I want to set a good example.

Last night I was speaking to B1. ~I think I will start to call him My Man or Mr. Supermom. Hmmm~ I was talking about how I read these other things/blogs that use a LOT of bad words. Not that it is a bad thing BUT I know for a fact my oldest daughter, who is 14, reads my blog. She tells me. "Hey, I read your blog today." I want to set an example of the woman I am and the woman she will want to be. Kids are very observant and will act the way you act. So if you are more likely to cuss every other word chances are so will your children.

I am not saying this to scold anyone, I just know how it makes me feel and I cringe when I think about younger people reading it. My daughter is a wonderful young lady with the world at her feet. I want her to have every opportunity at life. Travel. Enjoy everything. Get a nice job. Someday marry and have babies of her own. 10 YEARS FROM NOW!! :)

Let me add that I am no saint. I have been known to let my mouth get dirty. For some reason when you step on a small toy it is comforting to growl "OH SHIT!". You know what I mean? For some people a band aide makes it better for me it is those 2 words above.

Okay, off my soap box as they say.

My plans for the weekend. Work on Kid Friendly Asheville . Grocery shop. The menu for the week:

Chicken Quesadillas w/homemade guacamole.
Quiches w/salad.
Pasta w/chicken.
Fried Rice.
Salmon Loaf
Veggie Night. Squash, sweet potatoes and corn.

So, in the morning we are going to hit the tail-gate market and Earth Fare for my weekly grocery shopping. Exciting huh?

Okay, I am off to listen to BANG BANG BANG BANG all day.

Oh oh oh!! My great aunt K turns 80 TODAY!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Company is in town and we are celebrating tonight!!!!!

Yesterday was one of the WORST days of my life.

Good Tuesday morning. It is Tuesday right? My mind is fried and I may need therapy after yesterday. Seriously.

Our day was planned out and we were having a grand time at Target. Laughing. Shopping. Enjoying life. It was really nice.

Let me say something before the horror story starts. My kids will give me a hard time. Teasing me. They have even went as far as telling me that B2 was hurt on the trampoline and couldn't move. Only for me to get outside and they start to laugh. Sooooo NOT COOL! I got them back. I asked them to come into the garage I had to tell them something. I had the hose on and at full force!!!!! Soaking them. ha ha Anyway....

I was checking out the couch covers and they were goofing off with some game chair in the middle aisle. I finish looking at the covers and get everyone to head back to the school supply area. The main point of our shopping trip. H mentions she is dizzy. I think nothing of it because she got up from the floor from playing with that chair. I say, "Stop fooling around. Let's get our shopping finished here.". We had plans to hit the mall next and the FOOD COURT! We continue to walk toward the school area in the back corner. She then mentions she is seeing spots. She sits down in the floor. I think she is pulling my leg and I tell her to get up and come on. Then we round the corner and I see the school things. She sits down again. I say again, "get up, lets get this done.". ~I am getting all teared up playing this back in my head~

This is where is gets all blurry for me. Like my life was flashing before my eyes. I am sure the whole event lasted 30 minutes or more but for me it was a matter of seconds.

H is pushing the cart with Lil O sitting in it. B2 is walking beside the cart. I am in front of the cart with Baby M in the Bjorn. I see H begin to fall face first, scraping her face down the cart as she falls. At this point I am screaming hysterically for someone to call 911. I am sure I screamed it a several times as I rush around the cart to turn H over. She is face down on the floor. OMG this memory haunted me all damn day and during the night. I remember a woman helping me turn her over. I am screaming. I am crying. H has this really odd look on her face. I was thinking a seizure. She lost consciousness for maybe 15 seconds. I don't think it was anymore than that. I cannot be really sure though. I lost all track of time. Life flashing before my eyes type thing.

Someone at Target said 911 was called. I don't remember this being said. My son told me later he heard it. She was brought a pillow. Someone gave her a drink from the cafe. I'm hysterical. She is an awful color and sticky feeling. I am checking her out. Crying. She's crying. Someone takes Baby M from me. B2 and Lil O are just watching with a scared shit look on their faces. That's the only way I can phrase it. Usually I am not one to say naughty words.

