HEAT WAVE

Seriously, if I wanted to live in the freaking desert, we would have moved to Arizona. For real....we had the opportunity. This has been the hottest, driest summer EVER! It's hotter in OKC than it is in TX! WTH???? And absolutely zero rain. The plants are dead, the grass is dead and not growing (good news is we are saving money on the mowing), the dogs can't go outside, and neither can we!

All these crazy temps are keeping us in. I'm going a little stir crazy. We have been to the museums 1400 times (more on that in a bit). I have done way too much online shopping. We have eaten out for lunches way, way too many times. I have rearranged the kids rooms. We have built some massive forts.

I have pulled up the carpet in the formal rooms! Mark came home and rolled his eyes. We had been discussing new floors in the 2 rooms, but now we have to. It's the freaking heat people!!

I have rearranged the living room 72 different ways (and still can't find a way I love). Every week when  the hubs comes home it looks different. He asks me "WTH are you doing". It's the heat! And it's my new excuse for everything. Seriously it's making me a little nutso!

We've done lots of playdo, until Christian eats too much.

And now the museum reviews.....
The Sam Noble Museum in Norman
I love this one!!! It's not really a children's place, all though there is a kids room, but it has a dinosaur section. That's why the boys refer to it as the dinosaur museum. It is filled with OK history. It's cheap and it's air conditioned, which makes it tops on my list.

 The kid's room had the cutest dinosaur bone dig

The Edmond Museum
A free and air conditioned museum with a cute kids space

 It had "old time" rooms set up. Below is the jail. There was a kitchen, a bank, a train station, and a tepee

The Children's Museum
We have a membership to this one and have used it well this summer. We just went yesterday with some friends. This one is always fun. While we only go for a couple of hours at a time, you could certainly spend the entire day learning about everything from teeth to earthquakes

And today, just to torture myself in this lovely heat.....headed to the zoo! Wish me luck

40 inches

Do you know what is 40 inches tall?

I'll tell you

This guy

You know what else is about 40 inches high?

I'll tell you

This thing

Do you know what happens when they collide?

I'll tell you

THIS

Our little Frankenstein

has 3 staples

Connor was leaving the playroom

and hit his head on the door thing

He came up the stairs crying

telling me he hit his head

It was a few moments before I saw blood

The head bleeds

ALOT

Then I started wondering if it would need a stitch or two

I called Mark and my neighbor

Then I called my doctor's office

I wanted to know if should bring him there

or take him to a clinic

I am still waiting on them to call back

(needless to say I am looking for a new doctor)

I headed for the clinic

dropping the little boys off at a childwatch place

We got right in at a quack shack

I had told Connor the doc would probably just put a special bandaid on it

But instead he said it needed a few staples

Apparently they no longer do stitches in the head

And they don't numb it up

The shots to numb it are far more painful than the staples

The put a little topical medicine on it

which supposedly numbs it a bit

When the guy was saying he would need staples

Connor's eyes filled up with tears

and he looked scared to death

He could not even speak

But he sat there and played phone games

while I held the medicine on his noggin for 10 minutes

It was quick for the actual stapling

but he screamed and cried

then 2 minutes later we were discussing what Lego toy he wanted

$75 for the doctor visit

$20 for new Legos

story for a lifetime

priceless

Can't believe I made it over 5 years

without a major event

I hope this does not open the flood gates

Road Trip Survival Guide

I had to be in TX yesterday, so I decided to drive in Monday afternoon so I wouldn't be rushed Tuesday morning. After my appointment, a couple of playdates, and driving by our home there, I headed back north. I make the 3 1/2 trip every few months, usually alone. I have driven to my parents house 500 miles away alone. And flown multiple times alone. And by alone I mean me with the boys. I have done it with Mark also. And you need a survival guide even with 2 parents. With just me, I need an extra pill. KIDDING (sort of)

