will send her low res the ones she wants to post. She is getting them all soon on DVD but for now, low res makes them go through the email better.



Samuel has a contest at school that I am obessed with winning. Anything creative just gets me excited. It is a Valentines box contest and we are making a huge LOVE BUG (now you know why I needed a huge M& M? ) that has a box inside it. I plan on making him talk and everything. We will see.

200 Great Wolf Lodge pictures are on Facebook. It is much faster than blogger so look there. All my blog buddies are my facebook friends.

Great Wolf Lodge Part 1

now those faces scream sheer joy

getting ready to see the waterpark and play in the water

Today was kinda a downer for me. Nothing major. I cleaned the entire day from 10:30 until 8 pm with nothing more than a 15 minute break. A lot of the toy sorting was while sitting on the floor so that was easier. I just feel a little down today. Hopefully tomorrow will bring happier thoughts.

On a lighter note, we are going back to Great Wolf Lodge in Feb. I am excited. I wish I had the time to type it all out. You would love to hear about that amazing place.

So far our children have had 1 experience from their experience boxes, Great Wolf. Their bonus for January is this coming Saturday which is an entire day with uncle Ted. I am not sure what he is doing with them yet but I am excited for them.

Also, a bit of exciting news about Samuel. His teacher moved his reading level to 5th grade and told him during reading time (silent reading) he needs to go to 4th grade to borrow some AR books from them (i guess they have 5th grade ones there). I am so excited.

I kinda have it figured out why Samuel excels in reading. If schools teach reading like they teach every other subject than we just did it totally different. Everything Samuel learns is VERY gradual...almost too slow. But, when I taught him to read, he sat in my lap and for 6 days we did it like 2-3 hours a day and finished HOP in 6 days. He pretty much had it from there. I went a step further (having NO idea it was a step further) and made charts with all the middle and endings like oi, ar or, ir, st, iest and we just went over them and over them. Now, when those all come up, they are not new. Where as his teacher said that those clusters are brand new for the other children. So, although my thoughts on homeschooling have changed drastically, I plan on hsing Sawyer through reading for sure. I want him to get the best start too. Once they are identified as being very good at something, it seems that it is a focus for the teacher for that student.

I am driving alone to see Jody the first weekend in Feb. I can't wait. I need a me weekend. She is making me food and took my order today.

Have a great week!

Do you like my new header? I made it from scratch. It wasn't a template or anything. I like it. I still have so much to learn with that stuff.

We loved Great Wolf Lodge more than any vacation anywhere! I will tell you all about it when I can.

Steve has officially lost is job and will be unemployed by or before Jan 29, which is when the place must be cleared out. There are rumors that they may give him severance for 6 weeks which would be beyond a blessing! It would literally give him 6 weeks to find a job without any burden on us. Rumor has it that he would get his check direct deposited for 6 weeks like now. Wow, that would truly be amazing.

I keep anticipating our upcoming long stretch of RAIN if you will. I keep thinking that we are in for months of being scared and stressed about his job. I keep telling myself over and over not to complain or freak out until we start really losing things or our lives change. I mean, we were bound to get rain..we have it really good. But, then today he gets an email asking for an interview...granted we don't know the money or anything. But, what if he will just move to another job? Would that not be insane? I mean it would be crazy considering our world and economy and how many people are in our shoes right now. Boy, will I feel blessed then..beyond words..but I really already do. I do this thing every night in my sleep..or half sleep where I thank God for my boys and husband and just really feel thankful. I don't do it on purpose, I just do it and then half wake up. It is weird. I am so blessed and I don't want to cry over this until I have to or until I can't help but cry.

My friend who became the ex friend I told you about, says I just say I am happy but I am not. It made me realize how much I say it but I just can't help it. My life has gotten so much better in the past 10 years and then even more in the past 5 that I can't help saying it. I have problems, lots of them, but NOTHING that gives me pause everyday..nothing. I find that very cool and relieving and, well it makes me...you guessed it..HAPPY! I don't think I am happier than the next person, but I am happier than I have ever been.

My dad and his situation is very hard. He just can't stay healthy. This situation does weigh on my heart everyday right now but I do believe that it will eventually get better. I love that man so much it hurts. I find myself really aching for him. I pray that God restores him fully!

Well Char Char, that is all for now but I will post again soon. Thanks everyone for your prayers.

To Charity,

My post today talks about the day I have had.

I had a flood in our basement on Thursday and thought Friday would be a better day.

I loaded 5 kids in my freezing car to take Samuel to school. I got 3 blocks when I ran out of gas. As we waited for Steve to arrive, as Samuel's perfect attendance flew out the open window, Sawyer began to puke. When I tried to help him as he sat in the very back, I was letting very cold air into the already cold kids. Steve arrived to save us and took Samuel to school.

I brought Sawyer in, bathed him, dressed him and held him. I had a call I HAD to return to my best friend but I never got that done. I went to finally make breakfast for the kids when I realized Brayden Had not arrived and no one called. So, I began calling his mom, texting her and calling and texting his grandma. NOTHING!! Since i know that his mom suffers from diabetic seizures sometimes that can kill her, I loaded my sick child up and all the others to go to her house to check on her. I banged on her door and no one answered. I called her mom again and woke her up. She explained that she had Brayden and he was not coming today. SO, I took the kids to McDonald's to eat since it was now 930 and no one had eaten. $12 later, we were on our way home. We got home just in time for my diarrhea to start. There is your post..sorry you asked?