Cute things from Ben

Yesterday we decided, since the boys were pretty grouchy after church, we would have to take naps. After they slept for a while, I went in to wake them up. As soon as Ben heard my voice he sat completely upright and looked at me telling me he wasnt sleeping. I told him "Yes you were". In return he said "Nha anh I didn't see my eyes close." At that I just giggled and agreed with him that I guess he really didn't sleep.

This morning, while sitting down for breakfast Ben decided to share with his cousins something he learned at school. Here is what he said... (I had to have him repeat it just so I could get it on video...)

Bens Pledge
Uploaded by cooperden

Meme

I got this from Becci. I don't usually like memes because the questions are usually dumb (sorry) But this one was kinda fun...so here ya go...

(I typed this yesterday so technicallly some of these questions apply to tuesday rather than yesterday...)


1. How many keys are on your keychain? Depends on which vehicle im driving. Van, 3 keys, 'burban, 2 keys

2. What curse word do you use the most?
I don't use 'em

3. Do you own an iPod?
No, not really, though I did borrow one from DHs office. I don't use it all that often though.

4. What time is your alarm clock set for?
I don't use an alarm clock, but Im usually up between 6:30 and 7.

5. How many suitcases do you own?
I personally have 1 but we have a bunch of "extras" in the closet.

6. Do you wear flip flops even when it's cold outside?
Sometimes, especially if I've just gotten a great pedicure :)

7. Where do you buy your groceries from?
Walmart

8. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture?
Well, usually Im always the one taking the picture but secretly wish I were IN more pictures than taking them.

9. What was the last movie you watched?
Batman Begins-adult
Veggie Tales Sumo of the Opera-kids


10. Do any of your friends have children?
Yes, most of them do

11. If you won the lottery, what's the first thing you would buy?
I would pay off my mortgage...so technically the first thing I would buy would be my house. 2nd thing...a new MacBook.


12. Has anyone ever called you lazy?
I don't think so

13. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster?
nope

14. What CD is currently in your CD player?
Abandonato-house
Goo Goo Dolls-car

15. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk?
hmm Im not a big milk drinker...but really, I think I would have to say coffee milk (east coast thing)


16. Has anyone told you a secret this week?
um..probably

17. When was the last time someone hit on you?
last night

18. What did you have for dinner?
Spaghetti

19. Do you wear hoodies often?
YES!

20. Can you whistle?
you betcha

21. Have you ever participated in a protest?
only if you count protesting your curfew

22. Who was the last person to call you?
my sister i think **checking cell phone log** yup, my sister

23. What is your favorite ride at an amusement park?
tilt-a-whirl

24. Do you think people talk about you behind your back?
oh im sure they do

25. What is your favorite color?
um, lately it has been sage-y/army greens

26. Did you watch cartoons as a child?
yup, the good old fashioned ones

27. How big is your local mall?
not big enough

28. How many siblings do you have?
five (4 brothers and 1 sister)

29. Are you shy around the opposite sex?
sometimes

30. What is your biggest regret?
don't know that I really have any..well, maybe allowing ourselves to get into credit card debt

31. When was the last time you laughed so hard your sides hurt?
not sure, its been a while

32. What movie do you know every line to?
probably the Wedding Singer or some veggie tales movies

33. Do you own any band t-shirts?
Five Face Down. Of course, I used to own a Wynonna Judd tshirt too. And probably some others at one point or another.

34. When was your last plane ride?
Heidi's wedding in 2003

35. How many chairs are at your dining room table?
eight

36. Do you read for fun?
not usually, but I wish I had the time to do it occasionally

37. Can you speak any languages other than English?
nope

38. Do you do your own dishes?
yes, at least until I train my kids to do them :)

39. What color is your bedroom painted?
cranberry

40. Have you ever cried in public?
of course

What is the deal...

...with my photos not working? Is it me or blogger? I've tried reloading them, re-uploading them, etc and nothing seems to work. I've never had this problem. I noticed on other peoples sites that they seem to be missing pictures too...maybe its something with blogger. Well I will leave it alone for a few days and hopefully it will fix itself. If not I will try to re-upload my pics again. All my info on the last post isn't near as good without the pictures to go along with it. Sorry!

