Are you ready for the SUMMER

Wasn't there a song that started off like "Are you ready for the summer"? No, not Cruel Cruel Summer by the banana girls (please don't send me hateful comments about Bananarama), not Summertime by Will Smith. No, my dear husband, it's not Summer Nights. For some reason I am thinking 70 or 80's kids running toward the lake, maybe at a camp and it starts off with a cheesy ARE YOU READY FOR SUMMER! Maybe I am too sleepy and have already started dreaming who knows.

Anyways, HAPPY SUMMER EVERYONE! Friday was the kids and my last day of school until August. In a way I am happy for a break with the kids but am going to miss my job a lot, plus the paycheck. I know you heard it a million times but I love my job. I enjoy working with the children and staff and the hours are great for me and my family. Sam and I were talking on the way up to the mountains Friday night how most people automatically assume I am a teacher when they ask where I work and I say Chattahoochee High School. Immediately they say what do you teach? Once I tell them I work in the cafeteria they look all embarrassed and change the subject. Then I tell them where else could I work from 8-2, be able to get my children up and ready for school, meet them at the bus stop every afternoon, get all holidays off, and summers off. The pay is good also. I used to be a manager for Hardee's and worked anywhere from 50-60 hours a week. I worked morning, nights and midnight shifts. I make more money working in a school cafeteria than I did working 60 hour weeks. I am so blessed to have this job. I am lucky that I can be here with my children in the evening and have dinner ready when my wonderful husband comes home. I thank God every day for my job.

Anyways there I go off the subject again. Back to Happy Summer! First day of our summer break was spent doing laundry and watching some t.v. and playing Fusion Frenzy with Jessica. Jewel is spending the week away at my mama's house and Jessica and I don't know how to function without her. This is the first time the twins have ever been separated since Jewel was in the hospital at 3 months old. As we were leaving my mom's house Jewel told me to be brave. By the time we reached the main road Jessica and I were in an all out crying fit. Steven was like yeah a week with no Jewel. Sage was looking at me with her little eyes saying why are you crying? Jewel is at Grandma's house. Then I think she felt sorry for me and Jessica and became sad herself. So what do brave parents do when our kids are crying? We put on our brave face and make them believe everything is okay. A couple lines of Proud Mary (another blog entry on our American Idol Audition in the car) and everyone was feeling a lot better. Needless to say every 10 miles Jewel was calling us or we were calling her. Pray that we survive week 2 of summer vacation because next week Jessica is staying at Grandma's.

What is True Love?

True Love is Sam Brady! True love is the one special person that is there for me night and day.
He is the one who holds my hand and hair back when I’m throwing up.
He is the one who lets me vent all my frustrations (especially when they have nothing to do with him).
He is the one who helps the kids with their English homework (I hate dissecting sentences).
He is the one who goes and gets me a Pepsi at 11 at night just because I have a craving for one.
He is the one who walks the dog at 6 a.m. so I can sleep an extra 30 minutes.
He is the one who holds me tight at night and makes me feel like no one or nothing can harm me.
He makes me feel like the most beautiful person in the world (even if I’m having a bad hair day).
He loves my children like they were his own.
He washes dishes every night (because I cook he wants to do dishes).
He is the one I can’t wait to see or call when good or bad happens in my life.
He is the one I hold so tight and still feel like I can’t get close enough to.
He is the one who can change my entire day by just smiling at me.
He is the one that makes my world go around and today I can proudly say I am married to the most wonderful husband in the world! I have found my true love. Sam Brady, you’re the one who can light my flame like no other can do. Thank you, skinny preacher man, for reminding us of that on our wedding day.

Happy Anniversary My Love

What a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

It was so beautiful today; we had to get out of the house. We woke up to a licking dog, a rattling blue puffy and a blonde Goldilocks in our bed this morning. No sleeping in on the weekends, but that’s fine when you wake up to smiling faces.  So off to make butterflies, dogs, cats, lions, hearts and flower pancakes for the girls. I just used my cookie cutters to cut them after they were done. Sam and Steven ate the scraps from the cut out and called them worms. All I know is they were delicious.

