Oh Boy...Almost Time

Woo hooooooooooo...the magical first day of school is approaching quickly!! I couldn't be happier! (I'm throwing myself a HUGE party on September 4th!! I think I'll bake myself a yummy cake) Well, let's see...not a whole lot to report. It's been a chilly end to August! Farmer's Almanac is predicting a VERY bitter winter! Brrrrrrrr...if August is any indication of that...I believe it. Gideon is standing up now. He pulls himself up to stand, but still needs to hang on. He does let go with one hand now though...so it's only a matter of time before he's off and running!! He's such a sweetie. I don't think Elliott is too thrilled with Gi's accomplishments. (all of a sudden he can get to HIS things...that is NOT cool) The kids are good. I think they are ready for school to begin. Emma, Elliott & Gi all have doc appts on Tuesday. For the past 6 months, or so, Emma has had periodic stabbing pains in her chest. So, I am getting that looked at. I am hoping they will schedule an echocardiogram to check and see if the hole in Em's heart completely closed. We'll see. It's a bit worrisome though because she can be sitting watching TV and get the pains in her chest. (out of the blue) So, best to have it checked out! Elliott and Gi just have their usual well-checks. I'm anxious to see how much both of them have grown. I am having my first Photo Show at an Arts & Crafts Fair here in Lambertville on October 11th. I am soooooooooooooo excited!!! I'll have a booth set up with my matted prints to sell. I can't wait!! This is a true test as to whether I can make money with this!! Wish me luck! OK...off to putter!

Very Early Sunday Morning

Well, Gideon thought it would be fun to wake up at 5 am...so here I am, trying to stay awake while he acts cute. He went to bed at 9 last night...so, we decided to have a family movie night. Ryan, Alex, Eric and I watched "One Missed Call"...it was a terrific movie. (gotta love Japanese horror...they really know how to tell a story) Emma stayed upstairs watching the Cheetah Girls movie...again! LOL. And Bo had a sleepover at Kayla's for her birthday. (Happy 10th Birthday Kayla!!) :) Anyhoo...I went to bed last night around 11 (with Emma...without Bo here she won't sleep alone, so she crawled into Elliott's toddler bed and slept in our room) Well, Eric brought Elliott in at 12:30 and as soon as he laid Elliott down, he started screaming. (he had lost his pacifier on the way up the stairs) Well, by the tie we found it, Gideon was wide awake, crying in the crib. I couldn't settle him down, so brought him downstairs in hopes I could get him back to sleep. Well, he screamed his head off for almost half an hour before he FINALLY settled down long enough to take some of his bottle and crash. So, needless to say...I haven't had a whole lot of sleep. Grrrrrrr. Today we plan on working in the basement. I hate to do it, but it desperately needs doing. The mold down there will have us all sick. But, oh well. It must get done. The guy comes to service the heater next week and I'm not sure he can get to it. LOL October 11 looks to be my very first Arts & Crafts show for my photography. I have a LOT of work to do between now and then, but I am hoping to do a whole bunch of these shows before Christmas. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. It's exciting to be selling something I made!! But, it's also scary because, what if nothing sells?? Kids are all signed up for soccer! 'Tis the season once again...so from now until November our weekends are once again shot! Oh well...it's fun though. Oh, I am NOT coaching. I'll probably just do pictures and lay low. LOL. *hides from the other coaches* :) Guess that's it. School starts in 9 days for Kevin, 10 days for Alex and 11 days for the rest of the crew!! Woo hoooooooooo!!! Mama can't wait!!!

Gorgeous Thursday!

Some of my new photos

A flower from my neighbor's tree

Sunflower from Alicia's yard

More flowers off the tree

WOW! What a day! It is beautiful out! It was actually chilly when we got up this morning. (like sweatshirt chilly) LOVE it!!! Well, Bo got his new cell phone. He is thrilled and he's been texting everyone! :) Kevin got these real cool walkie talkies so when he goes out he can contact me. (cost more than Bo's phone) but Kev really doesn't need a phone. I just want to be able to contact him when he's out. The talkie has an 18 mile radius. VERY cool. Oh, and it's waterproof! Perfect for him! Let's see...praying hard for Eric the last few days. He's hit a rough spot and can't quite get out of the slump. (guess I would call it that) Maybe an early mid-life crisis? He's just feeling down and unproductive. So, please say some prayers for him. Satan's a mean one!! Guess that's about it. Nothing very new to report. Alex is knee deep in football all week. Haven't seen much of him. Gideon is trying desperately to stand up on his own. He's also eating everything...last night we had fried chicken, broccoli and rice for dinner. Well, he literally attacked Ryan's plate of food and ate it ALL!!! We discovered how much he LOVES broccoli! He ate a ton. I still don't know how he manages to chew, but he does. Baby food is a thing of the past!

