by teresa

Wow...I can't believe I haven't blogged since Friday.
We had a busy weekend (which I'll blog about later) and I was a sicky sickster Sunday night and all day yesterday. I'm talking dawn of the dead!
I feel much better today, thank goodness.
I am off to take Nick to school...and Lauren to work (fun fun fun).

A little exercise never hurt anybody....did it?

by teresa

I decided to walk to Nick's school yesterday to pick him up at the end of the day. I was full of energy and pep and ready to power walk all the way there.
Ben came too and I realized he walks waaay faster than me. I kept having to tell him to slow down. It might have had something to do with the flip flops I was wearing. Not a good idea on a walk. Maybe that's why I only got two blocks before I detoured to my sisters and borrowed her minivan to pick up Nick.

I really don't think I need buns of steel. I'd be happy with buns of cinnamon. ~Ellen DeGeneres

by teresa

Yesterday was our last MOPS meeting until school starts back.
We had our "favorite things" presentations. It was supposed to be like Oprah's favorite things...except instead of giving out cars and jewelry we gave out our favorite chocolate, sodas, makeup, etc. I (of course) gave everyone a slide show I had made of all the years pictures I had taken. It was a lot of fun. Next week is our end of the year get together. We are all meeting at The Painted Lady, which I heard was kinda like a tea party house. Should be neat.

Tonight is Kai's next to last game. Tuesday nights game was so much better than usual. Chris bought Kai a bucket of balls and took him to the field Sunday afternoon. He pitched to Kai 300 times while Ben fielded. It really helped. It really, really helped. Kai had 3 at bats....2 RBIs (one of those was a double) and 1 high pop fly that was caught. I can't wait to see how he does tonight.

















BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB!
Today Ben was so excited to get up for school. He was selected (along with others from his school) to participate in a local tv talk show for kids(KidTalk). He carefully selected his outfit and kept reminding me...NO WHITE MOM. Apparently he was told white doesn't show up well on camera, so he made sure we avoided white in his ensemble. I will make sure to let all you local folks know when it will air.

I am going to spend my day home, chained to the washing machine.
Those hampers will be empty before the kids return or my name isn't....Jessica Alba!

by teresa

We had a super Memorial Day weekend.
All our family and friends came over and we enjoyed hours of fun and food.

by teresa

I am going to set up surveillance cameras in the kitchen to see how a messy, caked on , peanut butter knife keeps ending up in the sink when I wake up each morning.

Who could the culprit be?

by teresa

Ben's new thing is waking up early to tell me he loves me before Chris does.
"Has Dad told you yet?", he asks.
I say ,"I don't think so."
"Yippee!!", he squeals.
"I LOVE YOU MOMMA!", he shouts.
Then I get a big hug and kiss too.

Melts your heart doesn't it?

The other thing he has started is putting on the armor of God before we leave the house.
We learned about it in bible school a couple of weeks ago.
He has heard it taught many times before, but this lesson was very exciting with cool props and it really got through to him.
So I put a note on the front door to remind us to do it each morning before we leave.
HE NEVER FORGETS!
The helmet of salvation
The breastplate of righteousness (he does the motions as if he is putting each thing on)
The belt of truth
The sword of the spirit (the Word of God)
Feet covered with peace (he does a little jig after putting these on each time)
The shield of Faith

Then he picks up his book bag and heads for the bus.
What a precious boy.
As he walks off I can actually see it on him.
It's very empowering to go through this each morning with him.

by teresa

We had fun last night attending the church softball game.

You see most of these guys on Sunday morning in their dockers and dress shirts, so when they are running around in those tight baseball pants you just can't help but giggle.

It made it even more fun that we were actually good. It's so much more fun to win...don't you agree?

I did get scolded by the umpire near the end of the game for using flash photography.

Huh?

No flash photography outside?

It wasn't even dark out.

He gave a minute long lecture to our bleacher (which I couldn't hear from my chair) about the danger of flashing in the eyes of the players.

I wasn't even shooting toward the front of anyone.

I almost snapped one at him in the middle of the "talking to" but Lauren gave me a pleading look no to embarrass her.

I'm such a trouble maker.

Don't be jealous....

My day...

by teresa

We had a really intense storm come through yesterday afternoon. Wind, rain, lightening and hail pounded all around our house. I was cooking dinner and right in the middle of whipping up a new spanish rice recipe...click....the power goes out. Dang it!