I do remember asking B2 to find my cell and give it to me. I heard someone say that we already called 911. I say, "No, I'm calling my husband.". He works downtown and could get their quickly. I think I told him to get to Target that H passed out and 911 was called.

I'm crying still. H is crying. I am bent over her holding her. The woman is being so kind. She is a nurse I find out. She checked H's pulse. I remember seeing her little girl behind her.

The first paramedics show up. I burst out in tears. I have to explain the whole story to them. They are checking her out. Her BP is fine. They even check her sugar. It is fine. Then the second set of paramedics show up with a stretcher. This is where my husband enters, I think. I really am not sure. I have to tell my story again to them. They continue to check her out as well. They tell me something like that they could take her in the ambulance or I could take her. I ask if they think she is okay for me to take her. I wasn't sure how to get up there with the rest of the kids if they took her in the ambulance.

They help her up and make sure she is able to walk.

Long story short. We get her to the minivan. I call her doctor to see if they want to see her or to take her on to the hospital. They thought the hospital would be best since she passed out and hit the ground.

We spent 3 hours at the hospital. Maybe a bit more. They check her out twice. A CT is ordered. They found lots of fluid in her ears and sinuses. Sinusitis is what they say. With all the fluid in her ears it messed up her equilibrium. Hence dizzy and passing out COLD.

They also diagnosed her with something else related to her passing out.

She is on an antibiotic for 10 days.

It was a rough day for all of us. I cried most of the day. When H saw me cry she'd cry too. I was thinking it was my fault for not listening to her. I told her this. She would reassure me it wasn't my fault. Then we'd cry together.

Her face will be okay. No broken bones. She is swollen, scratched and bruised. I told her I have some great Clinique products to cover that up on the first day of school on Thursday.

I know we will be okay from all this. It was very traumatic and scared the shit out of me.

I love my crazy H and I am so glad she is okay. Last night I was thinking how blessed and thankful I am.

Thank you God for everything you have blessed me with. I will try to treasure it every single moment of every single day.

Hi my name is Michelle and I don't know what birth control is.

Hello there. We just got back in from a quick weekend getaway. We took the four kids + 1 niece to Charlotte, North Carolina. It was definitely an adventure.

Saturday we went to Discovery Place. The plan was for HB, H and B2 to watch the new Batman movie in the IMAX and I would take Lil O, Baby M and my niece to the museum to look around and enjoy. I love a museum. Good idea I thought. Well, I was wrong. THANK GOD they had this HUGE play area for them to play in. It was like walking into Toys R Us with every toy you can imagine to play with. Even a water part. The bad thing is that the play area is right when you ENTER the museum. I wonder how many children actually make it to the museum after entering the play area???? I doubt many.

In fact I had to pick Lil O up and carry her out to SEE the museum. UGH, she kept running off and crying for the play area. It was very frustrating!!!!!!! I ended up taking them back to the play area so they would HUSH. We sat there for an hour then I dragged them out for lunch. Then took them back to play for another hour. By this time the movie was over and we met up with everyone else. I get all annoyed again trying to remember details to type them up. ha ha



All in all the Discovery Place was a really exciting place to visit. I would recommend it to everyone. It is the only place you can see two rats play basketball I bet. I know what the catch is though. Both rats look exactly the same so you really don't know which rat belongs to your team and both rats can shoot at either goal. Pretty sneaky of them. Sadly, the kids didn't catch on to their trickery. ha ha



The title of my blog is based on how MANY looks I got over the weekend with 5 kids tagging along behind me. A 14 year old, 10 year old, 7 year old, 3 year old and a 3 month old. I had told a few friends that I was going to claim all 5 of them and say I was pregnant with twins. But, I was just tooo freaking tired to care. I felt like saying, "What haven't you seen kids before?". Anyway...

