Here's our sweet Levi at 5 months:
And here's one of Linc. I just love this picture; what a heartbreaker:
I hope you guys are having a good season. We are having a great summer so far. Lots of pool time & play dates.
Have a safe 4th of July!
xoxo
So I've been thinking about the slang that we kids use today. I'm using the term 'kids' loosely here, as I still think of myself as in the age neighborhood of 20-22. I'm not too crazy about the slang, gotta be honest. So I've decided to bring back some of the phrases I used to say in the 90's....or maybe even the 80's for that matter. I joined forces with my friend Todd (he is not a blogger, so this link will take you straight to his website...BTW, if you need any legal consultation, he's your man) & we have come up with a list of rad phrases that we don't hear so much anymore. We are bringing these words back to cool, my friends. No longer be embarrassed to shout out, "Talk to the hand!" because in my book, 'it's all good.'
Here they are:
1. Not!
2. Psych
3. LYLAS (love you like a sis)
4. Don't have a cow.
5. Sweet
6. Rad
7. Take a chill-pill!
8. That's whack!
9. She's all that and a bag of chips
10. Don't EVEN!
11. Kickin' it
12. Nix
13. Broad (that one is Todd's, but let's be honest. That's before our time.)
14. Nice bun
15. Top shelf
16. Jonesin'
17. Bitchin'
And the best one of the group in my opinion (kudos to T):
18. Just save it!
These eighteen phrases are just the tip of the iceberg. We could add on for days. So go ahead, make your own lists of phrases & sayings you want to bring back to cool.
Or comment on this post & tell me about them. This game is totally boss.
The jealousy set in hard this afternoon. To give some back story: We went to The Little Cottage Co. at The Factory today to get Levi his own night-night. I was not informed that today was its 40% OFF Day. The entire shop was filled with frantic moms of little girls, running around with piles & piles of smocked dresses, gathering all their arms could carry. Considering that each smocked dress costs around $100, I'd be acting like a crazy person too. But I was thanking Jesus Almighty in that moment that I have two boys & don't have to worry about dresses, bows & Mary Janes. Seriously...there I was, standing in line for a $10 stuffed animal, & the woman in front of me had 3 huge piles of clothes that rang up to $412. I almost had heart failure right then & there.
I had prepared Lincoln for this moment...when Levi got his very own night-night & it would belong to Levi alone. We ended up choosing a yellow duck because it looked nothing like Lincoln's. I unwrapped it & set it next to Levi & he immediately smiled & grabbed onto it. If any of you have felt these things, they are so incredibly soft & warm. He loved it & has been hanging onto it since the purchase. Lincoln has been eyeing it like a crook. We were all on the floor playing this afternoon, & Lincoln walked over with his dog night-night, wanting to 'trade'. I explained to him as best I could that Levi has his own duck night-night & that Lincoln has his own, too. Nothing was going to be traded & each boy was to be happy with what they have. He asked if he could pat the duck. He rubbed the tag & started sucking his thumb...a sure sign that he intends to have that duck be his. He looked longingly at the duck & said, "Lincoln hold it on the couch? Lincoln cuddle it & pat the duck on the couch?" I said no. I could see the jealousy start to set in, but he was okay with the decision. I mean, come on. He has 4 already. I think tomorrow will have the night-night struggle, but for now, he is content to allow Levi to have the duck. Whew.
Here are some photos of the situation:
There's Mitch, our nephew, who is in town for the week:
Here he is, trying to initiate the trade:
And here's me and Levi. How cute is he?
In other news, Lindsay & Liam came over the other day to play with us. It was, as always, so much fun. It's going to get even better the older the boys get. They are one day apart & are so cute to watch. Here are some of them 'playing' together.
"Liam, let me explain to you how things work around here..."
"Momma, we really don't have time for this right now. Liam & I are in a very important meeting. I guess I can pose for one picture..."
"Well...that's about all the time I have. I've got other things to do. I've got to throw up on Mom, have diarrhea & then wake up at 5am. Time's a wastin." 
Heh heh. Babies are so fun.
If someone had asked me what I thought of Elijah Wood 2 weeks ago, I would've said, "He's that short shrub that plays in Lord of the Rings...Snore.." But if you ask me what I think of ole' Eli today, I'll say, "Totally smokin' dude that dances on Yo Gabba Gabba!" Our family eats, breathes, & sleeps Yo Gabba Gabba these days. Everyone that I have spoken to thinks it's the most ridiculous show there is. All I have to say to those people is this: bite me. Any show that can make Lincoln want to brush his teeth, clean up his toys, & eat healthy is a show that will be stored on our DVR. So Ben & I were surprised when we turned on the episode & saw Elijah Wood get up there & dance his Puppetmaster. It totally makes me like him more now. Lincoln loves it, & we all do the dance at least once a day in our family room. The quality of this video is pretty crummy, but you'll get the gist.
