the morning after Parker's super dooper, whoop-de-looper, really awful super bad day!

poor little guy!

Parker's super dooper, whoop-de-looper, really awful, super bad day!!!!

Today began with the usual antics from everyone. Sierra lollygagging her way out the door to school, Kendall struggling to wake up, Noah pounding hot chocolate and watching Handy Manny and Parker sleeping in and slowly embracing the day! Jamie's mother has been here for a week, so as Parker warmed up, our purpose for the day became more pressing. The list looked like this:
1) get Noah to school
2) Mama to the airport
3) Noah home from school
4) pick up carpool for older kids
and so on and so on!!! Just as we were loading up to check off #'s 1 and 2 Pman decides to trip out to the car and BONK!! his head on something in the garage..............(insert loud screaming sound effect here). Parker comes running in. Having heard this scream a million times before I first try to assess if he has a hang nail or has cut off a limb. This time, the scream was warranted as blood came pouring off Parker's head sufficiently freaking me out! (i don't have a very good poker face for these things). We got the bleeding under control and went on with our list inserting a stop at the ER after #2. Two hours and 4 stitches ( exhibit A) later we picked up a treat, a little brother from a friends house and scrapped the rest of the list for the day.

Early evening, watching TV, playing hot wheels, attempting to save our star falling off our tree and poor little P-man was just sitting on the potty. Getting off the potty, he slips on the rug and clocks himself on the edge of the bathtub (exhibit B). That scream again!! Mom comes running..............ouch! Where is Rocky Balboas trainer when you need him. This one needed a good slice to ease the pressure. Seriously, I have never seen such a bonk on the eye of any of my children! nicely done P-man! Lots of tears and hugs and kisses later, we are calm, we are in bed and alas..........tomorrow is another, hopefully BETTER day! Way to be brave little man! love you!

LET it SNOW!!!

Many who know me know that I LOVE WINTER! It is the season of giving and loving and I love that! I love the decorations of Christmas (maybe because that is only time my home looks completely furnished). Each year, my friend and I usually race to see who can get their decor up the soonest. She always wins! Halloween is too early for me!! hee hee! I love the treats (too much!), I love the music and I love the SNOW that usually accompanies this a time of year! We have had such an indian summer many wondered when winter would arrive. Today, my friends.......winter arrived! The Christmas season finally feels like it should. SNOW, SNOW, SNOW, tons of snow....... up to 10 inches here in the valley (where we live as opposed to the mountains) and it is still snowing!

I love the huge flakes and the calm that comes over the air as the snow softly blankets the dead landscaping! I love that the kids stay outside forever (for many reasons!!) playing in the snow and constructing snow fortresses and snow men. I saw them attempting snow angels face down and that didn't work out too well. I love wearing jeans and a warm sweater because I have to..........I know I am crazy, but I love winter! Mostly, I love it if I don't have to go anywhere and can sit at home eating bon bons watching endless episodes of What not to Wear.........but then I wake up.. Today I woke up to the SNOW! The rest of the dream didn't pan out but............a the pictures don't do the beauty of the season justice. enjoy!!

Happy winter everyone!

Do you believe in magic?

Four years ago Jamie and I learned that we had "magically" conceived our fourth child. We were elated......... once the initial shock wore off. (anyone who was there for those first few months is now laughing out loud)! Little did we know, the magic wouldn't end there.

Halloween 2007, Noah (#4) was attempting to open a package of candy only to find it was already open to which he exclaimed "MOM.....I'm magic!!!" This became the family joke everytime he was able to effortlessly open a mini pack of starbursts in the month of October. Then came the day when he came upon the package that wasn't cooperating. "MOM, I am NOT magic" he growled! From there we stepped up our efforts to help him reaffirm his belief in his magical abilities. Jamie's favorite trick, pulling things out of Noah's ears , remains the ol' standby. When something is lost, Noah comes running to us to help him pull it 'magically' from his ear! In fact, Noah just walked up to me and said, "MOM, what's in my ear?"..........(a little help here Jamie)...I quickly surveyed my desk and produced a paper clip from his ear. Not exactly the candy he had pouring out of there last night, but it will have to do.

Maybe it's not healthy to let him continue to believe that he is magic, but if you could see his face and hear his voice you would know that he truly believes in his magical powers. Anyone who has ever heard him laugh or seen his mischievious smile would also believe in his magical powers that melt your heart! I love you little scuttlebutt!!! (i don't know where that name came from, but it stuck!~ sorry buddy!)

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any of you bloggers out there who want to help me figure out how to arrange my photos?

Shameless

I have decided to call this post 'shameless'. Am I shameless because I am about to post what I believe to be some really cute pictures of my kids? Am I shameless because I blog about it? Am I shameless because I don't care if I am shameless? well, whatever.....We just got these and some of them took my breath away. It is so good to see their sweet little faces captured like this. It reminds me of that love only a parent can feel, when sometimes all you seem to notice is the dirty room, the socks strewn about the house,

the soured hot chocolate sippy cups we find under the couch (ICK!!),

the pull-up left on the stairs as we make our way out of bed in the morning (thanks Noah),

the countless fits because all of the yellow tagged Elmo's won't do,

the play dough EVERYWHERE........

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Shall I go on? NO, that would be 'shameless' too!!!

I love these pictures because they capture the mischief, the sweetness and the unconditional love only a child can give. I love you kiddos!!!

safe arrival

So, I have finally arrived in 'blogland' or 'bloggerville' or whatever we choose to call it.....I am here, I have arrived safely! Along the way, I have been blessed to sample many different blogs. Some written by treasured people in my life, some by complete strangers. All of them are very eloquently written filled with valuable insights and perspectives on the finite things in our daily lives that make such a difference. I am always so grateful that these bloggers are brave enough to share these things. It always makes such a difference in my day when I lurk on these blogs! Thank you all you bloggers...

This brings me to my blog. As the name implies, it is Simply the Pogues. I do not profess to write well, in fact I am well aware that, simply put............I am NOT a good writer. I don't have an especially exciting life, so no huge event coverage here. What I do have is a wonderful little crew over here and many friends and family scattered about the country who I would love share our 'simple' life with. (I put that is quotations because I know anyone who knows me is scratching their head wondering when I got out of my car long enough to write this.) So, while my life may not be exciting, well written or simple.........it is what it is...The Pogues! I love my little Pogues and hope to share some of our goings on here.