Monsters and Animals

Jayke and I have been busy coloring Easter eggs. After they were colored we decided to get a little creative. Above is my piggy egg I made. Jayke had a hard time helping with this part of the decorating since he is not allowed to use the hot glue gun. He was more like my assistant but he did manage to make a couple of Monster eggs...



All of this crafting was made very difficult by the fact the cat was trying to lay right in the middle of all our supplies and also periodically would take off with a pile of pipe cleaners or ribbons. She was also particularly found of the "Monster hair". I'm surprised those monsters weren't swiped bald!



I think Jayke is a lil confused about the Easter eggs. He thinks they are FOR the Easter Bunny. Kinda like the cookies you put out for Santa. He keeps wanting to make a special basket and a card for the bunny to go with them. I keep trying to explain that they are just Easter decorations. He acts like this is the first time we have colored eggs or the first Easter we have celebrated. Maybe its because we did a lot more with the eggs this year. I usually don't get into the coloring of the eggs too much. Seems pointless when you can just go out and buy the plastic ones and actually get something inside of those. I'm glad we did it this year though, who knows if this will be the last year he believes in the bunny or not and he enjoyed creating our little critters...

We Will Be Back After the War...

It's Wet and Muddy Out...Must be Soccer Time!

It's soccer time again and these two dudes are are serious about their soccer!! LOL. They aren't on the same team which I think may be a good thing since tackling, their favorite activity, is not allowed in soccer.

Jayke played really well. I was impressed. I think the winter clinics really helped. There are two stand-outs on his team and he is one of them. I'm not just saying that because I'm his mom either. He did start to slow down about halfway through the game and I figured it was just tiredness left over from him having the flu last week. Nope. I was wrong. By the time we got home he was running a fever and a couple hours later he was throwing up. Guess he is having a relapse. Poor guy.

I was a very happy mom when he was throwing up. I know that sounds weird but I was. I do not do puke. Period, end of story. I've been lucky that he has not gotten sick very often. Last night I realized I must have put the fear of God in him about puking ANYWHERE but in the toilet. He came out of his room screaming like a maniac, made it to the bathroom, no problem. I was very proud of him. AND very relieved that I didn't have to clean up. I was also a little amused at the screaming...I'm not gonna lie. Screaming on his way to the bathroom and screaming all the way through until he was done. Screaming? Oh well, whatever works for him as long as I don't have to clean anything up.

He is feeling better this afternoon. He had made his sympathy call before I even got out of bed. Got up and called Oma to tell her he was sick. She was over pretty quick with some supplies. He didn't manage to convince her that he needed to go home with her though. Poor kid, now he is stuck here arguing with me all afternoon about the fact that just because he is feeling better does not mean that he can go out to play now. No school, no outside!!

Jayke's Favorite Toy

I am so happy Jayke is all better and going back to school tomorrow...but maybe not as happy as Luna is going to be. He drove her nuts today!!!

Jayke's March Writing Journal

3/2/11--The storm was really scarry. I had to o to tmy moms closet. I couldn't sleep.

3/3/11--I really like to play outside. I can go to my friend Hunter. He is my best friend.

3/4/11--During Dr. Seuss week I made a turtle. His name was Mack. I made a cat in the hat. He looked really funny.

3/8/11--In art I like to paint. I can paint a girffe. It is a yellow and brown one.

3/9/11--My favorite thing about music is you get to play an instrment. You don't get to play one all the time. I don't really like to go to music.

3/10/11--I feel proud when I lose a tooth. I can put it under the my pillow. I will get money from the tooht fairy.

3/11/11--At the animal convo I saw a volf. He was really big. I saw a baboon. He was really funny. I saw a crocidal. It tried to get away from the guy.

3/14/11--I was angry when I coutdn't go out side. I couldn't go outside becuse it was raining. I would get really wet.

3/15/11--The green stegasuaris has a towell with cotten candy. The blue dinosaur has a really big neck. There are a lot of dinosaurs.

3/16/11--For Spring Break I'll go to my friends house. We can play tag. I am really fast.

3/17/11--Iv'e always wondered when it would be summer again. I really love summer. It is the best season. I can go swimming in the summer.

3/18/11--Last week I went to my dads house. We went to a flee market. We got some book and cars.

3/24/11--I felt so proud when I found my cat behind the tv. I looked for her because I had a I feed her. Her name is Luna.

3/30/11--It was so funny when these to boys on the bus fell out of there seat. They really hurt there head. But they wearnt hurt for long.

3/31/11--When I get up in the morning I change my clothes first. Next I get my shous on. Last I wait for the bus.

