Hurricane Central

Point of No Return Moments

2011-12-31T01:33:00.002-06:00

Everyone has them…those moments in your life that once they happen, your life will never return to the way it was. Moments that completely alter the course of your life…forever. I’ve been very blessed in the fact that most of my Point of No Return moments have been happy ones. The day I met the man who would be my husband, the day he referred to me as his “wife” for the first time, the births of our children. All of those moments altered my life in the best of ways. There was, however, one Point of No Return moment that altered the course of my life completely, and while I know that it was inevitable, there is not a day that goes by that I don’t wish it had never happened. The day my Mamaw died.
In order for you to understand why this moment still weighs so heavily on me, even after fourteen years, you need to understand my relationship with my Mamaw. I’m sure most everyone has that family member to whom you feel the closest. Outside of your parents and siblings, there is that one family member that you confide in, that safe haven you can run to. For me, that was my Mamaw. She quit work when I was six weeks old to keep me so that my mother could go back to work. Living directly across the street from me while I was growing up helped to strengthen our bond. I was blessed to be able to spend almost as much time at her house as I did at my own. When I was younger, I didn’t realize what a rare treat it was to have grandparents who lived that close. Like so many things, I just took it for granted. I now realize how truly blessed I was to have all of that time with my Mamaw and to be able to forge such a strong bond with her. Even on nights like tonight, when the pain of losing her seems as overwhelming as it was on the day she went to her Heavenly home, I would not trade the relationship I had with her for anything in this world. She truly was an amazing woman, and by no means was she a “typical” grandmother. While she was all the things you expect from a grandmother…great cook, nonjudgemental, always smiling…she also had her quirks. Like the Vince Gill picture she had taped above her bed, her Jeopardy addiction, and her ability to watch any sport from football to bowling on tv and be able to explain even the most obscure rule for that sport. Not to mention her complete distain for any team or any player that ever managed to get on her bad side! To this day, I have a deep dislike for Steve Spurrier for no other reason than the fact that my Mamaw disliked him so strongly! She definitely was a wonderfully unique woman, and for nearly twenty-one years I was blessed to have her in my life.
And then, it happened. That one Point of No Return moment that still can bring me to my knees to this day. I’ve lost both of my grandfathers since my Mamaw passed away, and while I still miss them, it is not with the same intensity that I miss my Mamaw. I can tell you where I was when they passed, and I remember the aftermath of their passing. However, not with the clarity that I recall the day I lost my Mamaw. That day is still as clear to me as it was fourteen years ago. Looking back, I’m a bit surprised that I didn’t feel SOMETHING when my Mamaw left this earth. Some twinge, some strange sensation. After all, one of the biggest influences of my life had left me. I should have felt something, but I didn’t. At the time of her passing, I was living with my uncle and aunt in Jacksonville, AL while I attended Jacksonville State. My Uncle Randy is my mother’s brother, and was Mamaw’s son. I was supposed to have had an interview with one of my college advisors, but it had gotten cancelled. I was at home, waiting to go pick up my cousins from school, when I heard someone pull into the garage. Since it wasn’t time for anyone to be home yet, I assumed one of my cousins had gotten sick at school, and my aunt or uncle had gone to get them. I was rather surprised to see that both my aunt and uncle had come home, but it never dawned on me that something could have happened to my Mamaw. I’d just seen her the day before, a Sunday, and she was fine. While she had not been in the best of health, she wasn’t sick. I will never forget the look on my uncle’s face as we stood in his kitchen, and he told me that Mamaw had passed away. Later he told me that one of the hardest things about that day was the fact that he had to be the one to tell me. I remember looking at him with what must have been a mixture of shock and disbelief on my face and telling him that it couldn’t be true because I had just seen her the day before and that she told me she would see me the next weekend. How could she be gone if she had told me that? Once the shock finally wore off a little, I remember going up to my room to pack. My last clear memory of that day was sitting on the floor in my room with my suitcase open and clothes spread around me, crying as if my heart would break. Because that is exactly what had happened.
I don’t remember walking into my Mamaw’s house for the first time after she passed away, I don’t remember much about her visitation or her funeral. I do remember telling my mom and my uncle that she didn’t want her casket opened. She had once told me that when she died she didn’t want people looking at her and saying how good she looked. She said in typical Mamaw fashion, “Nobody looks good in a casket; they just look dead!” She wanted a closed casket and pictures of her set out. So that is what we did. I remember that before her funeral, they opened the casket for the family to say our last goodbyes. I know I must have gone in, but I don’t remember if I actually made it all the way to see her or not. I do remember running from the room, outside to the porch of the funeral home. And I remember the feeling of total aloneness that I felt. The feeling that no matter how many people were around that I’d always be alone because my Mamaw was gone, and she was never coming back.
It has taken me a long time, but I know now that while my Mamaw is not here physically, she is far from gone. Some may call it coincidence, but in fourteen years I’ve only dreamed of her four times. Once right after I met Robert. That was the most vivid dream I had of her. It was in April of 1998, shortly after Robert and I had met. She was sitting on my bed with me and we were talking. I told her about Robert and how it was such a chance meeting, the way we met. And then she looked at me, and said “You don’t really think it was totally by chance? Just because I’m gone doesn’t mean that I’m not still looking after you.” The saying “God doesn’t close a door without opening a window” really rings true for me when I think about that dream. I believe Robert was sent to me because Mamaw knew I needed someone, not to take her place, but to help fill in the hole left in my heart when she went away. I also dreamed about her right before finding out that I was pregnant with each of my boys. Not the vivid dream that I had about Robert, but dreams about Mamaw. I didn’t put it together until after Zach was born, but a couple of weeks before finding out I was pregnant with each boy, I would dream about Mamaw.
She is still here in other ways, as well. Especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas. One of my most prized possessions is her cookbook, where she handwrote all of her favorite recipes. Most of my childhood memories involve being in the kitchen with her while she cooked using that book. Now, my boys and I cook the recipes she and I cooked, and I tell them about her. About how much I loved her, and about how much she would have loved them, and about how she’s watching over all of us. And how we will see her again some day.
And so really, my Point of No Return moment really isn’t a point of no return. Because, while I’m still sad that she’s not here with me right now, I know I will see her again one day. I know that she is in Heaven, waiting for me, and one day, she will be one of the first people to greet me. And the first thing I say to her in Heaven will be the last thing I said to her on Earth….”I love you, Mamaw!”

