Another Year

Wow, the year has sped through on hyper-drive, hasn't it? It has been a trying, rewarding, and amazing 2009. As I look back and reflect on all that has taken place in Team Och's life this past year, I am filled with such an overwhelming sensation of gratitude. Here I am attempting to write a passage more eloquently befitting the trials and blessings we have experienced, but I'm finding it hard to do so. I am just thankful. I know that is so redundant of me. I don't know how many posts I've published on here exclaiming that same point. But I am.

Thankful

...for having love. My Mister Och and our Three. Plus one rat-looking diva Dog. My family. We've weathered throught the trials of a five-month deployment and have emerged stronger and more dedicated to each other than I could ever have imagined. Yeah, there are gazillionaires out there who can't figure out what else to do with their mulah. But I wonder how many of them have what I have in the form of a family who will love you unconditionally: impatience, hormonal imbalances, yelling bouts notwithstanding. I have that. It makes my heart feel so rich and full.

In this upcoming 2010, I vow to keep this biggest blessing in the forefront of my mind and never lose sight of what is really important.

So here's to a happy love-filled new year, everyone!

Enunciation

The beauty of little children starts with their progressing speech and language skills. There is nothing cuter than hearing a toddler try to say "yellow" or "doooo ittttt".

Well, here's another one...but it's only cute when it is spoken in the car amongst family only. Because, frankly, if anyone else heard it...it would sound horribly inappropriate.

Little Liv calls clouds "FOGGY-FOG."

The only problem is, in that context, she can't properly pronounce the "G" sound. Instead, it sounds like a "K".

You do the substitution and sound it out yourself. LOL.

Winding Down

Christmas has come and gone. I'm feeling just a tad bit lost. Does anyone else feel this way? It just seems there's such a big crescendo building up to the 25th of December. Days are desperately balanced between relaxing and enjoying the family and frantically searching and purchasing goods to wrap for the kids. It is hard to believe it was just a week ago. And now, the presents are unwrapped, the garbage bins brimming with discarded wrapping paper so meticulously selected and folded before they were ripped to shreds.

So now, what do I do? I loved everything about Christmas. I loved seeing the children's faces, knowing Mister Och and I once again created that holiday magic for them that morning as they saw Santa had come and eaten their cookies and left a bunch of goodies in their stockings.

There was so much purpose in the past weeks...I'm unsure if I CAN relax.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve, we drove down to Holladay to deliver the gifts to our Sub for Santa family. It was a touching and moving experience, one that the kids will be taking with them for years to come. It's been so rewarding, we are planning to do it each year.

We got home, opened the one gift we are allowed to open on Christmas eve: pajamas, and hunkered downstairs to munch on fresh-baked cookies and a showing of "It's a Wonderful Life."

Don't you just love those polar bear jammies on this grown man?

Christmas morning!

Sleds brought to the kids from Santa!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Traditions Old and New

This being the week before the big day, it's been crunch time for us, shopping whenever the moment allowed, wrapping presents while the kids slept, and performing our annual traditions for the holidays.

This was our first year trying out the lights in our city. Usually, we'll just wander the outdoor mall or visit Temple Square. This time, we opted for the hayride provided by Burger Stop that toured us around the myriad of lights in the park.

Here we are waiting for the hayride to start. The admission for a family of five is 6 bucks, that's it! We got stuck at one point, the truck we were on sporting the baldest tires I have ever seen. But once we were off, there were no other htiches.
This was my favorite part of the ride...going under the long archway of changing lights.

It was a kid-oriented display, full of animals and fantastical creatures. The kids absolutely loved it, playing I-Spy and pointing out the more original displays.

Then on Sunday, I had my sis and Miz Brandie help me out in whipping up four batches of the Ochoa chocolate peanut butter balls for the annual neighbor treat giveaway.

I can't wait until Christmas!!!!

So There!

The girls have a morning ritual in which they lay on either side of me on the bed and fight over who loves Mommy more. It's not an event I look forward to, but mornings are never complete without it.

Today, the event started as usual. Liv, having curled her whole body around my left arm and nuzzling her face into my neck, said, "I love my mommy."

