Water park in 60 deree weather...

Aaron has a new job. I don't think I ever mentioned that. He told me that I NEVER blog about him. He said this as he was sticking his bottom lip out. Pitiful.

Anyway, his company gave us tickets to the water park here in our city. "GREAT!" We were looking forward to it all week until we saw the measly forecast. Rain wasn't on the radar, however, 68 degree weather was. I was hoping and praying that our weathermen were wrong like they usually are. Now, if anybody has ever been to a water park with slides and such, you know that you have to walk up like 12 flights of stairs to get to the top of the slide. You will also know that it is very windy once you get up to the top. On a 89 degree day, probably it isn't bad. Combine 68 degree weather with windy conditions and you get 4 people using their intertubes as shields that look like complete dorks. The people running the water slides had HOODIES and SWEATPANTS on. We were troopers and did it anyway. Our skin looked like chicken skin...bumpy from all of the goosebumps. Our limbs were in the process of thawing from church, were the temperature is set on like 50 degrees. We really need to remember to sit on the far left away from the vents. We had fun.

Elliott stayed with a dear friend and her family. He was a good boy for them. I am sure Elliott gave them a good workout. He is a very busy boy.

So has anyone ever visited Awkward family photo's website? I love that site and I laugh every morning at their new submissions. I get irritated when people submit photoshopped images, but most of them are pretty raw. Honestly, I really am afraid that one of my pictures will make it on there. The things that people request! Anyway...I think I have a photo of my own that needs to be on this site. As we were leaving the water park today, this lady was asleep on a lounge chair. She must have been sleeping because anybody in their lucid mind would have felt the brisk wind blowing down a butt crack right? Yes, I snapped a picture, sue me. The best part of the story is that I was pretending to get a picture of Andrew. So, Andrew has this look on his face (because he was frozen) that is priceless, and in the background, is this ladies pure white butt crack. I wish I could share the photo, but we don't know how to get it off our phone. Oh, but when we do...


In Elliott's world, he is really enjoying the Baby Einstein videos.

The lady who created these videos really knew what would captivate a baby's attention, and got rich doing so. HE LOVES THEM! I got all of mine for 50 cents each at the thrift store. Everybody but the Crawford's still use their ancient VCR. This is a good deal for me. If you have ever watched any of the Baby Einstein videos, you will know there is a caterpillar that crawls from the left of the screen to the right of the screen as an opening to the video. (I couldn't find a video on the web for you, all of the videos I found were moms taping their babies reactions to the caterpillar. I guess Elliott isn't the only baby out there that responds to this).

Ever since Elliott has been 2 months old, we have always said "It's the friendly caterpillar" when it comes on. Now that he is older, he squeals when it comes on. Here is my video...

A visit from a dear friend

Yesterday, I got this message on Facebook that says "Hey, we're coming to Columbus." WHATTTT? My friend from College is coming to our city and I am going to do everything possible to see her. Yesterday, we saw eachother for the first time in about 7 years, and even then, it was brief and I was chasing after a toddler and had an infant. So, I really don't remember much of that visit with them.

It was fun to catch up over dinner at Red Robin. Our boys hit it off and instantly found common ground, Star wars + Legos = instant friendship. I was a little worried that my boys would teach her son about armpit farts or something gross like that, but all was good. Elliott found his voice in the restaurant and "happy" screamed the entire time. I tried to distract as much as possible. I am sure the next time we go to Red Robin, they are going to stick us at "That" special table...right by the kitchen away from other customers.

Thanks for visiting Jen!

First day of school....

We had our first day of school Wednesday. Yes, I am a slacker in posting, but I have had a few things to finish up here...I didn't do a dance this year because I was a little sad once the day arrived. I planned a rap, but just wasn't feeling up for the embarrassment.
I am not sure what is going on with our point and shoot camera...It has had a lot of these washed out faces lately. I think it maybe the sensor.


This year is going to be a very good school year. I can just tell....


Yes, Owen got his hair cut really short. Do you remember when I cut his hair shorter and he had a FIT? Well, I have discovered that Owen likes to make decisions. When he makes a decision, he is usually happy about it. He told his Barber what he wanted. His barber said "WHAT? Are you sure Owen...it is very different than what you usually want." His barber looked at me like "ummm...is he going to hate me for doing this?" All in Owen's timing, this is our new motto for him.

Andrew and his friend Evan. We do a picture every year on the first day of school together. You can view the other pictures here since I no longer have them on my computer... remember, it crashed?

