Happy Halloween!

Took some early Halloween pictures of the boys today ...

Austin had a Halloween Party to go to tonight at his Grandma's house, so when he got ready, Luke ran over and grabbed his costume yelling KEE KEE, so I took advantage and got some pics.... It was a beautiful day today and Luke really enjoyed running around the front yard.

We made Austin's Grim Reaper costume last night ... cost all of $5 in materials and his weapon.... he seemed to love it... the weapon stays home on Halloween, can't have it at school.

Hope you enjoy! This is about the only place that anything I post gets responded to ... so I thank you for taking the time to read and posting comments. I really appreciate it!!











Thanks for looking!

I figured it out ....

and I did it all by myself .... I added links .... :)

Lukey Doo.....

Last night I was on the computer, Austin yells:

AUSTIN: "Mom, Luke got into the bathroom and dove head first into the empty tub!"

ME: "Just get him out and push the gate closed"

AUSTIN: "Mom, He won't let me get him out of the tub"

ME: "Well then, just shut off the hall light and he'll come out since its dark back there"

Austin shuts off the light, I didn't think much more about it and finished what I was doing with fixing dinner and typing a schedule/flier for a friend of mine. I noticed, just a few minutes later that Luke hadn't come out yet.

ME: "Austin, Did you get Luke out of the bathtub?"

AUSTIN: "No Mom, he won't come to me"

I walk back there, and boy I wish I had a camera in my hand at the time.... Luke had opened the lid on the toilet and climbed on there, sitting the way we would but all you could see was head, arms and legs. His little butt fell into the toilet and he couldn't get back out. He wasn't crying or anything, just sitting there smiling when I walked in.

LUKE: "Momma, fall"

ME: "Yes you did fall, lets get you out of there."

I pick him up out of the toilet and notice, he was so stuck that his shorts/diaper are soaked with water.

I definately need to get another gate... Last thing I need or want would be for him to dive head first into the toilet..... yes, the adventures never end ...

Most Embarrassing Moment as a Mom .....

Ok, I'm sure you think you've topped the list ... that something your kid did was the worst that could EVER happen to any parent .... Try this one on for size ....

I'm getting my hair cut, we (Austin, maybe 4 or 5 at the time, Myself and Ralph-the guy cutting my hair) were the only ones in the salon. As Ralph begins to cut my hair, Austin says "My Mom has a penis." Just blurts it out, no one was talking about anything of that nature or anything ... OMG ... I thought I was going to die! I shot a look up in the mirror that could have killed ... Ralph of course has my hair in his hand and his head laying on top of mine just rolling with laughter. I said to Austin "NO I DO NOT have a penis" He insists that I do .... I told him that we'd talk about it later and that he should not say another word ... Of course, Ralph (who I've known for some time, we went to school together) is still laughing when he tells Austin to let his Aunt know this information, cause she'd get a kick out of it ...

Austin and I get ready to go, I ask him what on earth made him say such a thing ... he says, very seriously I might add, "Well you do" I again told him that I do not, he says "Well then! How do you pee??"

Happy Birthday Austin!!

My oldest turned 11 today!! Austin is 11. Can't believe that just a few short years ago he was born ... October 14, 1994 at 7:49AM.

He was a tiny little thing ... all 10 pounds 3 ounces, 22 inches of him ...

I woke up with gas pains at 3:30 the morning that he was born ... at 3:37 more uncomfortable gas ... 3:44 ... and so on, roughly every 7 minutes ... I was home alone, his Dad didn't live with me and was already heading to work anyway. At 5:30 after not being able to shake these gas pains, I headed over to the hospital just in case .... Because, everything I had heard about labor, this wasn't it ... this was just an uncomfortable feeling, no real pain ... SO .. I load up my truck and head over to the hospital, I figured, I could always stop at the 7 minute mark and wait it out and go again ... I didn't call anyone, just headed over.

