Cheer up Jovie!!

What a pitiful face!!!


Why so sad Jo-Lea???

Our refrigerator went out! We have been trying to save it for over a year now! It starts to get warm and we (well I) defrost the freezer coils with a hairdryer and it works for a few months. This time it only bounced back for a few weeks. It was time...

but as I watched the delivery men heave our old refrigerator out the front door I heard a little whimper behind me! I turned around and saw the saddest Jovie face! My camera was right there, so I snapped a picture! How could they be taking away HER refrigerator?!

The new fridge looks a lot like the old fridge! Just a different brand and the water and ice dispenser is separate in this one rather than it coming out of the same place and having to press a button!

Once Jovie noticed that fact (and the benefits of it for a little one who can not press the button and gets frustrated when only ice is coming out when she wants water)...

It met her approval!











As a kid I would also get attached to things and would hate it when they broke, wore out, or just needed to be updated! I still remember when my mom changed the front door of our house. I was sad to see the old one go! Which is weird. The old one was just a plain old solid door. The new one had the fancy window in it and everything!

Do you remember being sad when something weird had to be thrown out, replaced, or changed?

Silas' Hair Shearing!

No... Silas did not have a hair cut... he was sheared... like a sheep!

The clippers would get stuck his hair is so thick! I had to go slow and in small sections! And it came off in a tight sheet of hair, kind of like the picture of the farmer shearing the sheep! It was hilarious!
I let his hair grow out and we tried dreads. But his hair is too thick and too curly. I will have to wait until he is older and can twist it himself. But he enjoyed having his hair long, so I put off cutting it. But it was getting too hot and his hair was too thick and getting fuzzy and half of it was locked, so I convinced him it was time. But no, it was not a hair cut. It was a hair SHEARING! His hair was a thick as a lambs coat! He and Ruby have the THICKEST hair!

He liked the Mohawk! He wanted to keep it that way!

I am so happy is cut! I felt hot just looking at him! Now... his hair is so airy and cool! He is a handsome boy!

Yonas' first tooth fairy!

Although he has lost a tooth before, this was Yonas' first visit from the tooth fairy. He was asking me to explain the tooth fairy, but then he cut me off and said, "Yeah, it is a little thing that looks like a little rat!" Hey, Good enough!

It is not until you have kids from different cultures who are older that you realize how hard it is to explain the tooth fairy, Easter Bunny, and Santa Clause. When you have to explain it from the beginning and it is not something they just grow up hearing about, it all sound very ridiculous. Remarkably, they are very willing to believe...

Very Late Easter Pics...

I have had a lot going on... so I have been ranting about this and that but have not posted any pics of the kids. So, it is time to catch up! Here are some Easter pics! Better later than never! We went to an egg hunt and have pics from that on my other camera. I will add those some other time! In the meantime... enjoy lookin' at my cute youngin's!

Dying Easter Eggs! It was the first time dying eggs for 5 out of the 7!

Jovie has learned to pose for pictures! She does the sweetest face!
We did not start dying until 8pm... they usually go to bed at 8, so Callie was very very very sleepy!

Ruby-doo and Callie too!

Yonas was so proud of all his eggs! He was very detailed!

Jovie showing Daddy how it is done!

He is the best daddy! He is good and silly too!

It gets crowded around the table as we all squeeze in to dye eggs!

Easter Morning! The Easter Bunny left their baskets by their bed (that is how I was used to it growing up). I remember waking up and the basket being by my bed and going through it and then showing my parents later. This was a lot of fun for me because I could hear the kids waking up in their room, waking up their siblings, and chattering away about what they got! The girls got some dress-up stuff and the boys got Bakugons and a Pokemon toy! I loved hearing Silas go nuts when he found his Bakugon and Nolan frantically looking through his basket to see if he got one too and them both cheering when he found it! Levi and I just laid in our bed and listened to the excitement unfold!

Here they are ready to find what the Easter Bunny hid!

Ruby going through her find!

Lettie finding the egg under the table! She was wearing her dress-up outfit most of the day!

Yonas and his basket!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture of Jovie! This is so Jovie! Such a little diva with a 'tude!

More Diva JoJo!

Curlie Cal LOVED the ring pops!

Silas showing off his basket!

Callie and NoNo goofing off! She loves to laugh!

3 goofies!

Ruby catching the confetti from a popper!

A perfect shot! This is Yonas trying out one of the poppers! The kids love party poppers and the Easter Bunny hid some in the eggs!

Checking it all out!

Princess Fairy Lettie!

See... all attitude!

Now Nolan has 3 Bakugons! Here is his Bakugon tower!

He has even learned to hold them like a pro! He is getting so big and liking older boy things now!

Ruby's ring pop!

A sad Princess Teenie!

Silas was the best egg finder! He has a basket full at every egg hunt we went to!