Show, Don't Tell

2011-08-16T19:06:00.000-05:00

"‎Don’t speak to me about your religion; first show it to me in how you treat other people. Don't tell me how much you love your God; show me in how much you love all His children. Don't preach to me your passion for your faith; teach me through your compassion for your neighbors. In the end, I'm not as interested in what you have to tell or sell, as I am in how you choose to live and give.'
~~~ Mayor Cory Booker, Newark"

I teach writing, and when we start with descriptive writing, one of the catch phrases I use is "Show me, don't tell me." The idea is to get the students to go beyond the ordinary, the everyday, and have the readers really experience what they have experienced. To put the reader into their experience with them. The quote above is one that I found on a friends wall on FaceBook. A friend who does not share my faith. Yet, through that one simple quote in a status update, I find myself being convicted. Am I showing, not just telling people about my God? Does my life show to whom I belong? Sadly, probably not. I have the tendency to be short tempered, to be so caught up in my day to day living, that I forget that people around me are watching me more than they are listening to me. I need to start "Showing, not telling". There are people who are "reading" my life...I need to go beyond the everyday, the ordinary, and allow people who have never experienced a relationship with Christ to experience what I experienced. I have a brand new bunch of students who are watching me every single day. I need to let them see more Jesus and less Lee. Because Lee isn't always pretty, Lee isn't always nice, and Lee isn't always pleasant. Lee gets cranky, stubborn, and sometimes downright mean. But the great thing is, Jesus lives inside Lee, and He is the one that I need to show. Because He IS pretty, He IS nice, He IS pleasant....He isn't cranky, stubborn, or mean. He is all that is good and lovely and wonderful, and when I get out of the way and let Him show through, then Lee becomes like Him, and that is a wonderful thing.

Hmmm, Look what I found....

2011-08-06T03:40:00.002-05:00

It's my old blog! I'd almost forgotten about this! It's been so long, where to begin?? Well, the boys are older now. Daniel is going into 3rd grade, Mikey is going into 2nd, and much to the dismay of the girls at daycare, Zach is going into his last year at Noah's Ark. I'm looking around and wondering where on earth my babies went! I'm still teaching the 6th graders, still in Holtville. As you can imagine, the Hurricanes have been quite busy. Last time I posted, they had just started getting into baseball. That has become a big deal around here. All 3 boys are playing now, and starting in the spring, all 3 will be playing on separate teams. Daniel will be moving up to kid pitch, Mikey will stay at coach pitch, and Zach will be playing t-ball. Mikey made the 7-8 year old All-Star team this past year. He has become quite the ball player. And after a disasterous experience with football when he was 5, he's reluctantly decided to give football another try. He's agreed to go to a couple of practices to see how he likes it. He and Daniel are both wanting to play fall baseball too, so we'll see where that leads. We really lucked out with baseball though. We've had the same group of coaches since the boys started playing. They are a great group of guys. Robert has even helped coach, all 3 boys. Also, I'm going to be an aunt in a few months. Robert's sister is having a baby boy in late Nov./early Dec. SO excited about that!! Well, now that the catching up is done, I'll be posting more often!

My baby is 6!

2008-09-28T21:50:00.002-05:00

I can hardly believe that I've been a mom for 6 years! Daniel turned 6 on Sept. 25. He's in kindergarten now. UNBELIEVEABLE!! Where did the time go?? I know it's been a while since I've done anything with my blog, but it's late and I'm about to head to bed. I plan on posting a lot more though. I've got an idea brewing in my head for something to blog about!!

Free at last, Free at last.....

2008-05-22T17:22:00.003-05:00

Thank God Almighty I am free at last!!!!!!!! Today was the last day of school!! WOOOHOOO! Now, granted, I still have to go to school tomorrow and I have some meetings I have to go to next week, but I am DONE with this year's kids!!!! This has been the most challenging year I've ever had!! But it wasn't all bad....There were a few bright spots this year. I have a couple of kids I hope that I've helped this year. I am really looking forward to spending the summer hanging out with my boys! We're gonna have a ball this summer. We're talking about going to the beach and to Six Flags. We'll also go to the park, the zoo, the movies and some other things. It's gonna be a great summer.....I can't wait!! WOOHOO!!!!

An Amazing Experience

2008-04-29T20:47:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I posted and in that time, a wonderful thing has happened to our family. Daniel, my oldest son, accepted Christ recently. Daniel has always had a knack for understanding spiritual things. He has been curious about Jesus and God for a long time now and has been asking some very in depth questions. He has a better grasp on the plan for salvation than a lot of kids twice his age. In fact, the Thursday before Easter, he actually witnessed to another child on the playground. He has truly amazed me with his faith. I now understand what Jesus meant when He spoke of having "child-like faith." Daniel doesn't question the how's or why's of what God does...He just accepts. I am learning alot from my child about faith. On the way home from my in-laws' on a Saturday night, Daniel and I were alone in the Tahoe and we were talking (for the millionth time =) ) about Jesus and how He died on the cross for our sins. We were talking about how if Jesus lives in your heart then you can go to Heaven to live with Him one day. Daniel then asked me the question that I knew had been coming...."Mommy, how can I get Jesus in my heart?" So I explained to him that you had to tell Jesus that you are a sinner and tell Him that you are sorry for your sins. I explained that you had to tell Jesus that you want to follow Him and you want to live with Him in Heaven. Then my 5 year old little boy prayed the sweetest, most sincere prayer I've ever heard. It was an indescribable experience as I watched my son become my brother in Christ. The next morning we talked with our pastor and he asked Daniel some questions to see if he really understood what he was saying and doing. Daniel was amazing. He answered those questions with surprisingly adult answers. Our pastor told me later that he had seen 9 and 10 year olds who did not have the understanding that Daniel did. He told me he'd never seen a child as young as Daniel have such a grasp on what it meant to accept Christ. So we are going to get with our pastor and set up Daniel's baptism. I'm so proud of my little boy and I'm so thankful to the wonderful ladies at the boys' daycare. Their teachings have played a HUGE part in Daniel being where he is today. I can never thank them enough. But most of all, I thank my Savior for working in my son's life and touching his heart at such an early age. I just pray that I can continue to guide all of my boys and raise them in a way that is pleasing to God.

