Compliments! Compliments!

We have always gone out to eat on the weekends instead of going to Publix! Well the boys have grown up in restaurants and even with 3 never act up when we are out to eat. When we first meet Kelli we thought our days of eating out where over. She was loud, clumsy, messy just a complete train wreck. We stayed away from restaurants for the first 3 weeks and when we finally ventured out it was to RJ Gators or Duffy's. Well after a few bathroom trips to talk about what I expect her behavior to be while we are out she has became a restaurant champion! She orders herself, uses her napkin, reminds the boys we talk low in restaurants and has just blossomed.
This weekend we went to the Seafood Fest in Port Salerno, after Sal won a fish hat and Kelli won a lobster pen we wandered around down town and found a seafood restaurant. We looked at the menu and it was pricey but we thought we would treat ourselves, they asked if we wanted to sit outside which the kids picked and off we went. We where sitting on a boardwalk within a foot of the water where boats parked. I was having my normal nervous breakdown because I didn't realize outside meant sitting on the dock and I gave the kids the whole do not move out of your seats, you can fall in the water etc. With that we order and the kids start eating calamari (which I find funny since Vinny and Sal do not eat anything but pizza, hot dogs or chicken) and watching the boats come and go. Once our food arrives the table to our left 3 teenagers and their mom turn to us and say what a wonder job the children are doing at this type of restaurant. We say thank you and go back to eating. When we were finished and filling up the kids to go cups the table to our right 3 older people came over to our table to say how well behaved all our children where during our meal. We just had more compliments then what we knew to do with! Way to go kids, we will continue to eat out!!!

Big Girl.....

Okay so I am super neurotic when it comes to the kids and fieldtrips. I don't think the buses are a safe means of travel in Fl but PSL has had many accidents involving kids and school buses which makes me feel even less comfortable with them. Sal and Kelli's school does not have a school bus and rely on parents to drive. Todays Kelli's class had their 2nd fieldtrip (of course I drove on the first!) but the school said I could not take Nick and it was a half day for Vinny so I really could not drive. Kelli said she would be super good if I let her go BY HERSELF!!! Okay, I toyed with the idea and finally gave in making sure Kelli went with a certain mom. Her teacher said she did great! She was able to do everything by herself, played and listened better then the first trip. Oh she does better without me watching! Hats off to my big girl on her first fieldtrip to the park without mommy...

The time is near....

We just received our petition for adoption paperwork today! We need to sign and notarize the petition and our lawyer will be able to file with the St Lucie courts to finalize Kelli's adoption in February! Wow I can't believe she has lived with us for 90 days already, well actually February 4th makes 90 days.

Breaking My Back....

Nick was back at the doctor today for xrays of his back. He has been saying his back hurts for the last month or so and our doctor doesn't know why, so we tried xrays to see if they can discover why he is up at night crying that his back hurts. We should find out today or early tomorrow morning.

Now Nick's Nose

The family has been sick for a week. Last night we deside we are heading back to school finally so we all need to go to be early! The kids are all tucked in by 7pm and I crawl in by 9pm. At 12:30 Nick's screams fill the house. Ed finds Nick standing in the bathroom trying to wipe is "runny" nose. But it wasn't snot it was blood! He was covered in it. I cleaned him up and by 1am we are all back into bed, at 2:30am we are up again with screams of a bad dream about a bloody nose..... Nick asks if I will sleep in his bed incase his bad nose comes back, okay I think I woke up crimpled this morning!!!

Nick’s Noggin

Monday, January 07, 2008
Well we thought it would be great to plant flowers around the new pool and deck, so the 6 of us are out in the yard working the kids carefully placing the lava rocks around the aztec grass plants Vinny says I am getting bored, can we play? Well they have been green thumbs for 3 hours what can I say? So off the 4 of them go to play baseball of all things Sal and Kelli are in the out field and Vinny is at bat. Well the first ball bounces a few feet infront of Sal and all is well. The second ball doesn't bounce but the bat does right off Nick's forehead! The screams out lasted the blood which was pouring out of his eyebrow. So the 6 of us jump into the car and over to Lawnwood again. The nurse on duty is the same from when we brought Sal in November, so she rushes us in and the doctor says Nick will need 5-6 stiches on his eyebrow! Poor Nick looks like he just stepped out of the ring with Mike Tyson! So for the record each boy has been to the ER once, what will happen next??