We waited it out for a few hours with no luck. So we ended up eating out at Jason's deli and saved the rice and burritos for tonight's dinner.

We opened the pool Sunday night and the kids have been swimming every night since before bedtime. My camera batteries were dead so I didn't get any pictures. Nick jumped in first and came up looking as though he were in pain. It took a moment for him to catch his breath. I really wish I had my camera out. The water temperature is about 69 degrees. brrrrrrrr

Kai's baseball games are wrapping up soon. His actual season is over...now we just have rain out games to make up. He is still having fun(which is all that matters)....but we have all come to the realization that baseball is NOT Kai's game. Can the kid get a hit please???? And can he maybe play in the infield so I can snap a good picture. He gets so bored in the outfield that he ends up spinning in circles and sticking his glove on his head. The coaches keep yelling out to him....,"baseball ready, Kai...baseball ready!" Which I assume means....stop chasing that bumble bee and pay attention!

STRIKE ONE!!!

STRIKE TWO!!!

STRIKE THREE!!

NEVER DO THIS AT HOME!

by teresa

*go for a late morning swim in pool

*towel off poolside then sit in the cool breeze to take the drips away

*come in the house and take off bathing suit so you don't track water through the house

*with nobody home but you and the dogs....you decide to sit for a minute and check email for the pta info you have been waiting for

*hop up from vinyl office chair to head up and put clothes on

*leave top layer of buttocks skin on vinyl office chair

OUUUUUUCCCCHHHH!!!!!

My butt will be smartin' all day.

What have we learned here people?

No wet, nakey internet surfin'!

Actual questions and comments heard in the Green house this week...

by teresa

They are so hard they're going to puncture my gums.

First you cry over a cup, now you cry over a plastic turtle?

Can you say Afro?

I hit the diarrhea zone at bite 45.

Move over...I am a scanning pro.

We went from tears to side splitting laughter...who knew Wallyworld would be so exciting?

Flip flop sunburns are so sexy.

SHOOOOORRRTY! Stop peeing on the car seat!

Just roll around on it a bit...then hose it off.

Honey...do you need the kitchen sink for anything today?

Nothing makes him happy like pens.

You don't really want to hang out with us, you're just sucking up to get that Xterra.

Please tell me you washed that?

Did you cut your hair?
Why do you ask?
Cause there is a big hole in your hair in the front of your head!
Ummmm...yeah. But I think it looks good, don't you mom?
NO!

by teresa

Red cup dancing
Lucy is her name.
The wind spins and twirls
Three days all the same.
Moves around the table
With leaves and a gum wrapper.
She stops on the steps
Waiting for a new partner.
It is quiet?
Clear and sunny, with no wind
She is gone for now
Will she come back again?

It was so windy a few days back. Everyone was at work and school and I was home doing this and that. For three days a red plastic cup (that had somehow been left out after our mothers day cookout) swirled around my back porch area. It made a constant rolling noise on the concrete. Not annoying...just there. No matter when I went to the back, there she was making a turn around the patio table. Then coming back to rest against the steps....waiting for another breeze to start her up again. I showed it to Lauren and she laughed. We stood at the back door and watched her travel around and around and around always coming back (no matter how far she was blown away) to the back porch steps. Lauren named her Lucy (because of the color of the cup). I was actually sad when I came down Wednesday morning and she was gone. Am I nuts?
It makes me think of Lauren. How she is here with us, through the laughs, tears, joys and annoyances. But someday soon (seeing as she is going on twenty) she will twirl off in another direction. Away from the shelter of my steps....whichever way the wind blows. I pray that God is her guide always. As she sails from one adventure to the next.

men????

by teresa

My hubby invited me out to lunch today.
My favorite place (Imperial Palace).
I was happy to break up the monotony of my day and spend time with him chatting without kids interrupting us.

Then he opened his mouth.

He said.....

Your hair?
It looks different.

Me: whadoyamean?

Well...at first it looked sassy.
Now it just looks...ummmmm...normal.

What happened(he asked while wrinkling up his nose like something smelled bad)?

Stunned, I gave no response.
No verbal response that is.

I feel blah

by teresa

Thursday.
Boring Thursday.
PTA meeting and some errands on the menu for me.
Anything exciting happening where you are?

By Chris

"Nobody's hurt . . ." That's not really the best way to start a cell phone conversation with your daughter.