Go crazy,
xoxo
Well, we are officially throw-up-free around this part of Williamson County. Apparently, Lincoln got just a 24-hour stomach bug & by noon the following day, he was back to his old self. I, on the other hand, was exhausted from staying up with him all night long cleaning up & doing load after load of laundry. It was totally worth it though. In the midst of his maddening nausea & in the middle of the long night, we were both sitting on the bathroom floor. He had his Thomas couch laid out with his pillow & night-nights, lying down so he could be right near the toilet if he got sick. I was sitting right there next to him, telling him I would fix the sick in his belly & that he would feel better the next day...all the while, patting his hot forehead with a wet cold washcloth, just like my mom used to do when I became ill. He looked at me & said, "Thank you, Momma...for cleaning my throw-up & washing my head." What a sweet champ. Into my heart he leaps.
Tomorrow, we are bound for Cape Girardeau, Missouri to celebrate Gigi's 80th Birthday Party! Gigi is Ben's grandmother & Levi's namesake. Her family name is McLain & that is Levi's middle name. Gigi & Levi got to meet for the first time last week & it was a momentous moment. Here they are upon greeting...I know, can you believe this woman is 80? She sure doesn't look it, does she?! Incredible!
Tomorrow will be a day filled with lots of memories, family & laughter. And only a 4-hour drive...not too bad.
Here are some more photos of the fam from last week's visit:
Flavor-Ices in the summer. Can you get any better than that?
Aunt Tara (Ben's sis) with Levi:
"Popsicle Picnic" (Ben coined this term)...Ben, Linc, & Cousin Wyatt in our backyard having a picnic with Flavor-ices:
I hope everyone's summer is going well. I'm already tired of the heat. Have I told y'all my distaste for summer? I would be the happiest girl in the world if the entire year was October. Best month ever.
Anyhoo, I'm sure I'll have lots of good pics after tomorrow's jaunt. And oh yes, let's not forget that we're going to Ben's ALL-TIME-FAVORITE-RESTAURANT tomorrow. It's called Wibb's (and I'm not speaking of the national BBQ chain here). And when I say 'restaurant', I'm really telling a lie. It's more like a shack in the middle of nowhere that maybe holds 20 people total with a big lady in the back cooking up pork. A restaurant it is not, but a gem it sure is. It's the ultimate barbecue joint & Ben loves it. He's so excited to go...he's like a kid on Christmas Eve. Seriously.
Have a great weekend.
Take a run through the sprinklers,
until next time.
How's this for predictions & seeing the future? Last night I was feeding Levi & thought to myself, "Wow, Lincoln's 3 years old & has never had the stomach flu. That's amazing." Fast forward to this afternoon when I go pick him up from summer school. His teacher walks over & says, "Lincoln just threw up all over himself & is crying for you." I get out of the car & go see him...He's covered in throw up, crying hysterically because he has no idea what the hay-hay just happened & is complaining that his head hurts. Awesome. What's that? What's that you're saying?...Ben will help me when he gets home from work? Oh no friends, he's working late tonight...tonight is going to be so much fun.
Say a prayer for me that I don't get whatever this is....
Throw-Up Stinks,
xoxo
Wow, it's been a while since my last post. I've been up to many things, I guess. Lincoln was supposed to have his first swimming lesson this afternoon. However, his teacher called saying that the pool was closed. A kid pooped in the pool yesterday, forcing them to drain the pool & clean it. Yes, please do. Our homeowner's association fees have to go towards something. Can we not have our kids swimming in poop please? Thank you McKay's Mill.
We tried to explain this to Lincoln. I tried telling him that his swimming lesson was not happening because someone pooped. This got us nowhere. All Lincoln said was, "You like poop in the pool?" So finally, Ben used another tactic. Kevin is our neighbor who is 4 years old. Lincoln LOVES Kevin with all his might. Ben said, "Kevin was the one who pooped in the pool. They sent him to jail. If you poop in the pool, they take you to jail. That's why you haven't seen Kevin in a while. " Kevin's really at the beach on vacation with his family. But Lincoln got this horrified expression on his face & said, "Kevin in jail? Poop in pool? Oh no!" Mission accomplished. Ok, Ok, so we suck at being parents. But we got the job done. As of this moment, Lincoln will never poop in the pool.