April Showers, May Flowers, and All that Jazz!

2008-04-04T20:53:00.002-05:00

Ok...I'm finally getting around to Tuesday's blog assignment from SMW. Springtime.....flowers blooming, weather warming, and me sneezing!! Seriously though, I love springtime, for a variety of reasons....One being that I HATE HATE HATE cold weather!!! The only GOOD thing about cold weather is the slight chance of snow that comes with it. Other than that, you Yankees can have the cold weather!! I want my smoldering 100 degree summers!! I LOVE living in the South. I'm sure most of you Southerners have heard the joke that we have 4 seasons here in the south....Hot, Dang-It Hot, Warm, and Christmas!!! Yep....give me a good ole' Southern summer anyday. BUT we aren't talking about summer, we are talking about SPRING. I really do love springtime, in spite of the havoc that it wreaks on my allergies. Aside from the obvious warm weather (late March, early April is really the only time we don't need heat or air conditioning around here), I have always loved spring b/c my bday is April 10!! WOOHOO, yay for birthdays!! A day that is all about ME!!! Of course, if you ask Robert, EVERY day is all about me, hehehehe!! I also have developed quite a fondness for springtime lately because SCHOOL IS OUT at the end of May!! WOOOHOOO!!!!!!! Of course, there are a few things about springtime that rather suck...One being the aforementioned allergies. Also, the arrival of pesky little insects like ants and mosquitoes that have decided to wake up! Then there is the ever dreaded.....SAT testing!! YUK! BUT, the good thing about that is that testing = nearly end of school, so that's not TOO bad. All in all, spring's virtues FAR outweigh any negatives. So, bring on the April showers and May flowers.......Bring on SPRING!!

Through the Eyes of a Hurricane (Zach Edition)

2008-04-01T14:30:00.002-05:00

The other boys have had their turn, now it's Zach's! My baby, my little bundle of joy, my four year old trapped in a one year old's body!! I suppose it is an occupational hazard of being the baby. The brothers are doing it, so Zach thinks he can do it too. Doesn't really matter what "it" is, if Daniel and Mikey can do it, so can Zach! Or so he thinks. Poor little man gets absolutely IRATE b/c he can't play T-Ball with his brothers!! He is now refusing to sit in his high chair at home. He really doesn't want the sippy cups, but he's not quite ready for big boy cups yet!! Well, rather my carpet isn't ready for him to have big boy cups just yet. He has figured out how to climb up the ladder of the boys' bunk beds....yeah, there's a trip to the ER in the making!!
Zach has definitely developed his own little personality lately. He's a very loving child, but lately his mischievous streak has starting showing itself. For instance, the other day, Mikey was sleeping on the couch and Zach walks up to him, with this HUGE grin on his face, and just starts banging on Mikey's head!!! It was pretty funny, but of course, I couldn't let Zach just beat on his brother. He also knows when he's doing something he isn't supposed to do. He look at his dad and me to see if we're going to tell him "no".
All of my boys seem to like music....Daniel LOVES to sing, Mikey likes to attempt to play instruments, and now Zach thinks he is "Lord of the Dance". Recently anytime he hears music on tv, he starts doing this weird, head bobbing dance. It's pretty funny. Combine the weird head bob with his "chicken walk" where he walks with his head stuck WAY out and his arms held behind him and he is definitely a sight to behold!!!
Well, that is by no means all of Zach's quirkiness, but I'm at school and the bell's about to ring, so I'll wrap up for today!!! More to come on my final Hurricane!!

Counting my blessings, Part 2

2008-03-28T15:25:00.002-05:00

I've already done a post like this, but I thought I'd do another one. (Ok, well, actually, Jerinda thought that all of the SMW girls should post about what they are thankful for, hehe). So, to recap a previous post, I'm thankful for my hubby, my boys, my parents and grandparents and the upbringing that I had. I'm actually even thankful for my job...after all, it pays the bills and I am learning something from this year...how to trust in the power of prayer!!
On a more light hearted note...I'm really thankful for air conditioning!! Now I know that some of you Northerners can't really appreciate what a wonderful thing AC is, that is unless you visit the South during the months of April-October. As a born and bred Southerner, I say Bless your heart, whoever invented the air conditioner!!!! I really hope you have a special place in Heaven!!
I'm also thankful for Zaxby's Boneless Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings. Thank you Zaxby's for introducing me to this wonderful, spicy goodness. Before this, I had never really liked wings. Thank you for changing my mind!!
Pay at the pump gas stations.....What an ingenious idea that was!! I honestly believe that a woman either invented these or talked her husband, brother, ect into inventing them. Ever tried lugging 3 kids under 5 into a gas station to pay for gas?? You inevitably come out loaded down snacks, drinks, and other stuff you don't want or need and honestly, with the price of gas these days, who can afford anything extra?? Not to mention that it takes longer to buckle and unbuckle car seats than it does to pump gas!!
Clorox Stain Out....Moms of boys know what I mean by this!! This stuff has saved untold amounts of dirt streaked, popsicle stained clothes for me!!
Getting a little more serious...I'm thankful for the daycare teachers at my boys' daycare. They have become like family to us. And they have taught my boys so much and not just academics. They are a great bunch of ladies.
Speaking of great ladies, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my pals at SMW. These girls have been around through my final pregnancy and through Zach's journey to toddlerhood. You girls rock and I love you!!
And last but not least, my adopted daughters at school. You girls don't realize how much you mean to me. You've helped me get through a really tough year this year and I love you all!!

There is so much more that I'm thankful for.....either lighthearted or more serious. I'm an extremely blessed woman with a wonderful family and great friends. I wouldn't trade my life for anything in the world!!

Baby Fever!!