Here is what you must have when traveling with little folks:
-lots of DVD's -working DVD's-must check for scratches and skipping before pulling out of the drive
-headphones for the DVD player in reach of each kid
-extra batteries for headphones
-food-opened,sorted,divided and ready for hand out, except for Connor who sits on the 3rd row(he must         already have his food/drinks)
-drink- 1 drink each, not too much or you will pay for it in multiple pee stops
-DS for Connor
-Leapster for Colton with extra batteries
-magnetic board, crayons, coloring books, ect (the big boys each get their own bag full in reach)
-bag full of cars and other toys handy for me to pass one at a time to Christian (at each stop I collect what he has tossed onto the floor and refill my bag)
-blankies and babies
-and the must have for any traveling kiddos....dum dum suckers -very useful when you need to shut up   wines, cries, arguments, or talking back

Guess what I did on this drive! GUESS! You'll never guess....
I peed in a cup
OH YEAH! REAL CLASSY!
I had to pee by the time I hit Lewisville (30 minutes into my drive). Which is so unlike me. By Denton (another 15 minutes) I REALLY had to go. I just wanted to make it to Gainsville, which is the last town before I cross into OK. I was originally thinking, I will just drag all 3 kids into where ever I stop. But then, before I made it to the town I wanted to stop, 2 out of 3 boys were asleep. No way in hell I am waking them, but dang I gotta go!!! Now I have to stop alot for Colton to pee. And when I do, I pull over to the side of a gas station or fast food place where no one can see, and I open the door and he pees.  So I am figuring I can kind of do the same. If it's not too busy of a place I can just squat and hope no one can see my white ass from under the car. Don't you know, I was not seeing any place that I could pull over the side of and attempt this little white trash pit stop. It was then that I noticed  Colton's empty cup from lunch. So I finally found the side of place that was not too busy. I climb into the back of my SUV and start peeing in this cup. It was going pretty good until I realized I filled the cup (it was a kid size) and was not finished. Ok, so I'm gonna dump it and continue. Houston we have a problem. Once you shut the hatch, you can't open it from the inside. So now I have to climb over 2 rows of seats. I finally get out, dump my pee, climb back in the back, and finish my biz. By the time I finish all the this....the sleeping boys wake up!

Mark is so lucky he married me!

Hard Day

Yesterday was a tough day. Not bad in the angry or sad way, nothing dramatic happened. Just one of those days that leaves you emotionally drained. So much so that you can even sit down on the couch and watch a show because that might require too much concentration. The kind of day that in the final hours of "mamma duty" you are dreaming of a nice chilled glass of Pinot Grigio while some hot young guy rubs your feet (whoops, where did that thought come from?), but by the time you get 3 little people (kids, not midgets) bathed, lotioned, dressed, teeth brushed, books read, prayers said, tv show watched, and into bed....the glass of wine doesn't even sound good anymore.

SHOOT ME NOW.....YOU READ IT RIGHT! THAT'S HOW I FELT. WINE COULD NOT EVEN HELP! The hottie rubbing my feet might have though!

The day started by me taking my 3 boys to Target at 8:30am to buy 2 Finn cars (the spy car from CARS2) for the big boys, one of which is lost already-a car not a boy. Connor earned his for not talking back for 2 days and Colton earned his for not peeing OR pooping in his pants the day before-big stuff folks! Anyway, we had to pick up buddy Andrew at 9. I was taking the boys to the Science Museum (a post on that coming later). No big deal, adding the 4th kid is sometimes easier. The two 5 year olds take care of themselves and entertain each other. It's the chasing around of a VERY active 19 month old that will wear you the heck out, physically and mentally. We got to the museum with about 56,738 other kids. I am not sure how many day cares were there, enough to make me want to scream and take another Zoloft.

We played around and ate our packed lunch there and made it home by 12:30. Christian had fallen asleep in the car on the ride home and decided not to fall back asleep once in his own bed. This happens occasionally, but thank goodness not too often. So after Sara picked up Andrew, I thought I needed to really torture myself and the boys with a trip to the DMV, department of motor vehicles for any of you who are unaware! You know the place, hell on earth!

