Jesus

I got this from my Jewish friend Miryam on Christmas: "Miryam is ignoring the fact that it's not really his birthday in order to bring you this... Happy Birthday to a radical, nonviolent, anti-death penalty, anti-public prayer (M 6:5), never anti-gay, non-english-speaking, long-haired, brown-skinned, homeless, socialist, middle-eastern Jew. Jesus, you are my kinda guy." My daughter asked me recently about Jesus, and I told her he was a great teacher (so, of course, she thought he taught me when he was alive and I was young - boy that kid thinks I'm old!!! LOL). Jesus didn't ruin Christianity. Christians corrupted Christianity. Jesus didn't preach hatred and intolerance. Jesus was the original long-haired, peace-loving, activist hippie, and he was one radical dude, and he was my kinda guy, too.

Christmas program

Today was the Christmas program for the preschoolers and kindergarteners at St. Mark's. This was Louie's first year, and he was very excited. They did a fantastic job. I was so proud!










Here are some pictures from today:

Teaching T pat-a-cake

Louie decided to teach Theresa to play pat-a-cake. So cute.

Look who's standing?

Theresa started pulling herself up into a standing position a few days ago - little stinker. She's very proud of herself!

Hell really CAN freeze over!

I honestly had to double check to see if I was reading an article from the Onion. I'm thrilled, but shocked - seriously shocked:
Openly Gay Mayor Elected in Houston, Texas

Finally - the videos!

Okay - I finally found the charger for the camera, so I was able to download the videos. Here are a bunch of videos of the munchkins! The first one is of them all singing We Wish You A Merry Christmas:

They're just being silly in this one.

In this video, we are all trying to get Theresa to crawl for us!

Here's a good one of the commando crawl:

Livi singing:

Beth Ann singing:

Another commando crawl:

Louie sings (sort of!):

Theresa sitting!

Another Book Challenge Post

I finished another book for 2006. It was awful! I was reading it with the kids, but it was painful to read. Beth enjoyed it though. It was Fairest by Gail Carson Levine.

2010:
2009:
2008: The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
2007:
2006: New Moon by Stephenie Meyer, Act of Treason by Vince Flynn, Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
2005:
2004:
2003: Popped by Carol Higgins Clark, Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
2002: Living Dead In Dallas by Charlaine Harris
2001: Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

New videos

I took a lot of videos tonight. Unfortunately, I'm having trouble uploading them all! So, there will be lots of videos over the next few days most likely. Here's the first one!

Time to put up the tree!

The tree is up and mostly decorated! We ran out of hangers, or we'd have it completely up. The kids had a ball decorating. It's certainly challenging to get them all smiling at once.



It's easy enough to get them all goofing off though!

A little walk down memory lane...

I took these pictures at DIA in September 2001. Look how little Beth Ann and Heidi are!

Need a laugh?

Okay, first I will warn that this link is indeed quite crude. However, it is just about the funniest thing I have ever read on the subject of Aunt Flo. You might want to seat belt yourself in, so you don't fall out of your chair laughing.
Bloody Hell!

Laughter is the best medicine!

I love to hear children laugh, and hearing my children laugh is the absolute best sound in the world. Here's a video of Louie making Theresa laugh by throwing his paper airplane at her!



Here's another video. T was actually laughing harder in this one. It's pretty cute.

Well, I finished another book in my challenge, but it was not a good book. Actually it was the worst espionage novel I've ever read. Two down for 2006 though.

2010:
2009:
2008: The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
2007:
2006: New Moon by Stephenie Meyer, Act of Treason by Vince Flynn
2005:
2004:
2003: Popped by Carol Higgins Clark, Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
2002: Living Dead In Dallas by Charlaine Harris
2001: Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Book Challenge

I'm one book closer to the goal!

2010:
2009:
2008: The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
2007:
2006: New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
2005:
2004:
2003: Popped by Carol Higgins Clark, Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
2002: Living Dead In Dallas by Charlaine Harris
2001: Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

The Countdown 2010 Challenge

I'm signing up for The Countdown 2010 Challenge. It is a book challenge, and in a nutshell these are the rules: read 1 book published in 2001, 2 published in 2002, etc. The challenge ends on 10/10/10. The challenge started on 9/9/09, so I have five books already counting toward the challenge. I love to read, so this challenge should be lots of fun! There's an icon for the challenge that I will hopefully figure out how to post. (If I can't - Trey can probably figure it out for me!) Here are my books so far:
2010:
2009:
2008: The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
2007:
2006: New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
2005:
2004:
2003: Popped by Carol Higgins Clark
2002: Living Dead In Dallas by Charlaine Harris
2001: Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Reading meme

Okay - I haven't been blogging much, but I've lost my camera, so I have no pictures to post! I came across this on a book blogger's site, and it looked like fun, so here goes!

Topic: Reading Meme

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?

No, not usually. I get too into the books to snack while reading.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?

No, I don't, but I don't supposed it horrifies me.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?

Booksmarks - although honestly, that usually means whatever is handy to stick in my place.

Laying the book flat open?

No.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?

Depends on my mood. I read both.

Hard copy or audiobooks?

Both

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?

With five children, I have to be able to put down a book at odd places.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?

Rarely. I usually rely on context to figure it out.

What are you currently reading?

