Photo shoots and closet cleaning

I did another photo shoot with another great family. These are the Whipple's. Todd and Laura are both Chiropractors in the Austin area. I have been swearing for months that I'm going to go see them since their practice is also a wellness center. It would be great to see them since I have MS. The bad part of me that believes "ignorance is bliss" and I chose to ignore the MS. I know sometime soon I'm going to have to face this head on but I'm not there yet. They are super laid back so they were so much fun to take pictures of.

Here is Todd! Yes he is handsome as ever! The funny thing is I posted about half the shots on FB so they could have a sneak peek. I got more E-mails about who is this guy! I had someone come up to me in pick up at the kids school and ask who he was. I even had someone ask me if he was in the soaps! His wife is just as beautiful as him. It cracks me up because sometimes I feel like the only desperate housewife out there! I love you hubby, btw! Now I know at a certain age we all have a little desperate housewife in us. I still hold the candle since I check out the recon recycling guys every Wednesday.

These are the girls next door! They were moving back to California since their Dad who is in the Navy is off the boat he's been on for the last nine months. Their grandparents live next to us and they have stayed there with their Mom while their Dad was on the boat. We have gotten really attached to them. I hate to see them go for many reasons. Aidan had his first kiss from one of them. I got pretty tight with their Mom while they were here. We are going to miss them like crazy. Many tears were shed last night saying goodbye.

I woke up Friday morning and decided to get another thing done off my shit list. I'm going to tackle my closet today which has haunted me for months. This blog has been great for me as far as guilting me into getting shit done. This closet reminds me of the "monster" in lost. When I walk past it I swear it has that smoke coming from it! I start out by taking everything out of it and putting into my bedroom. Wow, my bedroom is now full of shit. I decide as I'm putting the clothes back in the closet I will turn the hangers backwards that way in six months everything that is still backwards I will get rid of. I learned this little trick on an episode of hoarders. As I'm cleaning this closet out I have many "Ahhh Haaaa" moments as Oprah would say. I realize I may be a minni hoarder, I blame my Mom 100 percent! The deference between my Mom and me is she is an organized hoarder and I am not. I also realize I may need to go on an episode of "What not to wear". I try to part with things I'm not ever going to get my ass in again, but it is hard. At one point I think "why the hell did I start this project", I'm feeling totally overwhelmed by all the shit on my bed. Then as I'm putting stuff away I come across stuff that I forgot about, I'm thinking "oh that's cute I forgot I had those pants". Hubby who was at home depot comes in walks in the bedroom and say's WTF! I tell him I'm cleaning the closet. He is worried because I have a bad habit of starting things I don't finish. So I continue deciding what stays and what goes and I decide anything I owned in the 90's needs to go. I don't care how cute it is we are in 2010 for God sakes! I also decide that ANYTHING that has the word "RAMPAGE" on it has to go too! I'm not a spring chicken and never will be so get rid of the HS like clothes! As I'm going through the closet I come across an Easter card I bought for my niece and never sent, I suck 100 percent. I did finish the closet, now I have a pile of 90's clothes and Rampage shit in the corner of my room if anyone is interested. Anyway always fun with the people I live with!

Young Love

Since Blake has started middle school he has had two girlfriends. I have had to bite my tongue many times when he is telling me he is going to marry them. The first one broke his heart, I had to then explain to him that this will not be the last time that happens. I tried to tell him to just hang out with the guys and be a kid. There would be plenty of time for dating in HS and College. Of course he didn't listen, he had a new girlfriend in a matter of weeks. Last week he told me he wanted to break up with her. I told him to just let it die out, it's not like they go anywhere together. I knew this girl liked him a lot because I spy like a crazy helicopter Mom. I check his FB and text messages about every other day. I know girls are very dramatic at this age and they take stuff like this way to serious. I don't want my boy to be responsible for any damaged girls that bring their breakup heartbreaks to their adult years. This is why I prefer him not to date until he is mature enough. I find out that he had his friend call her to do his dirty work. I get really mad at him and tell him if he doesn't have the guts to break up with her in person he has no business dating anyone. I hate all this text message and FB bullshit when it comes to this kinda stuff. After Blake goes to bed hubby and I get into an argument about the whole thing. He tells me I need to stay out of it. He says if I get involved in all this crap I'm going to spend the rest of my life knee deep in it since we have three boys. I disagree 100 percent, I'm not really getting involved, I'm trying to guide him into to being a respectful young man. I'm friends with her against my better judgment on FB. I pull her up and she has defriended me. I go to Blake's FB and pull her up they are still friends. I pull up her page where it says she is now single. I of course check out what everyone is saying about her being single and there is 28 messages about what a piece of shit my son is! My motherly instinct kicks in where I want to slam everyone of these kids. I talk myself off the ledge and I let it be. I hate this FB thing at their age for this kinda crap in general. Hubby may be right, I need to step back other wise this kinda crap might drive me nuts the next next several years!