Its been a while

Wow, I just realized how many things have happened in the past few months that I have not posted about...

So heres a flashback post of what I have been up to...

1. Ryan started kindergarten *yay*!!! He is loving school although he lost his brand new backpack within the first 2 or 3 days of school (grrr!) Thank God I only bought him the 5$ bag and not the 20$ spiderman bag he really wanted.




2. Elizabeth turned a year old. I posted her birthday pictures, but here are a few pictures from her birthday party. She really wasn't sure what to think about her cupcake. The boys just dove into their cake on their 1st birthday so I guess I was expecting her to do the same. In fact, for the most part, she was quite lady-like.




3. I started a daycare. Finances have been tight and I was really stressed on what to do. I couldn't afford to go back to work because it would cost me more in daycare than I would get paid. Anthony has been too busy to pick up any extra side jobs, so I decided to start a daycare. Lucky for me, most of the kids I watch are my nieces and nephews which allows me the freedom I need for my "traveling" schedule.

4. I finally upgraded and got a new cellphone that is quite cute. I am able to download real ringtones (no more of that synthesized stuff). I have also learned that downloading ringtones can be the death of me :) PLUS I can take pictures AND video. The best thing...the phone was free too :) Isn't it cute??!!




5. It has already snowed for the first time of the season. Can you believe it? It was only September too. Anyways, I have a video I took with my camera just to prove that it really was snowing here...It was raining at the same time, but that doesnt matter, it still counts as the first snow :)

MVI_9642
Uploaded by cooperden

6. The big oucher...I turned 30 last Monday. Yup. Big. Ouch. Ugh. And no, I don't feel any older (I have been asked that quite a bit lately)

I had a goal of losing weight before my birthday and I succeeded. I've lost 20 pounds. I still have about another 10 pounds I'd like to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but at least I've lost the majority of it. I also was due for a haircut and color (too many roots showing) so I decided to go with something new. No im not going through a mid-life crisis. I just have never found a cut/color I am just really happy with so I am continually trying new things. This cut is the first one Anthony has been really "wowwed" by. Usually he says "yeah its okay" but this time he was quite impressed. So I think I might stick with this one a while.



For my birthday celebration Anthony took me to Zen Garden for dinner and then to Kohls for a shopping trip. I didn't buy much. Im always self-conscious when it comes to buying things when he is with me...soooo...Im going back on Friday without him to shop some more :) Here are some pictures of what I did buy. They look much better on than hanging on a hanger but I didn't have time to model them for you. I also got a pair of really cute sunglasses (not pictured)






Okay...theres more, but I will save that for another post...maybe tomorrow...

Welcome to my home

A while back Sarah had a blog post about her home. She basically gave you a tour through photos. Well, we are selling our house and since I just had to clean it spotless to take pictures for our realtor, I thought I would share them with you...so....

Welcome to my home...



Heres what it looked like when we bought it 3 years ago.



When you walk through the front door, you walk into the dining room



While standing in the dining room, if you look to your right, you will see the kitchen. Not my favorite room as far as appearance goes, but it works and I guess that is all that matters right?



If you glance straight ahead from the dining room, you will see the living room A.K.A. the kids play room when it is cold, muddy, rainy, or just plain yucky out. I realized that you would have to classify our living room as a den seeing how, very rarely, do us adults get to use this room. This has become their domain. You cant see it in the picture but in the far corner to the left I stacked all their toys so they wouldn't be in the picture.



Down the hall from the dining room you will find the master bedroom and master bathroom. I must say, out of all the rooms in my house, my bedroom is my favorite. Its warm, inviting, and just all around relaxing. I love the way these pictures came out of this room.




We recently remodeled our master bathroom as some of you know. Here are pictures of the finished project. They don't do justice at all, but the doorway was so narrow I couldn't get a better shot.



This is my other favorite room. From the day I found out I was having a girl, I started designing this room. I looked, researched, and pondered about what would be the perfect little girls room. This is what I came up with. I think this is the one room I will truly miss when we sell the house. Again, the pictures do not do justice to this room. The top is a lavender color with a sage-y green on the bottom separated by a white chair rail with adorable little ballerina girls on it.




