Good-Bye's Are Hard

Why is saying good-bye so hard? Nastassja left early this morning. It was so hard. She was crying and it broke my heart. My girls are sulking here right now. We all knew that these two weeks would come to an end, but it doesn't make it any easier. Dominic and Nicholas were much better with it, maybe it's a boy thing, maybe they just know they will see each other again. In a few minutes I am going to set out to get all the sleeping arrangements back to the way they were. Maybe if everything is back to the way it was, then things won't be as hard to look at for them. It was a fun two weeks though! I hope they have good memories of this when they get older.

Friday we are supposed to go to Knoebel's Amusement Park. This time I am going to try to get some pictures. I have been so bad about taking pictures lately. I have to get better. I know the kids have to be changing every day and I don't want to forget a single minute. I know how quickly time flies!

It's a gorgeous day out! It's so sunny already and it's not even 8 a.m. I think it is supposed to be about 87 today. YAY! I think we will get out and spend the afternoon in the pool and playing in the yard. I think keeping busy today will help keep our minds off of Nastassja and Nicholas going back home.

We still have more school shopping to finish. I think the girls have enough to start off. I only have to worry about getting them some pants but they have shorts and capri's to start off with. I do have shirts for the boys but they need pants. They can't go pantless! We also have to pick out sneakers. That's an exhausting job in itself! Maybe later this week we can get to that!
Amy

Time Flies....

The expression "time flies when you are having fun" is so true. The kids have been here for two full weeks now and tomorrow they are leaving to go home. It was so nice to see them again. My kids so enjoyed them being around. The little ones just think of them as part of the household now and it's time to go. It just seemed so short! The girls have so enjoyed their time with Nastassja. They are leaving early tomorrow morning. We are going to miss them! Right now the girls are down in the family room making bracelets. They seem to really enjoy that and it's keeping them really busy. Nastassja showed them how and I bought her a book for her birthday with all new patterns in it. They are so cute too! Even little Gabriella has one around her ankle!

Amy

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

It's funny how some things just spark memories. I was flicking through the channels before and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was on, this was Dominic's all time favorite movie as a child. He would watch it over and over. Given the choice that was the movie he would pick. I think I could probably recite much of the dialogue by now! So this morning I was flicking through, saw it on and stopped for a minute...memories, ya know? Well who walks in the room? Dominic! He sits down on the couch and starts watching it with me! I told him the story about when he was little how he loved the movie. He was laughing. Then I told him he used to call all cars "motor cars". It would be so funny. We would start to get him dressed to go out and he would say to us "Am I going for a ride?" and we would say "Yes" and then he would say with great excitement, "In the MOTOR car?" John and I used to laugh and laugh!!!! Gosh, I haven't thought about that for years! I did tell him this morning what a long way he has come! He has gone all the way from riding in a motor car to driving a motor car! Where do the years go?
Amy

Busy Busy!

It's been a while since my last post. I have had 7 to 9 kids here at all times with me. Crazy as it sounds, it isn't chaos at all. The kids have all been so good. I guess the two kids from Florida are going back on Sunday. I have to say I am going to miss them. We really enjoyed having them with us.

Tonight I am baking chocolate chip cookie bars. I made two big batches. It's for a baby shower for one of John's co workers that they are doing at the office tomorrow.

I have a sinus infection now and don't feel the best and Nikolas is also coming down with something. It seems to be the two of us all the time. I am going to have to keep an eye on him since he tends to get ear infections easily.

I went shopping to Children's Place tonight and they had some great deals. Gabriella is so happy she got a pretty dress! John picked it out for her. She was so thankful for it! She just loves to look pretty!

Well I guess that is it for tonight! My cookie bars are ready to come out of the oven! I have been up since 4 a.m. with Nikolas (well I fell asleep for a few minutes in between him falling asleep and Gabriella waking up) but I am so ready to crash in my bed!
Amy

Full House

The kids friends arrived from Florida yesterday evening. We haven't seen them in two years. It's amazing how much kids change in two years. I don't see it with my own, guess because I see them every day. The kids are enjoying them so much! I am happy because they are all so happy! I roasted 4 chickens for dinner tonight! Everyone ate so that made me happy! My mother-in-law even joined us for dinner! She was such a great help! I am so lucky, I was blessed with two great parents and a couple of great inlaws too!