This is me happy as a clam today! I finally did what I have been saying for months. I got the kids to school went back to bed for a short time and did yogo. I got to tell you things in my body cracked like I was 80 years old. At first I wanted to give up but at the end of the one hour yogo session I felt great! I had this energy that I have not had in a while. I hope I can keep it up. I have had this yoga dvd for about four years and used it twice. This time I want to really try to do it five days a week. I can tell tomorrow might be out because I already feel the aches and pains of not working out for so long. After yoga I went to the store and bought a lot a groceries. The kids got home and I cleaned out the garage which was one of the many things on my shit list. We ate dinner and went on a one hour walk. I ate nothing but fruits, vegetables, nut, and flax seeds today. I'm on my way! These people I live with aren't lookin to bad today!

Monday, Monday

Yesterday Aidan woke up sick. My baby had a fever and could barely get off the sofa all day. As much as I didn't want to get sick myself I couldn't help but snuggle with his lifeless body.

Ziggy never left his side all day. I love this dog he always takes such good care of the boys.

This kid even asked me to turn off the TV because his head hurt so much. I knew he didn't feel good if Sponge Bob couldn't cheer him up!

Monday, Monday all is better except now I have a fever and body aches. Which me gives yet another excuse to not get a thing done on my shit list. Aidan washes my car for me so you know he feels better. Cole and Aidan have hip hop on Monday nights. We drive Cole's friend Collin on our way we are either blasting music and singing at the top of our lungs or bitching at each other. Car rides are usually blood presser spikes for me. This pretty much sucks since I spent a lot of my time driving these kids around. Unfortunately nothing is a hop skip or a jump away. I can't tell you how many times all the shit I swore I would never say comes flying out of my mouth like I'm an old pro. My favorite is "your going to send me to an early grave". Who says that????Me I guess, but when did I become that psycho that yells stupid shit like that. I blame them 100 percent for taking me to that dark side and all the other crazy adults that I picked up that gem of a phrase from. I think I should just record a CD of myself saying things, that way I could pop it in while driving and save my lungs. It could be jammed packed with things like leave your brother alone, give your brother back his ipod, don't touch your brother, don't talk to each other like that, I'm the parent, wait till I tell your Father, I didn't raise you to act like this, and so on and so on. I could even make it rap style and maybe just brainwash them. I may be able to sell these Cd's to other Mothers with unruly children. I could just see my infomercial, Mom gets in her car puts on her seat belt, pops in her Cd, and then puts her ipod touch earphones on so she doesn't hear a thing. The Mom would be driving with a big smile on her face happily driving down the road listening to her tunes. The best part would be the unruly children fighting in the back seat would be totally tuned out! Like I love to say I'm a huge believer that "ignorance is bliss'. I bet I could add some years to a few Mom's lives. Sometimes by the time I get home with the kids after a car ride I feel like the kid in the 80's movies that got his head pushed in the school toilet over and over. Today Collin says "I would like to be a part of your family because it rocks". I have to laugh out loud. Are you crazy kid?????? I say I'm sorry to Collin every Monday for my kids bad behaviour and then for my bad behaviour. This is proof right here that we are all brainwashed to think the grass is greener on the other side. I have to close this post with I can't wait till car rides become bearable with these people I live with!

Wishing the bluebonnets would stick around.

My weekend started out with some back to back photo shoots. I love taking pictures in the bluebonnets. I wish they would stick around a little longer. Nothing more adorable than little girls in tu tu shirts in the bluebonnets. Makes me wish I had one.

After my last photo shoot, I went home and waited for my next set of house guest to show up. My friend Kimberly from Dallas came with her two kids. Kimberly and I have been friends forever. We have been through tons of stuff together. We will be friends till the day we die, we laugh because we have way to much dirt on each other. We had a great time catching up but of course we stayed up way to late and over served ourselves. This made for a long Saturday of running kids back and forth to six soccer games.

Saturday night we headed out to the nutty brown cafe to listen to Blake Shelton. I must say I'm not a country music fan but this guy was easy on the eyes. While there I have this bad habit of people watching and this is a great place to do it. I notice a group of what I would call metro sexual hot boys! They are in their mid twenties at most. The women they are with are hot but are defiantly in their forties. I can't help but wonder what the hell is up with that???? All five of these guys are with women more that ten years older. I guess there is something to this "Cougar" thing. Some of my friends who are divorced tell me that when they get hit on it is always guys in their twenties. All I can think of is if I was single I would not want to be caught dead naked with a guy in his twenties.