Sophia countered with splaying her limbs across me, invading territory Liv had otherwise claimed. "Ha! I love MY mommy!"

Liv calmly unfurled herself from me, reached across, and ran one wet fingertip across the lens of Sophia's glasses. She then purposefully settled herself back down beside me, the SMUGGEST little smile I've ever seen on a two-year-old.

A very happy toddler won today's battle as her older sister conceded defeat as she furiously sprayed her lenses with cleaner.

Christmas Miscellaneous

Gingerbread house time!!! This was the first time all three kiddos participated in this messy sticky endeavor. We bought a pre-built house as I didn't want to mess with keeping the structure standing while the three mauled it.

And it seems the Ochoa rule to demolish it immediately afterwards. Here's Dylan suddenly discovering he didn't like the taste of gingerbread after all.

Look at the new member of the four-eyes club!

Mom and Dad are blind as bats, so it's not much of a surprise at all. She got them yesterday and has taken to them quite well. Walking out of the clinic with them on, she scanned the room in awe, "Wow! Everything is so nice!' Poor thing, we had no clue she saw things blurry.

Speaking of the four-eyed monster....here is a laundry basket of ALL of her presents. After purposefully flooding the master bathroom, and urging Liv to follow suit, she was commanded to collect all of her presents under the tree because she did NOT deserve them any longer.

She was given the opportunity to collect them back one at a time if she displayed exceptionally good behavior from now until Christmas.

Wow, the threat of losing all of those treats was the key to the drastic 180.

So, during the middle of the night, Bobbert the Elf returned from the North Pole and placed all of the presents back under the tree.

To Shut Up or Not to Shut Up

I don't care if somebody brags about themselves or their family or their genius children. It's human nature, after all, to trumpet your accomplishments and blessings. I'll smile and partake in their joy, maybe share a few of my own stories and call it a day.

I can't stand, however, someone who inflates their anecdotes to the extent that it leads others to believe facts about their lives that are UNTRUE. I have friends of friends who have a bad habit of doing this. It gets back to me because, frankly, we talk about other people some times. (Yes, I gossip...but mostly it's good stuff about people I know, unless of course it's another discussion about seeing untethered children bouncing around in the back of a moving car.) And it is absolutely amazing the bullshit that is being fed to my friends.

So here's the question....do you sit there and smile and let it pass? Or do you speak out and tell your friends they are being duped by borderline liars? I've done both. Initially, I would smile and laugh...hahaha...and not say anything else. But lately, I've been letting it slip....i.e., "You know that's not really true...."

I've had someone tell me that I'm not the one being directly lied to anyway, so what does it matter? I seriously don't know. I guess I just don't like my intelligence insulted.

Just a rant...

Parent Stuff

Sophie comes sauntering into the living room and announces, "I'm pretending I have a husband."

Walking blindly into it, I ask, "What do husbands and wives do?"

She shrugs, "Parent stuff....and say bad words!"

Hmmmm, is this a hint I should watch what I say around this living breathing sponge?

The Theme for the Year...CANDY!

I decided to forego the usual Martha look this year since I've been in desperate want of more festivity and fun. The rest of the fam likes to poke fun at my "designer" tree tendencies, relegating all handmade decorations to hang on the bottom one downstairs. But at least this year, it is fun. Lollipops, candy cane swirls, starkiss drops, and all sorts of green, red, and white ornamentation. The pic doesn't show a topper...I haven't found one good enough for it yet....hehehe.

This will be the last year for this particular faux evergreen. The lights have gone wonky and it has now refused to stand straight. We've had a good six-year run with this baby, so it wasn't a waste. Unfortunately, we cannot take advantage of those after-season sales this time around, since we do not know where we will be next Christmas. But once we find out, it's off to Frontgate I go for a new awesome one!

Aftermath

This is what happens after letting your little ones run amok unsupervised with their friends for several days without cleanup time downstairs.

Actually, these are pics AFTER we collected everything that was on the floor...

the first phase of cleaning up.

I couldn't wrap my mind around the chaos when I first went down there,

I didn't think to capture the calamity on camera.

Five laundry baskets and five hours later, I can actually breathe down here. Although I must admit, I was laughing the whole time.