I got home yesterday, and Nick was anxious to tell me that Lauren just called the house, "And it sounded urgent! . . . But we got disconnected. I think something's wrong" That'll give you a knot in your stomach. I called her right back. I hear sirens in the background and "Nobody's hurt . . . ." She was in an accident. Someone left turned into her as she was going straight through an intersection. Car is all messed up.

She was typical, calm Lauren. You would have thought she was calling to tell me that she was stopping for gas. She didn't even mention until the ride home that there was smoke in the other car and a bloody passenger whom she helped out of the car. I was like "huh? was there an ambulance?" She replied "I think so. Somebody took her off. I couldn't see behind the fire truck." "Firetruck?!?" I said. "Yeah. I think there were 2 cops, a fire engine and an ambulance. something like that," she answered. To her, that all boiled down to "nobody's hurt," I guess, when I asked for details. Sometimes, we want her to get a little more motivated and feel some heat, but her "calm under pressure" sure was reassuring yesterday. It took me (and Nick) forever to get to the accident. They caused quite a traffic jam. By the time I got there, she had already filed a claim with the insurance and a tow truck was on the way. In fact, she has done a pretty good job of handling things with just a little bit of guidance and follow-up from me. The other driver was issued a ticket, so it is officially not her fault (shewwww).

She did do one funny knucklehead thing though: she locked her keys in the car. The police officer, tow truck driver, her brother and I had a pretty good time joking and laughing at her about that one. But, they figured it out and got the car out of there. She has already secured a rental car, which she is pretty happy about.

She seems to be doing pretty good. She has some aches and nasty looking bruising from the seat belt (which she now really understands the importance of wearing). It's funny how all that sets in the next day even though you feel fine right afterwards.

Actual questions and comments heard in the Green household this week...

by teresa


Don't you like my hair?

I like it so much it makes my tummy hurt.

Fart-iana Jones!

He has no problem whipping it out infront of anyone.

I bet you didn't think the first boob he ever saw would be his sisters?

How much ya' wanna bet it's the last boob he ever sees?

Move over a bit....you are dripping honey mustard on my pillowcase.

You guys drive me so crazy, I will have my new prayer box filled in 24 hours.

Oh, did your daughter mention that there was police, ambulance and fire truck at her accident?

Can you bring the baby powder upstairs my armpit is on fire?

Praise the Lord for diet coke!

by teresa

I hope all you ladies had a wonderful mothers day.

I know I did.

It was filled with love, grilled meat and pie.

What more could a woman ask for?

What did I get, you ask?

Something I have been pining for for some time now.

I dropped hint after hint after hint.

Jewelry?

Fancy perfume?

Mink coat?

Nope.

A can opener.

That's right people...a can opener.

The cool one that you just put on top of the can and it spins around on it's own, leaving no jagged edges on top.

I know....on top of all of my other awesomeness....I am a low maintenance woman too.

by teresa

Our soccer party was a great success.

About 80 people came and boy was the food yummy.

I was thinking about it and realized this was our ninth season coaching.

Nine different sets of kids and parents.

We love getting to know the families.

And I can say after all these years we have been lucky to only have problems with one family.

Pretty good huh?

Kristian and Ben started this soccer thing together.

Little babies (to me 5 is still a little baby).

And now they are both 9 and this was probably their last season together, which makes me a bit sad.

In the fall Ben will play on an all boys select soccer team (he was recruited and already began practices)....and Kristian has expressed interest in cheering.

by teresa

Friday again?
I can't believe it.
Our soccer party is tomorrow (I can't believe the season is over).
By the way, we lost our tournament game.
So sad.
Oh....and Ben got slapped in the face by some bratty kid during the "tunnel" when both teams are supposed to be good-gaming each other.
Nice huh?
Anyway...back to the party.
For me soccer party = slide show.
I have done so many now that it has become less of a chore.
As a matter of fact...a friend's mom(who has seen my Upward video) has asked me about doing a slide show for their 50th anniversary.
Pretty cool.
Today (as soon as I can clear everyone out of MY house) I am going to do a power clean. Top to bottom. Day to day upkeep has been slack seeing as soccer and PTA has taken us out of the house everyday this week. Then I must head to Sam's to pick up the cake for the party and run across town to purchase a gift card for the coaches gift.
So what is everyone doing for mother's day?
We have gone out so much lately that I would prefer to come home after church and relax.
Maybe the sons and hubby's (Nick, George and Chris) can grill some kabobs or something if the weather is nice.
That way the kids can play in the yard (instead of terrorize Innocent restaurant goers) while we sit and relax.

from frizz....to fab!

by teresa

******************************************************************************************************

Yes, I do have eyes. I'm just so happy with the cut I can't stop cheesin'.