So this is my home. Its not much, but its filled with love and warmth.

Saying Goodbye

Last week my dad got a call from a family member back East (Rhode Island) saying that my grandmother was very ill and the doctors saw no hope in her getting better. Her health has been on again/off again for quite some time. Last night, at 10:45pm eastern time, my grandmother passed away. Im not sure how I feel about it right now. Part of me wants to deny that this has happened. I remind myself that, while we were growing up, we were never that close to her. I remember she came and visited us kids (me and my 5 siblings) once a week bearing gifts of peanuts, but that is about all I can remember other than the various pictures I've seen of them with us at a lake. The other part of me feels a large amount of grief for the loss. I have a huge lump in my throat that won't go away. I never had the chance to introduce my kids to her. They will never know who my grandmother was. I knew she was dying but it was easier to put it out of my mind. I really didn't think it would affect me in this way...

Tubing

This last weekend my friends and band family all got together for a fun 5fd day. We met up with my brother (*thanks isaiah!*)and his boat and spent the day being thrown off tubes, skies and kneeboards. It was a little stormy but the storm held off for us to have some fun. Heres the video of my tube ride.

(for those of you who were there and want your (or your hubby's) copy of your video clips, let me know and I can upload them to your dailymotion.com account so you can put them on your blog or myspace)

Anyways, enjoy watching me being thrown across the lake :)

Pc tube2
Uploaded by cooperden

VeggieTales on TV

Series to Launch on NBC and Telemundo September 9 and and i Network September 15


Get ready VeggieTales fans -- have we got a TV show for you! After 13 years, VeggieTales will make its debut in living rooms all across America thanks to the wonderful world of broadcast television. Beginning September 9, Big Idea will introduce their host of animated veggies to the viewers of NBC, i Network and to the Spanish-speaking audience of the Telemundo Network.

The Saturday morning block will begin on September 9 on NBC, beginning at 10:00 a.m. EST followed by a 3-2-1 Penguins! or LarryBoy Adventures show at 11:00 a.m. Telemundo will carry the same blocks in Spanish beginning on September 9 at 8:00 a.m., while the i Network will air the blocks beginning on Friday, September 15 at 3:00 p.m. EST.


Big Idea has an amazing opportunity to bring "Sunday Morning Values, Saturday Morning Fun" to television and reach a huge audience which may have never heard of Bob, Larry, Silly-Songs or The Pirates who Don't do Anything. Along with the ever-adorable VeggieTales crew, 3-2-1 Penguins! and the LarryBoy Adventures 2-D series will also be featured in the Saturday morning and Friday afternoon time-block.

Join Big Idea and Veggie-fans everywhere as we tune in to celebrate this momentous occasion.

I don't LIKE pepper...

I am putting this on here as a mere reminder that, dispite the many complaints I get from my children (i don't like pepper, eewww is that an onion, momMMM what is that yellow thing??!!) I really can cook :)

You Are an Excellent Cook

You're a top cook, but you weren't born that way. It's taken a lot of practice, a lot of experimenting, and a lot of learning. It's likely that you have what it takes to be a top chef, should you have the desire...

Are You A Good Cook?

Meme

Ok so thanks to Becci I have to do a meme. I guess this is one way to get me back to blogging. I have a ton of stuff to blog, but no time to do it...so maybe this will be the first step to getting back on the horse...

My Meme

One book you have read more than once? Anne of Green Gables. I really liked the character because she was so bold to stand up for herself and others...plus I liked that her name was "Anne with an E" (same as my middle name). I was always correcting people telling them I was also an Anne with an E.

One book you would want on a desert island? Gosh..I don't know..probably my bible (i know...church answer) but I would also probably choose something that had a large series with it.

One book that made you laugh? I don't remember the titles, but my son has some GREAT funny kids books that make even me laugh.

One book that made you cry? don't know that i've ever read a book that made me cry.

One book you wish you had written? Any of Joyce Meyers book. This lady is a great christian writer. Very down to earth and easy to understand and apply to your life.

One book you wish had never been written? Um...dunno

One book you are currently reading? Im not reading anything right now. Although I occasionally pick up Joyce Meyers "how to hear from God" when I accidentally end up with spare time.