Picture Perfect

I love having the kids take pictures, becoming "Ms Kodak" the kids don't even argue when I say it is time for photos. As Vinny has gotten older he gives me a hard time smiling and Kelli acts like the camera may bite her but over all I have hams that like to take professional pictures over my photos. Except for when we went for Christmas photos, Kelli was awful refusing to smile or stand still. I so dreaded taking her again for birthday pictures. Now anyone who knows me the boys have always taken pictures with the number for their birthday until age 5, then school pictures take over.

Here is Nick's 2 year old picture May 2007


Here is Sal's 5 year old picture December 2007


Here is Kelli's 5 year old picture January 2008

Moving On....

Friday, January 04, 2008
When I moved from WPB to Birmingham I was so thankful for Tasha and her moms group HIH, and loved meeting new people and always having something to do. Yeah and even the drama wasn't bad. LOL I will always have a place in my heart for those "special members" who gathered at "the clubhouse" everyday. And of course there is Amanda, when I was not looking for a friend for a lifetime there she and her red-headed devil came crashing into our life! And I am so glad they did and we will always have that special bond. I miss them! So when I moved back to PSL I started a group with some of the same expectations, and thought I would find another Tasha and Amanda. Well after a year I have called it quits, really me and 4 kids are a group in ourselves and I don't believe there is another Amanda out there for me and my gang. I have no regrets about walking away which I find very odd since I cryed like a baby when I left Tasha HIH. I guess when you are in your hometown with friends who already know you and your kids you don't need to tryout replacement ones. So here is to a new year and new adventures with the old gang who gets me through everyday!

Disney Magic

We have gone to Disney November and December 2007

Got Gas?

Okay I have never gone to Sam's/BJ's/Costcos alone NEVER. This would be why.... Nick and I go to pick up a Christmas present for my mom and as we were leaving a notice the gas is only $3.07 (this is a hot price in South FL) so I go and read the pump. SCAN WHOLESALE CARD THEN CREDIT CARD FOR WHOLESALE PRICE. So I simply slip the BJ card into the credit card slot? Right?! It says card unreadable. What? There is nothing wrong with my card I just just it in the store. So again I slip it into the credit card slot.... Okay see where I am going. Well since the gas is only $3.07 there is a ton of people waiting, and here I am looking around like a dumbass. I clean off the card and go to try it again and this hundred year old man jumps out of his car and says "you have to scan it!" (the card has a barcode on it not a magnitic strip) So as shock and stupidity flashes on my face I see the scanner next to the credit card slot. I truelly wonder why I leave the house alone!

The Dog ate my Homework

Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Charlie Brown our naughty naughty 12lbs puppy gets into everything. He sleeps in our master bathroom since he has plenty of room to run around while the rest of the family sleeps. Sal likes to use the master potty since Kelli has moved in, so one night while we were sleeping except for Charlie, Sal went into the bathroom and opened the separate door for the potty, did his thing and sleeply went back to bed. Well since having 4 kids I also use the master potty to hide from the kids and often bring in the current library book I am reading. During the night I hear Charlie banging something around in the bathroom, so I get up and open the door to see Charlie has eaten the book! Not just the cover the whole book. ARGGGGG Why do I have a dog???? At 30 years old I had to drag myself to the library and explain that our puppy ate the book. I don't believe in all my years I have had to use The Dog ate my Homework excuse and it to be true. I guess I will be asking Santa for books this year because I can't show my face at the library for awhile! This is the start of Charlie living with my dad!

Head Over Heals

Sunday, November 4, 2007
My Sal.... After a long wait Kelli was placed in our home for the first time. With a fun filled day, we thought a nap would be best for everyone. With everyone in their rooms Ed and I worked on our adoption announcements unknown to us Sal fell out of his bunkbed! Sal layed on the ground moaning and Nick woke up to call for us. We ran into the room to find Sal eyes shut and only moaning unable to respond to us. We picked him up and saw a bump on his temple and Nick saying Sal fell down from bed! We had to call 911 and all St Lucie Fire and Medics showed up. Sal's eyes were half open, still unresponsive. They were looking into his eyes to see if he had a concusion, they desided it was best to take him to the hospital. 5 hours later after xrays and CAT scans Sal is home with a mild-concusion and short term memory loss. I think I have a new set of gray hairs.

The Great Paper Chase

Thursday, November 01, 2007
Well it is November 1st and still no Kelli, We have been waiting for California to approve us as Kelli's new family. Hopefully we will hear by Monday when she will be able to fly out and join us for good. Her current family calls everyday to say they are looking forward to the trip to FL and to help Kelli settle in. The boys have been going crazy with the wait and don't understand what is taking so long, I don't either.....