Heartbreak and Hope

So I've been following one particular story lately. A while back, I had followed this blog written by a mom who was struggling with her young daughter Peyton's leukemia. When she emerged cancer-free, I rejoiced in their victory and gradually drifted away into the outer reaches of blogland. Well, now I'm back to following the story...same site, same family, only now, it is Mister Mayhew behind the virtual blog pen, writing about his wife's recent stroke and their fight to get her recovered.

I tell you, it breaks my heart reading about it, knowing what this family has already gone through. But at the same time, I can't help but keep reading, checking in to search for any updates on Anissa's progress...but also because there is so so so much hope as well.

Check her story out at

www.hope4peyton.org

Keep them in your prayers.

Kid-Free

Last night, the Mister and I were able to enjoy a whole TWO HOURS sans kids!!!! The neighborhood no-kids-allowed Christmas party was held last night across the street, and thank the Lord Mister D is finally old enough to watch the girls at home by himself!!!

The evening was a semi-blur, what with all the sugar-infused treats everyone brought (and of course I didn't even try to resist), and the manic around-the-world ping pong games. There was the traditional white elephant exchange, in which we came home with a complete set of gaudy Christmas ornament themed plate ware, and a snowman candy jar that I am not even ashamed to admit I think as cute.

Thank you to the J's for such a lovely gathering!

Forget the Mac

I've always wanted a Mac...whether it be desk or lap top. BUT, I never could bring myself to make the switch, considering all the pricey software I had for PC. The Mac always seemed SO cool. But I think it needs to watch out for its newest competition. There's this big giveaway happening in several blogs...and they are giving away THIS! HP Touchsmart 600. Ooooooh, I likey!!!!

Yeah, I'm worried about OCD tendencies kicking in and wiping the touch screen down every five seconds or so...but holy techie, isn't it pretty? My desktop is fried downstairs in the office, and so the hubby and I have been relegated to our respective laptops. Wouldn't this one just be SO stinkin' nice?

Unfortunately, a new PC is not something in the budget right now. Mister Och insists the next purchase from the electronics department would be one to replace the 26 inch tube TV I purchased when I first entered the military. He's feeling mighty sorry for himself that everyone, including the children have flat-panels mounted on their walls, and we have to settle for one that isn't even an LCD! The world is coming to an end I tell you! (no sarcasm there whatsoever)

So I think I'll keep on dreaming of this baby, unless I get extremely lucky and win this giveaway. If you want your chance at winning one, check out:

MckMama

If not, then just cross your fingers for me.

My 101

My high school classmate and now fellow blogger friend KCB of Team Bolina introduced me to an amazing idea. She had created a list of 101 goals to accomplish in the span of 1001 days. I briefly looked over her site one day, and it was a bolt of inspiration.

You see, I'm a master of procrastination. I NEVER get anything DONE. I have tasks and goals and dreams and hobbies hidden in every nook and cranny of my life. And they sit there...untouched, forgotten, or simply put aside until a rainy day, which of course gets spent doing nothing instead.

I am in the process of creating the list. I want to use it as my own little checklist to tick off all the little projects I want to finish, plus those that I think will assure some personal enrichment of some sort. I'm on #71 right now.

Soon, I will be creating another site to piggyback onto this one, with a blog button available on this so you can access it to view my progress. It's especially exciting since MISTER Och has jumped the bandwagon as well and is also drafting his own list.

January 1 will be Day 1 and will officially commence the goal accomplishment countdown. Wish me luck!

Snow Angels

It is officially snow angel season in our part of the world!

Speaking of angels...my girls were riding on a monstrous sugar high this afternoon, filling the house with their shrieks, screams, giggles, and stomping. Desperate for a brief respite, I sent them to their respective opposing corners to calm down a bit.

After a while, I heard a soft giggle and a whisper, "Soph! Soph!"

Then the quiet reply, "What, Liv?"

"I love you, Soph!"

"I love you, too, Liv!"

It was way cute, I freed them from their prison and they met in the middle and embraced. I had to take a picture. And then it turned silly again...