2008-03-07T21:08:00.002-06:00

Ok, my girls at SMW have given me a serious case of baby fever!! What the heck is in the water over there anyhow???? Hearing about all of your BFP's has gotten me to thinking about when I got my very first (and my second, and my third lol) BFP. Robert and I decided around June of 2001 to start TTC. I went off BC and we thought I MIGHT be pg around our first anniversary (July 22, 2001) but turns out we weren't. So we kept trying for what to us (or to me anyway) seemed like forever, but really wasn't all that long. In January, after I got mad at the dog and cat and chased them through the house screaming like a banshee, Robert told me that he thought I needed to go get a pregnancy test. So I did and I got my first BFP!!! I was so excited!! I didn't completely trust the test though, so I called my dr and went in for a blood test. It was positive too so I called and made an appointment with my OB/GYN. I had HORRIBLE m/s with Daniel (with all 3 pregnancies actually). But other than that, I had a very uneventful pregnancy. Daniel's arrival however made up for my uneventful pregnancy. He ended up staying in the hospital for 4 extra days b/c he had low blood sugar. It wasn't serious, but it was scary, especially when you are a first time parent!! But finally, we got to bring our little boy home. And lo and behold, 5 months later (before Daniel was sleeping through the night even) I got my 2nd BFP!! If the feelings I had with my first were elation and excitement, the feelings I had when I saw that 2nd were shock, confusion, and disbelief! How the heck could I be pg AGAIN and so soon after having Daniel??? (Yeah, well, ok, I know HOW it happened, but that's beside the point!!) This pregnancy was a bit more eventful, not because of anything that went wrong during the pregnancy but b/c of trying to deal with a baby AND all the gunk that goes along with being pg!! I remember that when Daniel went with me to the dr to hear the new baby's heartbeat that first time (he was only like 8 or 9 months old) he GROWLED when he heard the heartbeat. It was hilarious!! The very first episode of sibling rivalry!! Mikey came along with no problems. Until he was 6 wks old and caught RSV his first week in daycare b/c some stupid parent sent their kid to school KNOWING they were sick, but I digress. So, let's fast forward about 2.5 years. Daniel is 3, Mikey is 2, and I have an April Fool's joke go a bit astray! We had been at my mom's house on April 1 and I play an April Fool's joke on my parents by telling them I'm pregnant......WELL, about a month later, turns out the joke's on ME! I AM pregnant! YIKES!! Well, of course, I'm SURE that this time I will have a little girl....NOT! Here comes my 3rd little boy. This final pregnancy turns out to be my most eventful towards the end of it. On Dec. 14, I was involved in a car accident. I wasn't injured, nor was Zach, but after the wreck, my BP went up and stayed up. I was put on bedrest, which really SUCKS btw, and the dr ended up inducing me on Dec 21. 4 DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS!! Poor little Zach had a much rougher time of things than his brothers. He developed pnuemonia and then we had a hard time getting him to eat and gain weight. He was in the NICU for 10 days and got to come home on New Year's Eve. I had my tubes tied the day after he was born. Sometimes I wish I could have more kids but I know that it's not really practical for us and everyone has to stop somewhere. I would do some things differently if I were to ever get pg again. Or at least I like to think I would. I would not find out the sex (or try not to); I would not be induced (Robert always wanted to do the mad dash to the hospital, lol) and I would try breastfeeding. I did for a while with Daniel but didn't even attempt with Mikey or Zach. But that's all woulda, shoulda, coulda b/c I had my tubes tied and I won't be having any more babies. Sometimes I wish I could, but I'm happy with my family. With my 3 boys...wouldn't change it for the world. It's just those darn SMW preggos that gave me baby fever!! HEHEHE!!!

***BTW, Cookie, yeah, I know this is a long post!! You should be used to them by now!! Love ya!***

My girls made me do it!!!!!!!!

2008-02-09T20:14:00.000-06:00

Ok, Ok, Ok, SMW chicks........I'm updating my blog! HeHeHe!! I actually have had so much on my mind lately that it's been hard to sort out what to post about! Matt has been home for 2 weeks and while we haven't seen him as much as we would have liked, we had a great visit with him. I even played a matchmaker just a bit, ;) I introduced him to a friend of mine who is actually Zach's daycare teacher. I *THINK* they hit it off pretty well, I know he is DEFINATELY interested and I think she is. He's heading back to Iraq on Monday though. I'm pretty bummed about that. It's been nice having him around and the boys have really enjoyed spending time with him. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers....
My kids at school are really wearing me down. Their behaviour isn't bad enough to justify an office referral for the most part, but there are so many of them doing so many little nit-picky things that by the end of the day I am just DRAINED!! Honestly, if it wasn't for my kids from last year, it would be totally miserable going to work everyday. Seeing my babies from the previous years helps keep me going. I have been told that all I have to do is call the owners of the daycare where I used to teach and I could have my old job back on Monday. The lady who took my place has gotten on everyone's last nerve. I LOVED my old job, but it was a 45 minute drive and even though I would make the same as I make now, I wouldn't have the benefits or retirement.......But I sometimes seriously consider making that call. But I know that the best thing for me and my family right now is to stay where I'm at. It's closer to the boys and with Daniel starting school, he'd have to ride the bus if I took this job and that's something I want to avoid at all costs. But I DO miss working with the younger kids....Funny, I didn't feel this way last year. Maybe b/c I didn't have the discipline problems last year that I do this year.
We went to a birthday party today for a friend of mine's niece. She used to go to daycare with the boys and they BOTH are in "love" with her. It is really funny to see them vying for her attention.......HeHeHe, they are such little men!!
I signed the Hurricanes up for t-ball last week......$140!!! Good Lord!! I have a feeling this is only the beginning!! Daniel will also be old enough this fall to play football. I can't wait. I really don't think that football will be his game.....but he is pretty good at baseball. He has been hitting a ball that is thrown to him for a while now. I think Mikey and Zach are going to be more suited to football. They have a bigger build than Daniel. Daniel is built like me, tall and skinny!! I'm excited about them playing ball though. Of course, that is likely to change after a few practices and getting them ready for games on the Saturdays that Robert has to work, lol! Ok, well, I guess that's it for tonight.......I'll try to update more frequently!!

Where does the time go?

2008-02-05T21:30:00.000-06:00

As I sit here and watch my boys play, I'm struck by the fact that time seems to be zooming by. When did Daniel get to be so grown up?? He no longer looks like a preschooler. I can't believe that my baby is getting ready to head to Kindergarten in 6 months. Starting to school is like stepping into a whole new phase in life, I guess. He'll no longer belong to just me and his daddy. It's like by starting school he enters the stage where his friends will start becoming his main focus, rather than us. It's sad to think that the times where he tells me that he loves me and I'm the best mommy ever will soon be replaced with "I hate you" and "You're so embarassing" I wish that I could keep this innocence that he has right now forever, but starting school is going to change all of that. I know that this is part of parenting, but it's a part of parenting that I'm not quite ready for. Have 5 years really passed by this quickly? Can't I slow down time and keep him my baby just a little longer? I feel like I'm going to blink and my preschooler will be replaced by a teenager. If it's this hard seeing him get ready to start Kindergarten, how hard is it going to be when he gets ready to head to college??? UUUGGGHHHH, I'm so not ready for this!!!!!!!