Memoirs of a Giesha, Toilet Training in Less Than A Day, Discovering Your Past Lives, Goddess Within: A Guide to the Eternal Myths that Shape Women's Lives, The Unlikeliest Hero: The Story of Desmond T. Doss, Conscientious Objector Who Won His Nation's Highest Military Honor, Fairest, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

What is the last book you bought?

Tales of the Beadle Bard, by J.K. Rowling (plus some unnamed Christmas gifts!)

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?

LOL - definitely more than 1.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?

Anyplace, anytime I can fit it in. I guess my favorites would be in bed, in the bathtub, and in my black chair downstairs (it was my comfy, overstuff green chair until the hubs broke it!!!)

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?

Both

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?

Stephen King, of course! :-) Actually, it depends on who I am recommending the books to.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)

LOL - I am way too Gemini to have a specific way to organize the books. It depends on how I am feeling at the time. The most common way is by genre, then author, then title (or place in series).

My "20 Challenge"

Since signing up with Jillian Michaels website, I joined her "20 challenge." Part of my challenge is to challenge myself with 20 new things. Today, I did one of them. I got in the batting cage with an 85 mph baseball. I have to admit that I was terrified!!! My friend, Carrie, thinks it's pretty funny that I was terrified of that, but jumping out of an airplane sounds exciting to me. LOL. I guess I can see her point! I did get a piece of the ball a few times. It was so much fun, and I want to do it again soon!


Trey got a piece of the ball, too. He hit it a few more times than I did.

Ray and Olivia both had a ball at the batting cages. It was there first time, but they both want to go back soon!

Happy Birthday Beth Ann

I cannot believe that I have a kiddo in double digits! She decided to have a skate party this year, and it was a lot of fun. She's getting so grown up and beautiful. *sniff*

Kids' choirs

Beth Ann has been in the choir for a couple of years, but this is Olivia's first year. They both really enjoy it. Olivia was excited for their first performance. Unfortunately, several people in the older choir were out sick.

My baby is four months old!

Pictures say it all! She's wonderful.

Box of Crazy

I may not have been infected by "the box of crazy," but it's still making me sick.

Webkruz on YouTube

Louie's first day of preschool

Everyday I took Olivia to preschool last year, Louis wanted to stay. He got so upset when he had to leave with me. Well, it's his turn! He was very excited this morning to go to school. He carried his supplies in, found something to play with right away, and then realized we were leaving!!! He started to cry, but he was okay very soon after we left. That was hard though! He was so excited to see us when the school day was over. He said he loved it and wanted to go back, so I would call that a success!

Livi's first day of school

My little girl went off to kindergarten today. *sniff* I can't believe she's so big. She was very excited to go today. Unfortunately, her best friend from preschool isn't there this year, so she's a little disappointed, but she has other friends there. There are only 7 kids in her class. She has the same kindergarten teacher that her older brother and sister had - Mrs. Galluzzi. She's a wonderful teacher.


Here she is at her desk!

Tonight when I was cooking dinner, I heard Theresa giggling behind me. Here's what was going on.

Flaws in the Africa AIDS study

Norm Cohen is the director of the National Organization of Circumcision Information Research Centers of Michigan. Here is a short video of him talking about the flaws in the Africa AIDS study. It's not a terribly in depth video, but it is easy to understand. I still find it ridiculous that it could be considered acceptable to cut off a functioning, important part of an unconsenting minor's body for a minute reduction in risk for a disease that is much more reliably prevented by condoms, abstinence, or monogamy.

Blowing Raspberries

Here's a super cute video I "tried" to take of Theresa a couple of days ago! LOL.

Ray has ditched the training wheels!

Yes, we are slacker parents who have not worked with our children on learning how to ride their bikes very much. To be honest, I was sick for nine months which didn't make it easy to run along side a bicycle! Ray rode today without his training wheels! He was so proud of himself. He did a great job. These videos don't do it justice because I was helping him, and then trying to pull out the camera and get video. I know he is going to love bike riding now!


If you'll allow me a "mommy brag moment," Ray's literacy teacher told me today that he was a "model student," and she loved having him in class! Those are words a mom wants to hear.

UK's graphic and powerful PSA

A friend on Facebook posted this video. It's incredibly powerful, and I am going to show it to my children before I ever let them get close to being behind the wheel. I didn't want to post it on Facebook though because I do have kids on my friends list, and I think it's probably best for them to watch it with their parents. I feel the need to pass this video along though. Texting and driving don't mix.

Super funny video!

I love this video. It's very pertinent, but hilariously presented!

My Baby Boy is 3!

I can't believe my Louis is three years old today. We took him out to dinner tonight to celebrate. He is a smiley, happy, busy, sweetheart, and he loves his siblings! I thought he was going to be my last baby, and he was very happy being the baby. He has adjusted really well to having a younger sibling though. He loves her a lot and can't stop kissing on her. He is such a resourceful and sweet natured boy. He makes me smile, and I don't know what I would do without him. He's growing up so fast, but he still loves to come snuggle with his Mommy and Daddy! Happy Birthday Louie!!!

First day of school

My babies aren't babies anymore. *sniff* Yesterday was the first day of school. Ray is in the second grade, and Beth Ann is in the 4th grade. Beth Ann has her first male teacher this year. She was a little nervous because she didn't know him, but she came home and said, "He's awesome." Look how much they have grown since last year!

Louis and Olivia had to get in on the action:



And for fun, here's a cute picture of Theresa!