Break Up Letter

Dear Beloved Pepsi,

You have been my best friend since childhood.  Thank you for comforting me when I was down, and for that tingly feeling that I get when I take a sip.  You've been good to me, however its just not working out between us.

You're making me fat, and giving me high blood pressure, rotting my teeth, and keeping me awake at night and sleepy in the morning.  Regretfully, we'll have to part ways.  I will miss you.... but only for awhile.  If you're sad, don't be... remember, it's not you..... it's me.

Remember Me Always,

Carrie

Day number 6 down!!  Almost an entire week Pepsi free.  I should say... soda free.  I only had a couple close calls but never gave in!  go me!  I even walked out of Wendy's today with a great big LEMONADE!!  Typically I would go out of my way to find a Wendy's because they have the LARGEST large drink EVER.... but I felt good sipping on my lemonade instead.

and now... off to Walmart to get some suspenders for Kyle.  He is playing Steve Erkle in a day camp skit.  This should be quite interesting......... Perhaps a story for another blog?  we'll see.

Potty Talk.

There is a misconception out there that ALL little boys like to talk about bowel and flatulence at the dinner table.

Well, maybe it’s not a misconception…

We had a wonderful Memorial Day, just relaxing and cooking hamburgers, corn on the cobb, and baked potatoes all on the grill.  I brought it inside and placed it on the dining room table for a formal dinner.

We seldom sit in the dining room for dinner, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have regular family dinners!  We just typically stand around the island in the kitchen talking and eating.  Weird?...yes, but its us. 

This time we sat down and passed the food around like the Clevers, when somehow Braden’s corn on the cob reminded him that he needed to tell me that the other day, Zyan had a poop bigger than a corn on the cobb.

Before I could compose myself to reprimand, it turned into an all-out war at the table over who has had the longest poop EVER, and what their poop would look like when they finished this big meal.

The more they talked, the more I couldn’t speak… and the laughter turned to a silent whisper, I almost choked on my own food and had to excuse myself.

We had a conversation about potty talk at the table afterward, but unfortunately they now feel that if they team up and make us laugh hard enough, they can get away with anything.  

It's going to take some time to recover from that one.

Warning!

Warning.... if you stand up in front of me at my kid's graduation ceremony, I WILL post your butt on the internet.

DOWN IN FRONT!!!!

This was a week of graduations for lots of people.  Two in our house.  Kyle has completed Elementary School!!!  He is now moving on to Intermediate School.... which will be immediately followed by Middle School... which will then be followed by Ninth Grade Academy.... which will lead to High School... which will FINALLY lead to College.  Unless of course he decides to be a doctor.... ugh.

(I'm thinking that Paypal guy giving money to SKIP college has a great idea.)

Thats a LOT of graduations!  So good thing I warned you about the butt thing!

Such a great graduation picture.  I'm couldn't be more proud. :)

Zyan also graduated Pre-School!  On to Kindergarten.... HALLELUJAH!

Who says husbands are good for nuthin’?

I’m so very proud to list some of the many reasons I love my husband:

1.  Any time I call, he will kill a spider for me.
2. When a southern monster cockroach finds it’s way onto our porch… he will crunch it without hesitation.  Ew.
3. When a ‘pet’ dies in the possession of one of my children… he will bury it.
4. When there is too much food leftover from dinner, but not enough to save… he will eat it.
5. When I carefully remove the tomatoes from my salad… he will eat those too.
6. When the kids find a venomous SNAKE in the yard… he will take it someplace FAR FAR AWAY!

Markel, three of the boys, and I were settling in around 7pm watching t.v. when Braden came running in the house.  GUYS!  THERE’S A SNAKE OUT HERE!

I could barely register what he said, when in a hurry all four of them BOLTED out the door TOWARDS the snake. 

There I was, SUPERmom.  Thinking to myself…

“what are my options here?  A.  run outside and stop them.  B.  gamble that it is probably a gardener snake and listen for screams  C. Be the superhero that I am and go capture the snake and whisk it away for everyone’s safety?” 

I chose D.  “MARKEL!!!!  THE BOYS ARE RUNNING TOWARDS A SNAKE!  HURRY… GO!”