GERMS!

2008-01-22T20:50:00.000-06:00

I'm so sick of sickness!! Daniel, Mikey, Robert, and I have all been sick since Friday. Well, Thursday really. On Thursday, I had a UTI...not fun at ALL! Then Friday, Daniel and Mikey stayed out of school...they had strep. They started feeling better on Sat, but then Robert and I got sick and are still sick. Then last night, Daniel and Mikey started running fevers again. GRRR! I hate being sick! Being sick and going to work on top of that really sucks. Seems as though Robert, Daniel and Mikey are starting to feel better...Hope I'm feeling better in the morning. All I really want to do is sleep!! I just hope that Zach stays well!!!

Random thoughts.....

2008-01-14T21:22:00.001-06:00

Tonight's blog entry will be just some random thoughts and such. First off, I did something today that suprised even myself. I climbed up a telephone pole, walked across another telephone pole and then flew down a zip line. This was all about 15 ft in the air. I have an insane fear of heights! I couldn't believe I did this, but I did. I was very proud of myself. My homeroom and my pair teacher's homeroom went on a field trip to a ropes course today. We had a blast. The kids, for the most part, behaved pretty well. Which basically means that no one got hurt. So today was an easy day for me...we were outside most of the day, which means that I didn't have a headache when I got home this afternoon for a change!! All in all it was a really good day.
Speaking of good days....the day that Matt comes home on leave for two weeks is drawing closer. The boys are excited about him coming home....as are we all. Even though Matt isn't my biological brother, I think of him as my brother. (He's the brother I never had, and I'm the sister he never wanted....hehehehe, just kidding, I hope!! :P ) Anyway, all kidding aside, I am so very proud of Matt. Now, I realize that I've only known him for about 1o years, but in those years, I've watched him grow and mature into a remarkable man. He has really grown up from the boy that I met when I first started dating Robert. He's just really an all around great guy.
And since I'm on the subject of great days, Robert and I had a really great weekend. The Hurricanes went to stay with Stacey and Steve Sat. night and Robert and I went out with some friends. It was so nice to just hang out and not have to chase after the boys. And miracle of miracles, Sunday we got to sleep late!!! WOOO-HOOO!! AND we got a NAP Sunday afternoon. AHHH, pure bliss!! It was great!
However, tomorrow is back to normal.....No field trips, no babysitters for the night...back to the everyday routine....Who knows, maybe it'll turn out to be a fairly good day in spite of all of that!

Counting my blessings

2008-01-10T18:06:00.000-06:00

Although at the moment it is rather difficult not to pull my hair out (especially since the boys are fighting...AGAIN), I know that I have been so blessed in my life. I was raised by wonderful (for the most part :P )parents. I had the best grandparents in the world. As I grew into adulthood, I was fortunate to be surrounded by a great support system of friends and family who were always there for me. I'm fortunate to have had the same best friend since I was 4 years old. One of the greatest blessings of my life came to me in March of 1998 when I met my husband. Robert has been everything that I could have asked for and more in a partner. He's the most loving and sweetest man I've ever known....and yes, in my case the old adage is true...I did marry a man who reminded me of my father. And he has been a wonderful father to our boys. I'm constantly amazed at how much he does for and with them. And speaking of my boys....what little miracles they are. What other word could be used to describe beings that at one moment have me pulling my hair out and fully understanding why some species eat their young, and then in the blink of an eye can make my heart so full of love that it nearly bursts? I have been so fortunate to have had 3 happy, healthy children. It's very scary to think about all of the things that could have gone wrong during my pregnancies and the boys' babyhood and all of the things that might still go wrong. I may not realize it or acknowledge it at times, but I have so far in my life been very blessed and I'm thankful for it!

Baby, It's Cold Outside....

2008-01-03T09:57:00.000-06:00

But the only place I'm seeing any snow is on my blog page! I LOVE living in the South, except for one thing.....It hardly ever snows! It hasn't snowed at my house in 6 years! My poor children have never seen snow, never made snow angels, never built a snowman, never had a snowball fight!! In fact, it rarely gets below freezing around here...a fact that I don't usually complain about b/c I'm not a fan of cold weather. But some snow would be nice. I'm not even asking for much...just maybe an inch, a half an inch. Just enough to have fun with. So, all of you who are getting bombarded with snow, think of me and maybe send just a little down this way!!

The Grinch, Part Deux

2007-12-20T13:37:00.001-06:00

Well, the big day is almost upon us and so begins the rush rush rush to get everything done. Last minute gifts bought and wrapped, goodies baked, cards sent (which I didn't do this year...ooppss) and the ever present desire to make sure that the kids have the biggest and best that the season has to offer. But a funny thought occured to me as I was driving home from work the other day with all of the to-do's running through my head...I simply could not remember but maybe 4 or 5 of the gifts I'd gotten as a child.(Sorry Momma and Daddy!) When I think back on the Christmases of my youth (which was NOT all that long ago, thank you very much! ;) ) what I remember most is the traditions that my family had. On the night of Dec. 23rd, we would all get together at my Mamaw's house. The grownups would stay up late playing cards (Rook to be exact, a game that I learned to play as I got older and haven't played in a LONG time) and my cousins and I would make general nuisances of ourselves. And of course, there would be LOTS of snacking going on.....MMMM, sausage balls!! Then that night, (Christmas Eve Eve so to speak) Santa would come and visit us at my Mamaw's house. Christmas Eve was always "really" Christmas to me...Christmas Eve was Christmas at Mamaw's and if Christmas is all about where your heart is, well, Mamaw was (and still is) where my heart is. Not that I don't love going to my Granny's house, which is where we went on Christmas Day, but even now, when I think Christmas, I think Mamaw's. Of course, then there was Christmas morning at my house, which was probably the most wonderful part of Christmas b/c it was the part that I didn't have to share with anyone else...(This is where the Grinch comes out of me...) It was all about ME! (Ahh, what else would you expect from an only child, hehehe) But really, if the truth be known, the best thing about Christmas wasn't the gifts, or the decorations, or the food....it was the anticipation of Christmas. The time from Thanksgiving to Christmas, the time spent with family getting everything ready for the big day...That's the best part of Christmas. So this year, when Santa leaves the Hurricanes' toys and I'm looking and worrying that they don't seem to have much (YEAH RIGHT!!) I hope that I will remember the famous line from the Grinch movie...."Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe, just maybe, Christmas means a little bit more"

Feeling like the Grinch.....

