Decision: One Ringie-Dingie or Yo yo Mama

This has been one of those days. I woke up to Amanda leaving for the ball park and three little boys lined up on the loveseat watching TV. A rather typical Labor Day weekend.
We started the day with pancakes, syrup, and orange drink. They ate it all up and went back to watching TV.....Disney's Saturday morning educational channel. (That was my choice - no discussion). I cleared up the table and kitchen and got dressed. The idea was to keep them enjoying each other's company and not destroying the house too much.....Amanda and Scott have worked so hard this past week to make sure it is presentable for this weekend. Scott is playing ball; Amanda is keeping score. I am trying to get some studying in and make sure the three boys (Devin, Ethan, and Denver) have a nice time too.....(mostly being watched by Aunt Marlys is the ultimate threat, while being watched by Grandma Marlys is almost a treat.....personally, I don't see the difference but some do....LOL!).
So, one ringie-dingie or yo yo Mama? This is how it happened: along about quarter after 10 AM my phone rang. Some of my calls are set to regular ring tones, but most are set to Aaron's voice repeating 'Yo yo Mama, yo yo Mama', over and over. This morning when my phone rang, three little boys jumped up and started running around trying to find my phone while repeating, in unison, 'Yo yo Mama, yo yo Mama'....it was the cutest most spontaneous act I have ever seen out of all three of them at once! It might be a dread to have me be the adult in-charge for them but stuff like this is a pure joy for me!
I have been thinking seriously of changing the majority of incoming calls to 'regular' ring tones but this morning has made me see that whatever strange looks I get from the adult world when my phone rings in public are well worth it to see these three enjoying themselves so much over such a singular act of folly!

Decision: Well, That's A Bummer! Only Missed it by Five Hours and 22 Minutes?

Well, that's more like what I am used to...or is it? Woke up at 11:22 AM to the sounds of Grandkids playing the PlayStation2. Thought that getting up at 6 AM two days in a row finally caught up with me....then closed my eyes. Few minutes later, the noise from the 'parlor' got louder and I figured it was time for me to get up. Looked at the clock again.....11:22 AM.....that can't be right. (Windup clock wasn't wound up!) Turned to the other side of the bed....8:33 AM. That's better....after all, Mom kept me up until 1:01 AM watching TV so I had to expect to sleep in a 'little' longer.

As the day progressed: Breakfast is over and Ethan has had his midmorning class of milk. Angelica asked me to bring her scrapbooking along this time ('I feel like scrapbooking', she told me) and she scrapbooked last night and this morning. Ethan is doing a little scrapbooking too but taking a break now to watch "The Fox and the Hound" (One, he has Two but not One). 'You will like this Grandma Marlys; it has a baby fox in it'.....how can you turn down a recommendation like that! Now Angelica is watching too; how cute!

Lunch is over, A & E have settled in to games on the PlayStation2, Mom is reading the newspaper, and I am re-capping!
Just before lunch I decided to go get milk from the corner. Mom gave me her 'milk card' (buy so many half-gallons of milk and get one free) to get it 'punched'. Between the (less than 20 minutes), I managed to lose it......still can't find it. All I remember is that I put it in a safe place where I couldn't possible lose it. Ever have days like that? (I know, if I don't watch out, I will end up on Dr. Phil or Oprah being accused by my family and friends of 'needing more brains than I'm working with' and not doing anything about it to get help for myself.)

It's now evening and we have returned from spending a couple hours at Port to Port, just in time for a little rain. We really need it but are glad it held off until we had finished our outing....good timing! Here are a couple pictures from the 'course' and the arcade too. I decided since Aaron will not be joining us I would take some pictures for him to have....a couple might even end up in his wallet....well, at least the ones of his kids.

The day is coming to an abrupt end as my 'portable Internet' was blind sided about half an hour ago, parts flew off, and I don't know how long it will continue to work. I am so glad I had a really nice day to counteract this bump in the road!

