Boys will be boys...?

In our neighborhood there aren't many little boys Hayden's age. Tons of girls, but no boys. Well, now he has a buddy, Saul. His older brother Carlos is one of Hunter's buddies. Saul is a cute, sweet, little boy. However, he needs a course in manners or something. Not only does he walk in our house whenever he feels like it, he also taught Hayden how to get from one side of the street to the other, by crawling through the drain pipe, UNDER THE STREET!! And, Hayden now thinks it's ok to pee outside. It was also pretty darn annoying the day I was in the tub and he walked into my room, thankfully Chloe was brushing her teeth and she was able to shut the door real quick. Well, imagine my surprise today when I was sitting on my bed in various states of undress applying make-up for church and in comes Saul. I real calm told him he needed to go outside to wait for Hayden. He looks at me like nothing is amiss, holds up a Go-gurt he got from MY frig and says "do you have something I can cut this open with?" Say what?

New girl in town

We must not be busy enough. 'Cause today we added another mouth to feed. Meet Daisy:





She has been running around hanging out with Coco, having a blast. They are gorgeous dogs, if I do say so myself. So far she has adjusted well, hopefully this lasts. We are in love and we are nuts!!

Priorities a little out of whack...

I thought I had things a little backwards tonight, 'cause I made homemade ranch dressing, and instant mashed potatoes from a box. Until I saw this and this... All I can say is WOW!

Man Flu and other maladies

To say our house resembles an infirmary would be an understatement. I am the only person in the entire house who isn't ill or under the weather. Yesterday no one went to school, Jon skipped work sick, and Chandler had surgery. Hunter has a scratch on his eye so bad he can barely open it, Jon has Man Flu complete with a fever of 103, and Hayden and Chloe have a horrible cough, also accompanied by fever. So, yesterday started out lovely...I had gone to bed at 2:00 in the morning on Sunday (I watched all of my recorded shows, while pouting about my dreadful Mother's day and anniversary) and was awakened by Jon at 5:30 telling me he was too ill to take Chan to the hospital. So, I got ready and off we went. Jon and the kids slept in, waiting for me to call with the hopes of a doctor appointment. Luckily I was able to get them one, and Jon would have to do breakfast, clothes, driving to the doctor, etc. all the while suffering from Man Flu. Basically all the stuff I do regardless of my physical or mental state. So, while they awaited a wake up call from me, Chan and I just waited. We were told to be at the hospital at 7 for what would be a "30 minute procedure" to have his screws removed. That simple procedure turned into waiting our turn, lab work, meetings with 3 nurses, the surgeon, and an anesthesiologist. That was before surgery!!! He finally went under at 10 in the morning. I sat in the waiting room, answered THEIR phone, and ate Cheez-its, Sprite, and the Hershey bar I got at church for Mother's day. Yummy! They finally called me at 12 to tell me I could see him and that surgery went fine. But, he had to come out of the anesthesia and pee before we could leave. After being unable to produce any urine they let us leave at 2:15 with the promise that we would come back for a catheter if he hadn't gone by 7. We finally got home at 3, and I got busy. I got rx's filled, grocery shopped, cooked TV dinners, and dosed up my family. Chan is on Vicodin, Jon is on Ny-quil and Vicodin, Chloe and Hayden are on antibiotics and cough syrup, and Hunter needs eye drops. Of course being a man, Jon is suffering the worst of all. I don't know if it's in their biological make up or what, but men are wimps!! In his defense he does seem pretty ill if not a little melodramatic. And, I am proud to say that Chan finally went potty and the little kids are back at school! So, today I can finally do laundry, dishes, errands, etc- yay! Hopefully everyone is better soon and things can go back to normal. I am also putting in a formal request for an anniversary and Mother's day do-over since mine was pretty blah. We had Whataburger for dinner and I went to church alone while everyone laid around in misery. If all these yucky illnesses could go away that would be an awesome gift.

P.S. Chloe ended up having a sinus infection, Hayden has an ear infection, Hunter has an abrasion on his eye, and Jon has Man Flu, which is apparently so bad you never want to catch it. Here's a funny clip as proof.

Happy Mother's Day!

No matter what your mothering style is, you are wonderful and you are doing great! Being a mom is a hard but fulfilling "job" and no one can love and care for your children the way you do. Remember: one mom's strength is another mom's weakness. There is no perfect way, just your way. I hope y'all all have a relaxing and wonderful day, you deserve it! Do what makes you happy and content. But, remember your manners, eat your vegetables, finish your dessert, and wear clean underwear!! Have a GROOVY Mother's Day!!

1 Dozen Years...

of marriage! Happy 12th Anniversary to me and Jon!! It seems like a lifetime ago that we were married. We have had so many ups and downs and so many amazing memories, I couldn't imagine sharing it with anyone else. Although he drives me bonkers pretty darn often, he also makes me smile. We are so lucky to have each other and to have wonderful children. I am so thankful for him and his fun personality, I love the way his eyes crinkle up at the corners when he smiles, how peaceful he looks when he's sleeping, the way he plays with our kids, the cute little gray hairs popping up in his beard, and so much more. He really is a pretty cool guy. I love you, Jon.
Forever, Ash

Jon, right before our wedding


Me, right before our wedding


Sealing the deal


Before we cut the cake


Our rings


Me and all the kiddos


Me and Jon May 2008

Dumpster Diving Tooth Fairy

Hayden lost another tooth today! And, here's the kicker: he lost it three times... how you ask? Well, obviously the first time was when he pulled it out. Then he left it in the car, and we had to dig in the pockets on the back of the seats. But, the last and most "adventurous" was when he left it at On the Border. And, getting it back was no picnic. We had just left the restaurant and were already going about 65 mph down I-35 when he realized it was gone. So, I got on my phone and called information and instantly got on the phone with the "lovely" manager at Burleson OTB. I told him that we had been gone about 5 minutes and that my 6 year old son had left his tooth on the table and that it was in a ziploc bag labeled with his name. He proceeded to put me on hold forever... and by the time he got back on the phone I was already at the intersection near the restaurant. When he came back, he had the nerve to tell me that his busboy had already left and the tooth was nowhere to be found. He obviously isn't a parent and doesn't realize the urgency of the situation. I mean, Hayden pulled it himself, put it in the baggy, and labeled it with his name in permanent marker. At this point I am pretty annoyed. I told the guy that I would be in the restaurant within 3 minutes and I would be digging in their garbage. He pretty much let me know that that wouldn't be happening. That is when I got really ticked. I hung up and by then we were in the parking lot. So, I hopped out and grabbed Hayden by the hand, all the while hoping if the manager saw him and realized it was pretty important he would start digging in the trash himself. When I get inside the teeny bopper hostesses don't have a clue what I am talking about, but at least they seem sympathetic. Almost immediately after telling them our dilemma the manager comes around the corner looking flushed and a little sheepish. He comes up to us and asks Hayden what his name is. Hayden answers him and then the dude totally redeems himself by pulling the crumpled baggy out of his pocket and saying "I just want to make sure the name on here matches what your name is." Thank goodness, cause I was fixing to get mad. I was wearing white pants and a white top and was fully prepared to go dumpster diving for that itty bitty tooth. The weird thing is, the manager told me his busboy found it! The same busboy who already left? Anyway, all is well, the baggy has been rinsed and is now under Hayden's pillow awaiting the tooth fairy. And for once I am wearing the right color. Now, where did I put my wings?



Hayden showing off his "gap". He is running a low grade fever and did not want his picture taken. Which explains the look on his face.