The weather was gorgeous! The kids have been swimming in the pool and enjoying it. Tonight the girls gave each other makeovers...I sure hope they get better at the make up thing because remember that character from the Drew Carey show...Mimi was it? Well they look probably worse than that! They are having fun though so that is what counts! I hope that these little memories stick with them for a very long time!

Tomorrow I am going to take them to see My Sisters Keeper. They really want to see it. I am thinking I should bring a box of tissues with me. I remember how I cried with the movie UP, I can't imagine what this is going to be like! Still they really want to go and I will go along with them.

Well I guess that is about it for now. I have a lot more to write but I am just so tired, it's time for bed!
Amy

It's Friday! YAY!

It's Friday! I love the weekends. I have to start my Friday cleaning in a little while but figured I would pop on here first. Dominic is here making bacon right now. Victoria, Shaina and Alex are outside and Nikolas and Ella are running around the house here like nuts! What a beautiful day outside! I am going to try to get my cleaning done quickly so we can go out and play! I forgot to take something out for dinner last night, so I have to run up to Rossi's and see what looks good. Dominic wants to stop at Blockbuster anyway and pick up that movie Knowing. We watched the Unborn last night, jumpy and freaky but a pretty decent movie.

I am assuming we will be playing Singstar tonight. Dominic doesn't have work and when he's not working he's usually looking to play! We have a lot of fun with it though! It's a cool game and good family time!

Well it's time to get off here and start my day!
Amy

Computers, Computers Everywhere!

I just ordered Dominic's laptop. He saved up all the money himself from his job. He goes to work all the time, never complains and never takes a day off. Of course there is a little set back now as he isn't going to be working the next four days due to drainage problems on the field. Still he has worked hard for this and I think he feels good about himself for buying this on his own. We sat down together, he picked out the artwork he wanted on the front of it and what he wanted inside and he should have it the first week of August. Good things are worth the wait, right? John and I contributed for the extended warranty. He's a good kid, he cuts the grass for us all the time and we figured we would help him along with that a little bit. I can't believe he's 16 years old already. He's growing into such a nice young man. I know I am partial since I am his Mom and all...but he really is a good kid!

We went to Blockbuster before. Shaina has been bugging us to buy the movie Distubria for her. She seems to have a huge crush on that Shia LaBeouf. Her friend from Florida is coming next week to stay with us for a few weeks and she told me they are going to have a Shia LaBeouf marathon. Oh to be young again...isn't puppy love great!? I remember I had pictures of John Stamos hanging all over my room! Oh I thought he was great! I ended up marrying a John, not a John Stamos but I still think I got the better deal with my guy! My only hope is that I don't have a grandson named Shia one day!

Gabriella set her eyes on the Tinkerbell movie there! Oh she had the biggest smile on her face when she saw it! She started watching it one night and fell asleep and never saw the end of it. So Gabriella came out of Blockbuster with a huge smile on her face and a copy of Tinkerbell! I am sure Victoria and Shaina will be sick of it, or maybe they might enjoy a break from The Cat in the Hat, her present movie of choice on her nights.

I made Delmonico steaks on the grill tonight. Nikolas and Gabriella had leftover Chinese food and the other kids had hamburgers. Get this, they will eat a hamburger but not a steak! I feel bad saying we had steaks (Dominic loves steaks so he has one too) and the other kids had hamburgers, but if I made them a steak, they just wouldn't eat it! Then we had this leftover pasta dish that Dominic made when he was at John's Mom's yesterday. Well he's a pretty good cook! He brought home a pizza from there that he made last night and heated it in the oven when he got home and we all had a piece, it was REALLY good!!! He seems to enjoy cooking too! One day, hopfully in the far off future, he will make a woman very happy! Of course she will have to enjoy eating...because everything else he does will probably totally piss her off! Wait til she finds out his clothes can't be washed with anyone else's!