2007-12-12T21:05:00.000-06:00

"If there's one thing I hate, it's all the NOISE, NOISE, NOISE, NOISE!!!"
I don't know what their problem is tonight but the Hurricanes WILL NOT BE QUIET!!!!!!!!! And they are getting on my LAST NERVE!!!!!!!!!!! I got the new Harry Potter movie tonight and they would NOT be quiet while I was trying to watch it.........GRRRRR!!! I'm just in a generally pissy mood tonight. My nose is stopped up and I can't breathe, it's taking FOREVER for Christmas break to get here, I've got TONS to do before Zach's party on Saturday, and my kids at school are getting on my nerves BIG TIME. On the up side....One of my kids is suspended, one is at alternative school, and 4 have in school suspension. But on the down side, that still doesn't take care of even half of the discipline problems. God I'll be so glad when this year is over! But the down side to that is that next year Daniel will start Kindergarten. So while I'm ready to get a new group of kids, I'm NOT ready for my baby to start school. :( I need a vacation....a nice long trip to some exotic island....No kids, just me and maybe Robert. But, only 2 more school days left in this week and then one more week until Christmas break....I can't wait!!

It's hard to believe....

2007-12-10T17:54:00.000-06:00

That Zachary is almost one year old!! My baby is growing up!! We are planning his first birthday party for this coming Saturday, even though he won't turn one until the 21st. With Christmas coming up and all of the hustle and bustle that comes with it, I wanted to have his party a little early so that it would be all about him. As I was looking at the calendar, I realized that Friday is the 14th, which is the day last year when I had the wreck that set Zachary's birth in motion a little early. He wasn't supposed to be born until 12/27, but when I had a wreck on the way home from work on 12/14/06, my blood pressure went up and my dr decided to induce me earlier. We were hoping that since Zach was born on the 21st, that he'd be home in time for Christmas. That wasn't to be the case. He developed pneumonia and ended up staying in the hospital until 12/31...a total of 10 days. But he has certainly made up for his rocky start. He is almost a year old and weighs nearly 30 lbs and is about 3 ft tall. He has been walking for about 3.5 to 4 months now and is definately able to keep up with his big brothers. Like Daniel and Mikey, he has gone straight from newborn to toddler. All 3 of my boys seemed to just skip over the baby stage. It's so hard to believe that my baby is turning one!!

My surrogate daughters....

2007-12-06T18:48:00.000-06:00

This post is dedicated to all of my "daughters" who visit my blog and my room each day. AND who have won a special place in my heart. Being the mommy to 3 boys, I thought I'd never get to have the joy of having a daughter. So thanks to my girls from school, I know how wonderful it is to be blessed with daughters, sort of. I just want to let you girls know how special you are to me and how much I love all of you!!! You girls really help make my day more than you know. Sometimes your smiles and hugs make an otherwise unbearable day a little brighter. I love you all!!
Love ya,
Momma Forney!

Confessions of a Christmas Tree Snob

2007-12-02T08:22:00.000-06:00

Hello, my name is Lee and I am a Christmas tree snob. I REFUSE to have an artifical tree and I REFUSE to bring home a less than perfect live tree. Each year, it takes me no less than 30 minutes to pick out a tree. I have been known to go to 4 or 5 tree lots to find the perfect tree. We got our tree last night and this year was actually a pretty good year. We only went to one lot and it only took me about 45 minutes to decide on a tree. My daddy is the one who taught me the fine art of picking out the perfect tree. When I was a kid, my daddy insisted on having cedar trees. He and I would go into the woods behind our house and search for HOURS until we found the perfect tree. It had to be shaped just right and there absolutely could not be any holes in the branches. Then we'd drag it through the woods and put it in the tree stand. I still go with my dad to look for the perfect tree, but we go to a tree farm now to get his tree. I guess we depleted the tree supply back behind our house! Once we had the tree in the house, Daddy's job was over. He'd go sit in his recliner and watch TV while Momma and I decorated the tree. I'm also very particular about decorating the tree. If my daddy taught me the art of choosing a tree, then my momma taught me the art of decorating it! I am very careful to make sure each side is evenly covered and that similar ornaments aren't hanging close together. I am know teaching my boys the fine art of choosing the perfect tree. Right now however, they just get bored with the process. "Mommy, just get a tree so we can go" They also are still learning the finer points of tree decorating! Mikey would hang all of the ornaments on one branch and leave the rest of the tree bare! AHH, youth! They will soon learn to appreciate that the art of tree choosing cannot be rushed!!! And that decorating the tree is an art that must be carefully honed and perfected. I just hope that when they are grown, they'll have the same great memories of Christmas that I have from my childhood.

Slacking again!!!

2007-11-29T18:39:00.000-06:00

Ahh, I have seriously been neglecting my blog. And trust me, it isn't from lack of topics, it's from lack of energy. So tonight's entry will be random tidbits....just whatever pops into my head. There is a technical term for this type of writing but it has now escaped my train of thought. So anyway, I guess first I will start with some random phrases that my two oldest Hurricanes have said:
"I'm a strong man. Strong mans eat barbecue; I eat barbecue, so I'm a strong man" --Mikey
"I want some Man Drink"--Mikey, asking for some Gatorade
"I want Daddy to cut my hair, like a man"--Mikey "I want Miss Mindy to cut my hair, she has suckers"--Daniel

Once I picked Daniel and Mikey up from daycare, and they were both in time out. I sat them down and told them that when they got in trouble at school that it made their teachers sad, it made Mommy and Daddy sad, and it made Jesus sad. Poor Daniel had big ole tears running down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, Mommy. I don't want Jesus to be sad" I look at Mikey, he's sitting there very composed and he calmly asks me "Can I have a popsicle?" "No, you can't have a popsicle, you made Jesus sad!!"