Crazy busy weekend

Sick of my bluebonnet pictures yet? I'm not! These are the kids that have been staying next door to us with their Grandparents. Their Dad is in the navy and has been away on a boat for almost a year. Their Dad is coming home this week so they will be moving back out of state. I'm very happy their family will be back together but also sad to see them go.

Cole and Aidan play with the girls everyday. It's going to be strange when they are gone. Aidan had his first kiss from one of them. We will miss them so much especially since they will most likely be going overseas for the next few years. Hubby and I are great friends with their Grandparents so I know we will see them again.

Tonight my anxiety is running wild. I don't even know why! I have this feeling in my stomach and chest of pure anxiety. I have suffered from this since I was a kid. I wish I could make it go away. I'm feeling overwhelmed by everything, so many things I say I'm going to do and the shit is just not getting done. It's driving me crazy, I wish I had an off button for my overactive brain. I need Dr Oz to come stay with me for a month and retrain my brain into living a healthier life. I feel I need to be eating better and exercising more (or at all for that matter). I hate when this guilt takes over about all the stuff I think I should be doing and I just can't seem to do it. I have guilt about my kids. Even though I think I'm a good Mom I feel I'm failing epically at the same time. Sometimes I feel like a dog chasing my tail. I want perfect kids! I know in reality that is just not possible. Sometimes talking with other Moms I feel they have the perfect kids and the perfect life and I'm just not there. The biggest thing I want for me kids is for them to be happy, healthy and wealthy. I have guilt about friendships, people I should have called but so much time has gone by it's almost at that uncomfortable stage. I try to be a good friend but sometimes I know I can do better. I have made some big mistakes. I love my sister Kelly because we have had that kinda relationship that we can always be straight with each other. I love that she can tell me I'm dead on wrong and I might be pissed at the time but it's always water under the bridge after it. I have a colonoscopy hanging over my head that I just don't want to deal with. My Mom had colon cancer a few years ago which for some reason they know is a gene thing. My Mom is on me to get this awful procedure but I really believe sometimes that ignorance is bliss and this is not something I want to deal with. Sounds stupid as hell I know that but it is how I feel. After reading this your probably thinking I need a great therapist! I'm thinking that myself. Writing this blog is really for my kids and when they are at the age when they are grown I want them to know me and know my thoughts, my fears, and my complaints. I want them to learn from this and make better decisions from this and be better people. Another busy weekend with these people I live with with and these people that visit! I do love having people visit it occupies this overactive brain of mine.

My twisted sister has left the building.

My sister Kelly and my niece Ella headed back to Chicago today. I woke up and felt strange since I've been touring all around TX for the last few weeks. I have had quite a few guest come through back to back. So what do I do??? I went back to bed, since I'm now depressed. My sisters visit went way to fast even though it was a full week. When I finally get up at about 11:30 I have to now start to tackle the laundry and house cleaning I have neglected the last few weeks. My house seems so quite, I wish Ella was still here to brighten my day. Maybe I should start to tackle some of that nasty list hanging over my head. It's getting bigger and bigger and quite frankly it overwhelms me.

After I'm up for a while Kelly calls to say she left something behind. Of course its not Ella, but it is her breast milk. For just a split second I think I'll throw it in some eggs and feed it to these people I live with! BTW, I am totally kidding about that. I'm bad but not that bad. As the day goes on I tackle some of the laundry and a little cleaning. I get nothing done on my list. I can't I'm way to behind on all the TV I have DVRed the last few weeks.

On Kelly's last day we went to the San Marcus outlets. I must say we were both disappointed and pretty much came back empty handed from this venture. I did get the kids a few pairs of shorts and a cute sweater for Ella. Buying the shorts just reminds me that I need to go through their clothes. I'm sure that hubby is thrilled that this train of people has left. Not because he doesn't like having them, he likes everyone just as much as me. He will be thrilled because for the last few weeks I have come home with an array of shit that he refers to as "useless crap" from all the places I've gone shopping at.

These pictures are a sneak peek of the photo shoot I did for my sister. I can't post the "money" shots yet. My sister does not want anyone to see them since they will be used for Ella's 1st birthday invites and some will be used as gifts. Stay tuned I will be posting these at a later date. They are so good that I want to take down the pictures of my boys through the house and replace them with these. They are just not as cute as her. People might start to think I'm a little strange if my house is full of pictures of a kid that's not mine.