School is almost in session...

It is a good indication that all of us are ready for school when...

Mom starts packing lunches 2 days before school starts. What do you think??

We are ready for our structured days to arrive. I will spare you of the "going back to school dance" that I did last year. It seems like we have run out of things to do and are just ready to get back in the groove of things. Today, we went to the school to turn in my application for Parent Consultant (yeah...paid position and I get to talk to adults for 10 hours a week).

It was nice to see the school and to see some familiar faces. The boys looked in their old classrooms with a bit of sadness, then they ran into their new teachers which put a smile on their faces. The best part of our little visit was our CAFETERIA! Holy Smokes Columbus City schools! The changes you are making in regards to the food selection is AMAZING. The Cafeteria was decorated so nicely, there is a salad bar with unlimited access to fruits and veggies, and 4 entrees to choose from DAILY! This is good news and the kids are very excited for the new changes involving their cafeteria. I am very excited as a momma to see this change.
I usually have my kids pack their lunches, however, if I am having one of "those" mornings, I won't hesitate to send them with money to purchase a lunch.

I better get started on dinner. Tortellini is on the menu.

Owen's new Bike

As I posted previously, Owen loves to save his money for just the right purchase. He doesn't get this from his mom, he might get this from dad. When there is cash in my pockets, there is a burning sensation that actually hurts so bad that I just have to get rid of the money before it causes serious burns to my skin. This is why debit cards are so wonderful. Andrew usually spends his money before he even gets it. It is kind of a genetic thing.

We went to a few garage sales yesterday to try and find some last minutes before school starts. I need a new stroller since the airline destroyed ours (ummm, that bright green sticker THEY put on the stroller that says "Handle With EXTREME care" really doesn't mean much obviously). Well, in our adventure out, Owen found a bike. It is his next size that he needs, and is a "gear" bike. He has been looking for a "gear" bike all summer. The going price for a bike at a garage sale is $35 ?? I thought it was a bit high, but Owen really wanted it and he had his own money. I would rather see him spend money on something like this than a gallon of Ice Cream. The seller of the bike wouldn't come down a penny on it. Come on, the kid has a bag full of nickles and dimes and ones and you can't come down 5 bucks? Pa-leeeese. Anyway, he loves his new bike and has been a riding fool since yesterday.



In other news, Elliott turned 11 months last week. I am planning a robot party for his first birthday. The cookie order is in the making of being placed (my friend Cindy does specialty decorated cookies and has done them for a few of our special occasions, she made fabulous cookies for Owen's party and Elliot's homecoming). I need to find some groovy invites. What would you do for a Robot Birthday party? I would love to hear some of your ideas!


Oh, Andrew is at his first skateboarding lesson today. I don't think the kid slept all night thinking about this. He gets so worked up about stuff. Crossing my fingers, hoping for the best.

No details needed

Gerbil mommy ate all of your children today.

I want some.

Owen has had 61 dollars in his pocket since before his birthday. He wanted to buy a cat, dad said no. He wanted another skateboard to start a skateboard collection, but mom said no. He wanted to buy a mini motorcycle, and mom and dad both said no.

Yesterday, we went to Target and decided that we should get some ice cream for the night. In our house, nobody can ever agree on 1 flavor. We have a chocoholic (Owen), a butter pecan fan (me), a vanilla kid (Andrew), and a Neapolitan guy (Aaron). So, it makes for a great time at the grocery store...unless a 7 year old has 61 dollars in his pocket to buy HIS OWN ice cream. Yes my friends, Owen bought an entire 1/2 gallon of Double chocolate fudge brownie ice cream all for himself. He told us that if we "dug" into it, that we would have to pay him for every bite. he thinks it is really cool to eat out of the container. I tried to convince him that the Ben and Jerry's pint ice creams were pretty cool, but he didn't buy into it.

Smokin' Away.

Aaron has a new hobby. Smoking meat.



My eye twitches when I think of it. (Thank you for that phrase Kristen). I kind of freak out a little when he mentions that he wants to get his smoker out. He blames it a little on my Polish roots. blah blah blah. My anxiety level rises just a bit and my blood pressure is visible to my ears. I am like my mother. For those of you who did not know my mom, she was a very strong, get out of my kitchen kind of lady. Many years ago, we were staying at my parents home and he went into my mom's kitchen to prepare a frozen pizza. My mom was right behind him observing everything he was doing, trying to clean up after him, and giving him detailed instruction on how to make the frozen pizza...cause he certainly did not know how to make a frozen pizza. *wink*. He was definitely stepping over his boundaries with being in "her" kitchen. It was a generation thing. It is a Polish thing. It was my mom's thing. It was her kitchen and that is just the way it was. My dad attributes his lack of cooking skills due to the fact that he wasn't allowed in her kitchen. lol. Bless that Polish woman's heart!