Pictures from top to bottom: On the very first hole, with his very first swing of the club, Ethan got a hole-in-one! (He got another hole-in-one later in the game on the seventh hole...HOWEVER, the ball went into the cup on the sixth hole and not the seventh...it was a 'pinball sort of a shot' and totally good for a ROGL!). Next, Angelica has quite a time trying to put the ball in the cup and on one of the later holes got to within 4 inches, the closest she came to a hole-in-one. Third is a great picture of them with the great old Salty. From there we entered the arcade where Angelica shot baskets and Ethan drove a space ship ('How high will it go Grandma', he asked me before he got in!). Then, after they had spent all of my quarters, we got our picture taken by an obliging 'post' (because the picnic table we too low!) Ethan's 'strained' smile....we had to take two pictures and he didn't even want to take one....this one was taken second. We really had a good time!

Enjoy the pictures and I will keep you posted on my potential

physical separation from the www!

Decision: The Couch.....a Transformer?

It's day two of my vacation. Up again at 6 AM to make my rounds before I go pick up Angelica from Cathy Nana's house. I am also waiting for Brooke to call with news of Ethan......the boy can be illusive when he wants to be. Once I get my grand 'ducks' in a row, I will be off to the Bed and Breakfast - Richardson style, to spend some days and wait for Aaron (he's working).
Ok, that was earlier today. Ethan, after Angelica bribed him with a dollar and the promise he could play her DS, showed up at Great Grandma's. He has been a scream, too, watching the Olympics tonight. He likes the synchronized diving and has been showing me how two of them, right 'along each side of the other' just do their 'twistest-eding' and 'then splash right down' (for those of you who don't know how synchronized diving is done.....LOL).
Sometime after all that he was sitting on one end of the couch and suddenly visualized the couch made up as a bed......he wanted to know if we were going to make it into a 'Transformer".....when I told him 'yes' he was not thrilled. Then he remembered that he wanted to sleep with Great Grandma anyway.....so much for getting his help with the transformation!
Now he's sitting on Great Grandma's lap trying to fall asleep. We told him that nobody can carry him up to her bed and he better go up there on his own. He wants to watch a movie but the TV upstairs doesn't support that media and the 'spare' TV that does is in the basement....he doesn't want to sleep on the floor down there. So, they are at a stale-mate. Now Great Grandma has promised him that if he falls asleep on her lap, she will roll him on the floor and leave him there....this is really good stuff!
It's now later and Great Grandma won (was there any doubt).....Ethan is on his way up to bed and I'm sure he won't last long enough to know that he is not going to be watching a movie! Looks like now I'll have to talk Angelica in to making a 'Transformer' out of the couch!

Decision: Vacation at LAST!

It's Tuesday and I am on vacation.....what a joy to see the clock approach Noon and I'm still on the couch not even moving toward the shower to get ready for work.
> I was up at 6 AM to study a couple hours before the 'kids' (Amanda, Devin, and Denver) got up. They don't know that I am on vacation....it's a surprise.....giggles!
> I called around 8 AM to check on getting the other 'kids' (Aaron, Angelica, and Ethan)....well, actually, I called Aaron to see if he had made arrangements to get them the rest of the week. We talked a little bit and he said he would call the Moms and get back to me. That worked for me because my plan is to 'hold down this couch' for the rest of the day!
So, Amanda has asked me if I know what time it is. 'Yes, I do'....'they are going to have to work without me today,' I tell her. (She doesn't seem to have a clue......giggles!)
We have been watching the Olympics this morning and it is a scream to see Devin and Denver doing gymnastics with the Olympians......such contortions! Devin is really in to that, with little brother 'monkey see, monkey do' right along beside him. Denver is a fan of the 'water' sports, especially watching Phelps with the water splashing in his face.....he giggles at it. It has been a fun way to start the day....and my vacation! Aaaaah, three and a half more days of this....heaven!