I arrived at the hospital ER around 5:45AM. Got up to my room and hooked up to monitors around 6ish. Told the old nurse that I felt some more gas and she replies back, "Honey, thats not gas, THAT is a contraction." She said that they would monitor me for awhile, but would most likely send me home since I only felt "gas pains" About 6:30/6:45, I called the nurse to unhook me cause I had to pee ... I called her about 3 or 4 times ... when she finally came in, I was totally embarrassed cause I didn't have to go anymore, I had already gone ... She, in her nice old lady tone, says "Honey, you didn't pee, your water broke and you aren't going anywhere, cause the contractions (which I still can't feel as bad) were closer and stronger." She tells me that I'm dialated to a 6. She tells me that I should make my calls to have someone be there with me. I request an epidural .... while we are waiting for the epidural I asked the nurse to get the tray ready in the room w/me instead of in the hall, I was starting to get scared, the pressure was starting to get VERY uncomfortable (I know, your thinking its about damn time) The epidural man walks in and I tell the nurse that it feels better to try to push a little, she tells me to go ahead, cause I'm complete ... the epidural man walks out .... no drugs for me ... :( Things didn't go as well as they should have and its good that she stayed with me ... Doc and another nurse came in and after I pushed a couple of times, he cut me and the other nurse was on the bed pushing on my belly to get the baby out, Austin wasn't breathing, he had the cord around his neck 3 times. They took him right over to the table and worked on him, finally after what felt like forever, he started to cry . At that time, Dennis walked in ... very proud Daddy he was! Austin's beginning scores weren't good ... but he got better after that ... much better! He did have a broken collar bone, but other than that, he was perfect!!

Austin is still doing wonderful ... tonight even, we finished up the Hunters Safety Course ... Austin and I both got 100% on our tests ... yippee ... I can hunt now!

Happy Birthday Baby! I was proud of you the day you were born and am even more proud of you today!!! I Love You Austin!! Love Mom

The Meaning of Hyka ....

Purely my defination ... if it translates to something else, its beyond me and this meaning is the only one that matters to me ....

When I was in school, 6th grade on, I babysat this little boy named Ricky. His Mom was a teen mom, divorced and worked her ass off to make ends meet for her and her son. I started watching Ricky from before he was a year old (probably about 7 months or so) until about the time he started Kindergarten. Ricky went with me everywhere ... his mom worked nights at a nursing home, so I had him from about 2:30/3:00 when I got off of school till anywhere between 11pm and 2am. I absolutely adored that little guy! He went with my family many many places, including a Cardinal game, where he got to meet Fred Bird... he said to Fred Bird ... "You a silly Turkey Bird" (When Ricky was acting goofy, we'd call him a Turkey Bird)... anyway .... Ricky couldn't say Monica and he would always say Hyka (hi-ka).... My friends all heard him call me that and it just stuck ... To this day, I still have friends that call me Hyka.

BTW ... My Ricky is now some 20+ years old, last I saw him, he was one handsome kid with a bright future ahead of him ....

Did my research ......

I did some research today and found a couple of games that MIGHT work .... I sent the list to Austin's teacher for her approval .... since she knows the kids much better than I do ....

First my thought is to put the games in "stations" and have some of the other "parent helpers" man those stations ....

Station #1 - Decorate your own cookie/cupcake (since we can only bring store bought cookies/cupcakes, I'm going to ask the bakery to make me some non decorated sugar cookies and cupcakes.

Station #2 - Pin the tail on the cat. (after EVERYONE is done with this station give prize to the one that got the closest) Requesting the Art Teacher make me a Cat.

Station #3 - Halloween Memory - Put different objects onto a platter and give the kids a couple of seconds to review ... the child who is able to name the most objects on the platter wins.

Station #4 - Pumpkin toss - using a pumpkin the kids trick-or-treat with, have them toss bags of candy into the pumpkin. The child that makes it keeps the candy they tossed ...

Station #5 - Build a Skeleton Race - (don't think this will work as a race....) but the most creative skeleton wins .... before hand I'd get together skeleton bones ... (cut out from paper) and some brads or glue for each child.

Station #6 - String Licorice Race -- this is an every event favorite that these kids have played since kindergarten. In this game, you attach a marshmellow to the end of the licorice, they place the licorice between their teeth and race another student, the first to have the marshmellow in their mouth without using their hands wins and goes against the next student ... This game is most fun when they are missing their 2 front teeth ....

The last game I had was for the students to guess who the ghost was ... divide the class -- boys vs girls or whatever, take one group into the hall, put the ghost costume or sheet onto one student and have them enter the room ... the remaining students have to guess which student is the ghost ....

What do you think ???? Lame??

Room Mother ....

So ... My son brings home this letter that NO ONE has volunteered to be room mother for the Halloween Party and that the 6 families that said they'd help or donate should coordinate and get this party underway ... Instant GUILT TRIP!! I'm on vacation this week, and have been picking Austin up from school so I decided to stop in and see if she got any volunteers .... NOPE, NADA, NOTHING .... I told her that my biggest fear was that this would be the lamest of parties the kids had had in the Six years in Elementary School. She said that they'd have fun no matter what ..... SO .... I told her I would do it .... I've always only helped, never took charge .... what am I thinking ... I can't do this .... I only plan/coordinate events from behind the scenes, I don't actually ever have to talk or be in front of people ... and KIDS ... they are the worst, well next to the other parents that will be there as far as judging goes ...

