sense of obligation

ok, now that I have 2 followers, I better start posting... :) but not now... I want to work on my daughter's birthday party... I think it will be better therapy for me right now....

See what I mean?? My kids are looking sweet, husband is handsome, and there I am with my big ole bug eyes.... (of course even withOUT the bug eyes, I wouldn't order that one of Barry and I... geesh how corney is that pose!?!?!?!)

Family Portraits

This is what is on my plate right now. Trying to get all of my business records and personal records in order so we can file our taxes early... refinancing the house... managing some serious debt... preparing for audits for worker's comp insurance... appeal coming up to gain full custody of our oldest... husband's season ended a month early, no more income for winter... daughter's testing scores were not-so-great... husband is getting surgery next month, but WHAT STRESSES ME? FAMILY PICTURES!!! I get stressed, sweaty, nervous, panicky. I obsess, I regress, I stress, I obsess some more.... what should we wear? Will the kids cooperate? How can I bribe them to cooperate? How should we sit/stand/lean.... AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHH! I calm myself down, look for ways to convince kids to work with me and decide to let the photographer deal with the rest.

Granted, we were just going to a department store to get them taken, and you get what you pay for... but at least if Joslyn decides to bite Kaylor instead of smile at the camera, we won't be out too much....

WELL, I bribed the boys with CiCis Pizza and tokens, and put Joslyn in one of her dress up princess dresses... I figure, even if she refuses to give up the sticker she has been carrying around all day, she will still look cute. And she did. All went well, the kids were perfect, husband was handsome.... it was me and my BIG DEER IN THE HEADLIGHT BUG EYES that ruined the photos.........go figure................ I will post the photos when I get them back.

My Other Children

I need to introduce my other kids, before it looks like I only have a daugher... This is my Miller, he is 12, and my Kaylor... he is 7. I think they are pretty darn cute... they are both smart, sweet, loving... but not very helpful. I thought having older kids was like having slave labor... not in this house. The time alone getting these boys to pull their weight around here makes me just want to hire someone for real!!! In all honesty, Miller can clean a house and bake cookies like no other, problem is... he is moodier than a pregnant woman with no chocolate and will only cooperate when he is "in the mood." All things considered, we kinda like them and have decided to keep them both!

OK, back to Joslyn... just kidding... kinda...

Joslyn has such a strong nurturing nature, that EVERYTHING is at risk of being "loved" by her. Here we see her loving nature displayed as she "builds a house" for her hopper, then takes it with her as she shares some sardines and crackers with her dad (I haven't decided which would nausiate me more... carrying around a grasshopper, or eating sardines!)

I realize most kids do love animals, but Joslyn shows no judgement as she loves on every thing from resin/concrete lawn bunnies to our own poor little tortured live cats. (Even my hand is rocked and snuggled as "Baby Mia." But that's another entire blog entry)

At the Children's Museum she walked up to even the largest & scariest of the dinosaurs demanding "I hold it."