We had a great day today as far as weather! Nikolas, Ella and I played in the yard for quite a while til Nikolas asked to come in because the "bugs were eating him". Oh the bugs were horrible! Still it was nice to see all that sunshine! I think there are a few more days in store too! I can't wait! We have had enough rain already!
Amy

Ark Building 101

It's Tuesday and it's no surprise that it's dreary and raining again. It's only about 65 degrees out there right now. I am so sick of this weather. This just isn't right! It should be hot and sunny! I guess I shouldn't complain because we had a beautiful weekend as far as weather goes. Still, it feels like the year without a summer.

We had a very nice 4th of July weekend. We had a cookout on Saturday and it was nice. We had beautiful weather and good company. We didn't have any place to really be or anything to do and those are the best weekends! Good weather, good food, good company....who could ask for more?

Amy

I Can See Clearly Now...

I have been in need of an eye exam. There is no reason why I haven't been there. Just time, I guess. I feel like I am at eye appts, dentist appts, pediatrician appts, specialist appts etc all the time. Sometimes I just don't feel like going for myself. Well I went to get my eyes examined with the girls last Saturday. I had contacts once before but it was at a time when Victoria was in and out of the hospital and I just couldn't be bothered with them there. There were enough other worries at that time, so I just went back to good ole glasses. I hate glasses though, they are always just there, sitting on your face, getting in the way. So I decided I am going to do it! I am going to get contacts again. I swear there is something wrong with my eyes because I have the toughest time getting them in, either that or I am just getting too old for it! I find myself saying every colorful word that I possibly can think of and sometimes I have to say each word five or ten times before they actually go in my eye! Then they are in and WOW, I can see so clearly! I am determined to make it work this time because I just love not having those glasses on my face! I asked for a new color lens, I figured change is good. She said my eyes were too light to get one for the amount of astigmatism I have. She gave me the choice, I could either have a different color eye shade or I could see....I thought about it for a second and I went with the seeing. I think I made the right choice. I have green eyes and that is just so blah! A change would have been nice, but sight is much nicer!
Amy

Bummer of a Summer

Well the 4th is approaching quickly. Usually by this time of yr we have seen some nice hot 80 degree days. Well this has been one bummer of a summer! I think the weather guy said last night that out of the past 30 days, 28 have had precipitation of some sort! Ick! Sometimes it's such a tease too. The day starts out beautiful and the skies open up and it's all downhill from there!

Hmmm, oh John and I both got zapped this summer! John got it the other night when he was installing a ceiling fan and Dominic "said" he turned the power off to that switch. OOPS! I got it a few weeks ago when I was running the vacuum on the patio carpet and didn't realize that there was a wet spot. Ok, here's the story. I preach and preach about the kids leaving glasses on the patio. When you are finished is it so hard to bring it in and put it in the sink or dishwasher? Evidently it is! So someone, who shall remain nameless at this time because here NOBODY does anything, left that glass on the table on the patio. Well we got a nasty storm and it shattered. I went out to clean it up and I got all the big pieces but had to get the little pieces up too. So of course I told them not to come on the patio while I was doing this. Funny how sometimes they listen to me and most times they just don't. This time though the decided to listen! OK, back to the story. I am running the vacuum (this is the one I tried to fix when it broke by super gluing the handle back on and ended up super gluing it to my hand instead, I shouldn't have been so cheap and I should have gone out and bought one then, but I didn't...I mean I have an 8x10 area of carpeting in the house, it wasn't that big of a deal). Well I am vacuuming and I must have hit the wet spot and I got zapped. Knocked me on my butt! Now my Mom was downstairs and she just had her knee replaced and couldn't obviously run upstairs to see what happened....but Alex proceeded to tell her "whatever you do, don't go up on the patio, Mom just got knocked on her butt by the vacuum!" So now Mom is concerned. She is like "oh my gosh, is she OK"? What does my loving, caring son tell her!? "Just don't go up there because you might step on glass!" Yeah...don't worry about Mom who just might have been electrocuted, just don't worry about her because YOU might step on glass! Oh gosh, I can feel the love! Anyway we are both OK and now I know that sometimes my kids do actually listen to me!

Amy