One book you've been meaning to read? I should be reading the Vaccine Guide I borrowed from my SIL so I can return it to her.


Okay now for the tagging...hmmm.. Marki, Heidi and Kris (kris I know you can do this...you are constantly posting about books on your blog)

Happy Birthday Baby!

Thanksgiving Feast

One year at Thanksgiving, my mom went to my sister's house for the traditional feast.

Knowing how gullible my sister is, my mom decided to play a trick.
She told my sister that she needed something from the store.

When my sister left, my mom took the turkey out of the oven,
removed the stuffing, stuffed a Cornish hen,and inserted it into the
turkey, and re-stuffed the turkey. She then placed the bird(s) back in
the oven.

When it was time for dinner, my sister pulled the turkey out of the oven and proceeded to remove the stuffing. When her serving spoon hit something, she reached in and pulled out the little bird.

With a look of total shock on her face, my mother exclaimed, "Patricia, you've cooked a pregnant bird!" At the reality of this horrifying news, my sister started to cry.

It took the family two hours to convince her that turkeys lay eggs!

Okay, so this didn't REALLY happen to MY family, but I thought it was pretty funny and it sounded like something my family would do to one of us kids...

"but I didn't"

I came across this email I had sent to a friend of mine and realized I had never blogged this. This actually happened a year ago but its too good not to share...


Some of you may laugh, and some of you may...well...it may turn your stomach (if you are squeemish) but regardless, if you have kids of your own, or if you know my kids well, you are sure to be able to relate on some level. So here it goes...

Im sitting here at my computer, checking my email and quietly eating my lunch while my 2 boys are watching Aladdin (giving me a few moments of sanity) when I hear my 3 year old cough. Odd, I thought, wonder if hes getting a cold. I look over to see him sticking his fingers down his throat. Typical boy, I thought, trying to make himself throw up (he is fascinated by bodily functions like gagging and burping as well as a few others i wont mention).

Now lately my 3 yr old has been pretending to be sick because he really likes to eat vitamin Cs. So im thinking hes doing this to make me think hes sick...right??? WRONG....as I am watching him, he proceeds to throw up...all over my freshly shampooed carpet. I yell at him to stop sticking his fingers down his throat as I grab the nearest towel...trying to save my carpet. I make it just in time to catch the first "blow" in the very small wash cloth in my hand. I tell him to walk to the kitchen...well, run is more like it. We make it just in time to grab another towel for the second "blow"...and Lo and Behold...there it was, a brand new shiny penny. He looks at me with this sheepish grin while I, of course, reprimand him about putting things in his mouth and how he could choke...he looks at me and says "BUT I DIDN'T" .

sometimes I dont think I will ever survive being a mom. Oh, and by the way, my 3 yr old is just fine. He went back to watching Aladdin with his older brother, giving me enough time to sit here and tell you all this story and try to finish my lunch...i think i may have lost my appetite though...

Breast or Bottle Fed??

OK so once again I haven't been blogging. Sorry all, but this summer has me hopping. I have been super busy. Anyways, in the mean time, while ya'll are waiting for me to return to blog land....heres a little "funny" someone emailed me...Hope it gives you a laugh too...


Breast or Bottle Fed??

A woman and a baby were in the doctor's examining room, waiting for the doctor to come in for the baby's first exam. The doctor arrived, examined the baby, checked his weight, and being a little concerned, asked if the baby was breast-fed or bottle-fed.

"Breast-fed" she replied.

Well, strip down to your waist," the doctor ordered.

She did. He pinched her nipples, then pressed, kneaded, and rubbed both breasts for a while in a detailed examination. Motioning to her to get dressed, he said, "No wonder this baby is underweight. You don't have any milk."

"I know," she said, "I'm his Grandma, but I'm glad I came."

A few random thoughts...

Pool Rules

What would you do?? My boys are taking swimming lessons at a local pool. There are large, bright yellow signs posted all over stating that all boys ages 4 and up are to use the mens locker room rather than the womens locker room (with their moms). The thought of this is disturbing to me in the society we live in. I should mention, that my husband isn't available at these times to take them into the mens locker room. The pool does offer a "family dressing room" but it is just one room the size of a handicapped bathroom stall and generally there is a line a mile long waiting to use it.