The Gift of Giving

In our search for a family to gift our newly won Nintendo Wii to, we learned of a family...a disabled single mother with five and seven year old girls who is looking to clean house in exchane for reduced prices on used toys because she only has a budget of $30 combined for gifts for her girls. She had attempted to sign up for a Sub for Santa program, but was turned away due to a missed application deadline.

We had already made contact this morning, and I tell you, nothing compares to hearing this woman near tears telling us how unbelievably grateful she is. And still, she offered to pay the $30 she had for what we wanted to give her.

Now, after that conversation, how could we have left it at just that? We didn't spend anything towards that Wii anyway. So, in addition to the Wii, we're thinking of upgrading this thing to a full-blown Team Och Sub for Santa deal for this family (unbeknownst to them). Miss Soph is already in the process of figuring what other toy to gift the girls.

It seems giving is contagious...as family from across the country has offered to add to what we want to give as well.

I can't begin to describe how heartwarming this project is. We are so blessed as a family, and it gives us a chance to give back in some small way. Not to mention the life lesson we are imparting to our children the importance of giving and appreciating the blessings we are so fortunate to have. This is definitely going to be a Team Och Christmas Tradition!

Luck of the Draw

Team Och attended another great base-sponsored event at the Solomon Center in Ogden. It started with Santa riding in on a fire truck, followed by a pizza party upstairs complete with a balloon animal artist, raffle drawings, and a showing of Fantastic Mr. Fox.

During the raffle drawing, Mister Och and I joked about even bothering to check our ticket numbers while they announced the winners. I recall him saying, "What will we do with a second Wii system anyway?"

I had shrugged, "I dunno. It would be best if we gave it to a family who's not having as great a Christmas as ours..."

With Lou's enthusiastic approval of that suggestion, I think we became destined to win the grand prize of the night. By the time they had gotten around to the final prize, I had already tuned out the announcer. I vaguely heard, "5-8-6. That's us!" The next thing I knew, my hubby was walking back to our table with a Nintendo Wii in the crook of his arm.

And so right now, we are in the search of a suitabe family who would appreciate this item but otherwise cannot afford it for their children this holiday season. We think we've found one. I'll update soon.

It feels good to give, doesn't it?

Letting it All Hang Out

...Twitter...Facebook...Blogger...MySpace...Friendster...

I love social networks. With my friends and family dispersed around the world, they are THE most convenient means of keeping up with communication lines I would have otherwise neglected if left wholly reliant on telephone, e-mail, and snail mail. I get a kick out of knowing what my high school classmate in Chicago is doing at this very moment, or finding out this one-third of the cute little triplets I babysat for had just updated her status to "in a relationship."

One thing I am not a fan of is this oversharing of highly personal matters. Yeah, yeah, I share A LOT. Heck, this blog is public for all to view. I'll talk about my kid pooping in the bathtub while I'm in it with her. I'll gush on and on about how much I love my hubster. What you won't find me posting about are relationship problems, big or small.

I've read so many FB posts lamenting on a current heartbreak. "I'M SOOOO OVER YOU NOW!"

And then two hours later from the same account: "I'm so sad and lonely."

THEN a couple days later: "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!"

WTF????

There's nothing like a series of oversharing posts like those above that scream out:

"HI EVERYONE I HAVE NO SELF-RESPECT WHATSOEVER!!!!!"

I don't freakin' understand it. WHY????

I'm done ranting.

I had to close out of Facebook after seeing this:

"Once again I left my heart open and you ripped it out."

Oh, brother.

Ode to Cheeeeesecaaaake

Some swear by New York style, others settle for the Jell-O no-bake version. Some like it slathered with rich strawberry/cherry/blueberry toppings, others will only take it plain. Personally, as an avid cheesecake fan, I could care less. Well, that applied until I encountered the champion of cheesecake, and since then any other version has been automatically chucked to the substandard category.

In my opinion, the key to a perfect cheesecake is the consistency. Not too loose, not too thick...a perfect bite has enough resistance, but still smooth enough to convey that silky texture. A really good cheesecake is best naked...no toppings, no added chocolate or raspberry swirl. And the absolute beauty of this cheesecake recipe is that secret ingredient (I know what it is!) that gives each forkful a light burst of freshness, so often absent from the standard slice usually so cloyingly sweet.