During dinner tonight Cole tells me he wants a FB page. I tell him hell no you don't need that since he is only in 3rd grade. I ask him what he would do with a FB page. He says, "you know put up a picture of myself and talk to people". Then he tells me he'd like his own phone to. Another hell no response on my end. This is what's hard when kids have an older sibling they think they should be able to do whatever the older one is doing. He is already tying my computer up with all this webkinz bullshit. Thank you to whomever came up with that great idea. My guess is this person does not have kids. This is yet another thing I end up having to mess with when the thing isn't working right. I end up asking Cole who he would talk to on FB since he only has one friend on there who he has already thrown in my face. He tells me this one friend and whoever else. This is why you don't need one, you have no one to talk to on it!!!!! Anyway These kids just want to grow up so fast, they don't know how good they have it. I kinda sound like my parents right now, I hate when that happens. I wanted to tell him to go outside, throw a ball, be a kid, and shut the hell up. My evil self did not get the best of me this time. As I'm writing this I can't believe I have wasted my time arguing with a 3rd grader about a FB page.

Today I decided I was going to get one thing on my list done each day. I also decided for the next 30 days I'm going to list one piece of useless crap from my house on Craig's list. I'm going to see how much money I could make and then shoot some rat poison right in my face, all in the name of vanity. Just kidding these crows are going to have to hang around till I get a job. They need to come up with something that does not kill rats and last a little longer than 6 months. I had every intention of tackling my closet first. Never happened sorry to say. I did five loads of laundry. I cleaned up syrup off the kitchen floor not once but twice. I made dinner. I dropped off and picked up kids. I helped with homework. I washed off the counters at least ten times. I argued a little bit about stupid shit. I loaded the dishwasher and unloaded the dishwasher. I rubbed the backs of two little ingrates to help them fall asleep. I could go on but I won't bore you anymore. Bottom line is I just didn't have the energy to clean that closet. Right now I'm trying to come up with a good excuse for a get out of jail free card.

I could replace a photo of my kids with this one. They are technically in the back round even if they are a bit blurred. It's ok with me that you can't see their faces.

Tonight I have every intention of winning the TX lottery. That way I will just buy Kelly and Buz a house and move them down here.

Tomorrow is yet another day and another opportunity to get one thing off this shit list of mine.

This is me flying a bit high while Kelly and Ella were here. Yes, those are absolutely butterfly wings in my back. Today I don't have that sing in my step. Feeling a little blue with these people I live with.

Sunday, fun day

Sunday we are of course we are dragging ass. We are trying to find something fun to do as a family. We google many things to do in the Austin area. It is yet another crappy day on my sisters visit here. We ask the kids if they want to go on a wildlife ride in Johnson City or go to the children's museum in Austin. Surprising as it may seem they decide on the museum. Blake has other plans which seems to be par for the course these days. He is headed to San Antonio for a Christian music fest with his youth group. How could I say no to that.

We head downtown and stop for some lunch. We have a super healthy lunch with things like cheese fries and cheese burgers. Eating healthy is on my list of things that I can never seem to tackle. I have many things on that list that I can't seem to tackle but I won't bore you with the details. I have been suffering from a bit of guilt's lately since I can't seem to tackle this list. I need to cut myself off from Dr Oz for a while. Ignorance is bliss and the Dr. has given me way to much information.

We are eating on the outside patio. This poor homeless guy keeps passing by the restaurant. He stops to eat out of the garbage which is not to appetizing while munching on a cheeseburger. My sister tells me to snap a picture of him. I'm sure the people around us were thinking I am a total Jack Ass. I do hope this guy gets back on his feet soon. I can't imagine having no where to go and nothing to eat. I have a soft stop for these people and it drives hubby crazy.

Michael and Ella have become pretty good buddies on this trip. I knew he always wanted a girl! I would have loved to see him raise a girl, especially when we got to the HS years.

The boys love to do things for Ella. Cole was so cute giving her some water. She started to spit some out and he was trying to catch it in his hands. They love having her around. We really wish we all lived closer to each other. Universe are you listening??????

Here we are at the childrens museum. Cole wants me to put a hat on and play with him!

It's days like today that I'm so thankful to have these guys! They had such a great time at this place.

Yes, that is Kelly once again breastfeeding that baby that's probably biting her boob since she has teeth! She starts out in here which is a party room at the museum. The staff comes in to kick us out since they have a party about to come in. They lead us to their office so she can finish. We are in there noticing all the purses laying around. I guess we don't look like thieves. The funny thing is, when we walked in we were waiting at the counter forever so we walked away. We started to walk around the place checking things out. Kelly and I were talking about how we could really get away with not paying the forty dollars to get in. I start to stress about that damn Karma shit and I go to the counter and tell them we didn't pay yet. Maybe I will be rewarded with winning the TX lotto or mega millions this week!