After putting all the kids back in the house and pointing out the stupidity of running out the door towards an unknown snake... I proceeded slowly outside to inspect the situation (and rescue Markel if need be.)

Sure enough, there… right in the crack of the walkway ready to strike, is a baby copperhead. 

Yikes!!

Wanting to be safe, AND humane, Markel used two VERY long branches to scoop it up and place it in our cooler.  He drove it to a remote location and dropped it off to go live a happy life…. Away from my kids.

I’m thankful today for my fearless husband who placed his fingers and toes in harm’s way for our safety. 

Thank you Love!!

The 5th favorite person?

Levi and Braden were having a conversation in the back of the car yesterday on our way home from church.  I was only partially listening at first, until I vaguely heard these words come out of his mouth…  “mommy is my 5^th favorite person”. 

Immediately my ears perked up!  I tuned in to the conversation, and this is how the rest of it went…

Braden- so wait… who was your number one favorite?

Levi-  God

Braden- and then?

Levi- Then Jesus!  I told you.

Braden- But who is your third?

Levi- IT’S A SECRET I SAID!

Braden- is it abbey?

Levi- no.. Abbey is my 4^th favorite.

Braden- okay… so mommy is your 5^th favorite, then who’s sixth?

Levi- Michael Jackson.

So, at least I came in before Michael Jackson…. And I’m proud of numbers one and two… but how in the world did little miss Abbey in his class, and little miss mystery girl get ahead of me!!!

The Most Boring Chorus Concert EVER!

Call me a bad mom for saying this… but I just attended the most BORING choir concert.  I know I tortured my parents quite a bit with choir concerts, and band concerts, and musicals, and on and on…. But I REALLY think this one topped anything I put my parents through!  Kyle was the one IN the concert… and look at HIM!

So during the scene with Mike TV, (it was a willy wonka medley) I was reminded of an old Banks family favorite and I popped in one ear phone and watched a re-run of Levi’s TV song…..

And surprisingly…. I didn’t miss a thing.  They were still stammering through the lines in the Mike TV scene!  Yawn.  Here’s hoping for a different extracurricular activity next year!!

Chronic booger eaters, and peaceful car rides

In the quest for a peaceful car ride, I tried a new technique today…. Well, new for me anyway.  I applied the daddy technique.  Strategic ignoring. 

Plus side-  I managed to avoid several pointless questions like the following:

• Mommy, why are there ritz crackers in the car?  I wish they were mine........
• Mommy, can we go to zack’s house today?
• Mommy, can we go to zack’s house tomorrow?  Saturday?  Sunday?
•  Mommy, where are we going?
• Mommy, is this the right way?  Mommy…. Mommy…. Mommy????

I also managed to ignore the constant bickering that was going on in the back:

Ew!  quit eating your boogers!.... MOMMY… he’s eating his boogers!

No I’m NOT

MOMMY!  he’s eating his boogers AGAIN!

NA-AH!!

Negative side- I did SO well, that while lost in daydream land I missed my exit on the way to the church to pick up Markel…. Thus extending my car ride full of boys.  Not a good thing.

Anybody have any good advice on how to stop a chronic booger eater???

10 banks boyisms to brighten your day!

I love facebook.  I'm not addicted, but I love to write the funny things my kids say.  Funny moments are always funnier when they're shared with others, so I enjoy sharing the quirky and the silly anytime it happens.  And I'm so glad that I've done that!  I spent a few moments yesterday just looking back at previous posts.

 I went back more than 2 years at my facebook posts and the comments people left... it made me laugh, and it made me cry, almost like looking at a scrapbook.  There are folks who wrote on my facebook page who have passed away, and I cherish their words, and there are dark moments that I've asked for prayer through, and I can see how I've been carried through it, and then there are those moments in-between where I wrote an off-the-wall quote that one of the boys said, and it makes my cheeks hurt laughing and remembering those moments.

So thank you mr. social network guy that I can't remember your name who started facebook.... you did good.

enough mush, here are 10 banks boyisms to brighten your day!  see if you can guess which banks boy belongs to which quote!