Talk to me tomorrow when I have to try to achieve this look solo.

Thank you Katy!

by teresa

I know this song is a little premature...but we are so excited to have won the second round of the soccer tournament last night.
The score was 2 to 0. Guess who scored both goals? Anyone? Anyone?
That's right.....Jam Master B!
One was a penalty kick that snapped in the upper corner of the net. The other a knee shot into the net as he climbed over the goalie who had dropped the ball.
EEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
We will play in the final four tonight....and Ben (and Chris) could not be any more excited.
I need to bring a megaphone seeing as my voice is G O N E .
Can you say ...scream and cheer for your son till your vocal chord explodes?

Poor Chris had to leave for Atlanta this morning. He is beyond devastated to be missing tonight's game. He tried to talk me into taking the laptop and setting up the web cam field side...but I vetoed that idea. He will have to live with text message updates instead.

Go Strikers!

*by the way...remember yesterday when I said we needed more posters? Well, I made a couple more......TWENTY MORE. One for each kid on the team. Can you say...overboard fanatic?

by teresa

Ben cried last night as he was getting ready for bed.
He does that about once a week.
He misses his grandaddy.

Chris took my daddy's truck and had mulch dumped in it this weekend. He pulled it into the backyard to shovel out of it.
Ben camped out in that truck the entire weekend. He just sat in it (for comfort) and listened to music.

It was nice having it back there with us....a little piece of daddy with us.

MUST READ BOOK SUGGESTION!!!!

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.

The most beautiful love story you will ever experience.
And not dirty, smutty love ....perfect love.

Read it.

by teresa

The weather around here is so wonderful.

70's , breezy, sunny.

Chris and I were talking about how we were out enjoying our yard the entire weekend.

Well...him mowing, weeding and shoveling the two truck fulls of mulch we got dumped.....and us us enjoying the yard from our lawn chairs.

We had everyone over (all the cousins and both sets of grandparents) both nights of the weekend.

Saturday for Nick's birthday and Sunday for a cookout.

Nick grilled chicken and made bbq chicken sandwiches. mmmmmmm

But the hit of the weekend was the bocce ball set g'pa George brought over.

That is a really fun game.

And it sure brought out the crazy competitive side in some of the family....I won't say who...I'll just say the name rhymes with Maty.

One funny thing that happened during the games is that KiKi the dog kept fetching the bocce balls after they were thrown.

We also had a dunking contest...which I will not post pictures of since most of them are of the guys with their shirts up around their neck or their pants coming down.

Chris would not be happy with me. :)

This week is our soccer tournament.

It is our first experience in it, as you had to be in the higher league to compete.

We were a little down going into it because the team has been "asleep at the wheel" the last week or so. I think that's what made last nights win that much sweeter. Yippe! We played a very good team...and we won 1 to 0. Phew! Ben scored the 1 goal. Go Ben!

We made posters and signs and screamed and cheered and really got the kids excited. Tonight we travel to another field to try and move up. I think we need more posters!

Here's some of my favorite photos of the weekend (sorry there are so many).

God is compassionate. He gives us twelve years to develop a love for our children before turning them into teenagers.

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Happy 13TH Birthday Nick!

by teresa

Up at the crack and about to head out the door to set up for the Special Olympics.
All the schools in our city are participating...and Ben's school has over 50 kids going.
I will make sure to take tons of pictures.

By Chris

Nick continues to roll. The boy has really found his grove. He got a project grade back . . . and it was a 100!!. That's right. Perfect. In a class where that does not come easy. He had to create a product and sell it to the class via an oral presentation using several persuasive techniques, proper word choice, pitch, tone and a bunch of other public speaking principles, incorporated in a commercial script. His product was some type of body spray for men. Jehovah Raphe!

Daughter Lauren is closing in on final exams for semester #2 of college. Pray for her as she takes some very consequential final exams next week for her future! A whole year down. Amazing. And, somehow, we still have a little money for food and other stuff :))) Jehovah Jirah!.

by teresa

Errands today.
Many, many errands.
That's not good when you have to fill up your tank at $3.35 per gallon!

