Jay's first TRIP ... Build a Bear... LOTS OF FUN!

Once in awhile when the time is right.... I find time to spend a little something EXTRA on the kids.. When this happens I love to spend time watching them in Build A Bear. The best thing about the place (OTHER than the STAFF who is EXCELLENT by the WAY!) is that the kids take home alot more than an evening of fun, they take away these adorable bears that have part of their personality with them. Even though its a kids place and the TOY is for them, I look at it like a REALLY cool soveigner of their life! What I LOVE about Build A Bear is that the KIDS can be as CREATIVE as they want to be After they go up and down the line of bears, dogs, cats, turtles, T-Rexs, they FINAL pick their FAVORITE! This is NOT a process a parent can SPEED up or even HELP with! Then they pick out a sound This time it was "I LOVE YOU", "Jingle Bells", and some lines from "High School Musical"

Placing a HEART inside the bear is VERY IMPORTANT! The kids have to warm the heart, Make SURE the bear isnt NOSEY by rubbing the heart on their NOSE! Then they get to make sure their bear HEART is well taken care of the kids rubbed the HEART on their FUNNY BONE so that the bear could tell good JOKES, they also rubbed it on their knee so that the bear would "NEED THEM" it was FUNNY to me too!

After a good Fuffing of the bear they go on to the BATH! Where they are sprayed with air and brushed.... Jay checked with Sissy to see if he was doing it right!

Then The BEST part of getting a BUILD A BEAR is to get to PICK OUT THE CLOTHES! There is so much to choose from! My kids LOVE being able to dress them right there in the store! Lue Lue helped the young kids get their bears dressed SHOES and ALL!

To end an ALREADY great night we went to dinner, Chilis a FAMILY favorite! They talked alot about how they couldnt wait to see their Lee Lee and Butter Bread! Thats the ONLY thing that WOULD have made the NIGHT WONDERFUL!!!

Bubbles

When you have a bad day and you feel like CRYING and I mean CRYING HARD I only have to take a few steps and I will run right into the most loving little girl I have ever known. Now I am NOT saying that ANY of the other girls in my life werent loving BUT there is SOMETHING different about this little one that takes my breath away on a daily basis.

Maybe its because she has the sweetest giggle

or she tells methat I am "THE BEST MOMMY I EVER HAD",

maybe its becasue she twists her tongue around in her mouth when she is nervous or thinks she REALLY is a PRINCESS,

or maybe because she says I love you when she FORGETS what she was gonna say

maybe its because she loves to sing "e,i,e,i,o"

or maybe its just because she still a LITTLE GIRL who still wants you to hold her when she wakes up,

When you have a bad day she will hold your hand and hug you as long as you need her there, she doesnt have any where else to be.

Lil B & Lee Lee

Okay so having a large family that is combined of LOTS of Extended members and Children from different relationships is VERY difficult. We have 2 that live with us ALL the time, 2 that live with us some of the time and 2 that visit us NOT OFTEN enough.

Yesterday was hard, We went to a football game of one of our older 3 and we got to spend no TIME with her at all, one of our younger 3 didnt want to hang out with us and his sisters. I really feel like we are part time parents. WE LOVE ALL OF THEM!

When the kids are with us its GREAT! We have fun, I try to make it as NORMAL family life that I can. They have their bedrooms, their own stuff, clothes... EVERYTHING. I dont know if I am doing the right thing or if they will grow up ANGRY at us. It was important for me for the kids to fit easily into their life here with us. Not ROlling out a hide away bed or gathering up a sleeping bag and laying on the couch.

Lue and Jay dont EVER call while they are with their mom, NEVER! When the organization og OUR family was new they did. NOW they DONT.

Lil B and Lee Lee were with me half of the time, for their whole life. I guess it isnt much different for them. It is for me. I use to get a phone call now and then and once in a while a letter. Now not so much. They know they will be here for the Holiday so they dont have much longer to go. Thats how they usually do.

I keep trying to figure out how to be a BETTER mother, for EVERYONE.
Trying to figure out how to GRAB hold of each child so that No one is left behind or FEELS like it.

Too MUCH time on our HANDS!

Okay so the kids were saying this OVER and OVER while at the dinner table (they were SUPPOSE to be eating) It was part of a VIDEO they saw on www.YOUTUBE.com and they were practicing the lines. SO, I found the camera and started to recorded it, they acted like I wasnt there at first. I think I may have an ACTRESS or TWO on my hands, by the last ACTION they were REALLY into IT!

I find them VERY talented and FUNNY!

Reason I live in NC

When I moved up here it was VERY easy for me to do so, I fell INSTANLY in LOVE with the view.

There is so much GOODNESS here in North Carolina, the air is clean, the grass is soft and deeply green, and the COLORS of the FALL are something you cant see in Florida without looking through the pages of a magazine. The are no COLORS to see outside of the BLUE sky and the Blue water. Its beautiful in a different way.

The girls are happily awaiting for the next season to come about... WINTER brings snow! But for now they will ENJOY the leaves, the COLORS and the COOL weather.