Spring Break Photos...about time.

yes. I know I know I know. Geez.
Spring break was like 2 weeks ago and i am finally getting pictures up.
I kept my kids SUPER BUSY!

First we saw How to Train Your dragon...TWICE.  they LOVED it.  I thought it was pretty great myself.

And yes, I did tear up a little bit. Dont judge me. Im hormonal.

We also went to the Nature Museum:

So we also bought a Discovery Place Membership (nature museum admittance fee was rolled into the cost!)

Peter and Finn on the static Ball.  Peters hair worked really well. Finns was a little too short.

Peter and Finn in their 3-D glasses for a dinosaur movie

the Boys enjoying themselves at the various exhibits and hands on displays at the museum

Southern Speak

The other day my 9 year old exclaimed in jubilation , "ahhh whee-yin"

(I win)

I kind of stopped, shook my head and whipped around.

me: What did you say?
Peter: momma ah said Ah Whee-yin.

me: when did you start speaking with a southern accent?

Peter: all the other people around here do it, why cant I??(Speaking more normally in a sort of Nebraska/Utah/Kansas non affected way)

Thats a very good question. Why cant he? He was born in the south. He has spent the last 9 years in the south. He likes fried chicken, Jesus, Elvis and NASCAR. He is a southern Boy through and through. So what is my issue with boys and the southern accent?? Well there is a fine line when it comes to males and Southern Speak.

You either sound like Rhett Butler, all swoony and genteel and handsome...

or you are Larry the Cable Guy.

So as long as his little accent is more "Frankly My Dear I dont Give a Damn" and less "Git r Done" I may be OK with my son expanding his vocal repertoire with a more southern proclivity.

We'll see.

Dangling at the end of my proverbial rope

I have discovered my limit and it is 8.

"8 what?" I can hear you ask.

"mom...mom...mom...mom mom mom mom mom."

WHAT!! WHAT DO YOU WANT!!!

"uh I forgot."

I feel like Miss Hannigan in Annie: " Kill...KILL..KIIILLLLLLL!"

sigh. thats all.

Hot diggity dog! School is HERE!!

So this morning Peter started 2nd grade!!

Last night we set out his clothes(what else, a Bumblebee transformers T-shirt and shorts).

So this morning, like clockwork he got dressed, ate breakfast, helped pack his lunch, took his medicine and brushed his teeth. We all piled in the car and drove him to school. Even Finn, who is excited to start Kindergarten.

We dropped him off and he gave us a salute, said "see ya" and trotted off to his class.

Finn starts on Wednesday. They have staggered entry here for Kindergarden. Each day Monday through Thursday only a few kids in each class go, so they can get to know the routine, the rules, the teacher etc. Then on Friday ALL the kids start full time.

So I guess that is nice for me. I still get to keep my Finny home a few more days.

I know I SAY I am excited for school to start so I have the day to myself, but actually I think I will miss them. We will see.

But on the flip side.... It WILL be nice to be able to keep the house clean for more than 5 minutes. it will be nice to be able to work on the computer getting stuff done without hearing "mom, can you download the spongebob game?" or "Hey! I wanted to play on the computer!".

I can go to the Y without having to fight the whims and desires of kids. If they dont feel like going it will take them 3 times as long to find their shoes, get dressed etc, until I have effectively missed my class and left my voice hoarse from yelling at them to get their butts in gear.

I can go grocery shopping without hearing "Can I get some Candy? waaahhh I want candy! YES! CANDY!!" or "Can we look at Toys??"

In fact I can go shopping anywhere I want without having to yell at them to "get back here! Quit touching that! Dont knock that over! Quit running into each other"

No more "Can we go to McDonalds? They have toys there we like!"

No more "I'm bored!"

No more door being left open, making our house a breeding ground for flies in the NC Charlotte area.(Ugh the FLIES. I killed 7 on the window yesterday. I have to go get some fly paper)

So Thank you Lord for helping me survive this summer and thank you that school has begun!

Can you Guess the movie??

Since today is Wednesday and is Charles day off we decided to take the kids to see a movie.

They are so excited and have the movie all picked out.

Can you tell what we are going to go see(according to Finn?)

<-------

scroll down to see the answer

wait for it...

wait for it.....

WAAAAAAAAIIIIIITTT FOOOOORRRR IIIITTTTT!!!

We are going to take them to see "The Clown Wars"

(The new star wars Clone Wars)

I am not quite sure what he is expecting...

My week in photographs

Every Spring down south the Bradford Pear Trees bloom. They are usually the first tree to flower and are quite beautiful. The blossoms last about a week or so, then they scatter like a blizzard of snow leaving behind leafy green foliage. Charlotte is FULL of Bradford Pear Trees. They line streets and avenues, and no front or back yard is complete without a BP Tree. HOWEVER, my husband and I have dubbed them "pee pee trees". The scent from these blossoms smell like cat urine and old baby pee pee diapers that have been left out to sit too long.