Mister Hep of the Hepworth Four is the master of said cheesecake. I have him to thank for the extra ten pounds I gained with the last one he brought over for Thanksgiving weekend (so worth it!).

Wishing

Every year, the children's wish lists undergo numerous revisions both minor and major. It really depends on if they happen to view a new commercial featuring some must-have item. This year, our Miss Sophie is venturing outside the box. Ever since she figured the concept of a wish list, she had always opted for dinosaurs, fire trucks, and arts and crafts items. This year, it is out with the dinosaurs and in with....Barbie?!?!

This came as quite a surprise since she's never been a big fan of Barbie. In fact, the Barbie aisle often gets skipped altogether during visits to the toy section. But this year, she insists she MUST have one particular doll in order to keep living.
As a child, I wasn't much of a Barbie fan, either. I was more interested in Legos and Lincoln Logs. I had grand dreams of building castles and forts after all. I was always dissuaded from those choices, my mother always insisting the only thing she would purchase for me was a Barbie.

But yesterday, much to my delight, Miss Sophie expressed her longing for building materials since her creativity was significantly limited by our Jenga pieces. I don't know who was more excited to put Lincoln Logs on that list for her (or me?)

The Wheel of Karma

Black Friday was a glorious day spent with the sis (NO KIDS ALLOWED) shopping. In the melee of retail hungry slash sleep deprived shoppers, a roll of pretty wrapping paper escaped the checkout scanner and hijacked itself into my trunk.

When full realization hit, despite my horror of this inadvertent *gasp!* shoplifting, I continued through my day with the offensive unpaid-for item in my car. The nagging guilt ate at me all day as I attempted to perform simple little "good deeds" to hold me over until I had the time to return to the store and officially make the purchase.

Here is the proof the deed is done:
I am known to be terrified of the mighty hand of karma. And frankly, I cannot afford that slap in the face, especially during Christmas time. Right now, I can breathe a sigh of relief and know my conscience is clear!

Have you ever had an item sneak its way into your home unpaid for?

Turkey Day Success!

Despite running on only four hours of sleep (long story), the Mister and Missus teamed up to bring out a scrumptious Thanksgiving feast today!!! AND, might I add (shamelessly brag) everything and I mean everything was made from scratch!!!

Apple/Candied Walnut/Bleu Cheese/Spinach salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette (yes, the pomegranate molasses was made from scratch, as well as the candied walnuts). TURKEY! Mashed potatoes and gravy. Corn and Edamame stir-fry. Classic stuffing. Cranberry dressing. Chocolate Cake. And the sum of all these...equals sleepy, happy, and bloated faces. :-)

Really, I can't think of a better day (except maybe Christmas morning when the children are opening presents). I am tired, yet serenely happy in this blissful contentment.

I hope all of you have had as glorious a Thanksgiving Day as Team Och has.

Ya Wanna Come Over?

My current foodie obsession is CHEESE!

Soooo, I have this crazy idea to hold a ladies only cheese-tasting to-do for the neighborhood. I figure, everyone can bring a hunk of cheese and whatever accompaniment they want to share and we can all just sit and nibble and chat!

I'm sending feelers out there...let me know by commenting or sending me a personal email @ wdsloch@msn.com. I think it will be a good time!

Not So Subtle

I wonder what this represents???

Preference

Me: Liv, it's time to go in the car!

Liv: We're gonna get Daddy?

Me: No. Daddy's at work.

Liv: We're getting Dylan?

Me: Yes, we are. Who else are we getting?

Liv: Dylan.

Me: What about Sophie?

Liv: No, it's okay. Sophie can stay at school.

Getting With the Program

Yeah, yeah, my posts of late have been...well, lame...and might I add...sparse. Uber busy? Yeah. Facebook versus Blogger conflicted? Definitely. But in all honesty? My creative juices are experiencing a slight drought.

Considering the ebb and flow of my attention span, I am sticking to my guns about keeping constant with this blog. So...this is me getting with the program yet again.