On another note, my parents came to visit us this past week & we had a great time. Many of you may not know this, but I have a black thumb. Seriously. No greenness here. You might be saying, "really? not even one measly plant? not one flower?" No folks, everything I put into the ground dies. I choose to believe this is due to my being a bit overzealous to keep them alive...so I water them. And keep watering them. And so on and so forth. So they die of over-watering. When my mom & dad arrived, my mom had it all planned out. She knew exactly what flowers we would plant, where they would be, & had explicit directions for me to keep them alive & well. So off to Home Depot we went. We came back with beautiful flowers & I planted them all around our yard. Ben was quite impressed, even though he did think it was pretty much a waste of money because of course, he knows my death history. Here's some photos of the blessed day.
There are flowers on the right side; you just can't see them because of the shadow. Don't doubt it.
Here I am with jazz hands showing off my handiwork:
And here's the mastermind in all her glory. Can you tell we're related?
And here's the tired gardener, pooped from her planting:
Then here are some cute photos of my parents spending time with the boys. Lincoln loved having my dad give him a bath every night & then cuddle with him on the couch. This is them watching TV on the couch before bedtime:
Here's Mimi with sweet Levi. Here's a funny story about the two of them. Levi has had severe cradle cap within the past few weeks. My mom couldn't believe it when she saw him. So to rectify the dry skin, she applied extra virgin olive oil (EVOO, if you will) on his head every evening before his bath. It was hilarious. All we needed was some rosemary focaccia bread & we'd have been set for a killer appetizer. Thankfully, her plan worked & his scalp is no longer peeling. Even when you're a mom yourself, your mom still always has the best plan there is. Moms know best. 
Oh, and let's not forget Lincoln's end-of-the-school-year gift to me. It's a begonia flower in a pot he painted. Actually, it's a his fingerprints painted on it, & then another artist prettied it up. But make no mistake...it means the world to me that it came from him & I'm proud to show it off.
So let's hope that I keep the watering can at bay until the flowers really truly need a good watering. May I keep those flowers alive to prove Ben wrong, dammit.
No pooping in the pool...you certainly don't want jail-time,
Here are some adorable photos of the boys. I'll start out with Levi's recent rollover. I put him down, walked away for a second, & then the next thing I know, he's completely on his belly. What a champ.
"OK, I'm on my back Mom!"
"Grrr... Al...most...there! (hey, in the meantime, check out my bald spot!)"
"Ta-Da!"
Here is Lincoln & Dad having a water fight outside last night in our front yard. Hilarious.
Linc thought this was the funniest thing...getting Momma's feet wet with the hose. I acted like it was hysterical. And it was freezing!
Levi started eating rice cereal a couple days ago. Let me ask anyone this: who likes that wallpaper paste? I mean, I feel like the worst mom ever by giving it to him. And he's no idiot, of course he didn't like it.
"OK this looks promising...I've got a bib on! You're stirring something that looks different...let me taste it...I'm pretty excited!"
"Wait, what's happening?"
"I take it back! I'm not excited, I'm disgusted!"
"What the bloody hell..."
"I'm not sure what just took place Mom, but it better not ever happen again. Ever."
Go get your roll-over on,
I'm so excited! David Cook Wins!! Did anyone else cry when his sweet mom came up on stage & his brother was so super proud? What a fun & unbelievably memorable moment. I feel kinda embarrassed to say that I'm so proud of this guy whom I've never met. But clearly I'm not the only one, because Ryan told us all that nearly 93 million votes took place last night. Holy Moly.
It's an understatement to say that I was completely shocked when David Cook was given the title. I was so certain that Archuletta would take the crown. I think I was intentionally thinking it would be Archuletta so I would not be too disappointed if Cook were to not win. Ben, on the other hand, stood strong & said, "David Cook's gonna win...he has to." I don't think he even wanted to think about little Archie getting it. So when Ryan announced his name, we were both very happy. Ben & I both actually laid on the couch the entire 2 hours & watched all the entertainment. Ben's favorite? Donna Summers! My favorite? Bryan Adams! Crazy, I know. But seriously, can Bryan Adams' voice be any sexier? It sounds like he just smoked a pack of ciggies & then drank a bottle of whiskey. And Donna Summers did sound amazingly good.
Did anyone else think Carrie Underwood looked frighteningly thin? What's going on there, Miss Carrie? Go grab yourself a hamburger. But girl can saaaang. Whew, she hit it out of the park.