Later we were off to Waggy World Paw Park in Alpharetta. Remember last weekend was Gracie’s first time at a doggie park and there was only 1 other dog in the fence with her. OMG I almost fainted when I saw how many people were at this dog park. This is no lie: there had to be at least 60 people there with their dogs and probably 50 dogs in the small and big dog areas combined. We went in and Sam was like, take her leash off. I was like, NO! THAT”S MY BABY! I was so scared she was going to get hurt. I looked like a first time mom chasing the baby around the house to make sure she doesn’t fall and get hurt. Finally I let her off the leash, and she was PERFECT!

At first she wasn’t too sure. She kept running back to me and then 2 minutes later BYE . She played with other dogs; she ran, chased the ball and even came to Mommy for a break. Being good parents we brought doggie treats and a collapsible bowl for water. Sage was so thrilled because we put them in one of her play bags and she got to carry if for Gracie. I don’t know who had more fun, Gracie or the kids, because they got to play with so many dogs.

Then off to Wacky World at Wills Park in Alpharetta. We wore the dog out, now it was time to wear the kids down. It’s a really nice park with so many different fields, parks, walking paths, tennis courts, and a swimming pool. We are thinking about getting a season pass to their pool for summer, it looks a lot nicer than Roswell and bigger, plus it’s a lot cheaper too.

Now it’s back to the real world. Cooking dinner now and doing laundry, getting the kids in the bath, getting clothes out for work and school, feeding the dog, making snacks for school and sometime tonight snuggling with my husband and my day will be complete. A perfect end to a perfect day.

My version of 5 little monkeys

5 Little Brady-Shireys in the House

5 Little Brady-Shireys in the house all healthy and well until
Steven fell in bed with the FLU!

4 Little Brady-Shireys in the house all healthy and well until
Sam fell in bed with the FLU!

3 Little Brady-Shireys in the house all healthy and well until
Jewel fell in bed with the FLU!

2 Little Brady-Shireys in the house all healthy and well until
Darlene fell in bed with the FLU!

1 Little Brady-Shirey in the house all healthy and well until
Jessica is the only healthy one so far

Pray for Jessica that she doesn't get the flu. OMG it was the most terrible week I think we have ever had. Steven with a 103 fever, Sam hit 103, Jewel 102, me 101 and Jessica played nurse to us all. I have Cloroxed our house inside out and washed every blanket we have. I never want another week like that again. Sam was home from work Wednesday until Monday. I have been home since Friday and am returning to work tomorrow. I almost want to go out and buy everyone one of those white suits with oxygen tanks and all just so we can stay healthy. One, maybe two, kids sick in the house is not bad, but when you throw Sam and me in the flu bed too, enough is enough. Thanks to my wonderful (but sick) husband, by the time me and Jewel got down in the couches and couldn't move, he was feeling a little better and began taking care of us. I am so proud of him! On Saturday he started washing clothes and in out of my Nyquil sleeps I either dreamed or heard him say he had done 8 loads of clothes on Saturday alone. I can believe 8 loads with this family. If I don't do at least 2 loads a day our laundry gets out of control quickly. Back to my wonderful husband, who ran to the store for orange juice, back to Chick Fil A just for tea for me, to McDonalds for nuggets for Jessica, refilled water bottles for Jewel, answered computer problems for Steven, and walked Gracie all weekend. Even though we abused you this weekend, we do love you with all our hearts. You're the greatest man ever!!!!

Let it Snow

We left snow to see more snow this weekend. We left on Friday evening heading for Grandma's house. When we arrived they still had snow on the ground from a few days before. We woke up Saturday morning to see still more snow. Steven goes snow tubing every year for his birthday but this was the first time it actually snowed while he was snow tubing. Not only was it snowing, they were actually making snow on the hill while Sam, Steven, Jewel and Jessica tubed. Every year we go to Tony's Tube World in Maggie Valley. It's a nice hill up the side of a mountain with an "escalator without steps" as Steven calls it, which takes you back up the hill. The session are every 2 hours. It's amazing how many people are there the first hour then the second hour everyone I guess is cold, tired or wet because you can get more riding time in the second hour. It is always fun for the kids and Sam too. Sam was the only one who stayed out for the whole session in our group. Everyone else got cold or tired.

