Things that make you go hmmm...

Today has been interesting and uneventful all in one. Uneventful, because it's been raining and aside from a trip to the YMCA and the grocery store nothing is going on. Interesting because I have spent the bulk of my day with Matthew and Lexi. While watching Matthew bounce around the gym in his class, I started to feel really bad. I was in mid sentence with someone when I excused myself and practically ran to the bathroom. My mouth was watering so profusely it was hard to keep up. I was holding Lexi and standing in a stall wondering what in the heck was going on. As it got worse, I grabbed my hair. So I'm standing there in a public bathroom holding Lexi in one arm and my hair in the other hoping that the one person in there would leave a little quicker! Sure enough, I was there for a reason. It wasn't as violent as it is when I have a stomach bug, and I will say that of all the things to throw up, apple isn't that bad. Gross, I know, but I didn't know there was a difference. Lexi kept saying, "Momma puke, ha ha Lexi puke. No Momma puke" It was really funny. She acted like we do that all of the time! After a few seconds, the other lady in there asked if I was okay. I have never really been sick with any of my pregnancies, so this is all very foreign to me. I still get caught off guard when I feel sick. This is only like the second or third time, but I think, "Am I really going to throw up right now?" Sure enough.

On the way home from gymnastics, Matthew thanked me for choosing this planet. I'm not sure what you say to that, but I told him "your welcome" anyway. I would love a front row seat to the movie that is his thought process!
So to all of my friends and loved ones, Thanks for choosing this planet!

Explanations

So clearly the posts have been sparse, if nonexistent as of late. Having now shared the reason, I'll elaborate a bit. So yes, 5 will be our number. Crazy! But we've always been a little crazy around here, so why should this surprise us? Anyway, a bit about how I do pregnant. Usually there's not much to tell, each one being a little more tired, and maybe a short wave of nausea followed by an ever growing basketball belly. Carrying boys seems to make me more tired in the first trimester, and I always want sweets with the girls and salty and sour anything with the boys. This one has definitley kicked things up a notch! We found out about this little surprise act on New Year's Eve day. This news was quickly followed by a family bout with a stomach bug. The symptoms and the utter exhaustion never left me, until just about 2 weeks ago! My house was left to take whatever was dished out, and I just watched the effects from the couch. My kids never seemed to notice my self induced "vacation." Odd, huh? Anyway, so I clearly have had no energy to keep up with my home or my kids, so naturally the blog was at the very bottom of the totem pole that is my life! Well, I'm back and feeling better and playing catch up. Just in case any of you are thinking of taking a vacation from responsibilities any time soon, I am still playing catch up around here and it's been two weeks. I'm not sure I would recommend it.
In other news, I (and Jess) have thought/known I was having a boy from the beginning. I went in last week to have an ultrasound to verify my due date. While she was looking at everything, she asked me if she could see the anatomy, did I want to know what I was having? I felt a little guilty that neither Jess nor the kids were with me, but I told her, "I already think it's a boy, but sure." She smiled and nodded that it was a boy. It was VERY obvious that it was a boy! And at only 14 weeks, too! For those of you who think I'm awful for not waiting for Jess, he didn't care at all. Like I said, we already knew anyway, just nice to have proof. So there you have it. I have several things to post that we have been up to that last few months. Maybe I'll get to it, maybe I won't. Perhaps a weekly retro post will take care of it.
Today's agenda holds cleaning the upstairs and moving small furniture off of the carpet because Wednesday, we are having our carpets cleaned. We are going to Orlando tonight so that we can surprise the kids with a Day at Islands of Adventure to see Harry Potter world tomorrow! I'm looking forward to a family day.

So many Surprises, So early in the year...

The Valentine's cards we gave to the kids this year...
Here we go again!

Party of 6

On Wednesday night, Summer and I sat down and watched a little food network before I started making dinner. The Barefoot Contessa was on and she was making some amazing Italian dishes on the grill. Bruschetta, a salad with Fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, cucumbers and grilled veggies. By the time the show was over, we were both salivating over the dishes that she had made. I got up to decide what to make for dinner, and we had no fresh produce, no fresh mozzarella, no thawed meat-nothing. I decided to pack the kids up and take them to an Italian restaurant that wasn't too far away. I figured that Jess could meet us there as it was on his way home. Now, any of you who know me well, know that I don't like to go out to dinner with the kids unless it's for the early bird special. Anything later, and it's like trying to contain 4-6 wild, ravenous beasts (myself included) while we wait for our food (that is usually sub-par). I mostly feel I can make something better, faster, and with out trying to maintain my dignity and sanity in public with 4 hungry kids all while the elderly of the world look on. I was desperate for good Italian food. The place we went was really good. I ordered appetizers before we even sat down to pacify us all while we waited for our meals. The caprese appetizer was by far the highlight of the meal for me. For the kids, it was the battery powered candle on the table. We ordered too much food, and it was all delicious! I took the two little ones home with me, and Jess waited for the bill. When he got home, I asked him what the total was. He told me a number that was higher than I was expecting, so I assumed he was joking. A little later, I picked up the copy of the receipt that was on the counter. As I examined it, trying to decide why it was so much higher, I noticed that they had automatically added a 20% gratuity onto our check, and then Jess, not noticing that it had been added, put a tip on the bill when he signed it. What?! Why would they do that? I decided that I was going to call them the next day and find out if that was their policy. When I called, the owner answered the phone. When I asked him if it was standard to automatically add gratuity onto checks at their restaurant, he told me that on parties of 6 or more, that was standard. That as if 6 entrees are entered into the computer it automatically adds it on. I then asked him, even on families. I explained that I was there the night prior with my 4 kids and husband and gratuity was automatically added to our bill and the waiter was tipped twice. He told me that the server should have told us about that, and to bring our bill in and he would refund the extra money. I was happy with that solution. But seriously? Our family is large enough to fall into that category? Our "party" is so big we are in the "gratuity is automatically added" category? I wonder if it was happened before and we never thought to check for it. Crazy! 6 is all it takes now.

100th Day

Friday marked the children's 100th day of school this school year. We celebrated by making a poster that had 100 air-filled water balloons taped to it in the shape of 100 for Summer's homework. It got me thinking when and why schools celebrate this. Both of my children were ecstatic to go to school on Friday. They were greeted with cookies, teachers dressed up like they were 100 years old and sharing their posters. T Jay informed me that they now have 80 days left of school. I am already looking forward to the lazy days of summer. I know it's already like summer here, but I mean the days we don't have to interrupt with school attendance and homework. Come on 80 days!

My Kids Favorite Place...

Nope, it's not Disney! Benihana! We went to celebrate being home owners. Every time I am having trouble thinking of something for dinner and happen to ask the kids their opinion, they cheer out "Benihana!" In reality I was thinking along the lines of frozen pizza or something equally easy. They think we should go every week. :)

Matthew, giddy after our chef flipped a shrimp tail into his hat. I, for one would not enjoy having a shrimp tail flipped onto my head so that I could smell it the rest of the day! Bath time was not far behind.

Finally...

On January 3rd, we became home owners!! The best part about it, we didn't have to move. We have been renting this home for almost 3 years. The homeowners went into foreclosure and we were able to buy it as a short sale. This was a really long process, but since we were already living here, it didn't really matter. We have a few big plans for the place, the first being to get good, fresh paint up everywhere. If anyone wants to dust off their paint brushes and come on over, you'd be welcome! :) I've also got a couple of new light fixtures going up and a new area rug to choose. Jess also finished staining the new table and chairs for the dining room, so I just need to get the seats recovered. I can't wait to see everything come together! You know what we'll be up to for the next few months!