Charlotte was HOT!!! HOT!!! HOT!!!
We headed to the Marriott to check in and swim in the pool. Ahhh, sitting by the pool. Watching the kids play. While I surfed the Internet on my Blackberry. We pretty much stayed there until bedtime. Minus HB and H going to get Thai takeout and ordering room service for a few things. I really love staying at Marriott's. Down pillows and comforters. Ahh, just like home. Enough about them because this isn't a commercial.

Sunday morning after a nice breakfast at the hotel we head to Carowinds. I'd like to shout out a THANK YOU to all the lovely ladies at the restaurant. They took wonderful care of us. I had to correct them too about the 5 kids with me.



This is my niece standing on the North Carolina/South Carolina line. I have always thought that a neat fact about the park. Of course, we headed to the left side which led us to a Nickelodeon Themed area. EVERYTHING ON NICK WAS ON THIS SIDE. We even saw god-parents walking around!!!!!! I thought Wanda and Cosmo were cute! Lil O wouldn't even get near them. She has this thing with people dressed in costumes. I don't think she will like Halloween either. I could be wrong though. I doubt it. It's just a hunch.

The kids enjoyed all the rides. They weren't bothered by the hot sweaty weather. They didn't even notice all the people walking around in bathing suits that shouldn't be. ~innocent smile~



That's me and Lil O on the carousel. Don't we look cute? She is doing the wave!!! Practicing for when she is in a parade and will use it. Smile. Wave. Smile. Wave. Lil O loves a carousel! We rode it twice. I hate to admit but I love to ride them as much as she does!



I was impressed that she got on the swings!!!!!! You could hear her squeal in delight over the music!!! That's my girl!!!



H and Lil O with Jimmy! Ha Ha!!!



ALL the kids loved this coaster!



The look on their faces explains it ALL!!!! AWESOME!!! To enjoy something soooo much!



H and B2 were such good sports. They helped out with the two smaller girls so much!! Which meant they had to ride rides they really wouldn't be caught dead on! See how happy they are in the boats? HA HA! I think they want to disappear! Thanks you two! Cause my fat butt wouldn't fit in the boat!



I see a pilots license in the furture. Maybe she will become an astronaut! COOLNESS!!



Awww. They are with Velma posing for a picture. It was called the Scooby Doo Haunted Mansion I believe. This was the only ride Lil O cried on because it scared her! Riding the above coaster didn't but seeing monsters did. :(



Yes, they have a LOST KIDS place! I didn't have to go here ONCE during our stay! I was surprised by this! I thought for sure I would lose at least one child.



Baby M was perfect the whole time. See how she is chilling with her foot propped up? She was able to ride one ride. You ready to hear which one? She road the train for a DORA ADVENTURE!!! We caught stars and ran off Swiper!!!



She got her first taste of water!!!! I wanted to make sure she stayed hydrated since it was so freaking hot there!

At one point we saw Goth kids walking around. I thought that interesting. I find it hard to imagine one of them saying, "Hey guys, lets go to Carowinds today!". Don't you?

I want to warn you if you are planning a trip to Carowinds and this will be your first visit! There is one ride in particular. Upon entering you will see a sign that reads, "YOU WILL GET WET". Let me just say that B2 and Niece H were soaked even before they rode the ride!!!! Water would just dump on people as they wait in line!!!!!

See how happy they look!!!!

After:

**I am proud to say that NO ONE got sunburned!!!!!!! I think I deserve a medal for this one. Going to an amusement park in August with 5 kids and no one got burned!!!!! They were greased down several times. Wore hats and sunglasses!

After 5+ hours I was sooooo over Carowinds. The heat! The crowds! People wearing bathing suits that shouldn't be! I was dripping with sweat!!!! I was tired! I was thirsty! I was ready to come home!