So Freakin Proud

Nobody hates school as much as I do except for my one and only, Mister Och. But now, I am SO proud to toot his horn for him...he is currently taking his first class at the University of Phoenix towards a BS in Information Technology!

Hun, I'm so proud of you!!!!

This is the only video we got of Mister D and one of his touchdowns of the season. He is a speedy thing...even when he wasn't wearing his cleats, as in this clip.

Her Version

Little Liv was playing with her Little People Farm Set singing her version of a popular nursery song...


"Uncle Donald had a farm....E-I-E-I-O..."


Yes, she really does have an Uncle Donald, although he does NOT have a farm.

My Boy

Today and everyday, I am so thankful for this sweet precious boy. My Mister D, who for the longest time was my sole partner in crime. He and I, making the joint decision what to have for dinner or do for the day. Now, with a complete family package, he is still my go-to man, and he loves it.

Mister D is always willing to help me out, especially when Mister Och is at work or deployed. This morning, aware I had a rough migraine last night, he insisted I stay in bed instead of helping him with breakfast. He fed the dog, gave Liv juice, and heated up a waffle for Soph...all without request or reminder.

Thank you, Mister Dylan! I love you!

Another Writer in the Fam Bam

My boy has been exhibiting interest in writing ever since he read my rough draft on the novel I have been working on. Usually, he'd make up some short stories based on topics he learned at school that interested him. Today, he came home with a short story assignment. He handed it over to me and was giggling about its silliness since his chosen topic was: How the Rhino Got His Wrinkles.

And guess what? It was excellent! Like good enough to be a children's picture book excellent! We're looking into asking his aunt (a closet artist) to do illustrations and make a book out of it. My son may become published before I do! I'll keep you updated!

Thankful Still

Today, I am thankful for the health of my family. I have been an avid follower of blog stars Stephanie Nielsen of nienie dialogues and Stellan McKinley of Mckmama, two people who have struggled with great tragedy and have come out triumphant. Stephanie and her husband were severly burnt in a private plane crash. Stellan, is a darling one-year-old boy who has defied a death sentence from in utero and conquered SVT. I, myself, have successfully battled lymphoma, and can relate to the difficulties both physically and mentally a major illness can bring. I can't imagine constantly having to endure skin grafts and surgery, or worse, have my children shie away because they cannot recognize me from my burn scars. Or, fight to keep it together as I watch my child flatline in front of my eyes. I just can't.

This daily reading keeps me grounded and appreciative of what is important. We are all in generally good health. It is a great cause to celebrate everyday.

Oh, and my closet is immaculate (happy dance!). :-)

Season End

This flag football season was a pleasant surprise for us as we watched Mister D bust out of his normally quiet personality and transform into an aggresive bulldog on the field. Initially, we had predicted he would be a great QB, since the boy has a great arm for throwing some pretty sweet spirals. But, it turned out, his position as a running back revealed his crazy speed was a better asset for the team. So much so that my boy scored four touchdowns for the season, not to mention the yards he rushed for the Cowboys.

He got his man, btw. See the fire in this kid's eyes?

The weather turned real ugly real fast. The snow started coming down, and despite the league coordinator's insistence it was still "playable" weather, it was downright miserable from that point on. The temp dipped below freezing and the kids did NOT want to be out there. Funny thing, going against the league coordinator, the kids took it upon themselves and agreed to just meet in the middle and call it a draw just to get out of the weather. The next game was then played indoors in the gym.

The team finished out the season with a record of 8-2. Great job, Mister D!

In the Right Frame of Mind

Yes, there is a monster of a snowstorm raging outside today. And yes, my girls are battling an equally raging monster of a cold/flu/cough. And because of this, I have not had any sleep at all save the ten or fifteen minutes between Liv's fits of crying and wailing. And I, along with the girls, had to skip out on Mister D's last football game of the season.

Yes, I am not completely happy with the look of my Xmas tree (I like to change it up every year and have opted not to do so this time around). And yes, my pile of laundry continues to dwarf the washing machine (laundry fairy, where are you?)

BUT, today IS a good day.

Not only because this month renders one to reflect on matters to be thankful for. It's easy to be caught up in trivial things...black Friday sale ads, trip planning, house cleaning, etcetera, etcetera...especially during this month. But...my family is together, we have a roof over our heads, the children are happy...LIFE IS GOOD.