I will also say that I would go out tomorrow & buy the record if Michael Jons & Carly Smithson were a duo. They sounded unreal good together when they did "The Letter". I had forgotten how unbelievable they both are...I had also forgotten how weirded out I get when I watch David-I-Strip-in-my-Spare-Time-Hernandez sing. When they all were singing the George Michael song, he just randomly got the "kinky" lyric. Priceless. It's either priceless or disgusting. I'll go with the latter.
Y'all remember Jordin Sparks? She was packed out in a gold dress when she came onstage to sing her new single. And I do mean "packed". Ben said, "Wow, she spent her summer eating Hostess Cupcakes." Not cool, Benny. Not cool. But seriously, if you're big-boned like she is, why would you wear a dress that is cut like that? Choose something that is flattering to your figure, not something that should be on a Size 4 anorexic.
Did anyone catch the old man behind the lead singer of the Jonas Brothers? I don't know if he was part of the band or what, but he was a spitting image of Tom Arnold. Ben literally said, "I didn't know Tom Arnold was in this band!" I nearly fell off the couch. I mean, can we please get some age continuity within the Disney band? A five-year age gap is all we need.
Ben made me laugh again by saying, "What about the TMTH guy? Where is he?" Remember that hoo-ha? He is Too Much To Handle. Y'all remember Danny Noriega, right? How can you not remember him? Straight hair, gay moves, high-pitched voice, totally spunky when he talked to Simon...
OHH! I totally forgot to mention Amanda Overmeyer. I saw not one smile come across her face the entire night. You know she was cursing herself for signing that contract when she auditioned. Skunk hair returns!
Well, David Cook wins American Idol, but let's not forget that we are ALL winners tonight. We all win our lives back from the grip of the FOX network. My time will no longer be sucked from its very being, watching commercial upon commercial for Ford & Coca-Cola products. Let's all take a break friends...no more American Idol for this girl. Not until next January, of course. Until then, you can catch me here at this blog posting pictures of my boys & funny anecdotes of the fam.
It's been a fun ride. Come around again next year for us to do it all again...
Congratulations Cookie!
xoxo
Can David Archuletta please grow some...what are they called?...Oh wait, I remember now. BALLS. Seriously, get a pair David. Oh, his stumbling around for words, his mumbling speech patterns, his near-crying endeavors just made me want to barf all over. I so don't want him to win, but let's be honest with ourselves 'in this moment'...he will. Nevertheless, I will stay strong & courageous for my man Cookie.
BTW, when did it become cool to name the winner after each round? That's the opposite of cool, Simon. You better fix this. I don't know how & I don't know when, but you & your sneaking-out chest hair had better repair the mess you just created.
Cookie does a U2 song to open up the show, & I loved it. Yes there could have been a bigger peak to the song, but all in all, I thought it kicked. Archuletta did something stupid by Elton John. Another one of his repeat ballads.
Then, the ever-embarrassingly-sickening-ridiculous songwriting choices! Can anyone win this round? They're singing songs the public has never heard, not to mention at a time when the public doesn't want to hear a new song. The odds aren't exactly in their favor. I thought Cook did way better than Archuletta, but I think I stand alone on this one. Archuletta did something up my ass about believing in a moment. Argh, Kelly Clarkson did something about a moment & didn't Miss Jordin do a moment song last season too? Give it up people. Write new stuff. Quit recycling.
Ok third round. The Davids do whatever they want. Cook chooses a Collective Soul song which he does amazing with. He starts crying, which makes me so sad because I then start thinking about his brother & the sadness that it is. Randy gives him a two-thumbs up, Paula gives him a standing ovation & says "you're standing in your truth" (really, Paula...really?), & Simon is an ass. He says he chose the utterly wrong song for the night. Cook explains his dissatisfaction & confusion about choosing to do a song he's already done in the competition. I totally agree. Do I want to hear a song he's already done before? A big fat no way. But what does Archuletta decide to do? Why, just that, ladies & gentlemen! He does "Imagine", which I'm sure his stage-dad told him to do from backstage...but wait, didn't his dad get kicked out from being backstage because he was messing with the production & trying to run the show, not to mention call the shots on everything his son did? OK that's the first clue America. This is not American Idol material. Randy obviously is in love with Archuletta tonight which makes little Davie cry & babble like my baby Levi. Paula says he was stunning, & Simon thought he was a knock-out.
Well, Archuletta will take the cake, but my man Cook will sell more records. All in due time...all in due time.
xoxo