Everyone had a great time and that made me happy. I hate that I missed the new Batman movie at the IMAX. I'll have to watch it when it comes to the APC. I also hated that I missed the Museum. One day I can go without kids. Hmmm. Would I look odd walking around a kids museum without kids?? Who cares? Not me! I was just glad to get the hell out of Charlotte and back to my house and MY BED! With only my 4 kids! :)

Preparation for Parenthood.

Preparation for parenthood…

It’s not just a matter of reading books and decorating the nursery. Here are 12 simple tests for expectant parents to take to prepare themselves for the real-life experience of being a mother or father.

1. Women: To prepare for maternity, put on a dressing gown and stick a pillowcase filled with beans down the front. Leave it there for 9 months. After 9 months, take out 10% of the beans.Men: To prepare for paternity, go to the local drug store, tip the contents of your wallet on the counter, and tell the pharmacist to help himself. Then go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office. Go home. Pick up the paper. Read it for the last time.

2. Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels, and how they have allowed their children to run wild. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child’s sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior. Enjoy it — it’ll be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers.

3. To discover how the nights will feel, walk around the living room from 5 pm to 10 pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious noise) playing loudly. At 10 pm, put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1 am. Put the alarm on for 3 am. As you can’t get back to sleep, get up at 2 am and make a drink. Go to bed at 2:45 am. Get up again at 3 am when the alarm goes off. Sing songs in the dark until 4 am. Put the alarm on for 5 am. Get up. Make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.

4. Can you stand the mess children make? To find out, first smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer. Stick your fingers in the flower beds, then rub them on the clean walls. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

5. Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems: first buy an octopus and a bag made out of loose mesh. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out. Time allowed for this: all morning.

6. Take an egg carton, using a pair of scissors and a pot of paint, turn it into an alligator. Now take the tube from a roll of toilet paper. Using only Scotch tape and a piece of foil, turn it into an attractive Christmas candle. Last, take a milk carton, a ping pong ball, and an empty packet of Cocoa Pops and make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower. Congratulations! You have just qualified for a place on the play group committee.

7. Forget the BMW and buy a station wagon. And don’t think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don’t look like that. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there. Get a dime. Stick it in the cassette player. Take a family-size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seats. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car. There. Perfect.

8. Get ready to go out. Wait outside the bathroom for half an hour. Go out the front door. Come in again. Go out. Come back in. Go out again. Walk down the front path. Walk back up it. Walk down it again. Walk very slowly down the road for 5 minutes. Stop to inspect minutely every cigarette butt, piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue, and dead insect along the way. Retrace your steps. Scream that you’ve had as much as you can stand until the neighbors come out and stare at you. Give up and go back into the house. You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.

9. Always repeat everything you say at least five times.

10. Go to your local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a preschool child — a fully-grown goat is excellent. If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat. Buy your week’s groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goats eat or destroy. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

11. Hollow out a melon. Make a small hole in the side. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone. Tip the rest into your lap, making sure a lot of it falls on the floor. You are now ready to feed a 12-month-old baby.

12. Learn the names of every character from Spongebob Squarepants, Barney, and The Backyardigans.

When you find yourself singing “I Love You” at work, you finally qualify as a parent.

I Love Where I Live, Where I Am From.

These days it is hard to find a true native where I live. They are all transplants so to speak. But I am a true born here, live here native. So is my husband. And our family. We live in one of the most beautiful places. Mountains. Seasons. Fall Leaves. Not only that but we also have some great restaurants. Local art. A big mix of cultures. Anyway...

I wrote a post last year about what was out my back door. Just a short 20 minute drive really. The parkway!!! Land untouched by contractors and builders. Ahhh.... A place where you can lose yourself really quick. Pick wild blueberries. Nap under a tree. Hike. Ride bikes. Just enjoy your family and not worry about the TV, phone or ~insert distraction here~.

We headed up on Sunday after stopping by Subway and taking lunch with us. So armed with a bag from Fresh Market that had drinks and chips in it and a bag from Subway with our sandwiches. Camera. Blanket. We were on the road. On our way to Craggy.