This is Oliver. He is the stray cat that followed my dad home before Christmas. My dad was taking a walk around his neighborhood. As he was strolling past a new home development, a tiny kitten came strolling out of the woods and started to follow him. This cat crossed the street(almost getting hit by a car) and meowed at my dad and followed after him. My dad walked faster, the cat meowed louder and started to RUN after my dad. He said this cat meowed the entire 1/2 mile home and wouldnt leave him alone. he sat outside their house for 30 minutes meowing as loudly as he could. My parents finally brought him in and he has been there ever since. He is their baby and the SWEETEST thing ever.

At one of our favorite Chinese restaurants in Charlotte they have a giant koi fish display. It is about 3 feet tall by 12 feet long. It is a long open "pond" full of these giant koi fish. Off to the side they have a gumball machine full of food. You put in your quarter and out comes a little snap on lid container with fish food in it. You can feed the fish. They are greedy little beggars. They will come right up, stick their heads out and their little mouths are just open shut open shut. It looks as if they are saying "feed me!" They will eat the little pieces right out of your fingers. My kids LOVE feeding these fish, and the chinese restaurant makes a KILLING off of these 25 cent feeder containers.

I took this picture of Peter at my mom and dads house. He was out in the backyard, enjoying the beautiful weather. How I managed to get a picture of him without his fake smile or without his eyes half closed is beyond me.!! I think it is adorable.

We went over to my parents house for dinner the other night. It was my dads birthday. We had a great time . So happy Birthday Dad (66).

This is Finn in theratty old hammock in my parents backyard. (forgive the ugly lawn, they are in process of ripping everything out and start afresh...) They have this old hammock in their backyard that should have been condemned long ago. It is ratty and full of holes and I am quite positive the rope was made in the 15th century. This thing is decrepit. BUT Finn loves it. He loves going out there, laying on it(avoiding the potholes) and just swinging. My favorite thing is watching him try to get off. It usually ends with the hammock swinging upside down and finn on his back covered in dirt.

That was my pitifully dull week in photos. Hopefully next week will be a little more exciting!

Saving the World Made Simple

My 4 1/2 year old son, Chuckleberry Finn, is OBSESSED with Superheroes right now. He lives, breathes, sleeps and eats superheroes. Spiderman. Batman. Wolverine. Superman. It doesnt matter. If they fly, or fight the bad guys, they rock his little world. If they are 20 foot tall autobots, made of metal and transform with a cool "tsch tsch tsch" sound, he is tickled pink.
I fully expect to see him on season 28 of the Sci Fi Channels "Who Wants To Be A Superhero" with Cyborg Stan Lee. "I'm Superfinn!"

For Christmas this year, my Aunt Carol got him A Klutz Chicken Socks Book. "The Superhero Starter Kit. Saving the World Made Simple" It contains a shiny red cape. It also contains several punch out masks that you can wear to protect your secret identity, and It even comes with a couple of sets of superhero bracelets and stickers as the insignias.

Inside the book there are tips on how to run and jump so your cape flies the best. (jumping off the couch works the best). It shows the cape in action: spinning, hiding, swinging, running, jumping, falling etc.

There is a section on how to pick your superhero name . Basically take a really great adjective, such as Super, marverlous, fantastic, doctor, a color etc and pair it with something else. i.e. your first or middle name, fave food, your pet, an insect...whatever you can think of. So he is SUPERFINN!

There are Super Hero Do's (Stand up straight. No one trusts a sloppy hero)

And there are Super Hero Don'ts (Dont sneeze into you cape. It's just gross)

Then at the end of the book is your very own superhero ID card to fill out.

Just a CUTE book and the perfect gift for my OCD child with the overactive imagination.

Well , Finny Foo has been in superhero Nirvana. We put on the silky cape, cut out and strung up a mask to protect his secret identity and put on the matching cuffs and emblem. He whizzes around the house arm extended, singing his theme song, cape trailing and fluttering expertly behind him. What makes it even better is when he is just wearing his spiderman underwear and his cape and mask. I awoke the other morning and came downstairs. SuperFinn was sitting on the couch in his spiderman pajamas, decked out in full regalia and watching (you guessed it) Spiderman.

This was seriously the best gift he has ever received. Here is Superfinn all decked out:

(he was mid-pose in this picture. Usually his Left arm is curled up and his right arm is extended for better aerodynamics)

My favorite thing is to see him skulking around the house looking for injustice to correct, and wrongs to right.

The other morning he came up to me, cape draped spectacularly, mask on perfectly, cuffs gleaming and asked in all seriousness "You need a problem?"

Im so proud.

Just a side note: My Sons name is Charles Finn. We call him Finn. But many other times we call him chuckleberry Finn, Finny Foo, Finny, FinnFinn...you get the idea.