Silly Ruby-doo!

Diva Diva Diva with a chocolate bunny!

My Head is Going to EXPLODE...

And they are all existing just to drive me MAD!

I could first feel the migraine coming on when I was talking to the architect.


-You may need another bathroom
-No... nevermind you don't
-But you might need drains, so you may need to cut up your floors
-Code might get you on this one
-You may need a 3 bin sink with drain boards, but I'm not sure
-You want to make sure your tables are right
-I would be worried about your permitting issue
-Health Department is a bear to work with
-If you think the Health Department is bad, you should see how hard it is to deal with code
-This will take 3-4 weeks to draw up if you need them
-Then there is permitting and they always kick back plans 2-3 times
-We have to contract the engineering out, it takes longer
-....

There was more... and I could feel my brain screaming to get out!...

Then I go to the county and the good news is... I got the permitting issue cleared up in 30 seconds. The bad news is... when I first called one department apparently does not know what the other departments do, so they told me it could take a lot longer and that I needed more thing, so I wasted 3 days trying to figure it out over the phone and gathering 30+ documents until someone said, "If you show up, then you can get it ironed out easier, EVERYBODY is in the same building!"


Then I talk to code:


Do I need plans drawn up?

Answer from Code Enforcement Person 1: No, no problem. Just get the electrician to draft up his plans and the plumber to draft up his, bring them in and that's it.


Me: Whew!


Answer from 2nd Code Enforcement guy who was walking by: If she is the first tenant and this was pulled for mercantile then she needs to have plans drawn up to change the occupancy. She needs an architect (not what I wanted to hear BTW).

Person 1: I think he is right.


Me: Can you ask someone else so I can make SURE he is right before spending thousands on plans I do not need.

Person 1: I think he is right, he has been here longer than me.

Then he proceeds with:

-You might need drains (drains! seriously! Is that all you people think about?)
-Health inspection may get you on this
-You need to confirm the type of sink you need
-I have no clue what size water heater you need
-I have no idea about the Americans with Disabilities Act, but you DO need a section of counter only 30 inches high, but you need to look up those laws
-We need to approve these plans before issuing permits... which will take more time
-...and of course there is more... sigh... THEN...


He turns me over to the health department inspector. A nice guy! Reminds me of a co-worker at James City. Somehow he is a hippy-type (though too young for an actual hippy) that works for the government. He looked like a Bee-Gee.


Him: You don't need to see me! If you are a ice cream shop then you just fall under department of agriculture.

Me: Then can I pick your brain about some stuff.


Him: Sure


Then I find out:
-It does not matter what kind of hot water heater I need
-It does not matter about my sink, just as long as I think it is adequate (what that means, I have no clue)
-I probably do not need drains, unless I just think they are a fabulous must-have accessory to my back room and in case I want sewage to back up on my floor
-There are so many more pieces of equipment I would have to buy if I wanted to do hot-dogs (which I do not)

I also went by a restaurant supply store where the guy tried to sell me burgundy polka dot booths, and told me I really should be putting my whole operation in a trailer and do carnival gigs.


So, I spent the entire afternoon fighting a migraine. And I NEVER get migraines. But honestly, I went back and forth so much my head was exploding.

Today shall be spent calling the people to clear up the "you might needs" and the "I'm not sure, buts...", hopefully signing my lease...

and trying to keep my sanity while all the while trying very hard to convince my brain that exploding might not be the best idea!

This poicture is the best deptiction of my state of mind...

The long and short of it is... opening a small business is a pain in the butt... but...

The business is going to be awesome!!!

And it is a bit of a blessing in disguise! If I open mid June instead of mid May, I do not have to worry about what to do with my babies for a month and things will not be so stressful.

Random Spring Post w/ a bit of the by-gone days!

The weather is nice, the sun is shining, the grass is growing, the birds are chirping, and...

The Dogwoods are Blooming!

The Dogwood is the state flower of both Virginia and North Carolina. Though I feel like they do not care about it so much in North Carolina, but in Virginia they were a big deal. At mine and Levi's first house we had a HUGE Dogwood. But for some reason the previous owners planted a blooming pear tree right in front of it that always obscured the view of it. When Hurricaine Isabelle came in, the pear tree got taken out, but the dogwood was still standing. It really was the biggest one I had ever seen! I think it must have already been thriving in the woods when they built the neighborhood and they never cut it down, and when it got more light it just shot up.

Now... Dogwoods are usually not very large. I mean they can be, but very few are. They often grow in or at the edge of the woods and they are a pretty little accessory to the landscape, but they really do not get but so big...

But... ours was HUGE...

or at least I remembered it being huge!