I've asked the teacher to send a note home with the kids for each child to bring $2. I will take that money and get the snacks/prizes etc for the party ... What am I thinking?!?! Now I need to plan, organize ..... think of games .... any ideas?? Anyone?? These are fifth graders ... last year in this school... they can't leave here knowing they had the lamest party ever ......

I know I'm panicing ... its only 20 days till Halloween ... 14 school days till the party... I can do this ... I can do this .... but any ideas would be appreciated .......

5 Guilty Pleasures ....

Didn't get tagged this time .... however, figured before I did I would fess up .....

1. Eating Icecream RIGHT after the boys go to bed and being as quiet as possible so they don't hear me open the freezer cause I don't want to share ....
2. Taking the last slice of pizza and asking Austin why he ate all of the pizza :)
3. Naming my neighbors (we have Nosey Nelly next door and Snobby Connie w/the new boyfriend, none of them talk to us, they are all older...)
4. Reading PW Drama, but not getting in the middle of it. (Go March 2004!!)
5. Knowing all and telling nothing ... Its a guilty pleasure knowing family gossip (Austin's family) before they tell me themselves ....

Update ...

I went to see my nephew, he's doing well and I obviously spoil him! He is bruised and sore, but up moving around like a typical 10 year old... He has problems getting into his bed (loft bed) and has been sleeping on the couch. They didn't x-ray his hand, looks like his thumb may be broken, its all black and swollen. He's got scrapes and scabs all down his left side and he said to me "Aunt Monica, I have 3 holes in the top of my head" and sure enough, we looked and found the extra 3 holes/sores.

After I knew he was alright and saw for myself that he was going to be fine... I found my niece. Abby and I had a heart to heart. She ran off up to her room when I got there and told my sister that she didn't want to talk to me. My sister told her to suck it up and listen to what I had to say. She didn't have much choice but to listen, I had her cornered.

Now, I remember as a kid, if ANYONE told me they were disappointed in me, It totally tore me up, to this day, I hate to disappoint anyone or even the thought of them being disappointed in me.

My Niece stood there and listened to me talk. I told her that I was upset and disappointed with her and her actions. I tried to explain to her that rules are in place for a reason and that she has a lot more privledges than we (me and my sisters) ever had at her age and that she is allowed to do more than what I allow Austin to do. I have NEVER dropped Austin off at a skating rink and picked him up at closing time. Austin doesn't even go down the street to play unless I can see him in either the front or back yard. I explained to her that her actions and decisions she was making effect more than just her ass. I told her that we were all afraid she'd be pregnant or worse by age 15. With that, she lied to me and told me that she didn't have a boyfriend. (I found out that was a lie 2 days later when talking w/her Mom) I asked her what I could do to help her to quit making such bad decisions, what I could do to help her do better. She stood there with a blank stare .....

Would you believe she had the nerve to be jealous that Alan got that basket of goodies, she was upset that when she made her claims against JT she should have gotten something like that. I told her that she DID get that and more... SHE was GIVEN ALL of the possible SUPPORT from EVERYONE around her.

One day .... She'll get hers ..... What comes around goes around .... right???

SuRvEy TuEsDaY

Survey!
Angel tagged me so here we go!

7 Things to do before I die:
1. Pay off my house
2. Visit all of the states I haven't seen yet
3. Talk to my real Dad
4. Get Married
5. See my boys happily married w/children
6. Go to my son's College Graduation(s)
7. Win the lottery

7 Things I can do:
1. Flip my tongue
2. Bowl
3. Correct my friends kids
4. Tuck my kids in every night
5. Talk to my Mom everyday
6. Remember my name & age
7. get up in the morning

7 Things I can't do:
1. Be a SAHM
2. Play most sports
3. Get up on time in the morning
4. Eat split pea soup
5. Say no when Luke says peeeesss Momma
6. drink wine
7. talk in front of a lot of people

7 Things that attract me to the opposite sex:
1. Trusting Eyes
2. Nice Ass
3. Great sense of humor
4. Strong Arms
5. can hold a conversation
6. Muscular legs
7. and I'm w/Angel, a big thing

7 Things I say most often:
1. What?
2. You've GOT TO be kidding
3. You did WHAT?
4. I love you
5. Brush your teeth
6. Have a good day
7. Do you have homework

7 Celebrity Crushes:
1. Tom Seleck
2. Mel Gibson
3. the old man that dies in "Road House"
4. Patrick Swayze
5. Kevin Costner
6. Tom Cruise
7. Bruce Willis

7 people I want to do this:
1. Ruthie
2. Lin
3. Katie (don't do it twice, only once)
4. Shelley
5. Winona
6. Melanie (w/Luke & Gavin)
7. Cindy