One of the things that cracks me up so much about Mikey is how matter of fact he is about EVERYTHING! He can say some of the most off the wall things with the straightest face. It's hilarious!!

Jumping to a new topic now....I'm so excited about Christmas this year. Last year was a rough Christmas for us. Zach was born on 12/21 and was still in the hospital in the NICU at Christmas. It was a scary time for us and I really didn't feel like I had a Christmas. Of course, Christmas is going to be difficult this year as well with Matt in Iraq. But I'm really looking forward to making this Christmas a special one for the boys. We haven't gotten our tree yet but I hope to get it up this weekend. We always have live trees and with our new house, we can get a REALLY TALL tree! WOOHOO!! I have also gotten a lot of my gifts bought already. Besides the boys and Robert, I only have my dad and my granny left to buy for. I think I know what I'm getting Granny and I'm letting Robert pick out Daddy's gift. Well, I guess that I've rambled enough for the moment....More later!!

It's Party Time!!

2007-11-19T13:33:00.000-06:00

We had Mikey's birthday party on Sat. There were only about 6 kids here, counting Mikey and Daniel, but we had fun. Since Mikey is into arts and crafts type stuff, we let the kids paint suncatchers and make visors. They loved it. Then it was time to open gifts and I swear it looked like Toys'R'Us threw up in my house!! That kid got more stuff for his birthday than some kids get for Christmas. Of course, all of those toys are now scattered throughout my house and I should really be up putting them away, but oh well. So, now Daniel and Mikey's parties are over and done with and that means that there's only Zach's left to go. YAY!! Birthdays were so much less work when I was a kid....

Through the Eyes of a Hurricane (Mikey edition)

2007-11-12T17:56:00.000-06:00

The time has come, the walrus said
To talk of many things.....
Like all of the crazy antics my Mike Mike has gotten into over his nearly 4 years of existance. Mikey has had the "Middle Child Syndrome" long before he became the middle child! Out of my 3 boys, Mikey is probably my most headstrong. And that's saying a lot! One of the first Mikey Mike episodes happened when he was around 18 months old. We were living in our other house and Mikey had somehow managed to find a way past the baby gate that was supposed to keep him out of the kitchen. I was in another part of the house when I hear a blood curdling scream. My immediate thought was, "What has he done now?" Didn't really matter which "he"....I just knew one of my Hurricanes was up to no good. Sure enough, there was Mighty Mike....standing in the middle of the kitchen with water spraying all over the floor....HOT water, at that. He had somehow managed to open the cabinets under the sink and pulled the hot water pipe OUT of the wall. I called Robert in a panic.....he tells me to just turn the water off there under the sink. Major flaw to that plan....Mikey had pulled the pipe AND the cut off out of the wall!! SO by the time I get around to getting the water turned off at the road (my neighbor had to help me!) my kitchen floor was covered in about 2 inches of water and it was seeping into my living room. That was a huge mess to clean up!!
Moving right along....Mikey seems to have a fascination with sinks....When he was about 2, I found him one day sitting in the bathroom sink. Yeah, I said IN the sink...Don't know what he was thinking!!
Not only is Mikey fascinated with sinks, he's also fascinated with horses. In the house where we used to live, there was a horse pasture across the street. We had a really hard time keeping Mikey away from the horses. Well, one day, his daddy and his Uncle Steve were supposed to be watching him. Somehow he managed to escape from their watchful eyes (insert sarcasm here) and make his way across the street and up the gate and ALMOST into the pasture with the horses before his daddy caught him.
Among Mikey's other quirks, he has a thing for lining things up. He is very particular, especially when it comes to his Matchbox cars or Thomas the Trains. They must be in line and in order or we will experience the full blown power of a Mikey-Mike Meltdown. And believe me folks, those are not pretty.
And now for the masterpiece of Mikey stories....It was my Granny's 80th birthday party. My entire family (over 40 of them) were at my Granny's house. We were having a blast...until I hear the all too familiar sound of Daniel screaming. I was thinking, "Oh great, what now?" when Daniel walks in with blood running down the side of his face and neck....."Mikey hit me, Mikey hit me" With what, a meat cleaver?? Apparently, Daniel, Mikey and assorted cousins were throwing rocks at an ant bed and well, Daniel's head got in the way of Mikey's rock. So we left Mikey at my Granny's with my parents and took Daniel to the ER. About 30 min and some DuraBond later, Daniel was as good as new. Let's just say that Mikey found a way to make Granny's birthday a memorable experience. But then again, everything is a memorable experience when Mike Mike is around!!

Today, I let go of the leash.....

2007-11-08T16:43:00.000-06:00

The other day while talking to Robert, I made the analogy that teaching my kids this year was like walking a really big dog that is a lot stronger than me. You know how when you walk a dog that's that much stronger than you, by the end of the walk, you're exhausted from the strain of holding it back....but you know that if you slack up even a little, that the dog will run away with you. Well, that's how I feel this year....if I slack up just a bit, I'll lose total control of these kids. It's a very tiring experience. Well, today I was tired and had a headache and by the end of the day I just couldn't hold on anymore so for the last 15 min or so, I just said the heck with it and let go of the leash. I think it freaked the kids out....they got louder and louder and I just didn't say anything....after about 5 min when it became clear that I wasn't even trying to get them to hush, they all got real quiet and one of my boys asked me what was going on.....I just told them that I had let go of the leash. They looked at me funny and I explained what I meant. Surprisingly, after that, they were quiet until the final bell rang.....just hope that maybe it had some lasting effect, but I doubt it. Oh well, at least I got a peaceful few minutes, haha!

Feeling Nostalgic Tonight....

2007-11-05T21:15:00.000-06:00

Several holiday posts on SMW have gotten me in the mood to walk down memory lane tonight. So I'm putting the Hurricanes on hold and am going to delve into MY childhood. I'd like to take a minute and tell you about the lady who was one of the most influential people in my life. My Mamaw (my mom's mother) lived across the street from me when I was growing up. She quit work when I was born to keep me while my parents worked. She was unlike the typical grandmother....She was my champion, my playmate, my best friend, and my world. She was always there for me, never too busy to listen to my problems and offer advice and a shoulder to cry on. She had a sense of humor that was out of this world. She LOVED sports....all kinds of sports. She's the only person I know who would actually watch golf on television!! You know, most kids spend the weekends with their grandparents...not me. I stayed at my Mamaw's house during the week and at my parents' house on the weekend.