The rest of our weekend was spent lying around the house playing Uno and watching our cousin Tom Brady clinch a Super Bowl spot. It was so cold in the mountains last night Gracie wanted to go outside and the Packers and Giants were in overtime. I thought I would be a good wife and take the dog out for Sam who usually takes her out at night. Then I open the door and realized it was 6 degrees and called for Sam immediately. I have the most amazing wonderful husband in the world. He didn't complain or pout, he just took Gracie out. He missed the end of the game, too.

So of course now I have to brag on my husband a little. Sam and I met when Sage was about 6 months old. We became instant friends but decided that a relationship was not in our future. For the next 5 years we stayed friends and complained about not finding the right person for ourselves. Finally a light came on in both our heads "DUH" and we knew we were right for each other. It's wonderful when the person you love most in the world is your best friend, your strength, your hopes, your desire. It takes a real man to come into a ready-made family and become a dad to three children. It takes a lot for a single mom of 6 years to allow someone else in to her children's lives. I prayed that God would send me a wonderful man and he sent me the best he had. Our family really has come together in 2 years. There have been some bumps in the road, some hurt feelings and some tears. But there has been so much more love and laughter that the other things just bring us closer together. I know I have a special man when he gives up watching the last few minutes of the Packers and Giants to take the dog out.

I love you Baby! You're the greatest and you have a cute butt! (He made me say that, but it is TRUE!)

Merry Christmas!

Yes, finally we are out of school! Why is it when you have two weeks off from work, you still wake up at 6 a.m. and can't go back to sleep to save your life? I will guarantee by the end of next week I will be sleeping late, only to realize I have to start waking again early on the 7th.

Last night I started wrapping presents at 4 p.m. took an hour dinner break and didn't get finished until 11:45 p.m. Omg I was so tired of wrapping! Sam my wonderful, wonderful, husband tried to help me but only ended up confusing me. I had everything separated and was wrapping my little heart out when he came in to find out what Santa was bringing and what we were giving. Then the confusion began switching this gift here that one there, my head started spinning. Counting presents to make sure everyone had the right amount and right ones. Usually I am pretty good with sticking to my list of what to get the kids so I don't overspend or overspoil. Unfortunately, last weekend in the mountains, me and Sam went shopping alone to pick up last minute gifts, which turned into another shopping spree. Why do they put everything cute for girls right in the front of the store? Our cart was full and we weren't even in the door yet. Then you find something that one girl would love, so then you gotta go find something for the other two girls. Needless to say, our girls have way too much and Steven was way too expensive. I try really hard to be one of those responsible parents who buy reasonable gifts. Not sure if I achieved that this year. Christmas morning, when four kids wake up to see everything, the smiles on the faces will be well worth it.

We are trying to stay in our Holiday spirit mode for the children, but it's a little hard when both sides of our family have some tragic news this week. Sam's Aunt Lois has been sent home from the hospital with the sad news that there is nothing more they can do, so my in-laws left town Wednesday night heading to California. Our first family Christmas in Georgia will be spent missing them. Then on my side of the family, my Uncle David was hit in the head with 1000 lbs of steel at his job and has a serious brain trauma. The good news he is home but it could months or even years to fully heal from this injury. So if you will, keep our families in your prayers.

On a lighter note I want to take the time to wish everyone and their families a very Merry Christmas!  May all your holiday wishes come true. Don't let the craziness and madness of the holidays get you down. As Jessica would say, don't forget it's Jesus's Birthday too! Yes, there will be a birthday cake for Jesus, compliments of Jessica and Jewel.

Merry Christmas to ALL