speakeasy

or you may get SHOT.   

I'd be lying if i said we had ANY down time....ever!! some is invited, some is self inflicted, and the rest is just a royal pain and necessary to-dos.  We feel the need to wear running shoes at all times just to move a little faster.... Even when at home i feel our door revolves constantly, while making Valentines for boys classes, helping one sign his, etc. etc. i hear a voice of a child, NOT MINE, behind me- "can you help me?  i want something to eat, like that banana right there?"  "oh hey sweetie, sure i'll help you but we are about to head out the door, do you want a ride home?"  "no mam, I don't want to go home, i'll just stay here"  FABULOUS!!!!  I never know who will be at our happy home, babies, kids, and friends of all shapes and sizes.   MOST of the time it is WONDErFUL.... but there are times when i feel the need to nail my door shut with a sign "PRIVACY PLEASE" but i also have the issue of my boys staying inside... THEY DON'T.   Yesterday in freezing sleet.... we were outside, in short sleeves, a jersey, boots but no socks... just cackling in laughter...... which is good UNLESS you have to get ANYTHING done, like clean (whatever that is), cook or ANY teeny tiny thing for YOURSELF..... its a no go!  Not today, not tomorrow and usually not on the weekends either.

 i made cute valentines for the little boys.... and of course let them pick out some "tacky" little commercial ones too.  you have to, don't you????
Charlie's school did a fund raiser for our angel Sean who is fighting cancer for the 4th time so he had those and star wars only he refused to pass out the star wars cards???

 And i know you are shocked if you know my littlest lamb.... he chose BASSET BALL cards....

 And i ok'd the jesture of bringing all the classes balloons... "sure, i would love to do that" And i will say it wasn't that bad... Only i had planned on daddyc's help with THAT many balloons or the kids the night before, but it worked out and all was well

 i picked up their fashion show duds.... i like them, don't love..... haven't really had time to look or think about them.

we used our one time deal valentine plates

 i wrapped my precious valentines little Valentines in grocery bags..... it was late, i had NO solid color paper.... And it was fine!!!

 our first valentine woke up and was excited to find a treat!!!

 And from our dearly beloved friends slash family..... My heart always melts at how kind my mom's friend Mrs. Van is.... An angel for sure who has helped me out in times even when she didn't know it.... I mean seriously, i think she is an angel.....  Charlie grew up as infant, baby, and toddler walking in the mornings with my mom, his Lolly, and mrs. van every morning (he called her husband Uncle Fred....'cause why not?)  we have some ties to them like no other.... And now mrs. van sends happys AND takes care of my dad, our big daddy too.   they don't make um' like that anymore.

 And because its how the day went, i got the wrong kind of cinnamon rolls and couldn't shape them into hearts........

 Along came my littlest valentines..... who thought is was their BIRTHDAY which IS IN FACT in t-minus 3 days......  who's excited????

 And because my little wee valentine's was a little stuffy, i ask him to stay home with me, he said "YES!"  We had a wonderfully filled day together.

 And of course big daddy left some valentines..... NO one was excited.... no one!!!

 convo.  "sam, what do you want big daddy to get you for your birthday?" "anything sweetie, you name it?"
Sam::  "i want to spend the night with him" "i want a cookie"  (done and done.  these things happen often but are they not the BEST things EVER......)   And playing with friends yesterday he tells the mom "today is my birthday, i get to spend the night with my big daddy".......

 And because we were DONE wearing our cute outfit and couldn't help but notice that when he unwrapped and whipped OFF his shirt to put on the BIG BOY FOOTBALL, BASSETBALL, BASEBALL shirt big daddy gave him... he had some NFL football undies on.... i mean seriously whitmore...... good grief!!!

 i KNOW he doesn't look like he has a cold... but he kinda does and I KINDA will take them home with me any ole' day, the other two would have to be bribed hot and heavy to stay home from school.  THEY LOVE IT!!!!    next up... my birthday boy... we began to make our cookie cake from the pinterest pinned american cookie company recipe..... forgot to mention the pan needs sides because the corn syrup make the dough runny when heated...... My ovens, BOTH OF THEM, i switched mid cooking are a complete and total MESS.........   It turned out yummy but decided to make batman COOKIES instead... ONLY, it made only 12 cookies, i need 15/16 really..... i will have my littlest lamb with me too and he'll need one....... SO.... today before 10:30 i will run around and find what i hope is perfect for my angel's school celebration.... i can't wait to see him blow his candles out!  that is before my little lamb's dentist appt. and before checking out my biggest baby and running all three to appt. and before i have said yes to helping with function at church... And YES.  our daddyc AND big daddy are out of town.  

But looking up and ahead.... 

we have most wonderful 3 year old turning 4.... HE LIVES to pick out his cakes at publix..... he did this last year at the beach and talked about it everyday since..... So in the sleet, freezing cold, not yet eaten dinner (because we had a house full of kids NOT mine and i hated to feed them not knowing their own dinner plans....), with 35 blown up balloons, a tired mommy and exhausted three boys we continued on to publix to PICK OUT his cake.....  He chose the black looking one (YAY! just totally yummy looking..... or not!)  it has TWO ninjas on the top.... seriously sam???  He is so very excited and has told EVERYONE he sees about it.... And so for that, i am thankful and grateful and can't wait to share a piece with him.   He picked out his plates.... Green Lantern, he is the bad guy i think of the super heros??? i could be wrong... you'd think i would know.....  And he chose batman plates with spiderman napkins for his school party... And plain plates for his birthday party on Saturday.... 

wE LOVE A BIRTHDAY AROUND HERE.....

i can't help but miss my mom.  And noticed i am not the only one.   while we are holding him up to look through the ginormous cake book at Publix my biggest baby out of the blue says 

"sam, i wish Lolly was here, she always made all our birthday party stuff, cakes, cupcakes and all that stuff, you didn't even have to have these kind of cakes, she would just do whatever you wanted "it was SOOOOOOOO  COOL"  "she loved my birthday""its ok sam, i think she would have liked yours too!" "I know she misses me while she is in heaven"  

And with that note... I knew i wasn't alone.  we all miss our lolly especially around special times like birthdays....   And feeling sorry for myself... slash running through the sleeting rain with three tired, hungry kids our big daddy called to 1. keep boys for valenines day or 2. take us all to a valentines dinner.  we chose #2. and after a crazy busy day we really enjoyed our Valentines Dinner with big daddy, and just like that our Daddyc left town again around 8......