The holiday season was always a big deal with my Mamaw. I remember that beginning about this time of year, we would start preparations for the Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts. My first experiences with cooking took place in my Mamaw's kitchen. We would pop some Lewis Grizzard (a Southern comedian) tapes in the tape player and we'd spend HOURS in the kitchen cooking and talking and laughing. Of course, then we had the presents to wrap. To all of you who complain about my excessive use of tape when wrapping gifts....blame my Mamaw, :D! She is the one who taught me the finer points of gift wrapping. And also, there was the tree to decorate. We'd spend hours making ornaments for the tree and then decorating it. Mamaw learned early on that she had to cleverly disquise my gifts or wait until the last minute to put them under the tree. I was (and still am) a sneaky little devil when it comes to presents. Daniel takes after me in that respect. Speaking of gifts...I thought I was the luckiest kid in the world. Santa came to see me at my Mamaw's house on the night of Dec. 23 and then came back to my house on Christmas Eve. And my trusting self, I never once questioned that arrangement. (Of course, who in their right mind WOULD question 2 visits from Santa?) Well, so ends my trip down memory lane for tonight.....thanks for taking the journey with me!

Through the Eyes of a Hurricane (Daniel edition, part 2)

2007-11-04T09:02:00.000-06:00

Well, yesterday I posted some of Daniel's funnier moments....I know I'm missing some, but they'll come to me! Today, words of wisdom, from my 5 year old:
"Focus, mommy, focus"
"I want a poptart, Momma." "Hold on a minute, Daniel." "No, I want my poptart immediately!" (he was 2 at the time!!)
"Mommy, you said a bad word...you need to tell Jesus you're sorry" Nothing like having your kid be your conscience.
There are more, but I'm drawing a blank right now. I'll be back with more later.

Through the Eyes of a Hurricane (Daniel edition)

2007-11-03T19:50:00.000-05:00

Everyone keeps telling me that I need to be writing down all of the funny sayings and goings on of my children, so I think this is a good place to record what it's like living daily with 3 hurricanes. So, as Daniel is my firstborn, I'll start off with him. (Mikey, Zach, don't worry, you'll get your fair share of exposure, trust me!!) Daniel, God love me, is the child that is most like me. Which means that he is the child that tries my patience more than the others, but he's also the one I understand the best. He has done and said his share of funny stuff (or at least NOW it's funny.) The first thing that really stands out for me with Daniel happened right after Mikey was born. Mikey was in his bouncy seat, minding his own business, and Daniel was eating his lunch of Chicken McNuggets from MickeyD's. I was in the kitchen doing all of those wonderful chores that we mothers do. When I walked back into the living room, there was a chicken nugget on Mikey's mouth. When I asked Daniel why he had put a chicken nugget over his brother's mouth, he replies "I was just sharing. Jesus likes it when we share!" Yeah, but Jesus didn't mean to share your chicken with your month old brother!!
Mikey was about a year old when we got a kitten from my sister, Stacey. (Ok, she's Robert's biological sister, but I've adopted her as my own!) I named the orange tabby Weasley after the red-haired characters in the Harry Potter books. One day, as Mikey was sitting on one of my legs and Weasley was occupying the other, Daniel comes to me and there's no room for him to sit. He proceeds to tell me that he doesn't want a cat and we need to take Weasley back to Stacey. Then he tells me that he doesn't want a brother either. "We need to take Mikey back to...Where did Mikey come from anyway?" I told him that Mikey came from the hospital and they had a no return policy!!
And now we come to the time that every parent both looks forward to and dreads all at the same time....POTTY TRAINING!! It seemed as though we potty trained Daniel FOREVER!! One day when Daniel was about 2 1/2, we had some friends over watching a movie. Daniel and Mikey were quietly playing in their room; all was well, or so we thought. I knew that we were in trouble when I looked up and saw Daniel walking down the hallway wearing nothing but his shirt and carrying a Spiderman bucket. I cautiously approached Daniel...."Hey buddy, what's in the bucket?" No answer, so I peek into the bucket. My worst fears were confirmed....My child had pooped in the Spiderman bucket!! When I asked him why he did this, his response was "Grandma told me to poo-poo in the pot. I couldn't find a pot, so I used the bucket." Can't really argue with that kind of logic, now can ya?
I could go on, but I think I will end with probably the funniest thing Daniel has ever said or done. We were watching the movie "Standing Tall" which has the Rock in it. Of course, Daniel came walking through at the worst possible time....right in the middle of the stripper scene. He was mesmerized by what he was seeing. So I sat him down and explained to him that what was under our clothes is private and we shouldn't let other people see it and we shouldn't look at what was under other people's clothes. After my motherly advice, Daniel went and sat down and seemed to think this over. Then he comes, climbs up in my lap and tells me "Mommy, I like it when girls take their clothes off and you know, you shouldn't take that away from me." Well, at least he's confident in his sexuality, even if he was only 4 years old at the time!!!

My very first blog!!

2007-11-03T08:43:00.000-05:00

Well, I have finally decided to leave the Dark Ages behind and create my own blog. Like I don't have enough stuff going on in my life...hahaha! Just 1 husband, 3 boys, a dog, and 51 6th graders to deal with....Yep, I lead a pretty tame life!! Actually this morning is very tame....At 8:45 am, Mikey is still asleep (of course, he probably didn't go to bed until 2 am. He's my night owl!), Zach is wandering around looking for things to put in his mouth, and Daniel is watching cartoons. The stupid dog has FINALLY quit barking, so all is relatively quiet around here....Which only means that things will be 10 times louder than normal in a little while when everyone is up and moving! I'm really glad that it is the weekend though....and only 5 school days until I get a day off. My kids this year are really wearing me down. I told Robert last night that by the end of the week I'm so tired....You know how when you walk a dog that is a lot stronger than you are and it takes all of your energy to keep him in check...well that's how I feel this year at school. I feel like I can't relax at all or my kids will just go wild. But enough whining for right now!! I think that I'll bring my first entry to an end and see about finding some breakfast!