Sadly the high pressure was gone and we weren't able to look way out at the mountains that we call home. We still had a nice time though.

Trying to eat:



I found MY spot:



Then I had company:



So much for QUIET:



Breastfeeding while I enjoy nature on a blanket under a tree:



B2 made a new friend:



What is it about ROCKS?!?!?! :



And more rocks!!! :



That was our lunch on the parkway! We all enjoyed ourselves. Even the teenage daughter had a nice time. When HB took B2 and Lil O on a walk we sat on the blanket and talked. It was nice. :)

The Yearly Trip to Tourist Town.

HOWDY!!! I'm baaaaack! From the mountains of TN. I go to Pigeon Forge, TN every year with my family. My mamaw and great aunt like to shop and hang out by the pool watching the kids play. Plus go out to eat. We always have a great time and I feel blessed to enjoy this time with them every year. We pop popcorn and stay up late talking. It is really nice.



We headed down a day early this year because we were taking the kids to Dollywood. I haven't been there in 12 years so it was all new to me!!! It was loads of fun. Lots of great rides, shows and food. Everyone had a great time. My favorite part of the trip was seeing the Kratt Brothers LIVE!!! Before Gordon came around I had a huge crush on one of the brothers. The one in the blue shirt in fact. He is such a cutie!!!!!!! They are in Dollywood doing their show all summer! ~Lil O calls them the Crack Brothers!!~ HA HA!!!



~swoon, to have an animal adventure with him~

Okay, back to the trip! In Dollywood we rode the rides, watched a few shows, took a train ride, had great food and shopped! I even met a friendly bear. Looks like he is trying to give me a wet willy.



BTW, do people never see a woman wearing her baby in a wrap??? You won't believe all the odd strange looks that Baby M and I got! DUHHH, people!! Yes, it is a baby in there. Yes, she can breath! No, she isn't being squeezed to death. Yes, she loves it! She has been in the wrap since she was 7 days old. To her she feels like she was never born. All snuggled up next to mommy. No, IT'S NOT A TUMOR!!! Sorry, I couldn't resist! ha ha



Lil O loved riding her first coaster!!!!! She rode the Veggie Tales coaster and LOVED IT!!!

Then we took a train ride on Klondike Katie!




While the boys went to ride a coaster, us girls watched a show.

A very Veggie Show. :)



After our day at Dollywood we were ready to head back to our room and hit the pool. Nap or eat, whatever. This is where we met up with my mamaw and great aunt!



O by the pool.



B2 coming down the slide.



Baby M laughing.



H said she was reading but behind those glasses it was hard to tell if she was just checking out the boys.



Big Brother helping Lil O down the slide.



This would be me and Baby M. No I am not breastfeeding. BUT IF I WAS!! Please stop staring at me!!! I don't stare at you when you bring out a bottle and feed your baby now do I??? It's like you haven't seen a woman breastfeeding before. Get real!



This is me again with my superhero! My mamaw!!!

We had a blast as you can tell!!! Maybe we should head back again before the kids go to school!!!!

I breastfeed in public. No biggie.

I am a big supporter of breastfeeding! BIG BIG!! I have breastfed all of my children. My oldest daughter will be 14 in June and she nursed for 2 years. My son nursed for over a year. Lil O nursed for over 2 years. Now I am breastfeeding the new baby (who will be 4 weeks old tomorrow, sniffle). It is such a special time to bond with my baby and give her the best nutrition she can get.

I bring this up because I have always breastfed my children in public. I have never cowered in the bathroom or the car to nurse them. They have to eat just like everyone else and they eat where I am. I am very polite about it. I don't just pull my boob out and feed her. I always make sure I am well covered. Trust me, there is a polite way and the "OMG do you see what she is doing" way. So anyway this afternoon we stopped to eat at Earth Fare. A grocery that has a YUMMY bar during the day. Moon Pie woke up in the line and was ready to eat! I sat in the booth and nursed her as I was eating my dinner as well. No harm and I didn't flash any innocent bystanders.