This kid can be so sweet. We watched the Blind side Friday night. Kelly and me kept making reference to him being lucky and to think of all the Michael Orr people out there who had it rough. Earlier in the day he tells me I could be like Michael Orr's Mom. Now he did not mean the hot, rich, super sweet, Sandra Bullock. He meant the crack addict Mom who got her children taken away! Like I have said before this kid better get a damn good job since he is going to owe me for emotional damages.

This one is lucky he is so cute otherwise I might have already sold him to the highest bidder.

Bet you can't guess what this is! Most kids would have put their hands or their feet on this color changing board. Not my kid he put his ass on it, the scarier thing is how proud he looks of it.

Ella has a great time in the toddler area of the place. I was really proud of my sister when this kid was chewing on a mouth full of dirt from God knows where and she didn't freak! She has really come a long way. Buzz if you read this blog please consider moving to Austin, Ella loves it here!

Kelly my sister and Michael my hubby love Amy's ice cream. We stop here, I get a shake and guess what hubby, Cole, and Ella drink half before I get a sip. Yes, they had their own ice cream besides Ella that is. We head to the cathedral of junk after this. Kelly had mentioned this a few times so I want to take her there. Unfortunately the city of Austin has shut him down so we admire from afar. While we are at the gate looking in the owner opens the door to his house and a God awful smell is coming from there! My sister who is an avid animal lover is still trying to get over the size of the tumor on his dogs belly. Me on the other hand is thinking I may be right about if you end up in the house you may end up in the junk never to be found. Always interesting with these people I live with, and lately these people that visit!

Twins

Check out my sister's blog. She posted some pictures of my oldest son Blake and her daugter. It is crazy and almost creepy how much they look alike.

http://fromdogstobaby.blogspot.com/2010/04/cousins-separated-at-birth.html

The Butterfly fest, Wimberly, TX

It is Saturday morning and thank you God it is raining. This means the 8:00 am Soccer game is canceled. Wooo Hoooo, got to sleep in. We all get up around 9:30. We are now praying for the rain to go away. Cole's class is supposed to release butterflies at the Wimberly butterfly fest.

Ella gets a little shower in the sink. She seems to not mind showering in the sink. She will love all these pictures her Mom and me have taken when she gets older.

The rain clears up and we head out to the butterfly fest. Once again Cole reaffirms for me that he is the class clown.

We buy the kids melons because the butterflies are attracted to them. Cole's face just cracks me up in this picture.This is what the Cavender clan would look like with a girl. Kinda wishing I would have tried one more time. But I guess everything happens for a reason. A fourth boy would have really sent me over the edge.

Blake has a giant growth on his face. Oh wait it's a butterfly. This butterfly kept landing on his face and his head. It was pretty funny.

Here is Cole with his teacher. She told me he is her happiest child. I almost choked. I told her I was going to send her a video of the real Cole. Glad he is so good at school.

Of course I have to buy my sweet niece a butterfly face painting.

I think she likes it.

Here are all the kids with their butterfly cheeks. Blake was too cool to get one. I don't blame him since he is in middle school.

Aidan does not like the butterfly on his cheek. He wipes it off within minutes of getting it.

Here is Cole rockin his butterfly cheek. Love that he has no problem with stuff like this.

Can't tell by this picture but the kids are complaining about not being able to buy something. They think every time we go to something like this they should get a prize. I have created these monsters and now I'm trying to break them of this awful habit. We have been a lot of places lately and I can't buy them something every time. I'm wishing now that I had raised my kids to only get stuff for birthdays or holidays. All you parents out there that have young ones, don't make this mistake. You will spend your life paying for it. It kind of puts a damper on a nice family outing when you end up with a couple whiners and complainers.

So my family let me walk around for the day with a big hole in my ass! Then they wanted to take a picture of it. I guess this is payback for some of the pictures I have taken of them over the years. I would love to say I was rockin this look but not so much!

This is our favorite baby store in Wimberly, TX. Ella has gotten a few things from here.

Texas bluebonnets, my sister actually asked me if these were pretty weeds.

Here is Ella rockin some build a bear sunglasses.

The boys had picked out these "not the cutest bows in the store" for Ella. They were so proud of their picks that I didn't have the heart to persuade them not to buy them. Sorry, Kelly and Ella. It is the thought that counts. A pretty good day with these people I live with today.