The first time he brought the smoker out, he called me by my mothers name because the similarities to my mother's behavior and mine were to the point of scariness. The kitchen became an instant war zone. I like a clean kitchen, and this new hobby of my hubby's was just messing with my mind and emotional well being. I will spare you of the details, but I couldn't wait until the day was over and was hoping his hobby was going to be short lived.

Well, he smoked meat again this weekend.

He loves smoking meat much to my dismay. He kindly volunteered to help our good friends Wes and Heidi out with their daughter's first year birthday. He smoked 2 large pork loins for them and 3 chickens for a little get together for some Friends of his.
Here is the stuffing for the loins...Apple and cranberries

His masterpieces turned out very well and got rave reviews. I did a little better with it this time around. I did happen to take it upon myself to prepare the chicken for him while he was gone. I don't think he liked that. He enjoys the prep, but I guess the control freak came out in me. It creeps out once in a while. I never claimed to be perfect ya know.









So, I guess this hobby is here to stay regardless of how much I prayed it would fizzle. I will be sure to ask my doctor for an anti anxiety medication for when the smoker comes out to play.

Aaron Goofing off...

He isn't really peeing, just getting the water out of the slip ans slide.

Customer service

Andrew is going to be starting skateboard lessons soon. Last week, we went to browse skateboards and such at the skate shop we usually go to. Every time I go there, It is like we are imposing on them (even if NOBODY is in the store). I tried to ask questions and all I got were nods and "ehhh's" for answers. Ummm...ok, you think that these guys would want to answer my questions since I am the one that will be eventually buying a board for my kids. Anyway, it is almost like "buy something and we will answer your questions for you". The last time we were in there, Andrew even mentioned that the guy behind the counter wasn't very nice. Again, nobody in the store, and they were not busy. Ok. So a kid notices it too, I am not the only one. Well, on the flip side, I thought I would take the boys to a shop that our friend Kevin recommended. The boys (and I) fell in love with the owner. I really didn't fall in LOVE him, but he actually took the time to talk to the boys and answer all of their questions about skateboarding, which always makes a mom smile. He even took the time to answer some of MY stupid questions and was happy to talk with me about some of the concerns I had with the sport. My boys were THRILLED with this guy named Wally. We happened to mention that we are going to be decorating the boys bedroom in a skate theme. What did Wally do? He gave the boys these 2 broken skate boards to use as decoration for their walls, gave us about 20 old wheels (for knobs for their dressers), posters, and stickers! The boys eyes were as big as saucers!! He told the boys that the next time they come in to bring their boards in and he will take a look at them to make sure they are put together correctly. Now that my friend is customer service. Way to go Wally, you have earned the good guy award. Gees, I wonder which skate shop I will be spending my money at on future skateboards? No brainer eh? Andrew wanted me to post a video of him at the skate park. This momma's heart drops a little when I see him skate with the big guys, but according to Wally, that is how they learn. AHHH.. broken limbs, here we come.

The fruits of our labor

So, we have a few tomato plants growing around here. Here is what I got this morning....

Ok, ok. I didn't pick them off MY tomato plants, but my good friend Anne brought these over to me from her garden. She bragged to me that "They have cherry tomatoes up to their ears". Humph. Well, here is my sad looking tomato plant and the teeny little grape tomatoes that are produced. I think I get one every few days.

Thank you Anne for my supply of lipozene.

So why can't I grow anything but flowers? I mean, come on. Is it the scent of my hands? I sing to the darn things everyday like all of the gardening freaks told me to do. I just don't get it.

Owen's 7th Birthday Party...Pool Style.

Owen had his Birthday party at the pool this year. We had a great time! Owen's request for a cake this year was a Pool cake. Ummmm. How is this mommy supposed to make a swimmimg pool cake you ask? FONDANT. It was a bit time consuming, but it was fun to make. We decided to put the 3 boys in the swimming pool cake. Here is the finished product.

Andrew...

Owen...

Elliott...


So Owen got this cool Helicopter from one of his friends. If you look closely in the window, you will see a furry creature...yes, that is Germy the gerbil in there.

Smile Germy!