18 More Days Until School!

Is it September yet? I keep repeating the words "I love my children" but it's not working anymore! LOL.

So, Eric was sweet yesterday. He was feeling "manly" and decided it was a good day to go shopping at Home Depot. He went all alone so he could have some quality tool time...so, I didn't hear from him for a couple hours. Well, he walks in and tells me the story...he went to HD and walked around pricing all the things he needs to get. (some projects we need to have done) Anyway, he left there without purchasing anything and ended up at the Game Stop looking at stuff for the kids. He knew how bad Ryan and Alex wanted the new Madden 09 game for the xbox so he decided instead of spending money on himself he got the game for them. Then he felt he needed to get Emma something while he was there, so he got her a Hannah Montana music game for her DS. Now, Bo didn't get anything special because he was, once again, at the beach with Jacob. (spoiled brat) :) Kevin has been promised a trip to PetSmart today to get some vitamins for the bird and some new sand for his hermit crab. (that's what he requested as his "treat") Now, of course, Big Alex is asking me what kind of car he is getting for his birthday??! Hahahaha...he's funny! I told him we need a new one FIRST! ;) Then MY surprise was dinner out last night! We packed up the family and went to the Eagle Diner for dinner. The kids were great and we pigged out. It was a nice Saturday! :) And I am starting to think (no, I KNOW) I have the most unselfish husband in the world) :)

Well, today is the football picnic. We won't stay long...just long enough to show our faces and eat.

I am homeschooling Elliott this year...I have been putting together a "curriculum" for him this past week. He is sooooooooooo ready for pre-k (and he so advanced) We thought of putting him into a pre-school, but all the programs are too easy for Elliott. He already counts to 100, knows his abc's upper and lower case...his word recognition is amazing...he isn't writing yet, but can spell and type words on the computer. (he types everyone's names without any help, including his own) And he can type some simple words like cat, dog, etc. So, I am actually moving forward with some word wall stuff already...beginner reading because he is READY! We are going to take it year by year. I do NOT want him going to school (especially if he has hyperactivity to deal with) and have teachers telling me he's a behavior problem...been there, done that with Kevin and I won't allow that to happen again. Not to mention how bored he'll be if he's advanced. So, I'll see how he does this year...most of the stuff I have planned is a Kindergarten level...we'll see!

Well, that's it for today. We have to be at the picnic by 1. At least it's a gorgeous day!

TGIF...Yay!!!!