I went to Williamsburg for a day this past weekend for a business trip. I was meeting a friend at a restaraunt and got talking to another lady waiting outside. She commented about how beautiful the Dogwoods looked this time of year. I told her about my Dogwood and how it was rather large. She commented that Dogwoods don't usually get very big. I pointed to a good size tree down the road and told her it was about the size of that tree, to which she insisted Dogwoods don't get very big and if it was in fact that big that was quite impressive. I still think she did not believe me.

So, the next day before leaving town I drove past our old house and took a picture. And sure enough, there it was... the impressive huge Dogwood! I had not lost my mind!

It was nice to see my old house, but I was slightly meloncholy parked there picturing Nolan toddling across the front yard, taking pictures of Lettie in the grass on her blessing day, Nolan standing at the front door watching the trucks remove storm debris in his footie PJs hoding bear by the leg, walking over to see Bo and Peep, swinging on the swing with Levi... I could go on and on! That was the house where our family began. It will always have a special place in my heart!

Lettie's turn to talk about mommy!

This is a fun quiz to do with your kids! This is what I got from Lettie:
1. What is something mom always says to you?
Eat
2. What makes mom happy?
Because we don't lie (I have a thing for not-lying)
3. What makes mom sad?
Because we lied to her (wow... I think they got the point)
4. How does your mom make you laugh?
By tickleing me!
5. What was your mom like as a child?
I don't know because I did not see you when you were a child (smart)
6. How old is your mom?
6 (7 kids at 6... Now I REALLY should be on Oprah)
7. How tall is your mom?
6 tall (I guess it goes with your age)
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Clean (ugh... )
9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Go Somewhere
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Because she is going to be a rock star (that's my girl!)
11. What is your mom really good at?
Teaching Nolan how to ride on 2 wheels (we did that the other day... he is getting there).
12. What is your mom not very good at?
Not good at driving (this is a running joke in the family... whenever I hit the rumble strip Levi has taught the kids to say 'mommy's a BAD driver'... I have turned it around on him a fair amount of times as well)
13. What does your mom do for a job?
Maybe run an ice cream shop soon
14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Spaghetti
15. What makes you proud of your mom?
She's good at cleaning (sigh... my life)
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
A Rock Star Fairy (interesting)
17. What do you and your mom do together?
Go to Chuck E. Cheese
18. How are you and your mom the same?
Because we have the same hair (which is true, same cow-licks and everything)
19. How are you and your mom different?
Because my eyes change (that is her new thing, I do not know where she gets that idea from)
20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Because you help me find my shoes sometimes.
21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
Kissing him
22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
To the Bank (if I was making more money maybe)
23. How much do you think mom weighs?
6 (I am sensing a trend here)

Ruby Answers Questions About Me

This is a fun quiz to do with your kids! The language barrier made it a little difficult for her to understand some of the questions. But this is what I got:

1. What is something mom always says to you?

Be nice.

2. What makes mom happy?

When the kids share.

3. What makes mom sad?

When you watch someone push and hit.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?

Tickle.

5. What was your mom like as a child?

You were like everyone in our family. (Apparently I have something in common with everyone)

6. How old is your mom?

16 (7 kids at 16... I should be on Oprah)

7. How tall is your mom?

Big

8. What is her favorite thing to do?

To play a game in the computer.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?

Clean (and clean and clean and clean)

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

You would help people. (interesting)

11. What is your mom really good at?

At cooking.

12. What is your mom not very good at?

Making something with my hair (hahaha! Poor Ruby! We both know I am no good at doing hair!)

13. What does your mom do for a job?

Work at an ice cream shop (can you tell they are excited?)

14. What is your mom's favorite food?

Green Beans (just because I make you eat them does not mean it is my favorite)

15. What makes you proud of your mom?

When I can help you

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Dora

17. What do you and your mom do together?

We write sentences

18. How are you and your mom the same?

Our eyes ( haha, she said they both have grey... I think the similarities stop there)

19. How are you and your mom different?

We have a different coat and shirt (notice, no mention of skin color! I love kids!)

20. How do you know your mom loves you?

Because we are family. (awww)

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?

Because you are married to dad (I suppose I have to like him then)

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?

Disney World (Spot on!)

23. How much do you think mom weighs?

A lot (sigh)

Thanks Granny!

You picked the perfect present for Callie! Water stuff! Boy does this girl love water! And as soon as she opened it, she insisted on getting completely dressed in her new gear. INCLUDING the water wings! And if you wondering why she looks a little shiny and slightly dirty... that would be the Skittles, which she immediately opened up and devoured! But of course she drooled sticky Skittle juice all over herself! Seriously... she walked around in her swimsuit and water wings all night until it was time for bed! I would think it would be uncomfortable! Silly girl!

Enjoy the pictures of my water baby modeling:

Callie came up and saw the pictures I was putting on the blog, went and grabbed her water wings, and insisted I put them back on! So she is in a long-sleeve footed sleeper with water wings on eating her pancake. Haha!