Got a Hot One

I have a sick boy sitting here with me. Jayke hardly ever gets sick. He is running a fever and has, what sounds like, a cold. I've been lucky with him though. I think he has only gotten sick to his stomach a handful of times in his life. He has never had an ear ache or anything like that. An occasional sore throat but that is about it. He will be missing school again tomorrow because of his fever so I will have company with me again. We played Candy Land today and went and got Blizzards...I'm going to have to come up with something more entertaining tomorrow because now it seems that puppies are sick too...

Off Again

Flat Jaykeb is heading to Georgia! I called Mike the other day to make sure he would do this for him and to give him instructions. Seems he has never heard of this before even though I did this for Jayke when he was 3 years old. We made a Flat Jaykeb and sent him to Kelly in Colorado. She made a great picture book for Jaykeb of all the places she took Flat Jaykeb. She even sent Flat Jaykeb on a cruise with her brother and sister-in-law to Greece, Croatia, Turkey, and Italy. Unfortunately, this time Flat Jaykeb isn't going any where too exciting...just Georgia.

I plan to send the book Kelly did for Jayke in as well. He was looking through it today and laughing at all the places Kelly took him. She was extremely creative I hope what we get back this time is as fun as that was for Jayke.

More Useless Chunks of Plastic...

Decoy swans on my mom's pond. They tried decoy owls last year to try to keep the geese out of their yard. That didn't work so now they have swans. Unfortunately, I was a little slow in snapping this picture. I just missed the two geese who were sitting on the shore right there next to that willow tree. The only ones getting fooled by these hunks of floating plastic are the neighbors. They all got excited thinking they had real swans on their pond!! Really?? I also missed getting a picture of Jim with his home-made pvc bottle rocket launcher shooting missiles at them. I'm glad I'm not their neighbor!!

Letters Home

My mom has a whole box full of letters my Grandpa wrote home to his parents during WWII. He was a marine stationed in the South Pacific. I wish we had a box that he wrote to my Grandma but apparently out of all the little scraps of paper Grandma did save (most of them poked in her cookbooks) she did not save the letters Grandpa wrote her. That or they were lost somehow. At least these survived. This is only a picture of a couple of them. In one of the letters he talked about sleeping with rats on top of him. He couldn't say much about the island where he was stationed because the censors wouldn't let them. I did find it funny that in one letter he was talking about how my grandma wasn't much for telling people what she thinks. HA! That may have been the funniest thing I've ever read! If she was ever like that, she certainly got over it!

I may have to make my way through this box now that I have a lot of spare time on my hands.

Gamers

Mason rode the bus home with Jayke again today. They have become best buddies. In the beginning they fought now and then but lately they have been getting along great! They do love their iPods. They didn't play long before they headed out to play with Nolin, down the road.

I decided that since I was babysitting I should peel myself off the couch and attempt to be parental so I cooked spaghetti for dinner. I figured this was a safe choice...what kid doesn't like spaghetti? Even MY kid likes spaghetti and he doesn't like anything! Neither of them would eat it. They don't know what they are missing...I've been cooking spaghetti since I was like five! It is my specialty. I think I was taught so young in the hopes that we would have at least one night a week that we wouldn't have to eat my mom's cooking. Either that or my parents were just lazy. I'm pretty sure I did all my own laundry from about that age as well. I also recall being taught how to make gin and tonics for Opa too. I may need to revisit these memories in another post. I'm pretty sure I'm on to something here. Child labor!

Anyway... since they wouldn't eat the spaghetti I thought I'd try something a little simpler. Grilled cheese. Each of them ate one square (a fourth of a sandwich). I'm going to chalk this up to they were too busy playing to eat and that it has absolutely nothing to do with my cooking abilities. It is a little upsetting though since whenever we are at Mason's house they always eat what Bob makes...or orders. Next time Mason comes over I think I will leave the cooking up to Mc Donald.

The "Fellas"

Jayke and Mason both playing games on their iPods


Jayke had his first sleep over at a friend's house last night! I'm happy to report that we both survived. However, I don't know if it really counts when your mom stays until 2:30 in the morning and is back by 11:00 a.m.!

He stayed with Mason. A few of us were over hanging out with Bob, Mason's dad, and Bob offered to keep him since they didn't get to hang out over spring break at all. Jayke was more than willing, I wasn't that willing, but finally gave in. This morning when I got there Bob was cooking the "Fellas" eggs and toast. They had a good night. Bob slept on the couch and said Jayke woke up at 4a.m. and said my name, he patted him on the back and he went right back to sleep. He didn't want to leave when I went to get him. I'm glad his first overnight was with someone whose parent I'm actually friends with, made me feel a lot better about it.