I thought since it was just after lunch that it might not be too bad. I have been to the local tag office and it was easy-breezy. I had high hopes for getting my new OK license. We walked in and took a number. I pulled lucky number 827, the counter was on number 798. We waited and waited and no new number was ever called. So I thought maybe all those people were waiting for some group testing or something and I went to the desk to ask the guy about the correct ID's I needed. It's the only excuse I could think of for going to the counter. I had the proper ID's with me so "just take a number and wait".  And here's the kicker....at the counter there were 3 people working (3 stations, 3 computers) and none of them were doing a damn thing! It's like the freaking road crews you see when you drive past construction. You know where 1 guy is sitting on the bulldozer that's not moving, 4 others are sitting on the ground smoking, and another half dozen are standing around talking!

More than 2 1/2 hours and 2 buildings later (you have to then drive to another location down the road to fill out more paperwork, pay a nominal fee, and pick up your license) I am officially an OKIE!

GOD BLESS TEXAS

My new license is ugly, my picture is worse!

The boys were beat. We were worn out and hot and sweaty. So I  got them a juice from the gas station, changed a very wet Christian, and took them to Chick Fil-A to play and eat their dinner. They SO deserved a treat.

It was going great, until everybody decided they had to poop while we were there. One boy made in the potty, the other 2 did not, which means I had to change a diaper and dirty pants!

I was so looking forward to Mark getting home early to take over help with baths and bedtime so I could decompress before our favorite summer show (Big Brother) started. However, he was running late and then got stuck on an hour phone call with some "chatty charlie" sales guy!

But I survived. I always do! I am just very glad it's a new day. Except for this freaking beep that I can't locate. It's about to drive me MAD!

Hope your day was less frantic than mine

Sam's thinks we are "LEWZERS"

Finally decided to break down and get a Sam's membership

I have been a Costco snot for the last several years

But there is not one in this little state of ours

So after a year of not buying in bulk

I gave in

All though I am thinking of asking for a refund

IT'S 

LENZER

NOT 

LEWZER

losers

Back Yard Bliss

We heart our back yard

It is the reason we bought this house

It is huge and full of trees

We have been spending lots of time outside 

of course the last couple of weeks it's mostly in the morning

It is actually quite shady most of the day

But after dinner the sun shines directly through this break in the tree branches

We have managed a couple of afternoons in the blow up pool

Notice the welt on Christian's tummy

with lots of trees

come lots of mosquito's

He has had several ginormous bites

I finally broke down and purchased a small water table

Caught one on sale at Target for $25

It's one of those things I wished I had purchased with child #1

Would have gotten all my money's worth out of it

But none-the-less

We are loving our little one

And when the big boys take over

Chris just moves his little bottom in

LITERALLY

I'm telling you

little bit can hold his own in this family

Mental note though

Don't put it so close to the flower pots

It just becomes a muddy mess

Then it becomes a game

They take the toys over to the sandbox and roll them around

All the sand sticks to the wet toys

Then back to the mud pit to wash

As long as everyone has fun

It doesn't bother me

You have to pick your battles

And muddy boys is not one of them

But this is the aftermath

And the bath tub after the clean up

How come the heat never seems to bother kids?

I am always soaking wet with sweat and miserable

Of course my white freckly skin can't take much

The big boys have been practicing holding their breath

Connor is up to almost 10 seconds

Probably more than I could do

I think I buy a water gun every week

Always worth the buck

Especially when Mamma wins the water gun war

One of my favorite parts of the yard is the wildlife

OK, just the birds

I wish I could shoot the freaking squirrels and bugs

Here is one of our pretty cardinals

  I used to really like her

Until I caught her pulling apart my basket for her nest

I wanted to attract some finches

So I bought a finch feeder and finch food

They have not come yet

But my once full feeder is now almost empty

Because of the FREAKING squirrels

And if that wasn't bad enough

I left the bag out overnight

and the stupid squirels ripped it apart

So those fat little rodents have eaten an entire bag of food

And I don't have any new birds

And all my plants are dead

OK, so it might be my fault for not watering them

But a little rain or a break in the triple digits

PLEASE

MOTHER NATURE

What are you doing outside in this summer?