Breastfeeding is such a natural and beautiful thing. I LOVE BREASTFEEDING!!!! Breastfeeding ROCKS!!!!!! Anyway... I just wanted to share my love for breastfeeding and talk about nursing your baby in public.

With the kids being sick and coughing and spreading THEIR germs around the house is was bound to happen. I am starting to get sick. I woke up from my nap with a scratchy throat and now I feel all icky. I popped some cold meds and made a cup of HOT coffee to ease my achy body. Moms aren't supposed to get sick. Who will take care of everyone else if we cannot??? I have Moon Pie in the wrap and she is snug as a bug in a rug. I love this thing. Lil O is in her pj's playing around the house. My HB is watching Top Gear on the couch. I hope he doesn't get sick as well. Then there would be no one to take care of me!!! And that is what it is all about! ha ha

I am supposed to go to the doctor for my 4 week check up tomorrow. So she can check out my cesarean scar and make me step on the scales. I picked up a nice thank you card for her to enclose a picture of her holding Moon Pie. I am also picking up her a gift tomorrow from this neat place downtown. They have great bath things. It is also a spa. My HB always gets me bath products there on special occasions.

Here is a photo taken on Mothers Day with all my four children. We had just got home from eating breakfast out and had put our pj's back on. Yes, I look tired. I am. Plus, I did just have a baby a few short weeks ago.



I took this later on during the day. I love this picture.

What it really means to us. Another regift.

(I wrote this years ago and post it every Mothers Day.)

What Mother’s Day means to all women, young and old. Before you dismiss or put this special day in line think about what it means.

This is a day for all Mothers to be celebrated for the life we have brought into this world. (After all without us you wouldn’t have your little bundle of joys.) For all the noses we have wiped and said it will be all right. For all the times we have bathed our children and tucked them in at night. For reading that story just one more time. For feeding and wiping off the walls 100 times because food has been thrown. For never wearing clean or ironed clothes ever again. For all the advice we have given and the advice not yet shared.

Being a Mother isn’t always easy. Once the ‘Oh my GOD!! I’m pregnant!!’ wears off; reality begins. We carry a baby for 9 long months. We gain 50+ pounds and feel like crap. We are nauseous and throw up. We don’t sleep. It’s hard for us to get around. Our slender figure a distant memory. Our doctors poke on us all the times and we feel like a pin cushion.

Then to our delight our labors are long or we have major surgery. Yes, we are thrilled to finally have our baby. The alien taken from our body. Then we have weeks ahead of us to recuperate. We have a period for 6-8 weeks. We have fluid dripping from some part of our body the whole time.

The only clothes we can wear are the ones we wore while pregnant. We go through our closet hoping to find that one piece of clothing we can squeeze into. And even though the little alien is out of our body we cannot help from feeling that we are from another world. As the weeks pass. And life is calming down. We still have a baby attached to our boobs and stinky diapers to change. With 30 extra pounds we finally just went and bought some ‘big’ clothes just to say we aren’t wearing those damn maternity clothes anymore. NO MORE ELASTIC BANDS AROUND OUR WAIST!!

Then we have the rest of our lives to take care of these little people. We clothe them. Feed them. Play with them. Take them to school. Help with homework. Send them to their room. And we most of all, LOVE them unconditionally for the rest of their lives.

One day we may even hold them to cry. One day we walk them down the aisle. Watch our grandchildren be born. One day we celebrate them being a Mother on Mother’s Day. (Father on Fathers Day) So, to all the Mothers out there: HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!! May this day bring you all the happiness you deserve being the great woman you are.

After all we are Mothers. (And perhaps feel like we aren’t appreciated at times. We take care of our children not because it’s a job. We do it because we love them and want to take care of them.) So before you put our special day in order of it’s importance make sure you really know what it means to all Mothers, young and old. Anyway wouldn’t you rather celebrate a day you gave life than a day you turn one year older?