Top O' The Mornin' To Ya

Happy St. Patty's Day from my little leprechaun!! He will be wearing green to school today even though he has assured me that they are absolutely NOT allowed to pinch each other if not wearing the color of the day. Better safe than sorry!!

R.I.P

I just learned this evening that Bosley died. I don't have any details or even know when for sure he died but he is gone, along with Grumpy, Charlie, Murray (who ran away) and both of the cats (which Mike just put outside and moved away from). That leaves Mike with one dog that we had together, Sophie. Everyone say a prayer for poor Sophie...seems her owner doesn't have a very good track record with keeping pets alive!

The Dancing Giraffe

....is the name of Jayke's most recent masterpiece and I am the lucky owner of this one of a kind creation. It is now framed and hanging in the living room because The Boy not only is a fabulous artist but also knows how to pick colors that match his mother's decor. I may need more walls soon!

The Dancing Giraffe, dancing in the moonlight, by Jaykeb Howell

20 Years!! Wow!!

My 20 year class reunion is this summer. I know, I can't believe it either. I don't look a day over 25...lol! In honor of the big 2 0...I decided to bring back my 80's do! Jayke walked in from school took one look at me and screamed. I think he was in shock at how awesome I look! He is now calling me, "Hair do" which is a huge improvement over my previous name, Pimple!

Table Surfing

Yes, that is my mom's dog ON THE KITCHEN TABLE!! I remember as a kid she knew if I had been in a room by looking at my footprints in the carpet or if something was moved a quarter of an inch on a table. Now...the dog walks on the kitchen table! I don't even know what to say about this, except things have definitely changed. At least Jackson gets to enjoy his child hood without feeling like Big Brother (or as Jayke likes to say, Big Momma) is watching.

Someone is SUPER Happy!!

Oma got Simon a new bed. Actually I guess it is technically a hand-me-down. Spoiled rotten Jackson didn't want this one! That is fine with Simon! He Loves it! I mean it. The dog doesn't leave this bed...EVER! No sooner had it hit the floor than he was settling his old bones onto it. It came at just the right time because Jayke has decided to sleep in the bottom bunk now, kicking Simon out of his bed. It was pretty funny to see Jayke in the top bunk and SIMON in the bottom.

Oma didn't forget about Laynie either. Apparently King Jackson had two beds that weren't to his liking. Laynie got the other. Unfortunately for Laynie someone else seems to think it was a gift for her...



Laynie does get a turn in the beds occasionally too. As you can see we share in this house...



....and some more sharing...



But in the end...we see who really runs the show around here. The queen is not above kicking an old dog right out of his bed. Lucky for Simon he almost fits in Luna's bed! Almost!

Jayke's February Writing Journal

2/9/11--When it's really cold I stay inside. I play with my cat. My cat's name is Luna.
2/10/11--When I went outside this morning I got on the bus. I had to walk a lot. It wasn't fun.
2/11/11--Last night I played with my ipod. I played zombie cafe. I got a lot of money.
2/14/11--To make a valentine I have to write peoples names on the cards. Next you have to write your name on them. Last you have to give people them.
2/15/11--If I could fly I would go to Africa. I would bring back an elephant. The elephant would smash my house.
2/16/11--Dad and I like to play. I play scare the daddy. It's fun.
2/18/11--On our walk we found a piece of wood. It was really big. I brought it home.
2/21/11--I sometimes get mad when I fall down. It really hurts. I don't like it.
2/23/11--At the beach I collect sea shells. I go swimming. I build a san castle.
2/24/11--For breakfast i like ot eat cierile. I eat coco puffs. I don't like milk with them.

They missed a lot of School in February due to the weather so this was a short journal this month.

What Happened to THIS Boy?

In most of the pictures I take of Jayke these days he looks so old to me. Not this one. I think he looks like hes my little boy again in this picture. Sweet even. Not spouting off some smart comment he got off of Icarly. I tucked him into bed the other night and he said, "Goodnight, I love you Pimple!" Nice. I guess this is what I have to look forward to...the kid pointing out my every flaw. I'm so excited.

MOOOOMMM!!! WE NEED MORE PARTY CHIPS!!

Cracks me up that Jayke calls Tostitos "Party Chips". I had no idea why then it dawned on me. Whenever we go to card parties I usually take a dip or salsa or something with a bag of Tostitos...aka...Party Chips! I asked him if this was why he called them this and he said yep. Mystery solved.