Gideon & Emmalee

Big fat rain drops

My sweet guy

My sweet girl

Wild sky

No...these are NOT black and white photos. Everything was DARK

Looked like a swirly thing was forming

As you can see by the photos, we had quite a storm last night. I'm surprised at how there are already dead leaves flying off the trees. I swear, yesterday looked like a fall day when the storm came. It's so strange. There were reports of some tornados east of here, and watching the cloud formations, it doesn't surprise me. Of course, crazy Carmen gets out there with the camera and tries to capture what I can. LOL :) Well, it's been a busy couple days. My 2nd floor is almost organized. (remember, last week I accomplished the 3rd floor) Go me!!! The kids were somewhat busy this week. Alex and Bo both had sleepovers. Alex has LOTS of football. This weekend is ALL football. (and it begins) He'll be gone all day tomorrow and Sunday. It's crazy and the season hasn't even officially started yet. *rolling eyes* The kids are starting to get excited about school starting again. Even Kevin is ready to go back. Still no luck finding a pre-school for Elliott. (they all seem to want him potty trained! What??? They can't change a poopy butt once in a while??? Sheesh! So, we may have to wait for next September and I'll just work with him at home this year. Elliott is really a handful these days. In so many ways he acts exactly like kevin did at this age. (brilliant, hyper with bouts of anger outbursts and impulsivness) It's a bit concerning to me, but Eric really doesn't like when I say that and then tries to tell me Alex acted like this and he turned out just fine. So, I am keeping my mouth shut..but my mom instinct tells me he is going to have a difficult childhood. :( I hope and pray I am wrong...but I am seeing the signs BIG TIME! I have been watching him the last few days and there are times when he gets so engrossed in an activity (like throwing toys under my desk...just an example) and he blanks out and runs back and forth doing it over and over and over again...completely NOT hearing a thing you say to him. Just a blank stare. He does this a lot. He's a sweet, loving child...but I am seeing so much underneath all that that really worries me. But, I'll keep my mouth shut and pray that I am wrong. *sigh* Gideon is an amazing little baby! He is standing up now and just so darn happy all the time. The only time this kid gets grumpy is when he is exhausted. He's trying to talk...and just a funny little baby. His new thing is to play "peek a boo" with his blanket. He pulls it up over his head and waits for you to say "where's gigi??" then he pulls the blanket down and giggles. He'll do that over and over again. It's adorable. Such a personality! Well, guess that's about it. I have more cleaning and organizing to do today.

Getting Stormy

Not a whole lot to report this morning. Still cleaning and organizing. Its hard to believe one family can have so much (excuse the word) CRAP! There is just no better description for what it is! Elliott got all of his curls chopped off yesterday. It's sad...but they'll grow back. Eric says he is Little Alex's twin. He kept looking over at him last night saying "Oh My...that's Alex 10 years ago"...haha. Belardo gene is strong in that boy! OK...back to cleaning. A storm is headed our way...it's getting very dark out! Yay!!! I love it!

Beautiful Saturday!

The storm clouds before it cooled off...looking from my 2nd story window

The storm clouds from my 2nd story window

Storm clouds from 2nd story window

The storm passed and it cooled off and was beautiful!

WOW!! What a difference a day makes! I have my windows open for the first time in MONTHS!!! Woo hoo!!!! I love days like this. Well, I worked all day yesterday in that stupid clothes room. It's taking me longer than I thought because as I'm going through the kids clothes, I'm finding a ton of stuff that doesn't fit them anymore! It's hard because 3 of the boys wear the exact same size, so no more hand-me-downs are possible. Well, I said Bo would have NO more trips this summer, but it's Jacob's birthday weekend and Bo was invited to go with the family to Connecticut for the next 2 days. So, he's all packed and awaiting their arrival. Alex had another sleep-over at his friend Jeffrey's house last night. He needs to stop these real late nights. He'll be useless today. LOL. But. he's having fun. :) Well, guess that's it. I'm off to finish my coffee nd get back to cleaning the rest of the clothes room to make room for my eBay stuff.

It's Friday...Yay!!!

Another week is history! Eric surprised me yesterday by staying home and surprised me again TODAY by staying home! I had a rough Wednesday (bad mental day) so I'm guessing he knew I needed a mental health day yesterday. I spent the entire afternoon cleaning Emma and Bo's room and it is BEAUTIFUL!!! I can officially say the entire 3rd floor of this house is CLEAN!!! I'm so happy! Today I am officially getting rid of our big walk-in clothes room to make room for my office. We decided to TRY and make my present office a place for the kids to study, do homework, etc. So, my goal is to get all the clothes back into everyone's bedrooms and make the clothes room an eBay/photo room. LOTS of work, but worth it in the end, I think. I am being called to the kitchen...

Above are the photos of Emma and Bo's room! Wish I had a before photo...honestly, you couldn't walk in there! Oh, and I hadn't made the beds yet that's why it looks like a hospital room...LOL

Is It September Yet?

UGH...I've had it! These guys need to go back to school! They are driving me CRAZY!!!!

Not to mention Gideon decided sleep wasn't an option last night. Not sure what's up with him? And Elliott...aaaaaaaaaaaaaak! He kept Eric up for God knows how long.

Sooooooo, needless to say, Eric and I are very grumpy today! Oh well...this too, shall pass.