Thankful Thankful Thankful

Still Runnin'

Okay, so I had mentioned previously how SO very looking forward to the cold weather and the hibernating slash relaxing slash slowing down will bring. Welllllll...the cold weather is here but it seems Fam Och is still going going going.

Last week, we somehow managed to survive a week of Hill's ORE (or for you non-military folk, operational readiness exercise). It's basically playing war on base. I'm sure you locals have either heard the loudspeaker attack warnings, or at the very least, the gazillion jet flyovers. Anyway, the hubster is always a main player in these things, and so he was once again assigned to twelve (really with in-processing, changeover, and out-processing it's really thirteen and a half) hour shifts, occasionally sucking rubber (donning gas mask) for an hour or two.

It just so happened during this cluster my back decided to give out while I was scrubbing those EVIIIIIIIL "washable" bath markers from the bathtub. As a result, Mister D missed both days of football practice. Annnnnd, I also had to work drill weekend at the guard base while Mister Och was still pretending to battle Koreans. (Koreans, really?) So D had to miss his game as well.
At least he got to enjoy a night with the Heps.

L's football season has come to an end with the team's loss at the semifinal round. Mister D's last two games are this Saturday. So it should be looking to calm down.

Although, the Mister's nads will be getting the ole snip snip this Friday, so I'll be sure to catering to my hubby and his achy nether parts over the weekend.

Next up will be finding a way to get a tkt for Liv's H1N1 booster.

DUH

Signs that state "DO NOT ENTER" means you need to go the F around to get into the parking lot. Get with the program, mofo!

Young Love

A week ago, Mister D announced he found a note on his desk when he arrived at school that morning. The note said:

Dylan, I LIKE YOU.

Of course, it was a big deal. Mister D has been crushing on this cute little blond girl since fifth grade, and the handwriting matches his love interest's. But, as of yet, he has decided not to "pursue" the opportunity.

It's so cute seeing his excitement about the whole situation and I'm so grateful he feels free to discuss his school experiences with Mister Och and I. He asks us what we think he should do and what his friends are saying to him. He tells us what he wants to do but is afraid to for fear of rejection. This has provided a window for Mister Och and I to discuss other topics with him such as peer pressure, drugs, and sex. Mister Och has taken it upon himself to teach our little man the proper way to treat ladies.

One of the things I was afraid of was trying to raise a pre-teen slash teenager without the proper communication lines established. This time right now, is a fairly good sign we are doing the right thing.

Trick or Treat

The grim reaper, little bo peep, and a cute little garden gnome made an appearance tonight at Fam Och's abode. They left in quite a hurry, armed with buckets, to make the rounds of the neighborhood, hitting them up for goodies.

The Apple....

...does NOT fall far from the tree!

Here is Miss Sophia's kindergarten picture sandwiched between Mister Och's.

Strength

Lately, Liv has been on a peanut-butter-on-a-spoon phase. Because of her constant requests for "More, please!" (Demanding, but at least, polite, right?) I have failed to fully tighten the lid of the jar from the previous times I have had to make withdrawals by the spoonful. After I have decided she had had enough, I denied her request for more.

Liv, never one to take no for an answer, armed with a new spoon, she pushed the bar stool up to the upper pantry, took the Skippy to the counter, and easily twisted the loose lid off.

Obviously pleased with her feat, she beamed at me and said excitedly, "Momma! I'M REALLY REALLY TRONG! (without the S)"

I had to give in and let her have another spoonful.

How old are you?

Everyday on our way to pick up the other two from school, Liv is always excited to see her siblings. Today, she claps her hands and says, "Yeay! We're gonna get Denah (Dylan) and Soph!"

I clap with her, "Yeay!"

"Mom, Denah is ONE!" She holds out her pointer finger.

She goes on and says, "Sophie is TWO!"

"Oh yeah? And what is Livy?" I ask.

"Livy is FOUR!" And she's still holding out just one finger.

LOL.

Pumpkins Galore!

I spent all freakin day carving these. My fingers hurt. But they look fantabulous!