1.     “Mommy, whats for dinner?”    Porcupine balls.    (cue the confused squished face)  “ew, from a boy porcupine?”

2.    “Guess what Gramma?  I finally learned how to fart with my armpit!”

3.    Child 1-"OUCH!! mommy... I think all my bones are funny bones." Child 2- "thats strange, my funny bones seem to be located only in my joints."

4.    "mommy, when zyan was a baby wasn't his crate in my room?"

5.    New Years Eve-  12, 11, 10, 9, 8.... "MOMMY WAIT!!!

6.    "Yes sir! Boy dogs can have babies. Mommy said so. Thats why we had to get Apollo fixed.... so the babies can't come out."

7.    Helping with Math homework… Me- "What is the difference between five and zero"... child- "the five has straight lines, and the zero is all curvy."

8.    Discussing owl pellets: "That's not disgusting daddy, its nature....... only dead."

9.    "mommy, I had a baby crawling around in my belly once. I told him to get out, but he didn't listen."

10. Woke up to deer in my front yard! Me-"awe let's get the camera.". child-"awe,I wish we had a gun."

Kyle

Braden

Levi

Zyan

WHAT THE?

We had a family birthday celebration at church last night for Baby Z!  His present from mommy and daddy is an mp3 player.  Unusual choice for a 5 year old I know..., but when I’m purchasing gifts, I’m not only thinking of how much fun its going to be for the kids to play with, I’m also thinking of entertainment value for me! 

Selfish?…. maybe.  But SO CUTE!  Watch this brief clip and you’ll see why.

On the way home, we’re driving in the car and the kids are watching the CD with 200 classic cartoons that the Easter bunny bought.  The Easter bunny thought…

"No need to screen.  how can you possibly go wrong with classic  cartoons?"

All of a sudden I hear a cackle…no not a laugh, a CACKLE roaring from the back.  Then a chorus of giggles joining in, and as a proud Easter bun…. -Mom I smile.  Pleased that the kids are loving the fresh car entertainment.  

Then louder giggles and belly rumbles.  Then Kyle ‘What The?”  giggle giggle, and then baby Z chimes in with his Ernie-esque  “khee khee khee…what the?”  and finally Braden taps me on the shoulder… “mommy, you might want to look at this..”

 

Then Mommy... "WHAT THE?"

Yeah….. and the moral of the story is, parents beware of the classic cartoons.

-Just another day with a whole bunch of boys.

A Milestone Achievement

Every time one of the boys has a birthday, its an achievement.  Another year I’ve kept them alive and healthy.  But this time it seems a little different.

My youngest baby has turned 5!  School age.  He’ll be wandering the halls with his brothers soon enough, and I shall REJOICE AND BE GLAD!! 

Some moms get weepy when their kids are off to school.  Call me dysfunctional, but I can’t wait to be loading all FOUR on the bus every AM.

Yes I said 4, and yes they are all boys.  Maybe it’s stupid to tell you all that cuz right now everyone reading the blog knows me.  But I figure someday somebody will read this who has no clue who I am and they’ll be wanting an introduction.  So there it is. 

I’m a working mom with a blog… strange I know.  Most of the blogs I see are stay at home moms…. And I respect them.  I really do.  But I’m happy to say I have four kids, I work full time, I clean my house, do my laundry, cook dinner, make crafts with my kids AND I can make animal shaped pancakes… with faces.                           

                                                                       

                                                                         BOOYAH!

I started a blog cuz I thought… everybody else has a blog, why not me?  I’m always saying how my family would be the perfect reality tv show…. The new Run’s House…. But only without the fru fru cars and fancy house.  Run’s House for po folk. 

This way I can blog about it and someday some producer will pick it up and be like… yeah  that family needs to be on tv.  Hey banks family.. you want a few million?  And I’ll be like YUP!  Do you know how many Pepsi’s I could buy with a few million???  I’d have a fridge in the shape of a pepsi can with pepsi  inside, and using pepsi flavored Freon. 

can you believe I actually found this picture???

But I digress……

On with the blogging!!!!!!  Follow me for the fun banks family bloopers that are sure to come!

(thanks for the inspiration too puffy duffy.  Soon to be notso puffy duffy J )