I just don't feel good about sending them into the mens locker room alone knowing of all the "types" of people in the world today. I would be nothing for some other guy to molest or abuse my child in the few minutes that they are out of my sight. (Not to mention the fact that my boys are extremely friendly and willing to talk to people they don't know despite our attempts at the "don't talk to strangers" rule). Is it just time to let my boys grow up and be boys? Am I babying them? Am I being paranoid?

For now I take them with me to the womens locker room and have not had any complaints, however, today when dropping them off we stopped to use the potty and one of the aerobic teachers were using the rest room as well. She didn't say anything, but gave me the look of "uh exsCUSE me, you're breaking the rules".

What would you do???



Another random thought...

Have you ever gotten dressed in somewhat of a hurry in the dark, gone to the bathroom a few short hours later and realized your underware and shirt match exactly?? How in the world does something like that happen???


And yet, another random subject...

We went camping this past weekend. The kids and I had a great time and Anthony...well, he survived. (It should be said that my husband really does NOT like camping. He doesnt like eating outside, bugs, sleeping on the ground, being cold...etc.)

This was Elizabeths first time going camping and she did quite well. Much better than the boys did their first time. Here are some pictures from our eventful weekend. Needless to say, I am looking forward to going again next month! :)

A campsite visitor

Lizzie cuddling to stay warm in the early morning

Ryan up at the crack of dawn

Anthony getting some grub

Elizabeth waiting patiently for her breakfast

Bens pose

Ahhhhh naptime is a WONDERFUL thing

Evolution of Dance

I saw this on my friends blog and HAD to share. I thought this was quite funny. Count to see how many of these dances you have done at one time or another...I was up to 8 or 9 but was laughing and lost count.

Some of you might not find this too funny, but those of you closer to my age, or older might get a bigger kick out of them...

My new goal

I recently got my nose pierced - saturday to be exact. (yup, I really went through with it and LOVE it) Some people have given me funny looks and ask "why would you want to do that to yourself, isn't it painful?" not to mention all the questions about possible infection. My response to them... I did it for me!!

Throughout my life I am have always been doing things for others. Even going through the pain of childbirth is done for someone else. Not that I am complaining because, of course, I do reap benefits from that. :) This piercing was my expression of myself. (Back in the 'ol highschool days I was one of the first kids in my school to pierce the top of my ear LOL - seriously! Boy did I just age myself there or what!!??)

Over the course of the last few weeks I have been weaning Elizabeth from nursing. I think we have finally accomplished it. I have started dieting (once again) to lose all that extra baby weight from being pregnant. I am working on a whole new me. Not that I am miserable or uncomfortable with the way I am, but I want to regain myself - I want to be "Prudence" again, not Ryans mom or Anthonys wife. Please do not get me wrong. I love being those things too but I do not have to ONLY be those things. Once upon a time, a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a simpler (and much thinner) me. One that was spontaneous and loved to travel and stay out late and do things with friends. Not stuck, staying home 24/7, nursing, feeding, bathing, cleaning and the such. I want a reason to get up, take a shower, do my hair and put on make-up.

So this is my goal....I will keep you posted on the progress :)

Myspace

So I'm on myspace now too! Heres my site. http://myspace.com/bassplayerzwife

If you are on myspace too, come be "my friend"(if you aren't already) :)

I don't really do any blogging on that site, I use it more to stay in touch with my friends...so if you want to read about me and my life, you can check it out here, on my blog. If you want to see pics of me and my family and see who my friends are and the such...well, check out myspace!

My sister and her awesome talent

My sister and I spent part of Saturday taking pictures of me. I am usually the one BEHIND the camera and very rarely out in front. Soooo here are some pictures of my sisters awesome talent! I told her she should completely go to school for this!! At least, if nothing else, minor in it.

So without further adu....ado?? hmm how do you spell that?? ANYWAYS....check out my sisters awesome talent...

I'm a big kid now...

10 month old Lizzie's first 2 teeth (coming in at one time...ouch!)