What's the most you paid for gas where you live?

by teresa

We had awful weather yesterday.
Tornado warnings, heavy rain.
We were all on lock down for hours.
Our area was spared, just branches down, power outages, hail damage.
But 15 miles away was trounced.
Category 4 tornados.
Nothing left of homes but concrete slab foundations.
120 homes and businesses...flattened.
So far (thank God) no one has been reported dead, but 200 are injured.
I think what helped is that it happened around 4:00pm , before most people were home from work.
Send prayers their way to help ease the suffering and sadness.
I read an amazing story not to long ago about a family going through this situation and how it was a blessing in the end.
Click here to read.
God is so good.

Happiness is ....cupcakes

by teresa

I slept so good last night.

Except I woke up to use the bathroom three times.

When did I turn 80?

Nick's all-city concert was great.

About 100 selectees (top band students) from all the schools in the area.

Finally a concert I could sit through without having to zone off to my happy place to keep from going coo coo listening to a gaggle of tone deaf band geeks playing fre're jacque in 3 different keys.

He....and maybe a few of the other children were included......received a standing ovation after his performance.

Ben and Kristian's soccer game was fun.

Early (8:30am field time) but fun.

Kristian almost scored a goal. It was so tense.

Ben and 3 others did knock the ball in the net a few times.

Boy...is it fun to win.

If you notice I didn't blog about the games last weekend because we got trounced!

Losing does NOT get blog time!

I'm off to church now.

Pray for me....I'm teaching Kaden's class again.

The perfect spring evening....

* no worries of cleaning (the hampers are empty and the house is spotless)
* dinner has been eaten, enjoyed and cleaned up
* yard is cut, beautiful new rose bushes planted and watered
* two pretty robins are pecking for worms in the newly tilled garden
* kids are scattered across the yard. One kicking soccer ball, one digging in the garden with beach shovel and bucket, one shooting hoops
* dogs chasing each other playfully...back and forth, back and forth, back and forth
* sounds of giggles and squeals, barking and bouncing, kisses and crickets
* slight breeze, no clouds...bright moon

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.

leaf blower fun

Actual questions and comments in the Green house this week

by teresa

I'd run from a lion or a bear....but I ain't runnin' from no donkey!

I was in there cussin' chuck.

Do you even know what photogenic means?
Yep, that I'm prettier than anyone else.

He fits right in with anyone who would attend the science fair.

Did the dog talk to you this week?

I was in a cave learning how to destroy the scarecrow ghost brothers.

I kicked a suburban and broke my toe.

Tell me the truth...you watched Desperate Housewives without me...didn't you?

Fire up the grill!
At 8:00pm?
I need a burger...and I need it now!

Take that stray dog back to wherever you found it!

The only way they will eat veggies is if they are battered and fried.

Your belly button smells like butt.

Stop limping around here like a wimp and get over it.

If I nominated you for what not to wear...would you be mad?

Where is our daughter?
I don't know.....somewhere with my checkcard!

When did I become a dogsitter?

By Chris

I'm on the back end of my trip South, sitting in the Charleston, SC airport. To get home, I'll need to fly past home to Philadelphia to connect. There is a more direct option, stopping in on-the-way Charlotte . . . but that is more expensive to do. Go figure. The Charleston airport is pretty small and shares space with a military base, I guess, because there are huge bombers out the window and fighter jets are wizzing by, real close to the ground, right by the gates. It's like getting a free air show. With small airports comes small planes. And, with small planes come very young pilots, I've discovered. I prefer big, sturdy planes with experienced-looking pilots. I'm not sure why. I'm sure the young ones are well trained too. But, some of them look like their 16 or something. One of the departing flights is looking for some volunteers to take a later flight. Not for the normal oversold reason, though. The agent announcement goes "This flight is overweight and can't leave until we get six passengers to volunteer to take a later flight." Huh?

Which reminds me of one time when I was at this same airport I booked the one direct flight home they had each day. I was surprised to discover that I was on a VERY SMALL plane. I'm talking no PA system, no flight attendants small. It didn't even have an airline logo on it. Just a little white plane. There were no overhead compartments ... all your stuff had to go underneath. The pilot made the announcements before takeoff, without a mic. Every seat was window and aisle. And, this "direct" flight stopped in Raleigh to get gas. True story. My colleagues were laughing at me when they saw the plane outside the gate.