It wasn't enough to put the poor gerbil in the helicopter, Owen had to mount it on a motorcycle he got as a gift too.



Here is Owen's Bestest friend...

My biggest fear came true...plus 5.

So, we got a couple of gerbils about a month ago. If you remember my post about them, I mentioned that my biggest fear was that they would get loose in the house (yeah, that happened like 4 times already). Well, I had another fear but didn't really address it because we got 2 "males" from the pet store. You guessed it...we experienced a miracle in our house this week. Our Male gerbil gave birth to 5 ugly babies, yes 5!!! Not impressed...no matter how much of a miracle it is.

Yeah, this video was taken when only 2 babies were born.
Anybody want a gerbil in about 5 weeks?

Happy 7th Birthday Owen!

My Owen turned 7 yesterday. How time is flying by. I remember the day we found out we were going to have another baby. It was a little surprising, but good. We were considering it anyway, it just happened a little sooner. My pregnancy was really enjoyable and I remember the day that I missed my pregnant belly. I actually cried. I only gained 27 pounds with him, opposed to the whopping 80 I gained with Andrew.


When Owen was about 1, he learned the skill of aggravating his older brother. As a baby, Andrew would always take toys away from Owen and replace the toy he took with a dumb toy. Aaron and I always said that one day...it will come back to haunt Andrew. Indeed, when Owen turned 1, it did. It didn't take much for Andrew to get irritated. Owen thoroughly enjoyed this new found skill.


Owen has always loved skin. He loved (and still loves) physical touch. When he was 1, I was unloading my groceries from the cart and Owen and Andrew were in the special carts with televisions in them. Well, as I was unloading the groceries, I noticed the cashier tapping my back and pointing down to Owen rubbing her legs. Skin is skin, no matter if it is Mom's or if it is the Cashier's at Kroger.




Owen loved any kind of bouncy ball when he was little. If he had a bouncy ball, he was happy. We would often put 7-8 toys in a pile to see what he would pick out. He always would pick out the ball. I am not kidding when I say this obsession began around the age of 9 months. I believe 1 Christmas, everyone knew that he loved balls...so guess what EVERYBODY got him? We had 13 balls bouncing around this house. He was in Heaven. To this day, he loves playing ball and looking at them in the stores.



Owen always liked the things the bigger kids liked. I think it is because the circle of friends we had, always had bigger kids. So, he never really took a liking to Thomas the Tank Engine or Barney. When most children his age were into these things, he was interested in skateboarding, learning to ride a bike, video games, or superheroes. I remember when he saw this skateboard around his 2nd Christmas. It was at a local Resale shop. He was very persistant about wanting it, but at the point of him screaming as I am dragging him out of the store, I was at my whits end and would not give in. I called the store and told them to put it aside. He got it that Christmas...a used, 3 dollar skateboard was his favorite gift and he says he remembers everything about it.


My buddy and I share the love of good coffee together. Every Friday, we would explore a new coffee shop here in the area. His favorite drink is a decaf Carmel Macchiato from Starbucks. When he was 4, he was ordering his own drinks. One particular day, we went to our local Starbucks and he placed his order "short, decaf Carmel Macchiato with whip cream". When walking away, he said "mom, this is not a Carmel Macchiato". I kind of blew him off. Then, he asked me to taste it. Well, he was kind of right, the barista forgot the syrup and it only tasted like espresso and milk. The boy knows his Carmel Macchiatos. I miss our frequent trips to the coffee shops. I did take him out of school a couple of times in the am so we can keep the tradition alive. shhh...

These days, Owen is into level X Pokemon cards, Skateboarding, snuggling, video games, giggles, aggravating his brother, soccer balls, basketballs, tennis balls, bouncy balls, baseballs, volleyballs...some things never change.







Happy Birthday Owen.
We love you buddy.

whassa happening hot stuff?

I haven't posted in quite sometime. I just cant find the time, too tired at nighttime, nothing substantial to post...call it what you like. As of this Friday, I am going to be making my blog private, by invitation only. So, if you are a reader and would like to be invited to read, please send me your email address to saywhatblog@yahoo.com. This is not my primary email, but one that I set up for this reason. The reason for doing this is because I have been hearing of weirdos using photographs of kids from personal blogs for Craigslist posts for adoption scams. You can read one of the stories here. Yeah, my children aren't directly being harmed, but it is still the principal of being violated. So, if you want to continue reading, my blog will be for private readers only as of THIS FRIDAY. Get your email over to me asap.