Let's see...Alex has a sleepover tonight with friends. They are going to a movie and then seeing who can stay up the longest! They have a water gun fight at 3 am and play Mafiopoly (a mafia version of monopoly...don't ask...hey, we live in NJ, what do you expect?) until they pass out. Oh fun.

Bo is going through a phase right now where he does NOT want to sleep alone. Ever since he came home from his "vacations" he has been having major anxiety over sleeping in his room. So, he's been in the toddler bed in our room. (yes, he's waaaay too big for it, but he'd rather sleep all bunched up then be alone) And, since Emma won't sleep without Bo, she's been on our floor. I asked Ryan and Alex if they would like to sleep in our room too?? *rolling eyes*...thankfully, they said NO. :) Bo has been so scared when it gets close to bedtime that he gets physically ill. He can't figure out what is causing it...we have sat down and tried to find the root cause, but he honestly doesn't know. I thought maybe he was homesick while he was gone, but he said not at all. So, who knows?

Kevin has been manic the last 2 nights and last night it was so bad his sentences were running together terrible. 4:00 am he was rambling on about something and a bird and something and then he asked if he could take a shower. I also gave him another clonidine and I HOPE he can sleep today. (I'll check on him soon)

OK...Elliott issues. I'll be back later to update!

Beautiful Sunday Morning

Well, with everyone home, things have been a bit chaotic, but I love having all my birdies back in their nest. (as my mom put it) :) Gideon is getting cuter by the day. He is 9 months old now...crawling everywhere, into everything and eating everything in sight! As I type, he is eating his waffles. Baby food is a thing of the past. He despises it! Last night he ate a chicken nugget! I am not quite sure how he manages to chew everything up being that he only has 2 bottom teeth! But, he finds a way! The kids laughed at me the other day...guess it is a bit funny looking back at it. We were sitting here eating dinner, talking, laughing...Gideon was eating a french fry...well, he started to choke and I was in the middle of a sentence and just reached over and without missing a beat, got the french fry out and still managed to finish my sentence like nothing had happened. I guess I've done it so many times before, I just don't have it in me to panic. (he wasn't choking bad, he was just doing the gagging thing) But the kids were cracking up...that's what happens after 8 kids, I guess. OK...so unbelievably, Elliott will be THREE next month! Where did those 3 years go? Eric is getting him a hair cut today. Time for the curls to go. *sigh* I know they'll grow back, but I will miss them. (I'm so silly) I guess there isn't much more to report. I worked on photos all day yesterday and now have to upload them to my site. Some of them are real good (if I may say so) I was able to get some terrific pictures while at my mom's. I can't wait to share them. Kids are all good! Bo had a fever last night and a stuffy nose...so he caught something. He was up until 1 am feeling blaaaaaaa. His cheeks are still red this morning, but he seems to be feeling a bit better. (my world traveler) OK...time for some more coffee and to figure out what we are going to do today!

They're Home!

Kevin & Emma are home...they made it home safe and sound! I think they are happy to be here! Mom & Bob just left to head back to Maryland, and now all the kids are at the park together. Funny enough...they were ALL doing a conga line out the front door and down the street! It was hysterical!!! When push comes to shove they are all very, very close! I love my family!!! :)

The Last Two Arrive Home

Well, today I am blessed with the arrival of Kevin and Emma. Yay!!!! I have missed Kevin soooooooooo much. (Emma, too...but she's only been gone a week) I cleaned Kevin's room top to bottom and we even made him a nice desk area for his laptop so he doesn't have to share it when he comes home. I am thrilled he's coming today. I spent a good part of yesterday reading all about Asperger's Syndrome to REMIND myself of Kevin's disability so I'd have more patience with him. It's sooooooo easy to forget, so frequently I will remind myself of the symptoms, etc and it seems to help when dealing with Kev. I'll be sitting down with the rest of the kids in a few to remind them, as well, so they are kind to him when he gets home. Kev can't WAIT to see everyone and I know he'll jump on them all and I want him to get a HAPPY reception! Not a "get off me" from the gang!

So, this officially draws all summer travel plans to a close. Soccer starts again in 2 weeks, the kids all have books to read and projects to do...so it's time to get ready for school!!! (the countdown begins...)

Well, that's it, for now. I'll write more later after Kev and Emma are safely home!